Azeroth's Dwarves hail from the snowy Khaz Modan region. They have staunch friends in their Gnomish cousins; the races have become even closer since the latter were driven from their techno-city, Gnomeregan. Both are on excellent terms with the Humans of Stormwind, the last bastion of that species' civilization. Honorable and just, the Night Elves are nonetheless hesitant to trust the 'lesser races' within the faction known as the Alliance. The Tauren are normally peaceful, nomadic creatures devoted to the balance of nature. In the Horde, they are aligned with the fierce Orcs, brought to Azeroth unwillingly from their world, Draenor. The Trolls of the Darkspear tribe joined this coalition after an Orcish leader saved them from extermination. Although there isn't goodwill in either direction, these three are joined with the Undead in sharing a common enemy, the Lich King.

Blizzard's World of Warcraft, which launched late last year, affords us the opportunity to explore Azeroth with characters from these eight playable races. Each offers a selection of up to six classes from an overall total of nine that includes Warrior, Paladin, Hunter, Rogue, Mage, Warlock, Shaman, Priest and Druid. The gameworld includes two continents made up of almost 40 regions and a handful of large cities plus numerous other locations such as smaller communities and dungeons. Upon starting to find your way around, you'll discover the gameplay incorporates a considerable quest component, a wide assortment of enemies to overcome, lots of different weapons, armor and other items, and much more to learn. If you're looking for help in such areas, two highly informative options are our popular World of Warcraft Vault and BradyGames' World of Warcraft Official Strategy Guide.