So two things I wanted to talk about in this post: The potential for the four covenants as allied races (because of recent findings) and to talk more about San’layn as a customization for Blood Elves.
Lets start about the whole covenant allied race rumor.
I’ve seen the whole datamining thing with the covenant races apparently appearing in game files with the other allied races. My opinion is to agree that this is jumping the gun. No, I don’t think that because I want San’layn, but we don’t know anything about the four covenants, let alone their ambitions and if they can even leave the world they reside in (or will be able to after we get through the Shadowlands expansion).
Could they become allied races? Sure. Could they be put in those files for NPC purposes only? Also a possibility. Is it something to throw off data miners? Another possibility. If these were races on Azeroth in the living world, I’d be more inclined to think they might be upcoming. However, for entities in the afterlife that I have yet to interact with in the game and know nothing about (other than through datamining), it’s really hard for me to see them have some interest in the Alliance/Horde agenda and cross over to the living world to take up arms in their respective faction’s name.
I don’t really want to worry myself regarding the idea that Venthyr would act as a “replacement” for San’layn until we get more concrete details, but I will say that I would be among those disappointed if San’layn got tossed aside, lore and all, for another vampire-like race created to fill a role in a specific expansion. There is something that bothers me, in any MMORPG, where an existing race could be written playable, has backstory, and a fanbase as well and then said race gets rejected in favor of building a brand new race that is similar in some ways.
Then we have the worry about San’layn just being stapled onto Blood Elves as a customization option.
As it stands currently, we still don’t know how those customization races will function. Recently, Forest Troll customization options were found on Darkspear Trolls, and people have been citing the T&E interview with Danuser, a senior game designer and lead narrative designer, allegedly stating that you should assume that Trolls of those custiomzation options should be considered from that tribe, and to not let the starting experience dictate your character’s lore (referring to Wildhammers in particular).
It’s all fine and dandy to start seeing something like the Wildhammer wandering around in the Alliance, but what about the Troll Tribes? Last we saw them, they were still against the Horde, having fought them for many years. Do we even get one brief cutscene of something like Talanji getting the other Troll tribes to help the Horde thanks to some agreement they have with the Zandalari? Where would I even begin with Blood Trolls joining the Horde? Or are we just having cosplaying Darkspear Trolls where we have to make up our own lore?
Let me be clear in saying that there is nothing wrong with making up backstory for your character (I do that for all my characters), but to an extent, there does need to be something in-game to represent what were originally major antagonists suddenly being among the Horde.
All of this also applies to San’layn. I’ve gone on before a few times of my worries of them as a customization option, but as was stated by others, I want there to be actual lore and in-game representation of San’layn joining the Horde. Not viewing it as a game and “SHAZAM! Horde San’layn are totes a thing now!” with no in-game mention. No lore. No storyline. Just a thing now. It’s something I wouldn’t wish on any race people want playable.
I hope I don’t come across as someone kicking and screaming about not getting what I want. If people want covenant races playable, I don’t have a problem with that. I just want to see San’layn have a chance of joining the Horde and getting great storylines to go with it as opposed to their storylines being unanswered or ending up just as Sylvanas’ thugs because “ghouls before fools” or some malarkey like that.
I tried to word this as best as I could to convey my thoughts, so I hope noone takes offence to anything I wrote.
But yeah, we’d again just have to wait and see. Plus, we also have to see Kael’thas’s thoughts on the new stuff that’s come up.
Vampires for the Horde