Blood (comic)

Blood is the 6th installment of the World of Warcraft comic.

Description
The past comes alive as our heroes reach Theramore, where the lore of Jaina Proudmoore reveals Lo'Gosh's hidden identity. But has it truly done so? Meanwhile, the assassin and the naga simultaneously seek to destroy Lo'Gosh before he can reach the end of his quest.

Plot
The Stormwind Assassin's Guild agent arrives in Warsong Gulch, where the Silverwing Sentinel forces led by the priestess of the moon have put the defeated orc soldiers to hard labor. Valeera and Bristlefur are not far behind, and Valeera attempts to sneak closer to overhear the conversation between the assassin and the priestess, whose pet Roundeye informs them that Broll and Lo'Gosh have cleansed the Idol of Remulos and are taking it to Darnassus. Suddenly, Valeera is discovered and attacked by one of the Sentinels, who accuses her of being a Horde spy working for the orcs. Valeera tries to tell the night elves that she's a friend of Broll and Lo'Gosh and that the man they're talking with is an assassin who's been hired to kill Lo'Gosh. The night elves reply that a child wouldn't believe that tale, to which Valeera retorts that even a child would have more sense than to freely tell the assassin what he needs to know just because he's a human. While brawling with the Sentinels, Valeera notices the assassin taking off into the sky on his gryphon, Blackklaw.

In the Cenarion Enclave in Darnassus, Broll and Lo'Gosh meet with Archdruid Fandral Staghelm and explain what happened to the Idol of Remulos after the Battle of Mount Hyjal. Since Broll plans further quests in the form of helping Lo'Gosh retrieve his memories and rescuing Valeera from slavery, the archdruid states that it could be dangerous to continue carrying the idol and that it would be better if Fandral kept the statue for safekeeping in the enclave. Broll complies.

After leaving the enclave, Lo'Gosh states that he doesn't trust Fandral and that he seemed overly eager to have the idol in his possession. Broll replies that the statue will be safe in Darnassus; because it's linked to Broll, only an archdruid can tap its power, and Fandral can be trusted implicitly since he is the leader of the Cenarion Circle. Lo'Gosh retorts that experience is teaching him that very few people can be trusted implicitly. Broll assures him that he handed over the idol by his own choice and that while the statue is an object of power, he feels more free without it. A night elf approaches and tells Broll that Tyrande Whisperwind wants to speak with him.

Back in Warsong Gulch, Valeera escapes from the Sentinels atop Bristlefur and heads for Darnassus.

In the Temple of the Moon, Tyrande welcomes Broll home, thanks him for cleansing the Idol of Remulos, and asks to hear more of Broll and Lo'Gosh's exploits over dinner. After hearing the human's tale, Tyrande states that she can feel an aura of dark magic surrounding Lo'Gosh, and suggests seeking out Jaina Proudmoore in Theramore to help restore his memories.

While the assassin makes for Teldrassil and prepares to land in Rut'theran Village, Broll and Lo'Gosh head for the hippogryph roost, where Vesprystus assures them that Sharptalon has recovered enough to bear them both to Theramore. Just as Sharptalon takes off, the assassin's gryphon touches down in the main square. An hour later, Valeera arrives atop Bristlefur and overhears Vesprystus telling two night elf girls that Broll and Lo'Gosh left for Theramore earlier that afternoon, with a human on an ebon gryphon following them shortly after. With her friends' lives at stake, Valeera immediately takes off again.

At dawn, Valeera finally catches up with the assassin above Dustwallow Bay, where he is following a short distance behind Broll and Lo'Gosh on Sharptalon. The assassin raises his crossbow and prepares to fire at his quarry, but is interrupted when Valeera throws a dagger that buries itself in his shoulder. Valeera jumps off Bristlefur and drags the assassin down with her. From a boat down in the swamp, Aegwynn and her attendant Sven witness the two bodies plummeting from the sky. Valeera and the assassin end up landing — and becoming entangled — in a giant tarantula web.

Meanwhile, Broll and Lo'Gosh reach Theramore, where they are welcomed by Lady Jaina. Upon taking Lo'Gosh's hand, Jaina senses a strange aura of dark wizardry around the gladiator and states that she will need her chamberlain's help to unravel it.

Out in the marsh, Aegwynn and Sven head toward the spider web where Valeera and the assassin are grappling. Valeera demands to know who hired the assassin, but he replies that he doesn't know and that even if he did, he wouldn't tell her. The human tells Blackklaw to grab his foe, but upon being lifted into the air, Valeera jabs her dagger into Blackklaw's eye, killing it and causing her to plummet into the river. Valeera asks the name of the assassin's patron for a final time. Not noticing the huge, hairy legs creeping up behind him, the human still refuses to answer, and is moments later attacked and devoured by the web's giant tarantula. Aegwynn and Sven reach the injured and exhausted Valeera and carry her into their boat, intending to take her to Medic Helaina in Theramore. Sven has misgivings about Valeera being a blood elf, but Aegwynn tells him that today's enemies can be tomorrow's friends and that things are not always what they seem. Aegwynn commends Valeera for her bravery in dealing with the guild assassin. When Valeera points out the aura of powerful magic lingering around Aegwynn, she explains that she was once a powerful magic user. While she rarely speaks of it now, she has thought much about the dance of light and dark and can feel that the dance wars within Valeera as it once did in Aegwynn. The chamberlain invites Valeera to seek her out for a talk after she has recovered, but that for now she should simply remember that redemption is never out of reach. Upon arriving at Theramore, Aegwynn asks Sven to summon a healer and have someone tend to Bristlefur. Before leaving, she turns to Valeera and tells her that she has great gifts and that her friends will need her by their side, but that she should choose her course carefully.

Moments later in Theramore's mage tower, Jaina and Aegwynn conclude that someone may have stolen or destroyed Lo'Gosh's memories. Together, the two of them conduct a ritual to conjure visions of Lo'Gosh's past. The first visions are ones he has had before: a fire, a voyage, and the birth of a son. Following this, however, are new visions: a wife killed by a flying stone, unrelenting anguish, renewed determination, and finally darkness; but in that darkness, a purpose rediscovered. Lo'Gosh realises that before he lost his memories, he was headed to Theramore. While Jaina and Aegwynn are able to penetrate the surface of the gladiator's mind, the core remains dark to them.

Nonetheless, the visions confirm the gladiator's identity, and Jaina concludes that Lo'Gosh is in fact Varian Wrynn, the lost king of Stormwind. Lo'Gosh is shocked by the revelation, but Jaina and Aegwynn tell him that he needs to learn what happened between his departure for Theramore and his awakening in Durotar, as well as the identities of his enemies. Jaina offers to send him back to Stormwind in one of her own ships.

Shortly after, Lo'Gosh meets with Broll outside. Having learned that his wife is dead and that his son is alone and in need of protection, Lo'Gosh resolves to return to the Eastern Kingdoms immediately. Broll declares that he'll be accompanying him on the journey, but first they need to find and free Valeera. Not a moment later, Valeera appears behind them, explains that she already freed herself and that she'll be coming with them as well, and excitedly begins telling of her own adventure and asking about Broll and Lo'Gosh's journey. Lo'Gosh tells her to be patient, that there'll be plenty of time for stories on the journey to the Eastern Kingdoms, and that once they arrive, he'll seek out his enemies, and woe betide those who set themselves against him.