The demigod of the Groves, Cenarius, is son of Elune and Malorne the Waywatcher—white stag. Cenarius has a upper torso like a Night Elf, while his lower torso is that of a stag. His body is 10 feet tall supported by four strong legs ending in hooves. His eye-orbs are golden, his moss-green hair falls down to his shoulders. His hair and beard grows leaves and twigs. On his head, Cenarius has two glorious and enormous Antlers that add more length to his ten-feet body frame.
The forest lord shepherded the forests and groves of Azeroth, protecting all living beings and nature. Cenarius is mostly worshipped by Night Elves and Taurens, but worshipped as well by other woodland beings.
Cenarius is very powerful using druidic magic—he may command the roots to grow to entangle his enemies or summon forest spirits to materialize as treants. Cenarius avoids any physical attack and slows downs any enemy that tries to engage him with entangling roots. Cenarius can heal an army with a rain of tranquility, or individuals. He can telepathically communicate with anyone in any language and plane shifts between both the Emerald Dream and the physical world at will. Cenarius can also travel through many layers of the Emerald Dream. There are layers below the Emerald Dream that are represented as the world before the Titans created life in Azeroth and before the Well of Eternity was built upon Azeroth. There are other layers above that transports you to periods of time where the mountains were still been shaped by the Earthen and Sea Giants. War of the Ancients: The Sundering book reveals the different layers of the Emerald Dream. Malfurion was able to penetrate Deathwing’s wards blocking his lair by delving below the layer of the Emerald Dream, in a primal world younger than the Emerald Dream—refered to as a world before the Titans defeated the Old gods.
Although legends of Night Elves say that Cenarius is son of Elune and Malorne, Krasus revealed to Malfurion of a deeper relationship between Cenarius and Ysera the Dragon Aspect of the Emerald Dream. Although Malfurion thought at first both were lovers, it is later revealed to him that Ysera is mother of Cenarius, which either contradicts the former belief that Elune mothered Cenarius, or confirms that Elune is truely one of the shapes taken by Ysera to manisfest herself to the Night Elves—reference: War of the Ancients book three: The Sundering.
Cenarius became interested in the Amani Trolls that found and explored the magics of the Well of Eternity, 16 milennia ago. The waters of the Well evolved the Amani Trolls into the primitive Night Elves. As their intellect and mastery over magic grew, he decided to make himself known to the Night Elves to protect them and teach them. Although few followed his teachings, Malfurion became his best student in druidic ways.
To most of the population, Cenarius was but a legend, except for a few who witnessed his presence among the mortals. Malfurion taught Malfurion to walk the Emerald Dream after finding he was ready. When the the highborne of Azshara allowed the Burning Legion to enter Azeroth, Cenarius rallied the Ancients Agamaggan, Ursol & Ursoc, Malorne, Aviana and other deities and Eternals to engage the Burning Legion’s Doomguards, Felguards and Eredars.
Many Ancients died, but Cenarius remained to help rebuild the land and the Night Elf civilization for ten thousand years. Cenarius was finally slain during the second coming of the Burning Legion, when Mannaroth defiled with his blood a fountain to let Grom Hellscream drink from it. Mannaroth wanted to take revenge against Cenarius for his involvement during the first invasion’s defeat. Grom Hellscream transformed into a ccorrupted orc and convinced the Warsong Clan to drink from the defiled fountain.
With almost god-like strength, Grom Hellscream and the demon-tainted Orcs defeated Cenarius in Ashenvale, when Cenarius defended the forests from the Orcs Wood Camps who were cutting off trees for their campaign as ordered by Thrall.
Thrall was away with Cain Bloodhoof seeking the Oracle, which proved to be Medivh. Grom Hellscream listened to the Troll Witch doctors, who felt a powerful magic source, and fell before the temptation of Mannaroth’s defiled fountain thinking that it may help him defeat the demigod Cenarius. Although Cenarius died, the Night Elves think that Cenarius might be reborn with a different shape. The leader of Circle of the Druids, Dendrite Starblaze—in the Moonglades, is often seen talking while rising his face to the sky, as if talking with Cenarius’s spirit.
You may read the Tauren legends about Cenarius’s birth here.
To learn more about Cenarius, buy the War of the Ancients Trilogy books and Warcraft RPG: Shadow and Light.
Back to The Ancients Lore
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