Icecrown (Spoilers)

[Timester]

She's tagged as neutral for the Alliance though:

Stand corrected then. Tagging does seems a bit off when Mekkatorque is tagged as neutral for Alliance players. /shrug

[Thage]

Maybe the Horde races having actual leaders? Currently neither orcs, nor trolls, nor the forsaken, nor the goblins have a leader.

Orcs are currently de facto lead by Thrall and Eitrigg, Rokhan became the new Darkspear Chieftain late in BFA, the Forsaken are implied to be led by Calia and Derek with Lillian advising, and Gazlowe was convinced to leave the Steamwheedle Cartel to become the new Bilgewater Trade Prince after Gallywix left the Horde.

[TickTickTick]

snip

Yeah, it's a typical Blizzard writing dramatic, yet completely non consequencial events. I'd just like to remind you the Broken Shore scenario, where all of the faction leaders are there. Yes, Varian died. But they want me to believe that the Horde was able to just peace out on some ships, and the Alliance on their flying ship, without the demons (which were basically pouring out in masses) noticing?

[Timester]

On-topic: Valeera's about as apolitical as a character in Warcraft can get. She's said more than once that her only loyalty is to the Wrynn family personally. Her total lack of interest in the factions is why she's used often in BFA as a messenger by both the Alliance and Horde, most often to send messages between Anduin and the Horde rebels or between the Horde rebels.

Valeera shouldn't even be there, she is not leadership, she is a bodyguard/spy with loyalty to Wrynn House.

How the Alliance leadership would even permit someone that knows the Stormwindian state secrets on the Horde ranks? Hey, lets get Mathias Shaw as Warchief, while we are at it.

[Aucald]

Calia standing on the Horde leadership side, tagged as friendly to Horde and Hostile to Alliance, not neutral, kind answers to it.

Funny thing is Mekkatorque is tagged as neutral.

NPC tagging does not denote leadership of any group, faction, or organization and is generally a gameplay mechanic more than anything else - given that this is both an in-game tableau and a work in progress I wouldn't read overly into it myself. NPC's are generally tagged neutral if both factions can or need to interact with a given NPC, but can also be tagged friendly (such as Thrall was to Alliance PC's in Cata). Generally speaking, it's simply not a story component.

[TickTickTick]

That'd be Rokhan, the new Darkspear Chieftain

Is it confirmed anywhere? Or is that just a guess taken as a fact? Everywhere you encounter him, he's just "Rokhan" with no title (even atop the ICC). Noone ever calls him Chieftain and Talanji never mentions anything about his rule.

[Thage]

Valeera shouldn't even be there, she is not leadership, she is a bodyguard/spy with loyalty to Wrynn House.

Anduin has been kidnapped by Sylvanas's agents, along with Jaina, Baine, and Thrall. Why wouldn't Valeera be there given her personal loyalty to Anduin and her status as one of the top-ranking Uncrowned?

How the Alliance leadership would even permit someone that knows the Stormwindian state secrets on the Horde ranks? Hey, lets get Mathias Shaw as Warchief, while we are at it.

She isn't part of the Horde, she's just standing with the Horde races. Again, Valeera doesn't care about politics, something the Horde has used to their advantage more than once just like the Alliance had.

[TickTickTick]

Orcs are currently de facto lead by Thrall and Eitrigg, Rokhan became the new Darkspear Chieftain late in BFA, the Forsaken are implied to be led by Calia and Derek with Lillian advising, and Gazlowe was convinced to leave the Steamwheedle Cartel to become the new Bilgewater Trade Prince after Gallywix left the Horde.

Where is it confirmed in game? I'm not interested in "implied".

[Timester]

Anduin has been kidnapped by Sylvanas's agents, along with Jaina, Baine, and Thrall. Why wouldn't Valeera be there given her personal loyalty to Anduin and her status as one of the top-ranking Uncrowned?

Because she isn't leadership. No other spy is there, Valeera isn't even the top rank compared to Mathias Shaw.

She isn't part of the Horde, she's just standing with the Horde races. Again, Valeera doesn't care about politics, something the Horde has used to their advantage more than once just like the Alliance had.

Except she does care with House Wrynn and their rulings, which are pretty the rulings of the Alliance.

[Thage]

Is it confirmed anywhere? Or is that just a guess taken as a fact? Everywhere you encounter him, he's just "Rokhan" with no title (even atop the ICC). Noone ever calls him Chieftain and Talanji never mentions anything about his rule.

https://wow.gamepedia.com/Rokhan
Baine, Thrall, and a few others discuss the matter with him in [120]Warchief of the Horde, in 8.3. He eventually accepts the position and, as Chieftain, serves on the council.

[Timester]

Where is it confirmed in game? I'm not interested in "implied".

https://wow.gamepedia.com/Warchief_of_the_Horde_(quest)

It's all in the game.

"Rokhan says: Since da death of Vol'jin, da Darkspear been lookin' ta me ta guide dem.
Rokhan says: I been fightin' for dem a long, long time... but dat don't mean I deserve ta be deir chieftain.
Baine Bloodhoof says: I felt much the same when my father died. It happened suddenly, and I feared that I was unprepared to take his place.
Baine Bloodhoof says: But I was ready, just as you are. You proved that in Zuldazar and at Stromgarde. The Darkspear have faith in you, and so do I.
Rokhan says: Heh. Ya best be stoppin' da flattery, Baine, before it be goin' ta me head.
Rokhan says: But... da Darkspear do be needin' a leader. A voice on da council. And if it gotta be me... den it be me.
Baine Bloodhoof says: Trust your judgment, Rokhan. It has led you this far.
Rokhan says: It be havin' a lotta help. From da Darkspear, from da loa... and from da Horde."

[Thage]

Except she does care with House Wrynn and their rulings, which are pretty the rulings of the Alliance.

The political rulings of House Wrynn have never been shown to matter, at all, with Valeera, either personally or as a member of the Uncrowned. Everything she does she does because Anduin specifically requests it, or because she's tapped by Horde who need a trustworthy messenger free of bias.

- - - Updated - - -

Where is it confirmed in game? I'm not interested in "implied".

If you're talking about Calia and Derek, it's not hard to connect the dots. Jaina meets with them, where they tell her they intend to help the now-leaderless Forsaken, who are described as being adrift without Sylvanas's cult of personality to hold them together. Next we see them, Lillian is introducing them to Delaryn and a few others, to acclimate them and introduce them to the Forsaken. In the interim, Lillian serves the same role Ji does--a voice at the table but not a leader per se. Now, we see Calia as the representative of the Forsaken gathered at Icecrown. Maybe they don't have a huge flashing neon sign over her head saying it outright, but the implication isn't subtle, it's not even Blizzard-subtle (which is as subtle as a commuter train).

[Timester]

The political rulings of House Wrynn have never been shown to matter, at all, with Valeera, either personally or as a member of the Uncrowned. Everything she does she does because Anduin specifically requests it, or because she's tapped by Horde who need a trustworthy messenger free of bias.

So, she does care about the political rulings of House Wrynn, doing whatever Anduin requests, and is not part of the leadership of any faction.

Valeera has no business to stand among the factions leadership.

[Thage]

So, she does care about the political rulings of House Wrynn, doing whatever Anduin requests, and is not part of the leadership of any faction.

Valeera has no business to stand among the factions leadership.

Doing favors for your dead friend's son because you have strong personal loyalty to said dead friend does not mean you care about or have any investment in said dead friend's political rulings, nor that of his son's. She doesn't take messages to Baine because the King of Stormwind asked her to. She takes those messages because her friend Anduin asked her to. That is an important distinction when you're trying to understand her motives as a character, even if their practical application has similar results.

Furthermore, again, Valeera is there because her friend is missing, having been kidnapped by Sylvanas. The affair is entirely personal for her. She's there because Darion and Bolvar have a plan to get them back.

I know it's difficult to wrap one's head around the concept of a genuinely-apolitical character, especially in Warcraft as a setting and due to the increasingly-polarized and -political world we live in, but Valeera is present completely separate from any political facet of this situation.

To quote Valeera herself:
"I am neither Horde nor Alliance. What has either faction ever done for me?"
"My loyalties are personal--to King Varian and his son!"

[TickTickTick]

https://wow.gamepedia.com/Rokhan
Baine, Thrall, and a few others discuss the matter with him in [120]Warchief of the Horde, in 8.3. He eventually accepts the position and, as Chieftain, serves on the council.

https://wow.gamepedia.com/Warchief_of_the_Horde_(quest)

It's all in the game.

"Rokhan says: Since da death of Vol'jin, da Darkspear been lookin' ta me ta guide dem.
Rokhan says: I been fightin' for dem a long, long time... but dat don't mean I deserve ta be deir chieftain.
Baine Bloodhoof says: I felt much the same when my father died. It happened suddenly, and I feared that I was unprepared to take his place.
Baine Bloodhoof says: But I was ready, just as you are. You proved that in Zuldazar and at Stromgarde. The Darkspear have faith in you, and so do I.
Rokhan says: Heh. Ya best be stoppin' da flattery, Baine, before it be goin' ta me head.
Rokhan says: But... da Darkspear do be needin' a leader. A voice on da council. And if it gotta be me... den it be me.
Baine Bloodhoof says: Trust your judgment, Rokhan. It has led you this far.
Rokhan says: It be havin' a lotta help. From da Darkspear, from da loa... and from da Horde."

Ok, my bad. I have no idea how could I miss it. So it's kind of bad from Blizzard to not give him a title.

If you're talking about Calia and Derek

I was talking about Orcs, Trolls, Goblins and the Forsaken. Apparently Rokhan is indeed the chieftain.

But there's nothing implying Thrall (or even Eltrigg) leading the orcs, Gazlowe being the leader of the Goblins (let alone leaving the cartel). And regarding the Forsaken and Calia, so far what we've seen is only raised night elves being introduced to her.

[Thage]

But there's nothing implying Thrall (or even Eltrigg) leading the orcs, Gazlowe being the leader of the Goblins (let alone leaving the cartel). And regarding the Forsaken and Calia, so far what we've seen is only raised night elves being introduced to her.

Do the goblin heritage armor quests to see Gazlowe being recruited away from the Steamwheedle Cartel and leading the Bilgewaters after becoming highly popular with the goblin unions during 8.2.

Eitrigg and Thrall leading the orcs is a de facto situation because Eitrigg and Thrall are the only two orcs of any note, and it wouldn't be the first time Eitrigg stepped up to the plate in the short term. This coupled with their positions on the council strongly suggests they're leading the orcs until a more permanent candidate can be found.

If you think Calia's arc in BFA and her appearance now in Icecrown haven't been the world's most obvious "This is the new Forsaken leader" plot arc possible, you haven't paid enough attention.

[Timester]

Furthermore, again, Valeera is there because her friend is missing, having been kidnapped by Sylvanas. The affair is entirely personal for her. She's there because Darion and Bolvar have a plan to get them back.

And she is still not a faction leader to be there. That's the point. Valeera isn't the only one whom their friend is missing, kidnapped by Sylvanas.

And for those in Alpha, please send this feedback, Valeera Sanguinar has no reason to be part of a leadership meeting.

[Aucald]

And for those in Alpha, please send this feedback, Valeera Sanguinar has no reason to be part of a leadership meeting.

Valeera could well be there to serve as mediator between the Horde and Alliance, a job she served in 8.2.5 in BfA - either at Anduin, Baine, or Thrall's behest (or all three). Given the frayed nerves and temperaments of the people gathered there it definitely looks like a more or less neutral mediator is called for.

[Nerovar]

Calia as an oblivious ruler while others are in charge of the specifics would actually be pretty funny, I'll give you that. It'd give the Forsaken some of their humour back, which is a really underestimated element of the race, instead of the obsession with being bitter sadsacks.

I'm starting to feel like Calia is some 200 IQ allegory for the White Saviour trope.

[Timester]

Valeera could well be there to serve as mediator between the Horde and Alliance, a job she served in 8.2.5 in BfA - either at Anduin, Baine, or Thrall's behest (or all three). Given the frayed nerves and temperaments of the people gathered there it definitely looks like a more or less neutral mediator is called for.

And yet, she is ready to fight the Alliance leadership on the quest.

Valeera needs to go from there, if they really want to show that she will do anything to rescue Anduin, they could put her on the background.