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

[Mecheon]

And the problem is that the world soul reveal had to get kicked back to TLT. So that probably explains the plot fuckery.

Going to the world soul, then going away for Midnight, then going to Northrend instead of just going back to the world soul to save it would have too many hiccups.

The thing with the world core is just going there doesn't necessarily mean anything. We know Azeroth has to hatch specifically at some point, going to the world core before that doesn't take away from "Azeroth hatches out and grabs the sword"

They're not going to drop the one guiding thing we've had between every zone in this game. Even going out to the Undermine was because the Worldsoul specifically sent a message to Orweyna, and 'where do those weird haranir guys come from' is still a hanging plot thread that's far easier to tug on than 'oops we're off to space to chase Bob mcIrrelevantToTheStory rather than deal with Xal'atath", especially when its somewhere. Just change 'whatever Rootlands originally was' to 'the sleeping world core is here and Xal'atath's trying to flood it with black blood, the haranir are trying to stop her but are woefully unprepared for this', blam, instant end patch

K'aresh makes zero sense as the next patch. It isn't a threat, it has nothing to do with the World Soul, it has nothing to do with Beledar, it has nothing to do with Azeroth. Neat place to visit one day, sure, but its irrelevant to the whole black blood corruption problems or the stuff we've been focusing on to face the Void. We have, genuinely, no reason to go there at all.

Do remember, the only datamined thing was the icons saying 'etherealraid', and you don't need K'aresh for an Ethereal raid as Outland showed us with its Ethereal dungeons. Plus, for all we know, the original etherealraid was a victim or the storyline changes and got shoved into Midnight itself.

[Alanar]

Doesn't sound too epic, though. Would he just open a portal?

Imagine stepping into Beledar to explore it for a bit, have an earth-shattering revelation about its origins by studying objects inside, reading a couple of books, etc. Maybe there are murals depicting the fall, or slumbering Naaru. Then there's a small cutscene, before you step outside of it and find yourself on K'aresh.

Expect a portal or an illusion you are flying through some galactic tunnel like shadowlands. Most likely a portal, like literally every other situation.

Cmon man, lets not expect miracles or overthink it.

[Worldshaper]

The croco-dragon is the key to all this...

OK, I'll bite.

11.2 - Visions of K'aresh

1. We enter Beledar.
2. Naaru transport us through time and space to K'aresh, before it was destroyed. A sprawling civilization lies before us.
3. We experience the final days of K'aresh, from stopping the initial infiltrators from the Void, to learning more of Xal'atath's and Dimensius' intentions.
4. Eventually, though, it all comes crashing down. This little fellow ends up inside an Eco-dome, along with some other creatures that were saved.
5. An area on K'aresh becomes the new starting zone for Ethereals, who flee their dying world as "Midnight" happens there.

[Cheezits]

OK, I'll bite.

11.2 - Visions of K'aresh

1. We enter Beledar.
2. Naaru transport us through time and space to K'aresh, before it was destroyed. A sprawling civilization lies before us.
3. We experience the final days of K'aresh, from stopping the initial infiltrators from the Void, to learning more of Xal'atath's and Dimensius' intentions.
4. Eventually, though, it all comes crashing down. This little fellow ends up inside an Eco-dome, along with some other creatures that were saved.
5. An area on K'aresh becomes the new starting zone for Ethereals, who flee their dying world as "Midnight" happens there.

I think the little guy is from the ecodome (the netherwings are really telling IMO) but I didn't consider the time travel idea. I like that. I think it's more likely that one part of the new zone is just a very big ecodome due to the sand-covered Ethereals and now this guy. Both of them are colored in gold armor too.

[Worldshaper]

I think the little guy is from the ecodome (the netherwings are really telling IMO) but I didn't consider the time travel idea. I like that. I think it's more likely that one part of the new zone is just a very big ecodome due to the sand-covered Ethereals and now this guy. Both of them are colored in gold armor too.

I like the idea of a big eco dome. It would be very cool to realise that we, the players, helped set up an eco dome on K'aresh as well, thus ensuring fragments of their civilization survive back in time so they could join us in the fray in the present.

Having it all set in the present would also work, though, and I guess they wouldn't create that huge voidy planet asset if they weren't planning on using it in the background of the zone.

[Cheezits]

I like the idea of a big eco dome. It would be very cool to realise that we, the players, helped set up an eco dome on K'aresh as well, thus ensuring fragments of their civilization survive back in time so they could join us in the fray in the present.

Having it all set in the present would also work, though, and I guess they wouldn't create that huge voidy planet asset if they weren't planning on using it in the background of the zone.

It would also explain why they are, well, Ethereal and not K'areshi. Also I double checked the models and all the non-gold armors have purple gems, so they could be the void-aligned ones we fight with the sandy gold Ethereals being our friends.

Preserved K'areshi animals, old architecture, sandy arabian theme... would explain a couple things we've seen and keep the zone from being purple poop palace.

[Hugnomo]

The croco-dragon is the key to all this...

To me this cute little guy is giving egyptian-ish theme and aesthetic, which goes together with the ethereals "mummy" look. I like the idea of the eco-domes people mentioned. Would love a lush "oasis" in the middle of a barren planet destroyed by void.

[Dvalin]

*Insert thinking velociraptor meme* Is this K'aresh?





Anyway, I was just looking at the West Studio images again and for some reason they've seemingly removed one image. Namely, the one where it looks like blasts of Void energy destroys "planet"-like spheres below Khaz Algar.

I wonder why?

While I currently do think that us visiting K'aresh is an option for 11.2, I doubt these images are representing that planet. I think these images envision the word 'Worldcore' more.

[Worldshaper]

While I currently do think that us visiting K'aresh is an option for 11.2, I doubt these images are representing that planet. I think these images envision the word 'Worldcore' more.

Probably, yeah. Or even an early Beledar concept.

But the one where spheres are blown apart is legitimately interesting imo. They removed it from their site for some reason. The "force" that does it appears in several images and almost looks like a swarm of locusts. One could almost suspsect it is some type of early Black Blood concept.

[Dvalin]

Anyway, maybe keeping 11.2 a mystery is purposefully done, as even our characters are left out of the loop. This makes the introductionary quests/narrative of 11.2 very important, though. As those have to introduce this chapter of the story just right.

We could then deduce that the Ethereal boss in the Palace, the Lorewalking tidbit about the Ethereals, the cinematic at the end of Undermine and some other little hints were all planned accordingly. With datamining ('Etherealraid' and those new Ethereal models) confirming that.

We'll see. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

Anyway, when could we expect a new update to the 11.1.7 PTR? Really curious about the details of that Legion meta achiev.

[Limayria]

ethreals were also in the tww prologue questline doing stuff at ulduar so it's not like theyre totally out of left field, having a presence in the undermine quest and neubnar raid as well

[Dvalin]

ethreals were also in the tww prologue questline doing stuff at ulduar so it's not like theyre totally out of left field, having a presence in the undermine quest and neubnar raid as well

Exactly! I coincidentally updated my earlier post reflecting the same line of thought.

[Timester]

The thing with the world core is just going there doesn't necessarily mean anything. We know Azeroth has to hatch specifically at some point, going to the world core before that doesn't take away from "Azeroth hatches out and grabs the sword"

The thing is, do we know if she is going to hatch at all? Or maybe that she is already hatched and the Worldcore is a prison?

That's the issue right now, everything we think we know could be an absolute lie. Heck, even the Old Golds went from "flesh void parasites corrupting Azeroth" to "free willed by Azeroth void creatures" in one single scene.

- - - Updated - - -

Anyway, maybe keeping 11.2 a mystery is purposefully done, as even our characters are left out of the loop. This makes the introductionary quests/narrative of 11.2 very important, though. As those have to introduce this chapter of the story just right.

We could then deduce that the Ethereal boss in the Palace, the Lorewalking tidbit about the Ethereals, the cinematic at the end of Undermine and some other little hints were all planned accordingly. With datamining ('Etherealraid' and those new Ethereal models) confirming that.

We'll see. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

Anyway, when could we expect a new update to the 11.1.7 PTR? Really curious about the details of that Legion meta achiev.

Yes, going to K'aresh isn't really that off the field, since they kept seeding the Ethreals the entire xpac, starting with Alleria herself.

[Cheezits]

Yes, going to K'aresh isn't really that off the field, since they kept seeding the Ethreals the entire xpac, starting with Alleria herself.

Isn't K'aresh namedropped very quickly with the Harbinger prologue quests?

[Merryck]

Isn't K'aresh namedropped very quickly with the Harbinger prologue quests?

Locus Walker talks about how he heard a radiant song from K'aresh before it was consumed.

[Cheezits]

Locus Walker talks about how he heard a radiant song from K'aresh before it was consumed.

I think it was the first time it was mentioned since Legion, too, which caught a lot of people off guard.

[milkmustache]

Isn't K'aresh namedropped very quickly with the Harbinger prologue quests?

I wouldn't even say quickly-- Locus Walker's revelation that K'aresh also heard a radiant song before consumation is the major kickoff for the Worldsoul Saga. It'd make a lot of sense to end TWW diving deeper into that.

[Worldshaper]

Seems like Preach was also in America for the event. Something big is going down soon, very exciting.

[shooketh]

Anyway, maybe keeping 11.2 a mystery is purposefully done, as even our characters are left out of the loop. This makes the introductionary quests/narrative of 11.2 very important, though. As those have to introduce this chapter of the story just right.

11.2 has to be really hype and has to have a lot of meat to it in terms of story. It should also clearly set up Midnight, because the subsequent .5 and .7 patches will release after Midnight would have already been revealed.

11.1 was Undermine, 11.1.5 had no story, and 11.1.7 looks to be completely unrelated to the whole void/ethereal plot.

Unless 11.2 is something crazy like visiting the Arathi Empire as a continuation from 11.1.7 or something, then I have no idea what 11.2 actually is. 11.1.7 being Arathi Highlands kind of puts a big question mark on where it's going.

But whatever it is, it has to be a banger patch with a hype cinematic to get people hooked and hyped for Midnight.

[Sondrelk]

I am still wondering whether we will get an "expansion reveal" like what we would expect at Blizzcon. The usual timing for it in Autumn makes sense if we assume the Alpha will begin immediately afterwards. But I do wonder whether we will get something several months before the expansion begins official testing.