Might this be a portent of more future development and updates for the old world?
Hopefully, it’s an indication the other races are planned to get a similar treatment too.
In my opinion its a small step but, a welcome contribution in the right direction.
We need more content like this to help flesh out race/character identities. It helps show progress in the in-game world that’s out of focus but, somehow tied into events concurrent with the ongoing main story.
I hope we’ll get a questline like this for the tauren as well. The Tauren heritage questline was a major embarrassment and Baine was useless for the entirely of the Shadowlands, and I hope that this time they can actually do the race justice.
Salandria finally grew up and shows up as well and if i remember correctly in the Children’s week final quests when she was still a kid, the Bronze Dragons didn’t kill her despite the good or bad "things she might do or fail to do in the future".
So she will definitely become an important character in the story in the future (and not just a “boring” future replacement of Lady Liadrin, I guess)
Also do you think the fact that a possible reward is a Green Hawkstrider and its description specifically mentions the defense of the Ghostlands, it’s maybe a hint that finally in a future update of Quel’thalas (since it’s still stuck in the past), the Ghostlands could actually return green lands?
(Sorta like the update of Western Plaguelands that returned mostly green in Cataclysm)
The Scourge has been defeated multiple times at this point and now even a San’layn, and especially with the Sunwell being made partly of Light, definitely the undead corruption of the land should decrease quite a bit…
I feel this is mainly their current scrambling for fanservice, which they have quite obviously been doing since 9.1.5, so post-scandal. They have quite a lot of unused mounts, weapons, armors and such lying around, some of which we’ve seen in datamining for years, waiting for “the right moment” to be implemented into the game. Well, since they need something to give us now, this is the right moment. So I don’t think they are as much designing content here as implementing stuff that was mostly done before, so it doesn’t take very much effort/dev time away from 10.0.
Don’t mistake my meaning here, I do think it’s a good move, and I’m hoping they’ll make it more of a pattern, but since I expect the reward ceme before the story, I wouldn’t expect either the reward or the story to be that consequential to the future.
I think what this story mostly does is address the Scourge-plothole. You know that “There must always be a Lich King else the Scourge will rum amok and destroy everything”-thing, which begged the question if we were leaving Azeroth to die while we were trying to save Anduin for some reason? Well, these quests tell us that we shouldn’t worry about it, since the power vacuum was just filled by smaller entities than a Lich King and the world is doing fine enough. Which is probably the best they could do with that at this point.
Just a bit sad that with everything surrounding Sylvanas and Lor’themar being present for his former friend’s judgement from Tyrande - just seems to be very lacking in the Farstrider representation. (although, I do love Rommath involvement. It’s always a pleasure to work with him.)
Where is Ranger General Brightwing when the Blood Prince is attacking the Southern borders?
Good question… He doesn’t seem to be doing his job of protecting the borderlands. You would of thought stopping the Scourge from overrunning Tranquillien would be a high priority.
I’m guessing because the overall threat here was magical in nature, stemming from a particular individual, it was more fitting for Rommath and Aethas to be put under the spotlight to help sort it out. Then again he could of been busy culling scourge elsewhere off-screen or dealing with a separate issue.
The whole thing though does fell like a narrative vehicle to (re)introduce Salandria to us.
Definitely possible the Green Hawkstrider is a reward for this side quest chain.
Although, I’d much prefer an updated model. Looking at it side by side with the new Dark Iron mount and you can see the age is beginning to show.
There’s still hope they will show an updated Quel’thalas. But, bringing it out of the TBC instance and stitching it to the Eastern Kingdoms will be a mission to get the geography to line up proper. Definitely agree it would be nice to show areas returning to life and the Dead Scar regressing towards Deatholme. A general sense of ongoing recovery for the surrounding area/environment.
I’ve seen a few individuals comment that this would be a way of keeping the Scourge intresting post Shadowlands. Less of a unified force but, still a threat.
If I had to hazard a guess Denathrius might cut a deal with the San’layn since their deal with the Horde fell through. They also appear to be making moves against Sin’dorei here too at the very least.
Don’t disagree but, as you said now’s the right time during the lull period prior to the next xpac. Not just to use unallocated in-game assets previously withheld in an effort keep interest going but, also to experiment and put out the feelers to see what type of content the player base may be inclined to want in future.
With the bar for expectations currently set quite low and the introduction of 10.0 looking to be postponed, there will be a content drought following the anima one. Feedback received on side (sample) content such this and other small projects may help them to plan accordingly without the need to divert too many resources away from the next expansion.
I’m of the opinion (albeit an optimistic one), that it’s as much of an effort to provide fan service and drum up interest in new character/story arcs, whilst simultaneously acting as a sort of litmus test for potential areas of interest for the player base/community at large.
P.S> Sorry for the long post. Wanted to address a few of the points raised in responses above.
This quest chain is quite interesting due to various reasons.
As stated by people before me the absence of Farstriders and Halduron Brightwing is absolute question mark. He was so hyperactive during Amani Uprising during Cataclysm and now he and his forces were completely shafted.
Maybe it is an indication of some bad blood between him and Lor’themar who this time didn’t trust him with doing the job because he would once again try to reach Vereesa or worse…Alleria. Maybe he even proposed that and Regent Lord dismissed him from this task altogether.
Which in return has shown us how differently Thalassian Elves react to threats when compared to how they used to. During Third War it was mix of treason and apathetic leadership that drove High Kingdom to it’s downfall.
Now entire Thalassian Military Host mobilized itself to meet the threat with full force displaying how much it has evolved.
First such display was on the Isle of Thunder where Sunreaver Onslaught clashed with Silver Covenant. Thalassian Host showed new model of Quel’thalas’ military, while Vereesa’s pariahs were the embodiment of failed past. Where there were Rangers only, now Battle-Mages came into the mix. Where there were Spellblades now Blood Knights and Spell Breakers held the line.
Also during this quest chain I liked how Liadrin acted quite reasonably for the first time. It wasn’t the regular gibberish nonsense of hers “I am the blade of the Light, The Light sustains us, Light this, Light that”. But an actual strategy based on gaining proper assets to combat the adversary. Perhaps the realisation how pointless such blind zeal toward the light is that droved Liadrin to more logical approach.
The idea that once she dies, her spirit will end up cleansed of this useless piety as neither Light nor Void has any purchase in Shadowlads as it was shown with Alexandros Morgraine and Xandria during Maldraxxus campaign.
On top of that, it shows that Blood Elves can deal with their problems on their own without external help. Which is a sort of prelude to potential Quel’thalas revamp. By the end of the chain we learn that now Blood Elves should have easier job scouring the remnants of the Scourge.
In the end Blood Elves are on the straight path to full restoration of their Kingdom. And they need none other to do it. No, Horde, no Shal’dorei cousins, not even trecherous High Elves.
He and Lor’themar worked closely together during 5.2 and this was after he invited Vereesa and the Silver Covenant to help deal with the Amani threat.
Lor’themar also knew the stakes were high during the Legion’s attack, so it’s only natural that the Farstriders and Dark Rangers would pledge themselves to a neutral cause to save Azeroth.
EDIT: It seems people on MMO champion are now convinced that the next expansion will involve Quel’Thalas being under Alliance attack. The general hopes seems to be that Quel’Thalas will be Alliance. None of them have indicated what this means for the Blood Elf story though or where the Blood Elves, being the majority unit of the Thalassian people, would go.
The Mag’har would like to attack the Draenei too, but even if that really happen, both attacks have a high chance of failing anyway. Even if the Alliance is stronger they would not have the courage to attack Quel’thalas seriously if the Sin’dorei population put up a strong resistance, also thanks to the help of the Shal’dorei. And I bet soft-hearted people like Vereesa (who recently felt sorry and sad for the fate of Sylvanas in the Maw, so she would feel sorry for the Blood Elves most likely too) and maybe even Alleria would change their minds mid-invasion and stop the attack before a lot of Blood Elf die and Eversong and Silvermoon are ruined like the Alliance ruined Tirisfal with their attack too. They could also stop because they would have moral qualms feeling they are doing the same thing of the Scourge, basically. However even if the Alliance attack fails, it’s welcome from me if it leads to an update of Quel’thalas, finally…
There are a few High Elf/ Void Elf supremacists and Alleria’s fans there so of course they don’t care a lot about the fate of the big majority of the Thalassian people … the Sin’dorei however if they are really forced to relocated elsewhere because of the Alliance invasion, the Blood Elves would be refugees in Suramar most likely thanks to Thalyssra and the Nightborne’s hospitality…Kalimdor is a bit too crowded recently…and I don’t think they would adapt like the Forsaken refugees in Orgrimmar anyway, they are too proud and refined as a people to live there for a long period…(especially the civilians)
An updated Suramar would be nice, considering it would then house the Suramar Highborne and the core unit of Zin-Azshari Highborne descendants.
But, I don’t think I could picture the Blood Elves’ new starter zone being in Suramar. As much as the Shal’dorei are great and would stand by the Sin’dorei, the Blood Elves are a core race and as such, deserve a full starter zone like all the other core races.
If they were to move to the Suramar province, I reckon they should take over Azsuna. Ideally though, the Sin’dorei people should remain in Quel’Thalas and it should the minority force (Void Elves and High Elves) that should find a new place to live and leave the Blood Elves alone.
Pity she didn’t feel like that during the Purge of Dalaran, when she thought nothing of sending her Magi in to torture the Blood Elven Sunreavers.
Lor’themar could die soon…in his post judgment of Sylvanas dialogue, I think he says something about his own judgment could come soon too (because basically he feels sorry that he allowed Sylvanas to reach that point without rebelling against her earlier).
But Kael’thas is almost a dream
I am not sure why you don’t like Rommath as new Blood Elf leader, he’s now basically very powerful like Kael’thas was (maybe he even surpassed the power of Kael in TBC at this point of the story?? It’s an assumption but it would be realistic) and he’s arrogant and pragmatic like Kael was too, and he would go on the attack against the enemies rather than just defense like Lor’themar…so why don’t you push for “King” Rommath instead of Kael’thas who is dead and likely won’t return anyway??
Oh yeah I forgot about that, thanks for reminding me well if it is very known at this point that the Windrunner sisters - all of them !!!- are hypocrites of the highest degree after all…
When the chips are down, all 3 Windrunners put the Sin’dorei in some sort of predicament.
Vereesa with the Purge of Dalaran
Alleria with the Sunwell
Sylvanas with relocating her people to Kalimdor and making deals with Azshara, that could have seen the end of the Sin’dorei leadership (and Shal’dorei leadership as well.)
And the last one, Sylvanas was truly foolish as Rommath would have likely been the one to replace Lor’themar if he had been killed by Azshara and we all know the frosty reception between Sylvanas and Rommath. (We also know that Rommath hates the Alliance, which is why I’m always glad he’s around.)
While I agree Vereesa is a hypocrite like her sisters, I don’t think a changing opinion on blood elves really is a part of that.
She blamed the Horde and Sunreavers for the death of her husband and father of her children, but over the years that pain would’ve become less and she’d might have regretted it later in life.
Doesn’t mean she doesn’t want the Thalassian people to stay in the Horde though, wether they are blood or high elf
She’s just not willing to go to such extremes anymore.
Remember guys, 10.0 is post cross-faction grouping. If there is ever another faction conflict, we’ll probably be left to play a neutral party that tries to deffuse the conflict from the start instead of a representative of our faction. We might get some faction-specific questing, but there likely won’t be dungeons, raids or warfronts where the factions take seperate paths again any time soon.
however if they are really forced to relocated elsewhere because of the Alliance invasion, the Blood Elves would be refugees in Suramar most likely thanks to Thalyssra and the Nightborne’s hospitality…Kalimdor is a bit too crowded recently…and I don’t think they would adapt like the Forsaken refugees in Orgrimmar anyway, they are too proud and refined as a people to live there for a long period…(especially the civilians)
well if it is very known at this point that the Windrunner sisters - all of them !!!- are hypocrites of the highest degree after all…