Thursday, September 20, 2018

Is Sylvanas' Primary Goal Her Greatest Weakness?

One of the disturbing questions about the faction conflict is just how far each side would take it in victory. After the Alliance won the Second War, they decided (not unanimously) not to kill the Orcs, but instead to put them in internment camps. These camps are often cited as one of the Horde's great reasons to hate the Alliance, despite the fact that they were the more merciful of two options (a thorough rehabilitation and integration program would have probably been the best solution, and I'd love to see that version of Azeroth.)

Certainly one imagines that the Horde has differing views amongst its individuals. But the Warchief has a particularly horrific intention toward the humans of Azeroth - she wants them all dead and raised as Forsaken. She has convinced herself that this is the only way to have peace, but it also conveniently puts her as the leader of a vast population.

Supposedly, the Forsaken have free will. Being undead does do things to you - it deadens positive emotions and sensations, leaving you more comfortable with brutal behavior - but in theory, you should still keep the same ultimate goals and motivations. Yet we've seen Alliance soldiers slain and raised as Forsaken who immediately turn around and attack their former comrades. I could certainly imagine that, after enough time separated from the Alliance and exposed to Forsaken propaganda they might begin to feel they had to work for Sylvanas, but such a sudden change either implies some form of mind control or some kind of narrative expediency that doesn't sit very well with me.

If, however, we assume that the non-Scourged undead do retain their free will, I feel like there's the opportunity for a great story:

One of the things I found frustrating about the Siege of Lordaeron is that Sylvanas was once again ahead of the game. She had put one over the Alliance with Teldrassil and then nearly trapped them in Lordaeron as she flooded it with plague. Villains, especially those we are meant to follow as protagonists, are best when they struggle. Breaking Bad was such a great show because its villainous protagonist was constantly scrambling to survive, and his improvisational gambits were that much more exciting to see unfold because he had to come up with them so reactively.

I've written before that if Anduin had interrupted her villain speech in the throne room with an order to kill her, and that Sylvanas was forced to flee with a few arrows in her back, it would have felt a lot better - Sylvanas would realize she had underestimated Anduin, and Anduin would have proven that despite his benevolence, he's not an idiot. Also, it would have been a really cool parallel with exactly what Sylvanas did to Arthas back in Warcraft III.

So here's what I think would be cool:

The Alliance has an effective spy regiment in SI:7 - we know that they had infiltrators throughout Orgrimmar prior to Teldrassil, which the Horde took advantage of by feeding them false information. Matthias Shaw would, I imagine, feel a great deal of guilt about being played like that.

In spycraft, at the most basic level, you can get a lot by seeming to give your enemy exactly what they want.

So here's the scenario I'd want to see:

The Horde is having problems with spies stealing important documents or something, and enlists the Horde hero in capturing the spies. To their shock and delight, they find Matthias Shaw amongst the infiltrators. The Horde hero kills Shaw, and Sylvanas has him raised by the Val'kyr.

In typical fashion, Shaw finds himself with no choice but to join the Forsaken. But Sylvanas tells him that he has to prove his loyalty. So he gives her and the Horde player the whereabouts of some Alliance base, and the Horde player goes and kills the Alliance forces there.

With the former head of SI:7 now under her command, Sylvanas prepares some big push - maybe even an attack on Stormwind. But just as she is marshaling her forces, something starts to go wrong. Her plague-wagons explode, or her commanders start showing up dead. Or more likely both.

And just as the bombs are going off, Sylvanas gets a blade in the back, with Shaw holding the knife. "For the Alliance," he says, before disappearing into the shadows.

With that, the Warchief is down (probably not dead, but down) and the Horde is in a panic, with the invasion cancelled thanks to a sudden offensive by Alliance forces.

And meanwhile, Anduin is deep in thought, troubled by the sacrifices that this plan required, but resolute in his need to ensure the Alliance's victory.

Sylvanas keeps recruiting, and so far she has always seemed to secure loyal followers. But that's got to change at some point, right?

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