Fish Fridays feature: Naga of Cataclysm: The Sira'kess and Spitescale tribes
In Vashj'ir, in the zones known as the Shimmering Expanse and the Abyssal Depths, the Sira'kess naga, led by Lady Sira'kess, await the heroes in two very different types of encounters.
In the quest "By Her Ladys' Word", the hero, assuming the role of the Naz'jar Battlemaiden in a vision of the past conjured by Wavespeaker Valoren (Alliance) or Wavespeaker Tulra (Horde), meet the Sira'kess naga for the first time. According to Wowpedia, "They appear to be one of the three castes in Vashj'ir, likely focusing on spellcasting and/or the priesthood." The Lady Sira'kess herself leads them, being one of the questgivers in "By Her Ladys' Word", speaking to the Naz'jar battlemaiden Nar'jira about obtaining the "Crucible of Nazsharin" from the Kvaldir.
Lady Sira'kess. (Image source: Wowpedia, Hearthstone)
The crucible is successfully obtained for the Lady Sira'kess in the vision of Vashj'ir past; much later, however, she appears as one of the killable objectives in the quest "Defending the Rift", in which the player is to kill 15 naga attacking the Throne of the Tides, Neptulon's realm beneath the waves. As Lady Sira'kess and her naga are defeated in this encounter in the Abyssal Breach, neither she nor her naga are seen in the game again.
The Sira'kess Tribe are as follows:
Lady Sira'kess- Leader, Mistress of the Tides
Fathom-Caller Azrajar- Ritualist
Unnamed:
Sira'kess Guardian
Sira'kess Tide Priestess
Sira'kess Sea Witch
Sira'kess Zealot
(source: Wowpedia)
For more information on the Naz'jar Battlemaiden, Nar'jira, please see my previous post:
Nar'jira, the Naz'jar battlemaiden. (Source: Wowpedia)
In the quest achievement "Visions of Vashj'ir Past", players complete a series of qu
Led by the Sea Witch Zar'jira and her consort Naj'tess, the Spitescale naga appear on the Echo Isles in Durotar. They are the killable objectives in the quests "No More Mercy" and "An Ancient Enemy", as the hero must aid the Darkspear trolls in retaking the Echo Isles, their former home. According to Morakki, the questgiver for "No More Mercy", "Da naga have committed great atrocities on our people" (Wowpedia). The Spitescale, therefore, are shown the same ruthless treatment and slain.
Zar'jira, the Sea Witch. (Image source: Wowpedia, Hearthstone)
It is revealed, during the quest "An Ancient Enemy", that Zar'jira was the one who had slain the Darkspear leader Vol'jin's father and taken the Isles, driving the trolls out of their home. Once the hero helps the trolls take vengeance on Zar'jira, the trolls are free to live on the Echo Isles once more.
The Spitescale are as follows:
Naj'tess- Consort of the Sea Witch.
Zar'jira- Sea Witch and leader of the Spitescale.
Unnamed
Manifestation of the Sea Witch
Spitescale Siren
Spitescale Wavethrasher
Captive Spitescale Scout
Fun Facts and Speculation:
In the quest "An Occupation of time", the hero finds a statue In Vashj'ir, in the Quel'Dormir gardens, of a woman named "High Priestess Sira'len". There is a plaque stating the following:
"Let this statue stand as an everlasting testament to High Priestess Siralen in the name of all she has done to nurture Quel'Dormir Temple into a glowing beacon of faith. May her newfound service under Queen Azshara herself shine as a testament to the potential of the noble birth nurtured in our beloved, Vashj'ir". (Wowpedia).
The quest-giver, Levia Dreamwalker, acknowledges that this and several other statues are "...some of the first definitive proof of other members of the Vashj family." (Wowpedia). It was also speculated, at one point, that Lady Sira'len may have become Lady Sira'kess, (also a priestess in the drowned city of Vashj'ir), as a naga. There is no longer any definitive proof of this, however.
On the Darkspear Islands in Warcraft III, the murlocs on the island have an altar dedicated to their goddess, none other than the sorceress and Sea Witch Zar'jira, who after a brief conflict issues a dire warning to the departing trolls. As the trolls end up leaving these islands in Warcraft III, they are not in World of Warcraft. It is speculated however that the Spitescale naga "may have previously operated in (the Darkspear Islands) as well." (Wowpedia)
“Fish Fridays” is a look into the various Naga personalities that populate the waters of Azeroth and Draenor,to give our worthy readers a greater sense of the Naga world and the creatures Vashj often interacts with.
Lore sources, photos and links are all from Wowwiki, Wowpedia, and Wikipedia.
I again get to say something I can't say on my real real profile.
Every single time someone says they're going hunting, I put every energy out to the universe they don't get a fucking thing.
Here's my deal: if you do live in the woods, live off the land, cut off from society type of existence, you have EVERY SINGLE RIGHT to hunt, and I hope you the best. Genuinely.
However, if you participate in a society, regularly, where you have DAILY access to already murdered and processed animals, you have no right to hunt OR fish.
You can't have it both ways.
"The quality of the meat/fish* is bad for you."
THEN CHANGE IT. Cuz all you're STILL saying is "I'm too lazy to help the society i am part of improve their quality of food, which would benefit everyone, so I am going to find my own sources of salvation cuz I iike personally murdering living things and fuck everyone who isn't me."
You sound like the life of the party!
*fish not being called meat is 100% due to the bible so people feel no guilt eating dead meat on fridays cuz it's a specifically OTHER meat.
<side note: fishing for 'sport' and letting them go is STILL A FUCKED UP THING TO DO. You pierced a living thing cuz you're bored? Get a life.>
Fish Fridays feature: The Darkscale Naga, the Nazj'vel digsite, and the two battles for Darkshore
(The Darkscale appear in two battlefronts in Darkshore: one is the battle against the Twilights' hammer "Masters' Glaive" cult during the Cataclysm expansion, and the other is the Alliances' battle versus the Horde for control of Darkshore in Battle for Azeroth expansion. I will be covering both here.)
The Darkscale naga first appear at the site of a Night Elven archaeological digsite near the Twilight Shore in Darkshore, the Nazj'vel digsite. In World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, the hero is sent to slay the naga guarding the digsite and obtain the "Horn of the Ancients", an ancient artifact the naga are trying to give to their queen, Azshara. The questline starts with Malfurion Stormrage giving you the "Mounting the Offensive" quest and ends with the druid Balren of the Claw giving you the quest "Ashes in Ashenvale".
If the hero slays all four Darkscale naga Priestesses surrounding the Horn of the Ancients, Queen Azshara herself will appear.
A Hearthstone illustration depicting the "Horn of the Ancients", an artifact Malfurion Stormrage and the hero use to defeat the Avatar of Soggoth in the battle for Darkshore in the Cataclysm expansion. (image source: Wowpedia).
The questline culminates in the killing of the Avatar of Soggoth and, having thwarted the Darkscale nagas' schemes, the hero is sent to deal with Garrosh Hellscreams' invasion into Ashenvale.
During the Battle for Azeroth expansion, however, the Darkscale re-appear. During the climactic battle for Darkshore between the Horde and the Alliance, the Darkscale themselves invade the Twilight Shore, ending up in Ameth'Aran and taking prisoners in both sides of the Alliance/Horde conflict. Finally, led by the Lady Janira, they overtake the Ruins of Lornesta, depending on which faction takes control of the area--when the Horde take control, the Darkscale keep the ruins, but when the Alliance takes control, the Allied soldiers keep the ruins.
The Darkscale naga hold the ruins of Lornesta. This was not always the case during Battle for Azeroth--the Alliance sometimes take control, ousting the Naga from the area. (Source: Wowpedia)
It should be noted that around the time of Battle for Azeroth a cave opens up in the area containing Azerite, namely the Lornesta Mine. It would stand to reason, therefore, that the naga were looking to farm the precious metal for their own nefarious ends.
The Darkscale Naga are listed as follows:
Named
Asithra Diresong
Warlord Wrathspine
Lady Janira
Commander Ral'esh
Stonebinder Ssra'vess
Scalefiend
Unnamed
Darkscale Assassin
Darkscale Brute
Darkscale Dig-Slave
Darkscale Looter
Darkscale Myrmidon
Darkscale Priestess
Darkscale Raider
Darkscale Scout
Darkscale Siren
Darkscale Taskmaster
Darkscale Tidecaller
Darkscale Healer
(Source:Wowpedia)
Fun Facts and Speculation:
During the third invasion of the Burning Legion, Darkscale naga also appear in the Tomb of Sargeras with a Naga Brute named Harjatan, of whom it is said Queen Azshara is quite fond.
Three Darkscale naga who were not present after the PTR were:
Darkscale Spear-Slave
Darkscale Ritualist
Darkscale Supplicant
Lady Darkscale and the naga who attacked Kul'Tiras forces after the Third War (in Warcraft 3) may also be part of this tribe.
“Fish Fridays” is a look into the various Naga personalities that populate the waters of Azeroth and Draenor,to give our worthy readers a greater sense of the Naga world and the creatures Vashj often interacts with.
Lore sources, photos and links are all from Wowwiki, Wowpedia, and Wikipedia.
Fried whiting is a delicious, crispy fish that’s popular in many coastal cuisines—especially in Southern regions of the United States . Did you know that these small sardine like fish is typically seasoned well and coated in cornmeal or flour (sometimes both), and then deep-fried or pan-fried until golden brown. (My secret is to marinate in buttermilk for an hour to achieve flaky soft flesh after…
Fish Fridays feature: Naga of Cataclysm: Fathom-Lord Zin'jatar and the Zin'jatar tribe
In Kelp'thar forest, the first region that the hero encounters in Vashj'ir, the Zin'jatar naga, along with their leader, Fathom-Lord Zin'jatar, lie in wait. After the kraken patriarch Ozumat sinks the Horde and Alliance ships, the Zin'jatar attack, taking prisoners on both sides and slaughtering many others. It is only through the intervention of the Earthen Ring and Erunak Stonespeaker that the hero is saved from the chaos that unfolds in Kelp'thar forest.
To give a little context as to the importance of the Zin'jatar, Fathom-Lord Zin'jatar himself appears in the quest "By Her Lady's Word", in which a Naz'jar battlemaiden, Nar'jira, is helping the Fathom-Lord retake the ruins of Vashj'ir from the invading Kvaldir. Several times during the quests "To the Fathom-Lord's Call" and "Not Soon Forgotten", Nar'jira helps him defeat Kvaldir troops, her prowess eventually earning her the title of "Champion of Azshara". In addition to this, Wowpedia states that the Fathom-Lord and his Zin'jatar "appear to be one of the three castes in Vashj'ir, likely focusing on battle and raiding." The warrior caste is considered a high status among the naga, thus increasing the value of the Zin'jatar and their instructions to disrupt the Alliance and Horde efforts in Vashj'ir.
Fathom-Lord Zin'jatar faces off against Erunak Stonespeaker. (Source: Wowpedia)
Despite his best efforts, however, Fathom-Lord Zin'jatar and the one who watches over his prisoners, Warden Azjakir, appear as the killable objectives in the quests "Backed into a Corner", "Fathom-Lord Zin'jatar", and "The Warden's Time", respectively, in which the hero must free Alliance and Horde prisoners from their prison in the Clutch, and weaken and kill the Warden, the Fathom-Lord, and his raiders. After suffering defeat during his raid into the Damplight Chambers in the Shimmering Expanse, the weakened Fathom-Lord retreats into the Ruins of Thelsarai Temple. Upon his death, he drops Luminescent Pearl, which starts the quest "A Pearl of Wisdom", leading to the quest-chain where the hero saves the Ancient Nespirah from the clutches of the Idra'kess naga.
(For more information on the Idra'kess, please check out this post:
The Blackscale naga, along with their deadly siren, the sea witch Ophelia, occupy the reefs known as the Obsidian Breakers, a subzone in the
The Zin'jatar are as follows:
Zin'jatar Abductor
Zin'jatar Depth-Hunter
Zin'jatar Fathom-Stalker
Zin'jatar Guardian
Zin'jatar Overseer
Zin'jatar Pearlbinder
Zin'jatar Raider
Zin'jatar Ravager
Zin'jatar Scout
Zin'jatar Stormsiren
Zin'jatar Warrior
Fleeing Zin'jatar Fathom-Stalker
Fun Facts and Speculation :
Lady La-La, a fishy take on Lady Ga-ga, is a killable mob who spawns near the Clutch. Her abilities echo two of Lady Gaga's iconic songs; Briny Romance (Bad Romance (wikipedia)) and Siren's Song (Just Dance (wikipedia)). She may be part of the Zin'jatar.
It is possible that some or all the prisoners funneled into Nespirah to work as slaves for the Idra'kess naga may have been captured by Fathom-Lord Zin'jatar and his troops. This is speculated because of his possession of a powerful pearl, likely from Nespirah herself.
“Fish Fridays” is a look into the various Naga personalities that populate the waters of Azeroth and Draenor,to give our worthy readers a greater sense of the Naga world and the creatures Vashj often interacts with.
Lore sources, photos and links are all from Wowwiki, Wowpedia, and Wikipedia.
Fish Fridays feature: Naga of Cataclysm: The Blackscale and Idra'kess tribes
The Blackscale naga, along with their deadly siren, the sea witch Ophelia, occupy the reefs known as the Obsidian Breakers, a subzone in the Twilight Highlands where many Alliance ships have crashed, their crews mesmerized by Ophelia's song and destroyed by her power.
In the quest "Sirens' Song", the dwarven quest giver Ephraim Hardstone tells the player that Ophelia lures sailors in with her song, appears to them as a beautiful Night Elf, and then obliterates them while she has them entranced. The hero is tasked with slaying the siren, who is later revealed to be a sea witch, thus saving future crewmen from her wrath.
"We'll lash ourselves to the mast, we will. We'll shour our eyes. We'll stuff our ears with wax. And when her beautiful illusion drops.. we'll strike"! -Ephraim Hardstone
The Blackscale naga are as follows:
Blackscale Mistress
Blackscale Myrmidon
Blackscale Raider
Blackscale Seacaller
(Source: Wowpedia)
The Blackscale Seacallers and Myrmidons haunt the wreckage of the ships Ophelia leaves behind, appearing as the killable objective in the quest: "Naga Reinforcements", given to the hero by the human, Simon Chandler (Alliance). The Blackscale Raiders and Mistresses themselves appear in the quest "Blood on the Surf", in which the hero is asked to "rip off their fish heads and pull out their spines" by the Dragonmaw orc quest-giver Gralok (Horde).
The Blackscale also have a leader, Fathom-Lord Heth'Jatar, who appears in the Twilight Highlands near Dragonmaw Port, and who is spearheading an attack against the Horde in the quest "Blast him!" Given to the hero by the goblin Fergus Gearchum, the quest entails the hero luring the naga leader in with the Heth'Jatari conch, calling the Fathom-Lord from the sea and destroying him with mortar blasts.
Fathom-Lord Heth'jatar. (source: Wowpedia)
The Idra'kess tribe of naga are found in Vashj'ir, in an area known as the Shimmering Expanse. They, along with their leader Overseer Idra'kess, are overseeing the mining of an Ancient (also referred to as a "Wild God") of the sea, "Nespirah", for powerful pearls, with the eventual aim of controlling her mind and using her for war. Both Allied and Horde forces have been enslaved to further this end, which leads to the eventual revolt of the slaves against the naga. Both Admiral Dvorek (Alliance) and Captain Vilethorn (Horde) look to the hero for weapons and gear to stage their revolts, respectively.
Once the revolt has begun, the hero then turns to Overseer Idra'kess. Once his two Mistresses are dealt with, the hero is free to kill the Overseer, thus ending his control over Nespirah, who proceeds to treat the naga as if they were viruses inside her body. It is unknown what exactly happens to the Idra'kess naga, as the hero must leave the Ancient quickly after freeing Nespirah and the slaves, but one assumes that they meet a terrible fate.
Overseer Idra'kess. (Image source: Wowpedia)
The Idra'kess naga are as follows:
Idra'kess Ambusher
Idra'kess Enchantress
Idra'kess Harpooner
Deepseeker Crab
Idra'kess Mistress
Idra'kess Prophet
Idra'kess Sentinel
Idra'kess Warlord
Fun Facts and Speculation:
In the "Blast Him!" quest, it is made known to the hero that Fathom-Lord Heth'jatar rules over the Blackscale Warrior caste. There appears to be different castes within the different naga tribes, and warriors themselves are held in high regard.
According to the Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne game manual, sea witches "have often been associated with the coming of prodigious storms, but few have actually seen them rise from the sea and lived to tell the tale".
In Wowpedia, in reference to the quest "By Her Ladys' Word", it is speculated that there are three caste systems within the Idra'kess, and that the caste that controls Nespirah is associated with enslaving and overseeing.
“Fish Fridays” is a look into the various Naga personalities that populate the waters of Azeroth and Draenor,to give our worthy readers a greater sense of the Naga world and the creatures Vashj often interacts with.
Lore sources, photos and links are all from Wowwiki, Wowpedia, and Wikipedia.
