Know Your Lore: The Prophet Velen, the light and the darkness
by Matthew Rossi 
Sep 15th 2010 at 2:00PM
The World of Warcraft is an expansive universe. You're playing the game, you're fighting the bosses, you know the how -- but do you know the why? Each week, Matthew Rossi and Anne Stickney make sure you Know Your Lore by covering the history of the story behind World of Warcraft.
There will be spoilers for Cataclysm in this post.
The Prophet Velen plays a long game. He thinks ahead and considers not only the past and the present but the future, which befits one who has lived for over 25,000 years and can see into the future (however malleable that future might become). To the Prophet, racial grudges, territorial acquisition, even revenge for injuries done to his people -- none of it matters. Even the great Cataclysm is unimportant. Because Velen has seen that all the battles we've fought are merely harbingers and the greatest conflict in the universe is approaching. And every son and daughter of the Light, no matter how tenuous his or her connection, no matter what forces he or she has chosen to consort with (be they divine, elemental, arcane or even fel), will have to make a choice and pick a side.
The final battle approaches. The world of Azeroth has been chosen. Good versus evil, light against darkness, life opposing death. What side will you choose?
There will be spoilers for Cataclysm in this post.
The Prophet Velen plays a long game. He thinks ahead and considers not only the past and the present but the future, which befits one who has lived for over 25,000 years and can see into the future (however malleable that future might become). To the Prophet, racial grudges, territorial acquisition, even revenge for injuries done to his people -- none of it matters. Even the great Cataclysm is unimportant. Because Velen has seen that all the battles we've fought are merely harbingers and the greatest conflict in the universe is approaching. And every son and daughter of the Light, no matter how tenuous his or her connection, no matter what forces he or she has chosen to consort with (be they divine, elemental, arcane or even fel), will have to make a choice and pick a side.
The final battle approaches. The world of Azeroth has been chosen. Good versus evil, light against darkness, life opposing death. What side will you choose?
The war between light and darkness
We recently were exposed to the new introductions for each race that will be coming in Cataclysm. For the purposes of our discussion, the draenei introduction will be revisited here.
Draenei introductionEmpowered by the holy light and the undying strength of their convictions, the Draenei led the charge against the Demonic Burning Legion in Outland. Now with the legion's defeat, they have completed the desperate mission that first brought them to Azeroth, through some Draenei were sent back to Outland to revitalize their former civilization, the majority have vouched to remain and uphold their sacred commitment to the Alliance. Driven by a powerful vision, the immortal prophet Velen believes that a great war between the darkness and the light is fast approaching and that Azeroth will be its principle battleground. As one of Velen's chosen you must stand bravely before the shadow and ensure that your people are ready for the war to come.
The first thing to consider here is that this puts the entirety of what was experienced during The Burning Crusade in an entirely new light. The return to Outland, the battles with Illidan's forces and the final confrontation on the Sunwell Plateau with the Legion that led to the defeat of Kil'jaeden and the revitalization of the Sunwell were all chess moves in a much bigger conflict, gambits that helped set up the war to come. Kil'jaeden's "defeat" was, at best, the equivalent of a stumble. He still exists, still commands the Legion, and still desires to do what even Sargeras could not and conquer the exasperating world that has twice now balked the Legion's ambitions. Furthermore, the Battle for the Undercity and the defeat of Varimathras are even more portentous.
It's clear that Varimathras is speaking to some greater power during his attempt to usurp the Undercity from Sylvanas. (To be fair, she usurped it from him and his brother dreadlords after they usurped it from Arthas, although it's doubtful that they could have done so without her help in the first place.) Whom he's speaking to is an open question, but the sound files seem to indicate that it's Sargeras himself.
Varimathras' dialogue - The Battle for the UndercityVarimathras yells: Welcome to your future -- what little there is left of it...
Varimathras yells: Too long... Tireless, endless planning... It will not end like this...
Varimathras yells: Need more time... The Master is near...
Varimathras yells: Such power! Can you not feel it, mortals? Cease this foolishness and join me!
Varimathras yells: I will not fail! Not again!
Varimathras yells: I cannot hold... Destabilizing...
A distant voice yells: YOU HAVE FAILED ME, VARIMATHRAS!
Varimathras yells: A thousand-thousand pardons, Master! I will deal with these intruders myself!
If, as is speculated, the distant voice is Sargeras, then we have an interesting situation. At present, the majority of the Burning Legion follows Kil'jaeden. But the eredar lord knows his position is tenuous, and clearly the nigh-unkillable dreadlords have at least the potential to be directly instructed by Sargeras. Mal'ganis, Balnazzar and Varimathras at the least seem to have resisted death even from powerful entities such as Arthas wielding Frostmourne. Why we haven't seen Tichondrius or Anatheron return yet is an open question, although one could speculate that Illidan somehow counts as a dreadlord. We know the Nathrezim aren't supposed to fight each other. It's therefore possible to speculate that dreadlords can kill one another. Kil'jaeden is mighty indeed, but he stands no chance at all in a direct confrontation with Sargeras.
The world and all that is in it
It seems that Kil'jaeden intends to usurp total control over the Legion. One of his statements when entering Azeroth through the Sunwell was: "The expendable have perished ... So be it! Now I shall succeed where Sargeras could not! I will bleed this wretched world and secure my place as the true master of the Burning Legion. The end has come! Let the unraveling of this world commence!" This leads us to more questions. Why is the unraveling of Azeroth so important? Why will succeeding where Sargeras could not secure Kil'jaeden's place at all? Sargeras could easily destroy Kil'jaeden and probably whatever forces Kil'jaeden could muster against him from the Legion, even if the entire Legion somehow became loyal to Kil'jaeden over Sargeras, which Varimathras proves is not the case.
Must not give up, must ... remember
So we return to Velen and his prophecy of a coming final battle between the forces of the Light and those of darkness. In a new quest line in the Swamp of Sorrows, Velen points out that the Light does not abandon anyone. It did not abandon Crusader Bridenbrad in the face of the Scourge and their plague. It did not abandon Nobundo when he became stricken by the demonic fel energies and could not hear it anymore, no matter what his small-minded contemporaries said. It never abandoned the Broken or the Lost Ones. Velen directly states that this is the case.
In the quest Remember the Light, players witness the death of Magtoor, the leader of the Broken currently residing in the Harborage. Anchorite Avuun, who came to the Harborage to attempt to reconcile the Broken with the draenei, cannot heal Magtoor with the power of the Light. Desperate, he turns to players for aid, but none of the remedies they help him create can save Magtoor from dying. In the end, in sorrow and grief, Avuun comes close to losing his faith.
Then Velen arrives.
As Velen explains to Avuun, Magtoor's death is not due to his being cast out or abandoned. The Broken are no less beloved by the Light than any other draenei. Rather, the Light is but one half of the cosmos, locked forever in conflict with its equal, opposite force, and soon will come the ultimate battle between these opposites. It is this opposition that has rendered Magtoor and the other Broken unable to hear the Light, and no fault of their own. And Velen proves this in the most direct manner possible. He returns the dying Magtoor to the Light.
Velen's parting words to Avuun make it clear: "Remember, Avuun. Not all who wander are lost." It is made clear to Avuun and to players as well, standing witness over Magtoor's final moments, that the Prophet considers this lesson a necessary one and its message one of great importance. Indeed, the coming war he speaks of is not merely to be fought on Azeroth, but in the hearts and minds of every single one of its inhabitants. It is a war for the souls of all who dwell there, the great cosmic battle of the Light and its dark opposition fought in the microcosm of Azeroth, and also on the much greater battlefield of every single soul placed in its path.
The Light does not abandon its champions
Taken as such, Velen's actions in the Sunwell Plateau take on new significance. Not only did he aid the blood elves who had attacked his people, stolen the naaru vessel they depended upon and nearly killed them when they crash landed on Azeroth, but he did so to help them see that the Light had never abandoned them. M'uru's ultimate fate as the spark that rekindled the Sunwell and brought the truth of the Light back to a people who had once followed it, then believed it had turned its back on them, was the truth brought into relief through conflict. The Light does not abandon its champions. Even in the face of the darkness, even when plague and evil strike and all seems lost, even when its quiet voice cannot be clearly heard -- the Light is waiting for you. Factions do not matter in comparison with this one, ultimate choice. (As a real-life analog, Zoroastrianism is fairly similar.)
Therefore, when defeating Kil'jaeden, it was important to not only defeat him but leave him still active, because in so doing, Velen turned the dark forces' tendency to divide and corrupt back upon themselves. The Legion still exists, but it is broken into divisions squabbling for power, weakened and unable to turn its full attention to Azeroth at the one moment when that world is itself rent by disaster and malevolence. The cataclysm brought about by Deathwing would be a most opportune moment for the Legion to strike, as Sargeras attempted during the war against the Scourge. But Velen has ensured that the darkness finds itself divided and unable to pursue an agenda fully just as it would benefit them most.
Velen plays a long game. The current struggles only serve to temper those who will make up the Army of the Light and hone them in battle against those who knowingly or not heed the darkness' call. Because the Light does not abandon its champions. It wishes suffering upon none. But it does not reign unopposed in this realm.
For more information on the people, places and history mentioned here, check out other Know Your Lore columns, such as:
While you don't need to have played the previous Warcraft games to enjoy World of Warcraft, a little history goes a long way toward making the game a lot more fun. Dig into even more of the lore and history behind the World of Warcraft in WoW.com's Guide to Warcraft Lore.
The Light does not abandon its champions
Taken as such, Velen's actions in the Sunwell Plateau take on new significance. Not only did he aid the blood elves who had attacked his people, stolen the naaru vessel they depended upon and nearly killed them when they crash landed on Azeroth, but he did so to help them see that the Light had never abandoned them. M'uru's ultimate fate as the spark that rekindled the Sunwell and brought the truth of the Light back to a people who had once followed it, then believed it had turned its back on them, was the truth brought into relief through conflict. The Light does not abandon its champions. Even in the face of the darkness, even when plague and evil strike and all seems lost, even when its quiet voice cannot be clearly heard -- the Light is waiting for you. Factions do not matter in comparison with this one, ultimate choice. (As a real-life analog, Zoroastrianism is fairly similar.)
Therefore, when defeating Kil'jaeden, it was important to not only defeat him but leave him still active, because in so doing, Velen turned the dark forces' tendency to divide and corrupt back upon themselves. The Legion still exists, but it is broken into divisions squabbling for power, weakened and unable to turn its full attention to Azeroth at the one moment when that world is itself rent by disaster and malevolence. The cataclysm brought about by Deathwing would be a most opportune moment for the Legion to strike, as Sargeras attempted during the war against the Scourge. But Velen has ensured that the darkness finds itself divided and unable to pursue an agenda fully just as it would benefit them most.
Velen plays a long game. The current struggles only serve to temper those who will make up the Army of the Light and hone them in battle against those who knowingly or not heed the darkness' call. Because the Light does not abandon its champions. It wishes suffering upon none. But it does not reign unopposed in this realm.
For more information on the people, places and history mentioned here, check out other Know Your Lore columns, such as:
While you don't need to have played the previous Warcraft games to enjoy World of Warcraft, a little history goes a long way toward making the game a lot more fun. Dig into even more of the lore and history behind the World of Warcraft in WoW.com's Guide to Warcraft Lore.Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Lore, Know your Lore
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
Kagato Sep 15th 2010 2:21PM
Wow, wow, wow... so Sargeras could be sealed inside Azeroth by way of the well of eternity?
Shippleton Sep 15th 2010 5:23PM
I... have no idea how this brought that conclusion to you, but it actually makes aLOT of sense...
Sir Broose Sep 16th 2010 4:25PM
Holy crap! I'm not sure if that's crazy or brilliant, but that one simple question has stopped me completely in my tracks. I can think of several reasons that would make sense.
But I agree with the responder above me - how did you gather that from this article?
serf Sep 15th 2010 2:21PM
I can't help but wonder where the Foresaken stand in the "ultimate battle between these opposites" Despite Velen's claims to the contrary, many Forsaken assert that the Light has indeed abandoned them and, as a group, they favor the Shadow . Not to say, of course, that they would ever side with the Legion.
As Shadow Priest Sarvis says, "the Holy Light no longer concerns you, the spirits of your forefathers are fairy tales, and creatures from the Nether don't want you."
Imnick Sep 15th 2010 2:29PM
Maybe they're wrong?
Ametrine Sep 15th 2010 2:31PM
Who said Sarvis was right? He sounds rather bitter and cynical to me, so his words are likely best taken with a grain of salt.
Trinea Sep 15th 2010 2:41PM
I found that interesting in conjunction with the Blizzard Q&A post that came out on the official forums a little while ago, the one which states that the Forsaken can in fact use the Light, even if it is at the cost of significant pain for themselves. Considering the way that the entire race is going (with Sylvanas setting herself up as the new "lich queen" and resurrecting unwilling people to join the forsaken), it makes me wonder if the Blizzard writers are taking the Forsaken down an incredibly dark path for the sole purpose of somehow redeeming them in the end.
No matter what the case, despite my own personal speculation and anything else that might go on here, this is something I'm definitely going to be watching with interest.
Fletcher Sep 15th 2010 2:46PM
That's *easy* to answer; the Forsaken are, from the standpoint of the Light, *indistinguishable from the Scourge* - not because they are undead but because *they still seek the extinction of all life*. Indeed, they may be *worse* than the Scourge because they do so *with free will*.
If the Forsaken still exist when the battle lines between the Shadow and the Light are finally drawn, they will almost certainly be on the side of the Shadow - and the Light will destroy them utterly. Death to the Dead! Death to the Damned!
(The one faint hope of escaping destruction they have is if they come to their senses and realize that the Light cannot forsake anyone; it has no volition of its own. But *you* can forsake *it*; the undead are not so much Forsak*en* as Forsak*ees*. But to do that they would need to execute Sylvanas, raze the Undercity, and destroy the Royal Apothecary Society - as a start! Somehow, I don't see it happening.)
Armill3 Sep 15th 2010 2:48PM
So it could be the case that an opposite force, not necessarily the callous cruelty of the light, is the reason for the Forsaken's inability to find it?
I like that.
Overcoming this would have been great justification for allowing Forsaken paladins into the game, which would have made a lot more sense than the Tauren, and even more sense than the original justification for belf paladins. Too little, too late though.
Fletcher Sep 15th 2010 2:48PM
@Trinea - regarding redemption for the Forsaken - I can see it happening, not least because in gameplay terms Blizzard can't make them all hostile NPCs. But given the multitudinous sins of the Forsaken, all the despicable things they've done since being freed from the Lich King's grasp - I don't think they will ever *deserve* redemption. Like the redemption of Grom Hellscream, their redemption shall be entirely undeserved, and cannot expatiate their crimes.
The guilty shall suffer.
Nagaina Sep 15th 2010 3:13PM
@ Fletcher,
::dryly:: As the failure of the Silver Hand's attempt to strip Tirion Fordring of his Light-granted gifts clearly attests, it is not for men to decide what the Light may or may not consider 'beyond redemption.'
Such fanaticism as you display in your blanket condemnation of a whole people for the acts of a few is a sure path to soul-killing darkness as black as any that the Forsaken can claim.
- S. Eventide
Eternauta Sep 15th 2010 3:38PM
@Fletcher:
How was Grom Hellscream undeserving of redemption?
That seems like a nonsense ally-fanboy statement to me.
Medayo Sep 15th 2010 3:45PM
I hope they make the Forsaken storyline more interesting than getting redemption by the Light. That would be boring and they already did it with the Blood Elves.
I want to learn more about the Shadow. Maybe through the Shadow the Forsaken can find a purpose that will lead to their redemption.
Butts Sep 15th 2010 4:31PM
@Fletcher
You sound like a Scarlet Crusader. I bet all your toons are human paladins.
shatto.a Sep 15th 2010 4:44PM
The Forsaken favor the Shadow, yes, but in this context, the Shadow and the "forces of darkness" described in the article are two very different things. It seems to me that to follow the Shadow is simply to embrace the inevitability of death and the mortality of all things, just as to follow the Light is to embrace and celebrate life itself. They're two sides of the same coin. The Legion, on the other hand, wants to melt down the entire damn coin.
Murdertime Sep 15th 2010 6:11PM
There's also the notion the notion that the Forksaken Priests gain their power not from the light or the 'darkness' as from the self. The Forsaken religion follows more of a 'humanist' (undeadist?) perspective where what matters is the ability of the Priest to impose their willpower on the self and on the world.
Which, when you're the race with the highest base spirit, is a lot of willpower to be imposing.
mingdi9 Sep 15th 2010 6:32PM
It wouldn't surprise me at all, actually, if the Shadow that the Forsaken use is the Light in disguise, similar to how the naaru have a darkened form that we saw most obviously in M'uru.
It seems remarkably likely to me that the force opposing the Light is not the Shadow, but rather Fel forces. Recall that it was Fel energy that is to blame for turning Draenei into Broken, and that it was Kil'Jaeden that empowered Ner'zhul who empowered Arthas who was the one that created the Scourge and the Forsaken.
Additionally, can we think of another playable race that has been physically altered by Fel energy? That's right, orcs, which will be the only race in Cataclysm that won't have Priests or Paladins as a class option (though to be fair, culturally the function of Priests in Orcish society has already been taken over by Shaman, so they don't actually need Priests or Paladins).
Murdertime Sep 15th 2010 6:46PM
Actually, that's something that's always bugged me a little bit. With all the focus on the light and elune, Shamanism has gotten really short shrift as an important belief system in WoW. Which is a little odd given that it's shared values are part of what holds the big dude races of the horde together. It's pretty much been all Paladins and Druids, all the time.
I'm kinda hoping Cata'll fix that some, but I have this horrible feeling we're just going to hear about Druids again.
Lyinar Sep 15th 2010 8:38PM
I think one of the more interesting things I've heard regarding the canonicity of things spoken by characters in a work of fiction was at a Q&A session with Robert Jordan at the last DragonCon he was able to attend before his death. Someone asked him details regarding something one of the bad guys of the Wheel of Time series had told the hero in an attempt to turn him or at the very least demoralize him, (and I don't consider this spoilers, as it's in the first book), specifically that the Light's chosen champion, in various turnings of the wheel, had betrayed the Light to serve the Dark One instead of fighting him in every single incarnation, and RJ's response was, "And you believed him?"
I think Blizzard tends to follow the same philosophy when it comes to such things... The statements made by the characters in WoW are not necessarily true, or even correct.
Sintraedrien Sep 15th 2010 9:00PM
The new Forsaken shadow-priest motto: "Join the Dark Side of the Light!"
;)
Sintra E'Drien of the Ebon Blade, né Sindorei (still Worgen-curious)