Project Lore

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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