[Theory] [Spoilers] Oribos Official Preview and Arbiter's rule

[Encaitar29]

New zone preview of the hub provides us with an important insight about Shadowland's current ruler - the Arbiter and its subjects. Quoting Blizzard on it:

Oribos is in the care of the Attendants, mysterious beings who were created to tend to the Eternal City and ensure the Arbiter carries out her duties without interruption. Their decisions are guided by “the Purpose,” the belief that the Shadowlands follows a pattern laid out by the Arbiter in her infinite wisdom.

This, alongside with many people pointing out that all of the currently known afterlives we experience are not really serene or positive, each exploiting souls of dead and seeking them for their Anima, might hint towards a theory that in fact Arbiter is a cruel, utilitarian dictator. Combined with new look of the Jailer (compared to the cinematic one which corresponded with the leaked concept art) and Sylvanas rant about setting us all free, it may mean that Arbiter indeed usurped rule from the Jailer who might've been more benelovent ruler-turned villian due to being cast into the Maw and that the concept art might've been his original form. While Blizzard might be long past such twists, a lot of things, especially Oribos itself, of which origin is unknown, could be hinting towards the Shadowlands' having dark secrets in the upper echelons of power.
What do you guys think?

[Doffen]

A theory is that the "heart" we see on the Arbiter is taken from the Jailer since he has a whole in his chest.

My theory now is that the Jailer, with that "heart" is controlling the Arbiter.

That the Arbiter is the evil one and the Jailer is in fact "in jail" and are really the good guy would be a nice twist though. Could mean my Kerr..eh Sylvanas redemption arc is feasable.

I can only win either way!

[Blayze]

Maybe she judged herself one day.

[Nagawithlegs]

I doubt that the Shadowlands were a good place before the Arbiter arrived. The look of Torghast/the Maw (which is probably the oldest and original place in the realm), the fact that a Dreadlord is the close ally of the Jailer (as well as several horrible people like Kel'thuzad) and other things imply that the SHADOWlands were probably a terrible place before the Arbiter busted in and overthrew the Jailer.

So Jailer has a good motivation (bust out of the Maw and assume his rule) but he probably isn't a great guy considering how many people he has to murder/how many souls he has to torment to get there.

[Doffen]

Maybe she judged herself one day.

Yeah, and she is now relaxing in Bastion as a blue boy.

[vertigo12]

I doubt that the Shadowlands were a good place before the Arbiter arrived. The look of Torghast/the Maw (which is probably the oldest and original place in the realm), the fact that a Dreadlord is the close ally of the Jailer (as well as several horrible people like Kel'thuzad) and other things imply that the SHADOWlands were probably a terrible place before the Arbiter busted in and overthrew the Jailer.

So Jailer has a good motivation (bust out of the Maw and assume his rule) but he probably isn't a great guy considering how many people he has to murder/how many souls he has to torment to get there.

If you compare Venthyr vs. Kyrians , they way how Revendreth deal with past life is more "mortal friendly" compared to Bastion, which has keeping memories. Also Venthyr is more tied to repentance as compared to Kyrians completely erasing one's identity and past, be it voluntary or otherwise.

[Newname1234567890]

While i doubt by the end of Shadowlands the Jailer and slyvannas will be vindicated or be the "heros" i wouldn't be surprised if the Arbiter is a 9.2 patch end boss.

I can see us making a new political order as we leave the Shadowlands

[huth]

If you compare Venthyr vs. Kyrians , they way how Revendreth deal with past life is more "mortal friendly" compared to Bastion, which has keeping memories. Also Venthyr is more tied to repentance as compared to Kyrians completely erasing one's identity and past, be it voluntary or otherwise.

I can think of people that would be perfectly happy to forget their past and identity. That's not inherently a negative thing.

[taishar68]

I think the Jailer for reasons we will come to find out, has placed a damper on the Arbiter, so he has a goal that aligned in at least some fashion with Sylvanas'. Now, she destroys the Helm of Domination, which created the tear in reality that lets us see the Shadowlands, but was that the only reason it needed to be destroyed, was it a focus for the eldritch power sufficient to create the tear, or was it also necessary to remove that much control over the scourge?

I think the pre-patch will tell us some of this; we will need to go to Icecrown because Bolvar has learned something of Syl's plans (in the cinematic, she walks unopposed through the gates, and is greeted with a scourge army at the throne, he knew she was coming), but of course we are unable or too late to stop her, and the expansion will pick up right where the cinematic ends, with a giant hole in the sky, and we're off to save the world, er, the afterworld, again.

[Justpassing]

Ehh is this one of those Sylvanas is actually the good guy threads?

While i doubt by the end of Shadowlands the Jailer and slyvannas will be vindicated or be the "heros" i wouldn't be surprised if the Arbiter is a 9.2 patch end boss.

I can see us making a new political order as we leave the Shadowlands

"AZEROTH IS FREE!!"

[Newname1234567890]

Ehh is this one of those Sylvanas is actually the good guy threads?



"AZEROTH IS FREE!!"

Yeah but like good this time round

[Justpassing]

Yeah but like good this time round

Well I was an advocate that she'll become Kerrigan sooner or later, so. Better just enjoy the ride.

[LemonDemonGirl]

While i doubt by the end of Shadowlands the Jailer and slyvannas will be vindicated or be the "heros" i wouldn't be surprised if the Arbiter is a 9.2 patch end boss.

I can see us making a new political order as we leave the Shadowlands

The Afterlives we see are kind of well, crappy so I'd welcome this change. It would be neat to see what they'd come up with, since the Arbiter would be gone. She's kind of creepy too tbh. I wouldn't want to trust something that has no face

[Encaitar29]

Ehh is this one of those Sylvanas is actually the good guy threads?



"AZEROTH IS FREE!!"

Well, maybe slightly that, but more of the "why is Blizzard so vague on that - usually hinting to hidden plot on their part". Notice how they keep saying that nobody knows who built Oribos - that clearly hints it wasn't the Orbiter, 'cause why omit it otherwise, she/it would be the obvious builder, right? And the whole soul trading, etc. that happens around Oribos, doesn't feel too much like what the good guys would do. It sound ominiously close to how Burning Legion treated souls.
There's also one more aspect to all of this - the Light's afterlife, the one mentioned in Crusader Bridenbrad questline. Eventhough it was just an easter egg to commemorate their employee who passed away, they could've easily mentioned Shadowlands as his destination, but that wasn't the case back then as Shadowlands were viewed as not a good type of afterlife (or well lore wasn't super clarified on that matter). Remeber that Lich King was presented as having certain amount of control over them too.

[Varodoc]

Blizzard repeatedly said the Jailer is the main villain of Shadowlands. If the Arbiter is evil then this is an Evil vs. Evil scenario. They arent redeeming shit.

[Encaitar29]

Blizzard repeatedly said the Jailer is the main villain of Shadowlands. If the Arbiter is evil then this is an Evil vs. Evil scenario. They arent redeeming shit.

Blizzard said many, many things repeatedly. Like that MoP won't be an OG expansion. They've said that BFA won't be an OG expansion. They insisted that Sylvanas actions were morally gray - the same actions they now attribute to her alliance with the Jailer, who's supposed to be the ultimate evil. So I'm not really taking Blizzard repeated statements as facts, especially when they seemingly veil certain facts from us. Besides there's a lot of Bleach (famous manga and anime) vibes (like Anima - Reishi, Maldraxxus forces being a bit like Gotei, middle of Maldraxxus looking like Quincy cross, etc.) in the Shadowlands, with Arbiter having a magical orb embedded in her chest, just like the Bleach main villian for most of the story - Aizen, who also pretended to be good at first to gain said orb. And since Blizzard is often borrowing themes from pop culture, I wouldn't be so sure they didn't use those two tropes https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.p...n/EvilAllAlong
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.p...n/GoodAllAlong
And if they did, what would they tell us? "Yeah you know guys, we want to put the twist at the end of the Shadowlands and Jailer will turn out not to be the bad guys, and actually someone else will be the true evil"?

[Newname1234567890]

Blizzard repeatedly said the Jailer is the main villain of Shadowlands. If the Arbiter is evil then this is an Evil vs. Evil scenario. They arent redeeming shit.

100% this, is the arbiter is evil Slyvannas and the jailer will be as well. Blizzard are not gonna try and make teldressil something that had to be done got thr greater good

[Kalarm]

Blizzard repeatedly said the Jailer is the main villain of Shadowlands. If the Arbiter is evil then this is an Evil vs. Evil scenario. They arent redeeming shit.

Yeah because blizzard would definitely announce their expansion's plot twist right from the start.

Beside, blizz said a lot of false stuff in the past.

[Varodoc]

Yeah because blizzard would definitely announce their expansion's plot twist right from the start.

Beside, blizz said a lot of false stuff in the past.

>Implying there is a plot twist in the first place.