Sylvanas Windrunner

[spikess]

Her Story has always been a pleasure reading about . She did not give up and tried her hardest to stop the LK . She has a great family Alleria, Vereesa, Lirath ETC . Did she forget her family when and her people she tried to protect?

[Darkenedfist]

If you did that necklace quest in bc where you give her back her necklace she got from one of her sisters she breaks down and starts singing.

[bionics]

She has probably the most stirring backstory of all the faction leaders; can't wait to see what they do with her regarding the whole upcoming Garrosh fiasco.

[Deleted]

Who is this silvanaz ? Shouldnt we be talking about wow ?

Dont spam guys.

Seriously:

Horrible story , char and worst leader ever.

[Mawnix]

She has probably the most stirring backstory of all the faction leaders; can't wait to see what they do with her regarding the whole upcoming Garrosh fiasco.

She's apparently the one who ousts Garrosh and sets one of the major sparks for the Siege.

---------- Post added 2013-01-13 at 03:55 PM ----------

Who is this silvanaz ? Shouldnt we be talking about wow ?

Dont spam guys.

Seriously:

Horrible story , char and worst leader ever.

Okay. Explain how please. Because although some agree with you, they rarely explain their reasoning.

[Kralljin]

She's apparently the one who ousts Garrosh and sets one of the major sparks for the Siege.

Sylvanas so far had 0 involvement into this conflict since MoP, and she's supposed the one that sparks the siege and takes the crown afterwards?

Seems similiar to a Deus Ex.

Okay. Explain how please. Because although some agree with you, they rarely explain their reasoning.

She's a military leader (and even a bad one since WoW) not a political Leader.

She uses her people as Shield against the fate that happens to her when she dies and the entire culture of the Forsaken is centered around her.

Only Dictators try to put them within the center of their people's culture.

[Stormdash]

Sylvanas is a truly fascinating character, probably one of Blizzard's biggest characters that represents the least re-use of well-worn tropes, even if you consider her a Kerrigan expy (Illidan would be another, IMO). The thing that makes her fascinating, at least to me, is because she presents a real challenge in determining how to judge her.

In life, she was vain and arrogant, but also fiercely loyal and courageous and seemed passionate both about her country, her people, and her family (after all, it's only because of this reason that, as depicted in Arthas: Rise of the Lich King, she unwittingly puts the coup de grace on many of her own people after Arthas killed Anasterian -- she simply couldn't control her grief and agony anymore and her banshee scream wrecked a lot of people.

In undeath, she has been driven almost entirely by revenge and self-loathing (a lot like what Lillian Voss was, just with different motives), and has never apparently changed from her default reaction that it's a curse, and a misery, and an altogether horrible fate. But, she's also grown steadily more alien, more indifferent to mortal life, and her own experience convincing her of her damnation, she seems to have given up on values that one typically applies to avoid that fate -- like caring about life, like compassion, etc. So how much of what she is has been driven by what was done to her, and how much of it is because it's who she is?

When I wonder the answer to that, I keep thinking about the Silverpine questing -- where we see Sylvanas mercilessly, calculatingly wipe out as many worgen as will keep coming and raising those that aren't immune into undeath (Ambermill is particularly horrifying -- run through that questline and imagine the perspective of the people hiding under that shield -- nothing could be a more total reversal of what Arthas did to Quel'thalas). But... she also spares Lorna. She keeps her word to spare Crowley's daughter, even though (if she's every bit the monster now she projects) there was no reason to. Hell, she could have killed Darius and Bloodfang as soon as she'd lured them out, then gone ahead and turned Lorna to serve her anyway. But she spared her, spared them all. A sense of honor in her own word? Hard to believe unless she just respects Darius more than she ever did Garithos (which is plausible). I kind of wonder if she projected her own feelings about her own family on them, though.

There's something still in there other than the monster -- or at least, there's a lot more reason to think there is in her than there ever was in Arthas while he was Lich King, and that never stopped anyone from hoping for his redemption.

[Deleted]

She didn't forget during BC the thought of her people and sorrow for what the scourge did to the blood elves turned her into an emotional wreck and offered support out of sympathy. But since then her mental condition has deteriorated and she no longer cares about her former life and probably her sisters. Demonstrated in Lor'thermar's short story dramatically by blackmailing blood elven leadership with the condition of their national security. She only cares about preventing the horrible fate that awaits her, her only buffer against it is the forsaken who have suffered the very same deterioration of the mind as their leader and are just out for blood and conquest. Her only interest is in securing Lordearon and expanding forsaken power she'll trick, cheat and kill to anyone to see that done even allies of the Horde.

Garrosh's bloodlust into full scale war with the alliance is costing The Horde resources and probably forsaken soldiers, soldiers she sees as valuable to protecting her. It'll be interesting to see what hand she plays and if Vol'jin/Thrall will approve morally of her schemes but go with it any way for the good of the Horde. People who are crying her to be killed because she's merciless and cruel simply baffle me, she's one of the few interesting characters the game has left.

[Stormdash]

I think she probably still cares deeply about her sisters, although maybe not Vereesa who undoubtedly rejects her completely. But I wouldn't be surprised if she has a lot of hopes pinned to the idea that Alleria would forgive, or at least understand her, might actually be grateful that she died doing her best to fill Alleria's shoes.

[Zaelsino]

I think she probably still cares deeply about her sisters, although maybe not Vereesa who undoubtedly rejects her completely. But I wouldn't be surprised if she has a lot of hopes pinned to the idea that Alleria would forgive, or at least understand her, might actually be grateful that she died doing her best to fill Alleria's shoes.

She's under the impression that Alleria's dead IIRC. One of her last (living) thoughts in Rise of the Lich King was that they'd be reunited in the afterlife soon.

[Scummer]

I think the best way to sum her up story wise is controversial.

Personally I feel that she had a good story, now it's devolved into a mess of highly questionable acts that continue to undermine the Horde's aims as a faction while having those acts ignored and brushed under the rug by both factions. Essentially she's almost living in a bubble. She's done things that should be setting off every alarm going, but it hasn't - at all. So I'll be honest and say that currently I rather dislike her as a character.

I think this comics kinda sums it up - http://i.imgur.com/ieBT8.jpg

However the stuff with her family definitely would be interesting to say the least. Kinda looking forward to seeing the look on Alleria's face .

[Austilias]

Once she was interesting, now she's one of the most one-dimensional characters I have ever encountered in any video game.

---------- Post added 2013-01-13 at 05:10 PM ----------

She's under the impression that Alleria's dead IIRC. One of her last (living) thoughts in Rise of the Lich King was that they'd be reunited in the afterlife soon.

Probably just 'lost' I reckon, same as quite a few others such as Turalyon. When the Army of Light amasses next expansion in what i'm sure will be our assault upon the Burning Legion on their own world/Argus or both, we'll see Blizzard bring 'em out of the woodwork.

[Verdugo]

Once she was interesting, now she's one of the most one-dimensional characters I have ever encountered in any video game.

So Anduin "saviour of Azeroth" Wrynn is not?

[Austilias]

So Anduin "saviour of Azeroth" Wrynn is not?

He's pretty bad also, but thankfully not encountered that much. Sylvanas however has pretty much become a one-dimensional, 'evil' rebel of the Horde and little else. A rather sad fall from grace.

[Verdugo]

He's pretty bad also, but thankfully not encountered that much. Sylvanas however has pretty much become a one-dimensional, 'evil' rebel of the Horde and little else. A rather sad fall from grace.

Its obvious that Horde is holding Forsaken story back.

[Scummer]

Its obvious that Horde is holding Forsaken story back.

We agree!
The same is true vice versa though.

[Stormdash]

She's under the impression that Alleria's dead IIRC. One of her last (living) thoughts in Rise of the Lich King was that they'd be reunited in the afterlife soon.

True, so that might not be a present motivation other than to the extent she may feel obliged to the memory of lost loved ones. It would become a present motivation, IMO, if/when she learns Alleria is alive (two scenes I have the most interest in reading/seeing in game, a Windrunner reunion and also a Windrunner reunion + Lor'themar et al over the current state of Quel'thalas).

[Austilias]

Its obvious that Horde is holding Forsaken story back.

Well yes, Forsaken story....Scourge 2.0, that is.

Thank the Horde I say.

[Stormdash]

This quest? http://www.wowhead.com/quest=9180

<Sylvanas takes the necklace from your grasp.>
It can't be! After all this time, I thought it was lost forever.
<After a lingering moment the Lady seems to become aware once again of her surroundings, composing herself.>
You thought this would amuse me? Do you think I long for a time before I was the queen of the Forsaken? Like you, it means nothing to me, and Alleria Windrunner is a long dead memory!

Yeah, she misses her sisters.

And her Music Box plays the 'Lament of the Highborne', which describes one of the worst periods of her people.

The quest language is obvious posturing and bravado if you have actually played through it -- she is blowing you off so she doesn't look weak. And immediately begins singing the song. Which, by the way, clearly existed in some form prior to the fall to Arthas since she is remembering its words while she is defending against the Scourge.

[Drfireburns]

The quest language is obvious posturing and bravado if you have actually played through it -- she is blowing you off so she doesn't look weak. And immediately begins singing the song. Which, by the way, clearly existed in some form prior to the fall to Arthas since she is remembering its words while she is defending against the Scourge.

True that. The song in itself is sad.