Recaps

Garrosh’s schemes drove the Alliance and Horde toward war, while Thrall and Vol’jin struggled to shape the Horde’s future. Orgrimmar fell under siege, but Garrosh escaped with Ra-den’s Heart, leaving Thrall blamed and Jiyun Ailuan preparing a trial at the Vermilion Bird Temple.

• Garrosh sent Eitrigg to threaten Exodar, while Velen used a vision to learn that Garrosh was reaching out to Stormwind.
• Thrall and Vol’jin manipulated Baine and the female Orc Jaina to weaken Garrosh and draw the Alliance into the conflict, but Varian’s fleet was stranded and the fake Jaina was killed.
• Thrall deployed Ogre Jaina and Fel Orcs against Garrosh, while Vol’jin won Baine’s and Sylvanas’s support to become Warchief.
• Sylvanas joined Varian’s fleet against Garrosh, and the Alliance and Forsaken defeated the Turtlebone Sea Monster and routed the Horde’s forces at Razor Hill.
• Varian halted the assault on Orgrimmar and led the Alliance against Magtheridon at Hellfire Citadel, while the Emissary killed Ogre Jaina and pressured Thrall to confront Garrosh.
• The Alliance breached Orgrimmar’s gates, and the Emissary brought Thrall before Garrosh as their forces fought through the fortress.
• Garrosh used Ra-den’s Heart to escape the siege, then survived an attack by starving refugees and another by Gallywix as the Heart healed and teleported him away.
• Sylvanas blamed Thrall for Garrosh’s escape, Baine knocked Thrall down, and Jiyun Ailuan announced that the Vermilion Bird Temple would host Jiyun Tafeng’s coming-of-age trial.

Garrosh escaped his trial with Kairoz and traveled to Draenor thirty-five years in the past, where Grimak began shaping Orcs into a force that would become the Iron Horde. Back in Azeroth, the Alliance and Horde struggled to decide whether to cooperate against Garrosh, while Grimak built legends to unite the Orcs.

• Jiyun Tafeng drove Garrosh into the Throne Room, where Thrall’s Doomhammer struck Velen’s Holy Light shield as Varian chose not to intervene.
• Varian proposed that Pandaria try Garrosh, but Kairoz manipulated the trial with false visions before escaping through time with Garrosh, Anduin, and Velen.
• On Draenor, Kairoz learned that ogres ruled the Orcs and that Velen had once sent Draenei exiles to be eaten, then Garrosh and Gremi turned against him.
• Grimak used Garrosh to kill Kairoz, named Gremi Grom Hellscream, and made Garrosh serve his plan to unite the Orcs.
• Velen returned to the tribunal and revealed that Garrosh planned to build an Iron Horde, while Horde leaders debated whether to open a Dark Portal that might aid him.
• Thrall recruited Medivh to oppose Garrosh, and Varian agreed to cooperate with the Horde after Maraad warned him about the danger of an Iron Horde invasion.
• Grimak empowered Kargath Bladefist to slaughter Orc gladiators and planned for him to escape and form a new clan.
• Grimak staged photographs of Grom surviving a hanging and killing an Ogre warlord to create a legend, while Maraad warned Varian about Grom’s supposed strength.

Garrosh reshaped Draenor’s clans, killed Mannoroth before they could be bound to the Legion, and forged the Iron Horde. The story ends with the Burning Legion threatening Draenor as Vanessa chooses to remain and face the danger.

• Garrosh entered the Realm of the Departed, where Grimak guided him through the origins of Shaman magic and Gul'dan’s rise, while Khadgar persuaded Varian to open the Dark Portal.
• Garrosh helped Ner'zhul, Kilrogg, and Blackhand seize power among their clans, while Blackhand inherited the Blackrock Clan from Hannibal and submitted to Destroyer Dov.
• Garrosh met Durotan and Fenris, witnessed Durotan’s betrayal and Fenris’s efforts to build a peaceful Thunderlord Clan, then watched Jarnal kill Fenris’s children and Agatha before the clans ended their conflict.
• Fenris captured Durotan’s soul, took his appearance, and married Draka, while the Burning Legion arrived and Kil'jaeden tempted Ner'zhul and Gul'dan.
• Garrosh urged Grom to reject the Blood of Mannoroth, then coordinated the Orcs’ attack that killed Mannoroth and returned Gorehowl to Grom.
• Garrosh captured Gul'dan, forced the Orc chieftains to kneel, and established the Iron Horde as Grom declared the Orcs free from the Burning Legion.
• Vanessa and Robbie returned to Draenor and learned that Yrel had driven the Alliance from Lunarfall, while Maraad revealed that the Draenei expected the Legion to invade and intended to face it without Azeroth’s help.
• As commanders and adventurers fled toward Stormshield’s portal, Vanessa told her Followers that she would stay.

Velen’s pursuit of power turned Draenor into a struggle between the Lightforging Orcs, Durotan, and Mar'gok, while Robbie and Aman'Thul pursued their own plans. Mar'gok seized control of Highmaul, but Velen began conspiring with the entity in Cho'gall’s body as Aman'Thul approached Antonidas.

• Velen spread the Holy Light across Draenor, but Akama and Durotan helped Grommash Hellscream, Kilrogg, and Blackhand overthrow him and install Durotan as Warlord.
• Aman'Thul pushed Velen to create New Lightforged Orcs, then helped him seek Ogre support, while Khadgar and Cho'gall led expeditions into Oshu'gun to find K'ure.
• Velen used the Holy Light to create a winged Draenei body, but Khadgar destroyed it, and Velen survived by taking over Cho'gall's body.
• Khadgar led Mar'gok’s forces against Durotan, but Garrosh, Sylvanas, and Jaina emerged through a Portal and helped Durotan escape the ambush.
• Durotan’s forces attacked Highmaul, but Mar'gok’s illusion array and explosions halted their assault, leaving the sides in a blockade.
• Velen and Mar'gok used a Holy Light receiver to resurrect Antonidas, Saurfang the Great, and Zul'jin, who joined the fight against Durotan’s allies.
• Mar'gok’s forces defeated Durotan’s side, drove Durotan to flee with Arcane Corruption, and submitted the Lightforged Orcs to Mar'gok as Warlord of Draenor.
• The Holy Light ordered Velen to work with Cho'gall against Mar'gok, and Velen offered to turn Highmaul’s commanders into followers while Aman'Thul approached Antonidas about breaking free of the Light.