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

[Worldshaper]

This is largely how I've been looking at the recent expansions as well, though in a slightly different fashion. I've more seen it in terms of antagonists built, then used.

Warlords was themed around the Iron Horde without a doubt, but if I'm looking for an overall main character at the center of the expansion, I'm not sure there's a better choice than Gul'dan. He was the mana battery that was used for the portal, then was consistently a thorn in everyone's side throughout the expansion eventually being the trigger for Legion. He was killed off mid-expansion, but not before his damage had been more than done.

BfA was centered around the Alliance/Horde war with N'Zoth as a driving force, but the overall main character at the center of everything was Sylvanas. From Teldrassil to the way she fought with her own people (Saurfang & Baine especially) to the depths she was willing to sink to while fighting the Alliance, she was a constant threat to anyone living and most of the Forsaken too. She was the trigger for us to enter the Shadowlands, and again was defeated in the middle raid tier.

With DF, this is a bit trickier. This expansion has had several characters that have had their time in the sun, notably the aspects from each flight. Yet at the center of it all would appear to be one specific dragon, Iridikron. Even when he was imprisoned at the beginning, a lot of Raszageth's actions can be traced back to her partnership with the Primalists & Iridikron. He very much was behind sending the Dracthyr & Fyrakk down to Zaralek to deal with Aberrus & Shadowflame and was nearly the reason for Murozond's rise. Even the theme for the next patch appears from the trailer to be based on Fyrakk's insanity which can be traced to Iridikron.

I suspect whatever device he was empowering before escaping through that Void portal will be a large part of the theme for 11.0.

You are correct. I agree, and what you say about these three characters is something I've also felt must be true. In my earlier versions of this theory, I've often brought up recurring characters and elements, such as Khadgar, Outland, Jaina, the Lich King, Thrall, etc., with Gul'dan, Sylvanas, and Iridikron being these "key" figures that unlock the next part of the story.

You could say Garrosh was the first, who gave us WoD after MoP. I think that's when this type of development started. Tom Chilton said as much in interviews at the time, IIRC.

For anyone in doubt, it's also important to look at it this way:

Each story continues until it culminates.

So it's not weird that N'Zoth is in BfA, even if the Void has its final showdown in 11.0. Because the Void storyline is last (after Disorder and Death), it had more time in which to keep developing. It's a longer story.

You could argue it needed all this time, too. The Disorder story started all the way back in the RTS games, as did the one about Death. The last of the three (Void) only really started in WoW. Maybe you could argue it had some traces back in Warcraft 2 and 3 with Deathwing, Thrall, and various "Ancient One" units, but it was nowhere near as defined a concept as the Burning Legion or the Scourge.

In WoW, the "Death" story continued from Vanilla all the way until Shadowlands. Then it pretty much stopped.

The "Disorder" (Burning Legion) story stopped even earlier. It went from Vanilla to Legion.

The "Void" (Old Gods) trilogy is still ongoing. It will have had 10 expansions' worth of exposure before it finally ends, which it pretty cool.

[Cheezits]

I think the only things that will directly carry into the theme of 11.0 are the Primalists and Amirdrassil blooming. Tyr will have something to do with it as well.

[Lorgar Aurelian]

Again, the Lightforged are the Draenei who stayed on Argus to fight the Legion. The Lightbound are alternate versions of the Draenei who fled Argus with Velen thousands of years ago and settled on Draenor. If anything, standard Draenei would be more knowledgeable of the Lightbound than the Lightforged, and the Lightbound are fundamentally different from them as well due to the events that occurred in WoD and its aftermath.

Again the light bound are both the light forged who show up with Xe’ra after we leave and the Draenei who fled argus and we helped in Wod.

The light forged would know more about how they make war then the standard Draenei who spent most of the time fleeing instead of fighting.

[Well Done Steak]

Again the light bound are both the light forged who show up with Xe’ra after we leave and the Draenei who fled argus and we helped in Wod.

The light forged would know more about how they make war then the standard Draenei who spent most of the time fleeing instead of fighting.

The lightbound are just evil baby AU lightforged. They haven't spent thousands of years fighting the legion.

They're just the same vanilla draenie from wod who were then radicalized due to not having the legion to check them. It seems the LB were infused with light in a similar way as the LF, but don't have nowhere near the combat experience the LF.

[huth]

The dread lord willingly converted. He wasn't forced to do so. Further, the Lightforged aren't currently attempting to convert everyone by force on Azeroth.

According to the Lightforged, that is.

[Nightshade711]

ChatGPT has taken over leak season smh.

But anyways can’t wait for Blizzcon to reveal no Yrel again.

[Lorgar Aurelian]

The lightbound are just evil baby AU lightforged. They haven't spent thousands of years fighting the legion.

They're just the same vanilla draenie from wod who were then radicalized due to not having the legion to check them. It seems the LB were infused with light in a similar way as the LF, but don't have nowhere near the combat experience the LF.

They mention Xe’ra the army of the light and have all there tech in quest, they should line up with our light forged up till Turalyon and Alleria join.

[Auxis]

Red herring imo. The saddle doesn't look very Emerald Dreamy, or does it? I think it's more Azsharan.

https://www.wowhead.com/news/more-dr...48#whiskerfish

Considering everything else on that list is from the Emerald Dream, I'd find it odd if the Whiskerfish WASN'T from the Dream.
Plus, a magical flying koi just SCREAMS spirit animal. It doesn't have the physiological components to justify flying unlike other flying creatures we've encountered (no wings, no apparent gas-sac like Sporebats or Marshfangs, etc.)

[Nymrohd]

According to the Lightforged, that is.

According to Lothraxion himself. We also go through the Lightforging process during the recruitment quest so we know what it entails. It's not something that can be force by its nature since it allows choice. Now whatever X'era was trying to do to Illidan was involuntary but we have no idea if that is something anyone other than her can replicate and how easily she can do it.

[Cheezits]

https://www.wowhead.com/news/more-dr...48#whiskerfish

Considering everything else on that list is from the Emerald Dream, I'd find it odd if the Whiskerfish WASN'T from the Dream.
Plus, a magical flying koi just SCREAMS spirit animal. It doesn't have the physiological components to justify flying unlike other flying creatures we've encountered (no wings, no apparent gas-sac like Sporebats or Marshfangs, etc.)

I think the point is that it doesn't fit the vibe or aesthetic of the other Dream animals other than it can fly and it has some magical effects. Meaning there is a chance it was just added as a smokescreen and/or tease for what the true purpose of the model is.

Like, it's the only new Dream model without recolors? Really?

It would be like putting the Runesaber mount in Highmaul before Legion. Yeah, technically it KIND of fits... but?

[huth]

According to Lothraxion himself. We also go through the Lightforging process during the recruitment quest so we know what it entails. It's not something that can be force by its nature since it allows choice. Now whatever X'era was trying to do to Illidan was involuntary but we have no idea if that is something anyone other than her can replicate and how easily she can do it.

Who, as we know, is a Nathrezim.

Point is, these aren't necessarily the most reliable of sources. How much choice the process actually allows is also questionable - we don't really see anybody who decided to reject it.

[AOL Instant Messenger]

Anyone think that the artifact from the end of the Secrets event is a hint with any merit?

Keepers collected artifacts that they found throughout their tenures. Tyr became fascinated by a single artifact that he kept as his lone treasure - a mysterious, sealed but seemless container covered in the writings of titan, Legion, and Old God servants (presumably Shath'yar - the language). And Kathos notes: "The text on top of this chest is definitely titan. But here, this is a language used by the Burning Legion! And this text is used by servants of the Old Gods. I've never seen these three languages being intermingled like this. I'm not fluent, but the titan text speaks of a danger within the chest. And item? Or perhaps just... knowledge."

This could all just be a silly nod to something from Norse mythology (although it sounds more like something Odin would do), but after all of that secret hunting we get something so peculiar...

Honestly, given our precedent in Zereth Mortis of multiple cosmic languages being spoken at once by agents of the First Ones, I'm sadly inclined to guess we're going to get subjected to more First Ones lore. We're all on the Wild Ride now.

Who, as we know, is a Nathrezim.

Are you alleging that he's an infiltrator, or that he is inclined to obfuscate the circumstances of his conversion from the Burning Legion?

https://www.wowhead.com/news/more-dr...48#whiskerfish

Runebear? Can we assume that's an Elden Ring tribute, or just a coincidental naming choice?

[Auxis]

Runebear? Can we assume that's an Elden Ring tribute, or just a coincidental naming choice?

Coincidental, I'd say. The WoW runebear has rune stones on its knuckles and elbows.

Can I also just say; It really bothers me how wowhead showcases models in those "4 different angles comparison" images. They show front, back, and a 90* and 135* angle of the same side. Why not just show both the left and right side of the model? This is especially frustrating when they showcase a bow model, and so they are only showing the grip side of the bow, while the other side usually has more details due to the hand "shield" which we don't see in the showcase.

This is also apparent with the runebear model. It's body is asymmetrical, but we are only shown it's right side.

[Sondrelk]

https://www.wowhead.com/news/more-dr...48#whiskerfish

Considering everything else on that list is from the Emerald Dream, I'd find it odd if the Whiskerfish WASN'T from the Dream.
Plus, a magical flying koi just SCREAMS spirit animal. It doesn't have the physiological components to justify flying unlike other flying creatures we've encountered (no wings, no apparent gas-sac like Sporebats or Marshfangs, etc.)

Nothing that prevents Vashj'ir from being revamped in 11.0, and this mount to exist there as well.
Ankoan taking up residence in Vashj'ir was a theory of mine from way back for the purposes of making them more Alliance aligned, so who knows.

[Teriz]

Again the light bound are both the light forged who show up with Xe’ra after we leave and the Draenei who fled argus and we helped in Wod.

The light forged would know more about how they make war then the standard Draenei who spent most of the time fleeing instead of fighting.

Which isn't the point. The point is that the Mag'har have the most experience fighting them, and would be the first to acknowledge that they are a threat. Turalyon, LF Draenei, standard Draenei (and possibly the alliance as a whole) wouldn't at first, and would possibly welcome them with open arms.

[Cheezits]

I wonder if there will be some kind of gatekeeping for the Runebear form. Like Druids have to have beaten the mage tower to use it.

Otherwise everyone can be a Werebear now.

[huth]

Are you alleging that he's an infiltrator, or that he is inclined to obfuscate the circumstances of his conversion from the Burning Legion?

Mainly that one should be careful about taking what he says at face value. Maybe he really was converted to the Light, or maybe he's just playing along. We can't tell with the limited information about him we have.

[Teriz]

According to the Lightforged, that is.

According to Lothraxion himself. He is a rather proud Paladin and served Turalyon for years.

- - - Updated - - -

But anyways can’t wait for Blizzcon to reveal no Yrel again.

Again? Who was advocating for a Yrel expansion before this?

[Santandame]

Nothing that prevents Vashj'ir from being revamped in 11.0, and this mount to exist there as well.
Ankoan taking up residence in Vashj'ir was a theory of mine from way back for the purposes of making them more Alliance aligned, so who knows.

If Vash’jir were to be revamped, how would you see that going down?

It’s a bit of a tricky one for me because it could only ever really work as a Naga centric story unless it’s more of a deep sea adventure that’s fairly whimsical with the Explorer’s League being the reason we go there.

[Houle]

For future reference, this is the OG image to use from 2015 (with over 35k troll views) https://imgur.com/XCHUYUi

The meme, the myth, the legend. I was there when the first of countless people fell victim to its endless trolling.

At least the logo deserves to be on every hype train tbh