Second War #16: the beloved son is gone!

August 5, 2026•Lore•Brendo Arruda

"Second War" series — Second War #16. The story of Warcraft II, from the exodus of Stormwind to the destruction of the Dark Portal. The episodes are listed in order at the end of the post.

At the Battle of Crestfall, the Alliance took back the sea. The fleet of Kul Tiras, backed by the gryphon riders, destroyed the fleet of the Black Tooth Grin clan. But the victory came at a price the Proudmoore family never forgot: Derek Proudmoore, son of Admiral Daelin, was killed by a dragon. That grief will lead Daelin, years later, to attack the orcs in Kalimdor.

The Battle of Crestfall

After the hunt for Gul'dan's traitors, the fleet of the Black Tooth Grin clan was at sea. The Alliance, which had lost control of the sea at Zul'Dare, saw a chance to win it back.

The fleet of Kul Tiras attacked at Crestfall, backed by the Wildhammer gryphon riders. This time, the Alliance had an answer to the dragons, and the orc fleet was destroyed.

The death of Derek Proudmoore

Among the dead of the battle was Derek Proudmoore, Admiral Daelin's eldest son. He was killed by a dragon in the middle of the fight.

For Daelin, the victory lost its meaning. His hatred of the orcs, which was already great, became personal. That hatred would last until his death, years later, when he attacks Thrall's Horde in Durotar and dies at the walls of Theramore.

The effect on Jaina

Derek was Jaina Proudmoore's brother. Losing him marked the whole family, and the way father and daughter dealt with it was what drove them apart later: Daelin chose revenge, and Jaina chose peace.

What this changes in the story

The death of Derek Proudmoore explains one of the saddest stories in Warcraft. Daelin never got over the loss and, years later, led a fleet against Thrall's Horde in Kalimdor. Jaina tried to stop him, and her father died at the walls of Theramore.

For Jaina, the guilt of choosing peace over her father haunted her for a long time. In Battle for Azeroth, she returns to Kul Tiras and faces her mother, Katherine, who still had not forgiven her daughter. The reunion of the two is one of the strongest moments of the expansion.

Crestfall also shows that the Alliance had learned to fight the dragons: with the Wildhammer gryphons, the fleet of Kul Tiras won where it had lost at Zul'Dare.

Episode timeline

The fleet of the Black Tooth Grin clan puts out to sea.
The fleet of Kul Tiras attacks at Crestfall with the Wildhammer gryphons.
The orc fleet is destroyed.
Derek Proudmoore is killed by a dragon.
Daelin Proudmoore swears revenge on the orcs.

Who's who in this episode

| Name | Who they are | |------|--------| | Derek Proudmoore | Admiral Daelin's eldest son, killed at Crestfall. | | Daelin Proudmoore | The admiral of Kul Tiras, who never forgave the orcs. | | Jaina Proudmoore | Derek's sister, who later chooses peace with the Horde. | | Wildhammer | The gryphon-riding dwarves who backed the fleet. | | Black Tooth Grin | The orc clan whose fleet was destroyed. |

Where to see it in WotLK

Theramore, in Dustwallow Marsh: the quests about the death of Daelin Proudmoore, who never got over the loss of Derek.
The Hinterlands: Aerie Peak, the home of the gryphon riders.
Halls of Reflection, in Icecrown: Jaina appears in the dungeon for Alliance players (she only leads the Kirin Tor after WotLK).