World of Warcraft: Dragonflight will see the Dragon Aspects of Azeroth return to their home on the Dragon Isles. The last time that these powerful beings were on this island was before the Great Sundering of Azeroth tore apart the world and reshaped everything. This event occurred centuries before the story of World of Warcraft, and even before the events of the Warcraft RTS games. It caused Azeroth to become the Azeroth that Warcraft fans have come to know, and it had major lasting affects on the citizens of the world. It is an event that will most likely come up during the Dragonflight story, and it is one that not all players may be familiar with.
Thousands of years before World of Warcraft, Azeroth was mostly condensed onto one continent known as Kalimdor. However, all of that changed during the War of the Ancients when the Burning Legion first invaded the world. The war would result in the event known as the Great Sundering which shattered the continent of Kalimdor and created the continents that are in World of Warcraft. It was a catastrophic event that shook up the very fabric of Azeroth, and forever altered the trajectory of its residents.
What Caused the Great Sundering of Azeroth
Ten thousand years before the First War, Azeroth was invaded by the demonic Burning Legion. The mad Titan Sargeras wished to extinguish all life in the universe and wanted access the world soul of Azeroth. To do this, Sargeras had to sway some mortals to his side so that they could allow his army onto Azeroth. He was able to whisper in the minds of Queen Azshara, Xavius, and most of the Highborne. The Highborne wished to do the bidding of their new lord, and so Xavius drew on the powers of the Well of Eternity to open the way for the Burning Legion to begin their invasion.
The people of Azeroth would not take this invasion lightly, and they mounted their defense. A skillful general known as Lord Kur'talos Ravencrest rallied the night elves into the Kaldorei Resistance. Tyrande Whisperwind, Malfurion Stormrage, and Illidan Stormrage were some of the many members of this resistance. Along with them, the Dragon Aspects left their home to assist the mortals of Azeroth in defeating the villainous Burning Legion.
The battles raged across the continent of Kalimdor, and many heroes of Azeroth would fall to the whispers of madness including the black Dragon Aspect Neltharion. The defenders of Kalimdor would be able to push the Burning Legion back to the portal that the Well of Eternity opened, but that would not be the end. The portal would collapse in on itself, but the energy expending would prove to be too much for the Well, and it would grow unstable. The Well collapsed into the portal and the landmasses would be ripped apart; the land collapsed as the citizens of Azeroth desperately took shelter with the dragons.
The Aftermath of the Great Sundering
Eventually, the portal would close and the destruction of the land would cease. The oceans of Azeroth would rush in to fill the gaps left by the destruction of this portal, and this would further change the shape of the world. The once giant continent of Kalimdor was ripped apart by the portal and shattered into multiple smaller continents. These continents would come to be known as Kalimdor, the Eastern Kingdoms, Northrend, and Pandaria. About 80% of the original continent had been destroyed, and Azeroth never looked the same.
Where the Well of Eternity once stood, a giant Maelstrom was formed which would remain at the center of the ocean. The remaining Highborne, along with Queen Aszhara, would be drowned in the ocean and be transformed into the infamous Naga. They would build themselves a new city at the bottom of the Maelstrom known as Nazjatar, and players would visit the city in Battle for Azeroth.
Centuries after the Sundering occurred, Azeroth would be invaded again by servants of Demons. This time, they would come in the form of the first Orcs that would create the Horde. These new landmasses would be divided up, and the citizens of Azeroth would continue to thrive on this newly shaped world. Only a few of Azeroth's current residents were alive during the time of the Great Sundering, but all of them are aware of the moment in their planet's history that changed everything.
World of Warcraft is available now on PC.