I already have a small stable of people beginning work, but I'll need a few more if this is to achieve what it needs to achieve. And if you're wondering why I'm being so secretive—it's simply to avoid making too much known about a project that's still in its infancy. This thing isn't set in stone by far, and there's always the chance that it'll putter out and fade before completion. Avoiding over-hype helps to avoid disappointment.

If you're one who's interested in helping, but haven't sent me an email or responded to the comments, please still feel free. This isn't a time-limited thing just yet, and I'm happy to look over anything you may have to offer.

Once again, thank you. I'll be in touch within a few days.

Recently, over my Twitter account, I put out a call for other people knowledgable in WoW lore. I'm doing that here as well. If you believe yourself a fan of Warcraft lore, or if you have in-depth knowledge about specific aspects of this world, then please send me an email. Or just reply to this post. Let me know what it is you know, and if it's something needed, I'll get back with you.

There's a project a'brewin' at LoreCrafted, and it will require more writers than just me. Hey, it'll also require a few artists, too, if you're interested in getting a tiny bit of exposure. So if you wish to volunteer to help out this li'l ol' lore site, please let me know. I'll fill you in on the details if you have what I'm looking for.

That said, the final pieces to the Paths of Bronze story will be up shortly, along with a few guest posts that have been submitted.

Thanks for reading! You are always appreciated.

*bows*

All of this, quite simply, is untrue. Granted, while I'm not a fan of his, I far from hate him and wish to set the record straight about my feelings. Be warned, though, I don't enjoy what he's done to Warcraft lore, so there will be a healthy dose of ranting and bias in this post. Regardless, I feel this needs to be clarified for my readers.

Firstly, I'll say that I've never met Richard Knaak. I know little to nothing about him as a person outside of what can be gleaned from various interviews across the internet. Indeed, while I knew of his writing when I was heavily in the Dragonlance setting, I had never read one of his books until the Warcraft: War of the Ancients trilogy. My opinions are based solely on his Warcraft works, of which I believe I've read all (Day of the Dragon, the War of the Ancients Trilogy, the Sunwell Trilogy, Night of the Dragon, the Legends anthologies, and Stormrage).

Finally, the man has sold more novels that I could even hope to write at this point. He's also reached a level of status among his fans that many people only dream of achieving. He has his supporters, and I respect that there are those out there who enjoy his work despite the fact that I'm not generally one of them.

Release Your Hate

As I said, I do not hate Richard Knaak. But, as mentioned above, I dislike what he does to Warcraft lore.

"But, Thar! What does he do to Warcraft lore?"

He weakens it, plain and simple. Almost every story that Knaak's told in this setting has taken the focus away from the traditional heroes and has instead given it to one of his own creations. He has lessened the importance of characters created by the Creative Development staff at Blizzard and instead shifted the importance to his own custom characters. Indeed, he has often artificially increased his own characters' importance by tying them to pre-established people in lore, thus giving his people notoriety without them actually "earning it." This weakens the overall setting by creating a confusion among those who read his works.

The best example, and most offending story, is the War of the Ancients Trilogy. This tale, originally told in the Warcraft III manual, was the signature tale of the night elven race. It was their signature story. There were already heroes and villains, a conflict, an overbearing danger, and an epic resolution. And while the first version of the tale was merely told over a handful of paragraphs, it was still a complete story. Anyone who chose to play a night elf wanted to know more. Anyone who enjoyed the night elf campaign in Warcraft III became intrigued at the savage history of these beings who "looked like elves, but taller. And far more savage." (-Grom Hellscream). The War of the Ancients trilogy should have been a landmark tale that defined who the night elves were, for better or for worse, and further defined the heroes we got to know in Warcraft III.

But instead of a tale about Malfurion and Illidan Stormrage, Tyrande Whisperwind, Azshara, and the Burning Legion, we got a tale about ... a human mage, a shapeshifting dragon, and an aging orc going back in time? Indeed, this human mage—whom we already knew as Rhonin—was even said to go as far as become a mentor to Illidan Stormrage. Illidan Stormrage, one of the most pivotal characters in night elven history, was made second fiddle to a human mage who didn't even belong in that era of the timeline.

And what about Broxigar? Oh, Broxigar is definitely a cool character, but did he really need to be made the singular most important orc in all of history?

"But, Thar! He's not! He just saved the world once!"

Well, let's see exactly what deeds are placed upon Broxigar's broad shoulders, shall we? Not only was he given an axe crafted by the demigod Cenarius, but he also used this axe to actually injure Sargeras. Certainly, it was a papercut of an injury, but that does not lessen the fact that this was the most important "papercut" in the history of the world. For you see, this injury forced Sargeras to pause and look down before stepping through the Well of Eternity portal into Azeroth. And, indeed, it was this extra bit of time that allowed Malfurion and Illidan to collapse the portal. Understand what this means: Broxigar is the reason why Sargeras never stepped through. Thus, it was Broxigar who saved Azeroth from Sargeras and the Burning Legion.

But that's not all, folks, no. Not only did Broxigar injure the Lord of the Burning Legion. Not only was he responsible for stopping the great fallen titan from entering the world, but it was also strongly suggested that Broxigar's battle prowess was noticed by the demons. Could he have been remembered by none other than Kil'jaeden? Could the demon lord have chosen to corrupt the orcs because of Brox's demonstration of strength thousands of years ago?

Yes, guys and gals, Broxigar may also be the reason why the orcs were corrupted on Draenor in the first place...

It's important to note at this time that Broxigar was never mentioned anywhere in lore prior to the War of the Ancients trilogy. He is distinctly a child of that series, a character given so much importance that he overshadows the deeds performed by the heroes who already existed in lore.

Now, I could go on about how Krasus has appeared in almost every Knaak story, making him one of the singular most important dragons in history. I could tell you about how Krasus is not only intimately tied to Alexstrazsa, Aspect of the Red Dragonflight, but is nearly on a first name basis with all the Aspects. But, you know, Knaak's specialty is dragons, and it is known that he had a hand in the development of that lore in this setting. So I'll leave that one be, for now. Dragons are what gave Knaak his start. Those are his stories to tell.

Still doesn't mean that I like seeing Krasus in every story with Knaak's name on it, though.

Let it Flow Through You

Aside from my issue with the rather Mary Sue-ish characters Knaak tends to create, I also take issue with the distinct feeling that he really doesn't know this setting as well as many fans I know. Perhaps I'm old fashioned, but I believe that, if you're going to work in a shared universe, you need to know that universe inside and out. Read the interview that WoW.com did back around BlizzCon 2009. I'm not just referring to his awkward claim that he invented tauren death knights, I'm referring to the simple fact that Blizzard had to inform him that death knights existed in the first place.

To quote from that interview:

"I honestly believe I'm the one who gave them the idea for Tauren Death Knights. As I recall, I told them I wanted to bring Trag back as an undead warrior type, and they said, "The only real undead warrior types we have are Death Knights," and I said that a Death Knight would be cool! And they started sending me illustrations and sketches of Tauren Death Knights, and I'm like, oh wow! And well, I can't say for sure, but I was definitely thinking this up pretty early on, and now they (Tauren Deathknights) are in game. If somebody else came up with the concept before me, I hadn't heard about it, so I certainly feel I was in there very close to the beginning, and now he's in there telling people he's going to join them in the final assault on Icecrown."

Really? They had to tell him about an aspect of this setting that has existed for about eight years? An aspect that was one of the central focuses of Warcraft III and its expansion? Had death knights been obscure, then I could understand it. But the death knight version of Arthas is on the cover to The Frozen Throne expansion. Even Level 60-era World of Warcraft has a plethora of references to death knights. Twice have we ventured into Naxxramas, where there's an entire wing of the undead buggers!

Strike Him Down...

As a fan of Warcraft long before World of Warcraft's release, I want to know more about the characters I came to know and love. I can stand learning about Rhonin and Krasus in their own stories, but to see these people invade and take over in stories where they just don't belong is why I roll my eyes at most of what Knaak writes. I cannot shake the feeling that he's better suited to writing good roleplay arcs moreso than official lore (although he tends to break a few of the best practices found in roleplay as well).

Knaak just doesn't bother to use what's there. He transformed Malfurion, Illidan, and Tyrande into shallow versions of their former selves for War of the Ancients. He gives importance to entirely new characters without helping to define characters that already exist. He changes events to favor his own creations while leaving pre-existing lore on the vine to wither and fade. Don't get me started on the whole demon hunter conundrum...

As someone with permission to write official lore, he needs to become intimately familiar with the pre-existing characters. He needs to stop creating new people and handing them the reigns to everyone's salvation and instead re-focus on characters that could actually use further definition. This is why I don't mind reading Knaak's characterizations of the dragon Aspects. They're his characters to write. He is the definitive author when it comes to the dragonflights as far as I'm concerned.

But he needs to stop getting his dragons and humans in my night elf stories. Tell a night elf story with night elves, not with Krasus and Rhonin.

Conclusion

I will say this much, however. Stormrage is a much better book than many of his previous. Most of my primary complaints, so far, have been addressed. There are still examples, however, but it feels like he's done a lot more homework this go-around. No longer do I feel as if I'm reading a generic fantasy tale with Warcraft-like elements. Now I actually feel like I'm reading a story set on Azeroth. And, for this, I have to pay my respects for Knaak's work on Stormrage.

He needs to keep it up and refine his understanding of the world. If he can continue to do this for future works, he may gain back a few more fans and actually help strengthen this game's lore. Honestly? I want what's best for the setting, and when people develop a negative attitude towards lore because of something Knaak writes, it just makes me appreciate his work less.

Just as the original Shadow of the Nightmare concept was based around the ideas behind Shadow of the Colossus, this image is based around the ideas behind God of War. Velarias Thorngrasp is a concept character based around the question of "what if a night elf druid were a little more like Kratos?" Indeed, after reading a little about the Druids of the Nightmare, it struck me that the concept wasn't too far off the mark.

The next entry in the short tale has been posted under the Paths of Bronze. And once again, here's a teaser for the art.

I've also included a piece of original artwork representing one of the scenes in this first part. It's been finalized as a piece of wallpaper and is available in three widescreen resolutions. If you'd like it in another size, just let me know and I'll resize it accordingly.

I'll state upfront that the entire Shadow of the Nightmare concept was inspired during a conversation between two co-workers and I in which the Playstation 2 game, Shadow of the Colossus, was mentioned. The imagery of the gargantuan colossi struck a chord with me, and I began to sketch ideas of how it may look if brought into the Emerald Dream setting.

This lead to the short series of concept artwork which marries the Emerald Dream's imagery with other popular game concepts. The story that binds it all together followed shortly, and is directly inspired by one of the roleplaying arcs happening within the Netherbane right now.

That said, I've included a link to the wallpaper below as a teaser.

...dang.

A good day to you, my dear readership! I'm sure some of you have faded due to my few weeks of silence. Fear not, though. I'm back from the dead and largely recovered from the beating that the holiday season gave me both mentally and emotionally! I'm ready to ride once more!

*jumps into the saddle again, misses, and falls off the other side of the horse*

...okay, so maybe I'm a little out of practice...

Anyway, I first wish to give a sincere thanks to Fethas Ravenmoon for providing me with the guest post that went up at the end of last week. I should have gotten it up sooner, but there have been a lot of things taking my time. She helped to make sure that last week wasn't completely silent, and now I'm here to make sure that this week is equally not as silent!

Or something.

Undeath and the Light? Forbidden?

So, earlier last week I had a brief discussion over Twitter regarding the idea of Forsaken paladins. I was asked what I thought about them, and the disscussion evolved into whether or not the lore could support such a thing.

As I understand it, the question originally arose during Blizzard's announcement of the new race / class combinations for Cataclysm. Perhaps some people were questioning the validity of tauren paladins, and perhaps they were looking for a another race horde-side that could adopt the class. Certainly, there was controversy when it was given to the blood elves, and it seems as though tauren will be little different.

But what about the Forsaken? As undead former humans and elves, shouldn't they be able to fit into any class they had in life? Or is the belief that the Light abandons all undead a justified belief? Certainly, people will point to various characters like Trevor, who was a devout priest in life, but left abandoned by the Holy Light in undeath. They could also point to the ideas behind the Forgotten Shadow, and the fact that wielding the Light can be a very painful experience to an undead.

But does this mean that no undead can wield the Holy Light? Hardly. The most prominent example to counter the idea is Sir Zeliek, one of the Four Horsemen of Naxxramas. According to Eligor Dawnbringer:

"Sir Zeliek, a paladin in life, so strong in his faith, that even in undeath, the power of the light still heeds his call, smiting his foes in battle."

Indeed, an encounter with Sir Zeliek can be a very unique experience, for this fallen paladin has been known to ask for the forgiveness of the heroes even as he smites them down. He is a clear and explicit example of a death knight of the Scourge who can still wield the Holy Light.

Zeliek is not the only example, however. The trading card game even gives us a similar character in Chancellor Velora, who has the ability to deal holy damage. Indeed, even her flavor text sheds some light on her situation (no pun intended):

"The Light rewards faith, not form."

And what about the player characters? In the quest Garments of Darkness it is strongly hinted that a playable Forsaken priest must learn how to wield light to heal before delving into the darkness.

Undead Paladins?

So does this mean that Blizzard has ultimate freedom to create undead paladins as another potential race / class combination? Will we soon be seeing a legion of Forsaken paladins swathed in holy armor as they march upon Deepholm?

Yeeeaa—no.

Yes, yes. I know I just proved that undead can wield the Holy Light. But understand that, just because something is not impossible, does not mean that said thing is not improbable. Seeing the Forsaken suddenly embrace the Holy Light would stretch that faction's lore just a little too far. You see, the examples given above can largely be considered the exceptions and not the rule. These characters are rare and should be considered unique.

But, hey, seeing an undead holy knight who uses the Light not only to smite his enemies, but also as a form of repentence for his sins would be intriguing, wouldn't it?

Fortunately, I've finished up my most pressing matter just recently, so I'll be resuming LoreCrafted posting coming next week. I have a few articles almost ready, plus a guest article sent in by a guild-member and close friend of mine.

Soon, my dear readership, soon. I thank you for your patience.

*bows*

I have a post on my art portfolio site explaining it. Please read it. It explains what's been happening.

Once things have settled, LoreCrafted will return to normal. I thank everyone for their understanding and patience.

I wish to thank everyone who contributed to such a good cause, and I bow to all of you.

*bows*

Because the Chip-In widget has closed submissions, I have removed it from the site's header, but you can still find the information about Azeroth United by following the links above.

I'm sure, over the next few days, all the loose ends of the event will be tied up by the good folks of AU. This was something I am honored to be a part of, gang. Thank you, sincerely.

This is the silence of war. This is the silence of a raging battle against forces outside of our direct control, against an enemy that knows no remorse, and an enemy that will give no quarter.

You think I'm referring to Patch 3.3, don't you?

*grins*

Perhaps in part, yes. But I'm actually addressing some real life matters that have recently come up that have caused LoreCrafted's recent silence.

That dastardly thing called the "day job" has required of me long days, weekends of work, and short nights. This isn't permanent, however, and should clear up by the end of this month.

LoreCrafted will not follow MADNESS AND INSANITY into a Christmas hiatus, however. It'll keep going and I'll keep writing, but the articles may be a bit more sparse than they have been lately. But don't worry, I have a guest poster lined up with some promised articles, and I have a few lengthy responses to the "Ask the Greyseer" post from a couple of weeks ago. They just need some extra polish.

In addition, I also have a review of the new Death Knight manga to post, as well as my requisite reviews of the World of Warcraft monthly comic. New creative teams start soon, so I'm looking forward to it this time around.

Finally, by the time Christmas and the New Year's pass, I should be freed from my shackles and able to resume the schedule I had established over the past few months. For now, however, you have a slew of new and old lore that dropped in Patch 3.3 (covered nicely in this WoW.com article) to enjoy, plus new mechanics, weapons, bosses, dungeons, and lag enemies to experience.

Enjoy it for now. We'll discuss it later.

*grins*