Ancient (WoW)

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 **Alignment** | * Lawful Good
 **Language(s)** | * Darnassian
* Common

**Ancients** are demigod-like trees. The wisps act in unison with the night elves and serve to strengthen the demigod-like trees known as the Ancients. The ancients were among the first creatures of Azeroth, the first guardians of its life.

## Overview

The ancients are giant, sentient trees that sometimes serve as advisors and protectors of the night elves as guards, but also wander the lands as hostile monsters. They lack apparent independent construction of settlements, but are otherwise highly intelligent. They can also root into the ground to become more of a tree. The ancients seen by adventurers do not seem to utilize this ability. However, after the Cataclysm, ancient protectors have a rooted form, and they can interact with each other and stonework to form or replace walls.

Male figures with hooded faces and whose flesh, what little there was visible was oak bark, fought in the War of the Ancients.

Able to live for thousands of years, the lifespan of an ancient makes those of night elves look very short. As such, they see time differently from the mortal races, and often times years are seen as akin to seconds. For example, though Gnarl had known of Anessa's death during the Third War, when he met up again with her father, Broll Bearmantle just before the time of the Cataclysm, he gave his condolences as if the incident had only just happened.

Some ancients resemble normal trees. At least some of these tree spirits can transform into humanoid forms.

## Ecology

### Society

Ancients are intelligent, tree-like guardians and lorekeepers allied with the night elves. In times of peace, many night elf healers, druids of the wild, and priests study under the ancients' tutelage. In times of war, the ancients stand alongside their night elf allies and fight just as fiercely. They are staunch defenders of the Moonglade of Mount Hyjal and other sacred places.

Ancients are some of the most important creatures in night elf society. They resemble sentient trees, but their wisdom and insight are almost unparalleled. Many of them are thousands of years old. They assist their night elf allies with guidance, education (particularly in the druidic arts), and protection — they are large and powerful, and are protectors of the forest. They are large enough to carry night elves, and some are so enormous that a few night elves make their homes in them.

Most ancients resemble deciduous trees that live in temperate climates, such as oaks and maples. A few evergreen ancients also exist. No reliable reports of tropical ancients have yet surfaced, but the night elves claim that they can exist — and if a colony of night elves moves to the tropics and brings along the appropriate druidic magic, tropical ancients may indeed grace Azeroth's surface.

Ancients speak Darnassian. A few also speak Common. Their voices sound like ancient trees creaking in the wind.

Ancients are traditionally friends of night elves and good-hearted, but the recent Third War makes them suspicious of non-night elves. They give outsiders a chance to prove their good intentions; but if roused to anger ancients are implacable foes. Some ancients patrol their territories, but most spend their time standing still, virtually indistinguishable from normal trees. An ancient may watch intruders, perhaps moving in secret to dog their path. If the outsiders do nothing to harm the forest or nature's balance, the ancient leaves them alone. If the outsiders appear to share the same ideals as the ancient (destroying corrupted creatures or protecting trees from other intruders, for example), the ancient reveals itself and lends assistance. If outsiders abuse the land, the ancient rumbles to a fury and attacks with mighty swings of its arms.

## Types

* Tree of Life
* Tree of Ages
* Tree of Eternity
* Ancient of the Arcane
* Ancient of Lore
* Ancient of War
* Ancient of Wind
* Ancient of Wonders
* Ancient protector
* Corrupted ancient
* Treant