Thrall + Aggra, Garrosh vs Cairne, SPOILERS AHOY!

[Jangalian]

Ah, I'm officially jealous now. Thrall got himself a lady friend in beta! Poor Jaina, she's going to be stuck with Wrynn.

!!!SPOILERS!!! - sourced from Wow.com

Thrall

Drek'thar's increasing senility caused Palkar only pain and a fierce desire to wish the world were otherwise, the world that Drek'Thar was so convinced was about to be broken. Little did the old orc know that for those who loved him, the world was broken already.

It all starts with Drek'Thar. He's growing old and senile. His caretaker is worried about him. He's tormented by nightmares of the elements raging all over Azeroth. He wakes in the middle of the night, screaming that he must warn Thrall, that the world will burn, but his caretaker thinks he's just in the throes of senility. Drek'Thar's message never reaches Thrall.

When a fire rages loose in Orgrimmar, Thrall attempts to calm the flames with his shamanistic powers. He can't. He first asks nicely, then pleads, then threatens, but the flames are angry and apparently afraid -- afraid of something much worse than Thrall. Orgrimmar burns. Not all of the city is destroyed, but a large portion of it is.

Gazlowe, the goblin who originally built Orgrimmar, is tasked with repairing the city, but the cost is steep. Very steep. Too much for an already-suffering Orgrimmar city coffer, but Thrall has little choice -- the city can't go unrepaired. Gazlowe repeatedly lowers the price out of respect for Thrall, but it's still exorbitant.

Thrall mulls over how to get more supplies for Orgrimmar. Durotar has been suffering droughts, which caused the fire that raged through the city, and the night elves have cut off trade with the Horde after the incident at the Wrathgate. Garrosh recommends attacking the night elves and taking what they need from Ashenvale, but Thrall reminds him that, post-Northrend, a truce is in effect between the Horde and Alliance. Hostilities have ceased in even the smallest theaters (like Warsong Gulch).

When word gets back to Orgrimmar of a night elf village in Ashenvale being brutally devastated (its inhabitants skinned alive and chopped to pieces), it's assumed that Garrosh was the one who ordered it. He denies it. Varian Wrynn catches wind of it thanks to some night elf sentinels crashing the memorial service for the over 50,000(!) Alliance members, mostly human, who died in the Northrend war. He sends a message to Thrall stating that he demands an apology, an open condemnation of the attacks, a reaffirmation of his support of the truce, and finally that he send the offenders to Wrynn personally to meet Alliance justice.

Jaina meets with Thrall secretly to discuss the order. Thrall says that the only demands he'll meet are a reaffirmation of the treaty and a condemnation of the attacks. He won't send over the offenders, mainly because he has no idea who they are but also because he knows that Wrynn would never send over Alliance criminals to face Horde justice. And he won't apologize for the violence, because doing so would be downplaying how severely the night elves' cutting off trade has affected his people. Jaina is disappointed and leaves.

"A pity," Eitrigg said, apropos of apparently nothing.
"What is?" asked Thrall.
"That she is not an orc," Eitrigg said.

A weary Thrall decides that it's time to revisit his shamanistic roots and talk to the elements of Draenor to determine what's wrong with the ones on Azeroth. He wants someone to lead the Horde in his stead while he's away, but his options are few. Orcs wouldn't accept an old tauren as their leader, so Cairne Bloodhoof is out. Varok Saurfang is essentially retired, holding down the fort in Grommash Hold following the extended Northrend campaign and his son's two deaths. Saurfang the Younger, who would've been the perfect choice, is out for obvious reasons. Vol'Jin is occupied with rebuilding the Echo Isles. Only one suitable alternative remains.

With some trepidation, he appoints Garrosh Hellscream not as Warchief but as temporary leader, thinking that this kind of responsibility could put Garrosh in his place. Garrosh doesn't even want the job. He begs Thrall to find him a position more suited to him -- leading an elite group of soldiers, fighting battles, claiming territories for the Horde, anything -- but finally caves under Thrall's insistence. He accepts the honor with respect. Thrall's advisors and friends disagree with the decision, but his mind is made up. He leaves Orgrimmar after a heated discussion with Cairne, who vehemently opposes Thrall's interim replacement.

"You are Thrall, son of Durotan," she said without preamble.
"I am," he replied.
"A filthy name. Here, you will be called Go'el."

In Nagrand, Thrall meets up with a young female orc shaman named Aggra, an apprentice of Greatmother Geyah. He had hoped to study under Geyah, but the training Thrall needs requires travel, and she's an invalid. She appoints Aggra as Thrall's instructor. Neither of them are pleased about this. Aggra believes that Thrall's use of his slave name is demeaning to him and to every orc. Thrall can't stand Aggra's acerbic nature. But they both deal with the situation for the sake of saving Azeroth.

It turns out that the ritual Drek'Thar originally gave Thrall to help him become a true shaman wasn't a true shamanistic vision quest, just a placeholder performed when the Frostwolf clan was just trying to survive. If Thrall wants to really speak with the elements, he needs to go through a real vision quest. Geyah and Aggra note that he dresses like a warrior, but if he wants to become a true shaman, he needs to shed his skin. He loses the plate armor and the Doomhammer, taking up the ritual robe and prayer beads instead. He spends weeks training with Aggra and learning more about natural order of things -- and more about Aggra.

Through his vision quest and conversations with the Four Furies at the Throne of the Elements, he learns some important information. Gordawg, the earth fury, tells that Thrall that based on the chunk of Azeroth he brought through the portal, the elements on Azeroth are terrified and won't listen to anyone. He says that the last time he saw behavior like that was when his world (Draenor) was about to shatter. The fire elemental, lamenting that he cannot provide his flame to the flames of Azeroth, gives Thrall the fire of passion to do what must be done. The rest impart their knowledge to Thrall, who leaves the Throne of Elements with a new goal: Find out what force has the elements so frightened.

Unfortunately, he's too late. Shortly after Thrall's discussion with the furies, every shaman on Azeroth feels the Maelstrom churn, a chaotic rift forming in its center, sending shockwaves all over Azeroth. Menethil Harbor is flooded, Stonewrought Dam destroyed, The Barrens split in half, Theramore beset by tidal waves, Thousand Needles flooded ... The destruction is unbelievable.

With a new mission -- heal the world at any cost -- Thrall heads back to Azeroth, with his new mate at his side.

[Lisaara]

Wow....incredible story! Though I liked Thrall better without any mates. I think, personally, that's pushing it a bit. Plus it didn't really even hint towards it till the end.... ._.; Kinda out of the blue with no development. But that's just me.

Please Blizzard, if you're going to throw that sort of thing in there, develop it! Don't just say "Okay they met. He cant stand her personality but its true love!". *headdesk*

[Saturo]

They made Greatmother Geyah come alive again... -.-

Ah well, it has been said that the Scourge can reanimate anything. Guess that's what happened...

[Jangalian]

Maybe she's like his holiness the Dalai Lama, being constantly reborn into a new body.

Also, that bit about Aggra is truncated from an entire novel's worth of background story. He's a good looking man, tossed in together with a tenacious and strong young woman in a world-changing event. I am NOT surprised that he shacked up with her. I'm just wondering if he'll continue the Durotan family line.

Really, it's nice to see that he's not lusting after the pale-skinned Jaina anymore, 'cause you know, she's a hussy.



...aw crap, I realized that I've met her already! She ferries you through the Malestrom on her windrider dohickey. =< I would screen shot, but I already did that quest and I don't think I can go back to say hi to an oh-so-busy Thrall.

[Jangalian]

"That boy is a kodo disliking the bridle," Cairne murmured.

The Horde loves Garrosh. He made a big splash in Northrend commanding the troops there, and many Horde warriors believe (incorrectly) that he was the one who singlehandedly defeated the Lich King. And now, he's ready to head back to Kalimdor, along with most of his warriors. Varok Saurfang, tired of Garrosh, remains in Grommash Hold as part of the Horde's Northrend skeleton crew.

Cairne Bloodhoof arrives in Borean Tundra, acting as escort to the troops returning home with Garrosh. He's had little interaction with Garrosh before, but when kvaldir attack Garrosh's Landing, they're forced to work together, and Cairne learns much about Garrosh.

Garrosh was a brilliant tactician, a fierce warrior, and loved by those he led.
He also held grudges, was a hothead, and needed to learn the lessons of both respect and compassion.
Cairne would speak with Thrall immediately upon their return.

After the battle, the Horde ships make their way back to Orgrimmar but are beset by powerful, unnatural storms. Many of the boats are sunk, along with the soldiers and desperately needed supplies. Then, they spot an Alliance ship, nearly destroyed, drifting in Horde waters. Garrosh orders the ship destroyed, but Cairne immediately disagrees. It hasn't shown hostilities; it is clearly disabled. Garrosh instead orders the survivors brought to his ship. He destroys the Alliance ship, gives the survivors skiffs and tells them to remember that today, Garrosh Hellscream saved their lives, that he was their life and death.

Upon his return to Orgrimmar, a great festival is held, and Garrosh is presented with his father's axe, Gorehowl, by Thrall. Everyone celebrates the end of the Northrend campaign.

But not everything is great in Orgrimmar. Supplies are low in the already-unlivable Durotar thanks to extended droughts, and the night elves are so angry with the Horde after the Wrathgate incident that they've shut down all lines of trade with them. In a meeting with Orgrimmar leadership, Thrall notes that Ashenvale has a surplus of resources and that it'd be wise to get back on the night elves' good side. Garrosh says they should just attack them. Thrall and Cairne chide him, because post-Northrend, there's an Alliance-Horde truce. Hostilities have even ceased in Alterac Valley, Arathi Basin and Warsong Gulch. Garrosh politely but angrily leaves the meeting.

After that meeting, Magatha corners Garrosh and tells him that he's just what the Horde needs and that he has the full support of the Grimtotem tribe. Garrosh accepts the compliment with some skepticism.

It was not a time to be cautious. It was a time to be bold. They would understand once he gave them results.

When word of a night elf village in Ashenvale being destroyed gets back to Orgrimmar, it's assumed that Garrosh was the one who ordered it. He denies it. Hamuul Runetotem, on Thrall's urging, heads to Moonglade to try to negotiate with the night elves there, hoping that their status as druids will help matters.

Meanwhile, Thrall, who's getting ready to leave the Horde temporarily to learn from the elements of Draenor, appoints Garrosh as interim leader of the Horde. At first, Garrosh is worried that the position isn't right for him -- despite his earlier challenge to Thrall's title, he knows that it takes a certain kind of person to lead the Horde, and that perhaps he'd be more fit for something like military duty. Thrall assures him that he's the best choice

As Thrall leaves Orgrimmar for Draenor, Cairne stops him and tells him what a big mistake he's making by appointing Garrosh in charge. Cairne has some personal experience with Garrosh, and he can tell that he's too much like his father for his own good -- or the good of the Horde. Thrall tells him that if he thinks that Garrosh will mess up, he needs to act as his advisor. Cairne refuses. They part with angry words.

When Hamuul reaches the designated meeting place in Ashenvale (Moonglade having been eschewed due to Remulos not wanting to get involved in mortal squabbles), both sides are attacked by a band of orcs and slaughtered. Hamuul is left for dead in a mass grave. We discover that the orcs who committed this crime and the one before it are Twilight cultists.

Unfortunately, Hamuul, who managed to survive the attack, doesn't get that memo. He sends word back to Cairne that everything's gone to hell. Cairne gets the news and heads to Orgrimmar, thinking that it was Garrosh that ordered the attacks.



The Mak'gora


When Cairne arrives in Orgrimmar, he backhands Garrosh right on his painful new jaw tattoo. Garrosh denies being involved with the attacks. Cairne is fed up with him and demands a mak'gora, a duel of honor for control of the Horde. Garrosh can't believe it. He makes a gambit, saying that if they're going to do mak'gora, they shouldn't do the more recent version, which is basically a "say uncle" kind of deal -- it should be the old mak'gora, a duel to the death. Cairne instantly agrees. Again, Garrosh can't believe it. They agree to meet in the arena.

The rules of the mak'gora state that each combatant is allowed a single weapon, and if they drop it, they can't pick it back up. They're allowed no armor, only a loincloth. And their weapons may be blessed by a shaman. A random shaman blesses Cairne's runespear, and none other than Magatha Grimtotem offers to bless Gorehowl. Unbeknownst to Garrosh, she poisons the blade.

Cairne beats the crap out of Garrosh easily. Garrosh manages to nick him on the chest with Gorehowl, and Cairne immediately gets faint. Garrosh attempts to hit him again, a weak blow to force him back, but Cairne can't defend himself and the howling axe sinks into chest. Cairne dies. Garrosh is bewildered.

And so, I, who have lived my whole life with honor, die betrayed.

The moment Cairne dies, Magatha orders her tribe to begin a night siege on Thunder Bluff and the surrounding towns. They wipe out nearly every other tauren in the area. Baine Bloodhoof, who wasn't even yet aware that his father had died, is alerted by a Grimtotem defector that his life is in danger and they have to leave immediately. They cause a kodo stampede to distract the Grimtotem and escape.

The Grimtotem defector heads to Ratchet while Baine contacts Garrosh for help. Gazlowe agrees to supply Baine with a huge amount of supplies and explosives -- for nothing. (He always liked "the old bull.") Meanwhile, Eitrigg tells Garrosh that he needs to man up and atone for what he did, intentional or not. Garrosh agrees, still reeling from the death of an old tauren he didn't even necessarily dislike.

Magatha, who had sent word to Garrosh as well, asking for help in the face of Baine's forces, is greeted by the following message:

Unto Elder Crone Magatha of the Grimtotem,
Acting Warchief of the Horde, Garrosh Hellscream
Sends his most sincere wishes for a slow and painful death.

She electrocutes the messenger.

With Garrosh's and Gazlowe's help, Baine takes back Thunder Bluff from the usurpers and captures Magatha. He doesn't kill her, instead sending her to live alone in Stonetalon, saying that if he ever sees her again, he'll kill her. Garrosh expects Baine to challenge him as well, but Baine tells him that Cairne meant to help the Horde with the mak'gora, and that another challenge would only fracture it. He accepts Garrosh's remorse for what he took from Baine and the tauren.

Garrosh offers the tauren a place of honor within the Horde and promises to make it up to both Baine and the tauren people. He also has the city reinforced with something a little less flammable.

[Saturo]

The Horde loves Garrosh. He made a big splash in Northrend commanding the troops there, and many Horde warriors believe (incorrectly) that he was the one who singlehandedly defeated the Lich King. And now, he's ready to head back to Kalimdor, along with most of his warriors.

WUT.

*Storm of swears at whoever wrote that bit*

[Jangalian]

Here's the tl;dr version. Thrall needs more lessons to talk to panicing elementals, goes and finds hot shaman chick. Garrosh doesn't really want to rule, has to anyways and gets blamed for the slaughter of Ashenvale. Cairne insults him and challenges him to a duel to the death, and Elder Crone Magatha of the Grimtotem poisons Garrosh's weapon. Cairne beats Garrosh to a pulp, but Garrosh nicks Cairne and 'buries the hatchet', so to speak.

Elder Crone Magatha asks for Garrosh's help in taking TB, and he promptly flips her the bird.

[Cerah]

This Aggra sounds like what is known in fan fiction writing circles as a Mary Sue. There are quite a few different versions and definitons of the term, but what is basically amounts to is a female character created for the primary (often sole) purpose of providing a love interest for an already-existing male character. Mary Sues are usually wish-fullfilment, author avatar characters whose effect on the canon world they are inserted into is usually considered negative.

More information here:

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MarySue


I'll have to read the novel(s) myself to make a definate judgement, but from the summaries posted here, I can't say I'm very optimistic.

Jaina made much more sense from a literary pov for Thrall's potential love interest. They have had a history with each other spamming 2 games and 4 different expansions (WCIII, WCIII: TFT, WoW, TBC, WotLK, Cata), and their interaction in previous fiction seems to support a close friendship between them, and matching political ideologies. I definately see the potential for something more developing between them, despite their different races and factions. (See the novel "Cycle of Hatred"). Also, external information supports the theory that Humans and Orcs are phycially compatible. (WoWwiki's "Half-Orc" article) I know from experience that close friendships between men and women are among the best groundwork for a lasting, loving, and equal romantic relationship. Simply not enough time has past for Thrall to have that kind of thing with Aggra, in my opinion.

As for Jaina and Varian Wrynn potentially getting together, I don't see that kind of relationship as being anything other than a political ploy. Their ideologies and personalities are opposite -- also, any feelings that Wrynn might have for Jaina would possibly be influenced by lingering feelings he still has for his late wife, Tiffin Wrynn, who bore a striking resemblence to Jaina. (see pictures from WoWwiki for comparison -- Jaina Tiffin) Besides, the main reason poltically and historically for kings to marry -- to produce a biological heir to the throne -- has already been accomplished for Wrynn with Prince Anduin. I see Wyrnn and Jaina being closer political allies, but as for a romantic relationship I just don't see it.

In my opinion, it sounds like somebody at Blizzard was too horrified by the idea of the Leader of the Horde getting together with an important Alliance leader to consider the story possibilities here. Some of the greatest love stories in Western literature have been between "odd" couples, with both happy endings, and tragic ones. Also, some of the best characters in modern fiction (ex. Mr. Spock) have been hybrids -- Blizzard seems to be ignoring the potential for an Orc/Human hybrid son or daughter of Thrall and Jaina to be a major, important character.

There is, however, one solution to remedy the problem of Mary Sues, and it's a literary trope that Blizzard seems quite fond of. Kill her off. It could go something like this (though better written):

Thrall: Oh Jaina, I don't know what to do! Deathwing ate Aggra!

Jaina: I know how you feel -- I felt the same way when Arthas just couldn't be redeemed.

Thrall: We've both lost so much...

Jaina: Yes, we have ...

lingering, romantic looks from both, they lean in closer together, closer ...

You get the idea.

[Lisaara]

Cerah...I love you. XD Just sayin....

[Kalliope]

Honestly, Cerah, I get the feeling that's where things are leading. Although Thrall's loved and lost before....but hey, Taretha wasn't an orc.

[SpiritBinder]

Magatha Grimtotem, I wouldn't spit on her if she was burning that venomous cow.... She! killed Caine, and I really really liked him

If I ever see her I will kill her over and over just because I can...

[Lisaara]

Magatha Grimtotem, I wouldn't spit on her if she was burning that venomous cow.... She! killed Caine, and I really really liked him

If I ever see her I will kill her over and over just because I can...

May I join you in this rampage on her? I'll bring my corehound so we can make burgers out of her.

[SpiritBinder]

Sure, I'll give Fyr Mistrunner a call and tell her to bring some fresh moist cornbread... Actually maybe we shloud just feed her to the local harpies instead, I bet she tastes awful too!

[Lisaara]

Yeah, you're right. She's old and chewy. I don't think Deadpool would eat her anyway. He's got some standards....XD