What Jaina Proudmoore has ever seen. She was grateful to Varian's guards, who had helped them fight their way through the crowd and reach Jaina, Kalec, Varian, Anduin, and Vereesa in their places.
All of the race leaders of the Horde had gathered as well, their colorful clothing, skin, and sheer presence in stark contrast to the Alliance. The August Celestials wisely placed members of the factions that did not side with the Horde or the Alliance in the middle of the hall, preventing skirmishes from starting. Jaina was surprised to see what appeared to be an elf there, with massive horns crowning her scarlet-haired head. Her face was beautiful, but expressed an almost imperceptible sadness. Jaina's heart fluttered.
"Alexstrasza," she said softly.
"I wish she hadn't come," Kalec sighed as he sat down next to Jaina. “It can be very painful for her to watch this.”
It seemed to Jaina that Alexstrasza, the great Life-Binder and former Aspect of the Draks, would be above such things as courts and other ways of administering justice to the young races. She always behaved with dignity, courage, nobility and compassion, even when faced with unimaginable horrors and deep personal losses. Her sister, the green dragon Ysera, sat beside her, holding Alexstrasza's hand, looking around with childish curiosity and wonder.
"Alexstrasza should be here," Jaina said. “Not for judgment. For myself. Same as me".
"Wrathion is here too," Anduin said. “I invited him to come to watch, listen and think for himself what would be best for Azeroth. I'm glad he decided to do it."
Jaina followed Anduin's gaze and saw a creature she was curious about, often referred to as the Black Prince. Few knew about him, even fewer knew about his true nature.
"That's good," Jaina said, quiet enough for only Anduin to hear. "Looks like all dragonflights have representatives here."
Wrathion, as far as everyone knew, was the only uncorrupted black dragon in history.
Deathwing's son escaped the twisted touch of the Old Gods thanks to the intervention of the Reds while he was still in the egg. Though he was lucky in that regard, Jaina had to admit that his life had not been idyllic. The red dragonflight, under the command of Alexstrasza, sought a way to purge the black dragonflight. One red dragon, Reastrasza, resorted to extreme measures in an effort to carry out this order. Reastraza kidnapped the black dragon and forced her to lay eggs. In cooperation with the dwarf inventor, Reastraza managed to clear one egg from the madness that had engulfed the entire black race. Deathwing was furious and destroyed the egg, he thought. Anticipating this, Reastraza managed to replace the egg with another, sacrificing not only her own life, but also the life of her unhatched cub.
Wrathion, although still in the shell, was fully sentient and clearly aware of what was happening. He knew that he would grow up under the scrutiny of the red dragons and probably spend his whole life like this. His "free life" began when his egg was stolen by a robber and he hatched, remaining free from the influence of the red race. How he fled was an unsolvable mystery to the Reds, but here he was alive and seemed to be in his right mind.
Anduin and Wrathion met and became friends of sorts in Pandaria, although Anduin admitted that their friendship consisted of discussing their opposing views. Wrathion's "age" was difficult to determine. If we evaluate the actual years of life - he was an infant of two years. But, since he was a dragon, he had innate intelligence and wisdom, and his human form was about the age of Anduin.
Jaina, throughout Anduin's life, often felt like his mother, and worried about this new friend of his. On the one hand, Anduin had few acquaintances of a similar age. On the other hand, Jaina feared that Wrathion might be, so to speak, a "bad influence". Ironically, the reason is not that he was a black dragon. Before the horrors of madness corrupted him, Neltharion - better known as Deathwing - was the Aspect of the Earth, a wise protector. This was just one of the things Wrathion told Anduin that worried Jaina. She noticed that the Black Prince was sitting as far away from Alexstrasza as possible. Given his past, she couldn't blame him.
He looked mostly human, albeit dramatic: dark skin, unusual baggy trousers, tunic and turban. To his left stood an orc woman whose face seemed to be constantly on alert, and to his right, equally formidable-looking, stood a female human. He smiled at Anduin and looked with his burning eyes, the only thing that pointed to his true form, to Jaina. He bowed his head with a smile, but one that seemed to find something amusing in Jaina. Jaina wondered what made him laugh.
The Pandaren guards stood by, steadfast and patient, like a calm mountain lake, yet capable of bursting into a whirlwind of motion in less than a heartbeat if need be. If violence starts, all clashes will be held with fists. Jaina felt the presence of the suppression field like some kind of oppressive fog, and no one could enter the temple with weapons.
"This looks familiar," Varian muttered.
"What exactly?" Jaina asked.
"That," he replied, and nodded to the seats that were beginning to fill with spectators. “This is the same look I saw when I fought in the gladiatorial pits. They are out for blood."
"They won't get it today," Vereesa said. She didn't need to add: But if there is justice, then they will receive theirs by the end of this action.
"They'd better not want it," Varian said. “All that we have achieved will be lost if the court turns into chaos. Including a huge number of lives.
Jaina turned her attention to the judges' seats. Baine and Tyrande were already at their tables. Each sat in a chair assigned to him. This didn't surprise Jaina. What surprised her was that there were two more who were waiting for the arrival of Taran Zhu, the Celestials, and Garrosh. Jaina recognized Chromie, an extremely powerful bronze dragon, who chose the most harmless of all possible forms - a dwarf. But she didn't recognize the handsome high elf Chromie was talking to. Both wore the brown cloak of their pack and sat at a small table on either side of a cloth-hidden object.
While the Jainas were wondering why the two bronze dragons were present at the trial, and apparently taking part in the process, a pandaren entered the temple, dressed head to toe in long formal robes. He carried a spear bearing the banner of the Shado-Pan. He struck the floor three times with the handle of his spear, and the hushed crowd sat down in their places.
“Respect for the law is an essential trait of the pandaren people. Law is the means by which crimes can be solved correctly and by which balance can be restored. This is a historic event in which, for the first time in our long history, outsiders will participate. Looking for the right words, we will traditionally name the one who is being judged and the one or those who seek justice. So, with all solemnity, we open the trial of Garrosh Hellscream for crimes against the peoples of Azeroth. Please stand to greet the August Celestials, who will listen with open hearts to the testimonies presented here, and show respect to the one who will be the judge in this trial, Shado-Pan Sovereign Taran Zhu.
Everyone obeyed, rising from their chairs. Chi-Ji, Xuen, Niuzao, and Yu-long entered the balcony. They all seemed to move without any effort. Their grace and beauty, even in these new guises, made Jaina hold her breath as always. She asked Aisa about the reasons for choosing new guises. The pandarenka replied that it was an expression of respect for the Horde and the Alliance. They were special and unique not only in their looks, but also in the energy that seemed to emanate from them. Taran Zhu may be the least different from his everyday image, as he was a mortal being, but even so he was imposing, and he carried himself powerfully and at the same time with calmness. He sat down in Fa'shua's chair, wielding a small mallet, struck the gong three times, letting the echo fade before speaking.
"You can sit down," he said, his clear, quiet voice perfectly audible even in such a huge room. “Before the arrival of the Accused, I warn all present that I will not tolerate any violation and interference in the process. Anyone who breaks this rule will be held in a cage until the end of the trial. In addition, given the uniqueness of this situation, there will be a correspondingly unique manner in which evidence is presented.”
He nodded to the two bronze dragons. They stood up and pulled off the concealing cloth, revealing an hourglass.
Jaina knew what they were going to do before they even spoke. Their voices explaining how this artifact, the Vision of Time, would work faded away, a roaring hum filling their ears. For a moment she could not breathe, for a moment she was sinking again, as in destruction ...
The pain in her tightly clenched hand brought her back to the present. Her breath came back, and she exhaled softly as air filled her lungs again. The roar subsided, though Jaina could still hear her loud heartbeat, as fast as a rabbit's. She turned to Kalec, who was expressing acute concern with his handsome face. Jaina licked her dry lips and nodded, speaking through her lips, I'm fine".
He looked unsure, but loosened his hand. Jaina took several slow, deep breaths. The bronze dragons finished their explanation and retreated.
Taran Zhu nodded to the guard. "You can bring in a prisoner."
The effect of these four words was disturbing. Everyone in the room suddenly became alert, their eyes focused on the door that led out into the street and into the lower chambers.
Garrosh Hellscream entered, led by six guards on either side of him: two of the Horde, a troll and a tauren, two of the Alliance, a night elf Guardian and a draenei paladin, and two of the biggest and most muscular pandaren Jaina had ever seen. Garrosh's distinctive armor, pauldrons made from the tusks of the demon who enslaved their race, slain by the orc's illustrious father, Grom, is gone. He wore only a belted cloth tunic and simple shoes. The fabric obviously didn't fit him and strained his massive body and shoulders. Dark lines, Sha's heritage, like webs covering his body, were placed next to the tattoos on his brown skin. Chains, each link larger than Jaina's arm, bound his neck, wrists, and legs, reducing his long stride to a slow hobble due to his injured leg. His face was impassive, and showed neither intimidation nor pride.
For a moment, the silence was absolute, broken only by the clanging of chains and the clatter of the boots of the guards.
Then the real chaos began.
In waves, both the Alliance and the Horde, and even some called neutrals rose from their seats, some even jumping and shaking their fists. Although Jaina hated areas of magic suppression more than anyone else, she was grateful for them now. She realized that she did not want Garrosh to be killed at the hands of an angry mob. She wanted him to hear, and thanks to the bronze dragons, saw everything he did. The devastation he caused. The hatred that he spawned. She wanted him to know the whole Azeroth turned against him.
And she realized, with a sense of shame, that even if she couldn't kill him, she wouldn't let a random angry guy in the crowd have that honor.
The response from the pandaren was swift. Most of the guards stationed in the hall were monks whose own bodies were weapons, and the most violent ones were quickly calmed down and removed from the arena. All of Garrosh's guards drew their weapons and closed ranks around him, turning their backs on the orc and turning to the crowd with calm faces.
Other than the guards, the only ones who seemed unperturbed were Taran Zhu, the four Celestials, and Garrosh Hellscream himself. The orc's brown, tattooed face seemed to have been carved from stone, judging by his emotions.
Taran Zhu's voice conveyed a stern warning to everyone: “You all have witnessed what happens if you try to disrupt the course of this court. Those who did so will be kept under guard until the end of the trial, after which they will be released. Anyone who further violates this solemn event will join them. ”
He nodded, and the guards around Garrosh returned to their positions at his side. Garrosh was led to Taran Zhu's table where he stopped. Two massive pandaren took up guard positions behind him. Jaina knew that the only thing they would do before another outbreak of violence was blink. The other four guards bowed to Taran Zhu and walked away. Taran Zhu looked at the orc for only a moment. "Garrosh Hellscream. You are charged with war crimes and crimes against the very essence of the peaceful existence of life on Azeroth, as well as crimes against Azeroth itself. You are also being charged for all events committed in your name or by your allies."
Garrosh just stood there, quiet and still.
Taran Zhu continued. “The accusations are: Genocide. Murders. Forced deportation. Abductions and disappearances of individuals”.
The list of these heinous crimes alone was weighty enough to make Jaina tense. She looked to where Vol'jin and other leaders of the Horde were. She heard about what happened to the trolls during the reign of Garrosh, and what the orc was trying to do with Vol'jin himself.
“Enslavement. Child abductions. Torture. Murders of prisoners. Forced pregnancy.
Anduin winced, and Jaina couldn't blame him. She thought of Alexstrasza and the horrors that had been wrought upon the Life-Binder and the red dragonflight. Kalec sat quietly next to Jaina. She looked at him, but saw that it was he who was examining her with concern. He knew what they would say next and hugged her.
She gathered her courage.
"The senseless destruction of cities, towns and villages, not justified by either military or civil necessity."
Dol of Eternal Blossoms.
Theramore.
"Do you have any answer to these accusations, Garrosh Hellscream?"
Blizzcon-2013 died down, at which the announcement of a new addition to World of Warcraft: Warloards of Dreanor took place. As always in such cases, we received a lot of new information for discussion and reflection. And I think that one of the questions that still leaves some of the fans at a loss is the plot of Warlords of Dreanor. In one of the previous posts, we discussed this topic, but I think that it makes sense to dot the i again. So, let's begin.
One of the results of the Siege of Orgrimmar is Garrosh's capture in order to bring him to justice. But before the trial, Garrosh manages to escape. With the help of the dragon of the Bronze Dragonflight, which we know is in charge of the time streams, he gets into the past of Draenor. Why exactly there? The motive is simple - Garrosh wants to create a true Horde, in which there are no trolls, tauren, blood elves, goblin hucksters and half-decayed people. The choice of landing point is also due to the fact that Garrosh wants to prevent a "blood pact" with the Burning Legion. It was this event that led to the fact that the orcs found themselves in many years of slavery to the demons of the Legion, and ultimately due to which his home world, Draenor, was destroyed.
There is an important point to keep in mind here. Garrosh does not change the past our time line. Going back in time to about thirty-five years ago, he creates alternative line time, whose events do not affect ours in any way. Ours is fine. That is, of course, not entirely, because the “blood pact”, the invasion of the cursed orcs into Azeroth, the destruction of Draenor is not the desired order of things. The point is that Garrosh's actions do not lead to changes in our lines time.
In the created alternative reality Garrosh prevents the Legion from enslaving the orcs and unites the orc clans. Using technology brought from the future, he creates the Iron Horde. Moreover, he is building a new Dark Portal. Now the gates play the role of not only interplanetary transportation, but also a time machine. And now the Iron Horde is preparing to invade the present our lines time. The Dark Portal on our side begins to glow red, and not the poisonous green as it is now, and orcs of the racially loyal Iron Horde begin to penetrate into Azeroth from it.
In this scenario, the integrity of our reality is all right. All the wars that should happen are happening. Draenor is destroyed, Ner'zhul becomes the first Lich King and creates the Scourge, Arthas massacres Stratholme and finds Frostmourne, the Legion invades Azeroth a second time, Illidan is freed from captivity, Deathwing arranges a total exterminatus. The order of things has been preserved.
And our goal in this case looks very simple. As Dave Kozak said, we just need to close the door that Garrosh opened.
Everything seems to fit together, but inconsistencies still remain. It's not just that there will be two Garrosh in an alternate reality. Personally, I don't understand his motivation. What does he want? To prevent the destruction of the native world, to create a true Horde? Yes, that's understandable. He also, of course, wants personal dominance and Azeroth lands. And here the question becomes what is called an edge. If he wants to conquer Azeroth, then why open a portal in our time?
From a strategic standpoint, it would make more sense to invade old Azeroth. Why? Yes, because in our time he will have to fight on at least two fronts - with the Alliance and the "infidel" Horde, led by Vol'jin. And by and large, he will be opposed by two more forces - the Wushu Pandaren led by Shaohao and the Scourge. Don't forget her either. Yes, while she is immersed in cryostasis and behaves quietly, but only because Bolvar sits on the Frozen Throne. If the need arises, he is quite capable of unleashing the army of the dead and smearing the Iron Horde against the wall.
If I were Garrosh, I would organize an invasion of Azeroth in an alternate timeline. Firstly, all the information about the opponents is on hand. The plans for Stormwind, Ironforge, Silvermoon, and Darnassus are well known, as are the migration routes of the tauren and the location of the troll clans at that time. Secondly, the Alliance as such does not yet exist. Attack the scattered nations of Azeroth without letting them unite, and then move to Northrend and burn the nerubians out of their holes. And for a snack, land in Pandaria, about which Garrosh from the future also knows everything.
The only motive that can somehow explain his behavior is a sense of revenge. Garrosh wants to punch everyone who crushed him in the Siege in the face. From a common sense point of view, this is not reasonable. Though, as we've seen, Garrosh's emotions have always come first.
I don’t know about you, but for me, in general, everything fell into place.
However, maybe you have other versions of the plot?
/discuss
Today's blog post is about a speech by Steve Denuser, Senior Narrative Designer at Blizzard, from an interview with Polygon. And my opinion about the issues of Horde identity raised in this interview.
The rest of the Battle for Azeroth blog posts are available here.
Over the course of WoW's storyline, we have already seen the flames of war flare up between the Alliance and the Horde. It has always been part of Warcraft's DNA. This conflict has always been, as it were, on the verge of boiling, and at certain moments it got out of control. During the campaign in Pandaria, just such a skirmish occurred that led to the hunt for Garrosh. In the end, the Horde and the Alliance teamed up to end him, but even after that, certain events occurred in which both sides continued to fight each other again. And now we want to focus on this confrontation between red and blue.
What drives the Horde?
There has always been a question of what really drives the Horde. This guide has changed and evolved over time. Is the Horde a loose collection of outcasts that no one else wants to deal with? Or is it a society driven by ideals of honor and courage? It happens that players focus only on those aspects of the Horde that are close to them, and at the same time ignore elements that are unpleasant for themselves. But the fact is that all these aspects are part of the history of the Horde.
Yes, we've had conflicts like the Siege of Orgrimmar, but none of them have really settled the issue of what the Horde really is. Battle for Azeroth is a great opportunity to take both sides - both honor and evil - that have shaped the Horde storylines over the years, and connect them. And maybe this will give the Horde a chance to look inside themselves and become something new, a chance to become stronger than ever before.
But in order to get to this point of change, you have to see all the scars that have been received along the way. An honest understanding of the history of this path is the only way to transcend yourself and move on. And nothing illustrates the path of the Horde better than the deeds of Sylvanas, Saurfang, and other heroes. They embody different facets of what the Horde is.
To lead the Horde to the future, it is necessary to face its past head on.
Rethinking the Alliance
The Alliance also has its differences. There, too, there are various sharp corners that have risen outward over the course of his existence. The Alliance is waiting for a rethink. In particular, this applies to night elves who have lost their home. How will they react to this? The Alliance will have to go through some serious introspection in order to understand what drives their faction, and which way they will have to move on. Do they want to take revenge on the Horde or build a better world? Here is the question they have to answer.
Is it possible a future where the Horde and the Alliance will cease to exist? Both factions have room for growth and change. The same goes for their relationship.
It is also worth remembering here that factions are very much tied to the identity of the player characters. People see these banners and understand what is behind them. People even have personal sympathy for these factions. They fought for their faction, fought with its enemies, held the line, defended their capitals. And further in this spirit. We can't just take it and throw it aside. It's already part of Warcraft's DNA. But that doesn't stop us from creating a story about what role these parties play in the world, as well as how they interact with each other.
This addition will just allow us to focus on these issues and resolve them in a way that satisfies players on both sides.
Opinion
Let me tell you something about this interview. In general, I am now a little drowned in texts, scripts and translations, and both morally and physically I also feel not so hot. And so I'm still slowing down with some things, and I generally put some things on the back burner. I started reading this interview with Polygon from the end, and my desire to spend time on it disappeared almost immediately...
For the rethinking of the Alliance itself. Isn't it too obvious? In my opinion, the answer here was given in the BfA introductory video - in the Battle for Lordaeron, which followed the burning of Teldrassil.
“Anduin, are we going to genocide the Horde or are we going to build a new better future?”
Anduin furiously thrashes the Darkspear troll with Shalameyn. Some time later, he surveys the battlefield and throws away his father's sword to heal the wounded. His eyes fill with tears from the emotions caused by the influx of Light energy.
- Yeah. I thought so.
That is, the Alliance will break off the chains a little, and then return to its usual role again. There's nothing wrong with that, but for now, it's hard for me to imagine Blizzard taking any other path here. But we'll wait and see.
But the part about the Horde hooked me. By the way, I didn’t spit on every interview about the Horde’s motives in BfA, scribbling a joke about gray morality, like some - we will consider this a disclaimer.
The fact is that since the end of MoP and War Crimes, I had certain doubts about the stories about the overthrow of Garrosh, his trial and the accession of Vol'jin. I think that all these events did not fix much. The one for which all those who rebelled against Garrosh seemed to care.
The accession of Sylvanas is a consequence of the system of power of the Horde, in which the leader receives absolute power not only over the Horde as an alliance, but also over its constituent states. I mean, Sylvanas' word in Silvermoon is more important than Lor'themar's. Only a rare blood elf would agree with this (anticipating possible questions, ).
Garrosh's trial did not change the outlook of the members of the Horde army. Why should a common grunt from Orgrimmar be opposed to a march on Teldrassil if he's been a part of the battles for Ashenvale since Thrall's time? Why should he care about taking Kul Tiras if he was involved in the siege of Gilneas?
An army of Forsaken with the telling name "Defilers" tried to capture the Arathi Highlands and drive out the Stromgardians, who were already barely holding their lands. Even under Thrall.
Orgrimmar itself, the orc capital, is named after Orgrim Doomhammer, leader of the Old Horde who led the Horde to conquer the Eastern Kingdoms. And Bladefist Bay is named after Kargath Bladefist, famous for his cruelty.
But wait. I'm not at all saying that the Horde is evil. It would be more than stupid, to say the least. There have always been, and still are, plenty of positive heroes and worthy ideals in the Horde. And Thrall himself has always been very passionate about peace between the factions.
Here I am trying to convey the idea that the Horde is constantly jumping between the archetypes of the evil empire and the type of light and noble barbarians (such a direct opposite of “grimdark”, yes).
Garrosh's trial did nothing to fix that. But here we saw that Steve is aware of this problem - although it is not certain that this is exactly what the problem is. The Horde is just that. But if Blizzard can do something about it - whether it's more open recognition of the Horde of their dark side, or the final victory of the Noblebright team - then I will be very happy for them.
But that's just the tip of the iceberg. I still plan to address this issue of Horde identity in more detail when the opportunity arises.
Thank you for reading this issue to the end.
And see you next time! *)
By tradition, I thank the readers who support the blog on patreon: pitet, dervesp, Vladimir Kravchuk, Maxim Zuev, Vemy, Denis Matveev, zymko, Leorik, Fadj, Sergey, Dyshik, d-pro, LEKAROK, Artyom Bocharov, Frolovskiy Dima, wDBYB, Dmitry Zateev, Alexandra Motorina, stefan_flyer, Mikhaila Kuznetsova, Christine Kulaginou, Amatych, Maxim Demyanov, Dreodront, Alexandra Ivanova, Triumpher, Chernomyas, Anastasia Panchenko, NickDS, Rastead, Zerathustra,Teungel, Sergey, Ivan Ivanov, Fae, Andrew Owl, Uncle Pool , Nota17, Ilya Klyuzhin and Dash_D.
Summary of the book "War Crimes":
The merciless and bloody siege of Orgimmar ended. Garrosh Hellscream is not killed, but chained for further fair trial for his war crimes. In order to fully answer for all their terrible deeds, the court will be held in Pandaria according to all pandaren laws, in which the August Celestials will act as judges.
Leaders of all races and factions, famous heroes and common people have gathered in Pandaria to hold a judgment on the most tyrannical ruler of all Azeroth. With the help of the Bronze Dragon Artifact, all the heinous deeds Garrosh ordered to be carried out will be shown at the trial. Bitter memories and resentments will surface that will make everyone doubt their innocence. Garrosh Hellscream must answer for all the war crimes he committed during his reign, but can the defender save Garrosh's life and the accuser sentence him to death? Read about these and other events in the book War Crimes by Christie Golden.
Download the book "War Crimes" by Christie Golden in fb2, txt, epub, doc format for free without registration:
Download War Crimes by Christie GoldenBuy the Warcraft book:
Real books for true connoisseurs of the Warcraft universe, which are so nice to hold in your hands!
