I never paid any attention to the cosmology diagram of WoW’s universe. But I saw it the other day and noticed that each zone in Shadowlands seems to correspond to one of the main components of it.
https://wow.zamimg.com/uploads/screenshots/normal/944054.jpg
I think there is some ambiguity as to which zone could correspond to what. But I think that the following is intended:
- Oribos= Order. Pretty straightforward.
- The Maw = Disorder. Disorder is typically associated with Fel, but in the image Fire is immediately adjacent to Fel and The Maw seeks to oppose Oribos. And the Maw looks like Antorus anyway.
- Bastion = Light. They fought off the Void (the opposite of Light) in one questline and the evil Kyrian turn a purple void-y color.
- Revendreth = Shadow. Venthyr are literally hurt by light. And the Naaru was being harmed being in Revendreth. Not to mention the Venthyr signature ability ‘Door of Shadows.’
- Maldraxxus = Death.
- Ardenweald = Life.
Seems like they did something similar to Cataclysm when each zone represented a different element (with Twilight Highlands being the ‘5th Element,’ a combination of all 4). Not saying it’s a very astute observation or anything. Just never noticed it until recently when I saw the cosmology diagram again. And I haven’t seen anyone else mention it.
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Eh, it’s all supposed to be Death in its various facets.
Also, the covenants are really mostly the functional gears of the Shadowlands. The infinite majority of it simply serves as one would expect - afterlives that function as… well, afterlives.
As to the rest of the components… it doesn’t really pan out. Oribos is the linchpin of it all, but every covenant is supposed to be a part of the order surrounding it. They’re less representations of the broader cosmos, and more departments within a city. Oribus is administration, you have your transportation services (Bastion), your civil defense(Maldraxxus), corrections (Revendreth), processing and handling (Ardenweald), and disposal (The Maw).
Any reflections of any other powers is largely incidental. Bastion, for instance, has no references to anything “Light” specific, and the elements behind its powers aren’t “Holy”, rather, they’re Arcane. Other than the aesthetic, it’s not a great Light analog.
Death is… Death, whatever form it takes. That can be a myriad of themes and images, but it’s all Death in the end.
Yeah I mean I’m not saying that they are supposed to be realms embodying that component of the cosmos. Just like the different Cataclysm zones weren’t meant to represent the various elemental planes. Just that the inspiration for the different themes came from it.
Bastion does not use any holy magic, but they did fight off the Void. And Venthyr are hurt by the light. All of the information available seems too coincidental to not be by design.
The shadowlands seem to focus on order around the Arbiter concerning Bastion is mainly the delivery, Maldraxxus is it’s defense and Revendreth is it’s jail awaiting to reform people while the Maw is it’s prison holding them forever.
Ardenweald is a head scratcher as some of their beings seem more attached to their planet than the Shadowlands.
Yeah, but… everything fights the Void. The Old Gods? They waged war on one another.
Even the Void fights the Void.
As for Revendreth… That’s really super interesting and I can’t wait to learn just… WHAT THE HELL DID DENATHRIUS DO!?!
Whatever he did was so obscenely evil, the Light itself mounted an attack on Revendreth with an endless army of the Naaru. Nothing we know of enraged the Light so much that we have any record of this happening anywhere else to anything else. Not the Void, not the Legion, not the Maw, nothing.
Based on precedent and scale of holy retribution, whatever happened in the Ember Ward was the worst thing to ever happen anywhere.
So… just… what the hell happened?
I know everything fights the Void. I am just speaking to the decision to explicitly add that questline. The reason the Void was added to the zone is because Bastion is intended to be light themed. With the Void being its thematic opposite. Likewise, bad Kyrian turn dark purple for the same reason.
And to Breakcog, I’m not really sure about Ardenweald either. I think the consensus I’ve seen is that it’s just a giant retcon. With spirits having to enter Ardenweald before they can go to the Emerald Dream? Or something like that.
The Jailer incidentally calls the Maw Darkness!
The Kyrian that aren’t corrupted are described as being Bright!
The Death of Oribos as used by the Attendants has a Spell called Hyperlight despite obviously not being Light!
So Death has Hyperlight(Oribos-aligned), Brightness(Bastion-aligned), Death(Maldraxxus-aligned), Celestial(Ardenweald-aligned), Shadow(Revendreth-aligned) and Darkness(Maw-aligned regardless of color) as it’s themes despite them all being the Cosmic Force of Death!