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

[Nymrohd]

That could actually be the angle they are going with- the void monster is underneath Zul'aman. Maybe the idea is that it wants to travel underground to below the Sunwell, in order to corrupt it?

I could see the reveal being it's another Beledar crystal.

Oh Kith'ix is below Zul'aman since that is how the Troll vs Aqir war ended. But we also know that the location of the Sunwell was a very important site for the Amani. So something was in IQD before the Sunwell. We know the elves chose it because it was a ley line nexus.

[Nibelheimy]

Oh Kith'ix is below Zul'aman since that is how the Troll vs Aqir war ended. But we also know that the location of the Sunwell was a very important site for the Amani. So something was in IQD before the Sunwell. We know the elves chose it because it was a ley line nexus.

I'm expecting some Delves centered around exploring Amani tombs in the Ghostlands like those quests I've done 500 times. I expect Kith'ix to be the season 1 Delve boss.

[Cheezits]

I'm expecting some Delves centered around exploring Amani tombs in the Ghostlands like those quests I've done 500 times. I expect Kith'ix to be the season 1 Delve boss.

I think Kith'ix will be the first raid boss, as Amani makes sense as the first raid and there isn't another named villain in that area. Unless they roll out Zul'jin 2.0.

Kith'ix in the west, Darkhan to the south. North antagonist will be ???

[Makorus]

Well, there's definitely something happening today.

[Cheezits]

Well, there's definitely something happening today.

Shadows of K'aresh baybee!

[Makorus]

Shadows of K'aresh baybee!

Nevermind

[Cheezits]

Nevermind

Understandable, have a good day.

I guess the addon stuff is what was mentioned as being related to RWF?

[Makorus]

Understandable, have a good day.

I guess the addon stuff is what was mentioned as being related to RWF?

Oh yeah, I guess that makes sense.

What a shame. Summer Game Show it is, I guess.

[Cheezits]

Oh yeah, I guess that makes sense.

What a shame. Summer Game Show it is, I guess.

Has Blizz done a patch reveal at livestream before? I remember them revealing Argus at Gamescom (the details of the patch, not the theme) but that's all I can remember.

[Dracullus]

Has Blizz done a patch reveal at livestream before? I remember them revealing Argus at Gamescom (the details of the patch, not the theme) but that's all I can remember.

Not even that. Gamescom '17 was few days before patch launch and was just stuff we knew. Last few years they started showing stuff outside Gamescom/Blizzcon, but it was all CGI trailers for big stuff in D4/WoW.

[Cheezits]

Not even that. Gamescom '17 was few days before patch launch and was just stuff we knew. Last few years they started showing stuff outside Gamescom/Blizzcon, but it was all CGI trailers for big stuff in D4/WoW.

Damn, then I'm really going to just expect the 25th of June. Unless they reveal it early due to negative reception to 11.1.5.

[Ersula]

Damn, then I'm really going to just expect the 25th of June. Unless they reveal it early due to negative reception to 11.1.5.

Not saying this is wrong but that means a whole month with basically no wow news. We've seen all of 11.1.7, we just had a substantial housing preview & Mop Pre-patch isn't for at least 6 weeks from now. If I were blizzard I'd want to show off 11.2 a few weeks before 11.1.7 or whip out a new SoD phase or something.

[Makorus]

Not saying this is wrong but that means a whole month with basically no wow news. We've seen all of 11.1.7, we just had a substantial housing preview & Mop Pre-patch isn't for at least 6 weeks from now. If I were blizzard I'd want to show off 11.2 a few weeks before 11.1.7 or whip out a new SoD phase or something.

And we still have Dastardly Duos to come, which might be another negative press day for Blizzard depending on how it works.

[Dracullus]

Not saying this is wrong but that means a whole month with basically no wow news. We've seen all of 11.1.7, we just had a substantial housing preview & Mop Pre-patch isn't for at least 6 weeks from now. If I were blizzard I'd want to show off 11.2 a few weeks before 11.1.7 or whip out a new SoD phase or something.

..so better reveal everything now? This way 5 second attention span people here would have no news for next 3 months. There were big housing news literally last week, they don't have enough patches and big features to make 20+ reveals per year.

[JMitchy96]

11.2 - The Ethereal Conflux

• Announced either on its intended June 25h date, or at Xbox Games Showcase 2025 on June 8th.
• Released either on its intended August 12th date, or one week early (August 5th) if Blizzard is trying to catch up from the two-week 11.1 delay back in February.
• Travel to a fragment of the broken homeworld of the Ethereals--K'aresh--and investigate its past and future.
• Unearth the secrets of the radiant song, the true nature of Xal'atath, and her intentions for our world.
• With the now luminous Beledar as your guide, learn the truth behind the prophecy of Light and Shadow and... the child.
• Try to stop the awakening before all hope is lost.

Totally not just something you got ChatGPT to spit out

[Sondrelk]

Considering the only bit of relevant lore we are given about Horrific Visions is that we are doing it to investigate the Black Blood, I really cannot see why we would abandon that plotline again.
The Black Blood is instrinsically linked to the rootlands through Orweyna. And we know that wherever the Black Blood is coming from, it's somewhere beneath Khaz Algar. And definitely not on K'aresh.

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And we still have Dastardly Duos to come, which might be another negative press day for Blizzard depending on how it works.

Hopefully it isnt another timegated thing like the Visions.
I do love the visions. But I really don't get why they are timegated beyond the whole Stormwind/Orgrimmar rotation. Seems like it could very easily just all be available immediately with high upgrade costs. The gear is barely worth it considering how easy gearing is anyways with the Hallowfall event.

[Cheezits]

Considering the only bit of relevant lore we are given about Horrific Visions is that we are doing it to investigate the Black Blood, I really cannot see why we would abandon that plotline again.
The Black Blood is instrinsically linked to the rootlands through Orweyna. And we know that wherever the Black Blood is coming from, it's somewhere beneath Khaz Algar. And definitely not on K'aresh.

If they feel obligated to follow the Black Blood throughout TWW, we have no idea what is on K'aresh and it could be filled with it. We really don't know a single thing other than it got blown up and it's probably part of what they showed in 11.1

We also are lacking anything that would actually purify the corruption at this time- which makes me think it is a plotline that will take some time to resolve. I don't believe we've seen anything actually purify/destroy it at least?

Also, FWIW, there are several plot beats in 11.1.7 and none of them feature the blood. I think the only actual plot moving forward in that patch, thats relevant to TWW and not future stuff (Red Dawn), is Ve'nari and Locus-Walker linking up. And Lorewalker Cho confirms for us, through Blizzard, that they are both from K'aresh instead of just being relatives or cousins: I don't think the two characters bring K'aresh up at all.



Yeah, just their world. But Cho hits you over the head with it being K'aresh, in case you forgot.

[Dracullus]

Considering the only bit of relevant lore we are given about Horrific Visions is that we are doing it to investigate the Black Blood, I really cannot see why we would abandon that plotline again.
The Black Blood is instrinsically linked to the rootlands through Orweyna. And we know that wherever the Black Blood is coming from, it's somewhere beneath Khaz Algar. And definitely not on K'aresh..

At this point we are running in circles. Story, theme and logic point something under Khaz Algar, hints and datamining points K'aresh (or at least Ethereals). Since 10.1.7 testing thankfully didn't spoil anything, all we can do is wait for reveal at this point. My dream scenario would be hidden prologue on patch launch day and patch reveal same week.

Btw, Midnight book description is pretty odd. Alleria & Turalyon going with son on side quest? Shouldn't shit break loose between 11.2 and 12.0?

[Sondrelk]

At this point we are running in circles. Story, theme and logic point something under Khaz Algar, hints and datamining points K'aresh (or at least Ethereals). Since 10.1.7 testing thankfully didn't spoil anything, all we can do is wait for reveal at this point. My dream scenario would be hidden prologue on patch launch day and patch reveal same week.

Btw, Midnight book description is pretty odd. Alleria & Turalyon going with son on side quest? Shouldn't shit break loose between 11.2 and 12.0?

Personally I think the confusion stems from players applying a standard for K'aresh build up that doesn't really gel with the whole Saga trilogy thing we have going on.

In an older expansion, the K'aresh build up could reasonably be assumed to be building towards something this expansion. But when we know that the next expansion is going to be møre heavily Void themed, it's just as easy to assume that the K'aresh buildup is just for further into the story we are currently telling.

In short. Think of the World Soul saga as an expansion with 8 major patches.
Sure K'aresh is being built up now. But you wouldn't expect the Undermine patch to suddenly pivot to Qul'thalas before we got to the raid. That would be a nonsensical turn, and one which would undercut the narrative that is ongoing.

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The BfA Before the Storm prequel book took place almost directly before the BfA prepatch, which is where things hit the fan.
Not a stretch to assume the same will happen for this book, and Midnight Pre-patch. Sure, we know that things go bad. But that won't necessarily have happened before the Pre-patch events.

[Nibelheimy]

If K'aresh is next, I wouldn't rule out a black blood plotline entirely. Although if that is to be pursued, now would surely be the time and under Azeroth at that.

But, there are many possibilities, I could still see a storyline where Xal'atath was an Old God on K'aresh and was successful in corrupting the worldsoul, allowing Dimensius to manifest and devour it, therefore ascending her into a new type of void being. Leading to being sent to Azeroth to see what the hold up is with the Azerothian Old gods.

Not saying this is the case, or likely. But there would almost certainly be Old Gods on K'aresh before its destruction and presumably black blood.

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In short. Think of the World Soul saga as an expansion with 8 major patches.

I feel similar here. I'm also getting ready to be wrong. But I do feel it could go either way at this point. I just don't want to see negative feedback if it turns out K'aresh isn't the next patch. Its okay to let things bake.