While I'm quite happy there's discussion going on and I should probably interrupt it at some point with a post, does anyone else apart from the current 3 people posting have anything in particular to say?
On Grok lying, generally I'd say unless Grok in character comprehends a persuasive reason to do so, there's no reason for it, nor would you be able to vote for it. We're 130k in now and there's been no indication that Grok should be characterised as an individual who's overly diplomatic or duplicitous. Indeed I recall noting at the start 'oh that's interesting you didn't pick any options which would let you get around social issues'. Grok doesn't really like ambiguity, and he's not just honourable he's 'honourbound'.
Also yes, paladins would be some of the sort who'd probably be able to see through lies.
On Kul Tiras, who started the conflict depends on whether there were Kul Tiran colonies in Kalimdor before the Horde's arrival. I assume there were given Kul Tiras' maritime focus. I certainly can't see them not having at least some colonies there. As for striking first, the orcs did, when they came through the Dark Portal. Neither Thrall nor the orcs in general can simply declare 'actually this is a new conflict we're at peace now'. If your enemy retreats that doesn't mean the war is over, it just means they've probably gone off to summon a demon or something. Daelin is perfectly justified to 1, get the very expensive ships back, and 2, stop the orcs sailing off to Sageras Tomb or something.
This doesn't necessarily mean the orcs would see it that way, I'm sure Thrall would have preferred that the Kul Tirans not arrive, but that's his problem. Comparably I'm sure Daelin considered his attack on the orcs as merely a continuation of the war that was going on previously.
On the book(s), I find this both amusing and somewhat frustrating. You got that stuff in turn 5 or so, and subsequently you've not touched them. You've shown very little interest in learning more about Kul Tiras from the scrolls for example, and while yes you couldn't read them yet you could have gotten someone else to do so. I gave you X amount of stuff to take from the tower, among them various practical things like weapons, alchemical equipment, that sort of stuff, but instead you chose books and the officer's personal items. That's a reasonable long term choice, not necessarily criticising it, but subsequently you didn't really do anything with them anyway. In my other quest there's a similar magpie like mindset and I had to encourage the players to give away some magical equipment that they couldn't really use anyway, in return for social and military benefits basically. There the squishy wizard MC gave a magic sword away to a guy, who subsequently turned into a capable follower because he was grateful.
One plan currently is to read the magic book and subsequently become a mage. As we've shown with your concentration on studying the Tome, this doesn't really work. The book is the equivalent of a university textbook for example, it's pretty basic, but it does have knowledge there, it's not 'dummy's guide to magic'. However, as I've noted in the dramatis personae and other places, there are mages you could learn from.
Another point, what would the Kul Tirans say when they find out you've stolen a load of their stuff? No it's not really important, but it paints you not as a trustable potential ally but just as a bandit and raider, exactly what the orcs have been doing previously. If someone, for example Onyxia, Balnazzar, or even just the KTs themselves, wanted to see if you were on the level they might go through your stuff while you're away and find it all. So simply from a strategic perspective unless you have a specific idea for it then it would be best to get rid of it.
Consider how this all comes across. There's literally a whole library of stuff at the Scarlet Monastery and you're risking being cut off from it because the Alliance don't trust you to not steal everything. Comparably there's a legitimate possibility that doors would be opened to you if you honourably give the stuff back to the KT emissary and say that yes you were at war but now, as an ally, you're returning it. The KTs diplomat (being, yknow, a diplomat) may then respond positively and be more open to ferrying orcs over to reinforce you etc. 'Get our enemies to fight our other enemies' is great from a strategic perspective, even if the diplomat isn't being particularly nice about it.
Thankfully not actual genocide, going on, but getting similar vibes
"Your bastard GM is more of a threat to you than the lampreys." lol.
I was rather annoyed we won't get to do it in the near future
You can, Dalaran is literally across the lake, there's going to be Kirin Tor people wandering about in the Crusade just like there are Wildhammers.
The Clan system is definitely an issue, and its one successive generations of Warchiefs (well I suppose more like 2) have considered and tried to reform. Blackhand did the most, which IMO despite him being villainous personally, makes him a politically virtuous person in my eyes. Thrall has a go at it as well, making a new bureaucracy, changing how gender norms work, that sort of thing, but doesn't really go further than continuing that Blackhand did.
Of course if you return to Kalimdor with a multi-clan+multi-species coalition, including clanless wanderers, Burning Blade, Blackrock, Dragonmaw, Amani trolls, a random load of alliance people and some dragons, all of which works together more or less harmoniously and also integrates multiple magical and cultural traditions, then you could certainly make a credible argument for chipping away at the clan system yes, as well as putting yourself forward with this leadership achievement for further leadership opportunities.
any orcs in the warband who know both the Kul'tiras and written Orcish
Kartha, who originally translated it, Keldran, who as a warlock would probably be able to read human, and possibly Sesk and Ishi. Again though there's the question of why you'd need copies other than being a magpie.
