World & travel
The Maelstrom
The Maelstrom is the vast whirlpool at the centre of the Great Sea, standing where the Well of Eternity stood ten thousand years ago. It is the scar left by the Sundering: this is where the single supercontinent of Kalimdor broke into Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms. WoW Classic 1.12.1 never lets you visit the Maelstrom, yet it explains the very shape of the world you walk through.
◆What happened
| Stage | What occurred |
|---|---|
| Before the Sundering | one continent, Kalimdor, with the Well of Eternity at its heart |
| War of the Ancients | the Burning Legion tried to enter the world through the Well |
| The Sundering | the Well exploded, the continent broke apart, the seas rushed into the rift |
| Afterwards | the Maelstrom spins where the Well once was, ringed by the Great Sea |
Destroying the Well threw back the Legion, but it cost the world eighty percent of its land. Details in the Sundering and night elf history.
◆Who lives around the Maelstrom
- Naga — highborne elves who did not die in the Sundering but were reshaped by magic into sea creatures. Their queen sank beneath the waves together with Zin-Azshari. Players meet naga war parties in Azshara, Feralas and Blackfathom Deeps.
- Water elementals — around the Maelstrom the boundary between Azeroth and the Elemental Planes is at its thinnest.
- The remains of ancient cities — the ruins of Zin-Azshari and other elven settlements lie on the sea floor.
◆Why it matters in Vanilla
- Geography. Two continents with the Great Sea between them is a direct consequence of the Sundering. The ships between Menethil Harbor and Auberdine cross exactly those waters.
- Nordrassil. To regain immortality the night elves poured some of the Well's water into a lake on Mount Hyjal and grew Nordrassil.
- Naga as an enemy. Every piece of naga content, from Azshara quests to Blackfathom Deeps, rests on this story.
- Magic. The highborne, cut off from the Well, turned to arcane study and eventually founded Dalaran and the Kirin Tor.
◆Related material
- The Sundering — the event that created the Maelstrom
- Well of Eternity — what stood in this place
- Naga — the people born of the catastrophe
- Azeroth — the world and its continents
- Elemental Planes — the dimensions of the elementals
FAQ
?What is the Maelstrom in Warcraft?
A vast whirlpool at the centre of the Great Sea, formed where the Well of Eternity exploded during the Sundering.
?When did the Maelstrom form?
About ten thousand years ago, at the end of the War of the Ancients, when the night elves destroyed the Well of Eternity.
?Can I reach the Maelstrom in WoW Classic?
No, it lies outside the playable maps of 1.12.1 and exists only as lore.
?How is the Maelstrom connected to the naga?
The naga are highborne elves whom the Sundering transformed rather than killed. They sank beneath the waves along with drowned Zin-Azshari.
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