Since patch 3.3: Fall of the Lich King was released, a few fans are reporting to have noticed sudden earthquakes outdoors and even within dungeons. This is a sign and a beginning of what will be the world event pre-Cataclysm, where Deathwing will emerge from Deephome causing a devastating earthquake that will shake the foundations of Azeroth.

As nigh everyone knows, Deathwing was formerly the dragon aspect of earth who became corrupted with the whispers of the Old gods over ten thousand years ago. Under the influence of the Old gods, he created the demon soul -- a golden disc made of Deathwing"s blood -- forged by his goblin slaves. Deathwing tricked the other Dragon Aspects and their dragonflights to infuse the demon soul with part of their powers to use the artifact as a weapon to defend Azeroth against the Burning Legion"s invasion. This story may be found in Warcraft: War of the Ancients Archive by Richard A. Knaak.

The story was a sequel to Warcraft: Day of the Dragon (2001) by the same author, where Deathwing manipulated indirectly the orcish dragonmaw clan into finding the demon soul to enslave the red dragonflight during the second war. Deathwing"s is a long storyline of a dread enemy that has had many ramifications throughout the story of Azeroth. He was even a boss encounter in the RTS game -- Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal.

You can read more of Deathwing in the recent World of Warcraft: Beyond the Dark Portal co-written by Christie Golden and Aaron Rosenberg. And finally, after twenty years of absence hidden in the depths of Azeroth, Deathwing once more appeared in World of Warcraft: Night of the Dragon (2008) in the depths of Grim Batol, where he gathered Lady Sinestra"s egg cache for the creation of the Twilight dragonflight.

The next expansion, World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, will unearth one of the most dangerous beings in Azeroth and the whole world will feel the effects of Deathwing"s arrival upon Azeroth, heralded by tremors and earthquakes that will change the land of Azeroth as shown at Blizzcon 2009. The Barrens will be split in half by a trench of lava. The land will be afire in places, or covered by lava all around Azeroth. The good thing about this remodeling of Azeroth"s landscape is that it serves as an excuse to introduce Flying Mounts on Kalimdor and Eastern Kingdoms.

Recently, a forum community manager confirmed that a world event will happen in the game, pretty much like the popular Zombie invasion that heralded the launch of the Wrath of the Lich King expansion. Therefore, these small tremors in patch 3.3 are signs that it has begun. Could beta be as close as Summer 2010? It will certainly be very welcomed.

These in-game tremors seem to be random, and might happen anywhere. Some people has reported feeling the earthquake in Orgrimmar, the Barrens, Sunken Temple, Azure dragonshrine in Dragonblight, and other places. Thus, it"s pretty much random and may happen anywhere in the game.

Have you experienced these tremors? Have you caught it on video? Let us know.