Wrath of the Lich King The Nexus Preview

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Your sneak preview into the Nexus

For those that read my articles, you know by now that I’m a big World of Warcraft fan… which most PC gamers are. And, like all of you other WoW-heads out there, I can’t wait to get my hands on the new expansion which I’m sure will not be cheap either (I’m assuming $50 or more). So, to get you in the same spirit, here is a preview of the second new instance that will be offered to players in the new continent of Northrend, The Nexus.

The Nexus is actually an ancient ice fortress that is in the middle of Coldarra, which is the Borean Tundra of Northrend. The artwork for the instance is awesome, with the fortress itself being a huge column of magic energy that is surrounded by rings of levitating energy covered with earth, that hide the ice caves underneath. This is the home of Malygos, who is the Aspect of the Blue Dragonflight. The Nexus itself has expanded as more and more Blue Dragons came to live by their leader. The massive series of caves, tunnels, and rooms runs all through the underbelly of Coldarra, and every area has been smoothed and carved into a massive ice castle under the land. Upon entering the Nexus, you are sure to notice the ice statues that are so life-like they seem real - these are the magical remains of uninvited guests that dared to disturb the dragons lair. With walls made completely of crystal, ice, and rock, shadows and rainbows of light are everywhere. When you couple the rainbows of light with the jewels that are scattered throughout the caverns, you have a beautiful dungeon to fight your dragons. Because of the smoothness of the walls and caverns, and the fact that dragons make their home here, there are no stairs in the Nexus. Many of the hallways and archways open into huge caverns where the dragons simply fly from one area to the next. And, with all the magic at work in the Nexus, players will find many rooms have wonderful and awful magical properties - such as changing without warning.

When it comes to Blizzard, they get into the lore and history of their games just as much as the game development itself. So, why should Malygos be any different? Here is a bit of the history and lore behind him:

Malygos, who is the blue dragon Aspect, was charged as the guardian of a powerful magic by the titans more than ten millennia ago. Then, he watched in horror as the Deathwing almost demolished the blue dragonflight and took the remaining blue dragons with him. Grief turned him mad, and he paid no mind to the outside world any longer. He only vowed to return when it was possible to avenge his fallen friends. He has stayed in his underground lair all this time, waiting for the right time to return to the surface and take his revenge.

But, recently, he suddenly returned to his senses. When he awoke, he found that the state of Azeroth’s magic had become one that was completely running wild throughout the land. Of course, he placed the blame on the mortals of the world and their desire to gain magical powers. As he surveyed the land and the people, he became determined to prevent a catastrophe that he felt the world was headed for. So, he decreed that the world’s unbridled magic had to be reigned in no matter what it took. He took the Arcanomicon, which is a map of the world’s ley lines (given to him by Norgannon the Titan), and has been able to tap into the ley lines of the world to divert the magic that runs beneath the earth to his home. When the magic is completely harnessed, it will focus through the rings above the Nexus and blast into the Twisting Nether. Then, Malygos’ redirection of the ley lines will carry disastrous consequences for every thing and everyone in Azeroth as it will split the world’s crust open and create rifts and tears in the very magic fabric that holds the world together.

Although Malygos thought that the mortals would never see his siphonining of the world’s magic, several races have found it. The Kirin Tor, who are the elite magi of Dalaran, have vowed to defeat him, no matter what it takes and have used their own weakening powers to float the city of Dalaran high above Northrend. From here, they can see everything in Northrend and hopefully prepare for their battle against the Lich King and Malygos. Of course, not all of the members of the Kirin Tor stand with them though. Several have opted to take the side of the blue dragons and Malygos only in the interest of keeping their power. But, Malygos’ magic has transformed and corrupted them until it has transformmed these mage hunters into beings that root out and destroy magical artifacts, killing anything that gets in their way, imprisoning those who use magic without Malygos’ permission, and helping to redirect the ley lines.

Standing with the Kirin Tor is the red dragonflight that were charged with preserving life in the world. They have vowed to help fight and reign in Malygos at any cost and have formed a massive council with the Kirin Tor.

So, players will find many quests and dangers that await them in the Nexus, which is a level 80 raid dungeon that will require both planning and skill to defeat. But in defeating the blue dragons and Malygos, players will help to bring balance to the world once more and help to restore the magic to it’s rightful place in the world.

As for me, personally, I can’t wait to get in and see the graphics and the mobs that Blizzard has placed in the Nexus. Simply looking at the artwork and the screenshots on their site makes any avid wow-head crave getting their hands on the dungeon.