Also known as the Defiler. Chosen by Sargeras as the leader of the Second invasion of the Burning Legion. He was slain during his assault upon The World Tree.

Appears in Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos
His bones appear in World of Warcraft in the Mount Hyjal
Appears in the novelization Warcraft: War of the Ancients

A’dal is a member of the Naaru and leader of the faction known as the Sha’tar. After the Draenei were forced to abandon Shattrath City which had been reduced to ruin, (Shattrath City has previously been considered the Draenei capital – that role is now filled by The Exodar) the Sha’tar were drawn to Shattrath and A’dal chose to use it as their base of operations against the Burning Legion. A’dal is also responsible for deciding on a regular basis which faction, the Aldor or the Scryers, is sent to assist the Naaru known as Xi’ri in Shadowmoon Valley.

A line from Khadgar seems to state that A’dal’s sheer force of will is enough to keep their enemies at bay, giving hints to the power the Naaru and The Sha’tar hold.

Nestled in between the Moonglade and Darkshore is the Felwood. Corrupted long ago by the Burning Legion’s first invasion of Azeroth, it became even more dangerous with the presence of the Skull of Gul’dan. Though Illidan halted any further corruption by absorbing the powers of the powerful Orc warlock’s skull, the damage was done and Felwood is a source of great evil in Kalimdor. Animals here are tainted and hostile, trees drip poisons and toxins bubble in ponds and streams. And to make matters worse, the Shadow Council, a cult of Orcs (and others) that still worship demons, is highly active in the region. Even the mighty Ancients are susceptible to the Fel energies that exist in Felwood. Though dangerous, many venture through the Felwood as it is one of the few ways to access the sacred Moonglade and Winterspring beyond. The way in is guarded by the Timbermaw Furbolgs who fight against the corruption that is ever present.

Long ago, Azeroth consisted only of a single, massive continent surrounded by a seemingly endless ocean. This landmass was called Kalimdor, meaning “The Land of Eternal Starlight”, named by the nocturnal humanoid race the Kaldorei “The Children of the Stars” (also known as Night Elves) that inhabited it. At the rough geographical center of the landmass stood the Well of Eternity, crafted by the Titans, the creators of Azeroth. Night Elves were lured to the Well of Eternity by its potent magical energies and eventually settled along its shores. Eventually, elves of noble birth, called the Highborne, including Kaldorei Queen Azshara, began to study the powers of the Well. Over time, they delved too deeply into the arts of magic and triggered a huge invasion of demons from the plane that interconnects the worlds in the universe, the Twisting Nether. After an epic battle between the demonic Burning Legion and the Night Elves, the Night Elves, against all odds, defeated the Burning Legion, but the portal at the bottom of the Well buckled upon itself, triggering a cataclysmic explosion, known as the Great Sundering. The massive crater was filled by the sea creating what became known as the Maelstrom and leveling whatever remained standing after the explosion. Many inhabitants of Azeroth perished, but the survivors managed to drift ashore. Since Night Elves were not aware of the other “survivor” continents, they kept the name “Kalimdor” for their new homeland.

The wondrous City in the Tree was constructed shortly after the fall of the Burning Legion at the Battle of Mount Hyjal. Forced to sacrifice their cherished immortality, the night elves attempted to adjust to a finite life. Tyrande and Malfurion Stormrage helped their people rebuild their shattered villages. However, the adjustment to a mortal existence was too much to take for many of the night elves. Seeking to regain their immortality, several wayward druids conspired to plant a special tree that would reestablish the link between their spirits and the eternal world. Upon hearing of this plan, Malfurion warned that nature would never bless such a selfish act. Shortly thereafter, Malfurion’s spirit was somehow lost within the depths of the Emerald Dream.

With Malfurion missing, Fandral Staghelm — the leader of those who wished to plant the new World Tree — became the new Arch-Druid. In no time at all, he and his fellow druids had forged ahead and planted the great tree, Teldrassil, off the stormy coasts of northern Kalimdor. Under their care, the tree soon sprouted up above the clouds. Among the twilight boughs of the colossal tree, the wondrous city of Darnassus took root. However, the tree was not consecrated with nature’s blessing and soon fell prey to the corruption of the Burning Legion. Now the wildlife and even the limbs of Teldrassil itself are tainted by a growing darkness.