The Nethergarde Citadel is an old fortress encampment of the Alliance forces built within the dusty dessert plains of the Blasted Lands that used to be known as the Black Morass. Once a dark, sickly fen of marshlands, the entire region had been magically transformed into a burnt barren dessert by the energies permeated by the Dark Portal, the very gate that first led the orcs to Azeroth. Protected by a number of Alliance troops, the Nethergarde was built to keep watch over the Dark Portal. For almost twenty years, the Dark Portal remained inactively silent ever since it was sealed by Khadgar prior to the catastrophic explosion of Draenor. Despite the many years of peace, the Alliance forces in Nethergarde remained vigilant on watching over the Dark Portal, and as well as the entire region.

It was another day on the Blasted Lands, a paladin commander of Nethergarde known as Relthorn Netherwane has recently led a force of troops to a small ogre den post, and successfully dealt with a minor ogre uprising within the area. The ogres are from the Dreadmaul tribe that have long settled themselves on the ruined town of Rockard, a former orc encampment. The outpost den of the ogres is located on the southwest of Nethergarde Citadel and is not far from where the Dark Portal stands. After dealing with the minor ogre threat, Commander Relthorn and his soldiers intend to head back to Nethergarde to make their reports about their battle against the ogres when all of a sudden, they noticed something strange upon the Dark Portal as they stand on a hill overlooking the gate nearby.

Relthorn: "We did it! We have shown those savages not to mess with us! Hopefully they will learn their lesson, or we will be forced to wipe out their entire tribe in their hold over Rockard! For now, we will return to Nethergarde and make our report about those brutes. Come, it's been a long day."

Footman: "What on earth?! Wait, Commander Netherwane! Look! Look there at the Dark Portal!"

Relthorn: "Hold, men! What is it there, soldier? What is going with the-… Wait! What the hell?!"

As the Nethergarde troops stand over the hill overlooking the Dark Portal, they immediately notice of a strange light that is faintly glowing upon the Dark Portal where the magical rift link to Draenor once was. For nearly twenty years, the Alliance forces of Nethergarde keep a close watch upon the inactively sealed Dark Portal, and yet it is only now that the gate is faintly glowing within the rift. Surprised upon the strange phenomenon in the Dark Portal, Commander Relthorn decides that they should quickly inform the rest of the Alliance forces there of faint light glowing in the Dark Portal.

Relthorn: "We will have to worry about our report upon the ogres later. For years the gate is sealed, this never happened before! Send word to Nethergarde quickly! The others must know about this!"

Without wasting any time, Commander Relthorn sends one of the knights on his group to ride back to Nethergarde Citadel and inform all the people there about what is happening on the Dark Portal. Meanwhile, Relthorn and the rest of his soldiers stayed behind to keep a close watch upon the now faintly glowing Dark Portal. Nearly an hour later, the knight that was sent by Relthorn back to the Nethergarde has finally reached the citadel. Wasting no time, the knight immediately went to speak with the other high leaders of Nethergarde, of which are two Archmages; Lungertz and Mahar Ba, and also a dwarven Mountain King called Krolan. Upon meeting with the other leaders within the citadel, the knight quickly informs them of what his group with Relthorn saw upon the Dark Portal.

Knight: "Greetings, Lord Lungertz, Lord Mahar Ba, Thane Krolan. I have come to send word from Lord Netherwane. There is something important that you must know that we have just discovered."

Lungertz: "What is it, soldier? Are those foul ogres posing up a threat to the citadel?"

Knight: "No, my lord. We've already dealt with the ogres, and they ended up running back in their own hold over Rockard. However, as we were about to make our return here, we noticed something strange upon the Dark Portal as we stood upon a hill not far from it. We noticed a strange light that is faintly glowing upon the gate itself. We did not know what is causing it nor what to expect next."

Mahar Ba: "What? A glowing light within the Dark Portal, you say? What on earth could this be?"

Lungertz: "For nearly twenty years, that gate has remained dead. This has never happened before!"

Mahar Ba: "We should see it for ourselves! We must know of what this light upon the old gate is!"

Lungertz: "Indeed. We should see the Dark Portal up close and know is causing this strange light."

Krolan: "Aye, lads! Better to prepare a force to bring as well. We never know what to expect next."

Right then, Lungertz, Mahar Ba, and Krolan made a quick arrangement in the citadel and assemble a group of Alliance soldiers that they will bring with them to the Dark Portal, including some other master mages, elven sorceresses and priests to further understand the magical nature of the strange glowing light said to be in the Dark Portal. With the preparation done, the three Nethergarde heroes and their troops quickly made their way to the Dark Portal to meet up with Relthorn and his forces. After an hour later, the forces of Lungertz, Mahar Ba and Krolan finally join up with Relthorn and his troops as they finally reach the Dark Portal. Upon looking at the old gate, Lungertz, Mahar Ba, and Krolan quickly saw the strange faint light glowing upon the Dark Portal that had been reported to them. Surprised and curious to what they are seeing, the four Nethergarde heroes, as well as the elven sorceresses and priests, carefully went up close to observe the strange light in the Dark Portal.

Relthorn: "We have only seen this strange light earlier today after our business against the ogres."

Lungertz: "I sense a dark energy permeating upon this light! Somehow, I can feel the presence of demons channeling some form of great powers somewhere that is affecting the long dormant gate."

Mahar Ba: "Yes, indeed! I also feel that the energy being channeled on this portal have only started very recently, which explains the faint light, and yet, I sense it is getting stronger as time goes on!"

Relthorn: "Wait, what?! Demons?! What is going on here? For many years, the gate is shut, and I do not sense the presence of any demon here nearby. The demon army that created the undead and destroyed Lordaeron have already been defeated in the far western lands across the sea a year ago."

Lungertz: "True. But somehow, we can feel the essence of a demonic magic empowering the long dormant rift of the portal. It is as if the energies are… no! Could it really be? No! This cannot be!"

Mahar Ba: "Oh no! But this cannot be happening! Is it even possible?! It was Lord Khadgar himself who completely shut this gate down nearly twenty years ago! Now, somehow the Dark Portal is…"

Krolan: "Is what?! What do you two think is going on with the gate?!"

Lungertz: "We feel that the Dark Portal is… opening once again!"

Krolan: "What?! Are you certain about this?!"

Relthorn: "Reopening?! You mean there is actually someone out there somewhere channeling dark magical energies that attempts to reopen this old gate after so many years that it has been sealed?!"

Mahar Ba: "Yes! We can quite sense it! All of us here who can sense the magical energy within it could feel it! The fact that this glowing light has never happened before for nearly twenty we kept a safe watch over the gate! The glowing light here is a form of dark magical energy from a demonic power that is attempting to reawaken the ethereal rift upon this gate! The portal is being reopened!"

Relthorn: "No! That cannot be! But how?! Who could possibly even have the power to reopen the Dark Portal?! It took the Guardian Medivh possessed by the demon titan Sargeras to first open the rift in this gate. All of the great demonlords that destroyed Lordaeron have been defeated long ago! No demon, or warlock, or any other creature in this world is powerful enough to reopen this gate!"

Lungertz: "But perhaps… it is a demon that is not in this world, Relthorn. Remember, Medivh was not the only one who opened the portal. The orc warlock Gul'dan also opened the dimensional rift from his own world, which he connected to the rift in this world. The link of Azeroth and Draenor."

Relthorn: "Draenor?! The home world of the orcs?! But the entire planet has long been destroyed!"

Mahar Ba: "Regardless of that, all we know for sure is that now the Dark Portal is being reopened."

Relthorn: "Oh no! If this is truly the case, then we must quickly report this to the king! King Varian must be informed at once that after almost twenty years, the Dark Portal is reopening once again!"

Krolan: "Aye! This is a horrible news. Lord Wrynn must know all of this. We do not know who is trying to reopen this damned portal, and we do not know what to expect next when it opens again!"

Mahar Ba: "Agreed. I know that the king has his hands full in Stormwind, considering that he has been assessing all the surviving refugees coming from Lordaeron, but he must know all about this. He must know that the Dark Portal is reopening again, regardless of how and who is behind it all."

Relthorn: "Very well, let me inform the king of what we saw here while the rest of you stay behind, and keep a close watch on the Dark Portal. I shall head for Stormwind to speak with King Varian."

Lungertz: "Alright, the plan is settled. We will all stay behind to keep a close watch upon the gate."

Commander Relthorn wastes no time, and quickly returns to Nethergarde citadel to prepare for his urgent departure. After an hour later, the paladin finally leaves the Nethergarde and makes his way straight for Stormwind. Meanwhile in the Blasted Lands, the Nethergarde archmages and a brigade of troops continue observing the magical behavior of the now reopening Dark Portal. The dwarven Mountain King Krolan returned to Nethergarde to watch over the citadel and to prepare the soldiers there for action in case of any unpredictable event that may happen. With the Dark Portal suddenly reopening after almost twenty years it was shut, the Alliance forces in Nethergarde wisely planned to alert King Varian Wrynn and the entire kingdom about the sudden strange magical phenomenon.