Torchlight illuminated the halls of Grommash Hold, flickering hues of orange and red reflecting off the dark stone and blood-red and black flags that lined the room. A stiff breeze flowed through the inner sanctum, the single entrance to the fortress providing enough airflow for fresh air, but little more. Past rows of armed orc guards, encased in uncharacteristically heavy armor, and gathered around a thick, stone-carved table sat a delegation of figures such as this world had never seen before.
"This…do not be looking good." The dark refrain once again slipped from the lips of Vol'Jin, chief of the Darkspear Trolls, an esteemed shadow hunter in his own right. A thick, three-fingered hand rested at his chin, stroking the tuft of red goatee that contrasted his blue skin in thought. Perhaps taller than eight feet standing erect, the chieftain stooped low as most of his kind did, a heavy hunch and gangly posture not only bringing him down to the level of the smaller races in the room, but allowed him to more easily glance at the various figurines and reports on the map in front of him. A deep rumble stirred from across the table, deep in thought. Grey-furred, horned, and with little such ability to make himself appear smaller, an old tauren knelt on the other side of the table, the braids of his mane and beard swaying as he shook his head.
"No, my friend. They do not." The voice of the old bull-man was gravel and bass, gently resonating in the main chamber of the keep. Grunting slightly as he stood up, the tauren towered over everyone in the room, and despite his great age, appeared hale and hearty enough to take at least half of them in a fight should the need ever arise. Another contemplative hum rumbled within his chest, the feathers of his headdress waving slightly as he shook his head. Pointing towards the center of the map, at a long, yellow-colored slice of land near the coast of a large continent, the eldest of the room rested a thick finger at a central hub in the area, represented by a red bloodstone carved into the shape of some spike-covered fortress.
"Although not all is lost, yet. Fortifications in the Barrens do seem to be going well, it seems. The Crossroads is already sought-after as a market for trade and hunters alike, and last I heard, we had favorable negotiations with the goblins in Ratchet?"
A mirthless laugh rang out from the head of the table. A smirk marred the otherwise stony countenance of the orc at the head of the delegation, whose black and brass armor reflected the dancing lights of the many ensconced torches in the room. Like many others in the dimly-lit chamber, the orc's gauntleted hand stroked at his chin as he looked over the proceeding, icy blue eyes peering out from under a heavy brow at the world map the various leaders in the room pored over. Leaning back into the stone and wood throne behind him with a sigh, the orc's armor jangling slightly as he settled into the furs laid down for comfort, he extended a conciliatory hand out to the tauren at his right side.
"Ancestors bless them, the goblins make wonderful crafts and weapons, but they take ages to work out their damnable contracts." The raven-haired orc's voice was not so deep as either of the older representatives at the table, but carried the vigor and energy of youth, and fresh, optimistic spirit. "But yes, Cairne, you are right, as ever. Our holdings in central Kalimdor are strong, and are only growing in resilience. Orgrimmar and Thunder Bluff are near inseparable, and no true threats lie between Mugore and Durotar that could threaten our most vital supply line." The tauren chieftain lifted his head in acknowledgement, pleased with this news. Shaggy eyebrows furrowed for a moment, and then raised as if to speak, but the orc's voice beat him to the punch.
"But then what of Stonetalon? Feralas? The border of the Barrens and Ashenvale is alight with skirmish after skirmish, despite our supposed treaty with the night elves. The northern lands of Hyjal, Azshara, Darkshore, and Felwood all have little save outposts under our control, and the south is crawling with all manner of beasts and untamed lands." The room fell into a hush for a moment then, contemplating over the grim state of affairs. Running a hand through his shock of red hair, Vol'jin sighed and stretched, popping his back before returning to his usual hunch, leant over the table. He pointed southeast of the Barrens, and then again across the ocean that separated the map's two largest continents, gesturing to the northern regions of the yet-unmentioned landmass.
"Ah, but we do have some good news, ya? Rumor tells we got some sorta friendship with de Lady Proudmoore down in Theramore, eh Thrall? Ha!" The troll cackled, shaking his head in mirth. Composing himself, he continued. "But anyway, what of ol Sylvanas in de Eastern Kingdoms? She be sending envoys to us, or so my scouts be tellin me. I don't trust a banshee as far as I can throw her, but an ally is an ally, especially with no otha footholds across de sea." If Thrall, Warchief of the Horde, was amused by the troll's joke, he did an excellent job of hiding it. Nevertheless, he inclined his head in agreement to the shadow hunter's point.
"All of that is true enough, my friend. It is…not easy to maintain an alliance with humans, even those led by the Lady Jaina. But she remembers our combined efforts at Hyjal, and is sensible enough to hold to a truce. I am grateful for that. The last thing we need is an Alliance naval outpost right on our doorstep. And as for the Forsaken - yes, they have made an appeal to join with the Horde. I find them hard to trust as well, their 'Banshee Queen' most of all, but as you said, we cannot afford to be picky with allies, especially in so strategic a location."
Cairne stirred at the mention of the Forsaken, the faction of free-willed undead that bore reasoning and thought, if no particular friendliness to the living. With a soft scrape of hooves on stone, the wizened chief lumbered closer to where the Eastern Kingdoms lay on the map etched into the stone table's face.
"Negotiations with the Forsaken have progressed amicably, I am gladdened to say! The Archdruid Hamuul has just recently returned from the Undercity, and has made great strides in assuaging our concerns as to the loyalty of the undead. They may not be kindred spirits to the rest of the Horde, but partners at the very least. But as for our concerns back home, if I may offer a suggestion?" Thrall perked up at this, eager for a way out of the political woes that beset him so early into his leadership of the Horde. He nodded, distinctive blue eyes looking up to meet the amber of who was usually the most soft-spoken of the room. A small smile broke loose on Carine's face, looking fondly on the young Warchief.
"Mercenaries." The word took the small council by surprise, the various ambassadors and second-in-commands in the retinues of their leaders murmuring at the suggestion. Cairne continued on. "Or adventurers, sellswords, whatever we wish to call them. But our ability to call forth soldiers to address any and any threat is currently beyond us. If we are to hold fast together as one force, we need a standing army, and that army cannot be scattered to the winds like so much dust upon the plains. So we encourage adventure. Lure them in with the promise of treasure and glory, riches and conquest. Have them fulfill their duty to the Horde, yes, but allow them the reign to travel the lands, assist where they are most needed."
One by one, eyes flickered to the Warchief, looking on to see his verdict. Heavy eyebrows loomed dark over the orc's eyes as he thought, one hand idly fingering the haft of the warhammer at his side. With a huff, he straightened himself up in the throne, and once again met the old bull's eyes. A grin split his lips, tusks gleaming in the firelight. "Cairne, I have half a mind to order you by my side at all times for such sage advice. That is a fine idea indeed! One of my own advisors mentioned a similar concept that he heard from the goblins. 'Contractors', he called them? But the name isn't a concern." Thrall paused again, mulling the idea over some more.
"I like it. Very much so. Kor'kron!" At the mention of their name, the guards posted along the entrance to Grommash Hold snapped to attention, weapons clanking against their breastplates in salute. "Send word to the criers. Have them draft notices calling any willing and able-bodied warriors and adventurers to our service. For adventure, and glory. Have them post these notices in every city, town and village in our lands. Let them be the instruments of our will, the vanguard of our might. Lok'tar ogar! For the Horde!"
AN: Hey all! Welcome to my little story. I've been dreaming up a Warcraft SYOC for years at this point, and figured it was high time that I actually made one. I've been following and submitting to SYOCs for a while, and have even helped co write and advised the creation of a few myself. But none of that quite scratched that itch I was looking for, and so here's A Call to Arms!
For those of you unfamiliar with the Warcraft franchise - don't worry! One of my goals with this story is to make it as approachable as possible for both veterans and newcomers to the games and the lore.
Speaking of, this is not going to be 100% lore accurate! In fact, I'm kind of going for a kitchen-sink setting, where elements from all the WoW expansions can coexist. This prologue, for example, is set in the timeframe between Warcraft 3 and World of Warcraft, but I plan on incorporating elements from multiple different eras of time and finding the best possible connections to make such things plausible. So that means that Pandaren, Death Knights, or Demon Hunters are all viable options for characters with a good enough explanation! Just make a compelling character and I'll be more than happy to work together to tell an awesome and fitting story with them that still feels natural within the worldbuilding.
Speaking of characters, it depends on how many submissions I receive, but I'm looking for a total cast of around 10 to 12 characters! That number is flexible, but I'm hoping to keep it well under 20, just for the sake of my own mental well being trying to balance so many characters lol. If you've noticed a lack of POV or main character, I intend on releasing another chapter during the submission period, to give a bit more context to the world, and to hopefully inspire creativity in you all!
The form is posted in my profile, and I'll shortly have a followup chapter posted that will help you all get a better feel for the world and the many options you have to choose from when making a character! When submitting, please do so through DMs and not reviews, and be sure to mention the title of the story, as well as the race/class combo you've chosen for your OC. If you have any questions or want to branch out and try something unique or unconventional, feel free to hit me up! I'll be more than happy to try and make creative ideas work. ^^
Additionally, a link to a discord server for this story is in my profile!
See y'all soon!