Future Quest
It is likely that Ashbringer will be the next obtainable legendary weapon after
[Atiesh], based on High Inquisitor Fairbanks' instructions to find the other Mograine in Outland, the fact that the crystal from which the original Ashbringer was crafted originated from Draenor, and Eyonix's comments about a caster legendary preceding Ashbringer.
[edit] Identity of Mograine's Second Son
Thus far, Mograine's other son has not been found, and even his precise identity remains unknown. Fairbanks' comments imply that he was a member of the
Alliance Expedition during the
Second War. It is likely he knows nothing of the Ashbringer, or his role to play in reforging it, considering his father did not create it until the
Third War, and there has been no communication between Azeroth and Outland since the
Dark Portal was closed at the end of the Second War.
Fan speculation has pointed to at least three possible candidates for Mograine's lost son:
- Khadgar: Beyond his apprenticeship to Medivh and his involvement in the invasion of Draenor, his background is unknown.
- Turalyon: Also with little known history, other than the fact that he was Anduin Lothar's lieutenant and later the Expedition's High General.
- David Wayne: A blacksmith found in Wayne's Refuge in Terokkar Forest. He makes reference to leaving the Alliance Expedition because he thinks he is meant to be part of "something larger."[3]
Judging by the fact that Mograine was formerly a paladin, some lean more towards Turalyon, who is also a paladin; his fate remains unknown (though Blizzard has confirmed that he will appear in World of Warcraft eventually). Alternatively, David Wayne is a blacksmith and is involved in a series of quests
[4] for both Horde and Alliance in which he's called upon to forge powerful swords.
[5]
It is also possible that he is not a character of lore at all, and may be just another common soldier in the Alliance Expedition. However, judging by the fact that he has not been located, it is believed that the other son of Mograine is a prisoner of
Illidan and is being held in the dungeon beneath the
Black Temple in
Shadowmoon Valley, which remains unopened.
[edit] The Crystal
The crystal from which the original Ashbringer is likely related to the
naaru, and may in fact
be a naaru. Based on what is known about their life cycle, a naaru is transformed into a void upon death. However, after a period of time, or with a proper source of holy magic, a naaru corpse can regenerate its lost energies of the light and return to full power. The crystal shown by Highlord Mograine in
Old Hillsbrad demonstrates these properties. A holy spell is cast on Mograine's dark crystal and becomes a crystal of light.
Mograine also states that the crystal is from the Orc homeworld of Draenor. Given the time period though, the naaru had not yet arrived on Draenor via
Tempest Keep. This leaves only a few naaru as the source of the crystal--
D'ore, who was killed in
Oshu'gun's crash upon Draenor centuries before, and the first Naaru to be interred in
Auchindoun, or
K'ure, who resides in Oshu'gun. In the quest
What the Soul Sees, D'ore himself tells the player that "without the void, the Light cannot exist,"-- which are suspiciously similar to the words used by Mograine: "can good exist without evil? Can there be light without dark?"
[6]
Another similar theory is that the crystal is one of the
Ata'mal Crystals, each of which grant the wielder a variety of powers. The Heart of Fury was the best candidate until it was debunked by the fact that the Heart of Fury is already in-game as part of the quest
[70]
The Ata'mal Terrace. It should be noted, however, that all of the Ata'mal Crystals are known to be spherical unlike the Ashbringer crystal.
[edit] Old Questline
Ashbringer may have been originally intended to be in the game much earlier, based on the fact that many NPC's have mentioned it to the player since launch, and that Ashbringer's original item ID was changed to host
[Thunderfury]. Parts of the questline can be put together from induction.
Nat Pagle knows the location of Ashbringer, based on the fact that he writes about it in his book,
Nat Pagle's Guide to Extreme Anglin', of which players only have the last page. The full copy of the book,
A Thoroughly Read Copy of "Nat Pagle's Extreme' Anglin", can be found in Dire Maul from opening dusty tomes, however it is not readable. Prince Tortheldrin, being a historian and bibliophile, likely read the book, learned of the Ashbringer's location, and discarded the book in Dire Maul where the player finds it. Tortheldrin would offer his knowledge to any player who would bring him the head of Nefarian.
Additionally, at one time
Timolain's Phylactery could be looted from Large Vile Slimes in the Weeping Cave in the Western Plaguelands. Being that Timolain crafted Ashbringer, it is likely that it was to be used in the old questline. Although it is a quest item, players did not need to be on a particular quest to obtain it, and it is unknown what quest it was used for. It has since been removed from the loot tables.
The availability of Ashbringer was likely delayed so that the story could be fleshed out with the addition of Naxxramas.