Fractures in Time: Time Rifts Lore Companion
Azerwrath Still Has a Resistance
Azerwrath is the alternative timeline where the Legion won – Illidan Stormrage is Lord-Regent of Kalimdor, and Malfurion Stomrage died young. And yet, somehow, there is still a resistance on Azerwrath.
During a Time Rift with Legion invaders, it’s possible to be approached by Ellemayne, a badly-scarred yet still uncorrupted Night Elf member of the Suramarian Resistance. At what is no doubt great risk to herself, she’s journeyed to our timeline to smuggle Tyrande a map of Suramar and ask for her help.
Ellemayne entrusts us with the map – a bit of a mistake since we take it straight to Soridormi instead. (Look, she’s the one we’re building reputation with at the moment, not Tyrande.)
<Soridormi looks at you in a perplexed manner as you hand her a map to Suramar. Her expression changes as you explain the circumstances.>
Incredible. This world has been under the rule of the Legion for ten thousand years, yet still there is a resistance.
I wish we could help them, but we cannot interfere with another timeway.
A horrible answer, I know.
Afterwards, we can examine the map ourselves, and even ask if we can at least go help with the resistance. Soridormi’s answer is short and final.
Map to Suramar
<You look over the map given to you by a member of the resistance in Azewrath.
The map shows a similar shielded area to the Suramar of your timeline.
The coastline of this Broken Isles looks different however, as if something gargantuan crushed the land around it.
An X marks where to make contact with the resistance.>
Soridormi, can I assist the resistance on Azewrath?
Soridormi says: No.
Hearthstone’s The Ancient One in Azq’roth
Azq’roth is the alternative timeline where the Black Empire never fell and the Old Gods rule. In this timeline, after defeating the Fury of N’Zoth, it’s possible to discover a Chipped Stone Tablet. After bringing the tablet to Soridormi, we find we are able to read the inscription ourselves.
The tablet makes a reference to The Hunger Games – it describes a “familial relation” to a “tribute” offering to take that sacrifice’s place. The heroic deed was to stop the tribute from being fed to “the Ancient One”.
In Hearthstone, the Ancient One is one of the Old Gods’ generals, and it is considered their greatest creation. Even after its death, the Ancient One can be summoned back to life with enough of its blood. We wonder if our own timeline had an Ancient One that could potentially be resurrected the same way…
Chipped Stone Tablet
<The script is unfamiliar, but as you stare at it, its meaning becomes known. The experience gives you a mild headache.>
We gave tribute today, as we do every day. The Ancient One continues its meditation. The hunger of the Ancient One must be sated.
Strange day today. A familial relation to our tribute ran up and asked to replace our intended sacrifice.
Of course, I thought they wanted the honor of pleasing the Ancient One. Yet when it gibbered and pleaded, it seemed as if it felt they should save our intended tribute.
Azmourne Might Be a Threat
During a Time Rift invasion from Azmourne, players can find and return the Azmourne’s Corrupted Ashbringer to Soridormi, who places the blade on display along with a note.
Apparently, this particular Corrupted Ashbringer was even more powerful than our own. Perhaps this isn’t all that surprising, considering that the blade comes from a world where the Lich King won and overran Azeroth with the plague of undeath, but it does seem to worry Soridormi.
She mentions that it’s probably wise to “keep an eye on this timeway”. An off-handed comment that isn’t too concerning… until you consider the fact that someone from our timeline invading alternate Draenor kicked off the events of Warlords of Draenor, and that an invader from that timeline into ours kicked off the events of Legion.
Azmourne’s Corrupted Ashbringer
<The necromantic energies once present in this sword have been removed.
You see a small note from Soridormi next to the weapon:
“After assisting in cleansing this sword, Baron Silver noted differences between this variant blade and our Ashbringer.
Prior to the variant blade’s redemption at the Battle Of Light’s Hope, it emanated more energy than our version.
Quite disconcerting. We should definitely keep an eye on this timeway.”>
We Might Be a Threat to Azmerloth
Speaking of timeline invaders, there is just the smallest hint that someone from our timeline may be up to no good in Azmerloth.
After we visit Azmerloth, Alulgultasza de Urgl-Blalul – Azmerloth’s Murloc version of Queen Alexstrasza – visits our own timeline to talk with Alexstrasza who – as it turns out – speaks Murloc. Apparently, this visit is a mission of diplomacy – the Murloc Dragon Queen complains about invaders from our timeline and asks us to put a stop to it.
Soridormi mostly brushes off the complaint, saying it’s just time echoes, and she’s probably right. As the Bronze Dragon Prime Consort of Nozdormu, she probably knows more about the timeways than we ever will.
Still, we can’t help but be curious. Back during the story of Thaldraszus, we chased Chromie and the Infinite Dragon Eternus through various alternative and timelines, including Azmerloth. To thank her for helping Chromie, Nozdormu allowed Eternus to leave unscathed afterwards. No doubt the Infinite Dragonflight already knew about Azmerloth, but is it possible Eternus noticed something when she was there – something worth invading that timeline for?
Alexstrasza the Life-Binder says: People from our timeline and others have been invading their timeway… She asked for peace, I accepted.
Soridormi says: We have no reports of missing people. Likely, time echoes are responsible, Given the current state of the timeways, I’d expect to see them eventually.
Alexstrasza the Life-Binder says: Time… echoes? Right, I will leave this matter in your capable hands. Soridormi, <player>, it has been a pleasure,
Wait… What Did Happen to Ulderoth’s World Soul?
Ulderoth is the Titan timeline – a utopia where there’s no shadow, no corruption, just Order and Life. This is honestly a little odd itself, since we know that our current timeline – not this alternative – is the one that the Titans consider to be the correct one.
The items we find related to this time mostly show evidence of an entire world where beasts rule, in the style of Sholazar Basin or Un’Goro Crater. When we bring a Time-Displaced Titanic Disc to Soridormi, she briefly wonders what happened to Ulderoth’s World Soul.
Soridormi says: This disc came from a world where large beasts rule. I suspect it is quite dangerous for those who live there.
Soridormi says: Perhaps Freya, or someone like her, overwhelmed the land with primordial creatures. Maybe it’s similar to Sholazar or Un’Goro?
Soridormi says: Hmm, if the Titans cleansed the world of its corruption, I wonder what happened to Azeroth’s World Soul?
Soridormi says: Ah, sorry. This often happens with temporal archaeology. You can speculate until your wings are weary.
Soridormi might wisely realize that once you begin speculating you might never stop, but we can’t help ourselves. What did happen to Ulderoth’s World Soul? Did it even have one? If there’s an Azeroth right there that belonged to them all along, then surely they would have claimed any World Soul it might have had long ago. So why our Azeroth, our timeline, our World Soul?
Soridormi’s right. Once we start speculating it’s really hard to stop.
