Cataclysm Preview: Goblins and Worgen

One of the things that is getting people most excited about the upcoming Cataclysm expansion for the World of Warcraft are the new playable races being added to the game. Similar to the Burning Crusade expansion where Blizzard added Blood Elves and Draenei to the game, in Cataclysm they are adding Goblins for the horde, and Worgen for Alliance players.

Goblins joined the Horde?

Many people are quite confused about the introduction of Goblins as a playable Horde race. We all know the Goblins of Gadgetzan, Everlook and Booty Bay are neutral after all, and many are concerned that these areas will be off limits for Alliance in Cataclysm. The good news is that these areas will remain neutral as they have always been.

The goblins have a long history in Warcraft lore. They first joined the Horde during the Second War, supplying them with weapons and destructive machinery in return for spoils of war. This didn’t work out too well for the goblins though, and after this the Trade Princes ordered no more exclusive alliances with the races of Azeroth. They have remained neutral ever since, trading with and working for both the Horde and Alliance out of their neutral towns around Kalimdor, Eastern Kingdoms and Outland.

With the arrival of Deathwing in Azeroth and the terrible Cataclysm he is visiting upon the world, the goblins have found themselves in peril after centuries of relatively peaceful living. After a volcano erupted on Kezan, a devious Trade Prince promised the goblins passage off the isle in return for all of their money. After taking their gold he actually tried to sell them into slavery. Their ship ran into trouble, however, when it met with several Alliance ships attacking a single Horde ship off the coast of Kalimdor. They got caught in the crossfire resulting in a shipwreck, and the goblins made a new home for themselves on the Lost Isles. In desperate need of protection, these goblins have once again joined the Horde.

Background on Worgen

The worgen are a far more mysterious race and their origins and how they end up joining the Alliance is still the subject of debate. Most mentions of the worgen in Warcraft lore refer to the original race as terrifying, savage creatures from another dimension that were brought to Azeroth by at least two different people. The night elf Velinde Starsong who used a powerful artifact known as the Scythe of Elune to summon worgen as a weapon against the Burning Legion in Felwood, and Archmage Arugal, who managed to summon worgen to fight the Scourge. In both cases the worgen went out of control, but in Arugal’s case he stayed with the worgen and also created more of his own, half-breed worgen that remain human throughout the day and change form only at night.

Although Arugal was eventually killed by the Horde, he was resurrected and brought to Northrend by agents of the Lich King. He went on to create more of his own worgen there in Grizzly Hills. The main difference between these worgen and the others are that they can change form at will, no longer requiring nightfall.

Of course, all of these different kinds of worgen can be seen as somewhat savage, so many are left wondering exactly how the worgen will join the alliance. The official story is that playable worgen come from the city of Gilneas, which due to its close proximity to Shadowfang Keep, picked up the worgen curse while Arugal was resident there and its citizens – who were already quite isolated - retreated even further into isolation. In the official release information, there are hints that the worgen may have a connection to the night elves and a druidic order in ancient history. Whatever their origin, many people think that the only way worgen can become playable is if a cure such as the one mentioned by Alphus Wordwill is found, that removes the bloodthirst and yet leaves the transformation intact, enabling worgen to live among the other races in relative peace. Some sort of cure is also hinted at in the official release notes.

Summary

Although the background of both these races is extremely complex, the goblins and worgen will be added to the game in Cataclysm for their respective factions to play. Information regarding what racial traits may be inherent to these races and what classes they may excel at is yet to be seen but the lore will certainly be interesting to play through.

Check out Zygor's Gudies if you are ready to take your Alliance character to the next level and to be ready for Cataclysm.