Fates of Arkain (speculation and spoilers)

[Championfighter25]

Basically you choose a character, faction, race, location, could be even a country in the world of Arkain and tell how you think it will develop and optionally, what you think its ultimate fate will be, giving some reasons why you think so along the way. Throwing a complete shot in the dark is fine too.
I think this will spark some interesting discussions about certain things that won't get featured in the story for the foreseeable future and be a good spot to throw in some interesting speculations.
Plus, knowing you were right (or wrong) about something and having proof you predicted it correctly (or incorrectly) is always good, isn't it?

I'll start with Aridon and post a few others later. Feel free to post as many as you wish:

I think Aridon is slowly changing for the better as shown in the ''Fall of Kerrel'' story. He seemed open to convincing and showing himself rather than lying to or outright manipulation someone to achieve his aims. I think he and his servants will continue that, though his and his faction's reputation will prevent them from doing it as often as he may want to.
His dislike for his siblings may ultimately be what dooms him. I fully expect him, just to spite them, sabotage the Empires of Rodan, Zyainor and the Tribal Dominion equally in their upcoming wars. Eventually they would get tired of it and retaliate.
Whether he survives something like that is questionable.
As for his ultimate fate, eh, I think Arkain will end with him. He's the reason the world is in the shape that it's in and would be incredibly difficult to replace or find a proper substitute for. Without him the story would take a strange turn and may deviate from what we consider "Arkain".
In a scenario where he actually dies, I think it will be by Brian backstabbing him, returning the favour for what Aridon did to Zindrach in the distant past, achieving "poetic justice" in a way too. Incredibly unlikely and mostly wishful thinking on my part though.

 

[Mvicio]

Well, i´ll write about a couple of characters:

First would the best written orc from the true story, The Destroyer. Since the end of the first books, we know that the destroyer was saved by Amari´s allies, I think the destroyer will be imprisoned, but eventually Amari will release him to use his strenght against the Salrians. After the dominion becomes a nation Okri will challenge him to a 1v1 fight. About his ending though... I think he´ll survive. He´ll see many other strong foes to fight like Brockta, Grofzag or the new characters. So i suppose he´ll want to fight them all, and from the "drums of the south" short story we know there is a gladiator arena were no one dies, so maybe the destroyer became the top dog as a gladiator. Either that or Okri kills him during his 1v1 fight.

Second, Logan the skirmiser will became one of the human leaders of Salria, under Vanessa´s leadership, instead of joining either Gardon or Dorten. He just wants to fight demons to avenge his family so either Gardon or Amari´s forces.

Third, Orie redfist. She joined Ebira to avenge his father, that means killing Aedale and Aedale was consumed by Lisara making all them four enemies. Since Ebira is using his legions to get her objectives, he is using Orie as well. I think Orie would be corrupted as Aedale was and used against ebira´s enemies and then Lisara, both dying in the process. Making Cora´s objective worthless. The redfist family fate is really a cruel one.

I gotta think a bit more about Vanessa and Marin before making any speculation.

 

[Championfighter25]

First would the best written orc from the true story, The Destroyer. Since the end of the first books, we know that the destroyer was saved by Amari´s allies, I think the destroyer will be imprisoned, but eventually Amari will release him to use his strenght against the Salrians. After the dominion becomes a nation Okri will challenge him to a 1v1 fight. About his ending though... I think he´ll survive. He´ll see many other strong foes to fight like Brockta, Grofzag or the new characters. So i suppose he´ll want to fight them all, and from the "drums of the south" short story we know there is a gladiator arena were no one dies, so maybe the destroyer became the top dog as a gladiator. Either that or Okri kills him during his 1v1 fight.

I see a few scenarios concerning his demise.
The most realistic would be to be killed either by the Bonelords, Redfist or during the battle for the Purificator. Either in a blaze of glory kind of way or a last stand, similar to what he did in "Carnage".
Something incredibly unlikely though would be an interesting way to seal his story would be him sacrificing himself to protect Okri from death during either of those battle, since the previous battle they fought side by side proved his original convictions about her being unworthy and weak of being wrong.

Him surviving is not out of the question, though I kind of feel like a character like his can lose his edge over time. You mentioned that he can be a top dog in the gladiator arenas, which is true. He could also participate in raids against the dwarves or in Rengar before that area becomes unraidable. After that, I can't see his character evolving in a meaningful manner. His being a part of the Tribal Dominion and Empire of Rodan war would be interesting, though how well he would fit in a scenario like that is questionable.

Second, Logan the skirmiser will became one of the human leaders of Salria, under Vanessa´s leadership, instead of joining either Gardon or Dorten. He just wants to fight demons to avenge his family so either Gardon or Amari´s forces.

I think he'll die at the hands of Sasrogarn after the Dominion defeats the Bonelords. Sasrogarn's character in the true story is evolving to be pretty dislikeable and his killing Logan would cement his status as the most cowardly, hated (by the player) and dishonourable orc there is.

I have to think more about Ebira and Orie so I'll withhold my speculation for now.

 

[Enki555]

We might play Destroyer as full hero in SB. It is almost assured Okri will spare him by orders of Amari and will likely fight side by side during strife with Bonelords. It is likely he might die crushing one of Bonelords into powder. OR he could either survive till Amari's coronation and possibly act as one of best raiders against Dwarven mines. Idk... but I get a feeling Okri and him might respect each other after him protecting her and her proving herself during Bonelords invasion.
Logan might join Gardon and would be instrumental for relations between Dominion and Ironfist. Salrians are ruled by Vanessa and this link can solidify this bond even more. Yet him dying by Sas would further earn last ire of Amari.
As for fates of Redfist sisters; while Orie sides with Ebira, Aridon would instruct Cora about nature of Largoth and how Aedale is possessed by Lisara. Maybe before Ebira gets her hand on Aedale, Cora (she could be undead or not) confronts Aedale and manages to sever Lisara from her thanks to teaching of Aridon. I think Cora won't be accompanied alone, and Aridon also sends someone who is dearest one to former master assassin of legions. Ahem Ornasion. He will command Ornasion to defeat and raise her as she must not serve Baldgoth anymore, thus robbing him of most valuable asset. After that, Orie (maybe possessed by Ebira this time) appears to get revenge on Aedale but is faced by now undead Lisara and Ornasion (who appeared to mutilate Souleater demoness). Orie might die and Ebira now in claws of vengeful demons. Aedale informs Aridon about Empire and thus she joins the fray. Yet it's fully possible all Redfist sisters to be undead and be champions for nexi deprived of leaders:
After SB era, it says Bonelords along with all undead forces in Salria are defeated; so it is safe to assume major undead characters will die as well. These leaders may include Galareth (facing against Brockta), Tremalon (Zirr nexus participated in Salria war), Haran (Ejara nexus was present), and even important dark elves. Redfist sisters as champions for Zirr nexus would be nice.

 

[Mvicio]

He could also participate in raids against the dwarves or in Rengar before that area becomes unraidable. After that, I can't see his character evolving in a meaningful manner.

Well that gave me the idea of... Destroyer as one of the leaders of the Blackthorn. Its true that i cant see him during an age of peace but as mercenary? as a gladiator? making himself a name both as general and warrior. Maybe dying during the next war... perhaps.

I think he'll die at the hands of Sasrogarn after the Dominion defeats the Bonelords. Sasrogarn's character in the true story is evolving to be pretty dislikeable and his killing Logan would cement his status as the most cowardly, hated (by the player) and dishonourable orc there is.

I mean, everyone hates Sasrogarn, but can you see a proper scenario where Sasrogarn actually DEFEATS and kills Logan? Sas would lose that 1v1 100%, killing him while in a disadvantageous position would make him lose his honor as warrior, therefore losing all his allies and henchmen (including Grofzag).

Anyway i hope that doesn´t happen.

As for fates of Redfist sisters; while Orie sides with Ebira, Aridon would instruct Cora about nature of Largoth and how Aedale is possessed by Lisara. Maybe before Ebira gets her hand on Aedale, Cora (she could be undead or not) confronts Aedale and manages to sever Lisara from her thanks to teaching of Aridon. I think Cora won't be accompanied alone, and Aridon also sends someone who is dearest one to former master assassin of legions. Ahem Ornasion. He will command Ornasion to defeat and raise her as she must not serve Baldgoth anymore, thus robbing him of most valuable asset. After that, Orie (maybe possessed by Ebira this time) appears to get revenge on Aedale but is faced by now undead Lisara and Ornasion (who appeared to mutilate Souleater demoness). Orie might die and Ebira now in claws of vengeful demons. Aedale informs Aridon about Empire and thus she joins the fray. Yet it's fully possible all Redfist sisters to be undead and be champions for nexi deprived of leaders:

Having all 3 redfist sisters (and perhaps their father since we don´t know where is the corpse) would be strange nonetheless, i mean there is no way they can let Aridon have that much power. Especially since Redfist denied Aridon´s help during his fight in Salria.

Well it would be cool that all the 4 sisters became some sort of vessel or general to the 4 gods.

Haran (Ejara nexus was present)

It was Zirr nexus but his leader was Haran, not Ejara.

 

[Jorgonson]

Here's some wild tinfoil, what if almost everything is Aridon's fault? In the most recent mission, Kersidar, Hesrathion, and Ebira plan everything around taking out the undead. The way Kersidar frames the human-demon conflict is as something that is only a necessary step in his overall plan. Kersidar says he has some sort of greater agenda, one that clearly isn't just "conquer the world because we're evil", and only fights the humans because it's necessary for his plans.

Right now we don't know a whole lot about the demons and their motivations, but we do know they clearly hate Aridon, which is likely driven by their history. After all, Aridon killed the demon god in an incredibly underhanded way for arbitrary reasons, and it's been mentioned that the demons still cling to their dead god in some fashion. Perhaps the invasions of the demons are primarily driven by a desire to kill Aridon and avenge their god, and the demons view the humans merely as collateral damage? Keep in mind the Dark One says that Aridon's decision to kill the demon god is the reason why the demons are so misguided and chaotic, though the Dark One could be lying. If this were true, then Aridon's betrayal is the direct cause of most of the conflict in Arkain.

Here's something else to consider: we still don't really know how Aridon formed his notion of balance, and what exactly it means. I see a lot of people on these forums assume that maintaining balance is ultimately in everyone's best interests, but I'm not convinced. After all, what end does keeping the status quo really serve, other than fueling endless wars where no side can ever become strong enough to create a new system. Arkain's history is seemingly far bloodier than our world's, and it's easy to see why: the status quo (Aridon's balance) is impossible to shake, so no war ever brings an end to the conflict between the groups involved.

If you look at it this way, Aridon seems like a deranged lunatic, puppeteering everyone and killing mindlessly out of a delusional sense that he's doing the right thing. His interference only serves to make the world an endless cesspool of violence, with every faction embracing increasingly dark methods in hopeless attempts to gain an edge over their rivals. One could even say his influence over the mortals makes them more like him: endlessly contemptuous of everyone else, willing to do anything to gain an advantage, and unwilling to pursue diplomacy or peaceful solutions even when they might be possible. I think it's telling that the faction least influenced by him (the Orcs) become the most diplomatic and open to working with other races for the common interest.

However, this post isn't just Dark One propaganda; I don't think Aridon will end the story as myopic and destructive as he is at the start. I believe the story is currently heading towards Aridon realizing that he has been wrong in the past, and trying to do better after the second book era finishes. This change in perspective will likely come from what happens with the orcs. Personally, after all the development the orcs have gotten, I don't see them just being blasted by the Purificator. Rather, I think they're going to play an incredibly important role in defeating the demons (maybe not quite as key as in the second orc book, but close). By observing the Tribal Dominion help defeat the demons, Aridon will likely doubt himself, as they are direct evidence that he doesn't always know best for Arkain.


I also think Brian will help change Aridon's mind, as he is someone whose opinion Aridon might actually consider. If you think about it, Aridon only really interacts with sycophants who do everything he says, almost entirely without question. I don't think any of his henchmen can resist him, and Rahandir is a simp. However Brian is at least theoretically an equal, so perhaps Aridon will be more inclined to his criticisms.


Anyway, as I mentioned at the start, this theory. I doubt there will ever be a canon moment that says "Aridon is a dum-dum who's directly responsible for all the world's problems", but I think this could be true to an extent. I also believe the idea of a god realizing their worldview is flawed, and then reassessing how they interact with the world is a really interesting storyline.

 

[Mvicio]

Right now we don't know a whole lot about the demons and their motivations, but we do know they clearly hate Aridon, which is likely driven by their history. After all, Aridon killed the demon god in an incredibly underhanded way for arbitrary reasons, and it's been mentioned that the demons still cling to their dead god in some fashion. Perhaps the invasions of the demons are primarily driven by a desire to kill Aridon and avenge their god, and the demons view the humans merely as collateral damage?

Well the revenge of Aridon makes sense but why would the demons split their forces to Salria, Kerrel and the elven kingdom if they just want to kill the god of the dead mountain? I think the demons are trying to get more lands for their kind, killing the humans in the process. Same reason why the demons attacked the continent of Rodan.

I also think Brian will help change Aridon's mind, as he is someone whose opinion Aridon might actually consider. If you think about it, Aridon only really interacts with sycophants who do everything he says, almost entirely without question. I don't think any of his henchmen can resist him, and Rahandir is a simp. However Brian is at least theoretically an equal, so perhaps Aridon will be more inclined to his criticisms.

Thats true, you cant evolve as a person (or undead) if every single person gives you the reason every time.

 

[Rhapsodie]

It's just a theory but the only one who told us the Demon-God is dead is Aridon, who also used to say the same thing about the Dark One

 

[Championfighter25]

Throwing in a few extra speculations.

Zindrach the Demon God (and the demons and their lands in general) :

Disclaimer! This specifically includes a lot of headcanon and plenty of unconfirmed information.

Theoretically, he could be brought back and based on some teasing, I think that has a chance of happening in the future of the story.
Based on the description that is given about the scepter of death, it could revive someone as if they never died. Though it has lost a lot of its power, the demons as Rahandir said, have many powerful artefacts, with which they could theoretically restore it back to its former power.

How would the demons steal it from Aridon in the first place? The demons are pretty big opportunists and based on the fact that Aridon will be surrounded by a large imperial army at some point, the demons taking advantage of that wouldn't be surprising.
How would the scepter revive someone who is probably without a body? If its powers are as strong when restored to its former power as it implies, it might be able to reanimate someone who only has a spirit or only part of his body intact.

As for what that might mean for the demons, I think this will cause another major civil war. Based on ''Birth of a World'', Zindrach only ruled the demons for several centuries. Now that a lot of time has passed, the demons are more divided than ever. With all of that in mind, it's very likely that a lot of demons would see Zindrach as a threat to their individual independence and most likely heavily oppose him.
How could the demons pull off Zindrach's revival without Aridon sabotaging it? According to the newest AQT, Aridon doesn't have spies past the westernmost areas of the lands of the demons, so his sabotage can only work so effectively under such circumstances. Plus, Aridon will be preoccupied with other enemies.

As for what his ultimate fate will be under such circumstances. It's very likely he'll permanently die around the same time his other siblings are permanently killed too.

Dorten (and Kerrel) :

Dorten is a pretty important character in the post-second books cold war period as he represents the last bastion of opposition against Zyainor - Kerrel. (if the heavy implication that Zyainor will soon annex Rengar in ''Seabright'' indeed turns out to be correct)
With all of that in mind, with the next major war approaching, he'll be stuck in a very difficult situation. I think that even under these kinds of circumstances, he'll stay true to his principles and not ally with the empire, the Dominion or Zyainor. Foolish, but showcasing that he'd rather have Kerrel destroyed than become someone's pawn willingly.
Would the people support him? I think a large chuck would.
Would Kerrel quickly fall under these policies and circumstances? I don't think so. Aridon showed an interest in helping Kerrel continue existing and I think he'll send the undead to keep them together, at least until he changes his mind, which could go either way.

As for what his ultimate fate will be; I can see him getting killed by a returning Toraes, who having spent so much time in the lands of the demons has been turned into a demon slave (very slight chance of happening) or dying a natural death (more likely).
As for Kerrel, their chance to continue existing or be annexed by Zyainor can go either way.

The Dwarves (and their realm) :

According to the newest AQT, the dwarves are open to cooperating with the Empire or Rodan again. Based on this, it wouldn't be surprising that they join their side when the Empire inevitably attacks Zyainor and the kingdoms.
Their major contribution will most likely be attacking the Dominion in the south and the areas of the former kingdom of Lor.
The honour of attacking the Dominion will most likely be given to the Bloodstone dwarves as they have an unsettled score with the Dominion.
The Hammerfall dwarves will most likely be the ones leading the assault in Lor and partly helping with the siege of the Dead Mountain.
The other clans' forces will most likely be split roughly 50/50 to support both sides.

The end result of this war might end up being heavy losses with some of their areas possibly being annexed by Zyainor and the Dominion (unless Aridon wants to keep a status quo, in which case he'll indirectly help the dwarves reconquer those areas).
I can also see Orgen or his brother ( or both) dying at the hands of a hero of the Dominion (most likely) or Zarin dying at the hands of Mordin or another undead hero. (unlikely, though not impossible)

 

[Mvicio]

Well about the demons:

Zindrach only ruled the demons for several centuries. Now that a lot of time has passed, the demons are more divided than ever. With all of that in mind, it's very likely that a lot of demons would see Zindrach as a threat to their individual independence and most likely heavily oppose him.

That could happen, however the Ebira´s faction wants to unite their kin, so they would follow Zindrach no doubt. With the support of that many legions i think most of the demons would throw themselves under his rule.

Though it has lost a lot of its power, the demons as Rahandir said, have many powerful artefacts, with which they could theoretically restore it back to its former power.

If they could they would have revive him long time ago. I suppose the demon artifacts are like the demon eye or something to make the Eliminator become sentient.

Also, I think that since Toraes was lost behind the demon lands... they are going to use it, not as demon slave but as a vessel. Using the body and soul of a prince to cointain maybe demon shards or even a part of Zindrach.

I think that even under these kinds of circumstances, he'll stay true to his principles and not ally with the empire, the Dominion or Zyainor. Foolish, but showcasing that he'd rather have Kerrel destroyed than become someone's pawn willingly.
Would the people support him? I think a large chuck would.

He restored the inquisition to make sure he have no traitors on his ranks, so most of the them will follow him no doubt.

Would Kerrel quickly fall under these policies and circumstances? I don't think so. Aridon showed an interest in helping Kerrel continue existing

Because as long as Kerrel stands, Gardon can´t concentrate his forces on the dead mountain and the dead forest. Maybe Aridon knows that Amari and Gardon are allies and since the dwarves dont have necromancers and Mordin is one of his lieutenant Zarin wont help him in any way.

According to the newest AQT, the dwarves are open to cooperating with the Empire or Rodan again. Based on this, it wouldn't be surprising that they join their side when the Empire inevitably attacks Zyainor and the kingdoms.

They´ll help either the new grand marshall or Van Durce´s daughter (most likely since they were allies in the past). The bloodstones will attack the dominion no doubt, since their fight with Redfist. Orgen maybe will die but i dont think his brother will (i suppose you mean Ragnar) since he has a post second book story.

The end result of this war might end up being heavy losses with some of their areas possibly being annexed by Zyainor and the Dominion

The only remaining areas after the second books are the deep tunnels, which either Zyainor or the dominion can´t invade (not enough manpower for all the matters). Although Haran and the ejara nexus enslaving some clans (then possessed with Rohir nexus help) in order to throw the kingdom from the inside could happen.


Since the second books just started they is A LOT of things that could change during the second books era.
The clash between the redfist sisters could happen in the future too.

 

[Championfighter25]

That could happen, however the Ebira´s faction wants to unite their kin, so they would follow Zindrach no doubt. With the support of that many legions i think most of the demons would throw themselves under his rule.

Based on this part from "Espionage", I don't think Ebira has that many supporters (which could also be incorrect, since the spy hasn't gathered a sufficient amount of information):

"A demoness called Ebira seems to try convincing the dreadlords to work together, but her success seems to be limited from what I could gather. Some side with her, some call her a traitor, others call her untrustworthy, and the rest seems to ignore her completely."

If they could they would have revive him long time ago. I suppose the demon artifacts are like the demon eye or something to

On one hand, I don't think they've ever had an artifact like the scepter of death. Which is why I wrote they'll need something like it to make a proper attempt.
On the other, they love sabotaging each other, which probably led to plenty of delays in the plan being fulfilled.

Because as long as Kerrel stands, Gardon can´t concentrate his forces on the dead mountain and the dead forest. Maybe Aridon knows that Amari and Gardon are allies and since the dwarves dont have necromancers and Mordin is one of his lieutenant Zarin wont help him in any way.

I think that's only a part of it. Aridon is probably more concerned that Gardon will restart his war against the demons or attack and destroy the Tribal Dominion in a time where a large invasion by the Empire of Rodan endangers the entire continent.

 

[Apprentice Darkmoon]

Greetings, first time I can write something of this amazing project. After playing all books and currently playing the true story, I have some speculations about the fates of some characters:

Zoia Blackwolf: I know she'll be present during the battle of the orcs and their allies againts the King of Salria and his forces. The question is: Who will kill her?
My answer is Inara. She'll arrive with the survivors of her clan and the Ironthunder clan and learn that the leader of the wolfs is in the area. With this chance at hand, She unleash all of her hate and wrath against the wolfs and finally kills Zoia after make her suffer for make her a weapon against her will.

Duke Redfist: I have no doubts that the Dominion and Aedale will deal with him and his crusade, but in order to take him alone, Aedale will send demons and moghtar from behind to slowly weak her father's forces.
When the Dominion is winning the battle, Aedale will show up and battle her father. After he's defeated, Aedale will show him how everything he did to this point was for nothing, and after Orie tries to stop her, Aedale kills her father after trick Orie that she was succefull in stop her.

 

[Apprentice Darkmoon]

The recent events make me think about the fate of some factions.
Cave Orcs:
-No doubts that neither the watcher nor his servants will leave them be. Although they can be use in a simple way after their deaths, I think both the Ejara and the Ardoz will take control of the survivors to breeding and experiments (To the dislike of certains fanatical skeletons).
Some of the beasts such as the lizards and sludge creatures could be useful for experiments. I don't dare to think what they could create with those specimens, maybe a giant orc with tentaclus and a disease cloud?

Dragon regiment:
-Their last appear is the mission eleven of the SOB, supporting Daric's and Zora's forces. This makes me think that this could be their end, but what could happen?
The Gnolls and the Dominion fights them, and later Grella and Oneeye arrives with support. Obviously they overwhelm their foes and defeat them, but meanwhile Zora's pirates escape and Tarai's thunder mages are put in safe by Birram, the dragon regiment is erradicat of all human soldiers and only their beasts remain. Amari and his allies could used them to buff their chances against Redfist, so some warriors remain behind to tamed the remaining "dragons".

 

[merlockqueen]

I am afraid with some of the new sences the true story has given us Vanessa may have a slightly bad end, let me break it down by evidence
1 Amari has kept the mind control artifact likely eventually learning how to use and shape that magic for her own ends.
2 We know Gardon rejects the alliance but isnt hostile which in the second orc book that only happens if you too many negativity points.
3 in the original 2cd orc book we know that if you have that many negativity points Vanesa will abdicate and join the red fist faction
4 in the short story drums in the south Vanessa has short but interesting sentence that she always feels watched by shadows but the dark comforts her.

In conclusion I believe that Amari will use some degree of mental manipulation magic on Vanessa to keep her a part of the tribal dromion both because they need a human repersentive and because she still sees Vanessa as her sister. and the shadows watching her may be Amari keeping tabs on her/keeping her in line from breaking free of it/guarding her.

 

[Deleted member 304046]

I am afraid with some of the new sences the true story has given us Vanessa may have a slightly bad end, let me break it down by evidence
1 Amari has kept the mind control artifact likely eventually learning how to use and shape that magic for her own ends.
2 We know Gardon rejects the alliance but isnt hostile which in the second orc book that only happens if you too many negativity points.
3 in the original 2cd orc book we know that if you have that many negativity points Vanesa will abdicate and join the red fist faction
4 in the short story drums in the south Vanessa has short but interesting sentence that she always feels watched by shadows but the dark comforts her.

In conclusion I believe that Amari will use some degree of mental manipulation magic on Vanessa to keep her a part of the tribal dromion both because they need a human repersentive and because she still sees Vanessa as her sister. and the shadows watching her may be Amari keeping tabs on her/keeping her in line from breaking free of it/guarding her.

An interesting theory. I remember Shar and Kasrkin putting Amari into "Neutral Evil" category in their Arkain Allignment Chart variation. Maybe Amari keeping the mind control artifact is the first sign of Amari not being as "honourable" as she seems, especially compared to her characterization in the Second Orc Book, and doing that to Vanessa would further signify it. Perhaps in the True Story after meeting her human father, Vanessa starts thinking about her place alongside the orcs and how their actions had driven Volarian into vengeful rage. Even if Vanessa would not want to do anything with Duke Redfist after seeing what he turned into, there's the fact that Rangul and his men did kill her mother and took her away from her (once) loving family. Yes, Vanessa spent most of her life being raised by orcs and compared to the Arkain books had few more people treating her fairly, as well as knowing Amari for many years (as opposed to the Arkain books, where Vanessa only learned about Amari's existence as an adult), but she might start having at least some doubts about staying with her orcish family. Amari, sensing this, might use mind manipulation magic on Vanessa in order to keep her from leaving and potentially turning against the Orcs/Dominion. I might have to disagree on "Drums in the South" short story, though, as I got the impression that it was the first time something like that happened to Vanessa. I actually think that Cora might have something to do with it, since she might want to learn more about her step-sister, as well as to observe her.

 

[Mvicio]

4 in the short story drums in the south Vanessa has short but interesting sentence that she always feels watched by shadows but the dark comforts her.

I pressume the dark one got his eyes in Vanessa after the second voidwar.

1 Amari has kept the mind control artifact likely eventually learning how to use and shape that magic for her own ends.

Maybe Amari knows that Gardon is Bryan student too. So learning how to disable is a must since Gardon can´t be trusted by the dominion. Or the other way around.
Perhaps she´ll use it on some tribal dominion leaders (like pigmen perhaps?) or in Logan (hopefully not)


Also i want to talk about Marin.
Since Marin escaped the fight between ironfist and Golden guard, most of the golden guard members alive are with him, but no kingdom will help them, except for one. The dwarves
Since The dwarves respect imperials over kingdom and they were allied in the past. Perhaps Marin and his forces join the Dwarven kingdoms before Van Durce daughter arrives and then all of them join forces to fight Zyainor + Tribal dominion.
Also, Marin is the greatest genius but the purificator (as well the destructors) cost a lot of resources and we all know that the dwarven kingdom had a lot of minerals to build weapons...

So i´m positive to think that Marin will join the Zarin and his forces.

 

[merlockqueen]

I pressume the dark one got his eyes in Vanessa after the second voidwar.


Maybe Amari knows that Gardon is Bryan student too. So learning how to disable is a must since Gardon can´t be trusted by the dominion. Or the other way around.
Perhaps she´ll use it on some tribal dominion leaders (like pigmen perhaps?) or in Logan (hopefully not)


Also i want to talk about Marin.
Since Marin escaped the fight between ironfist and Golden guard, most of the golden guard members alive are with him, but no kingdom will help them, except for one. The dwarves
Since The dwarves respect imperials over kingdom and they were allied in the past. Perhaps Marin and his forces join the Dwarven kingdoms before Van Durce daughter arrives and then all of them join forces to fight Zyainor + Tribal dominion.
Also, Marin is the greatest genius but the purificator (as well the destructors) cost a lot of resources and we all know that the dwarven kingdom had a lot of minerals to build weapons...

So i´m positive to think that Marin will join the Zarin and his forces.

acctually piggy backing off of this in the drawven short story they talk about how nesscary it is to dig this super deep pit to defeat zynaior or something like that maybe some kinda massive explosive weapon or something to perhaps cause a volcano or otherwise devestate zynaior.

 

[nchp1903]

After reading a whole bunch of Tales, I have come to "a few" conclusions with some added predictions:

Spoiler: Zyainor

- (Aftermath of the Second Voidwar) A few months following the End of Second Voidwar, Brian offers Gardon to make Black Dragon Queen Kasraazs go boom-boom. And this is a bit of a hard part to figure out:
"But... should he really consider such a thing? It was below him. He stood up. She should pay Vail a visit. He'd leave these thoughts for later. For now. As he left the room, the letter turned black again."

• "It was below him." can implies many things. His own shadow, Brian's eyes was watching him from below tempting him; the dragon queen was right below him in her cave, unaware, like a reward waiting to be reaped; or such act of betrayal was below him, which is the most likely interpretation.
• "She should pay Vail a visit." Maybe a typo? If not, then it can mean that "Kasraazs should pay Vail a visit." which sounds weird.

- (The Heirs of Zyainor Vol. I) Gardon had 5 kids afterwards, and shortly afterwards Vail retreats to the Tower of Vail to probably stay away from the less savory parts of politics, and to focus on realm-watching to maintain the current peace instead.

• In 10 Z.R, his probably less-than-10-year-old daughter, Zurae, is taken out for some family bonding activity by burning a shit ton of bandits alive. Not too relevant in the grand scheme of things, but I think it's funny.
• In 13 Z.R, or rather, a few years after Parlea had been bullied by a son of a Demon Slaves, Tojaz, she became addicted to inflicting pain, and even used her cuteness to manipulate Tojaz into letting her do so. Despite trying to reverse the damage, he eventually gave up and focused on protecting her instead. A weird, but fascinating friendship. Imagine a half-elf with an Orc’s bloodlust, while Tojaz is just desperately trying to hold the rein. Funny sight.
• One thing to notice here is that Parlea's mind is more prone to corruption, so someone can take advantage of it, maybe Aridon and Cora, his new apprentice if they wanted to weaken Zyainor through subtle means. In (The Fall of Kerrel), Aridon was spotted in one instance where he manipulated Dorten into reviving the Inquisition, with extreme methods, like the good ol' Ironfist or Redfist. Speaking of the Inquisition:
• (The Bone Mine) And I quote: "Ragnar understood why Zarin did not act against the enemies of Zyainor, but the Bloodstones would not just wait for Zyainor to fall apart on its own. No, not again. If the high king did not want to act, then the Bloodstones bloody well would - with or without his approval." The Bloodstone once praised the Redfist for their efficiency in getting rid of the Orcs, so it was also likely that while Zarin was mulling over his actions, Ragnar will cooperate with the Inquisitions to fight against Zyainor, perhaps clashing with the Undead of the Ejara and Ardoz Nexus in the attempt to seize the tunnels for the incoming war.
• In 14 Z.R, stuff happened, and another of Gardon’s child, Velina, became a Grave Warden under Varan. (Think he only appeared once outside of Tales, in SOB Chapter 14). Anyway, a necromancer that’s good at archery will be interesting to see. Maybe her expertise will catch the notice of the dormant Queen Keera and her Daviliad Nexus, or vice versa.

• In 18 Z.R, Garan fended off a group of Undead in Toran. How did they get there in the first place? Well:
• (Twisted Justice) Edoarus led a group of undead to execute lawbreakers in Rengar, which only grew in power the more he killed. The ones accompanying him matched the description of Rohir Seekers and Deadmen, and Rohir are known for their infiltration. Also:
• (Responsibilities) Saphira had her own reasons to take more than a few blows at Zyainor, and if one day, with Rahandir gone due to have inner peace, and Aridon gone due to...him being Aridon, she can end up in charge of the Splecir Nexus. The Daviliad Nexus and Scarec Nexus were pretty inactive, so a large scale undead attack shouldn't happen anytime soon.

- In 20 Z.R, lots of thing happened:

• (Return, A Thorough Analysis […] Voidwar) The Imperial Army, with an unnamed Grandmarshal and a general called Argastus Corlon, marched across the sea to attack Zyainor due to Tregakh’s manipulation. Although, the Grandmarshal is not as fanatical as his men, and some even doubted the Emperor, like the agent in (Report).
• (Seabright) Gardon missed his friend Merlon, obviously. He also convinced and influenced Zora into commanding his new fleet while overseeing the oil-extracting operation on the Burned Islands. If Zyainor’s enemies like Argastus Corlon are able to seize this place, Zyainor’s might be vulnerable to naval attacks. Rengar will have a chance to strike back, but is unlikely due to:

“When Gardon returned to the mansion, Zurae approached him with a smile. "Duke Oshan wishes to meet you. I have already talked a bit with him. He wants to discuss the possibility of... Well, perhaps you will need a new high lord soon." she explained. He smiled at her and entered the room where the duke was waiting for him.”
+ (The Heirs of Zyainor Vol. II) Thanok “helped” bloom a relationship between Hotar and Laura. They’ll be thrown into war sooner or later, against the Undead or Imperial.
- (The Iron Fists) Herdon and Tormin became Generals, but Ferdal was not mentioned. It is unlikely that he’s in some obscure and unimportant place, because my intuition told me so. So I think of two possibilities:

• He died in the Elven Kingdom, to one of Lady Riana’s sludge creatures.
• The Iron Fists was told from his perspective, hence why he didn’t mention himself.

With the main stuffs out of the way, let’s move on to:

Spoiler: Misc characters

So this will be about the characters who I think won’t have that much impact on Zyainor, but still needed to be mentioned.

• (Generals of the Empire – The Bull) “But he continued to punch the head of the murderer. Again. And again. And again. The twisted evil green creature was long dead by the time Dorbric stopped – and its face was nothing but a bloody pulp.” It is implied her that he finally got his hand on Gorthog and killed him, but after that, he felt empty. He had become second Rath, it seems, and I’m kinda sad for it.
• (Generals of the Empire – The Wolf) Zoia barely mentioned about an orc assassin (Inara) and would prefer to kill Blen by herself instead. So…was it just Darkfang making an oopsie, but it was actually to Zoia’s advantage so she just left it be? Also a “soft voice from the shadows” spoke to her, so it can be that Brian was looking for a new apprentice whose working method is similar to Gardon’s.
• (Generals of the Empire – The Burning Falcon) Epic Kenos vs Zairmak magic battle. Cue Cruel Angel’s Thesis.

+ Aveen's fate is uncleared here, and not mentioned anywhere else. Perhaps she'll die in the fight against the Dominion, but that is unlikely, because her relationship with Gardon is still unclarified.

• (Survival, Drums in the South) Praxeus, or Aspurex (creative af, I know) had survived with the help of the demon Nysara, and was infiltrating the Dominion to find the Holy Grail, while Amari had too much on her hand at the moment to notice.
• Also (Drums in the South),
  

• Hortnog/Dogran/Maronogin aren't mentioned, alongside Lokar, Brockta, and Borean. I like those guys, so I hope nothing will happen to them.
• Pechan was still alive, so the Purificator didn't blow him up, which is good.

+ Grofzag doesn’t have that big of a role here. Perhaps he was focused on studying the Obelisks or something idk.
+ Vanessa being watched by shadows can mean that:

• Amari was guarding/watching her, making sure that she remains well and unharmed, in case of diplomatic situations.
• Brian felt like Amari barely needed his guidance, so he was on watch for potential apprentice.
• Aridon/Cora took interests in her.

• Aedale: Probably fully absorbed by Lisara after she killed Redfist. Orie will chase Aedale/Lisara to seek vengeance, while Aedale/Lisara is busy looking for Ebira for the same thing.
• (Old Hatred, Espionage) It seemed that the succubi, with Ebira being the shining example here, were manipulating the dreadlords into invading Arkain to claim more land for their own kind. But after Ebira witnessed what Ornasion had become, she was actually the first one to abandon the scheming ways, the ways where the strong would rather spend time killing each other than to cooperating, and to convince them to work together to no avail. She and Nysara can make the Demon factions more diverse instead of just: “Open gates kill stuffs.”
• (Espionage): The agent here is serving the Empress of an unknown kingdom. The year here being 19 Z.R, and most of the factions were referred to in third person, so the Empress can’t be someone we’ve already known, right?

+ Anyway, this guy knows how to use high-tier magic to infiltrate into those ranks unnoticed, so I’m just going to pull one out of my ass and say that he belongs to the Order of the Arcane and call it a day.

 

[Enki555]

Spoiler: The Fates

Aedale will most likely go after Ebira after Lisara takes control. Since she is succubus and grandmaster of her kind, she won't stay loyal to Largoth as he is simply means to an end. As for as I know, he never directly mind-controlled his subjects and Lisara is the most feasible case. There is also one strange theme in her life; the throne with Four. She was child of Zindrach and led her brethren in former life but was betrayed. She found salvation with Tregakh with promise of revenge. Once she finds her key, she deserts the trickster... Bahzareel finds her and led his shades guide her. The hour of retribution was at hand, yet Aridon orders her beloved dreadlord to claim her and be reborn scion of Avatar of Death. His will she can rightfully claim her revenge when time is right.
I got the feeling Pentiss might get influenced by Brian at some point, and make her question her loyalty. There was no story of her in Tales of Arkain, only Quiraness's... this could entail the latter might become again true leader of dark elves under Aridon and Pentiss might take her followers under Brian. Since Shadows and Dark Elves have one common thing of being related to darkness, their racial name could be foreshadowing of some grand union; replacement of Brian's scions with Aridon's scions.
Undead Selior could very well be the case as this is perfect opportunity of introducing headless undead. Aridon could order fallen Selior and Imperials to perhaps intercept Darkmind invasion or even take out both Golden Guard and Orcs. Or he could participate in Salria arc trying to rectify his failure in undeath and face his former comrades also.

 

[Deleted member 304046]

One thing about Orcs/The Tribal Dominion that I am wondering is what will happen to the Goldaxe Clan in relation to the Blackthorn organization. Both groups are mercenaries, but the Blackthorn is larger, has more races in its ranks, and is far more lucrative and profitable, being one of the largest and most wealthy organizations within the Dominion. Because of this fact, the Goldaxe might be rendered obsolete and unnecessary. The description of the Blackthorn in the Faction Sheet gave me the impression that it was founded by various orcs of the old ways (who hailed from different clans), rather than simply being a rebranding of the Goldaxe Clan. Also, since Hortnog was the one who told Rangul about Redfists' mansion in the first place, Volarian might target the Goldaxe Clan just as much, if not more so than the Deathbreeze Clan. Perhaps during the wars in Salria, the Redfist will slaughter majority of the Goldaxe Clan, inflicting the same fate that befell the Darkmind Clan.

As for the fates of specific Goldaxe characters, here are my guesses:

Hortnog: Due to him giving a teleportation ring to Vanessa that she could use to teleport to him in case of real danger, which she may do when she is cornered by Volarian, I don't think that Hortnog will die in the Duke interlude. Though Redfist the Tyrant would want Hortnog dead, maybe more so than Rangul, he did not encounter any Orc/Dominion character after killing Rangul and Ephrog, cornering Vanessa and being challenged by Brockta the Stomper, thus Hortnog may not perish at Volarian's sword. I also think that he may become the new chieftain of the Goldaxe Clan, if it is not rendered obsolete, or perhaps he becomes a manager/overseer/supervisor for the Blackthorn organization. I can also see him joining the Goblin Federation, aligning himself with Pechan the Mechanic.

Dogran: Due to being the main champion of the Goldaxe Clan and, barring Lokar the Crusher, not getting as much emphasis as most other Orc characters (despite being playable in Rise of the Clans chapter), I don't think Dogran will die by the End of the True Story and he may become the top mercenary in the Blackthorn organization. The Blackthorn might perhaps need the main "orcish face" and Dogran would be more than a good fit.

The Chieftain: Anything might happen with Maronogin, but one thing in my mind was that he may get exposed and the Orcs/the Tribal Dominion would want nothing to do with him since he is a demon (a charismatic, magnificent bastard type of demon, but a demon nonetheless and a Dreadlord for that matter). Once Maronogin is driven away from the Orcish sphere, either Hortnog or Dogran take the place as the Goldaxe Chieftain. If Maronogin's presence is revealed, this might also put Goldaxe Clan at great odds with the rest of Orc clans and the Dominion, as how could the Orcs let themselves by led by a demon, a Dreadlord. A while back I even had the idea that Maronogin's status as the chieftain of Goldaxe might incite a civil war within the clan, with some having no problem following the lead of a Dreadlord, while others would be enraged at this revelation.

 

[Jayborino]

Resurrecting for end of act 8, here are my predictions. At this point we have major story beats that we know HAVE to happen from the short stories, but the little details are the fun parts now.

Orcs reunite and kill the Bonelords, Daric, probably Wolf Regiment, and maybe Phoenix Regiment. I think Falcon Regiment will join the Ironfist. No idea about where Bull Regiment will end up. Ultimately, I think every Regiment general will die.

The Bonelords losing sends Aridon spiraling even more, then is confronted by Largoth like the old SUB ending. Aridon says eff this they don't want my help and they all suck so I'm going to sleep, bye. Undead Nexus all break apart and tensions explode now that they can kill each other; squabble squabble squabble!

Succession crisis in Tribal Dominion is more than a cutscene this time. Inara comes back and leads Ironthunder, Darkmind, and now leaderless Bloodhand and Skullblade against Amari and other races. Ishzog's work stops the entirety of every clan from joining the rebellion. Sasrogarn will be killed or exiled (fitting back from mission 2), not sure about Inara. Dominion is formed because it can't go any other way.

Redfist gets dusted as usual in the Tribal Dominion formation victory lap. Aedale kills her mean dad, but was he really that mean? Ok yes, but maybe not to her that one time.

Golden Guard gets abandoned on the continent, allies with the Dwarves, then loses to a Royal Army/Ironfist gangbang. Ironfist or Dominion will use the cannon to stop the invasion, but I hope Logan can still be a bro somewhere. Zyainor is the Human faction winner because it can't happen any other way. Marin and Praxeus live but Golden Guard is basically gone and never goes on a crusade against the Emperor.

Gardon storms the Gates of Hell and gets betrayed by the Undead like SHB. Merlon and Toraes are dead in the short stories, so they'll die. How Aedale factors into any of this is a major mystery right now, which I look forward to.

Protaganist faction of Undead maybe under Rahandir and/or Cora have a confrontation with Dark One factions in a 'behind the scenes' type battle. Tregakh wants them all gone because he hates Aridon, so now they need to earn their newfound independence which would be a neat end to the True Story Undead storyline we never got in SUB. Gorthog will either appear here or reunite with the Dominion, I'm not sure. This would be an interesting place for a unique variety of characters/factions.

 

[Zergy]

No idea about where Bull Regiment will end up. Ultimately, I think every Regiment general will die.

I have a hunch that Dobric might join the Golden Guard as the last ditch frontliners with Praxeus, during the last stand of the Golden Guard. This is supported to facts that Dobric stated, in the Interlude: True Colors, that he is not fond of how Gardon operates his armies, this is because of his shadow magic, necromancy, Black Dragons and ect. These reason might sway him on Van Durce's side.

The Bonelords losing sends Aridon spiraling even more, then is confronted by Largoth like the old SUB ending. Aridon says eff this they don't want my help and they all suck so I'm going to sleep, bye. Undead Nexus all break apart and tensions explode now that they can kill each other; squabble squabble squabble!

This is possible, evident to the Tales of Arkain Undead Stories - The Council in the Mountain. Mordin's action to tell his Dwarven kin might spark the first Civil war of the Undead, while their baby of a master sucks his thumb deep within his chambers. I hope Shar Dundred will have plans to continue this story after the True Story of Arkain. Who knows??

and now leaderless Bloodhand and Skullblade against Amari and other races

I wouldn't say that BloodHand clan might rebel against Amari and their allied races, cause Garfel (AKA: Destroyer) was down supportive with the coming change to his kind. Skull on the other hand has 50 - 50 chance that they might join Gorthog's group or see their chieftain as a monster and pledge their allegiance to Amarii's new kingdom.

Sasrogarn will be killed or exiled (fitting back from mission 2)

Sasrogarn the Idiot might be exiled, cause Shar has teased that Sasrogarn has a different fate waiting for him.

not sure about Inara

As for Inara, she will be a prominent member of the Dominion, this evident to the Timeline of Arkain mentioning Spiders overwhelming the Royal Army, led by the Princes of Kerrel. Yet, I still have her suspicions as a double a agent...

Redfist gets dusted as usual in the Tribal Dominion formation victory lap. Aedale kills her mean dad, but was he really that mean? Ok yes, but maybe not to her that one time.

I have a hunch that the Chapter 'A Red Day' will happen after Duke Valorian RedFist is killed by Aedale. Thus explaining why the Redfist having a major disadvantage against the Tribal Dominion.

Golden Guard is basically gone and never goes on a crusade against the Emperor.

I almost feel guilty killing Van Durce's Children. Almost...

Toraes are dead in the short stories, so they'll die.

Toreas might still be Alive, Shar hasn't confirmed that he is truly dead, plus the rumors about the prince being alive is evident in Timeline of Arkian. Unless that changes in the True Story, I mean with the many changes Shar made?? (Like not including Shield Bearers and Pigmen?) Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised...

Protaganist faction of Undead maybe under Rahandir and/or Cora have a confrontation with Dark One factions in a 'behind the scenes' type battle. Tregakh wants them all gone because he hates Aridon, so now they need to earn their newfound independence which would be a neat end to the True Story Undead storyline we never got in SUB. Gorthog will either appear here or reunite with the Dominion, I'm not sure. This would be an interesting place for a unique variety of characters/factions.

The fact that there will be a possible behind scenes war, will pique my interest. Rahandir and Cora leading a splinter group of Undead is possible... Not to mention Sir Edoras and his own undead faction getting ready to invade the Dominion were the Bone Lords failed for the 2nd time (I think it would happen, but who knows?)

The Road for Gorthog on the other hand is still unclear but I have a feeling he will try to reunit with his kin but gets shunned by Inara's manipulation tactics and will instead hold a grudge against the Amarii and Inara but will redirect his focus on hunting down Tregakh. He did say, 'Till the End of the Earth'.

 

[Jayborino]

Predictors, calling all predictors!

The next Orc map which will be new for the True Story and Sasrogarn's hotly debated fate, what do you think will happen?

Imma be real, a straightforward Orcs/Ogres vs Dwarves feels too simple for a map this close to the end.

The real conflict comes down to Amari and Inara - not the characters per say, but what they represent.

Amari represents what the Orcs could be: Diplomatic and mercantile but still strong. A peppering of healthy political scheming and intrigue. Willing to work with humans in some capacity.

Inara represents the worst of what the Orcs are known for: Blind bloodlust and forceful subjugation and absorption of other clans/factions through pure force. Unwilling to work with any humans.

My thought is that Sas's actual fate is less important, but the events leading up to it function as a lens to examine the formation of the Dominion. Personally I hope he can live and accept his role as ceremonious, admit he simply doesn't want to actually be a leader, and that what he did to Amari way back when was wrong.

Gran is the character who doubts the Orcs can be any different than they used to be, so the resolution of Amari/Inara is very important.

Phoenix and Falcon Regiments are wildcards, so they have the potential to show up and get wiped out just for fun. Logan may get the setup he needs to shine. Gorthog may show up, which sparks hostilities between Amari and Inara. Thoughts?

 

[Apprentice Darkmoon]

Predictors, calling all predictors!

The next Orc map which will be new for the True Story and Sasrogarn's hotly debated fate, what do you think will happen?

Imma be real, a straightforward Orcs/Ogres vs Dwarves feels too simple for a map this close to the end.

The real conflict comes down to Amari and Inara - not the characters per say, but what they represent.

Amari represents what the Orcs could be: Diplomatic and mercantile but still strong. A peppering of healthy political scheming and intrigue. Willing to work with humans in some capacity.

Inara represents the worst of what the Orcs are known for: Blind bloodlust and forceful subjugation and absorption of other clans/factions through pure force. Unwilling to work with any humans.

My thought is that Sas's actual fate is less important, but the events leading up to it function as a lens to examine the formation of the Dominion. Personally I hope he can live and accept his role as ceremonious, admit he simply doesn't want to actually be a leader, and that what he did to Amari way back when was wrong.

Gran is the character who doubts the Orcs can be any different than they used to be, so the resolution of Amari/Inara is very important.

Phoenix and Falcon Regiments are wildcards, so they have the potential to show up and get wiped out just for fun. Logan may get the setup he needs to shine. Gorthog may show up, which sparks hostilities between Amari and Inara. Thoughts?

I'm agreed that Inara must die, even though I like her so much, she's a treat for the future humans of salria, and for Logan IF he joins the dominion.
About the future missions for the Orcs, we will probably face all of the Bloodstones and kill Orgen (Phoenix, Falcon and Redfist will probably aid the dwarves). Then we probably face the Moghtar and Gorthog, who probably will tell Amari and Sasrogarn about Inara and what happened to Lokar.
There is two options of what could happen next: Inara will kill Gorthog, and then Amari will face her in battle, killing her and absorbing her shadow for future use. Or... use the same "help" she used for Grella's bloodlust, taking Inara as a obedient pawn on her arsenal.

 

[Navy45]

The real conflict comes down to Amari and Inara - not the characters per say, but what they represent.

Amari represents what the Orcs could be: Diplomatic and mercantile but still strong. A peppering of healthy political scheming and intrigue. Willing to work with humans in some capacity.

Inara represents the worst of what the Orcs are known for: Blind bloodlust and forceful subjugation and absorption of other clans/factions through pure force. Unwilling to work with any humans.

Honnestly, I'm not even so sure Inara's that much about bloodlust and subjugation. She was that way with Rath of course and it would be consistant with the narrative of her seeking revenge for her imprisonment... but then again, she lied to Rath about who she was imprisonned by. She could have been tricked herself about Greymoore's involvement, but she knew it was the wolf regiment from the knight that captured her. Also, she moved on from blind anger quite quickly, the moment Rath went to kill Greymoore, and never really went back to her apparent initial levels of hatred.

Personnaly, I think she manipulated Rath by sending him after Greymoore, she manipulated Lokar to get away from the scene, she manipulated the Dominion to get a safe haven and she plans to manipulate Amari the same way. I would assume that whatever she claims to care about is a lie. The only question is "what is her goal ?".
Honnestly, I don't think she cares much about the rest of the dominion or even her own race. She seems to only see Rath, Lokar and their clans as tools to use and then discard. She is definitely amassing power, having a good amount of the remaining orcs answering to her, plus the children of the Viper and she has the ear of Amari. But what is she amassing her power for ?
I always tend to come back to the idea that she works/has been brainwashed by the wolf regiment. Her pitting Rath against Greymoore, with the Wolf arriving just in time to take advantage of the orcs' attack seems too big a coincidence.

As for how the level will progress, well I'd say that, even if Amari isn't willing to kill Sasrogarn, he doesn't know that. It would be quite easy for, say an impartial judge to convince him that Amari will take her revenge, encouraging him to strike first.
Regardless of the way it happens, Sas dying here would be one of the worst outcomes for the dominion. The factions that mistrust Amari will only feel validated by the suspicion she's responsible. Especially since Inara, as an "impartial judge" will be free to spin whatever story suits her.
Of course, if Inara and Amari truly cooperate, I don't see either of them falling anytime soon.

 

[Navy45]

About the latest theory video by Jayborino :

Inara being Trekagh :
Definitely the biggest one. Indeed there are quite some elements that point to her and the wolf regiment being influenced by the Dark one. It would explain the access to mark of chaos (though it would break the trend of Darkmind orcs gaining power by being really angry), it would also explain the focus on Blen, since his death gets Aedale further into corruption.
I would be a bit sad if Trekagh turned out to be Inara since I find her character very interesting.
I thought that Zoia's dialogue with a voice was about the Boar regiment, but since they were anihilated, there is probably nothing new to learn on that front.

Trekagh being the source of mind controlling amulets :
The amulets are most likely not Brian's doing, sinc he refers to it as "your influence" or "a trinket of yours" when talking to Guardon (before and after Retka's end I think). Though, Guardon always researched into all kinds of dark magics along with Birram, he has interest in necromancy, demonology and others so he could've picked it up from a lot of places (and it's established that demon magic can control mortal minds from Largoth's dialogue and Demonlord abilities, Largoth isn't a demon, but it would be suspicious for hi to claim to have these abilities unless they were demonlike)
The imperial amulets being of the same nature would be terrifying. It would mean Trekagh had a hand in the empire for a very long time, since the practice wasn't introduced by the current emperor. It would also explain the increased zealotry of the soldiers in the second imperial invasion in the short stories (other imperial directly write that they're incredibly fanatic to a point that seems wrong). Of course it would also explain the elven queen's reaction to protect her children.


Thought I would add a little theory of mine (though not mind blowing by any means)

Maronogin and Brian have a deeper alliance/deal than we know :
It is rather strange that Maronogin just happens to be a major benefactor of both of Brian's Disciples. He leads the goldaxe clan and the bank financing Guardon. Of course, he is shown to have interests in a lot of places (like the Salrian mine) but these are the only military operations he financed (along with the elves that were already sort of under Guardon's influence until the Goldies came along). Of course, he told Amari Brian didn't know he was leader of the Goldaxe clan, but he doesn't tell when exactly Brian learned of his identity.
My theory is that, either Brian learned of it at some point (maybe when Amari rejoined the other orcs) or Maronogin sought him out. They made a deal. Brian would let him and the goldaxe be + whatever bonus Maronogin asked for, meanwhile the dreadlord would support Guardon (give him money, infiltrate his troops, withdraw support to the elves, instigate the Red guard rebellion)