Shadows Rising: State of Azeroth Details

Lore Story Forum
1

So with Shadows Rising now out, I wanted to give out some details about general states of affairs given about the various nations and areas of the world that have been given. Some of these details are small, others are a bit more major. (And a few already known from excerpts).

Obviously, all of these are spoilers. So this thread will have spoilers in it.
Please do not read if you dislike spoilers.

State of Azeroth

Orgrimmar
Horde is now led by a Council, as previously established. Current members are:
Thrall, Baine, Lor’themar Theron, Thalyssra, Rokhan, Kiro, Ji Firepaw, ‘Unnamed Mag’har’, Gazlowe, Lilian Voss, and Calia.
Talanji is a member at first, walks out, and by books end is presumably ready to rejoin the Council.

Orgrimmar has forges active day and night trying to replace the losses from the Blood War.

The Earthshrine is used as a place to teach Shaman, and there are many children there.

Several Horde council members have taken residences in Orgrimmar. Most have taken nice housing, though Thrall has taken a smaller hut.

Arathi Highlands
The Alliance finds a group of Horde refugees near the Thandol Span, heading North. Fleeing Stromgarde.

  • This would seem to be placing them toward Hammerfall, as well as indicating that Stromgarde is expanding it’s sphere of influence after the war.

Alliance
“The Armistice is too fragile, and we can not survive another war right now.” - Anduin

  • This quote is from him talking about potentially taking hostile action against Zandalar, explaining why the Alliance can’t risk being shown as the Aggressor. Seems to indicate that the Alliance is also in a bad spot.

“What about the footholds you lot put down here? Fort Victory and the rest?”
“Abandoned. Once the armistice was signed, we ceded control of those encampments”

  • Conversation between Shaw and Flynn, which indicates the Alliance no longer has footholds in Zandalar. Presumably (though not outright said) the Horde is likely to have done the same.

Matthias gets reports while at sea from a small gnomish mechanical Shark messenger. Small enough to be held by a human sailor. The information contains readings from various spies embedded in the Horde. The two listed are a Sin’dorei who was (is) a member of the Uncrowned, and a Goblin pirate. The Sin’dorei is of particular note as they were able to briefly get their hands on a book Lor’themar had been writing poetry in.

Zuldazar and the Loa
Talanji comments on the city having no shortage of gold, but is lacking in both soldiers and ships. Given they live in the city of Gold, this makes sense.

Loa can be physically weakened by having their shrines destroyed and followers killed. Killing ‘more important’ followers such as Priests and Adherents seems to be more effective in this regard

Nazmir seems clear of Blood Trolls, as none were mentioned despite several travel sequences through the region, along with Zandalari patrols. Though it’s still big enough for the rebels to hide in.

Other

An Alliance boy (hoping to join the Army) mentions his father dying in Uldum during the war against N’zoth. Indicating the presence of the Alliance military in the region.

Vale of Eternal Blossoms is healing, and almost recovered from the damage of Garrosh / N’zoth invasions

Westfall is still damaged from the Cataclysm, enough to still be commented on by Anduin.

Blood Magic can be used to create powerful storms.

Bwonsamdi grants Zekhan a ‘vision of death’ that indicates Saurfang is happy in the after life with his family. Assuming there is no deception, would indicate that Bwonsamdi likely would have had to save Saurfang himself to achieve that.

Zekhan and Talanji find out about the existence of the Maw. A brief brush with it is enough to cause Zekhan to have a crisis of faith. (Perhaps this explains the Undead Night Elves views?)

45 Likes
2

Hi, any detail on the state of ashenvale,kultiras or gilneas?

Ty.

6 Likes
4

There is one scene in Kul’tiras, a dinner party of sorts between the Proudmores (Mother and Daughter) and Turyalon and Aleria. Not much of note occurs there aside from some tension between them until [plot happens]

Other than that, not much is explained about the area, though it does not seem they have much in the way of problems.

The other two areas are not mentioned at all.

8 Likes
5

oh okay, i assume that things are going well for kultiras, probably removed horde presense (if not, they are clowns)

and sad that we don’t know the state of ashenvale… if these idiots gave ashenvale to the horde…jeez.

6 Likes
6

Why??

:cactus:

16 Likes
7

She was present, but I’m not sure she’s outright on the Council. Lilian Voss is the acknowledged leader, but during that meeting every leader on the Council also had personal guards and advisors present. Zappy Boi was one of Thrall’s advisors, for example. It seems like Calia fills the same role for Lillian.

I’d also like to add that we’ve got at least one old question answered: Alleria and Turalyon can touch without pain. It’s when she’s in Void Form that the pain happens.

Pg. 89-90

“Were she in void form, that touch would have burned him like a brand. In that moment, it felt like a balm.”

10 Likes
8

She shouldn’t be.

Calia? Advise Voss? On what? What can Calia possibly give advice on besides table manners?

:cactus:

11 Likes
9

I mean… there WAS a feast/banquet for after the summit…

5 Likes
10

Undead do not need to eat. I’m pretty sure they can’t taste anything either.

:cactus:

6 Likes
11

Actually, that was also brought up. When Lilian and Calia enter the summit (they were late), he asked them if they’d like anything to drink before recalling that it wasn’t necessary. Mind you he wasn’t serving food or anything; he sat on the council too. He was just trying to be nice.

1 Like
12

Is Overlord Geya’rah no longer the leader?

13

This sounds a little off to me. I guess the Horde want to repair their losses, but forges are for metal work. Housing? That should be lumber and stone unless Orgrimmar is upgrading to skyscrapers, not really sure they are replacing in sure a hurry. Tools? Maybe but weapons is the most likely candidate, but it didn’t seem the Horde was lacking. Are they trying to rearm already?

The biggest losses would be of life really and probably land. I’d rather see something like new towns being built and agriculture projects starting up. A line about forges sounds really RTSy.

4 Likes
14

Hopefully not :roll_eyes:

15

The horde is a martial faction. They’re probably training recruits.

2 Likes
16

Are you going to be bitter the whole expansion as Calia gets more and more development into the Forsaken leader or whats up

Maybe she sent a rep?

The taller, multi-floor horde structures always have heavily metal, they might be using it more than wood. Also agricultural machines presumably, given refugees.

3 Likes
17

For the love of Azeroth can we not have another Calia thread?

Is there any detail about the Dragonblight?

5 Likes
18

Meanwhile, many night elf souls are suffering in the maw (hell). :roll_eyes:

Gotta love happy endings.

17 Likes
19

Tbh most of these are actually great.

I only have a minor problem with the saurfang stuff. as it almost retcons the stuff about all souls going to the maw.

Is bwonsamdi a mawwalker or something?

Kinda surprised there was more horde Information compared to Alliance (at least politically speaking) aside from that why isnt geyarah mentioned?

2 Likes
20

Doesn’t it retcon the Shadowlands too? You would think Saurfang would go to some place like Maldraxxus, unless everyone is having a grand old time there.

Unless Bwonsamdi is lying and frabricating the vision, which is a possibility.

6 Likes
21

Personally i think it was more of a Zekhan being “oh no what aabout my saurfang pal” and Bwonsamdi being all “Shut up already saurfang is fine calm down” or something I mean it depends on the context. I do hope he was lying just to calm zekhan down.

2 Likes