AN: Yesss….Those of you who have read my other stories know that I really don't need to start another story but I can't help it! By the time I'm ready to continue, I've got another story idea ready and I wanna start it too, it's a problem yes but there's no promise this story will get popular, so I may scrap it before it goes far. I wanted to start this story back in Warlords of Draenor but waited too long so It'll have to be Legion. So this story will be mainly centered around my own OC character which alone doesn't follow lore very well, but oh well, there are a lot of them that don't. This character is halfway what I want in WoW, but the race can't be my favorite class, so hope no one minds lore bending left and right. Disclaimer, all rights go to Blizzard.
My name is Marshall Dawnhammer, Son of Valcon Dawnhammer and Jorianna Whisperwind, and this is my story.
I was a fresh out of training, Paladin, when the Orcs first entered Azeroth. I wanted to aid my king, Llane Wrynn, in the war to stop the Horde, but I failed him when a dagger found it's way in his neck. From that day since, I vowed to always protect the king of the Alliance if I was called upon.
My mentor and trainer, General Turalyon led an expedition to the Orc home world, Draenor along with other members, such as Khadgar, a powerful Mage, who was to originally destined to take our lost ally, Medivh's position as Guardian of Azeroth.
After his disappearance, I stayed behind to help the Alliance in the war with the Horde. All seemed endless, like the war would never end, one side would gain, the other would gain more.
Then, the Burning Crusade appeared. I called upon the Paladins of the Alliance to form a crusade against the demonic hordes in Outland. We called it the Alliance Crusade, Humans, Dwarves, Night Elves, Draenei, and High Elves united in a common cause to push back the Burning Crusade, and find Turalyon. We never found him.
But, our crusade was successful and fought a devastating campaign through Draenor, which ended at the Black Temple, where myself, Akama, and my closest friends, champions of the Alliance and a few members of the Horde fought, and cast down Illidan Stormrage.
But our war wasn't over yet, at the Sunwell, the war was won with the defeat of Kil'jaeden and the restoration of the Sunwell.
When we thought we could go home, a new threat arose. After years of being frozen, Arthas, The Lich King, returned; with him, a tidal wave of death. Wherever he worked Frostmourne, the dead would rise with him.
Before this time, I had been bitten by a worgen, the curse took me for a while. The Night Elves and Tirion Fordring, Highlord of the Argent Crusade, helped me control my curse and let me keep my place as a Paladin of the Alliance.
We didn't know how we could win this war. But a miracle happened; we gained allies. The Death Knights of the Ebon Blade, and the Argent Crusade. With the Alliance Crusade, the Alliance, and the Hordes' armies, they pushed the scourge back to Ice Crown. I, my friends Razor, a death knight who I grew up with, one of the few warriors from Gilneas living in Stormwind; he was a Worgen for a long time, but could control his curse, so he helped the Alliance as much as possible before he went missing, captured to serve Arthas.
Then there was another friend of mine, Borren, a Dwarf hunter who had traveled with me through Draenor during the days we stood against the Burning Crusade. In Northerend, there were people who aided us. The Dragon aspects, they aided us in our cause as much as they could.
But when we returned to the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor, we weren't given rest, the entire world of Azeroth was in danger. Deathwing, Neltharion, the Earth Warder, had returned; with him, a cataclysm that almost tore our world apart. But with the aspects, Thrall, and our help, we brought Deathwing down, putting an end to the cataclysm.
I faced death at the hands of Deathwing. Thrall fell, dropping Dragon Soul, I rushed forth and grabbed it, before being thrown into the Maelstrom. But when I climbed from the swirling torrent of water, I didn't rise as a man or worgen, but as a dragon. A long, golden, cloud serpent. I was the aspect of the Light. I killed Deathwing, my fire being the Dragon Soul's blast.
It was in this time, I came to see someone in a different light. Before Deathwing's fall, I began feeling an attraction towards a certain dragon queen; Alexstraza. After meeting during the Lich King's reign of terror, she and I had become close allies. It was a shock to hear her call for my aid when Deathwing came to power.
Shortly after the defeat of Deathwing, Alexstraza and I fell for each other. It wasn't common for a Paladin to seek love, but I cared less about the rules at this time. All I cared for was her.
For a time, we had peace. Until Anduin Wrynn went missing on a mysterious new land; Pandaria. I promised Alexstraza I would be alright and left, with Razor and Borren at my back, and traveled to Pandaria. After a long war between the Horde and Alliance, and the Sha, we defeated the Sha.
Before we could go home however, there was another mission. Garrosh Hellscream had betrayed most of the Horde. The other races of the Horde and The Alliance marched upon Ogrimmar. Even the Alliance Crusade marched upon the Horde Capital.
After three days of bloody battles and skirmishes, we defeated and captured Garrosh; our victory was short lived. He escaped prison and left Azeroth through the Dark Portal. The Iron Horde, led by Grommash Hellscream, father of Garrosh, attempted to invade our world.
Now, after so long, Khagdar returned to us, but with a warning and call to arms. Alexstraza wondered why I continued to fight; my answer was come with me, and find out why, so she came with me, Borren, and Razor.
We fought at the portal, myself, Alexstraza, Razor, Borren, Maraad, Thrall, the Alliance, Horde, and the Crusade vanguards stood valiantly at Tanaan Jungle.
Unfortunately, our forces fell at Tanaan, the Horde and Alliance vanguards' were to cover the crusade's flanks, but all three were overran by the seemingly endless Orcs. We eventually escaped the jungle, destroying the portal with our retreat, and began our own campaign in Draenor.
My crusade, Borren, and Razor built a powerful fort in Shadowmoon Valley. We made our way through Draenor, defeating Clan after Clan of Orcs from the Iron Horde. We gained many allies, such as a young Paladin, Yrel.
But in the end, the Iron Horde wasn't the enemy any longer; Gul'dan and the Legion were the biggest threat. But, the remnants of the Iron Horde, Vol'jin's Horde, the Alliance and our crusade stood together against the legion; we won, but at great cost. We lost several Alliance legions, the crusade had been weakened, the Horde had been injured, and Draenor needed to be rebuilt.
Now...it is our darkest time. Legion upon Legion of demons assault the broken isles; home to Suramar; city of the Nightwell, Malfurion and Illidan Stormrage, Neltharion, Cenarius, Huln Highmountain, and Cenarius.
This is where our journey begins.
(Stormwind City)
Four beings stood together in the training yard, outside SI:7, the Leader was a tall man, wearing Lightbringer armor, a tabard of the Argent Crusade, a golden, winged helmet in hand, and a greatsword with a blue and gold hilt.
Next to him, a dwarf wearing mostly brown leather clad armor, but under it was chain-mail, he had a green cloak and hood along with a metal helmet going over his dark brown hair. A beard that reached his gut, a gun and sword holstered and sheathed on his back, and a bag of ammunition strapped to his belt. A large bear stood next to the Dwarf, his companion.
There was also a worgen among the group. He wore scourgelord armor, the dark helmet in his hand; Obviously a death knight. The fourth was the dragon queen herself.
"Borren, I want you to head to Ironforge, have Muradin's forges ready to start crafting armor for the crusaders." Borren nodded, taking his leave to the trams.
"Razor, head to Dalaran and Archerus. Prepare the death knights and Darion Mograine. Then watch over Dalaran, at least until I'm back." the worgen called forth an undead dragon, and took to the skies.
Suddenly, footsteps were heard as a man wearing only simple clothes and a hood ran to Marshall. "Are you Dawnhammer…?" the courier panted.
"Yes...what is it?" Marshall asked, the messenger held out a rolled up paper; it had Tirion's seal on it. He looked back at the courier who was breathing heavily, holding his knees.
"Take water." he dismissed the man and opened the note. He read through it before handing it to Alexstraza, who read it as well, earning a worried look on her face.
"The time has come to take the fight to the enemy, I call upon you to sail with the Argent Crusade's vanguard to the Broken Shore, I know you haven't received much resting time, but I need your help. Signed, Highlord Tirion Fordring." she lowered the note. He sighed, knowing he had to go.
"You have a choice here, you don't have to fight every battle." she attempted to turn him away from his path.
"Alex...they need an aspect's help now more then ever." she sighed, a sad look crossing her.
"Hey..." he smiled, a hand under her chin, raising her head to look at him. Her eyes meeting his golden ones. He leaned in and pressed his lips against hers, the two embracing each other for a few moments before breaking apart.
"I'll be back before you know it." he pulled away, and soon, he called his argent charger forth and rode off, to Silverpine Forest, where the crusade's navy and Sylvannas's navy were readying to leave.
(Silverpine forest)
The old forest had never been the same since the fall of Lordaeron and Arthas's betrayal. Marshall could already see the armies loading onto their ships. There was a huge airship above the Horde navy. It must have been their flag ship.
He saw close by, the Arggent Crusade's navy. The ships were all just like Alliance ships, except the sails had the Argent Dawn's insignia sewn into them. The vanguard, consisting of the most elite paladins and priests, stood ready to board and sail to the Broken Shore.
Tirion Fordring, his heavy armor going down to his feet, the pauldrons were lit up with holy fire. The Ashbringer was strapped to his back as he and Sylvannas looked at a map of the Broken Shore.
"Ah, Marshall, you're here." he moved from the map to greet his ally. He had given Marshall his old armor before the battle for Icecrown Citadel.
"Fordring. Lady Sylvannas. It's good to see both of you readying for battle. When does Varian Wrynn's force sail for the Isles?" he asked his Highlord.
"Now; same as us. We were only waiting for you to arrive. Our reinforcements will be a few hours behind us." Marshall nodded, now, all of the crusaders, all wearing their heavy plated armor and winged helmets, began loading up onto the ships. Sylvannas and her Horde forces began loading onto her ships.
"Now is the hour! Paladins and Priests of the Argent Crusade! Today, we take the fight, to the broken shore!" Tirion yelled, earning a war cry from the crusaders.
(Two days later, The Broken Shore)
The air was foggy, but Marshall could already feel the demonic presence in the air. He knew they were close to the shoreline. He looked behind their ships and saw the Alliance and Horde fleet behind them. The crusade was the first attack party.
"How long til' we land?" Marshall asked Tirion. They both had their helmets on, the Ashbringer was in the Highlord's hand, as was Marshall's greatsword.
The captain spoke up. "About five minutes. Our scouts in the crows nest don't see anything yet, too much damned fog in the way." Marshall looked around in the air, where were the demons?
Suddenly, he heard cannons being fired, he looked back to Varian and Sylvannas's airships. Both were under attack by flying demons!
He looked back at the shoreline and gasped. "EVERYONE GET DOWN!" He yelled as a volley of fel blasts were fired towards their ships. Most hit, the flagship was shaken, one of the ships in their formation was destroyed from a direct blast.
Almost on command, the fog cleared, revealing a whole shoreline of demons upon demons, fel cannons, and demonic structures.
"By all that is holy!" Tirion was shocked.
"Soldiers, stay low! Get the rowers started, we've got to reach the beach!" Marshall ordered as he stood at the front of the ship. Tirion ran to see as well.
Marshall spotted a cannon zeroing in on their ship. His eyes widened. Without warning, he shoved Tirion down, but was too late to move as the blast hit, sending him off the side of their flagship.
He fell down into the water. His helmet had been thrown off of him after the blast. He sunk deeper, unable to feel anything; his mind slipped into subconsciousness.
"Alexstraza." he thought
"You ask me why I fight."
"I answered, saying to protect Azeroth...I lied."
"My true answer...is that I fight...to defend you...and the people of this World."
"There is nothing more precious then life...which is why, the only way for it to thrive...is to fight for it!" his eyes opened, lit up with a bright, yellow glow. He began changing as he began rapidly rising to the surface of the water.
With a roar, a worgen, in paladin's armor, leaped from the water, his greatsword drawn. He charged the nearest demon fel blades.
He grabbed one by the head and threw it away, he blocked an attack and pushed the demon back before sinking the sword into it's chest. He then used his fist and slammed the ground with a hammer made of light, sending several demons on their backs dead.
He looked back to the crusaders that were struggling to storm the beach, three of their ships didn't make it, Tirion's ship hadn't reached the beach yet.
"Over there, is Tirion Fordring's ship! He is in danger and we must take out those cannons! Then? We fight our way through this demonic city." he snarled, readying his sword, his pauldrons glowing violently from the light surging within him.
He looked back at them once, "COME WITH ME AND TAKE THIS BEACH!" they all battle cried, raising their shields and hammers. He charged the demons' line, the crusaders behind him. With a howling roar, he leaped into their line, the crusaders clashed into the line behind him.
They had the will and purpose to fight, they were in a wedge formation, pushing through the demons. Marshall cut the demons down, left and right. He took a moment and looked back to the Alliance and Horde, their airships were falling.
"If these cannons aren't taken down, our entire fleet will be destroyed!" he growled, reverting to human form.
"PUSH THEM BACK!" he yelled, casting a blast of light, burning away the demons in their way.
He looked as they were through, they had cut the demons off from their cannons. The demons were charging, coming to try and stop them.
"HOLD THE LINE, SHIELD FORMATION!" the crusaders formed a testudo of shields. The demons hit their line, but the crusade held strong.
Marshall and a few crusaders began disabling the cannons, more ships began landing, less fel blasts filled the sky. Marshall sighed with relief once he disabled the last cannon.
He looked down the beach to Tirion's forces now landing. "IT'S CLEAR! ADVANCE!"
The crusade's vanguard was one again, Tirion ran to Marshall. "Light bless you being here Dawnhammer, let's move!"
So they pushed forward, they killed demons left and right, until they reached the thickest part of the demonic city.
They had an elevated area, but out of nowhere, a huge explosion of fel energy erupted. Crusaders fell back from the blast. Marshall looked in aw as Demonic structures arose from the craters. Demons poured out of them.
Suddenly a wave of flying demons assaulted them, Marshall fought them off as he summoned magic to scare them away.
"Tirion, what do we do?" he got no answer.
"Tirion?" he looked back. Tirion was nowhere to be seen.
"Tirion?!" he looked around, nothing.
"Damn…" he saw a horde of demons approaching the unprepared crusaders.
"We must hold out until the Alliance arrives." he looked to their high ground.
"FORM A LINE! SHIELD TO SHIELD!" he ordered the vanguard. The crusaders stood shoulder to shoulder, funneling the demons in, but they didn't have a thick stacked line.
The crusaders held out but Marshall knew they couldn't stay here like this.
With a miracle, a gun was fired, the demon it was aimed at, fell back dead. Marshall looked back, he saw Borren, his rifle in hand. Over the hill came Razor, his large battle axe in hand as he ran towards the demons, and with him, came fifty more death knights all on their death chargers. They crashed into the demons, riding into the gaps of the line.
"I was wondering when you would show up!" Marshall laughed, he looked up and over the hill came Varian Wrynn, Jaina, Megatorque and Genn; along with the Alliance forces with them.
"Darion and I couldn't let the crusade have all the fun today!" Razor roared as he swung once with his axe and beheaded five demons.
"Marshall! Nice job pushing the beach, but where's Tirion?" Varian looked around for the Highlord.
"I don't know, one second the demons were on us, the next? He was gone." Varian sighed.
"We'll find him! Alliance, destroy the portals! Marshall, hold your soldiers back, we'll deal with this." Marshall nodded, allowing his soldiers to rest.
When they finally found and reached Tirion, it was too late. A demon sprang from the fel lava, Krosus. Tirion raised a barrier, his magic weakened by Gul'dan's grip on him.
"The light...will...AAAAH! AAAAAAAAHH!" Tirion screamed in agony as he was burned before being dropped into the fel pool.
"TIRION!" Marshall yelled.
"Fordring!" Thrall yelled.
"NO!" Jaina cried.
Gul'dan's chatter only infuriated Marshall, his will snapped. He sprang forth into Worgen form. The demons in his way were torn apart by the light wielding Worgen, his intent was to kill Gul'dan.
Before he could reach the demonic Orc, a huge hand punched him, Krosus had sent him back. He groaned as his vision went dark, the sounds of battle filling the air before he passed out.
(Days later)
Marshall's eyes opened, blinded by light, his eyes slowly adjusted as his eyes opened further.
"Wh...where...am I?" he managed. His eyes opened slightly, he looked to his side a bit, he wasn't alone. His eyes recognized her a mile away.
"A...Alex." she heard him this time, her eyes darted to see he was awake.
"He's awake!" she called, almost leaping onto him. She pulled him close, kissing him repeatedly before burying her face in his neck.
"By the titans never do that again!" she sobbed lightly.
He weakly raised his arms and held her close, caressing her soft hair, ignoring that he could feel most of her body that wasn't hidden by her 'clothes'.
"It's good to see you up." Genn's voice stirred him, he looked to see the old Gilnean king come close to the cot he was on.
After a few minutes, Marshall learned of Varian's death and felt grief, remembering that Tirion died too. He got up, stretching his soar limbs.
He reached the castle, Varian's note to Anduin in hand. "How bad was it?" she asked him, he looked at her, shaking his head.
"You need to prepare the dragon flights for war." he sighed. Her eyes widened from hearing this.
"Azeroth...needs to prepare for this war." he sighed, knowing they, as Illidan always said, weren't prepared.
Alright! So that's my first chapter for World of Warcraft, hope you guys enjoy, review if there's something you liked or if there's something that could be done to make it better.