Fourth War

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This article is about the event known as the Battle for Azeroth. For the expansion, see World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth.

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The battle for Azeroth is an intercontinental war between the Alliance and Horde following the third invasion of the Burning Legion and the Argus Campaign. With the Legion defeated and Azeroth left scarred by Sargeras' final attack, tensions between the two superpowers once again reached a fever pitch as they scrambled for the new Azerite resource. The two sides recruit new allies to bolster their depleted ranks.

Prelude

Following the official end of the Alliance-Horde war that began prior to the Cataclysm and ended few months after the discovery of Pandaria followed by the peace agreement made by High King Varian Wrynn and the newly-appointed Warchief Vol'jin after the previous warchief, Garrosh Hellscream was overthrown, only small skirmishes occurred between the two factions on the isle of Ashran on the alternate Draenor.

Legion

This section concerns content related to Legion.

When the Burning Legion at last made its return, both factions initially worked together, but Varian Wrynn and Vol'jin were killed in action during the disastrous Battle for the Broken Shore. King Genn Greymane and Lady Jaina Proudmoore, blaming the Horde for Varian's death, wished to renew hostilities with the Horde. The newly appointed Warchief, Sylvanas Windrunner, became a focus of Greymane's aggression.

Meanwhile, Windrunner sought to strengthen the Horde by scheming of ways to create new Forsaken Val'kyr, so she traveled to Stormheim where the Alliance and Horde forces engaged in battles. Eventually, Sylvanas managed to capture Eyir, but her plans ultimately failed when Genn Greymane tracked her, fought with the Banshee Queen and released Eyir by shattering the Soulcage.

For the reminder of the war against the Legion, the hostilities between the Horde and Alliance ceased, and the kaldorei and sin'dorei elves even put the hostilities aside in order to work together with the nightfallen led by Thalyssra. They aided them in their revolution to liberate Suramar City from Elisande the Legion. Following the deaths of Gul'dan and Kil'jaeden, Prophet Velen called on the Alliance and Horde members to Azuremyst Isle in order to travel to Argus.

Following the Argus Campaign, however, both factions converged on the destroyed Silithus, spying and thwarting each other's efforts, as well as engaging on skirmishes on the newly uncovered Seething Shore where they fought to control the first Azerite nodes and ore.

Before the Storm

This section concerns content related to the Warcraft novels, novellas, or short stories.

Main article: Gathering (event)

Thanks to the efforts of King Anduin Wrynn, the Forsaken of the Desolate Council met with the chosen human relatives and friends from Stormwind in the Gathering in Arathi Highlands. The meeting wasn't about bringing peace between the two factions, but it reunited long-stranded persons and brought a cease-fire for one day. As Warchief Sylvanas Windrunner and Anduin were aware that their factions are not ready for a war, they agreed to the terms of the Gathering and promised they would not harm the other faction's members. The Gathering, however, ended up in a disaster. Upon seeing the Forsaken trying to defect to the Alliance, Sylvanas ordered her dark rangers to kill her people but spare the humans as to not start a war.

New allies

As the Silithus battles raged on, the Alliance and Horde opened new embassies where the leaders of their respective factions discussed how to prepare against the opposite faction. Following the Legion wars, the Alliance and Horde ranks were depleted so they needed to gain new allies. As such, Lady Liadrin and Baine Bloodhoof recruited the nightborne elves of Suramar, who already distrusted the night elves, and the Highmountain tauren tribes of Highmountain, respectively. Thanks to the efforts of Turalyon and Alleria Windrunner, the Alliance gained new allies in the Lightforged draenei of the Grand Army of the Light and the exiled Thalassian blood elves who became void elves.

Jaina: Reunion

As the Alliance and Horde entered the new conflict, Kul Tirans learned about it, and Lord Admiral Katherine Proudmoore remained persistent that they will stay neutral and won't rejoin the Alliance. Jaina Proudmoore, impersonating an old woman and hearing the dialogue, resolved to convince them otherwise.

References

Template:Conflicts in WoW from Cataclysm through Legion