Battle of Grim Batol

Battle of Grim Batol
Alexstrasza frees herself and unleashes her vengeance on Nekros Skullcrusher.
Date	10 ADP
Location	Wetlands, Khaz Modan
Result	Alliance victory Destruction of the Demon Soul Alexstrasza is freed Fall of last bastion of the Horde Deathwing flees and abandons his plans as Daval Prestor
Belligerents   Alliance of Lordaeron Magocracy of Dalaran Kirin Tor Kingdom of Quel'Thalas Wildhammer clan Dwarven resistance fighters Rom's clan   Primary dragonflights Red dragonflight Green dragonflight Blue dragonflight Bronze dragonflight   Dragonmaw clan   Black dragonflight
Commanders and leaders   Alliance of Lordaeron Rhonin Vereesa Windrunner Falstad Wildhammer Krasus Rom   Primary dragonflights Alexstrasza Ysera Malygos Nozdormu   Dragonmaw clan Nekros Skullcrusher †   Black dragonflight Deathwing
Casualties and losses   Alliance of Lordaeron Moderate   Dragonmaw clan Very heavy
Previous	Invasion of Draenor
Next	War of the Spider

The Battle of Grim Batol, also known as the Taking of Grim Batol, is a battle that happened in the ancient dwarven stronghold of Grim Batol after the Second War.

The orcish warlock of the Dragonmaw clan Nekros Skullcrusher built up a sizeable army and planned to reunite the failing Old Horde, but despite the warlock's power, the intervention of the reckless mage Rhonin threw Nekros' plans awry. Rhonin and his companions, aided by dwarven resistance fighters, succeeded in destroying the Demon Soul artifact and freeing Alexstrasza the Dragonqueen from the orcs' control. The vengeful red dragons incinerated the Dragonmaw clan and effectively put an end to the last bastion of orcish power in the world.

Prelude

During the Second War, the red dragon Korialstrasz was deeply concerned when Alexstrasza disappeared. As the Dragon Aspect's consort, he vowed to do whatever he could to find her, and eventually discovered that she was being held captive by the Dragonmaw clan. The Dragonmaw orcs had enslaved Alexstrasza with the Demon Soul, an artifact that could destroy any dragon.

Since Korialstrasz could not free her, he pleaded for help from the Dragon Aspects Ysera, Nozdormu, and Malygos, but they were wary of intervening. Like Korialstrasz, they feared that the orcs would use the Demon Soul to destroy them, or even Alexstrasza. Soon it became clear that Deathwing planned to steal some of the red dragonflight's unhatched eggs for himself.

When the mage Rhonin of the Kirin Tor stumbled upon the Dragonmaw, Korialstrasz used this opportunity; he took on the form of a powerful high elf mage named Krasus and promised the human all the aid he could muster to free the red dragonflight.

Conflict

The dwarven city of Grim Batol.

Rhonin, Vereesa Windrunner, Falstad Wildhammer and Korialstrasz on the Night of the Dragon cover art.

Stunned to find that an orc clan still had this much power after the Second War, Rhonin was determined to break its strength. He rallied a small group of friends including the high elf ranger Vereesa Windrunner and the dwarf gryphon rider Falstad Wildhammer and rushed to Grim Batol to free the red dragons. When they arrived, the battle was already under way.

The moment the Dragonmaw had left Grim Batol and set out for Dun Algaz, Deathwing attacked and slaughtered countless orcs. He had no desire to keep them or the adult dragons alive. Only the red dragonflight's eggs were of use to him. Unfortunately for Deathwing, his brazen assault had unintended consequences. As the battle unfolded, Alexstrasza broke free of her chains, and before Nekros Skullcrusher could kill her with the Demon Soul, she devoured him whole, taking vengeance for the horrors inflicted upon her. Then she turned her wrath upon Deathwing.

The Dragonqueen was not alone. Ysera, Nozdormu, and Malygos soon joined her in the fight against their corrupted brother. Though they had rebuffed Korialstrasz's calls to help Alexstrasza, the Dragon Aspects had not ignored him. They had decided to keep a close watch on Grim Batol in case an opening presented itself. Deathwing's attack against the orcs gave them one. As the five Dragon Aspects grappled in the sky, Rhonin and his mortal allies focused their attention on the orcs and the Demon Soul. Rhonin found a flaw in the ancient artifact and destroyed it. In that moment, the power trapped within the relic escaped, returning to the Dragon Aspects. Deathwing could not stand against the newly empowered dragons. He suffered terrible wounds and was forced to flee. He would not be seen again for many years to come.

The red dragonflight was free again. Many of the Dragonmaw orcs had died in the battle, and the terrified survivors had scattered into the wilds. They would remain a threat on Azeroth, but they would never truly regain their former power.

Legacy

When Deathwing retreated, Lord Daval Prestor suddenly vanished from Lordaeron's royal court. His daughter, Onyxia, was left behind to carry on his work, and she relished it. As the relationships between Lordaeron and other Alliance nations were continuing to deteriorate, she decided to spread her influence to the southern kingdom of Stormwind as Lady Katrana Prestor. She worked to tangle up Stormwind City's rebuilding efforts, and meddled in local politics to keep the kingdom isolated from Lordaeron and the northlands. Her brother, Nefarian, chose to work from the shadows. He manipulated the Dark Horde into allowing the black dragonflight to use Blackrock Mountain as their new base, and established a hidden laboratory there, hoping to achieve his father's dream of rebuilding their flight.

Following the battle, many of the dwarven veterans of the battle were affected by the evil inside Grim Batol. Over the years, they had aged quicker than they were supposed to, and a good many had died before their time.

Years later, the Wildhammer dwarves offered Gryphon Hatchlings descending of the same gryphons ridden by Falstad and his entourage into Grim Batol to the heroes of the Alliance.

Notes

• A wrecked Dragonmaw caravan can be found in the Green Belt of the Wetlands, with red whelps, implying it was destroyed in the aftermath of the battle.
• During  [60-70 Daily] A Mislaid Egg, the adventurer is sent by Chromie to the era just before the Battle of Grim Batol, to place a  [Red Dragon Egg] in a more visible spot in Dun Algaz, for Rhonin to find it and kickstart the events leading to the battle.

See also

• The Battle of Grim Batol (History of Warcraft) - an in-game book about the battle.
• Day of the Dragon - the novel recounting the battle.
• Grim Batol (WC2 Human) - an unrelated attack on Grim Batol during Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness.