Project Lore

The Goblins of Kezan are the newest addition to the Horde. The Steamwheedle Cartel remains neutral, but this specific faction of goblins have joined the Horde out of necessity. Their homeland has heavily affected by the Cataclysm, and Mount Kajaro has become a dangerous volcano. The Goblins were originally enslaved by trolls to mine from the mountain of Kajaro in Kezan for the powerful kaja'mite ore that the trolls used in their rituals. The effects of the ore caused the goblins to grow cunning and develop skills in engineering and alchemy, and they overthrew the trolls and claimed the mines of Kajaro as their capital, the Undermine. The goblins' cunning quickly taught them that a profit could be made from their skills, and Trade Princes arose as the ruling caste of the goblins. They reached out to the Horde during the second war and served them at a high price with their technology. After the Horde lost the second war, the goblins realized they would be able to profit greatly by serving both sides during war, and did so during the third war. Kezan became a busy port. However, the recent Cataclysm turned their island into a dangerous volcano, and they fled. The trade princes found it profitable to evacuate the panicked goblins, and many goblins lost their entire life savings to save their own lives. Many were sold into slavery to get the money to evacuate, and the trade princes flourished. That is, until, they got caught in the Horde/Alliance crossfire. After a goblin fleet with a group of goblins called the Bilgewater was destroyed during a dogfight between Alliance and Horde ships, they washed up on the dangerous Lost Isles. They return to the Horde, as they find themselves at odds with the Alliance and easily rekindle old relations. Goblins can play as Death Knights (probably starting in Ebon Hold like the others), hunters, mages, priest, rogues, shaman, warlocks, and warriors. Goblin's faction mount will be a roadster-like car. It looks like a go-kart. One of their racials is a rocket-belt that allows goblins to thrust forward, like Blink or a forward disengage. Goblins start out in the Lost Isles and level to 15 there. They then move into Azshara, which is now a low level zone. The goblins have excavated the cliffs and claimed it for their own, building a town in the cliffs. They have also completely ravaged the Stonetalon Mountains.

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Proverb is a psuedo-weekly column discussing the lore of Warcraft. It is spoiler heavy for all Warcraft games, novels, and other media. Comment on this post or send a tweet to @Heartbourne and let us know what you would like to see in future columns! If you haven't already, be sure to read part 1! We pick up with the recent history of the blood elves and high elves. The blood elves under Kael'thas largely fled to Outland from the humans, who viewed them as traitors. Some blood elves stayed behind to rebuild Silvermoon and attempt to reclaim their homeland from the undead. Lor'themar Theron stayed in Quel'thalas as Regent Lord of the Blood Elves, while Kael'thas took the ambiguous title of Lord of the Blood Elves. Kael'thas' alliance with Illidan to use alternative energies, largely demonic ones, led him down a dark path. He and his forces captured the naaru M'uru and sent it back to Silvermoon with Grand Magister Rommath, with the message that the blood elves could use the naaru for power and to prepare to join him in Outland. Kael'thas continued to gather power in Outland. He sent a large regiment of his most powerful forces to attack Shattrath City, one of the largest settlements opposing the rein of Illidan. During their attack, these blood elves laid down their weapons, and a blood elf by the name of Voren’thal stepped up as their leader. He professed to A'dal, leader of Shattrath, that he had seen him in a vision and the only hope for the blood elves was with this naaru. These blood elves vowed to serve A'dal and took on the name the Scryers, leaving Kael'thas. This was the largest loss Kael'thas took to his power until his death. The Scryers remain neutral to the conflicts of the Horde and Alliance and will ally with any adventurer willing to help their cause.

Blood Elves

The blood elves remaining in Quel'thalas rebuilt much of Silvermoon, and never heard again from Kael'thas. Lor'themar and the blood elves decided to ally with the Horde. They were very bitter with the humans, and still held grudges against the night elves from years ago. Their alliance with the Horde was largely motivated by the membership of the Forsaken, led by their former Ranger-General Sylvannas Windrunner. They remain skeptic of the Horde, and the Horde remains untrusting of them. Together, the blood elves, with the help of the Horde, continue to reclaim Quel'thalas and fight the Scourge. Once the blood elves of the Horde ventured into Outland, they discovered that Kael'thas had gone mad. The blood elves of Silvermoon no longer call Kael'thas their lord, and subsequently assisted in his defeat. Kael'thas returned to Silvermoon after his near death, stole M'uru, and rekindled the Sunwell with his newfound powers, summoning the demon lord Kil'jaedan into the world. Kael'thas was killed and Kil'jaeden banished by the combined forces of the Aldor and the Scryers under the banner of the Shattered Sun Offensive.

High Elves

A'dal chose to donate his powers to the blood elves of Silvermoon as they were forgiven for their past sins as they repented by defeating Kael'thas and Illidan. The blood elves now follow Lor'themar and other prominent Blood Elves of Silvermoon, as well as the Horde, their thirst for magic largely satisfied by the generosity of A'dal and the restoration of the Sunwell. The blood elves of Silvermoon remain as members of the Horde, and the Scyers remain in Shattrath and at the Sunwell. When Dalaran was moved to Northrend to battle Malygos and the blue dragons, the Kirin Tor took all the help they could get. A group of blood elves from Silvermoon appealed to Rhonin to allow them entrance to the Kirin Tor's membership. A group of high elves who had gathered in Dalaran over the years banded together under the name of the Silver Covenant to oppose this request, associating the Blood Elves still with Kael'thas' betrayal. The Kirin Tor has not made an official decision to admit the Blood Elves to the Kirin Tor, but many high elves are still among their ranks. Vereesa Windrunner, who leads the Silver Covenant, is wife to Rhonin and strongly opposes the blood elves' initiation to the Kirin Tor.

High Elven Eyes

Due to the blood elves willingness to use alternative forms of magic, there are some subtle physical differences. Blood elves relied on demonic energies for a time, and their glowing green eyes are a remnant of that. High elves usually have blue eyes, with some having violet or red. Blood elves have much paler features than high elves for the same reason. It is not clear if these differences are genetic (as orc skin is, even though the color mutations were magic based). If so, blood elves may be very distinct from high elves.Blood elves chose red and black as the theme their common garb to remember their losses to Arthas, and high elves traditionally avoid these colors as to not get mistaken for blood elves. While blood elves actively seek magic to feed upon to sate their hunger, high elves try to suppress it. Some high elves wear Sunwell Rings, which almost completely satisfy them, but many others stay near magical founts like moonwells, as well as meditate for at least an hour per day. Blood elves that fail to satiate themselves often degenerate into Wretched, their addiction warping their physical forms. Let me know what you want to see in future Proverbs!

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Cataclysm Countdown is a series of informed speculative articles concerning things we might see in the next expansion that I will be posting every day this week, leading right up to Blizzcon. In the interest of thought purity, I will do my best to steer clear of recent “leaked” material, relying upon it only where it logically connects with the existing lore. Nothing hereafter is official or has been confirmed/denied by Blizzard at the time of its writing. The cataclysm has really changed things for those of us in the speculation game. Just from paying attention to the lore, figuring out which plot threads still need to be unraveled, and making a few educated guesses along the way, we knew for a long time that we'd be revisiting the Maelstrom. We knew that Gilneas would eventually open up. We knew we'd go back to Hyjal. These are things that have been on the world map since the dawn of WoW. To tease the playerbase with such things would be infinitely cruel. We also knew that if the Maelstrom were involved, we were likely to see another catastrophic event befall Azeroth, though not to the extent that has been recently revealed. As it stands, it seems as though the focus of the expansion has shifted somewhat, from one concerned with unreleased zones and the Southsea islands to one that incorporates the rest of the old world in a much more integral way. But that doesn't mean all hope is lost for all you seadogs out there. What lies in the briny depths is far too important to completely ignore. As Jacques Cousteau might say, "A lot of people attack the sea, I make love to it." Alright, maybe that's not the best Cousteau quote I could pull off the internet. "The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever." Ahh yes, that's much better. Well, I suppose what I'm trying to get at is the idea that while the Great Sea is mostly open water, it is also home to several potentially interesting areas and it would be a damn shame if we don't get to visit any of it. Below is a list of new ocean-going zones that I would like to see. I brought attention to several of them in my article yesterday. The Eye -- As ferocious and destructive as the Maelstrom might be, a rich ecosystem nonetheless survives beneath its stormy spirals. The lynch-pin of this area is the Naga stronghold of Nazjatar, lodged deep within The Rift, but there are several sub-zones just itching to be explored by wandering adventurers. The Boiling Terrace lives up to its name, fraught with volcanic activity and scalding pools of water. Only those creatures with thick skin can survive here, such as the reported giant crabs that are native to the area. The Scintal Reef spans the southwest corner of the The Eye, and is home to to the Makrura capital, Mak'aru. The city is supposedly built out of the surrounding coral formations. Constantly at war with the Naga, the Makrura are one of the few factions keeping the vile serpents in check. The Gishan Caverns are a series of deep-ocean volcanic caverns on the north side of The Rift. The Naga avoid it for fear of the gigantic beasts that may sleep within (sounds like prime 5-man dungeon material to me). Pillar Deep is a rather unique area. Though it continues with the theme of geothermal heat, it's also home to towering tubeworms that look a lot like gigantic, stone pillars. And, of course, it wouldn't be the ocean without a ship graveyard somewhere. On the southeastern lip of the Eye are the Drowned Reaches. The remains of great sea-going vessels that got too close to the Maelstrom come here to rest, and their former inhabitants are none-too-pleased. Kept animated by the storm's violent and mysterious energies, undead sailors still patrol the decks of their ruined ships. Clearly The Eye is no Bikini Bottom. A place fraught with extreme conditions and powerful creatures, I anticipate this being a high-level questing zone. Tel Abim -- Hey, those bananas have to come from somewhere. Very little is known about the island of Tel Abim, though the diaries you get from fishing up Messages in a Bottle tell the tale of a man likely shipwrecked on the island (and menaced by its famous fruit). Nonetheless, while other isles have come and gone from the map (such as Gillijim's Isle and the Island of Dr. Lapidis, both of which were supposed to exist off the coast of Stranglethorn during Alpha), Tel Abim remains. Will we have cause to go there? Who knows. Maybe the great Banana civilization can lend its hand in help during these tough times. Zandalar -- Another area I discussed in yesterday's article, it is the common motherland for all Trolls on Azeroth. In addition to the massive city of Zuldazar. This lush, tropical island is home to vast amounts of wildlife (why hello there, Hemet Nesingwary!) and also features the towering crag of Mt. Mugamba. While Zuldazar is obviously the main attraction, there is potential for plenty of leveling areas on Zandalar, one of the largest land masses in the Great Sea. Plunder Isle -- Plunder Isle is home to two key locales. Though neither plays a huge role in the events to come, I think it's about time to figure out what the pirating world has been up to (besides, what lends itself to piracy more than a world in chaos?). The first is Den of the Cold Eye, a cave home to the local basilisks, and the other is Bloodsail Hold, headquarters of the infamous Bloodsail Pirates. The island is small and of little significance, but if sea travel is common in Cataclysm, I could see this being a wonderful hub for a few piracy-themed dailies. Kezan -- as plotted out on a whiteboard at Blizzard HQ. Kezan -- Home of the Goblins, reportedly in ruins from the events of the expansion. It's unclear whether or not we'll get to go back (though a rather detailed map drawn on a whiteboard can be seen on the World of Warcraft Behind the Scenes DVD), but the island does hold a few key points of interest. There are at least two port areas, Bilgewater Port (think a bigger version of Booty Bay) and Edj (home to the slightly-less-evil pirates, the Blackwater Raiders). Mount Kajaro, an active volcano, dominates the southern reaches of the island, and the Goblin capitol, Undermine, exists somewhere beneath it. Many had hoped Undermine would serve as the great "neutral" city in the next expansion. While that may no longer be the case, Kezan itself could still be a major hub of activity for sea-going adventurers due to its location (and assuming it's not completely under the water). The Broken Isles -- If there's one place in the Great Sea that holds as much history and importance as the Maelstrom, it's the Broken Isles. Home to the great and ancient Kaldorei city of Suramar (now ruined), the remains of the Stormreaver clan's destroyed fleet, and the Tomb of Sargeras, it's like a graveyard of ancient folly. The island chain is currently dominated by Naga and those who serve them, but being so central to the lore, I have little doubt Blizzard will find reason to drag players back to the cursed locale. Kul Tiras -- Though its people were once a sizable part of the Alliance forces, the island of Kul Tiras isn't even on the official map anymore. Nothing has been said here nor there about its inclusion in future content, but being host to a naval society, it only seems logical to implement it with an expansion where the primary threat comes from the sea. Kul Tiras could, once again, be a major asset to the Alliance. The inclusion of any one of these zones ultimately depends on two things: how Blizzard wants to handle travel on the high seas and whether or not they've been destroyed/sunk by the cataclysm, itself. Several of these locations also exist under the water, which may require the introduction of submersible vehicles or other means of diving deep beneath the waves. With the reconstruction of much of mainland Azeroth, and the introduction of new inland zones, I don't expect every one of these islands (or island chains) to make an appearance in the expansion, especially those that have little to do with the characters and events in play. However, if we do get the chance to sail around the Great Sea at our leisure, it has to be filled with something. In that case, several of these zones could simply become small quest hubs. We might also expect to see small, random islands scattered throughout the ocean, that hold no particular importance, but are places to explore for treasure and secrets, Zelda: Wind Waker-style. What do you guys and gals think? Would you like to be able to sail around Azeroth as you please, or do you think that makes the game too complicated? Or do you believe that this is the direction the expansion should have actually gone in as opposed to futzing with the mainland? Do you think we'll end up getting both, or is that just asking way too much of Blizzard? Please let us know by posting your thoughts!

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Cataclysm Countdown is a series of informed speculative articles concerning things we might see in the next expansion that I will be posting every day this week, leading right up to Blizzcon. In the interest of thought purity, I will do my best to steer clear of recent "leaked" material, relying upon it only where it logically connects with the existing lore. Nothing hereafter is official or has been confirmed/denied by Blizzard at the time of its writing. Weekends are like life's natural cliffhangers. Once Friday evening rolls around, the entire news-media industry just sort of shuts down as we writers and journalists go off to frolic with our friends and loved ones (or level up a Paladin, in my case) for a couple of days. That is, unless you're an unfortunate weekend editor or something really, really big happens. Well, something really, really big did happen this past Friday, but as it turns out, there was just nothing else to report after the big leak. We would've continued to keep you informed if there was anything to inform you about. Instead, people began to speculate and everything that entails (including the doubters, and some misguided young fellows who were looking for their 15 minutes of internet fame by claiming to have "hoaxed" the whole thing). I must admit, I couldn't keep my mind off of Cataclysm, either. And, in the following few days, I'd like to share some of my own thoughts with the rest of you. So many things have gone through my head, but I keep coming back to the one thing that is near and dear to my heart: raiding. As much as a pure pain in the ass it can be at times, raid content represents the nexus of high lore and the most complex gameplay elements. It is the intersection between the legacy of WoW's biggest baddies and the narrative you've carved for yourself as a character, or as part of a guild. That seems like a fine place to start, as we can use the existing lore as a touchstone to examine what villains we may be facing in the near future. The Maelstrom, a giant storm raging in the center of Azeroth, conceals much of Azshara's empire. Nazjatar - If there's one thing we can almost certainly count on seeing in the expansion, it's Azshara, former Highborne and Queen of the Naga for the past 10,000 years or so. Nazjatar is the seat of her power, currently built into a wall of The Rift, a deep ocean trench that runs under the Maelstrom. Some people have speculated that the catastrophic event associated with the expansion will cause Nazjatar to rise to the surface. Whether it erupts from the waves or remains at the bottom of the sea, I'm willing to bet that players are going to have to go there at some point. And as acting home base for one of the chief expansion villains, they're probably going to have to raid it, as well. I personally imagine Nazjatar to be Icecrown-like in structure. It is unlikely that we'll have access to the stronghold from the get-go, but we will be able to explore and quest in the surrounding area. Nazjatar, and the area of The Rift would be sufficient enough, but it may also end up including nearby locales like the homeland of the Makrura and a huge ship graveyard called the Drowned Reaches (assuming they survive the destruction). The Rift - The Rift, itself, is a scar cut deep into the ocean floor by the collapsing of the Well of Eternity thousands of years ago. Little is known about what is down there, but lava flows in the deepest of its reaches. It may also be home to an Old God (these guys really do love hiding within the planet's core, don't they?) who needs some slaying. This could end up being a single-boss raid, Malygos style, depending on whether or not an Old God ends up being the primary villain. Zandalar - It wouldn't be an expansion without some new Troll content, now would it? Sure, they haven't gotten a raid in Wrath, but they did get a whole zone, and two 5-man dungeons, to themselves. The most underplayed race in the game is also, without coincidence, the coolest. It would be a shame if we didn't see any associated areas! Zandalar itself could play a pivotal role in the coming events. It was once attached to Kalimdor before being torn from the coast by the original Sundering (a.k.a. the collapsing of the Well of Eternity), and now exists just to the southeast of the Maelstrom. It's close to the action and mixes deliciously into the lore, which makes it prime territory for a raid. But where and why? I say Zuldazar, the worldwide Troll capital, with King Rastakhan as the endboss. While we don't know a whole lot about the nature of the island, Zuldazar is reported to look like a mountain built out of smaller Ziggurats (think the tiered structure of Zul'Drak, but bigger, much taller, and all squished together). This towering structure makes for an imposing, and impressive raid zone. Non-Troll races face danger the moment they step on the island, but some new found threat (perhaps a Naga invasion) could force Rastakhan to seek outside help. If rumors of the Goblin's home being destroyed by the cataclysm are true, it stands to reason that Zandalar would suffer a similar fate. So, whether outsiders are called to resolve a communal threat, or Rastakhan and company have been driven mad, I'm secretly hoping that Blizzard finds reason to stick some cool raid content here. The gate to Grim Batol -- it could use a facelift. Grim Batol - Grim Batol has been called home by several different factions over the years. First, it was the Wildhammer Dwarves, and then the Dragonmaw Clan of Orcs. Currently, members of the Red Dragonflight (kin to Alexstrasza, who has played a key role in the events of Wrath) guard the entrance, but there is no way in. The Warcraft novel Night of the Dragon indicates that Deathwing, the Black Dragon Aspect, currently resides within. As another potential primary villain in Cataclysm (as well as another major power driven nuts by the Old Gods), a raid on Grim Batol is an almost certain possibility. His attempts to perfect the destructive twilight dragons ensure that we'll be seeing plenty of them inside the dungeon (and the world at large). CoT: War of the Ancients - Azshara and Deathwing were both key players in the War of the Ancients. Just like they did to remind us of Arthas' past in Wrath of the Lich King, I fully expect Blizzard to give us some insight into where these villains are coming from. In order to do that, we may have access to a new, Hyjal-style Caverns of Time raid that puts us right into the heart of this weathered conflict. At what point? I don't know. But in a "history repeating itself" moment, I bet we get to witness the original Sundering. Blackrock Mountain - But there's already a raid here, right? The venerable Molten Core! One rumor pointed out that Blackrock Mountain would explode to reveal a new caldera. There isn't much to back this up just yet, but it stands to reason that a cataclysm would involve shifting around the tectonic plates and screwing with the chewy, magma-filled core of the planet. If so, it stands to reason that a gigantic volcano like Blackrock would blow its top. It's unclear what this may or may not do to the existing dungeons/raid content, but I'm sort of hoping for the return of Ragnaros. Blackrock Mountain -- at least as it looks right now. Allow me to go into fanboy mode for a moment. I'd love to see this massive version of Ragnaros erupting from the center of the destroyed Blackrock Mountain, hurling fireballs into the countryside and causing massive destruction. Imagine entering the instance, in this case, an outside one placed around the edge of the caldera, facing mini-bosses while trying to avoid the wrath of the Elemental Lord by ducking into small caves and alcoves. I can just see him taunting the raid with threats and insults as you travel around the spiral, eventually arriving at his "feet." I'm imagining an experience much like Coldarra in Borean Tundra, only replace the magic spire and rings with the towering inferno that is Ragnaros. None of us truly knows what to expect from Cataclysm at this point, but understanding the lore likely to be associated with it provides us with the framework for basic raid content as shown above. Every location, every character, relates back to the core event of the War of the Ancients and the Sundering. As things seem about to repeat themselves, it only stands to reason that they will come to the forefront once again. But that doesn't preclude Blizzard from inventing entirely new villains or raids to supplement the existing lore. So, trusty readers, what do you think of my predictions? Knowing what we know, are there any other major zones or characters that you think will show up in the expansion's raid content? What about Uldum (I suspect it to be a 5-man instance) or modern-day Hyjal (what might be a standard, but nonetheless important, area)? There might even be repurposed content from old raids. Tell us what you're looking forward to raiding beyond Wrath!

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The info just keeps on rolling in today. A week out from the rockstar event that is Blizzcon and we might have our first major leaks. Heartbourne has already clued us in on potential new class combinations, but our friends over at MMO-Champion seem to have found a whole lot more. Boubouille absolutely insists that none of this is speculation, and while I remain skeptical about his sources, his track record is proven. This is as close to gospel as we're going to get until we hear something officially official. So keep on reading to find out what we know (or think we know) so far. Be warned, though, spoilers are abound if you want to keep your sense of surprise. SPOILER WARNING Herein is a rough list of major content changes that we can expect to see in the next expansion:

• New Class Combinations - No new classes will be added to the game. Instead, existing races will be given access to classes that they never had before. It is currently unknown what classes will be available to the new races, however.
• New Level Cap - Surprisingly, it's only 85. This may fit in with a new philosophy of improving characters through gear instead of pure XP. Likewise, if the end-goal for WoW is 100, it leaves a little more space for successive expansions to grow.
• Azshara, Queen of the Naga The Cataclysm - This titular event, set in motion by Deathwing and Queen Azshara, will bring many changes to the existing content in the game, as well as open up several new ones.  Their motivations for unleashing such destruction upon the world may be in part due to those pesky insanity-inducing Old Gods.
• New Horde Race: Goblins - The Goblins have found their island home virtually destroyed by the events of the Cataclysm. Washing up on the shores of The Barrens, a quest line involving Thrall's capture (and subsequent rescue by the Goblin race) will explain how they ended up as the new consorts of the Horde. With their homeland gone, it's unclear whether or not we will get to visit Kezan, the island where the Goblin capital of Undermine exists.
• New Alliance Race: Worgen - The Greymane Wall, which separates Gilneas from Silverpine Forest, has been shattered by the Cataclysm. Bewildered from their self-imposed exile, the Worgen venture forth and find friends in the Alliance. It is unclear what the Goblin starting area may entail, but the Worgen will be receiving the Death Knight treatment. Gilneas will be a heavily-phased zone that will shuttle your character through the nation's history before unleashing them on the rest of Azeroth. Did I mention that Worgen do get to transform? That's right, you'll be able to shift from Human to Worgen at the click of a button, though we don't know if it will afford you any special abilities to do so.
• Azeroth Remade - Goblins and Worgen aren't the only ones who have felt the impact of this catastrophic event. Existing zones will be remade or phased in order to accommodate the current state of the world. The examples given include remaking Azshara into a 10-20 level area and splitting the Barrens into two distinct zones for players of different levels.
• New Areas - There will be no new continents introduced in the expansion, but instead, unreleased content in Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms will finally be filled in. In addition to the aforementioned opening of Gilneas, you can also expect to see modern-day Hyjal and Uldum. These are only examples and do not represent the entire breadth of fresh content that will no doubt be introduced.
• Mainland Flight - Restructuring the two core continents has allowed Blizzard to add flight to those zones that never had it. Now you can ride all the way from the Plaguelands to Booty Bay on you very own flying mount. Presumably, you will still need to take a boat or zeppelin to go from one continent to the other.
• Dungeons Remade - Onyxia was only the beginning. This does not preclude the addition of new 5-man dungeons or raid content, but many of the old instances will be retrofitted for players progressing from Level 80-85. Reportedly, we'll also be seeing Ragnaros again. It is not known how extensive the changes will end up being (new bosses/new graphics or merely upgraded stats on mobs and items).

That's a lot to digest and I'm honestly eager to see how everything fits together. There are some controversial ideas in there, as well as changes that players have been clamoring for year after year. In fact, a lot of it sounds like the kind of stuff that Blizzard employees have wanted to implement themselves, but have repeatedly insisted they haven't been working on. Phasing, as I previously proposed, will play a large role in the recreation of mainland Azeroth (self high-five!). By treading this path, however, I'm afraid there is also the chance of alienating a certain portion of the  player base who see this as merely reusing old content. That may or may not be the case, and we may have to wait another week to find out. I think it really depends on how fresh the revamped content ends up feeling. Will the graphics of many areas be significantly improved or changed? Will the new quest lines make it worth adventuring through old zones? Is this the vanilla WoW that we always wanted? Or will the new Azeroth be a whole lot like the old Azeroth? A yet-to-be-confirmed post on the Something Awful forums indicated huge, sweeping changes for the landscape, though. Thousand Needles flooded, many zones in absolute ruins, Orgrimmar sundered in two (with the introduction of a new Orc main city). The forums are private, but the summary has be re-posted on MMO-Champion. I'm sure you all have a lot to say about these revelations, so feel free to strike up a conversation in our comments section. I know I'll be watching it closely!

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Patch 3.2.2 has hit the PTR, and there is some surprising new data that has been data-mined. It appears that there are a bunch of new race/class combination, though it is unclear if these will actually be playable. It may just be for NPCs. The list is as follows:

• Human Hunter
• Orc Mage
• Night Elf Mage
• Blood Elf Warrior
• Dwarf Shaman
• Undead Hunter
• Tauren Paladin
• Tauren Priest
• Gnome Priest
• Troll Druid

I think this may well be true. I totally predicted both Tauren Paladins and Dwarf Shaman in an earlier Proverb article, and it could totally be viable. Check out the full article for my justification. In other news, a new quest has appeared on the PTR for the Alliance that parallels the new quest that Horde players gained in patch 3.2. In it, a dialogue occurs between a Highborne Night Elf and a sentinel. The Highborne, Archmage Mordent Evenshade, requests an audience with Tyrande: Archmage Mordent Evenshade looks over the moonwell with a sigh. Archmage Mordent Evenshade says: Calm yourself, Sentinel. I do not seek to use it. I am merely... remembering. Sentinel Stillbough says: Recalling your treachery? Archmage Mordent Evenshade says: Enough. I have been apart from this for centuries. The well within this temple may be a pale spectre of the Well of Eternity, but it still holds the same... beauty. Purity. Archmage Mordent Evenshade says: I had forgtten. Archmage Mordent Evenshade says: I do not believe admiration and wistful thoughts are against the societal norm. Sentinel Stillbough says: Watch yourself, Highborne. Archmage Mordent Evenshade says: You were the one who challenged me for merely looking. I still await my audience with Tyrande. Sentinel Stillbough says: In good time. It may be that we see Highborne Night Elves as Mages, Wildhammer Dwarves as Shaman, and light-following former-Druid Taurens as Paladins in the near future. Is this awesome, or really awesome?

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Proverb is a psuedo-weekly column discussing the lore of Warcraft. It is spoiler heavy for all Warcraft games, novels, and other media. Comment on this post or send a tweet to @Heartbourne and let us know what you would like to see in future columns! This week on Proverb, as per request of Angusthehaggis on Twitter, we'll be looking at the differences and origins of the modern Quel'dorei and Sin'dorei, commonly known as "High Elves" and "Blood Elves". This article ended up very long, so the second part will be out later this weekend. The High Elves have a long and rich history. High Elves were originally Night Elves, or Kal'dorei, but through their practice of magic underwent some physical changes that turned them into a distinct race, especially under the physical separation of the two factions due to the exile of the Highborne from Kalimdor. If you aren't familiar with this story, take a quick read of Proverb: The Vials of Eternity. The Quel'dorei named their settlement Quel'thalas, or "High Kingdom". The northernmost portion was named Silvermoon, with the sprawling capital city bearing the same name. Lush forests composed the southern regions of Quel'thalas, including the Eversong Woods and Eversong Forest. The High Elves fought many wars with the local forest trolls, namely the Amani trolls. Wars with the trolls raged on for years, and the high elves eventually turned to the human kingdom of Arathor for help. The humans were reluctant, but helped for their own safety from the trolls. The elves taught the humans magic, and together they defeated the Amani empire. In exchange for the help, Anasterian Sunstrider, king of the high elves, pledged loyalty to the bloodline of Thoradin, king of Arathor. The High Elves largely remained reclusive and distant from the human nations that came and went over the years. Elves are very proud and arrogant, and the elves of Quel'thalas would need good reason to ally with the humans. Some 1,200 years after the troll wars, the Alliance of Lordaeron was founded, consisting of the seven human nations of the time, in reaction the orc's invasion of Azeroth and the fall of Stormwind. King Terenas sent an emissary to Silvermoon to ask for the elves help. Anasterian decided to help only because Lord Lothar was among the humans requesting help, as Lothar was a descendant of Thoradin. Anasterian sent a small force led by Alleria Windrunner, who soon reported the immanent threat of the trolls and their new orcish allies. The high elves joined in full force to protect their homeland. The newly formed Horde did much damage to Quel'thalas, especially the red dragons enslaved by the Dragonmaw clan of orcs. Anasterian blamed Terenas' poor leadership for the burning of the forests of Quel'thalas. Lothar perished during the war, and the high elves considered their debt to Thoradin's bloodline paid and the humans careless. The nation of Silvermoon largely shut itself off from the world. A few high elves remained outside of Azeroth, but very few wanted to mingle with the humans or other races. A few high elves studied in Dalaran (including Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider), which was the premier location for studying magic, perhaps even exceeding Silvermoon. The High Elves remained isolated as the Scourge ravaged the human kingdom of Lordaeron. With Arthas leading them as the Lich King's token Death Knight, the Scourge ravaged Quel'thalas, destroyed Silvermoon and the Sunwell, and killed around 90% of all of the High Elves who died defending their homeland, including King Anasterian Sunstrider. The elves would never forget the loss of their great kingdom to Arthas, prince of Lordaeron, adding another mark against the humans' reputation. Kael'thas returned to Quel'thalas, infuriated at the destruction of his homeland during his absence. He rallied as many High Elves as he could gather, and renamed his people Sin'dorei, or blood elves, to reflect their thirst for vengeance and a new source of magic to quench their thirst after the loss of the Sunwell. Roughly 90% of the remaining High Elves followed Kael'thas and took on the new name. He allied with the humans temporarily, then left them to take an offer from Illidan Stormrage to find new, exotic forms of magic to feed his people. The other 10% of the high elves remained elsewhere. Many of them were elsewhere during the destruction of Silvermoon or fled. These remaining High Elves were of a loose association to each other and called their organization the Silvermoon Remnant, and still consider themselves to be members of the Alliance.  While the high elves traditionally used the Sunwell to satisfy their thirst for magic, the ones that traveled around Azeroth used alternative sources. For example, current day Stormwind contains a Moonwell with a few high elves around it. Many high elves traveled with Jaina Proudmoore to found Theramore, where they currently hold two seats in her advising council. The high elf population continues to dwindle, as the high elves are disparate and many defect back to Silvermoon to join the blood elves. Continue to part 2.

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With the great shadow of Blizzcon looming on the horizon, how can we not get worked up about it? How can we not begin to wonder what goodies they're just waiting to unleash on us die-hard fans like front-liners at a GWAR concert? We expect to walk away from this thing tired, satisfied, and maybe just a little sticky! But laying restless in bed this morning, I began to think: Blizzard's got this huge expansion coming up, but they've still got at least one major piece of content to release for Lich King. Likewise, they stated they'd like to get a new expansion out every year -- an unrealistic goal for a company like this, but perhaps a year-and-a-half is within the realm of possibility. And then I remembered that they just pushed StarCraft 2 back into 2010. Having two major releases coming out back-to-back like that is virtually unheard of! That might push Cataclysm (as we assume the expansion to be named) to next Fall for a release date similar to Lich King two years previous. And that means that they've got until next Blizzcon to give us all of the real juicy details. I believe that most people, at this point, assume that there's going to be a deluge of information about Cataclysm this year, but that may be jumping the gun. No doubt we'll get something, perhaps a reveal of new races and some very early look at the content, a trailer even, but let's not forget that there is still the matter of the Lich King to resolve. If the rumors of Icecrown Citadel being enormous are true (not 31-boss big, of course, but I believe the intention of size was expressed), I expect we may hear a log more about how this expansion is going to wrap up before even going into the next one. Once again, I'm going mostly on conjecture here, but I do remember one of the Blues mentioning (when asked about how far off the Argent Coliseum would be) that their timetable was not as lengthy as we players might expect. And, indeed, we saw the release of 3.2 just three months or so after Ulduar. Now that opens the possibility of seeing the Citadel released by the end of the year or early next. If Cataclysm releases in the Summer, no biggie. But Fall 2010? That would leave a huge 9-10 month gap between content releases. That would mean that there may be some post-ICC release, a 3.4 if you will, that would function much like Sunwell at the end of Burning Crusade. If that's the case, we may begin to hear something about that content, as well. And really, when it boils right down to it, the end of the Lich King is potentially such a big deal, are they going to want us knowing a whole lot about the aftermath just yet (which learning about Cataclysm would probably entail)? My head's spinning just trying to consider all this and I hope you're all still with me at this point. But I'm currently of the opinion that we're going to get a real introductory look at the next expansion, with the remainder of Wrath content getting the bulk of attention at the show. Do I hope I'm wrong? Most certainly. I'd love nothing more than to experience the largest fangasm ever from the impending surge of information that could be coming our way. I'd die for Mike Morhaime to ascend to the stage and tell us that they're finished with Icecrown Citadel, the expansion's coming within six months, and that, Oprah-style, we all get a beta invite. But I also expect Blizzard to take as much time as they feel they need to complete their products, and considering their track record, that's what supersedes everything else. They're tackling more releases at this point in time than they ever have at once before. We're going to hear tons about StarCraft 2 and the revamped Battle.net. We'll get the dish about Diablo, too. Let's not forget there's also that "next-gen MMO" hanging on the horizon, as well. If they wanted to release all of these games on the same day, they could probably get away with it. So maybe it's not so far-fetched to consider the sequel to StarCraft and the new expansion to hit shelves so close to each other. After all, one shouldn't really cannibalize sales of the other... much. Don't worry for a second. Blizzcon will be packed to the brim with details, but with so many things to cover, I just keep coming back to the idea that Cataclysm's dynamite reveal may quickly be overtaken by the rest of the show's content. What do you guys and gals think? I know I presented a lot of possibilities above, a lot of variables to consider. This kind of idle thinking leads to a whole lot of brain spew (something else you'll see at a GWAR concert, by the way). Do you agree? Disagree? The way content is being handled, just what will we end up hearing about at Blizzcon? Maybe the reveal of new races and a quick overview? A teaser trailer for Cataclysm? Is Blizzard ready to show us that much of the game's future?

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Blizzard blue Zarhym revealed yesterday that Onyxia would be making her gallant return to World of Warcraft in celebration of the title's fifth anniversary.  Following last year's random non-combat pet that players got for the four year mark, we'll be granted a Black Dragon Whelps to go along with the our bear.  Obviously I am in favor of nostalgia, adding more vanity pets and content to the game.  I did have one reservation upon hearing the news.  I instantly thought, and entered into numerous discussions about, "how is Blizzard's creative team gonna pull that off lorewise?" The lengthy brainstorming session caused much WoWWiking and some heated discussion.  Believe it or not the mind melds came up with some well-crafted ideas, and of course, not so good ideas.

• The "Who Cares" Approach - More than a few people I have talked to spouted this defense.  Simply put, many players, hardcore and casual, don't feel that the lore is important.  They claim that they won't care how she went from a head displayed across Stormwind (read dead) to a level 80 boss (alive).  While I personally believe the lore holds more water than this group realizes, it's possible that Blizzard will just retune the encounter and ignore everything else.
• Retcon - Retconning is the fine art of changing a storyline after it has already taken place (meaning absorbed by the audience).  It's a popular mechanic in today's large franchises (Star Trek, Star Wars, too many comics to name), and Blizzard has employed the technique themselves.  Considering that Onyxia's quest chain has been removed, and her human disguise vanquished from the halls of Stormwind, a retcon with a new storyline is entirely plausible.
• Infinite Dragonflight - I posited this as my little baby.  We know very little about the Infinite Dragonflight.  We do know that they are messing with the timeline, but that's all we have.  Their actions could be at the request of Nozdormu himself, but it could just as easily be another flight created by Deathwing for his own nefarious purposes.  Assuming it is Deathwing's latest scheme, then the new encounter can be explained as an alternate timeline's Onyxia making her triumphant return.

It should be quite obvious what I want Blizzard to do, the Bronze Dragonflight.  Just think of how cool it could be.  First off, the process can be explained in the lore easily.  It'll also offer the encounter designers a chance to experiment with new moves for Onyxia (she's different after all).  Perhaps a Really Deep Breath?  She'd have to perform her asthmatic move more often of course.  Lastly, and most importantly, it'd offer a perfect time for Deathwing and his Black Dragonflight to rear their ugly heads. The overall consensus is that Blizzard may very well take the "Who Cares" approach.  After all, it's just a bit of added content to effectively pat themselves on the back for sticking around a half decade (has it really been that long? *checks /played*).  Unlike the rest of the Internet, I am not a pessimist, and I expect the developer to deliver something to us.  Retconning seemed to be as equally likely from the poll.  You'll recall that Blizzard said Onyxia's chain would be modified to fit into Wrath's timeline upon its removal.  That little diddy fits my Infinite Dragonflight hopes even more than a retcon.  Hmm. Which scenario is most likely in your mind?  Have any other ideas as to how Blizzard can write in the retune?  Do you think Blizzard will remove/replace the old encounter with the new one?

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One example of phased content: the Wrathgate event. The MMO is an odd beast. Like most games, or game series, it evolves and grows in expected ways over time. Players are provided with a bevy of new options or the graphics are given a shiny new coat of paint (especially if it's associated with a generational jump in hardware). But the online RPG is no moulting reptile. It can't simply shed its old skin. Expansions offer new content, but rarely do much for the old, so we're stuck with the less impressive aspects of the game, and the developers are consistently reminded by these ancient artifacts of their failings the first time around. I'm sure Blizzard would love to reshape the original continents as much as we players would like to see them do it, but the drain on resources would be absolutely massive. I know I've stated this in previous posts, but it entails so much more than a graphical overhaul. They'd have to reconsider how quests, dungeons, leveling, and other such balance-related aspects of the game are dealt with. What starts as one problem to deal with quickly spirals out of control. But let's be honest, who is it that wants to experience this content again? I'd wager it's largely people who are at the end game, and have been there for a very long time. Often, that means relegating yourself to a scant few zones worth of content, which, as we all know, can get boring very quickly. A first-time player should still have a lot of fun exploring the old world and those who are leveling alts likely want to progress through it as quickly as possible. Mainland Azeroth, specifically Kalimdor and Eastern Kingdoms, is the bread and butter of the Warcraft universe, though! It seems necessary to revisit and reinvigorate those areas so absolutely central to the lore. So, how do we do that? What can Blizzard do to persuade us to go back? Well, by moving forward, actually. Through the idea of phasing. It's already in the game, if you're looking for it. The go-to event whenever anyone talks about this sort of thing is the Wrathgate, and as great of a showcase as it might be, it doesn't really deal with the complexities of the concept's implementation.  Simply put, phasing allows parts of the world to look/act/behave differently for players at different stages of the game. The problem with Wrathgate is that it's mostly cosmetic: a player who hasn't completed the line will see a standing army and one who has will see, well, the aftermath. A better example to look towards, and perhaps a test bed for what we can expect looking forward (should Blizz choose to go down this road) is actually Icecrown Glacier. There are several questlines involving the Argent Crusade and Ebon Blade that slowly change certain parts of the zone, even opening up new questlines along the way (which otherwise wouldn't be available to players who haven't progressed that far yet). For phasing to truly be game-changing, it needs to be able to make sweeping changes to the player experience. What this all boils down to is this: why not phase the whole of Azeroth? If some world-changing event is ahead, make it so that level 80-90 players see a different kind of world. What if the Crossroads were in ruins or you suddenly had high-level mobs in the newbie zones? Those are simple examples, but they could scale with the amount of work Blizzard feels they want to put into it. It's the Battle for the Undercity on a much greater level! Of course, that does present some problems to overcome. Specifically, how two such versions of Azeroth can exist concurrently. Blizzard isn't completely shy about fudging the timeline (which would explain how Kael'Thas could exist as an uber raid boss in Tempest Keep and in his weaker, defeated form in Magister's Terrace at the same time), and you could argue that's necessary in a persistent-world MMO like Warcraft, but there are more practical concerns. For instance, would it be possible for a level 80+ character to return to the old version of Azeroth and how would that even be justified in the lore? What if they want to play with or help our some of their low-level buds, who they wouldn't be able to see in the phased version of the world? Would things like auction houses be connected across the great 4th-dimensional abyss? The disconnect between gameplay and practicality does eventually reach the point of becoming undesirable if you stretch players' suspension of disbelief too far. Nonetheless, I can think of at least one solution, as cliche as it might be: portals. WoW lore does have a few built-in fail safes for things like this. We already know there are alternate versions of Azeroth, like that of the Emerald Dream. And then there's the possibility of the Infinite Dragonflight finally finding success in corrupting the timeline, resulting in a completely different chain of events. Areas, or possibilities like these, can be accessed through special gateways opened up by the dragonflights in their attempt to restore order. What sorts of ideas might you readers have for this sort of thing? Is phasing a viable option? Would you be willing to excuse the lore to explore an alternate version of Azeroth at any cost, or should it have to jive with the existing story line? Let us know what you think in the comments section!

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