Blizzard Creative Team posted the last of the Leader Short Stories … Velen: Prophet’s Lesson by Marc Hutcheson.
Analysis
From the novel World of Warcraft: Rise of the Horde by Christie Golden, and the in-game story at the end of the Sunwell Plateau war under the guidance of the Shattered Sun faction fans know Velen is able to see the future of Azeroth through visions given to him through meditation, the Naaru, and the Ata’mal crystal.
However, this new short story reveals a bit more. Velen is now portrayed as a sentinel of alternate universes. Nozdormu only seems to have vision over Azeroth’s timelines and parallel Azeroths, but never beyond.
It’s obvious that Velen has a more important role to play in future World of Warcraft expansions — especially now that the Dragon Aspects have relinquished their immortality to defeat Deathwing.
The Velen short story is set after the defeat of Deathwing. Something very cool, because the details in this story might offer hints of things to come.
In addition, until now Med’an had not been mentioned in-game or in written media outside the now-cancelled DC Comics World of Warcraft ongoing series.
With the mention of Med’an in this story, Blizzard might be hinting at some upcoming expansion introducing the character, or an appearance in an upcoming novel or graphic novel telling a follow-up story around him.
Fans still don’t know exactly what role if any the New Council of Tirisfal might play in the upcoming Theramore destruction, and/or the World of Warcraft: Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War
Theramore was for a time the seat of power for the New Council of Tirisfal and evaded destruction when Cho’gal and the Twilgiht’s Hammer sent elementals to flatten the fortress.
The New Council of Tirisfal and Med’an’s whereabouts are at the moment unknown.
Vindicator Maraad was last seen aboard the Alliance gunship in Icecrown. In the present, Vindicator Maraad has returned to Azuremyst after the victory over the Lich King and Deathwing’s defeat.
He’s Garona’s uncle, and thus has blood-ties with Garona’s son: Med’an.
The short story kinda follows up Prince Anduin Wrynn’s calling to serve the Light — as seen in World of Warcraft: The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm
As seen in the World of Warcraft: Wolfheart
This short story mentions the physical attack Varian inflicted upon his son Anduin (World of Warcraft: Wolfheart
This explains how Anduin came to be in the naval fleet that wrecked in Pandaria during a crossfire between Horde and Alliance ships. Anduin has been studying alongside Velen in Exodar ever since the Darnassus summit that decided the admitance of the Gilnean Worgen into the ranks of the Alliance.
The Exodar has been repaired by now under the leadership of Vindicator Romnar.
The Prophet refuses to see anyone but Anduin. He’s lost in the myriad of visions of the future, trying to pinpoint the path. The Naaru seem to be silent, and Velen isn’t able to decide what best course of action his people must take.
In his visions, Velen glimpses alternate possibilities after the Exodar has been repaired. The exodar exploding and destroying Azuremyst, the exodar landing in Outland and successfully restoring order, etc.
After Anduin confronts Velen why he didn’t warn about the Cataclysm, there is a vision where he sees the Horde, the Alliance, the Draenei, the dragons and the naaru in a final battle that can only be described as a war against Sargeras.
A few years ago, during my interview with Chris Metzen and Micky Neilson at New York Comic Con 2009, both hinted about Gilneas and the return of Sargeras. Gilneas has come to pass with World of Warcraft: Cataclysm. Sargeras is still to come into reality in the MMO.
This story shows that even an ancient entity and holy servant of the Light like Velen is not immune to wrongness.
The Exodar repaired and ready to depart back to Outland, Velen’s eyes open to the rightful path. It’s not in meditating into the myriad of futures seeking counsel from from Naaru on which path is the right one. The right path is in caring for the lives of now, and serving the present needs, making the people of Azeroth strong to face the threats of the future. Not only those of Azeroth’s future, but of the universe’s as a whole. The war against the Burning Legion is coming.
I’d also like to point out that with our recent interview with Chris Metzen at the Mists of Pandaria press event that he hinted very heavily at more happening with the Blood Elves, Drenei, and Burning Legion in the future – not in Mists of Pandaria, but after that.
When does it say this takes place after Deathwing dies? I got the feeling it was after wolfheart but before the Varian story, as Anduin and Varian bond in the Varian story, but Anduin mentions at the end of this one that they have not. As well as the refugees being still very afraid of the cataclysm.
@Ohio Swanson: It’s hard to tell the timeline this story takes place in.
However, there are pieces to somehow pinpoint the timeline.
1. The Cataclysm hit in the middle of the Gilnean vs Worgen Prime & co. War.
2. As a consequence of the Cataclysm, the Forsaken was able to infiltrate Gilneas by sea. The natural coral banks protecting Gilneas shores were destroyed by the earthquake.
3. The Night Elves rescue the Worgen and take them to Darnassus.
(# 1-3 pretty much sums up the questline in the starting location of the Worgen players.)
4. World of Warcraft: Wolfheart shows the Alliance summit in Darnassus. The purpose of this summit is for Stormwind, Ironforge, Gnomeregan, and Darnassus to decide whether to allow the Worgen to join the Alliance or not.
5. At the end of the Darnassus summit, Anduin decides to train beside Velen in the Exodar.
This pretty much sums this story takes place after Deathwing’s demise:
“Anduin Wrynn knelt in the soft earth, his hands resting on a lasher, one of the few remaining mutations resulting from the Exodar’s crash on Azeroth. Two draenei flanked the creature, restraining it for the prince, their gentle might keeping it from wriggling free and fleeing the channeled Light in the young boy’s hands. The draenei had once made it their mission to mend the damage their destructive appearance in the world had wrought, but when the majority of the work had been completed, they’d found their powers were needed elsewhere—first in the war against the Burning Legion, then in the march on the Lich King’s icy domain, and now… in the ***aftermath of the Cataclysm.***” — page 1
“The aftermath of the Cataclysm —- this wording causes one to think Deathwing has been defeated. ”
I contest that. The Cataclysm, in this context, is likely referring to the singular event that kicked off the expansion, from when Deathwing broke back into Azeroth from Deepholm.