I like Baine, I Like Jaina, and i Like Anduin… And i think they might be 3 of the best people in lore right now.
Before you get out the torches and pitchforks, or flag me into oblivion… lemme 'splain myself like Lucy.
- Jaina. She has always been a polarizing figure, from our earliest time with her, she was adamant about peace with the horde, at whatever cost… and… its not hard to see why. She grew up in the shadow of the second war, she saw what it did to her homeland, she lost her eldest brother, and she sad how hatred affected her father. Pre-theramore, while a little annoying at times, she was consistent, she wanted to end the cycle, she wanted peace. Post Theramore and you see alot of people hating her 180… but… it makes perfect sense.
She sacrificed so much, she killed her own father, all for the sake of peace, and Theramore, the people she loved… were not killed, they were erased the greif, the rage, she felt was not only natural, frankly it was justified. Her grudge lasted a long while, and again… thats… pretty normal when you see the scope of what she endured. BfA did her right, with the close to her story, her dealing with the guilt of her father, and finally coming to terms with Theramore. She will never again be the girl who wanted peace at all costs, but she is finally back to wanting to see the cycle broken.
- Baine, in alot of ways, i see Baine and Garroshs stories as mirrors to one another. Baine is what Garrosh -could- have been. When we first met him he was a hot head brave, out for centaur blood. WIth Caines death he was forced into a leadership position and the biggest pair of hooves you could ever hope to fill. Plus dealing with the stirrings of Garrosh starting down his very dark path, all while having to serve under the man who killed his father. But i think he did a great job.
Baine cares about the horde, but more then that, he cares about the Tauren, regardless of tribe. He sided with the rebels against Garrosh’s madness, he pushes for peace, he was disloyal to sylvie, because his people need someone like that. For the first time the Tauren have a home, they have a chance to thrive, and he wants that. Yes him admitting Camp T was a valid military target sounds pretty bad, but remember, the alliance did try (misguidedly) to let the civvies and children escape. Pushing for more war isn’t going to secure his peoples future. Peace is. He also has a strong moral center, in warcrimes he was charged with defending Garrosh, and everyone thought he would throw the case… and instead he did a good showing of trying to defend the man who killed his father, who he admitted filled his heart with rage… because it was what he was charged with. He freed Derek because he felt what was happening was monstrous… in a world filled with bitter hate, war, death, and real to goodness world ending monsters, he still holds a moral compass.
I’ll hold off Manduin for later however don’t need people corpse camping me just yet.