Chapter Summaries

After Nalorakk withdrew from the barrier, Herad focused on arming the High Elves with autocannons, which the mages eagerly ordered for their Arcane Golems. When Alleria and Sylvanas competed to receive the weapons first, Herad pointed out that Rangers could not safely fire them, and the sisters joined forces to demand a solution.

• Nalorakk left the Magic Defense Barrier, and Herad reflected on the threat posed by Zul'Aman's animal deities and the Sunwell.
• High Elf mages ordered autocannons for their Arcane Golems, and Herad promised to prepare the first batch that week.
• Alleria and Sylvanas silently competed over which of their forces would get the weapons first.
• Herad explained that humanoids could not handle an autocannon's weight and recoil as an Arcane Golem could.
• Alleria and Sylvanas teamed up, pinned Herad between them, and pressured him to find a way for Rangers to use the weapons.

Herad designed and built a six-legged, stripped-down Arcane Golem to carry an autocannon alongside ranger troops. After half a month of development, he tested the prototype successfully, though the chapter ended with an author’s note that he had tested positive for COVID.

• Herad rejected Alleria’s suggestion to mount an autocannon on a ballista chassis and explained that he would adapt the gnomes’ multi-legged robots into a simplified Arcane Golem.
• Herad sketched a six-legged vehicle designed to carry an autocannon and follow ranger troops, then spent half a month refining its magical components.
• Herad activated the prototype, climbed inside, and tested its movement and magical targeting screens.
• Herad drove the prototype around the testing grounds and destroyed every target with accurate autocannon fire, confirming that it had passed its tests.

Herad completed six Arcane War Machines and delivered three to Sylvanas before riding to Alleria’s camp. Along the way, Sylvanas and the rangers noticed that Herad’s white Hawkstrider had become extraordinarily fast, though Herad did not know why.

• Herad named his new arcane golems Arcane War Machines, built five more, and gave three to Sylvanas.
• Sylvanas kissed Herad goodbye, then watched his white Hawkstrider race away much faster than before.
• Herad rested by a river while the Hawkstrider caught and ate fish, then continued toward Silvermoon Forest.
• The white Hawkstrider dropped Herad at the Farstriders Camp and raced into the forest as the watching rangers remarked on its speed.
• Alleria and the rangers asked Herad why the Hawkstrider had grown faster, and the rangers used Eagle Eye to investigate it.

Rangers tracked Herad’s white Hawkstrider to a World Tree and concluded it was receiving nature’s gift. Herad then demonstrated an Arcane War Machine to Alleria, while Lor'themar triggered its electric defenses, and Alleria submitted a purchase request to the Silvermoon City Council.

• The Rangers followed the white Hawkstrider to a World Tree near the Moon Temple and observed it resting beneath the tree.
• The Rangers concluded that the World Tree favored the Hawkstrider and was granting it nature’s gift, then congratulated Herad.
• Lor'themar approached Herad’s Arcane War Machine and triggered its automatic defenses, which shocked him in punishment mode.
• Herad explained the Arcane War Machine’s controls, and Alleria practiced driving it until she could operate it competently.
• Alleria submitted a request to the Silvermoon City Council to purchase the Arcane War Machines, though approval was expected to take months.

Chromie grew uneasy as the High Elves prepared for an all-out war against Zul'Aman and feared the trolls would be destroyed. She fled Quel'Thalas for the Caverns of Time to report in and avoid being blamed for the changing events.

• King Anasterian Sunstrider announced the Silvermoon City Council’s overwhelming support for the campaign and praised firearms as a way to defeat Zul'Aman.
• Chromie concluded that the High Elves might wipe out Zul'Aman and decided to leave before war broke out.
• Chromie teleported to Tanaris, bathed in the desert sand, and flew toward the Caverns of Time.
• Chromie entered the Caverns of Time in Gnome form, greeted the dragonkin guards, and headed to the Bronze Dragons’ headquarters to report in.

Chromie secured Soridormi’s approval to leave Lordaeron for Silithus, while Chronormu remained distracted from the High Elves’ preparations for war. After nearly half a year of mobilization, Herad’s forces attacked Zul'Aman with a devastating magical surprise strike, leaving the battle against the Forest Trolls to continue.

• Chromie persuaded Soridormi to assign her to Silithus, and Soridormi planned to send a novice to Lordaeron.
• Herad secured arms orders, Goblin engineering support, and engineers as Quel'Thalas prepared for war while Chronormu monitored Lordaeron and Dalaran instead.
• The High Elves completed their mobilization, assembling war machines, autocannon-equipped golems, and artillery before marching south toward Zul'Aman.
• Chronormu watched the army march, unaware of the scale of the impending attack.
• The Sunfury and Eclipse Burning Legion mages jointly cast Flamestrike across Zul'Aman’s slope, engulfing the Troll defenders in fire.
• Herad admired the archmages’ attack and prepared to face Zul'Aman’s Animal Loa, with the other troops set to fight the Forest Trolls.

Herad’s High Elf forces used precision-guided howitzer fire to overwhelm the Troll defenders outside Zul’Aman and bind its five animal deities. The chapter ended with the artillery bombarding the gatehouse to blast a breach through the city wall.

• Herad’s artillery crews bombarded the heights, killing and scattering the Troll defenders while Mage’s Eyes guided their shells.
• Zul’jin and the five animal deities came onto Zul’Aman’s walls to assess the High Elf army.
• Nalorakk, Halazzi, and the serpent god leaped or descended from the walls, while the High Elves bound all five deities in elemental nets.
• Herad ordered the howitzers to open fire on the gatehouse, vaporizing it and many Troll defenders.
• The High Elf artillery crews launched a second bombardment before the smoke from the first had cleared.

The High Elf army destroyed Zul'Aman, killing Zul'jin and the animal gods while suffering no losses. Silvermoon City prepared a victory celebration as the army rested at the Farstriders' camp.

• High Elf artillery shattered Zul'Aman's walls, and Zul'jin was killed by the opening bombardment.
• Arcane golems, battle vehicles, rangers, and warriors stormed the city and overwhelmed the Troll defenders.
• Most surviving Trolls fled through secret passages while the High Elves destroyed the temple cores and killed the animal gods.
• The High Elves plundered Zul'Aman, demolished its buildings and walls, and left the city abandoned to wild beasts.
• Silvermoon City's council received the report of victory and began preparing celebrations while the army rested at the Farstriders' camp.

Herad learned that Troll Hexxers had discovered how to absorb Animal Loa power, raising the possibility that Zul'jin could return as a demigod. He sent the discovery to Silvermoon City and warned Sylvanas and Lor'themar, who feared Zul'jin's revenge.

• Herad examined a Troll Hexxer's book and learned it described research into absorbing Animal Loa mana without changing the user's head.
• A scholar translated the book and revealed that Troll Priests had previously devoured Animal Loa, gaining great power despite being hunted as heretics.
• Herad sent the book and its translation to Silvermoon City, warning that Zul'jin might return with Animal Loa power and become a demigod.
• Sylvanas teased Herad for staring blankly at the sky, and he explained that he had been thinking about the threat posed by Zul'jin.
• Lor'themar feared Zul'jin would target him for revenge, and Sylvanas reproached him for not killing Zul'jin when he had the chance.

Herad studied siphon magic and adapted it to use arcane energy, then tested whether he could use it to concentrate magical energy in Mana Wyrms. By the time the group reached Silvermoon City, he had confirmed that the creatures’ intelligence did not improve as they grew stronger and drained his test subject for its energy.

• Herad adapted the trolls’ siphon magic to arcane energy and siphoned power from a Magic Crystal.
• Sylvanas entered Herad’s room through the window, asked about the spell, and learned that it extracted magical energy.
• The next day, Herad caught Mana Wyrms and used siphon magic to transfer energy into one, while Sylvanas helped catch more.
• Herad tested the strengthened Mana Wyrm on the way to Silvermoon City and found that its intelligence remained unchanged.
• Herad used dozens of siphon threads to drain the Mana Wyrm, which quickly ran out of magical energy.

Herad showed Rommath mana essence made from a Mana Wyrm, then harvested Mana Wyrms across Eversong Woods to fill a large jar. He decided to improve the Arcane Golems by giving them Mana Drain so they could collect the energy for him.

• Herad brought a bottle of mana essence to Rommath, who examined it and requisitioned it.
• Herad attended Silvermoon City's victory feast briefly, then left with his food-loving white Hawkstrider.
• Herad traveled around Eversong Woods and drained mana essence from clusters of Mana Wyrms near magical structures.
• Herad nearly filled a twenty-liter Glass Jar with mana essence and decided to integrate Mana Drain into the Arcane Golems.

Herad created the mithril-bodied Arcane Scavengers to harvest Mana Wyrms and help travelers in Eversong Woods and Silvermoon Forest. In the south, the Horde concealed its growing force in the Black Morass while Stormwind City mistook its raids for banditry, and Herad ordered more surveillance.

• Herad built a giant mithril arcane golem, etched its runes, and named the new model the Arcane Scavenger.
• Arcane Scavengers began clearing Mana Wyrms from Eversong Woods and Silvermoon Forest and aiding travelers.
• Herad learned that the Horde was hiding in the Black Morass and sending raiding parties against Stormwind City's forces.
• A gnome rogue reported that the unnatural fog over the Black Morass was suspicious, but Herad told him to place more recording devices and gather information about the orcs.

King Llane hired a Gnome rogue to explore the mist-shrouded Black Morass using a remote-controlled mechanical marmot. The device reached the outskirts of the Orc-held area before terrain and guards forced it to turn back, and scouts rescued it from a Worg.

• King Llane ordered his intelligence department to pay a Gnome rogue to explore the mist surrounding the Black Morass.
• The Gnome rogue demonstrated a mechanical marmot that transmitted images to a control case, impressing the watching scouts.
• The mechanical marmot crossed into the mist and avoided detection by Orcs, but swamp terrain and a guarded bridge stopped it from going farther.
• The Gnome rogue maneuvered the device back toward the outskirts and said he would need to upgrade it.
• A Worg spotted the mechanical marmot and chased it, but the scouts shot the beast and killed it before its Orc master arrived.

After Medivh's death broke the balance of power, the Orc invasion escalated as black-armored Orc heavy infantry shattered the human defensive line. A Gnome rogue escaped to warn others, while the carriage driver took hope from the Stormwind Brotherhood of the Horse.

• Khadgar uncovered that Medivh was possessed, led an attack on Karazhan, and helped awaken Medivh's soul before killing him and driving the evil demon god back to the Twisting Nether.
• Black-armored Orc heavy infantry charged the human defenses and smashed through heavy infantry, arcane golems, and Steam Tanks.
• The Gnome rogue fled the battlefield, crossed Deadwind Pass, and reached Orchard Town to warn that the defensive line had fallen.
• The Gnome rogue boarded a carriage to Stormwind City as news of the defeat spread through Orchard Town.
• The carriage driver asked whether the kingdom could still resist, and the Gnome rogue reassured him that the Stormwind Brotherhood of the Horse could stop the Orcs.

Herad arranged to rescue the Dalaran Mages trapped in Karazhan while profiting from the Orc invasion by shipping weapons to Stormwind City. As the Orcs advanced toward the kingdom’s heart, King Llane hesitated to buy cannons that could undermine the knightly system.

• Herad sent an airship to evacuate the Dalaran Mages, who had looted Karazhan and taken a dangerous artifact.
• Herad sent merchant ships laden with weapons to Stormwind City, hoping to profit from the war.
• Orcs and Ogre auxiliaries overran Brightwood and the Redridge Mountains, pursuing refugees toward Elwynn Forest.
• The Stormwind Brotherhood of the Horse inflicted heavy losses on the Orcs, but suffered casualties against their vastly larger forces.
• Jindi urged King Llane to buy powerful cannons, but King Llane hesitated because firearms threatened the kingdom’s knightly system.

Jindi returned to his warship after King Llane refused to pay, then used its ironclad artillery to protect Stormwind City when the orcs broke through the gate. Orgrim withdrew after Jindi’s bombardment devastated his forces, but the orcs left the gate burned and the city remained under threat.

• Jindi left King Llane’s palace and went to the harbor, where refugees were gathering to escape Stormwind City.
• News arrived that the Stormwind Brotherhood of the Horse had been routed, and Orgrim captured the city gate as retreating troops crowded into the city.
• Jindi ordered his ironclad warships to bombard the orcs, destroying hundreds of warriors with a single salvo.
• Orgrim ordered his scattered forces to take cover, but Jindi’s gunners continued to kill orcs with heavy artillery as the human defenders resisted.
• Orgrim sounded a retreat to limit his casualties, and his troops withdrew through the gate before burning it down.

Orgrim used Garona to assassinate King Llane, then launched a surprise assault that forced Stormwind’s remaining defenders and refugees to flee north. After taking the city, the Horde halted at the defended bridge and fought the Dark Iron Dwarves in the scorched lands, where the Blackrock Clan’s advance stalled at their main stronghold.

• Under secret magic’s control, Garona stabbed King Llane with his enchanted dagger, then fled in grief when the spell briefly released her.
• After the assassination spread panic and emptied Stormwind, Orgrim sent Orcs in a surprise attack from three sides, and they seized the city except for its harbor.
• The fleet rescued the remaining soldiers and refugees, bombarded the Orcs, and carried its passengers north to Southshore.
• Orgrim hesitated to advance toward the bridge guarded by Stromgarde and the Dwarves, then sent the Blackrock Clan and Firegut Ogres against the Dark Iron Dwarves.
• The Blackrock Orcs captured outlying strongholds but struggled against the Dark Iron Dwarves’ concentrated defenses and fire magic.

The seven human kingdoms formed an Alliance army as the Orcs’ advance stalled at Blackrock Spire. Gul'dan created undead warriors by placing the souls of slain Warlocks into the bodies of human Knights, giving Orgrim a new way to attack the Dark Iron Dwarves.

• Anduin Lothar warned the kings of the six northern human kingdoms about the Orcs, and Terenas Menethil urged the seven kingdoms to unite.
• The seven kingdoms mustered nearly six hundred thousand troops, while the High Elves sent Rangers to support them.
• Orgrim took command of the Horde after killing Blackhand and crushing most of Gul'dan's Warlocks, then ordered Gul'dan to find a way past Blackrock Spire.
• Gul'dan chose to dig up well-preserved human Knights and prepare their bodies for the Warlocks' souls.
• Gul'dan placed Soulstones containing the Warlocks' souls into the Knights' corpses, creating tough undead warriors that he planned to use against Blackrock Spire.

Gul'dan's first-generation Death Knights broke the Dark Iron Dwarves' hold on the Blackrock Spire Surface, while Herad prepared an expeditionary force with a powerful new cannon and lent Alleria a costly Arcane Scavenger. The chapter left Alleria equipped for the coming battle, though Herad kept the cannon's intended targets secret.

• Gul'dan's first-generation Death Knights used their Death Frost Aura and brute strength to defeat the Dark Iron Dwarves, despite wielding Magic Wands as clubs.
• The Blackrock Orcs followed the Death Knights through Blackrock Spire, and the Dark Iron Dwarves retreated into the Lower Area as Orgrim kept the Death Knights in reserve afterward.
• Herad explained that his new Arcane War Machine's 120mm Smoothbore Cannon would have a suitable target, but he refused to tell Alleria what it was.
• Alleria asked Herad for an Arcane Scavenger, and he reluctantly agreed to lend her one while warning that its magical energy could not be replenished in the field.

As the Orcs pushed north, the allied kingdoms trained farmers as musketeers while Herad learned that the Orcs were overcoming Dwarven and Gnomish defenses. Orgrim planned to attack Southshore by sea and made a deal with Goblins to build ships using their waterproof black glue.

• The human kingdoms trained large numbers of farmers as musketeers, and the Dawnedge Armory won the biggest allied army orders.
• Herad watched the Iron Behemoth carry High Elf Rangers toward Southshore while stopping to trade along the way.
• The Orcs used terrain and charges to drive the Dwarves and Gnomes back, but their mountain and underground strongholds repelled repeated assaults.
• Orgrim left nearly half his army to contain the Dwarves and Gnomes, then led the rest through the Wetlands while planning a sea attack on Southshore.
• Orgrim hired Goblins to build ships from timber bonded with their waterproof black glue.