What Does Icecrown Bring? Part I

So Blizzard's given us two looks into Icecrown Citadel. The first being The Frozen Halls (the 5-man dungeon) and the most recent being The Frozen Throne (the 10/25 man raid). That's a lot of cold, methinks. This has recently sparked a bit of speculation about who we'll see within these places and how the events will play out.

Let's take a closer look, shall we? Let's explore some of the story ramifications that lurk within Icecrown's secrets. Part I will cover The Frozen Halls, and tomorrow Part II will explore what may happen in the raid: The Frozen Throne.

The Frozen Halls

Confirmed Lore Characters: Jaina Proudmoore, Sylvanas Windrunner, Falric, Marwyn, The Lich King

We know from the previews that we'll be seeing Jaina Proudmoore and/or Sylvanas Windrunner helping their respective factions within this winged instance. Jaina, it is said, is looking to see if anything of her former lover is left within the being known as the Lich King, and Sylvanas is looking for little more than vengeance against the one who killed her and turned her into an undead monster.

Both Jaina and Sylvanas have a rather personal story arc that deal with the fallen prince, but interestingly enough, neither have as strong a relationship with the Lich King entity. Jaina and Arthas Menethil were lovers prior to the events of the Third War, and Sylvanas was killed and raised by Arthas when he was a death knight, but before he merged with the Lich King/Ner'zhul.

It can be argued that there is no more distinction between Arthas and the Lich King any longer, as this has been shown to us by Blizzard multiple times over. However, it is still possible that there's a separation between the body and the soul.  Why do I point this out?

Sylvanas, moreso than Jaina, has a story that is more strongly tied to Arthas's ultimate fate. She seeks vengeance. Indeed, she created the Forsaken (which is, honestly, purely a political entity, since there is little to no "biological" difference between Scourge, Forsaken, or an unaffiliated undead) in order to strike back at the Scourge. So what happens to her and the Forsaken after the events of Icecrown play out?

Sylvanas is modeled very similarly to Maiev Shadowsong in her pursuit, albeit perhaps a little less "dense." Afterall, Maiev just had herself to handle her hatred. Sylvanas can channel that through an entire sub-faction.

So what happens? We can speculate that since there is no mention of Sylvanas or Jaina as NPCs in The Frozen Throne raid, that their story has to conclude somehow within The Frozen Halls, yes? So what can happen to close the story satisfactorily?

We know that the Lich King surives the events of the Frozen Halls to become the raid boss for The Frozen Throne, so she definitely doesn't get the glory of killing him. Will they cheat Sylvanas of her vengeance after giving Maiev Shadowsong hers?

Can you see what I'm suggesting yet?

What if... and this is, again, pure "story thread" speculation here, but what if Sylvanas kills the body? What if she (or Jaina for the Alliance version of the encounter) actually succeeds in separating the Lich King's "soul" from Arthas's body and killing the vessel? 

This hypothetical event could serve a few purposes: firstly, Sylvanas gets her vengeance and/or Jaina gets her closure. Secondly, it still becomes a victory for the "good guys," because destroying the body could easily be a huge morale boost in this war. And lastly, the Lich King's soul, which may still be bound to the armor and the blade, Frostmourne, can persist and escape to The Frozen Throne. It should be important to note here that the Frozen Throne existed as the Lich King's "prison" before Arthas entered the picture, and it could easily be brought back to the forefront for the final encounter.

"But, Thar! How would we fight the Lich King later if we kill the body now?"

Well, we already have a few examples of animated armor and weaponry, and we can be certain that the Lich King's essence is strong enough to animate such a thing. It could very much be like a revenant in style and flavor, but one that retains the silhouette of the Lich King himself.

"Arthas's true power may only now be discovered. Is there any hope in this mission, or does only death await?"

Alternatively, both Jaina and Sylvanas could be killed. But that speculation is highly highy unpopular, it seems.

*grins*

Discussion: A Grimtotem Future?

With the recent discovery of new Tauren skins, I've become more curious about what the future holds. Are these skins, per popular belief, new Grimtotem skins? Or are they new Tauren NPC skins, perhaps to indicate a shift in loyalties to Garrosh?

Or what if they're both?

If these new skins are Grimtotem, then it would suggest a shift towards a heavier plot involvement, which throws into question a part of a popular theory. Some claim Garrosh may eliminate the Grimtotem threat come Cataclysm, which would help strengthen his position among the Tauren. However, these new graphics could suggest that the Grimtotem will have more of a role to play.

Or perhaps they show up in Icecrown Citadel? What if they finally show their hand? And what if it's this that spreads the seeds of dissent against Cairne?

The Forsaken are already under watch. This could easily do the same for the Tauren, too.

What are your thoughts?

LoreCrafted Tweaks

UPDATE: I've removed the Forum link for now. It seems that public registrations with Squarespace are only available a few tiers up from the package I have. I've since taken down the forums until I can work out an alternate solution. Fear not, though, one's coming!

Some of you may notice a few new graphical elements on the site. I plan to continue evolving the visual look of LoreCrafted until I'm fully satisfied with it. But since these changes aren't as important as actual lore discussion, they will come slowly. 

I've also changed how the top navigation works, so now the Articles and Timelines link to individual index pages instead of a clunky dropdown menu. Because I had to move the content pages around for those articles, you may need to readjust any links you made to the Novel Chronology or the Character Study articles.

I've also removed the Video Chronology page for now. I'll add that back once I can format it properly for the new site design.

Finally, I decided to once again add an official set of Forums here. I know that sometimes a reader may have a comment or question regarding something that's not in direct relation to one of the posts, and I believe a discussion forum can provide that rather well. Anyone posting to the forums will need to register an account with the site, however. Go check it out!

LoreCrafted is an ever-evolving site, so please don't be surprised as things change around.

I thank you for your patience!

Weekend Woes: Orcish Occupation?

This post contains possible spoilers to story content. The PTR's, comics, novels, and other sources can contribute to this. Source: PTR.

So the 3.3 Public Test Realms went online recently, and folk in Undercity were apparently met with an interesting, if not wholly unexpected, surprise: orcs are now in Undercity. And they're there in force.

From the information I'm hearing, apparently the abomination guards are all replaced by Kok'ron orcs. Varimathras's position has also been filled by an orc. And I'm getting the feeling that the presence may not be welcomed. I've never really bothered with PTR's in the past due to crowding, instability, and lack of time. But I'm always interested in the new lore that comes down the pipe.

So what's your reaction? While I can agree that such a move may be seen as necessary in light of the Wrathgate tragedy, I have to wonder what this means for future intra-Horde relations.

Who ordered the occupation? Was it Thrall? Or was it Garrosh? What about Saurfang?

Something's brewing, and I'm not sure it's exactly better "for the Horde."

Garrosh, Hero of the Horde?

Perhaps Garrosh isn't so bad...

*ducks*

Okay, yeah, so we all know that Garrosh is fast becoming one of the more hated lore characters around, next to Varian Wrynn. Heck, I think there are people who may like Staghelm better...

*ahem*

That aside, today I'd like to speculate on a possible way that the Icecrown event coming in 3.3 could play out. We have a distinct disjoint between how Garrosh is currently perceived and how he would NEED to be perceived in order to enact the changes we're hearing about. Note that the following events are PURELY speculation on my part. These aren't leaks, spoilers, or anything of the sort. This isn't even my "official" belief of what will happen. This is just fun lore speculation regarding how we can get from "here to there" with regards to the forthcoming Cataclysm changes.

This article pulls from one of my previous posts in which I suggested that Bolvar Fordragon isn't truly gone, but may instead be a death knight now in service to Arthas. This was based upon a short dialogue between Korialstrasz and Alexstrazsa after the Wrathgate event completed. Seeing that the Lich King also seemed to have taken Saurfang the Younger's soul leads me to believe that we may see both of these heroes return. Whether or not they'll be brought back individually, or be the basis for a Lich King-like "merged" entity, I cannot say. But both options are viable and have a precedent in lore.

Truly, one of the greatest weapons at the Lich King's disposal is that of demoralization. What better way to break the passion of your enemies than by sending their former heroes against them?  So let's see how this could potentially play out, shall we?

Varian Wrynn, Varok Saurfang, and Garrosh Hellscream lead one of the main charges into Icecrown. The attack is going well until the two forces are stopped by these "ghosts from the past."

It's important to note here that Varian, Thrall, and by extension, Saurfang, all know that death knights can "come back." Both of the faction leaders agreed, on the urging of Tirion Fordring, to allow these former Scourge champions into the ranks of the Alliance and the Horde. And the Ebon Blade has been working to prove themselves as agents against the Scourge as well. The idea that a being of evil such as a death knight can regain a measure of his or her "humanity" is not unheard of.  With this knowledge, could Varian and Saurfang truly strike against their former brethren?  My personal belief is that both of them would hesitate, and it's this hesitation that will give Garrosh the opportunity he needs to secure his place as a hero worthy of the Horde people.

Think of it this way, both Varian and Saurfang have a personal attachment to such a situation. Garrosh, in fact, is the opposite. He has no attachment. It is Garrosh who would be free to strike out against these new death knights, and since Garrosh's skill as a warrior isn't in question, his chances for victory are pretty good.

So what happens if Garrosh succeeds in vanquishing these "ghosts" where Varian and Saurfang couldn't? The Horde hails Garrosh as a hero for defeating the enemy in a show of strength, Varian slips further into his hatred for the Horde because Garrosh gave no chance for Fordragon to be redeemed, and Saurfang is dishonored as being "weak" because he could not strike at his son.

Furthermore, what if ... just what if, the Lich King is defeated by Garrosh Hellscream? What if the final deathblow is dealt by the son of the orc who sacrificed himself to defeat one of the strongest demons in the Burning Legion? What if?

Now we have a Horde that has suddenly become more sympathetic to Garrosh and may start to believe that strength and aggression is the necessary path into the future.  If this is the case, then should Thrall give up leadership of the Horde (per the previously covered leak regarding Thrall's potential ascension as Guardian), Garrosh would be the forerunner for leadership, even over Saurfang.

Some people claim that there's no way Saurfang could be disgraced, even in such a situation. The alternative, then, is that Saurfang takes the claim of "weakness" so personally that he challenges Garrosh to a duel. It is here that Garrosh could kill Saurfang, further proving his strength and "worth" to lead the Horde.

With Saurfang out of the picture (either through disgrace, dishonor, or death), Garrosh would have free-reign to reshape the Horde as he believed necessary. He could even call down dissenters, perhaps like Cairne Bloodhoof, as traitors to the new direction.

It's a dark path down which to take the Horde, but it's not out of the question.

In order for Garrosh to inherit Horde leadership without a mass exodus or civil war, he needs to have a popular image. As of now he's little more than a petulant child. What could so severely change the way others look upon him?

Either an act of heroism of which others aren't capable, or perhaps the greatest act of heroism in our time...