As of A Moment In Verse, which takes place shortly after The Fourth War, we see Kael’thas’ betrayal is still very much weighing on Lor’themar’s mind.
Thalyssra’s eyes glowed brighter at that. “Your poem . . . Would I be correct in assuming it is about the failures of Kael’thas Sunstrider?”
“Indeed,” Lor’themar nodded and tried a bit of soft, wine-poached pear. He shifted in his chair. Was this not supposed to be an evening of joy? Now his mood was beginning to turn dark.
“Your thoughts linger in the past then . . .”
“He is lately much on my mind,” Lor’themar admitted. “And the treachery our people faced when we were already at our weakest. Not just our people but the personal treachery . . . I trusted him. Curse it all, I followed him and believed him, and I would have seen our people blighted by fel energy because that was what he asked of me.”
On a personal level, this would be the first plot point of any interest to me since Shadowlands dropped. My one wish is that Liadrin is also involved in this storyline, considering how central she was to fighting against Kael’thas and renewing the sunwell in the aftermath of Kael’thas’ betrayal.
Anyone else anticipating this plot point? How do you expect it to go?
Edit: Just to clarify, I am not suggesting Kael’thas should be allowed to leave the Shadowlands. In the scenario I propose, the Blood Elf forces led by Lor’themar, Liadrin, Rommath, etc. will be called into the Shadowlands, where a meeting with Kael’thas is arranged.
Don’t get me wrong. I’d love for it to happen. Lor’themar, Rommath especially… those two need some closure where Kael’thas is concerned.
How would it go? I don’t know. Depends when it happens and how much more along Kael’thas is in his penance. I suppose the fact that he’s undergoing penance at all would have a profound effect on Lor’themar’s view of Kael’thas. Death wasn’t a release from all the sins Kael’thas committed, but rather the beginning of his punishment. Even then, Kael’thas himself was a tool manipulated by the Legion which itself was manipulated by the Dreadlords whom were taking orders from the Master of Revendreth where Kael’thas wound up to be used as a guinea pig.
I’m still flabbergasted by the fact that in the one expansion where fanservice with dead characters makes sense, Blizz decided to pretty much ignore it entirely. Instead, we get a handful of dead characters we know interacting with Shadowlands OC, and everything else being Sylvanas and Anduin drama.
I don’t want it to happen. While it would be nice for him to see the state of Quel’thalas after years of being tied up by Denathrius, I’d much rather have them not be reminded that the one that pretty much left them for dead is still around in some form.
Now, IF they do do that that then I do not want them to do it in a way where the Sin’dorei meets him and forgives him. Even with Lor’themar. He should be met with contempt because of what he did. While, I do enjoy his development a lot in this expansion which is one of the best, I do not want to see the Sin’dorei ever just suddenly forgive him. His development may be for self reflection and coming to terms with what he did, but it shouldn’t come with everyone just welcoming him with open arms. If he were to show up on Azeroth and fight with them because of the Jailer then the best I’d like to see is them doing it for a common cause, but them not even wanting to acknowledge his presence after. It’d be for the best, imo.
I think it has the potential to be interesting. I’d like to see Lor’themar make Kael’thas feel some genuine remorse honestly, he still hasn’t shown very much.
On the contrary, I think it would be an amazing moment for the Blood Elves to show, that in spite of Kael’thas, they’re still prospering in Azeroth. I think it would be a wonderful opportunity for Lor’themar to have some character growth and find some closure.
I hadn’t even considered the Sin’dorei welcoming Kael’thas with open arms as even a vague possibility. Kael’thas could do with some contempt and shame thrown his way, especially considering how resistant he is to actually atoning.
There is something of a risk here that needs to be carefully circumvented.
Namely, Kael’thas is working on his penance, which focuses on his sins specifically. There’s nothing saying he cannot point out other’s sins or failings. The last thing I think we need is for Lor’themar to confront Kael’thas and throw all of the prince’s failings in his face in some form of catharsis, only for Kael’thas to throw Lor’themar’s failings right back at him. Lor’themar is shaping up as a good leader, but he still feels way too vulnerable where Kael’thas is concerned. I wouldn’t want his confidence undermined by a confrontation where nothing is stopping Kael’thas from criticizing him.
I don’t see Kael’thas as the sort of person to let criticism pass without getting in his own shots, and knowing Blizzard and how it treats faction pride, I can just see Lor’themar spiraling into depression because Kael’thas was mean to him. Being mean has dictated the factional allegiance of entire races in the past, after all. I don’t want to know what it’d do to Lor’themar.
I think it would be a fitting moment for the relevant Blood Elf characters (Rommath, Liadrin, Halduron) all to rebuke Kael’thas and voice their support for Lor’themar should that happen. That could even be the moment of impetus for Lor’themar to decide ascend the throne of Silvermoon with Thalyssra as his wife, thus forming the most powerful union of elves EVER.
Or, alternatively, as is the case with the Nightborne, diplomacy and understanding can be the deciding factor.
I wouldn’t mind some sort of interaction between Kael’thas and Lor’themar, but I’d really prefer Rommath over everyone else if Kael’thas is going to have a chat with any significant living Sin’dorei NPCs. Nothing against Lor’themar, quite the opposite, and meeting with Kael’thas could indeed give him some development, but Lor’themar didn’t know Kael’thas particularly well before Silvermoon fell. Rommath, on the other hand, not only worked more closely with Kael’thas than Lor’themar did, but knew him for a long time before then when they both lived in Dalaran. When Kael’thas left Silvermoon again in search of aid while leaving Lor’themar in charge in his absence, Rommath went with him, accompanying him on his journey, escaping with him when Garithos tried to have Kael’thas and all his followers executed. Rommath was completely loyal and devoted to Kael’thas, and was one of his most trusted advisors, yet at some point Kael’thas evidently stopped confiding in him, leaving him to be as shocked and surprised as everyone else in Silvermoon when they learned that Kael’thas had betrayed them. There is so much potential for some good catharsis in having Rommath confront Kael’thas, and it would go a long way in giving some much needed story development to our dear Grand Magister, not to mention possibly making Kael’thas realize just how bad his actions were.
Really though, we aren’t gonna get anything between them, because, as usual, Lorthemar is one of the only race leaders that didn’t bother to even go to the expansion.
Which, I don’t blame him. It’s how he manages to not be killed.
“Hmm? What? Oh, sorry, no. I can’t go. Still rebuilding Silvermoon and all that. Very busy. But, you know, good luck with the superdevil or whatever.”
Lorthemar in WoD : “What? Garrosh has escaped into the past of an alternate universe of alien world, and is amassing an army to exact vengeance on Azeroth… I will personally deal with this… by sending Liadrin.”
Lorthemar in Legion : “What? The Elves of Suramar require aid? Send Liadrin.”
“What? Velen has a spaceship and requested Sindorei aid? Oh Liadrin…”
Lorthemar in BfA : “The Horde is establishing a War Front in Arathi…”
I think if this game did its characters justice, we would have room for this kind of development in the story for this to be possible, but it’s difficult to envision Rommath being given a spotlight like that. It really is criminal how some characters are discarded into the background and forgotten.
