Change is a major theme in the expansion. Most severe trauma victims have difficulty letting go of the past -- they are stuck in the past, trapped in their memories which shape their entire worldview, and keep repeating the same experience over and over again, and cannot fully live in the present. The most basic example is for example, the people of one country hating their neighbor because of some past traumatic war or dispute, and unable to see those other people as really even human beings. That is Sylvanas' worldview -- she cannot feel empathy as she used to do, even the novel mentioned she could no longer properly related to things like honor and emotions other than rage and hatred, it's like something inside her has been permanently damaged. Sylvanas manipulated Saurfang, but she was also projecting her genuine beliefs -- that the Alliance could not properly change.
She pointed at the map. There was a large marking in Silithus, the place where the Dark Titan’s blade had pierced the world. “No matter what I do, that will change the balance of power. Azerite sightings are coming in from across the world, Saurfang. We still do not know its full potential, nor does the Alliance. We only know that it will create a new generation of warfare. What will war look like in twenty years? In a hundred?”
Saurfang’s voice had dropped to a low growl. “A hundred years of peace is a worthy goal.” But as soon as the words left his mouth, he wanted to take them back. He knew what Sylvanas would say.
And he would agree with it.
The warchief did not disappoint. “If a hundred years of peace ends with a war that annihilates both sides, it was not a worthy goal. It was a coward’s bargain, trading the future for temporary comfort. The Horde’s children, and their children’s children, will curse our memories as they burn.” Her voice softened, but only slightly. “If life had any mercy at all, you and I would exist in peace for the rest of our days. We both have seen enough of war, but neither of us has seen the last of it.”Sylvanas was being genuine -- at least, in part, or she believed she was. No doubt she also had her ulterior motives. But she genuinely distrusted the Alliance -- if Before the Storm was also valid. And that is where I believe she is fundamentally wrong and flawed. Her examples of the Alliance hating and mistrusting the Horde, and not forgiving them for past transgressions were legitimate, as is her pointing out the potential escalation and transformation of warfare -- but she is WRONG in asserting that the Alliance -- and her own people -- could NEVER really change.The boy king’s plan was a foolish one. He still believed that people could change. Oh, they certainly could. Alleria, Sylvanas, and Vereesa were all proof. But it was not change for the better; at least, Anduin would not see it that way.
I was actually swayed by Sylvanas' diatribe -- at first. She was ranting to Saurfang, I believe this, I believe that, something about humans and orcs, blood elves and night elves, the Forsaken and the Alliance. But that is exactly that. She BELIEVES. But sometimes, our deepest and most cherished beliefs, our personal opinions, even those based on past experiences, are wrong. Or at least incomplete, and outdated. The real reason why Saurfang believed her is because perhaps he himself has been traumatized by his son's death, and could not let go of his own past; A Good War started not from Sylvanas' perspective, but Varok remembering Dranosh's death at the hands of the Scourge.
Just because the humans and orcs loathe each other then does not mean they will loathe each other after a hundred years of peace, with new generations taking the place of older and more hardened ones, just compare Anduin and Jaina with Varian and Daelin, for example. Just because night elves and blood elves hated each other does not mean they would hate each other a century from now. Just because the Alliance hates the Forsaken, and vice versa -- does not mean all of them do, or that they will always hate each other for all of eternity, especially if the human reunions from Before the Storm are to be believed. Sylvanas believed that life is feeble, and hope was meaningless, but just because she based her entire worldview on her past experience (as so many trauma victims often tend to do, distrusting people or groups of people, constantly filled with paranoia, unable to see themselves as anything but victims), does not mean that she was necessarily correct in her conclusion.
Genn Greymane may or may not be likable -- but he has definitely changed and grown tremendously as a character, from his original appearance, selfish and isolationist, building walls to protect his single kingdom's interests, rather than bridges to support his neighbors in their time of desperation and need. He has been changed by his son's death -- by Anduin himself -- by his experience in another continent living among the night elves, and by his worgen experience. It was why Varian accepted Genn's apologies after initially rejecting him in Wolfheart, and why they became such close friends, and how the worgen were able to defeat Garrosh in the novel, because they embodied the essence of change and adaptation. He even admits in Before the Storm that he was wrong about the Forsaken -- he saw a human and a Forsaken relative interacting, then the human walking away, but without hostility or violence, and this moved him very deeply, causing him to realize the Forsaken were not all monsters. Tyrande and Baine faced this dilemma in Pandaria, Tyrande refusing to believe Garrosh could change, and Baine believing that he could, arguing that everyone at the Trial had made mistakes, and changed tremendously, and would always keep on changing into the future. This was what helped Jaina to repair her friendship with Thrall; in the Tides of War novel, they also discussed the concept of change in their last peaceful meeting, and her last thoughts at Rhonin's funeral were:“Well, you are a fool.” Anduin turned to regard him, surprised by the words. “A fool to think for a moment that I would withdraw my support because you are helping the kaldorei. Do I want my kingdom back? My people to return to their homes? Of course I do! Do I want it badly enough to allow innocent night elves to suffer, when they so generously have helped the Gilneans these last few years? When they mitigated the worgen curse, so we could hang on to ourselves and not get lost in madness? When they fed us, sheltered us, and offered us their home when we had nothing?”
Genn made a dismissive noise, somewhere between a huff and a snarl. “No. I would never betray that kindness by turning my back on them now. Sylvanas doesn’t understand that about the living. And she certainly doesn’t understand the Alliance. She is in for a rude awakening, and you can mark my words.”
For a moment, Anduin simply stared in shock. Then, for the first time in what felt like aeons, he smiled with true pleasure. In the midst of all the bleakness, all the fear and apprehension and horror, here was something good and strong and true to hold on to. And Genn Greymane—he of the quick temper and sullen stubbornness, who had once turned away from the Alliance and lived behind a wall to indulge his own self-interest—he had gifted it to Anduin.
The point being, Sylvanas was wrong about the Alliance and the Horde, just as she was wrong about the Forsaken. Genn would never have turned against Anduin, his son in all but blood -- nor against Tyrande and Malfurion, his friends. The old Genn would have of course -- but that Genn died a long time ago. Maybe it's not a coincidence that Sylvanas has no son or daughter, nor any desire to raise one, or anyone she truly considers friends. Not all of her people wanted to hate the Alliance, not all of them were willing to be "forsaken" by her living family members, much less to forsake them. Some of the Forsaken chose to abandon Sylvanas because of they could not let go of what they had before, others refused to continue living because they could not be with their loved ones. The Horde at its core from its earliest foundation is about change -- not just about switching leaders, but about changing their hearts and their cultures and worldviews, for better or worse, something Sylvanas could never really understand. Like the Forsaken who were killed at Arathi, even Dark Ranger Velonara chose her true family over Sylvanas in the end, rejecting her beliefs that their people are but slaves to the torment of undeath and embracing her own path:All things change, she thought. I, Thrall, Garrosh, Varian...Azeroth.
- I see you remained in Orgrimmar.
We dark rangers were fiercely loyal to Sylvanas. We trusted her... followed her commands.
It is clear that our loyalty was never truly reciprocated.
Some of my sisters and brothers have chosen to remain at the Dark Lady's side. I, and many others, have not.
<Velonara's expression becomes steely. Determined.>
I refuse to be a slave to this torment.
Both the sin'dorei and Forsaken are my kin. I stand with them, and with the Horde.