The Tauren & The Goblin – Warcraft Story & Lore

Latest Episodes:

#153: The Primal Incarnates feat. Gershom Mar 29, 2023

Show notes

This week Nick is joined by Gershom from the Thrall’s Balls podcast to talk about the 10.0.7 cinematic and other things! They immediately jump right in talking about how the cinematic established the personalities of the Primal Incarnates so rapidly, making them interesting characters with minimal screen time. Nick speculates briefly about where they might have got their visages from, then praises the cinematic team for their ability to get players invested in the characters so heavily in the cinematics.
They talk about the comparison between Deathwing and Iridikron, and how Iridikron is a bit of a callback to Deathwing despite not being related to him. They then speculate on who the end boss of the expansion will be. They also talk about Neltharion’s ‘presence’ in the next raid, and the underlying theme of the Old Gods that has been hovering around this expansion. They try to calculate how long Neltharion would have been corrupted but are unable to.
Next, they talk about some of the features they have been enjoying in Dragonflight. Nick talks about how he has been underwhelmed by the renown system, while Gershom has been enjoying it. They also talk about Dragon Riding and how they are excited it will continue into the 10.1 underground zone. They wonder if Blizzard is going to carry it over to the next expansion or leave it just as a Dragonflight feature.
Finally, they talk briefly about being a parent and playing WoW. Gershom talks about how her daughters have interacted with the game, and Nick talks about his son making new characters. They also talk about their favorite hunter pets and the best models to tame this expansion.
Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to taurengoblin@mash.gg or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: https://mtb.gg/39j
Show Twitter: twitter.com/TaurenGoblin

Host:
Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

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
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#152: Back After A Timeskip Mar 22, 2023

Show notes

Nick is back to talk about the story and lore of Warcraft. But first he talks about Katie taking a hiatus from the show and his plan to have guests on going forward.
He then talks about the Vow short story and praises it for showing where all the characters are going into Dragonflight, as well as introducing Kurog who is one of the raid bosses in Vault of the Incarnates. He talks about how Vault is proving to be a good raid.
Nick then goes over the zones in Dragonflight real quickly, skimming through Waking Shore and talking about the centaur in the Ohnarhan Plains. He talks about enjoying the Azure Span and mentions a quest with a Dracthyr and some kids in a library, and then appreciates the use of Simulacrum Sindragosa. He also talks about the time travel in Thaldraxxus and how he’s been enjoying that part of the story.
He takes an email from Goblinsdrool talking about playing with his son, and talks about his own experiences playing with his son.
Finally, he responds to some tweets and picks the most iconic heroes for each class. He also talks about Argus as a failed Titan project. And then he talks about the introduction of a place known only as Avaloren.
Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to taurengoblin@mash.gg or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: https://mtb.gg/39q
Show Twitter: twitter.com/TaurenGoblin

Host:
Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

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

#151: Farewell Sylvanas, Farewell Shadowlands Nov 18, 2022

Show notes

With Dragonflight rapidly approaching, Nick and Katie return to talk about bidding farewall to Sylvanas and also farewell to Shadowlands.
They begin by mentioning the show is now six years old. They compare Sylvanas and Garrosh as antagonists. They talk about the prevalence of Sylvanas over the last few years. They review some scenes from the Sylvanas book, such as the scene which retells the quest where players retrieve Sylavanas’ locket. They discuss Christie Golden’s role in filling in the gaps in Sylvanas’ backstory, and how people are complaining about the lore retcons. They consider how this appears to be the end of the character for now, and talk about the role of death as it was presented in the Shadowlands.
After touching briefly upon Illidan’s redemption arc, they talk about Gul’dan in Legion and orc history. They consider that Gul’dan did not get a redemption arc. They discuss the utter destruction of Garrosh and Arthas. They talk about how the narrative team viewed Arthas as spent. They consider Arthas and Garrosh’s tragic flaws. Nick presents Thrall as imperfect middle aged character. Katie compares Thrall to Goku. Nick mentions that Thrall put the Frostwolf logo on the Doomhammer and then defends Thrall’s axe.
Regarding the Sylvanas novel, they get into some of the lore changes related to Edge of Night. They evaluate the role of the Lava Eel Vore.
They then discuss the five year time skip for Dragonflight. They talk about the eventual return of Anduin. They talk about the fallibility of the Light as it pertains to Turalyon. They discuss fallen paladins.
Nick complains about people who complain about story arcs while they are ongoing. This leads to a discussion of Korthia and what “cut content” is. They talk about the story cadence and how that affects the reception of the narrative. They speculate on how Shadowlands will be remembered.
Katie argues that the Sylvanas loyalist choices were a problem for the narrative. She then considers changes that could be made to the Horde, and they both lament the loss of the Warchief role. They wonder about what could be done with a time skip, and then talk about the Dracthyr customizations. Nick argues that all players should be free to choose their factions. They debate how the factions could be implemented. Finally, the wonder about the fate of Nathanos, and then give some final thoughts on Sylvanas.
Thank you for listening to The Tauren &... Visit website for full summary.

Episode URL: https://mtb.gg/36x
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

#150: Ragnaros' Electric Slide Sep 08, 2022

Show notes

Nick and Katie are back to once again talk about Warcraft story and lore. This week they begin with Katie talking about her time in Korthia hunting for mounts. Nick talks about his love of stitchhounds, and then he laments for the old version of stampede. They talk about how hunters should get to show off more of their pets, since the number of available pet models is always increasing, and they talk about how hunters should be able to tame more pets. Katie mentions she had a bugged rare spawn in Korthia that was affecting her ability to get another mount.
Nick talks about how he feels like each zone has too much content in it, and unless you are steadfast in your attempts to complete all the content, it will take you more than a patch cycle to complete everything. Katie mentions that she wants to collect the Blood Elf paladin transmog from the Quel’thalas questline.
Nick mentions that Theotar may be shoutcasting for a Hearthstone event, and this leads to a discussion about which Shadowlands characters we can expect to see return in future expansions. They get into Dragonflight spoilers with their understanding of the return of a certain character, and they talk about how impactful that is with respect to the character’s overall arc. Then, they talk about the eventual return of Anduin, and Katie mentions she doesn’t want him to return like Turalyon. They wonder if Khadgar should have known more about Turalyon and Alleria’s disappearance from Draenor. This leads to a discussion of Khadgar’s romantic abilities. They then discuss Thrall’s fascination with his axe, and transition to talking about Ragnaros helping Thrall through a midlife crisis.
Nick talks about the charge of the covenants against the forces of the Maw in Zereth Mortis, and then they consider the finale of Shadowlands. They talk about the loss of many Shadowlands characters as we leave them behind, and they end by speculating on how Dragonflight could lead to further expansions.
Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to taurengoblin@mash.gg or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: https://mtb.gg/352
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

#149: Calia: Menethil or Mary Sue? Jul 14, 2022

Show notes

Nick and Katie are back and this week they are talking about Calia Menethil and the Lordaeron story in Patch 9.2.5. Katie begins with a rant about how Calia is a Mary Sue and doesn’t feel like she’s earned the position of leadership replacing Sylvanas as head of the Forsaken. Nick agrees and points out that Calia is royalty by birth while Sylvanas had the natural qualities of a leader. They also talk about what Forsaken players are looking for in a leader, and how Calia being forced to take the players in a given direction may not work.
Nick runs through a quick overview of the Lordaeron questline, that involves Calia and Apothecary Faranell, among others, working to remove the blight from the city after Sylvanas exploded her bilght bombs at the beginning of Battle for Azeroth. Calia and the player find themselves heading to Maldraxxus as that is where all plague originated, and while there she asks Margrave Sindane a question about what type of necromancy created her, and she gets an answer that she is just like every other Forsaken. Calia and the player then return to Lordaeron and are able to clear the blight. Nick talks about how this seems like Blizzard trying to impart on the player that Calia can be taken seriously as a Forsaken leader.
They also talk about how Calia and Taelia both showing up at the same time felt like a tease that went nowhere. They admit that Calia needs to do more to earn the player’s respect as leader of the Forsaken. They compare her to Lillian Voss and what Voss has done to ingratiate herself to the players.
Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to taurengoblin@mash.gg or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: https://mtb.gg/33y
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

#148: Mobile Games, Unicorn Deathwing, and Sylvanas Jun 09, 2022

Show notes

Nick and Katie are finally back to talk more about World of Warcraft. But first they wonder what kind of loot they would drop. Let us know at taurengoblin@mash.gg!
They then talk a bit about Diablo Immortal, and get into Hearthstone’s relationship to the lore. Nick shares a joke from reddit about Tauren leadership. Next, they get into a discussion about the new Dark Ranger appearances and Transmogs. They also talk about the Of Lordaeron title that is now available. This leads to further talk about character customization.
Next, they talk about their initial impressions of Warcraft Arclight Rumble. They discuss how the miniatures depicted in game would be awesome to see outside the game. Nick compares what he’s seen of Arclight Rumble to Hearthstone mercenaries.
Next, they discuss an email from Scott Myers about whether or not the Primus can be evil based on a Necrolord title. This leads to a discussion about players playing evil characters.
Finally, they dive into the first half of the Sylvanas book, which looks at Sylvanas’ elven life from childhood up until the Scourge attack on Silvermoon. Nick talks about how he wished the whole book would have encompassed this time frame. They talk about the finality of the last family gathering, and Katie compares this part of the book to the first half of Titanic. They appreciate the mentions of Nathanos’ cousin who meets a grisly fate in the Dark Mirror short story. Nick goes into the origins of the Windrunner children’s names. Nick is pleased to dismiss his Windrunner human-poolboy theory. They discuss how Sylvanas’ inner monologue doesn’t always match her actions. They fawn over Sylvanas and Nathanos as a couple and compare them to other notable WoW couples. They talk about Sylvanas’ emotions as a Forsaken and if they were representative of the race overall. They consider the impact on Sylvanas of being a diplomat’s daughter. The look at the end of Sylavanas’ youth and try to consider what her age is.
Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to taurengoblin@mash.gg or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: https://mtb.gg/33x
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

#147: On Rexxar (feat. Skoll Shorties) May 05, 2022

Show notes

Nick is back and Katie isn’t feeling well so instead he’s joined by Skoll Shorties to talk about all things Rexxar! They begin by talking about Skoll’s youtube videos and his love of Rexxar since he was a kid and how that led to him rolling a Beastmaster Hunter. Then they talk about how Beastmaster hunter has changed over the years.
Next, they get into Rexxar’s history and talk about his introduction in Warcraft III as part of the Founding of Durotar scenario. They talk about how he ingratiated himself into the Horde and then worked with Rokhan and Chen Stormstout. They mention Rexxar was instrumental in defeating the Alliance forces at Theramore by killing Daelin Proudmoore. They also talk about how he was respectful in the victory which at the time helped foster a relationship between the Horde and Jaina Proudmoore.
After wandering Desolace and Feralas, they talk about Rexxar’s next appearance in the Burning Crusade when he returned to Blade’s Edge Mountains and had to reconnect with his father and chieftan, Leoroxx.
Next, they talk about Rexxar’s re-emergence in Legion. They talk about how they were underwhelmed by the Hunter class campaign but they liked the Hunter Lodge class hall itself. They also consider the role of the Unseen Path.
Next, they talk about Rexxar’s role in Battle for Azeroth as part of the forces attacking Kul Tiras in Battle for Azeroth. They talk about him working with Zelling and Lillian Voss and Valtrois. Skoll talks about his theory that Rexxar is who informed Saurfang and Thrall about Baine’s abduction. They talk about Rexxar finally appearing in an in-game cinematic and look forward to when he might show up next.
They also talk briefly about what they hope for in the next expansion. They speculate about a world revamp and wonder what is to come.
Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to taurengoblin@mash.gg or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: https://mtb.gg/32e
Show Twitter: twitter.com/TaurenGoblin

Host:
Nick Zielenkievicz
twitter.com/WookieeBH

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

#146: On Dragonflight! Apr 25, 2022

Show notes

Nick and Katie are back and they are excited to talk about the announcement for the Dragonflight expansion, or at least Katie is! Katie talks about how she enjoyed the cinematic and felt an emotional connection to Kharanos (Stoney Tony) while Nick talks about how he is still enjoying Zereth Mortis and didn’t feel like the announcement was for him. Katie talks about her love of all things dragon being why she liked the cinematic so much.
They talk a little about the lore behind Dragonflight, with the Dragons having received their powers from the Titans and taking center stage once again after ceding their power at the end of Cataclysm. They discuss where the location of the Dragon Isles could be. They talk about the Titan watchers and how fascinating it was to see them in fully rendered CGI glory. Nick compares the cinematic to the Mei cinematic for Overwatch. Katie talks about how excited she was to see Alexstraza show up and catch Kharanos. They also talk about potential villains in the expansion, from Murozond to Galakrond, and in particular they focus on how Galakrond got his power. They speculate about connections to the cosmic chart and the Shadowlands in particular. Nick wonders if there will be a connection between Thaldraszus and Maldraxxus.
They also talk about what they liked in the expansion announcement. Nick is excited for the UI changes. Katie is excited for the return of talent trees. They also discuss the new dragon riding mechanic and how that will play against the old style of flying. Katie is hopeful it will be extended to the rest of the world. They talk about the Dracthyr race and Evoker class and how they are intertwined.
Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to taurengoblin@mash.gg or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: https://mtb.gg/31v
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

#145: On Yogg-Saron (for Real) Apr 07, 2022

Show notes

Nick and Katie are back and feeling better and ready to talk about Yogg-Saron, for real this time! First, Nick talks about Mythic Quest on Apple Plus and says it was pretty good and worth checking out.
Then, they get into talking about Yogg-Saron. They talk about the corrupting influence of his blood and how he was responsible for much of what was going on in Northrend. They talk about how he corrupted the world tree Vordrassil and used it to get a foothold in the Emerald Dream, thus giving way to the Emerald Nightmare. Nick wonders about Fandral Staghelm planting so many world trees. They also talk about Yogg’s many mouths and try to break down the biological effect that that many mouths would have.
They talk about the nature of corruption and how the Old Gods can either browbeat their victims into submission or maybe they can be more nuanced about it. Nick wonders if Twitter and Reddit are Old God machinations. They talk about Deathwing was corrupted courtesy of Yogg’s efforts.
Nick tries to compare the efficacy of Yogg to the Jailer, with Yogg having been responsible for much of what was wrong in Northrend, and the Jailer supposedly responsible for much of what has been wrong throughout Warcraft history.
Finally, they talk about the visions hat occur during the Ulduar raid, with Yogg being responsible for Deathwing’s corruption that lead to him deceiving the other dragonflights to help him create the Dragon Soul. We also see Garona killing Llane, and the Arthas torturing Bolvar, which has implications. They also talk about the current state of Ulduar with Mimiron not answering and old god minions being found on-site during Legion.
Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to taurengoblin@mash.gg or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: https://mtb.gg/31d
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

#144: On Yogg-Saron Apr 01, 2022

Show notes

Nick and Katie are back to talk about Yogg-Saron but first Al'golath mal shal'nel Al'tha, Al'tha bormaz. Ni bormaz ta'thall? Athu'gag magg'naggwa. Qor'naus'agth lwhuk. Lilth gag'huqth'hoq. Bal'qwari Og Shadar.Bo'al lal arwi C'toth.F'lakh ghet!
F'tagh nah'hat! I'mmathan! Sha'lub nahab! Sha'lub nahab! Gillari, geth'shar. Gillari, teko'shar. H'thon marwol qualar. Immalanath, yasoth nalarub!! Log'loth og shandai
Mar'kowa tallol ye'tarin. Pwhn'guul i ghawl'fwata ryiu wgah uul'gwan h'iwn guu'lal.
Shethnoth, ol'goth, grell. Shur'nab... shur'nab... Yogg-Saron! Thoth'al amun Ree'thael vormos! Vormos! Vormos! Tulall par'okoth. Far'al, ka'kar. Uhn'agh Fash Uulwi gag erh'ongg w'ssh/w'ssh. Uulwi ifis halahs gag erh'ongg w'ssh Xal'atoh Xal'atath. Yrr n'lyeth... shuul anagg!
Y'knath k'th'rygg k'yi mrr'ungha gr'mula. Al'golath mal shal'nel Al'tha, Al'tha bormaz. Ni bormaz ta'thall? Athu'gag magg'naggwa. Qor'naus'agth lwhuk. Lilth gag'huqth'hoq. Bal'qwari Og Shadar.Bo'al lal arwi C'toth.F'lakh ghet!
F'tagh nah'hat! I'mmathan! Sha'lub nahab! Sha'lub nahab! Gillari, geth'shar. Gillari, teko'shar. H'thon marwol qualar. Immalanath, yasoth nalarub!! Log'loth og shandai
Mar'kowa tallol ye'tarin. Pwhn'guul i ghawl'fwata ryiu wgah uul'gwan h'iwn guu'lal.
Shethnoth, ol'goth, grell. Shur'nab... shur'nab... Yogg-Saron! Thoth'al amun Ree'thael vormos! Vormos! Vormos! Tulall par'okoth. Far'al, ka'kar. Uhn'agh Fash Uulwi gag erh'ongg w'ssh/w'ssh. Uulwi ifis halahs gag erh'ongg w'ssh Xal'atoh Xal'atath. Yrr n'lyeth... shuul anagg!
Al'golath mal shal'nel Al'tha, Al'tha bormaz. Ni bormaz ta'thall? Athu'gag magg'naggwa. Qor'naus'agth lwhuk. Lilth gag'huqth'hoq. Bal'qwari Og Shadar.Bo'al lal arwi C'toth.F'lakh ghet!
F'tagh nah'hat! I'mmathan! Sha'lub nahab! Sha'lub nahab! Gillari, geth'shar. Gillari, teko'shar. H'thon marwol qualar. Immalanath, yasoth nalarub!! Log'loth og shandai
Mar'kowa tallol ye'tarin. Pwhn'guul i ghawl'fwata ryiu wgah uul'gwan h'iwn guu'lal.
Shethnoth, ol'goth, grell. Shur'nab... shur'nab... Yogg-Saron! Thoth'al amun Ree'thael vormos! Vormos! Vormos! Tulall par'okoth. Far'al, ka'kar. Uhn'agh Fash Uulwi gag erh'ongg w'ssh/w'ssh. Uulwi ifis halahs gag erh'ongg w'ssh Xal'atoh Xal'atath. Yrr n'lyeth... shuul anagg! N’ZOTH!
Thank you for listening to The Tauren & the Goblin! Please send any comments or questions to taurengoblin@mash.gg or @taurengoblin on twitter.

Episode URL: https://mtb.gg/314
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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