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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsThe Queue: Mists of the Naaru
by Mathew McCurley 
Aug 7th 2011 at 12:00PM
You know who I miss? The naaru. What's up with our wind chime friends? Are they all on vacation from fighting the Legion? I don't think I've spoken to a naaru since I helped out old crusader What's-His-Face in Icecrown, dying his slow and painful death just moments away from the fun and merriment of the Argent Tournament. More naaru! I hope the next expansion is called Mists of the Naaru and we get playable naaru because naaaaarrrrrruuuuuuuuuuuuuu ...
Arrohon said:
[In reference to yesterday's title image] If most of the TCG artwork is anywhere near the quality of that, I will probably have to start collecting them.
Yes, it is. We say it all the time, but it always bears repeating: The Cryptozoic artists are some of the most talented in the business. Big, big props to its art team for coming up with all of the amazing art that they do. I love it all.
Quaza asked:
Q4tQ:
Did the events of Thrall: Twilight of the aspects happen before or after his banishment to the four elemental planes? Nozdormu is there, but I don't see any other evidence.
The events of Christie Golden's newest book, Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects, occur before the events of patch 4.2 but after the events on patch 4.1, I believe. Or around the same time. Basically, Thrall happens before 4.2 but after Cho'gall and Nefarian have been taken care of and during the events of the Dragonwrath, Tarecgosa's Rest storyline. I will not talk spoilers here (when is it okay to talk openly about spoilers, anyway?), but the Dragonwrath, Tarecgosa's Wrath storyline has a bit that is addressed in the book. So we are essentially in Firelands -- at least the early stages of the invasion -- during the novel, but that Thrall/Aggra quest hasn't taken place yet. It's weird.
eresin asked:
Why is it that we cannot fly in the Molten Front area. The druid of the talons can fly about (the do save us when we fall if miss those silly platforms). I know the area isn't that large so it's not like it takes ages to get from one end to the other, but I was wondering if there was a specific reason we can't fly?
Or will we have "warm weather flying" introduced soon?
Blizzard designed The Molten Front with ground mounts in mind. Look at all of the quests that have you running up ramps, running through fire, falling into holes, doing jumping puzzles ... The biggest problem with flying in the game world is that all of those environmental challenges become null and void the second you hop on your flying mount, and that's sort of dumb. I like that some places like Tol Barad and the Molten Front are still ground mount only.
The reason you cannot fly in The Molten Front is purely a game design reason and nothing more.
alzeer asked:
Q for the Q
the artwork of deathwing shows his size to be as big as small town at least
how did he fit into the dark portal when he ran away to outland?
Dragons in the World of Warcraft have a knack for shape-shifting and changing their size. They do it frequently. In Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects, you learn a naughty little tidbit of information about Alexstrasza, Krasus, and their human forms. I won't spoil. You are more than welcome to tweet Anne about it, though. When are we doing that Know Your Lore about dragons and their human form activities, anyway?
Elazul asked:
Am I the only one that thinks Bolvar will be a Deux Ex Machina at some point?
No, a lot of people believe that Bolvar is being set up for one fantastical thing or another. But the fact remains that Blizzard is over and done with the Lich King story for now. Bolvar was used to patch up a hole and make for some compelling lore, and now it's over. We will not have any Lich King news or a unifed Scourge again for a long time, if ever. That chapter has pretty much been closed. However, would I like to see a little Bolvar influence? It might be pretty cool. A good faction of playable nerubians under the control of Bolvar would be nice ...
Have questions about the World of Warcraft? The WoW Insider crew is here with The Queue, our daily Q&A column. Leave your questions in the comments, and we'll do our best to answer 'em!
Filed under: The Queue
Reader Comments (Page 2 of 10)
Silversol Aug 8th 2011 12:27AM
"Thanks for spoiling for people, like me, who haven't read it yet. BTW you want to spoil any other stories? I am dieing to know how all stories end so I don't have to force myself to enjoy reading them myself. "
Bruce Willis is a ghost the entire movie.
Brad Pitt's character was never real.
Kevin Spacey is Keizer Soze
The world as we know it is actually run my machines that are using our bodies for fuel.
Both Romeo and Juliet die in the end.
Tempest Keep was merely a setback.
Doz Aug 8th 2011 1:02AM
Another spoiler alert: the easter bunny is not real. Well, not real anymore, we ate him for dinner.
RogueJedi86 Aug 8th 2011 1:37AM
To be fair, Josh never said what book the spoiler happens in, so he didn't really have to put a spoiler warning. For all I knew he spoilered in some quest in Twilight Highlands that I didn't get to yet. How did y'all know what it was a spoiler from if you haven't read the thing the spoiler is from?
Thayer Aug 7th 2011 12:12PM
When we visit the Firelands for the first time in the Unbeatable Pterodactyl questline we are told that flying works differently in the Firelands, which is why we have to use mounts that have been specially trained to fly there (or something like that, it's been awhile). Perhaps the druids have been practicing in their flight forms? I'd assume it's easier for them to understand that it's a different environment than it is for your poor confused gryphon or wyvern.
AudreyR Aug 7th 2011 12:25PM
It's one of the moments when physics actually break through the magic. All that fire would cause tons of updrafts. If you and your mount aren't used to it, it would make any semblance of safe flight completely out of the question.
Tirrimas Aug 7th 2011 12:33PM
It's referenced in a quest where we rescue Druids of the Talon who crash and burn while getting caught in the thermals. So even they don't have it mastered yet.
Hollow Leviathan Aug 7th 2011 2:02PM
So when can I train Hot-Weather Flying?
GormanGhaste Aug 7th 2011 2:14PM
Of course, if this were why we can't fly in the Molten Front, then we should be able to fly our Flameward Hippogryphs there, as I assume they would be proficient at flying in that environment!
Thomas Higgins Aug 8th 2011 4:28AM
To HollowLeviathan, (cool name, bro).
As soon as Blizz thinks they need another gold sink. It has happened before, it will happen again.
Drakkenfyre Aug 7th 2011 12:14PM
Don't make fun of the NPC you help.
He was based on Bradford C. Bridenbecker, who passed away in 2007 from cancer. His brother requested a character in his honor, and was given a choice between being part of the main storyline of the expansion, or an epic chain quest.
http://www.wowpedia.org/Crusader_Bridenbrad
Mathew McCurley Aug 7th 2011 12:52PM
I am pretty sure that I did not make fun of Bridenbrad, but the fact that his resting place and in-game demise happens in eyeshot of Azeroth's equivalent of a renaissance faire. Everyone knows who Bridenbrad is created for.
Michael Martine Aug 7th 2011 1:19PM
I don't see how McCurley was making fun at all. Personally, I found the quest to be touching. I won't say I cried, but I may have rubbed my eyes due to sleep deprivation.
Drakkenfyre Aug 7th 2011 1:30PM
"since I helped out old crusader What's-His-Face in Icecrown, dying his slow and painful death just moments away from the fun and merriment of the Argent Tournament."
The whole line just sounds disrespectful.
Beleth Aug 9th 2011 2:18AM
"The whole line just sounds disrespectful."
It sounds more like he's pointing out the absurdity of a valiant crusader dying while people laugh and enjoy pageantry a couple feet away. It seems to me like you're trying to find offence where there is none.
Peebers Aug 7th 2011 2:03PM
you're disrespectful, shut up
Hollow Leviathan Aug 7th 2011 2:04PM
The timeline is all wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey. The Brigenbrad chain is supposed to be done and complete prior to 3.2 and the construction of the Tourney there, but they're not going to very well remove it for the sake of alts and later-comers.
Steffan Aug 7th 2011 2:28PM
Woah, Bridenbrad was made in honor of someone? Bloody hell, I need to throw away my "Bridenbrad Sucks" tshirt.
(In all seriousness, I didn't know that he was based off someone. Shows how late to the party I am)
Amaxe Aug 7th 2011 2:44PM
I see no mockery in McCurley's comments.
It does seem stupid on the part of Blizz to have put in the AT a few yards from where a man is dying.
Personally I always found the Bridenband arc one of the most touching, and at the end, I always target Bridenband and /pray as a personal tribute to the crusader.
I must say I never knew before today that it was based on a real person.
Knob Aug 7th 2011 3:09PM
Remember that the Argent Tournament was originally planned to be held in Crystalsong Forest, but due to the lag already created by Dalaran being there, Blizzard decided it probably wasn't a good idea for it to be placed there and moved it to Icecrown.
MisterRik Aug 7th 2011 3:12PM
Well, remember that the original plan was for the Argent Tournament to be located in Crystalsong Forest, until they realized that the Dalaran Lag Effect would make things like jousting downright impossible. Had they gone with the original plan, then Bridenbrad's little camp would have effectively been at the far north edge of the frozen wastes of Icecrown with nothing and nobody nearby. And of course, that was his intent - to get as far away from other people has he could so that he wouldn't infect them.