Chapter Summaries

After the Alliance’s costly victory in Quel'Thalas, Karin and the leaders mourned Derek Proudmoore, while the Horde returned to the Arathi Highlands and withdrew for the winter. The war paused until spring, when both sides expected the fighting to resume.

• Daelin Proudmoore, Anduin Lothar, Anasterian Sunstrider, and Uther the Lightbringer attended Derek Proudmoore’s funeral in Silvermoon City, where Daelin swore vengeance on the Orcs.
• Karin watched the funeral with Liadrin, remembered Derek, and vowed that explosives would soon bring the Thandol Span down on the Horde.
• Orgrim Doomhammer returned to the Arathi Highlands and learned from Kilrogg Deadeye that the Horde had lost nearly thirty thousand warriors, many more wounded, and eleven Red Dragon Riders.
• Orgrim Doomhammer ordered the Horde clans to withdraw from the Thandol Span for the winter, despite Grommash Hellscream’s suggestion to attack the Alliance city.
• The Horde retreated to the Dwarven wetlands, bringing the fourth year of the Dark Portal war to an end as both sides prepared for spring.

Karin visited Liadrin at the Sun Temple, where Grand Archmage Biluo Hua tested his resolve and magical skill. Biluo Hua ended the confrontation by reassuring him that Vondelor only needed time to accept their relationship.

• Karin entered the Sun Temple and awkwardly greeted Vondelor, who snubbed him as he left.
• Liadrin told Karin that Biluo Hua wanted to meet him, and the Grand Archmage asked how serious their relationship was.
• Karin took Liadrin's hand and declared he wanted to spend his life with her, prompting Biluo Hua to threaten him with Time Stop and Light of Truth.
• Karin used Imprisonment to contain the Light of Truth, transformed into a raven, and pressed Glamdring against Biluo Hua, who had deliberately held back.
• Biluo Hua ended the spell and told Liadrin that Vondelor was not truly opposed to them, but needed time to accept their relationship.

Liadrin decided to travel to Stratholme for a Paladin baptism, and Karin gave her Glamdring as a gift. Meanwhile, Talon Bloodmaw tortured Gul'dan on Orgrim Doomhammer's orders and killed him, preparing to turn his soul into a Death Knight.

• Vondelor and Biluo Hua discussed Liadrin's decision to leave for Stratholme and Vondelor's difficulty accepting it.
• Liadrin told Karin she planned to seek a Paladin baptism from Bishop Faol in Stratholme.
• Karin gave Liadrin Glamdring as a present for the tenth anniversary of their meeting.
• Talon Bloodmaw tortured Gul'dan and revealed that Orgrim Doomhammer ordered his punishment for killing Durotan.
• Talon Bloodmaw stabbed Gul'dan through the heart and ordered Cho'gall to bring a human Knight's corpse for Gul'dan's transformation into a Death Knight.

After the Horde retreated from Quel'Thalas, the high elves and Aerie Peak joined the Alliance, while Karin stayed behind to study. Sylvanas visited Karin to apologize for her past treatment of him, and he slapped her once before declaring their score settled.

• The Horde withdrew from Quel'Thalas, and Silvermoon City and Aerie Peak joined the Alliance.
• Anduin Lothar led the Alliance armies to the Arathi Highlands, while Anasterian pledged to send high elf forces south in the spring.
• Liadrin left for Stratholme to seek paladin baptism, while Karin remained in Quel'Thalas to study at Sunfury Spire.
• Sylvanas visited Karin and thanked him for saving her family and warning Quel'Thalas about the Horde invasion.
• Sylvanas apologized for sending Karin into danger years earlier and asked how they could settle their dispute.
• Karin reminded Sylvanas of the past, slapped her once, and declared the score settled.

Kel'Thuzad arrived in Quel'Thalas to bring his wife, Daisy, and Karin back to Dalaran. After confronting Khadgar over his treatment of Mr. Bigglesworth, Kel'Thuzad secured Khadgar’s promise to meditate for twelve hours a day, and the group prepared to return to Dalaran.

• Khadgar noticed Sylvanas leaving Karin’s room and teased Karin about what had happened between them, while Karin warned him to keep it secret.
• Kel'Thuzad arrived with Kane Sunfury, who had helped settle Daisy with Tiffany, and Karin learned Kel'Thuzad had taken Alexis’s seat on the Council after reaching the Eighth Ring.
• Khadgar tried to sneak away, but Kel'Thuzad recognized him despite his shaved head and reminded him that he had injured Mr. Bigglesworth.
• Karin and Kel'Thuzad agreed that Khadgar would avoid punishment if he meditated for twelve hours each day, and Kel'Thuzad said they should return to Dalaran to plan against the Horde.

Karin and Khadgar returned to Dalaran, where Antonidas confined Khadgar to the Violet Citadel for the duration of the war. Karin recruited him to help develop a stable explosive that could let ordinary people wield firepower comparable to a mage's spells.

• Karin, Kel'Thuzad, and Khadgar arrived in Dalaran and visited Antonidas at the Violet Citadel.
• Antonidas praised Karin for helping defend Silvermoon City, then placed a restriction on Khadgar to keep him in Dalaran.
• Antonidas said he planned to leave the Council of Six after the Horde was defeated, and Karin urged him to reconsider.
• Karin led Khadgar to the storeroom and recovered a formula and bags of unstable nitroglycerin.
• Karin explained that he wanted Khadgar to help stabilize the explosive so ordinary people could use it, and Khadgar agreed.

Karin helped Kel'Thuzad devise a plan to build his mage tower as a floating city using Gravity Inversion and other magical methods. Kel'Thuzad named the planned city Naxxramas.

• Kel'Thuzad asked Karin about Khadgar's daily explosions, and Karin explained that Khadgar was building a weapon against the Horde.
• Kel'Thuzad told Karin he dreamed of building his mage tower in the sky, but doubted he could afford to realize the plan.
• Karin took Kel'Thuzad to the mountains and proposed using Gravity Inversion to lift an inverted mountain peak as the floating city's foundation.
• Karin and Kel'Thuzad discussed using powerful levitation magic and magical gems to keep the city aloft and propel it.
• Kel'Thuzad suggested capturing Horde dragons and harnessing their power to drive the city, and Karin agreed the idea was good.
• Kel'Thuzad named his planned floating city Naxxramas.

Blackmoore brought Taretha Foxton to Dalaran to become Lord Karin’s apprentice, while hoping to benefit from her connection. After Khadgar welcomed her and led her to a waiting room, Taretha met another apprentice, Jaina Proudmoore.

• Blackmoore presented Karin’s letter to a Dalaran battlemage, who recognized the seal and escorted him and Taretha into the city.
• At the Violet Citadel, a guard told Taretha that Karin was away but had arranged for her to be admitted, and Blackmoore left after urging her to study and obey.
• Khadgar received Taretha and brought her to a room where Karin’s other apprentice was waiting.
• Taretha introduced herself to Jaina Proudmoore, who greeted her warmly.

As Naxxramas took shape, Karin returned to Dalaran and found Antonidas teaching his apprentices Jaina and Taretha. After telling Jaina about her brother Derek, Karin began their first lesson by explaining that wisdom mattered more than magic and introducing unfamiliar number symbols.

• Antonidas and Kel'Thuzad advanced Naxxramas's construction, and Kel'Thuzad told Karin that he could leave the work to him.
• Karin returned to the Violet Citadel and found Khadgar listening outside the room where Antonidas taught Jaina and Taretha about the schools of arcane magic.
• Antonidas praised Jaina's talent, declined to take either girl as his student, and said he would teach them occasionally.
• Khadgar told Karin that mixing nitroglycerin with fiber or starch made it more stable and powerful.
• Jaina asked Karin about her brother Derek, and Karin described how Derek had fought the Horde's red dragons and died in battle.
• Karin told Jaina and Taretha that wisdom was a mage's true strength, then wrote the numbers one through nine on the wall and said they contained the entire world.

Khadgar organized Dalaran’s alchemists and clothmakers to produce ingredients for a powerful new explosive, while Karin arranged for iron-cased bombs to be made for the war against the Horde. The chapter ended with Karin handing one of the bombs to Kurdran Wildhammer, hoping the Dwarf Gryphon Riders could use it against the Horde.

• Khadgar asked Detris Wadela to devote the Alchemy Workshop to producing the dangerous liquid, and Wadela estimated that it could make ten to twenty tons per month.
• Khadgar ordered Lan’erla Brightweave to supply all her runecloth stock after washing out the dyes and drying it thoroughly.
• Khadgar explained to Karin that combining the liquid with cloth fibers created an explosive far stronger than Dwarven black powder, though production would remain limited.
• Khadgar gave Karin an iron-cased bomb made by Orald Schmiel and said the Dwarf blacksmiths could be gathered to manufacture more.
• Karin met Kurdran Wildhammer by Lake Lordamere and handed him the bomb, warning him to handle it carefully.

Karin and Khadgar tested an iron bomb with Kurdran Wildhammer, who was impressed by its destructive power. Meanwhile, Deathwing met Orgrim Doomhammer with a display of black dragons, and Orgrim ordered Cho'gall to seek help accelerating the orcs' maturation.

• Karin and Khadgar persuaded Kurdran to test the iron bomb despite his disdain for explosives.
• Kurdran threw the bomb into a grove, where its blast destroyed trees and left him eager to bring the weapon to Aerie Peak.
• A scout told Orgrim that Lord Prestor had arrived to see him.
• Deathwing displayed his black dragons against the red dragons under Orgrim's command and offered them as a stronger force.
• Orgrim declined Deathwing's offer for the moment and ordered Cho'gall to find Nekros and Zuluhed and teach them the Stormreaver method for accelerating orc maturation.

Meralas Turalyon delivered Lord Lothar’s summons to Kurdran Wildhammer, calling him to Dalaran to prepare for a post-winter attack on the Horde. At Grim Batol, the Dragonmaw Clan began using a fel spell to rapidly mature a red wyrmling after Nekros threatened its mother and destroyed one of her eggs.

• Kurdran Wildhammer trained his Gryphon Riders on the snowy shores of Lake Lordamere.
• Meralas Turalyon found Kurdran and told him that Lord Lothar wanted him in the Violet City to prepare for a surprise attack on the Horde.
• Kurdran left the training ground on Skare, telling Falarek to oversee the recruits while Turalyon hurried after him.
• Nekros Skullcrusher told Zuluhed and Cho'gall that the red dragon mother had resisted their experiment until he threatened her eggs and broke one.
• Cho'gall explained that the fel spell could mature a juvenile in half a month, while Nekros warned that past subjects had died horribly.
• Cho'gall and the former Shadow Council members cast the spell on a wyrmling as its mother wept from deep within Grim Batol.

Kurdran joined the Alliance war council, where Lothar confirmed that the Wildhammer gryphon riders had secret weapons against the Horde’s red dragons. Karin warned that the Horde could attack Lordaeron by sea, and Lothar ordered Uther to defend Southshore while asking Dalaran to prepare for a surprise assault.

• Turalyon escorted Kurdran into the Violet Citadel’s conference room, where Kurdran sat beside Karin and Khadgar and learned the names of the council members.
• Lothar asked Kurdran whether the Wildhammer gryphon riders had weapons capable of dealing with dragons, and Kurdran promised they would defend the Alliance’s control of the skies while keeping the weapons secret.
• Danath Trollbane assured Lothar that Stromgarde could hold the Thandol Span against an attack.
• Karin warned the council that the Horde might launch a northern landing by sea and identified Southshore as the likeliest target.
• Lothar ordered Uther to take his men to Southshore and told Antonidas that Dalaran should prepare for a surprise attack.

Karin warned the Kirin Tor that the Horde might use red dragons to attack Dalaran, and Krasus and Anduin Lothar supported his prediction. The chapter revealed that Zaela was leading a growing Dragonmaw vanguard toward Dalaran, with the clan preparing to burn the city.

• Karin told Antonidas and the other leaders that his vision showed red dragons attacking Dalaran in early spring.
• Drenden and Modera doubted the warning, while Kael'thas and Kel'Thuzad argued that the Horde could strike Dalaran.
• Krasus reported that Horde warlocks were rapidly growing wyrmlings into combat-ready dragons, and Anduin Lothar judged Dalaran a likely target.
• The Council's members largely accepted the threat, while Kurdran complained that their discussion was taking too long.
• Zaela led more than twenty red dragons north as the Dragonmaw Clan's vanguard, following Orgrim's order to destroy Dalaran.

Kurdran Wildhammer and Dalaran prepared an ambush as Zaela led the Dragonmaw Clan’s red dragons to attack the city. With Dalaran surrounded by a hundred dragons, Kurdran and the Gryphon Riders waited to strike.

• Kurdran learned that about twenty dragons had appeared and received Karin’s order not to attack until he saw the signal.
• Zaela recalled the Horde’s destruction of Shattrath as she led her red dragons toward Dalaran.
• Zaela’s dragons set human towns ablaze and fought a small group of Dalaran wizards, forcing them to retreat.
• Zaela ordered an all-out assault and sent a hundred red dragons to surround Dalaran on Cross Island.
• Kurdran stood ready with the Gryphon Riders and Dalaran’s Archmages, gripping an iron ball as they awaited his command.

Antonidas and the Council of Six used the Eye of Dalaran to cast a spell that trapped and weakened the red dragons above Cross Island. Karin and Kurdran launched a surprise attack on the confused dragons and their orc riders.

• Antonidas opened the Eye of Dalaran and joined the Council of Six in channeling its power through his staff, Alcuus.
• The spell enveloped Dalaran in pale-blue light and drew power toward the skies above Cross Island.
• Zaela's red dragon and the other dragons panicked, slowed, and began fleeing, while some immature dragons turned toward the city.
• Karin signaled the attack, and Kurdran led the Wildhammer Gryphon Riders and Dalaran mages against the dragons and orcs.

Kurdran Wildhammer, Ansirem Runeweaver, and Dalaran’s defenders slaughtered the weakened red dragons as they fled over the city. Jaina watched from the edge of Dalaran as the battle ended, crying at the sight of Lake Lordamere turning red with blood.

• Kurdran Wildhammer avenged Faland by killing a red dragon with an explosive Iron Ball, then urged the Wildhammer Dwarves to avenge their fallen kin.
• Kurdran’s gryphon riders attacked the red dragons in coordinated groups, striking their vital spots with explosives.
• Ansirem Runeweaver pursued the fleeing dragons and killed one with powerful spells, replenishing his energy with a Mana Surge Potion.
• Karin told Ansirem Runeweaver that Antonidas’s spell had left the dragons too weak to fight, but Ansirem continued pursuing them.
• Khadgar directed the aerial battle from Krasus Square while Jaina and Taretha watched from outside the city.
• Jaina cried as she saw the blood from the dead dragons turn Lake Lordamere red.

The Alliance defended Southshore against the Horde’s landing, then withdrew to a second line as planned. Orgrim learned that the Dragonmaw Clan had been nearly wiped out at Dalaran.

• Uther, Alleria, Sylvanas, Turalyon, and Muradin prepared Southshore’s defenses as the Horde fleet approached.
• A strange pale-blue glow appeared over Dalaran while the Horde began landing, and Uther led the Alliance in fighting them off.
• Alleria ran out of arrows, and Sylvanas told her to prepare to retreat as Lothar’s retreat horn sounded.
• The Horde captured Southshore, but Orgrim noticed the Alliance had regrouped farther inland to establish another defensive line.
• Zaela returned from Dalaran badly wounded and told Orgrim that the Dragonmaw Clan had been almost completely wiped out.

After Dalaran survived the Dragonhunt War, Kel'Thuzad brought Karin to meet Krasus at his mage tower. Krasus revealed that he was a red dragon and transformed before Karin.

• The mages and Gryphon Riders retrieved the dead red dragons from Lake Lordamere while Dalaran tended to its wounded.
• Kel'Thuzad left the Guardian's Hall and learned from Khadgar that Karin was being treated for a minor injury.
• Kel'Thuzad found Karin leaving At Your Urgent Need Hospital and told him that Krasus wanted to see him.
• Karin went to Krasus's tower alone, where the apprentice Rhonin let him upstairs.
• Krasus confessed to Karin that his true identity was a red dragon, then transformed into one.

Karin confronted Krasus after learning he was the red dragon Korialstrasz, and Krasus revealed that the Horde had enslaved the red dragons by using the Dragon Soul to imprison Alexstrasza. Karin agreed to lead a rescue mission to Grim Batol under strict conditions, and the group prepared to depart.

• Krasus revealed that he was Korialstrasz, and Karin said Archmage Antonidas had already suspected he was a dragon.
• Krasus explained that the orcs had imprisoned Alexstrasza at Grim Batol with the Dragon Soul and forced her to hatch wyrmlings for the Horde.
• Krasus told Karin that he had infiltrated Grim Batol but could not resist the Dragon Soul's power.
• Karin said he still had doubts, then required that the group treat every red dragon they encountered as an enemy and that he or Kel'Thuzad lead the operation.
• Krasus accepted Karin's conditions, and Karin said they would leave that day and asked Krasus to gather free red dragons to fight with them.