Reviews

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Guest 1: Maybe, or Maybe not, maybe it just blows up better.

Guest 2: Even in 8th i didn't see enough to support a air fleet, an full stocked air force definitely. As for the arsenal on the thunder barges that gattling guns got to be BS for AoS because that's the only place I've seen that sort weapon with Dwarves (yet rapid firing psudomachineguns we have seen), the rest ironically is just what we've seen on Gyrocopters and on their ironsides already.

As for "Why, Suramar why" well why join the Horde at all? The Nightborne either were so intimidated by the world they'd HAVE to commit to an alliance, which would come with the need to fight for it and they choose the Horde almost at random. OR and just hear me out, the Kaldorei are the biggest assholes of the Warcraft Elves so much so that despite knowing the Horde and Alliance could go to war with eachother at any time, and the legion having been defeated, Suramar choose to join the Horde anyways over maintaining neutrality (almost like a non-NATO country with a shared history with Russia deciding to join NATO, despite the knowledge that not only could that trigger a war, it would put them on the front line of a major war if one should break out) And despite "but we pweaceful" claims, you don't choose to join the Kaldorei's enemies without them judging you and treating you like warcriminals for the action of still drawing breath. Just ask the Blood Elves, and Highborne, oh and the people of Suramar before they even joined the Horde. The Kaldorei writing flipflops between them being all ultra-liberal hyper goodguy and them being hypocritical assholes willing to torture, punish and genocide people for mere association/their race.

Also these are the Nightborne...they as a form of punishment make their people go through severe withdrawal symptoms before either letting those people go back to their "drug" or turn into pseudo-zombies...oh and these Zombies who are their own people, their own families...they weaponized them. The Night Elves at worst are judgemental racists who blame individuals and entire populations for their own failures, and the Nightborne are self absorbed, self interested sociopathic elf drug addicts whose existence at least highlights the non-sociopathic tendencies of the Blood Elves.

Guest 3: For Slann, the Dragon aspects (basically Warcraft's version of the Dragon Emperor of Cathay), Green Jesus... i mean thrall, Jaina Proudmoor, MAYBE Sylvanas but she'd probably get crushed still by a higher level "unnamed" Slann, and then the top members of the Kirin Tor, and because WoW is WoW the undeniable power of adventures to murder Gods by poking them in the toe even when people who could solo genocide a city got one shotted by said God.

For High Elven Archmages, the Warcraft High Elves and their two offshots the Blood and Void Elves ironically would be the overall best answer on top of the listed above. There's also some Night Elf allies like fairy dragons and the Dryads (think centaurs with boobs) who have more divine "no magic" smackdown but they're more of a support counter or a counter to things like Ghosts or WoW mages who are too above learning how to use a weapon.

But ironically outside of arcane magic users themselves they don't have much anti-magic coming from the other half the field outside of attacks which are clearly meant to be "i punch you in the jaw so you can't chant your spell" but thats a lore is/isn't equal to gameplay intenral balance issue, externally they have plenty of general counters and defenses (if they can bother to get them to show the fuck up *pointed look at the Blizzard Writers*) though to actually shield them that one is sadly generally more plot driven than it is in WHFB. And for that plot drive I operate off the thought that with as much magic healing and resurection that they have universally applied (rather than from one wizard or priest on one battlefield WHFB fans) Probably Warcraft operates off the logic of "healer will fix it" rathar than avoiding the attacked ever being launched. which plays into my hate of the WoW fan fireball arguement for formations since WoW has such an abundance of Healers, why leave them fucking exposed ...*pointed look at Tank classes and DPidiots in WoW Raids*...they have other reasonable arguements that could be made such as better armor removing the necessity of shields and allowing more two handed weapons (WHFB "great weapons" WoW has an abundance of "great weapons") but NOT the fireballs defense.

Guest 4: Mostly it's the Skaven bodies. because "numbers is the advantage of the Horde" yet the Mantid outbumer both the Alliance and Horde and their "swarm race" isn't that numerous and still barely have the numbers to swarm like Skaven do (casually drowning battlefields in bodies). The Alliance should know swarm tactics and counters and same with the Pandas...but well these are the people who built a wall to block a flying species.

Guest 5: Oh there's plenty of ways to make it all worse for Skryre, but lets just hope that the dreaded meeting of Throt and Ikit can somehow be delayed or prevented, I doubt any of Azeroth's armies are ready for those love-hate children.

Hakuryuu: Like i said they should get the good writing praised...but GW has been slipping behind and using identity politics to distract from terrible executive decisions and even worse writing...Warhammer is just a sad insult, especially when you realize that if not for the lawsuit threats and hesvy handed executives most of what's good on it would have been free on YT, leaving pure garbage that even in writing can't compete. Basically GW is loosing to their own fans in every category, and if they were simply to engage with the fans openly and freely they'd ironically be able to make far more money than they are now...but then they'd not be making brownie points with modern political BS since Warhammer fans are propagandized as Nazis.

As for Teclis, the desire to help, and his immediate availability are seperate issues. Despite him being happiest and best away from his own people, his family and people are also shown to be who holds him back, especially since he has some very powerful feelings for his family (that Total War Warhammer 2 intro is actually a dramatic betrayal of his brother for him on a personal level) but certainly he's got eyes and ears and probably has as good or better idea of what's happening than even Karl.

also reread the chapter, wrong side of the portal for the fan favorite pair. I'd argue Sylvanas would be dead at the moment if they were on the Azeroth side.

A lot of people entered Warhammer that way, my entry was via the Black Library, the damn clowns outside the door were a bit of a hastle though ;) But because I read a lot of characters and was buying and playing Codexes for a long time the sudden shift in character motivations and personality are glaring for me. It's like having Luke Skywalker try to kill his nephew all because he had a bad dream despite Luke's whole character arch in both the movies and Legends books being "there's still good in him so I must try to save him", it's a lot more jarring because i went from books and books of them being a specific way to a near 180 with core traits reversed.

jweller12: Thabkyou, and it's like breaking in pool, the shot always seems the same but can explode in various ways over the table. as for N'zoth's plan sadly his plan was waaaaay to basic and he's powerless otherwise. But there might be tricks he can use.

micelzod: Well they have Horde help. like 90% of WoW's plots are "grand super evil force we need to unite against...so lets have only 20ish percent of the Alliance/Horde population unite against it while the rest of the world either fights eachother or is neutral, even during a unbeatable apocalypse which totally was unbeatable guys, no incomplete there guys...and the like 7 of us uniting here totally means the ongoing battles between our factions are no long a factor...despite still being faught actively as we seek to kill our 'ally's' national leader using the full might of our military fleet." which means that the Alliance and Horde when Mallus shows up will certainly be screwing eachother and ensuring their mutual destruction...unless plot says otherwise, but then plot will say they can kill unkillable beings and outsmart beings who can't possibly be outsmarted...via using basic tricks that any basic teen could think of *glares at the Primus, Zovaal, N'Zoth and Kil'Jaden*

Battle of Orgrimmar


"Excuse me he ordered what?" Marthias Shaw asked looking up from the near ocean of paperwork on his desk. Everything from transfer orders, financial assets, plans to infiltrate Undercity, and a order to subtlety poison Ogrimar's food supply to make the Orcs too sick to fight against Stormwind's certain retaliation lay laid out.

"Like I said, Anduin ordered every SI:7 asset in Orgrimar to activate. He's ordered them to seize the city." Shaw's receptionist responded, repeating their report.

"If he does that we won't be able to use them in the coming war. Months of plots, murders, bribes, and blind eye turning to corruption, wasted. We need to save our deepest assets, send them secret orders to stay in deep cover. Also prepare our other assets, it looks like we will need to wage war without our spies support." Shaw reasoned sighing in disappointment.

"And what are our assets currently in Orgrimar. Do we actually stand a chance of taking the city?" The Spymaster asked.

"The Horde's army in their near entirety currently fighting in Ashenvale. However the Vindicaar has stalled their invasion and currently they are sending forces into Felwood trying to flank the Kaldorei and the Army of the Light. But likely they sent troops to reinforce the city. Also Sylvanas' Queensguard also had been amasing in the city since the Horde Army began marching. Our spies thought that they were to secure the city, but almost everything had been focused on the Skyfleet. However our assets won't be able to secure the city. Orgrimar's civilians have proven to be competent militia in the past when defending their homes, and whichever forces Sylvanas sends back to face us will be well lead and we suited to counter our forces." The aid provided.

Marthias Shaw nodded sagely. The assessment was correct. And Eitrigg one of the Horde's great veterans had been left in Orgrimar, likely for just this contingency. The only thing which could turn this around was the unknown factor in Shaw's reports, King Anduin and his otherword allies. If the King had enough men, or the Empire's Knights were skilled enough maybe the city would still be contested, or even claimed by the end of the Horde's campaign, perhaps even enough to support a Alliance counter campaign.

However the Head of SI:7 knew he was too far from the conflict to be of help, and there was no way he could teleport into Orgrimar. If he had a portal to the city his life would have been much easier, though it was too dangerous to even try. But certainly the Alliance needed a win from this conflict and they needed a big one.

Shandris Feathermoon loosed another arrow, the shaft peircing the skull of a Ratmen and the tip stabbing one of its companions behind. The push had been going terrifically, she had even hoped that by sunrise they would once again control the portal and the entirety of the river and of course the Northwall. Currently the Skaven had been driven from the Rock and the shoreline leading to the middle Bridge and their main encampment from where they launched their rocket had been attacked by the forward elements of the General's force.

However those plans were dashed when the Undead suddenly changed tactics. They abandoned their frontlines to engage the Empire while the Undead army suddenly surged into Mordheim. At first Shandris never noticed the change, but then Bats began to swarm the middle bridge and soon Skeletons and Wights were assaulting the Eastern half of her forces. Since then Shandris and the Wizard Luitgard were forced into a pocket on the west side of the bridge surrounded on one side by Skaven lead by some mad Warlock, on the other the Undead who were silently forcing their way past sacrficing Zombies and Skeletons to stall her forces as they wheeled north towards the portal.

However thanks to the Owls Scouts the Cannon they had delivered to the Rock was able to fire with relative accuracy from where it was posted across the river and all the way into the Memorial Gardens where the Sentinels and Empire army vanguard had been forced into. The druids were thankful for the change, but they all felt it, it was like the Emerald Nightmare had hold here. Giant Frogs either hopped away or lashed out with poisoned tounges, wild cats assaulted the Skaven starting a vicious battle against the Sentinels enemy. Druids had to constantly keep plants from attacking the Kaldoreiand their allies, which the vicious foliage instead would wrap around the nearby ratmen, dragging them under where loud cracking of their bones could be heard.

But more disruptive were the Young Dragonling that was currently rampaging and the roaming Ice covered wolf that the Empire Troops seemed to fear more than the Dragonling refusing to fight the creature muttering 'Ulric' or something in their weird tounge.

"Come on, if we press forward now we can take the Bridge back!" Shandris shouted to both her Sentinels and mostly to the Empire's Handgunners. Handgunners who because the Wolf and the rows of Skeletons were refusing to advance under Shandris without their Swordsmen. The Swordsmen that were currently locked into combat with the Skaven who were trying to swarm the joint force.

The force needed to press to the bridge or else. Shandris called on her Sentinels. "We press for the Bridge, Follow us!" The General called her Sentinels but focused her voice toward the Handgunners, leading by charging towards the undead lines. The General's Sentinels followed behind her loosing a constant stream of arrows as they ran forth until the archers were nearly atop the Skeleton lines. Low on Arrows Shandris charged into the Undead lines her sword carving into their ranks, many of her Sentinels joining. For a tense thirty seconds Shandris fought against the clumbsy movements of the Skeletons and the Zombies, and then the crescendo of booms preceeded before the whizzing of multiple bullets tearing into the undead and opening their ranks for the Kaldorei to push into.

Shandris pushed into the Undead ranks even as countless spears stabbed at her armor, some breaking against her armored breasts. Still the force of the Skeletons attacks were beginning to bruise and harm the Elf. Eventually the battering could lead to Shandris being felled by the Undead, but Shandris knew she could weather their attacks and carve through the dead. Indeed as bullets ripped into the dead again, Shandris noted that the Undead's Knights, beasts, and Wights were not among those she was fighting and none of the ones she struck down rose against them.

The Night Elf knew that salvation could be seen by pushing into and through the Undead lines. And push feircely she did, the Sentinels despite casualties pushed the Undead back and with a high wall on one side and dense housing on the other the Undead were forced into a narrow killing firld where Handguns and arrows killed many soon followed or preceeded by violent clashes with sword or Glaive weilding Kaldorei.

It was as the Undead and the their living counterparts pushed toward a gate in the wall that the battle took a turn for the weird. The gate opened and a whole host of creatures emerged. Some climbing down the wall cslashing and clawing at the Undead, snatching Undead and dragging them up over the walls. Others had multiple arms, and one that was shouting and shooting sprays of acid was a dress wearing female with the head of a fish and tentacles for arms.

"The Count Steinhardt demands more food for the party Jeralt!" The fish head demanded.

"Damn it woman, I'm not Jeralt, you ate him!" A man with the face of clawed hands responded.

"Shut up Jeralt, go help Jeralt, he's grabbing the Boney ones, we want the meaty ones!" The female commanded, pointing to a massive hulk wearing the tattered remains of what may have once been armor his seven arms each holding a undead, save for one which clutched the head of a Kaldorei.

"Oh delicacies, delicacies! The Count will love new delicacies!" The fish head screamed as the horde of mutant beasts continued to flank the undead and pushed toward the Kaldorei.

Shandris, as this force attacked and the Sentinels were pushed back, could barely comprehend what she was watching. These mutants seemed as insane as the followers of the Old Gods, but perhaps with more confusion and less beneficial mutations. But still their sudden attack, and strange endurance meant that the Mutants were able to attack and kill even the Kaldorei.

But before the Kaldorei line and the line of the Handgunners could collapse suddenly Kyn'ra appeared at the head surviving Pioneers. These Pioneers charged into the Mutants and after a clash of blades, blows, claws and even tenticles the Mutants fell back into palace. The battle was short, but bloody several of the Pioneers died, and many Azerotheans and undead were dragged into the palace and the door slammed shut. Still the aftermath of the battle left the undead lines crumbling and giving Shandris chance to unleash volleys clearing the path and to summon the rest of her forces for a swift retreat to the Middle Bridge.

The retreat was swift, short and hurried with Skaven to their backs. But eventually Shandris and her forces stood on the Bridge again, Cannon fire from the Rock buying her time to arrange a defense. As the Kaldorei and remaining humans formed lines against the oncoming Skaven of both sides of the Bridge Shandris approached the Wizard Luitgard.

"Luitgard, what is with this city?" The Night Elf General demanded while assisting with establishing a barricade. Her eyea tracking a force of human warriors fighting to establish a path to the bridge from the Rock.

"I take it you mean the attack from the Palace. That is Count Steinhardt's palace. I've heard rumor that since Mordheim's fall, only mutants and Daemons reside there, and that they often go out to collect things to eat in their own deranged warbands." The Grey Wizard explained in a bored tone as she watched as Skaven gathered on either side of the bridge, though on the Western half she could see large beastial ratmen grouping together.

"It seems this Bridge might be what determines the battle for Mordheim." Shandris stated seeing the gathering Skaven as well.

"I think the city has more to say in the matter of who will win here yet still." Luitgard responded her eyes picking out the form of a single Ratman woth horns on his head shouting to all the others around him.

Eitrigg scanned the fleeing crowds the Bomber had to be among those rushing to get themselves or the young ones away from the explosion which had just killed four Grunts. After nearly a minute of focusing he spotted her. A 'Mother' dragging a Orc child, however the child was neither resisting, nor even responding to what was happening around them...the monster had drugged the child, and elsewhere in the crowd there was a father screaming searching for his missing daughter.

The Elder Orc Warrior leapt to action his duel axes ready. The first sign the spy had of Eitrigg's approach was his shout. but before she could even turn her head his first axe collided with her neck, and the second removed the arm she used to drag the child along. Immediately the dead spy collpased, her disguise fading revealing instead of a Orc mother, a human woman with adequate makeup and prosthetics. But even as the Orcish child's captor dropped dead the Orc girl collpased to the ground, her body twitching and the girl foaming at the mouth.

Swiftly Eitrigg picked up the child, she needed immediate help, fortunately a Shaman stood nearby, ready to help. The Shaman began to heal the child but the foaming only got worse. Then the child began to convolse as her father began to close in screaming the child's name.

"Get away!" The Shaman ordered, and Eitrigg moved to hold the father back, but as he did so the Child's stomach swelled, and then another explosion roared through Ogrimar as both she and the Shaman treating her met their ends.

As the Old Orc rose, the now horrified father still beneath him, the parent wailing in horrified loss, Eitrigg looked about the city. Orgrimar was burning. Chemical and Magic fires roared through many sections, elsewhere combat squads of various Alliance inflitrators ambushed the few Orcish patrols. At the Skydocks Queensguard fought against and hunted Alliance Spies who sought to destroy or even turn the Skyfleet against Orgrimar.

Panic rules the streets, the Grunts and Warriors were too few to properly police the entire population, and the spies were now using the armed mobs to hide. Or worse, when the Orcish civilians gathered in a burrow to hunker down, the spies would join them, then kill them or take them hostage and start using them against the warriors.

Eitrigg already had devised plans to bring everything into order, but the Horde needed a chance to organize and to begin to follow Eitrigg's plan. And for that Eitrigg needed to go hunting, each kill squad, each SI:7 insergent or terror agent he eliminated bought time for the Orgrimmar city guard to regroup and counter-attack.

It was of course finding these spies before they killed too many innocents, and too many Honorable Warriors that was Eitrigg's current problem. Always as he closed they lashed out, and seldom were they brave enough to go after him instead resorting to cruel dishonorable tactics, kidnapping, random murders and bombings, arson of the nearest structure, and even dropping poison in a well.

The Alliance's attacks spread throughout the entire city with no part of Orgrimmar spared save for one. The Alliance Spies were fools if they dared attack the gates, Eitrigg and Sylvanas had already dramatically increased the Guard and the defensive countermeasures at the gates of the city to ensure that no Alliance spy could ever hope to come near the gatehouse.

For hours more Eitrigg hunted, a lone spy sniping Grunts from the cliffs, a pair of inflitrators attempting to unleash a tide of flammable liquids into the streets of Orgrimmar, and a entite kill squad of assassins murdering officers and patrols. All met their end by Eitrigg's axe as the Elder Warrior cleared the streets of Alliance Spies, but Eitrigg didn't act alone, many adventurers joined the Elder is striking out the threat of the Alliance and they moving with the Elder added dozens more of the SI:7 spies to those slain.

With enough of the Alliance's spies cleared Eitrigg made his way for the gatehouse. The spies would bow be growing desperate, their companions exposed and in combat, and they themselves likely to be hunted down soon. It was this desperation which would lead to the most heinous or brilliant and honorable of their actions. The Elder Orc scaled the gatehouse and looked both back into Orgrimmar and out into Durotar beyond the wall.

While in Orgrimmar over a hundred, maybe already into the hundreds of lives had been lost Eitrigg determined that he would hold the city. SI:7 would fail and every life these spies took would be answered for, any captured alive would be interrogated and tried as the criminals they were. But surely this basic chaos wasn't what the spies were after, this wouldn't disrupt the supplies or moral of the Horde's army, nor would it stall their advance.

"Where there any attempts to seize if infinite the Gatehouse?" Eitrigg demanded of the Grunts manning the gate.

"Yes, all detected, and intercepted and killed, Lord Eitrigg." One of the Officers responded while saluting.

Eitrigg nodded. The Alliance couldn't take Orgrimmar this way, and of their goal of conquest there was no doubt in the long standing veteran's mind. So what angle were these spies now working, were there enough secret passages for the Alliance to bring more troops into the city? Perhaps they were gathering to attempt to hijack the sky-fleet, or they intended to destroy the Orgrimmar's Anti-Air Cannons so the Alliance Airfleet could more readily invade.

Eitrigg dismissed all these, almost wild musings. No the Spies were attacking now because they had a goal they needed to immediately achieve, and that goal was to make Orgrimmar as easily conquered as possible. So what could the Alliance have nearby that cound conquer, or even just garrison and occupy the Horde's capital city? Then as he thought the idea hit the Old Veteran. Cavalry, it would be hard to do, but the Alliance could press down the steep and hidden paths near Frostwhisper Gorge, while Eitrigg wasn't certain of the paths surely the Night Elves and the Alliance must have had them to support their forces in Azshara.

If a force of Cavalry set out just before the Spies began their attacks then that force could be arriving within hours from now, or if they had some gift of speed or divine guidance, or a force that could rejuvenate the steeds of a entire army, perhaps even arrive within a hour of now. But If a Cavalry force was bbearing down on Orgrimmar then SI:7 would have to clear the outposts ahead of it...and they would have to open the gate somehow.

"Reinforce the gate! The Spies are here, and we are their target! Remove any weapon that can be turned against us! And order our outposts to report!" The Orc ordered which caused a Grunt to look to him confused.

"Why the Outposts Lord, what do you want to hear?" The Grunt asked.

"I expect to hear nothing. KEEP YOUR SENSES KEEN WARRIORS AND BRING UP OUR CHAMPIONS, THIS GATE IS ALL THAT STANDS BETWEEN OUR FAMILIES AND THE ALLIANCE!" The Elder Orc shouted at the top of his lungs.

As soon as the Orders were deliveres the Horde Warriors about Eitrigg set to their watch, some running to secure the Anti-Air Cannons, these men Eitrigg watched closely but was reassured as men from various groups worked together keeping a close watch on eachother. Eitrigg himself set about watching everything he could. His instincts guiding him and his old weary eyes. Seconds turned to minutes, and minutes into half a hour, yet nothing happened yet Eitrigg stayed primed, the spies would have to be moving soon and he knew he would get his confirmation in but a moment.

"Lord Eitrigg, The outposts, they all are silent as you said!" One of the Grunts reported, the chaos of the spies in the city still playing out behind the city walls.

The news was not of any relief for the Veteran, indeed whatever the spies were about to do, they were going to do it now. And then, a glimmer. It was small and distant but the light felt wrong near one of the towers and Eitrigg focused in on the disruption. Only for then a flash, and the weirdness that had drawn his attention to reveal itself to Eitrigg.

"Void Elves! They have a Shredder!" As Eitrigg shouted this, a Gnome piloting the Goblin Shredder was already tearing through the guards about one of the Anti-Air Cannons that the Warriors had been dismantling. But now Gnomes, Void Elves and various other rogues of SI:7 surrounded the cannon and too few warriors were nearby to stop them as they got the cannon working unleashing shell after shell into the gatehouse.

Eitrigg with savage fury threw himself into the battle, eventually coming to match against the Shredder himself. The machine tried to crush the Orc in its claws but he avoided as a strike from one of his axes deflected the Machine's spinning saw from his side. With his first Axe then Eitrigg struck the machine's body staggering it back but only scrapping the armor. But with the machine staggered the Orc hooked his blade on the Machine's arm pulling himself atop it where he began to beat on the hatch protecting the Gnome within. Several blows later and there was a opening for the Orc to pry open.

Even as he pried open the hatch the Gnome within fired a spray of flames from a odd wrist mounted contraption shouting. "Nooo, this is not the way!" Before the Orc threw his axe in cleaving the helmeted Gnome in half.

As the Shredder fell, it's pilot dead, Eitrigg scanned the battle, already the Void elves retreated while the humans and gnomes about them either leapt from the walls of Orgrimmar or died at the hands of its defenders. Still Eitrigg felt the foe may have succeeded, even as he looked the gatehouse burned, something that should have been to the detriment of the spies, yet the gatehouse's destruction must have been their goal.

And moments later a small boom, followed by the screeching of metal confirmed Eitrigg's fears. The Orc rushed to look at the duel gates of Orgrimmar's walls and could see them now, more Shredders were pushing open the gates, as SI:7 explosives assisted in making the gates easier to open. Even as Eitrigg swiftly descended the city walls, taking a path that required him to climb down leaping from ledge to ledge and even catching himself with his axes, the city gates were open wide enough to allow an entire formation of Stormwind's infantry to pass through without difficulty.

Grunts, and Horde Warriors and champions descended upon the infiltrators, their axes full of righteous vengence and fury. But as horns sounded in the distance Eitrigg knew they were doomed to be too late. The Old veteran needed to seperate himself from the front yet again, to reassess, but even as he retreated from the gates he knew he had no time. By the time Eitrigg had reached to top of Orgrimmar's walls to reorganize the defense, it had become impossible to hold the Alliance's Cavalry out, a new unit of Knights, wearing polished white armor with red lances and shields and large feathers charged through the gates, their lances spearing Orcs and where Lances failed maces, or even the hooves of the horses the knights rode certainly made swift work of the Grunts in the gate.

Today would not be a good day to die, but if he had to Eitrigg would ensure it was with the Honor of protecting Ogrimmar's people from harm.

Cenarius looked over the...corpse, of Malfurion. The Arch-Druid was dead, but not yet. The interface of the green dragonflight and the powers of the Emerald Dream preserved Malfurion, preventing Sylvanas Windrunner's poisons and death magics from taking hold. Indeed with his powers the Wild God should have been able to swiftly confirm the safety of his long time student and evenhave him back on his feet by the end of the week, month at most.

But the magic of the other world fouled the process. It reacted to the magics of the Emerald Dream and tried to twist Cenarius' attempts to heal into entirely different feats. And the orbs of raw magic within Malfurion seemed to desire little more than to twist his very flesh.

Malfurion's enemies were cleaver, and these newest monsters were a truly heinous work of perverse artistry. Even within the Emerald Dream, he could feel their nature, instinct and nature combined with with Order and Void, yet Fel within. The instincts of beasts of nature twisted into parody of those 'civilized' peoples Stormwind and Ironforge, and fueled by Fel and Void powers. And their weapons reflected this. But Cenarius had seen and faced just as terrible, a creature of nature gifted grest powers through Order, but twisted by contact with the Fel and madness from the Void had once nearly brought the world to a end, but the Elements and their Shamans had fought alongside his Druids and brought Deathwing low.

Surely they could again purge this blight from Azeroth. And just as he was sure the Rat Beasts would be stopped, Cenarius knew he would save Malfurion's life and bring the Arch-druid back to the Priestess of Elune so she could see him whole and alive soon enough. But perhaps not soon enough with the way that life screamed to Cenarius as the servants of Sylvanas rampaged yet still.

Turalyon stared across the entire scope of the battlefield below. Thousands of Horde Warriors, the bulk of Durotar's military, a significant commitment of the Forsaken, and commitments from Thunder Bluff, Suramar, and Quel'Thalas. Then there were other forces, briefings identified them as Skaven and the Undead of the Vampires. The first of these groups brought more than twice the numbers of the Horde, though most of that was committed in a pitched battle against the defenders of Mount Hyjal.

The Second marched in a legion as large as the Horde's however while the quality of the soldiers of both forces were increasingly subpar compared to the outstanding elites of the Lightforged, with hundreds of these foes falling for each Lightforged wounded and pulled from the front lines. The rats discarded the lives of their comrades for opportunity to use weapons matching the power of the strongest comparable weapons on Azeroth. Meanwhile the Undead tended to rise and rise again, requiring that the Lightforged and Draenei specifically move to counter them as the power of the Light seemed best suited of the Alliance forces to deal with their threat.

As Turalyon watched the Vindicaar fired again into another artillery beacon, shortly after multiple fleshes covered the fields on the path to the Vindicaar as the Lightforged pushed ahead to secure more territory against the Horde and its allies. Meanwhile Turalyon noted that Felwood's Furblog population had gone out of control randomly attacking, and in response Alleria had assigned multiple champions to the mission of eliminating to maddened beasts before they caused too much damage. Elsewhere Champions, lone adventurers and the Lightforged were attempting to track Shatterspear Tribe trolls, many of whom were creating or exposing the tribes long hidden passages so the Horde could use them or allowing Shatterspear warbands to ambush Kaldorei squads.

If the Horde slipped past into Darkshore now, then the Alliance could very likely see most of Darkshore taken before the Kaldorei's Darnassus Fleet retuen with the main Sentinels army. But if the Darnassus Fleet and the Azuremyst Draenei Fleet could land on Darkshore first then they could not only push the Horde back and hopefully out of even Ashenvale but maybe even push the Horde so far back that they reconsider their offensive outlook.

The High Exarch of the Grand Army of the Light again reviewed the battlefield, the Horde had to be thinking of countermeasures to the presence of the Army of the Light, and Turalyon needed to predict these counters first. While he doubted they had the ability, Turalyon knew one of the most obvious ways the Horde could support their advance now was to drive off or destroy the Vindicaar. To do that the enemy would require a Fel-Cannon or better to cause damage to the vessel, particularly at such range, but they shouldn't doubt the Horde's abilities.

Besides attempting to knock the Vindicaar out of the battle, the Horde's next best options were to try and intercept and destroy the Kaldorei fleet, or lastly to find an undefended route into Darkshore where they then could perhaps invade Lor'danel. If the Horde could get into the town, the Horde could reduce the effect the Vindicaar would have on the battle. Sylvanas did have a element of the Horde's skyfleet in Ogrimmar, perhaps she really intended to try and sink the Darnassus fleet as they raced to Darkshore.

"Prepare our Anti-Air long range artillery, also inform Alleria to increase the watch around the northern end of Darkshore. I will probably be joining the battlefield soon." Turalyon ordered, turning to leave the bridge.

"Incoming from below prow, surface launch!" A Draenei bridge hand shouted. Immediately Turalyon raced back to his place on the bridge, swiftly the Human Paladin of the light found it. The object was flying towards the Vindicaar on a plum of green smoke, looking like some sort of Fel-rocket.

"Air-defenses now!" Turalyon didn't need to give the order, but if there was a chance of a Champion of the Light hesitating or somehow unaware, this would make then leap to action.

The Rocket continued but now various beams of light stabbing out to intercept as spheres of light erupted in the rocket's path. Eventually a beam stabbed into the middle of the rocket as it flew, first breaking it in half, then causing the crude construct to detonate a fireball of green nearly a quarter of Vindicaar's size filling the air. Turalyon allowed himself a moment of relief and many of the Gunners stopped their barage, until a second rocket errupted out of the smoke and debris of the leading rocket. The Gunners resumed their defense, but now it was too late, one of the lightspheres detonated and caught the rocket, but the rocket was too close the ruined weapon's momentum carrying it to the hull of the Vindicaar where it detonated.

Volkmar Von Hindenster and the Rieksguard forced their way through the gates of Orgrimmar with the fury and power of a hurricane. And once through the Reiksguard thrust themselves into every greenskin they could see. As Volkmar had hoped these Greenskins were less violent, and easier to kill than those back around the Old World. Though the female ones were a little unnerving with how similar they looked to real women.

Still as Anduin had planned the Reiksguard had with the help of the spies secured the Orcish settlement's entrance, Anduin himself and his Lion's Guard would push into the city. Their mission to secure the centeal keep would allow the Empire and the Alliance to hold this settlement against counter attacks. Meanwhile Anduin had talked about a Air field he also intended to seize though the Grand Theologist didn't quite comprehend the importance of it as he hadn't seen many flying mounts from these Horde they were facing.

"Push deeper, leave no Greenskin standing!" Volkmar ordered his Reiksguard who enthusiastically took to riding down the fleeing Orcs. Best to clear as many as possible now rather than risk the Orcs counterattacking. Volkmar himself pursued a group of fleeing Orcs who were clutching what looked like chubby goblins as they screamed and ran.

Volkmar with two of his best knights at his side rushed them down, one of the Knights riding ahead stabbing one of the screaming Greenskins through with their lance. Then Volkmar brought his staff down caving in the skull of one of the Orcs that turned to face him from the crowd. His Last Knight then set forth intent on riding over a small group of the green menace ending their threat, only for a grey haired Orc screaming some intelligible warcry to appear weilding two axes both striking the neck of the Knight's steed.

The force of the blow knocked the Armored horse onto its side, and threw the Knight. With a gesture Volkmar sent his final Knight after the fleeing Horde. Orks never stay away from a fight for long, they only regroup and then go looking for another battle, and they couldn't afford that here.

Meanwhile Volkmar looked over his new opponent, and like the Grand Theologist expected the Greenskin had forgone any quality armor instead focusing on large bulky plate at points that would only make sense to someone as crude as a Ork. The Orc also weilded two axes, but seemed more disciplined and far more skilled with both than it's usual counterparts, though the savage's strength most certainly was in line with what the Grand Theologist expected.

The creature then began shouting at Volkmar. "Бесчестный дворняжка, Штормград научится никогда больше не использовать своих шпионов против нас! (Honorless Cur, Stormwind will learn to never try and use their spies against us ever again!)" Which only earned it a hard stare both born from incomprehension and Volkmar's own dismissal of the savage. Though Volkmar would offer the beast some form of basic courtesy.

"Sum Volkmar Von Hindenster, Maximus Theologus cultus Sigmariae. Hodie homo Deus te ad mortem destinavit propter quod populus contra sacrum imperium suum facere conatus est, saevus esses. (I am Volkmar Von Hindenster, Grand Theologist of the Cult of Sigmar. Today the Man God has marked you for death for what your people have tried to do against his sacred Empire, you should be prous savage.)" The Grand Theologist replied using the language of the Alliance humans hoping the beast before him could understand their language at least.

"An alius mundus homo? Quid vis...(An other world human? What do you mean...)" Which based off the reply Volkmar ignored it must have, but that mattered little to his staff of command as the battle had begun the moment the Greenskin attacked his Reiksguard escorts. But Volkmar had cut it off mid sentence its duel axes to block Volkmar's first blow. From there Volkmar rained numerous blows upon the Orc who expertly deflected each, only the advantage of his horse truly keeping Volkmar on par with his opponent.

But Volkmar was able to keep blows coming down on the Orc before him while the Orc needed to keep deflecting while Volkmar's steed pulled the Grand Theologist away from most blows and many others the Jade Griffin allowed Volkmar to endure regenerating shortly after. But certainly Volkmar's foe was holding back, unlike most savage Greenskins this one was clearly keeping its mindless bloodlust in check and was instead keeping a close eye on the battlefield while he fought the Elderly Human. Certainly a wise choise as Volkmar's men were now reinforced by Anduin's forces and the city's spies.

If their duel continued Volkmar would soon have multiple Knights aiding him in killing this Orc, the Orc who had his own forces spread too thin and with the Alliance's advice and aid, forces who were being quickly overwhelmed. As the duel continued the Orc suddenly dropped both his weapons raising his hands in the air. "Tibi trado. (I surrender to you.)"

So shocked by a Greenskin surrendering Volkmar barely was able to pull back on his strike, lessening his blow to one that dropped the Orc onto his back. The Orc swiftly leapt to his feet as Volkmar stared. "Et quid habeo pro Orc? (And what use do I have for a Orc?)" Volkmar asked.

"Ego Eitrigg, Ogrimmar Praecipio defensionem. Honorem si togatos fugiendi tempus habes, Aliter me nunc occides, moriar in bello, Stultus, at fatuus cum Honore. (I am Eitrigg, I command Ogrimmar's defense. If you have Honor allow the civilians time to flee, otherwise kill me now and I'll die in battle, a fool, but a fool with Honor.)" The Orc responded his hand twitching, ready to dive for his axes.

"Nullam potestatem super his Foedus accipio. Sed Rieksguard ad occidendum potius quam hosce togatos tantum iubebo. Sed si aliter facere voluerit Foedus, non faciam quid obsistat, et si facem petierint, pulverem aut ignem illis dabo. (I take no authority over these Alliance. But I will order the Rieksguard to only kill your boyz rather than these... civilians. But if the Alliance decides to do differently I won't do anything to stop them, and if they ask for a torch, powder or kindling I'll give it to them.)" Volkmar replied, moments later some Reiksguard joining him and the Geand Theologist's newest prisoner.

"Help the Boy King secure his objectives, and inform him of our newest captive." The Theologist ordered the Knights who set out to obey immediately. As the Knights scrambled the sound of a sharp horn played from outside the city. The note sounded harsh to Volkmar and the other humans in the city and was certainly a sign, the Battle for Orgrimmar had just begun .