With the conclusion video of the Hellfire Citadel, it seems that Draenor has been saved. However, there are still many unanswered questions in World of Warcraft – and many thoughts even suggest that peace may not be so likely after all…
Once again, a warning: The post will contain spoilers for the current WoW content.
All’s well that ends well – or not?
There are many wild theories about the future of Warcraft. For a long time, fans have been crafting their own stories and continuing plotlines. But never before in the history has there been so many unanswered questions in WoW’s lore. I will try to outline the most obvious future plans and point out a few mistakes that Blizzard might have made – unless the storytellers have a very brilliant plan in mind.
What does the cinematic reveal about how World of Warcraft could continue?
First of all, I would like to ask you to watch the closing video of the Hellfire raid if you haven’t done so yet:
Basically, one might assume that everything has found a peaceful conclusion. The Archdemon is defeated and Gul’dan has disappeared. Khadgar bids farewell with the weighty phrase “Gul’dan and the demons that control him are not so easily banished”, before flying off into the distance – very similar to how Medivh did back in Warcraft III. What seems, at first glance, like a typical Blizzard cinematic, indicating possible future dangers with a side remark, quickly turns out to be Swiss cheese with plenty of plot holes. So we can either assume that Blizzard has completely messed up the story (which I don’t believe), or that the video deliberately leaves many things open to quietly hint at future content for World of Warcraft (which I strongly hope!).
Some of the following assertions I have picked up from Anne Stickney on blizzardwatch.com, her original post is definitely worth a look.
Grommash – The symbol of freedom?
Every lover of Warcraft lore should have raised their eyebrows when Grommash Hellscream raises his axe to the sky and proclaims with conviction “Draenor is free”. That the old Gromm is a patriot is no news. However, it is strange that Draenei cheer for him. Right, exactly the Draenei whose prophets he has on his conscience. The Draenei who have lost their sacred temple and a large part of their settlements. Looking at the pure “kill count”, Grommash should have quite a bad reputation with the Draenei.
Even Yrel, who is indeed a good-hearted woman, has lost her mentor Maraad and numerous friends to the Iron Horde. Why then do the followers of the Naaru cheer for the Orc leader? This currently cannot be logically explained. Something must have happened – outside the players’ view – to justify this circumstance.
The legendary questline in World of Warcraft
Another discontented murmur triggers the legendary questline. It requires in its final phase that we retrieve 33 books from the Hellfire Citadel. This means for most players that they have already seen the cinematic. We can therefore consider it as “already happened”.
From a developer blog, we know that following the book collection, a fight against Cordana is on the horizon, to “stop Gul’dan” in the last step. This task would simply be absurd if we have already seen his “destruction” several times after Archimonde’s defeat. This is either a major blunder by the developers or the hidden message: Something else is coming.
The banishment of Gul’dan
Defeating Archimonde initiates an incredibly important process. The vanquished Eredar attacks Gul’dan using Fel magic and hurls him through the portal along with the threat “You have made a pact!” Since Archimonde himself came through this portal, it is assumed that it leads into the Nether (or to Argus). Why does Gul’dan writhe in fear as he is flung into the Nether?
A warlock who can summon Archimonde with a single gesture (which took several hours in Warcraft 3 and required powerful artifacts) should have no problem returning from the Nether – unless someone or something prevents him from doing so. What else could Archimonde’s spell have affected? There are many clues that lead to wild theories.
- Archimonde’s eyes extinguish immediately after the banishment. This could “just” be his death (where demons can only truly die in the Nether, so he is at best temporarily defeated), or it could have greater significance. Perhaps he implanted a part of his essence in Gul’dan, like Sargeras once did with Aegwynn. This would explain Gul’dan’s fear, as he might lose part of his own will to the demon (or even his entire personality).
Gul’dan’s staff dissolves after the banishment. Why? Objects do not leave a world just because the owner moves to another world. This is evident from the player’s garrison or from the plans that Garrosh brought from Azeroth. It is therefore possible that Archimonde, in his last breath, completely erased Gul’dan from the timeline of Draenor from that moment on, thus also preventing his return to this world. The Legion’s goal remains the annihilation of Azeroth – perhaps Gul’dan can now only return to Azeroth to complete his mission?
- Gul’dan might have been expected on the other side of the portal and was transformed into a “full-fledged” demon. As we know from earlier warlock quests, one has a certain control over demons once one possesses their names or items from them. From this, one could conclude that during a transformation into a demon, old possessions are destroyed.
In any case, it is safe to say that Gul’dan is not dead. Whether he will appear again in this expansion is questionable – at least the legendary questline suggests it.
Everyone celebrates, but Khadgar is in a hurry
Khadgar is the killjoy at the celebration, as he does not seem very happy about the victory. He says goodbye to Yrel, who promises him in return to be “here” when he and his people are needed. That sounds more than just a little like “Draenor is safe, and the story ends”. His eyes widen (in fright or realization?) as Gul’dan’s staff dissolves. In any case, Khadgar has a vague idea of the danger that is now rising, but he is not yet ready to share his concerns. He does not give a festive speech to the victors, no encouraging words, nothing. He turns into a raven and disappears. To where is unknown. Back to his tower? Or even… back to Azeroth?
I personally think it is quite possible that Draenor is now “complete”. But Blizzard has already announced that they will bring more gameplay content for the expansion. And this leads me to my final thought…
Is Patch 6.3 not set in Draenor?
I am now convinced that the next patch will no longer be set in Draenor. The world map itself is complete, the great fortresses of the Iron Horde have been defeated, the elemental forces of Nagrand pacified, and even the demons of the Legion have been defeated – for the moment. Blizzard’s big plan was to have Grommash be the “final boss” of WoD since Blizzcon, and that is still quite possible – just not in Draenor anymore.
What if Grommash travels to Azeroth with a small group of his loyal followers (under the guise of peace, which seems to currently prevail). Interestingly, he would do the same as his son – only in the opposite direction. How many Orcs or members of other races would join the living legend Grom Hellscream?
Another possibility would be that Gul’dan attacks Azeroth or Draenor from the Nether. Out of his sense of honor, Gromm would aid the Horde and Alliance. In response to this attack, the player factions could plan an invasion of the demon world themselves: In a last stand of his forces, the former leader of the Iron Horde would fulfill the legendary phrase from the intro “We will be conquerors!” and lead troops into a new world: For example, the homeland of the Legion, Argus.
Corrupted, Grommash could, like so many Orcs before him, become an adversary. Or the last patch in Warlords of Draenor only leads to the Nether and heralds the next addon, which then leads to Argus.
There are countless possibilities for what might happen in the next patch and the following addon of World of Warcraft. Sylvanas has been remarkably quiet, it would actually be time to seize power. Also Azshara is still lurking in the depths of the seas, waiting for over 10,000 years to fulfill the promise she once made with the darkness.
Ultimately, all of this is just theory – we will see how Blizzard will resolve the many questions raised by the cinematic. Do you perhaps have your own theory?
