Midnight 12.X Patches & World Soul Saga Speculation Thread

[Hitei]

I think what mystifies me about 11.2 and 12.0 is that I cannot really fathom Harandar not originally being planned for 11.2. And given how long the planning for these things are, the swap to K'aresh must have happened months ago, probably around the time we were stuck in Siren's Isle.
So what was the rationale for not having Harandar in 11.2, and K'aresh as one of the zones in 12.0?

The scenarios I can see is that someone decided that TWW needed a big crowd pleaser ending. Harandar grew out of control and needed to be a bigger, more important zone. Or the Voidstorm and K'aresh was deemed to similar. Though the last one seems like a stretch when I imagine the Voidstorm could just as easily just have been K'aresh proper.

I think that maybe at some point they decided they wanted to shift Xal from subordinate to Dimensius as the main villain of the Void and big bad of Midnight to being the big bad herself, because she was so much more charismatic, personable and (in some ways) known to the average player. Basically they decided that they wanted to swap her from Gul'dan to Sargeras.

This meant though that they had to "spend" Dimensius as an idea, so K'aresh 12.0 became "Voidstorm", and they created a new K'aresh patch zone from existing assets (DF ruins, Tazavesh, probably some plant bits from Harandar development) and relatively simple but aesthetically effective terrain--desert with pointy rocks and areas of void glass.

In doing so, they could swap Dimensius and Xal's places, Dimensius could be offed as the final villain of TWW and Xal could take his original place in Midnight.

And this made them shuffle Harandar (which is very obviously supposed to be south of Hallowfall, given we know it was sized in comparison to that map and also can see the roots come form the south of the TWW launch zones) into 12.0 instead.

[Thomir]

In the shorts Blizzard has published I've seen both Army of Light forces (via their Lightforged Mechs) and Arathi (I will assume Hallowfall Arathi but we cannot be certain). It does say Armies. It can be multiple different groups. And if they want to bring the Lightbound, they will find a way to do it. We've had multiple time shenanigans well beyond WoD.

Why would you assume those Army of the Light forces are the Lightbound and not Turalyon's forces? It's a far more likely explanation than Blizzard deciding to shoehorn in some multiverse bullshit.

[Cheezits]

I think that maybe at some point they decided they wanted to shift Xal from subordinate to Dimensius as the main villain of the Void and big bad of Midnight to being the big bad herself, because she was so much more charismatic, personable and (in some ways) known to the average player. Basically they decided that they wanted to swap her from Gul'dan to Sargeras.

That would line up with her trading post staff saying the staff was a personal gift from Dimensius, and then in 11.2 he has nothing to say about her personally.

Also, we STILL don't know what she is the Harbinger of- unless it's just Void, or Midnight, or something like that.

[Xilurm]

I bet the plot twist will be that the Arathi Empire aren't gonna be bad guys.

[Joshuaj]

I bet the plot twist will be that the Arathi Empire aren't gonna be bad guys.

I got another plot twist...

Arathi Empire ain't 12.1, and Farahlon is.

[Daniri]

I wish they kept the eyes.

BTW where is this from?

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/gRnNrE

[Civciv]

Armies that came to Liadrin's Call are referred as 'unnamed paladins'. They're %100 hiding till Raid. https://imgur.com/a/jeEKPgG

[Nymrohd]

Why would you assume those Army of the Light forces are the Lightbound and not Turalyon's forces? It's a far more likely explanation than Blizzard deciding to shoehorn in some multiverse bullshit.

I am not assuming either. But I think it is possible for them to show up. I don't think they'd be the first to show up, but down the line they'd make far more tension than Forces effectively led by Faerin and Turalyon.

[Joshuaj]

Cause, realistically, they can still build up the Arathi across TLT as well, and save their empire and Avaloren for a future expac. As for the Lightbound and Farahlon, Midnight legit feels like the perfect expansion for this plot.

[Xilurm]

I got another plot twist...

Arathi Empire ain't 12.1, and Farahlon is.

Farahlon in... Draenor?

[Hitei]

Anyone think the Light forces summoned might betray us by the end of the first raid and then try to take control of the Sunwell for themselves? Maybe X'era at her full power vs Xal'atath and X'era wins?

Yes. I've been assuming this from the start, that the "things will spiral out of control" is that the Light will turn on us as soon as the Void is out of the way.

[Joshuaj]

Farahlon in... Draenor?

Yep!

Lightbound invasion on Azeroth, which leads to us going back to Draenor, and going to Farahlon. Farahlon would be like Undermine, but for Midnight. In a separate area altogether, but lore-wise it's connected to AU Draenor (much like how Undermine is separate from Kezan, despite it being beneath Kezan lore-wise)

[Eeram]

It seems to be Stormwind forces. Probably ones led by Turalyon given he is stated to spend time in Silvermoon visiting Arathor anyways.

It would have been an absolutely stellar bit of story if it was Arathi from Avaloren though. Inviting the ones that will inevitably be the greatest enemy the Alliance and Horde could face. And Liadrin and other paladins allying themselves with them and being antagonistic when the Arathi turn would have been a great twist.

I feel like it’s not stormwind. There really isn’t a good way for it to make sense the stormwind soliders being summoned through the sunwell.
The more likely options would be 3 things
Some form of Arathi Empire.
Draenei along with the light forged Draenei.
Or some faction we don’t really know much of yet.

Velen and Liadrin and the sunwell already have massive history together along with the fact we know they have some form of teleportation. This would be my most likely guess but it would be odd for Velen not to be shown if he’s coming to help.

The Arathi have already shown to be able to teleport via holy crystal or some type of Naru.

New faction with no leader so no one to really show.

Also with us going to rootlands this means we haven’t really shut the door on beledar being a massive naru crystal. We could absolutely go back an tie up that loose end.

We also know the light and us have growing tensions come the new dungeon in void storm.
On top of us reaching our boiling point in the story. So the light is def going to betray us. Either take the sunwell. Or beledar.

[Joshuaj]

The raid can be an AU Lightbound Shattrath raid!

[Cheezits]

Remember that they said the cinematic takes place at the very beginning of the story. If it was Arathi, I think that would be very evident from the get go.

[Thomir]

I am not assuming either. But I think it is possible for them to show up. I don't think they'd be the first to show up, but down the line they'd make far more tension than Forces effectively led by Faerin and Turalyon.

But we don't need them to show up. Their place in the story is extremely redundant. We already know that there are Light radicals within the Arathi empire. If they want tension within the forces of the Light, they can use that.

[vindicator782]

The ethereal crowd are almost catching up with the high elf crowd in the sense of convincing themselves they're being added on very little/ no evidence and then being irrationally angry when whatever proof they cling to is shown to be something else

[Thomir]

Yep!

Lightbound invasion on Azeroth, which leads to us going back to Draenor, and going to Farahlon. Farahlon would be like Undermine, but for Midnight. In a separate area altogether, but lore-wise it's connected to AU Draenor (much like how Undermine is separate from Kezan, despite it being beneath Kezan lore-wise)

I'm praying you aren't being serious.

[Nymrohd]

Yes. I've been assuming this from the start, that the "things will spiral out of control" is that the Light will turn on us as soon as the Void is out of the way.

I think they might turn on us before because we will be using the Void against itself; Alleria, Umbric, the new Void DHs, I think the story will be fanaticism. I also think Turalyon and his Lightforged will be pragmatic and try to mediate but whatever other forces the Light summons will not be as adaptable.

[Raetary]

There are no Draenei, let alone orcs in the crowd Liadrin summoned.
So its not the AotL or Lightbound.

Honestly, given how Lor'themar does not react surpised by them at all, nor does Liadrin for that matter, i think it's probably just Silver Hand Paladins.
Maybe pouring in From Light's Hope.