Horde issues: Garrosh

Last week I wrote about the Alliance overall story developement in Cataclysm. I think it's good to have something similar about the horde as well.

I think Horde is currently doing better from the story point of view. And I don't just mean that Cataclysm has been huge military victory for the Horde. Alliance lost Southshore, big chunks of Ashenvale and we know that Theramore will fall. I don't really care if one or other has the upper hand in the Horde-Alliance war, but what I do care about is the overall story. Of course from gameplay perspective Alliance players need to feel that what they do has some meaning. Alliance has been crippled during Cata. New human introduction says it clearly, Alliance was just recovering from the war against the Scourge when Deathwing came. Horde just was more prepared and took the advantage when it was possible. But now it's time to examine some major issues in Horde storyline. This entry will be about a major figure in Cataclysm:

1. Garrosh Hellscream
They love him, they hate him, he's the ultimate warmonger and many players would like to see him gone. It's not just as simple as that. Who is this Garrosh anyway? If you don't know about the lore let's do a quick recollection:

Garrosh is the son of legendary Warsong clan chief Grom Hellscream. Grom was the first to drink Mannoroth's blood that caused the orcs to sink to demonic bloodlust and from wich the first war against the humans followed. Garrosh was too sick at the time to leave Nagrand to the wars with his father so he was left behind. He didn't drink the demon blood and his skin remained brown. Garrosh was devastated as he would have been bery eager to fight. Grom and most of other orcs were imprisoned after the second war. When Thrall freed the orcs from the camps he befriended Grom. In Kalimdor Thrall and Grom fought Mannoroth. Grom managed to slay the pit lord, but he lost his own life as well. By killing the demon the blood curse over the orcs was lifted. Orcs were free and Grom was remembered as a great hero. In BC Horde players got to make contact with the brown skinned Magh'ari orcs who were not corrupted in the first place. Garrosh and the other Magh'ari joined the Horde and he travelled to Orgrimmar with Thrall. Thrall made him to lead the Horde campaign in Northrend. Afterwards when Thrall went to continue his training as a shaman he laid down the mantle of warchief and he appointed Garrosh to be the new warchief.

But what is it with Garrosh then that pisses people of? I think the problem is that people see him as very shallow, one-sided personality. It is true that Garrosh is a warrior from inside out and he really does care most about the survival of the Horde and his people, by any means neccessary. Horde needs timber and farmland to survive? Ok, let's invade Ashenvale. Many see Garrosh only as a hot head who wants war at every turn. If you play Stonetalon mountain storyline as Horde character, you will see that there's more to him. In the culminating events we learn that the campaign is necessary, but destroying druid grove is too much for Garrosh. He strongly disapproves the massacre of innocents. We see that Garrosh fights a war, that's true, but he's also an orc that holds honor in great value. Honorable orc doesn't kill innocents.

Garrosh is an epitome of the orc slogan: strength and honor. But how do his people see him? Think for a moment yourself: He is leading a succesful war campaing and claiming more land which secures the survival of his people. He also is brown skinned, a living symbol for overcoming the corruption and for the new beginning of orc race. What do you think, do his people want him to continue as warchief?