Okay, I’m going to present my thoughts on how, storyline-wise, Blizzard can right the course going into the next expansion, as well as some ideas for that expansion. There’s going to be no “everything after BC was a dream!” or anything like that. That being said, although I hate Retcons, I feel one is needed here:
So, number one. We establish with N’zoth that the Old Gods feed on conflict. The more hatred and violence there is, the stronger they get. It’s also established explicitly (though it should be obvious anyway) that Yogg Saron and Cthuun are still alive. We just weakened them enough to be re-imprisoned. Finally, the last retcon: Sylvanas was corrupted when she died in Northrend. I mean, she was literally SURROUNDED by Saronite. It made her susceptible to the Old Gods. Not because what she’s doing is somehow morally against her character, but its intelligently against it. Sylvanas was clever, cunning and ruthless. Now, she’s basically wearing a bright neon sign saying “IM EVUL COME KILL ME LULZ”
So, Sylvanas, unknowingly under the OG’s influence, is feeding them conflict, making them stronger. So this leads up to… SEIGE OF ORGRIMMAR 2!
Just kidding. I’m seeing it more as a fight to free Sylvanas from N’zoth. Sylvanas survives, but steps down from Warchief, unsure if her thoughts are truly her own, and feeling some tiny, minuscule twinges of remorse for the countless elves she killed. Hey, new character arc! Hell, maybe even the “hell” she saw was another Old God manipulation.
So, the War ends… with the Horde surrendering.
-ducks fruit- Hey, calm down! We need a definitive end. And, let’s face it my Horde brothers, you’re kind of the bad guys here. I want to end this faction war once and for all, and the best way to do so is a Horde surrender. And it’s going to set up our next conflict.
So, now we’re going into the next expansion. The theme here is rebuilding. There’s not going to be a faction war, no huge universe-ending threat, just… rebuilding. Have us deal with the consequences of war. An entire generation decimated. Families torn apart. The land itself sundered. There is so much potential there! But you’re wondering, where’s the conflict?
Picture this: opening cutscene. The remaining leaders of the Horde gather. Saurfang, Baine, Ji, Lorthremar, Gallywix, Mayla, Geya’rah and Thalyssra. And the Forsaken’s new representative, Calia… just kidding. No one wants that. Nathanos! No, he dies. Let’s say while freeing Sylvanas he… trips and disintegrates, crying like a baby as he dies. Because I HATE Nathanos. Let’s say its Velonara.
So they talk among themselves. Some are worried the Horde will be dismantled. Others are planning their future. The Alliance leadership arrives. Anduin announces the Horde will NOT be dismantles. Nor will they be expected to give any sort of reparations. Genn looks on neutral. Tyrande glares angrily. Anduin delivers a speech, while the cutscene shows the aftermath of the war, about how Azeroth needs to rebuild and recover.
In the aftermath, the Horde reorganize, abolishing the position of Warchief and instead institutes a council of rulers. But both sides face conflict from within. For the Horde, there are those who see the surrender as dishonorable, who believe the Horde should have fought to the bitter end. Let’s call them the Warhounds. They want to reignite the war, and thus serve as the main conflict for the Horde.
The Alliance is also fractured. Many disagree with Anduin’s leniency, they believe the Horde should have been dismantles, or at the very least, they should have been forced to make reparations for the war. Let’s call them… the Revanchists. This allows us to keep PvP in the narrative without laying on the crutch of the faction war.
Heck, I’d say let them be full blown factions you can get rep with.
The main, overarching storyline, however, will be the rebuilding of Stratholme. A joint endeavor to show Azeroth that the Alliance and Horde can co-exist. I’m seeing a phased instance, as the expansion goes more and more of Stratholme is reclaimed and rebuilt. There could be missions to stop potential sabotage from the Warhounds and the Revanchists. Raids could include retaking the Scarlet Bastion, or even repelling an assault from the remnants of the scarlet Crusade. Actually, lets tie that plot thread up too. Make it a full patch like “Scarlet’s End” or something like that.
.Then, to end the expansion, the adventurers are some of the Horde and Alliance leadership are looking over the rebuilt Stratholme. The Warhounds and revanchists are weakened, but still around. The Scarlet Crusade is no more, and everything looks good. Jaina stands in the former Scarlet Hold, now renamed… Unity Hold? Meh, that works. She’s gazing into a magical globe when a message comes through. Lorthremar arrives and together they try and interpret the message and pinpoint its origin. Jaina is able to, utilizing a globe of Azeroth to show… it came from the other side of the world.
-queue WoW theme-