Breakfast Topic: Adamantite and Mana Thistle on Azeroth?
by Robin Torres 
Mar 30th 2008 at 8:00AM
Mana Thistle grows in Outland. Some of the mines of Outland contain Adamantite Ore. So how do plants and ore that are native to a completely different planet occur on the Isle of Quel'Danas?
I understand that it is a level 70 zone and therefore they put level 70 gathering nodes there. But story-wise it makes no sense. The Lore of WoW is rich and entertaining and is one of the best parts of playing this game. Inconsistencies like this mar the immersion of what is otherwise a very fun new zone.
Lasica responded to Battery's question about this on the forums with a suggestion that they fell out of the Exodar as it passed overhead. This could easily explain the Mana Thistle, if it took to the fertile soil on the Isle, but metals don't grow like plants, so this explanation can't really be stretched to the Adamantite.
Do you have an explanation to satisfy the lore-nerds like me? Or are you just happy to have another place to farm?
[Thanks Henric!]
I understand that it is a level 70 zone and therefore they put level 70 gathering nodes there. But story-wise it makes no sense. The Lore of WoW is rich and entertaining and is one of the best parts of playing this game. Inconsistencies like this mar the immersion of what is otherwise a very fun new zone.
Lasica responded to Battery's question about this on the forums with a suggestion that they fell out of the Exodar as it passed overhead. This could easily explain the Mana Thistle, if it took to the fertile soil on the Isle, but metals don't grow like plants, so this explanation can't really be stretched to the Adamantite.
Do you have an explanation to satisfy the lore-nerds like me? Or are you just happy to have another place to farm?
[Thanks Henric!]
Filed under: Herbalism, Mining, Analysis / Opinion, Lore, Forums, Breakfast Topics
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Kevin Mar 30th 2008 2:55PM
I don't care, I finally found Mana Thistle that I can pick without being in a very dangerous area.
Aigarius Mar 30th 2008 8:27AM
It was discussed before - the best explanation was that the high concentration of arcane magic of the Sunwell irradiates common ores and plants to create Mana Thistle an Adamantite.
It was also noted that Adamantite has existed on Azeroth before, but it was extremely rare and barely anyone knew how to mine or forge it properly:
"Neltharion's betrayal had struck a great blow to the Aspects, and their fear to be destroyed like the blue dragonflight kept them in seclusion. Deathwing returned to his lair beneath a mountain. His proximity to the Demon Soul was ripping his body apart, so the Goblins forged an armor of adamantium to serve as a vessel to contain Deathwing's raging powers in check. Only the adamantium plates kept the power from destroying his body"
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?forumId=11572&topicId=4665562705
Mojo Mar 30th 2008 8:29AM
whats more important, lore inconsitencys or gameplay hinderances?
jaxson_bateman Mar 30th 2008 8:30AM
Adamantite and khorium can only be created when the land is infused with magical energy. Kael did this to the Isle of Quel'Danas prior to WC3, and subsequently did this in Outland. It has been highly visible in Outland for a while now due to the large number of explorers there, but Quel'danas had been left largely untouched by the forces of good.
With the sudden expansion by the Shattered Sun Offensive to Quel'Danas, however, the horde and alliance have now seen that that land too is capable of yielding Khorium and Adamantite ore.
Suitable? =)
godai Mar 30th 2008 2:33PM
Much simpler explanation.
Adamantite is Demon crap.
jaxson_bateman Mar 30th 2008 2:35PM
You have won 1 x Internetz.
Liel Mar 30th 2008 8:44AM
I just say sometimes you need to give up some accuracy for the sake of decent game mechanics.
Leord Mar 30th 2008 8:51AM
Well, As the firts poster mentions, Adamantium is actually part of WoW lore way before The Burning Crusade was released, tens of thousands of years in the Lore, and several "real" years in our world.
The RPG books has a bit more balanced explanation of metals than the game, where all metals are not automatically in a hierarchy of quality, but rather has *different* qualities. In the Magical World of Warcraft, you would probably find mor minerals than Copper in Dun Morogh (why else whould Dwarves, who are miners and like exotic metals settle there), but for gameplay reasons, it would be unfair to put Iron, Mithril, Thorium and Adamantite there.
As for Mana thistle, there are a number of reasons, as mentioned above. It could just be your average thistle, just mana-infused, or seeds from outland. Remember, by Blizzards time-line, the Sunwell offensive will have taken place almost a year or more after the Exodar crash. Possibly two years (seeing as Draenei can take part of events on Azeroth (lowbie quests) that supposedly happened a full year before Burning Crusade story line kicks in).
Mainly, you need to remember that the entire WoW is seen through the camera of an MMO. If you want closer to real lore or reality, read the books. Many of the details don't correspond. Gnomes of Azeroth cant carry 5 different armour sets in their bags, people who die in WoW (not in the game) often stay dead etc.
skalgrim Mar 30th 2008 8:54AM
It's a little late in the game to be bringing up lore inconsistencies, isn't it? I mean the appearance of a herb and ore is nothing compare to... let's say...
Draenei.
qwerty101 Mar 30th 2008 9:01AM
The animals in the Black Moras give Knothide leather while animals in modern day Swamp of Sorrows give heavy leather. Why did they evolve into giving a lower quality type of leather?
Chai Mar 30th 2008 10:32AM
Black Morass is_not_swamp_of_sorrows.
Black Morass is_Blasted_Lands. Likely the mobs that drop the Knothide blew up when the portal did.
And to the original article, you must not be familiar with lore much since as the first poster pointed out, adamantite has been around on azeroth for a while. At 60 no player had the skill or knowledge on how to mine it, so it's perfectly reasonable that it didn't show up on any Old World maps.
Znodis Mar 30th 2008 9:36AM
A wizard did it.
Ametrine Mar 30th 2008 10:39AM
Medivh likes gardening and collecting shiny rocks.
Robin Torres Mar 30th 2008 10:52AM
These are my favorite answers so far.
Brennith Mar 30th 2008 10:47AM
Why is copper only found in low level zones? Why is thorium only found in high level zones? I don't see a difference between the past resource and level correlation to this one.
Killah Mar 30th 2008 11:01AM
You know what? I've never thought of that.
Votum Mar 31st 2008 11:26AM
This is exactly what I came in here to say. Thank you.
The resource placement is ALREADY beyond the realms of believability, so why have a problem with this? Or is there some reason why Redridge should be full of Copper/Tin while just 100 feet away across the nearby hills there should be nothing but Thorium?
Chai Mar 31st 2008 3:55PM
You can find copper in Desolace. You can Find Tin in Desolace. So therefore they are not restricted to low level zones.
Baluki Mar 30th 2008 11:16AM
Different planets have the same metals. Metal isn't a species or strain, it's a chemical compound. All elements in the universe are going to be found on the same periodic table. You can probably find copper on other planets just as you can find it on Earth (or Azeroth).
Adamantium and Khorium are presumably metals or compounds found on the WoW universe's version of the periodic table. Fel Iron is probably just regular iron infused with fel energies.
Of course, the fact that they're only available in high-level zones is a gameplay decision.
Baluki Mar 30th 2008 11:19AM
Also, it makes sense that different herbs/plants could be found in both places; just look at dandelions.
Fortunately, Blizz seems to have kept the fish of Outland and Azeroth completely separate. At least, I think so. I doubt anybody has bothered to try to stock the rivers and lakes of either planet with fish from the other.