World of Warcraft Developers Speak on Character Motivations

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asked May 4, 2022 in 3D Segmentation by freeamfva (39,060 points)

The next big content release for World of Warcraft is imminent. Titled Eternity’s End, the patch will serve as the epic conclusion to the Shadowlands story. Players will travel to the progenitor realm of Zerith Mortis, forge of the afterlives, and must uncover its secrets before the Jailer uses them to remake reality in his deathly image.To get more news about Buy WoW Items, you can visit lootwow.com official website.

Game Rant spoke with lead narrative designer Steve Danuser and lead encounter designer Morgan Day about the characterization of main cast members in Shadowlands. As the narrative reaches its climax, they shed light on the mysteries of character motivation in the past and the present, and consequences of the future. With the finale coming soon, the World of Warcraft developers had to wrestle with challenges that characters like Sylvanas and Anduin will have to face after Eternity’s End.
The story of Eternity’s End involves several well-known characters who have been active since Warcraft 3. However, revelations from Chains of Domination have called the motivations of some characters into question; namely Sylvanas and Kel’Thuzad. Both characters have strong ties to Arthas Menethil, the popular antagonist of Wrath of the Lich King, who in-turn has been connected to the Jailer.

The Jailer himself has not been the most popular villain in Warcraft. His introduction in Shadowlands came suddenly, with little evidence of his existence being presented beforehand. To make matters more complicated, many previous events in Warcraft history, from the forming of the Burning Legion to the creation of the Undead Scourge, have been attributed to his machinations. Many fans were dismayed to have the histories of these staple characters subsumed by the grand schemes of a newcomer.
Danuser said that was not intended to be the case. “[Sylvanas’] soul was divided at the moment of her death,” he said. “A part of it went into the Jailer’s menagerie of souls we saw during Chains of Domination, but that didn’t mean she didn’t have choice throughout her life.” Many assumed the Jailer - whose magic of choice is Domination magic - could have removed Sylvanas’ agency, but this does not appear to be what Blizzard intended. Though she was deceived and influenced by his schemes after she struck a deal following Wrath of the Lich King, the Jailer held no control over Sylvanas when she rebelled against Arthas, or when she created the Forsaken.

Kel’Thuzad likewise had his history tied to the Jailer. An exile of the mages of Dalaran, Kel’Thuzad was integral in bringing the Scourge. Though some of his dialogue in the Sanctum of Domination made it seem he was the Jailer’s ally since the beginning, Danuser clarified that was not the intention.

By his testimony, Sire Denathrius - chief ally of the Jailer - reached out after his ultimate defeat at the hands of the players in World of Warcraft. “[Denathrius] funded him with anima, which was in short supply due to the drought,” Danuser said, which allowed him to rise through the ranks of Maldraxxus. Until then, his villainous schemes were all his own. This, too, should come as a relief to long-time fans, as Kel’Thuzad has been a popular and iconic WoW villain since he was introduced 20 years ago.

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