Military Council
Alleria Windrunner entered Orgrimmar with a small retinue of Blood Knights, her face etched with unease. As Regent of Quel'Thalas, she had always remained on the fringes of the Horde's power. However, Windrunner showed no resentment; on the contrary, she was pleased to remain aloof. Only in this way could the Sin'dorei maintain stability. But this time, she had received a letter from the Horde's new Warchief, demanding that she come to Orgrimmar for a meeting of all Horde leaders. Alleria wanted to refuse, but reason told her that only by obeying orders could she ensure the safety of her people, given how... aggressive this new Warchief was—a fact evident from the letter itself.
Garrosh Grommash, whom Alleria had met once before, during the new chieftain's inauguration ceremony, when she earnestly pledged her allegiance to him. At the time, Garrosh merely nodded at her coldly, and Alleria saw racist thoughts in his eyes.
Since then, the Regent has never returned to Orgrimmar. She didn't want to be there. And now, she desperately wanted to get away from it.
Alleria rode her Hawkstrider through the long corridor inside the city gates, the moment her view opened up, she was instantly stunned by the changes in the city. Orgrimmar, in her memory, had a simple and unassuming style; now it had become thoroughly militarized. As far as the eye could see, there were houses covered in heavy steel spikes, the simple wooden huts of the past completely replaced.
A suffocating feeling gripped Alleria; to her, these grotesque changes symbolized not only power, but also conquest and domination. The hard, angular metal of the tower instilled a sense of threat rather than security.
Of course, there's another crucial change that allows Alleria to have more of that Great Chief. When Thrall was Warchief, the center of Orgrimmar — Grommash Hold— was in the Valley of Wisdom. Now, Garrosh has moved the hold, named after his father, to the Valley of Strength. Wisdom and Strength, two different words, perfectly reflect the differences in the personalities of Thrall and Grommash.
When the Blood Elf caravan reached the fortress, Alleria encountered another, more lightly equipped group of centaurs. Their leader rode atop a powerful white Kodo Beast. Baine Bloodhoof, the new Tauren chieftain. Alleria and Baine exchanged nods as their eyes met. This young leader had recently lost his father and had also weathered a rebellion within the Tauren ranks. Alleria admired him greatly, for her own father had died in a duel at the hands of Garrosh, yet Baine had still chosen to serve Grommash's Horde. His resilience and reason were extraordinary.
"Lady Regent!" came a voice that sounded somewhat insincere. Alleria turned her gaze, then looked down. A cunning-looking Goblins wearing a comical top hat approached her.
"You must be Trade Prince Gallywix of the Steamwheedle Cartel," Alleria said. The Goblins was a recent addition to the Horde. It was hard to imagine that Garrosh had accepted these money-grubbing fellows.
"It's an honor that you know me." Gallywix was unusually enthusiastic, grinning broadly at Alleria. "Today is truly a joyous day, don't you think? Great Chief Garrosh's palace is truly magnificent and imposing!"
"Be careful, Trade Prince," Alleria warned, narrowing her eyes. "I don't think the chieftain will be pleased to hear the word 'palace,' after all, that word is more often used for human kingdoms."
"Thank you for reminding me. I hope we can have a pleasant collaboration in the future."
Alleria observed the Goblins. Many people disliked Goblins, and she was one of them, but Alleria didn't underestimate the abilities of these short, green-skinned creatures. Their intelligence was evident in every aspect; given money, their minds would conjure up all sorts of solutions to problems. And then there was their creativity...
The Regent suddenly understood why Garrosh had accepted the Goblins; the Alliance had Gnome and Dwarf, and the Horde should also have a race skilled in invention.
"We will actively engage in foreign trade," Alleria replied. "Quel'Thalas has long since ceased to be closed off from the world."
"Oh, that's great news, something to celebrate," Gallywix said with a smile. "Hopefully, we can both benefit from this trade."
"I hope so."
Gallywix nodded. He saw Baine, then gestured for him to leave and walked away, weaving nimbly through the crowd despite his short stature. Alleria sighed, dismounted from her Hawkstrider, handed the reins to her Blood Knights follower, and entered the fortress ahead of Baine and Gallywix.
Ruthless and iron-blooded! That's how Alleria described New Grommash Hold.
"Regent!" a gruff voice rang out; Vol'jin, the Troll leader, had been waiting for some time.
Elf and Troll have been sworn enemies since ancient times, but Quel'Thalas hates Forest Troll, while Vol'jin's Darkspear Tribe does not belong to the Forest Troll.
"Chief Vol'jin," Alleria replied.
After they nodded to each other, they stopped talking. She sat on the bench opposite Vol'jin, in a position far from the chieftain's throne.
The Regent waited patiently. During this time, Baine and Gallywix entered, along with the advisor Eitrigg. Among them, the Tauren, Orcs, and Troll exchanged a few words, then silence fell again. Alleria noticed Vol'jin's gaze was fixed on the chieftain's seat, and curiosity compelled the Female Elf to look over as well.
The story of Grommash Execute the demon Mannoroth is known to everyone in the Horde. The demon's skull and armor, which were originally displayed on a large tree trunk at the entrance of Grommash Hold, are now on the chieftain's throne.
Garrosh actually used his father's glory to decorate his own throne! It looks like he's hoarding it for himself. Alleria lowered her eyes slightly in disdain, inadvertently cursing Garrosh as a "self-important bastard" in her mind.
Time passed slowly, and the leaders of the various tribes gathered there grew increasingly restless. Just then, a purplish-grey-skinned Orcs entered the fortress. He had only three fingers left on one hand, and his body was covered in scars.
Blackrock Orc? Alleria frowned.
A heavy, hoarse voice emerged from the Orcs's throat, echoing throughout the room. "Great Chief Garrosh Grommash is here! All, salute!" He slammed his left hand down on his chest, facing the entrance to Grommash Hold.