The Vol’kar has found themselves in a dark, dark pit of emotions the past few weeks.
Starting with the second encounter of Nightsun’s manhunters, the Outlaws were next on his list. Sending the renown “Black Regiment” of Undercity, a fabled regiment of forsaken that specifically handle decapitation missions (assassinations of heads of state / deserter groups), General Blackfire’s tower was the target of their first siege. However - how did they find that the Outlaws resided there?
It began with Eranon Emberbrook leading his fellow rebels that got away from the first encounter to Jan-Mak. Their trail of fel and bloodshed was easy to track down, but it seems as if by coming there, he led the authorities too. Or did he?
Shortly before Emberbrook and his cadre confronted Jan-Mak, the old troll was already dealing with another ghost of his past. Lynnaelle Beaumonte, the First Sergeant of the Second Cohort, had guised herself as a blood elf and had been working with the sin’dorei of the Vol’kar in Quel’Thalas. It appears as if she had been working throughout the trio of the groups, trying to pull the strings and manipulate the situations so that no Vol’kar member would willingly kill another. Well, with intense discussions of philosophy aside- neither Jan-Mak nor Emberbrook will ever get to see if that truly worked.
After being surprised with their assault, Thunder Axe Fortress was laid siege to, and several buildings burned. Those involved were barely able to get out with their lives, but some risked too much for others. As the Outlaws made their escape, they saw Emberbrook hurl himself into the fray one last time.
They thought he died there, but they were only in for a ruder awakening.
Just but a few days later, at Blackfire’s Tower, the Black Regiment arrived with an even stronger taskforce - some fifteen-hundred strong. Impossible odds for the Outlaws, even despite Blackfire summoning a few (greater) demon lords to try and even the odds, and Ala’nare Darkstar’s disgusting abomination of kodobeast and vultures. Before the battle even began, another ghost from the Vol’kar was there with a broken Emberbrook. Avanoria Everglade gloated over his defeated form, holding a tight rope of demonic magics around his neck and demanding for the Outlaws to hand themselves over. An offer too good to be true: if Jan-Mak surrendered, all other bounties would be pardoned. Even though he’s heard offers of this magnitude before, the troll nearly relented and allowed himself to be executed to spare others.
Just before he made this decision, Emberbrook begged for the Warlord not to give up without a fight. To not give up and give away his free will. Even though Jan-Mak had only known Eranon for as little as two years, he could not simply deny a friend his last wishes.
In front of the entirety of the Vol’kar’s biggest corps, brothers and sisters who saw themselves at their necks were forced to watch as Eranon’s soul was ripped from his body, his mortal form broken and withered into dust, and Avanoria take the shard for her own dark powers.
To steal a quote from a good book: “I want to tell you that they fought the good fight”. Despite the valiant defense of the tower, Jan-Mak had prepared to lose it from the beginning. They simply didn’t have enough to fight with, and the siege engines that the Black Regiment brought were enough to destroy the entirety of Dolthar’s known legacy and works.
Their escape portal led them to Felwood, and from there, they trudged on to Winterspring. That wasn’t before they realized that Orruk Rustcleaver and Edero Steelfall were there with them. It appeared as if the Admiral had arrived before the battle began - furious that the troll hadn’t received his secretly coded message to meet him in Stonemaul a week before. Some (not very) pleasantries were exchanged before they were right back to insulting, fighting, and near-death with each other.
The fire faded from Jan-Mak’s eyes as they started bickering, and he simply turned to walk. Where he was going, he didn’t know. He simply followed Auhgag, who acted as if he knew where their salvation lie.
He didn’t know where Orruk and Edero went, but where they went, the temperature was far, far colder than the rest of the world. The stifling fel-tempered heat of Desolace was something he wouldn’t miss, but he would miss heat altogether within the eternal wint’ry lands of Winterspring.
While the Outlaws did not find themselves with any grandstanding plans, with each passing day, Jan-Mak found himself with more and more at his disposal. First, it was Koman’che Wildclaw who finally tracked down his blood-family once again. Furious and confused as to where his brother and sister went, he never truly understood why they left - and he might never. What he did know is that he took an oath - and despite being surrounded by oathbreakers, he wouldn’t break his.
Then came another - a Wraith that Jan-Mak never thought to see again. Iriari Danishi had abandoned her posts within Quel’Thalas after Jan-Mak’s ominous letter. Originally, Jan-Mak thought she would come for his life, but Iriari instead offered her blades to him after a deep reconsideration of her oath within the Ghostlands. Despite bewildering Jan-Mak, he took her into his cadre.
Galefist reunited with the group a few days later, but came with even greater, and ill-fated news. The remnants of Rustcleaver’s Raiders encountered Nightsun near Blackfire’s escape portal. While Galefist couldn’t name all the names present, he did mention that he saw Krik’thor Dreadwing fall.
Such news caused Jan-Mak to fall into a deep slumber of sadness. The idea that his soldiers - the ones he tempered, forged, and molded to be the epitome of what a member of the Horde should be - now falling to one another’s blades sent him into a depression. This depression quickly turned to anger, then to hatred, and to vengeance. Over the course of a week, the Outlaw Warlord formulated a plan to lure Nightsun and his manhunters to an innocuous enough locale. From there - he wanted Nightsun’s head. Nobody else but his. He figured that through Roaknor Bloodfist, a former Vol’kar soldier - he created a weapon that would do anything for the Horde. No remorse, no reconsideration of his actions. If the Warchief willed it - he would do it. That weapon ran it’s course and became too dangerous to wield and it was subsequently destroyed. Jan-Mak saw this with Nightsun, too.
Deep within Dire Maul, within the Coliseum, a void rift was opened. It possessed just enough power to fool many grand magi and warlock alike. It raged and belched dark powers, yet what stepped through was no faceless one. Jan-Mak, Koman’che Wildclaw, Ala’nare Darkstar, Qua’palah, Jiane, Kala’kieri, Hynil Owlfeather, Vokhai, Ruscion, Markahn Galefist, and Iriari Danishi waited.
Commander Nightsun, being sent on various missions throughout Kalimdor to close void rifts and defeat void monsters within Horde holdings, had thought this to just be another routine mission. In his possession of troops was Minice, a re-risen Famsuh Plaguescar, Avanoria Everglade, Magrakka, Lynnaelle Beaumonte, Thaludreaux – Orruk… Rustcleaver, Krik’thor Dreadwing… Edero Steelfall…?
Jan-Mak couldnt’ve predicted this, and in truth, he had no idea what to do. Those that he thought were killed by Nightsun’s command to instead be fighting alongside him. For what? - Jan-Mak was unable to learn.
To requote that book: “I want to tell you they fought the good fight.” but this surprise simply ruined Jan-Mak’s plans. He never saw Nightsun’s head fall from his shoulders and he never saw what happened after the light faded from his eyes. What he was told, however, was that he shrieked and sobbed like a newborn babe when he was being carried away and near dead. He had left behind his most loyal friend and soldier, Koman’che Wildclaw and Ruscion. The fate of the two would never be learned, and if it wasn’t death that awaited them - then it was surely whatever mind control the others had been placed under.
In under twelve hours, two more old faces arrived to the Outlaws’ hideaway. It seems as if Mandiyanti ran her mouth too freely- as Ithise Fleetfoot and Essalie Westcrown promptly found them. After seeing everyone in a near-death state, Ithise nearly held them all at bowpoint demanding information on the true story. Evidently, Beaumonte and Nightsun attempted to convince them of another story - that they were articulating a “new order” to fight the greater evil that hides behind the veil.
After informing her that Koman’che had been captured, Fleetfoot raced off into the snow, determined to rescue him. Essalie and Iriari followed after.
With their location compromised, Jan-Mak simply took the outlaws and headed out east. He had another plan despite his promise to Kalimdor and the people of the Horde. He would take an old friend’s ship and sail east, to Silverpine.
With his Outlaws convening in Bilgewater Harbor, he found the unnamed destroyer in one of the drydocks. It hadn’t ever been sent out to sea, and never passed onto another owner since the original’s death. An old friend and cherished officer of the Vol’kar, Jan-Mak quietly assumed control of it and boarded the vessel. Just as they were shoving off, the three elves arrived - this time bearing a near-death Koman’che Wildclaw, a brutalized Ruscion, and with a whole taskforce beating down on them. After narrowly missing a complete sinking of the ship, the Outlaws now reside somewhere out in the Great Sea, off-course and discharted.
As heartwrenching as life as been, Jan-Mak found himself smiling for the first time in two months on the sea. He didn’t know what would happen to the others, but he did know what would happen to the Outlaws - now properly dubbed “his family”.
They all had nothing, they all left their families behind, and they all had broken several oaths. They were considered criminals by many, and outlaws by all. They weren’t doing this for any thrill or legacy, but because of what they believed in. The Horde would not benefit from more fighting in the civil war - but you’ve heard this story, haven’t you? You might be asking yourself why they are sailing to the Eastern Kingdoms then - that doesn’t protect anyone in the Horde. At least not immediately, right?
Jan-Mak found himself turning that cylinder over and over in his hand, feeling the voice of the void powers contained, whispering and urging him towards the Plaguelands. He didn’t know what was stuck inside this container, but he did remember Lynnaelle’s words:
“Scholomance is the key”.
And that is two whole Acts in one recap, ended just about an hour ago. Wow, it’s been wild, and it’s been all organic and-on-the-fly. I am now going to promptly pass out. I hope you enjoy this read and are ready for more. 
