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Draenei Discussion
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Post by
Patty
The current theory is that they use cobalt in bind oxygen in their blood the same way we use iron. Just like how Vulcans in Star Trek have green blood because they have copper in their cells.
Of course, this assumes that our elements actually
are
present and functional in Azeroth. Afterall, much of our science really isn't applicable to WarCraft settings. (E.g. portals, Netherstorm + gravity among others.)
Post by
Skreeran
The current theory is that they use cobalt in bind oxygen in their blood the same way we use iron. Just like how Vulcans in Star Trek have green blood because they have copper in their cells.
Of course, this assumes that our elements actually
are
present and functional in Azeroth. Afterall, much of our science really isn't applicable to WarCraft settings. (E.g. portals, Netherstorm + gravity among others.)Well, of course... :P But it's fun to speculate anyway.
Post by
Patty
Well, of course... :P But it's fun to speculate anyway.
Indeed.
Some more food for thought about evolution, is the Draenei/Eredar and Eredar/Man'ari Eredar. We already know that the fel magic corrupted the man'ari into what they are now - but does anyone think perhaps the Naaru and the Light had a similar effect on the Exiled Ones? They may have been white, or I don't know...flourescent orange before they were mutated *read as changed if the word mutated somehow bothers you* by either the Naaru or Sargeras.
Thoughts?
Post by
Adamsm
Some more food for thought about evolution, is the Draenei/Eredar and Eredar/Man'ari Eredar. We already know that the fel magic corrupted the man'ari into what they are now - but does anyone think perhaps the Naaru and the Light had a similar effect on the Exiled Ones? They may have been white, or I don't know...flourescent orange before they were mutated *read as changed if the word mutated somehow bothers you* by either the Naaru or Sargeras.
Thoughts?
There must be; compare Velen to any Draenei model, or Archimonde and Kil'jaeden to the standard Man'ari Eredar; there is a major difference between them after all heh. Being exposed to the energies of the Nether and the Naaru probably affected their cells and bodies, just like it the Well of Eternity did to the Trolls and the Night Elves.
Post by
Braevia
Their idle animations make it clear that Draenei breathe; what anyone is breathing on Azeroth is anyone's guess, but we have no reason to believe that it isn't air with a similar composition to our's.
Some allowances for fictional science must be made; Vulcans wouldn't be able to interbreed with humans if they were so different as to have copper-based blood, I think. I didn't get through that whole thread, but I have doubts about the female Draenei horns being similar to giraffe horns; they come to a point, so being covered in skin/fur doesn't make sense. I think, rather, that their horns are colored similarly to their skin, again for reasons of fictional science. Asking how that could happen is like asking how Gnomes could have naturally pink or green hair. Or why every race, including humans, have levels of sexual dimorphism that can't be found in real life.
Given that Garona, a half-draenei, basically looks like an orc, and the other half-orc/half draenei we know of also looks like an orc, should we assume that they are genetically recessive? Interspecies reproduction is sketchy in real life, but we have proof in the comics that half-draenei are fertile. I'm many, many years removed from any study of genetics, but would two half-draenei have a larger chance to have a draenei-looking child, based on those genes being mostly recessive?
Also, to what extent does this interbreeding remain plausible? Draenei/Gnome? Draenei/Tauren? Tauren/Gnome?
Post by
Skreeran
Makes sense... Naaru magic, plus 25k years of genetic drift...
Also: I imagine that the draenei suffer from some degree of inbreeding. And if they didn't after their exodus from Argus, they will now after the Orcish genocide.
Post by
Braevia
Makes sense... Naaru magic, plus 25k years of genetic drift...
Also: I imagine that the draenei suffer from some degree of inbreeding. And if they didn't after their exodus from Argus, they will now after the Orcish genocide.
This would explain the pure white (albino?) Draenei that we see. Clearly interbreeding with other species doesn't produce Draenei; just orcs with glowing eyes.
edit: Reading more of that thread on the official WoW forums, I think they're way off base with the goat/talbuk theory. No animal spontaneously develops hands, especially from hooves. I'm imagining their seaborne ancestor as something between a narwahl and an otter: smooth-skinned, horns, but with manipulating forelimbs that would later evolve into hands.
Post by
Skreeran
Well, Garona mentions having feet that resemble hooves, and Med'an has his face points.
But it seems that most traits are recessive.
Post by
Adamsm
Makes sense... Naaru magic, plus 25k years of genetic drift...
Also: I imagine that the draenei suffer from some degree of inbreeding. And if they didn't after their exodus from Argus, they will now after the Orcish genocide.
This would explain the pure white (albino?) Draenei that we see. Clearly interbreeding with other species doesn't produce Draenei; just orcs with glowing eyes.
I don't know; Garona makes reference to herself when Maarad saves her, saying that her feet were 'distorted, stunted, more like hooves then feet'; and Med'an has the draenei face tendrils. I think in the case of Lantressor, they just didn't want to go the extra mile to change him into a different model like Garona's, but there was more they could have done with him.
I find it a little strange but the genetics of Azeroth are weird; there are half-high elves: Children of the Elves and Humans, there are half-orcs: human and orc children. Going off the comics, it does look like it's possible for a 'pure-blood' draenei and a human to have a child.
Post by
Braevia
Makes sense... Naaru magic, plus 25k years of genetic drift...
Also: I imagine that the draenei suffer from some degree of inbreeding. And if they didn't after their exodus from Argus, they will now after the Orcish genocide.
This would explain the pure white (albino?) Draenei that we see. Clearly interbreeding with other species doesn't produce Draenei; just orcs with glowing eyes.
I don't know; Garona makes reference to herself when Maarad saves her, saying that her feet were 'distorted, stunted, more like hooves then feet'; and Med'an has the draenei face tendrils. I think in the case of Lantressor, they just didn't want to go the extra mile to change him into a different model like Garona's, but there was more they could have done with him.
I find it a little strange but the genetics of Azeroth are weird; there are half-high elves: Children of the Elves and Humans, there are half-orcs: human and orc children. Going off the comics, it does look like it's possible for a 'pure-blood' draenei and a human to have a child.
Possible, yes, but would the child really resemble a Draenei that much? None of the half-breeds we've seen have tails, only one has "hoof-alikes", and the horns are nonexistent in all cases.
Post by
Skreeran
Right, I would wager that draenei genes are recessive, and orcish genes are dominant (based on what we've seen of half-orcs; they all seem to be more orc-like than the other race).
Post by
Adamsm
Makes sense... Naaru magic, plus 25k years of genetic drift...
Also: I imagine that the draenei suffer from some degree of inbreeding. And if they didn't after their exodus from Argus, they will now after the Orcish genocide.
This would explain the pure white (albino?) Draenei that we see. Clearly interbreeding with other species doesn't produce Draenei; just orcs with glowing eyes.
I don't know; Garona makes reference to herself when Maarad saves her, saying that her feet were 'distorted, stunted, more like hooves then feet'; and Med'an has the draenei face tendrils. I think in the case of Lantressor, they just didn't want to go the extra mile to change him into a different model like Garona's, but there was more they could have done with him.
I find it a little strange but the genetics of Azeroth are weird; there are half-high elves: Children of the Elves and Humans, there are half-orcs: human and orc children. Going off the comics, it does look like it's possible for a 'pure-blood' draenei and a human to have a child.
Possible, yes, but would the child really resemble a Draenei that much? None of the half-breeds we've seen have tails, only one has "hoof-alikes", and the horns are nonexistent in all cases.
Well, in Med'an's case, he's really only a quarter draenei and orc, and half-human. We do need to see more of them, but the few 'children' draenei we have seen in game and in lore books, they don't really have the features of the adults; Doorna and the young draenei from Legend's volume two don't have pronounced horns for their ages; it could actually be that Med'an is too young to have the horns show up.
Post by
Skreeran
But Med'an does hold to my theory that orc genes are dominant. After all, he's only a quarter orc, but he looks way more orcish than human or draenei.
Post by
Patty
But Med'an does hold to my theory that orcs
genes
are dominant.
Rawr!
Post by
Skreeran
I find it a little strange but the genetics of Azeroth are weird; there are half-high elves: Children of the Elves and Humans, there are half-orcs: human and orc children. Going off the comics, it does look like it's possible for a 'pure-blood' draenei and a human to have a child.Incidentally, I went through the comics on a whim, looking for pictures of Garona and Med'an's feet:
http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/346/medangaronafeet.png
It looks like it's a case of the writer and illustrator not being on the same page, or the illustrator not paying enough attention to detail.
It's not like it's the first time that's happened...
Post by
Orranis
They are good friends with the Naaru; this connection allows them to wield the light for healing purposes efffortlessly (i.e. without using mana).
They have hooves, horns, and tails. This leads me to believe that their ancestors must have lived in mountainous areas, where their hard hooves would be suitable for the rocky ground, and the tails would lend them balance. The horns, mostly decorative now, were probably used for defense, or in mating displays (bucking heads to impress females, etc.). This is reinforced by the fact that the horns of males are part of a bony head ridge (suitable for bucking), while female horns grow from the sides, and seem designed mostly for visual display.
I knew they were space goats!
They have tentacles, which are likely vestigial from their evolution from some type of sea creature. The problem with this theory is that humans also have seaborne ancestors, and we do not retain any aquatic physiology. Theoretically this should have been bred out of the Draenei when their ancestors moved to land, especially given that their race is much, much older than humans. If they were still being used, it is possible that their home planet has mountains with large, fishable lakes. Draenei living in those mountains could go diving for fish and use those tentacles for hunting. In time, as they began using tools for fishing, the tentacles atrophied and became the decorative appendages that they are today.
Actually, the fact that males have them and females don't (I mean, they have like two very thin ones. Hardly count.) mean that it's likely that they have become nothing more than masculine mating displays. Which is while natural selection kept them. Also, we still do have small amounts of webbing between our toes and fingers.
In the draenei starting area, you learn to cook elk early on, but that is from a human cook. I would like to theorize that the draenei native diet is likely more fish based, both because you meet a draenei fisherwoman immediately after leaving the crash site (I mean really, that's the first thing she does? Set up and start fishing?) and because it fits with my tentacle theory above.
Yes, but their actual bodies do not seem accustomed to fishing. Their heads are set back behind their tentacles. Also, while they are incredibly strong, they do not seem to have the quick reflexes involved to get the fish, nor are they very low to the ground for easy access to the water. Unless they were eating sharks, I somehow doubt they were fishers. It seems more than likely that after 40,000 years of intelligent life there was fishers, but I don't think that the whole society is based on it.
They have a rather strict theocracy, with fairly harsh standards for purity. They basically abandoned the Broken, and while they have welcomed some Broken shamans into their society, those guys seem rather marginalized and looked down upon. It seems doubtful that the Broken shamans present on the Exodar would be there without the influence of Prophet Velen.
In terms of religion, their strong association with the Light, as personified in actual sentient beings (the naaru), and the fact that many Draenei names are reminiscent of Persian names, leads me to speculate that they are likely similar to Zoroastrians, a Persian religion who will fight in an army of light against the God of Darkness in an epic battle for the universe, as predicted by the prophet Zoroaster.
Also, it sounds a lot like the Army of Light that the Na'aru promised the Draenei would be in when the time came to destroy the Burning Legion once and for all.
Like most long-lived beings, they likely have low birth rates. This explains a lot about how devastating the Orc attacks were on their population.
They are experts in jewelcrafting, and presumably mining and stonecutting as well. This matches nicely with my theory about their homeworld being mountainous.
Yeah, that would make sense.
Post by
FarseerLolotea
Here are my thoughts (although some of them were originally other people's ideas):
Anatomy
Blood is confirmed to be blue. However, no word on chemistry.
The tendrils are atrophied barbels. As such, they're packed with nerve endings (in other words,
very
sensitive). "Smoothfase" is a recessive gene that only expresses in males.
Eyes possess a tapetum lucidum that's weakly bioluminescent and almost entirely reflective from the outside.
Dentition implies omnivory; prominent canine teeth imply a slight skew towards carnivory. Fingernails, from some angles and according to some art pieces, appear to actually be blunt claws.
Most Argus-native species likely have fore and hind limbs that "don't match."
The glaring sexual dimorphism seems to be canon: Males are only slightly taller than females, but far bulkier.
The female horns are bony and covered with keratinized skin, like those of a pronghorn antelope. The male crest has a bony base, but is mainly cartilaginous.
The hooves have a tough outer edge with a softer interior and sole. There's some degree of flexibility between the two "toes."
The tail is non-prehensile and used for balance. It's confirmed to twitch if the character is nervous. The ridges at the base of the male tail are at least partly a function of vertebral structure.
Culture
As a remnant population, draenei are encouraged (but not mandated) to find spouses and have children. Vows of chastity—even among anchorites (priests) and vindicators (paladins)—are far rarer than one might think, always voluntary, and not necessarily lifelong.
As a very long-lived race, it's possible that their marriage customs are akin to what might be called "handfasting" (i.e. the marriage is considered binding for, say, a century or so unless vows are renewed). If this is the case, it's likely that couples
do
often renew their vows.
"Eredar" is a decidedly dirty word.
Low birth rate may
not
necessarily be a matter of infertility. (See also:
Controlling Populations of Immortals
...although draenei
aren't
necessarily immortal, just ridiculously long-lived.)
Post by
HiVolt
The tail is non-prehensile and used for balance. It's confirmed to twitch if the character is nervous. The ridges at the base of the male tail are at least partly a function of vertebral structure.
In an evolutionary sense, this would lead me to believe that the tails were much longer, and are beginning to drop off of the evolving line.
The idea that they were longer lends credence to the idea of being mountain-dwelling because a longer ballast allows for more stable climbing.
But, it could also indicate that the tail served as an aid in fishing, specifically a fishing technique that domesticated cats use from time to time. They dangle the tips of their tails into the water and move them around. When the prey comes to bite, they snatch the fish up with their claws.
If the Draenei were indeed a fishing culture they would have developed naval technology fairly quickly. Most likely, at some point in the evolutionary development, they could have overfished the populations of smaller fish at the surface and moved to fishing deeper water or more open water. In open water and deeper water, fish become huge. I think this is where the bulkiness of the males would start to develop.
If the males did indeed use their tails as a fishing tool, they would have continued with this tradition into the development of technology. Have you ever tried wrestling a big fish out of the water? That takes a ton of upper body strength, as well as upper leg strength.
Post by
Braevia
I'm not really seeing evidence of the horns being Pronghorn-like; female Draenei horns are one solid shape, not a series of prongs (which is what the keratinized skin creates in Pronghorn males).
We have insufficient information to speculate about Draenei population controls, but it seems likely that any such controls are no longer in place, due to the devastating losses to their population. I imagine reproduction was a low priority during their exodus, as children would have made fleeing more difficult. Post-WotLK, the Draenei would have had enough time to properly establish the Exodar as a real city, and/or emigrate to other Alliance settlements and establish homesteads. This homesteading drive could be a likely cause of additional flare-ups with the Horde, as it will drive the Alliance to push out into Horde-occupied portions of Kalimdor. I wouldn't be surprised if the Horde's rumored push against Greymane's worgen is motivated by a similar homesteading effort on the part of the Blood Elves.
If this wasn't
war
craft, the most logical solution would be an allied effort to clean the remaining demons out of the more livable parts of Outland (Nagrand, Terrokar, Zangarmarsh) to accomodate growing populations of Draenei (who need to recover their numbers) and orcs (Durotar is probably bursting at the seams with them at this point).
For what it's worth, I generally ignore the sexual dimorphism because it is endemic in WoW. The size difference among human males and females is unrealistic as well, so I presume that this is simply a stylistic choice, and not a strict interpretation of what the races would look like if we actually saw them. Rather, these are most likely the "ideal/extreme" physiques for these races, similar to how bodybuilding magazines feature men who are far larger (often impractically so) than the average human male.
The barbel theory matches up with the idea off them evolving from some type of sea mammal native to underground lakes and rivers. They'd need some way to navigate without light/eyes.
Post by
HiVolt
For what it's worth, I generally ignore the sexual dimorphism because it is endemic in WoW. The size difference among human males and females is unrealistic as well, so I presume that this is simply a stylistic choice, and not a strict interpretation of what the races would look like if we actually saw them. Rather, these are most likely the "ideal/extreme" physiques for these races, similar to how bodybuilding magazines feature men who are far larger (often impractically so) than the average human male.
I totally agree that the sexual dimorphism is a stylistic choice rather than an indication of the evolution of the species. But, I was trying to give somewhat of an explanation for it, as the Draenei (with the exception of the Naga) are the most polarized in body structure between the male and female genders.
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