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

[Joshuaj]

I just realized something...

Blizzard hasn't utilized the concept of the Emerald City or the Yellow Brick Road from the Wizard of Oz yet.

Assuming they do put such a concept in WoW, I think it'd be perfect if they made it either Elune's main area (To better sort-of counter her sister's "giant tree" aesthetic, especially since she is called an "upstart goddess" by the Void, which likely means she thinks herself very highly. Pure diva energy ngl), or Eonar's main area within the Order Realm. I personally think Elune would make the most sense in this case, as the Emerald Dream is the opposing realm of Ardenweald, and there is likely much much more to the Dream than meets the eye (to the point where, in the Amirdrassil raid, firelands based guys are saying that "Elune's power can't reach the heroes", likely due to the Firelands interrupting that link).

Like, imagine Elune's main area being called "The Emerald Palace", or the "Palace of Dreams", and the thing leading to there is called "The Celestial Road" or "Celestial's Path". Like, it won't entirely rip from the Wizard of Oz, but there would be some clear inspirations from it, as well as other fantastical things (Since, unlike the Wizard of Oz, Elune ain't a fraud and is actually a goddess with power and authority).

I think that would be cool, personally.

[Enrif]

Blizzard already did. Path of the Titans leading to the mage city of Dalaran/Wyrmrest Temple in Wrath.



Also, Blizzard already referenced the Wizard of Oz in one of the Karazhan Theater scenarios (which also drop the ruby slippers), and with some winged hozen in BfA.

I don't think there is any need for more Wizard of Oz references.

[Joshuaj]

Blizzard already did. Path of the Titans leading to the mage city of Dalaran/Wyrmrest Temple in Wrath.



Also, Blizzard already referenced the Wizard of Oz in one of the Karazhan Theater scenarios (which also drop the ruby slippers), and with some winged hozen in BfA.

I don't think there is any need for more Wizard of Oz references.

I get that, and I hope Blizzard rebuilds the Path of the Titans in TLT, but that's not really what I mean. I want a more literal approach to the yellow brick road and the Emerald City design-wise, but I also want some extra fantastical stuff added to it as well. And I think Elune's Realm could be perfect for that (especially since I believe her realm is the true Dream, and places that we're used to, such as Azeroth's Dream, are simply extensions of that realm).

To better elaborate, if we ever do enter or see Elune's Realm, this is what I'd want to see from it:

A rainbow road, lots of unique looking trees and vast, whimsical valleys that look unnatural, a celestial skybox with green, pink, purple, etc (So basically, take the Emerald Dreams skybox, give it Ardenweald skybox aesthetics, and amplify it by 1), an Emerald based city with architecture that's kinda like a mix between the Night Elves, the Green Flights, and Ardenwealds, and a palace so astral and whatnot, that it in of itself looks like a dream (With it maybe being atop of clouds. There would also be a rainbow bridge leading up to the palace).

Like, I want something whimsical and fantastical like that! It would genuinely be perfect!

[Worldshaper]

I get that, and I hope Blizzard rebuilds the Path of the Titans in TLT, but that's not really what I mean. I want a more literal approach to the yellow brick road and the Emerald City design-wise, but I also want some extra fantastical stuff added to it as well. And I think Elune's Realm could be perfect for that (especially since I believe her realm is the true Dream, and places that we're used to, such as Azeroth's Dream, are simply extensions of that realm).

To better elaborate, if we ever do enter or see Elune's Realm, this is what I'd want to see from it:

A rainbow road, lots of unique looking trees and vast, whimsical valleys that look unnatural, a celestial skybox with green, pink, purple, etc (So basically, take the Emerald Dreams skybox, give it Ardenweald skybox aesthetics, and amplify it by 1), an Emerald based city with architecture that's kinda like a mix between the Night Elves, the Green Flights, and Ardenwealds, and a palace so astral and whatnot, that it in of itself looks like a dream (With it maybe being atop of clouds. There would also be a rainbow bridge leading up to the palace).

Like, I want something whimsical and fantastical like that! It would genuinely be perfect!

Interesting ideas, I give you an A for thinking a bit outside the box.

Only tangentially related, but I wonder why, specifically, it was a green dragon that left Kalimdor to fly west across the sea (Erinethria).

Why did Blizzard choose to make it a green dragon? I doubt it's a coincidence.

Also, why does Elunaria have green Eonar storm drakes flying around?

I want to believe there's something to all of that.

First of all, there's Odyn who seems pivotal in their creation. They are storm drakes and he's a "storm god". They are said to be created "by the gods," yet they are a flight of sentient creatures just like the other flights. Which is strange since they weren't empowered by the Titans in the same event.

But we also know there's land beyond the western storms, and Odyn once ran into trouble with the people of Avaloren.

Could it be that the green dragonflight of "the west" became Eonar storm drakes, recruited into Elune's or Eonar's service.

But Odyn grabbed some as well, enslaving them? Or perhaps he is the reason for the storm in the first place, so indirectly he creates a new flight from other flights as they flew through the storms?

Either way, I can think of two plausible scenarios after all of this:

1. You get your kingdom of Oz on Elunaria, a sort of dream-like place where life reigns, and

2. When we travel west, it'll be a badass expansion involving the storm dragons of Avaloren.

I wonder, though, how Khaz Algar factors into all of this. Truth be told, the stormy themes around Khaz Algar and its gryphon seem like a red herring in retrospect. Before the announcement it seemed so tied to the whole Avaloren/other side of Azeroth thing.

Could Odyn have created both situations, i.e. storms around both Avaloren and Khaz Algar? Is this sort of a taste of what's to come?

[Dracullus]

Few weeks before Direct we were talking about potential for class halls 2.0 for Midnight or Last Titan. Remind me, it was usual speculation out of boredom or something devs were teasing in interview like housing before DF?

[Lady Atia]

Few weeks before Direct we were talking about potential for class halls 2.0 for Midnight or Last Titan. Remind me, it was usual speculation out of boredom or something devs were teasing in interview like housing before DF?

It was asked about in a community survey about potential upcoming features.

[huth]

Has this survey been completed yet? I'd like to cast my vote too.

It was sent out by mail some months ago.

[Ersula]

The survey included things like "Return of Class Halls," "more allied races," "UI improvements," and "Warband backgrounds." They shouldn't have needed a survey to see those first two were wildly more anticipated than anything else, but I think the point was to see whether they'd want order halls or allied races more.

[Sondrelk]

The survey included things like "Return of Class Halls," "more allied races," "UI improvements," and "Warband backgrounds." They shouldn't have needed a survey to see those first two were wildly more anticipated than anything else, but I think the point was to see whether they'd want order halls or allied races more.

I imagine all of them (maybe besides Order Halls) are asked about to figure out whether they should make 2 or 5 more type deal.
If interest in Allied Races are low we only get Harranir, if it's high then we get Harranir, and also Ankoan and Gilblins for instance.

For Order halls I imagine something similar. Should it be a neat side activity and be a major feature of every class, or should it be just a slight overhaul to the Legion ones to make it a better place to park your alts.

[Joshuaj]

Okay. Y'all, another idea. So I have a fanmade saga called "The Nature Saga" that talks about the overgrowth of Life on Azeroth, us going to the Cosmic Elemental Domains + us returning to Pandaria in order to bring the spirit back to Azeroth, and us going to the Life Domain.

And in that saga speculation, I had Life as the main enemy of the first expac (With hints of decay throughout it all), decay being the main enemy of the second expac, and decay being somewhat of an enemy of the third expac. However, I didn't really think Decay being the MAIN enemy of the Life expac would work, nor do I think corrupted Life would fully work either (tho it is plausible).

So I was thinking, and I think I have the perfect idea for what the Life Realm's main enemy could be, if Blizzard EVER goes this route. Y'all ready? Check it:

I don't mean the EXACT same as this, but something that would be heavily inspired by this. Pure Technology Vs Vs Pure Life! And I don't mean tech as in stuff akin to the Titans, I mean pure dystopian, FFXIV and Beast Machines inspired tech. Something that goes entirely against the nature of Life and whatnot.

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Thoughts on this y'all?

[Worldshaper]

Three Naaru sent to Azeroth inside the Beledar, to protect life.

Discover the worlsoul.

Enhance life forms to become their champions.

Fight the Old Gods and infiltrate the Titans.

One Old God, Xal'atath, is destroyed by her brothers.

One Naaru, Lo'sho, is destroyed. Elune weeps, and the world is experiencing permanent night in her presence. This is the time when the Night Elves first looked up on the stars. Hence the name, Kalimdor.

One Naaru, An'she, channels the Light across Azeroth.

One Naaru, Mu'sha (Elune) stands defiant.

The Emerald Dream and the Shadowlands are rigged to regenerate and send souls back into the fight, protecting them from oblivion.

Elune asks her sister's spirit to dwell within Ardenweald and carry out this important task.

Elun'Ahir is planted to protect the world. Is torn down, leaving only roots behind.

Tauren myth interpret Elun'Ahir as the Earth Mother, Elune as the White Lady, the Winter Queen as the Blue Child, and An'she as the Sun.

After the Sundering, Nordrassil is planted to give Night Elves new powers, enabling them to protect Azeroth.

Xal'atath will soon strike Elune so terribly that she almost dies.

An'she will channel his full fury on those who seek to harm Azeroth, causing a massive victory for the armies of the Light.

A cosmic clash of Light and Shadow engulfs the world in fire.

[Joshuaj]

This may end up being a hot take on my end, but I really don't want Mu'sha to be Elune. Elune should be her own thing. If she was a Naaru, that would high-key ruin the Night Elves' faith and whatnot.

And ngl, the idea of Velen being more correct about Elune's nature than Tyrande pisses me off lol

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Also, I dislike keeping things bound to Light and Shadow + Chronicle lore. Feels very limiting, knowing what we know now.

[Ersula]

An'she will channel his full fury on those who seek to harm Azeroth, causing a massive victory for the armies of the Light.

Maybe you should just write a book.

[Joshuaj]

The idea of An'she and Mu'sha being Naaru and helping us during the events of Midnight is a cool thought. But I also like the idea of us meeting them in a future expac. Maybe said expac could be about us exploring Azeroth's Sun and Moons.

[alex wolf]

I imagine all of them (maybe besides Order Halls) are asked about to figure out whether they should make 2 or 5 more type deal.
If interest in Allied Races are low we only get Harranir, if it's high then we get Harranir, and also Ankoan and Gilblins for instance.

For Order halls I imagine something similar. Should it be a neat side activity and be a major feature of every class, or should it be just a slight overhaul to the Legion ones to make it a better place to park your alts.

I'd really like order halls to become a more ever green feature, somewhat similar to ffxiv's role quest while also serving as a way to allow factions that normally dont get a lot of screen time to be "checked up on" from a writing perspective.

Could even follow the covenant approach and allow people to join the order they like the best to be a kind of way to allow people to join the argent crusade or the earthen ring or helping see what the illidari are doing with the planet and space ship they're presumably just chilling in? how are people who devoted, in some cases hundreds or thousands of years of their life to defeating the legion dealing with the legion being (mostly) defeated? how are they coping with losing Illidan again, who's in charge now?

[Viridiel]

Okay. Y'all, another idea. So I have a fanmade saga called "The Nature Saga" that talks about the overgrowth of Life on Azeroth, us going to the Cosmic Elemental Domains + us returning to Pandaria in order to bring the spirit back to Azeroth, and us going to the Life Domain.

And in that saga speculation, I had Life as the main enemy of the first expac (With hints of decay throughout it all), decay being the main enemy of the second expac, and decay being somewhat of an enemy of the third expac. However, I didn't really think Decay being the MAIN enemy of the Life expac would work, nor do I think corrupted Life would fully work either (tho it is plausible).

What's a Cosmic Elemental Domain?

Spirit/Life for a Pandaria revisit is a great idea. I think Decay works incredibly well for Zandalar too, so a South Seas expansion could focus on Spirit vs Decay and the way they interact to influence Life and Death. I want the Elemental Plane to be destroyed and the Maelstrom calmed, resulting in a huge influx of Spirit and Decay and eventually the manifestation of Elemental Lords for Spirit and Decay. It really bothers me that Chronicle set them up to be equivalent to the other primal elements, but they don't function in the same way and have been neglected in-game since (we had Decay feature in Dragonflight, but I don't think it was ever referred to as an element or considered anywhere near equal to the four traditional primal elements).

The only existing enemy I can really see for Life is the nathrezim, and I think it would be a mistake on Blizzard's part to put them firmly into the Death box when we know they dabble in all of the forces and likely have nothing against Life specifically in the long run. I like the idea of Life's true enemy being technology- or magitek-based (in Warcraft 3 and vanilla WoW, Nature and Arcane magic were diametrically opposed and fought for resources), but where could they come from? There are a lot of options:

1. a faction associated with Order, perhaps from the Order Realm or Zereth Ordus, perhaps even a titan
2. the nathrezim after continuing to develop Legion technology
3. a group of goblins or mechagnomes going wild after discovering/inventing incredibly powerful technology
4. the Light, with naaru technology
5. rogue First One creations who are threatened by Elune
6. the "seventh force"
7. aliens from the Great Dark Beyond with advanced technology which uses all of the forces/elements (perhaps the seventh force themselves)
8. brokers combining First Ones and goblin technology to gain full control over the flow of anima

And way more that would be a lot more of a stretch, like Azshara going after Elune out of spite for the night elves. My current vision would be that Gallywix traded some of the Black Blood and goblin technology to the brokers, who return with a Gigeresque synthesis of Black Blood, goblin tech, and First Ones tech to create a substance that converts living things into machines which they use to launch an attack on the Realm of Life.

Current lore has Spirit and Decay responsible for creating anima and binding a living thing to the Shadowlands, and older lore has that be the result of the Curse of Flesh. So there seems to be some intimate connection between Spirit/Decay and the Curse of Flesh, so a connection to the Black Blood seems natural and is a way to continue the involvement of the Old Gods after they're otherwise completely done with (and I really want more of the flesh stuff that's been mostly eclipsed by the Void).

[The-Shan]

I really hope Midnight isn't about the Kaldorei/Nightborne, I feel like scoping in on the politics of Quel'thalas is way more interesting than trying to fit everyone into it. I especially think this is the case because its about Quel'thalas.

I'd rather their focus be on the peoples of Quel'thalas (high elves, void elves, blood elves, amani trolls) so it can be deep, rather than wide.

[Joshuaj]

What's a Cosmic Elemental Domain?

Spirit/Life for a Pandaria revisit is a great idea. I think Decay works incredibly well for Zandalar too, so a South Seas expansion could focus on Spirit vs Decay and the way they interact to influence Life and Death. I want the Elemental Plane to be destroyed and the Maelstrom calmed, resulting in a huge influx of Spirit and Decay and eventually the manifestation of Elemental Lords for Spirit and Decay. It really bothers me that Chronicle set them up to be equivalent to the other primal elements, but they don't function in the same way and have been neglected in-game since (we had Decay feature in Dragonflight, but I don't think it was ever referred to as an element or considered anywhere near equal to the four traditional primal elements).

The only existing enemy I can really see for Life is the nathrezim, and I think it would be a mistake on Blizzard's part to put them firmly into the Death box when we know they dabble in all of the forces and likely have nothing against Life specifically in the long run. I like the idea of Life's true enemy being technology- or magitek-based (in Warcraft 3 and vanilla WoW, Nature and Arcane magic were diametrically opposed and fought for resources), but where could they come from? There are a lot of options:

1. a faction associated with Order, perhaps from the Order Realm or Zereth Ordus, perhaps even a titan
2. the nathrezim after continuing to develop Legion technology
3. a group of goblins or mechagnomes going wild after discovering/inventing incredibly powerful technology
4. the Light, with naaru technology
5. rogue First One creations who are threatened by Elune
6. the "seventh force"
7. aliens from the Great Dark Beyond with advanced technology which uses all of the forces/elements (perhaps the seventh force themselves)
8. brokers combining First Ones and goblin technology to gain full control over the flow of anima

And way more that would be a lot more of a stretch, like Azshara going after Elune out of spite for the night elves. My current vision would be that Gallywix traded some of the Black Blood and goblin technology to the brokers, who return with a Gigeresque synthesis of Black Blood, goblin tech, and First Ones tech to create a substance that converts living things into machines which they use to launch an attack on the Realm of Life.

Current lore has Spirit and Decay responsible for creating anima and binding a living thing to the Shadowlands, and older lore has that be the result of the Curse of Flesh. So there seems to be some intimate connection between Spirit/Decay and the Curse of Flesh, so a connection to the Black Blood seems natural and is a way to continue the involvement of the Old Gods after they're otherwise completely done with (and I really want more of the flesh stuff that's been mostly eclipsed by the Void).

When I say "cosmic elemental domain", I'm thinking something like the Firelands or the Abyssal Maw, but universal, ya know what I mean? Similar to how the Emerald Dream might be linked to Elune's Realm within the Domain of Life (Which would make the most sense considering it's nature + it's connections to Elune and whatnot).

So, basically, if a cosmic domain for one of the 6 higher powers in WoW consists of infinite realms and whatnot, I would have the universal elemental domain consist of only 6 realms, but those elemental realms serve as the realms responsible for the Dark Beyond's building blocks. I would also have the universal elemental domain be much more tied to the Dark Beyond, rather than be transcendent like the cosmic realms (with the veils serving as their barriers).

[MCMLXXXII]

Path of the titans was there way before Dalaran was floating there...
It leads from somewhere in the Sea (Suramar?) up to?

[huth]

Path of the titans was there way before Dalaran was floating there...
It leads from somewhere in the Sea (Suramar?) up to?

Ulduar presumably. And the other end is... well, where we are right now.