Originally Posted by
Wildberry
Once again, the Horde and Alliance are going to find themselves in a state of war.
The First War ended with the destruction of Stormwind, the Second saw the Horde broken and interned. The third was never Horde v. Alliance, but rather Horde, Alliance and Night Elves (With minor skirmishes in between) against the Scourge and Legion. That one ended in the Legion's invasion being repelled. Garrosh's War ended with treasonous rebels sacking Orgrimmar alongside the Alliance.
So, on precedent, we have a few endings:
A.) Conquest/Domination/Extermination of the Opposing Faction.
B.) Skirmishes being ceased to allow the factions to unite against [Insert Large Threat Here]
C.) One Faction suffering a betrayal, resulting in said faction's loss of the war.
Option A is obviously out, due to the format of an MMO.
I realize that a lot of people have their money on B, because "That's the way it always goes!" However, is it really? I mean, let's look at Horde/Alliance relations in WC3. There were certainly hostilities between the two groups (Orcs freeing Grom, stealing ships, attacking human survivors in Kalimdor, etc.) but the war itself wasn't ever focused on the Horde against the Alliance. They were simply two factions with poor history and circumstances resulting in some relatively minor battles, until they set aside their differences as the Legion invaded.
Classic WoW saw skirmishes, as did BC, but things never escalated into a war. WotLK was arguably the only time this has ever happened, with Varian effectively declaring war after the Wrath Gate. Again though, things didn't escalate, and a treaty was signed shortly thereafter. Unity didn't happen in Cataclysm, either, war erupted as Deathwing was scorching the earth. So on and so forth. Legion, of course, saw some hostilities between the Horde and Alliance; however, it followed the WotLK model roughly. There were some hostilities, but they were sidelined and patched over (both see conflict come the following expansion, as well).
Based off from what we know about the upcoming faction war, it's Ashran writ large. Both sides are fighting over Azerite, fearing what the other will do with it. The Horde is, again, the aggressor. It's also going to escalate very quickly. Teldrassil is burned (With Sylvanas possibly having some [insert powerful magical item here] to di it), and the Undercity comes under siege.
To focus on Teldrassil specifically, that's the "point of no return here." How do you possibly sue for peace after eliminating a capital like that? In a certain sense, it seems to be the "Theramore" of the upcoming war, in the sense that Theramore was the point when Jaina et al stopped worrying about peace and became focused on removing Garrosh from power (ie, concluding the war).
As much as I'd hate to see it happen again, there's really no other sensible way for this to end. Even as threatening as N'zoth may be, it makes absolutely no sense for either faction to overlook the hostilities by the other.
While there's a chance it may not happen, C seems to be the path that would result from not-completely-awful-writing (Since A is off the table). Unsatisfactory and tired? Yes. Better, quality-wise than B? Most likely.
Focusing on rebel factions specifically, one side is far more likely to suffer treason (again) than the other.
With regard to the Alliance, let's look at their leadership:
Velen and Anduin and are probably the only leaders willing to come to the table after N'zoth emerges. Greymane lost a son and his Kingdom to the current Warchief. Tyrade's city will be a mountain of ash in the sea. Jaina is horribly written. Jaina is also adamantly anti-Horde. The Council of the Three Hammers could go either way, and Gnomes will never be relevant enough to warrant taking into consideration.
On the Horde:
Most of the leadership from the Darkspear Rebellion is still in place. The same people that criticized Garrosh for starting a (completely necessary) war, and were taking borderline-treasonous action the moment he took up the mantle of Warchief. Baine harbors a respect for the Alliance (Anduin specifically), and didn't care too much for Garrosh's plan to claim Kalimdor for the Horde. Saurfang was rotting in Northrend during Garrosh's reign, but he's war-weary and a critic of what he personally views to be "senseless conflict." There's also some evidence from the "Before the Storm" text to indicate some wariness on his part toward Sylvanas. Lor'themar didn't have the stomach for Thalassian casualties, and considered rejoining the Alliance. He also couldn't be bothered to show up for Theramore, despite Garrosh specifically requesting his presence. Gallywix is a one-dimensional caricature that only cares about profit. No notable Darkspear has any personality whatsoever, but the tribe as a whole were noted to be a disproportionate amount of Garrosh's critics. With regard to the Forsaken, sure there's worship of Sylvanas, but we just got introduced to the "Desolate Council." A new body that is currently "meeting the needs" of Undercity's citizenry.
Horde characters going forward are likely (based on precedent, characterization and history):
Baine: Express disinterest in the war, while offering some participation. At least initially.
Saurfang: Express disinterest in the war, while offering some participation. At least initially.
Darkspear Collective: Express disinterest in the war, while offering some participation. At least initially. (Could change depending on their relationship with the Zandalari, and Zandalar's relationship with Kul Tiras)
Forsaken: Most are likely to whole heartedly support Sylvanas. There's a mild bit of discontent with usurpers waiting in the wings.
Lor'themar Theron: Make no comment as to his support for the war, while offering participation. At least initially.
Gallywix: Support the war enthusiastically, unless it drags on for too long ("Blank Scroll"), or the Horde begins to lose.
To recap here: Most Alliance leaders won't settle for a cession of hostilities, most Horde leaders aren't likely to be enthusiastic about the upcoming war.
Beyond just the opinions of faction leaders, though, let's look at what it would take to make B work, and explore the various options for C.
If unity were to happen, we'd need to see at least Genn, Jaina, and Tyrande killed off on the Alliance side. That's assuming too that their successors (At least Genn and Tyrande, since Jaina's just a notable figure with political clout at the moment), aren't going to hold the same grudges as those before them (Gilneas is an abandoned ruin, Teldrassil is a crisp). To see unity on the Horde side, the only person that has to go is Sylvanas. Saurfang et al. can all be realistically written as not desiring the war in the first place. Sylvanas also has a very handy replacement that was just introduced.
To take a step back from the story and look at Blizzard's statements, IIRC at the most recent Blizzcon they told us that "Jaina would be fine." At a previous Blizzcon, Dave Kosak mentioned that "Sylvanas will see a 'reckoning, one day.'"
Even after Garrosh's War, Varian, while not interested in occupying Orgrimmar, interested in containing Sylvanas. Sylvanas herself is as susceptible as a Warcraft character can be to corruption, what with having the need for [insert otherworldly power here], in this case, to save herself from death.
The only way I can see Battle for Azeroth ending is with Sylvanas getting offed. Unity just can't happen at this point, even if N'zoth himself emerges from the depths.
Strap in, lads. We're in for another expansion where we are fortunate enough to kill our Warchief while the Alliance complains about "Horde favoritism." I wonder what pathetic character they'll appoint to succeed Sylvanas?
Alternatively: What realistic ideas do you guys have for an outcome that's not a lazy rehash of MoP? Is there any remotely coherent ending in which Sylvanas stays alive and retains her position? Is there any likelihood for Alliance to get some of that wonderful spotlight they've been clamoring for, say a "Siege of Stormwind?"
P.S. Let's not turn this into another "Sylvanus thread." We get it, you guys really hate her for doing... things that are A-Okay in war.
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