Chapter Summaries

Rega urged Saurfang to abandon the doomed Ashenvale war and lead the Orcs toward a future in New Nagrand, while Saurfang committed to helping the next generation find another path. Saurfang then joined Shandris and the Theramore representatives for peace talks, where the Orcs and Night Elves clashed over Ashenvale.

• Rega warned Saurfang that the Ashenvale war would weaken both the Orcs and Night Elves while benefiting Theramore, and advised retreating to Outland.
• Saurfang lamented the Horde’s clan-based power structure and agreed to send his son to learn from Rega in New Nagrand.
• Saurfang left Rega, wrote Thrall a letter about their conversation, and vowed to seek the best terms for the Orcs in the peace talks.
• Shandris arrived in Theramore, where Jaina and Deren opened negotiations between the Night Elves and Orcs.
• Shandris demanded that the Orcs withdraw from Ashenvale and pay compensation, while Saurfang refused to abandon the land and called the conflict a misunderstanding.
• Jaina asked both sides to discuss other matters, including prisoner exchanges and a ceasefire.

Shandris and Saurfang negotiated an all-for-all exchange of their prisoners, agreeing that the elves would compensate the Orcs for the food their captives had eaten. They settled on a payment of sixty-five thousand gold coins through Theramore, leaving the prisoner exchange ready to proceed.

• Saurfang demanded compensation for exchanging more than nine hundred elf prisoners for the Orcs' eighty-plus captives, while Shandris refused to bargain over Ashenvale.
• Shandris rejected paying the Orcs directly in gold, and Deren proposed calculating the difference in food expenses as compensation.
• Shandris and Saurfang haggled over the cost until Jaina suggested a single package price, and they agreed on sixty-five thousand gold coins.
• Shandris arranged for Theramore to hold the payment until the prisoners were exchanged, and Saurfang accepted Theramore as the intermediary.

While waiting for the next stage of prisoner negotiations, Saurfang watched Theramore thrive and encountered Deren, Ysera, and White Jaina. Their conversation raised his suspicions about Deren’s role in Orgrimmar’s explosion and left him facing White Jaina’s accusations against the Orcs.

• Saurfang compared bustling Theramore with war-stricken Orgrimmar as he waited for negotiations to continue.
• Deren introduced his student Ysera and a wandering mage to Saurfang, who recognized White Jaina’s resemblance to Jaina and recalled her calling him an old friend.
• Saurfang asked whether Deren had caused the Orgrimmar explosion, and Deren’s startled reaction strengthened his suspicion.
• White Jaina condemned the Orcs and said she wanted every Orc dead because they had killed her family and friends.
• Saurfang apologized for the harm Orcs had caused, but White Jaina challenged his claims about Orcish honor by citing their massacres of civilians.
• Saurfang could not refute her, remembering that even Orgrim Doomhammer had failed to stop the clans from slaughtering civilians.

Deren challenged Saurfang’s beliefs about Orc honor and urged him to support Rehgar’s kingdom experiment in New Nagrand. He warned Saurfang that Dranosh was in danger and persuaded him to consider sending his son to Outland to help the Horde.

• Deren argued that Orc honor had masked a society ruled by violence, and Saurfang questioned whether his lifelong pursuit of honor had been futile.
• Deren explained that he was testing a centralized kingdom system in New Nagrand as a possible future for the Orcs, while Saurfang insisted their future had to remain in their own hands.
• Deren warned Saurfang that he was destined to lose Dranosh and advised moving him to a safer assignment, but Saurfang said he could accept his son dying gloriously for the Horde.
• Deren proposed that Dranosh become Rehgar’s deputy in Outland, helping unite the Mag'har Orcs and advance the kingdom experiment.
• Deren challenged Saurfang to accept a small stain on his reputation for the Horde’s benefit, leaving Saurfang moved by the argument.

Tyrande defended paying the Orcs for the release and food of captured Night Elves, then confronted Fandral Staghelm when he challenged her decisions and demanded that High Elves and Holy Light Hunters be expelled. The chapter left Fandral’s call for racial purity unanswered as Tyrande’s question about the cost of rejecting allies gave the watching Night Elves pause.

• Tyrande ordered the treasury officer to send gold to Jaina in Theramore to pay for the captured Night Elves’ food and freedom.
• Fandral accused Tyrande of compromising with the Orcs, and she challenged him to attack their defensive line himself before telling him to learn the truth about the previous defeat.
• Fandral demanded that the High Elves and Holy Light Hunters be driven from camp, and Tyrande told him to see whether other Night Elves would give up their support and healing.
• Fandral fought the High Elf Mage Corps, and Verina held him aloft with Mage Hand until Tyrande ordered her to let him down.
• Tyrande asked whether expelling the High Elves was worth risking defeat and more Night Elf deaths, leaving Fandral and the onlookers to consider the consequences.

Tyrande challenged Fandral Staghelm and the Druids who rejected Arcane and Holy Light, arguing that their ideals could not help defeat the Orcs. Fandral left the camp with a handful of supporters, while Tyrande stayed behind with Illidan and Maiev and worried about what Malfurion might do next.

• Tyrande invited supporters of nature and purity to form a separate vanguard, but only a few Druids stepped forward.
• Fandral defended the rejection of Arcane and Holy Light, and Tyrande challenged him to explain how those beliefs would defeat the Orcs or protect the Night Elves.
• The soldiers rejected Fandral's arguments, and Tyrande ordered him and his supporters to leave the army.
• Illidan called his brother hypocritical, while Maiev defended Illidan and reminded him that she was his wife.
• Fandral left the camp with his few supporters, and Tyrande sent Illidan and Maiev on patrol before wondering what Malfurion would do next.

Jaina, Deren, and Onyxia went to witness the Night Elf–Orc prisoner exchange, where Jaina spoke with Thrall about the war and the Orcs’ need for supplies. Thrall revealed that an Ancestor’s Spirit had foretold the Night Elves would face great trouble and the Orcs would eventually help them.

• Jaina told Deren that the Night Elves had deposited sixty-five thousand gold coins in Theramore to ransom their prisoners, and explained her plan to charge Orc buyers inflated prices.
• Deren suggested profiting from both sides of the war, and he agreed to attend the prisoner exchange with Jaina and Onyxia.
• Deren asked about Aegwynn and Antonidas’s experiments and said he was exploring thermobaric bombs as a possible way to attack Silithus and An'qiraj.
• Jaina teleported Deren and Onyxia to the exchange, where batches of Orcs were traded for more than a hundred Night Elves each.
• Thrall greeted Jaina, met Onyxia, and asked whether Theramore could help the Orcs obtain supplies; Jaina said they could make purchases despite rising prices.
• Thrall told Jaina that an Ancestor’s Spirit had said the Night Elves would face great trouble and the Orcs would become their helping force, so the war would not last forever.

Deren explained the military balance between the elves and Orcs to Tyrande and advised her to wear down the Orcs through harassment rather than seek a decisive battle. Tyrande paid him for his counsel, then accepted his strategy and thanked him.

• Deren reassured Onyxia that Theramore and its allies could handle the Orcs, then met Tyrande at the prisoner exchange.
• Deren challenged Tyrande to analyze both armies’ strengths and weaknesses, prompting her to ask for his advice.
• Deren hinted that the elves should use their resources against the Orcs, then accepted a Space Bag of gold from Tyrande.
• Deren explained that the exhausted elves should avoid a decisive battle and slowly wear down the Orcs instead.
• Deren recommended sending harassment units to inflict casualties and disrupt the Orcs, and Tyrande approved the strategy.

After the prisoner exchange, Deren and Jaina received lavish gifts from the elves and Thrall, who tried to match their generosity. Jaina reported Thrall’s warning that the Night Elves would face a major crisis and the Orcs would help resolve it, leaving Deren content to wait and see what happened.

• Deren watched the Orcs and elves complete a prisoner exchange, then greeted Thrall when he arrived with Jaina.
• Deren showed Thrall the gold Tyrande had given him, prompting Thrall to give Jaina a Space Bag filled with magic gems.
• Deren, Jaina, and Onyxia returned home, where Jaina shared out some of the gems and discussed their successful negotiations.
• Jaina told Deren that Thrall had repeated the Ancestor's Spirit’s warning that the elves would face great trouble and the Orcs would help them.
• Deren speculated that the Orcs might be drawn into another world-ending crisis and decided to wait and watch.

The Night Elves carried out Tyrande’s patient attrition strategy in Ashenvale, while Thrall’s counterattacks and increasingly burdensome precautions drained the Horde’s manpower, morale, and supplies. Tyrande remained resolved to continue the slow campaign until the Horde gave way, though the war left both sides exhausted.

• Night Elf Raptor Druids and Gryphon units raided Orc territory, killing warriors, disrupting supplies, and harassing camps before withdrawing into the forest.
• Thrall tried to break the elven lines with large Orc assaults, but magical warnings and fortified defenses turned the attacks into costly failures.
• Thrall ordered patrols, hunting parties, logging crews, and escorts to travel in larger groups with Shaman priests or witch doctors, tying down troops and worsening exhaustion.
• Orc supply costs rose as Theramore charged high prices for provisions, and Thrall began to suspect Jaina’s neutral smile concealed a scheme.
• Tyrande reviewed Shandris Feathermoon’s modest daily results and vowed to keep fighting until Ashenvale returned to peace.

Stellagosa visited Deren and revealed that Malygos had sent Blue Dragons to build a relationship with him because he was changing Azeroth’s fate. She delivered Malygos’s compensation to Theramore, and Onyxia accepted it as a gesture of peace.

• Stellagosa came to Theramore to visit Chromie, but found Deren instead and learned Chromie was away.
• Stellagosa explained that Malygos had sent her and Malygosa to get close to Deren, though Malygosa had reunited with Kalecgos.
• Deren and Onyxia speculated that Dragon Kings could sense the direction of fate, recalling Alexstrasza’s earlier visit.
• Deren told Stellagosa she could stay or go freely and offered help with Blue Dragon affairs.
• Stellagosa gave Onyxia a bag of treasures from Malygos as compensation for his past harassment of Theramore, and Onyxia accepted it.

Stellagosa persuaded Onyxia to let Deren accompany her around Theramore, claiming she needed an excuse for a report. Deren brought his student Ysiel along after Stellagosa challenged his judgment of beauty, and the three went to the market together.

• Stellagosa convinced Onyxia that a stroll with Deren would help her report progress and earn more activity funds to share.
• Onyxia approved the outing, and Deren left with Stellagosa while Onyxia stayed home to count her recent fortune.
• Stellagosa told Deren she had deceived Onyxia because Blue Dragons and Black Dragons were enemies, while Deren teased her about her motives and beauty.
• Deren summoned Ysiel Nightshadow through his Communication Crystal to prove that he had seen women more beautiful than Stellagosa.
• Ysiel joined Deren and Stellagosa, and the three headed to the cloth market while Ysiel praised Deren and asked him to explain more of the Four Noble Truths.

Deren went shopping in Theramore with Ysera, Stellagosa, and Elaseth, but Sylvanas and then Azshara joined them as the women competed for his attention. The group ended the chapter trying on new clothes and asking Deren to judge their outfits.

• Ysera and Stellagosa competed to feed Deren grilled squid skewers while they shopped through the crowded marketplace.
• Elaseth joined them and asked Deren to call her Aella and let her walk with them.
• Sylvanas pulled Deren away from the other women, then decided to join the shopping group herself.
• Ysera tried on a black short skirt, and Azshara unexpectedly arrived from the Ashenvale front lines.
• The women changed into their new clothes and asked Deren to evaluate their outfits, leaving him exhausted.

Kalecgos became seriously ill in Theramore, where Malygosa cared for him through the night. While recovering, he confessed his feelings, and they agreed to begin a romantic relationship.

• Kalecgos fell ill from Theramore’s humid weather, and Malygosa nursed him with warm water and Calming Flower Nectar.
• Malygosa stayed nearby overnight to watch over Kalecgos and help him when he woke thirsty.
• Kalecgos told Malygosa that he wanted her companionship and asked to become more than friends.
• Malygosa confessed that her feelings had long gone beyond friendship and agreed to start over with Kalecgos.
• Kalecgos and Malygosa embraced in the guest room.

Fandral Staghelm searched for his missing granddaughter Istarria as the Qiraji gathered behind the Scarab Wall. When the An'qiraj alarm sounded, he ordered Cenarion Hold sealed and then learned Istarria was safe in a storage room.

• Druids at Cenarion Hold detected the Qiraji gathering and sensed C'Thun's influence growing stronger.
• Fandral Staghelm discovered Istarria was missing and rushed into the desert to search for her.
• The Scarab Wall shook, dust rose in the distance, and the hold's alarm bells rang as the Qiraji attacked.
• Fandral ordered a warning sent to Malfurion and Tyrande and commanded the gates closed to everyone.
• A sentry reported that Istarria was hiding safely in a storage room, and Fandral entrusted her home to the sentry while he returned to his duties.

After the Orcs’ losses to Night Elf harassment, Thrall used the An'qiraj crisis to propose a ceasefire in Ashenvale and a joint expedition to Silithus. Tyrande remained wary of the Orcs’ motives and decided to consult Theramore and the Alliance before responding.

• Saurfang returned from Theramore and learned that Night Elf attacks had made the Orc chieftains reluctant to send their warriors out.
• Thrall described the Orcs’ losses and announced a rotating schedule for gathering supplies, then agreed to send Dranosh to Outland as Regar Earthfury’s deputy.
• A messenger delivered an Alliance report about the threat in An'qiraj, prompting Thrall to declare an immediate Horde ceasefire in Ashenvale and offer elite troops for a joint expedition.
• Thrall sent Saurfang to publicize the proposal in Theramore and dispatched the declaration to the Night Elf camp.
• Tyrande doubted the Orcs’ motives but feared the danger in An'qiraj, so she decided to go to Theramore and learn the Alliance’s position while Shandris guarded the front line.

After receiving word that the Qiraji were massing beneath An'qiraj, Deren suspected C'Thun had been ordered to stir trouble and tested a new thermobaric bomb with Jaina and Ysera. The weapon devastated a simulated underground cave, leaving Ysera certain that C'Thun faced a terrible threat.

• Jaina told Deren that the Qiraji were gathering at An'qiraj and might break through The Scarab Wall.
• Deren summoned Ysera, and the three discussed whether C'Thun had received orders to emerge after a thousand years of silence.
• Jaina and Deren brought Ysera to The Barrens to witness a test of their new thermobaric bomb.
• The bomb's aerosol first suffocated the cave's test animals, then ignited in a blast that destroyed the cave and left a massive crater.
• Jaina said Theramore had enough Arcane Crystal to make bunker-busting warheads, while Ysera realized C'Thun was in for a terrible time.

Jaina, Deren, and Ysera met with Tyrande, who explained that growing insect activity in An'qiraj had prompted a call for unity and a ceasefire in Ashenvale. Deren advised Tyrande to publicly support the campaign while sending only Malfurion's followers, leaving her free to resume fighting the Orcs if they attacked first.

• After the Thermobaric Bomb test, Ysera asked Deren to teach her how to make one, and he agreed.
• A gnome assistant told Jaina that Tyrande had requested a meeting, so Jaina brought Deren and Ysera to City Hall.
• Tyrande described the threat from An'qiraj and said the Orcs had proposed joining forces against the insects and ending the Ashenvale war.
• Deren urged Tyrande to endorse the campaign and send Malfurion with his supporters, while keeping her own forces in Ashenvale.
• Deren suggested Tyrande could provoke an Orc attack and then claim justification for a defensive counterattack, and Tyrande accepted the plan and gave gifts to Deren, Jaina, and Ysera.

Deren questioned Chromie about the mysteries surrounding An'qiraj and suspected the Dragon Race was concealing a larger scheme. He planned a cautious response to the Qiraji threat while Chromie prepared to investigate the Dragon Kings’ position.

• Deren sent Ysera home, then asked Jaina, Onyxia, and Chromie to meet at his house to discuss An'qiraj.
• Deren pointed out inconsistencies in the War of the Shifting Sands, including the Dragon Kings’ absence, the Qiraji nests beyond The Scarab Wall, and the insects’ food supply.
• Deren and Jaina suspected that the Dragon Race’s actions and the timing of the An'qiraj crisis had been manipulated by a greater power.
• Deren proposed sending a mixed Alliance force to support the Orcs at An'qiraj, prioritizing escape plans for Space Mages and preparing a Thermobaric Bomb as a backup.
• Deren advised Chromie to test the Dragon Kings’ intentions before seeking the Scepter of the Shifting Sands, and Chromie decided to visit Alexstrasza at Wyrmrest Temple.

Alexstrasza cared for the dragon eggs at Wyrmrest Temple and welcomed Chromie with a delivery of dividends. After Chromie raised the An'qiraj crisis, Alexstrasza urged Theramore to unite the Alliance and Horde, then seemed to recover from a strange, altered state.

• Alexstrasza used Life Energy to punish Ragnaros's black dragon egg, then inspected the other eggs.
• Chromie brought dividends to Wyrmrest Temple, delighting the dragon hatchlings and Alexstrasza.
• Chromie told Alexstrasza that the An'qiraj insects were close to breaking free and that Theramore feared the Orcs might sabotage a joint response.
• Alexstrasza urged Chromie to tell Jaina to pursue reconciliation with the Orcs and suggested Thrall write to her.
• Chromie questioned Alexstrasza's sudden concern for mortal alliances, and Alexstrasza later appeared to return to herself before Chromie left.