Why You Shouldn’t Trust Calia Menethil (Dragonflight Lore Speculation)

Queen Calia?

When it first came out, the Horde’s ending quest in the Reclaiming Gilneas storyline included an interesting slip that has caused many a raised eyebrow (that has occasionally immediately fallen off, these are Undead after all) – the quest’s instructions told us to report to “Queen Calia”.

When Calia was still worried that the Forsaken would ever accept her, she insisted that she had no intentions for the throne of Lordaeron. Now, several years into her leadership position on the Desolate Council, and having achieved her first stated goal of returning Gilneas to the Alliance more successfully than even she could possibly have imagined, could it be that Calia is secure enough in her position with the Forsaken to start eyeing the throne? At the very least, even though it has been changed, this instructional quest text may hint at Blizzard’s own intentions for her character.

Obviously, the simple and most likely answer is no, this was a mistake, don’t read too much into it. But where’s the fun in that?

So for the sake of fun, I would like to propose a theory: Calia has been quietly working to claim the throne of Lordaeron since the start, and it’s part of a larger conspiracy to claim the soul of Azeroth – not for the Titans, not for Death, not for the Void, but for the Light.

Let me explain.

Calia and Reclaiming Gilneas

On the surface, Calia’s involvement in the reclamation of Gilneas is simple, but effective. Back at the end of the Return to Lordaeron storyline, having been appointed a member of the Desolate Council, Calia stated that the first order of business she would bring would be the withdrawal of Forsaken troops from Gilneas.

With the formation of the new Desolate Council, one of the first topics I propose is the withdrawal of Forsaken troops from the kingdom of Gilneas. In time I hope that we may come closer to agreement, and see both lands into a brighter future.

Calia’s efforts have been extremely successful. Not only has she been able to convince the Forsaken to relinquish any claim they had made to Gilneas, she even convinces the Forsaken to help the Gilneans reclaim their city from the Scarlet Crusade. This is, admittedly, in part because the Crusade are a historical threat to the Forsaken – a stronghold so close to Undercity poses a threat, especially as the Scarlet Crusade have in recent times recommitted themselves to their aims of eradicating all Undead from the Kingdom of Lordaeron. Presumably, an Alliance stronghold wouldn’t be a threat due to the peace between the factions – forgive and forget, don’t mention the war and all that.

Of course, the Gilneans aren’t thrilled about accepting Forsaken help, but once again Calia’s diplomatic skills come in handy. She is able to convince none other than Genn Greymane himself to at least try to put the past behind him and welcome the Forsaken and other Horde members into Gilneas long enough to kick the Scarlet Crusade out. This is no small feat – the last time Genn saw Forsaken in his kingdom, they were busy destroying his land and slaughtering his people – including his son. But he also understands the world is changing. After all, the Alliance did help the Forsaken retake Lordaeron, why wouldn’t they want to return the favor? Everyone’s good friends these days. Don’t mention the war.

As for Calia, this is just the latest example of her unique position on the Desolate Council. The only Undead to be created by the Light, Calia has strong ties to both living Alliance and Horde Undead. Members of both factions trust her, and so she is the perfect ambassador.

Calia Menethil – Undead Ambassador to the Alliance

This is rather ironic, considering how she died to begin with. While she was still alive, Calia joined Anduin Wrynn in his efforts to try rebuild relationships between living Alliance and their Undead relatives. At the time, Sylvanas Windrunner reluctantly agreed to the Gathering – a meeting between select living and Undead – but when Calia was revealed to be in attendance, Sylvanas, seeing the last Menethil as a threat to her position as leader of the Forsaken, had her killed on the spot, along with the Forsaken attendees, who Sylvanas saw as compromised. Calia’s death also marked the death of Anduin’s hopes for peace – the Gathering was a complete failure.

Now, however, Calia manages in death what she failed to do in life. Her presence alone seems enough to soothe. When Genn is at first resistant to the Forsaken in Gilneas, all that needs to be said to convince him is this:

Mia Greymane says: Genn… it’s Calia. Calia Menethil. Not some mindless Scourge. Let her speak.
Calia Menethil says: The Forsaken know the Scarlet Crusade better than anyone, King Greymane.
Calia Menethil says: You have little reason to trust us. But I give you my word, as a Menethil–we only wish to return what rightfully belongs to you.

A lot can be taken from these lines. First of all, Genn’s problem with the Forsaken was not with mindless Scourge. In fact, Sylvanas’ intelligence and mind for strategy during the original taking of Gilneas meant a lot more Worgen casualties than there might have been. Second, it’s hard to imagine Sylvanas Windrunner standing calmly by while her people are associated with mindless Scourge – when the Tauren argued that the Forsaken should be shown compassion because their plight could teach the living empathy, Sylvanas could barely contain her fury at the suggestion that the Forsaken only existed to make the living feel better about themselves. So the fact that Calia simply accepts this insult to the people she seems to want to represent is a perfect example of why many Forsaken do not trust or even like her.

However, perhaps most important and alarming part of this dialogue is the use of the name ‘Menethil’. Specifically, Calia herself openly embracing the name – and everything it implies.

What Happened to “Just Calia”?

When Calia first joined the Forsaken, she was not welcomed with open arms. In the Return to Lordaeron questline, she herself explained why. First, the name “Menethil” is associated with her brother, Arthas Menethill – you know, the Lich King. For a lot of Forsaken, it was Arthas who murdered them and raised them into Undeath in the first place. Second, as the last Menethil, Calia may technically have a claim to the throne of Lordaeron – this threat to her position is the reason why Sylvanas killed Calia to begin with.

Though Sylvanas was long gone by the time Calia arrived in Tirisfal Glades, this didn’t mean the Forsaken wanted her to retake the throne of Lordaeron any more than Sylvanas had. Calia did not die with most Forsaken, and was not raised with them. She never lived in Undercity, and doesn’t know what it is to fear warmth because it might cause you to rot. Her friends in the Alliance still accept her, and while she may not be universally liked, those friends she has made in the Horde seem to trust her willingly.

In other words, while Calia may be Undead, and while she may have experienced grief, pain, and loss, she has never experienced what it is to be truly Forsaken. It would not be right for her to lead them. (And, it’s worth noting, she’s unpopular with Forsaken players as well.)

Why wouldn’t the Forsaken welcome you?
It begins with my name. I am Arthas Menethil’s sister, and I was once a member of the royal house of Loraeron.
Though I was never intended to rule, and nor would I seek to.
Some might see me as seeking authority where I have none, or representing the Alliance when I do not. Or some hear the name ‘Menethil’ and are rightly horrified by my brother’s actions.
But I am my own soul, and I have lost as much to the Scourge as any survivor of Lordaeron. All I wish now is to help.

At first, Calia claimed she had no intention of ever claiming the throne of Lordaeron, insisting she does not seek to rule. Often, she would greet players with the line, “It’s just Calia, now.” When her position on the Desolate Council was directly challenged, Calia specifically distanced herself from the name Menethil, and reaffirmed that she has no desire for the throne.

Deathstalker Commander Belmont says: Are we really going to trust a Menethil on the council?
Calia Menethil says: I cannot escape the shadows of my past, but I have no desire for a throne. My place here is among you, and I vow to serve all our people.

At the end of the questline to take Lordaeron, Calia can be found in the city’s old throne room, reflecting on her memories as a Princess Menethil, and the legacy of that name.

Calia: Within this hall we shared ceremonies. Celebrations. And tragedy. I loved my family. And on one fateful day, I lost them all. Now, I am all that remains of the once-proud Menethil line. The last heir to a legacy that ended in shame.

Calia speaks of the name Menethil as something to be ashamed of, something that represents a legacy of shame, that stops the Forsaken from trusting her.

Calia: But will they ever truly accept me? Bearing a name forever stained by a brother’s sins…

So for Calia to now give her word “as a Menethil” shows an extreme change in her attitude. Clearly, no matter what the Forsaken may think, and no matter what Arthas might have done to her family’s legacy, Calia now seems to view her name as something to be proud of – to stand by.

So What’s the Big Problem?

Okay, so maybe Calia does want to rule the Forsaken after all. Would that be such a bad thing? If all she cares about is improving their lives… or unlives… she is, after all, heir to the same kingdom many Forsaken came from in life. Why not let her rule?

Putting aside any concerns about Calia’s popularity – Forsaken players may never like her, but convincing the Forsaken people to approve of her rule is as simple as writing even the most obstinant character a couple of lines about why they actually respect her now – the problem with Calia is threefold:

First, Calia herself has shown she cannot be trusted.

Second, Calia is associated with a Cosmic Force that has shown it cannot be trusted.

And finally, there is a very good reason why we should be wary of any Cosmic Force right now, no matter how benevolent it appears.

Calia Lies

When Calia claims that she doesn’t see the throne as hers, she is lying. Calia has always seen it as hers by right, and only claims otherwise when she believes it would cause a fight that she cannot win.

The first, and possibly most catastrophic example, can be found in Before the Storm. In this novel, Calia asks Anduin if he would support her claim to the throne of Lordaeron. When she can see the question troubles him, she quickly assures him that she has no interest in the throne.

Suddenly her expression grew thoughtful, and she searched his eyes. “Would you be among them, Anduin? Is that why you ask? Would the king of Stormwind make war on the Horde, scour the Undercity, to grant the queen of Lordaeron her empty kingdom?”
The throne was hers by every right. Yet was it worth war should she express a desire to claim it? She saw the struggle on his face and put a hand on his.
“I understand. Don’t worry. Those who currently inhabit Lordaeron lived there in life. The Forsaken are the true heirs. It belongs to them now. The best I can do for those whom I would have ruled is exactly what I’m doing. I’ve found peace and a calling where I can really matter. That’s more important than a bloodied crown.”

Later, Calia asks Anduin to allow her to attend the Gathering between Forsaken and their living human relatives. Anduin is concerned that her presence could cause trouble, but Calia assures him that she won’t make any attempts to convince the Forsaken to leave Undercity. Anduin agrees, but later we see the condition is that Calia keep her hood up at all times.

However, at the Gathering, Calia suddenly realizes she has an opportunity. In a snap decision, she asks the Forsaken attendees to disobey Sylvanas and follow her, Calia, instead. Calia’s choice of words is particularly interesting – she asks for the Forsaken to support her, as one might support a leader.

So much had fallen into place so perfectly: the Desolate Council, Anduin’s noble call for this gathering. And now, spontaneously, human and Forsaken had taken a step so courageous that Calia felt both inspired and ashamed.
Yes. Parqual was right.
It was time.
She whirled toward Elsie, her hood falling off with her movement. “Elsie, there’s something you must know. And I pray to the Light that has sent me here this day that you will understand—and support it.” She swallowed hard. “Support… me.”

All of a sudden, Calia has changed her tune. She calls the Forsaken her people and, in direct opposition to what she promised Anduin, attempts to convince them to leave Undercity. Maybe it’s not all the Forsaken, maybe she’s just trying to help these few, but Calia has still decided it’s on her to lead them and “rescue” them from the leader, home, and unlife they know.

Unfortunately for Calia, she doesn’t get quite the support she was hoping for. Still, she goes on to make a sudden appeal to the rest of the Forsaken, invoking her name, and calling on them to follow her.

We see how, while she might have told Anduin she didn’t seek Lordaeron’s throne, she still views it as hers by right.

Calia gets her wish. She does die – Sylvanas has her killed almost immediately. The novel ends with Calia’s “resurrection” by the Light, transforming her into the Light-aligned Undead that she is today.

Now, the point here is not whether or not Calia is the rightful heir to Lordaeron, or if she would make a good leader. The point is that she tends towards being deceptive about her own ambitions until she feels that she is in a strong enough position to be more open about them. When she knows it would be a lot to ask Anduin to support her claim, she promises she’s not interested in making that claim. But when she thinks everything has fallen into place, suddenly she is Calia Menethil, heir to the throne of Lordaeron.

And even this wouldn’t be a problem – sometimes, people change their minds – if we hadn’t just seen the same deception play out almost exactly the same way again:

Back during the reclaiming of Lordaeron, Calia insisted that she does not seek to rule. She claims she has no authority, and that she is her own soul – asking not to be defined by the Menethil name that represents her brother. However, even then, it was hinted that Calia does actually want the throne. She lingers in the throne room, expressing regret that her family’s name has been shamed – mostly because it means the Forsaken don’t trust her. Looking back, I realize it’s not really that Calia doesn’t seek the throne, it’s that she knows she can’t make a claim for it at this point.

But, by the time of the reclamation of Gilneas, Calia is giving her word “as a Menethil”. Once again, we see that the more confident she feels that she will find support, the more likely it is that she will suddenly go from “just Calia” to “Calia Menethil, heir to the throne of Lordeaeron”.

Calia also claims that she doesn’t represent the Alliance, and while that may be technically true, she certainly works for their benefit – in a way that also happens to benefit her own position. By helping to re-establish Gilneas, Calia has established an Alliance stronghold right on her doorstep – a stronghold that would, incidentally, much prefer her to be the ruler of Lordaeron than any other Forsaken.

But there’s more going on here than one woman’s ambitions and slightly spineless tendency to pretend she doesn’t have them when she thinks it might cause problems, and that is Calia’s association with the Light.

The Light Can’t Be Trusted

After her death, as Calia’s body lay in Netherlight Temple, it was the Naaru Saa’ra who told Anduin and Faol to do something completely unprecedented. Calia would become the first Undead to be created by the Light.

Why did the Light create Calia? Because Calia’s unique existence is not a coincidence. She’s not the first Priest to die. Why would she, of all characters, matter to the Light so much that it would want to intervene and bring her back? The only thing that really sets Calia apart from any other character is the fact that she is heir to Lordaeron’s throne.

And why bring her back this way – as a Light-Undead? While canonically, in-universe resurrection is rare, Anduin has managed it before. Is it that Calia was simply dead too long to be resurrected properly, or could the Light have a use for an Undead heir to Lordaeron that also happens to be pretty strongly bound to the Light?

Because it’s worth noting that if Calia does take the throne of Lordaeron, then the leaders of two of the most traditionally powerful kingdoms in Azeroth will not only be Light-aligned, but bound to the Light in a way that goes beyond simple Priesthood. Turalyon is Light-infused. Calia seems like she may be as well – aesthetically, her new form resembles the changes becoming infused with Light made to the Lightforged Draenei. At the least, her existence as an Undead is entirely based on the Light. The Light’s influence has always been prominent on Azeroth, but now it’s gaining real political power.

And, of course, we know the Light will play a major role in the War Within. The Arathi of Hallowfall are extremely Light-aligned, and we’ve already been told Anduin will be hanging out with them. And while it’s true that Calia helped oust the Scarlet Crusade from Gilneas, it is interesting that this Light-associated organization has been growing significantly lately.

While this might once have not been cause for concern, there has been some reason to question the Light, particularly when it comes to free will getting in the way of its own plans.

Back in Legion, the Light claimed there was a prophecy that Illidan would become infused with Light, and use the powers this granted him to help defeat the Burning Legion. When Illidan himself refused the Light’s blessing, the Naaru Xe’ra tried to force it on him, binding him in Light. Illidan broke free, destroying Xe’ra, and went on to prove the Naaru wrong – becoming infused with Light wasn’t necessarily Illidan’s destiny after all, and the Legion was defeated regardless.

During the Mag’har Orc recruitment questline, we learned that the Drenei Yrel of Draenor has become a fanatic, and now leads an army of Lightbound draenei, orcs, and ogres, who force the Light’s conversion on all – whether willing or not. It remains an uncomfortable part of the lore – Yrel was a hero during Warlords of Draenor, and this fanatical side seems unlike her.

However, it is true that fanatical, even villainous, followers of the Light aren’t anything new. After all, the Scarlet Crusade – who we’ve been seen a lot of lately, are devoted to the Light – which still grants them powers quite willingly. In fact, in the Reclamation of Gilneas questline, a Scarlet Crusade Inquisitor transforms into a Light elemental in the fight against her.

Meanwhile, Anduin – who is one of the only people we know to have performed a canonical resurrection, and who once helped create a Light-infused Undead – can no longer summon the Light, not because he has genuinely sinned in any way, but because he himself doesn’t feel worthy. He lacks conviction.

The evidence has always been there: The Light is not interested in any moral purity. All it wants from its followers is faith – specifically, faith in the Light – and it will take that faith by force if it has to. And if the Light is comfortable using force to infuse its chosen, then why not to control them as well? Could it be that the only reason Yrel is so different to what we remember is because she is now being mind-controlled by the Light?

After all, the Titans used Order-infused waters to make Dragons more pliable to their will. Why wouldn’t the Light do something similar?

These problems with the Light aren’t new, but concerns have faded somewhat recently – largely due to the fact that, as a ruler, Turalyon has been quite decent. His reign has turned out to be one of the most peaceful periods Azeroth has had for decades. By all accounts, he’s quite popular. He’s shown no hints of zealotry – even when he had the dracthyr followed initially, he seems to have decided they don’t pose a threat to the Alliance after all, and has accepted their race quite happily.

But threats don’t always look like threats on the surface. And the problem with the Light has never been that it wants to cause chaos and horror, the way a force like the Void seems to. The problem is the Light’s lack of respect for freedom of will. And if the Light did decide that the only way forward is to activate some sort of chains in Turalyon and Calia’s minds, that would cause them to wage wars similar to the one we saw Yrel leading on Draenor, then what would stop it?

For now, Calia is a phenomenal ambassador – accomplishing the sort of things previous leaders couldn’t have dreamed of – while Turalyon is an exceptional leader. And, while perhaps I’m just being paranoid, I can’t help but think of the last time we saw prominent characters in the kingdoms of Stormwind and Lordaeron, who seemed uniquely gifted at diplomacy, pleasing almost everyone, and who happened to rise to positions of power surprisingly easily:

It was Neltharion and Onyxia.

Interestingly, Genn Greymane, at least, seems that he may not quite trust Turalyon fully. During a recent conversation with Mathias Shaw, Genn asked the Spymaster to keep news of Anduin quiet from Turalyon, at least until they know more.

The Goal Is Always the Same

As we look forward to the Worldsoul Saga, the most obvious threat is the Void. However, there have also been growing questions about the Titans. Many of us are wondering if Azeroth is even inherently a Titan World Soul. We already know she can be claimed by the Void as well as the Titans, and we know even Death tried to come for her soul – is it possible she can be claimed by any Cosmological Force, and is simply so powerful, they all want her?

At the end of the Amirdrassil raid, the Dragon Aspects are blessed once again with Aspect Powers, but this time, the blessing is different. While before, the blessing came from the Titans, this one comes from Azeroth – and the Aspects themselves, who must know and be able to recognize Titan magic, claim that Azeroth’s blessing is not Titan in nature. If that wasn’t evidence enough, Vyranoth has shown herself happy to accept Azeroth’s blessing, while still rejecting anything associated with the Titans.

The artwork for World of Warcraft: The Last Titan, shows Azeroth surrounded by Titan architecture that we know from the Vault of the Incarnates raid is a Titan prison. And in that expansion, Chris Metzen promised we will bear witness to the Titans returning, and uncover a vast conspiracy.

And there, at Ulduar, you will bear witness to the return of the Titans to Azeroth. And there, you will uncover a vast conspiracy, one that stretches throughout the history of the world. One that will challenge everything you think you know about the Titans, their intentions, and the true nature of Azeroth itself.

It’s possible that, all this time, Azeroth has not been a Titan World Soul, but simply that she is a World Soul that the Titans have claimed. Why else would they feel the need to imprison our world?

We know the Titans want our world. We know the Void wants our world. We know that the Jailer wanted our world – we stopped his puppet’s attempts in the Sepulcher of the First Ones raid.

We know that the Light wanted very much to protect our world from the Legion’s attempts to destroy it – but that the Light also isn’t necessarily a moral force, just a force that values faith and obedience to itself. So why does the Light care so much about protecting Azeroth? What motivation does it have if it’s not motivated by moral goodness?

Is it really that unreasonable to be suspicious of these Light-infused leaders who just happen to be gaining a great deal of political power, right when the war for our World’s Soul has begun?

It’s probably nothing. I’m sure it’s fine.

Even so, I think I am right to warn: Do not trust Calia Menethil, especially if she suddenly seems ready to take the throne of Lordaeron for herself after all.