Sylvanas Windrunner - Crazy or Better Informed

[Evilfish]

First let me say that I've predicted the burning of the Nelf tree wouldn't be by her hand. Imagine my surprise yesterday so yes. I could be wrong assuming the following:

1. She becomes leader of the Horde because Vol'jin says the Loa chose her. Ok, didn't seem like a big deal at the time but now we go to Loa land so I suppose that has to be taken under consideration.

2. The biggest problem right now are the Void Lords, or so are we led to believe. Alleria who is pretty much their fiber optic cable into Azeroth gets some really urgent messages about killing Sylvanas on the spot. So, I'm guessing if they want her dead so badly then there's more to this story.

3. The blighted corpses in Ashenvale. Last time I did that quest it was a while ago on the beta but the corpses were blighted. But there is no blight, just the player and a crazy belf assassin. So unless they changed it and Sylvanas blights the town, there's something else happening.

4. The act itself. Buring the tree. Why? And this is something that bothered a lot of her fans who are fully aware that she's evil, not morally gray, but evil. But why? Why burn the tree? Why not just do something even more gruesome instead. I mean she had the people inside at her mercy she pretty much could have done anything she wanted by that point. Why burn the tree?

If you have your own theories about this situation then let's hear them. Is there a polt twist somewhere? We are being intentionally misled by the writers so we can get our minds blown with the unveiling of the whole story or is this just another Warchief execution a'la MoP?

Kindly try to leave your "faction pride" at the door and analyze this as someone reading a story and not someone looking for a forum war.

[Morgaith]

She has been the Lich Queen for a while now and i can't wait for either Genn or Bolvar to kill her.

[Kemsa]

Well for a military standpoint, invading the tree will cost more troops, perhaps even a death trap inside a big tree where "night elves" experts on "forest/jungle warfare" are know. But at the same time, Sylvannas acted as provoking the Alliance, for what purpose? we dont know. Thats the biggest hint, she wants to fight, probably this is the act that sets her in the quest for Zandalari support, because hey, they are also trolls, i dont think alliance will say "JOIN US YOU ARE NOT MONSTERS LIKE DARKSPEAR SHATTERSPEAR OR ANY OTHER TROLL HAHA" yeah.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

I mean from what I saw in that cinematic? It's a warchief execution. Anything less is an ass pull to justify her actions ex post facto.

[Broken Fox]

I don't think she knows anything we don't. Simply fucked in the head for obvious reasons and destined for some pivotal role against the Void.

She burned the tree because she saw, in Delaryn, that the night elf spirit was still strong even after losing. So it was basically "Fuck you then, this'll break you"

[Jeina]

Well for a military standpoint, invading the tree will cost more troops, perhaps even a death trap inside a big tree where "night elves" experts on "forest/jungle warfare" are know. But at the same time, Sylvannas acted as provoking the Alliance, for what purpose? we dont know. Thats the biggest hint, she wants to fight, probably this is the act that sets her in the quest for Zandalari support, because hey, they are also trolls, i dont think alliance will say "JOIN US YOU ARE NOT MONSTERS LIKE DARKSPEAR SHATTERSPEAR OR ANY OTHER TROLL HAHA" yeah.

You'll find out why she provoked them into a war next week.

[Flurryfang]

The war Of thorns is clearly set out to be a story with an end and a start, so unless Blizzard is gonna do some retconning in response to the backlash, there is no more informational be gained to blow our minds, so we will have to take the story and the action of characters within that story based upon the information we have.

What I see is a confused and messy story that wanted to do something so much, that it forgot to give reason and create arks to present the actions of characters. Blizz wanted to start a war between the Horde and alliance so much, that they forgot to make the situation believeable.

[Marmot]

Bolvar

Yeah cos he's such a swell guy right now himself

[Morgaith]

Yeah cos he's such a swell guy right now himself

That's why i want him to finish what Arthas started.

[Ielenia]

1. She becomes leader of the Horde because Vol'jin says the Loa chose her.

This is a point of contention to me. Vol'jin indeed say the Loa chose her to be the leader of the Horde... but how can we be sure that it was actually the Loa... and not a delusion/delirium of a mind addled by its imminent death and the fel poison coursing through his veins? Or that it was an Old God or Void Lord tricking Vol'jin?

[vertigo12]

This is a point of contention to me. Vol'jin indeed say the Loa chose her to be the leader of the Horde... but how can we be sure that it was actually the Loa... and not a delusion/delirium of a mind addled by its imminent death and the fel poison coursing through his veins? Or that it was an Old God or Void Lord tricking Vol'jin?

Perhaps it was G'huun who whispered in Vol'jin's thought while he's in a near death experience.

[Silver-Fox]

I, personally, like to think Sylvanas burned the tree rather than occupy it after seeing just how much resistance the Alliance was putting up. I believe at some point she realized that an occupation of Darnassus would be too costly. It would require too many resources that would leave the Horde much more vulnerable to a counterattack. So instead she takes the slash-and-burn approach.

Burn the tree, regroups and prepares for the Alliance to respond. Take out a major Alliance settlement and still have the numbers to defend against an inevitable counterattack.

Sylvanas hoped for a quick, decisive victory. Take control of a major Alliance port and hold it hostiage and prevent a counterattack but following the War of Thorns and the stalemate the ensued midway through the battle, that it wouldn't be an easy victory for the Horde nor a shocking defeat for the Alliance.

Had she simply "occupied" Teldrassil, I believe Sylvanas thought, that if the Alliance were to mobilize and attack Lorderon, she wouldn't have the numbers to counter any response from the Alliance with at least a good chunk of her army holding down Darnassus.

But that's just me trying to rationalize her thinking or understand a method to her madness.

[Evilfish]

This is a point of contention to me. Vol'jin indeed say the Loa chose her to be the leader of the Horde... but how can we be sure that it was actually the Loa... and not a delusion/delirium of a mind addled by its imminent death and the fel poison coursing through his veins? Or that it was an Old God or Void Lord tricking Vol'jin?

That should be cleared up. I mean we do go to Zandalar. Even the rocks there have Loa. Someone has to clarify if there's a grand plan or if Vol'jin was going insane with some outside help.

Then again there's a contradiction there. If the Void Lords or Old Gods made her Queen of the Horde, then why go batshit crazy and demand Alleria kill her on sight?

[Schattenlied]

2. The biggest problem right now are the Void Lords, or so are we led to believe. Alleria who is pretty much their fiber optic cable into Azeroth gets some really urgent messages about killing Sylvanas on the spot. So, I'm guessing if they want her dead so badly then there's more to this story.

https://youtu.be/P2oj6KTRjvQ?t=3m26s


Pretty sure the void is just being the void, Alleria already saw Sylvanas as a threat at that time, the Void saw a much higher chance at getting her to kill Sylvanas than the people she actually cares deeply about, like her husband and still living sister. The void wants Alleria to give in to it's demands so it can begin corrupting her, so if it sees something as having a higher than normal liklihood to succeed it's gonna push, hard, to get it to happen. Speculation of course.

3. The blighted corpses in Ashenvale. Last time I did that quest it was a while ago on the beta but the corpses were blighted. But there is no blight, just the player and a crazy belf assassin. So unless they changed it and Sylvanas blights the town, there's something else happening.

It's perfectly possible to coat weapons with blight, Sylvanas and Nathanos were tipping their arrows with it during the Legion invasion launch events, according to https://wow.gamepedia.com/New_Plague#In_Legion anyways.

4. The act itself. Buring the tree. Why? And this is something that bothered a lot of her fans who are fully aware that she's evil, not morally gray, but evil. But why? Why burn the tree? Why not just do something even more gruesome instead. I mean she had the people inside at her mercy she pretty much could have done anything she wanted by that point. Why burn the tree?

It's less risky. No chance of any of her forces being killed in the process. She was hinging on occupation going smoothly by breaking their spirits with the death of Malfurion, and that didn't go her way, so she had to change the plan from occupation to destruction.

[Evilfish]

https://youtu.be/P2oj6KTRjvQ?t=3m26s


Pretty sure the void is just being the void, Alleria already saw Sylvanas as a threat at that time, the Void saw a much higher chance at getting her to kill Sylvanas than the people she actually cares deeply about, like her husband and still living sister. The void wants Alleria to give in to it's demands so it can begin corrupting her, so if it sees something as having a higher than normal liklihood to succeed it's gonna push, hard, to get it to happen. Speculation of course.


It's perfectly possible to coat weapons with blight, Sylvanas and Nathanos were tipping their arrows with it during the Legion invasion launch events, according to https://wow.gamepedia.com/New_Plague#In_Legion anyways.



It's less risky. No chance of any of her forces being killed in the process. She was hinging on occupation going smoothly by breaking their spirits with the death of Malfurion, and that didn't go her way, so she had to change the plan from occupation to destruction.

I'll give you that one. The void lords are depicted as kinda crazy and chaotic, so it might be just Alleria gettin impulses. That's a possibility too.

As for blight-coated weapons, I don't know. Lot of blight on the ground for a weapon. I feel that should have been explained a little better, unless it's part of something we are not meant to understand yet. Either way, by the end I guess we'll find out.

But I disagree with your last assessment. I think you are confusing her character with Anduin. Risky? Now? Not after marching through Ashenvale and Darkshore running into all kinds of wisp-shields, tree-people and a fucking zoo. Beside we see her changing her mind in an instant so I don't think it's this whole "it didn't go as smooth as I wanted it to so let's burn the fucking thing". It was more dramatic "enemy of life", "kill hope"... and shit. Still, extremely out of character. Maybe I'm wrong but I have this suspicion that something else was going on there.

[frogger237]

Had she simply "occupied" Teldrassil, I believe Sylvanas thought, that if the Alliance were to mobilize and attack Lorderon, she wouldn't have the numbers to counter any response from the Alliance with at least a good chunk of her army holding down Darnassus.

But that's just me trying to rationalize her thinking or understand a method to her madness.

Idk if its her madness or just poor writing. I mean she claimed she was wanted the Horde and Alliance separated by continents and yet she still wants the Undercity.

[Silver-Fox]

Idk if its her madness or just poor writing. I mean she claimed she was wanted the Horde and Alliance separated by continents and yet she still wants the Undercity.

Maybe that was her plan all along? Attack Darnassus, force the Alliance to respond by attacking Undercity so they spend all their manpower across the Eastern Kingdom leaving the Horde conveniently free to sweep up Kalmindor.

Again, not arguing that's the case, just throwing stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks.

[Deleted]

Sylvanas does not want Horde and Alliance to be divided by the ocean. Her real and original plan is to invade Stormwind and raise its citizens as Forsaken. The thing with the two continents was shown in the reveal trailer (one turning blue and one red) and used in a text in early Beta that got scrapped, it never was a real thing.

[javierdsv]

On the Battle for Lordaeron dialogue she says to Saurfang:

"You have the luxury of underestimating death, but it is something with which I am intimately familiar."

Let's be clear, she is actually "dead", death means something entirely different to her and the undead than it does to everyone else, dying means nothing if she can raise them back.

IMO, the story is yet to be told,
Again, if the old golds want her gone for good, and the spirits told Vol'Jin to make her Warchief, there's defenitely more than meets the eye.

My theory still stands on Anduin siding with the void and Sylvanas stopping him somehow.

[etheldald]

this is what blizzard said:
"Travis: That’s a cool idea, but I do think that, and it’s just the way it’s been represented so far. As we closer and closer to launch, we are going to have some of those that fill in the blanks as you play through the siege of Lordaeron and such, I think it will tell you the story that it’s even-handed. I think we want to end up in a place where the Horde can make an argument that the Alliance started it and vice versa, as is the lead of all conflicts."

what can possibly be revealed in the siege of lordaeron where people will start blaming the alliance for starting the war??
it would be the jaina cinematic??
or the end cinematic of lordaeron?
probably, just probably we will know next week why the horde would think that the alliance is a threat.

is that or sylvanas is just crazy and the horde deserve to be dismantled.