The Dark Below is Underground with N'Zoth, Azshara, while Legion besieges Azeroth.

[Deleted]

So we've been debating what the Dark Below name could refer to, and we know pretty much know that it's not the name of the Diablo 3 expansion, which is apparently called The Reaper of Souls.


Well, the other day this image appeared. I cannot be sure of its authenticity, but it certainly looks legit. Right now, this image and the name Dark Below is all we have to go by.





IMAGE-BASED SPECULATION

What this implies is that the Burning Legion will invade in 5.5.

- The word 'sunder' is obviously similar to 'sundering' as in the great shattering of the world when the Burning Legion invaded and the Well of Eternity exploded. Add 'sky' to that, and I think we have a reference to demons breaching through the sky. The sky will literally explode, and that is traditionally only something the Burning Legion is good at.

- This also fits with the clues we've been given by Wration et al. The infernals raining down on Azeroth. Wrathion also wanted one faction to beat the other, so that there could be a unified effort to fight the Burning Legion. The Alliance and Horde beats 'The Horde of Garrosh' in 5.4, thus unifying the two temporarily. Peace and co-operation, perfect. We've learned the Pandaren message at last.

- The quote by Metzen where he said that we'll need Turalyon and Alleria for what's coming next still fits. A Legion invasion in 5.5 is technically 'next' after the Pandaria storyline concludes in 5.4.

- We've just seen the Shaohao video clips, which are set during the Sundering from the Pandaren point of view. What does Shaohao do? He learns that anger and brute force isn't the way. Protecting your loved ones is. So he covers Pandaria in mist, so that his loved ones, the Pandaren, can have the time needed to learn these lessons on their own. For all we know, this Burning Legion invasion that might happen in 5.5 is what they have been preparing for. Not the arrival of the Horde and Alliance, or the Sha, but the Legion. Another puzzle piece. If we've finally learned how to lay down our arms and work together, maybe the Pandaren will consider us worth protecting?



NAME-BASED SPECULATION

Moving on, we have the name 'Dark Below'. We've learned that this can either refer to the ocean, or Azeroth's hell (from very old lore), or... what lies beneath the ocean.

Ozumat, the Kraken that kidnapped Neptulon during Cataclysm, has the title:

<Fiend of the Dark Below>

Furthermore, he is described as one of many kraken; their patriarch, one which had his will bent by the naga. Why the title 'Fiend of the Dark Below', when already in service of Azshara and her sea-creatures? 'Fiend' suggests that he is a fiend in her eyes, and 'Dark Below' not only speaks of an actual place name, but also that is probably lies 'below' Queen Azshara's domain. Below the oceans.

In Blizzcon 2010's Quests and Lore panel, Chris Metzen revealed that the third named Old God, which is to be revealed in Cataclysm, will be called "Nezoth/Ni'zoth". (Taken from Wowwiki.) We know the name to be N'Zoth now, but he is still to make an appearance. He is usually held responsible for the corruption of the Emerald Dream, as well as the sea-creatures. But where is he? And how does he connect to the Dark Below?

There are several mentions during Cata of a place 'below' the sea-floor, and a 'greater master' above Deathwing.

The puzzle-box of Yogg-Saron says the following:

• In the sunken city, he lays dreaming.
• The drowned god's heart is black ice.
• At the bottom of the ocean even light must die.
• In the land of Ny'alotha there is only sleep.
• Ny'alotha is a city of old, terrible, unnumbered crimes.
• In the sleeping city of Ny'alotha walk only mad things.
• The stars sweep chill currents that make men shiver in the dark...
• The fish know all the secrets. They know the cold. They know the dark.

So could the Dark Below be the domain of the old god, the Faceless ones, and so on?



CONCLUSION:

Bearing all this in mind, I think it is safe to speculate on the following scenario being true:

- The Burning Legion invades in 5.5.

- They will likely come in force, and besiege the entire planet. Why else all the foreshadowing this time? We've pissed them off quite a few times in recent years, like the defeat of the half-summoned Kil'Jaeden.

- Turalyon and Alleria may return and create some sort of resistance movement.

- The Pandaren, knowing that this is a foe we cannot beat right away and with force, will seek to protect us, their matured students. They may be responsible for leading us to the Dark Below.

- The Dark Below will be a great underground continent-sized cave complex, also connected to the ocean. It will have underground zones, underwater zones, glowing mushrooms, weird creatures with huge eyes, and all that sort of thing.

- We will uncover the story of Neptulon and Ozumat.

- We will possibly fight Queen Azshara and her naga. I feel Blizzard may include that here, as a lot of people don't want an expansion based entirely around the ocean.

- We will go to Ny'Alotha, which I think might be a 'Faceless One' city, wherein N'Zoth reigns.

- Meanwhile, the Legion has the surface under its control. We may end up going there sometimes to fight it with Turalyon, but it'll generally be besieged.

- Our journey in the Dark Below is first of all a place of refuge, protecting our loved ones peacefully instead of rushing into the fray and ignoring all the lessons of the Pandaren. That would destroy us. Instead, we will bide our time, prepare the retaliation, and possibly discover something down there which is needed for the war.

- The Dark Below concept will also allow them to combine land and sea in a cool and original way, so that people don't have to experience the water if they don't like it, and the other way around.

- Expansion 6 or 7 could then take us to Argus, once Azeroth is liberated.

[Dominating]

Pretty cool idea, but I doubt the authenticity of that 5.5 "logo."

Didn't Blizzard already say 5.5 would resolve who would become Warchief, anyway? That seems like a much more pressing matter to attend to, in addition to wrapping up any loose ends with regards to MoP's storyline.

I'd like to believe, though; it would be a really awesome surprise to see a spontaneous return of the Legion out of nowhere, just as everyone was convinced they'd be delayed for another expansion.

[MikeBogina]

All the cool ideas are made up by fans, blizzard then disappoints by not living up to these "fake" leaks xD


but this is a really cool way to lead into the next expansion, just don't see blizzard going all out to do this for a pre-expansion event/patch.

[Mentaldemise]

Interesting, i like the idea of a multi expansion themed storyline, i just posted a thread to this affinity, certainly ties in with this idea.

[Deleted]

Yeah, I think the issue is that we're used to storylines that more or less begin and end with expansions. There are a few notable exceptions, like Garrosh's development, the Lich King, and so on. But by actually mixing the themes up a bit, they could make everyone happy.