Ask a Lore Nerd: And two stealthed rogues

Welcome to Ask a Lore Nerd, where each week Alex Ziebart answers your quests about the lore in the World of Warcraft. If you have any questions, no matter how big or small they might be, ask them in the comments section below and we'll try to answer it in a future edition.

We'll start off with Cole's write-in question...

Why can Rogues use Maces but not Axes? What's so sneaky about hammers but not about edged blades of death?

Well, this is likely more game mechanics than anything. They need to split up which weapons can be used by what classes evenly, or you get a severe loot imbalance. If you want to justify it in-character, maces are really, really good at stopping your opponent, rendering them unable to fight back, or fight ever again. A cut leaves a scar, a shattered bone leaves a cripple.

The Mace Spec that everyone hated so much in PvP? That's pretty much how it goes with maces in real life. You thonk someone on the head, and they're out of it. I could see a Rogue playing dirty like that. Coming up from behind, cracking someone over the head, then swinging low and shattering the next guy's kneecap.

Why can't they use axes? Probably no compelling reason besides game balance, though I'm sure they would be harder to use in a Rogue-y fashion than swords, daggers or hammers. Axes are probably the most unforgiving of all of the bladed weapons. You want a hard swing, not so much an elegant stroke, a well-placed shiv, or a busted joint. Axes tend to be more about being heavy and using momentum to cut, rather than sharp edges. Not always, but that's their tendency. Maybe they weren't graceful enough to make the cut*? Who knows.

Eternauta asked...

Why did they retcon the Draenei lore from WCIII to WoW BC? What was wrong with the original lore (ugly, thin, primitive Draenei).

I'm pretty sure the biggest reason for it is that they had a cool idea and they rolled with it. There was no conspiracy or plot, or anything like that. I kind of have to agree with it, too. As much as I dislike retcons, I think this one worked out for the better. I loves me some Draenei.

Even if they used the old Draenei, the Lost Ones, they would need to do some storytelling anyway. We knew very little about them, or how they became shriveled little beasts. I don't think this retcon was a terrible one, since they wove the 'new' Draenei with the 'old' Draenei rather well, with Akama being a nice focal point for that. The only issue is the "Which came first, Sargeras or the Eredar?" thing. Chris Metzen himself said, in different words, 'We had an idea, we liked it, we went with it and mixed some stuff up on the way. We like this better though, so that's how it'll be.'

Who are those Draenei acolytes all around Auchindoun? Why are they hostile, aren't Draenei supposed to be 'good guys'?

Every races has its oddities. Think of the Auchindoun Acolytes as a cult, similar to how Lordaeron had the Cult of the Damned. You cannot possibly have a large civilization without having people who are eccentric, people who go against the grain, have different beliefs. Auchindoun is the perfect environment to birth that sort of situation, considering there have been multiple massive wars there, the territory has changed hands multiple times, the Burning Legion's involvement, and the whole D'ore soul-sucking bit. Just because the player race Draenei are 'good guys' doesn't mean their species lacks diversity.

I would call the Humans (of Stormwind) 'good guys' (though many will disagree) when they're not being used and manipulated by the Black Dragonflight (though even through that, they generally fight for what's 'right'), but you still get the Defias and such.

I-R-PALADIN? asked...

What's Medivh up to these days? I haven't heard much about him since WCIII. He wasn't even mentioned in the expansion.

Well, he's certainly in The Burning Crusade, though his 'present' self isn't. Nobody knows what he's doing right now, in the present day, or even if he's still alive. He's probably vacationing on a beach somewhere, sick of that Guardian crap.

Muxecold asked...

I'm a troll arcane mage. As I know trolls hate arcane for 10K years, know that it corrupts and think of it as of a big no-no. While being frost/fire mage is more or less OK for a troll, it is kinda elemental I feel that shamies in Orgrimmar would banish me if they knew I'm arcane, any ideas?

I haven't seen or read anything about Trolls being against the Arcane. Do you have a source? Maybe there's quest dialogue somewhere that I missed, but as far as I know the Trolls don't actively have anything against the Arcane. I see that in the early Troll quests it mentions they believe that magic has the power to corrupt, but that's not exclusive to Trolls. I think almost everyone in Azeroth believes that, including the Kirin Tor of Dalaran.

Bryan wrote in to ask...

What happened to Turalyon and Alleria after the events of "Beyond the Dark Portal?" The book acts as if they should still be hanging out in Outland, but WoWwiki says they stepped into the twisting nether in a scene that is similar to what happened in the book, but they came back from the portal.

They're on another portal world, supposedly. Neither Draenor nor Azeroth. They were originally going to be in The Burning Crusade, but squeezing in another world didn't fit the pace of the expansion, from what I understand.

Dawn wrote in to ask...

I was wandering around Northern STV while levelling an alt and noticed (again), those really big doors that are sitting closed in the water to the north, on the border of Westfall & STV. Any clue as to what those giant doors are closing up?

Those doors are the back of the Deadmines. That's the way Van Cleef and the crew were going to get their brand new ship out of there. Through those doors, down the river, then up to Stormwind to lay siege.

*Not a pun.

Ask a Lore Nerd is here to answer all of your questions about the lore and story of the Warcraft universe. From the religions of the universe to the 'evils' of Azeroth, everything is fair game. If you want more in-depth answers to some of your questions, you may find what you're looking for in Know Your Lore or the WoW Insider Directory.