I’ve been playing The War Within and a big part of what I’m loving about the expansion are the discussions and theories about what certain things mean and where they could lead. Healthy speculation and discussion is fun! I created a speculation thread last yearthat while a lot of the details of how things would pan out were off, the general gist of it is there - A big sword that has been the catalyst for something that’s leaking black blood and corrupting beings around it.
So with that said, I cannot help but keep thinking about T’uure this whole time, and how a lot of threads that we are exploring in game and will experience throughout the Worldsoul saga might connect to this single Naaru.
Who is T’uure? T’uure was a Naaru, a very powerful being of Light that while in battle with the All-Devouring Void lord Dimensius, sacrificed itself and made Dimensius retreat.
However, when this being of Light died, it was so powerful that it exploded into a Holy Nova sending shards of the Naaru flying. Dimensius has not been seen again. We also know that during their lifespans, when close to dying, the Naaru start flickering into a Void state.
And this is where we enter the part where I speculate about the Lore.
There is no information about how the Light reached Azeroth. We do know however that Mereldar, a very long time ago, was able to reach into the light and receive guidance, visions, powers. Mereldar was a human that fought in the Troll Wars and belonged to the Arathi empire. This Arathi empire has been splintered off and lives beyond the Storming Sea and at least part of the empire has received the High Elves into their fold.
We have been learning that while Azeroth has spoken to Magni, the Radiant Song is told to be something else entirely. Magni himself tells us that it’s not Azeroth, it feels different. Radiant Song.
On page 3 of the Prophet’s Lesson short story, we learn that this Radiant Song might not be a new thing. Anduin himself has experienced it and the description itself reads very, very similar to descriptions and how we have been experiencing the Radiant Song:
"And then, a sound. At first it was merely a vibration in the night, yet even that slight disturbance of the air was pure and strong and clean. A glow began, then several; the vibration became many, all in different tones, and the sights and sounds coalesced into an ascending tide of rainbow and melody. Beings of Light surrounded Anduin, rescuing him from the dark and singing to him of hope in a chorus that restored the universe. In the midst of it all, the face of one of the refugees appeared, a man the prince had seen many times but whose name he did not know. The beings around Anduin said (sang), “Each life, a universe.”
We have learnt so far that a group of Arathi decided to venture across the Storming Sea at the behest of their Emperor after he was called by the Light. These are the Arathi we meet in Hollowfall. Finding protection under Beledar.
We see the themes of darkness being pushed back by the light a lot throughout the zone. Be it Beledar swapping between Light and Void. Be it the massive lighthouses throughout the zone or the flames we have to ignite around the northen part.
And then we see the title/term of “Torch Bearers” mentioned at times. Be it in a more formal way or in a more casual way to signify someone just simply carrying a torch and helping those in the darkness around Hollowfall.
When I started thinking about T’uure, I decided to read more about this Naaru and it led me to it’s Wowpedia page and the very first thing you’re presented with is a quote. A quote found in the description of the Staff by the same name as the Naaru:
“Blessed are the torchbearers, who bring the light to darkness.”
And on top of that, the staff has a sub-title: Beacon of the Naaru.
While it could imply it simply being a beacon of Light, it could be a beacon in a more literal sense. A waypoint to be used for guidance.
Time to piece things together -
There’s a planet. Karkora. During a battle in the battle T’uure sacrifices itself to push back against Dimensius. A Holy Nova causes shards to be flung in the process (some races find shards and wield them). One of those shards possibly is flung across the Great Beyond. We know that shards of Light flying across the universe is how planets are infused with Light.
One of the shards lands in Azeroth. I can’t place a time or date on it so Arathi didn’t exist at the same yet or maybe the Sundering had already happened and they were on the other side of the planet when it crash landed in Azeroth.
Maybe it was dormant. Maybe it was injured. But when a Naaru is injured or weakened it starts going into it’s Void State.
Maybe this Naaru was silent, dormant until something colossal around it happened that made it wake up. Or maybe even actually hit it in the process. Maybe a giant sword that belonged to a Titan previously.
Thus causing the remnant of this Naaru to now awake and plead for help OR reaching out to the world through song to provide help to push back against another calamity.
However, we are also slowly learning that… Titans? Old Gods? May actually not be as powerful as Void Lords. And a certain Void Lord has retreated into the Twisting Nether a while back and hasn’t been seen yet.
We do know this Saga will culminate in a big battle between Light and the Void. We have seen information that points to a potential Ethereal raid.
And we have been told that the Titans have been lying to us. How exactly we don’t know yet but it could be that Azeroth itself is not a benevolent Worldsoul because of them nurturing her but because she was infused by Light and benevolence through a shard of T’uure after it’s sacrifice.
So, to me, it feels like we might be dealing with Dimensius soon enough and Beledar, has a huge role to play as the story unfolds and it helps Azeroth and characters fight against Dimensius.
Xal’atath seemed to be just a weapon a few expansions back. The weapon T’uure could play the same role but on the opposite side of the planes. Void ↔ Light. A counter-part. One does not exist without the other. Shadreen, the Ethereal, has told us she serves a greater Master. Maybe Xal’atath herself serves one too and who best to play the part than Dimensius.
This is all just speculation of course but I’d love to hear what your thoughts are!