Thank you to @Queen_Ishura for discovering this!
A Song of the Depths
The Librarian of the Reach achievement, coming in 10.0.7, involves discovering several lore books being introduced with the patch. One of these books, A Song of the Depths, contains some major lore bombs to say the least.
Naga Written
Found among Naga of the Forbidden Reach, the book’s flavor text reads “A chilling missive written from the deep.” It speaks of a Queen whose return to power is nigh, of a Harbringer who will help bring about this reign, a prophecy, and an awakening. A great deal of the language used directly parallels the whispers of Il’gynoth, with references to the Circle of Stars, lit torches, and a broken heart that will be taken.
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.
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!
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.
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.
Speculation
While we can’t know for sure what everything in this book refers to, we can speculate.
“Our Queen” – Azshara?
Since the book appears to be written by and for Naga, we feel the most likely candidate for this is Queen Azshara, the Naga Queen. This is supported by several lines.
“Our Queen calls to us from beyond the Umbral Veil”
The last time we saw Queen Azshara, she disappeared through a Void portal. She has not been heard from since.
“She has transcended the Circle of Stars”
The first time we heard about the Circle of Stars, it was from the Il’gynoth whisper, “To find him, drown yourself in the circle of stars.” Later, we learned that the “circle of stars” is the titan facility where the Old God N’Zoth was imprisoned. We fought and defeated Azshara at the Circle of Stars.
“Only then shall our Queen return to reign over sea and sky and earth.”
During ancient times, Queen Azshara ruled over the Kaldorei Empire, the ancient Night Elf Empire that near-covered Azeroth. If anyone could be said to “return to reign” if they came back, it’s her.
“The blind queen wields a scepter of bone. From the deep, she calls forth doom.”
The Harbringer – Iridikron?
The last we heard of Iridikron, he and the other Primalists had retreated into the earth to build their strength. We know that we are heading underground in Patch 10.1. While it’s possible the Harbringer is not Iridikron specifically, he does seem to fit the hints.
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. While they toil in the deep places,
The “children of the first flesh” would be the very first Titan-forged to contract the Curse of Flesh – the Old God curse that transformed the stone creatures into mortal beings. One of Il’gynoth’s whispers directly references this curse, arguing that it makes the Old Gods the creators of many mortal races, rather than the Titans. “Flesh is his gift. He is your true creator.”
In Observational Report: Earthen, one of the Uldaman lore books, a Watcher discusses the Curse of Flesh and those Titan-forged who have fallen to it, in particular the Earthen. The report specifically refers to a race, similar to the dwarves, who remained underground. Presumably, these are the “children of the first flesh” currently being gathered by the Harbringer. By the sounds of it, these Earthen-turned-flesh may have at some point made a vow to serve the Old Gods.
The Harbinger speaks of a primal power that seeks the end of Order. Such rage can be bent to serve our ends.
This one is pretty clear. “Primal Power” – the Primalists. “Order” – the Titans. Based on this, the Primalists’ sometimes justified anger is being used to serve the Naga (and by extension, the Old Gods’) cause.
This isn’t the first hint we’ve seen of the Primalists being inadvertently aligned with the Old Gods. When discussing Iridikron, Queen Alexstrasza expressed a belief that the Earth Primal Incarnate had struck “terrible bargains” that even his fellow Incarnates are unaware of.
The Worldbreaker – Neltharion
This one isn’t even a question. That Neltharion, later Deathwing, is the Worldbreaker is well-known.
We will journey to the shores of dragon lands, to the blessed isle where the Worldbreaker first embraced the whispers.
In the animated short Dragonflight Legacies: Chapter Three, we witnessed Neltharion finally give in to the Old Gods in exchange for the power to defeat and imprison Raszageth. While there is evidence that Neltharion heard the whispers of the Old Gods even as a proto-dragon, this was the moment when he finally gave himself over to them – and this moment occurred on the Forbidden Reach, where Naga, along with this book, can be found.
The secrets he buried will strike as a dagger into the hearts of his kin!
In Patch 10.0.7, we investigate the Zskera Vaults, where Neltharion buried his secrets, discoveries, and experiments. The fact that we will be uncovering the secrets in these vaults seems to be all part of the plan!
The (Five?) Lit Torches – the Oathstones
The meaning behind the Il’gynoth whisper, “Five keys to open our way. Five torches to light our path.” feels it’s something new every expansion. Once, we were certain it referred to the Five Pillars of Creation. Later, it seemed like it could refer to the Sigils of the Shadowlands’ Covenants. Another of Il’gynoth’s whispers stated the “five lanterns” were lit at some point, but were darkened. “Five lanterns now darkened. The flames they seek will light the Masters’ way.”
So this time we’re sure the five major Dragon Oathstones that we helped relight on the Dragon Isles are the “five torches”, because,
As one storm recedes, another rises. The torches have been lit.
They must be – right? We literally just lit them.
A Dark Heart Left Broken – Azeroth?
Once again, we are reminded of a whisper of Il’gynoth. “Her heart is a crater, and we have filled it.” Compare that to the following line,
A dark heart left broken awaits the taking.
There has been a great deal of speculation about “her heart” – from Jaina to Sylvanas. One of the possibilities has always been Azeroth herself.
During Battle for Azeroth, we saw how much Azeroth suffered after the world was impaled by the sword of Sargeras. We entered the Chamber of Heart and helped Magni Bronzebeard heal the wounds of the world soul, until the defeat of N’Zoth and Magni declared that Azeroth is “free from the grasp o’ the Old Gods”. But once again, we can’t help but remember a whisper of Il’gynoth. “The king of diamonds has been made a pawn.”
Whatever Magni says, the sword of Sargeras is still firmly embedded in the planet. Is it possible that Azeroth’s heart is still broken? That her heart is a crater, ready to be taken and filled by the Old Gods, who, like the Titans, have been after the world-soul from the start?
Hunger – Galakrond Reference?
According to the book,
A hunger lost to the ages will be reclaimed.
As the first challenge that the Aspects faced, Galakrond has been at the forefront of our minds since we knew we were heading to the Dragon Isles. The ancient proto-dragon was known for his insatiable hunger, caused by the corruption of the Old Gods. The Primalists were referred to as the “children of Galakrond” in a pre-Dragonflight Game Rant interview with Jeremy Feasel and Graham Berger, and from this book, we know that the Old God aligned seek to use the Primalist cause for their own means.
The Aspects themselves never told the rest of the Dragonflights the truth about Galakrond – they chose to keep it a secret so that no other dragon attempted to gain power through cannibalism like he did. Officially, all that is known is that he is considered the “progenitor of dragonkind”.
Even if we don’t see Galakrond himself make a return, it’s hard to imagine “hunger lost to the ages” referring to anything other than the hunger that consumed Galakrond. Perhaps we will see Iridikron transformed in time?
The Final Prophecy – Dark Titan Azeroth?
Now, the following speculation is absolutely the weakest, because it’s based on the assumption that all previous speculation is correct – which is seldom the case.
When these things come to pass, the Harbinger will fulfill the final prophecy and complete the awakening.
If Iridikron is the Harbinger, and we see him reclaim Galakrond’s hunger, and it is Azeroth’s broken heart that is vulnerable, surely that would give Iridikron all the power and opportunity he needs to “fulfill the final prophecy and complete the awakening”. The Il’gynoth whisper “From the earth, he draws strength. Our earth. Our strength.” could absolutely apply to Iridikron, the Earth Primalist Incarnate.
“At the hour of her third death, she will usher in our coming.”
This could be Azeroth. And “complete the awakening” could be referring to the “awakening” of Azeroth.
The first “death” a reference to the terrible wound that created the Well of Eternity. The second “death”, the sword of Sargeras. After a third “death” – will that make her finally completely vulnerable to the Old Gods’ influence? Will Azeroth become the very thing Sargeras was trying to prevent all along – a Dark Titan, Void-aligned rather than a being of Order?
