One of the many shocking revelations at BlizzCon 2017 was an image of a burning Teldrassil. And although the Alliance seeks revenge by laying siege to the Undercity, the death of Teldrassil is a huge loss for all of Azeroth.

Many are sure that Sylvanas is involved in this, as she stands in the forefront and watches how the world tree burns. But there are a few details that indicate it could be someone else. Chief among them are Alex Afrasiabi's words on the World of Warcraft "What's Next" panel: "Why is the Horde burning down Teldrassil?... Why is the Alliance attacking Undercity?... It doesn't matter who fired the first shot..."

Perhaps the inner conspiracy theorist just woke up in me, but his words were chosen in a very peculiar way. He admits that the burning of Teldrassil may not have been the initiator of the conflict, leaving one to wonder who actually fired the "first shot".

Sylvanas Windrunner

Let's discuss the most obvious first. Sylvanas Windrunner is the leader of the Horde, which, according to Afrasiabi's hints, is involved in the burning of Teldrassil. And if the Horde did it, then their leader gave the command, right? Most likely. But then the question arises: why?

One reason could be that Teldrassil became a huge source of Azerite, the lifeblood of Azeroth, which began to bleed from within the planet after Sargeras plunged his sword into Silithus. Azerite is an incredibly powerful substance, and if Teldrassil had a large concentration of it, it would give the Alliance a huge advantage over the Horde.

So, what would you do in the place of the Horde? You would try to push back the Alliance and seize such a powerful source of power. What if you didn't succeed? Then it must be destroyed before the enemy gains such a huge advantage. In terms of military tactics, this is a logical course of action. But from Sylvanas' point of view, that's not her style. But it could be someone else, someone from her inner circle.

Nathanos Blightcaller

Nathanos is the right hand of Sylvanas, one whose loyalty is undeniable. Perhaps he is responsible for this. He was present in World of Warcraft from the very beginning, but since Legion, he has become much more famous. After the initial assault on the Horde in Stormheim, Nathanos led the Horde forces into the area in search of Sylvanas. In trying to track down the banshee queen, he proved to be not only ruthless, but also loyal: "Her will is law, I must not ask questions. Only obey."

In other words, if Nathanos was sent to Teldrassil on Sylvanas' orders, completing the mission and/or protecting the Dark Lady at all costs would be his top priority - no matter what it takes to get there. And if burning Teldrassil was the only way to carry out Sylvanas' order, Nathanos would burn it down without hesitation.

But readiness for anything is not the only reason to suspect Nathanos. Firstly, the fact that Nathanos and Saurfang have new models in the 7.3.5 patch files, despite Nathanos just getting a new one in Legion. What if the reason these two have new models is because they will be used in a cutscene showing the burning of Teldrassil? This may seem far-fetched, but it cannot be ruled out either.

In the prologue of Before the Storm, Nathanos and Saurfang have just returned from the Undercity to meet Sylvanas in Orgrimmar. When they see her, she says: "Another quarter of an hour and I would have to go without my champion."

And at the same time, most likely, these events take place somewhere before the events from the Battle for Azeroth trailer. How is it all connected? Burning Teldrassil. In other words, Nathanos, Saurfang, and Sylvanas are present in the prologue. And this happens before Teldrassil was engulfed in flames. But only Sylvanas and Saurfang participate in the battle for the Undercity.

If it was Nathanos who set fire to Teldrassil, then it is possible that he died during its explosion. This may well explain his absence during the siege of the Undercity. Of course, there's another reason why he might not be there - he might be in command of another part of the Horde force that might be responsible for the arson.

This is a new and relatively unknown, but still capable organization - the Council of the Forsaken. Who are they? A group of dissident Forsaken who filled the niche of Sylvanas while she was in Stormheim, "establishing their own government to take care of the needs of the populace". In the prologue "Before the Storm" (from which the previous quote was taken), Nathanos talks about the Council of the Forsaken as a group that does not want what Sylvanas wants. They do not want the eternal life that Sylvanas wants to get with the help of the Val'kyr.

Remember what happened the last time some of the Forsaken broke away? That's right, we got the Wrathgate and the subsequent battle for the Undercity. And both of these groups undermined Sylvanas' status as a leader. If the Council of the Forsaken had known that Sylvanas wanted to do something to Teldrassil, they might have burned it down. What for? To blame Sylvanas and turn the Horde and Alliance against her. Also, it's entirely possible that Sylvanas would rather take responsibility for this than show she has no control over her people.

However, the prologue seems to deal with the matter quickly - Sylvanas' thoughts immediately turn to the Wrathgate before her worry is overwhelmed by the realization that Nathanos won't discuss this coup so casually. And Nathanos, knowing what Sylvanas was thinking only by the expression on her face, assures that everything is calm in the Undercity. Also, it's hard to imagine how a group of dissidents could have found a way to burn down Teldrassil and planned ahead of time to carry out their plan the moment Sylvanas got there.

Outside forces

Of course, there is always a chance that Afrasiabi does not attribute the "first shot" to one of the two factions. We saw hints of the machinations of the ancient god throughout Legion, and, very suspiciously, the sword of Sargeras stuck in the very region where K'Thun lives. It wasn't the first time the Old Gods had fomented conflicts between mortals.

This may have been done to distract players from the "real" conflict of the expansion, while still tying everything together in a believable way. But I'm hesitant to attribute the burning of the world tree to the manipulative power of the Old Gods due to the fact that we have already seen such a plot in Warcraft. And even then, the conflict between the Horde and the Alliance will look far-fetched.

However, it is entirely possible and will have a solid place in the expansion's plot. In addition, we must be prepared for the activity of the ancient gods. But maybe there is something else besides the ancient gods?

Put the pieces together

Thanks to one small detail in the image of Teldrassil, an interesting theory can be built. In the first image, there are two figures next to Sylvanas - Saurfang and Nathanos. But on the second, when Teldrassil was engulfed in flames, she was already alone. Where did her minions go?

Some believe that the elf to the right of Sylvanas is Veresa. If so, this explains two things. First, why Sylvanas stayed, allowing Saurfang and Nathanos to lead the attack. Secondly, why does the dying elf change positions between the two images. There aren't many elves worthy of Sylvanas' attention, but Veresa is one of them. And if Sylvanas wanted to say goodbye to her sister, she would rather do it alone.

The theory is that Veresa dies on the outskirts of Teldrassil, and Sylvanas stays behind to be with her in her final moments. And before she can get to the tree herself, Nathanos takes extreme measures and burns it down. It's possible he dies in the process, which would explain his absence from the Battle for Azeroth trailer. Or, more likely, he leads an army in another part of the city.

Regardless of who burned Teldrassil, it is clear that others besides Sylvanas could have done it. Hope we find out soon.

Character questions "How to get from Darnassus to Stormwind and back?" arise not only among new players of the game "Word of Warcraft". But even those who have long received a high level also forget the route back. We suggest you familiarize yourself with the guide and find out how to get from Darnassus to Stormwind and vice versa.

What is Darnassus and where is it located?

Darnassus is one of the main cities of the capital of the night elves faction, so it is located on their starting location. That is, everyone who started playing for this race, after the tenth level, gets into Darnassus. Quests (tasks) lead there, and only through this city you can get to others. After all, the initial location is located in the north of the Kalimdor mainland, on an island in the branches of a huge tree.

In connection with this location, many players often have the question: "How to get from Darnassus to Stormwind or to another city?" After all, when you enter the capital of the night elves, it is not clear from the first time whether there is any kind of transport or teleport here.

Also sometimes high level players forget how to get back to Darnassus. The question is: why do they need it at all, because the location seems to be the initial one? As mentioned earlier, Darnassus is not just a city, it is the capital. Here are all the teachers of professions and classes, here you can learn horseback riding, buy transport in the form of saber teeth and several pets (owls and hawks). Therefore, many come back here when they accumulate gold in order to replenish their collections of vehicles and satellites.

How to get from Darnassus to Stormwind: looking for vehicles

There are no means of transportation in Darnassus itself. Therefore, in order to get into Stormwind, you need to get out of it. To do this, go to the middle of the city to the big tree where the bank is located. From there head west. You will see a large pink tent. Go into it - you will be teleported to the shore of the location. Here you can already get to anywhere in the world "WWII"

WOW: how to get to Stormwind from Darnassus?

From almost any city, this can be done in four ways:

• air transport;
• through a magical portal;
• on the ship;
• at its own pace.

When you went through the tent from Darnassus to the shore, you can see three piers. And if you go a little further, you will also find

In order not to visit any other locations and immediately get to Stormwind - the main capital of the Alliance, it is recommended to use the ship. To do this, go to the end of the pier, which is located to the left of the house, located behind the portal tent. Wait for the ship, go to its deck and sail away. You will be presented with a loading screen with a dotted line indicating your route from Darnassus to Stormwind. You will sail to the port of the main capital. Therefore, you can go back in the same way.

You can also get to Stormwind by detours:

• Get on the air transport of the flight manager and fly to the village - the next pumping location, and from there fly further and so with various transfers get to Stormwind. Such a route is useful if you plan to upgrade your character in places planned by the game itself.
• Meet a high-level mage in Darnassus and ask him to open a portal to Stormwind.
• Join a guild and ask someone currently in Stormwind to summon you with the appropriate spell.

If you are already a high level and you have air transport, then you can independently fly over the water and land on the lands of Kalimdor, and from there fly to Stormwind.

They get back to Darnassus in the same ways that they get out of it.

Darnassus is one of the cities of the Alliance, the capital of the night elves. It is located in the north of the continent of Kalimdor, on the branches of a huge tree, and is separated from the rest of the world by a strip of water. Players often have difficulty getting to Darnassus, though there are several ways to get to the night elf city.

Sail on a ship

Darnassus can be reached directly from Stormwind by taking a sea voyage. To do this, you need to get to the harbor in the capital of people, and wait for the ship at the far left pier. It's built in the style of night elf buildings, you can't go wrong. The ship will take you to a mighty tree, where you will still need to go through a red-glowing portal to get inside the city.

Air Transport

Alliance players can use the air transport network to travel to the night elf capital on the back of a bird. Of course, for this you need to be in Kalimdor and find a flight master.

Magic portal

Mages can create portals to various cities, including Darnassus. Ask one of them to help you - this is the fastest way to get there.

On your own

If none of the above methods suits you (for example, Horde players), you can get to the abode of the elves on your own. You will need to head to the Darkshore location, from where you can swim (this is a long time), run (using various spells and abilities to walk on water) or fly (on a mount) to Darnassus.