{Spoilers} King of Stormwind

[Deleted]

Despite wishing it was Velen who led the Alliance, Anduin really is setting up to be a very well-written character.

Consider that he is a Priest. Priests are constantly in balance between the light and the darkness.

Not really, no. That's the Discipline Priest and even the Discipline Priest seems to be more a follower of the Light/Shadow who uses the opposing force in a pragmatic way, as a tool. Their understanding of the Shadow remains facile, because one must open themselves to madness to truly understand the Shadow.

I don't like the Discipline Priest. They seem to be the Priest with the least Faith, faith isn't emphasized in their discription. They try to play with both opposing divine Forces, but I don't think that such a way will grant someone true understanding of the Light or the Void. I don't think that such a path will ever lead somewhere. And I don't think that Anduin is even a good Discipline Priest. He lacks the Ideals of a Holy Priest, to fully commit himself to his own community and smite the evil or the pragmatism of a Discipline Priest, to do whatever is the most practical for his own people.

Anduin is a true disciple of Velen, to weak to lead. I think Anduin should learn to take Faol as his example, not Velen. Faols Order had the Virtue to fight the Orcs with everything they have back in the first War and the pragmatism to give his Priests a Warhammer and faithful Knights holy Flames, when he saw that Priests were too weak to protect the believers. I think in the future, every Peace Anduin can make out will be one, his people will pay the price for.

[Al Gorefiend]

Not really, no. That's the Discipline Priest and even the Discipline Priest seems to be more a follower of the Light/Shadow who uses the opposing force in a pragmatic way, as a tool. Their understanding of the Shadow remains facile, because one must open themselves to madness to truly understand the Shadow.

I don't like the Discipline Priest. They seem to be the Priest with the least Faith, faith isn't emphasized in their discription. They try to play with both opposing divine Forces, but I don't think that such a way will grant someone true understanding of the Light or the Void. I don't think that such a path will ever lead somewhere. And I don't think that Anduin is even a good Discipline Priest. He lacks the Ideals of a Holy Priest, to fully commit himself to his own community and smite the evil or the pragmatism of a Discipline Priest, to do whatever is the most practical for his own people.

Anduin is a true disciple of Velen, to weak to lead. I think Anduin should learn to take Faol as his example, not Velen. Faols Order had the Virtue to fight the Orcs with everything they have back in the first War and the pragmatism to give his Priests a Warhammer and faithful Knights holy Flames, when he saw that Priests were too weak to protect the believers. I think in the future, every Peace Anduin can make out will be one, his people will pay the price for.

Spec isn't defined in lore, for one thing. Secondly, my point still stands that he is a Priest and must bring balance to his power. You don't just click a button and start embracing the shadow/light in lore.

Paging @Yvaelle if we want to start getting deeper into what a Priest is. They really are the most complex class when it comes to philosophy and what they stand for.

[PhilUK]

I think people are looking at this all wrong, you see Anduin was leader of Stormwind during "Vanilla" WoW and "The Burning Crusade". So why wouldn't this be another golden age for the game?

[Yvaelle]

Spec isn't defined in lore, for one thing. Secondly, my point still stands that he is a Priest and must bring balance to his power. You don't just click a button and start embracing the shadow/light in lore.

Paging @Yvaelle if we want to start getting deeper into what a Priest is. They really are the most complex class when it comes to philosophy and what they stand for.

In the void, my name was whispered, and it drew me to this moment and this place

It's a good point that in the lore, characters aren't defined as being a specific WoW specialization - they are their class.

The key distinction between a Priest and a Paladin is their view of the Light. Paladins believe that the Light is all that is good, and that they can purge evil from the world, including The Void. In their view, the Void is but one of myriad evils - not the equal of the Light. In their fevered dreams, all evil is gone - including The Void - and only The Light remains.

All Priests, by contrast, view The Light and The Void as complementary halves of a singular whole. Neither came before the other, neither is more powerful than the other, both must exist or all of existence will unravel. I would go further to say that given this, Priests do not view The Void as evil - or even The Light as good. Both are the same thing. This takes some serious meditations on the nature of reality to begin to understand, hence the Priest order is a particularly cloistered group - especcially amongst the Humans - and they do not openly share the details of their faith. Stormwind is content to believe that The Light is all that is good, and The Void is all that is evil - and the Priests would not deny the masses their opiate: nor would they seek to speak their truth, for the Paladins would consider it heresy.

However the Priests of Stormwind are not the only Priests in Azeroth, all Priests have an understanding of something which is like The Light, and something which is like The Void - and all have come to similar conclusions: some more open than others. The Undead are particularly interested in The Void because, as former humans, it is the missing piece of their former religion. Which is not to say the Undead don't know of The Light, or that they wish it gone - they don't - they are (former) humans who now see both sides.

Night Elves actively worship Azeroth's only literal god (Elune), a god of night who resides within The Void. The Void is as much a part of our religion as the Light, perhaps more. I'm quite eager to see what they do with the Nightborn, because now we're diving into old school Elven mythology

So circling back to what a Priest is, we all meditate on the nature of reality, we try to understand the symbiotic existence of The Light and The Void. This is why we can speak a word, and invoke existence to make it so - this is the nature of Power Words and Shadow Words. Our font of power is our own willpower, and our truer understanding of reality. All priests are both wielders of The Light, and The Void. Holy Priests, when assailed by enemies - and psychically scream, or summon void creatures to their defense - they are adept in shadow magic. Shadow Priests can heal their allies in their darkest hours, they can bolster their will, or shield them from harm.

All priests are both. Archbishop Benedictus demonstrates this well - while corrupted by N'zoth / Deathwing, he spent his whole life being a public figure as a "Holy" priest to the people of Stormwind. When pushed however, he's obviously extremely adept in Shadow Magic - that didn't happen over night - that's a lifetime of study and mastery: hidden from humanity. And finally to Anduin - he's demonstrated on numerous occasions that he knows Shadow Magic extremely well, too. He psychic screams mobs off you in a quest, he uses mind vision to follow your progress when he can't be seen publicly investigating a string of murders, he casts Shadow Word: Pain when helping you, and of particular interest - at the start of the Pandaria quests for Alliance, he Mass Mind Controls multiple hero NPCs when he's not ready to go home. Arguably, he's hiding a knowledge of Shadow Magic that supercedes player characters: and he's a former student of Benedictus.

[Aeula]

Depends how he handles the more rebellious members of the alliance. Too early to tell how he'll grow into the role.

[Deleted]

After spending much of their lives in temples studying ancient doctrine, preaching the tenets of their faith, and pledging their full devotion to the divine powers they follow, the most adept priests leave their houses of worship to serve on the battlefield, as shepherd to flock. There, they use their holy powers to bless allies and mend wounds. And while most stay behind the frontlines to aid their comrades, these holy champions are also capable of smiting foes and carrying out sacred justice. They’re also morally opposed to the use of Shadow and Void magic—rather, they are exemplars of the incredible grace and power of the divine and the Light, and even death cannot fully stop their healing capabilities.

Only the Discipline Priests seem to be about Balance and bullshit.