Those people don’t speak for people like me. In the end, we just want gilneas back regardless of how it actually happens 
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I have to say that this thread was likely in response to me and I’m not trying to kill Ben’s hope. I just have been burned by this writing team before and I am hesitant to trust anything they gift wrap for me.
I’m not saying other people can’t enjoy the high, I honestly wished I hadn’t played the Alliance side of the Lordearon quest because it made doubt creep in where I was otherwise estatic.
I trust Ben, don’t want to rain on his parade I don’t trust Blizzard. Trusting Blizzard again will take more than one good quest, and I think the majority of Alliance and Horde here agree that one good questchain doesn’t erase 4 years of 
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It would’ve been NICE to see some badass Gilnean/NE military action 'cause I just love the friendship between those races, but yeah, not a requirement IMO. Giving us our perfect spooky Victorian wolf-home back FINALLY, no matter how they do it is definitely a win. I just desperately want the Alliance to have some teeth for once, but I know it’s not in the cards.
(…And let’s be real, Forsaken v Gilnean conflict is always cool as heck on both sides 'cause thematically it’s a big ooky spooky scary boi show and the goth in me loves that crap.)
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The only people I saw saying Gilneas has to be taken back by force are the Extreemist anti-Horde Alliance stans, who want the Alliance to decimate the Horde. The blue Ereviens.
I happened to fly over Gilneas the other day and all the Forsaken npc’s gone and 2-3 Alliance ships in the bay. I wasn’t sure if that was new or left over unfazed stuff from not completing the Silverpine quests. Regardless, I hope both Tirisfal and Gilneas get new revamped zones in Dragonflight.
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I understand you’ve had some unfortunate real life circumstances recently, which I give my condolences for, but it’s really lolworthy to make a thread that’s essentially, “I’M NOT WRONG YOU ALL ARE!” 9.2.5 has been good but it’s important to be cautious about the future. Speculation is a good thing. It’s better to be prepared for what can happen instead of getting hopes up and being dissapointed by a bad development in the future. People can like recent developments without being optimistic about what’s to come.
This is basically you when making this thread:
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The Alliance is there to be either the victim when the Horde want to feel big and strong and the victim to uplift when the Horde decides to give them something for their hero storyline.
We just have to sit in the corner and wait for the sun that is the Horde story to grace us with something nice once in a while.
The Alliance can’t have teeth or stand on its own. They need a horde crutch and a firm hand to have anything positive.
Blizzard should start running adds that for one gold a day they too can sponsor an alliance player.
I’m not the target audience for your post. The Calia quest was better than I expected it to be (though that’s a pretty low bar). I expected it to be complete destruction of the Forsaken narrative, and it wasn’t, so kudos to Blizzard (my only gripe is the “Pallid Lady” moniker, which is a very small issue to me). I like that they even seemed to represent some of the concerns the Forsaken player base had - either because they noticed the Forsaken should have those concerns, or just to respond to player concerns.
I think the “All necromancy is necromancy” part was (somewhat) necessary due to the silliness of her being a light-zombie, though I still have no idea why the Light didn’t just rez her. Both of these aspects are intended to address issues that the character already had, so I understand it, regardless of whether or not I like it.
With all of that in mind, if I knew nothing of Blizzard’s writing style, I would think there is potential for a number of paths that could be very interesting. It’s just that we’ve seen their writing style, and I’m not sure your optimism is justified (and at the very least I understand the pessimism surrounding the potential future).
- The potential for “Calia subterfuge” seems to be a reach. She’s been portrayed as female Anduin. With the final product specifically including that significant occurrence, it suggests that while Belmont may not be expected to follow her orders, the storyline here seems to be that he probably will. EDIT: To clarify, I am fully in favor of returning Gilneas to the Worgens and the game as a whole. I just think the “Belmont won’t follow her orders” take seems unlikely.
- The potential for “Calia remaining an outsider” seems tiny as well considering the amount of screen time she’s gotten. Voss may not trust her yet, but also states she wants to make sure that she’s heard. The storyline then proceeds to focus on her path to helping and, as stories usually go, earning more trust along the way. That trust comes goes without the narrative of living the existence of the Forsaken.
- The story is basically told with her as the character of focus. She’s given a “title” as well as the person we are told to speak to during multiple steps (organizing and driving the action). While other Forsaken are involved, they aren’t the primary character in the story, in essence serving to drive Calia’s story (not an ideal portent for the future of the Forsaken). A straight man to add to the quality of Forsaken storytelling is great, to emphasize the reaction of “others” to the seemingly standard life of the Forsaken (for instance, Calia watching someone needing a limb, finding a limb, and attaching a limb, that is super mismatched to their other limbs). That straight man role only works if they’re adjacent to the story, not the primary driver. If they’re the driver, then the story changes to a fish out of water narrative, with the out-of-water cast shown as odd set pieces rather than the drivers of their own narrative.
Hot take incoming:
Blizzard has given me very little reason to trust any future story points. Because they left open some doors (and others were vague) doesn’t make me optimistic about future paths. While I don’t hate the story (at all), it doesn’t leave me optimistic about the prospects moving forward.
To be perfectly honest, I’d have been fine with a story that ended with her dying a heroes death clearing the Blight by sacrificing herself, permanently ending the possibility of her ascension to the main Forsaken we encounter going forward.
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The speculation wheels in my head are turning. Benedikt may be right.
The Scarlet Brotherhood hates both Calia and Genn. The pamplets attacked Genn too. The Scarlet Brotherhood could rise up in old Lordaeron as a mutual enemy of the Gilneans and Forsaken, forcing them to become allies.
It’s not all doom and gloom speculation. They could write some pretty convincing peace narrative if the focus on a common enemy.
This is more likely than Calia being a spy. I default to the worst possible conclusions first, but I always consider the alternative.
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I know not everyone wants Alliance/Horde peace but the scary boi crews uniting against Scarlet zealotry would be a dream come true. 
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It would be almost too good to be true. Blizzard should do it.
Nothing would make me happier as a Forsaken player than having the Scarlet Crusade be an enemy of the Alliance. With Blizzard actually doubling down on breaking toxic MHP ideology that they are religiously justified in hating Forsaken.
The Scarlet Crusade are a dangerous extreemist group.
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Just imagine Ivar Bloodfang and Belmont bickering with each other because they hate each other as the mindlessly slaughter the scarlets
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No, no this makes so much sense. There’s already a divide starting in the Alliance between people who think Genn should have been left in charge vs Turalyon. If a Light fanatic group pops up that forces Turalyon to internalize his own religious zealotry…(and exposes toxic Alliance players to a much needed hand slap, so they rage quit) Guys, Blizzard could be on the path to do something right here.
Dragonflight has the future for a lowkey Alliance civil war between MHP and decent Alliance players, and what a good way to show us they are dismantling MHP culture at Blizzard?
Are they gonna make me like Genn Greymane?! 
Micah will be happy about that for sure 
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Isn’t that what cross faction raiding was all about? It almost feels like children’s week, with Horde Raids taking a couple tag along Alliance on an adventure.
(I kid. I actually pugged into Alliance groups this week. Cross Faction grouping is long over due)
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The most surprising and wholesome thing so far about cross-faction groups for me is how excited Horde players are to see my little Dwarf Shaman. I’ve always preferred raiding/dungeons/PvP on Horde side because of the racial variety so this is such a win for me even if it is like Blizzard being the Mom that makes their big brother play with us.
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On a less jokey note :
One thing I don’t see mentioned a lot in this Calia debate is a big detail on exactly how she was raised.
It is sort of vague and mysterious, I admit. But as she is being raised, it is specifically mentioned that she is returning in the form she wanted to. That… could mean a lot.
Was she given a choice to come back as alive or undead? Meaning she chose Undead, because she felt it would connect her to the people of Lordaeron as well as end her nightmares?
I wondered what they were driving at with that, and I still do.
Maybe she chose to return as Undead instead of a normal res? It seems she had some sort of choice in the form she would take upon her return.
I’d squeel if people started liking Genn more 
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Goth Mr. Clean lol. Good one. Some of my alternate nicknames for the Jailer;
- Grey Dr Evil
- Grim Handsome Squidward
- One-Plot-Punch Man (cos he ruined WoW’s plot in one go)
I agree that there’s a lot of negative sentiment simply because Calia’s not as edgy as some fans want the Forsaken to be. I think it’s fine. Have some Forsaken like you said - ranging from the Addams Family to one step away from Evil Dead’s deadites. it adds variety of character.
For better or worse, edgy stuff is popular in WoW with many fans and writers (though most of the latter have left), and that’s part of why there’s so much backlash here. I don’t agree with it happening, I just understand why.
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you had me at Grim Handsome Squidward.
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Noooo! 
Other ones I’ve seen floating around that made me chuckle: Naked Qon Chi, Bargain Basement Kratos, Emo Thanos
Not sure if any of those top Grim Handsome Squidward though, LMAO
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Absolute gold.
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