So, for set up of what occurrs. I’ll start with what would be the cinematic trailer. Bear in mind, this would be going down while most of Azeroth’s heroes are in the Shadowlands, not able to just turn around and rush to the defense.
The scene starts, Yrel’s voice is the one we hear as she narrates. Exact dialogue? Cant say, I’d need to craft that to match the scenes shown. What we’d see, however, a view of her overlooking the conquered Draenor and the Lightbound (Orc and Draenei alike). Outside if aesthetic, I’d make sure that very little of this would ring of the light, not for playing favorite, but to set the tone that this ultimately isn’t a story about the Tyranny of the Light. Our foe just happens to use it.
When the trailer picks up, we begin to see images of Horde and Alliance soldiers falling. First a view of a battle in front of what seems to be Orgrimmar, then skip to one that shows Silvermoon being overtaken to establish the scope and scale of what has happened. From there, we move to a proper view of fully rendered Turalyon walking between lines of Alliance soldiers towards the front gate of Stormwind in what looks like a full scale battle happening in Elywnn Forest. We’ll actually give a bit more imagery here and show the Alliance mounting a very fierce defense, Turalyon leading it. From there, we will see images of Turalyon repulsing attackers outside of the Stormwind Palace, only for the scene to suddenly cut way as light engulfs him.
The trailer would finish with a short and sweet monologue from Yrel, looking over a now conquered Stormwind, que Title Card (Not Tyranny of the Light. Actual name idk)
For the world itself, I’ll say that the opening scenario is essentially this for the players with them and various other heroes who went to the Shadowlands to be portrayed.
What is shown upon return is that the Horde and Alliance were both respectively defeated, humiliated and made to bend the knee. The only thing that is made immediately apparent is that, supposedly, Yrel initially arrived with the Lightbound and conquered the Horde. Only a -week- after victory, she also turned on the Alliance in a manner eerily similar to the Mag’har Recruitment scenario.
Fate of the leaders would be we return to find the Anduin is alive… but fully subjugated and Lightbound, a actual puppet in Stormwind Keep. Turalyon we will learn was slain during the Battle of Stormwind and Alleria is in exile with the majority of the Void Elves. While chafing under it all, the rest we learn did begrudgingly decide to submit to the Lightbound on the basis of they wanted favorable terms to spare their people the fate of Grom’s Mag’har.
Horde side, the scenario isn’t too great. Thrall and the majority if Horde Shamans had to flee into exile as it’s learned Yrel sought to erase them from existence to really break the Horde’s spirit, Baine, like Anduin, was actually Lightbound in what was supposed to be a diplomatic meeting, Mag’har leader died during the battle of Orgrimmar, Rokhan and Calia both imprisoned and the Forsaken were flat out sent into similar exile to the Void Elves.
While all this happens, the Lightbound begin to make their main bases on respective continents, Stromgarde for the Eastern Kingdoms and Diremaul in Kalimdor. Stromgarde, however, being built up a bit more as the Lightbound.
Guards in both Orgrimmar and Stormwind are also replaced with Lightbound soldiers and warframes, making it relatively clear that they are a occupation force. This said, it’s also found the Lightbound actually don’t do much to stop violence between the Horde and Alliance, even after subjugating them on the basis of “stopping children from having their petty wars.”
From there, the players would explore the world and, occassionally, help the locals again with their local issues, but the main zones where end game story will happen showing that we’ll eventually be challenging the Lightbound, each faction respectively interacting with the main rebel group of their faction.
For Alliance, the pace would shift a bit with it being Alleria being the forefront of the anti-Lightbound resistance in the Alliance, she and her Void Elves waging a guerilla campaign against the occupiers while working to inspire the other members of the Alliance to resist. The other main players for this would inevitably be Jaina and Tyrande, albeit with them using the Lightbound to get their people back on their feet (Tyrande) or presenting a diplomatic race so Yrel doesn’t immediately return to war footing before everyone is ready (Jaina).
Horde side, the main driver for the Rebellion wouldn’t actually be the one immediately playing Rebel (Thrall). To change the pace, it would be the Horde being the group conducting a more espionage style approach, this time with Lor’themar being the driving character for it. Horde side, we learned that he did blatantly play on the Belf help in WoD in Tanaan to help ensure his people were spared from as harsh of subjugation as the Kalimdor Horde, but in turn has started using that to organize the resistance and ensure Thrall remains a convincing boogeyman in Kalimdor for the Lightbound. The other main player for this would be Queen Talanji, having escaped the same fate Orgrimmar now endures like Lor’themar, albeit like Tyrande also using their presence to help her people move forward.
The opening expansion would end with the Rebel groups of both factions getting their feet under them fully and a Lightbound Diremaul raid with Lightbound Grom being the end boss. The reason for this would be to set up the story to make it believable that Yrel and the Lightbound will begin to tighten their grip and cause more to resist.
To provide a summary of -why- the heroes oppose the Lightbound, however, this paragraph. We see through some quests that if someone speaks out just a little too much, regardless of faction, they’re getting the special tattoos. Lightbound also flat declare Rendorei and Forsaken aren’t allowed to exist.