>World of Warcraft: Rise of the Horde is a novel written by Christie Golden, which serves as an introduction to the origin of the Draenei and a prologue to the World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade expansion (MMORPG). Christie Golden is a veteran novel writer of Star Trek: Voyager, Ravenloft: Vampire of the Mists, Warcraft: Lord of the Clans, Invasion America, and A.D.999 among other works. > >Chris Metzen revealed at BlizzCon 2005 that you would be writing World of Warcraft: Rise of the Horde. The book would feature the story of the revealed new Wow race: the Draenei. However, the book title is Rise of the Horde. What is the plot of World of Warcraft: Rise of the Horde and from whose main character's point of view is the story told? > >Christie: The reason we went with that title is that's truly what the book is about, the tale of how the original Horde came into existence. And the draenei, as the story shows, were the primary reason. The Horde was created by Kil'jaeden to be used as a weapon against the draenei, who in this book are revealed to be uncorrupted eredar. The basic storyline is that of how the orcs went from being essentially peaceable people in harmony with their world to demonically tainted beings capable of genocide. Our main point of view character is Durotan, Thrall's father. > >This story fascinated me because in recent history, we have seen repeatedly how good people end up doing horrific things to other human beings. How does that happen? What steps have to occur in order for people to forsake their morals—or, rather, rewrite them so completely? Durotan is "Everyman," someone who sees what's going on, but is torn between standing up and fighting it and doing what will protect people he is responsible for. He's a great point of view character in that respect. > >Q: What characters are featured in the book? > >Christie: Ha, you name it! This is the fantasy equivalent of writing a historical novel. Durotan as I have said is the point of view character for most of the book. We also see Orgrim, Blackhand (and his kids, whom I loved portraying as teenage thugs), Ner'zhul, Drek'Thar, Gul'dan, and many others who are familiar names. > >Q: In the beginning of the book you mention playing on an RP server. I assume you play Horde there? If so, what have you enjoyed playing the most on a role-playing server? > >Christie: Very few people know who I am there (as of this writing anyway!) and that gives me a wonderful freedom to just play and make friends and do role-play just as "myself" without the encumbrance of "ZOMG you're Christie Golden!" out there. In the end, I am as big a fan as anyone, and I love the friends I have made and the stories I've been involved in. People are so very, very creative! As for what I play, I play both factions and enjoy them equally. I've played every single class one time or another. I've played orc, troll, tauren, human, night elf and gnome. Can't wait to play blood elf and, of course, a draenei! > >Q: Did the in-game Roleplaying experience help you with writing Rise of the Horde at all? -- by Grushnak @ Cenarion Circle Realm > >Christie: I think it would have helped more if the novel had been set in present day Azeroth. Knowing things like how far away Ratchet is from Stormwind is invaluable in making a place feel "right" to someone who knows the game well. What it did do was let me play with the orcs as characters, and nail down how certain spells looked. For instance, I would have had a harder time describing shaman and warlock spells had I not known how they "looked" to an observer.

Read the full interview here!