Suffering never ends for night elfs. Now literally.

[VladlTutushkin]

“The Maw
This horrific prison houses the most vile and irredeemable souls in existence—ones deemed by the Arbiter to represent a threat to the Shadowlands if left free. Ruled by the enigmatic Jailer who none have ever seen—at least none have seen and lived to tell—the Maw inspires nightmares and legends even among the denizens of the Shadowlands. No one has ever escaped this vile place, and any foolish enough to venture there are never heard from again.”

“… all souls who have perished—including the innocents slain at Teldrassil—are being funneled directly into the Maw.“

My oh my! I am sure is excited to see Sylvanas become our new Illidan/Kerrigan after that.

[nonameelf]

At least Saurfang is rotting in there like he deserves.

[Biomega]

"Sylvanas sure did some horrible things"

*shows image of Teldrassil burning*

*crowd erupts in roaring cheers*

Sorry, Nelfbois, you got nothing.

[Mehrunes]

At least Saurfang is rotting in there like he deserves.

Good point. One tiny saving grace of BfA.

[VladlTutushkin]

"Sylvanas sure did some horrible things"

*shows image of Teldrassil burning*

*crowd erupts in roaring cheers*

Sorry, Nelfbois, you got nothing.

Well... as i said. No Horde bias. No nelf hate. Its all an invention of imagination surely.

[Sanguinerd]

"Sylvanas sure did some horrible things"

*shows image of Teldrassil burning*

*crowd erupts in roaring cheers*

Sorry, Nelfbois, you got nothing.

The cheers that got actually made me laugh out loud

[MrSaggins]

What if Sylvanas specifically killed them so that she could have an army on the inside of the prison to turn on her boss and stop him? What if the fallen Night Elves and Worgen end up working for her because they witnessed first hand that their alternative was eternal damnation?

[nonameelf]

Wait a second.

If all the night elves went to the Maw.
And no one has ever escaped from the Maw.

Then how in the fuck is Delaryn a Dark Ranger right now?

[Good ol Stroggylos]

"none has ever lived to tell" : and there I thought we gonna be the first not dead to visit the place

[Mehrunes]

Wait a second.

If all the night elves went to the Maw.
And no one has ever escaped from the Maw.

Then how in the fuck is Delaryn a Dark Ranger right now?

Blizzard didn't think it through? Unless they don't consider something as basic to their death-related lore as necromancy as an escape from the Maw.

Even though the Maw preventing even necromancy on its denizens would make for actually quite a neat explanation as to why the pre-Bolvar Lich King didn't send his agents across the world to find the corpses of people like Gul'dan who'd make amazing Scourge members (with bonus revenge points from Ner'zhul in Gul'dan's case).

[Aucald]

Wait a second.

If all the night elves went to the Maw.
And no one has ever escaped from the Maw.

Then how in the fuck is Delaryn a Dark Ranger right now?

I don't think the journey to the Shadowlands, at least not the deeper Shadowlands we're now seeing, is an immediate thing for most living beings. The soul kind of hovers around in the Shadowlands we know of (the place where the Spirit Healers are and so forth) for a time, and for Night Elves they can persist even longer as Wisps. But eventually the soul descends into the Shadowlands proper for judgment and what have you. Delaryn specifically was more or less newly dead, and probably still in the upper areas of the Shadowlands as a Wisp or a ghost.

I would assume souls consigned to the Maw just can't be raised as true undead - they be empty zombies or skeletons, animated solely by Necromantic magic.

[Broken Fox]

"Sylvanas sure did some horrible things"

*shows image of Teldrassil burning*

*crowd erupts in roaring cheers*

Sorry, Nelfbois, you got nothing.

Lmao even Ion looked like "Reallly? Wow, alright" *camera cuts to disgruntled Jaina cosplayer"

[Powerogue]

And every other casualty of the war, that just being one of them. So Saurfang, Zelling, Baine's Dignity, everyone. :P

[Calfredd]

What if Sylvanas specifically killed them so that she could have an army on the inside of the prison to turn on her boss and stop him? What if the fallen Night Elves and Worgen end up working for her because they witnessed first hand that their alternative was eternal damnation?

She's the reason they're in the Maw, otherwise they'd be in the Fae covenant area with Cenarius.

[MrSaggins]

She's the reason they're in the Maw, otherwise they'd be in the Fae covenant area with Cenarius.

Right but if things are bad in the Maw and she’s the reason they’re in the Maw and knows things are bad in the Maw from being in the Maw before doesn’t it stand to reason that she could have put them in the Maw to change things in the Maw from inside the Maw?

[Tiwack]

I imagine the sword in Silithus has something to do with the soultrain going through the maw but who knows
It'd be a pretty good way to screw over your enemy in face of defeat.

[formerShandalay]

I don't think the journey to the Shadowlands, at least not the deeper Shadowlands we're now seeing, is an immediate thing for most living beings. The soul kind of hovers around in the Shadowlands we know of (the place where the Spirit Healers are and so forth) for a time, and for Night Elves they can persist even longer as Wisps. But eventually the soul descends into the Shadowlands proper for judgment and what have you. Delaryn specifically was more or less newly dead, and probably still in the upper areas of the Shadowlands as a Wisp or a ghost.

I would assume souls consigned to the Maw just can't be raised as true undead - they be empty zombies or skeletons, animated solely by Necromantic magic.

No, I think that would be when they come back from the 'dark dream' (can't remember the name right now). Chosing which realm you go to takes the Arbiter seconds, according to Ion's words, then you go there. If you're a nature type you get fed anima to prepare you for your rebirth into the living world. Maybe in that state they can already be wisps.

But the souls don't go to the Arbiter now, they go to the maw without passing judgement. Afaik we are there to find out why and how.
Either in one of the interviews or in the panel the souls from Teldrassil were mentioned specifically as having gone to the Maw. That was the plan, because it makes the jailer more powerful (and the maw itself, I think).
I need to re-watch it again tomorrow, I'm too tired right now. ^^

[Calfredd]

Right but if things are bad in the Maw and she’s the reason they’re in the Maw and knows things are bad in the Maw from being in the Maw before doesn’t it stand to reason that she could have put them in the Maw to change things in the Maw from inside the Maw?

Pretty sure one of the bullet points on the front page says she works with the Jailer rather than for so it'd be more likely she'd backstab them to be the Jailer herself.

Okay so technically second page rather than first but here it is:

The Jailer isn't Sylvanas's master, they are working together. Eventually we'll discover their common goal.

[nonameelf]

Right but if things are bad in the Maw and she’s the reason they’re in the Maw and knows things are bad in the Maw from being in the Maw before doesn’t it stand to reason that she could have put them in the Maw to change things in the Maw from inside the Maw?

Only reason Sylvanas wants to destroy the Maw is because that's where she goes when she dies. She's just trying to save her own ass.

[Kyux]

Wait a second.

If all the night elves went to the Maw.
And no one has ever escaped from the Maw.

Then how in the fuck is Delaryn a Dark Ranger right now?

The whole point of every undead ever is bringing the spirit back to reality.

I guess the in-universe explanation is that the process of raising someone from undeath is that their soul is brought forcibly back from the Shadowlands. So no one has escaped the Maw, but some have been pulled out of it. Slight distinction. Or maybe they hadn't yet arrived in the Maw and were still to be judged?