A Letter to Kagarn

To Kagarn Stormhoof of the Earthen Ring:

In the event of my death or failure to return, I have a vital mission for you. Completion of this project will mean peace throughout the Eastern Kingdoms - contingent upon our defeat of Nazjatar, of course - and a path to peace between the Alliance and the Horde.

Some background is necessary here. In 583 (according to the King's Calendar; the tauren calendar reckons differently), the orcs arrived via Medivh's Dark Portal and began to establish themselves. 593 marked the start of the First War. At that time, the orcs were still dominated by their blood-lust; by the time it was fully overcome, the orc homeworld of Draenor was a twisted wreck. At this point, orcish culture has no choice but to establish itself on Azeroth and remain there indefinitely.

Alliances are often born from desperation, and as we have seen, we live in desperate times. International cooperation has been necessary to secure peace in hostile territory such as Silithus and the Barrens. The tauren, the blood elves and the Forsaken alone would quickly fall if abandoned by their respective faction. So, too, might Stormwind be overrun without the support of its dwarven allies, and Stormwind in turn has helped contain the spread of the dwarves' foes to the south. Further, the threat of emerging Old Gods and their minions proves the need for a strong, centralized military.

Taking these facts into account, the logical conclusion is a negotiation of peace between the Alliance and the Horde. The two races most likely to oppose this at the moment are the most powerful and outspoken members of each respective faction: orcs and humans. We may disregard the night elf emnity against the trolls for the moment, as the two live on separate continents and tend not to interact. Matters between the night elves and the orcs appear to concern specific grievances over land, and over war crimes, which may be amenable to negotiation. I have already taken steps to secure a peace between the elves and the orcs, and more steps will be taken in the future. Beyond this, I am familiar with the work of Jaina Proudmoore to establish and maintain a peace on Kalimdor. This leaves only the Eastern Kingdoms.

Due to events of the Third War, there is still a great deal of mistrust centered on the Forsaken, and on the blood elves - the two members of the Horde who make their home on the eastern continent. Because of this, the missing link in the chain of peace must be forged between these two groups and the humans. I believe that the key to peace lies with the Forsaken, and have believed this throughout my studies in history. To that end I have worked to position the Forsaken to bridge the gap between Alliance and Horde. As key contributing members of the Horde, I have tried to give the Warchief every reason to trust us, and encouraged Sylvanas Windrunner to operate as a trustworthy ruler. In turn, the spread of the Sacred Fire will return life to the Forsaken, and this will hopefully help to overcome the visceral dislike of the undead which humans have naturally acquired. Their own faith in the Holy Light - a power which does nothing against living Forsaken, as I have found - will spur them to reason: "if the Light which harms the Scourge does nothing against these, then they must somehow be good".

Feelings of comfort emerge from safe boundaries. For northern Lordaeron and the Horde, this must be a newly energized and reliable Forsaken. This is an opportunity for the Forsaken to reclaim what was theirs, and to share it with others who have a stake as well. We have the following assets with which to work:

Alterac. The kingdom is currently nonexistent; my understanding is that a few lingering fortifications still exist in the mountains, and that ogres roam the ruins.

Dalaran. Peace with the Forsaken may cause them to come out of their shell and assist us.

Sookie. From the information I've pieced together, she is the only heir to the Perenolde family name that anyone in Stormwind is likely to accept. The others are probably members of the Syndicate.

The lamia. They can easily colonize the interior lakes of the continent, and are predisposed to endear themselves to their neighbors.

Putting these pieces to work, I believe the best way to proceed is to refortify Alterac. Highly capable wizards can raise fortifications from the ground in weeks - and in the mountainous terrain, such walls would be nigh-impregnable against even a determined naga assault. From Alterac, goblin airships may proceed across the continent without fear of assault by anything but magically-empowered naga witches. Such airships are small enough to carry at most an elite strike force, and signaling mechanisms may be instituted to ensure that an airship's crew are not under duress (within reason).

A fortification is nothing without an authority to use it. You should guide Sookie to seek recognition from the aristocracy of Stormwind, to press for royal recognition as a legitimate heir to the Perenolde name and hence to Alterac, and to move north and rein in the Syndicate's activities. Make it clear to Stormwind's nobles that they need do nothing but approve; their greed or fear may be satisfied by demonstrating that Sookie can be literally commanded to conduct herself according to the rules of diplomacy and war, and that she may be compelled to act in an honorable fashion. Alterac may then become a neutral ground for both Alliance and Horde to meet, do business, and encounter each other peacefully. The lamia may occupy the lake, lending their strength and wisdom to the affair.

Together, Jaina and Sookie will hold the Alliance and Horde together in peace - and if some madman should threaten that arrangement, have Saeren take care of it.

Victory for Sylvanas,

- E.