Prime Designate

Odyn, the original Prime Designate.

Loken, the self-proclaimed Prime Designate.

Prime Designate (or prime designate) is a title for the ruler of Azeroth's titan-forged keepers, charged by the Pantheon of Order with watching over the planet. The Pantheon originally appointed Odyn the Prime Designate, but he gave up the position upon breaking off from the other keepers in ancient times. Loken later made himself the new Prime Designate after betraying the other keepers and retained the office until his death.

History

Odyn

The titan Pantheon of Order appointed Keeper Odyn the Prime Designate for his valorous actions during the war against the Black Empire. The task of watching over the Prison of Yogg-Saron and maintaining the Forge of Wills in Ulduar would fall to him. Vrykul legend recounts how, long before the Sundering, Odyn sat as "Prime Designate of all things" and all titan-forged obeyed his rule. In this role, Odyn spoke with the authority of the titans. To this day, Odyn is sometimes called the "king of the gods".

The Pantheon considered the destruction of a Prime Designate to be the first warning sign of "systemic planetary failure". Therefore, the Prime Designate's death would automatically activate the Algalon Failsafe, a signal which would summon Algalon the Observer to assess the danger of Old God corruption of Azeroth and whether or not the planet was in need of re-origination.

Odyn later opposed the other keepers' uplifting of the Dragon Aspects. He argued that, as Prime Designate, he had the final decision, but the other keepers empowered the Aspects regardless. The resulting falling out led to Odyn separating the Halls of Valor from Ulduar and breaking from his brethren. He thereby gave up on the post of Prime Designate and any measure of influence over the other keepers. However, they are still oathbound to answer his call if the Gjallarhorn (which predates their conflict) is sounded.

Loken

After being corrupted by Yogg-Saron, Keeper Loken convinced the Val'kyr Helya to trap Odyn in the Halls of Valor, then wrested control of Ulduar from the other keepers. He altered the city's machineries and used them to anoint himself Azeroth's new Prime Designate. After Keeper Tyr and his allies stole the Discs of Norgannon from Ulduar, Loken replaced the discs with his own archive, the Tribunal of Ages, whose contents he altered to cover up his crimes; among other things, the Tribunal's records claim that Loken was "designated supreme" among the titan-forged and left to protect Azeroth alongside the Dragon Aspects by the Pantheon themselves, while leaving out all mention of Odyn's existence. Fearful of retribution from the Pantheon and from Tyr's allies (Archaedas and Ironaya), Loken also altered Ulduar's communication devices to prevent anyone from contacting Algalon, meaning that only his own death would summon the Observer. Loken assumed that his death would come at the hands of Tyr's allies, and that if so, Algalon would avenge him by re-originating the planet.

During the war against the Lich King millennia later, Loken was killed by Horde adventurers. As he had planned, the Prime Designate's demise triggered the Algalon Failsafe and sent a warning to the Pantheon that Azeroth had lost its foremost guardian. Algalon arrived to Ulduar, but adventurers defeated him and convinced him to allow them to avert re-origination by transmitting Reply-Code Alpha.

It is not known whether Odyn, who was freed from the Halls of Valor during the third invasion of the Burning Legion, intends to ever reclaim the Prime Designate title.

Notes

• Ra—who, like Odyn, was created by Aman'Thul—had the title of "Highkeeper" from the time of the keepers' creation, predating the Pantheon's appointment of Odyn as Prime Designate. It's unclear what authority the Highkeeper title carried or what the relation between it and the Prime Designate was. Notably, Ra lacked the "sigma-level clearance" required to know of the existence of the Chamber of Heart.
• Even though he gave up the position, the second stage of Odyn's encounter in the Trial of Valor is titled "The Prime Designate", and he drops an item named  [Favor of the Prime Designate]. In Hearthstone, he appears as Odyn, Prime Designate.
• In Wrath of the Lich King, both the in-universe Tribunal of Ages and out-of-universe sources stated that the Pantheon had designated Loken the leader of the keepers and the head guardian of the Prison of Yogg-Saron. Chronicle Volume 1 and Legion retconned this by revealing that the role originally belonged to Odyn and that Loken had only usurped it.

Speculation

This article or section includes speculation, observations or opinions possibly supported by lore or by Blizzard officials. It should not be taken as representing official lore.

The Archivum Console's statement that the Algalon Failsafe is triggered by "a Prime Designate's demise", and Brann Bronzebeard's response that Loken was "Azeroth's Prime Designate", could mean that the title is not unique to Azeroth and that other titan-ordered worlds have Prime Designates of their own (just as they all have their own re-origination failsafe systems and constellar observers).