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Picking a Side: Battle for Azeroth

This is in response to some of the ugliness that has gone down in the community regarding the state of the war between the factions.

  • At this point, this expansion is about taking sides. Truthfully, this is not may favorite, but it is the story that Blizzard is telling. We often get the impression that we live in Azeroth and we do what we want, but in reality it is a game and we have to abide by parameters set in place by its creator.
  • I am not the first to point this out and I will not be the last: it is World of Warcraft, not World of Sit on the Fence-craft. I have both Horde and Alliance characters and I am fully capable of playing from the perspective of whoever I logged in on. I will play one and later hop on the other to see the story from the other side.
  • Blizzard gets to tell the story. Not you. Not me. If you don’t like the way the story is going, you have two choices: stay on for the ride, or bail. Blizzard’s storytelling team is as good as its ever been. I am very excited to see where they go with this. I trust them to tell me an amazing story. Buckle up, this ride is just starting.
  • I’ve seen a bunch of people complaining about those ads – you know, the IRL ones where people who play Horde and people who play Alliance can’t associate. Here is the thing. We are going to get the most out of this expansion if we pick a side and go with it. Blizzard expects us to be grown up enough to realize that a game is a game and an ad is an ad.
  • If we are going to ride this ride, we need to hop off our fences and declare allegiance. If you declare for one side and your friend declares for the other, awesome. There is no need to be mean to them. There is no need to cold shoulder them. You know why? Because it’s a game. A wise man said, “Don’t be mean, don’t ever be mean, because remember, no matter where you go, there you are.”
  • What was Buckaroo saying? He was saying don’t do something you’ll regret. Enjoy your friends. Enjoy the game. Declare your allegiance, but keep the animosity in game. IRL be happy that you have friends to share this magnificent experience with.

TL;DR: For the Horde!!

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Jaina Saves the Day

Jaina’s entrance at the Battle for Lorderon.

  • She’s coming to fight the undead in an undead ship. Love it.
  • An undead ship. This makes me think of The Flying Dutchman which is a story about a ghostly ship and its Captian cursed to sail for eternity. The Captain has a chance to receive salvation through the love of a faithful woman. Again, this is a redemption storyline.
  • So what does this mean for Jaina and Daelin? I had made the obviously erronious assumption that the Jaina short was allegorical. But not so much. Might Daelin get a redemption arc? Jaina lost faith in him and he died for it. But now she has found that faith. Will the love of his now faithful daughter offer him a second chance?
  • The protagonist of The Flying Dutchman was named Captain Daland. He had a daughter, Senta, whose wish was to redeem the Flying Dutchman. Things get a bit wobbly here but parallels can be made. Roll Daland and the Dutchman into one character, Daelin. His daughter is the faithful woman who can redeem him.
  • Undead raised through the light. Holy shit. Literally. For the precedent on this, see Before the Storm. I’m not sure we will see Alliance undead, but it certainly seems that there are options for undeath. Daelin, Sylvanas? Food for thought.

TL;DR: More evidence for those redemption storylines…

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Zappy Boi

After Old Soldier, there was a bit of buzz about the possibility of Zek aka Zappy Boi being Vol’jin’s son. Ok so let’s talk about the Zappy/Vol’jin thing:

  • Is Zappy Vol’jin’s son? Possible, sure, but I doubt it. I don’t think he needs to be. That the troll he names as his father, Hekazi, fought and died with Saurfang is hugely powerful. Saurfang lived but his son died; Hekazi died but his son lived. This is not lost on Saurfang. Absolutely, with thoughts of his son on his mind, he sees Draenosh in Zappy. He probably remembers when Draenosh was that young, that green, that hopeful. He can’t let Zappy die a dishonarable death with him. He owes both Draenosh and Hekazi that.
  • That Zappy resembles Vol’jin adds another dimension. Does Saurfang look at Zappy and remember his friend? When Zappy says “Live another day,” does Saurfang hear Vol’jin?
  • That the trolls are super spiritual adds yet another dimension. Is Vol’jin talking to Saurfang through Zappy? Is he saying, “Trust me. Let this play out. There is no honor now, but there is hope. Dude, the Loa know what they are doing.” Whether he is or not, Saurfang seems to hear it. He returns with no honor but with hope (Zappy). He lives to fight another day, to make this right.
  • I was super saddened when Vol’jin died. I love Vol’jin. He was awesome and had so much more to offer than he was given. But Blizzard has mentioned that Vol’jin’s story is not done…the Loa work in mysterious ways…
  • Shout out to @MorgadoAndrew (Saurfang) and @1valence (Zappy), the voice actors for this piece. Damn guys, awesome job.

TL;DR: I don’t think Zappy is Vol’jin’s son. But it’s complicated.

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Old Soldier

This is My Take on the Old Soldier cinematic in which Saurfang, unhappy with Sylvanas’ leadership, meets Zekhan , a young soldier fighting his first war. This follows on from my take on Warbringers: Sylvanas and addresses some feedback that speculated that Old Soldier was released as an apology for Warbringers: Sylvanas.

  • These shorts take an amazing amount of work. They were all finalized at least (at least!) a year ago. Blizzard did not create or release this as a reaction. They have a plan and they are moving along it as planned. They are trusting that when all is said and done everyone will ‘get it.’
  • Omg how amazingly awesome is this as a character piece. Saurfang also has thorns: the loss of his son (twice), the loss of honor, the denial of an honorable death. He too needs this storyline. He needs to find honor before he can die. Dishonorable suicide is about as hopeless as he can get. He needs the Horde to find redemption. He needs to find hope. He is the Horde. The Horde needs hope.
  • Again, that tragic figure in his past: we named him Dranosh…
  • The juxtaposition of ice and fire recalls the juxtaposition between Jaina’s water and Sylvanas’ fire. Zekhan is a shaman. He understands the elements. He makes Saurfang realize that he is the Horde and he can’t die until the Horde regains its honor. Water, fire; blue, red; Alliance, Horde.
  • Zekhan aka Zappy Boi: is this dude the embodiment of hope, or what? “This be my first battle, what should I do?” lol every class Discord now has an answer to this FAQ! And falling on your tusks hurts – I always wondered about that.
  • Watch Sylvanas in Warbringers. Watch how she moves. She burns the tree. Her brow wrinkles (why did I do that?), her eyes cast down (regret, sadness, confusion), she turns to Saurfang (oops? ). Blink and you will miss it.
  • Holy shit but @GeorgeKrstic @Burnzerker and team are knocking it out of the park with these cinematics. Blizzard has upped the storytelling game.

TL;DR: Saurfang is on the same journey as Sylvanas, as is the Horde. I may not be right about all this, but damn, I’m not wrong – not yet.

I’m very excited to see the Azshara short and to see what is coming for the Alliance.

Resources:

We named him Dranosh. It means “Heart of Draenor” in Orcish. I would not let the warlocks take him. My boy would be safe, hidden away by the elders of Garadar.
I made a promise to his mother before she died: that I would cross the Dark Portal alone – whether I lived or died, my son would be safe. Untainted…
Today, I fulfill that promise.
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Warbringers: Sylvanas

This is My Take on the Warbringers: Sylvanas cinematic in which Sylvanas burns Teldrassil. This is in response to overwhelmingly negative feedback about the events of the War of the Thorns Special Event and a great deal of speculation that Battle for Azeroth will be a repeat of the Mists of Pandaria storyline with Sylvanas in the role of Garrosh.

  • This is The War of the Thorns. There is huge symbolism in thorns. Thorns represent hardship, trials, a danger in your path. Sylvanas’ thorns are memory, pain, loss.
  • When Sylvanas talks to Del, Del’s words trigger a flashback. When Sylvanas sees Del’s tears and Del says they are for her, Sylvanas tries to show her what that really means. Sylvanas’ tears are for pain, and loss, loss of hope. She needs to make Del understand although her act is possibly ultimately self-defeating.
  • She orders the tree burned. Her allies, including Nathanos, are in shock and just stand there gaping at this very bad idea. She screams the order and her troops obey their warchief, they fire. Her allies are aghast and in the end she stands alone and lonely as the tree burns. That tear blinded rage will come back and bite her. She says as much at the end of the quest when she admits that things did not go as planned.
  • What this does is open up an ironic path to growth for her. She shut down after Arthas. She wallows in pain. She has flashbacks. Unless she can learn from this she can’t move forward. She will have to find hope in this storyline.
  • How does this tie in with the Jaina short? Compare the opening sequences. They’re telling the same story. The one thing about Jaina that made her stand out is hope. She always hoped for peace, for the best in people. At Theramore she lost everything, she lost hope.
  • Both women have a powerful figure in their past who symbolizes their pain and loneliness. For Sylvanas it’s Arthas. For Jaina it’s Daelin Proudmoore. Both will need to make peace with these memories if they are to move on.

TL;DR: Garrosh was an insecure leader grasping for power. This is not that story. At. All. This story, I predict, will examine PTSD, redemption, and finding hope.

Resources:

  • Experience the War of the Thorns—Chapter 1 Now Live!
  • Experience the War of the Thorns: Chapter 2 — Now Live!
  • Sylvanas’ dialogue after the burning:
When I sent you on this mission, I did not foresee this outcome.
Our attack was meant to end a war before it began… to capture an enemy’s home and annihilate their leaders in one stroke. To inflict a wound that would bleed the Alliance dry.
We have only partially succeeded. The Alliance will retaliate. They will come for us. For me. For you.
But they ARE bleeding. Their anger will prove a weakness, not a strength, in the war to come.
Rest while you can. Prepare for the battles ahead. I will have need of you.