The Well of Eternity was a primordial nexus of arcane energy at the heart of the ancient supercontinent of Kalimdor. In the earliest known ages of Azeroth’s history — before the fragmentation of landmasses and the emergence of the continents familiar in later eras — the Well occupied a central position both geographically and metaphysically in the shaping of the world’s magical and biological evolution. The origins of the Well are tied to events preceding recorded history, when the world-soul of Azeroth was still nascent and latent. According to some sources, it formed in the wake of cosmic upheavals in the distant past, its waters suffused with arcane energies that would later nourish life and civilization.
The Well of Eternity was a vast lake of scintillating magical energies, and for unknown stretches of time its influence permeated the surrounding land. Its arcane saturation was unparalleled anywhere else on the planet, serving as the fountainhead of magical power. The concentration of these energies is linked to the emergence and acceleration of life forms that would otherwise have remained primitive or static. The Well’s influence appears to have been a fundamental factor in the development of complex ecosystems and sentient life across Kalimdor.
Among the earliest known inhabitants of the region were tribes of nocturnal trolls, often referred to in later accounts as “dark trolls.” These groups lived in relative isolation and displayed physical and cultural traits distinct from other troll peoples. Continuous proximity to the arcane energies of the Well induced profound changes in these tribes over generations. The dark trolls’ physiology altered — their bodies becoming taller, more agile, and their intellect heightened — and their cultures evolved in parallel. In the process, they abandoned many of their ancestral customs and began to develop a new language and cosmology influenced by exposure to the Well’s powers and to artifacts of unknown origin found near its shores.
As their transformation progressed, these once-troll tribes adopted the name Kaldorei, commonly translated as “Children of the Stars,” reflecting both a linguistic shift and a new self-perception rooted in celestial spirituality. Central to early Kaldorei religion was the worship of a lunar deity, Elune. The Kaldorei believed that Elune dwelt within or beyond the shimmering depths of the Well, and this belief would underpin their spiritual identity for millennia.
The Kaldorei consolidated their population around the Well’s shores and established their capital city, Elun’dris (later known as Zin-Azshari). Their society matured into a hierarchical culture that integrated martial power, spiritual devotion, and early mastery of arcane sorcery. Under the benign guidance of nature spirits and demigods — most notably Cenarius, who is depicted in some sources as teaching the Kaldorei about the natural world — they developed a deep connection with the forests, wildlife, and elemental forces of Kalimdor.
With an ever-growing command of sorcery drawn from the Well, the Kaldorei began to extend their influence beyond the immediate vicinity of their capital. Their military strength increased accordingly; they defeated neighboring troll tribes and secured wider territory within central Kalimdor. Some accounts suggest that in these expansions the Kaldorei subjugated certain peoples, such as early proto-humans, although details of such interactions remain poorly attested in surviving records.
This period of ascendancy saw the emergence of distinct social strata within Kaldorei civilization. Those who devoted themselves to the study and application of arcane magic became a privileged elite known as the Quel’dorei or Highborne. The Highborne operated in close service to the monarchy and assumed roles as scholars, advisers, and practitioners of sorcery. Their prominence presaged future tensions between arcane ambition and the more conservative elements of Kaldorei society.
Religion and cosmology were central to Kaldorei identity during this age. The worship of Elune remained the unifying spiritual practice and was integrated into civic life, public rituals, and the justification of political authority. The Well itself was considered sacred and its waters forbidden for ordinary use. Deep reverence for the Well’s energies persisted alongside practical exploitation of magical power, and religious institutions often mediated the boundaries between veneration and arcane inquiry.
The civilization that grew from these origins is often referred to in later histories as the Kaldorei Empire, characterized by both its vast territorial extent and its cultural sophistication. At its height, it was arguably the most powerful and advanced polity on Azeroth prior to the cataclysms of later ages.
The Well of Eternity’s centrality to Kaldorei life made it both a source of strength and a focal point of vulnerability. The Kaldorei mastery of arcane sorcery drew heavily on the Well’s energies, which in turn attracted the attention of external entities and forces beyond the world’s immediate sphere. The combination of political ambition, arcane exploration, and spiritual presumption set conditions that would have far-reaching consequences.
Despite uncertainties in some details — including the exact chronology of early Kaldorei expansion and the precise nature of the Well’s formation — the arc of growth from transformed troll tribes to an empire anchored by arcane power is a consistent theme across available sources.
The culmination of these developments — specifically the Kaldorei Empire’s arcane dominance and the increasing influence of the Highborne — precipitated a major civil and cosmic crisis. Within this context the actions of Queen Azshara and her closest advisers, driven by ambition and arcane curiosity, set in motion the conflict known as the War of the Ancients. As this conflict escalated, it would ultimately destabilize the Well of Eternity itself, leading to its destruction and triggering the Great Sundering, a cataclysm that reshaped Azeroth’s geography and the course of all subsequent history. This transition forms the subject of the following section.