Transcript:
Hello everyone!
A call to the Siren Isle has been heard by many and the race is on to claim the powerful crystal, Azeroth’s calcified Worldsoul essence. Vrykul, Naga and Pirates will be our opposition while the Arathi, Earthen and Goblin allies will join us to the Siren Isle and help uncover its mysteries.
Not the first time in history that something on what is now an island called out…
Way back when, over 20.000 years ago, there was the Winterskorn war raging in Northrend. Different Vrykul had been exiled from Ulduar after Keeper Loken had been manipulated by their prisoner, the old god Yogg-saron and betrayed his other keepers. The Vrykul lived in different clans and were mainly peaceful for a while, but peace would not last with outside forces influencing them and the already aggressive Winterskorn clan kicked off a war that would only be settled with the interference of the dragon aspects which placed them in stasis, in a magical slumber.
Loken’s betrayal also meant the death of Keeper Thorim’s wife named Sif which caused the lord of thunder to brood for thousands of years at his temple of storms. But not all Vrykul clans would stick around to fight out the Winterskorn war.
“With our lord of thunder silent, the mighty Cyrce led her clan from Sturmpyk and away from the Winterskorn’s unquenched thirst for war. As we fled, the cold northern winds at iron backs, we questioned our clans purpose. Who did we stand to protect? For without the keepers, who did we serve? Our prayers were answered years after our exodus. From beneath the earth, we heard its cry, a plea for help, an anguished call. To Cyrce’s ears, the call was our destiny, and so, she led us towards the voice.”
So like we do today, Cyrce and her Sturmvyn vrykul heard the call of the crystal and this is before the land split apart so before the ending of the war of the ancients. Cyrce lead them but not alone, at her side was her fiercely loyal companion Thrayir. Few enemies of the Sturmvyn clan would live to tell tales of Cyrce and Thrayir. Even among the fiercest Winterskorn, the pair were both feared and revered.
“Born amidst the clouds of Sturmpyk, the noble Galeron had long been observed by our clan from below. Like Thorim’s Stormwolves, few have mastered the means to tame these fierce elemental creatures. But where many sturmvyn failed or fell to their thunderous nature, one succeeded: Cyrce. No one knows how she triumphed, but when Cyrce descended from the highest slopes of Sturmpyk with a galeorn upon her forearrmy, the clan foresaw it as a sign.”
When they reached what we now call the siren isle, the vrykul went too work.
“As broken tools were cast aside, we found beneath the ground. For months we heard, and for months we searched. A golden crystal, encased by stone, its glow like a torch in the dark. Upon its face, Cyrce’s hand was pressed ;a sound, a cry! But not of pain or please of help, but of calm, of grace. Hymosul, the Luminous Heart. It’s s radiance and face, as if carved by unseen hands. Many stones, I have carved. My iron hands, my tools, but the splendor of Hymosul has opened my eyes. New designs, patterns and structures. My mind… is clear.”
We’ve learned about Beledar in Hollowfall, a crystal that also calls out, had visions of prophecy surrounding it and played a big part in Xal’ataths plans. From the archive we learned that…
“However, as we delved deeper, we encountered certain obstacles – colossal crystals which we came to realize were calcified chunks of the Worldsoul’s essence. They are of great power, and I wonder how many yet remain undiscovered beneath the earth, all over the world.”
So this is one of many more that are potentially out there.
“The cavern grew, by tools and hands, a cradle for heart to rest, from stones, to shrine, to Sturmvyn laid. For Hymosul’s voice, once fierce, had calmed. Tough Cyrce spoke to Heart, its voice was faint, a whisper barely heard. And so with iron hands, I carved, I forged. A circlet, born of radiant ore, fit to the hand of Cyrce. A ring adorned with smaller shards of Heart. Remnants smoothed and carved, with runes of Storm, citrines lit, their faces aglow with soft song. Through the circlet, together, Cyrce and Hymosul sang.”
“What are you making? You seem…inspired.
This morning, the Siren Crystal sang a reverend hymn to me… a restorative anthem from a bygone age.
That sounds like the kind of inspiration we’d receive from Beledar.
Yes! Its music soothed me. Now I’m crafting more healing crystals. They’ll bring solace to our Empire.”
When Azerite was all the rage in battle for Azeroth, it had some interesting effects on those that touched the blood of the world soul. An Anduin was inspired to heal, a Sylvanas inspired to conquer and destroy. Brilliant ideas flowed forth, ultimate antidotes or walls for protecting, or ultimate weapons of mass destruction. Azerite was going to change the face of war in Warcraft and a similar effect comes from the calcified essence of the world soul. It inspires, in this case the vrykul carves that turn pieces of the crystal into powerful citrines to place into a ring. This empowered Cyrce, gave her a strong connection to the crystal and we too can earn this power as her ring, Cyrce’s circlet awaits to be claimed and empowered.
Time passed on and the vrykul used their runic craft to not only shape the halls that would keep the sacred crystal safe, they also had Jardfyr, first Carver of the Sturmvyn, advisor to Cyrce and Protector of Hymosul, craft guardians from stone with life through runes of old.
“Tempered and nurtured, our bond with Hymosul grew and her call sang. From his hand and her voice, the Sturmvyn found their call. Few outside the Sturmvyn know the craft of runic binding, the art of stone-carving. To bind the storms of north into the stones of earth was a craft rarely mastered. Wrought by runes and will, his guardians of stone rose to stand vigil within. Though few learned his secrets, many would face his creations. Through Hymosul’s song, Jardfyr’s designs would flourish. – As carved by Valwen, Apprentice Ward of the Stone Carver.”
Vrykul, guardians and the crystal lived here, their new purpose to guard this place after hearing the call but the world of Azeroth kept on spinning and outside events would have great effects for these vrykul as well. The war of the ancients played out. Queen Azshara and her followers trying to summon Sargeras and the Burning Legion into the world. Azeroth’s defenders stopped her plans, but all the meddling with the well of eternity, a great fount of power which the queen planned to use as a source of power for their summoning portal, it caused the land to split apart with Azshara and her followers claimed by the sea.
“No! This…This was not the deal i made!
Hmm…. giggle. Deal? I like deals…
Who are you?”
Running out of air and the darkness about to claim them, the queen and her followers accepted the old god N’zoth’s bargain and were transformed into the naga. Following the will of N’zoth, which like Yogg-saron was all about breaking out of the prison the titans put them in. Return to the days of the black empire, the time that they were ruled the world. Meanwhile up above, the vrykul took shelter from the massive destruction as the land reshaped itself.
“For generations passed, our purpose held, the luminous heart at ease. When land seized and heaved, the skies flashed in noxious green. Our bastion cracked, as towers fell, and waters black encroached. In Vault beneath, we Sturmvyn Prayed, Cyrce’s hand upon her Heart. But when tremors grew, its cries rang out: Hymosul’s squall renewed. When silence fell, the cries still pained, our stone-runed doors unsealed. As Cyrce strode forth, our bastion ruined, surrounded by waters new. Upon our shores, a dark thing stood, its word in our minds it spoke: The deep one stirs, this place calls out, his right to claim is nigh. Kneel before the old ones gifts, their powers your combined.”
The skies flashing green and the destruction that followed not to mention they were not surrounded by waters new, it all screams the defeat of the legion, the sundering of the world and a herald of the old gods proclaiming their coming demise. If that wasn’t enough, we now have an enemy upon their shared that did not exist until the end of the war…
<This tabled depicts a great battle between humanoid, metallic figures and serpentine creatures emerging from the sea. Although the metallic figures are outnumbered, winged humanoids and stone guardians appear to fight at their side. The largest of the metallic figures gestures with a golden sliver-embedded finger, while above her soars a winged creature.>
“ITs head hit sand, its black blood sprayed, Cyrce’s blade shone bright. From darkened depths, a presence stirred. Over wail and pain, she cried: Hear us, O Heart! upon this land, we Sturmvyn stand, to hold back a tide of woe. Guide us with your song, your heart, and make your pain our own!
As she called, across sea and sky, they rose; a tide of scales in numbers never met. As serpents died, and horrors fell, iron hide with blood, was slick. The rumbling skies cracked, Thrayir’s fury tore through endless scales. By hand, from earth, rose guards of stone, against the tide they crashed.
On golden wings, from high above, her please was heard; a heavens gift, they brought. And yet, the tide ensued. With numbers few, a final song rang out. While Cyrce clashed, as Thrayir shrieked, her clanskin fell to scales. The stone guards cracked, as rubble split, dragged to the waters deep. From the skies they fell: the gold ones screamed, their wings and spears torn asunder. With heavy soul, Cyrce looked upon her kin and called: Retreat, to the Vault! protect our heart. As those yet lived obeyed, Cyrce stood upon our shores, and faced the darkness alone.
The gold winged ones are the valkyr which is interesting that they heard the call and joined the battle as well. It seems Cyrce called upon them all to fall back as she held the line alone which for her companion Thrayir was awful. The Galeron had joined them in battle of course. As more and more Sturmvyn fell, the galeron mourned and the galeron raged. Skies split open, as his fury spent and scaled burned. Wounded, his rage flowed, and the Galeron’s spark grew dim. As cyrce called for retreat, she bid me to take Thrayir. Great was his fury and terrible were his injuries, but Cyrce need not fear. I would not fail her. In a fit of rage and despair, Thrayir had conjured a storm that would ravage the land and annihilate Cyrce’s enemies. After nearly ten thousand years, the seafury tempest continues to roil as an echo of his power, the storm rages on to this day. To have seen so many Sturmvyn fall must have pushed the Galeorn into such a fury that he had started to unravel.
I needed to stabilize his wounds. While Jardfyr saw to the vaults defenses and carved new guardians, I turned to to Ksvir the Thundered. Second only to the might of Cyrce, Ksvir wielded the blessing of Storms, a rumored gift bestowed by Thorim himself. Anguished yet bound by oath as Cyrce command to lead her retreat, Ksvir lent me his gift. TO stabilize Thrayir’s wounds, we forged five runekeys to harness the tempest that roiled above. Five keys of turbulent waters, torrential rains, thunderous lightning, cyclonic winds and whirling waterspouts. Ksvir would keep one runekey, while the rest were scattered. Bound by five, we sealed Thrayir’s tortured form in stasis. The fury of the tempest would slowly heal his wounds and only by the wielder of the five keys would his stasis break. May his wounds mend and may his cries of sorrow drift away.
10.000 years should be enough time for the wounds to have healed as we can gather the keys and unlock the runes that keep Thrayir in stasis, earning ourselves a new mount! That does leave the question: what happened to Circe? Across the isle we can see echoes of the past. Similar to how Azeroth was remembering world events during the pre-event, on the isle we can see the battle between the naga’s and the vrykul, but we haven’t been able to find Cyrce’s last stand. Odds are that she simply perished on the battlefield with the rest of her kin and the storm unleashed by Thrayir has kept the island and the crystal safe from any invaders.
Not that they haven’t tried mind you… over the years plenty of ships found a water gravy. The island earned itself quite the reputation….
Beware her call, the Siren’s Call! a wail of dread and pain. Seek not her ring, that calling ring! NEar shores of shipwrecks bane.
Beware her song, the Siren’s Song! A veil of tidal spite. Walk not those shores, those blood-spilled shores! AS dark as starless nights.
Beware her cry, the Siren’s cry! A tale of woe and guile. Claim not her ring, Oh Cyrce’s Ring. Beware the Siren’s isle!
“Beware…beware…”
Yet offer enough gold and rewards and the most foolish will set sail to destinations they know they should not go. Taking us closer in the timeline, to the days of Battle for Azeroth where as I mentioned earlier, Azerite was all the rage. This here isle was full of the blood of Azeroth and the Ashvane company… you might recall dealing with lady Ashvane…the Ashvane company was on the job and
A transcribed Kul Tiran journal explains that they made landfall on this isle, despite the tales surrounding the place, despite the graveyard of ships that greeted them, none of it was enough to make them turn around. Not when there so much Azerite to be mined. At the time the isle still had a bunch of trees, but their mining operations quickly got rid of those.
Sirens are spotted off the shore, not surprising given the name of the isle but similar to the other creatures they seem more wary of them. With the other wildlife acting the way it does, it’s down right eerie…almost like they’re waiting for something… They also see a golden man, one of those pledged vrykuls of the past, Azeroth’s memories as we’re seeing them as well…even the Kul Tirans have turned into golden memories But all that was the least of their worries. The true threat of the isle revealed itself when the storm rolled in…
“Lost so many in the storm – plucked right off the deck. Crawled right up out of the ocean and up the boats they did. Terrors I haven’t seen the likes of before – crabs as big as the hull, giant serpent-like bugs – and the wailing! If I wasn’t convinced this isle is bad news, I certainly believe now.”
A good thing that our goblin allies booked it off the isle before the storm caught them, remnants of Thrayir’s spellwork and we will also have to face the storm, juiced up enemies included.
So now nearly all of their ships were destroyed and with all the Azerite they gathered, not everyone was going to fit on the one remaining vessel to go home. WIth another storm on the horizon they drew lots and some were unlucky enough to stay behind while others would have to go out and try to avoid the storm. They’d be back they said, but our journalist doesn’t really believe that. Still, they stayed behind and kept on mining until a monstrous Azerite elemental attacked. Killed over half the people they had left before they managed to back it into a cave.
Stalagnarok is right where they left him and by supporting the earthen with flame-blessed iron, we can open his cave, take him on and earn sweet rewards like citrines. Alternatively we can join the goblins to take on Gravesludge who has congealed Kul Tirans fighting at his side or the Arathi to fight the undead dragon Nerathor.
Now there are less then a handful left of them on the island – next entry just says they’re gone. He was up in the sleeping quarters making lunch, there was this loud bang or screech and then… just … poof, all gone. Like they were never here to begin with. The Duke ran off when the bang happened, but don’t worry, we can get abandoned Marmaduke as a pet.
Our journalist is left all by himself but….the song. I can near hear it now. When I sleep it’s louder. It’s calling, a sweet gentle song, just like Esther would sing. The isle itself – find it I will, followed the song and dug till my hands bled – found it. A door – stories were true – all of them…
And there we find our author, journal next to his dead body and the circlet in his hand. The guardian made sure he wasn’t going to leave the vault alive but we fair a bit better. Almost 10 years have passed since he wrote his final words when we arrive on the island. Uncovering the history, fighting the bosses, braving the storm and empowering our ring which you can see on your hand.
What’s interesting when looking at our foes is that we got the bilgewater pirates with a bunch of Hozen but also the Vrykul who during the storm turn into Kvaldir.
More specifically they say that the Bloodwake will claim this land and its power. Jorun will have her secrets – not you!: One of the island expeditions during battle for Azeroth took us to Jorundall, and during these expeditions we already ran into the Bloodwake vrykul. We’d find a drinking horn which we could bring back to Vydhar in Stormheim. The story told is that there’s a fleet, some say thousands of ships large, that floats on the Great Sea, led by the greatest raider to ever live. His name is Jorun the Bloodwake. Long ago he left us to seek a life at sea. He lives only to raid, never in one place for long. Herpas you too will see him one day.
So Jorun is definitely still out there, hearing the call of the crystal and the siren isle but he’s not the only one mentioned. Upon death the vrykul promise us that HER vengeance comes…
Upon entering the storm and returning to the same spot, we now have kvaldir on the attack which a bit of a long story to go into involving Odyn and Helya… Long story short…
Odyn learned how to make valkyr by observing the Kyrian in the shadowlands after sacrificing his eye. Valkyr he needed to bring up honorable vrykul spirits to his halls of valor so they could become valarjar. Becoming a valkyr was not nice so nobody wanted the job. Odyn decided to force the job upon someone which Helya tried to stop and that’s when Odyn made her the first of the valkyr. Eventually she’d break free of Odyn’s control, lock him away and set up in Hellheim where you didn’t want to end up as a vrykul spirit as you’d become Kvaldir.
Last we saw of Helya was in the Shadowlands where her allegiance with the jailer had her take on the Mawwalker, the Necrolords and the primus himself…
“It is time to deprive the Jailer of his underling.
Underling?! HElya is no one’s underling! I Will not be silenced! I will not be imprisoned! My wrath shall haunt your….
RRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH”
He banished her from the shadowlands back to Helheim and so apparently she’s active once more, trying to lay claim upon this crystal. This is also why I found interesting that the valkyr heard and answered the call of Cyrce as they’re woven into this whole Odyn, Helya storyline.
Then the third group of enemies, that would be the Darktide naga..
You might recall fighting them during battle for Azeroth and once more their allegiance is to their queen as they apologize to her upon death. They also make mention that they won’t leave without Cyrce’s prize, not again! so some of the naga fought here or recall the battle they had here in the past.
Last time we saw Azshara was during battle for Azeroth:
“Now go and do what you will. I tire of intermediaries and heralds. The true throne of power beckons, and I intend to claim it.”
She had tried to betray N’zoth and was punished for it until we set her free. Now N’zoth is gone so while it might not have gone according to her plans, ultimately she got what she wanted and is now a free agent once more. There’s definitely potential for underwater adventures with the leviathans mentioning the sea beneath the sea within Hallowfall.
it is within Hallowfall where we found the big chunk of Azeroth’s spirit, Beledar, and the Arathi that followed the vision of their emperor…
Potential if and when we visit the Arathi empire to see some of our current allies turned enemy when faced with the choice between us and the will of their emperor. The recently added short story also adds potential for a return to the faction war or at least a hostile old school Arathi empire.
“Now I’m crafting more healing crystals. They’ll bring solace to our Empire.
Excellent. That’s the kind of support we’ll need to bolster our troops. We could strengthen our defenses.
I didn’t hear a call to battle. I heard a hymn of healing. I don’t want to go to war again. I want to go home. We’re closer to our homelands than ever before.
We’re not going to war. IT’s coming to us. When the others seize that Crystal, we’ll need more guards.
You need to trust the earthen and the goblins. They’re not our enemies. We need to work together.
That’s the difference between you and me. You build. I protect. And mark my words: we will need that protection.”
And then of course the goblins leading the charge into the isle but we already know that the next major patch is going to revolve a lot around them as we’re finally going to the goblin capital of undermine within the patch undermined!
Future stories build up aplenty not to mention the second major crystal discovery. In Battle for Azeroth the war was on to claim as much Azerite as we could, how will these crystals fit into Xal’atath’s plans, into the ultimate fate of the prime soul within the world. That and so much more will be revealed in the future and if any cool details on the isle come forward, I’ll be sure to tell you all about it but for now thank you very much for watching everyone! Say that you want to read about all the things that we talked about today, then check out the Wowhead article in the description down below. Subscribe if you like my videos, leave a like if you enjoyed this one aaaand until next time…..see ya!
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