Meta-What? My Problem With Varian Wrynn

[the__ivorytower]

I needed to get this out, it's been stewing, and unlike my Thrall post, I have more than enough energy to hate at Varian Wrynn.

Comments

[astridmyrna]

OMG this post. *fans self*

I came into WoW late in the game, so I did research on Varian on wowpedia and learned about how he did not pay the Stonemasons for rebuilding Stormwind. "But-but-but I thought you were doing this on behalf on Stormwind" is such bullshit. My dad's a foreman plumber, and so I also know how tricky the construction business can be and how fucking expensive materials are, so if he had done the plumbing for Stormwind you'd bet he'd order all toilets in the city to be flushed at the same time. That is, if Stormwind had toilets, of course.

Oh, and Tiffin?


If Tiffin had to die (well, after Anduin was born, of course, cuz what other purpose could a queen serve? Lolololsobsobsob), I also would have preferred if she got beaned in the head and that started the riots or perhaps have her go down to meet with the Stonemasons in civillian clothes/disguise to try and pay the masons but some guy gets insulted because the King wouldn't pay them himself and throws the bag of heavy coins at her as she leaves, and kills her by accident.

[the__ivorytower]

you'd bet he'd order all toilets in the city to be flushed at the same time

*bursts out laughing* That would be entertaining.

The really bad part is anything we know about Tiffin's backstory basically comes from a brief forum post because of a Q&A session. We can tell you thought this out so well.

[astridmyrna]

She's a Walking Incubator. She only has two purposes: childbirth and angst. My writer-senses tell me that Aggra walks this same path. Only she'll probably end up dying in childbirth, like 8/10 royal wives do.

Lol, I shit on "mothers die during childbirth" plot-contrivance so much, and yet I do the same in my fanfic. XD But for completely different and valid purpose, I tell you!

[the__ivorytower]

In my version of what happens, Varian's wife (whose name is Lianne) dies in childbirth because Katrana spends the majority of her pregnancy poisoning her, because she's smart and Varian relies on her, she has to go. He won't listen to Katrana while she's around.

There are actually conditions that do cause a much higher risk of child birth, but I'm pretty sure that Blizzard doesn't know/care and is using ye olde fantasy trope.

I try to vary the amount of women dying through easily preventable means, mostly because I'm tired of no one having a mom. Moms are clutch, yo. Jaina's mother is still alive. Arthas' is... well, she was not a good person, but that's been covered in some of my other work.

[astridmyrna]

There are actually conditions that do cause a much higher risk of child birth, but I'm pretty sure that Blizzard doesn't know/care and is using ye olde fantasy trope.

Eeeyup. The only mother that dies through childbirth is the orc Dikasara's best-friend's mother, and this is because she had an heterotopic pregnancy that no one realized until the fetuses were full term and ready to come out (I figured that shamans would be able to 'sense' two fetuses, one in the womb and one out, but would not be able to tell that one fetus was outside the womb unless in distress or causing some sort of physical pain). Oh, and the fetuses die as well as the mother, because ye olde fantasy trope sometimes forgets that a lot of infants die at childbirth as well.

I try to vary the amount of women dying through easily preventable means, mostly because I'm tired of no one having a mom.

THIS. Although I kind of have a bad track record with the living mothers. Dikasara is an orphan (kinda), her mother is alive and gave her up to Matron Battlewail because her mother didn't want to take care of her. Mishka (draenei) was abused by her mother. Valdis's (nelf) mother refuses to speak to her. And the less said about Cassie's (human) mother, the better.

Winnie (dwarf) has a really nice mom, though. Topasannah's mom (tauren) is a bit cold, but cares for her children. And even though Leda's (worgen) mother is dead, she died of old age and was a kick-ass woman.

I'll have to read about Arthas's mom! In Arthas I don't remember her having too big of a role, and that was disappointing.

[silverr]

When you say, "Jaina's mother is still alive" ...

[the__ivorytower]

Jaina's mother is Adriana Proudmoore nee Greymane. She's what happens when I take a trope and subvert the hell out of it. Her father and brother conspired to marry her off for the benefit of Gilneas, and picked Daelin Proudmoore, the young, carefree spirit. Daelin was involved semi-secretly with an elven sorceress/teacher named Kelnar. Daelin's parents agreed to the engagement if and only if Daelin and Adriana agreed to it. Adriana showed up early and was taught to love Kul Tiras by her father in law... and then met Daelin. They hated each other on sight, but over the course of the winter they fell in love. Daelin politely broke off his relationship with Kelnar and married Adriana. Kelnar, as it turned out, was pregnant, and he wound up with two children (Adriana's and Kelnar's) in a short period of time. Daelin recognized Finnall (Kelnar's daughter) as much as he could considering that half-elves aren't well thought of, and Derek, Tandred and Jaina all grew up considering Finnall to be their sister. Adriana also accepted it.

Adriana herself seems very cold to outsiders, but her family can tell how much she cares for others, and she's both talented and dedicated to helping Kul Tiras function since her husband is often out at sea. In present day, she helps Tandred rule Kul Tiras, and while she was upset about her husband's death, over time she's learned to understand how fleeting life can be and how to let go of her hate. Her comfortable dislike of her Gilnean family and suddenly losing most of it has contributed to this.

[silverr]

I knew about Finnall and Jaina's brothers, but hadn't been able to find any information about Jaina's mother. Is all that canon or your creation?

[the__ivorytower]

That's all my creation. I'm sure if it's up to Blizzard, she's dead.

[yukie1013]

I love your headcanons dearly. They are amazing.

[the__ivorytower]

I have that gift, or so I am often told.