Rise of Azshara Story Discussion (SPOILERS)

Sylvanas discusses the next phase of her plan

Nathanos. The next phase of our campaign is at hand.
Sail out with what remains of our fleet. The blade will guide you to the rendezvous.
Casualties on both sides will be substantial. Consider this an opportunity to weed out the disloyal.
The threads we have woven with such care will soon be drawn together. The war is serving its purpose. Stay focused on the endgame. You know what is to come.
We have been through so much together, you and I. Trust in me, as I have ever trusted in you.

After the Naga Attack

Nathanos: You’re back on your feet. Good. Your survival is key to the Dark Lady’s plans.
Nathanos: Look around, $p. The vaunted Alliance fleet lies in ruins. Perfect.
Nathanos: I suppose you will want to find safe haven for our wounded. Oculeth will assist you. I have a mission to complete.

Eye of the Corruptor

Give in. Accept the embrace. Listen.
Listen. Listen. Listen. LISTEN.
The queen threatens the king. There is no way to win. Listen.
The undrowned will join the chorus. Listen to it.
Listen. Open the gate. Step into the abyss. Complete the circle.
You were right to doubt them.
Listen. She is a threat. Kill her. KILL HER.
Listen. You know this is the truth. It is but one of a thousand. You have only to listen.
Everywhere you look, the stars gaze back. You know their form already. You have but to listen.

Baines Escape:

Loyalist Dialogue

The Dark Lady anticipated traitorous meddling, but we did not know when it would come… until you told us.
Now that the guests have arrived, shall we begin the entertainment?
Alchemist Spiteblood has something in mind. He can provide you protection against his… toys.
The traitors must believe you are on their side. None of our guards have been told you are loyal to the Horde. They will show no mercy.
Show none to them.

Dialogue for Horde that work with Alliance

“It seems our lot has been thrown in with the Alliance.
I know what it is to fight against them, $p. To feel the loss and rage of war in your heart.
But I ask you to put that aside… at least until our friend Baine is safe.”

Azshara and Shadris

Little Shandris Feathermoon. A lowborn peasant in search of other lowborn peasants. Let us see if we can’t wash away some of that disrespect you have been showing me.
You had no idea what I had to give to try to save this city. To save my people. And this is the thanks awarded me? The gratitude?
How rude of me. You came here to say goodbye to a lost one. Well, here they are…
That is enough, Sivara. They cannot choose to kneel to me if they are dead. Let us give them time to heal so they can come to their senses.
Oh, the First Arcanist Thalyssra. Still serving at the whim of better women I see. Shall we give your paltry parlor magic a test?
For ages, I wondered what would have happened to me had I chosen to flee to Zin-Azshari, or to Suramar, instead of with Tyrande.
Now I see I might have found my family, right before I would have lost them to Azshara’s madness.
You there! Please. I am in dire need of assistance. My brother is missing…
The denizens of the estates are cursed… forced to live in a state of purgatory for Azshara’s own glory.
I hope my brother does not suffer the same fate.
Azshara… forgive me.
That naga witch is trying to bend my brother’s sprit to Azshara’s will just like the others!
You will serve the Queen! Glory to Azshara!

Shadris’ brother was a merchant:

My hippogryphs! They got free!
All of these refugees are making my birds nervous.
I heard Queen Azshara was coming by today. Oh why did it have to be today?
I need to get these animals under control. All of this strange magic in the air is driving them mad.
Ah! A customer. I wish I had some goods to sell you today, but all of my wares have been purchased. Many of the refugees that have arrived have shared stories of horrifying demons and monsters beyond our walls, and as such everyone is just buying up every talisman, trinket, and magic wand I had for sale.
I don’t remember the market getting so messy…
Ugh, the hippogryphs got loose. The nightsabers are running a muck. And there is algae on the ground. How is there algae on the ground?
I… I am starting to think our Queen’s ritual did not do what she promised it would…
Why am I so wet?
“No no no no! My entire inventory of night sabers are on the loose. This will not do.
I don’t remember how they got out. I don’t remember why everything got so wet either.
I don’t… did I just imagine a wall of endless water?”

Dark Warden

“The dark warden unleashes her rage upon the target dummy before her.
Perhaps it would be wise to let her be”

Chief Architect of Mechagon

You’re the Chief Architect of Mechagon?
“Indeed, I am. The underground city of Mechagon is my finest achievement and most marvelous creation. If you’ve seen it, I assure you, that you will remember it.
I’ve served Prince Erazmin and King Mechagon since the very beginning, learning from each as time passed.
As you might imagine, I learn more from the young prince than his father these days.”
Why don’t you stay in Rustbolt?
“I’m an old man now, with many mistakes to pay for.
My station as Chief Architect allots me great freedom to travel within the halls of Mechagon. My abilities allow me to do so unmonitored.
I use that privilege to aid those with no such benefits to rely on. Those King Mechagon seeks to abuse and destroy.
As often as possible, I sneak refugees and resisters out of Mechagon city here to Rustbolt.
While our king has betrayed us, our prince still fights to keep us safe.”

I swear to God Sylvanas if you spoil the movie for me

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Knaifu is now a gauntlet.

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I said this in the 8.2 thread, I meant to here lol

But if the war wasn’t at all about the Alliance and she started it as the catalyst or middle step of some grander plan, that would redeem things a bit for me. Because as it stands, there’s no real reason for her to have suddenly decided the Alliance was such a threat, we had to eradicate them.

What will be REALLY bad, is if it turns out her plans were to help us all, and oh what fools we were for doubting her.

I’d honestly puke.

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We will give her medals.

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Sylvanas ascends the stairs, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Anduin

“Azeroth…is FREEEEEEE”

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The problem I have with this is that regardless of any ulterior motive Sylvanas has it wasnt Sylvanas marching on Ashenvale and Darkshore it was the Horde

It wasnt Sylvanas manning the catapults that burnt Teldrassil it was the Horde

It wasnt Sylvanas fanning the flames to burn it quicker it was the Horde

It wasnt Sylvanas standing by as corpses are being raised left and right it was the Horde.

In a competant story not in an MMO Teldrassil would have been the moral event horizon thay solidified the Horde as morally bankrupt villains.

However, this is an MMO that is 20 feet deep in a 2 faction hard lined hole and Blizzard cant really punish half the player base for forcing down this idiotic path yet again. In the end the Horde will get nothing more than a finger wag solely because Saurfang moped and Baine suddenly found a spine.

Meanwhile the Alliance will yet again get to feel like we arent ever allowed to have any catharsis whenever the devs decide the Horde should beat us to a pulp.

There is no possible narrative decision they can make that will make this asinine narrative any easier to swallow

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If she IS manipulating everyone for other reasons, they should have made it more convincing for Horde soldiers. Have her fabricate something REALLY convincing to make them think they were fighting for their lives. Instead of just telling them “At some point, they may be mean to us.”

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Even then. I mean they had the Horde commit literal genocide out of the gate. Thats not just digging a narrative hole thats packing a hole with C4 and jumping in with it.

Teldrassil burning as a direct purposeful action of the Horde was the worst narrative decision Blizzard could have possibly made

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Teldrassil was an Old God seedling! The Night Elves were secretly mind-controlled this whole time! Elune’s Avatar of Vengeance is a Sleeper Agent for N’Zoth! THE MOONWELLS ARE TURNING THE FROGS GAY

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Vampire goblins are hobblin’ after us

I dunno, I feel punished as a Horde player.

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There is precisely one way I can see the War narrative wrapped up in a way that is not so head spinningly stupid I feel like im doing a Beetlejuice impression and also not punishing half the playerbase for choosing the wrong faction.

Which is have Azshara and N’Zoth unambiguously win and rock our collective ^@!% so hard the Alliance and Horde will never be global superpowers again.

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This would be an easy way of pushing us into a 1 faction game.

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Ive said it before Ill say it again. I would love if we all lose HARD to Azshara and N’Zoth.

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That’s also something that I’ve struggled with getting people to accept in RP. During Legion and B4A when running /roll events, sometimes it’s difficult to get RPers to realize they should chalk up a loss and retreat. If we win every single battle we have, it’s incredibly predictable and boring :frowning:

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I like to call it the Iron Horde effect.

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Literally all i want is the chance for my night elf to demand to know why he should care, let alone risk his life, for the leader of an actively hostile nation that participated in the genocide of his people

That’s it

Just a dialogue option

Thats not so much to ask, is it?

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I feel like most Night Elves should cackle at the prospect of saving Baine and follow up with “No really, what are we doing?”

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Me when Shandris gets 0.000001 seconds of screen time–

I mean, how are you guys?

Edit:

This is an underrated line and I’m more here for it than anything.

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