Midnight 12.X Patches & World Soul Saga Speculation Thread

[Sondrelk]

We all assumed 11.1 would come out at the end of the Timewalking event, so last week of Feb or first week of March. So the date announcement will probably be in a week or so.

I would say it's either going to be released so the last week of Turbulent Timeways coincides with the first week of 11.1. Or one week after that right as Turbulent Timeways ends.
So almost certainly before the end of February.

Feels like ages though. That's for sure. Wasn't 10.0.7 only seven weeks long or something like that?

[Joshuaj]

I hope the Sacred Flame is just a new incarnation of the Holy Light.

The Holy Light has been able to manifest in various ways in Warcraft's past, lore-wise and Blizzard's many different game play mechanics.

It would be a shame if, by the time we get around to going to the Arathi's home continent and they are subsequently fleshed out, the source of their Sacred Flame (and their entire history for that matter) was based on them finding some artifact/technology of titan design that simulated fire or some sort of energy source that mimicked fire... and the entire concept of the Sacred Flame was based on misplaced (or misused) titan technology.

It probably isn't Titan related whatsoever. Would make the Arathi empire kinda lame if it was. On top of that, it would give the Light less agency in the story. If we connected literally everything to the Titans *Looks at a certain WoW Lore YouTuber*, WoW would lose much of its identity.

[Nymrohd]

Beledar isn't even relevant to the next two expansions unless there is a crystal underneath the sunwell.

Post-TLT Arathi Empire saga? Sure.

Something IS underneath the Sunwell. The Amani were furious about the Elves settling there because it was holy ground for them. And it is not where they buried Kith'ix. So who knows what lies there.

[Dracullus]

We expect patch on 25th, right? So next trading post should have some objectives related to Undermine, unless they hide it now.

Feels like ages though. That's for sure. Wasn't 10.0.7 only seven weeks long or something like that?

When you look at dates, it's clear that both 10.1 and 10.1.5 were moved to make room for Diablo 4 release. 10.0.7 was shorter (just 6 weeks), 10.1 last all the way from first days of May to middle of July. And Zaralek was weak zone, especially in contrast to Forbidden Reach, so yeah drag was real.

[KOUNTERPARTS]

Something IS underneath the Sunwell.

This is new to me. Where has it been implied (or outright stated) that the Sunwell was built on top of something specific?

It's always been told/described that the Amani considered the lands that the high elves landed as their land. It was territory they were furious over-- nothing specific that the high elves built upon.

[milkmustache]

This is new to me. Where has it been implied (or outright stated) that the Sunwell was built on top of something specific?

It's always been told/described that the Amani considered the lands that the high elves landed as their land. It was territory they were furious over-- nothing specific that the high elves built upon.

I imagine there's a possibility they're taking the term "built upon" literally. I don't know of anything aside from the C'thrax below Zul'Aman.

[Nymrohd]

This is new to me. Where has it been implied (or outright stated) that the Sunwell was built on top of something specific?

It's always been told/described that the Amani considered the lands that the high elves landed as their land. It was territory they were furious over-- nothing specific that the high elves built upon.

chronicle I, pg 121. "atop ancient Amani ruins--ruins still considered hallowed ground by the trolls."

For something to be hallowed ground, either something sanctified had been built there in the past or something has been interred there.

[Cheezits]

True, I can see Beledar being relevant to the saga only if it's revealed the "worldsoul crystals" are the kind of material responsible for fonts of energy in Azeroth like the Well of Eternity and the Sunwell. Not sure why they would need a more concrete explanation than "the elves made it" but. Yeah.

Maybe so Blizzard can have Azeroth empower the elves through the Sunwell like how she empowered the dragons through Amirdrassil? Idk.

Though, maybe this is building up to the "tip" of Beledar being something important we haven't found yet. It could even be the Rootlands honestly.

[Sondrelk]

Something IS underneath the Sunwell. The Amani were furious about the Elves settling there because it was holy ground for them. And it is not where they buried Kith'ix. So who knows what lies there.

It is supposed to sit upon a nexus of Ley Lines, so not unlikely that the Trolls considered it special because places like that are generally magical in WoW. Don't think it was ever more complicated than that, if it was even that complicated to begin with.

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True, I can see Beledar being relevant to the saga only if it's revealed the "worldsoul crystals" are the kind of material responsible for fonts of energy in Azeroth like the Well of Eternity and the Sunwell. Not sure why they would need a more concrete explanation than "the elves made it" but. Yeah.

Maybe so Blizzard can have Azeroth empower the elves through the Sunwell like how she empowered the dragons through Amirdrassil? Idk.

My pet theory is that the crystals are made when you have a conflux of Ley Lines. With Ley Lines effectively being the planets magical energy, the ones found on Azeroth would be giant hunks of extremely pure Azerite.

[Polybius]

I bet it's one of these

............. . ' ,
...... _________
......_/|_____|_\_
..........'.. \ / .'
............'.\ /.'
..............'.'

At least they hid it better than how the Winter Queen did.

[Enrif]

My pet theory is that the crystals are made when you have a conflux of Ley Lines. With Ley Lines effectively being the planets magical energy, the ones found on Azeroth would be giant hunks of extremely pure Azerite.

Leylines have not the color of azerite or beledar. They have the typical purple color of arcane magic. And we saw a few leyline back in wrath when maylgos rerouted some to the nexus, and again in DF with Kalecgos in the gnoll area.

It is more likely that the leylines will be a network of the manifold at this point in the story, rather than something from azeroth herself.

[Sondrelk]

Leylines have not the color of azerite or beledar. They have the typical purple color of arcane magic. And we saw a few leyline back in wrath when maylgos rerouted some to the nexus, and again in DF with Kalecgos in the gnoll area.

It is more likely that the leylines will be a network of the manifold at this point in the story, then something from azeroth herself.

Sure. But that is easily retconned. Ley Lines are supposed to be the energy of Azeroth in some form, not just generic Arcane magic the way I understood it.

You just make up some explanation that the energy turns purple in contact with the air, or when you manipulate it.

[Enrif]

Sure. But that is easily retconned. Ley Lines are supposed to be the energy of Azeroth in some form, not just generic Arcane magic the way I understood it.

You just make up some explanation that the energy turns purple in contact with the air, or when you manipulate it.

Wouldn't make sense either, as we have seen crystalized leyline energie and it is always purple

[Ersula]

Wouldn't make sense either, as we have seen crystalized leyline energie and it is always purple

Yes, but the Well of Eternity was also connected to Azeroth's Leylines & that was gold. Color doesn't mean much.

[Enrif]

Which brings into question:
Either Azerite is the blood of Azeroth, or Leylines are. Which is it?

[Ersula]

Which brings into question:
Either Azerite is the blood of Azeroth, or Leylines are. Which is it?

It's probably a case of mixed metaphors but it would make sense if leylines are blood, Azerite is a scab or a clot.

[Enrif]

Yes, but the Well of Eternity was also connected to Azeroth's Leylines & that was gold. Color doesn't mean much.

that's the first time i hear that the well of eternity was gold in color

[Sondrelk]

Wouldn't make sense either, as we have seen crystalized leyline energie and it is always purple
[IMG]

Not going to disagree that it would be a blatant retcon. But Leylines as a concept is kinda vague and all over the place anyways. We have to assume it's planet energy anyways, so saying it's effectively the same as Azerite would make more sense than having to argue why there is random Arcane energy just floating about underneath the surface.

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Just to further fuel the retcon as making more sense: Azerite is partially blue, which is close to purple on the colour wheel. Assuming that the Beledar and similar crystals is one giant chunk of Azerite, you could make the argument that the blue colour is not what Azerite would normally look like, and that all the times we see it having a blue (or purple) tinge is when the Azerite is extracted traumatically. As would be the case with the Leyline rifts in Azsuna, and of course the Azerite mining areas in BfA.

[Enrif]

Not going to disagree that it would be a blatant retcon. But Leylines as a concept is kinda vague and all over the place anyways. We have to assume it's planet energy anyways, so saying it's effectively the same as Azerite would make more sense than having to argue why there is random Arcane energy just floating about underneath the surface.

Well, humor me for a bit while i quote something:

In Azeroth, the lines are intersected by a series of "anchors" to form a complex arrangement in which the whole planet is draped. Said junctions are catalogued in the Arcanomicon, the map of all ley lines gifted to Malygos by the titan Norgannon.

Given the context of DF and TWW, this reads to me, as these "anchors" could be titan installations and part of the manifold. Norgannon gives a disc having the leylines mapped out to Malygos, so the titans discovered all the leylines? Or is it more likely, given current context, that they made it?

Enough hints show that Azeroths world soul is not arcane and more likely light. But leylines are arcane, like the titans.

This all reads to me, with the revelations of the manifold, as leylines on azeroth are part of the manifold system.

- - - Updated - - -

Just to further fuel the retcon as making more sense: Azerite is partially blue, which is close to purple on the colour wheel. Assuming that the Beledar and similar crystals is one giant chunk of Azerite, you could make the argument that the blue colour is not what Azerite would normally look like, and that all the times we see it having a blue (or purple) tinge is when the Azerite is extracted traumatically. As would be the case with the Leyline rifts in Azsuna, and of course the Azerite mining areas in BfA.

i thought about that as well. But that would mean azeroth has two different types of "blood", the golden stuff that beledar supposedly is made of, and the purple leylines?

[Sondrelk]

Well, humor me for a bit while i quote something:


Given the context of DF and TWW, this reads to me, as these "anchors" could be titan installations and part of the manifold. Norgannon gives a disc having the leylines mapped out to Malygos, so the titans discovered all the leylines? Or is it more likely, given current context, that they made it?

Enough hints show that Azeroths world soul is not arcane and more likely light. But leylines are arcane, like the titans.

This all reads to me, with the revelations of the manifold, as leylines on azeroth are part of the manifold system.

Which is a fair read on what Leylines are. Though my initial point was that the Beledar and similar crystals are caused by confluxes of leyline energies.

Still, very much a fair point. That is definitely a better backstory on what Leylines are, and would only need to retcon why there are Leylines on Draenor despite minimal Titan interference.