Chapter Summaries

Rhode warned Weldon and Illucia to govern their home responsibly, then left them to face the consequences of their ancestors’ actions. Meanwhile, Blackmoore prepared to march on Caer Darrow, but an unidentified cavalry force attacked his camp at night.

• Rhode frightened Weldon by revealing the evil in the family cellar, then promised to spare him if he stayed good.
• Rhode told Illucia to help Weldon manage the place properly and left with his soldiers.
• Blackmoore told Colonel Scarlet that the Syndicate had agreed to help him conquer Lordaeron in exchange for support reclaiming Alterac.
• Blackmoore planned to set out for Caer Darrow in the morning to deal with Rhode.
• A large force of cavalry approached Blackmoore’s camp at night, and he ordered his troops to prepare for battle.

Blackmoore’s camp was repeatedly disturbed by enemy cavalry that appeared and vanished in the darkness without attacking. He kept his exhausted soldiers on alert as the raiders continued their hourly harassment.

• Blackmoore sent scouts to search after the first apparent cavalry approach, but they found no enemies nearby.
• More than a thousand enemy cavalry appeared north of the camp with torches, then extinguished them and disappeared before Blackmoore could understand their movements.
• Blackmoore ordered his soldiers to take turns standing guard, with him and Colonel Scarlet leading separate watches.
• Enemy cavalry repeatedly approached from different directions, then fled whenever they found Blackmoore’s troops ready in formation.
• Blackmoore ordered his soldiers to prepare for battle each time the raiders returned, refusing to let down their guard.

Rhode launched a surprise attack on Blackmoore’s exhausted camp before dawn, turning the battle into a rout. Blackmoore escaped with the surviving troops and retreated toward Durnholde Keep, relying on a final trump card there.

• Blackmoore’s soldiers and Colonel Scarlet’s guards repeatedly woke for false alarms until exhaustion left nearly the whole camp asleep.
• Rhode led his cavalry, ogres, infantry, Musket Corps, and mages in a sudden charge before dawn, and Colonel Scarlet was killed as he tried to sound the alarm.
• Rhode’s forces overwhelmed the disorganized camp, while Lilia fought on the battlefield and Sally healed the wounded.
• Rhode used Fireballs to protect Sally and kill enemy soldiers, further breaking Blackmoore’s army’s morale.
• Blackmoore saw the massacre, gathered the surviving troops, and fled toward Durnholde Keep, where he hoped to regroup and use his final trump card.

Rhode defeated Durnholde Keep’s army with a feigned-troop strategy, then set out to pursue Blackmoore. Blackmoore returned to Durnholde Keep only to find the gates shut and Orcs appearing on the battlements.

• Rhode announced that Blackmoore had fled, breaking the defenders’ morale and prompting most of Durnholde Keep’s soldiers to surrender.
• Rhode’s forces finished the battle, taking five hundred prisoners while suffering only a few losses.
• Rhode explained his feigned-troop strategy to Lilia and ordered Colonel Drake to rest, regroup, and pursue Blackmoore toward Durnholde Keep.
• Blackmoore led his defeated remnants back to Durnholde Keep, where they found the gates closed and the walls unguarded.
• Blackmoore heard a horn and saw Orcs appear on the battlements.

Blackmoore discovered that Thrall, Taretha, Rhode, and Major Drake had joined forces against him, so he invoked Mak'gora to avoid fighting on two fronts. Thrall accepted the duel, and after the ritual began, he charged Blackmoore with his axe.

• Blackmoore confronted Thrall and Taretha on the wall and realized Thrall had betrayed him.
• Blackmoore saw Rhode and Major Drake's army outside Durnholde and understood they had allied with Thrall.
• Blackmoore challenged Thrall to Mak'gora, and Thrall accepted despite Rhode's objection.
• Thrall ordered the gate opened and told the orcs not to attack Blackmoore's soldiers.
• Thrall and Blackmoore cast their standards down, and the orcs chanted Mak'gora as Blackmoore drew his sword.
• Thrall charged at Blackmoore with his battle-axe.

Thrall defeated Blackmoore in Mak'gora and declared himself free to lead the orcs, while Rhode secured the surrender of Blackmoore's soldiers. The battle ended with the orcs cheering Thrall, and Lilia teased Taretha about Rhode's feelings for her.

• Thrall rejected Blackmoore's offer to join forces and drove him back with a furious assault.
• Blackmoore tried to stab Thrall with a hidden dagger, but Thrall dodged and struck him down with his Greataxe.
• Blackmoore told Thrall that he had raised him and was proud of him before dying.
• Taretha comforted Thrall as he recognized that Blackmoore had shaped his life, and the orcs cheered Thrall as their future leader.
• Rhode asked Blackmoore's soldiers to surrender, and they laid down their weapons.
• Drake escorted the surrendered soldiers through the gate, and Lilia greeted Thrall before telling Taretha that Rhode liked her.

Rhode told Thrall about the Frostwolf Clan and urged him to seek out Drek'Thar, then asked him to work toward peace between the Alliance and the Horde. Thrall agreed to avoid war unless the Alliance attacked first, and Rhode suggested Kalimdor as a future home for the orcs.

• Sally mistakenly believed Taretha was the woman Rhode liked, until Rhode clarified that Taretha was Thrall's wife.
• Rhode told Thrall that the Frostwolf Clan lived in the Alterac Mountains under Drek'Thar, and Thrall resolved to find his father's clan.
• Rhode asked Thrall to pursue peace with the Alliance and warned him about the Lich King, Kel'Thuzad, and the Cult of the Damned.
• Thrall agreed to avoid fighting the Alliance unless it started a war, while Rhode promised to try to mediate disputes.
• Thrall questioned what the orcs should do if Lordaeron could no longer meet their needs, and Rhode advised him to settle in Kalimdor.

After uncovering proof of Blackmoore’s rebellion and Kel’Thuzad’s Cult of the Damned, Rhode prepared to report the cult to Dalaran. Audric returned with the evidence and set out to contact the Council of Six, while Rhode wondered whether he had met Chen Stormstout.

• Rhode sent Major Drake to Lordaeron City with evidence of Blackmoore’s rebellion and left Katel to handle the remaining rebels.
• Rhode prepared to travel to Dalaran with evidence from Scholomance and planned to leave Lilia behind to train with Thrall.
• Audric returned to Durnholde Keep and told Rhode he had met the pandaren Chen Stormstout while searching for rumors of the Cult of the Damned.
• Rhode explained his attack on Caer Darrow and gave Audric documents proving Kel’Thuzad had founded the cult and planned to unleash a plague.
• Audric agreed to take the evidence to Dalaran and contact Council Leader Antonidas, while Rhode asked whether Chen had said, “My treat next time!”

Rhode was ambushed in the woods by a rogue seeking the bounty on his life, but escaped his restraints and struck back. The rogue fled, and Rhode collapsed after taking a few steps, leaving his condition uncertain.

• Rhode went to the woods outside Durnholde to inspect a lake as a possible home for the Murlocs he had promised to bring for Lilia.
• A masked rogue garroted Rhode, silenced him, tied him up, and demanded his valuables before killing him.
• Rhode used Mage Hand to remove the gag, struck the rogue with a powerful blow, and followed with a Fireball.
• The rogue used Cloak of Shadows to withstand the Fireball, then fled into the woods with Sprint and Vanish.
• Rhode freed himself, summoned a Combat Arcane Golem, and sent a Reconnaissance Robot Type 007 to search for the rogue.
• Rhode started back, spat blood, and lost consciousness.

After surviving an assassination attempt, Rhode traced the hired rogue to Ravenholdt Manor and brought Lilia to investigate. They passed the manor’s hidden trial and arrived at its entrance, where two female assassins confronted them.

• Rhode woke in the Magic Tower after Sally healed him and decided to investigate the rogue who had tried to kill him.
• Rhode suspected the attack was connected to Blackmoore and chose to seek clues at Ravenholdt Manor.
• Rhode and Lilia crossed the river near Tarren Mill and followed a dangerous mountain trail to a hidden cave.
• Rhode stopped Lilia from taking the chest of treasure, warning her it was a trap and a test for would-be assassins.
• Rhode and Lilia squeezed through a crevice and emerged before Ravenholdt Manor, where two female assassins awaited them.

Rhode and Lilia registered at Ravenholdt Manor as Initiate Assassins, using false names and forming the team called the Peerless Pair. After receiving matching blue masks, they learned the assassin ranks, mission process, and strict rules they would have to follow.

• A veiled registrar led Rhode and Lilia into Ravenholdt Manor to register as assassins.
• Rhode registered under the name Alien Ronaldo and gave Lilia the false name Macy.
• Rhode and Lilia formed an assassin team called the Peerless Pair and became Initiate Assassins.
• They chose matching blue masks after learning that assassins had to conceal their identities.
• The registrar explained the ranks, missions, and rules of Ravenholdt Manor, including the ban on leaving or betraying the organization.

Rhode learned about Ravenholdt Manor’s structure and its feud with the Syndicate, then sought a mission that would quickly advance his rank. He accepted a difficult bounty to kill the black bear Samras and left Lilia at the manor, where she ordered tea.

• Rhode explained to Lilia that he would tell her about Ravenholdt Manor’s mission to kill the Syndicate after they returned.
• Rhode considered the Syndicate’s history and decided Ravenholdt Manor remained the likelier source of the attempt on his life.
• The registrar told Rhode that apprentices needed about ten missions to become full-fledged assassins, but offered a difficult bounty on Samras as a shortcut.
• Rhode accepted the Samras mission despite other apprentices’ warnings and told Lilia to stay behind.
• Rhode left the manor to hunt Samras, while Lilia asked the registrar for hot chrysanthemum tea.

Lilia accidentally unleashed a powerful Whirlwind while practicing, and Rhode stopped it from injuring an apprentice assassin. Rhode returned with Black Bear Samras’s head, earning him and Lilia promotion to Novice Assassins as they prepared to head upstairs for harder quests.

• Lilia practiced swordplay and unleashed an uncontrolled Whirlwind that sliced through wooden chairs and flew toward an apprentice assassin.
• Rhode used Mage Hand to block the Whirlwind and prevent the assassin from being injured.
• Rhode presented Black Bear Samras’s head, and the registrar confirmed he had completed the bounty quest.
• The registrar promoted Rhode and Lilia to Novice Assassins, gave them copper nameplates, and awarded seven gold coins.
• Rhode and Lilia set off for the upper floor, but Lilia returned to finish her still-warm chrysanthemum tea.

Rhode and Lilia visited Ravenholdt Manor’s mission board, but Rhode found no bounty listed for himself. He recognized the assassin who had attacked him and overheard him arranging a lucrative private contract with Fang of the Uncrowned.

• Rhode and Lilia examined the bounty board, where Duke Falconcrest’s assassination was the sole five-star mission, but Rhode did not find his name among the targets.
• Rhode recognized a human assassin with a swollen forehead as the man who had tried to kill him, then sent a Reconnaissance Robot Type 007 to listen in.
• The human assassin, Shadow Stealth Stalker, met with the young Troll Fang of the Uncrowned and admitted that a private contract had nearly gone wrong.
• Shadow Stealth Stalker offered Fang of the Uncrowned half of a five-hundred-gold payment to help complete the contract.

Rhode confronted Shadow Stealth Stalker and the Fang of the Uncrowned over their private contract to kill him, then offered to keep their rule-breaking secret in exchange for the identity of the person who hired them. Shadow Stealth Stalker denied everything, but Rhode revealed that his robot had recorded the contract negotiation and threatened to play it for their colleagues.

• Rhode and Lilia approached Shadow Stealth Stalker and the Fang of the Uncrowned as they discussed a private assassination contract.
• Rhode revealed that he was the contract's target and reminded Shadow Stealth Stalker that they had fought before.
• Rhode proposed keeping the contract secret from the organization if Shadow Stealth Stalker told him who had hired him.
• The Fang of the Uncrowned tried to leave, but Rhode, Shadow Stealth Stalker, and Lilia ordered him to sit back down.
• Shadow Stealth Stalker denied taking a private contract, so Rhode produced a reconnaissance robot and repeated the details of the five-hundred-gold bounty.
• Rhode warned that the robot had recorded the conversation and could play it back to their colleagues.

Rhode pressured the Shadow Stealth Stalker into admitting that an anonymous employer had hired him, then recruited him and the Fang of the Uncrowned to investigate the employer. The assassins agreed to investigate for a share of at least two hundred gold coins, and Rhode returned to Durnholde Keep to await news.

• Rhode intimidated the Shadow Stealth Stalker with a claim that the reconnaissance robot had recorded their conversation, and the assassin agreed to make a deal.
• The Shadow Stealth Stalker said he did not know the employer's identity, while the Fang of the Uncrowned confirmed that employers often hid their identities.
• Rhode realized the Fang of the Uncrowned had taken private jobs too and proposed that both assassins investigate the employer in exchange for not reporting them and for payment.
• The Fang of the Uncrowned and the Shadow Stealth Stalker agreed to investigate for at least two hundred gold coins, though they warned it would take time to contact the employer.
• Rhode and Lilia left for Durnholde Keep, where Rhode told the assassins to bring him any news and accused the Shadow Stealth Stalker of violating the organization's third rule.

Rhode told Lilia he planned to write a novel about their story and discussed publishing and bonus updates with her on the way to Durnholde Keep. The chapter ended with excerpts from two bestselling romance novels and the author's note about the paid release.

• Lilia asked Rhode what he was reading, and he explained that he was studying a romance novel as a reference for writing their story.
• Rhode said Durnholde Magazine had agreed to publish his novel and discussed his limited time for updates.
• Lilia questioned Rhode about tip-based bonus updates and persuaded him to offer extra updates for Monthly Tickets and Recommendation Tickets.
• Rhode and Lilia argued about whether Mage Hand could help him write faster.
• The chapter presented excerpts from two bestselling novels featuring Marcus before the author announced the paid release.

Rhode searched for ways to defend himself from rogues and developed a visible suit of ice armor by modifying the Ice Armor spell. The chapter ended when a commotion broke out in the Magic Tower's plaza.

• Two mages returned to the Magic Tower and followed Rhode's instructions, helping Sally with her work.
• Rhode kept Hearthglen in the tower so he could later testify against Kel'Thuzad.
• Unable to find anti-stealth spells, Rhode decided to learn Ice Armor and Mana Shield to improve his defenses.
• Rhode used spell models to create a visible ice suit with armor plates and decorative ice flowers on its shoulders.
• A noise and hubbub from the Magic Tower's plaza interrupted Rhode, Sally, and Lilia.

Antonidas visited Rhode and asked him to travel to Dalaran to explain the intelligence about Kel'Thuzad to the Council of Six. After learning Kel'Thuzad had fled and Antonidas had sent people to capture his apprentice, Rhode eagerly prepared to go with him.

• Rhode saw Antonidas arrive at the Magic Tower and greet him on the eighth floor.
• Antonidas praised Rhode's distinctive spellwork and asked him to accompany him to Dalaran to brief the Council of Six.
• Antonidas told Rhode that Kel'Thuzad had fled after receiving Audric's message.
• Rhode suggested bringing Kel'Thuzad's apprentice, Hearthglen, as a witness, but Antonidas said he had already sent people to retrieve him.
• Rhode left Sally and Lilia a note, then told Antonidas he was ready to go.

Antonidas took Rhode through a smooth portal to Dalaran, where Rhode arrived at the Kirin Tor hall to meet the Council of Six. The chapter left Rhode facing five council members, including Krasus and Kael'thas.

• Antonidas cast a large-scale portal spell, and Rhode studied its complex spatial magic before stepping through.
• Rhode arrived in Dalaran without suffering teleportation sickness, and Antonidas soon joined him.
• Antonidas led Rhode through Dalaran's streets to the hall of the Kirin Tor council.
• Antonidas introduced Rhode to Drenden, Modera, Krasus, and Kael'thas, the four Council of Six members waiting there.