While 9.1 is still being developed, some key events are being revealed.
How likely do you think it’ll be that 9.2 involves The Jailer escaping the Maw and seeing us return to Azeroth.
-SPOILERS-
Somethings we’ve seen so far:
The Maw is fully “explored” by the player, along with Torghast there isn’t much more to be seen here. The new zone is a small piece pulled in by the Jailer, it would be hard sell to allow him to pull in more zones while all the covenants are there.
The fight with Slyvanas involves “tearing down” Torghast itself, kindof living out its usefulness.
The bosses and Mobs we are killing are high ranking/big name bosses. Not much more to get out of the Maw, except Arthas.
The “portal” or “rift” between Azeroth and ICC away opened for a reason, seems rather pointless to open up the Maw and never leave it.
The Jailer gets all 4 Sigils and we fight Slyvanas and the Jailer in Orbios, most likely ending with him gaining the “heart or sigil” from the Arbitor.
So how likely is it that in 9.2, the Jailer breaks free from the Shadowlands, into our world (Azeroth) and we enlist the aid of Turaylon and the Light (Elune included) to drive him back/defeat him?
(9.2 Ice Crown/ Ulduar revamp with Bolvar, Titans, the Light/Elune, Yogg)
Eh possible but not likely blizzard are likely to bring what ever elements they need into the shadowlands. Likely new zones will be created for future content. We likely get a prepatch at end of expac where we go back to the “future Azeroth” to see what has changed as a leadin to the next expac.
9.1 PTR states that the Jailer seeks the place known as the Sepulcher which can only be accessed with the Keys for each Covenant!
Once the Jailer gets the Arbiter he gains access to that Death Realm while we have to reforge the Keys for ourselves!
The Primus states that reforging the Keys requires finding ourselves! Since the last Key is the Arbiter we must be involved with a Zone that is linked to the Arbiter’s purpose in 9.2.
9.0 is about discovering the Machine of Death is broken, 9.1 is about learning the Jailer’s goals, 9.2 is about understanding the Machine of Death and 9.3 is the Sepulcher itself!
One of the points I wanted to make was, who would “lead” these invasions? It seems most of the prominent leaders or bosses will be defeated in 9.1. Slyvanas, Ner’zhul, etc… While more bosses can be introduced, it seems strange for the Jailer to throw such powerful ranking officers at us without more in store.
Because it feels like a “cliffhanger” book every patch, which just gets tiring after some time. Eventually you want some closure or some extension of the story so you are more inclined to continue.
So a Sepulcher is basically a tomb, so you think we won’t leave the shadowlands but he’ll raised Argus the Unmaker as a new death Titan?
Argus only died recently. The Sepulcher existed ages ago since at least the time the Jailer was imprisoned in the Maw!
As for where it could be: Anywhere I would assume! It could be in the Shadowlands or somewhere on Azeroth that the Titans overlooked or even in some other plane of existence!
Anything of importance buried that the Jailer wants resurrected is of value to him!
Il’gynoth mentions that all who pass beyond the veil will drown in darkness…
Puzzle Box of Yogg-Saron: The drowned god’s heart is black ice.
The PTR mentions another Sepulcher separate from the Sepulcher of Knowledge that the Constructs in Korthia plan to take us to.
The Sepulcher of Knowledge is merely a Red Herring.
While I think there is a very good chance we will be leaving behind the Shadowlands we know, I think there is a less than 50% chance we will be going back to Azeroth after 9.1. (And may not head back there at all till next expansion.)
I think there is still a lot of other afterlives left unexplored, and with them teasing ‘wheee do Titans go when they die’ I think it more likely that the Jailer’s goal is to gain access to other lost an ancient afterlives that we have not seen because they are not the lands that mortals typically get sent to.
There is also the possibility of breeching the Shadowlands and attacking another plane of existence besides the Great Dark. Zovaal might target the Life Lands or the realm of Order, depending on what exactly it takes to bring about a new order to the cosmos.
Going back to Azeroth might be a way to tie everything together, but aside from the prepatch event it does not seem like Zovaal has really been focused on Azeroth. I think it’s most likely that his plans lead elsewhere.
His plans so far from what we can see has revolves around him gaining his freedom, besides that it is hard to tell what he is after. Revenge? Power? We will probably get a better idea in 9.1 so it clarifies his goals as a villain.
Sylvanas thinks the Jailer plans to overturn the order between life and death and free everyone from the web of fate
Denathrius thinks that Zovaal will bring about the dominance of Death over every other cosmological force and only those who stand by his side will have power on the new regime.
I’m not sure what the Forsworn thought exactly, but they seem to think that the Eternals and First ones wronged everyone somehow, and that Zovaal being freed will in turn right this wrong.
What Zovaal actually wants and will do are, as you say, a mystery. I just Azeroth is only one of many possible end goals.
Thats what I thought the sepulcher was getting at. The place where titans go after they die. Giving the Jailer an army of “Titans” to face off against the Eternal Ones and Pantheon.
I’d like to think so too, but now everyone is hung up on this idea that Denathrius will be against Zovaal since he didn’t save him (despite the fact that his last order to the Deedlord’s to come and get him clearly points to the fact he didn’t expect him to.) So either he lied to Denathrius too, or maybe noone knows his real plans and he just told everyone what he thought they wanted to hear.
Oh I’m certain Denathrius has other plans now, dude was supposed to just die but due to great character and voice actor work he’s apparently sticking around.
I’m not sure what will happen; the 9.1 story is what I expected to happen near the end of the expansion, not in the first patch. With things so out of order, it’s one of the first time’s I’ve been genuinely surprised and unsure of what’s next for as long as I can remember.
I mean, obviously they’ll still go with the “Maybe the Jailer isn’t as evil as you think and is probably the rightful ruler” plot, but where it all happens is now up in the air, with the Torghast raid being the second raid rather than the last.