Warlords of Draenor: The Kor'kron are officially out

By Anne Stickney
Denizens of the Undercity can breathe a sigh of relief in Warlords of Draenor, as abominations have once more taken their rightful place as guards of the Forsaken capital. Ever since the disastrous events of the Wrathgate and subsequent Battle for the Undercity in Wrath of the Lich King, the Undercity's halls have been dutifully patrolled by Kor'kron — the elite personal bodyguards and fighting force of the Horde's Warchief. Yet although the Kor'kron were originally sent to simply keep an eye on the Forsaken — particularly the Royal Apothecary Society — as expansions went on, the guard became more and more hostile.

This, of course, led up to the events in Mists of Pandaria, where the Kor'kron crossed the line from loyal bodyguards to full-out fanatics working almost as secret police for Garrosh Hellscream. Led by Malkorok, the Kor'kron's ranks expanded considerably when Garrosh granted the Blackrock Clan amnesty and welcomed them into his new vision of the Horde. In the Siege of Orgrimmar, the Kor'kron fought against both rebel forces led by Vol'jin, and the Alliance army — and found themselves systematically dismantled from both sides.


Does this mean the end of the Kor'kron? It appears so. Kor'kron guards in Orgrimmar have been replaced by representatives from all of Kalimdor's Horde races — Darkspear Guardians, Thunder Bluff Protectors, Orgrimmar Grunts, and even a few goblins wearing the Orgrimmar Bruiser label. The Cleft of Shadow is back to normal, with no signs of any of the events that took place during the Siege. Gamon, for now, is nowhere to be seen — which makes me wonder if he survived the events of the Siege or not. We'll have to wait and see on that front, perhaps he'll make an appearance in our garrisons on Draenor?

In Grommash Hold, Vol'jin has now taken his proper place as Warchief of the Horde, handing out low level Ragefire Chasm quests and dispensing advice. However, players shouldn't expect any kind of complete quest overhaul in areas that heavily featured Garrosh Hellscream. Silverpine Forest still plays out as it always has, and the heated exchange between Garrosh and Sylvanas remains intact. Let's face it — overhauling Silverpine, Stonetalon, the Barrens, and every other area that was heavily touched by Hellscream's influence would be a project the scale of Cataclysm ... and frankly, I'd rather see brand new current-level content than another major revamp of leveling zones.

Whether or not that quest content will be re-worked in the future remains to be seen, but it's not really necessary at this point in time, particularly not when the focus of the story has shifted elsewhere. Maybe if we see an expansion featuring the Forsaken in a more prominent fashion, we'll see more changes on that front. Until that point in time, Forsaken players can rest easy — Hellscream's eyes, it seems, are no longer upon them.

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