Thursday, August 2, 2018

Saurfang Reckons with Teldrassil in New Cinematic

Well here's a surprise: a full cinematic starring Varok Saurfang, most badass old orc of the Horde.


This came out of nowhere, and while I don't think it 100% addresses the issues people had with Warbringers: Sylvanas, it does show that there is at least some internal conflict among the Horde.

Saurfang, who actually began life as a rather unimportant NPC, has come to embody the Orcish ideal - a fearless, undaunted and ultimately honorable warrior. His attack on Malfurion gave him pause, allowing the Archdruid to be taken away by Tyrande, and it's clear that he is just as horrified as any Horde player (who isn't into the whole For the Evulz take on their faction) at what Sylvanas did (we also get a rather gorgeous view of the world tree burning in the full Blizzard cinematic style.)

Saurfang watches the Alliance siege camps around Undercity before dawn, remembering holding his son's body in the icy wastes of Northrend, frustrated that in all these wars, he has never earned his warrior's death. In the words of Theoden from The Two Towers (which were actually the words of a real woman whose child was killed by terrorists in Northern Ireland,) no parent should have to bury their child. In a world with so much violence, Saurfang cannot see why he has not perished on the battlefield for a righteous cause. And now, what righteousness is left to him?

In his vigil, he is greeted by a young troll (and holy crap this is more screen time than any troll has gotten in a cinematic) who has never fought before, looking for advice. It's probably the wrong time for this young man to meet his hero, a hero who is now eager to walk, armorless, into the Alliance camp so that he can finally die.

But the troll makes a point - all he had before was his father, who had served with Saurfang during the Third War. But when his father died, all he had left was the Horde.

It actually makes existence within the Horde a far more depressing proposition. Yes, your leaders are often monsters, but because of that, they're the only family you'll ever know. That's some manipulative stuff right there. It goes on living because the people have to believe the Horde can stand for something good, and it's people like Saurfang who embody what the Horde could and should be.

As the young (as far as I remember unnamed,) troll follows him out toward the Alliance camp, similarly ditching his armor, Saurfang is forced to turn around as the sun rises and the Alliance begins its assault.

Saurfang may hate what Sylvanas has done in the name of the Horde, but he still has to fight for people like this young man - a man who we know from the main BFA cinematic will actually wind up dying to Anduin.

How do you save the people of the Horde when its leadership is orienting it toward evil?

That's the big question for the Horde in Battle for Azeroth going forward.

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