Chapter Summaries

Aaron persuaded Antonidas to allow Krasus to open a portal in Dalaran by showing him a vision of the city’s destruction. With Antonidas’s approval, Krasus and Jaina went to build the portal while Aaron left to see what reinforcements the Dragonflights would send.

• Aaron arrived at the Violet Citadel and learned that Krasus and Antonidas were arguing over opening a portal for reinforcements.
• Jaina told Aaron that Krasus had found reinforcements, but Antonidas would not agree to build a portal in Dalaran.
• Aaron showed Krasus and Antonidas an illusion of undead overrunning Dalaran and a demon reducing the city to ruins.
• Antonidas agreed to let Jaina help Krasus build the portal, and Dathrohan secured command of Dalaran’s ground forces apart from its ordinary mages.
• Aaron left the Violet Citadel with Krasus to see which Dragonflight reinforcements would arrive.

Aaron and Krasus arranged for Jaina and Dalaran’s mages to open a portal to Wyrmrest Temple, bringing Stellagosa and other Dragonflight reinforcements to the city. The Scourge vanguard then appeared outside Dalaran, with three necropolises and a large ground force.

• Jaina led Aaron and the others to Dalaran’s portal area and consulted Krasus about opening a portal to Wyrmrest Temple.
• Krasus explained that Scourge necropolises had prevented him from establishing a portal elsewhere, while the nearest working Titan transporter was too far away.
• Jaina gathered suitable mages, who opened a portal showing a towering cylindrical stone structure.
• Krasus sent a signal through the portal, and Stellagosa and other dragons arrived in humanoid form alongside reinforcements from Lordaeron.
• Gryphon Riders discovered the Scourge, and the next day three flying necropolises and a vast ground force appeared outside Dalaran.

The Scourge’s main force reached Dalaran and launched a nighttime assault, revealing a vast army of undead and a grim strategy for breaching the city walls. The defenders destroyed wave after wave, but the skeletons began piling up their own bodies to form ramps toward the battlements.

• Dathrohan prepared Dalaran’s defenders for night combat, while Aaron was relieved that the Scourge’s main force had arrived rather than feinting toward another target.
• Aaron and Krasus examined the Scourge’s huge army and spotted skeletons made from Murlocs, a discovery that boosted the Alliance’s morale.
• At night, the Cult of the Damned’s necromancers sent masses of skeleton soldiers toward Dalaran’s walls.
• Dalaran’s defensive towers and mages blasted the skeletons apart, but scattered bones reassembled and the surviving ranks kept advancing.
• The skeletons piled their bodies into ramps that let the undead behind them reach the battlements, leaving the defenders unsure how to stop them.

Aaron and Krasus helped Dalaran’s defenders stop the skeletons from reaching the walls, while Torastrasza led red dragons in burning much of the undead force. The Dreadlords revealed that the assault was a costly deception meant to draw the defenders’ attention while they pursued a book and prepared for Archimonde’s arrival.

• Aaron wished for an Earthquake spell to collapse the skeletons’ makeshift ramp, and Krasus used the spell to shake the skeletons apart without damaging Dalaran’s walls.
• Aaron warned Torastrasza and Stellagosa that the dragons should wait before attacking, since the undead had not yet committed their other forces.
• Krasus suggested a plan, and Torastrasza led several red dragons into the air to burn the skeletons beneath the walls.
• The necromancers ordered the remaining skeletons to retreat after the dragon attack had destroyed roughly half their force.
• The Dreadlords discussed how the undead assault was a costly ruse to make the defenders believe Dalaran was the target, and they prepared to intensify the distraction.

After red dragons burned away much of the Scourge’s skeleton army, the undead launched another assault on Dalaran with Abominations, Ghouls, and Frost Proto-Dragons. Aaron and the defenders prepared for close combat as the new attackers reached the walls.

• Torastrasza led the red dragons in a sweeping attack that reduced the skeleton soldiers beneath Dalaran’s walls to ash, forcing the survivors to retreat.
• Aaron noticed the Alliance soldiers remained uneasy around the red dragons, despite their alliance, and hoped they would grow accustomed to fighting beside them.
• Krasus and Vereesa revealed that the undead were charging again, this time with Abominations and Ghouls among the skeletons and Frost Proto-Dragons in the rear.
• Aaron warned that the Scourge might have another plan and suspected Dreadlords could join the battle.
• Dathrohan ordered the soldiers to prepare as the Abominations approached the walls, making a close-quarters fight seem unavoidable.

Aaron watched Dalaran’s defenders struggle against the Scourge until newly deployed Arcane Constructs helped hold the battlements. The Undead then withdrew after a rumble beyond the wall, leaving Aaron wary of the Scourge’s next move.

• The Undead swarmed Dalaran’s walls with skeletons, Ghouls, Death Knights, and Abominations, driving up Alliance casualties.
• Aaron defeated the Death Knights facing him and saw the defenders being overwhelmed as Abominations neared the battlements.
• Dalaran deployed its improved Arcane Constructs, which fought the Abominations and cleared nearby Undead with arcane sparks.
• The Arcane Constructs eased the pressure on the wall, though their sparks accidentally struck some soldiers and the constructs were few in number.
• A rumble beyond the wall prompted the Undead to withdraw, and Aaron wondered what the Scourge was planning.

Aaron and the defenders of Dalaran discovered that the undead remains on the battlefield were assembling into a giant, which the dragons tore apart before it suddenly reformed and attacked them. The chapter ended with several dragons struck by the faster bone giant.

• Aaron and Krasus sensed lingering death energy and observed the undead remains trembling and gathering toward a central point.
• The remains formed a towering bone giant that advanced on Dalaran, absorbing more bones as it crossed the battlefield.
• Dalaran's defensive towers and mages attacked the giant but failed to stop its approach.
• Torastrasza led more than twenty dragons in attacking the giant with their breath until it collapsed into scattered bones.
• Krasus warned the dragons that the death energy remained, but the bones reassembled into a faster giant that struck several dragons.

Krasus and the dragons struggled to stop the bone giant, whose coating of bone ash blocked their dragonfire. Aaron enlarged himself into a stone giant to wound it, but as his Avatar expired, the bone giant trapped him inside its body.

• Krasus discovered that the bone giant’s coating of burned bone ash protected it from the Flame of Life and urged the dragons to attack from a distance.
• Aaron arrived in an enlarged stone form and asked Krasus for help before striking the bone giant with his Silver Hand Warhammer.
• Krasus breathed dragonfire into the wounds Aaron created, damaging the bone giant where its ash coating offered no protection.
• As Aaron’s strength ran out, his warhammer became stuck, and the bone giant pulled him into a cage of bones.
• Aaron’s Avatar reached its time limit while the bone cage pressed in around him, leaving him trapped and weakened.

Aaron was trapped inside the skeletal giant and confronted by Ner'zhul, who tried to recruit him before attacking him with death magic. When a strange spell severed Aaron's connection to his body and the Tear of Elune, Xal'atath intervened and restored him.

• As Avatar's effects faded, Aaron was left exhausted and trapped inside the skeletal giant as the dragons continued fighting it.
• Ner'zhul spoke to Aaron through the giant and offered him escape, eternal life, and rule over Lordaeron in exchange for submission.
• Aaron recognized Ner'zhul, refused his offer, and dared him to try killing him.
• Ner'zhul tightened the bones around Aaron and cast a spell that cut off his vision and severed his connection to his body and the Tear of Elune.
• Xal'atath called out to Aaron, sent golden light to restore his connection to his body, and warned him not to trouble her with such situations again.

Aaron struggled to escape the bone giant while Xal'atath briefly took control of his body, but Ner'zhul's spell left him vulnerable. Xal'atath disrupted Ner'zhul long enough for Aaron to break free, and Stellagosa caught him as he collapsed from exhaustion.

• Xal'atath revealed herself to Ner'zhul while controlling Aaron's body and cutting through the bone giant.
• Ner'zhul recognized Xal'atath as a Val'kyr and prepared a spell as she tried to carve an escape route.
• Xal'atath returned control to Aaron, who endured his pain and pushed outward despite Ner'zhul's attack.
• Ner'zhul's spell pulled Xal'atath toward him, but she disrupted his control of the bone giant and urged Aaron to escape.
• Aaron broke out of the bone giant, and Stellagosa caught him before he hit the ground.
• Aaron thanked Stellagosa and fell asleep on her back.

Aaron woke in Dalaran after a night of fighting and realized the Scourge might be using the battle to distract the defenders while its missing necropolises pursued another objective. He hurried to the command post to confirm his suspicion about the Book of Medivh.

• Aaron woke on Dalaran's wall and found Vereesa exhausted beside him, so he told her to rest while he watched the battle.
• Aaron observed that both the defenders and the undead were weakened, while the dragons remained ready to fight.
• A dragon told Aaron that the battle had settled into a war of attrition since the bone giant was destroyed and reassured him that the Scourge likely could not make another one.
• Aaron noticed that the Scourge's necropolises had disappeared and wondered whether they had gone to Quel'Thalas for the Sunwell.
• Aaron realized the Scourge might not need to breach Dalaran to obtain the Book of Medivh and hurried toward the command post to verify his suspicion.

Aaron suspected the Scourge was infiltrating Dalaran to steal the Book of Medivh, and persuaded Antonidas to inspect its vault. They discovered the guards were missing and a thief was still nearby as an enemy attacked.

• Aaron asked Arthas whether anyone had infiltrated Dalaran, then warned the mages that the Scourge might be targeting the Book of Medivh.
• The mages said Antonidas had strengthened the book's security, but Aaron remained uneasy and insisted on checking it himself.
• Antonidas took Aaron to Dalaran's secret treasure vault, granting him special permission to enter.
• Aaron noticed Truthguard reacting and realized someone had entered; Antonidas discovered the mages stationed in the vault were missing.
• A sinister voice announced that Lord Varimathras had sent Aaron a gift, and a frost-wreathed black warhammer struck from around a corner.

A Death Knight attacked Aaron and Antonidas in Dalaran’s treasure vault, then escaped after leaving behind a dangerous sphere. Antonidas and Aaron contained the poison, and Antonidas proposed returning the gift to their enemies.

• The Death Knight struck at Antonidas, but Aaron cast a Divine Shield that protected him from harm.
• Aaron recognized the attacker’s warhammer and suspected he was Orgrim, then fought him while Antonidas recovered.
• The Death Knight feinted, threw a box and a rune-covered book at Aaron, and used the book’s spell to enlarge a sphere nearby.
• The Death Knight teleported away after throwing Aaron an iron sphere marked with Fel runes, despite Antonidas hurling a fireball at him.
• When the sphere began releasing poisonous smoke, Aaron shielded it and Antonidas made it disappear, saying they should return the gift.

Antonidas sent the poison gas bomb after the Death Knight who had stolen the Book of Medivh, but could not follow him without knowing his destination. Aaron realized the Scourge was likely targeting the Sunwell, and he left for Quel'Thalas with Vereesa and Stellagosa to warn the High Elves.

• Antonidas explained how he had tracked the Death Knight's teleportation and redirected the poison gas bomb to him.
• Aaron urged Antonidas to pursue the stolen Book of Medivh, but Antonidas said he could not teleport to the enemy's destination safely or recover the book.
• Aaron and Antonidas concluded that the Scourge was likely heading for the Sunwell and that Silvermoon City might face an attack before reinforcements could arrive.
• Aaron reassured Antonidas that dragons could help maintain the portal to Quel'Thalas, then woke Vereesa and told her the Scourge's likely target.
• Stellagosa agreed to accompany Aaron and Vereesa to Quel'Thalas, while Krasus gave Aaron a dragon-scale communicator.

Aaron and Vereesa warned Kael'thas that the Scourge might attack the Sunwell, and he brought them to Silvermoon City so he could report the threat. After hearing Aaron explain the Burning Legion's plan, Kael'thas agreed to alert Quel'Thalas's leaders while Vereesa hurried Aaron to meet Sylvanas.

• Stellagosa opened a portal to the Covenant City Academy of Magic, where Kael'thas saw Vereesa, Aaron, and Stellagosa arrive.
• Aaron told Kael'thas that the Undead had stolen the Book of Medivh and might target the Sunwell next.
• Kael'thas opened a portal to Sunfury Spire and brought the group to Silvermoon City.
• Aaron explained that the Burning Legion needed the Sunwell's power to enter Azeroth and that the Scourge's necropolises might be preparing to besiege Quel'Thalas.
• Kael'thas said he would report the threat and might need Aaron and Vereesa to address the Silvermoon City Council.
• Vereesa pulled Aaron toward the ranger-general's residence to find Sylvanas.

Aaron warned Sylvanas that the Scourge attacking Quel'Thalas posed a greater threat than she believed and explained why Dalaran had held out. As Sylvanas questioned him about the undead, a ranger arrived with a summons from the council.

• Sylvanas greeted Vereesa and was confused when both Vereesa and Stellagosa answered to the Windrunner sisters' nickname, so Aaron explained it to Stellagosa.
• Vereesa warned Sylvanas that the undead planned to attack Quel'Thalas, and Aaron described Ner'zhul's escape and the Scourge's recent activities.
• Sylvanas doubted the undead could threaten Silvermoon, so Aaron explained that Dalaran had been spared a direct assault because the Scourge sought the Book of Medivh and that dragons were helping defend the city.
• Stellagosa identified herself as a blue dragon sent to aid the mortals, and Sylvanas thanked her before asking Aaron to explain the undead's abilities and weaknesses.
• A ranger arrived and told Sylvanas that the council wanted her to come over.

Aaron watched Sylvanas and Vereesa attend a Silvermoon Council meeting about the undead threat, then spent the day telling Arator stories. The commanders returned from the meeting looking dissatisfied, leaving the council’s response uncertain.

• Stellagosa complained about Sylvanas’s intimidating manner, while Aaron hoped the Silvermoon Council would take the undead invasion seriously.
• Aaron spotted Liadrin training Arator and learned that Sylvanas had tacitly allowed him to study the Path of the Holy Light.
• Council messengers summoned Liadrin and the other military commanders, leading Aaron to believe Silvermoon was preparing for the undead threat.
• Arator returned and asked Aaron for stories, and Aaron recounted his recent battles before remembering the two Cult of the Damned mages he had left in Darrowshire.
• Aaron’s stories wandered from the Scourge to Draenor and Velen and Kil’jaeden, while Vereesa took a sleepy Arator to bed.
• The meeting ended, but Sylvanas and Liadrin returned with expressions that suggested its outcome was unsatisfactory.

Aaron told Sylvanas, Liadrin, Vereesa, and Stellagosa about devastating futures he had seen for Quel'Thalas, including Silvermoon City's fall and Sylvanas becoming a banshee. The council chose to send rangers to scout before committing troops, and Sylvanas began preparing for the undead threat.

• Liadrin complained that the council had rejected stronger action, then asked Aaron to describe the worst future he had seen.
• Aaron warned that Silvermoon City could fall, the Sunwell could be corrupted, and most of the High Elves could die; he also revealed that he had seen futures in which the planet fell.
• Sylvanas asked whether Silvermoon City could be held, and Aaron described a future where the undead reached Quel'Danas and she became a banshee.
• Sylvanas told Aaron that the council had ordered rangers to scout the enemy before sending troops, then asked him to mark the undead's route on a map.
• Aaron marked the Dead Scar, and Sylvanas questioned how the undead could enter Quel'Thalas before Aaron suggested they were more likely to come by sea.

Sylvanas and Aaron prepared for a Scourge attack on Quel'Danas, but Orcs arrived by sea first, followed by Undead and demons. After the High Elves drove them back, Sylvanas suspected they had established a foothold at Azurebreeze Coast and sent scouts to investigate.

• Sylvanas sent Dragonhawk Riders to scout and began gathering Quel'Thalas's legions near Silvermoon City.
• A Dragonhawk Rider reported that two or three thousand Orcs were sailing toward Quel'Danas without any Undead among them.
• Sylvanas took reinforcements to Quel'Danas, where the High Elves held off the Orcs until Undead and demons arrived.
• Silvermoon City's Archmages helped push the combined forces back into the sea, and the enemy ships withdrew southeast.
• Sylvanas suspected the Orcs had established a foothold at Azurebreeze Coast and sent Dragonhawk Riders to scout it.

After the Dragonhawk Riders discovered the Scourge on the Azurebreeze Coast, Sylvanas organized a land-and-sea attack on its camp. Aaron found an active Demon Gate inside, and Stellagosa offered to try to handle it as its light grew brighter.

• Two wounded Dragonhawk Riders returned from the Azurebreeze Coast with news of the Scourge’s forces and buildings there.
• Sylvanas arranged troops and transport ships, then launched a simultaneous attack on the Scourge camp while the enemy assaulted Quel'Danas.
• Sylvanas’s forces quickly defeated the small force of Cult of the Damned members and Orcs, then found the camp strewn with Murloc remains.
• Aaron followed the blood trails to a log-walled structure and discovered an operating Demon Gate inside.
• Aaron sought a mage to shut the gate, but the available High Elf mages lacked the needed skills.
• Stellagosa said she had experience with portals and offered to try to handle the Demon Gate.