I am perfectly aware of the likely outcome of this next expansion and as I watched through the playthroughs of Shadowlands I came to a… for what I thought, was an interesting conclusion. So, spoilers and whatnot.
My attempts to write this may come as a bias to a lot of Alliance extremist or to Saurfang loyalist. While I suppose you would guess that my loyally would still stand with Sylvanas Windrunner I will try to remain as objective as I possibly can.
This is not a slam at Blizzard’s writing team either and while I was able to predict a lot of Battle for Azeroth. I was not expecting Sylvanas to rip the Helm of Domination in half, and while I’m not particularly liking where the story is going now. I have this funny feeling that the lore team is going to do something that will surprise me again. But I will likely find if online before I see it in gameplay.
As I watched “The Player” go through the portal to the Maw and confront every kidnapped leader. They seem to all know about the Jailer, but they also seemed to be speaking about Sylvanas quite a lot. Like she was nearby and as I watch the player go from quest to quest I kind of expected her to make an appearance at some point. But she never did.
Sun Tzu said, “If your enemy is near make them believe that you are far away and if your enemy is far away, make them believe that you are near.” “If they are in superior strength evade him.”
Her name is on the back of everyone’s throat and it was likely to me that she would make an appearance, but she never did. I think when she does make an appearance it will be when we least expect it. When the Jailer forces seem in disorder, that’s when she will make a appearance and make her plans known.
As I watched the cinematics for Shadowlands I noticed that it seemed that everyone regardless of faction would get to choose some kind of loyalty covenant, as soon as the player escapes the Maw. Now these aren’t like class halls where we team up with different specialist of our fields. These are gatherings of creatures with very clear morals and core beliefs and they seem to have very little to do with actual gameplay but how your character core values also might align.
In the Art of War Sun Su says, “If his forces are united separate them.” The players are being separated by core values and beliefs and it would seem like to me that there will be some skirmishes and foul play between the covenants. Giving us a false since of victory but also using our resources against each other regardless of faction or class choice.
Sun Tzu said, “The general that makes many calculations before the battle is fought will be victorious, the general that loses a battle makes few plans beforehand. Thus, plans lead to victory.”
But we know that’s not the truth, players are going to get a questline or players are going to get a raid and we will most likely take down the Banshee Queen like that. Will it be a permadeath like Garrosh Hellscream, maybe? Will she escape by leaving a chest of gear without a scratch like Jaina Proudmoore, I don’t know?
I don’t know if the lore team is reading the Art of War when they were writing Sylvanas’s personality. But it doesn’t make since that Sylvanas Windrunner would even put herself in a situation were she could be cornered by 25 raiders or being cornered by a major lore character and executed.
