The cypher of the first ones [Spoiler]

Lore Story Forum
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This may be yes, this specific thing is for Zereth Mortis. But Arthas, Sylvanas, Ner’zul and Zul and countless others confirm the non existance of true free will, and support the idea of pre-disposition, and Shadowlands lore supports this.

In Layman’s terms:

Even though the Void sees all possible paths and the Light only sees one… there is still only ONE destination. All paths lead to the same destination.

That’s how they manage the idea of multiple threads or AU’s.

The destination is Death, that’s why it’s the first of the Cycle to be explored. Zorvaal wants to break the Cycle.

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43

Nothing is “fated” which means whatever the first ones are trying to accomplish is not guaranteed.

The question is why did the first ones make the universe in the first place.

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44

Yeah but that’s more about not changing the past.

45

Yes, (class), things appear bleak. But know that even as things appear to unravel, they do so with greater purpose.

At last it has come to pass. The moment of my demise. The loop is closed. My future self will cause no more harm.

Still, in the future, I will… fall to madness. And you, heroes… will vanquish me. The cycle will repeat. So it goes.

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46

Ugh these are just more empty prophecy.

47

I think the whole “Fate” thing has been building since Legion, it at least has been on Blizzard’s white board for awhile now. (Threads of Fate, etc…)

Even at the end of Legion, we see Illidan say “Did you not see this Fate, Prophet?”

I am not sure how to have a meaningful conversation about this on forums right, without missing holes, etc…

But I feel as if our Titans, had been the “First Ones” (first born titans even?) this would make a lot more sense.

Sylvanas saying: This world is a prison.

  • Is literally referring to Aman’thul secretly keeping Azeroth in a Prison.

Zovaal saying: My final prize, what the First Ones sought to hide. (Runecraver cinematic)

  • Again, literally referring to Aman’thul trying to hide Azeroth.

Zovaal being banished to a new realm, the Maw, created by Sargeras (Pre-corruption)

  • Sargeras built a realm to imprison the demons he found before his fall.

Similar to Algalon the Observer, it would have all lead back to this false idea that we have pre determined destinies.

The Titans of Order wanted this for the cosmos, they wanted robots and machines to follow protocol, but due to all the experiences and influence us mortals have had, we have continuously shown that Fate does not exist.

Fast forward to shadowlands, and I think this is where the problems really start, the point of no return sort of speak.

Imagine if, instead of Zovaal’s dismissal, he was in full panic mode. Mortals within the realm of death?!? How?! Mortals interacting with the relic of the First Ones??? Okay, this is serious, wtf did you do Sylvanas…

Chains instead get launched to the other shadow realms and maw invasion happen and everything hits the fan.

Zovaal still gets the infinity sigils because whatever gameplay reasons, and we go to Zereth Mortis.

But again, it’s WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?! No one is to see “behind the curtain.” And the Zereth Mortis robots go into full attack and defend mode.

None of this “foretold in the prophecies” crap.

But instead, you are breaking the chains of Fate. (what Zovaal/Sylvanas wanted to do in the first place)

3 Likes
48

This was exactly where I thought they were going with the relationship between Zorvaal and Sargeras. In Legion on Argus a random mob says that “the Burning Legion is the only thing that stands in the way of the Shadow” so that recontextualizes why Sargeras stabbed Azeroth to begin with. He wanted to spare the universe from the Jailer remaking the universe by destroying (or absorbing) the thing Zorvaal wanted most ie, Azeroth’s soul.

That would have been way more interesting and fullfilling than whatever 9.2 currently is with Azerite laser beaming yet another boss right after they just did that last expansion.

It should have involved Sargeras fighting Zorvaal, like I imagine was originally intended for Shadowlands.

If they wanted to reconceptualize the Legion post Archimonde and Gul’dan’s defeat, this would be the way to do it.

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49

I hate continuously going back to this, and sounding like a troll.

But it’s just reason #192,303 why this should have been a void nightmare.

Sargeras wanted to prevent Azeroth from turning into a corrupted titan.

Zovaal wants to kill a now Void Corrupted Azeroth, and re-write this new void reality we are now (unknowingly) living in.

(Shadowlands was just rushed between the events of N’zoth and now)

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50

Between you and me, I’m still hoping this was all a Yogg-Saron nightmare (because that’s more canon than anything related to Zorvaal) and he’s the real wizard behind the curtain because we’ve invested so much lorewise into this story for retcons to try and cut strings and force the Shadowlands to make sense lorewise.

They keep throwing more trash in this dumpster fire instead of trying to put out the fire.

I’m with you! Yogg-Saron nightmare, Zorvaal is a hoax, or an empty puppet.

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51

Join me on Team End Times and hope for anything just short of Age of Sigmar to happen and fix everything.

If we get Age of Sigmar’d I’m going to actually lose my mind.

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52

Hey, you’re finally awake. You were trying to cross the border, right?

If we get a total war game series out of it then it might not be so bad.

53

Pretty much. :slight_smile:

Just imagine tho.

7.3 - End of Legion

Sargeras swarms Azeroth, senses the void corrupted by N’zoth has already begun.

Sargeras stabs Azeroth, but we pull him away, weakening her and shattering the chains that bound N’zoth beneath the surface.

8.0 - Battle of Azeroth

N’zoth corrupts Anduin, inciting the attack on Undercity and the 4th War.

Zovaal shows Sylvanas a bunch of compliant Death Eternals, Azeroth will be corrupted, all will be lost, they deem this all part of “the plan.” This is the fate of the universe and it is not for us to defy it.

Good guy Zovaal.

9.0 - The Black Empire

Ny’lotha rises from the depths, all old zones are corrupted.

Dragon Isles are our last line of defense.

9.3 - We die.

10.0 - World of Warcraft: Shadowlands

Arriving in Bastion, our memories shattered, Zovaal attempts to kill a Void Azeroth and re-write reality. We are not bound to fate.

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54

:astonished:

Somehow the like button alone is not sufficient.