Storyline

Lord Admiral Jaina Proudmoore led Alliance forces on a daring gambit to besiege the golden pyramid of Dazar’alor. They disabled most of the Zandalari fleet with clandestine explosives and distracted the Horde’s armies in the swamplands of Nazmir. By the time the Horde’s champions discovered the deception, the Alliance had already reached the steps of Dazar’alor. The ruler of Zandalar, King Rastakhan, fought to the death rather than surrender his ancient kingdom. Though their attack dealt a crippling blow to the Zandalari, the Alliance was forced to retreat as the Horde took back the city and mortally wounded High Tinker Mekkatorque. Determined to regain the upper hand in the war, Warchief Sylvanas Windrunner plotted to undermine the Alliance from within. She revealed a plan to twist the mind of Derek Proudmoore—Jaina's long dead brother, newly raised into undeath—and unleash him as a weapon against his family. Baine Bloodhoof refused to permit Sylvanas's warped scheme to unfold, so he chose to free Derek and return him to Jaina. When his defiance was discovered, the tauren chieftain was imprisoned as a traitor. Meanwhile, naga invaders assaulted the coastlines of Kul Tiras and Zandalar in increasing numbers. Repelling those attacks led Azeroth's champions to rediscover a lost artifact: Xal'atath, Blade of the Black Empire. The dagger's maddening whispers drew a band of heroes into the Crucible of Storms, where dark forces gathered to awaken the long-imprisoned Old God, N'Zoth. While the threat appeared to be contained, N'Zoth's numberless servants will not rest until their master rises once again...