Lore Watch Podcast
Every week the Lore Watch podcast explores the story and lore of Blizzard titles including World of Warcraft, Diablo, Overwatch, or any other games that interest us. Join us for an in-depth look at the evolving stories of the games we all love.
Episodes
A lore primer for The Green Lantern
With the new Lanterns show, Joe and Matt wanted to discuss the lore of The Green Lantern, though without spoiling the plot of the new show. They start off discussing the comic in its place in comics history and its parallels to the Flash. The core of the conversation discusses Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, and John Stewart, three of the more iconic Lanterns. The show centers on Hal and J
How the Arathi might appear in The Last Titan (if they're in The Last Titan)
Lore Watch this week is all about what might be next for World of Warcraft which is quite apropos since we're waiting on BlizzCon. First is the predictions for what we might see in The Last Titan and beyond. The Arathi and Avaloren is one possibility, and Matt, Joe, and Eric explore how that could come to pass, either as a tentpole for the next expansion, or just a part of a pa
Xal'atath's true goals, and more light reading
This week's Lore Watch kicks off with a question based on a datamined spoiler which will be revealed as we come to toward the end of patch 12.1, as we finally uncover the goal Xal'atath has been working toward since before she was besties with a nameless Shadow Priest (Mitch). As usual, her now-revealed motivations may have a knock-on effect on certain aspects of both far-ranging lore an
Necessity is the mother of Gnomish invention
Anduin Wrynn's kingship — and distinct lack thereof — is the first topic this week on the Lore Watch Podcast. He's been off either having adventures or healing from those adventures for nearly his entire reign, so what could happen for Anduin to truly embrace his throne as a ruler? Joe, Matt, and Eric run down the series of events that led him here, and conjecture about his future.Then, we talk Gn
Anima, Mana, and the forces of Azeroth
The very forces that underpin the World of Warcraft universe itself are the topic of this week's Lore Watch Podcast. We're all familiar with mana, from the earliest days of playing the first Mage that got absolutely destroyed by troggs outside Anvilmar. Anima is its newer, redder... cousin? How do these two things interact with each other? Are they related? Joe, Eric, and Matt
The Lore of Doom: A deep dive (into hell)
Doom's gore-fueled Hell was one of those games Tipper Gore woke up in cold sweats dreaming about in the 90s when they were all about censoring things for the good of the children. The story of Doom was initially a bit light on the ground (of Mars), being mostly just a vehicle for good ol fashioned wanton violence. But there have been so many entries in the series that now that Doom&
Dwelling on the Shadowlands in World of Warcraft
Lore Watch Podcast starts off with a dive into the lore of the Midsummer Fire Festival, particularly since so much was added over the past few years. How has this little event about a melting ice stone grown to reflect the culture of fire and summer in the different races?Then, we go back to the Shadowlands for the rest of the podcast. We start with actually getting there. If we were the only Maw
Vol'jin's family, and Fandral in hindsight
Looking back and knowing what we do about Harandar and the deep roots of the World Trees, do we owe Fandral an apology in hindsight? Matt and Joe have a lot of lore to back up their answer, which is like 20 minutes worth of "lol, no." A stopped clock may be right twice a day, but it's still broken, and Fandral Staghelm didn't just ask us humbly for Morrowgrain. All bets are off when you try to re-
Fractured worlds and world souls
In World of Warcraft, we've come across several shattered worlds, in varying degrees of obliteration. From Outland to K'aresh, these worlds have been corrupted with various forces, were shredded into near-oblivion, and some looked as though they may have some kind of shot at redemption against all odds.But what about their world souls? How does each world soul relate to the creation of these
The Hand of Hatred and an Azerothian Fermi Paradox
Lore Watch kicks off with a discussion from Diablo 4 this week, which breaks the seal on the Lord of Hatred spoilers. This question concerns the Chekov's Gun that was Neyrelle's lopped off arm. Matt and Joe discuss the possibility that Neyrelle isn't truly, fully dead, as through the lens of that arm, which apparently washed up on shore in Skovos, despite being cut off in a ver
Alan Wake, Control, and the lore linking the Remedy universe
The lore of the games from Remedy and how the two series Alan Wake and Control are linked is the topic of this week's Lore Watch Podcast. Both games are about events that shift from what the main characters know to be true, into something which couldn't possibly be true, if what they already knew to be true was real. Both games have a sense of wrongness and eerieness — Ala
In the Amani Loa-fest, where is Bwonsamdi?
The Loa of death Bwonsamdi is the first topic in this week's Lore Watch Podcast. Bwonsamdi was everywhere in Battle for Azeroth, even being a major driver of events in that expansion. But now that we have a whole Troll area packed with Loa in Midnight, he hasn't joined the party yet. Why? He seems like a party kind of guy. And where is he, if he isn't here, and what is he up to?Then, we
Azshara: A lore deep dive
This week we take a deep dive — pun obviously intended — into the lore and psychology of Azshara, the ruler of the Naga on Azeroth. But first, we have a lighthearted question from a listener, asking for the lore justification against being able to Skyride on the sad little ghost gryphon when you're dead. I agree. This feels extra bad. Clearly there must be a lore reason why we can't.Then we turn t
What else lurks inside Azeroth, and Happy Father's Day Mephisto
We start off Lore Watch this week wishing Mephisto a Happy Father's Day -- but are there any other fathers among the evils of Diablo? Then, we pivot to World of Warcraft and another set of world-shaking entities. We saw what happened when we killed a Titan and kicked off Shadowlands, but what happens when a world soul dies? Do they just get to hang out in Ardenweald forever? Be
The Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer to Warhammer 40k
This week, our hosts Matthew Rossi and Joe Perez are tackling the absolutely massive universe of Warhammer 40,000. It's so massive that they can only scratch the surface of it in the time they have, so this is a great primer of one big facet of the setting -- The God-Emperor of Man. They cover a bit of the Horus Heresy, all the way up to the current events happening in the universe. Who is the God
Lilith, the knife, the void, and Diablo
In this Diablo 4 spoiler-laden lorefest, Joe and Matt discuss the end of the campaign from Lord of Hatred and where it may lead next. The link between Lilith and Mephisto and us was a core element in Lord of Hatred, and we're discussing the nature of that link, and what that knife had to do with it, anyway. And speaking of that knife, where is Lilith now? Come to think of
The story of Diablo 4, through the end of Lord of Hatred
Diablo 4 lore junkies are in for a treat this week as Matt and Joe run down a spoiler-filled recap and analysis of the story of the latest expansion, Lord of Hatred.Did I mention that it's spoiler filled? Because it's truly spoiler filled.From the shocking death in the opening cinematic Blizzard posted to the official YouTube channel, to the shocking death toward the end of the expa
Who is Astalor Bloodsworn, and what's the deal with Anguish?
Astalor Bloodsworn is the character at the center of the Midnight expansion's Prey feature, but this isn't the first time we've seen him. Matt, Joe, and Eric discuss his history, which dates back to the release of The Burning Crusade 20 years ago. They're answering listener questions this week, and the next topics diverge from that pretty wildly, examining how the WoW 
Millhouse Jerimus Manastorm and more, less important, World of Warcraft lore
We lead off the week with the history of the most important lore figure of all time to World of Warcraft: Millhouse Manastorm. From his incredibly auspicious beginnings to his even more auspicious middle, and the implausibly auspiciouser current machinations, Matt and Joe showcase this crucial figure in lore.What's after that is clearly less important, but eh, our listeners had some questions
Connecting WoW's lore from the past to the future
A lot of our travels as Lorewalkers seem to revolve around what events are happening in World of Warcraft, and Childrens' Week is no exception. As we cart these vulnerable children around to various areas of incredible peril, it re-showed us several spots around Azeroth that made us say, "oh yeah, what was up with that?" Our frequent listener and question-asked scribbleigh asked us several qu
The destinies of Warcraft, from the Alliance High King to the Sunwell
If you could choose a high king for the Alliance, who would you choose? Because who... is the high king of the Alliance right now, anyway? That's the first question on the docket this week. Joe, Matt, and Eric also discussed the races they'd like to see again, or more in-depth. 'Member Yrel, you guys? Then, to close it out: as a massive, glowing font of power, was The Sunwell just always
The Diablo buddy comedy of the new The Lost Horadrim novel
This week, Joe, Matt, and special guest Liz Harper read the newly released Diablo novel The Lost Horadrim by Matthew Kirby, and are here to share their thoughts. This is where I'd make a joke about that new book smell, but it's Diablo so I don't want to think about smelling anything. In terms of time, the book is set between the events of Diablo 3 and D
The Midnight Elf-O-Rama
Is Midnight the Elf-centric team-up expansion of our dreams, or what? That's the listener question which serves as our jumping off point this week. And our cohosts conclude: Yes, mostly! Indeed, Midnight is the elf-o-rama we've always wanted -- nay, deserved. Matt, Joe, and Eric point out some of their shared elf-y foibles (must we always have a singular, vulnerable font of pow
Narrative arcs from Classic WoW to Class Halls
This week's Lore Watch Podcast takes us back in the day, with a couple questions that ask about lore from the vanilla days.We start off talking arcs. The Alliance has a great arc involving the Defias in their initial starting zone, which evolves to involve Lady Prestor in the middle levels, all the way up to Onyxia at cap. The Lore Watch crew discuss the various threads of the Horde narrative that
Sam Kieth's impact and legacy in comics
Comic book artist Sam Kieth passed away earlier this month as a result of Lewy Body dementia, so our Lore Watch Podcast team wanted to take an episode to talk about his impact on the genre and pop culture as a whole. Both Sam Kieth's art style and plotlines shaped comics as we moved into a more grimdark take on the old heroes. Sam's comic The Maxx put him on the map, and his collaboratio
The story of dragons in World of Warcraft
Joe, Matt, and Eric sat down this week to discuss the dragons of World of Warcraft, starting with their origins as proto-dragons, and all the way up through more modern politics. With many thanks for the great questions, we start off with proto-dragons: why do they call themselves that? Seems like they might call themselves "dragons" and come up with something new for those long-armed fellows
The Loa of Side Quests, and more Midnight lore
This week Joe and Eric were joined by Liz, and it was a great opportunity to begin discussing the abundance of Loa we've had in Midnight so far. Our cohosts discussed some of the ins and outs of becoming a Loa, and talked about what they thought they might be the Loa of one day, since none of them were nepo babied into the situation. After that they moved into Harandar and its relationsh
From the Naaru and the Titans to WoW TTRPG, we answer your questions
We love answering your questions, especially when it lets us don our tinfoil hat. Our first question this week was relatively straightforward: If you were to run a WoW TTRPG for a Horde campaign and an Alliance campaign, what would it be? With three hosts, there were six varied answers. We move from there to conflict among the Titans, and why some all-powerful beings might clash. Speakin
Neuromancer: the novel and its far reaching sci-fi influence
This week our usual crew of Joe, Matt, and Eric was joined by Liz to discuss William Gibson's novel Neuromancer. This 1984 novel was foundational to the cyberpunk genre in many ways, from establishing the grittiness of the setting all the way down to shaping the way this genre looks and feels across different types of media. The crew discuss themes through Neuromancer which are also
Who was the High Elf Xal'atath is piloting, and more weird body questions
We thank our listeners and patrons for giving us another round of great questions, which we summarily answered and used as a diving board directly into the deep end of tin foil hat theories and speculation. First, who was the elf Xal'atath is currently using for a body? While we do have a pithy answer to this identity courtesy of a particular quest line, there's also a broader lore implication in
Influences in WoW, from music to Arthurian legend
Our readers dutifully sent in questions, and our three hosts -- Joe, Matt, and Eric -- gave them all the answers they could want, and more. They start off with a discussion on the music of WoW, spurred by the inclusion of Player Housing decor, and how Taurens all got drums. It evolves from there, to discuss how the themes present within in-game music mirror real life music characteristics. Th
The Old Gods, the Void, and a prize to be won
Our listeners had a lot of questions for the Lore Watch crew this week, and they all center on Midnight, specifically the role of the Void and Old Gods. Is there another forgotten Old God waiting in the wings? Will all the Old Gods come back to wreak havoc during The Last Titan?Perhaps most tantalizingly in light of the events to come, with all this Void power at her command, what exactly is
What you need to know about the story of The War Within before Midnight
As we make our way into the Midnight prepatch and beyond, Matt, Joe, and Eric take the opportunity to recap the lore of The War Within. In case you missed it -- or maybe missed some of the signs leading up to it, or through it -- we have the story. It starts with a literal bang, and the destruction of Dalaran. The implications of that, from how it affects the plot all the way to how
The Blood Ties that bind: Discussing the latest WoW novel
This week Joe is joined by our writer Eric O'Dea to discuss Blood Ties, the newest WoW novel. The events of Blood Tieshappen between the end of The War Within but just before Midnight -- basically when we are right now. As such, there will be spoilers for both Blood Ties and a little bit of what we know happens in Midnight.Joe and Eric point out va
Connections between the Light and the Titans
This week Joe and Matt are answering another listener question, this time concerning Paladins, and how they serve as an intersection between the divine Light, and the Titans who shaped Azeroth. As you might imagine, the answer will span the cosmos, and go completely off the rails in the process. Paladins in particular serve as a mash-up between some Light power and Titanic power -- does that mean
Icewind Dale: The D&D region that launched a thousand Drizzts
This week by special listener request, Matt and Joe are delving into Icewind Dale -- perhaps literally, because it involves the iconic character Drizzt Do'Urden, the Drow Ranger. Icewind Dale began simply as a region in Dungeons and Dragons, and then became the title of a series of three novels penned by R. A. Salvatore, with the first published in 1988 and the last in 1990, and then a video
Santa Doctor Doom, and other comics crossovers
Because it's Christmas, and on Christmas you get a little treat, Joe and Matt are discussing all the ways crossovers are used in comics. From KISS to that one time Doctor Doom was Santa, to more mundane crossovers, adding a different set of characters to an existing comic can add new life to a stale plot. This episode has it all, from Archie to Transformers, perhaps both at the same
Diablo Paladins, a history
Since Paladins were announced as the next class to join the roster in Diablo 4 in its next expansion Lord of Hatred -- and already playable with preorder -- Matt and Joe sat down this week to chat about both, but mostly Paladins and their history within the franchise. First, they dive into the place of Paladins within the franchise as contrasted by other classes. Blizzard seems
The lore of The Outer Worlds
In this birthday episode of Lore Watch, Joe gave Matt a gift, and let Matt talk about whatever called to him -- and that was the lore of The Outer Worlds. They discussed everyone's favorite Gilded Age throwback with minimal spoilers, talking about how the world itself is setup and constructed in this alternate version of earth. In this version of history, the robber baron tycoons who brought
The cherished history of the troll raid
Our listeners wanted to know about the legacy of the Troll raid. We've been killing those poor saps a lot -- just about every expansion in either raid or dungeon form, in fact, to the extent that "the Troll raid" is almost a meme. Midnight may be bringing us another chance to murder a whole bunch more Trolls, with rumors swirling about islands off the coast near Zul'Aman -- which, incide
Ethereals, Class Quests, and more
This week we have four listener questions answered by our lore experts Joe and Matt. First, they discuss the Ethereals and what their timeline is in relation to the timeline on Azeroth. Has this race existed for years, decades, milennia -- or something different entirely. They pivoted to the dragons and their aspects, and how choice figures in. Chromie, for one, clearly got some element of choice
A casual discussion about Blood Elves
As we make our way toward Midnight, Joe and Matt are making sure we know what we need to before the expansion launches. Chief among those things is the lore of Blood Elves. It starts with the Highborne and the schism between Night Elves and High Elves, which eventually led to the Blood Elves and the creation of the Sunwell.But ancient history isn't all. Joe and Matt also discuss some of the n
Deep, cosmic questions from the Diablo and WoW universes
Because we aren't all constantly filled with existential dread, Joe and Matt are answering some deep questions asked by some of our listeners. The first concerns the afterlife in Diablo, namely where we all go when we die. Heaven and Hell aren't really in keeping with our religious afterlife paradigm, after all. Then, they're asked about what the moon or sun is, really, in WoW. This one
The Sunwell: its origins, its past, and its parallels
As we head into Midnight, we know this act begins with a direct assault on the Sunwell. But what is the Sunwell? Our Loremasters Joe and Matt discuss the history of Xal'atath's next target. The Sunwell isn't even the only well of power to be found on Azeroth -- they discuss the Well of Eternity, and the Nightwell, too.This isn't the first time the Sunwell has been directly assaulted -- and ho
Multimedia influences on World of Warcraft
In the first of three questions we answered this week, a listener wanted to know some of the influences our hosts Joe and Matt see in WoW from literature, movies, and myth, and they talked about a slew of varied media, from 60s sci-fi (no, not that one, though yes, that one) through comics. There are a lot of cultural touchstones and homages to explore in WoW. They also sort of expl
The lore of Vampire: The Masquerade
Matt and Joe sit down this week to discuss Vampire: The Masquerade: its lore, some of the source material that inspired it, and how it rippled vampires forward in pop culture. They break down what you need to know about the history of vampires in this setting, which goes back almost to the beginning of humans, so there's kind of a lot to discuss. Clans are the core concept to be aware of, as
Even more stories we'd like to explore through Lorewalking
Now that we've seen Lorewalking a bit, a listener asks the Lore Watch team what other events in Azeroth's history we should get to go visit through that system. While the listener suggests the War of the Three Hammers -- which Joe and Matt are on board with -- the response runs the gamut of Azeroth's history, from ancient events to a couple from WoW we just weren't there to see, all the
Is Dimensius the last of the Void Lords (and what does that mean for The Last Titan?)
The ultimate fight of The War Within, Dimensius is a hulking purple Void Lord, and several developer interviews have led us to believe he may be the last one. Or, at least, that's what two of our listeners asked about -- is he the last Void Lord? And if he is, what does that even mean? So Matt and Joe start off explaining the Void and Void Lords a bit, before making a turn -- in the way only
What the elf expansion of our dreams would be
This week we're having a throwback episode from the Archives. Over a hundred episodes ago, Matt and Joe discussed what they would like to see from an elf-centric expansion, which is more or less coming to fruition with Midnight. They begin by talking about the lore behind elves in general, their historical origins as an offshoot of the Trolls, through the Night Elf schism with the High Elves,
Is it finally time for Forsaken Paladins?
The topic of Forsaken Paladins is the meat in a three listener question sandwich this week. We start off with the idea of corruption, and just how the Old Gods managed to bend the kobolds eating Milly Osgood's grapes in Elwynn Forest to their will, being that they're generally not all that geographically adjacent. Besides which -- kobolds? Really? Then, the Forsaken Paladin discussion, which dives
What does the Void fear?
This week's show is devoted to two listener questions. The first asks what the Void fears, in reference to a line from our old pal Ve'nari who asserts that she knows what it is -- but doesn't let us in on the secret. Can Matt and Joe unravel the mystery posed by our Broker friend? They go down some twisting paths to discuss their way to the answer, including a lot of discussion of all the elves on
How "Satanic Panic" changed media in the 80s, with ripple effects to today
Most people think of the 80s as a simple time full of big hair and scrunchies, but those of us who were into Dungeons and Dragons will remember the Satanic Panic, a period of time when parents were terrified that every piece of media was making their children evil. Our hosts Matt and Joe take a walk through a history they remember quite well, drawing from their own experiences as kids tr
Just a few of the breadcrumbs leading us to Midnight
Lore Watch this week explores three questions sent in by our listeners, all ending in answers we may see as we go forward into Midnight. First, they talk about the different types of magic -- specifically that Warlock magic stems from the Titans -- and why that knowledge didn't knock the socks clean off the Kirin Tor. Or maybe Xal'atath literally knocking those socks off also knocked some sen
The weird similarities shared by the Kirin Tor and the Jedi Order
With the rigidity of the structure of the Kirin Tor and the Jedi Order, and their propensity for keeping secrets about power -- and sometimes that power for themselves -- there are a ton of parallels between these two organizations. Our hosts Matt and Joe dive deep into both the World of Warcraft universe and the Star Wars universe in order to compare and contrast the master li
What K’aresh might have to show us about the coming Midnight
While we’re all excited about the new trailer for Midnight from gamescom, Matt and Joe took this opportunity to discuss what narrative threads we may see in Midnight as a whole. They recap some of our adventures on K’aresh, discuss the order of what might be coming, plus what the nature of the energy-based Ethereals have to do with Azeroth. It’s a multi-faceted lore deep dive o
Jurassic World, and all the dinosaurs InGen made up along the way
This week's Lore Watch Podcast is just as majestic as the last, with even more discussion of the lore of Jurassic Park. This time, Joe, Matt, and special guest Eric O'Dea discuss the second set of Jurassic media, starting with Jurassic World. They give a rundown of the plots of the newer movies, then move into analysis. While scientific hubris clearly has its role to play, perhaps the tr
Welcome to Jurassic Park: how it kicked off a cultural phenomenon
This week, Matt, Joe, and special guest Eric O'Dea dove into one of the most influential series for the 90s kids in the audience: Jurassic Park. From Michael Crichton's groundbreaking novels to the movies, dinosaurs were inescapable -- pun intended. Our hosts discuss the first few works in the series, how the books and movies differed, and just how wrong the science was. Jurassic Park&nb
Answering listener questions from around the World of Warcraft
This week's Lore Watch Podcast featured three different listener questions, answered by our intrepid hosts Matt and Joe. First, they delved into some pop culture references in WoW, specifically focusing on Final Fantasy (or possibly He-Man). The second question talks Quilboar and the Scourge -- what did the Scourge get out of working with the Quilboar anyway? Finally, we go cos
Void Demon Hunters and other magical mixups
This week's podcast features three different reader questions shoved into one podcast trenchcoat. First up, would it be possible to see a Void version of Demon Hunters, considering what we know now about Void as a magic source? Which of course, raises the question of, say, Light Demon Hunters or Arcane Demon Hunters. Then, we try to shove magic sources together, like Deathwing's Shadowflame (and w
Storytelling in TTRPGs
Our hosts Joe and Matt were joined by frequent guest and DM for our Tavern Watch podcast, Phil Ulrich. Together they explored the storytelling aspect of TTRPGs. While they do enjoy the aspect of "math rocks go brrrr" TTRPGs bring to the table, the ability to tell a story collaboratively makes it more appealing to them than a typical game like Catan or Monopoly, though certainly both
Fragments of worlds and world souls
Two listener questions form bookends to an overarching concept this week on the Lore Watch Podcast. First, what is happening to Outland as it is now, 20 years after we visited? Is it still crumbling as it was, and what is becoming of the people and creatures still living there? Then, continuing on the theme, the next question asks, what if Azeroth's fate -- after burrowing Old Gods and Titan stabb
From class fantasy to (redacted) fantasy, we answer your gaming questions
This week's episode covers a lot of ground, because we're answering your burning listener questions (but you should still see a doctor). One involves modding and romance options in games like Fallout 4 or Cyberpunk 2077. The next question is all about class fantasy in WoW, and which our hosts think is defined the best. The final question is about the upcoming Legion Remix: what
Who are the Lorewalkers (and why do they know so much)?
With the new Lorewalking feature, it has some of us curious about the Lorewalkers. What is their history in the game, and why exactly do they know so much? A listener asked us just that -- somewhat suspiciously. As Matt and Joe discuss the Lorewalkers, it is evident that many are not your average NPC, empowered with longevity, or great memory. The path leads us to the Time Walkers and the dragonfl
Faerin Lothar and the Arathi legacy
This week Lore Watch takes a deep dive into the character of Faerin Lothar, based on the recent short story "Faith and Flame," as well as the release of patch 11.1.7, which sends us questing back into the Arathi Highlands. Faerin's story is inextricably tied to the Arathi race as a whole, but also unique to her -- noble or no, not many seven year olds are going to stow away on a ship to join
Our Lorewalking wish list
The new Lorewalking feature in World of Warcraft is one we can use to explore more moments from the game we haven't seen, or explore the ones we have seen more in-depth. A listener wrote in and asked Matt and Joe which other points of lore they'd like to see show up in Lorewalking later, so of course, the entire hour is devoted to answering that question. From the huge, earth-shaking mom
Lorewalking: what to expect from this upcoming feature
Who would have thought that the hosts of the Lore Watch Podcast would be excited to talk about the new Lorewalking feature coming to World of Warcraft? The episode goes through the scenarios in detail, so if you'd prefer to have your Lorewalking experience as unspoiled as your own recollection of past events, note that they discuss everything about them at length. Part of that discussion also
The War Within: The story so far
If in between hauling Brann's sorry carcass through another delve and racing around in your car in Undermine you haven't been paying close attention to the story of The War Within, we've got your back. Starting from the pre-patch and the radiant song, Matt and Joe recap the events of the expansion so far. There will be spoilers up through the end of the Undermine raid, so be wary. A
How we'd make Azeroth into a D&D campaign
This week's Lore Watch is based on a listener question, which mashes together two of Joe and Matt's favorite topics: Azeroth and Dungeons and Dragons. Specifically, this episode goes through doing just that: how they would play their way through a World of Warcraft-themed D&D campaign. They discuss their picks for the best tabletop system to play their way through a potenti
The evolution of Dragons (and other fantasy creatures)
On this week's Lore Watch Podcast, Joe and Matt are joined again by our writer Eric O'Dea, and they continue to explore how the telling and re-telling of stories about creatures in folklore has evolved into the creatures we now know in some of our favorite media. This week they start the discussions with dragons and all their forms -- sapient, verbal, Dungeons and -- and how Dragons tend to affect
Kobolds and the real life origins of in-game creatures
While they are unassuming little creatures, their presence in fantasy lore ranges all the way from traditional folklore all the way into modern day Dungeons and Dragons and World of Warcraft. With the help of staff writer Eric O'Dea, Joe and Matt delve deep to discuss the history of these little critters, from their origins as sprites or brownies or the fae all the way up to "you no
Gallywix is only mostly dead, and other listener questions
This week, Joe and Matt take to the mailbag to answer your questions, which are as varied as you are. First, since WoW has a tendency to bring back characters from the dead, and we just quote-unquote "killed" Gallywix, do we think he's actually dead, or will he be back? Then, in harkening back to a past episode, the connection between the Arathi and the Nerubians -- and whether the Nazrethim is wh
Xal'atath, the Void, and the dawn of Azeroth's creation
This week's episode was inspired by a question from a listener, about where the story is going from here as we make our way toward the next expansion of World of Warcraft, Midnight. We veer right into Tinfoil Hat territory pretty quickly. After all, it's tough when a lot of the sources we have are either written by unreliable narrators, or were written well before any of current events were even t
Cyberpunk Edgerunners explores a crumbling dystopia
The Netflix animated show Cyberpunk Edgerunners is a great entry in the Cyberpunk universe, and one we felt worth exploring in-depth. Joe and Matt give us a spoiler-filled tour of Night City and how all the details of life in that universe lead to a dystopia packed with despair. This is an episode from the archives, so it's one we felt we should bring back to the front in case
Crucial Source Material
While we do enjoy going off on wild tangents or thinking about "what if," sometimes it's important to just go back to the crucial source material. The specific writing in-game can not only work to create a vibrant world, but with careful study, can inform the overall trajectory of what you can expect to come. WoW is no different, so today we're taking a look at a set of perhaps overlooke
Can you play Hearthstone in the Emerald Dream, and other questions
This week's Lore Watch Podcast is Q&A style, so the topics veer all over the place -- more so than usual. We start off with a question about the Emerald Dream and whether it was designed as a prison -- timely, given Hearthstone's latest expansion releasing yesterday. Speaking of Hearthstone, the next question concerns in-game board games, and what kind of play happens on Azeroth. The
On the origins of the Sethrak
Join our hosts Joe Perez and Matt Rossi as they discuss the lore around the Sethrak, the snakelike humanoids we initially met in Vol'dun in Battle for Azeroth. How does their worship of the animalistic Loa spirits shape their society? Titans may tie in to the animalistic loa, and the two working together may have shaped Azeroth as we know it. Plus, they discuss the evolution of species in the
Could the Sunwell become a Voidwell? (And other wild Warcraft speculation)
This week we put on the tinfoil hat to contemplate Xal'atath's plans for the future, the nature of the void, and where we might be going in the Midnight expansion due out in 2026. As with most of our wild speculation episodes, the conversation goes off the rails and then forgets there were ever rails in the first place. Enjoy!If you enjoy the show, please support us on Patreon, where you
What you need to know about Paladins, Templars, and Crusaders in Diablo
We're doing something a little new this week for Lore Watch, with a remaster of an older episode. As Joe explains in the new intro, we wanted to highlight something that we've already covered, but which could use another look as it becomes relevant again. Paladins or Crusaders are one of the most common fan picks for the second new class to come to Diablo 4, so we're revisiting the lore that
Suffer well: the lore of Death Knights in World of Warcraft
Death Knights, one of the most iconic, lore-heavy classes added to World of Warcraft, are the core topic of this week's Lore Watch, this time with a focus on what dead means, really. Join Joe and Matt as they discuss the other types of undead we know, and how their existence shapes current Death Knights. The concept of Death Knights, and death in general started a long time ago in WoW's
Alliance vs Horde: can we just get along?
In this week's show, Matt and Joe discuss the conflict between Alliance and Horde -- and more importantly, the lack of conflict some characters may feel when they're just out there adventuring. Even if their factions are opposed, we've had a ton of time collaborating and helping each other out on a personal level. Could a third, neutral faction be possible, and if so, what would it look like? Then
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