Since its launch, World of Warcraft’s lore has included references to the Old Gods in one way or another in nearly every expansion. These legendary creatures have become popular figures that players love to hate, hence why they keep appearing in the game. Despite the lack of wriggling tentacles and beady eyes, indications of their presence can be found throughout World of Warcraft: Dragonflight.
As Blizzard has made several suggestions, both in game and elsewhere, many spectators are beginning to think Dragonflight’s storyline might be heading in a direction that involves the Void. Recently, N’Zoth the Drowned was vanquished from WoW in the Battle for Azeroth and it was assumed that the Old Gods had been extinguished from Azeroth. But, the narrative of Dragonflight has caused speculation that this may not be the case.
It has been suggested that the Old Gods have had their presence felt in World of Warcraft: Dragonflight right from the start.
In Dragonflight, there are visual clues pointing to the presence of Old God magic, such as the Primalist outpost at Vakthros with its dark, winding stones and luminous orange portals. These visuals may subconsciously alert the players that they are being observed by N’Zoth. When the game was first released, the Dragon Isles were known for their worship of the Old Gods from World of Warcraft. Later, it was established that this was the ancestral home of dragons, but it is not inconceivable that the void magic was already present before they existed.
Before the launch of the game World of Warcraft: Dragonflight, some cinematics were released which featured the tale of Emberthal, the leader of the Dracthyr, and her realization of the past. These videos are known to be predictors of the future, and these most likely will as well. The Bronze Aspect, Nozdormu, from WoW: Dragonflight, gives Emberthal visions of Neltharion’s corruption by the Old Gods, which has never been seen by players before now. In what looks to be his ultimate kind act before being completely taken over by evil, Neltharion employed void magic to lock away Raszageth the Storm Incarnate in the Forbidden Reach. This void magic is expected to demonstrate how the aftereffects of Deathwing’s descent into the Old God’s control still remain throughout and below the Dragon Isles.
In the upcoming Embers of Neltharion patch, characters such as Wrathion and Sabellian are coming into contact with the sullied legacy of their father, Deathwing the Destroyer. This will most likely result in them hearing whispers of the Old Gods, much like Deathwing did long ago. However, dialogue in the quest lines imply that these whispers are not imprints of the past, but are happening in the present. This is a significant implication, as it has been previously thought that all four Old Gods of Azeroth had perished.
Since the launch of World of Warcraft, the in-game book, “The Old Gods and the Ordering of Azeroth” has been around. Initially, it was thought that there were four Old Gods, yet the book claims there are five. Players believed it was later changed, yet its reappearance in Dragonflight suggests to reconsider. Recently, an annotated version of the book can be found in the Forbidden Reach of World of Warcraft, with additional notes from Deathwing. This implies Blizzard had the opportunity to revise any inaccuracy, however, placing it back in the game with other updates implies the book was correct all along.
No one knows for certain who this fifth Old God is or where it can be found, but the land beneath the ruins of Aberrus, which had been the site of Neltharion’s ancient laboratory, is strongly infused with void energy. It is highly improbable that this is merely a coincidence, and it is possible that a powerful being lies beneath the surface. Neltharion may have chosen to establish his laboratory in this location as a way to research the Old Gods, yet unfortunately, this ended up being his downfall as it led to his descent into insanity. Revisiting the place of Neltharion’s final days could potentially lead to some Lovecraftian trouble. At present, the outlook of Dragonflight is pointing toward a void-based conclusion, although the future is uncertain and it remains to be seen when the Old God’s prophecies will come to pass.
World of Warcraft: Dragonflight can now be experienced on PC.
