Custom Lore Proposal: Uldum, Tol'vir, the Titans and More!

[Krilari]

With the Cataclysm we see a new race arise, the Tol’vir. These feline-styled centaurs were once crafted from stone by the Titans themselves, created in order to maintain the sprawling systems of Uldum, Ulduar, and a great many lost research centers like that which now goes by the name of Ahn'Qiraj. We see that this race has deep and ancient roots within the world, but for such an involvement they have pitifully weak lore that leaves plenty of questions. I don’t intend to make major changes in their history or personality, but instead to add clarifications that work in unison with the pre-established lore.

Tol’Vir: The Safekeepers of the Sands
What we know:
As said above, the Tol’vir are one of the many races at first created by the titans to maintain the many devices. Along with the Dwarves, Gnomes, Vrykul, Giants, (and although we not yet know it, the Mogu) they were afflicted with the Curse of Flesh. Their stone flesh gave way to fur and they soon adapted to mortal needs. They expanded out from their designated lands, establishing cities and tribes and outposts where they appointed pharaohs and kings to lead the masses. Of all the traits lost thanks to the Curse the Tol’vir managed to cling to one- their long lives. Many elders of Tol’vir societies can recall the old days of their Stone skin before the curse ever came into existence.

In their mortality the Tol’vir have moved away from their ancient charge. While they do not diligently tend to the Halls as they once had, they still attend to them often enough to learn of outside happenings from the Titanic Archives: The Fall of Icecrown, the Siege of Ulduar, The Horde and the Alliance and of all the Races that are encompassed within.

What to Add:

• One of the most glaring details one would ever notice when looking at the Tol’Vir is that there are no female NPCs. They are never seen nor mentioned in any form. We can presume from looking at the Dwarves, Gnomes, Vrykul, and Mogu that the Tol’vir also have female equivalents. The easiest explanation that I'll be going with is that, being a constructed race, the Tol’vir’s males and females look near identical aside from the few necessary parts.
  
• It’s said in lore that the Tol’vir often tended to the Halls of Origination and other Titan facilities in order to learn of the outside events prior to the Cataclysm. However conversely it’s said that they haven’t frequented the halls in some years, instead focusing on their mortal needs. A simple way to repair this is to say that society has designated a role for some to tend to the devices of the Makers while the rest of society deals with the complexities of mortality.
  

The Halls of Origination
What we know:
It is here that we see a the ambiguity in lore come to the forefront. We see four primary halls take priority within quests: The Obelisks of the Sun, Moon, and Stars. These three devices work in unison to shroud Uldum away from the waking world and more importantly hide away the Halls of Origination. These Halls are responsible for the reorientation process if Algalon was ever to send out Reply Code: OMEGA.

The Halls of Origination have been a hot topic amongst the inhabitants of Uldum, adventurer and native alike, though none envy it's power more than the master of the Black Dragonflight himself, Deathwing. His maddening influence along with the work of his Windlord servants have wholly corrupted the communication systems of Uldum though he has failed to obtain what he truly seeks- the Titanic weapon that bears the potential to end Azeroth as we know it.

What to Add:

• In the general description provided to us by Blizzard regarding the Halls of Origination it's stated that the Communication systems of the facility have been corrupted, but that's it. In the dungeon itself we see stone Tol'vir present, listed as 'Temple' NPCs. While they could very well be Neferset, as I had previously implied, I'm more inclined to believe these Tol'vir and original and uncorrupted by the Curse of Flesh. Instead their missives from the Titans have been twisted within the systems and they're now led to believe that all outsiders not of stone skin are to be seen as a threat. This leaves the option to solve things either diplomatically or violently.
  
• While all Titanic modules seem to have some means of communication (As we see the connection between Ulduar and the Halls of Origination.) The Halls of Origination has rather specific regards to the creation and evolution of life upon Azeroth.
  

Ahn’qiraj, the Lost Facility
What we Know:
When the world was still young, Ahn’Qiraj had no such name. Instead it was a Titan research facility built by the Tol’vir. When the Aqir kingdom was split the Qiraji traveled south and overtook the massive facility, claiming it for their own uses and corrupted the Tol’vir inhabitants to be their servants.

What to Add:
What we know about Ahn’qiraj is little, though that just leaves all the more room for additions!

• Given the location of this facility it is likely intended to act as a prison in the same way Ulduar acts as a Prison for Yogg’Saron. With the addition of custom lore the once-Tol’vir Moam would stand as one of his prime jailors, now corrupted.
  
• As we know, Ahn’qiraj was a Titan Research Facility and that much implies that there would be a fount of old Titanic technology to be found within. Damage from the Quiraji invasion atop of C'thune's maddening influence has kept the ancient facility from interfacing with the outside world.
  
• In the same way that the Obsidian Destroyers were once said to be crafted constructs but were retconned to be corrupted Tol’vir, the Anubisath incredibly closely resemble some Titanic Watchers that we see especially in the Halls of Origination but are said to be constructed by the Qiraji. It seems more likely- since this is an old Titan Facility- that the Anubisath are twisted Titanic Watchers.
  
• Through much of warcraft we often hear Uldum being referred to as a City, however as we see it is an entire region. With Custom lore the Ruins of Ahn’Qiraj would stand as the true City of Uldum.
  

The Mysterious Curse of the Makers
What we know:
There really isn't much to know about this, honestly. In the Uldum quests we occasionally see the ghost of what one could assume were plunderers that once made their way past the illusions in search of profit. In all of their appearances they're souls trapped to guard the halls they tried to plunder once before. Indiana Jones joke as it may be, it's lore we have now.

What to Add:
Going completely custom lore with this one. In the Chambers of the Stars and the Chambers of the Sun we see a few devices around that appear titanic in nature. I'm going to be using these three devices to sort of explain why these ghosts are present and cursed.

• These orbs line the walls of most of these chambers and seem to be the most common thusfar. The task of these orbs are to draw upon latent power around them. Said power could be of any means. Solar power, lunar power, raw heat, even life energies if one dwindles about it for too long. Those who have plundered the halls only to find no exit eventually perish by these orbs, their life essence torn from them and bound to the crypt.
  
  
  Spoiler:

  
• A piece seen paired with these constant orbs are the large, ever-shifting panels hidden away behind panes of glass. These panels form a path for the power collected to follow. Through their constant movement- and thus redirecting of power- the panels act as a transformer that keep the power from ever overwhelming the system.
  
  
  Spoiler:

  
• The final noteworthy piece of this system sits in the center of any chamber. Once the power is collected and properly transformed it eventually runs through the central conduit. While it at first appears to be nothing more than a stone pool filled with swirling water it quickly changes once the power is properly introduced, most often directing it upward to fuel the Obelisks that litter Uldum.
  
  
  Spoiler:

  

[muhaha8]

I really, really like this. I think that there's a lot of room for development with the Tol'vir and Uldum, and I think this really kicks it off and going. The idea of the lost city really being Ahn'Qiraj is an idea that makes me kind of giddy with excitement. Though I have one question: what will this mean, assuming that Ahn'Qiraj is to be considered mostly empty? Can we consider seeing a Tol'vir reoccupation?

[Krilari]

All in all it's unlikely, but even I'm interested in some events centered around Ahn'Qiraj. Maybe even a sort of week-long event like Kidnapped, but we'll see.

[Kaghuros]

So which parts are the additions to lore? It's hard to tell what's new and what's supported by the game since I haven't had the opportunity to play through the Cataclysm quests.

[Krilari]

The parts listed under 'What to Add' are the custom lore additions.

[Kaghuros]

Ah, I just took a quick glance and some of them seemed like things that were already ingame. Then I realized they actually are additions! Maybe I've been reading too many fansites for my own good xD

Also what do you think about the Mogu w/r/t females of titanic races? The Mogu have only two women left, and you kill them at the end of MoP. What if the Tol'vir have no women at all?

[Krilari]

The issue with the Mogu is that those two women aren't actually mogu women. They're made as constructs as gifts for Lei Shen. Any other reference of Mogu women says. "We haven't see any in such a long time."

So at this notion, with custom lore and all, I'd find it easier to say that the women are integrated into society.

[CappnRob]

~Radical idea~

Why not whenever the Halls of Origination happens IC we have the option to save the watchers? Given their dialogue doesn't even seem to imply they're very broken at all.

And you know

its RP we don't have to solve all our problems with tanks and spanks.

[Krilari]

An option, yes, but if they're not corrupted then I'm not sure how the temple got filled up with an army of insane Neferset.

EDIT: I'm not saying I wouldn't be opposed to saying that there aren't even any Neferset -in- the temple, but I feel that might be changing the instance too much for a post that's supposed to be more quality of life improvements. I'm open to suggestions, of course.

[FlyingSquirrel]

The Neferset could have lied to the Watchers, gotten them to believe them, and bam.

[Krilari]

Wouldn't the watchers then believe that the flesh-Tol'vir are people to be exterminated and they would once again be left to be tank-and-spank'd?

[FlyingSquirrel]

That's when you'd have non-Tol'vir come in and explain everything. Maybe provide some evidence, or something else to prove they're right and the stones are wrong.

[Mystriopolis]

Return of Algalon to explain everything? Or better yet, maybe one of the Constructs from Ulduar can make contact at the right moment and explain everything? If they heard it from one of their own "kind" it maybe more believable for them.

[Krilari]

Updated! And heavily at that! I've reworded all of the 'What to Change' sections. Some, like the points on the Halls of Origination, have changed entirely while other sections such as Ahn'quiraji is reworded for clarification on what is firm custom lore to be added with this proposal.