Reviews:
Guest 1: That's what Anduin is gambling on, either he could end the whole war right there forcing the Horde to come back to Ogrimmar. Or after the war, based off the assumption Sylvanas isn't going to burn a city/tree full of civilians, he can trade city for city and demand a little from the Horde at least enough to negate all their gains.
Reiksguard know that civilians are civilians they squish either way. The wonders of a segregated/caste/class based military structure, makes putting down those inferior lessers so easy.
I have professional riders as friends, you'd be suprised on just how much better you are at fighting with the skills needed to ride, and mounted on a horse, like people atribute it to a mere hight advantage but it's something a little more than that. I think WHFB had managed horses well enough for their system though that still doesn't feel right.
Guest 2: Eeeexelent. muhahahahaaa.
Dragon King of the West: Best way to learn is through experience being told can prepare you, but it never locks in until you experience.
Guest 3: Ah, Don't know how i missed that, i always thought those were steam guns for some reason.
Definitely know about the sudden interest GW had in making a wide paliferation of Gyrocopters...almost like they were simple models that GW could overprice for or something.
Still the advantages and disadvantages of both sides is really something interesting. Like vs Bretonnia, or vs Orks or vs Dawi, or vs Kislev Stormwind might be the Guys you want as they can endure ranged fire and work well together among themselves to achieve individual wins plus the SI:7 spies...but Stormwind would do terrible against Skaven, Beastmen, Ogres, Athel Loren, and depending on how Gw takes their Lore Cathay would just eat Stormwind alive being a place that seems easy to infiltrate but with the Crows and the Dragon Blooded as the main commanders on top of the Actual Dragons and just how massive Cathy's somewhat primitive industry is sabotage proofed in a way where any meaningful sabotage and with the Dragonblooded and magisterate tests getting into the command structure would be a chore that with WoW's very short attention span would be "Forever" in SI:7s mind...seriously Blizzard give us a few years between expansions in WoW I'd like to live long enough to see Thrall's kids as adults before i die without time warp shenanigans.
G3neSyS: We'll have to see if Orc/Human bad blood, and Empire/Ork bad blood wins out or if either can reason with the others. (it's weird how much "smarterer" WHFB Orks are than 40K Greenskins)
But still at least their enitre city...litterally the whole thing...isn't on fire. Maybe they won't need to get out.
Also whatchu talking bout williace, Tauren have a deep meaningfull culture of sitting around in hallways doing nothing and a deep powerful plotline of dying and then being so forgotten that even the writers forget about you.
Those Horde points are pretty good, but the Alliance can be broken down as "trifacta" the Humans, Gnomes and Dwarves with the humans serving as the VERY stupid brutes (seriously even the trolls have industrialized to some extent yet Stormwind is only more industrialized than Bretonnia and that's pushing it) where the Dwarves are more or less "quality mass production" and the Gnomes need to make sure each and every one of their creations is more inventive or just better than the last. "Ok i just created a Holy Hand Grenade, now to one up that." "Wow that's great what sort of high end experimental process is this?" "Assembly line work for primitive explosives." Basically despite the humans being more knuckle dragging savages than the WoW Orcs they're better off on tech simply because their allies. Though the Dwarves and their political/cultural aspersions are the cornerstone that if damaged would end the whole thing. Where the various human kingdoms while sketchy always form a solid and devoted core.
Then you have the Night Elves off doing their own thing and either being great people that make the Federation from Star Trek look crude and hateful...orrr the most hypocritical bigots with little to nothing in between. But basically isolationists whose isolationism drove the Tauren and others to join the Horde, and only just opening up to a world they scoffed at and looked down on.
Wargen are just humans but for furries. While Draenei...extremely "the light is good" maybe actually brainwashed by the light as the Alt timeline Draenei went full Spanish 'Missionary' on their alt timeline neighbors, complete with ambiguously recorded genocides that they will blame on foreigners whose names rhyme with Columbia.
Jak23: It certainly would be a shock for someone from Mallus to encounter a Ork capable of such high levels of thought to negotiate. Particularly when that Ork isn't a Black Ork, though ironically Eitrigg's clan is the Blackrock clan. As for that first question I THINK I understand and well sadly early contact can really set a tone, and Orcs and Mallus humans are more or less already at war before the two ever had a chance to meet.
And more Thunder Barges isn't necessarily the big deciding factor. The Dawi can sit proud knowing "hey our guns out range their skyship guns by a LOT. (seriously cutscenes, gameplay, book recounting puts WoW cannons at much shorter ranges than the Imperial Great Cannons (IRL Heavy Naval cannons modified for land use) and Dawi cannons fantisical middle finger guns both of which can fire shots out for miles with "acceptable accuracy" in terms of naval broadsides at a mile and a half, where WoW cannons fire in the vast majority of instances with ranges that would compare to a 1600's mortar, but with rapid fire, extremely good accuracy, and HE explosive shells that mysteriously don't shoot shrapnel.
But one of my Going theories as i debate with people is that WoW operates off of some limited rare materials, but with high recovery and repair/remanufactoring speeds which could tie into the old WC3 population cap, and why WoW's absurd construction speeds never seem to render Orcs with Axes, or humans in sword and board obsolete with their melee being reserved for guys who fight like Kislev does post retcons from TWW3 (thanks GW for some major or at least far wider implicating retcons to the Old world...not like i need that headache now as well). But that would mean that basically almost no matter what WoW will likely outproduce the Dawi and drown them in a never ending stream of overperforming/over engineered hot mess vehicles...like if the Societs were out in charge of Nazi Panzer or Tiger production, yet it was still the Nazis and their "quality" designs behind the tanks.
Hakuryuu: The Horned Skaven is named Thanquol, he's a rather famous Skaven character and I've used him in the last several chapters. As for believability, it's the Skaven, Vermintide wasn't "a grand plot of the Council to attack one town" but rather the council going "everyone attack everything now or die" and the Skaven there throwing everything they had immediately on hand under Ubersreik at the town...and I recall having to destroy faaar too many Lighting Cannons, Ratling Gunners, and Rat Ogres for my liking...haven't had the money for Vermintide 2, but I'm not much for multiplayer games unless it's Lan with friends, or with my Discord friend groups...which lets just say I've GM'd and played as a player with some very morally fucked up situations happening set in everything from a DnD monsters campaign, to Dark Heresy 2, a 40k Knights campaign and the Skaven campaign i GM'd was one of my least dark moments...
So really there isn't much prep that hasn't already been covered by Thanquol's flashbacks and ranting thinking of whose the one trying to betray him, never admitting that he's betrayed himself more than he has ever been betrayed.
Formations of Azeroth
Forsaken Kingdom
Next we will explore those military formations used by the Kingdom of the Forsaken. A land of intelligent Undead with questionable free will, and even more questionable morals. The Forsaken have served as the bastion of the Eastern Horde and provide what may be the largest or second largest population of the Horde, due to wild growth spurts and rapid population decline the Forsaken vary wildly in their population compared to the rest of the Horde but their core advantages remain the same.
1) The first and most questionable advantage of the Forsaken is their weaponry. Particularly their use of biological and chemical warfare. Most famed of the Forsaken chemical/biological weapons all rather lazily named "blight", at least they didn't follow Umbrella's naming conventions giving a different name to the same virus over and over again...but the Blight comes in multiple varieties but is based off two components used in different quantities and and deluded to diffrent extents.
First a chemical toxin with acidic qualities and not meeting the requirements for a biological agent, but matching all the principles of a chemical weapon perfectly. This varients heavy in this component kills even the Undead and famously wounded the Lich-King. Second the actual biological agent which should be resistant to the Chemical agent, the Biological agent rather than burning flesh or causing direct harm unleashes a plaguenof Undeath on the Body attempting to reconfigure the victim into a mindless Undead that the Forsaken will herd into enemy lines.
2) Scourge Remnants: The Forsaken house many lingering elements of the Lich-King's undead Scourge including hulking Abominations, Ghouls, Skeletons, Banshees, and more. These elements all now have a element of if not outright free will. Most of these units however haven't changed much, unless worked on by Forsaken's apothecary society, from when they served the Scourge and at familiar foes to the veterans of the Noethrend Campaign and the Scourge Invasions of the third war for Azeroth. Even so these units are distinct and bring their own unique advantages.
3) Undeath: Nearly every member of the Forsaken is a form of Undead with the vast majority of their number existing as Corpse-folk (a more decayed/skeletal and dried from of Zombie that still retains intelligence) As Undead most of the Forsaken can shrug off and recover from what others would consider fatal blows, they also are tireless and don't need to breath. However they don't possess the same natural healing that the living do, often needing to cannibalize corpses, or use dark magics to heal, they also in many cases suffer from mental degradation particularly of the parts of the mind for impulse or emotional control.
Another 'boon' of the Forsaken's population is that many in their living lives were little more than peasent farmers living lives barely different than a Warhammer Bretonnian, Kislevitte or Northern Empire Peasent. As such the Forsaken's army is swelled with recruits who have, what to the Forsaken are, useless life skills and nothing but free time and a strong durable body. While most of the Forsaken's soldiers would not be able to match a Stormwind footman two or three would be more than a match. This also means unfortunately that the Undead don't have much of a reserve population as the majority of Jobs they actively have are in service to the Forsaken's state, so comparatively Warhammer's Vampire Counts in Sylvania have a larger reserve population than the Forsaken which will lend into the next Forsaken point of interest.
4) Azerothean Necromancy: Tying into the fact that all the Forsaken are undead is the limited necromancy present in their force. At first only a few Necromancers served among the Forsaken allowing their limited numbers to dwindle as the few necromancers among the Forsaken couldn't replace the sentient Undead at a sufficient rate and the Necromancers are looked down on for creating mindless Undead/Undead without free will...then the Arthas died a few short years later, and after Sylvanas discovered and made an agreement with the Val'kyr. The Val'kyr effectively joined the Horde granting Sylvanas dramatically improved abilities to raise the dead, now without the restrictions of Azeroth's much weaker forms of Necromancy and given access to a Necromantic power that could create Undead with Free Will the Forsaken ranks exploded once again though so too did the number of Undead who regretted joining or resent the Forsaken, as during conflict or war the numbers of new undead who were tricked or shanghai'd (put into a position where even though they were presented the choice there wasn't actually a choice) would be drastic.
When it comes to resources the Forsaken are located in the ruins of resource rich Lordaeron Kingdom. However the majority of these resources are ironically of little use to the Forsaken being fertile, or formerly fertile plains, rivers, etc. Lordaeron still possesses ample mineral deposits and the Royal Apothecary Society may use the land to develop or test new Blight and other Bio-weapons (I'm really tempted to go full Resnident Evil talking virology and B.O.W. manufacturing here) But as the Undead rule Lordaeron now its namely the land's dead, or thr Undead population which serve as the Forsaken's greatest resource.
In the realm of technological edge the Forsaken are the clear leaders in alchamy, particularly due to their virology, and chemical capacity, though they also had a strong biological advancement as well. Technically the Forsaken are also better off when it comes to weapons development than the Kingdom of Stormwind as they independently have developed and advanced several different Horde weapons programs. And lastly of the Horde and Alliance the Forsaken are effectively the ONLY ones who understand Necromancy to any degree.
By our world's standards the Forsaken are a rogue, terrorist state guilty of more warcrimes than most major nations that participated in WW1 or WW2 combined. Mass numbers, weaponized flora and fauna via virology and alchemical manipulation, and the use of Blight, a chemical and viral agent, on their own, allied, and enemy troops, and then the somewhat irrelevant defilement of a corpse warcrime (an actual warcrime that says we cannot use Zombies, or corpse meat puppets for robots, in combat)...AN: I play a lot of Red Alert 2 and Tiberian Sun (yes still)...kinda sad that I'm still far worse of a war criminal than these guys are.
-Organizationally the Forsaken are built around the remnants of the Lordaeron army which was once the cornerstone of the Alliance. However efforts had been made to change this organizational structure both to suit the needs of the Forsaken and to help them intigrate into Horde military planning. Thus the smallest Forsaken unit is the Squad.
•Forsaken Deathguard Squad: Built on the simplicity of the main bulk of the Forsaken military, the main Deathguard forces serve as frontline combatants. Nine combatants with light to medium armor and wargear are arranged in three rows of three with roughly a meter to two meters between each. Often these combatants will swarm opponents each attacking in tandum.
•Deadeye Squads: Masses of marginally trained, by the standards of Sylvanas Windrunner marksmen. While able to compete, the Squad arranged in the style of the Deathguard squad lays down constant fire to supress enemies and eventually claim lives. These squads make use of crossbows or more regularly the Forsaken's own handgun.
•Dreadstalker Squad: A Squad of roughly six Forsaken Rogues the Dreadstalkers are spies and assassins meant to compete with Stormwind's SI:7 and seldom is incorporated into the Forsaken's military planning in a consistent manner.
•Scourge Swarm: The Forsaken also make extensice use of their former Scourge counterparts. The Scourge based undead in the Forsaken however are looked down upon and gradually increasingly rarer to find. This is due to both the Forsaken looking down upon the Scourge based Undead and using then in riskier combat roles, and from their type of undead being created less commonly. Scourge Swarms can actually comprise of as few as ten Undead or as many as thirty and typically Ghouls, Skeletons and zombies are a more common sight with occasional banshees seen in their ranks.
•Forsaken Shadow Squad: The designated magic Squad of the Forsaken, three veteran Deathguard stand in the front rank guarding six magic casters who are typically in a mixed combination of Mages, Cult of Forgotten Shadows Priests, and the infamous Undead Warlocks. These Squads are then dedicated to delivering damage and reshaping battlefields in the Forsaken's favor.
•Apothecary squad: Formed from members of the Royal Apothecary Society, six members carry the Society's unique wargear and weapons into battle. These Undead provide actual medic support for the front lines particularly with potent potions, or they carry Blight throwers or Blight tipped ammunition and the means to add a Blight coating to friendly combatants weapons in the field of combat, though the process typically takes far longer than any soldier would like to be without their weapon on hand.
•Dark Ranger Squad: Sylvanas Dark Rangers were formed of the rare Dark Rangers. Three Dark Rangers serve as a elite Ranger force capable of melee and bow combat particularly using the infamous Black Arrows which upon killing will ressurect their victim as a mindless Undead which will attack those closest to them. These elites are meant to disrupt enemy forces allowing the mass of the Forsaken to push through enemy lines. These Rangers also hunt specific foe types with arrows meant specifically to counter them, such as arcane canceling arrows, while they draw from the Banshee Queens influence and possess limited mind control abilities.
•Abomination Squad: Named for the famed Abominations, these squads of three are used as living battering rams to force the Forsaken's way through enemy defenses, or can shield their forces from enemy fire.
•Knight/Batrider Squad: Formed of Lordaeron's former Knights, and expert riders. The Nine Rider squads serve as either a mailed fist to penetrate enemy defenses, or a mobile platform for using Blight Grenades.
•Single Entity: Multiple Single entities exist within the Forsaken, Meat Wagons, Plague Catapults which throw blight, Cannons, gigantic Flesh Beasts which can be as large or larger than 5 yards, as well as Valk'yr and Necromancers who raise new Undead.
-Compromising with Horde Organizational structure the Forsaken then form their units into Blocks to mix with other Horde Units and for the Forsaken's more grand battleplan approach.
• Deathguard Block: Five to Six widely spaced Deathguard Squads surround a single or two Deadeye Squads, proving a shield of bodies arround rhe Deadeye squads and closing for the kill after the initial volleys.
•Apothecary Society Block: Two Scourge swarms and an Abomination Squad form the first rank of this Block, next two Apothecary Society Squads provide support as Two Deadeye Squads or Shadow squads, and a Deathguard Squad bring up the rear.
•Scourge Block: Four Scourge swarms, and two Abomination Squads are lead by a Dark Ranger Squad or an Royal Apothecary Society Squad. These Blocks are more found on Lordaeron and Northrend.
•Ranger Block: Three Deadeye Squads support, and a Forsaken Shadow Squad support three Dark Ranger Squads serving as a mobile ranged engagement force usually to compete against other more mobile forces on Azeroth.
•Rider Block: The simple application of Seven Knight or Batrider Squads into a Block formation for high mobility close combat support and bombing, squads can be replaced with fast moving single entities as well.
•Siege Block: Three Single Entities, typically Blight Throwers, Cannons, and occasionally Necromancers or Undead monstrosities are supported by two to four Deathguard Squads and zero to two Deadeye squads. These Blocks are typically meant to remove entrenched enemies.
•Queensguard Block: The formation of the Elite Queenguard necessitated the creation of a new Block undead Sylvanas. three Deathguard Squads of elites given ranged secondary weapons, typically rifles, flanked by two Dark Ranger Squads and are followed by either an Apothecary Squad, a Dreadstalker Squad, or an Forsaken Shadow Squad, lastly a Scourge Swarm of banshees or one of the previously not taken squads forms the last element of this Block.
• The Raid: Almost exclusively used by adventurers, the effectiveness of the 15 to 30 man raid on Azeroth and beyond has not been questioned and national leaders still throw out money to adventurers willing to form raiding groups which often ignore mainline battles, and instead go "boss farming" killing champions, commanders, monsters, and vital assets of a enemy force.
-Following the Blocks are the Typical Battalion halves. These halves are granted organizational mobility allowing Sylvanas to form custom Battalions as she should so wish. For Forsaken commanders the Battalions and Battalion halves are the most commonly focused on elements of Forsaken battle planning. Six Forsaken Blocks form a Battalion half.
•Deathguard Combat Battalion Half: Five Deathguard Blocks form a frontline force while either a Ranger Block, a Rider Block, or a Siege Block serve as the command and supporting element of the force depending on the overall mission the Battalion exists for.
•Undead Scourge Battalion Half: four Scourge Blocks are supported by a Siege Block and either a Dark Ranger Block, Royal Apothecary Society Blocor a Rider Block to oversee their operations.
•Queensguard Battalion Half: Five Queensguard Blocks and a Ranger Block form a elite core of the Forsaken Forces.
•Royal Apothecary Society Expeditionary force: Two Apothecary Society Blocks, two Scourge Blocks, a Deathguard Block and a Siege Block all serve the field purposes of the Royal Apothecary Society with the intent of fulfilling the Society's twisted intent.
•Extermination Battalion Half: Two Siege Blocks supported by a Deathguard Block between them form the front line. Meanwhile two Rider Squads usually armed with Blight form outrider units, and a Apothecary Society Block or a Ranger Block forms the coordinating core of the Unit. This Battalion Half is meant to remove living resistance from regions controlled by the Forsaken.
Seperate AN:
So I was watching a "what could be in TWW3 future DLC video" and sadly it triggered my imagination for potential reworking of the WHFB setting that could work with the whole "The Old World" that GW is releasing.
These thoughts are centered primarily on the Empire and Bretonnia, trying to keep their national "feel" while revamping them for some unique gameplay/storytelling and giving GW opportunities for model line expansion.
So the Empire is easy, 1) make all the Cults a bit more playable, maybe some minor reworks, associate each cult with a particular county and play into that and 2) technology, WHFB is already a fantasy world (no duh) we can afford a little bit more fantastical technology while still working to keep it grounded in a historical feel. Armored handgunner or basically "handgunner knights", fieldable Griffins rather than just demi-gryphs, a pistolier rework...maybe redo the Land Ship again, etc.
Then there's Bretonnia who ofc we always fear will get lost to time. well besides "playing into the whole King Arthur's knights" even more than GW and CA already have, my own eyes drifted to the men-at-arms and my thoughts were eventually drawn to the greatest shame of all the Catholic Crucades, no not the sacking of Constantinople, nor the losses of Jerusalem or Acre. But the Husite Wars, where all of Europe got their assess handed to them but some Hungarians who were fighting themselves all the while and had dramatically less resources than the Muslim world, very few knights, and were on paper absolutely easy to conquer.
So following this inspiration we'd rework the Man-At-arms for the Bretonnians. On top of making the Knights fart even bigger french rainbows and have even prettier ponies than all the other boys, we'd give the Men-at-Arms access to the Goedendag or at least a warhammer worthy version of the weapon, meaning that Bretonnian peasents will be armed with a weapon that is both a spear and a great weapon though not functioning as both simultaneously, but a tool that would certainly deter head on Cavalry charges from any race. Next we'd adopt the Husite's War Wagons (not like the Empire ones) the Husites had an amazing "mobile wall" innthe form of their War Wagons allowing them to basically set up defensive fortifications at any battle field from which Archers could safely engage and which would disrupt any armies trying to charge and use momentum to push through Husite lines. Now the Men-At-Arms of Bretonnia are looking a lot more defensively capable allowing them to really anchor and support the all mighty Bretonnian Cavalry.
Shadows of Darkshore
Jarod Shadowsong walked into Lor'danel almost caught in a daze by the chaos all around him. The world had only just started to revover from the Legion's invasion, and now the Horde was attacking, had summoned forth armies from a whole other world, and invaded the Kaldorei's lands slaughtering and defliling as they went yet still proceeding at a terrifying pace. All throughout Lor'danel Civilians were in a nervous panic looking to escape the clear path of the Horde, meanwhile Draenei were unloading from vanguard vessels rushing to be informed of what battlefront they're individual squads should report to.
Massive efforts were even being made to fortify Lor'danel, barricades, walls and temperary towers were being placed on the river shores of either side of the town. Glaive throwers and even cannons were also being moved into positions meant to try and ward off the Horde. Already many Sentinels were noticing Jarod's presence, some even reporting to him as though he were somehow already in command. Jarod had come to offer advice, and his sword to the defense of Darkshore, not to steal command or claim glory.
Suddenly in the Lor'danel square there was a flash of light as a single Golden human stepped out. "Everyone clear the Square NOW!" The human shouted this order but only some of the Kaldorei obeyed while others looked on confused.
Jarod then added his own voice to the Human's as he stepped away. "He said MOVE!" Soon all the Kaldorei were moving away from the Square. And as they moved the human looked up to the sky, which Jarod following the man's gaze spotted the Vindicaar flying but covered in flames and billowing smoke.
"Square is clear send down everyone you can then withdraw!" The human ordered and as Jarod watched the Vindicaar released several flashes from its interior, likely teleportations. Meanwhile the ship was rapidly firing its main cannon towards what must have been Ashenvale positions held by the Horde, and Jarod could just make out what looked like small green bolts impacting and rending small holes and dents in the vessel's side even as the ship fired.
Then the courtyard was covered in light as what must have been just shy of a hundred Draenei, no these were those new Lightforged Jarod had recently heard of, suddenly appeared. Then once the light faded Jarod could see the Vindicaar ascending eventually going up beyond the clouds.
Jarod then pushed his way into the Lightforged towards the human learer. "Are you the Alliance Commander? I am Jarod Shadowsong and I've come to give whatever assistance I can." The Night Elf introduced himself as he approached the human who in response thurst out his hand for the traditional human handshake greeting.
While at first the human looked confused with the simple garbed Kaldorei speaking to him but one of his advisors whispered in his ear and the human then spoke. "I am Turalyon, thankyou. Have you taken up the role as Commander of the Night Elf forces, Jarod?" The human asked.
"No I simply came to offer whatever help I could and arrived to find everything like this. Obviously I haven't even put on my armor yet, but I see that I'll need to change as soon as possible." The Night Elf hero offered plainly with a disarming chuckle.
For his part Turalyon also laughed, though there was more pity in his eyes than anything else. The human Commander of the Army of the Light then straightened. "Right the Commanders of the Night Elf defense were supposed to be in this city, do you know where they are?" The human asked, and Jarod just shrugged.
"I suspect I know, but with how chaotic everything seems they might not be there." Jarod answered truthfully.
"Might not be where Brother?" The voice of Jarod's sister cut through the background din and straight into the conversation. Meanwhile Turalyon frowned knowing that he had to deal with the element of the Night Elf command who would make things much more difficult initially, Maiev Shadowsong.
Jarod turned to his sister, still a warm smile on his face for his difficult but still admired older sibling. " I was worried that these foes would be so strong as to actually warrant your full attention Sister. And then you wouldn't have time for your beloved brother." Both a tease and a declaration of familial love, but one that only earned Maiev's scowl.
"You shouldn't be here." The Warden stated with a low tone.
"Our people need me sister." Jarod countered gesturing to the town and battle preparations taking place about them.
"No, they don't. We have all of this in hand. You want to go hide away from the World, then let me handle it so you can go do that." Maiev tried to reason with her brother a dangerous tone underpinning her voice.
"No you don't have everything under control." Now Turalyon stepped into the conversation. "We need everyone we can get even if it's only in an advisory role here in the rear. But the Horde have pushed us too hard and in case you never noticed Warden Maiev Shadowsong, the Vindicaar can no longer support us and the main body of the Azuremyst's Hand of Argus forces are still on their way and might not be able to make a difference if our lines collpase too quickly. Then the Sentinels are still even further out." Turalyon attempted to both reason and negotiate with Maiev but the Night Elf Warden ignored him keeping her glare on her brother.
"Leave, come save me if you must, but leave. Go to your home and watch from there, you'll see that we don't need you here." Maiev stated.
"You need me, admit it! Please Maiev, I can help you." Jarod tried to pled back to his sister, the exchange earning some shocked stares from various Kaldorei who were watching two legends argue like youths.
Turalyon then again stepped forward putting himself between the two Shadowsongs. "Jarod will not leave this town. Maiev he won't be going to the front or fighting in any capacity. I need an Kaldorei advisor, he seems like a perfect individual for me to hire, tell me Mr. Shadowsong I'll pay you One Hundred Gold to serve as my advisor on Kaldorei matters?"
Maiev glared about ready to shout down the human but Jarod spoke first. "Agreed. I won't go anywhere, and I certainly have no point in this war. So i might as well give you some tutoring." Jarod stated, giving a smirk to his sister. Maiev for her part fumed for a moment, then walked away but sighing a breath of relief.
Turalyon then turned to Jarod about to speak but the Night Elf beat him. "What are we facing?" The Elf quickly demanded.
"Initially everyone was caught by surpise. We thought it was just a invasion from the other side, but Anduin confirmed that it was a Mana-bomb that triggered the invasion. And then Horde Forces turned from their march towards Silithus and veered north into Ashenvale, confirming suspicions. The Horde brought the entirety of Durotar's army, and large contingents from many of their factions, the most significant of which being the Forsaken.
The other invaders at this point have turned into a secondary theater with Darkshore serving as the front for the main camping. However that faint cost us Shandris who is trapped on the other side of the portal, along with Malfurion, and forcing Tyrande and most of the Night Elven allies to focus on Mount Hyjal. Our ultimate goal is to hold out until the Mount Hyjal portal is secure, at that point we should be able to drive the Horde out of your land. However the invaders have brought some rather unique styles of warfare and general support for the Horde. And this is what's throwing everything on the front into chaos." Turalyon explained earning a nod to continue from Jarod.
And so Turalyon continued. "The more familiar are a force the Alliance know as 'The Vampire Counts' based off the intel Jaina gave me were probably only facing a single Vampire Lord and his followers, someone whose probably desperate based off reports. The Vampires army would almost be like the Scourge, or so I'm told, they're mostly zombies and skeletons they're uncoordinated fighters but form dense mobs and get back up shortly after being taken down, it usually requires something like a Paladin to keep them down, they're trying to wear down our soldiers pressing with unwavering determination and endurance, plus their leader is almost powerful enough to compete with Jaina Proudmoor.
The Ratmen on the other hand, they're swarming our soldiers, breaking and scattering in sudden unexpected routes, and generally making a mess of the battlefield wherever they are. Particularly because they don't seem to have any real regard for their own forces, they abandon the wounded to die, and fire upon their own troops just to hit ours with some very powerful weaponry. Initially there was a panic because their forces even outnumbered the Horde, but the gap in quality has been...rather shocking." The High Exarch explained as the pair walked over to the Sentinels map of Darkshore which marked all the known forces and their estimated locations.
Jarod nodded and began to consider the situation. "We'll need to contain the Shatterspear tribe, if we destroy their warcamp that should buy us time. After that the Army of the Light should engage the Ratmen, particularly targeting the weapons they used to damage the Vindicaar. After that we can focus on the Horde primarily in order to hold back the enemy's advance." Jarod was already planning, adjusting the entirety of the Night Elves approach to warfare to best counter these rats, and hopefully assassinate this Vampire Count.
"Shoot-Shoot, make Sky-ship fall-fall!" Ikit shouted full of excitement. His rocket had hit the ship and exploded, the thing was burning and clearly the disbelief that even the Sylvanas-thing had shown proved Ikit's absolute superiority. But then the vessel didn't fall from the sky, and the Sylvanas-thing dismissed Ikit's great success when it was her fault-blame for not giving him a mana-bomb.
However Ikit couldn't kill the lesser fool-thing for her insolent behavior. Ikit had to humble himself before the thing or face the wrath of Morskittar himself. The costs of Ikit's expeditions and experiments had gotten greater and greater, and his Doomsphere no closer to being ready for use against the stupid Man-things. This was Ikit's last chance to retain his lord's favor least he be recalled to Skavenblight and forced to endure whatever indignity the Tinker-in-Chief could invent for him to endure. Ikit couldn't allow his genious to be restrained, he was greater-smart than everyone ever.
Let other rats suffer to figure out the kinks in Ikit's great weapons. Once complete the weapons were perfect...until Ikit could tink of a way to make them better. And this world was full of inspirations for making Ikit's weapons even better. Like the Doomtank a weapon certain to be well beyond the 'Alliance'-things ability to handle.
Green bolts of Warp-lighting collided with the flying vessel as lines of Lighting Cannons fired into the sky at the ship, which while still ablaze retured fire destroying a group of Lighting Cannons. Immediately Ikit leapt to work, motiviating the gun crews after watching the single shell destroy three Lighting Cannons.
"Fire-Fire! Kill it now-now! Make it Fall-Fall onto Darkshore so Ikit can claim-take its remains!" The Madrat ordered the near panicking gunners. There would be no way that some stupid blue-things sky-ship would destroy months of Ikit's hard work in making other rats tinker-work to build and move the supplies to the 'place prophiciesed by the Horned one'. Ikit's subordinates had worked hard allowing Ikit to focus on his Doomrockets. While Morskittar had forbidden work on the Doomsphere for now, the Emperor of Warlocks had not ordered Ikit to not work on those.
No the Sky-ship was inferior to Ikit's destructive capabilities he knew it. And the constant firing of the Lighting Cannons reinforced that reality for Ikit, as none of thr Horde's guns seemed to even want to join the engagement against the Sky-ship, but that just meant more scavenge for Ikit! The ship endured a constant tide of green bolts and Ikit could see the metal on the front slowly start to warp under repeated impacts and as fires from the Doomrocket burned. Ikit could even see multiple golden flashes, certainly secondary intenral explosions inside the ship because of Ikit's greatness.
Then the vessel began to pull away raising up and slowly away from the fire of the Lightning Cannons. "Nnnooooo! Not Up-Up! Fall Down-Down! Make it fall Now-now!" The Cheif-Warlock screeched at his subordinates nearly hitting one with Storm Daemon. Instead the subordinates continued firing but the ship rose out of range and then disappeared beyond the clouds, even Ikit's amplified sight could not track the vessel as it disappeared perhaps into the st-rat-osphere.
Ikit fumed in absolute rage. Those idiots lost him his grand victory, if they had been brave enough to fire their guns like they were supposed to that sky-ship would be his trophy already. Now what did he have to show-prove his superiority to Morskittar? If Ikit couldn't prove thay ONLY he could have provided this victory then Morskittar could have him overseeing mass production of weapons in Skavenblight, or worse acting as the host for Moulder representitives. Blathering useless bio-maniacs. He did the entire worth of their entire clan every time he nutted in a breeder, no even if he nutted in a infertile one among the slaves!
Still Ikit had another weapon to reveal-test one that would surely prove how he was far beyond any weapon of this other world. As Ikit marched towards the Doomtank, two bird masked Forsaken stepped into the Chief-warlock's path. Ikit nearly used Storm Daemon to cleave the two im half but held himself back instead warily eyeing the pair, besides maybe they'd give him excuse enough to torch them with his gauntlet mounted warpfire thrower.
"Excuse us, we wanted to congratulate you on the success of your rocket launch. We of the Royal Apothecary Society, we were here with a representative of Gazlowe's Greasemonkeys to propose scientific exchange to further our people's technologies both yours and ours, significantly. You would be given Shredder ac..."
"Ghaaaaaa!" Ikit didn't have time for the stupid drivel of lesser races, he had superiority to prove to the lesser races. So Ikit pushed past the pair nearly knocking over the weird purple hair Corpse-thing next to them.
Then the Madrat closed on his Doomtank and the crew of rats clambering over it. "Eeeerrrrrrgh, Make Tank Move-move! We go to smash-kill Alliance! We-I will win-kill now!" With Ikit's command the crew got the vehicle started, the whole construct slowly rolling forward and Ikit climbed atop proudly watching the two sponson mounted warpfire throwers sweeping back and forth, as the almost forward fixed Lighting cannon slightly bounced with the vehicle's jerky forward movement.
Ikit would take charge even as Skaven swarmed about ready to follow their brave-strong leader into battle. He knew of the Horde having a new target, the Horde were sending their inferior machines to the Grove of the Ancients fully intent to destroy it...whatever it was. So far everything in their wretched place was little more than a worthless tree barely worthy of use in Ikit's inventions, so Ikit imagined these were all really old trees, or weird tree-things Ikit was going to slaughter.
The Skaven force continued forward, only slowed by the inferior man-thing design for the 'siege tank' and of course his inferior Engineers who couldn't match Ikit's brilliance in even the slightest of ways. Ikit kept motiviating his tank crew but the whining wastes kept making excuses about the Machine not being stable enough to keep moving at a faster pace, or simplistic and small minded 'it's not-not ready' claims.
Eventually the Doomtank and the Skaven escort closed on the Grove of the Ancients. All about it various Horde forces and the Undead clashed with the Army of the Light, the massive tree-things of the Grove and the Night Elves. About the battlefield various machines Ikit assumed were inferior hunks of metal. Though the golden Blue-things mechs seemed to have some sort of energy weapon and some swift movement...But Ikit had Brilliance on his side.
"Target fly-thing fire-kill it immediately!" Ikit ordered the crew, the ones manning the lighting Cannon aiming then pulling the trigger to the cannon sending a bolt of Green Energy flying across the field where it struck the mech dead center and breaking it apart, killing the Lightforged inside.
The Skaven unleashed a mighty cheer of joy witnessing the machine break apart while Ikit smirked secure in the knowledge his Doomtank was better than anything in this world. Ikit was pointedly ignoring the existence of the Sky-ship. But the Skaven then surged to join the flocks of bats, Undead, and Horde warriors attacking the Grove.
It was as the Skaven entered the field of battle swarming onto the Alliance forces that the Night Elves turned their counter attack onto the Skaven detachment. The Kaldorei and their Alliance adventurers and Lightforged allies tearing into the Skaven even as Horde and Undead began to slowly envelop them.
Elf-things died as Skaven reached and swarmed them, the Horde cut off their escape, and the bats of the Dead flocked over them. But even so outnumbered and slowly dying this force of enemies pressed on towards Ikit and the all mighty Doomtank, rather than scatter-fleeing like they should, as if they intended to challenge the Chief-Warlock and his grand creation.
As they closed Ikit noted those at the lead, some Hooded Elf ranger-thing, a large Blue Thing with a hammer and shiny light about it, another Blue-thing breeder muttering words in the back like it was trying to be a seer, a pale Elf-thing with little Daemon familiars about it, a furry-thing with large swords in its hands, and some wretched Dwarf-things, one with a gun and one smaller not-quite-dwarf one with a pair of weird knives that had tubes leading into them.
Ikit would accept their challenge, with a roar to his tank crew he had the Doomtank careening towards the group the warpfire throwers already spewing flames as Ikit laughed at the group from atop the vehicle. The foes dodged out of the way of the tank, even avoiding the warpflames, though those just after them were incinerated by green flames much to Ikit's amusement.
"Push-shove the Metal-Gear! Crush-Kill them! Haahahahaha!" Ikit cheered from atop the tank as it began a wide clumbsy turn towards the group, the Lighting Cannon depressed as low as it could go and firing as soon as the Alliance targets came into sight. However a shouted warning caused the group to again scatter dodging the blast.
Ikit's wrath began to mount, these Alliance-things were carving their own paths through his Clanrats and avoiding the warpfire flames which were turning the blasted battle field into a barren waste.
"Kill-Kill!" The order was simple enough so why couldn't the tank crew kill six pathetic foes? Ikit frustrated with the lack of dead enemies drew upon his magical reserves and cast bolts of Green lighting into the Dwarf-thing but the Furry-thing saved it and suddenly gold light enveloped the Dwarf-thing and its wounds began to fade.
The Blasted Blue-things had healing magics! But that just gave Ikit now targets for his vast superiority. "Make-take another pass, aim-crush Blue-things and we will Win!" As ordered the Doomtank made another wide turn now aiming to crush the larger of the two Blue-things under it's treads, a bolt from the Lighting Cannon forcing the Blue-thing to dodge into the path of the Tank, a manic Ikit at the front, his Storm Daemon poised and ready to cleave his opponent in two should they try to climb up the Tank or the idiot crew fail to run him over enough for the Chief-warlock's satisfaction.
The Draenei however had other plans, rearing back their hammer, imbuing it with the power of the light. As the tank close a gunshot plinked off the side, just as the Worgen of the group slammed both her blades into the vehicle's side, her blows almost matching the blow of the Draenei which knocked the vehicle off course and threw Ikit from his perch.
The Cheif-Warlock found himself on the ground pulling himself up as his tank continued on, one of the Warpfire throwers broken and spewing a torrent of flames as it went. How dare thise incomperats allow this to happen to his machine! "Stop-halt! Turn and Fight Coward-fools!" Ikit's shouted order somehow reaching the tank, which stopped and began to ponderously turn in place.
Even as Ikit was shouting though his senses were warning him of imminent danger and one of the devices built into his helm warned him of a foe he couldn't see closing in. Raising his arm Ikit unleashed a wave of Warpfire, eliciting high pitched screams as the tiny not-dwarf-thing melted under the flames. Even as the flames ate their companion arrows bounced off Ikit's armor and the large Blue thing closed on Ikit shouting.
"Don't-Don't, fuck with Cheif-Warlock Ikit!" The Skaven Warlock-Engineer shouted back swinging his precious Halberd the blade deflecting the Hammer strike of the Blue-thing allowing Ikit to hit it with the staff of the weapon.
As he did this suddenly both combatants were sent flying away from one another as a bolt of warp lighting from the Cannon landed near the pair. Ikit again landed on his back only to use the hydraulics and his own strength to leap back to his feet though alarms only he could hear were warning him of new damage to his Iron Frame.
"Idiots! Watch-Know where you're shooting!" The prized Engineer of Skryre shouted, now needing to use his Storm Daemon to send magical bolts to send the Elf-thing away so it would stop shooting arrows at him.
The tank and the idiots driving it planted the vehicle in the middle of the enemy rather than hanging back and blasting them, the vehicle slowly rotating as the last warpfire thrower spewed flame and the forward facing Lighting Cannon occasionally blind fired. Behind his machine the Furry-thing kept whacking away with their weapon, and the pale Elf-thing was sending spell after spell into his creation. Ikit tried to intervene for his precious machine but the large Blue-thing stood in his way, living when Ikit demanded it die.
The Blue-thing swung his Hammer at Ikit, but the Skaven of infamy ducked under the blow and thrust his Storm Daemon forward. The Draenei stepped back the tip of the blade missing his chest but earning a grin from Ikit as he flipped a switch on the halberd and multiple black bolts shooting forward and impacting the Draenei's chest and throwing him back several yards and onto his back.
With such a opening Ikit raced forward getting behind the Furry-thing and lining himself up, however the tank was rotating the wrong way for Ikit's brilliant plan, so he shouted up to one of the crew atop the tank. "Turn-Spin other way idiots!"
This grabbed the attention of the Furry-thing so Ikit had to begin the plan, even as the other Skaven was shouting down to the others inside, before promptly taking a arrow through the eye. Warpfire sprayed from Iket's gauntlet multiple spurts forcing the Furry-thing back away as the Skaven menacingly walked forward, eventually the tank was spinning back towards the backing up Furry-thing, a constant stream of Warpfire from the warpfire thrower behind the dog-thing.
A bullet impacted Ikit's helm, knocking the Skaven leader to the side nearly toppling him over. Freed from Ikit's advance the Furry-thing darted away, past Ikit the flames slowly creeping towards him. Even as those flames came, more flew in from the pale Elf-thing impacting the Warpfire thrower. As Ikit watched the flames from the weapon ceased, and then it exploded. At first Ikit cursed that they damaged his machine yet again, but when fire erupted from inside the tank shooting up and consuming the framework of the Lightning Cannon atop the tank Ikit screamed in outrage.
With a thrust of his arm Ikit sent a powerful bolt of green lightning into the Dwarf-thing entirely cutting it's arm from its body. In response the Blue things tried to heal the Dwarf-thing but Ikit spent the last of the stored energy in Storm Daemon to deny them the chance to save their friend.
But now Ikit was surrounded. To his right two Blue-things, in front of him the pale Elf-thing and the lead Elf-thing, and to his left the Furry-thing. How dare these things think they could challenge him! He was Ikit Claw, Master of the Warpstorm, Creator of Doom, Gutter of Jarl Alfhild Daemonkin!
An arrow impacted the shoulder of the Elf-thing leading the others. The shaft of the arrow broke, the the black tip remained firmly planted in the Elf's armor, and grabbed the attention of all the Alliance members present. There just outside the battlefield of Ikit and the Alliance forces stood Sylvanas Windrunner.
"I think you should perhaps let MY Warlock-Engineer go, Captain Summermoon." Ikit fumed, how DARE she pretend to be above Ikit Claw, she was a inferior pale-blue Elf-thing, she was Ikit's Horde Commander Thing, not he her thing!
The Large Blue-thing looked over to the Captain Summermoon-thing. "Captain, he's leader of the Skaven, kill him now and we can escape. Silandel portal." The pale Elf-thing nodded and began to channel dark power. Instead Varok Saurfang leapt over the burning tank placing himself in front of Ikit, earning a hiss of outrage from the Ratman.
The Captain Elf-thing looked at the situation. "No we run, NOW." The Pale Elf-thing opened a magical gateway of some kind and the six leapt through escaping from the Horde forces about them.
Sylvanas looked over to Ikit. "I think it's time for you to pull your troops back, Chief-Warlock." The Horde Warchief suggested.
"No-no they stay-stay fight until there is no more fighting to be done." Ikit replied glaring as his mind fumed and gears turned in his head for new weapon designs.
The Big dumb Orc stepped up to Ikit. "It's honorable to stay, but there is no point in remaining, Broll has arrived and the Ancients have escaped. You would be dying for nothing."
Ikit gave a confused and enraged look to the Orc. "Stay-stay? I'm going to the back place of Honor-safe. I plan to lead-command not die-die with rats here." Ikit began to walk away from the site of his most recent failure, indeed he needed to ensure no witnesses of this embarrassment survived, it only made sense.
But the smoking tank reminded Ikit of the great limitations of his weapons. The Rats manning them were cowards and incompetents. He needed something large, strong, and brave to use his weapons, otherwise failures from fools beyond his control would keep mounting and making him look bad. He needed a warrior who could smash the Large Blue-thing while also using one or more of his inventions to smash and destroy!
Anduin looked over the City of Orgrimmar. The Young High King hated the sight, he never wanted to invade the city, he always wanted to be invited in as a respected guest. But now the Lion's Guard were in control of the Valley of Honor, pushing up the cliffs toward the Air Fields above the Valley of Wisdom.
The Empire's Rieksguard were now restrained preparing for an assault on the Grommash Hold. Anduin had been initially horrified when he entered into the city, at first thinking the Empire had massacred civilians, only to find Volkmar standing guard over a captured and grim looking Eitrigg.
"What's this?" He had asked when he first entered.
And thus Eitrigg was allowed by Volkmar to say his peace while the Grand Theologist sat back listening his face stern and silent. And Anduin learned with horror that the Empire people ignorent of who and what for, they were fighting and from a land where "Orc" referred to savage evil beasts little better than the Faceless Ones or Demons. And yet all the death that surrounded him, the burning city, it was all by his order.
"I ordered all of this. And it's only going to get worse." Anduin muttered overlooking the ongoing battle.
"Maybe, your spies say reinforcements can be here any moment. But I don't think that's what you're complaining about." The Grand Theologist stated looking at the Young King.
"My people entrust me to protect them. Not commit slaughter." Anduin sighed looking towards the motionless body of a young Goblin boy.
"Right, protect them. And how exactly do they expect you to protect them?" The Old man asked, looking also into the burning city.
"What?" Anduin asked.
"And, how exactly do you intend to protect them? What do you think they expect from you?" The man restated.
"To form Alliances, make peace, built walls and prevent wars...not slaughter innocents." Anduin replied, everything he said was the obvious truth.
"Hmmm, a nice sentiment. And how would you achieve that?" Volkmar then asked.
"By making new allies, achieving pea..."
"I said how, not the goal and the clean little sentiments." Now Volkmar's voice was harsher.
"I was going to show the Horde that fighting was pointless, that we could instead have peace with eachother. That both sides could tolerate one another." Anduin replied with a sigh as a distant building of the city collpased.
"Tolerance does not prevent war, nor does it provide peace. It strengthens friendships, and when given to enemies... weakens you." Volkmar responded.
Then the Old Imperial Priest looked Anduin in the eye. "But to show the Horde that fighting in pointless. I would say you are doing a fine Job of it now. Before they dare step out of their homes again to fight you they'll have to consider that they could well lose their homes the moment they do. Seems to me your actions are matching your goal."
"No this isn't what I wanted!" Anduin protested.
"Oh and what did YOU want oh High King, King over his fellow Kings? Volkmar then asked a pointed tease in his voice.
"I didn't want to kill these people. I wanted Peace, for the fighting to end!" Anduin proclaimed.
"So your rule didn't match your vision. The demands of your Kingdom, and of your enemy's Kingdom outweighed your power to force of strength. What will you do about it King?" Volkmar asked his voice softer now.
"All of this is on me. These deaths are because of me, because I couldn't see what Sylvanas was flaunting right in front of me." Anduin nearly yelled.
"And?"
"And!? There is a war starting and I'm powerless to stop it, your world could be dragged in as well!" Anduin could feel his blood boiling as he yelled to the Bald man.
"So you're unfit to be King? Then step down, I know a Emperor who would be much better suited for your throne since you have neither the strength to force the world to comply to your vision nor the character to bear the burden of reality." Volkmar's voice was even, smooth and unwavering but Anduin looked at the man as if he had grown a second head.
"Are you trying to claim my throne?" Anduin asked in befuddlement.
"No, you're the one who proclaimed yourself unworthy. My God Sigmar, do you think he wanted to spend his life warring, for his closest confidants to die, be turned into Vampires, to be corrupted or murdered? No but the reality of my world did that to him anyways, despite the power of his will and his virtues making close allies of races who once looked down upon humanity, striking down Daemonkin and Greater Daemons alike. His vision was a safe, secure united Empire one that could prosper and where the people would work together to show the world the strength of man. Sigmar bore that burden, his strength bringing warring tribes together, striking down foes left and right and making friends of enemies. But he could not show power that was beyond all the Gods, all the Kingdoms and Kings and each Dark Sorcerer, and so he bore the weight of the knowledge that the world would never be as he commanded it to be." Volkmar looked onto Anduin. For his part Anduin stared back at Volkmar.
The High King remained silent so Volkmar concluded. "And if you're the King your people gathered behind, then you must learn to carry that burden, the Burden that your own strength isn't enough, that your vision is just one vision against the world's wishes, this slaughter is your command not because your vision, but because the power of Gods and the reality of the world is beyond even the greatest of men."
Anduin nodded. "Right, thankyou."
Volkmar looked back to the embattled city. "Do not thank me, thank Sigmar by agreeing to my Emperor's terms for trade." This caused Anduin to chuckle.
"Maybe."
By now the city had nearly fallen to the Alliance. The Air Field held strong against the small Alliance forces, but from the Valley of Honor all the way to the Orgrimmar embassy had fallen to the Alliance, with only the Valley of Spirits holding out in the main body of the city, several tunnels and underground complexes also were holding out but each was sealed away and contained to be dealt with later.
As Anduin considered the Alliance's seizing of Orgrimmar an Footman ran to him and Volkmar. "King Anduin, A report from the Gate, Horde reinforcements have beat our forces to the City! They bring an army of the Undead, Ghosts and Forsaken Knights ride alongside Wolf Riders towards Orgrimmar and will be arriving soon, two hours at most!"
Anduin snapped his attention from his own thoughts and analysis and to the situation at hand. However Volkmar beat the High King to the call. "The Reiksguard will hold the gate, your men finish whatever else you need to do here to claim this as a successful raid, or hopefully turn this around as a full fledged conquest." Volkmar was already running to his horse.
"No! I know the Forsaken and the Orcs better, Let me lead your Rieksguard at the gates. Volkmar You MUST take the Orgrimmar Skyway and the Air Fields above the valley, once either of those are secure, or both are secure we can claim victory and have a means to escape!" Anduin ordered glaring at Volkmar with determination.
The old Blad man smirked. "After you, High King, King over Kings."
Anduin turned to the Soldier. "How long until Sky Admiral Rogers arrives?"
"She's broken up her fleet, but her lead floatilla should arrive in about four hours." The Soldier responded.
"If the Rieksguard hold for that long we also win. we have our goals Volkmar, may your God and the Light both watch over us this day." Anduin then ran to and mounted his horse taking off for the Gates of Orgrimmar.