Chapter Summaries

The Horde persuaded the Karakal Council to join it and help excavate the Heart of Y'Shaarj, triggering a Mantid civil war. An international great-power meeting declared the Council legitimate and Empress Shaok'sil an enemy, while the Lei Shen Dynasty's objections carried no weight.

• The Karakal Council accepted the Horde's alliance offer and shared its intelligence about the Heart of Y'Shaarj.
• The Karakal Council declared Empress Shaok'sil corrupted and called for her abdication, while Shaok'sil branded the Council traitors and sent an army toward Karaksi Vise.
• The Horde defended the Council's Mantid internationally and promised they would follow international rules and stop attacking the Shaohao Dynasty.
• An international meeting recognized the Karakal Council as the Mantid's legitimate authority and designated Empress Shaok'sil a threat to world security, despite the Lei Shen Dynasty's protest.
• Queen Cariath and Lordaeron were invited to vote on the Mantid conflict, and Lordaeron backed the Council before returning to its own affairs.

Prince Anduin won the Jinyu’s trust in The Jade Forest and allied with them against the Hozen, supplying them with Alliance weapons and joining their battles. Protected by elite agents, Anduin turned the fighting in the Jinyu’s favor, ending the chapter by using Mind Control to make a Hozen attack his own comrade.

• Anduin established friendly relations with the Jinyu and helped them clear Sha and swamp mist monsters, rescuing captured townspeople.
• Anduin and the Jinyu agreed to fight the Hozen together, and he ordered Alliance ships from Lion's Landing to deliver weapons, equipment, and supplies.
• Anduin joined the fighting against the Hozen, protected by Garona, Amber, and Shaw.
• Anduin used Mind Control on a Hozen, who turned and killed a comrade.

Shaw guarded Anduin while the Alliance and its allies drove the Hozen from their territories and the Stormstout Brewery. The Jinyu joined the Alliance, and the battered Hozen fled back to The Jade Forest.

• Shaw killed a Hozen sneaking up on Anduin while Garona watched from the shadows.
• Vanessa left SI:7 to help VanCleef run the Defias Brotherhood, then purged its disobedient upper ranks after becoming vice president.
• The Jinyu recovered their lost lands with Alliance help and formally joined the Alliance.
• Old Chen returned to find Hozen occupying the Stormstout Brewery and asked Sarodar for help reclaiming it.
• Sarodar sent the Eternal Chosen Legion, which beat the Hozen out of the brewery without killing them.
• The Hozen fled back to The Jade Forest, and Old Chen regained his brewery.

After the Alliance pushed the Hozen back to their coastal homeland, Saurfang’s Horde squad sought to recruit them and discovered the Hozen’s valuable fishing grounds and ore deposits. Unable to negotiate with the primitive tribes, the Horde brought in Troll witch doctors to speak with them.

• The Hozen remained confined to Honeydew Village and scattered settlements after losing the Jade Forest and the Valley of the Four Winds.
• Saurfang’s Horde squad contacted the Hozen after failing to find another suitable local race to ally with.
• The Horde discovered that the Hozen’s coastal waters were rich in fish and that Mount Neverest held three large Nether Iron Ore veins.
• The Hozen told the Horde they preferred bananas to fish or ore and had no interest in the resources around them.
• The King of Monkeys mocked the Horde’s attempts to persuade the Hozen, saying he had failed to convince his own people.
• A group of Troll witch doctors arrived in Pandaria to share their life experience with the Hozen.

The Horde secured the Hozen’s accession by promising weapons, supplies, and improved living conditions in exchange for access to their village and resources, while the King of Monkeys pressed for better compensation. Shaohao and Boss Hu agreed to support the Horde’s plan for a celebration in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms after the Mantid were defeated, intending to use it to expose Garrosh, and prepared for a dinner with Argus.

• The Hozen joined the Horde after Trolls dazzled them with promises of voodoo, supplies, and fun, while the Horde gained access to Honeydew Village and Mount Neverest’s Ghost Iron.
• The King of Monkeys demanded better treatment and compensation for the Hozen, and the Horde promised improved towns and modern education for their elders and wise men.
• The Horde asked to hold a victory celebration in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms after defeating the Mantid, and Shaohao agreed to the proposal.
• Boss Hu told Shaohao to keep the plan secret and let Garrosh proceed before putting him on public trial, and he reassured Shaohao that he could help purify the Vale if the sha damaged it.
• Boss Hu invited Shaohao to dinner in Suramar City with Argus and a formidable woman, while explaining why he had not invited Sargeras.

At a late-night food stall in Suramar, Boss Hu and a group of famous guests drank and ate noisily while he tried to get Salathas to speak. She finally agreed to talk, but asked to be kept away from Argus, and Boss Hu promised to discuss things after they returned.

• Horde travelers drank at the stall, while Shaohao and the August Celestials joined Azshara and other powerful guests in a rowdy feast.
• The stall owner explained that His Majesty the God-Emperor had invented the empire-wide barbecue method as Yu'lon slept across the street and Niuzao ate grilled beef.
• Boss Hu tried to coax Salathas into speaking and promised not to kill her or let the Nightborne torture her.
• Salathas opened her eyes, said the gathering was too noisy, and asked Boss Hu to keep her away from Argus.
• Boss Hu agreed to speak with Salathas after they returned and rejoined the drinking party.

Boss Hu watched Argus brother recover from a disastrous drinking session while the Empire approved Satyr demons for citizenship, subject to inspections by Cthulhu. As the gathering ended, the sleeping Shaohao and Argus brother were left to be carried home, and Boss Hu supported a tipsy Queen Azshara.

• Argus brother vomited after sealing his divine power and drinking too much, while warning Boss Hu that the Blade of the Dark Empire carried Old God energy.
• Boss Hu reflected on Argus brother’s terrible destined fate and the corrupted Titan World Soul Argus gestating on the Burning Legion’s homeworld.
• Elisande announced that Satyr demons could join the Empire as citizens, with military duties and mental inspections to expose Legion loyalists.
• The Satyrs celebrated the decree and began entering the Empire through inspection platforms shrouded in Twilight energy.
• Boss Hu and the others prepared to leave after the gathering, tying the sleeping Azure Dragon to the Black Ox and leaving Shaohao and Argus brother sprawled beside each other.
• Boss Hu helped the tipsy Queen Azshara as the group headed home.

Queen Azshara adapted to life in the Empire and considered bringing the Satyrs under her command, but Gul'dan intervened to claim them for himself. After causing chaos in the White Jade Plaza, he made it into the Assembly Hall, still demanding to see the Titan.

• Queen Azshara grew accustomed to the Chancellor's Council and opened the Court Elves to Imperial military service as her relationship with Sarodar improved.
• The Satyrs decided to return to Queen Azshara's command after settling into the Empire.
• Gul'dan barged into the Assembly Hall, insisting that his service to the Empire entitled him to see the Titan and command the Satyrs.
• Gul'dan struck the Death God Snail with Fel-charged stones, framed a Firstborn of the Gods, and fled as the snail pursued them.
• A Val'kyr unleashed a Bone Combat Chicken during the chase, and Gul'dan dodged around a tank before rushing into the Assembly Hall.

Gul'dan and Mannoroth organized their Fel legions under the Night Empire, while Sarodar redirected them to recruit demon technicians for the Empire's warp technology research. After managing imperial affairs, Sarodar returned to Pandaria, where the Shaohao Dynasty prepared a trap for a hot-tempered foe.

• Mannoroth abandoned the Burning Legion, accepted Sarodar's Fel Energy, and joined forces with Gul'dan to organize a Fel legion.
• Gul'dan protested that Queen Azshara would control the Satyr demons, and Sarodar stopped the Firstborn of the Gods from beating him with a lightning-enchanted staff.
• Sarodar ordered Gul'dan and Mannoroth to pause recruiting demon soldiers and find demon technicians with experience maintaining Fel warships.
• Gul'dan's legion occupied northern Felwood Forest, where demons and fel-blood elves absorbed the Empire's Fel Energy, while warlocks considered moving there to study.
• Sarodar returned to Pandaria after handling imperial affairs, where the Shaohao Dynasty was digging a huge pit to lure a hot-tempered foe.

The Lei Shen Dynasty and Cao Dynasty fought over the former Mantid lands, and Cao Fei sought Shaohao’s support to protect his weaker realm. The Shaohao Dynasty and Night Empire warned Lei Shen against further attacks, leaving him furious and uncertain about how far they would go.

• The Mantid retreated from the Valley of the Mantid, and the Lei Shen and Cao dynasties divided the abandoned territory.
• Lei Shen and Cao Fei’s armies fought a bloody battle that ended without a clear victor, then fortified their new border.
• Cao Fei sent envoys to the Shaohao Dynasty, which recognized his occupied lands and demanded that Lei Shen stop attacking him.
• Lei Shen grew enraged at Shaohao’s intervention but fell silent when a Night Elf delegation arrived on the Isle of Thunder.
• The Night Empire declared that attacking the Cao Dynasty would mean war with both it and the Shaohao Dynasty, leaving Lei Shen wondering whether Sarodar’s anger over Loken was behind the threat.

Sarodar taunted Lei Shen by keeping Old God Miss Salathas captive, while Lei Shen’s dynasty expanded into the Terrace of Endless Spring as allied forces besieged the Heart of Fear. Meanwhile, Kor'kron scouts surveyed the hidden Heart of Y'Shaarj temple ahead of Garrosh’s operation to claim its power.

• Sarodar complained to Shaohao about Lei Shen and refused Miss Salathas’s demand for a suitable body, provoking her to tighten a tentacle around his neck.
• The Cao Dynasty withdrew from the war, while Lei Shen’s army occupied Kor'ulvis and advanced south toward Zan'vess Island to claim more territory.
• The allied armies surrounded the Heart of Fear, while Lei Shen avoided the siege and pursued his own territorial expansion.
• Kor'kron scouts surveyed the old temple above the Heart of Y'Shaarj and prepared for Garrosh’s forces to seize the Old God’s essence.

The attacking coalition besieged the Heart of Fear with artillery and heavy machine guns, overwhelming Empress Shaok'sil's Imperial Court Mantid forces. The Mantid's repeated charges ended in slaughter, leaving them to face the changing nature of warfare.

• Wind Lord Mel'jarak commanded the Imperial Court Mantid defense while K'rull joined the coalition's ancient heroes in the assault.
• The coalition used hundreds of cannons to bombard the Mantid instead of launching a traditional frontal charge.
• The Mantid launched countercharges against the coalition's cannons, but artillery fire devastated their formations.
• The Mantid swarm charged the coalition's positions, and heavy machine guns cut down the attackers in waves.
• Elite Mantid used mana shields to withstand the bullets briefly, but their mana ran out and the coalition annihilated several full formations.

The Alliance and Horde launched their assault on the Mantid with experimental Azerite war machines and distinctive military forces. The battle demonstrated their separate technological paths, while the chapter left their rivalry intact despite their shared loyalty to Azeroth.

• The Alliance sent the gnome-piloted Lei Shen prototype and its first machine-gunner legion into the Mantid positions.
• The Horde advanced with a super-heavy tank built by the ethereals and Goblins, crushing ground forces and shooting down flying Mantid.
• The chapter contrasted the Horde’s defense-focused equipment with the Iron Horde’s gun-centered exoskeletons and jet boosters.
• Boss Hu supported the factions’ independent technological development and argued that they would unite against foreign enemies.
• The Alliance and Horde remained instinctively hostile and continued fighting each other whenever no outside enemy demanded cooperation.

Boss Hu joined the Mantid front at the Terrace of Endless Spring after discovering that his bond with Azeroth let them share life force, divine power, and abilities. Meanwhile, Azeroth spread polluted blood across the planet as Azerite veins, ushering in wider access to Azerite weapons and equipment for the Champions of Azeroth.

• Boss Hu learned that he and Azeroth could share damage, life force, divine power, and knowledge through their Transcendent Twins connection.
• Boss Hu rushed to the Terrace of Endless Spring to join the battle against the Mantid.
• Azeroth drained polluted blood from the planetary core and distributed it across the surface as Azerite veins.
• The surge in Azerite reserves allowed factions to resume expanding Azerite War Machine production and distribute more Heart of Azeroth necklaces.
• Suramar and Dalaran became the main centers for safely infusing Azerite into Champions of Azeroth's necklaces and legendary gear.

Titan Sarodar destroyed the Heart of Fear and the Karakal Council’s stronghold, then forced the Mantid to praise him and submit. General Nazgrim recognized that the Horde’s rules of survival were driven by power and benefit, not universal justice.

• Sarodar grew to nearly a hundred meters tall and cleared the Sha-filled sky with moonlight and Dawn Divine Power.
• Sarodar rained stars onto the Heart of Fear, reducing it and the Mantid within to a steaming crater; K'rull and Wind Lord Mel'jarak died in the blast.
• Sarodar killed Mantid in the Horde army and struck the Karakal Council’s stronghold, while threatening to exterminate the Mantid if they showed disrespect or openly worshipped the Old Gods.
• Sarodar teleported the surviving Karakal Council Mantid before the crater and forced them to praise his attack before flying back toward the Vale of Eternal Blossoms.
• Nazgrim concluded that the new Mantid allies needed to learn that Titans were not kindly guardians of justice and that the Azeroth coalition served its own world’s interests.

Prince Thoras rebuilt the Kingdom of Stromgarde by securing supplies from Lordaeron and a low-interest loan from the Blackrock Syndicate. The chapter explained why Stromgarde chose that lender and how media power shaped the politics of Azeroth.

• Prince Thoras requested food and daily necessities from Lordaeron to keep Stromgarde's army functioning.
• Prince Thoras ruled out the Venture Company, Ratchet Consortium, and Bilgewater Cartel as lenders.
• Prince Thoras secured a substantial low-interest loan from the Blackrock Syndicate.
• The Blackrock Syndicate's influence over mainstream media made national borrowers fear damage to their credibility and reputation.
• The chapter described Garrosh as a disruptive but devoted Orc leader who acted in his own capacity rather than for the whole Horde.

Thrall rallied the Earth Ring and its allies to pursue Neptulon’s Water Elemental army and recruit adventurers to fight in the Maelstrom. Goblin merchants and Suramar’s Highborne prepared to profit from the expedition, while the black market showcased Jaina’s Glacial Torrent mount.

• Thrall led the Earth Ring and allied elemental forces against Neptulon’s army, which retreated toward the Throne of the Tides after its plan to seize the Maelstrom failed.
• Thrall declared that the war would continue until Neptulon was freed from N'Zoth’s control, and the coalition assembled at a Vashj'ir island base to attack the Throne of the Tides.
• Thrall used quests and rewards to enlist adventurers in the continuing battles across the sea.
• Suramar’s Highborne offered adventurers updated equipment and upgrades in exchange for gold or contribution points.
• Madam Goya’s Goblin black market promoted Jaina’s Glacial Torrent as a rare underwater mount, while Zandalari caravan thunder lizards remained available for five million gold each.

Adventurers across Azeroth upgraded their gear with Suramar technology and Azerite traits, then answered the Earth Ring’s Hero’s Call and took on underwater bounties. The Maelstrom region also emerged as a shared training headquarters for Shamans, whose organized model inspired other classes.

• Hunters, casters, and melee adventurers acquired increasingly advanced Azerite-enhanced weapons and equipment, with their strength depending on their gear and resources.
• After the Earth Ring issued a worldwide Hero’s Call, adventurers arrived in the Maelstrom region to accept bounty missions and handled their own preparations before diving underwater.
• Adventurers told the Shamans that they would take care of the work themselves as long as the targets and rewards were clear.
• Shamans from both the Alliance and Horde gathered in the Maelstrom region to train together, share resources, and compete regardless of faction.
• Practitioners of other classes began imitating the Maelstrom region’s organized training model.

The factions established class halls for paladins, Dawn Knights, priests, and Death Knights, while the warriors struggled to find a suitable shared gathering place. The chapter left the warriors waiting for a location that could represent them.

• Tirion Fordring opened the Holy Light Secret Hall beneath Light's Hope Chapel as a gathering place for paladins of every faction.
• Grand Duke Bolvar led the Dawn Knights' class hall at Dawn Cathedral, while Lordaeron and Stormwind disputed where it should be located.
• Queen Calia invited Alonsus Faol to lead Lordaeron's priests, and the priests' class hall was established in Lordaeron's Holy Light Cathedral.
• The Death Knights used Ebon Hold, Acherus as their class hall and all-purpose base.
• The warriors could not agree on a class hall because they lacked a unified training system and could not comfortably gather in either faction's territory.

Oscar went to Pandaria to secretly buy Hearthstone cards, where he encountered Deathwing, who had turned the game into an excuse to burn opponents’ decks. The chapter ended with Deathwing destroying a Pandaren Monk’s cards and flying away with the winnings.

• Oscar’s wife, Partris, punished him for spending hundreds of gold coins on Hearthstone cards and had the Argent Dawn watch him.
• Oscar fled to Pandaria to keep buying cards, where Deathwing challenged him and threatened to burn his collection.
• Deathwing used his unique Deathwing card to destroy Hearthstone tables and decks across the world, becoming infamous for the practice.
• At the Temple of the Seven Stars, Deathwing played a Pandaren Monk and filled his deck with Black Dragon Whelps before unleashing his Deathwing card.
• Deathwing burned the Monk’s deck and game table, took the gold coins, and flew away in his dragon form.