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- May 28, 2023
It's hard not to walk through the Legion add-on and step into some sort of prophecy. If not Il'gynoth, then Varimathras, if not them, then Xe'ra. Everywhere you turn, someone is promising us our future.
For the record, prophecies often come true in this world. All it took was for Wrathion to foretell the return of the Burning Legion, and a few additions later we have an invasion such that please sit down. And since we're navigating a fantasy setting, there's a need to reveal a peek of future mystery. Especially since Battle for Azeroth is coming (by the way, I love the ambiguity of that title). Let's start with a certain boss in Antorus, well known to us from Wrath of the Lich King and Warcraft 3 itself. Tortured and broken, he makes some interesting announcements about the future towards the Alliance - and the Horde.
I apologize in advance for two things. Firstly, SPOILERS, secondly - I use English names, because I don't want to mislead anyone with translations, more or less official.
Varimathras' warning
Varimathras addresses Alliance with these words:
So, your Alliance still endures. Longer than I expected, though she has already planted the seeds of its downfall. She is patient, that one.
When your thrones run red with betrayal... when your holy places burn and the shattered mask hangs above your hearth... only then will you know. And it will be too late.
It matters not. You are blind to the true darkness closing in around you.
"Thrones," in my mind, are the capitals of various races forming an alliance together. So far, there's no sign of anyone murdering anyone. A potential traitor could be Genn Greymane (he's always had appetites for power), though he now serves as a more fatherly figure to Anduin. Unless young Wrynn decides to make a deal with the Horde after all, which is rather unlikely. The Draenei are out by definition, they are too brooding, as are the gnomes. Night elves get such a beating that it's hard to imagine anything bad happening to them. We will see what the creators will surprise us with.
The second part of the sentence - about burning holy places - works well from the very beginning of Battle for Azeroth. Teldrassil is on fire. The plural, however, indicates that the fire will be set somewhere else.
The shattered masks hanging in the shelter are obviously a symbol of the Forsaken - Sylvanas is reaching out her dead hands for the Alliance. And that's probably the part about her sowing doom there. Well, unless it's Jaina - there are those who believe that her insatiable hatred for the Horde can harm Anduin.
Then there's "true darkness closing in among you". This is clearly about Alleria... yet we're about to relate it to the warning the Horde got.
So, she found me at last. Sent her underlings to finish the job.
Tell me, when she seized your throne of hides and bones, was your allegiance forced? No... I'd wager you surrendered it willingly... or were convinced you did.
It matters not. You are blind to the darkness in your midst.
"She" is, of course, Sylvanas Windrunner - he and Varimathras have been through a bit together, which ended in Wrathgate.
It's interesting to note that he thinks the surrender of the Warchief Horde's throne was somehow staged. We learn from Before the Storm that Sylvanas is not fond of his new position. So who "convinced" Vol'jin to give up her power? Loa. Loa, which include the patronizing death of Bwonsamdi (the game lived to see its own Baron Samedi, hurrah!). Perhaps, though, the spirits are of the opinion that Sylvanas will create a sort of butterfly effect. It's clear from the quests the Horde does during Battle for Azeroth that Zul is trying to wipe out all the loa. Perhaps without Sylvanas causing the war and being forced to ask Zandalar for help, saving the rest of the spirits would not have been possible. Either way, the spirits set it up.
What I find frustrating, though, is this darkness that appears in both warnings. Around the Alliance it "closes in", in the Horde it lingers "right in the middle". Varimathras seems to be referring to the Banshee Queen. But he could also be referring to the crushes of the Old Gods and Void itself, who want to parasitize a wounded Azeroth. After all, murdering them was Sargeras' main goal.
Sylvanas herself is rather certainly not working for the Old Gods and Void - this can be inferred from the way the voices in Alleria's head began to freak out in fear at the sight of Sylvanas in the Three Sisters comic. "She serves true enemy," they said.
Il'gynoth's prophecies
The predictions of the nightmare-corrupted tree Il'gynoth in Emerald Nightmare are also interesting.
In his case, we're talking about a whole list of different hints, warnings, and predictions. One by one:
Flesh is his gift. He is your true creator.
No mistake, this is about Yogg-Saron and his curse of flesh, a curse that de facto created many races in Azeroth - dwarves, gnomes, humans and others.
To find him, drown yourself in the circle of stars.
The circle of stars can be found in Deepholm, so it is most likely about N'Zoth.
The king of diamonds has been made a pawn.
It's quite simple: Magni, transformed into a diamond, is a servant of Azeroth and helps her.
The lord of ravens will turn the key.
This is either Odin or Khadgar. The former is served by two ravens. I'm betting on Khadgar and his combination in Tomb of Sargeras. Perhaps using Pillars of Creation somehow frees Old Gods?
The boy-king serves at the master's table. Three lies will he offer you.
We will come back to this quotation: some people think it is about Wrathion, some think it is about Anduin. I am of the opinion that it is more about the latter. "Boy king" is a nickname the Horde came up with for him, and those stick pretty strongly to humans. But when does Anduin lie? Has there been any lying yet? And at whose table does he serve? Il'gynoth may speak disdainfully of the Void's luminous opponents in this way, but it may be about something else.
Her heart is a crater, and we have filled it.
All right. This could be about Azeroth (it's very obvious), or it could be about Jaina Proudmoore, who is full of rage after the destruction of Theramore. Add to that the fact that in Battle for Azeroth she is exiled for a time to Thros, where evil spirits roam and fill her heart with reproaches and accusations, it would make sense.
Five keys to open our way. Five torches to light our path.
Let's go back to "lord of the ravens". Pillars of Creation are such keys - perhaps their activation facilitates something Old Gods. That would mean that the closing of the Tomb of Sargeras led to... well, exactly.
At the hour of her third death, she will usher in our coming.
In this case, either Sylvanas is considered (though she died three times, if you count Arthas), so it could be about Azeroth. If so, her dying in Battle of Azeroth will be a prelude to the coming of the nasty creatures of Void.
The most likely, however, is Alleria Windrunner. As Kamil Nawara of the What's Coming in Azeroth - World of Warcraft section pointed out, she even talks about it directly. And in fact, I quote: "Sometimes I feel that I have already died twice. Once when we were presumed lost on Draenor, and again when gripped by the shadow of the fallen naaru". Alleria is almost an agent of Void in Azeroth, so it fits very well.
From the earth, he draws strength. Our earth. Our strength.
This is where the fans do most of their thinking: perhaps it's Neltharion, or if not him, then Wrathion. If the latter, it means we may soon see his corruption. Some are also betting on Thrall, though nothing is said directly. As it is with prophecies.
Its surface blazes bright, masking shadows below.
I'm guessing this is about Sunwell - Void is drawn to it like a moth to light, which can be seen when Alleria visits Silvermoon. It could also mean that Light is not a good power at all, that together with Void they are two sides of the same, not very nice coin.
However, "Blazes" also means "burns". It could also be about Teldrassil - after all, its roots are unknown.
