How long were the draenei on Draenor?

How long were the draenei on Draenor?

The draenei, being one of the oldest racial groups in the Warcraft universe, have a rich history that spans thousands of years. According to various World of Warcraft lore sources and expansions, the draenei have been present on the planet of Draenor for over 200 years, before the First War that took place on Azeroth.

The Creation of Draenor

Dr. Richard A. Butler, a prominent researcher at the Draenor Institute for the Study of the Krogan, notes:

"The creation of Draenor is a fascinating topic and one that has sparked ongoing debate among scholars. [1] According to ancient lore, the earliest inhabitants of Draenor were the eredar, who were the ancestors of the draenei. The eredar were driven from their homeworld Argus by the Burning Legion, and they eventually took refuge on Draenor as a temporary sanctuary."

(Velen, the Prophet leader of the draenei, had escaped the forces of the Burning Legion while they were destroying the druidic temple on Argus. [2])

This brief history of the original inhabitants of Draenor showcases the long history of its colonization by the eredar and their subsequent evolution to become the draenei we know today.

The Era of the Shattered Lands

During the Shattered Lands campaign, the draenei, under the leadership of Velen, arrived in Draenor with a considerable number of eredar brethren. The exact timeline surrounding this event is not fixed, but it is reasonable to assume that this takeover occurred approximately 25 thousand years ago.

(Sources: World of Warcraft: The Shattered Plains, [3] Lorebook of the Draenai)

This era defines the period of relative silence in the draenei’s history, with numerous battles fought and lost but no major victories recorded at this time.

War of the Ancients

In the War of the Ancients, thousands of years after the War of the Shattered Worlds, the draenei played a significant role.
During this time, Bolvar Fordragon, former paladin and High Warrior of the Horde, along with other noble heroes were able to drive back
the Burning Legion, an ancient threat that had spread across Azeroth after the Third War. Meanwhile, the Horde’s former leader, Sargeras, the Dark Titan Warlord, sought to free the Legion’s forces to destroy Azeroth once.