Something is brewing within the Alliance in World of Warcraft. Soon, there will be an event that drastically shifts the power positions within the Alliance …
Although we know quite a bit about the story of the new areas in WoW Shadowlands, many details remain uncertain. Especially the developments of the Horde and Alliance are still unclear. The latest datamining suggests, however, that there might soon be some changes, especially for the Alliance.
Spoiler Alert: The text contains information from the datamining of Shadowlands and the story. You have been warned.
What is happening with the King of Humans?
What has been found? In the game files, the dataminers from wowhead (via wowhead) have already found several quotes from Mathias Shaw. He is the leader of SI:7, a special unit of Stormwind, directly reporting to King Anduin. Some of his quotes are as follows:
- “Champion! You are needed in Stormwind, the matter requires great haste … and discretion.”
- “The Black Blade has recovered the lich- … the Highlord from the battle of Icecrown. He is currently recovering in Acherus.”
- “King Greymane, you should not stay out in the open. You are too tempting a target.”
- “Nevertheless, we need you in the throne room. There are matters of state that need to be resolved before the King returns.”
- “I do not question the High Exarch’s ability to defend the Alliance. But you as a King, do you not think you should sit on the throne?”
- “Yes, your Majesty. If anyone can figure out how all this fits together, it is Bolvar.”
What can we infer from this? From the quotes, a lot can be concluded. However, the key points are likely:
- King Anduin is missing. Whether he is on a planned action, has secretly slipped away, or has been kidnapped is unclear.
- Turalyon takes over the leadership of the Alliance and the people of Stormwind in Anduin’s absence.
- Shaw believes that Genn Greymane would be better suited for the throne, as he already has experience as the King of a nation.
Where could Anduin have disappeared to?
What could this mean? Chronologically, these quotes seem to all take place after the cinematic in which Sylvanas destroys the Helm of Domination. So these could be events that take place in the pre-event to Shadowlands and therefore should be playable with Patch 9.0, even before the official release of the expansion.
The disappearance of Anduin could have several reasons, which are currently being wildly speculated about. On the one hand, it could mean that Anduin has traveled to the Shadowlands himself, possibly to find his father.
Alternatively, it could also be that Anduin has disappeared into the Maw. As we know from Ion Hazzikostas, the Game Director of WoW, time flows differently in the Shadowlands and in the Maw. So it is conceivable that Anduin ages significantly during the time of the Shadowlands expansion.
This would also fit very well with an older comic from the “Legion” expansion. Here, Anduin was shown as an old man alongside the Prophet Velen, as he was preparing to engage in the final battle between light and shadow. Especially the shadows, in the form of the void, are one of the last remaining great threats in World of Warcraft.
When will we learn more? That is still uncertain. It is possible that Blizzard will test the pre-event beforehand on the test realm, and there will be new information by then. Perhaps the whole event will remain under wraps until the players can experience it themselves – that would probably only be the case in the fall.
What do you think is happening with Anduin? Where has he disappeared to and what is his goal? Could he really age so significantly in Shadowlands? But we will also meet many old acquaintances again …
