New York Comic Con 2009: Chris Metzen Interview

2. Why did Teron Gorefiend ally with Illidan?

3. In Warcraft 2, an orc told Teron Gorefiend that Alexstrasza had been freed and the Horde had retreated back to the Dark Portal, others were captured.  Yet the novel seems to imply Deathwing was thought dead post-Beyond the Dark Portal.  Did “Day of the Dragon” happen BEFORE or AFTER “Beyond the Dark Portal”? Was it a retcon, or a mistake? Fans who think Beyond the Dark Portal happes after Day of the Dragon, for example, think Deathwing remained injured and trapped in Draenor as it was torn apart. Other fans say a dragon shadow could be seen flying above Khadgar in the End Cinematic as an indication that Deathwing might have escaped through the Dark Portal.

4. Any future plans on letting us know who, or what originally built the tower of Karazhan, or what caused the explosion on its surrounding land?

5. Is the short-and-small version of The Second War given in WoW: Tides of Darkness canon? It makes the epic-seeming war of Warcraft 2 seem somehow insignificant, what with retconning it to last two months at most.

6. Why didn’t Zul’Jin’s arm grow back? (Side note – Medievaldragon: A fan asked this question. I came up with a conclusion based on some material. The loa gods grant trolls limb regeneration.  It is probably a trait based on faith and obedience to the loa gods. Gri’lek the Wanderer—is a story told during the Kurzen’s Command quest.  He is an armless troll who turned his ear away from the spirits.  By association, his limb regeneration is a gift granted by the spirits or loa gods, thus for heretic his arm didn’t grow.  In the case of Zul’jin unless Chris comes up with a different explanation, the loa gods may have abandoned Zul’jin after allying with the Horde’s demon-driven warlocks? The same way the Shaman spirits abandoned them when they turned to demon magic. Thus Zul’jin’s arm couldn’t regenerate without the blessing of the loa.  He decided to capture the loa the way the blood elves captured a Naaru. Just an extrapolation.)
Reference: https://www.blizzplanet.com/content/738/

7. If Malygos likes to hunt mortal Magi to death in his sane state (before the War of the Ancients and during the next expansion., why did he let Azshara and the Highborne do whatever they pleased?

8. Why was Lothar called the “Last of the Arathi”, despite Varian Wrynn existing? If Varian is not an Arathi, why would the Arathi descendants not be in the royal throne of a nation they originally founded?

9. What were those Aspect Shards Kruul was looking for? Why was he looking for them?

10. Any plans on adding the last part of the forest trolls’ homeland (eg Maisara Hills) to Quel’Thalas? There is an unused gate in southern Eversong that could lead to this area.

11. Whatever happened to the Temple of Ula’Tek in Zul’Aman and why don’t the trolls mention their goddess?

12. How are you planning to replace Sylvanas in the Undercity when she moves to New Agamand, specifically in relation to the quest: Lament of the Highborne?

13.  What is the true nature of Nath, the ogre war god mentioned in some of the RPG books? Is he a true god like Elune and the Old Gods or more like the Titans? Is he the only diety in the ogre belief system or is there a pantheon of ogre gods?

14. What was the Forgotten One that Arthas fought in Azjol’Nerub? A servant of the Old Gods or some kind of avatar of one of them?

15. Is Zereketh the Unbound in Arcatraz the result of an ethereal infusing himself with void energy? Or is he just some other kind of voidwalker?

16. What did the arakkoa originally look like and what was the cause of their mutation?

17. what is the creature some arakkoa are trying to summon in Shadowmoon Valley? As it looks exactly like C’thun.

18. What was the island where Rhonin and Krasus landed on their way to Kalimdor in the War of the Ancients trilogy?

19. Considering that Kael´thas was the moral character in The Frozen Throne, what exactly happened that turned him into a evil overlord that betrayed Illidan and allied with the Burning Legion? Why the huge change in personality and character?

20. Why wasn’t Sylvanas’ model changed to a High Elf model the moment Burning Crusade introduced new High Elf and Blood Elf models?  The recent Lament of the Highborne video shows Sylvanas with a custom High Elf model.

21. What happened to Killrog deadeye? Will we find out in the upcoming World of Warcraft: Beyond the Dark Portal novel?

22. Teron Gorefiend was revealed to have been held captive by spirits of Karabor at the altar in Shadowmoon Valley.  However, fans always thought Teron Gorefiend had escaped through one of the portals of Ner’zhul accomplishing his heart’s desire: the conquering of a world. Some even thought the Worgen world was the one conquered by Teron and that he was the leader of the Dark Riders of Karazhan.  Why didn’t you go along with that?

23. Why isn’t there a single infinite dragon in the Mount Hyjal instance even when Soridormi mentions we need the Vials of Kael and Vashj in order to stop them from altering the past? Will you introduce them at a later time?

24. Will we see a conclusion to the Worgen, and Dark Riders storylines in future expansions?

25. Will we find out the outcome of Alleria and Turalyon’s fate in World of Warcraft: Beyond the Dark Portal novel?

26. Whatever happened with Jarod Shadowsong?

27. What are Arthas’ feelings towards Miss Jaina Proudmoore now that he has become the Lich King and is it possible for him to be redeemed in some way?

28. Will ‘the Captain’, Arthas’ sidekick in Reign of Chaos, be one of the named NPCs in Valgarde?

29. Do the high elves in the Alliance make use of the night elven moonwells to sate their addiction? There is a moonwell in Stormwind’s Park District. Does it provide Stormwind’s high elves with nourishment?

30.  In Reign of Chaos, we see three Dreadlord leaders. Tichondrius, Anetheron and Mephistroth. With Tichondrius and Anetheron dead, is Mephistroth acting leader of the Nathrezim? Fans have speculated this for some time.

31. What was the relic that Lord Kazzak used to open the Dark Portal? It was never explained.

32. Despite that the Skull of Gul’dan was used by Khadgar to seal the Dark Portal from within Draenor, the item appeared in Felwood where Illidan found it.  What happened to relics such as the Sceptre of Sargeras and the Eye of Dalaran?

33. If the Book of Medivh was in Draenor, how could Kel’Thuzad find it in Dalaran in Warcraft III?

34.  What is the fate of Fenris the Hunter, since in Burning Crusade it is Garm Wolfbrother who is called the former leader of the Thunderlord Clan, not Fenris.

35.  It has been stated in the past that the nerubians were atheistic and didn’t believe in any kind of deities or supernatural powers. But in WotlK it has been mentioned that they worshipped the Old Gods. Is their history being somewhat retconned or is this worship something that belongs to their distant past?

36.  The Warcraft RPG series has made references to Finnall Goldensword, Daelin Proudmoore’s half-elf daughter. Is she a canonical character or a fictional product of the RPG writers, and if the former will she ever appear outside of the RPG series?

37. Will we ever be getting to see more lore published on the Warcraft Encyclopedia that is part of the World of Warcraft site?

38. Why was Garrosh assigned to Northrend when it would have been easier and possibly more prudent to assign a commander more familiar with Azeroth (like Saurfang or Eitrigg)?

39. Will we ever see more of the Elemental Lords, especially Al’Akir, Therazane and Neptulon?

40. If the Silver Hand is reborn, how will it affect the Scarlet Crusade and Argent Dawn?
– How will it affect the Blood Knights?

41. Will Blizzard ever add new undiscovered lands to Outland such as Deathwing Lair and Warsong Clan Isle?  There most be more chunks of land floating in the Twisting Nether.

42. Is Hakkar the Soulflayer connected to the Old Gods in some way? If not, what exactly is he?  Is he a Couatl?

43. What were the original names for Darkshire and Raven Hill? Were either of them Grand Hamlet or Sunnyglade from WarCraft 1: Orcs and Humans?

44. Where is Krasus’ lair located?  It was said in Day of the Dragon that a high elf had built it.  Was this where the High Elves first landed? Is this the undiscovered area west of Deathknell in Tirisfal Glades?

The Warcraft series has expanded significantly in the past couple years and now has or will soon have novels, board games, a trading card game, a D20 line, manga, a comic series, clothing, and action figures in addition to the computer games. What do you think the Warcraft franchise will be like in 5 or 10 years?

46. Do you envision a Warcraft TV Animated Series or TV Series ever happening?

47. Will Naxxramas and Kel’thuzad’s invasion to Azeroth get retconned, or will the reappearance of Naxxramas in Northrend be a continuation of what already happened in Stratholme?