Not yet canonically. The curse is abated but not cured. Strength of will is a strong factor here, faith too.
I don’t know enough about the Worgen curse to say with confidence so for now we’ll have to agree to disagree and I’ll get to reading. (Been awhile since I had a good debate. Thank you!)
One question however, we do see Worgen Priests weild the Light and by principle they would suffer the same malady you say would prevent a Worgen becoming a Paladin?
This is addressed a lot in the Wolfheart novel! Genn is one of the more strong willed Worgen we get, and even he struggles containing those urges. In Before the Storm he undergoes an involuntary transformation into a worgen and nearly attacks Turalyon and Alonsus in a moment of rage before he runs off. And that’s the most disciplined worgen we have.
On the other end of the spectrum, we see a lot of ‘average’ worgen who greatly struggle with it, being one bad day away from reverting back to feral. The Ritual of Balance only gave their human side a hand on the wheel, but they were always at the risk of giving in again – which is why Varian veto’d them out of the Alliance the first time around, which angered many normal worgen nearby. One of them almost attacked Varian, unable to contain the urge, which further proved him right. Some worgen in the novel openly admit that they wouldn’t know friend from foe if enraged enough.
Honestly? I would say yes. Wolfheart goes deep into their struggles, and when it comes to faith we don’t really see any who remains faithful to the Light. Most of them have started to create a religious movement out of Goldrinn as a substitute, which makes them extremely loyal to Varian who they saw as an avatar or reincarnation of him.
The only worgen priests we see exist in game, but no named, fleshed out characters. Wolfheart focuses heavily on their newfound faith in Goldrinn.
Point being? What would mechanically speaking differentiate them from other paladins barring their own innate strength? Why, in theory, would another paladin not be able to overtake them in terms of strength and piety?
You also have Arthas who underwent the exact same ritual and blessings, and he was a very mediocre Paladin. The first five became heroes and legends for their deeds, not the magic put into them.
Exactly my point.
Like even Turalyon wasn’t that amazing as a Paladin back then. Alonsus admits as much in Before the Storm where he talks about how the other four were much greater than he, but the reason why he chose Turalyon specifically is because of his heart.
His crowning moment that made him personify the heart of a true paladin was when he spared Orgrim Doomhammer and argued for the internment of the orcs. He didn’t give in to vengeance despite his best friend being killed in front of him, and he gave mercy to a hated enemy. In terms of skill? Not that special.
And in Beyond the Dark Portal, Turalyon further elaborates that the true duty of a Paladin begins off the battlefield. Being a holy warrior is such a little thing of what you do - the truly great Paladins are civil servants dedicated to aiding their fellow man.
According to a Worgen rp’er I just asked, the curse amplifies anger and guilt as said in the Curse of the Worgen comics. Fear and Doubt is not mentioned. Have you got sources?
Those comics are considered canon too nor declared non canon.
EDIT: Turalyon during the battle of the Burning Steppes during the end of the Second War used the Light which he had been struggling with around that time to amplify his voice crying “For Sir Lothar!” which struck fear in the Horde and frenzied the Alliance.
Hence the question I poised as to why Turalyon and the other OG paladins are something someone shouldn’t claim to be stronger than: this, of course, doesn’t mean you should walk around and proclaim yourself to be stronger than them.
Was it in Before the Storm we are told that the paladins spent the time after the Second War aiding in the birthing of children? I always liked that moment.
And it was in this moment, and this moment at long last, since becoming a paladin that Turalyon was truly capable of calling on the Light. Which is fairly ironic considering he alone of the five first paladins had already been a trained wielder of the Light, being a cleric already.
Same novel as Turalyon’s hot take about true Paladins being civil servants, and in the exact same scene. Beyond the Dark Portal. The Cathedral of Light was the first public building in Stormwind that finished construction, and it had housed many refugees during the sacking because the orcs didn’t understand human architecture at the time and its catacombs was a safe haven for hundreds of civilians who escaped their notice. Uther, Turalyon, and the other paladins personally helped hundreds of women give birth, offer care to the sick and the wounded, and took care of the elderly.
Alleria thought it was below such legends, at which point Turalyon snapped at her saying this
Did they?
Yes he suffered doubt before and after being given the Libram of Protection by Alonsus Faol. This act only exacerbated his doubt further and Orgrim’s proclamation of victory and gloating cut through Turalyon, his reasoning changed and his doubt was lifted, the Light came to his call to rout the Horde.
So what makes him exceptionally stronger than paladins that followed him? Beyond their own deeds, what sets the original five apart? It’s a claim you have made repeatedly now.
If you want to be precise about it, the Curse of the Worgen comics makes the statement that all emotions are felt more keenly. Ralaar talks about passion, rage, and fear – the emotions that war revolved around. Ramsay talks about resentment and fury as being the most prominent ones. But deep down, all their primal emotions were amplified, and in that state the fury became overbearing, but he speaks of this during a moment of guilt – and doubt, if he had done the right thing snapping at his sister who he was never able to apologise to, for she had died (presumed suicide).
“In my compromised state these emotions felt more visceral. More pure. Closer than I had ever allowed. And somewhere deep within, I wondered: what if Alpha Prime was right?”
Even though doubt isn’t name dropped specifically, it’s during those moments of guilt and doubt that the worgen characters in the comic introspect on what’s happening to them and what they’ve done. Guilt and doubt walk hand in hand.
And as we see in both Wolfheart and Before the Storm, it’s not a total cure.
Now, I ask you again. Other than their deeds, what actually sets the original five paladins apart from paladins that followed them?
You keep harping on about this and it was answered by Telaryn already. Their actions, their deeds, their ability and the knowledge and wisdom of the Librams given to each of them. Each had their own strength and weaknesses.
They are legendary heroes for a reason. Not something that you see today from your average Silver Hand Paladin.
Give it a rest.
Neither of these is because they were innately stronger or more pious than other paladins nor does it in the end have anything to do with the ritual they underwent. Telaryn answered it, but the answer wasn’t what you claimed.
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To point out a few passages
I think it’s true that, power levels aside, a Lightforged training is specifically meant to combat demons, so they should know what to do in these situations more than those who did not spend millennia to fight demons.
But I stand my ground on the other bit: even a Lightforged can fall before a fel hound. After all, both Vol’jin and Varian were defeated by fel guards.
Imho, role-players over-estimate this idea that a difference in tiers of power makes them invincible.
I’m not sure what you mean by “effective”. That a lightforged vindicators’s light is more potent against demons and therefore it can bypass canonical rules such as the fact that a fel hound would drain their light? That’s a hard no from me.
If instead you mean that a lightforged vindicator has been fighting demons for millennia and knows a demon’s vulnerable parts + predicts how they will fight, then I could agree with that.
Why especially a fel hound?
I have yet to see anyone give ANY good reason for Worgen paladins to be a thing other than ‘Well if they can be priests then they can be paladins too!’
I genuinely think half the time they see that Lightfang Enforcer card from Hearthstone and go ‘You know what, that would work in WoW.’