Into the Void [Fan Expansion Concept]

[Golden Yak]

Yes, time once again for a fan expansion concept! I've made a couple of these before, and this is my most elaborate, ambitious, and original effort yet.

You can see the project on WoWpedia or on the tumblr I've set up for my WoW-related stuff, or follow the thread here.

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World of Warcraft - Into the Void

The concept for Into the Void was first spawned while playing Warlords of Draenor, during the storyline with the ever-loveable Cho'gall and his mysterious new Void-based followers and powers, which cemented for me the notion that the Void was a truly distinct power from the Twisting Nether and the demons of the Burning Legion, something which has been strongly hinted at since way back in Burning Crusade. I loved the idea of the Void reaching out and devouring worlds, with remnants of them floating in its depths, like the fragments of Outland floating in the Twisting Nether, and the concept of the Voidlands was created - a chance to explore many worlds from across the Warcraft universe

The release of the Warcraft Chronicle and its revelations concerning the Void and its denizens necessitated a few last-minute rewrites, which I feel have made the concept stronger than ever. The broken fragments of worlds from across the universe await exploration, and among them are the demonic Nathrezim, the chaotic Old Gods, the innumerable legions of the Void, and many other strange and wonderful creatures. Let's get started...

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Introduction - The Darkness Beckons

The defenders of Azeroth have protected their home from evils without and within. The marauding Iron Horde, the malefic Old Gods, and the all-consuming Burning Legion have all been driven from the world. Azeroth entered a period of brief peace.

But the peace is shattered by a dire warning from the mysterious Ethereals, as the darkness of the Void reaches out to consume the world. And so begins an adventure that will call for Azeroth's mightiest defenders to venture... Into The Void.

Into the Void - Features

The full feature list can be found here, on WoWpedia - http://wow.gamepedia.com/User:Golden...e_Void_Concept

• The Voidlands: New content zones have been added - The chaotic depths of the Void, the most enigmatic plane of the universe, are composed of the broken remnants of all the worlds that the Void has devoured. These Voidlands contain many creatures from many worlds, all clinging to existence in the broken fragments of their homes, struggling to survive the all-devouring hunger of the Void. The Voidlands contains 6 leveling content zones, a PvP zone, and a starting zone for the new playable race: the Ethereals.
• New Playable Race: Ethereals, playable by both Alliance and Horde. Players will choose which faction they will join at the end of the Ethereal starting zone content. Choose which Ethereal faction to align with - Guide the White Nova Ethereals into a union with the Alliance, or lead the Ebony Maw Ethereals to seek their destiny with the Horde.
• New Dungeons - Fight the armies of the Void, the marauding reavers of the Burning Legion, servants of the Old Gods, and insidious new threats from worlds across the cosmos in nine new dungeons.
• New Raids - Venture to the demon world of Xoroth to face Mephistroth, leader of the nathrezim, and his demonic forces in the Dreadlords Citadel. Then, battle the leader of the Void's armies, Ahriman the Void Primarch, in the fortress of Darkvault.
• Void Incursions - Dynamic World Events. Battle the forces of the Void as they rise up to consume the Voidlands.
• Gornoth - New PvP zone - The Horde and the Alliance are drawn into inevitable conflict upon the volcanic worldshard of Gornoth.
• The Path of War - new leveling system for players to advance with.
• The Art of War - a 4th spec for all classes.

The Voidlands

New Zones

• M'kossei Province (Starter Zone) - A fragment of the ethereal homeworld of K'aresh, used by the ethereals as a home base.
• K'aresh Remnants - This fragment of K'aresh contains the ethereal capitol city of Or'Damaz. It's gleaming spires are surrounded by forested lands whose beauty yet endures the Void's ravages.
• The Algol Expanse - This howling wasteland of floating glaciers and chaotic ice planes holds terrible secrets in the depths of its frozen crevasses.
• Rakari - The bleak forested peaks of this realm are battered by constant gales and storms due to elemental instability. Murky lowland canyons are infested with hives of the vile myrmec race, who worship an evil power in their subterranean lairs.
• The Netherglades - A verdant, swampy jungle-realm, with rainbow-shimmering foliage and darkly beautiful inner regions. The realm's abundant life energy holds back the devouring entrophy of the Void.
• Nachitar - Formerly a mountainous world of beautiful golden forests and striking darkstone peaks, the presence of the Burning Legion threatens to finally destroy it.
• Vegathis - A strange and frightful desert region of blood red dunes and ancient ruins, where crumbling, eternally burning undead scheme.
• Bysmault - Manifestations of the deepest Void walk freely here in this storm wracked nightmare realm. Much of this realm is locked away behind the massive Void fortress of Darkvault.
• Gornoth (PvP) - This black canyon blisters with Void volcanoes, spilling out blazing energies amidst the ancient ruins of a forgotten race. The Alliance and the Horde clash over who will control the untapped powers of the region.

New Dungeons

• The Siege at Darkbreach - The Voidgate leading to Azeroth located on the western archipelago of K'aresh has come under attack by the forces of the Void Primarch Ahriman. The armies of the Void hunger to capture it and spill their darkness into Azeroth. The heroes of the Alliance and the Horde join the ethereal defenders of the Voidgate in the defense of Azeroth, standing against the unending legions of shadow.
  
• Frostgulf Crevasse - In the bleak and howling wastelands of the Algol Expanse is the Frostgulf Crevasse, the most treacherous of the many chasms that make the frozen world so dangerous. A dark force has taken root in the depths of the crevasse, feeding off the elemental and arcane energies contained there. The Alliance and the Horde must contend with not only this mysterious and growing danger, but also the destructive machinations of the undead beings known as the Ashen.
  
• The Dark Hive - In the deep canyons of Rakari, the myrmec race has built their sprawling hive-clusters, seeking to spread their insectoid influence across the Voidlands. The myrmec will not be stopped by diplomacy - only overwhelming force will blunt their spread. Within their greatest hive, Chozek'Myr, their matriarch directs the hosts of the myrmec swarm. The Alliance and the Horde must strike down the very heart of the swarm to spare the Voidlands from the myrmec's destructive spread.
  
• The Netherhollow - With the heart of the Netherglades is a nexus of primal nature energies, the Netherhollow. This fountain of life has been responsible for preserving the ecosystem of the glades and the inhabitants of the broken world, holding back the devouring entropy of the Void. But now the nexus' power is beginning to fade, leached away by an unknown enemy. Deep within the Netherhollow, adventurers must discover the cause of the fading energy and stop it before the land is consumed by darkness.
  
• Burning Quarry - The fiery grip of the Burning Legion has taken hold in the blasted wilds of Nachitar. The Legion covets the vast deposits of void-saturated minerals in the region, material that they use to craft powerful Infernals for their eternal crusade against the universe. All the Voidlands are but resources for the Legion to exploit and destroy - halting their efforts in Burning Quarry would be a blow against the Legion's demonic war industry.
  
• The Wreck - An immense, technologically advanced craft that has crashed into the canyons of Nachitar. Mechanical constructs have spilled forth from the vessel and have been warring amongst themselves ceaselessly. Ethereal agents warn that the vessel could soon explode if it is not shut down, dealing untold devastation to the region. But the machines within are hiding a fantastic secret that may determine the fate of all the Voidlands.
  
• Temple of the Black Sun - The desert realm of Vegathis is the domain of the Ashen, zealous undead who see living flesh as a sickness that must be purged with flame. At the Temple of the Black Sun, the Ashen faithful conduct their rituals and sacrifices, praying to the elemental beings they worship as deities. The heroes of the Alliance and the Horde must rescue captives of the Ashen from a fiery fate, and combat the demented priesthood that presides over the Ashen's campaign of destruction.
  
• The Whisperfane - In the southern regions of Vegathis, a sprawling corruption is flowing into the Voidlands, changing the very nature of reality around it. Stone becomes flesh, sand becomes blood, and both spread corruption and madness. Only the Ashen stand against this spreading sickness, but these undead fiends would burn out every living thing in all worlds to halt the corruption. Perhaps by venturing into the Ashen temple that still survives in the midst of the spreading contagion, the true nature of this flesh plague can be discovered.
  
• Fortress Nox - A foreboding stronghold formed by the Void, the Fortress of Nox lies in the shattered nightmare-realm of Bysmault, where the Void holds full sway. The Void's hordes fill the walls of this bastion and flow into the Voidlands, seeking to unmake the last holdout of reality in the heart of endless darkness. The master of the Void's armies, Void Primarch Ahriman, has stationed some of his mightiest servants at this fortress, making it the great shield of the Void in Bysmault.

New Raids

• The Dreadlords Citadel - Through the Xoroth Gate in Nachitar lies Xoroth, a world in the grip of the Burning Legion and ruled by the sinister nathrezim - the dreadlords. The dreadlords' leader, Mephistroth, rules his wicked kin from his throne in the heart of this fiery stronghold. Destroying Mephistroth would strike a grievous blow against the Legion's most diabolical servants, and might serve to finally drive them completely from the Voidlands.
  
• Darkvault - The greatest stronghold of the Void located within Bysmault. Within Darkvault, Void Primarch Ahriman directs the armies of the Void, sending them out to conquer the Voidlands and drag all things down into oblivion. To drive the Void's armies from the Voidlands, the Darkvault must be conquered.
  

New Neutral Race - The Ethereals

Warning: Hot topless ethereal action below:

You saw it - you can't unsee it

Voidlands Bestiary
The Voidborn

Void Walker


Void Caller


Void Revenant

The manifestations of the Void are growing more numerous, powerful, and varied. New Void entities that Azeroth has never seen have begun to appear in the Voidlands.
---
More art:


Voidwalker


Unbound Voidwalker


Eldritch Voidwalker


Void Master (cuz the whole Void Lord/void lord/Voidlord/voidlord thing is just too goofy)


Void Witch


Void Baron


Void God

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[Kuntantee]

When I first saw the map, I thought "6 big zone + 3 mediocre zone, not gonna happen <followed by a depressive smile>"...Anyway, you need a bit of work to make this work of yours on par with your other works.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

This concept is almost literally what I'd think we do if we entered the Twisting Nether as a whole. Love it(So far)


9/10.

[TyrianFC]

I think you released this concept too early. Currently, it doesnt really impress me much (compared to your previous ones). I'm sure after you flesh things out in future (which you said you would) it'll get the level of attention/respect it deserves, but for now I can't say too much i'm afraid.

[panzaghor]

Awesome job, i just think that this Void Revenant remembers me of Xhul'horac

[Doffer]

I've always wondered... how do you make your maps?

[Kayb]

Awesome stuff

[Al Gorefiend]

Hey Golden Yak, love all your expansion ideas.

The map is kinda iffy to me. Looks too much like Outland which I didn't enjoy. The mish-mash of different colors and themes smooshed together made Outland seem like an egg carton full of Easter eggs as you transitioned from zone to zone.

The neutral race idea I'm not a huge fan of personally, but your ideas for Ethereal look better than Blizzard's current design of them. Solid work with the art there.

[DesMephisto]

I think you released this concept too early. Currently, it doesnt really impress me much (compared to your previous ones). I'm sure after you flesh things out in future (which you said you would) it'll get the level of attention/respect it deserves, but for now I can't say too much i'm afraid.

He released this like 6+ months ago

[Paula Deen]

As Usual Yak, great work!

[Mister Cheese]

Yeah this is good but it needs more information. You should have waited longer. But I do love it so far!

[KrakHed]

Voidlands Bestiary
The Voidborn

Void Walker - Void Caller - Void Revenant

The manifestations of the Void are growing more numerous, powerful, and varied. New Void entities that Azeroth has never seen have begun to appear in the Voidlands.

I just remembered something while looking at this, with how similar Void Revenants look to the Voidwalker types. Void Revenants are the remnants of a species overtaken by Void, aren't they? Void Gods also resemble the Voidwalker type, and they're also originally something else that was overtaken by Void.

So, I recalled this one quest.

http://wow.gamepedia.com/Quest:What_the_Soul_Sees

Your only recourse is to destroy the ancient spirits of Nagrand before they transform into creatures of the void.

The long dead ancestral spirits you encounter transform into Voidwraiths when they too are overtaken.

It's making me wonder if the common concept of what a native Void creature looks like is inherently flawed. Voidwalker types might just be what happens to souls claimed by the Void, rather than being the natural spawn of the place.

I'm not sure what has to do with anything. Like always your art's looking cool. Funnily enough, I'm pretty sure something like this is actually going to be the next expansion with how they're building up the Void. I guess we'll see how it compares.

[Daffan]

This is fun.

[TwilightAss]

You know, that Void Lords(Old Gods masters), looks exactly like Void Callers? I assume they are just bigger, and more powerfull versions. Look.


They are the same, i'm 100% sure Blizzard not just used them as placeholder for a such massive lore book, as chronicle.

[KrakHed]

You know, that Void Lords(Old Gods masters), looks exactly like Void Callers? I assume they are just bigger, and more powerfull versions. Look.

They are the same, i'm 100% sure Blizzard not just used them as placeholder for a such massive lore book, as chronicle.

I'm pretty sure that would be a placeholder, because that design really isn't all that impressive for what they're supposed to be. The art for the chart probably isn't meant to be all too exact.

I do like the weird creepy hands shadow has, though it's kind of odd that they use "Shadow" as the main title when the rest of the book almost uniformly just says "Void".

[Golden Yak]

When I first saw the map, I thought "6 big zone + 3 mediocre zone, not gonna happen <followed by a depressive smile>"...Anyway, you need a bit of work to make this work of yours on par with your other works.

What do you mean by mediocre? You mean because they're small? I think smaller zones like starting zones and PvP zones can be enjoyable - they're never as large as the big end-game leveling/questing zones. In the Voidlands there's a starter zone, a city zone, a PvP zone, and a locked off zone like Tanaan was originally. Plus 5 leveling zones. It isn't much more than WoD had and a lot less than some other expansions had, so I don't think it's too unrealistic.

This concept is almost literally what I'd think we do if we entered the Twisting Nether as a whole. Love it(So far)

9/10.

Thanks!

I think you released this concept too early. Currently, it doesnt really impress me much (compared to your previous ones). I'm sure after you flesh things out in future (which you said you would) it'll get the level of attention/respect it deserves, but for now I can't say too much i'm afraid.

None of my concepts started out with as much stuff as they had by the end. Like this project, I added more over time in terms of art, lore, and posts. This post represents the 'Release' content of Into the Void - I'll add more creature art as I talk about the zones, and eventually 'patches' to finish it off.

Awesome job, i just think that this Void Revenant remembers me of Xhul'horac

Yeah, I've had a few people tell me that! Makes me laugh - he's based off Nhallish, a void revenant boss from Shadowmoon Burial Grounds. He has the same model as Xhul'horac, but even though he came out earlier no one seems to remember him!

I've always wondered... how do you make your maps?

Photoshop, and I used Blizzard's maps as a starting point. I try to copy the style as much as I can, and I use Blizzard's own map borders and textures where I can.

Hey Golden Yak, love all your expansion ideas.

The map is kinda iffy to me. Looks too much like Outland which I didn't enjoy. The mish-mash of different colors and themes smooshed together made Outland seem like an egg carton full of Easter eggs as you transitioned from zone to zone.

That's exactly what I loved most about Outland! Sorry to hear it's not your thing, but yeah - the Voidlands are meant to be pretty much that, a bunch of wildly different worlds and ecosystems crushed together by the strange alien currents of the Void. Since the Void is the big threat, ethereals seemed like the obvious choice. There's plenty of other races I'd want to see, and some I'd like even more than ethereals, but they fit this concept best.

Yeah this is good but it needs more information. You should have waited longer. But I do love it so far!

What kind of information? There is much more writing, lore, and story for this expansion's first post than I did for any of my others.

It's making me wonder if the common concept of what a native Void creature looks like is inherently flawed. Voidwalker types might just be what happens to souls claimed by the Void, rather than being the natural spawn of the place.

I'm not sure what has to do with anything. Like always your art's looking cool. Funnily enough, I'm pretty sure something like this is actually going to be the next expansion with how they're building up the Void. I guess we'll see how it compares.

My lore goes that certain entities of pure Void, like Voidwalkers, are reflections of creatures who exist in the material universe - they dwell in the 'light' and cast a shadow on existence, which becomes a being of the Void. They won't look identical, but twisted and monstrous.

I do think that the Void takes and learns from what it absorbs - I'm planning to have some familiar faces show up later, with some 'improvements' granted to them by the Void. Void revenants that appear in the Voidlands are from a race that was once called the 'thivan', who were native to the world of Algol.

You know, that Void Lords(Old Gods masters), looks exactly like Void Callers? I assume they are just bigger, and more powerfull versions. Look.
http://media-azeroth.cursecdn.com/at...5574145963.jpg
http://media.mmo-champion.com/images...leSample-4.jpg
They are the same, i'm 100% sure Blizzard not just used them as placeholder for a such massive lore book, as chronicle.

Maybe, but it's also possible that Blizzard didn't want to give any clues as to the true appearance of the Void Lords. They're described as giant shadow entities though, so they could very well be simply giant-sized Voidwalker-like creatures.

[RedGamer030]

The Void is uninhabitable by creatures from the physical realm.

[Nerevar]

The Ethereals customization reminds me of the undead from Allods Online.

[Deleted]

Blizzard really should hire you as artist.

[Golden Yak]

The Void is uninhabitable by creatures from the physical realm.

The Voidlands are fragments of worlds consumed by the Void that have managed to survive through various means. They provide a safe zone for mortals to exist in the Void. At least for a time.

The Ethereals customization reminds me of the undead from Allods Online.

Those guys are neat. I think both designs are probably drawing on egyptian funeral mask designs.

Blizzard really should hire you as artist.

I should really apply one of these days.