Nominal, yes. Practical, no. Even after Wrath Gate, there's no official open war, but that doesn't stop ground commanders from jabbing each other. The events at Wrath Gate escalated the conflict, they didn't start it, as the poster above me mentions with specific Alliance quests. The Forsaken and Alliance are outright bombing each other in HF, and plenty of other more subtle conflicts are going on elsewhere. So yes, there was a nominal "working together" arrangement, but neither side was completely following it before those events.

[Edit for further clarification] The conflict in Howling Fjord between the Forsaken and the Alliance goes beyond a couple bombings. I can't find any reference in the quest text along the various chains in the area to figure out who attacked who first at Vengeance Landing, but there's a pretty obvious pitched battle going on down there. The plague testing I mentioned earlier (which is what sparked this debate) was on ships that are coming to reinforce the Alliance troops that are already in open battle. Those troops were coming with the expressed intent to attack the Forsaken outpost. I don't think it really matters if it was a plague or explosives, the intent was to stop the reinforcements, and the quest does so. The fact that they got to test a new strain of plague was a nice bonus for the apothecaries there.

Quest references: Test at Sea - Quest - World of Warcraft ; War is Hell - Quest - World of Warcraft (War is Hell is the first quest of a chain where you eventually end up killing the officers of the Alliance ground force attacking Vengeance Landing.)

Why can't she be both?

My view of Sylvanas has always been that she's willing to do whatever it takes to ensure the survival of the Forsaken. She and the rest of the Forsaken know that they're commonly viewed as being no different from the Scourge, and the Stormwind would probably like nothing more than to roll over tirisfal glades and return it to its "rightful" human owners. She's surrounded on all sides, disliked and outright hated by pretty much everyone. Not to mention Arthas is still out there, and he'd like nothing more than to return his wayward creations to his fold.

So what does she do? She enters into an alliance with Thrall, because she knows they HAVE to have some allies, otherwise they're gonna get stomped. She goes and tell the RAS to research a plague that's devestating to life and unlife in case they're forced to use it (and yes, I believe she endorsed the plague - I just think Putress and Verimathris stole it and used it at the wrong point). She fights back HARD against any sort of incursion into her territory.

*sigh* I know it's a bad idea to use this anology, but i think it fits. The Forsaken are like Isreal surrounded by enemies. They survive by being utter hard asses and bringing guns to every knife fight they get involved in. Sylvanas can totally be non-evil, but she's utterly commited to keeping the Forsaken nation viable.

This seemed to be the case through TBC and seemed to be the way they justified having an 'undead' playable race. It's a shame that the Forsaken are integrating further with the Horde in WotLK.

I like the idea of an indifferent (evil to the living) Sylvanas, preparing the plague to take out everyone but only being preempted by Varimathras and the RAS at Wrathgate. I like a forsaken who hates both the horde and alliance, but has a marriage of convenience with the horde as it suits them. This was what the quests seemed to indicate throughout vanilla and I rolled mostly undead for that reason. To me, Varimathras and the RAS embody the true Forsaken and if Sylvanas wasn't involved in some direct way she can die with the rest of them.

I understand they couldn't do certain things for gameplay reasons, but I really hope it turns out Varimathras and the RAS were working as Sylvanas' agents. I can't imagine anyone who plays Forsaken not feeling that Putress' line ("Do you think we had forgotten? Do you think we had forgiven? Behold now, the terrible vengeance of the Forsaken!") matched up to everything we've been lead to feel from the race since the game started. To me, it was the culmination of everything the Forsaken has been working on since WoW released.

Unfortunately the dialogue during the battle for Undercity doesn't seem to lead to those conclusions.

I completely agree with xmod. If anything Sylvanas would have an issue with the strategic impact of unleashing the plague now and not when assaulting ICC. It would have made more sense to let the other races battle their way into Icecrown, let them do the dying then unleash the ultimate weapon after they had weakened Arthas. Maybe Sylvanas is just playing Thrall and maneuvering to stay in the Horde despite Varimathras' efforts to muddle up her grand scheme.

Somehow I doubt it. Early in TBC we saw Sylvanas' (and the Forsaken in general) attitude soften from wanting to turn every living being into more Forsaken. Particularly via the Lament of the Highborne questline, but really the whole Ghostlands story arc.

What we didn't see was the general Forsaken attitude toward the Scourge softening.

I loved Putress' lines. Forsaken are angry, vengeful people. And they deserve to be. But calling for "Death to the living!" and plaguebombing their own allies is out of line with what the Forsaken have become since vanilla.

So I was thinking today.

Hasn't been brought up in the last few pages, though I am sure we all know it. I suppose it hasn't been mentioned because it does not directly tie to Varian, but it is perhaps the most fundamental reason as to why the Night-Elves hate the Horde. Coupled with the Horde destroying the forests of Ashenvale, the Night-Elves blame the Horde for the death of Cenarius.

You don't just forgive and forget about that. The Horde killed the son of the most revered and honored Night-Elf deity. And the teacher/master of the most revered mortal Night-Elves.

On another note, I think it is interesting Varian's best friend (well one of them) is a Blood Elf. Further, it's heavily hinted the Blood-Elf and Night-Elf are in-love. (e, well maybe fatherly love, still a powerful relationship).

On an equal note, Sylvanas' former lover was a human... from Stormwind.

I think your use of "evil" might be too broad. It's pretty evident that Sylvanas is very, very resentful toward the Alliance for pinning her Forsaken as enemies just for being undead. I doubt she'd have any qualms about conducting experiments on captured Alliance members. And with the amount of free access we have inside the Undercity, it doesn't seem like these experiments are being hidden from the other members of the Horde, either. Her personality doesn't really come across as one of silent betrayal. She's more the I'll-tell-you-how-much-I-hate-you-before-I-kill-you-and-while-I-kill-you-and-after-I-kill-you type, which is what caused her to lose her chance at killing Arthas back in Warcraft III. Blizzard has also been using the sentimental card rather liberally with her. The Blood Elves are probably a big anchor keeping her within the ranks of the Horde , and The Lady's Necklace was clearly meant to make the player sympathize with her.

I personally think that Sylvanas is very much on top of her brief, but overestimated her control over Varimathras and Putress. While her intention in creating the Royal Apothecary Society -- and consequently a new plague -- was most likely one bent on revenge toward those responsible for the state of her Forsaken, she probably became more amiable toward her Horde allies and decided to take the organization toward a different direction. An example of this can be seen in one of the Dragonblight quests involving Doctor Sintar Malefious, Grand Apothecary. Sent by the Forsaken, he works with a Tauren to create a vaccine to immunize wildlife in the area. Blizzard's reason for adding in the Hand of Vengeance faction could also to create a distinction between Sylvanas loyalists and vengeful defectors; it would be confusing to meet with quest givers such as Sintar Malefious tied to a faction that our friend Putress is a part of. My guess is that Putress was resentful of this new initiative and decided to work alongside a conniving Varimathras to enact his personal vision of what the RAS should do. Because of the different levels of hatred the members of the Forsaken likely have for the living, it's no surprise Putress would be able to find his own share of allies, and Varimathras his own share of pawns.

In the actual WC3 fight Mal'ganis escapes. He only 'dies' proper later in Northrend when Arthas (w/Frostmourne) turns on him at the Lich King's behest.

It wouldn't make sense that you kill him in CoT.

I thought Broll was using her as replacement for his daughter (that he lost or something)?

Yes, so far as I've read the comic, there is nothing there between Broll and Valeera that suggest anything else. Broll blames himself for the loss of his daughter, and has sworn to protect Valeera not only to redeem himself, but because he's grown to care about her.

Reading that conversation made me recall what Garrosh said in Nagrand during the quest chain: "I will not... I cannot become the second Hellscream to damn the orcs." Yeah, right. Sigh.