Warcraft Short Story: We Ride Forth

[tommyhil622]

Sally Whitemane as the Horsemen's resident troll (the type of person not the in-game race) is also awesome, and very fitting for her in undeath.

I loved her quirky nature in the short. Wouldn't mind seeing more of that in game whenever possible via quests.

[Addiena]

Has anyone considered whether or not Bolvar can actually BE killed?

Technically he lives because of Alexstrasza, it could be that he cannot be killed except by her as its her energies binding life to him.

[Pebrocks The Warlock]

The crimes of the death knights haven't been forgotten, there is a quest in Drustvar that brings up the attack on the Ruby Sanctum.

Also if you talk to some of the Argent Crusaders in your cities right now as a DK they mention Light's Hope attack.

[Addiena]

Don't see why he would be immortal, all the dragonfire did was save him from the plague. Even Arthas was mortal underneath the Helm and further armor.

No he died, Alexstrasza bought him back to life and its her energies that allow him to live (The red flame is her energies), if you watch the cinematic for the wrath gate you can clearly see him dying.

There used to be more attached to that quest line back in wrath that explained what happened to him, im not sure if it was cut when they removed the Battle for Undercity.

[McCulloch]

It's good to have some explanation for how those Allied Race Death Knights became a thing. And why the Ebon Blade weren't defending the Lich King.

But I am quite disappointed that Blizzard missed the chance to get into the crimes the Death Knight Class Order committed under Bolvar's leadership against the Silver Hand and Wyrmrest Temple. They performed villainous actions then, that apparently we're supposed to forgot about, and treat them as if it never happened. Wouldn't have been that hard to pin that on the Helm's influence either.

They do briefly touch on it to blame the Helm, but Bolvar also made a conscious decision to tap into the Helm's power to combat the Legion. It was only a sentence on the first page so I missed it the first time as well.

But almost as soon as the others were raised as the Four Horsemen, they’d shared Mograine’s concern: that Bolvar’s decision to use the power of the Lich King to fight the Legion—even if he had wielded only a fraction of the Helm’s true potential—might have opened a door that could never be closed.

[Kyux]

Two things I picked up/thought about:

1) We are told that the 'machine of death' broke during the Legion-era. Perhaps that was Bolvar giving in to or using slightly the power of the Helm to fight the Legion? Maybe that gave the Jailor a foothold of some kind?

2) Is Bolvar going all blue him giving in to the Lich King? That's why he did it at the last minute because he knew he'd either die, or need to be killed. He had resisted until then but needed the power. He reverts to normal once the Helm is removed.

Thoughts?

[Aucald]

Two things I picked up/thought about:

1) We are told that the 'machine of death' broke during the Legion-era. Perhaps that was Bolvar giving in to or using slightly the power of the Helm to fight the Legion? Maybe that gave the Jailor a foothold of some kind?

2) Is Bolvar going all blue him giving in to the Lich King? That's why he did it at the last minute because he knew he'd either die, or need to be killed. He had resisted until then but needed the power. He reverts to normal once the Helm is removed.

Thoughts?

For #1, I think the breaking of the "Machine of Death" is still connected to Sylvanas/Helya in some way - although I think whatever happened to it likely made the strain on Bolvar greater, as it gave the Jailer greater freedom to tear at Bolvar's resolve. As for #2, I think that was the case, yes. Bolvar was trying to use the power of the Helm sparingly, knowing that using it would slowly but inexorably put him at its mercy. In his fight with Sylvanas he gave in to the Helm's power so that he could temporarily call upon more of the might of the Lich King, though it wasn't enough to ultimately defeat an empowered Sylvanas. Sylvanas' removal and destruction of the Helm returned him more or less to himself, though; just as it freed all the Horsemen and Death Knights from the Scourge hive mind.

[Houle]

Am I the only one who wants this whole "there must always be a Lich King" thing to die? I don't want them to rebuild the Helm and put Bolvar back on the throne, I want LK and the Scourge just gone. How hard is it to just destroy the mindless undead once and for all? The existence of the LK and the undead on Azeroth is a massive error in the system.

Now that's just wishful thinking on my part, but who knows maybe there will be a status quo change at the end of the expansion. Especially now, when LK's artifacts have been revealed to had been instruments of the Jailer all along. Maybe they shouldn't be allowed on Azeroth.

hmmm, i think i can guess why you think that way, looking at ur profile pic
but no, destroying the scourge would be the dumbest move blizz ever did. they are iconic, perhaps the most iconic villain left in wow (since the legion is all but gone)
also, wowhead already datamined a repaired helmet model, so its only a matter of time

[vilememory]

Nazgrim Strangulating random piles of snow is just so funny to me, especially when sometimes that giant cloud of snow reveals a bunch of undead just squatting there. I choose to believe they are Slav Squatting when discovered.

[UndedoKoleda]

Has anyone considered whether or not Bolvar can actually BE killed?

Well, even if she couldn't kill him(even though I can't see why not), she could have taken him prisoner just like she did the faction leaders. There is not a single scenario, in which letting him just be, makes any sense.

hmmm, i think i can guess why you think that way, looking at ur profile pic
but no, destroying the scourge would be the dumbest move blizz ever did. they are iconic, perhaps the most iconic villain left in wow (since the legion is all but gone)
also, wowhead already datamined a repaired helmet model, so its only a matter of time

It would be actually be the only move that would make sense. How long do you think we'll fight in the Shadowlands? Lore wise? Won't be very short. In the meanwhile what will happen to the Scourge on Azeroth? They won't just sit idle. The only sensible thing will be for the Scourge to be exterminated by the Horde and Alliance armies before venturing into the Shadowlands.

And once we get rid of the Jailer and put someone more... cooperative in power, why would we even have to close the tear in the veil? It will be just another Dark Portal- as long as there is nothing dangerous there, there is no problem for it to exist.

Edit:
This is interesting:

“Her war has upended the balance between life and death. Death feasts,
and the power of the Helm boils,” Bolvar said. “The Legion turned our world
into a charnel house, yet I felt nothing of the sort then.”

Could that mean the Machine of Death broke after Legion?

[Ophenia]

Well, even if she couldn't kill him(even though I can't see why not), she could have taken him prisoner just like she did the faction leaders. There is not a single scenario, in which letting him just be, makes any sense.

As someone said above, she doesn't care. Just as virtually nothing prevented her from killing Baine, Anduin, Thrall and everyone inside and outside Orgrimmar with her Mega-Deathray, she just... poof'ed out. She achieved what she wanted and that's it. Maybe the whole "kidnap all leaders" is something that Jailer asked her to (or did himself) after she went back to him. But at that point, it seems obvious she only limits herself to her original mission and that's it. She didn't want Bolvar but destroying the helm, she doesn't care about side quests.

[Mendzia]

Whitemane is still hot even as a DK.

[UndedoKoleda]

As someone said above, she doesn't care. Just as virtually nothing prevented her from killing Baine, Anduin, Thrall and everyone inside and outside Orgrimmar with her Mega-Deathray, she just... poof'ed out. She achieved what she wanted and that's it. Maybe the whole "kidnap all leaders" is something that Jailer asked her to (or did himself) after she went back to him. But at that point, it seems obvious she only limits herself to her original mission and that's it. She didn't want Bolvar but destroying the helm, she doesn't care about side quests.

At the very least, killing him would send a hefty chunk of anima to her new "boss". If nothing else, killing/trapping him would stop him from possibly causing trouble somewhere down the line(which, as herself a person from Azeroth, she knows he will). It's a no-brainer.

[gcsmith]

I love all the story because it shows how serious Bolvar took Sylvannas as a threat. He doesn't raise and send new DK's to their factions until Sylvannas is gone so she can't end up using them as part of her plan, but they'll still be weapons against her.

[Ophenia]

At the very least, killing him would send a hefty chunk of anima to her new "boss". If nothing else, killing/trapping him would stop him from possibly causing trouble somewhere down the line(which, as herself a person from Azeroth, she knows he will). It's a no-brainer.

When you aim for the anima of a world-soul, I think you don't care about the anima of one guy.
Also, we have no clue about Jailer's plan. Maybe he still have some remnants of his power/will inside other artifacts that may still control Bolvar. I don't think the entirety of the Jailer's plan, whatever it is, relies on Sylvanas.

[Raisei]

Damn that was a great story.

We finally got a clearer image of how the relationship between the Ebon Blade and the Lich King truely was since Legion. We see how "human" the Horsemen are with Sally being especially endearing (She would get along great with my Deathlord).

I even found Bolvar's plan very sound (and that is a seldom occurance in WoW indeed). He accepted that there was chance he would loose to Sylvanas and planned for that contigency by having his Horsemen kill her right after the battle when she was weakend and not yet adjusted to the Helm and even if he won he knew that after allowing the Helm to overtake him (the moment when Alex's fire was extinquished and he glowed blue) he would have to be killed because he could not wrestle control back.

With the information he had this was a very sound strategy that would have worked no matter the outcome of the fight. He simply could not know that Sylvanas had much bigger and much worse plans then just stealing the Helm. Also it again showed his incredible readyness for self-sacrifice, he had not planned to survive this encounter either as winner or as loser.

Basically this entire story echoed my thoughts about how the Ebon Blade works, what it's goals are, how much they are aware of how dangerous their powers are and that all of them are ready to die again if that would help Azeroth.

Frankly, it is a shame that Tirion didn't get to join up. He would have fit in perfectly.

[MikeBogina]

“Even Arthas trained his new slaves,” Mograine said.

“I am not Arthas,” Bolvar said. “They are not slaves.”

“Precisely,” Mograine said. “We are cursed. We suffer every day. And the only comfort we can find is to inflict death and pain on the living. Without Arthas’s strict control, most would have run wild. Some of these souls will not last long out there, and they may hurt innocents before they fall.”

Bolvar’s answer was cold. “A necessary risk.”

So even Darion admits that
1. Arthas was a better Lich King.
2. Bolvar's methods threatens the living.

And not like Bolvar wasn't trying to be a Lich King, he was doing plenty of shady stuff in Legion to the point that many believed he was now evil.

And why is the Ebon Blade not taking these new DKs under their wing and training? I haven't made a new DK with Shadowlands yet, but isn't the DK orderhall training new DKs like the DH one is? Just ruins the whole idea that the EbonBlade are still independent of Bolvar and that kinda sucks.

Gonna give this a read, seems interesting.

- - - Updated - - -

Technically he lives because of Alexstrasza, it could be that he cannot be killed except by her as its her energies binding life to him.

Doubt that's the case, she's not some god but just a powerful dragon who's lost most of that power recently. All we know of her "Life" power is that it saved him in that moment, he's been living off death magic ever since.

[Pebrocks The Warlock]

Doubt that's the case, she's not some god but just a powerful dragon who's lost most of that power recently. All we know of her "Life" power is that it saved him in that moment, he's been living off death magic ever since.

She was still a fully powered Dragon Aspect during Wrath's time. She isn't called the "Life-Binder" for no reason.

[Saltysquidoon]

And why is the Ebon Blade not taking these new DKs under their wing and training? I haven't made a new DK with Shadowlands yet, but isn't the DK orderhall training new DKs like the DH one is? Just ruins the whole idea that the EbonBlade are still independent of Bolvar and that kinda sucks.

I think that is just a (possibly cheeky) reference to the fact the Allied race starting "experience" is literally "Hey bud you're a DK now, go to SW/Org's mission board and start questing".

[MikeBogina]

I think that is just a (possibly cheeky) reference to the fact the Allied race starting "experience" is literally "Hey bud you're a DK now, go to SW/Org's mission board and start questing".

but it is canon now, to be honest before this thread, i was under the impression that there was a new starting experience for the DKs :/

- - - Updated - - -

She was still a fully powered Dragon Aspect during Wrath's time. She isn't called the "Life-Binder" for no reason.

But the statement of "Cannot be killed unless by her" isn't something she would have ever had the power to do, and if by some weird chance that she could have done it, she would have had to keep that power going, which she can't do anymore.

But again, she's not some all powerful god and she never blessed him, just did some life fire on the area that he happened to be at which somehow kept him alive in that moment.

Imagine if she did have an absolute power of "You can't be killed, but by my hand" She'd be the most powerful being in the universe and there'd be an army of Simps doing her bidding