What is interesting to me about the Afterlives: Bastion short is that the Kyrian are so sure about the Maw being inescapable. Devos tries to warn them that their realm is in danger, that the Maw isn't as secure as they were led to believe, and she is shut down by Kyrestia. Knowing this, her and Uther still deliver Arthas to the Maw with the intention of punishing him. Why would she throw him to the Maw if she knew that there was a chance he could escape? I think the covenants are in for a rude awakening with the coming events, and I don't think who we see as the "bad guys" are gonna stay that way for long. We know that when Sylvanas killed herself, she saw Arthas, so that confirms Sylvanas was in the Maw and did escape; this could be when she started working with the Jailer? Also this short did a good job of highlighting the coming divisions within Bastion! So many questions!
I'm excited to see if garrosh really is being tortured, and what will or what did happen to him in current times. The idea of arthas coming back and seeing what he does in the future story will be possibly really interesting especially if they have him, uther and jaina all meet.
I'd be interested to see if there are any repercussions from Devos seemingly straying from "the path" and what a potential power struggle might look like in a place like Bastion. Since these events in Afterlives happened many years ago, it would be interesting to see how Bastion has changed since they are no longer in charge of shepherding souls to the place in the Shadowlands they are deemed worthy of by the arbiter.
I think the lore that could be the most interesting is if they bring varian back. Possibly as a confused sole that doesn’t carry all of his memories and we have a raid encounter with him resulting in him giving Anduin closure and guidance as the leader of the alliance to truly make the alliance great.
I'm definitely excited to see what's going to happen lore wise and what iconic characters we'll meet.
The most interesting thing I found about the Afterlives: Bastion short was how menancingly Devos became. At first she claimed that "There is no evil here", however as she walked away from her Archon after being told to disband her path, she looked the very definiton of evil.
The interesting thing I find about it is that I really like the dynamic between Uther and Arthas. I know that Uther is going to end up in a redemption arc but there are so many possibilities; with The Maw basically being a one-way trip, those in there could have a way to get out. If you remember, Frostmourne itself was specifically tied to it, but it took the Helm of Domination to rip open our access to the Shadowlands.The thing that fascinates me about the lore; being a lore buff, and a person who roleplays a Lorewalker on their server and guild, is what makes Sylvanas' crusade any different than Arthas' crusade? Meaning that were they fighting for the same thing or if they aren't will their goals overlap at one point? The potential power The Jailer has over everything really is amazing.
I have to say I'm excited to see the implications and effects this "justice" will have on Uther. Sure Arthas was misguided in strat, but he was doing what he thought was the greater good. Slowly being twisted by this growing presence until it fully corrupts him. Then later literally digging himself into a bigger and bigger hole. Arthas wasnt fully himself and I feel Uther knew this when he flung him into the maw. Theres this look of acceptance in Arthas, that he knew what he did was wrong and was "under the influence," but what can he say? Nothing. It wouldnt be right, so he accepts his fate. This is going to eat at Uther in the back of his mind and I cant wait to see how he deals with this over whelming guilt. Or not? Retadin ftw, HEYOOOOO.
I don't believe it will happen because "orc bad, human good", but I would like to see redemption for Ner'zhul.I know in recent years Ner'zhul has been portrayed as being the villainous half of the Lich King, and his portrayal in WoD was straight up character assassination, but I think both of these portrayals are grossly untrue to the Orc, and they're also way too sympathetic to Arthas - who does NOT deserve redemption.Ner'zhul was not flawless. He was arrogant. But he was also loving and generally benevolent. He loved his wife dearly. It was only through the false ghost of his wife that Kil'jaeden was able to trick him into forming the Horde.Though even here, Ner'zhul developed doubt as the orcs committed more and more atrocities. Seeking truth, he went into Oshu'gan and tried to consult the spirits directly. When he got there, he was finally able to find the truth: The Orcs were tricked, and he was leading them to their own damnation. He pleaded for a chance to make things right, a chance at redemption, begging the spirits for guidance on how to fix things... but he was told it was too late.Shortly after, he was found out and betrayed by Gul'dan. Kil'jaeden had him punished and stripped of all rank and power.Ner'zhul was a broken orc. He was allowed to sit in on the meetings of the Shadow Council, but only as a former of torture - allowing him to witness the evil warlocks plot the downfall of his people while he sat helplessly unable to stop them. But even here, facing the inevitable doom of his people, he was determined to plant seeds for redemption.He warned Durotan anonymously about Gul'dan. Through this warning, Durotan forbade all Frostwolves to partake in certain activities the other clans were partaking in, such as raising children into rushed adulthood for combat. Durotan also shared the misgivings with the already-suspicious Orgrim Doomhammer.Through this warning, a natural Go'el/Thrall was born.Through this warning, Blackhand was slain and Orgrim fulfilled his part of the Doomhammer prophecy.Through Go'el/Thrall, the end of that prophecy was fulfilled (I know it continues with Legion, but that was honestly stupid and shouldn't have happened, the story was complete and should have been left alone).Ner'zhul, unknowingly, was the architect of the orcs downfall, but knowingly, he was also the one who planted the first seeds for their redemption.Of course, as we all know, Ner'zhul later had his soul tortured and he eventually became a full villain. But he did not choose this path, not knowingly. He was tricked into it, did his best to avoid it and sought redemption, but his fate was sealed beyond his control.Of course, in the AU, the writers seemingly missed the point of the character entirely and had him banish his still living wife, which is grossly out of character for him. But WoD was a garbage lore expansion that I would be 100% on board with decanonizing.Now for Arthas. I know a lot of people think Arthas is "actually good", but he's not.Arthas, like Ner'zhul, was a full villain.But, unlike Ner'zhul, Arthas chose his path.Also unlike Ner'zhul, Arthas was given numerous chances to steer from that path. Chances at redemption.In fact, he had many opportunities for redemption. He had friends and loved ones both begged and even attempted to force him from the path he was taking. But he resisted. He cheated. At one point, he hired mercenaries to burn his own ships to prevent them from leaving, then blamed the mercenaries, having them slaughtered.It was a gradual change, but Arthas willingly made every step towards villainy despite countless chances to change course. He may have, at one point, been acting out of selfless care for his people, but that motivation changed to a prideful thirst for revenge. This was why it was so easy for him to be corrupted once he picked up Frostmourne - he didn't care about his people, he just wanted revenge.Watch the cinematic. Echoes of the loved ones trying to stop Arthas, trying to save Arthas, play as he ascends the steps. This is Arthas choosing his path. He didn't choose love, he didn't choose friendship, he didn't choose to protect his people... he chose his pride.https://youtu.be/HjtnfgBJaYwIf Ner'zhul had had even half as many opportunities at redemption as Arthas, he would not have fallen to the depths that he did.So this whole idea presented that Ner'zhul is actually the "evil half" of the Lich King is honestly gross to me.Arthas and Ner'zhul are both monsters, but only one of them chose that path.
I'm excited to play a good expansion(hopefully).
That Frostmourne (and presumably Helm of Domination) originated from Maw is damn intriguing. Since previous lore had Nathrezim as makers of these artifacts, I wonder if there is connection between the Maw/Shadowlands and the Burning Legion/Twisting Nether? Devos does specify the runes on Frostmourne as belonging to the Maw, however, so maybe it was the knowledge that escaped or was stolen from the Maw, not the sword itself. In any case, it makes you wonder.The implication that Uther's "justice" might have precipitated some catastrophic chain of events leading to Jailer/Helya reaching out to Sylvanas and is also very interesting. I think Arthas may be is being set up for a redemption arc... which has a lot of narrative potential if the story is presented in depth.On a personal note, seeing Arthas's last moment as Lich King in Icecrown brought back so many memories of WotLK. Getting our server first heroic 25 kill (US Uther), being designated as the first Shadowmourne wielder, the many nights getting Firefighter in Ulduar... Wrath was such a good time. Nostalgia tapped!
What's interesting is how they address what they mentioned about time in the shadowlands. It's intentionally vague how long Uther's time in Bastion is between his death and Arthas', despite us know exactly how long it was in "real time", simultaneously seeming instant and longer. It brings back up questions of who these characters really are when Uther started as a heroic martyr and is "corrupted" in his afterlife, whereas Arthas ended up forgiven despite his own corruption. Uther basically became the executioner he fought against by tossing Arthas into The Maw, so i guess the question ends up being who is worthy of redemption and beyond it?Don't have an answer to that, but i'd like a beta key..
Because of Bastion, I'm mostly very to curious to see the entirely relation between the powers of the maw, and their release (with Frostmourne) onto Azeroth. That one single point is very interesting to me. Queue speculation about the true nature of Dreadlords and what Sargeras did in his long life.
What excites me most about the Afterlives series and in particular Bastion is the fact that we get to see the Light in a new view kinda, Almost the same from the Au Mag'har Orc Scenario where it Judges souls and acts more as a tyrant than a savior showing that the Cosmic Forces that make up the great dark beyond are not to be trusted and would only use us to their nefarious ends
I really love the thought, not only of Uther's soul looking like it was split in two and thus a potential seeing of what happened to every soul Frostmourne claimed , but of course the potential of saving Arthas' soul. If he was an unwilling passenger in his own body due to the Jailer being why everything happened, there could be all sorts of possibilities! A Rescue to send him somewhere else to serve out a lighter sentence in the Afterlife. Just giving him an Afterlife in general rather than endless torture. Not knowing just how much the Jailer can do would be a great thing to learn slowly as Uther and possibly Arthas come to all sorts of terms as the story progresses and in new patches!
The thing that excites me most about Shadowlands and Afterlives: Bastion is the opportunity to continue the lore of so many characters which have a lot more stories to tell. In stories, the death of a character often completes their arc, but going to the afterlife allows further exploration of interesting characters with out reviving them and cheapening their demise. I will briefly touch on a few of the characters that excite me most. Uther/Arthas: It was very clear to me that Uther felt conflicted about dropping Arthas into the maw. He told himself that it was "Justice" but if he was really so just, and fully believed that Arthas belonged in the Maw, then he would have also believed the arbiter would have sent him there. I think this was personal for Uther and he could not see past his own self-righteousness. This was an act of revenge by Uther, the expression on his face says it all. I think in the Shadowlands we will see Uther come to terms with this act of vengeance by either going further down its path or realizing his ways. Kael'thas Sunstrider: This character in particular has a lot more story to tell. It felt he was killed off unceremoniously in Burning Crusade. The prince of the blood elves was an interesting character in Warcraft III, he wanted what was best for his people despite his flaws. With him returning in the zone of Revendreth, a place where flawed souls go, I am curious if we will get to learn more about his motivations in Burning Crusade which ultimately lead to his death.Lady Vashj: The loyal handmaiden to Azshara will be an interesting one to explore, especially given that Azshara was a main antagonist during BFA and still at large. Will Vashj still be loyal to her queen in the afterlife? or has she moved past her queen and feels free from her in the afterlife. I think in Shadowlands we will get to learn the true opinion's of Lady Vashj.Alexandros Mograine: It is very interesting to me that a character who devoted so much of his life to slaying the undead has been sent to Maldraxxus. I highly doubt this character will accept that. I am excited to see how he will come to terms with being sorted into the zone which so closely resembles the scourge. Also what will be his reaction to seeing his son Darion Mograine as a Death Knight. This expansion has so much new lore and has us speculating and asking questions. I am excited to learn more about the motivations of these characters and how they will progress the story.
There's probably not gonna be anything about it until very late or maybe even after the expansion, but I'm looking forward to seeing how everything connects to the grand picture. In particular how the titans are involved and what the Jailor might be in relation to them. I am personally convinced that the "titan of Unmaking" Argus can't be "Unmade" as easily as we allegedly did and that what we fought wasn't the first time he was "back". I'm looking forward to his possible connection to the Shadowlands. One of my theories is that Azerite is actually a fusing or corruption between two colors or "soul elements/blood"; Blue (Destruction, Argus, Frostmourne) and gold (Creation, Azeroth, Ashbringer) and that every mortal soul consists of these two parts . I think that Frostmourne might be a weapon that consumes the destruction "element" of a soul, while Ashbringer could be able to consume the creation part (It has been known to contain the soul of Alexandros Morgraine, but the fact of it being corrupted at the time, which hurts the theory a bunch). This would also make sense in terms of the Bastion cinematic, where Uther has his soul split in two; gold and blue, the latter which is consumed by Frostmourne.Anyway, it does seem that the Jailor has had a hand in the comings and goings ever since, well at least before the second war and it could even be, that Sargeras wasn't aiming for Azeroth and not even N'Zoth, but was trying to somehow cleanse the corruption from Azeroth. Additionally, I love how The Light has been portrayed as ruthless and sometimes cruel, both in legion, the Mag'har orc scenario and now in the cinematic, where Uther's "light" soul is determined to be that ruthless servant of justice. I hope we get to see good aspects of the other side aswell.Lastly, I just look forward to more in terms of "big bad" and world ending events, which I find Blizzard to be much better at than trying to play character driven intrigue... I loved all the hints of N'Zoth and I hope (and suspect) that it's not the last we see of that kind of thing.
I'm looking forward to more of Arthas' story. I've been maining a DK since they arrived in Wrath and I have been a fan of Arthas since I played through his story in warcraft 3. I can't wait to see where the story goes from here!
What excites me the most about Afterlives: Bastion?Definitely the mysteries of the Kyrians. They are very powerful beings, yet they are all unaware that a powerful weapon of the Maw had been taken out of the Shadowlands right under their nose. How could they not notice this? How did no one notice anything when Frostmourne was being used in a mortal realm? Devos seemed angry and in complete disbelief when she saw Uthers wound, and when Devos tried to tell the others and the Archon they couldn't believe her. The other refused to believe Devos, that is how impossible it was. They just replied "stay on the path" which also intrigues me. Clearly the Kyrians are not as powerful as they seem. Are they blinded by arrogance? It really puzzles me how Frostmourne, this supreme relic of the Maw, was never noticed by the Kyrians.
Being able to deep dive into the afterlives environment, interacting with old favorites (Ysera, my love) and see how they've adapted and continue to be courageous even in the afterlives. The redemption of some of our favorites from over the years, and to shed tears over a few of them (YSERA)I'm also really hyped to see the Kyrian lore, since they're the closest thing to a true Valkyr we will be interacting with!