Making Order Out of Chaos: The Cataclysm Explained and Discussed (Part 1)

"We are drowning in information but starved for knowledge."

As the dust settles from Blizzcon, and all the information begins to be compiled down and simplified some are still left in confusion.  Why The Cataclysm and not Emerald Dream or Maelstrom?  Why all the new class/race combos?  Why Worgen and Goblin -- I thought they were neutral? What is going on?!  Well, I am here to clear a few things up and hopefully after this read you'll understand why all this is happening.

Giving Credit Where It's Due:

I have never been one to enjoy role-playing and I will admit to just grabbing quests without reading them, but when it comes to the story behind World of Warcraft I have to respect all the work put into it.  After all, what is a game without a story?  Scratch that, what is anything without a story?  That is why I have decided to explain how all this fits in and why Blizzard went with Cataclysm.

Face to Face With The Enemy:

History of Deathwing:

The first character I'd like to start with is the one you most likely have seen the most of the past few days.  Deathwing, the Destroyer, originally Neltharion, the Earth-Warder, is one of five Dragon Aspect and leader of the Black Dragonflight.  Thousands of years ago, Deathwing was empowered by the Titan Khaz'goroth with dominion over the earth and the deep places of Azeroth. However, driven mad by the Old Gods, Deathwing turned against the other Aspects during the War of the Ancients, capturing a portion of their power in the Demon Soul (talisman created by Deathwing and the Goblins). Eventually the Demon Soul is destroyed forcing Deathwing to go into hiding as the Dragon Aspects of the world attempt to destroy him.

Among both humans and dragons his name has become one whispered with a feeling of fear and contempt. Though long believed to be dead, Deathwing currently resides deep within the Deepholm, the Elemental Plane of Earth. After decades of careful planning, he bursts out from Deepholm, tearing a rift between the Elemental Plane and Azeroth, causing the Cataclysm. His subsequent flight to Grim Batol in the Twilight Highlands lays waste to much of the landscape of the world. He now resides in Grim Batol, continuing his horrible experiments.
(wowwiki)

What Is He Doing:

Basically we have a once benevolent being turned utterly and horribly wrong by old gods.  This guy really, REALLY hates all the mortal races of the world and wishes to eradicate us all.  To top it all off the guy is completely insane, doing anything he can to gain power -- even if that means killing himself. 

In spite of being a nut case, Deathwing displays a high degree of cunning.  He has been planning to make the perfect Dragonflight for quite some time now.  He wants to use this Dragonflight to take over or destroy Azeroth.  He was eventually successful in making the Twilight Dragonflight which Deathwing made using Black Dragonflight eggs and mixing them with nether dragon energies.  The Twilight Dragonflight, which we have fought in Obsidian Sanctum,  are now in service to Deathwing.  While we may have destroyed the eggs and keepers in OS, Deathwing still has others hidden away and awaiting his orders.

Deathwing will be an unbelievably powerful enemy to face, but he does have his weaknesses --  one of which intrigues me is that he fears Medivh.  In Day of the Dragon, he states that he would never willingly face Medivh in combat, though this might technically be fear of the portion of Sargeras locked inside Medivh.  Does this mean we might see a return of Medivh from the dead (wouldn't be the first time...lol)?  Medivh is technically classified as an Eternal, so I believe it would be possible that some form of him could make an appearance to help take down Deathwing once we finally face him. 

As for the reason why Deathwing will be the main enemy of the next expansion -- to put it simple, he made himself our business.  We are off fighting Arthas this whole time while, unknowing to us, he has been planning his return.  While we put all our forces in Northrend to take down Arthas he finds it to be the perfect moment for his return. 

Our New Found Allies: Worgen and Goblins

Worgen:

Wogen have always been an enemy of both factions.  Savage, cruel, and animalistic.  So, why would they join the Alliance?  Would they not feel more at home with the horde?  To understand where these Worgen come from and why they have taken sides with alliance we have to first look back into their past.

The Father of Worgen, Arugal:

Arugal was once a member of the Kirin Tor of Dalaran. However, after the Scourge destroyed Dalaran and many of the wizards died in battle and rose soon after, adding their former might to the growing Scourge, he fled to Shadowfang Keep.

Frustrated by their lack of progress, and against the advice of his peers, Arugal summoned extra-dimensional entities to bolster Dalaran's diminishing ranks of his own. Arugal's summoning brought the ravenous worgen into the world of Azeroth. The feral wolf-men slaughtered not only the Scourge, but quickly turned on the wizards themselves. The worgen sieged the keep of the noble Baron Silverlaine. Situated above the tiny hamlet of Pyrewood, the keep quickly fell into shadow and ruin. Driven mad with guilt, Arugal adopted the worgen as his children and retreated to the newly dubbed 'Shadowfang Keep'. He resided there, protected by his massive pet, Fenrus — and haunted by the vengeful ghost of Baron Silverlaine.
(wowwiki)

Gilneas:

Gilneas is a human nation and kingdom located in the peninsula directly south of Silverpine Forest on the continent of Lordaeron. The kingdom is ruled by the Greymane dynasty. Besides the peninsula, the kingdom also included the island of Zul'Dare.

 

Gilneas is a large peninsula that juts into the sea south of western Lordaeron. Silverpine Forest lies to the northeast and Kul Tiras awaits across the sea to the south. Lord Genn Greymane never supported the Lordaeron Alliance in the Second War. Thus, after the war, he constructed the Greymane Wall: a massive barrier spanning the entire northern border. The enormous wall barricades Gilneas from Lordaeron. Gilneas does not allow anyone in or out, and none knows what has been transpiring there since the end of the Second War.

 

However, it was later found that the worgen curse has swept mercilessly across the nation, turning nearly all of its inhabitants to savage beasts.  The denizens somehow retained their will unleashing a bloody civil war that wrecked the whole nation. After the Cataclysm, Gilneas has rejoined the Alliance in an attempt to save their people.
(wowwiki)


The Beast Within: Human Worgen

We are told our Worgen come from Gilneas. The city hidden behind a wall has been a source of mystery for many years. Gilneas' king, Genn Greymane's decision to close Gilneas out from any outsiders and keep all its people inside, as to not contract the plague, led to a horrible fate in the end anyways; they all turned into the savage worgen.

However, the question of how the worgen of Gilneas broke free of their curse and chose to rejoin the alliance still remains.  I believe the answer to that question is a wizard of Dalaran named Alphus Wordwill.  Alphus is currently researching an affliction that he had called the "Worgen Curse". He believed he would find a cure to this curse, and although it would not cure the transformation, it may allow the worgen to retain their minds after the transformation. He believed that these good-minded worgen could retain their abilities and help them defeat the Scourge and any other evil force. 

During some hands on time with The Cataclysm, players were able to play through the starter zone of Worgen and Goblins.  In the worgen starter zone you begin your journey chained to a way and a mage is constructing a potion for you to drink so that you will be "normal" once again.  This character is most likley Alphus, who has finally been able to find a cure for the worgen curse.  With the worgen now sane again they are most likely remembering their human ties and in the chaos decide it would be best to join the alliance.

Goblins:

History: 

Goblins are beings that are crafty, full of greed, and at times cruel.  Other races universally view goblins as inventors, merchants and, without exception, maniacs. Goblins value technology as a useful aspect of commerce. Some say that their advantage — and their curse — is to be the primary users of technology in a world governed by magic. While dwarves and gnomes share a similar gift, goblin technology is more far-reaching and sinister and makes a larger impact on the natural world.

The Goblins are ruled by Trade Princes.  Though the trade princes all live in the goblin island city of Undermine far from Kalimdor and the eastern continents, each controls his own private army and trade fleet. Each trade prince has his own specialty, monopolizing trade in a certain area, such as mining, deforestation, slavery or poaching. The trade princes are the most cunning of their race and stop at nothing to amass their fortunes and power, whether through legitimate means or via black markets and treachery.  It is important to note that the Goblins of the Steamwheedle Cartel, believing that the horde would win the war, joined the forces of the orcs during the Second War for a short period of time.  After realizing it was better to play on both sides, the Steamwheedle Goblins broke their ties and became neutral once more.
(wowwiki)

Post-Cataclysm:

After the cataclysm reawakened a volcano on their home island one of the goblin trade princes realized that there was good money to be made in offering panicked goblins a ticket to safety on his ship, taking their life savings - and then selling them into slavery. A clever plan, until it (and the ship) fell apart in a naval crossfire between an Alliance fleet and a lone Horde ship. The shipwreck's survivors washed ashore on the Lost Isles off the coast of Kalimdor, where they discover that the island's dense jungles harbor many mysteries and more than a few unpleasant surprises.

There, the goblins of Kezan have found a new enemy in the Alliance – unexpected and unprofitable encounters with this faction have driven certain trade princes from their comfortable neutrality. Reforging old pacts with their one-time allies, the goblins have been welcomed into the Horde with open arms.
(wowwiki)

In the end, Goblins fit much nicer within the horde, and I am sure we all did not expect them to join the alliance anyways.  I hear many people still asking the question, "What about all the goblin camps around the world like Gadgetzan, are those horde towns now?" If you remember, not ALL goblins joined the horde.  A small portion of them have broke away from their trade prince after he tried to sell them off into slavery.  So, therefore these goblins who join the horde are doing so in desperation rather than for profit.  This goes along with the theme for most of the horde races who feel abandoned, disowned, or have no where else to go. 

Closing The Page On Chapter One:

I hope I have helped to clear up some of the confusion with why all this is happening in The Cataclysm.  I have to give thanks out there to WoWWiki.com for all my history information and research.  In part two I will continue with my explaination on these changes, starting with all the new Race/Class combos and how exactly the Holy Cows fit into the game.

 

For part 2 go here: Making Order Out of Chaos: The Cataclysm Explained and Discussed (Part 2)