Burning Legion invades ancient Kalimdor

Full History

The War of the Ancients began when the magic of the Well of Eternity allowed the Burning Legion to reach Azeroth. Queen Azshara's court had prepared the way, and demons marched into a land that had known the power and stability of the kaldorei empire. Their arrival rapidly turned an imperial crisis into a struggle for the survival of the world. Cities and territories that had seemed secure faced destruction on a scale beyond the experience of their inhabitants.

The night-elven response grew from scattered resistance into an organized army. Kur'talos Ravencrest provided early leadership, followed by Jarod Shadowsong as the battle widened. Malfurion Stormrage sought ways to interrupt the spellwork sustaining the invasion, while Tyrande Whisperwind and other defenders fought to preserve their people. The cause drew in tauren, furbolgs, earthen, and the great guardians associated with the land. It was never merely a battle between night elves and demons.

The Legion also drew terrible power from its commanders. Archimonde killed the ancient guardian Malorne, and the dragonflights suffered a betrayal when Neltharion used the Dragon Soul against his fellow Aspects' forces. These disasters compounded the destruction already sweeping Kalimdor. The resistance nevertheless continued to contest the portal through which Sargeras hoped to enter in person.

At the Well of Eternity, the attempt to bring Sargeras fully into Azeroth failed. The Well collapsed and a catastrophe broke apart the old continent, leaving the Maelstrom at its center. The Legion had been stopped, but the kaldorei empire also ceased to exist. The survivors would carry different legacies from the war: the night elves' Long Vigil, the exile of arcane practitioners, and the transformations that produced new peoples. The great invasion became the dividing line between Azeroth's ancient world and the world that followed.