Chapter Summaries

Aaron realized he had transmigrated into Azeroth after recognizing a High Elf at the inn in Lordaeron, and he tried to determine what era he had landed in. The elf noticed his staring and walked toward him.

• Aaron recognized the inn’s guest as a High Elf and asked the innkeeper whether the nearby lands included Alterac and Dalaran.
• Aaron concluded that he was in Lordaeron and learned from Chef Nosh that the elf was waiting for someone.
• Aaron reasoned that the Scourge had not yet crossed the Eastern Kingdoms and that the Orcs might still be fighting the Second War.
• Aaron recalled farming mounts in World of Warcraft before waking in the wilderness, where he found work at the inn in exchange for bread.
• Aaron went outside to look at the elf and her Thalassian Horse, and the elf walked toward him after noticing his stare.

Aaron accidentally protected a drunken farmer with a golden shield when Vereesa Windrunner was about to stab him, revealing what appeared to be a Paladin ability. The elf withdrew to her room after giving Aaron her name, while he ended the chapter puzzled by his newfound power and unable to sleep.

• Aaron noticed that the white-haired elf was waiting for someone, but he backed away when she appeared wary of him.
• That evening, Aaron found Vereesa Windrunner pinning a drunken farmer to a table with a dagger.
• Aaron shouted for Vereesa to stop, and a golden film of light appeared around the farmer.
• Vereesa left for her room and told Aaron her name, while Aaron wondered whether she had spared the farmer because he intervened.
• The innkeeper called Aaron a Paladin, and Aaron suspected the light had been Divine Shield.
• Aaron returned to his straw-covered bed in the storeroom and tossed and turned, unable to understand his power or fall asleep.

Aaron remembered that he was in the period after the Second War and recognized Vereesa Windrunner, then discovered a book that granted him Paladin equipment and skills. After testing his new abilities, he returned to bed with the book absorbed into his mind.

• Aaron recognized Vereesa Windrunner and recalled that she was escorting Rhonin on a mission connected to the red dragons.
• Aaron found a heavy book bearing the Silver Hand emblem beside his bed and took it outside to read by moonlight.
• Aaron discovered that the book contained his collected mounts, a usable Radiant Lightbringer set, and six available Protection Paladin skills.
• Aaron summoned the armor and weapons, tested several skills, and realized the book let him use them by touching its icons.
• Aaron's equipment and book vanished from sight and seemed to enter his mind, where the book continued to radiate Holy Light.
• Aaron returned to the basement and went to sleep.

Aaron considered how to earn money and decided to try joining Rhonin and Vereesa's mission, though he knew it was dangerous. When Rhonin finally arrived after keeping Vereesa waiting for three days, Aaron offered himself as a Paladin to protect their journey.

• Aaron weighed his limited knowledge of Azeroth's future and realized he could not use it to earn money or prevent major events.
• Aaron watched Vereesa grow increasingly impatient as Rhonin failed to arrive for three days.
• Rhonin rode into town, and Vereesa immediately drew her bow on him before recognizing him as the mage she had been waiting for.
• Vereesa confronted Rhonin about his lateness, but he offered little explanation as she prepared to leave.
• Aaron hurried over and asked Rhonin whether he needed a brave Paladin for the adventure, leaving Rhonin confused.

Aaron persuaded Rhonin to hire him as a guard for the journey to Hasic, then joined Rhonin and Vereesa on the road. The party traveled under a grim, awkward atmosphere and encountered an unexpected turn of events.

• Aaron equipped golden plate armor and cast Light of the Protector to prove he was a Paladin, then argued that he could protect Rhonin and Vereesa from orc dragon riders.
• Rhonin hired Aaron as his guard until they reached Hasic and paid him ten gold coins in advance.
• Aaron summoned a black horse from his mount collection and struggled briefly to ride it before catching up with Rhonin and Vereesa.
• Vereesa explained that the journey to Hasic would take about six days and that Rhonin risked missing the Kul Tiras fleet because of their delay.
• Aaron studied Rhonin and noticed the party’s gloomy, awkward silence as they traveled.
• The three-person party encountered an unexpected turn of events on the road.

Aaron, Vereesa, and Rhonin were attacked by an Orc riding a red dragon in the forest. After Rhonin temporarily disrupted the dragon, the three fled, but his spell was about to wear off.

• Aaron stopped Rhonin's and Vereesa's panicked horses from colliding, then caught Vereesa and used Blessing of Sacrifice to protect Rhonin.
• An Orc rider ordered a red dragon to seize Rhonin and throw him into the forest, while Aaron drew the dragon's attention with his shield.
• Aaron cast Divine Shield on himself and Vereesa, but the dragon abruptly flailed as Rhonin's spell made it lose focus.
• Aaron and Vereesa reached Rhonin, who had minor injuries; Aaron healed him with Light of the Protector, and the three decided to leave.
• Rhonin admitted he had disrupted the red dragon, then warned that his spell was about to wear off, prompting Aaron to ask if he had another way to stop it.

Aaron, Vereesa, and Rhonin escaped a red dragon’s attack while gryphon riders fought it in the sky, then were stopped by Silver Hand knights. The chapter left the three being ordered to come with the knights.

• Rhonin’s spellcasting faltered as the red dragon charged, but Vereesa pointed out three gryphons arriving through the clouds.
• Three gryphon riders battled the red dragon, gaining the advantage as Aaron, Vereesa, and Rhonin continued onward.
• Rhonin wondered how the dragon had found them, while Vereesa blamed the Orcs for attacking the Alliance.
• Six mounted knights surrounded Aaron, Vereesa, and Rhonin, and an older Paladin emerged from the woods.
• Aaron cast Light of the Protector to show that he was a Paladin, and the older knight ordered all three to come with them.

Aaron, Rhonin, and Vereesa reached a Silver Hand camp, where the Paladins welcomed Vereesa but treated Rhonin warily because of their distrust of magic. After Duncan questioned Aaron about his origins and urged him to rest, Aaron decided to check on Rhonin before the mage caused trouble.

• Aaron walked alongside Rhonin and learned that many knights considered magic evil, explaining the Paladins’ suspicion of the mage.
• The Paladins escorted the companions to their camp, where Duncan offered to lead a squad to Hasic and showed Vereesa special attention.
• Duncan ignored Rhonin’s objection, arranged quarters for Vereesa, and had a knight take Rhonin elsewhere.
• Duncan asked Aaron where he came from and why he lacked a Silver Hand emblem, then let the subject drop when Aaron hesitated.
• After Duncan left, Aaron found the straw-covered bed unsuitable for resting and decided to speak with Rhonin.

Aaron tried to keep Rhonin calm during dinner, where the Paladins fawned over Vereesa and Duncan described the Orcs’ increasingly frequent raids. Rhonin left the table in frustration, and on the camp wall he revealed that a crystal pendant was his only remaining way to contact Krasus after a dragon destroyed his supplies.

• Aaron visited Rhonin and comforted him before they went to dinner together.
• At the dining hall, Duncan told Aaron, Rhonin, and Vereesa that Orc raids had become more frequent and recounted a deadly dragon attack on Uryen Camp.
• Rhonin challenged Duncan’s talk of necessary sacrifices, but Vereesa redirected Duncan before the argument escalated.
• Vereesa kept Duncan and the Paladins engrossed in the knight’s stories while Rhonin left the dining hall in anger.
• Aaron followed Rhonin to the camp wall, where Rhonin showed him a deep-red crystal pendant and explained that it could help him contact Krasus.

Deathwing seized Rhonin and demolished part of the wall, leaving Aaron injured but alive after he protected a nearby Paladin. The group searched for Rhonin, and as they settled into camp, Deathwing swept past again and vanished into the sky.

• Aaron recognized Deathwing approaching, protected Rhonin’s companion with Divine Shield, and used Ardent Defender on himself.
• Deathwing carried Rhonin away and smashed half the wall with his tail, burying Aaron and the Paladin in rubble.
• The Paladin healed Aaron, and Aaron told the guards that Deathwing had taken Rhonin; Vereesa and Duncan arrived and questioned his account.
• Duncan ordered the Paladins to search for Rhonin, but they found no trace of him before making camp near evening.
• As the camp was nearly ready, a sulfurous gale toppled many tents, and Aaron saw Deathwing spread his wings and disappear again.

After Rhonin returned to the camp unconscious, Aaron stayed to watch over him and discovered that he had unlocked the Orb of the Sin'dorei, which temporarily transformed him into a high elf. He spoke with Vereesa about the toy and her missing sister Alleria, leaving her comforted but still uncertain about Alleria’s fate.

• The black dragon vanished, and Rhonin returned to camp unconscious; Aaron healed him and agreed to watch over him.
• Aaron discovered that the Orb of the Sin'dorei had unlocked in his strange book and used it to transform himself into a high elf.
• Vereesa recognized Aaron and examined his transformation, while Aaron canceled it and explained away his green eyes.
• Vereesa told Aaron that her sister Alleria had been trapped beyond the Dark Portal for several years, and Aaron reassured her that Alleria would survive.

Aaron and Vereesa spent the night talking about her family, the Farstriders, and her first mission outside Quel'Thalas. Their conversation ended with dawn approaching and Rhonin still asleep.

• Vereesa asked Aaron about her sisters and the high elf king, and he recalled Sylvanas and Prince Kael'thas but could not name the king.
• Vereesa explained the Farstriders' duties and described how Alleria had given up the ranger-general position, which went to Sylvanas.
• Vereesa told Aaron that she and Sylvanas were caring for Alleria's son Arator while she hoped to return from her mission soon.
• Vereesa said her first journey through human lands had been disappointing, but thanked Aaron for intervening when they first met.
• Vereesa described Sylvanas as strict and recalled Lor'themar and Halduron complaining about her behind her back.
• Aaron and Vereesa talked beside the fire through the night, and Aaron noticed Rhonin was still sleeping soundly.

After Rhonin woke, Duncan questioned him about the attack, and Aaron helped him rejoin the Paladin party aboard a Chauffeured Chopper. As they neared Hasic, the group found the road unnaturally quiet and stopped to assess what might have happened.

• Rhonin woke and told Duncan that he had been preparing a voice transmission spell to contact Krasus when the wall collapsed.
• Duncan accepted Rhonin’s explanation and ordered the party to leave for Hasic within an hour.
• Aaron summoned a Chauffeured Chopper and carried Rhonin in its sidecar while Rhonin chattered about his escape from Deathwing.
• Duncan told Rhonin to be quiet, and Rhonin snapped back before Duncan rode out of earshot.
• Near Hasic, the party noticed there were no sounds of wildlife or signs of travelers, so Duncan ordered everyone to stop and rest.

After Rhonin’s ship was destroyed, Vereesa arranged for Falstad Wildhammer’s gryphon riders to carry Rhonin and Duncan toward Khaz Modan, while Aaron stayed behind in Hasic to watch her mount. Aaron then discovered he could summon a gryphon and flew after the others.

• Falstad Wildhammer told Duncan that his riders had defeated two dragons at Hasic, though Gorodin had died.
• Rhonin learned that his ship from Kul Tiras was gone, leaving an overland route through Orc territory as his only apparent way to reach Grim Batol.
• Vereesa persuaded the gryphon riders to take her, Rhonin, and Duncan to Khaz Modan, while Aaron stayed behind because the three gryphons had no room for him.
• Vereesa asked Aaron to care for her mount until she returned, and Duncan entrusted his authority seal to Roland before the group departed.
• Aaron discovered that he could summon a snow-white gryphon, left Vereesa’s mount with the Silver Hand Paladins, and flew after the others.

Aaron caught up with the party on a snowy gryphon, and the group continued their long flight toward Grim Batol. When two red dragons carrying Orc riders attacked, Aaron joined the aerial battle and stunned one rider with Flying Shield.

• Aaron caught up with the three gryphons and surprised Vereesa, Rhonin, Duncan, and Murok with his snowy gryphon.
• Aaron practiced difficult aerial maneuvers, then followed Falstad's warning to bring his gryphon lower and conserve its stamina.
• The riders spotted land and two approaching red dragons with Orcs on their backs, then scattered to avoid being attacked together.
• As the dragons engaged the gryphon riders, Aaron circled them on his mount and struck one Orc rider with Flying Shield, briefly stunning him.

Aaron boarded a red dragon to confront its orc rider, killed him with Vereesa’s help, and struggled to control the riderless dragon. After falling toward the sea, Aaron summoned a gryphon to save himself, but an immense dark silhouette suddenly approached.

• Aaron tried to seize the orc rider from his gryphon, then dropped onto the red dragon and faced the orc in close combat.
• The orc overpowered Aaron with his axe and kicked him toward the edge of the dragon, but Vereesa struck the orc with an arrow and Aaron ran him through with his sword.
• Aaron pushed the dying orc off the dragon, but the riderless dragon thrashed wildly and left him clinging to its saddle without help.
• Aaron lost his grip and fell toward the sea; as Falstad, Vereesa, and the others failed to reach him, he summoned a gryphon and slowed his descent.
• Aaron reunited with the relieved riders, then spotted an immense dark silhouette flying toward them and shouted a warning.

Aaron and Falstad pursued Deathwing after he captured Rhonin, then regrouped with Vereesa and a goblin named Kreel who claimed to know where the dragon had landed. As the group prepared to search for Rhonin, Aaron faced the danger of his new life in Azeroth and resolved to survive.

• Deathwing seized Rhonin, destroyed his red dragon mount, and evaded Aaron and the gryphon riders.
• Aaron, Falstad, and Vereesa camped in the wilderness after losing Deathwing, and they arranged watches for the night.
• Vereesa and Falstad captured Kreel, who claimed he could lead them to Rhonin and Deathwing.
• Vereesa agreed to rest before setting out, while Aaron took over the watch.
• Aaron worried that he might never return home, then resolved to do his best to stay alive in Azeroth.

Aaron, Vereesa, and Falstad followed Kreel’s trail to search for Rhonin and deduced that he was headed to Grim Batol to rescue the Red Dragon Queen. Kreel agreed to guide them through the dangerous mountains, and the group approached Grim Batol while avoiding the red dragons overhead.

• Aaron, Vereesa, and Falstad found traces of Rhonin but no sign of him, and Vereesa identified an empty waterskin as having held fine wine.
• Aaron reasoned that Rhonin was likely alive and suggested Deathwing had not taken him merely to stop his mission.
• Aaron suspected Kreel worked for Deathwing and concluded that Rhonin had gone to Grim Batol to rescue the Red Dragon Queen.
• Vereesa freed Kreel but insisted on going to Grim Batol, and Aaron and Falstad agreed to accompany her.
• Kreel warned that flying directly to Grim Batol was dangerous and offered to guide them along a hidden route.
• The group followed Kreel’s directions, hiding from passing red dragons as they neared Grim Batol.

Aaron, Vereesa, and Falstad were captured by a trap after Kreel vanished, leaving Aaron to fight three Vilebranch Trolls underground. Aaron defeated all three, but ended the battle exhausted while his companions remained unconscious.

• Kreel disappeared after warning the group, and Aaron, Vereesa, and Falstad fell into a quicksand trap that dragged them underground.
• Aaron found three Vilebranch Trolls waiting below and fought Xinai after the Trolls moved to capture Vereesa and Falstad.
• Aaron used Divine Shield and his sword to wound Xinai badly enough to knock him unconscious.
• Aaron manifested a Holy Light hammer and used Hammer of Judgement to knock down one Troll, then defeated the bald Troll with his shield and sword.
• Aaron watched the last Troll collapse, then nearly fell from exhaustion.

Aaron, Vereesa, and Falstad joined Lom and his Bronzebeard resistance fighters, who led them through a hidden route toward Grim Batol despite the danger posed by red dragons. After Aaron and Vereesa followed Lom and caught him communicating with someone, Lom gave Vereesa a red-gem pendant so the mysterious figure could speak with her.

• Aaron tied up the three trolls, woke Vereesa and the others, and met Lom and his dwarves, who had come to kill trolls.
• Lom warned the companions that orcs and their troll allies threatened them, then led them away with the dwarf resistance fighters.
• The dwarves agreed to guide Aaron, Vereesa, and Falstad through secret passages toward Grim Batol, where injured red dragons guarded the route.
• The group reached a concealed exit blocked by rocks and decided to wait until nightfall before leaving.
• Aaron followed Lom when he slipped away alone, and Vereesa followed Aaron; they overheard Lom report their presence to an unseen contact.
• Lom received new instructions through a glowing object and handed Vereesa a red-gem pendant so the mysterious figure could talk to her.