[Speculation] “5 Torches to light your path” Spoilers?

[Destinas]

Sure there are 5 World Trees - technically. Teldrassil was made later than the rest by Fandral Staghelm with the explicit purpose to regain their immortality and have it corrupted by the Old Gods - it was only recently cleansed and blessed. The other four World Trees have been corrupted, destroyed, or weakened. One only exists within the Emerald Dream's version of Un'goro, and doesn't even have a name.

More connected to the Old Gods were the Great Trees, which there are also 5 (Ashenvale, Feralas, Duskwood, Hinterlands, and Crystalsong). Those were created to negate the power of Saronite popping up all over Azeroth, and act as gateways to the Emerald Dream from the physical world. However, they acted as a catalyst for Yogg-Saron to first create the Nightmare, instead.

Though, in the end, I don't really see this theory holding up much. I can see why people like the idea - a burning Teldrassil is a literal torch in that regard. However, it doesn't really make much sense when Vordrassil, Teldrassil, and the Great Trees were made by Fandral to suppress the Old Gods or act as a conduit for the Old Gods' corruption in the first place. Only Nordrassil was explicitly made with the cooperation of three Dragon Aspects to bless it for the Night Elf people. We don't even know about the origins of Shaladrassil (other than it existed before the rest, before the Sundering, according to Oakheart's lore), and we have no idea about the Un'goro World Tree other than Malfurion stated it is a World Tree.

It's a somewhat broad, ethereal topic to use as the catalyst to progress the Old God/N'Zoth plot - two of the five World Trees were introduced (and barely given lore) last expansion, and the rest were given more lore right before the expansion in Chronicle. The Pillars of Creation, while also only appearing last expansion, were given a decent amount of lore, and fit perfectly into the story at the time. We also know that N'Zoth was involved in the area that would become the Broken Shore/Tomb of Sargeras, and that there was something always of interest there. It makes more sense that by using the Pillars in a place that N'Zoth had some influence over would somehow unlock his prison, or something.

The other theory is that the quote wasn't speaking about the Old Gods/Void, and was instead talking about the Burning Legion and Argus. The Pillars were used as keys to unlock the Tomb of Sargeras, which in turn took us to Kil'jaeden, which in turn Illidan opened the way to Argus. That, in turn, led (eventually) to Sargeras stabbing Azeroth, which the Old Gods and their minions are clearly taking advantage of. Immediately, the silithids were empowered by Azerite in Silithus. The Twilight's Hammer stayed active, with new prophecies. And, clearly, N'Zoth, G'huun, Azshara, and the Aqir become more active next expansion, using the faction war and the discovery of Azerite to their own advantage.

[rhorle]

Wellllll....what if the 5 torches are the 5 World Trees and once the horde burns Teldrasill we realize that (with the exception of the wound in silithus) Azeroth hurts soo much that it wakes the Old Gods. Specifically Nzoth and Ysharraj!!! THEN WE HAVE TO BURN THE OTHERS TO WEAKEN THE OLD GODS

Except the Old gods were not reawakened when the other world trees were damaged/destroyed/fell. Teldrasil was grown relatively recently in the grand scheme of the Old Gods. If some magical barrier is related to world trees then it would have already been seen on Azeroth. Or it isn't a threat because we can easily grow a new tree if needed. Easy is relative of course but it was done before and can be done again.

Not to mention not all of the world trees are destroyed. Only 2 of the 5 will be destroyed. Nordrassil is fine. We saved it during the Cataclysm. The emerald dream tree is fine since we saved it during Legion. Shaladrassil is fine since we saved it during Legion. The last two may be weak from the nightmare/legion but are certainly saved and still intact by our actions.

We also know that Vordrassil failed after attempting to use it to stop the spread of Saronite. It was corrupted by the Yogg-saron because it didn't have the blessing from the Dragon Aspects. It was also this tree that allowed the dream to be corrupted. So there really is not reason why the other tree's destruction would make a magical barrier disappear.

The trees are just a magical nature thing that can be used by the Old gods but are not designed to imprison them.

[Anguirel]

Outside of G'hanir, the World Trees aren't either Old God or Titan related. Some are Dragon Aspect related, but only some. They all have a strong connection to the Emerald Dream, but that's to be expected of anything strongly aligned with nature. They're all much too recent to really be involved in Old God stuff.

One could say they have a great deal of power in them, and most of them have become corrupted by Sargeras or the Old Gods (via their respective servants). Same could be said of the Dragon Aspects. Or the Pillars (before they were recovered, in any case). Or the various Titan Complexes. I don't think literal torching of the World Trees is going to be your solution to that phrase that may or may not just be some random flavor text, similar to the Puzzle Box's whispers.

It's OUR, not YOUR.

There was a really cool thread long time ago:
https://www.mmo-champion.com/threads...-our-path-quot

And no one unfortunately answered.

I wouldn't have answered, even if I'd seen it when posted -- how do they mention Nozdormu's "possible corruption", but miss on Murazond being the leader of the Infinite Flight? Like, that whole thing was already directly stated in very plain terms in game why Chromie's attempts to reveal the source of the Infinite showed Nozdormu was the Leader. That's some shoddy research.

Cthun is dead dead.

I thought Cho'Gall was attempting to resurrect and/or free C'thun well after the official AQ raid time line. Like, C'thun was diminished and effectively dead, but not dead-dead like Y'sharrj. Did C'thun get further killed after that?

[Deleted]

Never said if strengthens them. I said it awakens them.

"Wellllll....what if the 5 torches are the 5 World Trees and once the horde burns Teldrasill we realize that (with the exception of the wound in silithus) Azeroth hurts soo much that it wakes the Old Gods."

So, this means she was hurting and the sword didn't wake the old gods, but the burning of the tree does? You could try to say that more clearly.
It is farfetched though.

Maybe thats not what it means? Quite honestly it's difficult to decode what you are trying to say.

[Alanar]

There are only 4 world trees though

Quick check Alpha if we missed a giant tree in one of the new zones!!

[Deleted]

I think the 5 torches are not World trees, but the Great Trees, planted by Fandral Staghelm. Apart from the one in Crystalsong they all have portals to the dream. Teldrassil used to have a portal too, in its corrupted branch, but it got cut off, because it couldn't be cleansed. You can see this ingame, the part of the tree that Fandral used to live in is gone.
So maybe the five torches are the five 'portal trees' and Teldrassil would be one of those. We'll see if the others catch fire somehow in the course of BfA too.
The other great trees were planted without dragon counsel or blessing by Fandral too in places where Saronite surfaced and when Fandral planted Teldrassil he was under the direct 'guidance' of Xavius. So these trees may actually be where Old God blood mingles with Azeroth's blood best and it may also be kind of a volatile mixture.
I think this was a long time plan by the Old Gods or at least they took advantage of it and I also think Teldrassil catches fire because of this.

I do not think the Old Gods have to be awakened anymore, because I think 'The cycle awakened us all!' already refers to them. What they need now is a) Azeroth weakend and b) the inhabitants distracted. Burning Teldrassil serves this purpose and Sylvanas will be their unwitting pawn by attacking and accidently setting it on fire, or not at all, but the fire breaks out while she attacks so she will be blamed. Just as Anduin will be their pawn, when he retaliates.

[Barendon]

wasn't teldrassil artificially made? not a real world tree.

[Raetary]

wasn't teldrassil artificially made? not a real world tree.

all of them are "artificially" made.

[BTHSE]

So huh.. this thread got me thinking.. you know how it's strongly implied that there was a fifth old god on Azeroth that was killed during the era of the black empire.. and that Blizzard has teased that there are tremendously bad consequences to killing old gods?

Okay so.... has anyone theorized yet that "Five keys to open the way. Five torches to light our path" doesn't actually mean that five something is going to release N'Zoth from its prison, but that killing N'Zoth is going to fully corrupt Azeroth and unleash the Void Lords? I mean think about it, the language, doesn't it sound like it's less about breaking out of a prison and more about.. I don't know, creating a bridge of sorts? You could more or less qualify the old gods of scouts sent in the universe by the void, a scout's function being of clearing a path, and, assuming that this is the correct interpretation, killing them would be like turning keys towards unleashing the gates of corruption on Azeroth?

[Sylvaeres]

Hear me out, but you know that shit in the Emerald Nightmare when Illgynoth says that shit about "5 keys to open your door, 5 torches to light your path"? and everyone thought that was the five pillars of creation?

Wellllll....what if the 5 torches are the 5 World Trees and once the horde burns Teldrasill we realize that (with the exception of the wound in silithus) Azeroth hurts soo much that it wakes the Old Gods. Specifically Nzoth and Ysharraj!!! THEN WE HAVE TO BURN THE OTHERS TO WEAKEN THE OLD GODS

Yes I realize I spelled some names wrong. Apologies.

You just tried to pass off this theory as if you created it when a ton of us are aware of Bellular. Hilarious

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When the internet is hostile for no reason. Discussion form is for discussion. Wanna be a dick, don’t post.

It has nothing to do with being hostile and everything to do with you stealing an idea from a well known wow video creator and pawning it off like your own