Dragonflight 10.X Patches & World Soul Saga Speculation Thread

[Sondrelk]

Yo Butter Queen! It's been a while! That was my argument as well... but others assumed these could just be ported into the World Revamp, so Idk. So far my money is on Avaloren / Pirate expansion!

I don't see why they couldnt be ported in. Or if not, why they couldnt just be considered obsolete Dragonriding content, like what the Dragon Isles races will be in the next expansion.

Not to mention, Timewalking is likely to get big updates, and in that scenario a Timewalking zone would absolutely be on the table. No reason why it couldnt just be considered part of that content, similar to how old dungeons are effectively considered Timewalking dungeons currently.

[Fahrad Wagner]

I don't see why they couldnt be ported in. Or if not, why they couldnt just be considered obsolete Dragonriding content, like what the Dragon Isles races will be in the next expansion.

Not to mention, Timewalking is likely to get big updates, and in that scenario a Timewalking zone would absolutely be on the table. No reason why it couldnt just be considered part of that content, similar to how old dungeons are effectively considered Timewalking dungeons currently.

It would be kind of a shame to develop this to have it go irrelevant next expansion. I expect dragon races to stay, at least in some form, but perhaps I'm dead wrong on that-

Zereth Vitae and the Dream are not at all similar...

I said probably visually similar, please read carefully. That means Zereth Vitae is probably very lush, and green similar to the dream, but then again... we don't know that as we haven't been to Zereth Vitae. Which I've also said with my comparison to Zereth Mortis not looking like the rest of the Shadowlands.

[Aucald]

Zereth Vitae and the Dream are not at all similar...

Zereth Vitae struck me as being probably more similar to the deeper layers of the Emerald Dream as briefly mentioned in the War of the Ancients trilogy - a layer of the Dream so primordial and fundamentally alien as to be nigh unrecognizable. Probably more akin to the protoform realm we saw in Zereth Mortis, albeit probably even more overgrown with examples of protoform flora and fauna.

[Cheezits]

I think Zereth Mortis was supposed to be the "default" Zereth state, as it was untouched by any forces until the Jailer invaded. However considering Elune is... Elune (seems to have fingers in multiple powers), the Titans seemingly entered and left Zereth Ordos, and the fact that a Fel and Void Zereth even exists seems to imply that the other Zereths got fucked with to some extent. So, if they are ever explored, Blizz will have them look radically different to keep them distinctive.

I still have good money on Zereth Umbra being the engine that the Void Lords use to create Flesh and the Old Gods.

[Berkilak]

Zereth Vitae struck me as being probably more similar to the deeper layers of the Emerald Dream as briefly mentioned in the War of the Ancients trilogy - a layer of the Dream so primordial and fundamentally alien as to be nigh unrecognizable. Probably more akin to the protoform realm we saw in Zereth Mortis, albeit probably even more overgrown with examples of protoform flora and fauna.

I'm not sure about this. I mean, look at Zereth Mortis. Nothing about that screamed "death." It was filled to bursting with vegetation and robotic animals. Based on that, I wouldn't necessarily believe that any of the remaining Zereths are environmentally in sync with the cosmic power they represent.

[Cheezits]

I'm not sure about this. I mean, look at Zereth Mortis. Nothing about that screamed "death." It was filled to bursting with vegetation and robotic animals. Based on that, I wouldn't necessarily believe that any of the remaining Zereths are environmentally in sync with the cosmic power they represent.

Mortis wasn't Death-y because it had to be different from the rest of the expansion, but I have a feeling other Zereths have been tampered with by their Pantheons.

[huth]

I think Zereth Mortis was supposed to be the "default" Zereth state, as it was untouched by any forces until the Jailer invaded. However considering Elune is... Elune (seems to have fingers in multiple powers), the Titans seemingly entered and left Zereth Ordos, and the fact that a Fel and Void Zereth even exists seems to imply that the other Zereths got fucked with to some extent. So, if they are ever explored, Blizz will have them look radically different to keep them distinctive.

I still have good money on Zereth Umbra being the engine that the Void Lords use to create Flesh and the Old Gods.

I think it depends on the nature of the force as well. Order beings can be expected to follow rules, so simply telling them "Don't mess with x" would be sufficient to keep them from causing issues. Void and Disorder on the other hand may be way more difficult to access because messing around with everything is literally in their nature.

[Khaza-R]

Hopefully the Zereths are only involved where it makes sense for the plot. Otherwise its entirely too formulated and predictable to go to one every expansion because said evil force wants to wield some universe destroying device.

[Nebron]

Realm of Life and Emerald Dream are two very distinct things. Since Zereth Mortis, we know there is a "Zereth" realm for each force of the cosmos (Mortis, Lumen, Ordus, Vitae, Umbra, Tumult). The Emerald Dream is some sort of spirit world attached to Azeroth, so it is distinct from Zereth Vitae, even though it would probably be visually similar in some aspects (as both are realms heavily influenced by the force of Life). But we can't even be sure of that, after all... Zereth Mortis didn't really look like the rest of the Shadowlands!

The Dream and Zereth Vitae probably are connected, and I am not sure if we have confirmation of the "Lifelands" existing similarly to the Shadowlands?

Ahhh, we're talking about the stuff that came from the Oracle, I guess it clicked now, thanks!
It's more like an induction, right?
Zereth Mortis was a part of something called Shadowlands. We know there are other "Zereths", thus we assume there might be counterparts to Shadowlands?

[Sondrelk]

It would be kind of a shame to develop this to have it go irrelevant next expansion. I expect dragon races to stay, at least in some form, but perhaps I'm dead wrong on that-



I said probably visually similar, please read carefully. That means Zereth Vitae is probably very lush, and green similar to the dream, but then again... we don't know that as we haven't been to Zereth Vitae. Which I've also said with my comparison to Zereth Mortis not looking like the rest of the Shadowlands.

Most content is irrelevant once the next expansion rolls around. Even stuff like Pet Battles which don't rely on a traditional gearing curve is still by all accounts obsolete content once the next expansion rolls around.
That doesn't mean however that it needs to be dead content.

I imagine that whatever world Revamp would have had new dragonriding races regardless. Not really a winning formula to rely on content most players have already completed. Even more so when you don't recycle them.

[Aucald]

I'm not sure about this. I mean, look at Zereth Mortis. Nothing about that screamed "death." It was filled to bursting with vegetation and robotic animals. Based on that, I wouldn't necessarily believe that any of the remaining Zereths are environmentally in sync with the cosmic power they represent.

Nothing about Zereth Mortis was really about the aesthetics of death in the strictest sense - it was about the afterlife, in this case, the various afterlife realms that actually constitute the Shadowlands proper (and not just the four Covenant realms we primarily dealt with). Zereth Mortis was about fabricating the realms themselves and populating them with appropriate flora and fauna, which we saw in their protoform roles prior to being placed within a given realm. So if, for example, an orc needed a "happy hunting ground" type of afterlife realm, Zereth Mortis would fabricate it and stock it full of animals to hunt and so forth. That's what those giant glowing bronze/gold orbs are all over Zereth Mortis - protoform realms in the process of being created, which the giant machinery at the heart of the zone then "launches" into the In-Between to create a new afterlife where the Arbiter can send souls.

Zereth Vitae would likely have a somewhat similar function, but would instead fabricate flora and fauna to actually fill the physical universe and its various planets as opposed to afterlife realms within the Shadowlands.

[huth]

Ahhh, we're talking about the stuff that came from the Oracle, I guess it clicked now, thanks!
It's more like an induction, right?
Zereth Mortis was a part of something called Shadowlands. We know there are other "Zereths", thus we assume there might be counterparts to Shadowlands?

Given that the purpose of Zereth Mortis was literally creating the Shadowlands, that's pretty much guaranteed. They're factories for building these realms, so having a Zereth but no realm would either mean the Zereth is derelict or we missed something.

[Cheezits]

The Pantheons are made in their respective Zereth's, they are blessed with their gifts in there also, and they are shipped out into the Realms from said Zereth's. NOTHING is implied that they can just go in and out of said Zereth's as they please.

Fairly certain that Odyn's lore book in Uldaman says that the Titans, who are not a Zereth-made Pantheon, were able to access Zereth Ordos.

[Throren]

So looks Ebyssian becomes the new aspect, to not much surprise

the new Evoker spec has an ability called Black Aspect's favor and the icon is of a new dragon model we havn't seen before, and it has a nose ring

[Cheezits]

Mm, no. It was just that the makers granted their gifts to the Titans in Zereth Ordus. They did this with all of their progeny. https://www.wowhead.com/item=201722/...ate-volume-742

"Third: Do not share knowledge of the First Ones.

Mortals could not conceive of the wonders that the makers granted to the titans in Zereth Ordus. Thus, learning of the Progenitors would only confuse them.

It is enough that mortals know the titans brought Order to the cosmos, and that they are owed deference."

The Titans are born of World Souls, such as Argus. How did they get granted their gifts in Zereth Ordus... without GOING to Zereth Ordus?

[Lorgar Aurelian]

Imma be honest, I'm happy he's the aspect. Dude's more worthy than the other 2 jerks, that's for sure. But like...I still hate they gave us the option just to not go with it in the end. Just feels like the players choices do not matter.

While they both have problems Wrathion helped take down death wing fight the Sha and took down the last Old god and Seb saved there flight from exciton by keeping eggs and drakes in Outland where they could regrow.

Ebon horn has literally never done any thing for either the planet or his flight you couldn’t get more unworthy then him, like even the gnome who cleansed wrathion of corruption as an egg is more worthy then ebon horn.

[Berkilak]

Imma be honest, I'm happy he's the aspect. Dude's more worthy than the other 2 jerks, that's for sure. But like...I still hate they gave us the option just to not go with it in the end. Just feels like the players choices do not matter.

If you asked me before Dragonflight who I thought would be the best black Aspect, my answer would have been Ebonhorn. And it's quite likely that will come to fruition. It's just a shame that the entire story leading up to the moment is building up Emberthal instead of Ebonhorn himself. I would have preferred him getting an active role in the story that culminates with his ascension. If he becomes Aspect, it'll just be another surprise subversion moment substituting for actual dramatic catharsis.

(Also, I think Sabellian or Iridikron would have been the most interesting choices from a narrative standpoint.)

[Worldshaper]

I know retcons aren't ideal. But I genuinely hope they retcon the crap out of all that additional cosmic lore they invented for Shadowlands.

Just hearing the word "Zereth" makes me nauseous.

[Berkilak]

I know retcons aren't ideal. But I genuinely hope they retcon the crap out of all that additional cosmic lore they invented for Shadowlands.

Just hearing the word "Zereth" makes me nauseous.

I'm a fan of perpetual mystery in fiction. The fate of the Blue Wizards and Ent-wives in Lord of the Rings. The driving force for the return of Honored Matres in Dune. Akavir and the Dwemer in Elder Scrolls. The answer to all of these questions is always going to be less satisfying than the mystery itself, and the presence of these mysteries creates the illusion than the fictional setting is more expansive than it actually is.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

I don't think we should even think about the other Zereths for now. It should be a long while before a Zereth is visited upon. Also I am sympathetic to the "Well we're eventually gonna go to all the Zereths and its predictable". We don't want to use up other lore threads for future eras(Expansions) super quickly.