Safe Haven: Dark Hidden Meaning

Everyone is happy with what lies on the surface of the Safe Haven cinematic. The Green Moses returns, Sylvanas signed herself a death sentence by putting a hit on Thrall, awesome Nagrand, awesome undead rogues with gameplay sounds, and overall Lok’Tar Ogar.

There is a dark hidden meaning though which reads between the lines. And this is: Thrall’s family is DEAD. Aggra and Durak, wife and son, ceased to be.

Here’s what makes me think so.

1. Saurfang and Thrall speak of his family:

Saurfang: Where is your family?
Thrall: (heavy pause) Not far.

This “Not far” sounds as bitter as possible. And not far sounds as in their graves are not far. He trusts Saurfang as himself, there’s no other reason to keep their whereabouts from him. Well, even a simple “hunting” could be enough. This vague answer could mean only one thing: it’s hard to talk about it.

2. Later in the dialogue “I’m no one’s savior” sounds even more bitter. Surely the context is they’re talking about the Horde, but he could mean his family as well.

3. Thrall’s home is a widower’s ruin.

It’s ragged, shattered, unattended. There’s no sign of attachment to it. It’s not a place where a happy family lives – even by orc standards. It means that Thrall is alone, and he doesn’t bother with fixing and cleaning anymore.

4. After the assassins attack, he shows no urge to check if his family was ok. Were they alive, his first urge would have been to find them and make sure they were not found by the undead first. He never speaks a word.

5. Were they alive, including them in the cinematic would have been the most obvious and almost obligatory move. His fear to lose them to assassins, him protecting them spectacularly – like catching a hand with the knife inch away from Aggra or Durak, or intercepting a fatal blow with his body… Did not happen.

6. After that, he is ready to go and leave everything behind right from spot, not a sign of I must consult or tell my wife and son. Granted how Aggra dragged him out of emotional abyss in Cataclysm, he would talk to her first – his most important and trusted being in the world.

7. The last thing is the overall calmness of a dying Nagrand. It’s peaceful, yet it reeks of decay. Both music and landscape are great indicators of what happens to Thrall’s soul.

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All these small moments shape a bigger picture – where I see no Aggra or Durak. Thrall is alone in this world.

The reason is most likely famine. Thrall himself is exhausted, we could count all the ribs in his ribcage, and the fields are clearly dying – hence Draenor’s wildlife as well.