Beyond the Dark Portal #18: an unexpected ally

August 24, 2026•Lore•Brendo Arruda

"Beyond the Dark Portal" series — Beyond the Dark Portal #18. 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.

Danath's group found help where it least expected it. Ner'zhul had captured Kurdran, and to rescue him the Alliance had to enter Auchindoun, the ancient burial ground of the draenei. The one who showed them the way was Grizzik, an arakkoa. And inside, the draenei Nemuraan revealed secret passages and called the spirits of the dead draenei to fight the orcs.

Kurdran captured

While chasing Ner'zhul, Kurdran Wildhammer was captured. For the Alliance, losing the leader of the gryphon riders was a heavy blow. Danath decided to rescue him. While the group waited near Auchindoun, the elf Talthressar and Herrick, Danath's right hand, raised a forward base: the future Allerian Stronghold.

Grizzik, the arakkoa

The first unexpected ally was Grizzik, an arakkoa, one of the bird-like peoples who live in Draenor. He knew the way to Auchindoun and guided the Alliance there.

Nemuraan and the draenei spirits

The second ally was the draenei Nemuraan. In Auchindoun, the place where the draenei buried their dead, he showed hidden passages and called the draenei spirits to ambush the orcs. The same draenei the Horde had slaughtered years earlier helped the Alliance defeat it.

Kurdran was rescued.

What this changes in the story

The help of the dead draenei is one of the most symbolic moments of Beyond the Dark Portal. The draenei slaughtered by the Horde in the wars of Draenor help the Alliance defeat that same Horde, in a place that is sacred to them.

Auchindoun, by the way, is a place marked by tragedy. In TBC it appears in ruins, with four dungeons, and its destruction is tied to the magic the Horde used there. The arakkoa, like Grizzik, are also all over Terokkar in TBC.

The living draenei, led by Velen, also hold out in Outland. In TBC they are allies of the naaru in Shattrath, and the ones who escaped on the Exodar become a playable Alliance race.

Episode timeline

Ner'zhul captures Kurdran Wildhammer.
Talthressar and Herrick raise the base that becomes Allerian Stronghold.
The arakkoa Grizzik guides the Alliance to Auchindoun.
Nemuraan shows secret passages and calls the draenei spirits.
Kurdran is rescued.

Who's who in this episode

| Name | Who they are | |------|--------| | Grizzik | The arakkoa who guided the Alliance to Auchindoun. | | Nemuraan | The draenei who called the spirits of the dead to help the Alliance. | | Kurdran Wildhammer | The leader of the gryphon riders, captured and rescued. | | Danath Trollbane | The leader of the group that rescued Kurdran. | | Auchindoun | The ancient burial ground of the draenei, in Terokkar. |

Where to see it in WotLK

Allerian Stronghold, in Terokkar Forest: the Alliance base born from Danath's expedition.
Auchindoun: four TBC dungeons: Mana-Tombs, Auchenai Crypts, Sethekk Halls and Shadow Labyrinth.
Terokkar Forest: the arakkoa of Skettis and the tribes that guide heroes in TBC.