Shadowmoon Valley

**Shadowmoon Valley** is found in southeastern Outland, east of Terokkar Forest. It is the location of the Black Temple (where Illidan Stormrage resides), and also houses a dwarven settlement named after (and led by) Kurdran Wildhammer, as well as the prison where Illidan's former jailor, Maiev Shadowsong, is held captive. It is one of the darkest, bleakest and most fel-affected regions in the universe, second only to Argus. The sky is always black and ghastly yellow, lightened up by the never-ceasing rain of infernals.

## History

Shadowmoon Valley was once a lush moor engulfed in eternal night and lit by Draenor's two moons. This gave the entire land a relaxing, bluish hue that was reflected by its plant life. It was home to the Shadowmoon clan of orcs, a Botani village, and of course the draenei's Temple of Karabor; a feature which made the region the spiritual capital of draenei society. Though none of the races had particularly strong relations, they shared the valley peacefully for centuries; the draenei tending the herds of elekk and contemplating the mysteries of the Light, the Botani tending to the natural world, and the orcs charting the stars and practicing their shamanistic and runic magic.

All this changed, of course, when the Burning Legion made contact with Ner'zhul. The orcs became more aggressive, attacking innocent draenei for no apparent reason. When Ner'zhul discovered he was being used, the Legion turned to Gul'dan, who helped them find Ner'zhul in the first place. Under his influence all the orc clans were united as the bloodthirsty Orcish Horde; backed by powerful Void and Fel magic, this Horde assaulted and destroyed the draenei settlements all across Draenor; Shadowmoon included. He also used his mighty warlock magic to raise a fel-tainted volcano in the middle of the valley to sever the orcs' link to the elements. They then converged on the Temple of Karabor. To overcome its defenses, the Shadow Council performed a ritual to summon the power of the dark naaru K'ara. A great column of Void energy crashed down upon the temple, warping its architecture, causing the instant deaths of hundreds of draenei, while driving others to madness as the Void lords' whispers overcame them. When the Void energy dissipated, the Horde easily dispatched most of the stragglers and the site was renamed the Black Temple, and served as the base of the Shadow Council.

The volcano, called the Hand of Gul'dan, and the Black Temple's chain of fel rulers has transformed the lush valley into a blackened wasteland under a perpetual haze of black and green smoke and dotted with flows of green lava and green-tinted water.

### The Burning Crusade

Once Draenor was transformed into Outland and the Legion began to see potential in these shattered remnants, Shadowmoon became perpetually bombarded by infernals summoned by the demon lords seeking to scour any remaining life from it. When Illidan defeated Magtheridon, the leader of the Legion's efforts in Outland, and returned from his failure to destroy the Frozen Throne, these demons converged on the Black Temple and began to lay siege to it on orders from Kil'jaeden who wished to see Illidan punished for his failures. Some of these demons turned on the Legion and began serving Illidan, thanks to a mysterious source of magic within the temple and Shadowmoon became the center of a demonic civil war. Ironically, the Burning Legion began making anti-demonic weaponry themselves in order to fight the Illidari.