What is the Connection between the Player and the Waystone?

[Xilurm]

My theory is that the PC is some kind of reincarnation/remnant essence of the First Ones.

I wouldn't be surprised if it's something like this. The Champion of Azeroth is obviously special, and probably not because they are good fighters.

[Lakrin]

What if it is something way more mundane than that... we're mortals, in the Maw. The Waystone could have been an escape hatch built in for mortals in the unlikely event that one stumbled into hell.

[Galathir]

Doesn't make sense as Worgens, Goblins, Pandaren, Kultirans, etc etc weren't present during the Lich Kings fall.

My Zandalari Druid also wasn't present in MoP and Legion and yet I got the visions during the Kyrian quest that analyzes your past.

[loras]

I've lurked here for a while but never posted, but I was in a guild group the other night doing 5-mans when this question was raised.
After thinking about it, my speculation was thus:

THE BASIC CONCEPT is that someone or something that has existed within Azeroth that WE CAME INTO CONTACT WITH left this "impression" upon our player-character, affecting us in some subtle, undetected way.

We were killed by Arthas - with a weapon of the Maw no less (Frostmourne).

Sadly I don't really have much to elaborate on that point at the moment, I just wanted to raise the idea here because I hadn't seen any threads about it yet.

Arthas killed Sylvanas and rezzed her with this power, and killed us later on at the climax of Icecrown Citadel. He attempted to do the same thing to us but was interrupted.

I know I'm crazy, but...could there be more to this?

Sounds plausible enough, though Argus did the same more recently and i'd argue that a death themed titanic power is more likely to disrupt the maw than some of its own magic. Plus Argus, as a titan, is certainly of closer kinship to these first ones than a fairly random shard of maw power is.

Though it could also just be that we've made too much use of spirit healers lol.

[Lucetia]

bfa isnt required though. demon hunter from 8-50 and never touched bfa content, didnt have a heart of azeroth either. just an heirloom neck.

You are looking at it wrong. Just because you leveled that way means nothing. In-game story wise your character has been through all the events in BFA and obtained the Heart of Azeroth. Whether or not you actually had it doesn't mean anything. You can see this when you do the Night Fae covenant and they have you put on the play where it pulls your memories and have you facing Legion/BFA content meaning you experienced it even if your character didn't. For example, my hunter who picked it never killed any of the raid bosses but the play says that I did.

Threw up some spoiler tags in case someone hasn't done that part yet and didn't want to be spoiled. Ultimately it's nothing major, just a small side thing you can do, but still.

[CalamityHeart]

What if it is something way more mundane than that... we're mortals, in the Maw. The Waystone could have been an escape hatch built in for mortals in the unlikely event that one stumbled into hell.

If that were the case, then it would've responded to any of the other four mortals that were with us when we escaped the Maw. But they make a point to mention that it's specifically the player character that the Waystone is reacting to, not Jaina, Anduin, Thrall, or Baine.

It could be the Heart of Azeroth. But my guess is that the full truth of the matter is something that the story has not made us privy to yet. Something besides the Heart of Azeroth that connects our soul in particular to the First Ones.

[enigma77]

I like the theory.

As for the Allied Races and such, yeah doesn't make sense for those characters, but it doesn't have to make sense for every character.

[Lakrin]

If that were the case, then it would've responded to any of the other four mortals that were with us when we escaped the Maw. But they make a point to mention that it's specifically the player character that the Waystone is reacting to, not Jaina, Anduin, Thrall, or Baine.

It could be the Heart of Azeroth. But my guess is that the full truth of the matter is something that the story has not made us privy to yet. Something besides the Heart of Azeroth that connects our soul in particular to the First Ones.

True, but they were all stuck within the Maw directly in the power of the Jailor, so that may have muddied the waters for them.

[rayvio]

I'm not entirely convinced. We remain able to interact with it even after we leave the helm in Oribos. It would seem more likely to be some inherent quality of our character, since that's the only thing guaranteed to remain.

could be that once we've used it once we're 'attuned' to it even without the helm. might not be, of course, but it's a theory

[Verdugo]

You are looking at it wrong. Just because you leveled that way means nothing. In-game story wise your character has been through all the events in BFA and obtained the Heart of Azeroth. Whether or not you actually had it doesn't mean anything. You can see this when you do the Night Fae covenant and they have you put on the play where it pulls your memories and have you facing Legion/BFA content meaning you experienced it even if your character didn't. For example, my hunter who picked it never killed any of the raid bosses but the play says that I did.

Threw up some spoiler tags in case someone hasn't done that part yet and didn't want to be spoiled. Ultimately it's nothing major, just a small side thing you can do, but still.

Are you actualy serious? No quest to "depower" HoA or some shit? You just trash it like some quest green without fanfare?

[Lucetia]

Are you actualy serious? No quest to "depower" HoA or some shit? You just trash it like some quest green without fanfare?

Huh? Nothing you said relates to my post at all. Did you misquote by chance or thought I was talking about something else? I never mentioned anything about depowering it or it being removed.

[Venziir]

I always felt the Waystone was responding to the Heart of Azeroth, which any given PC should have on them at the time of the Shadowlands intro scenario.

But the Heart is inactive because it can't "sense" Azeroth.

[darkoms]

Kinda funny how the only times we die against a boss, lore-wise, is when they hold the powers of Death against us in a way. First Arthas, now Argus.

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Also, the connection doesn't have anything to do with Arthas, and it's not a thing with the HoA either, I don't think. Probably has something to do with us being "special snowflakes", though.

This is the essence of Death, isn't it? We also lost against N'zoth, but he did not kill us, but subdued us. Because that's what the Void is doing.

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But the Heart is inactive because it can't "sense" Azeroth.

The heart is not completely dormant. Blizzard said that the connection with Azeroth has become much weaker, but it is not completely severed. And Blizzard said that we can escape the Maw because of our connection to Azeroth.

[Venziir]

This is the essence of Death, isn't it? We also lost against N'zoth, but he did not kill us, but subdued us. Because that's what the Void is doing.

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The heart is not completely dormant. Blizzard said that the connection with Azeroth has become much weaker, but it is not completely severed. And Blizzard said that we can escape the Maw because of our connection to Azeroth.

Really now?

[Verdugo]

Huh? Nothing you said relates to my post at all. Did you misquote by chance or thought I was talking about something else? I never mentioned anything about depowering it or it being removed.

Shouldnt have quoted you, my bad. People mention that it works because of HoA, so does that mean that HoA isnt depowered lorewise and it just rots in your bank?

[Lucetia]

Shouldnt have quoted you, my bad. People mention that it works because of HoA, so does that mean that HoA isnt depowered lorewise and it just rots in your bank?

No worries. I was just confused when I was reading your comment and what you quoted.

I think lorewise the HoA is still active, or at least I believe that's what they said early on in Blizzcon and one of the reasons we go back and forth between everything rather than being in Oribos. They mentioned at one point the connection is weakened while we are in Shadowlands, but still an active one. Now if that is still true, no idea. Plus there's slight mentions of Azeroth and her soul being important in some of the dialog in Shadowlands.

I know typically most of the gear we get isn't recognized lorewise unless it's something like the past few legendaries like the ring, cloak, HoA and our artifacts.

[Eapoe]

In game it specifically says the portal is reacting to the champion. Not the HoA or anything else. It activated when the player came into contact with it, not the Heart. Now, that could be explained with some “yadda yadda the HoA flowed thru you,” but this was never stated.
It could be that being in contact with the HoA for so long left residual traces of Azeroth’s blood and powers in the body of the champion.
Blizzard will explain it eventually...maybe not. Will have to wait and see. It’s possible that thru all our travels, victories and defeats, and most importantly death (Arthas killed us after all), that somehow we have come into contact with something from the Ancients that the waystone recognizes. There’s a heavy Diablo feel to this xpac and I wouldn’t be surprised if Blizzard tries to state that we are born from some mortal and higher entity, which is how we’ve been the champion and chosen for so many things, such as even utilizing the HoA, instead of NPCs like Jaina, Kadghar, or Thrall.

[shadowmatrix]

Heart Of Aezroth - Probably not, do you really think none of the leaders got a heart? If Magni was willing to give Anduin Fearbreaker then you can be sure he got a heart just in case shit went down.

Connection to Azeroth - Maybe but how was the connection formed? Plenty of beings got their hands on Azerite so that is out.

Helm of Domination - Name a old school death knight that wasn't touched by the helm down to their very soul, if that was all it took then Mograine wouldn't have needed us to leave.

[slime]

I think it's because we can rez. We (as champions) seem to already have some ability to skip death altogether and come back. Since the Maw is like death realm, we've always been the Maw walkers.

[Aucald]

But the Heart is inactive because it can't "sense" Azeroth.

That's more a game mechanic than a lore one, in my view. While the Heart may be dormant in the Shadowlands it still contains the essence of Azeroth and is likely the reason for our "connection" to Azeroth that prevents a player from truly dying while in the Shadowlands. It would function as an anchor to our homeworld and plane of reality.