Chapter Summaries

Aaron joined Brann Bronzebeard and an Explorers' League expedition inside Uldaman, where Troggs ambushed the dwarves in the underground passages. After Aaron and Vereesa helped the group fight them off, a larger Trogg force emerged and surrounded them again.

• Aaron entered Uldaman with Brann and the expedition, and Brann explained that Troggs had driven his scouts from a hidden hall.
• Vereesa exposed a concealed passage with an arrow, and Brann ordered the dwarves to prepare for battle.
• Troggs burst from several newly dug holes and split the dwarves into groups in the cramped corridor.
• Aaron shielded Vereesa, fought through the Troggs, and healed wounded dwarves while they regrouped with Brann.
• After Brann dismissed the Troggs as easy to defeat, a Trogg leader roared back and sent an even larger force to surround the dwarves.

Aaron and Brann’s expedition defeated Revelosh, but deeper inside Uldaman they were surrounded by Troggs led by Grimlok and his sleeping lizard. Aaron struggled to reach Grimlok as the Troggs injured and killed dwarves, leaving the party trapped in a worsening battle.

• Revelosh ambushed the expedition with Troggs, but Aaron knocked him nearly unconscious, causing his followers to flee.
• Brann ordered the dwarves to finish off the wounded Troggs, and the expedition continued through Uldaman.
• Aaron noticed that unusually many Troggs had gathered around the party, and Brann ordered the dwarves to form up.
• Grimlok appeared with a lizard, surrounded the dwarves, and used Bloodlust and lightning while the lizard’s spells put some of them to sleep.
• Aaron could not break through Grimlok’s Troggs, and the expedition suffered casualties as the battle continued.

Aaron used Holy Light to collapse earth from the passage ceiling, sealing off the Troggs from the dwarven expedition so he could attack Grimlok alone. He killed Grimlok, the Troggs scattered, and the dwarves later dug through the mound to rejoin Aaron.

• Aaron realized he could bring down the unreinforced passage ceiling to block the Troggs from reaching the dwarven expedition.
• Aaron drew the Troggs into surrounding him, then knocked them down and smashed earth from the ceiling to build a barrier behind him.
• Aaron defeated Grimlok’s basilisk and charged through the remaining Troggs under a Divine Shield.
• Aaron reached Grimlok and hammered him to death despite the chieftain’s lightning and Bloodlust-enhanced Troggs.
• The Troggs scattered after Grimlok died, and the dwarves dug through the mound to find Aaron beside the chieftain’s corpse.

After the troggs were defeated, Aaron led the dwarves through the underground complex, overcoming its remaining beasts and faulty golems until they reached Archaedas's chamber. Archaedas awakened and mistook Aaron for a thief desecrating Tyr's weapons, leaving Aaron forced to dodge his attack and prepare to fight.

• Aaron's party made smoother progress after Grimlok's death, and the dwarves thanked him for helping them reclaim the complex.
• Vereesa scolded Aaron for confronting Grimlok alone, and Aaron promised not to act so recklessly again.
• Aaron guided the expedition past underground beasts and malfunctioning Titan-forged golems to Archaedas's chamber.
• Archaedas awakened on his own and demanded to know who had disturbed him.
• Aaron approached Archaedas with Tyr's Truthguard shield and Silver Hand Warhammer, but Archaedas accused him of stealing the weapons and attacked.
• Aaron rolled aside from Archaedas's warhammer and prepared for the fight.

Aaron and the dwarves met Archaedas in Uldaman, where he shared the history of the Earthen and agreed to help them. Aaron urged Archaedas to avenge Tyr and reclaim Ulduar, but Archaedas warned that Loken was too powerful and said they should wait for the Titans to return.

• Xal'atath revealed herself to Archaedas, showed him a beam of golden light, and persuaded him to help Aaron.
• Archaedas told the Bronzebeard Dwarves how Yogg-Saron's Curse of Flesh transformed the Earthen and Mechagnomes into dwarves and gnomes, then gave them records from the Disc of Norgannon.
• Aaron asked Archaedas if he wanted to avenge Tyr and reclaim Ulduar.
• Archaedas said Loken was too powerful for them to defeat and urged Aaron to wait for the Titans to return.

Aaron persuaded Archaedas to accept that the Titans had fallen and join preparations to retake Ulduar from Loken. Archaedas and Ironaya began clearing Uldaman’s underground complex, while Aaron left to handle his own part of the preparations.

• Aaron questioned Archaedas about the Disc of Norgannon, and Archaedas explained that the artifact had malfunctioned and its records were jumbled.
• Aaron told Archaedas that the Pantheon had fallen and that Loken had withdrawn to Ulduar without preparing for a full-scale war.
• Archaedas accepted Aaron’s account and agreed that they should retake Ulduar, repair its prison, and suppress the prisoner within.
• Aaron urged Archaedas to clear Uldaman’s underground complex and prepare the Earthen and Mechagnomes for a future counterattack.
• Archaedas awakened Ironaya, and the two Titan Keepers began clearing the complex and preparing to awaken its sleeping inhabitants.
• Aaron left Uldaman, relieved that Archaedas and Ironaya had regained their resolve, and went to do his part.

Aaron returned to Gnomeregan and found that Thermaplugg had prepared the Ya-Mei Trading Company’s premises. After learning Thermaplugg wanted to expand the gnomes’ influence in the Alliance, Aaron agreed to begin recruiting staff, while hoping to change Thermaplugg’s future.

• Aaron left Uldaman for Gnomeregan after agreeing to invite Archaedas on a future journey to Northrend, and Archaedas planned to build a ship there.
• Aaron traveled through Loch Modan and Dun Morogh and returned to find Thermaplugg had converted the laboratory into offices and a workshop for the Ya-Mei Trading Company.
• Aaron asked Thermaplugg why he was so eager to establish the company, and Thermaplugg said he wanted to increase the gnomes’ influence and standing within the Alliance.
• Thermaplugg explained that Mekkatorque knew his intentions and had made him the company’s first supervisor to see whether he could find a better path for the gnomes.
• Aaron decided to begin recruiting craftsmen and asked Thermaplugg for recommendations.

Aaron sought gnome apprentices for Ya-Mei Trading Company and recruited applicants from Gearshaft University. While reviewing the applications with Sicco Thermaplugg, he found one submitted by Chromie and wondered why she had applied.

• Aaron asked Sicco Thermaplugg to contact gnome tinkers who might join his trading company, while preparing to recruit apprentices for its production work.
• Sicco Thermaplugg recommended Gearshaft University, and Aaron went there to invite students to apply.
• Aaron offered attractive terms, and many gnome apprentices submitted applications to join Ya-Mei Trading Company.
• Aaron returned with the applications and reviewed them with Sicco Thermaplugg.
• Aaron noticed Chromie's name on an application and questioned why she wanted to join.

Aaron reviewed applications for the Ya-Mei Trading Company and interviewed gnome apprentices, then met Chromie, who revealed that he would know her in the future and asked him to pretend they had never met. She left without joining, determined not to disrupt the timeline.

• Aaron set Chromie's application aside and selected around sixty gnome apprentices for interviews with help from Sicco Thermaplugg.
• Aaron interviewed the applicants and chose over thirty gnome artisan apprentices to recruit into the Ya-Mei Trading Company.
• Aaron called Chromie in last and asked her to show him a mechanical product, but she said he had previously invited her to join the company.
• Chromie realized she had arrived too early, warned Aaron not to call her Chronormu, and struggled over whether joining would disrupt the timeline.
• Chromie asked Aaron to pretend they had never met, then left after Aaron agreed, promising she would settle the score with him later.

Aaron struggled to get the Ya-Mei Trading Company’s gnomish craftsmen to develop a flagship product and instead set the apprentices to making standardized components. He changed their assignments to prepare a demonstration of why interchangeable parts mattered, leaving Vereesa curious about the device he had planned.

• Aaron found that the recruited gnomish craftsmen showed little interest in the company and failed to produce a prototype, while he could not make meaningful progress at engineering himself.
• Aaron assigned the gnomish apprentices to make simple gears with minimal differences, aiming to teach them standardization, but they disliked the work.
• Aaron decided to demonstrate the benefits of standardization and gave each apprentice a different component to produce the next morning.
• Vereesa asked Aaron what the blueprint showed, and Aaron kept his plan secret while waiting for the apprentices to finish their parts.

Aaron supervised the gnome apprentices as they made parts from his hurried drawings, correcting misunderstandings and improvised changes. After finally approving their work, he began assembling the parts to reveal what they were for.

• A gnome apprentice proudly brought Aaron a finished trigger part, but Aaron noticed he had made its slanted section perpendicular.
• Aaron explained the mistake, and the apprentice returned to his workbench to make the part again.
• Aaron told the other gnome apprentices to ask him about anything unclear and inspected their work, finding several misread specifications and unwanted design flourishes.
• Aaron spent more than half a day correcting the apprentices and inspecting their parts until he had a pile of acceptable pieces.
• Aaron began assembling the parts in front of the curious gnomes, and the pieces started taking shape in his hands.

Aaron demonstrated that standardized parts could be exchanged between hand crossbows, showing the gnomes how precise manufacturing could make repairs easier. He left them to consider the idea and planned to introduce assembly-line production after expanding his workforce.

• Aaron assembled and tested a hand crossbow, then repeatedly dismantled and rebuilt it using parts from two sets.
• The gnomes realized Aaron's parts were interchangeable and could make machinery repairs easier.
• Aaron ended the demonstration without explaining the process in detail and told the gnomes they would continue the next day.
• Aaron considered assembly-line production for a larger future workforce, then went with Vereesa to check on the craftsmen's prototype.

Aaron visited the gnome craftsmen and tested the first revolver they had built for the Ya-Mei Trading Company. He decided to make it the company’s first product, then promised to address the craftsmen’s concerns about producing it at scale.

• Aaron entered the gnome craftsmen’s laboratory and learned that they had completed a working model of his proposed revolver.
• Aaron examined the weapon, then fired all six rounds and was satisfied with its accuracy, feel, and reliability.
• Aaron told the craftsmen they would receive bonuses and that he planned to sell the revolver throughout the Eastern Kingdoms.
• The craftsmen warned Aaron that each revolver took half a day to assemble, making mass production difficult.
• Aaron sent the craftsmen home to rest and said they would find a solution together the next day.

Aaron reconsidered the market for his revolver after Vereesa explained its limitations against elven bows, then realized it could serve as a close-range self-defense weapon for rangers. He arranged mass production with the gnome craftsmen and prepared to open the Ya-Mei Trading Company.

• Vereesa tested Aaron’s revolver and judged that it fired quickly but had less range and power than an elven bow.
• Aaron struggled to identify buyers for the revolver because it was unlikely to replace the weapons used by armies or High Elf rangers.
• Vereesa recognized that the revolver could protect rangers in close encounters with Trolls, and Aaron realized he could sell it for that purpose.
• Aaron excitedly hugged and spun Vereesa, then apologized when she told him the gesture had been too sudden.
• Aaron and the gnome craftsmen set up a fixed production process, completed the first batch of revolvers, and prepared an opening ceremony for the Ya-Mei Trading Company.

Aaron completed the Ya-Mei Trading Company's revolver production preparations and arranged its opening ceremony. On the eve of the ceremony, he admitted to Vereesa that he was nervous, then finished checking the venue and prepared to welcome the guests the next morning.

• Aaron established an assembly-line process for gnome apprentices, then worked with the craftsmen to fix production problems and raise the revolvers' pass rate.
• Sicco Thermaplugg warned Aaron that expanding the company's product range could create a worker shortage, and Aaron suggested recruiting workers from other races.
• Aaron and Sicco decided to hold the company's opening ceremony a week later, and Aaron invited members of the Tinkers' Court and Magni.
• Aaron completed preparations for the opening, including a first batch of three hundred revolvers and a temporary venue outside the company's premises.
• Vereesa helped Aaron check the venue and reassured him when he admitted he was nervous about the ceremony.

Aaron opened the Ya-Mei Trading Company in Gnomeregan, where gnomes bought some revolvers and Brann showed interest in outfitting the Explorers' League. The company made a promising start, and Aaron planned to use Brann's proposal to expand its business.

• Aaron announced the Ya-Mei Trading Company’s opening as gnomes gathered to watch and set off fireworks.
• Brann attended on Magni’s behalf, examined the revolvers, and agreed to return with money to buy fifty for the Explorers' League.
• Brann asked Aaron to consider developing tools for the Explorers' League’s archaeological digs, and Aaron said development would take time.
• Aaron checked the ledger and found that the opening day’s sales had exceeded his expectations, while Vereesa warned that future sales would likely be lower.
• Aaron told Vereesa that Brann had given him an idea for the company’s next move.

Aaron shifted the struggling Ya-Mei Trading Company toward custom, order-based production and secured enough work from human kingdoms to keep it operating. After expanding the company, he decided to explore arms sales to Quel'Thalas and left Gnomeregan with Vereesa.

• Aaron and Sicco Thermaplugg discussed the company's finances and decided to seek large custom orders after Brann's purchases and the Explorers' League's tool order.
• Sicco suggested selling construction machinery to rebuilding human kingdoms, and Aaron failed to secure a deal with Thoradin before winning an order from Prince Liam of Gilneas.
• Aaron expanded the company, recruited gnome apprentices, and rented additional production sites to fulfill its orders.
• Aaron decided to pursue arms sales and asked Vereesa whether Quel'Thalas's rangers might want gnomish mechanical products.
• Aaron left Gnomeregan with Vereesa and headed for Quel'Thalas.

Aaron and Vereesa returned to Silvermoon City and found the Ranger-General’s residence deserted, raising concern about Sylvanas and the ranger forces. They discovered Arator was with Liadrin, who revealed that renewed troll trouble had left Sylvanas irritable and invited them to discuss it elsewhere.

• Aaron delivered construction machinery to Prince Liam, docked the Dreadwake at Sunsail Anchorage, and flew to Silvermoon City with Vereesa.
• Vereesa and Aaron found the ranger training grounds empty and discovered that Sylvanas’s residence had been deserted for several days.
• Vereesa worried about Sylvanas and Arator, and she and Aaron decided to search for her sister.
• Vereesa and Aaron met Liadrin walking with Arator, and Liadrin confirmed that Arator was in her care.
• Liadrin said the trolls were causing trouble again and took Vereesa and Aaron back with her to explain.

Aaron, Vereesa, and Liadrin discussed the Troll attacks in Eversong Woods after putting Arator to bed. Lor'themar's letter revealed that the Forest Trolls had gained outside help, and Aaron suspected the newcomers were Zandalari Trolls.

• Aaron tucked Arator into bed, and Vereesa asked Liadrin about the Troll situation.
• Liadrin explained that Sylvanas had taken the rangers to the front, where she planned to fight the Trolls directly.
• Vereesa read Lor'themar's letter and learned that the Forest Troll raids had intensified and the rangers had suffered setbacks.
• Vereesa said the Forest Trolls had help from another Troll group, whose spellcasters and coordination had strengthened their attacks.
• Aaron suspected the unfamiliar Trolls were Zandalari and wondered why they had arrived so early.

Aaron suspected the Zandalari Trolls had secretly strengthened the Amani Trolls to bring them under their influence, but he saw an opportunity for the Ya-Mei Trading Company to profit from the war. After giving Liadrin a revolver and stopping her from heading to the front, he left to assess the fighting and plan the company’s production.

• Aaron concluded that Zandalari Trolls had likely helped the Amani Trolls harness the loa’s power, and he explained their ambitions to Vereesa and Liadrin.
• Aaron argued that the Amani Trolls still could not defeat Quel'Thalas and the Alliance, and he described how Zandalari aid had weakened other troll peoples.
• Aaron told Liadrin about the Ya-Mei Trading Company and showed her its revolver, prompting her to threaten to report his attempt to profit from the war.
• Aaron gave Liadrin the revolver and ammunition, then warned her not to take it to the front before leaving for the Farstriders' Camp to assess the fighting.