World of Warcraft: Shadowlands

Решил положить начало серии своих блогов, посвящённых разным дополнениям World of Warcraft, в которых я кратко буду описывать основные моменты, проливающие свет на метафизику вселенной, её уровни сил, внутреннюю иерархию персонажей etc, чтобы со временем систематизировать информацию огромной франшизы с легионом противоречий и ретконов.

Первый блог из серии будет касаться текущего дополнения — Shadowlands.

Из-за отсутствия времени я играю только 1 персонажем, следовательно лично прохожу цепочку только одного ковенанта (вентиры), а всё остальное смотрю либо на ютубе либо в текстовом варианте, поэтому где-то могут быть неточности, буду благодарен, если кто-то из играющих найдёт их. Опять же по тем же причинам я довольно быстро и поверхностно прошёл Замок Нафрия, то есть в понимании происходящего в нём у меня тоже могут быть неточности, ошибки. Да и вообще, если есть что дополнить, что я забыл указать или неправильно истолковал — пишите в комментах. Поехали!

(ах да, события препатча я добавлю на следующей неделе)

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Вступление (знакомство в Утробой, Тюремщиком и Орибосом)

Трейлер ШЛ, в котором нет ничего примечательного. Опущенец Болвар скулит и нагоняет пафоса про мощь Сильваны, принцесса Андуин нелепо похищена на глазах Генна, который по традиции каждое дополнение орёт "Сильвана, погоди!!", в то время как штормградские стражники демонстрируют чудеса смекалки, сидя во время грозы дома, в отличие от своих лидеров...

Без мемасов тут просто не обойтись...

• Квест "Shadowlands: A Chilling Summons". Сильвана с боём прорвалась в ЦЛК, попутно сливая всю нежить на своём пути и унизила позорного Короля-Лича Болвара, разорвала его Шлем. Разрушение Шлема освободило Болвара от бытия КЛ.

— Highlord Darion Mograine says: Before her minions abducted key leaders, the Banshee Queen attacked Icecrown. She cut a path to the Frozen Throne and seized the Helm of Domination. — Highlord Darion Mograine says: But shattering the helm also freed Bolvar Fordragon from the burden of being the Lich King. To death knights, he adds: Now he knows the same freedom we do, Deathlord.

• Квест "Through the Shattered Sky". Разрушение Шлема КЛ разорвало грань миров: мира обычного и Тёмных Земель — земель Смерти. Болвар поясняет, что долгое время сдерживал мощь Шлема, всё время ощущая присутствие некой тёмной сущности: ни Артаса, ни Нер'зула.

— Highlord Bolvar Fordragon says: When the Banshee shattered the helm, it tore a gaping wound through the veil between our world and the Shadowlands. Highlord Bolvar Fordragon says: During my vigil upon the Frozen Throne, I caught fleeting glimpses into the realms of Death. Among them, I saw a place of inescapable darkness. — Highlord Bolvar Fordragon says: When the helm rested upon my head, it took all my will to keep its insidious power in check. Many times, I nearly faltered. Highlord Bolvar Fordragon says: I could sense a dark presence at the edge of my consciousness. Not Arthas... not Ner'zhul. Something... else. Highlord Bolvar Fordragon says: It is that very presence I sense lurking beyond the shattered sky above.

• Квест "Fear to Tread". Дарион поражается мощи Джайны, которая завалила аж целого несколькометрового великана — стигийского гиганта! Наверное, он просто был чудовищно силён...

— Highlord Darion Mograine says: The Lord Admiral is truly formidable, to have bested one of these monstrosities.

• Квест "On Blackened Wings". Уставшая Джайна мучается со статистами Утробы, отступая из-за их количества. Если надумаю писать профиль на лорда-адмирала, то тут Джайна юзает иллюзии.

Lady Jaina Proudmoore says: I left some mirror images behind to keep them distracted. Lady Jaina Proudmoore says: The illusion won't hold for long. Hurry!

• Квест "A Flight from Darkness". Джайна множество раз попадала в плен слуг Тюремщика, но постоянно вырывалась.

— Highlord Darion Mograine says: What did Thrall mean by "slip past them again"? You've escaped before? Lady Jaina Proudmoore says: Indeed. I've broken free countless times, only to end up back in a cage. — Tariesh says: Your cell awaits, mage! The Jailer has plans for you! Lady Jaina Proudmoore says: I've had enough of your cages, fiend!

• Квест "A Moment's Respite". Утроба — тюрьма для отморозков со всех концов мироздания, а Тюремщик — первый парень на зоне, её правитель. Мастер телепортации Джайна не способна покинуть пределы Утробы. В Утробе находится бесчисленное количество душ.

— Lady Jaina Proudmoore says: Denizens call this realm "the Maw." From what I have gathered, it was intended as a prison for the most foul, irredeemable souls that ever existed. Thrall says: Something has changed. Pure, noble souls are being held captive here as well. They cry out in torment. — Lady Jaina Proudmoore says: The Jailer rules this realm. We know little about him, but it's clear he has taken a special interest in us. — Lady Jaina Proudmoore says: But I have found no means of leaving the Maw. I can only manage to teleport short distances. This nightmare feels... inescapable. — Highlord Darion Mograine says: Countless souls are now pouring into this realm. But some have been here for untold ages. Perhaps one of them knows a way out.

• Квесты "The Lion's Cage", "The Afflictor's Key", "From the Mouths of Madness". Джайна множество раз пыталась освободить Андуина, схваченного слугами Тюремщика, но затащить в соло не получалось. Тут же её абилка с телепортацией для профиля. Ах да, оковы, сдерживающие Андуина невероятно сильны, поэтому если вы вдруг встретите где-то квесты, где могучие персонажи не могут разрушить какой-то либо предмет, то знайте, что это исключительно из-за их невероятной прочности и свойств, шах и мат, хейторы паверлевелов ВоВ! Андуин способен лечить относительно серьёзные раны, бтв.

— Anduin is being kept in a place the shades call the Tremaculum. It's not far, but the way is perilous. I have tried more than once to free him from his captors, but the forces holding him are too great for me to handle alone. I'm counting on your presence to tip the scales. — Lady Jaina Proudmoore says: Once we find Anduin, my staff will serve as an anchor for me to teleport us back to safety. — First, I will need your help. The bonds that hold me are impossibly strong. We will need the key to free me of them. — My ability to teleport is limited here, but I should be able to open a portal back to my staff's location.

• Квест "By and Down the River". Проходя через Реку Душ в Утробе Герои сталкиваются с Хелией, которой намекают, что за понты её уже успели победить в прошлом эти же самые герои Азерота, после чего, прости госпади (сложно воспринимать это серьёзно, если представляешь статы Хелии...), в неё летит сраный топор сраного Тралла и пускает ей кровь (1:50 мин.)... Вроде бы урон и несерьёзный получает Хелия, но он как минимум был.

Helya says: Your wretched souls will feed the coming darkness! Lady Jaina Proudmoore says: "Wretched"? I heard you were soundly beaten by a force of "wretched" champions, witch! Helya says: You will pay for that insult! The skies of your world will be darkened by the wings of my Mawsworn!

• Тут же мы видим как Тюремщик измывается над Бейном, чего этого рогато-крысинная либеральная мразь вне всяких сомнений заслуживает, а затем сбрасывает вниз. Здесь и в следующем квесте "Wounds Beyond Flesh" будет пояснено, что с тёмной магией, влиянию которой подвергся Бейн, Тралл уже сталкивался в прошлом — в клане Призрачной Луны.

— Anduin Wrynn says: His wounds are mending, but his spirit remains weakened. I've never seen anything like it. Thrall says: I believe I have. In a place very far from here... — Even as Baine's flesh mends, his spirit draws closer to death. I have seen dark magic like this before... among the Shadowmoon clan. The Jailer's minions must have inflicted a similar malady upon Baine. The only cure for the Shadowmoon's curse was to find the object they used to poison the spirit and shatter it.

• Квест "The Path to Salvation". Джайна юзает массовую невидимость, хотя некоторые слуги Джейлера могут видеть и сквозь неё. А уже дальше то выясняется, что армия Тюремщика не меньше, чем была у Легиона и она растёт, подкрепляясь душами из разных миров! Из разных параллельных миров. Или из разных параллельных планет разных параллельных вселенных... Чёрт его знает.

— Baine Bloodhoof says: The Jailer's forces seem endless. There is no way we can fight through them all. Thrall says: Jaina, can you hide us from their sight? Lady Jaina Proudmoore says: My spell will get us past most of his guards, but there will likely be some who can see through it. — Baine Bloodhoof says: The size of the Jailer's army rivals that of the Legion... and it's growing larger. Lady Jaina Proudmoore says: Hold here. Anduin Wrynn says: So many souls pouring into the Maw. The dead of Azeroth... Draenor... worlds beyond our imagination. All damned to this place.

• Квест "Stand as One". Здесь мы обнаруживаем конструкцию, которая сделана не уже знакомыми нам титанами, а некими загодочными Первыми/Предвечными (First Ones). Тут же гениальный диалог Тралла и Тюремщика, который как бы намекает нам на будущий исход противостояния жалких повелетелей бесконечных армий с величайшими героями Азерота.

— I've never seen markings like these before. I've studied titan artifacts, but this appears to be made by a different hand. Hmm. It doesn't respond to me. I think Jaina's right. The waystone is reacting to your presence. — The Jailer says: A relic of the First Ones... responding to a mortal?! Impossible! — The Jailer says: My forces are vast! Endless! Thrall says: We have stopped endless armies before. We will never yield!

Затем следует сцена, где Андуин барьером немного сдерживает Тюремщика, хотя это, возможно, и не стоит воспринимать серьёзно, ведь оный заявляет, что всё прошло just as planned. Да, кстати, похоже на бесконечные армии у Метелицы бюджета опять не хватило, поэтому в синематике показан лишь сам лысый зэк на фоне пары дюжин каких-то конвейерных статистов... Достойно, сразу видно угрозу мироздания уровня Легиона, а то и выше.

• Квест "No Place for the Living". Сбегая из Утробы Герой оказывается в Вечном Городе Орибос — сердце Тёмных Земель.

— You stand within the heart of the Shadowlands. While we are accustomed to receiving souls from all manner of worlds within the mortal realm, never before has one arrived that is quite so ... corporeal.

• Квест "Audience with the Arbiter". Знакомство с Арбитром — судьей ТЗ, которая по неизвестным причинам сломалась. Тёмные Земли состоят из бесконечного количества загробных миров. Тут же рассказывают, что в ТЗ лютует засуха анимы, а Тюремщик безостановочно наращивает мощь бесконечными душами и стремится вырваться из Утробы.

— The Arbiter watches over Oribos. She blesses us with her wisdom. Every mortal soul that enters the Shadowlands passes before her for judgment. In the merest fraction of a moment, she sees every glory, every folly, every joy, every regret. With this knowledge, she chooses an ideal afterlife for that soul. — Infinite afterlives, with Oribos, the Eternal City, as the shining heart.

Tal-Inara says: Without anima, drought has gripped the Shadowlands. The afterlives have grown isolated. Fear and uncertainty haunt us all. Tal-Inara says: With countless souls feeding the Jailer, I fear he may grow strong enough to break free from the Maw. Tal-Inara says: It is said he is filled with hatred for the Arbiter. If he strikes her down, it would bring the end of everything the First Ones made.

• Квест "Tether to Home". Упоминание Первых - создателей всего в ТЗ.

— The map table in this chamber was put in place long ago by the First Ones, the wise architects of all you see.

• Квест "The Eternal City". Мутная шняга: то ли игромех, то ли нет. Слова о балансе фундаментальных сил, таких как Жизнь и Смерть: если он нарушиться, то всё будет поглощено тьмою.

— I sense the touch of a great power upon you, <name>. Despite facing the end of your existence time and again, this force has kept you anchored to the mortal plane. Perhaps devices like this one will keep you anchored to the Shadowlands, should an ill fate befall you. The Purpose will decide. The Purpose is our way. — Tal-Inara says: If the Maw's influence bleeds into your realm, the balance between Life and Death will be broken. All you hold dear will be consumed in darkness.

• Квест "Understanding the Shadowlands". Болвар уже незначительно "заглядывал" в ТЗ, будучи КЛ. Утроба является угрозой, способной поглотить собою всю реальность.

— As I sat upon the Frozen Throne all those years, <name>, I could peer into the Shadowlands. Brief glimpses, clouded and uncertain. Sights both wondrous and terrible. We must work together to make sense of what has happened. To prevent the Maw from consuming all of reality.

• Квест "The Path to Bastion". Опять про бесконечное количество миров и планов ТЗ.

— Within the Arbiter's Chamber are gateways to the infinite realms of the Shadowlands. As each soul was judged, a gateway would be opened to the appropriate afterlife.

• Квест "Seek the Ascended". Отправляемся в Бастион, которым правит Архон — одна из Вечных, одна из владык ТЗ, как и Арбитр.

— When you arrive in Bastion, seek out one of the kyrian. Explain that you require an audience with the Archon. Like the Arbiter, she is one of the Eternal Ones who rule over the Shadowlands.

• Ах да, и ещё немного про сам Орибос, взято с оф.сайта, в том числе про Арбитра и обитателей города: слуг Арбитра и брокеров.

— The city of Oribos serves as the crossroads of the Shadowlands. Here, mortal souls are judged by the Arbiter before being sent to their final destinations, and shadowy denizens swap gossip and anima—the soulborn essence that fuels the Shadowlands. — Your arrival in Oribos provides a glimmer of hope in a dark time: For reasons no one can explain, the Arbiter has gone dormant and is no longer directing souls to their just afterlives. Instead, every one of them is being damned to the torment of the Maw—a place from which you were the first to successfully escape. As the heroes of the Alliance and the Horde journey through the uncharted realms of Death, Oribos welcomes weary travelers from both factions—but forces them to set aside their differences while inside the citadel’s walls. — Attendants. Oribos is in the care of the Attendants, mysterious beings who were created to tend to the Eternal City and ensure the Arbiter carries out her duties without interruption. Their decisions are guided by “the Purpose,” the belief that the Shadowlands follows a pattern laid out by the Arbiter in her infinite wisdom. Each Attendant serves the Purpose assigned to one of three paths. Caretakers are charged with maintaining the function and stability of Oribos; they tend to the Arbiter's needs and service the operations of the city. The sagacious Scholars hold the knowledge of the Eternal City; it is from this circle that the Honored Voice, who speaks on behalf of the ever-silent Arbiter, is selected. Stoic and implacable, Protectors comprise a militia capable of defending Oribos and enforcing order within. — Brokers. Native to an unnamed realm of the Shadowlands, Brokers possess an innate affinity for locating anima, even in the midst of the current drought. They appear eager to assist the mortals arriving in Oribos, offering their expertise in acquiring raw materials and crafting them into useful goods. Savvy and adaptable, the Brokers keep their true intentions to themselves. One thing is clear: they can provide a wide variety of exotic merchandise and valuable services... if the price is right. — From her sacred chamber atop the very crown of Oribos, the Arbiter has judged every mortal soul crossing into the Shadowlands since the dawn of time. But now, instead of being shepherded to their deserved fate, all souls are flowing past the dormant Arbiter and hurtling directly into the horrors of the Maw. The desperate Attendants have sought in vain to unravel this mystery, causing some to question their own unwavering faith in the Purpose.

• Взято с оф.сайта. Арбитр старше титанов, но это не точно. Анима — жизнення сила душ. Великие души содержат больше анимы, чем остальные (например, душа Вариана или Гарроша).

— It’s the spirit healers who decide when it’s time for a soul to cross into the Shadowlands. Souls who arrive here are brought before the Arbiter, a mysterious and ancient being whose existence predates all memory—even older than the Titans, according to some accounts. Those brought before her have all of their deeds, memories, and experiences—the very contents of their souls—laid bare, and are judged in a mere instant. Once measured, the Arbiter sends them off to one of countless realms of the Shadowlands. We’ll be visiting four of these, but not every soul is filtered into these specific places. — Every living soul bears a vital force—an energy known as Anima. This essential force is the lifeblood of the Shadowlands, allowing trees to grow, rivers to flow, new things to be forged, and more. Great or important souls—like those of Arthas, Garrosh, or Varian—bear more Anima than others.

Бастион

• Описание Бастион и кирий, взятое с оф.сайта. Анима — производимая душами эссенция, которая поддерживает существование всех существ в ТЗ. Описания основных обитателей Бастиона: кирий, распорядителей, отступников, центурионов, воспоминаний.

— However, it quickly becomes apparent that underneath Bastion’s glistening veneer lies unrest: The Kyrian’s anima—the soul-born essence that fuels their eternity of service—is on the verge of being completely depleted. — Kyrians. The noble inhabitants of Bastion who shepherd the souls of the dead to Oribos so that they can be judged by the impassive Arbiter before being sent to their final destinations. Fresh arrivals to Bastion will become Kyrian Aspirants—wingless beings who train for eons to one day earn their wings and join the ranks of the Ascended. — Stewards. Born of the magic of Death, these otherworldly groundskeepers and artificers keep Bastion pristine. Along with maintaining the realm, they assemble Centurions—the anima-fueled guardians that train Kyrian Aspiriants and defend Bastion. Each steward dotes on a Paragon and keeps mementos of their achievements. Perhaps you will catch their eye and they’ll pledge themselves to you! — The Forsworn. Rarely, an Aspirant will fail to complete a rite of passage. These once-bright souls darken and become lost, wandering the plains of Bastion to lament. Containing the Forsworn is key, for if left unchecked, doubt can spread like a disease... — The Centurions. A legion of anima-fueled automatons that drill Kyrian Aspirants in meditative combat as well as defend Bastion. Praetor: These flying automatons are charged with training Aspirants who show particular martial promise. Goliath: Unyielding bulwarks and powerful warriors that enforce order in Bastion. Colossus: Eternal protectors, these guardians have stood watch and defended Bastion for ages. — Memories. As the Kyrian shed the burdens of their past lives, physical manifestations of their tormented thoughts are expelled from their bodies. Only by striking them down can the Kyrian cleanse themselves and achieve ascendance.

• Ещё с оф.сайта. Кирии являются предками валькирий.

— The Kyrian Covenant—who are the forebears of the Val’kyr and the Spirit Healers—rule over Bastion. They are messengers, couriers, and some of the purest souls in the Shadowlands. Bastion is ordered and purposeful. Souls naturally drawn to service are sent here by the Arbiter to examine their lives, cleanse themselves of their burdens, and work toward a state of virtue so they might ascend to serve the Shadowlands.

• Небольшое описание Бастиона и мех из "The Art of World of Warcraft: Shadowlands".
• Квесты "Welcome to Eternity" и "Pardon Our Dust". Кирии транспортируют души мёртвых из миров живых непосредственно на суд Арбитра. Анима — самый ценный ресурс ТЗ.

— Kleia says: You are to become one of the kyrian! It is our sacred charge to bring mortal souls before the Arbiter for judgment. — It seems this Mnemis unit has been deactivated. Anima has been so scarce of late, and with no new souls entering our gates... I suppose it was a prudent measure. Anima is our most precious resource, after all.

• Квест "A Fate Most Noble". Бастион — загробный мир для самых благородных душ. Вечная, именуемая Архонтом, правит Бастионом. В Бастион попадают бесчисленные души из всевозможных миров. И это будет чуть ли не единственным доказательством размеров этих локаций...

— Allow me to congratulate you. Your fate is reserved for the most noble of souls. Only those who lived a life of service may call Bastion home. — I can tell you that you are fortunate indeed to have arrived in Bastion. To have earned this honor, your mortal life must have truly been selfless and dutiful. Should you continue to prove worthy, you will spend eternity as a kyrian. You will help ensure souls are conveyed from the realm of the living for judgment before the Arbiter. — The Archon rules our realm. She is the most stalwart and dedicated of the Eternal Ones. — Image of Greeter Mnemis says: All deeds from your previous life will be collected and stored. The Archives compile the histories of countless mortal worlds as seen through the eyes of aspirants like yourself.

• Квест "Assessing Your Stamina". Несколько слов про боевую медитацию, чисто на всякий случай, если мне вдруг захочется написать профиль на кого-то из кирий.
• Квест "Assessing Your Spirit". Узрите мощь Бастиона — Герой Азерота оказался без шансов повержен именным голиафом, уххх!

— The Goliaths of Bastion are a heartier, stronger variety of centurion. This one is designed to be a substantial challenge for any looking to hone their skills. — There is one challenge here that continues to test even the strongest among us. I would have you attempt to best a well-known centurion, beloved by all aspirants. It is called Athanos.

столкновение с Раскольниками/Отступниками (Forsworn)

• Квест "The Hand of Doubt". В одном из храмов кирий (стратегически и жизненно важных объектов Бастиона) происходит мятеж, который возглавляет Десница Лисония. Завязывается бой двух Десниц ("правых рук" Идеалов — сильнейших кирий Бастиона), по итогам которого Лисония побеждает, хотя и значительно ослабнув за бой. Тем не менее, один из кирий, с которым Герой вступает в командный бой против Лисонии всё ещё не уверен в возможности её победить. Окончательно победить Лисонию нам не удаётся, ведь она юзает обретённую мощь Утробы. Вступающая в бой вслед за этим Весефона (одна из Идеалов) говорит, что уж против Идеала шансов нет, тем не менее Лисония немножко бодается с нею бластом и сбегает (5:13-5:40 мин.).

— Lysonia is weakened, but I am still not certain of you and I will be able to overcome her terrible strength. All the same, we must try. Are you with me?

• Квест "Purity's Prerogative". Весифона рассказывает про силу Утробы, которой овладела Лисония.

— That cold hand that grips your throat? That chill settled in the pit of your stomach? That is the touch of the Maw, as certain as the Archon's will. I do not know how Lysonia came to possess this power, but we must act quickly. — Vesiphone says: Lysonia's essence has been twisted by the Maw. We must learn how this came to pass.

вторжение в Бастион сил Малдраксуса

• Квест "Now or Never". Армия нежити на летающем некрополе вторгается в Бастион и нападает на один из храмов, из-за внезапного нападения и засухи анимы защитники храма во главе с Идеалом начинают проигрывать (12:15-12:50 мин.). Тут же видно, что в этих событиях замешана Хелия.

— In a fair fight our warriors could stand against countless swarms of these Maldraxxi. This was no fair fight, outsider. They came without warning. Without cause. We were caught unprepared.

• Квест "Rip and Tear". Информация краткая про один из Домов Малдраксуса — Дом Кадавров.

— The northern grounds have been taken by the House of Constructs, home to Maldraxxus' most resilient warriors.

• Квест "The Final Countdown". В бой вступает один из неактивных до этого центурионов-колоссов, который своими залпами начинает в буквальном смысле выкашивать войска нежити.
• Квест "A Time for Courage". Одна из Идеалов, Ксандрия, ведёт бой с Амартом Жнецом — одним из двух лидеров вторжения. Спешащий ей на помощь Десница быстро оказывается под влиянием магии некроманта и превращается в подконтрольного монстра, что уже говорит о силе Амарта (13:05-14:20 мин.). По всей видимости, он находится в той же лиге, что и Ксандрия.
• Квест "Necrotic Wake: A Paragon's Plight", а также события в ходе которых мы отбиваем храм кирий и атакуем некрополь. Ксандрия — сильнейший воин кирий, но даже ей не справится с сильнейшими бойцами Малдраксуса. По крайней мере, насколько я понимаю, тут речь о том, что ей в целом не выстоять против мощи некрополя и её командиров (некроманта Амарта Жнеца и лича Налтора Криоманта), а 1 на 1 они вполне себе в одной лиге должны быть, плюс-минус. Кстати говоря, лич говорит о каком-то своём хозяине, интересно кто это.

— Xandria, the mighty Paragon of Courage, is the finest warrior among all the ascended. But even she may be overwhelmed by the strongest of Maldraxxus' forces. — Amarth oversees the harvesting of corpses from atop the undead monstrosity Bonefang, flying above the battle. The sadistic commander destroyed the Hand of Courage, and now comes for their Paragon. — From atop the flying ziggurat Zolramus, Nalthor the Rimebinder commands the forces attacking Bastion. The conniving lich plans to rain frozen magic and death on the pristine lands of Bastion. — Nalthor the Rimebinder says: I betray nothing. My master bids that Bastion be destroyed and the kyrian corpses harvested for our armies.

экскурс в прошлое, история вторжения сил Бездны в Бастион

• Квест "In Agthia's Memory". Вторжение Бездны — это часть вечного противостояния космических сил, если хоть одна из них падёт, то все миры погрузятся в хаос. В прошлом произошло крупномасштабное вторжение Бездны, бои гремели на территории всего Бастиона.

— I welcome you to walk the grounds of this ancient battleground to learn of the battle that occurred here, and the heroic Paragon who saved all of Bastion and the Shadowlands. — It is an eternal tug of war between the cosmic forces of existence. They constantly vie for power over each other but if one fell, all worlds would fall into chaos. — Contemplative Student says: Eons ago, the powers of the Void launched a massive attack against the Shadowlands, trying to shift the balance of the cosmos. The attack blindsided the kyrian, and embroiled all of Bastion into chaos. — Contemplative Student says: Across all of Bastion, centurions and kyrian alike launched into battle. Ascended fell from the sky as the powers of the Void overwhelmed them. — Contemplative Student says: The Paragon of Courage at the time, Agthia, took charge of the forces at this very site. Bastion was on the path to surely fall, but she would not let that happen.

• Квест "Wicked Gateways". Силы Бездны бесконечны, они перемещаются по Великой Запредельной Тьме через порталы.

— They travel through the Great Beyond by creating portals, twisting gateways between our planes.

• Квест "Shadow's Fall". Одна из Идеалов того времени, Агфия, начала противостояние с командиром сил вторжения — Тезулатом Разрушителем, чьё пафосное описание гласит, что он уничтожил множество миров. Но разбираться с Агфией они, конечно, будут на лужайке... Агфия сражается с Тезулатом, понимает, что бесконечные ресуры бездны в итоге позволят победить в войне с Бастионом, из-за чего решает совершить суицид, создав мощнейший взрыв анимы, который не только уничтожил командира, но и всю армию Бездны во всём Бастионе. Вроде бы и неплохой подвиг какого-никакого РП и скорости, да вот только размеры Бастиона непонятны... Чем же в это время занималась Архонт — решительно непонятно.

— A fearsome commander in the Void's army. He has left many worlds shattered in his wake — They are led by Tezulat the Annihilator, scourge of a thousand realms. This day, his reign of terror will end! — Agthia says: We cannot allow the forces of the Void to continue their onslaught on Bastion. It is only a matter of time before our forces falter. Agthia says: I cannot allow more kyrian lives to be lost to this foe. I must use everything at my disposal to push them back... before it is too late. Agthia says: I give all I am... so that Bastion prevails! — Keeper Mnemis says: Throughout her life, Agthia wielded great command over the powers of anima. Keeper Mnemis says: With her final breaths, she sacrificed all that she had, channeling the power within and around her to turn herself into a blast of pure anima. Keeper Mnemis says: With a single blast she sent out a ripple that destroyed not only their commander, but all Void forces across Bastion. Keeper Mnemis says: Existence maintains order thanks to her noble sacrifice. We maintain the site of this battle in her memory, and so that we may learn from her courage for eternity.

продолжение кампании от лица представителя ковенанта

• Квест "Report to Adrestes". Кирии снабжают анимой все ТЗ, доставляя души на суд Арбитра. Это следует воспринимать как косвенное утверждение огромных размеров Бастиона и неисчеслимого количества его обитателей, раз им хватает ресурсов, чтобы своими силами транспортировать души умерших из всех бесконечных миров..?

— The Kyrian have long ferried souls across the veil into the Shadowlands, ensuring a steady supply of anima for all the realms.

• Квест "Soul Meets Body". Одна из абилок — связь душ.

— To soulbind with another is not an irrevocable bond. However, it is not to be entered into lightly. You will experience one another's pasts. Your hopes, fears, dreams, your very memories--if any still linger. You will become kindred spirits in the truest sense. Once complete, your connection will transcend physical space and make you stronger in more than mere brawn.

• Квест "Where a Soul Belongs". Из-за того, что Арбитр погружена в сон — все души попадают в Утробу, усиливая Тюремщика.

— Kleia says: Now Ben will be presented to the Arbiter, who will judge his soul and send him to his earned afterlife. Kleia says: Wait... where are the souls? They should be streaming out of Oribos to their new realms... Kleia says: There they are. Where are they... they are all going to the Maw! Ben! — Kleia says: Shouldn't the Arbiter be sending souls to their new realms? Why are they all going to the Maw? Tal-Inara says: The anima drought has afflicted more than just Bastion, aspirant. As the Jailer's power grows, all the Shadowlands suffers. Tal-Inara says: A great darkness fell upon our blessed Arbiter, plunging her into an unending slumber. Tal-Inara says: Since that day, no soul has been judged. Instead, all are lost to the horrors of the Maw.

• Квест "Faith Through the Darkness". Уровень мыслительных процессов лидеров и исполнителей Бастиона похоже находится где-то на уровне гениев стратегии Блича, вроде капитана Ямамото или капитана Роуз: прекрасно зная, что они усиливают своего врага — кирии всё равно продолжают это делать, ибо а чё нет то! Бог ты мой, просто фееричные дебилушки.

Kleia says: Why do we continue to ferry souls when we know they are being sent straight to the Maw? Polemarch Adrestes says: It is not our duty to ensure that souls are reaching their proper realms. It is our duty to bear them through the veil. Polemarch Adrestes says: The Archon, along with the rest of the Eternal Ones, is working to solve the problem. We must support her by fulfilling our duty, no matter what. Kleia says: ...I understand. Thank you, Polemarch.

• Квест "The Forsworn Onslaught". Причина "страданий" Утера выяснена (Uther says: The Archon denied me my final justice. Devos ensured that monster suffers where he belongs!). Как был лицемерным куском дерьма при жизни — так ним и остался после смерти. В процессе у героя будет бой с Утером, который став неуязвимым для атак решает отступить или свалить по своим делам. Ах да, он всех хотел нас спасти (Uther says: The Spires of Ascension will soon belong to the Forsworn. Devos shall save the Shadowlands from the drought and lead us into a new era!)!!
• Штурм Шпилей Перерождения. Чудовищная скорость "Вентунакс" для лирики. Здесь есть Девия — бывший Идеал, который баффнут силой Утробы. Позиционируется угрозой для Архонта. Рассказывает про некое кидалово, которое якобы провернули Вечные с Тюремщиком. В ходе штурма мы видим как Девия сражается с Архонтом и даже ранит её в бок. Совместными усилиями при помощи Архонта мы всё же побеждаем Девию. Мдэ. Не впечатляет эта Вечная от слова совсем.

— Ventunax is one of the deadliest Forsworn constructs, originally designed to test the courage of kyrian aspirants. The Praetorian's movements are so quick she can seem to disappear before her enemies' eyes — Devos was the very symbol of loyalty until a soul with a troubling past arrived in Bastion. Her doubt overwhelmed her until she fell into open rebellion, aided by the darkest powers of the Shadowlands. Seizing the Spires of Ascension is just the first step, and the destruction of the Archon is now within her grasp. — Devos says: And so, I listened to the Jailer's words. I learned of the great injustice you and the others thrust upon him... and upon us all. Devos says: He seeks to free us from the prison we have built for ourselves. And for that, he has earned my loyalty. — Kyrestia the Firstborne says: Argh! Devos says: Accept your defeat, Archon. I serve a far greater power now. Devos says: With your spear in hand, I will take control of the Spires and forge new paragons to lead the kyrian! Kyrestia the Firstborne says: The Jailer has twisted your mind, Devos. You must be stopped... no matter the cost.

Ах да, забавный момент, если Архонт гибнет, то в момент её смерти происходит восклицание "As the Archon perishes, all life in the zone is wiped out!", можно предположить, что жизнь Архонта и существование Бастиона связаны, так же как и у Королевы Зимы и Арденвельда.

• Наконец-то видим рекламный видос Бастиона. Эх, как же силён был Король-лич — воплощение мощи Утробы в Азероте! И какое же полнейшее лицемерное ничтожество этот ваш Утер...

• Квесты "A Partner for Eternity" и "Dismantling the Opposition". Именной голиаф выкашивает армии отступников и даже уничтожает центурионов, что делает не всегда очевидным превосходство центурионов над остальной техникой в бою.

вторжение в Малдраксус сил Бастиона во главе с Ксандрией, в команде с Могрейном и его солдатами

• Квест "Charging The Blade". Обычное оружие по словам Александра бессильно против джаггернаутов. Мощща...

— We can't advance with those juggernauts bombarding our position! I led a strike against the nearest, but conventional weapons do nothing against their imbued hides.

• Квест "Pursuit of Justice". Ксандрия и маркграф Гармал сражаются на центре арены, в то время как герой и Могрейн чистят пытающихся помешать бою аддов, а затем вроде бы как тоже присоединяются к битве, но в итоге как и было запланировано маркграфа сливают выстрелом из некрополя (28:15-28:50 мин.). Один из домов Малдраксуса повержен. Откровенно говоря, маркграфы смотрятся пока что сильнее своих аналогов из других ковенантов.

Спойлеры: очень поверхностно пролистал на Ютубе дальнейшую часть кампании, вроде бы в квесте "Lysonia's Plan" апнутая силой Утробы Лисония поставит на колени одного из Идеалов, а в "Her Will, Inflicted" выяснится, что Лисония — слуга Хелии, а дальше уже про то, что сила Лисонии мол постоянно растёт и что без Идеалов её не победить, начинается полномасштабная война в Бастионе, Лисония в итоге повержена, Утер ведёт как себя и ни в чём не виноват по его же мнению. В ближайшее время надо бы вдумчиво нагнать открывшиеся части кампании кирий, а то на момент начала написания блога там и половины ещё не было.

Другое из Бастиона:

• Ворлд босс Валинор, видимо, достаточно мощный механизм.

— Valinor, the Light of Eons. Built by the Kyrians as a means of testing their hardened warriors, Valinor is a centurion of great power. Taken by the forsworn and infected with the seed of doubt, Valinor now sees all foes as challengers.

• В квесте "No Peace In Death" речь о том, что Арбитр судит по каким-то своим понятиям, а не отношению к фундаментальным силам, например, таким как Смерть или Бездна.

— Xandria says: Light, Void... such trifling powers have no purchase here. The Arbiter sent you to Maldraxxus for a reason. One we shall attempt to discern.

• Надпись в Бастионе про Идеалов и Десниц — их "правых рук".

— Each temple is presided over by a Paragon. These ancient beings demonstrate the ultimate expression of their respective virtue, and are responsible for the care and training of all aspirants that enter their domain. Presiding over the Temple of Purity is Vesiphone, known for her grace and compassion. Presiding over the Temple of Courage is Xandria, known for her indomitable will and unyielding strength. Presiding over the Temple of Humility is Chyrus, known for his insight and approachable nature. Presiding over the Temple of Wisdom is Thenios, known for his longevity of purpose and clarity of thought. Presiding over the Temple of Loyalty is Devos, known for her unwavering commitment to her people and the Archon. Each is bolstered by their chosen Hand, selected for their excellence in service to their temple. You should expect to meet them all on your journey, as they will be an invaluable resource to complete the Five Rites.

Малдраксус

• Описние Малдраксуса и некролордов, взятое с оф.сайта. Родина некромантии — Малдраксус. Некролорды по своим функциям являются главными защитниками ТЗ, а их пропавший лидер — Примус, видимо, являлся главным спецом по войне среди Вечных. Основные обитатели Малдраксуса: поганища из Дома Кадавров, гладиаторы из Дома Избранных, личи из Дома Ритуалов, какая-то мерзость из павшего Дома Чумы, аранакки из павшего Дома Глаз, а также бродящие гигантские твари. Два из пяти Домов уже пали, трое — погрязли в междоусобных войнах.

— Within war-torn Maldraxxus, might—of all kinds—makes right. Here, in the birthplace of necromantic magic, those who master the powers of death turn legions of ambitious souls into relentless immortal armies. — Chaos has erupted in the Shadowlands. In the midst of fighting the Forsworn, the kyrian were ambushed by the very forces charged with defending the infinite realms of the Shadowlands: the militant Maldraxxi. The Archon of the Kyrian Covenant has sent you on a special mission to Maldraxxus to discover who ordered the attack—and demand answers. — It quickly becomes apparent that not all is well with the Necrolords. Two of the five ruling houses lie in ruins, and their collective leader, the Primus, is nowhere to be found. With order in freefall, the remaining three houses ruthlessly fight and sabotage one another by any means necessary to claim the Seat of the Primus—for whoever holds this ancient fortress commands the armies of the Shadowlands. — The Primus was a master strategist and tactician, nigh unbeatable on the field of battle. Long absent from his impenetrable sanctum, he left behind cryptic messages and prophecies pointing to the coming of one who could embody the might of Maldraxxus and save the realm from itself. — Abominations. The corpses of the slain are brought to the House of Constructs, where the finest pieces of flesh and bone are skillfully assembled into a new form. These reanimated monstrosities are given new purpose in a body that is greater than the sum of its once separate parts. — Gladiators. The most powerful warriors and champions become gladiators within the ranks of the House of the Chosen. These peerless battlefield tacticians tirelessly train with a variety of rune-forged weapons and are unmatched in martial combat. — Liches. Practicing their craft in the House of Rituals, liches are scheming skeletal sorcerers who use anima to fuel their potent magic. — Plague House Remnant. After the destruction of the House of Plagues, some of the most wretched experiments congealed into animated creatures that now mindlessly wander the plains and crags of Maldraxxus. — Aranakk. Once master assassins and scouts of the fallen House of Eyes, aranakk now find themselves bannerless nomads. While their necropolis lies in ruins, they still retain their sense of purpose and are willing to share the secrets they’ve unraveled from the tangled webs of truth—for a price. — Soul-Rotted Flesh. Should outsiders be foolish enough to invade Maldraxxus, they will find themselves cowering in fear before these behemoths. Amalgamations of countless fallen warriors, these monolithic guardians make the earth beneath them tremble with every step they take during their patrols.

• Небольшое описание Малдраксуса из "The Art of World of Warcraft: Shadowlands". Здесь бойцы могут становиться ещё более могущественными, чем были при жизни. Про Пять великих Домов. Про маркграфов.
• Квест "If You Want Peace...". Краткое описание Малдраксуса.

— Maldraxxus is a land which revels in strife and conflict. But they should also be bound by honor. If their honor has been tossed aside, then they may move their forces beyond just Bastion. Take care, danger lies beyond that gate. It is a realm of heroes as well as a realm of villains.

• Квест "Land of Opportunity". Становится известно, кто стоял за атакой нежити на Бастион — Маркграф Гармал и Маркграфиня Син'дейн.

Margrave Gharmal says: Sin'dane, is this the meddler who thwarted our attack? Margrave Sin'dane says: The very one. Margrave Krexus says: So this mortal witnessed your treachery! Margrave Krexus says: Your houses invaded Bastion--an act that betrays everything the Primus stood for! Margrave Gharmal says: The Primus is long gone, Krexus! Margrave Gharmal says: Where is your hunger for glory? Margrave Gharmal says: Or has the House of the Chosen lost its appetite? Margrave Krexus says: We are meant to defend the Shadowlands, not conquer it!

• Квест "Arms for the Poor". После исчезновения Вечного — Примаса, Малдраксусом теперь правят пять великих Домов, во главе которых стоят Маркграфы. Точнее правили, так как два из пяти Домов уничтожены в ходе междоусобной войны.

Baroness Draka says: We are the sworn defenders of the Shadowlands. But our leader, the Primus, has gone missing. Baroness Draka says: Now, the five houses are at war. Two have fallen. I won't let the Chosen be next.

• Квест "Memory of Honor". Досье нагибаторов прошлого, которых мы всё равно не встретим.

— Lady Quinby. House of Rituals. Her sorcery knew no equal. She spoke words of power and her foes crumbled into dust. Though her phylactery was destroyed, she defended the Shadowlands until her final moments. — Mesil the Phantom. House of Eyes. No shadow could obscure her sight. Valuable intelligence she purchased with blood and sacrifice brought Maldraxxus victory against the Void. Such is the greatest achievement of espionage. — Rakel the Vile. House of Plagues. His concoctions poisoned all who touched them. He melted flesh from bone, filled lungs with bile, and struck fear into hearts of steel. Few have ever created such potent weaponry.

• Квест "The House of the Chosen". Маркграф — сильнейший воин Дома, как правило. История Дреки и падения одного из Домов.

Baroness Draka says: Margrave Krexus is the strongest of us. Show him no fear. Only respect.

• Квест "A Common Peril". В каждом доме есть два Барона — видимо, сильнейших воителей, после Маркграфов (на самом деле это далеко не факт, скорее всего просто одни из сильнейших, а так у некролордов бойцов уровня барона в отличии от маркграфов хватает). Хотя в случае с Дрекой это может быть спорным, однако Леди Вайши считается опасным бойцом.

— Each house in Maldraxxus has two barons. Before the fall of my first house--the House of Eyes--our margrave sent my fellow baroness to investigate suspicious behavior in the House of Rituals. I have not heard from her since. Either she has found something... or has become another casualty of their treachery. Her orders took her to the Decay in the east. If you can find the baroness, give her this summons. We were not friends, she and I, but she is a formidable combatant. We could use her might.

• Квест "Vaunted Vengeance". Педалирование мощи Вайши и персонажей Азерота в целом, который как известно является жупелом мироздания, где даже сильнейшие маги мультивселенной могут быть опущены просто местными чёткими ребятами...

So you are from my baroness's home world? It must be a special one to breed such powerful individuals.

• Квест "In The Flesh". Проходняково сливаем Барона Халиса из Дома Кадавров композитивным поганищем, собранным из тел и душ павших кирий.
• Квест "Plaguefall: Knee Deep In It". Дом Чумы был уничтожен загадочным взрывом, а выживших добила эпидемия болезней.

— There are many in the House of Plagues who survived its destruction only to later fall victim to the plagues released in the explosion. Margrave Stradama herself was driven mad from a mixture of twelve different airborne poxes!

В дальнейшем Герой ещё вернется в руины Дома Чумы и сразится с Маркграфиней Страдамой, которая поехала крышей, превратилась в чудовище и выглядит как чумная девочка-слизь:

— Underneath the ruined House of Plagues, lies one of the most destructive forces Maldraxxus has ever known. Those who covet this power search the plague-rodden debris in a race to claim this weapon for themselves. Whoever captures this prize will hold the fate of the Shadowlands i ntheir clutches.

В квесте "A Valuable Find: Plaguefall" предполагается, что Страдама пыталась обрести некие силы, но что-то пошло не так. В целом предполагается, что все великие дома должны быть сравнимы по силе.

— Life in Maldraxxus is one of constant warfare, the great houses in perpetual competition with one another. Every once in a great while, a house lord obtains an item or piece of knowledge of such rarity that it tips the scales in their favor. It is possible, even probable, that this was the cause of the fate that befell the House of Plagues. I do not need to tell you how valuable such a rarity would be to us, do I?

• Квесты "Maw Walker" и "In Death We Are Truly Tested". Барон Вираз заточил Александра Могрейна в Утробе, а также при помощи Дома Кадавров победил своего Маркграфа. Сам Вираз утверждает, что лично сразился Маркграфа Дома Избранных, однако это осталось за кадром. Тут же бой Героя и Александра против Вираза и нескольких его стражей (16:07-16:49 мин.), результат которого не очевиден, т.к. мы отступили и-за штурма Престола Примаса. Впрочем, Вираз видимо всё равно очень силён, в дальнейшем он становится Маркграфом.

— Alexandros Mograine says: It was Vyraz who had me trapped within the Maw. There can be no doubt that it was his hand that struck down our margrave. — Baron Vyraz yells: I bested Krexus himself! You two are nothing!

• Квест "The Door to the Unknown". Немного истории. В прошлом Вечные заточили Тюремщика (Зоваала) в Утробе, однако оный подобного отношения не оценил, превратил свои цепи в оружие и поверг Примаса, не выбравшись ещё даже из Утробы. Вечные должны объединиться, Арбитр является ключом, без которого всё будет потеряно, чтобы это не значило.

Voice of the Primus says: I am the Primus. Your presence within my sanctum means a darkness has fallen upon Maldraxxus... and all the realms of Death. Voice of the Primus says: Ages ago, the Eternal Ones punished our brother Zovaal for his treachery. He was bound within the inescapable Maw, to be forevermore its Jailer. Voice of the Primus says: Now I fear that Zovaal did not act alone. I suspect he had ancient allies... and will seek to win others to his cause. Voice of the Primus says: That you are hearing this message means my suspicions proved true. Zovaal has forged his chains into a weapon... and brought about my defeat. Voice of the Primus says: There is but one hope to save the Shadowlands. The Eternal Ones must stand together once more, before the Jailer escapes the Maw. Voice of the Primus says: Bring my warning to the Archon, the Winter Queen, and the Sire. They must see to our defenses. Do not let Zovaal reach the sepulcher. Voice of the Primus says: The Arbiter is the final key. Protect her, or all is lost.

в Мадраксусе есть Театр Боли, где чемпионы всех Домов меряются силушкой

— Grandmaster Vole yells: It seems these upstarts think they can compete with the best combatants in all of Maldraxxus! Hah! I'll believe it when I see it!

• Среди чемпионов есть интересные личности, такие как пит лорд, генезаур, тёмный наару и сайаад.

— Grandmaster Vole yells: Wrested from the Twisting Nether, a lord of the pit turned glorified pit fighter! — Grandmaster Vole yells: Nature's primordial wrath personified, the genesaur Devmorta! — Grandmaster Vole yells: As enigmatic as it is malevolent, the dark naaru Ti'or! Once a beacon of holy Light, now an entity of the Void engulfing all in endless shadow! — Grandmaster Vole yells: A queen of coercion, an empress of agony, a sayaad here to flay both mind and flesh!

• Тем не менее, все они явно намного слабее "Бесконечной Императрицы" Мордреты — абсолютного чемпиона Театра.

— Endless battles and endless victories, Mordretha has bested every opponent who has challenged her. In life she was a master of dark magic and her time in Maldraxxus has only expanded that knowledge. Is this the title match the Theater of Pain has been waiting for? — Grandmaster Vole yells: Our rising stars now face the longest-reigning champion the Theater of Pain has ever known: Mordretha, the Endless Empress!

возвращаемся к кампании некролордов:

• Отбиваем храм вместе с Ксандрией и Александром в квесте "Don't Cross Courage". Идеал говорит то ли Герою, то ли Саше, то ли им обоим, что в соло им не затащить из-за большого количества сильных монстров.

Xandria says: Your foul necromancers have enveloped the inner sanctum in a toxic cloud. I can only reach the entrance. Xandria says: The monsters within are too powerful for you alone. Clear the skies for me...then their fate will rest in my hands. Alexandros Mograine says: We will see it done, Paragon.

В этой же ветки будет квест "Sustain, In Vain", где Ксандрия сильна, но против бесконечных армий нежити не выстоит и она.

— These turncoats have kept busy. They've opened more portals around the area, allowing themselves to replenish their numbers with little trouble. Even with her might, the Paragon cannot eliminate an endless army. Let us destroy these portals. Without reinforcements to sustain this contingent, it will surely fall.

Квесты "Aerial Absolution" и "The Last Labor", где выясняется, что Баронесса Антолита из Дома Кадавров слабее Александра.

Baroness Antolyte says: Mograine. The Maw will seem a fond memory when I am done with you. Alexandros Mograine says: Antolyte. She could never defeat me in the arena. She will not defeat us here.

• В квесте "It's Treason, Then" вместе с Дрекой и Кель'тасом побеждаем лича — Леди Уикс'Ара, которая является "рукой" Син'дейн и вообще является слугой Кел'Тузада.

Lady Ouix'Ara says: You cannot stop my master! He is allied with the Banished One himself! Kael'thas Sunstrider yells: Who? Who is your master? Lady Ouix'Ara says: I serve the mighty Kel'Thuzad! And he will conquer all of--ARRGGHH!

И вообще Дом Ритуалов его марионетки.

Image of Kel'Thuzad says: No matter. The House of Rituals serves my will. Should you be so bold, face me there!

• Дальше выяснится (квест "The Wayward Baron"), что Кел — Барон Дома Ритуалов, который чертовски силён (квест "Designed to Fail").

The baron is too powerful to confront headlong, so we will stop his ritual instead. Return to him with his reagents. I have made some "modifications" that should provide a calamitous end to his scheme.

• Стражи-статисты Кел'Тузада отмудохали Героя в квесте "Caught in the Act"... Как же ж силён этот великий герой Азерота, который в каждом аддоне умудряется периодически сливаться ребятам уровня разбойников из леса...
• В квесте "The Traitor Unmasked" выясняется интересный момент. Кел'Тузад говорит, что вроде бы не сольёт 1 на 1 Син'дейн, но вроде бы и мутно звучит, учитывая что вдвоём с Баронессой Нинадар они её вяжут без проблем, как только Нинадар вырывает Посох Примаса из рук Син'дейн (10:41-11:44).

Margrave Sin'dane says: What is this treachery! Do you truly believe you can match the power of a margrave? Kel'thuzad says: Alone? No. Margrave Sin'dane says: Baroness?! How dare you! Baroness Ninadar says: Your weakness is unbecoming of the House of Rituals, Sin'dane. It is time we anointed a new margrave. Margrave Sin'dane says: You will pay for this deceit! Kel'thuzad says: Perhaps. But such is always the price for power. Kel'thuzad says: So, mortal, you managed to escape. Have you come to celebrate my victory? Kel'thuzad says: No? What a pity. Nevertheless, allow me to leave you with a... parting gift.

После этого Кел призывает какого-то мутненького Сапфирона (выглядит он не так как в том же Наксрамасе, а как чумной нежить-дракон типа Низендры), которого Герой и лич Балмедар в 2 побеждают.

спойлеры:

• Квест "The Third Fall of Kel'thuzad". Странный момент, баронесса Нинадар легко и бесприкословно признаёт власть и мощь Кел'Тузада.

Kel'thuzad says: Are you still toying with these intruders, Ninadar? Destroy them! Baroness Ninadar yells: Yes, master. I exist to serve.

Победить Кел'Тузада якобы имеет шансы только Син'дейн с артефактом в руках.

Balmedar says: Wait... The Staff of the Primus! It is still intact! Balmedar says: If we return this to Margrave Sin'dane, we may yet stand a chance against Kel'Thuzad.

Дальше по спойлерам команда относительно серьёзных ребят, состоящая из Героя, баронессы Дреки, Александра, баронессы Вайши, будущего барона Балмедара, генерала Дрейвена и Кель'таса кое-как запинывают верховного лича... или не запинывает. Вроде бы как мы больше делаем упор на ослабление Кела, а окончательно его повергает только сама Син'дейн, которая затем отдаёт Герою посох Примаса и назначает Балмедара новым бароном своего Дома.

Другое из Малдраксуса:

• Ворлд босс Мортанис, который, наверное, не самое дно среди некролордов.

— One of the most studied necromancers of the House of Rituals, Mortanis has been working tirelessly on a means of transforming himself into a more powerful form. Now, he is only a few moments from succeeding.

• Пожалуй, Вайши одна из самых доставляющих персонажей ШЛ. По крайней мере, она не несёт пурги про долг/честь/справедливость, а просто упивается интригами, войной и властью.

— Alexandros Mograine says: Baroness, your original night elf form was restored in the afterlife, was it not? Why abandon it for one akin to the naga? Baroness Vashj says: When I was kaldorei, I was but a handmaiden to my queen. Prized for my beauty, and little else. As a naga, I was recognized and rewarded for my cunning and resolve. — Baroness Vashj says: Queen Azshara's machinations brought us untold power. The Sundering was a small price to pay for our ascension. Baroness Draka says: I have heard tales of your vain, heartless queen. It seems you have a great deal in common with her... in form as well as substance. — Death may be a setback for some, but only if you lack ambition.

• Итем "Decaying Dark Naaru Shard". Тёмные наару опасные противники, но на арене некролордов их вполне побеждают.

— "A dark naaru is a fiercesome foe, but for the Maldraxxi, they see it as another opportunity to prove their worth in the arena."

Арденвельд

Превью Арденвельда с оф.сайта:

— Арденвельд — загробный мир для тех, кто был тесно связан с природой. Анима — сущность души, циркулирующая в ТЗ.

— A twilight-tinged afterlife for those closely connected to the wild, Ardenweald is a domain of restoration tended by the mystic night fae. Within this eternal forest, massive dream trees draw in precious anima—the essence of souls that flows through the Shadowlands—to feed the spirits of nature awaiting rebirth into the cycle. — The ethereal umbral forests of Ardenweald are where wild spirits return after their time on the mortal plane come to an end so that they can again be reborn. However, this lush afterlife paradise has suffered greatly from the mysterious anima drought plaguing the Shadowlands. Everything that grows here has begun to wither, and the cycle of reincarnation is in peril unless things change—and swiftly.

— Основные представители Арденвельда: феи (пикси), воркай, сильвары, тирненны, спригганы, души смертных. Владычица Арденвельда — Королева Зимы, видимо, стоящая выше лоа, Диких Богов и Древних. В Арденвельд вторгаются друсты из кошмарного мира Фрос.

— Faeries. Mischievous tricksters of the woods, the mercurial faeries of Ardenweald use a mix of theatrical talents and cunning to care for rejuvenating spirits. Faeries use song to soothe away the pain of the great, resting spirits and snatch up lesser creatures lured by their eerie melodies, grinding them up into poultices. Faeries are just as easy to appease as they are to offend, so be wary of your actions. — Vorkai. The fierce and daring vorkai are the protectors and guardians of Ardenweald. Vorkai make up the bulk of the Winter Queen’s Wild Hunt, who safeguard the domain against those seeking to bring imbalance. During the anima drought, it has fallen on them to enact the Winter Queen’s decrees of which groves flourish or are left to wither. — Sylvar. Loyal, polite, and graceful, the sylvar are crafters and enchanters who create tools, foci, and magical objects to maintain the ebb and flow of existence in Ardenweald. Recently, some groves in Ardenweald have been decreed to let their nurtured souls perish, so that others may survive the drought. — Tirnenn. Calm, patient, and enigmatic even to others in the Shadowlands, the tirnenn are slow to action as well as anger. They are the eldest of the Fae Court—quiet and thoughtful, and generally friendly unless you threaten their groves. While slow to enrage, they are terrible to behold in battle, capable of shaping the land and flora around their enemies with frightening speed. — Winter Queen. Leader of Ardenweald, the ethereal Winter Queen is charged with the sacred task of maintaining the great cycle of rebirth: restoring perished loa, Wild Gods, Ancients, and other nature spirits and returning them to the mortal plane. She and the land are one; as the land thrives, so does she. But recently the land has grown sick, and this has taken a bitter toll on her. The anima drought has forced her to make hard choices over which groves to save and which to let go—losing beloved nature spirits in the process. — Drust. With the drought weakening the guardians of Ardenweald, the ancient Drust have seized the opportunity to invade from their nightmarish realm of Thros. Using their twisted form of druidism to feed upon the dying groves, the Drust grow stronger with every wildseed that perishes. Though relatively few in number, the Drust are using dark rituals to pull the native fae into their forces. — Spriggan. Spriggan are small, malicious creatures native to Ardenweald who live to create chaos. Some have heard the whispers of the death loa Mueh'zala, and gleefully carry out his plans. Others follow no ruler, simply reveling in the wanton mischief and destruction they unleash upon the inhabitants of Ardenweald. — Mortal Souls. In addition to the native fae creatures that the forest calls forth to nurture the wildseeds, Ardenweald serves as an afterlife for mortal souls who shared a special bond with the natural cycle. Druids, hunters, and others who tended the land may be judged worthy of an eternity spent caring for the wilds. Upon arrival, these souls can choose an animal form infused with the celestial magic of Ardenweald.

• Небольшое описание Арденвельда из "The Art of World of Warcraft: Shadowlands".
• Ещё с оф.сайта. Арденвальд — аналог Изумрудного Сна. Кенарий уже бывал в нём.

— If the Emerald Dream represents spring and summer, Ardenweald represents autumn and winter in the cycle. This place of rest and hibernation is presided over by the Night Fae Covenant, who tend to spirits who were closely tied to nature, preparing them to return to the world of the living. The demigod Cenarius spent time recovering in Ardenweald so that he could return to Azeroth during the events of the Cataclsym. It is a beautiful, yet deceptively dangerous land.

• Квест "Journey to Ardenweald". Просто ещё одно описание Арендвельда и Королевы.

— The Winter Queen oversees the cycle between Death and Life. In her forest slumber ancient spirits of nature that must be reborn.

• Квест "Keep to the Path". Королева взмахом создала Арденвельд. Тирненны, видимо, довольно могущественные существа по меркам Ардевельда.

— I am tirnenn. I am of the forest, kin to the trees. When the Winter Queen stretched out her hand and created Ardenweald, we were among the first to grow. We dug our roots deep and lifted walls high. We built the groves. The tirnenn serve, until the immeasurable breadth of time is spent, and we return to the cycle.

• Квест "Recovering the Heart". Один из дроманов (локальных лидеров), подвергшийся магии друстов, побеждён Героем, на подтанцовке которого был тирненн и несколько персонажей калибром ниже.

— Darkness grasps the heart of Droman Krelnor, as he grasps the heart of the grove. Anima drains from the heart, nectar taken from ripened fruit. It must be stopped. Foul magic bars the way. Anima in peril, anima the salvation. Beseech Te'zan. An old soul, brimming with anima, the spark to ignite our hope.

• Квест "Extreme Recycling". Дикая Охота — элитные бойцы Королевы во главе с Лордом Герном.

— The Wild Hunt serves the Winter Queen under the leadership of Lord Herne. We are elite fighters, hunters, and trackers.

• Квест "Passage to Hibernal Hollow". Один из дроманов — бог-дух иного мира, который был уничтожен Легионом. "Звёзды в мехе" и "раскалывающие горы клыки", как же он был силён, ух! Атаки Легиона на мир этого дромана сжигали леса, испаряли моря, уничтожили сам мир.

— I am Aliothe, Droman of the Hibernal Hollow. I protect the tree and all who live within these walls. But before that, I lived on a beautiful world full of lush forests and sparkling seas. I was a god, a powerful spirit of the wilderness. My fur was full of stars and my teeth could crack mountains. — Green fire rained from the heavens and burned our forests. Boiled our seas. I did all that I could, but it was not enough. My world died too.

• Короткометражка с историей Ара'лона и Урсоком, который в очередной раз умер за наши грехи.

• Квесты "Go for the Heart" и "Sparkles Rain from Above". Леди Мунберри, видимо, является весьма могущественной феей, которая выкашивает своей магией толпы друстов и трансформирует их в небоеспособную НЁХ (7:57-8:25). Один из громадных друстов-командиров сопротивляется её магии, но Мунберри заявляет, что разберётся с ним потом.
• Квест "Awaken the Dreamer". Пробуждение Изеры, сопровождающееся интересной фразой, которую произносит Королева Зимы в отношение Изеры.

Lady Moonberry: My queen! Please help us. Winter Queen: This... is of my sister. Why have you brought it to me? Lady Moonberry: This one... is slipping away. Winter Queen: Our duty is grim. Many have been lost. Why should I save her pet? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Re87Mt4e9z4&feature=emb_logo

• Квест "The Court of Winter". Сердце Леса защищает Арденвельд и миры за его пределами. Давным-давно его использовали, чтобы запечатать Зоваала в Утробе.

Winter Queen says: The Heart of the Forest is vital to Ardenweald... and to the protection of the realms beyond. Winter Queen says: Long ago, we drew upon its magic to ensure the Maw would be inescapable. That the Banished One would remain forever bound. Winter Queen says: The drought has caused the Heart to wither. Its strength must be bolstered... though we have precious little anima to save our waning groves. Winter Queen says: An impossible choice. Yet, one that must be made for the good of the cycle.

ещё раз про то, что мир Алиота сжёг Легион

Droman Aliothe says: My world was shattered beneath the hammer of the Burning Legion. There is nothing left but ashes. Droman Aliothe says: Now this forest is my home. As it is meant to be. We serve the cycle, and the Queen guides us.

Освобождение Тирна Скита:

• Друсты существуют вне цикла жизни и смерти. Ингра Малох может контролировать с переменным успехом дромана-тирненна Ульфаррана.

— Ingra Maloch. Cursed to exist outside the cycle of Life and Death, the Drust now seek to circumvent their fate using Ardenweald's mechanisms of Rebirth. Their would-be conquest has found its way to Tirna Scithe, where Ingra Maloch and his followers use foul magic to subjugate the local inhabitants.

• Тред'ова — чудовищный горм, пожравший лоа знаний. Наверное, он должен быть весьма силён.

— Tred'ova. The gorm have been chewing at the edges of Ardenweald, devouring desiccated husks of the dead. The beast called Tred'ova has gorged herself on something far more precious, the wildseed of Lakali, loa of knowledge. Now that Tred'ova has tasted the loa's power and wisdom, she hungers for more than survival.

Продолжение кампании:

• Квест "Report to Moonberry". От Арденвельда зависит баланс множества миров.

— The Night Fae fill a critical role in the eternal cycle of nature spirits. The balance of many worlds depends on their work.

• Квесты "Show, Don't Tell", "Break a Leg", "What's My Motivation?". Забавный сарказм разработчиков над собой и местами феерически фейловым и нелепым сюжетом и событиями. Улыбнуло.
• Квест "For Queen and Grove!". Опять про значимость Арденвельда для других миров.

— Your actions here will echo beyond the veil. Aid the forest, and all mortal worlds may yet be saved.

Противостояние с лоа:

• Квест "Taking Inventory". Лоа перерождаются в Арденвельде, но что-то начинает идти не так.

— Ardenweald be where loa go ta be reborn after dey die on Azeroth. But some of da loa who be sleepin' in Ardenweald have gone missin'! Gotta be someone powerful behind it, takin' dem from right under da Winter Queen... Ol' Bwonsamdi can't be havin' loa vanishin' from Ardenweald. Dat could be me someday! No, no... we gonna put a stop to dis!

• Квест "Minions of Mueh'zala". За всеми проишествиями стоит Мве'зала — могущественнейший лоа, властвующий даже над Бвонсамди.

— Dese all be followers of Mueh'zala! Me shoulda known he be da one behind it all. Mueh'zala be da loa of death from long ago. It be him who raised up Ol' Bwonsamdi, him who made me a loa. Dat be before his worshippers started turnin' away from him. He always been a greedy one... but dis... Mueh'zala be goin' too far dis time! We gotta stop him, or he gonna take all da loa in Ardenweald!

• Квест "Winter Be Comin'". Мве'зала овладел новой силой, а его шестёрами будут могущественные злые лоа Дамбала и всем известный Хаккар (чем я откровенно разочарован, так как ожидал от него большего, а не подобного слива его значимости).

— Da boss be puttin' together an army of terrible loa. Hakkar and Dambala may only be da beginnin'. How da boss get so strong? I not be seein' him use power like dis before... Da Winter Queen not be fond of ol' Bwonsamdi, but we gonna need her help to stop Mueh'zala.

• Квест "Cleansing the Forest". Баффнутый силой Мунберри Герой побеждает злого лоа Дамбала.

Оборона Той Стороны:

• Та Сторона — место в Арденвельде, где Бвонсамди оберегает своих последователей от влияния Утробы и Мве'зала.

— Bwonsamdi has kept a secret place in the Shadowlands he refers to as De Other Side. When the dead started funneling into the Maw, Bwomsandi hid several souls in his little domain, keeping his troll followers safe. But this broke an old deal with Mueh'zala and now the ancient loa has come to harvest those souls and destroy their caretaker. Bwonsamdi will need help collecting on some of his other dealings if he is to survive this onslaught and protect the souls within.

• Хаккара в итоге Герой запинывает. Печально. И опять всплывают Манаштормы... Которых опять побеждаем. Есть тут ещё Дилер Зи'екса, известный своим арсеналом и способностью управлять пространством. И все они заключали сделки с Бвонсамди.

— Hakkar the Soulflayer. Even the presence of Hakkar the Soulflayer has caused turmoil on Azeroth. Violence and plague mark his blood and his immeasurable power. His faithful fought for him till death, and beyond. Giving up power has never been his way, even when it is not his own. — The Manastorms. Absolute honesty and trust are what makes Millicent and Milhouse Manastorm such a power couple. Well, honesty, trust, staggering magic and experimental technology. Combining these four elements in perfect harmony makes the Manastorms the most deadly, dangerous and disastrous couple anywhere. — Dealer Xy'exa. Dealer Xy'exa is a cunning aquisitionist, wielding an array of magical contrivances that she has collected over the millennia. She relies on spatial manipulation to stay one step ahead of the innumerable enemies she's made in her dealings.

• Главное же противостояние разворачивает с самим Мве'зала, который рулил уже тогда, когда Бвонсамди ещё под стол даже не ходил. Бвонсамди ещё судя по диалогом стал каким-то ярым патриотом Тролляндии...

— Mueh'zala. Father of Sleep, Son of Time, the Night's Friend, Mueh'zala ushered the dead of Azeroth long before Bwonsamdi made his first deal. He knows a god should rule, not beg for servants and worshipers. The plans he laid in ancient times to reclaim that power are coming to fruition, once he deals with his rebellious replacement.

• Мве'зала cюжетно склонил Хелию в ряды слуг Тюремщика, выторговал глаз Одина, способствовал становлению Сильваны вождём Орды, возвысил Бвонсамди из жреца в лоа.

Mueh'zala yells: Foolish mortals! Me be da true God of Death! ... Mueh'zala yells: It be Mueh'zala who brought Helya to da Jailer's side... struck a deal for ol' Odyn's eye... and made da Banshee warchief with a whisper! ... Mueh'zala says: After all me be doin' for Bwonsamdi, raisin' him from priest ta loa, givin' him da power of Death... now he be usin' it against me?!

• Мве'зала обладает неплохим арсеналом способностей: силами крови, тьмы, некромантией, а также способностью искажать реальность.

— Mueh'zala is the god of death, blasting players with blood, shadow, and necromatic magic, twisting reality to his whim. — Cosmic Artifice — ...Distorts the objective reality...

История Ночных Воителей:

• Вроде бы эта история есть на лайве, хотя и смотрел я её по видео от июля. Речь про то, что в ином мире объявился некий Тёмный Бог, который приземлившись уничтожил некое королевство. Во главе с Ночным Воителем этого тёмного божка всё же победили ценой огромных потерь.

Where did you come from? My world was called Fyzandi. It was a beautiful world of vast forests, mighty mountains, and tranquil plains. It was for these wilds we fought against the Dark God. A dark god? Yes. Some generations before I was born, the Dark God landed on our world. The impact wiped out an entire kingdom and disrupted the balance of Nature. No one who ventured into the area returned from the wasteland. We druids kept an eye on the borders but we did not anticipate what would come. What came for you? Monsters. Creatures with too many eyes, too many limbs and too many hungering mouths. They swept across the world with my great-greatparents were children. Thus the Endless War began. Entire generations spent their lives holding against the Others and their madness. It was my mother who discovered the nature of what lived in the crater. To slay the being from another world, she tried to invoke Elune's dark face. She did. But you won, didn't you? Eventually. Thiernax was successful in becoming the Night Warrior. I fought beside him and the other champions of Fyzandi to the end. We won but at terrible cost. The armies of madness killed many while we were away, then scattered when Dark One died. Some of our people succumbed to the whispers. They disappeared or went mad. We lost friends. Family. The god bled. It will take many generations to cleanse the sickness from our world. If it can ever be. + Why did you become the Night Warrior? To fight a great evil which had slain many. A coalition of champions had formed to kill the dark god who'd landed on our world. To succeed we needed the power the last Speaker had tried to invoke from Mother Moon. We fought over that. It had already killed his mother. He did not wish for it to kill his husband too. But Elune's power was one of our greatest weapons against the monsters. So I did the ritual. Survived it. He stood by me. Our eyes dark as the new moons, we fought the monsters. I did not foresee the cost. What was the cost? The price of Elune's dark power was my life. Mortals are not meant to hold such things. One way or another, it would kill me. For my world, my people, my family, I was willing to make that sacrifice. Qadarin was not so willing to let it happen. To my eternal regret, trying to share the burden killed us both. I should let the past be. What matters is our world was saved and we are still together.

Охота с Халном и попытки преодолеть проклятья друстов:

• Квест "Ritual of Purification". Существ, поражённых проклятой силой друстов, не удаётся излечить даже при помощи специальных ритуалов. По крайней мере, такой способ неизвестен ни обитателям Арденвельда, ни друидам друстов.
• Квесты "Home of the Tirnenn", "Monster Hunting". Встреча с легендарным Халном, который известен нам по событиям Легиона. В ТЗ он является легендой Дикой Охоты, а конкретно сейчас охотится за пожирателем миров, который способен выкачивать аниму за секунды из целых локаций и побеждать тирненнов в бою. В итоге это вообще оказывается Ворас, который вроде бы как совсем крутой пожиратель, которого так просто в прямом бою без плана не победить.

— We hunt a worldeater. They are the largest of devourers, massive beings who can drain anima from an entire region within a matter of moments. With Ardenweald suffering from the drought, a worldeater's presence could prove disastrous. Still, we must not rush into battle without first understanding our prey. Tread the Elder Stand with me. Even creatures such as these leave spoor. Knowing our quarry will be what allows us to slay it. — Huln Highmountain says: Tirnenn are resilient creatures. Our prey must be fearsome indeed to have felled one. — Huln Highmountain says: Wait! That is Voras, the Realm Eater! A mighty foe... and one deadlier than expected.

• Квест "Voras, The Realm Eater". В общем побеждаем мы этого Вораса только ослабив.

— Now only the kill remains. We set the lure, weaken the beast, and land the final blow. Hunting is a battle of wills. Life or death hangs in the balance for all of us. It has always been this way, on Azeroth as in Ardenweald. Let the hunt begin.

Спойлеры: Вроде бы дальше сюжет заканчивается на том, что баффнутый силой Королевы Герой, а также ряд локальных лидеров Арденвельда (Изера, Херн, Мунберри, Алиот, Зайхед - видимо, их таки можно считать одними из сильнейших бойцов Королевы в целом, не считая существующих где-то там богов и лоа) оттесняют друстов и побеждают их лидера Горак Зар.

Остальное из Арденвельда:

• Арденвальд всегда в сумраке (итем "Gormgris Lamp"):

— "Gormris's natural luminosity provides an excellent light source for visitors unaccustomed to Ardenweald's perpetual twilight".

• Один из ворлд боссов — тирненн Ораномонос Вечноветвящаяся. Наверное, условно можно считать её уровня локальных лидеров.

— Once the eldest guardian of Tirna Scithe, Oranomonos has wilted alongside the great tree. With very little anima left, she can no longer discern friend from foe, as the gorm gorge themselves on her decaying form.

• Как же ж силён один из рарников — Найт Мар. Со спеллом "Total Eclipse", сбрасывающим Луну!

— "...Pulls a moon from orbit to crash down from the sky, inflicting Arcane damage to all enemies..."

• Легенда спригганов из квеста "The Games We Play", согласно которой какой-то там герой раскалывал горы копьём. Не стоит даже воспринимать серьёзно, наверное.

— Playful Trickster says: Spriggans have our share of heroes too! The great hero Hollain was said to be able to split a mountain with a single thrust of his spear. Oh, to see such a display! How strong he must have been!

• Ах да, не стоит забывать о маунтах, которые могут выдержать пушечные залпы и дыхание дракона.

— "The Darkwarren Hardshell's chitin is sturdy enough to withstand mortar shells and dragon's fire. It will also conviently consume anything lacking anima, if needed."

Ревендрет

Превью Ревендрета с оф.сайта:

— Про камень грехов. Ревендрет разделён на 7 областей, каждой из которой правит могущественный Жнец. Немного географии и титулов правителя Ревендрета — Сира Денатрия.

— All souls who are sent to Revendreth receive a Sinstone. Any misdeeds you’ve committed in life are inscribed upon this tombstone along with your true name. Keep its location secret and do what you must to purge any vile thing etched upon it. — Revendreth is made up of seven distinct districts, each presided over by a Harvester — powerful Venthyr who have upheld the ways of this place since creation to encourage spirits to repent for their past sins. Those who are successfully reformed are presented with a choice: Return to Oribos to be sent on to another afterlife, or remain in Revendreth and become one of the Venthyr. As for those who resist redemption? They’re banished to the Maw. — Home to the most decadent Venthyr loyal to Sire Denathrius, the Castle Ward is dangerous to any who are unwilling to side with the Master. The nobles who reside in the inner citadel are the oldest Venthyr and have earned their place in the shadow of The Master and are kept in order by the Countess, Harvester of Desire. — When greeting the Master, show your respect by addressing him by his honorifics: Sire Denathrius, Master of Revendreth, King of the Venthyr, First Blooded, Commander of the Stoneborn, and The Fangs of the Shadowlands. — Ruled over by the Fearstalker, Harvester of Dread, the Forest Ward is comprised of hunting grounds where the Venthyr leach pride (in the form of anima) from their victims. Extraction is simple: Give victims a sense of hope and freedom then hunt them down; a harsh lesson in humility. — The first steps of Azeroth’s champions within Revendreth are in the Village Ward, Darkhaven. Lorded over by the Harvester of Envy, this humble hamlet is full of wishful dredgers and Venthyr who aspire to be welcomed into the aristocrats residing in the Castle Ward. Downwind of Castle Nathria, its citizens look on enviously as they toil away in the refuse of soul waste and desiccation of reality while the anima drought decays this place away. — Looming above all is Sire Denatrius’s fortress, Castle Nathria. This ancient stronghold houses the Master, his loyalists and—if you listen to the traitorous rebels—something sinister that could shatter societies across the Shadowlands. . .

— Основные обитатели Ревендрета: вентиры, камнерождённые, гаргоны, нетопыри, землерои. Сир Денатрий — творец Ревендрета и один из самых могущественных существ в ТЗ. Принц Ренетал — первый из вентиров, принц-ренегат. Генерал Дрейвен — бывший лидер горгулий и сторонник мятежного принца.

— Venthyr. The vampiric Venthyr are the punishers of the unworthy and seek to rehabilitate the sinful souls sent to them by the Arbiter. Souls who are successfully rehabilitated are either sent to another realm to serve for eternity or may choose to become a Venthyr and continue the cycle as an instrument of repentance. — The Stone Legion. Carved by the Stonewright and infused with anima, vigilant Stoneborn serve their masters as soldiers with a sense of infallible loyalty forged over a lifetime of fighting side by side. Stoneborn: These brutish gargoyles fight off the Venthyr’s enemies with an array of martial weapon skills to bludgeon enemies or use their unparalleled mobility to outflank them. Gargons: Chiseled in the image of things that go bump in the night, these vicious quadrupeds prowl the cobblestone streets of Revendreth to maintain order, by fear or force. Dredbats: Patrolling the skies, dredbats dutifully alert their Stoneborn brethren to attack intruders, but are more than capable of turning adversaries into lifeless husks. — Dredger. Borne of the primordial muck, this browbeaten workforce serves the Venthyr with a can-do attitude for any menial task from sweeping floors to sacrificing themselves for entertainment. — Sire Denathrius. The Master of Revendreth, the calculating and methodical Sire Denathrius created the Venthyr in his likeness, forging them from the souls of the redeemed. Ancient beyond measure, the founder of Revendreth is one of the most powerful beings in all the Shadowlands. He beseeches Azeroth’s champions to help him quell the rebellion that threatens to destroy their way of life. — Prince Renathal. Once a popular courtier within Denathrius’ Court, Prince Renathal was the first Venthyr crafted by the Master’s own hand. But all that changed when the anima dried up. Convinced that the Master is behind the drought, he rallied a formidable force to lead a rebellion to succeed Sire Denathrius and make the anima flow once more. But one has to wonder if Prince Renathal might prove to be no different than the tyrant he seeks to overthrow. — General Draven. Once leader of the Stoneborn, General Draven turned his back on his kin to lead Prince Renathal’s forces against Sire Denathrius.

• Ещё с оф.сайта. Ревендрет похож на Чистилище.

— Home to the Venthyr Covenant, Revendreth is a land of gothic spires and dark secrets and not one souls hope to be sent to. This is where flawed souls are sent who haven’t been able to leave something behind whether it’s pride or some other source of downfall. Souls sent here are not quite ready for service in one of the Shadowlands’ other domains, and is the duty of the vampiric Revendreth to prepare them—through unimaginable torment. It is much like a purgatory for souls who need to atone for past misdeeds and shed the burdens of their life. The journey is not an easy one, however.

• Квест "The Sinstone". Опять немного о камне греха.

— A sinstone is a manifestation of the accumulated burdens of your life wrought in stone.

• Квест "Invitation of the Master". Герой со спутниками падает с большой высоты и переживает это (1:50-2:10)! Да, я особенно отметил это, потому что в контексте ВоВ иногда может показаться, что пережить падение с высоты сложнее, чем взорвать континент...
• Квест "The Greatest Duelist". Встречаемся с Наджией, которая утверждает, что она величайший фехтовальщик (по её мнению).

— The name you may call me is Nadjia the Mistblade, and, if I might be so humble as to say, I am the finest duelist that has ever wielded a sword.

• Квест "The Master Awaits" и "The Accuser's Sinstone". Денатрий старше мира. Два генерала камнерождённых по всей видимости не уверены в своей возможности справится с одним из мятежных Жрецов — Обвинительницей. Которая отбрасывает в бою нашего Героя, говоря про то, что не нужно путать берега (6:00-6:15).

— Mind your manners when speaking to Sire Denathrius. He is a being older than your world.

General Grashaal says: Kaal, stop holding back. Let my forces crush Draven and his traitors. General Kaal says: Draven is not our threat. Their prince has fallen and their rebellion is in shambles. Only the Accuser remains to issue orders. General Grashaal says: The Accuser? She still holds a Harvester's medallion. How are we going to defeat her? General Kaal says: Now you know why we need this Maw Walker alive.

• Квест "Sinstone Delivery" и "The Accuser's Secret". Лорд Камергер, усиленный медальоном Жнеца, довольно длительное время смог сдерживать мощь Обвинительницы, которая позиционируется сама по себе невероятно могущественным Жнецом.

— The Accuser. "Incredibly powerful Harvester in charge of the Halls of Atonement, who is currently resisting the Master."

• Квест "A Lesson in Humility". Занятная игра слов, где Сир называется "лорд оф дред", возможный намёк на связь с нетрезимами?

The Accuser says: Even your punishments reveal your complacency. Very well. Hide me with your other failures. The Accuser says: You were once the lord of dread. Now? Now your teeth have lost their terror. Sire Denathrius says: Have they now? We shall see. Fearstalker! Prepare your hunters.

• Квест "A Reflection of Truth". Даже после потери своего медальона Обвинительница достаточно грозный противник, чтобы не пасть моментом под напором Леди Инервы Дарквейн и стражи Замка Нафрия, успевая уйти от них.
• Квест "The Fearstalker". Один из Жнецов Сира повержен, впрочем это оказалось сделать непросто. Сначала его ослабил появившийся громадный пожиратель миров, который затем буквально шотнулся оклемавшейся Охотницей, которая после этого пала под натиском аж трёх серьёзных фигур: Дрейвена, Обвинительницы (ослабленной) и Героя.
• Квесты "My Terrible Morning", "Unbearable Light", "Into the Light". В них детально про слабость вентиров перед светом.
• Квест "A Royal Key". Ну, опять старая шарманка, короче, если где-то у кого-то проблемы ломать стенки и замки, так это из-за того, что это специально укреплённые стенки и замки, никак не меньше! Принц Ренетал гарантирует. Ещё и в юмор умеет с его "Well, you are quite resourceful. Give me twenty five of your kind and some proper gear and we could defeat the Master"...
• Квест "Torghast, Tower of the Damned". Башня Тюремщика существует по алогичным принципам и так просто из неё не выбраться.

— Prince Renathal says: The inside of this tower defies all traditional logic... we must devise a means of escape.

• Квест "Blinded By The Light". Сир в союзе с Тюремщиков, причины этого нам, конечно же, пока что не расскажут. А может и не расскажут вовсе...

— The anima he is stealing from the Shadowlands is weakening the bonds that seal the Jailer within the Maw. That must not happen. Time is short so we must strike quickly. I would like for you to head up to the surface, into that accursed Light, and align as many mirrors as you can find to the focusing mirror atop the portcullis. We will shine a light on Castle Nathria so bright no venthyr will wish to step forth from that fortress to challenge us.

• Квест "The Master of Lies". Против воплощающего смерть Сира мятежники выставили трёх Жнецов, Героя, бывшего генерала Каменного Легиона и небольшие отряды повстанцев-вентиров. Это второе восстание Ренетала, в первом его армию Денатрий превратил в камень взмахом руки.

— When you are ready, we shall attack. The dredgers here will operate the mirror to deter reinforcements from Castle Nathria while you, myself, and our few remaining allies do a push assault Denathrius directly. It is down to a Maw Walker, three Harvesters, the former general of the Stone Legion, and what few venthyr stand by our side as we take the fight to the being who created all you see before you. Let me know when you are ready to face death. — Can you feel it? The shift in order? Something is happening. We must move swiftly! Three Harvesters and a Maw Walker infused by the raw power of anima from the many realms of the Shadowlands against one lord of death, whose dominion we stand upon the precipice of. Let us face this dread together!

Prince Renathal says: When I led my assault against the castle, the Master turned my entire army to stone with a simple wave of his hand. Prince Renathal says: We will need these soldiers. Denathrius is not the only threat we will need to face. Find enough anima to awaken as many of the stoneborn as you can.

Второй мятжеж Ренетала тоже не удался, Сир lika a boss показывает кто тут Вечный.

• Квест "The End of the Beginning". Если Зоваал вырвется из Утробы, то мирам Смерти наступит конец (не совсем понятно, что конкретно подразумевается под этим).

— I knew Denathrius had hoarded anima, but this... this is beyond imagining. The Jailer will surely use this power to shatter his bonds. Should he break free of the Maw, all the realms of Death will fall.

• Квест "The Looming Dark". В прошлом лишь силами всех Вечных они смогли заточить Тюремщика в Утробе. Засуха — дело рук Сира, накопленная ним анима из разных миров была выпущена внутрь Утробы, чтобы усилить Зоваала.

Prince Renathal says: The drought was his doing. He stole the very lifeblood of our realms, starving his own people... and yours as well. Prince Renathal says: When his lies were exposed, Denathrius unleashed his vast coffers of anima into the Maw... to fuel the might of his true master. Kyrestia the Firstborne says: Long ago, we stood as one to imprison that... monster. Kyrestia the Firstborne says: With the Primus gone and Denathrius a traitor, our pantheon has been broken... and doom comes for the Shadowlands.

• Квест "Choosing Your Purpose". Небольшое описание ковенантов внутри самой игры.

Кампания вентиров:

• Квест "The Court of Harvesters". Путешествовать в Утробу не могут даже древнейшие из вентиров. Наконец-то более дательно про медальоны Жнецов — артефакты, хранящие часть силы Денатрия, которые он раздавал своим самым верным слугам.

Prince Renathal says: No, you can breach the boundaries of the Maw with ease, something that even the oldest venthyr are unable to do. Prince Renathal says: That ability alone would make you perfect for my plan, but there's so much more to you, isn't there? Prince Renathal says: It will never be enough to simply defeat Denathrius, we must also break his hold on Revendreth. Prince Renathal says: His grasp on this realm comes from the medallions he created, each containing a fraction of his power, given to subordinates that would obey without question. Prince Renathal says: We must secure these medallions, and with them, usher in a new era that would see Revendreth return to its true purpose.

• Квест "Invitation for the Tithelord". Пафос про мощь Жнецов, даже такого ублюдка как Лорд Казначей.

— The Tithelord is a bully and a coward, just like every Harvester of Envy before him. He is still a force beyond our current reckoning. I have sent Nadjia and Temel to Pridefall Hamlet in the south to ascertain the best, most non-lethal way to reach the Tithelord. Meet them there and use caution. The Tithelord would kill you in less than the blink of an eye if he thought it would gain him more power or authority.

• Квест "A Tense Reunion". Творения Миканикоса (главного техника-конструктора Бастиона) могут посоперничать в силе даже с сильнейшими из камнерождённых. А вообще здесь вся цепочка будет про то как Ревендрет при помощи него создаёт вундервафлю, позволяющую контролировать мощь нескольких медальонов одновременно, чтобы потом победить Сира (наверное).

— We are looking for the forgelite prime, Mikanikos. Only he will be able to craft the device we need. I've seen some of his creations. Truly impressive constructs and weaponry that rival even the mightiest of us stoneborn. When last I encountered him, it was at his workshop. A place of wonders known as the Eternal Forge. We will meet you there. Traveling as group may draw too much attention.

• Квесты "Someone Worth Saving", "The Many Sins of Kael'thas Sunstrider", "Use My Strengths", "Reconnaissance... for my, uh, Recovery". Кель'тас при жизни был силён, а после смерти ещё и был накачан анимой. И вообще Кель говорит, что он может так-то и не Мандракк, солирующий фикшн кровью 52 вселенных и жаром миллиардов Солнц по подвигам, но уж тыщи изи выдаст!

— Are you familiar with Kael'thas Sunstrider? He was a powerful leader on your world for a time. The immense anima of that lingering power attracted the Master's attention, to the eternal detriment of Kael'thas's soul. — If you do not believe that, believe me when I say that this soul is immensely powerful and still at risk of self-destruction. — Kael'thas Sunstrider was on the verge of destruction when we rescued him from Castle Nathria. Denathrius had infused Kael'thas with unimaginable amounts of anima, each bit carrying with it the sins of others. — The Accuser is so obsessed with my negative traits that she has failed to see my strengths! Even in death, I am incredibly powerful. The Accuser herself said that Denathrius infused me with anima to make me strong. Let us use that strength for good while I have it! — Kael'thas says: My people were massacred, our sacred font of magic defiled, all to raise a lich in undeath. I will incinerate this one with the heat of a thousand suns!

Вторжение в Кровавые Глубины:

• которые являются катакомбами-тюрьмой.

— Far below Castle Nathria lies the Sanguine Depths, a prison created to house Sire Denathrius' most intriguing dissidents. Prisoners here are kept for eons, drained of their anima for research and study. The Sinfall resistance knows of a particular prisoner here that could help tip the balance of their fight with Sire Denathrius to their favor, and have asked for assistance in extracting them.

• Здесь верховная надзирательница пытает одного из наару — Зе'рали. Освобождаем её и в квесте "Sanguine Depths: An Ally Within" она становится важным союзников Ренетала, природа наару опасна для вентиров.

— There are only a few old enough to know if Grand Proctor Beryllia learned her ruthless form of study in Revendreth or if she never truly gave up that particular sin. The cruelty she used to master the magic of anima has been turned on a very peculiar new prisoner, the naaru Z'rali. She will command this creature's Light no matter what it costs her prisoner. — General Draven says: The prisoner is down below. Z'rali, one of the naaru who invaded the Ember Ward. The others presumed it slain.

General Draven says: Z'rali is too weak to return to her home, and her very nature presents a danger to any venthyr in her presence. General Draven says: Prince Renathal has bestowed the naaru authority over the tower of Dawnkeep. It is the place where her kind first emerged and is most saturated with the Light. General Draven says: She should be in less pain there.

• Тут мы так же встретимся с генералом Кааль — одним из генералов Денатрия, в бою с которым нам немного помогает наару, но всё равно как-то всё идёт неочень по ходу боя вроде бы как и вмешательство Дрейвена помогает нам сбежать, спасши наару.

— General Kaal stands as one of Sire Denathrius's main generals overseeing his operations in Revendreth. Strong, agile and full of guile, General Kaal uses her agility and anima-infused nature to eliminate all who would stand against her master.

• Квест "Trading Favors: Sanguine Depths". Генералы Ревендрета оснащены лучшей экипировкой.

— The generals of Revendreth are outfitted with only the finest arms and armor, procured by Sire Denathrius in his unquenchable appetite for power. In terms of profitable trades and exchanges, he has been a shrewd partner in trade to us. It would please me greatly to see the return of some relics that were traded in a way that benefited him far more than us. There are few things more insulting to my kind.

Вторжение в Чертоги Покаяния:

• Лорд Камергер стал Жнецом и рулит нынче в Чертогах. Побеждён Героем.

— Lord Chamberlain. The Lord Chamberlain climbed steadily and mercilessly through the ranks of venthyr society, becoming a Harvester by aiding in the capture of the rebellious Accuser. Now he rules the Accuser's halls, hoarding anima and turning the sacred process of atonement to his own deviant purposes.

Падение Денатрия, вторжение в Замок Нафрия:

• Начало вторжение и здесь же ролик с заточением Денатрия. Какой-то абсурд. Герои при помощи горстки вентиров, а также аж трёх мощных вентиров (принца Ренетала, генерала Дрейвена и Обвинительницы) вторгаемся в цитадель Вечного... Сюр. Нелепейший слив злодея в серии или БФА может составить конкуренцию?

• О силе большинства боссов рейда сложно сказать что-то конкретное. Как минимум точно сильные два генерала Каменного Легиона, в ходе боя с которым вроде бы ранили генерала Дрейвена, а Ренетал едва сдерживал их мощь... Возникает вопрос, а какого, собственно, хрена, да Ренетал был ослаблен, его медальона при нём ещё не было, но были чужие, корона..? Вроде бы ещё Инерва спеленала Обвинительницу, которая видимо была всё же ослаблена тоже на момент вторжения. Это какой-то цирк, чес слово. Три инвалида с Героями штурмуют оплот мощи самого Вечного... Бтв, Принц после победы над генералами предполагает, что Арбитр стал пешкой, как и дуэт генералов.

— The ancient stoneborn generals, Kaal and Grashal, have hounded the Prince Renathal's rebellion at every turn. Once they were General Draven's apprentice and mentor; now their strength, strategy and soldiers have been unleashed against him and any who would defy the Sire's will. — Anima fuels the Shadowlands, and Lady Inerva Darkvein seeks to unlock its mysteries. Under Denathrius's tutelage, she has learned insidious secrets to turn against his enemies. She will strip anima from Nathria's invaders and use it to shape a dark new future. — For countless ages, Sire Denathrius stood among the Eternal Ones who rule the realms of Death. But in the Shadowlands' darkest hour, he has betrayed his sacred duty. With his bloodthirsty living blade Remornia at his side and defended by his most sychophantic loyalists, Denathrius will cut a swath through any who stand against him and cast their remains into the inescapable terror of the Maw. — Prince Renathal says: The stoneborn were not the only ones manipulated and deceived, my friend. I daresay even the Arbiter herself has been made a pawn.

• Охлол, я так понимаю Сира замесили вообще одни лишь герои, а Дрейвен и Ренетал подтянулись лишь уже когда тот был побеждён? Обвинительница не подтянулась, потому что вообще ливнула из пати и пошла заниматься более важными делами с Келем. А, да, Денатрия окончательно не убили, так как его клинок Реморния поглотил его сущность, теперь Сир в заточении под надзором наару и вообще его (или Реморнию, или их обоих ослабленных) временно сдерживал магией Принц, который до этого пыжился в бою с генералами, которые в своё время не знали как справится с пиковой Обвинительницей... Занимательная цепочка получается.

Remornia: This is not the end, Master! Let me preserve you! Draven: The blade has drawn in his essence! Remornia: Zovaal shall restore you, Master! We will have vengeance! Prince Renathal: No. Denathrius will answer for his betrayal. Remornia: Treacherous Prince! I will skewer you! Slice you! Slash you! Vivisect you! Cut ribbons from your-- Prince Renathal: We've all heard quite enough from you! Draven: If that sword truly holds the Sire's essence, I fear your spells alone cannot keep his power contained. Prince Renathal: True. But I know something that can. We will bring the blade to Sinfall. The naaru that the mortals rescued, Z'rali, has pledged to aid our cause. Prince Renathal: For too long, Denathrius used the Light as a weapon against our people in the Ember Ward. Now, it will be used to bind him. Draven: A fitting fate for one so prideful. He will watch helplessly as we restore Revendreth and thwart the Jailer's schemes. Prince Renathal: Yes, my friend. Together with these mortals we will claim victory.

• Квест "Квест Redemption for the Redeemer". Попытка выбраться из меча и перебороть магию Принца. Интересно скорее то, что говорится о том, что Денатрий поучаствовал в спасении душ большем, чем их было в истории мира Героя. Это о размерах Ревендрета.

<Energies of death and innervation struggle to free themselves from the blade and consume you to your very core.> <The bonds of warding placed on this blade by Prince Renathal will not hold for long. It should be taken to Sinfall where more permanent arrangements have been made for this prisoner..>

— Denathrius once served a noble cause. His charismatic leadership and understanding of the dark desires were instrumental in the redemption of more souls than your world has known. Perhaps in time, he could be this again. If the right lessons were to remind him of his true purpose.

• Разговор с наару, после пленения Сира. Огромная армия Света уже вторгалась в Ревендрет, оставили шрам на его "теле" (в небесах), но была повержена в итоге вентирами. Интересно.

— Home. It calls to me, mortal. And yet, I will never know its warmth again. My kind would not perceive me as I was. They would see only an aberration. Fractured. Tainted by the touch of this realm's dark Master. Now there is but one path before me. To ensure the Light is felt here. That justice is rendered. And that Death is made to know its place. So here I remain. Bound by duty. Until my last flicker fades away. — We came seeking justice. Retribution. To answer an affront committed upon the Light itself. Our numbers were vast. Uncountable. Every heart burning with righteous fury. Many fell. But not before we unleashed a fire that our enemies could not endure. The seething scar of our vengeance still lingers in the firmament. I lay broken on the battlefield. Until the unseen ones found me. Preserved me. To serve as a vessel for their Sire's rage. But I endured. I knew the Light had a destiny. For me. And for your kind as well, mortal.

падение последнего из противников-Жнецов, бой с верховным личём, низвержение монархии

• Квест "The Tithelord". Кел'Тузад в союзе с Лордом-Казначеем, который дарит ему медальон Господства, но получив необходимое лич кидает вентира на растерзание Героя и Ренетала. Тут же Принц рассказывает про мощь своего медальона, мол он при необходимом количестве анимы может управлять тканью ТЗ, чтобы это не значило.

— Prince Renathal says: He could levy an army of unwilling denziens[sic] of Revendreth. With enough anima he might even be able to manipulate the very fabric of the Shadowlands.

• Дальше в спойлерах будет уже известный нам бой с Кел'Тузадом. Я так и не понял: в итоге мы победили чисто Кел'Тузада, Кел'Тузада с силой Утробы или Кел'Тузад с силой Утробы и медальона... По крайней мере, у меня складывается ощущение, что он юзал в бою только свои силы.

Остальное из Ревендрета:

• Занятный итем "Enemy Infiltration - Preface", который рассказывают нам историю о том как нетрезимы оказываются манипулируют мирозданием, не привлекая внимание саниторов.

— To our most wondrous and resplendent Master, I am pleased to state that, after a lengthy study of our rivals, I have completed my observations. Please accept this briefing in advance of my complete report, which shall follow forthwith. We anticipate that certain of our targets will be more challenging to topple than others. But each is prone to manipulation in different ways, and our agents have already woven themselves into their very fabric. This is, after all, the solemn duty for which you sired us. As you are fond of saying: Once a desire is understood, it can be exploited. Enough prologue. Allow me to summarize our findings. In many ways, the titans will be the easiest to manipulate. Their singular goal is to impose structure upon everything they see. Show them a force that opposes their drive for Order, and they will be consumed by their urge to eradicate it. Their pantheon, so seemingly united in purpose, is vulnerable to fracturing. The void lords all but welcome us with open arms. They are so preoccupied with their thousand truths that they ignore the lies we sow in their very midst. I believe we can leverage their vast reach to position them as a foil against our other rivals. We remain wary, though. Since they are observant of multiple outcomes, it is conceivable they could anticipate our coming. Similar to the titans, the naaru and their keepers are singular in purpose. Their adherence to a linear path is an obvious shortcoming. They savor nothing more than being proved right, so if they believe they have converted one of us to their precious Light, they will trust that agent implicitly. The adherents to Life are the most insidious of opponents, perhaps because their nature is so antithetical to our own. Still, we learned much from observing the link between their plane and Ardenweald, and we have high confidence that a vulnerability has been identified. Our operative has already gained the trust of her target. And as previously discussed, our position within the plane of Disorder is proceeding flawlessly. Consuming fel energy is not a pleasant process, but a necessary one. The deception you have architected will bear fruit in the ages to come. As ever, we shall serve as your unseen hand. We will poison every host foolish enough to invite us into their midst. I remain, as always, your faithful servant.

• Ворлд босс Нургаш Жижерожденный силён настолько, что аж крушит стены замков...

— Formed from the sludgy mass of many dripping dredgers, and empowered with dark magics by Denathrius's most elite sorcerers, Nurgash is not the most intelligent minion, but his fists can crush castles.

• Реплика Ренатала. Денатрий создал Ревендрет и медальоны.

— This is where Denathrius sired his first Court of Harvesters, ages upon ages ago. Here he forged the medallions so that we each may share a piece of his power and carry out his will. There was symmetry to him exiling me to the Maw in this place. He believed he was ending me where he created me. Now we shall use this place to turn the tide against the Master of Revendreth and undo his very grip upon this realm he created.

• Информация из камней грехов в локации: Шань Бу (слуга Лей Шеня из Пандарии), Шарт Волдун (первопроходец в деле применения ядерной бомбы, прощу прощения, мана бомбы, из Аутленда), Ирмаат (величайший кузнец-толвир), доктор Теолен Крастинов с тысячами фрагов, Архет Сумасшедший Изобретатель, Тазерат из Семи Морей Песка, Федра Янтарная Тень (герой войны Зыбучих Песков), пророк Кхива, Девин, генерал Дюггаль, Кил'брек Поглотитель, Часовой Шал'равен, Верховная жрица Нави ДеРолан, Янус Убийца Драконов, Дреш-Кеван, Нал Кривой Язык, Псарь Локси, Лорд Вальтхалак, Кель'тас Солнечный Скиталец. В целом ничего важного, просто занятные истории. Список со временем, возможно, будет пополняться.

— Shan Bu was a rallying ember upon what was once believed a dying fire. His loyalty was unquestionable. So too was his might. Shan Bu commanded forces against swarms of mantid and countless mortals who fought to prevent the rise of his king. Thousands of lives were crushed with no regret, only conviction. The glowing ember of wrath in his heart must be crushed with similar conviction. Only then may redemption find him. — One of the first to assume the mantle of Blood Knight, Sharth Voldoun had the courage and tenacity to lead the team who created the first true mana bomb to be unleashed upon the mortal plane. Though some might insist such an act would merit immediate exile to the Maw, his fierce, unwavering dedication to both his people and their cause earned him a chance at redemption in Revendreth. — The greatest bronzesmith of his era, Irmaat saw his hands as extensions of the titans themselves. In his pride, he attempted to steal the power of an elemental lord. In his arrogance, Irmaat believed he had succeeded. In his folly, the backlash of the trap laid by the elemental lord destroyed Irmaat's village, forge, and sent the soul of this bronzesmith straight to Revendreth. His arrogance will be extracted, and he will learn the art of humility. — Thelon Krastinov. Once respected, admired, a noble physician. Yet Krastinov succumbed to a dark lust for knowledge and power. In his madness, thousands of innocents were tortured and slain. In his madness, their blood was used for a plague that killed thousand more. Thus the Doctor became the Butcher. Madness is no excuse for sins as grevious as these. Repentance is the only answer. Purge his greed, his lust for power, and perhaps he can be redeemed. — Archetus was a genius who chose to discard their empathy for the purity of design. By their hands, designs for architecture of infinite complexity arose, with near endless traps and enslaved monsters encased within. By their hands, the unwitting were tricked into games of chance, then released into their creations, entrapped and destined to starve or be slain. Not for judgment, not for vengeance, but for sheer amusement. Their genius earned them a place in Craftenium, but their smile earned them a place in Revendreth first. Rid the soul of their smug superiority. Purge them of their pride. Then and only then may redemption come. — Kil'brek the Consumer. Firstblade of the Morradi. Arrogant. Cruel. By his command, opponents were not merely broken, but shattered into dust. By his command, peaceful races were hunted, tormented, and slain. By his command, the six civilizations of Orantus fell to ruin. And yet, he chose to spare a single village in a rare moment of mercy. For his weakness, his execution was ordered -- and thus the Consumer became the Consumed. If this mercy could be fostered, his soul may yet be redeemed. — High Priestess Navi DeRolan had the wisdom and skill to pierce the veil and see the truth of Death in its entirety. Thus it was with absolute knowledge of her final destination that she carried out her inquisition. Not for vanity, or glory, but with the purpose of what must be done to save her people from the infestation of dark forces and darker ideals. It was with diligence and cunning that she hunted down and extracted all those of her people who whispered their allegiances to the Void, regardless of the cost to her people, or her own soul. Fear will cut through her insolence, and reap repentance from her soul. — The sinstone of Kael'thas Sunstrider, Lord of the Blood Elves. Deserter. Traitor. Tyrant. In the wake of his people's devastation, Kael'thas Sunstrider abandoned the survivors in pursuit of vengeance. Instead of seeking a cure for his people, Kael'thas Sunstrider led them into corruption for the sake of power. Rather than rebuild his kingdom's legacy. Kael'thas Sunstrider bartered it to the Legion as a conduit for darkness. Pride. Greed. Wrath. To redeem this soul, all three must be expunged.

• С оф.сайта про биографию Дрейвена и Наджии.

— Nadjia the Mistblade is the self-proclaimed greatest duelist to ever wield a blade, who rebels at stagnation and longs for the next new experience. Wherever there is trouble, you can expect to find Nadjia there at the heart of it. She is ready to turn her skills to the defense of Revendreth at your command, and her entertainment. — General Draven served Revendreth for eons as commander of the Stone Legion. He is on the front line of any battlefield, will fight with honor to the very end, and never leaves a soldier behind.

Ах да, ролик Ревендрета:

Утроба, Орибос и всё прочее

• Описание Утробы с оф.сайта. Тюремщик — угроза всей реальности. Перечень разных статистов из армии Джейлера.

— To be cast into the Maw is to be doomed to a bleak eternity. In this tumultuous, hopeless land, the vilest souls in the cosmos are imprisoned and tormented forever. Should the ancient evil chained here break free, all of reality will be consumed. — Mawsworn. The Jailer’s minions who bring pain and punishment to the most wicked of souls. Mawsworn Avenger: Circling the skies above, these winged warriors use their spears to impale intruders. Mawsworn Shadowcaster: Powerful magic wielders, Mawsworn Shadowcasters lob powerful bolts of dark energy to destroy those who oppose the Jailer’s will. — Death's Essence. Soul energy trapped within the Maw for untold ages coalesce into malevolent manifestations that wander the dark reaches of the Maw. — Charred Behemoth. These brutish iron-clad creatures crave carnage and use their brawn to pulverize everything that stands in their way. — Soul Seeker. Acting as eyes for the Jailer, Soul Seekers keep an ever-watchful gaze over the realm for any suspicious activity and will eliminate intruders—no questions asked. — Soul Eater. Malicious beasts that lurk the Maw, these savage terrors rend their prey with wicked talons, relishing the screams of their victims before consuming them soul and all. — Blazing Stygia. Burning hatred coalesces as Blazing Stygia that mindlessly pace back and forth, unleashing their fiery fury upon hapless souls.

• Уже было о нарушение баланса, но ещё раз на всякий случай с оф.сайта.

— Sylvanas Windrunner, fallen leader of the Horde, has pierced the veil between Azeroth and the realm of the dead, setting in motion a series of events that threaten to upset the cosmic balance between life and death. Azeroth’s heroes will confront the wonders and horrors of the afterlife as they deal with the consequences of Sylvanas’ actions.

• Про Торгаст с оф.сайта.

— At the heart of the Maw lies Torghast, Tower of the Damned, a cursed otherworldly prison where the wickedest souls in the universe are locked away.

• Реальность Утробы живём по своим принципам и постоянно меняется по воле Тюремщика из "The Art of World of Warcraft: Shadowlands". Ещё немного о Тёмных Землях, Арбитре. Тюремщик старше реальности.
• Квест "Lest the Trail Go Cold" с "From what the captive dredger told you, it seems Thrall has been taken deep into Torghast. The torments he is enduring must be unimaginable". Тралл опять страдает. Очень жаль, что он не будет страдать вечно за свои грехи перед Ордой, очень жаль. Надежды, что его вместе с Бейном убьют самым жестоким образом нет ибо игра не про это...
• Квесты "The Captive King", "The Highlord's Vision". Мотивы Сильваны частично раскрыты. Свежо, оригинально, никогда такого не было и вот... А из Андуина, видимо, делают нового Короля-Лича. Осталось только подвезти конспирологические теории из Ютуба, что Андуин на самом деле дочь Артаса, а не Вариана...

— Highlord Bolvar Fordragon says: A weapon... forged in the fires of Torghast. A mourneblade is born.

Да, кстати, стало очень смешно наблюдать затем как всем пофиг на слив Денатрия. Пфф, подумаешь какого-то там Вечного слили, что за ноунейм вообще, не стоит внимания, вот Андуин..! Он, кстати, в деле андуинотерапии сложа руки то не сидит.

• Квест "The Threads of Fate". Игромех с выбором сюжета объясняется варпингом причинности.

— It is my duty to observe the strands of fate. The wondrous possibilities that the Purpose lays before us. Fate flows around you, mortal. It shifts. It changes. But I have stilled its movements to offer you... a choice. You may journey through the Shadowlands in the same manner as those who came before you have done. Or you may choose a different path. One that lets you forge a bond with a covenant now, and move freely through the realms of Death to forge your own destiny. — There are two paths at hand, <name>. Begin your journey as other mortals have before you. No one will know your fate, your role in the Purpose. Or let the threads of time and destiny pull you forward. You will be known by the covenants and may choose your allegiance. The realms of Death will be opened before you, and your fate will be your own. Make your decision.

• Наверное, стоило бы что-то написать про Ве'нари, но она нераскрытый загадочный персонаж, которая в боевом плане признала, что в прямом бою уступает Герою.
• Пожиратели — НЁХ из пространства между ТЗ. Которые пожирают постепенно сам мир (квест "The Greatest Duelist").

— "Crawling forth from the cracks between the realms, the devourers have a voracious appetite for anima. Little is known of their origins, but all denizens of the Shadowlands see their recent boldness as a sign of the end times." — "The devourers are presumed to have their origins in the In-Between, a space between the lands of the Shadowlands that few have explored." — Nadjia the Mistblade says: Devourers! They are chewing at the foundation of our realm. I have never seen so many.

• Загадочный Резчик Рун является существом огромной силой, заточённым Тюремщиком в Торгасте. Умеет ковать оружие невероятной мощи. Создал Ледяную Скорбь и Шлем Господства. Предположительно, является заточённым и лишённым воспоминаний Примасом.

— In the Shadowlands, you’ll need every advantage afforded to restore balance to the afterlives. Locked within the Tower of the Damned, you’ll discover the Runecarver—a powerful entity chained within Torghast’s unhallowed halls. Together, you’ll forge legendary items infused with otherworldly powers that will give you a fighting chance against the Jailer and his minions.

Информация, взятая из интервью, что в контексте ВоВ может быть спорным делом...

• Интервью Venturebeat со старшим продюсером Шани Эдвард и ведущим дизайнером Морганом Деем, ноябрь 2019. Причины такой лёгкой победы Сливы над Болваром будут раскрыты в сюжете позже. Разнообразие миров смерти. Душа Героя в ТЗ. Четыре мира, которые фигурируют в основном сюжете дополнения — всего лишь 4 из бесконечного множества, часть которых, возможно, ещё появится в будущем.

— Edwards: Why is she able to kick Bolvar’s ass so easily? Where did those chains come from? That’s not really part of her kit. That’s new. You’ll get to learn a lot about that. — Edwards: With the Shadowlands you do typically think of the dark and dreary, but that’s not necessarily what all of the Shadowlands is about. It’s supposed to be an afterlife, not necessarily something that’s dark all the time. Bastion, for example, has a very heavenly aspect to it. There’s a lot of gold colors and blue colors. It’s actually where the Valkyr came from. You’ll see a proto-version, the Kyrian, which are winged, angelic beings. And then also Ardenweald is kind of a magical fairy forest. The trees there are celestial. It has a really druidic vibe to it. Ardenweald is where nature spirits and those of wild gods go to be tended to until they’re ready to be rebirthed into the world of the beginning. It’s kind of the fall and winter cycle, compared to spring and summer. — Day: We think of the Shadowlands as having — this is all the different afterlives of Azeroth. These are just the four we’ll be able to explore. There’s a lot. If you think about all the different tales of what the afterlife looks like from all the different areas and cultures, this is all space that we think is fun to explore. — Day: My personal favorite. Revendreth — I don’t know that we got into the specifics of the different zones and the covenants, but like she said, Uther ends up in Bastion. They’re all about loyalty and honor and duty. Ardenweald is more about the cycle of life and death, especially with those more druidic people. Maldraxxus, someone that would end up in Maldraxxus is someone like Draka, who was all about battle and fighting, basically. I always say that Maldraxxus is the most metal of the zones. They’re just all about fighting and dueling. They’re kind of the military force of the Shadowlands. And then Revendreth is like your last stop before you’re hopeless. This is where the “really bad people, but they can still be salvaged” go. This is where you have to shed a lot of your sins. Kael’thas, after a few setbacks, made it to Revendreth. He’s one of those characters that, if you decide to join the Revendreth covenant, you’ll learn a lot more about him and what they’re all about. — GamesBeat: How do players, lore-wise, go to the Shadowlands and come back? Edwards: When your player dies in Azeroth and you see the Spirit Healer, that’s actually a Kyrian from the Shadowlands. She’s nudging you back to life because you’re still tethered to Azeroth and you still have unfinished business. That’s why you get tethered back to life. In the Shadowlands, the sky, when Sylvanas shattered that, that was actually opening a portal to the Shadowlands. That’s how you’ll be getting into the Shadowlands. When you die in the Shadowlands, mechanically it’ll be the same. You’ll still do your corpse run. But you’re still alive. You’re still tethered to life for your reasons, so you need to go back to your corpse and become alive again. You’re actually the only thing alive that the Shadowlands has ever seen. They don’t see that. You are unique and special. Day: It’s a thing that they’re not used to. Everyone who comes here — it’s the afterlife. You don’t belong here. What the heck are you doing here? There’s actually a new — instead of a Spirit Healer, when you die in the Shadowlands, there’s a new object that you’ll see. You’ll get to learn and explore where that thing came from, what it is. But there’s no graveyards. Edwards: There’s no need for graveyards. Day: There’s no graveyard in the Shadowlands with the Spirit Healer there. There’s an object you’ll see throughout the zones. If you go play the demo and die I think it’s set up and you’ll see what we’re talking about. It’s pretty cool. Just run off the edge. It’s fine. — Day: Also, this is just four of the realms of the Shadowlands. This is four of the afterlives that we’ll explore. There’s potentially a bunch more that we won’t see, or that other people might have been sent to. These are just the ones that we’ll be exploring in the Shadowlands, and we’ll see who might have been to these locations.

• Интвервью Judgehype с ведущим продюсером Морганом Деем и старшим продюсером Шани Эдвардс, ноябрь 2019. Оригинал найти не смог. Речь в нём шла про то, что Один потерял глаз, чтобы заглядывать в ТЗ и создавать валь'кир, являющихся потоками кирий. Хронологически кризис в ТЗ начался во время Легиона. Меч Саргераса торчит в планете и не представляет на данный момент угрозы для Азерот.

• BBS.NGA в интвервью с Ионом Хаззикостасом, ноябрь 2019. ТЗ охватывают все миры, а не только один Азерот, КЛ — эмиссар Смерти в Азероте, его шлем выкован в ТЗ. Уничтожение Шлема.

— 5.我们大众知道的统御之冠是燃烧军团当时为了囚禁和折磨耐奥祖灵魂的这么一个道具，但是新版本的话为什么会跟艾泽拉斯的暗影国度有这么大的联系？ A:我们之前经常聊的艾泽拉斯大陆是生者的领域，一旦LK的头盔被粉碎之后，暗影国度就会显现出来了。然而，暗影国度所掌控or负责的领域却不单单只是艾泽拉斯这么一个星球，它甚至可能会囊括了整个魔兽宇宙，最起码德拉诺内边也是可以管得上的。LK则是死亡力量的代表，他的领地中心则是冰冠堡垒，那么自然而然的这里成了艾泽拉斯生与死的交界处，这个界限定义是非常模糊的，也是很脆弱的。统御之冠好似一把钥匙，因此当希尔瓦娜斯撕掉王冠的时候，天空破碎，造成如此大的影响。 至于你说具体为什么的话，统御之冠本就属于暗影国度的东西，统御之冠的铸造者基尔加丹便是利用的暗影国度的能量打造统御之冠用来关押耐奥祖的灵魂。前面说了寒冰王座本就是艾泽拉斯生与死的交界点，所以这也是为什么鸡蛋会把耐奥祖关押在这里而不是别的地方。 — 16.必须要有一个巫妖王，头盔没了。天灾军团怎么办？ A:说得没错。在剧情伊始，统御之冠和巫妖王存在的消失，会导致天灾军团暴乱，在进入暗影国度之前的前置剧情我们会接触到，而且天灾军团会有新的一次袭击。

• Reddit в интвервью с ведущим дизайнером повествования Стивом Денузером и техническим директором Фрэнком Ковальковски, ноябрь 2019. Йогг-Сарон и К’Тун действительно мертвы. Смертные после смерти попадают в ТЗ, демоны — возвращаются в Круговерть Пустоты, с остальными тоже рописходит нечто подобное.

— Question: Can you confirm or deny whether the old gods are dead? We've got a lot of people who think that we've only fought manifestations, and their true forms lie dormant somewhere. Are we maybe going to see more of that? Answering: Steve Danuser Confirms that we've killed their forms, in the cases of Yogg'Saron and C'thun despite echoes of them still seeming to permeate the world. "If you think about our cosmology and the way that creatures of magic work as opposed to mortals, mortals die they go to the Shadowlands. If you fought the Legion, you fought demons. If you kill them on Azeroth, where do they go? Back to the Twisting Nether, which is the place where they come from." "So if you think about other magical creatures and think what happens when you kill them on Azeroth, where do they go? There's the potential for things like that to kind of happen. We try to have this cosmology of the way things work, and that's something that you can apply to other things. And I think the old gods are an interesting case where, you know, we've defeated one version of them and who knows if another manifestation will eventually take place."

• LostCodex в интвервью со Стивом Денузером и техническим директором Фрэнком Ковальковски. Один лишился глаза вследствие сделки с Тюремщиком. Хелия и Сильвана заключили сделку.

• Lorekeeper в интвервью с производственным директором Патриком Доунсоном, январь 2020. Возможно, в дальнейщем будет поднята тема Чёрной Империи. Н'Зот был последним Древним Богом и слугой Войд Лордов в Азероте. ШЛ должен быть о Сильване, Джейлере, мирах Смерти, но не особо касаться Артаса.

• WindowsCentral в интвервью с ведущим дизайнером повествования Стивеном Денузером, март 2020. Представители Бездны крайне умелы в многоходовчках в отличие от представителей Света: история с Н'Зотом вроде бы как окончена, но вроде бы как и не до конца. Последствия Четвёртой Войны ещё долго будут отдаваться на Азероте.

— While the Light can only conceive of one true path, the Void sees endless possibilities. Strategically, the Old Gods always have plans within plans, waiting for one door to close so another can open. To believe there can only be a single outcome to the struggle against N'Zoth would be to ignore the lessons he was trying to teach us.

• Интервью Zoltan и Cinderys с Ионом Хаззикостасом, апрель 2020. Сильвана сильна, так как условно можно считать её представителем ковенанта Утробы.

• Lordmons в интервью с ведущим дизайнером Морганом Деем, июль 2020. Вот это видео, честно говоря, очень поверхностно просмотрел. По слухам, Дей тут вещает, что Пантеон Смерти на уровне титанов, Арбир в ходит в Пантеон, Пантеон управляет ТЗ, благодаря ним они вообще функционируют.

• WindowsCentral в интвервью с директором Ионом Хаззикостасом, июль 2020. Вождя вроде бы больше не будет. Джейлер — антагонист минимум уровня титанов. Внутриигровые уровни являются чистым игромехом и не нужно выводить из этого зависимость в силе.

— I think the Horde is definitely in for a period of rebuilding. That's just been one blow after another. I think we saw in the conclusion they came to at the end of Battle for Azeroth that it's time for change in some of their traditions. The title of Warchief almost assumes a constant unending state of war and it's led the Horde down a perilous path is more than once, and so they have now turned to more of a council to guide the Horde as an institution. — But here, there is a major, Titan-level antagonist that we are facing. And we have many steps in our journey to uncover the nature of the Jailor's plan, and put together the forces and support to even have a chance against him. And the story is going to wind its way through all the Shadowlands and our content updates until we ultimately do get a chance to confront the Jailor himself. — We fought the Titan Argus, we have just defeated the Old God N'Zoth. First off, villains, in order to be credible adversaries at this point, needs to be at least at Titan power level, and that's kind of a big deal. — We want to tell a good story and want to go down a path that makes sense for gameplay. Gameplay is going to be our first guiding directive and you can't overthink too many of the comparative power levels when you start talking about player level, as you alluded to, at the start of your question. Technically a wolf that you're fighting in Kul'Tiras is technically stronger than Ragnaros in Molten Core, but canonically that's not how it plays out. It's just the product of how we're taking this broad narrative and fitting it to a linear RPG system.

• Интервью с Ионом Хаззикостасом, июль 2020. Тоже. Тюремщик сильнее титанов.

— Honestly, it's almost the opposite of a challenge (having the identity of the final boss public at the start). It's almost an easier way to tell a story and set up an expansion with a very clear theme, harkening back to the Wrath or Cataclysm/Deathwing days. We didn't openly talk about the end boss for some recent expansions because it wouldn't have made sense at the time, or it would have given away story spoilers and twists. For example, in Warlords of Draenor, if you were told you'd fight Archimonde at the end, it would have been a head-scratcher. But here, there is a major titan plus plus level antagonist that we are facing, and there are major steps in our journey to undercover the nature of the jailer's plan and put together the forces to have a chance against him. That story will wend its way through all of Shadowlands and our content updates, until we ultimately do get a chance to face the Jailer. — The Jailer is confirmed to be the final boss in Shadowlands, with a power level which exceeds that of the Titans.

• Интвервью Bellular с директором игры Ионом Хаззикостасом, июль 2020. Пантеон Порядка, Пантеон Смерти, вот это всё.

• Wowhead в интвервью с ведущим дизайнером повествования Стивом Денузером, июль 2020. Про Первых пока ничего толком отвечать не захотел, мол есть и дескать сильны. Пантеон Смерти состоит из Вечных. ТЗ связано не только с Азеротом, но со всеми мирами смертных. Элуна известна во многих мирах. Калия участвует в событиях ШЛ больше по личным причинам, а не является лидером Отрёкшихся.

— A lot of people have noticed a certain Titan-like theme in some Shadowlands zones, such as Bastion and Oribos. The introductory questline and a couple of NPCs in Bastion both mention some group called The First Ones. Can you tell me any more about them? And are they related to the Titans in any way? Well, the story of the First Ones is one of those things that's going to be unfolding over the course of the Shadowlands expansion, but if you walk around in Oribos, like you said, you see Brokers making some references, and some of the attendants there talk about them. You could think of them as being godlike figures that people know very little about, but they've had references to them, but you will find out more and more about them as we go further into the expansion. So I don't want to spoil too much right now, but I will say that they are tied into the other Pantheons we have seen before like the Titans, and going through the Shadowlands, you will meet the Pantheon of Death, which are the leaders of these Covenants: The Winter Queen, The Archon, those kinds of figures, and they certainly have knowledge on the First Ones, but what they have to share… we’ll just have to wait and see.

• Forbes в интервью со старшим дизайнером повествования Стивом Денузером, июль 2020. В ШЛ существуют бесконечные загробные миры всевозможных аналогов современных религий, однако 4 представленных в сюжеет имеют фундаментальное значение для всех ТЗ. Опять про Одина, глаз и кирий. Некромантия и Малдраксус. Арденвельд и Изумрудный Сон. Вампиры, Ревендрет и магия крови.

— Danuser: We knew we couldn't make infinite number of zones, but we wanted to make a set of zones that represented the core ecosystem of the Shadowlands. What happens when souls come in, how they get apportioned out to different afterlives, what happens to them there? How are those afterlives different and how are they similar? — Newman: If there are infinite afterlives, why choose these four? Danuser: There are as many afterlives as you can imagine, for all of the mythologies and religions of our world that have different interpretations of what the afterlife means. All of those ideas are possible somewhere within the Shadowlands. Maybe one person has an afterlife that's all catered around themselves. Or maybe there's a very idyllic afterlife where no one has to do very much except enjoy themselves. But these four — plus The Maw — represent places that are fundamental to what we think of as the ecosystem of Death, again, death with a capital D. So these are all places that, while they are afterlives, also have a fundamental influence on how the Shadowlands works and what the process is. — Newman: So how did the Val’kyr become part of Shadowlands? Danuser: We started seeding some storylines there about, how did Odyn acquire these and what was the origin of them on Azeroth? That became one of the inspirations for our zone of Bastion. You get the full picture. You understand now what Odyn saw when he peered into the Shadowlands long ago. He was willing to trade one of his eyes for the knowledge of how to make these winged bearers of souls for his very own. His Val’kyr were really his attempt at duplicating the Kyrian of Bastion and the job that they do. — Danuser: We have seen the Scourge on Azeroth before, and we knew that was something that players really loved. It was a great enemy to fight. So what would be the interpretation of that, that we could see in the Shadowlands? Thinking about that led us to the idea of Maldraxxus. Maldraxxus shows the origins of that magic, that necromancy that has wreaked such havoc on Azeroth over the years. Now we get to see where that comes from, where the Scourge draws its aesthetic from. The power that drives it is rooted in the magic of Maldraxxus. — Danuser: We also wanted to think about, how does Death connect to other parts of our cosmology chart? The Shadowlands really represents our first foray into going completely into a realm that is mapped out on that cosmology chart that we put into the Chronicle books. So it gives us a great opportunity to realize the Warcraft universe on that cosmic level for the first time. So we thought about not just Death, but how it relates to the force of Life. That really became the impetus for Ardenweald, because we thought about a land that represents that balance between Life and Death. What represents that balance better than the cycle of seasons, right? You have springtime and summer that represent Life, that idyllic vision of the Emerald Dream that we've seen glimpses of before. That represents that part of the cycle. What's the other part, what is the autumn and winter of that cycle? That's what Ardenweald is. It represents the place where those spirits of nature come to slumber. That storyline and the threats that you face in that zone came organically once we had thought of that setting. — Danuser: When it came to Revendreth, we thought that one of the classic aesthetics that people really respond to in our world is that vampire-ish vibe of Gothic architecture against the gray sky, these fangs, the people who prey on the weak while others are trying to deal with the drought. It was an opportunity for us to take something that was familiar — we've had vampiric kinds of creatures on Azeroth before — and really explore the origins of blood magic and things like that. They really come from what's going on in Revendreth.

• Интервью с Данузером, август 2020. Подробно про Арендвельд, Королеву и т.д.
• Lorekeeper в интервью с ведущим дизайнером повествования Стивом Денузером, сентябрь 2020. Демон, гибнущий в Азероте, возвращается в Круговерть Пустоты, кирия — в ТЗ, наару — в мир Света, и так далее, это присуще всем эмиссаром фундаментальных сил. Смерть в ШЛ окончательна, иной загробной жизни более высокого порядка не существует. Ух, педалирование темы того, что параллельные миры стоит рассматривать с позиции мета-персонажа, которым проявляется в разных мирах возможностях, но похоже, Денузер и сам не понимает как это толком работает, однако ещё добавил Смерть нужно мерять не понятием линейного времени, а вечностью, что со временем не связана, как-то так. Различие в восприятие времени живыми и обитателями ТЗ. Опять про важность 4 основных миров ТЗ. В ШЛ существуют миры любых возможностей, которые вы только можете представить. Связь анимы, ТЗ и космологии в целом. Малдраксус является вершиной некромантии, которая в Азероте более примитивна. Малдраксус защищает ТЗ, а так же по каким-то причинам следил за Легионом. Про Примаса.

— What happens when you die in the Shadowlands? The answer to that depends a little bit on what your nature is as a being. As we’ve seen before in the Legion expansion, where if demons came to Azeroth and died on Azeroth, they would go back to the Twisting Nether. Because that is the realm they are from… That same kind of rule applies to beings that are of Death magic. If a Kyrian for example, was on Azeroth and was killed, their essence would go back to the Shadowlands and be reformed there. Mortal souls are different. Mortal souls begin in the mortal plane: Azeroth, other worlds etc. And when they die, that soul with all its anima that it’s built up in life, crosses over into the Shadowlands. And in the Shadowlands, the threat to your existence is real. If everything goes the way it’s supposed to go, you should be able to exist for eternity; either enjoy or endure whatever afterlife you are a part of. But if something happens to your soul there, if something destroys it, that soul is gone. There is no afterlife beyond Shadowlands. That’s why stakes are real in these battles, in these conflicts. The threat the Jailer poses to the Shadowlands and the other realms beyond it is very real and it has high stakes. — What happens to the soul in the Shadowlands if someone is raised from the dead? Undeath is a force that has definitely touched Azeroth throughout history. Obviously the Scourge, and the storylines from Warcraft III with the Lich King, Arthas and all of that, is a prime example of undeath in Azeroth. But actually undeath on Azeroth dates much, much, much further back. If you go back to books about the Dawn of the Dragon Aspects, you will see Galakrond, and the force he used also had Death magic, necromancy as part of his power. Like all the cosmic forces, Death has touched Azeroth in numerous ways over the ages. And one of most visible and pronounced in the modern age of Azeroth is the Forsaken and the undead who are animated. That may lead you to the questions: “For people like the Forsaken, are their souls in the Shadowlands? Are their souls in Azeroth?” The active raising of someone like the Forsaken, someone who has intellect and mind intact, means that their soul is being anchored to their body. In life, for a living being, the soul is anchored to the body through the force of Life. It is a living body, therefore Life is a force that’s holding the soul to it. But in the case of a Forsaken, in the case of someone who is raised from the dead, it’s a different force, because life isn’t present within them. And so that is the force of necromancy, that is anchoring the soul to the body. Now it’s a different process than a living being, than someone who is kind of held together through the power of Life (with a capital L, as one of the Cosmic forces of the universe). So that Forsaken person, that undead person is held together by the power of Death, and that can have an effect on the soul. And we’ve seen that being raised can result in certain different circumstances. One person who’s raised may be very much intact. They may essentially be the same person that they were in life. Others are more aggressive, more hateful or more scornful than they were in life. And part of that has to do with the manner in which they’re raised. There’s all kinds of factors that go into that. So I would say that being raised that way is something of an imperfect process. It’s something that isn’t as defined and easily categorized as the living is. But make no mistake about it: Someone who is Forsaken, someone who is an intelligent undead like that, they do have their soul anchored to the mortal realm. Even if for a time it had crossed over in the Shadowlands and was brought back. — We’ve done some stuff that’s involved with time travel and alternate realities. What happens to those souls when they pass on? Do they go to the Shadowlands? This is a complicated question. How do you deal with things like alternate Draenor? There was a Draka there. What is that Draka? Is she alive? Is she dead? Is she related to the Draka in Shadowlands that we see? Or is there another Draka? We know that in Warlords of Draenor, Velen of that universe died. Does that mean there is a Velen in the Shadowlands? But what about the Velen in Azeroth? All these things are very complicated questions. The way I would have you think about it is think of a rope… If you look at a rope, it is one thing, right? It’s something that you can grab onto, you can hold it, you can see it; think of that as a character. Think of that rope as Draka or Velen. If you look at that rope more closely, you can see there are different threads that make up the rope. There are different twines that pull together, and you can pull off one of these threads if you want. But it’s still a rope, and each of those threads you can think of as one of the realities of the character, one of the streams of time… There is a thread that is the Draka from Draenor we visited in the Warlords of Draenor. There is another thread that is Draka on Azeroth as we know her… And there are many other threads that could be other realities that we never peered into. But all of those threads at some time come together to make that rope. And remember also that, as you’ll see, that there are many characters in the Shadowlands when they refer to time, they usually say that time is not a construct of Death. Time and Death are not related. Death is about eternity, not linear time. The manner in which these threads come together, that can take a very long time from mortal perceptions. Those threads can be separated for a time, but sooner or later, they do combine to make one rope that is that character. You can think of it as the threads of that rope, all the individual threads, are just waiting. And over time, they will come together but they can exist as separate entities for a time. That still doesn’t change the fact that they are part of one rope. — The players coming into the Shadowlands are still alive, they still have their bodies, they’ve crossed over into this different realm and they’re all about solving the problem. They’re trying to fix the Shadowlands, stop the Jailer, save Azeroth from any of his schemes that he’s trying to inflict upon the world. So they have a very immediate sense of time in that “We’ve got to get this solved so we can protect our world,” whereas souls in the Shadowlands don’t perceive things that way. So, Draka and Durotan, obviously some point along the way, did get separated. Where did Durotan go? We don’t know as of yet. Does Draka know? No, she doesn’t really know. But those strands of rope I mentioned before, think of those as strands of fate. Different souls that have crossed over or intersected one another through life, I think there is probably something that draws them, that keeps some tether between them even in the afterlife. The way the Shadowlands is set up, when things were working the way they were supposed to and anima was plentiful, all this machinery of Death was functioning the way it was supposed to, there was an opportunity for souls sometimes to travel to, have completed one obligation and be able to move around whether that was to travel to Oribos and encounter someone there, or maybe to travel to some of these infinite afterlives that are out there in the realms of Death… So, don’t give up hope that Draka and Durotan might be reunited someday. But right now Draka has a job to do and that is front and center in her mind in terms of what she needs to do in order to perhaps earn the respite that she’s due and be able to visit the mortals she cared about so much in life. — The principal powers in Cosmology, do they also go to the Shadowlands? Or do they go back to their own place? Like the Burning Crusade goes to Twisting Nether, where would a Naaru go? So that same rule that we established in Legion for a being of an influence goes back if it’s killed in the mortal realm or some other realm, it goes back to it’s home realm, it’s home plane. That’s true for demons and that’s true for other forces as well. So if Naarus are fighting in the mortal realm for example, a Naaru is struck down; its essence would go back to the realm of Light and would reconstitute there. Now there are exceptions to that rule… If a significantly powerful force intervenes in such a way, it can throw that process off, it can either delay it or subvert it in some way. But it takes a significant influence for that to happen; it’s not something that casually happens. For example people have talked about Bridenbrad, the hero who died in Northrend. We saw the Light intervene to save him and pull him away. That’s the case of one of the forces having a direct tie to a character and going out of its way to kind of yank it out of the normal cycle a little bit and do something different with it. Those cases are the exception rather than the rule. So if you destroyed a being of the Light, it would go back to the realm of Light and to really destroy it, you would have to go to the realm of Light and destroy it there. — Taking into consideration the fact that the Shadowlands isn’t in its best condition right now, are there any Shadowlands realms where it doesn’t feel like you are basically requested to have an eternity of servitude? It feels pretty rough that, like you know you work hard, you retire, you die, you get drafted again… It is true that the realms we’re visiting are the core to the functioning of how the Shadowlands works as a Cosmic force in the universe. There is a responsibility there. Much is asked of the souls that go to Bastion. Again, we wanted to play with that, that notion of visually looking at it and seeing this kind of idyllic paradise, but they have a huge responsibility placed on their shoulders. Maldraxxus has a huge responsibility. Revendreth is all about taking these souls that have potential to either do something great or to be lost to darkness, and trying to save them. And Ardenweald takes care of these very important nature spirits that need to go back into the cycle and preserve that. So all of these realms have very important duties that they have to accomplish in order for the Shadowlands and realms beyond to function. But we have said that the Shadowlands is a place of infinite afterlives, and I certainly picture that there are places that are free of obligation, places that could just be an idyllic paradise for someone or a place of just unending punishment and torment, because they were just that bad, or just needed to endure something to pay them back for what happened in life… Any of those possibilities that you can imagine exists somewhere in the Shadowlands. That’s why when we talk about certain characters and you try to pick which afterlife they would go to, keep in mind that there are limitless other places they might end up within Shadowlands. Maybe we’ll get peeks into some of those, maybe we won’t. But any of those characters that you know and care about can exist somewhere in this realm. And when it’s someone you like and care about, you hope they’re in a happy place. You know, like Durotan: If everything went great for him, he’s probably in this endless hunting ground where he has his wolves around him and he can just go out there, he doesn’t have to worry about any dark forces wrecking his world. He can just enjoy that forever… And you know what, maybe Draka can someday fulfill her obligations and join him there. Who knows? We’ll see… — We know there are six elements and one of them is Spirit. Does Spirit have any connection with Anima at all? When you look at the Cosmology chart, which is an interpretation of these forces, it’s one way to structure them and visually understand them, you’ll certainly see parallels between some of the elemental magics and some of the higher forms of magic that you see. I think of the elemental magics as being of “primal” magics and then those big forces of Order, Disorder, Life, Death, Light and Void; those are structured end of high magics. A lot of the storyline that we’ve seen play out across Azeroth and some of the other worlds is how those more primal forces intersect with the more structured or high magic forces. I certainly think that there are echoes of spirits and how Anima is, but again, Anima is something that is tied to mortals, that’s something unique to them. When you think of the mortals and the mortal realm, when you look at that Cosmology Chart, it’s the mortal realm that’s in the middle of all of it. So one could interpret all of those other forces have echoes that kind of resonate out and touch the mortal realm in ways. So you could say that there are some things about Spirit and its function as an elemental force that exists at this Cosmic level. And there are echoes of how Anima what means to a mortal soul and how that feels the Shadowlands and what goes on there. So certainly thematic echoes, but they are different things. — You saw some Abomination, for example, that were stitched together out of rotten flesh, and sometimes their parts were kind of leaking out and all this nasty stuff… While in Maldraxxus you see the higher form of that. Places like the House of Constructs where they take the finest pieces and assemble them into these big beefy creations that still recall those abominations. But you can see that they’re a much higher form of magic and much higher success rates on these creations in terms of their fierceness, the power that they possess. So in all cases, you see something that’s familiar, but now you see the higher form of it. Maldraxxus is really the place where necromancy as a force as we’ve seen it in Azeroth was formed, where it was born. — Maldraxxus is called the “Defender of the Shadowlands”. Who was it supposed to defend it from before the current events? Was it the Legion or the [Old] Gods etc? Maldraxxus is supposed to create an infinite army to defend Shadowlands against all kinds of threats. Now, what would those threats be? If you play through the Shadowlands story, you’ll encounter several situations where outside forces have made incursions into the Shadowlands. You see a place in Revendreth that seems to be touched by the Light. You see places within the Bastion where there is a memorial to an attack from the Void. And as you saw in the Afterlives short, Maldraxxus forces were spying on the Legion – which raises lots of questions… But while the history of Azeroth is one part of our storyline, the universe Azeroth habits is much, much older. And the places like the Shadowlands and other realms that are on that Cosmology chart date back to the very beginnings of this universe. As you can imagine from reading the Chronicles book that tells you some of the story that went on before the mortal races were really taking control of Azeroth and their kingdoms were rising and all that stuff, you can assume then that there was even more history that you don’t know or haven’t heard about. And part of that involves conflicts between these cosmic forces. When you think of the Cosmology chart, there are many ways to look at that, there are many interpretations of it. One way you can think of it is that it’s almost like a balance, like a scale where it’s keeping these different forces in balance and maybe that’s the nature of the universe, or at least one way of looking at it… And if these forces are always striving to gain power, kind of oppose or take power from another, you can imagine that these different forces throughout time have waxed and waned and influenced, and we’ve only seen little bits and pieces of that. But there is certainly the potential for great wars between some of these forces to have occured; different team-ups maybe, where some of them joined forces to oppose another force that had gotten too powerful. The universe is simultaneously trying to stay in balance while also each individual force is trying to rise up and gain power. So it’s that balancing act that occurs all around this universe with Azeroth and the mortal plane is right at the very heart of that conflict. — The Primus is a very interesting character. Was it intentional on his behalf that he just left, or was there a completely unexpected case of his disappearance? The Primus is one of the Eternal Ones. He is part of this Pantheon of Death that rules the realms of the Shadowlands and again, think of all the time that passed before the present day of the mortals crossing over. The Primus was in charge of Maldraxxus for countless eons and his singular focus was on building this unbeatable army that could defend the Shadowlands. And that was really all that he was about and that’s why he founded those five different houses to embody different virtues. If you think about that way of Maldraxxus, whether it be strength or cunning, all of those things are important for being part of this army that’s got a job to do. As you play through the storyline, you come to learn that the Primus began to suspect that there was something going on. You’ll see hints that he was involved in whatever happened with the Jailer’s imprisonment. And over time, as he’s always the most tactical thinker of all of the Eternal Ones, he began to suspect and see some evidence that perhaps the Jailer’s influence was seeping out even though he was supposed to have been locked away all this time. And that leads the Primus to suspect that there may have been allies. His absence was about investigating that and trying to get to the bottom of it. The Primus has been gone for a while though, so it’s left to those who are left behind to guess and determine what his fate was and what impact that has on it. But I think it’s a safe bet to say that he probably found out some of the bad things that were happening and probably some bad fate befell him. As the storyline plays out in Maldraxxus, you get some messages that he left behind; both as encouragement and as trying to guide the heroes forward. The Primus, being this long thinker and very strategic mind, could conceive of a time when the Shadowlands would face a grave peril, and he could conceive that perhaps it would take someone from the outside of Shadowlands coming in to help set things right. So he may have put things in place to help that person, whether it be hiding a rune blade inside a rock or leaving messages behind… When you look at the storyline from a high level, you will see the genius of the Primus start playing out, and even though he’s not a character that’s present in the storyline, his impact is very much felt in Maldraxxus and the realms beyond.

• SAGamer в интервью с ведущим дизайнером повествования Стивом Денузером и техническим директором Фрэнком Ковальковски, ноябрь 2020. Бла-бла-бла, ждите раскрытия меча Саргераса в будущем, не всё так просто.

— SD: I’ve heard that, yes, people have mentioned that there is still a giant sword in the world. Yeah the way that Sargeras struck Azeroth like that right as he was just about to be imprisoned by his fellow titans, that’s a big deal and it’s something that’s gonna have kind of long-term implications. We’ve seen part of that resolve in the events of Battle for Azeroth and some of the more immediate needs being addressed, but there’s bigger things to think about in terms of what that sword symbolises. What was Sargeras trying to do? What was his intent with striking the world? Was it purely destructive? Was there more to it than that? I think those are the kinds of questions that over time we will be able to delve into and unpack a bit and learn a lot more about some of those cosmic entities and what they really want with the world.

Итоги

Метафизика, мироустройство:

• Тёмные Земли представляют собой совокупность бесконечного количества загробных миров, воплощающих самые разные возможности и представления о загробной жизни.
• Не смотря на это, 4 мира, фигурирующих в сюжете (Бастион, Арденвельд, Малдраксус, Ревендрет), особенно важны и от них зависит баланс множества иных миров.
• Анима - эссенция, производимая душами смертных, позволяет функционировать и поддерживает существование всех обитателей ТЗ.
• В ШЛ уже происходили масштабные вторжение сил как Бездны, так и Света, которые были отбиты. Эти вторжения являются частью вечного противостояния фундаментальных космических сил, если хоть одна из них падёт, то все миры погрузятся в хаос, будут поглощены тьмою.
• Размеры миров. Миры свободно вмещают в себя количество душ, которое безостановочно прибывают из бесконечных миров (планет?) смертных, собственных сил кирий достаточно для того, чтобы вроде бы как обслуживать все миры смертных, перемещая погибших на суд Арбитра, в то время как Утроба достаточно обширна, чтобы вместить в себя армию Тюремщика, которая не меньше, чем сам Легион, и постоянно увеличивается в размерах. Арденвельд по размерам как Изумрудный Сон.
• Утроба является угрозой, способной поглотить всю реальность.
• Эмиссары фундаментальных сил могут окончательно умереть лишь в своих мирах.
• Загробной жизни более высокого порядка не существует, смерть в самих ТЗ окончательна.
• Какие-то намёки на композитивность некой мета-души, которая включает души персонажа их альтернативных реальностей.

Паверлевелы:

• Первые создатели всего в ТЗ якобы. За кадром.
• Тезулат (командир Бездны) якобы уничтожил множество миров за кадром. Конкретики не будет.
• Одна из Идеалов суицидом создаёт мощнейший взрыв, который уничтожает армию Бездны во всём Бастионе. Не совсем понятно, стоит ли скейлить от этого скорость боя и как вообще классифицировать её РП в данном случае.
• Винтер Квин взмахом создала Арденвельд. Она стоит выше лоа, Диких Богов и Древних.
• Некий Тёмный Бог из некого мира приземлившись уничтожил некое королевство. Конкретики не будет.
• Пожиратели миров могут за секунды выкачивать колоссальные объемы анимы из целых локаций. Конкретики не будет.
• Медальон Принца позволяет манипулировать тканью ТЗ, чтобы это не значило.
• Якобы Пантеон Смерти находится на уровне титанов, а Тюремщик их превосходит. Как говорил Станиславский: «Не верю!». И если про Зоваала пока что сложно сказать что-то конкретное, то Вечные выглядят чуханами, которые совершенно не впечатляют. Какие уж тут титаны...

Тир лист:

Топы. Вечные (Сир, Королева, Архонт, Примас), которые по идее должны быть сопоставимы друг с другом, а также, видимо, Девия, усиленная мощью Утробы. Про Арбитра сложно сказать что-то конкретное, но она как минимум должна быть в их лиге. Тюремщик явно сильнее и наращивает силы. Первые вроде бы как сильнее Вечных, но как соотносятся с Зоваалом - неизвестно.

Хай-левелы. Условно можно поделить на несколько подуровней:

• самые мощные: к ним я бы отнёс маркграфов Малдраксуса (Страдама, Син'дейн, Крексус, Гармал), мне они кажутся наиболее мощными бойцами, которых так просто 1 на 1 не слить остальным, хотя тут и есть спорные моменты; не совсем понимаю уровень Вираза, который стал маркграфом, слив за кадром Крексуса, а также Кел'Тузада, который явно прилично сильнее других, но проиграл Син'дейн, но там всё как-то так противоречиво и этот акцент на артефакте в её руках...
• просто сильные: к ним бы я отнёс хорошо показавших себя боевых баронов (леди Вайш, Александр Могрейн), элитную нежить Малдраксуса (некромант Амарт и лич Налтор, вторгшиеся в Бастион, чемпион Театра Боли Мордрета), а также их аналоги из других ковенантов, такие как Идеалы (хотя Ксандрия кажется самым грозным их бойцом, ничего прям ОМГ она не показала), предположительно генералы Каменного Легиона (Кааль, Грашаал, Дрейвен) и сильнейшие механические творения Бастиона, предположительно сильнейшие показанные бойцы Королевы, которые непонятно как соотносятся друг с другом и остальными (Херн, Мунберри, Алиот, Зайхед, Халн); Тезулат то ли тут, то ли выше, хрен его знает; с Жнецами я вот тоже в больших непонятках: та же Обвинительница явно сильна, но левел он маркграфа..?
• бароны Халис и Антолит вроде бы кажутся в той же лиге, но послабее, как, возможно, и ряд других персов, что я записал выше.

Ниже уже идут Десницы, всякие сильные механизмы, топовые слуги баронов, жнецов и т.д.

Непонятный (по крайней мере, для соотношения мне нужно пройти прошлые аддоны в таком же формате): лоа, Изера без силы аспекта, Лисония, Сильвана, Горак Зар...

Сюжет и персонажи. Пока что понравились более-менее из новых это Денатрий, а из старых — Вайши.