Potentially HUGE spoilers about N'Zoth

[Wilfire]

Arthas: Rise of the Lich King was released on April 21, 2009. Here's a quote from the end of the book when Ner'zhul shows Arthas visions of the future:

"…Something was roiling just beneath the ocean’s surface. The hitherto-smooth surface began to churn wildly, seething, as if from a storm, although the day was clear. A horrible sound that Arthas only dimly recognized as laughter assaulted his ears, along with the screaming of a world wrenched from its proper place, hauled upward to face the light of day it had not seen in uncounted centuries…."

After Cataclysm was released, people assumed that this particular vision was about Deathwing's emergence into Azeroth, but consider the following:

Cataclysm was announced on August 21, 2009. That's several months after the book was released. During the initial panels, Blizzard revealed that Deathwing emerged from the "Deathwing Scar" to the north of Stormwind. His point of entry was changed to the Maelstrom much later during the open beta. That's almost a year after the book came out. So it's pretty clear that Ner'zhul's vision is not about Deathwing at all.

Now, let's dissect Ner'zhul's vision:

"A horrible sound that Arthas only dimly recognized as laughter" can only be N'Zoth. An Old God's laughter is obviously going to sound very alien. Check Yogg-Saron's laugh and compare it with Deathwing's laugh. Yogg's is much, much, much more disturbing.

But the really interesting passage is "the screaming of a world wrenched from its proper place, hauled upward to face the light of day it had not seen in uncounted centuries…." Here's my interpretation:

1) "A world" is actually the Naga's underwater kingdom. N'Zoth raises it to the surface for whatever reason and the Naga are obviously distressed, hence the "screaming". You could say that Nazjatar will "face the light of day it had not seen in uncounted centuries…."

2) "A world" is literally Azeroth. Assuming that Azeroth was born when the Void and the Light initially clashed (see Chronicles pt. 1 for more info), this passage can be interpreted as N'Zoth doing something to rip Azeroth out of the physical universe and drag it closer to its birthplace. Azeroth could end up somewhere on the border between the Light and the Void, hence it will "face the light of day it had not seen in uncounted centuries…."

IMO the first interpretation is way more likely and people have been speculating for quite a while now that we would get Nazjatar as an xpack. What are your thoughts?

[elderu]

Thanks for pointing this out. I think you're onto something here.

[Deleted]

Option 1 sounds very plausible.

And it would be relieving to have a Naga expansion at the surface, instead of underwater

[stripesrus]

The fact that they changed the lore to make Sargeras able to cleave planets in half with a single blow and kill everything on it, including The Old Gods, really diminished what N'zoth stands for.

I initially was allured by their mysterious, immensely powerful status as they were thought to be stronger than Titans. All that is gone now.

[Nero Stormchester]

You're a bit late with this one. People in wrath were sure that the next expat would be about Naga, precisely because of your source. But hey , given all the naga in Legion and Ilgynoth , im wouldn't be half surprised if the next expat is a sea expansion dealing with the Naga and Nzoth , and the expansion after that lets us deal with Void Lords. Or something like that.

[MechaCThun]

I think it was really only in the past 4-5 years Blizzard has really gotten into the more serious foreshadowing in their mediums (WoW, novels, audios) since their overall narrative solidified.

Back during Burning Crusade through beginning of Cataclysm I am not sure if they even knew what their end game was in the story. Just really the next expansion, lol.

[Radaney]

I think it was really only in the past 4-5 years Blizzard has really gotten into the more serious foreshadowing in their mediums (WoW, novels, audios) since their overall narrative solidified.

Back during Burning Crusade through beginning of Cataclysm I am not sure if they even knew what their end game was in the story. Just really the next expansion, lol.

Well up to Cata it was just finishing loose ends from Warcraft 3, MoP was the first genuinelly original story since WC3.

[Deleted]

Enough demons.

Can't wait to see Naga and the Cataclysm feel again(not the content but art).

[Vargulf the Happy Husky]

sounds cool.

but please no playable naga.

[shoc]

If we ever see the Naga Kingdom, it will be on the surface, only because Vash'jir was an experiment in underwater zones and the playerbase responded very negatively to it. Gameplay trumps lore in every instance so we will never have an underwater zone again.

[Deleted]

The fact that they changed the lore to make Sargeras able to cleave planets in half with a single blow and kill everything on it, including The Old Gods, really diminished what N'zoth stands for.

I initially was allured by their mysterious, immensely powerful status as they were thought to be stronger than Titans. All that is gone now.

Yet their masters make Sargeras and the Legion diminished in the same way.

[Selastan]

The fact that they changed the lore to make Sargeras able to cleave planets in half with a single blow and kill everything on it, including The Old Gods, really diminished what N'zoth stands for.

Not exactly. Cthulu was far from the most powerful being in his own universe, and IT (Stephen King) was an omnipotent god and yet it was defeated by children. Weakness on a cosmic scale doesn't decrease the atmosphere of terror and dread that can come from fighting these horrors. When we face the Legion, we have armies at our side from countless worlds and other cosmic entities as well. When we face N'Zoth, it will likely be alone in the darkness. Sargeras, while strong, is a foe we can comprehend. His sword breaks planets, our swords break enemies, its relatable. Old Gods are alien, and can hurt us in ways we can't ever know. Not to mention there is the classic WoW troupe of beings from other realms becoming more powerful in their own dimension. How can we say the Old Gods aren't as powerful as the Titans when they are at home in the Void? They might be spending untold amounts of strength to merely exist in our world.

[MikeBogina]

Arthas saw the future and prepared for it. Many times we saw the Scourge facing off against other powers that would have us killed. From the Legion, to Old Gods, he faced against the dragons and even sent forces into the Emerald Dream when the Nightmare was taking over.

We were going to be his generals that would face off against those forces.


There's an interaction in Heroes of the Storm where Zeratul says to arthas "I sense a darkness in you that would consume all worlds", I'd really love to see a universe where Arthas did win and fight the cataclysm, Legion and etc...

[Ulfric Trumpcloak]

Arthas saw the future and prepared for it. Many times we saw the Scourge facing off against other powers that would have us killed. From the Legion, to Old Gods, he faced against the dragons and even sent forces into the Emerald Dream when the Nightmare was taking over.

We were going to be his generals that would face off against those forces.


There's an interaction in Heroes of the Storm where Zeratul says to arthas "I sense a darkness in you that would consume all worlds", I'd really love to see a universe where Arthas did win and fight the cataclysm, Legion and etc...

Illidan 2.0

We don't need more of that. We need NEW characters.

[MikeBogina]

Illidan 2.0

We don't need more of that. We need NEW characters.

I'm not sure what you're saying... i didn't say bring Arthas back O.o

[Stardrift]

Option 1 sounds very plausible.

And it would be relieving to have a Naga expansion at the surface, instead of underwater

Not really. Take a look at how Rift pulled off an underwater expansion. Not perfect, but Blizz could definitely do something like that, and could create very awesome atmospheres we haven't seen before. For once..

[mrsohta]

Not really. Take a look at how Rift pulled off an underwater expansion. Not perfect, but Blizz could definitely do something like that, and could create very awesome atmospheres we haven't seen before. For once..

I don't think they would risk it.

[nothingsjim]

Illidan 2.0

We don't need more of that. We need NEW characters.

Actually, I would say it's The Lich King saw the future and prepared for it. Bolvar is still up there as the new LK, so we wouldn't get new character as you had hoped.

- - - Updated - - -

Not really. Take a look at how Rift pulled off an underwater expansion. Not perfect, but Blizz could definitely do something like that, and could create very awesome atmospheres we haven't seen before. For once..

Just look at Vashj'ir and Abyssal Depth, just look at how well they are received

Oh wait...

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Actually, I would say it's The Lich King saw the future and prepared for it. Bolvar is still up there as the new LK, so we wouldn't get new character as you had hoped.

Bolvar is post WCIII so technically he is a new character. the Lich King entity is not new but the current LK is new.

[Polybius]

Just look at Vashj'ir and Abyssal Depth, just look at how well they are received

Oh wait...

True! Underwater in WoW just wouldn't fit thanks to their tech. Biomes or rising islands would work best, while keeping their underwater doodads.