The coolest mage “Daddy Khadgar” makes a return in World of Warcraft. But a new dialogue hints that he may not have much time left …
Patch 9.2.5 is playable on the PTR of World of Warcraft and brings several major features, such as Cross-Faction Play and later also the start of a cool, 4th season of Shadowlands. However, testers and dataminers have also noticed some details happening on the fringes of the patch.
One of them is a dialogue between Jaina Proudmoore and Khadgar. Khadgar flies as a raven to Oribos and lands near Jaina, whom he engages in conversation.
Jaina and Khadgar haven’t been in contact for a few years, after Jaina abandoned the city of Dalaran during the events leading up to the “Legion” expansion when the city’s council planned to readmit the Blood Elves.
We have the (translated) dialogue between the two mages in Oribos here:
Khadgar: Hello, Jaina.
Jaina: Khadgar! It’s good to see you again. I regret that the last time we saw each other –
Khadgar: Those were dangerous times. The Legion’s assault, then the war… I think we both had to find a way to get through it.
I’m not angry. We are friends.Jaina: I feel the same way. But surely you didn’t come all this way to the Shadowlands just to find me.
Khadgar: No. For years, I’ve read about this place in Medivh’s books. I stood atop Karazhan and caught fleeting glimpses behind the veil.
I think I wanted to see the realms of death with my own eyes before …Jaina: Is everything alright, Khadgar?
Khadgar: I feel the weight of the years upon me, Jaina. The burdens carried. The decisions made.
Hmph! Forgive the musings of an old man. I think I’ll take a look around and see these Shadowlands a bit. See what wonders I can find here.
I’ve heard tales of scheming intermediaries, a city full of secrets, and a land with ancient knowledge. How astonishing!Jaina: That sounds like it will keep you occupied! Just don’t disappear without saying goodbye. I missed you, old friend.
Khadgar: You can count on that, Jaina. We’ll see each other again.
The dialogue is met with mixed feelings by the community. Some find it strange that Khadgar seemingly “just drops by” the Shadowlands, as if it were a vacation spot that can now be accessed by all. They find his appearance inappropriate.
Others note, however, that Khadgar, as Medivh’s successor, is quite powerful and that Karazhan has always served as a link between worlds.
Many speculations arise from the passage that Khadgar “wants to look at the realms of death before” … something happens. In the context of the conversation, it seems that Khadgar feels that his life may soon come to an end, as he has already aged. The exact age of Khadgar is hard to determine, as he was in the shattered world for several years, where, as part of the Nether, time flows differently. Otherwise, he is likely only about 10 years older than Jaina, who must be in her late 30s or early 40s, depending on how many years have passed since the start of Shadowlands in the story.
The second possibility is that Khadgar, with his “before,” refers to the occurrence of another major event that may have far-reaching consequences or at least personally affect him and potentially harm him in the long run. After all, mages of Khadgar’s or Medivh’s caliber often have visions and premonitions about what is to come.
It seems unlikely, in any case, that Blizzard has simply introduced a friendly sequence between Jaina and Khadgar “just like that.” The deeper meaning of this seemingly rather casual conversation will probably only be revealed with the next expansion – but it will be presented in just a few weeks.
