theramore
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Tides of War novel released today
The latest WoW novel, Tides of War, sees its official release date today. The book, penned by Christie Golden, tells the story of the Horde's attack on Theramore as seen through the eyes of Jaina Proudmoore. We'll be able to experience that attack first-hand in game via the Theramore scenario, which should show up in game in the next few weeks. If you want a sneak peek, though, or further elaboration on what exactly Garrosh Hellscream is up to and what happens to Jaina and the people of Theranore, you can pick up this novel. For more information, be sure to check out our spoiler-free review of the book, as well as our interview with author Christie Golden. You can find the book at most major bookstores, as well as online on Amazon in Hardcover or Kindle editions.
WoW Insider interviews author Christie Golden
Tides of War is releasing on Aug. 28, the same day that we'll see the release of patch 5.0.4 on live realms. If you'd like to know more about the book, we have a spoiler-free review of the novel available for those still wondering if they should pick it up. In anticipation of the novel's release, we also had an opportunity to interview the author behind the novel, Christie Golden. Tides is Christie's seventh novel in the Warcraft series, focusing on Jaina Proudmoore and the events surrounding Theramore's ultimate fate, as well as the lead-in for the next expansion, Mists of Pandaria. Like her novels The Shattering and Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects, Tides ties in with what we'll see in game -- but it's got a unique twist the likes of which we simply haven't seen before. Christie was kind enough to fill us in on that unique twist, as well as Garrosh, Theramore, and what it's like penning the tales of Jaina Proudmoore.
Review of Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War by Christie Golden
Oh, Jaina. How far you've come. Blizzard continues its trend of books that tie into World of Warcraft with its latest novel, Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War. This book takes place after the events in Cataclysm and after the last cinematic of the Dragon Soul raid. Deathwing is well and truly dead, and the world is a better place for it -- but for how long? Given the explosive nature of the Alliance/Horde conflict in Cataclysm, it's readily apparent that we're not about to go striding into the sunset, holding hands and singing songs of peace and harmony. Tides of War revolves around Jaina Proudmoore and the events at Theramore Isle, which we'll see in game when patch 5.0.4 hits live servers. Jaina's been noticeably absent during Cataclysm; while we see Theramore forces out and about in the world, Jaina herself remains firmly ensconced in her tower abode on Theramore Isle. But there's a change on the winds, one that's been hinted at ever since the novel The Shattering was released. In The Shattering, Jaina was told that eventually, some day, she was going to have to choose a side. In Tides of War, she makes that choice in a spectacularly dramatic fashion. But there's far more to this novel than just Jaina Proudmoore.
Theramore scenario will not be tested on PTR
The PTR for patch 5.0.4 carries many things that players on the beta have been fiddling with for quite some time -- talent changes and class changes, primarily. Players in the beta may or may not have found a way to access the 5.0.4 servers, but upon doing so, they've found pretty much everything they'd find on the beta servers, minus Pandaria itself and some of the new features. However, one thing everyone has been anxiously awaiting has been the scenario that involves the Horde, Theramore, and the launch of the war that takes us to Pandaria's shores. And if you were expecting that on the 5.0.4 PTR -- well, you'll be waiting indefinitely. QA poster Sapperwix has mentioned that the attack on Theramore Isle is not currently planned for arrival on the PTR and is being relegated to internal testing only. Sapperwix Quote: Is the World Event for the Attack on Theramore Isle going to be available for testing soon? We are not currently planning on opening this up for public/beta testing. That may change but for right now we're testing it internally. source Although some may be irritated by this supposed change in plans, I'm actually kind of happy to see this. Knowing everything there is to know about an event before it happens -- especially something as major as what's going on in Theramore -- takes a lot of the impact out of the event itself. Since we've seen a gigantic chunk of what Mists has to offer already, it's nice to see that at least one present under the tree will remain firmly under wraps for now. It's open warfare between Alliance and Horde in Mists of Pandaria, World of Warcraft's next expansion. Jump into five new levels with new talents and class mechanics, try the new monk class, and create a pandaren character to ally with either Horde or Alliance. Look for expansion basics in our Mists FAQ, or dig into our spring press event coverage for more details!
Theramore: A short history
We know that Theramore is in for some rough times. We've heard some sound files and seen some items in the files, and we know basically what's going to happen. So now, it's worth looking back at the history of Theramore. (Warning, spoilers for Mists of Pandaria in the links and in this article) It started out as a safe haven for those refugees who escaped the Scourge and Arthas only to find themselves in a new land, surrounded by enemies and forced to fight alongside the orcish Horde against the Burning Legion. Theramore weathered the schism between Jaina Proudmore and her father, High Admiral Daelin Proudmoore, and the invasion of Horde forces under Rexxar that led to the Admiral's death. Things were hardly quiet in Theramore after those events. Surrounded by hostile swamps, bordered by Horde forces in the Barrens to the north and west and Thousand Needles to the south, and forced to deal with Grimtotem marauders attempting to provoke a full-scale war with the Horde, life in Theramore was never easy. The revelation of the fate of Stormwind and its rise to prominence in the new Alliance that established itself following the Third War put Theramore in a strange position -- closest to their new night elf allies in Kalimdor and a safe port for Alliance vessels in otherwise Horde territory on Kalimdor's eastern coast, yet ever increasingly marginalized in the councils of the Alliance leadership. Meanwhile, Jaina's leadership and her desire for peace with the Horde was under strain, both from the more aggressively militant stance Varian Wrynn took upon his return to Stormwind (a return Jaina helped bring about) and from those members of her own settlement that were loyal not to her ideals but those of her deceased father Daelin Proudmoore.
WoW Archivist: Massacre at the Crossroads
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? Last week, Tom Chilton revealed that Mists would have no dedicated world PvP zone like Wintergrasp or Tol Barad. Instead, Blizzard wants to encourage a more natural style of world PvP. It wants players to duke it out in actual questing zones. On PvP realms, it wants players to be free to attack towns and cities without overwhelming NPC intervention. Since we're reviving WoW Archivist here at WoW Insider after a seven-month hiatus, now seemed like a good time to revisit the earliest days of world PvP. It's no secret that world PvP has had a rough journey throughout WoW's history. Blizzard did all it could to discourage the wild Southshore vs. Tarren Mill clashes that made Hillsbrad Foothills a laggy, unplayable mess, often crashing the Eastern Kingdoms servers entirely. In patch 1.12, the developers gave us new objectives to fight over in Silithus and Eastern Plaguelands, far away from where new players were leveling. Ultimately, those objectives failed to capture much interest. Players mocked the Silithyst PvP objective as "sandlol." Further experiments in The Burning Crusade were only moderately more successful. In Wrath, Blizzard added the Wintergrasp PvP zone, and that has been the company's primary world PvP model through the last two expansions. Before all of that, however, when the game was still so young that the vast majority of the playerbase hadn't yet reached level 60, there were raids on the Crossroads, in the heart of the infamous Barrens. And they were glorious.
Mists of Pandaria Beta: New Jaina Proudmoore Theramore event voices
We've known for a while that sometime during or before Mists of Pandaria there would be a Horde attack on Theramore and that it would tie into the Jaina Proudmoore book coming out this summer. The map files for the Battle for Theramore are in the MoP beta right now, and the latest beta patch added even more juicy Theramore info. This time, it's voice clips for Jaina and various other characters involved in the battle, courtesy of Wowhead News. The video and transcript is after the cut -- but beware of spoilers!
The Queue: Come to me, Pandaria
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. The beta does not currently allow questing on Pandaria, and it is driving me batty. It's so close! Let me quest, dang it! bethontheharbor asked: So has anyone bothered to get shots of the Theramore area, or is it blocked off. I haven't seen anything from that town posted anywhere.
Tides of War book release pushed back to July 24
The Simon and Schuster digital catalog has been updated with information about the forthcoming Jaina Proudmoore novel Tides of War, written by Christie Golden. The novel, originally slated to be released on June 12, 2012, according to the Amazon preorders, will be shipping on July 24 instead. Golden's last expansion opener The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm, came out on Oct. 19, 2010, just weeks before the Cataclysm release. Does this new date potentially reflect a Mists of Pandaria release? If the new book release date follows the Cataclysm common wisdom, Mists of Pandaria is on track for a late summer or early fall release. However, this release date means nothing until we get official word from Blizzard. In any case, Mists of Pandaria news, including Jaina Proudmoore's role in the upcoming sacking of Theramore and escalation of war, should be coming soon as well. World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria is the next expansion, raising the level cap to 90, introducing a brand new talent system, and bringing forth the long-lost pandaren race to both Horde and Alliance. Check out the trailer and follow us for all the latest MoP news!
Know Your Lore: The war begins
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? Know Your Lore covers the history of the story behind World of Warcraft. It's going to get worse before it gets better. In his Dev Watercooler about faction favoritism, Blizzard's Dave Kosak made this point, and it's a good one to make. In a World of Warcraft, the lore works to drive us forward, cresting on the waves of what's coming next. In patch 4.3, we're finally going to get to see the events of the War of the Ancients, fight alongside dragon aspects and the great heroes of the past and secure Azeroth's future. But in so doing, we find ourselves forced to deal with the aftermath of Deathwing's actions. The Azeroth we inherit is one that bears the legacy of the Wrathgate, where Horde and Alliance forever surrendered tentative attempts at peace and cooperation. The Azeroth we save is battered by years of conflict against terrible adversaries, and in this diminished, broken world, the Horde eyes the Alliance like a wolf views a sick elk. This is where the war starts. The Fourth War, it may be called. The War for Azeroth, the battle between mortals, for mortal concerns. At last, at long last, the battle postponed by the Third War can finally happen.
Dev Watercooler: Faction favoritism
Lead Quest Designer Dave "Fargo" Kosak has just posted the latest Dev Watercooler. This time, the topic is faction balance. In the wake of BlizzCon, this perennial topic has flared up pretty brightly. While the devs did indicate they wanted to give the Alliance a bit more good stuff during some panels, some other incidents during and after BlizzCon (including the news that Theramore, one of the most iconic Alliance cities, will be razed to the ground) has left some doubtful, leading to intense debates and 100+ page forum threads on the subject. The way Kosak explains it, the devs definitely want to make sure that there is faction pride for both sides, and, he argues, while the Alliance may be getting beat up, the Horde has taken its share of lumps too. But in the long run, heroes are not born out of easy times. The Alliance will go through tough times, but it will give heroes the opportunity to arise. The Alliance's time is coming. One thing he did admit to is that Blizzard needs to do a better job of making sure people can interact with their heroes. He acknowledges that the Alliance may not think of Thrall as theirs or part of their story, and he promises that once Cataclysm as over, we will catch up with other characters. Whether you agree with all of his reasonings and conclusions or not, it's a good read, and it does prove that Blizzard is hearing us and is at least planning to try to address some of the complaints of faction parity and Thrall overload. Check after the break for the complete text of Kosak's post.
Zarhym weighs in on Theramore rumors in Mists of Pandaria
Scrolls of Lore is reporting that Theramore will find itself destroyed in the war between the Alliance and Horde, and it's set off a flurry of posts on the official forums as well. In fact, there are not just one, but two threads worth of commentary on the matter that has Alliance players feeling a little angry. Community Manager Zarhym weighed in on the issue with a few posts of his own. Zarhym So, at BlizzCon we provided a few details about a new expansion and how it's going to have an ever-growing focus on the fight between the Horde and the Alliance in the wake of dispelling many very powerful threats to all of Azeroth. Then we find out a vague detail that some sort of unrelenting attack by the Horde on Theramore is to come. The Horde, to remind you, is currently a faction with an overzealous ruler and significant turmoil among their faction leaders; while the Alliance has almost never been quite so unified and far removed from the days of imprisoning orcs. The first pawn on the chess board of what is to be the story for Mists of Pandaria is being moved, and you're angry at whose turn is first? I only offer that maybe there's a little more to the Horde and Alliance story lines in Mists than an Alliance town being leveled... like the entire expansion story you don't know about yet. ;) If you wanna make an omelette... source Jaina Proudmoore is one of those characters who has remained relatively static during World of Warcraft's run, with few exceptions. I'm curious to see what Jaina's reaction to all of this will be, especially given that she sacrificed her father's life because she believed so fervently that peace was possible between Alliance and Horde. We haven't seen Jaina get truly angry -- this could be an exciting possibility. The news is out -- we'll be playing Mists of Pandaria! Find out what's in store with an all-new talent system, peek over our shoulder at our Pandaren hands-on, and get ready to battle your companion pets against others. It's all here right at WoW Insider!
Know Your Lore: The Shattering, part 1
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. On Nov. 22, 2010, millions of players logged in to World of Warcraft to view the old world one final time. Whether venturing to out-of-the-way spots, running around the park in Stormwind, or saying goodbye to Magni Bronzebeard and Cairne Bloodhoof, every player was well aware that the next day, these locations and people would no longer exist. As for me, my guild leader took those of us who wished to go on a romp around the hidden places in Azeroth that many had never before seen and would never see again. On Nov. 23, players logged on to find an entirely different, harsher world waiting for them. Orgrimmar was transformed into a bristling fortress of iron and steel. Stormwind's façade was forever marred by the charred claw marks of Deathwing, and the lovely park nestled in the corner of the mighty city had been torched and fallen away into the sea below. In Ironforge, the city was now ruled by a council of three; in Orgrimmar, a new Warchief sat on the throne. In Thunder Bluff, Baine Bloodhoof now stood in the place of honor once reserved for his father Cairne. For those who read the novel The Shattering by Christie Golden, all these events made perfect sense. For those who hadn't picked up the book, the resounding question asked was a simple "What happened?" Today's Know Your Lore contains pretty much every possible spoiler that exists for the novel The Shattering by Christie Golden. If you've been putting off picking up the book and giving it a read and would like to remain unspoiled, I would highly suggest turning away now.
Know Your Lore: The struggle for Southern Barrens
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. All they needed was a supply route. With the abdication of Warchief Thrall and the rise of the new Warchief, Garrosh Hellscream, suddenly the Alliance discovered what it meant to have a true orc at the helm of the Horde -- a merciless killer who held no particular love or wish for understanding and peace. Suddenly, the days of mild skirmishes were over, and the attacks in Ashenvale and Stonetalon had begun in earnest as the Horde moved from quietly settling the land and using its resources to taking it by force. The night elves struggled to fight back, but the remote location, so far away from the human settlements of Northwatch Hold and Theramore, left only one route for the Theramore forces to take in order to get those supplies delivered. It was one that took them straight through the heart of Horde territory -- the harsh, expansive desert of The Barrens. And so the Alliance came up with a plan: A road was to be constructed. With a road, the Alliance could easily transport caravans and troops to defend those caravans and help their allies defend against the crippling attacks. It was just a simple road.
Know Your Lore: The sorrow of Southern Barrens
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. Cataclysm brought with it a lot of changes -- the face of Azeroth was forever changed as the landscape altered when Deathwing burst forth onto the scene. But along with the physical changes, there were plenty of political changes as well. For the Horde, Cataclysm saw the rise of a new Warchief in Garrosh Hellscream, as Thrall took his place beside the Earthen Ring and tried to repair the tattered land. The Alliance saw the rise of the Council of Three Hammers in Ironforge, as Magni Bronzebeard's sudden demise left a hole in the heart of the Bronzebeard dwarves. It was the shattering of the land that saw both Alliance and Horde forces immediately move to reconfigure their borders and take whatever land and resources they could possibly get. Though the war rages on, some places are no longer war-torn and filled with the sounds of combat. Instead, these once-populated areas are filled with the silence of lives lost, of the cautious footsteps of looters looking to take whatever spoils of war they can carry. Perhaps the most saddening of these is the once-peaceful settlement of Camp Taurajo -- now a charred version of its former self, left to wither back into the harsh lands of the Southern Barrens.
15 Minutes of Fame: Herding roleplayers with a feather
From Hollywood celebrities to the guy next door, millions of people have made World of Warcraft a part of their lives. How do you play WoW? We're giving each approach its own 15 Minutes of Fame. The popular saying about leading a raiding guild is that it's somewhat like herding cats with a feather. Imagine then, if you will, tickling players through day-to-day game life amidst the friction of potentially volatile in-character roleplaying. Arialynn, the GM of <Templars of the Rose> on Earthen Ring (US-RP), leads an established troupe of roleplayers that's spent the Wrath era not besieging Arthas but running medieval-style market days in Dustwallow Marsh. Headquartered in Theramore Harbor, the Templars most assuredly exemplify the road less traveled, both literally and figuratively. What's it like to lead a guild that spends more time tossing back stiff ones in the inn than it does wrestling with Defile before the Frozen Throne?
Ask a Lore Nerd: The swirling vortex of death
Welcome to Ask a Lore Nerd, the column that answers your questions about the story and lore of the Warcraft universe. Click the Comments link below, ask your question, and blogger/columnist Alex Ziebart will answer you in a future installment!Terrant asks...I have questions about Kalimdor. How aware were the Alliance races of the continent before the events of Warcraft III? Was it completely unknown, known but unexplored, or frequented by the adventurous? The only Alliance settlement seems to be the recent Theramore, but at the same time, the goblins' trading network and cities seem to be well-established, so you'd think word of the continent must have gotten around. And there are pirate organizations that include humans and dwarves on the continent, too.
Cinemassively: Azerothian Super Villains, Episode 6
In January, we introduced you to a World of Warcraft machinima series, Azerothian Super Villains, by featuring the five episodes that had been produced at the time. Ian Beckman is back with the sixth episode, "The Virgin Kael'thas," a humorous video about Illidan's plot to take over the isle of Theramore by distracting the leader, Proudmoore. When he realizes that there are no other options, he enlists Kael'thas, the village idiot of the group, to complete the job, but as always, there are some complications ...[Via Warcraftmovies.com]If you have machinima or movie suggestions from any MMO, please send them to machinima AT massively DOT com, along with any information you might have about them.
WoW Moviewatch: Azerothian Super Villains, Episode 6
The moment you've been waiting for has arrived! It's hard to believe that a whopping five months have gone by, but Azerothian Super Villains - Episode 6 has finally been released! Ian Beckman went all out in the production of this sequel to his popular series. It wouldn't be complete without a voiceover from our favorite guest actor, Drewbie, though!You know the drill. Illidan plots something evil, Kael'thas screws up, and everything goes awry. However, there's a lot more depth (and laughs) to it than that. In this episode, "The Virgin Kael'thas," Illidan plans to take over the island of Theramore, but needs Kael'thas to distract the leader, Proudmoore, in order to carry it out. When Proudmoore is discovered to be Jaina, a lady, will he be able to carry out his mission?[Via Warcraftmovies.com]If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch ...
Happy birthday to baby Jaina
We'd like to officially welcome baby Jaina into the world -- born at 12:35am yesterday, Jaina Tiffany Bauer and mom Tiffany are both doing just fine. Dad Tim, who plays on Perenolde, sent us a note to say that he'd joked about naming the baby after the Lady of Theramore, but the name stuck during pregnancy, and now she's Admiral Proudmoore's daughter's namesake for life (as long as you don't name the baby Thrall). Very awesome, and very cute kid. Congrats to mom and dad both.Tim also jokes that she gets cold already, so he speculates that she's already grabbed Icy Veins, 11 points into the Frost tree. We'd like to know just how soon she can be leveling her Mage in-game -- after all, Jaina is supposed to be there to help us out against Arthas. Level 80 waits for no one (or baby, as the case may be).
