#Wrathion is here too

[cosmererambles]

Imagine Kale dressed in this shit. Wrathion would die laughing.

[claret-ash]

Watch out, something wicked this way comes for Hallow's End! 🔥👁️🔥

[druidonity2]

Wranduin oneshot where Anduin grew up taking old stories of beheaded kings to heart and being deathly afraid of anyone or anything touching his neck. He hides his neck with clothes, bandages, and accessories, and flinches anytime anyone gets too close. At this point his neck is more sacred to him then any other part of his body, and is the one place Wrathion would never dare dream of being allowed to touch.

That is till one night Anduin gently and carefully takes Wrathion's bare hands into his own hands, and guides them to his own bare neck, and lets him.

[moonunwell]

Chapters: 1/? Fandom: World of Warcraft Rating: Mature Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Wrathion/Anduin Wrynn Characters: Wrathion (Warcraft), Anduin Wrynn, Sabellian (Warcraft), Ebyssian | Ebonhorn, Kalecgos (Warcraft), Yrel (Warcraft), Exarch Hellscream, Xe'ra (Warcraft) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Post-Dragonflight, Disabled Anduin Wrynn, Shadow Priest Anduin Wrynn, Corruption, Depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Canon-Typical Violence, Loss of Identity, Angst, Suicidal Thoughts, Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Eventual Happy Ending, who knows how eventual though, Character Study, world of warcraft (and especially shadowlands) as cosmic horror, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, anduin and wrathion's big fat existential crisis, anduin and wrathion's toxic codependent yaoi spiral into madness, Emotional Manipulation Summary:

When the zealous Lightbound threaten to end Azeroth's delicate peace once more, Wrathion sets out to find the lost king of Stormwind before they do. The man he meets, though, is not quite the man he remembers.

[petrenocka]

Today I was telling Warcraft Lore to someone who doesn't know anything about the universe and it stuck to me that N'Zoth dragging his dreams of the renewed Black Empire into reality straight from his imagination is actually an insanely cool Eldritch horror concept.

And us traveling into a dream of an Old God to kill his mind there is actually a tremendously badass way to get him.

Like, I never before stopped to consider how genuinenly fascinating that storybeat was.

[nightmareonpeachstreet]

My sick brain decided that the way to make me feel better was to have a dream about a made up musical and that was perfectly fun while it was happening but now I’m awake and all the songs I liked aren’t real and I can’t even remember details about them just that I liked them and yearn to be listening to them right now

[vitaquaarts]

I am in a hell of my own making

After getting the Anduin outfits done I looked back at Wrathion's outfit lineup and realized that I was ultimately unsatisfied with two of the designs I did, they felt a little too simple and uninspired so I went and remade them! (Featuring my updated art style)

Also here's the MoP-esque look without the hat! Wanted to showcase Wrathion's hair styled down. Man beards really do change the look of character's faces a lot, eh?

And obligatory puts them next to each other while making kissy sounds

[duskdog]

You know, fandom seems to talk about Wrathion's past mistakes a lot, but I don't often see anyone discuss his visits to the August Celestials during his legendary questline. Like, sure, people occasionally bring up his attitude towards Tong, but how many current players were there to experience (and still remember) the rest of that quest? When I think of Wrathion, I think first of the whelp who literally dropped to his knees before the Red Crane of Hope, who poured out his heart about the visions he'd had -- how terrified he was that the Legion was coming, about the "rivers of blood and cities in ruin" that would result if he wasn't able to somehow, some way, stop this from happening, and about how the only thing sustaining him was the tiny sliver of hope that he might actually succeed. This is a young dragon who foresaw something that absolutely shook him to his core, something he would do anything to try to prevent... and who felt he had almost no support, because it seemed he was the only one taking the threat seriously while everyone around him was busy fighting one another. His fear, his burden, was so great that the Red Crane himself even admitted that Wrathion needed his blessing of Hope "more than any I have ever met".

We can, of course, debate Wrathion's methods. It's fairly obvious that he didn't fully understand the lessons the Celestials were trying to teach him -- at least not at the time. It's also undeniable that he made some pretty terrible mistakes along the way. And I can certainly understand the argument that his attitude in Dragonflight is just too annoying for some people to stomach. But the thing that always brings me back to Wrathion as Aspect is the knowledge that he actually cares about Azeroth. From the moment he was hatched -- even before -- he carried the burden of Earth-Warder, and he took it absolutely seriously. Neltharion took an oath, and he broke it -- broke beneath it, I would argue -- and Wrathion clearly believes that it's his own responsibility to bear the immense, crushing weight that his Aspect father/grandfather, and his entire flight, proved unable to bear. All those black dragons betrayed Azeroth, tried to destroy what they were sworn to protect, and here's Wrathion -- first a whelp and now a drake, all alone, without Neltharion's colossal size, strength, and power, without the support of a dragonflight behind him, without the support and trust of the other flights, without any true home or safe harbor, without the regard of the mortal races that he's trying to protect -- doing his best to fulfill an oath that he personally never actually took, only inherited.

Given that knowledge, I actually think Wrathion has behaved with remarkable restraint in regard to Sabellian's sudden appearance as a rival. Has Sabellian even given us the slightest indication that he actually cares about the sacred charge of the black dragonflight? He's certainly older, wiser, and steadier, and maybe he's done a good job of raising his kin and keeping them safe in Outland... but does he care about Azeroth? Because he certainly hasn't been there when it needed him... and yet he was perfectly willing to risk reappearing just in time to claim the Obsidian Throne.

[venomhound]

World of Warcraft - Wrathion Crush Headcanons

I actually have this GIANT document written up all about Wrathion; how he gets crushes, how he courts, and so on. I wrote it like a couple years ago. I guess Ill break it up into a couple posts and throw it on here since I'm actually posting my brainrot now lol. Maybe someone will get enjoyment out of it.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Re-edited 11/10/24 so its easier to read. Contents are the same, formatting is just a little different!

WARNING: Old writing. Not beta read we die like men ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

Wrathion is very ‘classically’ romantic. When he thinks about romance and courting, he thinks about it in a very stereotypical Victorian-esque way. With the man being a gentleman, giving flowers, writing love letters, and generally being the one to put their heart on the line. All while the woman looks on, blushing and giggling.

Honestly, its probably due to a bunch of romance books he has read.

Don't get me wrong; I used the word classical and not traditional for a reason. Wrathion is not the type to think in firm gender roles or anything (dragons as a whole don't really subscribe to the concept of gender). He is just of the mindset that if you are interested in someone, you show respect to that person and you express your interest. None of this pining, subtle flirting, or love game nonsense.

Wrathion absolutely despises people who don't do anything about crushes (without a good reason of course. Like, if the person is already taken, nothing you can do) and/or just sit and pine. Its one of his absolute pet peeves.

I totally see Wrathion getting SO ANNOYED with Anduin if he came to him with love problems. Anduin would try to vent to him about his feelings, signals he is getting from his crush, and what signals he should give back without being too obvert... Meanwhile Wrathion doesn't give a fuck about 'proper courting protocol' or any of that nonsense and is ready to flip a table.

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Wrathion is just a very big gentleman overall and surprisingly chivalrous. The easiest way to get on his bad side is harassing, disrespecting, and/or abusing a woman.

Wrathion would probably fall into the demi-romantic category. I can never imagine him experiencing love at first sight, or even falling for someone soon after meeting them.

Wrathion is more the type to become great friends with someone then have a love realization hit him like a freight train. He falls in love like falling asleep; very slowly, then all at once. It just punches him in the face before he can tell whats going on.

One of the first signs of Wrathion’s feelings are his stares. At first they'll be very studious looks, like your a riddle he cant figure out.

He wont hide these looks either. You'll easily catch him (and lock eyes if your brave enough).

However, when Wrathion’s feelings shift, the inquisitive looks he gave you quickly turn into loving gazes. His once sharp eyes now soft and full of admiration.

✿°•∘୨୧∘•°✿‿✿°•∘୨୧∘•°✿‿✿°•∘୨୧∘•°✿

Dragons have a very strong instinct to protect and lavish their partner with gifts. These will be the other main tells that his feelings are changing way before either of you catches onto it.

Wrathion will check in whenever he can, asking how your doing and feeling. He may be busy, being a Prince and all, but Wrathion somehow always finds time to check in on you.

Because Wrathion himself has sleeping issues, he has this almost sixth sense for when you haven't slept or are exhausted. If you refuse to rest, Wrathion will try to help you with your workload as much as he can.

Wrathion catches on quick to what your needs are. If you have a tendency to forget to eat or drink, he will gently remind you. If you have a tendency to overwork yourself, Wrathion will try and push you to take a break.

Of course, these examples are when he is first catching feelings. Once you two are a thing, Wrathion becomes much more pushy and insistent.

Sleep deprived? Wrathion is pulling you to bed in his arms and taking a nap with you. Haven't eaten? Your getting something made for you right away, don't even worry about coming down. Overworking yourself? Hard to work when you have a guy kissing you all over and begging you to come relax. If that doesn't work, Wrathion will just straight up lay in your lap like a cat.

You'll also notice him being very physically protective as well. Although admittedly, it'll be difficult to discern what is actual protectiveness and what is just him being a gentleman at first.

Wrathion does the usual things you'd expect of someone of his rank. He will make sure you have safe passage and escort you himself if need be. He will also guide you with his hand to your back in crowded room.

However, he quickly starts upping himself when he starts getting feelings for you. Instead of asking if you need an escort, he will insist that he escort you himself. Instead of only guiding you through crowds or when things get dicey, Wrathion preemptively offers his arm to you to hold onto. If he does end up having to put his arm around you, you'll also notice that instead of it being the super gentle, almost guiding graze his hand had before; his hand is now firmly, protectively placed upon you.

✿°•∘୨୧∘•°✿‿✿°•∘୨୧∘•°✿‿✿°•∘୨୧∘•°✿

As for the gifts... Oh dear. This is a deeply embedded dragon instinct that I think would cue alot of people into Wrathion’s feelings wayyy before he figures it out himself.

It starts innocent enough, you were complaining about not having enough of [X], one of your old pieces of armor started hurting you, or maybe a weapon broke. Well whatever it was, Wrathion took it upon himself to fix it. Has to make sure your in tip top shape, right?

Then you eyeball something at the market for a little too long, you mention a book you've been wanting, or this really cool sword you like. Before you know it, its suddenly in your possession.

Wrathion then just starts to get you things that he thinks you'd like or remind him of you. It deteriorates so quickly that he always seems to have something for you.

Wrathion is all excuses. Oh, its just a reward for being a good friend! Oh, he just saw how worn out you were lately and thought you needed something to cheer you up! Its an early birthday present! And this one too. This one is a late birthday present.

For a trained rogue, its actually kinda pathetic how he cannot come up with a good deflection as to why he is giving you all this stuff to save his life. But thats mostly because he doesn't even know why he is doing it himself to be honest.

(I literally imagine the gift instinct to be SO STRONG that Wrathion could swear to himself, ‘okay, no gifts, no more nothing’ then literally end up giving you the stupidest shit like an actual rock because it was pretty. He cant help it. Its in his GENES. HE MUST GIFT YOU)

Once you two are an actual thing the sporadic and, honestly, quite chaotic gifting he was doing before is no more. But thats only because it has been replaced with him absolutely spoiling you. The chaos energy he had before is now being put to good use.

One of his favorite activities is dressing you up. As weird as it sounds, he loves having you try on a ton of different outfits and model them for him.

(If it was a modern AU, Wrathion is the type of guy I could see spending hours at the mall with you and being absolutely giddy about it.)

✿°•∘୨୧∘•°✿‿✿°•∘୨୧∘•°✿‿✿°•∘୨୧∘•°✿

[thepalewolfhowls]

Just a quick little sketch I threw together off of a pose I liked. As much as I'd love to see Anduin sock Wrathion again, it'd probably cause him some extra trauma this time around. So here we are in sketchland where its funny instead.

That, and I imagine Wrathion would be more aware of not sneaking up on a PTSD victim. Though, to be fair, if a dragon popped up behind me and creepily spoke into my back, I'd probably hit him too.

[silriven]

Thoughts on the Waking Shores Campaign

The one thing I wholeheartedly like about the Waking Shores quests, and by like I mean "oh, man, I think I seriously love this a little more every time I rewatch it" is this conversation between Wrathion and Alexstrasza. There's a lot going on here that I adore*

*but...

The reason why I like this exchange so much is because I am an idiot reading Wrathion as a sympathetic character, and I'm pretty/definitely/99.9% sure that was NOT the intent behind this scene.

The thing I've been wrapping my head around is that I really, really like the premise of this storyline: the pressure of being one of two surviving black dragons (as far as he and Ebyssian know) to return to the Dragon Isles and take responsibility for their flight's inheritance causes Wrathion, who is relatively young and inexperienced, to crack. He starts compromising his morals, lashes out and gets sloppy. Blacktalon notices and they're concerned. Ideally Ebyssian would be here to comment on that and call it out, too. Then Sabellian shows up, Wrathion's insecurity tanks, and things get worse. I love the idea of throwing this problem at Wrathion.

The problem is that would require the narrative to frame all of this as somewhat sympathetic, not JUSTIFIED, not EXCUSABLE, but as an understandable character reaction. And it just does not.

"My condolences for having to deal with those two for as long as you did."

"The red dragonflight is charged with the preservation and nuturing of all dragons, even those we may tire of at times." Wow, Alex, really?

So when you get to the end of this questline and there's this exchange between Alexstrasza and Sabellian: she's reprimanding him and seems to be denying him entrance to the Ruby Life Pools. Sabellian is present for the renewal of the ruby oathstone and oversees the eggs placed in the black dragonflight's life pool, anyways, but that's not really important.

What IS important (to me, the idiot who's a fan of this character) is that Wrathion is hanging back, observing everything at a distance. For all of the fuss he made about being involved in this task, now that he's here, he doesn't know what to do. He's out of his element, he isn't comfortable.

So when I first saw this, I thought: "Oh, now's a perfect time to tie up that loose end from the argument. Alexstrasza can notice that Wrathion is hanging back, beckon him forward, maybe say something sympathetic or poignant alluding to the way he was created by her flight. She could say something like that she wishes he had been better cared for, like these eggs will be, because Alex is supposed to be, you know, a kind and empathetic character.

This bullet cuts right through Wrathion's impressively thick emotional barrier, which was already pretty cracked from the stress he's put on himself. Wrathion apologizes for being a self-centered asshole and pledges the black dragonflight's defense of the Life Pools (the Obsidian Citadel is practically their neighbor, after all). Alex forgives him, blah blah blah, nice emotional landing just like all the other leveling campaigns have. Cool."

But we don't get anything remotely like that. The thing that struck me while playing through the Waking Shores a second time is how the purpose of the black dragonflight in this story is ultimately to service the red dragonflight's arc. The ruby oathstone is what gets a nice, tidy emotional resolution, the black dragon eggs are more like props.

Sabellian doesn't comment on how he feels about his flight finally being able to rear children on Azeroth again after "millennia" of struggling to survive on Outland. Wrathion has absolutely nothing to say after the shock of realizing that he and Ebyssian are not, in fact, the only black dragons left.

Another thing that I thought was a missed opportunity is what if Sabellian wasn't allowed into the Life Pools and it was up to Wrathion to oversee the placing of the black dragon eggs? Wrathion finally gets a taste of what he wants, he's the leader here, and he's utterly at a loss for what to do. These aren't his eggs, he doesn't know the broodmothers, he doesn't know how the hell his flight used to raise their whelps, he's not good with kids, etc.

Instead of leaving him flounder, Alex beckons him forward and teaches him what to do because, again, she's supposed to be an empathetic character.

I think I would've liked Dragonflight a lot more if Wrathion had had some moments to breathe in-between the arguing and the showboating. It just really doesn't feel like he was written to be a sympathetic or even likable character, not at least until Aberrus and the final chapter of Embers of Neltharion, "A Flame Extinguished."

I really like this next bit I've taken a screenshot of, too. I love the way Alex's voice actor says "Please, find Wrathion" in exasperation. You can tell she cares about him and empathizes with him even though she's clearly frustrated with the way that he's acting: stubborn, tunnel-visioned, and insecure.

tldr; to have a line like "My heart aches, I worry for Wrathion" conclude with only "the red dragonflight is charged with the...nurturing of all dragons, even those we may tire of at times" with that extra insult of "my condolences for having to deal with those two" just absolutely boggles my mind. There's so much more that could've been done with this setup.

[cosmererambles]

WoW Dragons: Why They are (In My Opinion) The best dragons.

So this is entirely based on opinion. One of the things I dislike about Dragonflight is Blizzard seemed to forget their design principles on their dragons. I remember watching a little video about their Wrath cinematic, and they deliberately based SIndragosa (And to an extent all of their other dragons.) on cats for their animations and walk cycles.

This is because lizards walk with splayed legs, and look goofy. If you've ever seen a lizard haul ass, it's hysterical. They don't run often if they can help it. Cats, in contrast, have a smooth gait, owing to the fact their joints are directly beneath their body.

The original bones (not the model, the bones.) for the drakes and wyrms is felid based. Notice Nozdormu here, sitting with his tail curled around him. If you've ever paid attention to their animations, the dragons will "bat" at their opponents, stretch out, breathe fire, and overall, act "cat-like".

The "new" bones seem to be based on the fox bones, but I may be completely off base here. This is simply based on my observations, I have no opened these models up and compared their joints or animations under a microscope. The legs are too far to the side of the body, instead of being directly underneath, and the animations are too stiff. I think they were going for a more traditional European style dragon here, still wanting to give it a fluid, more mammalian body structure but also completely forgetting what makes their dragons so wonderful in the first place.

Do not ever update Wrathion's model to the new shitty bones, Blizz. You have been warned. I love him just the way he is, alligator noises and all.

[druidonity2]

hey you wanna hear another fanfic idea (based on an old doodle) i'll probably never write ok here it goes-

(What if, in her dying breath, Onyxia split Anduin into two, and nothing Varian tries is putting his son back together.)

Varian was able to fuse back together, but to his surprise, he found two boys where one once was. In her final moment, to further soe chaos and seek revenge, Onyxia channelged her power into the boy. And despite their attempts, they cannot get the boys back to one. (They try and use shalamayne, but really they can’t fully recreate Varian’s rejoining, for it would threaten the boys’ health and saftey. They spend the next year trying to locate any magic users who could help, but unwilling to risk their lives, there isnt much they can do. They must be raised as twins.)

Ann and Dulin are identical as young kids, and seem very happy with eachother, and it almost seems like they are better off now that Anduin isn’t really an only child. But then, as they enter their teens, a distinction between the two forms, and it slowly becomes clear that they are halves of a single soul. And their flaws are ever stronger for it. That they arn’t balanced. 

(-Little moments as the boys grow up, playing together, learning together, etc.

-Varian hoping at least one picks up the sword, but so far both boys are awful. He struggles, but is reminded they are the same person, of course if one cant do something the other cant either. 

-they both shared an interest in light, and learned fast bouncing practice off eachother. Both learn under Velen.)

Ann and Dulin are priests, but Ann is more rebellious and runs away more, and is more open to voicing his opinion, even at the wrong times. Dulin is much more clinging to rules and professionalism, and is quiet and more hiding of his voice, preferring to listen. They bicker more, disagree, and it slowly reminds Varian of his struggle as he and Lo’gosh could not come to agreements despite being one person. And he fears that as they age, Ann and Dulin will further be torn apart.

It does happen, when Ann and Dulin get into an argument, and Dulin uses shadow. 

-

MoP is Ann and Dulion getting shipwrecked. Despite his interests in Pandaria Dulin wants to go home as soon as the Alliance finds them, but Ann refuses too, and so Dulin follows along. Ann is the one to confront Garrosh, and Dulin is the one to get him help.

After the Bell scene.

Ann nearly died, and while Dulin didn’t get hurt, it seems he’s fallen ill too. He’s fine, up until he faints infront of everyone. Confused, someone reminds Varian, “They are not complete people. They are halves of a single individual, and that brings with it consequences. They were never meant to grow up apart, their souls are joined and that greatly effects their mind and bodies. I suspect if Ann had died, Dulin would’ve passed away soon after. If you lose one, you lose them both.” 

“When you were two, one half was a spineless noble easily charmed by wealth and beauty. The other half was an angry warrior, hot headed and unwilling to listen to opposition. Apart, you were two deeply flawed people who could not agree on anything, and you came close to killing yourself, until one made a sacrifice for the other. It was only because you shared a son did you come to terms with one another.” “I believe having the boys raised together is partly the reason they still get along, but they are very different from one another, and their lives would be better if they were joined again.”

Wrathion believes he knows how to rejoin the twins, and Dulin seeks that help, even behind Ann’s back. (It does not work).

(war crimes scene where Anduin holds his AU self as he dies, only in this fic it is Ann and Dulin watching an au version of Anduin die, seeing what they would look and act like if they were one person, as they should be. This event deeply effects them, acting as a constant reminder that their fractured existance is wrong)

-

-Because of their bickering, it's decided one will take the throne and the other remains prince. Dulin takes the throne, which is actually one of the only things the two agree on, for Ann dislikes the restrictions the title of King would place upon him. Ann still does work for Dulin, represents him in meetings he cant go too, etc, especially durring war, but still runs off sometimes.

-Dulin is taken by Sylvanas to the Shadowlands, and it is Ann who demands to go to find his twin. He felt the moment Dulin crossed into the veil, He feels the moment his twin is corrupted, and feels his soul aching. If Dulin dies so will Ann, and Ann can feel his brother's soul weaken by the day.

-JAILER RAID SCENE but Ann runs into the black smoke, Sylvanas cannot stop him in time- Ann embraces his brother, and a rush of energy envelopes the area. Sylvanas believes it to be the bomb, but as the smoke clears and they live, a single man is left in the middle-

Ann and Dulin fused back together.

the end.

-

Epliogue:

Anduin, newly rejoined into one person, disappears for several years in order to 'find himself', soul searching or whatever. Now that he is one person, who is he really? Who does he want to be? How does he cope with his past truamas was one person, when half of him experienced things differently?

Epilogue explores how Anduin honestly still feels like two people in one body, that being fully one in heart and mind may be truely impossible, but as time passes, years go by, it seems that healing truely may be possible.

[moonunwell]

Wrathion had spent the entire day yearning for this moment. Lately, their nights together were the only thing that could take his mind away from the horrors he'd been forced to research for the war against N’zoth. As he climbed up the wall to the king’s quarters, though, he could tell this visit wouldn’t be the reprieve he was hoping for.

Anduin waited for him on the balcony, rather than within his room. Looking especially pale under the moons’ light, the king sat on a chair, his forehead sweaty and his teeth clenched in pain as he applied a bag of ice to his swollen right knee. It took him a few moments to acknowledge his visitor.

“Wrathion. You’re later than usual.” He sounded nervous, as if he’d been caught doing something inappropriate.

“My apologies, I had an extremely busy day. And I’m guessing yours wasn’t too easy either.” Wrathion’s eyes went to Anduin’s shaky leg. There it was again – that vague sensation in his own knee, like borrowed pain. He tripped on his next words: “Are… are you –”

“It’s just pain. It’s not for you to worry about.”

An awkward silence followed. Wrathion fiddled with his left earring, desperately searching for a topic of discussion.

“I’ve never seen you use this balcony, come to think of it,” was all he could come up with.

Anduin cocked his head. “Funny story, one time Onyxia locked me here. She said I had to be put in penitence, though I don’t remember what for. She must’ve cast some sort of spell, too, because no one could hear me cry for help. Eventually I stopped trying. I was trapped here for hours.”

Wrathion blinked. “That’s not funny at all.”

“I know,” he sighed. “Let’s just go inside before someone spots you.”

He helped Anduin get up from the chair and through the balcony’s ornate doors. The human’s knee made an alarming creaking sound every time he moved it, and almost buckled multiple times on the short walk to the edge of the bed.

“I take it you’re having a flare-up,” Wrathion stated the obvious as he and Anduin sat down. “I apologize for the intrusion, but why not call upon your divine powers to make this easier on you?”

“It won’t work. Not when it’s the Light in my bones causing the pain.” He flinched as he changed positions, exhaling sharply through his teeth. “It’s started doing this whenever I do something bad. And…” He looked away. “And I just did something terrible.”

“Oh. I see.”

This was the part where he thought of some comforting words to say, or prepared for a prolonged debate on the ethics of the king’s latest executive decision. But, wait –

“Wait, no, that doesn’t make any sense.” He turned sharply to face Anduin. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but – *you* told me that *no one* can communicate with the Light itself. You said, and I quote, ‘it is a force so primordial it takes years of study and abnegation to even begin to comprehend it’. Not even Prophet Velen knows that much about it! So how come *you* can suddenly sense its judgment so directly? Have you become so powerful you can now… scrute the inscrutable?”

“That’s not a real word.”

“Answer my question.”

Anduin sighed and rubbed his face. “The Light is… a lot more complex than what fifteen year old me could tell you. Sometimes it manifests more directly in our world for reasons we don’t understand yet. It’s a subject of constant debate within the church. But… I don’t think it's too far-fetched. There are some ecclesiastical records of cases similar to mine. Moribunds who were saved by the Light and then claimed they could hear its voice through their healed body parts.”

Wrathion quirked an eyebrow. “What would that be called? A miracle? Is that what you believe yourself to be?”

“No – *I’m* not a miracle. But the way I was healed after the Bell incident was. So, maybe…” He was starting to get embarrassed. He laid face up on the bed. “I don’t know. It sounds so ridiculous now that I say it out loud. But… I just… I *know* what this feeling is. I can tell it’s the divine guiding me. What else could this pain mean?”

Wrathion hesitated before replying: “Not everything comes with a meaning. Maybe you’re just in pain.”

But he knew his words fell on deaf ears.

[petrenocka]

Maybe that's a hot take, but I do think Wrathion being absent in Legion is a great writing choice.

Sure, entirely sidestepping the character who self-fulfilling prophecy-ed the expansion into being might seem silly, but for Wrathion's own ark it makes perfect sense.

Because at this point Wrathion is absolutely convinced that Azeroth is doomed. His plans to muster an army capable of dealing with The Burning Legion could not have been more of a failure. He has every reason to believe that his vision of the end is guaranteed to come true and that he is the cause of it. Just from him touching the problem, even with the best intentions it got worse in every way.

That's entirely too much to take in for a person who's entire purpose is proving to the world and more importantly to himself, that his nature and heritage is NOT that of a world ending monster.

Not going to lie, big mood checking out of trying after fucking up so bad it reinforces every single doubt you have about your worth.

This is exasperated by Wrathions self perception as a ""smart guy who sees the reality for what it is"". When you conclude with certainty by using cold facts and logic that you are a failure, are always wrong and break everything you touch, a depressed mind won't catch the contradiction between "I'm always wrong" and "my self assessment is correct".

Not only does Wrathion's pride feed his faith in his doom prophecy, the irreversibility if his mistake. It most definitely makes him completely unpreceptive to the possibility that whatever he is currently thinking bout himself may not be true.

Makes sense why Wrathion would be paralyzed in a dark corner somewhere the entire expansion.

But then the unthinkable happens: mortals beat The Burning Legion, and we beat it so hard Fell is now more or less off the multiverse politics chart for the time being. We kill a Titan for god's sake!

Which for Wrathion was probably such a relief and, barrirring actual therapy, exactly what he needed. Not only could he rejoice that his mistake literally wasn't the end of the world, it meant his prophecy was wrong. More importantly here he has the best possible proof that mortals of Azeroth can stand up for themselves. That he doesn't need to be the one hero to save the day, but that perhaps just participating in the process is enough.

My headcanon is that it was enough to let Wrathion put himself back together somewhat and after climbing out of that hole he jumped into Void research as an outlet/distraction. Hence why he is suddenly the best specialist on protection against Old God corruption in VoN.

And after all of that Wrathion gets character development that allows him to be content with playing a secondary role in defeating N'Zoth. He was invaluable yes, but he allowed us to take center stage, puts his trust in us to do our thing. And in my opinion self isolation and paranoia/need for control where the main things that left Neltarion vulnerable to old god influence.

Which makes it so neat that this is how Wrathion finally gets an oh so needed W. As well as quite literally allows black dragons to return ro Azeroth.

[lostywrites]

Summary:

The Hidden Ones encounter a mysterious traveller from Azeroth. Recognising an opportunity to forge new alliances and expand their influence, they appoint Basim Ibn Ishaq, a devoted disciple, as their representative.

In a realm where ancient lore and magic are as tangible as the air he breathes, Basim must rely on his wits, skills, and newfound connections to fulfill his mission and unlock secrets that could change the fate of both worlds.

A Warcraft/Assassin's Creed Mirage crossover fic. Set before the events of Dragonflight and Valhalla.

Playlist

Chapter 1 I Chapter 2 I Chapter 3 I Chapter 4 I Chapter 5 I Chapter 6 I Chapter 7 I Chapter 8 I Chapter 9

Chapter 10 - The First Ones

Khadgar let out a soft sigh as he leaned back. “I’ve always admired their resilience. Always in search of opportunities to grow and make our world a better place to be in. And you, Basim, have significantly contributed to this mission.”

Basim, aiming to sound modest, replied, “Much of it wouldn’t have been possible without Wrathion’s support.”

“True, but you’ve tackled much of the heavy lifting. That’s exactly why you’ve earned your spot here in my private hot spring,” Khadgar said in jest. Then his voice lowered, a more personal note creeping into his tone. "And Roshan, how is she managing all this?"

A slight smile played at the corners of Basim’s mouth as he picked up on the hint of concern in the mage's voice. “Why the sudden interest? Is this why you invited me here? Hoping to dig a little deeper about Roshan?”

Khadgar chuckled, a flush creeping up his neck, visible even in the steamy air. “Well, she is an impressive woman, commanding respect and admiration. It’s hard not to be,” he cleared his throat, “impressed.”

“You should speak with her more.”

“Ah, but my command of languages isn’t as polished as yours, Basim. I fear I might just embarrass myself trying to communicate.” 

Basim’s laughter echoed around the warm space, blending with the murmur of the hot spring. “Perhaps, but I suspect Roshan would find your efforts more charming than foolish.”

Khadgar's face brightened, though a hint of uncertainty lingered in his eyes. “If she ever gets a break from her work at the bureau, I'd be thrilled to have her visit my workshop at the Violet Citadel. I've been doing a bit of tinkering myself, and given her passion for explosives...well, it's something I've developed quite a knack for, too.”

“It seems like you two have quite a bit in common, and it could be a great way to break the ice. You should extend that invitation, then.” 

“Perhaps I will,” Khadgar considered, his expression thoughtful as he relaxed further into the warm water. His smile persisted, softened by a contented sigh.