"The Machine of Death" and what event(s) likely broke it [SPECULATION]

[Easo]

Considering the Legion and Sargeras destroyed entire planets, I highly doubt burning a tree and its inhabitants or triggering a few wars on a single planet would break death.

Which again brings the question of whether Shadowlands are Azeroth specific or actually for the whole universe. Because the latter does not make much sense due to your point. And also you because you can be sure as shit that we wont see anyone "non-local" there.

[KOUNTERPARTS]

Er, no, they were pretty clear on that. The souls all going to the Maw is the part that's broken.

Where were they clear?

[Nosgoth]

I really don't get it. Everyone is talking about how blizzard said exactly when it happened, but no one is able to bring the receipts.
I watched blizzcon and read the majority of interviews and i don't remember anything about a timeframe being given. Would be really nice if someone could enlighten us.

I already posted the clip. You need to read the thread properly before posting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CNy...outu.be&t=1234

[KOUNTERPARTS]

Er, no, they were pretty clear on that. The souls all going to the Maw is the part that's broken.

EDIT: Ah I see what you mean. I found it:





The part at 6:57.

"Around the time of the Burning Legion's third invasion of Azeroth ("Legion"), the machine of death was broken, and all souls who enter the Shadowlands now pour directly into the Maw. As a result, the Maw grows larger and more powerful while other parts of the Shadowlands have become deprived of anima—soul essence—and started withering."

Now I noticed they mentioned it in the past tense saying it was "broken" as to imply it was already broken before Legion. Or am I looking too much into that?

[huth]

Which again brings the question of whether Shadowlands are Azeroth specific or actually for the whole universe. Because the latter does not make much sense due to your point. And also you because you can be sure as shit that we wont see anyone "non-local" there.

Blizz did touch on that. Anybody from a world we have no reference frame for will appear as an indistinct entity - a whisp of smoke or something like that.

Which also answers the other question: Yes, the Shadowlands are universal. But we're only seeing a small part of them and we have little reason to bother with off-worlders, so they won't play any significant role.

[W1shm4ster]

Someone already mentioned that Varimathras seemed to know about what she is going to do. I think he knows, because of what Blizzard said how the Nathrezim got their hands on Frostmourne and the Helm of Domination: They stole it. He probably told Sylvanas at some point about the origin about the helmet and his sword, looking for a weakness she can use. Since it is the land of the dead, she probably asked him more about it and she may let something slip about what she could do.

In the end, it is all speculation, but for this is the only way Sylvanas knew before even Legion of the Shadowlands, if they actually go the way and say she knew it much earlier.

[Jamie081]

Apparently it was "recent years". Which really doesn't help us all that much, since it was pretty obvious it had to have happened at some point prior to BfA, or Sylvanas actions would have been pointless.

https://youtu.be/6OHDAwg-Tw4?t=2412
Paul Kubit says it broke in the last few years. That means it broke during Legion.

That makes sense because Vol'jin's questline in BFA has us revisit the scene of his death and he points out how it didn't seem right that the demons who killed him managed to slip past his guard. The events at the Broken Shore were clearly influenced by an unknown entity who is probably going to be the Jailor.

Now I noticed they mentioned it in the past tense saying it was "broken" as to imply it was already broken before Legion. Or am I looking too much into that?

It's past tense because Legion is in the past now. 'Broken' is the past tense and they are talking about Legion in the past tense. They've used the correct english there.

[Easo]

Blizz did touch on that. Anybody from a world we have no reference frame for will appear as an indistinct entity - a whisp of smoke or something like that.

Which also answers the other question: Yes, the Shadowlands are universal. But we're only seeing a small part of them and we have little reason to bother with off-worlders, so they won't play any significant role.

So basically, show dont tell as usual is not their strong part. Because realistically Shadowlands are going to be full Azerothian. You will filter out those whisps. It kinda is a handwaving by Blizzard.

[huth]

So basically, show dont tell as usual is not their strong part. Because realistically Shadowlands are going to be full Azerothian. You will filter out those whisps. It kinda is a handwaving by Blizzard.

Nah, there's still the natives. Night Fae, Venthyr, Kyrians, Necrolords, and whatever else critters run around there.

Besides, Azeroth itself isn't fully Azerothian. Each faction has at least one species of Extra-Azerothians.

[Selinde]

Better that you died here, where she cannot claim you.

Quote from Varimathras when the raid wipes. It seems he knew she was somehow already claiming souls before Argus died and before Sargeras stabbed the planet. I'd say it happened in WotLK

[huth]

Quote from Varimathras when the raid wipes. It seems he knew she was somehow already claiming souls before Argus died and before Sargeras stabbed the planet. I'd say it happened in WotLK

It at least suggests her presence is in some way necessary for it, or was, at the time. Possibly it got broken even further since, and now everybody goes there.

[Alaenore]

Which again brings the question of whether Shadowlands are Azeroth specific or actually for the whole universe. Because the latter does not make much sense due to your point. And also you because you can be sure as shit that we wont see anyone "non-local" there.

Which has been answered during Blizzcon, it's spanning the whole universe. A few NPC in Bastion even were commenting that they weren't from Azeroth and would like to explore it, and all the other planets.
So yep, mass murdering people doesn't break death.

[ChairmanKaga]

No, death broke before. Don't forget that Vol'jin only made Sylvanas the Warchief because of the Interference of the Jailer.

To be technical death being ‘broken’ i.e. souls bypassing sorting and going straight to the Maw and the whispers to Vol’jin don’t need to have happened in that order.

[Aleloron]

Nomi burnt it.

It’s all that crappy chef’s fault.

[matrix123mko]

Creation of the Lich King. Kil'jaeden likely broke death machine by creating the Lich King and Frostmourne.

[huth]

Creation of the Lich King. Kil'jaeden likely broke death machine by creating the Lich King and Frostmourne.

Definitely not. It still worked properly right after the Lich King died.

[Talrath]

We now know that Sylvanis had a pact with the Jailer in WotlK. Most likely she and the Jailer had an agreement that the Jailer would help her gain eternal life if she would help him conquer the shadowlands. Now its time for some logical thinking.

After the pact she must have known that sending souls to the maw directly would benefit the Jailer, but you cant go on a killing spree with varian as the head of the alliance and being distrusted by the entire horde. So she tries to do it her own way, by attacking gilneas and bolstering her forces so that she can make an army large enough to kill and send souls to the Jailer. She starts thinking ways of doing it and eventually she gets an opportunity, both varian and Voljin die and she gets to be warchief, she immediately departs to stormheim to contact Helya. From this moment the start of breaking the machine of death starts, after all voljin came back from the dead and thats impossible if you are in the maw. I think that Helya and Sylvanis must have done something to finally let all souls enter the maw starting from that moment, the lantern must have been given to Sylvanis not to JUST make more valkyrs but also do something for Helya, but Sylvanis failed with this objective and succeeded in the her other objective, namely the start of breaking the machine. And we all know that during Legion alot of soldiers died and a Titan of death died plus sargeras plummeting his sword into silithus wiped out everyone.

So basically the plan really got moving just after she got warchief but it went skyhigh after death of a titan and sargeras sword getting stucked in silithus. So the machine is basically one step from getting broken.

After Legion she got a hold to some azerite and might have gotten a small powerup from the Jailer to let her know that he is holding is promise. This is also when she starts thinking in 5d chess and i think she has had an azerite crystal in her pocket or in a necklace to give her some boost too. Its the only way of her sudden IQ increase. Now, she eventually convinces saurfang and gets the support of the horde to destroy Teldrassil and its inhabitants, thus feeding the souls to the maw and finally breaking the machine of death. The deaths that came later on were just some bonus and you can see her strength in the saurfang cinematic.

[huth]

We now know that Sylvanis had a pact with the Jailer in WotlK.

Wrong. She had a pact with him after WotLK. She did not have one with him during WotLK. It also isn't entirely clear if she made that pact immediately after she threw herself off ICC or at some point after that.

[Tiwack]

Might aswell have been Deathwing causing the break when shattering the world pillar breaking out of deepholm or something further to do with Arthas and the breaking of Frostmourne. Nice structure and layout OP.

[matrix123mko]

Definitely not. It still worked properly right after the Lich King died.

How do you guess that?