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

[Cheezits]

I think Azir and his band are going to be a group that eventually becomes sympathetic to us. They stole the Dark Heart to attempt to save their world, etc. If we go to K'aresh in 11.2, it'll fully be a warning sign to Azeroth on what can happen if Xal'atath wins. The Ethereals (that aren't Shadowguard) will serve as a cautionary tale I think.

That would certainly line up with how he is a playable looking Ethereal and the Voidguard aren't.

[Joshuaj]

Do you mean the Titans? In Shadowlands lore, sure, the First Ones sought to hide her, but everything else we have been given following is the Titans hiding her, subjugating her, etc. There's a reason everyone is drawing the parallel that the First Ones = the Titans.

Where was it ever implied the Titans tried to hide her? If that was the case, they did a terrible job at it.

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The First Ones hiding Azeroth would at least makes sense, if we're to assume the 7th wanted it for some unknown reason.

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I don't expect it to happen but it would be kind of cool if the 11.2 campaign is us joining Azir in K'aresh where he tells us how he can use the Dark Heart to fully banish Dimensius and the raid there is an assault by our forces, Azir and other ethereals (and maybe the Army of the Light can show up) to get close to their world's core. He does it, K'aresh can potentially be restored, he tells us to come back for a big celebration then in 11.2.5 during that celebration and while everyone there cheers us on an Azir is on a podium making a big speech about how we saved their world, Xal shows up and stabs him, stealing the Dark Heart that now is fully empowered by Dimensius and leaves for Azeroth setting up Midnight. Many among the ethereal decide that they have to repay us and they offer to join our fight against Xal and the forces of the Void, becoming an available race in 11.2.7 with a Midnight preorder

The more I think about it, more accepting I am of 11.2 being K'aresh, as long as we return to the Harranir in TLT or another expac in the future.

[FossilFree]

I'm thinking The Last Titan won't be about Azeroth being the last Titan, or one of the expected members of the Titan pantheon being the last. I think the last Titan will actually be Sargeras. He has gobbled up countless worldsouls in his Burning Crusade, which has greatly empowered him with fel. The resurrected Titan pantheon that is keeping him imprisoned are only shells of their former selves in terms of power, so like cosmic cellphone batteries, they are being rapidly drained of their remaining power to keep him imprisoned (and it takes all of them to do it because of his acquired power from those worldsouls). I think they will run out of juice, cease to exist, and we will be dealing with Sargeras unleashed. Illidan too will be overwhelmed.

But maybe it's not what we might expect. At first we panic and think he will be the next big bad, and the launch raid will have us fighting him but not killing him. Then we realize that he too has been influenced by Azeroth, and even fell in love with her. Him stabbing her was to stop the void from gaining her power, not something he really wanted to do. However, with the Void Lords defeated in Midnight, he is no longer concerned with his nightmares of a "Void Titan." It becomes clear that he is actually now working on the side of free will, on our side. He then becomes our new "Illidan" against the return of the First Ones (who will be the ultimate council-style boss of the trilogy, with 6 First Ones, one for each force), and brings with him the Titankiller class that was mentioned in the survey!

[milkmustache]

That would certainly line up with how he is a playable looking Ethereal and the Voidguard aren't.

Totally. I fully expect there to be a splinter cell of Ethereals that either infiltrated the Shadowguard or turned on them. I can't even figure out the plot threads they can draw from TBC Ethereal lore, but between the Ethereum, the Protectorate, the Consortium and the Shadowguard, there's a lot of room for backstabbing and covert work.

If I had to guess, the Ethereum has in effect fully turned into the Shadowguard. Azir and Ky'veza are Ethereum loyalist holdouts, leading a rebel group within the Shadowguard who we see make their move in 11.1. If we follow them to K'aresh, we'll find the Protectorate still working out of the ruins of K'aresh (or even Dalaran) and we quickly become their allies. We work in sort of a civil war amongst the remaining Ethereals, lose in the end to Xal'atath and her Shadowguard, something happens to ensue Midnight. Still unsure about how that all happens and very excitied to see.

I also think the Consortium will be where they draw the connection with the Brokers.

[Limayria]

I think you are on to something with the bolded line here. All of the other powers want to dominate, coerce, and conscript. People aren't really given a choice, it's do what I say or die (or be obliterated completely in the Shadowlands). Azeroth is the one that does the opposite, and let's people make their own choices, even if it doesn't really help her directly. Maybe just having champions of free will doing their own thing means that they can't be corrupted by one of the other six forces so easily, which keeps them at bay?

I could also see the Riftblade as more of a Voidhunter. Either would be cool to me. Maybe do a 2 melee spec 1 ranged spec class, like an opposite of the hunter class.

I still think rift blade makes the most sense as a DH third spec and a way to explain void elf demon hunters which it would also make sense to add with the theme of elven reunification


It'd also be nice to have the illidari elves meeting with the Ren'dorei considering they both were banished from their homelands from trying to harness magic to protect their homes and such

Would also allow us to introduce Illidari aligned characters for the inevitable return of Illidan in TLT, and it'd be pretty interesting to see the illidari turning in Illidan for abandoning them to the ennui of having accomplished the goal you sacrificed your soul and body and place in society and home and family for, similar to the monolothians in stalker 2 trying to find a way to exist post monolith

[FossilFree]

I still think rift blade makes the most sense as a DH third spec and a way to explain void elf demon hunters which it would also make sense to add with the theme of elven reunification


It'd also be nice to have the illidari elves meeting with the Ren'dorei considering they both were banished from their homelands from trying to harness magic to protect their homes and such

Would also allow us to introduce Illidari aligned characters for the inevitable return of Illidan in TLT, and it'd be pretty interesting to see the illidari turning in Illidan for abandoning them to the ennui of having accomplished the goal you sacrificed your soul and body and place in society and home and family for, similar to the monolothians in stalker 2 trying to find a way to exist post monolith

It's certainly a possibility. The one thing that gives me pause is how their kit differs. Riftblades seems more like a plate or mail class than leather. But it could actually fit to make the Void Hunter a Demon Hunter spec. If they really wanted to give DH a bow spec, it could work. Plus, it nestles the "X Hunter" naming convention inside a single class, so you don't have Void Hunter and Demon Hunter as redundantly-named classes.

[Zers Editor]

Predictions after the Stromgarde quest line:

• Beledar turns dark permanently after the events of 11.2. Turalyon dies.
• The Arathi flee Hallowfall and settle in Stromgarde (the final dialogue between Faerin and Danath foreshadows this)
• During Midnight they finally make contact with the Empire and they declare war on everyone, many of the Arathi side with them.
• This prompts Faerin to go to Stormwind (foreshadowed during the board game quest line) and ask Anduin and the Alliance's help; the former is back to being a king after Turalyon's death.
• The Arathi (representing the light) become the second antagonistic force of the expansion, aka Metzen's "things not going to plan".

[Super Dickmann]

You literally see the process of people becoming Kyrian in the Shadowlands btw. Some are probably naturally created, but a lot of others aren't.

The entire plot hinges on memory removal of their mortal lives and the problems this causes. They're 'native' to wherever they came from. There is no indication any spawn from the Shadowlands, the way stewards and fairies do.

[Sondrelk]

Predictions after the Stromgarde quest line:

• Beledar turns dark permanently after the events of 11.2. Turalyon dies.
• The Arathi flee Hallowfall and settle in Stromgarde (the final dialogue between Faerin and Danath foreshadows this)
• During Midnight they finally make contact with the Empire and they declare war on everyone, many of the Arathi side with them.
• This prompts Faerin to go to Stormwind (foreshadowed during the board game quest line) and ask Anduin and the Alliance's help; the former is back to being a king after Turalyon's death.
• The Arathi (representing the light) become the second antagonistic force of the expansion, aka Metzen's "things not going to plan".

Lots of this, yes. Just add the bit where the various human factions join the Arathi for the promise of a human centric empire, leading to Midnight where we don't fight the Arathi specifically, but rather the human factions like the Defias and Scarlet Crusade who are working as agents of the greater Arathi Empire.

[Nightshade711]

Predictions after the Stromgarde quest line:

• Beledar turns dark permanently after the events of 11.2. Turalyon dies.
• The Arathi flee Hallowfall and settle in Stromgarde (the final dialogue between Faerin and Danath foreshadows this)
• During Midnight they finally make contact with the Empire and they declare war on everyone, many of the Arathi side with them.
• This prompts Faerin to go to Stormwind (foreshadowed during the board game quest line) and ask Anduin and the Alliance's help; the former is back to being a king after Turalyon's death.
• The Arathi (representing the light) become the second antagonistic force of the expansion, aka Metzen's "things not going to plan".

I don’t think we’re gonna have the Arathi Empire itself as a major antagonistic force.

At most I could see the scarlets infiltrating the empire to get more followers and/or some more Dreadlord manipulations (as is common with antagonistic/zealous light users) through Lothraxion.

[Super Dickmann]

Lots of this, yes. Just add the bit where the various human factions join the Arathi for the promise of a human centric empire, leading to Midnight where we don't fight the Arathi specifically, but rather the human factions like the Defias and Scarlet Crusade who are working as agents of the greater Arathi Empire.

I agree with the general prediction, but the new storyline doesn't seem to be moving in this direction in so far as Faerin s rejected for being part-elf. So the initiative to co-opt them is more likely to be come from the Empire itself, i.e the Red Dawn changing its tune when it gets more open support.

[Sondrelk]

I don’t think we’re gonna have the Arathi Empire itself as a major antagonistic force.

At most I could see the scarlets infiltrating the empire to get more followers and/or some more Dreadlord manipulations (as is common with antagonistic/zealous light users) through Lothraxion.

I doubt the Arathi Empire will be there, mostly because it's too soon. But the Hallowfall expedition splintering into two factions, with one representing the Arathi Empire until they actually attack would be neat. Make the Arathi Empire a background threat we just have to wait for after the World Soul Saga is over.

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I agree with the general prediction, but the new storyline doesn't seem to be moving in this direction in so far as Faerin s rejected for being part-elf. So the initiative to co-opt them is more likely to be come from the Empire itself, i.e the Red Dawn changing its tune when it gets more open support.

Not actually seen much of the qestline. But I would assume that the Arathi Empire and at least the Scarlet Crusade would be fast friends. Mostly on account of the Scarlet Crusade championing a return to the Kingdom of Lordaeron, which in effect is the closest to a continuation of the old Arathi Kingdom.

Maybe it doesnt precisely make sense given the immensely superior position the Arathi Empire is in compared to the Scarlet Crusade, whose best bargaining chip is their claim that they harbor the rightful heir to the Kingdom of Lordaeron, but hey.
It's just important to me that the Scarlet Crusade gets all the cool Arathi tech. And that they won't be in such an unfavorable position that they become a joke faction, or get pushed into an enemy of my enemy type storyline where they are friendly against the Arathi Empire.

The Defias and what have you are probably a more difficult sell though. They are bandits after all. And no amount of human centric Empire will smooth over being equals to actual criminals. Just hopefully enough if an integration that we maybe get Deadmines 2.0 with a giant ship to actually invade Stormwind rather than sit inside the cave all the time.

[Merryck]

Turalyon ain't dying until Midnight at least.

[Sondrelk]

Turalyon ain't dying until Midnight at least.

I could see it happening in the epilogue of TWW just to lead better into Midnight honestly.

[milkmustache]

I could see it happening in the epilogue of TWW just to lead better into Midnight honestly.

I think Turalyon is far more useful in Midnight alive than dead. There's going to be a lot at play with the dynamic between Alleria Arator and Turalyon, so it'd be a shame to see him killed off so early.

[Makorus]

They aren't going to kill Turalyon off before he does...something.

[Reive]

can we stop killing/crippling male characters? let's kill alleria

[Wyrt]

Sounds like making the Old Gods secretly friendly, or some of them anyways. That could make sense, since Neltharion's notes on the Black Empire seemed to contradict the Titans' claims about the Old Gods. That they weren't so bad, and maybe even had some good things about them? If the Old Gods were actually working for Azeroth at this point, all of that would start to fit in place.

That could also give us the basis for a friendly void faction that has split off from the Void Lords, and maybe even teaches us how to harness their powers. Riftblade class anyone?

Void elves can already do Riftblade though, don't need old gods to teach us that.

I think it's a likely spec for a class though. Alleria will probably be the poster character for both Midnight and the new class.

[Nightshade711]

Void elves can already do Riftblade though, don't need old gods to teach us that.

I think it's a likely spec for a class though. Alleria will probably be the poster character for both Midnight and the new class.

I could see Riftblade being a spec (or hero talent) for a void class in Midnight.

Though instead of a martial class I could theoretically see them go an Artificer route & make Ethereals playable alongside them.

[Limayria]

Void elves can already do Riftblade though, don't need old gods to teach us that.

I think it's a likely spec for a class though. Alleria will probably be the poster character for both Midnight and the new class.

Alleria is a demon hunter she got highly corruptive "dark magic" powers by ritualistically consuming a being aligned with that force and is fighting against losing her self to said powers, she was also introduced in legion alongside the rework of demon hunters, and has tattoos the same color as playable demon hunters have available