Chapter Summaries

King Magni led the Bronzebeard Dwarves into Searing Gorge, where Lord Rendan prepared an ambush with Dark Iron gryphon riders and Hansel Heavyfist. The chapter ended as Hansel set out in drill rigs to attack the advancing force.

• A Dark Iron General told Rend that Ironforge had split its forces between Searing Gorge and the Wasted Lands.
• Rend sent word to Lord Rendan and High Examiner Tesseran, eager to confront King Magni.
• King Magni brought the Ironforge Legion through Stone Dam Path and sent scouts and flying machines to survey Searing Gorge.
• Lord Rendan's gryphon riders eliminated the Bronzebeard flying-machine scouts.
• Lord Rendan ordered Hansel Heavyfist to lead Dark Iron elites in drill rigs against the Bronzebeard Dwarves.

Lord Rendan’s forces followed General Hurdfire’s plans to ambush the Bronzebeard Dwarves at Stone Dam Path and Dustfire Valley. The attack trapped the Ironforge Legion between collapsing tunnels, aerial assaults, mountain marksmen, and Magmadar’s charge.

• General Hurdfire gave Rokthus Darkpact countermeasures for the Bronzebeard Dwarves’ advance through Stone Dam Path.
• Hansel Heavyfist and elite Dark Iron Dwarf squads emerged from the Drill Rig, attacked the Bronzebeard Dwarves, and planted explosives throughout the tunnels.
• The bombs detonated and shook both exits of Stone Dam Path, while King Magni sensed the earthquake from his tent.
• Dark Iron Dwarf fliers arrived above Dustfire Valley as Lava Spider webs ensnared the Bronzebeard air force, and musketeers fired from the surrounding mountains.
• Magmadar charged into Dustfire Valley, tore through the Bronzebeard steam tanks, and overwhelmed their defensive formation.

Lord Rendan fought King Magni in Dustfire Valley, wielding the Safron Warhammer against Magni’s earth-powered Unafraid Warhammer. As their battle intensified, both Dwarves unleashed transformations, leaving their duel poised to escalate.

• Magmadar and Lord Rendan’s attack threw the Ironforge Legion into chaos as Rendan struck down its warriors with the Safron Warhammer.
• Lord Rendan intercepted Magni Bronzebeard and introduced himself as Rundane, leader of the Dark Iron Dwarf resistance.
• Rundane and Magni traded probing blows, with neither gaining an advantage as their warhammers’ elemental powers came into play.
• Magni’s earth-powered hammer strengthened him as the fight continued, while Rundane’s hands trembled from the repeated impacts.
• Rundane channeled the Safron Warhammer’s fire into his body and grew into a flame giant using Flame Avatar.
• Magni’s muscles swelled beneath a silver sheen, and he roared, “Ascension to Godhood!”

Magni defeated Rundane with his hidden battle axe, but Rend Blackhand intervened before Magni could finish him. Magni and Rend traded devastating attacks, leaving both gravely wounded.

• Rundane attacked Magni with his Flame Avatar, but Magni’s Ascension to Godhood let him withstand the lava and overpower him.
• Magni revealed the Axe of the Unafraid and wounded Rundane, turning the battle’s morale in favor of the Bronzebeard Dwarves.
• Rend Blackhand rescued Rundane with dragonfire and confronted Magni, who said he wanted to save his daughter and avoid fighting on two fronts.
• Rend attacked Magni with Ashkandi, and Magni blocked his blows before counterattacking with his hammer and axe.
• Rend unleashed Blade Storm and cut Magni’s metallic skin, but Magni endured the attack and hurled his warhammer into Rend’s abdomen, leaving both fighters gravely injured.

The arrival of High Tinker Mekkatorque and his Gnome reinforcements halted the battle at Dustfire Valley. High Examiner Tesseran and Grand Explorer Brann Bronzebeard revealed that the Qiraji threat was growing as the Scarab Wall began to crack.

• Lord Rendan pressed his attack on the wounded King Magni, but Gnome aircraft and Mekkatorque’s combat mech overwhelmed the Dark Iron Dwarf forces.
• High Tinker Mekkatorque emerged from his mech and reunited with King Magni as the battle reached a stalemate.
• High Examiner Tesseran and Brann Bronzebeard arrived and asked the Hill Lord and Chief Rend to stop fighting.
• King Magni grabbed his returned brother Brann and berated him, while Mekkatorque tried to calm Magni down.
• Tesseran and Brann announced that cracks had appeared in the Scarab Wall and Qiraji insectoid nests had emerged across Silithus, Tanaris, and Feralas.

High Elf Ranger Lord Illyana Darkwood discovered an Aberrant Insect nest in southern Feralas, prompting Ranger-General Rilas to seek a truce with General Shandris Moonfeather. Shandris refused until Garrith Shadowsong appeared, and his return led her to agree to reconciliation as Rilas sent word to Silvermoon City.

• Kael'thas Sunstrider led Night Elf Sentinels into Feralas and established the Sunshade Forest outpost, from which they launched guerrilla raids against Blood Elf and High Elf settlements.
• Ranger-General Rilas ordered High Elf Ranger Lord Illyana Darkwood to search for the Sentinels, but Illyana instead discovered Gouresh and many Aberrant Insects with the help of Mountain Giants.
• Illyana reported the insect nest to Rilas, who went to the Forgotten Coast and urged General Shandris Moonfeather to set aside their conflict and make a truce.
• Shandris rejected Rilas's appeal, but Garrith Shadowsong appeared and criticized her prejudice against magic and the High Elves.
• Shandris agreed to a truce after seeing Garrith, and Rilas sent news of the Qiraji to Silvermoon City.

Garrad accepted the title of Regent of Eversong City and helped persuade General Shandris Moonfeather to agree to a truce. After returning home, he worried that Sharashir would be angry, but she encouraged him to return to the wider world and serve as a hero.

• Tyrel named Garrad Shadowsong Regent of Eversong City after Garrad agreed to accept the honor and guide the Blood Elves when needed.
• Garrad taught Alex, Rilas, and other elves while supporting the formation of a coalition against the Qiraji.
• Garrad stepped forward to persuade General Shandris Moonfeather to agree to a truce with the Blood Elves.
• Garrad returned home alone and worried that Sharashir would resent his contact with General Shandris Moonfeather.
• Sharashir told Garrad she trusted him and urged him to leave their secluded life and take his place among the army.

Tyrel gathered Quel'Thalas’s leaders to discuss a preemptive joint assault on the Qiraji and the danger the Scourge posed while their forces were away. After hearing how the Scourge was expanding its armies and elite ranks, the Blood Elves committed only Eversong City’s forces to the campaign, with Rilas promising they would fight proudly in Silithus.

• Tyrel convened the Blood Elf commanders, and Modan projected images of rangers battling seemingly endless Aberrant Insects in Gouresh.
• Tyrel explained that the races had agreed to form a joint army and attack the Qiraji before the Scarab Wall failed, with Shandris Moonfeather agreeing to a truce.
• Tyrel warned that the Scourge could exploit the campaign to attack the northern Eastern Kingdoms, while Cain described its expanding Death Knight and spellcaster forces.
• The Blood Elf leaders decided they could not send additional troops from Eversong City because of the Scourge threat in the Plague Lands.
• Rilas swore that Eversong City would represent Silvermoon City honorably and that the Sin'dorei war song would sound across Silithus.

Alex and Garrad led the fight against an Aberrant Insect nest in Gouresh, where Alex tested his newly reforged artifact weapon, Thunderfury. After Garrad stopped him from pushing too deep, the High Elf Mages collapsed the nest’s underground passages, leaving the route to Silithus buried.

• Alex proposed clearing the Gouresh nest and carving a shortcut to Silithus, but Garrad refused because the passages could let Aberrant Insects invade Feralas.
• Alex revealed Thunderfury, reforged for him from Wind Prince Thunderaan’s weapon, and leaped into the nest to test its power.
• Thunderfury’s chain lightning killed hundreds of Aberrant Insects, and Alex combined it with Blood-red Holy Light to destroy more of them.
• Garrad stopped Alex from going deeper and reminded him that their mission was to destroy the nest’s passages.
• Alex used a wind-element vortex to return above ground, and the High Elf Mages under Archmage Modan collapsed the passages with powerful Arcane Magic.

Anveena, Tarecgosa, and Sarasil worked with the elves of Eversong City to create runestones powered by the Dawnlight Well. Once the runestones were set across Feralas, they raised a golden Magic Shield over the region, drawing the attention of Kalimdor’s major powers.

• Anveena, Tarecgosa, and Sarasil gathered at the Dawnlight Well to create runestones for a Magic Shield protecting Feralas from future attacks.
• Tyrel entrusted Anveena with his runestone research and supplies, while the three women drew on their combined magical knowledge to plan the shield.
• Anveena used Dragon's Wrath to channel the Dawnlight Well’s energy as Blood Elf Magisters and High Elf arcanists inscribed the runestones.
• After more than an hour, the elves completed their first runestone, and they continued producing and placing runestones throughout Feralas.
• The runestones sent a golden pillar into the sky that spread into a semicircular barrier over Feralas.
• Jaina Proudmoore watched the shield from Theramore, and Aegwynn remarked that the elves’ power came from the Well of Eternity.

Alex arrived in Theramore with Garrad and met Warchief Varok Saurfang before a tense reunion with Rhonin. Garrad stopped Alex from attacking the mage, and Jaina appeared as the coalition gathering began.

• Alex criticized Jaina for abandoning Theramore’s neutrality and joining the Alliance with the Night Elves.
• Alex and Garrad met Warchief Varok Saurfang, whom Alex acknowledged as his mentor.
• Garrad and Varok discovered that Broxigar the Red was Varok’s missing brother, and Garrad suspected the Bronze Dragons were involved in his disappearance.
• Rhonin greeted Garrad, but Alex drew Thunderfury and threatened to kill him over their past encounter.
• Garrad blocked Alex and emphasized that they were meant to fight alongside Rhonin, preventing Alex from attacking a coalition ally.
• Jaina arrived and welcomed Garrad, Varok, and Alex to Theramore.

At Jaina’s banquet in Theramore, Alex humiliated Rhonin by bringing up the Kirin Tor’s past failures, then falsely claimed that Tyrel had sent Jaina greetings and a dragon-scale necklace. Rhonin plotted revenge by sending High Elf maids to serve the Blood Elves, knowing it would provoke Alex.

• Jaina welcomed the Horde representatives to a lavish banquet, where Alex mocked Rhonin and questioned his courage and value to the joint army.
• Halfor Vimbane defended Rhonin, but Alex criticized Rhonin and the Kirin Tor for fleeing Dalaran, prompting Rhonin to leave in anger.
• Jaina rebuked Alex, but after Rhonin departed, Alex falsely told her that Tyrel had sent greetings and gave her Tali’s dragon-scale necklace.
• Jaina happily accepted the necklace, while Varok and the other leaders wondered about her relationship with Tyrel.
• Rhonin arranged for High Elf maids to serve at the banquet, intending to anger Alex and take revenge for the humiliation.

Alex sailed from Theramore to investigate a nearby island and discovered the Defias Brotherhood had established a presence there. After capturing their leader, Garn Marthas, Alex used the Blood Knights’ corrosive Holy Light to make him surrender.

• Alex sailed north from Theramore, intending to contact the Naga on Okaz Island and monitor nearby human activity.
• Alex spotted an island that seemed to hold fishermen, realized its occupants were suspicious, and used Thunderfury to drive his ship onto shore.
• Alex’s Dawnblade Guards defeated the island’s defenders and discovered they were members of the Defias Brotherhood.
• Selin captured Garn Marthas, the Defias leader on the island, after a difficult struggle.
• Alex tortured Garn Marthas with blood-colored Holy Light, and Garn Marthas surrendered within ten minutes.

Alex rescued the missing King Varian Wrynn from the Defias Brotherhood and discovered that Grimtotem Tauren and black dragons were involved in his disappearance. After returning Varian to Theramore, Alex warned its leaders that the black dragons had planned the kidnapping and that they might have accomplices nearby.

• Alex learned from Garn Marthas that the Defias Brotherhood, Grimtotem Tauren, and black dragons were connected to Varian's disappearance.
• Garn Marthas brought out Varian, and Alex used his Arcane Domain to confirm Varian was genuine and had been affected by dark magic.
• Alex returned Varian to Theramore, where Jaina welcomed him and arranged for the Seventh Legion to guard him in her Mage Tower.
• Varian's return eased tensions between the Alliance and the Horde and allowed their stalled peace treaty to move forward.
• Alex secretly told Theramore's leaders that black dragons had likely arranged the kidnapping and might have traitors in Stormwind City or Theramore, and Jaina vowed to make them pay.

Alex formed a coalition with Jaina and the Horde to confront Prince Nefarian, then learned that the Black Dragonflight had devastated the Stonemaul Ogres at Stonemaul Fortress. He set out to find Rexxar, and Jaina offered to open a portal to Orgrimmar, where Alex could seek help locating him.

• Alex persuaded Jaina and the others to join the Horde in confronting the black dragons after learning Prince Nefarian had attacked Stormwind and injured Tarecgosa.
• Alex and the coalition reached Fern Valley Village and discovered that the Stonemaul Ogres had lost most of their people in the Black Dragonflight's attack on Stonemaul Fortress.
• An Ogre guard mistook Alex's introduction as King Godok for a threat of Gordunni revenge, so Alex decided to seek the legendary Beastmaster Rexxar instead.
• King Varok told Alex that Rexxar had last been seen in Desolace and advised him to seek help from the Blackrock Clan at Blackrock Stronghold.
• Jaina offered to open a portal directly to Orgrimmar, surprising Alex with her close ties to Thrall.

Alex traveled to Stonetalon Mountains and recruited Beastmaster Rexxar to help investigate the black dragons attacking the Horde. When Alex returned to Theramore with news of their secret nest, he learned that Prince Nefarian had attacked the city to reclaim King Varian Wrynn but had been defeated.

• Rend welcomed Alex to the Blackrock Clan's new settlement and introduced Zaira, a Dragonmaw Clan Dragon Knight, who flew him south on a black drake.
• Alex and Zaira found Beastmaster Rexxar in Desolace, and Rexxar agreed to join the Horde when he learned it needed him.
• Rexxar became enraged after seeing Fern Valley Village destroyed and learned from the Stonefist Ogres that the black dragons had come from south of Stonemaul Fortress.
• Alex returned to war-damaged Theramore and learned from Halfor Vimbane that black dragons had attacked in an attempt to take King Varian Wrynn.
• Prince Nefarian had led the attack to avenge his losses, but the gathered Alliance and Horde forces defeated him and killed many of his dragons.
• Theramore planned to brew Dragonblood Wine from the dead black dragons' blood.

The Alliance and Horde forces entered Onyxia's Lair to ambush the injured Prince Nefarian, with Rhonin dispelling the magical barrier. Nefarian revealed a dragon ambush and began gathering Shadowflame for a devastating breath attack, leaving the heroes trapped in the enclosed hall.

• Rexxar led the heroes to Onyxia's Lair, where Jaina sensed active fire elements and a protective spell.
• Rhonin used his knowledge of dragon magic to remove Nefarian's barrier, and he and Jaina opened the lair.
• Rexxar, Varok, and Rend charged ahead, clearing Dragonkin while Alex followed through the passages.
• The heroes reached a vast hall, where Nefarian welcomed them and transformed into his black dragon form.
• Nefarian's hidden dragons emerged, and he flew overhead to gather Shadowflame for a breath attack that threatened everyone in the enclosed hall.

Rend’s years of preparation brought Prince Nefarian crashing down, but shadow energy resurrected him as a mindless monster. As the Horde and Alliance heroes fought Nefarian, Rend seized his chance to avenge Maim and struck from behind.

• Rend shot Nefarian in the mouth with an enchanted Elementium arrow, triggering an explosion that sent the prince plummeting from the sky.
• Nefarian’s inherited shadow corruption consumed his shattered body and revived him, leaving him driven to destroy everything.
• Rhonin and Jaina joined forces to block Nefarian’s shadow breath while Varok and Beastmaster Rexxar attacked him and tore his wings.
• Rend hid amid the battle, climbed behind Nefarian, and leaped down with Ashkandi to avenge Maim, shouting, “For the Horde!”

The Kalimdor Allied Forces gathered the Scepter of the Shifting Sands fragments and welcomed Arch-Druid Fandral Staghelm, intensifying rivalry between the Night Elves and Blood Elves over who would lead the campaign. Rilas challenged Fandral’s fitness and nominated Garrith Shadowsong as Allied Commander.

• Azuregos gave Alex the Scepter of the Shifting Sands fragment he had recovered from the Endless Sea with Tarecgosa’s help.
• Alex presented the fragments guarded by Vaelastrasz and Azuregos, while Shandris Moonfeather announced that Tyrande had recovered Illygynus’s fragment and that Fandral Staghelm would join the Allied Forces.
• Rilas called for the Allied Forces to select a supreme commander before Fandral arrived, prompting Shandris to nominate Fandral based on his victory in the first War of the Shifting Sands.
• Rilas argued that Fandral’s grief over his son’s death could make him unfit to lead against the Qiraji, then nominated Garrith Shadowsong for Allied Commander.

Garrith Shadowsong was chosen to lead the Kalimdor Allied Forces in the Second War of the Shifting Sands, with Fandral Staghelm as his deputy. As the forces prepared to march on Silithus, Rilas chose a site for a Blood Elf fortress and ordered Hoxbyr to establish it.

• King Varok and Jaina supported Rilas's proposal to make Garrith Shadowsong supreme commander, while Shandris Moonfeather readily accepted the choice.
• The assembled factions appointed Fandral Staghelm deputy commander alongside Garrith.
• The Alliance, Night Elves, Horde, and Blood Elves arranged separate routes to transport their forces to Silithus.
• Ranger Lord Hoxbyr gave Rilas a detailed intelligence map of Silithus supplied by Tauren druids of the Cenarion Circle.
• Rilas selected a site southwest of Cenarion Hold for a Blood Elf fortress and ordered Hoxbyr to establish it.