How long was the orc slaughter/one-sided war of the Draenei

[Emmara]

Ummm, I found mixed information about how long the "war" lasted between the orcs and the draenei. I was told by several experienced and reliable players that it was about 8 years. I found the documentation to back it up.

"This bloody conflict lasted nearly eight years, but the orcs' triumph was unequivocal. The orcs killed over eighty percent of the draenei race and sent the rest fleeing for safety to the remote corners of the world." http://www.wowpedia.org/Draenei (8th paragraph)


However, while also looking for the answers for another question, I found this little tidbit of information that brings my question forth.
"Over the course of a few months, the Horde eradicated nearly every draenei living on Draenor." http://www.wowpedia.org/Rise_of_the_Hord ... arcraft%29 (4th paragraph)

When I look at these two timelines it seems that there is a drastic difference. I would be inclined to think that the first one is more realistic. Armies in most fantasy games (medieval and renaissance based) did not have the ability to move as fast as modern day armies. Even with the orcs in a blood rage they are still mortal and can only run or push themselves so hard, physiologically.

If anyone else has input or the GMs have a definitive answer of which quote we should acknowledge, please join in on the thread.

[Jeff]

The main massacres happened literally over a span of a few months. (Fall of Shattrath, Farahlon, etc)

The "war" its self lasted 8 years though.

[FlyingSquirrel]

My experience is you can't trust those books much. I'd go with the 8 year.

[Bovel]

I think both claim might be correct but derived from different events. With eight years I think they mean draenei being chased out of Karabor to some years after the fall of Shattrath when the orc skirmishes lessened in favour of the greenskins creating portals. I think the "few months" is in regard to the area around Shattarth and the capital itself.

*A sidenote is that most of the draenei killed during this period fell at Shattrath.