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happy to have the warchief and, now, his lady come to visit.”
“I am not the warchief,” Thrall said, “not for some time anyway. Garrosh will continue as acting warchief in my absence.”
Gazlowe grumbled a bit. “Bad business that, with Cairne.”
Thrall sobered. “True,” he said. “A tragedy that has lessened us all. But Garrosh did not act dishonorably. And that is all I will say on the matter. You say the ship is ready?”
“Ready and waiting,” Gazlowe said. As they approached, Aggra saw the name of the ship.
“Draka’s Fury,” she said, grinning. “A good choice for our journey.”
“It seemed to fit,” Thrall said. “I wanted to honor the strong orc females who have blessed my life.”
Aggra actually blushed and looked a little flustered. “It will be a long journey.”
“But the right one,” Thrall said. He did not have a second thought. He had been called, and he would go. Not as warchief, but as himself.
As Thrall.
Son of Durotan and Draka.
Shaman.
NOTES
The story you’ve just read is based in part on characters, situations, and settings from Blizzard Entertainment’s computer game World of Warcraft, an online role-playing experience set in the award-winning Warcraft universe. In World of Warcraft, players create their own heroes and explore, adventure in, and quest across a vast world shared with thousands of other players. This rich and expansive game also allows players to interact with and fight against or alongside many of the powerful and intriguing characters featured in this novel.
Since launching in November 2004, World of Warcraft has become the world’s most popular subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game. The Wrath of the Lich King expansion sold more than 2.8 million copies within its first twenty-four hours of availability and more than 4 million copies in its first month, breaking records to become the fastest-selling PC game of all time. More information about the upcoming expansion, Cataclysm, which continues the story of Azeroth where this novel ends, can be found on worldofwarcraft.com.
FURTHER READING
If you’d like to read more about the characters, situations, and settings featured in this novel, the sources listed below offer additional pieces of the story of Azeroth.
• Thrall’s intriguing background—depicted in Warcraft: Lord of the Clans by Christie Golden—has allowed him to form strong bonds with humans such as Jaina Proudmoore. You can find more information about Thrall and Jaina’s friendship in World of Warcraft: Cycle of Hatred by Keith R. A. DeCandido as well as in issues #15–20 of the monthly World of Warcraft comic book by Walter and Louise Simonson, Jon Buran, Mike Bowden, Phil Moy, Walden Wong, and Pop Mhan. Additional insight into the lives of Thrall’s ancestors is revealed in World of Warcraft: Rise of the Horde by Christie Golden.
• In this novel, Prince Anduin Wrynn struggles to cope with the violent and short-tempered “Lo’Gosh” side of his father, Varian. Further details about Anduin’s relationship with Varian, as well as his life as the prince of Stormwind, are depicted in the monthly World of Warcraft comic book by Walter and Louise Simonson, Ludo Lullabi, Jon Buran, Mike Bowden, Sandra Hope, and Tony Washington.
• The headstrong Garrosh Hellscream appears alongside Thrall in issues #15–20 of the monthly World of Warcraft comic book by Walter and Louise Simonson, Jon Buran, Mike Bowden, Phil Moy, Walden Wong, and Pop Mhan. In addition, a glimpse into Garrosh’s life before he became a praised hero of the Horde can be seen in World of Warcraft: Beyond the Dark Portal by Aaron Rosenberg and Christie Golden.
• The treacherous events of the Wrath Gate, including the tragic death of the Horde hero Saurfang the Younger, are portrayed in the short story “Glory” by Evelyn Fredericksen (on www.worldofwarcraft.com).
• Orgrimmar’s arena has seen many brutal battles, one of which was between Garrosh Hellscream and Thrall. The reasons behind their duel and its outcome are shown in issue #19 of the monthly World of Warcraft comic book by Walter and Louise Simonson, Mike Bowden, Phil Moy, Richard Friend, and Sandra Hope.
• Drek’Thar is an aging and absentminded orc shaman in this book, but he once acted as Thrall’s tutor in Warcraft: Lord of the Clans by Christie Golden. Drek’Thar’s past is also described in World of Warcraft: Rise of the Horde by Christie Golden.
• Jaina Proudmoore strives to mediate conflicts between the Alliance and the Horde in the monthly World of Warcraft comic book by Walter and Louise Simonson, Ludo Lullabi, Jon Buran, Mike Bowden, Sandra Hope, and Tony Washington, as well as in World of Warcraft: Cycle of Hatred by