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Big highlights/spoilers/old world changes:
Chapter 1: Summit at Boralus
- Leaders meet at Boralus: Thrall, Aggra, Baine, Thalyssra, Kiro, Jaina, Danath, Shandris, Umbric, Kurdran, and Tess to figure out how to get both factions to Dorn without killing each other or losing gains in other areas.
- The AU Mag’har were given control of Hammerfall as their new home/what we can call capital now because it reminds the orcs of Nagrand after the 4th War.
- The Kor’kron train and gather at Hammerfall at Geya’rah’s request.
- Stromgarde is being led by Marran, Danath’s niece, while he is council to Turalyon and Stormwind and have requested 7th Legion Auxiliaries to help restore/repair/build back Stromgarde and the Arathi proper.
- Kor’kron and 7th Legion skirmishing with each other and training, group determines best readied armies they have and need to get the both to leave to prevent wider faction conflict.
- Aggra, Thrall, Jaina arrive. Aggra leaves for Hammerfall. Jaina and Thrall to Stromgarde. Someone tries to assassinate Thrall, they go to Sromgarde for aid
Chapter 2: Echoes of the Past
- Thrall is denied entry, goes to Hammerfall.
- Jaina is eventually let in. They talk logistics of running kingdoms, Marran takes her to task about how forces are always taken off for the ‘greater good’ while the Alliance neglects its kingdoms and territories.
- Thrall walks back to Hammerfall and was a scrub who didnt take poison cleansing totem given how strong rogues, hunters, and DKs are right now.
- Thrall having near death visions of Ogrim, collapses.
Chapter 3: Bloodlines
- Thrall is of course saved, wakes to Aggra caring for him, treated by the Lok’osh, the orc priests.
- Eitrigg is there after Geya’rah asked for his council, as well as the new Kor’kron general, Talgar
- Mag’har and Sromgarde worked in peace removing predators and had a mutual benefit. Marran’s arrival with the 7th Legion seemed to be the flash point.
- 7th Legion spreading further brought fights to the Mag’har, which then called in the Kor’kron.
- Geya’rah believes Stromgade wants to attack Go’shek Farm. All agree if Sromgarde did so Stromgarde would lose poorly and be in ruin.
- Thrall and Geya’rah have some spats about their shared father. Geya’rah calling him and Durotan soft as she was raised in a far harsher Dreanor and had to fight of the AU Draenei. Brings up the slavery of the MU orcs and if Thrall even remembers why he wore Doomhammers armor as they’re in Hammerfall. Thrall rushes off upset that Geya’rah knew they were AU siblings.
- Marran assassinates Jaina’s rider to Stormwind by her crossbowman, takes reads the letter Jaina was to send Danath about coming back to talk sense into her, same crossbowman who hit Thrall.
- Marran a bit of a Stromgarde, Old Alliance, and human nationalist. They lean a little into the Roman motif (to my dismay). Marran skins a Kor’kron wolf as she speaks. Again, going on and on how the Alliance takes from all the kingdoms but never gives back.
- Marran cites Thoradin, looking to revive his legacy.
- Jaina is poisoned by Marran’s archer by a dart and she falls unconscious.
Chapter 4: Heartlands
- Thrall and Geya’rah start to work things over from earlier. Thrall mentions how nice it is to have a sister, to have someone to learn about his parents.
- Thrall unfortunately reminds us Shadowlands exists, mentioning meeting Drakka.
- Thrall sees the 2 moons of Azeroth through the Tauren’s view.
- 7th Legion and Stromgarde march for the Horde. Metzen gives the classic orc “We’re under attack!”
- Thrall determined to sway Geya’rah to prevent violence, despite the influence to call the Kor’kron to stand down himself.
- Jaina awakes earlier than Marran, likely, intended.
- The two armies meet. Geya’rah putting Stromgards down left and right. Thrall runs to catch her, Aggra offers to use the elements to help prevent further violence. She implodes a fire elemental about to bowling ball a company of 7th Legion soldiers, knocking them down/out instead.
- Jaina’s water elemental pushes the two forces away from each other, she pushes other engagements aside.
- Geya’rah mistakes Jaina’s attempts to stop the battle for helping the Alliance and is thrown off her wolf quite far by Jaina’s elemental.
Chapter 5: The Battle for Go’Shek Farm
- Geya’rah gets pushed all the way to a Stromgarde farm and some kid thinks she’s about to steal their wheat with a sword twice his size.
- The farmers truly afraid of Geya’rah. Speaks to an orc’s stature and narrates how large orcs are to humans. (How close are these farms anyway?)
- Marran has been propagandizing the farmers the orcs are here to ravage, steal, and kill.
- Mag’har outnumbered Stromgarde 3-1, easily. Marran ready to throw everyone into the meat grinder.
- Metzen narrates the cycles of hatred of the Horde and Alliance, and Geya’rah has her come to Jesus movement just before Thrall arrives.
- Jaina dives Marran through a portal to get them away from the battle. Chastises her about throwing her own kingdom away.
- Geya’rah blows her horn, orders the Kor’kron and Mag’har to stand down and commands the same of the Stromgarde forces. Says there is no honor in slaughtering the Stromgarde (lol).
- Geya’rah challenges the Stromgarde to follow them to Dorn.
- Danath shows up, has Captain Brewston arrest Marran and escorted to her chambers. Captain Wren is ordered to round up her supporters
- Zatacia, Marran’s assassin, becomes Stromgarde’s most wanted.
- Geya’rah willing to let bygones be bygones given how much Stromgarde lost in the battle.
- Sons of Lothar have a cute little come back. Kurdran makes fun of them for it.
- Genn now in charge Stromwind as Turalyon is away.
- They do some cheesy back and forth bickering how each were bad commanders during the 4th war (yall led people to their deaths. Insert Carlin’s “It’s a big club, and you ain’t in it.”)
- A little foreshadowing about growing hatreds in Stromgarde, hoping Danath’s loyalists can snuff it out.
- The have their fleet for Dorn.
The end
13 Likes
Bah i am just on my lunch break.
SPOILER
The future of Stormgarde, Marran. Nice, although I doubt it is going to silence the growing number of people not liking the future of Warcract becoming more female.
Well that was a short lived future. Now its back to sqaure one on who will lead Stromgarde after Dannath.
1 Like
something that I might(*) enjoy participating in in-game made into a story instead
yay
(*) I don’t enjoy the Horde and Alliance getting along, but now is narratively NOT the time for Faction conflict and I recognize that. But in a story about dwarves, stone dwarves, humans, elves, a human kingdom with a bit of elf blood, and spiders, I would’ve liked an actual HORDE moment.
9 Likes
Any mention of the events in Plunderstorm?
Just finished it up.
Kinda cool to see an outright fascist Alliance character with this Maran lady. Complete with a largely mythical past she feels she needs to violently reclaim no less. Taking bets now she seizes control of Stromgarde and sides with the Arathi.
I’m also guessing this has to be set between the questing storylines and the Horde and Alliance’s arrival in Khaz Algar. My confusion there though is the forces aren’t Kor’kon and 7th Legion but I’m guessing this is an oversight.
Biggest gripe is in a cross faction military meeting they include Kirro but nobody from the Desolate Council or Talanji? Do the Vulpera even have a standing army?
Also genuine news to me Thrall didn’t know Geya’rah was his AU rule 63 self. Which made the “She seems so similar to me” bits come off as really weird at first.
12 Likes
It was OK I guess. I liked that there was no need to persuade the 7th Legion into fighting the Horde, meaning the old hatreds are still alive and well between the rank and file. The ending sounded quite ominous, though I bet that will be related to the Arathi behind the storming sea, but I might yet witness the 5th war. Neato.
1 Like
I took it they were just under Marran’s command. Really wouldn’t be that elite of a fighting force if they start protesting commands.
Then again I’m not sure what the 7th Legion are. Because the Kor’kon are decidedly Orcish and 7th Legion has turned up as uniform human. But other times they’re more of a rainbow coalition who perhaps here would have more cause to question orders. I was definitely picturing them as uniform human wearing plate PvP gear though.
7 Likes
That was nice i liked it it was nice to have a evil alliance for once
13 Likes
I really liked it.
At the very least I could see her being freed and stirring up trouble.
It is. After Thrall and Jaina were departed Khaz Algar, they dealt with this this mess created by Marran, before returning wit the fleets.
Nope.
5 Likes
Finally, an actual evil alliance character
11 Likes
I really liked Marran Trollbane and now I wonder who is her father? Galen Trollbane was the cousin of Danath Trollbane? Does Danath have other nephews and nieces? Does that mean Thoras Trollbane wont return to right the kingdom in the absence of his nephew Danath? A Trollbane should rule over Stromgarde, but so far only 2 remain alive that we know of Marran who’s 40 years old not too old to sire a child and as such a future heir if Danath hasn’t had a child himself.
Trollbane bloodline should very weak with only 2 living members, unless more keep popping up. If Marran Trollbane had supporters where are they? Do they recognize her claim as superior to Danath? There’s so much missing in this story. House Trollbane needs more expanding on and Danath needs to have an heir. A man his age can still sire a child at 50-70 which let’s be frank he has to be pushing on the high end of 50s or more. Who shall now lead House Trollbane while they’re on the Isle of Dorn and the Stromic people badly need more expanding on.
I hope Marran Trollbane returns along with the Arathi people who may seek to restore their former kingdom.
8 Likes
If this was a story with politics you are supposed to take seriously, then you’d see Danath marrying Jaina or Tess after Stromgarde was secured and rebuilt. Since this isn’t the case, and knowing Blizzard writers, they can just asspull another Trollbane we never heard about before out of thin air, should they feel the story needs it.
12 Likes
Tess was in the Summit, with no lines of dialogue poor girl. Even Umbric got to talk for half a second. She was the only one looking battle-ready and yet is stuck in Gilneas behind a wall of paperwork no doubt. Guess we have those Gilnean Tracker npcs in Dornogal thanks to her. Wish we got those transmogs (cosmetics of course because they look leather as hell and I wear mail).
Also confirmed that while Turalyon is enjoying his mid life crisis joining yet another battle at his age, Stormwnd is under Greymane regency.
The Trollbane reactionary lady is easy to hate, a fun villain. Hope she comes back so we can farm her for phat loot.
Overall enjoyed the read. As a alliance-only player I was not aware Thrall didnt know about his WoD sister. Was that “secret” ever mentioned before?
2 Likes
Nice to see villains sapped from the Alliance for once, and spouting sentiments cribbed from certain elements of its fandom on top of that. I’m not sure I buy Geya’rah’s recharacterization as a cool-headed unifier but her warmongering in BfA struck me as inexplicable in the first place.
Also interesting that so few faction leaders answered Thrall and Jaina’s joint summons. I figured Voss and Liadrin would’ve shown up at least.
11 Likes
The fact they pulled another Trollbane and named her the niece of Danath Trollbane that implies that Danath has at least one brother or sister who is also a Trollbane. Meaning that there is a missing Trollbane on the side of Marran assuming she’s the only child. This really messes up the story because the bloodline of Trollbane is nearly spent lorewise that’s why Danath was so important and why they wanted him to return from Outland.
Now he’s back and he apparently had a sibling and a niece all along who could of challenged Galen Trollbane when he became undead for years he ruled over Stromgarde, but there were more Trollbanes. How many are there? I need answers on succession and how many exist at present. 2 living and 1 undead. This is frustrating because most human kingdoms are all about monarchies and Stromgarde would be no exception… smh
As an Alliance fan, I don’t feel like Marran is that villainous. I mean, stupid and impulsive person who should not lead? Sure, but her only real crime was wasting the lives of Stromic and 7th Legion soldiers while having no chance to win. What should be wrong with wanting to take back the whole of Arathi under the wings of humanity, from the point of view of an Alliance member? Especially when the leader of the people you are supposed to share the place with spoke about wanting to genocide draenei few years ago.
6 Likes
Very nice listen… I like it a lot. However it left me with questions. Hope we get those answer as the World Saga continue.
I will admit however that when I saw that Thrall got hurt again and heard the line were Jaina was ready to blast the gate and said: “I ask to be let in, as a courtesy”, I almost stop listening to the Novela… my mind went back to the SL intro again! Mama Jaina to save the day! 
However I am glad I push forward, as it was really good!
Also the teasing of my Alliance friends was so savage today, that I was like: “Oh whatever might as well go with it at this point. 
”
Clearly this narrative focus is going forward like it or not. 
2 Likes
I actually have two criticism of the story though:
- It would have been nice to hear about the status of Gilneas and Southshore, or even Aerie Peak.
- Am I the only one who felt like Arathi was way too small in the story? Being able to see Stromgarde from Hammerfall and such doesn’t seem right to me, it felt like reading one of Golden’s books that used in-game scaling.
4 Likes
Marran mentions that her parents are dead and I don’t think her age is mentioned in the story.
So it’s possible that she was simply to young when Galen was around and she seems the type to not want to be a puppet leader, so she could have distrusted anyone who wanted to help her.
I have to admit that I wonder about Zatacia. Her referring to Jaina as “Daughter of the Seas” kind makes me wonder she’s Kul Tiran.
2 Likes
Well i mean the fact that her revanchist ideals are hollow, spending her time mythologising a history and wasting time a lives trying to get land back she doesn’t need
5 Likes