Midnight 12.X Patches & World Soul Saga Speculation Thread

[elderu]

"The myth surrounding Elune, one of the few true deities of Azeroth, suggest her true identity might not yet have been fully understood."

https://www.wowhead.com/item=137042/tearstone-of-elune

But yea, let's keep calling the deity associated with Starlight an exclusively Moon/Lunar goddess. Or ignore words like "bound", "hypothesize" and "assume" from in-game/in-world sources that link her to the Emerald Dream. That'll get us closer to the answer for sure.

[Joshuaj]

https://www.wowhead.com/item=137042/tearstone-of-elune

But yea, let's keep calling the deity associated with Starlight an exclusively Moon/Lunar goddess. Or ignore words like "bound", "hypothesize" and "assume" from in-game/in-world sources that link her to the Emerald Dream. That'll get us closer to the answer for sure.

That just means her abilities are also associated with celestial magics. Dimensius and some of the Titans are very similar.

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One thing does not negate the truth of the other.

[Merryck]

That just means her abilities are also associated with celestial magics. Dimensius and some of the Titans are very similar.

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One thing does not negate the truth of the other.

"Celestial magics" is just Arcane, at least it was until the cosmic Void retheme. Now it's a mess. Go through the Nighthold now and you'd think it was a Void raid.

[Joshuaj]

"Celestial magics" is just Arcane, at least it was until the cosmic Void retheme. Now it's a mess. Go through the Nighthold now and you'd think it was a Void raid.

I mean, Celestial/Astral Magics are a mixture of Arcane and Nature, whereas Cosmic Magics are a mixture of Arcane, Holy, Nature, and Shadow.

So, by definition, Elune, the Titans, and Dimensius wielding celestial or cosmic energies would not be against their nature lol. As for why Dimensius could? Cause Cosmic Void most likely has Arcane included in its arsenal, and not just pure Void.

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And if you're wondering, for Dimensius to properly manifest his true form within the Beyond, he had to fed BOTH energies of Shadow and Order.

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A lil explanation goes a LONG way

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Assuming they directly confirm the First Ones being the forces in-game (Beyond Firims notes, a skybox at the heart of the Sepulcher, or mere implications ofc), what would you guys prefer them to be called?

The normal way: Light, Shadow, Order, Disorder, Life, and Death?

Or how Saezurah described the forces: Lumen, Umbra, Ordus, Tumult, Vitae, and Mortis?

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Hmm, seems Vitae and Mortis mean "of Life" and "of Death" respectively, so I'm gonna assume Saezurah was talking about the influences there.

Meaning, Mortis is how the Automa call the influence of Death, whereas mortals simply call it "Death". Same goes with the other powers, cause to us, these are practically interchangeable, whereas to the Automa, it's a bit different. Though, it also makes sense given Zereth Mortis means "Cornerstone of Death", etc lol. So, yeah, I think the normal way works best.

[huth]

"Celestial magics" is just Arcane, at least it was until the cosmic Void retheme. Now it's a mess. Go through the Nighthold now and you'd think it was a Void raid.

Celestial magics was never clarified. It was never "just arcane" though. For starters, Sun-related spells are usually nature or fire. Star related spells usually use astral. Only moon related spells typically go in the arcane school. All of those are just game mechanics without clear lore implications however.

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Assuming they directly confirm the First Ones being the forces in-game (Beyond Firims notes, a skybox at the heart of the Sepulcher, or mere implications ofc), what would you guys prefer them to be called?

The normal way: Light, Shadow, Order, Disorder, Life, and Death?

Or how Saezurah described the forces: Lumen, Umbra, Ordus, Tumult, Vitae, and Mortis?

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Hmm, seems Vitae and Mortis mean "of Life" and "of Death" respectively, so I'm gonna assume Saezurah was talking about the influences there.

Meaning, Mortis is how the Automa call the influence of Death, whereas mortals simply call it "Death". Same goes with the other powers, cause to us, these are practically interchangeable, whereas to the Automa, it's a bit different. Though, it also makes sense given Zereth Mortis means "Cornerstone of Death", etc lol. So, yeah, I think the normal way works best.

That's more akin to using different languages than having different names.

[Magistrate]

A lot of people in here hyper overanalyzing and ascribing intent and discrete, purposeful decision making to a lot of things when we all know Blizzard far more often goes by rule of cool and creates posthoc rationalizations for those decisions and we eventually just internalize and accept these things.

[BaumanKing]

Assuming we get 3 shorts, wonder what the remaining two would be? Arator and Void Elves perhaps?

I think the second short will be about Arator, since he's the main character of this expansion. As with Alleria in TWW, this will be a good way to introduce him to most players who know nothing about him. If not him, then I think it'll be about Liadrin. She's the second main character in Midnight after Arator and bassically the face of the advertising campaign (alongside Xal).

[Joshuaj]

Celestial magics was never clarified. It was never "just arcane" though. For starters, Sun-related spells are usually nature or fire. Star related spells usually use astral. Only moon related spells typically go in the arcane school. All of those are just game mechanics without clear lore implications however.

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That's more akin to using different languages than having different names.

I mean, yeah. But I do think it's unique.

[Viridiel]

Yeah, it's most likely that Elune is simply one of the few divine beings in WoW that wants to have followers, worshippers, etc.

Honestly wouldn't be shocked if she ends up having an obsession with popularity lmao

It seems implied by the note in K'aresh that the "elf wells" are powered by worldsouls. I wouldn't be surprised if moonwells actively empower Elune with Azeroth's energies, and she cultivates worship specifically for that purpose rather than out of vanity. Although making her particularly vain might be interesting if they're going for some sort of parallel/foil with Azshara.

[Joshuaj]

It seems implied by the note in K'aresh that the "elf wells" are powered by worldsouls. I wouldn't be surprised if moonwells actively empower Elune with Azeroth's energies, and she cultivates worship specifically for that purpose rather than out of vanity. Although making her particularly vain might be interesting if they're going for some sort of parallel/foil with Azshara.

I did theorize that Elune's Realm (likely a "true Dream" realm) probably oversees the worldsouls and their dreams (which manifest VIA Dream reflections). This would further work with Order and Life's different handlings on Azeroth's worldsoul.

[Count Zero]

The impression I got from the cinematic on watching, which may be completely wrong. Is that she embraced the void at her death, with the tentacles reaching down as some sort of saviour imagery while her eyes turn from golden to purple. Her turning to Ash is reminiscent of what the light did in Revendreth from memory at least.

I kinda get the feeling her home world/civilisation was obliterated by light, and she embraced the void in her final mortal moments, but who knows if we'll ever know for sure.

If it was to be the light that did that, is it punishment like Revendreth? Domination Like AU Draenor and Yrel? Or maybe just the natural end result of a world that is fully light controlled? A large leap to make from a short with one character with golden eyes, face paint and a star/sun pendant. But interesting nonetheless.

Hrm, I wonder if maybe her people worshiped both the Light and Void but was abandoned by the Light. This would explain why she targets Alleria, jealousy/bitterness over Alleria embracing Void while maintaining alliances with Light-aligned.

Or if maybe they only worshiped the Light, but it failed them and the Void provided salvation. Possibly inadvertently - like their home world was invaded by the Legion, who defeated the forces of Light - and could only themselves be defeated by her people embracing the offers of the Void.

[Cheezits]

The cinematic didn't give me any inclination that the void consumption was a -choice- considering the sunny and gold iconography and her being terrified.

[Foreign Exchange Ztudent]

Something something paralell to a certain World Soul. something something.

The light didn't save her but again not sure what this has to do with the conquest of the World Soul other than the shock reveal being she just wants to free Azeroth's World Soul but she has claimed its the prize she wants for "something". So who knows.

Complete destruction of the Light, a mirroring of the Beginning and the End.. Alpha and Omega. Argus and Azeroth. Xal'atath and Azeroth. It all collapses in on her claiming and merging with the World Soul.

The first clash and the last clash.

Total gibberish.

[Joshuaj]

Something something paralell to a certain World Soul. something something.

The light didn't save her but again not sure what this has to do with the conquest of the World Soul other than the shock reveal being she just wants to free Azeroth's World Soul but she has claimed its the prize she wants for "something". So who knows.

Complete destruction of the Light, a mirroring of the Beginning and the End.. Alpha and Omega. Argus and Azeroth. Xal'atath and Azeroth. It all collapses in on her claiming and merging with the World Soul.

The first clash and the last clash.

Total gibberish.

Every force wants Azeroth, and there is a reason for it. Xal'atath most likely saw this reason (or at least got a glimpse of it), and wants the Worldsoul as well.

She has the most potential out of all the worldsouls, she is deemed the prime worldsoul, and the worldsouls in general seemingly have unique, almost almighty abilities.

The question remains: Why?

[Count Zero]

The cinematic didn't give me any inclination that the void consumption was a -choice- considering the sunny and gold iconography and her being terrified.

Pretty sure this is a forced situation, it's a violation. Something something paralell to a certain World Soul. something something.

I do think that's more likely than a collab, but also - is there any scenario in which even a willing collab with the Void doesn't look like that?

But then there's still the matter of how she went from being a mortal - presumably seen as nothing more than food - to being a member of the Void, much less its ostensible leader. I don't think we've seen any indication that things consumed by the Void retain their essence, much less overwrite the will/personality of that which consumed them.

Maybe her saying she was a mortal is a lie, or a half-truth. Maybe the Void tried to consume her but couldn't? I imagine this is stuff that's explored during Midnight, possibly into TLT even. Makes her feel more interesting than she had been, for me at least. She's been a mystery for too long, considering how prominent she's been.

[huth]

I do think that's more likely than a collab, but also - is there any scenario in which even a willing collab with the Void doesn't look like that?

Yes? Just look at Alleria.

[Cheezits]

But then there's still the matter of how she went from being a mortal - presumably seen as nothing more than food - to being a member of the Void, much less its ostensible leader. I don't think we've seen any indication that things consumed by the Void retain their essence, much less overwrite the will/personality of that which consumed them.

I'm not sure if we've seen it in game but Locus-Waker's girlfriend (implied to be her at least) turned into a void wraith in the K'aresh book, and now Xal is telling us this. I think if you get snuffed into Void you actually can become a sentient being again.

I wonder if there will be a twist where you actually can live on in the Void but the Light melts you down. Crusader Bridenbrad stocks in shambles.

[Foreign Exchange Ztudent]

Bald children in pop culture tend to be of higher importance, so she seems to've had a placement as a "chosen one" or as a higher enlightened one for whatever cult, religion or worship they as a species were practicing. It seems though that said worship failed and their God did not save them which may be part of explaining Xal'ataths "resentment" although this schisms with the whole "Wanting Azeroth's World Soul" thing unless again the World Soul as she learned about over time is her key to unlock her revenge on said God.

Again, skeptical. I just don't think Warcraft Teams Narrative Team thought of this that much. But, obviously since they are mostly just throwing mystery boxes at our feet we can play along even if it amounts to nothing.

I do think that's more likely than a collab, but also - is there any scenario in which even a willing collab with the Void doesn't look like that?

But then there's still the matter of how she went from being a mortal - presumably seen as nothing more than food - to being a member of the Void, much less its ostensible leader. I don't think we've seen any indication that things consumed by the Void retain their essence, much less overwrite the will/personality of that which consumed them.

Maybe her saying she was a mortal is a lie, or a half-truth. Maybe the Void tried to consume her but couldn't? I imagine this is stuff that's explored during Midnight, possibly into TLT even. Makes her feel more interesting than she had been, for me at least. She's been a mystery for too long, considering how prominent she's been.

I think getting your mortal flesh snuffed out and then somehow reconstructed into a void vessel is not something I consider as a collaboration. If that is what transpired considering she may be lying with her flashback and again a large swathes of time that explains this is not present as to how she became the Harbinger of Dimensius. So without the timeframe from her being snuffed out on her home planet to becoming the Harbinger of Dimensius means we remain contextless.

[Count Zero]

Yes? Just look at Alleria.

I went and re-watched the cinematic where she absorbs the Naaru - she certainly doesn't shrivel into a corpse, but it definitely doesn't look pleasant. Could be issues of different art styles / artistic flair/license. Like, in-game we don't see Xal being super creepy like she is in the cinematic with the upside-down jumpscare.

I'm not sure if we've seen it in game but Locus-Waker's girlfriend (implied to be her at least) turned into a void wraith in the K'aresh book, and now Xal is telling us this. I think if you get snuffed into Void you actually can become a sentient being again.

I wonder if there will be a twist where you actually can live on in the Void but the Light melts you down.

That does touch on the idea of how the Light is single-minded and the Void is open to all possibilities. Is it maybe souls can be reborn / unborn/ whatever into the Void, the same as mortals going to the Shadowlands when they die? Did she meddle with the Old Gods to regain a flesh form, since they were the initial way the Void interacted with our realm?

[Magistrate]

It definitely seemed clear to me that her soul or something was like "voidified" and left her mortal shell, when you see her empty eyesockets at the end.

Which makes sense with her jumping between inanimate objects and corpses ever since.