A letter to Garrosh’s mailbag reveals a shocker: Garrosh’s mother, Lakkara,* is alive and well in Nagrand, where she has lived in self-imposed exile until being treated for an especially potent strain of the red pox. Garrosh returns to Nagrand to investigate, and after confirming that it’s true, returns to Orgimmar with his mother and begins introducing her to the orcs’ new home. While bringing Lakkara to Grom’s monument in Demon Fall Canyon, Garrosh is attacked by a revived General Grebo; Lakkara intervenes to protect her son and is killed. Furious and believing the humans to have been behind the attack, Garrosh begins to plan a massive attack on Theramore, including an insidious new potential weapon. Before the attack can take place, though, the truth comes out: the return and death of Lakkara were all a scheme by Magatha Grimtotem to create the illusion of Lakkara’s return, only to take her away.

* A quick note: I realize that official lore since this story arc has revealed Garrosh’s mother’s name as Golka. For blog purposes, Garrosh’s mother is still acknowledged as Lakkara — but don’t worry, I’m not just ignoring Blizzard. Bear with me for the time being; it will all mesh together eventually. There is A Plan.™

Prelude:

• Monday mailbag – A letter to General Grebo is misdelivered to Garrosh.
• Back to Stonetalon – During a ceremonial visit, Garrosh learns of strange goings-on in Stonetalon.
• Krom’gar’s shadows – Garrosh investigates and discovers signs of Old God activity.
• Now as I was saying – Word of a Twilight enclave in Hyjal leads Garrosh to an encounter with Krom’gar’s ghost.

Story Arc:

• Monday mailbag – A surprise letter from the unlikeliest source: Garrosh’s long-lost mother, Lakkara.
• Sweet home Nagrand – Not surprisingly, Garrosh returns to Nagrand to check on this.
• Memories of dreaming glory – Mother and son, reunited at last.
• Children’s Week – Lakkara pays a visit to the Orgrimmar orphanage.
• Polyphonic pro moronic – Dontrag and Utvoch check in with some troubling news from Stonetalon.
• Oops – Pro tip from the Warchief: don’t get your parents started on the internet.
• Chat log’d – Garrosh lets a small but telling piece of information slip in guild chat.
• When a good orc goes to war – General Grebo returns…to take away the one gift Garrosh never dreamed he would receive.
• All that you can’t leave behind – In the aftermath of Lakkara’s death, Garrosh focuses on the job at hand.
• Because I’m a glutton for punishment – An early journal entry from young Garrosh recounts an early memory of his mother.
• Where (almost) everybody knows your name – Garrosh makes an educated guess at what was behind the attack at Demon Fall Canyon.
• Lifetime piling up – The loss of Lakkara was the last straw.
• Midnight oil – Garrosh to Sylvanas: the plague-handling gloves are off.
• Seed of corruption – Draz’Zilb concocts a weapon of mass destruction for Garrosh to unleash on the Alliance.
• March of the dead – The ongoing investigation of what happened to Lakkara.
• I am become death – Garrosh lays plans to unleash Draz’Zilb’s chain corruption spell on Theramore.
• News from two fronts – On the eve of war, Brackenwall agents apprehend a Grimtotem messenger.
• Not quite Monday, not quite mailbag – Message received: Magatha takes the occasion to gloat over the blow she’s struck against Garrosh.
• Failed retraction – A second Grimtotem prisoner sheds more light on events.
• Back to the drawing board – Garrosh shelves the attack on Theramore and sets out to pieck of the pieces.
• Remembrance of the dead – Garrosh calls off Sylvanas, who offers a rare moment of compassion.
• Ancestral Grounds – Garrosh returns to Nagrand to lay Lakkara to rest.

Aftermath:

• By way of apology – Eitrigg suggests Garrosh apologize for falsely accusing Varian; it goes about as well as you might expect.
• Spazzle Speaks: Mailbag Request – Spazzle calls on the Horde for a show of solidarity in light of the Warchief’s loss.
• Back to Azeroth – Garrosh returns home and puts together a few final pieces concerning Grebo.
• Monday mailbag – As per Spazzle’s request, Garrosh’s readers write in to show their support.