EXP 5: The Burning Legion - My final argument on why the invasion is imminent.

[Deleted]

What ho,

I said I'd lay low after the HotS fiasco, and I will once I've gotten this argument off my chest.

Since Heroes of the Storm was proven to be Blizzard All-Stars, I've noticed an emerging trend where people suddenly believe in all kinds of implausible theories for the next expansion. What does a name change, in the end? Our hints remain the same. The Burning Legion is most likely next!

Velen's Vision
During The Burning Crusade, the Draenei opening cinematic was as follows:

"One month ago, a terrible explosion tore open the skies above northern Kalimdor. At that moment, the great ship Exodar plummeted from the heavens, and crashed upon the world of Azeroth. Having fled the ravaged world of Outland, the noble draenei used the dimension-travelling Exodar to reach safe-haven. Inspired by tales of the heroic Alliance that stood against the might of the Burning Legion, the draenei have come to enlist aid in retaking their shattered homeland. Dedicated to preserving life, and upholding the tenets of the Holy Light, the draenei hope to gather a new coalition of warriors to battle the Burning Legion and put a halt to its horrific Burning Crusade. Armed only with courage, and their unshakable faith in the Light, the draenei look forward to finding the Alliance and ushering them towards the destiny that awaits beyond the skies of Azeroth. Now, the fate of two worlds rests in your hands."

Since Cataclysm, it has instead been:

"Empowered by the Holy Light, and the undying strength of their convictions, the draenei led the charge against the demonic Burning Legion in Outland. Now, with the Legion's defeat, they have completed the desperate mission that first brought them to Azeroth. Though some Draenei were sent back to Outland - to revitalize their former civilization - the majority have vowed to remain and uphold their sacred commitment to the Alliance. Driven by a powerful vision, the immortal prophet, Velen, believes that a great war between the Darkness and the Light is fast approaching - and that Azeroth will be its principle battleground. As one of Velen's chosen, you must stand bravely before the Shadow, and ensure that your people are ready for the war to come."

The original one clearly refers to us forming a coalition with the draenei to save Outland (Draenor) from the Burning Legion. This is proven by the the second version, which mentions how the dranei led the charge against the Burning Legion in Outland, and that their mission is now complete.

What's important, however, is that the second version mentions a vision of Velen (bold text), in which a war between Light and Darkness takes place on Azeroth. This teaches us the following:

• The threat is external, as there is a need to mention Azeroth as the principle battleground. If the threat was only on, or from, Azeroth, then it would be the only battleground - not just the principle one.
• Azeroth will be the place where our war takes place, which could rule out the possibility of us going to Argus or back to Outland for a full expansion.
• The Shadow is coming, and it is a war of Light and Darkness. Frequently throughout Warcraft lore, the Darkness or the Shadow are terms used to describe the great enemy, the Burning Legion, and the dark realms like the Twisting Nether or the Void.

The one thing we do know is that Velen's visions are seldom wrong.

Wrathion's Foresight
So Wrathion is a bit of an important character throughout this expansion, without openly taking any major role in its events. Like a puppeteer in the shadows, he guides you through the lengthy Legendary quest-line, incites violence between factions, and continuously foreshadows an impending war with the Burning Legion. More specifically, he shows the Legion invading Azeroth in the form of a magical hologram with green fire raining down upon it. Here's what Dave Kosak had to say a couple of years back:

"When we had written that questline in the Badlands there, we knew that this would be a cool story thread to pick up some day. But if you really think about how long it would take a dragon to mature and start developing his own thoughts, it'd be a long time. Like decades. And we didn't really have time for that! So I said well, OK -- if we ask people to buy into this one thing, that because of these experiments he can have some self-awareness early on, wow - what an interesting character that is!

All of a sudden he's so compelling. Because let's see, his father was crazy and tried to destroy the world, his mother was basically raped by the red dragonflight, then his egg was experimented on to sever his ties with his own family - so how do you view the world at that point? Well, you don't really view the world as a friendly place. You're probably eager to take control of your own destiny, which he does, even before he hatches. And then you kind of have this thing to atone for - your father tried to destroy the world. Your father went crazy. Are you crazy? How do you not be crazy, how do you make up for what your father did. Suddenly he's such a cool character! I really want to explore that character. We kind of went nuts with it. So we kind of asked people -- well if you can already buy in to the idea that he hatched from his egg and already started hatching schemes, then there's a whole cool story that can come from that. And we really rolled with it.

That was kind of the genesis of that character. His value to the franchise is he really can kind of stand above Alliance and Horde, and really try and be a good guy, but without all the moral reservations that most good guys have. He really does have the best interests of Azeroth in mind, but his interests may not necessarily line up with our interests. His plan may not be the way that we would think of planning it. That kind of gray area between hero and villain is so cool for us, very cool to explore. And you're never sure whether you should trust him or not. It helps that we got a wonderful voice actor who really gets that across. He gets that kind of, that air of arrogance and also a little bit of smarminess. You know, like you like him, but don't trust him at the same time. Wonderful, wonderful characterization."

Say what you will of Wrathion. He is a difficult character to map out. The bold text really makes me think he's just getting started. 'The Black Prince' is strangely familiar to Anduin, 'The Prince of Light'. Both young characters with an unusual position, going above the petty interests of the Horde and Alliance. But also locked in an interesting and balanced dichotomy. Like Light and Shadow, the two fundamental forces of the Wacraft cosmos.

Kosak said Wrathion had the best interest of Azeroth in mind. But how utilitarian can you get before you inadvertently turn 'evil' from our point of view? The 'good of Azeroth', according to Titans, seems to be its complete obliteration and re-shaping. That's not what's best for us, however. Perhaps a re-shaped Azeroth is in the best interest of the planet itself, according to Wrathion?

Here's a really interesting article from Joystiq, analysing Wrathion and his origins, as well as his potential intentions. Hint: It heavily suggests that Wrathion may be a sort of Titan, or Titan Watcher. This would explain why he has no qualms with the idea of the Horde being wiped out, if it would mean that our war ended so we could brace for the Legion. Who knows - maybe Wrathion's charge is to weaken Azeroth with a Divide and Conquer tactic, thus allowing the cycle to end and the world to be re-shaped.

But I may be getting ahead of myself on that point. Wrathion could just be a sadist who enjoys creating chaos and watching people dance after his pipe.

Either case, Wrathion seems to possess extensive knowledge - either from being very, very clever, or from some sort of inherited knowledge through his DNA. If he says the Legion is coming, my bet is that he's right.

"But Wrathion said it would be another year to take Thunder Bluff!" you might say. While it's true that he did, it's difficult for us to know to which extent it matters. After all, our real-life timeline is about two years out-of-sync with the in-game one. Maybe one year on Azeroth would literally just be the gap between Siege of Orgrimmar and the next expansion, which could potentially be more than six months away.

The one thing we do know is that someone who is potentially a Titan, or infused with Titan knowledge, is unlikely to be wrong about the plans of the Burning Legion.

Shaohao's Burdens
The key in all of this, and the link to the next expansion, is Pride. Pride is the one vice which prevailed as Emperor Shaohao cleansed himself from his negative emotions at the time of the Sundering. By ridding himself of the others, he veiled and protected the pandaren people for ten thousand years. For millennia, Pride served two pivotal purposes: (1) it infested the pandaren spirit, and allowed the other negative emotions to re-gain their foothold in Pandaria over time (thus forcing the Shado-Pan to suppress them by force, as they could not let go of their Pride); (2) is also made sure that the pandaren, a proud people, preserved their knowledge in scrolls, folklore, and ancient libraries. Notice the extreme emphasis on lore and storytelling on Pandaria. Lorewalker Cho being a notable example, and the video version of Emperor Shaohao's Burdens is another. Not to forget the countless shrines and scrolls we walk into around ever nook and bend. Pandaria was protected not just to save its citizens, but to preserve this heritage. Shaohao could not create the Mist until he acknowledged that all people on Pandaria deserved a chance. All people deserve a chance.

Pandaria and its trials prevailed so that we could one day find it and its ancient knowledge. So that we could undertake the same journey of self-purification as Emperor Shaohao once did.

What did we do in Orgrimmar? We defeated the Sha of Pride and ended the cycle of Pandaria and Emperor Shaohao. More importantly, we cast our own Pride aside, as shown by the fact that Varian, despite Jaina's proud objections, allowed the Horde to prevail. After everything they had done, and after all he and Garrosh had fought for as Proud leaders of opposing factions (both from extreme backgrounds; one forced into gladiatorial combat in Orgrimmar, the other being a true brown orc with a shameful (or great?) family history), Varian still put his Pride aside. The cycle of hatred caused by Pride between the two factions was defeated.

Pride, at last, fell. It fell precisely when it needed to. For ten thousand years, it remained so that we could one day cast it out and become the best that we could be. So that we could one day stand together against the Legion, and prevent the next Sundering. Shaohao didn't just abandon the world to burn under the Legion's invasion. He preserved key part of ancient Azeroth which would one day be needed to actually defeat the Legion - knowledge, wisdom, comradeship, and pure hearts.

It is no accident that Blizzard relentlessly reminds us of Shaohao and his perils. It is not for nought that he is the overseer of the Celestial Tournament on the Timeless Isles. After all, we are about to fight in a Celestial Tournament that is Timeless, Eternal.

Metzen's Promise
As I've said before: during the live-streamed launch ceremony of Mists of Pandaria, Chris Metzen was on-stage to take questions from the fans. Some of these questions were via Twitter, and one of them was from me.

Me:
'Turalyon and Alleria forever to be MIA? What news from the Twisting Nether? For Lothar!'

Metzen:
'Uh, so eh- this question comes up all the time...
Do we have plans for these two characters?
Uh, I'm very happy to say... we absolutely do.
(Crowd cheers.)
To my knowledge, I'm pretty sure they are not showing up in Mists of Pandaria.
(Crowd goes 'Aaw'.)
However... what can I say out loud?
Eh... in terms of what's coming next...
You're gonna need their help.
So, you look forward to them showing up!'

Anyone who is familiar with game developers being interviewed while under NDA will know the signs:

• Metzen is struggling to think of what he can and can't say.
• He confirms beyond doubt that they have plans for the two characters, with emphasis on the word 'do'. This means they'll be important.
• He almost hesitates as to whether they will show up in Mists of Pandaria or not, implying that they are strongly connected to current events in WoW and development at Blizzard.
• Lastly, he specifically says that we will need them for what's next. Their connection to the game world is nearly exclusively the Burning Legion, the Twisting Nether, and Outland at this point. They used to be Horde-slayers. Now they are demon-slayers. This implies the Burning Legion may well play an important role very soon.

Mojo Risin's Verdict
I've you've read this far and still find it implausible that the Burning Legion will soon invade us, then I applaud you for your stubbornness - you must be a Bronzebeard? But don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that just because the Burning Legion might invade, no other themes could be in focus.

After all:

• The battleground will be Azeroth. We won't be going anywhere. This leaves out new continents on Argus or Outland.
• We know Blizzard wouldn't want to base an entire expansion around a trashed and besieged Azeroth. They'd want to give us new land to traverse.
• We've received hints for both the Emerald Dream, Queen Azshara, and N'Zoth. All of those have / are realms within Azeroth, and could co-exist with the Burning Legion theme.

For all I know, it might be precisely the Burning Legion invasion which is to cause us to take the plunge into the sea to interrupt Queen Azshara's summoning spell that breaks the world apart; seek out the Dark Below to conquer N'Zoth; access the Rift of Aln and the Emerald Dream in order to restore Azeroth once it's broken. Voila, not only can all speculated themes fit into one expansions, but we also have a good premise for a whole range of new future lore with an Azeroth partly or wholly reborn.

There, I'll return to my corner. I'll maintain that this is all speculation, and should not be seen as evidence for anything. There are holes in my theory, but there are also a lot of things worth thinking about.

See you at BlizzCon!

[Codah]

Literally no one would argue that we're eventually going to face the Legion again. The argument is whether or not it will happen in Exp 5, of which I'm still not convinced.

[Deleted]

wasn't this the guy that was horribly wrong about "Heroes of the Storm" as well? Even with all the "compelling" arguments, and threats of making "in your face threads" when we were all proved he was right?

I remain unconvinced, in this case as well as the last one, you do put some thought into it though, credit for that! Conclusion just ends up as guesstimates at best

[Deleted]

wasn't this the guy that was horribly wrong about "Heroes of the Storm" as well? Even with all the "compelling" arguments, and threats of making "in your face threads" when we were all proved he was right?

I remain unconvinced, in this case as well as the last one, you do put some thought into it though, credit for that! Conclusion just ends up as guesstimates at best

You are welcome to address me in first person. I'm right here.

Yes, I was wrong about the Heroes of the Storm trademark, although it could have gone either way if you ask me. No sides of the argument had irrefutable evidence, but we all became really arrogant eventually (perhaps me most of all).

Anyhow, that doesn't change anything save for what the name might be.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Be prepared to be incorrect, much like those that expect The Dark Below.

[Boricha]

I think I'll be happy either way between BL and a Ny'alotha / South Seas expansion. I just hope it isn't another spin off expansion, not that MoP is bad, it isn't.

[ro9ue]

Also... Skysunder.

[JakeCC]

Great read, and I agree with many of your points, although I'm thinking that Velen's vision is more towards an ultimate ending as opposed to anything next, considering in that short story where he has said vision, it's on an unknown world. (If I remember correctly.)

[Orcindauh]

Kil'Jaeden and the legion or N'zoth.

Old gods and KJ are badass imo, I'm fine with either.

[CosmicGuitars]

I'm split on it, to be frank, for the exact reasons you cited as examples to reinforce it's likeliness.

Wrathion: A complete waste!
Wrathion: You were there! Is it true then? What happened in Orgrimmar?
Wrathion: That fool king!
Wrathion: I did everything in my power. The whole world was his, he needed only seize it!
Wrathion: Oh sure, another year of fighting. Enormous casualties trying to take Thunder Bluff. But the rest of the Horde would've caved, eventually.
Wrathion: TONG! DRINK! NOW!
*Tong prepares a drink*
Wrathion: What? Yes, I was backing the Alliance.
Wrathion: I thought Hellscream's victory was assured before he turned half of his Horde against him. So I changed my allegiance.
Wrathion: Oh, don't look so surprised! I'm a black dragon. My loyalties are my own.
Wrathion: But that idiot, IDIOT Wrynn! "High King" indeed!
Wrathion: Why did he allow another Warchief? He could've united the world under the Alliance banner. What a fool I was to trust his ambition!
Wrathion: Should've taken over the throne room myself. Like Auntie Onyxia. Get things DONE.
Tong the Fixer: Enough!
Wrathion: Uhh..wha?
Tong the Fixer: Talk! Talk! Talk!
Tong the Fixer: Always you speak. Never do you listen! You ignore the lessons of Pandaria!
Tong the Fixer: You see, there is balance in all things. Wisdom etched in our very fur: Black and white, Darkness and light.
Tong the Fixer: When the last emperor hid our land from the rest of the world, he also preserved the homeland of our ancient enemy, the mantid. Why did he do this?
Tong the Fixer: He did so to keep the land whole. Living with the mantid for ten thousand years has made us both STRONG.
Tong the Fixer: So it is with your Alliance and your Horde. They are not strong despite one another; they are strong BECAUSE of one another.
Tong the Fixer: You mistake your greatest strength for weakness. Do you see this?
Wrathion: ...you...you're just a WAITER!
Wrathion: I promise you this. I will stop at nothing to prepare this world for the battle to come.
Wrathion: Next time, I will leave nothing to chance.
Wrathion: NOTHING!
*Turns into a dragon whelp and flies away*
Tong the Fixer says: ...He destroyed my inn. He left no tip. He is not nice.

http://www.wowhead.com/quest=33105

These two quotes are, to me, vital. It implies that the Siege of Orgrimmar, following the death of Garrosh, would still last for another year as the Alliance turns it's sights on the rest of the Horde. One could make the case that it would be the year gap between expansions, but I'm not so convinced. It makes no sense in Wrathion's plan for them to go straight from fighting the Horde to fighting the Burning Legion. There has to be some time in there for, in his words, Varian to 'unite the world under the Alliance banner'. Secondly, when he has his temper tantrum, he says next time.. if the Legion invasion was so imminent, there would certainly not be a next time.

Another thing I must bring up is Velen's prophecy itself, which is intrinsically tied to Anduin's story arc.

Instead of the prince, an armored warrior stood before him, his plate helm and breastplate shining with the essence of the Light itself. The warrior wielded a sword forged from the same material as the armor, held it aloft as he perched on an outcropping... Whether it was on another world or Azeroth, Velen couldn't quite tell. And suddenly the dark sky above erupted with the combined chivalry of Azeroth's races. The blood elves, orcs, trolls, tauren, and even the accursed undead and scheming goblins rode flying mounts of every sort and description. They were armored and armed in magical weaponry glowing with so much power it hurt Velen's eyes to look at them. Beside the legions of the Horde, the ancient night elves charged with humans, dwarves, and gnomes, whose ancestors formed the original Alliance, and the shape-changing worgen were united with them. Velen's own draenei bolstered the army, their ranks adorned in otherworldly metals and bearing crystalline maces and swords.

http://us.battle.net/wow/en/game/lor...len/9#readmode

This is referencing Anduin, who still has a lot more growing up to do before he's ready to take up arms and lead the Army of the Light against the Burning Legion. Right now, he's just a boy, and for a good part of the expansion he was a cripple. He is definitely strong spiritually, but he is no Paladin. There has to be more done for Anduin's character before the Legion attacks, or we take the fight to them instead. I'm not sure what that is, but right now, he's just a boy.

[Count Zero]

We'll face the Legion again, but I doubt next xpac. Other stuff has been built up longer. N'zoth is due first, I think.

[Deleted]

yes yes this is nothing we haven't heard before. new information please

[Arbs]

I'm 100% possitive this is what EXP 6 will be.

[Therougetitan]

I'm split on it, to be frank, for the exact reasons you cited as examples to reinforce it's likeliness.

These two quotes are, to me, vital. It implies that the Siege of Orgrimmar, following the death of Garrosh, would still last for another year. One could make the case that it would be the year gap between expansions, but I'm not so convinced. It makes no sense in Wrathion's plan for them to go straight from fighting the Horde to fighting the Burning Legion. There has to be some time in there for, in his words, Varian to 'unite the world under the Alliance banner'. Secondly, when he has his temper tantrum, he says next time.. if the Legion invasion was so imminent, there would certainly not be a next time.

The timeline in the Ultimate Visual Guide says there are two years between Cataclysm and MoP. Meaning if they want to, they can always do another two years between MoP and the next expansion.

Another thing I must bring up is Velen's prophecy itself, which is intrinsically tied to Anduin's story arc.

This is referencing Anduin, who still has a lot more growing up to do before he's ready to take up arms and lead the Army of the Light against the Burning Legion. Right now, he's just a boy, and for a good part of the expansion he was a cripple. He is definitely strong spiritually, but he is no Paladin. There has to be more done for Anduin's character before the Legion attacks, or we take the fight to them instead. I'm not sure what that is, but right now, he's just a boy.

It's not confirmed to be Anduin, Velen doesn't know who he saw. It could be Anduin. It could also be Turaylon, who we know is a paladin that has had vision of the Naaru already and that Metzen already said would be in the next expansion.

[Chimeal]

I agree, Burning Legion is planned, but when exactly? We have three basic expansions that could happen. Underwater, Timey-Wimey, or Burning Legion. Frankly, a Burning Legion 2.0 feels like a finale. I'm betting Blizz wants to get the rest of the Azeroth issues resolved before introducing demonic invasion. Plus, if they do Burning Legion and then Azshara, I feel like Azshara will feel a lot less epic than BL, sorta like MoP compared to Cata.

[Deleted]

I'm split on it, to be frank, for the exact reasons you cited as examples to reinforce it's likeliness.


http://www.wowhead.com/quest=33105

These two quotes are, to me, vital. It implies that the Siege of Orgrimmar, following the death of Garrosh, would still last for another year as the Alliance turns it's sights on the rest of the Horde. One could make the case that it would be the year gap between expansions, but I'm not so convinced. It makes no sense in Wrathion's plan for them to go straight from fighting the Horde to fighting the Burning Legion. There has to be some time in there for, in his words, Varian to 'unite the world under the Alliance banner'. Secondly, when he has his temper tantrum, he says next time.. if the Legion invasion was so imminent, there would certainly not be a next time.

Another thing I must bring up is Velen's prophecy itself, which is intrinsically tied to Anduin's story arc.

http://us.battle.net/wow/en/game/lor...len/9#readmode

This is referencing Anduin, who still has a lot more growing up to do before he's ready to take up arms and lead the Army of the Light against the Burning Legion. Right now, he's just a boy, and for a good part of the expansion he was a cripple. He is definitely strong spiritually, but he is no Paladin. There has to be more done for Anduin's character before the Legion attacks, or we take the fight to them instead. I'm not sure what that is, but right now, he's just a boy.

I still think people read too much into the 1 year thing. Like I said, the timelines of WoW and real life are slightly out of sync. TBC to MoP took 4 years in WoW, but 6 years in real life, so I could see them using the time leading up to the expansion as the time frame Wrathion was referring to.

Regarding his 'next time', you have a good point. But there are still plenty of 'nexts'. Garrosh's Trial, perhaps?

It sounds to me like the prophecy refers to Turalyon, not Anduin. Anduin is a pacifist and is built to be a priest. Someone who stands above the fighting, and instead resorts to talking.

- - - Updated - - -

I'm 100% possitive this is what EXP 6 will be.

I see what you did there.

Out of curiosity, what do you think will be EXP 5, then, and why do you think it will come before the Legion?

- - - Updated - - -

We'll face the Legion again, but I doubt next xpac. Other stuff has been built up longer. N'zoth is due first, I think.

But as I said in my OP, N'Zoth and the Legion can co-exist. Re-read the final section called Mojo Risin's Verdict.

- - - Updated - - -

I agree, Burning Legion is planned, but when exactly? We have three basic expansions that could happen. Underwater, Timey-Wimey, or Burning Legion. Frankly, a Burning Legion 2.0 feels like a finale. I'm betting Blizz wants to get the rest of the Azeroth issues resolved before introducing demonic invasion. Plus, if they do Burning Legion and then Azshara, I feel like Azshara will feel a lot less epic than BL, sorta like MoP compared to Cata.

And what if Azshara is the one to summon the Legion, causing a second Sundering? Maybe we have to go down there to stop her as the world is breaking apart around us. Then we need to heal it by defeating N'Zoth and accessing the Emerald Dream via the Rift of Aln.

[Azgraal]

I still maintain my position that Dr Whovian Time Traveling expansion where (or when - sorry..) we prepare ourselves for the impending doom with the help of heroes from the past (THEN after that, on exp6, Burning Legion) is a better candidate for this next expansion.

You just rebranded all the theories you had when you were indubitably sure about Heroes of the Storm and gave them a new package. There's still plenty to do before we're ready to face Warcraft's ultimate bad guys' army.

[Wildtree]

It's all nice and dandy.... But why does it have to be, that Blizzard weaves hints of the or any future expansion into the current one?
It might as well be that NPC conversations are just that, NPC conversations..

Too much things interpreted into anything and everything.

[Hanto]

Is it too difficult to simply speculate on the next expansion, rather than jumping the gun (as you've done for HotS and The Dark Below) and basically declaring your next exciting thread IS the next expansion? I mean, EVENTUALLY you'll be able to have the last laugh with a "Ha! Called it!"; but after a few false calls on a wolf, who's gonna care what the boy says?


Anyway, I'm thinking the next expansion will have something to do with the Burning Legion. Wrathion's quest line and Shaohao's videos give me the vibe for that. Although I wouldn't put it past Blizzard to intentionally make players think one thing and whip out something totally unrelated (I doubt anyone saw MoP coming from a mile away).

[Deleted]

my source tells me: no!