Chapter Summaries

Yu Lin Bloodhawk persuaded Mez'dra to send Wildhammer troops against the Orcs and proposed focusing on capturing or destroying their supplies. After considering the Orc supply routes, they suspected the Durnholde region might contain a supply depot.

• Yu Lin Bloodhawk and Mez'dra agreed that Wildhammer Dwarves would join the war, then celebrated their alliance with a drinking contest.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk argued that the campaign should prioritize plunder and that capturing Orc provisions would cripple their supply lines.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk ordered more Gryphon Riders to scout the Durnholde region and asked for Lieutenant Blair's intelligence on the Orcs there.
• Mez'dra proposed scouting Arathi to track convoys bound for the Orc fronts around Southshore, Tarren Mill, and Alterac Valley.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk and Mez'dra considered whether the Orcs had established a supply depot in Durnholde to support their forces north of the river.

Yu Lin Bloodhawk and Mez'dra argued drunkenly over where the Horde's supply depot might be, but neither remembered the discussion the next morning. The two old friends recovered from their hangovers, leaving their depot investigation without a conclusion.

• Yu Lin Bloodhawk theorized that the Horde stored supplies in a depot in the Durnholde region south of the great river, and Mez'dra debated possible locations with him.
• Mez'dra and Yu Lin Bloodhawk studied a map while drinking, but they could not agree on a location and eventually passed out.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk and Mez'dra woke with hangovers and asked for honey water to recover.
• Mez'dra gulped down his honey water without letting it cool, while Yu Lin Bloodhawk drank his slowly.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk asked Mez'dra what they had discussed, and Mez'dra said he had forgotten everything.

Yu Lin Bloodhawk and Mez'dra woke up hungover after a night of drinking and recalled arguing over a map of Hillsbrad. They rallied their men to clean up and prepare breakfast before getting back to work, and Mez'dra returned with two jars of aged liquor.

• A Gryphon Rider Bodyguard reminded Yu Lin Bloodhawk and Mez'dra that they had taken out the Hillsbrad map to argue about orc supply depots.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk credited Lieutenant Blair and the resistance forces in Durnholde for allowing them to drink without worrying about a war.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk explained that hair of the dog meant drinking more to ease a hangover, and Mez'dra reluctantly agreed to have a little liquor.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk told the men to drink honey water, clean the room, and prepare dishes for breakfast, despite their groans about drinking again.
• Mez'dra returned carrying two jars of fine aged liquor, while Yu Lin Bloodhawk nearly finished cooking.

Yu Lin Bloodhawk and Mez'dra prepared breakfast and wine for their guests, but Mez'dra's uncle arrived demanding the wine he had taken. Mez'dra finally opened the door, where his uncle greeted him with threats and a walking stick.

• Mez'dra admitted he had taken two enormous jars of his uncle's wine and helped Yu Lin Bloodhawk bring out the food.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk worried that Mez'dra's uncle would discover the missing wine, and the uncle soon shouted for Mez'dra outside the door.
• Mez'dra urged everyone to stay quiet and pretend nobody was home while his uncle pounded on the door and demanded his wine back.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk persuaded Mez'dra to open the door so the guests could eat in peace.
• Mez'dra cracked the door open, and his uncle began cursing and threatening to beat them as a walking stick appeared in the gap.

Yu Lin Bloodhawk visited Mez'dra in Aerie Peak to discuss several matters, but Mez'dra's uncle arrived and turned the gathering into a feast with his finest wine. Yu Lin Bloodhawk expected that business would have to wait as everyone drank themselves into a stupor.

• Mez'dra's uncle burst in, mistaking Yu Lin Bloodhawk and his companions for wine-stealing brats before recognizing the City Lord.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk explained that he had come from Dannis to discuss several matters with Lord Mez'dra.
• Mez'dra's uncle offered to fetch his best wine, and Mez'dra eagerly went to bring it.
• Mez'dra opened a jar of fine wine, and Yu Lin Bloodhawk realized that the group would likely spend the day drinking instead of handling business.
• Everyone drank until evening, when Mez'dra's uncle went home and sent over two more jars of wine.

After a drinking bout delayed his plans, Yu Lin Bloodhawk arranged with Mez'dra a strike against the Orcs in Durnholde followed by a withdrawal to defend Aerie Peak. The chapter left Yu Lin Bloodhawk preparing to brief the Eastern Burning Legion while Mez'dra organized reconnaissance.

• Yu Lin Bloodhawk drank with Mez'dra and his subordinates, then abandoned his attempt to visit the Eastern Burning Legion and went to sleep.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk woke the next day, made breakfast, and discussed plans with Mez'dra.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk asked Mez'dra to send Gryphon Riders to scout Orc supply movements and troop deployments in Durnholde and to consult Lieutenant Blair for intelligence.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk planned for the Hinterlands' eastern and western legions to destroy the Orcs' forces and supplies in Durnholde, then return to defend Aerie Peak.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk planned to use the Kingdom of Stormwind Restoration Corps and Lieutenant Blair's resistance forces to draw Orc troops into Durnholde, while the Hinterlands' Flying Forces attacked their supply convoys.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk prepared to brief the Eastern Burning Legion's senior commanders, while Mez'dra took responsibility for reconnaissance.

Yu Lin Bloodhawk prepared the Eastern Burning Legion in The Hinterlands for war while waiting for Lor'themar’s reply. He then set out with Mez'dra to meet Lothar in Southshore and negotiate terms for sending troops, but Mez'dra questioned what Lothar could offer.

• Yu Lin Bloodhawk abandoned the plan to scout with Mez'dra and traveled to the Eastern Burning Legion's base in The Hinterlands.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk briefed the commanders on his agreement with Mez'dra, and the officers began preparing their troops for war and requesting experienced reinforcements.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk waited a week for Lor'themar’s reply, which said Lothar would meet him in Southshore.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk chose to travel by air and persuaded Mez'dra to accompany him so they could negotiate the benefits of sending troops.
• Mez'dra doubted that Lothar could offer them anything, leaving Yu Lin Bloodhawk momentarily speechless.

Yu Lin Bloodhawk and Mez'dra flew with their Gryphon Rider Bodyguards from Aerie Peak to Southshore, scouting orc-controlled Durnholde along the way. They arrived safely after an exhausting journey, while Yu Lin reflected on the risks of Gnomish and goblin flying machines and weapons.

• Yu Lin Bloodhawk, Mez'dra, and their Gryphon Rider Bodyguards set out for Southshore and spotted three orc supply convoys in Durnholde.
• Yu Lin suggested that Gryphon Riders track the convoys, and Mez'dra said reconnaissance was already underway to assess orc strength, fortifications, and unit movements.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk and Mez'dra reached Southshore shortly after three in the afternoon with their gryphons exhausted.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk considered why the Alliance's Human Kingdoms lacked flying forces and joked to himself about the dangers of Gnomish helicopters and goblin-made equipment.

Yu Lin Bloodhawk and Mez'dra arrived at Southshore with their gryphon party and learned how their earlier actions had reduced the Alliance's available gryphon forces. They requested a meeting with Lothar, then rested while waiting for his response.

• Yu Lin Bloodhawk reflected on the goblin merchants' unusually blunt warnings about their products.
• A Wildhammer dwarf gryphon rider confirmed Yu Lin Bloodhawk's party and guided them to the gryphon camp in Southshore.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk's division of the Hinterlands' wild gryphons had left the Wildhammer Dwarves with too few mounts to supply the Human Kingdoms, while Mez'dra had recalled much of his force to Aerie Peak after Yu Lin warned him of possible orc attacks.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk, Mez'dra, and their companions landed at the camp and asked an officer to notify Lothar of their arrival.
• The party ate, settled into temporary lodgings, and went to sleep while waiting for Lothar to schedule a meeting.

Yu Lin Bloodhawk and Mez'dra prepared to meet Marshal Lothar, with Yu Lin relying on Mez'dra's standing among the Wildhammer Dwarves to strengthen his own position. After hearing reports from Wildhammer gryphon riders, they realized the Allied Army's apparent stalemate was dangerously fragile.

• Yu Lin Bloodhawk and Mez'dra learned that Marshal Lothar planned to meet them at ten the next morning.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk reflected that he had brought Mez'dra to bolster his standing with Lothar, since he could not rely on the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas for influence.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk and Mez'dra decided to stay inside the gryphon camp until it was nearly time to leave, so they would arrive at Lothar's command tent exactly on time.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk and Mez'dra questioned Wildhammer gryphon riders about the Allied Army's battlefronts.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk and Mez'dra concluded that the Allied Army's apparent stable defense was in fact precarious, with Southshore and Alterac Valley vital to stopping the orcs' northward advance.

The chapter explained why the Alliance had to hold Alterac Valley and how its defensive line had halted the orcs' northward advance despite their battlefield advantage. Yu Lin Bloodhawk blamed Gul'dan's reckless decisions and scattered forces for leaving the orcs unable to capitalize on their gains.

• The Alliance held Alterac Valley as its essential defense of Lordaeron, while Tarren Mill remained the vulnerable center of its defensive line.
• Lothar repeatedly sought Wildhammer Dwarf reinforcements from Aerie Peak to relieve pressure on Tarren Mill and keep the Alliance's front connected.
• The orcs retained the battlefield advantage, but the Alliance had achieved its strategic goal by stopping their advance northward.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk privately criticized Gul'dan for rushing ahead, scattering the orc forces across multiple campaigns, and failing to consolidate conquered territory.

Yu Lin Bloodhawk reflected on the orcs’ precarious position and Doomhammer’s plan to strike Lordaeron, while keeping his knowledge of their likely defeat to himself. He and Mez'dra met Lothar and agreed to increase their support against the orcs, after Yu Lin reminded him that the Hinterlands and Wildhammer dwarves had already contributed to the war.

• Yu Lin Bloodhawk considered how Doomhammer planned to attack Lordaeron and concluded that his foreknowledge gave the orcs little chance of avoiding defeat.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk and Mez'dra returned to Lothar's Command Tent the next day to discuss sending troops against the orcs near Durnholde.
• Lothar welcomed their decision to send troops, and Yu Lin Bloodhawk silently resented his wording for seeming to overlook the Hinterlands’ earlier contributions.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk reminded Lothar that the Wildhammer dwarves were part of the Hinterlands’ military forces.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk told Lothar that the Hinterlands would increase its support for the war.

Yu Lin Bloodhawk offered to increase the Hinterlands' support for the Alliance in exchange for payment, and Lothar asked about the conditions. Yu Lin's enormous supply figures stunned Lothar and Mez'dra, who doubted the Hinterlands could produce so much food and equipment.

• Yu Lin Bloodhawk told Lothar the Hinterlands was willing to increase its support, and Lothar asked what conditions it had.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk offered to supply food, weapons, and armor at market prices, with part of the payment deferred until an Alliance victory.
• Lothar agreed that he had authority to accept those terms, but Yu Lin Bloodhawk warned that he might not understand the scale of the planned supplies.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk recited enormous supply figures, leaving Lothar and Mez'dra astonished.
• Lothar questioned how the Hinterlands could produce so much food and equipment, while Mez'dra recalled that its grain supply had once been strained by refugees and local residents.

Mez'dra objected to Yu Lin Bloodhawk's proposed grain contribution to the Allied Army, fearing The Hinterlands would run short of food and ale. Yu Lin Bloodhawk concealed the region's mechanized farming capacity from Lothar, who remained unsure whether the promised supplies were realistic.

• Mez'dra worried that the Wildhammer Dwarves and trolls could not provide enough grain without leaving The Hinterlands hungry.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk told Mez'dra and Lothar that the people of The Hinterlands could tighten their belts to support the war.
• Mez'dra urged Lothar to reduce the grain amount, stressing that The Hinterlands could not supply the proposed quantity.
• Lothar doubted the region could produce even half the promised grain because Azeroth's farming relied mostly on manual labor.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk privately considered how Quel'Danil's tractors and irrigation made its harvests far more productive than Lothar understood.

Yu Lin Bloodhawk reassured Mez'dra and Lothar that the Hinterlands could supply the Allied Army with large quantities of weapons, armor, and grain. The chapter ended with Yu Lin confirming he could provide armor that was at least seventy percent rare quality, though it would be the Hinterlands' own standard design.

• Yu Lin Bloodhawk described the automated armor production at his Seaside Plain base and promised abundant armor and a more limited supply of finely made weapons.
• Yu Lin told Mez'dra that Quel'Thalas had allocated grain to the Hinterlands, easing his concern about feeding the region while supporting the Allied Army.
• Yu Lin privately planned to use the grain contribution to justify levies on human refugees, though his food reserves and Breadfruit Tree harvests meant the Hinterlands would not face a shortage.
• Lothar asked Yu Lin whether the Hinterlands could truly sustain such a large supply of war materials, and Yu Lin insisted he was not joking.
• Yu Lin told Lothar that at least seventy percent of the armor could be rare quality and that it would follow the Quel'Danil Army's standard design.

Yu Lin Bloodhawk offered the Alliance large quantities of Rare-quality weapons and armor in exchange for payment and production supplies, leaving Lothar eager but unable to approve the deal without the member kingdoms’ consent. The chapter ended with the Alliance’s supply crisis laid bare and Lothar seeing the Hinterlands’ offer as a possible path toward victory.

• Yu Lin Bloodhawk told Lothar that the Hinterlands could provide Rare-quality equipment and wanted to buy metal, spider silk, and leather from the Alliance.
• Lothar said the proposed order was too large for him to approve alone and promised to seek the member kingdoms’ support.
• Lothar considered how war, lost territory, refugees, and rising prices had left Lordaeron as the Alliance’s main remaining supplier.
• Lothar recognized that Alterac’s leaders might be collaborating with the Orcs, but the Alliance could not risk internal conflict while the war continued.
• Lothar viewed the Hinterlands’ offer of support as a glimmer of hope for the Alliance’s struggle.

Lothar considered how Hinterlands could help the Alliance break the Orcs’ supply lines and asked Yu Lin Bloodhawk about the terms for sending troops. Yu Lin Bloodhawk demanded armor, weapons, gold, and liquor, and requested standard equipment for two legions, while concealing that it was intended for the Kingdom of Stormwind Restoration Corps.

• Lothar realized that Hinterlands troops could strike Durnholde, cut off the northbound Orcs’ supplies, and help defeat the Orcs besieging Southshore.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk explained that Hinterlands needed the support of its other factions before it could deploy troops, and Lothar asked him to name their terms.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk requested armor, weapons, gold, and liquor, claiming Hinterlands could provide rare-quality gear but lacked time to produce common equipment.
• Mez'dra recognized that Yu Lin Bloodhawk was lying, since the equipment request was actually intended for the Kingdom of Stormwind Restoration Corps.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk asked for standard military equipment for two legions, surprising Lothar.

Lothar and Yu Lin Bloodhawk negotiated an exchange of military supplies between the Allied Army and The Hinterlands, then discussed the high elves’ proposal to support Stormwind’s restoration. The chapter ended with Lothar asking what conditions came with their support.

• Lothar offered to provide The Hinterlands with Standard-Issue Equipment for one legion immediately, with another legion’s supplies to follow when Lordaeron sent a new shipment.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk agreed to send rare-quality armor, weapons, and military rations to Southshore in exchange for supplies to take home.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk said Quel'Thalas and Quel'Danil City supported the Little Prince and Lothar in restoring the Kingdom of Stormwind.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk proposed forming a Kingdom of Stormwind Restoration Corps from Stormwind refugees in The Hinterlands.
• Lothar welcomed the proposal, then asked Yu Lin Bloodhawk what conditions the high elves required.

Yu Lin Bloodhawk offered Lothar and the young prince a High Elf-supported Kingdom of Stormwind Restoration Corps in exchange for a personal promise of future mutual aid. Lothar agreed in principle and was asked to draft a pact with the Quel'Danil Council as the High Elf signatory.

• Lothar considered Lordaeron's support for Stormwind's restoration largely rhetorical and doubted the Alliance could defeat the orcs.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk proposed that Lothar and the young prince promise the High Elves and Stormwind would never become enemies and that Stormwind would provide unconditional aid if the High Elves needed it.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk said Quel'Danil would recruit Stormwind refugees for the Restoration Corps, replace its casualties, and provide personnel, equipment, and food.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk stipulated that the corps would fight in the Durnholde Region or The Hinterlands until year's end, after which Lothar and the prince could command and deploy it freely.
• Lothar said he would promise on behalf of himself and expected the prince to agree, and Yu Lin Bloodhawk asked him to draft a pact naming the Quel'Danil Council as the High Elf signatory.

Yu Lin Bloodhawk negotiated a High Elf alliance with Lothar while working around the Silvermoon Council’s reluctance to act. He reassured Mez'dra that Quel'Danil could supply grain because the Vilebranch Trolls had planted high-yield crops in the Quel'Danil Mountain Valley.

• Yu Lin Bloodhawk proposed that the Quel'Danil Council and the Quel'Thalas Expeditionary Army Corps sign an alliance with Lothar, then suggested adding the Silvermoon Council’s name to make the agreement more official.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk urged Lothar to prepare the agreement quickly and promised that Quel'Danil City would fulfill its commitments even if the Silvermoon Council delayed its decision.
• After returning to the Gryphon camp, Mez'dra questioned how Yu Lin Bloodhawk could promise grain to the Allied Army without making their people go hungry.
• Yu Lin Bloodhawk explained that Quel'Danil City had a grain surplus because the Vilebranch Trolls had planted high-yield crops in the Quel'Danil Mountain Valley without realizing their value.