Lore ·
Skyborne Lore in WoW Forever: Tortheldrin to Zephras Isle
The Skyborne of World of Warcraft: Forever (WoW Forever) are the shen'dorei, "hidden people", descendants of Highborne exiles who made a pact with elemental wind spirits and built a civilization within Skywall. Blizzard says the spirits have since left, ancient structures are failing, and the Skyborne are divided over what comes next. Their story is rooted in Eldre'Thalas, the city that became Dire Maul.
Quick answer: The Skyborne descend from Highborne who fled Eldre'Thalas, according to Gfinity and Warcraft Wiki, and Blizzard designer Kris Zierhut tied them to the people who opposed Prince Tortheldrin. They found refuge in Skywall, where Zephras Isle now begins to fail. The Shal'nan, Immol'thar and the Earthen Ring and Kirin Tor ties come from Warcraft Wiki alone.
Every people has a first road. The Skyborne's begins in a city of Highborne and ends on an island held up by the wind.
Key facts
- Name: Skyborne, also called shen'dorei, "hidden people" (Blizzard)
- Origin: Highborne exiles who fled Eldre'Thalas (Blizzard; Gfinity)
- Home: Zephras Isle in Skywall, a starting experience for levels 1 to 12 (Blizzard)
- Setting: year 25 after the Dark Portal, separate from modern World of Warcraft (Warcraft Wiki)
Where do the Skyborne come from?
Blizzard says that thousands of years ago Highborne exiles forged a pact with elemental wind spirits and built a civilization within Skywall. Gfinity says they descend from Highborne rebels who fled Eldre'Thalas, and Warcraft Wiki says wind spirits lifted an island into the sky, where the Skyborne lived for millennia. See the Skyborne overview and WoW Forever lore explained.
What did Prince Tortheldrin have to do with it?
Blizzard confirms the link. Principal Designer Kris Zierhut told Windows Central that Eldre'thalas "is what became Dire Maul", that Tortheldrin sapped his own people for power to summon demons, and that the team tied the people who opposed him to the Skyborne.
Warcraft Wiki fills in the Forever version. Tortheldrin's plan to summon the demon Immol'thar drew opposition from Highborne who feared a foothold for the Burning Legion. Resistance gathered around a masked leader, the Shal'nan, "the Veiled One", whose forces raided the inner sanctum on the eve of the summoning; the survivors then fled west out of Eldre'Thalas and Feralas. Only the outline has a second source; the names and details rest on the wiki.
What and where is Skywall, and why is Zephras Isle failing?
Blizzard calls Skywall "one of the elemental planes"; Warcraft Wiki's Zephras Isle page names it the Elemental Plane of Air and calls Zephras a flying island.
Blizzard says the air spirits have vanished, ancient structures are failing and communities are isolated; Gfinity says the pylons are failing. Warcraft Wiki adds that the elementals vanished several centuries ago and the magic keeping the island aloft is fading. See the Zephras Isle guide.
Who are the Windshapers, the High Order and the Al'Aketh?
Blizzard describes the Windshapers (Horde) as descendants of the first shen'dorei to receive the spirits' gift, seeking their missing mentors, and the High Order (Alliance) as scholars seeking lost arcane knowledge. Warcraft Wiki says the Windshapers descend from kaldorei citizens, where the High Order descend from Highborne magisters, and that they joined the Horde through the Earthen Ring and the Alliance through the Kirin Tor; no other page I opened says so. Gfinity lists the Al'Aketh as a third faction; only Warcraft Wiki calls them a cult devoted to Al'Akir. See Skyborne classes by faction.
What is not confirmed yet
- The Shal'nan, Immol'thar and the flight west rest on Warcraft Wiki; Zierhut confirmed only the Tortheldrin link.
- Blizzard's announcement does not mention Tortheldrin, the Shal'nan or the Al'Aketh, and it traces the Windshapers to shen'dorei, not kaldorei.
How can the Lore Forever add-on and Willo help with Skyborne lore?
An island story is easier to follow where you stand. The free Lore Forever add-on covers Zephras Isle among its zones up to level 30, with a Lore button on quests that opens the quest's story and a Journey page of every quest you have finished. It keeps to Forever's own continuity. Willo, a Windows companion app, lets you ask out loud about a quest or a place and hear the answer; she can be wrong, so check quest text. She is free to start with 50 answers a day, and the add-on is optional for her. Lore Forever is fan-made and not affiliated with Blizzard.
Frequently asked questions
Who are the Skyborne in WoW Forever?
The shen'dorei, descendants of Highborne exiles who made a pact with wind spirits and built a civilization in Skywall, according to Blizzard.
What is the connection between the Skyborne and Prince Tortheldrin?
Blizzard designer Kris Zierhut told Windows Central the team tied the people who opposed Tortheldrin to the Skyborne. Warcraft Wiki says they fled Eldre'Thalas.
What is Skywall?
One of the elemental planes, where the Skyborne built their civilization, according to Blizzard. Warcraft Wiki names it the Elemental Plane of Air and calls Zephras Isle a flying island.
Who are the Al'Aketh?
Gfinity lists them as a Skyborne faction; Warcraft Wiki calls them a cult devoted to Al'Akir that arose after the wind spirits left.
Sources
Reviewed October 29, 2026. Warcraft Wiki is the only source for several details. Lore Forever is fan-made and is not affiliated with Blizzard Entertainment.