Inspiration behind Jailer

[Kial]

This is just speculation obviously but I thought I'd post it and see what other thoughts/speculations it could lead to.

So, first off I know that some people already have their own ideas for who the Jailer is. One proposed option is that the Jailer is Aman'Thul's son (See Pyromancer). I know his speculation is based off of a leaked image but it could actually be the other way around.

Uranus = Jailer
Gaia = Elune
Kronos (Titan - God of Time) = Aman'Thul
Odyn = Odin/Zeus

While there is the line regarding Muzala being the 'Child of Time' I've got the feeling that the Jailer is not Muzala.

Now, why Uranus?

-He looks potentially related to Aman'Thul and is supposed to out-date the universe.
-Uranus was tricked and imprisoned by his children (lead by Kronos) and made king of the underworld (Elysian Islands)
-Gaia, aka mother earth (or Earth Mother... see where I'm going) is Uranus's wife and mother of the Titans
-Gaia was the one to have her children betray Uranus (tears of Elune come to mind)
-This would explain why Eonar hid on Elunaria (safety of a mother?)

-Oh and the reason Gaia had their Titan Children overthrow him was because he was imprisoning his children within the earth (Gaia)... You know, kinda like how Argus explained having the world form around him.

So perhaps...
-Elune & Jailer make Titan Babies
-Jailer gets his name by locking up his babies starting with Azeroth and Argus
-Elune is sad and makes a Tear
-Elune helps Titans lock up and keep the Jailer contained in the Shadowlands
-Now jailer is making his move to break out

It's making me wonder if they are going to relate the void to Khaos. Anyone else think this might be the case? Can anyone else think of other supporting references and what this might mean for the story?

[Linuriel]

The jailer is just some dude

[MrLachyG]

Uranus = Jailer

so basically you're saying the Jailer is an asshole?

[Kial]

so basically you're saying the Jailer is an asshole?

LMAO! How do I edit the title of the thread ;P

This was more to explore what the potential origin of the character could have on the story and what that could mean for existing lore characters (Elune).

Taking your question seriously, Yes. Based on what Uranus did to his children (the Tians), we can assume that if the Jailer is based on this mythology that he likely isn't going to win any father of the year awards.

[huth]

That doesn't really fit anything we know about the lore.

For starters, the Titans weren't locked up. The planets are more like a Titan "egg". Also, from what we know so far, the Titans have little to no knowledge about the Shadowlands, which makes no sense if they imprisoned the Jailer there, nor do they appear to know anything about him or Elune.

[Daedius]

Thresh from LoL...

[Selastan]

I think his inspiration is closer to Satan. Chained in an afterlife of punishment.

[UnluckyAmateur]

If anything he gives off stronger hades vibes by trying to take over the shadowlands with all the souls being redirected to the maw. I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up being a tragic figure.

[Arrashi]

Obviously jailer is inspired by Van Darkholme.

[Kyphael]

Hades, Anubis, Shinigami, Hel, take your pick.

[Archmage Xaxxas]

Enki/Ea says hello.

Although there are seriously open borders on what they pick and choose for these inspirations, one thing in particular about the Jailer that strikes me is his potential placement without a say in his role.

While others reference Satan (only meaning "Adversary" or "Accuser", important to note that this is relevant for PoV stories from the Titans.), and Poseidon, Uranus etc. I'd like to extend reference to Babylonian/Akkadian/Sumerian/Egyptian mythos about The Annunaki and their role in the Underworld and Reincarnation.

There is a line from The Atrahasis, an epic of the Great Flood that we're discovering did indeed sweep the planet in the form of a permanent 400ft rise in Ocean Level approximately 13k years ago. (The Sundering anyone?)

This story has reference to both the Flood itself, but moreso the reasoning why the Anunna decide to flush Mankind away. It gets more complicated than the Jailer's story does, implying Enki is the creator of Man as well as being forced into a role of governing the Afterlife. You can view the god named "Enlil" as the Titans, namely Aman'thul in this case.

Tablet 2 begins with a summary of the overpopulation in the world, and the Gods trying to quiet Man's noise with disease, famine and eventually destruction.

It goes on to say this:

"When the sixth year arrived, Only one or two households were left. The people's looks were changed by starvation. Their faces were covered in scabs like malt. They stayed alive by holding onto life.

Enlil became furious and fetched Enki
"We the great Anunna, all of us
Agreed together on a plan.
Anu and Adad were to guard above.
I, Enlil was to guard the Earth below.

Where you went (Enki), you were to undue the chain and set us free.

You were in charge of control and holding the balance. But instead you gave wisdom and knowledge to the people." "

A fairly confusing line in our history, but stands out as fascinating to those who ponder the existence of a soul/spirit.


Now what makes this tick as a potential inspiration for the Jailer, is the Arbtier, Oribos and the Ouroboros symbol.

Enki is known as the Lord of the Earth and Water before his role in the Abzu, being the source of Life and Vitality and his brother in fact, Enlil, is charged with guarding over Earth from the Heavens. Research can be done that signifies the different symbols used to represent Enki and Enlil.

Enlil, who watched from the skies is represented throughout History as The Eagle. Enki is represented throughout history as The Serpent.
(yea that Serpent from the Garden of Eden too. Remember what was said about PoV storytelling.)
Enki can be recognized as Poseidon, Neptune, Odyn, even Hades with certain understandings of the role he played in these stories.

The lines from the Atrahasis are also reflective on The Arbiter's role in the Shadowlands. You may ask, what does it mean to "undue the chain and set us free?"

It's speculated this is referencing the Immortal Soul of the Anunna being set free from the bonds of Reincarnation within this reality. In other words,

Enlil & the other Gods force Enki, who had already been invested in matters of the Mind and Spirit (meditation), into somehow breaking the Cycle, so that they could live outside of the Timeline of Earth, and have complete power.

The Cycle could have been what the Arbiter and Oribos represent.


Finally, now to give some more credibility to this, a new character known as The Archon will be in Bastion, and is the leader of the Kyrian. The word "Archon" comes from an ancient Gnostic text called The Nag Hamadi Library.

These texts detail the supposed divine creators, the origins of humanity and the cosmos. Namely a section known as "The Hypostasis of the Archons or The Reality of the Rulers" should be heavily noted here

And these "Archons" are the disembodied, and purposefully lingering souls of the Anunna, they are your 'Demons', your 'Nephilim'.

Food for thought, that Blizzard is into this shit too. It's why I'm actually excited for Shadowlands. I haven't been able to stop thinking of this kind of "what happens when you die" stuff for the last few years now.

Edit: oh and "THIS WORLD IS A PRISON!" is exactly in line with the Gnostic understandings of our reality.

[matrix123mko]

Hades, Anubis, Shinigami, Hel, take your pick.

Weles seems nice.

- - - Updated - - -

Enki/Ea says hello.

Although there are seriously open borders on what they pick and choose for these inspirations, one thing in particular about the Jailer that strikes me is his potential placement without a say in his role.

While others reference Satan (only meaning "Adversary" or "Accuser", important to note that this is relevant for PoV stories from the Titans.), and Poseidon, Uranus etc. I'd like to extend reference to Babylonian/Akkadian/Sumerian/Egyptian mythos about The Annunaki and their role in the Underworld and Reincarnation.

There is a line from The Atrahasis, an epic of the Great Flood that we're discovering did indeed sweep the planet in the form of a permanent 400ft rise in Ocean Level approximately 13k years ago. (The Sundering anyone?)

This story has reference to both the Flood itself, but moreso the reasoning why the Anunna decide to flush Mankind away. It gets more complicated than the Jailer's story does, implying Enki is the creator of Man as well as being forced into a role of governing the Afterlife. You can view the god named "Enlil" as the Titans, namely Aman'thul in this case.

Tablet 2 begins with a summary of the overpopulation in the world, and the Gods trying to quiet Man's noise with disease, famine and eventually destruction.

It goes on to say this:

"When the sixth year arrived, Only one or two households were left. The people's looks were changed by starvation. Their faces were covered in scabs like malt. They stayed alive by holding onto life.

Enlil became furious and fetched Enki
"We the great Anunna, all of us
Agreed together on a plan.
Anu and Adad were to guard above.
I, Enlil was to guard the Earth below.

Where you went (Enki), you were to undue the chain and set us free.

You were in charge of control and holding the balance. But instead you gave wisdom and knowledge to the people." "

A fairly confusing line in our history, but stands out as fascinating to those who ponder the existence of a soul/spirit.


Now what makes this tick as a potential inspiration for the Jailer, is the Arbtier, Oribos and the Ouroboros symbol.

Enki is known as the Lord of the Earth and Water before his role in the Abzu, being the source of Life and Vitality and his brother in fact, Enlil, is charged with guarding over Earth from the Heavens. Research can be done that signifies the different symbols used to represent Enki and Enlil.

Enlil, who watched from the skies is represented throughout History as The Eagle. Enki is represented throughout history as The Serpent.
(yea that Serpent from the Garden of Eden too. Remember what was said about PoV storytelling.)
Enki can be recognized as Poseidon, Neptune, Odyn, even Hades with certain understandings of the role he played in these stories.

The lines from the Atrahasis are also reflective on The Arbiter's role in the Shadowlands. You may ask, what does it mean to "undue the chain and set us free?"

It's speculated this is referencing the Immortal Soul of the Anunna being set free from the bonds of Reincarnation within this reality. In other words,

Enlil & the other Gods force Enki, who had already been invested in matters of the Mind and Spirit (meditation), into somehow breaking the Cycle, so that they could live outside of the Timeline of Earth, and have complete power.

The Cycle could have been what the Arbiter and Oribos represent.


Finally, now to give some more credibility to this, a new character known as The Archon will be in Bastion, and is the leader of the Kyrian. The word "Archon" comes from an ancient Gnostic text called The Nag Hamadi Library.

These texts detail the supposed divine creators, the origins of humanity and the cosmos. Namely a section known as "The Hypostasis of the Archons or The Reality of the Rulers" should be heavily noted here

And these "Archons" are the disembodied, and purposefully lingering souls of the Anunna, they are your 'Demons', your 'Nephilim'.

Food for thought, that Blizzard is into this shit too. It's why I'm actually excited for Shadowlands. I haven't been able to stop thinking of this kind of "what happens when you die" stuff for the last few years now.

Edit: oh and "THIS WORLD IS A PRISON!" is exactly in line with the Gnostic understandings of our reality.

I hope Blizzard will go for something ambitious as interpretation of ancient mythos instead of just "kill Jailer and Sylvanas and you will have a chance to drop Nathanos mount" that seems more likely.

[Stardrift]

What if the Jailer is just the amalgamation of the nu-dev's Twitter accounts?

Yaas queens and doggos and dyed hair, oh my!

[Villager720]

nor do they appear to know anything about him or Elune.

The Titans most certainly know of Elune or they wouldn't have named one of the Pillars of Creation after her.

[huth]

The Titans most certainly know of Elune or they wouldn't have named one of the Pillars of Creation after her.

It's perfectly possible that they didn't. It also doesn't prove that they knew anything about her.

[Villager720]

It's perfectly possible that they didn't. It also doesn't prove that they knew anything about her.

How exactly can you name something after someone while not knowing of them? And sure, maybe they don't know anything about her, merely of her, but that still seems an odd choice when the other Pillars are named after members of the Pantheon they're intimately aware of.

[huth]

How exactly can you name something after someone while not knowing of them? And sure, maybe they don't know anything about her, merely of her, but that still seems an odd choice when the other Pillars are named after members of the Pantheon they're intimately aware of.

You're assuming we're using the Titan names.