The orcs in World of Warcraft make a peculiar decision. A hero betrays everything he actually stands for.
Even though the upcoming expansion Midnight makes an extremely good impression, there are a few points of criticism, especially regarding the story of some major NPCs. We have already talked about questionable statements from Lady Liadrin, but another Horde character acts strangely as well. The orc Etrigg (in English “Eitrigg”) joins exactly the group that was created to kill orcs like him.
What happens in Midnight? In Midnight, we meet Etrigg in the Arcantina – a new hub, a large tavern where heroes gather. There, Etrigg tells that he has joined a group: the Sons of Lothar.
The Sons of Lothar were originally founded during the Second War (Warcraft II), by Turalyon, Danath Trollbane, Alleria, and some other Alliance members. The clear goal: to completely stop the threat posed by the orcs on Azeroth and even pursue them back to their homeworld, so that they no longer pose a danger.
Even though the Sons of Lothar are now a “new” group dedicated to hunting Xal’atath, their origins clearly trace back to wartime, when orcs were to be exterminated.
Etrigg acts without apparent reason and motivation
Why does it feel wrong? To understand this, one only needs to look at the story of the Arathi Highlands in recent years. During Battle for Azeroth, Etrigg was not just an enemy – they were direct opposing commanders in the warfront in Arathi. This was not about a small skirmish, but about total control over the Arathi Highlands. There are several voice lines where Danath Trollbane says to “slay Etrigg” and “sink his corpse in the castle ditch.”
Anyone who wants to see a longer analysis of this should check out Bellular’s video on the topic:
In summary, it feels strange when considering Etrigg’s story. He was imprisoned for a long time and essentially perpetually in conflict with humans. Although there was a rapprochement in a novel that was published shortly before Warcraft III, it only makes the whole situation more absurd. At that time, Blizzard showed how such a rapprochement could work without being forced. However, this is currently not the case in Midnight.
That Etrigg now joins exactly this organization that was originally founded to exterminate all orcs – this simply feels wrong and inappropriate. It could have been a cool story if it had been told well and reasonably. Yet, nothing in the quests makes it clear why Etrigg makes this decision or what has led to it.
Of course, it is possible that more context about this decision will be given in the coming months. But as a member of the Horde, it may simply feel curious that one of the oldest and most significant orcs, who has served as an advisor to the Warchief since Classic, now joins an Alliance group that originally wanted to kill him.
In the case of another hero, implementing new story elements worked much better.
