BREAKING: Undermine Streets Buzzing With Pop-Up Performance of Goblin Boy-Band "Kaja'Boys" After Flash Performance of New Single, "Soda Pop" Kaja'Corp Stocks Tripled in Price Overnight NOTE: Claims That the Kaja'Boys Are Actually All Incubi In Disguise Are Unsubstantiated and Greatly Exaggerated

I really do appreciate the new look given to Aponi Brightmane. While some characters armors are extremely iconic I always felt her and most of the Sunwalkers needed "their own look". So it's nice to see that realized this June. Hope we see more of her and the other Sunwalkers.

Vanessa has mysteriously disappeared from the Arcantina in 12.1, so Cecilia is just delusionally speaking to an invisible person now lol

Another NPC in the city, this time an Alliance character with Kelsey! She's using her old outfit instead of her BfA one, for whatever reason. These all feel like oddly cookie-cutter "three-paragraph response" answers, but this at least sounds like she arrived *after* 12.0.

It's interesting that priests are the only ones they're rude to post Dawnwell, unless they're updating the other class reactions to show more tension?

Looks like they finally added some NPC lines in Silvermoon for Alliance priest characters specced into Holy/Disc. These ones are post-campaign, but I wonder if any leveling ones also got added.

Since the model is still in use it would be great for the texture to be copied to it, as it gives a pretty unique look!

Odd they're still making mounts from this rough old bear when there are better, newer models. But, anyway... The 12.1 "Dwarf Bear Snow Mount" has a unique skin that works on the wild model. It looks like a snow-dusted bear, or cocaine bear, or "that guy who uses too much talcum" bear, if you like.

That's Patch 12.1's main story all done... man I will need to think a lot on this. There's a *lot* of really interesting concepts about what makes a loa and the power of worship and faith but... I'll need to see the raid/dungeon to see how Zul'jan's story ends, I guess.

I like that they have their own name for training dummies lol, and that we can't speak to him until we destroy it. Hopefully this guy survives at least lol, it'd be nice to have another prominent Amani character besides Zul'jarra who doesn't die or turn evil

I really like the design of the central mountain on the Coiled Isle/Atal'Utek. The two peaks look like snake fangs piercing the sky.

Reminds me of in Shadows Rising it's an important plot point that loa can be weakened if not worshiped.

I think what it means is that a haranir painted those memories from a vision, and they got that vision because of the biological connection between haranir and trolls.

It's Juneteenth! Post your favorite black fictional character. Miles Morales is great. Probably the best "legacy superhero" character. And for a dark horse bonus pick, Johnny 2x4 from Ed, Edd n' Eddy. As a kid my mom got me a plank of wood that I drew a face on so I could have my own Plank.

Welcome back, Heart of Azeroth?? Always funny to see this animation get reused lol, like yeah I guess we do still have that thing

I like these optional dialogue bits, and the choice to say if you have faith in Zul'jan or not.

The parallel to the Darkwell makes sense at least, and I am really glad that *this* tension isn't just being solved by a magic well and blood connections lol

Atal'Utek was a prisoner island for the trolls, interesting. Also Zul'jarra is *still* insistent that Zul'jan can be saved, even after the cutscene.

I guess they're going for a tragic "he doesn't realize the damage he's causing" angle with his whole character. Which is consistent with 12.0, I guess.

Yeah uh... about that one, Zul'jan. I think you might need to ask what kind of creature a snake is.

Something about the snake faces just feels off, like I *should* find them menacing but they're just too cute and big-headed lol

So what ARE the snakes, then? They're called children of Ula'tek at one point so maybe they're just a standard wild god/loa spawned race like the sethrak, but we also know (in at least one case) trolls can be turned into them.

Named characters live at least, and I guess they're justifying it as "Zul'jan just let it happen, he didnt participate"

Okay I guess I was assuming a bit too much nuance for the kidnappings, they are in fact just mulch to make more snakes lol No clue why Zul'jan would be fine with this

Oh so the crashed Zandalari ships belong to the Tortollans, that's a neat way of tying them to the BfA ones

It was really something to be a part of, as Trolls had always felt like an underdog, a bit of a joke race to serve as fodder.. But how excited folks were at Vol'jin getting an opportunity to shine.. Man.. What a time.

I remember, it did seem to be pointing towards either Baine or Thrall, but with how the community at the time rallied for Vol'jin so strongly, my friend-group stayed up, glued to a stream of folks pushing Garrosh to see how it ended. There were screams of excitement when Vol'jin came out Warchief.

Based on Lor'themar's dialogue in the last chapter, I assume Liadrin will get a solid rejection from any other elves helping in Zul'Aman (which is good, narratively) Seeing a united Amani army in action will be much better payoff to 12.0 Zul'Aman anyways

It definitely feels like the idea they're going for is that Zul'jan isn't evil or even wrong, just a manipulated victim, so whatever his ultimate fate is is meant to be purely a tragedy. It's a more unique story than we usually get for these heel turns at least.

Based on the dialogue, I assume these are *former* trolls who have lost their higher faculties and free will

Okay, doing the testing for the main story for 12.1! Despite... certain information, I am choosing to go into it with an open mind. Here be spoilers!

Yeah but then he just kind of clung to Saurfang and Baine and the whole sourness of the BFA plot rubbed off on him. And then they had him learn to read from Lor'themar which sat well with no one. I think he's salvageable but they've got to decide what they want him to be and fill out his backstory.

They have a little conversation about the ongoing peace as well, Zekhan is weirdly characterized (nothing new for him lol) We're being *told* quite a lot that the peace from the end of 12.0 isn't a lasting peace, I hope we actually *see* some of that at some point.

Okay I found more Horde NPCs, and it seems like we're just... pretending that the Horde was *totally* there in Midnight, just off-screen? Like I guess it patches up that narrative plothole of the Horde being absent but... do they really not get how unsatisfying this is?

I mean I know the devs who write the character arcs DEFINITELY care, but I dunno enough about the pipeline to soften this blow for people. Told someone on the other site that these plot developments are often decided over a year in advance (true), but that doesn't account for Blizzcon timing

spoilers wrt fate of Zul'jan in 12.1 storyline

This is so confusing. The "don't believe Alliance propaganda" versus having a flyer that's about how the belves should be angry at the Horde for the Second War which would BE Alliance propaganda. Is she supposed to be protesting the flyer?

It sadly seems like Astalor doesn't have a seasonal Prey questchain like he did in Season 1, but *one* small consolation is that a handful of the arcane golems in Silvermoon are now infused with anguish. Nice to see *some* of his story impact the city in a tiny way.

The new weeklies seem to be centered around finding Xal'atath, so maybe we'll get some small story quests similar to the Archive messages in TWW? Either way, the high elves sure seem *very* well-integrated into Silvermoon now lol

It seems like in 12.1, Liadrin has been replaced as the main weekly questgiver in Silvermoon by Vereesa.

They finally made a wild animal version of the Zandalari druid mosasaur form! It still has the holes from the druid form's piercings though. Reminds me of the wild musken with perfectly braided hair.

Interesting thing I noticed about the Vilescar snake guys. The main difference between them and the sethrak is that sethrak have a cobra hood and these guys don't. I'm not sure if that signifies anything but it's a cool design choice.

Ohh I remember where I have seen this before.

and ally side (again thank you @marlam.in for datamining)

Pepe is a decor item!

Two new warband campsites have been added, "Silvermoon City" and "Silvermoon in Void." An odd time to add Silvermoon in Void since that story's fully over.

There sure are some good looking buildings in this build. Would not be surprised if these could be variants of the buildings we'll eventually see on the under construction community plots. Many more blockouts of similar buildings were also added, so this may be a 12.1.x or even a 12.2 thing.

it does indeed, see here 12.1 vs live (thank you @marlam.in)

Rogues and shaman actually get tier sets based off trolls and Ula'tek, but none of the other classes do. Weird.

they really watched that 2016 video from Taliesin calling Arator the child of light and shadow and said "oh fuck bet!" He literally is Anduin 2.0 (remember the void anduin used at the end of shadows rising that was a specific intrusction by blizz that never went anywhere)