Highlights

  • Earthen in WoW: The War Within can freely change gender, hair, and physical traits via special processes.
  • Lore explains how Earthen got their appearance, and how the Barber shop feature works for them.
  • Earthen wire hair can be modified with minerals; lore enhances game world and makes it feel more alive.

A World of Warcraft player recently discovered dialogue that states Earthen in The War Within can freely change their gender, hair-like wires, and other physical traits via different processes. This clever lore not only explains how Earthen first got their appearance, but gives an in-universe reason for how the Barber shop feature works for them in World of Warcraft.

The Earthen are a race of stone Dwarves that fans unlock as an Allied Race in World of Warcraft: The War Within. Denizens of Khaz Algar, these Earthen are different from their Dwarven cousins in WoW, featuring unique accents and cultures on top of their physical traits.

hallowfall region in wow tww with the logo in front of it
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However, one World of Warcraft player discovered some new lore that explains why Earthen look the way they do. While exploring the alpha for World of Warcraft: The War Within, WoW fan and streamer Haughty Chicken found Wireweaver Grelka, a new Earthen Barber NPC. According to the screenshots Haughy Chicken shared on Twitter, Grelka explains some interesting lore about how she does her job; Earthen wire – their equivalent of hair – does not grow naturally, but can be modified by consuming certain minerals. Likewise, most Earthen physical traits, including their gender, can be freely modified by various processes.

Earthen Appearance is Malleable in WoW: The War Within

  • In the lore, Earthen gender, hair, eye, stone, and gem color are randomized by the Awakening Machine when Earthen are first created in World of Warcraft, but can be freely changed.
  • Earthen hair is made of wire that can be lengthened or recolored by consuming certain minerals.
  • These wires do not naturally grow without being modified.

This new lore answered a lot of questions fans had about the playable Earthen in WoW: The War Within. Other Earthen have appeared in World of Warcraft’s history, but these individuals often had stone beards, rather than hairy ones. That said, the discovery that their hair is actually wire, and that everything about their physical appearance is a purely cosmetic detail, was a fascinating piece of worldbuilding for the new race.

Beyond being unique and creative, these new details about the Earthen are a clever way of explaining how the Barber can change things about characters who visit them. Other places in World of Warcraft have given similar facts as well, such as the draconic visage-themed Barber shops in the WoW: Dragonflight capital of Valdrakken, and the Appearance Agitator in Oribos during Shadowlands. While this lore is hardly required for these game mechanics, fans will always appreciate these minute details, as they help to flesh out the game world and make it feel more alive.