Ask a Lore Nerd: It's the end of the world as we know it
by Alex Ziebart 
Mar 10th 2009 at 9:00AM
Welcome to Ask a Lore Nerd, where each week blogger and columnist Alex Ziebart answers your questions about the lore and history of the World of Warcraft. Ask your questions in the comments section below, and we'll try to answer it in a future edition.Good morning, everyone! My apologies for missing last week's Ask a Lore Nerd, I am apparently very, very bad at time management and I lost track of things while trying to finish furnishing my apartment. We're back in action this week though, so it's all good!
Before we get started, I also wanted to remind people that Tokyopop is letting us read Warcraft: Legends for free until the 17th. I know Daniel mentioned it already this morning, but seeing as this is the lore column of the day, I just wanted to mention it again. Just imagine me as the hammer trying to drive this nail into your head. You can read it for free. And now we get the show on the road!
naixdra asked...
Why do the Orcs call Draenor, Draenor? Didn't the Draenei show up out of nowhere and call it that, so why would the native Orcs adopt the name given to it by outsiders (and still refer to it after their attempted annihilation of said outsiders)?
The Orcs never gave Draenor a name. It was just where they lived. It was home. Giving their planet a name never even crossed their minds. The Draenei gave it a name, and it became the accepted norm when that information became important. When they started interacting with beings from other worlds, that's when they needed a name for where they come from. The Draenei called it Draenor, and it just stuck.
Even outside of the game, sentient species don't have a very interesting track record for naming their home planet. We named our planet Earth (or Terra if you prefer). We are basically calling it 'big floaty rock.' If by some miracle we met another sentient species and we shared the same language, they'd be all, "What the hell, that's what you named your planet? Really?"
AlexW573 asked...
On the east edge of the Sons of Hodir town, there is a big frozen giant in a throne. Who is/was he?
That's Arngrim, a former King of the Sons. He gives the quest Feeding Arngrim at Revered with the Sons of Hodir. He is very hungry.
Siona asked...
It seems like generally all, if not most, of the Argent Dawn/Crusade members are paladins, or at least worship the Light in some way. And given that a lot of non-Paladin-class races -- Orcs, Gnomes, Trolls -- etc are also part of them, could it then be conceived that we'll someday see an Orc Paladin or something like that in that group's future? Is it even feasibly possible for non Human/Dwarf/Draenei/Blood Elf races to be able to use the Light? I know Forsaken are out of the picture, due to their Scourge-i-ness, but how about the other races?
More and more Blizzard has been pushing the point that anybody can wield the Light if they're faithful. The Light doesn't know racial barriers. There can certainly be Orcish Paladins, but most Orcs simply don't put faith in the Light. There could be Troll Paladins, but again, it would be rare because that's simply not their culture. Blizzard always makes it a point to show that there are exceptions, though.
The Arakkoa, overall, are a pretty grim race. Most of them worship dark gods and all of that, but what do you see in and around Shattrath? Light-worshiping Arakkoa like Rilak the Redeemed.. The Trolls are Shamanistic and are also steeped in voodoo. Despite that, we see Zabra Hexx in the Ashbringer comic series, a Troll Priest that has converted to the Light. Those are just two examples of this. The Light does not judge you by the color of your skin or the size of your tusks. You just need to accept it and stay (mostly) faithful to its tenets.
The Argent Crusade probably has Light-worshiping Priests and Paladins of various abnormal races in its ranks already. Players probably won't be able to play Orc Paladins and such since racial classes are determined by what's most indicative of the race's culture, and Light worship is most definitely not widespread among Orcs, Trolls, Tauren, Night Elves, et cetera. It would be a very rare thing, but certainly possible from a lore point of view.
Ken asked...
The Tribunal of Ages in Halls of Stone revealed that the reason the Titans didn't destroy the Old Gods. If they did, that would destroy all of Azeroth, so they just locked them away. However, in the game we've already killed C'thun and Yogg-Saron is likely to be the final boss of Ulduar. If the trend of mortal races killing Old Gods keeps up, isn't it likely that Azeroth would be destroyed?
There's one advantage we have over the Titans: We are tiny and can fit in small spaces. Do you think a Titan could've snuck inside C'Thun's stomach and taken him down from the inside out? Probably not. Killing C'Thun would've been some long, drawn out, catastrophic uprooting with all kinds of lasers and explosions. We're small enough that our kills can be a bit more surgical... and accidental. Poor C'Thun, undone by his afternoon snack.
It's that, or the world is going to collapse when their corpses start to rot away and we're friggin' screwed. It was nice knowing you, Azeroth.
That's all of the questions we're going to cover today, but I have a special secret for those of you that read this all the way through. Very, very soon, Michael Sacco and I are bringing sexy back. Are you excited? I'm excited.
Ask a Lore Nerd is here to answer all of your questions about the lore and story of the Warcraft universe. From the religions of the universe to the 'evils' of Azeroth, everything is fair game. If you want more in-depth answers to some of your questions, you may find what you're looking for in Know Your Lore.Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Lore, Ask a Lore Nerd
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
skreeran Mar 10th 2009 9:12AM
Why do goblin sappers blow themselves up on purpose when they have nothing to gain from it? They aren't exactly a race of religious zealots.
Malvolius Mar 10th 2009 9:24AM
Because they're crazy, and love explosions?
Moppentoff Mar 10th 2009 9:25AM
"Because it's cool"
peagle Mar 10th 2009 9:27AM
From what I read, they aren't suicide bombers. Many of them do blow themselves up through carelessness, but "those who survived have become much more focused in their art, preferring precision to risks." (wiki)
Dixonij Mar 10th 2009 3:12PM
What better way for a race of creatures who are always looking for a bigger and bigger explosion to go out with a bang?
skreeran Mar 10th 2009 5:14PM
Just to clarify, Blizzard's artwork shows goblin sappers wearing dynamite vests:
http://www.wowwiki.com/Image:GoblinSapperArt.jpg
Deadly. Off. Topic. Mar 11th 2009 12:11PM
Probably felt the need to compete with exploding gnomes.
Bart Mar 10th 2009 10:09AM
Your first 3 answers were great.
The last one? Not so much.
Its too silly.
Catiya of Feathermoon Mar 10th 2009 10:18AM
I have to agree here. What /was/ that x___x? Most are of the understanding that we've never kiled old gods, we just beat them back into submission a bit. You'd think someone writing "Ask a Lore Nerd" would have no problems saying that.
ninjasuperspy Mar 10th 2009 9:30AM
"...There can certainly be Orcish Paladins, but most Orcs simply don't put faith in the Light..." Exactly. I mean we won't get to PLAY them, but you certainly could have one if you wanted to play the World of Warcraft d20. Get together with some friends, you can be a Troll Paladin who is joining up with the Alliance if you wanted to.
Personally, I don't think that C'thun or Yogg will are able to DIE as such. We'll just kick them back into their dormant phases and reset them. I guess Titans just aren't able to squash that bug with enough finesse to not also blow up the planet. Look at Cthulhu, right? Or Yog-Sothoth. You can (sometimes) manage to close the door on them, but anything with enough power to actually destroy either entity would be so enormous that it would act on a scale measured in AU. Hell, even nuclear fission, the physical destruction of atoms can't do anything to the Big C. I guess a punch from a Titan is just too much for the fabric of reality.
So bring on the raid on Sargeras already. Sure his auto attack could obliterate planets, but my Paladin can't wait to equip Gorshalach. Frostmourne may be a hunter weapon, but I'm totally calling Paladin dibs on the Dark Render.
Kylenne Mar 10th 2009 9:48AM
If I were GMing that theoretical d20 game, I'd need a damned good explanation as to why a Troll who most likely spent his or her formative years believing in voodoo and practicing cannibalism became a believer in the Light to the point of Paladinhood before I'd allow it.
But I hate Drizzt-esque special snowflakeism in my tabletop games, particularly when there's been no thought behind it, and try to squash it when I can.
skreeran Mar 10th 2009 10:13AM
Take a look at Zabra Hexx, please.
And I think creative thought should be encouraged, as long as it's well informed and believable plausible. I'm sick of people beating down on anyone who feels the need to break out of the mundane norm.
ninjasuperspy Mar 10th 2009 10:16AM
@Kylenne: I agree completely. I've seen too many games run away with "I'm totally special" characters and devolve on the table itself. One of these days I'll manage to join up with a group that actually weds character concepts to a sense of group cohesion and with an eye towards what works together. Not one that builds for maximum effectiveness only (Three Battlefield Control mages, one Bow Cleric and a Natural Spell Druid?) but at least something where the stated purpose is "Build a group of elite Necromancer killing Black Ops squad" rather than "Here is my idea of a plucky underdog with great narrative potential."
Plucky underdogs work in fiction. Where dice and randomness come into play, plucky underdogs get their asses handed to them by Dusk Giants.
Veliaf Mar 10th 2009 12:35PM
@ninjasuperspy:
So a punch from a Titan is like a falcon punch then?
Falcon PAAAAAAUUUUUUNCH!
@Siona (from the article):
I'm pretty sure there have been cases of the Forsaken worshipping the light to the point of Paladinhood. Isn't there one in Light's Hope Chapel? Bartholomew the Revered, or some such.
AyaJulia Mar 10th 2009 12:55PM
@skeeran
When everyone is special, no one is special. Everyone in RP and tabletops and the like wants to be the unique little star, the center of attention. It's insulting to your fellow gamers, for one thing--if you and your crew are strolling through Stormwind, no one's going to notice anyone but the troll, and their experience and contribution is devalued. For another thing, contrived crap like that is exactly why a lot of people who would otherwise be interested in RP shy away from it, and exactly why a lot of people who aren't interested in RP ceaselessly mock those who are.
People can't be happy creating characters within the universe that has been painstakingly detailed around them... they have to be special little vampire spy cross-faction cross-class divas. It's not creativity, it's Mary Sue at its worst.
Sean Riley Mar 10th 2009 2:24PM
I'd allow the troll paladin, but I'd make sure they understood the cost when they did it.
It means they'll be reviled by their own kind. It means they'll never be welcome in Sen'Jin Village again. They've betrayed the loa and the spirits. They are outcast.
And I'd construct plots around that, too.
Rampant Mary-Sueism is a potential problem here, but it's also got the potential for an excellent, dramatic plot, and I wouldn't want to stifle that in worry.
skreeran Mar 10th 2009 5:33PM
@AyaJulia
Hence my saying that it should be well thought out and plausible. We've seen trolls who follow the light, and shaman who wear plate. We've also seen entire groups of humans who entered into alliances with the Horde and Draenei who worship evil powers. Why can't we play them?
I agree that when actively roleplaying, it is polite to play a character of minimal outlandishness, but is it fair to tell someone that they are not allowed to create such a character? I find the term Mary-sue to be an incredibly elitist term, honestly. One could say that Aragorn is mary-sue. Or Captain Kirk. Or King Arthur. Or Forrest Gump. They are great stories nonetheless.
Yes, there needs to be actual work put into the story, rather than just spitting out ideas and calling it art, but it's not fair to insult anyone who wants their character to be more than a simple footsoldier/farmer/peasant.
Angus Mar 10th 2009 7:35PM
@AyaJulia
"When everyone is special, no one is special. "
An Impossibles reference? Really?
We may not agree on everything, but I can respect you just for that. =)
ROB13 Mar 10th 2009 9:33AM
A response to the question regarding C'thun.
We didn't actually kill C'thun, no we just stopped him from re-entering Azeroth, so we might see C'thun later in the game, except without a eye. As for Yogg-Sarron, I don't know what we are doing with him, maybe staple his mouth shut or something iunno...
Muse Mar 10th 2009 9:49AM
Lobotomy. It's his brain we're fighting.