User:Lemona1d/Burning Legion Invasion

Overview

_{Explanation: Over on the warcraftlore subreddit on Reddit, a user posted the theoretical question, "Say you're a leader on Azeroth. How do you prepare and make ready for the coming Burning Legion invasion?" with the description, "Assume that it's post-WoD and the AU Draenor forces have joined us on MU Azeroth. You can also assume that the Horde and Alliance are working together in some fashion." This immediately got my creative gears turning, and I began to daydream about this scenario and how I would approach it. I'm a very creative person at heart; I love coming up with my own characters, injecting my ideas into established universes, and writing stories and such in general. While theorizing about this hypothetical scenario, I went along the guidelines of several assumptions to both give myself some creative liberty and make the idea creation process as smooth as possible while keeping everything from getting too ridiculous. Also, this is not official canon for the Council of One expansion; it is merely a response to a fairly radical question that I gave an equally radical question to. The actual canon to the expansion would likely look similar to this, but much scrappier and less organized.}

• A full invasion from the Burning Legion is imminent is one month's time with no holds barred;
• All races, factions, and groups of both the Alliance and the Horde are in armistice and working together willingly and with all resources available;
• No other threats are to be considered a hazard (old gods, scourge and other hostile races of Azeroth);
• Any and all side specific factions from previous expansions return home to aid with the war (i.e. to use game play as an example all Horde and Alliance towns/cities from all five expansions leave wherever they are - like Honor Hold and Thrallmar, for example - are all back home in Azeroth, this is done with the intention to give the Azerothian army as much stopping force as possible);
• Any races/factions that don't necessarily have any immediate connection to the fight against the Burning Legion and/or normally wouldn't care about said threat, such as allies found across Pandaria, are recruited for the war under the assumption that they face total and undeniable annihilation if the invasion of the Legion is successful

Without further adieu...

Invasion

One Month Before Invasion

• News of imminent invasion reaches Azeroth; leaders convene, make peace, form tentative alliance (colloquially referred to as the Council).
• A worldwide armistice is introduced, as well as a semi-strict ban on magic use, fighting, and the like. Soldiers are to conserve their strength and stamina for the foreseeable future.
• Materials from across the world are milled and hoarded, being put to good use for craftsmen everywhere. Most of it is used in production to supply troops, although a good portion of it is stored incognito for safe keeping. Farms are farmed, mines are mined, plants are harvested. Materials are consumed under the assumptions that precious and valuable resources will be destroyed or at least damaged beyond use during the war.
• Pre-militaristic groundwork is underway -- Chefs begin preparing non-perishable food by the masses, tailors weave cloth into bandages, craftsmen the world over produce as much armor and weapons as reasonably possible. Officially regulated equipment and supplies are mandated throughout the troops in a streamlined manner so that every man and woman is properly fitted with correct attire.
• Drafts are sent to all cities, towns, villages, outposts, and anywhere else possible where allies may be found. Signing up is greatly appreciated, not required, and understandable if not heeded. Drafted soldiers are sent to capital cities and are to await further instructions. Meanwhile calls go out to veterans of all races to take up the mantle of training recruits.
• Children, elderly, the ill, and any others who are unable to fight or otherwise contribute to the war effort (being referred to as the Fourth War) are escorted to AU Draenor where they will be safe at their respective faction's capital, Karabor for the Alliance and Bladespire Fortress for the Horde.
• Troops of the Azerothian army are placed on a self appointed training regiment, starting with proper diet and exercise, with an immediate focus on those who are injured, out of shape, and generally deemed unfit for fighting.
• Precious artifacts and magical instruments of all nature are hauled away and sealed in dwarven designed bunkers across the world. Other, more worldly possessions, such as paintings, furniture, pottery, and more are also stored for safe keeping to preserve culture where culture may be lost.

Three Weeks Before Invasion

• Emissaries, members of all factions, are sent to every corner of the world including Northrend, Pandaria, and even present day Outland and AU Draenor on the hunt for fresh troops. Any and all allies, whether of the past or the present, of the Alliance or the Horde, are considered for conscription. Among them include:

1. From Outland come the Ashtongue Deathsworn in full force, along with the Consortium and a vast majority the forces affiliated with the city of Shattrath, while the Mag'har rejoin with the Horde;
2. From Northrend come freshly hatched, uncorrupted Nerubians, as well as members of the Knights of the Ebon Blade, and the Sons of Hodir, with the Kalu'ak, the Oracles, and the Frenzyheart Tribe forming their own militia to aid the war effort;
3. From Pandaria, the Pearlfin Jinyu and the Forest Hozen rejoin their respective allies, with the Klaxxi sending their remaining forces, along with the Shado-Pan and the August Celestials, and, of course, the Black Prince himself;
4. And lastly, from the alternate universe of Draenor, the Arakkoa send their members when able, and the splintered orc clans that still remain muster what little forces they have left to send over into Azeroth after being nearly wiped out by the influence of the Legion.
5. On the planet itself, the Ramkahen form a front line in southern Kalimdor. Intelligible, neutral races such as ogres, centaur, naga, including mercenaries of all kind, are considered for drafting. Although rare in number some do populate the vastly growing forces of Azeroth.

• Engineers and architects, particularly gnomes and goblins, are deployed to multitude of places across Azeroth known for their demonic influence - Felwood, Ashenvale, Desolace, anywhere the Burning Legion has been thought to reside. Watch towers and outposts are deployed amongst these areas. Lastly, an overwhelming force is sent to the Dark Portal in the Blasted Lands to wipe away any remaining demon forces without indignation. A healthy chunk of able bodied soldiers remain in the area to patrol and keep watch.
• Groups such as the Avengers of Hyjal redirect their attention to rebuilding the very many desecrated parts of Azeroth left from years of conflict and warfare. After repairing much of Hyjal itself, the druids turn their efforts to places like the Barrens, the Badlands, the Dead Scar in Eversong Woods, and more. The greenery in Desolace and the Barrens are vastly expanded. Similarly, shaman are in constant communion with spirits, pursuing such efforts as returning untainted foliage to the Plaguelands as well as the few pockets of the world still touched by demon influence.
• By now, word of invasion has reached every corner of Azeroth by messenger, word of mouth or otherwise. Goblin trade princes, having set aside their differences and put a stop to their bickering, have opened up neatly secured supply routes across the world throughout the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor to ensure the safe arrival materials and necessities. Armed automatons patrol and protect supplies en route to free up real soldiers.

Two Weeks Before Invasion

• The Council holds an impromptu gathering at the dawn of the week, calling upon the greatest leaders of each class profession. They, in turn, pass their mission onto their followers.

1. Death knights of the Alliance and Horde rally the leftover mindless undead behind them, keeping them in a hibernation like stasis to serve as cannon fodder when the real conflict begins. They rest in mass graves in cemeteries across the globe as well as places already marked by death such as Andorhal.
2. Hunters, along with the help of druids, comb the wilds in search of fauna, small, big, magical and otherwise. The hunters tame them while the druids shift them into the Emerald Dream to keep them safe. The particularly tough and resilient creatures join the hunters as part the Azerothian army, acting as bloodhounds to scout, pack animals to carry supplies, and soldiers themselves, working as bodyguards as well as additional forces.
3. Mages, as appointed appropriately by the Council, begin the summoning of portals all across Azeroth. These waygates transport troops to destinations in a flash, help engineers and laborers carry materials vast distances in a matter of seconds, and allow scouting parties safe passage as they scour the landscape of Azeroth for any surprise early visits from the demons.
4. Monks of all kinds come together across the land to practice their fighting styles with the others of the world. They teach the restraint of martial arts and share the knowledge of how to fix up a fine ale to all those who will listen. They also help others find, understand, and communicate with their inner chi. Their efforts help reduce stress amongst leaders and troops alike while keeping spirits high.
5. Paladins, while fairly present out of mutual respect to their allies, have mostly locked themselves away in anticipation for the otherworldly conflict set to come in weeks time. They contemplate the Light and bathe in it, while yet also taking up a harsh training course Yrel of Draenor and Tirion Fordring himself.
6. Priests like their brothers and sisters in the Light are also somewhat absent during this time, although not quite as heavily so. They split their time between worshiping the Light as devotee and reading old manuscripts and bound stories of the Legion as scholars. They broaden their scope from holy documents to becoming well versed in wives' tales and oral stories that could help them in the coming dark times.
7. Rogues and thieves, led by a renewed Ravenholdt, infiltrate what hostile Azerothion forces remain, such as the Shadow Council and the Twilight's Hammer, attempting to dismantle them from the inside by pilfering supplies and spreading discord. Anywhere any forces are opposed to the Horde or Alliance and are not mutually neutral, they are shut down. This includes what little remains of the hostile orc clans, remnants of those who allied with the Scourge, the Burning Legion, and other hostile forces, and other aggressive races like the murloc and centaur.
8. Shaman of both factions, bound by mutual trust and respect through the Earthen Ring, commune as one in an effort to make contact with the elemental planes. The shaman ask for the unruly elementals to fight for Azeroth when the time comes, or, at the very least, grant them strength, knowing that the chaotic beings thrive on lawlessness and entropy and would surely like to participate in a battle that would be felt throughout the ages.
9. The warriors of the world are, to the surprise of no one, at the forefront of the ongoing war efforts. While also training troops both fresh blooded or veteran, they also have begun the military integration of many races that have not seen large scale combat before, such as the jinyu and hozen from Pandaria, as well as the indigenous of Northrend that decided to journey to the mainland and join the fight.
10. The Council calls for an unprecedented meeting of Azeroth's warlocks, both great and amateur alike. Pardoned of any former crimes and relieved of animosity driven by the public eye, the warlocks are enlisted for a very serious task - steal forces from the Burning Legion, disrupt communications, and shut down transportation throughout the Nether. During this time new breed of Soulstones is engineered to capture the physical essence of demons, allowing them to be called on at a future time.