Sylvanas and the Burning of Teldrassil: Why Did She Do It?
In the lead-up to Battle for Azeroth the unthinkable happened and the image of Sylvanas Windrunner standing silhouetted before a tree engulfed in flames was burned onto the retinas of every World of Warcraft player. How could this happen? A Horde Warchief had destroyed an Alliance city in the worst possible way, a city crammed with people and with limited egresses. It was shocking, and to many players, devastating. Perhaps more devastating than Blizzard could have imagined to many who considered Darnassas their online home and the Night Elves their fictional family. There has been a great deal of speculation about why Sylvanas ordered the burning of the World Tree. Was it planned or impulsive? Was it calculated, reactionary, or spiteful. Was it a personal triumph, or an action regretted? Was it just? In Warbringers: Sylvanas we see the events as they happen, as a third person watching it all unfold. Now, with the release of Sylvanas, the new novel by Christie Golden, we finally get an insight into the Dark Lady's thoughts and motivations.
Sylvanas' Initial Plan for Teldrassil...Sylvanas and Saurfang had initially planned to attack Stormwind to start a war that, for Saurfang, would finally end the conflict between Horde and Alliance, and for Sylvanas, unbeknownst to him, would begin the process of sending souls to the Maw as she had promised Zovaal. Sylvanas was impatient though, and Darnassus was closer than Stormwind. Taking it hostage would most certainly achieve the same goal of starting the war, and on a timetable that suited her better.
Sylvanas knew her goals were far different from the story she wove for Saurfang, yet the strategy — shifting from a direct attack on Stormwind to taking Darnassas and holding it Read more on wowhead.com
