Pretty sure they find humans weak so they would join them. I guess they could join the Horde if they wanted to.

@camaris:

to your second point, i think it's the fanatical loyalty that would prevent us from becoming allies, seeing as how we killed their king... i could see them being pretty upset about that

on the other hand, however, they might also see humans as formidable allies just /because/ of the fact that we defeated their king, and end up helping us against deathwing (maybe)

Whoops I meant to say Wouldn't join them.

Earthen.

It is possible that there are still some Earthen Vrykul out there still in statis... however, it seems like the Vrykul were the most affected by the Curse of Flesh. Dwarves and Gnomes at least have kept their same basic forms all this time, but Vrykul became much smaller and weaker (hence humans).

As for being Allies - I'd doubt it. While it's not impossible, they have such fear of the Curse of Flesh that they do anything they can to fight it. They've also been shown to be aggressive to just about any mortal flesh creatures due to their fear of the curse.

I don't believe the Curse of Flesh turned the Vrykul into modern humans. I think it turned the ancient Vrykul into the modern race, a group of which travelled to the southern continent, and over time they evolved and adapted to their new environment, and the average individual size greatly decreased over many millenia.

The current Vrykul are xenophobes in the extreme sense and have been for thousands of years. It is unlikely that anything short of an ongoing unstoppable genocide by a common enemy would drive them to ally with either side. Remember the only thing a xenophobe fears/hates more than others is not being there to fear/hate them in the first place.

why should every NPC races be allies of a faction? in the meantime, they're just mobs... I'd bet that they won't be allies, and most importantly, they'll never be a new race anytime

Btw, it's also nice to see how our friend Mike just throws the official lore into the bin :D

@Slick

We don't know for sure that there ever existed Earthen Vrykul, it could be that there only existed Iron. I believe that the titans made it like this: Earthen (Stone dwarves), Iron Vrykul, and Mechagnomes (robotic gnomes), and that the Iron Dwarves are a new adition to the Yogg-Saron's armies, designed/created by one of Loken's leitenants (or something like that).

I don't believe Mike's assessment is ENTIRELY incorrect. At least not about the Vrykul splitting off and traveling elsewhere, forming the human race. Think about it. You've got an unknown number of Vrykul couples siring "deformed runts". (A.K.A. humans) As was pointed out in the quest line, at least some of them opted to save their children rather than put them to death. Obviously, they couldn't just take them and go toss them in the woods to fend for themselves, and it's not like they had any other sentient races to act as permanent babysitters, so at least SOME portion of these couples must have fled with their offspring. (Probably ending up in what would eventually be the Eastern Kingdoms after the sundering.)

Of course, as to whether the "curse of flesh" is the cause of the "deformities" or not is debatable. Given that there were enough children born like this that laws were made to deal with it, it would seem that it's not just a sudden, natural mutation. It would have had to be laying dormant in the vrykuls genes for generations to become so widespread. (Perhaps it was more like the blue eyes in reality. You need both parents to have the gene for it for the possibility of their children being born with blue eyes. And then, the child need to inherit the gene from both parents for it to be seen.) Or, it could be the result of some sort of curse, or exposure to radiation/other unfavorable conditions.

Do you really think the Vrykul still believe humans to be weak after they've had their bum kicked from one end of Northrend to the other?

Regarding Vyrkul as potential allies : The official Cataclysm site for Vashjir hints at a conflict between the Kvaldir and the Naga going on. It's nothing definite, but it's possible we may see a "friendly" faction of Vykrul (even if it's only out of a grudging "enemy of my enemy" thing) with the Naga being the common enemy.

Or both may be out to kill us. *shrug*

I bet Mike is really Knack isn't he :(

it could be like the DTK thing where the undead and live trolls are fighting each other but both fight you

This is just making me picture the deal that King Ymiron made with the Lich King.
(Knocking at the Great Door to the throne room of Utgarde Pinnacle)

King Ymiron: What the Gjale - (opens the door, sees the Lich King and Kelthuzad) - who let these runts in?

Svala Sorrowgrave: You.

Skadi the Ruthless: You opened the door man, slam it in their face or hear 'em.

Ingvar the Plunderer: I hear knocking!

Skadi: (breaks wind) You hear that?

King Ymiron: Shut up all of you! Little ones, you are bold to come up to my home and challenge me! But we're not your parents! We don't owe you a thing! Not a longboat, not a handout! And if you're selling something, we're not interested! Leave!

(Kelthuzad begins to whisper in the Lich King's ear, but is cut off, with the words "told you to bring the saronite elevator boots" audible)
Lich King: Greetings, your highness. Are you afraid of death?

(Rips out his sword) King Ymiron: RUALG NJA GABORR! Your death is only -

Lich King: We're already dead.

King Ymiron: -the ... what? How can you stand before me?

Svala: How can one kill that which does not live?

(Skadi whispers: Tuesday maintenance.)

Lich King: That's exactly what I've come to sell. You're a big bad mountain of a Vrykul, your highness, not afraid of the hard grip of death ...

(Sadness creeps across Ymiron's face) King Ymiron: Like mountain ... to be big ... to be hard.

Lich King: Hard?

Svala: Pshh, he's got issues, but not of death. All these Vrykul do. Take it from me.

(Skadi raises his head and glares silently. Ingvar lowers his head and mopes, silently crying. King Ymiron continues to stare skyward).

Kelthuzad: Uh, issues?

King Ymiron: All these years, becoming smaller, softer, less of a Vrykul. Cursed! Curse of flesh! Curse of tiny, flabby flesh! I want to be big and hard again! Like an iron rod!!!

(The Lich King and Kelthuzad do their hardest to choke on their laughter)

King Ymiron: IS IT FUNNY?

Lich King: (starts coughing) Dude, you got to do something about the hay in the chamber here, it's getting to our allergies (Kelthuzad imitates the Lich King's hacking as well). That, some Beano and some deodorant. But I can promise you an increased vitality ... never age a day and get your energy back ... with undeath!

King Ymiron: Undeath?

Kelthuzad: Undeath!

Lich King: Make you live long time. You'll have the stamina of a 100 men and the rockhard steadiness of rigor mortis, without the creaking! You'll have all the time in the world to polish your longboat, your highness! And Skadi, you can thrust your harpoon and ride the huffin and puffin dragon with ease!

King Ymiron and Skadi together: Mmm ...

Svala: And what will I get from this ... undeath?

Lich King: (lowers his voice, adds some style into his words): A kicking pair of boots and wings to match, for starters ... I've got a private selection for the ladies ...

(Svala purrs)

Ingvar (shouting): Will undeath make me smart?

(The Lich King looks at Kelthuzad, who gives a negative look with his eyes)

Lich King: (slyly) We'll get back to you on that.

King Ymiron: I WANT UNDEATH! I WILL BUY! WHERE DO I SIGN?

(Kelthuzad brings the paperwork - actually, a tortured ethereal - out of the aether. The documents are signed in blood, giving the Lich King the services and unquestioning support of King Ymiron, his properties and servants in exchange for eternal ... unlife.)

(Hurried footsteps) Vrykul lackey: My king, there's small people down below, building a village near our forest!

Lich King: Just on time, those Alliance dogs. Ymiron, your first task is to slaughter those insects. Don't dawdle. Storm them with dragons, dogs, and men before they dream of building a dancing gnome rogue bar and a Draenei hashish dealership, and I will reward you with a raid-level for -

Kelthuzad: (Scanning the new recruits, then mumbles at the Lich King) I forsee that won't be the case.

Lich King: (whispering) Powers that be?

Kelthuzad: (whispers back) Honestly, they suck ... and the Blizzard can't do everything.

King Ymiron: WHAT? NO RAID-LEVEL FORTRESS? I DESERVE ...

Kelthuzad: Um, your highness, F-Y-I, Loken, that Titan you really didn't like, doesn't have a raid-level fortress either. He also didn't take our package.

King Ymiron: No fortress. But Loken can die?

Lich King: Yes, he can. But one thing at a time. We're on a tight schedule here folks. But for being such a good group of customers, here's consolation, a gift to you for purchasing at this time: this necromancer, these geists, a couple of these Patchwerk clones and this elf vampire guy we picked up, let them shack downstairs, they're yours to command from this post.

Svala: (gasping at Kelseth) My, what big ... teeth ... you have!

Ingvar: I like this Prince Bigteeth! Can he chew my food?

Prince Kelseth (hisses to the Lich King): What did I do to deserve ...

Lich King: That's all for now. We'll check in on you in a few years. (whispers to Svala, making a phone symbol with his hands and winking) Call me up anytime.

@Vodkamartini: This NEEDS to be official lore. This and 'You Wake up in Razor Hill.'