Chapter Summaries

Ohan fought Onyxia in Twilight Camp and wounded her badly while following Nathanos's order to capture the Black Dragon Princess alive. Onyxia could no longer resist, and Ohan demanded that she take mortal form so she could be treated.

• Ohan revealed herself to Onyxia, who realized she had walked into a trap and attacked her with claws and dragonfire.
• Ohan dodged Onyxia's attacks and wounded the joint of her wing with her Greatsword, grounding the dragon.
• Ohan used her knowledge of dragons to attack Onyxia's unprotected belly and leave her bleeding and unable to fight.
• Ohan remembered Nathanos's order to keep Onyxia alive, retrieved her cloak, and told the injured dragon to assume a mortal form.

Nathanos visited the wounded Onyxia in the Forsaken prison and revealed that he intended to keep her captive by preventing her injuries from healing. He applied a new alchemical treatment as Onyxia realized she might never recover.

• Ohan reported to Nathanos that she had completed her task, while Nathanos noticed how much weaker he had become.
• Rassuvios led Nathanos toward Onyxia’s cell, then left when Nathanos saw his reluctance to face her.
• Nathanos found Onyxia badly injured and ordered the guards away before entering her cell.
• Onyxia mocked Nathanos’s frailty, and he reminded her that mortals had defeated her before.
• Nathanos inspected Onyxia’s wound and explained that one drop of his new Flask would stop it from healing.

Nathanos sent Ohan Ogre's Sword to Blade's Edge Mountains to grow stronger, while Sylvanas planned a raid on Tempest Keep by drawing Kael'thas's forces away from the fortress. The chapter ended with Sylvanas predicting that Kael'thas would first move to retake Mana Forge: Duron and Mana Forge: Utis.

• Nathanos offered Ohan the choice of returning to Feralas or hunting powerful creatures in Blade's Edge Mountains, and Ohan chose to stay in Outland.
• Nathanos warned Ohan to conceal herself, watch for Gruul, and return to Azeroth after three months.
• Sylvanas concluded that Tempest Keep could not be taken by direct assault and proposed luring its defenders away before raiding the fortress.
• Sylvanas assigned herself, Sarodien, and Kaelia to lead the raid, while High Archbishop Aurielis would draw out Kael'thas's main force.
• Sylvanas predicted that Kael'thas would send troops to retake Mana Forge: Duron first, followed by Mana Forge: Utis.

Alleria learned that Sylvanas was attacking Tempest Keep, a revelation that could make her actions against Kael'thas look like a Windrunner coup. At Eaglewing Square, Alleria faced royalist protesters and ordered Liandara imprisoned while the gathered people were kept fed and contained.

• Alleria told Alleria Windrunner to warn Seredun not to reveal Sylvanas's role and to watch him for anyone seeking information.
• Lor'themar reported that royalist sympathizers had been arrested and assembled at Eaglewing Square, and Alleria ordered Rommath kept in the magical prison.
• Alleria objected to children being held with their arrested parents, but Lor'themar persuaded her not to separate them.
• Alleria entered Eaglewing Square as protesters accused her of conspiring against Kael'thas and called her an usurper.
• Alleria ordered Lor'themar to provide the prisoners with food and water and to imprison Liandara away from the crowd.

Seven-year-old Belorell Windrunner secretly tried to learn gryphon riding, but Saracena took him back to Sunfury Tower before he could continue. Frustrated by his lessons and his mother’s restrictions, Belorell worried that Alleria thought poorly of him, while Saracena insisted that Alleria only wanted to protect him.

• Belorell clung nervously to a white gryphon as Venaistella coached him, and he celebrated when it collapsed from exhaustion.
• Venaistella teased Belorell about his muddy, feather-covered clothes after he declared that he had defeated the gryphon.
• Saracena arrived and escorted Belorell toward Sunfury Tower, asking Venaistella not to tell the Regent where he had been.
• Belorell complained that Alleria let him choose his future but would not let him train for any profession yet.
• Belorell worried that Alleria thought he was terrible, and Saracena reassured him that the Regent only wanted to protect him.

Sylvanas led the Shattrath coalition into Tempest Keep and fought through Kael'thas's defenders, defeating his phoenix and uncovering the source of his seemingly endless magic. With Laenna's help, Sylvanas killed Kael'thas, who died uttering, "For... Quel'Thalas!"

• Sylvanas waited for Kael'thas to send troops away from Tempest Keep, then led her squad through its defenses.
• Sylvanas's group defeated Al, Kael'thas's phoenix, but lost five people in the attack.
• Sylvanas confronted Kael'thas, and the coalition attacked him until she realized the purple crystal pillars were supplying his magic.
• Kael'thas absorbed the pillars' energy and grew to a giant size, but Sylvanas wounded him while Laenna prepared a spell.
• Laenna froze Kael'thas, allowing Sylvanas to stab Quel'delar through his heart and kill him.

Nathanos learned that the Forsaken could not power Draenei ships and abandoned the operation against Tempest Keep after hearing that an old acquaintance had taken it. Sylvanas defeated Kael'thas and prepared to announce his death, while Uldar arrived to meet Akama.

• Giznok told Nathanos that the Forsaken lacked the energy to operate Draenei ships like those at Tempest Keep.
• Nathanos received word that an old acquaintance had taken Tempest Keep and called off the operation.
• Sylvanas recovered after killing Kael'thas, and she sent Sarodien to the front lines with the Sun King's Scepter to announce the Prince's death.
• Sylvanas removed Quel'delar from Kael'thas, took a magical orb as proof, and ordered his body and the fallen fighters recovered.
• Akama refused Maiev's demand for freedom, saying his plan was not ready, before Uldar appeared before him.

Sylvanas returned to Shattrath with the Fel Orb after defeating Kael'thas, but Adal revealed that Kael'thas was alive and preparing to summon Kil'jaeden to Azeroth. Kael'thas appeared through the orb to threaten revenge, and the allies began planning to deal with the remaining threats in Outland.

• Sylvanas returned to Shattrath with the emerald-green Fel Orb and asked Adal to examine it.
• Adal told Sylvanas that Kael'thas was still alive inside the orb and was summoning Kil'jaeden.
• The Fel Orb projected Kael'thas, who mocked Sylvanas's victory and threatened revenge as Kil'jaeden approached.
• Khadgar asked Adal for guidance, and Adal warned that the final battle was drawing near.
• Khadgar proposed resolving Outland's remaining threats, noting that Serpentshrine Cavern had fallen and Shadowmoon Temple remained.

Alleria investigated the disappearance of M'uru and discovered that the Blood Knights guarding it had been murdered. With Liadrin missing and suspected of helping the culprit, Alleria ordered an emergency alert and gave Lor'themar three days to bring her in.

• A Blood Knight told Alleria that M'uru had vanished and its guards had been killed with bladed weapons.
• Alleria arrived at the holding house and ordered the panicked Blood Knights to stay calm and establish what had happened.
• Lor'themar concluded that the killer was someone the guards knew, while Alleria noticed that Liadrin was missing.
• Alleria placed Silvermoon City under emergency alert and appointed Astalor to command the Blood Knights temporarily.
• Alleria ordered Lor'themar to bring Liadrin before her within three days or have her treated as a traitor.

Belmont returned from Azeroth to Outland, where Nathanos revealed that he suspected Kael'thas was alive and that Silvermoon City's rebellion was connected to him. Nathanos then announced that the Forsaken would abandon their Outland operations and seize territory in the northern Eastern Kingdoms, leaving their destination uncertain.

• Belmont reported that Silvermoon City was under martial law and sealed off after an apparent internal rebellion, and Nathanos connected the unrest to Kael'thas's disappearance.
• Nathanos showed Belmont the captive Onyxia and learned that the prison in Maraudon had anti-magic barriers.
• Meryl Evilwind reported that Sinestra was trading Void Dragon eggs with the Dragonmaw Orcs and appeared to be preparing to flee rather than search for Onyxia.
• Nathanos told Meryl and Belmont that the Forsaken would end their Outland operations and use the fighting in Shadowmoon Valley as an opportunity to act elsewhere.
• Nathanos revealed that the Forsaken planned to seize territory in the northern Eastern Kingdoms and could not return to Maraudon for now.

Veronalara learned that Nathanos the Witherer was returning to Shadowfang Keep and preparing to use its forces. At Nathanos’s former home, he assigned Lilian Voss to kill anyone who approached.

• A Forsaken rider told Veronalara that Nathanos would reach Shadowfang Keep within a day or two and wanted her to gather the troops.
• Veronalara ordered the Dark Rangers to secure the keep and reassured Enya that they were ready for battle.
• Lilian Voss guarded Nathanos as he meditated at the site of his former home and told him that Argent Dawn soldiers occasionally passed by.
• Nathanos told Lilian that his family and beloved had not come to discover that he was gone.
• Nathanos ordered Lilian to kill any living thing that approached the site.

Nathanos gathered the Forsaken commanders at Shadowfang Keep and announced an invasion of Alterac. He rejected a proposal to strike Lordaeron first, explaining that the Forsaken lacked the strength to hold it, and ordered the campaign to begin as soon as Tatsel's fleet arrived.

• Nathanos arrived at Shadowfang Keep, where Veronalara confirmed the troops were assembled.
• Nathanos met with the Forsaken officers and named Alterac as their next target.
• Ranger-Captain Alina argued that the Forsaken should attack Lordaeron while the Crimson Crusade was fighting there.
• Nathanos said the Forsaken could not yet hold Lordaeron and explained that taking Alterac would expand their territory and prepare them to seize the Plaguelands.
• Veronalara asked when the invasion would begin, and Nathanos said it would start as soon as possible because Tatsel's fleet was already on its way with several hundred soldiers.

Illidan used the Sigil of Argus to send his soul to Argus, where he discovered Kil'jaeden’s palace and the heart of the Burning Legion. A mysterious presence helped him escape, and he returned to Shadowmoon Temple planning to destroy Argus with an army.

• Illidan performed a spell at Shadowmoon Temple that tore his soul from his body and sent it into the Twisted Void.
• The Sigil of Argus led Illidan to a corrupted city on Argus and toward Kil'jaeden’s palace.
• Illidan became trapped in a web of spells as Kil'jaeden noticed his presence.
• A hidden presence distracted Kil'jaeden, freed Illidan from the Ethereal Shackles, and sent him back to his body.
• Illidan confirmed Argus was the Burning Legion’s heart, decided he needed an army and a way to reach it, and summoned the Demon Hunters.

Illidan ordered his followers to hold Shadowmoon Temple while he pursued a way to reach Kil'jaeden on Argus. After he left, his advisers suspected he no longer cared what happened to them.

• Duchess Malande told Illidan that Hellfire Citadel had fallen, Kargath and Magtheridon were dead, and Lady Vashj had been defeated.
• Illidan dismissed the importance of Outland and focused on finding a way to transport an army to Kil'jaeden's lair on Argus.
• Crusher Gathios asked whether they should retreat to Shadowmoon Temple, and Illidan ordered his forces to hold back the Alliance and Horde while he handled other matters.
• Illidan left for the temple rooftop, where an elite force awaited him.
• Vyrkul Deepshadow said Illidan's departure might be the last time they saw him, and Archmage Selevol suggested Illidan no longer cared whether his followers survived.

Illidan sent his Demon Hunters through a portal to reclaim the Sargerite Key while Akama led the assault through Shadowmoon Temple and confronted him at the summit. Maiev joined the battle and killed Illidan, who died after declaring that she was nothing without him.

• Illidan ordered the Demon Hunters to enter Mawdon and reclaim the Sargerite Key while he stayed behind to face the attackers.
• Akama led Azeroth's champions through the Sewers, freed his people, broke the seal to the temple summit, and confronted Illidan.
• Illidan fought the champions, summoned fire elementals with the Warglaives of Azzinoth, and transformed into Demon Form.
• Maiev Shadowsong arrived and attacked Illidan, joining Akama's allies in the final assault.
• Maiev pierced Illidan's heart, and Illidan died after telling her that she was nothing without him.

Nathanos considered how the Forsaken could secure allies and recognition after taking Alterac, while avoiding discovery by the Alliance and Horde. He chose to seek help from someone in the Eastern Plaguelands and ordered the Forsaken to hold Alterac Castle as he awaited Tatsel’s fleet.

• Nathanos learned that the Alliance and Horde had breached Shadowmoon Temple and that Maiev Shadowsong had taken Illidan’s corpse from Outland.
• Nathanos and Lilian discussed the Forsaken’s presence in Alterac and the danger of revealing themselves to the living.
• Nathanos weighed invading Arathi or Lordaeron, then considered seeking support from someone in the Eastern Plaguelands.
• Nathanos ordered Veronalara to keep the Forsaken inside Alterac Castle, send out scouts, and wait for Tatsel’s fleet.
• Nathanos learned that Meryl had not returned from Silvermoon City and that the Forsaken spies in Quel’Thalas had gone silent.

Kael'thas returned to Quel'Danas as a fel-corrupted monster and slaughtered the Blood Knights guarding the Sunwell, while in Silvermoon City Alleria learned that a dragon had arrived. The chapter left Alleria and Lor'themar facing the dragon's unexpected visit.

• Kor'thir listened as Blood Knights complained that the Lord Regent had withdrawn most of their forces and demanded news of Liadrin.
• Kael'thas entered the Sunwell's hall, revealed his identity, and said he had returned to Quel'Thalas and visited Silvermoon City.
• Kael'thas declared that he no longer needed the kingdom, transformed into a monster, and killed Kor'thir and the other Blood Knights.
• Kael'thas ordered his followers to clean the hall and island so he could announce that their king had returned.
• Lor'themar told Alleria that Liadrin had gone to Outland after receiving a mysterious calling, but Alleria dismissed his account and questioned Rommath's loyalty.
• Vareesa reported that a dragon had arrived in Silvermoon City.

Nathanos learned from Meryl that Kael'thas had seized Quel'Danas and that a demonic mural had appeared at the rebuilt Sunwell Plateau. He then questioned Lilian about the Argent Dawn and summoned two Forsaken, Rupert and Rennid Barthalomew.

• Nathanos found Alterac's old crown and reflected that he did not need it to rule.
• Meryl showed Nathanos a drawing of the Sunwell bearing a huge demonic mural behind a floating figure.
• Meryl reported that Kael'thas had killed the Blood Elf guards, occupied Quel'Danas, and rebuilt the Sunwell Plateau.
• Meryl identified the floating figure as the Sunwell's essence gathered into humanoid form, and Nathanos sent him to inform Belmont.
• Nathanos questioned Lilian about the Argent Dawn, and she named a Night Elf in Plaguewood and a Tauren whose location was uncertain.
• Rupert and Rennid Barthalomew arrived after Nathanos summoned them.

Kalecgos revealed that the Sunwell's essence had survived and taken the form of a girl named Anveena, who had disappeared. When Quel'Thalas lost contact with the Isle of Quel'Danas after a dragon was seen flying toward it, Kalecgos suspected his colleague Madigontha had found Anveena there.

• Kalecgos introduced himself as a Blue Dragonflight observer, and Alleria demanded to know why he had come to Quel'Thalas.
• Kalecgos explained that the Sunwell's essence had survived its destruction, prompting Alleria to demand its return.
• Kalecgos said Anveena embodied the Sunwell's essence and had vanished while he was away; he had found traces of Blood Elves and assumed they had taken her.
• A panicked Elf reported rising dust clouds and lost contact with the Isle of Quel'Danas after seeing a dragon fly toward the Sunwell, and Lor'themar ordered Kalecgos seized.
• Kalecgos named his colleague Madigontha as another observer and suspected she had discovered Anveena's trail on the Isle of Quel'Danas.

Rhine, a Night Elf druid trying to purify the Plaguelands, encountered three unusually composed Undead near Plaguewood and fought Rennid before escaping. Rennid, Rupert, and Lilian Voss let her go, leaving Rhine with new doubts about the Undead she thought she understood.

• Rhine found that the seeds she had planted in Plaguewood were still contaminated and replanted them before realizing she had stayed too long.
• Rhine encountered three Undead wearing new armor and noticed that they watched her calmly instead of attacking mindlessly.
• Rennid challenged Rhine to a one-on-one fight, and his skillful axe strikes wounded her foreleg.
• Rhine returned to human form and prayed to the Moon Goddess, prompting Lilian Voss to pull Rennid back as a meteor-like spell struck around them.
• Rhine transformed into a panther and fled, while Rennid, Rupert, and Lilian Voss chose not to pursue her.