Stormwind Keep.
Varian stared blankly, feeling like a walking corpse, forced to accept the terrifying rumors about the Draenor World.
"I'll be caught by the Orcs and eaten on their dinner table."
Varian had already foreseen his tragic end.
Khadgar's once bright eyes lost their luster. The horrors of Draenor World had completely shattered his confidence, and he was eager to return to Karazhan to persuade Medivh to abandon the attack on Draenor.
But Medivh wouldn't listen to advice. After all, Medivh had a way out: no matter how legendary Draenor World, it was still a piece of cake in front of the Legion.
Maraad let out a long breath, but his expression became even more unpleasant:
"Next, I'll talk about a legendary chieftain from Frostfire Ridge, whom I believe even Sargeras is no match for."
"Impossible!" Khadgar couldn't help but retort.
Maraad glared at Khadgar rudely.
"You have no idea what terrifying creatures you are about to face. Frostfire Ridge, the Frostwolf Clan has been subservient to the Gorian Empire for generations, but there is one Orcs Clans that has never taken Ogres seriously—the legendary Thunderlord Clan."
Khadgar said in surprise, "I know a fair bit about the Orcs Clans of Draenor World. Compared to powerful Clans like Warsong Clan and Blackrock, the Thunderlord Clan isn't even worth mentioning."
Maraad scoffed, "That's because you haven't faced the Thunderlord Clan at their peak. The Thunderlord Clan once suffered an internal strife and lost their most terrifying weapon; otherwise, Azeroth would have been conquered by the Orcs long ago."
In response to Khadgar's question, Maraad asked, enunciating each word clearly, "Do you know Gromgal?"
Khadgar scratched his head in surprise. "I've heard that there's a huge skeleton in Frostfire Ridge. The ancestors of the Thunderlord Clan once killed an Earth Giants named Gromgal, and ever since then, the Thunderlord Clan has lived inside Gromgal's skeleton."
Maraad said seriously:
"Gromgal is not an Earth Giants."
Maraad was lost in memories. "Among the Draenei, I am one of the longer-lived ones. I helped the Draenei avoid the Burning Legion's Demons armies time and time again. I once wielded world-destroying magic, but I heeded the Prophet Velen to abandon magic and cultivate the Holy Light. It's a pity that my current strength is less than one percent of what it was in my prime."
With a self-deprecating laugh, Maraad asked, "Khadgar, do you know why the Draenei chose Draenor World?"
Khadgar shook his head.
"The universe is so vast, the Burning Legion toyed with us Draenei like a cat playing with a mouse. We are a jinx, and every world that offered us refuge was devoured by the Legion's raging flames until no planet would accept us anymore. The Draenei were completely cornered, and the Burning Legion probably ran out of patience and wanted to annihilate us in one fell swoop."
"A powerful being from the Void protected us and repelled the Legion. It was a terrifying shadow creature, its massive body far exceeding that of the Titans we knew. The Draenei worship the Holy Light, and the protection of Void Creature is detrimental to faith, so only a handful of people know the truth."
"The Void Creature is named Gromgal. He sympathizes with the plight of the Draenei and tells us that in the distant Draenor World, there is a skeleton of his that is being spied upon by a group of fanged savage creatures who are trying to uncover its secrets, which greatly displeases him. If we can drive away the fanged creatures and help preserve the skeleton, he is willing to offer us eternal protection."
Khadgar was puzzled and asked, "Why did you refuse?"
Maraad sighed and said, "Gromgal is so powerful, yet he needs the Draenei's help to drive out the Orcs. Don't you find that strange?"
Khadgar fell into deep thought, and after a long while, he said, "Elune."
Maraad nodded:
"The Orcs and the Moon Goddess have an intricate connection, and they are very likely Elune's blood people. When we finally arrived in Draenor World after overcoming countless hardships, the Holy Light issued a warning, and we had no choice but to break our promise. The Burning Legion pursued us relentlessly, probably out of fear of the Orcs' relationship with Elune, and did not destroy Draenor as they had done before."
"Gromgal's secret somehow reached the ears of the Frostwolf Clan. Fenris Wolfpie, the eldest son of the Frostwolf Clan Chief Garad, upon learning of this, resolutely relinquished his claim to the chieftainship and joined the Thunderlord Clan. As an outsider with no blood relation, he rose to prominence through his exceptional skills and assertive personality, gradually seizing power. Fenris changed his name to Iron Wolf and gained the recognition of this powerful Void Creature through Gromgal's remains. With Gromgal's protection, the Thunderlord Clan was Invincible. Unfortunately, Fenris also had a weakness, and was ultimately betrayed by his third brother Durotan."
Khadgar's fist clenched tighter. "Are you worried that Fenris didn't die in Draenor World thirty-five years ago?"
Maraad said in a trembling voice:
"Fenris's weakness is his three good-for-nothing sons. Garrosh entered that era, and if a warning had been given in advance, Durotan might have died. Fenris would have replaced that coward Durotan as one of the Seven Heroes of Draenor, perhaps even their leader, and the Iron Horde would have been invincible. We would all have died."
Varian finally saw a glimmer of hope and reminded him, "Including Medivh."
Maraad nodded. "Compared to the great Gromgal, Medivh is less than a bug."
Khadgar turned to look at Varian and said sadly:
"Do you think you can scare Medivh? You have no idea how stubborn he is. Maneuvering between Elune, the Army of the Light, the Titans, and the Burning Legion is already a risky business, which is why Medivh won't give up. A terrifying being like Gromgal will only fascinate Medivh even more."
Varian's face turned ashen, and he lowered his head helplessly, his body trembling uncontrollably.
Khadgar smiled wryly. "It's time to prepare graves for everyone. I've already thought of the epitaphs."
Frostfire Ridge, as its name suggests, is a place where pristine white snow and scorching Lava coexist.
Upon stepping onto this land, Grimak looked very nervous and whispered:
"A terrain like Frostfire Ridge would have been destroyed long ago without the suppression of Gromgal's skeleton. Garrosh, have you made up your mind? If you want the Iron Horde to Invincible, Fenris is of course the best choice as leader, or you could find a way to get rid of him and have someone suitable in your heart take over as leader."
Garrosh said coldly:
"There's an old saying in Mulgore: 'Better to be the head of a Tauren Hawkstrider.' My choice is to kill Fenris."
Grimak nodded, unsurprised.
"In that case, let's go see Durotan. Don't let Frostfire Ridge's desolate and barren appearance fool you; it's home to Draenor World's largest and most luxurious gold-burning kiln. Durotan, the good-for-nothing youngest son of Garad, chieftain of the Frostwolf Clan, is a regular at the kiln."
Garrosh immediately became interested, feigning nonchalance, and said, "The gold-burning kiln doesn't matter; meeting Durotan is the most important thing. Tell me quickly, where is that place?"
"The picturesque seaside town of Somval."