The Nerubians in The War Within - What We Know So Far
wowhead.comNerubians have allied with Xal'atath, the Harbinger, in The War Within, World of Warcraft's upcoming expansion. But just who are these Nerubians, and what makes them different from the ones we met in Wrath of the Lich King?
Nerubian History
Nerubians are descended from the aqir, insectoid-like creatures that evolved from organic matter that seeped out of the Old Gods. Aqir further evolved into distinct races, their evolution guided by whatever Old Gods they were closest to. The nerubians, who settled in the north, were affected by their proximity to Yogg-Saron. Other aqir include the qiraji — who evolved near C'Thun, and the mantid — who evolved near Y'Shaarj's essence.
We'll see nerubians who have evolved even further in The War Within.
When the Lich King, still Ner'zhul at this time, began to establish himself in Northrend, he found the nerubians particularly annoying to deal with, as they were immune to domination magic. In the ensuing War of the Spider, the Lich King's forces struggled against the nerubians, whose vast, underground kingdom of Azol'Nerub sprawled out below the continent. Ultimately, the Lich King won the war by invading and destroying their home, causing it to cave in over their heads.
While the nerubians were also immune to the undead plague, the Lich King was able to raise their corpses into undeath, to serve as slaves in his armies. Most of the nerubians that we meet during Wrath of the Lich King — such as Anub'arak, the last King of the nerubians — are undead servants of the Lich King. However, not all nerubians suffered this fate. The Azjol-anak Battleguards, led by Kilix the Unraveler, are still-living nerubians who survived the War of the Spider, and who can be found in Dragonblight.
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