[Spoilers] The Desolate Council; A Shattered Dream?

[Isenholt]

Hey guys,

In case you missed the tag: SPOILERS!!!!

I wanted to make a new thread after reading some pages from the upcoming novel preview. My previous threads have focused on the fate of the Undead, and my brain just exploded when I read the spoilers from https://www.amazon.com/Before-Storm-...dp/0399594094/

Here are links to the previous threads I mentioned:

https://www.mmo-champion.com/threads...t=alonsus+faol

https://www.mmo-champion.com/threads...t=alonsus+faol

Just some thoughts so far after reading the spoilers:

We don't have the full picture yet obviously but we do know that the Desolate Council was hoping to reunite with their living relatives, that this reunion process was brokered by Andudin and Sylvanas, and that it ended with a massacre of the Undead.

This saddens me greatly. I'm glad that Golden was able to see the potential in having the dead reunite with their living relatives, but now that we know that dream was snuffed out, will we see anything like that again?

Will we finally see a potential Undead Allied race for the Alliance? (I know they say they don't like blurring faction lines with races)

Anduin seems to have walked among the Forsaken at Galen's fall unharmed, and feels a great deal of responsibility and sadness at the slaughter of the Forsaken who were hoping to reunite with loved ones.

I seriously feel like Golden peered into my mind and took the ideas that would most appeal to me, gave me some hope, and then crushed everything. It sounds like we lost Alonsus Faol, AND Calia Menethil, though I couldn't find the pages that dealt with this, seems like other posters might have (any links that deal with this would be appreciated).

For now, I am going to at least be grateful that the concept of the Free-willed Undead (not mindless Sylvanas worshippers) has been given air in some form of media. It's a pretty hollow gratitude because ultimately my dreams and ideas since classic regarding the Undead have been blasted by a book preview, but it's something.

The concept that at least some of the Undead are still the men/women they were in life is really inspiring and I think it holds a multi-faceted truth about willpower, perseverance, and struggle which is far more compelling to me than these overt power/forbidden power fantasies. Nothing against people who like that sort of thing, it's just not my cup of tea.

What do you guys think? Have you read the spoils? What did you come away with?

Lastly, I'd rather this doesn't devolve into another Sylvanas thread (for or against) though I realize she is deeply involved in these events.

[Arrashi]

Honestly this is "Issues with warcraft storytelling - chapter 892".

Its yet another interesting concept that ends up sacrificed in order of rushing the story out.

[Varodoc]

It's a shame. I was hoping that the Desolate Council would play a larger role, instead they played a minor role in a novel that most players won't read. The Desolate Council, this organization that wants unity between all Lordaeronians (it doesn't matter if they are alive or dead), was indeed an interesting concept. Hopefully their legacy will live on.

We don't have the full picture yet obviously

Golden is dedicated to painting Anduin as a selfless and flawless leader, do you really think that she will come up with a twist where it turns out that Anduin and the Desolate Council were actually on the wrong side and Sylvanas was right to shatter this hope of unity?

[Aucald]

While I was thinking they might go on to become the de facto racial leader of the Forsaken with Sylvanas being moved to the seat of Warchief, I am now thinking there are more upheavals in the future for the Forsaken concerning the newly undead Calia and Sylvanas' actions in Arathi.

[Zephre]

Will we finally see a potential Undead Allied race for the Alliance? (I know they say they don't like blurring faction lines with races).

Will we " finally " what? You won't, Sylvanas wiped the desolate council out, read the rest of the previews.

[Deleted]

Honestly this is "Issues with warcraft storytelling - chapter 892".

Its yet another interesting concept that ends up sacrificed in order of rushing the story out.

Exactly, I was looking forward to a piece of post-wotlk forsaken lore that wasn't just showing them being le evil nazis and it got destroyed in the same book it was created in. Such is life I guess.

[Arrashi]

While I was thinking they might go on to become the de facto racial leader of the Forsaken with Sylvanas being moved to the seat of Warchief, I am now thinking there are more upheavals in the future for the Forsaken concerning the newly undead Calia and Sylvanas' actions in Arathi.

The thing is that super cool and unique wait where did i hear that before Calia won't have the same "impact" on players as group made out of..well actual forsaken.

[Deleted]

Saa'ra is setting up a light-counter queen to Sylvanas in Calia. Calia has had nightmares about undeath and Saa'ra told her she can only get rid of the nightmares once she is ready.
Calia has remained utterly naive in the service as a priestess and doesn't know how to react when a Forsaken tells her to help them at Thoradin's Wall and steps forwards calling for them to join the Alliance. Which is quite an affront in peace-talks that were supposed to reunite families and nothing else, but Calia doesn't realize this until it's too late. She is attempting a coup right in front of Sylvanas's eyes.
Then she gets turned into a light undead, which is seemingly what Saa'ra meant when she said she has to be ready, because then her nightmares end, finally. Saa'ra is making Faol and Anduin take part in the ritual, which they do because they trust her. But really, what do they think this will do to the Forsaken in the long run?

[Aucald]

The thing is that super cool and unique wait where did i hear that before Calia won't have the same "impact" on players as group made out of..well actual forsaken.

She'll have whatever impact the developers have planned for her, I fear - time well tell.

[Arrashi]

She'll have whatever impact the developers have planned for her, I fear - time well tell.

Thats why i said on players. Of course they can bend story as they please. But not player reception. And something tells me that majority of forsaken players won't be too happy, with light-infused alliance symphatiser.

[Aucald]

Thats why i said on players. Of course they can bend story as they please. But not player reception. And something tells me that majority of forsaken players won't be too happy, with light-infused alliance symphatiser.

I suppose it depends on how she's used, at the end of the day. Calia, in the preview at least, is at pains to distance herself from the Alliance - and she may represent something to the Forsaken that Sylvanas only intimated at. She is, at the end of the day, more one of them in terms of shared history and legacy than Sylvanas herself is. As for the playerbase, that is what we'll have to wait and see about.

[delus]

Did you really think Sylvamas would allow anyone to oppose her? She was ready to off them upon first hearing that their views didn't align with hers.

[Kathranis]

Did you really think Sylvamas would allow anyone to oppose her? She was ready to off them upon first hearing that their views didn't align with hers.

I think it's more that people thought they might be setting up the Desolate Council as her replacement, since they're telegraphing the Sylvanas = Garrosh 2.0 thing so damn hard that her death seems to be a foregone conclusion at this point.

[Deleted]

Don't trust them, The naaru is manipulating the situation. Plus it was clear they were not going to survive the book.

[ohwell]

I think it's more that people thought they might be setting up the Desolate Council as her replacement, since they're telegraphing the Sylvanas = Garrosh 2.0 thing so damn hard that her death seems to be a foregone conclusion at this point.

Lol they are NOT setting up a Garrosh 2.0 thing. If anything that'll be Genn.

[EbaumsTipster]

I'm confused, did you speedread? Both Alonsus (and Calia, though as an undead-type) live, and the window for them to join the Alliance is renewed.

[Deleted]

I suppose it depends on how she's used, at the end of the day. Calia, in the preview at least, is at pains to distance herself from the Alliance - and she may represent something to the Forsaken that Sylvanas only intimated at. She is, at the end of the day, more one of them in terms of shared history and legacy than Sylvanas herself is. As for the playerbase, that is what we'll have to wait and see about.

Blizzard has invest a lot into marketing of Sylvanas. I really doubt they will ditch her for Calia Menethil, even if she holds far more true bonds with the Lordaeron.

[Aucald]

Blizzard has invest a lot into marketing of Sylvanas. I really doubt they will ditch her for Calia Menethil, even if she holds far more true bonds with the Lordaeron.

I grow more and more convinced that Sylvanas will not escape this expansion alive (or undead) - the reveal of her plans coupled with the nature of her subterfuge as Warchief seems like it paints a picture of her inevitable downfall. I will be surprised if she survives, and even more surprised if she retains the title of Warchief, following BfA - regardless of how much marketing has been thrown her way.

[Verdugo]

I grow more and more convinced that Sylvanas will not escape this expansion alive (or undead) - the reveal of her plans coupled with the nature of her subterfuge as Warchief seems like it paints a picture of her inevitable downfall. I will be surprised if she survives, and even more surprised if she retains the title of Warchief, following BfA - regardless of how much marketing has been thrown her way.

And for what, some shitty light-undead asspull loyal to pet character of some dumb wannabe writer?

[Deleted]

I grow more and more convinced that Sylvanas will not escape this expansion alive (or undead) - the reveal of her plans coupled with the nature of her subterfuge as Warchief seems like it paints a picture of her inevitable downfall. I will be surprised if she survives, and even more surprised if she retains the title of Warchief, following BfA - regardless of how much marketing has been thrown her way.

Problem is that whole situation happened because of the Naaru telling Calia to do something stupid. With the Mag'har datamine I don't trust those windchimes one bit. This war is happening because of the naaru. People keep glossing over that.