Deep within the Caverns of Time, the brooding dragon Nozdormu has awakened. And with it, Blizzard's latest update on their eagerly awaited World of Warcraft expansion, The Burning Crusade. When they first announced it, the "blues" teased us with the promise that, through the Caverns of Time, we'll be able to travel back in time and take part in some of Azeroth's most significant historical events.

Now, the time has come to shed some light on the matter. As revealed on the newly opened Caverns of Time section from the Burning Crusade website, there will be three such events that we'll be able to revisit: young Thrall's escape from Durnholde Keep, the epic battle of Mount Hyjal, and the opening of the original Dark Portal.

"The bronze dragonflight has begun enlisting heroes to prevent the fabric of history from unraveling forever. For the first time, adventurers will enter the domain of the Timeless One, where they will undertake missions to prevent the sabotage of three key historical events:

Young Thrall's escape from Durnholde Keep, the first step on the path to his ascension as the greatest warchief the orcs have ever known...

The momentous Battle of Mount Hyjal, where Jaina, Thrall, Tyrande, and Malfurion succeeded in turning the tide against the dreaded demon, Archimonde...

And the opening of the original Dark Portal by the crazed wizard Medivh - an action that ushered in the First War and introduced the mighty orcs to the world of Azeroth."

The Caverns of Time section also features a couple of "before and after" images, showing Durnhole Keep and everyone's favorite impromptu PvP area, Tarren Mill. Finally, some new Burning Crusade screenshosts spawned last night in our local gallery. LFM!

(N.B. Archive text, links removed)