January 27, 2023

WoW Narrative Lead on the Jailer, Old Gods, Sabellian and Wrathion, and More

Hirumaredx, a YouTuber specializing in lore, recently interviewed Steve Danuser, WoW narrative lead. The conversation turned out to be really informative. The developer even confirmed one of the recent theories about N’zoth. They also discussed whether choosing Sabellian and Wrathion would affect the future story.

Before his death, the Jailer spoke of some imminent threat. He believed he was the only one who could stand against it. But in reality, he was not the only one who understood the scale of the threat and knew something terrible was coming. The Zereth Mortis oracle and even N’Zoth mentioned it before. Right now, Dragonflight is all about dragons. Still, the story will return to this and other mysterious threats later.
In the future, the developers may want to talk more about the relationship between the Void Lords and the Old Gods. After all, this topic has yet to be touched much before. However, Danuser said that the Old Gods are not weak-willed pawns of the Void Lords. The narrative lead emphasized that the Void Lords differ from the Titans and the Light’s order. They are creatures of endless possibilities. They can adapt, change, and use different opportunities to reach their destination.

Danuser refrained from answering questions about other alternative timelines and universes that may be present in Dragonflight. However, he did mention that the Bronze and Infinite dragonflights have big roles in the plot. So everything is possible. Traveling through time and space is an important topic for Nozdormu and the expansion in general, too.
Earlier, it wasn’t clear what the motives and purposes of the Infinite dragonflight were. However, more information about their tasks will be revealed in this expansion. This topic will be touched upon more closely soon. Like cosmic forces, Infinity Dragons and Bronze Dragons have many similarities and differences. They have diverse views on time and approaches to interacting with it. Some try to keep it as it is. Others don’t mind adjusting to improve them. Players will get a better understanding of them as the story progresses.
Blizzard uses different storytelling styles based on what tale they are trying to convey. The central theme of “Battle for Azeroth” is the war between two factions. So, it’s not an easy task to present both perspectives in a cohesive manner. Thus, players were split into two storylines, each with its own plot, before the two branches eventually merged later in the game. Dragonflight, on the other hand, has a unified and singular storyline. It allows players to fully immerse themselves in the plot without having to play multiple branches to understand the whole story.
Although Krexus appeared in promo images for Shadowlands and was even on the loading screen for Shadowlands, his impact wasn’t that much in the story. However, it’s not because he holds a more significant part than he did. The developers didn’t want to trick the players, either. Instead, they tried to keep Maldraxxus’s true leader, the Primus, a secret until the time was right. If not, an important part of the story would be revealed even before the expansion’s release or in its early days. Krexus served as a placeholder and symbol for one of the covenants rather than having a significant role in the plot.
The developers added many elements to World of Warcraft, such as Easter eggs, references, jokes, and thematic details. However, most don’t have any profound meaning or purpose. The red dragon Andrestrasz is one of them. He can be found in a cave on the outskirts of Silithus. While it is unclear how and why he was added to the game, he currently serves no significant purpose. However, developers may revisit him in the future and develop a more significant role for him based on players’ interest in him.
Many speculate about the role of Rafaam and Reno Jackson in WoW’s Dragonflight storyline. Still, it is important to remember that the Hearthstone plot is not canon in World of Warcraft. Elements and features from Hearthstone may not be transferred to the main WoW story as it can cause more problems than benefits. Therefore, the heroes may likely encounter Reno as an ordinary human adventurer rather than a dragon in disguise.
Danuser confirmed that N’Zoth recognized the heroes during their visit to Ny’alotha in the Thaldraszus storyline, despite it being set in the past, and N’Zoth shouldn’t have had knowledge of either the champions or the current time. So the fans’ question is: will this incident affect his future (or players’ past) meeting with the champions in Battle for Azeroth? Danuser said N’Zoth was known for his cunning and deceit. Speculating his plans would be intriguing. He may better prepare for future encounters knowing what timeline is going to happen.

Players have the option to retain the “Gift of N’Zoth” buff instead of cleansing it. The developers currently have yet to make plans to incorporate this choice into the game’s plot. However, in the future, they may use this choice to continue N’zoth’s story. After all, the WoW community has many dedicated followers of the ancient and cunning god.
The developers’ goal in allowing players to choose between Wrathion and Sabellian is to increase immersion without any significant impact on the game’s plot. This is not a full vote, as it would not be fair to conduct it secretly and present the results that influence the plot to the public. In MMOs, taking player choice into account is complicated as each player has their own preferences. Some may be disappointed by certain outcomes. Therefore, the game developers take it upon themselves to choose the option that appeals to the most players. This is different in single-player RPGs, but this is not the case in this scenario.
Ethereals are currently in the game as a way for players to understand and experience unique gameplay systems from a thematic perspective. However, they may become more deeply integrated into the game’s plot in the future, and the developers may delve further into their nature and purpose. Ethereals are intriguing, multi-faceted, and mysterious entities that can be interpreted in many ways.
Danuser would be a bronze or black dragon if he was in Azeroth. He loves the idea of alternate realities, timelines, and time travel. He is also interested in being in the Black Dragon flight before Neltharion’s corruption.

You can watch the full interview below.