Chapter Summaries

Diakum chose to become guardian to a mutated Lost Soul and named him Ash'adar, planning to place him on a rebirth path suited to his altered nature. Back on Argus, Diakum faced questions from his lovers about his former-life relationships, then urged them to set the dispute aside for the approaching Summer Solstice Festival.

• Mason explained that a Lost Soul had fused with an external power during cruel experiments, making its soul and spiritual radiance difficult to separate.
• Diakum rejected the option of stripping the Lost Soul of its altered spiritual radiance and decided to become its guardian despite the heavy duties involved.
• Mason explained the rules of guardianship and rebirth, and Diakum chose a destination suited to the Lost Soul's affinity with Life Force.
• Diakum named his ward Ash'adar, and Saloras realized that he might begin his new life as a beast rather than a human.
• Oreses confronted Diakum about visiting the women from his previous life, and he admitted they had begun repairing their relationship and had invited his three lovers to a meal.
• Diakum asked his lovers to watch the sunrise and postpone their family discussion until after the Summer Solstice Festival began.

Diakum attended the Eredar’s Summer Solstice Festival, where Velen and Kil'jaeden warned him that the Nathrezim were trying to free Sire Denathrius and might join forces with Sargeras. After agreeing to investigate the Nathrezim’s strange replication of their kind, Diakum learned that Illidan Stormrage had gone missing after an ambush in the Twisting Nether.

• Governor Hutton opened the Summer Solstice Festival after the dawn was delayed, and the Eredar clans entered the venue beneath their banners.
• Diakum and the gathered Eredar paid tribute to the dead, and Velen and Kil'jaeden joined him at the ceremony.
• Velen explained that Nathrezim-led demons had attacked Sire Denathrius’s hidden prison in Revendreth, but Black Pawn had killed the infiltrators before they could reach him.
• Kil'jaeden warned that the Nathrezim might unite with Sargeras and said their numbers had been strangely replenished through replication.
• Diakum agreed to investigate whether the Sea of Darkness was involved while the Shadowlands and other forces hunted the Nathrezim.
• Archbishop Nali told Diakum that Illidan Stormrage had gone missing after an unknown force ambushed his demon-hunting operation in the Twisting Nether.

Diakum uncovered Denathrius’s role in Illidan Stormrage’s ambush and prepared to secretly join the rescue effort. Meanwhile, Denathrius ordered Tichondrius to withdraw and lie dormant, planning to cultivate a future ally who could free him from his seal.

• Diakum learned that Nathrezim had ambushed Illidan with the aid of void power and a spell carrying Denathrius’s True God aura.
• Diakum explained to Kyrestia that Denathrius and Sargeras could cooperate through chaos and destruction, and warned that Illidan’s capture could undermine the plan to contain Sargeras.
• Kyrestia objected when Diakum proposed going to the Twisting Nether, so he planned to hide aboard a great druid’s starship instead.
• A warning reached Tichondrius that Diakum had arrived in the Sea of Darkness, but Tichondrius finished his ritual and discussed the Nathrezim’s withdrawal with Denathrius.
• Denathrius told Tichondrius to preserve a hidden nest, wait for the right moment, and let the demons pursue Illidan without interference.

Illidan fought off Blackflame Demons in the Twisting Nether but neared a dangerous, premature ascension as the aspect of self-destruction threatened to overwhelm him. Malfurion and Tyrande reached him in time, and Tyrande restrained Illidan before turning to address the honored one hidden within Malfurion.

• Illidan hid among the shattered remains of a fel celestial body, repaired himself, and prepared for another ambush by Blackflame Demons.
• Illidan attacked more than a dozen Blackflame Demons and nearly a thousand lesser demons, but a flaming sword pierced him and drove him toward forced ascension.
• Malfurion led the rescue party toward Illidan, while Tyrande attacked seven pursuing fel ships and cleared a path for their hunter ship.
• Malfurion found Illidan kneeling amid the defeated demons and rushed to him as Illidan began to lose himself to destruction.
• Tyrande shielded Malfurion, slapped Illidan, and bound him with chains of Cold Moon until he began resisting the urge to destroy.
• Tyrande told Malfurion she was speaking to the honored one hidden within him and lamented the lasting karmic entanglement among the three of them.

Illidan woke in High Heaven after Diakum purified his inner demon and sealed his connection to fel energy, preventing his premature ascension. He learned that Queen Azshara could help forge his vessel, while Diakum stayed behind to hear Hogger debate whether High Heaven should welcome beast-like believers.

• Illidan woke badly injured, discovered his inner demon was gone and dawn runes had sealed his body, and learned that Malfurion and Tyrande had called Diakum to save him.
• Xe'ra explained that Diakum had purified Illidan's corrupted inner demon, severed his connection to fel energy, and brought him to High Heaven while Sargeras threatened to claim him.
• Illidan agreed to thank Diakum and asked how he could forge his divine vessel while cut off from the Twisting Nether; Xe'ra said the answer lay in Azeroth and pointed him toward an unusual disturbance at High Heaven's gates.
• Illidan found Hogger debating sacred spirits over whether High Heaven should have a gatehouse, while Diakum listened and explained that the dispute concerned whether beast-like believers could ascend.
• Diakum told Illidan that Queen Azshara could help him forge his vessel, promised to send him back to Azeroth, and stayed to hear Hogger's debate.

Azshara tested her Magic Web, a system that filtered primal forces so ordinary people could learn to wield power, and explained that she intended to spread it across the Star Sea without charging its users. Illidan recognized that their dependence on her would make them her subjects and suspected she sought to rise beyond the primal forces; Azshara then learned that Pokopok had contacted her and returned a supreme object needed to build the Magic Web.

• Azshara used Illidan as a test subject for her filtered Fel Force and asked him to assess the simulation.
• Illidan identified how Azshara separated Fel Force from the Will of Destruction, and she revealed her plan to create the Magic Web for ordinary people.
• Illidan warned that the filtering would fail at higher ranks, but Azshara said users would have to choose for themselves whether to advance beyond the legendary rank.
• Illidan questioned the price of using the Magic Web, and Azshara said it required no payment; he deduced that its users would become dependent on her and help establish her rule across the Star Sea.
• Illidan suspected Azshara wanted to become equal to the primal forces, and she stopped him from voicing the ambition aloud.
• Vashj reported that the beacon had begun vibrating, and Azshara recognized Pokopok's contact and said the returned object was needed to complete the Magic Web.

Garrosh and Yorin secured Shattrath City before Eredath and Lelan’s wedding, while guests discussed Draenor’s threats and a Dwarf civil war. As the ceremony approached, Lelan mourned her parents, Diakum comforted her and reunited with Nali, and Diakum sent a blessing to a young man beginning a journey in another Azeroth.

• Garrosh and Yorin confirmed they had stopped an attack planned by Ethereum Ethereal extremists and discussed relying on the Nether-Stalker to handle Ethereal conflicts.
• Garrosh learned from White Pawn, Vereesa Windrunner, and Nubodon that the Dwarf clans were waging a controlled civil war to pressure Magni over succession and possible reunification.
• Eredath prayed before the wedding, while Diakum arrived as officiant and comforted his daughter Lelan as she grieved that her parents could not witness the day.
• Diakum proposed to Nali, and the two watched Arthas and Jaina cautiously draw close while discussing their own past and the young pair’s future.
• Diakum blessed a young man departing for another Azeroth and walked with Nali toward the wedding as a new journey began.