The next patch for World of Warcraft is still a big mystery. However, there is one clue that many have overlooked so far. A villain lives on.
Even though the story of World of Warcraft: Dragonflight felt a bit short to many, it ultimately was a rounded tale with an intro, a middle, and even a rather fulfilling epilogue where all characters made an appearance once again. Thus, the storyline of the expansion is essentially complete.
But one patch is yet to come – patch 10.2.6. Blizzard has kept the content a secret so far, but fans have a theory. Because there is one villain from Dragonflight that we have not defeated.
What kind of patch is this? Even though patch 10.2.5, Seeds of Renewal, already brought the epilogue and thus the end of Dragonflight, there is still another patch coming. On the roadmap presented a few weeks ago, there was a small “mini-patch” with the version number 10.2.6.
Instead of a list of features, the preview for the patch simply shows a dark flag with a skull.
The first thought of many fans: pirates. Surely, the story surrounding the night elf pirate “Nightsquall” is about to begin, which might eventually lead to the continent of Avaloren in the future.
But there is another, much more plausible theory about whom the skull could represent. Most have forgotten an enemy that has yet to be defeated.
Which enemy is it? We are talking about the Putrid Archdruid Zornauge. She is the final boss of the Brackenfell Cave and a rather interesting character. Not only is she a clearly female gnoll, but she also possesses an intelligence that surpasses that of other gnolls. She speaks in full sentences and seems to have more than just “flesh” in her head.
The most important fact, however, is that Zornauge does not die at the end of the fight. As soon as her hit points drop close to 0, the fight ends and she disappears with a spell while screaming:
No! I will not lose any more! The rot will claim you! And I… I will claim your decaying bones for myself… your home… Everything!
Thus, the fight ends – and this is also the unresolved plot. Because the Archdruid has not appeared since. There have been no further gnolls, and the rot, covering a large part of the Azure Mountains, has never played a role again.
What is the goal of the Archdruid? Anyone who has been in the Brackenfell Cave or has played through the various gnoll quests in the Azure Mountains knows that gnolls deal with the element of decay or rot. The Archdruid has been so consumed by this element that she wishes to fulfill its will. She tried to spread the rot across the whole Dragon Isles, even using the root networks of the trees to assist in the spreading.
But now there is a new, massive tree on the Dragon Isles – Amirdrassil. The perfect target to once again attempt to spread the rot.
It is likely that such an attack is ultimately doomed to fail, as Amirdrassil and the city of Bel’ameth are likely to become a hub and home for the long term. But the Archdruid could at least try to attack here, bringing along some questlines where players must defend the new home of the night elves.
Some even hope for a small mini-raid, perhaps with one or two bosses. Whether this will actually happen remains to be seen.
Patch 10.2.6 is already present in the Battle.net system, but it is still encrypted and hence only available internally for the developers. However, in the coming days, we should learn more when the update is finally made available for testing to everyone.
What do you hope will happen in patch 10.2.6? Are you looking forward to pirates? Or do you hope that the Archdruid will make another appearance?
