Alliance equivalent of the wounded Tauren quest (which has vaguely been interpreted as possible Sun Druidism)?

If we get the cursed version, maybe having a person infected locked into the Worgen form prevents them from going insane and ironically enough, feral? Blizzard could easily come up with an explanation that the shifting back and forth maybe what is behind the infected people going nuts and becoming very evil. When faced with being stuck as a wolfman or insanity from the shifting, I would think most people would opt for the first option.

While I doubt they would have a shifting racial, such a tactic could be used very effectively in the starting zone, as the new character is basically racing against time to keep their sanity, while also having to deal with forced shifting that would occur on certain quests. It would need a catalyst to provide the final resolution. Maybe the Scythe could make an appearance there and be the Deus Ex Machina device that saves the day? Just not sure how it would end up there.

This presents the possible start of an interesting trend:

The Shen'dralar faction never seemed to get fully implemented in the game, since there were no faction rewards, a bunch of hints that made no sense (The Prince might be willing to give up the secret of the Ashbringer if someone were to bring him the head of Nefarian!), and the fact that they all existed entirely within a 5-man instance that no one visits. Yet the Shen'dralar are unique in that they are the only Highborne who didn't end up as Naga. If the Shen'dralar come out of the woodwork, there are plenty of questions to ask:

• Did we kill Prince Tortheldrin for the Ogres?
• Is Immol'thar dead?
• What connection will this have with Azshara?
• Is the Shen'dralar faction going to be implemented, or re-implemented as a new faction in Cataclysm?
• What do the Blood Elves think of the Highborne?

This begs the question of what's up with some of the other classic factions? The Hydraxian Waterlords might have something to say about what's up with Neptulon (if he shows up in Cataclysm). What's happened to the Dark Iron dwarves since their emperor was killed? What have the Thorium Brotherhood been up to?

I believe that there is some evidence that the Blood Elves respect, or even admire, their ancestors. Freely using magic without care is what made the Highborne what they were and eventually led to the War of the Ancients. The open embrace of demonic energies and the manipulation of the Light by blood knights for most of TBC would not make them different from the highborne in regards to the use of magic. Of course, you've got to take into account how careful the remaining Highborne have been to keep themselves safe and secret from the modern Azeroth. Keep in mind that if the Prince did die according to lore, that's one less Highborne around and they may be totally leaderless. Perhaps the Highborne would not like that the Blood Elf race was mostly responsible for the coming of Kil'jaeden and would not see them as similar.

I might have understood something wrong, but the interview with Kalgan a month(?) a go seemed to suggest that we're more likely getting new races than new a new hero class.

You're probably referring to this interview.

He is certainly far more positive about adding new races, and far more guarded about new classes. That said, just because they aren't keen on adding a new class every expansion doesn't by default mean there won't be one with Cataclysm. Less likely perhaps, but not out and out disqualified.

I would think that any of the remaining Highborne are likely very much in control of their actions and show a lot of restraint in the use of magic. They would have to to remain un-noticed by the Night Elves. You can be sure that any wild displays of magic would bring the Night Elves out in full force to crush them. Dire Maul is a great example, the Highborne there were content to stay hidden away in isolation.

Something must be happening to force this one Highborne out and to head directly to Tyrande.

As for relations with the Blood Elves, yeah I can see the Blood Elves revering the Highborne, but the Highborne themselves? They likely consider them little more then a bunch of degenerate, reckless children. Being associated with the Blood Elves, and High Elves for that matter, may be a source of embarrassment. There is also the matter then the ancestors of the Blood Elves ditched Kalimdor, while these remaining Highborne stuck around and had to deal with going into hiding.

I doubt the remaing Highborne are fond of the Naga either, and even Azshara, as it is very easy to reason from their point of view that it was pretty much her fault they lost everything they had before.

God, I wish they would do a zombies-style worgen plague, where you catch the worgen curse or something. Unfortunately, it seems that there was too much back-lash against that last time for there to be really any hope for it now.

In hindsight Blizzard acknowledged that the plague event wasn't fun for some people (they couldn't do their normal routine things like dailies) but at the same time they said that the event itself was short enough that it didn't matter and they would have no problems "shaking things up" for short periods like that in the future.

I think Blizzard is dropping these little tidbits in to setup new existing classes available to existing races, in addition to allowing more playable druid races. Possibly as an olive branch in the event of not getting a new hero class.

I think if the Worgen stuff is true, they are going to be playable as Druids with their Elune/Emerald Dream ties. To counter, I could easily see Blizz writing up some lore to allow Trolls to be playable Druids to even it Horde side.

I'm thinking this new Highborne stuff is setting up Nelfs as playable Mages. Don't be surprised if we see Undead/Tauren Paladins for Horde to counter an additional Alliance Shaman race, probably Worgen. Hell, maybe even Dwarves with some crazy Earthen/Elemental/Titan tie-in story, though that'd be a stretch.

Human Hunters finally anyone?

Or in the case of Gnomes ... a Hunter capable class ...