Heart of Sorrow

Heart of Sorrow was a narrative campaign that took place in the Swamp of Sorrows, located along the borderlands of the Kingdom of Stormwind. Towards the end of the Blood War, the Banshee Queen Sylvanas Windrunner betrayed the Horde and fled into hiding along with her loyal followers. The Alliance and Horde then signed an armistice, officially ending hostilities between both factions. This peace allowed both factions to focus on the hunt for Sylvanas and the growing threat of the Azerite crisis and the rise of N'zoth, the Old God of the Deep. The threat of Sylvanas' loyalists was much closer than originally anticipated, however, as her agents began striking covertly at the homelands of the Alliance and the Horde.

In autumn of 39, a group of loyalists attacked the southern borderlands of Redridge, striking as deep as the edges of the County of Fairshire. In response, the Fifth Legion, who were garrisoned in Fairshire, mobilized to meet this threat. From a captured Forsaken prisoner, Vanessa Blakemoore, it was learned that the Forsaken in the region were once commanded by High Executor Janus Blackwyrm. Blackwyrm, however, had betrayed the cause of Sylvanas and gone rogue in the Swamp of Sorrows. He was searching for some mysterious dark power in Temple of Atal'Hakkar, an ancient troll temple deep in the heart of the mire. With their destination set, the Fifth sent a detachment of troops under the command of Lieutenants Edrington Grunwald and Eviellena Blakemoore.

In mid-November, the Fifth's vanguard attacked Blackwyrm's loyalists and sought clues as to his whereabouts. To facilitate this hunt, the Fifth enlisted the assistance of the local Alliance garrison at Marshtide Watch and the Horde's forces in Stonard. Maintaining tense but productive cross-factional cooperation, Alliance and Horde forces pinned the High Executor down at his stronghold in the Temple of Atal'Hakkar. A decisive attack was launched during the last days of the incursion, resulting in heavy losses on all sides. In the end, High Executor Blackwyrm was found and eliminated, his plans of 'ascension' foiled by the Alliance and Horde. All artifacts related to the dark power Blackwyrm sought to unleash were destroyed, with any remaining intelligence on Sylvanas' loyalists distributed between the Alliance and Horde. With their mission complete, the Fifth's vanguard marched back into Redridge and towards the County of Fairshire.

Day 1: Going in Country
The Fighting Fifth moved out from Fort Fordragon, marching overland from Redridge along the mountain passes and straight into the Swamp of Sorrows. It was an oppressive climate, even as the summer monsoons began to withdraw. Upon their arrival, they were greeted by the Alliance garrison at Marshtide Watch, their temporary base of operations for the campaign. Together, on neutral ground, they also met the Horde representatives. However, the meeting was ruined by an attack, as Blackwyrm’s loyalists sought to decapitate the leadership of both factions!

The Fifth fought off the attack, saving both faction's representatives and establishing good rapport with the Horde.

Day 2: The Hunt Begins
Having fought off the loyalists, the Fifth regrouped at Marshtide Watch and made their way to the heartland of the Swamp -- the Shifting Mire. There, they trudged through difficult terrain, venomous plants, and bestial wildlife all seeking to stop them in their tracks. Eventually, they found the remnants of a ruined Alliance scout camp. Horde weapons are scattered all around. Tensions rose, as the bodies of Alliance troops rotted away in the sweltering swampy heat. Yet, not all was at it seemed, as the Fifth investigated further.

The Fifth discovered that Blackwyrm had planted agents among the dead. Whether the Horde had actually attacked the camp in the first place was never definitively determined.

Day 3: Unstoppable Force
Even as the Fifth continued their mission to find High Executor Blackwyrm and his base of operations, the Alliance and Horde continued to go for each other’s throats. New territorial boundaries and shared authority over the hunt for Blackwyrm were still up for debate, and it was quickly turning into an armed confrontation. Had the Fifth’s actions changed the hearts of the region’s commanders, or would they be forced into another battle?

Thankfully, timely intervention by the Fifth resulted in a deescalation of hostilities and a refocusing on Blackwyrm.

Day 4: Immovable Object
As the Horde and Alliance came to terms with peace, Blackwyrm was busy. Unveiling his newfound discovery from the Temple of Atal’Hakkar, a risen voidwyrm, the Alliance and Horde in the Swamp of Sorrows were at threat of being wiped out. The Fifth moved to stop Blackwyrm and his loyalists before the province was lost. However, the Fifth debated on balancing out the Alliance and the Horde’s needs for defense. Would one have to bear the burden of Blackwyrm’s attack?

The decision was made to rush to the assistance of the Horde, hoping that their numbers could tip the scales. Knight-Champion Fulton, second-in-command of Marshtide Watch, led a failed attack on the Temple of Atal'Hakkar. Both Alliance and Horde regrouped within the hour and prepared to launch their second wave.

Day 5: The Horror, the Horror!
With the way into the temple open, the Fifth ventured deep into the heart of the Temple of Atal’Hakkar. The loyalist Forsaken that lingered in the halls sought to stop the Fifth’s advance, fanatical in their stubbornness to defend their High Executor. However, in the end, only Blackwyrm and his voidwyrm remained. What was his plan all along? What lied in store for the Fighting Fifth at the end of the temple? And how would they deal with Blackwyrm, his ultimate fate, and the Alliance and Horde’s wishes?

In the end, Blackwyrm succumbed to his dark powers, swallowed by the Void. The voidwyrm was defeated as well, resulting in total victory for the Alliance and the Horde. A mutual agreement was reached between both factions, with Blackwyrm's remains going to the Horde and any intelligence he had left behind equally distributed between both forces. The remnants of Blackwyrm's followers were either slain or driven from the swamp.

Day 6: New Friends, New Enemies?
As Blackwyrm met his fate and his master plan was unveiled, the results of the Fifth’s time in the Swamp of Sorrow led to a brighter if uncertain future. The Alliance and Horde accepted the shaky peace that followed the end of the Blood War, though only time will tell if the peace will be a lasting one. The Alliance at Marshtide remained dubious of the Fifth and their willingness to cooperate with the Horde, while the Horde were grateful for the Fifth Legion's trust. Either way, the Fifth's objectives in the Swamp of Sorrows were complete and their incursion into the mire was a success.