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Warcraft Fic, Discussion, and Idea Thread

So I had some idle musings I wanted to share, not sure what inspired it but let's what: What if Illidan's plan to kill the Lich King with the Eye of Sargeras succeeded?

Scourge Fallout:
The Scourge is basically done in Northrend and in the EK, Sylvanas's rebellion's (Or multiple rebellions) is even bigger while the remains of the Scourge fall under the sway of the Dreadlords and local Liches. Unsurprisingly the EK fall into a bloody and chaotic mess in short order, especially as groups like the Scarlet Crusade may not even collaborate with Garithos's forces, essentially turning the area into a free for all.

Environmental Fallout:
Given Malfurion's commentary I feel there has to be a big environmental fallout, so Icecrown sinks and melts into the ocean, Northrend is split though doesn't drift but the quakes still have a cataclysmic effect on local ecology, magic, infrastructure and tons of arcane horrors spill out thanks tot he tortured Ley Lines, Many refugees flee into the few safe zones either from the fallout r what came after, so mostly Grizzly Hills, Zul'Drak and Wintergasp.

Elsewhere, sea levels do indeed rise, much of the Westlands and about half of Dustwallow and basically all of the Swamp of Sorrows is lost entirely; though in the latter case this amusingly does get water into the Blasted Lands. Theramore's people may need to leave or forcefully raise the city itself higher, though this act also completely fucks up Daelin's fleet and coastline so he can't go off and cause trouble for now.

Coastlines like Darkshore, and Hillsbrad lose their settlements, as does Stormwind its docks and Zul'Aman is definitely pissed thanks to Lake Abasi spilling over, though areas with Shamans were better able to mitigate the initial fallout.

Enemy Fallout:
The Scourge is effectively done, this also means Outland remains in the nominal control of the Legion though Magherodan doesn't do all that much, and Yogg'Saron is now more active than ever, spreading madness and his chosen servants across Northrend. He's mainly fought by the grudgingly united Drakkari and Grizzlemaw nations who are violently pissed at whoever caused this problem. Azshara's Naga also take advantage of the situation to take more land, most of the former swamps quickly become bastions for the Naga, as do various coastlines like Darkshore, with whatever remained being totally overwhelmed. So overall, no Scourge and Outland remains largely irrelevant, plus no one trying to summon Kil;jaden in a couple of years, but with more active Old Gods and Naga.

Political Fallout:
The SIlithid grow vastly more aggressive, distracting the Horde & Theramore & to an extent the Night Elves & others.

The Dark Horde & Dark Iron are completely unaffected save that this makes it easier for them to act due to their enemies distracted state.

Undermine got heavily flooded, making a huge impact on trade and creating a lot of internal instability and also Ratchet died before it could be born.

The various mobs can likely take advantage of the chaos to re-secure some territory, though Mulgore is safe, places like Westfall or the Barrens where the other polities holds are weak, yeah no, very different story.

The New Horde weathered this somewhat well, though the Darkspear likely still had to leave the Echo Isle and there was some notably intense flooding stymying Barrens campaigns. Especially as Thrall sought a means to quell the spirits rage.

The Alliance lost Menethil, Southshore, Stormwind harbor and a decent chunk of Westfall's coastline, while Kul'Tiras is wounded but also still an active member as Daelin can't bail to go looking for Jaina. So while there's definitely some initially heavy losses, they remain overall more stable.

The Night Elves lose Darkshore entirely so Staghelm likely can't swim off to make Teldrassil where he wants too, but the fact this whole situation was caused by Illidan seriously damages Tyrande (Who survived) and Malfurion's political position. Illidan's likely executed and the NE are probably hoping, or soon having delegates from Northrend demanding they help out with the Old Gods to compensate.

The troll nations probably weather this relatively well,
Zandalar has its coast encroach somewhat but the lands largely blessed by the Loa so they're largely insulated, Blood Trolls less so.
Stranglethorn may actually avoid Hakkar thanks to the Temple of Atal'Hakkar being flooded but if not, only the Bloodscalp are notably impacted.
Zul'Farrak is probably better off with Gadgetstan weakened and the coast approaching, Frostmane & Winteraxe are completely unaffected save in how the locals are reacting.
As noted, Zul'Drak and Grizzlemaw have grudgingly teamed up out of necessity and are quickly becoming bastions for refugees as they war against Yogg'Saron and will likely become very active participants in global politics once done, but likely remain very separate entities.
The Hinterlands coast bloods a little so no Revantusk village location, but otherwise they're fine and as noted, Abasi has some problems in Zul'Aman but they're mostly OK and may well be able to reclaim Quel'Danas... What's left of it. Also the Shadowglen don't get murdered by Illidan so while some of Silverpine's land is lost they likely are continuing to expand.
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And that's where I stopped, as I think there's a lot of ways it can go from here, thoughts?
 
I've been a big fan of the Achaemenid Empire (IE Persians) for ages, as well as the city states that predated them and watching a lot of videos on the Ottoman Empire recently. Thus:

A Broad History of the Middle Kingdoms
In bygone eras and times out of mind, the ancient Vyrkul travelled the world, seeking a safe place for their small progeny. Rather than settling in the Highlands bordering Elvish territory, they went South, deeper and higher into the vast valleys and planes of what will one day be called, the Middle Kingdoms.​

Pre Sundering:
Human society had a rough start, the lands their parents had chosen for them were livable and easy to secure, but hard to live on, great savannah's, rough lands and mighty mountains made for a tough place. One that only grew more perilous as the world sundered and much of ancient run script and history was lost, while the local Gnoll & Kobold populations began to grow and expand.

Early Days:
For generations humans, Gnoll & Kobold survived under the harsh beating sun as nomadic hunters and gatherers, only slowly embracing small herds of ram in the sparse grassland lands tot he North. There would be raids, trade, alliances and breakings, but no one could truly rally the numbers to make themselves a great power.

In this era, the chariot, pulled by small horses or donkeys were the greatest weapon on the battlefield, while Wardens, Geomancers and Pyromancers were relegated to subtler roles as healers, giving blessings or overseeing funerary rights. Gnoll & Human raiders would at times pennate the peaks of the Frost Exarchs, but they could not hold out against the cold or the well established nation for long and would always be driven off, though not without loot.

These raids did ironically lead to a burgeoning kinship among the Gnome & Frost Trolls however. Meanwhile, the Horse Lords, who would bear many titles but the most well known of which was the Azar-Kai, would come grow plentiful in the highlands, while sporadic visits from Northern prospectors led to the introducing of pigs.

Young Nations:
The the introduction of pigs and advances in magic, small, burgeoning towns and humble city states began to spring up across the midlands. Most of the populations were heavily mixed, though usually you could find more human dominates states in the midlands, while Gnolls would hold more sway in the Wetlands and deeper into the Southern lands.

But while brief empires and federations would be born through force or charisma, no one's power was great that the Azar-Kai raiders. They could not establish domain over the city states, the mountains made such a venture nightmarish, but they could easily funnel into the land, raid and extort tribute and return home, growing fat off loot and pride.

During this period, the true great powers were the Amani, who had come to spread across the North lands once again. There was a smattering of human-like people's, those of the 'Tiris' would live among trolls, while the Drust remained ever apart, hostile raiders and cut throat trader. No over land trade was done on a large scale, much easier to sail South to see the Jungle states, though the Frost Exarchs often travelled out of the Midlands.

The Blood Empire:
Word from the great empires tended to be layered in myth and rumor, warped by distance and culture. Thus, when the Gurubashi's crops came to life, their mines spilled forth metal and the sicknesses swarming their land, no one really knew much of it. Let alone of the rumor's about conquest of the various states or how Gnoll, Kobold and even human subjects and neighbors being led into Zul'Gurub never to be seen again.

The Empire spread was slow and creepy, then sudden and terrible, the fall of the Ridge States under Gnoll and Kobold dominions is what sparked the Middle Kingdoms awareness. But the Gurubashi were a step ahead, allying with with Azar-Kai's successors, the Neo-Azothi, bolstering them with weapons' and mages, the two factions crushed the city states and humble Frost Exarchs and Gnomes between them, denying fleeing to the North.

The Gurubashi reigned for generations, though it was a very indirect rule, they built nothing in cities and interfered with culture and people even less. Instead their forts existed solely to stomp down on dissent and collect tribute, otherwise, the Gurubashi actively avoided letting their people's interact with their conquests, lest they grow fond.

The Amani Empire tried to offer aid, but the invasion of the High Born stifled any but the Southbound, while the Drust aided the Gurubashi too. However, while the Gurubashi were cruel to the conquests, they were little better to their own people and eventually their dishonor caught up with them with a great revolve, powered by the old religions, followed by the conquered states marching south and even the Neo-Azothi offering aid.

Hakkar was denied his new world and the Gurubashi empire was gutted, with the South fracturing into several different claimant kingdoms, but also being afflicted again by weather disasters and disease, which led many to flee back to the midlands.

New Powers Rising:
With the fall of the Gurubashi, the Neo-Azothi, a human dominated nation worshipping a pantheon of ancestors raised into gods, mixed in with the occasional Troll Loa came to power. The Horse Queens, or Zha, swept across the midlands, taking old Gurubashi forts or overwhelming cities, engaging in large-scale population removal and relocation to break up alliances.

It was during this era that the Dwarves were awoken by efforts to construct a fort on what would come to be seen as Uldaman. The Earthen were dubbed Dwarves by the Neo-Azothi and quickly folded into the empire, much to their bitterness and confusion, with any that protested, fought or raised trouble being exiled from their city into slavery across the empire, primarily in the South where the state Zul'Azan reigned over the Ridges & to the Drust.

Their empires efforts to establish a foothold in the North however were much less successful, only the neighboring Highlands suited their style of warfare. But by the time they had the numbers and control over the South to try the Amani states had reconstituted and fought back with skill and strength; some humans horse riders however were absorbed, along with Gnoll & Kobold laborers who did not wish to leave and so fell into Amani ranks.

Xeros the Lightning:
The fall of the Neo-Azothi empire would come in the form of Xeros (Meaning loud voice), a human monarch raised in partial exile among a Gnoll client state for their parents offended the current Zha and were banished from their holdings. Xeros struck up an accord with the Gnoll Warrior Quen Zenzi and together they hatched a plan.

The current ruler of the Neo-Azothi Empire was unusually, a king, and one who did not know how to balance his cruelty with competence at that. This made it a somewhat straight forward matter, to stir up discontent through rumors and connections at court, causing him to come down hard on perceived traitors, only to then receive the rebellions he was promised thanks to such heavy handed tactics.

With Xeros serving as speaker and Zenzi as war leader, they took the reigns of discontent and cast out the overlord of Xeros's city of Isval and led a lightning fast campaign of rebellions and treaties until they had mounted a force great enough to crush the Neo-Azothi capital. After their victory, they divided the Highlands between the lesser Zha, and build a palace for Xeros to inhabit three months of the year, while granting them the title, Sultan, while Zenzi would lead the 1st Legion of the new empire.

Note:
Xeros also oversaw the returning of the Earthen to their homelands and funded the repairs on Uldaman, earning themselves the title of 'Keeper' of the Earthen, the only none Earthen to earn such a title.

The Long Peace:
The Ishvalan Empire reigned for a multitude of generations and even when their power waxed and waned their influence through burecracy and culture did not. Through them, mixed states became ever more normalized with there being several Gnollish Sultan through adoption or progeny. Each ruling from distinct palaces across the year to project power and remain linked with their Satrapies.

Borders would ebb and shift, especially in the South and the Wetlands where trollish monarch and priest kings would rise or Drust would seek to colonize. At times there was conflict with the Forest Troll states but rarely, and communication was even established with the Elves, but it remained sparse.

There is in truth much to be said for this era, but much of it was in the North and the South, as longstanding stability is not terribly dramatic. It should also be noted the Gnomes showed little interest in their cousins, being comfortable in their nominal isolation and acting through proxies, with little interest in the past.

The Packlords Pride:
The fall of the Isvalan Empire came at the hands of a brilliant Gnoll strategist (Ironically) who hailed from a mighty mountain fortress deep into the South-West. The empire was strained from dealing with diseases unleashed by the Drust after a harsh naval campaign but could have stomached it... Had Packlord Jango, the Conqueror not managed to capture Sultan Imeeran in the first battle, largely through poor luck on the latters half.

With leadership from the Sultan cut off, the Packlord was able to sway the Zha's to side by promising them total freedom to do as they pleased if they fought and with battles on two front and Drust taking potshots as they pleased it was disastrous. Imeeran's chosen heir, Zalfa, was able to flee into the Northern territories for sanctuary but while the Forest Tribes did offer some aid, it was not enough and several disastrous defeats was enough to have them pull back.

Packlord Jango did seek to expand, but intended to do so by going South once the Zha were again brought to heel for trying to extend into the Wetlands. The Gnolls conquests travelled far, all the way to the borders of Stranglethorn before an exhausted army mutinied and refused to march, leaving Jango enraged a their weakness and soo to die under mysterious circumstances, causing their fledgling empire to splinter into several pieces.

The Splintered States:
Was a fraught period of intrigue, rising and falling empires and nations but to try and keep things efficient:

  1. The Drust were unable to secure the Wetlands, but thanks to a schism in the religious unity between the Mountains Nations of Winter and the Empires of Jade, the Drust were able to secure the Foothills, encamp the Terici Peaks and make the nearby highlands into a vassal.
  2. Zalfa returned with Amani sponsorship but was only able to rally ethnic (This includes Gnolls and Kobold) Isvalan's and a smattering of support, and though they remained on good terms with the Northern Empire their sun had set for the time being.
  3. Several of Jango's generals were able to establish fledgling kingdoms but the only one of note to last extended from the Southern Forests into the Steppes, and reigned mighty over Humans, Forest and Jungle Trolls, Kobold and Gnoll for generations under the title of Packlord.
  4. Another, humbler nation sprung up in the 'Gorge' which would sporadically be subject to vassalage to one ruler or another over the various generations.
  5. The Frost Exarchs had weathered the conflict and as they recovered would extend their influence into the Loch and beyond for some time, but a difficulty in maintaining communication and policy led many of their extended residents to acclimate and eventual break ties over generations.
  6. The Earthen fell under the sway of Zha, Exarchs and eventually themselves; weaponizing their access to unique minerals in order to gain military support to try and extend their rule over others lands, even penalizing the Isvalan's to the South.
  7. Meanwhile the Zha were overthrown by a radical faction known as the Karasi, more tolerant of none humans than the Zha had been but infinitely more bloodthirsty they extended their rule across the Wetlands and even established colonies in the North and often fought for the Loch.
Early Modern Era - New New Empire:
All hail the Imperial Emperor, all revere the Sultana of Sultans, To those who resides within the Khilāfah there is one truth, the Shah reigns supreme!

Born of the Mediun peoples, (Those of heavily mixed blood) the Sultana Muradi began her conquests by seizing the Gorge territories and breaching the Blackrock Mountain. The heirs of Jango's holdings, so unused to threats on the Northern Border could not marshal swiftly enough to save the Steppes and soon found themselves pushed into the Ridges, only aid from the reforming Gurubashi said the growth of the Muradi and even then she claimed their port cities and northern words.

Then she sallied North, into the great mountains where she cast down the Exarchs who had so often extorted tribute from her people and besieged Gnomeragan, splintering the cities steel gates and subsuming the lands into her own. Conflicts with the Isvalan's would prove less successful due to their strange tactics and training, but the Medium Empire had truly begun, the Royal Harem flooded with consorts and advisors from every state & species.

Over the next several generations, borders would shift, grow and shrink, trade would be done but often with suspicion and slowly the Mediun's would eat away at the Loch. Earthen called for aid but found their old allies distracted and the Isvalan's content to watch those who sought to drive them from their lands fall.

The only true foe to the Medium Empire not born of the South was the Drustvar Empire, now having swallowed much of the Wetlands and retained their northern holdings, as well as made a vassal of the Karasi... When the Amani weren't doing it.

It was Shah, Selima the Brightest Star who would finally see the venerable empire of the Drust fall. Investing funds not into sea vessels but a new fangled invention of the Southern Cartels, Airships, Selima launched a surprise invasion of the Drustvar and claimed their fortified capital in a night.

Shock ran through the continent, but Selima was not done. As the Drust fleets burned in their harbors from dropped bombs and sabotage, reinforcements flooded the occupied capital and spread across the island, breaking the power of the Forest Lords and, either out of cunning or generosity, liberating the slaves to bolster their army and subjects.

Rebellions and declarations of succession flooded the Northern holdings, which made claiming the Highlands a simply matter, though the Foothills would be reclaimed by Amani and a peace negotiation as Selima used their position to launch an invasion of the Wetlands. In the end, only the bustling trade hub of Garok-La stood against them, and with new cannons and spellfire, the mountain hall was split asunder and claimed, and then rebuilt under Selima to become of of many bastions of trade, culture and educations.

Following this, great roads were built, air docks became a common sight and Selima would oversee the the organization of the empire that would be inherited by a line of successors through a very complicated system of palace politics born of the royal harem, ritual and cunning. All conducted within the Sacred Capital of Milos.

Middle Kingdoms Reactions:
Of the middle kingdoms, only the Isvalan's, the Karasi and eventually the Clan Confederacy of the Red Ridges remained independent. Though often at times they would fall into states of pseudo vassal-ship, they were able to retain their independence in large margins. Occasionally they would align to form a bulwark against Eastward expansion, but they rarely held together long due to mutual dislike, a fact many Shah's happily exploited, after having seen it first demonstrated with the Earthen's fall. Meanwhile, the North and South find the Mediun's more tolerable than the Drustvar, but also more dangerous and the High Elves think very poorly of them for their mixed heritage.

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NOTES:
So as noted, this takes a lot of inspiration from the Achamenid Empire and the Ottoman Empire, the Zha were loosely based on the Scythians and the Karasuk; with Packlord Jango serving as an Alexander the Great expy, while the Drust sort of blur the lines between Mongol, Roman and English in terms of being a group of brutal invaders with a penchant for slavery. As it is I do imagine the Drust fell and rebuilt and made new factions, but there was little inclination for me to change the name and create confusions.

I am planning a second post dealing with religion, ideas of ethnicity such as it is and so on, but I need to reflect more on the Mediun's religion before going that far. Though I do know what the Earthen's and the Isvalan's is, the former being an abstract form of Titan Worship while the latter actually being a spin on the Light but with its roots in Zoroastrianism, thus added fire imagery, a great focus on the idea of Void/Shadow and such. I may utilize An'she either for the Isvalan's or the Mediun's, not sure, but thoughts are most welcome!

Oh and I stopped here because I didn't want to have to deal with the Orcs or the potential mechanics of the empire splitting, let alone the current state of the North and South, tough as it is:

I imagine the High Elves held onto the Eastern Plaguelands in this timeline but are rather isolated otherwise (They may have had a schism) with Zul'aman remaining their most ardent threat to the East, while other nations do dislike them its less focused.
The Amani not falling (Though there are likely several nations with Zul'Aman being a religious center but not an imperial one any longer) gave the Drakkari a trading partner so their territorial holdings now stretch down Dragonblight to maintain large docks for trade.
Meanwhile a new Gurubashi might be rising but they likely don't extend outside Stranglethorn while other nations fill up the rest of the lands, and I think the Swamps would be loosely held by different nomadic groups over a singular dominant power.
 
Not sure how invested anyone else is in this AU but I am having fun so I wanted to do at least one more post, this time discussing religions and some other world building details:
A Broad History of the Middle Kingdoms 2​

Quel'Thalas:
Never having been introduced to the Light through a direct means, the High Elves initially retained their sun worshipping ways with little insight. However, after the wars of Jintha the Conqueror, the reverence for Great Houses grew and mutated alongside Arcane reverence into an elaborate Imperial cult that holds sway in the North. The South, on the other hand, which has had its access to the Sunwell stymied have begun to embrace older and more esoteric faiths alongside their worship of their noble founders.

The Amani Successor States:
All these nations and empires nominally follow the same broad religion, the distinctions tend to come in which Lesser and Greater Loa are given prominence in the Pantheon. Navally inclined nations are more focused on oceanic Loa for example. While Zul'Tiris has incorporated Titanic Watchers such as Tyr into the role of Lesser Loa (Deeply offending the Zandalari) but ensure an easy acclimation of the Tirasi Tribes of humans. The main focal point shared across all Forest Troll states is the worship of Ula'Tek, the Goddess. Her patronage speaks well for an empire and while she often resides primarily in Zul'Aman with her oldest temple, her support is what allowed Jintha to create his mighty dynasty.

Quetz'Lak:
This small nation, founded by Ice (Now Frost) Trolls worshipped the cunning Quetz'lun, Psychopomp of the Drakkari and death goddess, a divine of the air but born of the earth. She admired how they navigated their perilous position and played greater states off one another and became the primary focus of worship through her patronage, even as their nation expanded, shrank or incorporated new people and species. The nation of Quetz'Lak is one of the few to employ Necromantic magics.

Azothi, Neo-Azothi & Karasi:
The Queens of the Saddles faith began via the worship of Great Ancestors, with inspiration taken from the trolls, their offerings were piled high and those spirits grew great and strong, justifying the rule of the Zha who were blessed with the blood of their founders. The Neo-Azothi maintained this faith but incorporated in several Trolls deities centered on the weather and earth like Shango, believing them to be materials gods, while their ancestors with the spirit gods. The Karasi Tribe who overthrew the Neo-Azothi maintain the worship but argued that ancestors care not for blood but glory, for offerings and that all among their nation are their chosen people, creating a much stronger, unified identity.

Earthen-Uldaman:
Awoken early, the Earth still recalled some aspects of their old heritage and though their Watchers were slain by the Neo-Azothi, they revere them and don their titles. The leaders of the Earth are the Watcher, the Keeper and the Guardian who serves as a tie breaking vote when the above two cannot agree, (They are appointed by a bureaucratic succession) They worship the Titans above all others and believe that the world itself is their birthright, an attitude which has not exactly served well in matters of diplomacy or religious tolerance.

Isvala:
Heirs to the once mighty Ishvalan Empire their faith is one of the most ancient but most evolved from the Middle Kingdoms. Beginning first as a form of spiritual worship, where Elementals were raised to the state of city gods by offerings and sacrifices. Pyromancer who oversaw funerary rights grew fascinated by the nature of fire, coming to see the sun as the greatest elemental spirit and the only one truly worth of worship. Which soon evolved into a religion of 'Light', the deity of the sun would give unto them divine golden flames.
It is the belief of the Isvalan's that the sun's soul is named Ashi, and that the Light is in a never ending duel with the darkness/shadow (IE Void) its wicked but inherently lesser reflection. Upon death one's body is burned so their spirit can be separated into all that is good and join Ashi, while all of them that is evil, joins the Shadows. Thus one should lead a good life to not grant evil power. Among humans, Isvalan's tend to have dark skin and pale white or blond hair, a trait long seen spreading even to ethno-religious none humans in their regions through air dyes or tans.

Mediun Empire:
The heresy of cleric Medin is what helped bring this empire to form. Upon discovery the sun was a great ball of gaseous flames, the Isvalan's simply adjusted their beliefs to argue that Ashi uses the sun as a medium. But Medin could not rationalize this and argued the Light itself was born of all people's not a gift. Preaching their ideals across the land, they earned the title mad heretic and Wise Teacher, whose beliefs found much embrace among the scattered peoples of the Gorge with many becoming disciples and beloved pupils.
Upon Medin's death they were deified by their Beloved Pupils and given offerings with the intent to make the Wise Teacher into a god that could control the Light and lay low the wicked gods spoken of in ancient Trollish almanacs and one day bring glorious salvation to all. This development was considered especially arrogant by the Isvalan's, but for now they can do little but preach, as the Mediun Empire's power is too great to challenge by force of arms. The Mediun's do believe in conversion, but largely through subordinating other faiths and slow influence via acclimation and integration over the tip of a blade.

Clan Confederacy:
The dominant faith, (held to by the majority Gnoll & Kobold population) as well as some of the Forest & Jungle trolls diaspora and human residents, is known as the Cycles. It is the belief of Sages that the world is broken into three forms, the Elemantal, the physical and the spiritual. In this system souls are not seen as more precious than bodies, a soul will decay in its own way and time like the flesh does and even worlds will die. All shall be broken down and reborn again in another time and place. The ideal of this faith is to gain enlightenment of all three realms, though sages disagree on whether this frees one from the cycle of rebirth, or merely ensure a perfected understanding of all realms.

Republic of Jin:
Having grown irked by the never ending prying of Zandalari into their business, the Guruashi capitals heavy hand in a bid to please the Zandalari and vexation at the distance the Loa kept from the people, enshrined with their High Priests. The Republic of Jin rejects the Greater Gods, the Zandalari and past mandates, instead embracing Lesser Loa and minor gods who can be dealt with on more even terms. Their rebellion was a vicious and bloody one, only put an end to when the Mediuns took coastal territory from both nations and refuted Zandalari efforts to reclaim them.

Gurubashi Empire:
The Gurubashi Empire is ruled by the Six High Priests of the Pantheon, who intern offered the Thousand Feathered Throne of Zul'Gurub to the Zandalari that they might receive aid and sponsorship to prop up their weakening government.

NOTES:
  1. As usual, I take a lot of inspiration from the High Elves from the Travelogue as I love the depth if gave High/Blood Elven society, and then I expanded on and warped the concept.
  2. As mentioned, the Forest Troll dominated nations are meant to be sort of analogous to the European nations of the Middle Ages, and thus all share a faith (More or less) but are quarrelsome to the point of ineffectiveness.
  3. How and why the Winter Axe were specifically tied with Quetz'Lun is a mystery to me but its fun to expand on and toy with, it fits my ideal of her as an ambitious deity.
  4. The Queens of the Saddle are a mix of RL stuff I am vaguely acquainted with and different spins on the various types of ancestor worship we've seen in WOW. When not ruling as an empire they tended to offer a lot of mercenaries and have an extremely militant, 'we are the best' ideology.
  5. I won't go much into RL inspirations for the Earthen but much of the "We are the heirs of the Titans legacy" stuff is inspired by Travelogue, I liked the idea of them replicating the titles of the Titanic Overseers for political reasons.
  6. Isvala, which I kind of wish I had named something else now, are inspired by the Sunwalker's and various RL faiths, suffice to say they'd get along a lot better with Tauren Paladins than Draeneic one's. Their ethnicity idea was actually inspired by something I worked into New Dominion regarding the number of darker skin pale haired characters we saw hailing from Eastweld.
  7. Mediun's are basically Ottoman's; royal harem, expansive empire, giant cannons and all, with a very cosmopolitan empire and a strong investment in establishing controls over the seas, the Amani Empire & Jintha Dynasty often send forces to aid the South to keep the Mediun's off the Eastern Coast. They probably have some kind of split in half before the Orcs invade, but maybe not?
  8. The Clan's take a bit of inspiration from Buddhism and WOW Shamanism, plus stuff I sort of threw together, but I quite like it actually.
  9. Meanwhile the religion of the Republics was informed by their name and the Gurubashi straddle the line between vassal, client state and Zandalari territory, though many dislike that.
 
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Warcraft - Unto Evil
An alternate timeline where Daelin voted for the genocide of the orcs and the world weeps for what horror this unleashes.​

Preface:
Could this have been prevented, or was what came to pass preordained?

No doubt some would wish the latter be true, for though our world has become one of nightmares and terror, it would be so much easier to accept if it had not been, at least in part, wrought by our own hands.

Unfortunately, the path of damnation is one people choose to walk.

Some would say it began in the closing days of the Second War, others would say the seed was planted much sooner with the burning of Amani cities, or the mutilation of Garfang, perhaps even the War of Three Hammers?

Sadly, evil does not have a singular birthing point, but let us begin with the Second War for clarity, no?

The Dread Horde:
All glory to the Alliance, for today was a victory day, the Orcish Horde was defeated, their people and armies captured by the thousands and though we mourn the loss of the great Anduin, his apprentice Turalyon shines like a Beacon of Light!

But the question arises, what to do with this motley force of monstrous foes?

King Teranas, wiser perhaps than many realized, argued for clemency, for treaty and truce. But with the murderous escape or Orgrim Doonhammer from the royal palace his words fell on deaf ears, for there can never be peace between man and Orc.

So when time came to cast the deciding vote, Daelin made a fateful decision.

The Orcs would be killed, down to the last.

Turalyon and the Alliance armies in the Blasted Lands saw to the most bloody of the work, bodies piled high and burnt, blades turning to rust from shed blood and Orc after Orc thrown into the lava pits when soldiers grew weary. It was a nightmare for some, others a dream, for many it became almost mundane. But while a few brave and noble souls like Uther would sneak away those he could, many who would break from this did not realize until it was far too late, one among them was Turalyon himself.

But that is for later, for now, all that need be known is that the Horde's numbers were decimated, the act of murder becoming like some Gnomish machine, a systematic assembly line of death that, one year hence would come to haunt all the world, and not just those who felt guilt. For with one years passing, the scorched lands of the South knew again the cries of Orcish warriors; raised from death by the collective power of their shared demise, a legion of undying ghosts sallied forth across the burning planes.

Thus the Dread Horde came to be.

Those of its ghostly legions, when struck down shall simply return to the bowls of Blackrock and regrow.

No exorcism or blade can slay them permanently, and only the mightiest wards now keep them contained to the Burning Lands. Though this did little to spare the Dark Iron. Not even victims of the Dread Horde alone, their own slaves began to rise in vengeance, the death magic soaking the land ensuring none could rest. Thousands died as the rest fled for their lives be it deeper into the Earth or across the lands seeking salvation or revenge for their miserable fate.

Now the Dread Horde rides upon the backs of spectral wolves and ghostly spiders and all who die in the lands of ash shall join their number; pray, pray to whatever you believe in that the wards hold, or we all may share their fate of endless war.


The Dragon Queen's Fate:
Woe upon ye who thinks our fate miserable and daunting, for at least we are free to live and die as we see fit. No such mercy has been granted to the once merciful Alexstraza and her kindred Flights.

With the return of Rend Blackhand to the mainland, the Warlord despaired for the fate of his people, and yet would not fall into malaise. Instead becoming a pirate along, stealing ships and saving Orcs, Ogres & trolls who had escaped the death order, while pillaging village after village.

It was thought they would be run to ground eventually, that they could not keep this up forever, but oh how quaint such notions seem now.

For Rend was canny enough an orc to see the writing on the wall and as he had been raiding and rescuing, he had been in contact with the last remaining Horde hold out of Grim Batol, arranging for the extradition of its Orcs and the Dragons within. There was no warning of when it came, save that if one had seen the foul mood Deathwing they would know something in his schemes had gone awry.

For one day the dragons were contained and the next, an army of Gnolls, displaced by the Dread Horde attacked in waves wielding orcish weapons and melee. This was the break in the siege needed to unleash the Red Dragons upon the unsuspecting Alliance forces, breaking through the lines and making for the coast.

Days earlier, Rend's fleet had come under pursuit by the Alliance Fleet after a daring but seemingly insane raid on Kul'Tiras that would lead Daelin on a chaotic chase across the seas. Just when all hope seemed lost or victory assured, the roar of dragons chilled Daelin to his bones and he was forced to watch as the Red Flight descended from the clouds and struck his fleet from behind, the once purifying flames of the Life Giver twisted by Blood Magics and Fel.

With the fleets destruction and the dragons in hand, Rend's Horde would sail West, seeking new lands to conquer and more dragons to bind to their will, dreaming of the day when they are strong enough to return and claim the East for themselves. All while the mournful cries of the Dragon Queen grow cruel and twisted as all she was fades away into something new and terrible.


The Helsworn Fleet:
Daelin did not doubt his decision to order the Orcs to death not publicly, not privately.

He could not afford to do so, for it would be to accept the blame, would be to open the way to guilt and concede that he had let bitterness blind him to horror and through it, that he had become as vile as those he once sought to fight.

So when he led the Alliance fleet in a great pursuit of the remaining Orcs, it was with a manner bordering on mania, he needed to win, needed to clean the slate and cleanse himself of any guilt or shame.

Thus, it was much to his horror when his fleet was once again laid low by dragon fire and as flesh bubbled and burnt, sinking into the sea he was open to the whispered words of Helya.

She made an offer, simple and seemingly fair.

Swear fealty to me, renounce all gods save for me, serve unto me for all time and I shall return you the world of the living, you shall have life eternal and the power to complete your quest, you shall have salvation in me.

Suffice to say, many took her bargain, be it in fear of death, desire for life on an obsession with completing their task, the fleet bound their souls to the queen of the damned and would, in a few years time, rise from the ocean floor.

And thus it was, a fleet of sailors no longer mortal but not dead in nature would set sail, bringing woe and terror to all they saw and ensuring their glorious goddess would glut her realm on spirits of the heroic dead.


The Blood Curse:
Would that we had known, would that we have learned, would that we had an ounce of restraint!

But this was before the Dread Horde, before the Helsworn, before even the fall of Turalyon and drunk on victory and vindictive vengeance, the Alliance voted again for the destruction of a race, the Trolls. Put forward by Quel'Thalas and sponsored by Trollbane, the motion passed, no longer would we tolerate enemies nipping at our heels and borders, this ancient foes time in the world was done, or so we thought.

Perhaps seeing that his very efforts to spare his people a genocide at the hands of the Alliance had led them to that fate, or merely knowing this was to be no matter what, Zul'jin would make a fateful decision. He traveled to Jintha'Alor and surrendered his soul to destruction in the eyes of the Loa by devouring the egg of Hakkar the Soulfayer, the Faceless one, the Blood God, and allowing his own capture as Zul'Aman was besieged.

Not content with executing Zul'jin before the gates of his beloved city, the Alliance forces took him to Falconwing Square, where he was lashed and burned, tormented and jeered in what even to the most hateful must have seen as a mock trial. Then, the king of Quel'Thalas stepped forward and drove the nations holy blade into Zul'jin's heart.

What the troll said none know, some say it was a curse, others whisper he promised never to forgive, in the end the truth does not matter. Zul'jin was dead and Hakkar's curse was unleashed. None can say how exactly it happened, or how swiftly, for none in the capital survived, millions killed in less than a day, as Zul'Aman had only begun to burn.

Quel'Danas was not spared, those fleeing to seek the power of the Sunwell spreading it to the guards and ensuring none upon the isle survived, while others scattered into the forests, spreading the curse ever further until it was stopped at the rivers edge. Even Dalaran was no spared, the city turning to a tomb before weeks end from those fleeing by portal and teleportation.

What followed was a brutal quarantine by the rest of the Alliance, no ship left Quel'Thalas for they were sunk, no flier left its borders for they would be shot down and burnt, all portals from the land locked and Dalaran scoured in golden fire. The Southern Tribes have near uniformly sworn fealty to Jintha'Alor, who now use the threat of a second Blood Plague to keep others from their lands.

Meanwhile, the remnants of Quel'Thalas and Zul'Aman duel for control of the woods, still barred from fleeing South, while the North lands have become overgrown with toxic and blood hungry plants, courtesy of the Soulflayer's touch. None save the Naga invaders dare set foot on the overgrown Quel'Danas, now the domain of maddened arcane elementals and twisted monsters.


The Draenor Dustbowl:
Ignored by the distracted forces of the Alliance, the Dark Portal became active once again.

Stepping through its rippling surface where Ner'zhul's Horde. Having received visions of their kindreds fate, the Dark Shaman was careful in his chosen agents, relying on stealth and cunning over speed and distractions. Aligning with Deathwing and Alterac, his agents were able to quietly obtain the artifacts needed for his scheme.

Not pursued by the Alliance, Ner'zhul had time to rally his forces and ultimately, orchestrate the fall of Deathwing by forging a truce with Gruul and betraying the mighty dragon, reclaiming the skull of his would be apprentice. Enacting his plan with time to spare, a singular great gate was opened and through it his Horde marched to an unknown and unspoiled world to begin their plunder.

Did they survive, did they conquer, or did they once again meet defeat and death?

I do not know and doubt I ever shall know, perhaps it is best that way.

Whatever their fates, their twin gates and the mighty ritual would sap more life from a world already dying. Leaving the advancing desert to grow ever stronger, as Draenor became a dueling den between the resurgent Gronn and their ogre vassals, the twisted nations of the Broken, the Cult of Terrok and a burgeoning Legion presence.

What will the mortals of Draenor do when the last plant dies and the last animal is hunted?


Turalyon's Fall & the Argus Wake:
It is true what they say, from the most intense loves can be born the deepest hatreds and thusly that there is no greater evil than a hero whom has fallen.

Once the beloved son the Alliance, its champion and leader of their grand armies, Turalyon was broken by his part in the Orcish genocide, though he tried to hide it. His efforts to find some redemption, or restitution, even just a peace of mind led him astray of the Church and into the waiting arms of Kil'Jaden through his dear Dreadlords and sly Shivara.

Incarnated into the world by lingering Orcish servants, they leashed themselves to Turalyon be it in disguise, or openly under the guise of prisoners. None know for sure what it was they said to him, what their demonic touch came to mean to him, or even where the line between corruption and madness lies.

All that is known is that the sacking of Alterac for Perenolde's part in the raids of Ner'zhul's Horde was the final grain of dust that built a mountain. In one terrible moment, Turalyon slew the Archbishop of the Church and unleashed a terrible emerald light upon his fellow followers of the Light, scouring the Monastry of all who did not serve his new order and fleeing into the night, his loving attaché of demons at his back.

Rallying the displaced Alterici and sending out a call to the marginalized and the downtrodden, the broken and the baleful, the mighty and the greedy, Turalyon now calls his favored the awakened. Together they sings praises to his masters who will recreate the cosmos through a cleansing fire where all evils are undone and, where death has no meaning and all shall live in glory.


The Dragon Prince:
As the world grew ever more hostile, the Alliance would fracture and fracture again, guilt and blame, shame and strained funds tearing it apart at the seams, while ghosts, cults and Helya Sworn fleets ravaged the lands, decaying the nations ties ever further.

In this sea of swirling controversy and chaos a bastion of peace was found by one Prince Arthas in the form of Katrana Prestor, daughter to the late and well beloved Lord Prestor and and a loyal courtier.

Some like to say she corrupted the prince with malevolent magic and twisted words, but such things would make the Dragon Queen laugh, for there was no corruption, no magic, no nothing Arthas did not want to accept. All she needed do was charm him, tell him of how wise and strong he was, promising him all he desired with no fear of consequence and advised him on how best to beguile those around him.

It was Arthas, always Arthas, who made the choice to descend into darkness with his Draconic mistress, always he could have turned back but he did not for he desired all she offered, and welcomed the heady rushes of power, pleasure and prestige. He became a hero in the eyes of the people, for his daring duels with cultists and monsters alike, but beneath the armor was skin turning to scale.

In the bowls of the capital horrors were wrought upon flesh and bone to make new weapons and soldiers. The Church, still fraught with grief, found the esoteric and the strange raised to prominence. Before long, Dragonkin would march alongside soldiers enforcing the will of their lieges, and Arthas would surrender himself entirely in the face of his own destruction to his queen and be reborn as her champion.

The Kingdom of Lordaeron has fractured, but the Queendom of Drakan seeks to reclaim all that it has lost to the rebellious Crusaders and beyond.


The Remnants of the Alliance:
Stormwind was never truly rebuilt, the funds and motive to do so falling to the wayside before the capital was even half finished as fleets fell and and disease ran rampant. Now the land is divided between dozens of claimants and feuding powers, while corruption spreads through the woods, out from the Blasted Lands and up from the coast. All who reside here watch the North with terror, fearing the day the wards fails.

Ironforge and Gnomeragan had almost weathered the Storm, but in their efforts to claim the knowledge of the Titans in a bid to save their allies, or perhaps just to satisfy their curiosity the Troggs were unleashed, swarming over the lands. With Dark Iron terrorist cells and Frostmane Reclaimers stalking the mountain paths and the Dread Horde growing stronger every day, only Ironforge's capital remains safe.

Stromgarde stands, but after a swift and brutal civil war, it is a shell of its former self, only partially repopulated by refugees from other lands. Relying on deals with Ogre Clans and Gnoll Packs to retain influence outside the capital, Galen is straining to keep out baleful influences and invaders.

Gilneas is tearing itself to shreds in the name of the Packlords. Awoken by the desperate or perhaps the mad, the Worgen sleeping within the most hidden glades were turned lose and spread their curse like a wildfire across parchment and there seems to be no end in sight.

The Wildhammer remain steadfast, with their residents bolstered by thousands of elves who had no where else to turn as the world became hostile and their lands were barred to them, the skirmish on and off again with the the Theocracy of Jintha'Alor.

Kul'Tiras's coastline is longsince lost, its people driven inland under the relentless assault of those who had once been their kindred and other undersea horrors. Now they are drowning in witchery and shadows to merely survive.


Conclusion:
I feel my hands growing weak as my own tale does end, and yet it feels there is so much more to say.

I am told that metal men & giants make war upon Troll, Bear & Spider in the North.

As to your word of this land 'Kalimdor' I can only take you on faith.

But my time is short and life is ending, I hope what I have told serves you well, strange traveler.

For as the light dims in my eyes, I can only pray that when I pass from this world I shall not awaken again & that those who come after me, can find a new dawn.
 
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So on and off again I've played and at times considered GM-ing a Warcraft themed strategy RP.

I am unsure I have the time to GM one right now, but I have been tinkering with a system for one that I am hoping strikes the right balance between functional for strategy, RP and creative gameplay, while being easy to learn.

In this example, I will be using a villain themed example, but ideally this set up can apply to any premise; I would love some feedback.


Warcraft - Shadow Factions
Welcome to Warcraft Shadow Factions, where you will don the mantle of leadership among one of Azeroth's many villainous factions in the wake of the Third War and lead your followers to glory, summon wicked gods, or chart a new path entirely, because the decision is yours.​


The Factions:
Azeroth isn't wanting for ambitious polities and wicked villains, and as a result you can take your pick from the following list. NOTE: Some factions territory have been updated for balance and I m open to suggestion.
  1. Syndicate
  2. Dark Horde,
  3. Dark Iron Clan
  4. Gurubashi State
  5. Gordok Kingdom
  6. Defias Brotherhood
  7. Bloodsail Buccaneers
  8. Shadow Council/Satyr Princedoms
  9. Jintha'Alor Theocracy (Includes Witherbark)
  10. Khanate (Mauradune, Gelkis, Kolkar, Magram)
From among the factions you take on the role of their canonical leader and give orders to their lieutenants, armies and civilians to guide the direction of your faction. NOTE: In cases like the Syndicate, you have a choice between their upper echelons, such as between Aliden or Beve.


Moves & Tokens:
In order to influence the game you need to make a move every game turn, which usually encompass something like one to three weeks in universe time and you utilize Resource Tokens (RTs) to do so. RTs are a stand in for traditional game resources like gold or farms, filling every role from food, to minerals, to movement, and the number you apply to a given task increases its chances of success. Example:

My turn has just begun and I have five RTs;
  1. I will use two as movement tokens to send two Gordok Legions into the Thousand Needles,
  2. I will use one as a combat Token and launch an attack on the Galak Centaur Clan.
  3. I will use one as a construction Token to begin building a peer.
  4. I will use the last as a Research Token to begin studying the Arcane Pillars throughout the city.
Once every players turn has been made, the GM will analyze the situation, the players plan (The more detailed the better) and roll dice to determine the effectiveness of this plan and outline the results to the players before the next turn.

Tokens obviously have their distinct meaning, and I will outline the basic cause & effect of each here:
  • Constructions = Involves beginning to build, repair or expand settlements to produce RTa, usually takes a turn or two to see results.
  • Research = Can be used to improve the quality of your forces, or otherwise used to uncover reveletations that can be of use to your plans.
  • Movement = Moving troops, traders or civilians from one location to another, chosen methods of travel will slow or enhance this tokens use.
  • Stealth = Scouting or spying, this token allows you to gther intelligence on an area or foe to increase your chances of victory, or otherwise allow you to learn their secrets.
  • Combat = Launching an assault on an enemy or beginning to raid & extort and area, an extra token can increase morale, or involve conscripts, mercenaries or summons.
NOTE:
Applying too many Tokens to one task will eventually yield diminishing returns; so applying four RTs towards research runs headlong into a wall in terms of how many researchers you have, how much can be researched in a given day, test subjects, ETC.
Players cannot just research their way to victory, the Defias are not going to produce a Nuclear Bomb inside the Deadmines, and epic level stuff like the Mana Bomb require long research time or powerful artifacts that will take travel and combat to acquire.


Territory & Settlements:
In order to exercise your influence and produce RTs, you need territory and settlements under your control, and they are ranked in a three point system.
  • Town/Tent Towns/Docks = 1 Token Per Turn
  • City/Tent City/Port = 2 Tokens Per Turn
  • Capital = 3 Tokens Per Turn
Fortresses:
These cannot produce RTs, but can be used to pillage, plunder & raid an area not under your direct control in order to build up resources for the next turn. The exact number of RTs earned from this is dependent on the number of settlements in the area, the number of locations you target and the roll of the dice.

Notes:
You can upgrade 1 token settlements into two token settlements, but this takes time and RTs.
Meanwhile Capitals can only be created by controlling a whole map unopposed and you can only have one per map.


Armies:
This is a war game, so it is only natural your armies will play a part in affairs, but rather than tying things down in numbers I will keep it simple.

Players have a corresponding number of Hosts/Legions/ETC, to their territory and settlements. Thus, a player who has lost everything but one town can raise only one host, while a player with a capital, two cities and five towns can raise twelve legions. The armies & lieutenants will be based on the available canon info with slight additions to allow for some degree of areal forces or naval warfare where appropriate.

It is integral to know that while NPCs, these factions will be invested with some degree of autonomy and act according, examples:
  • If Vacnleef suddenly declares he wishes to surrender to the Alliance, his subjects will assume he's gone mad or been mind controlled and act accordingly.
  • If Dagran sends one of his best generals on what is blatantly a suicide mission, he may well face rebellion or deal with the general & army deserting.
You can guide policy more long term however, and depending on your faction there is more wiggle room, if High Priestess Hexx or the Blood Lord of Zul'Gurub wished to stop worshipping Hakkar there would be some popular support for that among the people, but less so among the Priesthood or their lieutenants, so make your moves with care.


Conquest:
There are many ways to skin a cat and several more to conquer the world.
  1. Crush the enemy opposition and rule over the lands and their people, but be ready for potential rebellions.
  2. Wipe out all signs of the lands former denizens and settle it yourself but be prepared to wait for it to be productive.
  3. Settle conquered lands with new arrivals gained through trade, but beware for who knows what may be following them.

Allies:
While your factions are not well loved by many in Azeroth, you are rarely without some potential ally, be they other players or NPC factions, the art of diplomacy and trade can be of great benefit when done correctly, or damning executed poorly.

Trade:
A player can offer RTs, soldiers, territory or even people to other factions, NPC or otherwise in exchange for the same services. Thus, the Khanate can loan two hosts to the Gordunni in exchange for an extra RTs next turn; or the Syndicate could sell Southshore to the Venture Company for mercanaries.

Alliance:
Usually engaged in with weaker factions, these groups will aid you in accomplishing your goals if you assist them with theirs, and can even eventually be absorbed into your state. Thus, Rend Blackhand can offer the Redridge Gnolls aid in fighting Stormwind in exchange for splitting the land, or eventually absorbing the Gnoll Packs.

Partnership:
Engaged in by nominally equal powers, these are deals often often between other players but sometimes NPCs for trade or conquest. Thus, the Gurubashi & Dark Iron could strike up an accord to send each other aid or resources in their respective wars or to aid in their goals.

Warning:
Making a partnership with a faction greater than yourself can be detrimental, signing on with the Scourge, or Azshara will lead the player to having less options as they will be subordinated to some degree, or even be vulnerable to internal corruption by their 'partner' so choose your allies wisely.


Challenges & Strategies :
There's more to this game than just moving tokens around, as even players who don't want to RP can't just ignored their factions lore, or the realities of conquest, this brings with it many potential strategies and challenges for players to employ or encounter.

Challenges:
The world and its people are not entirely passive agents in this game and thus need to be taken into account when making plans.
  1. The environment is not inherently passive, and thus natural or magical disasters 'can' happen, but such things will be rare.
  2. Other factions, NPC or otherwise are always active and not totally passive, as a result the Legion could potentially launch an invasion when the Dark Portal opens, or Azshara's Naga could begin colonizing the coast.
  3. Raiding or conquering an area will earn ire from local factions. If the Syndicate conquers Arathi, many locals will resent them for it and thus may try to rebel or will quickly change sides when another power invades your conquered territory.
  4. Your Reputation is unsurprisingly less than stellar, but the greater threat you become, or the more horrors you unleash the more likely others will begin to scheme and work against you.
Strategies:
By virtue of these factions and options being available to cause problems, they can also present opportunities.
  1. One can definitely consider using propaganda or tools of negotiation to acclimate newly acquired territory into the fold.
  2. Forced relocation is an unseemly act by which you take residents from the land they lived on and move them deeper into your territory where they have no natural allies and thus will find it harder to rebel, while moving your more loyal into their settlements.
  3. Hostages can be taken and magics that influence the mind or corrupt the body and land can be utilized if these are within the realm of possibility or plausibility for your faction, allow players to expand their domain and subject pools, or twist the land to serve their ends.
  4. Secret Weapons, not every faction has them but they exist, be it summoning a deity or unleashing a Blood Plague, finding a magical siphon or the Book of Medivh, such strategies can be game changers and make your faction infinitely more dangerous, but they are also extremely hard.
NOTE:
If you have an original idea not listed here, feel free to share it in the out of character thread and its usability can be determined.

Conclusion
All players will be starting off in control of the equivalent of one map, either by having total control of a given area, or extra settlements spread over two areas in order for the game to be relatively balanced, examples:

Dark Horde:
You rule uncontested in the lands of Burning Steppes, with the capital of Blackrock Spire, the Blackrock Stronghold, Dreadmaul Rock and Pillar of Ash you begin each turn with six tokens!

Jintha'Alor Theocracy:
Your mastery over the South and East of the Hinterlands cannot be contested, and though the Wildhammer remain as opposition in the North, thanks to controlling Witherbark Village, & Boulderfist Hall in Arathi, alongside, Revantusk Village, Shadra'Alor and your mighty city of Jintha'Alor, you start each turn with six tokens.

Now that you know the rules, choose your faction, make your schemes and let slip the dogs of war!
 
The following is a clip from the middle of Chapter One of my upcoming story The Rules of Acquisition (Warcraft SI)


- VanCleef –

These fuckers actually think they're being sneaky!

Edwin VanCleef had seen a lot in his 53 years, but this was a whole new level of stupid! 800 men and their horses marching through the mountains behind the town, on a fucking goat trail of all things! It was almost insulting how little credit his men had been given, but his spies and scouts had seen the invading army (if you could call that pathetic little force an army) miles away, if those paladin fuckers thought they could catch his boys with their pants around their ankles they had another thing coming! Normally Edwin wouldn't lead his men personally, he rarely ventured far from the Ironclad Cove these days as it is, in fact it had actually been months since he'd left the Deadmines at all, but this 'battle' was shaping up to be such a slaughter that Edwin didn't want to miss it!

The men were still mustering when the militia arrived, compared to their puny force, he had around two thousand men, the bulk of which were spearmen, those spearmen though, were not proper fighters however, just common rabble who were only marching forwards because they were more afraid of the monsters behind them that their own countrymen ahead of them. Said monsters were the Harvest Golems, massive automatons that look like scarecrows, originally designed to help farmers harvest their crops, but had long since been rebuilt and repurposed by the Defias as indefatigable shock troops, merciless monsters, programmed to kill anyone who came near, anyone except for their goblin builders and Edwin's own men, that is. Finally, at the back of the formation were Edwin's boys, which were mostly rogues, though there were a few good warriors and hunters in the bunch as well, about 800 in all.

Soon, the two armies stopped, their front lines being about 300 feet apart. The Militia came from the Goldridge Mountains to the south, VanCleef's men from Moonbrook to the northeast. On the east there were some rocky foothills, a mile to the west was the ocean. Before the battle would begin though, it seemed that whoever the fuck was leading the militia this week would give a typical heroic speech before his troops. Edwin didn't care for that though, his boys would fight either for gold or out of fear, not for some pretty speech, still, he let the man have his moment of glory before his boys would gut them.

The fool began trotting his horse along the front line of his troops, projecting his voice as he began to speak, the sun's golden glow cast on his weathered face. "Brothers and Sisters of Westfall!" he called out in a strong, authoritative voice, booming out across the battlefield so that even Edwin could hear it. "Today marks the end of tyranny, the end of suffering under the yoke of the Defias and their so-called 'brotherhood.'"

"You all have suffered under their reign for far too long, but no more! Today a new day dawns in Westfall, a day of liberation and justice! The Defias believed they could quell our spirits, steal our homeland, and spill innocent blood without consequence. They were wrong! Today, we rise against them, united as one!"

Edwin couldn't help the but roll his eyes and let out a laugh, but before he could savor his own amusement, chaos began to erupt from within his own lines as...

Sorry for the mini-cliff hanger. Chapter 1 should be ready in a week or two. Looking for a beta.
 
Zam said:
Very well written, Vancleef sounds like quite the bastard in this, which does align with canon, good world building for armies structures and use of the land too!
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Thank you!

Here's a bit more, just putting it here because I'm not sure if it makes sense or contradicts canon too harshly. Let me know if you have an issue with it.


Edwin couldn't help the but roll his eyes and let out a laugh, but before he could savor his own amusement, chaos began to erupt from within his own lines as the hulking Harvest Golems turned from the direction of the invading force and began attacking his own troops! Many of his men, his veteran troops, who had been with him for more than a decade, panicked and folded like gang-pressed farmboys as the golems fell on them, but many more remembered their training and fought back, even as confusion and fear swept through the rest of their ranks.

Amidst the cries of his troops and the clanking of metal, Edwin strained to hear the other leader as he continued his speech.

"Lay down your arms, people of Westfall! For too long your lives have not been your own, they will be spared if you choose a different path here and now!"

Van Cleef seethed as the man finished his speech, as more and more of his own levees threw down their spears. The fucker planned this! This is no accident, that damn goblin betrayed me! We need to get out of here.

Like an unstoppable wave, the harvest golems surged deeper into his lines, coming ever closer to his position, their sharp claws cutting through his men like butter. Racking his brains, Edwin finally remembered the golems' single weakness. Clearing his throat, he tried to get the attention of his men, the ones that still had their wits at least.

"Listen up, you sorry lot! These oversized scarecrows may seem invincible, but they've got a weak spot! Right in their stuffed backs, there's a nest of sensitive gears, waiting to be jammed! Give 'em a good, solid backstab, and watch 'em sputter like a broken thresher! Aim for their ticking guts, boys! Bring those clanking monsters to a grinding halt!"

He pointed a finger forward, urging his men to take action.

"But remember, we ain't no scarecrows ourselves! Fight with all you've got, use your heads, don't lose 'em, there'll be a share of treasure to each of you when we get back to base!" And then I'll have a goblin to kill!

The promise of loot caused his men to give out a ragged cheer, but he could tell it was a half-hearted one. But still, with a renewed sense of purpose, his men changed tactics. Their formation was loose, but effective, capitalizing on the agility and stealth of the bulk of the force: the rogues. Like shadows weaving through the chaos, the rogues moved swiftly, using their unique abilities to get behind the harvest golems and deliver vicious backstabs into their fragile innards, while the rest of his men distracted them and did their best to keep formation.

Well fuck me if it isn't working!

Even as more of his press-ganged levees dropped their spears and fled, his boys were actually doing it! More of the metal monsters were dropping than his own men!

Gold or Fear, not pretty words and frippery, good thing there's plenty of both.
 
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Mingo said:
Here's a bit more, just putting it here because I'm not sure if it makes sense or contradicts canon too harshly. Let me know if you have an issue with it.
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The descriptions and world building is neat, but I do admit its a little odd world building wise, how did the goblin betray him so effectively and more to the point why, and why are the Alliance forces not attacking? This very much feels like it should end with Vancleef and his forces getting wiped out, even with the rally orders.
 
Zam said:
The descriptions and world building is neat, but I do admit its a little odd world building wise, how did the goblin betray him so effectively and more to the point why, and why are the Alliance forces not attacking? This very much feels like it should end with Vancleef and his forces getting wiped out, even with the rally orders.
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Oh, yeah, VanCleef dies a few paragraphs later, I'm going for the standard "I think I can actually win!" followed by a sudden and gruesome death, sorry that wasn't more clear.

The goblin he mentioned is the SI, Mingo Slickgrin, the villain protag of the fic, and betrayal is simply what he does and he's the best at it! The precise hows and whys will be explored later in Chapter 1 and in flashback chapters. The story will mostly be told through other people's POV to give a better sense of the changes that have already resulted from Mingo's presence.

As for why the Alliance isn't helping? Well, the man in charge of the Militia hates Stormwind for Westfall's abandonment, and at this point in time they're a bit busy with their king being abducted and the Burning Legion returning. I'll make that clearer in the other POVs this chapter. Thanks for pointing that out!
 
Mingo said:
Oh, yeah, VanCleef dies a few paragraphs later, I'm going for the standard "I think I can actually win!" followed by a sudden and gruesome death, sorry that wasn't more clear.

The goblin he mentioned is the SI, Mingo Slickgrin, the villain protag of the fic, and betrayal is simply what he does and he's the best at it! The precise hows and whys will be explored later in Chapter 1 and in flashback chapters. The story will mostly be told through other people's POV to give a better sense of the changes that have already resulted from Mingo's presence.

As for why the Alliance isn't helping? Well, the man in charge of the Militia hates Stormwind for Westfall's abandonment, and at this point in time they're a bit busy with their king being abducted and the Burning Legion returning. I'll make that clearer in the other POVs this chapter. Thanks for pointing that out!
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Oh I thought Vancleef was the SI, dang XD

I see, that is a clever way to tell such a story to be sure.

Sorry I meant the military force that was standing right there, watching all this happen.
 
Zam said:
Sorry I meant the military force that was standing right there, watching all this happen.
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Ah, well, the answer to that is about five paragraphs later, just happens to be the same one where VanCleef dies. 🤔

In essence, they're too distracted by the metal death machines to notice the imminent cavalry charge until it's too late.
 
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Ah I see, fair enough then.

Honestly its funny the Defias came up cos I was doing research on them just last night.

Over on SB its well known I am vexed by their portrayal as just mindless murder junkies and I stand by that but looking at the timeline of events (Written after the fact so still eh) it does become clear Vancleef's goal was not conquest or revolution but simply the destruction of Stormwind.

Now, I still find this poorly executed to be honest, cos like what is his goal after that, why not try and take over, but most importantly, why did he not win given the circumstances bonus he had in Vanilla? Yes I know, video game ETC but still!

Vancleef had ripped out the breadbasket of the nation, Duskwood was abandoned, Redridge barely settled and the Stormwind Army was mostly absent, he and his allies could have easily marched into Elwyn and just started torching every farm and in a couple of weeks at most Stormwind the kingdom would be starving to death, even Ironforge wouldn't be able to pull them out of the fire on this one.

Basically, the Defias are disappointing and dumb as a revolutionary narrative even if a revolution can and often will be corrupted or extremely violent, but it also doesn't work as a pure revenge narrative because of the surrounding world building.
 
Zam said:
Ah I see, fair enough then.

Honestly its funny the Defias came up cos I was doing research on them just last night.

Over on SB its well known I am vexed by their portrayal as just mindless murder junkies and I stand by that but looking at the timeline of events (Written after the fact so still eh) it does become clear Vancleef's goal was not conquest or revolution but simply the destruction of Stormwind.

Now, I still find this poorly executed to be honest, cos like what is his goal after that, why not try and take over, but most importantly, why did he not win given the circumstances bonus he had in Vanilla? Yes I know, video game ETC but still!

Vancleef had ripped out the breadbasket of the nation, Duskwood was abandoned, Redridge barely settled and the Stormwind Army was mostly absent, he and his allies could have easily marched into Elwyn and just started torching every farm and in a couple of weeks at most Stormwind the kingdom would be starving to death, even Ironforge wouldn't be able to pull them out of the fire on this one.

Basically, the Defias are disappointing and dumb as a revolutionary narrative even if a revolution can and often will be corrupted or extremely violent, but it also doesn't work as a pure revenge narrative because of the surrounding world building.
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Yeah, I agree with you, they had a lot of potential but it was wasted because it's leader was too focused on fighting Stormwind and wasn't ambitious enough to consider all the options he had open to him. I mean, we know the reasons why as far as the fact that VanCleef was only intended to be a zone boss, but in-universe it just doesn't make sense.
 
Mingo said:
Yeah, I agree with you, they had a lot of potential but it was wasted because it's leader was too focused on fighting Stormwind and wasn't ambitious enough to consider all the options he had open to him. I mean, we know the reasons why as far as the fact that VanCleef was only intended to be a zone boss, but in-universe it just doesn't make sense.
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Mhm, if one wanted I guess they could say he wanted to destroy Stormwind personally via his stupid boat but agh, its such a stretch and such a waste. And yeah, a lot of potentially interesting storylines and characters end up pretty meh cos of their role as zone bosses, but gosh Vancleef is near top of the list for me and the Defias have such a rocking aesthetic too.
 
I have an idea for a Warcraft crossover fic with Nanatsu no Taizai/The Seven Deadly Sins.

It would be about the three of the Four Archangels: Ludociel, Tarmiel and Sariel ending up in the world of Azeroth after their physical bodies were disintegrated during the Second Holy War in Britannia.

The Goddess Clan members' souls with the Grace powers of Flash, Ocean and Tornado were possessed by certain individuals and remain dormant for a time.

Until the events of the Second War between the Alliance of Lordaeron and the Orcish Horde where the Archangels awaken within those said individuals.

What do you think?
 
SI biomancer Red Dragonkin coz they have life magic? If not, then druid. Not just transhumanism, but improving every friendly/allied species with redundant organs, better metabolism, some kind of clorophyll skin, longer life, increased fertility for elves and more.
War beasts, increased height and better muscle composition, meridians for some wuxia kung fu...
Could be a nice start with SI heading to Dalaran to study when Arthas is still a baby, get cozy with Krasos and gain Alextrasza's blessing when telling her about the future.
That's the latest time they should start at, coz genemods need time to spread but only among the trusted elite first, like the paladins.

Demons are always gonna pull something, so it's not enough to just stop their known plans. Like making sure some species don't go nearly extinct and can give enough high quality troops, even if not heavy hitting champs.
Soak some red dragon eggs in moonwell for the Moonlight dragonflight, yeah I read Noodlehammer, that stuff'd be most effective against demons and undeid.
Get in touch with SI7 to plan contingecies, coz who knows how the demons or old gods would twist the new order of biomancers, or the now butterflied future. Those guys can make paranoid plans in case of anything.
 
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I am here to provide a link to my new fanfiction, Worlds Bound by Shadow.

Its a RWBY/Warcraft crossover and at 73 thousand words, the story itself is complete save for some minor edits and I will be aiming to upload a chapter a week.

For anyone who might be interested, this is the summary:

Arriving on the shores of the Eastern Kingdom, High Priestess Tyrande & the Warden Maiev soon find their forces beset by unfamiliar beasts of bone and shadow.

Arriving in Mistral, Ruby Rose and her friends soon find themselves roped into investigating strange behavior in the local Creatures of Grimm on behalf of Haven's Headmaster.

Soon, both parties will find themselves staring down unfamiliar threats and alien worlds.
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forums.sufficientvelocity.com

Sins and Orcs (Warcraft/Nanatsu no Taizai) Crossover

Synopsis: "Having succeeded in stopping Mannoroth's attempt to bind the orcs into the fold of the Burning Legion and united all the clans of Draenor into the Iron Horde, Garrosh Hellscream prepares for a full-scale invasion on the main timeline to destroy his enemies once and for all through the...
forums.sufficientvelocity.com forums.sufficientvelocity.com

Everyone, I made a Warcraft crossover story recently and I hope you guys like it.
 
Forward: I utilize older world building for some of this, namely the Gurubashi texts establishing Azeroth had sapient being, (Tauren, Troll & Furbolg) before the Titans or even Old Gods.

Birth of the Blood God​

Prelude:
One must wonder, why oh why was the world cursed with the Faceless One? A god who seems hellbent on bringing suffering and death wherever it does slither or fly. Why is this creature, more akin to a Demon than a deity, tolerated by the pantheons of the world?

Well, to answer these questions we must look back into our most ancient history, the scarcely remembered days before even the Travelers had touched our world, when life and malignant alien forces were in a never ending duel that would decide all our fates.

The Endless Empires & The Holy Wars:
It is said that there was once a time where the world was free of corruption, pure and good. Where the ancient-most ancestors of Tauren, Furbolg and Troll wandered the lands alongside elementals and watched in awe as deities of nature and magic roamed freely.

As it is with all golden ages, it ended in fire and madness.

Careening from the skies came the self-proclaimed new Gods of the world, writhing masses of flesh and viscus ooze. With bone like skin and minds that tore down the barriers between oneself and them, forcing all who stood before them to see the world as they did.

The Elementals, always open of mind and inherently inclined to absorb and incorporate whatever flowed into their rippling forms were swayed to the invaders side. All save Therzane, her diamond hard form was not so inclined to welcome invaders, but where her siblings went, so did she.

But as for the others, the creatures of flesh and bone, the deities of life and magic?

No, they did not submit so easily.

Untold millions would be lost in this war unlike any other; the lucky ones would perish, the unfortunate would be warped, entire species mutated to the invader's whims.

Those who had resisted gained the patronage of the world's true gods, with which they could fight back against the growing hordes of nightmares and resist the whispers and druglike assaults on their senses. All the while, The Greatest Deities marshalled their mighty magics in both the realms invisible and material.

Together, they made war upon the invaders.

The Crafting of the Aspects:
When one thinks of Aspects they likely think of the dragons, imbued with the essence of the Titans to stand above their own kindred as divinely empowered chosen. The surprise is that the Titans did not invent this process, or at least, did not introduce it to our world, though the methods are distinct.

In the face of foes ever shifting and changing, that festered like a disease and spread like cancer across both physical and spiritual reality. The greater deities were themselves forced to adapt. Many forsaking material forms to wage grander wars in spirit, while other became one with the land to enshrine it against corruption.

Others, crafted Aspects.

The Greater Deities, sometimes one or other times several together, would carve off a portion of their own essence, blended with that of a mortal offering that it might have true incarnation and finally, carefully, cut, coil and carve into this as of yet unborn being the powers of the enemy, be they Shadow, Death, Fel or worse.

That which was born would at first be an extension of their maker, but one capable of its own thought and will, though be it one shaped by their creator. Who would carefully tend to this new aspect of themself to ensure no true corruption could make a home in their hearts before they learned to fight it themselves.

Such an Aspect was Hakkar.

Hakkar the Soulflayer:
Born of an Underworld Deity in the Shadowed Lands and a Loa of life and flesh, they existed between worlds as a Liminal Deity, one who carried with them mental majesty of their foes.

Hakkar's first and greatest task was to be the Guardian of a most sacred sight, one which still exists today, the temple heart of what is now Zul'Gurub. A place where the walls are thin, and the grounds are holy; where spirits journey to the afterlife.

Many-a times had the great enemy sought to infiltrate and infest these realms with false specters and cunning cultist and not always had they been caught in time. With some gates between the living and lost forcefully shuttered lest entire spirit realms be lost!

So it was, that Hakkar was to exist at the boundary between life and death, to lay bare the mind of those seeking entry and to flay the souls of all that would corrupt that which was holy!

But, this was not their only task, for the gods of the underworld could not leave their abodes and were even more curtailed in influencing the material realms than their kin in the higher spirit realms.

In this, so to was Hakkar shaped as a Tutelary in order to best be the Executioner of their maker. Seeking out the heretical and traitorous, the lost souls and the waiting ambusher and bringing unto them destruction or salvation as was seen fit and necessary.

In the realms material and embodied purely in the physical, Hakkar wielded powerful life magics, many traditional, such as storms and fire, but others less well known. Blending their magnificent and monstrous minds will with the very divine blood racing through their godly frame, Hakkar could fell into a terrible bloodlust, unleashing strength and speed and spell far greater than such a young divine should bare before returning to their duties at the gates.

The Travelers & The Time After War:
With the arrival of the Travelers, the war, which to then had seemed like a long and endless toil, finally turned and the New Gods found themselves broken and bound beneath the world they sought to conquer. To be forgotten as relics of a bygone age as the world grew anew.

But not everyone adapted well to these changes and Hakkar was amongst them.

Designed as a guardian of boundaries and bringer of divine wrath, now fully grown beyond being a mere aspect but a god in their own right, and one forged in a war of madness and corruption. Peace was ill-suited to Hakkar and so too was the presence of meddlers from beyond the stars.

The Soulflayer did not make war on the titan of course, just like they did not begin flaying the soul of every mortal that tried to pass by their boundary. But that does not mean they didn't protest and persecute where they could to the greatest and often most vicious extent possible.

This was how Hakkar came to hold such a fearsome reputation among mortals.

More than a stern judge of the dead, or agent of divine fury, Hakkar was brutal and merciless in a way few could match and while their kindred were not alarmed, their allies and mortals were.

Ultimately forcing Hakkar's... Censuring.

They were not sealed or banished, merely restricted in conduct and manner, left serving as an escort to their fellows and warden to the damned, Hakkar was slowly forgotten by most mortals.

Until the Invasion of the Burning Legion, made it necessary to call forth every power available.

Hakkar again could revel in the destruction of the unholy, sanctify themselves in the slaying of the prideful and flay the souls of even demons before they could escape into the Nether. But of course, none could not stop what came next, the Sundering.

With the world shattered, mystic powers in chaos and reals further divided than ever before, let alone with the death of several lesser and even Greater Gods, it was a chaotic time to say the least.

One that necessitated and enabled Hakkar's continued roaming.

The Rebirth of a Blood God, the Loa of Blood:
With time, the world began to calm, but that did not mean troubles faded entirely, in fact many seemed to simply grow or change.

One such problem as the decay of the Guurubashi Empire following the recession of flood waters born of I'lalai that left tens of thousands dead and vast fields of crops salted.

Desperate not to merely survive but reclaim their glory, and avoid the riots, some sects of Priests and Nobles invoked rituals that bordered on blasphemy in a bid to call to themselves beings powerful and... Flexible enough to aid them despite their recent failures and hubris.

One would think that invoking Hakkar would be their destruction, but in this case, one would be wrong.

Firstly, while the empires deplorable state was born of the emperor Min'loth's hubris, his targets and methods, while disapproved of by many, were not corrupt or twisted, merely ambitious and brutal. Thus, it did not fall entirely under Hakkar's purview and so while he did destroy and devour the emperor, it did not go farther than that.

The second reason was the rituals used to entice Hakkar's presence, or more, something other than Hakkar that was ultimately frightened away by the Loa's presence. The offerings, the methods of devouring them which would please the called Loa was instead taken by Hakkar, along with his imperial meal.

Never before had Hakkar allowed themself the indulgence of the flesh and blood from which they drew their power. Only harnessing it but never taking it for themselves. But in that moment, the living essence suffused their senses and Hakkar felt their eyes open for what felt like the first time. New power surged in their frame.

Once, Hakkar had only seen blood as a source of power, now though it was so much more.

A source of sickness in foes and strength in oneself, a vector of poisons and plagues, a liquid by which one might leech the life of their foes in aid of one's own. And with this revelation came new sensations of divine ecstasy and hunger!

Golden eyes gazed down upon the supplicants and promised that if they were devoted, they would have all they dreamed of and more, so long as they ensure Hakkar could eat his fill.

Thus, no longer was he the Loa of Blood, but a Blood God.

The Faceless One:
We know what came next, a new rise to power and Hakkar falling into hedonistic excess, reaching new heights might and ambition, Seeking to once again be born into the mortal realms that they might feast and grow and reshape it to their liking.

Ultimately, Hakkar was defeated before this could come about and for a time was stricken from the Pantheons record, rendered nameless, faceless and to be again forgotten.

This would not last of course, Hakkar's few remaining servants yet persisted and as the blood haze faded, a more controlled and contrite Hakkar re-established their self-control.

This did not mean they were again welcomed with open arms in mortal temples, but Hakkar was eventually allowed to live among their own once again, as un-sociable as they tended to be.

The once and former Faceless one was after all, family and friend to many in ages past and above all else incredibly useful, if unpredictable and dangerous at times. But this is hardly new territory for the pantheon, and having their own mighty zealot on speaking terms is better than losing their power in a pointless struggle.

But Hakkar has not forgotten the taste, the power, or their ambitions and now in a calmer saner state of mind, they look out to the living realms and wonder what the new eras will bring.

Domains & Subjects:
Hakkar is a liminal deity and able to pass between the living realms and underworlds with greater ease than most Loa and while no longer a tutelary of the dead or sacred sites, is still a being born and bred to defend and destroy. Making them amongst the most powerful divine combatants. Hakkar ties to the powers of life and especially blood see them holding sway in empowerment and plagues. While their mind has been expanded to perceive and embrace divine madness and ecstasy in equal measure, granting great and terrible influence over the will & perception of others.

Thus, Hakkar's chosen, who persisted outside their cult even in times of punishment or exile, tend to be those who deal and dabble in holy death or oversee punishment of sin & protection of the sacred.

The elite guardians of a temple taught to lay low their life and soul for that which is sacred. The executioners who roam the lands with a warrant in hand, to lay low even the most dangerous foe. The undertakers or, vespillo, who collect and tend to the dead that they might remain holy and pure; as well as the mortician who studies the sickened corpses to uncover what spelled their doom.

Even as they are now, Hakkar is of great aid in, tending to areas, afflictions and adversaries that embody uncleanness, corruption and defilement, sometimes called Tlahēlli. & in this regard, one can even find their chosen among the provosts, or military police and persecutors who oversee discipline and punishment among those charged with doing battle.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, many of Hakkar's natural subjects are not always well liked in their communities or by their peers. Enough-so that even in times of peace with the Blood God many in these careers seek a different patron who share sufficient domains to grant the same boons. Or as mandated, simply never invoke the Soulflayer save in effigy & whisper as the Faceless one, to draw authority & on the wisdom of the temples, but never their power.

Still, one would be unwise to dismiss the Hakkar, for they are hardly harmless, ill equipped or armless and as so many who have faced the obsidian claws of the Great Loa know, Pride heralds the end.

NOTES:

Thanks to @ganonso for discussing this idea with me and providing feedback. This premise was inspired by a mixture of general musings on Hakkar & some potential AU's, such as a Hakkari Horde in the First, or human cultists in the second and so on.

Tlahēlli means the equivalent of filth, excrescence, sin, which aligns well with the Shinto concept of Kegare that was originally used in the drafts. It hails from the goddess, Tlazōlteōtl who eats sin and is integral for the Aztec equivalent of confession.

One thing I opted to do is have to be that when not all blood-ed up, Hakkar's if not more chill then fairly cold and rational if not nice. IE, them sending the PC back to mortal realm rather than get revenge for the past defeat or eat them on sight just because. But when juiced up, they become a lot more unhinged and irrational, so much so they can be tricked into devouring their own curse which was the only reason adventurers actually killed them.

This lets Hakkar walk a line that means they could have the wit and where with all to organize a larger more organized religion or sects, but only if it's carefully managed and they or their followers don't overdo it. Otherwise Hakkar can and will fall into madness and not return for some time.

I also think making Hakkar a Pantheonic champion and foe against the likes of the Old Gods and such does a lot to explain their presence. Plenty of polytheistic religions had gods that were not well liked or popular but oversaw necessary or wrathful domains, so I pulled from the lore of the likes of Xolotl & Sekhmet when writing this.

Anyway, thanks for reading, feedback is always welcome!
 
Hello, everyone! Sorry to revive this thread, not to mention join this thread after thirty or so pages, but I have been rereading a few different old favorite Warcraft fics over the past few days due to my current mood of my muse to sit down to actually write my longtime Warcraft III and Harry Potter Story idea. However, I can't find one of the stories that I vaguely remember. Basically, it starts after the end of Frozen Throne where the Alliance accuses Theramore to have betrayed the Alliance due to the events of the game's story which does lead Theramore to join the Horde. I know it was incomplete but I do not remember how far it got. So anyone know what in the world I am talking about?

EDIT: Found it! It's the Jaina the Red Series by Themme_Fatale over on AO3.
 
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I had a but of fun with this idea and thought I'd share:


Isekai, Kalimdor Edition!
We all thought we were the only one, how wrong we were.​

Birth of the Talon Federation:
Across the Oracle's sanctuary the shadows seemed to come alive, crystal lights pulsed and the gathered retinue of Harpy and Grimtotem alike watched in wary caution as the not quite human, not quite ghostly thing began to speak.

"I have seen what was to pass and watched that future slip through my hands like so much sand; as though someone has taken and shaken the hour glass!" An acussing finger was levelled at Serena. "Now, I cannot say where this worlds salvation lies!"

She swallowed but did not apologize, the human in her memories dreaded this and so many other things, but the Harpy in her was sharp and assured. She would not let her sister and queendom die.

Medivh whirled around the chamber as though he had not stopped talking, voice high and wild and maddened.

"But know this, all who stand before me. Know that the dead already march across the North, know that fire shall rain from the sky and if the world does not unite, all shall perish!"

With that his form began to twist and writhe, magic and flesh reshaping the man like thing into a shadowy raven that vanished into the shadows.

Serena let the tension leave her shoulders, talons flexing, 'I did all I could now its up to them,' she thought, looking to the hand full of representatives from the Stonetalon Matriarchies and of all things, Magatha Grimtotem who merely rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

"Quite the periocular creature, even for an Oracle," she hummed.

Senera shrugged, "His message to King Teranas was about that vague, I think being possessed by Sargeras and killed might have made him a little... Unhinged."

The Tauren chuckled, "Well all prophets are a bit mad, even yourself."

That was when the Bloodfury speaker crowed, "So, visions of the future, say we believe you now. What comes next? We bow to your sister and save the world?"

Serena offered a curt, not quite bow, "My sister and queen has no desire to take the territories of the honored matriarchs merely to be treated with as an equal that we all might survive the coming storm."

Another harpy, from the Southern branches murmured, "War is no small thing, we would need much food, more than we can provide on our own and if we turn to the Kolkar..."

There was a unanimous utterance of concern there that Serena shared; no one wanted to end up truly under their hoof.

Magatha tapped her staff on the stone, "If we could confer with the Theocracy of Agamaggan, they might be able to supply us, though we still risk conflict with the Kolkar before we are ready."

'Typical Magatha, putting us all in line with her ambitions,' some mingled mess of voices spoke in her mind before the memories triumphed and Serena said, "In my time... Memories, Razorfen Downs became a bastion of the Scourge... But then it was also far in the South so..."

Serena was certain she heard an amused, "Quite mad indeed" uttered, before Magatha continued, "All the more reason to see what goes on behind the thorns then."

The Bloodfury speaker clicked her talons, "There are others we can speak with, the Harpies of Desolace perhaps, or even the Northerners?"

Serena nodded at that, frantically, "The Night Elves should be warned, I don't know why Medivh didn't. But the Demon Lord Archimonde wants to absorb the World Tree on Mount Hyjal..." She quieted as the crimson Harpy waved her claw.

"I read your missive, I will... Confer with my matriarch on this," She looked to her fellows who all folded their wings, "So too shall we," They murmured.

Magatha nodded to herself, "I shall be joining you in this, we must stand together against all foes, that our nations might be free."

Even if the prospect of working with Magatha worried the human n her, Serena preened with pride and relief.

If everything went to plan, then the Legions invasion would fail and the Kolkar would fall.

'Just so long as everything goes to plan,' the human side of her thought.

Serena wanted to snicker at such a naïve notion.

Salvation of the Kolkar Khan:
The Great Khan's tent was a monolithic thing, capable of holding over a hundred Centaur and raised on a dais of enchanted wood imported from the once mysterious South-Lands and bedecked in richly painted leathers. The interior was itself grand in a rugged sort of way, with fine incense burning, ornate maps and cushioned chairs, with trophies, relics and more from across Kalimdor on display.

It was also near empty, all save for the Great Khan himself and someone who was once a human, but now a Centaur named Verog the Dervish.

The Great Khan reminded Verog of the comics Perfect One's in many ways, a towering figure even among the Centaur, with hardened features and a powerful presence. Centaur arms were far longer in real life than in a game, their features leaner, sharper and more alien. Dark eyes stared out from beneath an elaborate help as the Great Khan circled Verog who knelt before them, placatingly.

Finally, breaking the tension, the Great Khan spoke.

"You are Verog, one of my many blades, you are also a mad prophet who has my Sorcorers and Stormseers in a frantic state, you are a traitor who conferred with the Gelkis and their mistress of magic, Uthek without permission of the Great Khan whom speaks for all Kolkar."

The Great Khan came to a stop before Verog and growled, "Removed your helmet, Dervish."

Verog licked his lips, hands not quite shaking only thanks to one half of their lives memories of battle and bloodshed keeping them somewhat steady, Verog placed the helmet before the Great Khan and bowed even lower.

The Great Khan continued, "You do all of this on vision and memories and lunatic claims of the Khnate's fall, of dead armies and demons, and all of this rabble rousing you began... and stopped, instead of seeking an audience or raising alarm you send me this... Petition?"

Verog hoped that was a question and answered, "I did not wish to seem like I was... Seeking undeserved acclaim Great Khan; I have memories it is true but they are scattered, confused, only impressions of what might be. I wish only to ensure our future, not my fame."

The Great Khan snorted, their hooves raised and Verog closed their eyes-

There was a crumpling of metal as the Great Khan crush Verog's helm and began to chuckle as he finally looked upon their bronze frame.

"Rise young Khan, I would see one so loyal stand at my side as an advisor rather than kneel in supplication like some lowly herder."

Verog was nearly too relieved to stand, but military discipline carried them to their full height and instincts brought out a salute, "I thank you, Great Khan, I will serve you who embodies the Kolkar till the end of days!"

The Great Khan nodded, "The end of days, yes, we need to ensure those are well off and if your words speak truly we shall do so." A more wicked smirk spread on sharp lips, "Your missive spoke of Thunder Axe Fortress, of a Satyr in the Great Mothers holy tomb, and of the potential... Use of the Bloodhoof family."

"It did great one," Among countless other things in case the Great Khan dismissed and killed them, ensuring Verog's memories wouldn't go to waste even if they did die.

The Great Khan nodded, "With the Gelkis finally submitting in exchange for honored status as subjects, we can push into Desolace with little fear. Yes... I believe we have gotten our use out of the Burning Blade and their ilk." They marched around the map table, finger tracing over central Kalimdor, "First we shall clean up around our hooves, and then, then the Kolkar shall be unstoppable!"

The human in Verog cringed at the thought, even as the Centaur's chest swelled with pride, "All glory to the Khanate, to the Kolkar, to the Great Khan!"

The Unification of the South:

The Thousand Needles had always been one of the cooler if more vexing places to quest, both before and after its flooding. That had been in a game. In real life, it was genuinely so staggeringly beautiful that Lok had been left mute upon their first visit.

'Though it was hardly the first time seeing things in a realistic scale set me off,' they thought with a chuckle.

"Something amuses you?" The Grand Geomancer and Elder Crone asked, drawing Lok back to the moment and away from the rugged huts window and to the dim chamber itself.

"Just going over my memories, old and new, it is... Amusing in their absurdity at times..."

The crone squinted, not quite suspiciously, she had long since passed the point of not taking them seriously. But Lok's early revelations had not been most... Elegant and that reputation did still linger.

'Panicked screaming about an Armageddon and different worlds was not the best opener.'

Finally the Elder nodded, "I imagine so, strange to think all this may end up under water again," she mused, gesturing to the vast drylands below, "It would honestly be more useful like that but our new allies disagree."

"The Cataclysm is a ways off, I think it should be at least seven or more years... Probably..."

The Elder Crone shrugged, "We have more immediate concerns, the Great Speaking shall occur soon and I have heard rumors little prophet."

"Rumors Elder?"

She nodded, "Rumors from the North about the Kolkar's new mandates, strange blends of clemency for some and utter destruction for others. Those Ogres in the swamps now march with the Kolkar while Magram Marauders lie dead alongside Demon Dabblers in Desolace."

That... None of that made any sense, "I am sorry Elder, I cannot say for sure what that means. The memories are vague so maybe this always happened, or maybe a butterfly effect?" Lok froze and made ready to explain only to be waved off.

"I can intuit your meaning Lok, what matters is the Kolkar are clearing out some of the dangers you warned us off, perhaps someone told them, or perhaps they have a prophet of their own. One of these is much worse than the other," Despite her concerned musing, Lok got the sense she was building to something.

"Elder I feel you are keeping something from me."

The Quillboar chuckled, "I am, you shall hear of it at the Great Speaking, but it seems those coastal patrols we talked the trolls into may well be paying off."

Lok nearly tripped over their own hooves, shooting forward and whispering, "They've seen ships?"

Chargla nodded, "With a green sail and golden anchor, just as you said."

Lok swallowed, "Then the Alliance is here."

'Agamaggan preserve us.'

NOTE:
& that as they say is that! Here is a Pre Third War Territory Map: Keep in mind I am using some of my own lore for this, including the map.
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Zam said:
Isekai
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Do you think they'd try to advise the goblins, gnomes and dwarves on how to avoid the problems of our world when it comes to tech development?

Edit: I can also see all 3 of them missing modern amenities like indoor plumbing. So they would probably try to urge their leaders into forming alliances with these species.
 
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