WoW Lore: The Shadowlands and the Perils of Time

The divine protections that kept Azeroth from destruction for millennia are history! The Emerald Dream has been corrupted, the River of Time has dried up, and the Titan Creators are gone. Now it is up to our heroes to protect Azeroth and its inhabitants. But the chaos unleashed over our heads by the Burning Legion, the Old Gods, and Sylvanas threatens to engulf Azeroth. For behind the veil of the Shadowlands, new stories await that will change World of Warcraft forever.

Blizzard's developers have reworked the Warcraft story several times in recent years and retold some classic myths and legends. With WoW Shadowlands, the Californians even dare a new start in terms of lore. WoW's new motto is: more diversity and no more radical images of good and evil. But what does this mean for the future of WoW? And more importantly, how do the developers plan to achieve this goal without upsetting players once again?

Table of Contents

1. 1Theimpermanent flow of time
2. 2Theplan of the creators
3. 3TheBig Bang
4. 4Thedivine heritage
5. 5Therefuge of the first

The unsteady flow of time

Jaina's words cause quite a stir during the introductory quest for Shadowlands. The mage reports that she, Thrall, and Baine have been trying to leave the Maw for a long time. For us, meanwhile, only a few hours passed in Azeroth. What happens when we spend several months in the Shadowlands? Source: Blizzard In the introductory quest for Shadowlands, we discovered the first hints that Blizzard might be planning a small time jump after our adventures in the Shadowlands. Time has been a controversial topic since the beginning of WoW. The dungeons in the Caverns of Time awakened long-forgotten stories. We helped Thrall escape from Castle Durnholde, looked over Medivh's shoulder as he opened the Dark Portal, or stood by Prince Arthas in his darkest hour in Stratholme. For players, the Caverns of Time were a welcome change of pace, and for Lore fans, an educational history lesson. In Cataclysm, we even accompanied Nozdormu through three stories in which the supreme Guardian of Time showed us the dark visions of Azeroh's past, present, and future. With his tragic death, Nozdormu finally fulfilled the ancient prophecy of the Titans, who created the River of Time to protect Azeroth from the dark forces of the Void. And though Nozdormu shattered the paths of time, his children found another way to influence time. Bronze dragon Kairozdormu opened new time portals into the past at the end of MoP. Even more, through parallel worlds like Draenor, he even influenced WoW history, creating countless alternate worlds that are at least theoretically linked to Azeroth.

The plan of the creators

Instead of flowing from A to B (as Titans intended), the river of time is currently dividing into countless rivulets. The remaining bronze dragons, like Chromie, are trying to cope with the difficult situation, but without Nozdormu and the Titans, their mission is doomed to failure. The chaos that reigns in the Caverns of Time at the moment is the best proof that time is an artificial construct. Therefore the question: At which point of creation was time created? Did time even exist before the order of the Titans? The more we look into this exciting topic, the more questions the story surrounding the creation of the Warcraft universe raises. It's no wonder that the majority of WoW players have long been confused about time travel. However, the first bad impression doesn't have to remain. Because with Shadowlands, the developers want to finally reveal some secrets about creation and time.

The Big Bang

The Titans are not the creators of the universe. The first ones have traveled the worlds long time before the Titans. Source: buffed One of the biggest new mysteries of the next WoW expansion is "the First Ones" (the translation in beta is not final yet, it's possible that the First Ones will get a new name with release), who created the Warcraft universe long before the first Titan was born. Their existence is a real sensation, after all, until now we thought that the divine Titans were the ultimate creators of the universe. But we didn't think the whole thing through, because one or another developer has already given us hints in interviews that there are powers beyond those of the Titans in World of Warcraft (buy now 14,99 € ). Well, you can always interpret a lot into these vague statements. But if you look back over the long history of Warcraft, the Titans do not appear as creators, but as a kind of stewards. This means that the Titans are successors to other, more powerful beings. The idea that the First Ones laid the first foundation for life with the help of Anima and created myriads of worlds is not that far-fetched. Many small story puzzle pieces indicate that they triggered the decisive impulse for the first creation, or much more the Big Bang. That is, they could be not only "the parents" of the Titans, but also the true creators of the universe.

The divine heritage

Mysterious! The portal that connects the Maw with Oribos is a relic of the First Ones. Only they and our hero can activate this magical gate. Oribos is the capital of the Shadowlands and was built by the First Ones. However, there is no trace of them in the city. Why have they disappeared? Source: buffed The Warcraft Chronicles tell us that Aman'Thul, the first Titan, awoke in a cold and chaotic universe. There was no mention of the First Ones at his birth. Did Aman'Thul even know of their existence? The fact is that the design, appearance and architecture of the Titans is based on many elements that resemble the geometric building blocks of the First. The city of Oribos is a good example of said design. It is possible that the Titans simply adopted the technology of the First Ones and evolved the machines over millennia to fulfill their vision of an orderly universe. This would explain why we find plenty of Titan artifacts on inhabited worlds, but no trace of the First. The laws of nature, such as time, are nothing more than machines that set the pace for life in reality. Yes, basically the machinery of death in the Shadowlands is also part of that.

The Refuge of the First

In the realm of the dead, however, time plays no role. Only there we find the last legacies of the first ones. Did the creation of reality (as we know and perceive it) begin in the afterlife of all places? In WoW, the anima energy is considered the cornerstone of life. After the death of a living being, the anima flows back into the shadow lands. This cycle is an important point! Because nowhere else do life and death come as close as they do there.

Zovaal and the First On
this subject there are many fan theories
.
One of them says that the First Ones punished Zovaal for his insatiable hunger for power and appointed the four Pact leaders and the Judge as his guards. Perhaps the jailer even fulfilled the duties of the judge in Oribos before his banishment.
Did the Shadowlands serve as a refuge for the First in recent millennia? When Anduin Wrynn finds the strange portal in the maw, he explains that the imposing pillar does not bear the Titans' signature. A few minutes later, the jailer confirms Anduin's theory. He reveals that the portal stone in question is a relic of the First Ones, and only they can activate these magical gates. Since the jailer can't leave the maw through the portal, he's not one of the First Ones. However, why our heroes can travel through the gate and to which species the jailer exactly belongs remains a mystery for the time being.

However, this does not prevent us from speculating who the jailer, aka Zovaal, might be. The First seems to be only a title in the Shadowlands for beings who created the Shadowlands and then left. Perhaps he was one of the First. The Primus, however, speaks of Zovaal as having once belonged to the inner circle of the four great pact leaders. It stands to reason that the jailer is at least of the same ilk as the Archon, the Primus, the Winter Queen, and Count Denathrius. There is much to suggest that he originally belonged to the Pantheon of Death, but had distanced himself (figuratively) from his brothers and sisters over time. This would make him very similar to Sargeras, for like the demon lord, Zovaal also bears many different titles in the Shadowlands (such as "the exiled"), which are meant to illustrate his wickedness. That the Dungeon Master is one power level higher than the classic Pact quartet is also possible. Perhaps Zovaal and his counterpart, i.e. the judge, belong to a species all their own, about which we know nothing in detail at the moment. Since even the leaders of the pacts make a big secret about the first ones, they must be truly powerful beings.

However, there is an interesting detail in this thriller: the Titans do not have access to the Shadowlands after their death. Defeated demons also do not enter the afterlife, but return to the Whirling Nether. The Old Gods and the Naaru reunite with the Void or the Light at the end. The Shadowlands are thus reserved exclusively for mortals, which means that our heroes play an important role in the creation plan of the First.

The chance for a reboot?

If Oribos and the Shadowlands are indeed the refuge or legacy of the First Ones, then we may find some secrets of creation there. Steve Danuser and Ion Hazzikostas often talk in recent developer interviews about the fact that in Shadowlands we will find the first clues to the true origin of the Warcraft universe. The new story, which Blizzard says will change World of Warcraft, begins in the afterlife, of all places, where so many iconic Warcraft stories actually end. The Shadowlands have their own dramatic storyline, but it's peppered with so many details that the developers theoretically have an infinite number of ways to continue telling the story of the online role-playing game.

Uncertain future

And even if we return to our Azeroth at the end of Shadowlands - in what state will our heroes find their home? What is clear is that Azeroth will definitely change after the events of Shadowlands. Will the Alliance forget their High King Anduin Wrynn and follow Turalyon? Will the Horde Council make it into the future without a warchief? Or will the races of the Horde tear each other apart? Our absence is a great disaster for Azeroth ... or perhaps an opportunity?

With Shadowlands, the developers get the opportunity to not only open the gates to new, alien worlds for us, but also to rewrite the story of our heroes. The greatest champion to ever walk Azeroth, after a long absence, would then be just one of the many legends that grandparents tell their grandchildren as a bedtime story. Imagine the following scenario: We return to the realm of the living and no one can remember us. This idea originates from Irish sagas, in which the protagonist takes a short trip to a strange fairy realm. The hero spends only a few days there, but in the real world, meanwhile, years or even decades pass. Some unlucky people even turn to dust when they return home, or are chased out of their village because the person in question is thought to be an impostor. If our heroes face a similar fate, then after Shadowlands we will have to start from scratch and prove ourselves once again.

More story for the Alliance, please!

The evolution of prominent Warcraft characters such as Anduin, Jaina, Baine, and Thrall would also be exciting. They are all whisked away to the Shadowlands by Sylvanas at the start of Shadowlands. Their absence leaves a huge power vacuum in Azeroth, which puts both factions to the test. This is especially true for the Alliance, which loses two kings in quick succession within a few years. Anduin Wrynn has no legitimate descendants, which means that the throne of Stormwind remains empty for the time being.

Turalyon is a living Alliance legend and a great role model for every citizen of Stormwind. Will he outrank Anduin as ruler in Shadowlands? Source: buffed Turalyon is appointed as the young king's deputy. And although he is not nominally a ruler, Turalyon has great power as a deputy (at least in theory). How will he use his new position in the future? Especially in light of the great conflict that divided the Alliance into several camps even before Anduin's disappearance. In the novel Rise of the Shadows, we learn how much this internal war is wearing down Anduin's psyche. The responsibility that weighs on his shoulders is so great that it threatens to break him. The best example of his inner turmoil can also be found in the latest WoW book. During a meeting, Jaina notices that Anduin is becoming more and more like Arthas. The young king acts cruelly and has no regard for even innocent people in his search for Sylvanas. Arthas also once took this dark path before losing himself in the darkness and falling victim to dark forces. In the end, the young Wrynn even slips a dark spell that deeply shocks and unsettles his allies. Distrust grows in the ranks of the Alliance, and although Genn, Turalyon, and Alleria affirm their loyalty to the High King, Anduin's little slip leaves a bitter aftertaste, especially among his devout subjects. We are sure that a large part of the Alliance population will trust Turalyon more than Anduin in the long run. How will the young king react should he reappear in Stormwind years later?

The dangers of time travel

As exciting as this story may sound, the question remains whether the big time jump into the future makes sense. Too many players still have the WoD debacle in mind when the topic of time travel is brought up. But maybe the developers have learned from their mistakes and won't make the next time travel as complicated as the time jump to Draenor. No longer hiding the most important story information exclusively in novels would be a good start for World of Warcraft. With Shadowlands, the development team will definitely get a chance to make up for the mistakes of the last few years and keep players glued to their screens again with an exciting story.

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