Fandral Staghelm - Hero or Dreadlord?!

[Enerdhil]

We've all met him. Arrogant, snide, self-centered and with a seemingly endless desire for Morrowgrain. Fandral Staghelm is what we can call an old-school Night Elf. He believes in aggressive, expansionistic politics, and in Night Elven supremacy - Night Elves are the only 'true' druids and the superior race on Azeroth, according to him. Elves like Staghelm are not uncommon, far from it. What makes him unusual is that he has replaced the comatose Malfurion Stormrage as Archdruid. Even so, there is quite a long way from being an arrogant Elf to being a Dreadlord. In order to clarify how this conclusion was reached, we need to examine similar cases throughout the world - Of Dreadlords possessing influential people in various factions and using them for their own purposes. Fortunately, we do not have to look far to find the obvious candidates.

Saiden Dathrohan - Grand Crusader of the Scarlet Crusade
During an assault on the Scourge-held city of Stratholme, Dathrohan was separated from the other former knights of the Silver Hand and captured by the Dreadlord Balnazzar. Balnazzar killed him and possessed his corpse, his powerful magic protecting the former Paladin's body from decay. In his new guise, he secretly worked to corrupt Alexandros Mograine's son, Renault Mograine, and tricked him into killing his father and becoming the leader of the Scarlet Monastery. Once High Lord Mograine was murdered, Dathrohan became the Grand Crusader of the Scarlet Crusade. Other leaders included Isillien, the Abbendises, and Renault. Balnazzar used Dathrohan's form to slowly transform the Crusade into a paranoid regime.

Admiral Barean Westwind - Grand Admiral of the Scarlet Fleet
Barean Westwind of Kul Tiras was once a prominent member of the Scarlet Crusade. He was part of the Scarlet Fleet's disastrous expedition to Northrend, and was lost off the Frozen Coast. A large statue was erected in his honor in the Hall of Champions, located in the Scarlet Monastery in the Tirisfal Glades.

However, recent reports indicate that he is still alive and has joined the ranks of the Scarlet Onslaught. Only a few know that he actually did die and that his corpse is being used as a disguise for the dreadlord Mal'Ganis, who was also previously thought dead but in fact survived his encounter with a vengeful Arthas Menethil.

The story of Barean Westwind reveals one very important thing - That Dreadlords are apparantly able to, if not rise from the dead, then at least convince everyone that their apparant death is real. Now, Dreadlords aren't a numerous bunch, and most of the known Dreadlords to make an appearance during and after the Third War can be accounted for. Balnazzar, as we've seen, was ruling the Scarlet Crusade. Dalvengyr and Detheroc were stationed in the ruins of Lordaeron, and supposedly defeated by Kael'thas and Sylvanas, respectively. Mephistroth remained in the Twisting Nether, guiding the Legions' forces. Mal'Ganis fled to Northrend. This leaves only two, and conveniently both of them went with the Legion to Kalimdor. Tichondrius the Darkener, and Anetheron. Both were slain there, which is why Mal'Ganis' story is so important. If Mal'Ganis could trick Arthas, surely Tichondrius could trick Illidan.

But the fact that two high-ranking Dreadlords were slain in Kalimdor, and that Fandral Staghelm is arrogant and snide, does not immediately lend itself to the forementioned conclusion. Our analysis has to go a little deeper to reach that goal. First and foremost, it is important to be aware of the unique position that the Night Elves are in. Unlike the majority of peoples on Azeroth, large swathes of Night Elven lands were untouched by the invasion of the Legion. Where the Orcs, Humans and High Elves were nearly wiped out, Feralas, Darkshore and portions of Ashenvale were untouched. As seen during the Battle of Mount Hyjal, the Night Elves were the last defense line. This is important, because it means that the Night Elves are the largest military force in the Alliance currently. By initiating intense, political conflicts with Tyrande, Staghelm has effectively manage to neutralize a large portion of the faction's military might.

Though it is widely known that Staghelm is at odds with High Priestess Tyrande, only the highest ranking members of the Cenarion Circle and the Sisters of Elune are aware of just how far the disagreements extend — the two are locked in a bitter power struggle that has secretly polarized the night elf government.

There is, however, another event that makes Staghelm's actions seem highly suspect.

After speaking with the druids in Moonglade, Brann Bronzebeard was given an explanation behind the mysterious circumstances of Malfurion's coma — that someone actually attacked Malfurion. "An unknown assailant recently did something to the famed leader of the druids, Malfurion Stormrage, and he has been in some sort of catatonic state ever since. With the knowledge that the Cenarion Circle has an enemy powerful enough to incapacitate their leader, the druids have become increasingly worried and suspicious. After speaking with some of the druids here, I learned some unusual — and unsettling — facts." Brann believes that whatever did this may be one of the most powerful entities in the world. "Prime suspects are Remulos and Fandral Staghelm, since they are the only druids powerful enough to potentially sabotage Malfurion’s efforts in the Emerald Dream.

Now Keeper Remulos is an old friend of Malfurion's, and a staunch ally of his. While he no doubt has the power to sabotage Malfurion's dreamstate, he lacks motive. Consider, then, Staghelm. His current position of power only exists because of Malfurion's absence. Conveniently this could also explain the purpose of the Morrowgrain he is procuring in massive amounts:

Quintis Jonespyre, a druid residing in Feathermoon Stronghold is very concerned with why the archdruid in Darnassus is using the name of the Cenarion Circle, as well as the Circle's resources, to procure vast amounts of morrowgrain. He is a researcher — curses are his specialty. Quintis has heard that morrowgrain, under the right conditions, exudes qualities like other herbs used in primitive curses.

Fandral Staghelm is in a position to plunge the Night Elves into civil war, something that would severely weaken Azeroth's defences against a future Legion invasion. It remains to be seen what happens once Malfurion's promised return in Cataclysm happens, but I would not be surprised to see Staghelm revealed as Tichondrius.
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[Perlin]

That's a nice theory and good lore searching.

I wonder too, it would be nice to find this out about Staghelm and nobody would have expected it..
Unlike with the Scarlet Crusade, which seems to have almost more demonic/evil members than normal ones, the Night Elves are known as generally good people who just have a clash of leadership and opinion in this time of mortality that is completely new and alien to them.
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[Kili]

I strongly believe that we will see what is happening in the Emerald Dream before Cataclysm. In fact I think that however we encounter Malfurion will be the catalyst for Deathwing's re-emergence from the bowels of Azeroth. Blizzard dont write about their heroes unless they have good reason and I dont think they'd let a book about one of the most famous of night elves be released without some plan in the works. Especially as the Fall of the Lich King seems to look pretty conclusive. I suspect that the Emerald Dream will be similar to the Ahn'Quiraj (sp) and Isle of Quel'Danias (sp) patches in Vanilla WoW and TBC.

It might also link in to the Worgen storyline as there is talk of the worgen being linked with the night elves from 'somewhere vague'. I wouldn't try to pin down the location and time of the night elf/worgen encounters as most of us have played a part in key events of Azeroth's past. I would probably expect a Burning Legion attempt at corrupting the Emerald Dream which leads to the conflict that the worgen flee from, into the various events of the past.
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Kili and Odin - Beastmaster Hunter
Hagrith - Protection Paladin

[Kailania]

A nice theory, but wouldn't that make it easy to dismiss all of Azeroth's... bad people as demons? I mean, doesn't that mean that Magatha Grimtotem could potentially be a demon as well? Especially considering she worked against Cairne, with the Forsaken -and most likely the branch of Forsaken that worked with Varimathras against Sylvanas.

@Kili: the Worgen originally came into Azeroth by the hand of a Night Elf sentinel whose name slips me, using the Scythe of Elune to summon an army to fight corruption in Ashenvale. She then for some reason went to the Eastern Kingdoms and lost the Scythe in Duskwood. She herself disappeared without trace. Wowwiki has more details, I'm sure. This at least explains the presence of Worgen in northern Ashenvale and Duskwood. Worgen 'samples' were probably imported from Duskwood to Shadowfang Keep, where Arugal did his mad engineering.

[Kili]

@Kaliana, yes i've done the sentinel quest a lot of times but it is very vague about where the Scythe of Elune is bringing the Worgen from. Hence my opinion that they could be coming from any warzone which may or may not involve the burning legion. All that is known is that the Scythe summoned worgen from somewhere and they got out of control. Arugal is rumoured to be from behind the Greymane wall and

@Enerdhil I don't think Fandral is a Dreadlord, I think that he is just a militant night elf. In a similar way to Saurfang and Garrosh in the Horde. By the end of Warcraft III most of the faction leaders were neutral which isn't a good dynamic for a conflict. Therefore Blizzard had to insert some militant figures into each of the races to support faction animosity. Notice how even though the Forsaken are supposedly only working with the Horde to further their own ends Blizzard still put Putrice(?) in place rather than let Sylvanas take the rap for the genocide perpetrated by the Forsaken. Similarly I think they are moving aside Thrall (and killing off Cairne Bloodhoof) during the opening events of the Cataclysm because they are actually quite reasonable beings who dont fulfil the perceved need for conflict within the worlds of Warcraft.
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Kili and Odin - Beastmaster Hunter
Hagrith - Protection Paladin

[Enerdhil]

[Kili]

[Enerdhil]

SPOILER WARNING

From the new Stormrage book:

[Kili]

No huge spoiler here but Fandral, Tyrande and Broll Bearmantle all feature heavily in the new book. Also there was an intro in the 5th Warcraft manga collection with various world leaders being part of the Twighlight Dream confusion.
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Kili and Odin - Beastmaster Hunter
Hagrith - Protection Paladin

[Kailania]

Discussing Ener's spoilers. So, more spoilers are following!

[Heba]

I might as well fess up. It was me. I was drunk, it was late.....I took a pee in the Teldrassil watering can....Sorry.
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[Kili]