Midnight 12.X Patches & World Soul Saga Speculation Thread

[DiscipleofCazicThule]

Khaz Modan is the area Ironforge is in. Do you even play the game?

No shit? So is that why the dwarf is yelling it as a battle cry? Crazy.

[Kiivar86]

Btw, what's left from big datamined list that isn't part of virtual ticket/existing promotions?

Storm Rider Bronze/Silver/Gold
Algarian Stormrider mount (presumably)
Squally
Fyrn (I think? May be Fym? That looks like an -rn if you ask me)
S.A.F.E. Pilot (far as I know at least)
Survey Bot

[ro9ue]

I'm going with nothing. "Khaz Modan!" is the griffon rider's summon announcement. If you look at the top of the screen, the opposing player summoned her and a kobold.

I mean yes, but I think they were suggesting they picked that as a clip for a reason. Surely there are dozens of other lines they could've used. But they ended with Khaz Modan gryphon rider and a new WoW login screen music.

Could be tin foil, could be them being fun about it.

[DiscipleofCazicThule]

I mean yes, but I think they were suggesting they picked that as a clip for a reason. Surely there are dozens of other lines they could've used. But they ended with Khaz Modan gryphon rider and a new WoW login screen music.

Could be tin foil, could be them being fun about it.

For sure. I'm leaning towards nothing, but I could be wrong. It's also worth noting we don't hear the Kobold being summoned and only the Dwarf, so there could be something there.

[Viridiel]

Are gryphons particularly old? I wonder if Erinethria's descendants evolved into gryphons, wyverns, and hippogryphs and somehow made it back across the Storming Seas. If they really do descend from dragons as they do in fairly old lore, a wild green dragon would make the most sense since they look like a druid who got stuck between forms.

[Teriz]

I think we can bet money that Algarian Stormrider is a gryphon. Datamined Storm Rider Bronze/Silver/Gold achievs - remember, it's pre-order, not pre-patch territory! - suggest that either we get some special race for buying Heroic Edition or maybe achievs are just for doing any race on that mount. Logic and some datamining tells me that gryphons are next after dragons.

It's possible, but I simply don't believe they would tie everything so closely to Dwarves.

We also shouldn't forget that other uses of "Stormrider" are Storm Dragons and Elementals, and that the Gryphons of Storm Riders aren't called Stormriders.

[Ferlion]

I mean, honestly..

We currently have two other major groups after dwarves that could be a hint for Stormrider. We have the Stormriders rainment, from the druid tier. So we could be getting a hippogryph or Stormcrow mount.

But we could also be getting a Stormdrake mount.

[ro9ue]

It's possible, but I simply don't believe they would tie everything so closely to Dwarves.

We also shouldn't forget that other uses of "Stormrider" are Storm Dragons and Elementals, and that the Gryphons of Storm Riders aren't called Stormriders.

I think dwarves will essentially be like the Night Elves in Legion. Lots of old Night Elf ruins (Azsuna, Warden Towers, Tomb of Sargeras/Temple of Elune) lots of lore involving Night Elves (Illidan, Demon Hunters, Suramar, Ghosts of Aszsuna, Blackrook Hold, Valsharah, etc).

[Thomir]

It's possible, but I simply don't believe they would tie everything so closely to Dwarves.

We also shouldn't forget that other uses of "Stormrider" are Storm Dragons and Elementals, and that the Gryphons of Storm Riders aren't called Stormriders.

Yeah but it's an Algarian Stormrider. (Probably) From Khaz Algar. So it's got to be Dwarf related, and given that there's a datamined gryphon textures, it's most likely a gryphon.

[Ferlion]

Yeah but it's an Algarian Stormrider. (Probably) From Khaz Algar. So it's got to be Dwarf related, and given that there's a datamined gryphon textures, it's most likely a gryphon.

I'll be up front. I don't think the Gryphon is the expansion mount. If you look at the past expansion mounts, the detail on them is pretty great. Even the ground mounts from BFA. It's not just as simple as a reskin, there are more details. Even the green dragon from Dragonflight. It's not JUST a green drake. It's gussied up.

The Gryphon, from what we see, is just a recolor.

[ro9ue]

I'll be up front. I don't think the Gryphon is the expansion mount. If you look at the past expansion mounts, the detail on them is pretty great. Even the ground mounts from BFA. It's not just as simple as a reskin, there are more details. Even the green dragon from Dragonflight. It's not JUST a green drake. It's gussied up.

The Gryphon, from what we see, is just a recolor.

Well the only thing we see... is the texture. We dont know how that maps onto a model, and honestly imo I find the multple beaks very odd. It might be some kind of weird amalgamation like Marrowgar/Urzul or something. It does look either haunted, moontouched or corrupted... basically not your typical gryphon.

[Thomir]

I'll be up front. I don't think the Gryphon is the expansion mount. If you look at the past expansion mounts, the detail on them is pretty great. Even the ground mounts from BFA. It's not just as simple as a reskin, there are more details. Even the green dragon from Dragonflight. It's not JUST a green drake. It's gussied up.

The Gryphon, from what we see, is just a recolor.

The details could be in the VFX + it'll be dynamic flight enabled given that dynamic flying animations were datamined for gryphons, so it's still special.

[Kiivar86]

Are gryphons particularly old? I wonder if Erinethria's descendants evolved into gryphons, wyverns, and hippogryphs and somehow made it back across the Storming Seas. If they really do descend from dragons as they do in fairly old lore, a wild green dragon would make the most sense since they look like a druid who got stuck between forms.

Looking things up there isn't a lot about their history honestly. There are wild ones present on the Dragon Isles at the least.

[xputurnameherex]

i just thought of this, maybe the S.A.FE Pilot may be the standard hearthstone thats in every expansion bundle?

[Kiivar86]

i just thought of this, maybe the S.A.FE Pilot may be the standard hearthstone thats in every expansion bundle?

Possible but seems a bit odd to call it a Pilot.

There's a S.A.F.E. pilot in Warcraft Rumble so I'm figuring something to do with or in that.

[xputurnameherex]

it could be a special type of hearthstone like the dark portal and similar ones that do something extremely different than the standard hearthstone. the expansion is releasing in the 20th anniversary year and its the 10th expansion so it makes some sense that they go all out on some stuff

[Dracullus]

Yep S.A.F.E sounds pretty much like Hearthstone. Survey bot gives some hopes for Archeology return/revamp. Hard to say anything about pets, they probably just some mobs from new continent.

[matijwow]

S.A.F.E. is the Gnomeregan security force. Besides the "S.A.F.E. Pilot" in Rumble, there's a bunch of "S.A.F.E." stuff associated with Gnomeregan since Cataclysm.

[Palapop]

If the name of the next expansion is indeed "Tempest" and we combine that information with StormRider+Tempest+Map shifted to the right+airlock system we can make an educated guess that the next expansion will explore unknown lands to the west through the storms.

-----



Thanks _o/

It was proven already that the new continent is to the west of Kalimdor.


Erinethria had flown to the far corners of Kalimdor and back. She had witnessed wondrous sights, and loved to share stories of them with her kin.
Yet there came a day when Erinethria felt she had seen all there was to see of the world. She grew bored. Restless.

Erinethria sought the wisdom of Keeper Tyr.
"Great keeper, is there any mystery left for me to discover? Any riddle yet to be solved?"
"Everything you need is here, child. What more could you want to see? What else could you seek to know?"

As the dragon's brow furrowed, a cool wind blew in from the west.
"The breeze, great keeper. I wish to see the place from whence the winds are born."
Tyr grew solemn. "Beyond the Storming Sea lies only ruin. Stay close to home. Stay close to kin." (so that land to the west of Kalimdor is no home for dragons)

Tyr's warning hung like a shadow over Erinethria's heart. It clashed again and again with her deep yearning for answers.
One bright morning, the green dragon bid farewell to her clutchmates.
"Fear not," she told them, "for I can fly higher than any storm. Faster than any thunder. And when I know from whence the west winds come. I shall return home and tell you all!"

And with that, Erinethria soared into the sky.
Moons passed. And still more. Yet brave Erinethria did not return.
Even Ysera woke from her dreaming to aid in the search. But there was no sign to be found.

Most believed that Erinethria was lost to the Storming Sea. That her mighty wings grew tired and torn by the harsh winds, and that she tumbled into the roiling waters.
But some greens claimed that they saw her in their dreams. That she reached a land beyond, where she raised a brood of her own. (Green dragons are present in that "Beyond the storming sea" zone, west from Kalimdor)

[huth]

It was proven already that the new continent is to the west of Kalimdor.

Then it's also east of the Eastern Kingdoms on account of the fact that Azeroth is a planet.

Tyr is being a bit silly there, though. Of course that kind of answer wouldn't satisfy an adventurous spirit like Erinethria.