frostmourne
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The Queue: Timeline confusion
Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Alex Ziebart will be your host today. Today we attempt to tackle timelines and alternate dimensions. Attempt being the operative word. Breadsammich asked: Something's bothering me about the Warlords cinematic. We see a pitlord, presumably Mannoroth, angered over the orcs' refusal to drink the blood. However, if the legion exists outside time and dimensional boundaries, how could that be Mannoroth? A "new" one wouldn't have been created by the new timeline if he's separate from it to begin with, right? Is this just Blizzard waving it off a little for the sake of the cinematic?
Man at Arms makes Frostmourne
If you haven't started watching Man at Arms, the awesome webseries where weapons from movies and video games are recreated by master blacksmith Tony Swatton, I have to wonder why not. The real draw of the show is that they go out of their way to make functional replicas, even when that's impractical - the weapons Swatton and his team create actually can be used, and usually are used at the end of the episode. This week, after a round of voting, we finally get to see Swatton's take on Frostmourne, the infamous runeblade of the Lich King. Now, as far as I can tell they haven't mastered the necromancy that made Frostmourne so dangerous, but they did make a sword you can cut stuff up real good. Keep your eyes peeled at the end for a guest appearance by Michele Morrow at the end. I won't lie, I'm still a little bummed we didn't get a Gorehowl. But this is a heck of an impressive build. I really think Blizzard should commission an Ashkandi from Mr. Swatton. And then give it to me.
The dilemma of Darrowshire and Warcraft's creep factor
I remember my first encounter with Pamela vividly. It was vanilla, years and years ago, and I discovered a quest in Winterspring offered by a woman named Jessica Redpath, who had very little else to say. In between all the usual round of Winterspring quests was this woman, who asked that I go check on the town she grew up in called Darrowshire. It was all the way in the Eastern Plaguelands, but I figured for a change of pace from all the snow and desolation I'd go check it out. Not only were the Eastern Plaguelands exceptionally creepy and bizarre in terms of architecture, especially compared to anything on Kalimdor, but the sounds and music for the zone were incredibly eerie as well. And when I finally found Darrowshire, I found a deserted collection of dilapidated buildings, and one lone question mark off in a corner -- belonging to the ghost of a very dead little girl. And every hair on the back of my neck simultaneously stood up.
WoW Archivist: WoW's zaniest merchandise
WoW Archivist explores the secrets of World of Warcraft's past. What did the game look like years ago? Who is etched into WoW's history? What secrets does the game still hold? With only five shopping days left until the Feast of Winter Veil, it is officially holiday crunch time. To inspire you in your shopping goals or maybe point out the perfect gift for that special raider in your life, WoW Archivist presents the zaniest WoW-themed real-world merchandise of all time. Strange swag Every BlizzCon has its swag bag, but 2008's edition, celebrating the Wrath of the Lich King expansion, has to be the zaniest ever. In addition to Diablo III "sinamints," a can of "zerg creep" goop, and a pandaren beer cozy, the bag included an inflatable Frostmourne or an inflatable "Bubble Hearth Beach Ball." The latter is a Divinely Shielded dwarf using an uninterruptable hearthstone -- in beach ball form. The bag also included a package of tissues labeled "QQ noob," masks of Azeroth's races (reminiscent of the Hallow's End in-game versions), and a Frostmourne keychain. The keychain is notable for its several outward-facing spikes. It takes falling on your keys to a whole new level of pain. The full-size Frostmourne replica is more dangerous, but you're also not carrying it around in your pocket mere centimeters from your genitals. Or are you?
The Doomhammer thunders into existence
Say, do you like Doomhammers? Sure, we all do. And now you too can wield the sacred hammer passed down the line of Orgrim Doomhammer until that line ended, the mighty mace Thrall used to mash many men's mandibles to mush. This replica of the DOOMHAMMER (yes, they used all caps there) is, I have to admit, pretty impressive. It is the best replica of an imaginary hammer since my Mjolnir. Made by Epic Weapons (the people who brought you Frostmourne), this is a heavy-duty item. First off, it's huge. Compare it to the Frostmourne replica up there -- that's a big freaking hammer. The detailing is nice as well, complete with the Frostwolf insignia Thrall must have added after he took the giant bladed spike off of the top. I'm not sure why Thrall did that. I guess he felt like it was overkill or something -- and he's right, it is already an impressive hammer without it. Head on over to Epic Weapons to take a look for yourself. World of Warcraft: Cataclysm has destroyed Azeroth as we know it; nothing is the same! In WoW Insider's Guide to Cataclysm, you can find out everything you need to know about WoW's third expansion, from leveling up a new goblin or worgen to breaking news and strategies on endgame play.
Know Your Lore: Never to rise again
The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft. There will be spoilers for the revamped Scholomance Mists of Pandaria heroic in this post. Arthas Menethil is dead. He's not just dead; he's really, most sincerely dead. He is no more. He has ceased to be. Bereft of life, yes, but as Sylvanas Windrunner saw during her own recent experience in Northrend, he does not rest in peace. The Lich King lives on in the form of Bolvar Fordragon, but Arthas? Arthas is dead. No king rules forever. And yet Arthas' hand reached far across the world before he died. Even before he became a Lich King, Arthas forever warped the world of Azeroth. Even before his soul was blasted and rent asunder by Frostmourne and he became a servant of the then-Lich King, the former Ner'zhul, Arthas destroyed a city by his own hand and his own will. What Arthas did can never be truly undone. As much as they hate him, the Forsaken of Undercity owe their freedom from the Burning Legion to Arthas' move against the Dreadlords following the Battle for Mount Hyjal. As much as she hates him, Sylvanas owes not only her current existence but the val'kyr that have twice raised her from death to Arthas. Unlike Tinfoil Hat KYLs, this particular post is speculation and rumination without a theory to support or prove. It's musing on the nature of undeath, the role of the Lich King, the discordant notes and unreliable narrators of this particular part of the story. It asks several questions and does not have any answers to them. Does Bolvar Fordragon sit alone atop the Frozen Throne? Does Sylvanas Windrunner rule herself? Can we trust the val'kyr's word? And if Arthas Menethil still existed within the Lich King, holding the Scourge in check, then what did Tirion Fordring destroy in the Cathedral of Darkness? What of Matthias Lenher? I have no answers but many questions.
BlizzCon 2011: Mega Bloks Thrall figure and more
Earlier this year, it was announced that Blizzard would be teaming up with MEGA Brands, Inc. to release Warcraft- and StarCraft-themed Mega Bloks sets. It looks like they're definitely going to have a presence at BlizzCon 2011, and the toys look great. BlizzCon attendees can look forward to a Thrall giveaway figure as an exclusive gift -- but there's plenty more to be had, including a limited edition Battlecruiser. Only 3,000 of these Battlecruisers were produced, and they are available for purchase to all BlizzCon attendees and Virtual Ticket holders. You can order yours on the official Mega Bloks BlizzCon site. Oh, but that's not all. Attendees can also tweet to win by taking their photo with a massive Mega Bloks statue of Thrall. On top of that, you can also enter to win a chance for a one-of-a-kind Mega Bloks Frostmourne replica by guessing the number of bloks that went into creating the sword on display at the Mega Bloks booth. Be sure to stop by Booth C-303 to take a look at the Mega Bloks creations and get in on the contest action! Turn to WoW Insider for all your BlizzCon 2011 news and information. Get ready to kick off the weekend with the WoW Insider Reader Meetup cohosted by Wowhead, and look for our liveblogs of the convention panels, interviews with WoW celebrities -- and of course, lots of pictures of people in costumes. It's all here at WoW Insider!
Breakfast Topic: What happened to the mouse?
TV Tropes is justifiably known as one of the most dangerous sinkholes on the internet, and recently I spent hours winding my way through the entry on What Happened to the Mouse? For the uninitiated, the trope concerns secondary or minor characters and plot lines that go unresolved. Some better-known examples include the remaining dinosaur embryos in Jurassic Park, Saruman's fate in the film version of The Return of the King, and what happened to the Libyans in Back to the Future. Probably the most famous unresolved story line in the history of WoW was that of The Missing Diplomat, which for years was an iconic Alliance quest in pursuit of the missing Stormwind king. You ended up in Dustwallow Marsh with Jaina Proudmoore's thanks for having tracked down one of the conspirators, and then ... silence. Until Wrath of the Lich King, players wondered what on earth had happened to King Wrynn. Blizzard seems to be wrapping up a few stories that had been eluding players for a while (most recently, where Maeiv Shadowsong went after the battle with Illidan), but others remain. I have two personal favorites: The quest that Chromie gives you in Dragonblight that strongly hints at something weird going on with Nozdormu (admittedly, Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects sort of addresses this), and a question cryptically answered by Chris Metzen and Alex Afrasiabi in the first round of Ask CDev concerning the ultimate fate of Frostmourne. Is there any mouse-like storyline or quest thread you'd still like to see finished in game?
Blizzard announces 2010 Global Writing Contest winners
The long wait is over for those waiting somewhat impatiently for the results of the 2010 Global Writing Contest! The winners' names were announced by Zarhym this evening. The full winning story, as well as excerpts from each of the finalists, will be posted at a later date. Congratulations to all the winners! Zarhym Though the loss of life and limb was great, the ocular fortitude of our judges allowed them to see the job through: the winners of the 2010 Global Writing Contest have been chosen. Many judges were felled by the 18 million words that made up this year's competition, but whilst their souls are now forfeit to the contest's patron deity, C'Thun, their sacrifices were not in vain. Behold, the victors! Winner: "Silver Hand, Ebon Blade" by Raphael Ahad source Take a look after the break for the rest of the finalists, honorable mentions and the prizes!
2010 Global Writing Contest winners to be announced Oct. 18
Were you one of the many, many people that put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) for the 2010 Global Writing Contest? Good news -- the winners will be announced Oct. 18, according to a blue post by Nethaera. Prizes for the contest include a chance to go have lunch with the Blizzard writing staff, a Frostmourne for your very own, or your very own Blizzard library complete with novels signed by Chris Metzen, the cover artists and Blizzard's writing staff. Nethaera 2010 Global Writing Contest - Announcement of Announcement! During today's daily feeding/washing ritual, the handlers for the 2010 Global Writing Contest judges were able to coax them into revealing - between the constant wailing and gnashing of eyelids - that the list of winners for the 2010 Global Writing Contest will be finished on Monday, October 18th. Until then, you are allowed to slow down your hammering the Refresh button to once every other second. source The official site has more information about the contest and the prizes involved, and while you're at it, you can take a look at last year's winners as well. Good luck to all who entered!
Frostmourne makes an appearance in Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock
"Hold, lad. There's an inscription on the fret bar ..." The newest Guitar Hero game isn't doing so hot critically, but maybe we can blame that cool reception on the fact that there's a rather familiar icy zweihander hanging out as an unlockable "guitar" in the game's instrument store. This marks the second time we've seen Frostmourne in an Activision game (the first being its appearance in the Wolverine game). It's also not the first time we've seen WoW references in the GH series: the Elite Tauren Chieftain song "I Am Murloc" is available as downloadable content for Guitar Hero 3. Clearly, Activision is big on brand recognition. As long as it doesn't go the other way around, I'm fine with little cross-promotions like this -- though, to be honest, if we're going with the "axe" theme for guitars, I think I know a weapon that might've fit the bill just a little better. Thanks for the tip, Valek!
Know Your Lore: Current Alliance politics -- the dwarves, part one
The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how, but do you know the why? Each week Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft. Last week we covered the gnomes, who much like the night elves have a history that spans centuries, but unlike the night elves, much of this history is unknown. Also unlike the night elves, the gnomes don't appear to have much going for them in the way of future conflicts. Today we're going to talk about the close friends of the gnomes -- the dwarves -- who are decidedly far more important than any have given them credit for to date. To summarize their origins: Way back in Azeroth's history, the Titans created a race of guardians called "earthen" to help protect and watch over the planet. There were a few different "types" of earthen originally created. The first type was prone to a "matrix destabilization" when in high-stress situations, and a nasty thing called the Curse of Flesh. This destabilization in conjunction with the curse led to the creation of the troggs. Yes, the same troggs that are currently plaguing the gnomes and Gnomeregan. These first earthen were sealed away in vaults all over the world including locations such as Bael Modan. Apparently the Titans seem to have this thing for locking bad things under the earth. The second round of earthen creations were just fine, and left as they were. Except that they weren't "just fine." These earthen were also susceptible to the Curse of Flesh, much like the gnomes were, and it worked on them oh-so-subtly. Over a gigantic chunk of time, they degraded into what we know today as the dwarves of the lower continents. As for Northrend, according to the Tribunal of the Ages, the Titans created the Forge of Wills to make yet another series of earthen, these designed to avoid the Curse of Flesh altogether. This is why you see earthen up in Northrend today.
WoW.com Guest Post: Is Arthas redeemable?
Richard Powell, otherwise known as Tharion Greyseer, has been an advocate of Warcraft lore and storytelling since he was first enthralled by Warcraft III:Reign of Chaos. Acting on his love of the lore, he started LoreCrafted to help highlight the setting's backstory and bring forth a similar appreciation from within other players. He can be often be found speculating on some of the deeper aspects of this fictional world as he tugs at the various plot threads woven by the developers. As the Ashen Verdict beats down each of the barriers within Icecrown Citadel and defeats some of the most horrific of what the Scourge has to offer, a singular question pricks at the back of the mind of many a hero: does Arthas Menethil deserve redemption? Do not misunderstand. This is not a question of whether he will be redeemed, but a question of whether he should be redeemed. The difference is important.
The Queue: I am 25 minutes older than Alex
Welcome back to The Queue, WoW.com's daily Q&A column where the WoW.com team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Adam Holisky will be your host today. On January 24th, 2008 at 9:27 p.m. central I was officially welcomed into the WoW Insider family. At 9:52 p.m. central that same evening Alex Ziebart was brought on board. Between the 25 minutes that I was on staff and Alex wasn't, I had already leaked three Blizzard secrets, pissed off Blizzard PR four times, got an angry email from Ghostcrawler about calling warriors the redheaded step children of WoW, and was fired and rehired at least five separate times by Liz Harper. Alex, my friend, you have a lot of catching up to do. Get crackin' you whipper snapper! In all seriousness, between my first post and this one, the two years I've spent writing here have been awesome. It's a job that I never thought I'd have, and definitely one that I never thought I'd stay in this long. And out of all the columns I write, penning The Queue twice a week for you all is some of the most fun I have. So let's get to it! Justin asked... "What's Frostmourne doing in the armory?"
WoW Moviewatch: Wrath of the Lich King, Casino Royale Style
The Ancient Gaming Noob picked up this awesome trailer for Icecrown Citadel, created originally by Kesudor. The title of this piece is Wrath of the Lich King, Casino Royale Style. If you're a fan of the James Bond movies, there's no way you can miss the obvious homage to those distinctive, elegant opening credits. Two things in particular stood out to me as clever takes on the style. First, the heavy use of Frostmourne as an iconic image mirrors the use of a gun in the James Bond trailers. Displaying a weapon in this kind of trailer gives the audience a sense of menace, and helps cement what genre the movie lives in. The second clever touch was the cut-aways between Sylvanas and Blood-Queen Lana'thel. As you watch the video, there's a still image of Sylvanas staring out at the audience. Small bits of glass float by the Dark Lady. When the glass is over her face, you instead see Lana'thel. It's hard to tell what plot elements might be implied by this interaction, but it was still a pretty classy touch. Ultimately, this was a fun trailer, and I really enjoyed it. I'll be keeping an eye out to see what other fun stuff Kesudor might create. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an e-mail at machinima AT wow DOT com.
The Queue: Going to a party party
Welcome back to The Queue, WoW.com's daily Q&A column where the WoW.com team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Michael Sacco will be your host today. It's my little brother's birthday today -- fourteen years old, what the heck -- so today's Queue is quick and dirty so I can get the caking and presenting done. Lochlorien asked... Will we be able to wield Frostmourne after we defeat Arthas? Nope, the developers opted not to make Frostmourne an equippable weapon, replacing it as the Icecrown legendary weapon with Shadowmourne.
The Lore of Patch 3.3
In many ways Wrath of the Lich King can be considered the logical conclusion of one of WarCraft's major story lines. Arthas, the evil sovereign of the scourge, will meet his doom in Icecrown Citadel. Each Wrath patch up until now has lead to this defining moment -- the face off between Arthas and the players representing the next generation of heroes of Azeroth. Who will win? What happens after Arthas is defeated? Is Arthas defeated? These questions lend themselves to a spectacular conclusion to a great tale. In The Lore of Patch 3.3, Michael Sacco, Alex Ziebart, and I will take a look at all the various plots, characters, and environments that lead up to this grand confrontation with the Lich King. You'll want to know this story. You'll want to know this lore. For when you finally face off against the wielder of the Frostmourne, you'll know why you're going toe-to-toe against him, and why your fate can make or break the very face of Azeroth. This article, while containing essential lore, also contains heavy spoilers. Do not proceed if that bothers you.
EU-exclusive Frostmourne mug and keychain set now on Blizzard store
You lucky European ducks may just have finally gotten that one thing you can hold over the heads of those Americans with their superiority complexes. The official online Blizzard store is now offering, exclusively for Europe, a set of Frostmourne-themed merchandise. Enclosed in a special box, the set contains one Frostmourne hilt keychain and one insulated metal mug with Frostmourne's runic engravings on one side. Steely-eyed readers may notice that the keychain is the same one as, or at least identical to, the one that came in your BlizzCon '09 goody bag. Of course, this one is "made of rhodium, a rare metal offering even higher quality than silver." The mug, on the other hand, is a never-before-seen piece of merch. The set is, of course, limited edition, so if you want to make this the perfect gift for the burgeoning death knight in your family, you'd best act quickly. Then again, I don't think they like warmth very much. Maybe an insulated mug isn't the best gift idea. I'm thinking -- hear me out -- macaroni necktie.
The Ice Stone has melted your wallet (but secured your sword)
If you thought your Epic Weapons Frostmourne replica just wasn't quite enough of a display of conspicuous consumerism, you can now display more conspicuous consumerism by buying a display for your other display of conspicuous consumerism. That's right, Epic Weapons is now offering a special display for your Frostmourne, a light-up chunk of the Frozen Throne. It's a floor-mount stand made of clear poly-resin, built with two spotlights to illuminate the blade and hilt of your sword in a chilling blue glow. Weighing in at 26 pounds, it's also not likely to fall over and cause your cat's soul to become a thrall of the Lich King. The only thing it doesn't have, apparently, is a picture larger than 150 pixels across for me to show you. Blame Epic Weapons, not I. It certainly looks cool, mind you, but the price -- $200 -- is a little steep, in my opinion. Then again, I suppose if you can afford the sword, you can afford the stone. Let it never be said that replica swordmakers don't know their audience. Dispose of that income, all ye nerds!
Blizzard releases Bosstiary for the Frozen Halls
Following up on their neat entry for Ulduar, Blizzard has released their newest Bosstiary, this time for The Frozen Halls, the collection of new Icecrown 5-man dungeons coming with Patch 3.3. The site serves as an encyclopedia of information on the many and varied bosses of the Forge of Souls, Pit of Saron, and Halls of Reflection. The Bosstiaries often have information that the dungeons never really give you; for example, who knew that Auriaya was the Titans' librarian? Nobody, that's who. We just wondered why the heck she was wandering around Ulduar with a bunch of cats and a bad attitude. But now you can go into the Frozen Halls and know exactly who you're fighting and why, replete with marks on the map indicating the position of the bosses and the instance entrance. The Forge of Souls sees us freeing the souls of innocents from Arthas' Soul Grinder machines, run by Bronjahm, Godfather of Souls. Guarding the machines and preventing souls from escaping is the Devourer of Souls. The Pit of Saron is Arthas' saronite mining operation; Krick, a leper gnome, oversees the operation from atop his abomination, Ick. Forgemaster Garfrost shapes the saronite into weapons of destruction under Arthas' command, and Scourgelord Tyrannus lords over the pit with his fearsome Scourge powers. The Halls of Reflection are Arthas' private quarters, guarded by his lieutenants in life, Falric and Marwyn. Inside, Arthas himself keeps Frostmourne locked away from those who would try to use it against him. Patch 3.3 is the last major patch of Wrath of the Lich King. With the new Icecrown Citadel 5-man dungeons and 10/25-man raid arriving soon, patch 3.3 will deal the final blow to Arthas. WoW.com's Guide to Patch 3.3 will keep you updated with all the latest patch news.
