War for Refuge Cove

The War for Refuge Cove is a battle for control of the coastal region of Refuge Cove in Val'sharah.

Siege of Cresthurst
Following a meeting in Farimond, the Blades moved out to relieve the town of Cresthurst that had reached out to them earlier. Warden McCallan took Blades troops to engage the Legion while the Inner Circle circumvented the main siege force to defend the town, with Mayor Joseph Hurst joining them in their fight. Raz'hakr the Hungerer boldly engaged the defenders of Cresthurst on Lord Astaroth's orders with merely a few hundred troops and his own magical might, bringing no siege equipment with him.

The Blades engaged the Legion forces, leading to a brutal battle as Raz'hakr opened a portal for more troops to enter. By the skin of their teeth, the Blades managed to defeat the Legion, destroying the portal and slaying the Hungerer. With Cresthurst saved, Mayor Hurst pledged his town to the Alliance once more and allowed the Blades to establish the outpost of Banehold near the harbor town of Bridgeport.

Meanwhile in Crom'gar, High Warlord Grogus Rockmaw and the Crom'gar War Council assembled their troops to prepare for a takeover of Refuge Cove in the name of Warchief Sylvanas Windrunner.

Murder Investigation
A few days later, a Cresthurst defender rushed into Banehold with most dire news: Mayor Hurst had been killed, and the main suspect was Magistrate Arthur Folken of Bridgeport, who was in town due to the Blades' outpost near Bridgeport drawing the Horde's ire. Though most of the evidence pointed towards the Magistrate, after a thorough investigation of Cresthurst and its inhabitants the Blades eventually discovered the identity of the murderer: "Rothwild Astarn", who was actually Lord Astaroth in disguise.

Though assaulted upon his reveal, Astaroth effortlessly blocked the attacks, revealing that he had grown in power since the last time he faced the Blades. Escaping the Blades with his unknown Succubus assistant who had been disguised as "Shannon Jacobson", Astaroth took Teddy Shaftoe with him, later leaving him at the gates of Crom'gar where he was found by Zan'jul. Shaftoe was later taken to Dreadhold by Louise McCallan.

Despite Mayor Hurst's death and Shaftoe's capture, Astaroth's main goal of worsening relations between the Blades and the people of Refuge Cove failed. In the aftermath of Shaftoe's capture, Warden McCallan led Liam Company to sack a Horde-controlled Warden tower overlooking the Cove.

Bridgeport Negotiations
Thanks to Magistrate Folken, the Blades were allowed to meet with the Mayor of Bridgeport, Faldon Resticor. However, Mayor Resticor had also invited a delegation from the Horde to the negotiations, led by Magistrix-Captain Kara Emberflare, whom brought Shaftoe with them to return him. The talks quickly turned to bickering between the Alliance and Horde, with the mayor very displeased at the waste of time and at the idea of his town taking either side. However, the negotiations were cut short when the Legion opened a portal in the outskirts of the town, unleashing a colossal World-Breaker against the Gilnean town. Resticor gave the two delegations an offer: team up against the Legion forces, and whoever finishes off the demons would be allowed to continue talks with Bridgeport.

The Alliance rushed out to take on the demon, where a small party of champions from the various Orders forming the Armies of Legionfall awaited them. They were joined by the Horde shortly after engaging the World-Breaker. After an extended battle, Captain Emberflare claimed the killing blow on the demon. However, as the Horde began to leave to claim their victory prize from Mayor Resticor, Renat Delhomme and Aeliren Chesterhill opened fire on them and Roderick Gallowood attempted to grip Emberflare to him, forcing her to teleport herself and her outnumbered forces away while the Blademaster Gronak of the Screaming Blade stayed behind to cover their escape. Though he fought with honor and critically wounded Briana Lockewood, it was not enough and he was felled by the Blades.

However, Gronak's last stand gave enough time for the Horde to bring a company of reinforcements, and the Blades were forced to make their escape. With the Horde on their tail, those who couldn't keep up were nearly killed as they were forced to fight for their lives. Though no casualties were taken by the Blades, they were heavily injured by the battle. Despite this, a single raider was let go to send back word, and the Horde immortalized the names of the few who stood their ground as examples of the Blades' best they will face: Renat Delhomme, Briana Lockewood, Johnathan McCallan, Jayden Dragonsblade, Zale Marshoak, Roderick Gallowood and the new kid who managed to survive all of it, Hymus Windsor.

By the skin of their teeth, the Gilneans claimed victory and managed to open further talks with Bridgeport through deceptive and dishonorable tactics, despite the Horde offering to share in the glory.

Horde Counter-offensive
In response to the Alliance's dishonorable tactics, High Warlord Rockmaw summoned his finest troops, assembling the officers of the Crom'gar War Council in one place for the first time. Following an Alliance company being spotted hanging the Elven emissaries in Esterwyld, the High Warlord sent a company to deal with them. However, not having heard from them in a time he sent Commander Harku Firecut to investigate along with his finest officers.

Arriving at the missing company's last known location, they found a thick mist within which a Worgen figure stood. A Troll headhunter touched the mist in an attempt to attack the Worgen, only for his skin to become pale and his veins to turn black, begging to be put down. As the mist dissipated, the War Council was beset by the company of Alliance soldiers, headed by Nathan Torrickson, the Hand of the Warden. Though the Alliance fought valiantly, they took heavy losses in the fight, and Torrickson ordered those who could to run and bring word back to the Warden.

In his final moments, Torrickson realized that a third party was responsible for the "Gift's" propagation, learning that the Horde was also affected by it. He took this knowledge with him to his grave, holding a last stand against the Horde and biting High Warlord Rockmaw in the neck before being impaled on the remaining headhunters' spears. In honor of his courage and refusal to surrender, the High Warlord ordered to have Torrickson buried in Crom'gar, before ordering his men to begin building ships, finding themselves without the option to cross Bridgeport because of the Alliance's deceitful actions.

Nathan Torrickson was officially relieved of his sentence and posthumously promoted from the rank of Sergeant to Major in honor of his deeds, and the Warden dismissed the Inner Circle from the campaign, stating that "there will be more fighting to come, but now is a time for preparation".