World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 3

World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 3 is the third and final installment of the World of Warcraft: Chronicle series. It covers the events of Warcraft III up through World of Warcraft: Cataclysm. Like the previous volume, Volume 3 takes a pretty high level approach to the events.

Description
''Blizzard Entertainment and Dark Horse Books are proud to present the third installment of their bestselling World of Warcraft Chronicle series! Like its predecessors, Volume III features beautiful full-color artwork by Peter Lee, Emily Chen, Stanton Feng, and other fan-favorite artists, as well as intricately detailed maps and spot art by Joseph Lacroix. Bolster your knowledge of Warcraft lore with this striking third volume!''

Contents
World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 3 is divided into the following sections:
 * Chapter I: The Rising Darkness, describing the aftermath of the Second War.
 * Chapter II: The Third War, describing the events of the Third War.
 * Chapter III: The Frozen Throne, describing the rise of the Lich King.
 * Chapter IV: Old Hatreds, describing the aftermath of the Third War until the reopening of the Dark Portal.
 * Chapter V: The Burning Crusade, describing the invasion of Outland and defeat of Kil'jaeden at the reignited Sunwell.
 * Chapter VI: Wrath of the Lich King, describing the invasion of Northrend, the Nexus War, and the fall of the Lich King.
 * Chapter VIII: Cataclysm, describing Deathwing's cataclysmic reemergence from the Elemental Plane and his subsequent defeat.

Subjects covered
The following are subjects that have been announced to be covered in Volume 3 by Matt Burns:


 * Gnomes. Burns has also expressed a desire to delve into the gnomish government.
 * Maiev Shadowsong.
 * Information about liches.
 * Ethereals.
 * A map of Outland.
 * Darkspear tribe.
 * There is art planned for Orgrim Doomhammer, but it's more focused on Thrall.
 * A little bit about Lady Vashj's motivations for joining Illidan Stormrage.
 * Kel'Thuzad and the formation of the Cult of the Damned.
 * The Old Gods will be talked about throughout the book. The book will touch on the relation between Yogg-Saron and the Scourge, but won't go into too much detail about specifics.
 * Why Kael'thas Sunstrider betrayed Illidan in favor of the Burning Legion.
 * The blood elves taking Tempest Keep and the flight of the draenei from Outland to Azeroth.


 * Subjects announced but not covered
 * Grommash drinking twice as well as fel orcs and why it made them red.
 * Glaive of the Aspects.
 * Kalecgos becoming Aspect.
 * The Razorbranch tribe
 * Why the banner of Gilneas changed in Cataclysm. It was later mentioned that both versions are canon.

Characters
The following are mentioned in the book's index but never appear in the actual text.
 * Index
 * Lil'Zoomkin
 * (the index of the book features an easter egg entry in the form of listing Med'an as being mentioned on page "404" - as there is no such page in the book, this is a joke on the error message, also known as "404 Not Found")

Retcons

 * The shape and position of the island of Kul Tiras was changed. In previous maps, Kul Tiras was located in or near Baradin Bay, was shaped more like a pear, was near Crestfall and Zul'Dare, and its absence in recent times was due to it having been shifted further into the sea by the Cataclysm. Chronicle Volume 3 retroactively placed Kul Tiras near the Broken Isles even before the Cataclysm, and changed its shape drastically. Its absence was due to internal conflicts and problems.
 * The chapter detailing with the orcs' lethargy and Antonidas's research about it was originally placed under Year 10. Chronicle described it as Year 8.
 * The War of the Spider was previously established to be in Year 18. Volume 3 puts it after Year 15 but before Year 18.
 * In War of the Spider the nerubians are immune to both plague and telepathic domination. In Chronicle, it appears that they are saved from the plague through the efforts of their leader, Anub'arak.
 * Kel'Thuzad (the events of Road to Damnation) was previously called to the Lich King in Year 18. Volume 3 puts it after Year 15 but before Year 18.
 * The events of Lord of the Clans were originally placed in Year 18. Volume 3 puts them after Year 15 but before Year 18.
 * The events of Of Blood and Honor were originally placed in Year 19. Volume 3 puts it after Year 15 but before Year 18.
 * The splintering of the Alliance of Lordaeron was originally placed in Year 19. Volume 3 puts it after Year 15 but before Year 18. The splintering results in the revolt of Stormwind and the death of Tiffin (which was previously hinted to happen in Year 15 in Stormrage and The Comic) indicating that the last three events mentioned above are not in a time skip. Alternatively, Tiffin's year of death may have been moved to year 16 or 17.
 * The plagued grain was said to be distinguishable from normal grain. Chronicle says it showed no sign of corruption and nobody saw any signs before days passed after consumption.
 * The book establishes the order of Medivh's warnings as first to Terenas Menethil II, Antonidas and Thrall. In Warcraft III chronology, Medivh contacted Thrall first, then Terenas and Antonidas.


 * In Warcraft III, the place from which Thrall took ships and left for Kalimdor was the Alliance Naval Base near Southshore. Chronicle established the place was actually Southshore.
 * The Ultimate Visual Guides say that the new home of the Darkspear tribe was one isle and several isles. Chronicle states it was a string of isles.
 * The book says that Arthas and Ner'zhul fought because Arthas would not share the Lich King's powers. Ner'zhul had the initial advantage, but Arthas tore his mind apart by playing on his guilt in his role in orchestrating the Blood Curse. Ner'zhul remains, but is drowned in his own sorrow. In Arthas: Rise of the Lich King, Arthas simply killed Ner'zhul after also killing Matthias Lehner because he refused to be controlled again.
 * Previous lore stated that Sargeras burned arcane tattoos onto Illidan's skin. Chronicle Volume 3 retconned them into fel tattoos.
 * Arthas: Rise of the Lich King describes Arthas being teleported by Kel'Thuzad to Felwood, directly to the location of Illidan during the Legion invasion of Kalimdor. He was told about him by Kel'Thuzad as well. Chronicle says that Arthas went on Lich King's orders with the demons to invade Kalimdor. Before meeting Illidan, during the duration of time in Kalimdor, Arthas would secretly undermine the Legion efforts there. It also describes Arthas finding and manipulating Illidan on his own volition.
 * Before Chronicle, it was said that the druids empowered the World Tree with the night elves' immortality and the energies of countless night elf spirits. Chronicle clarified that the druids ignited and drew out the World Tree enchantments. The wisps then emerged and channeled their energies into the World Tree and ignited the enchantments, causing the explosion.
 * In previous lore, Lady Vashj and her naga joined Illidan because they remembered him from the War of the Ancients and respected his demonic power.  Chronicle explicitly states that they did not come because of their past, shared history, nor did they respect his power as a demon, but because the Old Gods willed it.
 * During Cataclysm it was stated that Dalaran was built upon a massive ley line. Chronicle describes the city as having been constructed on a nexus of ley lines.
 * Warcraft III showed Illidan escaping from Lordaeron to Outland through a portal he opened somewhere in Silverpine Forest. Chronicle established that he used the rift that Kel'Thuzad previously opened near Dalaran.
 * The book says that Theramore attracted Aegwynn whom Jaina Proudmoore asked to stay in the city. In Cycle of Hatred Jaina found Aegwynn living in a hut. Aegwynn acted like she didn't know about Theramore as she referred to it as "this Theramore place". When she later came to Theramore, she was actually moved there to recover after the battle with Zmodlor.
 * The Illidan novel states that Hellfire Citadel was raided by both the Alliance and the Horde. Chronicle only mentions the Horde raiding the wings of the Citadel.
 * Glory states that the Alliance assaulted Naxxramas while the Horde invaded Azjol-Nerub during the war against the Lich King. Chronicle states that champions from both the Alliance and the Horde attacked Naxxramas.
 * Volume 3 altered the Lich King fight slightly. In the game, Tirion Fordring is frozen in place before the fight even begins. In Chronicle, he is subdued in a block of ice after an already long fight.
 * In Cataclysm, Nefarian was stated to have been reanimated and raised into undeath by Deathwing. Volume 3 says that it was the Twilight cultists of Blackrock Mountain who reanimated him and Sintharia.

Inconsistencies

 * Anduin Wrynn's birth is mentioned under the chapter with Year 10 when it should be Year 15. Similarly, Arthas Menethil's induction into the Order of the Silver Hand, that also happened in Year 15, is mentioned here. As such, the subchapter's events are apparently in a time skip and not meant to be exactly in Year 10, but in Year 15.
 * has the chapter that details Aedelas Blackmoore finding Thrall under the Year 1. The third book says Aedelas found the orcling "just before the First War ended." The First War ended in Year 3. It's possible that Aedelas found Thrall in Year 2 with the chapter being in a time skip.
 * Chronicle describes Arthas slaying Uther and then recovering Kel'Thuzad remains in the city. In Warcraft III, Kel'Thuzad died outside the city and Arthas killed Uther in order to get the urn of Terenas while recovering Kel'Thuzad's remains before attacking Andorhal.
 * Chronicle states that the high elves of Quel'Thalas were preparing for the coming of the Scourge whereas previous sources like Rise of the Lich King and the Death Knight manga portray the elves as unprepared. It also says that the elven forests were deserted and their armies clashed when the Scourge entered deeper into Quel'Thalassian woods, but in Warcraft III, they fought long before the Scourge reached the first elfgate.
 * Chronicle states that Sylvanas died near Silvermoon City. War Crimes says that she died near Windrunner Spire. Previously, Rise of the Lich King stated that she died near a spire between Silvermoon and Elrendar (and Fairbreeze Village).
 * Chronicle says that Mannoroth did not participate in the pacification of Lordaeron after the destruction of Dalaran, despite Warcraft III showing him leveling a village in The Wreckage of Lordaeron (WC3 Orc).
 * hints that the Kalimdor landmass wasn't the only continent on Azeroth. The third book however states that the night elven empire was located on Azeroth's single landmass.
 * In Blood of the Highborne, the high elves were renamed to blood elves after the destruction of the tainted Sunwell by Kael'thas Sunstrider himself. Chronicle says that the high elves decided to call themselves the blood elves right after the Third War, even before Kael'thas arrived to the ruined home. The name blood elf is even used to refer to the elves before the destruction of the tainted Sunwell.
 * Chronicle offers a second picture of Arthas Menethil during the Culling of Stratholme. Compared with the first one, Arthas has a lion (Stormwind) sigil on his armor instead of the Lordaeron symbol. His warhammer, the Light's Vengeance, is also portrayed differently in the Chronicle than it is in World of Warcraft and TCG arts, but is closer to its Warcraft III version.
 * As with some previous TCG arts, Grommash Hellscream no longer has his jaw tattooed in Chronicle's art, probably confirming a retcon of his Warcraft III appearance. Despite this, Grommash's tattooed jaw inspired his son Garrosh to get tattoos as well in The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm.
 * Chronicle states that Daelin Proudmoore attacked Durotar years after the peace between Theramore and the Horde. Previous official timelines put it in the same year or one year after the Third War ended.
 * The Warcraft Encyclopedia states that Lor'themar Theron was appointed regent. The Ultimate Visual Guides say that Theron was appointed Regent and became Regent Lord later. Chronicle states that Kael appointed Lor'themar as Regent Lord.
 * Volume 3 says that there were three magical barriers in Quel'Thalas, two elfgates in addition to a third barrier called Ban'dinoriel, while there were supposed to be two barriers, the inner and the outer elfgate, with Ban'dinoriel being a component of the inner elfgate.
 * While the South Seas islands were removed in Cataclysm, they are present on the post-Cataclysm map.

Mistakes

 * On the pre-Third War world map, Zandalar is portrayed broken while that should be a consequence of the Cataclysm, as confirmed in the Cataclysm chapter.
 * Volume 3 mentions Ahn'Qiraj lying to the east of Tanaris, when it is to the west.
 * Volume 3 says that Khadgar destroyed the Dark Portal on Draenor at the end of the Second War, but the Second War ended 2 years earlier, and the Draenor portal was destroyed at the end of the Invasion of Draenor.
 * Many characters that are mentioned in the book are not listed in the index, which is missing even important ones such as Algalon the Observer, Arugal, Dagran Thaurissan, Drek'Thar, Durotan, and Garona Halforcen (who are mentioned in the book as or more often than some characters who are in the index).