Watching the tense situation and hearing Rhodes's resounding accusations, the atmosphere in the clearing instantly became strange.
"Twilight's Hammer? Cho'gall?" Rexxar furrowed his brow, and behind him, the Troll Rokhan took on a thoughtful expression.
"Exactly him," Rhodes said with certainty. "He and his Twilight's Hammer cultists worship ancient, wicked gods who seek to destroy all of Azeroth. Their goal is to spread chaos and despair, inciting war between all races so that their 'Masters' can more easily consume this world."
"That Ogre who betrayed the Horde and became obsessed with shadow power? I know of him," Rexxar replied. "Back on Draenor, he was no saint. He associated with an evil clan called the Pale Orcs. But from what I know, he was only chasing power; he didn't actually believe in some 'prophecy' of Old Gods. Weren't those so-called gods just fabrications?"
The Pale Orcs did indeed worship a doomsday judgment and practiced shadow magic, and they had even been manipulated by Gul'dan's Shadow Council, so the Horde was familiar with the organization. But to their understanding, the "Shadow" was mostly a ruse.
Draenor was destroyed, yes, but not by shadow power. To these Orcs, Cho'gall's double-headed eccentricity was just a means to an end—the pursuit of raw magical strength. Would he really bother to provoke a war between the Horde and Alliance?
"That was only because Old Gods didn't exist on your world. In truth, the Twilight's Hammer is very real. I can tell you plainly: the Old Gods—those terrifying shadow entities—exist. They are cosmic horrors," Rhodes immediately began educating the Horde party on the Void and the Old Gods.
"You mean that after coming to Azeroth, Cho'gall found actual Old Gods?" Rexxar asked, catching Rhodes's drift.
"Precisely. Upon arriving in this world, Cho'gall discovered that the 'Twilight Gods' he had been pretending to worship actually existed. They were defeated by the Titans tens of thousands of years ago and imprisoned across Azeroth.
One is right here on Kalimdor—C'Thun, who nearly escaped during the War of the Shifting Sands. Another is sealed in Northrend; that one can even corrupt Titan Watchers and was involved in the death of Tyr. Furthermore, deep beneath the Maelstrom lies N'Zoth.
The Naga were once Highborne Elves who were consumed by his power after Queen Azshara's fall, turning them into deep-sea monsters. There was even a fourth, Y'Shaarj, the most powerful of them, who was killed—though his remains transformed into seven terrifying monsters on a continent shrouded in mist."
Rhodes laid out the secrets of the Old Gods. He omitted Xal'atath for now, as she was an ultimate boss spanning multiple expansions. The listeners were stunned; no one expected Rhodes to reveal such deep lore. Beside them, the Grand Admiral looked thoughtful.
Kul Tiras had its own legends of Old Gods and "sea-witches" who worshiped them. There were even stories of flesh-monsters held in secret vaults. But those were just old myths—was Rhodes saying they were reality?
"Father, you must believe Rhodes," Jaina said, looking at Daelin. "He knows things about the ancient times and the origins of the universe that he has proven true many times. If Rhodes says these Old Gods exist, they do. If you doubt it, you can ask the Night Elves; they remember the War of the Shifting Sands."
Jaina suspected Rhodes was more than just a Titan messenger; perhaps he was chosen by the First Ones themselves. The "biological weapons" he summoned—Phoenixes, Angels, Black Dragons—were far too powerful to be ordinary. If he were just a Titan's pawn, he wouldn't have such diverse mastery over the six primal forces. To her, Rhodes was someone destined for immortality, pursuing the ultimate Truth.
"Admiral Daelin, think for a moment," Rhodes said, turning to him. "If the Horde truly wanted total war, would they send three lone adventurers, or Thrall's entire army? Likewise, if I or Theramore intended to provoke you, would we hit one tiny border outpost and then stand here waiting to be caught? It's illogical. This is a frame-up."
Daelin's rage hadn't vanished, but doubt flickered in his eyes. He wasn't a mindless brute; Rhodes's logic hit the mark. He had simply been blinded by hatred and the illusion of "seeing is believing."
"Father," Jaina stepped forward, clutching Daelin's arm. "We fought side-by-side at Mount Hyjal to save the world. If we start a civil war now over a misunderstanding, the true enemy will only laugh. We can't let our fallen soldiers die for nothing while the real culprit goes free."
Daelin looked at his daughter's anxious face, then at Rhodes's calm, clear expression. His grip on his cutlass finally loosened. He huffed but did not issue an attack order.
"So, Regent Rhodes, what do you suggest we do?" Daelin's tone was stiff, but he was no longer refusing to communicate.
"If the humans are willing to set aside their prejudice to find the true puppet master, the Horde will do the same," Rexxar said. "Warchief Thrall trusts you, Lord Rhodes. We hope you can uncover the truth, and we will pursue Cho'gall on our end."
Rhodes felt a wave of relief. The immediate danger had passed. If war had broken out, he would have been forced to side with his "father-in-law"—he couldn't betray family—but that would have meant killing Rexxar's trio, offending the Pandaren of the Wandering Isle, and starting a blood feud with the New Horde. Lordaeron and the Alliance weren't ready for that.
"Rexxar, Chen, Rokhan—in the name of the Grand Marshal of the Alliance, I guarantee a thorough investigation. Those who hit your outposts were likely Twilight's Hammer cultists or others they manipulated. We need to share intelligence."
Rexxar nodded. "We choose to believe you, Lord Rhodes. The Warchief desires peace as well. We will take your words back to Orgrimmar."
"Good," Rhodes replied. "Tell Warchief Thrall that I am taking over the defense of Theramore. I guarantee the Alliance will not proactively attack before the truth is out. I suggest both sides pull back their troops to avoid any accidental 'sparks' lighting the fire."
"Agreed," Rexxar said bluntly. "We hope you find evidence soon. Until next time."
The Beastmaster trio and their followers faded into the forest. Daelin watched them go, still somewhat begrudging, but he didn't stop them.
"Father, let's go back to Theramore," Jaina said softly.