Faol's Future

Lore Story Forum
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So I’m revisiting the Priest Hall questline which is both fun, and existentially horrifying because I realized I haven’t seen it in five years. What is time and can we stop it?

I’d gotten a warrior up to 110 first, then used my free boost on this toon, and still barely had any idea what was going on as I’d stopped playing in Wrath. Coming in at the last patch of expansion really is a bewildering experience because there’s inevitably armor sets, currencies and whole gameplay features rendered obsolete that the game will still present as if they’re relevant.

And not having played in 7 years my memory of the lore was shoddy at best. Took me awhile to realize who Calia was supposed to be. I certainly remembered Arthas but couldn’t have told you his surname off the top of my head. Had no recollection of who the Dwarf Priest was either. Velen was about the only character I knew off hand.

But this Faol fellow sure was interesting. I of course had zero idea he was such a lore important character. But he was an undead with cool armor, a cooler voice, and one of the coolest titles I’ve seen so naturally I was on board. Bishop of Secrets is a pretty instantly intriguing title. Dude’s got a whole dioceses of mysteries apparently.

I thought he was pretty compelling before I realized he was one of the most influential humans in the setting. Having invented Paladins and been the procuring cause behind most of the Cathedrals and Churchs in game. So it’s kinda odd then he completely fell off the face of the planet after Elegy.

I really don’t want this character to fall by the wayside. He’s actually a very good example of a Light worshipping undead. Unlike Calia he was actually enslaved by the Scourge. So he maintained his faith despite being about abandoned by the Light as he could conceivably be. Plus he not only looks and sounds spooky but is a bit unhinged, as all undead should be;

‘I wonder what would happen if you split someone into pure light and pure void. Interested in volunteering?’

I think the best spot for him would be as the new leader of the Argent Dawn. With Tirion gone he’s far and away the most qualified candidate. The Dawn has welcomed the undead within it’s ranks since day one so it wouldn’t be unexpected. Additionally the character could have a more active role in the North EK storyline as a peace broker. He can personally relate to the Forsaken and is respected by Greymane and Turaylon.

He just seems the perfect person to lead. He really bridges the gap between the past, present and future of Lordaeron. He’s respected by all the EKs, the Forsaken and Quel’Thalas included. His name would presumably strike fear in the hearts of the Cult of the Damned. Plus he just generally looks cool and would be neat to have around.

The Argents seize Tyr’s Hand in the events of the WPL’s storyline. I’d plop him in the Cathedral and give the NPC a schedule where sometimes he’d be in his quarters and sometimes be hosting mass to an assembled crowd.

I’d also put Confessor Paletress there. If anything to get a sequel to my favorite interaction in Wrath, her confessional with the Undercity Champion;

“Undercity Champion says: I punched a penguin on my way in here.
Argent Confessor Paletress says: Oh, my. Do you feel remorseful, at least?
Undercity Champion says: Nah, not really. I just wanted to see the look on your face.
Undercity Champion laughs.
Argent Confessor Paletress turns around and leaves the Confession Screen.
Undercity Champion waves at Argent Confessor Paletress and goes back to his seat.”

So what do ya’ll think? I actually had forgotten how interesting this character was. Just has a real neat voice and cool overall presence that I really think should stick around.

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Only if he either stops being BFFs with Turalyon or makes some credible friends in the Horde. Otherwise, the AD will be (remain) yet another supposedly neutral but thoroughly Alliance-flavored organization.

PS: Calia Menethil doesn’t count as a “credible friend in the Horde.”

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He’s Calia’s Obi Wan and I’ve to imagine is well respected by Voss and Liadrian through reputation alone if nothing else. Wouldn’t be hard to do some scenes with them.

Doubt the West Horde, or Alliance for that matter, would care either way.

Edit;

Though it would be cool if you had him interacting with Talanji and some Zandalari Prelates. Figure they could be on hand in regards to the Mossflayers and other local Forest Troll tribes they’re either trying to recover the records of for posterity or perhaps bring into the fold with the aid of the Forsaken. As many of them appear to be completely sapient undead who are just unaffiliated.

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She is highly Alliance-flavored herself, though, so that doesn’t (IMO) really help.

“Well respected by” doesn’t equal “friends with,” though. You risk the Thalyssra situation where she practically worships Jaina’s magical power, which just makes her look subservient to Jaina. I’d want to see some Horde-based or at least Horde-flavored characters relating to Faol on a level of mutual respect if we’re going to balance the sheer length of his association with Turalyon.

Zandalari might indeed work well in that capacity. (I would say they’re too proud to simply look up to Faol, but then I would have said that about Nightborne too.)

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I imagine he could strike up a friendship with Voss. Faol is essentially the founder of the Church of the Holy Light, or at least it’s relevance in the story from WC1 to Now. She was raised by terminally zealous believers in his teachings. I’m sure they could have some very interesting conversations.

Additionally is respectful of the Shadow. So if Blizz wanted to put a now undead Natalie Seline with the Forsaken, which they should, figure they could have some interesting chats.

Similarly with Talanji I wouldn’t have her looking up to Faol. But as they’re both Priests I’m sure there’d be a mutual professional interest in eachother’s work as spiritual leaders.

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Perhaps if Talanji and Faol work together to raise WoW’s Baby Yoda = the return of Voljin/Rezan!

Maybe Reji would work as a nick name.

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Please, please don’t give them ideas.

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I am thinking plushie sales. And maybe buying one.

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I’ll really never understand why we couldn’t have Rezan and Vol’Jin. Bwomsamdi proves mortals can ascend to godhood, so Vol’Jin easily could’ve become the patron Loa of Honor. He called out Garrosh on the spot and spearheaded the revolution.

Making him the Loa of Kings is just bizarre because that’s very specifically a Zandalari thing. The other Trolls have Chiefs who don’t appear to operate by a literal divine right of kings.

Either way though I’d love to see more interfaith Priest stuff. My main beef with the Conclave is they kinda boil everything down to Void and Naru Light. For the purposes of gameplay I understand Light and Shadow is how Priest powers will be presented. But you’d think the Draenei, Nelves and Tauren would have very different interpretations of it. Same for Shadow. A Rendorei SPriest is feverishly muttering "Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn. But the Forsaken’s Forgotten Shadow and Darkspear Hexpriests presumably channel something else.

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I really want to see him return to Lordaeron to assist with the Forsaken and help guide towards a better fuller picture of their lore. The Cult Of Forgotten Shadow has long balances the light and shadow, but we don’t see much of that in game. I’d like to see him return home to represent the Light for the Forsaken and the Cult.

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That said, a lot of the Cult Of Forgotten Shadow rp community who follows the lore is also really conflicted. It’s been established in the canon that lore that shadow and void while similar were different. That the Cult did not support old god void worship. Then the lore took a hard sideways in the recent content.

It’s really hard to figure out wtf at this point is going on. With the founder of the Cult having returned, we had hoped to see some minor updates for clarity, but there were not any really done :frowning:

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What I really want is a now undead Natalie Seline to turn up. It was really bizarre she was human despite her body being in a grave for 20+ years. I’d just have her turn up with a new undead model and a remark about how those preservation spells weren’t as effective as she’d hoped.

Faol I would keep neutral. I think he’s just way to important to Stormwind and human culture in general to hand over to the Horde. But obviously giving the Alliance an undead character would be weird even if the Forsaken weren’t strapped for characters. So him running the Argent Dawn and acting as a sort of Undead Khadgar seems the best idea imo.

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Legit Natalie and Faol going back to spiritually guide the Forsaken as religious figures? That would be cool.

She is in the game: https://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/Natalie_Seline

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I know. I remember the quest where you dig her up in Raven’s Hill Cemetery after rescuing her soul from a void pocket she stuffed it in.

I maintain she should be undead. Because even if she wasn’t the founder and presumed current leader of the Cult of the Forgotten Shadow, her body sat in the world’s most haunted cemetary for over two decades. It’s really bizarre she’s a normal human despite by definition being undead. She hid her spirit away but they killed her body. Then her spirit repossessed her body.

So I’d have her bop over with a now correct model and run the CotFS as their Pope. We can call the position Archbishop of Ravens or Crypt Cardinal or w/e. Either way she’d run the CotFS and sit on a new Desolate Council as their representative.

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Honestly, yea she should have been undead.

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It’s bizarre she isn’t. Particularly because she’s basically a dark ranger in that she’s a ghost wearing her body. She’s by definition undead and even says “Embrace the Shadows” as a goodbye.

Between her and Derek being intact despite a similar amount of time sitting in the bottom of the ocean I guess 2nd war humans had truly mythic skin care routines.

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It really is. I think it is more of bad writing that she ended up alive.

Derek was also really weird. That said, tons of people don’t understand how quickly we rot and decay after death…

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With Derek they did have the Dedicated Embalmers sitting around his corpse for awhile. So they did sort of explain it. And while it’s not remarked upon maybe being dead near the undead dragon kept him from dissolving into salty bones like the rest of his crew.

If I was Nathanos I’d be pissed. Oh turns out you don’t need to melt your cousin into a grease stain. Just needed to ring up some in house morticians.

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At least then there was the explanation of magic keeping him preserved.

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Alonsus is my perfect Priest Hall Dad and I both want them to develop him and also to leave him the hell alone because everything the writers have touched recently has turned into something about as palatable as butt soup.

I could definitely see him as an interesting figurehead for the Argent Dawn, but I also don’t want to loosen my grip on any other Priest characters that Blizzard wants to turn into Paladins for literally no reason. (Not saying he would, but yanno, can’t be too cautious these days.)

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