Summary
Warning: Spoilers for Dragonflight: Guardians of the Dream and Seeds of Renewal below.
Horde players who venture into Bel’ameth, the new Night Elf city inWorld of Warcraft, get a special debuff from the Sentinels indicating they are being watched. Though purely cosmetic, this flavorful debuff proves that, though the Horde can enter this newWorld of Warcraftlocation, they are not exactly welcome guests.
At the end of Patch 10.2,World of Warcraftchristened the new Night Elf city of Bel’ameth beneath the boughs of Amirdrassil, the World Tree that sprouted west of the Dragon Isles. Bel’ameth is being expanded upon in Patch 10.2.5, Seeds of Renewal, with a growing city, points of interest, and evenportals to Stormwind and other Night Elf lands inWorld of Warcraft.
In a recent build of the Patch 10.2.5 Public Test Realm,World of Warcraftadded a new detail to this location specific to Horde players. While theHorde are free to enter this newWorld of Warcraftarea, doing so grants them the Eyes of the Sentinels debuff, which reads, “Seen and unseen eyes alike are watching your every move.” NPCs in Bel’ameth are also flagged as Neutral to Horde players, rather than the default Friendly the Alliance gets.
The flavorful debuff seems to have no gameplay effect at the moment. Nothing special happens when interacting with NPCs or players, or when engaging in PvP while on Bel’ameth. The debuff also applies in most places around Amirdrassil, though it sometimes falls off whileflying in theWorld of Warcraftzone. Either way, the Tauren Druid Hamuul Runetotem, found in Bel’ameth, has special dialogue for Horde players explaining why they are allowed there, emphasizing it is important they be on their best behavior.
“Amirdrassil has bloomed. Bel’ameth marks a place of healing and respite for the kaldorei. Part of this was due to our aid. Tyrande has graciously allowed us to walk freely here because of it. Enjoy what this new land has to offer. Bask in its beauty, but do not make the High Priestess regret her decision, Player.” - Hamuul Runetotem
The Horde’s being allowed on Amirdrassil makes sense from a gameplay perspective, but is asore spot for someWorld of Warcraftfans. On one hand, not letting half the playerbase experience a big chunk of new content would not be good. However, others think letting them into this new Night Elf city further erodes the factions' identities, and feels like a slap in the face, especially since the Horde destroyed Teldrassil, the last World Tree. At the very least, fans are glad this debuff makes it so the Horde is not being welcomed onto Alliance land with open arms.
It is important to note this debuff is on the PTR, so it could change before it hits the live servers. Either way, it seems like the Horde will be allowed to tour thenew home of the Night Elves inWorld of Warcraft, even if they’ll be watched while doing so.
World of Warcraft: Dragonflight
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World of Warcraft: Dragonflight was developed by Blizzard Entertainment and is the ninth expansion pack for the iconic massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft.Dragonflight features an overhauled user interface, raises the level cap to 70, and introduces a new race and class.
