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Guide Entry: The Earthen of Khaz Algar (Species; Sentient, Azeroth)

Much like the other titan-forged folk encountered in many places across Azeroth, the Earthen of Khaz Algar are creations of the Titan Keepers formed from living stone. However, unlike other creations of the Keepers, the story of these earthen has taken quite a different series of turns!

Based upon information derived from records uncovered in the Titan facility of Uldaman, we now know that these earthen were originally a detachment sent by the Keepers to investigate an anomalous geological formation that had been detected within a fissure located in Khaz Algar, known then by the Titan-forged as Sector AR-938.

As time passed, the earthen of Khaz Algar started to exhibit behaviors similar to those found in the races affected by the ‘Curse of the Flesh.’ The level of similarity in behavior was such, despite the geographical distance and lack of interaction between the groups, that the Keepers themselves noted it as highly unusual. However, despite the changes in behavior, attitude, and language (including their renaming of Sector AR-938 to Khaz Algar), these earthen have stayed physiologically distinct and retained their stony forms.

For more information, see the following:

Notable Locations: Isle of Dorn Dornogal The Coreway The Ringing Deeps Gundargaz Notable Groups: Oathsworn Machine Speakers Unbound Stormriders Council of Dornogal Miscellaneous: The Awakening Machine

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Guide Entry: The Second Destruction of Dalaran (Major Event; Catastrophe)

Image of Dalaran's Fall via Quark's recording mechanisms.

Khaz Algar was rediscovered due to the ongoing machinations of the powerful void-aligned entity known as the Harbinger, later revealed to be Xal'atath. In response, the champions of Azeroth along with the Kirin Tor proceeded to teleport the great city of Dalaran to the new lands’ shores. However, this action apparently played right into Xal'atath's hands and was the catalyst for the city's second, and likely final, destruction.

Osbern aids in the defense of the city.

After its arrival, the city was invaded and besieged by an unknown Neuribian queen and her army, aided by numerous portals opened by Xal'atath.

Invading Nerubians

After abducting numerous citizens and bystanders, the Neuribians withdrew underground through these portals. Shortly after, city was destroyed by Xal’atath in a massive explosion (or implosion) of void energies.

Nerubian abduction of citizens and defenders

This destruction led to the loss of countless lives and the scattering of what remained of the floating city across the northwestern portion of the Isle of Dorn.

Crumbled remains of the Spire of the Guardian on the northwestern shore of the Isle of Dorn

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Guide Entry: Khaz Algar (Location; Major Landmass, Azeroth)

Outline of a travel plan for Osbern & Quark to Khaz Algar.

Khaz Algar is a once forgotten landmass located to the west of Pandaria and to southeast of the coasts of southern Kalimdor. Also known by the designation Sector AR-938 by Titan-related entities, the small area on the surface makes up only a small part of the full extent of this incredible part of the world. Indeed, the portion above ground is dwarfed by the vast underground caverns and spaces beneath. Here also is found a large population of as yet unknown earthen who have lived here for thousands of years as caretakers and guardians.

The areas found upon the surface is known as the Isle of Dorn, and its lush landscape dominated by the earthen capital of Dornogal, named for the titanic watchers Dornic and Galan who were once the earthen’s overseers.

In Dornogal, one will find the entrance to the Coreway as well as a way into the great expanse of earthen-worked machinery in the Ringing Deeps.

As one ventures further, they will emerge into Hallowfall. Here, the great crystal Beledar casts its light and shadow over the underground cavern, and the stalwart people of the Hallowfall Expedition can also be encountered. These folk hail from the hitherto unknown Arathi Empire which lies somewhere beyond the Storming Seas.

Lastly, in the deepest parts of these underground lands lies thh kingdom of Azj-Kahet, the last kingdoms of living nerubians in Azeorth. Ruled by one Queen Ansurek, much of the nobility along with their queen have allied themselves with the entity known as Xal’atath.

With luck, further exploration will yield some helpful tips for anyone traveling to these new lands! -----

An Excerpt from Guide Entry: The Second Destruction of Dalaran Khaz Algar was rediscovered due to the ongoing machinations of the powerful void-aligned entity known as the Harbinger, later revealed to be Xal'atath. In response, the champions of Azeroth along with the Kirin Tor proceeded to teleport the great city of Dalaran to the new lands’ shores. However, shortly after arrival, the city was besieged by Xal’atath and an unknown Neuribian queen and her army. After abducting numerous citizens, the Neuribians withdrew, and the city was then destroyed by Xal’atath. This destruction led to the loss of countless lives and the scattering of the city’s remains across the northwestern portion of the Isle of Dorn.

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Editor's Note: Doc & Quark have been taking some much needed R&R and doing some exploring for personal research. They apologize for the hiatus/slowness in the guide's updates, but promise to be be back as they can to bring you interesting and helpful tips on your travels in Azeroth and beyond!

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Guide Entry: The Dragonscale Expedition (Neutral Organization; Exploration & Research)

Created by the combined efforts of the famed Explorer's League from the Alliance and the illustrious Reliquary from the Horde, the Dragonscale Expedition has gathered a large, multi-talented group of professionals from across the Alliance and Horde's various members. Per the Dragon Queen's commands that no military interests or factional conflict be brought to the shores of the Isles, the Expedition has taken pride in being a collaborative effort where the pursuit of knowledge, conducting research, and endeavors in exploration far outweigh the causes for conflict and war.

Quite heartening to see, I must say!

After landing at the Waking Shores, the Expedition moved inland and quickly settled into a base of operations in the southern area of the region near its border with the sprawling grasslands of the Ohn'ahran Plains. Sensibly called Dragonscale Basecamp, the settlement is from where the various explorers, researchers, and catalogers set out into the farther reaches of the Dragon Isles.

Leading the Expedition's myriad of professionals and their ventures are two senior members of the Explorer's League and the Reliquary, the Wildhammer explorer Toddy Whiskers and the Sin'dorei researcher Naleidea Rivergleam.

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Guide Entry: The Dragonflights (Organizations; Dragons)

Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and good with 100 Year Soy Sauce. - Unknown

Attempting to fully explain and detail the immense history of dragons in Azeroth (and beyond) could likely consume many mortal lifetimes. Which is of course far longer than I or Quark shall be around. (Editor's Note: Though in retrospect, I'm not so sure about Quark.) However, given the current state of affairs in the world and recent events within the flights themselves, the Guide will here offer a comparatively brief but informative analysis of the five primary currently in existence and/or will/have/do exist at the present moment of time. (Editor's Note: For explanation of the odd grammar in the previous paragraph, see the Guide entry on the book by Historian Llore titled "Temporal Magic, Time Travel, and Tenses: A Grammatical Adventure") Of the dragons of Azeroth, there are five major flights with each being led by a powerful dragon known as an 'Aspect.' Each of these aspects and their flights were given dominion over particular facet of the powers inherent in Azeroth and reality.

Though the individuals holding these posts have changed over the millennia since the Titan's imbued the aspects and their brood with great power, at this time all five flights are led by an Aspect. The following is a succinct list of the flights, the leaders, and their areas of power: The Red Dragonflight Leader: Alexstrasza, The Life Binder & Queen of Dragons Dominion: Life & Protection of Life The Green Dragonflight Leader: Merithra of the Dream Dominion: The Emerald Dream

The Bronze Dragonflight Leader: Nozdormu the Timeless One Dominion: Mastery of Time & Safeguarding the Timeways

The Blue Dragonflight Leader: Kalecgos the Spell-Weaver Dominion: Guardians of Magic and the Arcane

The Black Dragonflight Leader: [REDACTED] Dominion: Warding of the earth and the deep places within Azeroth Aside from the primary flights, there are also a number of flights derived from these five. This includes: - The Infinite Dragonflight (An inversion of the Bronze flight) - Chromatic Dragons (A product of Deathwing and others' plots) - The Netherwing (Drakes transformed in Outland similar to above) A final note is that like the dracthyr (who inherited this ability from the flights), most dragons can assume a different form, with them often being representative of the various mortal races. If you wish for more information, further reading upon the various dragonflights and other draconic species can be found in the following works: - Draconic Compendium, Vol. I-VI - Dreaming with Dragons: The True History of the Aspects of Azeroth - Encyclopedia Azsunica (A-J) ------ With luck, this has given you some ideas of the draconic folks you might encounter while traversing the Dragon Isles and beyond. Just take a moment to memorize or at least write down the quote provided at the article's opening. It's good advice. - Dr. Osbern von Doomshmirtz & Quark

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Guide Entry: Regions of the Dragon Isles - The Waking Shores (Location, Region)

Stepping off the boat onto the Waking Shores, it is immediately apparently that the elements thrive here in their most primal state. Lava, water, wind... it's all here and very much alive! (This is quite literal in some cases, do watch out for the lava elementals that are near the Wingrest Embassy or you'll be needing a healer or a bin for ashes.) The land is alive in more than just the elements too, as the plant life and creatures are also very active, especially the numerous dragons that inhabit the Shores!

Though there is much of the architecture that lie in ruins, the majesty of these places and the stunning vistas are a sight to behold. These sights are truly magnificent when seen from the air while seated upon a dragon. With the return of both the dragonflights and mortals, many curious dragons have decided to travel with a mortal rider so that they might see the Isles. When I began my travels, I found a constant companion in a red scaled proto-drake known as Embershear. (He's quite the fiesty fellow, but I'm quite fond of him... Quark still apparently has his reservations regardless of whether he's in the air or on the ground...)

The primal energy which abounds in the Waking Shores should come as no surprise once you learn that this area of the Isles is the ancestral home of both the red and black dragonflights! For Queen Alexstraza's flight, they congregate around the Ruby Life Pools located on the eastern plateaus of the region. It is here where the red dragonflight oversees the eggs and young of the various flights as they are cared for by tenders from all flights.

In the western reaches of the region, the terrain becomes much more difficult and harsh. In this stark landscape lies Neltharus, the Obsidian Citadel. Surrounded by lava-scoured plains and molten geysers, the imposing fortress was once the seat from which the Earth-Warder defended the Isles. In these days however, the elemental half-giants known as the Djaradin (an ancient enemy of dragonkind) have claimed the abandoned bastion as their own. As I write this, there is a battle between these forces and those of Wrathion, the Black Prince for control over what the Prince claims as his ancestral birthright.

Photo by Kovacs, a Nightborne sellsword

If you continue further south, the land becomes more lush and wild among the stone pillars and running waters the dot the area.

It is here that you'll find the base camp of the Dragonscale Expedition. A leading force behind the mortal races' arrival to the Isles, the Expedition is a collaborative venture spearheaded by the Alliance's Explorer's League and the Horde's Reliquary. Having run into a number of their members, I must say that the genuine enthisasm and comradarie among folk of both the Alliance and Horde is quite heartening!

I should be adding more entries to the Guide as I travel and explore! Do keep an eye out for them! - Dr. Osbern von Doomshmirtz

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Guide Entry: Dracthyr (Sentient Species, Azeroth)

An ancient race of humanoid dragonkin, the dracthyr are gifted with the power to wield the magics of the five primary dragonflights as evokers. Like their true dragon brethren, they also can take on a humanoid visage in lieu of their draconic form.

As their origins are still being fully explained and understood by experts and regular folks alike, the Dracthyr have traveled to the lands of the Alliance and Horde to learn of the world in this age.

While they have much to learn from us, I fervently believe we have quite a lot to learn from them as well!

- Dr. Osbern von Doomshmirtz Stormwind Harbor, five days until expedition launch.

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Guide Entry: The Dragon Isles (Location, Major Landmass, Azeroth)

The Dragon Isles, also known historically as the Broodlands, are a series of islands located north-northeast from Quel'Thalas in the Eastern Kingdoms and to the east of the shores of Northrend. Few in the world today even know of them, and far, far fewer have ever stepped on the isle's shores.

Said to be a lush, primal land teeming with elemental magics and Azeroth's life energies, the isles are the ancestral homelands of dragonkind and served as their seat of power when the world was young

Hidden from the world by the a powerful object of the Titans after the Great Sundering, most dragons departed the isles and left it in the care of the titanic watchers.

The Black Prince, Wrathion has long been in search of the dragons' ancestral home but was unable to discern much about them as the other dragonflights were averse to sharing any information.

With the reemergence of the fabled Isles, there have been a noticeable change in the elements of the world and a number of places have seen incursions by large elemental forces of all kinds.

With these events occuring and the opening of the way, it has been decided that a joint venture be undertaken by the Alliance's Explorer's League and the Horde's Reliquary. Seeing this as an exploratory mission, this union of the two illustrious groups has been dubbed the Dragonscale Expedition.

With the expedition set to launch within just a few days, it's no question that more will be learned… and Quark and myself will be right there with them! - Dr. Osbern von Doomshmirtz & Quark Stormwind Harbor, City of Stormwind

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Guide Entry: The Encyclopedia Azsunica (Book, Knowledge Source)

The multi-volume Encyclopedia Azsunica used to be the standard repository of all knowledge and wisdom in Azeroth and places beyond. It covers subjects ranging from botany, such as the effects Doom Shroom plant, to distilling, as with the making of Fortified Gilnean Brandy, and even anthropology, evidenced by the writing on murloc culture and society provided by King Mrgl-Mrgl of Druids for the Ethical and Humane Treatment of Animals (D.E.H.T.A.).

However, in many of the more relaxed areas in the universe, the Guide has already supplanted the great Encyclopedia Azsunica as such a repository. For though it has many omissions and contains much that is apocryphal, or at least wildly inaccurate, it scores over the older, more pedestrian work in two important respects. First, it is slightly cheaper.

And second, it has the words DON'T PANIC inscribed in large, friendly letters on its cover.

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Guide Entry: The First Ones’ Final Message to Creation (Landmark; Point of Interest)

Sitting in the peaks of one of the many floating isles in the skies of Aurinor, there is a place where final message left by the First Ones can be found. Discovered inadvertently during one the Legion’s attempted invasions, it’s significance wasn’t really understood until recent events brought some understanding to who wrote the message. Written in fifty foot high letters of blue flame, the message is carved into the side of these peaks. The message and the pass leading to them are guarded by a decidedly odd broker from Cartel By who is named By’sol the Vexatious.  When approached, he will not allow any to pass. However, if you give him a coin of some type (seriously, any sort will do... even a bottlecap), he’ll allow you to go ahead.

Once you can see the message in all its splendor, it reads as follows:

'We apologize for the inconvenience.”

Scholars, philosophers, and the like are all still much confused by its meaning, and they will no doubt continue arguing over it until the end of time.

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The crossroads at Waynecrypt Hill in the Forest Ward of Revendreth.

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Osbern flies north over Maldraxxus towards the necropolis of Zerekriss.

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* STATIC *

“Um, yes. Hello? Is this thing functioning?”

< loud mechanical squawking noises erupt in the background > 

“Okay, okay. I get it, Quark. It’s working... Ah, hello readers, explorers, hitchhikers, and so on! Just wanted to send word that I am, in fact, NOT dead. Instead, I’m quite alive and kicking, as the saying goes...” < an irritated mechanical squawk interrupts the speaker >  “Oh right. Quark is also alive and kicking... as much as a mechano-rooster is really livi- OUCH!.”

< a heavy sigh comes across the radio>

“Yes, Quark is alive.”

“I have, however, been in the afterlife, the Shadowlands to be precise, for the past year and a half. To say it’s been interesting would be understatement of the highest order of magnitude...”

*MORE STATIC *

< speaking loudly over the rising static noise >

“Ah, seems the connection is still a bit out of sorts! Ah well, I’ll return soon with a bundle of new entries for the Guide!

“Osbern and Quark, out!”

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Guide Entry: Bizmo’s Brawlpub (Location, Entertainment)

Found under the Stormwind City's station of the Deeprun Tram, the enterprising gnome Bizmo runs his Brawlpub, where groups of battle-hungry fighters have gathered creatures from all over Azeroth, Outland and beyond to participate in bloody arena deathmatches with heroes of the Alliance!

- A small blurb found on the reverse of this flyer

While the running joke of the number one rule of the Brawlpub is you don’t talk about the Brawlpub, the pitched battles that take place beneath the Stormwind station of the Deeprun Tram are widely known and often participated in to the great delight (and sometimes drunken anger) of a myriad of spectators. Featuring fighters from all over the known world and beyond, many an Alliance hero have tested their mettle against foes such as Bruce the Crocolisk, Grampa Grumplefoot, THE DOOMFLIPPER, one Bill the Janitor, and the legendary Epicus Maximus! For those who would like to just watch and not partake, the Guide cautions that sometimes spectators can get quite rowdy... and start fights of their own in the stands. So do be careful and watch for flying bottles or bits of unidentifiable food.

On that note, the bar is quite well stocked and it’s barkeep quite the mixologist. For those who want a drink with a kick, I definitely suggest a Banana Cocktail made by Barkeep Townsley.

So, if you happen to be taking the tram to or from Stormwind, I daresay it’s a stop you might want to make! - Assistant Editors Note:  BZZZZT. Blingtron 3000 owes me 50 gold and three cogwheels! 

Calculating options... Calculating... Subroutine: Activated... Loading: Payback_Function.exe

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Guide Entry: Leadership

On the subject of leadership, the Hitchhiker’s Guide to Azeroth has this to say:

“The major problem—one of the major problems, for there are several—one of the many major problems with governing people is that of whom you get to do it; or rather of who manages to get people to let them do it to them. 

To summarize: it is a well-known fact that those people who must want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it. 

To summarize the summary: anyone who is capable of getting themselves made Warchief or High King should on no account be allowed to do the job.”

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Thanks to a rather artistic friend, I managed to secure these two watercolor works! Kul Tiras truly is an amazingly beautiful place!

- Osbern