The War Within 11.X Patches & World Soul Saga Speculation Thread

[Marlamin]

Whatever it is, it involves some new tech which I'm always excited about, regardless how new or not it'll appear to the playerbase.

[Cheezits]

Whatever it is, it involves some new tech which I'm always excited about, regardless how new or not it'll appear to the playerbase.

Really Living World

[Marlamin]

Really Living World

Pretty much. It's not going to be that small I think given what is already known about the patch in certain circles, but that's a good thing to keep in mind when dealing with hints of new tech.

[Cheezits]

Pretty much. It's not going to be that small I think given what is already known about the patch in certain circles, but that's a good thing to keep in mind when dealing with hints of new tech.

That hint, plus this being old world (?) makes me veeeeery interested now....

NPE 2.0/starting zones please!

[Explicit Teemo Nudes]

That hint, plus this being old world (?) makes me veeeeery interested now....

NPE 2.0/starting zones please!

What's NPE?

[Marlamin]

What's NPE?

The New Player Experience (aka Exile's Reach), which was initially slated for release in 8.3.5 but was released with Shadowlands instead.

[Cheezits]

What's NPE?

New Player Experience, so Exiles Reach.

Personal conspiracy is that we may get some new starting zones for races, one of them being Amirdrassil for Nelf. Theres a couple hints at additional Amirdrassil questing.

[Marlamin]

New Player Experience, so Exiles Reach.

Personal conspiracy is that we may get some new starting zones for races, one of them being Amirdrassil for Nelf. Theres a couple hints at additional Amirdrassil questing.

If so, they better start using that harbor! Both Amirdrassil and Gilneas got new docks added to them that are currently entirely unused/just for show.

[doledippers]

im hyped! i think whatever the case, we get some info next week

[Cheezits]

If so, they better start using that harbor! Both Amirdrassil and Gilneas got new docks added to them that are currently entirely unused/just for show.

Two new docks AND the return (? or first proper introduction) of the Night Elf captain who being the Worgen to Teldrassil. Either six+ years future proof or there's something else going on.

[Worldshaper]

Lil' late night prediction:

> Danuser once confirmed that we had killed the Old Gods' forms, but that echoes of their essence sort of lingered. Galakrond was probably a strong source of Yogg-Saron's essence, so Xal'atath wanted that.

> As for Y'shaarj, she's claiming his essence on Pandaria, in patch 10.2.7 Dark Heart.

> For N'Zoth, Azshara (in cahoots with Xal'atath) had given Wrathion the Black Blade of the Empire and instructed him to strike the Old God's heart. In do doing, they wanted to claim his essence. But he instead struck the carapace, and N'Zoth's essence was not preserved in a good enough state. However, N'Zoth died recently and his massive body is still bleeding deep beneath the sea. So Xal'atath recruited the nerubians of Azj-Kahet, situated underneath the Maelstrom or nearby, to harvest it.

> For C'thun, the introduction to the expansion, its pre-patch, will send us to the sword in Silithus. We know cultists have been active in the area despite his death in Vanilla. Somehow, his essence has endured.

It's a coin toss imo:

A - Xal'atath wishes to resurrect herself using the other guys' essences.

B - Xal'atath seeks to reawaken C'thun.

[Varodoc]

Lil' late night prediction:

> Danuser once confirmed that we had killed the Old Gods' forms, but that echoes of their essence sort of lingered. Galakrond was probably a strong source of Yogg-Saron's essence, so Xal'atath wanted that.

> As for Y'shaarj, she's claiming his essence on Pandaria, in patch 10.2.7 Dark Heart.

> For N'Zoth, Azshara (in cahoots with Xal'atath) had given Wrathion the Black Blade of the Empire and instructed him to strike the Old God's heart. In do doing, they wanted to claim his essence. But he instead struck the carapace, and N'Zoth's essence was not preserved in a good enough state. However, N'Zoth died recently and his massive body is still bleeding deep beneath the sea. So Xal'atath recruited the nerubians of Azj-Kahet, situated underneath the Maelstrom or nearby, to harvest it.

> For C'thun, the introduction to the expansion, its pre-patch, will send us to the sword in Silithus. We know cultists have been active in the area despite his death in Vanilla. Somehow, his essence has endured.

It's a coin toss imo:

A - Xal'atath wishes to resurrect herself using the other guys' essences.

B - Xal'atath seeks to reawaken C'thun.

Blizzard likes to recycle plot beats. I see this as just a recycling of the Jailer and his Sigils in SL.

I could see Blizzard explaining that Xal'atath took the essences of N'Zoth when she made the bargain and Yogg-Saron during the timeskip (like they hand-waved away the Venthyr Sigil by saying that Denathrius gave it to the Jailer off-screen). She might take the essence of Y'Shaarj in 10.2.7 or in the Pre-patch of TWW.

I predict that TWW will have only 2 raid tiers. Therefore, Xal'atath will take the essence of C'Thun at the end of the Nerubian raid (as we know that Xal'atath is using the Nerubian to mine Old God blood, and C'Thun geographically should be the Old God closest to Khaz Algar and the Nerubians). Leading to the final raid where Xal'atath absorbs the essences of the slain Old Gods for the final encounter of the expansion.

A similar plot beat to the Jailer taking the final Sigil at the end of the Sanctum of Domination, leading us to the final patch.

My prediction:

- Only two raids for TWW;

- Xal'atath has already taken the essences of N'Zoth and Yogg-Saron off-screen;

- She takes Y'Shaarj in 10.2.7 or TWW pre-patch;

- She takes C'Thun at the end of the Nerubian raid in TWW;

- The final encounter of TWW is Ultra-powered Xal'atath after she has absorbed the slain Old Gods' essences.

What further confirms My suspicions is that Xal'atath's Darkheart looks like a generic plot McGuffin used to store essences and souls.

[Cheezits]

- Only two raids for TWW;

- Xal'atath has already taken the essences of N'Zoth and Yogg-Saron off-screen;

- She takes Y'Shaarj in 10.2.7 or TWW pre-patch;

- She takes C'Thun at the end of the Nerubian raid in TWW;

- The final encounter of TWW is Ultra-powered Xal'atath after she has absorbed the slain Old Gods' essences.

What further confirms My suspicions is that Xal'atath's Darkheart looks like a generic plot McGuffin used to store essences and souls.

I don't agree with two raids, but moreso I don't think that C'thuns essence would be at all near the Nerubian raid. If anything it would be closer to the World Soul/Gorribal (which WILL have to play some part in the actual expansion), so maybe there would indeed be some kind of Qiraji raid or presence in the final raid.

(Also, again, if the idea is she needs a piece of each Old God, it really should've been Qiraji instead of Nerubians at all, as we would eventually see the Nerubians in The Last Titan anyway. Whats the deal?)

[Varodoc]

I don't agree with two raids

It is the most realistic approach.

Raiding is at an all-time low and Delves will represent a second alternative to Raiding besides Mythic+ (which continues to replace Raiding as the mainstream PvE content).

Making only 2 raids instead of 3 will allow Blizzard to free up resources to pursue more Delves and Mythic+ improvements, which are now more mainstream and popular than Raiding.

I don't think that C'thuns essence would be at all near the Nerubian raid.

I disagree. Based on where Khaz Algar is compared to Southern Kalimdor, it makes perfect sense for C'Thun's blood/tentacles to reach it:




It should also be mentioned that Pandaria is not where Y'Shaarj was located in ancient times. He was located at the centre of the world, where the modern-day Maelstrom is (which is literally the remainder of the Well of Eternity, itself the scar left behind from when Aman'thul uprooted Y'Shaarj from Azeroth).

Pandaria is simply the place where Y'Shaarj's carcass fell from the heavens after Aman'thul killed him.

(Also, again, if the idea is she needs a piece of each Old God, it really should've been Qiraji instead of Nerubians at all, as we would eventually see the Nerubians in The Last Titan anyway. Whats the deal?)

Nerubians are cooler than Qiraji and Blizzard operates by rule of cool.

[Zardas]

It's a coin toss imo:

A - Xal'atath wishes to resurrect herself using the other guys' essences.

B - Xal'atath seeks to reawaken C'thun.

Why not go all in and say that she seeks to reawaken all four old gods (well maybe only three considering Y'shaarj doesn't have a body left) ?

[Worldshaper]

Why not go all in and say that she seeks to reawaken all four old gods (well maybe only three considering Y'shaarj doesn't have a body left) ?

I don't know, just a hunch based on the fact that C'thun looks a bit more important in the Chronicles art. I also can't recall cultist still hanging around the other Old Gods' domains, just C'thun. So there seem to be people working on him.

Xal'atath also ended up with Ogmot in Silithus right after the player character used their artifact weapons against the sword of Sargeras.

Then there's the sword of course.

I would have connected the Darkmoon Faire with C'thun based on all the eyes, but I read somewhere that it is more about Y'shaarj or N'Zoth.

There's also Xal'atath saying only one of them would remain in the end.

[Varodoc]

Why not go all in and say that she seeks to reawaken all four old gods (well maybe only three considering Y'shaarj doesn't have a body left) ?

Because reawakening all four Old Gods would lead to a Black Empire expansion (anything else would be equal in bad to the 8.3 fiasco), which clearly isn't in the plans for the WSS.

Therefore, Xal'atath will absorb the essence of the four slain Old Gods to justify the final encounter against Xal'atath (whose pedigree as it stands right now isn't worthy of final boss material).

[Lady Atia]

New Player Experience, so Exiles Reach.

Personal conspiracy is that we may get some new starting zones for races, one of them being Amirdrassil for Nelf. Theres a couple hints at additional Amirdrassil questing.

Not sure if I would like that tbh, Worgen and Pandaren have the best starting zones so seeing them deleted for a (prolly) rushed starting zone revamp would be sad.

[Zardas]

Not sure if I would like that tbh, Worgen and Pandaren have the best starting zones so seeing them deleted for a (prolly) rushed starting zone revamp would be sad.

The "old" starting zones are still there despite Exile's Reach existing. So I'm assuming that, if they release new starting zone options, it wouldn't mean a removal of the old ones.

[Lady Atia]

The "old" starting zones are still there despite Exile's Reach existing. So I'm assuming that, if they release new starting zone options, it wouldn't mean a removal of the old ones.

I guess ... still, I don't see how a revamp of starting zones would mean a pirate flag?