by JR Cook - 10 years ago     show comments

We’ve had a little bit of a break from these, but Community Manager Zeriyah is back with another deep dive into the heroes that make up our Hearthstone world. Today’s celebrated character is Jaina Proudmoore, the Mage. She has the honor of being tried out by everyone who ever turns on the game, due to Mage being the class you must take through the required tutorial, but beyond being a destroyer of Hogger and Illidan, she has seen and done so much more. Look no further than below if you wish to understand where Jaina came from and where she’s going.

One of the most powerful magic-wielders on the face of Azeroth, the once kindhearted and compassionate Jaina Proudmoore has mastered the arcane arts, fought against demons of the Burning Legion and the undead Scourge, and gained a newfound fury towards the Horde after the destruction of her beloved Theramore.

As a child, Jaina showed great aptitude for magic and great compassion for her people. She was sent to Dalaran, a great kingdom and a haven for magi, to learn how to harness the powers of the arcane. The leader of the Kirin Tor, Archmage Antonidas, sensed great potential in Jaina and decided to accept her as a pupil.

Studious and talented, Jaina immediately took to the arcane arts. Her studies and responsibilities to Dalaran consumed most of her waking moments, leaving little room for her to pursue more mundane concepts.

Jaina’s childhood friend, the Crown Prince of Lordaeron Arthas Menethil, reentered her life during her training in Dalaran, and the two fell in love. However, Jaina’s rigorous studies and Arthas’s duties to his kingdom prevented their relationship from ever becoming more than simple romance, and so their relationship abruptly ended. Jaina, heartbroken but understanding, returned to her studies in Dalaran.

Years later, a terrible plague washed over Lordaeron. Suspecting this was no mundane sickness, Archmage Antonidas sent his prized pupil Jaina to meet with Arthas to investigate the cause. The plague was spreading over the region like wildfire from infected grain, and it twisted the townsfolk into undead abominations of their former selves. The towns of Brill and Andorhal had already fallen completely to the plague, and Jaina knew she had to seek reinforcements.

Jaina quickly returned with reinforcements in the form of Uther Lightbringer and the Knights of the Silver Hand. Sadly, it was too late; the people of Stratholme had already eaten the grain and would soon fall prey to the plague. Arthas pressed to eliminate the people of Stratholme before they became the undead, but Jaina was horrified by the idea and Uther adamantly refused to have a hand in an act so barbaric.

Knowing there was little hope for Stratholme, Jaina bravely gathered survivors of the plague that would follow her and fled Lordaeron entirely. She saved thousands of people before they too succumbed to the sickness. Sailing west, Jaina and her refugees from Lordaeron arrived on the shores of Kalimdor … only to discover that orcs had already claimed those lands for their own.

Jaina diligently sought a safe place for her people while battling off Kalimdor’s Horde when they encountered each other. After a meeting with a mysterious prophet, Jaina and her people allied with the Horde and the night elves to defeat the demon Archimonde at Mount Hyjal. After so many trials and tribulations, Jaina finally discovered a safe haven for her refugees an on island off the eastern coast of Kalimdor, which she named Theramore.

As Jaina helped the refugees rebuild, the tensions between her people and the Horde slowly escalated. To help put these tensions at bay and ensure the safety of the people of Theramore, Jaina carefully crafted an alliance between herself and the Warchief of the Horde, Thrall. However, these tensions only increased when the Horde’s Champion, Rexxar, claimed that humans were sent to assassinate him. Jaina knew nothing of this assassination attempt, but offered to assist Rexxar in discovering who was truly behind the attempts on his life to help ensure peace between their people.

Jaina’s father, Lord Admiral of the Alliance Daelin Proudmoore, was behind the attempt on Rexxar’s life. Daelin held a long-standing, deep-rooted hatred for the Horde, and would stop at nothing to see them wiped from the face of Azeroth. Jaina pleaded with her father to stand down and leave the orcs be, fearing his interference would further endanger Theramore’s people, but he would not relent. Daelin and his forces faced off against Rexxar and the Horde in combat, but they were no match for the Horde’s numbers and ferocity. Daelin was slain by Rexxar, and Jaina grieved, wishing her father would have listened to her council.

Jaina continued to hold an uneasy alliance between Theramore and Orgrimmar for years, knowing that the combined might of an allied force was more powerful against potential threats than a people divided. The alliance Jaina held with Thrall was invaluable when the undead Scourge began to rise up in the icy continent of Northrend. A terrifying echo of her past was at the undead’s helm, directing their ever action – Arthas Menethil, now The Lich King. Jaina was determined to save her former love from the curse that had gripped him, but it seemed like there was nothing left of the once mortal Prince of Lordaeron. Nevertheless, Jaina assisted in leading Alliance forces into the heart of Northrend to purge the land of this encroaching evil. Once their forces were victorious, only a small token remained on the Lich King that gave Jaina hope that some of Arthas remained – a locket Jaina had given to Arthas in days long past.

As the leadership of the Horde was laid in the hands of Garrosh Hellscream, the new Warchief took it upon himself to swiftly and brutally eliminate the Alliance presence on Kalimdor, starting with Theramore. Garrosh’s forces developed a mana bomb which he dropped upon the unsuspecting city, swiftly and brutally wiping Theramore off the face of Azeroth. Countless lives, her people’s lives, were gone in an instant. Jaina was one of the few that survived the blast – but she would be forever changed from that moment on; her hair and her eyes became stark white, and her outlook towards the orcs and the Horde changed from peaceful and understanding to ruthless, brutal and cold.

Now the leader of the Kirin Tor, Jaina’s recent aggressiveness towards the Horde is far from unfounded. Jaina Proudmoore’s raw magical power and simmering fury should not be underestimated in the days to come.

Jaina Proudmoore utilizes a seemingly endless amount of arcane spells at her disposal. When seeking a protective arcane ally to aid her in combat, Jaina can summon Water Elementals to the front lines. You can also summon Water Elementals in Hearthstone to help put the Freeze on your opponents! These elementals will tell anyone hit by them to “Chill Out” for a turn, preventing them from attacking until ample thaw time has passed.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this look into Jaina’s history and his role in Hearthstone. What Hero would you like to see featured next? Tell us in the comments below!

Read about the history of the other Heroes of Hearthstone here: Rexxar – Gul’dan – Valeera – Anduin – Thrall

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