Bierzkrieg

It still isn't sure the Alliance version will prevail, lorewise. Perhaps Varian never got to allow Varian to reach his son and the Horde version is the one that prevails.

It does look significant, though, but for the Horde/Alliance definite division to take place, I'd say the invasion of Gilneas might make sense.

It seems focusing on events alone isn't cutting it. Truth is, dialogues bring the most surprises in WoW lore, right now.

 

Starfire

I am thinking Horde canon has Saurfang Sr. dying and Alliance canon has Jaina dying. We know Sylvanas lives in Cataclysm.

 

Leviathon

Possible none of them die and emotions just run really deep during the Lich King encounter and the events afterwords (such as Bolvar likely taking up the crown). It is also possible that the catalyst for the war just happens after everyone leaves the Citadel though.

 

Bierzkrieg

Saurfang: Kor'kron move out! Champions watch your back the scourge have reincar....

After this line there's yelling, coughing and crying by Saurfang Sr.

I wonder what it means. He doesn't seem to die here, since he cries after this, but the sudden break in the sentence did raise some suspicions. Could the coughing be some effect of the plague? Perhaps released by his son's corpse?

Edit: I meant Saurfang Sr, of course, sorry.

 

Leviathon

You sure it would be Saurfang Jr.? I just assumed it was Saurfang reacting to his son attacking (having not fully been released) and being forced to slay his son. Guess it can be fully found out once more sound files are added though.

 

Jagiya

It doesn't really matter which event "prevails", as both events will reflect the same outcome: Varok retrieves his son's corpse and takes it back to Nagrand to be given a proper burial. Rumours will float around amongst the Horde and Alliance that King Varian Wrynn delivered a noble gesture and allowed Varok to pass, whilst others will live with the belief that Varok got there first. Both stories mesh together cohesively enough.

I guess it's pretty clear that the results of the Airship Battle encounter will hinge on the same sort of logic. In the end - both forces made it to the top one way or another.

 

Enova

The Horde version doesn't allow for the noble gesture, but it might just be Saurfang or Sylvannas doing the same during another encounter. The end result is that hot heads cool off, faction tensions are still high, but everybody's celebrating and grieving, and not thinking about all out war until Deathwing makes his move.

Guilty as charged ^

 

Axl_Stukov

Eh? Why Does Thorim have some new sound files? Did I just miss something?

 

Jagiya

A month or so ago, I pointed out the fact that there were Undead versions of Captain Brandon & various other Argent Crusade NPC's on the MMO DB. After perusing the sound files, it appears there are two alternate outcomes for Captain Brandon - which I presume is a difficulty setting for one of the fights. If he dies, he's risen as a Scourge enemy and you have to kill him. Alternatively, he can survive. See below:

Captain Brandon
Event #1: No... amount of healing... can save me now... fight on brothers... *death*
Event #2: What!? This strength!!! ALL OF THE PAIN IS GONE! You... must join me in the eternal brace of DEATH!
Event #3: (Chilled, Sinister Voice) It doesn't hurt anymore... does it?
Event #4: I'm sorry..... *death*

Survived #1: You have done much in this war against the Scourge. May the light embrace you.

 

Bierzkrieg

Crok Scourgebane, the orc Death Knight at the Argent Grounds, will also be present. It seems he's trying his luck against Sindragosa, along with an Argent squad ("Argent brothers", he calls them).

Looks like this may seem a military strike throughout the "whole" citadel.

Edit: I must say...After hearing the soundfiles, Saurfang's cough doesn't seem healthy at all...Even his scream is strange, as if in pain. I wouldn't put his death out of question as of yet.

 

Jagiya

Grondel follows a similar theme to Brandon.

Captain Grondel
Event #1: Please... please burn my remains... let me live warm in the after...life... *death*
Event #2: No... NOOOO!!! Why was I denied a death by flame!? YOU MUST ALL BURN.
Event #3: Ahhh... Can you feel the burn?
Event #4: What have I... done? NOOOOO!
Survived #1: What can possibly redeem this unholy place? Thank you.


EDIT: There's a bit of dialogue between Muradin and Saurfang too, where Muradin makes alot of threats - unrelated to the Airship encounter. Appears to be around the same time Varian tells him to stand down and let him past, although Muradin is still rather hostile, telling him to get back on his ship and leave if he wants his life spared. Odd.

 

Leviathon

After the Airship battle I doubt either one of them wanted to be very nice to the other.

 

Bierzkrieg

Interestingly, Muradin also has a screaming line, in the Muradin_Saurfang dialogue...perhaps that Scourge reanimation Saurfang warns about kills either of them?

 

Jagiya

Captain Rupert, as expected, also follows the same direction as Brandon & Grondel.

I dunno why you think this, as it's been quite clear since the beginning of the 3.3 PTR that he is indeed alive.

EDIT: Hahahah holy crap, they went there!
IC_Valanar_Empower01.wav: "Naxxanar was MERELY A SETBACK. With the power of the Orb, Valanar will have his vengeance!"


EDIT2:
Considering the dialogue immediately after involves Varian ordering Muradin to prepare for an assault on the upper citadel, and Varok crying, I don't think so.

Is it just me or are people trying to shoehorn NPC deaths into any scenario possible these days?

 

Leviathon

The dialogue also has Muradin telling Varian to retreat.

Muradin: What in the? There in the distance.
Muradin: Soldiers fall in! Looks like the Horde are coming in to take another shot!
Muradin: Fly away your Majesty.

Can tell we are missing a lot of sound files though as I don't understand why the Horde would be coming in for a shot at the Alliance unless something happened.

I didn't notice any screaming line for Muradin and the Saurfang one really doesn't seem like he dies and the order of the sound files actually seem to not match the numbers listed.

 

Melthu

All of the stuff with Captain Brandon and Captain Grondel is part of the trash leading to Valithria.

 

Enova

Different lines for different versions of the event? So far they're just flavor, and probably none of them will become canon, kinda like the alternative-universe Alliance and Horde campaigns for Warcraft I and II, so it doesn't really matter what happens.

I suppose the Lich King fight might have a singular ending, and the lore will probably just mention that the Ashen Verdict did all the work, with the Alliance and Horde measuring egos in the driveway untill the Lich King comes out and breaks up the party, like a grumpy old man calling the police on the next door kid's swit sixteen.

Guilty as charged ^

 

◊ Talanik

Just going over some of the new lore, and came to the realization that WoW RARELY ever redeems its characters. In fact, it goes the opposite way with corrupting good characters. Illidan, Kael'thas, etc. None were redeemed, all were killed. I'm sure its crystal clear that Arthas isn't going to be redeemed, nor will Saurfang Jr.

Not counting temporary "mind controlled" bosses such as Kalecgos and Vaelestrasz, are there any bosses we have fought that we have redeemed? One particular bit of lore has caught my interest, and that is of the San'layn and their queen, Lana'thel. When telling her story about Quel'delar, she almost seems remorseful in a way, something Scourge commanders rarely show. I wonder if theres any possibility there?

 

Jagiya

Her death is certainly in the sound files:
IC_Lanathel_Death01.wav: "But... we were all... getting along... so... well...."

There are many Scourge who don't serve the Lich King willingly. Anub'arak was one of them, and Arthas noted this as he traversed Northrend alongside him.

Traditionally Blizzard don't do happy endings and redemptions - look at the majority of the Diablo, StarCraft and WarCraft games.

 

◊ Talanik

Yeah, I've noticed that. It's become so much of an anti-cliche, that it's almost become cliche of Blizzard. I heard her Death voice shortly after I posted that. Oh well.

 

Dancing Wu Li Master

Medivh is a fairly prominent redemption.

The cleansing of the Orc's demonic influence could count too, as could the defection of the Scryers, and the cleansing of the Sunwell / Blood Elves.

EDIT: And the really, really obvious one that I somehow missed: The Ebon Blade death knights.

 

Kaejin

I've noticed as well.

Consider this: The Alliance land their gunship and defeat Deathbringer Saurfang, and then...

Varian does not wish to stand down and would rather face the oncoming Horde head-on. Orgim's Hammer docks and Saurfang Sr. appraoches...

... the Alliance raid proceeds through ICC.


If you put things in that order it makes sense (and I would go so far as to say it's the only way it makes sense). Saurfang was, after all, on the Orgrim's Hammer during the gunship battle. He had to get to Deathbringer Saurfang's arena somehow.


Now, as for the Horde victory dialog.

Doesn't anyone think it's likely that, faced with the desecrated body of his only son, Dranosh, he would be overcome with emotion and yell himself hoarse (hence the coughing)? Correct me if the *yelling* doesn't sound like that, I haven't listened to it myself.

This seems like the most likely scenario to me.

 

Enova

Vaelestraz dies, Keristraza dies, the Four Horsemen die, Razorgore dies (well, we do the mind controlling there, mostly) etc. Not even mind control isn't a 100% certain way of having a character redeemed. Closest we get is to anything like redemption in the Warcraft universe is Grom, but the non-linear story of the Warcraft III game makes it a lot easier to pull off without further implications to gameplay. EDIT: Dicounting Medivh from this one, since his redemption pretty much starts happening in the books.

At any rate, been looking over (yeah, I know, listening is the correct word here) the sound files, and here are some thoughts that crossed my mind as I was browsing them:

- Marrowgar sounds awesome;
- Why the fuck are there two versions of each of Putricide's lines (labelled IC_Putricide and IC_HPutricide, respectivly), with different voice acting?
- Valanar seems to have 6 distinct death sounds, and while I appreciate a bit of variety in the outcome of a fight, aren't 6 very similar yet distinct groans a bit too much?
- I really like how sideshow characters (like Crok Scourgebane) are somehow given their moment on the spotlight, such as a customized verbal duel with Sister Svalna;
- The random NPC tauren sound like Space Marines, and the random Dreanei like Russian mobsters
- The Lanathel speech has a lot of potential indeed.

Guilty as charged ^

 

Dancing Wu Li Master

There we go.

There's also an "in the mountains" reference somewhere.

 

Munorion

Hmmmm, in the mmo-champion write-up, the last line reads
which would change the dynamics of the scene pretty drastically - he's not telling him to retreat, he's acknowledging an order. Which version is the correct one (I can't access the sound files here at the moment)?

http://sig.gamerdna.com/quizzes/INFL...s/MuLepton.png