Hello, it is Willow, your freelance artist and absolute nincompoop here to spout nonsense DIRECTLY INTO YOUR EYEBALLS!!!
Recently I stuck all of the Karazhan zone maps together - THE ONES THAT ARE SOLID THAT IS! Basically all the bits of Karazhan that make sense.
So, conclusions!!!
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Karazhan is actually three towers. The first is the Opera Hall, the second is the stables and study, and the third is the servants’ quarters and guest rooms.
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Frankly, this place is architecturally styled like a resort. Check in at the front, rooms up top, main attractions above where all thee behind the scenes stuff takes place. Whoever designed this had a story in mind, and I appreciate that.
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The library sits over the stables - and climbes higher from there. I imagine everything from then to Medivh’s chambers is a bunch of magical nonsense, so I didn’t count that - but everything else lines up wonderfully.
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It’s…built…architecturally??? Loadbearing walls line up??? Floor slabs aren’t just left hanging and there’s ROOM TO SUPPORT STAIRS???
Again, whoever designed this place, kudos. This is awesome.
So, what was Karazhan? It’s said to be Medivh’s study, and traditionally the study of the guardian, but the interior layout and design suggests a repurposing for the above hotel/resort solution. There is a central tower running from the entrance, up through the broken stair, and up to the library - but everything else seems added on. SO.
Theory time: Medivh was a party animal. A hedonistic master of magic who was as indulgent in extravagance as he was in demonic corruption. This may have also been a tourist trap for royals, a fundraiser for Medivh’s most likely costly research expeditions.
After all, I imagine book loans from Dalaran or the Shen’dralar come cheap. 
SO YES!!
Thank you for reading my nonsensical jibberish.
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Wasn’t there an entire hearthstone expansion based around this?
o.o
Could you share a picture?
It’s actual canon lore that Medivh had these banquets. Short version, Medivh did not trust the Kirin Tor/mage groups so instead he invited people from the surrounding area who he thought would not have alterior motives.
I assume he simply got a stipend from Stormwind. Being the Guardian who portected Stormwind from the Gurabashi and being personal friends with Llane probably has its perks. Or he simply created gold whenever he needed it(master magician and all).
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Aegwynn built the place using Aluneth(Arcane Mage Artifact) not Medivh! The Stable, Armory and Scullery is one Unit, the Opera House is another unit and the Living Area is another. What she wanted with these 3 Units is unknown to me!
Of course after Medivh’s death the tower randomly manifested a broken stairwell past the Opera House leading into the Netherspace!
This place changes with each visit: 1st visit had the players behold a grand library with a missing roof with a Gamesman’s Hall and Medivh’s chamber above with Netherspace itself as the exit. 2nd visit had the players standing on the roof of the Library and descend into the very top of the Tower AKA the Guardian’s Study and from there seek out the Gamesman’s Hall past which is the entrance to Netherspace.
The true layout would not have a broken stair but take the visitor straight past doors leading to the Library(which would branch out into the Observatory, Gamesman’s Hall and Menagerie), the Medivh’s Chamber and the Guardian’s Study.
Furthermore there would also be a lower Karazhan created by a Sargeras-possessed Medivh with counterparts to each of the areas with the Legion Beast Kennel replacing the Library.
To the side of the tower is the Karazhan Catacombs which holds the Artifacts gathered by the Dark Riders of Deadwind Pass!
Behind the tower is the Forgotten Crypt which belonged to the creator of Deadwind Pass: Sataiel the first Necrolyte of Azeroth!
Aegwynn built her tower of Arcane Magic right in front of Azeroth’s biggest Necropolis whose master was slain by the prior Guardian(who was Aegwynn’s mentor) Scavell before it’s purpose could be fulfilled! She made sure her master’s archnemesis’s achievements would be overshadowed by her own triumph!
If Sataiel built a grand tower over the entrance to her Necropolis then Aegwynn would have still built Karazhan but made it bigger!
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sounds like someone never seen the Medivh cinematic… it’s not theory, it’s fact:
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Awesome!! nice to know that I got something right for once!
Eredar, Draenei, Blood Elves, Human, Goblin, Murlocs. All dancing together.
Medivh is the leader Azeroth needs. The Warchief the Horde needs, the King the Alliance needs.
Party, party and party.
Kharazan is one of the best places in WoW, I’m glad that we got to go back to it with even wilder encounters later on. Its just a great, moody, interesting place.
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I only wish they’d give us inverted Karazhan someday.
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I know I’d live there, provided it was restored to non-decrepit half broken down status that is. As amazing as it is half destroyed it must have been phenomenally and exquisitely ornate in one piece.
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The broken down status is just Netherspace infecting it. Get rid of Netherspace and it becomes a whole complete Karazhan once more!
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