The Great Dark, by Alex Horley
It is said that no one knows how the universe began. Some believe that a massive explosion sent the elements of life cascading out into the Great Dark. Others believe in a Great Creator. None are sure.
Titan Shaping the World
What we do know from this time period is that colossal gods know as Titans came forth to shape hundreds of millions of newly created worlds, creating mountains, seas, and breathing life into the sky. From this group came the Pantheon, the most powerful Titans. The last known members of the Pantheon are displayed below.
Aman'thul
Eonar
Khaz'Goroth
Norgannon
Golganneth
The Pantheon was constantly at work, safeguarding their work from the demons of the Twisting Nether. The Twisting Nether is an etheral, astral plane of chaotic and demonic energy. It is home to the demons who seek to destroy life and devour the energy of the living world.
The Twisting Nether
While the demons attempted to gain dominion over the Titans' creations, the Pantheon elected Sargeras the Defender to protect the Titans' creation. Sargeras was the greatest warrior the Pantheon had ever seen, a giant of molten bronze who fought demons for countless millenia, locking them away in the Twisting Nether.
Sargeras the Defender
While Sargeras was fighting the demons of the Nether, he encountered two different types of demons. The Eradar and the Nathrezim. The Eredar were warlock sorceror demons, corrupted and malicious. The Nathrezim, also know as Dreadlords, were vampiric demons who manipulated mortals by turning them against one another in hatred and mistrust.
Eredar Warlock
Nathrezim Dreadlord
Sargeras defeated these demons easily, but could not understand why they were so corrupted, so evil. Countless battles against these horrific creatures troubled Sargeras. Doubt and despair overwhelmed him. He began to see order as self-serving, that chaos and darkness were the only absolutes of the universe. Sargeras sought council with his fellow Titans, but none were able to calm his doubts. His confusion turned into brooding depression, and finally rage. He left the Pantheon in anger, seeking to find his place in the Universe.
Eventually, Sargeras' despair consumed him and he believed that the Titan's themselves were responsible for their creations' failures. He vowed to create an overpowering army of darkness and evil to set the Titan's creations asunder. The corruption affected his soul. His once bronze armor of valiance was turning to pure flame.
Sargeras, by Joel Lagerwall
Sargeras, now a Dark Titan, traveled to the corner of the Twisting Nether where he had imprisoned vast hordes of demons and dark beings. With dark conviction, he shattered the powerful cages of the beasts, setting them free to wreak havoc upon the universe.
Twisting Nether Prison
The Eredar and Nathrezim bowed before Sargeras, offering their dark allegiance. Sargeras chose two powerful Eredar to command his new demonic army - Kil'jaedan the Deceiver and Archimonde the Defiler.
Kil'Jaedan
Archimonde
Archimonde the Defiler was chosen to lead Sargeras' vast armies and crush any who oppose them. Sargeras chose Kil'jaedan to seek out the darkest races and beings in the Great Dark and recruit them into their demonic army.
Kil'jaedan began by enslaving the Dreadlords to serve as his personal minions, scouring the universe for new races to corrupt and strengthen the Legion. First of the dreadlords was Tichondrius the Darkener.
Tichondruis the Darkener
Archimonde also had his own soldiers. Pit lords, lead by Mannoroth the Destructor made up the malicious power ranks of what Sargeras now referred to as the Burning Legion.
Mannoroth the Pit Lord
To this day, no one knows how many worlds were consumed during what is now known as The Burning Crusade.
Sargeras and the Legion by Alex Horley
