User:Sandwichman2448/Great Sea Expansion

Queen Azshara is done putting on her makeup. So what if she is a little late? With Deathy McPlowface-wing out of the way, and with the Cataclysm destroying much of the world, and with some pandas, and some alternate universe time travel other planet stuff, and her crush dying... it is time to remake Azeroth in her own image.

New Horde race: Murlocs
While the dawn of murloc-kind is a mystery, legend has it that they came about when Cro'akan, the frog ancient, mated with Oacha'noa, loa of the sea. Those that stayed with their father became the gorlocs, while gorlocs that went with their mother back to the sea became the murlocs. They dwelled in the pre-Sundering ocean near Sholazar Basin until they were washed south by the Sundering. After the oceans had settled, the murlocs founded a civilization on one of the first reefs to grow on the ruins of the shattered mainland, nurtured by a newly-formed volcanic ridge. The jewel of their civilization was the towering city of Murktropolis, or in their native language, this noise. Murlocs were not always the savage, xenophobic, ganking monsters that they are today. Before the naga rebuilt their empire and began their campaign to enslave the depths, the murloc race was very peaceful and culturally advanced. They were happy and content.

At least, they were. Some of them heard whispers from deep below the waves, whispers telling some of them to conduct strange and dark rituals. Most other murlocs disregarded those receiving them, thinking the messages from their standard sea deities. These murlocs soon distanced themselves from their brethren, and formed a new order with other 'chosen' beings. A order that came to be known as the Underworld Minions. They were visited by Zar'jira, the naga sea witch, and through her orders they put in action a plan to enslave their entire race for their new goddess. They gained new already-enslaved allies from the depths, including their ancient and savage cousins that had been mutated for generations by the Maelstrom after they were lost in the Sundering, to aid in the siege of their homeland (homesea really) and capital.

The murlocs fought valiantly, but the forces serving the banished kaldorei were too strong. Murktropolis burned as much as damp stone could, and the murlocs that were not enslaved or killed went mad, stopped wearing clothes, and fled to land to escape. For ages, the ruined city lay abandoned, cursed with the maddening Red Tide (a mutagenic naga weapon). Very recently, those who were not affected with the madness that befell so many of their kin returned to their homeland, and met up with the few murlocs who were already there in hiding. They also regained contact with some of their makrura allies from Mak'aru.

Now these 'pure' murlocs have allied with the shamanistic Horde in retaliation to the night elves accepting the pleas of the rebel naga, for regardless of who they serve, all naga and their allies must die for what has been done to the murloc race (I mean, it could be more contrived). Feeling likewise towards the murlocs, the trolls still have a grudge against all murlocs for nearly wiping them out. Their troll allies get along with the murlocs the least, eating Murloc Fin Soup in front of them whenever they can. The murlocs also do not like being the butt of more jokes than the gnomes.

Starting area
I see the murloc starting newbie area as a small twilight marsh with tall weeds and few trees on an island. The entire area is flooded up to a murloc's knees. The main light comes from small orange spheres on the weeds. The player would start off surrounded small ring of weeds covered in murloc eggs and baby murlocs swimming around. Here the recently matured player gets his first quest to go to a small (unique) group of hovels in the center of the marsh to get more quests. Egg gathering, predator slaying, food gathering, and things like that.

Murky should be a cool sidekick like Zuni. Harrison Jones was the Hero of Uldum. Varian Wrynn killed Onyxia. The Forsaken story was all about watching Sylvanas. None of that.

Mentor characters can include King Mrgl-Mrgl, Sir Finley Mrrgglton, and Morgl the Oracle.

Old Murk-Eye and Elder Murk-Eye are dead, but famous. It is not like Murky is named after Murkdeep.

This was a thing.

Starting zone
The rest of the zone is swampy as well, but forested in the center of their island; the tropical island reef look goes to the alliance naga. Most of the zone is a swamp, but sandy beaches surround their island. The center of their island is a forest surrounding a freshwater lake, reminiscent of the northwest corner of this map or Crystal Lake. Players encounter wayward murloc tribes (both hostile and recruit-able), and try to save them as the island falls to a naga tribe known as the Deathtide March. Burning hovels, glimpses at what a murloc sees when you attack its village in Elwynn Forest, and just how powerful murloc ganking can be (from sneaking up on naga to swarming a war-kraken that is the zone's final boss) will all be experienced here.

Murktropolis
The Glimmer of the Gmmmlmrmrgmg. Located on a jagged reef at the edge of the island, their capital of Murktropolis looks like giant, less-crude hovels connected by bridges on giant, jagged, wave-battered rocks with smaller hovels at water level. Ships and other things from the seafloor make up parts of the city. The city is roughly circular with shallow pool of water in the center and a decorated underwater cave in the center of the pool where the High Über Murk Lord, King Bagurgle holds court.

Gameplay details
Classes:
 * Warriors
 * Hunters
 * Rogues
 * Shamans
 * Priests
 * Mages
 * Death knights for some reason
 * Monks because it is cool
 * Murgulis exists
 * As do paladins

Their mounts are sea slugs or frogs.

New Alliance race: Naga
After seeing the Cataclysm and subsequent naga invasion for what it was, a real estate scam, a group of rebel naga begged the night elves to accept them back as allies. To show their loyalty they magically removed their gills to sever the tie they have to the seas and Azshara (removing that gameplay issue). Everyone still hates them. They may be a Horde race because they and the blood elves are both Highborne-ish. Though Vashj is allied with a group of blood elves, those are separate from the Horde-aligned ones so that does not count for or against anything. I dunno.

They get snap dragon mounts.

Darkspear Islands
The Darkspear islands were blown apart by the actions of the Sea Witch. However, the Cataclysm undid that. Now, the Darkspear trolls have returned just because. Reclaiming their old base, Kul Tiras has also settled the island. Possibly a part of the Broken Isles or the Maelstrom.

Instance: The Underworld

Kul Tiras
Kul Tiras (with Crestfall) appears far out to sea (because it could never fit in Baradin bay now). The Cataclysm made Kul Tiras turn invisible for a while, but it is back now with more navy than ever. The spired castle of Boralus is built over the largest shipyard on Azeroth. Anchor motifs are everywhere. The city has canals too.

Boralus replaced the city-state of Kul Tiras City on the other side of the island as the capital of the island "kingdom" because the original keep was in a defendable natural harbor, but the geography was unsuited to be a major trading port. After the city-state was sacked in the Second War, it was not worth rebuilding to its former extent. I would combine the maps of Theramore Isle from Warcraft III, the London Docklands, and the Venetian Arsenal (and the rest of Venice), while probably having some Spanish influences. For the castle, I would have the Human shipyard from Warcraft III scaled up, and made more ornate. Where the bay window is on the loft, I would put something comparable to the throne rooms of Stormwind or Lordaeron, but with a big anchor design on the floor.

Instance: Maybe a shipyard?

Lost Isles
The Lost Isles revisited, maybe merged with another zone. Murloc starting zone?

Tel Abim
Tel Abim is a Hawai'i-like island full of Bananas. On it dwell a newly discovered race called the Bananalings. The sinister naga want to eat them because the naga are elitist like that. The southern reefs hold the sunken city of Uldantis, home of the sea giants and titan-made merfolk (like the Ulduar murals).

Instance: The City of Banananananana'nar - Banananananana'nar is the former capital city of the Bananalings. The naga have turned it into a restaurant where the Bananalings are forced to serve themselves to naga nobility. Bosses include naga guests, the traitorous Slipimus, and a naga chef-warlord.

Plunder Isle
Plunder Isle/Hiji is the home of the Bloodsail Buccaneers.

Instance: Bloodsail Hold - It could be a true faction-instance, like Auchindoun was said to be. Or whatever.

Twin Islands
Gillijim's Isle and the Island of Doctor Lapidis revamped.

Zandalar
Zandalar sunk (or is sinking). Maybe some naga took over its golden cities. The naga create bases by raising buried Kaldorei structures to the surface.

Instance: Palace of Zuldazar

Kezan
Kezan is the ruined homeland of the goblins. It has been taken over by Mogul Razdunk and the Venture Cartel.

Instance: The Undermine

Maelstrom ("The Eye")
The seafloor below the Maelstrom has been raised to the surface. Thrall and the portal to Deepholm are still in the center of all this, albeit a bit confused. The outer parts of the zone are a reef with Mak'aru as a neutral town. The inner zone is the massive naga city of Nazjatar and the ruins of Zin-Azshari. The Old Palace still hangs over the Rift's edge. Images and statues of Queen Azshara are everywhere. At the northern edge of the Rift, the end of the Path of the Titans can be seen, but whatever was at the end seems to have been cleanly... removed. The naga have taken the titan facility there and have moved it under their Queen's palace. In it lies the Grand Override, a system that will grant access to any other titan system on the planet. From this new "Altar of How Great I Am" Queen Azshara will remake Azeroth... into a sculpture of her own, perfect, head.

Instance: Nazjatar - Azshara's palace