So everyone knows with facts what Blizzard has done to the Lore, I went on the PTR and tested Impositions. That’s the Warlock Quest that supposedly justifies the new race class combos.
I will be honest. While I tried to be pragmatic with it, the quest is a total train wreck. I’m putting this out there so people can see the the story without wasting their time on it.
Maybe by revealing the facts to GD people will continue to talk about it like they did when Blizzard tried to make Tirion Fordring a Death Knight, Blizzard will change it’s course. I find this to be unlikely however. The company has never admitted before when they were wrong and this quest stinks of it in the worst ways possible.
To be honest, if the company loses customers and further reduces player interest in their franchise with this, it is completely deserved. The lore is completely ignored for the rule of cool. Again. Probably sabotage that they want to pass off to Microsoft tbh.
But then again, perhaps it’s not all bad? I mean the quest completely ignores and steps all over Shadowlands lore which was ‘supposed’ to be the Lead Writer’s chance to clean up the lore with his NEW and better version of it.
Case and point! Nathrezim are supposed to be loyal to Sire Denathrius as per Shadowlands lore. …Well… Never mind any of that! The good Sire has apparently been completely forgotten and isn’t even mentioned. Ever.
Hopefully you appreciate the dry wit of my reporting. But we’re just getting started kids.
Now… on with the show!
The Premise:
The story starts out simple. You. The Honorable E.V.I.L. Wizard of Orgrimmar are summoned to the Cleft of Shadows by a thin Kul’Tiran named Phineas who drives you to the Darkmoon Faire in a stagecoach that flies and is pulled by Dreadsteeds. Nothing strange there. No sir. This is normal for Orgrimmar apparently!
Anywho, after blacking out (or being drugged) you awaken to find a midnight scene at the Darkmoon Fair that is every Warlock’s fantasy dream. Apparently what happens when the people leave, is other people come.
There are Demons all over the fair grounds, and they are enjoying themselves there! Why there is even a Succubus is running a kissing booth for Imps. Oh and some Felsteeds and Tauren doing things that cannot be discussed on the Forums. No really. Well whatever.
So far, no complaints. This is the kind of weird creepy stuff Warlocks do after all.
So the NPC who wants to meet you is named Madam Shadow. She looks like a stand in for Lindsay Ravensun (Ok look. It’s a clear homage to the human guise of Sylvanas, but why would that surprise any of us?). Silly cartoony rhyming aside, it seems semi chill, and borderline benevolent.
Madam Shadow asks you to gather the apprentices. Two Tauren, a Zandalari, a Night Elf, a Pandaren in a Gas Mask who never has a speaking line, a few Goblins and a Lightforged Draenei named Oman. (Oh man…)
Everyone shows up. So far every race except the grunting Pandaren gives a solid enough Lore reason for wanting to join Club Fel. Well… except the Goblins who bail, and the Lightforged fellow who is really debating if this is a smart idea.
Wait… Where is my Mag’har Claimant? Hello? Mag’har?
-spends an hour searching to no avail- Huh. No Mag’har. Oh right! None of them do this in lore, so none of them are there. Duh! Silly me!
Anyways getting on with Captain Sparklepants I mean Oman’s logic, he does make some solid lore points on why he’s not completely sold on the Light, but one senses that these lines fit better for a REGULAR Draenei and not a Lightforged one. Intentional or purposely missed opportunity by Blizzard there. You decide!
Moving on! So next up, the totally not suspicious Madam Shadow asks you to then seal everyone’s souls with her soul stones to protect them from becoming keepsakes for Demons if they screw up for whatever reason.
You do so and channel a green beam into them which somehow lights them on felfire, and unlocks the races connection to fel. No clear reason given, just they suddenly can throw green fire! Still no Mag’har to be seen anywhere so we didn’t make a Mag’har Orc Warlock yet.
The Lightforged however is not present however for the gift. Madam Shadow is getting annoyed so she sends you to get him stoned for safety reasons. The LF Draenei asks you to Soulstone him instead as he does not trust Madam Shadow. So you do so. Then to make sure Madam Shadow doesn’t get annoyed that her Soulstone is empty you trap a sea-gull’s soul in it as a replacement.
Madam Shadow sends the initiates to learn curses. You train them. While training them, Oman summons you! How and where he learned IDK, but he must of had a pocket Meeting Stone in his pants or something. Anyways you are summoned. He says he doesnt trust Madam Shadow (I wonder why). He has you use eye of Kilrogg to spy on her.
Turns out Madam Shadow is a Nathrezim. She hates Warlocks and only teaches how to summon, but not how to bind them. Goal is to tempt idiots with power, and let the demons summoned kill the Warlock who summons them. You go to the Altar of Storms to save your new students. All are dead. You subjugate the Demon Shivarra. You rezz Oman as he died also, but you soulstoned him so you can revive him. All the other Warlocks died a painful horrible no good very bad death.
Oman sends you to deal with Madam Shadow. So your off to see the Wizard. You find her… him… Sorry IT. Surrounded by a mountain of Soul Shards in the place Daio the Decrepit is in the Tainted Scar.
Plot twist time! It turns out Madam Shadow is actually Lord Banehallow from the Shadow Council and Felwood!! You fight him, you kill him. He curses all Warlocks for all time and then Oman congratulates you on saving them. Wait didn’t Lord Banehallow work with Fel’dan and the Shadow Council for years? Bah details!
…And then the quest abruptly ends. Yep. That’s it. You kill Banehallow and that’s it. Oman stares at the Scar, for some reason completely stripped of all his armor and robes… and just vegs out. I guess becoming a Warlock involves becoming a stripper too. Good news for Moon Guard and Goldshire?
Disclaimer:
No Mag’har was harmed or fel-tainted during the making of this quest (or even seen on screen for that matter). The quest does not give any good lore reasons for Lightforged and Mag’har Warlocks, but if anything the quest gives plenty of reasons why they should never be allowed to become Warlocks.
Yet since Blizzard’s gotta have those juicy Character Service sales…