Episode 41: The Dark Day Arrives

Blasted Lands: Eastern Kingdom

The day arrived without much warning. I had heard about Garrosh's escape from the trial in Pandaria, but then the world had gone quiet and life continued. I knew we had to be getting close to something important, so I started sending word to all of the contacts I had made over the last few years.

Then, word came from Nethergarde Keep. The forces of the Iron Horde had come through the portal and they were quickly taking ground. By the time our forces were able to respond, the Keep had fallen and these new foes were pushing deeper into our lands. I was not the only individual that Nozdormu had decided to save from death. I knew that, but I had never given it much consideration until now. As I rallied my allies and called on the strength of the Alliance, I watched as heroes of the Horde did the same.

The dragon's plan was coming together.

As the Alliance and Horde prepared to launch a major naval assault on the Blasted Lands, they feigned attack through the Swamp of Sorrows to distract the Iron Horde. Meanwhile, word came that a group of Horde attackers had claimed the Upper Blackrock Spire and intended to use a weapon of mass destruction. I scrambled to assemble a team of heroes and we diverted to that location.

Warlord Zaela and the Dragonmaw Clan were no match for our combined power.

The naval assault was successful. By the time my team reached the Blasted Lands the Horde and Alliance were punching through the enemy forces and reclaiming the shores. Khadgar, Thrall, and Maraad, a unified force, pushed us ever closer to the Dark Portal. When he finally cut off the enemy supplies we knew that destiny was calling us to push forward. Simply closing the portal would do us no good. We needed to go to the other side and destroy the portal for good.

I knew we were leaving many of the Iron Horde invaders here on Azeroth, but they would be without support from their leaders. Perhaps with time, some of them might even surrender and learn about the lies of their leader.

We arrived on the other side of the portal, not to find a desolate Outland, but instead a rich jungle. We were on Draenor, the Draenor of the past, before the destruction that would tear it asunder.

We went to work as quickly as we could. The first step was shutting down the portal, but the larger goal was destroying the structure entirely. Hundreds of our soldiers charged against the Iron Horde and nearly all of them died that day, but their sacrifice proved necessary and with some of the bravest work I've ever done, we rendered the portal inert.

Then, as the structure crumbled around us, we were forced to retreat through the jungle to escape the Iron Horde. Our forces fled to the sea and we stole several Iron Horde ships. Our forces split in two, with half joining the Draenei and the other half going with the Frostwolf. This divide was intentional. If the Alliance failed in their efforts, the Horde could survive, and vice versa. If all went according to plan, the two forces would rally support on Draenor and eventually destroy the Iron Horde on their own world.

Years of planning came to fruition and lasted only a few weeks. We had destroyed the portal and cut off the Iron Horde. Azeroth would be safe, for now, but if we wanted to survive this mess then we would need to take action and bring an end to the Iron Horde before they could regather, resupply, and rebuild.

The job was far from over.

TO BE CONTINUED!