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| The Abyssal Maw |
Proverb is a rare yet delicious 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!
Worldofwarcraft.com updated their official
Cataclysm page with
more information about the
Abyssal Maw a few weeks ago:
Azeroth's native elementals wreaked havoc across the world while they were under the influence of the Old Gods.
To keep Azeroth safe from these threats, the titans imprisoned the Old Gods underground and banished the savage elementals to the titan-constructed Elemental Plane, a secure dominion where the elementals could dwell without harming Azeroth.
Four domains were created within this primordial realm to serve as ideal environments for each type of elemental. For ages since, the elementals of air, water, earth, and fire have engaged in endless strife with each other, waging titanic battles in the confines of their realm. One of the Elemental Plane's domains, a vast ocean known as the Abyssal Maw, is home to the water elementals. Legend says that Neptulon the Tidehunter, the powerful being who rules over the aquatic realm, possesses a potent weapon that allows its owner to control the very seas of Azeroth. Thus far, the artifact has remained secure inside the water elementals' domain... but that will soon change.
Within Deepholm, the domain of the earth elementals, the malefic Dragon Aspect Deathwing is on the verge of executing a catastrophic act: to burst forth from the Elemental Plane into Azeroth. Doing so will ravage the surface of the world and breach the barrier that separates Azeroth from the elementals' realm. Whether Neptulon and his subjects have entered into an alliance with Deathwing remains unknown. Regardless, if Deathwing's actions create an opening into the Abyssal Maw, nefarious and honorable factions alike will seek out the fabled weapon carried by Neptulon. Whoever secures the artifact will have control over the world's seas, a power that perhaps no one, not even members of the Horde or the Alliance, should possess.
Here is what we know so far about the Abyssal Maw and Neptulon.
Neptulon is the elemental lord of water. He has dominion over all water in Azeroth. The
Great Sea,
Bloodvenom River, the wishing well in Dalaran, and
Thrall's personal shower included. This can be bad, seeing as the elemental lords like to spend their free time chatting with Old Gods about how to return the titan-ordered world of Azeroth back into chaos. However, his banishment into the elemental plane severely limits his influence over the mortal world, though he is able to exert some influence. The elemental lords now enjoy attempting to exterminate each other, but for now the elements remain somewhat in balance.
The Abyssal Maw, where Neptulon now resides after being banished from Azeroth by the Titans, is the oceanic region of the Elemental Plane. The Elemental Plane is a small, spherical "planet" located somewhere in the
Twisting Nether. In that sense, it is not so different than
Draenor. However, the elements battle for supremacy, making the realm very chaotic, much as Azeroth was before the Titans arrived. Neptulon takes great pleasure in tearing at the rocky beaches of Deepholm, the earthen realm of the Elemental Plane where
Therazane rules and Deathwing currently resides.
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| The appropriately named Firelands |
Deepholm is the only land region in the Elemental Plane, a singular continent surrounded by the Abyssal Maw. Below the Abyssal Maw and Deepholm lies the
Firelands, where
Ragnaros reigns. Ragnaros and the fire elementals constantly try to break through into Deepholm, but their volcanoes are constantly sealed by the earth elementals. Neptulon enjoys invading the realm of Ragnaros as well. The last region of the elemental plane is somewhat separated from the others, as it is high above the other three realms. It is the realm
Skywall, where
Al'Akir watches over the rest of the Elemental Planes. He is said to be the
weakest of the four elemental lords, and he takes great pleasure in tormenting Ragnaros and the fire elementals as well as Therazane's realm, which borders the Abyssal Maw with some rocky beaches.
In part 2, we'll look at what Ragnaros and Neptulon have been up to in WoW and what their plans are for Cataclysm, as well as this fabled weapon that Neptulon might have.. Stay tuned!
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