The whereabouts of Varian Wrynn

If you've been reading the World of Warcraft comic book written by Walt Simonson, you've gotten to know the fellow over there as Lo'Gosh. An amnesiac washed up on the shores of Durotar, he's moved from mysterious gladiator to escapee from Thunder Bluff to helping cleanse an ancient idol of fel energies and is now revealed to be the one, the only Varian Wrynn himself. Currently, in the comic, he's doing heroic things like bisecting naga, breaking fear to decapitate a blood elf warlock, (it's official, Varian Wrynn is definitely a warrior... how interesting that his arena comp is a warrior, druid and rogue. You don't see many of those) and other suitable acts of badassery.

If you're wondering how it all works out, then continue to read beyond that dread chasm... make the jump, if you will... and you'll find out where Varian Wrynn is now.

While in the comic book (I'm up to issue nine, so I may be behind) Lo'Gosh and his allies are heading after some Dark Iron Dwarves in Blackrock Depths who have kidnapped a friend, and have dodged assassins sent by a mysterious woman in the shadows who isn't fooling anyone, it appears that in the Beta, Varian and his allies have come home to Stormwind. Now, as a reader of the comic (I became a fan during the scene where Varian freaks the heck out at a naga and cuts her in half while bellowing "I am the King of Stormwind and I will return to my people!") I'm very curious as to the fallout from the comic. How did Lo'Gosh/Varian get home? What happened to the various sinister folks in Stormwind responsible for his kidnapping? What's the deal with his dead wife? Is Anduin okay?

You can also see that Broll Bearmantle and Valeera Sanguinar are with the King, which befits his traveling companions/arena team. Besides making me curious as to their arena rating, this makes me wonder if Valeera's uncle, Lord Sanguinar, is ever going to drop into Stormwind for a visit. (No actual relationship between the two has been stated in the game or comic, I just find the idea funny.) I'm also wondering why, as of current Beta, there's no Stormwind Keep whatsoever. Our intrepid Adam Holisky explored the area for us... is this a sign of some world event or another that will help open Northrend the same way that the Dark Portal opened prior to The Burning Crusade? Is this the end of the Onyxia attunement questline? Adam found that Lady Prestor, Anduin and a second Fordragon (there's one on the docks with Varian, too) are all inside the keep, if you can manage to get in. But from the outside it's a void. Who knows what will be implemented in the future?

I'm excited to see the various in and out of game sources of lore merged again, especially since Lo'Gosh/Varian is an interesting and conflicted character. I'm looking forward to seeing this storyline develop further in Northrend.

Thanks to tipster BruddaWakka, and to Adam for his work in creating the gallery for us.

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