New Novella - Heartlands

[Zerde-sargeras (Zerde)]

@Gornur-nerzhul

Marran mentions that her parents are dead and I don’t think her age is mentioned in the story.

I think the story mentioned she was 40.

[Vansfeld-moon-guard]

So did I miss something or did the writer just forget that Jaina can teleport? In the very first scene she goes from speaking with Danath to teleporting to Stromgarde, but then she’s writing a letter to summon Danath back and hoping he makes it in time.

[Gornur-nerzhul (Gornur)]

@Zerde-sargeras

I think the story mentioned she was 40.

Perhaps it’s a repeat of Lyandra Sunstrider? Like Lyandra was a distant a relative of Anasterian and Kael’thas who didn’t have a claim to the throne. If that’s the case than Danath calling her niece could be more of an honorary thing.

Though if they are directly related and with how she seemed bitter about the Alliance, it could no one in the Alliance was either willing or able to help her with her claim after Galen was killed with all the conflict that keeps happening.

We do know that when word of Danath’s survival reached Azeroth, there were those in Arathi who awaited his return, which would have hampered her own claim.

@Vansfeld-moon-guard

So did I miss something or did the writer just forget that Jaina can teleport?

She was poisoned and while she recovered faster than expected, she was likely feeling lingering effects and didn’t feel up to the task of teleporting to him and then teleporting back.

[Vansfeld-moon-guard]

@Gornur-nerzhul

She was poisoned and while she recovered faster than expected, she was likely feeling lingering effects and didn’t feel up to the task of teleporting to him and then teleporting back.

This happened before she was poisoned. Why would someone who can instantly teleport across the world send a courier with a letter?

[Zerde-sargeras (Zerde)]

@Gornur-nerzhul

Perhaps it’s a repeat of Lyandra Sunstrider? Like Lyandra was a distant a relative of Anasterian and Kael’thas who didn’t have a claim to the throne. If that’s the case than Danath calling her niece could be more of an honorary thing.

Personally I doubt Blizzard thought much about it in the same way someone like Thura suddenly pops up and claims to be Brox’s niece.

We will always have some niece or nephew or son popping up at the most convinient time for Blizzard.

[Gornur-nerzhul (Gornur)]

@Vansfeld-moon-guard

This happened before she was poisoned. Why would someone who can instantly teleport across the world send a courier with a letter?

My bad, I got things mixed up.

I’m guessing it’s because of politics. She had already arrived to Stormgarde and then leaving to get Danath, while the regent is present would create the impression that Jaina questions either hers, his, or even both of their judgements.

@Zerde-sargeras

Personally I doubt Blizzard thought much about it in the same way someone like Thura suddenly pops up and claims to be Brox’s niece.

You get a niece, he gets a niece, she gets a niece!

[Giru-khazgoroth (Giru)]

I mean its not like everyone has a canon family tree or anything, can’t be much of an asspull when no expectation was set

[Vansfeld-moon-guard]

@Gornur-nerzhul

I’m guessing it’s because of politics. She had already arrived to Stormgarde and then leaving to get Danath, while the regent is present would create the impression that Jaina questions either hers, his, or even both of their judgements.

But it’s instant. It’s even revealed in the end of the story that Jaina suspected the entire time the courier’s message might fall into Marran’s hands. They don’t even try to handwave it by having some inner monologue saying she can’t teleport because X Y Z.

…So why didn’t she just go back to her room, teleport to get Danath, then come back? They have her teleporting multiple times throughout the story ( even after she’s poisoned ) and in the end they reveal the secret way she got the message to Danath was… a raven?

Like they just gave her this power that would immediately solve the entire plot and inexplicably don’t use it. Terrible writing honestly.

[Kohnila-bonechewer]

@Northgrave-lothar

As an Alliance fan, I don’t feel like Marran is that villainous. I mean, stupid and impulsive person who should not lead? Sure, but her only real crime was wasting the lives of Stromic and 7th Legion soldiers while having no chance to win. What should be wrong with wanting to take back the whole of Arathi under the wings of humanity, from the point of view of an Alliance member? Especially when the leader of the people you are supposed to share the place with spoke about wanting to genocide draenei few years ago.

She is very explicitly fascist-coded

Now I do think there definitely is some validity to her resentment towards the Alliance for constantly asking its member nations for resources and soldiers in order to fund its grand oversea campaigns against Greater Evils, essentially turning a deaf ear to these member nations’ individual needs in their local struggles. That criticism was kinda dismissed in the end when the factions once again do exactly that by all setting sail for Khaz Algar lol, which I find regrettable

But otherwise yes Marran is explicitly fascist-coded in her writing and so she is a villain

[Benediktion-wyrmrest-accord]

The Forsaken and their extremely cool looking Arathi Defilers have been absent from the Highlands storyline since BFA. Even though as of Legion Stromgarde was populated with a neutral undead nation of Stromic who’ve presumably all now died or been absorbed into the Forsaken.

Ironically enough Defilers pop up defending Go’Shek Farm in the Alliance controlled version of Arathi. I remember because I used to dress my Hunter up as one and ambushed players doing quests there.

Would’ve been neat if instead of Etrigg or whomever we got a cameo from the Black Bride being decidedly unhelpful by suggesting they

Kill them... KILL THEM ALL!

[Gornur-nerzhul (Gornur)]

@Vansfeld-moon-guard

…So why didn’t she just go back to her room, teleport to get Danath, then come back?

I have no idea.

[Benediktion-wyrmrest-accord]

I mean she’s saying she has to reclaim her Hyperborean mythic past and has her people terrified that these immigrants are all starving marauders that are going to take what they have by force.

It’s less coded and more shouted.

[Vansfeld-moon-guard]

It’s as if you wrote a story where Superman has to cross a rickety bridge, and he’s terrified because the bridge is unstable, and he even flies to the start of the bridge before crossing it, and in the middle of trying to cross the bridge gives out but it’s revealed that Superman had a jetpack the entire time so he’s safe. It’s actually perplexing.

[Vedhu-wyrmrest-accord]

When will people stop using [insert]-coded and just outright state what they think.

[Kohnila-bonechewer]

@Benediktion-wyrmrest-accord

I mean she’s saying she has to reclaim her Hyperborean mythic past and has her people terrified that these immigrants are all starving marauders that are going to take what they have by force.

It’s less coded and more shouted.

Sure sure I only said “-coded” to convey the idea that this is the RL parallel she’s clearly meant to evoke

[Kohnila-bonechewer]

@Vedhu-wyrmrest-accord

When will people stop using [insert]-coded and just outright state what they think.

Tf is that supposed to mean lol

[Ellinia-zuljin]

As someone that hates Jaina and her constant involvement in the story, this was a chore to get through.

At least Geya’rah received some character development. This almost feels like an attempt at making amends for the fact that Horde representation in The War Within’s main story was shallow at best.

[Gornur-nerzhul (Gornur)]

With the Mag’har now based in Hammerfall, I can’t help but wonder at the relations between the them and the Boulderfist Ogres and Witherbark Forest Trolls in the region.

I know their not mentioned but the AU Stonemaul did enter Azeroth with the Mag’har. Could we see Ogre diplomacy between them and the Boulderfist or just see the AU Stonemaul decide to take over over their territory.? Would the Witherbark still hate on the Horde or be open to speaking with the Mag’har and their more “In your face” policy?

[Benediktion-wyrmrest-accord]

I think it’d be neat if Stromgarde gets usurped and sides with an evil Arathi Empire.

And you get Forsaken, Mag’Har, Wildhammer and Worgen just walloping the crap out’ve it.

Seriously the Reclamation of Gilneas questlines has a lot of legitimate complaints but I happened to do mine on this toon in Shadow Spec teamed up with a Worgen Warrior. You had a werewolf ripping people apart as a wraith zoomed around shooting brain lasers and ghosts at everyone. Rob Zombie’s Dragula plays over my memory of it.

Take that then tag team it with the most rowdy orcs teaming up with the most rowdy dwarves and you’ll have one Hell of a battle.

[Shredow-wyrmrest-accord]

The Arathi empire showing up and providing animus for aspects of the alliance to trigger a new faction war would actually be an interesting path to take and would make far more sense than BFA’s war did. Though, I still prefer it if it ended up being smaller scale conflicts rather than an all out war.