The Faction: The Age of Mortals

Out with the old and in with the new; the Aspects' vigil has ended, and the age of mortals has dawned. With the discharging of the Aspects there is no turning back, so will the sunshine and daisies last? Can Azeroth's mortal races forge their own destiny, or will the world degenerate into dystopia? Join me, Deeve Spairs, as we address this age-old question on The Faction, only on Critically Analyse.

Participants

• Deeve Spairs [Deeve]
• Alexstrasza [Alexa]
• Drek'Thar [Drek]

Sound bites
From 'The meaning of life':

• Alexstrasza says: Contrary to what many might think, it does not necessarily mean invulnerability. To be immortal [in the Warcraft universe], it means two things: first, that ageing yields at adulthood; and secondly, that illness and disease cannot befall.
• Alexstrasza says: With all due respect, elder Drek'Thar, you yourself must understand how difficult it is for your brash youth to heed [advice]? Despite all of your assurances, there are some things that, for mortals, at least, can only be learned the hard way [through actual experience].
• Drek'Thar says: Despite our days' being numbered, we are very productive, and seek out the best life has to offer. I hardly think we are as - what's the word - complacent as what you ever-healthy types are quite likely to be.

From 'In defence of flaw':

• Alexstrasza says: As far as I can tell, every little issue, for you mortals, must be reduced to power play, to the imposition of the superior will on the inferior.
• Alexstrasza says: ...an endless see-saw between the conservative and liberal ends of politics... It would be nice if the path between stagnation and overwhelming change were found.
• Deeve Spairs says: [The Alliance-Horde conflict] is a rivalry with cause long lost to history... at least for the common folk.
• Alexstrasza says: [:;concerned] That is very worrying to me. Law enforcement, the threat of violence to avoid violence? One of mortal life's greatest ironies.
• Alexstrasza says: Of course, use of force is not simply constrained [to law enforcement]. From a parent's disciplining their child to a rather zealous interest group's getting their voice heard, mortals seem to want to talk with their fists... | Deeve Spairs says: Yes, there is a word we mortals use to describe it, 'terrorism'.
• Drek'Thar says: Deeve, despite our flaws, we [mortals] possess one major redeeming quality. We may be a slave to our emotions, but there is none more powerful than remorse.

From 'Rebellious youth':

• Deeve Spairs says: But surely [Alexstrasza's clutch's] former status as your sons and daughters still matters... | Alexstrasza says: You must distinguish between those events that do not affect that infinitely precious bond between mother and child, and and those that do.
• Deeve Spairs says: So if one were the Aspect of Life, they would actually have a licence to murder. Alas, we mortals are not readily endowed it, and we have a duty to take care of the sick and injured while waiting for the greater powers ... to pass their judgement... Otherwise, well, remorse kicks in, and it sure kicks hard.

Introduction
[Deeve] /say: Welcome to The Faction. The mortal races are now at a crossroads without the Aspects to guide, and we will be discussing how well things will go from here. Today we have with us, Alexstrasza, ex-Aspect of Life...
[Alexa] /yell: [:Draconic;ferocious] Hello.
[Deeve] /s: ...and Drek'Thar, ex-warlock and retired shaman.
[Drek] /s: [:Orcish;] Well met.
[Deeve] /s: First of all, I would like to thank you both for being here to discuss this existential issue. And I would like to assure you, Drek'Thar, that we are all friends here.
[Drek] /s: No worries, Deeve. I will set aside my pride at this great juncture.
[Deeve] /s: Great juncture, indeed.

The meaning of life
[Deeve] /s: Now, Alexstrasza, I understand that you and the other Aspects gave up something very special to save the world [from Deathwing]. Why don't we start off this interview with your telling our audience about it?
[Alexa] /s: Certainly.
<[Alexa] /e turns to the audience.>
[Alexa] /s: Succinctly put, we sacrificed our immortality. Much of our Titan-given power, it went into the Dragon Soul that Thrall used to strike [Deathwing] the Destroyer down. That very same power, it allowed us to live for millennia to maintain an ever watchful vigil over you with numbered days. Alas, we, ex-Aspects, now walk among you with the same - dare I say - misfortunes to befall us.
[Deeve] /s: 'Misfortunes', the way you put it. How well are you coping with your new circumstances?
[Alexa] /s: I have fortune to not have any mortal sufferings befall me just yet. But conversing with other mortals... from what I can gather from them... the prospect... it is overwhelming.
[Drek] /s: The prospect of dying through entirely natural causes? Overwhelming? Were you not the Aspect of Life, Alexstrasza?
[Alexa] /s: It is one matter to simply protect and nurture them - and to do other 'necessary' things - but to actually be one among them...
<[Alexa] /e appears to be lost in thought.>

<[Deeve] /e reaches over to [Alexa] and holds her hand in comfort.>
[Deeve] /s: [:;comforting] Let me assure you, Alexstrasza, that it is the dream of every mortal to transcend their pitiful existence. Treat it as a privilege, even if a transitory one.
<[Deeve] /e returns to his seat.>
[Deeve] /s: Which is something we should elaborate on. So, what does it mean to be immortal?
[Alexa] /s: Contrary to what many might think, it does not necessarily mean invulnerability. To be immortal [in the Warcraft universe], it means two things: first, that ageing yields at adulthood; and secondly, that illness and disease cannot befall.
[Drek] /s: It is not to say that said person cannot be killed intentionally. Applying enough bodily trauma, by axe, arrow or spell, a state of death can very well be induced.
[Alexa] /s: Death in combat, my kind is well accustomed to such a prospect. But a slow and [often] painful descent into infirmity?
<[Alexa] /e shudders.>
[Alexa] /s: And what to say of the fates? Inflicted with malaise without warning? You seem to need to be unlucky for that to happen...
[Deeve] /s: Apparently, Alexstrasza, you have not met many rogues. -So, obviously, this contributes to much of the suffering in the world.
[Drek] /s: Yes, we end up living very short lives, and that itself causes many problems, dare I admit. And you [Deeve Spairs] should do so too.
[Alexa] /s: Wisdom comes with age, I am afraid. Near infinite knowledge is up for the gaining, yet with only a hundred or so years to live, only a fraction can be tapped for betterment.
[Drek] /s: [:;insinuating] Surely, Alexstrasza, you do not think pitifully of the passing of knowledge from elder to youth? The standing on giants' shoulders?
[Alexa] /s: With all due respect, elder Drek'Thar, you yourself must understand how difficult it is for your brash youth to heed it? Despite all of your assurances, there are some things that, for mortals, at least, can only be learned the hard way [through actual experience].
<[Drek] /e grunts in agreement with [Alexa].>
[Alexa] /s: Ah yes, experience, or rather the lack of it. It sorrows me to see mortals squabble over such petty issues, like the use of resources or the incidence of tax. Much more interest in short-term gain than long-term viability.
[Drek] /s: Dare you say that a lifetime horizon is not enough?
[Alexa] /s: Does your kind think for your children? Or your children's children? Or even for infinite posterity, for that matter? As relieved as I am to not respond 'never', alas, I must still admit 'rarely'.

[Drek] /s: Alexstrasza, a short lifespan isn't entirely without advantage. Just like with anything scarce, you treasure it and you make the most of it. Despite our days' being numbered, we are very productive, and seek out the best life has to offer. I hardly think we are as - what's the word - complacent as what you ever-healthy types are quite likely to be.
[Alexa] /s: Umm...
[Deeve] /s: We should save this juicy debate for the next segment of this interview-
[Drek] /s: -Still don't quite understand?
<[Drek] /e stands up.>
[Drek] /y: [:TES5_Dragon Language;] JOoR ZAh FRUL!
<[Alexa] /e recoils in agony, inflicted with Dragonrend.>
[Alexa] /y: What have you done? What twisted words have you created?!
<[Alexa] /e stands up and points at [Drek].>
[Alexa] /y: [:TES5_Dragon Language;vicious] Tahrodiis Drek'Thar!
<[Alexa] /e freezes for a moment, then, despite threatening [Drek], collapses in tears.>
[Deeve] /s: Oh dear, we should take a break. Umm, stay with us, gentle audience.
<[Deeve] /e rushes over to [Alexa] and comforts her.>

In defence of flaw
[Deeve] /s: Welcome back to The Faction, where-
<[Deeve] /e glances at [Alexa] with a worried look on his face.>
[Deeve] /s: -Are you okay, Alexstrasza? Your presence in this interview is quite a privilege...
[Alexa] /s: Drek'Thar... He summarised mortality very well for me... Is life that precious to you, and death that repulsive? Is that why your kind is so energetic?
[Drek] /s: As much as I want to respond affirmatively, I will let the blatancy speak for itself.
[Alexa] /s: It will take much reflection. In the meantime, let us continue the interview.
[Deeve] /s: Okay. So yes, we are looking at life without the Aspects, and now we properly discuss whether mortals can take care of themselves.
[Drek] /s: Dare I not state the obvious, Mr. Spairs? Of course we can, and your mortal self cannot deny it!
[Deeve] /s: I am afraid you must elaborate, Drek'Thar, for my impression of current politics suggests otherwise...

[Alexa] /s: I must concur with Deeve. As far as I can tell, every little issue, for you mortals, must be reduced to power play, to the imposition of the superior will on the inferior.
[Drek] /s: Politics is inevitable with dissimilar interests. Every man, woman and child has a different opinion on how the world should run, and what better way to resolve them than discussion and careful governance?
[Alexa] /s: I do not wish to speak poorly of any political system; I am referring directly to that mortal nature which brings the such into being. I do not deny the existence of differing opinions, but if everyone lived even only tens of times longer... sympathy and empathy for each other's circumstances... people can much more easily reconcile...
[Alexa] /s: There is, then, the volatile public opinion. It surprises me to see how often mortal minds change. There is also the overzealous incumbent [leader] that will take ideals too far, much to the ire of the populace, and get knocked off their political perch. From all this results an endless see-saw between the conservative and liberal ends of politics... It would be nice if the path between stagnation and overwhelming change were found.
<[Alexa] /e sighs.>
[Alexa] /s: Alas, people become so insistent on their own opinions that it leads to conflict...

[Deeve] /s: Let's not forget that [which is] between the Alliance and Horde.
[Alexa] /s: In my once-immortal mind, such a disagreement is petty.
[Drek] /y: Petty? It is a matter of life and death!
[Drek] /s: Without food, water and relief from the elements, life perishes. Access to those needs is all we [the Horde] wish, yet the Alliance deny us that.
[Alexa] /s: Formerly being the Aspect of Life, I am well aware. Drek'Thar, you should probably realise that the Alliance desire those very same needs, and, being living creatures too, they are as much entitled. And do you not worry about depletion [of resources]? Ashenvale [Forest] is being logged much faster than it can regrow and may well soon become an extension of the Barrens... I fear for mortals' innate greed.
[Deeve] /s: Ah yes, mortal greed. Nonetheless, it springs from our survival instincts' strive to ensure plenty. Drek'Thar, are you worried that Garrosh Hellscream has succumbed powerlessly to it? He seems to have rather ambitious expansion plans...
[Drek] /s: Warchief Hellscream has his flaws, but weakness is not one of them, and the renewed vitality in the Horde, I credit it to him. Not only did he oversee Orgrimmar's rebuilding, he's also quite inspirational in battle. It wasn't since before the Dark Portal that we [orcs] saw a bright future ahead of us.
[Deeve] /s: By a 'bright future', do you mean one with fire and embers? I, myself, only see all-out war. That sorrows me, to say the least.
[Alexa] /s: Let us not forget his squabble with King Varian Wrynn during the Yogg-Saron crisis. You would think that they, and by extension the greater Alliance and Horde, would set aside their differences in the face of such large a threat...
[Drek] /s: I do rather impress of that incident that it was Varian who squabbled with Warchief Hellscream, that it was he who escalated tensions. And it all is not just about deforestation and land grabs... The Alliance seems to hate us...
[Deeve] /s: Let us not forget that the Horde hates the Alliance right back. It is a rivalry with cause long lost to history... at least for the common folk.
[Alexa] /s: Because of the short mortal lifespan, no less.

[Deeve] /s: Okay, so we have already discussed the messy politics of things, and such discussion is not complete without looking at law enforcement. Just for the audience, there are two main schools of thought on what gives laws authority: natural law, which treats ethics and conscience as giving that authority; and positive law, which instead asserts an empowered government for the such. So, Alexstrasza, how much do you approve of mortal law enforcement?
[Alexa] /s: As much as individual discipline is ideal, I am afraid that mortals appear quite reliant on the use of force.
[Drek] /s: I am not as enlightened in jurisprudence, so do please explain what you are getting at.
[Alexa] /s: Certainly. Apparently, mortals invoke positive law quite liberally by attaching punishments to crimes. It is the fear and pain of such punishments that encourages abiding by the law.
<[Alexa] /e sighs.>
[Alexa] /s: [:;concerned] That is very worrying to me. Law enforcement, the threat of violence to avoid violence? One of mortal life's greatest ironies.
[Alexa] /s: Of course, use of force is not simply constrained there. From a parent's disciplining their child to a rather zealous interest group's getting their voice heard, mortals seem to want to talk with their fists, or, in the case of worgen, their claws.
[Deeve] /s: Yes, there is a word we mortals use to describe it, 'terrorism'.
[Drek] /s: Alexstrasza, can you then suggest any alternative to this so-called 'terrorism'?
[Alexa] /s: With mortal tendencies in mind, I am afraid that use of force is the best alternative thus far. That is assuming, of course, that mortals are stubborn in their ways and refuse to settle their differences. Were they to, no one needs to live in fear of harm, institutional or otherwise, as there would be no harm to inflict in the first place.

[Deeve] /s: So, Drek'Thar, how do you see us mortals into the future?
[Drek] /s: Deeve, despite our flaws, we possess one major redeeming quality. We may be a slave to our emotions, but there is none more powerful than remorse. You know that spiritually crushing sensation, Deeve, and the deep desire to turn back time. Yes, it may talk with its fists and invoke our sense of greed, but at least that is mortal flaw turned perfection. The sense of remorse will keep our passions in check, and along with our energy, innovation and continuous betterment, we will manage!
<[Drek] /e pumps his fist in the air.>
[Deeve] /s: And Alexstrasza?
[Alexa] /s: As we are concluding, I will simply say that even a sense of remorse has its own shortcomings. In relation to the question, I do not wish to repeat myself, so I will just express my great reservations for Azeroth's future.
[Deeve] /s: Well, only time will tell. Stay with us, as after the break we will talk about Alexstrasza's child rearing.
<[Alexa] /e raises her eyebrows.>

Rebellious youth
[Alexa] /s: -and I insist that it is the right-
[Deeve] /s: -Okay, we're back on. Welcome back to The Faction, where we looked at the future of the mortal races.
[Deeve] /s: Now, Alexstrasza, this matter has stirred up quite some controversy, and it kind of ties in with the mortality theme of this interview. I am, of course, referring to your condemnation to death of your clutch corrupted by Deathwing. Have a listen.

Deathwing yells: It is good to see you again, Alexstrasza. I have been busy in my absence.
Deathwing yells: Twisting your pitiful whelps into mindless abominations, bent only to my will. It was a very... painful process.
Alexstrasza says: They... are my clutch no longer. Bring them down[, adventurers].

[Drek] /y: Outrageous!

[Deeve] /s: Very harsh words, Alexstrasza, ones nonetheless backed with force. How could you disown your own children like that?
[Alexa] /s: They are not my whelps. I therefore did not have any children to 'disown' in the first place.
[Deeve] /s: But surely their 'former' status as your sons and daughters still matters...
[Alexa] /s: You must distinguish between those events that do not affect that infinitely precious bond between mother and child, and and those that do. For example, something like... oh, I don't know... horn piercing, is frowned upon, yet a good talk is all that is needed to place them back in line. Deathwing's corruption, however... well, do you realise how much the whelps changed? Deathwing said it himself, "bent only to [his] will". As much as I loved my pre-corruption clutch, reversing the corruption was out of the question, and I had no other choice.
[Drek] /s: Admit it, Alexstrasza. You actually are rather soft on horn adornments, for you have some yourself!
[Deeve] /s: Do we have an image on file?

[Deeve] /s: There we go.
[Alexa] /s: I can assure everyone that I regret having added permanently to my horns and that I actively discourage my clutch from doing the same. They understand the apparent hypocrisy.

[Drek] /s: How well, may I ask, is your conscience faring after that call?
[Alexa] /s: I can comfortably say that I feel that I made the right decision, both then and now, and that it had never faltered in the meantime.
[Deeve] /s: How can such a call feel morally right? In Alliance society, for example, care is given to soldiers wounded in battle, and euthanasia is frowned upon.
[Alexa] /s: Do you see a conflict of my decision with my values as Aspect of Life? I would like to clarify that, when Eonar empowered me, I was granted the twin instruments of life and its void, death. I was to wield both as needed to keep the world in balance.
[Drek] /s: Dare you murder without remorse?
[Alexa] /s: There is a word in your mortal language - ah yes, 'necessity' - that comes close to explaining the complexities. You do what you need to do, and you do not let emotions cloud your judgement. Nor do you let emotions prevent you from doing what you need to do.
<[Drek] /e appears somewhat disgusted by what [Alexa] had to say.>
[Alexa] /s: Drek'Thar, Deeve, all you mortals in the audience, if you all were immortal, you would understand.
[Deeve] /s: So, if one were the Aspect of Life, they would actually have a licence to murder... Alas, we mere mortals are not readily endowed that privilege, and we have a duty to take care of the sick and injured while we wait for the greater powers - whoever they may be - to pass their judgement. And exercise it. Otherwise, well, remorse kicks in, and it sure kicks hard.
[Alexa] /s: Fair enough.
[Deeve] /s: So, Alexstrasza, how do you sum up your defence?
[Alexa] /s: Sentencing those corrupted whelps to death was necessary given the threat they posed on Azeroth and its life.
[Deeve] /s: And Drek'Thar, any final remarks?
[Drek] /s: I will trust that Alexstrasza made the right call, though I am not entirely satisfied with her defence just yet. It will take some reflection.
[Deeve] /s: Utilitarianism at its finest. That is all we have time for. Alexstrasza, Drek'Thar, thank you for joining us.
[Alexa] + [Drek] /s: Thank you.
[Deeve] /s: And thank you for watching The Faction, only on Critically Analyse.

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Acknowledgements

• Inspired by The Nation with David Speers on Sky News

Appendix A: 'Immortals', reproduced for posterity

Many immortal and near-immortal creatures exist in Warcraft. A number of these creatures are fundamentally incorporeal beings, but others lead a primarily physical existence.

The Nature of Immortality

Immortals in Warcraft are generally resistant to sickness and injury, but immortality does not confer invulnerability. Immortal beings can still be wounded and even killed. Indeed, many immortals have perished over the course of recorded history, particularly during the War of the Ancients. The death of an immortal is just as real as any mortal death and, barring a few extraordinary cases, just as permanent.

What, then, does the term immortality mean in Warcraft? Immortal creatures essentially stop aging when they reach adulthood, and thus, they cannot die merely from old age. In addition, they tend to be more powerful than most mortal creatures, although this tendency does not always hold true. Even godhood itself is no guarantee of superior might. Consider the titans' defeat of the Old Gods. The titans are not gods, but their vast power allowed them to imprison the Old Gods far below the surface of Azeroth.

Furthermore, immortality need not be a lasting state of affairs. The night elves, for example, were immortal for thousands of years, but sacrificed their immortality during the Third War. Today they are a mortal race, and they are accordingly classified as such, rather than listed herein.

There are also quite a few races and individuals who have attained immortality after leading a mortal existence. Most demons in the Burning Legion were once mortal creatures.

Last but not least, there are creatures that can be considered nearly immortal. Technically these beings are mortal, but for one reason or other, they have a lifespan that greatly exceeds several millennia. Indeed, these mortal creatures might even be considered effectively immortal due to some external factor, as with Ysera's consorts, who almost never emerge from the Emerald Dream.

Appendix B: 'Around Azeroth: Mother and child reunion', reproduced for posterity