Anduin once again found himself mired with meetings; today he was seeing far too many people and for far too many different reasons. He had planned to start the morning simply enough, but then an envoy came from Silvermoon City. Not of the Horde, however, but claiming to carry the authority and voice of the Von Carstein family. Meaning that now he had to greet the Vampire in court and before an audience of Stormwind's nobility and various Alliance representatives; anyone of status enough to freely enter Stormwind Keep would witness Anduin's first meeting with the Vampire.
Anduin knew enough; the Von Carsteins were bloodthirsty vampires who thought it was their right to rule the Empire of Man on the other side of the portal, and Mordheim lay close to the portion of the Empire they most heavily contested, Sylvania. And these were the same vampires who had independently attacked the Alliance expedition and then joined forces with the Horde to press the attack onto Azeroth and who defended Brill. However, according to the SI:7 reports, the vampires who were at Brill were not the ones now heading to his court, and they were all subject to the rule of Manfred Von Carstein, who apparently hadn't been killed when the Empire claimed he had.
But this unexpected meeting wasn't the only event for today; later there was Shandris, who had come all the way from Kalimdor to petition the Alliance, likely to try and have the Alliance shift forces to defend Mount Hyjal. While Anduin didn't think they would change anything of the current battle plan despite Shandris's tactics and claims, at least giving Shandris her deserved respect and his full attention was necessary.
There was also Volkmar, who would need a private audience to plan their journey to Altdorf. As well as sitting through the various diplomatic petitioners, both to ensure the king would ensure the Alliance's selected 'diplomat,' whom none of them knew was going to be Anduin himself, would take to the Empire and voice their own interests and concerns to Volkmar as the Empire's current representative.
But now Anduin was in court waiting for the vampires to make their appearance, mirrors positioned so a wall of sunlight stood between him and where they were standing. After the first five petitioners met Anduin in court, the court crier left and several minutes later came back. "Now announcing Lady Alya Von Carstien, the representative of Elector Count Mannfred Von Carstien of Sylvania, rightful claimant to the throne of the Empire of Man. And her entourage, lady Henrietta Grohl and retainer Abram Turnau." And Anduin couldn't accuse them of not having a good courtroom flair, as when Alya entered, it was with a gust of wind that caused the mostly open doors to slam open entirely, and most flowed in, covering the floor as Alya strode in as if she owned the room.
Next to her, Henrietta walked with a stiff military bearing and a cold, detached expression. Her black cape flowing behind her as she briskly walked after Alya. This other vampire was clearly some form of bodyguard or knight, wearing a combination of fitted armor similar to the few pieces of armor visible on Alya and Horde Plate armor that was increasingly common among adventurers who fought for the Horde, all dyed red. Where Alya was supremely confident and exuded her attitude, Henrietta silently scanned the room as they entered, her face a cold mask showing no reaction to what she saw.
Lastly was the man Abram Turnau, though calling the thing next to the two vampires a man was certainly a stretch. The robed skeleton walked while leaning heavily on its staff; the staff was made of black mangled wood, and its tip was wrapped around a black stone that exuded a dark purple aura. Its clothing was stained and covered in dirt, yet the unnatural glow in its eye sockets gave the skeleton an aura of intelligence, letting Anduin know that the being was assessing and judging everyone it looked at.
Then the trio reached the center of the court, where their leader then took Henrietta's hand and engaged in a low curtsey, dropping so low Anduin thought she was about to sit before rising again with a smile of unwavering arrogance. "King Anduin of Stormwind. I hath come to speak on behalf of my liege lord. My former paramore and sire, Aleksandr Von Carstein, has attacked thy armies and pilfered your Alliance's subjects without the consent of the Night Court and clearly to your great displeasure. Worse yet, he marched his armies upon your rightful lands without a proper declaration of war. As such, our Liege Lord wishes to bargain with you, carrying all of his goodwill and desire for... peace."
A swift murmur spread throughout the crowd, but the voice of Count Erlgadin, a well-known advocate among the nobility for the laborers of Stormwind, swiftly cut through the murmur and broke into the discussion. "While we of the Alliance certainly would love to have peace with your people, what assurances can you give us that any efforts towards this will be for the good of the citizens of our kingdoms? How can we know this is genuine?"
In response, Alya bared her fangs at Count Erlgadin, and for a second, Anduin feared that they would need to intervene. "You are speaking to a lady of Sylvania's night court! We are the eternal keepers of the world; a creature of a pitiful hundred years deserves no oaths; you should listen to and obey your betters. But this is also a lesson Aleksandr has failed to learn." She now stalked towards Erlgadin, and Anduin could feel the room tense as she drew closer.
"I smell Aleksandr's supreme arrogance upon you, to think you know better than your betters. To look at the flocks below thyself and think the animals your equal. To think of uplifting those clearly undeserving of your attention." While Erlgadin froze in terror, Alya ran her tongue along his neck.
"Your blood is sickening, no better than Daemon piss. Just the smell of it makes me sick to my stomach. But if you want assurances, you will have to prove thyself worthy. So allow me to lay out the offer: thy kingdoms will declare their recognition for Sylvania's status as an independent Grand County. In return, Manfred will cease his plans to follow through with the course Aleksandr so foolishly began. Aleksandr will be punished; bound in a chained coffin, he will be forced to endure years of bloodthirst. Locked away, he will have no power over the world until he finally devolves, becoming nothing more than the monster you know him to be at his core. Mindless and thirsty, perfect prey for your champions to hunt." While she had pulled from Count Erlgadin in disgust, she prowled, looking among the crowd eagerly.
However, Anduin wasn't here to entertain a show; this was diplomatic business. "So the Vampire Counts of Sylvania plan to continue this war unless the Alliance supports their claims over the territory of Sylvania?"
The Vampress stopped mid-stride and looked to Anduin, the glare of sunlight between her and the High King forcing her to squint her eyes. "This is a showing of my liege's good faith. The Horde is offering far more; however, they clearly misunderstand the Von Carstein family. We are, after all, the true stewards of the Empire. Its subjects are our own. To pretend as though we want independence and a separate empire is to go against everything we have worked so hard for. They even offer sanctuary for those willing, within their lands."
The Vampress then spread out her arms. "This first demand, as trifling as it is compared to what has been offered, would see Aleksandr punished and destroyed for what he hath laid upon your Alliance and would be the first gesture of good will. And for a measly two more concessions, my liege will go far further. You will speak for us, make the Empire accept Mannfred Von Carstien as a rightful Elector of the Empire, and you will allow him and his servants unrestricted access to your libraries of magic, to the city you call Dalaran. In exchange, you will be securing yourself from the Empire's internal turmoils started by the three false claimants to the Imperial Throne. You will be securing an ally for this war; our power will become thy own, the dead shall shield your portals and deny the Horde theirs, and you then may, with our blessing, break them and lay them into their graves or into chains. Peace in your lifetime."
A new voice then cut through the air. "You're promising war and subjugation while talking of peace. What kind of peace comes from subjugation and fear?" Calia Menethil challenged stepping forward to be seen while Count Erlgadin faded back into the crowd.
"The only peace that lasts enough for someone as short-lived as a human to care about." Rather than Alya the bodyguard, Henrietta butted in with a glare aimed at Calia.
The undead princess scowled back at the vampires. "That's not peace; that's tyranny of the strong over the weak!"
Now the skeletal Abram spoke. "You seem to be missing the point. You are at war; either you impose your will via strength, or your enemy does. The peace you seek comes after the war is concluded, after the thing you call tyranny has already occurred. By that, all peace is a result of what you call tyranny. What Manfred is offering starts at the baseline of keeping us uninvolved with your war and punishing Aleksandr for his role in this mess. From there it's a mere question of how much you're truly willing to commit to winning and ensuring no further war in your near future."
While Anduin could see that worldview, he also disliked it. His father had spared the Horde such tyranny because they had hoped for a brighter future; it was the Legion who had thrown that future on its head. However, before Anduin could speak, another voice cut in. "I support the idea of achieving peace with the people of Sylvania. Our farms and our children would greatly appreciate a turn for the better." Lord Tremaind claimed stepping forward, and Anduin had his own high hopes for the Lord's son, for the idea of a peaceable generation of nobles who actually cared for the individual needs of the people in Stormwind, but Tremaind himself was a mixed bag of a man, a possible shadow supporter of the Defias Brotherhood back when Anduin was young. He was almost obsessive over the care of Stormwind's farmers and was among the first to raise his voice in protest when the draft was called up for the farmers.
"Don't be a fool!" Alleria stepped forward, her son Arator the Redeemer, futilely reaching out as if trying to stop her. "The undead lie, both to themselves and to others around them, whatever good was left within them; necromancy has made sure to strip it away."
Across from Alleria, Calia Menethil winced but remained silent. While Calia remained silent, soon the crowd around Lord Tremaind jumped in, trying to shout down the famed Elven hero. A clear faction dedicated to the idea of ending the war as soon as possible was now in an outburst trying to shout down Alleria. And as Anduin feared, soon voices shouting the name of Volkmar and citing the Siege of Lordaeron's tragedies rose from across the room.
And as the chaos erupted across the room with various individuals shouting to be heard over one another, the Vampress stood in the center, just out of the sunlight, her gaze locked with Anduin's. Then with a subtle gesture, Anduin signaled for Genn. "Silence!" The Gilnean shouted before howling to drown out the noise.
Anduin then stood. "Your offers are tempting. However, I cannot concede to such an ultimatum against not only Stormwind but the Alliance as a whole. As High King, my duty is to not only Stormwind but also all of the Alliance, and the demands you are making affect all the members of the Alliance and states outside of my command. As such, this debate must be postponed until later, until after we can gather representatives from the Council of Three Hammers, the High Tinkerer, as well as the other available leaders. If your liege can wait, it will take several days, possibly weeks, to gather them all and reach a joint conclusion."
In truth, this was a stalling tactic; Gelbin and the Gnomes were effectively a client state of Ironforge, and the Council of Three Hammers could all be gathered within a few days, and Anduin could more or less guess their reactions. As for anyone else, they were already here or had already ceded their say to Anduin until they reclaimed it.
However, the announcement did as Anduin hoped. Alya curtsied low before returning to her two companions, speaking only loud enough to just be heard. "We will eagerly await your decision, King of Stormwind." Anduin could only hope as the vampire left that the rest of this day wouldn't be as politically charged as this meeting.
Anduin sighed as he sat across from Volkmar as the Imperial offered him tea, a flavor that had become the elder man's favorite on Azeroth. Despite the fact this was still very much work for the King and would carry significant weight for the future negotiations with the Empire, after the turbulent hours of political factionalism and complaints in the Royal Court, this was well-needed relaxation for Anduin by comparison.
"I will not tell you how to run your kingdom, Anduin. But the Empire knows the Von Carstiens more than enough. They're only here negotiating because they have a plot in mind that they would need you for. All a vampire wishes to do is conquer and rule over others. There will be no peace." Volkmar stated before sipping on tea.
Anduin took his sip of tea before answering. "While I don't think that statement is true, I do agree with the sentiment. The threat in Sylvanian Count's offer and their offer itself. Mannfred is after something, and the Alliance as it is right now isn't in a position to reject, but looking to the future we may soon be beyond the need of their offer and able to endure their threat. Meanwhile, if we take their offer, it may well put the Alliance at risk in the future."
"Certainly." Was all Volkmar could respond with as he sipped his tea, and the first knock came from the chamber door.
"Enter." Anduin ordered, and after several seconds, the familiar form of Gelbin Mekkatorque appeared.
"Ah, King Anduin, Volkmar I'm glad to find you both in such good status. As High Tinkerer, I wanted to swing by and make a few requests of you, Lord Volkmar, before you return to your homeland. See, thanks to the little bit of information that has been allowed to pass from your Empire to us, I was able to hear a tale about your Empire's colleges for engineers. While many of our own engineering feats are rather impressive, and this is no insult to your world's finest minds, we have engineers who have well surpassed some of the greatest designs from your world I have been made aware of. Yet somehow in our world the notion of a scholarly institution for training engineers was lost to us. The only ones started were in Gnomeregan, but both the city and its institutions for starting youth on their scientific journeys were lost to us, likely forever. It must have been all the time at work trying to be the latest and greatest and trying to solve the latest and greatest crisis rather than thinking of preparing the next generation that has led to this situation. Almost everything we've achieved in these last decades has been through the good graces of sharing schematics, individual geniuses, and good-natured apprenticeships that, for the most part, had all turned out for the better. But now we have an entire generation of Gnomes and potential scholars who've been lost to magical pursuit, or less scientific achievements, and Gnomish technological exceptionalism is being lost in favor of making much more mundane gadgets or weapons of war." Anduin smiled as Gelbin spoke; of anyone, it seems like the High Tinkerer was exactly what Anduin was hoping for with negotiations with the Empire. The Empire had the institutions and the infrastructure the Alliance could use; no needed to progress. While the Alliance had the talent and technology the Empire lacked.
However, Volkmar looked rather uninterested. "While I wish I could say I'm interested or can say anything definitive. The Imperial Engineers School and College of Engineering of Nuln are not places I'm a part of, nor do I hold much sway over outside perhaps endorsing a candidate who may come from a priestly parentage. However, I'm certain a trade of your designs and patents to the colleges will have them eagerly opening their doors to anyone you suggest."
Gelbin smiled widely, sitting in a chair too large for himself, holding his own cup of tea, which the High Tinkerer was unlikely to finish. "Well, that's good; I was hoping to see if you knew the credentials of your colleges. I've heard some very mixed things about the technology of your Empire and its production."
However, as Gelbin tried to fish for more information, it was clear that Volkmar either didn't know or was unwilling to share anything more. "Those are still questions for the colleges or for Nuln and their gunsmiths. My duty is to the Empire and to my God Sigmar; I only know such things as what I can make use of in service to Sigmar."
"Right, right. Still, I was hoping you might have some idea as to the production capabilities of the Empire, to see what we might be able to give them so they can start immediately producing on their own without being dependent on the Alliance for parts." Anduin knew that Gelbin was asking something well beyond Volkmar's ability to provide; even Anduin himself couldn't say with sufficient accuracy if he knew enough about what Stormwind produced to give an overview that would satisfy the High Tinkerer's curiosity.
Volkmar just gave a smile back before answering. "I'll have to ask Emmanuelle von Liebwitz if she has a record of last year's production from Nuln that may give you an idea of what the Empire is capable of."
From there they drank their tea, exchanging pleasantries before Gelbin left, allowing Anduin to write some quick notes and another knock to come at the door, allowing the next petitioner to begin.
"Enter." And in response, Aysa Cloudsinger opened and stepped through the door. For a moment, Volkmar tensed at Anduin's side before relaxing again. The Pandaren certainly wasn't anything near what the old priest had expected to see, but it was reassuring to see the man relax so quickly, even if Anduin noted how quickly Volkmar moved to take another sip of his tea.
"Aysa Cloudsinger, I'm surprised to see you here today. Did you have something to request of our diplomatic envoy we are planning to send to the Empire of Man?" Anduin asked, genuinely surprised by the Pandaren's presence, her blue and bronze-colored robes neatly folding as she moved for the chair opposite of Volkmar. Her green eyes firmly locked on the man.
"Anduin, as you should know, the way of the Tushui is to seek proper perspective in all things. After learning of the Empire of Man and that their Cult of Sigmar's own leader was here, I wished to know more. And finding that the Alliance will be engaging in diplomacy with the Empire. Perhaps to even seek the forming of a coalition with them, I feel divided. I wished to join Jaina on her journey of reconciliation with her family. But I feel I would best be enlightened by joining the expedition to the Empire Capital." The Pandaren explained while Volkmar and Anduin looked on.
"Well, that's good, but certainly you could have made the request differently. Arranging a meeting like this certainly would have taken up a considerable amount of your time." Anduin pointed out to the Pandaren, who simply shrugged her shoulders.
"I could have, but I didn't. I first wanted to see if I could learn something of the Empire's values by meeting the head of the cult centered around its first Emperor." Aysa explained as she took a meditative pose on the chair across from Volkmar, who simply raised his eyebrow at the Pandaren.
"Are you also a disciple of a God? Is it this Tushui?" Volkmar asked, which earned a good-natured smile from his opposite.
"No, I am the leading master of the Tushui philosophy. Our monks seek to master their inner minds and their bodies so that we might better serve our fellows or our gods should we be called upon." Fortunately, Volkmar seemed satisfied with that answer, and Aysa didn't seem too intent on providing too much more information.
Volkmar then leaned back in his seat. "What is it that you wish to know?" And then Anduin began to listen as the pairing of the Grand Theogonist and the Master of the Tushui Pandaren.
Anduin started his war room meeting almost immediately after completing his meetings with Volkmar's petitioners. While Anduin had to run to the War Room, where an impatient Genn Graymane, Mathias Shaw, as well as an Ironforge Guard Marshall and a Gnomish technician, were already prepared and waiting for the King. Of course all of this was for Shandris' sake, but it was good for Anduin to be in the right state of mind and prepared for Shandris, so Genn immediately started taking the young king over the current state of the war and the disposition of all known units involved.
"Alright, everyone be ready for Shandris; there are things obviously that neither you nor she knows, and I can't afford to share. Try to make her see our point from a strategic side of things." Anduin ordered just as knocking came from outside the War Room's doors.
The general looked haggard when she entered; she favored her arm, which Anduin had been told was nearly entirely lost while on Mallus. But the Elf looked bright and hopeful, though Anduin felt something beneath her bright smile. "Anduin, I'm glad you were willing to see me." The general of the Sentinel army stated with a warm greeting and a formal salute to the High King, which Anduin accepted graciously.
Anduin smiled and gestured to the strategy table. "I'm glad you arrived; we were just setting up a map of Kalimdor. Maybe you want to brief everyone here on what the warfront there currently looks like?" The High King suggested while the map of northern Kalimdor was secured in place and initial tokens laid out. Anduin certainly wasn't lying. Genn had genuinely just reached the topic of Kalimdor, a coincidence Anduin was more than happy happened, as it would spare them time switching over to the topic while briefing Shandris on the situation in the Eastern Kingdoms that, as a Night Elf and General with millennia of experience under her belt, she almost certainly had already reviewed and understood before coming.
The general of the Sentinel army of Darnassus looked the table over, analyzing each piece, and began laying out the tokens representing the Sentinel army and the Horde forces, showing even locations that Anduin and the war room's analysts were not able to confirm before. "The Sentinels and the Horde have been locked in a stalemate all across the Ashenvale forest; meanwhile, Darkshore remains solidly in their control along with most of the waters around Kalimdor. The Sentinels and the Defenders of Hyjal have been hamstrung until just recently thanks to the Horde's tunnel to the peak of Mount Hyjal. As the Horde would send routine raids up the tunnel. Upon arriving back on Azeroth, I had the Sentinels change tactics, focusing on particular strips of Ashenvale to try and isolate portions of the Horde's forces, and to cover for another attack I set in motion over a month ago now."
While Anduin had a good clue as to what force that attack included, he had to question what exactly the General meant to do. So Shandris grabbed three tokens that would normally symbolize Stormwind's infantry before she answered the silent question hanging in the air. "I secured a commitment from the Empire of Man; in exchange for trade agreements and loans we will need to repay, the Empire granted me an army of their own to use. We snuck them through Ashenvale and through the Stonetalon Mountains. Sometime this week they should be pushing through the Great Gate of Mulgore and occupying Mulgore to both force a Horde response and to cut off a large portion of Durotar's food reserves. Which should weaken their position enough that we may be able to, in effect, remove Durotar from the war if not force a capitulation if we strike them while Mulgore is occupied."
Anduin fought back a sigh; this meant that Shandris was dragging the Empire into the war and was throwing them right into the middle of it all. And all before anyone else had a chance to properly negotiate with them. Already she was incurring a debt that would certainly impact the negotiations that Anduin had been planning for in secret.
But before anyone else could speak to question Shandris on her choices, Genn was already on a tirade, his focus locked on Mathias. "What? Why weren't we already informed of this, Mathias? I know you should have known!" Genn growled at the SI:7 leader.
Mathias Shaw, meanwhile, calmly raised his hands while casting a look to Shandris. "We know you came with an Empire army, but we thought your target was going to be the Barrens. So I figured the target wasn't worthy of note as much as the presence of the army, their capabilities, and the implications for future relations with the Empire."
Anduin sighed, his heart split; on one hand, he stood looking at the war map, considering the military situation and the desperation his people, let alone the Kaldorei, must be feeling. But he also thought of his private friendship with Baine and how he was now standing by and approving as war was being sent to their door. He didn't want to inflict hardship upon his friend, but looking at the map, he could understand the logic, cruel as it was, of Shandris. "You don't think this will motivate the Horde? Give strength to their extremists and drive the war to new heights."
"It's already at those heights, Anduin! And we don't have time for this war. The Skaven aren't the worst things waiting for us on Mallus, and so long as this war is ongoing, we're vulnerable." Shandris snapped back, that feral look Anduin had been wary of now at the forefront, showing the lengths the woman would be willing to go for this war, the lengths she had been brought to by Malfurion's injury and the burning of Teldrassil.
"So what ye, want we to do, lass?" The Dwarven representative for Ironforge and Anduin's carefully chosen voice of reason stated, pointing to the map.
Shandris moved gabbing ship tokens and placed them in the waters around Durotar while putting a small number of Dwarf, Gnome, and Stormwind tokens on southern Durotar. "I don't expect us to siege or take Orgrimmar. But if we were to strike Durotar and siege the Echo Isles with our ships, we should be able to significantly weaken the Horde. The Orcs, Trolls, and Tauren would be faced with shortages and be cut off from one another, at least for a time, and the Stormwind fleet and the Sky Admiral forces would prevent a Horde attack on the Empire troops under us. That's multiple major elements of the Horde momentarily removed from play and vital trade cut. Even if it's for a week, this should have a ripple effect across the entire Horde, and it should force them to come back to the negotiation table, and maybe we can make them see reason if not make them outright surrender."
It was a hopeful view, but one Anduin knew wasn't going to work, especially considering the state Shandris looked to be in at this very moment. Anduin even questioned if this really was about ending the war more quickly or if Shandris wasn't harboring something else in her heart at this moment, something she wasn't willing to admit.
Genn shook his head before answering the Kaldorei. "Or it could make them all the more willing to commit more atrocities. They're already off the deep end."
Mathias raised his hand. "The political situation in the Horde themselves has changed since you were gone, Shandris. The plan might have worked, and I regret I didn't talk with you. SI:7 could have made efforts to help make things run smoother. But Baine's no longer allowed to contact Anduin; the Skaven and the Vampires hold prominent positions along with Jaster among Sylvanas's advisors. And—"
Anduin sighed loudly, cutting off Mathias Shaw before finishing for him. "And I don't have the men to spare. I'm already forced to bring up farmers and enact conscription policies. Stormwind simply doesn't have the forces to make such an invasion happen without abandoning entire fronts to the Forsaken and the Skaven."
Anduin watched as Shandris' eyes lost focus, the elf swaying on her feet as her nostrils flared before she finally responded. "I'm suggesting a path to victory, to win the war." She growled at everyone in the room.
"At the cost of Stromgarde, Ironforge, Gnomeregan, the endangerment of Stormwind, and the destruction of any remaining good faith we might hold with the people of the Horde. Even if we win, if we do this, they'll hate us forever, and we will never see peace. I'm sorry, but the timing of everything is poor; if it had been earlier, or if we had another ally to provide fresh Azerothean troops, I'd give the plan consideration. Try to find a way to both enact it while not squandering whatever goodwill we might have among the Horde's people so it's they who cry for peace well above and louder than those few braying for an excuse to kill." Anduin stated, trying to reach out to Shandris with his sympathetic words, hoping that she'd see reason, but the general was cold and filled with rage.
"And so all we will find is a new war crafted out of hubris." Shandris retorted before turning silently and storming out of the room, her screams of rage echoing through Stormwind Keep nearly a minute after she left.
Anduin looked around the room in sympathy for the general but knowing that the meeting was now effectively over. Shandris wasn't wrong, not in a way that Anduin could object to her plan. But she was missing the larger picture; she was dragging Mallus further into this war rather than keeping the war away from the people of this other world, keeping the possibility of this war spiraling out of control as more and more unknown actors became involved to a minimum. And then, of course, he had to keep his plans for negotiations with the Empire, his wild idea to try and see the Empire formally join into the Alliance as a permanent member, secret from everyone, and that, of course, included the military implications. Perhaps if he could have told her, Shandris would abandon her current course, but Anduin had no clue as to where her plan would lead the Kaldorei General.
Reviews:
Guest 1:Nice guesses, would be real amazing if you could narrow down to the region for options on your guess.
Guest 2:all true, but after Cathay Eatallia was my favorite Warhammer Fantasy Armies project extra faction to play as, and really my 3rd favorite overall. Add in the RP books, and Andy's discussions with Sotek and there's a very strong basis for them already when the time comes and they're certainly not getting the End Times off screen instant wipe treatment GW gave.
Ironwall:if it gets worse, or has some other use. And as for Gotrek and Felix, I'm having too much fun keeping them off screen but referenced doing absurd feats.
Antonio ranza: stellios, stellios Contos, stellios, stellios Contos.
BloodRedRoses11: well Ikit is profitable, and Gallywix loves profit. Ikit doesn't care about profit outside it's use to his obsession.
rollynolly: More than a few, just shy of half the human states don't mesh or outright would be hostile to the Alliance and of course of the non-human ones it's worse. Like the Lizardmen are outright a problem with this story, because they were designed to see something outside the great plan and genocide it for example the Moon Empress' entire species, all the races who flocked to swear fealty to Chaos when the Gates first broke open, etc.
ravenguard0009: While Volkmar would be a useful asset for Anduin, he's also serving the Empire first, which makes him evil and detestable by Alliance fanboy standards since he's not kissing Anduin's feet like a certain someone. Instead he's got similar evil untrustworthy thoughts like the most evil Alliance leader Moira Thaurissan. The evil woman who dared to love someone of another culture, and who embraced another culture, and who wants that culture to be prosperous as a independent but active participant of the Alliance... Oh she's just so untrustworthy and detestable, especially with how she was upset over how Alliance adventurers murdered her husband and the father of her child, and yet still chose to support the Alliance anyways.
The Horde is always on the verge of self implosion thanks to Blizzard writing, literally every organization and species on Azeroth hates the Horde, the Horde races and organizations included particularly since they want to see their own race suffer and die...THRALL...
Amanwithhobbies: well that seems to be the usual. If it's not immediately corrupting they ignore it until it's far too late even if they have to be as blind as Dora the Explorer, if it's immediately corrupting they get immediately corrupted and 180 their entire world view in less than ten seconds despite lore claims saying such corruption is impossible for twenty different reasons.
micelzod: bla bla bla, the Brine Wife, bla bla bla, Currens, bla bla bla, you'll never stop me, bla bla, evil plan bla bla, unfathomable power, bla bla.
Hakuryuu:little excessive on the 40K examples there, Fantasy is where the Daemons were really multifaceted in that regard. And as for the Dark Tongue, no it's infectious, a memetic hazard. And learning it is actually impossible because there are multiple conflicting variations that are all true and that can all be understood if you know one since it defies logic in that way. After all who would have thaught it to Jaina?
MadFrog2000:No Captain Günther is just stuck in that limbo of not being important enough to have to include in the most recent events but too important to risk/kill off either.
OscuroSignore-51: you'll have to see, and while Blizzard certainly has done a fair number of their Villains, and non-villian antagonists extremely dirty they've still held onto some good elements.