Something happened in Lordaeron that caught everyone completely off guard...
In just one short month, the situation had changed dramatically. The Alliance of Lordaeron had finally gained some breathing room and begun to counterattack, gradually restricting the Scourge's freedom of movement. Now, however, they had been driven back into Lordaeron City once again, and defeat seemed imminent—a crushing defeat that would destroy their kingdom and people, leaving them no chance to recover.
It was truly beyond anyone's expectations. It seemed almost impossible, but there was no denying it: that was the situation now!
Now, across the entire continent of Lordaeron, only a few small outposts in the Eastern and Western Plaguelands—places like Hearthglen, Darrowshire, and Tyr's Hand—were still desperately resisting the undead pouring out of Stratholme, struggling to survive beneath their tidal waves of attacks. Beyond those, only Dalaran and Lordaeron remained: two cities on opposite shores of Lake Lordamere.
Everywhere else had either fallen or was partly occupied, including Arathi Highlands and Wetlands, across Thandol Span. The only exceptions were Quel'Thalas in the north, still holding the elven gates and watching from the sidelines, and the Hinterlands to the east, where the mountains were high, the undead far away, and the population sparse. The Scourge had yet to turn its attention to those places.
In other words, almost half of the Eastern Kingdoms had fallen into the hands of the Scourge.
And it all began with an incident a month ago...
At the time, in a calm stretch of sea between Southshore and Dun Morogh, King Varian Wrynn of the Kingdom of Stormwind had set out from Stormwind City with nearly ten thousand of his soldiers, intending to sail north and reinforce Lordaeron. His fleet—almost thirty great ships carrying what could be called the Kingdom of Stormwind's finest troops—was