Bastion is the real hell

[Mehrunes]

Honestly we've done worse.

Still pretty messed up though, I wouldn't be surprised if we get further revelations as the expansion goes on regarding the sides we've chosen.

Though redemption arc of Sylvanas just trying to stop this so she was totes a good guy in all this will definitely make me delete my account.

All the more reasons to root for Sylvanas' lol-redemption then.

Akunda's Bite was a plant.

Akunda was a lesser loa that players interacted with and there was the dude that turned the cult on itself trying to force everyone to be 'akunda'.

Well, still less severe than the Kyrian's reshaping you to become one of them. At least they left one defining trait of each new Akunda as the title that would differentiate them from the rest of Akunda.

Bastion - you lose memory to serve the Archon

Wait just a second... I totally forgot that the leader of the Kyrians is called the Archon. Now I'm getting the vibes of ripping off Andromeda from this as well.

[Aucald]

Name one other physiological difference between your average Kyrian and humans other than the color if they are "pretty far" from humans in their humanoidness.

They're spirit beings, just like every other entity within the Shadowlands. They've got a completely different physiology and origin, they're not born and they don't grow into maturity from childhood/infancy but are instead made from soul-matter or anima originating from the souls of other beings (who are themselves discrete personalities prior to the Ascension process Kyrians undergo to become Val'kyr and/or Spirit Healers).

[Mehrunes]

So just to be clear, the afterlife we're trying to restore has the following options:

1. Suffer in bleak nothingness for all eternity to power some bint and her chained up master.
2. Become a ghoul and have your ethereal flesh picked apart before being sacrificed for your weakness.
3. Be tortured by vampires forever.
4. Shred your identity, memory and bonds in holy struggle sessions to become the delivery service for the three above.

Or:

5. Hang around with some faeries in a comfy forest before being restored to life where you could be a panda eating giant carrots.

Is this the first time in WoW where being a night elf is actually good for you?

Dunno about Night Elves (though Blizzard will probably devote the Tyrande storyline at least in part to explain how being a Wisp sucks), but 5 is also bad. The Night Fae feed the spirits of nature awaiting rebirth anima. And anima comes from mortal souls that are their share. So mortals going to Ardenweald are basically soul fertilizer for nature beings. Then there's the part of the Drust sharing their zone to some degree.

That still is a pretty big retcon at first glance. Hopefully there is a lot more detail around why Draka is there. Just being there due to Rule of Cool is decidedly not.

Draka would need to be cool in the first place for the motivation behind her being in Maldraxxus being related to the rule of cool. Chances are it's the first name that popped into Blizzards' writers' minds when they were thinking of what characters have died so far.

[RangerDaz]

I think Blizzard are trying to make the fantasy ghost stereotypes used in many other franchises and that fit the wow lore.

The kyrian fit the pure souls that are reforged for the fight of the rightuous, kind of like a cult.

The fact they have a fight between white and black kyrians show that there is a conflict between them about the zealous vision of transformation. Hopefully something interesting might come out.

The others also seem old wow and fantasy stereotypes: the emerald dream rebirth, the undead military life and the sinners that are tortured by vampires.

I guess Blizzard is also watching out for potential sellable new allied races, and kyrians vs. Venthyr race combo seems pretty good to follow the mechagnomes vs vulpera.

Hopefully we might have fun in these lands.

[huth]

I don't know if we can say "everyone". I mean, souls are obviously sent to these five places (and I wish they could imply that there are more destinations), but I doubt everyone is going to become a Kyrian, a Necrolord, a Night Fae or a Venthyr. Oribos is supposed to be a big city. I doubt it is only filled with blue angels, gargoyles, fauns and zombies.

Well, supposedly, there are many more realms in the Shadowlands. Those are just the four we get to visit personally.

And the way it was described, you get sent to the one that is the most fitting to what you already are.
Besides, the way it was described, becoming a Kyrian is something you must actively pursue. It doesn't just happen automatically. So these people give up their old life willingly.

[Nosgoth]

I honestly am trying to disengage from you at this point, so if you could move on then that would be lovely!

You are the one that responded to me. If you want to move on, just move on. I'm sorry that you are uninformed about all of this and now have to lash out against other people. You keep pretending that we don't know about any of this, when the information is clearly out there. Just admit that you are wrong, for your own sake.

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the ones with black wings.

idk what causes the transformation, but holding onto your past is definitely a part of it.

I thought that's what they normally looked like.

[derpkitteh]

I thought that's what they normally looked like.

the ones with white wings are the normal ones.

the dark winged ones are bad. they show up after that guy fails and start killing initiates.

[Nefastus]

I dunno, maybe same reason why we got teary eyed apology this blizzcon for "something"?

Good point!

[Chonar]

You could be real life priest. You just sold brainwash and eternal delete as something people could want. Good work.

Halleluja, sister!

[Reinhart11]

Well. *looks at Fel Elves* Becoming a demon doesn't look too bad actually.

I think Blizzard has to state clearly, that there are or have to be many more regions in the Shadowlands. None of these four regions fit the orcish afterlife. And there are ghosts in the story who still had their connections to their former lives, their memory and all that stuff. Great example are Nerzhuls MU wife and the orcish ancestors, who clearly communicated with the orc shamans before the Legion/Kiljaeden corrupted the race. Unless they retcon this again, there has to be more to the Shadowlands.

Thats why i think its better to not portray the Jailer and the Arbiter as some kind of ultimate beings in the Shadowlands. Just leave room open for more if you want to return there in the future to other places that exist in that realm. That would be the smarter way for Blizzard to go in my opinion.

[Manariel]

I honestly don't see a problem here. That's how reincarnation works (well, must work). Only here, we live through the purification process.

Of course, the wilder, more natural process seems to be in Ardeanwald where new souls are supposed to power older ones in a never ending cycle so you'll be reborn someday (as yourself for supernatural entities tied to the Natural Realm apparently).

Bastion seems alien and it's a good thing.

@Reinhart11
I thought the orcish ancestors were the result of the wounded Naaru from the Genedar/Oshu'gun drawing their spirits to him and feeding off their energy ? So, I think it wasn't a true afterlife, and it's probably the case for all the ghosts we've made, Scourge, Auchindoun-bound or otherwise.

[Nathanyel]

Some of you have never seen Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and it shows.

Bastion is inspired by the afterlife of Ancient Greek mythology. Forgetting (the hardships of) your former life was associated with at least two areas of the Underworld:
https://www.mylearning.org/stories/a...-and-myths/418

After crossing the river, you would leave the ferry and walk on to a place called the Asphodel Fields, where people forget all memories of their former life.

https://www.thoughtco.com/rivers-of-...erworld-118772

Lethe is the river of oblivion or forgetfulness. Upon entering the Underworld, the dead would have to drink the waters of Lethe to forget their earthly existence.

So stop trying to shoehorn in your hallucinations of communist propaganda etc., this shit is over 3000 years old.
Both the Hellenic Afterlife and Bastion portray that the ideal afterlife isn't an eternal retirement home where you live in your sad memories forever, but a place that frees you from that weight, to experience benevolent bliss, rest from the burden that was life.

[Mehrunes]

Also this. Arthas was the good guy all along.

Death Knights would be a bad argument for that. Because Arthas made his Death Knights get hunted by some shadow beings and made them addicted to inflicting pain.

[Soon-TM]

Did they ever say they were trying to get to heaven?

Nope, but it is a reasonable guess. Your point?

[Nerovar]

Death Knights would be a bad argument for that. Because Arthas made his Death Knights get hunted by some shadow beings and made them addicted to inflicting pain.

I was referring to the Scourge in general.

[matrix123mko]

3. Be tortured by vampires forever.

Not forever. Until your atonement is done and you can go to option 2. or 4.

Hang around with some faeries in a comfy forest before being restored to life where you could be a panda eating giant carrots.

I don't know if the resurrection is to normal souls. I think you are the one to be served as meal to wild gods who will reincarnate.

Is this the first time in WoW where being a night elf is actually good for you?

It is not race based. Night elf priest who spends a lot of time praying to Elune will likely go to smurf heaven brainwashing bachine.

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Name one other physiological difference between your average Kyrian and humans other than the color if they are "pretty far" from humans in their humanoidness.

Mediterranean look and wings.

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Fuck. And i hoped to see Uther as he was :/

We may see him pre-brainwashing.

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Because it has been stated multiple times that Orcs have their own afterlife. Some kind of eternal hunting grounds where they just hunt big creatures for all eternity, always in combat. That is pretty much heaven for a warrior race. It's canon lore and paradise for Orcs, so where is it?

But now we visit the Shadowlands and we don't see the Orcish afterlive, in fact an Orc is put into some kind of weird Scourge afterlive instead. How does that make sense? If said character was Teron Gorefiend or Ner'zhul? Sure, it would add up, but Draka? It's just wrong.

It is still eternal fight, just with other aesthetic.

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Draka would need to be cool in the first place for the motivation behind her being in Maldraxxus being related to the rule of cool. Chances are it's the first name that popped into Blizzards' writers' minds when they were thinking of what characters have died so far.

D is at the start of alphabet. I am sure you are not wrong.

[Steelangel]

For those that don’t know, this is a reflection of the Buddhist nirvana, where the ego is subsumed and one becomes both nothing and everything. The true Buddha is a being who serves others and wants nothing for themselves.

[matrix123mko]

For those that don’t know, this is a reflection of the Buddhist nirvana, where the ego is subsumed and one becomes both nothing and everything. The true Buddha is a being who serves others and wants nothing for themselves.

The thing is that if everyone goes that way, no one needs servants.

[Manariel]

Also, is it worse than the old Jedi Order ? At least they don't do that to children...

[Feanoro]

I mean, didn't Lucifer say "fuck heaven" because of things like this? Makes sense to me.

No, he said it due to going batshit insane on learning that humans were meant to be God's children, while angels would never rise to that status.

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For those that don’t know, this is a reflection of the Buddhist nirvana, where the ego is subsumed and one becomes both nothing and everything. The true Buddha is a being who serves others and wants nothing for themselves.

Does a great job of showing how horrible the idea is.