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This article is about the lore of the Mag'har orcs. For information about the playable Mag'har allied race, see Mag'har orc (playable). For other uses, see Mag'har (disambiguation).
Mag'har orcs
Forgotten Clan Fighter HS Book of Heroes
Faction/Affiliation Horde, The Mag'har (Bleeding Hollow clan, Warsong clan, Frostwolf clan), Warsong Offensive, Earthen Ring, Lower City, True Horde
Alternate Draenor:
Mag'har Clans (Blackrock clan, Bleeding Hollow clan, Burning Blade clan, Frostwolf clan, Laughing Skull clan, Shadowmoon clan, Shattered Hand clan, Thunderlord clan, Warsong clan), Iron Horde
Character classes

WoW Icon update Hunter, Mage, Monk, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock, Warrior

Beastmaster, Berserker, Blademaster, Bonecrusher, Dark shaman, Far seer, Gladiator, Grunt, Peon, Raider, Scout
Racial capital Horde Garadar (Outland)
Horde Orgrimmar (Azeroth)
Neutral Hellsreach Citadel (Draenor)
Racial leader(s)

Horde IconSmall Geyah Geyah

Alternate Draenor:

Horde IconSmall Geya'rah Geya'rah
Neutral IconSmall Grommash Grommash Hellscream †
Racial mount IconSmall Worg Wolf
IconSmall Rylak Rylak
IconSmall Clefthoof Clefthoof
IconSmall Talbuk Talbuk
Homeworld Draenor, alternate Draenor
Area(s) Outland, Azeroth, alternate Draenor
Language(s) Orcish
Organization(s) Clans

“Do you know who we are, stranger? We are Mag'har - brown orcs, as I have heard your kind call us. The Mag'har are survivors: Survivors of a fallen dynasty; Survivors of the Red Pox; Survivors of a shattered world...”

Jorin Deadeye[1]

The Mag'har orcs[2][3] ("uncorrupted" in Orcish), also known as "brown orcs",[1][4][5] are the orcs that escaped the corruption of the Burning Legion and thereby retained their natural brown or gray skin color. On Draenor, they were a result of isolation from the Horde due to being quarantined in Garadar. They have a noble shamanistic tradition cultivating a mighty tribal society that was centered around survival, regulating themselves through ritualized combat and personal honor. On the alternate Draenor, the orcs did not take up the fel because of the intervention of Garrosh Hellscream, causing them to remain uncorrupted.

History[]

Grommash wallpaper

Grommash Hellscream, a Mag'har orc.

Outland Mag'har[]

Years prior to the Blood Pact with Mannoroth, a virulent plague known as the "red pox" spread among the orcish clans, and Geyah established a quarantine village in Nagrand, naming it Garadar after Garad.[6] Those that were quarantined managed to avoid the corruption that plagued even their parents and the rest of the world. The orcs, and Nagrand, came to be referred to as "Mag'har" — which in Orcish means "uncorrupted".[7]

The Burning Crusade[]

Bc icon This section concerns content related to The Burning Crusade.

The current leader of the Mag'har, the venerable Greatmother Geyah, is an old and wise orc, yet she recently fell extremely ill. Garrosh Hellscream, the son of Grommash Hellscream, served as the Mag'har's military chief, aided by Jorin Deadeye, son of the venerable chieftain of the Bleeding Hollow clan Kilrogg Deadeye. Garrosh was to succeed Geyah as chieftain of the Mag'har should she pass. Warchief Thrall of the New Horde met with the Mag'har and reconnected with the old traditions. The Mag'har joined the Horde, and taught the orcs about their past and the old ways.

Several Mag'har orcs also traveled to Shattrath City, allying with Lower City. The Laughing Skull Ruins were once inhabited by the Mag'har before the location was taken by the Warmaul.

The Mag'har outpost of Sunspring Post was sacked by the Murkblood tribe of Broken. They killed roughly a thousand Mag'har orcs[8] and dumped their bodies in the lake. Otonbu the Sage worried that catastrophe would set back any chance of peace between the Mag'har and the Kurenai, another tribe of Broken, for years.[9]

Wrath of the Lich King[]

Wrath-Logo-Small This section concerns content related to Wrath of the Lich King.

Garrosh was the first Mag'har to set foot in Orgrimmar. A number of Mag'har joined the Horde's war effort, notably during the campaign against the Lich King and the Alliance, Deathwing and in the Pandaren Campaign. Mag'har orcs in the Horde became a more common sight once Garrosh became its Warchief.

Among the Mag'har who joined Garrosh on Azeroth are Dranosh Saurfang, Cromush, Grebo, Glubgok, Lucretia, Saurboz, Gash'nul, Rok'nah, Dalgan, and Ishi. Even children like Namond and Gogu ventured beyond the Portal. Korgol Crushskull can be found at the Darkmoon Faire. Mag'har war drummers also participate in the assault on the Seething Shore.

Mists of Pandaria[]

Mists of Pandaria This section concerns content related to Mists of Pandaria.

While many members of the Horde rebelled against Garrosh's reign as Warchief, many loyal Mag'har sided with him and could be found in Orgrimmar and the Underhold as part of the True Horde.

Legion[]

Legion This section concerns content related to Legion.

Several Mag'har orcs were captured on the Broken Shore during the Burning Legion's third invasion.

Dragonflight[]

Dragonflight This section concerns content related to Dragonflight.

When the Kosh'harg festival tradition was renewed in Durotar, many Mag'har made the trip from Outland. Jorin Deadeye intended to reunite the Azerothian and Mag'har branches of the Bleeding Hollow clan, seeing that the future of the orcs was there.[10]

Alternate Draenor Mag'har[]

Main article: Iron Horde#History

For untold generations, the orc clans of Draenor battled one another in endless war. But when Gul'dan offered them the blood of his demonic masters, the disparate tribes of Mag'har—the orcish word for "uncorrupted"—refused the dark bargain and banded together to drive out the Burning Legion. United under the leadership of Grommash Hellscream, the Mag'har pledged to one day repay Azeroth's heroes for aiding their cause. As war against the Alliance intensifies, the Horde must call upon the might of the Mag'har to seize victory.[11]

Battle for Azeroth[]

Battle for Azeroth This section concerns content related to Battle for Azeroth.

A lot of Mag'har from the alternate Draenor, enough to field a significant force,[12] have joined the Horde through efforts of Eitrigg.

Most of them sided with Sylvanas Windrunner during Varok Saurfang's uprising.

Notable[]

Mag'har of Outland[]

Name Role(s) Status Location Affiliation(s)
IconSmall Aggra Aggralan Member of the Earthen Ring and wife to Thrall. Alive Various Horde, Frostwolf clan, The Mag'har, Earthen Ring
IconSmall Geyah Geyah Mother of Durotan. Spiritual leader of the Mag'har. Alive Garadar, Nagrand The Mag'har, formerly Frostwolf clan
IconSmall Mag'har Female Kashur Previous elder shaman of the Frostwolf clan and Drek'Thar's mentor. Ghost Spirit Fields, Nagrand The Mag'har, Frostwolf clan
IconSmall Garrosh Garrosh Hellscream Son of Grom Hellscream and mastermind behind the Iron Horde on alternate Draenor, formerly Warchief of the Horde. Slain by Thrall in a mak'gora. Deceased Various Iron Horde formerly The Mag'har, Warsong Offensive, Horde
IconSmall Mag'har Male Garm Wolfbrother Last Chieftain of the Thunderlord clan. Deceased Thunderlord Stronghold, Blade's Edge Mountains The Mag'har, Thunderlord clan
IconSmall Dranosh Dranosh Saurfang Son of Varok Saurfang, killed at the Battle of Angrathar the Wrathgate. Raised as a death knight and slain by the adventurers. Deceased Buried in the Ancestral Grounds, Nagrand Scourge, formerly Horde, Warsong Offensive
IconSmall Mag'har Male Jorin Deadeye Son of Kilrogg Deadeye and Warchief of the Bleeding Hollow clan. Alive Garadar, Nagrand Bleeding Hollow clan, The Mag'har
IconSmall Mag'har Male Ishi Blademaster and champion of Warchief Garrosh Hellscream. Slain by the adventurers. Deceased Garrosh'ar Advance, Kun-Lai Summit Horde
IconSmall Cromush Cromush High Warlord of the Horde. Alive Hillsbrad Foothills Horde
IconSmall Mag'har Female Nakha Founder of the Lok'osh. Alive Valley of Honor, Orgrimmar Lok'osh, Mag'har, Horde

Mag'har of alternate Draenor[]

Name Role(s) Status Location Affiliation(s)
IconSmall Durotan2 Durotan Chieftain of the Frostwolf clan Deceased Various Frostwolf orcs, Horde
IconSmall Grommash Grommash Hellscream Warchief of the Mag'har, former warchief of the Iron Horde Unknown Various Mag'har, Warsong clan, formerly Iron Horde
IconSmall Geya'rah Geya'rah Overlord of the Mag'har Alive Mag'har, Frostwolf clan, Horde
IconSmall Draka2 Draka Durotan's mate and mother of Geya'rah Alive Various Frostwolf orcs, Horde

Architecture[]

The architecture of the Mag'har seems to be inspired from the orcish buildings from Warcraft: Orcs & Humans. This suggests that during the First War, orcs used similar building types to those back at home on Draenor. However, over time, their buildings become more and more "warlike" and less nomadic. Those back on Draenor/Outland never changed their building style.

Notes and trivia[]

  • Geyah once called the land of Nagrand itself "mag'har", uncorrupted.[13] As such, the term does not apply only to orcs.
  • The adjective derived from "Mag'har" is "Mag'hari".[14][15]
  • Representatives of the alternate universe Mag'har orcs appeared in Orgrimmar with the 8.0 pre-patch, before they were supposed to show up and be made available, due to an unintentional phasing error.[16] They were removed shortly after.
  • A large number of skins for orc characters in Heroes of the Storm make them look like Mag'har, such as Mag'har Shadow Council Gul'dan, Warsong Hellblade Samuro, and Mag'har Johanna.
  • Mag'har, being a type of Orc, are also largely based upon Balkan, West Asian (particularly Turkish), with other varied and specific elements from other cultures.
    • For general Orc cultural inspiration, see Orcs#Notes and trivia
    • Mag'har is pronounced similar to the name Hungarians have for themselves, "magyar".
    • The seven clans of the Iron Horde resemble the seven clans of the Magyar tribes, as well as the dynamic between the clan chieftain and farseer shaman resembles the balance between the magyar gyula, which means warchief, and kende, which means sacred prince and oversaw spiritual matters.
    • The unification of the Iron Horde's seven clans through a blood oath resembles the Hungarian blood oath unifying the seven magyar tribes.
    • The Shadowmoon clan's lunar basis may be based upon the lunar calendar used by Mongolians, Turkic peoples traditionally, and others.
    • Likewise the "moonwillow" in the area whose roots extend into the Shadowmoon Burial Grounds may be based upon the recurring death-related myths and practices involving willow trees.

Speculation[]

Questionmark-medium
This article or section includes speculation, observations or opinions possibly supported by lore or by Blizzard officials. It should not be taken as representing official lore.

Since mok'nathal and Mag'har orcs largely look the same, the ethnicity of characters like Orhan Ogreblade, Uda the Beast, and Lucretia is unclear.

Gallery[]

Art
Movie
Heroes of the Storm
Fan art

References[]

 
  1. ^ a b Jorin Deadeye#Quotes
  2. ^ Ultimate Visual Guide, pg. 115
  3. ^ Wolfheart, chapter 4
  4. ^ B [63D] Heart of Rage
  5. ^ A [10-30] Makuru's Vengeance
  6. ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 2
  7. ^ Beyond the Dark Portal, pg. 355
  8. ^ A [15-30] Ortor My Old Friend...
  9. ^ A [15-30] Stopping the Spread
  10. ^ H IconSmall Orc MaleIconSmall Orc Female [50-70] Honor and Glory
  11. ^ Preview: Mag'har Orcs and Dark Iron Dwarves, April 28th 2018
  12. ^ Steve Danuser on Twitter
  13. ^ Beyond the Dark Portal, chapter 23
  14. ^ Mag'hari Procession
  15. ^ Inv staff 107 [Mag'hari Chieftain's Staff]
  16. ^ Steve Danuser on Twitter: "Correct, that's not intentional. A phasing error we'll track down. For now, pretend you've been granted a glimpse into the future..."
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