Hey all, this post was inspired by a conversation in a discord server that I am in. We don’t know whether there will or will not be more ARs, but it never hurts to speculate!
I am trying to stick with what race(s) might be story relevant in their respective factions, which is hard given how little we know- but go wild with your thoughts!
THE WAR WITHIN
At first look there are not a lot of additional options for our initial expansion, but those humanoid Nerubians look a bit too convenient.
Launch - Earthen (Neutral) Later Patch - Nerubian (Neutral)
MIDNIGHT
The Revantusk Tribe of Forest Trolls has staunchly stood by their allies for years, and now revisiting their region, it would be an ideal time to add them. I am not sure on an Alliance equivalent, I would say High Elves or Wildhammer, but those seem unlikely given Ren’dorei and the current dwarves having Wildhammer tattoos.
Launch - Forest Trolls (Horde)
The Last Titan
There are so many good options when it comes to Northrend, from Frostborne and Taunka to Vrykul and Tuskarr. I am partial to our old friends though.
Yeah that is rather tricky. After all as AU Mag’har becoming playable shows us, allied races don’t have to be connected with the expansion setting. They just require Blizzard wanting to include them and establishing the reason.
I’m in firm agreement on that and do see the humanoid Nerubians becoming an allied race in the War Within.
I can also see Forest Trolls becoming playable in Midnight, though I do wonder if it would just be the Revantusk or if the threat of the Void could get the Forest Trolls working together again, or at the very least reunite the Revantusk and Amani.
Meanwhile I would just love it if the Stonemaul Ogres got the promotion to playable.
In general im a big advocate for all the races in factions that are not playable yet! Such as Ogres, Forest Trolls, Taunka, Broken, Furbolg and so on. Reexploring these old lands is kind of ideal for it all!
I wonder if Midnight might actually be a good opportunity to make Naga playable. We know Azshara is coming, and we know Midnight is supposed to be centered around elves coming together. Granted, we don’t know which elves were being referred to, but its food for thought. There could always be group of Naga who defect to our side.
Are we really counting Naga as “elves”? Whatever they once were, they’re now more physically and culturally distict from elven-kind than say, Night Elves are from trolls.
I don’t see an army of Naga slithering up the shore and think “dang elves are at it again.”
Unless you’ve got a time machine, I’d say the night elves have been out of the Aszhara business for over 10,000 years. Seems kind of distinct to Naga these days.
They also have their own architectural style. Presumably art, as well.
But a distinct elfy part because it comes from their elf days. It isn’t distinctly naga when it originates from elf times. It just connects them to their elven past.
Just looks like elf architecture with sea motifs to me.
You seem to be going out of your way to conflate Azshara’s status with the ancient elves; that of revered and beloved ruler, with the status she has amongst the Naga; that of living goddess.
The elves maintained a faith in Elune, amongst other things. The Naga worship Azshara to the exclusion of all others. Going as far as banishing followers of Neptulon, for example. So saying that the elves worshiped Azshara as a divinity is at best a half truth, if not a total lie.
And before you say that the Naga don’t worship her, I’ll draw your attention to the many idols to her they seem to build where ever they go.
The level of importance the Naga place on Azshara would have been out of place, even in the ancient Kaldori empire.
Why not? I’ve always counted the Naga as the “sea elves” of warcraft. Yeah they may look alot different but still their roots and culture are elven at heart.
The most common trace of elves in warcraft is their susceptibility for magical influence.
Nagas are what Old god influence reflects so it is normal that they look monstrous( and they are the prettiest of old god minions so that is a plus).
At one point I highly agreed with this, I think it would be better for the race to die out altogether, lore wise. Them, the mantid, and the aqir. Pretty much all of the races that were part of the black empire.
I don’t find them distinct enough.
All their ingame content are elven related.
Serving and worshipping azshara who mostly show herself to mortals with her elven form.
They were introduced within the NE campaign in war 3 tft, serving illidan.
So the naga have the same problem with Azshara as the forsaken have with Sylvanas almost everything related to their race is related with their Queen and Azshara is THE elven Queen. So rather strange to not consider them elven. But thats for me.
On a side note: it is rather dificult to disassociate them from elves when all their content is elven relate in one way or another.
Out of my way? It seems straightforward. If you do the Caverns of Time dungeon, their utter devotion is clear. And these folk stayed loyal despite living though the War of the Ancients. Whatever extra emphasis, it seems well and away quite elfy. “They did this thing they did as elves, but extra hard now.” That’s elfy.
If statues are evidence of worship, she has statues when she was an elf. This even comes up on the Shaman artifact lore book.
One of the first things Azshara did with Sharas’dal was use its power to enhance her legendary beauty. As the years wore on, the queen seemed to grow younger and more mesmerizing. A brilliant aura enveloped Azshara, enthralling those who looked upon her. The Highborne marveled at this strange phenomenon. A few even took it as a sign of divinity.
With the omnicidal literally demonic Man’arai given as a customization option, I consider the gates wide open for possibilities.
Fel Orcs?Ok. Naga?You go be the danger noodle of your dreams. SATYR?Sure, kid, skip leg shaving day.
Of course the standard request list of Forest trolls, Ogres, and Broken are all possibilities, as well.
Though I have been considering Satyr a lot recently. They are former elves, transformed into something quasi demonic by Sargeras’ curse. They would work for Midnight, honestly, and would be very easy to pull off just swapping out the bottom half of a night elf. A sect could exist which was unwillingly cursed but after being freed of the curse’s compulsion to corrupt decide to retain their current forms as proof of what they went through.
I love the fact that they lay eggs. So much so, I like to convince people that it’s not because they are water based life now, but because it’s an elven thing. Here’s the best part. No proof either way. Imagine the joys of night elf and blood elf hatcheries in the city. “And if you look here, judging by the way this glorious Sin’dorei egg leans slightly to the side, it will be a male that hatches.”