Heavy Chess

The passage connecting the tranquil, dark Duskwood to the reed-covered Swamp of Sorrows of Sorrows lies the eerie and desolate Twisted Corridors region, overgrown with strange trees and jagged rocks. It is a deserted place. Logically, such a place shouldn't have a name; places where no one comes don't have names.

But this is not always the case...

Medivh, the Guardian, made his home in Twisted Corridors and built a tower called Karazhan. Despite being the greatest and most brilliant mage of his time, Medivh's soul was corrupted by Sargeras, the Worldbreaker. Sargeras used Medivh to open the Dark Portal, releasing the Orcs into the Azeroth, where they were left to plunder and pillage at will.

A fierce war erupted between the various races of Azeroth and the Orcs, while Medivh's soul struggled against Sargeras's imprisonment. The sharp conflict deep within his soul drove the mage into a state of extreme madness. Anduin Lothar and Khadgar noticed the mage's abnormality and discovered his betrayal. The former led a raid on Karazhan and killed the Guardian.

From that day on, a terrifying curse descended upon the tower and the surrounding area. A dark curtain fell upon the Twisted Corridors, and a forest to the west was also affected, transforming into the Duskwood we know today.

This is a good place to die...

Nathanos knelt down, stroking the parched, dark earth with his hand. It was no longer just a hand; it was wrapped in bandages, and not only his hand, but his entire body was covered in white strips of cloth. The fire had ravaged his body; the Undead lacked self-healing abilities, and their wounds quickly became infected with parasites. To prevent his body from continuing to decay, he could only use medicine to slow the process.

Nathanos looked down at his left hand. The skin and tendons there were strong enough to draw a longbow. That was enough; a cold smile played on his lips, hidden beneath his hood. But then he remembered that his weapons were gone— Quel'delar and the bow. When he awoke, he had nothing left. Only his Undead Hound, who had shared his fate.

His mind was filled with Karazhan; he imagined what it was like there, wondering where Medivh would place the Well of Well of Eternity and the Medivh's Book within the tower. These questions lingered in his mind like the dark clouds over Twisted Corridors.

'Great, this way I don't have to think about anything else.'

Karazhan is more than just a tower. Nathanos circled around it several times and found that it was exactly the same size as Duskwood Town, and there was even a cemetery at the foot of the Karazhan tower.

"This place must have been incredibly prosperous in the past," Nathanos said, walking towards the iron gates at the foot of the tower. For some reason, he felt a sudden sense of awe. He longed to know how Lothar and Khadgar had defeated Medivh. Could the Guardians truly be defeated?

The iron gate opened, perhaps knowing he was coming, or perhaps it was simply a place that always welcomed anyone who came. Nathanos remembered Brann Bronzebeard writing in his book: Medivh was always hospitable.

Behind the iron gate was another wooden door, which opened from the inside out. Nathanos wondered if he was seeing things; the inner door was opening.

"Undead!" Nathanos cried out in surprise. The voice sounded unfamiliar, and he realized it was the first word he had uttered since crawling out of the flames. His voice, like his body, was wounded and began to grow hoarse.

The Undead that emerged from behind the door was the most... elegant one Nathanos had ever seen.

He was dressed in a red tuxedo, his body a mere skeleton with no flesh or blood except for his face; he looked like a butler. Nathanos realized that this man had been dead for many years.

"Welcome to Karazhan, Mr. Nathanos."

Does he recognize himself? No. That name is dead, abandoned on the scorched earth of Marius Farm. This guy dares to awaken that painful memory!

"Master Medivh said you would come, and he told me to be ready to welcome you. Let me introduce myself, my name is Moroes, the steward of Karazhan."

Moroes's respectful manner reminded Nathanos of Kel'Thuzad, the Lich still wreaks havoc on the lands of Lordaeron.

"I'll come and see if this place is safe."

Moroes's lips curled into a smile, his wrinkles spreading like open wounds. "Despite the terrifying things that fill the tower, adventurers, especially those from the Kirin Tor, are still drawn by its mysterious arcane magic. These unspeakable secrets have created a vast, magically constructed space within the tower, filled with the precious treasures left behind by the Master of Medivh."

"You're saying that there are often thieves here."

"There are many rumors about Karazhan, but only one is true." Moroes gestured to Nathanos, "Once you go in, you never come out..."

Nathanos's eyes darkened considerably as he pondered the meaning behind Moroes's smile.

"It seems safe here." The human standing outside the tower did not take a single step forward. He saw the ornate staircase behind Moroes, and on the ground to the left of the staircase were some wormwood, which was used to feed horses.

Moroes noticed Nathanos's eyes and continued, "The ancient tower of Karazhan once belonged to the most powerful man on the continent of Azeroth: Archmage Medivh, my master. In the tower's halls and corridors, he summoned countless beings not of this world, researching subjects considered forbidden by others. Karazhan is now abandoned, and since its master's disappearance, all the dangerous creatures within have begun to draw upon its power without restraint and grow rapidly, awaiting those foolish adventurers."

"Including you?"

Moroes's expression showed surprise. Medivh had told him before that this human was very cunning, and it seemed to be true. "Yes, that includes me. I'm in charge of kicking out uninvited guests."

"Medivh has found a good housekeeper, but I'm not going in. I'm just here to take a look around."

"Don't be so polite, sir. The master instructed that you be treated as a VIP, and besides the things you left here, the master has something else for you."

The human's eyes lit up. "Something else?"

"Plz follow me."

Do you mind if my dog comes along?

Pets are not restricted here.

Moroes led Nathanos into Karazhan. Along the way, they passed the reception hall, where an eerie party was taking place. A group of ghostly humans, dressed in various formal attire, chatted and laughed. Nathanos noticed a detail: a flamboyantly dressed noblewoman downed her glass of wine in one gulp. In the blink of an eye, the empty glass was filled again, as if an invisible bottle of wine had been poured. The puzzled human looked at his bandaged hands and had a bold guess.

"Is this tower... frozen at a specific point in time?"

Moroes didn't answer, as if he hadn't heard the question; he was simply leading the way. Along the way, they passed a theater, a library, and an exhibition hall. Nathanos saw many strange creatures, a colossal Golem, much larger than any he had seen in Quel'Thalas. A dragon wandered in a narrow space. There was also an old man who had made a mess of the library. Nathanos asked the steward who the man was, and this time Moroes spoke, but his tone was cold, simply telling him that it was a madman.

Finally, they arrived at the chess room.

"This is it."

"Orcs? And humans too?" Nathanos looked at Moroes with a puzzled expression. And why were there chessboards at their feet?

"These are just chess pieces."

His answer confused Nathanos even more. "A chess piece?"

"The thing your master gave you is in that box." If Moroes hadn't pointed it out, Nathanos wouldn't have noticed the ancient box on the opposite side of the chessboard. But why was the box placed here?

"Looks like it won't be that easy, right?"

"Your master wants you to complete a game of chess here. You can choose either the Orcs or the humans, as long as you can control your servants to kill the opposing leader."