Recently, whenever someone has brought up the idea that Tyrande empowered by the Night Warrior ritual could not stop Nathanos from raising dead Night Elves, I have posted that it would seem that the context now is that Sylvanas’ Val’kyr were getting powered up the same as Sylvanas was, and their empowering Nathanos to hold as long as he did can be explained by all the death Sylvanas caused giving her Val’kyr greater powers as well, and posting this picture for emphasis:
However, it dawned on me that there was perhaps even more support for this all along, we just never would have suspected it. During the Alliance side introductory questing to the Darkshore Warfront, the Val’kyr stun the Alliance player and Tyrande. With the following affect:
The Val’kyr use chains covered in dark purple energy. There is even a clinking sound of chain-links rattling together that is heard during the ability. This ability is called Umbral Biding, and makes the edges of the Alliance player’s screen wick with dark purple energy while stunned by it:
And obviously, we have now seen this used by Sylvanas against someone else as well:
Seems plausible enough. Nathanos and those primes are likely the only ones really privy to Sylvie’s plans, so it would also not be surprising if they were benefiting from similar boons that she is currently. They were getting a power up just like Tyrande was. She wasn’t the only one channeling the power of some extremely powerful entity.
those aren’t Valkyr, those are Forsworn, Kyrians who failed the ritual to purge all ties to their mortal lives and are “filled with despair”; all the things we call Valkyr were made by Odyn, Helya, or the LIch King, and the first Azerothian Valkyr are Odyn’s after he was able to see into the Shadowlands. It stands to reason Kyrians are the basis for Odyn’s Valkyr, and it likewise stands to reason on some level that the Helya/Lich King Valkyr are based on the Forsworn to some extent.
I mean I agree Sylvanas and her Valkyr are in on the Jailor power boost, and perhaps Valkyr can be further empowered into becoming Forsworn, but those are Forsworn at the moment.
That is the point I am trying to make everyone aware of indeed.
I don’t necessarily think you are wrong, however John Hight did say this in an interview at Blizzcon when asked about the four Val’kyr in said image:
Who’s to say she can’t create more [Val’kyr]? I mean she basically has the Kyrian at her disposal, and Odyn was able to, by sacrificing a single eye, create the power of the Val’kyr.
This is probably tied to this line from the Bastion preview:
This paradisiacal realm is inhabited by the steadfast Kyrian, who safeguard mortal souls as they pass into the Shadowlands. If you wish to untangle the Banshee Queen’s nefarious plans, you’ll need to earn an alliance with them.
Fits nicely, but I’m having a hard time believing that they intended it to be that way; the story has seemed so erratic that it makes it hard to believe that that is how the devs “intended” it. That being said, I believe it.
For once, I actually agree with you. Especially considering that originally on the PTR the stun was a mind control spell and they probably changed it, surprisingly, because feedback about the Forsaken’s cornerstone of free will.
I would also not put it passed Blizzard it, however, to say they totally intended it all along and it wasn’t just a happy coincidence.
Agreed, except that they plan out expansions somewhat. So they knew where the story was going overall so when they made the Darkshore scenario they already knew Sylvanas was going to be working with the Jailer.
Her working for the Jailer was mentioned by the Whispers of N’Zoth(initially assumed by the Fans to be the Void Lords until 8.2.5 confirmed it as N’Zoth) in the Three Sisters Comic which Christie Golden worked on…
When Afrasiabi planned the Jailer(and it probably was him that came up with him considering he has claimed credit for everything Sylvanas has done ingame) is unknown as Blizzard already came up with Ny’alotha by the time of Cataclysm Launch.
I mean not really… Tyrande breaks out of the chains, and Bolvar couldn’t break out of Sylvanas’s chains, so I think that shows Tyrande is pretty strong.
Well, Tyrande is being directly empowered by Elune at that point. Which also foreshadows Elune’s direct involvement in the upcoming expansion.
Hopefully we will finally get some answers to our “what is Elune” debates! Also, I suspect we will see some kind of Sylvanas/Tyrande confrontation as both are proxies for their respective deities. And Tyrande has obvious beef with Sylvie.
Uh yea Tyrande should oneshot Bolvar honestly, just like she should’ve oneshotted Nathanos in 8.1 as a start to make it an actual revenge patch. Bolvar is not really a strong character you know… even though many wished that he would be.
If Tyrande will even be in Shadowlands, I doubt it will be something good.
