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What Will 11.0 Be? Speculation on World of Warcraft's Next Expansion
Publié
26/10/2023 à 00:16
par
DiscordianKitty
Blizzcon is just around the corner. Will we get a new expansion announcement? And if we do, what will it be? We speculate based on what we know so far.
Old Gods Underground
We've already speculated on the possibility of 11.0
taking us underground to Khaz Algar
. Throughout Dragonflight, underground themes are strongly linked to old god themes. In fact, one of Dragonflight's opening questlines involves an Old God's whispers that are kinda suddenly more relevant than ever.
N'Zoth's Adventure Fun TIme Land
One of Dragonflight's best opening questlines involves traveling through the timelines in pursuit of Chromie. We end up far in the past, in the Black Empire, where N'Zoth recognizes us and, in between Old God whispers that we've heard before, starts to whisper new lines that Steve Danuser himself reportadly wrote.
We've speculated before that this encounter might have helped N'Zoth prepare for his own death. But now in the light of recent events, with speculation that we will be heading underground in 11.0 and Amirdrassil growing at the moment, these whispers actually feel more on the nose than ever.
I... know you. What you were. What you will yet be.
You will follow him to the deep places. The dark waters will flow in his wake.
With many eyes, they will see again. They will drink, and be uplifted.
Deeper, deeper its roots will reach. Welcoming our embrace.
Her dreams sing beneath the surface. Our dreams. Our song.
The Deep Places
We have already gone underground in with Zaralek Caverns, but there is another area, yet to be discovered, that we first heard about back during the Dragonflight Pre-Patch.
Rapport d’observation : créatures terrestres
, one of the lore books found within the new Uldaman, describes a faction of titan-forged Earthen who seem to show some resistance to the curse of flesh, "whether in full or in part".
These Earthen inhabit an area deep underground that they've named "Khaz Algar". The author of the book, a Titan Watcher, is surprised at how similar the Earthen of Khaz Algar are to those of Khaz Modan, even choosing similar names for their homes, despite their physiological differences, the vast swaths of time and distance between them, and the fact that they never seem to have interacted historically.
In other words, a bunch of "Dwarves" who might still at least partly be made of stone (with maybe some flesh in some places, like Mechagnomes) are living somewhere underground, where their culture makes them recognizably very much like our own Dwarves even if they're mostly unrelated.
Another minor reminder to keep the Earthen and Dwarves in our minds occured in 10.1.5, Fractures in Time, when it was revealed that Ironos Coldsteel - a Dwarven vendor from Classic - is in fact a Bronze Dragon. Coldsteel mentions that his visage form used to be that of an Earthen, but that his former friends "buried deep and vanished after the Sundering shook the world". Later, Coldsteel took on a Dwarven visage form specifically because he missed his old friends and the Dwarves reminded him of them, reinforcing the idea of Earthen buried deep below the earth who are culturally very much like our own Dwarves.
Datamining Hints & Other Spoilers
As we already discussed
, datamining revealed that the mount likely coming with the Heroic edition of 11.0 is called the "Algarian Stormrider". Since expansion mounts are often linked to the expansion itself, this is potentially the strongest hint that Khaz Algar will play an important role in the next expansion.
We don't want to go too much into it, but one thing that the War of the Scaleborn novel emphasises quite a bit is the fact that Iridikron is extremely comfortable buried deep underground. It seems likely that if anyone happens to know where Khaz Algar is right now, it's him.
Xal'atath - The Harbinger? The Fifth Old God? Neither? Both?
One of the more controversial lore books to be discovered in the Forbidden Reach was
Les Dieux très anciens et l’ordonnancement d’Azeroth (annoté)
, which mentions a
fifth Old God
, seemingly contradicting Chronicles, which suggests only four Old Gods infected Azeroth. The fact that the text of the book wasn't "corrected" suggests there is reason to believe there is or was a fifth Old God, one that the Titan Keepers decided not to mention in Chronicles for some reason.
The idea of a fifth Old God is also inherently linked to Xal'atath. Originally a Priest artifact in Legion, the
Word of the Conclave
's section on Xal'atath - the blade - mentions the "outlandish claim" that Xal'atath is "all that remains of a forgotten Old God who was consumed by its kin in the early days of the Black Empire". The other theory is that "Xal'atath is the claw of Y'Shaarj".
The thing is, both could be true, since Xal'atath is more than one thing: it is the name of the blade, as well as an entity that used to be bound within. Could the physical blade be the claw of Y'Shaarj, and the entity be all that remains of a forgotten fifth Old God?
That entity has since escaped the blade, after making some sort of deal with N'Zoth. There's already been speculation that the deal was to save N'zoth's life by binding him to the blade - which has since disappeared.
As for Xal'atath the entity, as it happens we've seen her recently (at least, we believe it to be Xal'atath) standing next to Iridikron, while he promised that the "Harbinger" will pry the soul of our world - Azeroth - from the Titans' grasp.
Iridikron: Your faith means nothing to them. As you burn in the flames of my brother's wrath, they will not come. All they wanted was our world. With this, the Harbinger will pry it from their grasp. And when the Titans come to reclaim their prize, I will be waiting.
The Naga's Prophecy
"The Harbinger" was, of course, first mentioned in the Naga Forbidden Reach book,
Une chanson des profondeurs
, which claims the Harbinger "gathers the children of the first flesh" who "toil in the deep places" to "reclaim what is lost".
Rise, rise! Our Queen calls to us from beyond the Umbral Veil. She has transcended the Circle of Stars and basks in her eternal grandeur!
The time we have long awaited is nigh.
Even now, the Harbinger gathers the children of the first flesh to reclaim what was lost. They must remember their vows and serve those to whom they owe fealty.
From the perspective of the Old Gods, the soul of Azeroth was lost when we cleansed her of corruption during
Battle for Azeroth
. From their perspective, prying Azeroth from the Titans' grasp would be reclaiming what was lost.
And on that note, the entire Song of the Depths book predicts multiple events that we've witnessed since.
While they toil in the deep places, we will journey to the shores of dragon lands, to the blessed isle where the Worldbreaker first embraced the whispers.
As one storm recedes, another rises. The torches have been lit. The secrets he buried will strike as a dagger into the hearts of his kin!
The Worldbreaker is, of course, Neltharion, and his secrets in Aberrus certainly did 'strike as a dagger' into the hearts of his kin, the Black Dragonflight and the Dracthyr.
The Harbinger speaks of a primal power that seeks the end of Order. Such rage can be bent to serve our ends.
A hunger lost to the ages will be reclaimed.
A dark heart left broken awaits the taking.
The "primal power that seeks the end of Order" is Iridikron, who told us himself that he has allied with the Harbringer as part of his goal to confront the Titans.
When these things come to pass, the Harbinger will fulfill the final prophecy and complete the awakening.
Only then shall our Queen return to reign over sea and sky and earth. We must make ready.
Rise, rise! Soon all that was hidden will be revealed.
We haven't seen the end of these things coming to pass, but combined with N'Zoth's whispers, the "final prophecy" feels like it must be referring to the Old Gods reclaiming Azeroth and completing her awakening as a Dark Titan of the Void rather than a Titan of Order.
If this all led to the start of a new expansion, then we could expect a journey into the depths of our world, to the land of Khaz Algar, in an effort to try save her from the grip of the Old Gods. We could expect to see Xal'atath, Iridikron, Queen Azshara, and possibly even N'Zoth again. And maybe, by the end, we could even expect to see the birth of Azeroth herself.
On the other hand, this could all be sorted out before the next expansion. Or it could be awhile before we even deal with any of it. Iridkron is notorious for burying himself deep in the ground and waiting until the time is right before making his move. So what other possibilities could we have for 11.0?
Avaloren and... No Pirates?
Mike Ybarra famously said "No Pirates" in response to speculation about 11.0, but he didn't say "no Avaloren", the mysterious western land that got all this pirate speculation going in the first place.
Avaloren was first mentioned in one of the Uldaman lore books,
Rapport d’analyse de l’épave
. It described a land west of the continents we know on Azeroth, and explained why no one has discovered this land before now - some faction known to the Titan Keepers as "heretics" who have set up some sort of defenses that have kept the seas stormy and prevented any travel west of Kalimdor.
However, the rumours that we would visit Avaloren ourselves picked up quickly in response to the Forbidden Reach book
Le retour du Trombenuit
, that claims an infamous pirate known only as the Nightsquall has managed to cross the western sea, visit the lands he found there, and return with his holds full of treasure. The book claims the Nightsquall has a new "prize in his crosshairs" and is gathering all the pirates of Azeroth - regardless of faction - under one banner.
If the Nightsquall really has successfully crossed the western sea, the implication is that those defenses that were making it too dangerous have finally been deactivated - that Avaloren can finally be reached.
Even now, pirate and seafaring themes are showing up. The
new 12-month subscription offer
includes several nautical-related items: The
Voie du siluridé merveilleux
mount is a giant fish, and the NPC riding it is wearing the
Waveborne Diplomat's Regalia
transmog set. The new
Grrloc gigantissime
mount is a giant murloc, and the NPC riding it is wearing the
Swashbuckling Buccaneer's Slops
. Finally, the battle pet Glub is a fish. That's just an awful lot of sea-related stuff for one bundle.
What's more, despite Ybarra's reassurances, at least one major lore character is heading into the next expansion accompanied by pirates, at least according to
Exploring Azeroth: Pandaria
.
Traveling the Timeways and the Rise of Murozond?
A
recent tweet from Blizzard
revealed certain decorations that we will see at Blizzcon - a lot of bronze architecture with ornate carvings in blue. The alt-text on one of the images describes one of the props, specifying that the design is "elven or draconic". As we've already highlighted, the architecture looks a great deal like the Temporal Conflux, the Bronze Dragonflight's seat of power in Thaldraszus. Since Blizzcon decor could easily be a clue about the future of the game, it's worth taking a look at the Bronze Dragonflight's current story, and where it might lead.
A major story thread that has played a major role for the Bronze this expansion is Nozdormu's destiny of transforming into Murozond. The Infinite Dragonflight have been ever present throughout this expansion, even managing to bring Murozond about temporarily during the Dawn of the Infinite dungeon by traveling back in time and turning Proto-Nozdormu. To save him, we ended up allowing Iridikron escape with a powerful artifact containing the essense of Galakrond - a choice that is likely to have major consequences in the future, but that stopped the rise of Murozond, at least for now.
However, assuming the Infinite are done and Murozond can never happen now would be a major mistake. For a start, the Infinite are still actively going ahead with their plans, as we saw in recent quests.
Eternus & the Tyr's Guard
In the 10.1.7 questline Bronze Reconciliation, the Infinite Dragon Eternus ends up rejoining the Bronze Dragonflight. Eternus is swayed by Nozdormu's compassion, but at the end of the questline, something surprising happens: Nozdormu acknowledges and states that he even agrees with some of the Infinite's points.
Eternus: Nozdormu, are you going to tell me you were right?
Nozdormu: No.
Nozdormu: Because I was not.
Nozdormu: Moraidormi's death was a tragedy. It should not have happened.
Eternus: I did not see the whole truth. My sister... chose her fate.
Nozdormu: As a steward of this timeline, I must always take the greater good and the free will of others into account.
Nozdormu: But you reminded me, Eternus, that compassion must be considered. Some events are worth changing because our hearts wish it so. On that, I agree with the infinites.
Nozdormu saying "some events are worth changing" is in itself almost an outright declaration that he is already becoming Murozond - it's a statement that goes against one of the Bronze's most fundamental laws.
In the questline that follows, Eternus helps with the task of reforging Tyr - teaching Chromie about the Infinite's methods and how to use them - methods that Chromie seems to eagerly adopt.
What Eternus has told me is fascinating!
The infinites' methods are like ours... but they've merged our magic with tech from other races.
We learn that the still-very-active Infinite Dragonflight have taken the discs of Tyr's memories back in time to the Nighthold. On Nozdormu's orders, the newly reforged Tyr's Guard is making plans to visit past Surumar in an attempt to retrieve the disc.
Eternus: The disc... it is in the Nighthold.
Koranos: The Nighthold... Will it then be difficult to recover?
Chromie: That depends on when. The Nighthold is in Suramar--a great and ancient city and the home of the Nightborne.
Nozdormu: I sense a presence with the disc. A powerful one.
Chromie: Elisande. Oh, that could be a problem. She's a powerful master of magic and would know the disc's power. She may not want to let it go.
Nozdormu: Travard, I would take time to prepare before retrieving the disc. Elisande will be a dangerous foe.
While we're expecting to wrap up the reforging of Tyr storyline in 10.2, that doesn't mean the Bronze Dragonflight's story will be done, especially with regards to the Infinite. Nozdormu has been speaking sympathetically about the Infinite's cause, Chromie is friends with a former Infinite Dragon and is eagerly learning Infinite strategy from her. None of this feels like unimportant asides that won't lead anywhere. At the very least, we know that we have more Bronze Dragon time-travel ahead.
Titan Civil War
Whether this plays a major role in 11.0 or not, at some point we expect to see a civil war between the Titans and their followers.
Questioning the Titans has been a consistent theme throughout Dragonflight, one that doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon. We've already discussed how Nozdormu is questioning the Bronze's attitude towards making sure the true timeline is not changed. Throughout Dragonflight, Alexstrasza's journey has consistently showing her
also question the things she took for granted
, including some of the Titan Keepers' actions.
While Vyranoth has become an ally, her reason for joining the Primalists has been acknowledged as just - she was right to object to the involuntary infusion of primal dragon eggs with Order magic. In
Rapport d’avancement : Uldorus
, we learned that it was Titan Keeper Tyr - the one we're trying to reforge and who is usually portayed as nothing but benevolent and good - was behind this particular plan, making us question even the "good" Titan-aligned.
A quest in 10.2 reaffirms something we've known for a long time - Titan Keeper Odyn is not a good person by any means.
Wrathion and Vyranoth's questline in 10.2
allows us to confront him directly about his treatment of the Storm Drakes of Stormheim.
What's more, a
newly discovered lore book in 10.2
reveals that even the Titans themselves have not always agreed with each other. A legend about the first World Tree claims that Eonar was gifted a branch of G'Hanir from Elune, but that when she planted it in Azeroth, it enraged Aman'Thul, who ripped it out.
All in all, lines are being drawn in the sand. On one side, represented by the likes of Aman'Thul and Odyn: the rigidity of Order that is controlling, willing to override the free will of others, and prejudiced against anything that doesn't perfectly represent the forces of Order. On the other side, represented by the likes of Eonar and Alexstrasza, a more open-minded version of Order that is willing to listen and learn from others. Sooner or later, these two sides must surely conflict.
Interestingly, if a Titan civil war ever does break out, it does seem like Elune might play a role. We've yet to see Elune in-game, but she's been appearing more and more in the story lately. There are even
hints that she will be invoked in the finale of 10.2
. As her "great love", it feels like if there were some conflict in the future, Elune would show up to support Eonar.
World Revamp
Finally, while we think it's unlikely we'll ever see a Cataclysm-style world revamp again, we do think we could start to see some major changes in Azeroth as we know it.
Hints that the world of Azeroth is changing and will continue to change have been littered all over Dragonflight. When commenting on Dragonflight's timeskip, Steve Danuser promised that the resettlement of Gilneas will not happen off-screen, but instead the change to the world will involve in-game questing that players experience themselves.
In the Orc Heritage questline, we help plant seeds in Durotar that the the Spirit of Thunder Ridge promises will grow and help transform the desert - the ancient forest will return.
Owa'nohe says: The ancient forest will return... in time...
Owa'nohe says: My kind will return... in time...
Owa'nohe says: By your hands, this has been set in motion.
Players helped cleanse Undercity of blight and retake it in the Dark Ranger customization questline back in Shadowlands, and in the Forsaken Heritage armor questline we can see that the Forsaken are properly back in their old lands.
In 10.2, we will help the Netherwing Dragonflight leave Outland and resettle in the Dragon Isles - a change to the world that remains after the quest is over.
Last but certainly not least, we're actively witnessing Amirdrassil's growth in the Emerald Dream, and have been promised the full-grown World Tree will be replanted in our world when it's done. Whatever happens in 11.0, we feel pretty certain that we'll have a new World Tree in Azeroth by then.
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