Going through MoP and other recent content, I wonder what exactly was going on when the societies in WoW were being designed - and how far this has all carried over as the years have progressed and ideas have advanced.
Peasants and Peons, despite being the literal backbone of both the Alliance and Horde armies over the decades of war, haven’t been treated well at all. They’re frequently abused, treated as “dim-witted”, “slow”, and “loyal”. All I’m hearing frankly is management’s view of their employees, who are being worked to the bone for little pay and in wartime condition.
It’s worth noting, however - that these “dullard” workers are responsible for every building, path, and structure in Azeroth. They are CERTAINLY skilled workers, and I would attribute their lack of wartime/scholarly knowledge moreso to the strict caste systems the Alliance and Horde impose upon their working classes, and a lack of support infrastructure for their general well-being.
The Alliance, originally the Grand Alliance of Humanity, followed a feudalistic model following the troll wars that put the burden of recovering from war squarely on the shoulders of the average citizen, without recompense for their time or effort. This was carried through even after the dark portal opened, and we see a great example of this when the house of nobles put out a DEATH WARRANT for the heads of the local unions and guilds after they demanded pay. That Tiffin Wrynn died was a tragedy - but her death was used as an excuse by the house of nobles to get rid of an educated, organized populace. Through cataclysm and BFA, we see that the average alliance citizen’s life is hard and isolating, with the threat (or promise, by BFA) of the draft ever driving you forward to work yourself to the bone, even as threats from without and within close their jaws around you.
Peons, conversely, get even worse treatment. They are skilled craftspeople, cooks, workers, etc - but half of the quests they’re involved in involve us beating the ever living crap out of them for…resting? Taking their breaks?
The orcish caste of peons arose due to the conditions caused by original first horde - orca that would have trained as artisans, spiritual leaders, or more specialized roles but were otherwise unfit for the role of “warrior” were cast into the Peon category. You didn’t get a choice - you were building war machines until your back broke, or you got to die faster than your friends.
As of the fourth war, conditions are barely better. There’s the equivalent of a corporate pizza party being thrown for them on “peon day” - but there’s no push for the individual safety and rights of these folks. Who, canonically - are just your average guys and gals trying to make ends meet for their families. Things were supposed to get better when Thrall took over, but it’s taken generations to start moving away from the orc’s heavily militarized culture. They’re barely coming out of it.
All that to say - be careful. Peons and peasants are more often than not neutral npcs that are able to be damaged by the opposite faction - some will even bravely raise their weapons against you - but their punches are soft and their blades more fit for work than for war. They’re just your average folks trying to defend themselves. Walk away. We’re powerful enough to do so.
I know it’s a game but I get heckin sentimental, and these folks have got my heart recently. In one of the Lion’s landing quests, Misha says something about all the “poor, helpless, stupid peasants” that were slaughtered while getting wood for their camp. Alone. Unguarded.
The alliance sucks at treating their people well. So does the Horde.
I really, really hope things have gotten better during the time skip, because as of BFA it was these folks - the farmers, the builders, the cooks and the healers, who were being handed swords and told to kill each other.
For the Alliance.
For the Horde.