The Cycle of Hatred, Keith R.A. DeCandido
The Burning Legion had been pushed back. The war had been hard fought, but the inhabitants of Kalimdor were beginning to pick up the pieces, to build a new life. The humans at Theramore chose a difficult path, trying to overlook hundreds of years of opposition to build their new homes next to the orcs. Tensions were high, of course, but strong leadership had held them together so far.
Jaina Proudmoore, the young, but very powerful, human mage and ruler of Theramore, never had wished to be a ruler. It was a role that landed squarely on her shoulders after the demons had been sent out of this world. After all, it was she who made the alliance with the Warchief of the orcs, Thrall. And she was not about to let that alliance slip - it had come at too high a price for that.
Neither did Thrall wish to continue the fight. They had been slaves to another's will for too long to remain slaves to hatred; first to The Burning Legion, as the demons' tools of destruction, and then to the humans after the wars had ended. It was Thrall who brought the orcs together, who reminded the once proud orcs of their heritage, who created the alliance with Jaina. He would not allow his people to slip back into this mindless war easily.
But threats to the alliance emerged across Kalimdor. Acts of piracy on an orc trader ship, threats against a human outpost on the border of the orcs lands, and attacks on both humans and orcs by a mysterious band of warlocks marked with a burning blade raised tensions. Jaina and Thrall both worked hard to solve these problems, and eventually found traitors within their own ranks. Along the way, an old hero of Jaina's, the second to last guardian of Tirisfal, Aegwynn, became a valuable ally in solving the mystery of recent events. One of Kalimdor's oldest enemies was back to stir up trouble, using the still fresh hatred between the humans and orcs to try to destroy everything Jaina and Thrall had built.
Cycle of Hatred tells the story of this old enemy, and how the friendship and trust between Thrall and Jaina fought him to try to save their people.
Additional Resources
Author Interview
| Last | First | Significance | Related WoW links | Also appears in |
| Aegwynn | Very beautiful. A Guardian distinguished as a mighty warrior against the Horde; mother of Medivh. Second to last Guardian of Tirisfal, she is near 1,000 years old in Cycle of Hatred. | Realm | The Last Guardian | |
| Burx | Close advisor to Thrall. Young, energetic and very conscious of the past dealing with humans as their slaves. | none | ||
| Kalthar | Balanced and thoughtful, Kalthar's opinion is the one most valued by Thrall. | none | War of the Ancients | |
| Kristoff | Chamberlain to Jaina Proudmoore - keeps trains running on time. Not altogether supportive of orc-human alliance. | none | ||
| Lorena | Colonel, Trusted ally of Jaina Proudmoore. Fiercely loyal to Jaina. | none | ||
| Proudmoore | Jaina | Powerful mage, the leader of the humans in the wake of the war against The Burning Legion. Struck alliance with Thrall. | NPC, Item, Realm | Day of the Dragon |
| Thrall | Described as large. Warchief of the Horde; major character in Lord of the Clans. Raised with humans from infancy, later escaped to find his family with the assistance of Taretha Foxton. Struck alliance with Jaina Proudmoore after wars with the Burning Legion. | NPC, Realm | Of Blood and Honor, Lord of the Clans |
| Last | First | Significance | Related WoW links | Also appears in |
| Aran | Nielas | Thin, narrow-faced, with a slender moustache and goatee. Court conjurer and advisor for Azeroth's king, we see him in flashback form during the Last Guardian on the morning after his affair with Aegwynn that resulting in Medivh's birth. | none | The Last Guardian |
| Blackmoore | Aedelas | Once tall and handsome, with black hair that fell to his shoulders. In charge of Durnholde, Blackmoore rose through the ranks quickly due to his prowess against orcs. Became even more famous after raising a captured orc he named Thrall. | Quest | Lord of the Clans |
| Margoz | A demon's minion - Incites discontent among humans in Kalimdor at his master's behest. | none | ||
| Medivh | Son of Aegwynn, name means Keeper of Secrets in high elven; a predominant character in The Last Guardian, he carries with him a burden of being torn between two destinies, one evil, one good. He is very disorganized and goes through assistants quickly. Possessed by Sargeras, the evil demon, in Aegwynn's womb. | Realm | The Last Guardian | |
| Rokhan | Thrall's finest scout. | none | ||
| Sargeras | Great warrior of the Pantheon; A noble titan-giant of molten bronze, we see his defeat in the The Last Guardian by Aegwynn. | Realm | The Last Guardian, War of the Ancients | |
| Scavell | Aegwynn's teacher and prior Guardian of Tirisfal. | none | ||
| Zmodlor | Minor demon, first sent into the Twisting Nether by Aegwynn, later appears in Kalimdor to stir up trouble. | none |
