Hi! I’m trying to learn more about the specifics of WoW lore that have to do with Shadowlands, and I have a stumping question I need help with. As a WoW player, when my character dies, my ghost pops up in a graveyard next to some kind of angel/spirit guide (if there’s any lore about those people, please let me know). As you all know, I run back to my corpse and my spirit and body reunite. Why does that not happen to the mobs that I kill? How can characters die, like Cairne bloodhoof, Vol’Jin, etc, finally die instead of just getting rezzed, or running back to their corpses?
I’m especially interested in how this applied to Shadowlands, since, as far as I know, the Shadowland is the next plane of existence after death. Why haven;t our characters gone to Shadowlands after we’ve been killed? Is there even a lore-friendly answer to this?? lol WoW metaphysical philosophy
my idea is you see the vortex in the sky when dead? i think it sucks you in to the shadowlands. if you remain behind you become a ghost. its not the players time so he runs back as a ghost instead of going there
Much like many actions in this game, such as repeated grinding of dungeons or raids, the times our characters have died are not canon. Sure, there ARE canonical cases where our characters have died (like the Lich King or Argus encounters), but more or less, the times in which you die out in the open are largely non-canonical, and you simply don’t remain dead because, well… you need to keep playing the video game. Characters like Cairne or Vol’jin are not players. They exist only in the realm of Azeroth. They do not die repeatedly - they just die.
It should also be noted that the act of resurrecting someone who has died is not a frequent one. There are very rare occurrences of it in-lore (like Kaylaan raising Ishanah after Socrethar killed her, or Roanuk Icemist raising his tribesmen to fight the nerubians), but largely, that doesn’t really happen on a regular basis either. More people are dead and gone than are raised.
Spirit healers are kyrians who were sent to evaluate if it’s “your time” to move on to afterlife or not. To me it seems that, since we travel a lot, we also generate a lot of anima, so they are interested in postponing our departure as much as possible. [that was the only part relevant to your question]
Also, there are some hints at our character being special in some way. We’re somehow strongly connected to Azeroth. If you take a look at the story related to Uuna and our first venture into Shadowlands, we radiate some kind of light that helps to protect Uuna. The thing is, A’dal has too bright light [for her], while the light associated with Elune - is not. How it combines with elven legends about the connection of Azeroth and Elune (whispers from the Well of Eternity) - I have no idea.
But it is apparently enough to be chosen by N’Zoth.
Xal’atath says: Hear me, God of the Deep! I have brought you the Opener… the Bringer of Truths… the Torch That Lights the Way!
N’Zoth says: I have dreamed your destiny, mortal.
N’Zoth says: Receive my gift and see all truths before you.