This analysis references events that occur during the Dawn of the Infinite Dungeon. For those who haven’t played through the dungeon, or need a refresher on the story, check out our lore guide:
Dawn of the Infinite: Lore Companion
Dawn of the Infinite Finale
The cinematic begins with celebration as Chrono-Lord Deios falls, defeated. By stopping the Infinite Dragonflight, Chromie believes we’ve put a stop to the rise of Murozond – at least for now.
Chromie’s celebration is interrupted when Iridikron appears. He challenges Chromie about the Titans and her perspective on the “true timeline”. As he does, he holds up the relic we saw him with earlier, promising that someone called the “Harbinger” will pry our world from the Titans’ grasp – and that he will be waiting for them when the Titans return. Finally, he leaves through a void portal – as he does, a figure can be seen standing with him.
Chromie: We did it! Our future is secured!
Iridikron: Tell me, little one, have you ever questioned why the Titans preserve this timeline?
Chromie: The Titans safeguard our world from monsters like you!
Iridikron: Your faith means nothing to them. As you burn in the flames of my brother’s wrath, they will not come. All they wanted was our world. With this, the Harbinger will pry it from their grasp. And when the Titans come to reclaim their prize, I will be waiting.
Why This Timeline?
The Bronze Dragonflight’s sacred duty, entrusted to them by the Titans, is to preserve the one true timeline and make sure events happen the way they’re supposed to. This theme is at the forefront in Fractures of Time, as players are recruited to help the Bronze Dragonflight in this task – from entering and closing Time Rifts to helping Chromie with dailies correcting various time anomalies. However, as the Time Rifts themselves make clear, other timelines exist. The world that we know exists in a Multiverse that contains many timelines – We’ve even traveled to and recruit from the one that contains alternate Draenor.
We also know that terrible things must happen in our timeline in order to preserve it – we’ve assisted the Bronze Dragonflight with making sure the Dark Portal opens and Stratholme is purged before, and we assist with some equally dark moments in this patch. Preserving the timeline isn’t about preventing terrible things from happening – because sometimes they must happen. So why is it this timeline that the Titans want to preserve? Though Iridikron is the villain, his question is a valid one.
According to Iridikron, “All they wanted was our world”. Azeroth – not the planet, but the sleeping Titan within. We know that it is possible for Old Gods to infect a world soul and corrupt it, causing the birth of a Dark Titan, and that the Titans fear this happening to Azeroth – Sargeras feared it so much, he planned to eliminate all life rather than allow it to happen. The “true timeline”, therefore, must be the timeline in which Azeroth is not corrupted but rather is born as a Titan – the Titans’ preferred outcome.
The Flames of Fyrakk’s Wrath
Iridikron promises that we will burn in the flames of his brother’s wrath, indicating the next arc of Dragonflight’s story. As we know from the Dawn of the Infinite’s epilogue, Fyrakk, the Fire Incarnate, has his sights set on Amirdrassil, the new World Tree that’s growing out of the Emerald Dream.
A World Tree on fire is a devastatingly familiar one. The Burning of Teldrassil is one of World of Warcraft’s most tragic events. And once again, there is a cutting truth to Iridikron’s words. When Teldrassil burned, one thing that shocked the Night Elves was the fact that their goddess, Elune, did not intervene. Though Elune is not a Titan, she is a being of similar power and possibly origin – just associated with Life rather than Order.
In the same way, Iridikron is probably right about the Titans not intervening if Amirdrassil burns, no matter how many Dragons who are loyal to the Titans die. There does seem to be evidence that the Titans will stop tragedy if we are affected – only if it’s a threat to them and their “one, true timeline”.
The tree is still new, still vulnerable, and the Green Dragonflight’s new leader, Merithra, is still largely untested, while Fyrakk has been recently empowered with Shadowflame. The situation is dire, and will require all our attention, which seems to be the point. Iridikron wants us distracted.
Iridikron’s Relic
Iridikron holds up a relic, telling us that someone called “the Harbinger” will use this relic to pry the world from the Titans’ grasp. We will speak more about the Harbinger in a moment, but let’s first look at the relic.
During the Dawn of the Infinite Dungeon, we find Iridikron siphoning Galakrond’s essence into this relic. When she sees it, Chromie claims it reminds her of a Dragon Soul, but even more ancient.
Chromie says: He’s siphoning Galakrond’s essence into a… vessel?
Chromie says: It looks kinda like the Dragon Soul, but even more ancient.
Iridikron yells: A hunger lost to the ages. One which I shall reclaim!
The Dragon Soul was one of the single most powerful relics in World of Warcraft’s history. Chromie’s comparison suggests this relic is something to be taken seriously. And now that we can take a closer look at it, we can see that this relic is Void-aligned.
A Song of the Depths
Before we can go further, it’s worth noting how Iridikron’s words call to mind a prophecy we read in Patch 10.0.7 – Return to the Forbidden Reach.
In the lore book A Song of the Depths, the Naga explain why they have journeyed to the Forbidden Reach. This book talks about “the Harbinger” and “a hunger lost to the ages”, and seems to predict the exact same series of events that Iridikron is alluding to.
Page 1
Rise, rise! Our Queen calls to us from beyond the Umbral Veil. She has transcended the Circle of Stars and basks in her eternal grandeur!
The time we have long awaited is nigh.
Even now, the Harbinger gathers the children of the first flesh to reclaim what was lost. They must remember their vows and serve those to whom they owe fealty.
Page 2
While they toil in the deep places, we will journey to the shores of dragon lands, to the blessed isle where the Worldbreaker first embraced the whispers.
As one storm recedes, another rises. The torches have been lit. The secrets he buried will strike as a dagger into the hearts of his kin!
Page 3
The Harbinger speaks of a primal power that seeks the end of Order. Such rage can be bent to serve our ends.
A hunger lost to the ages will be reclaimed.
A dark heart left broken awaits the taking.
Page 4
When these things come to pass, the Harbinger will fulfill the final prophecy and complete the awakening.
Only then shall our Queen return to reign over sea and sky and earth. We must make ready.
Rise, rise! Soon all that was hidden will be revealed.
Galakrond’s Hunger
We’ve speculated before that the “hunger lost to the ages” referred to Galakrond’s hunger. Iridikron repeating the same line as he absorbs Galakrond’s essense into his relic confirms this. But what does that mean about Iridikron?
Galakrond was the largest dragon ever to live – he’s so massive, just his head alone takes up a serious portion of the Dawn of the Infinite map. His size was caused by his insatiable hunger – a hunger that was the result of his corruption by the Old Gods. Galakrond’s hunger, so powerful he began to eat his fellow dragons, was the first great threat the Dragon Aspects faced. If Iridikron has harnassed Galakrond’s power, he is destined to become at least as large as the behemoth, a terrifying (and, if we’re being honest, incredibly exciting) prospect.
The Harbinger – Xal’atath?
When we first read about the Harbinger in A Song of the Depths, we speculated it was Iridikron. Since Iridikron also speaks of the Harbinger, this is clearly not the case. What does seem likely is that the Harbinger is the mysterious figure standing with Iridikron in this cinematic. As Iridikron walks through the portal, the shadow of what appears to be a female elf can be briefly seen.
According to Iridikron, the Harbinger is the one who will pry the soul of Azeroth from the Titans’ grasp. According to the Naga, the Harbringer will “fulfill the final prophecy and complete the awakening.” We believe that this Harbinger must be Xal’atath.
Xal’atath is the Void entity once bound within the Legion Shadow Priest artifact, Xal’atath, Blade of the Black Empire. With the help of the player and a deal with N’Zoth, she freed herself from the blade during Battle for Azeroth. It is here where we first saw her take on the form of a Void Elf. There is a lot to suggest Xal’atath is extremely powerful – it’s been speculated that she is an Old God, perhaps even the fifth imprisoned Old God mentioned in The Old Gods and the Ordering of Azeroth (Annotated) – or perhaps she’s an even more powerful being, something between an Old God and a Void Lord.
The figure that can just be seen beyond the Void portal, next to Iridikron, reminds us of the last time we saw Xal’atath.
Azeroth’s Fate
Iridikron describes the Harbinger prying Azeroth from the Titans’ grasp – an act that will cause them to try “reclaim” their prize. Once again, we refer to a line from A Song of the Depths,
A hunger lost to the ages will be reclaimed.
A dark heart left broken awaits the taking.
The first line appears to be about the Primalists, their rage at their unfair treatment. The second refers to Iridikron reclaiming Galakrond’s hunger. The third line, we believe, refers to Azeroth.
The imagery of a dark and broken heart reminds us of an old whisper of Il’gynoth. “Her heart is a crater, and we have filled it.” At the time, Azeroth was badly injured and seemed vulnerable to the Old Gods’ corruption, but we helped heal her – at least, we appeared to. Azeroth still remains wounded, however – a rather large sword is sticking out of her. She may be far more vulnerable than we believe. With the right power, perhaps the Harbinger can pry her away from the Titans’ influence and claim her for the Void.
If they did, Iridikron is correct: The Titans, who might ignore something like a burning World Tree, would arrive very quickly if it looked like they were about to lose Azeroth.
According to the Naga,
When these things come to pass, the Harbinger will fulfill the final prophecy and complete the awakening.
The awakening cannot be anything but Azeroth’s awakening – except rather than being born as a new Titan, Iridikron and the Harbinger seem to have planned to ensure she become a Dark Titan instead.
We may have stopped the Infinite Dragonflight – for the moment at least – but by letting Iridikron escape… the ultimate fate of Azeroth herself may soon change forever.
