The smell of a decomposing body is a very distinct smell. One isnt likely to mistake it for something else, and I seriously doubt a scourge traumatized populace would not know it.
We don’t really know how the diplomats presented themselves. They might of gone in with foolish optimism that humans would not judge them for what they were.
Tbh I was most bothered by the presentation of the Trolls.
Because after BFA I thought they’d started to get a handle on that. Obviously a complicated topic and not really mine to judge but just from Afro-Carribean players I’ve spoken to here and elsewhere my takeaway is if they’re just treated as characters and not caricatures it’s fine.
So anywho the Amani are a bunch of gibbering savages to be killed on sight. They are referred to as “the old enemy” constantly and its never explained why they consider the Elves enemies.
Momma Bear Windrunner returning with gruesome trophies torn from their heads is considered a casual occurrence no more remarkable than a grocery store run. But them doing the same thing is regarded as horrific barbarism.
So there’s that
the chronicle does
And it could mean that they were just fighting Scourge, or had a wound that was turning bad, or multitudes of other things.
It seems to me that the existence of Forsaken who can pass for the living were it not for easily concealable spooky eyes undercuts the assumptions of the Alliance killing any undead they see on sight
Unless the Forsaken were incredibly stupid and sent jawless dudes with exposed brains and bones in which case you’d think that when that didn’t work, Sylvanas would say “hm maybe send the guy who just looks like a goth and smells like a Smash player this time and try again”
Instead of “well the exposed brain dudes didn’t work, time to try our luck with the green aliens from across the ocean that I hate”
That is one of the things with single perspective books, the biases of that perspective are baked into the narritive. High elves have a big elven supremacy thing. They sneer at every other race, including humans (remember they saw nathanos as some sort of ‘pet’ or ‘thing’ sylvanas owned) and you can argue that arrogance lead to their downfall.
I don’t view this as a problem. The book isn’t about the history of the Trolls and is from Sylvanas perspective, so it makes sense since that’s how she’d see them. They’re important to showing both the danger the Elves face in their daily lives and also their complacency in being able to handle threats. Anasterian is a moron.
That’s why I think realistically thier reunion will be full of angst. She also has to deal with killing his nephew.
How is he going to get another body to return? She may actually have to leave him in the Shadowlands if he is truely dead.
He is. This book makes it seem that way.
So….I finished the book…and I can honestly say I got more questions than answers. But I like that they went the route of saying Arthas was evil through and through.
Just the whole Jailer situation….It STILL doesn’t make any sense to me. 
Anything notable about that? I like the world building parts.
Ah I get that. But, really kinda not helping by calling the Darkspear the good ones.
And I really thought there’d be like, at least some moment of reflection upon Sylvanas both allying with the people she considered nothing but monsters in the woods. As she and hers are now themselves considered monsters in the woods to be killed on sight.
Like there was an opportunity there to remark on something and it sails merrily by.
Again not really my place to judge. But after BFA that kinda felt like a relapse.
But what about chapter 23 Micah?
Did you see they teased undead worgen! Just like we talked about.
Yeah. I saw that actually. I do like that she had a begrudging respect for Genn, though she would never admit that out loud
Every report from every source that I have seen from this book seems to suggest that it really, unintentionally or not, makes the case that the Forsaken and Blood Elves being Horde is weird and they shouldn’t be, and wouldn’t be were it not for a series of sitcom-esque misunderstandings
She never expected the humans to help her, really. She was very jaded about it, honestly, after listening to her own people describe her as an abomination to be pitied when she was going to get their assistance.
From the description it seems they were not in bad physical shape. They just… go missing. No one explains how. Mighta been a mob, mighta been Scarlets, mighta been a bear. What matters is it fit in line with Sylvanas’ own prejudice against humans.
Playing Devil’s advocate the Dark Spear faced continual bullying and agression for being a smaller and weaker tribe by their fellow trolls, so the Darkspear perception was likely a bit skewed as well.
That makes Sylvanas sound pathetic to be honest. Like she had a socially awkward teenager’s ability to grasp other people’s perspectives
Lireesa is well known for her Battle of Seven Arrows, where she defeated the Dark Hawk with only 7 arrows, a creature that was corrupted by the Amani to be used for war. Lots of involvement of Lord Saltherils parties and how Lirath played music for the nobles. There’s a celebration called the Remembrance, which celebrates an important historical moment for the Elves though I don’t remember what atm, during which the nobility has an extravagant party for it.
I know the lore. And again not my place to judge.
But I can say as a historian just assessing a product they veer dangerously close to a fair amount of colonial era American propaganda about the scary people in the woods who seemed really angry about something.
This is the same woman that plotted to plague humanity because they were of the same race as Arthas. I think she was even belittling of Vol’jin during those Siege of Orgrimmar epilogue interactions.
I’m also curious about how this character is portrayed. The lore goes back and forth on whether Anasterian was a flawed king with a good heart or a dangerous incompetent whose motivators were spite and bigotry. I’m guessing this book inclines more to the latter?