Garona Halforcen

Garona Halforcen is a half-orcWarcraft: Orcs & Humans manual, The Destiny of the Orcish Hordes half-draenei,Conflicting Loyalties though most (including herself) believed she was half-human until the truth was revealed to her.Secrets She is an assassinThe Last Guardian, pg. 256 and was an emissary of the Horde during the first invasion of Azeroth, and was the reluctant murderer of King Llane Wrynn. Later on, she joined her son and the other members of the New Council of Tirisfal in their battle against the Twilight's Hammer cult.
Recently, Garona has been aiding the Horde, notably during the war against Deathwing and the Fourth War. She is also one of the leaders of the Uncrowned.
==Biography==
===Birth and early life===
The events that would result in the birth of Garona were partially orchestrated by Gul'dan. He approached the Bladewind clan as a representative of the Shadowmoon clan and convinced them that the draenei were responsible for the red pox and elemental woes the orcs were suffering. The orcs all respected the Shadowmoon, tensions already ran high between the Bladewind clan and the draenei, and the Bladewind had no reason to question Gul'dan. Eager to change their fortunes, they formed raiding parties and began attacking draenei caravans in greater numbers than they had in the past. They killed dozens of draenei and captured even more.
Among the prisoners was the draenei Leran, the sister of Vindicator Maraad. Draenei scouts reported the Bladewind sacrificing their prisoners in gruesome rituals to appease the elements and Maraad urged the draenei to save the prisoners, his sister included. He led the assault on the Bladewind, but by the time they arrived, Leran and the others were dead.World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 2, pg. 71 Before their death, Garona would be born to a Bladewind warrior and Leran.World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 2, pg. 78 The result was a child that, as it would be discovered later, looked surprisingly human.
Garona would be raised in barracks with her father's people. She was not the first half-breed in the clan, but she was one of the few who survived past childhood. Years of abuse turned her into a ferocious fighter, and apart from natural physical strength she also possessed keen intellect and a gift with languages. She mastered the draenei language from the captives and her clan often used her as an interpreter. After the destruction of the Bladewind village by vengeful draenei, Garona fled into the wilds of Terokkar Forest. As she worked her way east she ran into the Shadow Council and Gul'dan.
===Blade of the Shadow Council===
As it was the early days of the Horde, Gul'dan took Garona under his care. As a half-orc, half-draenei outcast, Garona had found survival to be brutally difficult. She had learned quickly how to avoid unwinnable fights, and how to quietly kill relentless pursuers. Gul'dan bound her mind to his will and began to secretly train her in the art of assassination. She did not fully understand his intentions, but she grew to resent his cruelty. Still, she obeyed. Survival demanded nothing less.Blood Ledger Gul'dan had her magically aged and tortured.The Gathering Having also traveled throughout Draenor, Garona was well-versed in the culture of the orcs. She quickly became the chief interpreter of the Shadow Council and Gul'dan's personal spy and assassin. Due to her mixed blood, she would be hated by the bigger orcs for being different. Their judgments of her being "ugly and deformed" would become her own for years to come. Maraad, however, would not care that Garona was half-orc. Having learned that his sister had borne a child, he began to search for his niece that would stretch on for many years.
Garona proved to be skilled with almost any weapon she held, but Gul'dan was not satisfied. His grip on the Horde was still tenuous; assassinating his enemies could backfire if the involvement of his Shadow Council became known. He needed weapons that would allow Garona to kill for him with impunity. Thus he turned to his master Kil'jaeden for guidance and following his strict instructions, made a request to Warchief Blackhand. The Blackrock orc was intrigued, for the warlock had asked for two daggers created from a mysterious type of ore that no orc had ever seen before, and he wanted them imbued with a power that would only reveal itself when the time was right. Blackhand agreed to make the weapons himself in his foundry. As Blackhand quenched the blades, he felt a terrible, dark presence fill them with unspeakable might. This was no Elemental Fury-it was the raw hatred of Kil'jaeden sinking deep within the daggers. Blackhand could feel untamed agony radiating from the weapons. He named them Anguish and Sorrow, for he knew they would never be satisfied unless there were drinking the blood of new victims.
Gul'dan was delighted with the daggers' power. Not only were they brimming with the dark presence of a Burning Legion lord, but they also were imbued with the means to control the will of the one who wielded them. To test the weapons' potential, Gul'dan handed them to Garona and gave her a simple command. She obeyed instantly. An unfortunate Shadow Council acolyte had no chance to defend himself before she tore open his throat with one slash. It was not a pleasant death. But it was fast, quiet, and efficient. When the orc took his last breath, the wound that killed him became irregular. Nobody would be able to tell whether he had died to a knife, an axe, or a spear. Gul'dan saw the possibilities immediately. A mysterious death could be used to sow confusion and redirect suspicion wherever he pleased.
In time Chieftain Zagrel of the Whiteclaw Clan would call upon the clans to end the war with the draenei and focus their attention on shamanic rituals under the belief that only through dedicated worship and adherence to old traditions could the orcs regain their relationship with the elements. Gul'dan fearing that Zagrel could eventually win the support of orcs who questioned the Horde, such as Durotan and his Frostwolves sent Garona to strike the Whiteclaw chieftain down. Garona silently slipped into the Whiteclaws' encampment and stabbed Zagrel through the heart. None of his clan would ever know she'd been there. After their leader's untimely death, inner turmoil gripped the clan as Zagrel's brothers and sons fought for the title of chieftain. The Whiteclaws would endure, but would never be as strong as they had once been.
As the Horde waged war on the draenei, Gul'dan dispatched Garona with care and precision. Influential orcs who expressed doubt or dissent were often found dead shortly after a skirmish with draenei forces. The wounds did not look as if they had come from orcish weapons, so Gul'dan was never suspected. Nor was Garona. As a half-breed, she lived beneath the notice of most orcs, and those who noticed her saw only a servant of Gul'dan, held on a tight leash. Her quiet work aided the Horde in securing victory against the draenei, and then her blades helped maintain control in the war's aftermath. Life on Draenor withered due to the presence of fel magic, but tensions within the Horde stayed manageable. Whenever they didn't, Gul'dan gave the command, and Garona obeyed.
For many years, Garona was bound to the will of the Shadow Council. She obeyed them to survive; she killed on their behalf to appease them. She often dreamed of using these daggers to slay her masters, but when she woke, her ensorcelled mind buried those thoughts, keeping her loyal.
===Emissary to Medivh===
She was a member of one of the first raiding parties into Azeroth that fanned out across the Black Morass. The few human hunters and traders encountered were mostly killed, but a handful were captured. While the orcs neglected to question the humans at first because they couldn't understand their tongue, Garona had a talent for learning new languages and spent much of her time speaking with prisoners, learning human words in exchange for food and water. She did not ask things the captives might resist telling such as Stormwind's patrol routes, but did eventually find valuable information about the Guardian Medivh and Karazhan from a prisoner who cursed the orcs and said Stormwind's mage champion who annihilated an entire troll army would make quick work of them. Garona set out for Karazhan alone and was captured by Medivh the moment she stepped within sight of the tower.
Though Garona believed she would be killed, Medivh did not harm her because she had no information he needed and was a curiosity, having not seen her during his visits to Draenor. Medivh sympathized with how Garona was an outcast and was impressed with her intelligence, having already spoken the human tongue fairly well. He taught her new words and phrases she quickly picked up on. Seeing Garona was no threat and that she had no love for the Horde due to Gul'dan's cruelty, Medivh decided it was more valuable to have an ally (or even a friend) among the orcs than another spirit haunting his home. Medivh freed Garona and extended an invitation for her to return to Karazhan whenever she liked. When Garona returned to the Black Morass, she discovered Gul'dan had seen everything through her eyes, recognizing what she had not: that Medivh was the mysterious stranger who led the orcs to Azeroth. He ordered Garona to dig up information in Karazhan, hoping to discover the location of the Tomb of Sargeras.
At some point, Garona, having gained some information about magic, was kidnapped in the Northshire Abbey but soon rescued by the Horde. The abbey was destroyed.Northshire Abbey (WC1 Orc)
While her party was wiped out, she was spared and sent back to relay a message to the warlock Gul'dan. Gul'dan ordered Garona to find the sorcerer Medivh and keep an eye on him.The Kingslayers Part Eight After a period of time, she returned and met with the Magus on many occasions. Eventually, she was granted the title of Emissary and sent to Karazhan. It was there that she met Khadgar, Medivh's apprentice (and observer from Dalaran).The Last Guardian Khadgar was, at first, furious at her presence, but the Magus demanded Khadgar treat her with respect. A trust was formed between the two when a bizarre demon appeared in the library of the great tower, and both had to utilize their skills together to defeat it. Garona and Khadgar continually criticized each other's race while defending their own. Eventually, Garona mentioned to Khadgar that the orcs had been arriving on Azeroth via a gateway known as the Dark Portal.
Garona also began to respect Magus Medivh a great deal, and because of that respect, she started to debate her true loyalties. Stating that the "Old Man" had told her everything she wanted to know, despite knowing full well that she was a spy, she felt that she could never break that trust. She even made the comment that the bond of trust made her feel more 'human' and that she felt Medivh had a grand dream to bring something better to this world. It may have been around this time that Medivh fathered Garona's son, Med'an. As Garona's relationship with high profile humans began to develop, Garona would see humans as a potential means of escaping Gul'dan.The Kingslayers Part Eight
===Battle with Medivh===
Due to Medivh's bizarre behavior, Khadgar and Garona felt it necessary to investigate and uncover any connection between the sudden arrival of the orcs and Medivh's behavior. Using a spell to call forth a vision of the past, Khadgar and Garona discovered that Medivh was, in fact, the man who had brought the orcs into Azeroth, thus uncovering his plans of murder and deceit. This shook Garona to the core, and while at first she thought it to be a misfire of the spell, she eventually realized that Medivh was indeed the one who had opened the gateway for the orcs. After a short battle with Medivh, where Khadgar used his powers to summon a vision of Aegwynn that distracted the Magus, the two escaped and made their way to the (former) Kingdom of Azeroth.
Despite a small interruption in their journey, they eventually met up with Lord Anduin Lothar. They told their story to Lothar and King Llane Wrynn of Azeroth, but Llane could not believe it was true. Despite Llane's skepticism, it was Lothar who realized that the Magus had truly gone insane, and at his suggestion, a small raiding party was gathered to confront Medivh in Karazhan. Later that very evening, Garona donned the colors of Azeroth at Lothar's request and joined the party as they set out via gryphons to the tower. Unknown to Garona, Gul'dan had observed all of this through her eyes and tried to compel her to assassinate the King of Stormwind, although Garona was able to resist the command.World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 2, pg. 133
After searching about the tower, they soon came across a hidden passageway downward but leading into a mirror image of the tower itself, where Medivh's second shadow Sargeras dwelled. It was also at this time that both Garona and Khadgar witnessed something that would forever change the half-orc. Karazhan presented Garona with a vision of her future, where she was forced to watch in horror as "future-Garona"The Last Guardian, 287 murdered King Llane during the siege against Stormwind City. For a while, Garona was terrified of what she knew would eventually come to pass. Llane was one of the few people in her life who had treated her with kindness and she did not want to kill him. Khadgar finally snapped her out of her state of shock and forced her to focus on the more important matter at hand. He told her that if the vision was true, then it meant they would both get out of Karazhan alive (since Khadgar had previously seen a vision of his own future as well), and that if it was false then she could die taking comfort in the knowledge that she wasn't destined to betray King Llane.
Eventually, they found Medivh, who unleashed all the powers bestowed upon him by his mother and the demon lord Sargeras. Garona, now boiling with anger at Medivh's betrayal — and perhaps hoping to die rather than live out the vision she had seen — attacked the Magus head-on, only to be struck down by a powerful spell. Medivh expressed disappointment in Garona, telling her that he had hoped she of all people would understand what he was going through and not oppose him.
Feeling little remorse for the half-orc, he then touched her head and cast a second spell, filling her mind with the doubts and divisions that he himself had carried. She fell to the floor, incapacitated. Moments later, after much conflict, Medivh was finally slain by Khadgar and Lothar (at that moment Gul'dan was still deep within the Guardian's thoughts causing him to go into a coma), but Garona was nowhere to be found...
===Llane's assassination and aid of Meryl===
Soon after, Garona returned to King Llane, but because of Medivh's mind games she faltered and Gul'dan's earlier order to assassinate Llane flared up in her mind.World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 2, pg. 136 Realizing that her vision had become a reality, she reluctantly carried out this task, and with a deep sadness, murdered King Llane, cutting his heart out.Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness manual, The History of Orcish Ascension, The First War of Orcish Ascension Llane's son, prince Varian witnessed the murder, but even years into his adulthood was confused as to why Garona had tears streaming down her face. At the time, she was pregnant with her son, Med'an.
Garona did not receive a hero's welcome from the Horde. Warchief Blackhand had been killed by Orgrim Doomhammer in a mak'gora. Gul'dan was in a coma, and his Shadow Council was in hiding. As she was trying to escape from Stormwind City, Garona was captured and Orgrim had her tortured for information on the Shadow Council's location. The Warchief would choose to spare her life and in response, Garona swore fealty to the Horde, where Eitrigg would serve as her handler. Throughout the Second War Garona served many functions from translating missives taken from captured Alliance messengers to fighting with the Horde soldiers on the front lines. Believing that she could earn Eitrigg's trust, Garona told him that the Horde was in truth the pawn of demons, who would then try to claim Azeroth for themselves once the Horde defeated the Alliance, however, her handler treated her words as poisonous on the grounds of her once having been Gul'dan's assassin. Following Eitrigg's rebuke, Garona would bide her time until she could make her escape, which she later accomplished during a chaotic battle within the Hinterlands. Though Garona did not know it, Eitrigg in fact allowed her to escape. Her former handler believed that fighting the Alliance was more important than hunting her down, he had also come to sympathize with her and wished that she could perhaps make a home for herself on Azeroth, something that she had never had before. Other Horde trackers were sent to hunt her down, but they never had a chance.
In time, Garona began to understand the power the Kingslayers were exerting on her will. Even with being so far away, she could feel Gul'dan trying to compel her back into his clutches. She sought out the help of an undead mage named Meryl Winterstorm, asking him to hide the blades somewhere beyond anyone's reach. Garona wanted to make sure that no other victim would die to them, and that no other mind would be subject to Gul'dan's trickery. The daggers remained buried for decades.
And by this time, Garona had also given birth to her and Medivh's son, Med'an. Citing her assassination of King Llane, she told Meryl that she was a danger to her child and entrusted the baby to him. Informing him of the baby's name, she asked that he never tell Med'an who his mother was. Bidding Meryl farewell, she disappeared from the rest of the world but would keep watch over her son from afar.
===Reuniting with Khadgar===
Once Garona was confident that she had shattered Gul'dan's lingering mental chains, she journeyed to Nethergarde Keep to reunite with Khadgar. She spoke of her actions during the Second War and so, openly confessed to killing King Llane. Khadgar believed her when she told him how Gul'dan's mind control had compelled her into doing so. He also sensed how the Shadow Council's mangled spellwork lingered, woven through her thoughts. This knowledge allowed both of them to realize that at least one member of the Shadow Council was still alive and on Azeroth, one who was trying to keep control over Garona. Over the next several months, Khadgar and Garona would meet outside of Nethergarde, the Archmage worked towards completely liberating Garona's mind from the Shadow Council's grasp, a task that he was successful in completing. In gratitude, Garona offered to eliminate the remaining Shadow Council on Azeroth.
Sometime after the Horde of Draenor reopened the portal connecting Azeroth and Draenor, they sought out artifacts of power on Azeroth in order for the Horde to invade other worlds. When Teron Gorefiend and his cohorts broke off from the Horde to acquire these artifacts, they were unknowingly followed by Garona. The moment Gorefiend split his forces into three, to better acquire the artifacts required, Garona followed the group heading towards Menethil Harbor, believing that they were out to seek the Tomb of Sargeras. Realizing that the human guards of the harbor would never trust an orc, she scrawled a note warning them about an impending attack. The note was successful in attracting the attention of the harbor guards, who promptly began to search for the band of orcs. While the note gave the humans warning, it did not stop the group of orcs from completing their mission.
Once the Horde had all the artifacts they needed, they recalled most of their forces back to Draenor. During this time, the Alliance formed an expedition in order to stop the amassing Horde, Garona wished to come and aid Khadgar though she was convinced to stay on Azeroth and hunt the remaining Shadow Council members on Azeroth. In time, Garona eventually picked up on Cho'gall's trail and she began tracking the former Shadow Council member to the mysterious lands of Kalimdor, where Cho'gall and his surviving Twilight's Hammer minions had journeyed to at the command of the Old Gods after their defeat on the Broken Isles.
===Garona's return===
Garona continued watching over her son. By the time of World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, Med'an was attacked by a Twilight's Hammer party formed by an ogre, an orc, a tauren, a night elf, and a Forsaken. As they were beating him, she suddenly appeared and killed the entire party but was captured by Stasia Fallshadow. She was taken to Ahn'Qiraj.
When she got there she found that Cho'gall was still alive and that he knew the spell that Gul'dan used on her mind to force her to do things against her will. He sent her to Theramore to assassinate the newly returned King Varian Wrynn and thus ruining any possible chance of a human-orc alliance. Garona was also tasked to assassinate secondary targets Prince Anduin Wrynn and Warchief Thrall but was ordered to kill King Varian Wrynn at the summit at any cost. This attack failed and she was captured by Jaina Proudmoore, while Med'an was recaptured by the Twilight's Hammer cult. Jaina and Aegwynn discovered that there was a spell placed on her mind but could not remove it without causing her great pain and possible death. In a deal she made with Valeera Sanguinar, she would endure the pain and give them some of the information they required if Valeera used the information to go save her son from the Twilight Hammer cult.
WoW15CoverArtwork.jpg|Garona on the cover of the comic (issue 15).
Garona comic.jpg|Garona as she appears in the comic (issue 16).
Garona face.jpg|Garona as she appears in the comic (issue 17).
WoW18CoverArtwork.jpg|Garona fighting Varian Wrynn (issue 18).
While Valeera and Meryl Winterstorm went to rescue Med'an, Garona was secretly freed and rescued by her uncle Maraad during a Scourge attack on Theramore. Later on, Maraad explained to Garona that her mother was his sister, thus making him her uncle. As they were talking, Valeera, who had been looking for Garona, came in and a fight erupted. Thinking that Valeera did not keep her part of the deal, she escaped while Maraad distracted Valeera but ran into Med'an, who had been following Valeera. Though Garona was happy to be reunited with her son, she explains that until Cho'gall is dead (he being the only one left who knows the safe word that would control her), it was not safe for her to be around him and that he should stay with his great uncle for now. Garona then went to Ahn'Qiraj to wait for her chance to kill Cho'gall.
Garona failed to kill Cho'gall but succeeded in retrieving the Base of Atiesh. She gave Med'an the necessary components to restore the staff of Atiesh and with its power, Med'an was able to defeat Chog'all. Garona, though still a fugitive of Stormwind, vowed to continue to hunt the remaining members of the Twilight's Hammer. She left it to Valeera to explain her situation to King Varian.
===Cataclysm===
During the Cataclysm, Garona was encountered at Bloodgulch in Twilight Highlands, having come to end the life of Cho'gall. Displeased with having to rely on farseers to further this goal, Garona took a more active approach to go about bringing his death. Horde adventurers were tasked with supporting her endeavor, and a delegation of elite Kor'kron was sent to assist her. However, Cho'gall stroke the group, leaving only the adventurer and Garona to sabotage the Twilight Citadel.
After freeing the trapped Lirastrasza and enlisting the aid of the Earthen Ring, Garona goes about putting her revenge into motion- though Cho'gall had lured her right into his grasp. Cho'gall retreated into the Bastion of Twilight, and left the powerful Gronn Skullcrusher the Mountain to destroy her and the adventurer. The timely arrival of Warlord Zaela, Lady Cozwynn and the Dragonmaw forces turned the tables around, however, and the mighty gronn was slain.
===Legion===
Now one of The Uncrowned, Garona was within the sewers of Dalaran in the secret Hall of Shadows during the third invasion of the Burning Legion. She found her long-hidden daggers Anguish and Sorrow and, against the wishes of Mathias Shaw (actually Detheroc in disguise),Deciphering the Letter Garona infiltrated Stormwind City while it was under lockdown to put an end to a Burning Legion cult. She and a rogue adventurer brought an end to Althea Ebonlocke and Melris Malagan and stopped demons from being summoned into the city. Afterward, Garona gave her daggers to the adventurer as being in Stormwind Keep with them brings back too many bad memories.The Unseen Blade
Garona participated in the Battle for the Exodar battling against High General Rakeesh, along with Vanessa VanCleef.
===Battle for Azeroth===
During the Fourth War, as a member of the Horde, Garona was aboard The Banshee's Wail in Zuldazar. She was ordered by Warchief Sylvanas Windrunner to organize missions and assemble a team in the war against the Alliance.Mission from the Warchief Having been conscripted for the mission, Garona was faking her loyalty to keep herself alive. When questioned by Nathanos Blightcaller about her loyalty to the Horde, the undead revealed that he knew her killing of King Llane Wrynn wasn't her choice.Garona's dialogue aboard the Banshee's Wail Garona later pointed out to him that the zeal at which he struck out against the Alliance seemed to be motivated beyond his loyalty to Sylvanas, causing Nathanos to admit that after the Alliance rejected the fallen of Lordaeron and started hunting the Forsaken, he vowed to hunt them in turn.Nathanos' dialogue aboard the Banshee's Wail
When Baine was arrested and Zelling was killed for their parts in freeing Derek Proudmoore from Horde captivity, Garona commented that their mistake wasn't that they acted against Sylvanas. Rather, she felt their mistake was that they acted too soon.
She later attended the funeral of Varok Saurfang.Old Soldier (quest)
Within the Vision of Orgrimmar, N'Zoth's twisted desire for Orgrimmar made manifest, a version of Garona was encountered. N'Zoth's agents seek her death as she plotted to send citizens within the Drag to safety.
===After the Fourth War===
Following the Argus Campaign and the Fourth War, Mathias Shaw mentioned in his report that the Uncrowned are still active, and that Garona is an active and recognized member of the organization.World of Warcraft: Exploring Azeroth: The Eastern Kingdoms, pg. 12
===Dragonflight===
Having decided that the first Kosh'harg of Azeroth was an event worthy of coming out of seclusion for, Garona was one of the orcs in attendance for the festival in Razor Hill in Durotar, initially standing next to Gordul. She was intrigued that so many orcs had answered the call and how none of them were fighting one another.The Kosh'harg As the Kosh'harg festival neared its ends, the Shattered Hand clan Chieftain Thega Graveblade invited Garona into the clan, who promised to consider the matter. To orc champions, Garona admitted that she had never belonged to a clan, how being half-blooded used to mark one as an outcast. However, in seeing how she, the mok'nathal, and Lantresor of the Blade were accepted at the Kosh'harg, convinced her that times changed, and so she revealed her inclination was to take up Thega's offer.Honor and Glory
==Locations==
==Quests==
*A Vision of Twilight (Horde) 
*The Eyes Have It (Horde) 
*Eye Spy (Horde) 
*Just You and Garona 
*Dark Assassins (Horde) 
*Bring the Hammer Down (Horde) 
*Distract Them for Me (Horde) 
*The Elementium Axe (Horde) 
*Dragon, Unchained (Horde) 
*Coup de Grace (Horde) 
*Help from the Earthcaller (Horde) 
*Water of Life (Horde) 
*Back to the Elementium Depths (Horde) 
*Garona Needs You 
*The Hammer of Twilight (Horde) 
*Preparation (quest) 
*The Unseen Blade 
*Champion: Garona Halforcen 
==Abilities==
;Twilight Highlands
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;Vision of Orgrimmar
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==Parentage==
Garona's "non-orcish" heritage has been very much disputed over the years. Some believed her to be part humanThe Last Guardian, pg. 198The Last Guardian, pg. 204, 221, 228Horde Player's Guide, pg. 167 (i.e. half-human) as she originally claimed. Medivh and Khadgar believed that the human part was actually a near-human race from Draenor, and not the same race of humans from Azeroth.The Last Guardian, pg. 234 Others have suggested she is part draeneiBlizzard lore posts#Garona's race (i.e. half-draenei) which has been confirmed.
Initially, it was believed (even by Garona herself) that she was of half-orc and half-human heritage, as she claimed in the Warcraft I manual and in The Last Guardian. In the manual, Garona specifically states she is "...of both Orc and Human lineage". Garona also mentions that she was forced through the portal along with laborers into Azeroth from Draenor, meaning that she was born on Draenor.Tides of Darkness, pg. 108
Even Medivh, the Explorers' League, many orcs and humans, and others thought that she was half-orc and half-human. Humans tended to focus on her orc parts, and orcs focused on her human parts. To orcs, she had human hands, too pale, too weak, and too ugly.
It was ultimately revealed that Gul'dan was aware of her true parentage but lied to Garona and made her believe she was half-human so she could more easily infiltrate the court of King Llane Wrynn.
As mentioned before, Garona herself had no reason to not believe Gul'dan's lies, until she met her pure-blooded draenei uncle Maraad. When he revealed her heritage to her, Garona could not believe him until he pressed her memory. It was only then that Garona realized that he was telling her the truth. When she spoke to Med'an a few minutes later, she also told him of their draenei heritage to his surprise, showing that she had fully accepted this revelation to be true.
Before her full race identity was revealed in the comic, this issue was brought up on the official forums where the former community manager Caydiem claimed that Garona was in fact half-orc and half-draenei. As the uncorrupted draenei in the The Burning Crusade expansion had not yet been revealed, Caydiem made this plausible by stating that the draenei seen so far in the game had been mutated as Draenor was torn apart by portals and through their portal travels.
Researchers such as Brann Bronzebeard had denied it (based on her appearance, draenei appearance, and their limited knowledge of other existing half-draenei in the world).
However, as Brann pointed out, due to her age it would seem impossible for a human and orc to have produced her since she was already a young woman at the time of the First War. Brann implied that half-draenei have physical features from both orcs and draenei,Horde Player's Guide but that her features did not match those of the draenei he had seen (which at the time were mostly Lost OnesLands of Conflict, pg. 58).
==Appearance==
With the recent revelation of the appearances of the true draenei and their eredar-like forms — it was hard to believe that Garona was half-draenei since she lacked their cranial features, leg structure, presence of a tail, and hooves — her prowess as an assassin makes it unlikely she is "half-uncorrupted" draenei. However, in World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, there is a half-orc half-draenei blademaster in Nagrand — Lantresor of the Blade, leader of the Boulderfist ogres — who reuses Rend Blackhand's orc model lacking draenei features and human features. Although Lantresor's model may just be using an orc model due to the lack of a true half-draenei model in-game (in the same way that half-elves are represented by elven models in game), Garona looks like him, without draenei features.
In the World of Warcraft (Wildstorm comic), she is portrayed, similar to her older renditions, with dominant orcish features. Her only draenei features are the eye glows (not white, however, but purple) and the structure of her forehead. She also mentions to Maraad that her feet are "almost like hooves." Horns and the tail are missing, although it is possible that they have been physically removed or simply are rudimentary and hidden under her clothes and hair. Her leg structure has nothing in common with the draenei's though. Her son Med'an, even with only having 1/4 draenei genes, has more draenei features than she does.
Her clothes, tattoo, and haircut are similar to 2003's orc assassin concept art by Samwise Didier,WarCraft - Orc Assassin implying this may have been an older picture of Garona and not an unknown assassin.
==Disappearance from games==
===Warcraft III===
In early release information related to Warcraft III, including private demonstrations to the media, it was mentioned that Garona was intended to play a major role in the main campaign, likening her importance to that of Thrall himself. On April 27, 2000, IGN.com interviewed Rob Pardo about the game. In an interview conducted by IGN, Garona was mentioned as a playable hero unit, but by the game's release in 2002, she was strangely missing.
===World of Warcraft===
During the World of Warcraft beta, she was seen in Ravenholdt Manor, the guild of assassins, with the title of "Grand Master of the Assassin's League" and affiliated with the Ravenholdt faction. She was removed before the game's release, but has since reappeared in Wrath of the Lich King in a flashback and in Cataclysm in person.
===Other appearances===
Garona also appears as a hero unit in Warcraft I: Garona (Warcraft I).
==Memorable quotes==
===Last Guardian===
*"The fact that I am of both Orc and Human lineage, combined with the skills and schooling I have acquired from my journeys, has elevated me to the position I now hold."
*"Never better. Needed a little exercise. This whelp was kind enough to oblige."
*"Yes, surprisingly, I can read..."
*"Human languages are a bit...wordy."
*"Let's just say I've been having a problem with divided loyalties."
*"I'm going to kill him. He treated me well, and listened when I talked, and I'm going to kill him. No."
*"In your histories, there are continual justifications for all manner of hellish actions. Claims of nobility and heritage and honor to cover up every bit of genocide, assassination, and massacre. At least the Horde is honest in their naked lust for power."
*"Human or orc... An orc would say that it's a human hand - too slender to be really useful, not enough muscle to hold an ax or bash a skull in properly - too pale, too weak, and too ugly. You see the parts of me that are orcish. My orcish superiors, and all other orcs, see the parts of me that are human. I am both, and neither, and considered an inferior being by both sides."
*"He made me feel human. And I haven't felt human in a long, long time."The Last Guardian, pg. 228
*"I feared, but survived. And I found my half-breed life gave me insight on these humans."The Last Guardian, pg. 232
===World of Warcraft===
====Twilight Highlands====
;Greetings
*"I'm here to hunt, not to chat."
*"Keep your voice down."
*"Who I am isn't important."
*"No one can know I'm here."
*"Cho'gall will pay."
*"I can't rest til I'm free of Cho'gall's grasp."
*"The Twilight Council will suffer for their crimes."
;Irritated
*"I've killed for less."
*"I can make you look like an accident."
*"I'm not that good with self control."
;Bloodgulch gossip
I travelled all this way to speak with the famed "Seer of the Dragonmaw." I wanted to see inside Cho'gall's dark heart before I tear it out.
But she's worthless to me. All riddles and rhyme. Maybe you can help.
====Legion====
"You're lucky if they kill you - if you're left alive you'll wish for death before long."Infernal Grip
;Quest text
*<Garona spins one of her razor-sharp blades around her fingers before deftly sheathing it at her waist.> As long as there's a challenge to the kill, I'm game for whatever little missions you have in mind.Champion: Garona Halforcen
;Gossip
The Uncrowned are a means to an end. The Legion's end.
=====On-click=====
;Greeting
*Hmm?
*What is it?
*I serve no one!
;Farewell
*So be it.
*Good.
*Our will be done.
*Whatever it takes.
*Our hand is everywhere.
=====Dialogue=====
;Combat ally
*
*
*
====Battle for Azeroth====
;Greeting (Same as AU)
*My knives are ready.
*Who's next?
*Name your target.
;Pissed (Same as AU)
*That's enough.
*We are done here.
;Farewell (Same as AU)
*Let the hunt begin.
*We will finish this.
*Make them pay.
=====Banshee's Wail=====
;Initial gossip on the Banshee's Wail
When fanatics doubt your loyalty, you are not long for this world.
I was conscripted into this campaign. Perhaps you were, too. We must do whatever is needed--say whatever we must--to survive it.
But know this. There is only one war that matters. And it is not this one.
;Later conversation with Nathanos Blightcaller
Seems I have been conscripted into service once again, to carry out yet another master's schemes.
I will do what I must--say what I must--to live for another day.
But sooner or later this war will end. We must be ready for what follows.
*
:Nathanos Blightcaller walks over to Garona Halforcen.
:
:
:
:
:
:
:Nathanos Blightcaller walks back to his post.
* (starts with Nathanos)
:Garona Halforcen walks over to Nathanos Blightcaller.
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:Garona Halforcen walks back to her post.
;Post-The Return of Derek Proudmoore
:
::War isn't pretty. I know that all too well, and so does Windrunner. You have to decide what you're willing to do to achieve victory... and what you're not.
=====Warfang Hold=====
;Post-A Display of Power
:You see what happened to Baine? To Zelling? That's why we need to lay low, keep our heads down, follow the warchief's lead. At least for now.
:Baine's mistake wasn't acting against Sylvanas. His mistake was acting too soon.
=====Vision of Orgrimmar=====
==Items==
*Malyfous Darkhammer, a member of the Thorium Brotherhood, noted that the Breastplate of Bloodthirst was originally created for Garona, and became her trademark, as she owns the only one ever made. He then offered adventurers a replica of the breastplate, given a certain amount of materials.Breastplate of Bloodthirst (quest)
*Garona's Signet Ring is a drop from The Curator in Karazhan, where Garona stayed during her time as an emissary.
*Yogg-Saron, whose role in certain events on Azeroth including Llane's assassination is unclear, drops Garona's Guise and Kingsbane (dagger).
*The Tier 9 Horde rogue set is named Garona's Battlegear.
*She is the subject of the rogue quest item book: Garona: A Study on Stealth and Treachery.
==In the RPG==
Garona is a spymaster.Horde Player's Guide, pg. 75
==In Hearthstone==
*Garona first appears as a purchasable alternate hero for the Rogue class in Hearthstone. Her flavor text reads: "If you value your life, then watch the shadows for Garona Halforcen. Those who tread without fear will fall to Anguish and Sorrow."
Garona first appears as a purchasable alternate hero for the Rogue class in Hearthstone. Her flavor text reads: "If you value your life, then watch the shadows for Garona Halforcen. Those who tread without fear will fall to Anguish and Sorrow."
*A second Garona alternate rogue hero was made available as part of the . Her flavor text reads: "As a Knight of the Ebon Blade, Garona sharpened her Kingslayers to slay a new foe. Earnable after purchasing the March of the Lich King Tavern Pass.".
*A third Garona alternate rogue hero was made available as part of the . Her flavor text reads: "Who brings a microphone-knife to a rap battle? She does. Earnable after purchasing the Festival of Legends Tavern Pass.".
*A fourth Garona alternate rogue hero was made available as part of the . Her flavor text reads: "These training dummies are never gonna know what hit 'em. Earnable after purchasing the TITANS Tavern Pass.".
Garona Halforcen HS Book of Mercenaries.jpg| in .
Garona Mercenaries 1.jpg|Garona in Hearthstone Mercenaries.
Garona Mercenaries 2.jpg|Garona in Hearthstone Mercenaries.
Garona Mercenaries 3.jpg|Garona in Hearthstone Mercenaries.
Garona Halforcen HS hero.jpg| alternate rogue hero skin in Hearthstone.
Ebon Assassin Garona HS.jpg| alternate rogue hero skin in Hearthstone.
Bounce Around (ft. Garona).jpg|Garona in .
MC Garona HS.jpg| alternate rogue hero skin in Hearthstone.
Gloryseeker Garona.jpg| alternate rogue hero skin in Hearthstone.
==Notes and trivia==
*She penned the introduction of the Orc part of the Warcraft: Orcs & Humans manual.
*Garona was voiced by Jessica Straus in Wrath of the Lich King, D.B. Cooper in Cataclysm, and is now voiced by Alyson Reed in Legion.
*Garona is one of the few followers that doubles as a Class Order champion, although her appearance in was her alternate counterpart. Others include Archmage Vargoth (only his image in Draenor), Millhouse Manastorm, and Thisalee Crow.
*Garona is seen during Yogg-Saron's vision The Assassination of King Llane where she reports that Blackhand is assaulting the city. This has since been retconned into Warchief Orgrim Doomhammer leading the siege,Ultimate Visual Guide, Updated and Expanded but was at the time accurate to the same scene happening in The Last Guardian. After the introduction of the Kingslayers in Legion, they were however retroactively added to Garona's appearance in Ulduar. In the novel, she only used a single long-bladed dagger.
*Originally in the Legion alpha she was the leader of the Uncrowned, but the leader was later changed to Lord Jorach Ravenholdt. However, she still remains as a member of the inner circle.
*There seems to be an inconsistency given the Chronicle's timeline, Garona would be recognized as a skilled fighter and linguist at the age of 3. Either Maraad was lied to, or it is a mistake in the book.
*Back at BlizzCon's 2007 Q&A, Garona hadn't been added to World of Warcraft yet and it was stated that she might indeed return to the orcish race when Chris Metzen strongly implied that he would like to introduce Garona as a possible love interest for Thrall. However, this was just an idea that was randomly thrown out there.
*Garona's character has undergone a number of retcons since her original introduction in Warcraft: Orcs & Humans:
**She was originally introduced in Warcraft: Orcs & Humans as half-orc, half-human. The Comic later stated that she was a result of one of Gul'dan's experiments,World of Warcraft: The Comic as the warlock "bred" one of his orcish warriors to a draenei female. This was later changed again, with Garona being changed to a baby from an orc and his draenei captive that only ran into Gul'dan later in life.
**Garona was said to be inducted into the warlock-controlled Stormreaver clan on Draenor,The Last Guardian: Garona: "I was in the third group, but still I was a near-outcast, surviving as best I could at the fringes of the clan. That would be the Stormreavers, at the time, at least when the order went out." but herself belonged to no clan, and had no clan allegiance.The Last Guardian, pg. 207 retcons Garona's backstory and the clan being established at the start of the Second War. Garona was at that time a prisoner of the Old Horde and guarded by Eitrigg.
**In The Last Guardian, Garona said her first meeting with Medivh happened when her orcish party ambushed Medivh. The Guardian killed everyone but Garona, and sent her back with a message to the warlock Gul'dan.The Last Guardian, chapter 12
**Her eye color was originally blue, but in The Comic they were retconned to glowing violet.Loreology on Twitter (dead link)
==Alternate timelines==
Alternate appears in the alternate in the past during the war in Draenor.
Garona Halforcen from a separate timeline appears in the Warcraft film universe.
==Speculation==
How Meryl and Garona became friends is not specified, but it is likely that it happened during the course of the First War.
==Gallery==
Garona3.jpg|"Garona" by Metzen.Sons of the Storm
Garona.jpg|An early render of Garona from a pre-alpha version of Warcraft III'.
Warcraft III Garona 3D render.jpg|A bigger resolution but a smaller view from the previous picture.
Orcassasin.jpg|Orc Assassin in the RPG, possibly inspired by Garona.
Garona stabs King Llane.jpg|Garona stabs King Llane with the Kingslayers (as seen in Yogg-Saron's brain room).
Garona stabs King Llane old.jpg|Garona stabs King Llane (pre-Legion version).
Garona Action Figure.jpg|Garona action figure.
Garona TCG.jpg|Garona Halforcen in the Trading Card Game.
Garona Halforcen TCG2.jpg|Garona Halforcen in the TCG.
Guldan and Garona.jpg|A young Garona with Gul'dan in her original backstory of being a breeding experiment by the warlock.
Betrayal of the Guardian.jpg|Garona on the right of the Betrayal of the Guardian TCG key art.
;Fan art
Med'an family tree.jpg|Med'an family tree.
==Patch changes==
*
*
==See also==
* (TCG Timewalkers), TCG card
==References==
==External links==
 
Category:Orc characters
Category:Draenei characters
Category:Half-breeds
Category:Rogue characters
Category:Assassins
Category:Spies
Category:Linguists
Category:Shadow Council
Category:Uncrowned
Category:The Last Guardian characters
Category:World of Warcraft: The Comic characters
Category:Twilight Highlands NPCs
Category:Hall of Shadows NPCs
Category:Elwynn Forest NPCs
Category:Stormwind City NPCs
Category:Dalaran NPCs
Category:Dazar'alor NPCs
Category:Stormsong Valley NPCs
Category:Unique voices
Category:Action figures
Category:Battle for the Exodar
Category:Vision of Orgrimmar NPCs
Category:Durotar NPCs
Category:Hearthstone heroes
es:Garona Semiorco
fr:Garona
pl:Garona Halforcen