Chapter Summaries

Rhode used the Blue Melancholy to wipe out a Syndicate force and decided to draw the enemy away from Alterac Castle so Oto would not detonate the bombs there. He summoned his scattered allies with a signal as Syndicate troops converged on his position, leaving a major battle about to begin.

• Rhode brought out the Blue Melancholy and used it to kill the Syndicate leader and defeat the enemy force.
• Rhode ordered his group to stay and fight after realizing that drawing the Syndicate troops west could prevent a battle at the Castle and discourage Oto from detonating the bombs.
• Rhode launched fireballs into the sky as a signal for his scattered allies to gather at his position.
• Rhode's Musket Users from the south arrived while Syndicate troops from Alterac Castle approached through the woods.

Rhode tried to persuade the Syndicate soldiers to surrender by warning them that Oto had planted explosives in Alterac Castle, but the Castle erupted in a nuclear-scale blast. Rhode shielded both his allies and the Syndicate soldiers from the shock wave, and the chapter ended with the survivors cheering as he resolved to find Oto.

• Rhode called on the Syndicate soldiers to surrender and warned them that Oto planned to detonate explosives in Alterac Castle.
• A massive explosion destroyed Alterac Castle and sent a shock wave toward the assembled groups.
• Rhode ordered everyone behind the Blue Melancholy and raised a magical barrier, while Audric and other mages helped reinforce it.
• The shock wave struck the barrier and swept through the surrounding woods, but Rhode held it long enough for the people behind it to survive.
• The survivors cheered Rhode, who realized the blast came from a Fel Bomb and resolved to find Oto.

Rhode confronted Oto and Nagaz after the Fel Bomb explosions, then watched Nagaz reveal himself as a warlock and escape with a summoned imp. Oto blocked Audric’s Fireball and challenged Rhode, leaving the two poised to fight.

• Rhode led his group to the Secret Base and surrounded Oto, Nagaz, and the Syndicate members who emerged.
• Nagaz summoned an imp and attacked a soldier with Shadow Bolt, then ordered the imp to blast a gap in the encirclement.
• Audric cast a Fireball at Nagaz, but Oto cut it in half with his blades.
• Nagaz escaped toward the woods with the imp while Rhode rode forward to face Oto.

Rhode fought Oto with Blue Melancholy, but Oto attacked Rhode’s soldiers and jammed the mech’s arms. Oto’s strike against the cockpit triggered a Goblin Bomb, leaving him burned and accusing Rhode of being an improper mage.

• Rhode used Blue Melancholy to block Oto’s twin blades and believed the mech could outlast him in a direct fight.
• Oto charged Rhode’s troops, deflected their arrows and bullets, and cut down soldiers until Lilia, Kienlo, and Sally intervened.
• Oto retreated from the group and attacked Blue Melancholy again after jamming its arm joints, preventing Rhode from raising its weapons.
• A Goblin Bomb attached to the cockpit exploded when Oto struck it, burning him while Rhode remained unharmed.
• Oto survived the blast, glared at Rhode, and called him a despicable, improper mage for putting a Goblin Bomb on the Magic Mech.

Rhode fought Oto with Blue Melancholy, using its weapons and spells until Oto multiplied into eight attackers and surrounded the mech. Rhode escaped and warned the crowd before Blue Melancholy exploded, killing the Otos and devastating their forces as Oto's side surrendered.

• Rhode explained that he had used a concealed Goblin firework to protect Blue Melancholy, then Oto revealed that he had damaged the mech's arm joint with a dart.
• Oto attacked with his twin blades, but Rhode used the mech's Power Wheels to dodge and struck Oto with fireballs.
• Oto used Shadow Clones to survive Rhode's large fireball, then surrounded Blue Melancholy with seven copies and attacked.
• Rhode ejected from the mech, blinked to the crowd, and cast Flame Protective Wards while warning everyone to get down.
• Blue Melancholy exploded, destroying the Otos and engulfing Oto's soldiers in flames, and Oto's side surrendered.

After Rhode defeated Oto by detonating Blue Melancholy, the Syndicate abandoned Strahnbrad and Rhode secured Alterac. He encouraged displaced residents to return and farm, while embellished tales of his battle spread across the region.

• Rhode sent Audric to scout Strahnbrad and search for traces of the Orc Warlock, then returned to camp with his forces.
• Audric reported that the Syndicate had withdrawn from Strahnbrad, leaving Alterac under Rhode's control.
• Rhode issued decrees offering free farmland around Strahnbrad, and displaced residents began returning north with their families and seeds.
• Stories of Rhode's battle with Oto grew wildly exaggerated, and Rhode chose not to correct them.

Rhode retold the girls how he escaped Oto’s copies and defeated him with a Mech self-destruct, embellishing the story until they interrupted him with questions. Fang of the Uncrowned arrived with a new mission, revealed his real name as Hakkar, and told Rhode that the target was Prince Arthas.

• Rhode entertained Lilia, Kienlo, and Sally by recounting how he used an Ejection Seat and Blink to escape Oto’s attacks before detonating the Mech.
• Rhode explained that his shouted “D.Va loves you!” was not the detonation trigger but a postmodern condemnation of Oto and the Syndicate.
• Fang of the Uncrowned arrived from Ravenholdt Manor with a new mission and asked to discuss it privately.
• Rhode challenged Fang of the Uncrowned over his disregard for Ravenholdt Manor’s rules, and the troll disclosed that his real name was Hakkar.
• Hakkar told Rhode that the mission was to protect Prince Arthas of Lordaeron.

Rhode learned that the Syndicate planned to assassinate Arthas and his sister Calia while posing as Ravenholdt Manor, so he and Lilia agreed to join the protection mission. They set out for the rendezvous point where Ravenholdt assassins would ambush the Syndicate before it reached Arthas.

• Hakan told Rhode that Arthas and Calia were traveling toward Tarren Mill and that the Syndicate planned to kill them in Ravenholdt Manor's name.
• Rhode agreed with Lilia to take the mission, partly to protect Calia and Arthas and partly to impress Duke Jorach Ravenholdt as a possible teacher for Lilia.
• Rhode learned that Sally and Kienlo could not join because the mission was an internal Assassins Alliance matter.
• Hakan pointed out the rendezvous point on a map, where Ravenholdt assassins would gather to intercept the Syndicate before it reached Arthas.
• Rhode and Lilia set out for the ambush site as the Peerless Pair.

Rhode and Lilia joined the Ravenholdt ambush camp near Tarren Mill, where Darkforge Stinger assigned the novice assassin pair to cover a hill because Rhode was a Mage. They met Windstrike and the other ranged attackers, who doubted their usefulness as they waited for the Syndicate to arrive.

• Rhode, Lilia, and Hakan reached the forest camp and showed their Ravenholdt nameplates after a warning arrow landed before them.
• Darkforge Stinger assigned Rhode and Lilia to the southern hill after learning Rhode was a Mage, while Hakan went to another tent.
• Rhode told Darkforge Stinger that he and Lilia were Novice Assassins, then bribed him to let them join the ambush.
• Rhode and Lilia climbed the hill and met Windstrike and the other ranged attackers.
• Windstrike criticized Darkforge Stinger for sending novices and told Rhode and Lilia to pick off any enemies who got past the Senior Assassins.

Rhode and Lilia waited with the assassins for the Syndicate to approach, passing the time with questions while Rhode explained his interest in Blizzard. When the attack began, Rhode used fireballs to help repel the Syndicate and protect the hill.

• Rhode and Lilia passed the time on the hill, and Rhode explained Multi-Shot and why he wanted to learn Blizzard.
• Windstrike warned the assassins that enemies were approaching along the riverbed.
• The ranged attackers ambushed the Syndicate, killing about twenty, while the remaining fighters charged toward the hill.
• When Syndicate fighters attacked the flank, Rhode struck them with a series of fireballs.
• Rhode helped the assassins defend the front, and the battle ended quickly.

Ravenholdt Manor's assassins endured successive Syndicate attacks through the night, but the Syndicate's mages and coordinated defenses turned the latest assault into a deadly battle. Rhode rescued Windstrike from a magical bombardment, though both hilltop positions were destroyed.

• Ravenholdt Manor repelled the Syndicate's first three waves, but exhaustion and mounting casualties prevented the assassins from stopping their enemies from escaping.
• At dawn, Darkforge Stinger ordered the exhausted assassins back to their positions when another Syndicate force approached.
• The Syndicate's warriors and rogues attacked the hill while its mages unleashed spells and heavy crossbow fire, forcing Darkforge Stinger to send Ravenholdt rogues after the spellcasters.
• Syndicate rogues ambushed and killed the Ravenholdt rogues near the mages, while the mages' bombardment devastated the assassins' ranks.
• Rhode used Mage Hand to carry Lilia down the hill and then caught Windstrike after an explosion blasted him away, but the bombardment destroyed both elevated positions and killed the bowmen and crossbowmen there.

Rhode cast Blizzard over the Syndicate mages and rogues, killing many and trapping the mages behind a deadly wall of ice. As Syndicate assassins closed in on Rhode, Lilia, and Windstrike, Rhode ended the spell and left the trapped mages to the Ravenholdt Assassins.

• Duke Jorach Ravenholdt sent four master-level assassins toward the battle, then stopped them when Rhode's Blizzard began turning the tide.
• Rhode's Blizzard struck the Syndicate rogues and forced the mages to defend themselves with mana-consuming shields.
• Windstrike covered Rhode with arrows while Lilia watched beside him, and Darkforge Stinger led Ravenholdt's assassins toward the trapped mages.
• An intermediate assassin tested the edge of the Blizzard with his sword, and Darkforge Stinger pulled him back before an ice shard snapped the blade and froze it to the ground.
• As Syndicate assassins climbed toward Rhode, Lilia, and Windstrike, Rhode dismissed Blizzard so he could fight them.

Rhode’s spellcasting was disrupted by a hidden Shadow Mage, leaving Lilia to face Baldy on the hillside. Windbreaking Dust intervened just as Baldy’s hammer nearly struck Lilia, and the fight continued.

• Rhode’s fireballs stopped the Syndicate’s advance until a hidden Shadow Mage disrupted his spellcasting.
• Baldy charged Rhode, but Windstrike’s arrows failed to stop him, and Baldy struck Windstrike down.
• Lilia blocked Baldy’s hammer and dodged his next attack with her Monk’s Roll.
• Lilia wounded Baldy with Mira’s Song, then evaded his counterattack.
• Baldy swept his hammer at Lilia’s back, but Windbreaking Dust shot the hammerhead and knocked it off course.

Rhode and Lilia helped Ravenholdt Manor defeat the Syndicate by killing their leader and scattering their forces. After the battle, Duke Jorach summoned them to his tent.

• Lilia interrupted the shadow mage's spellcasting, allowing Rhode to use his magic again and catch the unconscious Windstrike.
• Rhode killed Mediterranean with a conjured spear that turned around and struck him from behind.
• Lilia killed the shadow mage, and Rhode joined Ravenholdt Manor's forces in driving the Syndicate into a rout.
• Darkforge Stinger sent rescuers to retrieve Windstrike and acknowledged Rhode and Lilia's contribution.
• Four men in black summoned Rhode and Lilia to meet Duke Jorach, and they followed them into a tent.

Duke Jorach promoted Rhode and Lilia to Master Assassins after their victory over the Syndicate, then offered them an additional reward. Rhode asked Jorach to teach Lilia rogue combat techniques, and Jorach agreed to test her first.

• Duke Jorach praised Rhode and Lilia for stopping the Syndicate and promoted them to Master Assassins, giving each a gold nameplate.
• Jorach explained that their promotion also reflected the need to develop talented fighters across different classes to face the Syndicate.
• Rhode turned down gold, weapons, and armor, asking instead for instruction in combat techniques.
• Jorach mistakenly thought Rhode wanted to challenge him, but Rhode clarified that he wanted Jorach to teach Lilia.
• Lilia told Jorach she had learned magic, warrior skills, and monk skills, and Jorach proposed a test to assess her before teaching her.

Lilia sparred with Duke Jorach, who discovered that she had advanced swordsmanship despite training for only a few months. Impressed by how quickly she learned his techniques, Jorach agreed to teach her, though they paused to rest after fighting all night.

• Jorach tested Lilia's swordsmanship and effortlessly parried her attacks while offering advice.
• Rhode told Jorach that Lilia had trained for only seven or eight months and was about eight or nine years old.
• Jorach demonstrated Rogue sword techniques, and Lilia quickly copied the moves after watching them once.
• Jorach prepared to teach Lilia Dual Wielding, but Rhode reminded him that she needed a rest.
• Jorach agreed to teach Lilia swordsmanship and said they would continue after a break.

Rhode and Lilia returned to Westpoint Tower, where Rhode spotted Calia and Arthas confronting Baturo over a cloak he had falsely sold as yeti hide. Baturo admitted he had used lion hides instead, leaving Rhode to deal with the dispute before he could take Lilia for ramen.

• Rhode and Lilia returned to Westpoint Tower after spending two days at the camp, where Lilia had learned rogue skills from Duke Jorach and received a book to study.
• Rhode invited Lilia to try ramen at Cheng's Ramen, a noodle shop opened by Chengbo Stormstout.
• Rhode noticed a crowd gathered around Calia, Arthas, and Baturo, and led Lilia over to find out what was happening.
• Arthas accused Baturo of passing off a shoddy cloak as a Yeti Hide Cloak, and Calia said it did not resemble the genuine cloak she had seen before.
• Baturo admitted he had made the cloaks from lion hides instead of yeti hides.

Rhode settled Baturo’s counterfeit-cloak fraud locally so Arthas and Calia could keep their secret, then invited them to eat ramen. His demonstration of how to eat noodles made Calia laugh so hard that a noodle shot from her nostril.

• Rhode made Baturo apologize to Arthas and Calia, relabel his cloak as mountain lion pelt, and confess to the mayor.
• Arthas stopped Rhode from reporting the incident to Lordaeron, and Rhode let Baturo go to the mayor’s office.
• Arthas stayed behind while Rhode took Calia and Lilia to Cheng’s Ramen.
• Rhode and Lilia ate noisily while Calia took small bites, prompting Rhode to demonstrate his way of eating noodles.
• Calia laughed at Rhode’s demonstration and choked, sending a noodle out of her left nostril.

Calia embarrassed herself in Cheng's Ramen, where Rhode helped her after she tripped and Chengbo treated her ankle. Arthas then sensed a demonic presence near the Musket Corps, and Rhode agreed to investigate with him while Lilia stayed with Calia.

• Calia shot noodles from her nose, then tripped at the shop entrance, and Rhode caught her before she fell.
• Chengbo examined Calia's ankle and applied herbal ointment, while Lilia mimicked Calia by hanging noodles from her nose.
• Arthas entered the shop and told Rhode he had sensed a demonic presence near a squad of Musket Users.
• Rhode agreed to investigate the Musket Corps with Arthas and asked Lilia to stay with Calia.

Rhode and Arthas exposed Karaba as the dreadlord Mal'Ganis, who revealed himself before the Musket Corps. Rhode tried to attack, but Mal'Ganis escaped, leaving Rhode to face the consequences of their unexpected meeting.

• Arthas used a spell to expose Karaba as a dreadlord, alarming the Musket Corps.
• Rhode and the musket users prepared to fight as Arthas confronted the demon.
• The dreadlord identified himself as Mal'Ganis and threatened to enslave them.
• Rhode recognized Mal'Ganis as the demon who would corrupt Arthas and began casting Fireball.
• Mal'Ganis sensed the danger, used fel magic, and vanished.