#the culling of stratholme

[tagnoob]

Hanging Out with Arthas and Culling Stratholme, as One Does...

Last weekend we were down to just two choices when it came to dungeons left unfinished for us.  We had The Oculus and we had The Culling of Stratholme.  That seemed like almost no choice at all because several of us have bad memories of The Oculus while we seemed to collectively have almost no memory of The Culling of Stratholme, save for it meant another visit to the Caverns of Time. Well, not…

[veldrune]

This powerful Instrumental sets the scene for a blood-stained Arthas Menethil kneeling sorrowfully among plague victims' bodies, during the tragic Culling of Stratholme in the Third War in Warcraft.

Follow us for more Warcraft-inspired music

[purityvalentine]

Dragons!

[shithowdy]

Please tell us more about fallout Oliver (falliver?) did you like the show by the way?

You could say it made me... falliver in love....

That sucked, I'll workshop that one.

I loved the show!! I even did some fanart for it, I never do that! Like a lot of people it was my impetus to actually Play A Game, despite people insisting for years it would be up my alley and getting the old 'I'll add it to my list'. Seeing Cooper run around like a yeehaw maniac had me continuously thinking "oh he and Oliver would be such good friends" and once you start imagining an OC within a setting it's all over for you.

Considering they are both prewar ghouls who served in Alaska as power armor operatives there's a significant chance they do know each other (in WoW, he was a Silver Hand paladin before becoming a DK-- how could I resist the parallels). Maybe one day I'll draw them getting trashed on coke together.

Unlike in WoW, where he deserted on conscience in the middle of the Stratholme culling, he stayed with the military right up until he met an abrupt "retirement" in 2070 after a psycho-induced heart attack inside his armor, an incident that left him deeply traumatized and mistrustful of any sort of organization where you can't say 'no' to a command, which is why he refuses to fully affiliate with the NCR. The "good boy" payout he got for the incident allowed him to retire and purchase his dream ranch in the Jemez Mountains, which he and some fellow hands maintained for seven years until the bombs dropped.

My headcanon is that northern NM didn't get that cooked in the blasts (Alamogordo is presumably a barren field of trinitite, though), but his area was so remote that when communities tried reforming into city-states and pooling their resources, no one could justify the back-and-forth with limited transport options. So he released his small livestock and they all packed up and attempted a cattle drive toward Taos with other ranchers. But winter was setting in, and an irradiated storm from the north blew through in what would be the event that began his ghoulification. Most died, the cattle scattered or also died, and as an absolute husk of an individual he decided "fuck it" and went west with his horse to find the hidden vault that is his son's tomb instead.

And for 200 years he's chased that delusion, not knowing he's been looking in the wrong city the entire time. 👎 He did meet and fall in love with a woman (hi, Senkha!) about 150 years before this RP; they spent decades together and through her he gained experience with psykers and how to wall them out of your surface thoughts with constant music, but he also gained experience with the eventual understanding that most humans grow old and he doesn't. When she passed, he began distancing himself from people.

When he's not scouring the old LA metro haystack for a nonexistant needle, he does mercenary work to support his hobby as a scavenger for prewar memorabilia and civilian tech. His prized possession is a turntable he repaired (and the vinyls he's scavenged for it), and he also has a truck he's completely restored save for the fact that he has no power core for it. So he just sits in it and pretends.

Some mercenary work he did close to their formation put him immediately on the Legion's shit-list, a status in which he takes pride and now goes out of the way to cultivate to the point that he's earned the nickname "Matador" within the NCR. Now that he is traveling with the deserter son of a high-ranking individual in the Legion, life is about to get spicy!

So yeah, I'm having fun. I've joked that this is actually the setting he's supposed to be from and WoW was actually the AU, because my boy was made for this.

[wowtalesofadventurers]

Sci-Fi September: Time Travel

A World of Warcraft fanfiction for @thepromptfoundry event Sci-Fi September day 16 Time Travel. There is a in game area known as the Cavern of Time that allow you to travel back to moments in Warcraft history, and this one have my ocs during the infamous Culling of Stratholme.

The Bronze Dragon said to Lucan and his party of Onluun the Draenei warrior, Simonette the human mage, Alanriana the night elf huntress, and Xalli the draenei priestess, "Heroes of the Allaince, while this will troubled your hearts, you must travel back to the Culling of Stratholme and allowed events to happened." The Bronze Dragon then open a portal to the past to the

Lucan and his party find themselves in a cellar in a inn when a man named Michael Belfast see them and shout at the five, "Hey! You five clear out of my cellar! I don't know what a high elf, a dwarf, and a gnome was also doing there, but I know you two love birds were about to do dirty things in there." Lucan and Simonette were confused before they realized that Alanriana look like a high elf ranger, Onluun look like a dwarf, and Xali look like a gnome. Still, the five left the inn.

The party find the crates of plague grain and head out to find Arthas.

The party catch up with Princess Arthas and Jaina Proudmoore, whose meet Uther the Lightbringer, to the paladin joy, with their armies as Arthas said to his teacher at the gates of Stratholme, "Glad you could make it, Uther." which Uther said, "Watch your tone with me, boy. You may be the prince, but I'm still your superior as a paladin!" Alanriana give Lucan a nod which the human paladin make his way to Arthas as the prince said, "As if I could forget. Listen, Uther, there's something about the plague you should know..." before Lucan cut him off as he said, "Prince Arthas, my scout party find crates of the plague grain inside Stratholme. Arthas got shocked with horror as he said, "Oh, no. We're too late." and he look at Stratholme as the prince look at his people, "These people have all been infected! They may look fine now, but it's just a matter of time before they turn into the undead!" Uther said in shock, "What?" and Arthas think for a moment as he look troubled about the news that Lucan reveal before he turn to Uther and said, "This entire city must be purged." Everyone was shocked at hearing this as Uther said in anger, "How can you even consider that? There's got to be some other way." Arthas shout at his teacher, "Damn it, Uther! As your future king, I order you to purge this city!" which Uther said, "You are not my king yet, boy! Nor would I obey that command even if you were!" Arthas said in a grim tone, "Then I must consider this an act of treason." Uther said in shocked, "Treason? Have you lost your mind, Arthas?" which Arthas reply, "Have I? Lord Uther, by my right of succession and the sovereignty of my crown, I hereby relieve you of your command and suspend your paladins from service." Jaina speak up, "Arthas! You can't just-" but Arthas cut her off, "It's done! Those of you who have the will to save this land, follow me! The rest of you... get out of my sight!" and the Knights of the Silver Hand along with all but some of Arthas forces left as Uther warn the prince, "You've just crossed a terrible theshold, Arthas." and he take his leave, with Jaina following him to the shock of the prince as he said, "Jaina?" and she stop for a moment without turning around and said to Arthas, "I'm sorry, Arthas. I can't watch you do this." and followed Uther. After a moment, Arthas see Lucan and his party and said to him, "You, paladin! I see you didn't follow Uther disobey his future king!" and he then said to his men, "Take position here, and I along with this paladin will lead a small force inside Stratholme to begin the culling. We must contain and purge the infected for the sake of all Lordaeron!" As Arthas forces cheer, the five time travelvers know that this marks the beginning of the fall of Arthas as they and the prince walk to Strathole and a citizen whose see them said, "Prince Arthas, please help us! I feel sick!" which the prince reply, "I can only help you with a clean death." to the shock of the citizen before Arthas killed him. Suddenly, a number of Infinite Dragonflight forces appear and Arthas said, "The dreadlord hiding appears to have more Scourge in his arsenal. Let us meet them in battle."

Once the party killed most of the Infinite Dragonflight and Arthas and his force killed a number of the citizen and catch up with them, the prince said to them, "There you are! You will rest a moment to clean your lungs, but we must move again soon. Mal'Ganis is supposed to be in Crusaders' Square, which is just ahead."

As the party and Arthas enter Crusaders' Square, the dreadlord appear and he said to the group, "I've been waiting for you, young prince. I am Mal'Ganis." Soon, fallen bodies raise as members of the undead as Mal'Ganis said to them, "As you can see, your people are now mine. I will now turn this city household by household, until the flame of life has been snuffed out forever." and Arthas shout at the demon, "I won't allow it, Mal'Ganis! Better that these people die by my hand than serve as your slaves in death!" and he and the party change into party.

After a battle, Mal'Ganis said to Arthas and the party, "Your journey has just begun, young prince. Gather your forces, and meet me in the arctic land of Northrend. It is there we shall settle the score between us. It is there that your true destiny will unfold." and he flee which the angry prince call out, "I'll hunt you to the ends of Azeroth if I have to. Do you hear me? TO THE ENDS OF AZEROTH!" As he get a moment to breath, Lucan ask, "Prince Arthas?" which Arthas turn to them and said to the five time travelers, "You five has performed well this day. Anything that Mal'Ganis has left behind is yours. Take it as your reward. I must now begin plans for an expedition to Northrend." and Arthas left the scene as the five return to their time.

[styrmwb]

I beat World of Warcraft: The War Within (for now)

Every single word I am about to write I do so with the fear of god that none of it will age poorly

(also wow this is a long one sorry that my ramblings keep getting more rambly)

The summer of 2024 is the summer of "why do I have two separate MMOs that I want to play I hate myself", cause I already had FFXIV Dawntrail a bit ago, and now we got WoW, my first MMO love who I have had a horrible relationship with During BfA and Shadowlands and All That Blizzard Shit I was like Jaina in the scene of Warcraft III with the Culling of Stratholme "I'm sorry Arthas, I can't watch you do this." But then things (as far as I know) in real life are getting better, and then they did Dragonflight which in game was getting better and I'm over here tentatively having fun with a smile on my face ready for it to go bad at any time, and that's how I felt about War Within: This looks cool, are they going to be able to do it, or am I going to be disappointed once again?

And god. PLEASE DON'T LET THIS AGE POORLY BUT HOLY SHIT THEY LANDED IT SO HARD, I LOVED THIS EXPANSION!!!! I want to talk about why!!!! And like I said in Dawntrail MMOs obviously release more content (hell by the time I beat my set goals a raid came out (I did not do the raid), so I considered "beat" to be Loremaster (all the quests), all the dungeons, and all the delves so DON'T COME AT ME WITH "BUT YOU DIDN'T DO NERUB'AR" I WANTED TO WRITE A BEAT A GAME POST FOR AN MMO LEAVE ME ALONE

Story

This is what I was scared of. I love Warcraft, I love it so much I love the world, I love the lore, I love the everything, and obviously this game has had a... Not Great experience with respecting its own universe with... good writing. So I am understandably hesitant! Even Dragonflight which was a step in the right direction still didn't grab me in some ways and was a little cheesy I did really like the avengers assemble in the emerald dream though I'm not above that; so I didn't come into War Within expecting the best thing ever, but I really did appreciate how they did this.

Everything fits pretty well within the world, nothing feels like it contradicts previous info, it actually takes a lot from the existing world and expands on it; Xal'atath and the sword was Legion, Earthen have been a thing since Wrath, Nerubians have been around since WCIII, they got Kobolds, they got a healthy amount of previous guys you know from Dalaran/other people who happened to be on Dalaran (lmao) to really make the whole thing FEEL Warcrafty and not something kind of disconnected, despite the new concepts being introduced, which made me very happy.

The story itself was great. I felt invested fighting against Xal'atath because she fucked with my mans, and I really liked how much of a presence she was; involved in everything, but not to an annoying amount, and it didn't feel like the conflict with her was bullshit like the Jailor (they can still fuck this up we got several patches to go). I enjoyed learning about the Earthen, the Arathi, and the Nerubians, and like I said it all fit really well and I didn't have any moments of like "wait what the fuck why this"; even the Arathi felt pretty well explained "oh there's an empire somewhere else we haven't seen" cool and awesome, doesn't contradict anything already existing and opens up a new place in the future.

I think the one thing that was strange was how short the main campaign was. I hard focused it on my main and it wasn't enough to get me to max. But once I did all the Sojourner achievements I could see where the rest of the writing meat went, because so many of those side stories were amazing; some I'm genuinely surprised WEREN'T in the main campaign (the Haranir got like 2 steps in the main deal and then never showed up?? do the side quests to figure out anything about this person we put in the teaser cinematic; this is like my one beef with the main campaign, anyways). So many heavy emotional hits, stories that actually made me feel. The old Earthen losing his memories I think was a highlight for me.

What I really appreciated about every quest I did was the focus on emotions, on internal processing; like yeah, this is World of Warcraft. We fight a lot. There's a lot of fighting. But this expansion takes its own title to mean more than just being in the world, and focuses a lot on trauma, fighting with yourself, accepting yourself, connecting with others after trauma, and I really really appreciated that a game like this actually managed to slow down and question these little large things that it never really did in the past. Also, even with the deeper, more serious tones being so strong, the humor this time around is really great. There are a lot of moments in the main story and in the side quests that actually got me laughing out loud. Overall, I was really satisfied with all the story they gave me and I cannot wait to see if they are able to continue this upward trend to finish the expansion off.

I also want to say "stay a while and listen"s have been the greatest thing this game has ever introduced to give nerds like me more good writing while letting other players not have to suffer through it if they don't want to.

Characters

This is also an important section which was really hard to separate from the above; like I said, Warcraft does not have a great track record of how it treats its beloved characters who can be amazing at the highest of times (COUGH SYLVANAS SHADOWLANDS AS A WHOLE COUGH), so I was worried here. But the way our returning characters were treated, on top of the new characters, was really surprising.

Our Returning Friends:

Anduin - My fucking boy. I love Anduin, he is one of my favorite characters, if not my favorite character, in all of Warcraft. Seeing his struggle with himself hit really hard, and I really appreciate how they did it, it didn't feel disrespectful, he got moments to bring him up, he got moments that validated his current state; it hurt me to see the optimistic prince in such a state, and I love where his journey is taking him. He also calls me friend and that makes me happy Anduin if you were real I would be your friend

Alleria - I think her story is going to be cooked a little longer in the future, cause for this expansion she was often in the background hunting, but I love that despite the internal AND external things trying to keep her alone, she's not so far gone as to be separated from the people she cares about; I am actually excited to see how she'll play out. The fact that her and Turalyon still clearly love and care for each other despite the circumstances makes me happy.

Moira - I very much enjoyed that the Bronzebeard-Thaurissan family got such a spotlight this time around. It was great seeing Moira continue to prove herself as a leader with the action taken + the diplomatic role she placed herself in with the Earthen. The sidequest where she gets Fearbreaker was really a place for her to shine on her own. While I was a big fan of the trio of her, Magni, and Dagran, I can't help but feel like her portion didn't stick with me as much as the other two, but that could be a me flaw rather than a game flaw. I do hope she continues to get more screentime to show off.

Magni - Did not at all expect where this man was going. Depressed and angry speaker was an interesting way to start the expansion, and I enjoyed seeing him be able to reconnect with his family, to be freed from his prison (they hatched him!), and to really start his grandpa arc/hopefully make a relationship with his daughter arc.

Dagran - If you told me that the 3 polygon baby in Ironforge was going to be one of the best characters in a future expansion I would have been very surprised. He's such a nerd but in a really enjoyable way, and the connection he has with his family + Brinthe is really heartwarming to see. I want more of this 🤓 motherfucker

Brann - Not really a character in the main story, but he's here and I love it, except when he tells me that those webs will summon Nerubians, and not to stand in them. I hope he gets more uncle moments.

Khadgar - Fuck. This old shitty wizard is also top contender for favorite Warcraft character, so the way this expansion started gutted me. I was actually real life mad I wanted to destroy that stupid purple elf and all her spiders; I am so happy that he's fine I am going to put him in the best retirement situation possible and he can get his girlfriend and live the rest of his life happy DON'T YOU FUCKING DO THAT TO ME AGAIN BLIZZARD.

Jaina and Thrall - Did not get to be there lmao. Thrall really got the short end of the stick being on the loading screen. The Horde as a whole could have gotten more love this expansion, and this is coming from a man loyal to the Alliance. But also you guys got a lot in the past so uuhhhhhh fuck you lmao

Side note, where the fuck is Muradin; your brothers, your niece, and your great nephew are here, your brother hatched, Where Are You.

Our New Friends (and Enemies)

The Earthen - Initially, incredibly off putting. Why are they not scottish. But I really grew to love these robot dwarves. The council was all surprisingly great, Merrix has his whole sidequest where "oh he's a bad guy" no not at all he cares about his people, Baelgrim warms up to you and is the Obligatory Sacrifice Character, Adelgonn really showed the humanity these people can have, Brinthe was surprisingly funny and charming, and I loved to see her grow closer to Dagran (new aunt unlocked let's go). Overall, it was really cool to see this race of people show both their construct nature mixed with the free will they've unlocked. So much more interesting than I expected.

Faerin and the Arathi - Definitely the strangest part of this expansion, but incredibly cool to see. I was unsure going in, did they really feel like the fit in, their vibe seems a little separate from Warcraft and more Diablo-y or a different franchise, but I was really interested in their culture, the genuine nature their society had despite the traitors (like I was totally expecting Steelstrike to be evil not to have a cooking quest with her and her family); Faerin was likewise a surprise. I see the name "Lothar" and I'm like oh geez how are they gonna mess this up and I was instead greeted with a kind yet tough warrior who Has feelings and struggles with loss and is a wonderful friend to Anduin (the quest where you sit down with Faerin and Anduin might be one of my favorite sidequests ever).

The Nerubians - Ok so yeah we're all used to these guys being Bad Spiders Go Kill which they were def introduced as, but then you get to their zone and they're presented as their own society in such a cool way?? These are people! They're spiders, but they're people! The Severed Threads are a fun trio of characters that I enjoyed talking to. Honestly, surprisingly enough the Nerubians as a whole are like, really funny? There's a bunch of really good comedic moments, some played straight which hit the hardest. (Mr. Sunflower my beloved) I loved the split in society shown, the dislike, the Reason for dislike shown between the Ascended and the normal Nerubians, I could really feel the reason for dissent against the Queen (I haven't done Nerub'ar like I said but I do wish she was more present.)

Xal'atath - I said my main opinion earlier, she was a great presence in the story and I very much enjoy her as a villain. I really like the bonus dialogue you get if you've interacted with her before. I really think she has the potential to be one of the best major villains we've ever had if Blizzard plays their cards right (I am scared).

World (of Warcraft)

Dragonflight's zones were cool; but. Nothing really WOWed me (funny joke). Going into TWW, I thought underground was cool, but I wasn't sure at first. Looked at the little pictures for each zone, still unimpressed. Once I actually got Into the game and played it though, these are some of the best zones in the game.

I have these four screenshots, my favorite parts of each zone, and I still feel like I am not doing them justice. They're huge, they're so incredibly varied, and you feel like you can still breathe despite being underground (and they're confining when needed). I've always said that despite the lows, Blizzard's art department hard fucking carries the game, and they continue to flex. The cities are getting so much better at feeling sprawling and lived in, an evolution from the tiny Stormwinds of classic WoW. I love Khaz Algar so much. One of my favorite parts of my playthrough was when I entered Hallowfall for the first time, during the Beledar shifting event (not the story one! the random one), and I was amazed and confused. I don't think I've felt this mesmerized by the game since I was like 10 walking through Teldrassil. Something really special I also loved about Hallowfall (might be contender for top 10 zone of all time) is yes, this feels outside. There is grass. There is water. There is sun. But then you look at the land, you look at the rocks, the stalagmites, you look up and it reminds you that you're underground. There's so much spectacle here and I feel like I could go on and on and on about each zone and how amazing they are. (I'm ending this section now but I have to say I love Bug Suramar)

Music

Piggybacking off the last section, the music this expansion has been absolutely incredible, I haven't really hooked onto as much of the soundtrack as I have since BfA; Shadowlands really just had Maldraxxus and Revendreth and I honestly don't remember much of Dragonflight's, but here it's so strong. Isle of Dorn's windy outdoor flutes, The Ringing Deeps' sound of echoing mining, Hallowfall's beautiful choir, and Azj-Kahet's plucking spider sounds, it's all so strong, so memorable and unique.

Cutscenes

Really small section here but I love the cutscene work they've been doing. The fact that we get what used to just be in the prerendered ones in game??? The models look so nice there! Yeah sure my character looks a little awkward doing default standing they haven't mastered it like FFXIV yet but I LOVE the cutscene work. Even the lower quality ones have shown a lot of character. I think of the scene with Elrich and Brinthe, he still shows off and feels like an asshole, and you can clearly see the humorous frustration Brinthe feels at being interrupted. It's great.

Gameplay

I am the least excited to talk about the gameplay here, but I really do enjoy what they're doing this expansion. I love Delves and the solo content they're doing, I think their quest design continues to be engaging and fun (even though I was a little tired of the shout instruction randomly to get item/do task and all of the pulling slowly mechanics), and even though I'm not really a dungeon guy each one was incredible, they all excelled in presentation and vibe. The mechanics didn't really get me like I think Dawntrail's dungeons did, but I imagine they go harder in Mythic which I will not be doing.

The classes I played during my session of goals were Warrior, Evoker, and Warlock, which I had fury mountain thane (later slayer), arms slayer, augmentation chronowarden, and demonology diabolist. I really enjoyed the flavor they all brought, and in the case of diabolist it's SO fucking fun holy shit. I know not every class got something cool, and I will be playing those eventually (haha two of every class split between factions I have a problem haha).

Speaking of alts, I love Warbands. The fact that I got to work on loremaster, level Brann, and work on renown across 4 separate characters is an absolute godsend.

Last thought here; Skyriding is amazing. Yeah it was introduced in Dragonflight but I really just needed to be able to fly Invincible everywhere. The fact that Blizzard finally embraced flying and made it engaging by just making the zones huge is the best path ever.

I Have Talked So Much I Am Sorry

yeah i hate this expansion isn't it clear

I really truly desperately hope that WoW continues this upward trend, continues this energy forward. I want to be able to hit each patch, to look back, and still feel the same happiness and excitement as I do now for the game. WoW is a game I have loved for most of my life. I want it to succeed. I want to say that I love it and not be embarrassed. If we continue to have more times like what War Within is at launch, I have no doubt that those things will be the case. They just need to not prove my fears right. With all of this very very very long post said;

9.5/10. The most love I've had for Warcraft in a long while. Honest competition with Legion for favorite expansion. Please Don't Fuck This Up.

please help me i still feel like i could have talked more

[coliverxyz]

Jessica of Darrowshire

(Authors note: I wrote this piece of microfiction a few years ago for a guild event.)

Some years ago a group of Paladins were making a pilgrimage to Light's Hope Chapel, it was a long journey but eventually they reached the Eastern Plaguelands. Along the road outside of the ruins of Darrowshire the Paladins encountered a little girl, since the Plaguelands weren't safe they stopped to check on her. She said her name was Jessica and that she was waiting on her Uncle Jonas who was a Priest at Light's Hope Chapel to come and collect her. Since the group was headed for the Chapel they offered to take her with them, she agreed and hopped in the back of their wagon.

As the group continued on through the Plaguelands they were puzzled by by Jessica's story. They didn't know of anyone named Jonas at the Chapel and in conversations with her on their journey she referred to events that had happened years ago but she recalled them as if it was recent history. She had also spoken of visiting the city of Stratholme with her parents but based on her appearance there was no way she was old enough to have seen the city before the Culling. Eventually the group arrived at Light's Hope Chapel and as they passed through the gates Jessica exclaimed that she would finally get to see her Uncle.

The wagon rolled to a stop and one of the Paladin's looked over to where Jessica had been sitting, she was gone, he immediately stood up and looked around the wagon but could not find her. The entire group began to search for the little girl when a gray haired Priestess came out of the chapel to investigate the commotion. They told her the story of the little girl they had picked up outside of Darrowshire and that she seemed to have vanished into thin air. She looked sad and then said to the surprise of the group "You aren't the first to give Jessica a ride." The Priestess explained that Jessica and her family had died during the Battle of Darrowshire and that since then they had occasionally heard stories from travelers about how they stopped to help a little girl on the road but she had suddenly disappeared. Later that night at dinner the Paladin's said a prayer for Jessica and hoped that one day she would finally find peace.

[princearthasmenethil]

say what you will about how he did it or what he did afterwards, but the culling of stratholme was objectively the right call. like, okay, say you DON'T take out the entire city of people actively turning into plague zombies- there's only one outcome there, and it's that the horde of zombies the size of an ENTIRE CITY overruns your what, couple hundred soldiers? and they escape and then your entire kingdom becomes infected with zombie plague and everyone is dead. arthas literally did the right thing, even though it was an ugly call and highly unpleasant for everyone involved. now we can talk about northrend and frostmourne if we want, but that's a completely different conversation

[warcraft-positivity]

Day #148 of things I love about WoW:

The Culling of Stratholme music. I very recently just learned that the lyrics in this piece are Latin and talk about the tainted grain in the city. That's insane attention to detail, which is amazing.

[kaelthas-dickrider]

im being gaslit so bad by blizzard i am trying to get staff of trickery for my druid and i know i know i know i am queuing only for violet hold and it keeps putting me in random ass shit. utgarde keep. culling of stratholme. i know i am queuing for violet hold i know i am. what the fuck

[theomnicode]

Nature strikes back?

There is obviously a lot of wildlife in the OPM verse, what happens to all the animals getting displaced by human and monster gods duking it out and literally causing natural disasters, wiping out terrains and coastline to be transformed entirely?

Anybody looking out for any of this wildlife? Not just in the sense of preservation of local wildlife and ecosystem, but if fishes disappear from the coast, that's going to affect people's ability to get food. I'd wager that they do eat a lot of fish in opm verse, being that close to coastline.

And not just that, but doing this type of damage to the planet is going to make bunch of already hostile to humans, sapient species mad.

Mother Nature itself is gonna get mad when the core of the Earth got attacked.

"Foreshadowing of human extinction, cast from mother ocean", yeap that sounds like foreshadowing alright hahaa...

Now aint that's a thought...Earth being sentient...straight from the mouth of Vaccineman himself.

--

Speaking of ocean...Evil natural water is really scary af when you think about that with the combination of all the ocean water in OPM, it could just flood the entire civilization in a large tsunami if it got large enough.

But what evil natural water lacked was direction and emotions to guide it. It only ever responded defensively to threats.

Would such a resilient threat just disappear even if Pig God digests it? Now I suddenly worry that it does not.

Nope, it does not go away just like that. The evil intent is staying. I can see that much all the way from here.

Ain't human body mostly composed of water anyway? Like 70% water? What's stopping evil natural water from controlling humans as well if we're composed mostly of water?

So what happens when Pig god does his business in the toilet and remnants of evil natural water get into the water supply system? It would spread like a virus.

And then humans start drinking said water?

Are we going to get a Culling of Stratholme from Warcraft 3 type of scenario? Where the human population eats grain, a ploy from the dreadlord Mal'Ganis and they get poisoned by the undead plague? Then Arthas the Paladin purges the city of the undead because he sees no other choice, which sends him to descend down towards the path of becoming the Lich King?

Oh boy...

*rubs hands*

Saitama's intuition is probably screaming at him that something bad is going on, but he doesn't know what exactly is happening since he does not have enough knowledge.

[joywindsong]

I really wish Blizzard was better at handling morality in the story of Warcraft. I recently saw people discussing how "The Horde are the bad guys and Alliance are the good guys" which is an age old argument since vanilla.

The issue I have is I was a Horde main when I started playing because I could identify with the characterization of the Horde being the island of misfit toys. A collection of nations united by facing their own unique existential struggles that together they can stand against.

Though they also face their own struggles, the Alliance felt much more stable and accepted as the in group of Azeroth. They were established and had land and Kingdoms that had been developed for generations. While the Horde nations were mostly new or displaced.

This allowed players to choose which side they identified more with but over time it feels like the narrative direction somehow became aware of that and wanted to lean into that, while also making the Horde incredibly susceptible to fascism and objectively evil ideologies.

Especially with how the faction divide is shrinking and could possibly disappear in the near future of the game, it feels incredibly counter intuitive to expect players to maintain the interpretation from vanilla. That the Horde is an honorable group of misfits trying to find their place in the world that is already inhabited by Alliance super powers. That each side has a cause that is sympathetic and justifiable. While also changing the canon to the Horde has a fascism problem where the Alliance has now had to intervene to help overthrow totalitarian leaders twice. A problem that often feels contrived with Garrosh having a sudden character change and Sylvanas rising to power because of incredibly messy circumstances that are justified by an expansion that feels like a fever dream, but all still exist in the canon and affects our perception of the Horde.

It gives big "Arthas was not corrupted by Frostmourne, he turned evil as soon as he culled Stratholme" energy to me. They do one thing expecting the exact opposite reaction of what is obviously going to happen.

[veldrune]

Warcraft Lore behind "The Culling of Stratholme"🧵

The Plague Arrives

In the early days of the Third War, the insidious Plague crept into the unsuspecting city of Stratholme, carried by tainted grain shipments originating from the town of Andorhal. The citizens, unaware of the impending doom, consumed the infected grain, unknowingly sealing their fate. From the shadows, the dreadlord Mal'Ganis orchestrated the unfolding tragedy, watching as the city's populace fell into the clutches of the Scourge.

Panic in the Streets

As the Plague began to take hold, the people of Stratholme grew increasingly agitated and desperate. Some turned their anger towards the food vendors and grain suppliers, demanding answers for their suffering. Others sought guidance and leadership from Magistrate Barthilas, crowding the town hall in search of solace. The once-peaceful streets of Stratholme descended into chaos as fear and confusion gripped the city.

Arthas' Grim Discovery

Prince Arthas Menethil and his forces arrived at the gates of Stratholme, only to realize that they were too late to prevent the Plague's spread. Upon inspecting the grain shipments, they discovered the undeniable evidence of the Scourge's contamination. The city's residents, still unaware of the severity of their plight, continued to succumb to the insidious Plague.

A Difficult Decision

Faced with the knowledge that the townspeople had already consumed the tainted grain, Arthas made a grim decision. He ordered the entire city to be purged, its inhabitants to be put to the sword to prevent the Scourge's further spread. Uther, Arthas' mentor, was appalled by the command and refused to participate in the slaughter of innocents. Jaina Proudmoore, Arthas' beloved and a powerful mage, was equally shocked by the prince's decree. In a moment of tension, Arthas suspended the Knights of the Silver Hand and dismissed Uther, calling upon those loyal to Lordaeron to aid him in the purge. Jaina, torn between her love for Arthas and her moral convictions, chose to side with Uther and abandoned the prince, unable to bear witness to the impending atrocities.

The Culling Begins

As Arthas commenced the culling, Mal'Ganis emerged from the shadows, gleefully collecting the souls of those who had already fallen to the Plague. The dreadlord taunted Arthas, proclaiming that the people of Lordaeron would soon belong to the Scourge. Driven by determination, Arthas intensified his efforts to eradicate the infected populace, engaging in a macabre race against Mal'Ganis for the fate of Stratholme.

Chaos and Tragedy

The once-thriving city of Stratholme became a scene of unimaginable horror as Arthas and his forces carried out the purge. Citizens were slaughtered in their sleep, cut down as they fled, or executed after succumbing to the Plague. The priestess Eris Havenfire attempted to lead a group of sick peasants to safety, only to be mercilessly cut down by the Scourge. Desperation drove some to take their own lives, preferring the embrace of the flames to the fate of becoming mindless undead.

A Fateful Confrontation

As the city lay in ruins and its population decimated, Arthas and Mal'Ganis faced each other amidst the carnage. Arthas demanded a final confrontation, but Mal'Ganis merely taunted him, urging the prince to gather his forces and pursue him to the frozen wastes of Northrend. With a vow to hunt the dreadlord to the ends of the earth, Arthas watched as Mal'Ganis vanished, leaving behind a city forever scarred by the horrors of the Scourge.

The Aftermath

In the wake of the purge, Stratholme was left a shattered husk of its former self. The few survivors who managed to escape the carnage were left to grapple with the aftermath of the battle. Uther and Jaina, upon returning to the city, were horrified by the atrocities committed by Arthas. Medivh, the prophet, warned Jaina of Arthas' impending doom should he pursue Mal'Ganis to Northrend, urging her to seek refuge in the distant lands of Kalimdor.

Echoes of Stratholme

The tragedy of Stratholme would have far-reaching consequences, as some former paladins, now known as Deathlords, would carry out similar acts of brutality across Lordaeron. The city itself would fall under the control of the Scourge, becoming a bastion of the undead. Kel'Thuzad, the lich overlord, would claim Stratholme as his capital, erecting the floating necropolis Naxxramas above the ruins as a testament to the Scourge's power and the horrors that had unfolded within the city's walls.

[trixcuomo]

The devs join the battle!

Meanwhile, Trixany is still depressed she can't skate to Barbieland from Azeroth... Who can save her?

Trixany: Yay. Now we're off the boat and skating down the really short pier in Rachet. How fun. Guess we go right back around to return to--

Sharpen: Elune glitter!! *blue sparkles fill the screen*

Trixany: Ow! It's everywhere--Sharpen, I can't see, you moron!!

Sharpen: *sings* The dev team can show you the Warcraft world. Shining, shimmering, splendid. Tell me Trixy, now when did you last let your hearthstone decide?

Trixany: Huh?

Sharpen: The dev team can open your eyes...

Trixany: Ack! We're way up here? Are we riding on the shoulders of that Ogre that patrols the Barrens? Oh, you're aaall the way down there riding on the little Goblin vendor the Ogre escorts. Pfft! Actually, you look hilarious.

Sharpen: The dev team can fill you wonder by wonder *sings louder*

Trixany: Oh cool! Now we're on a war kodo charging to the Crossroads, shooting this crazy Orc machine gun!

Sharpen: Design taxi transports that go over, sideways and under... *he has a nice baritone actually*

Trixany: Wooo! Now we're a'charging through Ashenvale on a bigger war kodo, mowing down Alliance and Night Elves. Err, sorry Sharpen.

Sharpen: I'm being paid to sing, I'm fine...

Trixany: And he even stayed with the melody there. Nice.

Sharpen: Azeroth is a whole new woooorld!

Malfurion: Trixany, don't you dare close your eyes!!

Trixany: Where is Malfurion inside this racing deer? Are we riding on the back of Malfurion Stormrage through Darkshore?!!

Sharpen: WOW devs give you a new, fantastic point of view!

Trixany: Oh sweet!! Now we're riding on the back of Illidan--

Forsaken driver: *sings in gravelly voice, with rotted jaw* Actually, it's an Undercity plaguebat, but it gets better.

Trixany: Waaaaaa!

Sharpen: No one to tell us NO. Or where to go, or say we're Emerald Dreaming.

Trixany: *harmonizes* A whole new woooorld! The devs made an exciting place we never knew.

Sharpen: Holy crap! Now we're on a Horde zeppelin!! I always wanted to ride one of these giant things, with the Britney foghorn and all-- And look, Icecrown is just ahead! HII ARTHAS! *happy, magical music crescendoes*

Trixany: Wait, don't wave to him. He's a homicidal maniac!

Sharpen: That depends on your personal fan interpretation of the Culling of Stratholme-- *happy music rages on*

Trixany and Sharpen: Because waaay up here, Azeroth is crystal clear! And now I'll share this World of Warcraft with you.

Trixany: A Horde new world. (Because I'm Horde.)

Sharpen: It's the Alliance for meeee... A whole new place--

Trixany: A fine game-designed space--

Alexstrasza: For you and meeeeee! Hold on tight, mortals. Next stop, the Dragon Isles!!

Sharpen: Oh shit, it's Alexstrasza!!?!?

Trixany: She isn't Barbie, but the Dragon queen and the Dragon Isles are close enough for me! Yaaaay! *they fly off into the sunset*

[burrichgreer]

How To Make A Birch | Part 1

The city of Stratholme was the jewel of eastern Lordaeron. Strong, stone walls skirted its borders with sturdy towers perched atop the ramparts. During the day, banners and flags of the richest of blues danced in the wind, proudly bearing the sigil of their fine kingdom - the embellished, golden 'L' of Lordaeron. At night, torches lined the parapets, illuminating the outer walls with enough light to be seen from miles away. All who came to the fair city could find whatever they were looking for in abundance, be it entertainment, commerce, or refuge. At nearly every entrance to the city, bards could be found entrancing those passing through the gates with tales of heroic deeds and romance set to song. The Market Row bustled with the sound of enterprise from sunrise to sunset as merchants, shopkeepers and street vendors alike peddled their goods and services to any and all. And on the far side of the city, the port was almost constantly alive with activity, with ships of all varieties coming and going all through the day. There was always an energy about the city, a resilience and steadiness. After all, there was no better place to be than Stratholme City.

But that was before.

--

The ores splashed through the water, urging the small, fishing boat deeper into the dreary port with each stroke. A lone, cloaked figure sat in the vessel, looking very much on edge. His head turned up to the sky for a moment, even as he rowed along the dark waters. Any other day, there would be gulls calling in the distance and gliding on the breeze off the sea - but not today. The darkening sky was illuminated by the nefarious glow of the fire that still consumed the city. Instead of birds, there was only smoke and ash - so much ash that it looked like it was snowing.

As he neared the city, his gaze turned over his shoulder toward the approaching docks. Any other day, he would have seen dozens of ships, both human and elven, docked with crews scurrying about their business - but not today. There were only a few, lifeless boats still docked there. And while he had expected to find the docks abandoned entirely, to his surprise, he could make out the silhouettes of a dozen or so people still moving about! A desperate hope swelled inside him as he was hit with the thought that his mother and father may very well have survived what was now being called the mad-prince's Culling.

He pressed on, passing by the larger docks and making his way to a smaller, private landing that he hoped was still gated from the harbor - a more cautious approach, just in case those were remnants of the prince's forces left to hold the docks for some reason. There were only a few small boats making use of the dock. From the look of things, they belonged to a handful of survivors who were either brave enough or desperate enough to take to looting. He eased his way between two of the boats until the wooden edge of his vessel met the stone wall of the dock with a light thud and a quiet splash. After climbing up onto the landing, he made quick work of securing his vessel before rising to his feet and taking a look around. A group of rather gloomy-looking men loitered around the gate, each one with a grimace slightly more menacing than the one before. The boy tugged his hood down around his face as he stepped toward the gate, not caring one bit to linger in present company. Hoping to slip by the man at the gate without making a scene, he lowered his gaze and attempted to step by without a word.

A hand caught him by the collar before he could pass, "Boy." A gruff voice muttered, before the man tugged the younger man over to stand in front of him. "Where the hell do you think you're goin'?" The man demanded in an almost mocking tone.

"I'm looking for someone." The younger replied, his face still hidden in the shadows of the hood.

The tall man, whose face looked much like a horse's except somehow uglier, let out a noisy snort as his free hand shot up to toss the hood off of the boy's head, revealing the dirty but stern face of a teenage boy framed in a mess of blond hair. His green eyes were bloodshot and his brow was creased tightly as he stared straight ahead, refusing to dignify the would-be gatekeeper with a glance. The man studied the boy for a moment before remarking, "Stubborn little shit, eh?" A dry chuckle followed as he released the young Burrich Greer with a light shove in the direction of the gate. "Fine then. Light keep ya, if ya still believe in that horse shit." he said, punctuating his empty well-wishing with a grunt. If the other men on the landing had any concern for the boy, they didn't show it.

Burrich adjusted his cloak, pointedly pulling his hood back up before pressing an ear to the gate in an attempt to hear what was happening on the other side. Hearing nothing, he lifted the gate's bar and pulled it open, slipping through the passage to the larger harbor beyond without giving the men behind him a second glance.

Once he stepped clear of the gate, he was startled by a loud thud behind him. He turned and pressed on the gate - it had been barred once more. His jaw tightened as he squelched the desire to introduce the gatekeeper's horse-like face to his fist. And that train of thought might have continued were it not for the sudden realization that there was no going back now. He turned back to the harbor, brow knit as he willed himself to ignore that his heart felt like it was about to pound its way right out of his chest. He drew a deep breath and crouched down, finding a bit of security behind a stack of crates.

Any other day, he would have strode through the harbor like he owned the place. His father was Edmond Greer, after all. And Edmond Greer was one of a few unspoken leaders in this part of the city - a man people knew they could rely on - a steady, sharp, thinking man. Burrich had always enjoyed a small amount of unearned respect on the docks, just for being who he was - but not today. A haunting silence loomed over the harbor and there wasn't a single face to offer a smile or greet him as he peeked around the crates. And yet..

In the distance, through the haze of smoke and fog, he could see the silhouettes again - the same ones he had seen from the water. He hustled a bit closer, slipping behind a stack of grain sacks to get a better look. Now closer, he could see that they weren't wearing armor, nor did they carry weapons. That hope rose in him again. These were not soldiers. His heart continued to pound as he fed that seed of hope. Maybe the prince didn't make it this far into the city. Maybe some survived! What if his parents survived? What if they were out there looking for him right now?!

In a moment of reckless hope, the boy rose to his feet, lifted his hands in the air and called out to the strangers in the haze. "Hey! Its me! Burrich Greer! Are you alright?!" He moved out from behind the sacks to grab a nearby lantern that was still burning on its post, holding it up for a bit of light. "Have you seen my parents?! Edmond and Cadence Greer?!"

They didn't respond so he called a bit more loudly, his youthful voice echoing through the ghostly fog, "Hello?! I.. I didn't think anyone survived! Please! Have you seen my parents?!" Finally, he saw one of the figures turn in his direction as if he had heard the call. Then another. And another. Slowly, all of them turned in his direction and began to move toward him. Burrich smiled, an almost joyous laughter slipping from him as he began to make his way into the haze to meet them.

Any other day, he would have been met by men and women he had grown up around. The families who lived around and worked the docks were a tight knit community - with a flavor and culture all its own. There were very few people he didn't know and most people he could recognize by just the sound of their voices as he passed by.

But not today.

The hope that had driven him to make the journey here, that led him to open that gate, that had led him to call out to these strangers and hasten to meet them... it vanished the moment he heard them. Not the sound of familiar voices calling back to him with news of his parents. Not the sound of fellow survivors cheering at his safe return. No, all he heard was a chorus of groans. Dull, lifeless, droning groans that only grew in intensity with every step the figures took toward him. And in a moment, a single, terrifying thought took root in his mind that sent a chill up his spine and made his stomach sink like a brick. A thought he could not shake any more than the way his body suddenly froze in horror: whoever they were, whatever they were... they were hungry.

[legendaryevokercupcake]

TW: Death, murder, cruelty, tyranny, genocide

This isn't my usual content, so feel free to just scroll if you don't play WoW. Please note that I main a human mage! My previous main was a human monk, my first character on my current account was a Kal'dorei (Night Elf) druid, and my first character was a gnome mage. I play primarily Alliance.

I shouldn't get this angry over a dumb video game.

I hate Jaina Proudmoore. Like, 'Ooooooh a guy turned his back while another guy stole something and that led to the destruction of my home city! This is perfect motivation to ATTEMPT A GENOCIDE. And after my attempt at mass genocide of every single person in Orgrimmar, which is a very large amount of people, I'm going to force the people who taught humans how to make a city fly out of the flying city, and anyone who ISN'T out in the next ten minutes, like the innocent people who just wanted to make sure they brought all of their stuff, or the innocent people who didn't have enough gold to buy a flight away, or the innocent people who didn't understand what was happening, I'm going to throw them in a prison which has a history (and future) of being a genuinely awful place to be! And if they resist, I'm gonna kill them!'

And before you say she was just insane because of the magic residue, do you blame Malygos for the awful things he did when he was crazy? Because you can't both excuse Jaina because she was crazy (And we don't even know if she was to a point on the 'absolutely bonkers' spectrum to say she was crazy by the time she tried to destroy Orgrimmar) and blame Malygos despite his insanity (Which we DO know is guaranteed to actually have taken place).

Boo hoo, bitch. It's not like you, despite apparently being god like in magical power, simply didn't do anything when Arthas culled Stratholme. You were there. You didn't do jack sh!t.

Neither you nor Greymane, who is just as racist but hasn't ATTEMPTED GENOCIDE, bothered to consider 'Maybe the WARCHEIF IS DEAD' when the Horde retreated at the Broken Shore. They left because their Warchief was dead and multiple other main players were severely wounded.

And I'm going to take this opportunity to rag on Anduin as well. Wrathion was TWO when he opened the Dark Portal. 'OoOoH bUt DrAgOnS aGe DiFfErEnTlY' NO. Dragons age differently, sure, I'll give you that, but he was still FIFTEEN AT MOST. 'HE KILLED VARIAN!' I hear some of you hardcore Wrathion haters saying, and to you I say: First of all, he was, once again, a kid, and second, for all we know he was on another planet when Varian died. Though it is sad that Varian is gone, he was one of the good ones, it wasn't Wrathion's fault. Wrathion didn't go 'Hmm, I think I'll kill Varian Wrynn today' and we shouldn't act like he did.

He's a PERSON who made a mistake and has gone above and beyond to rectify that mistake to the point of KILLING AN OLD GOD.

I'm not saying the Alliance is evil. I'm not saying the Horde is good. All I'm saying is that this is a FACTION WAR, not an allegory story.