wow Legion Alpha: Analysis of Class Titles (Part 2)

[Valks 2,375]

Ever wondered why all the NPCs have such cool titles and we're stuck with titles like the one I'm using? Fear not, class titles are here! Take a look at the story behind your class title and what a better alternative might have been.

 

Just before we get started, make sure you didn't miss Part 1 of the analysis, where we covered Death Knights, Demon Hunters, Druids, Hunters, Mages and Monks. On with Part 2!

 

Paladin: Highlord <Name> 

 

Now this is a treat for all Paladins. To be referred to as Highlord is pretty incredible given those that have come before you, such as Tirion Fordring, Darion Mograine, Bolvar Fordragon. Generally, the title of Highlord is awarded to the highest ranking Paladins in the order or in their respective armies.

 

 

Highlord Bolvar Fordragon, who sacrificed himself to serve as the Lich King.

 

Below is a further analysis of the title, but there are some pretty huge story spoilers in the text. If you don't want to read them and keep Legion as fresh for yourself as possible, then I suggest skipping it!

 

In order for Retribution to receive the Ashbringer as their artifact, it seems this event was inevitable. Highlord Tirion Fordring is dead. It would therefore make sense that the player is going to replace Tirion as the leader of the Argent Crusade and the Silver Hand. To lead the two largest organisations of Paladins after an iconic character such as Tirion? I'm feeling pretty jealous right now.

 

If there is going to be a further Scourge expansion (analysis of this coming soon!), then it will be interesting to see how the Paladin might tie into the Argent Crusade battling against their eternal enemy.

 

All in all, I think this is a pretty amazing choice for the Paladins. The title is certainly a revered one and it has been held by some of the most prestigious Paladins ever. For Paladins, this title stands on the same level as Archdruid and Archmage. It relates directly to the position of Highlord of the Silver Hand, a group of Paladins initially formed after the First War by Uther the Lightbringer. While the Order has somewhat died down since the merge in Wrath of the Lich King with the Argent Dawn, there are still some members that remained solely with the Alliance under the old banners. The new order is known as the Argent Crusade.

 

The title that would have been awarded to Paladins for their Realm First! Level 80 achievement was Crusader <Name>, but this has since been added to the game as a reward in the Argent Tournament. Since this one was out of consideration due to already being used, I'm putting forward my own suggestion.

 

As mentioned above, Uther the Lightbringer was the first Paladin of the Knights of the Silver Hand. When he eventually died at the hands of Arthas attempting to defend the ashes of King Terenas, nobody inherited the titles of Uther. I think <Name> the Lightbringer  would have been a very poor choice, since it would almost have ruined the history of Uther. His tomb in the Western Plaguelands holds a plaque which reads like this:

 

Here lies Uther the Lightbringer

 

First Paladin — Founder of the Order of the Silver Hand

 

Uther lived and died to defend the kingdom of Lordaeron. Though he was betrayed by his most beloved student, we believe that his spirit lives on. He continues to watch over us, even as the shadows close in around our ruined land. His light is the light of all humanity - and so long as we honor his example, it shall never fade.

 

— Anonymous

 

 

The tomb of Uther the Lightbringer.

 

This plaque commemorates the idea that Uther stood as a light in a land of darkness, his living essence truly acting as the bringer of the Light to the darkest areas of Azeroth. To name the player in the same stead would undermine the idea of Uther watching over the Paladins, always aiding through the power of the Light.

 

I think a better alternative from Uther would have been his title <Name>, Supreme Commander of the Paladin Order. In order to fit the style of player titles, it would need to be re-worded to Supreme Commander <Name>, but I think it would have been a really good alternative had they not decided upon Highlord. It has excellent lore connotations and is still a pretty amazing title.

 

Priest: Cardinal <Name> 

 

*Sigh*

 

It looks like the Priests have fallen into the same boat as the Hunters for class titles. I can only say I am hugely disappointed by this one. The title itself has no bearing in lore other than the fact that it is a position within a church. It's evident they tried to stay faction and specialisation neutral, but it looks like they have just fallen short. Let's look at some alternatives.

 

Firstly, let's take a look at one of the largest religious followings in Azeroth, which is constantly referenced when looking at Priests. The Church of the Holy Light. For those of you that don't know, the current leader of the church is actually dead in lore. Archbishop Benedictus served as the leader of the church until he is revealed as the Twilight Father of the Twilight's Hammer cult in Cataclysm. We end up killing him in the Hour of Twilight dungeon, in which he uses a variety of both holy and shadow based spells. 

 

 

The Cathedral of Light in Stormwind, with Archbishop Benedictus standing to the left.

 

This means the position is currently vacant. The NPC still stands in Stormwind as a placeholder, but perhaps it's finally time to remove him and re-elect an Archbishop. Who better to serve as the Archbishop than the player themselves? 

 

There could easily have been followers of the Church of Light within the Horde, since there are plenty of Paladins and Priests in the Horde forces. We also need to bear in mind that the player is essentially being cast as a class leader, therefore technically you are becoming the Archbishop of Priests, as opposed to the Archbishop of the church. The lack of an Archbishop just makes more sense for the title to be introduced to the players in lore.

 

For those of you that might be worrying about the idea of calling a Shadow Priest, or even a Horde Priest, Archbishop <Name>, there is the possibility of introducing another title to the field.

 

This title is slightly more neutral between the specialisations and factions, but still holds a pretty amazing lore-basis: Prophet <Name>. This was the suggested reward for the Realm First! Level 80 Priest achievement, but never made it into the game. Velen, leader of the Draenei, is often referred to as the Prophet, but his full title is actually Prophet of the Naaru. 

 

I feel like Blizzard could have introduced a scenario in which Velen sacrifices himself in order to protect his people, perhaps in a similar way to his death in the Draenor timeline. With the Legion on our doorstep, it's like that nobody is more worried for the fate of their people than Velen. He knows that they will suffer greatly at the hands of his "brothers", Kil'Jaeden and Archimonde.

 

In an attempt to somewhat shield Azeroth, Velen could have sacrificed his life and power to either shield the planet from an initial attack launched by the Legion, or bonded with one of the surviving Naaru to "buff" the forces of Azeroth in one of the battles.

 

 

Prophet Velen.

 

There could also have been a portal being opened that would summon one of the Legion commanders, possibly even Sargeras himself, but Velen sacrifices himself to close the portal, channeling his life force into blocking the magic.

 

For those of you that are worrying about the future of the Draenei after a dead Velen, there could have been a different type of Draenei leader elected. Velen was most certainly a Priest, but there are a large number of other possible leaders. Whether they had stuck with the idea of a Priest leader and elected High Priestess Ishanah of the Aldor, or taken from the list of Draenei Vindicators and Exarchs that are still alive.

 

This would have then allowed for the Prophet title to be freed up for the Priests and the Draenei would still have a capable leader. We also would have been treated to an amazing scene of Velen sacrificing himself in the face of his "brothers" to close the portal and prevent their summoning.

 

If you are worried about the idea of the Horde using the title Prophet <Name>, you need to remember that Priests tend to overlook the differences of factions in favour of the Light. Their combined beliefs, whether it is in homage to Shadow or Light, are similar to that of the Paladins. The fact that the title does not reference the Naaru or Draenei also makes it much more faction neutral. You are simply a prophet of your people, regardless of race.

 

Rogue: Shadow <Name> 

 

Unfortunately, there is not a noise I can put here to express my feelings about this title. It's OK.

 

I think the idea behind the title is very solid. Rogues as a class are known for their ability and wish to remain in the shadows, sneaking up on their enemies and dispatching them quickly. 

 

I don't like the way it is presented. I think the title should have been presented instead as <Name> of the Shadows. It references your ability to remain one with the shadows, as well as, in my opinion, looking better aesthetically. The implemented title seems like it will be extremely "clunky" when combined with many player's names.

 

In regards to lore, there is not much that you can reference. Rogues do not fight for glory and they do not fight in the open. They thrive in the unknown, their abilities underestimated and their presence undetected. Due to this, there aren't many "notable Rogues". The best Rogue is the Rogue nobody has heard of, at least in terms of lore.

 

 

Vanessa VanCleef, daughter of Edwin.

 

If we were to look at the notable Rogues, the most prominent that springs to mind with some form of "title" is Edwin VanCleef, as well as his daughter Vanessa VanCleef. They fill the position of leaders of the Defias Brotherhood, an organisation that was founded upon a dispute over the reconstruction of Stormwind.

 

Edwin was initially an architect on the reconstruction, a genius with the vision to complete the entire task in less than 10 years. When the project was finished, a problem was found. The House of Nobles refused to pay out to the Stonemasons Guild. Instead, VanCleef and other senior architects were offered jobs under the crown if they kept silent about the payment issue.

 

 

Varian's wife, Tiffin Wrynn, is killed during the riots.

 

Angered by this proposition, VanCleef began stirring up a riot amongst the workers of Stormwind. There were a number of deaths during the riots, including the wife of Varian Wrynn, Tiffin. VanCleef and his colleagues were thrown out of Stormwind, leading to the birth of the Defias Brotherhood.

 

 

Edwin VanCleef as Kingpin of the Defias Brotherhood.

 

The leader of this organisation is referred to as the "Kingpin <Name>". I think this could have been a fantastic addition to the Rogue title. It is simply amazing. The organisation of Rogues within the Class Hall are a shady group, something that in the real world would be viewed as an illegal operation. I feel that a Kingpin would lead the group perfectly, their name shunned in lore to simply be known by their title.

 

This also ties in nicely with the new Outlaw specialisation, which holds a pirate theme similar to that of the Brotherhood. The only problem with this is that Vanessa VanCleef is still alive. Technically, you are becoming the Kingpin <Name> of the Rogues, as opposed to the Brotherhood, but it might still cause a clash.

 

The Realm First! Level 80 achievement granted a rather special title as well: Assassin <Name>. This fits the Rogue image pretty perfectly as well. It does take away from the idea of leadership, instead labeling you as a sort of "special soldier", but it's still a fantastic idea.

 

Warlock: Overlord <Name> 

 

I'm not quite sure where I stand on this title. I feel like it is a very cool title, but I don't think it fits a Warlock. If we look back at the Overlords currently in game, they are generally Orcs that are just below the rank of High Overlord, such as Garrosh when he was Overlord of the Warsong Offensive, or Overlord Agmar, the leader of the Kor'kron. I feel like the title simply does not tie in with the Warlock theme, instead radiating a sort of Warrior-esque feel.

 

The title which would have been granted from the Realm First! Level 80 Warlock achievement is much more fitting for the Warlock lore: <Name> the Malefic. Everything that a Warlock does through their magic takes a piece of their soul away, since they bargain for that power with demons. They slowly harm themselves in order to become more powerful. This fits in perfectly with the word "malefic", meaning harmful. I think this would have been a far better choice for the Warlocks.

 

 

A warlock preparing to wield fel energy.

 

Another possibility would have been Felmaster <Name>. Since Warlocks convert life into fel, they are essentially tied into the ability to wield and manipulate fel energy. I think this ties in nicely with the idea of the Warlock powers and their dominion over the demons they command.

 

Warrior: Skylord <Name> 

 

First things first, this title is extremely Legion-lore based. Prior to the Legion expansion, there was no kinship between the skies and Warriors; however, with the new expansion, Warriors have taken on the role of vikings within the Warcraft universe. 

 

With our class hall being placed in the skies, essentially acting as Valhalla, and the artifacts constantly referencing lore surrounding Hellheim and the Vrykul, we are experiencing some serious Vrykul-Warrior lore. This title works perfectly for that, allowing us to act as the lord of our Valhalla.

 

 

A Warrior thrives on the rush of battle.

 

Unfortunately, it makes no sense when compared with the rest of the Warrior lore. The title that was going to be awarded for the Realm First! Level 80 achievement was Warbringer <Name>, however this has since been used as a reward for the Horde. It fits the image of a Warrior perfectly, with the class often being seen as the soldiers in war, those who charge the front line with no fear, those who form the bastion of an army. They never halt in the face of fear and they charge ahead to experience the thrill of battle.

 

Once again, there are some big lore storyline spoilers below. They discuss the potential of another title for the Warriors, but there are BIG spoilers. Apologies to those of you that do not wish to read on.

 

I think a big opportunity was missed on the title considering the fact that one of the greatest Warriors to live has just died. The death of Varian is a huge event, but with him dead, the spirit of Goldrinn requires another host to live on in. It would have been a truly spectacular feat to have the spirit of ferocity inhabit the player, thereby granting us the title of Wolfheart <Name>, after the King himself.

 

There could have been a quest to avenge the death of Varian and thereby attract the attention of Goldrinn's spirit. We would then have needed to prove ourselves worthy of his power, perhaps by slaying one of the higher-ups of the Legion army.

 

I really feel like this would have been the perfect title for the Warriors, as well as adding some proper lore to the class. Prior to this, most of the lore references expertise in battle. This would give us something to respect, as the Paladins respect the Light, or the Shamans the Elements. We would have carried the spirit of Goldrinn with pride, his strength feeding our ferocity.

 

That's going to conclude our class title analysis! Unfortunately, there is still no access to Shamans and therefore we do not know what the Shaman title will be. As soon as it is released, we will make sure to give you a run-down of what we think. Perhaps it really should be <Name> the Forgotten!