Project Lore

Project Lore has been a bit hung up on the whole Arthas/Lich King tandem of late.  And why not.  Blizzard has been trickling information on patch 3.3 for over a week now.  Between the model updates - which elude to an awesome in-game Icecrown event - character bios refreshes and general patch updates, there's no better time to get excited. Earlier this week I posed the question, "How do you want Arthas to die?" Only one clear cut morsel of information came of that discussion; that the playerbase isn't in agreement that he should die.  Pixiestixy asked the perfect follow-up question, "Is Arthas capable of redemption?" Before you jump to your conclusion, here's all the well-known people he's screwed over the course of his life, including that as the Lich King: Jaina Proudmoore:  Jaina grew up with pretty boy Arthas, making her one of the few people, that still breaths, to know him through the course of his tumultuous life.  The leader ofTheramore loved the man, only to be pushed away by him during their formative years.  It's at this time that Arthas begins slipping, making ever worse decisions, and all Jaina was able to do was deny helping him.  The budding student of Dalaran witnessed his descent into obsession.  She was even party to some of his acts.  But she never once tried to stop his acts, not even in Stratholme, leaving the proud mage with an immense amount of guilt on her conscious. Even more soul crushing, Jaina knew him when he was good, a true bearer of the Light.  A believer.  That's something she is hell bent on returning, a good, true, loving Arthas.  Hopefully her emotions and feelings don't cloud her judgement if there's no alternative, or if her very life is on the line. Sylvanas Windrunner:  Jaina may agonize over Arthas for knowing him when he was good, but Sylvanas has only known the bad.  The two females have entirely different views of the man; Jaina reveres him as a man who lost his way, whileSylvanas despises him for destroying her home.  Ruining Sylvanas ' way of life wasn't enough.  Instead of turning her into one of the mindless undead, Arthas decided to teach her a lesson for standing up to his Scourge army.  Upon her death he allowed her to retain her memories as a banshee, but he remained able to bend her to his will when needed. That's until she broke free from his control, attempted to murder him (obviously failed), founded the Forsaken, and now continues to seek her revenge. It has already been confirmed that these two leading ladies will be partaking in the assault on Icecrown Citadel. Muradin Bronzebeard:  Muradin is in much the same position as Jaina, only without the sex (we hope).  The former Ambassador to Lordaeron helped train the young Arthas, enabling the prince to become a well-versed warrior in a variety of weapons.  Muradin was witness to some of the worst atrocities Arthas committed in his quest to rid the world of Mal'ganis, including stranding his men on Northrend, and murdering the very mercenaries who helped him get that far. If seeing your student go completely insane isn't enough to tear someone apart, how about a shard of ice through the chest?  That's exactly what Muradin was treated to when he tried to stop Arthas from retrieving Frostmourne and forever becoming bound to the Lich King.  Muradin has never been the same since. Muradin will be in attendance for the Icecrown Citadel festivities. Tirion Fordring: The next three people don't have much beef with Arthas directly.  They just happen to hate the Scourge with more venom than anyone else on Azeroth.  Fordring was one of the original members of the Knights of the Silver Hand before being exiled for saving a greenskin. During the Third War he routinely dispatched minions of the Scourge army to protect his small farmstead and trail his son.  Upon his son's death, Tirion set his mind to destroying the threat, the Lord of the Scourge.  To accomplish this goal he brought the old Knights of the Silver Hand and the Argent Dawn under a new banner, the Argent Crusade, that has been bolstered by the death knight faction, Knights of the Ebon Blade.  He continues to run the faction. Darion/Alexandros Mograine:  This father and son duo also lack a direct hatred of Arthas.  As both former Scourge minions, and wielders of Ashbringer, the pair still pose a threat.  Darion remains steadfast in his quest to eliminate the Lich King, while Alexandros' fate isn't known as of now.  It's suspected that Darion saved his father from the clutches of The Dark One when he impaled himself on Ashbringer, but it has not been confirmed. Their tales are told in-depth in the excellent one-shot comic by Wildstorm, World of Warcraft: Ashbringer.  Highlord Darion Mograine is another confirmed raiding member. Varok Saurfang: Saurfang is one of the more recent high profile characters to mix it up with the Dark Lord of the Dead.  He first got on the Lich King's tail when he was sent to lead the Horde warparty in Northrend.  Initially just a routine station, it became personal for Varok after his son, Saurfang the Younger, was killed by the Lich King during the battle of Angrathar the Wrathgate. The newcomer in the Lich King's matrix will be aboard Orgrim's Hammer for the horde encounter. Kil'jaeden:  The current leader of the Burning Legion isn't a nice guy.  He doesn't take failure very well, and he doesn't enjoy people turning against him.  Ner'zhul, whom was the original Lich King, and later one-half of the being, managed to fail and then betray his master.  That's two strikes when normally one is forty two too many.  Arthas himself was never a direct underling of The Beautiful One, but he was indirectly being controlled by manipulation through the nathrezim agents sent by Archimonde.  It's roundabout, but Kil'jaeden was ultimately the creator.  Like how Steve Jobs created the iPod. Kil'jaeden slips many people's minds when they think of the Lich King's enemies, but he'd love to possess the Lich King once more.  Or put him down for failing, and then betraying him.  Still, it's highly unlikely that the spotlight will return to the Burning Legion in this fashion, or any time soon. The list is in a specific order, my order of who deserves it the most.  I still believe that Jaina requires redemption more than anyone else.  You'll have to read the novel to understand all the intricacies, but she's been hurt by Arthas, when he was good and as he became bad, and then when he became the Lich King.  The triple threat.  She's also the only person on the list who isn't in it mainly for the revenge, but to try to save him.  She may gain something from saving his soul, but at least she'd be bringing a person back into the world, instead of dispatching one. I am fairly confident that that encompasses all of the major players.  If I've missed someone important, or overlooked a connection to another character, leave me a note in the comments or @iTZKooPA and I'll check it out.

Click to read more ...

Finally, subscribing to @Warcraft on Twitter has paid off.  Yesterday, Blizzard, by way of said Twitter account, updated all its followers with news that Jaina Proudmoore "needed new attire for an urgent upcoming event.  So our artists obliged."  Obliged indeed, but they didn't just stop at her attire (which is the same look, but appears to actually be fashioned armor, instead of squishy cloth). Jaina also received a much needed makeover, complete with a unique face.  The whole ensemble clocks in at a higher resolution (is that a belly button?!), giving the famed character all the glam and curves any NPC could ever want.  It's not exactly how the comics portray her though.  I am of course referring to the size of her...staff.  It's much taller than her in the comic...Yeap, the staff. /me looks around shifty-eyed. This is actually the Ruler of Theramore's second major update since her former lover became the focus of our attention.  The first being minor adjustments to her face and stomach.  She wants to save him so badly that she's resorted to cosmetic surgery to return him to the light! With Jaina all dolled up, the artists can now focus on some of the other leaders.  I don't know about you, but after almost five years I'd think Thrall would have replaced his gear.  Especially since he's been chasing Jaina all over Azeroth.  Even orcs should realize that human females enjoy men who change their outfits! A forum thread on the topic prompted Zarhym, everyone's favorite disembodied chattering head, to tease us with further Patch 3.3 details.  "We feel now is a very good time to get Jaina an update since her and Sylvanas will play key roles in the five-player Icecrown Citadel dungeon. That isn't to say other heroes will not receive similar treatment in the future. ;)" Seems safe to say that Jaina and Sylvanas will be appearing during the assault on Icecrown Citadel, and hopefully in the absolutely epic death of Arthas.  I hope I am not overselling the upcoming event, but I am quiet excited to see which direction Blizzard takes us.  After all, it'll be the culmination of Warcraft III's events, allowing us to progress into uncharted territory. Here's a link to the old image of Jaina for comparison.

Click to read more ...

Warning! This post is speculative and potentially spoiler-heavy. I won't lie. I've been cringing inside at the thought of Garrosh Hellscream replacing Thrall. How could he? What would this mean for the fate of the Horde? And why would Thrall allow it? Amatera's recent post on glimpses of the changing Horde on the PTR solidified that even more. I am not a fan of Garrosh, to put it lightly, and based on the comments on that post, plenty of others aren't, either. In fact, it's easy to name plenty of other Horde leaders who would make a better Warchief. Among the contenders, on one humorous forum thread: Cairne Bloodhoof (which would be difficult if he's dead), Saurfang, Sylvanas, Hogger (/chuckle), Westfall Chicken or a Sickly Gazelle. And with all this mounting contention against Hellscream, it was only time before the issue would be addressed via Blue Post. Kisirani took the call in a thread questioning Hellscream's ability to lead the Horde. Here's what was said:

"Garrosh is a character with a lot to prove. I realize there's a great deal of consternation out there concerning the tales of what's to come, but I want to reassure you that we understand that concern. We know where you're coming from. Why are we still going this route? With all respect, you haven't seen the entirety of who Garrosh is. You've seen a great deal of his faults, certainly, but people grow over time, and you may find, come Cataclysm, that he is not quite the disaster you portend. :) (Mind you, that doesn't mean he's Thrall, either.)"

Can you hear the collective sigh of relief? No? Well, I'm still not exactly crazy about the idea, either. But it does remind me that what we're hearing so far is only bits and pieces of what surely will be a much larger, more complicated story. If you think back to the Burning Crusade, we did see a slightly different side of Garrosh. Before he knew of his father, Grom Hellscream's heroic death, Garrosh is portrayed as ashamed, intimidated at the thought of becoming a great leader, and even a little depressed. Thrall's news that Grom had fought valiantly to his redemption is a huge part of what transforms Garrosh into the strong, confident, belligerent being that we now know. But at least we see that he is capable of growth and change as a character. My guess is that there's going to be some massive world event leading up to the Cataclysm, or it may even be the Cataclysm itself, that forces Garrosh to grow as a character once again. Let's hope that by the time Garrosh leads the Horde, if this indeed is to come, that he is a multi-dimensional character with more layers than the surface one we've seen up until now. And if that's not the case, then may Thrall (or one of those other potential leaders - I'd root for Sylvanas) overthrow him and retake the Horde!

Click to read more ...

Proverb is a twice-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!

Statue of Alleria Windrunner in Stormwind

If you have not done so already, be sure to read part 1! "May my sisters realize their full potential, the name Windrunner known as result of their deeds." - Alleria Windrunner After many losing battles, the Horde grew more and more desperate. While the Alliance Expedition was successful in recovering the Book of Medivh, the orcish warlocks continued to open portals to new worlds, and this reckless act began to tear Draenor apart. Much of the Alliance Expedition quickly shut the Dark Portal with the Book of Medivh while they remained in Draenor. The few heroes that remained in Draenor, including Alleria, Turalyon, and Khadgar, leapt into the Twisting Nether as Draenor was engulfed in its final fiery cataclysm. They eventually returned to the planet's remains, now known as Draenor. Alleria nor Turalyon have been seen since and while presumed alive, it is not certain. Their son, Arator, ventured into the Outlands when the Dark Portal was recently reopened by Lord Kazzak and the Alliance and Horde pursued Illidan. He talks of seeking his father, but makes no mention of wanting to find Alleria. It could be that Alleria shunned him after his birth, as half-elves are looked down upon. This would also explain why he is never discussed in the lore, even when Alleria and Turalyon's relationship is explored in detail. Khadgar lamented their absence with his wish in the Dalaran fountain.

Sylvanas locked in thought (fanart)

During the third war and the destruction of Quel'thalas (see the previous Proverb post), Sylvanas was killed defending Silvermoon from the Scourge. Arthas raised her as a banshee, and she eventually returned to her body. She retained her ranger skills and added to them her new skills in necromancy. This style of combat led to the future rise of Dark Rangers. After the Burning Legion's defeat at the Battle for Mount Hyjal, Sylvanas was free from the control of Arthas and Ner'zhul, and struck up deals with the Dreadlord Varimathas to retake as much control of the local undead in Lordaeron as possible. Her new faction of undead became known as the Forsaken, and she became their queen, known as the Dark Lady. She vows vengeance on Arthas and will stop at nothing until he is dead. She was instrumental in bringing the blood elves into the Horde; she reached out to the blood elves and even stationed troops in the Ghostlands to assist them before they official joined the Horde. With Alleria missing and Sylvanas killed and reanimated, Vereesa is the only remaining known "living" Windrunner sister. When Kael'thas defected to the blood elves, Vereesa was with Rhonin and stayed a high elf. However, one of her cousins, Zendarin Windrunner (who turned to blood elf), allied with the Black Dragonflight, specifically Sintharia, with the intention of helping them create the Twilight Dragonflight, which may have been a great source of magic for him to feed upon. As a non-dragon, he could wield the Demon Soul. He kidnapped Vereesa's children, Galadin and Giramar, as he believed half-elves to have the potential to wield great power. Vereesa recovered her children, killed Zendarin, and destroyed the Demon Soul. Vereesa continues to despise the blood elves, and leads the Silver Covenant, which opposes the admission of blood elves into the Kirin Tor (see previous Proverb post). Blood elf players can recover the necklace that Alleria gave to Sylvanas in a low level quest. Upon returning it to her, she states that, "You thought this would amuse me? Do you think I long for a time before I was the queen of the Forsaken? Like you, it means nothing to me, and Alleria Windrunner is a long dead memory!" and sings the old folk song Lament of the Highborne, revised to lament the fall of Quel'thalas to the Scourge and the state of the blood elves:

Thalassian	Common	Sylvanas sings the Lament of the Highborne
Anar'alah, Anar'alah belore Sin'dorei Shindu fallah na Sin'dorei Anar'alah Shindu Sin'dorei Shindu fallah na Sin'dorei Anar'alah belore Shindu Sin'dorei Shindu fallah na Sin'dorei Anar'alah belore Belore	By the light, by the light of the sun Children of the blood Our enemies are breaking through Children of the blood By the light Failing children of the blood They are breaking through O' children of the blood By the light of the sun Failing children of the blood They are breaking through O' children of the blood By the light of the sun The sun

Sylvanas' wish in the Dalaran fountain from long ago reads: "I hope my sisters and I can grow up and get married together." This coin appears to be very old. With the destruction of Arthas imminent in patch 3.3, I wonder what role Sylvanas will play. No one wants Arthas dead more than her, and with all the work put into her model and voice as of late, I can't imagine she will stay in the Undercity during his defeat. After Arthas' death and the Cataclysm, I wonder what goals she will hold. Vereesa will likely stay in Dalaran, and we have heard that Northrend will not be heavily affected by the Cataclysm, so I doubt her role will largely change. Alleria is still missing, and it is possible she will reveal herself at some point. However, it may be that she traveled to some other world via the portals in Outland and will show up in a future expansion that explores some demon world. What do you think? Which is your favorite of the sisters, and what will their future hold?

Click to read more ...