Mysterious Mysteries: the Exodar
by Amanda Rivera 
May 12th 2007 at 2:49PM
While questing in Azeroth the other day, a guildy and I got into a discussion on The Exodar. He mentioned that it looked to him that it was a ship and that someone should be able to fly it. That led to my geeking out a bit over the lore, and explaining that it was indeed a ship, a nethership, and the fourth part of Tempest Keep.
I've often speculated about this strange city. As I fly around Netherstorm, I try to imagine what it was like to have that last piece of the armada floating with the others, and where it might have been placed. But the true mystery is what might have been within the Exodar. We know it had a boss, but who was flying that great ship when the Draenei broke in? What exactly was it used for? I think of it in terms of the Caverns of Time. If we were able to step back to that moment when the ship was hijacked, what would we see? I bet the battle was immense. Okay, here's where I'd like to here from you. What do you think the Exodar originally was? Are there clues within the existing structure that can hint at it's original purpose?
[image courtesy of WorldofWar.net]
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, The Burning Crusade
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Hellbena May 12th 2007 3:13PM
Well, from being inside all the 5 man instances that are Tempest Keep, those set of instances were really a city or space station. Botanica is that greenery, Mechanar is the Tech Lab, Arcatraz is the prison, and the Exodar was the civilian quarters. And the 25-man is the Military Wing.
www.chillinwithmygnomies.com May 12th 2007 3:24PM
"He mentioned that it looked to him that it was a ship and that someone should be able to fly it"
I must admit, I pity the players who see wow as nothing more than a kill-things game, as your guildy is obviously one. Everything has such stories, it's not even "geeking out", it's just part of the game. Like knowing whats going on with Gordon Freeman, or why Sam Fisher does what he does. Like knowing why the Oblivion Gates exist or why s single marine went back to the Mars colony (go on, name the games).
But, really, so many people are utterly ignorant and oblivious. Hell, even the Draenei intro movies says that their ship crashed. It's hardly (excuse pun) rocket science... where did he think they came from?
Lighttech May 12th 2007 3:53PM
I am waiting for the next Mysterious Mysteries that involves a giant squirrel that eats Illidan's greasy head
Luciean May 12th 2007 4:31PM
im confused, the draenai broke in to the exdor and stole it? since when? i thought they built it along with TK and all the stuff in netherstorm but lost it to the various bad guys...... maybe i didnt read enough or pay attention.
Kyle May 12th 2007 4:44PM
#4: The draenei didn't build it at all. Tempest Keep was built by the Naaru and given over to the draenei to use.
Basically (I may be a bit wrong with this, but I do believe it is correct), what happened was that the draenei were in hiding in the remains of Draenor (now Outland) when the Naaru showed up with the rest of Tempest Keep (until then, the only part there was the wing that became Oshu'gun in Nagrand). The BE stormed Tempest Keep and took over. Velen and some of the draenei then raided part of it (the Exodar wing), took it, and fled, but not before some BEs (and I think the double agent among them) sabotaged part of it (which resulted in it slamming into Azuremyst).
Robert May 12th 2007 5:02PM
www.wowwiki.com/Exodar
michel May 12th 2007 5:40PM
all of the story is said in _the games_ , a game where ONE part of the fun is in the stories, the discussions, the lore and quests.
yes it is. and so we learn about naaru, draenor, draenei battles, and the exodar incident.
wowwiki.com is great, because all of that is put in an encyclopedia style by players.
Shalkis May 13th 2007 4:36AM
This is the way I understood it: Oshu'gun has nothing to do with the Tempest Keep. Oshu'gun was the ship the Naaru originally used to ferry the non-corrupted Eredar (Draenei) from Argus. For an unknown reason, the Naaru piloting it (K'ure) is weakened and the ship crashes into Draenor. The survivors befriend the ingenious population (orcs). So far, so good.
Then Kil'jaeden contacts Ner'zhul and Gul'dan. The Horde is formed, and the orcs are introduced to Mannoroth's blood. Most of the Draenei are wiped out, and the survivors go into hiding, where they'll stay for a long time.
When Draenor was destroyed at the end of the Second War, the barrier between the Twisting Nether and Draenor was weakened, and the Burning Legion started their invasion. The Alliance Expedition fought against them, but they were losing. In his despair, Khadgar used his scrying skills, searching for any allies. He finds the Naaru onboard the Tempest Keep and convinces them to come to Outland.
With the arrival of the Naaru, the Draenei survivors come out of hiding and help the Sha'tar rebuild Shattrath, with A'dal in charge. Meanwhile, Kael'thas and his followers storm the lightly guarded Tempest Keep and seize it. They capture M'ure and ship him back to Silvermoon.
Velen, the leader of the Aldor priesthood, attacks the Tempest Keep and manages to capture one of it's satellites, Exodar. However, the delicate Naaru machinery is damaged, and the Exodar teleports into Azeroth and plummets down to the Azuremyst Isle.
My personal theory is that Exodar was an anti-Burning Legion research vessel. There's the holographic projectors found onboard the Exodar that support this theory. Conversely, Mechanar is a machine workshop, Botanica is a hydroponic farm and Arcatraz is a prison.
Thijz May 13th 2007 5:01AM
I don't think it looks like a spaceship at all.
RogueJedi86 May 13th 2007 7:42AM
I wonder if the Naaru inside the Exodar had anything to do with the theft. They are demi-gods of a sort, so it couldn't have been too hard for the Draenei to escape with it. Maybe the Draenei assault went bad, and a Naaru wooshed onto the Exodar and brought all the surviving Draenei in and escaped, with the Blood Elves hot on their trail. But a Blood Elf spy on board sabotaged the Exodar, causing to crash and break up all over Azuremyst and Bloodmyst Isles. And luckily, this crash has brought the Naaru into contact with Azeroth, and the peoples of it. You'd expect at least a few Gnome scientists to be there talking to the Naaru on the Exodar. It's the Warcraft equivalent of "First Contact".
Harbl May 17th 2007 6:45PM
Mysterious Mysteries? Chickenfoot?