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| + | ='''World of Warcraft: Tides of Doom'''= |
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| − | {{npcbox |
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| − | | image = Magazine3CoverArtworkBack.jpg |
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| − | | name = Thrall, Son of Durotan |
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| − | | titles = {{C-inline}} Former Warchief,<br />{{WC3-inline}} - {{Wotlk-inline}} Warchief of the Horde,<br />Liberator of the Orcs,<br />Lord of the Clans,<br />Chieftain of the Frostwolf Clan |
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| − | | gender = Male |
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| − | | race = Orc |
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| − | | creature = [[Humanoid]] |
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| − | | level = ?? (Boss) |
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| − | | character = [[Far seer]] (WC3); [[Fighter]], [[Healer]], [[Blademaster]], [[Shaman]] (WRPG), [[Gladiator]] (Lore) |
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| − | | affiliation = [[Horde]], [[Frostwolf Clan]], [[Warsong Clan]], [[Earthen Ring]] |
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| − | | faction = Horde |
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| − | | occupation = Horde representative to the [[Earthen Ring]], formerly: [[Warchief of the Horde]], Ruler of [[Durotar]], Chief of [[Orgrimmar]] |
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| − | | location = [[Crusaders' Coliseum]], [[Icecrown]] or [[Lost Isles]] or [[Maelstrom|the Maelstrom]] |
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| − | | status = Alive |
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| − | | health = 5,578,000 |
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| − | | mana = 256,080 |
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| − | | relatives = [[Durotan]] and [[Draka]] (parents)<br />[[Garad]] and [[Geyah]] (paternal grandparents)<br />[[Kelkar]] and [[Zuura]]<ref>''[[Warcraft: Legends Volume 4]]'', page 147</ref> (maternal grandparents)<br />[[Rhakish]] (maternal great-grandfather), [[Taretha Foxton]] (surrogate sister)<br />[[Aggra]] (Mate) |
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| − | | mentors = [[Orgrim Doomhammer]] (mentor, friend and former warchief), [[Drek'Thar]] (shaman mentor), [[Grom Hellscream]] ("big brother"), [[Aedelas Blackmoore]] (former slave master), [[Sergeant (character)|Sergeant]] (former gladiator trainer) |
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| − | | companions = [[Snowsong]] (wolf companion), Unnamed black wolf ([[warcraft 3]])}} |
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| + | ''This is still a work-in-progress'' |
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| − | ''"The beginning of wisdom is the statement 'I do not know.' The person who cannot make that statement is one who will never learn anything. And I have prided myself on my ability to learn."''<ref>''[[Cycle of Hatred]]'', page 77</ref> |
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| + | The Cataclysm shattered Azeroth, changing the face of the world forever. As the Horde and Alliance battled each other and the forces of the Twilight's Hammer under the dreaded aspect Deathwing their conflict against another old, familiar enemy also escalated: the hated Naga. The Horde and Alliance fought beneath the waves at the sunken city of Vashj'ir, eventually making their way deep into the Abyssal Maw. Though emerging victorious, the battered forces of the Horde and Alliance came to learn that this was but a small first move for the Naga. |
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| − | '''Thrall''' (birthname '''Go'el'''), son of [[Durotan]] (born 2 years [[ADP]]),<ref>''[[World of Warcraft: The Roleplaying Game]]'', page 10</ref> is the former [[Warchief]] of the restored shamanistic [[Horde]], and ruler of the red land of [[Durotar]] in [[Kalimdor]]. After the fall of the [[Lich King]] and the increasing elemental unrest heralding the [[Shattering]], Thrall stepped down as leader of the Horde and joined with the [[Earthen Ring]] to combat the rampaging elements. |
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| + | The Silithid rose from the sands of the desert, forcing the Horde and Alliance to fight their ancient evil. The forces of Illidan and the Burning Legion sought to consume the world in flame, and the armies of Azeroth marched to war again, fighting their way across the shattered realm of Outland. They bled themselves from one end of Northrend to the other, smashing their way through waves of Undead to face the Lich King. Their victory was met by the devastation wrought by Deathwing and the exhausted armies forced to battle the fanatical Twilight's Hammer. |
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| − | ==Biography== |
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| − | ===Youth=== |
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| − | {{Novel-section}} |
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| − | [[File:Aedelas and Tammis found Thrall.JPG|thumb|left|Blackmoore and Foxton finding Thrall as depicted in ''Warcraft Legends 2''.]] |
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| − | Thrall is the son of Durotan, former chieftain of the [[Frostwolf clan]], and [[Draka]]. As a baby, he was found amongst the bloody bodies of his murdered parents by [[Aedelas Blackmoore]], commander of the [[internment camp]]s which held orcs after the end of the [[Second War]]. Blackmoore gave him the name ''Thrall'', which was another word for "slave" in the [[Common (language)|human tongue]]. Blackmoore returned to his fortress, [[Durnholde Keep]], with Thrall, and raised him as a gladiator — with all the savagery of an orc, but with the keen strategic intellect of a human. He was trained and taught by many, wet-nursed by [[Clannia|a human woman]], and grew to befriend her daughter, [[Taretha Foxton]]. Thrall proved to be an excellent student and a phenomenal fighter. |
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| + | Through all of this, Queen Azshara has watched. She has waited, carefully drawing her plans and positioning her forces. The armies of the Horde and Alliance are exhausted, pushed almost beyond the point of endurance. Their supplies are diminished, their lands still stuggling to recover from the destruction of the Cataclysm. Now, when all seems on the brink of collapse, she will strike. The full might of the Naga lies at her command, including horrors unseen by any surface dweller. And behind her, lurking in secret, a shadowy force lends its aid. The Tides of Doom are rising... |
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| − | He was clever, quick and enormous even by orc standards. However Blackmoore's abusive beatings both in and out of the ring began to take its toll. Taretha began to write him letters and secretly delivered them to him in his cage within books, and he wrote back to her. Eventually, he wrote to Taretha that he wished to escape. |
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| + | ==='''Features'''=== |
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| − | [[File:Taretha allows Thrall to escape.JPG|thumb|Taretha assisting Thrall as depicted in ''Warcraft Legends 2''.]] |
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| + | Level Cap raised to 90! |
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| − | Taretha created a diversion inside Durnholde Keep which allowed Thrall to escape from his cell unnoticed. They met up outside the fortress by a cave, and Taretha gave him provisions and supplies. He then left Durnholde, hoping to never return. |
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| + | New Hero Class - Reaver! |
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| − | However, Thrall was captured and taken to an internment camp run by one [[Major Lorin Remka|Lorin Remka]]. It was here that he met an old orc with glowing red eyes named [[Kelgar]], who told him of the corruption of [[Gul'dan]], and how the old ways had been so much better for the [[Horde]]. He told him that the only one still thinking of embracing this was the undefeated [[Grom Hellscream]], Chieftain of the [[Warsong clan]]. When another orc told Thrall that Blackmoore had arrived at the camp looking for him, Thrall escaped again, and sought out Grom Hellscream. |
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| + | New Dungeons & Raids! |
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| − | ===The orcs=== |
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| − | {{Novel-section}} |
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| − | After finding the chieftain and proving himself, Hellscream took Thrall under his wing, teaching him the Orcish tongue, and telling him that—based on the tattered swaddling cloth Thrall showed him — he was a part of the exiled [[Frostwolf clan]]. After spending some time with Hellscream, Thrall decided to take his leave of them for a while in order to search out his roots in the [[Alterac Mountains]]. |
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| + | New Profession - Woodworking! |
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| − | After trekking to exhaustion, Thrall was rescued by the Frostwolves and taken to their camp. There he met [[Drek'Thar]], who told Thrall that he was the son of the chieftain of the Frostwolves. After finding his place among the Frostwolves, Drek'Thar taught Thrall the old ways of the Horde, before [[Gul'dan]]'s corruption, and soon Thrall was accepted as a member of the clan. A [[frost wolf]] named [[Snowsong]] eventually chose Thrall as her companion. It was some time after that choosing that he was called away by Drek'Thar, and came upon a quiet place where he had never been or seen before. Here he was to be initiated. |
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| + | New Archaeology Race - Naga! |
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| − | In one of the most spiritual experiences of his life, Thrall befriended the spirits of Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and the Wilds. He became the first new shaman since Gul'dan's vile corruption of the Horde. He returned to the camp a new orc and became fully immersed in the old ways of the shaman and his clan, embracing his role as son of the chieftain. This was a significant and symbolic event, since Thrall was the first shaman to be accepted by the spirits since Drek'Thar's time. Not only did this mean Thrall would be destined to be one of the greatest shamans in orcish history, but it also meant that the spirits finally forgave the orcish race for consorting with demonic powers, and deemed Thrall as the first of a brand new generation of shamans. |
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| + | Professions to 600 - Renowned Craftsman! |
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| − | The camp was soon visited by a wandering stranger. At first, Thrall spoke pleasantly with him, but began to grow angry when the stranger accused the Frostwolves of hiding away in the mountains. His fury — and orcish pride — growing within him, Thrall informed the stranger that he would join with Hellscream and the Warsong and lay siege to the encampments. The stranger dismissed Hellscream as a "demon-ridden dreamer", and said that the humans were not worth fighting. Enraged, Thrall challenged the stranger to single combat. The stranger threw aside his cloak to reveal well-worn black plate armor and a massive warhammer. After a short but brutal contest, Thrall managed to disarm him, but was prevented from throttling the stranger by some of his clan. It was then that the stranger revealed himself as [[Orgrim Doomhammer]] — the Warchief of the Horde. Doomhammer had been contacted by Drek'Thar about the return of the son of Durotan. The Warchief decided to provoke Thrall into a fight to see if Drek'Thar's praise was deserved — and it was. Not only was Thrall able to challenge Doomhammer's strength, he also was able to best him — a feat only once before accomplished by [[Durotan|Thrall's father]]. |
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| + | More Underwater Mounts! |
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| − | ===Liberation=== |
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| − | [[File:Thrall2004.jpg|thumb|Thrall, leader of the Horde.]] |
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| − | {{Novel-section}} |
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| − | Doomhammer named Thrall his second-in-command and explained his strategy for liberating the encampments. Per Doomhammer's plan, Thrall infiltrated the camps masquerading as one of the downtrodden, lethargic prisoners, and then riled the orcs up with shows of his shamanistic powers. With the downtrodden orcs revitalized by their restored heritage, they quickly overran the encampments. On the first three encampments, this proved to be an effective tactic. On the fourth, Thrall was too easily recognized, and thus they had to resort to the numbers of the new Horde — and the shamanistic powers wielded by Thrall — to liberate the encampment. At the fifth, however, they were even better prepared — knights from Durnholde had been stationed at the remaining encampments, so that whichever camp they attacked, there would be a greater resistance. During the liberation of this encampment — now the Horde outpost of [[Hammerfall]] in the [[Arathi Highlands]] — Doomhammer was killed, impaled from behind by a knight's lance. With his dying breath, he gave Thrall his black plate and [[Doomhammer|warhammer]], and named him Warchief of the Horde. |
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| + | Still No Dance Studio! |
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| − | Thrall's first action as Warchief was to attack [[Durnholde]] in an effort to dismantle the entire internment camp system. He secretly met with Taretha, asking her to leave Durnholde with her family, but she refused, hoping that it would never come to battle and fearful of the consequences if Blackmoore noticed her missing (Blackmoore had taken her as his mistress, an arrangement she had never been happy with). When Thrall arrived at Durnholde with the Horde at his back, he confronted a drunken Blackmoore, and asked for a peaceful parlay in order to prevent useless bloodshed. Blackmoore went through a plethora of emotions — from amusement at Thrall's rise to power, anger at what the Warchief was demanding, and grief at how Thrall had supposedly betrayed him. Once again demanding that Blackmoore surrender or be killed; the master of Durnholde gave his response by tossing the severed head of [[Taretha Foxton]] into the courtyard, screaming that this was what he would do with traitors. |
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| + | ==New Zones: Leveling to 90== |
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| − | Thrall screamed in rage and grief, the elements themselves echoing his fury, and he gave the command to attack. During the siege, Thrall cornered Blackmoore in his hidden tunnel, and tossed a sword at the traitorous man's feet. Blackmoore had sobered enough to hold his own against the Warchief — who had been holding back to allow Blackmoore a fighting chance — but when he tried to explain, and asked for Thrall's aid to help him subjugate the Alliance. The Warchief's rage at Taretha's fate broke all barriers, and struck him the mortal blow. As he lay dying, the master of Durnholde expressed pride in what Thrall had become — what Blackmoore had made him or so he thought. |
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| + | Tides of Doom features nine new, massive world zones. Similar to Wrath of the Lich King and Cataclysm, players have two "starting zones" to choose from. However, in this expansion each of these are the first steps on two different "paths" one can take on the questing experience to level 90. Players will level through five of the zones from 85-90, their first questing zone will determine their path with both paths ending in the same "finishing zone". |
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| + | These paths are intended to give players a choice in their play style as well as provide more variety for those leveling multiple characters. Players can level two characters while experiencing entirely new content with each. Even in the final zone, where the two paths converge, they will get a different experience. The final zone is enormous, much larger than any current zone. Depending on what path a player chose, they will enter the zone from the north or south with a different set of quests and locations before meeting in the middle at the Naga capital of Nazjatar. After experiencing both, players can pick and choose what they enjoyed the most, hopping back and forth between zones. |
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| − | Thrall emerged shaken from the castle to find his orcs victorious. Thrall gave a message to Blackmoore's second-in-command, [[Karramyn Langston|Lord Karramyn Langston]], to take to his superiors: to free the remaining orcs, and to cede land for their use. If the Alliance would let them be, they would not trouble the Alliance and would be willing to engage in cooperation and trade. If the Alliance chose to fight them, they would have made an enemy the likes of which had never been seen before — making the old warlock-controlled Horde shrink to insignificance. He then left Durnholde after allowing [[Sergeant (character)|Sergeant]] and the surviving humans to walk away unharmed. When they were gone he called upon the Spirit of the Earth to destroy the keep before leading his people to freedom. |
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| + | Questing has been modified to be more flexible while still providing a coherent, continuous story. Each zone has a "core" quest chain that directs the player throughout the zone similar to the Cataclysm zones. In addition to this are several side quests that can be completed or skipped as a player wishes. Tides of Doom continues to make use of phasing but the "extra" quests involve content that remains static. Players can travel to any of the zones at will and explore to find (provided they are high enough level) these quests available, the core chain simply takes players there as it progresses along its own storyline. The core chain is also broken up intermittently, meaning that if a player skips a few quests they can pick up the chain futher along at the next logical point. They will miss some content and portions of the zone's storyline but not have their ability to quest there completely crippled. |
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| − | Thrall later composed a ''[[lok'vadnod]]'' ("song of a hero") to commemorate Taretha's sacrifice. |
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| + | Each zone is intended to provide content for one level. This includes the core quest chain and some of the extra quests. Should a player complete every single quest in a zone however they will find the overall experience provided is roughly 125% of a level. This is intended to give players enough freedom to skip portions or quests they dislike and still effectively level. In addition, especially on their first characters where players are much more likely to experience most of the new content, this means that players will be at or very close to the level cap when entering the final zone. This is also intended as the final zone contains the most challenging questing experience yet encountered in World of Warcraft and players experiencing it for the first time will want every advantage. |
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| − | ===Flight to Kalimdor=== |
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| − | [[File:Thrall-WC3.jpg|thumb|Thrall as seen in [[Warcraft III]].]] |
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| − | {{WC3-section}} |
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| − | Thrall and Grom spent much time gathering together the dispersed forces of the Horde. But it was some time later, when Thrall was with a small force in the [[Arathi Highlands]], that he received a strange dream. He saw armies clashing, and fire raining from the sky, and a voice warning him of things to come.<ref>''[[Thrall's Vision]]''</ref> |
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| + | The two leveling paths are designed with player preference in mind. Vashj'ir was the first foray into large-scale underwater content. Some players loved the new aspect of the game while others found underwater combat and the environment to be frustrating (if not annoying) and some were fairly indifferent. While both paths feature content above and below the surface, one leans heavily towards a land-based experience while the majority of the other takes place underwater. In this way players may choose how they wish to quest. The final zone is primarily underwater (though a few "air pocket" locations can be found) but players who are not fans of underwater leveling can spend most of their time on land. |
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| − | When he awoke, he realized that it was no dream, it was a vision, granted him by the [[Medivh|mysterious Prophet]], who enigmatically told him that he was not what he seemed, that he had abandoned his humanity long ago, and that he had foreseen the future with the only hope for the orcs salvation was to leave [[Lordaeron]]—sail west to [[Kalimdor]], and there, they would find their destiny.<ref>''[[Chasing Visions]]''</ref> |
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| + | ===="Land Path"==== |
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| − | Thrall obeyed, and gathering the Horde, prepared to make their way across the [[Great Sea]]. The [[clan]]s begun assembling and he constructed a base to give the Horde a place to stay. However, Grom turned out to have been captured by humans, and Thrall quickly stepped in to save him. Hellscream then got the idea, to steal the human ships so that they could leave the human lands forever. With the Horde assembled, they stole the ships, and left across the Great Sea to the forgotten lands of [[Kalimdor]].<ref>''[[Departures]]''</ref> |
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| + | Kul Tiras - Zandalar - Broken Isles - Gishan Caverns - The Rift |
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| − | === |
+ | ===="Water Path"==== |
| + | Tel Abim - Boiling Terrace - Scintal Reef - Drowned Reaches - The Rift |
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| − | [[File:Thrall2war3.JPG|thumb|Thrall, mounted for battle.]] |
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| − | {{WC3-section}} |
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| − | Halfway along their journey to [[Kalimdor]], Thrall's ships were beset by a fierce storm near the [[Maelstrom]] and forced to take shelter on a small island. There the orcs met the troll leader, [[Sen'jin]], who told them of a [[human]] outpost that attacked his tribe night and day on the island. Fearing for the Horde and the Darkspear Trolls' safety, Thrall and his warriors assaulted the human base, during his stay he reactivated a Fountain of Health and discovered that the isle had active volcanos. Aided by the Darkspear trolls he killed the human leader, an [[archmage]], but then many [[murloc]]s attacked the Horde, the humans and the Darkspear trolls. While the orcish and human forces were occupied with one another, the piscine monsters sought out sacrifices for their rituals.<ref>''[[Riders on the Storm]]''</ref> |
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| + | *A note on underwater breathing: The buffs a player acquires in Vashj'ir become permanent in Tides of Doom and now apply to any underwater environment in-game. A similar quick quest chain exists in both Kul Tiras and Tel Abim for charcters who may not have ventured into Vashj'ir. This change was deemed necessary given the vast amount of underwater content and the negligible benefit to high level players in lower-level content which features hardly any underwater experiences to begin with. |
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| − | Thrall was then imprisoned within the murlocs' fiery dungeon. He learned from a troll head hunter, with whom he shared a cell, that the murlocs planned to sacrifice them both to a [[Zar'jira|sea witch]]. Fortunately, though the murlocs were strangely advanced, they were unaware of Thrall's shamanistic abilities, and the warchief was able to escape and free his warriors. One [[grunt]], however, reported that [[Sen'jin]] was not in the cells — and that he was taken as the first sacrifice. Thrall raced to the altar, but was forced to watch in horror as the murloc sorcerer killed Sen'jin. Thrall and his warriors were able to kill the three [[Murloc Guardian]]s maintaining the magic barrier which prevented their escape and the [[Murloc Sorcerer]], but it was too late for the troll leader. The dying Sen'jin revealed a vision — that Thrall would lead the [[Darkspear]] tribe to greatness. Thrall then offered the remaining trolls a place in the [[Horde]] for the kindness they had shown the orcs.<ref>''[[The Fires Down Below]]''</ref> |
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| + | ====[[User:Bakiloth/NewZones | The New Zones]]==== |
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| − | Thrall emerged from the cave and was confronted by the [[Zar'jira|Sea Witch]]. She threatened vengeance for the destruction of her altar and worshipers. She placed a curse upon the warchief; that he and all his forces would be swallowed up by the sea. Upon returning to his base camp, Thrall discovered that his ships, damaged by the storm, were not yet ready to sail. He also learned that the island dormant volcano erupted and that the island had begun to sink. The Sea Witch, meanwhile, launched her [[Underworld Minions|murloc forces]] against the Horde, thirsty for vengeance. Nevertheless, aided by the trolls, the Horde was able to hold off their attackers long enough to repair their ships and managed to escape before the isle sunk. The Sea Witch then told to Thrall that a "Dark Tide" would swallow them all and that there will be nowhere to hide.<ref>''[[Countdown to Extinction]]''</ref> |
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| + | ==New Hero Class: The Reaver== |
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| − | ''The sea witch's curse may have come true, depending on how close her island was to Kalimdor — because Thrall's force was shipwrecked. It can be assumed that other clans, such as [[Warsong clan|Hellscream's]], were not among those caught by the storm and driven to the island.'' |
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| + | Old Gods - the mysterious, malefic horrors who exist within the darkest reaches of Azeroth. Little is truly known of these shadowy beings, but their awesome power has made them objects of worship by fanatical mortals. Most well known is the Twilight's Hammer, but the grip of the Old Gods reaches far and wide. Many other organizations exist, many of them unknown to the greater population of Azeroth. Followers of the Old Gods are exposed to their maddening powers, wielding chaotic and mysterious magical energies. Among the many devotees are the Reavers, shadowy warriors who combine dark spells with brutal physical attacks. Their powers are further enhanced by the dark mental energies of the Old Gods and Reavers can use madness itself as a weapon, rendering a hapless foe little more than a whimpering shell. |
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| + | Reavers are followers of the Old Gods who have, for various reasons, decided to break from their dark masters. The penalty for their decision is death and they are hunted relentlessly by their former comrades. In their time of crisis, with the armies of the Horde and Alliance strained to their limit, these powerful fighters seeking to return to their homes may be just what is needed to avoid reaching the breaking point. However, these shadowy "saviors" are met with great suspicion. They abandoned their own people once before in pursuit of greater power then betrayed the very power they had embraced; to say their loyalty and reliability is questionable is a great understatement. Many find their return itself suspicious, showing up when the need is greatest; they are widely whispered to have ulterior motives. Still, all (grudgingly) admit the Reavers are a powerful force who have quickly found themselves folded into the ranks of the Horde and Alliance. But they and their powers are suspect, and they are watched very closely. |
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| − | ===Kalimdor=== |
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| − | {{WC3-section}} |
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| − | The ships had been scattered and many of those on board barely made it to the shores of Kalimdor alive. The clans were scattered, and Thrall slowly roamed the coast, collecting the orcs and trolls he came across as he did. But Grom could not be found. This new land held many strange new creatures, but the most brutal were the [[centaur]]s, particularly in their treatment of the [[tauren]].<ref name=orc1>''[[Landfall]]''</ref> |
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| + | ====[[User:Bakiloth/Reaver | Reavers]]==== |
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| − | When Thrall battled a group of centaurs who were attacking tauren, he was unexpectedly greeted by [[Cairne Bloodhoof]], chieftain of the [[Bloodhoof tribe]]. Impressed by their fierce but noble behaviour, Cairne offered to help him find the destiny of his people. Thrall told Cairne of the centaur army he had seen advancing to the north, and they quickly departed, as Cairne reported that his village was in danger. Thrall's forces followed Cairne back to their village, where they defended it from the centaurs.<ref name=orc1/> |
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| + | ==New Profession: Woodworking== |
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| − | Since the centaurs had driven off all the game in the region, the Bloodhoof tribe would need to abandon their home and travel to [[Mulgore]] if they hoped to avoid starving. Cairne agreed to tell the location of the [[Medivh|Oracle]], who would help the orcs with their quest for destiny, if they would help protect Cairne's caravan to Mulgore. Thrall agreed to these terms, and helped the tauren on their lengthy journey, protecting them and their lumbering [[kodo]] beasts from marauding centaurs.<ref name=orc2>''[[The Long March]]''</ref> |
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| + | The new profession of Woodworking at long last allows the players to carve staves as well as construct some quality bows and crossbows. Woodworking is especially suited for casting classes (those most likely to use staves) as it functions as both a gathering and crafting profession. This leaves a character free to take a second profession, such as Tailoring or Enchanting. Any class can learn Woodworking and the profession does offer additional benefits. |
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| + | Woodworkers gather supplies from fallen branches scattered across Azeroth. Resources are obviously more plentiful in heavily forested areas but any location with trees can provide workable wood. Woodworkers gather up wood and use their ability [Carve]. This shapes the wood into the useable parts Woodworkers require to construct their various items. (To expedite this process stacks of similar branches can be carved as a stack similar to smelting ore so each piece does not need to be selected individually.) Any Woodworker can gather raw branches from anywhere but it takes a certain skill level to actually carve it. Woodworkers of the highest skill can learn to carve coral from aquatic environments. |
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| − | Cairne told Thrall of the mystical [[Oracle]] of [[Stonetalon Peak]], who could help them find their destiny in these strange lands. Thrall, glad at having made a new friend in the foreign land, thanked Cairne gratefully, and they parted as allies.<ref name=orc2/> |
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| + | In addition to staves and bows, Woodworkers can learn to construct other useful items. |
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| − | When Thrall arrived at the base of [[Stonetalon Peak]], he was shocked to find [[Grom Hellscream]] and the [[Warsong clan]] battling humans under the command of [[Jaina Proudmoore]]. Her forces had cordoned off much of the pass going up the mountain, and Thrall suspected that hiring some [[goblin]]s to ferry them up the mountain in zeppelins would allow them to bypass any defenses. However, as Thrall tried to make his way stealthily up to the goblins, the impatient Hellscream unexpectedly attacked the humans, who retaliated by attacking to him and to Thrall's forces. Thrall was forced to stay their wrath by attacking their bases. Finally, he managed to acquire some [[zeppelin]]s. Thrall confronted Grom, but Hellscream argued that "a true warrior" would have fought the humans without question instead of trying to sneak past them and avoid a battle.<ref name=orc3>''[[Cry of the Warsong]]''</ref> |
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| + | ====[[User:Bakiloth/Woodworking | Woodworking Items]]==== |
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| − | Thrall, worried that Grom's impetuous bloodlust would lead to nothing but trouble, ordered his friend and his clan to remain behind in [[Ashenvale]] as Thrall journeyed up the mountain. Grom reluctantly agreed.<ref name=orc3/> |
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| + | ==New Factions== |
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| − | Thrall made his way up the mountain, and was surprised to find his path crossing that of [[Cairne]] once again. However, Thrall would not be able to access the summit without any air support. So, Cairne suggested that they ally with the [[wyvern]]s of [[Stonetalon Mountains]]. The wyverns were imprisoned by a group of vile [[harpies]], and after a short battle, they were defeated, and the wyverns, grateful, lent their services to Thrall and the Horde. With their help, Thrall [[Where Wyverns Dare|defeated]] the humans guarding the Peak, and entered the mountain.<ref>''[[Where Wyverns Dare]]''</ref> |
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| + | ===The Grand Fleet {{Alliance Icon}} === |
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| − | Thrall and Cairne separated and searched the caverns themselves. After much time, they found the Oracle's chamber, but they also found Jaina Proudmoore, and were about to battle when the [[Medivh|Oracle]] appeared, revealing himself to be the Prophet that Thrall and Jaina had met in Lordaeron. He told Thrall of Grom's corruption, and that the orcs and humans must join forces or be destroyed. Reluctantly, Thrall agreed, desperate to save Grom.<ref>''[[The Oracle]]''</ref> |
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| + | The Grand Fleet is the primary Alliance task force in charge of running the campaign agasint the Naga threat. It is comprised of the largest Alliance surface fleet ever assembled along with several newly constructed submersibles. While the Grand Fleet oversees all Alliance operations in the Great Sea several smaller organizations operate under the fleet's banner. |
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| + | *'''Kul Tiras''' - The forces of Kul Tiras are back fully within the fold of the Alliance after years of isolation. The navies of Kul Tiras now roam far across the Great Sea, spearheading the Alliance's island campaigns. |
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| + | *'''Wavehunters''' - The Wavehunters are comprised of all Alliance races but led by a group of Night Elf Sentinels. They consider the Naga to be their personal responsibility and lead the fight from Kalimdor beneath the waves to finish off their ancient brethren one and for all. |
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| + | |||
| + | ===The Vanguard Armada {{Horde Icon}} === |
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| + | Facing a new threat from the ocean the Horde worked quickly to construct its own armada of ships to defend their territory and take the fight to the Naga. While the Vanguard Armada is not as large as the Grand Fleet, Horde engineers have been hard at work and the new ships taking to the sea are unlike any seen before. The surface fleet is supported by zeppelins and submersibles. |
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| + | *'''The Marauding Storm''' - The Marauding Storm is an elite group of Horde warriors. They have been specially trained in underwater combat and are at home in an aquatic environment. Fiece and relentless, they will not stop until the last Naga lies slain beneath their blades and the sea is theirs to claim. |
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| + | *'''Black Phoenix''' - The Black Phoenix is the secretive order who orchestrated the attack that allowed the Horde to sieze the island of Crestfall in Kul Tiras. Though all races of the Horde can now be found within the Black Phoenix the leadership is comprised entirely of Forsaken and Blood Elves. The other races found the sudden appearance of the Black Phoenix slightly disconcerting, no Horde in Kalimdor had even heard of the group prior to the Crestfall campaign. |
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| − | === |
+ | ===Council of Zandalar {{Neutral Icon}} === |
| + | The Council of Zandalar is run by the elders of the various Troll tribes. All Trolls are represented here and all have an equal say within the Council. Formed in times of great crisis, the primary goal of the Council is to ensure the survival of the Troll race as a whole and ignores all tribal disputes (at least in theory). Tensions are high within the Council, almost to the point of breaking. There is general disagreement a policy towards the Horde and Alliance forces that have arrived on the island to offer their aid. |
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| − | [[File:Mannarothbattle.JPG|thumb|Thrall and Grom face Mannoroth.]] |
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| − | {{WC3-section}} |
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| − | They returned to [[the Barrens]] to find Grom in command of the corrupted [[Warsong clan]], and he moved against them as the demonic invasion of Kalimdor began. An epic battle took place between the Warchief and Hellscream's forces as the fire of falling [[infernals]] lit up the night sky. Thrall, with the help of Cairne, fought his way through the ranks of blood-maddened [[chaos orc]]s, determined to reach Hellscream at all costs. Finally, after all but defeating Hellscream's cadre of [[doomguard]]s, [[felhound]]s, and warlocks, Thrall faced his old friend. Hellscream taunted the Warchief, revealing to him that the demons didn't forcefully corrupt the orcs, but that the orc chieftains themselves willingly chose to drink the demon's blood, in full knowledge that it would forever enslave them to the Legions dark rule. Enraged at this revelation and betrayal, Thrall charged at his old friend and the armies of Thrall and Grom along with a swarm of doomguards battled. After a long and desperate struggle, Thrall regained control of himself and managed to capture Grom's essence in a [[Soul Gem (WC3)|Soul Gem]] and returned it to a Ritual Circle, where with the combination of [[orcish]] [[shaman (Warcraft III)|shamanism]] and [[Priest (Warcraft III)|elven]] magic, the demonic energy was purged from Grom's system. Grom, realizing what he had done, was instantly apologetic, and he and Thrall immediately set out to face Mannoroth in a canyon carved by the falling infernals.<ref>''[[By Demons Be Driven]]''</ref> |
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| + | Some argue for closer ties with the Horde; after all several tribes are already affiliated with that faction (Darkspear, Revantusk, Shatterspear). Not all are keen on the idea however, the Amani in particular refusing to even discuss the idea of forming a stronger pact with a faction that contains their hated Blood Elven enemies. (It is suspected that it was Amani agents who invited the Alliance to Zandalar without consulting the rest of the Council to counterbalance the Horde's influence.) There has even been hushed talk that the Darkspear should lose their place on the Council owing to their loyalty to the Horde. The rest of the Council favors a more neutral position, using both factions as tools to help them fight off the Naga and then sending them on their way. Most don't believe that the Horde and Alliance will pack up and leave peaceably, but the simple fact is that the Council can not hold off the Naga without assistance. |
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| − | Thrall put an initial assault against [[Mannoroth]], but was subdued quickly, and would have been killed, had Grom not gathered his strength and made a devastating blow against Mannoroth, shattering his plate and driving [[Gorehowl|his axe]] deep into his belly. This was enough to kill the pit lord, but as Mannoroth died explosive energies burst forth from his body and hit Grom at point blank range. The chieftain of the Warsong clan was mortally wounded. As the demonic, red haze lifted from the eyes of Grom Hellscream and his clan mates, Grom was told that he had freed himself. Thrall approached Grom telling to him that he had freed not just him, but all the orcs from demonic corruption.<ref>''[[The Death of Hellscream]]''</ref> |
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| + | Found in: Zandalar |
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| − | ===Battle of Mount Hyjal=== |
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| − | {{WC3-section}} |
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| − | Thrall and Jaina went into Ashenvale, but found a new threat behind them as well as in front. The night elves, cursing them for the killing of [[Cenarius]], attacked them as they attempted to make a new settlement.<ref>''[[Enemies at the Gate]]''</ref> |
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| + | Faction Headquarters: Zuldazar, Zandalar |
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| − | The demons and undead, orcs and humans, and night elves were all battling one another for survival,<ref>''[[The Awakening of Stormrage]]''</ref><ref>''[[The Druids Arise]]''</ref> until finally, Thrall received a vision to bring Jaina to a grove at the base of [[Mount Hyjal (mountain)|Mount Hyjal]]. There, he met the leaders of the night elves, [[Tyrande Whisperwind]] and [[Malfurion Stormrage]]. They were surprised at finding each other there, until the Prophet appeared once more, and revealed himself to be [[Medivh]], the Last [[Guardian]] of the Tirisfal. He convinced them that they must all ally against the [[Burning Legion]] or they would surely and quickly be defeated.<ref>''[[The Last Guardian (interlude)|The Last Guardian]]''</ref> |
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| + | ===Murgleughgr {{Neutral Icon}} === |
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| − | Though uneasy, Tyrande and Malfurion agreed, and they all allied against [[Archimonde]] and his plethora of demonic and undead followers.<ref name=hyjal>''[[Twilight of the Gods]]''</ref> |
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| + | The Murgleughgr (simply Murg to most other races who struggle to pronounce, let alone spell, the Mur'gul name) are a faction of Mur'gul who manage to escape their enslavement by the Naga. They have set up a small village hidden away in a remote corner of the Broken Isles. From there they conduct raids on Naga encampments and enlist stalwart adventurers to aid them. Players who complete the Murg quest chain in the Broken Isles will open a small Murg daily quest hub in the Rift. Those who earn enough reputation with the Murg will be granted access to the Murg's secret stash of pillaged Naga gear of exceptional quality. They will also be able to purchase hand-crafted items specially made by the Mur'gul themsleves which are of, ahh... slightly lesser quality. |
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| + | Found in: Broken Isles, Gishan Caverns, The Rift |
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| − | All the allied races collectively defended [[Nordrassil]] and [[Mount Hyjal]] with three fortified settlements going up the mountain, Thrall's base having [[orc]]s, [[Darkspear troll]]s, [[tauren]] and [[goblin]]s, everyone doing their best to slow [[Archimonde]]'s ascend until the night elves' trap was prepared.<ref name=hyjal/> |
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| + | Faction Headquarters: Grimfin Cove, Broken Isles |
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| − | As Archimonde made his way up the mountain towards Thrall's base, he taunted Thrall by saying that his race wasn't worth bothering with and that the orcs were weak. Thrall replied that their spirit is strong and if they are to be defeated at least they are free, and struck out, attacking Archimonde and hurting him a little with a [[Chain Lightning]], before Jaina teleported him away. After a great battle Archimonde was finally destroyed and the Burning Legion was defeated.<ref name=hyjal/> |
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| + | ===Makra-u {{Neutral Icon}} === |
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| − | ===Founding of Orgrimmar=== |
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| + | The Makra-u are the elite guardians of the besieged Makrura capital city of Mak'aru. (Face it, you're phonetically limited when you're essentially a talking lobster.) In their hour of greatest need they have welcomed the assistance of the surface races in saving their city. Players who complete the quest chain defending Mak'aru will open a small Makra-u daily quest hub in the Rift. At home in the ocean's depths, the seemingly primitive Makrura can be found to be peerless crafters of gear designed especially for underwater combat. |
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| − | [[File:Thrall hrone.jpg|thumb|Thrall, Lord of the Clans.]] |
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| + | Found in: Boiling Terrace, Scintal Reef, The Rift |
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| − | [[File:Warchief Thrall.JPG|thumb|Thrall from the Warcraft TCG.]] |
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| − | {{WC3-section}} |
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| − | Following the victory at Mount Hyjal and the defeat of the Burning Legion, Thrall gathered his people and resolved to find a place for them in the rugged, beautiful lands of the Barrens. He founded [[Durotar]], named after his heroic father.<ref>[http://www.wowpedia.org/File:WC3x-O01-01.jpg]</ref> Its capital city was [[Orgrimmar]], named for [[Orgrim Doomhammer]]. After many months, things began to pull together. The orcs were fleshing out Durotar,<ref name=bonus1/> the tauren had gone into [[Mulgore]],<ref>''[[Old Hatreds]]'', Mulgore''</ref> and the [[troll]]s had settled on the [[Echo Isles]] off the coast.<ref>''[[To Tame a Land]]'', Echo Isles</ref> |
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| + | Faction Headquarters: Mak'aru, Scintal Reef |
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| − | Thrall was soon met by [[Rexxar]], a son of the [[Mok'Nathal]], who had tried to save his scout [[Mogrin]] from a group of [[quilboar]]s, and delivered a message. Thrall read it carefully, saddened by Mogrin's death, and welcomed Rexxar to the newly crowned land. Rexxar considered staying, but said that he would need to earn his keep. Thrall agreed, and sent Rexxar to speak to various citizens of Orgrimmar and see what he could do to assist them in their tasks. He also asked [[Rokhan]] the [[shadow hunter]] to assist Rexxar. The two were later joined by a wandering [[pandaren]] brewmaster named [[Chen Stormstout]], who had been searching the area for ingredients to use in his new concoction. After Rexxar helped him find those ingredients, Chen tagged along with the troll and the Mok'Nathal, eager for adventure. Thrall waited in Orgrimmar, helping build the city.<ref name=bonus1>''[[To Tame a Land]]'', To Tame a Land</ref> |
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| + | ===The Lost {{Neutral Icon}} === |
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| − | Rexxar performed his deeds successfully, and Thrall began to respect the beastmaster. But soon he brought ill news that humans were amassing on the shores of Durotar. Thrall was troubled. The treaty he had made with Jaina had hoped to keep such incursions from happening. After several more encounters with human hostiles, there was a summit arranged between Thrall and Jaina. Rexxar encouraged Thrall to send him in his place, sensing a trap. Thrall reluctantly agreed. Sure enough, the "[[emissary|emissaries]]" were uninterested in talk and unsuccessfully tried to kill Rexxar and his friends, after expressing disappointment that Thrall himself had not come to be slaughtered.<ref name=bonus1/> |
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| + | The Lost are a faction of spirits within the Drowned Reaches. While most have been driven mad by their state of undeath, the Lost have maintained their sanity. Adventurers can assist the Lost in putting their crazed brethren to rest, provided one doesn't mind working for ghosts. The benefits might far outway any hesitation however; the Naga fear the Drowned Reaches and will not enter for any reason, sending their pet beasts of the deep instead. Perhaps the Lost know the reason why... |
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| + | Found in: Drowned Reaches |
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| − | Rexxar returned and told Thrall that there had been a deception. Unable to believe that Jaina would order such a thing, Thrall prepared a note for Rexxar to secret into Theramore to arrange a parlay with Jaina herself. Only by meeting face to face could they ensure any sort of peace between the two races.<ref name=bonus1/> |
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| + | Faction Headquarters: Sorrow Deep, Drowned Reaches |
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| − | After hearing Rexxar's report of [[Admiral Proudmoore]]'s arrival and intent against the orcs, Thrall realized that the only way to prevent yet another war was to assault Admiral Proudmoore's base and kill him. With Rexxar's help, Thrall enlisted the aid of his old friend Cairne and the tauren, as well as the [[Stonemaul]] ogres.<ref>''[[Old Hatreds]]'', Old Hatreds</ref> While preparations were being made to storm Theramore, Thrall was informed that the island was surrounded by a blockade of ships that the assembled force had no way of breaching. Thrall was frustrated by this news. Then Jaina teleported onto the scene. She assured everybody that she came in peace. She had known nothing of her father's plans and didn't know what to do, she said. Thrall was sympathetic, but told her that her father's actions could destroy Durotar and that the only way to ensure the security of the new nation and his people was to kill Daelin.<ref name=bonus3>''[[A Blaze of Glory]]'', A Blaze of Glory</ref> |
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| + | ===Scions of Vengeance {{Neutral Icon}} === |
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| − | Jaina understood and was willing to help, even if it meant the death of her father. She told Thrall the location of a nearby goblin shipyard which could supply him with ships to break through the admiral's blockade. She begged Thrall to spare as many of her men as possible in the coming battle; even though most of them were following her father, they were the only family she had left after the fall of Lordaeron. Thrall gave her his word that he would try to keep bloodshed on the human side to a minimum and advised Jaina to get to safety, since the battle was about to start.<ref name=bonus3/> |
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| + | The Scions of Vengeance (former members of the Scions of Hate) are a group of Reavers who make their home in Zul'Dare. The Scions had been devout worshipers of the Old Gods befroe deciding to break away and attempt to return to their former lives. Player characters of the Reaver hero class belong to this faction. Though powerful additions to the Horde and Alliance, they have been welcomed back warily and with deep suspicion. After all, they were not corrupted and enslaved against their will as the Death Knights were, they served the Old Gods of their own free will. Their exact reasons for turning on their dark masters are vague and unclear, further calling their loyalty into question. Their presence among the rest of the Horde or Alliance is tolerated for now but they are closely watched wherever they go. |
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| + | Found in: Zul'Dare, Kul Tiras, Boiling Terrace, Drowned Reaches, Gishan Caverns, The Rift |
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| − | Using the ships acquired from the goblins, Thrall's forces were able to fight their way onto the isle, where they proceeded to engage Daelin Proudmoore's troops.<ref name=bonus3/> Rexxar, Rokhan, Chen, and Cairne fought their way directly to Admiral Proudmoore himself and engaged him in combat. Before the battle was over Thrall tried to tell the admiral that this Horde was different from the one he had faced years ago, that they had no interest in conquest or murder. Proudmoore raged that Thrall's race was guilty of genocide, that they would never be able to atone for their rampage through Stormwind and Lordaeron that had left countless innocent people dead. He grimly vowed that he would never stop fighting the orcs, and thus Rexxar was forced to kill him as Thrall had predicted.<ref name=bonus3-2>''[[A Blaze of Glory]]'', Theramore City</ref> |
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| + | Faction Headquarters: Nightfall Hold, Zul'Dare |
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| − | As soon as Daelin Proudmoore fell, Rexxar shouted that the battle was over and ordered the human forces to stand down. They complied. Jaina fell to her knees near her father's body, asking him why he couldn't have listened. Rexxar tried to ease the sorceress' pain by telling her that her father was a proud warrior above all else, and that he should be remembered as such. Thrall proclaimed that the Horde had no quarrel with the surviving humans and that they would leave Theramore in peace. He then took his forces back to Durotar and left Jaina to her mourning.<ref name=bonus3-2/> |
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| + | ===Order of the Silent Vigil {{Neutral Icon}} === |
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| − | Grateful to Rexxar for all he had done, Thrall extended an invitation to the Mok'Nathal to stay and make a home for himself in Durotar. Rexxar politely declined, telling Thrall that he was a wanderer and his place was in the wilds. But he promised Thrall that he was part of the Horde, and that if his help was ever needed again he would be there. So Thrall said goodbye to Rexxar and resumed building Durotar. For the moment, all was well.<ref name=bonus3-2/> |
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| + | The Order of the Silent Vigil are Nereids. Their very existence was unknown to the surface races of Azeroth until they were encountered by adventurers of the Horde and Alliance as they fought their way into the depths. The Nereids were former Highborne who refused to follow Queen Azshara in the dark final days just prior to the Sundering. Unlike the rest of the Highborne who fought against Azshara, those who became the Nereids were caught in the explosion of the Well of Eternity and dragged into the depths with Azshara and her followers. To their horror the pact Azshara made that caused her followers to become mutated into the Naga was applied to them as well. Most were hunted down following the Sundering but a few managed to go into hiding. The handful that survived secreted themselves away, unknown and forgotten, but always keeping a silent watch over their former brethren. |
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| + | Nereids resemble the "original" Naga, a hybrid form somewhere between the current Naga and their original Night Elf appearance. While the Naga allowed their bodies to continue to mutate, warped by their feeding off of the residual energies of the Well of Eternity, the Nereid did not. They have watched with growing concern as the Naga grew in power but their numbers were far too few to take any action. They have little knowledge of the surface world, their only information attained through the occasional interaction with the lost soul of a drowned sailor. The sudden appearance of the Horde and Alliance in their secluded home beneath the waves has come as a shock, but they recognize that now is likely the only chance they will have to end the Naga threat and rejoin the world. |
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| − | ===Cycle of Hatred=== |
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| − | {{Novel-section}} |
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| − | Three years passed, and Orgrimmar swelled. However, a series of minor incidents between the Durotar orcs and Theramore humans threatened the stability of the entire area. Thrall and Jaina desperately attempted to keep the peace, but the Horde grew out of his control when his chief warrior [[Burx]] took an army of orcs and trolls to [[Northwatch Hold]], the same keep Proudmoore used for his operations, and demanded they dismantle it. After the battle began, however, Jaina contacted Thrall with information that his Burx was working for the orcish end of the [[Burning Blade clan|Burning Blade]] cult. Infuriated at the idea that an orc would once again serve the Legion (the demon [[Zmodlor]] was pulling the strings of the cult), Thrall immediately stopped the battle (with some impressive aid from the Spirits) and denounced Burx. When the warrior protested that he was acting within the Horde's interests, Thrall smashed his skull with the Doomhammer. |
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| + | Found in: Drowned Reaches, Gishan Caverns, The Rift |
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| − | The events prompted Jaina and Thrall to pursue a more official Horde/Alliance treaty. Despite the rise of tensions in the last year or so, their actions have halted, though not completely broken, the cycle of hatred. |
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| + | Faction Headquarters: Shrine of Tears, The Rift |
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| − | Thrall remained in his palace, located in the Valley of Wisdom in Orgrimmar. Despite the defeat of the Burning Legion and the elder Proudmoore, the Warchief's life is still far from dull. Threats to Durotar from outside and within force him to remain ever vigilant. |
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| + | ===Bloodsail Plunderers {{Neutral Icon}} === |
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| − | ===Return to Draenor=== |
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| + | The Bloodsail Plunderers are the rulers of Plunder Isle and the greater Bloodsail forces across Azeroth. The offer quests to both Horde and Alliance adventurers, calling for them to gather resources and perform other assorted tasks. Whichever faction is able to complete the most quests for the Bloodsail Plunderers will gain their favor for a time, giving them access to Plunder Isle and various daily quests. Friendly standing with the Bloodsail Buccaneers in Stranglethorn is not a requirement for access to Plunder Isle and assisting the Bloodsail Plunderers; likewise assisting these shifty swashbucklers will not affect your reputation with the Steamwheedle Cartel. However, only those who have earned the good graces of the Buccaneers may talk to Johnny Passeridae at his small camp deep in the jungles of Plunder Isle and complete the quests he offers. Also, only people who quest for him may try his rum. |
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| − | {{Bc-section}} |
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| − | [[File:Thrall-in-nagrand.jpg|thumb|Thrall arrives in Garadar to meet his grandmother, Greatmother Geyah.]] |
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| − | A faction of orcs exists in Outland, who remained untouched by demonic corruption. These orcs call themselves the [[Mag'har]], and are comprised of various orcish clans who chose not to join Magtheridon's legion of fel orcs, and appear to have been completely unaffected by the corruption wrought by Kil'jaeden. Upon hearing of them, Thrall immediately made plans to journey to Outland and make contact with the Mag'har. However his advisors urged Thrall to make the proper preparations, instead of leaving Orgrimmar and the rest of the orcs on Azeroth open to attack. |
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| + | Found in: Plunder Isle |
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| − | Later on, Thrall makes a brief appearance in Outland for a quest chain to meet his grandmother [[Geyah]] and show [[Garrosh Hellscream]] his father Grom died a hero's death, and ended the [[Blood Curse]]. During this meeting, [[Greatmother Geyah]] reveals Thrall's birth name: Go'el, son of Durotan — rightful chieftain of the Frostwolves. |
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| + | Faction Headquarters: Bloodsail Hold, Plunder Isle |
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| − | ===Meeting with Varian=== |
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| − | {{Comic-section}} |
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| − | After he returned from [[Draenor]], Thrall brought with him [[Garrosh Hellscream]], son of [[Grom Hellscream]], to be his adviser. Later on the retired gladiator master [[Rehgar Earthfury]] also became one of Thrall's advisers. Rehgar and Garrosh had a great discussion: while Garrosh wanted to destroy the Alliance, who he considers the Horde's enemies, and take Azeroth for their own; Reghar wanted to remain open to diplomacy with the Alliance and conserve their treaty of non-aggression with [[Theramore]]. Then suddenly Thrall received a call from [[Jaina]] to meet at [[Razor Hill]]. At their meeting, Jaina told him that [[Varian]] had returned and narrated to Thrall the history of Varian's abduction. With Varian's return and willing attendance, Jaina wanted to schedule another peace summit at Theramore in the hopes of easing tensions between the Horde and Alliance. Though Thrall felt uneasy about leaving [[Orgrimmar]] during a period when the orcs were feeling restless with Thrall's passive tolerance with the Alliance, Thrall none the less agreed to attend the summit.<ref>[[Conflicting Loyalties]]</ref> |
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| + | ==Reasons for content== |
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| − | When Thrall decided to go to a new meeting with the [[human]] King [[Varian]], he brought with him his two advisers: Rehgar and Garrosh<ref name=comic16>[[Threat!]]</ref> and some [[Kor'kron]].<ref name=comic17>[[Gathering Thunder!]]</ref> Reghar recommended Thrall not to bring Garrosh with them but the Warchief thought it would be a good idea as it would help Garrosh to re-think his attitude toward the humans.<ref name=comic16/> |
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| + | ===Zones=== |
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| − | [[File:Thrall Comic.jpg|thumb|Thrall in the comic.]] |
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| + | Cataclysm was huge, in a lot of respects it was almost an entirely new game with all the changes to the old world zones and questing. No way I could top that but it got me to thinking of what would be good for a next expansion. How about two expansions in one (zone/questing wise)? Two different leveling paths hasn't been done but solved a lot of problems. They added two different starter zones for WotLK and Cat, but why not expand that aspect? It gives more variety and would help ease the boredom of running alts through the same zone over and over. Your second character could would essentially have a brand new expansion of content to quest through, and after that you could mix and match as you saw fit. |
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| + | It also helped solve the problem of tackling a Great Sea expansion (by far the favorite at this point) while addressing the lot of people who were, shall we say, less then thrilled with their Vashj'ir experience. The zones from the "land route" would still have underwater content but the majority would take place on land. People who were not fans of underwater questing could still play through and level while having as little as possible content they didn't enjoy. Those who liked it, or were indifferent, could submerge themselves for their experience. |
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| − | Thrall traveled in a [[zeppelin]] to [[Theramore]],<ref name=comic16/> where he had a peaceful discussion with an eye toward mutual gain. They first talked of their pasts and then discussed resource problems; like the Horde's war against the night elves for lumber. Varian offered to provide Thrall's people with lumber and in exchange the Warchief offered copper and exotic hides in return. Varian had to end the summit early as [[Goldshire]] and [[Southshore]] were reported to be under simultaneous distress by the Scourge. Thrall and Varian were about to depart amicably but upon exiting Theramore, the [[Twilight's Hammer clan]] invaded the city. The Alliance races of the Twilight cultists attacked the Horde representatives while the Horde races of the Twilight cultists attacked the Alliance representatives. After catching a glimpse of [[Garona]], Varian thought that Thrall had sent her to assassinate him as the [[Shadow Council]] had done in the past with [[Llane Wrynn I|his father]].<ref name=comic17/> After a time battling, the Twilight's Hammer's casualties began to rise. [[Med'an]] then entered to protect his mother, and in seeing this, the cultists appointed their attention to the kidnapping of Med'an, while leaving Garona to die. Garrosh blamed the Alliance for the attack while Varian blamed the Horde; specifically Garrosh. Thrall tried to calm down the heated parties and remind them to not jump to conclusions. Thrall tried to convince King Varian that Garona's unexpected assassination attempt was not of his people's making yet Varian remained skeptical of the honor of orcs. Rehgar and [[Valeera]] both were sure that neither Thrall nor Varian would stoop to an assassination tactic on neutral ground and tried to rationalize the surprising turn of events. Jaina and Thrall bid each other farewell, both sorry that any chance of a human-orc alliance was ruined. This attack shook the delicate human-orc tolerances, leaving both factions in distrust of one another. Shortly after, Thrall departed back to his home of Orgrimmar.<ref>[[Showdown!]]</ref> |
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| + | WotLK gave the sense of a long, brutal march through Northrend to reach the Lich King and a two-pronged assault along two different paths to the Naga capital would be a good way to relive that experience. Having the final zone be divided (quest-wise) upon where you enter, that itself based on which route you took, then meeting in the middle I think would be a neat idea. Nazjatar itself could end up as its own zone, a heavily phased city under siege where each patch, in addition to other content, introduces new dailies and has you siezing the outskirts of the city bit by bit until the final patch for the expansion. |
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| − | ===Echoes of Doom=== |
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| − | [[File:Thrallvgarroshdc9.jpg|thumb|Duel between Thrall and Garrosh.]] |
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| − | Thrall arrived to [[Orgrimmar]] but the [[Lich King]] executed his plan and made a [[Zombie Infestation]]. [[Grand Apothecary Putress]] however, was able to find a cure from the [[Scourge]]'s [[plague]].<ref>[[quest|Desperate Research]]</ref> Seeing this threat, Thrall met with [[Lady Sylvanas Windrunner]], [[Garrosh Hellscream]], [[Varok Saurfang]], [[Grand Apothecary Putress]]<ref name=scourgeinvasion>[[Scourge Invasion#Orgrimmar]]</ref> and [[Rehgar Earthfury]]<ref name=comic20>[[The Winds of War]]</ref> in Orgrimmar to discuss what to do about the [[Scourge]].<ref name=scourgeinvasion/> |
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| + | ===Reavers=== |
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| − | After consulting Saurfang and the spirits, Thrall favored a more cautious approach to dealing with the Scourge: an advance scouting party to the frozen continent before committing troops, as well as meeting with [[Jaina Proudmoore]] to find out what the [[Alliance]] were planning to do about the [[Lich King]].<ref name=scourgeinvasion/> Garrosh however, felt that dealing with the Alliance would put the Horde in danger and wanted to take the Horde's armies and conquer the humans and then march to [[Northrend]] and crush the Scourge; advocating that the Horde should rule all of Azeroth.<ref name=comic20/> Thrall, irritated by Garrosh's recklessness and bold challenges to his authority, answered that the humans were not a threat<ref name=comic20/> and that he would not underestimate the Lich King by walking blindly into a Scourge trap.<ref name=scourgeinvasion/> In order to make an example of Garrosh's impudence, Thrall then provoked Garrosh to challenge him to a duel by saying that he would not make the same mistakes as his father, Grom Hellscream. Frustrated with his leader's apparent lack of action and the insults to his father, Garrosh challenged Thrall to a duel in the [[Ring of Valor]] to settle the matter.<ref name=scourgeinvasion/><ref name=comic20/> The two orcs fought for some time until it seemed Garrosh had gained the upper hand.<ref name=scourgeinvasion/> He began to taunt Thrall, but the battle was interrupted by a [[Herald of the Lich King]] threatening Orgrimmar with destruction.<ref name=scourgeinvasion/> Hearing this, Thrall used [[Chain Lightning]] on Garrosh<ref name=comic20/> and both left the ring, with Thrall telling the younger Hellscream that they would settle their dispute later.<ref name=scourgeinvasion/><ref name=comic20/> The city was attacked by countless [[abomination]]s and [[frost wyrm]]s<ref name=scourgeinvasion/> and a few [[death knight]]s.<ref name=comic20/> |
||
| + | The hero class was tough. A lot have been thrown around, and most have been brought up as "new" ideas thirty or forty times at this point. I looked at it from the point of what would actually be new in-game, what would be fun, and what didn't seem just like two classes mashed together. After I did that I slapped the "lore" together around the idea, so pardon the haphazard nature of it. |
||
| + | Reavers share a lot of similarities with shaman (right down to the melee-or-caster options for talent trees) but avoiding any similarity to any existing class was proving impossible so I just gave in on that one. I tried to give them a very unique feel though which ended up as their mental disruption abilities. (Mental abilities have of course been brought up countless times before, but I like to think I put a new twist on it. I'm sure I haven't, but I personally haven't seen what I came up with before. Sorry if I stealth-ninja'd someone's ideas.) With Cat re-focusing on CC I thought what it would be if a class had a large part of their focus just on getting all up in the enemy's business and messing with them. Their abilities, like melee attacks and spells, would be weaker damage-wise but their mental tricks would more than make up for that. I have no idea how (if at all) this idea would work practically for balance, but that's not my job and Blizzard doesn't pay me for that (despite my repeated demands that they do, /sadpanda). |
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| − | Thrall and Garrosh led the forces of the Horde in repelling the Scourge attack, with the help of Saurfang, Sylvanas,<ref name=scourgeinvasion/> Reghar,<ref name=comic20/> the city defenders, and some [[adventurer]]s. After the Scourge assault force had been dealt with, Garrosh asked to be sent to Northrend again. This time, Thrall agreed and ordered Saurfang to begin preparations for war.<ref name=scourgeinvasion/> |
||
| + | The lore isn't the best thing ever, but I don't think it's terrible either. There are likely others out there devoted to the Old Gods besides the lovely folks we've met in-game, so I don't really think that was a stretch. All the nifty "twilight spells" the Twilight's Hammer has in Cataclysm gave me the idea for the basis of their spells as it is pretty much a type of magic we haven't really seen (at least not a lot of it) before. Followers of the Old Gods would likely be using their dark powers to do things us stand-up characters would never do with magic, I just stole it for my own uses. |
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| − | ===Broken Peace=== |
||
| − | [[File:Thrall undercity.JPG|thumb|Thrall as he appears right before The Battle For The Undercity.]] |
||
| − | {{Wotlk-section}} |
||
| − | As the combined Horde and Alliance forces began their assault upon [[Angrathar the Wrathgate]], an uprising broke out within the [[Forsaken]] capital [[Undercity]]. [[Varimathras]] and hordes of his demonic brethren overran the city, slaying all those who would not submit to their dark rule. Sylvanas herself was nearly killed in the coup, but managed to escape with a number of loyalists and fled to [[Orgrimmar]]. Determined not to allow the [[Dreadlords]] a foothold in Horde territory, Thrall and Sylvanas planned an immediate counter-attack. In the midst of their planning, [[Jaina Proudmoore]] arrived bearing terrible news: in the wake of [[Bolvar Fordragon]]'s death, Varian had ordered an assault on Undercity to bring Bolvar's murderer Grand Apothecary Putress, a Varimathras loyalist, to justice and to retake [[Lordaeron]] for the Alliance. |
||
| + | I admit the floating iceberg fortress for their starting area is kind of stupid, but I like it so deal with it. It also solved the problem of where to put them as most of the map has by now been explored and is open for us to fly around. I could probably just have kept them on Zul'Dare the entire time but... floating iceberg fortress! Shut-up. |
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| − | Thrall along with Sylvanas and [[Vol'jin]] led the assault into Undercity itself to reclaim it for the Horde. After fighting the Forsaken rebels and the demons within, the combined might of the Horde slew the traitorous demon Varimathras. However, the joy of victory was short-lived as Varian, having killed [[Putress]] and hearing the orcish cries of victory, arrived on the scene. He confronted Thrall and declared that peace could never be achieved after discovering the horrors the Forsaken had created in Undercity. Just as the two forces charged at one another, Jaina stopped them from killing each other by teleporting Varian, herself and the Alliance army back to [[Stormwind (region)|Stormwind]]. As Thrall lamented on the broken peace between the Alliance and the Horde, [[Varok Saurfang]] arrived and reminded Thrall of his duty to lead their people. In order to ensure that no more Legion-aligned abominations crawled out of the Apothecarium, Thrall sent a legion of [[Kor'kron Guard]] led by [[Bragor Bloodfist]] to guard the Undercity from threats outside of it and any that may remain within following {{questlong|Horde|74|The Battle For The Undercity (Horde)|The Battle For The Undercity}}.'' |
||
| − | === |
+ | ===Woodworking=== |
| − | {{Wotlk-section}} |
||
| − | [[File:Thrall Jaina Ulduar Trailer.jpg|thumb|left|Thrall and Jaina watch Garrosh fight Varian.]] |
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| − | When [[Brann Bronzebeard]] learned that the [[Old God]] [[Yogg-Saron]] had escaped his ancient prison in [[Ulduar]] he hastily informed [[Rhonin]], who asked Jaina to summon Thrall and [[Varian]] to the [[Violet Citadel]] for an emergency council. Correctly guessing the gravity of the situation, Thrall made haste to Dalaran with Garrosh. Upon arriving at the Violet Citadel, he was intercepted by Jaina, who was desperate to avoid a confrontation with Varian, who was already within. When Jaina told them what had happened, Thrall listened to Garrosh's doubt with irritation, then proceeded to Rhonin's chambers, where, predictably, Varian and Garrosh exchanged harsh words that eventually led to a fight. |
||
| − | Thrall was unable to stop the fight, but a frustrated Rhonin succeeded in doing so. Rhonin pleaded to all in the room to put aside their differences and work together against their common threat. Varian flatly refused citing the events of the [[Wrathgate]] as reason to never work with the Horde again and departed, while Garrosh offered the opinion that a true warchief would never partner with cowards. Thrall expressed disappointment at Garrosh's actions.<ref>http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/underdev/3p1/index.xml#ulduartrailer</ref> |
||
| − | {{clear|left}} |
||
| + | Woodworking has been tossed around as a profession since WoW launched, so that was a natural fit. The problem has been that besides staves and bows, what else would they really make? Not much else for current gear fits. So I came up with the extra items that I hope someone from Blizzard stumbles on here and reads because I really want them in the game. Also I decided to lump the gathering portion in with the regular profession (thanks archaeology!) or find myself making yet another gathering profession. I've seen people pair it with herbalism, but I just don't really see that as a good fit. "Look, I made a staff out of Peacebloom!" Yeah. No. |
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| − | ===Crusaders' Coliseum=== |
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| − | [[File:Argent Coliseum H.jpg|thumb|Thrall standing next to [[Garrosh Hellscream]] in the Horde section of the Crusaders' Coliseum.]] |
||
| − | {{Wotlk-section}} |
||
| + | Storage Crates just made sense, people have been complaining about bag space and Blizzard has said that bags just can't keep getting larger and larger. Think how handy it would be if you could just, for example, keep all your raiding potions/food/etc tucked away in a single bag slot that you just plop on the ground to grab what you need when you need it. Or rep items, or cooking mats that you can just stock up until you're ready to sit down and work on your skill-ups. |
||
| − | Thrall, accompanied by Garrosh Hellscream, attended the [[Crusaders' Coliseum]] in [[Icecrown]]. Upon arrival [[Tirion]] greeted them personally. |
||
| − | After a [[Argent_Tournament#Alliance_and_Horde_leadership|heated exchange]] of words the two were escorted into the colliseum by their host. |
||
| + | Amberstones. I want them. Make them. |
||
| − | Later, he and Garrosh observe [[Trial of the Champion|the]] [[Trial of the Crusader|Trials]], surrounded by a congregation of the Horde's representatives. |
||
| + | I'm kind of "meh" on charms, I just thought Woodworking needed another perk to fully flesh it out. I don't know how great of an idea it is, but it's what I came up with. I was just going to have them be an inventory item like Diablo II, but then I realized it would be kind of silly (as in really really stupid) for a profession to help people clean up their inventory with one item just to clutter it up with another, so I made them new character item slots. |
||
| − | ===Political Difficulties after Northrend=== |
||
| − | {{Novel-section}} |
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| − | Thrall's life would change in the events leading up to the Shattering. |
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| − | |||
| − | When Garrosh Hellscream and his soldiers finally returned home from Northrend, Thrall held a banquet in the young orc's honor, also authorizing bonfires to be lit in Orgrimmar. Unfortunately Durotar had been suffering a very severe drought and caused one of the bonfires to become a conflagration that destroyed several buildings. Thrall himself tried to calm the flames using his shamanic powers, but found that the fire was hell-bent on destruction, resolving to snuff out the flames forcibly, an act he regretted. He realized that something was very wrong with the elements and that they were out of control, and pondered the situation. |
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| − | |||
| − | There were other troubles, such as an orc attack on a group of Sentinels in Ashenvale which was in direct violation of the Horde-Alliance treaty. The Sentinels had been skinned and then chopped up into pieces, left for carrion feeders. Whether or not they had been alive when they were skinned was debatable. The skins of the murdered night elves were hung on trees that had painted Horde symbols depicted on them; written with elven blood. Since the Night Elves have ceased to allow Horde members into Ashenvale in protest of the Wrathgate; many orcs celebrated this attack. He received a letter from King Varian Wrynn demanding to denounce the attacks and turn over any attackers he can find to the Alliance for justice. Thrall refused to turn over violators of the treaty (he had suspects but didn't have proof and it would also hurt orc morale) and also refused to apologize for the thievery of the Night Elves' goods, the murders, or the brutal methods in which they were performed. Though he did express anger that the treaty had been violated, his unwillingness to rebuke those who use brutal methods to assault Alliance members has weakened his popularity with Alliance leaders. |
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| − | |||
| − | ===Calming the Elements=== |
||
| − | {{Novel-section}} |
||
| − | [[File:Gift of Gorehowl.jpg|thumb|Thrall bestows upon Garrosh his fathers famed axe.]] |
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| − | After a meeting with Jaina Proudmoore and Eitrigg, Thrall decided that he was going to have to travel to Nagrand in Outland to converse with the elements there and try to discover why the elements in Azeroth were so out of control. He appointed Garrosh Hellscream acting warchief of the Horde and presented him with [[Gorehowl]], before setting out on his quest. |
||
| − | |||
| − | Upon his arrival, he met with his grandmother, who advised him to turn to the Mag'har female [[Aggra]] for shamanic instruction. Aggra wasn't particularly fond of Thrall and often made comments about and toward him bordering on the snide, sometimes referring to him as "Slave." However, she dutifully took him on a [[Vision Quest]] in [[Garadar]] in order so that he would become truly connected to the spirits, and a true shaman. |
||
| − | |||
| − | Thrall eventually met with the elements of Draenor, the [[Furies]], all of whom except the Fury of Earth were unable to help Thrall understand what was happening in Azeroth. However the Fury of Earth was able to help him after ingesting a small rock Thrall had brought with him from Azeroth, and the Fury told him that the elements were afraid of a shattering, a cataclysm akin to the one that had broken Draenor. |
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| − | |||
| − | As Thrall prepared to return to Azeroth to attempt to prevent the cataclysm, Aggra revealed that she had secretly been growing more and more attracted to him and wanted to go with him to Azeroth, but only if he refused to be weak. Thrall welcomed her company and the two became mates. |
||
| − | |||
| − | Upon returning to Azeroth, Thrall learned that the [[Grimtotem]] tauren had staged a coup, that Cairne Bloodhoof was dead, and that Garrosh was the unwitting killer. He attended his old friends funeral and bid his final farewell to his companion. The former warchief took with him the smallest piece of his old friends runespear to forever remember him. The fragment was etched with a single rune, whose meaning did not escape Thrall - "healing". |
||
| − | |||
| − | Not long after all this, a massive earthquake hit, which caused a tsunami to hit Stormwind Harbor, a sinkhole to appear off the coast of Westfall, and the very ground to split beneath Thrall's feet. Thrall decided to make his way to the [[Maelstrom]], which he sensed was the center of the cataclysm, to attempt to calm the elements. Aggra agreed to go with him, and they set out together, stopping first at the [[Lost Isles]] before continuing to the Maelstrom. Thrall and Aggra have been there ever since. |
||
| − | |||
| − | ===Cataclysm=== |
||
| − | {{cata-section}} |
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| − | [[File:Thrall & Cairne saving babies.jpg|thumb|Thrall and Cairne rescue the Horde's children.]] |
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| − | ''Thrall, the Horde's warchief, is a living symbol of nobility, strength, and unwavering courage. He led the orcs from the internment camps of Lordaeron into a new era of freedom and prosperity, and under his leadership the Horde has established itself as a major force on Azeroth. As a shaman, Thrall has a deep connection with the elements, and their wisdom has proven to be a great boon to the warchief. But although the Horde's faith in its warchief remains strong, some orcs who relish the tales of orcish ferocity and martial prowess are frustrated with Thrall's decisions. It remains to be seen whether his recent differences with Garrosh Hellscream are a one-time event or a hint at the shape of things to come.''<ref>[http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/cataclysm/features/lore.html World of Warcraft: Cataclysm - Features - Lore]</ref> |
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| − | |||
| − | Thrall plays a major role in the events of ''[[World of Warcraft: Cataclysm]]''. He first appears on the [[Lost Isles]], part of the [[goblin (playable)|goblin]] starting zone, where he helps bring the goblins into the Horde.<ref>[[Wowpedia:Kirkburn's BlizzCon 2009 Report#Ooh, spoiler alert!|Kirkburn's BlizzCon 2009 Report]]</ref> As the storyline plays out, we learn that Thrall was captured by agents of [[SI:7]], and the goblins, having recently fled [[Kezan]], play a part in rescuing him. In gratitude Thrall aids the goblins in their battles across the Isles, where after beating [[Trade Prince Gallywix]], he proclaims that the Cartel will join the Horde and have a home in [[Azshara]], and allows Gallywix to remain as the Cartel's leader. |
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| − | |||
| − | As one of (if not ''the'') pre-eminent shamans of Azeroth, Thrall steps away from his duties as Warchief to join with the [[Earthen Ring]]. He journeys to the [[Maelstrom]] at the center of the Great Sea, where [[Deathwing]] made his return to Azeroth from the depths of [[Deepholm]]. The corrupted Aspect's entry has shattered the barriers between Azeroth and the Elemental Plane, and Thrall lends his powers to stabilize the rift. In his absence, Thrall names Garrosh Hellscream as Warchief of the Horde. He has received a new model. |
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| − | |||
| − | Promotional art showed Thrall and [[Cairne Bloodhoof]] rescuing small orc and blood elf children from a pile of rubble,<ref>{{ref web|url = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdvT0yPsvHk&feature=related|title = Blizzcon 2009 - Preview Panel Part 4: Upheaval|accessdate = 2009-08-25|author = [[Chris Metzen]]|work = Youtube video|language = English}}</ref> probably from a quake brought on by the Cataclysm itself. |
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| − | |||
| − | ==In World of Warcraft== |
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| − | ===Locations=== |
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| − | [[File:Thrall at Gallywix Docks.jpg|thumb|Thrall at [[Gallywix Docks]] in [[Lost Isles|The Lost Isles]].]] |
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| − | {{Wow-section}} |
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| − | *[[Orgrimmar]], [[Grommash Hold]]: (Overseeing the Horde; Removed in Cataclysm). |
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| − | {{bc-section}} |
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| − | *[[Nagrand]], [[Garadar]]: (Reuniting with his heritage). |
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| − | *[[Old Hillsbrad]], [[Durnholde Keep]]: (Escaping the Keep [In the past]). |
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| − | *[[Battle for Mount Hyjal|Hyjal Summit]]: (Defending the World tree [In the past]). |
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| − | {{Wotlk-section}} |
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| − | *[[Orgrimmar]], [[Ring of Valor]]: (Duelling Garrosh, over a tactical dispute; Removed after Wotlk opening event). |
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| − | *[[Undercity]], [[Lordaeron]]: (Storming the Undercity to reclaim it from its usurpers; Removed in Cataclysm). |
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| − | *[[Argent Tournament]], [[Icecrown]]: (Observing the tournament alongside [[Garrosh]]). |
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| − | {{Cata-section}} |
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| − | *[[Orgrimmar]], [[Grommash Hold]]: (Appointing Garrosh as acting Warchief of the Horde; Removed after Cataclysm opening event). |
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| − | *[[Nagrand]], [[Throne of the Elements]]: (Seeking council on healing Azeroth; Removed after Cataclysm opening event). |
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| − | *[[Lost Isles]], [[Gallywix Docks]]: (Assisting the Goblins against [[SI:7]]). |
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| − | *[[The Maelstrom]]: (Leading the [[Earthen Ring]] in holding Azeroth together). |
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| − | |||
| − | ===Quests=== |
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| − | {{Wow-section}} |
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| − | From his position in Orgrimmar, he started the following quests: |
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| − | *{{questlong|Horde|12|Hidden Enemies}} |
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| − | *{{questlong|Horde|12|Hidden Enemies}} |
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| − | *{{questlong|Horde|15 D|Hidden Enemies}} |
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| − | *{{questlong|Horde|16|Hidden Enemies}} |
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| − | *{{questlong|Horde|race=Blood elf|21|Allegiance to the Horde}} |
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| − | *{{questlong|Horde|54|The Eastern Kingdoms}} |
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| − | *{{questlong|Horde|60|What the Wind Carries}} |
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| − | *{{questlong|Horde|60|The Champion of the Horde}} |
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| − | *{{questlong|Horde|60|The Lord of Blackrock}} |
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| − | *{{questlong|Horde|60|For All To See}} |
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| − | *{{questlong|Horde|60D|For The Horde!}} |
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| − | *{{questlong|Horde|60D|The Royal Rescue}} |
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| − | *{{questlong|Horde|68|Hero of the Mag'har}} |
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| − | {{bc-section}} |
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| − | From within [[Durnholde Keep]] (Past) he starts the following quest: |
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| − | *{{questlong|Neutral|68 D|Escape from Durnholde}} |
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| − | {{Cata-section}} |
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| − | From his rock overlooking the Maelstrom, he starts the following quest: |
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| − | *{{questlong|Neutral|82|Deepholm, Realm of Earth}} |
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| − | |||
| − | ===Notable Dialogue=== |
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| − | ====Freed from the Blood Curse==== |
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| − | '''Grom:''' ''"Thrall, the [[Blood Curse|blood haze]] has lifted... [[Mannoroth|the demon]]'s fire has burned out in my veins. I have freed myself..."'' |
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| − | |||
| − | '''Thrall:''' ''"No, old friend. You've freed us all."''<ref>''[[Warcraft III]]''</ref> |
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| − | |||
| − | ====The Fall of the Dark Horde==== |
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| − | {{text|yell|Thrall|Honor your heroes! On this day, they have dealt a great blow against one of our most hated enemies! The false Warchief, Rend Blackhand, has fallen!}} |
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| − | |||
| − | {{text|yell|Thrall|Be bathed in my power! Drink in my might! Battle for the glory of the Horde!}} |
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| − | |||
| − | ====On Approach to the Tournament==== |
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| − | {{main|Argent_Tournament#Alliance_and_Horde_leadership}} |
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| − | ====Passing his mantle==== |
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| − | {{main|Elemental Unrest meetings#At Grommash Hold}} |
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| − | |||
| − | ====Commiting to Shamanism==== |
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| − | {{main|Elemental Unrest meetings#Phase_3.2C_At_the_Throne_of_the_Elements}} |
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| − | |||
| − | ==Tactics== |
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| − | [[File:thrall-wow.jpg|thumb|Thralls old model in Orgrimmar.]] |
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| − | {{rfg-section}} |
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| − | The most critical part of the strategy is to give the Horde as little warning as possible. Mainly since Horde players tend to feel more obligated and passionate about defending Thrall than any other WoW leader. The slightest mention of an attack on Thrall is enough to send a fair number of players to his side. Diverting attention can be done either by using a warlock to summon, or if you are careful, gathering across the bridge west of Orgrimmar, then riding to Thrall's room at full speed. |
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| − | Approaching from Ratchet may not be the best option because of the number of Horde leveling in the area, so the best option is riding by the river from Azshara, making good use of a [[death knight]]'s [[Path of Frost]]. |
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| − | Once on Thrall's room, use AoE spells to take care of the guards, then a simple tank and spank strategy on Thrall. Vol'jin may be offtanked at the same time, or Thrall can be taken down first by approaching from the left side of the room as you enter and Vol'jin may be optionally taken care of afterward. Two raids (80 people) are recommended. |
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| − | |||
| − | He can be done easily with a 40 man raid if done right. With a well geared 40 man raid group you can drop him easily if summoned in and done without alerting many Horde. |
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| − | |||
| − | The arena inside Orgrimmar is a great spot for summoning if you manage to successfully place a warlock and his summoning support in there. A decoy may be used as well, most likely a couple rogues attacking the bank or some other crowded area as this will take the Horde's attention from the attack, having them to think it's just an isolated act from bored players. |
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| − | |||
| − | With the advent of the Wintergrasp battleground, a new technique is to wait until Wintergrasp has initiated and then storm Orgrimmar. Note that success is limited due to it being predictable, after being used once, it will be expected later. |
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| − | |||
| − | His death was originally the requirement for {{achievement|Death to the Warchief}}. |
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| − | |||
| − | ==Memorable quotes== |
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| − | ===World of Warcraft quotes=== |
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| − | ;Greeting |
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| − | *''"Lok'tar, friend. What is it you wish?"'' |
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| − | *''"Welcome to [[Orgrimmar]]. Have you come to serve the Horde?"'' |
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| − | |||
| − | ;Aggro |
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| − | *''"Lok'narosh!"'' |
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| − | *''"For Doomhammer!"'' |
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| − | *''"Your time has come!"'' |
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| − | |||
| − | ===Lore quotes=== |
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| − | *"[[Aedelas Blackmoore|Blackmoore]] gave me the name so I would never forget that I was something he owned, that I belonged to him. I never will. I will keep the name, and one day, when I see him again, he will be the one who remembers what he did to me, and regret it with all his heart."<ref>''[[Lord of the Clans]]'', page 136</ref> |
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| − | *"[[Aedelas Blackmoore|Blackmoore]]! Tonight you sleep in hell!"<ref>[[Warcraft Adventures: Lord of the Clans]] trailer</ref> |
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| − | *"How easily the mind can be turned to hate from a place of fear - an instinctive, natural, protective response. Instead of focusing on the things that unite us, we focus on what divides us."<ref>''[[Rise of the Horde]]'', page 123</ref> |
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| − | *"To pretend it [the demonic corruption] did not exist is to forget how dreadful the impact was. To make ourselves into victims, rather than claiming our participation in our own destruction. We chose this path, we orcs. We chose it right up until it was too late to turn back. And having made that choice, we can, with the knowledge that we have of the end of that dark and shameful road, choose ''not'' to take it."<ref>''[[Rise of the Horde]]'', page 139</ref> |
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| − | *"I can only pray to the ancestors that I am never placed in the same position as [[Durotan|my father]]—torn between what I know in my heart is right and the defense of my people. It is why I continue to strive to uphold the tenuous peace between us and the [[Alliance]]. Because few offenses and insults in this or any other world are sufficient to warrant the slaughter of children."<ref>''[[Rise of the Horde]]'', page 242</ref> |
||
| − | *"I offer no judgment on anyone save a handful of individuals who knew full well what they were doing, knew that they were trading the lives and destiny of their people for gratification in the moment, and did so gleefully. For the others...I can only shake my head and be grateful that I was not forced to make the choices they did."<ref>''[[Rise of the Horde]]'', page 292</ref> |
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| − | *"When I reached adulthood, I became [[Orgrim Doomhammer|Orgrim]]'s friend, as had [[Durotan|my father]] before; and it is I who have fulfilled the prophecy of the Doomhammer. In their honor, this land is named [[Durotar]], its greatest city, [[Orgrimmar]]."<ref>''[[Rise of the Horde]]'', page 353</ref> |
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| − | *"Our spirit is stronger than you know [[Archimonde|demon]]! If we are to fall, then so be it! At least now... [[orcs|we]] are free!" |
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| − | |||
| − | ===Other=== |
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| − | *''"I am sorry that I did not come sooner, [[Garrosh Hellscream|young Hellscream]]. There is so much that I have to tell you about [[Grom Hellscream|your father]], but first you must tell me where I may find the [[Greatmother Geyah|Greatmother]]. |
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| − | *''"I have dreamed of this moment all my life, Greatmother. 'Till now, all I've had were [[Orgrim Doomhammer|Orgrim]]'s stories about my parents and their adventures on [[Draenor]]. He was my greatest teacher and dearest friend. He died a hero... They all died as heroes - and for all of them, a song of honor remains."'' |
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| − | *''"Blood and thunder, champions of the [[Horde]]! We fight on [[Battle for the Undercity|this day]] for our fallen brothers and sisters! Mourn them not for they all died with honor in their hearts! Though we face great conflict, our might combined shall obliterate those who would oppose us! The grave injustices committed against the Horde will be met by an unstoppable force of reckoning!"'' |
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| − | *''"[[Varimathras|COWARD]]! You think to stop the Warchief of the Horde with pebbles? I will show you the true power of the elements!"'' |
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| − | *''"It ends like [[First War|it began]]...All that we have fought for in this world is lost. The hopes and dreams carried by [[Durotan|my father]] and [[Draka|mother]]... by Doomhammer... Gone...If only you were here right now, old friend. You would know what to do." |
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| − | |||
| − | ==Personality== |
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| − | [[File:Thrall Wei.jpg|left|thumb|Thrall from the Battlecry wallpaper by [[Wei Wang]].]] |
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| − | Despite Thrall’s open acceptance of visitors into his society, the orcs have not yet relinquished all of their old hatreds and preconceptions about other races. Still, they honor his leadership and will treat visitors to Durotar fairly, albeit somewhat roughly. He takes individuals at face value and treats them with respect until their actions prove that they should be dealt with otherwise. Even when crimes are committed, the harshest punishment that Thrall will mete out is exile — banishment into the almost lifeless wastelands of the Barrens, where the elements judge who lives and who dies. However, if someone under his leadership causes dishonorable and unnecessary bloodshed, or worse, consorts with demons, Thrall's policy is clear: a death sentence carried out by the Doomhammer.<ref>''[[Cycle of Hatred]]'', page ??</ref> |
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| − | |||
| − | To friends, Thrall is warm and generous, freely swapping stories and information. Hospitality is extended to everyone, but Thrall expects all visitors to contribute in some way to Orgrimmar’s survival. Visiting hunters often bring meat or fur in exchange for refuge from the elements, and human traders from Theramore Isle periodically bring casks of salt ale and seed for crops. While in Orgrimmar, visitors are under Thrall’s protection and he will not tolerate any threats or violence against them.<ref name="S&L54">''[[Shadows & Light]]'', page 54</ref> |
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| − | |||
| − | Thrall is a natural-born leader. He is rarely alone, and in battle often spends much of his time directing his troops. In solo combat his tactics are subtle. He mixes a judicious amount of melee with powerful spellcasting.<ref name="S&L54"/> |
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| − | |||
| − | ==Trivia== |
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| − | *The servers [[Server:Thrall_US|Thrall US]] and [[Server:Thrall_Europe|Thrall Europe]] are named after the former Warchief. |
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| − | *Thrall was going to be voiced by Clancy Brown in the unreleased game ''[[Warcraft Adventures: Lord of the Clans]]''.<ref>http://www.gamespot.com/features/pcgraveyard/p4_04.html</ref> He is voiced by [[Chris Metzen]] in Warcraft III, ''World of Warcraft'' and their expansions. |
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| − | *At BlizzCon 2010, Chris Metzen claimed that Thrall and his wielding of the Doomhammer was inspired by {{wplink|Thor (Marvel Comics)|Thor}}. |
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| − | **Thrall might be somewhat inspired by Caesar of 'Planet of the Apes'. Caesar was the son of a pair of talking chimpanzees (who also were murdered like Durotan and Draka) and was also raised as a slave, until he finally rebelled and led the Apes to freedom. Like Thrall, Caesar wishes to live in peace with the humans.<ref>[[wikipedia:Caesar (Planet of the Apes|Caesar (Planet of the Apes]])</ref> |
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| − | *The [[Thrallmar]] outpost on the [[Hellfire Peninsula]] in [[Outland]] is named after the Warchief. It is the Horde's staging area to recolonize the orcs' former native planet. Although few individuals will remember their planet before it exploded (Drek'Thar, for example, told the Mok'Nathal Rexxar that he fought alongside other Mok'Nathal on Draenor), all orcs will be shocked to see the state in which it lies now. |
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| − | *"Go'el" was the name chosen by Durotan and Draka for their only son, but they could not give him that name until the [[Naming Day]] of that cycle; when Durotan and Draka were killed, his name remained unknown to him until he met his grandmother in Garadar over two decades later. |
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| − | **The name Go'el in Hebrew is derived from the verb lig'ol, "to free". A Go'el was a close Kinsman, whose duty was to perform any task a man could not perform by himself. Another duty of the Go'el was to free his kinsman from slavery — appropriate, considering Thrall's role in liberating the orcs from generations of enslavement to fel magics, as well as being held in human internment camps. |
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| − | **Go'el could have been inspired by Superman's Kryptonian name Kal-El, Which would not be surprising seeing that both Thrall's and Superman's origins are alike in many ways. Examples: Both are aliens from a doomed planet, both their birth parents were killed while at a young age, and of course they both have special powers. |
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| − | *After Jaina and Thrall's forces were forced to work together after the meeting with Medivh, the two leaders soon became good friends. Thrall stated that Jaina reminds him strongly of [[Taretha Foxton]], but Jaina has stated no specific reason for her trust in Thrall. Their relationship is nonetheless strong, even having endured the battle of Durotar, which cost Jaina her father and Thrall many of his warriors. They still consider each other allies. Some fans have speculated that Thrall and Jaina were (or will be) romantically involved at some point, but lore eventually denied this.<ref>''[[Alliance & Horde Compendium]]'', page 61</ref> |
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| − | **The novel [[The Shattering]] officially puts any speculation of romance between Thrall and Jaina down, as Thrall meets [[Aggra]]. The novel also seemingly makes a reference to this popular speculation, as [[Eitrigg]] comments to Thrall that Jaina would make a fine mate for someone one day if she so chose. However, as a human, she "cannot be [his]." Thrall merely laughs at the notion of having ''any'' mate, with so many crises at hand he has to deal with. Chris Metzen jokingly answered a question about the matter at [[Blizzcon 2010]], "Thrall is meeting a nice girl from Nagrand and gonna have little brown babies. Let's put it to bed. Funny choice of words there." |
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| − | **The [[White Punch Card]] that drops in [[Gnomeregan]] for the {{quest|Data Rescue}} Alliance quest has many lines of binary code printed on it. When decoded, it reads "Thrall and Jaina sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G", as an in-joke for the fans. |
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| − | |||
| − | ==Gallery== |
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| − | <gallery captionalign="left"> |
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| − | File:Thrall as a gladiator.JPG|Thrall the arena gladiator as depicted in ''Warcraft Legends 2''. |
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| − | File:Thralltransformedintodwarf.jpg|Thrall being transformed into a dwarf as a disguise in ''Warcraft Adventures''. |
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| − | File:Thrall prisoner.jpg|Thrall imprisoned in Durnholde Keep. |
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| − | File:thrall.jpg|Teenage Thrall as seen escaping Durnholde Keep in the Caverns of Time. |
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| − | File:SOTS Thrall.jpg|Thrall, the warrior. |
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| − | File:Thrall's Vision Warchief.jpg|Thrall in his Vision from the Prophet. |
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| − | File:Thrall's Vision Thrall Wakes Up.jpg|Thrall wakes from his dream, a crow visible in the background. |
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| − | File:Thrall model.jpg|Thrall's Warcraft 3 cinematic model. |
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| − | File:thrall_action_figure.jpg|Thralls official action figure. |
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| − | File:Meeting_at_Grommash_Hold.jpg|Thrall informs the Horde of his quest to [[Nagrand]]. |
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| − | File:Thrall_throne_of_elements.JPG|Thrall converses with [[Aggra]] and [[Gavan]] over the nature of his upcoming training. |
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| − | </gallery> |
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| − | |||
| − | ==Patch changes== |
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| − | *{{Patch 4.0.3a|note= |
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| − | **Now has a new model. |
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| − | **Now an NPC at the Maelstrom; replaced by Garrosh as faction leader.}} |
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| − | *{{Patch 4.0.1|note=Removed from Orgrimmar at phase 3 of the [[Elemental Unrest]]. Now located at the [[Throne of Elements]] in [[Nagrand]].|comment=Phase 3 of the Elemental Unrest began on 12 November 2010.}} |
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| − | *{{Patch 3.0.2|note=Updated for level 80.}} |
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| − | *{{Patch 2.0.1|note=Updated for level 70.}} |
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| − | *{{Patch 1.7.0|note=Racial "Leaders" have been strengthened, and are now worth slightly less honor.}} |
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| − | |||
| − | ==See also== |
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| − | *[[Thrall's Gold Coin]] |
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| − | *[[Thrall's Resolve]] |
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| − | *[[Thrall's Gift]] |
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| − | ==Video== |
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| − | ===Lifting the Blood Haze=== |
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| − | {| class="darktable" style="text-align:center; float:left;" |
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| − | |- |
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| − | ! Thrall and Grom face off against [[Mannoroth]]. |
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| − | |- |
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| − | | <youtube>ue-cCPfyZCg</youtube> |
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| − | |} |
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| − | {{clr}} |
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| − | |||
| − | ===Thrall Vs Garrosh=== |
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| − | {| class="darktable" |
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| − | ! Thrall battles Garrosh during the Scourge attack on Orgrimmar. |
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| − | |- |
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| − | | <youtube>iA6DvBvUQPk</youtube> |
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| − | |} |
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| − | |||
| − | ==References== |
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| − | {{reflist|2}} |
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| − | |||
| − | ==External links== |
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| − | <!-- Read http://www.wowpedia.org/Wowpedia:External_links before posting your links here. |
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| − | Links that do not conform to the rules will be DELETED. |
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| − | Repeat violations may result in a BAN. |
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| − | Have a nice day. :) --> |
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| − | |||
| − | {| class=darktable style="text-align:center" |
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| − | ! The Maelstrom !! Lost Isles !! Argent Tournament !! Hyjal Summit !! Old Hillsbrad !! |
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| − | |- |
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| − | | {{elinks-NPC|48051}} |
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| − | | {{elinks-NPC|38935}} |
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| − | | {{elinks-NPC|35368}} |
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| − | | {{elinks-NPC|17852}} |
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| − | | {{elinks-NPC|17876}} |
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| − | |} |
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| − | |||
| − | {{elink|type=wowus|link=http://us.battle.net/wow/en/media/wallpapers/bosses?keywords=&view#/thrall|site=Thrall's official wallpaper.}} |
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| − | |||
| − | {{Succession|Unknown|'''[[Horde]] representative of the [[Earthen Ring]]'''|Incumbent}} |
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| − | {{Succession|[[Orgrim Doomhammer]]|'''[[Warchief]] of the [[Horde]]'''|[[Garrosh Hellscream]]}} |
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| − | {{Succession|[[Drek'Thar]]|'''[[Frostwolf clan|Chieftain of the Frostwolf Clan]]'''|[[Drek'Thar]]}} |
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| − | {{New Horde}} |
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| − | {{Main characters}} |
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| − | <!--[[Category:Far seers]]--> |
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| − | [[de:Thrall]] |
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| − | [[es:Thrall]] |
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| − | [[fr:Thrall]] |
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| − | [[hu:Thrall]] |
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| − | [[pl:Thrall]] |
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| − | [[Category:Orc quest givers]] |
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| − | [[Category:Major characters]] |
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| − | [[Category:Game characters]] |
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| − | [[Category:Blademasters]] |
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| − | [[Category:Shamans]] |
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| − | [[Category:Frostwolf clan]] |
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| − | [[Category:Unique models]] |
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| − | [[Category:Unique voices]] |
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| − | [[Category:Orgrimmar NPCs]] |
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| − | [[Category:Old Hillsbrad Foothills NPCs]] |
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| − | [[Category:Nagrand NPCs]] |
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| − | [[Category:Icecrown NPCs]] |
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| − | [[Category:Maelstrom NPCs]] |
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| − | [[Category:The Lost Isles NPCs]] |
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| − | [[Category:Action figures]] |
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| − | [[Category:Warcraft Adventures: Lord of the Clans characters]] |
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| − | [[Category:Warcraft: Of Blood and Honor characters]] |
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| − | [[Category:Warcraft: Lord of the Clans characters]] |
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| − | [[Category:Warcraft: War of the Ancients Trilogy characters]] |
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| − | [[Category:World of Warcraft: Cycle of Hatred characters]] |
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| − | [[Category:World of Warcraft: Rise of the Horde characters]] |
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| − | [[Category:World of Warcraft (comic) characters]] |
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| − | [[Category:Warcraft: Legends characters]] |
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| − | [[Category:World of Warcraft: Arthas: Rise of the Lich King characters]] |
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| − | [[Category:World of Warcraft: Stormrage characters]] |
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| − | [[Category:World of Warcraft: The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm characters]] |
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Latest revision as of 04:19, 16 April 2011
World of Warcraft: Tides of Doom
This is still a work-in-progress
The Cataclysm shattered Azeroth, changing the face of the world forever. As the Horde and Alliance battled each other and the forces of the Twilight's Hammer under the dreaded aspect Deathwing their conflict against another old, familiar enemy also escalated: the hated Naga. The Horde and Alliance fought beneath the waves at the sunken city of Vashj'ir, eventually making their way deep into the Abyssal Maw. Though emerging victorious, the battered forces of the Horde and Alliance came to learn that this was but a small first move for the Naga.
The Silithid rose from the sands of the desert, forcing the Horde and Alliance to fight their ancient evil. The forces of Illidan and the Burning Legion sought to consume the world in flame, and the armies of Azeroth marched to war again, fighting their way across the shattered realm of Outland. They bled themselves from one end of Northrend to the other, smashing their way through waves of Undead to face the Lich King. Their victory was met by the devastation wrought by Deathwing and the exhausted armies forced to battle the fanatical Twilight's Hammer.
Through all of this, Queen Azshara has watched. She has waited, carefully drawing her plans and positioning her forces. The armies of the Horde and Alliance are exhausted, pushed almost beyond the point of endurance. Their supplies are diminished, their lands still stuggling to recover from the destruction of the Cataclysm. Now, when all seems on the brink of collapse, she will strike. The full might of the Naga lies at her command, including horrors unseen by any surface dweller. And behind her, lurking in secret, a shadowy force lends its aid. The Tides of Doom are rising...
Features
Level Cap raised to 90!
New Hero Class - Reaver!
New Dungeons & Raids!
New Profession - Woodworking!
New Archaeology Race - Naga!
Professions to 600 - Renowned Craftsman!
More Underwater Mounts!
Still No Dance Studio!
New Zones: Leveling to 90
Tides of Doom features nine new, massive world zones. Similar to Wrath of the Lich King and Cataclysm, players have two "starting zones" to choose from. However, in this expansion each of these are the first steps on two different "paths" one can take on the questing experience to level 90. Players will level through five of the zones from 85-90, their first questing zone will determine their path with both paths ending in the same "finishing zone".
These paths are intended to give players a choice in their play style as well as provide more variety for those leveling multiple characters. Players can level two characters while experiencing entirely new content with each. Even in the final zone, where the two paths converge, they will get a different experience. The final zone is enormous, much larger than any current zone. Depending on what path a player chose, they will enter the zone from the north or south with a different set of quests and locations before meeting in the middle at the Naga capital of Nazjatar. After experiencing both, players can pick and choose what they enjoyed the most, hopping back and forth between zones.
Questing has been modified to be more flexible while still providing a coherent, continuous story. Each zone has a "core" quest chain that directs the player throughout the zone similar to the Cataclysm zones. In addition to this are several side quests that can be completed or skipped as a player wishes. Tides of Doom continues to make use of phasing but the "extra" quests involve content that remains static. Players can travel to any of the zones at will and explore to find (provided they are high enough level) these quests available, the core chain simply takes players there as it progresses along its own storyline. The core chain is also broken up intermittently, meaning that if a player skips a few quests they can pick up the chain futher along at the next logical point. They will miss some content and portions of the zone's storyline but not have their ability to quest there completely crippled.
Each zone is intended to provide content for one level. This includes the core quest chain and some of the extra quests. Should a player complete every single quest in a zone however they will find the overall experience provided is roughly 125% of a level. This is intended to give players enough freedom to skip portions or quests they dislike and still effectively level. In addition, especially on their first characters where players are much more likely to experience most of the new content, this means that players will be at or very close to the level cap when entering the final zone. This is also intended as the final zone contains the most challenging questing experience yet encountered in World of Warcraft and players experiencing it for the first time will want every advantage.
The two leveling paths are designed with player preference in mind. Vashj'ir was the first foray into large-scale underwater content. Some players loved the new aspect of the game while others found underwater combat and the environment to be frustrating (if not annoying) and some were fairly indifferent. While both paths feature content above and below the surface, one leans heavily towards a land-based experience while the majority of the other takes place underwater. In this way players may choose how they wish to quest. The final zone is primarily underwater (though a few "air pocket" locations can be found) but players who are not fans of underwater leveling can spend most of their time on land.
"Land Path"
Kul Tiras - Zandalar - Broken Isles - Gishan Caverns - The Rift
"Water Path"
Tel Abim - Boiling Terrace - Scintal Reef - Drowned Reaches - The Rift
- A note on underwater breathing: The buffs a player acquires in Vashj'ir become permanent in Tides of Doom and now apply to any underwater environment in-game. A similar quick quest chain exists in both Kul Tiras and Tel Abim for charcters who may not have ventured into Vashj'ir. This change was deemed necessary given the vast amount of underwater content and the negligible benefit to high level players in lower-level content which features hardly any underwater experiences to begin with.
The New Zones
New Hero Class: The Reaver
Old Gods - the mysterious, malefic horrors who exist within the darkest reaches of Azeroth. Little is truly known of these shadowy beings, but their awesome power has made them objects of worship by fanatical mortals. Most well known is the Twilight's Hammer, but the grip of the Old Gods reaches far and wide. Many other organizations exist, many of them unknown to the greater population of Azeroth. Followers of the Old Gods are exposed to their maddening powers, wielding chaotic and mysterious magical energies. Among the many devotees are the Reavers, shadowy warriors who combine dark spells with brutal physical attacks. Their powers are further enhanced by the dark mental energies of the Old Gods and Reavers can use madness itself as a weapon, rendering a hapless foe little more than a whimpering shell.
Reavers are followers of the Old Gods who have, for various reasons, decided to break from their dark masters. The penalty for their decision is death and they are hunted relentlessly by their former comrades. In their time of crisis, with the armies of the Horde and Alliance strained to their limit, these powerful fighters seeking to return to their homes may be just what is needed to avoid reaching the breaking point. However, these shadowy "saviors" are met with great suspicion. They abandoned their own people once before in pursuit of greater power then betrayed the very power they had embraced; to say their loyalty and reliability is questionable is a great understatement. Many find their return itself suspicious, showing up when the need is greatest; they are widely whispered to have ulterior motives. Still, all (grudgingly) admit the Reavers are a powerful force who have quickly found themselves folded into the ranks of the Horde and Alliance. But they and their powers are suspect, and they are watched very closely.
Reavers
New Profession: Woodworking
The new profession of Woodworking at long last allows the players to carve staves as well as construct some quality bows and crossbows. Woodworking is especially suited for casting classes (those most likely to use staves) as it functions as both a gathering and crafting profession. This leaves a character free to take a second profession, such as Tailoring or Enchanting. Any class can learn Woodworking and the profession does offer additional benefits.
Woodworkers gather supplies from fallen branches scattered across Azeroth. Resources are obviously more plentiful in heavily forested areas but any location with trees can provide workable wood. Woodworkers gather up wood and use their ability [Carve]. This shapes the wood into the useable parts Woodworkers require to construct their various items. (To expedite this process stacks of similar branches can be carved as a stack similar to smelting ore so each piece does not need to be selected individually.) Any Woodworker can gather raw branches from anywhere but it takes a certain skill level to actually carve it. Woodworkers of the highest skill can learn to carve coral from aquatic environments.
In addition to staves and bows, Woodworkers can learn to construct other useful items.
Woodworking Items
New Factions
The Grand Fleet 
The Grand Fleet is the primary Alliance task force in charge of running the campaign agasint the Naga threat. It is comprised of the largest Alliance surface fleet ever assembled along with several newly constructed submersibles. While the Grand Fleet oversees all Alliance operations in the Great Sea several smaller organizations operate under the fleet's banner.
- Kul Tiras - The forces of Kul Tiras are back fully within the fold of the Alliance after years of isolation. The navies of Kul Tiras now roam far across the Great Sea, spearheading the Alliance's island campaigns.
- Wavehunters - The Wavehunters are comprised of all Alliance races but led by a group of Night Elf Sentinels. They consider the Naga to be their personal responsibility and lead the fight from Kalimdor beneath the waves to finish off their ancient brethren one and for all.
The Vanguard Armada 
Facing a new threat from the ocean the Horde worked quickly to construct its own armada of ships to defend their territory and take the fight to the Naga. While the Vanguard Armada is not as large as the Grand Fleet, Horde engineers have been hard at work and the new ships taking to the sea are unlike any seen before. The surface fleet is supported by zeppelins and submersibles.
- The Marauding Storm - The Marauding Storm is an elite group of Horde warriors. They have been specially trained in underwater combat and are at home in an aquatic environment. Fiece and relentless, they will not stop until the last Naga lies slain beneath their blades and the sea is theirs to claim.
- Black Phoenix - The Black Phoenix is the secretive order who orchestrated the attack that allowed the Horde to sieze the island of Crestfall in Kul Tiras. Though all races of the Horde can now be found within the Black Phoenix the leadership is comprised entirely of Forsaken and Blood Elves. The other races found the sudden appearance of the Black Phoenix slightly disconcerting, no Horde in Kalimdor had even heard of the group prior to the Crestfall campaign.
Council of Zandalar 
The Council of Zandalar is run by the elders of the various Troll tribes. All Trolls are represented here and all have an equal say within the Council. Formed in times of great crisis, the primary goal of the Council is to ensure the survival of the Troll race as a whole and ignores all tribal disputes (at least in theory). Tensions are high within the Council, almost to the point of breaking. There is general disagreement a policy towards the Horde and Alliance forces that have arrived on the island to offer their aid.
Some argue for closer ties with the Horde; after all several tribes are already affiliated with that faction (Darkspear, Revantusk, Shatterspear). Not all are keen on the idea however, the Amani in particular refusing to even discuss the idea of forming a stronger pact with a faction that contains their hated Blood Elven enemies. (It is suspected that it was Amani agents who invited the Alliance to Zandalar without consulting the rest of the Council to counterbalance the Horde's influence.) There has even been hushed talk that the Darkspear should lose their place on the Council owing to their loyalty to the Horde. The rest of the Council favors a more neutral position, using both factions as tools to help them fight off the Naga and then sending them on their way. Most don't believe that the Horde and Alliance will pack up and leave peaceably, but the simple fact is that the Council can not hold off the Naga without assistance.
Found in: Zandalar
Faction Headquarters: Zuldazar, Zandalar
Murgleughgr 
The Murgleughgr (simply Murg to most other races who struggle to pronounce, let alone spell, the Mur'gul name) are a faction of Mur'gul who manage to escape their enslavement by the Naga. They have set up a small village hidden away in a remote corner of the Broken Isles. From there they conduct raids on Naga encampments and enlist stalwart adventurers to aid them. Players who complete the Murg quest chain in the Broken Isles will open a small Murg daily quest hub in the Rift. Those who earn enough reputation with the Murg will be granted access to the Murg's secret stash of pillaged Naga gear of exceptional quality. They will also be able to purchase hand-crafted items specially made by the Mur'gul themsleves which are of, ahh... slightly lesser quality.
Found in: Broken Isles, Gishan Caverns, The Rift
Faction Headquarters: Grimfin Cove, Broken Isles
Makra-u
The Makra-u are the elite guardians of the besieged Makrura capital city of Mak'aru. (Face it, you're phonetically limited when you're essentially a talking lobster.) In their hour of greatest need they have welcomed the assistance of the surface races in saving their city. Players who complete the quest chain defending Mak'aru will open a small Makra-u daily quest hub in the Rift. At home in the ocean's depths, the seemingly primitive Makrura can be found to be peerless crafters of gear designed especially for underwater combat.
Found in: Boiling Terrace, Scintal Reef, The Rift
Faction Headquarters: Mak'aru, Scintal Reef
The Lost
The Lost are a faction of spirits within the Drowned Reaches. While most have been driven mad by their state of undeath, the Lost have maintained their sanity. Adventurers can assist the Lost in putting their crazed brethren to rest, provided one doesn't mind working for ghosts. The benefits might far outway any hesitation however; the Naga fear the Drowned Reaches and will not enter for any reason, sending their pet beasts of the deep instead. Perhaps the Lost know the reason why...
Found in: Drowned Reaches
Faction Headquarters: Sorrow Deep, Drowned Reaches
Scions of Vengeance
The Scions of Vengeance (former members of the Scions of Hate) are a group of Reavers who make their home in Zul'Dare. The Scions had been devout worshipers of the Old Gods befroe deciding to break away and attempt to return to their former lives. Player characters of the Reaver hero class belong to this faction. Though powerful additions to the Horde and Alliance, they have been welcomed back warily and with deep suspicion. After all, they were not corrupted and enslaved against their will as the Death Knights were, they served the Old Gods of their own free will. Their exact reasons for turning on their dark masters are vague and unclear, further calling their loyalty into question. Their presence among the rest of the Horde or Alliance is tolerated for now but they are closely watched wherever they go.
Found in: Zul'Dare, Kul Tiras, Boiling Terrace, Drowned Reaches, Gishan Caverns, The Rift
Faction Headquarters: Nightfall Hold, Zul'Dare
Order of the Silent Vigil
The Order of the Silent Vigil are Nereids. Their very existence was unknown to the surface races of Azeroth until they were encountered by adventurers of the Horde and Alliance as they fought their way into the depths. The Nereids were former Highborne who refused to follow Queen Azshara in the dark final days just prior to the Sundering. Unlike the rest of the Highborne who fought against Azshara, those who became the Nereids were caught in the explosion of the Well of Eternity and dragged into the depths with Azshara and her followers. To their horror the pact Azshara made that caused her followers to become mutated into the Naga was applied to them as well. Most were hunted down following the Sundering but a few managed to go into hiding. The handful that survived secreted themselves away, unknown and forgotten, but always keeping a silent watch over their former brethren.
Nereids resemble the "original" Naga, a hybrid form somewhere between the current Naga and their original Night Elf appearance. While the Naga allowed their bodies to continue to mutate, warped by their feeding off of the residual energies of the Well of Eternity, the Nereid did not. They have watched with growing concern as the Naga grew in power but their numbers were far too few to take any action. They have little knowledge of the surface world, their only information attained through the occasional interaction with the lost soul of a drowned sailor. The sudden appearance of the Horde and Alliance in their secluded home beneath the waves has come as a shock, but they recognize that now is likely the only chance they will have to end the Naga threat and rejoin the world.
Found in: Drowned Reaches, Gishan Caverns, The Rift
Faction Headquarters: Shrine of Tears, The Rift
Bloodsail Plunderers
The Bloodsail Plunderers are the rulers of Plunder Isle and the greater Bloodsail forces across Azeroth. The offer quests to both Horde and Alliance adventurers, calling for them to gather resources and perform other assorted tasks. Whichever faction is able to complete the most quests for the Bloodsail Plunderers will gain their favor for a time, giving them access to Plunder Isle and various daily quests. Friendly standing with the Bloodsail Buccaneers in Stranglethorn is not a requirement for access to Plunder Isle and assisting the Bloodsail Plunderers; likewise assisting these shifty swashbucklers will not affect your reputation with the Steamwheedle Cartel. However, only those who have earned the good graces of the Buccaneers may talk to Johnny Passeridae at his small camp deep in the jungles of Plunder Isle and complete the quests he offers. Also, only people who quest for him may try his rum.
Found in: Plunder Isle
Faction Headquarters: Bloodsail Hold, Plunder Isle
Reasons for content
Zones
Cataclysm was huge, in a lot of respects it was almost an entirely new game with all the changes to the old world zones and questing. No way I could top that but it got me to thinking of what would be good for a next expansion. How about two expansions in one (zone/questing wise)? Two different leveling paths hasn't been done but solved a lot of problems. They added two different starter zones for WotLK and Cat, but why not expand that aspect? It gives more variety and would help ease the boredom of running alts through the same zone over and over. Your second character could would essentially have a brand new expansion of content to quest through, and after that you could mix and match as you saw fit.
It also helped solve the problem of tackling a Great Sea expansion (by far the favorite at this point) while addressing the lot of people who were, shall we say, less then thrilled with their Vashj'ir experience. The zones from the "land route" would still have underwater content but the majority would take place on land. People who were not fans of underwater questing could still play through and level while having as little as possible content they didn't enjoy. Those who liked it, or were indifferent, could submerge themselves for their experience.
WotLK gave the sense of a long, brutal march through Northrend to reach the Lich King and a two-pronged assault along two different paths to the Naga capital would be a good way to relive that experience. Having the final zone be divided (quest-wise) upon where you enter, that itself based on which route you took, then meeting in the middle I think would be a neat idea. Nazjatar itself could end up as its own zone, a heavily phased city under siege where each patch, in addition to other content, introduces new dailies and has you siezing the outskirts of the city bit by bit until the final patch for the expansion.
Reavers
The hero class was tough. A lot have been thrown around, and most have been brought up as "new" ideas thirty or forty times at this point. I looked at it from the point of what would actually be new in-game, what would be fun, and what didn't seem just like two classes mashed together. After I did that I slapped the "lore" together around the idea, so pardon the haphazard nature of it.
Reavers share a lot of similarities with shaman (right down to the melee-or-caster options for talent trees) but avoiding any similarity to any existing class was proving impossible so I just gave in on that one. I tried to give them a very unique feel though which ended up as their mental disruption abilities. (Mental abilities have of course been brought up countless times before, but I like to think I put a new twist on it. I'm sure I haven't, but I personally haven't seen what I came up with before. Sorry if I stealth-ninja'd someone's ideas.) With Cat re-focusing on CC I thought what it would be if a class had a large part of their focus just on getting all up in the enemy's business and messing with them. Their abilities, like melee attacks and spells, would be weaker damage-wise but their mental tricks would more than make up for that. I have no idea how (if at all) this idea would work practically for balance, but that's not my job and Blizzard doesn't pay me for that (despite my repeated demands that they do, /sadpanda).
The lore isn't the best thing ever, but I don't think it's terrible either. There are likely others out there devoted to the Old Gods besides the lovely folks we've met in-game, so I don't really think that was a stretch. All the nifty "twilight spells" the Twilight's Hammer has in Cataclysm gave me the idea for the basis of their spells as it is pretty much a type of magic we haven't really seen (at least not a lot of it) before. Followers of the Old Gods would likely be using their dark powers to do things us stand-up characters would never do with magic, I just stole it for my own uses.
I admit the floating iceberg fortress for their starting area is kind of stupid, but I like it so deal with it. It also solved the problem of where to put them as most of the map has by now been explored and is open for us to fly around. I could probably just have kept them on Zul'Dare the entire time but... floating iceberg fortress! Shut-up.
Woodworking
Woodworking has been tossed around as a profession since WoW launched, so that was a natural fit. The problem has been that besides staves and bows, what else would they really make? Not much else for current gear fits. So I came up with the extra items that I hope someone from Blizzard stumbles on here and reads because I really want them in the game. Also I decided to lump the gathering portion in with the regular profession (thanks archaeology!) or find myself making yet another gathering profession. I've seen people pair it with herbalism, but I just don't really see that as a good fit. "Look, I made a staff out of Peacebloom!" Yeah. No.
Storage Crates just made sense, people have been complaining about bag space and Blizzard has said that bags just can't keep getting larger and larger. Think how handy it would be if you could just, for example, keep all your raiding potions/food/etc tucked away in a single bag slot that you just plop on the ground to grab what you need when you need it. Or rep items, or cooking mats that you can just stock up until you're ready to sit down and work on your skill-ups.
Amberstones. I want them. Make them.
I'm kind of "meh" on charms, I just thought Woodworking needed another perk to fully flesh it out. I don't know how great of an idea it is, but it's what I came up with. I was just going to have them be an inventory item like Diablo II, but then I realized it would be kind of silly (as in really really stupid) for a profession to help people clean up their inventory with one item just to clutter it up with another, so I made them new character item slots.