SPOILERS The Future of Derek Proudmoore

[Skytotem]

So, the new book says he joined the Forsaken.

Why the FRICK would he do that?

Even if it'd be awkward for him to hang out in the Alliance... He could go Argent, or any of the other neutral orders like the Priest Class hall with Faol.


Why on earth would he stay with the people who raised him and tried to brainwash him?

[Aucald]

Sylvanas was the one who raised him and tried to brainwash him, and the Forsaken are pretty much quit of her. Also, I think Derek would likely stay wherever Calia does, and Calia's current trajectory is to stay among the Forsaken to minister to them.

[Nagawithlegs]

Because he owes a debt to/is in love with Calia who went to join the Forsaken. Also because devs want to be cheeky with the Sylvanas/Nathanos paralells, and it strengthens the naval theme for Forsaken (they used to be a lot more obviously the "ship guys" on Horde).

[Rend Blackhand]

Once you’re undead you can’t go back to your old life. Thomas Zelling proved this when he tried to go back to his family.

Undead join the forsaken because where the fuck else are you going to go? It’s pure necessity.

[Nathreim]

Once you’re undead you can’t go back to your old life. Thomas Zelling proved this when he tried to go back to his family.

Undead join the forsaken because where the fuck else are you going to go? It’s pure necessity.

This. The reaction of his own sister probably hurt him to the point he realized he had no future with the Alliance.

[Hitei]

Once you’re undead you can’t go back to your old life. Thomas Zelling proved this when he tried to go back to his family.

Undead join the forsaken because where the fuck else are you going to go? It’s pure necessity.

This isn't really true. Before the Storm proved that it was largely an issue of individuals. Zelling's family might not have worked out, but Ol' Emma was perfectly willing to accept her three sons as Forsaken. Parqual's daughter also completely accepted him. And we see that Jaina had no issue with Derek (once she knew it wasn't some trick of Sylvanas'), though she thought it might be difficult for him to just go straight back to KT. Anduin and Calia both got along with Alonsus great, and by the end of the Arathi incident, even Genn, who completely despised the Forsaken, had changed his mind and decided that there were good people among them.

Also the idea that Undead are forced into the forsaken because nowhere else will take them is just incorrect to begin with. Dalaran has/accepts undead. The Argent forces have/accept undead. If you want to fight, the Ebon Blade is almost entirely made up of undead.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

He could live in the Alliance if he wanted to. Sure, many people would be revolted, but as seen in BTS and BFA, there are people in the Alliance accepting of the Forsaken/can overcome their initial revulsion. Plus, Derek is a Proudmoore; he has a lot of people willing to help him by one degree of separation (ie, all of Jaina's friends, which is pretty much nearly every major Alliance characters).

If he's staying with the Forsaken, then I imagine it's out of sympathy for their plight and he wants to do something to help them. I can't imagine him actually turning against the Alliance in an armed conflict, though.

[Razion]

Once you’re undead you can’t go back to your old life. Thomas Zelling proved this when he tried to go back to his family.

Undead join the forsaken because where the fuck else are you going to go? It’s pure necessity.

While this is true of most Forsaken, we actually saw briefly on the Horde War Campaign that various Kul Tiran soldiers were willing to fight, die, and kill to get Derek back. And we already know how Jaina feels about Derek. I think it's probably more of a personal reason for Derek - he and Calia seem mutually smitten with each other, so he may not be keeping his best interests in heart.

[Skytotem]

Once you’re undead you can’t go back to your old life. Thomas Zelling proved this when he tried to go back to his family.

Undead join the forsaken because where the fuck else are you going to go? It’s pure necessity.

I mean... I literally pointed out he could go chill with the Argents.

[Rozz]

This just further complicates things for Anduin, doesn't it?
No matter what the treaty says, most of the Alliance still want the Forsaken dead. Unless events are further swept under the rug, I can't see how this won't add additional strain.

Do Derek and Calia even know what they're joining?

[huth]

This just further complicates things for Anduin, doesn't it?
No matter what the treaty says, most of the Alliance still want the Forsaken dead. Unless events are further swept under the rug, I can't see how this won't add additional strain.

Do Derek and Calia even know what they're joining?

I'd say the opposite. If anything, this will make the Forsaken more acceptable to the Alliance.

[Rozz]

I'd say the opposite. If anything, this will make the Forsaken more acceptable to the Alliance.

I'm not so sure. Even with Tyrande and Genn being 'leashed', that doesn't mean things are squared away.
The Forsaken are more or less a terrorist faction whose issues aren't gone just because Sylvanas ran off. After Anduin's inability to send aid, seeing more leaders offer Forsaken chances they don't deserve would be frustrating.

We don't know how Calia's presence will impact them and Derek being there will just cause Jaina to twist her judgment in favor of her brother's safety. Imagine being Tyrande and at the very least demanding an overhaul in how the Forsaken are managed? Suddenly you have the leadership of two of the most powerful kingdoms on your own side preventing this. And even if you ignore personal vendettas, humans who still have affection for Calia/Derek have to watch them join a group whose actions are as bad as the Scourge.

Until more info comes to light, I expect feathers to be ruffled.

[gcsmith]

Once you’re undead you can’t go back to your old life. Thomas Zelling proved this when he tried to go back to his family.

Undead join the forsaken because where the fuck else are you going to go? It’s pure necessity.

You realize that might be because the horde and by extension the forsaken were currently at war with Kul Tiras and they also hadn't had much experience with undead outside the scourge? I mean Arathi Highlands meeting in beyond the store proves that some could in fact rejoin the alliance. Would it be easy? No, but then maybe next time oppose your genocidal leaders and people wont think of you as monsters.

- - - Updated - - -

He could live in the Alliance if he wanted to. Sure, many people would be revolted, but as seen in BTS and BFA, there are people in the Alliance accepting of the Forsaken/can overcome their initial revulsion. Plus, Derek is a Proudmoore; he has a lot of people willing to help him by one degree of separation (ie, all of Jaina's friends, which is pretty much nearly every major Alliance characters).

If he's staying with the Forsaken, then I imagine it's out of sympathy for their plight and he wants to do something to help them. I can't imagine him actually turning against the Alliance in an armed conflict, though.

I'm actually surprised that any Alliance can get over the revulsion to the Forsaken. Sure, I can understand Derek Proudmore being accepted, but the forsaken have only proven they're Scourge 2.0 except this time they're choosing to do the horrific acts, several times.

[Minikin]

So, the new book says he joined the Forsaken.

Why the FRICK would he do that?

Even if it'd be awkward for him to hang out in the Alliance... He could go Argent, or any of the other neutral orders like the Priest Class hall with Faol.


Why on earth would he stay with the people who raised him and tried to brainwash him?

They are detaching the forsaken from sylvanas

[Amaterasu65]

Because the Horde lacks big family name characters so the Alliance has to lend them some. It's ok for both of them to join the Horde now, but I'd like to see how it would go in a case of future aggressions from either side. What would Calia and Derek do if let's say the Alliance attacked another Horde race? What would they do if the other members of the council decided on war against Anduin and Jaina? Bad decision to bring them to the Horde.

[VinceVega]

I think it is difficult for undead to rejoin the living. You will always be an outsider. Even if they fully accept you.
This way he can help building a bridge between the forsaken and the humans.

[LeftyDPS]

Whilst I don't know what they have planned for Calia and Derek, I think them joining the forsaken actually causes problems for the alliance.

It will pull loyalties in two directions as there are equal amounts of the alliance that want them dead ( nelfs because of teldrassil, they won't care of they are family to other alliance leaders, they want all forsaken dead. Worgen due to Gilnaes, although I think Genn will struggle with the two being forsaken aligned, and the majority of the human populace will see it as a betrayal and won't trust Calia because she's a Menethiel)

I think these two are the catalyst to a sizable schism in the alliance which they have hinted at

[Mayia]

Once you’re undead you can’t go back to your old life. Thomas Zelling proved this when he tried to go back to his family.

Undead join the forsaken because where the fuck else are you going to go? It’s pure necessity.

Pretty much this, i mean as much as alliance players would accept undead in stormwind, its people would not.. many still fear the undead from being chased out of their lands, this is a big problem with the alliance nobody teaches them better its the heroes and leaders who get to know the people of the horde aren't bad.. but the everyday people aren't there to see an orc stand infront of danger to save humans, its mostly the enlisted men who pass down stories of honorable orcs.. but many more pass down stories about less than honorable orcs.

Schooling isn't high in azeroths todo list, so the alliance will always have a large population who misunderstand the horde because their leaders aren't able to teach them.
But at the end of the day blizzard can write it anyway they want to explain services held in the church just started showing the common folk the horde had changed, could get orcs to help rebuild homes lost in war.. etc

[Super Dickmann]

Because he's far more invested in what a bunch of Lordaeronians and the orcs that killed him ages back think of him and wants to be with them over his family who've made zero issue of his undeath. Or because he really likes Calia.

Really, there's nothing - he's just being foisted on the nu-undead so Calia can have her own Nathanos. Since every prior Forsaken side-character has been physically removed as any appearance by them would highlight how Calia has zero in common with them, they need to have further Alliance transplanted onto the race so it isn't just Calia and Voss (who herself wasn't part of the Forsaken until BFA). Expect Sira and Delaryn to follow in short order. The in-character motive is nill and he has zero place there.

Any bit about ostracization is a joke - the Alliance king endorses warlocks and void elves are made of pure cosmic evil, and when last Anduin tried to get the undead and living together they were fine within five minutes. And even if Joe Blow the zombie can't be with his own, Derek demonstrably was accepted as we've seen him walk around Boralus and he spent the back half of BFA in a Kul Tiran cottage.

[bloodmoth13]

Sylvanas was the one who raised him and tried to brainwash him, and the Forsaken are pretty much quit of her. Also, I think Derek would likely stay wherever Calia does, and Calia's current trajectory is to stay among the Forsaken to minister to them.

ugh this is so frikkin bad. Calia needs to go too. I was looking forward to her inclusion in the story since it would shake up some story with lordaeron, then she dies and gets risen by a naaru, yeah cool okay so the alliance get holy undead, this will be awesome when they res the scarlet crusade for her to lead!
nope. She goes horde for no reason, drags derek over for no reason that sylvanas ressurected for no reason and a major horde faction gets 2 alliance characters as a leader.