Blizzard Releases Cost of Honor Short Story for WoW: Forever

Blizzard Entertainment released a new short story titled Cost of Honor on Friday exploring the history of the Riverglades zone in WoW: Forever.

The release arrived via the official World of Warcraft account on X (formerly Twitter) alongside an illustrated PDF and a narrated video version on YouTube.

Jonathan Maberry wrote the narrative, while Surfside 3D produced the illustrations. Peter Jessop narrates the video as Demar Brant, the Knight-Captain of Farholde Keep, who guides local youth through historical accounts during a gathering.

Brant recounts the Siege of Blackrock Spire from the Second War between the Alliance of Lordaeron and the Horde led by Orgrim Doomhammer. In this version of events, Doomhammer kills Anduin Lothar before the paladin Turalyon takes up his broken sword and hammer to rally the Alliance forces.

Turalyon knocks out Doomhammer, leading the army to capture the warchief and his remaining orcs in chains instead of executing them.

Brant explains to the children that his brotherhood split from Stormwind and the Alliance to hunt down fleeing Horde remnants.

“Ask yourselves . . . is an oath given of more worth than the lives of villagers and innocent farmers?”

Brant asked the children, according to the story text. “If the respect and trust of the Alliance is more important than the lives of the people who depend upon us, then who are we? What are we?”

The narrative concludes back at Farholde Keep after referencing the Twilight’s Hammer faction and Sunnyglade. Sean Copeland provided lore consultation for the project alongside a game team consultation group that included Chris Metzen.

The Riverglades functions as a level 35 to 40 zone in WoW: Forever, joining Zephras Isle, Shen’dralas, and Mount Hyjal. The game launched on November 4 with a level cap of 60 and nine dungeons, with the first raids scheduled to open on December 9.

“Yet here we are . . . in Farholde Keep,” Demar Brant, the Knight-Captain of Farholde Keep, told them.