Zovaal was the original... [Spoilers]

[TheramoreIsTheBomb]

Highlord Bolvar Fordragon says: Primus, what we witnessed in the Arbiter's chamber, it was... beyond mortal understanding.
The Primus says: Once, Zovaal stood among us as the Arbiter. Yet he defied the will of the First Ones and sought to unmake the balance of the cosmos.
The Primus says: For his crimes, we stripped our brother of his power and bound him to the Maw. It was I who scribed the runes of Domination upon his flesh.
The Primus says: We used Zovaal's anima to construct a new Arbiter, one that would be dispassionate and just.
The Primus says: I should have realized that he would never stop fighting to reclaim his power... and see his schemes through to their bitter end.
Highlord Bolvar Fordragon says: What will his next move be?
The Primus says: Zovaal pursues the secrets locked within the Sepulcher. Should he find the knowledge he seeks, all that you know will be undone.
The Primus says: Four sigils represent the renewed hope of the covenants. I will use them to forge a key... though I must find something to replace the Arbiter's sigil.

The plot thickens... So this is why Sylvanas knew he could offer free will.

[Progenitor Aquarius]

"Yet he defied the will of the First Ones and sought to unmake the balance of the cosmos." I wish I knew more details on that. He must have done something terrible. Actually to get Arbiter's sigil Primus will need something Void equivalent as the Void on Shadowlands pretty much represents Death.

[Ivarr]

If Blizzard wants to sell another expansion then they better burry this First Ones in the next patch and never dig it up again. Increased stakes does not make for a better story and it definitely doesn't make for a more compelling setting.

[Varodoc]

Oh wow... what a surprise... I'm sure no one could have seen that coming...

[Combatbutler]

Oh noes the surprise...........................

[ro9ue]

I feel like if this was a TV show where we'd get the next episode in a week, these reveals would feel a lot better. But as soon as the Jailer and Arbiter's models were shown a year ago, I made this connection (as did many others).

[Skirdus]

So, now that this question is out of the way, another arises:

Why did the Eternal Ones make the Arbiter - by all means, a lifeless construct with no real personality or character of its own - explicitly female, when the previous one was male?

[deenman]

"Yet he defied the will of the First Ones and sought to unmake the balance of the cosmos." I wish I knew more details on that. He must have done something terrible. Actually to get Arbiter's sigil Primus will need something Void equivalent as the Void on Shadowlands pretty much represents Death.

blizzard also wished they knew more about that,but i wouldnt worry they have atleast 9-10 months to make some shit up

[Kauko]

The Primus says: Zovaal pursuels the secrets locked within the Sepulcher. Should he find the knowledge he seeks, all that you know will be undone.- Undone? Imagine if Blizz wants to undone WoW and announce WoW 2...

[TickTickTick]

I can't even imagine Zovaal as being the Arbiter. Was his look entirely different? How did it even work? Could he also peer into the soul's life? Could he ever be unbiased? What made him lust for power? Hello? Anything?

Also it rubs me the wrong way that he was seemingly more powerful then the rest of the Eternal Ones while still being their brother. The balance of power is surely not there.

Actually to get Arbiter's sigil Primus will need something Void equivalent as the Void on Shadowlands pretty much represents Death.

My bet is on the Heart of Azeroth. A gift from the Titan itself, infused with something very similar to Anima. It's been established from the very begining there was something special in us, the Maw Walkers (the gateway to Oribos reacting to us), so it could be it. Probably some very ancient magic belonging to the First Ones.

[deenman]

So, now that this question is out of the way, another arises:

Why did the Eternal Ones make the Arbiter - by all means, a lifeless construct with no real personality or character of its own - explicitly female, when the previous one was male?

why are you assuming their gender identiy?>_<

on a serious note,they made a robot so it wouldnt ever fall pray to the same issues zovaal did,also females have a more calming nature about them in general i guess lol

[Newname1234567890]

Aren't all the six cosmic forces trying to upset the First Ones Balance? Hence the endless war.

I feel sorry for Death if they're the only ones playing by the rules.

[Progenitor Aquarius]

blizzard also wished they knew more about that,but i wouldnt worry they have atleast 9-10 months to make some shit up

The Attendants said that it was the First Ones who created the Arbiter. Now we know that it was the Eternal Ones or maybe one of The First Ones was still alive back then so they did it together. The Jailer tried to assassinate him so they just imprison him. After he gets released out of his prison somehow. By whom? Maybe Sylvanas? Then he regains his power and finishes his job. This is all so weird. Gives me headache.

[Ehrenpanzer]

The plot thickens... So this is why Sylvanas knew he could offer free will.

The only thing that thickens is the brains of the people that are actually interested in this nonsense.

Zovaals entire storyline so far can be summed up with "waaaah... I dont think unlife is fair so Im taking my ball and going home" Cant wait for the deus ex machina in the next patch that somehow enables the players to stop the NPC who they literally said would be unstoppable if he got the sigils...

[Raetary]

So, now that this question is out of the way, another arises:

Why did the Eternal Ones make the Arbiter - by all means, a lifeless construct with no real personality or character of its own - explicitly female, when the previous one was male?

Because Blizzard genders anything and everything.

Even the basic elemental model is explicitly male in design.
Just look at these hunks:

[Ara Myrr]

Because Blizzard genders anything and everything.

Even the basic elemental model is explicitly male in design.
Just look at these hunks:

Less to do with Blizzard and more with people's innate tendency to apply gender to many different things.

And really, a feminine variant of those elementals would literally be a floating pair of tits, hardly an improvement.

[Raetary]

And really, a feminine variant of those elementals would literally be a floating pair of tits, hardly an improvement.

I never said it was, i just pointed out what Blizzard likes to do design wise.
If anything, i'd prefer if Abberations, elementals and other supposed genderless creatures be actually devoid of any gender assignable physical traits.

They did exactly that for the Naaru, and some other elemental models come close to (like the water/storm elementals)
And i want more of that.

[Sentynel]

And i want more of that.

What bothers you so much about a bunch of pixels in a videogame that are exclusively either masculine or feminine?

[Samuraijake]

why is there a typo in this "quote"

[Raetary]

What bothers you so much about a bunch of pixels in a videogame that are exclusively either masculine or feminine?

Please, take a screenshot of my posts and draw a big, fat, red circle exactly where i took issue with any of that.

I said i'd like more completely genderless creature designs, like the Naaru.
Nothing more than that.

But sure, go put words in my mouth.
Jesus.