Moon
The term moon is a geographical category. Moons exist in the Great Dark Beyond, which is apparently the term for what we would call "outer space".
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Known moons
Moons visible from Azeroth
Azeroth has two moons. Various cultures may have different names for them, but usually they play on a mother-and-child theme, as the white moon is much larger than the blue one.
The White Lady
The larger, bright and silver moon is known as the White Lady. The night elves know and worship it as Elune while the tauren refer to it as Mu'sha (the left eye of the Earthmother) in Sorrow of the Earthmother.
The Blue Child
The smaller, cool blue-green moon, is known as the Blue Child. With the release of The Burning Crusade, the Blue Child vanished from the game due to graphical errors related to its presence. It did, however continue to appear in the lore in places such as Twilight of the Aspects[1] and the 
[Dragonwrath, Tarecgosa's Rest] quest chain, and it returned to the skies of Azeroth prior to World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria with the release of Patch 5.0.4. It was stated that the tauren believed the Earthmother had sent the Blue Child "to explore and study the rest of the universe shortly before the release of The Burning Crusade.[citation needed]"
Once every four hundred and thirty years, the two moons come into perfect alignment. This event is called the Embrace.
Moons visible from Outland
Outland, formerly known as Draenor, has an indeterminate number of moons.
The Pale Lady
The Pale Lady is one of the moons orbiting around the shattered orcish homeworld of Outland (previously Draenor).[2] [3]
As this pointed out, the orcs use to refer to the Pale Lady in a respectful way, as to a feminine entity of some importance, thus recalling their shamanistic heritage (much significant since the storyteller is supposed to be the Warchief Thrall).
Other Outland moons
There is a reference to a certain "bloodmoon" in the first Warcraft manual,[4] when Garona tells about the creation of the Dark Portal ("As the Warlocks began their incantations to access the power of the rift, a howl began - low at first, then rising in pitch like a darkwolf baying during the bloodmoon"): it is unclear whether the moon she refers to is the Pale Lady itself (while it's supposedly sinking or rising), or the White Lady of Azeroth's, or another one of the celestial bodies appeared over Outland after it entered the Twisting Nether - perhaps just the "rosy sphere" mentioned in Aaron Rosenberg/Christie Golden's novel Beyond the Dark Portal.[5]
Other spheres now exist as well, including the rosy one, and a smaller, light blue one.[3] These may, however, be other planets, seen through "windows".[6]
Other moons
The destroyed planet that was named Fanlin'Deskor by Velen had four unnamed moons.[7]
Sources
- The prologue of The Last Guardian indicates two moons:
- The larger of the two moons had risen first this evening, and now hung pregnant and silver-white against a clear, star-dappled sky.
- The quest Of Love and Family refers to the twin moons of Azeroth.
- Lord of the Clans also makes several references to two moons.
- How to Win Friends also makes reference to the moons.
- Greymane's character art also includes both moons.[8]
- Just before Loken in Halls of Lightning there is a globe/projection of Azeroth with its two moons in orbit around it.
Gallery
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The Blue Child over Tanaris.
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Azeroth Globe from Halls of Lightning.
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The two moons
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The Embrace
Video
Short video of the original two moons as seen in an earlier version of the game.
Trivia
- In the Warhammer universe, there are also two moons: Mannsleib, which is like Earth's moon, and Morrslieb, a green (however not blue-green), smaller and magical moon.
- Multiple moons are a common element of many fantasy and science fiction settings.
- The Pale Lady makes her first appearance in Rise of the Horde by Christie Golden. Here is the excerpt:
- "When the Pale Lady cleared the dark line of trees, in Her waning phase but still bright enough to cast a powerful light that was reflected on the blankets of white snow [...]"[9]
References
- ^ Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects, page 43
- ^ Golden, Christie. Rise of the Horde, 22. ISBN 978-0-7434-7138-1.
- ^ a b Beyond the Dark Portal, page 418
- ^ Blizzard Entertainment. Warcraft: Orcs & Humans manual (Orcs), 18.
- ^ Rosenberg, Aaron; Christie Golden. Beyond the Dark Portal, 418. ISBN 978-1-4165-5086-0.
- ^ Unbroken, pages 26-27
- ^ Prophet's Lesson, pages 4 & 5
- ^ http://www.sonsofthestorm.com/viewer.php?artist=glowei&cat=warcraft&art=33
- ^ Golden, Christie. Rise of the Horde, 6.
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