Chapter Summaries

Vol'jin secretly approached Rokhan and tried to win his support by warning that Chief Sen'jin's reliance on Pandaren cubs had made Rokhan's position fragile. Rokhan accepted that Vol'jin had a Loa's backing but remained unconvinced by his plan to replace Sen'jin as Vol'jin began arguing that the Trolls would lose against the Orcs.

• Rokhan secretly met Vol'jin and warned that he could hand him over to Chief Sen'jin.
• Vol'jin explained that Sen'jin would punish Rokhan for capturing him, then pointed out that the dwindling supply of Pandaren cubs threatened Rokhan's power.
• Rokhan feared losing his position but hesitated to betray Sen'jin, so Vol'jin promised him lasting honor if he and his family pledged loyalty.
• Vol'jin invoked his Loa's support and proposed cooperating with the Orcs and pledging loyalty to the Burning Legion.
• Rokhan revealed that Sen'jin had already sent a trusted messenger to pledge loyalty to Archimonde, while Vol'jin condemned Sen'jin's plan to defeat the Orcs and join the Legion.
• Vol'jin questioned Rokhan about the Trolls' chances against the Orcs and compared their strength with that of the Kingdom of Stormwind and Lordaeron.

Vol'jin persuaded Rokhan that the Darkspear Trolls should turn to the Orcs, then arranged to use Chen Stormstout's Brew Spirit Creatures to kill Tide Lord Feralas and frame Chief Sen'jin. Robbie watched the conspiracy unfold and considered whether Feralas's presence could offer a chance to disrupt the Orcs' growing power as the Burning Legion pressed the Scourge.

• Rokhan and Vol'jin discussed the Orcs' past victories and concluded that the Dragonkin's support made the Darkspear Trolls' chances of defeating them hopeless.
• Vol'jin convinced Rokhan that joining the Orcs was a temporary compromise and that they could later replace the Dragonkin as the Orcs' allies.
• Rokhan warned that he could not use his palace guards against Chief Sen'jin, so Vol'jin proposed killing Tide Lord Feralas and framing Sen'jin to force the tribe toward the Orcs.
• Vol'jin outlined his plan to use Chen Stormstout's brewing, and Rokhan agreed to help before Sen'jin's meeting with Feralas in three days.
• Chen Stormstout began brewing with the Trolls, using a rushed process that risked creating violent Brew Spirit Creatures.
• Robbie secretly observed Vol'jin and Rokhan, judged their plan could strengthen the Orcs, and considered Tide Lord Feralas a possible opportunity as the Burning Legion attacked the Scourge.

Robbie warned Feralas about a plot against him and revealed a Legion Eye monitoring Shipwreck Isle. Varimathras passed the news of a supposed ancient Azerothian master to Archimonde, who suspected Queen Azshara had returned and ordered the Legion to stop probing the Scourge.

• Robbie used an illusion to awaken Feralas and showed him the Legion Eye hidden above him.
• Feralas destroyed the Legion Eye and offered Robbie his loyalty, but Robbie warned him about the Darkspear Tribe's plans at Tidal Bay.
• After Robbie left, Feralas signaled the grand elder, who contacted Varimathras through a Legion Communicator.
• Varimathras told the grand elder that Vol'jin and a Pandaren planned to use a brew spirit against Feralas, then reported Robbie's appearance to Archimonde.
• Archimonde concluded that Queen Azshara had returned and ordered the Legion to halt its probing of the Scourge.

Rokhan helped Vol'jin's plan to drive Feralas, the Tide Lord, mad with a powerful Alemental during the Darkspear sacrifice. With their patron gone, Sen'jin declared war on the Murlocs, leaving the Darkspear Tribe dependent on the Orcs for help.

• Rokhan oversaw the preparations for the sacrifice and searched the young priest Vol'jin had sent, finding nothing suspicious.
• Sen'jin and the high priest began the ritual, and Feralas appeared in the mist and accepted the living offerings.
• The young priest released a potent Alemental at Feralas, then exploded to prevent interrogation, and the Tide Lord fled into the sea in a rage.
• Sen'jin ordered the Murloc nobles killed and declared war between the Darkspear Tribe and the Murlocs.
• Rokhan led the guards in slaughtering the Murloc nobles, as Vol'jin's plan succeeded and the Darkspear Tribe was left to seek Orcish aid.

Thrall prepared the Orc fleet to sail for the Echo Isles and discussed his plans to conquer Kalimdor with Saurfang. He revealed the Dragonblood Orcs, who defeated Saurfang and left him unable to move.

• Thrall surveyed the fleet at Southshore and learned that Vol'jin's scheme had helped secure Chief Sen'jin's surrender.
• Thrall and Saurfang discussed using the Darkspear Tribe as rations and renaming Kalimdor after Thrall once the Orcs conquered it.
• Thrall told Saurfang that he would remain behind to command laborers for the Burning Legion while Thrall led better soldiers.
• Thrall introduced the Dragonblood Orcs and challenged Saurfang to test one of them.
• Saurfang attacked the Dragonblood Orc, but his axe only marked its scales, and the Orc knocked him down with one punch.
• Thrall mocked the injured Saurfang and declared that leading laborers suited him.

Archimonde revealed that the Dragonblood Orcs were unstable creations he planned to use as bait to expose a hidden mastermind. As Thrall's fleet reached the Echo Isles, Thrall remained unaware of the plot and demanded that Sen'jin send him his remaining sons to eat.

• Archimonde told Mannoroth that the Dragonblood Orcs would eventually lose their reason and become a horde of lunatics.
• Archimonde explained that he planned to sacrifice the Dragonblood Orcs to draw the hidden mastermind into the open.
• Thrall led the Dragonblood Orcs' fleet from Southshore toward the Echo Isles while enjoying the comforts of his flagship.
• Sen'jin sent another surrender letter and agreed to provide half his people as rations.
• Thrall complained about Troll meat and ordered Sen'jin to send his three remaining sons to him.
• As the fleet entered Tidal Bay, Thrall sensed that something was wrong while looking at the cliffs.

Thrall's fleet was devastated by Feralas's tidal ambush, but Jaina cleared the fog and Aegwynn pursued the Tide Lord. Thrall reached the Echo Isles only to find Sen'jin and the Darkspear Tribe gone, leaving him short on food and forced to consider his next move toward the Broken Isles.

• Thrall dismissed the risk of an ambush until Feralas engulfed Tidal Bay in fog and sent a massive wave and whirlpool against the fleet.
• Jaina cleared the fog while Aegwynn explained that the Dragonblood Orcs had to survive, then pursued Feralas after he fled into the sea.
• Thrall organized rescues and learned that roughly thirty thousand Dragonblood Orcs had been lost, along with armor, weapons, and most of their food.
• Thrall led the surviving Orcs to the Echo Isles and found the villages deserted, with Sen'jin and the Darkspear Tribe hiding across the islands.
• Thrall realized his dwindling rations left him facing a seasoned opponent and studied a map of the Broken Isles.

Thrall’s Dragonblood Orcs devastated Highmountain and returned to sea to hunt the Darkspear Tribe, while Sen'jin sought help from Kul Tiras. Robbie infiltrated Proudmoore Keep and confronted Daelin Proudmoore about his fear of the Red Dragon Queen, Alexstrasza.

• Thrall’s Dragonblood Orcs landed in Highmountain, killed four-fifths of the Tauren, and took their supplies and materials.
• Thrall sailed back toward the Echo Isles, determined to destroy the Darkspear Tribe, and Sen'jin secretly sent his high priest to seek help from Daelin Proudmoore.
• Robbie found Daelin’s refusal to aid the Darkspear strange and contacted Arthas before infiltrating Proudmoore Keep.
• Robbie revealed himself to Daelin in a secret chamber and asked whether fear of Alexstrasza was stopping him from taking revenge on the Orcs.

Robbie persuaded Daelin to fight the Dragonblood Orcs at sea, promising to deal with the Dragonkin, while Daelin agreed to trust him and wear a tracking necklace. Archimonde tested Thrall by ordering him to accept the Darkspear Trolls' surrender, but Thrall instead turned his attention toward Kul Tiras.

• Daelin admitted that Kul Tiras could not withstand the Dragonkin and said he had ordered the fleet scattered rather than let the Orcs take it.
• Robbie offered to interfere with the Dragonkin's flight magic if Daelin's fleet would fight the Dragonblood Orcs, and Daelin accepted his offer and put on the necklace.
• Archimonde learned that the Dragonblood Orcs had killed hundreds of thousands of Highmountain Tauren and ordered Thrall to accept the Darkspear Trolls' surrender.
• Thrall discussed Archimonde's order with Eitrigg, agreed to obey it, then asked about Kul Tiras.
• Eitrigg told Thrall that Kul Tiras was breaking up its fleet to flee, and Thrall ordered the Dragonblood Orcs to sail there and slaughter the humans.

Thrall's Dragonblood Orc fleet was ambushed by Daelin's Kul Tiran fleet and driven into a reef-ringed pocket where its ships ran aground. Vaelastrasz detected a powerful magical presence among the reefs and contacted the Red Dragon Queen as the Orcs faced destruction.

• Thrall ordered his fleet to signal a challenge for hand-to-hand combat, but Daelin opened fire on the Orc escort ships instead.
• Thrall raised a white flag as a ruse, but Daelin ordered his fleet to keep firing.
• Thrall tried to break through, but Daelin's experienced ships harried the Orcs and drove them toward hidden reefs.
• Vaelastrasz observed the battle and discovered the Orc fleet was trapped among reefs surrounding a narrow exit and a powerful magical presence.
• Vaelastrasz contacted the Red Dragon Queen to report that the Dragonblood Orcs were in desperate danger.

Daelin lured the Red Dragonflight into a magical trap and destroyed the Dragonblood Orc fleet and the attacking Dragons. As Jaina and Aegwynn watched, a corpse ship rose from the Maelstrom and turned its many eyes toward them.

• Alexstrasza ordered Vaelastrasz to send a hundred Adult Red Dragons to rescue Thrall and punish Daelin.
• Thrall's fleet remained trapped among reefs while Daelin's slow bombardment drove Dragonblood Orcs to leap into the sea.
• Vaelastrasz suspected a trap, but the Red Dragons attacked the Kul Tiras fleet after Eitrigg welcomed their arrival.
• Daelin's Silver Necklace activated the magic beneath the sea, which dragged the Red Dragons into the encirclement, where Kul Tiras warships killed or wounded them.
• Thrall escaped with Eitrigg and a few guards using his Portal Scroll, while Daelin mourned Derek and declared his revenge complete.
• A whirlpool swallowed the wreckage, then a ship built from Dragonblood Orc and Dragonkin remains rose from the water and stared at Jaina and Aegwynn.

Aegwynn, the Red Dragon Queen, and Archimonde investigated the mysterious Dragon-Orc Corpse Ship and tried to understand who had used Fel to create it. Archimonde suspected the Highborne were behind the sea battle, but Sen'jin’s letter persuaded him that Elune had influenced the Troll leader, so he ordered an all-out assault on the Scourge.

• Aegwynn recognized Fel magic in the Dragon-Orc Corpse Ship, warned Jaina that an unexpected enemy might be involved, and left the human fleet unharmed.
• After hearing Vaelastrasz’s report, the Red Dragon Queen suspected Daelin had allied with the Burning Legion and ordered Vaelastrasz to watch its movements.
• Thrall exaggerated the Red Dragonflight’s role in the battle, then accepted Archimonde’s order to secure the Darkspear Tribe’s surrender.
• Mannoroth told Archimonde about the Dragon-Orc Corpse Ship, and Archimonde suspected the Highborne had staged the battle as a smokescreen.
• Archimonde read Sen'jin’s letter and concluded that Elune’s influence had emboldened him to oppose the Orcs, then ordered the Burning Legion to attack the Scourge.

Sylvanas led the Scourge against the Burning Legion at Shadow Valley, but the Legion’s tactics and strength overwhelmed her forces. As the battle intensified, she realized the Scourge was suffering catastrophic losses and had no clear way to win.

• Sylvanas assessed the Legion’s superior troops and equipment, and Kel'Thuzad gave her a magical necklace that could help locate and teleport her to safety.
• Sylvanas ambushed Kaz'rogal’s vanguard in Shadow Valley and committed five hundred thousand Scourge soldiers to the attack.
• Kaz'rogal’s Doomguards used Fel Fire to burn through the Scourge assault, while Azgalor’s Felguards and other Legion armies rushed toward the valley.
• Sylvanas divided her forces to intercept the approaching Legion armies, then attacked when the Fel Fire went out.
• Sylvanas watched Doomguards cut down Abominations and Ghouls, and recognized that the Scourge was far weaker than the Legion.

After the Scourge’s first army was destroyed, Sylvanas and Kel'Thuzad led successive forces in a war of attrition against the Burning Legion. The chapter left Sylvanas confronting an unfamiliar new generation of Scourge soldiers as Anub'arak joined the fight.

• The Burning Legion annihilated the Scourge’s first five hundred thousand soldiers, but Sylvanas and Kel'Thuzad escaped to the Altar of Heroes and recovered.
• Falric and Marwyn brought Sylvanas and Kel'Thuzad to a fresh army of five hundred thousand soldiers waiting in Black Valley Town.
• Sylvanas discovered that the new Scourge soldiers did not remember their names, then led them into battle against the Burning Legion.
• Kel'Thuzad revealed Arthas’s attrition strategy as the Scourge used repeated armies, undead mages, and tunnels to deny the Legion rest.
• Anub'arak announced that a new generation of Scourge soldiers had joined the war, and Sylvanas saw that the Ghouls and Crypt Fiends had changed.

Sylvanas and Kel'Thuzad deployed an evolved generation of Scourge soldiers against the Burning Legion, while Arthas stayed hidden. After a month of relentless fighting left the Legion exhausted, Archimonde took command and ordered a retreat to Dalaran.

• Sylvanas questioned Anub'arak about the Scourge's transformed soldiers, and Kel'Thuzad explained that their evolution was only beginning before ordering her to start the battle.
• Archimonde grew suspicious after the Burning Legion spent nearly a month killing millions of Scourge soldiers without ending the war, so he went to the front.
• Mannoroth told Archimonde that he had been fighting without rest and warned him that the Scourge's apparent commanders were illusions.
• Archimonde joined the battle and found the Legion exhausted, while the evolved Undead soldiers managed to hold their ground and push back.
• Archimonde decided to withdraw the Burning Legion to Dalaran behind its Magic Shield so its soldiers could rest.

The Burning Legion retreated to Dalaran after its defeat, only to discover that its Fel Forge was nearly out of fuel and suspend its war against the Scourge. In the Echo Isles, Sen'jin learned of the Legion's crisis and considered how to use it against Thrall's Orcs, though he wanted more than simply to wait them out.

• The Burning Legion recovered behind Dalaran's Fel shield, then learned its Forge was nearly out of souls and paused its campaign against the Scourge.
• Archimonde reassured the Legion's generals that more souls would arrive, while Robbie recognized the Forge's predicament as an opportunity.
• Thrall's Orcs massacred more than fifty thousand Darkspear Trolls for provisions, and Archimonde allowed the slaughter to continue.
• Sen'jin secretly sought help from the Murlocs and Kul Tiras, but feared the Burning Legion and did not act against Thrall.
• Robbie arranged for the high priest to tell Sen'jin that the Burning Legion might soon withdraw, and Sen'jin agreed to hold his Royal Palace before declaring the plan insufficient.

Sen'jin killed his high priest and plotted with Thrall to seize Kul Tiras for the Burning Legion, while Robbie alerted Daelin to the scheme. Thrall pressured Sen'jin's heir Khorium to help add the Zandalari Empire to their plans, leaving Khorium trapped between the Orcs and his people.

• Sen'jin rejected the high priest's warning, killed him, and ate his heart before deciding to target Kul Tiras with Thrall.
• Robbie watched Sen'jin through the Eye of C'Thun and planned to warn Daelin by letter.
• Sen'jin sent Khorium to negotiate with Thrall, treating the mission as a test of his heir.
• Thrall served Khorium meat from his bound Zandalari Troll fiancée and described how cruelty would make Trolls fear and submit to Orcs.
• Thrall said Kul Tiras alone would not be enough and asked Khorium how to bring the Zandalari Empire into their scheme.

Thrall terrorized Khorium and then manipulated Rokhan into helping him deal with the threat to the Darkspear Tribe. He offered Rokhan Orc blood essence as a way for the Trolls to gain Fel power, leaving Rokhan with a possible means to save his people.

• Thrall frightened Khorium with the torture and cooking of a Troll woman, and Khorium fled without agreeing to lure the Zandalari into a trap.
• Thrall summoned Rokhan, who had fled Sen'jin after his betrayal was exposed and his family was killed.
• Rokhan warned Thrall that Daelin was difficult to ambush because of his instincts and cunning, but said Daelin's concern for his loved ones could be exploited.
• Thrall told Rokhan that Archimonde planned to sacrifice three hundred thousand Darkspear tribespeople and claimed a Legion Portal was being prepared on the Echo Isles.
• Rokhan agreed that Sen'jin would accept Fel power, but Thrall said he lacked a Pit Lord and could not risk Archimonde's anger.
• Thrall revealed a vial of Orc blood essence and said it contained the power of Fel.

Thrall pressured Rokhan to use Orc blood essence against the Darkspear Tribe, while Vol'jin revealed his ambition to rule after its destruction. Terrified and disillusioned, Rokhan agreed to Thrall's terms.

• Thrall gave Rokhan a vial of Orc blood essence and told him to use it to grant the Darkspear Tribe Fel power, while Rokhan suspected it would cause a plague.
• Rokhan weighed whether to obey, refuse, or flee, but realized Thrall was watching him too closely to escape.
• Vol'jin visited Rokhan and argued that the Darkspear Tribe was doomed, then admitted Thrall had promised him the chieftainship after its destruction.
• Vol'jin said he wanted power more than the survival of the Darkspear Tribe, and Rokhan recognized that he planned to rally wandering Trolls afterward.
• Fearing that Thrall would torture and eat him, Rokhan agreed to Thrall's terms, and Vol'jin praised him for betraying his people.

Sen'jin tried to trap Daelin's fleet in Tidal Bay, but Thrall had deceived him and led the Orc army against him instead. Sen'jin's fifty thousand Darkspear troops faced a surprise attack from one hundred thousand Orcs.

• Sen'jin planned to lure Daelin's navy into Tidal Bay and trap it between the Darkspear Trolls and the Orcs.
• The Kul Tiras fleet destroyed the Orc transports, and Thrall's envoys accused Sen'jin of betraying their alliance.
• After learning Daelin's fleet had entered Tidal Bay, Sen'jin led fifty thousand Darkspear troops there to attack it.
• Khorium praised Thrall and the Orcs out of fear, while Sen'jin dismissed his own misgivings and hoped to win Archimonde's favor.
• Sen'jin saw Kul Tiras flags on troop transports in the mist, then discovered that Thrall's one hundred thousand Orcs were charging from behind.