If Blizzard wants to write her off, thats a much better way than putting her up as a big bad fight down the road. Hers is a tragic story worthy of a good ending, especially the player Forsaken base and BE base would not like to fight her in an encounter.

Although I still don't see Blizzard ousting Sylvanass, they seem to want to create more friction between the Horde, just as they have created the friction between the Horde and Alliance. Everybody knew it existed, but now they are making it more prominent.

Or on not particularly wanting to experience death a second time...

Still, I'd have expected Garrosh to act differently. Not necessarily ecstatic, but at least along the lines of "Yeah, well, if it helps kill more Alliance dogs... but you better not be double crossing me or I'll <insert description of random gratuitous act of mind boggling violence>".

Which is to say he finally found some kind of moral code to adhere to. Our little boy's grown up... I don't particularly like the whole "it goes against nature" idea. I can understand it, I can condone it, but I don't subscribe to it. However, in the context of giving the major characters some actual depth, it's quite awesome. Especially for Garrosh.

Also, I don't think this will ever devolve into civil war. Karma in Azeroth has a sick sense of humor, and my money is on the Valkyr actually growing on Hellscream eventually.

Warchief or not, psychotic idiot or not, he's Mag'har and would have been raised with Mag'har beliefs -- which include "don't fuck with the dead".

To me, the most interesting about lore development regarding factions is watching the two factions in parallel. Unity in the Alliance seems stronger than ever; however the Night-Elf geopolitical presence is considerably weakened and growing greater in need of the Alliance. On the other had, dis-unity in the Horde seems to be growing; peppering the problem is the rise of the Forsaken geopolitical presence (though to be clear, it seems mostly Orc forces which are overwhelming Night-Elf ones).

I am not sure if anyone else noticed this, but the Horde, surprisingly, seem more forward leaning and thinking. They're developing new technologies, making technological advances whereas the Alliance actually seems to be focusing on the past. I mean, sure everyone knows Dwarves have had a hard-on for the past but where are the Alliance superweapons or the Alliance fortifications and equivalent to whatever the Goblins did to Azshara?

Besides the Horde siege on Alliance territories; the "new bads" are all attacking predominantly Alliance areas as well. Deathwing's entrance is near Stormwind, Grim-Batol/Twilight Highlands are of course near Ironforge/Dwarf areas. Hyjal is undersiege by Ragnaros.

P.S. On a whiny side-note, WTB more of the Seventh Legion.

Which reminds me, while Blizzard seems to have rounded up involvements from Orcs/Trolls/Tauren/Goblins/Forsaken from Horde and NE/Humans/Dwarves/Worgen from Alliance side, we haven't seen much on Blood Elves or Draenei. Speaking from the BE Side, we joined Horde to find Kael, but after TBC, haven't seen much advancement in terms of whats going on.

Speaking of the Seventh Legion now, the only new faction I have heard for Cataclysm is the Earthern Ring, I am guessing inhibated by mainly Trolls, Orcs and Drainei. This might give an opportunity to feature a Draeinei prominently. I wonder if they will be at the forefront of the fight against Deathwing (like Argent Crusade, Ashen Verdict in WoTLK, SSO, Shat'ar in TBC)?

But, have we heard of any other factions? There is potential for more Cenarion Circle intervention. I wonder what happens to the old MC related factions, if Blizzard updates them to face the 2nd coming of Ragnaros Again?

Don't know if it's been mentioned before, but...

Now there's a name I didn't expect to see for quite a while, if ever.

Edit: On the Cenarion Circle, that link I posted mentions Cenarion Circle and Expedition involvement in Desolace, so much so that the middle area is named after the two organisations. I suspect the Circle might be somewhat relocated there.

That link has got lots of interesting stuff. Including one disturbing one.

Really? Seems unlikely that would happen.

Which reminds me, we are still without a Blue Dragon aspect,

Also, looks like another faction is Guardians of Mount Hyjal,

Could be related to Father Inigo Montoy, to whom you gave Kel'thuzad's phylactery for destruction - only he didn't destroy it: he handed it back to the Scourge, somehow died (did the Scourge kill him? Did he allow himself to be killed to become this?) and was brought back, apparently willingly, as a Lich under the name of Thel'zan the Duskbringer.

How so is it awesome? I would agree that it is awesome that there is an attempt to make Garrosh more than a oneliner really. But the execution needs to be very good for the end result to be awesome. Right now, with what we know, Garrosh just makes another 180.
Garrosh being a douche in Borean Tundra and Dalaran wasn't particularly bad, it was his reasoning and his background. We have dealt with idiots before. Heck the Alliance got their own idiot to deal with, but he actually had an understandable issue, and he overcame it (if only once). Garrosh on the other hand changed with no background, to something that didn't fit.
If he now changes once more with little more reasoning than Thrall putting him in charge and Saurfang said what he did, then it is exactly the same. Poor.

If the death of Cairne does this to him, one has to wonder... why? Yeah he respected Cairne, a lot in fact (fits his character so no beef there). But Cairne dying wouldn't change the entire behavioural style of a such a type (a schoolyard bully type). There needs to be more. Also, he scoffed at what Saurfang said, mocked him even and counterargued, he gave every indication that he never listened to Saurfang.

Garrosh has been dragged so low by Blizzard that he needs a lot of propping up to be a good (not alignment) character again.
I really hope that Garrosh only learns very little. But he learn that in a way that we can understand and easily accept. That way he can remain a douche, but now suddenly with qualities that would make him worth having. Then we could all rant at his lousy decisions and his tirades, but at the same time it would be impossible to support a coup or assassination. He would be a bastard, but our bastard. And some ruthlessness wouldn't be bad on Kalimdor (there is plenty of that in EK). If he remain weak as a character there wouldn't be enough internal conflict in the Horde playerbase, as the vast majority would support getting rid of him.

The Lich King suffered the same problem. He used to be callous and fairly uncaring of anything. Suddenly in Northrend he is interested, clearly not in control and does something he would never have done, repeatedly might I add, he spares his enemies (the player). That was a departure from his old behaviour, and it seems to have stroked people the wrong way. This change was not supported enough by the story, eventhough it ended up being a considerable part of the main plot (he watched the player and friends as potential ultimate Scourge champions). Garrosh can hardly claim to have a similar importance, so the main plot can't come in and save him.

I kind of like this idea. It makes sense, too. The Vrykul (and Val'kyr by association) are warriors and respect strength. It would make sense as time goes on for Garrosh to rise to prominence in their eyes so long as he keeps showing his strength and authority. I doubt he would ever like it, but I think for him to have a fan club composed of creatures he despises would be amusing.

On Garrosh being behind the SI:7: I believe the reason so many people believe this to be the case is because when you report to Garrosh about the events, his reaction is sort of suspicious. People are interpreting this as a "Oh shit, he knows it's me" face, but as far as I understand there's no evidence that he did it and also no explanation behind his reaction. I agree that it doesn't sound like something he would do, but it's also been a theory out there since everyone found out that A) Garrosh was the new Warchief and B) Thrall was kidnapped.

Duskbringer: This sounds very interesting. That he remains a paladin but is also a champion of the Forsaken is intriguing and I can't wait to find out more about him. The first thing that comes to mind is that he wants to help the Forsaken overcome their darkness, so to speak, but then I suppose Dawnbringer would be a more appropriate name. Still, to be a champion of the Forsaken, sitting around Uther's Tomb and not desecrating it, and also remaining a paladin... that's a rather unexpected combination for someone.

@Ratek on Garrosh: You complain about Garrosh's first change in personality not being given enough support, and then claim that this change doesn't make sense when it does have support?

You're right that he was/is a bully, but he also has a pretty fragile ego. He likes to exert his power and be a bully because he believed himself to be cursed and powerless to change things in the past. Now he has a position of power in the Horde, and in Cata he has THE position of power in the Horde.

Cairne's death has a huge impact because he's still probably afraid he'll fail and soil the Hellscream name, which already needed to be redeemed once before. Being involved in Cairne's death is terrible for publicity, and Cairne was also someone he respected. Not many people would take that well.

Talking about something going against nature (likely a view acquired from growing up in Nagrand, as noted) and referencing things that Saurfang once told him show that the incident caused him to grow as a character. He never talked about such things in Northrend because was just a cocksure bully who wanted to show he knew best. After being part of Cairne's death, he probably took some of the time he spent shut in to think about what exactly he was doing. Because of his own inability to be humble, show some respect, and listen to what other people had to say, Cairne was dead.

Personally I think it makes perfect sense. He was at the height of his ego trip, the Warchief of all things (exactly what he wanted since the pre-WotLK event). Cairne's death was what pushed him off his high horses. He probably thought that as Warchief he could lead the Orcs to glory and he wouldn't make any mistakes or show any weakness like Thrall. Then he inadvertently killed Cairne, probably the biggest most blatant blunder you could have asked for. Cue breakdown.

There's the beauty in the Forsaken being able to raise the dead now, though, we could take any character who's ever lived or died and make them major Forsaken characters.

Cairne?

Saurfang?