Chapter Summaries

Hu Feng’s walk along Pandaria’s Great Wall stirred memories of his lost homeland and the human self he had tried to preserve. After unleashing a storm over the Terrace of Endless Spring, he returned to his carefree manner, while Sylvanas chose not to question him.

• Hu Feng and Emperor Shaohao walked along the Great Wall and reflected on its history of Pandaren suffering under the Mogu Empire.
• Hu Feng spoke in veiled remarks about the wall and his memories, while Shaohao explained its mixed legacy of pride and pain.
• Hu Feng roared and unleashed a storm over the Terrace of Endless Spring, killing countless Mantid.
• Shaohao stopped Sylvanas from asking Hu Feng about what she had witnessed and advised her to comfort him instead.
• Hu Feng resumed his usual carefree demeanor, and Sylvanas gently agreed to continue walking with him.

The chapter described the class halls and training grounds chosen by the Illidari, Druids, Rogues, Mages, and Monks. Warriors, Warlocks, and Hunters had yet to find suitable class gathering places, leaving their plans unresolved.

• The Illidari established the Black Temple as their holy ground and used the recovered Fel Hammer as a mobile fortress, while Illidan opened recruitment to Night Elves and High Elves.
• Illidan's Illidari included elves, Maiev's Watchers, Akama's Broken, Fel Orcs, demon followers led by Highmother Shahraz, and numerous Eye Demons curious about his use of Fel Energy.
• Druids of both factions designated Moonglade as their holy ground, where Green Dragon portals and Velinde Starsong's wild Worgen helped keep the sanctuary secure.
• Rogues established their class hall at Ravenholdt Manor, where Garona remained First Master Assassin and Valeera accepted that she was not yet her equal.
• Mages recognized both Suramar City and Dalaran as holy grounds, while Monks gathered at the Monastery of the Silent Step under Xuen and rotating masters, including Master Snowdrift.
• Warriors, Warlocks, and Hunters postponed choosing class gathering places because they had found no suitably representative locations.

In the Twilight Highlands, the Alliance and Ironforge forces pressed Twilight’s Hammer toward defeat as Sailin Fireheart’s strange Twilight power proved lethal to enemy Ascended. In Pandaria, Emperor Shaohao and Taran Zhu prepared for Garrosh’s secret attempt to claim the Heart of Y’Shaarj, confident that his own actions would bring the Horde opposition against him.

• Grand Duke Bolvar led the Alliance foothold in the Twilight Highlands with a cautious advance, supported by an Ironforge legion.
• Sailin Fireheart used the independent eye on her shoulder to destroy an enemy Ascended, while N’Zoth’s Twilight cultists retreated toward the Twilight Highlands tower.
• Taran Zhu questioned Emperor Shaohao’s decision to accept temporary damage to the Vale of Eternal Blossoms to eliminate the Heart of Y’Shaarj’s threat.
• Shaohao explained that Garrosh’s Horde expeditionary force served as bait while another elite force carried out the real plan.
• An Imperial Eagle delivered word that Garrosh had secretly left Orgrimmar for the Vale with an elite Kor’kron legion.
• Shaohao told Taran Zhu that Saurfang, Vol’jin, and Zul’jin would oppose Garrosh, and ordered that his operation remain secret until he paid for it.

After the Mantid war ended, Garrosh secretly led Kor'kron guards and Goblin engineers to break into Y'Shaarj's underground palace and reach the sealed Heart. Their excavation unleashed sha energy across the Vale of Eternal Blossoms, and the chapter ended with Norush sealing Garrosh's group inside the hall.

• The Mantid surrendered after the destruction of the amber tree, and the Horde, Alliance, and Lei Shen Dynasty scrambled to claim the abandoned territory.
• Garrosh secretly led Kor'kron guards and Goblin engineers from the victory celebration to locate and excavate Y'Shaarj's underground palace.
• Garrosh's forces defeated the Pandaren Monk troops guarding the site, demolished the surface temple, and drilled into the underground palace.
• Norush let Garrosh's group pass after they claimed they could destroy the Heart of Y'Shaarj.
• Garrosh entered the hall with his Kor'kron guards, and Norush sealed the great doors behind them as sha energy erupted into the Vale.

Garrosh claimed the Heart of Y'Shaarj and escaped the Vale of Eternal Blossoms aboard a Horde airship after Taran Zhu agreed to let him leave. Taran Zhu headed to report the contamination to Emperor Shaohao, while warning Garrosh that the Shaohao Dynasty would demand compensation.

• Garrosh and his loyal troops took the Heart of Y'Shaarj from the underground palace, releasing a pillar of Sha energy that contaminated the Vale of Eternal Blossoms.
• Taran Zhu and elite Pandaren Monks confronted Garrosh, but a Horde war airship arrived and aimed its cannons at them.
• Taran Zhu received a message from a Cloud Serpent rider, then warned Garrosh that the Shaohao Dynasty would demand an explanation and compensation or go to war.
• Garrosh loaded the Heart of Y'Shaarj onto the airship and flew toward Kalimdor.
• Taran Zhu rode to Mogu'shan Palace to report to Emperor Shaohao and contain the Sha contamination.

After Garrosh seized the Heart of Y'Shaarj and devastated part of the Vale of Eternal Blossoms, factions condemned him and the Shaohao Dynasty severed ties with the Horde. Grom Hellscream learned how Garrosh’s choices fit into a future he had foreseen, while Boss Hu predicted the Horde would soon seek a new Warchief from a non-Orc race.

• News outlets reported Garrosh’s raid on the Vale of Eternal Blossoms, and Alliance leaders and other factions condemned his dishonorable actions.
• The Shaohao Dynasty released footage of the damaged Vale, announced it was cutting trade and diplomatic ties with the Horde, and demanded an explanation and compensation from Garrosh.
• Blackso mobilized his media outlets to attack Garrosh and the Bilgewater Cartel, while Night Empire media focused their criticism on Garrosh rather than the Horde.
• Grom Hellscream told Boss Hu that Garrosh would eventually open a portal to a parallel Draenor and reflected that Garrosh had chosen power over loyalty.
• Boss Hu predicted that Thrall would not serve as Warchief in the long term, Saurfang would likely refuse the position, and the next Warchief might come from a non-Orc race.

Garrosh absorbed the Heart of Y'Shaarj without losing control of his will, but his actions deepened divisions within the Horde. As opposition to his rule grew and the Horde offered concessions to the Shaohao Dynasty, attacks on faction leaders pushed the Horde toward open conflict.

• Garrosh merged with the Heart of Y'Shaarj, resisting its corruption while its power magnified his devotion to the Horde.
• Frostwolf and Ragefire Orcs, Vol'jin and the troll leaders, and Cairne Bloodhoof condemned Garrosh's actions, while Kor'kron troops increasingly mistreated non-Orcs in Orgrimmar.
• Garrosh's government offered the Shaohao Dynasty compensation, aid to heal the Vale of Eternal Blossoms, and a public apology from the Warchief.
• Unknown attackers assaulted Horde leaders returning from Orgrimmar; Cairne was severely wounded, and Vol'jin was stabbed in the throat and appeared to die.

After Garrosh moved to control the Horde’s dissatisfied factions, the Tauren and Trolls resisted, bringing the Horde to the brink of civil war. Baine drove the Kor'kron from Mulgore while the Shaohao Dynasty stayed silent and the Night Empire sealed its borders.

• Cairne Bloodhoof passed the Tauren chieftainship to Baine Bloodhoof as Kor'kron troops entered Tauren territory under the pretense of protecting the Horde.
• Magatha brought the Terror Totem clan into Garrosh’s Horde, while Troll leaders placed Warchief-faction officials under house arrest and called on Garrosh to resign.
• Garrosh rejected Prophet Zul’s envoy, threatened the Troll cities with a Kor'kron siege, and demanded they end their resistance.
• Baine ignored Garrosh’s ultimatum and led Tauren forces in driving the Kor'kron out of Mulgore.
• The Shaohao Dynasty stopped pressuring the Horde, the Night Empire sealed its border fortresses, and the Horde’s civil war drew near.

The Horde's civil war became unavoidable as Durotan, Orgrim, Vol'jin, and Grom united against Garrosh and urged Thrall to lead an assault on Orgrimmar. Thrall ordered the rebel army to prepare to attack, while General Nazgrim accepted Garrosh's command on the city walls.

• Durotan's Frostwolf and Ragefire Orcs sealed off the Valley of Trials, and Orgrim brought loyal Blackrock Orcs to join their rebel army.
• The Mag'har Clan declared neutrality, while Vol'jin's Darkspear Shadow Hunters intercepted Thrall and brought him to the rebels.
• Durotan, Orgrim, Grom Hellscream, and King Saurfang urged Thrall to overthrow Garrosh and take the Warchief's position.
• Thrall raised the Doomhammer and ordered the rebel army to prepare to attack Orgrimmar so Garrosh could face the Horde's judgment.
• On Orgrimmar's walls, General Nazgrim saluted Garrosh and pledged to obey his command.

Thrall unified the Horde rebels and declared a civil war against Garrosh, while news and entertainment programs continued to draw attention across Azeroth. The rebel forces began small skirmishes as soldiers and spectators remained absorbed in their favorite shows.

• Thrall returned as Interim Warchief, demanded Garrosh step down, and rallied the Frostwolf Clan, Blackrock clan orcs, Troll United Tribes, Tauren, Zandalari, Gurubashi, and Iron Horde behind the Rebel Army.
• Goodnight Horde split over the civil war, while Cataclysm and Tycoons continued its quiz show, where Elisande won the prize despite protesting the accepted answer to the final question.
• Horde soldiers on both sides paused their fighting to watch Orgrimmar Char Siu Family, whose latest plot centered on A-Xiang's diagnosis and her boyfriend's identity.
• Alliance spectators mocked Garrosh and the Horde conflict, then settled in to watch Countess Onyxia's soap opera, The Love and Sorrows of the Gilded Rose.

The Shaohao Dynasty focused on cleansing the Vale of Eternal Blossoms while Sarodar volunteered to confront the Pride of Sha. As the Rebel Army attacked Orgrimmar, Garrosh left his old keepsakes behind and ordered the Kor'kron into the underground fortress.

• The Shaohao Dynasty and Night Empire Druids cleared Sha demons and worked to restore the Vale of Eternal Blossoms.
• Emperor Shaohao planned an elite expedition to purify the underground Source of Living Water and accepted Sarodar's offer to confront the Pride of Sha.
• Garrosh looked over photographs and keepsakes from his past before armoring himself and leaving his bedroom.
• A Kor'kron soldier told Garrosh that the Rebel Army had begun its attack.
• Garrosh ordered the Kor'kron into the underground fortress and left Orgrimmar's defenses to General Nazgrim's forces.

The Pandaren forces and the four August Celestials entered the underground Hall of Living Water to confront Imosuss, whose sha corruption threatened Pandaria’s water supply. Flower Birds Wind Moon purified many of the guardians, and the Celestials and Taran Zhu advanced toward Imosuss.

• The Shaohao Dynasty sent the four August Celestials and Taran Zhu’s elite Monks underground to defeat and purify Imosuss.
• Flower Birds Wind Moon used her healing power to free most of the corrupted Jinyu guardians, while the worst-affected ones fainted.
• Xuen, Chi-Ji, and the Black Ox traded jokes until Yu'lon urged them to focus on Imosuss.
• Xuen led the August Celestials down the corridor toward Imosuss, and Taran Zhu followed with the elite Monks.

Titan Sarodar defeated Pride of Sha in Y'Shaarj's underground palace and spared High Guardian Norush, then forced Pride to submit and offer its help. Salathas restrained Pride and joined Sarodar, who left with a possible path to control the sha demons but no lead on N'Zoth's current location.

• Titan Sarodar beat Pride of Sha while High Guardian Norush opened the palace and its defenses for the Eternal Chosen Legion.
• Sarodar spared Norush because Pandaria's isolated guardians were not corrupted and could still serve the Empire.
• Salathas bound Pride with shadow tentacles as Sarodar continued beating it, and Pride offered to help him reclaim the Heart of Y'Shaarj and control the other sha demons.
• Sarodar agreed to give Pride a chance after learning its offer could help unlock the Empire's sha-energy weapon research.
• Salathas urged Sarodar to attack Odyn and then N'Zoth, but she only knew Ny'alotha's location from before The Great Sundering.

Boss Hu secured the Pride of Sha’s surrender and planned to use sha demons as weapons after reclaiming the Heart of Y'Shaarj. He sent Norush from the underground palace to guide the Mogu, and Norush saw the surface and sunlight for the first time.

• Boss Hu considered how sha energy could be developed into weapons that spread mental devastation among enemies.
• The Pride of Sha reasoned that Boss Hu was a powerful Void Lord-like being and accepted surrender.
• Boss Hu bound the Pride of Sha with divine-energy chains and ordered him to help reclaim the Heart of Y'Shaarj and awaken the scattered sha demons.
• Boss Hu told Norush to leave the underground palace and teach the Mogu to avoid fighting.
• Norush obeyed and stepped into sunlight in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms for the first time.

Titan Sarodar led the Pride of Sha toward the Terrace of Eternal Spring and promised Emperor Shaohao he would remove the sha demons from Pandaria. Meanwhile, Norush’s arrival boosted Cao Fei’s standing, while Lei Shen weighed how to bargain with the Night Empire over his prisoner Ra-den.

• Titan Sarodar ordered the Pride of Sha to deal with the Fear of Sha at the Terrace of Eternal Spring and assured Emperor Shaohao he would take the sha demons and Heart of Y'Shaarj away after Garrosh was finished.
• Norush arrived at Cao Fei’s court as the Titan Father God’s appointed protector and guide for the Mogu, drawing Mogu from across the continent to the Cao Dynasty.
• Cao Fei’s dynasty gained prestige from Norush’s presence, while Lei Shen dismissed the threat and planned to deal with Cao Fei later.
• Lei Shen considered trading Ra-den to the Night Empire for political support and continued negotiations with its delegation on the Isle of Thunder.

As the Horde civil war became inevitable, General Nazgrim chose to remain loyal to Garrosh and fortified Orgrimmar despite understanding the Rebel Army’s reasons for opposing the Warchief. After reading King Saurfang’s letter, Nazgrim accepted that he would face his old friends and brothers in battle.

• The Rebel Army’s leaders and allies vastly outnumbered Garrosh’s supporters, while the ogres showed little commitment to his cause.
• General Nazgrim upheld his oath to serve Garrosh and strengthened the defenses from Orgrimmar to Razor Hill.
• The Rebel Army publicly accused Garrosh of crimes against the Horde and the world, including dividing the Horde and accepting corruption from the Old Gods.
• King Saurfang wrote that he would not condemn Nazgrim for following his convictions and said they would meet on the battlefield.
• Nazgrim recalled King Saurfang’s example and resolved to face his former comrades in battle.

Thrall’s Rebel Army broke through Razor Hill’s defenses as Zul'jin and the Amani forces helped bring down the fortress wall. Meanwhile, Thrall secured promises of foreign support, and the war’s outcome appeared settled.

• Garrosh’s forces attacked Razor Hill with enchanted artillery and Dragonmaw riders, while the Kor'kron soldiers refused to surrender.
• Thrall sent Zul'jin’s forces to meet the Dragonmaw aerial attack, and Akil'zon and Gaya'le took to the sky.
• Zul'jin and Narulak charged the cracked wall as the Rebel Army’s artillery battered it, and the two bears smashed through the weakened section.
• The Rebel Army’s ground forces launched a full-scale charge through the breach toward Orgrimmar.
• Thrall heard that the Night Empire and Alliance might support the rebels, then authorized the Zandalari Golden Fleet to assist.

War correspondents exposed Garrosh’s abuse of Pandaren prisoners, prompting the Shaohao Dynasty to join the campaign against him. Thrall’s diplomatic connections drew Kul Tiras and the Alliance into the conflict, leaving the Horde Rebel Army with overwhelming support as the Night Empire weighed its next move.

• Rogues broadcast footage of Ji Firepalm and other dissenters imprisoned and abused in Orgrimmar, sparking condemnation of Garrosh.
• Shaohao announced that Taran Zhu would lead high-ranking Monks to join the Horde Rebel Army and overthrow Garrosh.
• Thrall’s envoys won Jaina’s support, and she persuaded the Alliance to send reinforcements.
• Varian declared that he would personally lead Royal Guards to support the rebels, while Alliance nobles also offered gold and supplies.
• The Night Empire remained publicly undecided as the Tauren delegation increased its contact with the Night Elves.

The Night Empire sent the Crusader Legion and a new Giant Steel War Scorpion into The Barrens to support the Rebel Army against Garrosh’s forces. As the Iron Horde assaulted the Dragonmaw fortress, Garrosh remained confident that he could master the Heart of Y'Shaarj and defeat the rebellion in Orgrimmar.

• The Night Empire entered The Barrens with permission from Thunder Bluff, and its Giant Steel War Scorpion attacked Garrosh’s troops while the Crusader Legion guarded the prototype.
• The Iron Horde’s Black Dragon Riders pursued Warlord Zaela’s retreating Proto-Dragon Riders to the Dragonmaw fortress at Ghost Mist Mountain.
• Grom authorized the assault, and Kargath Bladefist brought ground forces to reinforce the Black Dragon Riders as Steel Stars battered the fortress.
• Zaela chose not to request reinforcements because she wanted to buy Garrosh time while the Rebel Army took more of his strongholds.
• Garrosh believed the Kor'kron, the Mantid forces, and his war machines could hold Orgrimmar while he mastered the Heart of Y'Shaarj.
• Garrosh faced the approaching enemies beneath the Heart of Y'Shaarj and vowed to fight to the bitter end.

After the Iron Horde captured Zaela and other Dragonmaw orcs, Grom ordered the prisoners taken alive to a camp for trial. Kargath began a fight with three female orcs, and Grom watched to see whether they could be recruited into the Iron Horde.

• Iron Horde soldiers dragged Zaela before Grom, who mocked her extremism and ordered the Dragonmaw prisoners taken alive to a Prison Camp.
• Kargath stopped abusing a captured Dragonmaw orc after Grom reminded him that the prisoners had to survive for their trials.
• A female Dragonmaw orc challenged Kargath, and he cut her restraint chain before she armed herself and called on two companions.
• Gaan introduced herself, Suka, and Malaka as the three female challengers, while Kargath mocked them and agreed to fight.
• Grom told his adjutant to recruit the three women if they could withstand Kargath and instructed Kargath to hold back.