Chapter Summaries

Aaron warned Krasus that Malygos planned to divert ley line energy into the Void, so they traveled to Coldarra to investigate. After Malygos detected them and Krasus approached, Malygos began explaining his plan, leaving its details unrevealed.

• Aaron told Krasus his prediction about Malygos and the danger to the ley lines, and Krasus agreed to investigate.
• Krasus opened a portal to a ley line node near Coldarra and asked the Blue Dragonflight to help maintain it.
• Aaron and Krasus saw Malygos gathering ley line energy and blasting it into the sky, confirming Aaron’s warning.
• Malygos spotted the group and threatened to attack, so Krasus flew out to meet him with Aaron hidden on his back.
• Malygos recognized Krasus, welcomed him, and began describing his plan to Krasus and Aaron.

Malygos told Krasus how Void energy had restored his sanity and how a mysterious Bronze Dragon had shown him visions that led him to plan to strip spellcasters of Arcane magic. After Malygos exposed Aaron hiding on Krasus, Aaron tried to redirect the conversation by revealing that a future Titan was gestating inside Azeroth.

• Malygos explained that attacking Void Dragons in Coldarra had restored his sanity.
• Malygos told Krasus that a Bronze Dragon had used the Hourglass of Time to show him visions of future threats from greedy spellcasters.
• Malygos revealed that the Bronze Dragon had taught him a spell to drain Arcane energy from spellcasters, and said he intended to use it rather than kill them.
• Malygos dispelled Krasus's concealment magic and confronted Aaron, recognizing that he had met him before.
• Aaron told Malygos that a future Titan was gestating within Azeroth.

Aaron tried to convince Malygos that Azeroth was nurturing a Titan, but Kairozdormu had already given the Aspect of the Blue a false account. After Malygos agreed to seek a trustworthy witness, Kairozdormu infected him with a dark red substance and fled, leaving Aaron and Krasus facing Malygos as chaos began to overtake him.

• Aaron told Malygos about Azeroth's world-soul and the ancient war between the Old Gods and the Titan Keepers.
• Malygos summoned the Infinite Dragonflight, and Kairozdormu accused Aaron of coming from the future to stop them from correcting the timeline.
• Krasus suggested asking Nozdormu to verify Aaron's account, and Malygos agreed to seek a witness.
• Kairozdormu approached Malygos in High Elf form, pressed a dark red mass against him, and escaped after Malygos attacked.
• Malygos told Aaron and Krasus to flee as chaos changed his eyes and scales.

Malygos was fully corrupted and attacked Aaron and Krasus, forcing them to flee the Nexus. He left them behind and flew northeast, raving about freeing his master.

• Aaron recognized Malygos’s corruption as resembling Ysera’s and wondered how Kairozdormu had caused it so quickly.
• Malygos attacked Aaron with a corrupted breath, then pursued Krasus through the air when Krasus urged him to come to his senses.
• Aaron stabbed Malygos in the back with Frostmourne, drawing black blood, but Malygos retaliated with powerful spells.
• Aaron and Krasus fled on Krasus’s back as Malygos’s attacks shook the floating platform and disrupted the Ley Line energy.
• Malygos did not follow them and instead flew northeast, muttering about freeing his master.

Malygos flew north in a frenzy, and Aaron helped Alexstrasza fight him near Icecrown Glacier. Aaron killed Malygos with Frostmourne, which absorbed his soul, and Annhylde arrived to claim the Spellweaver and summoned Aaron to join her.

• Alexstrasza pursued Malygos after learning from Krasus that he had flown north, and the two Aspects clashed near Sholazar Basin.
• Aaron and Krasus intervened to help Alexstrasza, and Aaron drove Frostmourne into Malygos's back.
• Frostmourne absorbed Malygos's soul, leaving his body lifeless as it fell toward the forest.
• Alexstrasza caught Aaron before Malygos's body struck the ground, and Annhylde arrived and identified herself as the one who had come for the Spellweaver.
• Annhylde told Aaron to come with her, and he flew down beside Malygos's corpse with Frostmourne in hand.

Aaron and Annhylde dealt with Malygos’s corpse after Frostmourne devoured his soul, and Annhylde took control of the dragon’s body to carry it west. Aaron followed her to the Halls of Valor, where he was finally set to meet the mysterious power behind events.

• Annhylde feared Frostmourne and refused to help release Malygos’s soul from it.
• Annhylde entered Malygos’s skull and took control of his body, struggling to stand and fly.
• Annhylde gradually mastered Malygos’s body and flew west, while Xal'atath told Aaron to follow.
• Aaron followed Malygos to a golden complex in the mountains, and Xal'atath identified it as the Halls of Valor.

Aaron visited the Halls of Valor and discovered Tyr's shattered soul preserved in a golden crystal. Archaedas arrived after being summoned to reforge a weapon, and Aaron suspected Frostmourne was the one he needed to work on.

• Xal'atath showed Aaron that the glowing Halls of Valor were an illusion and led him to a cave beneath them.
• Aaron met spirits in the cave, including Thoradin and several Loa, who had reached the Halls of Valor through the passage in Aaron's mind.
• Aaron recognized Tyr inside a golden crystal and learned from Xal'atath that Tyr's soul had barely survived his explosion by relying on the Silver Warhammer.
• Archaedas arrived and told Aaron that a Val'kyr had summoned him to help reforge a weapon.
• Aaron showed Archaedas Frostmourne and asked if it was the weapon he had been called to reforge.

Archaedas examined Frostmourne while Aaron worried the sword might corrupt him, then learned that Malygos’s soul was trapped inside it. Archaedas resolved to free Malygos, but Aradne interrupted to summon them to her master.

• Archaedas praised Frostmourne’s craftsmanship and asked Aaron to let him study it.
• Aaron warned Archaedas that the sword might take control of him, but Archaedas cast mental protections and accepted it.
• Archaedas sensed a tormented soul in Frostmourne, and Aaron revealed that it was Malygos’s soul.
• Archaedas learned of Malygos’s suffering and said they had to free his soul, while Aaron suggested smashing the sword.
• Aradne called Aaron and Archaedas over at her master’s request.

Aaron and Archaedas entered the hall to meet its mysterious master, who revealed herself as Azeroth, the World-Soul. After greeting Aaron, Azeroth turned their attention to dealing with Malygos’s problem.

• Aradne led Aaron and Archaedas through a passage, while Archaedas refused to reveal the master’s identity early.
• Aaron entered a circular hall and saw a golden apparition appear on its central platform.
• Aaron recognized the apparition as Azeroth, the World-Soul, and asked how she could already communicate so clearly.
• Archaedas knelt to greet Azeroth, who told him to rise and teased Aaron about paying his respects.
• Azeroth ended the joking and said they needed to deal with Malygos’s problem.

After Aaron accidentally trapped Malygos's soul in Frostmourne, Azeroth examined the sword and found that Malygos's soul had been corrupted for a long time. She arranged for Archaedas to dismantle Frostmourne so they could release and treat Malygos, then considered the need for a new Arcane Guardian.

• Aaron admitted that he had underestimated Frostmourne and accidentally let it devour Malygos's soul.
• Azeroth examined Frostmourne and determined that Malygos's soul was extremely weak and had been corrupted for a long time.
• Azeroth assured Aaron that Malygos could recover, but said Frostmourne had to be dismantled to free his soul.
• Archaedas took Aaron's Silver Hand and went with Aradne to the forge room to dismantle Frostmourne.
• Aaron asked whether they should choose a new Arcane Guardian, and Azeroth asked him whom he recommended.

Aaron asked Azeroth about choosing a Guardian of Arcane, but learned that succession had to wait for a rare celestial event and that Malygos would likely recover first. Azeroth explained that the Holy Light was her strongest power because it suppressed the shadow corruption left by the Old Gods, just as Alexstrasza arrived to see Aaron.

• Aaron considered Kalecgos and several other blue dragons as candidates for Guardian of Arcane, but Azeroth said succession required the Embrace of the Two Moons, which would not occur for nearly twenty years.
• Aaron asked why Azeroth had given him the power of the Holy Light instead of arcane power, and she showed that she could manifest several different powers.
• Azeroth revealed that shadow tentacles from the Old Gods’ influence had corrupted her body, and that the Holy Light helped contain them.
• Azeroth explained that the Holy Light could also protect Aaron from shadow and fel powers, including Xal'atath.
• Annhylde announced that Alexstrasza had arrived, and Azeroth asked for her to be brought in so she and Aaron could speak with her.

After the blue dragons learned that Malygos had died, Azeroth examined his corpse to find the source of the corruption that continued spreading through it. She pulled a disk-shaped object from his mouth, and Aaron recognized it as the Dragon Soul.

• Saragosa and the blue dragons arrived at Maker's Overlook and demanded an explanation for Malygos's death.
• Azeroth said Malygos had to die to cure his condition, then led the group to his corpse as Aaron hurried after her.
• Azeroth found that corruption was still spreading through Malygos's body, and Annhylde said its source was inside his belly.
• Azeroth used arcane magic to open Malygos's mouth and extract the object causing the corruption.
• Aaron recognized the smoke-emitting disk as the Dragon Soul.

Azeroth removed and contained the corruptive Dragon Soul from Malygos, then restored his body while his soul was recovered. The chapter ended with Archaedas and Aradne bringing Malygos’s soul back in a golden crystal.

• Azeroth broke apart the corrupted Dragon Soul and explained that the Infinite Dragonflight had pieced it together and used it to corrupt Malygos.
• Azeroth contained the Dragon Soul and began purifying the corruption from Malygos’s corpse while Aaron questioned whether his soul could be returned.
• Azeroth cleared the corruption and used vines to sustain Malygos’s body as the blue dragons waited for his soul.
• Archaedas arrived with Aradne, carrying Malygos’s soul inside a golden crystal, and reported that he had fulfilled Azeroth’s trust.

Azeroth examined Malygos’s damaged soul and prepared Frostmourne for Aaron, while Aaron and Alexstrasza finalized plans for a campaign against Loken and the Old Gods. Aaron chose the Crystal Vice as the army’s mustering point after ruling out routes through the mountains and Shandaral.

• Archaedas presented Frostmourne to Azeroth, while the blue dragons recognized Malygos’s weakened soul inside a golden crystal.
• Azeroth explained that Malygos would need three or four years to recover, and allowed Saragosa to stay with him while the other blue dragons returned to Coldarra.
• Azeroth removed Frostmourne’s death magic with the Dragon Soul, leaving Aaron with an incomplete blade that retained its ice magic and could no longer devour souls.
• Aaron and Archaedas returned to Grizzly Hills after Aaron discussed the next campaign with Alexstrasza.
• Aaron chose the Crystal Vice as the army’s mustering point after rejecting routes through the Storm Peaks and the cursed ruins of Shandaral.

Aaron’s expeditionary force crossed Crystalsong Forest and chose Echo Valley as its route into the Storm Peaks. The Earthen began widening the mountain trail they found, while the force waited at a temporary camp.

• Aaron joined the dragon forces at the Crystal Vice, and the expedition crossed into Crystalsong Forest.
• Aaron chose the eastern route through Echo Valley because it offered a safer, more convenient supply route toward Ulduar.
• In Echo Valley, Aaron sent the force to search for the trail leading to the Storm Peaks.
• Vereesa complained about the cold and observed that her young eagle, Lightning, seemed excited by eagles circling overhead.
• Halduron told Aaron that the Earthen had found the passage and were widening the icy mountain road, a task expected to take about half a day.

Aaron led the expedition through Loshidar Path, where the Storm Peaks’ harsh weather slowed their march. The group faced an aerial ambush by winged humanoids, and Aaron wondered whether an unlucky elven mage was among them.

• The Earthen widened the mountain trail while some Vrykul stayed behind to establish a supply camp in Echo Valley.
• Aaron led the expedition into Loshidar Path, where biting winds and deep snow made travel difficult.
• Kael'thas considered summoning Al'ar and asked to ride aboard the Dreadwake, but Aaron warned that fire could melt the snow and the passage was too narrow for the ship to descend.
• Aaron and Vereesa spotted winged humanoids circling the Dreadwake and diving toward the column, so Aaron ordered the rangers and mages to prepare to attack.
• Aaron wondered whether a certain unlucky fellow was among the elven mages behind Kael'thas.

Aaron’s expedition fought off a flock of Eagle-Bodied Banshees in the Loshidar Path with help from dragons, then searched the fallen nests for relics. Brann uncovered a Frost Dwarf corpse, and the expedition continued toward its destination while planning to seek out the nearby Frost Dwarves after the war.

• Aaron warned the expedition that more Eagle-Bodied Banshees would attack, and a large flock poured from nearby caves and nests.
• Vereesa and the expedition fought off the banshees while Aaron waited for the dragons to arrive.
• Dragons attacked the flock, destroyed nearby nests, and sent Brann and the Explorers' League searching through the spilled relics.
• Brann found a blue-skinned Frost Dwarf corpse, and Aaron recalled that a Frost Dwarf settlement called Frosthold was nearby.
• Brann marked the location to find his kin after the war, and the expedition left the Loshidar Path without further trouble.

Aaron's expedition discovered Frost Dwarves and Iron Dwarves fighting in a canyon, with the Iron Dwarves holding the advantage. Aaron chose to help the Frost Dwarves and charged into battle, while Brann followed without knowing why they were taking sides.

• Vereesa found dwarf footprints near Bor's Breath, and Aaron ordered the rangers to watch for more traces.
• Vereesa identified tracks showing that several hundred dwarves had crossed the snowy valley.
• Aaron and the rangers approached the sound of fighting and saw Frost Dwarves battling well-equipped Iron Dwarves.
• Brann asked which side they should help, and Aaron chose the Frost Dwarves before charging into the fight.
• Brann followed Aaron and cut down two Iron Dwarves, then asked why they were helping the Frost Dwarves.

Aaron and his companions helped the Frost Dwarves turn back an Iron Dwarf attack, then learned the Iron Dwarves had been expanding their forces for about a month. As fresh enemies arrived, Aaron hid nearby and discovered silver Val'kyr were resurrecting the fallen Iron Dwarves.

• Aaron, Brann, and the rangers joined the Frost Dwarves in battle, with the rangers changing their tactics to interrupt Iron Dwarf spellcasters.
• Brann fought in Avatar form as the Frost Dwarves and the arriving expeditionary forces drove the Iron Dwarves back.
• Aaron declined to pursue the retreating enemy and learned from the Frost Dwarf leader that Iron Dwarves had appeared about a month earlier and steadily gained ground.
• A ranger warned that more enemies were approaching, so Aaron's group withdrew while Aaron hid behind a boulder to scout.
• Aaron saw silver Val'kyr arrive and begin resurrecting the fallen Iron Dwarves.

Aaron investigated the silver Val'kyr at Valkyrion and discovered that they were being created from female Frost Vrykul through a crude ritual. Xal'atath infiltrated the village disguised as a silver Val'kyr, captured Aaron, and left him bound while she prepared to gather information.

• A Frost Dwarf told Aaron that silver Val'kyr had appeared two weeks earlier and were raising the dead to fight for them.
• Brann explained that Valkyrion had once housed female Frost Vrykul, who had disappeared and left the Val'kyr behind.
• Aaron asked Xal'atath to infiltrate Valkyrion, and she changed her Holy Light body from gold to silver before carrying him toward the village as her captive.
• Aaron and Xal'atath saw female Frost Vrykul submerged in a foul pool, where only four Val'kyr emerged from more than a dozen women.
• Xal'atath convinced suspicious Val'kyr that she had captured Aaron while pursuing an enemy, then tied him up and left him in a corner.