Skyreach Manuals: Life Cycle of the Primals

The Primals are some of the most curious creatures of Draenor. In many ways they’re so very different from all the other forms of life on our world, and in many ways they’re also very similar. Some say the Primals are mimicking other life forms, as is often said to be the case with mandragoras and hydras, and some say they were deliberately designed in a similar way. One of the most common theories about the Primals is that they’re a Titanic creation gone haywire. The Breakers are commonly believed to be the Titanic creations, but some argue that so were the Primals. The best proof of that theory are ancient artifacts related to the Primals sometimes found in forgotten Titanic vaults. Whichever the case, the Primals are a faction of creatures with very distinct life cycle, clearly tying them all together.

Finding his place

Well, well, I haven’t written on this myself for a while now. Partially because there wasn’t much happening. Actually, now that I think of it, there were things happening. Not all of them I can recall at moment’s notice, such is my memory at my age, but most recently I decided I needed to exert some more direct control over this rift. I mean, I now have some interest in the Draenor I could find on the other side and the exit suddenly drifting away from it would be most unfortunate. So against my better judgment, I decided to use the services of an ethereal I knew, Shazaad, to find a way to control the rift better.

Infinite Azeroths: Everything

Timeline: Unnumbered, distant timeline
Character: Biker Grom Hellscream, boss of the Warsong Gang

Two older draenei commoners sat on the chairs outside of a liquor shop on the outskirts of Telmor. To them, it was just another afternoon in a dreary backwater town. They spent their time like any other afternoon, having nothing more important to do, just gossiping about their neighbours, complaining about the politicians and the lack of money. But as they were busy with their daily rout, an ear-splitting noise began to reach them. One of them looked out into the distance and saw something they both hated – a gang of motorcycle-riding orcs, wearing leather and metal chains and shouting like madmen to the wind. In front of their column, a loud and proud leader of the gang – Grommash Hellscream. The two men quickly sat politely in their chairs, pretending not to see the commotion. When the loud noise of the orcish motorbikes passed, they looked at each other.

“Them orcs,” one of the men said, “They’re gonna make trouble, I tell ya.”

Game Design Exercise: Introduction to Farahlon

Last time, I presented to you all a general overview of what my design of Farahlon would look like, including a handy map presenting most major points of interest. I promised to go into details about the specific points later, and here I am. In this part, I’m going to present the storyline that introduces you to Farahlon. There isn’t much in terms of very unique gameplay in this specific part, so that will have to wait for the next parts.

Infinite Azeroths: the Soulflayer

Timeline: Azeroth-47
Character: Vol’jin, Avatar of Hakkar

The view from the top of the pyramid was breathtaking. Quite literally, in fact, as countless lives have been taken and countless souls have been sacrificed to the Blood God. Vol’jin sat comfortably on the richly adorned throne at the very top, as the priests brought yet another human sacrifice before his altar. The human stopped wrestling with his captors long ago, because he knew there was no point to it. He had just one thought – in one, final act of defiance he would look the troll chieftain in the eye and spit him in the face. But when the human raised his head and looked into the eyes of Vol’jin he saw something he could not comprehend. Madness. Ancient hysteria. A thirst for blood that could rival only the Old Gods. The eyes of the troll chieftain were no longer his own – now there was only Hakkar.

Game Design Exercise: Farahlon

Recently, we were told in a developer interview that Farahlon may never come, or at least not in Warlords of Draenor (which lowers the possibility of it ever appearing by itself). Not only that, it was also suggested it might be retconned to have been Ashran all along, which is a total disaster from lore perspective. Although it has been since reported the retcon will not happen, the thought that it was even a possibility remains frightening. And you know I’d love to see Farahlon in-game, so the news was rather shocking to me. I thought, if they don’t see a place for it in game, I’ll show them how to do it – I’ll design Farahlon myself, basing it on the way rest of WoD is designed. (Also, usually when I get to making something, Blizzard then announces they’re doing it, so that helped too)

Mad King of Tirisfal

The Mad King of Tirisfal is an element of human history that few remember. Perhaps some forget him out of ignorance, and some prefer not to know him, for he was one of the darkest moments in that race’s history. The Mad King, whose real names was intentionally erased from memories, was born in the last years of Thoradin IV’s reign and grew up in the waning years of the tumultuous period following his death. When he was merely sixteen, his father, a lord of now destroyed city of Tirisfal, died of an “encoraching necrotic corruption”, which might have been a magical curse, or merely a disease medicine of their time did not know. The youth inherited vast libraries of forbidden knowledge his young mind was not able to handle – and indeed, even adults would not handle some of the tomes the old lord gathered.

Infinite Azeroths: Champion of the Felguard

Timeline: Azeroth-6
Character: Garrosh Hellscream, Champion of Archimonde’s Felguard

“Honor is the most important thing in an orc’s life,” Geyah once said. “No matter how dire the battle, never forsake it,” she said.

But she was a foolish old woman. She did not see the things I have seen. I have seen worlds bathed in the emerald flame of the Burning Legion. I’ve seen entire civilizations brought to ruin and entire races wiped out, snuffed out like a candle. I’ve seen destruction that would destroy the mind and heart of a lesser man. But I no longer have a heart. I have embraced the inevitable. The blood of demons now courses through my veins and I pledged myself to the Great Defiler. Whatever dreams I once had as an orc, whatever values I may have held then, are now forfeit. Draenor, where I grew up, is no more. Azeroth was enveloped by the glory of the Burning Legion and all of its magic now serves the true masters of the universe.

History of the Arakkoa

You might have found my history of Draenor posts I made some time ago, but I must tell you something about them – they’re almost entirely fan fiction (albeit based on some actual canon info from the Burning Crusade). With Warlords of Draenor coming up on the horizon, the beta revealed to us the actual course of events. This post is made to summarize everything we learned so far in beta, and that’s a lot, explaining many previously confusing parts. I wasn’t right on many accounts, but I will still sometimes pretend, for hilarity’s sake, that my old fanon version was canon in our original Draenor. From now on, I’ll write in-character as Dawn-Seeker Verroak, the alternate Draenor version of my character. It is only slightly fictionalized, in order to make a cohesive plot. The non-canon parts I made to fill out the gaps are written in italics.

Destiny

My employer is rather eccentric, and his morality can be dubious, but he still possesses great knowledge and experience. Experience with things we would normally never learn about. He has been to another reality, another timeline, where things went differently. And there he saw something. He saw me. He saw Yu Gwai, King of the Free Mogu, one of the major players in Lei Shen’s ultimate downfall. And I know most say alternate realities are something we should not concern ourselves with, that our reality is the only one of importance, but I can’t help but think. About the things that could have been. About how my life could have transpired. About the things I could still do…