The release date of World of Warcraft: Dragonflight is fast approaching, and it will see the various factions of Azeroth take up arms once again to take on a new foe. After spending the last couple of years in the realms of the dead, the champions of Azeroth will be returning to a story seeping with classic World of Warcraft lore. They will be reunited with the factions of the Horde and Alliance, but these teams are a little different after the events of Shadowlands.
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands saw some of the biggest members of the Alliance assist the players in their mission to stop the Jailer from remaking the cosmos. This mission was far from easy, and the events of the expansion significantly impacted characters like Anduin Wrynn and Tyrande Whisperwind. While the ramifications of these changes are yet to be seen, they will most likely have a major impact as players begin their journey in the Dragon Isles.
What Happened to The Alliance During Shadowlands
The story of Shadowlands was less focused on the intricacies of the factions of Azeroth and more focused on specific members of these factions. After Sylvanas shattered the veil between the Shadowlands and Azeroth, Jaina Proudmoore and Anduin Wrynn were abducted by the forces of the Jailer. While the Alliance was focused on stopping the spread of the Scourge alongside the Argent Crusade, they sent their champions into the Shadowlands to retrieve their kidnaped leaders. Tyrande Whisperwind would end up following the champions through the portal so that she could get revenge on Sylvanas Windrunner for the burning of Teldrassil during Battle for Azeroth.
The champions of Azeroth were able to free Jaina Proudmoore from the clutches of the Jailer, but they would fail to save Anduin. Anduin spent much of Shadowlands imprisoned by the Jailer and Sylvanas, and they would force him to do their bidding. Anduin was forced to take up the corrupted blade Kingsmourne, and he became a servant of the Jailer. Under his influence, Anduin would retrieve the covenant sigils and help the Jailer reach Zereth Mortis.
The champions of Azeroth would encounter Tyrande Whisperwind in the Maw, but she would refuse to leave until the souls of her people had been freed from the halls of Torghast. Once she learned that the players also wanted to save the souls in the Maw, she decided to continue her hunt for Sylvanas throughout the Shadowlands. This would lead her to the Battle of Ardenweald where she would confront Sylvanas, but the powers of the Night Warrior would begin to overwhelm her. Sylvanas would escape, and the covenants would try to free Tyrande from being consumed by vengeance with the help of Ysera and Elune.
How The Alliance Looks Going Into Dragonflight
Not much is known about what happened on Azeroth during the events of Shadowlands, and the exact state of the greater Alliance is shrouded in mystery. The Scourge were apparently rampaging across the land, and the forces of Azeroth were doing all they could to stop them. The absence of their leaders forced characters like High Exarch Turalyon to take up arms and lead, but Blizzard has not shed light on just what that looked like yet. Even with all the mystery, there were still some pretty important developments during Shadowlands.
Anduin was freed from the Jailer's influence, but the acts he committed seem to be haunting him. He is now afraid to call upon the light and feels worried that he felt some satisfaction from his actions. Tyrande Whisperwind passed judgment on Sylvanas and condemned her to the Maw until every soul is free. Tyrande was also gifted a new seed from the Winter Queen for a brand-new World Tree that will hopefully mark a new era for the Night Elves. Jaina Proudmoore probably got the least development of the three as she only realized that the endless cycle of hatred can be broken. The expansion also saw the return of Bolvar Fordragon and Uther the Lightbringer, but they may not appear in Dragonflight.
World of Warcraft: Dragonflight will most likely shed light on what this will all mean for the future of the Alliance, as well as what some other leaders were dealing with during Shadowlands. A new expansion will also mean even more shakeups within the faction, and this version of the Alliance could be very different from the post-Dragonflight version. Players will just have to wait and see what Blizzard has in store.
World of Warcraft is available now on PC with Dragonflight launching on November 28.