Attack on Theramore Isle

The Attack on Theramore IslePatch 5.0.4 patch notes (also referred to as the Battle of TheramoreJaina Proudmoore: Tides of War, chapter 18War Crimes, chapter 17 and the Destruction of TheramoreWar Crimes, chapter 28) was a battle that took place not long before the events of World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria. The battle took place between the Alliance defenders of the Isle and the Horde assailants, led by the instigator of the attack, Garrosh Hellscream. The battle took place for over a day, ultimately culminating in the bombing and subsequent annihilation of Theramore Isle and the majority of its defenders. The events are described in detail in the novel Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War and can be experienced in-game in the scenario Theramore's Fall.
==Background==
Warchief Garrosh, obsessed with assuring the Horde’s supremacy over Kalimdor, has decided to launch an all-out attack against Jaina's island home of Theramore. Following the fall of Northwatch Hold, Baine Bloodhoof, horrified by Garrosh's use of enslaved molten giants, sends Perith Stormhoof to warn Jaina Proudmoore of Northwatch's fall and that Theramore was next on his target list. With Hellscream deciding to not press the attack, Jaina was able to gather reinforcements and commanders in the form of General Marcus Jonathan, Shandris Feathermoon, Thaddus Stoutblow and Horran Redmane, while evacuating the children and other civilians by boat.
Nearly a dozen members of the Kirin Tor led by Rhonin (who was accompanied by his wife Vereesa Windrunner), joined in the defense of Theramore, with the reasoning that doing nothing would be tacitly supporting the Horde.
Even the Naaru A'dal of Shattrath City sent General Tiras'alan and other draeneiJaina Proudmoore: Tides of War - Jaina took a moment to be grateful to the Light—and to [...]A'dal[...]—for the collective wisdom of these battle-hardened men and women. - pg. 171 to protect and defend the city from the Horde.Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War - “I come to protect and defend,” he said. “Word of your great deeds and efforts for peace has reached even Shattrath City, Lady.” His voice was musical and deep. “Theramore must stand. The Horde will not triumph.” - pg. 167 
However, many of those defending Theramore found themselves unprepared for the terrible scope of Garrosh's true plans.
==Battle==
As the Horde moves into Dustwallow Marsh the Horde ground assault splits in two with forces under the command of Garrosh Hellscream assaulting the North Gate, while those under the command of Malkorok, Garrosh's second in command, assault the West Gate. Meanwhile, the Horde navy engages in battle with the defenders at Theramore's harbor. While an ambush on Malkorok's forces is initially successful Pained and those under her command are forced to retreat to Theramore. Over the course of the battle, Jaina's apprentice Kinndy Sparkshine is able to magically empower the West Gate so that it does not fall during the battle.
While Malkorok's forces were faced with these setbacks, Garrosh's forces were luckier. While lives were lost in the fight against Captain Wymor or by the hidden bombs detonated by Adolphus Blastwidget, Garrosh who was engaged in combat with the captain was strangely unharmed. Furthermore, as the north gate came under attack it became increasingly weaker due to the actions of Thalen Songweaver, a Horde spy who had come with the Kirin Tor. While Jaina and Pained stopped the traitor and sent him to Captain Evencane, they were unable to prevent the fall of the North Gate. As the invading army advanced into Theramore, Garrosh would engage in battle with several of Theramore's defenders like Thaddus Stoutblow and Horran Redmane, Pained would go toe to toe against Baine Bloodhoof, and Jaina would focus her attacks on the Horde's long-range support.
With Theramore's forces distracted by the battle at the Northgate a small Horde recon team was able to sneak into TheramoreJaina Proudmoore: Tides of War, pg. 203 Entering the city from the The Sea Wolf under the command of Blastmaster Sparkfuse Horde adventurers crippled Theramore's air defenses by killing Baldruc. With that done they moved to rescue Thalen Songweaver. With Captain Hedric Evencane's death, Songweaver was quickly freed from his arcane shackles. Not wasting any time, he and his rescuers quickly departed from the city.
During the battle the blue dragon Kalecgos aided in Theramore's defense by bringing down boulders around the Horde forces at the North Gate; an act that would prevent any escape. However, Chieftain Vol'jin of the Darkspear tribe quickly noticed and realized the dragon's plan and then fought his way to both Garrosh and Baine to inform them of the situation. Trapped between the blue dragon outside and Alliance forces inside the Horde began to suffer heavy losses and Hellscream then called for a retreat ending the attack on Theramore. With the Horde forces retreating from their attack upon the north and west gate, and leaving the harbor Jaina declared to Kalecgos that Theramore's defenders won.
==Outcome==
Soon after the Horde retreat, both sides learned of Songweaver's rescue. While Garrosh was pleased at such news, Pained was outraged and both Vereesa Windrunner and Shandris Feathermoon took a small source to try and located the spy and his rescuers. Meanwhile, an enraged Baine would confront Garrosh for the loss of so many Horde warriors only to be told that the moment of victory had finally come. To the horror of both Baine and Vol'jin, they learned that the Horde was never meant to win the attack on Theramore. Instead, the attack was meant to draw many of the greatest commanders of the Alliance (like Shandris Feathermoon and General Marcus Jonathan) to the same location. With that revelation, Garrosh orders that a mana bomb be dropped on Theramore.
As the mana bomb heads to Theramore, Kalecgos is able to sense it because the stolen Focusing Iris is empowering it. After warning Jaina and Rhonin, Kalecgos tries and fails to stop it. Rhonin, realizing that Jaina's tower was steeped in magic, would call the mana bomb to himself in order to localize the detonation. After pushing Jaina into a portal for her safety and declaring that she was the future of the Kirin Tor, Rhonin's plan would succeed. In the explosion that followed, those who remained in Theramore like Rhonin, Kinndy, Pained, General Marcus Jonathan, and Admiral Tarlen Aubrey would lose their lives. Meanwhile, those searching for Songweaver, Kalecgos, and Jaina would be the only survivors of those who defended Theramore.
The Horde navy subsequently establishes a blockade of Kalimdor while the armies return to Orgrimmar to celebrate their victory. Jaina Proudmoore journeys back to Theramore and recovers the Focusing Iris. Craving vengeance, Jaina tries to convince both Varian Wrynn and the Kirin Tor that the Horde needs to be destroyed entirely. Upon failing to convince both King Wrynn and the Kirin Tor to help, Jaina decides to use the Iris to destroy Orgrimmar and the Horde armies gathered there. Meanwhile, Varian eventually declares war and leads a naval force towards Orgrimmar in an effort to break the naval blockade.Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War Jaina initially conceived a plan to use the Focusing Iris to summon a tsunami to wipe out Orgrimmar, engaging Thrall in an intense battle when he attempts to stop her, but Kalec was able to talk her out of it and calm her out of her hatred of orcs at the last moment by forcing her to realize that if she did so she would be just as monstrous as Arthas and Garrosh. Instead, she used her army of water elementals to aid Varian's Alliance fleet in breaking the Horde blockade.
Following Rhonin's death, his apprentice Turi Flickerflame created the Sullied Banner in order to get some closure for the surviving mages of the battle.
==Aftermath==
;Alliance
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* Marcus Jonathan
* Thaddus Stoutblow
* Horran Redmane
* General Tiras'alan
* Admiral Tarlen Aubrey
*Knights of Theramore
*Theramore Officers
*7th Fleet Marines
*7th Fleet Squallshapers
*Theramore Arcanists
*Theramore Faithfuls
*Theramore Footmans
*Theramore Gryphons
*Theramore Marksmans
*7th Fleet Sailors
;Horde
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*Airship Crewmen
*Airship Marines
*Rok'nah Felcasters
*Rok'nah Grunts
*Rok'nah Hags
*Rok'nah Headhunters
*Rok'nah Loa-Singers
*Rok'nah Peons
*Rok'nah Raiders
*Rok'nah Skirmishers
*Rok'nah Wave-Callers
*Sea Wolf Marines
==Speculation==
* Jaina Proudmoore reported to Tiran Blackwood that Lorena was dead. It's possible that she died during the fall of Theramore.
* Although Jaina was able to send a ship full of Theramore civilians to Tanaris thanks to Baine Bloodhoof's warning, it is possible that most of them were captured and possibly killed anyway after the Horde's naval victories near the regionThe Art of War (quest) not long after the bombing of Theramore, as various Theramore Citizens, including children, were captured and sent to Orgrimmar, and seen both dead and alive throughout the later Siege of Orgrimmar. 
==References==
 
Category:Battles
Category:Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War
es:Ataque a la Isla de Theramore