Reviews:

Guest 1: Well considering the military tactics of Varok Saurfang honor doesn't really have meaning in the Horde beyond "how can i retcon the history books to make me look like the hero"... because besides his 1v1 fights I can see anyone on Azeroth taking his military command seriously, particularly when we have the vastly superior Etrigg standing just over there, but then again who wants to go by that old guys unforgiving and strict definition of Honor that has you actually having to succeed and put in effort.

But hey while Manfred might be a little shit, but the rest of the Von Carstein's have some dignity to them.

Guest 2: Probably would end very badly. Because even the most opened minded of the Dawi take pride in their work and lifelong hatreds are born if someone insulting the quality of their work, the attention to detail, the rigorous testing before use, the general pragmatic artistry of what they do. And the Gnomes are "future minded" individuals who tend to have a skill for inadvertently or "inadvertently" insulting anything that came before them and their latest "brilliant invention". The others, well Goblins are small green and same evil little smears on Dawi axes different world, and these other Dwarves they'll learn proper culture and attention to detail eventually, even if it needs to be beat into their heads...maybe then they'll also drop those weird accents and speak with a proper deep and proud voice.

Guest 3: Oh yesss massster Guest i will disregard bram Stroker, Eastern European Lore, all of the great classic horror stories, and Nagash's Lore, the Tomb King Lore, the Codexes, the RPG books, and ruin my story about clashing worlds, cultures and mythos just to make the vegan vampires you so belove from a psuedo-porn series about a mary sue that can't decide if her kink is beastiality or necrophilia writen by a woman who never once read a vampire book before...all to satisfy your need to sexually fantasize about sparkles. Even Genevieve was a dark monster and her current state born of centuries of feasting upon mortals.

Guest 4: "Newer" vs "Older" yet both are same time the whole thing of the Great Horned Rat was that his origins are supposed to be a mystery there's many possible figures from the legend, and AOS doesn't count. There was no "old lore" vs "new lore" in that regard besides the AoS rewrite. And old lore vs new lore per GW themselves is only a issue if there is a contradiction or if something was made non-canon. There is no contradiction by Horned Rat being a seperate God from "the chaos gods" because fundamentally all Gods in Warhammer draw from the same sources of power, the term actually has more to do with their core nature and origin which the Great Horned rat lays at the grey zone of that because a fundamental chicken/egg mystery concerning the birth of the Horned Rat and the Skaven, if the Horned Rat was the figure who built the tower and created the Skaven then he would fall under the perview of Chaos God, but if anyone else did it, he's not a Chaos God and the biggest contenders for the creator of the tower of legend whose bell tolled thirteen times are Tzeentch and a particular Dwarf Ancestor God, which Tzeentch makes the whole bit of the Horned Rat all the more embarrassing and hilarious since he'd be a "natural" God created by a Chaos God.

Guest 5: Good reference to a decent General.

JiggyliFAP: Because no matter how much bigger you make the Sahara Desert, Death Valley, Central Mexico, etc, they can't support a population in the millions on their own. The soil in Durotar isn't crop food soil, it's cash crop soil. That means importing food, which is a reality for many places on earth that have a disproportionately high population to what they can grow. And Durotar was formed while having unrestricted trade access to multiple regions across Kalimdor. No matter how you scale New York, New York isn't going to be able to feed New York, scaling up or down doesn't solve the problem. If you scale up Durotar that doesn't add much ground where food crops can be grown, especially not where a civilian population or a military population can be fed off that land by itself, unless we want to go against the primary description of Durotar and make it into a green verdent paradise...but then, why not make it also have floating rocks and blue monkey people who reenact dances with wolves in space and can defeat space armies with their vastly superior wodden sticks?

And even then the reality of the Empire's force. The fact that it would be suicidally dumb to attack Durotar still remains. Because as the Empire leaders complained, it would involve attacking too many forts all at once or just leaving themselves open to be attacked in the rear by enemies with forts they could fall back into...thats the reason why the Ottomans didn't just curbstomp all of Europe with their insanely superior numbers. The Ottomans weren't some inferior force, Europe wasn't united against them for all time, the Ottomans knew how to defeat the Europeans, and had the numbers that they could afford to lose armies of hundreds of thousands of soldiers every couple years. yet they never got past the Balkens. While the Empire alone might have a 5 or 10 to one advantage over any one state of Azeroth that's not that much of an advantage when many of Azeroth's other factors come into play.

And looking at the Empire force and the other locations. Bilgewater harbor and your mentioned Echo Isles. Either A the world is as small as you claim I'm making it and the Empire can just wade through the water to those locations. OR they'd need these things called ships, because unlike what Saurfang thinks, no soldiers cannot just swim across a fucking ocean in full plate and with full gear and come out the other side perfectly ready for battle. Even with Azeroth armor and metals that are somehow also floatation devices that a suicidally stupid assumption. So their targets on Kalimdor are limited, and again Durotar, the Barrens and WoW's over emphasis of cities, plus the knowledge of what food stuffs are presented as growing or living in Durotar...well you can ask the Soviet Union how well they think they thought they could feed their cities without the farmers in the Ukraine and their farms.

Meanwhile Mulgore is a natural bread basket, the basen retains mosture well, while the ground would be tough the Southern Barrens receiving any runoff from Mulgore or any areas more interior and further away from the mountains would be ideal for basic crops, and both the presented in game wildlife, and plenty of IRL herd animals would also find Mulgore near ideal if the place had some tree groves the land would be a idilic paradise for herd animals. "Hi giant Cow people who think of Mulgore as their ideal homeland." but the sheer output Mulgore could produce even at a 1 to 1 ratio with WoW's represtation simply outpaces a land litterally named the barrens, and a land whose only natural food crop is mushrooms and only food producing animal are thunder lizards, and small boars which were imported. And on the sense of Scale, actually I'm upscaling Durotar from what WoW officially claims. because while the tiny speak called Theramor that did none of the RPG tricks to create the suspension of disbelief that there is a larger city present has a population of 10k that was killed by a single bomb...all of Durotar is officially listed as having a population of 21k. Barely more than the population of Middenheim. There's a reason why I disrespect the supposed scale of WoW, because its flat wrong. Trying to tell me a kingdom with a smaller population than the Alliance, less tech than the Alliance, next to no Gods signing up as members unlike the Alliance, without broken as future sight and space teleportatio from a space battleship that can without even joining a battle still act as the only orbital spy satellite in the world and a orbital drop launch station...that a faction like that is world super power #2 and the Equal of the Alliance. Blizzard devs would go "yeah aren't you stupid, don't you see how good of leaders they have like Saurfang, didn't you see his 1v1 cutscene duel?"

There's a line that has to be drawn, the Alliance's bullshit needs scaling down, and the Horde needs some logic, reason, and more importantly half competent leadership, at least quarter competent. But by applying logic and reason to the Horde, Durotar during wartime can't feed itself. The Strong abled bodied Orcs who'd fight the predators off and tend the murshroom fields would be dying on battlefield following Saurfang's order to "blindly run at the enemy", and Durotar has never in its existence needed to feed itself having Echo Isles and Mulgore. Meaning that all it's land could be put to other "better" uses such as industry, fortification, and military purposes.

Dagon King of the West: She might be hampered, but she's making good plans. Dragonflight power belongs to Dragons, not pathetic Gods.

Ironwall: "mysterious explosion destroys Orgrimmar" "Why-why looking at me-me? Shit-fuck I forgot Thanqual in Orgrimmar!"

Hakuryuu: Well soon we will see the fate of Kyn'ra herself as she's going full 80s body horror on her allies. As for Shandris a rather good assessment of what her current state is like overall, though I'd add Montgomery to the list of politicians who make bad generals. Guy might have been a Field Marshall, but was so politically minded he was probably one of the biggest detrimental figures on the Allies side.

I had guessed Spanish as your natice tounge, have plenty of internet friends who either speak Spanish or Polish as their first language...and then there's my incompetent ass living where at best you might hear Russian spoken once a year or if your real lucky you can go on a trip and maybe hear Japanese if you're reeeeeaaaaly lucky.

I'd also have to double check on when the Albion invasion happened, but certainly Belakor will eventually try to have his own way with Azeroth. But I wanted to distance my story from him, both for a meta reason involving not retreading ground covered by Deadliestfan too early in my own story, but also for a in universe consideration of the nature of his character as he is a Shadow and what better way to get to where he wants than that as to follow as a Shadow? Plus the manner in which the Portals being created i think is different in the two fanfictions, so he's not yet a active role.

OscuroSignore-51: After, i need to double check the dates but were a few years after.

But I'm citing for my "the corruption of chaos isn't that significant" Warhammer Fantasy's other Gods not mortals or 40k egocentric self worshipping atheists. There's more than just Sigmar and there's plenty of "Order" Gods who can use Warp power and not get crushed. The Great Horned Rat, a unaligned God who is not one of the Four and is Not a minor Chaos God, and is stealing power from all four Chaos Gods is one example, but there are actually Nehekaran Gods who also use the power of the Warp for themselves. And N'zoth is far more of a God than the pile of corpses that call themselves Gods who all died while going to buy milk (fuck you Wild Gods you suck! Just ascend Malfurion already so the Night Elves can have a God whose not on respawn cooldown whenever they need him! Guy does your job better than you anyways.)

But also End Times was a bad reference there, since the Chaos Gods went full suprised Pikachu face as Archeon betayed them and they never saw it coming...but writing as Bad as Shadowlands aside. WHFB the Chaos Gods are more interesting than 40K because they have more divine entities who can oppose them, and more Gods to generally interact with in general and it's not all mind numbing antagonism, there's subversion, and not stopping your foes as they make a mistake, and temporary friendships...and then that one annoying neighbor in the basement who keeps stealing your shit and thinks his OC is oh so great, but you don't understand his Sonic Fanart or obsession wirh mice.*Dodges yet another smite from the Horned Rat*

Onix121: Maybe, maybe...but i have yet to meet Cow who can out smart bullet.

Meanwhile at the Crimson Post an Orc Commander now is looking out into a sea of Green. "Ere we go, ere we goo!!" ... "Somehow I feel personally attacked and insulted."

Chinerpeton: I shit on WoW's portrayal of Jaina since Blizzard clearly know the RPG techniques used to trick the human/player mind into a suspension of disbelief that turns a tiny map into a full continent and a single hut into a full orphanage. As well as just the clear issues with scale in general, more incoherent than Season 1 of Star Trek TNG's "technology".

The place was certainly a city, but even with lore there's some issues with the total population number since it's half the total population of all of Durotar which was supposed to be on of the core pillers of the Horde (though in that case it's simply Blizzard using a waaaaaaaay too small of a number) But i also mock because there really wasn't much emotional weight behind the whole thing, especially when compared to the fact that a Japanese madman in the last five years made all of gaming, even the most heartless and stoic, cry over a bunch of creepy wind up dolls and with the same data budget that goes into a single Raid. And WoW hasn't been able to get even close.

But still revisiting Theramor really now depends on the Skaven, Empire or vamp counts, Since i could see any of them try to claim the ruins for themselves. Empire as a naval jump off point, Skaven because nice abandoned ruins with plnety of mana, and VC or even PVC because have you seen the body count here, a whole city plus a small army all just waiting to be used as slave labor..."i mean as willing allies of the Horde.. right guys?"

But honestly on the food, yes all of that is very likely stuff that would have been in place since cataclysm/Mists if not technically earlier than Cataclysm. But at the same time the loss of Mulgore's food, besides being the only target the Empire could feasibly go after which would also put a long term strain of any kind on the Horde.

PS your review was the only one that i didn't get a email notice and honestly it was one of the better ones insight wise for this chapter...so by brother come join me and together we will slaughter !

Jak23: IDK if by this point Shandris would be too suprised by Luthor's size considering that Norcan Descended bloodlines all tend to be physically larger and more likely to have that tabletop S4. and Shandris has seen some Norscans and Nords by now, but i might still include a note.

And the Cow people deserve it. With their antagonistic leaving people alone and not holding others accountable for their crimes. They shall suffer the wrath of the Empire, Dwarves and Tilleans for daring to live a grey life of neutrality! What makes a man turn Neutral? A lust for Gold? Power? Or were you just born with a heart full of Neutrality?

micelzod: In the words that define the works of Yoshiyuki Tomino, my authoral spiritual liege, "And then it got worse". Gundam's Universal Century (aka the main timeline) started with a philospher preaching a sci-fi version of what GreenPeace does to a bunch downtrodden space folk. Next we have political Assassinations, riots, and then space Prussia wanting to be Space Nazis gassing a colony killing several hundred million and dropping said colony on Australia wiping out half the content...and then it gets worse. I can't wait to follow the example of the man who launched the greatest Mecha titles to ever exist, and to make things worse.


Gateway


It was another painful morning for Kaldorei Sentinel Nytheana Autumnblade. Months of heartache, loss and war had left the Sentinel drained and struggling. Malfurion still hadn't returned to lead them, and Tyrande had disappeared gone to perform some ritual that the Sentinel did not comprehend. But without Shandris the defense of the Kaldorei's lands fell to the Shadowsong siblings. While both had proven exceptional leaders a growing schism between the pair had left the Sentinels themselves split, what should have been a simple task of repelling the Horde instead turned into a grueling campaign and thanks to the Skaven tunnel to the peak of Hyjal meant that the Horde was free to even launch attacks on Hyjal both trying to take the Alliance's portal to Mallus, but also to deny the Night Elves access to their most holy sites.

Nytheana had even seen Tauren, druids no less, among the Horde assaults on Hyjal. Though those had been half hearted attempts and most had been repelled with little effort on Nytheana Autumnblade's part. Still Maiev Shadowsong was right about one detail at least, Hyjal needed to be protected, not dismissed as a point of diversion that the Horde only attacked because there were defenders to attack.

But defending Hyjal was arduous for the Sentinel's spirit. Every day she watched over the devestation and corpses of a battle that even months later new remnants were being dredged up, and as the snow and ice melted new long preserved corpses were exposed to the world. But the monotony of the day's patrols, something exhausting for the naturally nocturnal Night Elves, was broken as a Gnome came rushing from a nearby tent screaming to any who would listen.

"The mound is shaking! The Mound is trembling! It's going to collpase!" The Gnome shouted running about the repeating the phrase over and over again.

On the alert for a possible resurgence of the Skaven from the portal the Sentinels surrounded the mass of snow and ice now referred to as 'the mound' and prepared themselves while the Gnomes endured being far too close to a already steaming, maybe even smoking track carried machine. The so named Coggrindle's High-Octane-Terrestrial-Supremely-Heavy-Ordinance-Tri Cannon, or H.O.T.S.H.O.T. Cannon. Nytheana had heard the other Gnomes complain that the weapons real name should be Hot-Garbage.

The weapon was fourty-Two linked firing rotating barrels and apparently despite its creator's insistance otherwise, most the Gnomes doubted that it could fire for more than a minute before suffering catastrophic failure. Nytheana Autumnblade also felt glad, sitting distant from the boisterous Gnome boasting about the invincibility of his weapon vs 'more than it's intended target'. One of the younger Kaldorei had tried to ask Coggrindle what set the Cannons fire apart from just fourty-two other cannons...The Sentinel recruit had returned returned far more confused than before and in tears. But eventually the Sentinels had learned that the weapon was modified for ammunition from a new and untested in the battlefield series of anti-Skaven weaponry.

While Skaven-hunter series Gnomebots, and a SkavenKiller Spider Tank had all been sent by the Gnomes to help secure the portal, and each of those had apparently been vetted by the Dwarves in Ironforge. The H.O.T.S.H.O.T. had been built and brought exclusively by Coggrindle, but had come with a stockpile of the 'Horde-splitter' shells which were what Coggrindle was so excited about. The 'Horde-splitter' shells, based off news from the Dwarves days after the poor youth had come back to camp crying and confused by Coggrindle's ranting, was designed off the idea of larger blast areas with less penetrating power. The old focus for Cannons had been the idea of one shot one kill, particularly with large beasts that the Horde could field. But this new ammo would supposedly dampen the horrorifying impact the Skaven's numbers had brought for the Horde.

Still now surrounding the portal behind various barricades and with experience on their side the Kaldorei forces were sure they could stall or repel another Skaven attack, but Nytheana Autumnblade prayed that the weapon really would work, because after the reports of what happened at Lordaeron those damned Rats were starting to scare her.

The mound then started to glow orange, the light from with, originating from the other side, shone through the layers of the Ice and Snow. Then the mound indeed collpased as predicted, a giant laughing skull made of flames, one so large that as it slowly crept forwards towards the barricades Nytheana feared for her life wondering if they should retreat before their position was consumed by fire. Then abruptly before the wave of heat leading ahead of the skull could even be slightly felt by the Kaldorei the skull disappeared.

On the other side of the portal a human, a mage of some sort was shouting. "Zeuge meiner Macht! Ich habe das mystische Eis besiegt! Es ist nicht mehr der Weg ist jetzt offen! (Witness my power! I have defeated the mystic Ice! It is no more the way is now open!)"

A number of sharp, hollow, wooden whistles and bombastic brass trumpets sounded from the other side of the portal. For minutes untold all the Night Elves, Gnomes and gathering Guardians of Mount Hyjal watched as formations of soldiers, mounted Knights and lines of Cannons stood prepared on the other side of the portal with more soldiers gathering. Because of Jarod Shadowsong's influence, the assembled Kaldorei figured from what they could see alone, they were outnumbered at least five to one.

As fbe Kaldorei fought a single human from then other side of the Portal stepped through the portal and onto Mallus. The man was large, Nytheana had seen some very large human warriors and Paladins before, but she had always assumed it was partially their armor. This bald man, it was like his armor was trying and failing to make him look smaller than he was.

The man once through the portal squared himself before shouting in heavily accented Common. "I am Empire Luthor Huss of helping the..." The man clearly stumbled over his words and could be heard growling to himself. "Sigmar verdammte diese unsinnige Sprache. (Sigmar damned this nonsensical language.)" After moments the man spoke again. "here to aid the Alliance, time of war in need, with General."

Then the Kaldorei could see marching to and through the portal a singular sight that brought a great cheer to the Sentinels, all of them shouting with renewed joy, renewed hope and renewed strength. The cheer from the Kaldorei atop Mount Hyjal reached a fever pitch, maybe even one mighty enough to echo down and strike terror into the hearts of the Horde in Ashenvale, as their Supreme General took her first steps back on Azeroth, bringing with her seven hundred veteran Sentinels many Hippogryphs and Treants and Ancients all of which scattered back into the woods of Kalimdor once again.

Many of the Sentinels struggled not to rush forward to arriving forces and their long lost general. Others did go racing forward shouting the names of friends or loved ones. And the Warden Vela Steelsong joined those rushing forward racing to Shandris Feathermoon before saluting the general. Shandris returned the salute while at her side the strange dressed 'Empire' humans, most in plate armor but one dark dressed woman and another with a umbrella and covered in books and papers, walked past the General just as the Empire's soldiers began to emerge through the portal.

While Vela Steelsong reported to Shandris, her aids Aethalas and Uydron closely listening in and and offering their own short worded bits of advice to the General in response. Nytheana Autumnblade slightly lost about the situation instinctively put herself into position to guard the Warden who lead the defense of Hyjal, as well as her Sentinel General, and the Captain and Chief Druid who stood beside her. As such once the Empire army began to march through the portal ordered tight ranks the Sentinel could overhear the conversation taking place between her leaders.

Vela Steelsong's voice was the first the Kaldorei could hear. "Right, well the whole scene is bad General. The Horde controls Darkshore, while Ashenvale remains highly contested. The Northern Barrens has seen our forces entirely wiped out, the Southern Barrens is under siege and all our allies south from there have come under Horde attacks, and increasingly more frequently Skaven attack. I think they might all be dead by this point. Meanwhile Stormwind, Gilneas, Ironforge and Gnomeregan have been focused on the Horde portal trying to stem the tide of Skaven. The Kaldorei have been virtually on our own for months now."

"What about Teldrassil?" Shandris then demanded, Nytheana didn't know about Vela but the thought made her twinge in sympathetic pain...and made her relive memories of pushing civilians through portals. Carrying children from their burning homes covering their eyes so they couldn't see, and constantly singing to drown out the screaming. When she sensed Aethalas' cold eyes upon her Nytheana snapped back to attention realizing she had been sniffling some soft sons for the past several seconds as the memories of burning flesh returned.

The Warden looked away in shame. "We failed them, and the Horde burned the tree. They claim it was revenge for Anduin's crimes against Orgrimmar's people. The Tauren have offered aid for the survivors, but no one is willing to accept. The Horde even have tried to skirt the blame and claim it was a mistake of the Skaven siege engines overloading."

Shandris became unsteady on her feet for a moment. The sheer scale of destruction and death staggering her. However Shandris easily collected herself and focused her determination. "Then it's...It's good that I brought the forces with me that I did. I want you to help us finalize the plans for this army's objective. They want to siege Thunder Bluff and cut off the Horde's..."

Nytheana stopped hearing the General. 'Then it's good'? Siege Thunder Bluff? Was she just brushing off the Hundreds of Kaldorei who died screaming as fires stole the very air from their lungs and charred their flesh? Was she really going to attack the Tauren of all people, and then what subject them to the horrors that...

Nytheana jumped as she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning her head the Sentinel's eyes met with Captain Aethalas' own eyes. "You're dismissed." The Captain stated flatly.

"I'm sorry, what ma'am?" What was going on? Dismissing a guard, did they think she disagreed with them, so much so she could betray them somehow?

"Everyone else seems down about Darnassus, but it seems the topic is hitting you hard. If you need to cry, I'll cover your watch. So for right now, you're dismissed." Aethalas excluded an air comfort and concern. Enough to put Nytheana at ease. The Kaldorei bowed to her superior before walking aside, still watching as more of the humans marched past.

The steady beat of their boots and the drums as humans proceeded through the portal, some in perfect formations, others in more of a rabble than a orderly fashion. Nytheana Autumnblade was soothed as she watched the humans, her mind focusing on the present and what was before her, rather than the trauma of the recent past.

As she stood watching the Imperials, a group of the humans started a discussion just within the Kaldorei's hearing. While the Kaldorei couldn't understand what they were saying , the tones and pointing from the group made it obvious that they were also holding some sort of war council seperate from Shandris and the Alliance's command. The large human from before, along with a dark woman with a aura of death about her and a knight along with another man with a large gun and a full suit of armor were all speaking while closely watching over all the forces that passed through the portal.

These humans, Nytheana had only seen them for less than a hour, but the already could see a vast difference between them and those of Stormwind, or even the Gilneans. For those of Stormwind they walked with a step of optimism, their every action filled with hope for the best. The Gilneans carried themselves with a sense of loss tempered by relief and renewal. But these Imperials, marched with grim pride and harsh determination. Now that their march had begun they would come, even of the Kaldorei stood against them, even if all of Azeroth was determined to stop them, they would come and fight and die and try to take everything they could from Azeroth in light of everything.

Back with General Shandris and Vela Steelsong the pair continued their tactical discussions. "The tunnel goes straight to Ashenvale?" The General asked her gaze locked on the fortified tunnel entrance.

"Yes, and both the Cenarion Circle and the Horde's forces had thrown everything they could at the tunnel. Or rather the Skaven and the Circle had been going at it whenever they had a opening to between the battles with what's left of the Wardens and Sentinels against the Horde's occupation forces. It always feels like the Horde is just at the breaking point, like we can finally break their hold. But then a new wave of Skaven appears or more Forsaken fill the gap, or something else happens and no matter how we push they still hold." Vela summarized.

Uydron in turn nodded to the Warden. "That should be why we need to act with all haste."

However the Warden just frowned under her helm. "Yes, these troops should be helping us break the enemy's front line and driving them from our homeland, not launching some haphazard attack deep in Horde territory."

As the Warden spoke Uydron puffed up, looking ready to growl back a response. However both were stopped as Shandris raised her hand. "You said it yourself no matter how hard we push they either get some new reinforcements or somehow hold their line. Even with the Cenarion Circle, I'm willing to bet that we've been loosing the war of attrition that this stalemate has caused. And I'm willing to bet the Horde have been attacking half heartedly while countering our own offensives with every ounce of strength ensuring every possible casualty."

The General's reasoning earned a reluctant nod from the Warden. "Jarod and Maiev have been arguing about how to break this. Jarod wants us to goad the Horde into attacking so we can eliminate a large force then strike while they are reorganizing. Maiev thinks that it would take too valuable of a target to use as sufficient bait. She wants us to either hold the stalemate while on the defensive and wait for the Eastern war to conclude and for more reinforcements from Stormwind, or for the Orcs to grow impatient and start attacking which would start bleeding their forces."

"Well now we have a new option. Attack. If the Empire marches on Mulgore the Horde will have to respond, and that means no more reinforcements, no additional waves of Skaven. Maybe even Horde troops being called away from their fortifications. These Empire troops get through Ashenvale without being harried and the next time we attack, the Horde won't hold the line. Instead we will push them out of Ashenvale and we will reclaim Darkshore." Shandris' voice was full with aggressive determination and hard logic.

"You know..." Vela began but was cut off by Shandris.

"I know the choice won't be popular. The Tauren are also probably the last vestige of hope for a peaceful resolution of this war with the Horde. But it's too late for a peaceful diplomatic conclusion to all of this, we need force the Horde onto the backfoot. We need to break the Horde's forces otherwise this war is only going to keep growing and there are forces on Mallus who will try to use this to destroy Azeroth. This war is too big to sideline and what's coming is too big for just spare forces and adventurers to handle alone. Even if it's crude we need to have the Horde fracture or negotiate for peace soon, before the year is out at the most." Shandris' proclamation shocked more than Vela, nearly every Sentinel who was standing guard and eavesdropping on the conversation joined the Warden in a gasp.

"What besides the Skaven could be so bad? Did you wake up a Old God or something?" The Warden asked almost with incredulous tone.

"I wish I understood it all. But the other world is filled with forces who feel threatened by Azeroth. And at least one who thinks that so long as the portals are open their entire world is endangered. And I've recieved enough warning from these Imperials. There's some other force at play, one we don't have experience with, one that benefits the longer this war drags out. If more portals opened these forces might cause irreversible damage to Azeroth." Shandris admitted shaking her head.


A world away Alyzz Kneecord looked over to the Orc commander Ergere Brokenaxe, the Orc stood fuming at the Dragon Lord who was now daring to not only try and redesign the Crimson Post but was even so arrogant as to think they could shout orders at the Horde members about them. While Alyzz could sympathize with the Orc, one she was increasingly thinking was in command only because he might be a Sword master, she also felt that allowed Zhao Ming to do as he wanted now would eventually pay off for the Horde.

The Dragon had given up on the outer two layers of the Crimson Post's defense entirely instead turning the areas near where the walls were into clear and obvious deathtraps. Filled with poison tipped spikes and small acid pits just large enough to melt a Orc's legs. Clearly the intent was to force these oncoming Orks would see the traps and instead to follow the narrow path up to the wall that now would serve as the outer wall for the fortress. At the core of the fortress the three layers the Horde's forces were stuck dividing their attention. Some of the best were stuck guarding the portal, while the rest of the soldiers and Grunts and the wounded were assigned to guard the outer perimeters.

But even as they all worked on the defenses the Ogres following Alyzz's suggestions split, the greater portion of their force following Tragg Gatecrasher to march onto Azeroth and hopefully break the Alliance forces or at least help prevent an Alliance attack while the Horde was also fighting this Waaagh. Kogkradd's tribe would stay and help fend off the Waaagh forces. And then there would be the freshly arriving five thousand Cathayan troops. Soldiers with Golden highlights, some with shields and Ji, some with crossbows and sheilds. Some sort of long gunners who had a shield bearer standing ahead of them followed after Ox drawn cannons and an Ox drawn structure with some sort of magical glow at the center.

The army marched with flying cavalry and Sky Lanterns over head marking the approach of the Cathayans. The army marched in with confidence the five thousand warriors parading past their Dragon and the Horde's representatives. The Horde had dedicated a significant force to guard the Crimson post, nearly two thousand veterans, but with the damages and constant fighting against the Alliance's elite soldiers they were hurt, tired and in no shape to best these Cathayans, let alone the ninty-five thousand more coming. And who knew how many of the Orks and Mallus Goblins were on their way.

Between roughly a hundred Ogres, four hundred Gnoblars, eight hundred Orc Grunts, three hundred Tauren Braves, a hundred Goblin Mercenaries, six hundred Forsaken, a hundred fifty Troll Headhunters, and fifty Blood Sworn Sin'dorei and the five thousand Cathayans Alyzz simply hoped that the Waaaagh would fail to even breach the outer wall.

Alyzz's hopes were dashed as the first totems and the dust cloud marked the Waaaagh's arrival and the Goblin started get the faintest hints of the numbers of these Orks and Mallus Goblins. Thousands of Greenskins were closing on the Crimson Post, maybe more than ten thousand, after several minutes Alyzz's assessment changed to something closer to twenty thousand Orks and Goblins, and then again to nearly thirty thousand.

"By the spirits, they must have committed an entire clan to this offensive." Ergere Brokenaxe muttered looking over all the lit totems and hearing the Shamans all reporting.

Alyzz wasn't sure what to conclude about this army, between the Cathayans and everything she had seen she was unsure if this was supposed to be a large or even a small force. As such the Goblin remained grimly silent.

"Ah, I'm surprised that so many free Orks were allowed to roam the Darklands unhunted. Either the Chaos Dwarves are in decline once again, or they allowed this to happen." The accented voice of Zhao Ming stated with a disturbing sense of cheer.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Ergere growled with a threatening tone, his eyes locking onto the Cathayan Dragon standing nearby.

"It means I do not think this attack is going to be the only one. I suspect others will be following shortly after these Greenskins, either their masters, or someone whose simply using them for their own gain." The Dragon explained while looking out towards the dust clouds of the approaching enemy.

"And what masters should we be expecting?" Ergere nearly growled at the Celestial Dragon before him.

"If you know the region, the most obvious would be the Chaos Dwarves, after them though there are a number of powers who have their own influence shown here, ranging from Vampires to Indie Rajas, and even Chaos Lords all try to twist these lands to their purposes. And any of them could be behind this." The answer was simple, but based off the trembling, Alyzz was certain that was not what Ergere wanted to hear and the Orc was now fully enraged.

"That is was worthless! If you don't know then say so!" The Orc Blademaster roared at his Cathayan counterpart.

"No, I simply don't have the time to explain the entire world to you." The Dragon stated.

The Orc just growled before looking over to one of his Grunts. "Send a runner squad back to Lordaeron, even if they have to fight through the Alliance, We need reinforcements on our side as soon as possible otherwise we could see the portal lost entirely!"

"And you think reinforcements will arrive quickly enough to be of aid to us?" The Dragon asked.

"I don't have the time to explain how the world works." The Orc parroted back at Zhao Ming, clear mockery in his voice.

"Well then, Lets hope they arrive within the day, because we will be under assault before this one is out." The Dragon replied undeterred, looking out to the dust clouds from the coming Orks.


Eekizz Switchpickle trembled, the cold already was painful, torturous even, but the presence of the self proclaimed savior of Azeroth was far worse than the fridged cold of Troll Country. Kyn'ra's transformation was truly beyond the Gnome's understanding, but the Naga who assaulted the camp of her own followers while cloaked in darkness that had rendered her invisible had claimed he would understand in due time. While she had used chaotic energies to twist her followers into parodies of themselves, the Naga had also somehow shifted back into a form that at a distance could maybe be mistaken for a Night Elf.

Even now Kyn'ra loomed behind Eekizz in her form that was more of a mockery of who she was just days before. The former Kaldorei's four near purple arms dexterously weaving about as she played with her extra appendages as well as testing the dark powers she had somehow acquired. As the once Kaldorei tested her magics, further reshaping her former comrades, or bringing dark powers to bear against the local monsters of the realm a voice of suspicion and doubt filled the Gnome.

Kyn'ra had been a decent choice to explore and test his science on this new world. Indeed these backwards primitive, if he had been alone would have seen him as a divine emissary. Surely his technology that rivaled the greatest marvels of the most legendary of Gnomes would have set him above and apart from these backwards idiots rather than passed over for less worthy individuals, reserved and near visionless instead making tools for the Alliance rather than true creations worthy of a world shaping visionary.

But now, now the cruel twist of fate left him here with this monster. Instead of uplifting these primitives as the genius who brought these dimwitted people crawling to the bastion of knowledge that is Gnomeregan, he was half frozen serving as a face man for Kyn'ra and menagerie of twisted horrors. All so she could lead them to a destination that he suspected even she had no idea where it actually was.

"Hurry up Eekizz, a band of these so called Trolls seem to think they're smart enough to be stalking us. I want reach the next village before I either kill them or see what they would be like when changed to serve Nazjatar." Even as Kyn'ra spoke the muttering and half stifled screams of the false Naga's newest minions seeped through the air, they were all her own personal victims from a roaming hunting village they had happened across.

While those victims from the Fortress had been turned into a variety of horrific perversions of what they once were, but the humans, what was left of them, had been warped into the half-n'raqi things that shambled among them. Some the clear signs of their original humanity could be seen their bodies almost entirely human save a few distorted and changed features, others though had little of the human they once were left, maybe a hand or a leg that had not yet been subsumed into the N'raqi.

A distant breeze brought with it the scent of saltwater and a fresh chill to Eekizz. Kyn'ra meanwhile didn't seem to care just shoving the Gnome forward. "Hurry up, Azeroth's salvation will require a worthy sea vessel, we don't have long until our door is opened for us, and we don't want anyone reaching it before we do."

Eekizz forced a smile up at 'his lady'. "Of course madame Kyn'ra, why did I not see your brilliant plan to use a ship. And might we know where we are destined for?"

The half-Naga, half-Kaldorei glared at Eekizz harshly enough the Gnome thought his life was about to end then and there. "Don't pretend to understand. I follow the guidance of my God, and that's all you need to know. Unless you would like something a little sweeter as a threat like 'By the light of the moon I'll punish you, Teehee.'" Kyn'ra's cold threat was ended with a cutsie voice often mimicked by the most desperate and money hungry of Gnomes. While he didn't see the appeal apparently plenty in the Alliance thought the voice was cute and paid Gnomish women who used it bigger trips.

"Ummm, no I'll just follow your orders my lady." Eekizz's blood still ran cold as the freezing fingers of Kyn'ra picked him up, brushed him off, and caressed his face gently.

"I knew you would keep to your word. You're a good boy Eekizz. Now serve me well."


The onset of the Waaagh was sudden. The brutes were almost excessively direct and upon setting their eyes on the Fortress released a warcry before entering into a crude disorganized charge. Waves of muscular green brutes charged on heedless of the arcing shells screaming overhead or the rain of arrows and hail of gunfire and bolts as they closed closer on the fort.

Perhaps several hundred of the green savages died running headlong at the Crimson Post. The. shocking every member of the Horde present, they ignored the clear and present danger, and charged straight into the traps. Some would fall into pits and as acid or spikes destroyed their legs their own comrades would simply charge over top of them. At other points mines detonated, totem traps engulfed Orks in flames, and others summoned Elementals which were only met with violent cheers as the Ork Waaagh rushed to get into whatever melee they could.

And then the Orks continued with the second layer in much the same way, using their own dead the Orks denied the Horde an advantage they thought would buy them several long minutes, maybe even hours, of free time to fire down on the greenskins as they followed the clear path up while others of their ranks cleared the traps, mines and magic. While minutes into the battle maybe a thousand Orks now lay dead they were already chopping away at the outer wall with their weapons, or trying to climb to get into melee with the defenders beyond.

As this continued the Cathayans continued to rain down fire on the Orks unimpressed by the savagry of their foes. Meanwhile the Horde while taken aback by creatures who looked so similar to themselves could so mindlessly rush onward as they did, they had experience against foes who relied on sheer numbers and the brute approach. Magic of all kinds, and weapons with reach kept the Greenskins from the walls even as they attempted to tear them down under their furious blows. Meanwhile arrows, and bolts and bullets thinned the ranks of the oncoming Orks even more.

However despite their skills the Horde faced a foe with numbers and determination. At several places small breaches of the wall were forced open and at one the dead piled so high the Orks charged over the wall and into the defenders. Alyzz tossed herself into the defenses here, using her belt to shift out of the visible spectrum to stab these Orks with her poised blades. It was here that Alyzz's suspension about Ergere was proven correct as the Blademaster charged, the Orc spinning his blades...and spinning and spinning. Honestly Alyzz never got what the fascination was with Blademasters and spinning blades, she could twirl her daggers in her hands, that didn't make her Blademaster worthy, yet every one of the ones she met put more priority into that than their whole ability to mirror image ability.

Still Ergere and Alyzz tore through the savage Orks. They wore light armor and seemed to entirely disregard their own health and safety making them surprisingly easy to kill. However the dead Horde and Cathayans also reminded the Mawrider that their these Orks were still determined to kill as much as possible before they were also killed. As Alyzz cheered to her fifteenth kill, the Goblin pulled away from the opening the Orks were pulling through allowing her to watch Zhao Ming join the fight. The Dragon's punches were accentuated with flames and his kicks brough down such force that Orks flew or were cut in half.

Yet while some Orks broke and ran, they always returned with new waves of the savages behind them. Even as the fighting for the walls began to settle and progress to driving out the Orks breaching the walls was made, new disasters added themselves to the woes of the defending Horde. Crude arrows and even small boulders began to fly over and onto the walls impacting the defenders and the attackers about them alike.

The rain of crude arrows was so thick thay even Alyzz had to duck and hide behind the dying body of a Tauren brave. "What the hell!?" The Goblin demanded watching as Zhao Ming blocked arrows the Dragon darkly laughing.

"Looks like their archers are in range and the goblins found enough scrap to build some catapults." The Dragon answered with a shout as he picked up a Ork to use as a shield against the rain of arrows.

It was then that Zhao Ming focused his eyes on Alyzz Kneecord. "Now would be best to unleash your Ogres against these Greenskins." The Dragon shouted over to Alyzz as energy gathered around him. Alyzz looked away for a second considering if she would survive darting for Kogkradd's position. But as she debated staying for a few moments more a roar emerged from where Zhao Ming had been surrounded as the Dragon suddenly emerged from the glow of light throwing himself into the sky where he breathed a flame into the oncoming tide of Orks. The Dragon's bulk breaking the stream of arrows and creating a opening for Alyzz to race to Kogkradd.

Taking the opening Alyzz darted to where Kogkradd's tribe had been waiting. The Ogres looked barely restrained while the Gnoblars about them looked a mixture of blood thirsty and terrified all at once. Despite this once they spotted their favorite Goblin, their beloved Mawrider a cheer rose through the Ogres. "Alright Kogkradd it's time, the Orks can't do anything to stop us now, we need to go out their and wreck their archers and catapults!" The Goblin P.I. informed the now grinning Tyrant. The Ogres disregarded the wall itself charging through it and into thr ranks of the Orks beyond.

"Y'all heard her, lets get cookin'!" Kogkradd shouted to the rising cheer of his tribe who all stood to their feet and eagerly began charging at the compromised wall Alyzz had come from. Massive clubs and blade soon came beating down on Ork Choppas each ork beneath smashed by the Ogre beating into them. Sheer mass slaying nearly as many Orks in the Ogres charge as the clubs of the Ogres or the spears and blades of the Gnoblars behind them.

Elsewhere Orks continued to stream into the battle the sounds of the dying and the clash of blades drawing fresh and eager warriors. On the Flanks of the battle far more cautious and cruel Goblins prepared for their own assaults and began to scale the walls and rain their own waves of arrow fire down onto the defenders.

But the Horde had Shamans, Druids, and those healed in other healing arts and with their own Troll allies and Tauren they died with far more difficulty than the Mallus Goblins expected and while those who climbed the walls hoped to be able to skewer dead and dying opponents, they instead came to face off against wounded but still capable warriors of the Horde.

While the Mallus side defenders of Crimson Post fought with bravery, skill and the advantage of a well planned defense used against a foe famed for their stupidity. The Horde within the Scarlett Monastery found themselves facing a different predicament entirely. Tragg Gatecrasher and his Ogres charged through the portal to find the Monastery in chaos. The Seventh Legion reinforced by members of the Army of the Light launching a suprise attack on the Monastery had even pushed the Horde's defenders into corners and even into the portal area itself. Immediately the Ogres set upon the combatants but poorly lead, and confused Tragg 's charge killed as many of the Horde as he wounded of the Alliance.

This moment would later be named the Charge of Tragg's Folly and would mark the beginning of a battle that would forever mark the Eastern Kingdoms with needless Bloodshed.