01-06-2020Also known as: Traitor

Demon type: unique

Faction affiliation: independent

Illidan is the twin brother of Malfurion Stormrage and, like his brother, was childhood friends with Tyrande Whisperwind millennia before the Great Sundering. Unlike Malfurion, Illidan lacked the patience to learn the ins and outs of druidry, and proved to be a poor student despite their teacher being the demigod Cenarius.

However, Illidan had a talent for magic, which was the main occupation of night elf society at the time. However, his magical abilities were of little consolation, as he was born with golden eyes, which was very rare among pre-Breaking night elves. Although golden eyes were generally considered a sign of future greatness, Illidan showed no sign of achieving anything out of the ordinary. Little Illidan also knew that his eyes actually spoke of great druidic potential.

Fascinated by arcane magic, he learned incredibly complex spells, but to his dismay, the Moon Guard did not offer to accept him into their ranks for his achievements in complex magic. Despite this, Illidan remained convinced that he would become the hero his people expected him to be.

He soon found another compelling reason to achieve greatness. One day during the festival, he saw Tyrande dancing in the crowd and realized that he loved her. Years later, he fell in love with her kindness, her laugh, her beauty and her loyalty.

His joy was only marred by the fact that Malfurion also had feelings for Tyrande, although Malfurion had been aware of this for longer. Illidan knew that Tyrande would definitely choose either him or Malfurion as her husband. It depended only on which of the twins showed himself more worthy in her eyes.

Illidan redoubled his efforts in mastering mystical magic and rejoiced when a chance and a quick decision made it possible for him to save the life of Lord Kur "talos Ravencrest. The grateful nobleman made Illidan his personal magician and began to strongly believe in the courage and magic of his new protégé.

Unfortunately, the demon that tried to kill Ravencrest was only the first of many that were about to appear on ancient Kalimdor. The first invasion of the Burning Legion has begun.

War of the Ancients

Ravencrest organized an army of night elves to fight the demonic invasion. When the head of the Moon Guard, Latosius, was killed in action, Illidan seized the opportunity. He led the surviving mages and channeled their combined force to great effect and slew many of the Legion's minions. Despite this, the war looked hopeless as more and more reinforcements came from the Twisted Nether.

At a critical moment in the war, Malfurion refused to obey Ravencrest's orders and left the night elf army. He went on a perilous journey: he planned to find the dragonflight and turn to them for help. In a fit of emotion, Illidan met with Tyrande and told her that he could no longer remain silent. He confessed his love to her and told her that Malfurion had gone mad in his pursuit of druidism.

Worried about Malfurion, Tyrande denounced Illidan, who realized that he confessed too late. She had already made her choice and it wasn't Illidan. Again Malfurion effortlessly achieved what Illidan could not. Only this victory was particularly bitter, as Malfurion still did not realize his love for Tyrande.

The pain of unrequited love haunted Illidan, and he found that dark thoughts began to haunt him. He could not know that at this moment Lord Xavius, a satyr capable of spreading corruption, influenced him. Eventually, Illidan also left the camp, but he was leaving for a completely different purpose. He was looking for Sargeras, creator of the Burning Legion.

Illidan swore allegiance to the dark titan, for which Sargeras gave him great power. It burned out Illidan's eyes and gave the empty eye sockets a magically enhanced gaze. As his next reward, Sargeras tattooed Illidan's body with an intertwining web of tattoos that imbued the night elf with powerful mystical energy.

For this undoubted treason, Illidan was later called the "Traitor". Although he helped the Burning Legion slightly, he eventually sided with Malfurion and the night elves. Together with his brother, he closed the portal that the Highborne courtiers opened right in the Well of Eternity, thus preventing the appearance of Sargeras in Azeroth, which would lead to the death of the world. Shortly before the portal closed, a group of Highborne rebelled against the Legion and, led by Dat "Remar Sunstrider, united with the main army of the night elves.

Dark Path

Azeroth was saved, but the Well's misuse of magic caused it to self-absorb, shattering ancient Kalimdor into several pieces. A new ocean appeared, and the night elf defenders had to flee from the oncoming waves. Having reached Mount Hyjal, the night elves were finally able to rest: the waters of the ocean had reached the limit.

Before the Well self-absorbed, Illidan managed to fill several vials of it with water. He was certain that despite the night elves' victory, the Legion would return someday. Despite the devastating war that had just ended, he believed that only arcane magic could save the night elves from a second invasion. So he found a secluded lake at the top of Mount Hyjal and poured three vials into it, irreversibly turning it into a second Well of Eternity.

He thought his people would praise him as a hero. He was wrong.

A small group of night elves, including a few repentant Highborne, discovered what Illidan had done and were horrified. Illidan thought that the Highborne would try to take the Well, as they had done with the first Well, and attacked them. Malfurion arrived a little later and helped capture his twin brother.

As Illidan's brother and war hero, Malfurion was allowed to decide his brother's fate. Amazed by Illidan's strength, Malfurion decided that Illidan was too dangerous to remain at large. But even under such conditions, Malfurion could not sentence his brother to death. Instead, Illidan was sentenced to a more severe punishment: he was imprisoned for the rest of his immortal life. As a result of Malfurion's so-called grace, Illidan spent the next ten thousand years in isolation, imprisoned deep underground, guarded by Overseers.

Lost Soul: The Third War

Confirming Illidan's fears, the Burning Legion invaded Azeroth again during the Third War. Tyrande, head of the night elf government, awakened Malfurion from his slumber, and together they went underground to wake the rest of the druids. Along the way, Tyrande passed by Illidan's prison and thought he could be a strong ally. Although Malfurion warned her, she led her Guardians into the prison.

The guards would not hand over their prisoner without a fight, so Tyrande and her soldiers killed the guards blocking the way to Illidan's cell. She told Illidan that his people once again needed his help against the Burning Legion.

Illidan agreed to fight against the Legion. However, his long and unjustified imprisonment was hard on him. He said that he did not agree out of loyalty to his people, but only for the sake of her well-being.

Free at last, he followed Tyrande up into the infested forests of Felwood. Tyrande and her soldiers went to look for Malfurion, who was waking the last sleeping druids. She believed that by confronting Illidan's freedom, she could persuade her husband to give his twin brother another chance.

Left alone, Illidan stumbled upon the death knight Arthas Menethil, who told him that the demons that infected Felwood used a magical artifact to do this: Gul'dan's Skull. Arthas explained to him that the Lich King would be very grateful if Illidan stole Arthas was essentially suggesting that Illidan claim the artifact's power as his own.

Illidan still craved magic and was confident that by mastering the skull's power, he could defeat the Legion's forces in Felwood. Despite his suspicions about Arthas' motives, Illidan nevertheless stole the artifact and consumed it, taking its powers for himself. Already marked by Sargeras earlier during the War of the Ancients, Illidan was turned into a demon immediately after absorbing the skull's demonic powers.

Using his newfound power, Illidan killed Tichondrius, the leader of the demons that were infecting Felwood. Shortly after Illidan's victory, Tyrande and Malfurion returned to the forest and confronted Illidan. At first, none of them recognized Illidan in this powerful demon. Upon learning what had happened, Malfurion became angry and, rejecting all the merits of Illidan, condemned him. Still bearing the responsibility of shaping Illidan's fate, Malfurion banished him from the lands of the night elves.

The new punishment did not surprise Illidan. Malfurion had always found it unpleasant to deal with powers other than those he and Tyrande had. Let Illadan's self-confident brother limit himself to so-called "safe" magic. Let him walk his precious Emerald Dream as life in Azeroth passes him by. Illidan would never have accepted such a death in his lifetime.

If Illidan was denied anything else, he would gain power.

Alliance with the Naga

After the Legion's defeat at the Battle of Mount Hyjal, the demon lord Kil'jayden contacted Illidan. He asked Illidan to kill the Lich King, who had betrayed the Burning Legion, making Arthas his personal warrior and head of the Scourge. For this, Kil'jayden promised to give Illidan everything he had wants.

In the face of Kil'jayden's overwhelming force, Illidan had no choice but to agree. In addition, he summoned a large group of nagas from the bottom of the sea, including Lady Vash. The nagas, who were once Highborne, recognized Illidan and respected his magical talent, which was even larger than they remembered, and they agreed to become his allies.

Meanwhile, taskmaster Maev Shadowsong discovered that Illidan had escaped and vowed to catch him. She and her Overseers pursued him through Ashenvale and followed him across the sea to the Broken Isles, where Illidan and his naga allies entered the Tomb of Sargeras.

Maiev tracked down Illidan when he first acquired the Eye of Sargeras. Having run into his former jailers, Illidan used a powerful demonic artifact against them. He escaped, and all the Guardians remained, locked in one part of the tomb, which quickly filled with sea water. The overseers tried their best to bury Illidan alive; he was just repaying debts.

Of all the Watchers in the tomb, only Maev escaped death by water. Illidan's nagas constantly attacked Maiev's greatly diminished forces, but Maiev sent a messenger who reached Malfurion and asked for help. Malfurion and Tyrande arrived just in time to rescue the taskmaster, but Illidan managed to get away.

The trio followed Illidan to Lordaeron, where Illidan and several naga mages began to cast a powerful spell using the Eye of Sargeras. Malfurion and Maiev arrived just in time to stop the spell before it was complete. Enraged and enraged, Illidan explained that he was trying to destroy the Frozen Throne and its captor, the Lich King. Illidan did not mention the treaty with Kil'jayden, as Malfurion might not have understood this. In any case, due to Malfurion's intervention, the treaty could be considered terminated.

Malfurion and Illidan soon discovered that Tyrande and a small group of Guardians had been pushed down the Arevass River and were under attack by the Scourge. Illidan still loved Tyrande, so he quickly decided to help. In order to save Tyrande, Malfurion hesitantly agreed to work with Illidan. Malfurion established and defended the night elf camp while Illidan and his naga rescued Tyrande and her soldiers.

In gratitude for saving Tyrande, Malfurion excused Illidan for his dangerous sorcery. But in doing so, he warned Illidan never to threaten the night elves again. Little interested in the affairs of his former race, Illidan agreed to Malfurion's terms and opened a portal to Outland, where he hoped to escape the fury of Kil'jayden. The Burning Legion did not tolerate failure.

Outland Lord

Burned by the desire for revenge, Maev could not refuse the pursuit. She followed Illidan into the portal with a small group of followers. The number of opponents was too great, and Illidan was captured again.

Fortunately, this preponderance of power was due to the fact that he sent Lady Vash and her naga to recruit more allies: Prince Cal'thas Sunstrider and his band of blood elves. These blood elves soon followed the naga into Outland and freed Illidan, who promised teach them to deal with the addiction to magic. Kal "tas swore allegiance to Illidan and helped his new master close all the portals to Outland. By doing this, Illidan hoped to stop any further recruitment of demons from the Twisted Nether and block any attempts by Kil'jayden to find him.

A pit lord named Magtheridon, who ruled Outland at the time, was a suitable target. Illidan led a powerful army of blood elves and nagas against Magtheridon, defeated him and took possession of his stronghold, the Black Temple.

But Illidan's triumph did not last long. In a whirlwind of magic and rage, Kil'jayden descended into Outland, despite the fact that Illidan sealed all the portals that led to the planet. Illidan greatly underestimated the power of the demon lord.

Thinking about it, Illidan told Kil'jayden that he had come to Outland only to multiply his forces before attacking the Frozen Throne. Kil'jayden was hardly convinced, and he decided to give Illidan one last chance. He warned Illidan that failure would mean death.

Left with no choice, Illidan led the blood elves and naga back to Azeroth. The Scourge defended desperately from Illidan's army until Arthas and the crypt lord Anub "arak arrived. Arthas and Illidan fought one on one, and Arthas won. He ordered Illidan to leave Azeroth and never return.

After that, Illidan returned to the Black Temple. As his allies battle to keep Outland's many portals sealed, Illidan prepares for the day Kil'jaeden arrives to punish him for his failed attempt to assassinate the Lich King.

Illidan Demon

As with some demons, Illidan does not consider himself a servant of the Burning Legion. Indeed, Illidan had alternately been his ally and enemy at various times in the past. Despite the demonic transformation, he retained almost all of his personality, which is very rare among demons. Being a demon, he is incredibly evil and often treacherous, but has not yet lost the remnants of nobility. Their conflict with his ambition and lust for power makes him a dangerous and unpredictable adversary.

Since Illidan's case is unique, there is no point in speculating how long his behavior will differ from normal demons.
Additionally
Alternative history

It is known that in the world of Azeroth there are three time travelers who managed to partially rewrite the history of their world - a man, an orc and a dragon in the guise of an elf. Through a time portal on Mount Hyjal, they traveled from the era of the Second War to 10,000 years ago, to the era of the War of the Ancients, and tried to change the course of history in such a way as to prevent the invasion of the Burning Legion or somehow weaken it.

In the new historical reality, despite all the efforts of the trio of time travelers, it was not possible to prevent the invasion of the Legion, but Illidan was able to curb his craving for magic and came up with a plan with which to defeat the demons. He went to the commanders of the Legion - Kil "jaeden and Archimonde - and managed to convince them of his loyalty to the invaders, after which, at an audience with Sargeras, he offered him, in exchange for additional power, to get a powerful artifact - the Dragon Soul (later better known as the Demon Soul) The fallen titan agreed to this and, as a sign of the agreement, endowed Illidan with part of his power, and at the same time with extraordinary magical vision, having previously blinded the night elf.

However, Azshara's soldiers traveled with Illidan. They captured Malfurion along with the Soul, who then managed to escape, but despite the elf's requests, Sargeras did not trust him with the disk. Illidan was in great disarray, but he quickly matured a new plan: he filled seven crystal phials in the Well of Eternity in order to use a spell to change the polarity of the portal so that all the demons, led by Sargeras, were thrown out of Azeroth. However, as it turned out, this spell was whispered to him by the Old Gods, and if Illidan cast it, it would free them from eternal imprisonment. But at the most crucial moment, Malfurion appeared with the Soul of the Dragon, and the brothers were able to close the portal.

A side effect of the spell was the destruction of the Well of Eternity, and the Great Sundering did occur. Many elves escaped Mount Hyjal, but the Highborne found themselves at the bottom of the whirlpool and, with the help of the Old Gods, turned into naga.

After the victory, Malfurion became popular, and Illidan, due to the strange appearance bestowed on him by Sargeras, and the strange-looking behavior during the invasion, on the contrary, aroused suspicion. All his exploits turned into disgrace, and this greatly annoyed the night elf. And he, foreseeing new incursions of demons, decided to create a second Well of Eternity, choosing a quiet lake on the top of Mount Hyjal and pouring three of the seven preserved vials of pure magic into it. For this occupation, he was caught by an elven patrol. During the disassembly, one patrolman exclaimed in his hearts: “Yes, if it weren’t for your brother, we would have you ...”. These words infuriated Illidan, and before he was pinned he killed several elves. At the subsequent trial, they decided to imprison Illidan for life. Mev, who did not agree with the verdict, whose brother was killed (according to other sources, only wounded) on that patrol, decided to personally guard him.
Warcraft III Events
After that, he was released by Tyrend to fight the demons of the Burning Legion that once again invaded the world of Azeroth. But the thirst for magic took possession of him with renewed vigor. He absorbed the energy of a demonic artifact - the Skull of Gul "dan and himself became half a demon. This gave him the strength to defeat Tichondrius, one of the most powerful Nathrezim. But for using the magic of demons, he was forever banished from Ashenvale by his own brother.

After some time, he awakened a mysterious people - the Naga. They were once the Highborne, the night elves who, in pursuit of magic and power, caused the first invasion of the Legion. Now they transformed into snake-like creatures and could live both under water and on land. By order of the demon Kil'jaeden, Illidan began to look for a way to destroy the Lich King, Ner'zhul, who had gone out of obedience to that. To do this, he went in search of the tomb of Sargeras. He needed the Eye of the Burning Legion, a powerful artifact with which Illidan could destroy the Frozen Throne and complete the task set by Kil'jaeden. However, he was thwarted by the jailer Mev and his own brother. Illidan was forced to hide in Draenor from the wrath of Kil'jaeden. Mev went after him and captured Illidan, but he was soon freed by the combined blood elf army led by Prince Kel and the naga led by Lady Vaishi. The prince swore allegiance to Illidan. Together they began to plan the takeover of this world.

Illidan told the prince that power in these lands belongs to the demon Magtheridon, who receives daily reinforcements through the portals opened by Ner'zhul. Therefore, in the first place, it was decided to close the portals. While Illidan cast his spells, Kael and his blood elves protected him from the demons emerging from the portals. After that, they launched an assault on the citadel of Magtheridon. Destroying his guards, they entered into a fight with the demon itself and defeated him. Magtheridon was surprised. Bowing to Illidan, he asked him if he was a member of the Legion sent to test him. Illidan laughed in his face and said that he had come to overthrow him, not to test him. So Illidan became the new master of the Wastes.

Illidan's green seals mean: "He who wields the bones of Gul'dan rules by his power, and all knowledge passes to the owner of his flesh."

World of Warcraft Events

After an unsuccessful assault on Icecrown and a wound inflicted by Arthas' runesword Frostmourne, Illidan returned to the Dark Citadel, where he continued to rule.

After returning, Illidan sent a detachment of blood elves to capture the city of Shattrath City, but this detachment (led by Kael) betrayed him and went over to the side of the Naaru. Kael'thas, after the Battle of the Frozen Throne, betrayed Illidan and captured the fortress of the Naaru. Lady Vaishi took a vague position, carrying out independent activities to create a source of magical power. Akama, the leader of the draenei, also departed from his patron and, with the help of adventurers from Azeroth, prepared and carried out the assassination of Illidan, in which Mev Shadowsong, Illidan's former jailer, took part. So ingloriously died another charismatic character of the Warcraft universe.
amateur image
Illidan uses arcane magic and fire magic, burning the bodies and souls of his enemies, and as a result of absorbing the power of the skull of Gul'dan in the past, he gained the ability to turn into a demon and destroy opponents with clots of chaotic flame.
In World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, his abilities were revised, and Illidan now uses shadow and fire magic.
Illidan's weapons are the twin blades of Azzinoth

“Traitor… Actually betrayed me. Driven by all. Rejected by everyone. But I, the blind, see what is inaccessible to the sighted. That sometimes fate needs to be rushed! And now forward ... and may the shadow of Doom overtake ... All ... Who will stand in our way.

Illidan's youth

Illidan, Malfurion's twin brother, practiced Highborne magic. In his youth, he tried to comprehend the magic of the druids, like his brother, but sorcery attracted him more than earth magic. Unlike his brother, Illidan was born with amber eyes, which at the time signified a great destiny, but now signifies druidic potential. When Malfurion and Tyrande found their destination, Illidan was still on the lookout. Although he was not a Highborne, he became the personal wizard of the war leader Ravencrest. As Sargeras' invasion of Azeroth began and Azshara's treachery became known to all, Malfurion persuaded Illidan to leave his queen behind. Illidan listened to his brother.

But when Cenarius and the dragons entered the battle, Malfurion realized that the opponent was too strong to defeat him in battle. He believed that the only way to stop the invasion was to destroy the Well of Eternity. This idea shocked Illidan, as it was the source of his magic, and most likely of his elven immortality, so losing him would be too great a cost to him. In addition, the night elf found himself drawn to the powers of the Burning Legion, in which he saw true magical purity behind their chaotic behavior. The satyr Xavius ​​saw this and used his confusion to "plant" a seed of doubt in Illidan's mind, causing the elf to use the power of the Burning Legion to become stronger, while Illidan himself believed he was helping to defeat the Legion. This led to the fact that he gave the Demon Soul to Sargeras to strengthen the portal. Illidan had strong feelings for Tyrande Whisperwind, an aspiring priestess of the Sisters of Elune. The night elf was so eager to impress Tyrande that he often acted without thinking, especially when magic was involved; he never realized that this was not at all what Tyrande wanted to see in her future wife. But while Illidan fought for her heart, none of them knew yet that this battle ended immediately after it began, since almost immediately Tyrande chose Malfurion over Illidan.

Xavius ​​knew this and used his power to pit Illidan against Malfurion, convincing him that if Malfurion died, Illidan would no longer have to compete with him for Tyrande's love. Finally, seeing his beloved in the arms of his brother, he finally severed all ties with the defenders. Illidan traveled to Zin-Azshari with a new plan in mind. There, he faked an oath of allegiance to Azshara and Mannoroth. Illidan's plan was to obtain the soul of a demon, an artifact of great power that was created by Deathwing, also known as Neltharion the Earth-Warder. This artifact had the ability to close the portal through which demons came to Kalimdor. For this plan to work, Illidan needed more strength. He was eventually brought before Sargeras, who quickly saw through the night elf's plan to obtain a demon soul for the Legion. The Titan was pleased with this plan and gave Illidan a "gift" in exchange for his loyalty. His eyes were burned out by Sargeras himself, who was still on the other side of the portal, and instead of them there were lights that made it possible to see any kind of magic, and tattoos were applied to his body to enhance the effect of arcane magic.

Azshara was fascinated by the "new" Illidan (who was very concerned about her opinion), but remained cautious, sending Captain Varo'then to help the night elf find the demon's soul. After the Great Sundering, Illidan, after filling seven vials of water from the Well of Eternity, climbed the Mount Hyjal, where he found a small and quiet lake, into which he poured the contents of three vials. The rapidly emerging chaos of energies destroyed the lake, turning it into a new Source of Eternity. But Illidan's joy did not last long until he was discovered by Malfurion, Tyrande and the rest of the kaldorei leaders, who were horrified at what he had done. Unable to accept the fact that his brother had committed such treason, Malfurion tried once more to explain to Illidan the folly and depravity of the path he had chosen. He tried to convey to his brother that the magic used by Illidan was chaotic in nature and, as long as it existed, could lead to nothing but destruction. But the elf refused to listen, admiring the power of this magic so much that he mistook his brother for a fool who did not understand anything. He claimed that magic would be needed when the Legion returned. The complete lack of understanding shocked and angered Malfurion, who realized that Illidan was lost forever due to the influence of magic. He ordered his brother to be locked up in a dungeon deep under Mount Hyjal, away from everyone.

Name: Illidan Stormrage

Race: night elf/demon hybrid

Occupation: prisoner, demon hunter, warlord, lord of the Outlands.

Good must be with fists,

With a tail and sharp horns,

With hooves and a beard.

covered with prickly fur,

Breathing fire, beating with a hoof,

It will come for you too!

Do you hear - here it is walking,

Poison flows from fangs to the ground,

The tail whips angrily at the sides.

Good, ominously howling,

Touching the clouds with horns,

Creeping closer to us!

D. Bagretsov

Illidan Stormrage. He is also a traitor. He is Danya Suramarsky. He is also the ruler of the wastelands. Elf with demonic traits, lord of the Black Temple, master of the armies of elves, orcs and nagas. Created the second Well of Eternity on top of Mount Hyjala. Ten thousand years in prison. He swore allegiance to the Burning Legion, but repeatedly betrayed him. Favorite pastime - collecting magical artifacts. Irritable character. Not married, although he would not mind.

The history of the worlds of the Martial Craft counts many thousands of years. Empires collapsed and were born, heroes and villains appeared, did their business and quickly (according to historical scales - instantly) left the stage. Everything in this raging world is ghostly, and there is only a moment for the deeds of mortals.

But through all times and epochs, like a flaming meteor, the hero of our story rushed. A young elf with a blindfold. Demon servant and demon hunter. A brave hero, a terrible villain - and the most famous representative of the mighty Zek tribe in Azeroth. He was not afraid to break the rules and be held accountable for his crimes. He was ready to go to the ends of the world for the sake of magic, power and love.

Became a traitor and turned out to be betrayed, a hunter and an eternal victim, a lone warrior and leader of armies, the owner of the title of ruler of the Outlands and impractical wings behind his back - of course, this is Illidan, the eternal troublemaker and "terrible child" of Azeroth.

The hero begins training with swords taken from Azzinoth.

Ten thousand years ago, on the banks of the Well of Eternity, dug by the titans in the very center of the continent of Kalimdor, lived the night elves - the carefree tribe of Kaldorei. The power of the magic well tore out the once primitive tribes of the proto-elves, gave them reason and the ability to magic. Gradually, a privileged caste of the Highborn emerged from the Kaldorei community - they used magic carelessly and on a grand scale, which attracted the attention of the Burning Legion.

The rank and file night elves also experienced the endless possibilities of the well. One of the most diligent wizards, whose strength was fueled by "well" mana, was a young Illidan of Suramar named Stormrage ("Storm Fury").

Black hair tied in a ponytail, dark purple skin, and a rare golden eye color - this is how Illidan was remembered by his contemporaries.

The unusual mutation of the iris did not go to his twin brother Malfurion. In character, Malfurion also did not resemble his golden-eyed brother - Illidan was talented, but quick-tempered and sometimes reckless. Furion, on the other hand, always looked at things soberly and was not prone to excessive manifestations of emotions. In addition, he feared the Well of Eternity and, under the influence of the forest demigod Cenarius, practiced druidism.

Both brothers were in love with the priestess of the temple of Elune, the young Tyrande Whisperwind ("Whispering Wind"). The young elf liked Furion's discretion and reliability. Tyrande made it clear that the unfortunate Illidan had no place in her heart.

Later, the chosen one of the priestess Malfurion will describe the existing triangle as follows: “We loved one girl, beautiful as the moon in the sky. She preferred me, so Illidan was left with the nose. And I stayed with my eyes."

The elf who came back from the cold

From the point of view of history, the choice is nothing more than an arrow indicating the direction. Temporary Pants formed in space, and Vimes flew down one of the pants with a crash.

Whereas the second Vimes, who made a different choice, began his fall into a different future.

T. Pratchett, "Patriot"

When Queen Azshara, court mage Zavius, and other highborn elves opened a portal from the corrupted Nothing to Azeroth, the world was on the brink of destruction. Hordes of demons emerged from the portal and laid siege to the elven cities.

The dragons' counter-attack proved disastrous, and the treants of Cenarius could no longer hold back the incessant arrival of the Legion's warriors. Then Malfurion Stormrage made the difficult decision to destroy the Well of Eternity that fed the portal.

Illidan, a passionate defender of magic, was not enthusiastic about the idea. He abandoned both his brother and his lover in order to warn Queen Azshara of an attack and thereby earn the nickname "traitor". For his own sake, he drew several vials of raw magic from the well. When the explosion that destroyed the well split the world into three continents, the elf was guided only by selfishness, pouring magic into the mountain lake and creating the second well of Eternity.

In general, the picture turns out to be ugly - a drug addict who has forgotten both love, and kindred feelings, and patriotism for the sake of the dubious joys of immortality and magical powers.

But are the old history books really true? Was Illidan, shaking with maggot withdrawal, knocking on the doors of Azshara's throne room to sell his friends for a drink of mana?

Yes and no. The story of the War of the Ancients, as it was described in the original legends, really happened. But then she has changed. The fault was the trinity of time travelers - a man, a dragon and an orc. They climbed into the time portal on Mount Hyjal and, having been transported into the past for ten thousand years, radically changed it.

The timewalkers were unable to prevent the Legion's invasion. But in the updated legends, Illidan is no longer a shaking abstinent. With the help of the good Tyrande, he overcame the temptation of magic, and only endless youthful love remained in the heart of the golden-eyed elf.

He decided that the war with the Legion gave him a unique opportunity to become famous and earn the love of the priestess. True, in Illidan's vague dreams, there was still the hope of carefully removing an opponent - his own brother. However, as we now know, the idea of ​​fratricide was carefully instilled into the thrashing elf by the satyr Zavius. Ashamed of the thought, Illidan put it out of his mind - and, as far as we know, never attempted Malfurion's life, openly or covertly.

"Do you want to be like Illidan? Join the Traitors Guild!

To impress Tyrande, one must become a hero - and preferably not posthumously. How to do it? The young elf conceived a dangerous plan, which, in case of failure, threatened him with a fate far worse than death.

Illidan went to surrender to the Burning Legion. After convincing Generals Archimonde and Mannoroth of his sympathy for the legion, he informed them that he had important information. Word of the "defector" reached the top leadership of the Burning Legion, and Illidan was unexpectedly granted an audience with Sargeras, the Destroyer of Worlds himself.

Not at a loss before the gaze of the Enemy, the elf offered his services. In exchange for authority and power, Illidan promised Sargeras to obtain a powerful artifact - a golden disk that stores the powers of dragonflights. The Soul of Dragons was the name of the magical item wielded by the evil dragon Nelfarion. Sargeras, in those days, was thinking about how to expand the portal enough to be able to crawl into the world in person. The artifact's power could have allowed the "burrow" to be enlarged to allow the Titan to enter Azeroth in a blasphemous "birth" rite.

By acquiring demonic eye implants, Illidan surprised the technically retarded Clanmates.

Illidan managed to conceal from the demon lord his intention to personally use the disc to destroy the portal. Sargeras pecked at the promises of the golden-eyed elf and provided him with the most powerful magical powers, covering the elf with a pattern of magical tattoos. In addition, he gave Illidan an unsolicited gift - he tore out his golden eyes and put new ones in their empty sockets. The elf lost sight in the usual sense of the word, but in reality he became many times sharper than before and could now perceive radiation in the magical range. Like the owner of a pair of magic radars, he sensed the presence of magic from afar.

Illidan's appearance was badly damaged during this "operation". The area of ​​the eye sockets and bridge of the nose was covered with burns, in some places even the bones of the skull were exposed. From now on, Illidan will wear the bandage presented by the same Sargeras in front of his eyes.

Only Queen Azshara did not fully believe Illidan's enthusiasm. She gave the elf to accompany her best warrior, the head of the guard, and in doing so, tied Illidan's hands. As a result, good intentions did not help the elf. When his brother managed to steal the golden disc from the mad dragon, the soldiers of Azshara and Illidan were already waiting for him at the exit. The Soul of the Dragons fell into the wrong hands, Malfurion was captured. He managed to escape later, but the sediment, as they say, remained.

Execution cannot be pardoned

Why was Illidan imprisoned for ten thousand years? The question is not as simple as it seems. In the original universe, unaffected by the "butterfly effects", he was charged with the article "Illegal creation of the Wells of Eternity", and Brother Malfurion was the first accuser.

In an alternate history, the creation of a new well was seen as more of a curiosity than a real threat of a second demonic invasion, and here Illidan was put on trial for murder. True, there are sources according to which he did not kill, but only wounded two elves while trying to detain him. But then such a harsh sentence becomes incomprehensible.

As for the notorious "betrayal" (whatever it was), the accusation of "treason" did not surface at all at the trial.

In vain did Illidan urge Sargeras to entrust him with the golden disk. The Titan wisely decided that in the process of expanding the portal, it would be safer to keep the artifact at home, on the other side of the “burrow”.

The storm of emotions in the soul of the unlucky elf was understandable - he himself did not become famous, and it was uncomfortable in front of his brother. But a new diabolical plan quickly formed in his head. Asking the Legion to take a walk, Illidan took seven crystal phials and filled them in the Well of Eternity. Taking a position opposite the outer side of the portal, he unexpectedly stumbled upon Tyrande, who had escaped from captivity, and informed her that he would now save the world - they say, look and remember.

- What's wrong with your eyes?

- I'll tell you later.

Why do you need these bottles?

“I need mana.

- Yes, you are not only blind, but also crazy! cried the priestess, who knew that certain kinds of magic were not to be trifled with.

But Illidan could not be persuaded. His mind, as it turned out later, was at that moment enslaved by the Old Gods - a force much more vile than Sargeras himself. The elf was going to disrupt the ritual by reversing the polarity at the portal so that the demons and Sargeras were thrown out of Azeroth away. Little did Illidan know that he was casting a spell to free the Old Gods from eternal imprisonment.

With the best of feelings, with the best of intentions, Illidan could do something irreparable at any moment. However, given that Sargeras was already halfway through the portal, things could hardly get any worse. On the other hand, it could have become better when Malfurion appeared on the scene with the very golden disk that his brother had been trying to get for so long and unsuccessfully. Tyrande was delighted, and the morally crushed Illidan had to help his brother. Sensing that the chance to return from captivity is running out, the Old Gods staged a psychic attack, inducing hallucinations and inflaming desires, promising the brothers all the blessings and the whole world at their feet in exchange for help. Reasonable Furion quickly overcame the temptation and shouted at the unlucky brother, who was clearly "led." Awakened from the temptations, Illidan came to the aid of Malfurion, and together they managed to slam the portal.

An unexpected side effect of the spell was the destruction of the Well of Eternity. The Great Schism did happen, but not immediately. Many kaldorei managed to escape the tsunami on the slopes of Mount Hyjala. Azshara and the other Highborn were less fortunate - they ended up at the bottom of the Maelstrom and, with the help of the Old Gods, turned into an underwater snake tribe.

"Illidan is to blame, but not to blame"

I wonder what article you are entitled to under the future Criminal Code?

x / f "Guest from the Future"

At first, wings, legs and tails seemed like a harmless joke.

The hero of the day was Malfurion. The gloomy Illidan was chided for his collaborationism, but was not touched, despite the fact that he had a very suspicious vidok - a bandage over his eyes and tattoos all over his body. His brother vouched for him, and the opinion of the savior of the world was listened to.

Being a garden scarecrow against the backdrop of his brother's glorious deeds infuriated Illidan. All his deeds were brought to shame, and even Tyrande looked at him only with pity.

I should have asked him, "Do you have a plan, Illidan?" Illidan had a plan, as usual. Anticipating new invasions of the Burning Legion, he decided to make the elves happy with a new Well of Eternity. Choosing a quiet lake at the top of Hyjala, he, after a short reflection, poured three of the seven hidden vials of magic into it.

For this occupation, he was caught by an elven patrol. Everything could have ended peacefully if one of the elves had not thrown in their hearts: “Yes, if not for your brother, we would have you ...” Big mistake! Enraged, Illidan killed several elves before he was pinned down. For the murder, Illidan was put on trial, and the accuser demanded the death penalty. "Let me go to him, I'll tear him!" shouted a certain elf, whose brother Illidan had wounded on the ill-fated patrol.

When they gave the floor to the accused, he stood in the pose of d "Artagnan and expressed himself in the spirit that "future generations will understand me, and in general, you will then honor me as a god." The speech did not impress the court, but then Malfurion got up and said : "My brother, of course, got excited, but who knows - suddenly he really did us a favor. I propose not to chop off the shoulder, but to give him a life sentence."

The elves reluctantly agreed with Malfurion's arguments. There are no records of the trial, so we don't know exactly what Illidan said in his last word.

The elf, who was killed by her wounded brother, remained dissatisfied with the decision. Her name was Maiev Shadowsong ("Shadowsong"), and she became a willing guardian of Illidan, sharing his fate and underground prison with him.

Horns and hooves

It is well known that jinn in their free state are only capable of either destroying cities or building palaces. A thoroughly seasoned genie, freed from the bottle, will not build palaces, and the enemy will have a hard time.

A. Strugatsky, B. Strugatsky, “Monday starts on Saturday”

"You are not ready!! By the way, pay attention to my profile in the moonlight.

Illidan was serving time. The years turned into decades and centuries. Ages turned into millennia. The druids fell into hibernation, the sun elves emerged from the shadows and sailed east. The great kingdoms of the trolls fell, and new races came to Azeroth. Dwarves built underground halls, and human kingdoms arose in the eastern continents. The mages of Dalaran reawakened an ancient evil, and the keepers of Tirisfal battled the demons. As the wheels of history turned, Illidan served his eternal punishment for ten thousand years.

The sorcerer Medivh opened the Dark Portal and the demon-led Horde invaded from another world to be betrayed by their own leaders. The legion's viceroy, the orc Gul-Dan, raised the island from the bottom and was killed by demons in an attempt to resurrect the avatar of Sargeras. The Horde was thrown back behind the portal, and its new leader Ner-Zhul again walked across Azeroth with fire and sword, in order to later destroy his native Draenor and end up in the hands of the Legion.

When the plague of the undead came from Northrend to Lordaeron and the best of the best fell or were recruited by the Undead King, things smelt fried. Tough times call for tough decisions. Priestess Tyrande Whisperwind, who had guarded the druids' dream for almost ten thousand years, remembered Illidan's warnings in the face of an imminent demonic invasion and decided to release him from the dungeon. Since Tyrande did not have parole authority, she arranged for Illidan to escape.

Maiev and Illidan will henceforth be inseparable. Like hunter and prey, like yin and yang... Like Lelek and Bolek.

Over the long thousands of years, Maiev Shadowsong has created her own intelligence agency for the execution of punishments, attracting elves and emissaries of Cenarius to the dustless underground service. Somebody was lucky that Maiev wasn't on duty that day. It is not known who would have won the fight, as Tyrande had to kill the guards in order to free Illidan.

For ten thousand years, the recalcitrant elf has changed little, although he has become physically stronger and sharper in handling weapons. With his mind, things were not so rosy - the record term of imprisonment was not in vain for Illidan. The unexpected visit of Tyrande, however, pleased the elf, and he energetically went to look for the Burning Legion in the vastness of Kalimdor.

Illidan soon came across Arthas, a death knight who had just landed on the continent as leader of the Scourge. The heroes mechanically crossed blades, trying on each other - and then Arthas told Illidan that the Legion was hiding the skull of Gul-Dan nearby, the source of power. Arthas hoped that the elf, who was not indifferent to artifacts, would die trying to get to the skull. But the opposite happened - Illidan scattered the demons, including Tichondrius himself. This outcome also suited the official Icecrown. For many reasons, Ner'zhul disliked the Burning Legion.

Gul-Dan's skull had really given Illidan a noticeable boost in strength. But the side effects also made themselves felt: the once simple night elf grew all the secondary signs of a demon - wings, hooves and a long tail. In addition, Illidan had visibly faded into the shadows, his footprints now leaving smoldering imprints on the ground.

In this original form, he appeared before Tyrande, and at the same time before his brother. Malfurion was simply presented to his beloved before the fact: Illidan is free. Seeing how the air of freedom changed his brother, Furion rashly said too much ("Who are you, black creature, and what did you do with my brother?") And complained that demonic magic ate ​​Illidan's mind. In general, it turned out the usual "you are not my brother, black-tailed demon."

To this, Illidan replied that he had changed only outwardly, but inside he was still the same and did not want to quarrel with his relatives. Malfurion did not rush into his brother's arms, but he did not demand to return to prison, suggesting that Illidan simply hide out of sight.

"Okay... brother," the horned creature meekly replied and walked away sadly.

Contemporaries - friends and enemies

—You are a rogue!

—I'm not a rogue. I am an unhappy person.

—As if an unfortunate person could not be a rogue.

x / f "Irony of Fate"

Did Illidan really bring much evil to the world? Let's see what happened to those who were brought together by fate:

Furion Stormrage, brother. Alive and well, working in the Emerald Dream as a druid of Cenarius, occasionally visiting Azeroth.

Tyrande Whisperwind, sweetheart. Alive and well, on duty in Darnassus as a priestess of Elune.

Maiev Shadowsong, the jailer, the most dangerous enemy. Alive and well (only very angry), sitting in a cage in the valley of the Dark Moon under the supervision of the draenei Akama.

Quel-Tas, elf, immediate subordinate. Alive and well, on duty on a spaceship in the area of ​​the Eternal Storm.

Lady Vage, jellyfish, immediate subordinate. On duty in the cave of the Serpent Temple, under the Zangar Marshes. Alive and well.

Akama, leader of the draenei tribe, servant. Alive and well, making plans to overthrow Illidan, guarding Maiev.

Kil Jaeden, demon, head of intelligence for the Burning Legion. Left Illidan alone after he failed the Legion for the third time.

Magheridon, former master of the Black Temple. Alive and well, only weak from regular forced donation.

Arthas, death knight, rival in the service of the Lich King. Freezes his back on the Frozen Throne as the Lich King.

What does it get? Is our hero really such a villain that he didn’t even kill any of his enemies? You only need to compare his track record with the losses among those unfortunate enough to be near the wizard Medivh to notice the difference.

About those who love the wave

The prince went, forgetting grief,

Sat on the tower and on the sea

He began to look; the sea suddenly

buzzed around,

Splashed in a noisy run

And left on the shore

Thirty-three heroes.

A. Pushkin, "The Tale of Tsar Saltan"

Illidan does not summon an army of snakemen for selfishness, but only by the will of Tyrande who sent him.

Perhaps Malfurion did this in vain with his demonic brother, because as soon as Illidan went into exile, he was immediately taken into circulation by Kil-Jaeden, an agent of the Legion, who never refuses traitors the opportunity to rehabilitate. He offered Illidan an amnesty and more power in exchange for a tiny favor - the elimination of the now dangerous Lich King.

It was a very generous offer - Illidan had long lost his will at the words "powerful artifact", and in addition, he jumped at the opportunity to prove to his former brothers the purity of intentions, ridding the world of the Scourge. Kil-Jaeden gave the exile a magic orb, patted his shoulder, and disappeared. And Illidan set to work, conceived a sinister new plan.

An army was needed to implement the idea. In our days it is not difficult to acquire an army if there are connections; Illidan went to the east coast of Kalimdor and called out to the naga. Queen Azshara had long since fallen out of world politics, but a familiar voice made her feel nostalgic, and soon nagas, the former Highborn, crept out of the ocean. They were led by the queen's personal servant, the enthusiastic, snake-haired Lady Vajj, who had Azshara gone over her head.

Having captured the ships with the help of a new army, Illidan sailed east. The nagas were unable to cover the retreat, and a team of Vigils set off in the footsteps of the fugitive - a group of detectives led by an enraged Maiev Shadowsong, saying: “I'll put him behind bars - let him sit until he dies. Not! Will sit until the prison rots. And then I will transfer him to another prison, let the other one rot ... "

Rushing after Illidan into the tomb of Sargeras, Maiev managed to lose her entire vanguard and First Lieutenant Naisha. According to the official version, Illidan, having discovered the chase, fled the dungeon through secret exits, bringing down the vault of the tomb on the heads of his pursuers. "Sorry, but only those who can walk through walls can escape, which is me," Maiev told her squad. “Don’t be afraid, I will avenge you.”

Out into the fresh air, the fugitive and the guardian fought for life and death - Illidan knew that Maiev was obsessed with revenge and would not leave him so easily. With the last of her strength, the head of the Vigils sent a messenger after Malfurion and Tyrande, they say, swear - they are killing.

Look for an elf

Sovereign Elessar Beregond summoned to court and said to him:

—Of course, I would have executed you, but it’s just not possible: you’re our hero. But in the face you still get ...

Having slapped in the face, Beregond realized how fair the Sovereign was.

legends of middle earth

When Furion and Tyrande arrived in the war zone, the situation with family ties, family secrets, public scandals and secret intrigues began to resemble a bad family opera. Tyrande and Maiev quarreled in front of the druid, and Illidan, slightly stunned by the accumulation of familiar faces, under the cover of myrmidons, rushed to flee the island, taking the artifact.

“Didn’t you drive so viciously yesterday?” he asked Malfurion, who was diligently catching up with his brother. Leave me alone, let me mind my own business.

Perhaps Illidan should have clarified that he intended to end the Scourge and Ner'zhul. But he did not do this, and he got burned when in Dalaran he began to send earthquakes to Northrend with an epicenter in the Icecrown region. Feeling the groans of the earth, Malfurion did not understand what his brother was doing, but decided, just in case, to stop the mysterious ritual. While the druid meditated in the woods, figuring out what Illidan was doing, he left Tyrande and Maiev, forgetting how "gentle" the head of the penitentiary system of Azeroth treats the elf who arranged the millennium escape.

Tyrande enlisted the help of Kael, leader of the avenging elves. Covering the retreat of the elven caravans from the lands of the undead, she accidentally unleashed a starfall spell on the bridge and collapsed into the water.

Let's save her! Kael yelled, but Maiev couldn't help it, and she dragged the elf away from the bridge. Then, making sure that there were no witnesses to the fight, she informed Malfurion that Tyrande had been torn apart by zombies. The druid was inconsolable.

Invading Dalaran, the druid's army successfully stopped the earthquake ritual and thereby saved the Frozen Throne, which had only cracked from Illidan's magic. Illidan himself was seized by the roots of the earth and made little resistance.

"Be my brother or I'll kill you."

“Your atrocities are over, brother,” Furion declared. “You came and did terrible things, but we stopped you. Perhaps I was wrong when I asked the court for leniency ten thousand years ago.

- What the heck? Illidan yelled. - Whose side are you on? I've nearly eliminated the Scourge threat, and you've slaughtered my nagas!

Malfurion was visibly embarrassed, but he had another accusation in store:

"Tyrande died because of you!"

Illidan was so deafened by this message that he didn't even respond. Taking advantage of his confusion, Maiev yelled, "No prison for you! We will carry out the death sentence here and now!”

The brother answered sincerely: “You were loved, but my wife became.”

But the triumph of the leader of the Vigilants was thwarted by the elf Kael-Thas.

“Wait,” he said. “It is not certain that Tyrande is dead. She just fell into the water from the bridge.

Silent scene.

And then Malfurion broke, delivering his famous speech: “What is going on, people? First Illidan, now Maiev! Traitors surround me! After the death of Cenarius, there was no one to talk to!”

A rescue expedition was immediately organized. Illidan, as leader of the naga, offered diving services to his brother. After hesitating, he agreed. As it turned out, Kael revealed Maiev's deceit in time - Tyrande's detachment was pinned down by the dead on the shore and without outside help was doomed.

— Illidan? Have you come to kill me? Tyrande screamed as she saw a familiar shape.

"Come with me if you want to live," Illidan replied, still madly in love.

The reconciliation of the brothers was touching, despite the fact that Malfurion put on a stern face and said: "If you, Illidan, even once go to war against my people ..." - although he knew that his brother had never attacked the night elves, and acted in self-defense.

Illidan was glad to help his beloved. And then he would return to the task of Kil-Jaeden, but for some reason he decided that the demons would not forgive him for his initiative and association with the druids.

“They will look for me,” he said, opening the magical passage from Azeroth to the broken Draenor. “I have to run somewhere where they won’t find me.” Farewell. Only you saw me...

And stepped into the portal.

"Only the sword can you trust"

Through ten thousand years, Illidan proudly carried his favored weapon, a pair of double-edged, crescent-shaped blades. During the War of the Ancients, he took these blades from a demon, a doomguard named Azzinoth.

While Illidan was serving his sentence, his blades were not confiscated, and in the darkness of the dungeon he learned to use these demonic weapons for centuries - and became so deft in doing it that he left the demons themselves far behind in skill.

These swords are called "warglaives of Azzinoth" (Warglaive of Azzinoth), although their resemblance to glaives (polearms like halberds) is very arbitrary. Most of all, these swords resemble degenerate glaives that have lost their shaft, or an elaborate modification of brass knuckles.

At one time, the guards covering Illidan's hands were made in the form of a stylized muzzle of a pandaren, moreover, before the elf turned into a half-demon, it was a smiling muzzle, and after that it was grinning. What does the ancient race of pandaren warriors have to do with the swords of Azzinoth? I'm afraid we won't know. It is unlikely that they forged these swords - most likely, the characteristic pattern displayed some old memories of Illidan. Now on the guards there are revolutionary symbols - five-pointed stars.

From the point of view of the mechanics of World of Warcraft, Azzinoth's glaives are very fast one-handed swords that add dexterity, health, critical damage chance and impact power to the owner. If you take both swords in hand, the hero will seriously increase the speed of blows from time to time, and in addition to this, he will become a real thunderstorm of demons. Tellingly, only two classes can use Azzinoth's Warglaives - Rogues and Warriors. Mages, sorcerers and paladins - in flight.

Lord of two armies

—Note to yourself, Ostap Bender never killed anyone. He was killed - it was. But he himself is clean before the law. I am certainly not a cherub. I don't have wings, but I respect the Criminal Code.

I. Ilf, E. Petrov "The Golden Calf"

It is unknown why Illidan thought he would not be found in Draenor. Everyone who needs it found it there almost instantly. While Maiev caught the fugitive in the reddish reaches of the Outlands, the naga army prepared to join the leader.

While in Lordaeron, the jellyfish Lady Vazhzh managed to win over the army of the elf Kael-Thas, taking advantage of hazing and elphophobia reigning in the Alliance.

The lady acted very subtly - at first she helped Cal so that the Alliance noticed it, and then, when the elf was thrown into a hopeless battle, she helped him out in the battle with the dead. After that, Vazhzh pulled Kal and his comrades out of the death row, where he was thrown by paranoid superiors. The elf did not resist for long, especially since after the death of the second well of Eternity he suffered from magical withdrawal, and Vazhzh promised him demonic magic.

The combined army of elves and nagas arrived in Draenor just in time - Illidan had already been captured by the Vigils and, under the supervision of Maiev, was transported in a cage to a hastily equipped camp.

Attacking the caravan, Vajj, Kael, and a stray pandaren brewer not only fought off Illidan, but managed to slay Maiev. Only at the cost of heroic exertion did the guardian survive. The thirst for revenge gave her strength, but she dropped out of our history for a long time.

The idea that Illidan's swords were forged by the famous pandaren smith Hanzo is not considered too bold by modern science.

- Who is this eared one? Illidan asked, dusting himself off and crawling out of the wreckage of the cage.

“This is Cal, nice guy. He, like us, is a descendant of the Highborn elves who once served you. Kael, this is Illidan.

Get up, Cal. You will be my right hand.

After the ceremony, Illidan took Vajj aside and asked:

“Why are you hanging noodles on the ears of a poor elf?” Highborn never served me.

- What's the difference to you? The jellyfish grinned.

The combined army swept through Draenor with fire and sword, annexing the lands of the draenei and successfully wresting power from the leader of the red-skinned orcs, the elderly demon Mageridon.

"The Burning Legion sent you?" shouted Magheridon as Illidan burst into his throne room in the Black Temple. Are you an auditor?

“I am your replacement,” the uninvited guest cheered. This would have been the end of Magheridon, but Illidan decided to keep him alive and use him as a donor of demonic blood, the favorite drink of the red-skinned orcs.

But the elf conqueror did not rejoice for long. As soon as he stepped onto the balcony and claimed his rights to all of Draenor, a storm swept over the Black Temple, from which an eredar demon emerged.

“You have failed the Legion twice. Now we will make you an ax-head, - said the angry Kil-Jaeden (it was him).

- I didn't betray you! said Illidan, startled, realizing that fleeing to Draenor was not the best idea. - I was just gathering strength for the decisive throw. Here, he shaved nagas, elves and even draeneev into his army.

Two anti-heroes fought to the death for the right to visit a third... soldered into the ice.

Kil-Jaeden looked doubtfully at the draenei, but pretended to believe them.

- Okay, live for now. But you, I hope, have not forgotten that you had to kill Ner-zhul? Instantly to Northrend! Trot! One leg here, the other there.

Illidan's armies successfully approached Icecrown, but near the mountain itself, the heroes were intercepted by the Scourge and a migraine-suffering Arthas, who was led by a familiar spider into some kind of wormholes.

Half-elf, half-demon and the Death Knight crossed blades. Youth won. Grabbing a blow from Frostmourne to the chest, Illidan watched as Arthas climbed up to the Frozen Throne, shattering it and placing his helmet on his head. So the hero of our story would have died in the midst of snow and a blizzard, but the nagas and elves dragged him on a mat to Draenor and successfully went out there.

Illidan today

Balrog sat down on the bridge, saddened, and suddenly it seemed that this was an old, old hobbit who had lost all his friends and was tired of waiting for Gandalf ...

legends of middle earth

“Everyone judges me only by my appearance. And my soul is tender, like a flower.

Having recovered from his wounds, Illidan has locked himself in the Outlands and is now building up his forces in anticipation of the inevitable return of Kil-Jaeden. His presence is especially noticeable in Hellfire Peninsula, in the Zangarmarsh, on the wreckage of the Eternal Storm, and, of course, in Darkmoon Valley, where the Dark Temple rises.

Every demonic red-skinned orc is a servant of Illidan. Each member of the naga race serves Lady Vajj, who hides beneath the swamps. Many elves of the former Quel-Thalas obey Kael-Thas, a loyal servant of the master of the Black Temple. By invading the borders of Draenor, Illidan managed to win over even the Broken draenei and their leader, an old warrior named Akama.

As an enemy to the Burning Legion and the Scourge, Illidan could have forged diplomatic relations with many mortal races and even the naaru if he so desired. But self-confidence and paranoia played a cruel joke on him. For an unknown reason, Illidan moved his elven armies to Shattrath City and lost part of the army when the commander Voren-Tal decided to defect to the besieged city.

"You are not ready!"

An unknown pandaren has been spotted among the rescue team. Then he disappeared without a trace, and the freed Illidan had no one to say "sieh-siye".

Illidan's character seems to have changed little over the thousands of years. Impulsive, emotional and somewhat unbalanced, the lord of the Black Temple prefers to act ahead, under the influence of a momentary impulse, without thinking about the possible consequences. Behind external cruelty, kindness and naivety appear.

Yes, Illidan is kind in his own way. Otherwise, why didn't he, having got Maiev Shadowsong in his hands, kill her once and for all? He is trusting - having gathered the most terrible creatures in his temple, among which even Theron the Bloodfiend was seen, Illidan missed Akama's plot.

With the skull of Gul-Dan in his hands, with his deadly gaze from under the bandage, with powerful black wings, with remote-controlled swords and terrible monsters summoned from the darkness - Illidan was not ready for the realities of the world, where the most dangerous are not the demons of the Legion, but fighters mortal races.

Perhaps, by leaving Maiev alive, Illidan subconsciously wanted to get rid of the hardships of existence in a world where he was hated and misunderstood - in a world that turned out to be a prison for him and eternal separation from his loved one.

Surrounded by traps and enemies, dying on the platform of the temple in front of the killers, the traitor and the eternal Nemesis - what will he say?

"You won... Maiev." But the huntress... is nothing without a victim. And you... you're nothing without me.

And then, perhaps for the only time in her life, something will happen in Maiev's heart, and she will understand the soul of her first and last prisoner.

- He is right. There is emptiness in my soul. I am nothing now. Farewell, winners.

"He is not quite all there"

—Wings, hooves, horns... What am I talking about? What is this, Diablo?

Illidan

Is Illidan really insane? It is impossible to unequivocally answer this question, since he does not show obvious signs of psychosis, especially if you make allowances for centuries of imprisonment in prison. Yes, his behavior is sometimes very illogical - for example, attempts to hide from the demonic wrath of Kil-Jaeden and from the pursuing Maiev on Draenor. But who would act wisely in a difficult situation?

Old gods, powerful beings secretly took over his mind during the War of the Ancients. It was in their power to drive even a dragon crazy, not to mention a simple elf. But there is nothing to suggest that their exposure had an irreversible effect on Illidan's personality. He is angry, self-confident and does not calculate his actions too far. But Illidan is still capable of forgiveness and self-sacrifice for the sake of a loved one. He is not too attracted to power as such - he would be much more happy to deal with magical artifacts. And even fortifying positions around the Black Temple is a common elven reaction to fear the wrath of the Burning Legion. Unfortunately, we are not yet able to conduct a textual examination of the only book attributed to Illidan ("The Emerald Dream: a fact or a carefully planned farce composed by my brother"), so this source of information is no longer available.

The only indirect sign of Illidan's abnormality is the phrase he dropped: “Even Arthas could not defeat me, and you dare to even think about it? So come here! The Black Temple awaits..." We all know that Arthas is the real smog defeat Illidan in battle at the foot of the Frozen Throne, but even here the reservation can be explained by partial amnesia.

Illidan is one of several characters in Heroes of the Storm that has no energy (mana, rage). Based on this, the only limitation for Illidan is the cooldown of abilities, which is reduced from auto-attacks due to the passive skill. This character has a small amount of health, but he is able to restore it from auto-attacks. All of Illidan's abilities indicate that he is an excellent initiator, albeit with a small supply of health.

Illidan Stormrage is the self-proclaimed Lord of Outland. He was born a night elf, was the twin brother of Malfurion Stormrage, and was genuinely in love with Tyrande, Priestess of Elune. Illidan was an extraordinarily gifted sorcerer whose power became difficult to classify. His pursuit of power and mastery of the arcane led him to commit a number of horrific crimes against his own people and the other races of Azeroth, including his alliance with Sargeras during the War of the Ancients and the creation of a second Well of Eternity.

For his actions, Illidan was imprisoned for ten thousand years. Illidan, with the help of Tyrande, was able to escape. In the forest, he met Arthas, champion of the Lich King, and fought him. The forces of the fighters were equal, and the duel came to a standstill. Illidan stopped the duel and demanded an explanation from Arthas as to why he was following him. Arthas told the elf about the skull of Gul "dan, a demonic artifact that defiled the forest. He explained that if the artifact was destroyed, the corruption would leave the forest. To make the bait work, Arthas did not skimp on the details, describing the power of the skull. Although Illidan did not trust Arthas, but that's all -equally sought to acquire the power of the skull.

Illidan called the Naga people to the surface. The nagas, formerly kel'dorei and minions of Azshara, wanted to take revenge on the night elves and other land races that had not suffered from the Great Sundering. twenty years before now, and this is where the Tomb of Sargeras is located. Maiev and the Guardians arrived in the Broken Isles shortly after Illidan. He had already reached the tomb, but Maiev was close behind him. Once she caught up with him, the elf and Lady Vashj activated a powerful artifact, and Illidan used the Eye to bring down the vault of the tomb on her, then escaped through an underwater passage his naga had created. Although he killed Naisha and all the Guardians in the tomb, Maiev escaped using her magical powers.

Illidan landed on the shores of Lordaeron and traveled across Silverpine Forest to Dalaran, where he planned to use the Eye of Sargeras to break the polar ice, thus destroying Icecrown and the Frozen Throne. But when he started using the Eye, Maiev and Malfurion interrupted him again, thus spoiling the spell. Malfurion felt Illidan's spell tearing the earth apart and decided that his brother had become a danger to this world and he needed to be stopped. Illidan called Malfurion a fool for trying to destroy the Lich King, their common enemy. After Malfurion released him, Illidan opened a portal to Outland, where he immediately fled, pursued by Maiev. Since Ner'zhul was still alive, he knew that Kil'jaeden's wrath would not be long in coming, so he decided to find a world in which he would be safe. But even in this shattered world, Maiev and the Guardians still pursued Illidan. The jailer caught him and put him in a cage.

He was rescued from imprisonment by Kael and Vashj. Illidan accepted the allegiance of the blood elves, and made Kael his right hand. As they entered the Black Temple, Illidan met Akama, the leader of the Broken, who also swore allegiance to the elf. Magtheridon noted Illidan's extraordinary strength and surmised that the demon was a Legion messenger sent by his masters to test the Sovereign. But Illidan only laughed at this suggestion and replied that he was not a test, but a replacement, and imprisoned him under Hellfire Citadel. As soon as Illidan gathered the forces of Outland under a new banner, Kil'jaeden appeared in all his terrifying majesty. that Illidan "managed to raise a good army" gave the elf another chance to serve the demons.

Illidan, Vashj, and Kael laid siege to Northrend and fought the forces of Anub "arak that stood in their way. But Ner'zhul, realizing that he was doomed if he did nothing, called Arthas to Northrend to complete his plan, which he planned months earlier. Illidan's army reached Icecrown just at the moment when Arthas and Anub "arak made their way through Azjol-Nerub, and the two factions fought in an epic battle. Arthas opened the doors leading to the Ice Throne. But Illidan did not stop. Meeting at the foot of the glacier ", Arthas and Illidan fought again. After a few minutes, Arthas broke through Illidan's defenses and slew the elf. Illidan Stormrage fell dead in the snow, or so it seemed. He was severely wounded, but not killed. Arthas was afraid of this, and before leaving, warned Illidan to leave Azeroth and never return.When Vashj and Kael realized they could not destroy the Frozen Throne, they retreated back to Outland, taking Illidan with them.

Having finally moved to Outland, Illidan staged a causeless war with Shattrath City. Eventually it becomes known that Akama is involved in a conspiracy to end Illidan's tyranny. He frees Maiev Shadowsong. With the help of the adventurers, Akama and his Ashtongue servants fight to defend the temple and ultimately challenge the Betrayer. While fighting him, Maiev appears, freeing the adventurers from one of Illidan's spells, aiding them in the fight. During the battle, Maiev remembers everything that has hurt her during this time, from being forced to guard Illidan's prison to the atrocities that led to Naisha's death.

At the end, when Illidan is close to his death, Maiev rejoices that he is finally defeated, but before his death, Illidan tells her that the huntress is nothing without the hunt. Akama once again became the master of the Black Temple and vowed to fill its corridors with light, as it once was.

Illidan is one of the most famous figures in the game. Most of its history takes place long before the events of World of Warcraft, and it first appeared in Warcraft 3. However, its roots date back to the beginning of the turbulent history of Azeroth, ten thousand years ago, during the War of the Ancients. Soon Illidan returns, so let's remember how it all began and how it ended.

During the war, Illidan apparently decided to betray his brother, joined the forces of evil, then turned against them again, managing to save the world in time. However, he did not win the hand of the lady dear to him - and despite the boundless love for Tyrande, feelings alone were not enough to win her heart.

Over the course of his history, Illidan traveled to Azeroth, then to Outland, returned back, then ended up on the icy peaks of Northrend, and then in the end - in the Black Temple. And this story is by no means about love, although at first it may not seem like that - instead, it is about a man so straightforward, and so obsessed with the right deed, that on his way to doing absolute good, he completely did not pay attention to all those unrighteous deeds that he had to make along the way.

War of the Ancients

The War of the Ancients began when Queen Azshara and her highborne sorceresses inadvertently attracted the attention of Sargeras, leader of the Burning Legion, in large part because of the sheer amounts of magical energy they dabbled in.

Sargeras contacted Azshara through her adviser, Xavius, and offered his assistance in carrying out his great plan to cleanse the world and recreate it in the form of Azshara's majesty personified - which suited Azshara herself quite well.

The Highborne soon unleashed the Burning Legion on the kaldorei, unconcerned about the fate of those who died, making way for the new world that Azshara dreamed of. Malfurion Stormrage learned of her plan, gathered together all those who were also frightened by the vision of the world of Azshara, and went to war with her in order to put an end to all this.

Illidan was Malfurion's twin brother, and if Malfurion had a gift for the druidic arts, then Illidan was far more familiar with the arcane instead. However, they both shared a common trait - love for the priestess Tyrande Whisperwind. And although Illidan stepped over himself in an attempt to become better in order to impress the young priestess, she ultimately made a choice in favor of Malfurion, and Illidan could not come to terms with this fact.

Therefore, he went to Jin-Azshari and pretended to swear allegiance to the queen and the Burning Legion, offering to find and get the Demon Soul, an artifact of unprecedented power. Sargeras was so pleased with Illidan's offer that he "gifted" him - he burned out his eyes and placed a fire in his eye sockets that could see all forms of magic.

But Illidan did not betray the night elves. The Demon Soul was indeed powerful, but it also had the power to close the portal that let the demons through. Using it, Illidan would save the kaldorei from inevitable destruction, and at the same time, quite accidentally, would impress Tyrande.

The war was brought to an end, not by the deeds of Illidan, but by the actions of his brother - and the destruction of the portal caused the Sundering, the devastating division of the continents of Kalimdor into the four present ones. As the world spiraled out of control, Illidan, in an attempt to maintain the magical backdrop, filled seven vials with water from the rapidly drying Well of Eternity.

Imprisonment

His motivation looked quite convincing from his own point of view. Illidan wanted to create a new Well of Eternity to replace the previous one. Why? Because if the Burning Legion were to return, the elves would need the source's magical energy to fight the demonic army.

After the Sundering, Illidan traveled to Mount Hyjal and poured three vials into a small lake, quickly creating a new Well of Eternity, drawing the attention of the kaldorei in the process. Nearly killing Jarod Shadowsong, Illidan faced off against Malfurion and Tyrande, who had become leaders of the night elves after the fall of Azshara.

Obviously, Malfurion was not pleased with the deeds of Illidan. He pointed to the fact - again convincing enough - that the reason the Burning Legion had decided to invade in the first place was precisely the power of the Well. And the creation of a new Source would draw the attention of the Legion again.

But Illidan did not want to agree - admiring the power of the Well, and being convinced of the correctness of his decisions, he simply refused to see the problem in a different light. He did not at all regret what he had done, and did not consider the creation of the Source a mistake, insisting that it would be useful in the future.

Instead of executing his brother, Malfurion ordered him to be imprisoned in cells. Jarod's sister, Maiev Shadowsong, offered herself as guardian, and Malfurion gave his consent. This sentence was for life, and given that the night elves had suddenly gained immortality thanks to Nozdorm, Illidan would have to spend a very, very long time in captivity.

Ten thousand years have passed since the kaldorei civilization flourished and prospered, and Illidan sat in darkness, serving his term.

freedom

One might think that after sitting in the darkness for ten thousand years, Illidan should have realized the recklessness of his deeds, but this did not happen. And after ten thousand years, when the Legion again set foot on the land of Azeroth, Illidan was released.

But he owed his freedom not to his brother, and certainly not to Maiev, but to Tyrande, who was convinced that Illidan could help in the fight against the Legion, as she had many years ago. So she killed the guards who held him in captivity and freed him, which Malfurion was extremely unhappy with - he was sure that his brother had not changed at all over all the years of captivity, and would hardly agree to help. Illidan immediately went to prove otherwise.

He went to the Felwood to confront the Legion, and while there he met Arthas, who at that time became a knight of the Lich King. They fought to the point of losing their strength, and when Illidan asked why Arthas had come here, the former prince of Lordaeron told him about the skull of Gul'dan, a powerful demonic artifact that spread corruption from within the forest. If the skull were destroyed, according to Arthas, the corruption of Felwood would stop.

Illidan, however, did not believe him, but decided to seek out the skull anyway - after all, Arthas also mentioned the item's great power, and if anything could make Illidan stronger, he would take it.

What if he became stronger and held back the corruption of Felwood? So much the better he became, Illidan decided, in Tyrande's eyes. So Illidan tracked down the skull, and instead of immediately destroying the item, he unleashed its power and took it for himself.

Has he gotten stronger? Absolutely. But this came at a price - by absorbing the energy of the skull, Illidan turned into a demon. He defeated the Legion forces in Felwood, but the transformation was the last straw for Malfurion and hardly impressed Tyrande. Malfurion banished Illidan from the forests and left with Tyrande.