Sylvanas and the Loa (thoughts)
This is not about defending Sylvanas. It’s actually a thought about Sylvanas and her connection and possible manipulation BY the Loa, not the morality/immortality of her warpath.
Anyway. Something Nixxiom said in a video about Sylvanas bothered me.
“Sylvanas or someone has to be behind the ‘whispers of the Loa’, because the Loa would NEVER put Sylvanas in charge.” - Paraphrased, but his point was that the Loa would never put her in charge of a mega-powerful faction, and so Vol’jin’s whispers were faked by someone. Let’s analyze something VERY important about this. And it actually makes the Zandalar stuff VERY relevant with Sylvanas playing such a big role. AND the return of Vol’jin (in whatever manner he ends up coming back)
In Vol’Jin: Shadows of the Horde, the novel, we’re given a LOT of scenes of Vol’jin speaking with the Loa of Death, Bwonsamdi himself. His relationship with the Loa, and Bwonsamdi in particular, is a little rocky, and over time he re-establishes what it means to be a Troll, and what it means to be Vol’jin, specifically. He’s different. He’s a Troll, yes, but he’s also a Shadow Hunter. And on top of that, he is Vol’jin. He isn’t like other Trolls, even other Shadow Hunters.
What else do we see? Bwonsamdi and Vol’jin, from time to time making it very clear to one another that Vol’jin’s connection to the Death Loa and his power and focus is in service to death. Literally. In fact, Bwonsamdi does agree with Vol’jin, that in exchange for their continued relationship, Vol’jin will go forward and (for lack of a better phrase) “slaughter the shit out of a LOT of people.” Trolls. Alliance. Whoever needs killing.
In Nixxiom’s video, Nixxiom makes it clear that in his opinion the Loa (which includes Bwonsamdi who explicitly told Vol’jin “go kill a ton of shit so I have souls, and we’re cool”) would not want mass death like this. But the problem is that the Loa of Death wants souls. Namely Troll souls, but he wants the dead in general, of course.
So the question is “why not?” Honestly, next to Vol’jin, Sylvanas is the PERFECT instrument of death and destruction that would feed the Loa of Death. And now with Battle for Azeroth featuring so many Trolls (Zandalar, obviously), and even Vol’jin himself in some way… it honestly makes PERFECT sense that the Loa would tell him to make her Warchief.
Because what Loa do we know has a direct connection to Vol’jin?
Bwonsamdi. The Loa of Death.
The Loa of Death who demands a constant and heavy flow of souls into his world.
