Heroes and Villains


Thanquol scratched his snout again as his head pounded with pain and reminding him of his need for something to take the edge off. Clearly there was a conspiracy against him, the idiot adventurers the headman hired for him claim that they couldn't yet find the spy who had stolen from him. The nerve of those brainless inferiors, the undead breeder-thing even suggesting that the spy never stole from him, but there was a spy and they were hunting him now. Even so the others sent to find warpstone still hasn't gotten any, worthless cheats must be stocking up for their own stupid purposes, dumb non-skaven don't even know how to delute the material properly always destroying themselves.

So with a head threatening to split in half Thanquol had obeyed the summons, Sylvanas had wanted another season to try and showcase how smart she was while talking about schemes and plans for the battle. Of course inside the room Thanquol's enemies were all already gathered, and all eyes watched as the great and mighty Thanquol arrived last, thus showing his vast importance over all the others, certainly not because he had intended to arrive first but had to constantly stop to rub his head until the pain went away.

Still Sylvanas was already going on and on about the Alliance and what they were doing. Some trival about how they were about to launch their fleets and start the war. Like the schemes and vast inferiority of the Alliance somehow mattered at all. The real threats were here in this room, Blistrox was off in his side of the room surrounded by his follwers, a far too wide smile on his rotten lips. He had to be the schemer behind the theft or he at least had warpstone Thanquol could take.

Now the large Orc started complaining. The cowardly thing was certainly spoiling the fame of the greenskins yammering on and on about avoiding unnecessary fights, and going on and on in it's annoyingly deep voice about stupid things. Meanwhile the cow-thing stood next to Thanquol and was looking down on Thanquol with a look on its face the greatest of all Skaven could not comprehend...it was probably hungry and judging how easily it could eat him.

Finally the stupid green coward-thing stopped talking but the silence now was somehow worse. Even scratching his head something feiece could not make the throbbing go away the only releif from the silence being the pain accentuating footfalls as the big green brute walked away from the map of the land in the middle of the room. Then Thanquol could feel a sticky wetness on his claws...his scratching had drawn blood.

"Are you alright?" A voice from above Thanquol asked in a deep but caring tone in that ever so annoying 'common' language of this world.

"Ghaaaaah!" Thanquol turned to leave, no longer wishing to bear the pain in his head or the presence of all this worthless inferiors. He'd make the headman himself raid Blistrox's room, the damn theif surely is snorting his warp dust in there laughing at Thanquol's misery. Maybe he could plan to have the Alliance mysteriously assassinate the damn scheme-theif during the war. Damn those worthless adventurers why couldn't they get any warp dust?

"Is there something wrong with our war plans, Grey Seer?" Sylvanas asked confident and cool on her throne, causing all eyes to turn on Thanquol denying him the stralthy exit he intended on. Damn that Blistrox! This, this, must be why he had stolen his warp dust, Thanquol could think of no other reason for why this moment was happening.

The headaches caused by Blistrox's interference, yes those alone were why Thanquol wasn't paying attention to the meeting properly. Even if these creatures were all vastly inferior and not worth Thanquol paying any attention to, he would have brilliantly and instantly been able to follow their stupid plots, but instead his thinking was clouded and it was all Blistrox's fault. Yes Blistrox had caused this, so what if Thanquol had snorted plenty of Warp Dust, he had had a large supply and he had a great need for the power the dust provided, but he would certainly had have plenty left if not for Blistrox. After all even if he hadn't been paying close attention to his stockpile he had plenty to spare weeks ago.

But now they were all looking at him and he had to provide something or else look weak and foolish. He swiftly he looked at the map but there wasn't anything, the stupid man-things were certainly going to walk into the trap. But he needed some doubt, or gap to show his brilliance. Thanquol's eyes then locked on a particular portion of the map, it was stupid, mind numbingly so, but maybe he could use it to fake how smart-smart he was to these gullible fools.

"The-the North-north, what if they go all the way arround to attack from the North?" While Thanquol was well practiced in keeping his expressions in check, and Blistrox's snickering had to be from his own stupidy, on the inside the Grey Seer was screeching for the Horned Rat to for once show mercy. After all there's no way that these Horde would have anyone among them so stupid as to think that there could be an attack from the North.

"See Sylvanas, even these Mallus Rats can see you've left openings in your arrogance. No we have in ours. Did any of us think that the Alliance could instead try attacking from the North Coast? We've been so caught up thinking of the Gilneans, of the Alliance as a defensive force, but what if they unleash?" The Green-thing, Fangsour or whatever, stated with conviction actually supporting Thanquol's 'observation' and simultaneously convincing the Grey Seer that this must be the stupidest creature he had ever laid eyes on.

If not for the headache trying to rip his horns from his skill and use them to crack it open, Thanquol would have spared everyone present by using his undeniablely supreme magical might to strike down the beast. Already he wanted to jump on the idiot and tear into him, thus deflecting the clear displeasure of Sylvanas further onto the Orc while hopefully earning her favor.

"We are already aware of the opening Sourfang. It's a minor risk however, Lordaeron easily can hold until our forces can envelope the Alliance forces and Scarlet Monastery has already been reinforced as well as the garrison assigned to it bolstered." Yes, of course Sylvanas thought of this already. She might not be as smart as a true Horned Rat blessed Skaven, but she was closer than most, and she would certainly have to deal with stupidity such as this so of course she already had plan-schemes prepared, and thanks to Thanqoul's brilliance the last arguments of the Fangsour were being destroyed.

So Thanquol smiled despite his headache and jumped on his opportunity. "Yes-Yes Fangsour, Warchief already plan for that-that." Then Thanquol remembered that he had originally asked about the northern defenses. "But-but we-we Skaven were not told, and-and I don't see any of us put in charge of of the north defense-fighters."

The green fool seemed to mull over what Thanquol stated before eventually turning to the Warchief and speaking his foolish words in that vastly inferior language that Thanquol hadn't bothered to yet learn, but could in a instant if he wanted to. "Хотугу эргиэн командованиетын ыларбар көҥүллээбитим. Сквенов онно олордохторуна Онно- манна олордоллоро ситэтэ суох буолуо.Мин онно олордохпуна, кинилэри тутуом, саатар, олох олордуом. (Sylvanas, allow me to take command of the northern defense. The Skaven won't be sufficient to delay the Alliance if they land there. If the Alliance lands there I will delay them even if it costs me my life.)"

Sylvanas had a well hidden grin aimed towards Sourfang, Thanquol could see it, others might have but it was unlikely. For all the rat's ego and faults, he was good at reading others under the right circumstances. What sort of hidden brilliance did the Orc have under all that stupid? What was being stolen from Thanquol? It was his, how dare this Orc try to take from him and make him seem lesser! "Wait-wait! Thanquol is great-benificent Grey Seer. Yes-yes Thanquol will-will of his own benevolence...ehhh..."

Thanquol's mind raced what could he do to show how amazing, valuable, wise, smart and powerful he was. Wait...the tokens, there wasn't anyone in charge of the Northern Defenses, no one to look over his shoulders, no one to stop his schemes.

"I-I will take-have command of North Defense and make it better-stronger all by self! No-no use your tokens and resources on making better when Thanquol will with Thanquol's own wealth-might! You-you can allow green thing honor," Thanquol practically spit the word honor out clearly not thinking of it as such, "of being on Frontline against enemy champions. He get many-lots kills, yes-yes?"

Somehow Thanquol sensed displeasure towards his words, an aura of deathly disgust directed straight at him. But then Sylvanas stood up and looked between the Orc and the great-mighty Grey Seer. Clearly she was trying to make a decision and asked the Orc yet another question in its stupid language. "- Мин эйигин Триф хонуутун командировкалыырбар аныыр буоллахпына, туох былааннааххын? (And what do you plan to do if I place you in command of Tirisfal Glade?)"

"Прилив кэмигэр пляжтар кылгас кэмҥэ үҥкүүлүүллэр, оттон Толбонноох кэмҥэ улахан десантнай эпэрээссийэни тулуйаллар. Төһө кыалларынан сүүйээри кинилэри олордубуппут. (The beaches are short during high tide, and during low tide large enough to support a major landing operation. We'll hold off their landing buying as much time as possible.)" The Orc answered, though again it was in that gruttinal language.

Thanquol didn't like this, whatever they were saying was taking away from him, and he really wanted to leave because his headache, but before that he had to ensure he was the greatest of the Skaven. He couldn't let Blistrox's scheme to steal his warp dust somehow lower his standing among these stupid Azerotheans.

"The North-North will become a kill-kill ground. Fields will be traps, and-and foes will be be caught and surrounded, they will be alone-scattered and we will be many. No cost to you-you I will make North lands place where enemies bleed-die. We-we will devour them all, yes-YES!" Thanquol proclaimed loudly spreading his arms wide. Hopefully this would draw more awe onto Thanquol's glorious visage ensuring everyone present knew that regardless of Sylvanas choice, be it the one Thanquol brilliantly laid before her, or her foolish one of choosing that Orc, everyone would know that Thanquol was always right.

Sylvanas looked down at Thanquol with what almost seemed to be disappointment, had he somehow outplayed her, in his vast superiority foiled some stupid dead-thing scheme of hers? But then the Banshee Queen smiled and spoke in a powerful voice. "If there were but a few more so willing to sacrifice of themselves like you Thanquol, then the Alliance will never stand a chance. I assign you the defense of the Tirisfal Glades should the Alliance come from the Northen shores I hope to see your defense come to fruition. Sourfang, you are, too vital to the Horde. I want you to take up command of Undercity and the Scarlet Monastery's defense in total, coordinate our commanders and ensure each of them is prepared to support one another, or to hold the Alliance back should they somehow bypass out preparations."

Thanquol beamed, while Sourfang looked bitter and glum, however the rat didn't have time to gloat over the stupid Orc over his attaining the position of Honor in the back, instead he had a headache to quell and there was only one thing that could do it.


"Welcome back Boss." The Deadthng greated Thanquol as the Grey Seer entered the dead-thing's alleyway where it did it's business.

However Thanquol didn't have time for these stupid words. "Where is mine-mine warp dust? I NEED it, now-now!" The Grey Seer demanded, his beady red eyes glaring spitefully at the clam pale eyed undead.

"We did our research, because the Adventurers I hired didn't have a clue what they were looking for..."

"Graaaah! I give-gave instructions, too stupid to listen-obey! I tell what too look for idiot-fools!" Thanquol screamed, momentarily feeling a burst of Dhar collecting in his claw for the familiar action of striking down a minion with the Horned Rat's own lightning but Thanquol stopped short, though the sparks on his hand were flairing and he had already been making the gestures. And in no way was the rat subtle this time as the Headman was already preparing to duck away and out of the corner of his eye Thanquol could see the trio from the day before now all standing with their weapons drawn.

"Grrrrr... No-no you good servant-sl...servant, yes. But need Warpstone now-now. NOW-NOW! W-what do-do you to fix-fix?" Thanquol clamed himself stumbling over to a wall slowly bashing his head against it hoping to numb the pain in his skull.

"Well, I hired an expert thinking we could synthesize a substitute maybe... and well I looked into what that Warpstone is, and while I don't get why you want it so badly, I think I understand why we were having such a hard time." While Thanquol glared at the Undead with one eye and his head planted against the wall, he understood what the undead was saying and attempted a nod of understanding.

"Fine-Fine!" He finally relented grabbing some more of the gold coins he recently had taken to collecting, making sure to subtlety reward his servants for looting corpses and bringing him any coins they could find, while of course making sure they remained ignorant of the power these tokens had over the stupid Horde-things. With two flicks of his wrist Thanquol sent seven more gold coins, and seceral dozen silver coins flying at the headman. "That-that enough right? That's what you need to make the thing-thing?"

The headman looked down at and picked up the tossed coins. "Y-yeah this will be more than enough I can get a few more Adventurers looking maybe even on the Mallus side of the portal and probably get more supplies for that alternative we're working on." The Headman explained, noting the confirmation that like the Elves this Skaven leader and mage was very likely absolutely addicted to magic, but unlike them they didn't seem to degrade into lesser forms but instead seemed to suffer and possibly eventually die. But the Headman wasn't letting his, and his adventurers meal ticket die.

"As for the stolen Warp dust, we still have..." The Headman stopped sighing.

"Yes-yes, where-who sneak-thief?!" Thanquol's eager attention turned to the Headman immediately. The rat was still deluded into thinking someone had stolen from a pouch he always keeps on his person, but investigations into his room by the Orcish Mage Bathol and his team had actually lead to results.

While Lo'jie the Troll Warrior had contributed nothing insisting that their Rat employer was a lunatic, Kersti the undead hunter and specifically her pet spider found signs of forced entry into the room and that had soon lead to signs of multiple spies and handfuls of spying devices from complex Gnomish contraptions and more traditional toolslaid out in the room. This soon blossomed into a growing investigation that spread throughout all of Undercity.

From blatant and easy to catch in the act Skaven spies scurrying around spying for presumably whoever will pay them, to as of yet unknown mystery spies whom they only had enough evidence to suggest they existed in the city, the search was growing far beyond what the Headman had originally assumed. "Well Boss, we still can't find the thief, they must certainly be the best warpdust thief to take from you ever, so good it's almost like they don't exist."

"Well-Well find them!" Thanquol insisted but before the rat could dismiss him, or continue on another tirade, the Headman continued on.

"However we have found multiple signs of spies well, spying on you, and the network seems to have spread across the entite city." The Headman stated causing the Grey Seer to freeze.

"What? Whole Warren-City spying on me-me?!" The Grey Seer stated with a dangerous tone.

"N-no, the people spying on you are powerful enough they're spying on the entire city." The Headman replied.

"Well who-what is doing this?" Thanquol then demanded, though more relaxed and with a tinge of pain as the Skaven's headache spiked and his paw was rubbing his throbbing skull.

"Well we haven't caught the big culprit, but we've ID'd a few. However Bathol found, well a secret tunnel." The Headman explained.

"So what?" Thanquol barked.

"Oh well maybe the thief used it." Of course the Headman didn't believe this, now more convinced that no one had stolen Thanquol's warp dust, but the subject was enough to keep the ratman paying him and possibly doing some work that could be important for the enitre Horde later on.

Meanwhile Thanquol had now found it, this tunnel screamed of a scheme-plot, and what greater scheme-plot could there be than one that undermined him? "Yes-Yes, secret tunnel-escape. Certainly a grand plot-scheme. Show me now-now!"

The Headman couldn't hold back a smile as the Grey Seer immediately set about trying himself to find the tunnel. Of course he then signaled to Bathol to then lead the way. The Orcish Mage immediately set about guiding the pair with Thanquol close behind the Orc judging every step of their path with the look only a paranoid in a hyperactive mania could achieve. Even with Bathol's skill, and even if they hadn't the need to effectively hide the Skaven leader from public sight as the rat was officially supposed to remain only in specific portions of Undercity, though it was unofficially acknowledged that no one, especially not the Skaven obeyed the edicts restricting such movements and Lo'jie could count on her tusks the number of times anyone in their quintet had ever seen someone publicly punished for violating the Undercity zone restrictions.

Still it had taken the group nearly a hour until the found the abandoned side sewer that housed the discovered tunnel. "This-this it? Yes-Yes wide and well hidden, spies could make much use." The Grey Seer stated, clearly thinking the sewer was the secret tunnel.

"Эн биһигини кыраммыт идиотаҕа, старостаҕа үлэлэтэргэ күһэйэҕин. (You have us working for a damned moron, Headman. )" The Orc leading them stated shaking his head while moving to the tunnel.

"- Диэт, эн акаары эбиккин. Үлэ аҕыйах хонук иһигэр, үгэс курдук, нэдиэлэ иһинэн үлэлии- хамсыы сылдьаҕыт. (Tell him yourself you blasted fool. You're making more for a couple days work than you'd normally make adventuring for a week.)" The Headman barked back, flashing one of the Skaven's golden coins.

Bathol then cleared his throat and began to speak in an accented Gutterspeak. "No, this is the sewage they hid the tunnel in. The real tunnel is up ahead."

"What-What? Show me now-now!" Thanquol demanded of hos servant, and Bathol for his part just turned arouns shaking his head. That damned rat sounded like a tantrum throwing child how in hell was he supposed to take him seriously, let alone respect his shitty out of touch behavior.

But Bathol lead the group to the tunnel and after moving some rocks exposed it for all to see. The shaft was steep going down deep into Azeroth well beyond what their weak Torchlight could illuminate. For everyone but Bathol this was their first time seeing the tunnel, and they all seemed to note the size of it. It may have had a low ceiling, but four Orcs could crawl side by side in this tunnel, or six dwarves walking.

Immediately Thanquol started sniffing the air like an animal looking around the edges of the tunnel. "Um, Than... Boss, what the hell do you think your doing?" Bathol demanded watching his Skaven employer's animal like and blatantly odd behavior.

"What that?" The Skaven immediately and loudly asked pointing to a small nook at the ceiling lip of the Cave, one that Bathol had to lay on his back to see, and that even both the Headman and Kersti had to get down on their knees to get at a angle to see it. And Bathol paled at the sight.

Looking down on the group was a specially rigged device that seemed to have a sound cone and a mechanical eye of some type, on its surface paper scrolled down as a mechanical arm both wrote down each word picked up by the cone, any word spoken softer than a full speaking volume was too soft for the cone to hear. But more disturbing the paper drew each of their faces as the eye saw them.

"Its some sort of recording device and I think, I think that's an antenna in it." Bathol states aloud.

"So?" Both Thanquol and Lo'jie asked at the same moment.

"I think what it's writing it being sent somewhere else. Maybe to the spy who made this tunnel." Bathol stated before thrusting his fist forward smashing the device. "Meaning they already know we found this tunnel."


"Spymaster, we recieved a new update from Renzik."

In his office Mathias Shaw turned back towards his current assistant who walked in with a paper report held in her hand. The last several days had been absolutely exhausting, after all the whole point of SI:7 was to guarantee the Alliance's victory well before any war started, no matter what needed to be done.

And with many of the agency's spies lost in Orgrimmar during the War of the Throns Shaw and everyone under his command had to pull triple shifts as Anduin prepared the Alliance for yet another war with the Horde. However this war would likely be vastly larger than any of the wars fought since Thrall had lead his Orcs to Kalimdar.

"What's he got to say now?" The SI:7 spymaster asked both exhausted but ready for whatever news, be it good or bad, he was about to receive.

"It says, Undercity infiltration successful. Dark Iron tunneling devices have insurget routes prepared. Have scouted Undercity confirming Horde war stance. Skaven being kept distant from city with exception of leadership. Confirmed leader of Skaven forces in Lordaeron, identifies as Blistrox, see attached picture. Confirmed self titled Grey Seer and agent of the Council of Thirteen, Thanquol, see attached picture. Thanquol has been identified as a potential mastermind behind the bombing of the Mordheim Peace summit, and a potential major instigator of both the current war and the War of the Thorns alongside Sylvanas Windrunner and the following targets.

Confirmed, Aleksandr Von Caratein, see attached picture, representing the Von Carstein Vampires and their associated Undead. Of note is independent hostilities against the Alliance and my own recent observations of him and his Draenei victim turned co-conspirator Tarei. Both have made indeterminate plans behind Sylvanas back, unlikely a betrayal, but certainly not to the Horde's benefit.

Confirmed, Tarei Von Carstein, Draenei Shaman turned traitor. I don't understand everything behind this whole Vampirism thing, but it seems like High Level Undead nonsense. Both Tarei and Aleksandr are considered high risk targets, no capture orders, my teams will engage to kill.

Horde forces have been confirmed to have thinned their Northern defenses attempting to cover likely routes of advance. Discovered that as of twenty minutes before writing this report that Thanquol has been given command of the Northern Defense, will have a surface team move to capture him as the fleet lands.

As for operation Holy Rain, Horde adventurers diacovered the primary tunnel to the explosives, we are planning an alternative route to deliver the explosives to eliminate Blight stores. Confirmed location of physical copies of Horde logistic plans for the war. Will attempt to capture during Undercity sabotage mission. End report." The Aid then stepped forward offering the report and the attached documents to Shaw. Quickly the Spymaster scanned the report looking for hidden codes, then at the faces of the confirmed targets to be added to the priority list alongside Sylvanas, Sourfang, Nathanos, Baine, Gallywix, and Lor'themar.

Next Mathias looked at the extra details from the portion concerning the Horde adventurers who found the tunnels they had prepared for project Holy Rain. A worried looking and tired Orc, an shady Undead male clearly trying to hide his features far too late, another Undead, female, looking outraged and shocked, a side profile of a Troll who was about to join the others. And a straight on shot of what looked like the Grey Seer Thanquol looking directly at the recording device.

"If Thanquol is already leading the Horde in uncovering SI:7 infiltration routes, and responsible for the Mordhiem attack, he might be more of a threat than intel initially suggested, raise the priority on his capture." The spymaster then ordered recieving a short affirmative from his aid.

"Also do we have any intel on the Kalimdor front?"

A few minutes of paper shuffling later and his aid shouted her reply. "Yes, looks like Maiev and Jarod have put out an call for Adventurers. They haven't specified the mission, but we have confirmed they are most likely trying to bait out and target the Skaven leader Ikit Claw for elimination."

Shaw folded his hands in contemplation. "Thats a good call, if this Ikit is even a third as good as Gelbin, especially with these Skaven's ability to turn scrap to their own use, he'll be more of a threat the longer this drags out." The Stormwind Spymaster then stood while planting his hands on the table in front of him. "I want one of our assassination teams to join the adventurers, keep it covert though, we need to keep our profile low. Between this Empire on the other side of the portal, and any other potential threats I'd rather the Alliance keeps up a good front and everyone thinks that our success comes from the strength of our people rather than associating the Alliance's success with our organization."

"Yes sir."

"Also forward the relevant information from these reports to Anduin immediately." Shaw then added as he began to walk out of the room.

"You wont be joining him on the Lordaeron campaign sir?"

"No, I'm going to be overseeing Stormwind's defense while Anduin and the rest of the leadership is away. So make sure the report is in his had before his ship departs." The Spymaster explained leaving the room and his assistant behind.

A enthusiastic but soft "Yes Sir." followed the Spymaster out. Now Shaw could focus his attentions inwards, sadly he still didn't have a moment for personal time. Now he had to take command of Stormwind's defense, and the policing by the city guard.

Besides defending the city however there was another concern that Anduin was inadvertently leaving on Shaw's lap, Volkmar. While the Priest of the Cult of Sigmar was going to be traveling to ovserve the Alliance's war in Lordaeron. He was still leaving a few of his still wounded men behind in Stormwind. And while Anduin and the rest of the Alliance leadership was ignoring it, there was some fertile ground in the Alliance for the messaging Volkmar and his people were preaching.

While Mathias Shaw did not outright disagree with Volkmar, certainly the man's experinces on his own world were possibly very telling based off his reactions and non-reactions of seeing Undead and various other creatures of Azeroth, his approach both went against Anduin's nature and likely would pose a long term problem for Anduin if nothing was done.

While Shaw didn't like them, there was always a peace fromt in Stormwind, they ranged from moderates who almoat could be mistaken for Anduin supporting enthusiasts, all the way to radicals who even proposed unconditional surrender to the Horde all to prevent war. Now this element might actually make for something useful to the Spymaster in foiling the extreme messaging of Volkmar and his fellow imperials.

Of course Shaw couldn't as himself, or in anyway that could be found out, give his support to the pacifists. But he should be able to leverage a few of his contacts to give them the tools needed to sway some of the public's opinion away from Volkmar and back to where Anduin needed it. Still this certainly felt like a betrayal contacting these lunatics while Anduin was about to sail for war, but Shaw had a duty to the crown of Stormwind and he would not fail in his obligations to hold Stormwind together, both from his promises to Varien but also his oaths to Anduin.


Reviews:

Guest 1: We have three main factors sadly working against Nurgle here. First is the BS WoW claims of the purifying power of the light that somehow is so mighty that if there were even a single priest in Stratholme a major city with a temple of the light, it all would have been purified well before anyone could have been made undead... clearly that's BS and goes entirely against more or less ALL of Warcraft, but with provided evidence we can assume that the Warcraft world has some resistance to unknown entirely alien pathogens (thus why the Draenei and Orcs didn't inadvertently introduce smallpox equivalent plagues to the respective worlds each invaded and occupied)

Second is that Nurgle isn't the one bringing these plagues, the Horned Rat is, and one of the stand out skills of the Horned Rat is his ability to steal power from the Chaos Gods which had been a contributing factor to one of the less popular theories that Belakor is actually the stranger who placed the cursed bell that created the Skaven. So we can instead assume that any power gained thus far is being siphoned off by the Horned Rat.

Third is a factor I've been trying to hint at, but well the Azerothean mortals are the ones who discovered the portals and if it's not all being spells put for them by Gods or some grand discovery that just some how gives a magic exposition dump, they tend to be arrogant pig headed assholes who just invade and occupy places with one group being "bad" because they modernly do it for their own betterment and survival, and the other "good" because they do it for...good. This third factor will hopefully get explored and explained before it's rendered a non-factor, but again you can see hints of it in the subplots that happen seperately from the Horde, Alliance, Empire and Under Empire.

Dragon King of the West: Far far worse, for one Calia wouldn't be alive at the moment...or Morr's power would have proven to be far far too weak on Azeroth. But battle for Lordaeron made it clear the Alliance intended to take the city vut of course "muh evol horde" they blight their own city for no fucking reason and no "she didn't expect Anduin to eacape, she planned to decapitate the Alliance", when teleportation is a dime a dozen for the players, and for such major characters there's no way in hell they didn't have at least two forms of telelortation on hand...oh and Jaina Proudmoore litterally flew a naval warship up to the city, blew away all the previous blight, blew the city walls up since Sky Admiral Rogers could be fucking bothered to support her King in the biggest battle of his life, and walked into the throne room right next to the guy...so no Sylvanas used blight on her own city for no fucking reasin other than yo convince players of how evil she is. Sorry but while the scene was dramatic, it made no fucking sense, would actually make more sense if SI:7 detonated the Horde's blight stockpile (without permission) so as to deny the Horde such a horrific weapon and it then accidentally just spread to the city rather than burning away.

Thanquol plans to get warpstone...he's not suffering withdrawal symptoms...nope not at all. After that he's got only the greatest plans ever which would only fail because his stupid adventurers.

BloodRedRoses11: hey now, they understand commerse and cooperation... however any done without backstabbing or some form of cheating or betrayal makes no sense.

Hey, Volkmar was seen reading at least one book maybe even a second book, he should know everything about anything and clearly his refusal to help Calia is because he is evil. Bet he's so foolish as to not think the M-113 'gavin' is the greatest vehicle to exist in any universe and that the Air gavin isn't the smartest idea ever. (points to whomever gets what/who I'm mocking)

Would be a funny fever dream... although i think it would have been funny if they had used the moon to plug the northern rift.

Ravenguard0009: Yeah he has no reason to spare any undead. like I question if he even knows about Ulrika or anyone else like her.

And he might wish he was with his Templar Knights, but there's a very clear reason why Reiksguard were there in Mordheim at the portal site instead.

Well since Thanquol is here why wouldn't they be here (in his mind) after all he's convinced himself they know who he is and have dedicated their lives to stopping him.

Dude it's Gotrex and Felix... eventually they're going to just slaughter a Azeroth Dragon for seemingly no reason and then they're going to get in trouble, but then that Dragon will be revealed to have been a spy for... well no one because Blizzard fucking sucks and retcons out almost all their villains just to asspull them back in later...erasing the infinite Dragonflight... fucking bullshit!

JiggyliFAP: Well its more like it's an actualized and far less hypocritical version of the open societies version of NATO some old 'definitely not raised by Nazis' germans envisioned NATO becoming at any cost. But it still has many of the theoretical ("this is the guys hired by old german guys, open up, you committed the thought crime of thinking there are any flaws whatsoever with their version of NATO" ...oh fuck run, delete my browser history!") But the alliance seems to share most of the hypothetical positives, and clearly has but handwaives and ignores the hypothetical negatives...ex. if SI:7 is so great then why the hell are no name incompetent groups from the Horde and elsewhere able to achieve any level of spywork against the Alliance? well open borders, people able to go anywhere and engage in anything without identification or record of them ever being there or using said resoueces...yeah that would probably lead to some severe problems.

When WoW was newer i complained about that until i leanred about Data limits...but then as time went on and i watched them make new models and reskin fucking everything for the dozenth time, I then realized they had expanded those data limits and by then Blizzard was clearly on their path of becoming so lazy that Overwatch 2 was expected, and Warcraft 3 reforged was still a step up by the standards Blizzard sets for itself.

Oh I'm thinking of a overall, but it's still fairly rough and still competing with Blizzard both saying "gameplay is lore" then going full on meta without a damn given to lore treating it as such a barely worthy foot note, 90% of WoW players probably don't even know why Arthas was a badguy.

Makes sense and I was already running off the assumption that most Adventurers (outside the big guilds) by necessity have a journeyman level of knowledge in one or more crafts. I mean your basic foot soldier historically knew many of the basic low levels skills that are associated with many of the Jobs WoW gives players (Blizzard artificial stupidity forced on adventurers and "gameplay is lore" there's a reason i HATE that claim.)

Volkmar just didn't see/note any, after all a army so massive as what the Alliance gathered is going to take a lot of space. Also for the Night Elves the Sentinels are certainly not a professional army, they're more like the High Elves spearmen, aka levies with a few professional soldiers whi just so happen to be elves and thus by default better than everyone. For the Night Elves its via "because we said so"...i mean skill, yup definitely skill, no teenagers killing elves on mass here nor bullshit scenes where one of the greatest warriors in the world is bested by a edgy teen who picked up a hunk of metal that matches his favorite music brand. For the High Elves its bullshit discipline and coordination that's impossible for people so petty and whiny and all around spoiled along with author dependent super speed "spear thrusts that ended before my eye ever registered that they were preparing to strike" type bullshit.

You forget one thing, Skaven are more resistant to such things than other races. But yeah Thanquol is well Thanquol, when would his character ever sweat such minor unimportant details, if his minions fail to achieve his impossible requests then it's 100% their fault.

Funny bit is that Thanquol is actually rather smart for a Skaven and legitimately seems to have a gift for languages...he's just too Thanquol to actually apply his talents for anything that isn't for one of his schemes or his own ego.

As for the Elixir, problem with that, well besides Skaven being Skaven and even them not understanding their own language in its entirety, is that divide between the worlds hasn't yet fully been gaped, all the sides are learning about one another while simultaneously having elements on both sides hiding aspects about themselves or about the otherside from everyone. By the time the Horde figures out what sort of a mess Skaven culture is, the Skaven will have either already achieved a odd balance with the Horde, betrayed the Horde, or seen a faction fundamentally change...or all three because the Skaven's theme is to win big and lose massively all at the same time.

Well considering that it took Arthas, a prodigy, years to learn what's a button click, maybe a couple silver and a few hours of pig killing away for a PC, I'm while recognizing them, not really thinking anything that grants a skill as being nearly as powerful as it is.

Hakuryuu: Behold the power of studying your enemies, Ikit in some ways failed since he only did it for the tech...but he's damn good at doing it for tech.

And I've read it, laughed at how he's just Yuan Shao, which is still slightly better than the Embriodered Uniform Guard (Jǐnyīwèi) of the Ming Dynasty aesthetic that i sort of assumed he'd have being both an administrator and the basically Inquisitor of the Dragon Siblings...now he's daddy's executioner and administator.

Yes but since when has WoW ever done anything than instant fixes, complete with "not brainwashing" friendship rays, and cancelling faction leaders over easily misinterpreted statements (no Sylvanas didn't lose the duel because she used magic, magic is allowed unless specified...or it's a Hollywood movie, so she literally "lost" because the equivalent of a mean tweet) So "we have to wait like a decade or "gasp" a whole week for peasents to just appear out of the either?"

But on a much more serious about it, the Forsaken are still citizens of Lordaeron and claim right to the kingdom as it's where they were born, what they fought for and what they died for. Then there is the Scourge still occupying much of the kingdom which honestly the Forsaken would make a good buffer against (not counting the often forgotten/retconned out yet still vital to the Gilnean backstory Worgen immunity to undeath). Next there Calia herself and that any legitimate inhereitors to the Throne are all dead besides her MIA daughter, and anyone else is typically being championed by nutjobs like the Scarlett Crucade who for no explainable fucking reason are still trying to genocide anyone who isn't them. So on a realpolitik level it actually makes some sense, though obviously none of that level of consideration would ever pass through an alliance member's head without them first being mind controlled by evil, sleeping with evil, or generally being evil and destined to stepdown from their throne to worship at anduin's feet. (*cough* Genn it's been nearly a decade now and you have puppets on the thrones of the nations that occupied your homeland, your people aren't refugees anymore, their immigrants coming from a non-existent nation, give up your title and let someone actually worthy of advising the king take a spot near Anduin *cough*)

Thanquol indeed is Thanquol. Seven.

We may or may not have that. After all Volkmar isn't someone Shaw would trust, and Genn...Genn doesn't even recognize his own citizens as being worthy of his time, unless their in revolt, or otherwise refusing to die so he can gain social brownie points with the Stormwind nobility, and continue to do nothing to help restore Gilneas.

On the Anduin question... because Blizzard with WoW's tone and character themes and technology is about as consistent as GW was with the lore in the last three books of the Warhammer End times...aka they deliberately piss all over it and make it all about praising themselves. part of why i call the population on Azeroth Sheeple because they will blindly sacrifice themselves for a leader whom they worship as God one second, then have a coin or a new person to simp over flashed in front of them and they will immediately switch sides, and it's entirely expected and accepted, so long as the plot agrees, otherwise its horrible and they're somehow disloyal.

So the plot calls for Anduin's mother to die, so fuck that dumb cunt lets layer on the misogyny because how dare she live a millisecond longer than she should. plot calls for assassins to try and kill Anduin, their noble heroes fighting against a cruel king and his son...oh wait now their bad guys fuck em, oh wait now their insignificant so forgot that even happened after all no assassins blade could ever get close to anduin ever never ever in his life has he ever been endangered by a human blade. And you see that in their tech, one second they out tech, our gun, and out produce all of NATO, the next they can barely afford to equip all their men with chunks of metal to whack each other with. (personally i think Blizzard does with themes, races, and tech, what GW does to the game rules for models they're trying to push...aka over emphansising them and hard over balancing to try and force some notion onto people even if it's entirely contradictory to lore or good gameplay.

MadFrog2000: Nope you'll never see it again, never ever ever.

But we all know why Hearthstone is so watered down. Blizzard has a HR staffer for every writer, and another HR karen on staff for every two programmer slaves who must use they/thems correct hourly pronoun correctly or get the whip again. Blizzard went full ESG score obsessed, and nuked themselves so bad their hopes of independence from Steam are all but sunk.