Project Lore

BlizzCon! Rumors incoming! With BlizzCon less than two weeks away there is no surprise that we are starting to see leaks and rumors. MMO-Champion had reported on the races first with their data mining showing new Halloween masks that featured Goblin and Worgen races (of both sexes) and then pixiestixy brought us news today that WoW.com confirmed this information with sources close to the company, and specifically that Goblin will be Horde and Worgen will be Alliance. To be quite honest, this news is a little underwhelming. This doesn't specifically add content outside of the starting zones and is quite a bit of work (all items have to be remodeled/skinned for these new races) for something that really doesn't ADD to the gameplay (argue all you want but it's merely a cosmetic upgrade). With the races apparently set in stone (we will know for sure at BlizzCon) I find that to be disappointing. The announcement of Blood Elves and Draenei had a much stronger impact because of the classes that you could use with those races, which were previously exclusive to the Horde (Shaman) and Alliance (Paladin). Blizzard really should make these races start out neutral (can't interact with any Alliance/Horde player characters) and either the actions you take through your questing will decide your faction at, say level 20, or you just flat out get to choose. With faction transfers incoming, this would seem to be a logical extension of that model and where Blizzard wants to make the game as accessible and varied as possible. This alongside the lore implications that both these races are (generally) faction nuetral. Based on past experience though I am inclined to believe that the new races are in the next expansion. We knew about Burning Crusade days before BlizzCon 2005 and BlizzCon 2007's announcement of Wrath of the Lich King was known a few days before as well. Funny though was that when I picked up my press badge that year they gave me a program guide with all the details about WotLK (which hadn't been officially announced) so that kind of killed the suspense of the opening ceremony but it was nice to see that the rumors were true. With BlizzCon so close I expect to see a lot more "rumors" pop up, at this point be skeptical of nearly everything from this point on and we will all know August 21st (and we hope to see you there!)! Let us know what you'd like to see related to the new races, do you think picking your faction in game (rather than associated race) would be a good idea? What kind of ideas do you have if they continue down this path of alternating race/class additions every other expansion?

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The Man Himself, Alexandros Mograine The Novel Post is ProjectLore's review column for materials - books, manga, comics, card games, etc - of World of Warcraft's Extended Universe.  As such the column's posts are likely to have plot, character or other spoilers. The fabled Ashbringer sword may be new to some of you, but the sword has been known to World of Warcrafter's, in some way, since the title was released so long ago.  Those who are new to the MMORPG likely focus their lust upon Frostmourne, but Ashbringer was the first weapon with a detailed story inside WoW (not Warcraft III, WoW).  After realizing that one of the title's most epic stories may have been missed by the majority of players, Blizzard recanted the tale as part of the Death Knight starting area.  Those of us who couldn't wait for Wrath's to release, or simply had no intention of playing a Death Knight, had another route, the World of Warcraft: Ashbringer mini-series from Wildstorm. It's unknown who designed and wrote the Death Knight quests that involve the Mograine and Fordring storylines, but Micky Neilson's (Senior Writer & Voice Director for Blizzard) vision of them are absolutely superb.  Neilson doesn't simply touch upon the Ashbringer's power.  He begins his story well before that, before the weapon was even forged by Dwarven hands.  Political shenanigans, character development, backdrop and backstory are the main plot devices in the incredibly busy introduction.  It isn't until the second half of the first installment that Alexandros gets to lay his hands on the socketed item, and not a moment too soon. Looks Like He Dropped The Poison In The Middle Of The Room... Ashes to Ashes, the appropriately named second issue, continues all of the previous material including the ultimate separation of the rich Scarlet Crusade and the Argent Dawn as we know them today.  The final betrayal of Alexandros by his elder son Renault is the obvious climax here, and a thing of beauty.  Not only does Neilson describe the dastardly deed in great detail, with the help of the superb art, but he continues the confrontation through flashbacks that Alexandros has while being placed under the control of Kel'Thuzad.  The added scenes complete the betrayal, making it far more painful than a simple death.  A fact that causes the fall of Ashbringer to Corrupted Ashbringer. The third chapter revolves around the Darion-led Argent Dawn excursion into the intimidating Naxxramas.  Its entirely dedication to action till the last few pages, causing the story to progress very little.  However the confrontation between the Scarlet Highlord's two sons is nothing short of showstopping.  A defining moment in the comic, and the Ashbringer storyline, for me.  And it even explains why Alexandros Mograine is no longer present in today's incarnation of Naxxramas. The token instancing (and wiping) distraction was followed up with the another round of back story and character development for a name many of us know well, Tirion Fordring.  As the current owner of Ashbringer he's a character I expected to see some focus on, but that didn't truly come to pass.  Instead Tirion snatches the fabled sword away from the Scourge only after Darion made the ultimate sacrifice for his father.  One that may or may not have been successful at releasing the trapped soul of Alexandros, as far as the comic is concerned. Ashbringer's pacing is truly the only complaint I can levy upon the comic from a Warcraft players standpoint.  Although the Ashbringer is a relatively new tale in the Warcraft canon, meaning far younger than Frostmourne, we've been introduced to a lot of the specifics.  Nielson's story, while incredibly strong and highly emotional, is weighed down by the bumpy pacing.  Ashbringer starts off incredibly busy, then hits a lull for nearly two issues, ramp up for a few pages before more yawn and then the final culmination. Positive On Which Side? If I was to try to review Ashbringer without previous knowledge of the back lore, as a normal comic reader would, then the highlight would likely have been on the art, and not the story.  Ludo Lullabi and Tony Washington perform beautifully together, and their skills highlight much of Nielson's story.  However, a non-Warcraft player would miss out on tons of cameos, nods to different storylines and the high arc tri-faction war (mortals vs Scourge vs Burning Legion) would go right over their head. Nevertheless, if you are into comics and Warcraft then Ashbringer is a must have, especially now that it's in a mass market paperback edition.  If you fancy yourself a lore nerd then you also need to pick up this masterful mini-series. That's how Varimathras got a hold of the plague.  That willy bastard.

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It's been about four months since the last one, but the latest edition of the Blizzcast, Blizzard Entertainment's official podcast, has finally arrived! The good news (at least for our readers) is that it focuses exclusively on the World of Warcraft, namely the events of Patch 3.2. The bad news? It's all stuff that we've more or less heard before (and it's a bit on the short side to boot, clocking in around 22 1/2 minutes). Nevertheless, it doesn't hurt to expand upon your knowledge of all the new content. Remember, knowledge is half the battle! Episode 10 is hosted by WoW Community Team member Zarhym and his guests are Lead Encounter Designer Scott Mercer and Senior Game Designer Dave Maldonado. Topics covered include the new 5-man instance and raid zones, dailies associated with the Argent Tournament, the questionable mortality of the Black Knight, and even the new Battleground, Isle of Conquest. Likewise, they go out of their way to show you how all of the 3.2-related gameplay elements are incorporated into the lore. It's all capped off with some brief talk about how pumped up they are to be attending Blizzcon. Unfortunately, there are no specific details about what they will or will not be showing beyond the fact that they are pants-wettingly excited to unveil something (to quote Mercer: "We’re of course showing off a lot of really, really, REALLY cool stuff"). It certainly wouldn't be Blizzcon without some really cool WoW-related stuff, now would it? If you care to listen to or download Episode 10, head on over to the official page of the Blizzcast. A full transcription is also available for those who would rather just skim the contents. Once you're done listening, come on back here and discuss! Any interesting points you'd like to comment on? Did you learn something? Or was it just boring? Would it be better if they had teased us with forthcoming content or a more extensive Blizzcon preview? Chime in below.

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It may come as no surprise since we've been speculating on this for quite some time, but it seems that folks over at WoW.com have confirmed from "multiple sources close to the situation" that the next expansion will be World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, and will include the Worgen and Goblin as playable races.

While Goblins have up until now remained neutral, with currency their only faction of choice, WoW.com reports that the Goblin will be playable for the Horde in the new expansion (Go Green!). We've already received a ton of feedback from our previous speculative posts on what the implications will be for having this wide-spread race specific to only one faction. What will happen to the neutral cities, such as Ratchet, where they are a mainstay? I suppose we'll find out with time - perhaps some of the Goblin NPCs will remain neutral, or maybe we'll see a major upheaval of some of those villages. It could make for some great new lore - not to mention the Great Sundering, which also should make for a fun expansion topic.

So that leaves the Worgen, who up until now have played a much smaller role than that of the Goblin. They apparently will be joining up with the Alliance. We've already seen a glimpse of what the female may look like through Halloween masks revealed a while back. Now it just makes me wonder if all the additional masks revealed later (murloc, Naga, plus already available playable races) may have just been added to throw us off the trail? Maybe they're just included because they inevitably will play a large role in an expansion about the Cataclysm. Or, perhaps we'll see a couple more playable races still (One can hope, right?).

All this is still very preliminary and I'll feel a lot better about the information once we've gotten some kind of official comment from Blizzard. But that likely won't come until BlizzCon - and hopefully we'll learn much, much more at that point. New playable races alone don't equal a full expansion, so I'm sure there will be plenty more to report on in the coming weeks. Until then, I'll be crossing my fingers that I will soon be able to play green!

What does everyone make of these leaks and the possible lore behind them? Would you play a Worgen or Goblin? How do you think Blizz will handle all the complications related to turning Goblins for the Horde?

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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! The last post on the Vials of Eternity stirred a lot of discussion about Nozdormu, so I thought this week I'd take the opportunity to outline a biography of Nozdormu and the history of the bronze dragonflight. When the Titans were shaping Azeroth, they created the five dragonflights from the great proto-dragon, Galakrond. The leaders of the dragonflights, called the Aspects, were each gifted with different powers by the Titans. Nozdormu and the bronze dragonflight were imbued by the leader of the Titans, Aman'thul, with the power to travel through time at a whim. To humble Nozdormu, and remind him he was not invincible, Nozdormu was also revealed the exact moment and method by which he would perish. The bronze dragonflight were tasked with making sure that everything in the world transpired according to fate. Dragons and mortals existed peacefully together until the War of the Ancients, which the dragons participated in after some coaxing. Neltharion betrayed the dragons and tricked them into pouring much of their power into an artifact called the Demon Soul, which was used against them. Neltharion, now known as Deathwing, banished the bronze, red, and green dragonflights from the battle and decimated the blue dragonflight. Ultimately, all of the dragonflights lost great numbers and the Demon Soul was captured from Deathwing. Nozdormu, Alexstrasza, and Ysera placed an enchantment on it so that it could never be used by dragonkind again and hid it far below the earth. They were still severally weaker from contributing so much of their power to the Demon Soul, and would be until it would be destroyed ten thousand years later. Following the reinstatement of the Well of Eternity, Ysera gifted the night elves with the World Tree Nordrassil. Nozdormu, The Timeless One, blessed the tree so that night elves would never age past their prime, giving the night elves effective immortality. The bronze dragonflight was largely reclusive for the next nine thousand years, keeping to themselves in the Caverns of Time below Tanaris desert. Nine thousand years after the Sundering, the bronze dragons were approached by the night elves, who were concerned by the Qiraji's expansion. The bronze dragonflight didn't much care, until the Qiraji began approaching the Caverns of Time. The bronze dragonflight and many other dragons assisted in what became known as The War of the Shifting Sands. The Qiraji were sealed behind The Scarab Wall, and the world was again at peace. It was only another thousand years before the bronze dragonflight was again roused to interfere in the world's events. An orcish warlock by the name of Nekros was able to recover the Demon Soul and used it to enslave Alexstrasza, the red dragon Aspect. Korialstrasz was able to find the highly reclusive Nozdormu and begged him to help. Nozdormu was less than happy, and refused on the basis that this was the way events were fated to unfold. It wasn't until the green dragon Aspect, Ysera, called upon him did Nozdormu and the bronze dragonflight decide to intervene. Malygos, who also refused at first, also joined. At the great Battle of Grim Batol, the Demon Soul was destroyed, restoring the power to the Aspects, and Deathwing was chased into hiding. With their power returned, the bronze dragonflight began to venture into the world once more. After the third war and the destruction of Nordrassil, the night elves attempted to form a new world tree, Teldrassil. Unlike the first world tree, none of the Aspects would bless the selfish request of the night elves to regain their immortality. Without Nozdormu's blessing, the night elves would begin to age again. As for the events starting with World of Warcraft, Nozdormu has been missing for some time now. In his stead, Anachronos leads the bronze dragonflight and a subfaction of the bronze dragons known as the Brood of Nozdormu. When the Qiraji began to arise again, Anachronos sought out a champion to assemble the Scepter of the Shifting Sands to reopen the gates of Ahn'Qiraj. The bronze dragonflight again helped the mortals fight the insects, and the Qiraji were defeated. Additionally, Chronormu, also known as Chromie, was assisted by players at Andorhal investigating how the Scourge was meddling with the flow of time there, as well as helping them rewrite the events of The Battle of Darrowshire to prevent the corruption of Redpath. Once the Burning Crusade started, Soridormi, Nozdormu's consort, called upon mortals to stop a mysterious band of dragons known as the Infinite Dragonflight from intervening in past events. A faction of bronze dragons, known as the Keepers of Time, have helped ensure the outcome of the opening of the dark portal, Thrall's escape from Durnholde, and the culling of Stratholme. A third faction of bronze dragons, the Scale of the Sands, help ensure the outcome of the Battle of Mount Hyjal. As of Wrath of the Lich King, Nozdormu is still on some secretive mission. Players who visit the Bronze Dragonshrine where the bronze dragons are battling the Infinite Dragonflight throughout time use an item to reveal the leader of the Infinite Dragonflight, but surprisingly, Nozdormu appears. There are several implications of this. It could be that Nozdormu is the leader of the Infinite Dragonflight. His motive could be to change events so that his demise, of which he knows the when and how, is prevented. Upon zoning into The Battle for Mount Hyjal, the bronze dragon Indormi comments: "Do you think the rumors about the Infinite Dragonflight are true? I've sensed it...the familiarity." This may be evidence that some bronze dragons may become infinite dragons in the future Additionally, during Children's Week, a blood elf orphan by the name of Salandria visits the Caverns of Time and nearly gets attacked by the dragons there. Zaladormu stops the dragons, saying that the orphan should not be held responsible for "things she might do or fail to do in the future". Salandria gets a toy dragon and says "someday I plan to own a real one" as players see the quest text "you can see the wheels in the small girl's head turning". She is taken under the "wing" of Lady Liadrin, leader of the blood knights, to train as a paladin. She may have some role in Nozdormu and the Infinite Dragonflight's scheme. The Infinite Dragonflight could also be an experiment of Deathwing, who engineered both the Chromatic Dragonflight and the Twilight Dragonflight. Deathwing is still in hiding, after all. Perhaps we will have to face off with Nozdormu as the leader of the Infinite Dragonflight, and maybe Soridormi will use her Vials of Eternity in some way. Only time will tell.

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We were one of the first to bring our readers an extensive, even exhausting (for me at least), look at everything the Argent Tournament had to offer upon its release.  The solo content of Patch 3.1 brought players a large collection of new quests, an original mode of play (jousting), the opportunity to make obtuse amounts of gold in a short time frame, an easy way to level up the old city factions and the Argent Crusade, mounts, pets and even the ability to gain reputation with the Silver Covenant/Sunreaver faction for the first time.  Save Threat From Above, it was an entirely soloable experience. In sticking with my plan, Solidsamm spent a good amount of time in Icecrown getting a feel for the new quests, flying around the updated tournament grounds, and taking in the sights.  If you've just decided to tackle the Argent Tournament for the first time then be sure to check out the original guide.  The following only pertains to the newest quests additions.  These quests are only accessible if you are Exalted with the associated factions.  You can check your standing with any of the factions by checking your Reputation pane (default 'U') or by viewing your Argent Tournament Achievements (default 'Y' then select World Events and scroll to Argent Tournament). Most of these tasks are located very close to the Argent Tournament.  However, there are a few exceptions were Blizzard saw fit to send us out on our flying mounts, such as Breakfast of Champions' Storm Peaks run.  Assuming you still want to do the four dailies from Patch 3.1 (still offer the most money), you'll now have the opportunity to gain a guaranteed 10 Champion's Seals a day to put towards the new loot.  I'm already working towards my new squire. Overall, it appears that the quests are designed better than before thanks to the everyone being randomly assigned five of the jobs below.  No more Battle Before The Citadel-type lag sessions. <Crusader> Quests: You'll randomly be assigned two of these.  Generally, they send you off to kill a non-elite named target that respawns very quickly.

• Deathspeaker Kharos - Kharos is camped out with his underlings directly west of the tournament grounds.  You can take him out as you are hunting for Black Cage Keys for You've Really Done It This Time, Kul.
• Drottinn Hrothgar - Drottinn is the leader of the Kvaldir that exterminated the Tuskarr settlement, which was recently discovered directly north of the grounds.  He's located by the three heads (Tuskarr impressions of Easter Island statues) on the eastern part of the Hrothgar's Landing island.  The heads are viable on the map of the island.
• Get Kraken! - We're off to support the Sunreaver and Silver Covenant naval forces in this one.  On your way towards Hrothgar's Landing you'll see the boats under assault by Kvaldir raiding parties, and even Kraken that they have found a way to control.  Fear not, you're tasked with raining fire upon the wicked from the seat of an Argent Hippogryph, so the quest is as easy as the rest.  Just don't forget to get on said mount!
• Mistcaller Yngvar - Found in a cave located on the west side of Hrothgar's Landing.  You must use the provided trinket to reveal him before he can be easily dispatched.
• Ornolf The Scarred - Ornolf isn't anymore challenging than the rest of the named mobs, but you'll want to clear the boat a bit before you challenge him.  His ship, Bor's Fury, is located in the southeast area of the island you're sure to become so found of.
• The Fate Of The Fallen - This quest sends you the farthest away from the grounds of any of the <Crusader> unlocks.  It's also the most difficult to figure out exactly where to go, as theIronwall Rampart is not labeled on the interactive map.  Just head directly east of Aldur'thar (it's labeled on your map, and is southeast of The Shadow Vault) and you'll see the needed crystals and mobs on the ground.  There is no need to even fight anything.

<A Silver Confidant>/<The Sunreaver> Quests:  You'll be randomly assigned three of these, bringing your total up to five new dailies a day, nine overall.  Unlike the <Crusader> unlocks, these quests are more involved and tend to send your farther away from the grounds.

• A Leg Up - Apparently the Kvaldir were hungry, so they stole some of the food en route to the grounds.  Thanks to the chilly weather up in Icecrown the food stays fresh even though its strewn across Hrothgar's Landing.  If floor pie meat isn't to your liking, then you can always thin the Kvaldir ranks for some untainted meat.  Snob.
• Breakfast Of Champions - Mmm Wheaties.  Wait, the Jormungar eat their own larval young?  What are they sharks?  To keep the Dune-inspired creatures healthy, so we can kill them in the Coliseum, we have to feed them their own species' eggs.  Eggs which are located dead center of Storm Peaks - as in outside of Icecrown.  Enjoy the lengthiest trip the patch has to offer.
• Gormok Wants His Snobolds - You're off to Storm Peaks once again.  This time you'll be slightly closer to home.  Head over to Garm's Bane, just northeast of K3, and capture some Snobolds to put the blubbering baby to bed.  I guess even giant monsters can have "binkies."
• Rescue At Sea - You'll come across the besieged The Wavecrest as you head up the east side of the strait to Hrothgar's Run.  Board the ship and drop the seaweed filled creatures.  Beware of the Krakens though.  They have a knockback that can put you in the drink, and thus, in their reach.  Perhaps the riskiest of the quests.
• Stop The Aggressors - Kill 10 Kvaldir; the new school Training in the Field + two.
• The Light's Mercy - This follows The Fate Of The Fallen, only now you are praying over the fallen Tuskarr on the island to the north.  Again, no need to even fight.
• What Do You Feed A Yeti, Anyway? - In celebration of Shark Week Blizzard has us tossing fresh chum, located on the boats, into the North Sea to attract sharks, or even a Kvaldir.  The drop rate on the shark meat (and seemingly all other quest drops) is 100%.
• You've Really Done It This Time, Kul - Head directly west to Deathspeaker's Watch, run by Deathspeaker Kharos, and kill mobs until you have saved four Aspirants.  You'll need a fifth key to free Kul, whom is located on the right side of a raised platform.  If you spot the body of The Black Knight, then you've found the correct platform.  Like the Isle of Quel'Danas key daily, the keys are not 100% drop rate.

There you have it, a breakdown and easy-to-navigate guide for the Argent Tournament's new daily quests.  I guess all the jousting ideas went into the instances, as none of the dailies have you mount a stead. Once more, if you aren't Exalted with the factions you will not be able to partake in these quests! And yes, The Black Knight has returned, and he's even more powerful than ever.  You can start his new questline by picking up The Black Knight's Curse from the main tent.

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Just now, Blizzard's official Call of the Crusade page was updated to include the Patch 3.2 Trailer along with a summary of what the latest content patch brings to World of Warcraft. The trailer shows brief clips of a bunch of different boss encounters in both the 5-man instance and the new raid instance. Unfortunately, it doesn't include nearly as much lore or even any dialogue like the Patch 3.1 Secrets of Ulduar Trailer did. I suppose it is at least a bone thrown our way in order to hold us off for just a couple more hours before the realms come up, but I wish there was that little bit of back story besides, "The Argent Crusade calls and the players answer." It may have just been a last minute highlight reel from the PTR to appeal to those who wanted a trailer for 3.2, but given the quality of both Wrathgate and the 3.1 trailer, I am pretty disappointed. Other than the trailer, there's also a nice desktop background available for download to show off the latest and greatest content in WoW. What are your thoughts on the short video that Blizzard published?

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Proverb is a 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!

The Great Sundering

One of the lore-richest eras in Warcraft history is the War of the Ancients, in large part due to the trilogy by Richard A. Knaak. I confess that I have only read the first book in the trilogy, but I am working on the rest. The War of the Ancients took place about 10,000 years ago. In short, a sect of night elf sorcerers, called Highborne, wielded arcane energy using the power of a body of water called the Well of Eternity to summon the Burning Legion into the Azeroth, and a great war ensued. The origin of the well is unclear; some sources claim that the Titans created the well when they were shaping Azeroth, but this conflicts with some of the implications in the War of the Ancients trilogy. In any case, it was a endless fount of magical energies that attracted the interests of demons and sorcerers alike. When the war between mortals and demons came to the Well at the Battle of Zin'Azshari, Illidan Stormrage filled seven vials with waters from the well. When the night elves were able to seal off the demonic portal at the Well, a great cataclysm occurred, called The Great Sundering of the world (also referred to as The Cataclysm, which is why most people are certain that this will be the theme of the next WoW expansion). The single continent of Kalimdor shattered into several land masses, and the Well of Eternity became a swirling vortex in the center of the Great Sea known as the Maelstrom. Illidan created a second Well of Eternity on the top of Mount Hyjal using three vials from the original Well. The night elves condemned the creation of a second Well, as reckless use of the first one nearly destroyed Azeroth. Illidan was condemned to confinement, and was not released until about 10,000 years later, during the Third War. At some point, he gave one of the vials to the Highborne, which ended up in the hands of Dath'Remar Sunstrider. Dath'Remar and the Highborne were exiled, and fled to the east. They washed up in Tirisfal and founded the new high elven nation of Quel'thalas. There, they built the wondrous city of Silvermoon and used Dath'Remar's vial to create the Sunwell. I suppose his jailers didn't think to search his body, as he seems to have retained the remaining 3 vials during his imprisonment. Soridormi later claims in the Burning Crusade that they were thought to be lost, but it doesn't seem like they looked very hard. Upon his release and exile from Kalimdor, and his defeat at the hands of Arthas, Illidan fled to Outland with with new lieutenants, Kael'thas Sunstrider and Lady Vashj. Kael'thas became the second in the Sunstrider dynasty to posses a vial, though players in The Burning Crusade recover this vial and the one held by Lady Vashj and give them to Soridormi, who uses them to create the portal in the Caverns of Time that goes to the Battle of Mount Hyjal. The vials were not consumed, and Soridormi retains these two vials. The final vial is not quite accounted for, as Illidan should have been the possessor. Illidan was killed by players at the Temple of Karabor (Black Temple), and his vial was not mentioned. It is unclear if he really held the vial at the time of his death or if he chose another person to claim it, or if he even lost it. It is possible that someone else claimed the vial after his death. If the next expansion really is Maelstrom based, I predict we will see the three remaining vials again. With Nozdormu's possible insanity and his possible role of leader of the Infinite Dragonflight, Soridormi may play a major role. I bet Nozdormu will eventually need to be defeated, and with the theme of the former site of the first Well of Eternity, maybe we will see the current Hyjal open to players and Azshara may have some nefarious scheme with the vials. Thanks for the comments on the last post! I always learn a lot from our readers, so keep helping me learn about the history of Warcraft. Let me know what you want to see in future editions of Proverb, and if you like more speculation or my recounting of the lore.

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Proverb is a column discussing the lore of Warcraft. Comment and let us know what you would like to see in future columns! Many lore-minded players have likely heard about the new Druid quest in patch 3.2 for Horde players. It starts in Dalaran, and it involves a badly injured warrior by the name of Aponi Brightmane who wants to return to fight the Scourge. When players arrive in Thunder Bluff, Aponi speaks with Tahu Sagewind, a Druid. Their conversation touches on the history of Tauren druidism, notably Mu'sha. The full text is provided below, with what I think are the important parts in bold: Aponi Brightmane says: Talk to me, Tahu. Something. Anything! I'm going stir-crazy. Tahu Sagewind laughs softly. Tahu Sagewind says: All right, Aponi. I've enough on my mind to share. Have you ever spoken to the elves of Moonglade? Aponi Brightmane says: Not much. Tahu Sagewind says: The elves speak of a moon goddess, did you know? They put great stock in the light given by the moon. Aponi Brightmane says: Like Mu'sha. Tahu Sagewind says: Just like her. The parallels I've heard are interesting. And it's no secret all druids, Shu'halo and elf alike, can call upon Mu'sha's light. Aponi Brightmane says: Where are you going with this? Tahu Sagewind says: I wonder. Hamuul has guided us well, and I've learned so much from him. The legends sasy that our people were druids when time began... Aponi Brightmane says: I hear the "but" in your voice... Tahu Sagewind says: ...but what Hamuul teaches is what the elves know. The night elves. They put such stock in their moon goddess, as creatures of the night. Aponi Brightmane says: Do you think his teachings are wrong? Tahu Sagewind says: No! No, nothing like that. He is an elder for good reason, sister. Mu'sha is one of the Earthmother's eyes, and she watches over us. That isn't sinister. Tahu Sagewind says: But we're nothing if not people who strive for balance. Our warriors fight only when there is need. Our hunters take only what the tribes require to live, and use all they can when they do. The shaman stand as guide and mediator to the elemental spirits. Tahu Sagewind says: And while we, as druids, are guardians of nature, I wonder if we've overlooked a key aspect of balance in all things. Aponi Brightmane says: So are you going to bring this up to the elder? Tahu Sagewind says: No, no. No need for him to trouble about a student's idle philosophizing while he entertains a friend. Aponi Brightmane says: I suppose so. It's not silly, though, what you said. Tahu Sagewind says: Well, it isn't exactly a new thought, sister. Aponi Brightmane says: I see that thoughtful frown, Tahu. Tahu Sagewind says: Sorry, sister. Its nothing to worry about. Aponi Brightmane says: But something is on your mind, right? Tahu Sagewind says: I'm thinking about the front to the north. The one you're so eager to return to. Aponi Brightmane says: What about it? Tahu Sagewind says: I know I'm counseling patience, Aponi, but I don't like remaining here any more than you do. Times are bleak, and failing to act only makes me worry that my idle hand may have been the one to turn the tide. Tahu Sagewind says: Still... there is balance in all things, even death. I simply hate the concept that such destruction and darkness might be necessary. Aponi Brightmane says: There's a phrase... "Its always darkest before the dawn." The dawn will come, though, Tahu. The sun will rise. The balance will shift back to where it should be. Aponi Brightmane smiles and gestures to the north. Aponi Brightmane says: Even on the glacier itself, the sun manages to peek through the gloom. I have hope, Tahu. I think we'll make it through this, no matter how dire it looks. Aponi Brightmane says: But I'd still rather be there on the front lines helping it happen rather than trying to placate myself with belief. We can't just sit around and hope it happens. Tahu Sagewind says: I know, sister. I know. We'll return to fighting one day. For now, though, maybe it's best to spread the word to others... give them the hope you have. Aponi Brightmane says: And through that hope, strengthen our side in the fight? Tahu Sagewind says: That's the idea. The quest is unfinished and we don't know if it will be extended before patch 3.2 goes live. However, there are LOTS of references to the sun and "a new dawn" in there, even when they aren't talking about An'she. It is generally accepted that Malfurion Stormrage was the first (mortal) Druid, and the druidism that the Tauren speak of that they claim predates Malfurion is false or in a drastically different form from Cenarius' teachings. In fact, the latter might be the case, with the Tauren originally practicing an entirely different form of druidism focused on some form of the light. It could be that An'she and/or Mu'sha (Elune to the night elves) are actually Naaru, and Tauren could come to wield the holy light through the worship of the Earth Mother. Tauren mythology claims that An'she, the goddess of the sun, was an eye of the Earth Mother, ripped out and tossed through the cosmos, perused by the Earth Mother's other eye, the goddess Mu'sha/Elune. We could see all of this develop. Currently the only Horde race capable of being Paladins are blood elves, and it could be that Blizzard would like to expand that to give Horde players more of a choice. The other obvious conclusion would be that a new type of druid may be in the works. Druids already come in many flavors in the Warcraft mythology. Druids of the Sun could be a real possibly, and this could be a new hero class in the expansion. Most players agree that "Arch Druids" would simply be "super Druids" and would leave no room for regular druids in the game. Current druids are "Druids of the Wild" and are focused on shapeshifting, while Druids of the Sun could be something completely new. Blizzard has stated that they don't want new classes to simply be hybrids of other classes. I don't know what precisely a Druid of the Sun would do. They could come up with a whole new resource system outside of mana, like they did with Death Knights, to make the class very unique. In addition, it makes sense for Death Knights to be any race, but most other classes that players theorize about should have race restrictions, so I don't think this idea is too far out. With most players looking to the Maelstrom and the Emerald Dream in the theoretical new expansion "Cataclysm", its likely that Night Elf and Druid lore could play a major role. I think either or even both of the conclusions I discussed could happen. As for other races, we could also see Dlood Elf Druids. There were high elf druids prior to the second war who erected the Runestones which hid the elven magic from the Burning Legion, as well as protected Quel'thalas from attack from Arthas during the third war. They wielded the powers of nature through the arcane, and many of them became high elven rangers. Some half-elven druids became more feral and turned into savagekin. The high elven rangers that we raised by the Scourge became Dark Rangers, who turned to shadow magic instead of natural magic for their powers. It seems that some blood elves kept up the practice, such as High Botanist Freywinn and many of the Bloodwarder and Sunseeker blood elves currently (previously?) in the Botanica of Tempest Keep. It could be that from their redeemed light-given powers from M'uru and A'dal and the revelations of the Tauren studying the light, blood elves players could see druidism in their future. The line from the dialog "strengthen our side in the fight" really makes me think this may be the case. As for the Alliance, Wildhammer Dwarves are sort of back in the Alliance with an Alliance friendly base in Aerie Peak as well as their gryphon riders in Outland. Wildhammer dwarves are known to often worship nature and the elements and become druids and Shaman. Allowing Alliance players to create Wildhammer Dwarves of these classes would open up the number of races able to be Druids and Shaman in the Alliance to two, a perfect analog to Blood Elf druids and Tauren Paladins. Finally, perhaps this means we will see the Cenarian Circle join the fight in Icecrown. It would make the Icecrown Citadel fight even more epic. What do you think? Is this a red herring, or are these clues to a bigger development? As the Tauren NPCs say, may the eternal sun shine upon thee!

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As you're reading this, the maintenance period for patch 3.1 has been extended, but very shortly, the gates of Ulduar will be opened, Emalon the Storm Watcher will start giving out free purples to whoever controls Wintergrasp, and duel specs will be live! Keep in mind that your talent points will be reset and you should probably take care of that before entering Ulduar. If you haven't already, go watch the official cinematic trailer. Note that it does contain spoilers if you have not completed the Wrathgate questline. Here are my observations from the trailer:

• Jaina Proudmoore has a new (old?) face! Instead of using the standard human female face model, she now has her own face that looks much more like her old model in Warcraft III. I've never played an Alliance character so I'm not too familiar with her "old" "WoW face" and like this new one much better.

• Garrosh Hellscream is one hotheaded little Mag'har orc. For being such a pansy when he was chilling in Nagrand, he is certainly taking after Grom.

• The Horde/Alliance conflict is being featured quite prominently. It makes me want to transfer back to a PvP server. It reinforces my suspicions that 3.2 may not contain a major raid and be PvP oriented.

• It is heavily implied that Yogg-Saron has influence over both Garrosh Hellscream and Varian Wrynn. I wonder if we will see a parallel of Grom Hellscream breaking free of the Burning Legion's influence by killing Mannoroth with Garrosh and King Varian. Not likely; maybe down the line leading us into the next expansion.

• Rhonin finally speaks! Rhonin is quite an epic character in the lore and seeing him play an active and audible role is awesome.

What is the first thing everyone is going to do in patch 3.1? Join up with your guild and hit Ulduar? Argent Tournament? Learn dual spec?

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