User:GoldenYak/Palace of Azshara

The Palace of Azshara is a raid instance in the Reign of Azshara Expansion Concept. It features 9 bosses and is the second and final raid in the RoA-1 raid tier, having greater difficulty than the Stygian Armada. The Palace of Azshara is the greatest stronghold the naga possess, and contains some of Azshara's most powerful followers.

Background
The greatest structure in the city of Nazjatar, the Palace of Azshara was built by the naga 10,000 years ago when they first founded their kingdom at the bottom of the city. It is a dark, twisted reflection of the palace Azshara once ruled from as a night elf. Her Azshara schemes to bring all the people of the world under her crushing rule.

Serpentguard Rasp
One of the great serpent giants, Rasp stands at the gates of Queen Azshara's palace. All who face him will be crushed beneath his massive hammer.

Maelstrom Lord Pythonis
In spite of his failure in destroying the Alliance and the Horde in Darkcoil Chasm, Pythonis has been granted a chance at redemption by Azshara. To regain her favor he will now battle with complete abandon, empowered with the elemental energies of Azshara's trident, Nergalis.

Charbydis
Queen Azshara's favorite pet hydra.

Lady Nalareshe - Chief Hand-Maiden to the Queen
The mightiest of Azshara's sea witches, Nalareshe's duties include overseeing the captive elemental lord, Neptulon. Having stolen much of the lord of water's power, she is more formidable than ever.

Neptulon the Broken
The former elemental lord of water, Neptulon is a broken shadow of his former self. Bound in elemental shackles that force him to remain in the material plane, he has been driven to the brink of insanity by the tortures he has endured. His elemental sons will join in the battle, seeking to free their father from his wretched state and return him to their home in the Abyssal Maw.

Ul'Koth - The Soul Herder
One of the malevolent faceless ones. Ul'Koth is a herald of the Old God N'Zoth, and has been sharing the secrets of elemental binding with Azshara and her naga. He was instrumental in the breaking of Neptulon, and is displeased with the heroes' efforts to free his prisoner.

Beast Master Kra'kiss
A naga warrior with a talent for training beasts of war. He guards Azshara's inner chambers with an army of vicious snap dragons.

The Queen's Guard - Orochis, Jormungan, and Euralis
Azshara's elite personal bodyguards.

Queen Azshara - The Glorious
Architect of all the misery wrought by the naga. With the great trident Nergalis in her grasp, Azshara controls all the oceans of the world, in addition to her own formidable arcane might and monstrous physical form. Azshara cares nothing for all of the servants she has lost, for her plans will soon bring her ultimate power.

Storyline
Having broken the defenses of the naga, the Alliance and the Horde now lay siege to Nazjatar. Their forces clash with the naga in every street and building, drenching the stones in blood. Finally breaching the walls of the palace itself, the heroes' find Azshara's strongest champions and monsters standing between them and the naga queen.

Within the palace, the heroes locate the elemental lord Neptulon, who has been imprisoned in the depths of the palace dungeons since his capture during the Cataclysm. Aided by the vile faceless ones, naga spell-casters have bound Neptulon in magical shackles that prevent his escape and force him to serve Azshara's will. The heroes are aided in the battle by the sons of Neptulon, water elementals from the Abyssal Maw who have come to free their father. With his binding shackles destroyed, Neptulon is at last free from Azshara's control, but reveals that the queen has stolen his power and his trident Nergalis, a weapon created by the Old Gods an eternity ago that contains much of Neptulon's power. With it, Azshara has usurped Neputlon's mastery of the oceans, becoming the new elemental lord of water. Neptulon vows revenge against all of Azeroth for the indignities he has suffered, bearing nothing but malice towards even those who freed him, and returns to the Abyssal Maw.

In her throne chamber overlooking the raging Maelstrom, Azshara awaits with the trident of Neptulon in her possession. At the climax of the battle, Azshara abruptly retreats, abandoning her palace and retreating into the Maelstrom itself. A sudden hurricane unleashed by Azshara prevents any pursuit, and the queen of the naga vanishes. Even with the sudden disappearance of their monarch however, the naga forces continue to battle, their fervor as great as ever.

The heroes of the Alliance and the Horde are left with a long and bloody battle ahead of them to end the threat of the naga forever, and feel a deep sense of foreboding that whatever Azshara's plans are, they proceed unabated despite all efforts to thwart them.

Mythic Only
In Mythic difficulty, Azshara retreats towards the Maelstrom as part of her battle. Heroes will be joined by champions of the Alliance and the Horde - Tyrande Whisperwind, Malfurion Stormrage, and Jaina Proudmoore for the Alliance - Lor'themar Theron, Lady Liadrin, and Witch-Doctor De'Chakah for the Horde. These champions will aid the heroes in persuring Azshara to the very edge of the Maelstrom, where an extra phase of the fight will occur - in a battle reminiscent with Deathwing, players must fight with Azshara on the cliffs surrounding the Maelstrom, Azshara having used her powers to grow herself to a colossal size. After defeating Azshara, she will retreat into the Maelstrom, fleeing as she did in lower difficulties.