The Tauren & The Goblin – Warcraft Story & Lore

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#51: On the Horde Intro to Zandalar Aug 29, 2018

Show notes

Nick and Katie are back but life is busy and they've both only had time to really play through one zone in the new expansion. After giving their initial impressions and talking about Blizzard's development history of making awesome leveling zones (they disagree about whether the last bad zone was in MoP or Cataclysm), they start with the quest to get the Heart of Azeroth from Magni. Of note, they point out the pun about the room being a Heart Chamber, and they talk about the Titan Keeper that references all the Titan facilities that start with Uld, including some we don't know about.
The duo then starts to talk about sneaking into Stormwind and encountering Saurfang, and try to discern his purposes. Nick asks if he is going to be the next warchief, and Katie laments that the warchief title has moved around too much lately. They then talk about the various warchiefs and how their role was dictated by the expansion they served during, and Katie is sad when talking about Vol'jin's all too short reign.
They get back to the task at hand and focus on the next characters encountered: Talanji and Zul. They consider Zul's historical significance to the game, as a figure behind the resurrection of the Thunder King in Pandaria, with references to him and Rastakhan on Thunder Isle, but yet has never actually encountered us before. They talk about fleeing the Stockades and evading Jaina in a manner similar to the Halls of Reflection with Arthas, and evaluate the flammability of Stormwind.
Then the pair discuss the intro cinematic for Zandalar, featuring Rezan's introduction as the Loa of Kings and Queens. They focus on Talanji's importance to the Zandalari, and look at other female leaders within the Horde. They compare the basic structure of Zandalar with the Highmountain zone.
Finally, they discuss Dazar'Alor, the Zandalari capital. They talk about how massive it is and the different tiers and the assortment of characters that can be found there, and compare it to the Shrines in Mists of Pandaria and other capital cities.
Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin. Please feel free to send feedback to @taurengoblin on twitter, or taurengoblin@mashthosebuttons.com.

Episode URL: http://mash4.me/211
Show Twitter: twitter.com/TaurenGoblin

Hosts:
Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH
Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com
Twitter: twitter.com/themashnetwork
Discord: mash.gg/discord

SE: All the Lore (feat. Kavo, AJ, & Gooch) Aug 15, 2018

Show notes

So we're pretty much done with pre-BfA lore now that Battle of Lordaeron has been released (with the exception of Azshara Warbringers which may well have dropped before this goes up), and Nick and Katie reconvene with Kavo, AJ, and Gooch to discuss all the lore leading into the new expansion. Nick sums up the new content and then they begin diving in.
Old Soldier was the Saurfang cinematic that featured him and Zekhan (ZAPPYBOI!) discussing honor and the Horde. They admired Blizzard's panache in releasing this unannounced two days after the Sylvanas Warbringers left Horde players twisting in the wind and several people claiming bad writing. They talk about the cinematics team improving quality and how they are able to use whatever visual tricks they need to pull off a cinematic, and they talk about where they hope Zekhan's arc goes as well as question what will ultimately happen with Saurfang.
They also discuss A Good War and Elegy, the Horde and Alliance novellas that explain the War of the Thorns from each side. Nick appreciates that several battles are recounted in both stories, but from each respective faction's perspective, so that named characters in one book appear unnamed in the other book, and together make a complete accounting of events. They talk about the terror at the end of Elegy in describing the burning of Teldrassil, and they get into a super nerdy debate about numbers regarding the Night Elf population.
They also look at the Battle for Lordaeron and the related Horde and Alliance cinematics. Katie and Gooch were unimpressed by Jaina's surprise entrance, and they discuss Sylvanas' sassy lines and her confrontation with Horde leadership in the throne room.
Thank you for listening to this week's episode! Please send us your thoughts on the story going into BfA at taurengoblin@taurengoblin.com or at @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: http://mash4.me/20r
Show Twitter: twitter.com/TaurenGoblin

Hosts:
Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH
Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com
Twitter: twitter.com/themashnetwork
Discord: mash.gg/discord

#50: Sylvanas Surprise! (feat. Kavo, AJ, and Gooch) Aug 08, 2018

Show notes

So this is a surprise episode but we needed to celebrate episode #50 and what better way to do that than with Kavo and AJ from Patch Day and Gooch from Three Goblins in a Trenchcoat! They join Nick and Katie to talk about the fallout from Sylvanas burning Teldrassil.
The gang looks at their immediate reactions to the burning, as well as take a quick consideration of the quests themselves. They debate whether Sylvanas planned the whole thing or not based on her decision to bring along catapaults capable of hitting across the sea. They also consider that Sylvanas did not use blight, which she easily could have. They discuss whether characters should be able to switch factions and how uncomfortable everyone (except for Gooch!) felt right after watching the cinematic.
They take a look at Saurfang's motivations and whether or not his decision to strike Malfurion to protect Sylvanas was smart or not. They also talk about Jaina's status of late and consider her and Genn as aggressors.
They talk about Tyrande and Malfurion and their disappointing role in all of this. They also criticize the attacks on Christie Golden, and point out that she's not solely responsible for the story that we are getting. They remind everyone that harassing her is wrong and it needs to stop. They also praise the cinematics and storytelling team as Nick points out (with an analogy to The Last Jedi) that people's emotions are clouded by the story content and they aren't considering the quality of the story they are getting, though they admit that Blizzard needs to continue to tell the story properly. They end with a quick debate about who should be the next Warchief.
Thank you again to Kavo, AJ, and Gooch for joining us. Thank you for listening! Please send any feedback to @taurengoblin on twitter or taurengoblin@mashthosebuttons.com!

Episode URL: http://mash4.me/20m
Show Twitter: twitter.com/TaurenGoblin

Hosts:
Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH
Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com
Twitter: twitter.com/themashnetwork
Discord: mash.gg/discord

#49: On Jaina, Legion, and War of the Thorns. Jul 31, 2018

Show notes

This one is all over the place. Jason (Emery) joins us ostensibly to look back at Legion lore, and instead we react to what's been going on with Jaina and the controversy over the Horde's actions in Ashenvale and Darkshore. We start with Jason talking a little about his problems playing his monk and how mythic raiding is a struggle in the new patch. We discuss how Hati was just gone for Beast Master Hunters, although he will allegedly return at some point, and this leads to a discussion of the attitude of various sentient weapons and mounts. We then talk about the underwhelming monk class hall, and go into talking about the awesome Death Knight class hall, which leads to a discussion of Bolvar's possible role in the future. This leads back to a discussion of the Old Gods and what could be coming in Battle for Azeroth, and that leads back to a discussion of what the Horde is doing in the War of the Thorns.
Eventually we discuss the recent animated short Warbringers: Jaina. We talk about how it fits into the ongoing story of Jaina that started in the Battle for Azeroth announcement, continued in Before the Storm and the Reunion comic, and how this picks up right where the comic leaves off. We consider Jaina as hated by Kul Tirans who lack the context that had Jaina a fan favorite prior to Mists of Pandaria, and we compare her to Sylvanas who is hated by many players who also lack context. Finally, Nick looks at the final words of the song and extrapolates that it could be a hint that the Old Gods are involved.
As we wrap up, we consider Azshara's possible involvement in what is to come, and discuss whether the Alliance and the Horde will always put aside their conflict in the face of a bigger threat. We look forward to the next cinematic and animated short to reveal what exactly happens at the burning of Teldrassil, and consider some ways the expansion could go.
Thank you for listening! Please feel free to give us feedback or questions on twitter at @taurengoblin or by email at taurengoblin@mashthosebuttons.com.

Episode URL: http://mash4.me/20j
Show Twitter: twitter.com/TaurenGoblin

Hosts:
Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH
Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com
Twitter: twitter.com/themashnetwork
Discord: mash.gg/discord

#48: A Major Episode on Mages Jul 17, 2018

Show notes

This week we share the second part of Nick and Katie's long conversation, this being the part that focuses on Dalaran and the Kirin Tor, when they aren't drifting off topic.
We recently received an email from Tis who asked about the Council of Six. So Nick and Katie respond by starting with the origins of human magic, focusing on when the magic-using Night Elves were banished across the sea to the Eastern Kingdoms. They settled in Quel'thalas and founded the Sunwell. Eventually, they worked with the humans to fight the trolls and made a deal where they would train 100 human mages. This leads to a discussion about human magic proficiency, and the intelligence of the vrykul. They then talk about the formation of Dalaran as a training hub just outside the Alterac Mountains. Demons begin appearing so the Council of Tirisfal is formed, and Nick compares them to early season Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
They jump ahead to the Second War when Teron Gorefiend steals the Eye of Dalaran, and then the Third War when Archimonde destroys the city. This results is a look at how many times we've beaten Archimonde and how our power levels have grown since we are staring down Titans. They then mention the Kirin Tor working with Grand Marshall Garithos and their role in imprisoning the High Elves.
Looking at vanilla WoW, Nick and Katie talk about Dalaran being inaccessible under a bubble while it was rebuilt, and their experiences questing around it. They discuss the city taking flight in Wrath of the Lich King, and wonder if there is still a Dalaran Crater in the Warcraft movie, due to the city's altered origins. Katie shares her geology nerd street cred and questions Dalaran's support structure, as the foundation and dirt should have fallen apart by now. They talk about Jaina kicking out the Blood Elves in Mists of Pandaria, and wonder if Dalaran should have accompanied us to Alternate Draenor. Then they look at Dalaran's role in Legion.
Finally, they discuss the membership of the Council of Six, the leaders of Dalaran. They talk about Archmage Vargoth and his apprentice quests in Azshara. They also look at Jaina (and Vol'jin) and how their destinies seem to have altered in the last few years. Nick rants about the Alliance wanting to be harsher and yet not accepting it when they are.
Thank you for listening to the Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any feedback to @taurengoblin or taurengoblin@mashthosebuttons.com.

Episode URL: http://mash4.me/20f
Show Twitter: twitter.com/TaurenGoblin

Hosts:
Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH
Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com
Twitter: twitter.com/themashnetwork
Discord: mash.gg/discord

#47: Heroes of and Before the Storm Jul 03, 2018

Show notes

Recently, Nick and Katie recorded what was supposed to be episode 47, except the episode ran very, very long. So, the decision was made to split the episode into two parts. This is the first part, where they discuss recent goings on around Blizzard. The next part will focus entirely on mages: Dalaran and the Kirin Tor. Look for that in two weeks!
Nick and Katie begin by talking about the mage tower appearances. Katie has also been working on getting her moose mount from Emerald Nightmare. This leads to a discussion of raid mounts. The pair then briefly discuss the beta and admit they haven't been playing as much as they should. Talk then turns to Heroes of the Storm, and the recent Warcraft additions to the game. Katie fawns over the Junkrat goblin skin, and wants there to be an interaction between him and Gazlowe. Nick points out that there was no interaction between Corrupter Malfurion and normal Illidan. They then talk about Yrel being added to HotS, and if she is the same character pulled from time that we saw in Warlords of Draenor.
They also consider if Maraad should be added to the game. Nick complains that Draenai are not thematically appropriate for Alterac Valley. He also mentions that he loved Nexomania. Then, they talk about the recent Dev Q&A and Katie says that shamans feel okay on the beta. Katie brings up that she has been trying to get the Chosen title, and they compare that with the First Aid achievements she had been working on. They talk about the old Illidari tabards you could get in Burning Crusade, and complain about the tabard transmog rules. Nick talks about the mage class hall mount quest, and his struggles with the final challenge. Finally, they compare War Crimes and Before the Storm, with Nick preferring War Crimes but Katie choosing Before the Storm.
Then, we hear a snippet of conversation from the pre-show chat. Katie talks about raiding during the podcast, and the pair discuss common activities podcasters do while recording their shows. Nick talks about his struggles playing Heroes of the Storm. Then, they turn to the controversy over the narrative surrounding the burning of Teldrassil. Katie wants to know why Sylvanas attacks Teldrassil, and Nick assures her we will get an answer. Nick looks to the forthcoming novellas to resolve what currently appear to be inconsistencies in the story.
Finally, Nick wraps the show up by talking about how he is excited that the lore is closing in as we approach the launch of... Visit website for full summary.

Episode URL: http://mash4.me/203
Show Twitter: twitter.com/TaurenGoblin

Hosts:
Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH
Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com
Twitter: twitter.com/themashnetwork
Discord: mash.gg/discord

SE: Azeroth Book Club Episode #1: Dawn of the Aspects Jun 25, 2018

Show notes

Here is a special posting of the first episode of the Azeroth Book Club, with Britzza from Geeks of Azeroth along with Nick and Katie. They discuss Dawn of the Aspects by Richard A. Knaak. First, they look at the prologue short story Charge of the Aspects which set up the finale for Cataclysm, as Thrall communes with the planet and comes face to face with Deathwing. Then, they discuss the book proper, including what was going on with Galakrond, the Kalecgos-Jaina relationship, the history of the aspects, and more. They also discuss Tyr and his role and the relationship to the Titans and how the book frames the fracturing of the Aspects and uses the plot to push them into the future. Look for Azeroth Book Club episode two on Christie Golden's Before the Storm coming soon with yet another chance for Nick and Katie to talk about Sylvanas!

Episode URL: http://mash4.me/1zy
Show Twitter: twitter.com/TaurenGoblin

Hosts:
Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH
Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com
Twitter: twitter.com/themashnetwork
Discord: mash.gg/discord

#46: Before the Storm and the Storytelling Panel Jun 19, 2018

Show notes

Katie and Nick got their copies of Before the Storm and while Katie is about 2/3rds of the way through, Nick is only on Chapter 7 so they aren't quite ready to talk about the book just yet. That said, they REALLY want to! Warning: Mild spoilers follow. Nick gloats that he accurately called the Patch 7.3 cinematics featuring in the book. Katie mentions that she thinks its Christie Golden's best Warcraft book. She also talks about how she's been alternating between the audio book and the written book. They will both talk more about it on an upcoming episode of Azeroth Book Club with Brittza from Geeks of Azeroth.
In game, Katie has been struggling with the field medic achievement since first aid is being removed in Battle for Azeroth. Nick, meanwhile, has finished his mage order hall campaign and talks about how he had to save Archmage Vargoth from the dreadlord Kathra'natir, and he has concerns that other dreadlords may be working to free Kathra'natir from his new prison. They talk about how omnipresent dreadlords were in Legion and how paranoid it can make a player.
As part of E3, Christie Golden, Terran Gregory, and Steve Danueser participated in a panel about storytelling for WoW. Nick and Katie discuss some of the highlights from the panel, including Terran mentioning that some heroes don't get epic deaths, which made Nick think of Vol'jin. They talk about Blizzard's plan to tell story across multiple media, and how that is reflected with the scenes in Before the Storm that were also cinematics. There is a slight detour into the nature of Azerite and what that can do to a person, given that we are going to be handling Azerite for the entirety of the next expansion, and Nick theorizes about the death of our characters.
Finally, Nick shares his theory on the Windrunner father, who has been absent from Warcraft lore. What could his history have been that would cause all three of his daughters to fall for human males?
Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin. Please send any feedback or thoughts to taurengoblin@mashthosebuttons.com.

Episode URL: http://mash4.me/1zt
Show Twitter: twitter.com/TaurenGoblin

Hosts:
Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH
Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com
Twitter: twitter.com/themashnetwork
Discord: mash.gg/discord

#45: Reunion & The Speaker Jun 06, 2018

Show notes

Nick and Katie are back to talk about Warcraft lore, with two new pre-Battle for Azeroth comics ot dive into! But first Katie talks about how her quest to get mounts has been going. She also discusses the new mount coming in BfA for getting 100 exalted reputations and her disappointment with it. Nick, meanwhile, has been playing through the mage class hall and talks about getting the frost weapon by ambushing a demon and the fire weapon by assaulting Ice Crown Citadel.
Next, the pair discuss the Jaina Proudmoore-focused comic, Reunion. They talk about how it shows Jaina killing demons during Legion and how there could have been more story there to cover what was going on back on the rest of the planet. They discuss how the two representations of Rexxar killing Daelin Proudmoore tell more about the narrator of the event than they do about what actually happened, and Nick is concerned that Rexxar will have a role to play in BfA. They also go on to talk about the end(?) of Jaina's relationship with Kalecgos, and how they want to see more dragons and would like for the dragons to regain the ability to reproduce. They also look into the conflict that Jaina is going to have with the citizens of Kul Tiras who are calling for her death. They wonder why Jaina hasn't returned (even secretly) to Kul Tiras previously.
In The Speaker, the tale of Magni raising his daughter Moira is contrasted with Magni's new duty as the speaker for Azeroth. Katie is concerned that we see Azeroth shatter if Magni fails. Nick, however, reacts to the fatherly scenes of Magni with young Moira. They look forward to seeing Magni apply his experiences as a struggling father to his relationship with Azeroth. Finally, the Running of the Trolls is June 9th. Please participate and donate as the money benefits the Trevor Project, which supports LGBTQ youth.
Thank you for listening to this week's The Tauren & the Goblin. We can be reached with any feedback at taurengoblin@mashthosebuttons.com, or @taurengoblin.

Episode URL: http://mash4.me/1zm
Show Twitter: twitter.com/TaurenGoblin

Hosts:
Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH
Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com
Twitter: twitter.com/themashnetwork
Discord: mash.gg/discord

#44: The Battle for Lordaeron (BFA Spoilers!) May 22, 2018

Show notes

Nick and Katie are here to talk about the Battle for Lordaeron scenario in the Battle for Azeroth Beta! (So WARNING - SPOILERS AHEAD FOR BfA!) But first, Katie talks a little about raiding and her attempts on the mage tower. Nick talks about boosting a nightborne mage recently. They discuss going into the Nexus to get Aluneth, the arcane artifact, and Katie mentions how sassy the staff is. This leads into a discussion about alts in Legion and how they were necessary to see the story for each class, while BfA appears to have two completely separate stories for Alliance and Horde instead. Nick wonders if there could ever be a raid where each faction has different reasons for going in, and the bosses, while mechanically the same, are skinned differently.
Daryl from the Training Dummies tweeted a reply to last episode's discussion that Thunder Bluff would smell like manure. This leads to a https://soundcloud.com/mashthosebuttons/the-tauren-the-goblin-44-the-battle-for-lordadiscussion of waste management in Thunder Bluff. He also pointed out that the Stormwind sewers run into the rivers in the city, which draws a comparison to Undercity. Eventually, they get offtopic and discuss various allied races in Battle for Azeroth.
Finally, Nick and Katie discuss the beta. The talk about the appearance of Tirisfal Glades, and how it is unrecognizable leading up to Lordaeron. The go through the stages of the scenario, and talk about how the Alliance might try to reclaim the city. They consider Saurfang's motivations and where his character could be headed. Nick praises Sylvanas' behaviour in the attack, and compares her desperation to Jaina after the bombing of Theramore. Katie shares her theory for how the battle ends, and Nick compares datamining to studying Marvel movie trailers for clues about the coming movies.
Thanks again for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin. Please leave any feedback at @taurengoblin on twitter or by email at taurengoblin@mashthosebuttons.com.

Episode URL: http://mash4.me/1zc
Show Twitter: twitter.com/TaurenGoblin

Hosts:
Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH
Katie Grace
twitter.com/hyrulemaster77

Thank you for listening to a Mash Those Buttons podcast! You can keep up with all of our podcasts in the following locations.

Website: mashthosebuttons.com
Twitter: twitter.com/themashnetwork
Discord: mash.gg/discord

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