Original thread found here, though you'll have to sift through the usual faction wank to find the good stuff. I'll outline the major points and interesting details here. Same story as with Thrall - people have received their copies by now, and since there was no NDA, things are starting to circulate.
Massive spoilers aplenty. You were warned:
- Garrosh has some big ambitions. He plans to create a new city to rival Orgrimmar in Ashenvale, and launches a large-scale invasion to make this happen. He's acquired some sort of special weapon to turn the tide here. The "weapon" in question is actually proto-drakes and magnataurs from Northrend, and Garrosh has shipped them to Ashenvale.
- I'll come out and say it: Garrosh is handled quite well, from what I've seen. He comes off as somewhat antagonistic, naturally, but he's portrayed as both cunning and quite competent.
- Varian doesn't like the Gilneans. He spits at Genn Greymane's feet, and is the only Alliance leader to deny them entry into it. He blames Genn for sealing off his nation, reasoning that Lordaeron may not have fallen and the Horde could've been nipped in the bud, if egotistical pricks like him and Anasterian hadn't abandoned the Alliance of Lordaeron. Varian is almost attacked by a worgen for this, though Genn calls them off. Varian (rightfully) mocks an apologetic Greymane relentlessly, despite all of the other Alliance leaders vouching for him.
- Malfurion feels responsible for the worgen curse, looking back to that Ralaar stuff covered in some comic that I didn't read. This is why he feels obligated to give them a home.
- There are male sentinels now.
- The Alliance leaders meet in Darnassus: Varian, Genn, Tyrande, Malfurion, Archmage Tervosh from Theramore, Falstad and two random dwarves from the Dark Iron/Wildhammer clans, Gelbin, and Velen. Apparently that night elf called Pained in Theramore got smashed up fighting a "dark magi," and Gelbin nearly kills one of the dwarves in his mechanostrider.
- Malfurion tries to talk some sense into Varian, though fails to get through to him.
- All of the Watchers were killed during Maiev's hunt for Illidan, and Maiev herself came back to live in Teldrassil, despite some harsh arguments with Tyrande. She's training a new generation of Watchers now.
- Anduin and Varian's relationship is as rocky as ever. Varian almost breaks Anduin's arms after a ragefit, though slinks off afterwards. Velen takes Anduin under his wing for a while - and also hints that Anduin has a great destiny ahead of him with the light. A nod to him being a priest, I took it.
- Anduin makes reference to feeling "something not quite right" about Archbishop Benedictus. You should know why.
- Jarod Shadowsong is a major player. Turns out he disappeared after the WotA, citing Malfurion's interests being more in helping nature than his own people. He got married around this time, to a (now deceased) priestess called Shalasyr Shadowsong. There's a slightly awkward reunion between him and a somewhat jealous Shandris, who reflects on how different their roads have been.
- Maiev is... alright, fuck it, I'll tell you: Maiev is a villain now. You know that murdered highborne mentioned in the preview? Maiev is the one hired to solve the mystery... but, of course, it turns out Maiev is the killer. She's plotting to kill Malfurion and take the night elves out of the Alliance, viewing the other races as a pestilential blight infecting their people. She fails, though, and escapes death towards the end. Possible raid boss in the future, sadly... What a waste.
One of her Watchers, to Jarod: "Figured it out, did you? You are not just pretty but smart too! Your sister is going to cleanse our people of all their taint! No Highborne, no mutts, no humans...no Alliance! We need nothing from them, and all they do is bring their foul ways to us!"
I'd have worded that a little differently, but hey...
- The Watchers have a bit of a superiority complex, though without Maiev is seems the loyal ones need a new leader.
- Needless to say, Jarod confronts Maiev and frees Malfurion; they fight for a bit, and then Maiev escapes.
- The Horde zerg Silverwing Refuge. Garrosh has some fun, cutting down Alliance here and there. He has some inner thoughts about how they fought well and honourably, deserved the clean death that Gorehowl gave them, etc. He goes on to think about Grom, about how Thrall and his father will respect him as a hero after he's conquered Azeroth, about how he's the future, and all that.
- Garrosh had planned that attack with a goal in mind - to lure out Tyrande. He's right, and Tyrande personally shows up to fight off the Horde. Though, the Horde release the magnataur who in turn rush the Alliance, and Tyrande herself is shot twice with arrows. One of her commanders signals a retreat. Here's his thought process:
- Varian and Genn make up. After killing some bear with only a skinning knife, they give each other some veiled compliments. Genn then shows Varian the Tal'Doren ritual (the one where worgen regain their humanity), and Varian undertakes it. He comes to realize that "loss" is his biggest issue, and that having lost so much, he simply could not bear to lose much more. Genn also reflects on the sentiment. The two rush the Horde's flank, and down some of the magnataur together.Originally Posted by Garrosh Hellscream
- Garrosh and Varian duel. They're evenly matched at first, though "something" clicks inside of Varian, to the point where he gains complete and total focus on Garrosh alone, despite all of the slaughter around them. He charges him, and cuts his way through all of the Horde that come at him, and "somehow" (bear with me, this gets dragonballzish) manages to completely fight Garrosh off despite not quite understanding how. Varian then takes the advantage, striking Garrosh's arm and disarming Gorehowl. Some dying magnataur collapses between them, and Garrosh composes himself to rush Varian once more. As he moves, though, some Kor'kron convince him to stop - the fight is lost either way. Garrosh grudgingly sounds the retreat, and swears to kill Varian as the first step to realizing his dream. Varian proclaims the victory, retracts his hatred for Gilneas, and vows to stand against the Horde/Twilight Cult/Deathwing et al.
- There's still some nonsense about Varian's relationship with that wolf god, though our gentle readers have been somewhat coy about spilling the beans on that. Either way, it seems like it's more in the vein of "influence" than "possession," but it still comes off as contrived.
That's the general outline. I'll add any other interesting points, though you can look through the thread I linked for anything I've missed.