Thrall - Christie Golden [117]
NOTES
The story you’ve just read is based in part on characters, situations, and settings from Blizzard Entertainment’s computer game World of Warcraft, an online role-playing experience set in the award-winning Warcraft universe. In World of Warcraft, players create their own heroes and explore, adventure in, and quest across a vast world shared with thousands of other players. This rich and expansive game also allows players to interact with and fight against or alongside many of the powerful and intriguing characters featured in this novel.
Since launching in November 2004, World of Warcraft has become the world’s most popular subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game. The latest expansion, Cataclysm, sold more than 3.3 million copies within its first 24 hours of release, making it the fastest-selling PC game of all time and surpassing the previous record held by World of Warcraft’s second expansion, Wrath of the Lich King. More information about the Cataclysm expansion and upcoming content, which continues the story of Azeroth where this novel ends, can be found on WorldofWarcraft.com.
FURTHER READING
If you’d like to read more about the characters, situations, and settings featured in this novel, the sources listed below offer additional pieces of the story of Azeroth.
• The Cataclysm recently altered the physical and political landscape of Azeroth forever. The events preceding this catastrophe, including the death of Thrall’s close friend Cairne Bloodhoof, are depicted in World of Warcraft: The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm by Christie Golden.
• Thrall makes the difficult decision to step down as Horde warchief and focus on the elemental instability affecting Azeroth in World of Warcraft: The Shattering by Christie Golden. Other details concerning Thrall’s past, such as his time as warchief, his slavery under Aedelas Blackmoore, and his friendship with Taretha Foxton, are portrayed in Warcraft: Lord of the Clans and World of Warcraft: Rise of the Horde by Christie Golden, World of Warcraft: Cycle of Hatred by Keith R. A. DeCandido, Sarah Pine’s short story, “Garrosh Hellscream: Heart of War” (on www.WorldofWarcraft.com), Warcraft: Legends, volume 2, “Fear” by Richard A. Knaak and Kim Jae-Hwan, and issues #15–20 of the monthly World of Warcraft comic book by Walter and Louise Simonson, Jon Buran, Mike Bowden, Phil Moy, Walden Wong, and Pop Mhan.
• Before succumbing to the corrupting influence of the Old Gods, Deathwing was known as Neltharion the Earth-Warder, the respected Aspect of the black dragonflight. His sudden chilling betrayal of the other dragonflights is revealed in the War of the Ancients trilogy (Warcraft: The Well of Eternity, Warcraft: The Demon Soul, and Warcraft: The Sundering) by Richard A. Knaak. A number of his other schemes can be seen in Warcraft: Day of the Dragon and World of Warcraft: Night of the Dragon, also by Richard A. Knaak, World of Warcraft: Beyond the Dark Portal by Aaron Rosenberg and Christie Golden, and the Shadow Wing series by Richard A. Knaak and Kim Jae-Hwan.
• You can find more information about Alexstrasza, Ysera, Nozdormu, Malygos, and their respective dragonflights in the War of the Ancients trilogy, Warcraft: Day of the Dragon, World of Warcraft: Night of the Dragon, and World of Warcraft: Stormrage by Richard A. Knaak.
• The creation of a clutch of malefic twilight dragons by Deathwing’s former consort, Sinestra, is shown in World of Warcraft: Night of the Dragon by Richard A. Knaak.
• The strong-willed orc Aggra first encountered Thrall during his stay in Nagrand while searching for answers to Azeroth’s elemental instability. This meeting, as well as further development of their relationship and Aggra’s decision to accompany Thrall back to Azeroth, is explored in World of Warcraft: The Shattering by Christie Golden.
• You can read about the wise tauren Muln Earthfury and the beliefs that guide him and his fellow Earthen Ring shaman in World of Warcraft: Shaman by Paul Benjamin and Rocio