World of Warcraft®

Ever since I created Noikona I’ve stated that the Light could destroy Noikona be it healing or attack. The reason being was because of what Noikona truly is. The exception being, that Noikona could allow the Light to heal her, if the person healing her was attuned to her.

Although the above makes sense to a degree, it also doesn’t. The Light is a tool. The Light doesn’t have its own malicious intelligence or desire destroy what it touches just because it’s evil. There’re many sentient beings that use the Light for nefarious deeds and are exceptionally more evil than Noikona. There’re also races that are infused with the power drained from demons (ie. Sin’dorei) that make perfectly good paladins and priests. I will also argue that the forsaken aren’t evil, they didn’t choose what they’ve become and therefore would still have the same abilities they had prior their forced continuation.

If a creature has the skill to utilize the light, that doesn’t make them ‘good’. It just means they have the ability to tap into a recourse and use it as they deem fit. Lore backs this up. You will see Light wielders on both sides of good and evil. True, most Light wielders side on good, but that doesn’t mean they don’t slip. When they do, they don’t lose the ability to harness the power of the Light.

So, what to do with Noikona? I’m not going to change the fact that Noikona could be destroyed by the Light in the past. What I can do is take a moment in time and use that as a base point. If anyone followed the plot line between Noikona and Azheira, there was a pivotal action that Azheira did…
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/13733703480?page=3#50

Azheira gave Noikona a tremendous amount of Holy power. Azheira could do this because she was attuned to Noikona. An influx of such power should have a consequence. Nothing was ever discussed on what that power did to Noikona. So, since Noikona has had no interaction with the Light from that point forward, I can safely say that Noikona can be healed by the light from anyone, it just hasn’t happened yet. On the flip side, Light used as an attack on Noikona would be significantly more damaging then what would normally be expected (Don’t you dare get any ideas, I will stab you).

So my question to the community is, is this acceptable and make sense? The last thing I want to do is break what is commonly adhered to. Also these are my opinions and the way I see things. I wouldn’t want to force my ideas on anyone else and this truly only affects my character.

03/14/2016 09:12 AMPosted by Noikona

this truly only affects my character.

Doesn't it just get a pass because of this line? If my character isn't effected by the concept your presenting then it should be fine.

I believe this makes sense. As you suggest - "An influx of such power should have a consequence" - and I could see this. In my opinion, and as you suggest, the Light is a resource able to be tapped by those attuned to it. The Light does not inherently 'hurt' those who are evil and 'heal' those who are good. It shapes itself to the will of the caster.

The real question here (in my opinion) is whether it makes sense for someone to be able to be healed by the Light when they would previously take damage from coming into 'any' contact with it'? I believe Azheira's actions were the catalyst for this change. I am not certain what the reason was before for Noiki being unable to interact with the Light, but it is possible such a heavy infusion burned away this vulnerability permanently or else is a temporary, albeit longer lasting effect that allows her to interact with the Light without threat from it, sort of as an internal shield until that power infusion drains away.

My only critique (possibly in ignorance) would be when you mention Noikona's ability to 'allow healing' from the Light if said person is attuned to her. I find it strange to believe that you could 'receive' benevolent healing from one individual while benevolent healing from another somehow burns you. The power is the same regardless which font it flows through - and if the person is acting as a shielding conduit for the power, then I'd assume Noikona wouldn't really have a choice of 'allowing' the healing. She would just have to take it and be healed if that attuned individual was trying to heal her.

My thoughts on the matter. Hope this helps.

03/14/2016 08:32 PMPosted by Nemestrinus

03/14/2016 09:12 AMPosted by Noikona

this truly only affects my character.

Doesn't it just get a pass because of this line? If my character isn't effected by the concept your presenting then it should be fine.

Noikona has interacted with quite a few other people to include healers. This is a deviation from what I've played in the past.

I believe this is where Calent should say "Burn the Witch" as she does in our raid...*Flees*

I think I'll need to disagree slightly with Jeraboh and yourself Noikona when it comes to Light healing regarding Noikona now. While her soul is now protected by Azheira's light, I would not say it allows for any Light healer to positively effect her now with their spells. I would think that this protection Azheira set would make it easier for another holy healer to attune with her as it will give them a foundation (Might not be any easier for Noikona. Not sure on that), but Noikona's flesh itself is still unredeemed.

And by "redeemed" I am referring to my own thoughts about the abilities of Light magic. Unlike arcane, most of the Light's power comes more through faith than mana. Yes, a paladin or a priest can exhaust their mana and no longer be able to cast spells, but the power of the Light itself always seems more or less determined by how strong their faith is and what their beliefs in what it can and cannot do. It's what I would say helps determine the scale between a paladin like Uther or a vindicator such as Yrel compared to say that of a low level paladin.

The beliefs almost always commonly seem to have one thing in common. Demons are susceptible to Light magic. Whether the healer didn't know/intend any harm to Noikona, there is no denying the fact that despite Azheira's gift, Noikona is still very much man'ari. The wielder's Light is indeed a tool, and is almost always shaped to smite down demons be they in disguise or not. Which I would say is the reason for attunement in the first place. It would help shape the wielder's light to not recognize Noikona as a threat.

What Azheira's gift will do, as I doubt there's any precedent for it, I can't really say. I'm just not sure if it would allow non-attuned holy healers to heal her.

((Note however that this is all what I think and I am subject to being completely, utterly, and hopelessly, wrong on any and all levels of that word.))

I would argue that it’s more beneficial to allow the person using the light to dictate their skill and intent. When it comes right down to it, bone is bone, flesh is flesh. The light is just the tool being used to mend those physical objects. If I tell a priest or paladin that they can’t heal me, isn’t that an insult? I don’t know their skill or their experience with what I may be. It’s quite possible they are fully aware of what I am and know how to manipulate their skill to have a positive effect.

Also in further investigation there are demons that in fact can harness the power of Light...

(Note the spells)
http://www.wowhead.com/npc=22964/sister-of-pleasure#abilities

03/14/2016 09:12 AMPosted by Noikona

An influx of such power should have a consequence. Nothing was ever discussed on what that power did to Noikona. So, since Noikona has had no interaction with the Light from that point forward, I can safely say that Noikona can be healed by the light from anyone, it just hasn’t happened yet. On the flip side, Light used as an attack on Noikona would be significantly more damaging then what would normally be expected

I'd be interested in hearing more about this consequence.

Seems to me that surely something must have changed in Noi as a result. If so then I wonder what? Light acts adversely to its polar opposite, Shadow (and Death perhaps by relation*), which is partially why the forsaken have had issues** with its use. It would strike me that Noi's issues would be rather similar, given her nature.
...and so what in that nature has changed?
Is she now less Man'ari because Azheira burned part of it out of her?

On the use of light against her as a weapon; How would this change the effects of the beneficial use of Light on her but not also alter its detrimental use against her?

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*(http://media.mmo-champion.com/images/news/2016/february/WoWChronicleSample-4.jpg)
**The issues I refer to are only two which I can drum up at the moment. First, the excruciating pain forsaken experience in tandem to utilizing Light. Being decayed and corrupted creatures the Light will seek to burn that away, which I'd imagine is extremely painful. Second, the Light would also be attempting to revitalizing what is dead, possibly awakening long dead or numb senses and opening up dormant sensory pathways in the brain which in itself could be excruciating. Like sleeping heavily on an arm that is far past the point of painfully numb. The gradual process of regaining feeling can be a terrible experience. Ask me how I know.
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[Edit]
Offering a thought. In studying that Chronicle Page Image I linked above I couldn't help but notice how more closely related Light is to Chaos (Disorder, and Fel) than to Order. I find that really rather interesting, that relation. Especially in context of this discussion. ;)

The Light being a tool is all well and good, but what about other fonts of healing? Night Elves don't worship "the Light," they worship the Moon Goddess, who grants them their power in the form of "moonlight." Or a druid's or shaman's healing, where they draw energy from the nature they revere and worship? Or a monk's healing from energized mist? Do you consider these different, and has Noikona always been able to receive healing from those sources, or have these spells effects changed for her as well?

I bring up the Night Elf source specifically because we've seen through, at least, one of the Ashenvale quests where the Goddess's blessing was able to reverse the transformation of a satyr back into a Night Elf (see Avrus Illwhisper -> Avrus the Redeemed, final quest: "All's Well"). This is a similar but different situation I think, with Noikona being Man'ari (transformed by the Legion like a Satyr) possibly being "cured" by the Light.

Can anyone think of a time where efforts were made to reverse a demon's transformation back into its original race using the Light? Or has no one tried because, you know, "Demons, begone, roar!"?

03/18/2016 05:23 AMPosted by Cerulana

The Light being a tool is all well and good, but what about other fonts of healing? Night Elves don't worship "the Light," they worship the Moon Goddess, who grants them their power in the form of "moonlight." Or a druid's or shaman's healing, where they draw energy from the nature they revere and worship? Or a monk's healing from energized mist? Do you consider these different, and has Noikona always been able to receive healing from those sources, or have these spells effects changed for her as well?

In the past I’ve stated that Noikona could be healed by nature via shamans and druids. When Mists of Pandaria came along, I saw no issues with Noikona being able to be healed by Chi (I’ve not done much research on it).

As far as the Light, I’ve always considered its source irrelevant as it still manifests in a final result that will all recognize.

I will admit that I didn’t delve really deep and it’s quite possible that I made assumptions that were incorrect.

As far as Noikona being cured / purified? That won't happen. Perhaps if what she is was forced on her, then yes. But Noikona made the decisions herself to be what she is. It may have been eons ago, but she wasn't forced and will live with the consequence of her actions.