She’s just a developing character similar to Garrosh in BC. She isn’t tied to anyone story except Lordaeron. Specifically, the undead per BFA and Before the Storm. You have to accept that she isn’t tied to the Scarlet Crusade since Legion she was neutral and was specifically tied to Alonsus Faol and she was trying to bridge the undead with the living.
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She didn’t care about the undead for 20+ years. Her friendship with an undead priest in the Netherlight temple was her first connection to the Forsaken. She literally doesn’t understand what it means to be Forsaken because she has never experienced what they experienced. She’s not Forsaken, and to some the very idea of an outsider leading them is insulting and absurd.
Meanwhile the Forsaken already had a leader who understood what it meant to be Forsaken, and what it meant to be from Lordaeron.
If the excuse is “she was trying to bridge the undead with the living.” Sylvanas already tried that, the living are not open to reconnecting with the undead. That’s a huge part of her whole character arc, it’s why the Forsaken are called “The Forsaken”
Forsaken means to renounce or give up on something. the Forsaken are recievers of that renouncement. It’s the pain of rejection for being undead. Calia has not ever experienced that from the living. ironically she is accepted by the living, it’s almost frustrating how much she is accepted.
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It’s not the “fault” of anyone. The facts are that her story is basically, “Up until Legion, she was busy with her husband and kid and not really concerned with the Forsaken et al. After Legion she starting trying to fix her own mental status. Now she’s going to become Queen of the Forsaken.”
Thank you for showing up Ren. I’ve felt like I was taking crazy pills around here.
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Up until the very latest Cataclysm when Southshore was destroyed, but likely at some point in Vanilla until the very latest Wotlk when the undead attacked at some period Southshore. At that point Alonsus Faol was free from the Scourge and could guide her.
We really have very little to pinpoint, but one can guess at the very latest Cata or at some point in Vanilla-Wotlk period. Likely the battle of Southshore vs Tarren Mill.
That’s the extremist end which mischaracterizes her position. She is undead who can bridge them to their past as living Lordaeronians and that they aren’t rejected. That was something Sylvanas encouraged to discourage dissent and make the undead feel nihilistic and willing to attack their living brethren. You’re literally posting Sylvanas propaganda and that’s the problem. We can’t trust her narrative since Sylvanas wanted to use the Forsaken and create the ideology which led to their near destruction. In short your whole post is moot.
All of this was Sylvanas’ propaganda.
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Reason doesn’t allow me to believe Calia. There are too many things that force us to question her narrative.
She comments that Lillian’s Father made great sermons. Lillian’s father was a religious nutcase who traumatized his daughter. As a HUGE fan of Lillian Voss and her character arc, I found that insulting from a Forsaken perspective. That was a huge red flag for just how ‘out of touch’ Calia is as a leader, she doesn’t even know her own “people.”
Sylvanas is the true leader of the Forsaken.
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One can be a lunatic and a great demagogue who gave great sermons. Voss knows her father was a great orator. Lilian didn’t find it offensive, and even moved past it to continue her support of Calia. She isn’t out of touch since Voss disagrees with your point. She wouldn’t embrace her if she felt she was unworthy of her position as an advisor or to be present at the Horde Council
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Lillian Voss is an amazing character, but one of her fatal flaws is she blindly accepts that there is good in everyone. There was good in Zelling, but I think Lillian is making a huge mistake to be so easily trusting Calia, one that may bite her in the butt later. Lillian is a member of the uncrowned, she is sworn to protect the innocents from tyrannical leaders. The Horde may have successfully scapegoated Sylvanas but Lillian could be giving the sheep over to a wolf in sheeps clothing.
If Calia is an agent of the Scarlet Crusade, or worse, the Twilight’s Hammer, she could be delivering the Forsaken into the hands of thier enemies. Enemies Sylvanas fought hard to protect them from.
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Lillian is protecting the undead by supporting the uncrowned Calia Menethil who in life was passed over to her brother for the crown of Lordaeron. One who was always underestimated and ignored. She shares a common heritage that all can agree on grants legitimacy which right now is what the Forsaken need. More so, she represents the future and one that isn’t furthered into depravity and darkness.
All the detractors can say is, “She wasn’t raised in the Scourging of Lordaeron. So she’s not really Forsaken.” Was Zelling? He was accepted. How about all the Forsaken raised from Pyrewood and Southshore? They’re accepted as the newer generations.
Today the Forsaken are now outnumbered by those raised during the Cataclysm era to Fourth War. These thousands of new undead have very different experiences than those raised during the Third War and right into Vanilla. These new Forsaken don’t relate to the fervent adoration of Sylvanas, and now join with the older undead who wish to return to what they once were - the people of Lordaeron. Not all though as Vellcinda reminded Calia. Some reject their heritage and wish to be the Undead of Undercity.
Sadly, when Sylvanas blighted the Undercity and blighted the very lands. She herself closed that chapter. She then sent her supporters to die in Darkshore. To fail and be relegated to the corners of Ogrimmar. Calia wishes to return them to Tirisfal.
She wants to embrace the newly risen and provide them with a place at her table. To provide a new agenda and future for the Forsaken. More so, the undead of Azeroth who wish to follow her in rebuilding her father’s kingdom. We have all this potential and so many people who want to close the door to opportunity, because bitterness and a desire for the Sylvanas regime persists among players. Sylvanas is done. She won’t be coming back anytime soon. Let this new chapter come about. Judge it by the merits which will be presented. Then with an open mind decide if it was good. Don’t shut the door and close your mind to what will inevitably be. The status quo is changing. Accept that and move past our biases of the Sylvanas era of the undead.
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The Uncrowned are described as “the slayers of kings, the downfall of empires, the unseen blades that write the true history of this world.”
If you don’t think that this story could possibly end with Lillian Voss’s blades in Calia’s back, you haven’t been paying close enough attention to the lore.
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People don’t want what they enjoy to be watered down by the same crappy, tensionless peacenik affair that has ruined most of the game’s identity already. That is precisely what Calia brings to the table, barring a drastic shift in direction.
That anyone is sitting at the table eager for another bowl full of it is kinda dismaying.
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lolwut?
I’m not getting into the whole Sylvanas aspect, because I think that drags this into a false dichotomy.
You don’t have to want Sylvanas back to think Calia is tone deaf and patently ridiculous.
Calia is about a half step away from the story becoming, “Well Anduin became a full Death Knight and … the Forsaken need a new leader now … so here we are… King Anduin of the Forsaken!”
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It should also be noted that she primarily approaches the Forsaken out of a belief that her husband and daughter are among them.
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I think this could be a great development point for Lillian. She is so desperate to find someone else who can lead the forsaken, because she fears her own imagined inferiority, that she projects her hopes onto Calia.
Also, Hi Ren. I missed you.
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Not only was Zelling practically unknown to the majority of Forsaken, he existed in many ways to develop Lillian Voss as a character. She accepted him, and admired him, because she witnessed him experience what it means to be forsaken and he kept his sense of right and wrong despite being rejected by his family, and even violently lashing out against them because of the toxicity that is undeath.
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That would be awesome, really. The Forsaken have suffered as a faction from not having a legitimate enemy since wrath.
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I have been a supporter of the Black Bride for a while, even in BfA. But she doesn’t get brought up much.
Some reasons why I think she makes a good choice :
The Black Bride is an OG Forsaken from Vanilla. As opposed to Voss, who is a Cata-baby, or Calia, who is even newer to the fold.
The Black Bride has led forces in the field. She is a PvP Commander type, leading the forces in Arathi Basin. Not some fence sitter with questionable loyalty like Voss, who initially rejected the Forsaken and only served the Horde because she felt she had little choice. Or Calia, who tripped over her own foolishness to became what she is today.
The Black Bride has the same model as the Playable Forsaken, as opposed to Calia or their previous leader - Sylvia, or what ever.
If she ever became super important, and was featured in cinematics or movies, her hair would be a trip to see.
The Black Bride also has the right attitude:
“Make ready for the carnage.”
“I want to see the Alliance rot.”
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There is something just inherently endearing about her moniker.
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I’m not opposed to her having a bigger role. She’s got a cool name at least. But she is a complete non character.
Giving her characterization, motives, an origin, etc. would only be 1% easier than inventing a new character from whole cloth, because at least you wouldn’t have to come up with a name.
Maybe not even then because she presumably has a real name. How about Belladona Nials.
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You know what could be a solution to Calia not be seen as a weak leader? Maybe committing a minor war crime.
Ours is a cycle of hatred. Alliances forged and broken. We have paid the price for sharing this world, and we have forgotten what makes us strong.
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Dude… we were so ready for that story. Why Blizzard?! Why did you steal that from us?!
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