I told you I was gonna post something about World of Warcraft. I am now posting that something. Much of this post is lore, and much of it builds upon previous lore. If you want to know what something is, search for it on wowwiki, and, unless it’s some character I pulled out of my ass, there’ll be an entry for it. Even if you have no idea what World of Warcraft is about, you should at least be able to enjoy the story.
World of Warcraft: The Sword of Purity
Storyline:
Illidan is dead, the Legion withheld, and Outland apparently under control. The petty dispute between the Horde and the Alliance resurfaces. Nothing of import happens within the few months after Illidan’s fall.
Soon, however, news of strange happenings begins to surface. Disappearances abound – occurring more frequently even in civilized areas and major cities. News of a strange cult reaches Stormwind, causing widespread panic – understandable, as the last cult to surface eventually led to the rise of the Scourge and the destruction of Lordaeron. Perhaps most disturbing of all, however, are the reports surfacing of a strange blue glow coming from beyond the Greymane Wall.
As more time passes, these disturbing events continue. Disappearances grow even more frequent. The strange cult, now known as the Order of Conquest, grows in power, setting up permanent bases in the Arathi Highlands, the Badlands, Azshara, and the Burning Steppes.
Assuming that these events have something to do with the blue glow in Gilneas, the leaders of the Horde and the Alliance organize an expedition past the Greymane Wall. Their orders are simply to walk up to the wall, and request an audience with Genn Greymane to find out what is happening. They disappear.
Within a month, hundreds of soldiers of various races march upon the wall, led by commanders intent on figuring out what is going on. With the mighty siege weapons of the Horde and the Alliance, the wall falls within hours. The armies of the Horde and the Alliance break through… what they behold is startling.
Gilneas is a changed land. The trees have died, the streams frozen. The strange glow was given off by massive blue crystals placed around the base of the wall. The Horde and Alliance forces advance through a lifeless land, propelled by their commanders. None want to be there, but loyalty to their respective leaders force them on.
The armies reach the center of Gilneas, once the capital city and home of Genn Greymane. In its center…
A portal.
Overview:
World of Warcraft: The Sword of Purity happens several months after the story above. Ideally, it would be worked up to over one or two patches, and finally the expansion. Of course, it’s more likely that about a year of backstory will happen on release night. Oh well.
The portal in the story leads to a second Outland continent, Akka’norran. This would lead to the first Outland continent needing to be named, but I’m not sure what it should be called.
The major antagonist of this expansion is the Sword of Purity, an order under a rogue Eredar lord dedicated to order and organization.
The level cap is raised to 80 (obviously).
The Horde and the Alliance both gain a new race. The Horde are joined by the Arakkoa, while the alliance ally with the Sporrahg (more on them later).
The new professions of Lumberjacking and Carpentry are available. I’m not actually going to go into this very deeply, seeing as other people have done it before, and some have probably done it better than I could. I just think it would be a good idea to have this included, as currently there are no ways to make Bows, Staves, and many other items.
New aquatic mounts are available, and they CAN be used on Azeroth. Mounts usable while dead also available.
New PvP objectives in every high-level (70-80) zone.
Akka’norran:
Akka’norran is the new Outland continent. It is one of the chunks of Draenor that remains after the disaster at the end of the second war. Its environment ranges from lush rainforests to barren plains. Native races include the Arakkoa and the Sporrahg. Akka’norran is a chunk of a larger continent that existed in the days of Draenor, a continent that also contained the other known continent of Outland.
Akka’norran contains 12+ zones (not yet entirely sure on the exact number), five of which are lowbie zones. Every one of the high level zones in Akka’norran contains a PvP objective.
The name “Akka’norran” means “Shattered Land” in the Arakkoa tongue. The large continent which previously existed on Draenor was known as Akka’shattar, or “Land of the Sun”.
Akka’norran is a large continent, with a small area to the east cut off from the rest by a massive mountain range. This area contains the Arakkoa and Sporrahg starting zones, which then lead into 10-20 zones for both races, and both of them feed into one, contested 20-30 zone. This 20-30 zone will have a PvP objective, although it will be less grand than those in the higher-level zones. This will be a way to introduce beginning players to PvP objectives. When finished with the 20-30 zone, players will go through a portal to the Arathi Highlands, and continue questing there.
High-level content on Akka’norran would be accessed through the portal in Gilneas.
The Sword of Purity:
The Sword of Purity is an order under the Eredar lord Azadenn. His views are in blatant contradiction of those of Burning Legion. While Sargeras (in whatever state of aliveness or deadness he’s currently in) believes that chaos is the natural way of things, and all things must be returned to chaos, Azadenn believes that all living things must be put under strict order, under his command.
Azadenn was at one point a favored underling of Kil’jaeden the Deceiver. Serving as a high-ranking member of the Burning Legion for countless millennia, he witnessed the destruction wrought upon the worlds the legion visited, and found it to his distaste. He began to consider the legion misguided, began to believe that for the universe to truly be pure, all must be united, all must be organized, all must serve the greater purpose… a universe united. Under him.
By the time Azadenn began to plot against his masters, he was already foremost among Kil’jaeden’s minions. Having been taught considerably by the Deceiver, he was ideally placed to break away from the legion – taking a chunk of it with him. However, he waited… for the ideal moment.
The moment came after the legion’s second failed invasion of Azeroth. With the death of Archimonde the Defiler, Kil’jaeden was constantly busy – most of the time plotting revenge against the denizens of Azeroth. Azadenn, arguably now the second most powerful Eredar in the Legion, left. With him he took several powerful demons, foremost among them Mephistroth, leader of the Nathrezim. Although the defection of their leader has caused a significant number of Nathrezim to join with Azadenn, most of them still remain loyal to Kil’jaeden and the legion.
With Mephistroth as his second-in-command, Azadenn formed the Sword of Purity. This organization was created with the intent to subjugate every sentient race in existence. The Sword of Purity is made up of three orders: the Order of Dominance, the ruling order to which Azadenn and all the powerful demons he recruited belong, the Order of Conquest, the main unit of Azadenn’s army consisting of all those willing to join his cause, and the Order of Servitude, made up of all those Azadenn conquered, and bound to do the will of those in the higher orders.
Azadenn transformed himself, using his considerable demonic powers to alter his physical form. His skin grew pale blue, almost white in color. Large crystals of ice jutted up from his shoulders, and his eyes glowed a piercing blue.
Although from the start very powerful, the Sword was nothing compared to the might of the Legion. Azadenn needed a way to draw followers from his former organization, a way to increase his might to past that of Kil’jaeden’s. He needed an icon, a symbol of his power.
Azeroth.
What would better symbolize his might than the conquest of the world that had eluded the Legion’s grasp twice – indeed, the world that had led to the death of Sargeras, Archimonde, and Mannoroth?
Azadenn plotted. He established a base of operations on Akka’norran, figuring it best to be close to an actual portal to his intended destination. As his armies conquered land, and his slaves built a fortress to represent his glory, he researched a way to infiltrate Azeroth from within. Azadenn was not stupid. The Legion had attempted many things, and failed in all of them. He would corrupt from within.
After many months of searching, Azadenn found the chink in Azeroth’s armor he had been searching for: Genn Greymane, king of Gilneas. Azadenn contacted Greymane, offering power unattainable without his help. The aging Greymane, fearing death, readily accepted. Most of Gilneas’s citizens, already indoctrinated with anti-Alliance and anti-Horde propaganda, became members of the Order of Conquest, setting out into the world to spread discord and recruit new members. Greymane himself joined Azadenn at his base on Akka’norran. Gilneas was transformed, readied to be the staging point of the coming invasion. The Sword of Purity was ready.
In game, members of the Sword of Purity are identified by the hues of their armor: blues and purples, as opposed to the Burning Legion’s reds and greens.
The Arakkoa:
The Arakkoa classes would be: Warrior, Hunter, Druid, Warlock, Priest
I’m open to ideas for what the Arakkoa mount should be.
They would have their capital city in Akka’norran. I have not yet decided on the name of the city.
Arakkoa racial skills:
Glide – Slows fall speed for 10 seconds. Five minute cooldown.
Extraordinary Will (passive) – 15% Chance to Resist Fear
Ferocity (passive) – Melee and Spell Crit chances raised by 1%
Sword Specialization (passive) – Sword Skill Increased by 5
Lore:
The empire of the Arakkoa is the longest-lasting known civilization on Outland. By the count of the Arakkoa priesthood, it is currently the year 9,476. The Arakkoa’s current calendar started, nearly 10,000 years ago, when they were visited by a prophet they refer to as “Kanaarus” who taught them Druidism and helped unite the then-scattered Arakkoa tribes. Although the magic of the Warlock, the predominant type of magic before the coming of Kanaarus, was all but snuffed out in this overhaul of Arakkoan culture, it survived among a small group of Arakkoa known as the Shadow of Pain. The Shadow of Pain split off from the Arakkoan Empire shortly after its founding.
In the millennia to come, the Arakkoan Empire grew incredibly large. Colonies of the Arakkoa spread all across Akka’shattar, even into the territory of the Ogres and the Orcs. Though the Ogres and their cyclopean masters violently resisted Arakkoa expansionism, their efforts were for naught. The Empire continued to grow.
For thousands of years, the empire existed as the single most powerful force Akka’Shattar – indeed, the whole of Draenor. However, in the year 8,933, the Shadow of Pain resurfaced. They began to contact the leaders of the Arakkoan colonies – tempting them with promises of power and glory. In several short years, all but a few of the Arakkoan colonies fell to the dark powers of the Warlocks.
The Arakkoa waged war on the Shadow of Pain and those in the converted colonies. Among those most fanatically devoted to the Empire were a new order known as the Darkened Ones. These Arakkoa practiced the Warlock magics, but did not take them to the extremes that the Shadow of Pain had taken them to. They used the magic to fight against the Shadow of Pain and all they stood for. For this, the priests and druids of the Arakkoa tolerated their dabbling in shadow magic.
The war against the Shadow of Pain was an ongoing thing. Not given to open combat, the Shadow preferred to lurk in the background, lull their opponents into a false sense of security, and strike. Thus it was that 200 years later, when the Draenei arrived on Draenor, the war still continued.
The Draenei landed near Skettis, one of the first colonies to fall to the temptation of power. Witnessing the atrocities committed by the leader of Skettis against his own people and against the local orcs and ogres of Draenor, the Draenei came to conclude, although they regretted it, that they could only have safety on Draenor after the subjugation of the Arakkoa. The Draenei began systematically destroying Arakkoan colonies. However, they did not realize that some of the colonies targeted were not under the command of the Shadow of Pain, but still loyal to the noble and righteous Arakkoan Empire. This mistake has led to a hatred of the Draenei by many of those in the Arakkoan Empire.
Fortunately, the Draenei concentrated only on the colonies nearest them, and the center of the Empire remained relatively unscarred. In the time after the Draenei stopped their crusade, and also in the time after the Draenei’s extermination under the hand of the orcs, many of the colonies, including Skettis, reestablished themselves.
The destruction of Draenor hit the Arakkoa hard. With Akka’shattar shattered, the capital of the Arakkoa empire lost contact with all but one of its pure colonies. Fortunately, the newly-formed Akka’norran also only contained one colony of dark Arakkoa.
Several years passed. The Arakkoa learned to cope with the fact that it was entirely possible for them to fall off their planet. Suddenly, however, larger events began to include them. A sinister order under a demonic overlord established a base on Akka’norran. The agents of this order began to spread throughout lands previously held by the Arakkoa. Then, through a portal put into place by the demonic lord previously mentioned, came the forces of two factions completely unknown to the Arakkoa… one of them containing the hated Draenei. The fields of Akka’norran erupted in war.
The Arakkoa, once the most powerful empire on Draenor, were not ones to stand idly by and let a war take its course. They preferred to take sides. The Arakkoa found the pride and elitism of the Alliance to their distaste, and also felt disgust at the thought of allying themselves with the Draenei. They felt a druidic affinity for the Tauren, and so after much debate, decided to send ambassadors to the Horde. This idea was endorsed wholeheartedly by the Darkened Ones, who saw the Forsaken and the Blood Elves as their kin, using the powers of dark magic for the good of their allies.
So it was that the Arakkoa joined the Horde, and began to help in the ongoing battle against the Sword of Purity.
The Sporrahg:
The Sporrahg look very similar to Sporelings. The main differences would be that they are more human-sized, more human-shaped, and considerably less hunched over.
The Sporrahg classes would be: Warrior, Druid, Rogue, Mage, Priest
The Sporrahg mount would ideally be some kind of large lizard, perhaps Zangarmarshified (yes, that’s a word).
They would have their capital city in Akka’norran. As with the Arakkoa, I’m not sure what it would be called. I’m not the best at naming things.
The Sporrahg racial abilities are:
Brainrush – Increases damage done by next spell by 35%, 3 minute cooldown
Sluggish Blood (passive) – Bleed effects do 50% damage
Natural Recovery (passive) – Increases the effects of all healing used on the Sporrahg by 10%
Polearm Specialization (passive) – +5 Skill with Polearms
Lore:
Not much is known of the history of the Sporrahg, as they don’t actually keep written records. However, it appears that Druidism has been a major part of their society for many years. This would suggest that the Sporrahg are at least as old as the Arakkoa, and were perhaps visited by the same prophet the Arakkoa were.
What is known is that Sporrahg society is based on a strict caste system. This system is so strict that the members of the various castes show vast physical differences. The largest caste is referred to only as the Sporrahg. This is what players will be able to play as. There is also a servant caste, known as the Sporelings. These look similar to the Sporrahg, but stunted, short, and hunched. The ruling caste is known as the Sporelords. These are essentially massive Sporrahg with wings. There are very few of this class, and they are very powerful.
The Sporrahg have traditionally kept mostly to themselves. In the forests of giant mushrooms where they live, there are definitely enough dangers to occupy themselves with without courting danger by setting out into the outside world.
However, for the last century or so, advances in Sporrahg technology has made the forest a safer place… and thus, more Sporrahg lived each generation, and the forest became overpopulated. So, several years before the rise of the horde on Draenor, the Sporelords sent out several expeditions of Sporelings to expand the livable area of the Sporrahg on Draenor. Unfortunately, the warlike tendencies that manifested themselves in the orcs, and later the destruction of the world, has cut the Sporrahg off from these Sporeling expeditions.
The events that occurred after the destruction of the world were even more ominous. A rogue demon lord began to build a citadel near to several Sporrahg outposts, and with him came an order of fanatics under his rule. Soon, a portal of his make opened, and through poured the armies of an entirely different world. The Sporrahg were alarmed at this. They were not the most physically intimidating of races, or the most numerous, and had little defensive power. They only wanted to be left in peace.
Unfortunately, peace did not seem to be an option. With the coming of the Horde and the Alliance to Akka’norran, conflict between the horde and the alliance also came. The Sporelords were under growing pressure to pick a side. Disgusted by what they had witnessed the Warlocks of the Horde do on the field of battle, the Sporelings sent ambassadors to the Alliance, requesting allegiance. Although some among the Alliance considered themselves above the Sporrahg, the majority considered an alliance with them a good idea, especially considering the news of the Horde’s alliance with the Arakkoa.
Ultimately, the Sporrahg allied themselves with the Alliance, and now stand together with their brethren against the onslaught of the Sword of Purity.
Aquatic Mounts:
A normal speed (60% above walk speed) aquatic mount is available at level 75. An epic (100% above walk speed) aquatic mount is available at level 80. At least one of the zones in Akka’norran will have large amounts of aquatic content.
Major Dungeons:
The most significant dungeon in The Sword of Purity would be Azadenn’s fortress. Bosses would include Genn Greymane, Mephistroth, and, obviously, Azadenn.
To conclude this post, I would like to rant briefly: GOOD CHRIST ON ACID, STANDARDIZING FONT SIZE WHEN COPYING FROM A .ODT DOCUMENT INTO WORDPRESS IS OBTUSE.
I MEAN, I SERIOUSLY HAD TO GO INTO THE CODE AREA, COPY ALL OF IT INTO OPENOFFICE WRITER, AND FIND & REPLACE ALL INSTANCES OF <font size=”3″> AND </font>. JESUS.
