[Spoilers] What was the plot twist with Azshara?

[Aucald]

Azshara may have made another deal with N'zoth as she faced certain death at the hands of the horde and alliance. We just didn't get to see the deal this time. This deal would primarily be on N'zoth's terms, which could explain her look of horror/helplessness when she was revived. She keeps her life, but must continue to be a part of N'zoth's plans.

Possibly - whatever it was, she certainly didn't seem to like it. The look of shock and horror on her face was palpable. I was under the impression she got a similar taste of the afterlife realm that Sylvanas encountered on the occasion of her death in "Edge of Night," and then N'Zoth yanked her from it roughly leaving her soaked in the residue of terror and dread.

[boketto]

Possibly - whatever it was, she certainly didn't seem to like it. The look of shock and horror on her face was palpable. I was under the impression she got a similar taste of the afterlife realm that Sylvanas encountered on the occasion of her death in "Edge of Night," and then N'Zoth yanked her from it roughly leaving her soaked in the residue of terror and dread.

That's an interesting thought. She looked so peaceful when she was unconscious, but maybe the writers had that poetic contrast in mind.

Another thing that can cause shock/horror is being stabbed with something. The sound effect they used for Azshara's revival sounds just like she was punctured, which is suspicious because the (N'zoth's?) Black Blade is nearby. Whether that was a red herring or not, time will tell.

[Sithalos]

There wasn't a twist. That's the twist.

[Aucald]

That's an interesting thought. She looked so peaceful when she was unconscious, but maybe the writers had that poetic contrast in mind.

Another thing that can cause shock/horror is being stabbed with something. The sound effect they used for Azshara's revival sounds just like she was punctured, which is suspicious because the (N'zoth's?) Black Blade is nearby. Whether that was a red herring or not, time will tell.

Yes, the stabbing noise when Azshara wakes struck me too, but since it didn't show anything of note I assumed it was just supposed to be an audio cue for the suddenness of it. It is strange how gentle N'Zoth seems to be with Azshara, coupled with the peacefulness of her repose, right before her sudden awakening - but I think poetic contrast is exactly what was in mind there. I get the sense that N'Zoth likes to toy with its meals before the feeding time commences.

[styil]

Ion: "It was a plot twist for the player characters, not the players"

[Kumorii]

Weird twist...after the Warbringer "cinematic" released ages ago ( too early if you ask me) - I mean..it was clear that he and she are in it together, so kinda naturally he would "save" her?

Dunno, to me it felt like Azshara was using N'zoth to gain power while N'zoth let her believe so... he has been tricking her all along. At least that's how I understood it. Even if they work together it's not like they are best buds, just two powerful forces using each other. Thing is that Azshara thought she was more clever than N'zoth was but clearly not. Pretty sure now she will become a full blown puppet of N'zoth. Think her facial expression when revived had a good mixture of both shock, for being revived, and fear from realising she is not in power anymore.

[Ophenia]

Yes, the stabbing noise when Azshara wakes struck me too, but since it didn't show anything of note I assumed it was just supposed to be an audio cue for the suddenness of it. It is strange how gentle N'Zoth seems to be with Azshara, coupled with the peacefulness of her repose, right before her sudden awakening - but I think poetic contrast is exactly what was in mind there. I get the sense that N'Zoth likes to toy with its meals before the feeding time commences.

... Could it be she got stabby stabby by Xal'atath ?

After all, I have yet to remember any occurrence of an Old God manifesting itself as smoke instead of Hentai boii, meanwhile Sylvanas is able to do that (as shown in BfA intro cinematic)

That'd be quite the twist, even though that seems way too complex for Blizz's storytelling so far

[Aucald]

... Could it be she got stabby stabby by Xal'atath ?

After all, I have yet to remember any occurrence of an Old God manifesting itself as smoke instead of Hentai boii, meanwhile Sylvanas is able to do that (as shown in BfA intro cinematic)

That'd be quite the twist, even though that seems way too complex for Blizz's storytelling so far

Quite possibly. I think the the tendril of shadowy energy/essence is a reminder that the Old Gods, in their natural forms, aren't necessarily organic creatures - they're made of what the Titans referred to as "necrophotic" energy - "dead Light," or presumably Shadow. All of the Old Gods we've fought thus far have been either avatars of still imprisoned Old Gods (C'Thun, Yogg-Saron) or those reduced by other means (Y'Shaarj). N'Zoth would be the first Old God we've had to contend with that is fully realized and free from its Titanic power-limiters and imprisonment. It's possible N'Zoth is thus able to assume its true form as a Shadow/Void energy being in addition to having its organic avatar as a be-tentacled monstrosity.

[Nefastus]

You know she isn't dead right? Also she was an end boss for an actual raid not a fill raid cough toc cough.

Pretty obvious I know that, everyone saw the custcene. She was still wasted with a raid patch. Her reign and everything she build up for 10k years is now lost. She will end up as a "powered" raid boss in N'zoth raid or even a dungeon before him and thats about all. We saw that dozens of times already.

- - - Updated - - -

Twist is that despite her being utterly defeated, powerless and transported outside this realm najatar remains dry and not flooded

I didn't get the logic behind that. I understand from the mechanic point of view, blizzard and the players didnt like the end result of the underwater region in cataclysm but from a story point? Why the hell make it a dry area? Just so the naga can fight without any advantage at all, in fact weakened as they are fighting outside of water?

[Thage]

Bruce Willis was dead all along.

[Maljinwo]

Aszhara has no boobs.

That's it

[Eazy]

Maybe it was for people who don't use datamining? For the people who don't participate in the Lore Forums about WoW? Or new players that isn't focusing on the lore at all?

Ion: "It was a plot twist for the player characters, not the players"

Not gonna lie, that made me chuckle irl.

[benting]

The twist was that she was the one talking to Magni and the HoA was what she needed to free Nzoth.

This confuses me though. MOTHER doesn't seen too bothered by powering up the heart of Azeroth. And it wasnt magni who brought us to Nazjatar either. So how is he a pawn but MOTHER isn't? Wouldn't she suspect something?

[justandulas]

Ion: "It was a plot twist for the player characters, not the players"

/applaud. This right here

[MechaCThun]

I would not call the following "twists" as much as they were "hmmm, interesting" reveals:

--N'Zoth needed the champions (the players) to get stronger and defeat his various minions in order for the HoA to be strong enough
--This includes N'Zoth intentionally wanting us to beat Azshara
--Azshara is aware that she needs to be beaten in order for N'Zoth to be freed
--Nazjatar more-or-less functions as Azshara's "prison" as indicated by one of her quotes. It's a long the lines of, "my prison will now be your prison" I think.
--N'Zoth saving Azshara at the very last second

[Aucald]

I would not call the following "twists" as much as they were "hmmm, interesting" reveals:

--N'Zoth needed the champions (the players) to get stronger and defeat his various minions in order for the HoA to be strong enough
--This includes N'Zoth intentionally wanting us to beat Azshara
--Azshara is aware that she needs to be beaten in order for N'Zoth to be freed
--Nazjatar more-or-less functions as Azshara's "prison" as indicated by one of her quotes. It's a long the lines of, "my prison will now be your prison" I think.
--N'Zoth saving Azshara at the very last second

I think it's a of note that N'Zoth and Il'gynoth both allude to us as servants of the Old Gods - Il'gynoth outright says we serve the "same master," said master being N'Zoth and N'Zoth himself seems quite enamored of us, calling our crimes "glorious" as well as referring to us as his servant in Nazjatar. YMMV as to whether this is to be taken with a grain of salt, of course; the Old Gods are seldom truthful and even when speaking the truth tend to omit as much as they reveal.

[Jester Joe]

This confuses me though. MOTHER doesn't seen too bothered by powering up the heart of Azeroth. And it wasnt magni who brought us to Nazjatar either. So how is he a pawn but MOTHER isn't? Wouldn't she suspect something?

My two cents.

Magni was used as a pawn, but the HoA really was supposed to heal Azeroth. It's possible they didn't need to mislead him because even by letting him just listen to Azeroth still led down the path they wanted.

[Rustedsaint]

This confuses me though. MOTHER doesn't seen too bothered by powering up the heart of Azeroth. And it wasnt magni who brought us to Nazjatar either. So how is he a pawn but MOTHER isn't? Wouldn't she suspect something?

MOTHER spent a rather lengthy time in Uldir studying ghuun so I wouldn’t be surprised if she been a bit corrupted, not to mention various other experiments she performed such a dissecting loa to test ghuun gunk

[rogueMatthias]

The twist was that she was the one talking to Magni and the HoA was what she needed to free Nzoth.

So Magni was never talking to Azeroth? Is Azeroth even really a titan or dying then? (Sorry I"m a bit behind on my lore)

[Exeris]

My two cents.

Magni was used as a pawn, but the HoA really was supposed to heal Azeroth. It's possible they didn't need to mislead him because even by letting him just listen to Azeroth still led down the path they wanted.

This sounds more feasible to me, N'Zoth saw an opportunity and grabbed it.