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.
Woah! That was.. what's that word.. Epic? o.o The waves hitting the rocks and such. You should'nt just an MMO by it's graphics but that right there just made me soil myself.
Oh my gosh! Deathwing is really Tyrael in disguise! He broke the World Stone in that big ol' cavern and then flew out. So I guess that answers the question of exactly how much later Cataclysm takes place on the timeline. It's right after the end of Act V of Diablo II.
Okay, so there's Thrall in his new getup. But do they explain anywhere why Garrosh now looks like a horrible Frankenstein monster? Did he get into his political rival, Abasik Campfire?
Will there be any in game ceremony or explanation when Thrall hands over the Horde to Garrosh? It would be weird to just wake up one day and see Garrosh in the bossman seat, and Thrall gone. PS: I voted for a basic campfire
People have been getting confused alot by this, I think it's time to exercise my lore nerdiness.
The Maelstrom is indeed where the Well of Eternity was. It Imploded because the Night Elves and Demons were putting to much strain on it, as it was, at the time, the sole magical font of the entire world.
So Sargeras is out, strollin; around the Twisting Nether, when he sees Azeroth, the pride and joy of his siblings. Being the evil, angsty teenager he is, he wants to destroy all of his sibling's work, ESPECIALLY Azeroth.
However, his body is too large/too grand/too powerful to enter Azeroth by conventional means. Perhaps entering it on his own would mean total destruction of the planet and he would be unable to ravage it on his own and enslave the natives. So, he needs someone to create a portal. A big portal. One that uses a lot of energy. Coincidentally, there's also an ungodly amount of energy concentrated in the Well.
But he isn't the only one. The Old Gods, trapped somehwere beneath Azeroth or in one of the elemental planes, have the same idea. So they manipulate Deathwing into creating the Demon Soul, which will give the Well that extra juice it needs to open such a grand portal. Once Sargeras is through, they will somehow use his power (or something, it isn't ever really clear) to get back into Azeroth.
Unfortunately it fails. The magnificent Time Wizard and his stalwart companion Korialstrasz (did I spell that right?) managed to stop said nefarious plans. Unfortunately, these plans had gone too far, and the Well imploded.
What happens now is kind of when you add water to a sugary drink. In this case, let the sugar be magic. The more water you add, the more diluted the sweet taste is. This is basically what happens; the Well explodes, releasing all the delicious sugar-magic into the world. Instead of all this power being concentrated, it is now diluted across the world. This is why only Elves knew how to use magic at first; they were the closest to the Well, and no one else was close enough to wield magic.
So in the end, the Well implodes, the world is sundered into three land masses, and the elves quabble for a very long time. Where the Well once was is now the Maelstron; a massive whirlpool leading to only god knows where.
Perhaps there was a bit of concentrated magic left in that whirpool or perhaps the implosion left the area completely devoid of magic. Either way, the Maelstrom was still a focal point. Deathwing, being far less grand than Sargeras, could bust out of there without a portal whatsoever, but he still needed to recover enough, which is why it took him so long.
So, to sum it up: Yes, the Maelstrom was once the Well, but due to concentrated/devoid magic, it was and still is a focal point.
Jul 15th 2010 at 5:00PM 
Reader Comments (Page 6 of 6)
Encon Jul 15th 2010 9:21PM
I believe I have just shit a brick.
BRB hospital.
Pat Jul 15th 2010 9:58PM
Woah! That was.. what's that word.. Epic? o.o The waves hitting the rocks and such. You should'nt just an MMO by it's graphics but that right there just made me soil myself.
Drahken Jul 15th 2010 10:39PM
Oh my gosh! Deathwing is really Tyrael in disguise! He broke the World Stone in that big ol' cavern and then flew out. So I guess that answers the question of exactly how much later Cataclysm takes place on the timeline. It's right after the end of Act V of Diablo II.
Okay, so there's Thrall in his new getup. But do they explain anywhere why Garrosh now looks like a horrible Frankenstein monster? Did he get into his political rival, Abasik Campfire?
david_maurice Jul 16th 2010 2:06AM
OH MY G-
Dammit.
david_maurice Jul 16th 2010 2:07AM
Apparently the comment system removed two of the lines..
(diving down)
OH MY GO-
(loading screen)
Dammit.
Chivvy Jul 16th 2010 3:33AM
*watches Gryphon enter the rift*
*hums the Doctor Who Theme*
Chivvy Jul 16th 2010 3:35AM
Damn, someone got there before me...
*hums it anyway*
micktha Jul 16th 2010 3:57AM
Only one word can describe this clip:
EPIC
yujie.max Jul 16th 2010 5:14AM
I like how the Gryphon ferries you from one realm to another but cannot be bothered to save you from that 1000+ fall damage.
ki Jul 16th 2010 11:35AM
Interesting video, at least I know where thrall will be in cata. Garrosh may do something good, but Thrall will ALWAYS be our faction leader, period.
Clansey Jul 16th 2010 2:11PM
Will there be any in game ceremony or explanation when Thrall hands over the Horde to Garrosh? It would be weird to just wake up one day and see Garrosh in the bossman seat, and Thrall gone.
PS: I voted for a basic campfire
Zakarii Jul 17th 2010 7:48AM
People have been getting confused alot by this, I think it's time to exercise my lore nerdiness.
The Maelstrom is indeed where the Well of Eternity was. It Imploded because the Night Elves and Demons were putting to much strain on it, as it was, at the time, the sole magical font of the entire world.
So Sargeras is out, strollin; around the Twisting Nether, when he sees Azeroth, the pride and joy of his siblings. Being the evil, angsty teenager he is, he wants to destroy all of his sibling's work, ESPECIALLY Azeroth.
However, his body is too large/too grand/too powerful to enter Azeroth by conventional means. Perhaps entering it on his own would mean total destruction of the planet and he would be unable to ravage it on his own and enslave the natives. So, he needs someone to create a portal. A big portal. One that uses a lot of energy. Coincidentally, there's also an ungodly amount of energy concentrated in the Well.
But he isn't the only one. The Old Gods, trapped somehwere beneath Azeroth or in one of the elemental planes, have the same idea. So they manipulate Deathwing into creating the Demon Soul, which will give the Well that extra juice it needs to open such a grand portal. Once Sargeras is through, they will somehow use his power (or something, it isn't ever really clear) to get back into Azeroth.
Unfortunately it fails. The magnificent Time Wizard and his stalwart companion Korialstrasz (did I spell that right?) managed to stop said nefarious plans. Unfortunately, these plans had gone too far, and the Well imploded.
What happens now is kind of when you add water to a sugary drink. In this case, let the sugar be magic. The more water you add, the more diluted the sweet taste is. This is basically what happens; the Well explodes, releasing all the delicious sugar-magic into the world. Instead of all this power being concentrated, it is now diluted across the world. This is why only Elves knew how to use magic at first; they were the closest to the Well, and no one else was close enough to wield magic.
So in the end, the Well implodes, the world is sundered into three land masses, and the elves quabble for a very long time. Where the Well once was is now the Maelstron; a massive whirlpool leading to only god knows where.
Perhaps there was a bit of concentrated magic left in that whirpool or perhaps the implosion left the area completely devoid of magic. Either way, the Maelstrom was still a focal point. Deathwing, being far less grand than Sargeras, could bust out of there without a portal whatsoever, but he still needed to recover enough, which is why it took him so long.
So, to sum it up: Yes, the Maelstrom was once the Well, but due to concentrated/devoid magic, it was and still is a focal point.
Hope this helps to clear things up.