You should see the other guy

Grimm tells me we’re getting company so I should be nice. So I’ll be nice. See? Nice. Me.

On the topic of niceness, let’s talk about faction hating.  Or, more precisely, hating on one’s own faction leaders.

Now, Hordies, I can see where you’re coming from. But when your faction is lead by an invasion force, that’s the way it goes. You get a walking talking war machine. I won’t really say much more about the guy, since he and I haven’t been besties since that thing in the bar, but, really, you don’t go to war with the warchief you want, you to to war with the warchief you have. Until you don’t. /wink

Alliance, however, seems to have real problems with its faction leaders.

I’m not going to spend any time with Genn Greymane since he hasn’t had time to settle in yet.

Velen, we can’t really say much about. He’s been a good fellow and not rocked the boat so much ever since crashing a Draenai space fortress into our planet. The worst I can say for the fellow is that he’s probably a good choice for a Jeopardy stumper.

The Night Elves got a little relief when Archdruid Staghelm was put down, but for a while he was the Alliance faction leader most likely to get ratted out by his own players. A fine distinction, for sure, but it got out of hand when Alliance players started escorting Hordies to the boat in Darkshore and buying tickets for them to get across the sea to punch his clock.  Tyrande Whisperwind, at least, doesn’t go out of her way to offend.

Up until the Cataclysm, dear old Magni was probably the Alliance favorite by a mile.  Everybody’s favorite boozy old uncle, it’s been a real blow to see him replaced by a council that has that unbearable grump Moira on it.

(OW! Okay, okay, got it. NICE! Right!)

And that, ladies, and gents, leaves us with the lovable visage of Stormwind’s former absentee landlord, Varian Wrynn.

I have heard a lot of hating on this guy. How people feel he’s cut Westfall loose to fend for itself (not true, but a certain miss VanCleef would like you to keep believing that). How he’s a warmongering jerk (He might have a reason to be hating on the Horde. Or a dozen. See below). How he has statues built for himself while his subjects beg at the gates (Okay, on that I’ve got nothing.)  In general, people just seem to think he’s a jerk for no good reason at all.

Let’s review this chump’s happy-go-lucky life.

As a child, his father was assassinated right in front of him, by a half-orc, as other Orcs sacked Stormwind.

As an older child, the man that filled in as his father was killed. By orcs. Again.

As king, his wife was killed by rioting stonemasons (soon to become the Defias),

As king, he was kidnapped and memory-wiped by Onyxia.

After that, he was enslaved. By orcs ((I sense a theme.)). And forced to fight in gladiatorial combat until he got sprung and got his memory back.

Back on the throne, he watches in horror as the man that watched over his son while he was missing – was killed. By Horde operatives.

And to put the icing on the cake, his own son was almost lost to him when Princess Moira besieged Ironforge from within.

Might you be a bit scrappy, a little irritable, maybe, under similar circumstances?

Really, I think what he needs more than anything is a big hug. It’s been a rough few years. A hug, a drink or two, and a real vacation, only with less mind-wiping.

I’m enough of a cynic to think that none of that matters to most people.

That’s right Joey. And you would know.