Here continues the tale of a handful of would be heroes of the Horde...
The truce between the Horde and Theramore Isle is holding, but there are grudges on both sides. Both Alliance and Horde races expand across Kalimdor, settling in whatever habitable locations they can find. Lordaeron remains controlled by the undead, although a civil war rages between Arthas' Scourge and those undead who have broken his control, called the Forsaken. Demons roam freely across the world, terrorizing what few human forces remain. Although the world has suffered bloodshed and warfare for years, there is still no indication that the turmoil will end soon. Each of the mortal races begins to position itself for what could soon become the most crucial period of time in the world's history.
An Excerpt from Brann Bronzebeard To His Highness, King Magni Bronzebeard, Rightful Sovereign of Ironforge and Dun Morogh, and Grand Explorer of the Guild --
The Barrens are massive '€" it took days for me to cover the whole thing, even riding a borrowed ram for most of the journey. I left from Ratchet the Goblin Port town and traveled north exploring the other regions. After visiting several Horde settlements, I realized something important.
With the exception of the Forsaken, the Horde seems to have less tension among their races than we do in the Alliance. While I drink with humans and elves on a regular basis, and gnomes have always been our close friends, I rarely see the level of kinship among us as I saw among the Horde. I noted several mixed race groups practicing for contests in the Darkmoon Fair in Mulgore. To be blunt, I envy the amount of cooperation I saw here, and I'd like to see our own people get off their high horses and work together like this. The kinship here reminded me of what I saw in the Second War '€" I'm reminded of a high elf priest who saved my hide and nearly lost his own life in the process '€" and it's something I haven't personally seen much since within the Alliance. The Alliance needs a real smack in the face, because we aren't working as a team, and that needs to change '€" and fast.
The Barrens is a land of blasted rock and dirt, a sharp contrast to the surrounding lands. Perhaps the most important feature of the Barrens is that it is connected to so many other regions. From the Barrens, one can travel to Ashenvale in the north, Durotar in the northeast, the Stonetalon Mountains in the southwest, Mulgore in the west, Dustwallow Marsh in the southwest, and Thousand Needles in the south. One can reach any of these locations from a single road, and Crossroads provides flying mounts to the Horde as well. The central portion of the Barrens is almost all flatland, with a few trees and pools of carefully guarded water. The borders are marked with low mountain ranges that can be crossed with sufficient effort.
Dawn is rising over the Barrens and The Crossroads threatening to be hot once again (as it always is). Their task today is simple, join up with the Venture Company Carvan that is traveling northeast to Durotar and to make sure the wagons and the goblins reach the Hordelands there safely.
Hand picked, the Talonbreakers are representing the Horde to the Venture Company on this trip and success or failure could mean strong economic growth or terrible embargoes from the large goblin trading company.
One by one the Orcs, Goblin and Tauren wake, perform their morning rituals and come to the soldier mess hall in the barraks they are staying in. The Venture Company caravan will be getting ready near the kodo pens, but you still have about and hours worth of time before you have to be there. The soldier's mess is a long hall with tables and benches set up for orcish eating. Peons move around the room serving food to the warriors and others that are sitting here eating. The room has a constant dull roar of conversations from the orcs present as they go about eating their breakfast. About a dozen or so other Orcs are present from various groups in and around Crossroads.
