The Winter Queen is essentially playing God in the absence of the Arbiter. Her role in the Shadowlands is she’s the guardian over Ardenweald and she gets to decide who gets to reincarnate into new life.
Bwonsamdi speaks about her role in the Shadowlands and maybe even refering to Ardenweald as the Wheel of Death. Loa who have passed like Hir’eek, Dragons like Y’Sera and Wild Gods all get blessed into recreation. But it seems like recreation is a privilege only awarded to the gods in a way to continue to cycle through power and control over the mortal races.
“Death brings life, The great wheel turns, slowly, yes, over eons, but it turns. Bodies decay and new life springs from it all things that seem eternal end, then rise to find new purpose. […] There is a harmony to things. In time, we, too must embrace the end, the long, deep slumber. And without us? Our followers find strength in new things, in themselves, or new beliefs. They grieve, they grow . And when the veil of dreaming lifts, the eternal and great beings climb on the wheel once more, bound to it, and slowly, ever so slowly the wheel spins.” Bwonsamdi Shadows Rising pg. 228-229
We don’t know much about the story but we know that Bwonsamdi is working with the Winter Queen. She’s responsible for all the Loa and thier journey through reincarnation and rebirth. But a Loa spirit is missing at that missing Loa spirit is likely Rezan, the Loa Bwonsamdi usurped to become Loa of Kings. Apparently Bwonsamdi has made a deal with another influencial Loa spirit but we don’t know the extent of this deal of why he would be making deals at all. Bwonsamdi’s goals are mysterious we only know that he has recruited someone (possibly the player character) to reclaim souls sent to the Maw for his own gain against Mueh'zala. It seems like there is already a sided conflict brewing in the Shadowlands.
It’s unclear as to why Bwomsamdi needs souls or why any Loa need souls for that matter. What is gathered through Zandalari lore is the more tributes a Loa has the more souls he/she has but for what purpose? do these souls convert into power? early in BFA, Bwonsamdi demanded that Talanji bring him Sylvanas’s head so that he could have her soul and all the souls under her. It seems like some souls are worth more than others. Some anima is worth more than others and Sylvanas’s anima is a prize. The text was later reworked in later patches to have Bwonsamdi ask for the soul of a Warchief instead of Sylvanas’s soul specifically.
This change seemed to be made after Blizzard saw the popularity of Bwonsamdi and changed his story. I strongly believe he was positioned to be a villian in the narrative before Blizzard realized that he was popular and he was changed to a more benvevolent tickster god. Shadows Rising did a lot of white wash his previous underhanded deal made to subjugate Talanji against her will. The book ended with Talanji having enough leverage to amend the deal to give her more agency in the situation because of player backlash. The point is the story is constantly changing even after release so it’s hard to say definitively where they are going with the story.
While it seems on the surface that Bwonsamdi and the Winter Queen are on the right side of the fight there is still some datamined text that show some hints as to what may be going on. When we first meet Bwonsamdi in BfA he’s a bit distraught because he’s lost the soul of Vol’jin, you are given Vol’jin’s urn and asked to track down his spirit to return to Bwonsamdi. Vol’jin’s spirit was interfered with before he could land in the Shadowlands. After a bit of pointlessly running around you find out that Vol’jin was mysteriously “touched by Valor” whatever that means and you eventually find out that he’s got the spirit of a Loa inside of him. (now this is possibly a point where we double back and point out that Rezan’s spirit is missing and Rezan died shortly before bringing Vol’jin’s ashes to Bwonsamdi) Whatever power intervened did so because it did NOT want Bwonsamdi to get the spirit of a Warchief (because that’s what Vol’jin was, the soul he was desiring most.)
It seems like there is a powerplay going on within the heirarchy of the Loa. Mueh’zala, the Loa of Death who seems to be on top, was the one who is working with the Jailer. It was him who whispered to Vol’jin to make Sylvanas Warchief. The powers of the Maw kept this fact hidden from Vol’jin. When Vo’jin undergoes a vision type quest to relive his final moments he seems to be assulted by minions of the Maw who ask him to challenge his opinion.
Now there is only implication that Mueh’zala is working with the Jailer because he is aligned with Sylvanas, It would make sense that the Jailer would want Sylvanas as Warchief to cause as much damage and send as many souls to the Maw as possible to benefit the Jailer and herself, and her epilogue text supports this. But I would like to remind you the reader that Mueh’zala also has an ancient connection to the Old Gods, Loa have an ancient connection to the Old Gods as well. Mueh’zala previously was only named once by name in lore, he’s obscure. His name was mentioned in the Tanaris troll dungeon Zul’Farak, There were Three tablets combining to make the Tablet of Theka. This tablet was important to the Sandfury Trolls because it spoke of prophesy.
Ueetay no Mueh'zala God of Death, Father of Sleep, Son of Time, the Night’s Friend.
The night’s friend doesn’t mean much in context unless the Night is supposed to be a connection to the Night Fae, maybe this is a hint of his connection to the Winter Queen. Another notable thing about the Tablets is they also mention Shadra. The Spider Loa that was consumed by Yazma, who was responsible for Rezan’s death.. it calls her the lover of Death, implying that Shadra and Mueh’zala are possibly working together for the same goal or were working for the same goal when they were working for Zul. We know that Zul was working for the Old Gods.
The primitive trolls worshiped the minions of the Black Empire long before the rise of Loa, the earliest Loa was presumed to have been Mueh’zala, an agent of Yogg-Saron. its important to note that Mueh’zala wasn’t always described as looking like a troll, a;though he is now depicted as a troll, he was once described as a shape shifting black mass or pure shadow, it sounds very similar to the shadows that have been obstructing the “truth” could mueh’zala be hinding the presence of Old Gods in the Shadowlands, could he be hiding the Old God involvement in naming Sylvanas Warchief? Perhaps Mueh’zala is a facet of Yogg-Saron himself as he is self described as ‘The Fiend of many faces’
Yogg-Saron consuming energy from the Shadowlands through anima could explain why he was powerful enough to break out of his own prison and corrupt World Trees all over Azeroth.
Illgynoth says in one of his encounters: “ Before the last shadow falls, the Father of Sleep shall savor his feast.”
There is an interesting datamined *****SPOILER***** (UNDERCUT)
Ok I know the dredgers themselves are a stereotype of English people with the whole accent and ‘I liek your teef’ but when I saw this I was flat on the floor laughing gdfkfdgkfk
Sylvanas’s father, Lord Verath Windrunner, was King Anasterian’s chief advisor (9, 122).
Though nobles, the Windrunners did not usually throw lavish parties like their kinsmen. Instead, they preferred to host small gatherings (9).
The position of ranger-general was passed down through the Windrunner family for thousands of years (21). Before Lireesa became ranger-general, her mother Alleria held the position (11).
Due to their status, the Windrunners were free to wander Sunfury Spire and Magisters’ Terrace at any time (105).
After the Second War broke out, King Anasterian asked Lord Verath to travel as ambassador to Lordaeron City and learn about the danger the Horde posed. Lireesa, reluctant to let her husband go alone, accompanied him (109).
Both Verath and Lireesa were ambushed and killed in Eastweald before they ever made it to Lordaeron City (117, 122). Unfortunately, their corpses were picked so clean by scavengers it was difficult to tell who had killed them, though the elves initially blamed their ancient enemy, the Amani (119). It was later revealed that it had been the orcs, working in concert with the trolls (127, 131).
Sylvanas brought evidence of the Horde’s involvement in her parents’ deaths before King Anasterian. Much to her surprise, he burned it, citing a reluctance to put the quel’dorei at risk when they were already well protected. She was sworn to secrecy regarding her discovery (133).
Though the elder Windrunners did not survive the trek to Lordaeron, their equine steeds made it back to Windrunner Spire mostly unharmed (130).
Verath and Lireesa’s bodies were treated with a slight bit of illusion magic, covered in ceremonial palls, and set to lie in state for an entire day so those who wished could pay their respects to the fallen (134, 157)
The Windrunners’ colors are brown and gold (126).
Alleria Windrunner
Alleria took after her mother, Lireesa, in both appearance and manner (10).
Alleria was named after her grandmother (11).
When Alleria came of age to start training with the Farstriders, Lireesa bestowed a formal test on her. In front of her future peers, Alleria was tasked with hunting and killing a lynx using just a single arrow before the day’s end. She was permitted a knife with which to skin the lynx as proof, though Lireesa explicitly warned her daughter not to use it to kill the animal (11).
After growing bored waiting for Alleria to complete her trial, Sylvanas ventured out into the forest, only to find the lynx chasing after her sister. Seeing that Alleria had tried and failed to fell the lynx using both her arrow and knife, Sylvanas slew the lynx herself with one of her arrows (16-17).
While Alleria technically failed the test, it is worth noting that it would not have affected her entry to the Farstriders given she was to inherit the position of ranger-general regardless. As Verath told Sylvanas afterward, the test was more about Alleria proving her mettle and skills to her future peers so they would accept her position as one born of merit rather than privilege (22).
Feeling smothered by her mother’s strict expectations for her, Alleria told Lireesa many years later that she did not want to become the next ranger-general. On top of that, she also declared she was taking a small contingent of Farstriders and leaving Quel’Thalas to adventure across Azeroth (72-73). Perhaps embarrassed by this turn of events, Lireesa publicly informed the elven rangers that she was sending Alleria off so the Farstriders could “reclaim the meaning of their name” and explore the world beyond their borders (75).
Sylvanas, as the next eldest child, took up Alleria’s place as second-in-line (74-75).
Prior to Alleria’s departure from Quel’Thalas, Lireesa gifted her daughter with an ornate necklace. It was set with three gemstones - a ruby, sapphire, and emerald - each meant to symbolize one of the Windrunner daughters. The chain holding them all together represented Lirath, their brother (81). At some point, Alleria broke down the necklace and gave each of her sisters a piece (258).
Lirath Windrunner
Lireesa went into labor with Lirath the day of Alleria’s test, weeks before the baby was due (25).
Both Vereesa and Lirath’s names were amalgams of their parents’ names (28).
Lirath was quite the musical prodigy. He demonstrated exceptional skill with instruments such as the flute, pipes, mandolin, and harp. Lirath was also known for his beautiful singing voice, as well (29-30).
Though skilled with instruments, the young elf was rather clumsy when it came to weapons (42).
Lirath impressed Lord Saltheril so much with his musical talents that the noble had him perform regularly at his parties (32).
Just six months after his debut, Lirath was invited to perform for Prince Kael’thas. Given that the prince spent most of his time in Dalaran and hardly ever ventured to Silvermoon City, this was seen as an exceptionally high honor (33).
At Prince Kael’thas’ behest, Lirath eventually moved to the Artists’ Quarters in Silvermoon City and began a formal apprenticeship (55). Some time later, he officially became the royal musician, making him the youngest ever to have received the title (76).
The denizens of Windrunner Village were all killed during the orcs’ invasion of Quel’Thalas during the Second War. Among the casualties was Lirath (159-161).
Lirath was buried beside his parents. Though the Windrunners held a public funeral for their parents, Lirath’s was much more intimate and private (166).
Sylvanas Windrunner, the Ranger
Sylvanas was named for the woodlands of Quel’Thalas (53).
Sylvanas named her hawkstrider ‘Snap’ (21).
The young ranger did not particularly like Silvermoon City and showed remarkable disdain for court politics as a child (23).
She was banned from Lord Saltheril’s parties after an unfortunate incident in which she snuck into one and spiked some glasses of punch with numbing woundwood powder to get back at young nobles who were insulting her brother (45-47).
Sylvanas, Lor’themar, and Halduron spent so much time together in and out of archery practice that they became known as “the Trio” (54).
She once accidentally spilled wine on Prince Kael’thas at a Remembrance ball (62).
Lireesa took Sylvanas to an Amani territory marker when she was a child and warned her that the trolls were their enemy (91).
Sylvanas and Nathanos shared their first kiss atop Sungraze Peak, only a day before she found out her parents had been killed (115).
Sylvanas Windrunner, the Banshee Queen
As a banshee, Sylvanas could only see the world in shades of black and white (180). Upon reuniting with her body, she was able to see in color once again (194).
Sylvanas struggled to remember much about herself and her life after Arthas raised her into undeath (180, 182).
Sylvanas’ body was magically preserved and locked away in Deatholme, where it was guarded under the watchful eye of Dar’Khan (193).
The arrow Sylvanas used to paralyze Arthas was coated in a mixture of woundwood and troll poison (195, 196). It was also fletched with some of the Dark Eagle’s feathers (197).
Just before Sylvanas began tormenting the paralyzed Arthas, the shade of a young human girl appeared and distracted her long enough for Kel’Thuzad to intervene (198).
As undead, Sylvanas remarked that she was unable to feel emotions like joy, passion, or love (218, 226, 273). Later, though, she admitted the truth to herself: she was actually unable to let go of those feelings (344).
Seeking protection for the Forsaken, Sylvanas initially made moves to join the Alliance. The Banshee Queen handpicked four of her undead to send as emissaries: one from Southshore, two from Lordaeron City, and one from Stormwind - Sarias Colton - who had a living sister in the city. All had been soldiers in life and were so well preserved in death they almost looked as if they could pass for living. Unfortunately, the emissaries were killed on sight before they ever had a chance to parley with the Alliance (232, 233).
With no choice but to turn to the very people that had massacred her family, Sylvanas sent spies and eventually emissaries to the Horde after learning they had come a long way from their murderous past. Cairne Bloodhoof was the first to welcome her, inviting her to visit Thunder Bluff (235).
Sylvanas met with Thrall, Cairne, and Hamuul in the taurens’ capital city. After she pleaded her case for the Forsaken, all parties formally agreed that the undead could join the Horde (240).
Sylvanas brokered an allegiance between the blood elves and the Horde a year later for three reasons: 1) to use them as more “arrows” against Arthas, 2) to strengthen her position in the Horde by bringing them another useful ally, and 3) out of a sense of loyalty to her former people (245, 247).
Lor’themar initially refused Sylvanas’ offer, afraid that the Horde had done too much harm for the elves to see them as allies. Months later, however, he capitulated and agreed to a meeting between emissaries with one stipulation: that it happen in Quel’Thalas. Cairne, Thrall, Vol’jin, and Sylvanas all attended (248, 249). The meeting took place at Farstrider Enclave in what is now known as the Ghostlands (250).
Sylvanas gave Putress leave to experiment with and concoct a weapon powerful enough to kill the Lich King (214-216). She informed him that if they ever had the slightest chance at destroying the Lich King, he was to deploy the blight. That said, Putress utilized the weapon at the Wrath Gate without her knowledge or explicit approval (263, 268).
Though the Banshee Queen did not orchestrate the events at the Wrath Gate, she believed that all of the sacrifices would have been worth it if Arthas had died (270).
Sylvanas was initially against the idea of experimenting on Forsaken, but Putress convinced her it was much easier than capturing one of the Scourge. She agreed to his terms, so long as the Forsaken in question were criminals and deserving of such a fate (261).
Sylvanas Windrunner, Harbinger of Death
According to the Jailer, the Arbiter sent Sylvanas to the Maw upon her death at Icecrown (287). She was enraged to discover that the Arbiter judged beings far more monstrous than her, like Zul’jin, worthy of redemption while she had been condemned to the Maw (293).
When Sylvanas asked the Jailer’s Val’kyr if they saw any souls reunited with their loved ones in the Shadowlands, they said no (297).
The Jailer told Sylvanas she’d know he was not deceiving her after she experienced five signs to come: 1) the return of a fiery darkness, 2) her ascension to leadership, 3) a blade piercing the world, 4) the blood of the world, and 5) the toppling of a king and shattering of the sky itself (301).
While the Banshee Queen believed what the Jailer told her was true, she had not yet decided as of Warlords of Draenor if she was willing to take the final step and fully commit to his cause (314).
Sylvanas noted Anduin resembled her younger brother in appearance, but it was really his mannerisms and inherent gentleness that reminded her of Lirath (323, 365, 368).
Sylvanas chose to pull the Horde forces back at the Broken Shore in order to save them, as continuing to fight would have surely doomed both the Horde and Alliance (325, 334). Even though this technically meant betraying her newfound allies in the Alliance, it was a risk she considered worth taking (334).
Sylvanas finally decided to accept the Jailer’s offer and join forces with him after Vol’jin’s untimely demise (326). That said, she continued to harbor some slight doubts for a time (339).
Sylvanas sought out Saurfang as an ally, believing that he would be amenable to the Jailer’s goals in time (331, 354).
As part of her first official assignment under Zovaal, Sylvanas was responsible for meeting with Helya and procuring an item from her known as a Soulcage. With it, she was supposed to compel Eyir into delivering the souls under her command to Helya, who was to then give them to the Jailer (332).
After the breaking of the Arbiter and the redirection of all incoming souls to the Maw, Mal’Ganis came to the Banshee Queen and told her of Zovaal’s new mission for her: to kill as many as possible (339).
Nathanos Marris
Nathanos Marris, a ranger captain from Lordaeron, was sent to Quel’Thalas sometime early in the Second War. He’d been tasked with studying the Amani trolls - given concerns that they were cooperating with the Horde - and bringing his findings to King Anasterian Sunstrider (94).
While out on a routine patrol, Sylvanas and Lor’themar were saved from an Amani ambush by Nathanos’ expert marksmanship skills (93).
After delivering his findings to the king, Nathanos was given leave to explore Silvermoon City with one stipulation: that he be accompanied by a Farstrider. Sylvanas herself rose to the occasion (97).
After he was freed from the Scourge’s thrall, Nathanos experienced long periods of forgetfulness where he could not remember who he had been in life (224, 226).
Though she carried the secret of her deal with the Jailer for some time, Sylvanas eventually told Nathanos the truth shortly into the events of Warlords of Draenor (314).
Quel’Thalas & the Quel’dorei
The high elves used to be wary of a rather large and dangerous springpaw lynx nicknamed “Mauler”. Rumor has it that the creature actually developed a taste for elven flesh (17).
King Anasterian bestowed quel’dorei steeds upon those of high rank or exceptional distinction. Both Verath and Lireesa Windrunner were given one each: Parley and Arrowflight respectively (21).
On the topic of whether Silvermoon City was predominantly red or blue before the Third War, Sylvanas once commented it was “very crimson” (23).
There are fireflies in Quel’Thalas (24).
The quel’dorei celebrate the anniversary of the trolls’ defeat in the Troll Wars every year. As part of this ‘Remembrance’ celebration, the nobles host a ball (31, 55).
There’s a species of bird indigenous to Quel’Thalas known as the Thalassian red songbird (40).
Aeriah Sunfire wrote volumes five through seven of the troll histories. His grandfather, Sunfire the Elder, wrote volumes one through four (52).
Sylvanas assumed much of her extended family was dead, likely killed in the Horde’s attack on Windrunner Village during the Second War (212).
Three scions of the Salonar house - Belaria, Aravan, and Rendis - also perished at Windrunner Village (159).
It took months after Arthas’ invasion for the blood elves to gather all the bodies of the fallen and burn them (202).
The Farstriders
The Farstriders were considered above commoners purely on the basis of their skill and athleticism, though they were not strictly nobility (9).
The position of ranger-general is one of the only hereditary positions in quel’dorei society, next to the monarchy itself. It is traditionally passed from the ranger-general to their eldest child (11, 21).
During the inauguration of a ranger-general, it is customary to ask all Farstriders present if they will follow and support the new ranger-general (141).
Once sworn in, the new ranger-general is expected to prepare a small meal and offer it to every member of the Farstriders. This is a symbolic way of showing that the ranger-general will care for all those they are to lead into battle (144).
Lor’themar Theron was a full-fledged Farstrider by the time Sylvanas was old enough to earn her own bow (14).
Lor’themar usually stepped in for Lireesa when she was unable to attend to Farstrider matters (34).
The leaves of the woundwood tree have certain properties that, when dried and mixed with liquid, form a numbing paste. Farstriders usually kept some on hand to use as an anesthetic in case of injury, though Sylvanas later mixed it with troll poison to paralyze Arthas (46, 195-196).
The Farstriders maintained routine patrols near Amani territory in times of peace as tradition, a formality, and sometimes even as punishment (90).
Lor’themar, the highest-ranking Farstrider next to Sylvanas herself, was responsible for swearing Sylvanas in as ranger-general (140).
Most all Farstriders have heard the tale of the “Battle of Seven Arrows,” a conflict in which a small group of elven rangers fended off some of the Amani’s finest warriors. The trolls, normally pacified, launched a surprise attack on a lone elven village. Though they would have been enough to pose a threat by themselves, the Amani commanded a terrifying beast twisted by magic known as the “Dark Eagle”. Lireesa Windrunner’s unit, which numbered just seven, was the nearest to the trolls and moved to intercept them. Though the rangers fought hard, they went through most of their arrows in no time. With just one arrow left herself, Lireesa turned to her six companions and asked each of them for one of theirs before ordering them to fall back while she stayed behind to face the trolls alone. Mere moments later, the elves saw Lireesa running toward them - no Dark Eagle in sight. She had felled it with the seven remaining arrows at her disposal: two for the eyes, one for its throat, and four for its heart. Her strike was so successful, not a single elf lost their life that day (140-141).
Nothing in the Farstrider code technically stated that one had to be a high elf to join the rangers. This allowed Sylvanas to make Nathanos a Farstrider, though her decision was met with much resistance from her peers (147).
Miscellaneous
Both dark rangers and San’layn are considered Darkfallen (184).
Dark rangers’ bodies, not unlike that of death knights’, are magically resistant to decay as a result of the way they are raised (192).
The Jailer spirited both Frostmourne and the Helm of Domination out of the Shadowlands with the help of secret allies. He wanted them on Azeroth so as to anchor the power of death to the young world soul (288-289).
A race of serpentine, lava-dwelling creatures called aells live somewhere in the cosmos. In their culture, consuming their mates when they are near death is considered a supreme act of love (296-297).
Interested in the potential benefits that might come from plumbing the depths of the Maw, Cartel Ve planned an exploratory venture into the dark realm. The expedition, overseen by Ve’nari, was a success. However, Ve’nari had her fellow cartel members killed to ensure she alone would have sole access to both the Maw Walkers and the Maw’s resources (8, 132).
Cartel Ve and Cartel Ta are rivals (8, 29).
It is loosely implied that the Brokers altered their demeanor, if not also their appearances, to look friendly and appealing to mortals. They refer to their outward form as their “encounter suits” (9).
Chapter One: Rites of the Dead on Azeroth
After a night elf has died, they are ritually cleansed in pools of moonlit water. Kaldorei priestesses deftly weave arcane and nature magic together to mend the dead body in preparation for a final viewing. Throughout this process, the priestesses sing songs in their temples honoring the deceased’s achievements and sacrifices in life. The deceased is then covered in a burial shroud, placed on a bier, and brought to a grove of trees where a druid magically ensconces the corpse in various plants so it can be returned to nature (13).
Some night elves form a strong enough bond to nature that even after their death, they remain tethered to the mortal realm as a wisp [Quest: Wisp in the Willows]. This phenomenon may, however, be in part due to the intervention of the elven moon goddess, Elune (13).
At some point in the past, Trade Prince Donais died and passed on to Revendreth (14).
During goblin funerals, it is customary to read off a list of all the assets the deceased held in life (14).
The Kul Tirans choose not to bury their people, believing instead that the fallen should be given to the sea [Quest: Lost, Not Forgotten, Item: Soggy Treasure Map]. An artifact called the “Dead Ringer” is a crucial part of these Kul Tiran funerary rites. In ringing the bell, it is believed the deceased’s soul is able to rise above the depths as their body sinks beneath the waves (17).
Mourners traditionally release star moss – a magical flower notable for its sensitivity to feelings of loss – into the ocean during Kul Tiran funerals [Quest: Here In Spirit], (17).
Cairne’s wife lingered in the mortal world as a spirit after her passing to keep watch over her bondmate and son. It is unclear why she was not brought to the Shadowlands by the Kyrian. That said, it is known that Kyrian cannot take the souls of those who are tethered by a sufficiently powerful force to their plane of origin (18).
Tauren, not unlike orcs, construct large funeral pyres to cremate their fallen on. The ashes of their fallen are scattered to the winds, at which point it is believed they rejoin the Earth Mother (18).
Tauren heroes are buried at Red Rocks in Mulgore. According to the tauren, the sacred nature of Red Rocks and other burial sites enables the spirits of the dead to briefly cross the Veil and talk to the living – something which the Brokers are highly skeptical actually occurs, given the design of the Shadowlands (18).
Chapter Two: Entering the Shadowlands
A mortal soul accumulates anima through its deeds and experiences in life. As a result, anima varies from soul to soul (24, 30).
The Brokers have been unable to catalogue every single afterlife in the Shadowlands, for there are too many to count (27).
The origins of the Maw are unknown to even the Brokers. According to a member of Cartel Ta, it seems the Maw’s origins have all but been “purged from the annals of history” (29).
The elemental forces of spirit and decay may or may not have an influence on how much anima a soul produces in their lifetime (31).
Chapter Three: Oribos
Various Broker cartels financed expeditions to find and stake proprietary claim on Oribos. It was eventually discovered – perhaps accidentally – by an Au cartel navigator (35).
The coiled serpent, thought to embody the infinite cycle, is a well-known symbol of the First Ones (36).
The Brokers believe that Oribos was built explicitly for the judgement of souls well before the first mortal soul ever arrived in the Eternal City (38).
On the other hand, the Arbiter’s attendants claim that the Arbiter chose to judge souls in Oribos of her own volition, which contradicts the Brokers’ theory (38).
Old, worn records seem to suggest that there was a time when the Arbiter was not as benevolent as she is made out to be today (38). Of course, that is because the Jailer formerly held the role of Arbiter before he was imprisoned in the Maw [NPC: The Primus Dialogue].
The attendants of Oribos are broken up into three groups: the Hands of the Arbiter, the scholars, and the protectors (41-42).
The Hands of the Arbiter, the largest group of attendants, are responsible for maintaining the functions and stability of Oribos (41).
The protectors make up the smallest selection of attendants. The highest position a protector can ascend to is the Shield of the Arbiter (42).
Legend has it that at least one Fatescribe can affect the destinies of living mortals (42).
The Brokers are aware there is a rumor that claims they were once another race of beings who shunned their original name and form (43).
Within Oribos, the Au Cartel is responsible for supplying resources to mortals seeking to build up their own trade skills. Cartel Ta, on the other hand, is popular for selling unusual and uncommon items of value (44).
Chapter Four: Ardenweald
Ardenweald’s celestial trees act as the primary means of anima distribution across the realm (50).
Druids, hunters, and shaman all have such a deep connection to nature that they are usually sent to Ardenweald upon their death (50).
One’s soulshape form mirrors the true nature of their bond with the wilds (51).
Though most Wild Gods take on the form of animals in Ardenweald, it is notable that Cenarius retains a largely humanoid appearance. While it is unclear exactly why, it was hinted at that he receives preferential treatment from the ruler of Ardenweald – perhaps because he is her nephew (53).
To save Ysera, the Winter Queen permanently sacrificed a portion of her own essence (54).
Elune, the Winter Queen’s sister, is presumed to be a part of a “Pantheon of Life” (56).
A full assembly of the Wild Hunt is rare, perhaps because the Hunt’s troops are usually needed as caretakers, stewards, and protectors in each of Ardenweald’s individual groves (58).
Though the Winter Queen is technically the ruler of Ardenweald, governance of the night fae falls to a council known as the Court of Night. Their members include the late Droman Krelnor, Lord Renard, Lady Moonberry, Droman Aliothe, and Droman Tashmur (59).
The tree-like appearance of the tirnenn is likely because they were the first fae to emerge in Ardenweald. They can alter the forests at will (59).
Tirna Achiad, the Heart of the Forest, is supposedly the very first tree the Winter Queen cultivated in her realm (60).
Sylvar typically function as Ardenweald’s crafters and tenders. The Vorkai, on the other hand, stand as the protectors of the realm (60).
It is said that the faeries of the Night Fae are nearly as skilled as the Brokers in the art of illusion (60).
Chapter Five: Bastion
The Light-Bearers of Fanlin’Deskor – a planet long since destroyed by the Burning Legion – were typically sent to Bastion by the Arbiter [Short Story: Velen: Prophet’s Lesson], (69).
Kyrian “Watchers” primarily operate in the mortal realm. True to their name, Watchers observe souls to determine if it is their time to move on to the Shadowlands or if there is some force still tethering them to the mortal plane (77).
Once a Watcher has dictated it is a mortal’s time to move on, a Kyrian Bearer is responsible for carrying the deceased’s soul to Oribos (77).
The Forsworn inadvertently turn a darker, purple-ish hue that reflects the personal turmoil they feel within themselves (80).
While the Forsworn have only recently appeared in great number in Bastion, they are not a new phenomenon. Some aspirants in the past did fail to ascend and became Forsworn, though they were something of a rarity. Even more uncommonly, aspirants ultimately unable to find their way back to the path would be exiled from Bastion and re-judged by the Arbiter so they could be sent to another afterlife (80).
Stewards keep mementos of their small achievements just in case they happen to forget any of their accomplishments (81).
The device Kyrian use to soul bond bears a striking resemblance to First Ones artifacts (86).
Chapter Six: Revendreth
When the drought started, Sire Denathrius used the spires of Revendreth to siphon ambient anima and add it to his hidden stores within Castle Nathria. It said that he was the “architect” of the drought (95).
Sinfall tower is where Denathrius first founded the Court of Harvesters (102).
Surprisingly, the walls of Sinfall withstood the Light’s bombardment in the Ember Ward. Rumor has it that this is because the defenses Denathrius implemented to contain the powers within Sinfall were so strong they kept even the Light at bay (102).
The Venthyr’s unique ability to wend through the shadows is considered translocation magic (105).
Chapter Seven: Maldraxxus
The Primus has the power to alter the landscape of Maldraxxus. Supposedly, he shaped the realm so it would serve as an ideal training ground for the ultimate army (112).
Each of the five houses embodies one of the five traits of the ideal champion of Death (114).
According to legend, the only losses the Primus ever suffered were intentional (116).
The Primus, an expert in runes and runic power, created the language of Domination expressly to bind the Jailer within the Maw (116, 120).
Each symbol in the Primus’ runic language represents a specific word tied to the foundations of Maldraxxus and its five houses. These could consist of anything from simple commands to necromantic energy manipulation and be used to imbue weapons with dark power or as a focus of binding magic, among other things (118).
Death Knights emblazon their weapons with these runes of domination, though it is unclear how they ever came to learn Runeforging when it originated in the Shadowlands (118).
The Jailer’s true name is said to hold dark power, which is why he is often referred to as the “Banished One” or “the Jailer” in official records (120).
It is theorized that the Jailer learned to harness the Primus’ power of Domination for himself and ultimately used it to break his prison (121).
Information exchanged in soulbinding does not completely fade, even if one of the bondmates should perish (126).
Chapter Eight: The Maw
Many afterlives dedicated to the temporary punishment of souls exist, not just Revendreth (132).
Before the Arbiter was broken, very few souls were ever sent directly to the Maw. If they indicated that they had even the slightest chance of atoning for their sins, they were sent to Revendreth (132).
Cartel Ta’s archives contain no accounts of the Jailer’s appearance or his purpose beyond overseeing the souls in the Maw (135).
It is pointed out how odd it is that a Waystone – a form of translocation – was placed in a realm explicitly meant to be inescapable. The Brokers consider two theories: the first asserts that the Waystone was intended as a failsafe in case any souls should arrive in the Maw that were not meant to be there. The second, on the other hand, claims the First Ones foresaw the coming of the Maw Walkers and placed the Waystone there for their inevitable arrival (141).
Despite the numerous deaths he endured, Kel’Thuzad was never actually judged by the Arbiter until his final death during the war against the Lich King (142).
One Broker believes the Arbiter’s judgement of Kel’Thuzad may have been manipulated to ensure he ended up in Maldraxxus, where he could further the Jailer’s schemes (142).
As the troll death deity, Mueh’zala once demanded his followers perform brutal displays of worship. His needs were so extreme that he continued to thrive upon their fear and despair after they died, preventing them from passing on to the rest of the Shadowlands (144).
However, troll civilization eventually outgrew Mueh’zala’s interest in cruelty and death. Determined not to fade into obscurity, the loa of death extended an offer to one of his priests, a troll named Bwonsamdi: in exchange for becoming Mueh’zala’s successor, Bwonsamdi was to deliver a regular tribute to the loa, thereby ensuring Mueh’zala would always have the worship he craved (145).
When the Arbiter broke, Bwonsamdi tethered the souls of dead trolls to his Necropolis to prevent them from passing on to the Maw and empowering the Jailer. Mueh’zala, who had been in league with the Jailer for some time, was enraged at this and attacked Bwonsamdi in the Other Side (145).
Mueh’zala brokered the deal with Odyn in which the titan-forged Keeper gave his eye to peer into the Shadowlands (145).
Chapter Nine: The First Ones and the Grand Design
The Brokers set out from their realm of origin upon great barge cities to discover the truths of the First Ones (149).
Other heretofore unknown First Ones realms include places like Baraneth and Nirem-Ahn. While the mortals know little about these realms, it seems the Brokers have already been to them (149, 151).
Cartel Al outbid Cartel Ta on leading the expedition to seek out the Sepulcher of the First Ones (151).
The First Ones were the progenitors of all realities and Pantheons (151).
The language of the Titans uses the same word for “created” and “Ordered” (154).
“Zereth” – first heard in the name of the First Ones realm, Zereth Mortis – translates to either “keystone” or “cornerstone” [NPC: Tal-Galan Dialogue], (160).
Epilogue
Ta’lora, a Broker of Cartel Ta, has put forth the suggestion that their cartel should expand their market to the mortal plane to overcome the achievements of their rivals in Cartel Ve (163).
A very long commission. I’ve had the concept since the pre-patch……….. But still I am glad that I was finally able to bring it to an end and bring to life this wonderful idea, which then came to me from author. And even if it has long been irrelevant, I love Northrend and warmly remember the pre-patch events that really gave the spirit of adventure and a sense of community, when everyone gathered around the campfire, waiting for the spawn of the new boss. Thanks for the memories and for the order! Luv
Dreadshade is a species of lasher known for producing an extract that has highly versatile, albeit potentially deadly, properties [Item: Dreadshade Extract]. Maldraxxi alchemists of the House of Plagues cultivate the plant to use as a reagent in some of their concoctions, many of which are no doubt extremely toxic. That said, dreadshade has other known practical applications. For example, one of the house’s foremost plague devisers planned to use dreadshade extract in a potion that would effectively “preserve” the imbiber [Quest: Plague is Thicker Than Water,Quest: By Any Other Name].
Dreadshade is said to be the carrier of Solanum cerinthe [Quest: By Any Other Name]. What this is, however, is unclear, though the name suggests it is the scientific name for a plant or fruit.
Prince Renathal is absolutely my favorite character from my Shadowlands story experience thus far. I deeply appreciate how extra Revendreth is. Also, I made a process walkthrough & high res wallpaper available for patrons $2+. patreon.com/noxquel
Welcome to what I hope will get my game writing creative juices flowing, two subjects that are hard to go wrong for me: environment design, and World of Warcraft. To put it simply, in this (Hopefully) series of posts, I want to take a look back at some of the more notable zones in WoW Classic. Zones that changed heavily with Cataclysm, and thus no longer have the same feel, or design, as they once did, but are now preserved inside WoW classic, hopefully forever!
To kick things off, I thought I’d start with a zone that has long fascinated me as a player. All the way back to when I first started playing World of Warcraft: Alterac Mountains. If you’ve only played World of Warcraft in the post Cataclysm Era, you may well be thinking “That isn’t a zone”, but here’s the neat part, it never really was! Oh sure, Alterac Mountains had it’s own map, and it’s own set of neat things to find, but beyond five or six quests, that didn’t even start in the zone itself, there really wasn’t much to find there. That said, that’s what made it so fascinating to me the whole time!
Of course Alterac has it’s place in Warcraft Lore, home of the kingdom that betrayed The Alliance and was destroyed for it. Home to the original location of Dalaran (Still there, as of The Burning Crusade), and an important area of the kingdom of Lordaeron all the same. So somehow with all of that to work with, how is it that there’s so little to actually do in the zone? It has a snowy mountain core, and some hilly grasslands, but not a whole lot to find in either place.
There really aren’t that many quests that have much to do with Alterac. You’ll be sent to kill a few wizards, silence a few turncoat Forsaken, asked to steal some syndicate plans, but nothing with any kind of story through line, just scattered tasks. That lack of cohesion is, to me, what made this such a fascinating place to explore. It’s like there was this whole grand zone, with so much to find, just left to rot on live servers with no real plan, or idea of what it’s supposed to be.
The Lordamere Internment Camp is a fun example of everything WoW needing to be scaled down as an open world. I’ll be honest, thousands of orcs probably didn’t fit in those two buildings.
Going there yourself reveals so many interesting sights even beyond the big points I’ve already touched. The claw like mountains overlooking Hillsbrad offer the best view a 2007 level of distance fog could handle. The southern shore of Lordamere Lake’s long easy curve as it makes contact with the land, is a small little piece of natural beauty still left in a land that had been so thoroughly ravaged by the army’s of the scourge. The farmstead in the northeastern corner of the zone that seems, against all odds, to actually be a functioning settlement so close to the Undercity. There’s much to see, and more to find, even if nobody actually points you in it’s direction.
During Cataclysm, when the map was being changed, altered, and in some cases condensed: Alterac Mountains ceased to be. Obviously, it was still there, it never actually left the game, and many of the same sights I brought up in this post are still there for you to find. In reality, all that happened was the zone became combined with Hillsbrad Foothills. And frankly, it wasn’t the worst idea. The two zones flow into each so naturally it’s actually a bit a odd they weren’t always just one place. After all, for a zone with the word “Hill” in it twice, it was always sort of odd that going uphill in any real way in Hillsbrad would invariably bring you to a different zone.
Alterac Mountains is an odd place. A full zone by name, the location of one a battleground entrance even, but still a little forgotten piece of one of the, at the time, biggest games around. I’ve imagined many more things that could have been done with Alterac, but of course, it’s far from the most important place in the game. Until we get that Lordaeron revamp expansion of course, I’ll just be over counting the days down to that theoretical beauty. Well that, and continuing to love Azeroth and everything in it.
Bread’s Game Journal 04/19/22: Grizzly Hills 2: Grizzlier Hills.
Hell yeah, a new WoW expansion was revealed today! More content for my all time favorite game is always a good thing, and from the looks of things, Dragonflight is off to a great start! New race, new class, new continent (See you in hell separate zones only accessible by flight path!), Dragon Riding, revamped professions, it’s all really exciting!
That said, I’m hyper fixated on one thing they showed today and I know that I’m gonna be until I get there in my playthrough: the Azure Span. Blizzard directly name dropped Grizzly Hills as an inspiration for this zone today, and if you know anything about me, you know I love that place. Hell, I have that place set as my Steam VR home so I can load into it whenever I play VR games, I would live in it if it was real.
From what little we’ve seen it’s obviously taking after Grizzly Hills, but more so, I think it might just be taking after Northrend in general? It has snow, towering red-woods, orange tundra, furbolgs etc etc. Hell, it even has Tuskarr! With great new models! Did we ever think we were going to see those guys again!? Cause I sure didn’t. There’s a lot to look forward to in Dragonflight, but I already know where the bulk of my hype is centered!
