In Lorenhall, the new area of World of Warcraft, not all races are treated equally – the players notice this too.
What about the races? Patch 11.1 Lorenhalt is full of details and focuses heavily on the story of the Goblins. They have never really been in the spotlight and have mostly been minor appearances in side quests. With the capital Lorenhall, however, this has changed and Blizzard has given them a large, vibrant city as a playable area. Visitors, however, do not have it easy – and one race in particular does not. Gnomes are actively despised by the residents.
How does this manifest? In the WoW subreddit, player Utigarde noticed that his character is sometimes treated oddly. At first, he thought this was the case for all characters of different races, but then he realized: It’s only Gnomes that are affected. Because they are actively bullied by the Goblin NPCs.
Many Goblin NPCs deviate from their actual path to intentionally walk towards Gnome characters, show them a brief insulting gesture, and then continue on their way. There seems to be a deep-seated dislike involved.
Where does this conflict come from? The fact that Goblins and Gnomes are in constant conflict runs through the entire lore of Warcraft. On one hand, it’s because they are quite similar in their “function.” They are both a small race that takes on technological achievements for their faction. Therefore, they are mostly in competition over who can create the better, more efficient, or simply deadlier invention.
This conflict can also be found in game mechanics. Engineers have always been able to choose between a Goblin and a Gnome specialization. With Goblins, everything usually explodes one way or another, while with Gnomes, there are almost always quirky effects and something gets mind-controlled or turned into a sheep.
This is how the community reacts: Players find this detail deliciously amusing and think that WoW clearly needs more such quirks. Especially when it comes to Gnomes:
- “All NPCs should do this in every area.” – Frydendahl
- “Wait, you people don’t regularly walk up to Gnomes and bully them? I think it’s great that the NPCs are finally becoming more realistic.” – Yaxion
- “At least they are picking on someone their own size.” – EndTree
So if you are playing as a Gnome in Lorenhall, you better toughen up – or live with the good conscience that the Goblins are only insulting you because they already know in their hearts that you are better. Of course, you should consider the general meanness of the Goblins when choosing your cartel.
