World of Warcraft # 16 arrived to my home today. In this issue, Thrall and Varian arrive to Theramore to meet Jaina Proudmoore and Magna Aegwynn. They wish to resume their negotiation, interrupted when King Varian was kidnapped by the Defias Brotherhood. We don’t get to see yet the meeting. However, we get to see what’s going on behind the scenes. It is awesome to see more lore continuity tips in this comic book. In this issue, we see Ahn’Qiraj temple. C’thun is mentioned to be dead. The Twilight’s Hammer and its leader are within C’thun chamber.
We find out that Valeera Sanguinar’s ancestor was a high elf mage member of the Council of Tirisfal who Aegwynn met. Thus, one of the reasons she is watching and protecting her. We will find out in upcoming issues more about the Emerald Dream status quo with the Nightmare as Broll has departed the peace summit in Theramore to assist Fandral in Teldrassil.
Garrosh Hellscream accompanies Thrall and Rehgar Earthfury to the Summit with King Varian Wrynn, which in itself might make some fans scratch their forehead. C’thun is dead and Garrosh is already in Kalimdor. This is clearly a sign that the comic book will very soon synch with Wrath of the Lich King, letting us know more of the behind the scenes details surrounding Northrend and its races; and the Lich King.
This was the description of the comic book # 16 given a few weeks ago:
 Blizzard Quote: |
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| WORLD OF WARCRAFT #16
On sale February 18 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US Written by Walter Simonson |
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I will proceed to summarize this issue for those who aren’t able to subscribe overseas. Heavy Spoilers.
SPOILERS
Theramore
In Theramore, Broll is asleep ... dreaming. Fandral Staghelm appears in his nightmare using the Idol of Remulos as a beacon to summon Broll to return to Darnassus. In this nightmare, Teldrassil is seen in the Emerald Dream as a tainted manifestation of evil. Broll’s dream-self flies toward Teldrassil and finds Fandral who asks Broll to come. Some Night Elves are trapped in the Emerald Dream unable to wake up.
Valeera Sanguinar attempts with no results to awaken Broll from his nightmare, and decides to throw cold water on his face. This awakens him abruptly, making him half-shapeshift into bear form to defend himself from any attack. Coming to his senses, he realizes it was a good idea to wake him up in such an unpleasant way. Broll and Valeera approach King Varian. Broll tells Varian he won’t be able to accompany him to the Horde/Alliance Peace Summit, and asks him to take care of Valeera. Broll departs en route to Darnassus.
Ahn’Qiraj Temple
C’thun is dead. But the Twilight’s Hammer is now within the temple, before C’thun’s corpse. Stasia (forsaken) arrives to the Ahn’Qiraj temple with the tauren Stonehoof and a troll and other few survivors—carrying a special prisoner in chains. It is Garona. Stasia tells Stonehoof that Garona was Gul’dan’s emissary to meet the Last Guardian Medivh. And that Garona killed King Llane of Stormwind. And was never seen afterwards.
Stasia tells Garona they let the boy go for now, that their real target was her all along. The boy was the bait. She tells Garona she shouldn’t deny it ... they know the boy—Med’an—is her son.
They finally enter C’thun Chamber where they meet with the master of the Twilight’s Hammer ... Cho’gall the Ogre Magi. Cho’gall asks Stasia if the control word was successful. It is implied that Garona underwent a conditioning of some type. When this control word is spoken, she falls under her master’s control. Whether this conditioning was put in place by Gul’dan or whether this is the same curse by Sargeras is yet unknown. However, when the control word is spoken, you can see special purple glyphs around Garona—which means it is Eredun (demonic Eredar language).
The chained Garona growls in anger wondering how Cho’gall is still alive and why attack her and the boy. Cho’gall reveals they know the boy is her son. That the boy is the focus of an ancient prophecy. And when the time comes, the Twilight’s Hammer will help the boy focus that potential to their own ends.
Orgrimmar
Rehgar Earthfury tells Thrall it isn’t a good idea to bring Garrosh Hellscream to the Peace Summit in Theramore. Garrosh isn’t too happy with Thrall wasting time with humans in this summit. Regardless, he is content in accompanying Thrall to ... see the impenetrable fortress of Theramore, to study any weaknesses from within. He slashes out at Rehgar that Kalimdor should be only for the orcs. Thrall debates they destroyed their own world, and they are now guests of Kalimdor as much as these humans are.
Ahn’Qiraj Temple
A chained Garona rebels and attempts to escape to protect her son. She breaks free from the chains and attacks Stonehoof, but Eredun glyphs surround her freezing her in place as if in a trance, falling into Cho’gall’s control.
Cho’gall orders Garona to follow Stasias’ commands as if they came from himself. When she becomes free of the control spell she is to remember nothing about their meeting, nothing about Ahn’Qiraj and its location, about the Twilight’s Hammer or her orders. She is completely under his mind control. All her tasks are to be remembered as done under her very own desires. Garona’s tasks are to kill King Varian. Then Anduin Varian. And Thrall. Once Garona has killed her three targets, Stasia is to say the command words in Eredun to freeze Garona defenseless, allowing the Alliance or the Horde to kill her.
Stasia asks Cho’gall, what if she overcomes the mind control. After all, she wasn’t supposed to break free of the chains just minutes ago and attack Twilight’s Hammer members. Cho’gall then reassures their plan will still work. Those among the Twilight’s Hammer who are trolls and tauren will attack the Alliance, making it look like the Horde is behind the attack. The Alliance would attack the Horde leaders. This turmoil would give Garona the opportunity to kill Varian and Anduin. If Garona’s mind control doesn’t hold, at least the Alliance and the Horde would blame each other for the attack ensuring an open war.
Cho’gall put blocks of memories within Garona, that she could break over time. If Garona breaks free during the assassination attempt, the Alliance will kill her for them. Otherwise, Stasia is ordered to kill her after she has accomplished her tasks.
Theramore
Valeera Sanguinar and Magna Aegwynn talk alone at the top of Theramore Keep. Aegwynn is concerned about Valeera’s sadness with the departure of Broll. Valeera thinks she won’t see him alive again. Aegwynn reveals to Valeera that she met her ancestor—Relfthra Sanguinar—an ancient high elf mage that was member of the order she belonged to. Surprisingly ... Valeera knows this order was the Council of Tirisfal. Valeera confesses she knew about this order as a child. She had perused through some secret records about an order of sorcerers founded by the high elves to protect Azeroth from demonic forces. From that moment forth, Valeera always wished to grow up to be like him. Aegwynn confirms the Council of Tirisfal is no more.
Brightwood Grove, Duskwood
Med’an wonders who the orc woman that protected him was. He had seen her before from afar when he was a child. She looked so sad. A worgen attacks Med’an, but he easily dispatches it with his staff. Med’an continues pondering why Meryl lied about knowing who the orc woman was, and how could he have met her. At that moment, a forsaken on a bat flies down toward Meryl’s cabin. Med’an spies nearby, and magically calls the wind to allow him to listen to their chatting. The forsaken Koron tells Meryl that Cho’gall has captured Garona. Meryl is astonished ... he thought Cho’gall had died on the Broken Isles.
An informant of Koron says Cho’gall ordered the assassination of King Varian in Theramore during the peace summit, and tells Meryl that the ogre magi has a hold over her. Koron warns Meryl this is the last time he spies for him. His favor is repaid with this leak of information. If the Dark Lady Sylvanas finds out he has been aiding him, he would be executed. Med’an is surprised to find out this orc female is his mother. He decides to mount the bat to take him to Kalimdor.
Theramore Keep
An unusual dense fog and rain hit Theramore Isle. Jaina watches through the window and worries Thrall’s Zeppelin won’t be able to see the lighthouse signals and may not find Theramore in time for the summit. In the meantime, Valeera asks Aegwynn how did Jaina meet Thrall. Anduin asks his father if he misses Stormwind. King Varian confirms it, but he knows how important his mission is to bring future peace and prosperity for his kingdom. However, Varian is not too happy with the pact to not bring weapons to this summit. He can’t but feel concerned. He doesn’t trust the orcs. Jaina spots the Zeppelin through the window.
Aboard the Zeppelin, Thrall, Rehgar Earthfury and Garrosh Hellscream talk. Rehgar is impressed to find out that Thrall met Jaina before the battle of Mount Hyjal. Thrall tells how they met and fought alongside humans and night elves to defeat Archimonde and the Burning Legion. Garrosh finds this swamp weather bothersome, but it has plenty of timber and stone based on his quick study of the Theramore Fortress ... a place rich in many things the orcs ... need.
Garrosh brings up his concern that Thrall should not have accepted to surrender their weapons in order to talk to humans in this summit.
High above in the sky, between the dense fog, arrive a mind controlled Garona and the Horde traitors that now serve Cho’gall—flying down on their bats. They aren’t able to see the Zeppelin, nor Theramore. To their advantage, nor the Theramore guards below. Ready to carry out their mission ... they descend.
