When Sargeras descended upon the eredar's homeworld, a race of sentient energy beings – the naaru – helped a small band of eredar to escape the dark titan's corruption. Soon the eredar refugees began calling themselves the draenei, or "exiled ones". Moved by the draenei's courage, the naaru blessed them with Light-given knowledge and power. Ultimately the benevolent naaru hoped to unite all who opposed the Burning Legion and forge these heroes into a single unstoppable army of the Light. In pursuit of that goal, the naaru have recently traveled to Outland in a dimensional fortress known as Tempest Keep. Most of the naaru disembarked to reconnoiter the ravaged land. In their absence, an army of blood elves led by Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider overran the keep and took its sole remaining guardian hostage.

  With Tempest Keep in blood elf hands, the naaru find themselves stranded in Outland, facing a precarious future.
Several years have passed since the Burning Legion's defeat at Mount Hyjal and the races of Azeroth have continued to rebuild their once shattered lives. With renewed strength, the heroes of the Horde and Alliance have begun to explore new lands and broken through the Dark Portal to investigate the realms beyond the known world. Will these heroes find friends or foes? What dangers and rewards lie in wait beyond the Dark Portal? And what will they do when they discover that the demons they thought vanquished have returned to renew their terrible Burning Crusade?