tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82691500529194975652024-03-13T17:09:23.679-05:00Contested TerritoriesA Blog Exploring the Lore of World of WarcraftLues Jenkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07130807075545967298noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269150052919497565.post-23099252090868986142014-11-14T22:56:00.002-06:002014-11-14T22:56:43.534-06:00Back for Draenor.....If I could just log in! I mean wtf Blizzard? Going to be updating the timelines soon. Very soon. Lues Jenkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07130807075545967298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269150052919497565.post-54847008952801670362012-09-30T17:44:00.000-05:002012-09-30T17:44:45.835-05:00Pearl of Pandaria Review!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmFZlEG6nvOWipChpp1el7OxWNrI2h6cgjqgJMQmym7p1ufxrQDeB3LbtLPmwvHow60brYS11Hh6yXwJXfZdz348XCTNajtyrDGeyIHpihM-S6kALsKzn7qE2O56JrdgmPDGfzI4wmH2Y/s1600/Pandaria_cvr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmFZlEG6nvOWipChpp1el7OxWNrI2h6cgjqgJMQmym7p1ufxrQDeB3LbtLPmwvHow60brYS11Hh6yXwJXfZdz348XCTNajtyrDGeyIHpihM-S6kALsKzn7qE2O56JrdgmPDGfzI4wmH2Y/s400/Pandaria_cvr.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Published by DC Comics!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>DO NOT READ IF YOU WANT TO AVOID SPOILERS!!!!</b></u></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">So with that warning aside, I will continue. Long story short, this book is amazing. It has a beautiful, unique art style, and a well written story, which is actually continued in the <a href="http://us.battle.net/wow/en/game/lore/destination-pandaria/quest-for-pandaria/part-1/1" target="_blank">Quest for Pandaria</a> short story on the main World of Warcraft site!</span><br />
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Set during the War against the Lich King, this is the story of Li Li Stormstout, and her quest to find her Uncle Chen, who left the Wandering Isle years ago, never to return. Being that Pandarens are a rare sight around Azeroth, it doesn't take her long to draw unwanted attention!<br />
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I won't say much about the story, but you really should read this one. It has some really great lore in it, of which I will briefly mention two plot developments.<br />
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Brewfest. We get the origin, the reasons for the dark iron attacks on Brewfest celebrations, and the reason Coren Direbrew is a holiday boss. It's jolly good fun!<br />
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Naga. Yes, the Naga are in this book. Well, one specific witch is in this book. She is looking for the Pearl of Pandaria, which, according to the Quest for Pandaria series, can show you what you want to see...<br />
<b>(SPOILERS!!!)</b><br />
...and it seems the Naga really want to find Pandaria, but can't seem to locate it. Hmmm. Interesting plot development, and this is before the Cataclysm even happened, so the events in Vashj'ir haven't happened yet! Could we see some Naga action in the new expansion?<br />
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In fact, with Alliance, Horde, Zalandari and Mogu forces, the Mantid, the Sha, and now the Naga all having an interest in Pandaria, it would seem the poor island should have stayed hidden in the mists! Why did the mists let up anyway?<br />
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Seriously, you can get this one on the cheap at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/World-Warcraft-Pearl-Pandaria-Various/dp/140122699X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1349044863&sr=8-1&keywords=pearl+of+pandaria" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, and you really should read it!<br />
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And now back to questing! Lues Jenkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07130807075545967298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269150052919497565.post-21136132903656154562012-09-12T10:52:00.002-05:002012-09-12T10:52:25.000-05:00Vol'jin Gets His Own Novel!!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKyNoXMuKhaIwtqaIgwKjhmgf8KJHjIQaYOamuueLGpb-7x6adoxch1Ie0H6PilBvxZhKegWsnMqIdgYcLMi3cDnlEVv6T66EK4L1zz2ja1YtEwU8uBfy8g2cUL3aaGa1gPlGKCdHwX0A/s1600/Voljin_TCC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKyNoXMuKhaIwtqaIgwKjhmgf8KJHjIQaYOamuueLGpb-7x6adoxch1Ie0H6PilBvxZhKegWsnMqIdgYcLMi3cDnlEVv6T66EK4L1zz2ja1YtEwU8uBfy8g2cUL3aaGa1gPlGKCdHwX0A/s400/Voljin_TCC.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Found on <a href="http://www.wowpedia.org/Vol%27jin" target="_blank">Wowpedia</a></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Exciting news from the <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/wow/comments/zqm8d/world_of_warcraft_developer_ama/" target="_blank">Reddit WOW developer AMA</a>! Seems that Vol'jin will star in his own book, which will tie into the events of Patch 5.1! I wonder if this is the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/World-Warcraft-Untitled-Michael-Stackpole/dp/1416550674/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1347465071&sr=1-2&keywords=michael+stackpole" target="_blank">Michael Stackpole</a> novel listed on Amazon?<br />
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Other tidbits of lore include promises that Jaina's story will continue in future patches and novels, and the promise that Sylvana's story is far from over. They also hinted that Koltira was in some dire straights at the moment....<br />
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Follow the link and read up! Lots of juicy details!! Lues Jenkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07130807075545967298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269150052919497565.post-30125968861994028722012-08-31T11:32:00.003-05:002012-08-31T11:32:59.759-05:00Tides of War Review <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJv3q63xLwFOwR66cebZT2ZWgXwN0lBqp5XfCl142gNWiqbr0EfhZQKKK_blWY1MdgZMYh3eKsrKRdni6wXPZDgb5ZSS5Sq-4_iTfae8MJU7AO8Eay8gXsIIhGDNpimV-EF2XBVRw8MDM/s1600/Tides+of+war+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJv3q63xLwFOwR66cebZT2ZWgXwN0lBqp5XfCl142gNWiqbr0EfhZQKKK_blWY1MdgZMYh3eKsrKRdni6wXPZDgb5ZSS5Sq-4_iTfae8MJU7AO8Eay8gXsIIhGDNpimV-EF2XBVRw8MDM/s400/Tides+of+war+cover.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Jaina Proudmoore:Tides of War</i> is the latest World of Warcraft tie - in novel. Written by Christie Golden, this novel is a setup for <i>Mists of Pandaria</i>, in very much the same way <i>The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm</i> was a setup for <i>Cataclysm</i>. It continues many of the stories that are left open at the end of the <i>Cataclysm</i> expansion. <br />
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The story itself is stunning and tragic.It is rare to read an officially licensed product, and leave with tears in your eyes. Jaina's pain and anger are very well conveyed. I was absolutely stunned by how dark the novel became. The War that was started in <i>Cataclysm</i> is in full gear now. The closing scenes of the book leave no question as to where this is headed.<br />
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Several new ideas have been tossed into the mix, such as Shamans enslaving the elements, which is sure to draw the ire of the Earthen Ring, and the Horde controlling Kraken. Huh? No explanation on that one... I will resist the urge to put on my tinfoil hat....<br />
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<u>What I liked:</u><br />
<ul>
<li>Catching up on old friends. Many individuals were touched upon in the book, and not in a way that hurt the pacing or felt out of place. In a universe this large, Golden does one hell of a job allowing us to say hi to our favorites, and then continue on. Very well done.</li>
<li>The raw emotions, from both factions, was pretty amazing. Jaina, Baine, Vol'jin, Thrall, and Kalec had their souls open and on full display. Thrall, Jaina, and Baine were just amazing, in that you could fell the hurt they felt.</li>
<li>The nature of Garrosh. I have long believed he would fall to some outside power, Sha, or some such thing. Now I am not so sure. He is doing everything on his own. The frightening image of his Kro'kron Guard spying on the citizens and silencing decent, is one I will not soon forget. This story is dark. I feel it will get darker....</li>
<li>I absolutely LOVE how the novels and comics and short stories all reference each other. Even the game meshes well in the world. Its rare to see that done so well. The Star Wars EU does it a lot, but never this well. </li>
</ul>
<u>What I didn't like:</u><br />
<ul>
<li>Warcraft novels, and really all licensed products, could use a decent editor. I found <i>The Shattering</i> to be damn near unreadable. I loved the story, but every sentence made me cringe. <i>Tides of War</i> was much more polished and pretty, but it still has the same flaws. I would love to see a Warcraft novel by Patrick Rothfuss or Brandon Sanderson. Someone that can really bang out some quality word-crafting.</li>
<li>No Pandaria. Nothing. Not even a blurb at the end about a "strange new land". Nothing. Very, very sad. And with such a dark story, I'm concerned how that will contrast with the Pandaria story. Then again, that story no longer seems so lighthearted these days, with the awesome cut-scenes popping up in the beta.</li>
<li>Uh, Lordaeron? Last we saw the Eastern Kingdoms, The Forsaken were wrecking shop. Whats going on over there? And, what happened to Koltira?!</li>
</ul>
TL;DR - Buy this book. Read it. Thank me later. Lues Jenkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07130807075545967298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269150052919497565.post-59680205348901763712012-08-28T11:40:00.002-05:002012-08-28T11:40:55.049-05:00I Never Noticed That!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiximfYBn-9T_POzmACGCESF4fONuJiRr0O7He_Y1YUkuZH4molQkuWEVXhZgzdJSqq3rcFBe7kZpkhycqhlb9_6xdeDnfC_nFrNfMXz3da-48kx8BXdGM4AGcIwAaHxRXrYqRAapRJicg/s1600/Mannoroth.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiximfYBn-9T_POzmACGCESF4fONuJiRr0O7He_Y1YUkuZH4molQkuWEVXhZgzdJSqq3rcFBe7kZpkhycqhlb9_6xdeDnfC_nFrNfMXz3da-48kx8BXdGM4AGcIwAaHxRXrYqRAapRJicg/s400/Mannoroth.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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If you have a good eye for detail, you may have noticed this. I certainly didn't.... Back in the pre-cata days, the skull and armor of Mannaroth stood outside of Grommash Hold in Orgrimmar. After the Cataclysm, the Hold was rebuilt and relocated. And the monument to Grom Hellscream vanished... or so I thought.<br />
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In the opening chapters of Tides of War, Baine is attending a leaders meeting, and kinda offhand notes that Garrosh's armor is the tusks of Mannaroth! Also, Mannaroth's skull serves as a centerpiece for Garrosh's throne! Yep, I completely missed that. So, I googled Garrosh, and found a really cool picture that shows his gear and his throne. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD7LgyVDtVdtAaXXSfvaarxUUScIg2_ydOcgUtgh-lgNnXK_bhd7HsMvHLUTGMPj5r4BWWdHOukBanpLYhpWqJ-0rVf7pwK0xTHOi8Z8_8YXjcQ1gLtWUtQsWLDZLQukyEPF9FAbNPOS8/s1600/Garrosh's+Throne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD7LgyVDtVdtAaXXSfvaarxUUScIg2_ydOcgUtgh-lgNnXK_bhd7HsMvHLUTGMPj5r4BWWdHOukBanpLYhpWqJ-0rVf7pwK0xTHOi8Z8_8YXjcQ1gLtWUtQsWLDZLQukyEPF9FAbNPOS8/s400/Garrosh's+Throne.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mystery solved!</td></tr>
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It's a neat little detail that I simply overlooked. Let's be honest, there is a LOT to look at anyway in World of Warcraft, so forgive me if I missed this! I'll post a review of Tides of War once I finish it. Can't wait for servers to go back up! New content!Lues Jenkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07130807075545967298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269150052919497565.post-69229285205306925032012-08-25T14:44:00.000-05:002012-08-25T14:44:06.309-05:00Pearl of Pandaria Update<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgurzt6WXXvJ8GLUZ7iVqsib4-wyCbCwfaDtas0_yWRyQGX4NFzlk7bDp8AR-EhGl2fm0yPQcWDreFtDqe5oZAtMi33kVG_lwB5XneUoL1i6dNS2PQ9AVp0P1Kvt0DsfcZEu1ptMeDR7aE/s1600/comicPoP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgurzt6WXXvJ8GLUZ7iVqsib4-wyCbCwfaDtas0_yWRyQGX4NFzlk7bDp8AR-EhGl2fm0yPQcWDreFtDqe5oZAtMi33kVG_lwB5XneUoL1i6dNS2PQ9AVp0P1Kvt0DsfcZEu1ptMeDR7aE/s400/comicPoP.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Found this image at <a href="http://www.mmo-champion.com/content/2904-Kite-Mount-Preview-Turtle-Mount-Currency-Conversion-Update-Blue-Posts-TCG-Art" target="_blank">MMO Champion</a></td></tr>
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Is this how the final product will look? I LOVE IT! The format is really cool too.<br />
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The release date got pushed back to September 24th. I don't love that.<br />
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Also, where can I get that coffee cup?<br />
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<br />Lues Jenkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07130807075545967298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269150052919497565.post-80476800200460867162012-08-25T12:23:00.000-05:002012-08-25T12:23:25.061-05:00If I could write the story....<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcqNZlOV9esksX81JDtqVIMxnK8T0ys0mTX_IobDSnXaWhIdWQCq0FV4v78Uc-mLR7SYQLHakwRvKXJJUi0F4xOaESwh4XvH_xLRTs2T0ZfgYlxn68yCBeN5SXQxdQioAxydyVS5M2QU/s1600/1000px-Yoggsaron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcqNZlOV9esksX81JDtqVIMxnK8T0ys0mTX_IobDSnXaWhIdWQCq0FV4v78Uc-mLR7SYQLHakwRvKXJJUi0F4xOaESwh4XvH_xLRTs2T0ZfgYlxn68yCBeN5SXQxdQioAxydyVS5M2QU/s400/1000px-Yoggsaron.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why does Yogg have teeth growing from his nose?</td></tr>
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I can't wait to explore Pandaria and learn more about the consequences of killing an Old God. To date in WOW, we have learned that these beings were imprisoned rather than killed, supposedly with good reason. Something to the effect of the Old Gods being so tied to the planet that killing them would have dire consequences. <br />
<br />
We learn in Pandaria that at least one Old God had prevously been killed. Y'shaarj was offed by the Titans long, long before the Burning Legion had even set foot on Azeroth. According to the Klaxxi, Y'shaarj's last act was to breathe his corruption onto the land, which many lore nerds (myself included) believe to be the Sha. I have not played the beta, so I have very little idea whats coming (and I like it that way!).<br />
<br />
But let us assume that the Sha are in fact the last remnants of Y'shaarj. We are due an Old God raid for this expansion, and rumors are flying that Y'shaarj will be ressurected, allowing us to fight him and save Pandaria. I think its a stupid theory, and horrible storytelling. If I were scripting this expansion, heres what I would do:<br />
<br />
<b>Leave Y'shaarj dead. </b>If the Titan's cannot kill an Old God, then what is the point of them being so legendary. Y'shaarj must stay dead so that the Titans stay extraordinary. The discovery of the Sha should in fact be the reason they imprisoned the other Old Gods, rather than kill them outright.<br />
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<b>Allow one of the Sha into Azeroth.</b> This has got to happen. The story is supposed to shift back to the wars in Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms. All that negative energy = epic raid boss. I'm kinda hoping that the Sha cause a darker, more mature story to show up. War crimes, violence, betrayals. Lets really raise the stakes....<br />
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<b>N'zoth should be the Old God raid for this expansion.</b> He has much to answer for. The Twilights Hammer. The Naga invading the Plane of Water. Deathwing. The Dragon Aspects are now much less powerful, and everyone is on Pandaria. Now is the time to strike! Raise that sunken city you sleep in and attack with your armies! Instant setup for a raid.<br />
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<b>N'zoth must die!</b> If the rumors I read are true, the weapon that slew Y'shaarj is in the Mogu'shan Vaults. Let some less than brilliant, but glory driven leader acquire it. In a surprise twist after we beat N'zoth back into slumber, have said leader (Garrosh maybe?) slay N'zoth. If the Sha are from Y'shaarj, maybe we get Zots from N'zoth. Consequences will never be the same...!<br />
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<b>Corruption Everywhere!</b> Lets see some things fall apart. Use senarios to really tell a story. This goes back to allowing a Sha to escape Pandaria. Only now, maybe N'zoth's Zots are running around. I want to specifically see a faction of the Bronze Dragonflight become the Infinite Dragonflight.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiVfneadH3QZur7nysLFANkqrWRpQAG1sX1J3fdAqwmwqNAVoYian77Cq5_mpY46bC1Kg6cbyBZKZTlb65vNPNP9KSnG5wv2ZHdteEzFH-x-xljWA3Wi63Ok6GR0M56rtSAlpvhPX8XQI/s1600/800px-Sha_types.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiVfneadH3QZur7nysLFANkqrWRpQAG1sX1J3fdAqwmwqNAVoYian77Cq5_mpY46bC1Kg6cbyBZKZTlb65vNPNP9KSnG5wv2ZHdteEzFH-x-xljWA3Wi63Ok6GR0M56rtSAlpvhPX8XQI/s320/800px-Sha_types.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note the...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOSc7vqnW2pxnUt5IeltNnS3ZbGweZq0NHnQ_qscc1sj5Re3kCLZx4oJwUp7JWwz_U1W-tXf44wMNX0Bp1R8kww-4yQl29y4SuhTr2aVEpNoyCuqug8Gqdf0rRhFuxb1xF6bVrI9bUesY/s1600/800px-Infinitedragonflight.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOSc7vqnW2pxnUt5IeltNnS3ZbGweZq0NHnQ_qscc1sj5Re3kCLZx4oJwUp7JWwz_U1W-tXf44wMNX0Bp1R8kww-4yQl29y4SuhTr2aVEpNoyCuqug8Gqdf0rRhFuxb1xF6bVrI9bUesY/s320/800px-Infinitedragonflight.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...matching color scheme.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwEUzBGAOWaF5dakEc4r0TZkUTQxYIKuQwJt_UtESguFIjrWTF3ISCGoWpZqooXbchqc-9PxQ982S-jRL8Q5f9oygBAiL9EUvhPtDVcfHesug4PHCuZBn6pS5gizh5unsXNJeNavtHY_Y/s1600/WoWScrnShot_073012_203406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<b>Garrosh goes Prototype</b>. I want to see the Sha corrupt Garrosh to an insane degree. Nazgrim gets affected by the Sha moments after he arrives on Pandaria.I want to see more of this, and since Garrosh is the main "villain" this expansion, I expect some seriously crazy stuff to happen.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwEUzBGAOWaF5dakEc4r0TZkUTQxYIKuQwJt_UtESguFIjrWTF3ISCGoWpZqooXbchqc-9PxQ982S-jRL8Q5f9oygBAiL9EUvhPtDVcfHesug4PHCuZBn6pS5gizh5unsXNJeNavtHY_Y/s1600/WoWScrnShot_073012_203406.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwEUzBGAOWaF5dakEc4r0TZkUTQxYIKuQwJt_UtESguFIjrWTF3ISCGoWpZqooXbchqc-9PxQ982S-jRL8Q5f9oygBAiL9EUvhPtDVcfHesug4PHCuZBn6pS5gizh5unsXNJeNavtHY_Y/s640/WoWScrnShot_073012_203406.jpg" width="640" /> </a></td><td style="text-align: center;"> </td><td style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note dem hands! Found on <a href="http://www.scrollsoflore.com/forums/showthread.php?p=527183" target="_blank">Scrolls of Lore</a></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Azshara and the Legion.</b> Currently I'm reading the War of the Ancients Trilogy. Azshara is a great character, and I expect she will be a villain at some point in WOW's future. I would, if I wrote the story, directly connect her to the Burning Legion again. If she has truly taken the Plane of Water, then she needs to become more powerful, perhaps even an Elemental Lord in her own right. In the book series she wanted to marry Sargeras. With her newfound abilities, she could make a move to approach the legion again. If N'zoth is taken out, she could sever her ties to the Old Gods and return to the Legion as its leading lady. I haven't really thought too much about this, but leaving at lease one thread to the Legion will allow them to be worked back in at a later date with relative ease.<br />
<br />
This is all just my thoughts. I am geeking out again, waiting for the expansion to arrive. I have many opinions on how the story should go, but it's likely that they have already planned everything out, so I guess we will just have to wait and see.<br />
<br />
Good luck on Tuesday! Hope your class isn't destroyed! LOL!<br />
<br />
<br />Lues Jenkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07130807075545967298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269150052919497565.post-54557101362791096092012-08-17T11:59:00.000-05:002012-08-17T11:59:21.539-05:00Amazing In Game Cinematic! SPOILERS!!!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
If you hadn't seen this yet, holy cow! If this is the type of story we will be getting, I'm so onboard! The Cata cutscenes were awful compared to this! Not since the Wrathgate have we seen anything of this quality in game. As I understand it, this is in the first area of Pandaria. I honestly hope their are more cutscenes like this.<br />
<br />
If you didn't already know, Pandaria is built in a way that tells a full story. We will supposedly get a complete story arc in the opening content. Then the action is going to shift back to the war in the later patches. I would imagine Scenarios are going to be a major plot builder. So I expect that patches will have a few scenarios, a few dungeons, and a raid. How that affects gear progression remains to be seen.<br />
<br />
The three raids in Pandaria are also gated, and tell a complete story. They are:<br />
<ul>
<li>Mogu'shan Vaults </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Heart of Fear</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Terrace of the Endless Spring </li>
</ul>
The story will play out in that order. The Sha will be a major focus. I suspect a lot plot wise, but will keep my mouth shut, for now. I tried to throw out some theories on the Official Forums, but got less than stellar results. My thread is <a href="http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/6231583148" target="_blank">here</a> if you are interested.<br />
<br />
In other news, the Dark Riders graphic novel has a release date! May 7 2013. Woot. Don't hold your breath....Lues Jenkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07130807075545967298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269150052919497565.post-70008448489355296922012-08-16T10:44:00.003-05:002012-08-16T10:44:51.440-05:00MOP Opening Cinematic <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Watched the trailer and loled! Didn't expect this type of trailer honestly. No real hint of the end boss (Garrosh), no trace of Sha or Sha corruption. Just a taste of the war, and the discovery of Pandaria. Blizzard seems to be trying to invoke the feel of the original World of Warcraft cinematic with this one. The mystery of Pandaria is highlighted, and the general badassness of the monks is on full display. Getting giddy about this expansion!<br />
<br />
Also, the Jaina novel, Tides of War, drops on the 28th, the same day the Theramore event goes live. Good time to be a lore nerd!<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best moment in the history of WOW!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Lues Jenkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07130807075545967298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269150052919497565.post-35262359948027364792012-07-29T20:11:00.000-05:002012-07-29T20:11:03.923-05:00Y’shaarj! (MOP SPOILERS!!)<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhADtQV69VSvkqprXLGb0nTcnJ55QcB7-quz96c7I6WMCJmYchEJXhHsGRdOvEzawZ6-c3Rj0h9FM4tMPV-Apk_2WP1iMV6qk-OhvcqQ3nJ3b0GTq37_eJOixcWAhzia8F7Du7LvzOdQDs/s1600/Descent_into_Madness_04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhADtQV69VSvkqprXLGb0nTcnJ55QcB7-quz96c7I6WMCJmYchEJXhHsGRdOvEzawZ6-c3Rj0h9FM4tMPV-Apk_2WP1iMV6qk-OhvcqQ3nJ3b0GTq37_eJOixcWAhzia8F7Du7LvzOdQDs/s400/Descent_into_Madness_04.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from <a href="http://www.wowpedia.org/File:Descent_into_Madness_04.jpg?c=1" target="_blank">wowpedia</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Over on <a href="http://www.scrollsoflore.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22819&page=465" target="_blank">Scrolls of Lore</a>, some new info on Mists of Pandaria
is leaking out. It seems the Sha may in fact be connected to the Old Gods after
all. Apparently, the Mantid worship a seven headed deity that the Titans
destroyed. This deity, named Y’shaarj, breathed a horrible nightmare onto the
land (Pandaria) with his dying breath. The speculation is just now setting in,
and this could all be horribly wrong. But as one member posted, this could be
why the Old Gods are not killable. If they die, they poison the land with Sha,
hence the efforts to imprison them. This would make the stained glass in Ulduar
more of a warning than a decoration. That also makes four Old Gods in Azeroth.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If that is the lesson we learn from Pandaria, I wonder if
that doesn’t shed some light on what corrupts Garrosh. We still have N’zoth
running around with the Naga. What if Garrosh makes a move against N’zoth,
somehow kills him, then gets corrupted by N’zoth’s Sha. The pursuit of great
honor would cost him everything. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
this kind of story arc would fit well with his character, and add a tragic
twist. I can see a number of ways to make this happen, but I’ll wait to predict
anything else.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One final thought. If N’zoth were to die in this expansion,
that would leave Azshara and the Naga in bad shape, as they are controlling the
Elemental Plane of Water at the moment with the help of N’zoth. Without a
powerful ally, perhaps she would again seek the aid of the Burning Legion…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cannot possibly wait for September 25<sup>th</sup>!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They are talking about this on the WOW forums <a href="http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/6200971435" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>Lues Jenkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07130807075545967298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269150052919497565.post-59787772719580158102012-07-25T15:55:00.001-05:002012-07-25T15:55:29.762-05:00Release date!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjitD3xU77HbbWKl7-RnPrncLF_UbN-d8xX5_qx9gT35ZcG24wwvylyLGdrZVExt-6DYYdshMUonwyZR84tv84uUAWa8X0G9s7yRFDMqAIF7IIGUYo62yP6y09l0EnFsZItrmn6T4cBt-8/s1600/World-Of-Warcraft-Mists-Of-Pandaria.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjitD3xU77HbbWKl7-RnPrncLF_UbN-d8xX5_qx9gT35ZcG24wwvylyLGdrZVExt-6DYYdshMUonwyZR84tv84uUAWa8X0G9s7yRFDMqAIF7IIGUYo62yP6y09l0EnFsZItrmn6T4cBt-8/s400/World-Of-Warcraft-Mists-Of-Pandaria.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
So September 25th. Two months from now. Guess its time to start blogging again... Been reading, a lot. Also been exploring the Alliance side of the Warcraft story, as I have been horde for most of my wow experience. Will update the timelines, or whatever they are soon. Goal is to have toons at max level on both sides to explore Pandaria at the same time. ya know, for lore and stuff.<br />
<br />
As far as lore goes, The following goodies are all incoming soon:<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/World-Warcraft-Jaina-Proudmoore-Tides/dp/1416550763/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1343249352&sr=1-1&keywords=tides+of+war" target="_blank">Tides of War</a> on August 28th.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/World-Warcraft-Pearl-Pandaria-Various/dp/140122699X/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1343249394&sr=1-2&keywords=pearl+of+pandaria" target="_blank">Pearl of Pandaria</a> on Sept 11th.</li>
<li>Quest for Pandaria (a short story) sometime before the expansion hits.</li>
<li>Mists of Pandaria on Sept 25th.</li>
</ul>
They seem to follow that general order as far as time-frames are concerned, so lots of good stuff is coming! I also noticed that <a href="http://www.amazon.com/World-Warcraft-Untitled-Michael-Stackpole/dp/1416550674/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343249181&sr=8-1&keywords=michael+stackpole+warcraft" target="_blank">Michael Stackpole is writing a WoW book</a> that is due out in April of next year. A new voice joins the wowverse!<br />
<br />
Also no word on the Alliance and Horde Graphic novels.....Lues Jenkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07130807075545967298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269150052919497565.post-9979763389892047032012-03-19T10:07:00.000-05:002012-03-19T10:07:18.344-05:00The Final Boss of MistsSo I read the giant press release on <a href="http://www.mmo-champion.com/content/2687-Mists-of-Pandaria-Press-Tour">MMO Champion</a> about Mists... and I feel slightly better about where this is going now. Understand that as a lore nerd, I was very disappointed with the end of Cataclysm. So disappointed that I stopped blogging, even stopped playing, for a good length of time. I really felt like Mists was a massive digression that had little to do with the story of Warcraft. Honestly, we should be chasing Naga, Trolls and or an Old God at the moment, not playing Columbus discovering Pandaria....<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw2jNcP3aC5zYdFXttIwY-CuxdGLNPKC8Xu01Jl3mEQOAoAckvEyqhvluoNVuCYVGrAc0OzC1HGT95OgvSN1oR3Sced5UyXpwaII-_Sh68n2NsxeE5zoLeC9qlnscCFRrNxZPtTgNaVoc/s1600/Columbus-Taking-Possession.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw2jNcP3aC5zYdFXttIwY-CuxdGLNPKC8Xu01Jl3mEQOAoAckvEyqhvluoNVuCYVGrAc0OzC1HGT95OgvSN1oR3Sced5UyXpwaII-_Sh68n2NsxeE5zoLeC9qlnscCFRrNxZPtTgNaVoc/s400/Columbus-Taking-Possession.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I claim this land.... Is that a giant fucking panda?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
The press release confirms that at least SOME of the plot points left dangling in Cata will be addressed in Mists. We have confirmation that Lilian Voss will return in Heroic Scolomance. The War between Horde and Alliance will amp way up, with futher escalations in the pre and post release patches, which is kinda nice. The pandas seem to be connected to the distant past, which may give us more hints at what the hell is going on that we aren't seeing. Also, the expansion also DOES have a final boss - Garrosh.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidqD9H5a6M-mBI1RavpAmFv2VODKtlCW3zJVXG4nbGUqoA-fpMn7IiNw5IbeoY40cozuULbZqnj9s6kM1KNvsRq-Wo7epmkW_D78qxGcyO0k-AIRoZXVmXK1vxpsmzeyJth2fDgv4Qavk/s1600/GarroshCata.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidqD9H5a6M-mBI1RavpAmFv2VODKtlCW3zJVXG4nbGUqoA-fpMn7IiNw5IbeoY40cozuULbZqnj9s6kM1KNvsRq-Wo7epmkW_D78qxGcyO0k-AIRoZXVmXK1vxpsmzeyJth2fDgv4Qavk/s400/GarroshCata.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Come at me bro!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>This is interesting. During the lead into Cataclysm, there was talk that Garrosh would segregate Orgimmar. He would be a controversial leader, and divide the Horde. Instead he added the Dragonmaw, and demanded the Horde fight with Honor, discouraging Sylvanas from using chemical warfare, and killing a general for using a WMD. Garrosh may be aggressive, but he has been a leader.<br />
<br />
So what dark path will Garrosh walk, such that the Horde and the Alliance will unite IN THE MIDDLE OF A WAR to bring him down. Will he be corrupted? Sha? Old God? Power? Will he die, fallen to corruption like his father Grom?<br />
<br />
Grom was redeemed in the end, and died a hero. What fate now awaits young Garrosh? ...and who will be the next Warchief?<br />
<br />
The mysteries of Pandaria don't intrigue me near as much as the mysteries in Orgrimmar.Lues Jenkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07130807075545967298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269150052919497565.post-88085188362837675752011-12-09T23:47:00.001-06:002011-12-10T00:03:50.048-06:00Checkmate<div class="MsoNormal">
We have all been had. N’zoth just won, and no one is the
wiser. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For long time I was convinced that Sergeras was the endgame.
The Burning Legion was the last stop on the World of Warcraft journey. I was
sure of it. Then I saw the final Cataclysm cutscene. You know, the one we all
watched even though we hadn’t downed Deathwing yet. It was so… anti-climactic.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB_ItZXL33TIUG-ZyQ_s2VgEuMRJpfjB84yaiWOr7d3ehM7wpIA89c9qO-Rlvu4wx5f1BZtkU55ImHYigY-v2fYL8jEDFOwENwD7CjA3zvhIp20P9mwTtRnP1IFQdpDcCJu5-EJy4AcDY/s1600/hour-of-twilight-1600x900.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB_ItZXL33TIUG-ZyQ_s2VgEuMRJpfjB84yaiWOr7d3ehM7wpIA89c9qO-Rlvu4wx5f1BZtkU55ImHYigY-v2fYL8jEDFOwENwD7CjA3zvhIp20P9mwTtRnP1IFQdpDcCJu5-EJy4AcDY/s400/hour-of-twilight-1600x900.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Come at me Thrall!!<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<SPOILERS!!></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Dragonflights gave up all of their power to stop one of
their own. They gave everything to stop Deathwing. Fools. By turning the
Dragonflights agasinst each other, the Old Gods got everything they could want
and more. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Horde has been turned over to a mad man (er.. orc?), hell
bent on war and conquest. Thrall, who was a million times more patient and
kind, was pulled into the conflict with Deathwing in an effort to help the
elementals of Azeroth. The Horde hangs together by threads.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Varian is also hot headed. Leading the Alliance in
directions not even the players are agreeing with. Varian is rash and dangerous
to those around him. He also doesn’t seem to trust other races in the Alliance.
The Alliance too, seems to be barely holding together.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And even though Deathwing has fallen, N’zoth still remains,
hidden, watching and waiting. While we bested his strongest champions, it has
cost everything to do so. And he still has a piece on the board. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Azshara.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOp0T0vOwnfrHZuNfWVgmOavNXsKxfKI0EPzl6L5Qc8a-JVA5Y9ok30-AmvkPrPeiaFgllPQx_9LXwNGBzoGJf3N3-1gQMc3-Z42LGQGqr01XUk5AYzG6eJhWArtACTcZNJy7BbsfZ0o0/s1600/Azshara.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOp0T0vOwnfrHZuNfWVgmOavNXsKxfKI0EPzl6L5Qc8a-JVA5Y9ok30-AmvkPrPeiaFgllPQx_9LXwNGBzoGJf3N3-1gQMc3-Z42LGQGqr01XUk5AYzG6eJhWArtACTcZNJy7BbsfZ0o0/s320/Azshara.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She's way hotter without the scales.<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She was formally introduced in the new Well of Eternity
dungeon. They made a mistake by not presenting Deathwing to the players
beforehand, causing a lukewarm reception at best. Blizzard won’t repeat that
mistake.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And, what was Azshara doing in the Well of Eternity dungeon anyway?
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Summoning the Legion to Azeroth! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi25UqO4WArUHBeGXz1x0Vi3S6QXxDgcgq5zbRX4xJJKaXvcj9xkeeNLCEqWDz78YyJOJilGuZMNHj400JG6LXs22l8ijqdQYghcD28j3Mrz8_dGFjxloEVwLpSba6vSMVYEJ57cND7Jng/s1600/Well.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi25UqO4WArUHBeGXz1x0Vi3S6QXxDgcgq5zbRX4xJJKaXvcj9xkeeNLCEqWDz78YyJOJilGuZMNHj400JG6LXs22l8ijqdQYghcD28j3Mrz8_dGFjxloEVwLpSba6vSMVYEJ57cND7Jng/s320/Well.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble....<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
N’zoth is breaking us. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Twilights Hammer started the war in Ashenvale. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Deathwing shattered the world, unveiling things once hidden
beneath the surface. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Earth Warder is now dead, and the Dragonflights are now powerless.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The titans think flesh is a curse, so contacting them might
be a bad move, assuming we even could.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If we don’t manage to kill each other, the Burning Legion would
be willing to finish the Job.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Burning Legion has a million reasons to want into
Azeroth, including the orcs and the Dreanei (and Valen in particular).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Azshara knows how to open the door.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Checkmate.</u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFZFNg8RVIJZ4okEHlDjvymiNc9CFdjrSmYjiKR9FfLN-NhLCcWQ8OW8MvQoYtplTqHhmAPLug9XgqFIIUrBnkhkCW1jUPEjwBfP63BMLDQA1an_4ww38pvX4IHZo_8YBHcmvof7RYeHI/s1600/Impeding_Doom.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFZFNg8RVIJZ4okEHlDjvymiNc9CFdjrSmYjiKR9FfLN-NhLCcWQ8OW8MvQoYtplTqHhmAPLug9XgqFIIUrBnkhkCW1jUPEjwBfP63BMLDQA1an_4ww38pvX4IHZo_8YBHcmvof7RYeHI/s400/Impeding_Doom.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Meanwhile, on Panderia…..</div>Lues Jenkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07130807075545967298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269150052919497565.post-34281249331875728282011-11-27T01:01:00.001-06:002011-11-27T18:13:39.085-06:00Looking Forward<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">With Deathwing’s imminent demise in Patch 4.3 coming any day
now, one has to wonder, what’s next. Where the hell do we go from here? It’s
already announced that the Alliance vs. Horde war is the main “antagonist” in
Mists, which basically means the horde and the alliance get to beat each other
senseless in the next expansion. It’s also assumed that the Zandalari storyline
will be wrapped up. What else is left to be resolved in (or before) Mists?</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1wL1gxoJQ4Sq8PpdBHka_2AxY48ZVWaYOerDaNCmTz3rTCR3T3oaOzItCWoTvUpe2hkBnPrugdijxxnW79PvA_Mq7GKPVQTJ9JD1-pypU-bGnE0DasZ0X0poat40HDBi19umMawED31c/s1600/deathwing.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1wL1gxoJQ4Sq8PpdBHka_2AxY48ZVWaYOerDaNCmTz3rTCR3T3oaOzItCWoTvUpe2hkBnPrugdijxxnW79PvA_Mq7GKPVQTJ9JD1-pypU-bGnE0DasZ0X0poat40HDBi19umMawED31c/s320/deathwing.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Come at me bro!</span>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>The War</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">In <b>Lorderaon</b>, the
Forsaken war is still wide open. Gilneas is still occupied, the plaguelands are
still a mess, and the Alliance will still want to retake Southshore, although
there isn’t much left to retake… Oh and Sylvanas is still using chemical warfare. Regardless, this is the biggest open wound as
far as the war is concerned, except maybe…. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">…the <b>Southern
Barrens</b>. The Alliance has built a road to the Barrens through Dustwallow Marsh.
They destroyed Camp Taurajo, and lay siege to the very gates of Mulgore. They
brought in the weapons, soldiers, etc. from Theramore. Rumor has it Theramore is
going to be destroyed in a future patch, and in the new Jaina book, Blizzard promises big changes for Jaina. I can’t
think of anything bigger than losing her home to the very people shes been trying to form a peace treaty with.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Ashenvale </b>is another serious point of conflict. The Horde is trying to gather supplies and the
Alliance is trying to protect their lands. I was led to believe that this
conflict is resolved in <i>Wolfheart</i>, but I haven’t read it yet.</span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">A resolution in Eastern Kingdom (Alliance victory in Gilneas)
and a resolution in Kalimdor (Theramore burns), would serve to escalate the war
for both sides. I wonder again what is being planned for 4.4. And even then, we
finish the war, dance with pandas, whatever the hell else happens in Pandaria,
but where to then?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Important Characters/Groups At
Large</b></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyhiRlHUGgzzwfObfnc1UAEIs98KYYW_F2tjPDJ2THM4clX9eR7NrvmwZ5ax4sGiH626Qo5gycEqeV5W5p0jgiQHs0ExsMxzKmUI-N6H8MTBe9yI32N0WsM9XY_nsbQR3jIU6yF1UwPcs/s1600/Azshara.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyhiRlHUGgzzwfObfnc1UAEIs98KYYW_F2tjPDJ2THM4clX9eR7NrvmwZ5ax4sGiH626Qo5gycEqeV5W5p0jgiQHs0ExsMxzKmUI-N6H8MTBe9yI32N0WsM9XY_nsbQR3jIU6yF1UwPcs/s200/Azshara.jpg" width="160" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hawt!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Azshara – </b>The
biggest
open plotline at the moment is Azshara and the Naga. They have kidnapped
Neptulon, the
Lord of the Elemental Plane of Water. What now? What is she up too? I
can’t
help but think the reason the War of the Ancients will feature her so
prominently is to introduce her and offer some kind of clue about her
motivations, which would allow them to continue her story at a later
time. The largest mistake they made with deathwing was not introducing
him in-game before he torn the world up. Having her in a dungeon should
help to solve that issue. If the Naga get some play in Mists, all the
better. I
can’t help but think about portals when I think of her….</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibcc-Gs17PDsD702GO42VMno_bE6U9gkBQ4pKayvcWMpirTt-xBWFTc8oPzzHfqlg_L5p0EeBBuN2LCV9x53kLqF5rv4PLOVI1AQBpnevjg4-iJ1BRgMXVMK-98tedHXQUKzvB98Q8F6E/s1600/Legion.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibcc-Gs17PDsD702GO42VMno_bE6U9gkBQ4pKayvcWMpirTt-xBWFTc8oPzzHfqlg_L5p0EeBBuN2LCV9x53kLqF5rv4PLOVI1AQBpnevjg4-iJ1BRgMXVMK-98tedHXQUKzvB98Q8F6E/s200/Legion.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'll huff and I'll puff..oh wait...</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>The BurningLegion – </b>With
portals in mind, I turn to the Legion. They want into Azeroth bad. The people
of Azeroth have made fools of them more times than you can count. All they
really lack is a good, welcoming portal. Azshara tried opening a portal for
Sergeras once. You know, the guy who happens to lead the Legion. All these connections are astounding!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyN6Zkh6isnZoeVDH0aLG2148hgN-l0qEm2RgZZhDGIjP_5pFPC1-3ZGSo9s0RBUFEZ4GHTLWTiCNBoKVJvWhvq3EhJhUrPeebJfuo2AhF_qZeUF_ymvMJmdbt0C2HonHuKlrxVwSBkBs/s1600/Yogg-Saron.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyN6Zkh6isnZoeVDH0aLG2148hgN-l0qEm2RgZZhDGIjP_5pFPC1-3ZGSo9s0RBUFEZ4GHTLWTiCNBoKVJvWhvq3EhJhUrPeebJfuo2AhF_qZeUF_ymvMJmdbt0C2HonHuKlrxVwSBkBs/s200/Yogg-Saron.jpg" width="194" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Nom Nom Nom Nom</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b> The Old Gods – </b>How
many<b> </b>are there? Three? Five? More? Wasn’t one of them
behind the corruption of Deathwing? Yeah N'zoth. So wheres he hiding? We
also know the faceless ones are allies/servants of the Old Gods, and we
saw a lot of faceless helping the Naga to capture the
Abyssal Maw. More connections. But why would the Old Gods want Azshara
to have control of Neptulon. He was a servant of the Old Gods before the
Titans imprisoned them all. Hmmmm. And can you kill an Old God anyway? </span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTV7TIoncoj_paMnE1mn-drpTlJE_aazHmIBpOQan5ADgwcpKeDECGx5FRr7iwB8ih5-lGHDCBlCsxcTZl2dEDz8LXVSUk1r_k8EuZTgtJc_u2RQPoBE1ACq8z8NctLlxrl2VpWx7G00A/s1600/Algalon.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTV7TIoncoj_paMnE1mn-drpTlJE_aazHmIBpOQan5ADgwcpKeDECGx5FRr7iwB8ih5-lGHDCBlCsxcTZl2dEDz8LXVSUk1r_k8EuZTgtJc_u2RQPoBE1ACq8z8NctLlxrl2VpWx7G00A/s200/Algalon.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Best. Wallpaper. Ever.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Titans? – </b>Remember
the
Titans? Not the football team, but the creators of life on Azeroth. If
they
were to make an appearance in the game, would they be friend or foe?
Rumor is
they think flesh is a curse. That could be bad.They are perhaps the
biggest mystery in the game. If Algalon had sent them a message, would
they even respond? I had a theory once that the Legion wiped them out
but I have no direct evidence to support such an outlandish idea.</span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9FpnvuyC7DQaa1IfUuYwatwsj7ZeB9KmmhNBj-HxeVNXMfk7fsobwmLlZIrz5XSv_yDOqLaYZPzPdDvVlqshkIvYtP_TGbp3DVdu4OoCIlByS0dFZQld5Rzzq3cfXzGsudy13DxwjLRw/s1600/Med%2527an.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9FpnvuyC7DQaa1IfUuYwatwsj7ZeB9KmmhNBj-HxeVNXMfk7fsobwmLlZIrz5XSv_yDOqLaYZPzPdDvVlqshkIvYtP_TGbp3DVdu4OoCIlByS0dFZQld5Rzzq3cfXzGsudy13DxwjLRw/s200/Med%2527an.jpg" width="129" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Jesus of Azeroth?</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Med’an – </b>One
of
the more odd warcraft characters, Med’an thus far is only featured in
the
comics. He is the (New) Last Guardian. The son of Garona and Med’ivh.
Part Human,
Orc, and Dreanei. Also, he is the only thing that stands between Azeroth
and
the Legion if shit hits the fan.He has rediculous amounts of power and
can stand toe to toe with most of the Legion. Makes him a tempting
target. The Twilight's hammer tried to take him out, and got their
clocks cleaned. Cho'gall got a beat down. It wasn't pretty. In the first
days of the Alliance, Lothar was chosen to unite the people as the High
Commander of the Alliance. This guy, with his mixed heritage, could be
that guy. You know, if the Burning Legion were to.... come back and all.
Just sayin'....</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiACAoEhbKrd0oXARI08bXyhs_zHhwv6RqEaDt0YtVKg-9TKfKOcjDcdeIJyNJZuQoLqf1_71dKihjX5hbZSMd7HR9ozUzv-7wvAEhgq6ZLmgVKu01XSFDCobmM2TPbOWSnS7lFzKG16Us/s1600/Illidan_Stormrage.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiACAoEhbKrd0oXARI08bXyhs_zHhwv6RqEaDt0YtVKg-9TKfKOcjDcdeIJyNJZuQoLqf1_71dKihjX5hbZSMd7HR9ozUzv-7wvAEhgq6ZLmgVKu01XSFDCobmM2TPbOWSnS7lFzKG16Us/s200/Illidan_Stormrage.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'll be back?</span>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Illidan? – </b>Rumor
also
has it that this guy is coming back at some point. This is THE demon
hunter. Wanna train some folks to fight the Burning Legion? Make this
guy your drill sergeant. And If he
does make a comeback, care to take a guess at what the next new or hero
class will be? Yes, the demon hunter starter zone. Think Scarlet
Enclave, but with Illidan in place of the Lich King. Speaking of.....</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><br />
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<tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK1PQdK8JE9dfvFgUr4mX9Um8f_pV04bTohLlU7n4HlEnq_iu-GLgKBkCvg7JcGm_sOVzNWJiqnD4UFYgzDA55ZEVqU0g-idydHSyuhzrWZc3lObiQu6KHtgXW-UhTZ9mD_lWqoLQY4Mk/s1600/Bolvar.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK1PQdK8JE9dfvFgUr4mX9Um8f_pV04bTohLlU7n4HlEnq_iu-GLgKBkCvg7JcGm_sOVzNWJiqnD4UFYgzDA55ZEVqU0g-idydHSyuhzrWZc3lObiQu6KHtgXW-UhTZ9mD_lWqoLQY4Mk/s200/Bolvar.jpg" width="160" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Return of the King?</span></td></tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Lich King? – </b>This
one is the wild card. Put on your tinfoil hats guys, cause this is serious
shit. We have the Horde and Alliance damn near destroy each other on Pandaria. Meanwhile,
the Naga, led by Azshara, open a new dark portal to usher in the Legion. Only this
dark portal leads to Argus. The legion homeworld. Med’an and the New Council of
Trisfal know that this is THE chance to end the Legion, once and for all. But
with the Horde and Alliance basically broken after the war, who would have an
army big enough to lead a counter invasion? This guy. Bolvar would be more
than happy to defend Azeroth again, and I’m sure Ner’zhul would jump at the
chance to strike at Kil’jaeden. So we have plenty of motive and an entire army
of undead warriors set on passive mode. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. </span></div>
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<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">I have no clue what the folks at blizzard plan to do, and in
some ways I think they may not either. But the clues are pointing in a very
good direction.We have a storm brewing in what could be the greatest expansion or two in gaming history!</span>Lues Jenkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07130807075545967298noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269150052919497565.post-88823062457560699782011-11-15T12:25:00.001-06:002011-11-15T13:14:46.001-06:00Curse of the WorgenI said a while back on <a href="http://newhordeorder.blogspot.com/">New Horde Order</a> that I was really disappointed by the Worgen starter zone. The story of Gilneas, was dark, complex, and at times quite boring. Here in a nutshell, is what happened: <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinRwhtVXYZuEQYzdytqqXXC79cnz4lykjJbFSAtHeohv80Tt20p4Ied_a2DXzVlB3g84nPBSDQTMCz48GFsn-H_USwwi555DqtGa-iy3Wy36ljbslMXDA72LfZtEFuairPHXO5nznKv2k/s1600/MGWorgen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinRwhtVXYZuEQYzdytqqXXC79cnz4lykjJbFSAtHeohv80Tt20p4Ied_a2DXzVlB3g84nPBSDQTMCz48GFsn-H_USwwi555DqtGa-iy3Wy36ljbslMXDA72LfZtEFuairPHXO5nznKv2k/s320/MGWorgen.jpg" width="224" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sup baby? I've had all my shots...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>Gilneas </b> <br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<i>The nation of Gilneas is
besieged by the Forsaken, who are held at bay by the Greymane Wall. Gilneas
city is also under attack by feral worgen. King Genn Graymane decides to free political
prisoners under the leadership of Lord Crowley, and the two forge an alliance
to save Gilneas. Crowley covers the escape from the city, but is lost when
worgen attack the Cathedral.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<i>The refugees of the city regroup at Duskhaven,
where they learn that the worgen are their own people, transformed into
mindless beasts. The Kings Alchemist creates a serum that allows the transformed
citizens to regain control of their bodies. The victory is shortlived as the Forsaken
launch an attack by sea. In the midst of the fighting, the entire area is lost
to the sea as a massive earthquake rocks the land. </i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>Genn and the survivors move
on to Stormglen, as a second quake destroys Duskhaven.In the woods around
Stormglen a night elf named Belysra leads the survivors to the Tal’doren tree where
the mystery of the Worgen curse is revealed. The curse has a night elf origin
and was passed to humans. Crowley is reavealed to be alive, and the Night Elves
give the Gilneans the power to control the curse. </i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>Genn reveals he too is a worgen.
Lord Godfrey is disgusted by Genn’s affliction and kidnaps him. During the
rescue attempt Godfrey kills himself, as he would rather be dead than a worgen. </i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>The Gilneans, having dealt with the Worgen problem, move against the Forsaken,
who have occupied Gilneas City. Genn goes to fight Sylvanas one on one, but his
son Liam intervenes and is killed. </i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<i>Afterward, Sylvanas meets with General Warhowl.
Warchief Garrosh is bothered by the setbacks in Gilneas. Sylvanas is told not
to use the forsaken plague but plans to do so anyway. Spies carry word to Genn,
who evacuates the city. The Night Elves help the Gileans escape by sea, and
offer them sanctuary in Teldrassil. Genn sets off for Stormwind, to secure the
Gilnean’s place in the Alliance.</i></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Cool
story bro. The zone had too much walking. Way too much walking. And,
sandwiched into this storyline were some throwaway quests about a Night
Elf weapon that can make more Worgen. The Sythe of Elune. It felt odd
being in there, with no real reason. What was this weapon and why did it
matter.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNW0Ht-ho3oJbNpCuzc9CNjosT-Pgtpcnj-dJvpfYSZ1qidWwVsxlfUmYy2dqiAHaQIzEC_jy5B1RcRuLYILroISRHR4nR09XRJH_N9Ui-xnhh444zWFxmwdawa190BwduSa8dnZomBos/s1600/1521335-world_of_warcraft_curse_of_the_worgen_1_super.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNW0Ht-ho3oJbNpCuzc9CNjosT-Pgtpcnj-dJvpfYSZ1qidWwVsxlfUmYy2dqiAHaQIzEC_jy5B1RcRuLYILroISRHR4nR09XRJH_N9Ui-xnhh444zWFxmwdawa190BwduSa8dnZomBos/s320/1521335-world_of_warcraft_curse_of_the_worgen_1_super.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RAWR!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Then I
read Curse of the Worgen. REALLY cool story bro! This graphic novel
tells you the "rest" of the story. The origin of the worgen curse, the
meaning of the Scythe, even why the Worgen were attacking Gilneas City
at the start of the questline! As an added bonus, at the very end, you
discover how the Worgen curse came to Gilneas in the first place! </div>
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<br />
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SPOILERS BITCHES!!!</div>
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<br />
</div>
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Argul,
the old boss from Shadowfang Keep, had freed the Worgen from the Emerald
Dream, which caused the curse to be spread amongst the humans in
Silverpine Forest. Eventually, as the Forsaken pushed south, the Worgen
were forced into Gilneas.</div>
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<br />
</div>
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END SPOILERS!!!</div>
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<br />
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Understand
that while none of this info is needed to understand the worgen zone, I
feel that the Graphic Novel actually helped to fit the Worgen into the
"World" of Warcaft much more than the zone did. The undisclosed back
history did a lot to flesh out the Gilneans and their struggles. </div>
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<br />
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Maybe
its me, but it does seem as if the writers are trying to set up
situations in the game that they can then resolve in the spinoff
material. I know a lot of people were bothered by Deathwing, largely
because he is featured so heavily in the books, and rarely mentioned in
the game. I noticed when I read Ashbringer that this seemed to be the
case. Ashbringer plays a huge role in the fall of the Lich King, yet we
get very little face time before the battle for Light's Hope. The
information revealed in Ashbringer made the Death Knight zone so full of
awesome, its a shame we got very little of that info from the game.</div>
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<br />
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So what
do you think? I know its a trolled topic on forums everywhere, but are
they putting to much reliance on other mediums to tell the Warcraft
story?</div>Lues Jenkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07130807075545967298noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269150052919497565.post-75619551355070704852011-10-30T03:08:00.000-05:002011-10-30T03:08:57.806-05:00Catching up on LoreI willing admit that I am sinfully behind on my WoW Lore. While I have played WoW for several years now, and have a fairly good understanding of what is going on, I am way behind on reading the many works in the "Expanded Universe" of Warcraft. I have played all the games, I even read a few of the books, but I had been a "Horde first" kinda guy and as such I missed out on a lot of the Alliance side of the Lore. I am working on questing my way back through the game with Alliance toons, and soon my timelines will reflect that. But I also have a ton of written material to read through....<br />
<br />
I began to read again recently. My previous WoW novel experience began with <i>The Shattering</i>, by Christie Golden. While it was a fantastic story that set up much of the Catacylasm expansion, I felt that it really needed another pass with a good editor. The writing was <i>awful</i>. Rades over at <a href="http://www.orcisharmyknife.com/">Orcish Army Knife</a> convinced me to read <i>Arthas</i> next, which I found to be a much better novel, both in prose and content. While it certainly wasn't <i>Game of Thrones</i> or <i>Wheel of Time</i> quality, it was obvious that an editor had picked through it.<br />
<br />
Then <i>A Dance With Dragons</i> came out. I read through it and spent a good deal of time away from WoW. When I returned I joined a new guild and began to raid again. Lore was replaced with boss videos and heavy grinding. My old <a href="http://newhordeorder.blogspot.com/">Blog</a> reflects this, as it just kinda died.<br />
<br />
But the old Lore bug bit me again when, as I leveled up another Death Knght and realized I was confused by the events of the battle at Lights Hope. Who were these ghosts, why was Darion Morgaine so important, and whats up with his Cloud Strife sword? I decided to research the people and events of the battle of Lights Hope, where the Ebon Blade is freed from the Lich King by the mysterious force beneath the church. This led me to three pieces of Lore : the <i>Ashbringer</i> comics, the short story <i>Of Blood and Honor</i>, by the great Chris Metzen, and the <i>Death Knight</i> manga.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzbpeo_F9pLXRbLpwMEXJ3xV85N4bgmBHfurQee5aLJN9ux9k8xJa1MvU84zx9gaQTAJLzsIMWofNbJ2iLhbUlmyItY5u_iywQgDfW2Y0EnMUPkm0ZzT1HeRpJjRGVzqCvn_9QgPHSXI/s1600/World_Of_Warcraft_Ashbringer_1_sc_779.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzbpeo_F9pLXRbLpwMEXJ3xV85N4bgmBHfurQee5aLJN9ux9k8xJa1MvU84zx9gaQTAJLzsIMWofNbJ2iLhbUlmyItY5u_iywQgDfW2Y0EnMUPkm0ZzT1HeRpJjRGVzqCvn_9QgPHSXI/s320/World_Of_Warcraft_Ashbringer_1_sc_779.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Epic sword is epic!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>Ashbringer</i> told the story of... well... the Ashbringer. Its an uber powerful sword wielded by Darion Morgraine, at least until he gives it to Tirion Fordring at the end of the Death Knight quest chain. The story starts during the second war and goes all the way to the beginning of the Death Knight quest chain. If you need answers like I did as to what the hell happened at Lights Hope, this is your answer. It sets up the whole thing quite nicely, as well as shows the origins of the Scarlet Crusade and the Argent Dawn. Bonus! The force beneath Lights Hope is revealed and this book even shows how Tirion Fordring joined the Argent Dawn, coming back from his banishment. The Subject of Tirions banishment intrigued me, as it as another story I hadn't heard. I told you I was way behind! So I had to go back to the "EU" and dig around some more.<br />
<br />
<i>Ashbringer</i> led me to <i>Of Blood and Honor</i>, the Metzen story about Tirion. Its a quick read, but a nice little Lore nugget. This one tells of Tirion and Eitrigg the orc, and of the lengths Tirion goes to to honor his word. It seems to pick up after the events of <i>Lord of the Clans</i> (which I haven't read yet) as Thrall maks an appearance at the end. They also did a wonderful job connecting this story to <i>Ashbringer</i>, as Tirion's son is a minor player in that story.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZYvAeIg2yBaFbOTOw50TM9FR5JCTN2YnzkvaRiHRnLmP3A0iaZ8yp_CEHPwVimUEBoC0yRABDVYiPFq-_5HO5L5LjuAzTFE84FIg-ijxFvtcLs1PY3PlhwobW7rVKftnwILGMKJA2-A/s1600/Tirion_Fordring_at_Light%2527s_Hammer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZYvAeIg2yBaFbOTOw50TM9FR5JCTN2YnzkvaRiHRnLmP3A0iaZ8yp_CEHPwVimUEBoC0yRABDVYiPFq-_5HO5L5LjuAzTFE84FIg-ijxFvtcLs1PY3PlhwobW7rVKftnwILGMKJA2-A/s200/Tirion_Fordring_at_Light%2527s_Hammer.jpg" width="158" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tirion with the Ashbringer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0rjSa8m9Gjt9blkLz_VBELEDvRyxM8mA65jXf4VVrZNLpMOSM5Qwd_fff-X7recewmBtpuO6JseZDcTg0ij3gVGzpcf2e5Ipslp5EH6N1zAj3AsRE3OU9rTZu0zrfx961DDQVhRNCyeE/s1600/Eitrigg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0rjSa8m9Gjt9blkLz_VBELEDvRyxM8mA65jXf4VVrZNLpMOSM5Qwd_fff-X7recewmBtpuO6JseZDcTg0ij3gVGzpcf2e5Ipslp5EH6N1zAj3AsRE3OU9rTZu0zrfx961DDQVhRNCyeE/s200/Eitrigg.jpg" width="146" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eitrigg. Tirion's BFF?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
While I probably should have followed the Thrall trail into <i>Lord of the Clans</i>, I instead decided I wasn't done with Death Knights and Lights Hope. Maybe it was because my main is now a DK (named Kvothe by the way. + 10 internetz if you get the reference!), or maybe I just had scourge on the brain, but I chose to read the <i>Death Knight</i> manga next. This was no easy find, as Tokyopop went out of business. Grab these babies if you see them on store shelves because you may get to flip them for a nice profit a little on down the road! Isn't capitalism great! But I digress...<br />
<br />
<i>Death Knight</i> was way more than I had hoped for. It covered everything. Arthas, Malganis, the expedition to Northrend, the Scourge overrunning Lordaeron, the invasion of Quel'Thalas, I mean <i>everything</i>. It was also awesome because the main character is the Death Knight Thassarrian, and in the course of his unlife as a Death Knight, we learn of his friendship with Koltira Deathweaver, and get a retelling of the battle at Lights Hope from Thassarrian's point of view! Epic beyond words.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL5xxiNNC2BSsEXrNaoFwDuYvHV5PZuwc2g87vgpK6Bdss7Ua2BhI_v6ftZcqSjdqE607HO7q5mbehBouUTiJI5vHki5w_avr_JKU-rDN3s9qAaZ-6NCtorGDOALcGqUwC4Rbg5Wb-dnE/s1600/DeathKnightCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL5xxiNNC2BSsEXrNaoFwDuYvHV5PZuwc2g87vgpK6Bdss7Ua2BhI_v6ftZcqSjdqE607HO7q5mbehBouUTiJI5vHki5w_avr_JKU-rDN3s9qAaZ-6NCtorGDOALcGqUwC4Rbg5Wb-dnE/s320/DeathKnightCover.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So full of win!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
My journey ended there. I get a bit burned out when I read from one world for too long. Time to return to the game and quest some more! I will say that my journey into Lore this time proved to be a very positive experience. I will add summaries to the timelines in a few days. The "EU" stuff (books, comics, etc.) will now have its own section, as trying to squeeze them into the game timelines became a massive burden. It will be a few weeks become I have this site running the way I want it to run, but be patient, I have <i>way</i> more to talk about! I haven't even touched on my thoughts about the new expansion....<br />
<br />
<br />Lues Jenkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07130807075545967298noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269150052919497565.post-24505533795511188552011-10-26T13:42:00.001-05:002011-10-26T13:42:52.787-05:00Statement of PurposeSo this is a new World of Warcraft blog that will for all intents and purposes be faction neutral. My old blog <a href="http://newhordeorder.blogspot.com/">New Horde Order</a> was strictly Horde focused, and strictly lore focused. As such I got rather bored with it. I'm questing with some alliance toons at the moment, to explore the other side of the story, and hope to be caught up with <i>Mists</i> hits, sometime next year. So I wanted a blog that will be more inclusive, and enable me to sit back and watch the fallout from the coming war. I will be watching it from both sides, calling it like I see it. Expect more soon. It will be a few days before I get all of this up and running.Lues Jenkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07130807075545967298noreply@blogger.com0