WoW Insiderhttp://wow.joystiq.comWoW Insiderhttp://wow.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gifWoW Insiderhttp://wow.joystiq.comen-usCopyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/WoW Insider ShowEvery week, the WoW Insider Show brings you news and views from the World of Warcraft and the site that covers it all, WoW Insider. We introduce a panel of rotating guests, including bloggers from WoW Insider and other WoW blogs, and many popular personalities from around the WoW community. From the live listener chat and polls during the show, to the emails direct from listeners (reach us at theshow@wow.com), right on to the "meat" of the show -- in-depth discussion of the most popular news and posts on WoW Insider -- the WoW Insider Show is a terrific source of news and entertainment about what's going on with Blizzard and their World of Warcraft. Listen live every Saturday at 3:30 pm Eastern on our Ustream page (http://www.ustream.tv/channel/wow-insider-show) or subscribe to the feed and let us know what you think by reviewing the show right here in iTunes.Mists of Pandaria: Sunwalker Dezco for Warchiefhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/24/mists-of-pandaria-sunwalker-dezco-for-warchief/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/24/mists-of-pandaria-sunwalker-dezco-for-warchief/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/24/mists-of-pandaria-sunwalker-dezco-for-warchief/#commentsFiled under: , ,

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Spoilers for Mists of Pandaria in this post.

I cannot tell you how much I enjoy Sunwalker Dezco. As a tauren, I love the idea that there's a tauren presence in Pandaria, and that unlike most of the Horde the leadership of said tauren, actually uses the quotes around the word Warchief when talking about Messere Hellscream.

I first met the Sunwalker in the Krasarang Wilds. He was leading an expedition to Pandaria inspired by the visions of his wife. After that, I ran into him again helping out against the mantid, then in Kun-Lai Summit at the Temple of the White Tiger, where he gives out a quest to meet with one of the August Celestials within the Temple of the White Tiger. After Xuen, the White Tiger, tests your mettle, he allows you and Dezco (if you're Horde) to go south. Pretty much everything Dezco says or does shows that he's loyal to the Horde, but clearly less than enamored with Garrosh and his particular way of leading it. Dezco is very involved with the quests leading to the Vale of Eternal Blossoms as well as Krasarang and Valley of the Four Winds, and he's at once a determined bringer of the light and a much more tolerant and reasonable Horde figure than we've seen in some time.

I'm just glad to see a new, no-nonsense tauren lore figure, and to see the tauren taking some initiative in Pandaria. And I admit, I love the idea of a sarcastic tauren paladin.

It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!

WoW InsiderMists of Pandaria: Sunwalker Dezco for Warchief originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 24 May 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>DezcoHordekrasarang-wildskun-lai-summitloremists-of-pandariamists-of-pandaria-betamists-of-pandaria-lorePandariaShuhaloSunwalker-DezcoTaurenvale-of-eternal-blossomsvalley-of-the-four-windsMatthew RossiThu, 24 May 2012 20:00:00 ESTKnow Your Lore: Archimonde the Defilerhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/know-your-lore-archimonde-the-defiler/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/know-your-lore-archimonde-the-defiler/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/23/know-your-lore-archimonde-the-defiler/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft.

Let this scar signify the first blow against the mortal world. From this seal shall arise the doom of men, who, in their arrogance, sought to wield our fire as their own. Blindly they build their kingdoms upon stolen knowledge and conceit. Now they shall be consumed by the very flame they sought to control. Let the echoes of doom resound across this wretched world, that all who live may hear them and despair.

He came to destroy the world, and he nearly did. If not for the combined efforts of the orcs of the Horde and their allies under Warchief Thrall, the human refugees led by Jaina Proudmoore, and the night elves under Tyrande Whisperwind, Archimonde the Defiler would have walked up to Nordrassil, the World Tree that sits atop Mount Hyjal, and he would have consumed it utterly. With it, he would have gained all the power of the Well of Eternity that has seeped up the tree's massive roots over tens of thousands of years, making him quite possibly the most powerful entity Azeroth has ever seen, even including beings like Deathwing, the Old Gods, and potentially even Sargeras himself.

In the end, however, the mortal races banded together in a desperate alliance and held Archimonde and his Burning Legion away from the tree long enough for Malfurion Stormrage to play a final, desperate plan that Archimonde couldn't anticipate, because it involved self-sacrifice, the loss of the night elven immortality. For Archimonde, who had lived for more than 25,000 years constantly coveting power, the idea of giving it up was unthinkable. Combined with his ego and arrogance, he was effectively blind to the danger, and so he died.

We hope. Make no mistake -- Archimonde, of all the Burning Legion, came the closest to actually destroying Azeroth. Neither Sargeras nor Kil'jaeden ever walked Azeroth bodily. Archimonde did. Neither Sargeras nor Kil'jaeden ever set eyes on the Well of Eternity. Archimonde stood mere yards from it, drawing the power from Nordrassil. The Defiler very nearly did exactly that to all of Azeroth.

Continue reading Know Your Lore: Archimonde the Defiler

WoW InsiderKnow Your Lore: Archimonde the Defiler originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 23 May 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Archimondefeaturedguideguide-to-loreKiljaedenlorelore-guiderole-playrole-playing-guiderp-guideSargerasThe-Burning-LegionWell-of-Eternityworld-of-warcraft-lorewow-guidewow-lorewow-role-playingwow-role-playing-guidewow-rpwow-rp-guidewow-rpingMatthew RossiWed, 23 May 2012 14:00:00 ESTKnow Your Lore: State of the Horde, 2012http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/20/know-your-lore-state-of-the-horde-2012/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/20/know-your-lore-state-of-the-horde-2012/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/20/know-your-lore-state-of-the-horde-2012/#commentsFiled under: ,

The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft.

It's good to be Horde. All over the world of Azeroth, the Horde is conquering new territory, claiming new land and expanding far, far beyond the few holdings it had in vanilla World of Warcraft. Back then, the Horde merely eked out an existence, defending small outposts where it could. Sylvanas and her Forsaken stayed by and large in Tirisfal Glades, with a tiny outpost in Silverpine and a slightly larger one in Hillsbrad Foothills. The tauren stayed largely confined to Mulgore, with a few settlements to the south and southeast. The trolls took refuge in Orgrimmar, with no real land to call their own save one tiny village on the coast and another small outpost in Stranglethorn Vale.

Now, the Horde is branching out in a major way. Sylvanas has dominated the forests of Silverpine and the rolling farmlands of Hillsbrad and is working her way east through the Western Plaguelands. The trolls have taken back the Echo Isles, and the orcs of Orgimmar are claiming new land to the north and the east, moving in a tidal wave of barbaric conquering. The Horde is flush with the glorious victories in Northrend, eagerly seeking more territory. In Cataclysm, it's very, very good to be Horde.

Or so popular opinion states.

Continue reading Know Your Lore: State of the Horde, 2012

WoW InsiderKnow Your Lore: State of the Horde, 2012 originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sun, 20 May 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>baine-bloodhoofblood-elvesdarkspearfeaturedforsakengarrosh-hellscreamgoblinsguideguide-to-lorehordehorde-politicshorde-vs-alliancekorkronlorelore-guideorcsrole-playrole-playing-guiderp-guidesylvanas-windrunnertrollsvoljinworld-of-warcraft-lorewow-guidewow-lorewow-role-playingwow-role-playing-guidewow-rpwow-rp-guidewow-rpingAnne StickneySun, 20 May 2012 18:00:00 ESTWeapons of Lore: Rhok'delar, Longbow of the Ancient Keepershttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/19/weapons-of-lore-rhokdelar-longbow-of-the-ancient-keepers/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/19/weapons-of-lore-rhokdelar-longbow-of-the-ancient-keepers/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/19/weapons-of-lore-rhokdelar-longbow-of-the-ancient-keepers/#commentsFiled under:

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For hunters in vanilla WoW, it was the pinnacle of weapons -- a bow with incredibly powerful stats. But Rhok'delar wasn't without its issues, mainly concerning the ability to change the bow into a staff but not being able to use both staff and bow at the same time. This was eventually changed so that hunters could have both Rhok'delar and its counterpart, Lok'delar, Stave of the Ancient Keepers, after completing the Rhok'delar quest chain. And if that weren't enough, hunters also could obtain the Ancient Sinew Wrapped Lamia, an at the time unheard of 24-slot bag perfect for carrying around all the ammo a hunter could ask for.

Though all three of these items were only of epic quality, like Benediction, Rhok'delar represented a legendary test of skills for the player who tried to obtain it. Although Benediction only had one event for priests to frantically heal through, Rhok'delar contained four of these trials, all of which had to be completed without even a pet to assist. It was a brutal test of shooting, traps and hunter cunning, but those who completed the chain were richly rewarded.

And it all began with one unassuming petrified leaf, found in the fiery depths of Molten Core.

Continue reading Weapons of Lore: Rhok'delar, Longbow of the Ancient Keepers

WoW InsiderWeapons of Lore: Rhok'delar, Longbow of the Ancient Keepers originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sat, 19 May 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>ancient-sinew-wrapped-lamiaguide-to-lorehunter-questslokdelarlokdelar-stave-of-the-ancient-keeperslorelore-guiderhok-delarrhokdelarrhokdelar-longbow-of-the-ancient-keepersweapons-of-loreworld-of-warcraft-lorewow-loreAnne StickneySat, 19 May 2012 20:00:00 ESTKnow Your Lore: The Burning Legionhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/16/know-your-lore-the-burning-legion/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/16/know-your-lore-the-burning-legion/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/16/know-your-lore-the-burning-legion/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft.

They burn worlds to ash. They render the verdant uninhabitable. Theirs is not the evil of mad chaos, leaping to corrupt for amusement or decadence. They are the means by which the mad Titan seeks to unmake everything. They are the Burning Legion, and it is their purpose to end existence. Nothing less will satisfy Sargeras.

Yet even within the seemingly monolithic forces of the Legion, there's room for political intrigue of a sort. While Sargeras has seemingly caused his own exile from the seat of power, his former lieutenant Kil'Jaeden now leads the Legion, a position he seemingly aspires to hold indefinitely. And Azeroth is directly in his crosshairs.

Continue reading Know Your Lore: The Burning Legion

WoW InsiderKnow Your Lore: The Burning Legion originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 16 May 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Archimondefeaturedguideguide-to-loreIllidanKilJaedenlorelore-guideNathrezimNerzjulrole-playrole-playing-guiderp-guideSargerasThe-Burning-LegionThe-Lich-KingVelenworld-of-warcraft-lorewow-guidewow-lorewow-role-playingwow-role-playing-guidewow-rpwow-rp-guidewow-rpingMatthew RossiWed, 16 May 2012 15:00:00 ESTKnow Your Lore: A look at the lore of Diablohttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/14/know-your-lore-a-look-at-the-lore-of-diablo/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/14/know-your-lore-a-look-at-the-lore-of-diablo/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/14/know-your-lore-a-look-at-the-lore-of-diablo/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

This special edition of Know Your Lore presents an overview of the lore of the Diablo games and their setting, the world of Sanctuary. Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft. Enjoy this week's diversion into the world of Diablo III.

The Diablo games are very different from anything in the Warcraft setting, a far more black-and-white morality played out in endless cosmic war between absolute forces of order and righteousness opposing evil and chaos. This war, the Great or Eternal Conflict, is so massive in scale and scope that it can almost be said to be endless. The war predates the world of Sanctuary, the realm where mortal men and women are born and live out their lives. Indeed, Sanctuary itself was created by a rogue angel and his demonic lover and ally as a place to find an end to the war.

But before the conflict, before the universe itself existed, there was only Anu. Anu existed as a pearl, a central point which contained all evil and all good, all possibilities and all dualities contained within its mirrored surface. Yet Anu felt imperfect in its duality and sought purity in the rejection of its negative aspects, casting them aside to become a being of glittering diamond -- a perfected warrior. Yet what Anu rejected, his cast-off impurities themselves became perfection of a dark bent, forming the monstrous Tathamet. This seven-headed dragon declared war on the glittering Anu, who in turn sought to destroy that which he had cast out of himself.

Continue reading Know Your Lore: A look at the lore of Diablo

WoW InsiderKnow Your Lore: A look at the lore of Diablo originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 14 May 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Angiris-CouncilBaalBarbarians-Are-AwesomeDiabloDIablo-3Diablo-IIIfeaturedguideguide-to-loreLesser-Evilslorelore-guideMariusMephistoMount-ArreatPrime-Evilsrole-playrole-playing-guiderp-guideSanctuaryTheDark-WandererTyraelMatthew RossiMon, 14 May 2012 13:00:00 ESTKnow Your Lore: 5 potential new warchiefs for Mists of Pandariahttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/13/know-your-lore-5-potential-new-warchiefs-for-mists-of-pandaria/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/13/know-your-lore-5-potential-new-warchiefs-for-mists-of-pandaria/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/13/know-your-lore-5-potential-new-warchiefs-for-mists-of-pandaria/#commentsFiled under: ,

The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft.

Warcraft lore is a continually fluctuating beast of a thing that can change at a moment's notice. This is particularly true for stories and plot developments that we hear over the course of beta testing, prior to an expansion's actual release. Nothing announced for Mists of Pandaria in the way of plot development is really set in stone and slapped into lore until the day you can purchase the game for yourselves and play it to your heart's content.

Even then, things might not be what they appear to be. Early this week, we had a fairly eye-opening announcement from Community Manager Zarhym in which he stated that perhaps Thrall wasn't slated to make a return to warchief once Garrosh had been removed, unlike all previous assumptions had suggested. Given the fact that Thrall's just saved the world, not to mention the fact that he's about to be a father, it's hard to picture him gladly taking his place as warchief again. There are more reasons than just those, of course.

But then that leaves the major question: Who the heck is going to be warchief? We don't have answers, but we've got five interesting possibilities for you to consider.

Continue reading Know Your Lore: 5 potential new warchiefs for Mists of Pandaria

WoW InsiderKnow Your Lore: 5 potential new warchiefs for Mists of Pandaria originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sun, 13 May 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>aggrabaine-bloodhoofcairne-bloodhooffeaturedgarrosh-hellscreamguideguide-to-lorelorelore-guidemists-of-pandariarole-playrole-playing-guiderp-guidevarok-saurfangvoljinwarchiefwarchief-garroshwarchief-thrallworld-of-warcraft-lorewow-guidewow-lorewow-role-playingwow-role-playing-guidewow-rpwow-rp-guidewow-rpingAnne StickneySun, 13 May 2012 18:00:00 ESTKnow Your Lore: Otherworldly mysterieshttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/09/know-your-lore-otherworldly-mysteries/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/09/know-your-lore-otherworldly-mysteries/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/09/know-your-lore-otherworldly-mysteries/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

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The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft.

Draenor has always interested me. Note that I didn't say Outland, which is a part of the former world Draenor. While Outland itself is very interesting in its own right, one of the things I find fascinating about Draenor is that we do not know what it looked like. While we have a good understanding of one large continent (of which most survived as Outland), we don't know the entirety of that continent, nor do we know whether or not any other pieces of the lost red world survived.

What we do know is that Draenor died when Ner'zhul, the former elder shaman and de facto ruler of the Horde remnants that survived Gul'dan's treachery and Doomhammer's defeat, tried to use stolen magical artifacts to open portals to new worlds, hoping to find one to lead his people to settle on. He did this because the warlock magics taught to Gul'dan by Kil'jaeden had effectively rendered Draenor unlivable.

While Draenor was the homeworld of the orcish people, who evolved there, it was not named by them. Rather, it was the draenei fleeing the Burning Legion who gave the world its name. Draenor means "exile's refuge" in the eredun language. In addition, it was the arrival of the draenei and the naaru that led to the entrenched ancestor worship of the orcish people, as K'ure's tomb in Oshu'gun (the remains of the draenei vessel) attracted the spirits of the deceased to it. In turn, these spirits deliberately created a religion among their own descendents that would venerate K'ure's resting place, weaving orc and draenei together spiritually.

Draenor was a world of its own, and we barely knew it. And it's not the only world we know about in the Warcraft cosmos with strange, unexplained mysteries.

Continue reading Know Your Lore: Otherworldly mysteries

WoW InsiderKnow Your Lore: Otherworldly mysteries originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 09 May 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>AncientDraenorfeaturedGromguideguide-to-lorelorelore-guideOld-Godsrole-playrole-playing-guiderp-guideSargerasSatyrTitansworld-of-warcraft-lorewow-guidewow-lorewow-role-playingwow-role-playing-guidewow-rpwow-rp-guidewow-rpingMatthew RossiWed, 09 May 2012 12:00:00 ESTPass down these bona fide orcish proverbs to your young Hordelingshttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/07/pass-down-these-bona-fide-orcish-proverbs-to-your-young-hordelin/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/07/pass-down-these-bona-fide-orcish-proverbs-to-your-young-hordelin/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/07/pass-down-these-bona-fide-orcish-proverbs-to-your-young-hordelin/#commentsFiled under:

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When Mike Sacco passed down the orcish proverb "Every orc is worth a dozen," my world changed. Never had life been so simple, so distilled down to the real truth. If I wasn't strong enough as one person, I should just be as strong as more people. It was so simple that it just might work -- well, according to an orc.

Orcish proverbs straddle the fine line between clever and stupid. Not the bad kind of stupid, mind you; the forehead slap, the solemn head shake, a disappointed sigh are our connotations. Eventually, orcish proverbs began to flow, and the community took part in our Breakfast Topic dedicated to the subject. Here are some pearls of orcish wisdom that you can bring home to your loved ones to teach them a thing or two about hardiness, resolve, and fear.

Continue reading Pass down these bona fide orcish proverbs to your young Hordelings

WoW InsiderPass down these bona fide orcish proverbs to your young Hordelings originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 07 May 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>breakfast-topicorcorcish-proverborcsproverbMathew McCurleyMon, 07 May 2012 20:00:00 ESTKnow Your Lore: The evolution of Azeroth's creatureshttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/06/know-your-lore-the-evolution-of-azeroths-creatures/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/06/know-your-lore-the-evolution-of-azeroths-creatures/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/06/know-your-lore-the-evolution-of-azeroths-creatures/#commentsFiled under: ,

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The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft.

Were you one of the players who subscribed to the World of Warcraft magazine? While the Warcraft magazine had a limited run, for those who chose to subscribe, it presented a valuable wealth of information, particularly in the lore department. Sadly, the magazine is no longer in publication, but the information provided in the magazine shed a lot of light on the various questions that players had regarding lore in the Warcraft universe. And one of the hottest of hotbed topics was the question of origins. Where did the races of Azeroth come from? Which were related? Who came first?

The final issue of the Warcraft magazine answered almost every single last one of those origin-related questions in a piece supposedly scribbled down by one Brann Bronzebeard. Brann's known for exploring, and although his adventures as detailed in the Warcraft RPG books may or may not be canon, the notes he's taken in the Warcraft magazine are official. Even though we may not know the answers to questions like Elune's origins or the ultimate purpose of the Titans, we can certainly take a look at the origin of the species, Azeroth-style.

Continue reading Know Your Lore: The evolution of Azeroth's creatures

WoW InsiderKnow Your Lore: The evolution of Azeroth's creatures originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sun, 06 May 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>featuredguideguide-to-lorelorelore-guiderole-playrole-playing-guiderp-guideworld-of-warcraft-lorewow-guidewow-lorewow-role-playingwow-role-playing-guidewow-rpwow-rp-guidewow-rpingAnne StickneySun, 06 May 2012 18:00:00 ESTWeapons of Lore: Benedictionhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/04/weapons-of-lore-benediction/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/04/weapons-of-lore-benediction/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/04/weapons-of-lore-benediction/#commentsFiled under:

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For a priest, it represented the ultimate in weapons, a staff designed to assist with the greatest of healers or the darkest of shadowy specters. For others, the staff was a signal that the healer they'd just run into was one of the few and highly skilled, capable of keeping them alive in the darkest of situations. Though epic in quality, the staff Benediction was akin to a legendary in stats and appearance. Clicking on Benediction wouldn't give you wings or turn you into a mount; instead, the staff transformed into Anathema, a completely different staff with a completely different set of stats.

There has never been another weapon released with Benediction's glimmering golden model or with Anathema's dangerous silver spines. Benediction is no longer obtainable in game; it was removed when Cataclysm was introduced. But for players in vanilla WoW lucky enough to get the appropriate quest drops, Benediction represented the best of the best in healing staves for the majority of the original iteration of the game. Others looked at the weapon with awe, but the lucky priest who wielded it knew there was more to the staff than a set of killer stats.

Benediction may have been a brilliant weapon, but its origins were stained with the blood of thousands of innocents.

Continue reading Weapons of Lore: Benediction

WoW InsiderWeapons of Lore: Benediction originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 04 May 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>anathemaarthasbenedictioneastern-plaguelandseris-havenfireeye-of-divinityeye-of-shadowguide-to-lorelorelore-guidesplinter-of-nordrassilstratholmeweapons-of-loreworld-of-warcraft-lorewow-loreAnne StickneyFri, 04 May 2012 16:00:00 ESTKnow Your Lore: Fire stolen from heaven, fire stolen from hellhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/02/know-your-lore-fire-stolen-from-heaven-fire-stolen-from-hell/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/02/know-your-lore-fire-stolen-from-heaven-fire-stolen-from-hell/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/02/know-your-lore-fire-stolen-from-heaven-fire-stolen-from-hell/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft.

When you think about Azeroth as of right now, in a way, the stage has been set for some massive changes to the status quo. I mean, seriously, contemplate the following:
  • Ragnaros the Firelord, ruler of the Firelands and mastermind behind the invasion of Mount Hyjal and power behind the Molten Core, has been ultimately defeated in his own demesne, and the fire elementals are now scattered and leaderless. They pose little threat to the world for some time to come.
  • Likewise, Al'Akir's servants can call for his aid, but he's not likely to answer, having himself been deposed and slain alongside his son Thunderaan and even powerful servants like the Conclave of Wind and Prince Sarsarun. The air elementals are even more disrupted than those of fire.
  • Neptulon the Tidehunter may not be dead, but he's currently missing, having been seized by Ozumat and taken elsewhere, his ultimate fate as yet unknown. The naga invaded the elemental plane of water itself and may well still be there alongside the faceless ones.
  • While Therazane the Stonemother herself endures (the only elemental lord to still rule a plane), Deepholm itself has suffered much throughout the Cataclysm. Not only did Deathwing shatter the World Pillar (it was repaired, but for a time the Maelstrom threatened to collapse into Deepholm and Azeroth along with it), but wars broke out between the Twilight's Hammer and the servants of Therazane as well as the stone troggs and the earthen. Meanwhile, a titan designed waygate leading directly to Uldum was found.
  • With all of this, one might almost forget that the Destroyer himself, Deathwing, has met his own end at last. In addition, the four remaining dragon aspects (Nozdormu, Alexstrasza, Ysera and Kalecgos) have lost some measure of their former titan-bestowed power -- at least their immortality, and possibly more. With Deathwing's death, the Twilight's Hammer cult (the main instrument of the Old God's will on Azeroth) has also suffered greatly, their forces destroyed, their leaders such as Cho'gall, the Twilight Prophet and lesser lights like Warmaster Blackhorn.

Continue reading Know Your Lore: Fire stolen from heaven, fire stolen from hell

WoW InsiderKnow Your Lore: Fire stolen from heaven, fire stolen from hell originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 02 May 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>featuredguideguide-to-lorelorelore-guiderole-playrole-playing-guiderp-guideworld-of-warcraft-lorewow-guidewow-lorewow-role-playingwow-role-playing-guidewow-rpwow-rp-guidewow-rpingMatthew RossiWed, 02 May 2012 13:00:00 ESTMists of Pandaria: Learn new lore from in-game book Legacy of the Mastershttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/01/mists-of-pandaria-learn-new-lore-from-in-game-book-legacy-of-th/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/01/mists-of-pandaria-learn-new-lore-from-in-game-book-legacy-of-th/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/05/01/mists-of-pandaria-learn-new-lore-from-in-game-book-legacy-of-th/#commentsFiled under: , ,

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If you're on the Mists of Pandaria beta, you might have heard about one of the cooler new bits of lore, the in-game text Legacy of the Masters. This book contains lore about new warlock abilities, where they came from, and who developed them and how they did it.

There are all sorts of neat implications in the text. For one thing, the mortal races of Azeroth seem to be meddling with great powers more than ever before after the fall of Deathwing, and the warlocks of Azeroth are afraid of being eclipsed by other rivals (like, say, mages and their weird time magics). In addition to the mention of figures like Ritssyn, it creates the idea of a secret warlock super-cabal that dispenses fel magics to other groups of warlocks and ties in events from the death of Illidan to the recent destruction of Deathwing as teachable moments that gave various warlocks eureka moments. "So that's how you turn into a demon! I get it!"

It's definitely worth a read, so go check it out.
It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!

WoW InsiderMists of Pandaria: Learn new lore from in-game book Legacy of the Masters originally appeared on WoW Insider on Tue, 01 May 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Council-of-Six-DaggersLoreMistsmists-of-pandariamists-of-pandaria-betaWarlockWarlock-LoreMatthew RossiTue, 01 May 2012 19:00:00 ESTKnow Your Lore, TFH edition: Sargeras was righthttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/29/know-your-lore-tfh-edition-sargeras-was-right/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/29/know-your-lore-tfh-edition-sargeras-was-right/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/29/know-your-lore-tfh-edition-sargeras-was-right/#commentsFiled under: ,

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The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft.

Imagine if you will a perfectly nice little wooded area, teeming with wildlife. Here, there's a bird's nest; there, a small group of deer peacefully grazing on the grass. Over the hill lives a small pack of coyotes that will eventually hunt the deer, but it helps keep the deer population down. Circle of life and all that. Some years, the wildlife flourishes; other years, water is scarce and so is food. Those are the lean times, but somehow the little wooded area continues to thrive on its own, waxing and waning its way through the years.

Now imagine that little wooded grove gets targeted for development. All woodland creatures are systematically driven out of the area or killed. The lovely trees are ripped from the ground one by one. The grass is torn up, dirt and earth moved and leveled out. And one by one, houses pop up where the wooded area used to be. Clean and tidy paved roads, white picket fences all in a row, pretty if bland houses plunked into symmetric lots carefully designed for the maximum use of space. Those who live in the houses may occasionally see a deer out the window, a remnant of the wood that no longer exists.

Which is better?

Today's Know Your Lore is a Tinfoil Hat edition, meaning the following is a look into what has gone before with pure speculation on how it happened and what is to come as a result. These speculations are merely theories and shouldn't be taken as fact or official lore. But they're interesting!

Continue reading Know Your Lore, TFH edition: Sargeras was right

WoW InsiderKnow Your Lore, TFH edition: Sargeras was right originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sun, 29 Apr 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>aggramaramanthulazerothburning-crusadeburning-legioneonarfeaturedgolgannethguideguide-to-lorekhazgorothlorelore-guidenorgannonpantheonrole-playrole-playing-guiderp-guidesargerastitansworld-of-warcraft-lorewow-guidewow-lorewow-role-playingwow-role-playing-guidewow-rpwow-rp-guidewow-rpingAnne StickneySun, 29 Apr 2012 20:00:00 ESTThe basics of prepping for pandaren roleplayhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/28/the-basics-of-prepping-for-pandaren-roleplay/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/28/the-basics-of-prepping-for-pandaren-roleplay/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/28/the-basics-of-prepping-for-pandaren-roleplay/#commentsFiled under: ,

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Sure, the expansion's not quite out yet, but that doesn't mean you can't start planning for it as a roleplayer if you want to. The pandaren race features some really amazing, beautifully animated characters with an intriguing story ripe for roleplay purposes. While some roleplayers may already be happily roaming around the beta servers, others have only bits of information to work with. The process of coming up with a roleplaying character can take a little time, so if you're wanting to create a pandaren when the expansion is released, why not start pondering possibilities now?

Though pandaren can be played by both Alliance and Horde, they cannot speak to each other once they've made that decision -- a decision steeped in the storyline of the Wandering Isle. However, this does mean that you can play a pandaren character no matter which side of the faction fence you happen to be on. And with the kind of history and story the pandaren have behind them, it'd be well worth looking into if you're looking for a different kind of character to roleplay with.

This is a primer of pandaren lore, and as such, it'll contain a little spoiler content. However, because of the unique nature of playable pandaren characters, we won't be divulging any major story events that take place in Pandaria. This information will mainly be starting zone info. If you're looking to avoid all Mists spoilers, however, you may want to pass on what's after the break.

Continue reading The basics of prepping for pandaren roleplay

WoW InsiderThe basics of prepping for pandaren roleplay originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sat, 28 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>featuredguideguide-to-lorelorelore-guidemists-of-pandariapandarenpandaren-starting-zonerole-playrole-playing-guiderp-guideworld-of-warcraft-lorewow-guidewow-lorewow-role-playingwow-role-playing-guidewow-rpwow-rp-guidewow-rpingAnne StickneySat, 28 Apr 2012 16:00:00 ESTKnow Your Lore: Rexxar, Champion of the Hordehttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/25/know-your-lore-rexxar-champion-of-the-horde/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/25/know-your-lore-rexxar-champion-of-the-horde/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/25/know-your-lore-rexxar-champion-of-the-horde/#commentsFiled under: ,

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The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft.

It's been a few years since we caught up with Rexxar, hasn't it? Despite the fact that he hasn't gotten any new screen time since he showed up to save Orgrimmar from the elemental invasion, Rexxar is on my mind of late. In truth, I pretty much covered Rexxar's life in broad strokes during the interbellum pieces The coming of Rexxar and Rexxar saves the Horde. This won't be a post rehashing all of that. We will discuss it, but in terms of what it means for the Horde right now and the Horde in the future.

With what we know about what's coming, the office of Warchief of the Horde will be contested. It's likely that Thrall may return to assume the mantle of Warchief again. But frankly, his time as World Shaman means that he has assumed a far greater and more demanding responsibility, that Thrall has Azeroth as his responsibility and his charge. Can he truly be both? And more importantly, should he? Whether or not you believe Thrall is the ultimate choice for Warchief of the Horde, I posit that he never would have endured in the role without the help of others, those who could be the mailed fist he could never truly be.

Before Varok Saurfang and Garrosh Hellscream led Horde forces to Northrend, one figure strode across the face of Kalimdor and beyond it, and through his actions defeated Theramore and saved the Horde. That one figure was Rexxar, born to the Mok'Nathal clan, a beastmaster of half-ogre descent. For his actions, he was named Champion of the Horde.

And the Horde sorely needs its champion again.

Continue reading Know Your Lore: Rexxar, Champion of the Horde

WoW InsiderKnow Your Lore: Rexxar, Champion of the Horde originally appeared on WoW Insider on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>featuredGocGronnGruulguideguide-to-loreLeoroxxlorelore-guideMokNathalRexxarrole-playrole-playing-guiderp-guideworld-of-warcraft-lorewow-guidewow-lorewow-role-playingwow-role-playing-guidewow-rpwow-rp-guidewow-rpingMatthew RossiWed, 25 Apr 2012 15:00:00 ESTDid flying mounts ruin Azeroth?http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/23/did-flying-mounts-ruin-azeroth/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/23/did-flying-mounts-ruin-azeroth/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/23/did-flying-mounts-ruin-azeroth/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

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The question of whether flying mounts may have ruined Azeroth is a hard question for me to even posit, because I love flying mounts. I love being able to fly right over things that annoy me, drop right in on quest objectives and soar right out again. I loved that we could finally fly in Azeroth when Cataclysm shipped, and I was absolutely in favor of being able to use my flying mount to skip over stuff I disliked when questing and leveling up.

But it's worth considering: Did that convenience that I so love come at too high a cost? Did being able to fly over obstacles keep me from appreciating how much detail went into the zones? Did it ruin world exploration, something that a lot of players got a lot of enjoyment out of for a great deal of vanilla WoW's run? Did incorporating flying mounts into Azeroth, in addition to forcing a complete redesign of the world, also end up stripping out interesting and cool places you had to really work at to find and visit? Let's discuss the pros and cons.

Continue reading Did flying mounts ruin Azeroth?

WoW InsiderDid flying mounts ruin Azeroth? originally appeared on WoW Insider on Mon, 23 Apr 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>explorationflightflight-in-azerothflyingflying-mountszone-designzonesMatthew RossiMon, 23 Apr 2012 17:00:00 ESTKnow Your Lore: Velen, the Prophethttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/22/know-your-lore-velen-the-prophet/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/22/know-your-lore-velen-the-prophet/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/22/know-your-lore-velen-the-prophet/#commentsFiled under: ,

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The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft.

I failed long ago to turn my brothers from their course. And creation has paid the price.

How must it feel to be ageless? To watch as millennia tick by, each century the span of a breath and gone in an instant? To the draenei, the lives of humans must seem incredibly short-lived. To the Prophet Velen, who is at least 25,000 years old, we must seem like motes of dust, winking in and out of existence so quickly that we can scarcely be recognized as entities before we cease to exist. Velen has led the draenei through terror and triumph, from world to world, always gently spreading the benevolent message of the Light to any who wish to hear.

Yet for a being of such grace, purity and peace, Velen is also a creature of unfathomable sorrow. For Velen has been granted the gift of Sight, and with the gift he can see the infinite paths of futures that may not be, of worlds born and fallen in the blink of an eye. And despite that gift, Velen cannot prevent what is yet to pass. He cannot prevent that which has gone before, and will come again. And he could not prevent the path his friends chose, nor could he persuade them their new ally was in fact a monster so horrific that his hellish grasp would wreak havoc on immeasurable worlds.

For one that treasures life in the way only the Light can teach, it is a heavy burden to bear.

Continue reading Know Your Lore: Velen, the Prophet

WoW InsiderKnow Your Lore: Velen, the Prophet originally appeared on WoW Insider on Sun, 22 Apr 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>archimondeargusburning-crusadeburning-legiondraeneidraenei-loreexodarfeaturedguideguide-to-lorekiljaedenkurelightlorelore-guidenaaruprophet-velenrole-playrole-playing-guiderp-guidesargerasthe-lightvelenworld-of-warcraft-lorewow-guidewow-lorewow-role-playingwow-role-playing-guidewow-rpwow-rp-guidewow-rpingAnne StickneySun, 22 Apr 2012 16:00:00 ESTWeapons of Lore: Quel'Serrarhttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/20/weapons-of-lore-quelserrar/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/20/weapons-of-lore-quelserrar/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/20/weapons-of-lore-quelserrar/#commentsFiled under:

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Thousands of years ago, even before the War of the Ancients came to pass, there were weapons of legend, weapons created not by mere mortal hands but by those who soared above. The secrets of the mighty blade Quel'Serrar were not lost to time; they were merely hidden away from prying eyes. Players in vanilla World of Warcraft searched the deserted halls of Dire Maul high and low for record of this story, contained in Foror's Compendium of Dragon Slaying, for once they had the book, they began the path to wield the blade of legend themselves.

Quel'Serrar was not a legendary weapon like Thunderfury or Sulfuras, but it was almost as rare. Unlike the Bindings of the Windseeker or the Eye of Sulfuras, the item required to begin the chain was BoE. This meant that very, very rarely you could find the item on the Auction House -- but if you did happen to be so lucky, you'd pay an arm and a leg for it. Only warriors and paladins could accept the quest for the blade, but the book would drop for anyone who was lucky enough to find it in the corridors of Dire Maul.

Continue reading Weapons of Lore: Quel'Serrar

WoW InsiderWeapons of Lore: Quel'Serrar originally appeared on WoW Insider on Fri, 20 Apr 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>black-dragon-flightdragon-flightsdragonsforors-compendium-of-dragonslayingheated-ancient-bladelorekeeper-lydrosprismatic-blade-of-quel-serrarquel-serrarshen-dralarshendralarunfired-ancient-bladeweapons-of-loreworld-of-warcraftwrath-of-the-lich-kingAnne StickneyFri, 20 Apr 2012 17:00:00 ESTA beginner's guide to getting started in WoW Lorehttp://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/19/a-beginners-guide-to-getting-started-in-wow-lore/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/19/a-beginners-guide-to-getting-started-in-wow-lore/http://wow.joystiq.com/2012/04/19/a-beginners-guide-to-getting-started-in-wow-lore/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Truth is, I enjoy World of Warcraft's lore, which is why I write about it for the site alongside Anne Stickney. But I understand why a setting that's been around since the original Warcraft: Orcs vs. Humans can be daunting to new people trying to understand what's going on. Why does the human king have scars on his face, and why is this orc with giant tusks on his shoulders so upset about everything? Never fear, it's really not all that complicated. Here, we're going to discuss some ways for people who haven't really had a chance to get invested into the lore to start figuring out who those people are and what they're on about.

My first suggestion to you is, when you're playing WoW, start clicking on books. There are books all over the game world, in various dungeons, out in the open, hidden away in corners in inns and cities. If you see one, click on it. Hidden in all these books are stories about the world of Azeroth. You can get surprisingly caught up on the basics just via this exercise. Also try to click on plaques on statues and in structures. The statues in front of Stormwind have small plaques on them that tell you exactly who these are statues of and why they were placed there.

Continue reading A beginner's guide to getting started in WoW Lore

WoW InsiderA beginner's guide to getting started in WoW Lore originally appeared on WoW Insider on Thu, 19 Apr 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>beginnerfeaturedguideguide-to-lorelorelore-guiderole-playrole-playing-guiderp-guideworld-of-warcraft-lorewow-guidewow-lorewow-role-playingwow-role-playing-guidewow-rpwow-rp-guidewow-rpingMatthew RossiThu, 19 Apr 2012 20:00:00 EST