Beyond the Dark Portal #12: for the Alliance!

August 19, 2026•Lore•Brendo Arruda

"Beyond the Dark Portal" series — Beyond the Dark Portal #12. The story of Beyond the Dark Portal, from the internment camps to the end of Draenor. The episodes are listed in order at the end of the post.

For the first time, the war changed sides. The Alliance went through the Dark Portal and reached Draenor, the world of the orcs. The expedition of Turalyon and Khadgar, with Alleria, Danath and Kurdran, found a red, dry and dying planet, and a Horde that knew every inch of the land.

The expedition

King Terenas sent General Turalyon and Archmage Khadgar through the Portal. With them went Danath Trollbane, Kurdran Wildhammer, Alleria Windrunner and soldiers from several kingdoms: humans, elves and dwarves.

A dying world

On the other side, the Alliance soldiers saw what fel magic had done to Draenor. The ground was red and cracked, the sky was the color of fire, and almost nothing grew. It was a warning of what could happen to Azeroth.

Hellfire Peninsula

The expedition reached Hellfire Peninsula, the region around the Portal on the Draenor side. There stood Hellfire Citadel, the great center of the Horde. The Alliance would need a base of its own to survive.

What this changes in the story

The crossing into Draenor is the first time the Alliance takes the war to the orcs' world. Until then, every war had been fought on Azeroth. Seeing Draenor dying also changed the way many soldiers saw the orcs.

For a TBC player, the expedition's arrival is the same arrival they make when going through the Dark Portal: Hellfire Peninsula, the red earth, the Citadel on the horizon and the Alliance fortress built in a hurry.

It is also the last time many of these heroes see Azeroth for a long while.

Episode timeline

Terenas sends Turalyon and Khadgar through the Portal.
Danath, Kurdran and Alleria join the expedition.
The Alliance goes through the Dark Portal.
The soldiers find a red, dying world.
The expedition reaches Hellfire Peninsula.

Who's who in this episode

| Name | Who they are | |------|--------| | Turalyon | The general who led the expedition. | | Khadgar | The expedition's archmage. | | Alleria Windrunner | The elven ranger. | | Danath Trollbane | The warrior from Stromgarde. | | Kurdran Wildhammer | The leader of the gryphon riders. |

Where to see it in WotLK

Hellfire Peninsula, in Outland: the Dark Portal region on the Draenor side, with Honor Hold and Hellfire Citadel.
Blasted Lands: the Azeroth side of the Dark Portal.
Zangarmarsh and Terokkar: other regions of Draenor the expedition crosses.