Beyond the Dark Portal #13: obey or die!

August 20, 2026•Lore•Brendo Arruda

"Beyond the Dark Portal" series — Beyond the Dark Portal #13. 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.

On Draenor, the Alliance found out that Ner'zhul's Horde showed no mercy. Clans that did not obey were crushed, and the ones that obeyed went to war. For months, Kargath Bladefist and the Shattered Hand clan attacked the Alliance without pause. Obey or die was the rule of the new Horde.

The rule of the new Horde

Ner'zhul had built the new Horde by force. The Bonechewer and Thunderlord clans, which opposed him, were defeated. The others got the message: whoever did not follow Ner'zhul's plan would have no place.

Kargath Bladefist

Kargath Bladefist, chieftain of the Shattered Hand, was famous for having cut off his own hand and put a blade in its place. He led many of the attacks against the Alliance in Hellfire Peninsula, for months.

A war of attrition

The Alliance could not advance quickly. Every day on Draenor cost soldiers, and Kargath's attacks gave them no rest. To make things worse, the Azeroth side of the Portal changed hands several times, cutting off the expedition's supplies.

What this changes in the story

The way Ner'zhul kept the Horde united shows he had become someone else. The shaman who once listened to the spirits of the ancestors now ruled through fear, as Gul'dan had ruled before him.

Kargath Bladefist is one of the few orc leaders in this story who survive the destruction of Draenor. In TBC, he commands the Fel Horde from Hellfire Citadel, as the boss of the Shattered Halls.

The war of attrition also shows how isolated the Alliance expedition was. With the Portal changing hands, every lost soldier was hard to replace.

Episode timeline

Ner'zhul forces the clans to obey.
The rival clans are defeated.
Kargath and the Shattered Hand attack the Alliance.
The war of attrition lasts for months.
The Alliance's supplies are cut off several times.

Who's who in this episode

| Name | Who they are | |------|--------| | Ner'zhul | The leader of the Horde, who demanded total obedience. | | Kargath Bladefist | The chieftain of the Shattered Hand, who led the attacks. | | Shattered Hand | Kargath's clan. | | Turalyon | The Alliance commander under constant attack. |

Where to see it in WotLK

Shattered Halls, in Hellfire Citadel: Kargath Bladefist is the dungeon's final boss.
Hellfire Peninsula, in Outland: the Dark Portal region on the Draenor side, with Honor Hold and Hellfire Citadel.
Hellfire Ramparts: the Citadel's entry dungeon.