So like we went over to icecrown and killed the icc bosses that were just… there for some reason, and killed like 10 scourge in duskwood, elwynn, and redridge. You’re telling me that stopped them in their tracks? THERE IS A LICH IN DUSKWOOD, though I think he is canonically dead. 2 crusaders in each zone singlehandly stopped them? Yeah right. “Man those guys looked strong, lets all just heel over and die now in that corner.” Man get out of here their brains probably rotted away 3 years ago. All they know is kill, eat, jump. Thought the whole point of the scourge was that they were an unstoppable force when they are allowed to be free and uncontrolled. But I guess there really doesn’t have to be a Lich King because if they are gone for good then that was super easy. lol
Seriously though, are they still there canonically or no? Is there a way out of the shadowlands for us that we can use or is it a one way trip in the lore? If the scourge are still running amok on azeroth, then maybe the next expansion will be a scourge themed one.
I just wanted to get my thoughts out here and see what GD thought about it.
While breaking the helm may have cost control over the Azeroth scourge, a disorganized scourge is far less of a threat than an organized force under Arthas’s command, and we basically thwart the powers that were giving the disorganized scourge some aid.
The “how time passes on Azeroth while we’re away” has not been answered yet.
The Scourge are still there. Azeroth’s forces are holding them back for now, but the Jailer commands them. We originally went into the Maw to rescue the faction leaders who were kidnapped. That was the goal. But afterwards we learned what’s actually happening so now we’re focusing on the head of the snake who’s a way bigger problem than the Scourge.
The portals in Oribos are canon too. There’s no time difference, we can freely travel back and forth. Some of the campaign quests even send us back to Azeroth and there are tourists in Oribos now.
But the Scourge and Lich King plotline will be resolved later in SL, Blizz did say that. And it’s kind of obvious it would be. We’ll get to them at some point! It’s probable Zovaal may pay Azeroth a visit anyways.
It is funny because part of the plot line in wrath said a disoginized scorge would be the end of the world. If the lich king didn’t keep control of his army they would be an even greater threat then they had been in wrath.
Lore wise, its the opposite. The only reason why scourge has not taken over Azeroth is the fact they were controlled. Arthas still had humanity left in him. Jaina’s locket is a solid proof to that.
After the defeat of Arthas, Bolvar took it upon himself to weld the crown, for the sole reason of preventing scourge going rampart.
So, if anything, Azeroth should be burning to the group. But blizz just left that part out entirely.
As a side note, that picture (as well as the loading screen for the Shadowlands) kinda makes me laugh. We see Sire Denathrius, Kyrestia the Archon. The Winter Queen, (and in the loading screen), the Zorvaal the Jailer, as well as the Arbiter. But for Maldraxxus, instead of the Primus, we get one of the Margraves. One who barely even matters in the long run.
I get that they want to keep the Primus more secretive, but his statue shows up, so we at least know what he looks like, even if he doesn’t turn out to also be the Runecarver.
This is why Lor’themar argues against Tyrande entering the Maw to search for Sylvanas, and why no other major leaders, and very few characters period, have come through to Oribos. They’re all busy, along with Azeroth’s armies and all the champions we had in class halls and the BfA campaign, etc., trying to deal with the Scourge problem.
It would have been, not because it was capable of doing that much damage on its own, but because if we’d been weakened by having to deliver a final death to the Scourge, Deathwing would’ve rolled right over us.
While Arthas was in control of the Scourge, he wielded it like an army - something to be husbanded and not wasted in unwinnable battles. He wanted to preserve it to continue fighting, and so fought more conservatively than he had to. But when it was freed, there was every chance of it devolving into tons of mindless undead that would throw themselves at the living with no thought for the future. We’d destroy them eventually, but it would be expensive - and we’d already dealt with at least three world-ending threats in that year alone! Without those armies we’d be unacceptably weak.
(We know this because after squandering them in Mists and Warlords fighting each other, when Legion came up, our armies were weak and easily swept aside by the invasion, requiring us to fall back on our class halls for resources.)
tl;dr: letting the Scourge run free would be an operation-level disaster even if it was containable at the tactical level.
Either that the assault is over the moment we all had a foothold and controlled the entirety of Icecrown and kept everything isolated there.
OR the more plausible and realistic situation is we haven’t stopped it but it wouldn’t end sooner if we don’t act now. That’s why we jumped into The Shadowlands because only a select few were brought in the first place once situated within Oribos and the scenario of us being able to get more help is plausible but there’s a reason why we aren’t seeing armies upon armies from both factions just coming in so freely, so its likely weren’t not meant to see the events happening on Azeroth but they are happening. Whether there’s a power vacuum within the factions, a pandemic zombie apocalypse, etc.
Remember that the Helm of Domination may be the projection to controlling the Undead but with the way open, why would The Jailer need that when he can control through that big obvious GAP in reality, plus, the helm is destroyed anyways. Don’t forget, there’s still key undead figures beyond just The Jailer too.
There was literally a cutscene that said that we needed a Lich King because a disorganized Scourge is one that can just destroy all life if left uncontested.
So, I was re-doing the Maw intro, and I can’t remember exactly when it happened but Jaina says something along the lines of “How long has it been? Weeks? Months?” and it just makes me wonder, if time goes way slower in SL. With fighting the scourge, discussing the hole in the sky with the leaders of your faction, and killing Nathanos, I’d say it had been like, a week (or maybe just a few days) for our characters to get into the maw, meanwhile Jaina thinks it had been a few weeks to months. Of course I imagine getting tortured would make everything seem way longer, but still, idk. Just putting my thoughts out there lmao. Can’t wait for it to actually be answered tho.
Maybe Shadowlands will segueway into a Life (nature) Vs Death expansion next? (I doubt it but a cohesive continuation to SL that somehow works the sword we left in the planet into the equation would be a welcome miracle)
You forget that Bolvar took the helm to keep the Scourge at bay. While a disorganized Scourge is not as much of a threat, one being held back by someone is even less.
