Why wasn't Farseer Nobundo The World Shaman?

Lore Story
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I know this is purely irrelevant due to the fact that all of us are currently talking about the Shadowlands and its lore. But one question have always been poking me as far as lore characterization continuity is concerned.

You see, Farseer Nobundo was a VERY UNIQUE shaman. While terribly powerful shamans like Thrall, Aggra or Rehgar learned their shamanic magic from their respective teachers like Drek’thar and Greatmother Geyah, Nobundo was taught shamanism DIRECTLY FROM THE ELEMENTS THEMSELVES.

The elements NORMALLY choses an eligible individual as a shaman after which they are taught by mentors. But in case of Nobundo, the elements did not only CHOSE HIM BUT ALSO TAUGHT HIM THE WAYS OF SHAMANISM. IN FACT, ACCORDING TO THE LORE, THE ELEMENTS IN DRAENOR (BROKEN OUTLAND) CONSIDERED NOBUNDO AS THEIR FIRST SALVATION AFTER THE WORLD WAS DESTROYED.

So given this amazing character development, I personally can relate Nobundo as a better fit for World Shaman than Thrall and would have played a similar kind of role Tirion or Khadgar played for Wrath and Legion respectively instead of making Thrall “Green Jesus” and completely decimating the Horde narrative of WoW lore.

What do you guys think? Given the nature of how Nobundo became shaman, don’t you think the lore should been driven towards a story-line of focusing him as the shaman who “first realizes the entity behind cataclysm”? rather than give that focus on Thrall?

2 Likes
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Because Nobundo is kinda ugly. Not kidding, stuff like that matters when you’re trying to sell the game.

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I think that the way devs use characters and place the events is based on whatever they think would be an interesting story. Sometimes it lead to very odd decisions that seemingly come out of nowhere, like, the whole Night Watch in Darkshire suddenly being enemies, because…

I don’t know, somebody in blizzard thinks that the main story to keep players interested in the story is to shove in plot twists, or “cool moments” for I am not sure what definition of “cool”.

Same thing here I suppose. The devs wanted to push how awesome Thrall is, make him “aspect of the Earth”, and all of that, regardless of other characters / events / story lines.

They are good at making short self-contained stories. Not sure about something bigger like that one.

gl hf

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Nice. So you do agree that Nobundo was a far better character suited for World Shaman than Thrall?

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I mean, depends. I do not know what was the story the devs intended to go to. Because shamanism is not monolithic thing and comes in different forms. Like, there are shamans that force elements to serve them. There are shamans who bargain with them.

Nobundo is rather odd in his take on the whole thing. Shamanism of draenei is 1 step away from holy magic.

Nobundo (Exodar):
The Light had not forsaken the Broken! The fel energies that the orcs had wielded long ago against the draenei had infused us, causing a break in our ability to be heard by, or perhaps to hear, the Light.

But our spirits were not broken, and the air offered to me another path, through which I might deliver my people. It taught me the path of shamanism, which in a way is just another facet of the Light .

Which is not going against the current canon. From Chronicles vol. 1:

The cataclysmic birth of the cosmos also flung shards of Light throughout reality. These shards suffused the matter of myriad worlds with the spark of life, giving rise to creatures of wondrous and terrible diversity.

The most common forms of life to appear were the elemental spirits—primordial beings of fire, water, earth, and air.

Just a visual illustration (till 4 min mark):

So, I am not sure that is a path of shamanism the devs wanted to show at that time in the story.

But overall, yes, Nobundo is an interesting character, and it’s a shame we do not see him more frequently, at least sharing some thoughts, offering advise, and so on.

gl hf

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And tis why there are manual labors and royalties.

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That fraud is already taking over Earthen Ring. I’d rather boot him back to Outland.

It’s as if Liardrin would take leadership of Silverhand.

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Draenei don’t deserve to have shamans. Nobundo is a thief who hijacked the earthen ring narrative. He better be dead instead of stealing screentime from my boi Thrall. Screw Nobundo and everything he stand for.

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Honestly? The one that impersonated the Elemental energies of Azeroth should’ve been at least NATIVE to said planet.

Neither Nobundo nor Thrall, but Muln Earthfury (who was already the leader of the ER by the way).
Would’ve made a good contrast with NE hogging regarding Druidism, and a way to highlight important aspects for Tauren lore.

5 Likes
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Honestly, Orcs don’t deserve to have Shamans at this point. They’ve betrayed the Elements on Outland, Azeroth and Alternate!Outland and they didn’t even have an excuse for that last one beyond sheer desire for power.

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I think the Elements still decide who deserves to be a shaman on a personal level, not a racial one.
Just as the light decides on a personal level who gets a powerup.

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Shut Up alliance bias. You have no power here.

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Yeah, I know. I was just joking.

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Maybe because Thrall was born and taught shamanism on Azeroth? So he is actually in touch with the elements here? While Nobundo’s connection with the elements was with the Outlands Furies? Maybe it’s just me but I kinda assumed the Elemental Planes were the prison to Azeroth’s Elemental Lords, and that each planet has it’s own Elemental Lords.

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Oh grow up!

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because that would require blizzard to actually give the broken some character spotlite, which they only do when they want to show how good and virtuous the draenei are.

broken are way cooler than normal draenei

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Because Metzen wanted a really awesome story for Thrall, without considering the consequences for the rest of the story.

At the time I remember (but cannot find nowadays) an interview we he said he wanted it as a story for his kids… With Thrall being the Metzen stand in.

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/offtop

From draenei starting zone:

Kessel:
Heavy-handed violence is not the draenei way, but sometimes it is the only way.
This is one of life’s truths that many do not understand until it is too late. So it was for our people, when we were slaughtered at the hands of the orcs.
Becoming a Hand of Argus is a process of rebirth. And with birth comes pain…

Vindicator Boros:
Are you ready to spill some blood in the name of the Light? For Velen? For Argus?

What it means to be a Hand of Argus… We are agents of the Light. We serve without question. We die without question.

Vindicator Aldar:
Here, let me read those plans.
The blood elves have followed us here? They are evil to the core and should be wiped from existence!
The vindicator takes a moment to regain his composure
I apologize, that was uncalled for.

Yes, overall one could argue that Velen’s influence keep draenei rather peaceful and kind of forgiving. But it’s not all there is to the story. There always were some more zealous or vindictive characters among them.

gl hf

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True, they are still the same people as the Eredar. Just the ones who controll their lesser instincts and try to be better.

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pretty sure yrel going full light tyranny is a good example of that zealous

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