Sinking under the weight of inconsistencies

Back in Azeroth after the Rugby World Cup finished. And with a fresh outlook, I can't help feel that the weight of story inconsistencies are crushing the World of Warcraft.

A fresh horde character showed the problem starkly. All through the classical levels, Vol'Jin is now sitting in Orgrimmar as warchief. Okay, Garrosh turns up in Outland and Northrend, but the fresh character is unaware of 'later' events. However, when she reaches the Twilight Highlands, Garrosh is spearheading the assault, as Warchief. He's in the Stonetalon Mountains as Warchief. Later he's in Pandaria as Warchief. And Vol'jin is plotting against him. What?

That could be partially fixed by putting the portals to Outland, Northrend, and Pandaria in the Caverns of Time, removing all other routes into them, and replacing Garrosh in Kalimdor with another NPC. But it's hard to keep all these mixed stories straight. Anyway, I was in Dalaran recently, and I was amazed to see that Jaina has let the horde back in. Did Theramore suddenly get undestroyed? Did the duplicitous Sunreavers do something trustworthy? What's going on?

After we invaded Orgrimmar, defeated the Kor'kron and brought Garrosh to justice, you would expect the Alliance to install an administrative leader in Orgrimmar (perhaps Jaina would have been the right person for the job), and to restore the destroyed or desecrated lands of the Stonetalon Mountains, Ashenvale and Azshara to Night Elf care, Instead, orcs and goblins continue to run riot through these areas. And rather than getting rid of the aggressive alien invaders right here on our doorstep, we're off in Draenor, invading another planet.

It would be fantastic if the night elves could have their lands restored, and the orcs and Draenei could have their planet restored and we could all live in peace on our own planets. Then all we have to do is get rid of the scourge in Lordaeron.

A weight lifted

I recently became a Conqueror of Orgrimmar. What a relief I felt! I didn't realize how tense and weighed down I was at not having defeated Garrosh until that weight was lifted. I'm sorry, though, that King Varian Wrynn saved Garrosh from Thrall's justice.

In fact, I'm with Lady Proudmoore on how we should proceed: for the first time since the Second War, the Alliance has won an advantage over the horde, due to their internecine rivalries and their disloyalty to their own warchief, Garrosh. It is the perfect time to drive back the invaders from the elven lands of Ashenvale, Darkshore, and holy Azshara; to re-establish the city of Theramore; and to make common cause with the Scarlet Crusade in freeing Lordaeron from the control of its undead abominations. Having killed Garrosh, and with the horde in disarray, we should first establish Orgrimmar as an alliance city.

Light grant that King Varian sees the sense of this.

I assist at an explosion

And it's 1, 2, 3, what are we fighting for?
Don't ask me, I don't give a damn,
Next stop Jinyu Ut-Nam
And it's 5, 6, 7, open up the mantid gate
Well there ain't no time to wonder why,
WHOOPEE we're all gonna die

It's just two weeks since the Fall of Theramore, when the horde dropped a mana bomb, a weapon of mass destruction, on the city. It killed everyone in it, man, woman and child. This was a world-changing event, wasn't it? I mean, the peace brokered by Thrall and Jaina Proudmoore was blown to pieces by this, along with the inhabitants of the largest Alliance city outside the capital cities. Rhonin, the leader of the Kirin Tor died protecting Jaina.

What did we do? We assisted Jaina in picking up the pieces in the aftermath of the mana bomb, ironically dropped by a little boy, juvenile goblin Sky Captain "Dashing" Dazrip. At least we killed him. We got some fireworks to celebrate, though what exactly we are celebrating is unclear.

What has been Varian Wrynn's response to this? He invaded Orgrimmar. Ah, no. I mean he invaded a peaceful newly-discovered island, after his son went missing, believed captured by the horde. Okay, I can understand a father wanting his son back, but I found him the same day I arrived. The teenager is safe. Since then, what have we been doing to defeat Hellscream and give justice to the innocent citizens of Theramore? We're running around killing the inhabitants of a country that doesn't belong to us and has done us no harm. Or we're playing farmers with the more docile of them, planting peas and killing vermin. Has the Alliance gone soft?

I like Pancakes nailed it with an excellent series: R.I.P Theramore, More Theramore Thoughts, Hopefully ... and especially Yawning. Her conclusion? Yes: the Alliance has gone soft since defeating the Lich King. Our response to every outrage since then has been to ignore it. It is easy to blame Blizzard for this, and with reason; but it's not just them. It's us. What has our response been to these outrages? What has your response been? Have you taken your comrades to Orgrimmar to bring Garrosh Hellscream to justice? When I mention it in Stormwind, I get predictable responses. "Who cares about Theramore, anyway?" Same as I got when Sylvanas wiped out Gilneas, and when the orcs invaded Astranaar.

The horde are, of course, complicit in Garrosh's genocide. They participated in the attack on Theramore. Their leaders have not repudiated him, and in fact Sylvanas, the leader of the undead, is no less genocidal than Garrosh, as her use of biological weapons showed in Gilneas. The tauren leader Baine Bloodhoof still backs Garrosh, the slayer of his father. And why has Lor'thremar Theron of the Sin'Dorei stayed silent? Vol'jin remains as invisible as ever. And what of you, horde adventurers? Where do your morals lead?