Wrathgate and its ramifications

[Frinata]

Greetings

Me and my friend recently got into a bit of a lore discussion, and I figured it might be worth bringing here as well. It's in my opinion that the biggest moment in Wotlk was the Wrathgate.

Let me defend the position here.

((Spoiler warning for any slow pokes out there))

The reason I think this is because of all that the Wrathgate did, and how far it stretched. The actual events of the Wrathgate brought us this;

First of all, Saurfang the Younger died. He showed the utmost bravery, and it wasn't enough. Another thing, he and Bolvar showed that the Alliance and Horde were willing to work together, and able to. There was no backstabbing from the Orcs or Humans. Another scenario that transpired was that the Forsaken, after many long years, had finally perfected their blight. It was a huge moment for them.

Lets keep in mind that this is all established in the first minute or so of the cinematic. Now, what happened next? Betrayal from within the Forsaken. Putress orders the Blight to be used not only on the Lich King, but the fighters down in the field as well, killing many Horde and Alliance, and leaving Bolvar to die, were it not for the Red Dragons.

From here on, this is the ramifications of what this event brought.

This all led to a full scale invasion, on both sides, into the Undercity, but the biggest impact was from the Alliance side. No one lore wise had been in Lordaeron's capital city since it fell, for the Humans. To see the city disgraced like that, to see how the sewers were, all the plague, all the death... It'd be like leaving your home, only to come back to it being a funeral home. Things were already bad for you, believing that the Forsaken had slaughtered the Human's greatest hero at the time, Bolvar Fordragon. as they progressed, they eventually came head to head with Thrall, and tensions erupted. The war was back on. The peace that Thrall had worked so hard to achieve was shattered. Sylvanas was banned from using her new blight, and put under constant watch by the Kor'kron. Saurfang JR was eventually raised as a Death Knight, and Bolvar became the Jailor of the Damned.

It's only recently that these events became settled. It took 3-5 years, lore wise, for these events to be even remotely settled, the war having been the biggest impact of it.

That's why I think the Wrathgate was the biggest event in WOTLK, and perhaps WoW history, in terms of Horde vs Alliance, and second only to the final events of the Cataclysm. What do you guys think?

[redwitchy]

Gotta admit, every time I see it, I actually cry. The absolute best cinematic they have ever produced..

I'm not an outwardly emotional person, but that thing gets me every time

[Deleted]

Pretty much the entire conflict in MOP was sparked off by the Wrathgate. Had Drannosh lived, he would have been chosen to be Warchief, not Garrosh. So yeah it's a pretty damn big event.

[Eazy]

Best cinematic in-game.

That's why I think the Wrathgate was the biggest event in WOTLK, and perhaps WoW history, in terms of Horde vs Alliance, and second only to the final events of the Cataclysm. What do you guys think?

I was just going to say that you're wrong, but probably we'll Bolvar(new Lich King) once more... in another big event.
And yeah, it's awesome EVENT.

[Deleted]

You even forgot the most important effect this event had and still has on the things going on now. Just because of Saurfang Jr. dieing Thrall made Garrosh warchief. His original plan was for Saurfang jr. to take up the mantle...so if the Wrathgate event had never happened we wouldn't have the whole Garrosh mess we have to deal with now.

edit: damn beaten to it xD

[DesoPL]

If Dranosh Surfang lives a bit longer, it's likely possible that he can be a Warchief instead of Garrosh...

Otherwise... That's right... War official errupts with the events of Wrathgate, but Dreadlords Insurgents make a plot that we see in WOTLK... That was a good moment for Varian to retake Lordaeron from horde... But Jaina was interfere, and horde get back UC...

Later we know what happend...

[Orby]

It was amazing that the Wrathgate massacre pretty much triggered the current War between the two factions. I remember a lot of people were annoyed there wasnt enough "war" between alliance and horde in TBC. Even with the Dreanei and Blood elves they eventually kissed and and made up by the end of the expansion forming the Shattered Sun Offensive

The events at the Wrathgate was a huge turning point in WoW lore that's for sure.

[Hyve]

Many events during Cataclysm and Mists of Pandaria have occurred directly and indirectly because of the events at the Wrathgate. It is hard to imagine a world where that did not happen, so I could consider it one of (but not the) the most important events in World of Warcraft history.

[DesoPL]

I think... WoW needs now again some great turning point in lore, like Wrathgate...

I would like, see in game Varian operation clearing Gilneas from Forsaken.

[Sesto]

You know, now I kinda wish Saurfang the younger survived. It would have been interesting to see him become Warchief.

And although I don't think they actually had any moments together (which is odd, because they both came from Nagrand), it would have been nice to see the relationship between Saurfang the Younger and Garrosh. Perhaps it could have formed something like Thrall-Grom's relationship. If Garrosh would have went evil again, there could have been some sort of coup where he takes over (perhaps he kills Varok Saurfang in the process or something). His revolution could have been influenced by the fact that Saurfang the Younger would (probably) work with the Alliance, which isn't something Garrosh would like, and Garrosh might feel angry that he was passed over for Warchief.

But alas. I suppose Wrathgate was an epic moment in itself. I just think him living would have resulted in better plot/character development for Garrosh.

[Zuben]

Remembering Dranosh makes it even more unbearable how we are stuck with Vol'jin now. A youthfull Saurfang, there'd be a character whose story I'd have loved to witness.

[Stormdash]

My favorite bit of consequence about the Wrathgate was that, in hindsight, the betrayal by Putress and Varimathras might have saved the world. Since we learned later that Arthas could not, could not have been defeated other than at the Frozen Throne, he was going to lay waste to Bolvar, Saurfang, the entire assembled inter-faction force assaulting him. And raised them all. It's a peculiar twist of fate that that murder and betrayal thwarted what would have ended up a tide-turning victory for the Lich King.

[Sierra85]

sliding doors moments, drannosh... what could have been. we will never know.

Cinematic wise, wrathgate had alot of emotions and the crumbs of it started the avalanche that we see around us today. if you think about that, everything that has come to pass has come from wrathgate.. yeh thats powerful!

[Deleted]

There is another important consequence of what happened at the Wrathgate. Before, the Horde was by Thrall's choice technically not ruled by the Warchief. He made the final decisions, but listened to his advisors and attempted to strike a compromise whenever possible.

After the Wrathgate, Thrall was forced to centralise power so he alone decided everything, at all times. This unfortunately rubbed off on Garrosh as well as the orcs as a people, who subtly shifted from following a leader to being driven by obedience to authority.

What I'm saying is that the fanatically obedient Kor'kron Garrosh employed were possibly born from the post-Wrathgate political crisis within the Horde.

[wych]

It's crazy the events it caused

-Saurfang to die, thus making Garrosh #1 guy for new horde Warchief
-Bolvar to become what he is, becoming the new Lich King and causing Varian to detest the horde even more
-Sparked the Alliance vs Horde war
-Revealed to the world the plague of the forsaken