The fate of Thrall's family?

[RohanV]

Here's an interesting theory from Gnomecore about the fate of Thrall's family from the Safe Haven cinematic:

There is a dark hidden meaning though which reads between the lines. And this is: Thrall’s family is DEAD. Aggra and Durak, wife and son, ceased to be.

...

All these small moments shape a bigger picture – where I see no Aggra or Durak. Thrall is alone in this world.

The reason is most likely famine. Thrall himself is exhausted, we could count all the ribs in his ribcage, and the fields are clearly dying – hence Draenor’s wildlife as well.

His points are interesting, especially the one about the house shown in the cinematic. I did think it was very odd when it was shown on screen. It's certainly not the dwelling of a happy family, even an orcish one.

On the other hand, would Blizzard really kill off Thrall's family off-screen?

[Eazy]

That's stupid thory. Thrall didn't even seem sad/touched when Saurfang asked him about his family. He's very emotional man, he wouldn't act like that in the cinematic if they were dead.

And btw. it's Outland, not Draenor.

[formerShandalay]

Aggra is a shaman in Nagrand, right at the Throne of the Elements.
Thrall is going for penance and quiet here by playing the farmer, you know, a bit like Oronok did in Shadowmoon Valley when he could have easily moved somewhere that's not completely saturated with Fel in the line of sight of the greatest failures and desecration the orcs have caused to their very own race (I'm talking about the Hand of Gul'dan, not the Black Temple, though that adds to it)

Aggra, Thrall and Durak are the last ones to starve on that world, at least while Aggra is still there.

[wonktnodi]

He says he thinks Thrall is starving because you can see his ribs. Those are muscles. You know why I don't think Thrall ran off to say goodbye to his family? Because it's a cinematic and it would ruin the mood.

[The Stormbringer]

This is a starving Orc:



Thrall looks nothing like that.

[Aurabolt]

Thrall's family is not dead. Also Thrall has two kids: Durak and a second child whose name and gender we don't yet know (the second is revealed at the end of the Doomhammer Artifact Weapon Quest Chain in Dalaran).

Also this isn't the first time Thrall went off somewhere without Aggra. He did the same when he went to Draenor. She pops up toward the end of the Frostfire Ridge Quest Experience. Given the assassins, I would be surprised if he didn't make sure she knew what happened. She's smart enough to know Sylvanas tried to have him killed if he left the bodies there. She'd hide the kids somewhere, likely with the Earthen Ring and then go looking for her mate.

[Sae]

More than likely they just didn't have the time or budget to animate additional characters. The amount of work needed for one of these CGI cutscenes is probably staggering, part of the reason we've had several throughout BfA is because they've reused Saurfang's model in every one so far.

Would it really have added much to the scene if they'd had the camera cut away to show a 2 second shot of Aggra and the kids?

[Highelf]

That's stupid thory. Thrall didn't even seem sad/touched when Saurfang asked him about his family. He's very emotional man, he wouldn't act like that in the cinematic if they were dead.

And btw. it's Outland, not Draenor.

It's still a theory. I mean Saurfang wasn't really acting like he was following two assassins. And once Saurfang knew that Thralls family wasn't nearby they struck. However, people need to realize that, like jj abrams, writing is never too intelligent and it's always the most simple explanation.

And btw. it's still Draenor.

[Trassk]

Did thrall look like he was starving to you?

Plus plenty of clefthoof meat around.

And if he wife and son where dead, do you really imagine he'd, after one failed attack by assassin's, look all jovial about taking up the right again? Thralls always been an emotional character and the death of his family wouldn't be something he'd just pass off and get a happy boner joining saurfang on an adventure for.

Most likely Aggra and his sons with his grandmother in garadar.

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More than likely they just didn't have the time or budget to animate additional characters. The amount of work needed for one of these CGI cutscenes is probably staggering, part of the reason we've had several throughout BfA is because they've reused Saurfang's model in every one so far.

Would it really have added much to the scene if they'd had the camera cut away to show a 2 second shot of Aggra and the kids?

This ^ its the same reason the saurfang cinematic only had him and zappyboi in it.

[Traveler Voltin]

am i the only one who remembers that Thrall is suppose to have 2 kids now?

[Trassk]

am i the only one who remembers that Thrall is suppose to have 2 kids now?

Yes he does, but blizzards not even introduced them. This is why saurfang asked where they were, not asking names, otherwise blizzard wouldn't had to think of a name and gender for the unnamed kid.

[iamthedevil]

How is there famine when we see a giant field of wheat?

They are shamans, they can make it rain whenever they want. Nagrand looked to be bustling.

[bmjclark]

Yea the more likely explanation is that Aggra and his son weren't shown because that involves animating 2 more distinct looking orcs in cinematics that they themselves have said take a shit ton of time to make.

[Traveler Voltin]

Yes he does, but blizzards not even introduced them. This is why saurfang asked where they were, not asking names, otherwise blizzard wouldn't had to think of a name and gender for the unnamed kid.

it was more aimed at what the OP quoted.

[tromage2]

I dont know what guy thinks that Thrall is out of shape.
But he looks like a super fit bodybuilder in the cinematic and ppl think he is out of shape....
I wonder if ppl that talk shit like that even look at their own body in a mirror from time to time.

[therealstegblob]

How is there famine when we see a giant field of wheat?

I grew up in rural Iowa but I'm not 100% certain on the nature of wheat, but I believe when Saurfang ran his hands through the wheat and one of them fell apart, it was to signify the wheat was dying.

[iamthedevil]

I grew up in rural Iowa but I'm not 100% certain on the nature of wheat, but I believe when Saurfang ran his hands through the wheat and one of them fell apart, it was to signify the wheat was dying.

I'm no wheat doctor, but they all have heads and seemed nice and dry which i believe is optimal wheat harvesting time? It was also upright and not lumped over and dead looking.

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I grew up in rural Iowa but I'm not 100% certain on the nature of wheat, but I believe when Saurfang ran his hands through the wheat and one of them fell apart, it was to signify the wheat was dying.

We need a wheat doctor in here.

[therealstegblob]

I'm no wheat doctor, but they all have heads and seemed nice and dry which i believe is optimal wheat harvesting time? It was also upright and not lumped over and dead looking.

Crops are harvested when they're dry (it's hard/impossible to harvest wet crops because they don't cut easily. Consistent raining during harvest times can really fuck farmers up) but there's such a thing as too dry, too. I dunno if that has to do with the plant itself being too dry or if it's an issue with the soil (the soil being too dry to drive heavy machinery on) but I know farmers were concerned with their fields getting too dry as well. The wheat literally crumbled in Saurfang's hand.

Like I said I dunno much about wheat but I believe that they showed that little scene specifically to get across that the wheat was dying or something.

[Aeula]

Why would Go’el be pissed about Saurfang potentially leading assassins to him if his family was dead?

[roboscorcher]

From the article:

1. Saurfang and Thrall speak of his family:

Saurfang: Where is your family?
Thrall: (heavy pause) Not far.

This “Not far” sounds as bitter as possible. And not far sounds as in their graves are not far. He trusts Saurfang as himself, there’s no other reason to keep their whereabouts from him. Well, even a simple “hunting” could be enough. This vague answer could mean only one thing: it’s hard to talk about it.

2. Later in the dialogue “I’m no one’s savior” sounds even more bitter. Surely the context is they’re talking about the Horde, but he could mean his family as well.

3. Thrall’s home is a widower’s ruin.

Thrall-Safe-Haven-House

It’s ragged, shattered, unattended. There’s no sign of attachment to it. It’s not a place where a happy family lives – even by orc standards. It means that Thrall is alone, and he doesn’t bother with fixing and cleaning anymore.

4. After the assassins attack, he shows no urge to check if his family was ok. Were they alive, his first urge would have been to find them and make sure they were not found by the undead first. He never speaks a word.

5. Were they alive, including them in the cinematic would have been the most obvious and almost obligatory move. His fear to lose them to assassins, him protecting them spectacularly – like catching a hand with the knife inch away from Aggra or Durak, or intercepting a fatal blow with his body… Did not happen.

6. After that, he is ready to go and leave everything behind right from spot, not a sign of I must consult or tell my wife and son. Granted how Aggra dragged him out of emotional abyss in Cataclysm, he would talk to her first – his most important and trusted being in the world.

7. The last thing is the overall calmness of a dying Nagrand. It’s peaceful, yet it reeks of decay. Both music and landscape are great indicators of what happens to Thrall’s soul.

Yeah all of these points are reaches. Blizzard's storytelling style is pretty face-value; what you see is what you get. There's no reason that they would start being this subtle out of nowhere. If they wanted us to think Thrall's fam was dead, there would be gravestones.