The latest build of the Cataclysm beta opened Deepholm, Azeroth's elemental plane of earth, for questing and leveling. Understandably, the big question on everybody's mind was "how exactly do we get there?" It's underground, after all, in another dimension.
Well, as it turns out, it involves a certain orc shaman, a particularly large whirlpool, and a very brave flying mount. Check out the incredibly epic entry into Deepholm in our video after the break, and then try to imagine how anything else in the expansion can top that flight -- or that zone.
This is a video of a conversation between Vol'jin and Thrall, where Vol'jin asks why Garrosh is in charge. Thrall basically says he has failed to hold the Horde together, and that people need Garrosh because he won't tolerate traitors or ally with humans.
Thrall: "For all my supposed wisdom, there have been moments that I've barely been able to hold the Horde together. The Wrathgate and the Undercity displayed that clearly.
The Horde cries for a hero of old. An Orc of true blood that will bow to no human and suffer no betrayal... I know the Horde will be irreversibly changed. But I made this choice with confidence that Garrosh is exactly what the Horde needs".
So, it seems Thrall has given up on peace and thinks what the Horde really needs is a leader who won't be nice to the Alliance.
Anyone with half a political brain should see the endless possibilities for the Alliance to gain from the obvious lack of leadership and resentment between racial leaders in the Horde. Anyone except the half-wit that is Varian Wrynn. Why exactly do have humans "Diplomacy" as a racial if they never seem to use it? Use the tensions in the horde for gain. I mean, Voljin is on the edge of leaving the horde. The Forsaken and the Orcs/Tauren never really got along. And the blood elves don't particularly seem to care about the Horde as a whole either. It shouldn't be too hard to open bilateral negotiations with the individual Horde races and have them break from the Horde. The Trolls, for example, seem to be pretty peaceful right now, so if you guaranteed them territorial integrity, they might be less willing to shed blood in a senseless war started by Garrosh over something minor.
I'm sure that by the end of the expansion, Thrall will return to the Horde, refreshed by his better, stronger connection to the elements and his mastery of them. He will gladly take the reins back from the petty Garrosh, who will probably be drinking demon blood and actually be a raid boss in the next expansion.
Dunno if its a bug in the dialog or what, but the guy on the back of the bird says that Deepholm will collapse in to Azeroth.
Also, I thought where deathwing broke through (as was reported elsewhere) was somewhere in the Eastern Kingdoms? Never has it been said that the Maelstrom led to Deepholme.
Actually that was the original statement but it wasn't canon, they changed their minds and made this happen, not lore lol because it never even made it into a game.
In the original cataclysm trailer, it starts talking about the maelstrom churning and then it explodes into red. I think it was pretty clear that was the intention from the start. What sources said it was the eastern kingdoms? I know that's where he seemed to have head first but I don't remember anything saying that was his point of emerging.
Deepholm can collapse into Azeroth because the titans made it to house the elementals. If you think of it as an extension of Azeroth, then it's more like the pillar is pushing the planes down rather that keeping azeroth above. That stone thing is the support for keeping the planes down, if it breaks Deepholm collapses upwards into Azeroth. I don't know if the word "collapse" is allowed to be used like that, and it's sort of a mindf*** because it seems backwards.
Another thing is, this is different dimensions, so up and down don't apply as easily, even if it does, Azeroth is the main body and would be the source of "gravity". Whatever happens, things go towards it.
I think they changed it because they wouldn't have been able to make satisfying huge Deathwing-sized eruption hole without making it an entire zone wide.
Plus they now have something to do with the Maelstrom besides a giant storm that would've killed anyone that tried to go into it. Now my only question: does the Maelstrom continue as a giant whirlpool all the way down to the bottom of the ocean? That's what I always figured, but now that it's a portal I can see reason to make it otherwise.
I think in the war for the ancients books the old gods where manipulating everyone, hoping to use deathwing to take control of the well eternity from the burning legion and somehow use the well of eternity to release themselves. So I guess I could see how it might be a week point/dimential vortex thingy into deepholm....
Jul 15th 2010 at 5:00PM 
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 6)
Matt Jul 15th 2010 5:20PM
Go ahead and just try that, Varian.
Our faction leader >>>>>>> your faction leader.
Enor Jul 15th 2010 5:21PM
He's not your faction leader anymore. Try again.
Muse Jul 15th 2010 5:26PM
Wrynn doesn't wear a dress, however.
RothKeahi Jul 15th 2010 5:38PM
Enor, Thrall will ALWAYS be our faction leader.
Dart Matsuraki Jul 15th 2010 5:39PM
It's a battle skirt! >:(
jealouspirate Jul 15th 2010 5:45PM
Thrall may be a wicked Shaman, but according to his own word he's not a very good Warchief.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIqSdOP44ao
This is a video of a conversation between Vol'jin and Thrall, where Vol'jin asks why Garrosh is in charge. Thrall basically says he has failed to hold the Horde together, and that people need Garrosh because he won't tolerate traitors or ally with humans.
Thrall:
"For all my supposed wisdom, there have been moments that I've barely been able to hold the Horde together. The Wrathgate and the Undercity displayed that clearly.
The Horde cries for a hero of old. An Orc of true blood that will bow to no human and suffer no betrayal... I know the Horde will be irreversibly changed. But I made this choice with confidence that Garrosh is exactly what the Horde needs".
So, it seems Thrall has given up on peace and thinks what the Horde really needs is a leader who won't be nice to the Alliance.
Red Viking Jul 15th 2010 5:49PM
Oh God, are we really going to do the whole "Our faction leaders are better than your faction leaders" spiel again?
Really?
robbe_truyens Jul 15th 2010 6:33PM
Three words:
High Tinker Mekkatorque.
fudge Jul 15th 2010 6:38PM
Anyone with half a political brain should see the endless possibilities for the Alliance to gain from the obvious lack of leadership and resentment between racial leaders in the Horde. Anyone except the half-wit that is Varian Wrynn.
Why exactly do have humans "Diplomacy" as a racial if they never seem to use it?
Use the tensions in the horde for gain. I mean, Voljin is on the edge of leaving the horde. The Forsaken and the Orcs/Tauren never really got along. And the blood elves don't particularly seem to care about the Horde as a whole either.
It shouldn't be too hard to open bilateral negotiations with the individual Horde races and have them break from the Horde. The Trolls, for example, seem to be pretty peaceful right now, so if you guaranteed them territorial integrity, they might be less willing to shed blood in a senseless war started by Garrosh over something minor.
Kaylek Jul 15th 2010 8:10PM
Not the faction leader they need, but the faction leader they deserve.
Eddy Jul 15th 2010 10:14PM
I'm sure that by the end of the expansion, Thrall will return to the Horde, refreshed by his better, stronger connection to the elements and his mastery of them. He will gladly take the reins back from the petty Garrosh, who will probably be drinking demon blood and actually be a raid boss in the next expansion.
Suzaku Jul 16th 2010 2:16AM
@Muse: Not currently, but he used to:
http://www.wowwiki.com/File:VarienWrynnKingofStormwind.jpg
Considering that this model of Thrall is flagged as a placeholder, I think you might want to hold your tongue about faction leaders in skirts.
slythwolf Jul 16th 2010 3:35AM
"Thrall will ALWAYS be our faction leader."
THIS. Thrall is my Warchief; I will have no other.
Olee Jul 15th 2010 5:26PM
Dunno if its a bug in the dialog or what, but the guy on the back of the bird says that Deepholm will collapse in to Azeroth.
Also, I thought where deathwing broke through (as was reported elsewhere) was somewhere in the Eastern Kingdoms? Never has it been said that the Maelstrom led to Deepholme.
LORELOL?
Darky Jul 15th 2010 5:40PM
Actually that was the original statement but it wasn't canon, they changed their minds and made this happen, not lore lol because it never even made it into a game.
Red Viking Jul 15th 2010 5:45PM
They had originally planned for Deathwing to break out north of Stormwind, but they changed their minds and had him break out from Maelstrom instead.
And the Maelstrom leads to Deepholm now because Deathwing shattered the boundaries that separated Azeroth from the elemental planes.
kazeko.fuuga Jul 15th 2010 5:50PM
In the original cataclysm trailer, it starts talking about the maelstrom churning and then it explodes into red. I think it was pretty clear that was the intention from the start. What sources said it was the eastern kingdoms? I know that's where he seemed to have head first but I don't remember anything saying that was his point of emerging.
Deepholm can collapse into Azeroth because the titans made it to house the elementals. If you think of it as an extension of Azeroth, then it's more like the pillar is pushing the planes down rather that keeping azeroth above. That stone thing is the support for keeping the planes down, if it breaks Deepholm collapses upwards into Azeroth. I don't know if the word "collapse" is allowed to be used like that, and it's sort of a mindf*** because it seems backwards.
Another thing is, this is different dimensions, so up and down don't apply as easily, even if it does, Azeroth is the main body and would be the source of "gravity". Whatever happens, things go towards it.
CDave Jul 15th 2010 5:51PM
I think they changed it because they wouldn't have been able to make satisfying huge Deathwing-sized eruption hole without making it an entire zone wide.
Plus they now have something to do with the Maelstrom besides a giant storm that would've killed anyone that tried to go into it. Now my only question: does the Maelstrom continue as a giant whirlpool all the way down to the bottom of the ocean? That's what I always figured, but now that it's a portal I can see reason to make it otherwise.
Whispertrance Jul 15th 2010 5:35PM
Not to be a, you know, noodge, or anything, but...
... wasn't the Maelstrom the place where the Well of Eternity imploded, causing the Great Sundering? Not an entrance into Deepholm.
I guess it would make sense if they explained it away as a weak point between dimensions, but... uhm, there's nothing.
Derleth Jul 15th 2010 5:42PM
I think in the war for the ancients books the old gods where manipulating everyone, hoping to use deathwing to take control of the well eternity from the burning legion and somehow use the well of eternity to release themselves. So I guess I could see how it might be a week point/dimential vortex thingy into deepholm....