#did i mention i love valeera

[shadowsblades]

          I think a lot of people underestimate just how physically tough Valeera is because she’s an elf and so young and slight, but like…

          She was specifically chosen to be trained as a gladiator by Bloodeye and Rehgar. Some background about Rehgar and Bloodeye to illustrate just what it means that Valeera was bought by them:

Rehgar is depicted as being exceeding tough for an orc child ------ “Long before the normal age for an orc’s first right of passage, he made his first kill” of an ogre (which are described in Rise of the Horde as requiring ten adult orcs to kill). He was enslaved by ogres for them to train their children against, and he killed so many of them that the ogres sold him back to the orcs to fight in their arenas. By the time the Dark Portal was opened, Rehgar was so formidable that he was selected as one of the orc soldiers sent through to fight the Alliance, survived, and became a gladiator in the human internment camps. He escaped, but went back to fighting in underground contests, made a bunch of gold, then purchased Bloodeye to fight for him.

Bloodeye is a Blackrock orc (see: Blackhand, Orgrim). The Blackrocks are described in Rise of the Horde as being powerful and violent, proud and strong warriors, with legendary hunting skills that justified their forming the vanguard for the attack on Telmor. Broll describes Bloodeye as being good/the best even for a Blackrock orc, suggesting that Blackrock orcs also have a reputation on Azeroth that marks them as formidable, and Bloodeye is among the top of his class. Other gladiator masters also describe him as the “greatest gladiator”. Bloodeye was trained for three years, and then became the single Champion of the Crimson Ring (note: Varian, Valeera and Broll are not single champions, but they were only trained for three weeks before claiming victory at the Crimson Ring).

           So, Rehgar and Bloodeye are seriously impressive themselves. Broll claims that the two of them pooled their winnings from Dire Maul to buy himself and Valeera to fight with Bloodeye in team combat. However, this is a lie. Broll is not a slave in the same way that Varian and Valeera are, he volunteered to be part of Rehgar’s team. So Rehgar and Bloodeye “pooled their funds” to buy Valeera specifically. This suggests two things 1) Valeera was valued highly enough by the orcs who imprisoned her that Rehgar and Bloodeye both had to exchange their winnings from Dire Maul to afford her, and 2) they saw this investment as worthwhile. Both of these are in spite of the fact that Valeera is not an orc and that she is a child. Valeera, as a child, was deemed as being worthy to fight beside an orc champion and not likely to die too soon for the gold spent on her to have been wasted.

          Why? Because she was able to injure several orc guards on her own before she was finally subdued and thrown in jail. Considering how hulking orcs are compared to elves, and thus even more hulking compared to an elf child, that’s no mean feat.

          Some other examples that should reinforce how physically tough Valeera is:

Her, Varian, and Broll took out three ogres, the previous Crimson Ring champions, in order to claim victory (again: it takes ten orcs to take out one regular ogre). Granted that Varian did most of the work and Valeera got grievously injured, but she didn’t die kjfhakjh

She was sold for nothing less than a fortune after winning alongside Varian and Broll

Also made everyone who bet on her a fortune

She stopped this two-handed, overhead strike from a adult human male from the Assassin’s Guild with one hand while looking bored as fuck

Fought off a bunch of naga which are also much bigger than her

Fought off some night elf sentinels

Other things I can’t be bothered to remember right now kfjheafkjh

[shxwmaster]

anonymous asked: Some angst ponderings for you - what would be the reaction if Shaw ever got an order from SW for whatever reason that entailed killing Flynn? Or perhaps a 'horrific vision'-esque nightmare where he saw himself doing it?

—

Bless you anon, this is something I’ve been wanting to find time to talk about for AGES now.

     Before I answer, I’m going to back up a moment and once again draw attention to his history to VanCleef which I know I can NOT stop talking about —— his best friend, childhood friend, student, lover, who then became an enemy of the state, of which Shaw chose his loyalty to Stormwind over him, directed the SI:7 to dismantle the Defias Brotherhood, and had a hand in VanCleef’s overall death. This is something that still haunts him, and canon implies on various occasions his guilt over it

        ( see: EA:EK, Flynn noting that Shaw went to the           Deadmines to pay his respects

          see: Horrific Vision Shaw, where the original script           was you work with Vanessa VanCleef to stop Overlord           Shaw, who’s running the Defias Company

          see: Shaw’s Faceless Mask of the Pained, which reads:           “ His lost passions, lost loves are all gone, crushed           under his own duty and loyalty to the crown. Nothing           is left, nothing but the pain. ” )

     Shaw is finally giving himself this chance to have something for himself, something that he wants. He’s allowing himself to love and be loved, and though he’s still prioritizing his work ( terror by torchlight has flynn stating that he’s hardly seen him, despite the fact that they’re dating by this point ) he’s still taking the time he can to be with him. He’s utterly in love, he adores Flynn, he’s genuinely happy with him. He hasn’t had this in over a decade, he’s denied himself this for so long.

     For Stormwind to now tell him to kill him? To do the same thing he’d done once before? In service of the kingdom? Again? You want to ask him to do that again?

     He will not.

     Flynn Fairwind is the ONE!! THING!! PERSON!! He WANTS to keep. He asks for ONE THING, ONE, and you want to take that from him? After he’s given everything? He was a child soldier for Stormwind, he’s murdered for Stormwind, he killed VanCleef for Stormwind, he’s upheld this rotten system because it’s all he’s known, you’re going to take the one thing he asks for?

     Mathias will not repeat that same mistake again.

     HONESTLY! I have been utterly, utterly OBSESSED with the very idea of Shaw deciding to break his rules, his code, for something personal. This man has NOTHING personal going on for him, I want him to fight to keep what he has, to push back that system that’s held him by this leash. He’s older and wiser, he knows what’s worth it and what’s not, he’s a little more willing to put his foot down. Mathias will NOT kill Flynn, he will not harm him, he will not hunt him, he will not obey any command from the Alliance that says he must hurt Flynn in any way.

Doesn’t matter if there’s a valid reason. Doesn’t matter if maybe Flynn did go dark side. Doesn’t matter what Flynn did to prompt the order.

That’s love, baby.

     Considering everything Mathias has done for SW, it’s possible he could ( albeit with some difficulty ) figure out a way to maintain his position, integrity, AND preserve Flynn’s livelihood, but he’s fine with letting all of it go, running away. Did we not just spend the entirety of Shadows Rising reading about how he’s yearning, longing to run away from it all and just chill out in his cabin with this Kul Tiran he’s head over heels for? Him questioning who the hell he’d be if Pathonia hadn’t chosen Stormwind for him? Him wanting something different, to get away from this life he knows? Did we not get an entire new book that’s just the two of them venturing through the Eastern Kingdoms together because Shaw found safety and comfort in Flynn and wanted him to come with him? He’s good at his job, but he doesn’t want this life. He wants something nicer, something domestic, and he, at least in his daydreams, can see that vision with Flynn. Of COURSE he will be willing to throw away loyalty to keep this ONE. GOOD. THING. HE HAS IN HIS LIFE.

     And who can stop Shaw? Really, who’s going to stop him? This master assassin, this child soldier born and raised under the blade? It took a DREADLORD to take him down, a fucking dreadlord — you think Stormwind can take him out? The Alliance will suffer without him, and won’t be able to eliminate him OR Fairwind if Shaw goes rogue to protect him. ( haha goes rogue )

Anyways, to answer your other question:

     Shaw is very susceptible to Void, and the way I play out the whole N’Zoth era / horrific visions is that Shaw actually had many Void-induced nightmares, and has actually seen the exact Horrific Visions of Stormwind that we play through in-game. He has caught glimpses of himself as Overlord Shaw, how he took over these sections of Stormwind and reestablished the Defias Brotherhood, locked himself up in paranoia, attempted to murder Valeera, he’s seen some of these, he knows what he’s capable of as a servant of N’Zoth. It scared him. It still haunts him.

     Nightmares like this, that would make him see himself killing Flynn? Shaw wouldn’t even SLEEP anymore. I don’t even think he’d talk about it, about these nightmares ; he’d just suddenly, quietly, be more present and protective over Flynn, spending more time with him to ensure that see, here, here he is, not dead, alive, see, you did not kill him, he’s okay — he wouldn’t mention why he’s suddenly all over him, but it’s apparent that it’s because he’s scared, and now, he can’t sleep unless he knows all is fine.

     Shaw worries a LOT about him and his relation to the Void and Shadow, especially since, as a rogue, he’s capable of using moderate shadow powers for stealth. He tries to avoid using it, sticking to traditional methods of stealth and resorting to magic under intense circumstances, since using Shadow to conceal himself exposes his fragile mental state to the Void, making him susceptible to corruption. ( see once again, the Mask of the Pained ). It’s certainly a fear of his that one day he’ll make the wrong step, and those Horrific Visions will come to pass. At least the fall of N’Zoth eases his consciousness just a bit.

     But Shaw would certainly lose a lot of sleep over this. Even if it wasn’t a Void!nightmare, he’d still be freaked and theorize it could be. He does not want to lose Flynn. He is so, so wildly protective over him.

[onlyshadowkin]

Sylvanas Loyalists still Exist

I Would like to Preface this with the understanding, that this is my reply to Blizzwatch. I am a 16 year fan of WoW, and I have been playing since Vanilla. I have played both sides, Horde and Alliance. I know a Crunk ton of Lore, and I have some pretty strong opinions about in game events, and Lore Characters. if you are an Alliance player, this rant, is not for you. if you are a Horde Member, who likes Thrall, and the current state of Alliance Boot licking, this Rant is not for you. save yourself the pain, read something that will give you happy thoughts! go Read Ms. Roux’s new book, she is a wonderful writer. I support there being Writers who are good at what they do. if you want something a little more informed Lore wise, by all means go pick up a Kristy Golden book, I recommend Arthas or Warcrimes! both Excellent reads! Lore lovely, and thick with understanding of the world. Horde and alliance friendly! 

Now, for those of you who are My Loyalist Brothers and Sisters! Please, join me! let me know what you think about My thoughts! do you feel the same? if not, then why? what am I missing? what do you think the ending should look like? I am just fed up, with being told I do not exist.  I am fed up with the Alliance! I am fed up with the Horde leaders who should not be in power to begin with. I am sick to death of people who do not know the Lore having their say about what happens. 

I am sick to death of the Hypocrisy of the Alliance, of their Self Righteous Arrogant demented thoughts on what is right and wrong, and their trying to impose it on other races and cultures! I am tired of their Xenophobic bigotry, and their ham handed claim to being the “Good guys” which is utter nonsense. 

I am sick to death of Thrall, who abandoned the Horde, leading the Horde, and being put in power, or putting in power, the leaders of the Faction he abandond to Garrosh. I am sick of Alliance Members being put in charge of the Horde Quests, like Valeera Sanguinar, or Baine Bloodhoof, or Thrall. Because, let’s face it, these people are Alliance Members. 

I am sick of Leaders who have done eff all to help their people or heal the wounds their people have suffered under Alliance hands. Like Lortharmar, and Talanji, and Gaeyra! 

I am sick to death of Calia Menethil who may as well be Alliance, and Lillian Voss who was never a Forsaken to begin with. Both of whom Refused any responsibility for their people, and Fellow undead, until it suited them to do so. Calia was capable of treating with the Alliance on her people’s behalf, she could have come forward at any moment before, as the living heir to Lordaron and told Anduin, or Varrian to leave Lordaron to those who belonged there, the Forsaken. to let them alone, or invite them back into the Alliance. She does none of this! instead she starts an insurrection on a field that is supposed to be peaceful, and gets people Killed, who were innocent of crimes, she basically forced upon them.  Voss, she wanted nothing to do with the Forsaken, wanted not to be a part of the Horde, did not want to Serve Sylvanas, and basically tells everyone to leave her alone to kill Scarlet Crusaders. Which we do. She becomes Neutral in WoD, and can be conscripted by Horde or, wait for it, Alliance! Basically an Alliance Member. So, how is she leading the Forsaken?  Neither of these women should be in charge of the Forsaken, even if Sylvanas never returns! 

I am pretty much done, with all of it. there needs to be some serious fixes to the way things are going. Sylvanas was right, the Horde is nothing! because it pretty much does not exist with the Roster we have going for the leaders here. I want my warchief back. I am not foolish enough to think that is possible, however. I want Sylvanas in charge of the Forsaken as she always has been, not that I think that will be a thing. So maybe, there is a third option! Maybe, there is a way to go to a totally new side, and have Sylvanas be it’s leader. it could be done! 

I am not foolish enough to think Blizzard will listen to my ramblings. I do not think I have a snowballs chance in hell, of ever getting them to listen. I think though, this will probably be my last Horrah. I think this will be the Last expansion I play in, since they have forced me into a corner, where the Game, and it’s Lore is no longer fun for me. There is new stuff I Like, but none of it has to do with my Faction or my supposed leaders. none of it has anything to do with my character as she has been. it all has to do with the Shadowlands, and when they go away, I am concerned that my joy for the game will go with them. 

“No. Nathanos is not tied to Sylvanas, and no, they really have not been trying to please anyone but alliance Sympathizers. Not that I have seen at least. If there is more, in the Shadowlands, to prove we are about to get something wonderful in the story, then great! At this point, I do not think there is any appeasing the Majority of Forsaken players, who want Sylvanas back. None of those I know Like Calia, or Lillian, at this point, they are all of the Forsaken I know, and including myself angry about how the story has played out, and the Forced take over of the Forsaken and indeed of the Horde by the Alliance and those who would be friends to the Alliance. when you talk about the "Faction" of blight Loving Forsaken, you are talking about the Majority. When you are talking about the Traitors, you are talking about 1 in 100 maybe, because I have not come across these Alliance loving Forsaken in my 16 years of playing WoW. I am pretty ticked there is no mention of the Loyalists, as we still exist. We did not just go away, and we are not about to stop following Sylvanas. Those Forsaken who ran to the Alliance Side in Before the Storm, they were Traitors, and those who returned immediately as instructed before this meeting, they lived. Calia's Presence got those all who did not make it back in time Killed. The Sister of her Abuser on the Field shows just how dumb Anduin is. She should have been in the chapel and stayed there if she wanted to come. Traitors deserve a Traitor's Death. Like Saurfang and the Forsaken who died before him, they owed their Loyalty to Sylvanas. the Forsaken more so, because they were given the choice to follow her, return to undeath, or go about their merry way, so long as they did not directly appose Sylvanas and the Forsaken. Lillian Voss, was one such undead, who was raised, who went her own way. she did not swear Fealty to Sylvanas, and she continued to live in undeath unscathed by Sylvanas. Derrick Proudmoore, was a weapon, against the Alliance, who are our enemies. Who committed more atrocities, than Garrosh and Sylvanas combined. Teldrassil was deserved. Baine, who owed his loyalty to his warchief and his people, Killed Horde members to free the weapon, and give it to the enemy. Sylvanas did not kill or oust any Horde member, In fact she was more inclusive in her decision making than Thrall even was. Saurfang not only defects to the Alliance, he murders Horde Members in Swamp of Sorrow, and Causes insurrection against his Warchief, who he owed his Allegiance to. Any of those who Followed the Quest line know, that as Loyalists, Sylvanas has no dastardly plan. She tells you to go along, to stay out of it, that what ever happens happens, she at one point wants you to let Baine go, as part of her plan. She never mentions burning thunder Bluff, Thrall is the one who suggests this. She never says she is going to Execute Baine, though she should, she never says that is what she is doing. In fact, Thrall and Saurfang murder more Horde members when they Free Baine, who is blatantly a Traitor. Baine who hands a weapon back to our enemy, the same exact enemy who murders the King of our new Allies, the Father of Talanji, in his home. He had not attacked the Alliance, he was not a part of the Horde at the time, and Jaina and Genn break into his Castle and murder him along with many of his people. Sylvanas makes a deal with one of the Ruling houses of Kultiras, She makes a Deal, instead of bust up into the Alliance aligned Capital City of Kultiras and Murder Kathrine Proudmoore. Who at this point, is an Alliance Supporter. Jaina Proudmoore is an Alliance Supporter, and She becomes Lord Admiral. Then, the Dark Lady sends us to Azshara. We both Free and kill Nzoth because of the Dark Lady. Nathanos Delivers the Blade that is used to weaken Nzoth. She is Directly responsible for Nzoth's downfall. Lortharmar, pissy that he mussed his hair on the way down, not only decides to turn traitor, but then Works with and Befriends, the woman who Murdered his people in Dalaran with her own hands, who kicked families from their thousands of year old home, imprisoned them, or killed them, if they refused to leave their homes. She flat out tries to Execute Romath, Lortharmars closest friend, and then she murders the King of our new Allies, and the Father of Talanji, but Lortharmar sides with her. Baine Sides with her. Saurfang sides with the Alliance. Traitors, ALL. We are expected to Just, accept the Alliance puppets as leaders? The Traitors, who ousted the woman who was responsible for our Survival on the broken shore, for our survival on Dark Shore, as we followed Saurfang's plan. She was the reason for our Survival in Icecrown, through the pit of Sauron and the Halls of reflection. She is responsible for weakening Arthas, and his death. she is Responsible for being the first on the shore to fight against Garrosh forces in Siege of Org. She won the Battle of Androhal, and the Fight for Gilneas! Maybe sometimes using questionable tactics, but she won them for the Horde. she Fought on the front lines in all of these! at the Broken shore, who was first to touch down for the Horde? Who was it who used her most Precious Resource to pull all the Horde out, and Save their lives as we were clearly about to fall? Who was the one, who sailed our Ship, the only one, back to Org, Herself? the ship, You the player wake up on, the only one in the Harbor? Sylvanas, saved our lives, time and time again. Through the expansions, she has fought on the front lines. She is the single most effective Military tactician the Horde, or Alliance has ever seen, and has personally saved the lives of ALL of these Traitors, and they still, chose to help our Hated enemy, the Alliance. The Self Righteous Alliance, who do not even know the Significance of the phrase, Loktar Ogar! Who disrespect the Mak'gora. Who think they have the moratorium on honor, on Loyalty, on the freedom of choice.   They presume to dictate what the Horde should and should not do. What Resources the Horde is aloud to have. Where the Horde is aloud to go. Who the Horde can Allie with. None of that is up to the Alliance. They do not have the moral high ground. Sylvanas won the Mak'gora. Saurfang said of Garrosh, that he would see him forgiven, if he won a Mak'gora against Saurfang. Sylvanas won! Even though Saurfang cheats. She wins. She is Still Warchief! Traitors. Then what happens? The Alliance is let into Orgrimar! by who? by the very people who owe the MOST to Sylvanas, those who she rules over and cares for the most, the ones, who's lives she saved, the ones who she gave a home to! the ones who she fought to get Justice for. the ones she saved from Garrosh war machine, that would have seen them spent to the Last. The Forsaken betray their Queen, and let the Traitors and Alliance into Orgrimar. The Horde Loses the War, because of Traitors, and Deus ex Machina. By Plot armor, and Stupidity on the part of the other Horde "Leaders". Traitors. I am a Loyalist, obviously. I followed Sylvanas away, when the Alliance entered the City, and now, I have been told, I do not exist. That I am not a Loyalist, that all of them were murdered by Thrall, or imprisoned. Thrall says this himself. Thrall who would have died on the broken shore, if not for Sylvanas. Nathanos, owes his very Sanity to the Dark Lady, and if he does turn on her, there is no saving this story. That means, that I am the Most Loyal, that my fellow Loyalists, who Still would serve the Dark Lady given the Chance, really Are, the MOST Loyal. She was right, the Horde is nothing, not anymore. The only Leaders at this point I do not actively hate, or I do not think are Traitors, are Kiro, and Gazlow. That makes me absolutely Sick. Talanji has forgiven the Traitors? who sided with the Alliance, who Murdered her Father? Great. The Horde is nothing. none of them would know what Honor was if it bet them in the face. there has been no concession made to those who like Nathanos. there has been no attempt thus far to try and bring the Loyalists back into the fold. Or Punish us! Either way, it tells me they think I do not exist. The Champion of Azeroth, does not exist. Along with all my Brothers and Sisters, who are STILL Loyal. So, please, do not try to tell me, that they want to show or serve all sides a decent answer. Because My side has not even been considered in the story thus far. It is an impossible task to please everyone. I do not want to be Alliance, The war is not over for me, as with Most Veterans of war. There is no healing to be done for my character, and her story, because the Alliance has not payed for their hand in so many Atrocities. No one has been put on Trial, on the Alliance Side, and All of them are guilty at this point. They are Hypocrites all of them.  Baine deserved punished for his Betrayal, Thrall, and Lortharmar, and the rest, with him. At the very least, they should no longer be aloud to serve as leaders of their Races. They should not be representing the Horde in ANY capacity. They do not belong ruling over the Horde on a Counsel. At the Very Least! I think Baine Deserves execution for his hand in all this. Thrall, does not belong in the Horde anymore. He abandoned the Horde to the hands of Garrosh, and he put Gallywix in power over the player Character after you free him from Gallywix and the Alliance, and help Aggra. The Alliance who fired on a ship, because they did not want there to be witnesses to their capture of Thrall. Who fired on a Ship, full of the LAST of the Kezzan Goblins. Genocide, right? and Gallywix, tries to enslave all of us, and only is fought off by the player, and Thrall, and Thrall puts him in charge of the Goblins. Thanks Thrall, you absolute Jerk. Like I said, zero room for the Alliance to be the Moral police here. I realize this rant has kind of gone on, but it has been building for a long while. There has been a Grievous Wrong done to my faction, to my favorite Lore character, to My Warchief, and to my player Agency. I am still hoping Blizz fixes this. If not, this will be the last time I play a WoW expansion. I am not apposed to a good wrap up to the story, so do not get me wrong. I am not apposed even to Sylvanas Death, but it better be well done.  If Tyrande runs up at the last moment and Kills Sylvanas, or we are forced to kill her, or Thrall steps in again! I will not be forgiving. Nathanos betraying her, not going to have me forgive anyone either. I honestly do not know what the answer is here. I have my ideas on how I would like the Shadowlands to end. both with Sylvanas living, and with her Dying. So there is a chance! there is a chance they can pull it out of the fire, but it is a Slim one. I will say this, the new Alliance leaders, gives me hope there could be new leaders for the Horde! Leaders who are not wrapped up in 16 years of blood. I Like Shandris! I Liked the Gnome you get to play through BFA with, Steelspark? she was awesome! Keshan?! great! Flynn, Great! Lorna Crowly, and Taelia Fordragon! Great! now just do this for the Horde. Kiro and Gazlow! Wonderful! Nisha! she is awesome. Lady Liadrin, I might be ok with her taking over for Lortharmar, maybe. Guess we will see. “

[warcraft-lore-archives]

Azshara’s Court - The Noble Houses of Suramar

For ten thousand years, Suramar has been an isolated society, closed off from the outside world. While in some ways that means it remains a city of the old Highborne era, the events of the War of the Ancients led to intense power struggles and shifts in the city’s political hierarchy. The sudden absence of the Highborne monarchy after the Sundering most likely created a giant power vacuum that Suramar’s populace had to compensate for. As a result, it is possible that the once most noble of houses during Queen Azshara’s reign may now be nothing but commoners and vice versa, which makes it difficult to ascertain if any of Suramar’s Nightborne nobility currently have the same status they did ten thousand years ago. Although there is some evidence for it – Elisande and Thalyssra both occupying their respective ranks for the last ten thousand years, plus the rarity that new advisors are appointed – there have also been obvious changes [World of Warcraft Chronicle Volume I, pg. 103-104, NPC: Tynala Dialogue, Quest: The Perfect Opportunity]. For example, Ly’leth Lunastre’s family only recently became a respectable house due to the efforts of her father [Quest: Masquerade]. Moreover, countless exiles have occurred in the last ten thousand years since the barrier went up, making room for others to ascend in the ranks and acquire coveted positions. In short, since Suramar’s political hierarchy has at times been proven to be rather volatile, this post is almost certainly neither a complete nor true rendition of the city’s pre-Sundering noble Highborne houses.

Up until recently, Suramar’s nobility was dominated by four prominent families: House Astravar, House Duskmere, House Lunastre, and House Stelleris. With the exception of House Lunastre, most of the city’s elite lives in Suramar’s noble district, the Court of Stars [Dungeon Journal: Court of Stars].

While arranging the noble houses, I assumed that any NPCs with shared surnames are related. Although it has not been confirmed that some of the NPCs listed below are actually related – with the exception of a notable few – it is not unrealistic to assume that a Highborne could have distant high or blood elven relatives, especially since virtually all high elves are the descendants of Highborne exiles. For that reason, I have included high and blood elf NPCs with the same last name as known Highborne, however, it is important to note that the connection between them is ultimately tenuous at best without any confirmation. Many high elves ultimately changed their surnames to not only distance themselves from their kaldorei cousins but also reflect their new sun-centered culture. Although some Highborne like Dath’Remar Sunstrider did have sun oriented surnames to begin with, it was rather uncommon among the kaldorei [World of Warcraft Chronicle Volume I, pg. 118]. In other words, it may simply be a coincidence that some of the Highborne and high elves below have the same surname. 

Some of the NPCs below may or may not also be related to lowborn kaldorei living today. While it would be unusual for a Highborne to have lowborn relatives, that does not mean it is impossible. It is more likely that some Nightborne were commoners before the shield was put up around Suramar, thus explaining why they share a surname with various kaldorei NPCs. 

The Noble Houses

House Astravar

House Duskmere

House Lunastre

House Stelleris

House Narassin

House Moonblade

House Feathersong

House Dawnrunner

House Silverleaf

House Astravar

Lady Aurore <Matron of House Astravar>

Ailen <Heir to House Astravar>

The Astravar family belongs to the uppermost echelons of Suramari nobility. The family’s current matriarch, Lady Aurore, is close friends with Ly’leth Lunastre [Quest: Either With Us].

Astravar Harbor was likely named for House Astravar.

House Duskmere

Ruven <Heir to House Duskmere>

House Duskmere commands respect through fear [Quest: Death Becomes Him]. Ruven, the family’s sole heir and one of Suramar’s most adept spellcasters, is Coryn Stelleris’ dearest friend [Quest: Rumor Has It, Quest: Death Becomes Him].

House Lunastre

Ran’thos Lunastre

Ly’leth Lunastre

Anarys Lunastre

Apprentice Ardrias

Although House Lunastre appears to have only recently come up in the ranks, they are still worth mentioning considering the power they hold in Suramar today.

Anarys, whose gender changes depending on the gender of the player character, is Ly’leth’s younger sibling [Quest: Masquerade]. Ardrias may be their cousin [NPC: Apprentice Ardrias Dialogue].

House Stelleris

Duke Coryn Stelleris <Lord of House Stelleris>

Covelyn <Stelleris Thug>

The symbol of House Stelleris is a silver crescent [Quest: Rumor Has It]. The head of the family, Duke Coryn Stelleris, is considered a predator even among nobility [Quest: Vote of Confidence, Item: Ancient Qiraji Idol].

House Narassin

Athrikus Narassin

Allaris Narassin

Andaris Narassin

Athrikus Narassin was personally handpicked by Queen Azshara to serve as the governor of the twin cities Ameth’Aran and Bashal’Aran in Darkshore. Despite his position, he spent most of his time secluded in the Tower of Althalaxx, far from the two towns. His second-in-command, a Highborne elf named Asterion, often saw to the needs of the sister cities’ people in his place [Object: The Lay of Ameth’Aran].

One of Athrikus’ many magical possessions was a Ring of Power, although he lost it during the Sundering [Page: Athrikus’ Ring of Power].

Athrikus’ brother, Allaris Narassin, is a Suramari noble [Item: Logbook of Ur’dan].

Although the chart above assumes Andaris is Athrikus and Allaris’ sister, it is important to note that she is never explicitly referred to as their sibling.  

House Moonblade

Erasmus Moonblade <Second Blade of Elisande>

Erasmus may be related to Sentinel Tysha Moonblade, Mariner Moonblade, and T’rel Moonblade. It is worth noting that T’rel Moonblade, who is buried in Black Rook Hold, is implied to be one of Valeera Sanguinar’s distant ancestors [Quest: Eternal Unrest].  

House Feathersong

Thaedris Feathersong

Latara Feathersong

Lady Latara Feathersong, Thaedris’ wife, was once a skillful huntress and renowned sentinel [NPC: Thaedris Dialogue, Quest: The Final Ingredient, Object: Memorial Plaque]. At some point before the War of the Ancients, she died and was interned in Tel’anor.

Thaedris and Latara may be related to Rayne Feathersong and Lyranne Feathersong, two kaldorei elves. 

House Dawnrunner

Stalriss Dawnrunner <Leatherworking Trainer> (Nightborne)

Anaya Dawnrunner (Highborne)

Lieutenant Dawnrunner (Blood Elf)

Eldara Dawnrunner (Blood Elf)

Tylos Dawnrunner (Blood Elf)

Before she died in the Sundering, Anaya Dawnrunner lived in Ameth’Aran and maintained an intimate relationship with the druid Cerellean Whiteclaw [Quest: For Love Eternal].

Stalriss Dawnrunner was an esteemed member of Suramar’s leatherworking guild up until he was exiled by his colleagues [Quest: Wrong End of the Knife].

House Silverleaf

Lespin Silverleaf

One of Lespin’s first tasks as Suramar’s resident jeweler was to help create the filigree on the arcane lamps used throughout the city [Quest: All That Glitters]. Since then, he has fashioned everything from a signet ring and a brooch to a weapon for Suramar’s more elite citizens [Quest: An Artisan’s Mark, Quest: Estate Jewelry: A Braggart’s Brooch, Estate Jewelry: Haute Claw-ture]. Additionally, Lespin claims to have come up with the design for a masterwork gem cut known as the magistrix cut, but it was revealed that he actually stole it from Lady Anastae’s husband, whom he killed [Quest: The Master’s Legacy].  

[the-wolfs-raven]

Did one of the ship memes for Tara’s “canon” relationship.  You can find it HERE.

For an explanation, please see this link.

Let’s start from the top!  Tara is tol and young.  Lo’Gosh is tol and older.  These are things we know.  *nods*

Tara identifies as her biological sex, and I believe that Lo’Gosh would as well since there are no allusions otherwise.

Tara is pansexual, however she does tend to be heteroromantic.  Seeing as how Lo’Gosh only had one relationship throughout the game, books, etc, and there have been no hints to him even looking at another person, his sexuality remains unknown, though he does seem to have hetero leanings.

Now to the charts!

Lo’Gosh is a big boy, Tara is tiny.  She is always little spoon save for the rare occurrence where she wraps herself up behind him. Not that they would cuddle up that often, but when it happened, that’s how it be.

Lo’Gosh has given her several things (shared his food, etc) so I believe he would be more inclined to share clothing.  Tara has nothing and would be more likely to need it in case of damage to her own.

I don’t really see either of them using pet names.  Tara called him ‘Croc’ before he earned his name in the Crimson Ring, but that was only because she didn’t like calling him Croc Bait.  She didn’t have long to call him Lo’Gosh, either, as the events at Thunder Bluff began their ultimate divide.

Tara was very shy at this point, and likely didn’t speak much (not to mention having to pull the knowledge of the common language from her brain that grew up speaking Darnassian and only had read the language in the past).  Lo’Gosh seems to be the type to speak up a bit more or enter himself into a conversation should it pertain to or interest him, but I don’t see him being as extroverted as he was as Varian.

Tara is kind of middle of the line on showing affection.  She likes to pet on him when she’s allowed, but also likes to remind him he’s loved.  Lo’Gosh doesn’t say it, but he does show he cares.  There is a good and probable chance that he doesn’t feel quite the same way as she does.

Tara would hold back as long as she could not to scare him off, but she would be the first, and only one, to say I love you.  Lo’Gosh cares for her, but not quite so deeply as she does for him.

Tara had recently gotten out of a filthy cage surrounded by scorpids and everything else.  She might not scream about them, but they would make her visibly uncomfortable.  Lo’Gosh would take care of that.

I always pictured Varian as someone who could get into a vehicle and figure it out pretty quickly through trial and error.  I assume Lo’Gosh would be the same.  Tara has shown in RP that she is terrible at driving anything that cannot drive itself.

They would both know how to cook.  Even disregarding palace life, if you go on long hunts, you’re going to have to cook that food to edible eventually.  In Tara’s case, she was taught by her mother.

Lo’Gosh strikes me as the type to shun noticeable affection, especially in a situation where someone who needs to be considered strong might be considered weak for it.  Tara, on the other hand, just loves to love on him, though she’ll keep her distance if asked.

Tara worries about him constantly, especially because she can’t always watch the fights.  Lo’Gosh is protective, but it is in more reactive to a damsel in distress than a close bond.

Tara has never been in a relationship before.  Lo’Gosh might not remember his, but there might be something stuffed away in that head of his.

Horniness:

Tara has been battered and bruised through many Horde “visitors”, but it is something that her body became used to over time.  Now that she has a choice in who she sleeps with, she seems to actively desire it.

Lo’Gosh is in a situation where he doesn’t know who he is and is being forced to fight for the enemy faction’s amusement.  Can’t imagine there’s much to get excited about.

Awkwardness:

Tara is an awkward bean.  Always has been.  Won’t grow out of that stage for another few years.

Lo’Gosh is less awkward, but he still gets flustered.  Basing this off of certain reactions like when Jaina told him she was proud of him at Icecrown and his only reaction was to scoff.

Jealousy:

There’s not really anyone around to be jealous -of- so the levels are low.  Tara does get a bit quietly apprehensive when he’s talking with Broll and Valeera and she’s left out of the conversation.  Lo’Gosh doesn’t get jealous, but he will beat down an orc for coming around to try and take her away.

Anywayyyyyy.  That’s my view on it.  There’s still some polishing to be done, but this about sums up how I had viewed their relationship.  *nods*

[shadestriders]

💕 Raerns toValeera

RELATIONSHIP RANK // Accepting

Raern x Valeera

strangers (0 of 5)

I don’t know you personally or at all. I would not recognize you on the street. I do not know your name. i would not recognize if you were brought up in conversation. you have no importance in my life.

acquaintances (5 of 9)

i know your name. I recognize your face. i think i understand your personality on a surface level. i’d like to get to know you more. i think we could be good friends. we have a lot of similar interests. people say we’re a lot alike. we don’t ask one another for favors often. i would not be able to tell someone if you have allergies.

friends (2 of 11)

we get along well. we have fun together. i like hanging out with you. you’re someone i can send memes to. i feel comfortable around you. i know some of your interests. i’m a little more open with you than other people. i keep some secrets to myself. sometimes i’m not sure what i can open up to you about. i usually buy you something minor for holidays. i like when we can go out and do something together.

best friends (1 of 13)

i could tell you anything. i call you if there’s a problem. we probably text too much. we have a great time together. we’ve got through some bad times. i can be myself around you. we have inside jokes for days. i send you songs that remind me of us. we have a lot of memories together. i can open up to you. i worry when you’re in a bad situation. i’d kick someone’s booty for you. i take insults against you personally.

crushes (0 of 13)

you make my heart race. i can’t stop thinking about you. i worry i text back too quickly. every touch is a sign. sometimes i wonder what kind of person is your type. i send you songs that remind me of you. i keep dropping hints about how i feel. you make me emotional. i want to tell you how i feel. i like when you let me stay over. i think i’d be happy so long as you’re happy. seeing you with other people makes me jealous. i can’t tell if this is a date or we’re just hanging out solo.

sister/brotherly (3 of 15)

you drive me crazy. we’re on the same level. you take over all my hobbies. you nag me too much. i’d die for you. we jinx a lot. we have inside games. we play too many pranks. sometimes our fights can get a little intense. i feel relaxed around you. i can be myself around you. we take care of each other. you steal my food right from my plate. i steal your food straight from your plate. if one of us is sick, we both are.

dating & early love (0 of 13)

you make me happy. we have everything in common. you are always on my mind. i can’t get enough of you. we sleep on top of each other, not next to each other. we buy everything in pairs. talking about you is like word vomit. people seem a little annoyed at how in love we are. our relationship should have books written about it. we’re always making memories. i can’t wait to do all our ‘firsts’ together. sometimes i get cold feet. i hope we’ll be together forever.

mature love (1 of 18)

you take all the blankets. you ate the last of MY snack. we get into tiffs but work it out. i can be honest with you. you know everything about me. we can be a little naggy towards each other. i feel safe around you. you are always on my mind. everything i do is for us. ‘we’ seems to suit us best. people say we fight like a married couple. we are married. we have children together. we reminisce while making memories. i’d die for you. i can’t imagine my life without you. i love you for your flaws. i’ll love you forever.

toxic love (1 of 15)

(optional, contains abuse mentions)

i’ll do anything you tell me to do. it doesn’t matter so long as you’re happy. i don’t care so long as it makes me happy. i’m only in this relationship to get something. you only want to be with me to get something. i can’t trust you. i don’t feel comfortable around you. talking to you feels like walking on egg shells. i never know what is okay. you apologize with gifts. i apologize with gifts. you say i’m everything to you. i don’t talk to anyone else anymore. we get into physical fights. the cops have been called before.

exes (0 of 12)

i miss what we had. we used to be good friends. my memories feel tainted now. i think about texting you a lot. i wonder how you’ve been. i don’t like the idea of you getting with other people. i’m already seeing other people. we have a child together. we’re legally separated. we broke up. my family wants us to get back together. i put you on blast with all my friends.

enemies (1 of 11)

i hate you. you make my skin crawl. you are my antonym. seeing you makes my blood boil. i know you’re no good. you thwart my every move. i know your trying to hurt me. i know you’re talking shit about me. i’ve never felt this way about anyone else. i could kill you. i will kill you.

result: Acquaintances (14 Total)

Valeera is a puzzle to Raern. She’s very much stuck on the idea that Valeera is solidly Alliance, but insists on declaring herself neutral. Her feelings toward that are layered - to most she would explain it away as an oddity. The lies she tells herself is it’s just her motherly instinct acting up around one of her people that is clearly so young. The truth of the matter is that Raern cannot accept the possibility of true neutrality, of having personal relationships to people aligned to a cause but not having a cause (even if it’s the opposite) yourself.

Raern sees herself as some weird... mother/sister/mentor figure to Valeera. She tries to impart wisdom in a way that Valeera could swallow, and secretly she’s rooting for Valeera to succeed. But she hasn’t quite gotten to the point of realizing Valeera not only doesn’t want her help, she doesn’t need it.

Raern enjoys teasing Valeera at any given opportunity, as it reminds her of dozens of friendships she’s had and lost over her life. While she cannot possibly admit it even to herself, Raern wishes she were closer to Valeera. Even if she did admit it, she would never be willing to be as vulnerable as would be necessary for any relationship beyond professional friends to grow.

There is absolutely no potential for a crush, fling or romantic relationship to form between them. Raern sees Valeera as far too young to ever embark on such a venture. On the flipside, Raern could easily kill Valeera (from an emotional/psychological standpoint) if she was ordered to explicitly. But she would sooner find a loophole in her orders, or ‘allow’ Valeera to escape, though she only would allow it once.

[pcsitivibee]

positivity for @mvspelheim : Did anybody mention OC love? Because I have some right here and am more than willing to share! Lydia has an amazing and so much fleshed out character and I'm sad to see she's getting so much hate for Valeera. Valeera is a wonderful character, with deep connections to canon characters and with a story that's so well woven into the canon that I could think she's canon charrie! The relationships Valeera has with Yon is one of my favs to read about and I can't wait to see how it will continue!

[katieskarlette]

Before the Storm:  A Reaction Post

I just finished binge-reading the latest WoW novel, and I have thoughts.  Quite a few of them, actually.  So here goes.

Short non-spoilery version:   Game tie-in novels are never going to be high literature, but for what it was, I really enjoyed this book.  I know Golden’s name has been mud around this neck of the internet lately, so this probably isn’t a popular opinion.  The contrast between Anduin and Sylvanas as leaders--and as people--was interesting to see, and the questions about how the living and the undead can (or should) interact were incredibly poignant.  There was only one significant lore development (at the very end, regarding a new variety of undead) that is easy to catch up on via a quick summary, so it’s not a mandatory read to understand Battle For Azeroth.  But as a character study and a fleshing-out of the world and how various issues stand going into the new expansion, it was a enjoyable read.  If you’re a fan of Anduin, Sylvanas, Genn, Calia, or goblins, definitely check it out.

Spoilers (as well as a mention of real-life death/grief) below.

I think sometimes fandom marinates in an echo chamber and, because of how seldom new canon material is released, we assume that because Blizzard isn’t releasing a weekly short story they’re letting unresolved plot threads dangle and fester.  Sometimes they do, granted, but there were an awful lot of things addressed (or at least mentioned) in this book that fandom has been wondering/worrying/complaining/speculating about:

The leadership void among the Darkspear.  The impact of losing so many soldiers and supplies in the war with the Legion.  What’s been going on in the Undercity while Sylvanas is away doing Warchief stuff.  The fact that none of the Horde leaders have families.  The reaction of the Cenarion Circle to their losses in Silithus.  The unpopularity of Gallywix among his own people.  The confusion and cross-faction misunderstandings about the disastrous battle of the Broken Shore.  The tension and lost trust after Genn Greymane and Admiral Rogers’ shenanigans at the start of Stormheim’s storyline.  Moira’s son not being a baby anymore.  The unresolved issues between Moira and Magni.  Velen’s grief over his son.  The fact that Tess and Mia Greymane exist.  Theramore.  Calia’s claim to the throne of Lordaeron.  The long-lasting impact of the Cataclysm.  The mixed opinions among the Horde about the way the goblins terraformed Azshara.  Kalec and Jaina’s relationship.  Lore from the priest order hall.  And yes, the fact that Anduin needs an heir.

I’m not saying all these things are settled or developed, or handled in ways I necessarily agree with, but it’s good to be reminded that Blizzard hasn’t forgotten about any of these elements.  (Wrathion, on the other hand...  Sigh.  Don’t get me started.  Suffice it to say he’s not even alluded to in the book.  Onyxia does get a passing mention in relation to how her scheming impacted the Wrynns.)

Anyway, moving on to the main theme of the book:  life, death, and all the corpse-gray areas in between.

It was hard to read sometimes because of how raw the emotions were and how hard the questions were that it asked.  I’m not sure that it would have the same impact on someone who has never grieved the death of a loved one, but for me it was quite emotional.  I got misty-eyed in several places.  

I found myself imagining what it would be like to see my much-beloved grandmother (who, by the time she died, was as hunched, emaciated and discolored as any Forsaken, although that’s not how I try to remember her) standing across a field from me.  To be able to speak to her again, tell her how much I love and miss her, to tell her what I’ve been doing in the last fifteen years...yet to see her as a withered, pungent, unnatural husk, to know she’d been denied the rest of the grave...  Faced with that choice, I don’t know how I would react.  I’m glad I never will--for a lot of reasons!

The book never said that Anduin imagined himself facing either of his parents under such circumstances, but I’m sure he must have.  (I mean, not that there was anything left of Varian to turn undead, but hypothetically speaking.)  Anduin’s a very empathetic person, and his own grief over his father was still so raw.  It certainly affected Genn, who I thought was written very well. 

I’ve never been a fan of the Forsaken, because their dark, mean-spirited, nihilistic outlook and the corpse/bone aesthetic don’t appeal to me. (It doesn’t in other contexts, either.  Give me cute jack o’ lanterns and chubby-cheeked ghosts for Halloween decorations, and skip the plastic tombstones and cardboard skeletons, please.)  This book gave a lot of insight into what it would be like to be undead, without the need for sleep, cut off from any living friends/relatives, with a body that’s slowly wearing out without the ability to heal or do physical therapy, knowing that you are repulsive and smelly to others, making the most of second chances while also perhaps yearning for the peace of true death, and being acutely aware of how fragile you really are.  It made the Forsaken more sympathetic and (excuse the pun) fleshed out.

I was also quite pleased to see acknowledgement of Forsaken who aren’t emotionless, gibbering eeeevil.  My lone, seldom-played undead alt, a lowbie priest, is that kind of a character:  holding onto the Light even though it now is painful to use, and refusing to stoop to being a monster just because she’s a walking corpse.  That wasn’t a viewpoint that was really highlighted in canon before.  (Of course, that means my little priest would be out there on the Arathi plain with a bunch of black arrows sticking out of her right now, so...)

I was disappointed that the book never mentioned Anduin bringing Elsie’s body back to Stormwind to bury beside Wyll.  I’m going to assume he did, because geez.

I still don’t know where they’re going with the new Light-infused variety of undead, but we’re not really supposed to.  It’s just a teaser and cliffhanger.  There’s a lot of story potential, anyway.  We’ll see.  I’m glad they didn’t remove Calia from the story completely, at least.

Speaking of cliffhangers, if that adorable gnome/goblin couple didn’t survive, I’m going to be majorly bummed out.  It was also interesting to know that goblins and gnomes can get married in canon.  Presumably other cross-species relationships can be made legal, too.

Anyone who’s emotionally invested in the Menethil dynasty has sure had a rollercoaster of ups and downs lately.  Yay, Calia’s finally in game!  Noooo, she’s not interested in claiming her throne!  Yay, she’s interested after all!  Nooooo, she’s dead!  Yay, she’s...undead?  And she's totally cool with the idea that Lordaeron belongs to the Forsaken?  (Which, I mean, it does, but it’s surprising to have her think that.  So many forum threads about this stuff suddenly became obsolete...)  And there’s a slim chance that her daughter is either undead or still alive out there somehow?  WHAAAAAAT? 

Oh yeah, she secretly got married to a footman, had a kid, escaped the Scourge, lived in Southshore for years under an assumed identity, and then presumably lost her husband and daughter when the town got Blighted (yet she’s okay with the Forsaken???), but we didn’t see the bodies so heaven only knows what plot twist could come of that.  

On one hand (the Watsonian one) it’s a tragic, awful thing for her to have gone through and I felt really bad for her.  On the other hand (the Doylist one), did she really need more tragic, awful backstory?  No.  No, she really did not.  It seemed like overkill, which makes me suspect they’re seeding a plot thread for the future.  Meh.  Hey, if she lived in Southshore, did she know the Rogers family?  Would Admiral Catherine Rogers recognize her as whatever her fake identity was?

On a related note, you’ve got Anduin who in the past was always like, “OMG noooo don’t compare me to Arthas!” and now is like, “Okay, Calia, I’m officially adopting you as my new big sister.”  Oh, the irony...

I should address the rainbow-striped elephant in the room:  There is no LGBTQIA+ representation in the book.  Anduin is specifically mentioned as having been attracted to the female dwarf Aerin, and he expects to fall in love with a woman someday.  Personally, I‘ve headcanoned him as bi, perhaps leaning a bit ace, while always expecting Blizz to have him marry a woman.  I do sympathize with those who had hoped that he might be canonically gay, and I strongly agree that Warcraft badly needs more representation in that regard.  In this book alone, it would have been so easy to have that blacksmith bringing a helmet as a gift to his long-lost Forsaken husband instead of friend.  But we also need a major Warcraft character to be unequivocally LGBT.  It’s way, way past time.  Get on it, Blizzard.

[Edited to add:  I almost forgot, another kind of representation I wish they had explored was that of physical disability.  As convenient as Anduin’s Magic Lie-and-Bad-Idea-Detecting Bones are, why couldn’t he have had some negative lasting effects of being crushed by the Divine Bell?  Chronic aches, maybe a limp at least?  Loss of a limb, even?  There is a narrative to be explored there, and as someone with a close family member who suffers from chronic pain and limited mobility it would be refreshing to see that kind of thing addressed.]

Moving on, I’ve never cared for Valeera Sanguinar that much, but I did like how she’s set up as Anduin’s super secret spy.  I wonder if she gets to wear pants now.

Big ol’ meanie Sylvanas made Baine and Anduin stop being pen pals.  *pout*  I loved how Magni called her “lassie,” though.  That takes balls of diamond, to be sure...

Speaking of the banshee queen, I tried very hard to read between the lines to see what their long-term plans are for her.  Just because the last line of the book is Anduin proclaiming that she’s beyond saving, that doesn’t mean they aren’t going to try to pull off some kind of redemption arc.  If anything it just draws our attention to the question.  

Is Anduin right?  A big part of his plot arc lately is how he’s finding his way, making mistakes and learning from them.  Could he be wrong about Sylvanas?  He saw potential for good in Garrosh that never developed, so it’s not impossible that he could find compassion for Sylvanas someday...if she shows remorse and a desire to change.  And that’s an “if” bigger than the sword sticking out of Silithus.

I didn’t see any signs of her wrestling with her conscience.  If anything, the emphasis on how some Forsaken do still have feelings (besides hatred, bitterness, and anger) condemned her all the more by comparison.  Yet she does regret Vol’jin’s death, and she did respect him.  And her feelings were definitely hurt by her sisters’ responses to her, and you have to have feelings to have them be hurt.  But her lack of remorse for any of the vicious, heartless things she does, combined with her new penchant for killing her own people, doesn’t bode well for her to have a change of heart any time soon.

I also kept a close eye on Nathanos.  In his short story they made a point of saying that his senses were sharper with his new body, and that he felt a pang of regret for the first time since his death.  That could simply be an indication of his renewed state, or it could be a tiny sliver of foreshadowing that he’s not 100% on board with Sylvanas’ plotting.  Then again, that was set before Legion, and he spent all of Stormheim frantically trying to find her, and worrying about her, and just generally not being remotely subtle about how much he cares for her.  Heh.  Then again, he can care about her (in whatever way the undead feel such bonds, that is) and still think she’s going too far with her ideas about the valkyr, raising more Forsaken, keeping them up and functioning indefinitely without the release of true death, etc.  Interesting potential for conflict there, as well.

I don’t know that I even want to see a Sylvanas redemption arc, but it’s fun to try guessing what Blizzard has planned.  And such a plot twist would alleviate some of the “Didn’t we just do this same ‘overthrow a bad warchief’ plot with Garrosh?” syndrome, and allow them to keep around one of the franchise’s most recognizable characters.

I was also relieved to find no evidence that Anduin is being corrupted by the Old Gods, Azerite, or anything else.  He’s true to himself and the Light, as always.  I appreciate characters who stubbornly insist that there is good in (almost) everyone, despite living in a world that does its best to beat that optimism out of them.  It’s not blind idealism or naivete; it’s faith and its own kind of strength.

Sylvanas and Anduin are fascinating foils for each other.  The stark contrast between a young king who is still finding his place and a bitter, scarred, centuries-old queen, someone who comes to understand that death is not always the enemy versus someone who digs in her heels and refuses to accept it, someone who wants his people to be happy versus someone who kills them for not agreeing with her...  It’s intriguing.

Was it the best book ever?  No.  Did I enjoy reading it?  Yes.  Is it absolutely necessary to read in order to understand the story going into the next expansion?  Nah.  Would it have been a lot better with Wrathion in it somehow?  Of course.  ;)

And that’s my two cents.  (Er, well, judging by how long this post got, more like $2.50.)

[shadowsblades]

VALEERA IS A HERO

          Valeera’s depiction as a spy, and particularly as a blood elf working against her people, obscures the fact that she is also a good person and, dare I say, a hero. 

          No one forced Valeera to put herself between Broll and the blademaster, or between Varian and their opponents in the Crimson Ring, both of which resulted in her injury. No one forced her to accompany Varian into Onyxia’s lair to save Anduin. Valeera was actively discouraged from accompanying Garona to retrieve her son, and certainly no one would have blamed her if she had chosen not to put herself between Medan and Cho’gall, something that very nearly results in her death and which forces her to sacrifice herself to the dreadlord possessing her in order to survive. No one is telling Valeera that she has to work with Baine to return Derek to Jaina (in fact, Jaina is a bitch about Valeera being there at all, but that’s a salty post for another day), and although there are unlikely to be any consequences for Valeera because Blizzard doesn’t care about her, it’s nevertheless something she did under Sylvanas’ nose. These are all things Valeera did not have to do.

          Valeera chooses over and over again to put herself in harm’s way in order to help other people, even people she does not know. She might not be leading armies into ICC, but she is doing her part, and she is doing it alone and without recognition.

[shadowsblades]

INDIVIDUAL-TO-GROUP GENERALISATION, IDENTITY SALIENCE, AND VALEERA

          I’ve mentioned in headcanon posts before how Valeera, unlike other characters in Warcraft, is not blindly loyal to whatever faction her race is loyal too. That is a defining feature of her character which is exemplified in her dialogue in the comics, World of Warcraft, and in Heroes of the Storm:

“Horde? Alliance? What has either done for me? No, I fight for myself.”

“Horde? Alliance? What has either faction done for me? My allegiances are my own.”

“My allianceslol are personal.”

         Valeera pledges loyalty to people who treat her well personally. She also doesn’t hold grudges against entire groups for the actions of solitary individuals. That is, Valeera fails to generalise from the individual to the group. Individual-to-group generalisation is a social psychological phenomenon where people assimilate into their opinions of a social category (e.g., groups defined by race, religion, ability) information they have learned about single members of that category. For example, if you observe a news story about a person with a mental illness acting violently towards others, you will (on average) come to believe more strongly than you did before that people with mental illness are violent. Most people in our society (and I would wager in Azeroth as well) do generalise from the individual to the group, but Valeera does not. She does not form a negative opinion of all orcs based on negative experiences with some orcs, and neither does she form a positive opinion of all humans based on positive experiences with some humans.

          One explanation as to why Valeera does not generalise from these exemplar experiences may be because she sees orcs and humans are being highly variable groups comprised of very different individuals. Perceived group heterogeneity moderates the individual-to-group generalisation effect. When we see groups as heterogenous, using our experiences with some group members to inform our opinion of all group members is not helpful. Another possible explanation is that Valeera sees the orcs and humans she has had contact with as being extremely atypical of their group. These individuals could be perceived as an exception to the rule. The first explanation vibes with me more than the second. I don’t think Valeera has any reason to believe that Rehgar was atypical of orcs or that Varian is of humans. Moreover, research shows that perceived atypicality only reduces individual-to-group generalisation rather than blocking it entirely.

          So Valeera has a low propensity to generalise from individuals to groups. She views others as individuals rather than members of their group, rendering interactions with individuals interpersonal rather than intergroup, with the consequence that she is loyal (or not) to those individuals rather than the groups they represent. But despite this, it seems like she does consider threats and harms perpetrated against her group (the sin’dorei) to be perpetrated against her personally, even if she was not directly impacted by them. Look at other quotes she has aimed at Arthas, Kael’thas, and the Scourge:

“Arthas, I will never forgive you for what you did to Quel'Thalas.”

“Kael'thas. The traitor who would be king.”

“You [Kael’thas] would sell us out to the demons. I will hear no more from you!”

“The Scourge is my eternal enemy.” (quote from both HotS and the comics)

“Death to all who betray the Sin'dorei!”

          Apart from destroying her homeland, none of these individuals or groups directly harmed Valeera. Due to her low affiliation with the sin’dorei, anyone who ‘betrays’ the sin’dorei is not hurting Valeera personally. Nevertheless, she views these individuals’ interaction with the high/blood elves as intergroup, generalising from the rest of the sin’dorei to herself in a way she does not do from other individuals to their group.

          Valeera’s identification with the sin’dorei is so intense that whereas she tends to perceive others as individuals rather than group members, she perceives herself as less of an individual and moreso as a representative of her people. This can probably be explained by the centrality of her blood elf identity.

          According to the social identity approach which is fundamental to much of the research in social psychology, individuals are intrinsically motivated to maintain positive distinctiveness – a self-concept that is positive and differentiated from others’. One way in which individuals maintain positive distinctiveness is by perceiving their group favourably and other groups less favourably. As Valeera is predominantly surrounded by members of the Alliance who do not have positive views of blood elves, her love for her people must be exaggerated in over to overcome that challenge. This may explain why Valeera is such a fervent defender of the sin’dorei ------ she has to be for the sake of her self-esteem.

          This problem is further compounded for Valeera by the salience of her identity ------ her constant awareness of the fact that she’s a blood elf. There are many social groups we can identify with at any given time (e.g., sex, race, occupation), some of which are more relevant to the context than others. While residing in Stormwind surrounded by majority humans, Valeera’s identity as a blood elf is always relevant as a consequence of the high racial contrast between her and others that does not occur for most other blood elves. Thus, her positive self-concept needs to be derived from that identity.

           Essentially, Valeera’s fierce defence of the blood elves is motivated by her need for a positive self-concept derived from her most salient social identity. This leads her to emphasise with her groups’ victimisation even when she is not personally victimised, and even though, in the reverse, her opinion of social groups are usually insulated from her experiences with individuals.

[the-wolfs-raven]

👠 = Does your muse prefer high heels or no heels at all?

Hm...That’s a tricky one.  Tara enjoys the looks she gets and the feelings she inspires when she wears a nice, sexy pair of heels, but she doesn’t typically prefer them.  Were it up to her, she would walk barefoot everywhere (or, at least, run around in a nice pair of socks.  Did I mention she likes socks?  Oh, there’s a story there)

So the first piece of clothing that was gifted to her after she was freed from Oog’tar was this ugly pair of socks that Valeera got ahold of to keep her feet warm at night.  They were the ugliest, scratchiest, most half-assed pair of socks in the world, but she loved them to death.  She was heartbroken when they finally wore out, but to this day, wearing thick socks is a distinct form of comfort to her.

Thanks for the ask @thalsianiii!