Know Your Lore: Who are the Proudmoores?

We are in a paradoxical place when pondering the Proudmoores.  These are people who have profoundly posed a potent effect on the peoples of Azeroth. We’ve heard of them, but who are they? Admiral Proudmoore is a familiar name, but we’ve only just learned Katherine Proudmoore’s. What do we actually know about her deceased husband and son? What’s her relationship to her famous daughter? What was Jaina’s relationship with her father Daelin like, or her deceased brother Derek? How did Katherine Proudmoore shape her family?

Well, we may find out more in Battle for Azeroth since we’re going to Kul Tiras. So in the meantime, let’s look at what we do know and speculate on what we’ll find out.

Lord Admiral Daelin Proudmoore

Daelin Proudmoore was the head of Kul Tiras when the Second War began. He had a lifelong friendship with Anduin Lothar despite the two men living in disparate nations at a significant remove from one another. Kul Tiras was ruled not by a king, but by a Lord Admiral. It’s not clear if the position was hereditary or not. At BlizzCon, we learned that Kul Tiras has four noble houses that vie for control over the various islands that make up the nation. But whether the Proudmoores have always been associated with the title of Lord Admiral, or if it’s one that you can be elected or appointed to remains unconfirmed. It’s unclear how Daelin acquired it, but he was clearly comfortable and capable with the role.

Daelin’s known life is rooted in the Second and Third War. He accepted the burden of becoming Grand Admiral of the Alliance, even though it meant that Kul Tiras’ navy would become the de facto Alliance navy. He saw his own son Derek die during that war. And from the moment the Alliance was formed until the destruction of the Horde fleet off of Crestfall, Daelin led the naval forces of Humanity as a whole.

Daelin was also involved in Alliance matters past the Second War. He was one of the jurors who stripped Tirion Fordring of his status as a Paladin of the Silver Hand. Daelin was also present when Arthas Menethil became a member of the same order. In fact, he was one of Terenas’ great supporters, even arguing with Genn Greymane over Alterac and Nethergarde.

But Derek’s death hardened Daelin and his resolve to destroy the Horde. The discovery of Human traitors from Alterac aiding the Horde hardened his resolve even further. It was something that would never leave him.

The death of Derek and the rift with Jaina

Daelin was every inch an Admiral, and it’s clear that he expected his family to be as comfortable at sea as he was. It’s also interesting to note that there was a long tradition of Kul Tirasian mages. Allowing his daughter to join the Kirin Tor was in effect an exchange. Jaina would take the magic she’d already learned at home to the Kirin Tor. In exchange, she would learn the Kirin Tor’s magic, then bring it back to Kul Tiras.

Daelin’s death during the Third War was because of a clash between himself and his daughter Jaina. That clash was in part due to different life experiences. Jaina was too young to experience the Second War. Her brother’s death was something that happened when she was very young. It was something she outgrew. But Derek’s death was the great loss of Daelin’s life. That loss was compounded by discovering that there were traitors in the Human nations who would work with the Orcs, who would help them.

Seeing his own daughter make common cause with the people he saw as invaders, the people who’d killed his son… it was never going to work out well.  The brute facts of the case — how Jaina came to Kalimdor with a host of refugees from Lordaeron, how she worked alongside the Night Elves and Orcs to defeat the Burning Legion, how she hoped to create peaceful relations between Humans and Orcs — mattered little to a man who’d seen the Orcs set fire to the Third Fleet and send his son to the bottom of the ocean. Daelin had seen the Orcs only as an enemy, and knew that some Humans would work with them to betray their people. Seeing his daughter in that light was unbearable.

Derek before and after

Derek Proudmoore is essentially a cipher to us. He was a capable sailor, and commanded a ship during the Second War when his father was Grand Admiral. It’s clear that Derek’s father loved him dearly. Derek was part of the Third Fleet, which was destroyed by Orcs riding Red Dragons enslaved using the Dragon Soul. It hit Daelin hard — after all, his son was on that ship under his command.

In essence, Derek’s death is the most important thing we know about him. He’s more well-known for the way he died than how he lived. Was he much like his father? Was he at all like Jaina? If he’d lived, was he more or less likely to at least consider trying to live peacefully with the Horde? Derek’s death hardened his father’s heart against the Orcs forever. But we don’t know what Derek was like, really.

What role did Katherine play?

We’re going to meet Katherine Proudmoore in Battle for Azeroth. Hopefully, a host of questions will be answered when we do. One of those questions must be how Katherine’s role in raising her children had in their development. After all, Katherine’s essentially a blank slate. How much of Jaina’s personality comes from Katherine? Is the reason Jaina could trust the Horde when Daelin couldn’t because of Katherine’s influence? What is the relationship now between adult Jaina and her mother? Who is Katherine Proudmoore, exactly? Is she a native Kul Tirasian? Does she come from one of the other houses — the Ashvane, Stormsong or Waycrest houses? What are her beliefs?

It is tempting to assume that Katherine was more tolerant and willing to work with others than Daelin, but we really don’t know for certain. She lived through the death of her son, after all, and would likely have blamed the Horde just as much as her husband. She’s apparently more than capable enough to rule Tirasgarde Sound on behalf of the Proudmoore line after her husband’s death. Expecting her to be anything but strong willed might be a mistake. It’s quite possible Jaina’s view on the Horde back after the Third War was as much a rejection of her mother’s beliefs as her father’s. Was Jaina more her mother’s daughter, or was she truly the black sheep of the family?

The answers are still unclear. But with both Daelin and Derek dead, the only two Proudmoores left as far as we know are Katherine and Jaina. Blood is often a strong bond, but it is enough to overcome Jaina’s role in her father’s death? Will Jaina’s part in Daelin’s demise even be brought up, or will it be glossed over? We’ll have to wait to find out, but it’ll be interesting to see how the two interact when Battle for Azeroth is finally here.