Text based World of Warcraft
by j.tanNovember 27th, 2008
So. Who plays World of Warcraft? Or at least heard of it?
Might be faster to ask who hasn’t heard of it.
Regardless, where we come in, is the fact that there is tons and tons and tons of lore that stretches from when the orcs first met the humans, all the way to know when the Alliance and the Horde have travelled in an uneasy truce to Northrend to meet the Lich King…
STILL sounds like gobblydekook to you?
Let’s put it this way…
If you play the game, you should *absolutely* read these background stories. It’d tell you about how the Dark Portal came to be. About the Dragon Aspects and the reasons for their existence. All in a much much richer and more imaginative manner than the game could ever do…
The basic story here is… “We’ve got Warcraft!”.
Tides of Darkness
This recounts the story that was told in the game “Warcraft II” (aka WC2).
While Beyond the Dark Portal tells the story of the expansion to WC2.
There is a fair amount of stuff here, including how the Outland became the shattered piece of living rock that it is at the moment, and it also puts into perspectives the reasons for why the Alliance are “mildly” upset with the Horde…
bear in mind that the Horde as it currently stands, has been around for a lot shorter of time than the Alliance, and you know what they say about people with long memories…
War of the Ancients
This is an omnibus containing the complete trilogy of the War of the Ancients. I’d say that it takes place after the events of WC3 and the battle for mt hyjal… But that’s a lie because it doesn’t really take place then. It starts off *after* that at least, but it doesn’t really take place then.
This is an awesome look at the Dragon Aspects as they were millennia ago. More importantly, this talks about the first invasion of the Burning Legion, the sundering that shook the high elves such that they were never recover again, and the events leading up to Queen Azshara’s change in “policies”…
Ever wondered how the naga came about and why they do what they do? Read this.
Warcraft Archive
I think this was the first omnibus of warcraft books.
Contained within are
- Day of the Dragon - in which Rhonin (yes of Kirin Tor fame) enters Khaz Modan to seek the truth behind the Red Dragonflight’s change in loyalties…
- Lord of the Clans - After the events of Thrall’s escape from Durnhold Keep, and before the prolog of WC3, what exactly had Thrall been doing…? This shows how he came into his shamanistic powers, and more importantly, the events that drove him and shape him so that he is now the leader of the Horde!
- The Last Guardian - Everybody who has played BC knows about Karazhan… For those of you who haven’t, it was the home place of Medivh, the Last Guardian of Azeroth. Charged with great magical powers to protect Azeroth from the Burning Legiong, Medivh’s life was played out as a tragedy, culminating in a betrayal of all he and his line stood for. if you’ve ever wondered about the original tenant of Karazhan, and why his name is spoken in such hushed whispers of fear and awe, this is the way to go
- Of Blood & Honor - (Yes, I know it’s spelled with a “u”.) Tirion Fordring, who has made such a large reappearance in Wrath of the Lich King, wasn’t always a paladin that understood that life doesn’t lie in absolute black and white. Once every bit as ardent and fanatical as the rest of his brethren, his perceptions of good and evil were irreversibly altered when he came face to face with the “vile and corrupt” orcs… Yet another book of a major WoW character that is well worth reading
The orcs used to be fairly nice people. Green, maybe even pebbly, and definitely mildly toothy… but as Kermit says “it’s not easy being green!”
Point is, they were the sort of people you might invite over for tea with your grandma as long as your grandma didn’t mind company that comes from a different generation as she is from (believe me, that’s how she felt about your school friends ‘oh my, they are such *nice* boys, but they wear such strange alien and AWFUL clothing!!!’).
Then the Burning Legion and Kil’jaeden came along and corrupted them with fel magic…
Cycle of Hatred
I’ve got this theory (to be fair, it’s not just me, and I definitely wasn’t the first to voice it either) that Jaina & Thrall have something going on. yes, yes, I know, inter-species and all… but hey! if it’s all in the name of better diplomatic relations, why not?
*eh-hem*
Jaina Proudmoore wants peace between the Alliance and the Horde, and the fact is, it is only through her sheer magical power, political deftness and knowledge that the first truce between the two factions was forged, and part of the reason why it continues to this day.
See how it all begins…
Don’t look at me…
I think it’s weird as well to have an art book for the trading card game. it’s a bit like having a brush to brush your toothbrush that brushes your teeth…
but there you go… Blizzard’s making a gazillion million dollars and i’m not. 
I imagine collectors will like this…
That said, if you DID want this for your collection, or as a present, let us know ASAP, because we’ll need to order it in for you. No, we don’t charge extra. 
Lo’Gosh #1
Some of you have been to Stormwind and met the new King (I hope you have at any rate…). If you’ve ever wondered about why he suddenly went and displaced the gorgeous Katrana Prestor, here’s the beginning of that tale.
So there you go. lots of Warcraft books. As I said before, if you play the games, the books are well worth reading. If you don’t… I’d say War of the Ancients is worth reading simply as an epic fantasy.
happy levelling!
