I’m confused. The Netherlight Temple in-game clearly has Priests that worship the Void or at least use its power. It’s described as a place where “Priests of all denominations” come together. I know that could be interpreted as Church-based, Naaru-based, Elune, and An’she Priests but I thought that also included shadow priests. I loved what Blizzard did in Legion, trying to make it clear that the word “Priest” doesn’t mean the Light and that they were split down the middle. But in Before the Storm Christie Golden wrote out all of that. It’s quite clear that Anduin is completely happy in that Light based place and if all the Void stuff was there he just didn’t notice it somehow, which seems improbable. Faol talks about how everyone there serves the Light and even the whole reason they went there was to recruit “healers,” which, while you could still get if the Void is there, carries the implication that the Conclave is all about healing. Is this Blizzard trying to make Priests more about the Light again? Or is it just them doing that to the Conclave?
TLDR: Before the Storm removed all the Void aspects of the Netherlight Temple and it feels like Blizzard is trying to make Priests all about the Light again. What do you think?
My power of recollection leave much to be desired, but I’m fairly certain the book didn’t go out of its way to eradicate the void aspects of the temple. In fact, I don’t remember them being mentioned even once.
Christie Golden’s novel also neglected to give screen time or significance to the violent shaman we saw embodied in some Deepholme questing.
Netherlight Temple was used as a minor prop in an unrelated story for the sole purpose of introducing Anduin to a Forsaken that he really liked so his idea that Forsaken could be good people wouldn’t seem to come out of nowhere or be hard for readers to swallow. When something complicated is reduced to such a small and simple role, this is what happens. Best not to read too much into it.
I don’t think they were trying to re-write the Conclave, or Netherlight Temple. Maybe Anduin didn’t go into the void enclave, and just assumed that everyone there was a priest of the light like he is.
There is this little bit from Velen though… Prophet Velen says: An old enemy becomes an ally. Prophet Velen says: Forgotten shadows rise! Prophet Velen says: All unite under the Light!
I think Velen might technically be in charge of the Netherlight Temple itself, so the Light might be seen as more significant there because of the Dreani, even if there are shadowpriests in the conclave.
I took it to mean that the void having a presence there was solely a gameplay thing. That in lore, it’s completely a Light-based temple, regardless of what priestly order you belong to and where you think the Light comes from.
This thread actually makes me wonder if Natalie Seline will somehow come back into relevancy. If Xal’atath is making a comeback, maybe more about the cult of forgotten shadows will get some development as the priest campain hints at.
To be honest, I think they completely failed at this in Legion.
Let’s look at how they re-imagined the specs in a way that was supposed to split them down the middle. Shadow uses the Void. Holy uses the Light. Discipline balances the two forces.
Yet, when they introduced the Artifacts, Discipline’s Light’s Wrath had nothing to do with the Void at all. It’s only saving grace were a few shadow-themed Traits. But it’s history was steeped in the Light. Nothing about balancing Light and Void at all. Just Light Light Light.
Then look at Netherlight. Despite once again trying to showcase balance, the Void part feels like a complete afterthought to me. The Void was only directly brought up twice. Once to laugh at how it makes you go crazy and again to involve the Cult of Forgotten Shadow.
Hell, between the two alters, one is completely useless and empty while the other has a freaking Naaru in it.
Despite selling Priests as this 50% Void and 50% Light class, they come off nearly entirely Light-focuses except for a scant minority.
Correct, I think it was theorized to be part of a Naaru. But you don’t (or at least I don’t) think of the Ashbringer as a balanced Light/Void weapon, but as primarily a Light weapon. And that’s essentially what it stays as. Not to mention the ability it uses is Light’s Wrath. Light is even in the damn name.
Wouldn’t the corrupted ashbringer be the dark version? or is that just light corrupted with death magic?
I can’t remember if there was a darker looking skin for Light’s wrath. The Scarlet Crusade had to go and ruin everything by naming it that.
I’m not saying these weapons can’t be corrupted. But that if they were meant to be ‘balance weapons’, focusing so heavily on just one side of it doesn’t accomplish that. Whether or not they can technically be shadowy as well.
But no, none of the Light’s Wrath look really shadowy. Heck, even the alternate version of Aluneth looks more shadowy than any of it.
I actually wasn’t aware of that. Learn something new each day. And, personally, that kinda makes it worse.
That means Light’s Wrath had the potential to work in a duality nature, but still didn’t.
I pretty much agree with what Irenaus said. Whether or not Light’s Wrath could be corrupted back to a shadowy state (it’s implied it could be in the Artifact history) is irrelevant.
Discipline is described as such in the Legion re-imaging of the spec:
Some priests pride themselves on pragmatism. They understand that light casts a shadow, that darkness is defined by light, and that true discipline stems from one’s ability to balance these opposing powers in services of a greater cause. While these priests possess many holy virtues to aid their allies, they also dabble in the dark arts to debilitate their enemies—always exercising immense discipline to keep themselves away from the brink of insanity. Many would say the ends justify the means; scriptures both virtuous and vile should be studied and understood to protect the congregation.
But I don’t see that mirrored in Light’s Wrath at all. Nor Netherlight.
In Legion, the Priest Class Hall put on a bit of eyeliner, dyed their hair black, and said “How do you do fellow Shadow Priests?” without actually putting effort in to it.
This is true. The priest campaign left a bad taste in people’s mouths overall. I didn’t really enjoy disco that much, but maybe that’s why. The class fantasy is pretty weak in the disco area. Shadow I thought was better, but maybe it wasn’t too far behind.
They maybe could have thought of something more neutral than a draeni space-church for the class hall. Hopefully though, Natlie Selines talk about the Azeroth seeing the “rise of the shadows” will have some implications to this expansion.