Hello everyone!
SO far ive been doing theses shorter versions of the alpha zones from the top of my head.
Just explainign what happens in the zone.
But this one had so many intrigueing details that i had to write a script, which is a good
sign, a really really good sign.
After questing in bastion and defending the realm from an attack of the forces from maldraxxus,
we head on over to that zone to figure out what is going on as Maldraxus is supposed
to be defending the shadowlands not trying to conquer it.
The heart of the shadowlands military might is home to the necrolord covenant.
This is the birthplace of necromentic magic.
Souls that are relentless, unyielding, lived a life in search and pursuit of power.
Not so much evil or good, but rather strength above all both inward and outward, they find
their way.
And it’s these forces that the Lich King, his followers like Kel’thuzad called upon.
Right from the get go Maldraxxus shows us what it’s all about as we’re tossed into
a massive tournament.
Fighting our way through the ranks we soon find out that the attack on Bastion was not
one supported by everybody here.
Maldraxus has five ruling houses and while all of them are supposed to be ruled by the
Primus.
A master strategist and tactician, nigh unbeatable on the field of battle.
The primus has been absent from his impenetrable sanctum for quite a while now, but he he did
leave behind cryptic messages and prophecies pointing to the coming of one who could embody
the might of Maldraxxus and save the realm from itself.
I’ll give you one guess who that one is going to be.
So with the Primus gone the others took it upon themselves to attack which Margrave Krexus
is not down with.
We safely escape the scene with the aid of Draka.
This is Thrall’s mother, our realities version of it that died unyielding, trying to defend
her child from gul’dan’s assasins.
She was also born weak but overcame trials to find her strength.
She’s a member of the house of the chosen and since that’s the house that seems to
be down with not murdering everyone else, that’s the house we help out.
While doing so we come across a mysterious runeblade left behind, hidden inside stone
by the Primus.
It’s our mission to reforge it and gain access to the Seat of the Primus for whoever
holds this ancient fortress commands the armies of the Shadowlands.
That’s our main pull going through the zone and while getting the job done we learn more
about the different houses and what’s going on here.
Five houses each with their own Margrave.
1 The house of constructs has Margrave Gharmal, the big butcher guy we saw at the beginning,
the one aiming at war.
The constructs they create are now also partially done with the kyrians they’ve captured.
This area reminded me a lot of Scholomance, vile gruesome experiments.
Removing of organs and binding bodies together.
This place is sick and I love it.
2 The house of Rituals has Margrave Sin’dane, the lich, allied with Gharmal and aiming at
war.
3 The house of Plagues has Margrave Stradama, but the house is in ruins.
The area not looking too great and the House itself is our dungeon called Plaguefall.
In the zone we party with Marileth that’s holding on to the idea that they need to craft
a potion for their margrave.
The destruction of the area did a number on their sanity and from the logs we discover
that the anima drought plagueing the shadowlands made them struggle with their craft.
The disapearance of the primus made the houses issolate from eachother until the liches broke
their silence.
They offered aid and anima and then well...we can see the end result.
• 4 The House of Eyes had Margrave Akarek but he’s gone now.
This was actually the house Draka joined first, but its destruction had her switch.
Lady Vasjh, yep lady vasjh is here, refuses to let go and wants vengeance on the one that
took her margrave away.
We help her out with trapping and killing Mor’Bitan, another lich.
Vengeance for the fallen and since we have the runeblade, potential access to the seat
of the primus, she joins us in an allegiance of convenience.
5 Then the last house, the one we party with is the House of the Chosen with Margrave Krexus.
They, like the others, believe in power but honor also means a damn which is why they
hold on to their duty to the shadowlands regardless of where their primus might be.
After doing the tasks given we return to the house only to see that it’s under assault.
Dead constructs litter the floor and Margrave Krexus is gone.
While Draka still holds out hope for gaining access to the seat, Baron Vyraz tells us that
it’s a fools errand.
We must rely on strength of arms, gather our mightiest soldiers...including our missing
baron.
Apperantly they lost a baron to the maw and since we’re mawwalkers, we might be able
to get him out.
In Oribos we report to Bolvar, currently marked as highlord of the ebon blade.
The quest itself is currently a place holder.
We gain the aid of Darion Mograine, now marked as horseman of the ebon blade and take a trip
into the maw to retrieve none other then Alexandros Mograine.
He’s the father of Darion, earned the legendary title of Ashbringer by wielding its holy powers
against the scourge.
Life ended when his other son Renault betrayed him, stabbed him in the back with the ashbringer
itself.
Mograine was first turned into a horseman by kel’thuzad, slain and send here to maldraxus.
An area you might imagine, he despised at first but soon he discovered that those here
were not all the scourge he had fought against in life.
Some of them had honor but not all....not Baron vyraz.
Pretending to be our ally, he was actually the one who set Alexandros up and to the maw,
trying to get us killed by going after him.
He was the one that took out Margrave Krexus and now he tries to end us as well.
Thankfully Draka shows up to carry us to the seat.
With the runeblade now completely reforged and the armies of Maldraxus assaulting us,
it’s time to open those doors and get the conclusion of this story...
Or atleast that will happen at some point.
Right now it’s locked behind an awesome event that’s not quite yet shown.
The blade is placed in an old altar.
The primus has left a message within the seat of the primus.
This is given to us in the hopes that it might reach the winter queen of ardenweald.
From Ardenweald we know that the message is about the banished one, probably the jailer
and we know from Revendreth that the jailer is stockpiling anima, causing that draught,
trying to break out of the maw.
Details of all that will still be revealed, but this is the main story of Maldraxxus.
Nice and tight, really really cool story with a nice questing experience attached to it.
Seeing characters we recognise living out their afterlife brings a feeling of familiarity
and so does the design of the zone.
Couple of spots like the plaguelands or icecrown...I wouldn’t call it the most mindblowing zone
they’ve made artwise, but it definatly fits the theme.
Two things I do want to mention before we wrap up.
There’s 3 tablets, three memorials you read near the start of the zone that say:
Lady Quinby: House of Rituals.
Let this memorial stand to remind us of her valor against those from beyond.
May she be remembered in the boneshaping rituals she created.
Rakel the Vile: House of Plagues.
The creation of the concoction used against...
The rest has been scratched out.
Mesil the Night: House of Eyes.
The memory of your death to the Void Lords is honored among your house.
Information won through blood saved many a fellow soldier.
Draka shares that very few souls have the honor of being truly memorialized.
Disginguishing yourself among the crowd is a difficult task.
Spirits of the past defending the shadowlands against outside threats, performing such amazing
deeds that they remember them here.
Mesil the Night falling while fighting the Void Lords....some asked on stream if this
is the first time that the void lords are actually mentioned by name in the game and
I think it is...although feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.
We knew from bastion that the shadowlands has dealt with the void before.
We also know from ardenwaeld that there’s a connection between the emerald dream and
the shadowlands there meaning that acces to the realm is possible.
Just look at how many times we or our followers have ventured here, it’s not in its own
magical, unfindable bubble and it appears that the voidlords found it as well, tried
to claim it.
Then the second thing has to do with the brokers at the Theater of Pain.
The brokers might remind you a lot of the ethereals and you’re not wrong.
The way they trade and deal even somewhat the way they look, there’s definatly a connection
and we can see them keeping a darkened naaru imprisoned.
There’s also a imprisoned naaru mentioned in the dungeon journal.
You might have seen screenshots of demons in the shadowlands float by.
How’s that possible when blizzard said that demons and magical creatures go to different
areas then the shadowlands.
Well, we can thank the brokers for that.
Right here they show us, even let us help, with capturing species to bring back here.
To provide a challenge for those that seek it.
In the arena there’s an giant elemental, a succubus, and a nythendra model dragon.
Transported in by the brokers and yeah like I said, maldraxus is definalty up there for
me when it comes to story and questing.
I’m not going to rank the zones right now since it’s still very much alpha but yeah...definatly
up there, hope everybody is going to enjoy it when it’s live.
So for now thank you very much for watching everyone!
Subscribe if you like my videos, leave a like if you enjoyed this one aaand until next time....see
ya!