... Seriously?

Lore Story Forum
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I have to say, for all my doubts about Blizzard’s storytelling, I was not expecting the shocking reveal that I can apparently still post here.

Anywho if you don’t know I unsubbed back in April. But I did hover around, watching the new cinematics, hoping somehow Blizz would snatch victory from the jaws of defeat and make this if not a good story, at least an interesting one.

And man.

After BFA’s baffling ending where the war abruptly stopped and defeating N’Zoth became the key to stopping the Azerite problem he was completely unrelated to, I really figured the only way to go was up.

Yet somehow they did worse.

It could’ve just been merely forgettable. But no, no. Zoval has to inform us that all his objectively evil shenanigans were in service of preparing for an even greater threat.

Seriously?

Blizz. C’mon. This has to stop. I’m not even mad anymore it’s clear you’ve an addiction to this sort of thing and need help.

Think the Orcs were bad? Well wait till you see the Legion. Think the Legion’s bad? Well wait till you see the Void. Think the Void’s bad? Well wait till you see the Jailor. Think the Jailor’s bad because he’s this setting’s Satan who essentially set all of the aforementioned in motion to enslave the universe’s souls and destroy all of existence to remake it so he’s essentially God? WELL WAIT TILL YOU SEE-

And lemme guess it’ll turn out super secret double Satan will have a super duper secret quadruple Satan he too is just trying to prepare reality to fight.

What’s truly baffling here is that WoW can do interesting villains. The Scarlet Crusade is still one of my favorite fantasy villain groups. An organization with noble goals descending into a paranoid frenzy and turning into a bunch of wild eyed supremacists is an actually relatable, all too human evil.

Seriously so many fantasy settings just have a stock evil Catholic church variant that’s evil just because. With the Scarlets though you could see why reasonable, decent people got on board with this and how a horrific situation turned them delusional and cruel. There was a sadness to them. Particularly with characters like Renee Lauer, the Brill Innkeeper. She was a Scarlet in life and chose this quiet life because only now, only far too late, could she see how pointless and cruel it all was. And it’s heartbreaking the Scarlets she tries to explain this to won’t listen, and probably wouldn’t even if she wasn’t undead.

Compare that to Zoval. His most interesting character trait is he looks like the love child of a Star Wars protocol droid and a CPR practice dummy when you suck out all his magical gains.

“Eternal Ones Hate Him! See How This Man Got Ripped In Just A Few Epochs With This One Trick”

And on it’s own this could just be a dissapointing story but w/e. There was never going to be a satisfying conclusion to the cosmic nonsense anyhow. Might as well rip the bandid off and close the book on this chapter so we can get back to someone with a relatable problem.

But no. It has to be revealed that there is an even greater evil yet to be revealed. And just make it stop.

Azeroth has an absolutely gorgeous rogue’s gallery already. We know from Legion’s class halls that a lot of old baddies are weakened but still operational. And between the Blood War and this kerfuffle there’s more than enough room to say they gained major ground while we were distracted.

A story about the Horde and Alliance trying to negotiate some peace while enemies, some domestic - some third party, try to seize this ravaged world would be a pretty interesting one. One that could shift the focus back to Azeroth, it’s nations, and their denizens as they try to carve out lives in a cosmos that desperately wants them dead.

But I’m not holding my breath. Because if the current heads understood why people cherished this setting, I wouldn’t be writing this.

But anyway what’s your two copper? Are you excited to see what the Jailor was afraid of? I kind of am, because I want to see if they can make an even duller villain.

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I don’t have anything to add to the post yet but I’m surprised about this because my posting rights immediately disappear once the game time of the accounts I post on runs out

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Hmm. You’ve got me thinking. Okay, the Alliance goes into civil war, maybe Anduin vs. Turalyon. The Horde is divided, some siding with Anduin, some with Turalyon. PC’s from both sides can choose which political faction they want to prevail, fighting and sabotaging those Horde and Alliance that oppose their faction. Traditional villains can also weigh in on either side for their own reasons (the enemy of my enemy is my friend; politics makes strange bedfellows, etc.) PVP crosses Horde/Alliance boundaries; maybe some political faction BG’s too. It might be interesting to try. Anyway, that’s my 2c.

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I unsubbed when N’Zoth was revealed to be Tentacle Distraction 2.0 and was able to post for a few months afterward.

If you aren’t being flagged you seemingly can skate for awhile.

As to Zooval, I am of the impression he exists solely to be the Sin-Eater to take Sylvanas’ crimes, namely Teldrassil, off of her so maybe she won’t be a Hate-Sink anymore. I don’t think it worked so there was no more need for him.

He was a deposable character that was pulled out of someone’s rear and no one seemingly cared to develop him in any meaningful fashion.

When compared to Gul’dan, Arthas, N’Zoth, Kil’Jaden, Azshara, Deathwing, etc he is seriously lacking.

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What pray tell would that be over? How are you going to make that make sense?

Letting go of Teldrassil and not punishing Sylvanas might be the only thing that could reasonably push that angle and we really don’t need this infesting a 3rd x-pac.

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My only real hope is that the greater evil Zovaal was terrified of was something out of left field.

Not necessarily Hogger or ducks, but something in that vein.

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Which is actually gross if you consider that Blizzard spent an entire expansion trying to whitewash Sylvanas off Teldrassil and didn’t waste a single quest actually giving the Night Elves any positive development or a resolution.

The entire story was made for Sylvanas alone.

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I am still waiting for Death Knight Hogger and him raising a Gnoll Death Knight Army in Elwynn Forest and Redridge Mountains.

Toss in a Quillboar in Barrens for the Horde to deal with.

Should be plenty of DK Canidates in these zones.

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Yes. I am of the opinion that was the goal of the entire x-pac.

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What’s strange to me is Sire D was doing a good job. Sure he was just Azshara For Her but a haughty aristocratic prick is a well worn trope for a reason.

I really wish they didn’t give the game away immediately so his betrayal could’ve had some weight. Instead you’re working with the rebels before your walking tour of Revendreth is over, and he’s sorted out shortly thereafter.

Then there was Sylvanas of course and say whatever you will about her but she talked ish with the best of them. Garrosh wasn’t lying when he called her a [REDACTED].

I figured she’d pick up the slack for the Jailor’s lack of personality. I was really hoping she’d go out a bit like Carmilla from the Castlevania anime. With a suicide bomb and hopefully the T ratings one permissible F bomb along with it but ah nevermind turns out she just didn’t realize Frownyface The Soul Slaver was a bad guy. How was she supposed to know the guy behind the Lich King would have identical beliefs?

Seriously how did they have Kel’Thuzad on hand, the man that proved you can manage a ish eating grin with no lips, and go with Grumbles The Innocence Strangler.

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They have admitted Sire D was planned to be a one and done character, but the voice actor did such a good job they altered course to keep him. (Hence him having little to no involvement in the rest of the Jailer’s scheme.)

He will likely be the only thing aside from Mounts/Pets/T-Mog’s showing up after Shadowlands is done. Maybe the Winter Queen, maybe and then only because they tied her to Elune.

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I can’t see it would have anything to do with Sylvanas. What would Turalyon care about what happened to the nelfs. They were effectively wiped out due to their own, inept leadership. It could be that Anduin is perceived as weak, too weak to be an effective leader. In war, he brought home body bags. If it weren’t for the deus ex machina of others, like Jaina appearing in a magic, flying ship-of-the-line, he would have been killed long ago. He had to enlist Varok’s help because he couldn’t get the job done. He got himself kidnapped, and who’s to say that what has come back from SL isn’t a tainted Anduin. The humans need someone strong if they are going to weather the future and Turalyan, if his reaction to the obliteration of X’era is any indicator, is a zealot of the Light and just the person needed. Of course, your mileage may vary.

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Also did anyone else burst out laughing when Saurfang’s spirit also turned up?

“That blade was forged with valor!”

DAD!

“And honor!”

Old Orc dude from a hostile foreign nation I exchanged 27 words with!

Seriously that feels to me like if in my darkest moment I was visited by the spirit of my grandfather. And also that old corner shop dude I didn’t know the name of but had some pleasant conversations about the weather and town happenings with.

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Did you give that old corner shop dude a sword to face an evil banshee witch creature of death in a makgora for control of the Horde?

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All I feel for what’s been given to us so far is apathy. This pattern of having bigger bads isn’t terrible to me in concept but this game has so many infrequent updates that I just don’t care. We wait for months to get little more than crumbs. I’m surprised that I care more for the Anduin cinematic since I don’t like the characters involved in that. I think my enjoyment of the story now is what I can speculate will happen and seeing how close to correct I was, and my speculation for what would happen in Shadowlands has been nearly if not completely wrong.

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I did lend him a lighter once. Not sure what he did with it so I can’t say for sure but probably not.

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The irony of Saurfang who says that lol.
The man hated himself and never forgave himself for all the horrible things he was directly responsible for… but yeah in death he was full of honor and pride alright.

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Honestly I’d be for that.

Imho what the settings always lacked is a proper Lawful Evil cosmic power and the guy is already a ready made Lucifer. Complete with cloven hooves and the sort of charm where you know he must tell all the girls these sorts of things but you still feel special in moment.

Also did they ever get around to making it so Bwomsamdi isn’t the only deity worth worshipping in this setting?

Actually is paying attention to whats going on, puts himself at great personal risk to save his faithful’s souls, and as personal Lord and Saviors go he seems like he’d be fun to hang around with.

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We were defeated by N’zoth as soon as you saw the cinematic for the raid encounter. That would explain how mystical the fall of N’zoth seemed to be. The Jailer…shadowlands…its all from the POV of N’zoth/Yogg.

Remember, Yogg was moving around in the pre-launch event for legion when we visited Ulduar. So he is alive…just not powerful to do anything much.

Yogg is the God of Death. The “Jailer” was not trying to dominate the universe. Zereth Mortis was key to resurrecting the old gods…All that azerite was being channeled through Saronite…Yogg’s blood.

Anyways, I am just talking crazy…probably a better story than whatever we will get in the next expansion. I bet you that.

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There was no tension between Anduin and Turalyon in Shadow Rising if I recall correctly.

Again, what would be the issue between the two that makes sense? These two are both Followers of the Light, their moral codes are roughly the same, and with the dismal state of the Alliance player base I don’t think villain-batting Turalyon would go over well since the Alliance players have wanted him and Alleria to return since TBC.

I don’t see the Devs villain-batting Anduin. Ever. Zooval making him an obvious puppet that will be eventually rescued is likely as far on that as they will ever go.

Also we can point to the Horde player base as to how civil wars within a faction are received cause they have done it to the Horde twice already and neither was well received with regards to all the responses I have read.

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