Velen

Velen has been the leader of the draenei people since their flight from Argus 25,000 years before the first orcish invasion of Azeroth. Known by his people as the Prophet, he has been granted the gift of Sight, and — aided by the Light — has guided his people as they fled from, and later fought against, the Burning Legion who had ensnared their eredar brethren. He is first among the draenei and is the arch-nemesis (formerly best friend) of Kil'jaeden.

Following the draenei's flight to Azeroth, and sensing great courage in the Alliance, Velen and his followers pledged themselves to this noble faction. The strengthened Alliance then helped the draenei reclaim their former holdings from the Legion. Most recently, Velen used the heart of a fallen naaru to sanctify the blood elves’ tainted Sunwell, transforming the sacred fount into a source of holy and arcane energies.

Although the Legion’s forces in Outland have been greatly diminished and the demonic invasion of Azeroth has been driven back, Velen remains fearful of an upcoming war between light and shadow.

Biography
Twenty-five thousand years ago, the world of Argus was shaped into a paradise by the eredar race who called it home. One day, the peace of the eredar was shattered. Sargeras, Destroyer of Worlds, had noticed the achievements of the eredar. Instead of destroying Argus, Sargeras appeared before the leaders of the eredar. Presenting himself as a benevolent entity, Sargeras offered to transform the eredar into an even more powerful race of beings, with the goal of unifying all the races of the universe. In return, they would serve Sargeras as his perfect spellcasters, spreading his universal union with every world they touched. Two of the eredar's triumvirate of leaders, Archimonde and Kil'jaeden, along with two-thirds of the eredar population, took the offer. Only one eredar leader realized the true horror of Sargeras' Burning Crusade: Velen.

Velen, unlike Archimonde and Kil'jaeden, had the gift of "Sight", and was granted a vision by the naaru K'ure of the truth of Sargeras' plot. The utopia that Sargeras had promised was a lie, much to Velen's horror. He at first saw himself at the head of a vast eredar force of the Light, spreading the gifts of their race to worlds beyond count, as Sargeras had said; the next moment, he saw the truth. Sargeras had no intention of unification. His vision was one of death, of razing entire worlds to bare rock and ashes. And the eredar were not to be the bringers of enlightenment with their new powers; they would be man'ari, twisted, malevolent shadows of their former selves devoted to the destruction of worlds for the glory of Sargeras' terrible Burning Crusade. Horrified, Velen desperately prayed for guidance. K'ure appeared before him, reassured Velen that his plight had been heard, and instructed him to gather up his followers and go to the highest mountain on Argus, during the longest day of the year. Velen and his followers barely escaped the newly created Burning Legion. From then on, Kil'jaeden vowed to hunt down Velen and his followers and slaughter them, even if it took a thousand years.

The Legion chased the exiles, or "draenei" ("Exiled Ones") as they had come to be known, across the universe for thousands of years. Each time Kil'jaeden approached, the naaru granted new powers to Velen to preserve his race. After millennia of flight, Velen and his people were finally able to evade the Legion settled on a world they named Draenor.

Draenor
Velen and the draenei were taken from Argus via the crystal-ship that became known by the orcs as Oshu'gun — "Mountain of Spirits". As they settled onto their new homeworld, the draenei came into contact with the orcish clans, and began to trade with them; the relations with the orcs were cordial, but aloof and businesslike. While the draenei established themselves and built the city of Shattrath as their capital, Velen set up his own private refuge at the Temple of Karabor, on the eastern edge of the lands of the Shadowmoon Clan.

While he was visiting the town of Telmor in Terokkar Forest, Velen met two orcs who would later shape the destiny of the Horde — Durotan, heir to the chieftainship of the Frostwolf clan, and the future Orgrim Doomhammer; Telmor's captain of the guard, Velen's friend Restalaan, had rescued them from an ogre attack. Their dinner discussions spoke much of the orcish heritage and of the prophecy relating to the Doomhammer, which Orgrim would receive upon the death of his father — the prophecy of how, after bringing salvation then doom in the hands of the last of the Doomhammer line, it would pass into the hands of one of non-Blackrock lineage, who would wield it and lead the orcs to salvation.

Corruption of the orcs
Over the eons after their escape from Argus, Kil'jaeden continued his search for Velen and his followers, but was frustrated when he found only traces of where they had been. His agents had managed to locate Draenor, and reported back to him both the conditions the draenei lived in and the people that lived on their world. Realizing that he had found the tool of vengeance, Kil'jaeden appeared to the elder shaman Ner'zhul, and informed him that the draenei were plotting against them.

Over a short span of time, the draenei came under increasing attack by the orcs, convinced that the draenei were their enemies. Concerned, Velen sent a courier to Ner'zhul, asking for a reason behind the attacks, and requesting a meeting in the shadow of Oshu'gun. The orcs, however, had killed the courier, and Ner'zhul did not wish to attend the meeting himself. Instead, he sent for Durotan, who captured Velen and his entourage. Velen tried to explain the true purpose of Oshu'gun to the Frostwolves but Durotan and his chief shaman, Drek'Thar, grew angered by what they perceived as blasphemy. Despite this, and despite the orders from Ner'zhul, Durotan released Velen and his fellows, taking their ata'mal crystals instead.

Over time, attacks against the draenei became increasingly violent. The newly-established Horde, now directed by Ner'zhul's apprentice, Gul'dan - who had become Kil'jaeden's pupil in the art of the warlock - began to assault and destroy draenei settlements to appease their new master. Durotan led the assault on Telmor, utilizing one of the captured crystals to allow him to lower the draenei's defensive cover. Velen's refuge at the Temple of Karabor was also attacked and defiled by Gul'dan and his new warlocks, who renamed it the Black Temple and set it up as the headquarters of their Shadow Council.

After the attacks increased — including the final assault that destroyed the city of Shattrath — Velen and some of his followers went into hiding in Zangarmarsh, establishing Telredor, and were never found by either the orcs or Kil'jaeden's minions...

Escape from Outland
Velen and his remaining followers remained hidden over the decades that passed since the draenei were massacred by the demonically-possessed Horde. During that period, great changes occurred in Draenor: The Dark Portal to the world of Azeroth was opened, and the orcs invaded - but after years of warfare, they were finally defeated. When Ner'zhul, in a desperate attempt to escape Kil'Jaeden's wrath, tried to open portals to other worlds for the Horde to conquer, the incredible energies tore Draenor apart. In order to prevent this catastrophe from affecting their world, the Alliance Expedition under the command of the archmage Khadgar sealed the Dark Portal, cutting off both the orcs already in Azeroth and those they were battling on the fields of Hellfire Peninsula.

Almost two decades passed before anyone travelled through portals to Draenor - now known as Outland. The half-demon night elf Illidan Stormrage, accompanied by his naga and blood elf allies, sought refuge from Kil'jaeden after Illidan failed to destroy the Lich King, the imprisoned spirit of Ner'zhul who controlled the Scourge back in Azeroth. As the blood elves, under the command of Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider, took up residence in the naaru interdimensional fortress of Tempest Keep, Velen decided it was time to gather what remained of his people and find a new place to take refuge once more.

Aided by the Broken Farseer Nobundo, who introduced shamanism to the draenei, Velen personally led a raid to capture the Exodar, one of Tempest Keep's satellite structures, and attempted to use it in order to escape Outland. The blood elves, realizing the draenei's intentions, sabotaged the transdimensional "engine" of the Exodar. As the draenei attempted to travel the dimensional planes, the reactor malfunctioned, hurtling the Exodar and its crew across the Twisting Nether until one month ago, where it appeared - coincidentally - in the world of Azeroth. The damaged Exodar screamed across the skies of northern Kalimdor, pods ejecting and spreading across a small island chain off the coast of Darkshore, before crashing on the west coast of what is now called Azuremyst Isle.

After the dust settled and the draenei began to establish themselves in settlements built from the wreckage of the Exodar, Velen and his people set themselves to exploring their new homeworld. Word of a heroic Alliance of Light-wielding races had reached the Prophet and his people, and they set out to discover their potential new allies in their continued resistance to the Burning Crusade.

Velen's Vision
In recent years, Velen, the noble leader of the draenei, was granted a vision....In it he saw the Broken: formerly healthy draenei who had de-evolved during the orcs' murderous crusade to wipe out the draenei race. According to Velen's vision, the Broken would rise to power once again and aid their displaced brethren.

Velen's vision was given substance in the form of Nobundo, a one-time draenei vindicator who had regressed while the orcs decimated his race and tore the planet apart. Like his fellow Broken, Nobundo had lost contact with the Light, and so he ventured far into the deserts of Outland to meditate and pray for guidance.

After decades of silence, an unfamiliar voice finally answered his prayers. It was not the Light that whispered to him, but the Wind. The breeze spoke to him of lost truths, of the might of the elements—of the delicate balance of power embraced by the shaman.

Nobundo listened eagerly and learned all he could. When he judged the time was right, he departed the desert determined to use this knowledge to help the draenei race. However, most draenei refugees greeted the sight of a Broken with skepticism and outright prejudice. Only one of the healthy draenei did not shun the Broken: the wise and perceptive Velen.

Velen had heard the philosophy of the shaman before, but Nobundo revealed new truths. The elements were timeless; they stretched across the cosmos to inhabit every world they touched. With the proper training, the draenei might learn to wield this overlooked, seemingly inexhaustible source of power. Velen rejoiced to realize that his vision was coming to pass. Accordingly he took Nobundo with him when he and his fellow refugees took possession of the naaru satellite structure Exodar from the blood elves. Thus it was that Nobundo journeyed with the draenei to the world of Azeroth.

Nobundo found that unlike the desolate wastes of Outland, Azeroth possessed abundant elemental energies. He shared his knowledge of shamanism with the draenei on Azeroth, and all who adopted its path flourished.

The time for the draenei shaman to test themselves draws near, for the battle against the Burning Legion is once again at hand. And the fate not only of Azeroth, but of all worlds, hangs in the balance.

In World of Warcraft
Prophet Velen is a level ?? (Boss) quest giver located deep inside the Exodar, the draenei capital on Azeroth. Having survived the crash, Velen continues to lead the draenei people from his new refuge in the Vault of Lights, deep inside the largest intact portion of the crashed Exodar, which now serves as the draenei capital in Azeroth. At the end of the Bloodmyst Isle quest chain he is one of many too congratulate the young adventurer for repelling the blood elf invasion.

He starts the following quests:
 * (Exodar)
 * (Draenei, Bloodmyst Isle)

The Prophecy of the Sunwell
According to A'dal, Velen made the following prophecy:
 * Silvery moon, washed in blood,
 * Led astray into the night, armed with the sword of broken Light.
 * Broken, then betrayed by one, standing there bestride the sun.
 * At darkest hour, redemption comes, in knightly lady sworn to blood.

The first line refers to Silvermoon City and its destruction by the Scourge; the second to the blood elves' reverence of Prince Kael'thas, and his "gift" of the naaru M'uru to give power to the Blood Knight order; the third refers to the Blood Knights' discovery of Kael'thas' treachery (Kael'thas and his fel elves capture M'uru and take him to the Sunwell), and the fourth refers to Lady Liadrin, the Blood Knight leader, who renounces her ties to Kael'thas and swears her allegiance to the Sha'tar and the Shattered Sun Offensive.

The Fall of the Deceiver
Following the defeat of Kil'jaeden in the Sunwell Plateau, Velen will arrive to congratulate the players, accompanied by Lady Liadrin, leader of the Blood Knights.

Cataclysm
Velen was present at the meeting during the Elemental Unrest, discussing the earthquakes, stating that he could feel them in the Exodar and suggesting that the Alliance should flee while they still can. Velen prophesises an upcoming battle between the light and dark, Velen also will play a role in the Swamp of Sorrows storyline. He has received a new staff model.

Tactics
The encounter with Velen is generally considered the easiest of the faction leaders, and the virtually non-existent player traffic within the Exodar leaves room for pre planning. It is often the first city to be attacked during a "For the Horde!" raid, due to its simplicity.

The raid should group up at the stairs, and to play it safe, pull Velen's two battlemasters before him. With them down, the raid can freely focus on Velen.

Velen pulls with his battlemasters, though if disposed of beforehand will only be protected by his Shield of Velen elite guards. One tank is enough to hold him in such a case.

Velen's abilities are not particularly potent, even after the step up to Cataclysm level difficulty. His shield is easily broken, and his infrequent use of Holy Nova can be easily healed through. His Holy Smite ability will be randomly cast on a raid member. For the most part, the encounter is a good example of tank and spank, and the extremely low chance of an Alliance defense raid allows breathing space.

Quotes

 * Greeting
 * We must unite against the Legion.
 * Not all who wander are lost.
 * Will you join our cause?


 * Aggro
 * An unwise decision.
 * I foresaw this.
 * How unfortunate...for you.

Trivia

 * When the Burning Crusade was first released Velen had the speech file of a normal male Draenei. However, upon the release of Patch 2.1.0, Velen was given his own voice file (see below for quotes).


 * The name Velen may be related to a character from the sci-fi television series, Babylon 5: Valen. Several general details between the two characters seem similar.  Valen appeared aboard a starship seemingly out of nowhere to aid the Minbari in their war against the chaotic Shadows, much as Velen and the draenei crashed on Azeroth just in time to help fight the Burning Legion.  Both seem to posses some method of prophecy, and both have contact with a higher race of beings of light, Velen the Naaru, Valen the Vorlons.


 * The Alliance's tier 9 priest sets are named after Velen.


 * Velen is listed as a shaman in the trading card game, though there is nothing in lore to indicate that he is one. This may have been done to emphasize the fact that the draenei were the first Alliance race to have shamans. Similarly, Lor'themar is a paladin in the card game despite being a ranger in lore.


 * One of Velen's quotes - "Not all who wander are lost" - may be based on a line from the poem All That Is Gold Does Not Glitter in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.


 * During the event following Kil'jaeden's defeat at the Sunwell, Velen calls Kil'jaeden his "brother", they at least treated each other like brothers; "Kil'jaeden had loved Velen as a brother, closer than that, loved him almost as another aspect of himself".