Early Life
Despite her role of lesser prominence compared to her sisters, Vereesa was one of Warcraft's earliest major characters, and the original Windrunner to appear by name in the franchise's first novel Day of the Dragon. Before she became the ranger we know today, however, Vereesa was merely the youngest of three sisters in the Windrunner family.
In contrast to her headstrong older sisters, Vereesa was known as the peacekeeper of the family, soothing arguments not only between Sylvanas, Alleria, and their youngest brother Lirath, but those between Alleria and their mother, the Ranger-General of Quel'thalas Lireesa, as well. In time, Vereesa would follow in the footsteps of her sisters to become a member of the Farstriders, close to the onset of the Second War.
Windrunner Spire in Midnight.
Eventually, the arguments between Alleria and their mother boiled over when Alleria chose to leave behind Quel'thalas and abdicate her inheritance as Ranger-General to Sylvanas. Not long after, during the early days of the Second War, the first tragedy would strike the Windrunner family when news reached the siblings that their parents had been killed in an ambush by orcs and trolls. While Alleria turned to bloodlust towards the Horde and Sylvanas took up the mantle of Ranger-General, Vereesa was tasked with watching over Lirath, and began to train him to defend himself in secret.
When the proper war reached Quel'thalas, Vereesa was among its defenders, rallying with her sisters and the newly formed Alliance of Lordaeron to fend off the Orcish Horde. Vereesa and Sylvanas returned home, however, to find yet more tragedy -- Lirath, dead at the hands of the orcs. When Sylvanas learned that it was Vereesa's training that had given Lirath the confidence to engage in battle, a rift formed between the two sisters. Vereesa would continue to serve the Farstriders, but far away from Sylvanas and her duties in Quel'thalas.
In time, the Orcish Horde was defeated, and their remnants fled back through the Dark Portal to find other worlds to conquer. Unwilling to let the orcs go unpunished, Alleria volunteered as one of the leaders of the expedition to follow through the portal, and was forced to leave her son Arator behind in Vereesa's care. Along with the responsibility to raise Arator, Vereesa also recieved a ruby necklace from Alleria; one of a trio, with the other two held by Alleria and Sylvanas. While Alleria would eventually be lost behind the closed Dark Portal and was considered missing, the remaining two sisters held onto the necklaces to represent their bond despite the rifts of space and tragedy alike that had formed between them.
Rhonin: Day of the Dragon
In the wake of the Second War, Vereesa continued her work as a Farstrider, and desired to hunt down the remaining orcs not locked away in internment camps. Instead, Vereesa was instead assigned as escort to a fledgling mage named Rhonin. Despite her initial distaste for the human, Vereesa grew fond of Rhonin in the wake of a sudden attack by the Dragonmaw orcs and their red dragon mounts, and aided him on his mission to Khaz Modan.
While she initially thought she had been assigned on a rather routine observation mission with Rhonin, she would later learn that Rhonin had been tasked by the red dragon Korialstrasz to aid him in freeing the Dragon Queen Alexstrasza and her clutch of red dragons from captivity under the Dragonmaw orcs. On their journey, they join forces with the Wildhammer dwarf Falstad, and were nearly killed by a dragon ambush... before being saved by Deathwing.
The black dragon Aspect was not interested in their salvation, unfortunately, and used the opportunity to kidnap Rhonin to prevent him from freeing Alexstrasza. He had plans for the eggs being coveted by the Dragonmaw, and had granted them the means of subjugating Alexstrasza in the first place through use of the Demon Soul, a relic created by Deathwing with the combined power of the other Dragon Aspects. Now, he wished to claim the eggs from the Dragonmaw by force, sparing neither orc nor dragon as he attacked their citadel of Grim Batol.
Vereesa and Falstad would later find Rhonin and free him, using the mage's newfound knowledge of the situation to sneak into Grim Batol as the battle with Deathwing waged. Inside, Alexstrasza managed to break free of her chains, rallying the other Aspects to her side and engaging in battle with Deathwing. While their initial attacks were of little effect, Rhonin was able to turn the tide when he used one of Deathwing's own scales to destroy the Demon Soul, returning the power held within to the Aspects and allowing them to chase their former brother off.
As reward for their actions, Rhonin and Vereesa were held as friends of high regard to the Dragonflights, and began a tour of the world to warn the other kingdoms of threats beyond the Orcish Horde. In the process, Vereesa and Rhonin fell in love, but soon tragedy once again struck the Windrunner family. While Vereesa was away with Rhonin, Quel'thalas came under attack by Arthas Menethil and the Scourge. In the process of Arthas destroying the Sunwell, most of her people were wiped out, including her Farstrider brethren and most importantly, her sister Sylvanas. Vereesa was overcome by immense grief and sorrow for a time, believing herself to be the last survivor of the Windrunner family she had grown up with.
Vereesa in WoW
Despite her losses, Vereesa and Rhonin grew closer, eventually marrying each other. In time, Vereesa became pregnant, and while Rhonin had a trilogy-spanning time travel adventure of his own, he returned just in time to witness Vereesa give birth to their twin sons, Giramar and Galadin.
Eventually, Vereesa came into contact with one of the few remaining members of the Windrunner family, her cousin Zendarin. Similar to Vereesa, he had always stuck out from the rest of their family, but where Vereesa was able to rely on Rhonin and his powers to sate her addiction, Zendarin had joined the blood elves in draining magic from living creatures to strengthen himself. Seeking the power that a twin pair of half-elven children might offer him, Zendarin tried and failed to kidnap Vereesa's sons, sending her on a revenge quest to track him down.
In her pursuit of vengeance, Vereesa learned that Zendarin was in the service of Sinestra, the mate of Deathwing and current wielder of the fragments of the Demon Soul. While Sinestra sought to use its power to create more dragons like her newest creation, the twilight dragon Dargonax, Zendarin merely sought to enslave the twilight dragon as his new mount. Vereesa was eventually joined by Rhonin, along with a handful of other allies such as Korialstrasz and Kalecgos. Together they defeated Sinestra, destroyed the remnants of the Dragon Soul, and ultimately killed Zendarin.
During the early days of WoW, Rhonin was called on by the Kirin Tor to join the Council of Six as its leader. With Vereesa at his side, he began the slow process of rebuilding Dalaran underneath its protective bubble. By the time of the War against the Lich King, Dalaran was called to action not to fight the Scourge, but to aid the Dragon Aspects in their civil war against Malygos and his desire to remove all magic from the world to prevent its abuse at the hands of mortals.
In order to fully combat this threat, Rhonin made the choice to invite the blood elven Sunreavers into the Kirin Tor despite their allegiance to the Horde -- much to the displeasure of Vereesa. Unable to accept the choices her people had made to ally with the orcs and trolls despite their past, Vereesa formed the Silver Covenant: a band of militant high elves committed to their friendship with the Alliance and adamantly opposed to the Horde's presence in Dalaran.
Vereesa's opposition to the Sunreavers would not amount to much during the war against Malygos, nor in their eventual involvement in the war against the Lich King. Despite her hatred of the Horde, Vereesa even opted to aid the Darkspear chieftain Vol'jin and Silvermoon's current Ranger-General, her friend Halduron Brightwing, in the defense of Quel'thalas from the Zandalari-incited Amani threat. It was not until even more tragedy struck that Vereesa would see her opinions of the Horde realized.
Mists of Pandaria
In the wake of Garrosh Hellscream becoming Warchief of the Horde, conflict between the Alliance and Horde escalated across Azeroth. Seeking to secure Kalimdor, Garrosh set his eyes on the city-state of Theramore in an attempt to cut off one of the Alliance's most secure access points to the continent. In an effort to defend the city, its leader Jaina Proudmoore rallied forces from across Azeroth to aid in its defense, including Rhonin and the Kirin Tor.
Vereesa was more than happy to help defend against the Horde, and the Alliance's forces successfully defended against the siege on the city. However, in the midst of the attack, a blood elf mage of the Kirin Tor named Thalen Songweaver had attempted to sabotage their defenses, and the Horde had managed to free him from captivity shortly after the battle. Alongside Shandris Feathermoon, Vereesa and her forces left Theramore to track Thalen down, an act that saved her life.
In secret, Garrosh had never planned for his siege on Theramore to work. His plan had been to gather as many Alliance forces in one place, before using the devastating power of a mana bomb to obliterate the city with everyone inside. The blast would have wiped out most of Dustwallow Marsh along with the city, if not for the actions of Rhonin. After pushing Jaina through a portal to safety, Rhonin drew the mana bomb towards himself in the city's central towers, putting up defenses to contain the blast and sacrificing his life in the process. The city was still destroyed, but his wife was saved thanks to his actions.
In the wake of Theramore's destruction, Jaina and Vereesa both returned to Dalaran to plead for aid to avenge Rhonin and attack the Horde. After being refused, Jaina nearly retaliated by flooding the entirety of Orgrimmar, but after being talked down, she was instead instated as Rhonin's replacement as leader of the Kirin Tor. Vereesa was given no such consolation, forced to continue to see the Horde in the streets of Dalaran despite what they had done.
Vereesa's chance for vengeance eventually came during the War for Pandaria, in the midst of the Horde and Alliance invasion of Krasarang Wilds. While Jaina initially rejected the Alliance's request for the Kirin Tor to join the Alliance, her mind was changed when she learned that the Sunreavers had allowed Garrosh to ferry a weapon of mass destruction from Pandaria known as the Divine Bell through Dalaran's portal system and into the Horde's hands.
Vereesa Windrunner says: I have long waited for an opportunity to deal with the Sunreavers. I asked my late husband to remove them from the city, but he believed too firmly in the neutrality of the Kirin Tor.
He was wise, but he was short-sighted. This has always been the destiny of the Kirin Tor: to serve the Alliance.
Without waiting to ascertain the truth of the situation, Jaina attacked Aethas and imprisoned him in the Violet Hold. Turning then to the rest of the Sunreavers within Dalaran, Jaina recruited Vereesa and the Silver Covenant to enact a cleansing of all Horde loyalties within the city: the Purge of Dalaran. The Silver Covenant did not discriminate between combatant and civilian Sunreavers when enacting violence throughout Dalaran, slaughtering their mounts to prevent escape and killing any who did not surrender to be imprisoned alongside Aethas.
By the end of the Purge, Dalaran and the Kirin Tor were allied fully with the Alliance, and the blood elves who had been considering abandoning the Horde were instead forced back into its arms. Still hellbent on vengeance for Rhonin, Vereesa aided Jaina in forming the Kirin Tor Offensive, which traveled to the Isle of Thunder to spearhead the Alliance's efforts to prevent the return of the mogu's Thunder King -- and prevent the Horde from claiming his power as well.
On the Isle of Thunder, Vereesa played the starring role in the gradual assault against the mogu and their Zandalari allies, working with the Alliance player to establish their base and siege the Throne of Thunder from all sides. In the final battle against the mogu commander Shan Bu, Vereesa was present when Jaina nearly came to blows with Lor'themar and the blood elves. While Jaina and Lor'themar managed to find an understanding thanks to the intervention of Taran Zhu, Vereesa was unable to let go of her grief so easily.
Taran Zhu yells: ENOUGH!! There will be no more bloodshed today.
Taran Zhu yells: I see now why your Alliance and Horde cannot stop fighting.
Taran Zhu yells: Every reprisal is itself an act of aggression, and every act of aggression triggers immediate reprisal.
Jaina and Lor'themar shout over each other.
Lady Jaina Proudmoore yells: They have undermined EVERY attempt at peace!
Lor'themar Theron yells: I must protect my sovereign people.
Taran Zhu yells: SILENCE! YOU must break the cycle.
Taran Zhu yells: It ends TODAY. Here. The cycle ends when you, Regent Lord, and you, Lady Proudmoore, turn from one another. And walk. Away.
Lor'themar narrows his eyes.
Jaina takes a deep breath.
Lor'themar Theron yells: Rangers. Lower your weapons.
Scout Captain Elsia yells: My Lord!
Lady Jaina Proudmoore says: Very well. We will stand down.
Vereesa Windrunner yells: They killed my husband!
Lady Jaina Proudmooore says: This won't bring him back.
War Crimes and Legion
When the Horde eventually turned against Garrosh, Vereesa stood alongside King Varian Wrynn and Jaina during the Siege of Orgrimmar when they attacked the Dragonmaw at the city's docks. Garrosh was ultimately defeated, and spirited away to Pandaria for trial in front of all of Azeroth's leaders. Overseen by Pandaria's August Celestials, the trials commenced to determine if Garrosh would be put to death or merely imprisoned, with the possibility of future redemption. Still bitter over Garrosh's role in the death of Rhonin, Vereesa was unwilling to allow anything other than a death sentence, and she found herself contacting a surprising ally to see it done -- her sister Sylvanas.
Having been raised into undeath and crowned as Banshee Queen of the Forsaken, Sylvanas was quite different from when Vereesa had last seen her. Despite this, Vereesa saw in her sister an opportunity to bond over their shared hatred of Garrosh and ensure his demise. In the midst of their planning, the two began to rekindle their connection, with Sylvanas offering Vereesa a place at her side as ruler of the Forsaken. However, while Vereesa planted the poison given by Sylvanas in Garrosh's food, she considered her sons back in Dalaran. Unwilling to part with them, she chose to warn Anduin Wrynn about the poison and return to Dalaran to be with Giramar and Galadin -- a choice that would not only severely wound Sylvanas, but ultimately allow Garrosh to escape his trial and flee to alternate Draenor.
In a long string of events following Garrosh's survival, the events on alternate Draenor would eventually lead to the return of the Burning Legion to Azeroth in its biggest invasion yet. While the Alliance and Horde failed in their attack on the Broken Shore, resulting in the ascension of Sylvanas to Warchief, orders from across Azeroth rallied forces together in the newly-teleported city of Dalaran to strike back against the Legion.
Among those orders was the Unseen Path, an ancient collection of hunters that Vereesa pledged the rangers of the Silver Covenant to serve, alongside Halduron and the Farstriders. Despite her animosity towards the blood elves, she recognized the Legion as the greater threat, and likewise recognized the opportunity their invasion presented to locate her lost sister Alleria. Working alongside the Farstriders, Vereesa journeyed to the demon world Niskara to follow a lead on Alleria's imprisonment there. While she ultimately did not find Alleria, she did recover the legendary Windrunner family bow Thas'dorah, which she placed in the worthy hands of the Hunter player.
Vereesa's animosity towards the blood elves was put to the test in the nearby nation of Suramar, where the Silver Covenant worked alongside the night elves and blood elves to aid in the liberation of the Nightborne city from the Legion. Neither side trusted the other, with Vereesa in particular still yearning for vengeance against the blood elves, and while their combined armies initially faced a major defeat at the hands of Grand Magistrix Elisande's time abilities, they were eventually successful in driving out the Legion and liberating Suramar.
When the path to Argus was opened, Vereesa saw it as another chance to find Alleria. Together with Arator, she reunited with Alleria aboard the Vindicaar, telling her sister of all that had happened in her absence; the fall of Quel'thalas, the death and resurrection of Sylvanas, and the allegiance that both now held to the orcs and trolls of the Horde. The Legion was eventually defeated and Alleria returned to Azeroth alongside Turalyon and her family, but the matter of fully reuniting the Windrunner sisters remained.
The Three Sisters
The three Windrunner sisters agreed to meet in Quel'thalas, intent on settling matters and revisiting their former home in one fell swoop. Before the meeting, Vereesa encountered Giramar and Galadin nearly coming to blows, arguing over the morality of Sylvanas' association with the Horde that had killed their father. Seeing much of the same strife that had plagued her sisters, Vereesa quelled the argument, telling them that they might one day have only each other to rely on.
Meeting with Alleria first in Quel'thalas, the two discussed some of what had happened in Alleria's absence. Alleria's son Arator had been raised dutifully by Vereesa alongside her twins, and had acted as an anchor for Alleria in her years away as she struggled with the Void. Vereesa also told Alleria a one-sided version of the events surrounding Garrosh's trial, convincing Alleria that Sylvanas had manipulated her into poisoning the former Warchief.
Eventually, Sylvanas arrived, and Alleria was shown the devastation that had been wrought on Quel'thalas by the Scourge. Intent on clearing a path to their family home, the three sisters fought their way to Windrunner Spire. Along the way, Sylvanas proposed a game, 'One is a Lie'. Each sister would make three statements, with only two being true. They agreed to reveal the truth of their statements once they had reached the Spire.
For Alleria, her statements were that she missed her sisters, that the Void was a gift, and that she did not regret stepping through the Dark Portal. For Vereesa, her statements were that she still believed the blood elves could be redeemed, that she had made peace with the death of Rhonin, and that she fears she will lose her sisters forever. For Sylvanas, her statements were that she sometimes wished she were still alive, that she was proud to be Warchief of the Horde, and that she will never betray her sisters.
In the wake of Sylvanas' statements, Alleria questioned if she considered her treatment of Vereesa during Garrosh's trial to be a betrayal. It was then that Sylvanas revealed the truth of what had happened, blaming Vereesa's abandonment for the events that had led to the return of the Legion. As her anger rose, Sylvanas and Alleria nearly came to blows, arguing over how the dark powers now infused into both of them had irrevocably changed the other.
They were eventually talked down by Vereesa, who lamented about how both of them had left Vereesa alone with their assumed deaths, and that she had no desire to lose everything again. Agreeing to reclaim the Spire together, the three united to reveal their truths and lies. While Alleria revealed that the Void was not in fact a gift, and Vereesa revealed that she had not made peace with Rhonin's death at all, Sylvanas refused to reveal her lie -- perhaps because none of them were truths.
Despite their attempt to reconcile, the three sisters found that their family was broken, and moved to depart. Before she left, however, Vereesa beseeched Sylvanas for forgiveness, apologizing for the cowardly way she had treated her sister and hoping that they could reconcile. It was those words that may have saved Vereesa and Alleria's lives as they wordlessly departed, with Sylvanas choosing not to kill and raise her sisters into undeath as she had planned.
Eventually, Sylvanas committed unspeakable atrocities when she incited the Fourth War, burning Teldrassil and igniting warfronts across Azeroth. Both Vereesa and Alleria fought for the Alliance, up to the end of the war campaign when the Alliance allied with the Horde rebels. While Alleria and Vereesa considered allowing Sylvanas to fight the encroaching threat of N'zoth with her Horde army, the combined forces chose to ready their assault, which eventually led to Sylvanas fleeing her role as Warchief of the Horde.
Sylvanas' path would then lead into the Shadowlands, where her ultimate motivations to reshape reality alongside the Jailer were revealed. In time, she would turn against the Jailer, regaining the piece of her soul stolen by Frostmourne and working to defeat her former master. She had still committed all of her actions in the Fourth War willingly, however, and thus submitted herself to the judgment of Tyrande -- eternal penance saving the souls she had damned to the Maw.
Before her departure, Sylvanas shared a few short words with Vereesa and Alleria, with Vereesa much more amicable towards her sister despite all that had happened. While Alleria doubted if Sylvanas was capable of true redemption, Vereesa clung to the hope that their sister -- and some semblance of the family Vereesa had lost over the years -- could return to her.
Vereesa Windrunner says: For so long, there had been little more than hatred and malice in our sister's eyes. To at last see a glimmer of the Sylvanas we knew...
Alleria Windrunner says: I had ceased hoping for such a thing. I am pleased we had a chance to speak with her, Vereesa.
Vereesa Windrunner says: I only wish we'd had more time!
Alleria Windrunner says: As do I. But if she stays true to her word and sees this obligation through, perhaps one day we will.
Vereesa Windrunner says: It will never be like it was before. The pain she inflicted upon the kaldorei... upon the world... how could she ever answer for it?
Alleria Windrunner says: I'm not certain she can. But if her penance brings any measure of peace to those she wronged, at least it is a start.
Vereesa Windrunner says: You're right, Lady Sun. Our family has endured so much darkness. We must find a way to cling to hope.
Alleria Windrunner says: Yes, Little Moon. Mother, Father, Lirath... they are only memories. We thought our sister was as well. But now... we shall see.
What Comes Next: Midnight
WARNING: Midnight Spoilers ahead!
Despite the prominence of Dalaran and its destruction in The War Within, Vereesa played very little role in the expansion, having moved away at some point beforehand and not attending the funeral held by the Kirin Tor. She found the chance to return to Dalaran much later during the lead-up to Midnight, when she was stricken by visions from Azeroth's Radiant Song.
Convinced that proximity to the Coreway in Dornogal might make her visions clearer, Vereesa and her nephew Arator meet at the ruins of Dalaran. There, Vereesa and Arator discuss the loss of Rhonin, and Vereesa takes the chance to commemorate not only her fallen city, but her fallen husband as well.
It is then that one of her visions strikes -- Silvermoon overtaken by the Void, and Alleria lost to its clutches. With the premonition in hand, Vereesa prepares to return to Silvermoon to warn them of Xal'atath and the Void, while Arator intends to seek out the remaining Windrunner sisters to join them. Vereesa doubts that Alleria will return from her hunt for Xal'atath, but she does believe that Sylvanas would return, were it not for her ongoing penance.
Arator journeys out to find both sisters, and both ultimately refuse. Through his travels, he comes to understand the struggles all three Windrunner sisters had endured, and how calm his own upbringing had been by comparison thanks to Vereesa. With only Arator and Vereesa as the Windrunners remaining on Azeroth to defend their homeland, the two journey to Quel'thalas to warn them of the oncoming threat.
In contrast to many of Midnight's more prominent characters like Alleria and Liadrin, Vereesa's role in the upcoming expansion is a bit less clear. Unlike the void elves, Vereesa and the Silver Covenant offer much less of an enticing trump card in the fight against the Void, and their animosity towards Silvermoon runs deeper than a mere squabble over magic.
Despite this, we have seen signs of the return of the Silver Covenant to Quel'thalas on the Midnight beta. In the area that once housed the hidden Highborne ruins from vanilla now stands the Silverglade Refuge, a small base occupied by the Silver Covenant. There, the high elves express their distaste for how much their homeland has changed over the years, and a particular displeasure towards blood elf players and their pastimes.
Forsaken live in the villages. Treaties with the trolls. Peace with the orcs.
This is not the Quel'thalas I left. I will still defend it as any son or daughter of Quel'thalas would.
But this no longer feels like home.
I originally left Eversong Woods to save it from war.
Now we are returning for the same reason. I only hope those who stayed understand why we left and why we are coming back.
Xal'atath stole one city away from us. I will not let them take another.
It has been years since I have seen the trees of Quel'thalas.
I forgot how they sing in the breeze.
I had friends and loved ones at Theramore when the Horde bombed it. We are allies of convenience, nothing more.
I can still smell the fel on you. You are lucky we have a common enemy right now.
Funny... I thought I heard someone speaking. Must have been the wind...
I will fight to defend Silvermoon, but I will never forget how you betrayed us by joining the Horde.
We've also seen a number of interesting NPCs and items in the files pertaining to Vereesa. On the outskirts of Silverglade Refuge are a number of 'Purged of Dalaran' NPCs, sporting ghostly buff effects that imply the Silver Covenant will be quite literally haunted by the mistakes of their past.
We've also found a number of items relating to Rhonin in the files, suggesting Vereesa may be finding a more significant amount of closure regarding her husband's death after all these years.
The manner in which these NPCs and items will manifest in questing remains to be seen, but so far neither have been present for the leveling campaign of Midnight, which means the high elves under Vereesa will take the spotlight in the max level campaign. Since its reveal, Midnight has promised to 'reunite the scattered elven tribes' in Quel'thalas, and there is no tribe more scattered from their homeland than Vereesa and her Silver Covenant.
Vereesa is also receiving a model update, with upgraded armor textures and brand new pieces sporting the red gems to match the necklace given to her by Alleria. Along with this, she also has a high-quality cutscene model, suggesting she will play a large role in the concluding story of Midnight's max level campaign.
Given her complicated relationship with the blood elves and the Horde, Vereesa's exact story trajectory in Midnight remains to be seen. With her storied history in mind, do you think she will stick to her hatred of the Horde, or find a way to reunite with her homeland in its defense? Let us know!
