Repercussions

Repercussions is the 20th installment of the World of Warcraft comic.

Description
The Scourge makes their move and attacks from all fronts intent on taking no prisoners! No longer united, can Varian and Thrall survive the onslaught? And will Valeera once again succumb to her addiction to magical energy?

Plot
The Lich King's necropoli attack cities across Azeroth, including Stormwind, Orgrimmar, and Theramore. In Stormwind, King Varian's magi use their spells to force the attacking necropolis out over the ocean, after which goblin-piloted bomber planes from Ironforge cause the structure to plummet into the sea by destroying the chains holding the necropolis' stabilizing crystal. The Lich King's herald declares that the Alliance's victory means nothing and invites them to face his minions in Northrend, which Varian eagerly accepts. In Orgrimmar, Thrall calls upon the forces of earth, fire, lightning, and sandstorms to blow away another necropolis and cause it to crash in Durotar. In response to the Scourge herald's challenge, the warchief tells Saurfang to prepare the Horde for war. Finally, in Theramore, Jaina freezes a necropolis in mid-air before unleashing a firestorm that partially cracks open the structure and forces it and the other Scourge to retreat.

Meanwhile in Ahn'Qiraj, Valeera realizes that she can't face Cho'gall by herself after seeing how easily the ogre felled Meryl. She decides to drain the remaining magical energy from Meryl to give herself enough power to distract the ogre, thus buying time for Med'an to heal the mage so he can teleport them all to safety. However, after Valeera absorbs Meryl's energy, she feels the long-dormant demon inside her being awakened by the surge of power, something that Cho'gall also notices and gleefully points out. Valeera tries to throw her daggers, but Cho'gall easily deflects them with his dark magic and slams the blood elf into a nearby wall.

Med'an is overcome by C'Thun's whispers but calls upon the spirits of the elements to calm his mind and send healing energy to his companions. Focused on his spell, he doesn't notice Cho'gall approaching him from behind. Recovering thanks to the boy's healing, Valeera pulls out a hidden dagger from her cloak and jumps at Cho'gall, slicing open his hamstring. However, the ogre immediately heals his wound by causing tentacles to erupt from his leg and begins to pummel the elf with his fists and magic.

Meryl wakes up and admits to Med'an that Garona is his mother and that she's held at Theramore. The two watch as Cho'gall lifts up Valeera into the air and urges her to let her inner demon out. With no other choices in sight, Valeera offers herself to her demon willingly. The dreadlord Kathra'natir loudly rejoices at his release and immediately takes complete control of Valeera's body (instantly causing her skin to once again become covered in fel runes and causing her to speak with the dreadlord's voice) before firing a fel beam at the ogre. Meryl is shocked at the revelation of the demon's identity, explaining to Med'an that he faced Kathra'natir almost three thousand years earlier but had thought him banished from threatening Azeroth again.

Unfazed by his new opponent, Cho'gall steps onto a nearby rune and monstrously mutates under his master's influence before barraging Kathra'natir with his power. However, while Valeera's sacrifice was not enough to defeat Cho'gall, it did give Meryl enough time to recover. The mage now teleports himself, Med'an, and Valeera away from Ahn'Qiraj, much to the ogre's fury.

In the courtyard of Theramore Keep, Jaina and her healers tend to the injured in the wake of the battle with the Scourge. Aegwynn kneels beside a wounded friend and comments that in the presence of so much pain and death, she realizes how selfish she was to have used her magic to preserve her own youth and beauty while she was Guardian. Meanwhile, unnoticed by everyone, a dark figure sneaks into Garona's cell, removes her shackles, and carries her off.

At the same moment, Meryl, Med'an, and Valeera arrive in another part of Silithus; Meryl says they can't bring Valeera to Theramore while she is possessed. Kathra'natir and Meryl exchange insults, with the latter pointing out that the demon is so weak that he's only able to possess a young blood elf female. Kathra'natir throws back that Valeera has strength that even she is unaware of and that she managed to keep him suppressed until she had no choice. Furthermore, she has powerful friends that the dreadlord planned to move on to eventually. The demon remarks that while Meryl glows with arcane power, Med'an is "incandescent" and would make a particularly fine host.