The blood elf gasps for air as he is suddenly awoken by strange voices speaking an incomprehensible language. He frantically looks around as sweat drips continuously down his face and the back of his neck, regardless of the chilling embrace present inside the icy cave. As his eyes adjust to the dim lights, he makes out two large distorted figures casting a strange sort of magic onto what appears to be a dead body of another elf just a few feet away from him on his left. "What are those creatures..?", the elf whispers to himself as he witnesses the body next to him jerk up in the same fashion he did- gasping for air and looking around him in sheer confusion.

"Faceless Ones", a voice tells him from his right. The elf looks over and notices an orc with a white beard peering at the two faceless ones moving down a long row of dead bodies, casting the same spell on each body as they pass. The elf studies the orc and whispers, "I've never encountered one in my entire life.. Was that the figure that took hold of my mind and body? The one that forced me to plunge my dagger into my chest?". The orc nods at the elf, replying, "Took hold of your body-yes. Your mind however, that was by a much more powerful being. My name is Nuk'tar, by the way.. and yourself?". The elf maintains a solemn expression as he replies, "I was once known as 'Eternalmage' by those close to me". The orc glares at the blood-stained tabard and notices the elf's missing tooth as he is speaking and asks, "One of the Blacktooth Grin, eh? I've heard much about your clan's conquests". The elf grins and nods at the orc, and proceeds to study the environment of the cave.

"Do you have any clue what these things plan to do with us?", Eternalmage asks the orc. The orc shrugs as he replies, "I know not of their plans. On the other hand, I dedicated a large portion of my life to studying them and their nature. They have sufficient necromantic powers. They serve the Old Gods.. but both C'thun and Yogg-Saron have been slain. My best guess would be that these particular ones serve one who has not yet made an appearance in our world".

Two more faceless ones approach Eternalmage and Nuk'tar and wrap they're tentacle arms around the elf and the orc's heads. A voice invades Eternalmage's thoughts and says, "You serve N'Zoth. Forget your past life. You were chosen to be reborn as a minion of N'Zoth along with the many others surrounding you. You will serve N'Zoth to your dying breath or you will be disposed of". The two faceless free their grips on the orc and the elf as they move down the line of newly resurrected orcs, elves, trolls, humans, dwarves, etc. Eternalmage looks around him as he witnesses hundreds of others, members of both the horde and the alliance, being resurrected and told the same message by the faceless ones.

"N'Zoth... I have heard his name before. He is the one who supposedly corrupted the previous Earthwarder into Deathwing.. but what could he possibly want with all of these people?", the orc says as he looks around him in disbelief. Eternalmage keeps his eyes fixated on the two faceless ones as he whispers to the orc, "I don't know.. but I don't plan on sticking around to find out". The elf attempts to ignite a flame in his palm, but instead his palm glows blue as an icy aura covers it. Eternalmage stares at his hand in confusion, "What the.. Where did my fire go?!". The orc silently chuckles as he whispers to the elf, "You were resurrected by the necromancy of the faceless ones. They must have imbued new powers into you and stripped you of your old ones". Eternalmage runs his fingers through his now pale-white hair, and notices his skin has turned into a much darker shade. He whispers to himself, "They.. they ruined me".

The orc notices Eternalmage whispering to the elf on his left, and then the elf leans and whispers to the troll on his left. The orc grabs Eternalmage's arm and leans toward him whispering, "What do you think you're doing??". Eternalmage grins at the orc and whispers back, "Escaping. There's an opening in the icy wall of the cave at the far end of the rows of bodies behind us. I told you I'm not sticking around here to find out what this old god has in store for us. Spread this message along to the right- The second I give the call, head to the opening in the cave wall. If we all stick together, we can fight our way out". The orc nods and whispers to the tauren on his right.

The orc leans back over to Eternalmage and whispers, "While we wait for the message to spread around, I would just like to ask you- do you think this will really work?". Eternalmage grins at the orc and whispers, "I have no clue, but its our only shot. Fighting is our best chance of getting out of here. I was once a leader of a group within the Blacktooth Grin called the Gol'kosh. We specialized in nothing but war and bloodshed. I can lead these lost souls out of here, but only if they are willing to fight their way out". The orc nods as he notices the tauren to his right passing a sword over while whispering, "Pass this onto the elf". Eternalmage smiles as he takes the sword and lays it by him. He whispers to the orc, "I am in no position to adapt to a new set of powers that I am unknown to. I'll have to improvise with this".

Eternalmage looks up as he notices the lines of people in front of him and behind him all staring at him, clearly waiting for his call. He nods and stands up, noticing a group of faceless ones approaching him through the lines. "NOW!!", he shouts as he plunges his sword into the chest of the closest faceless one. About fifty others rise up and begin running towards the opening, while so many others sit in their place, too startled to move or fight.

Eternalmage and the orc turn around and sprint towards the opening, leading the fifty others. Eternalmage glances back as he witnesses the others being picked off one by one as the faceless ones grow in numbers to stop the uprising. Eternalmage approaches the opening with the orc, and nods for the orc to go forth saying, "Go on, I'll cover your back. We can make it out of here together". The orc shakes his head and solemnly says, "There is no time. I have nothing to go back to. Your clan needs you more than this world needs me. I'll hold them off- just get out of this vile place, now!". Eternalmage hands the orc his sword and nods, saying, "Thank you, Nuk'tar. I won't forget what you have done for me".

Eternalmage runs through the pitch-black winding path of the cave until he feels a strong chilling wind in front of him. Pushing harder and harder, he sprints out of the cave opening and turns around, seeing the shadows shift towards him. He pulls his hearthstone out of his pocket and begins casting its destination. Just as a tentacle comes reaching out of the cave, Eternalmage falls to the floor in the inn of Stonard.

The elf looks up at the abandoned town that was once the home of the Blacktooth Grin. He thinks to himself, "I forgot I still had it bound to this place. No matter, I must remain to my priorities". He suddenly realizes he is without transportation and without the power of teleportation. Eternalmage shakes his head, thinking "This trip is going to be torture". He shuffles through an abandoned armor crate and equips himself with a new set of armor, and a helmet covering his face. He begins to walk southwest, to Grom'gol Base Camp in Stranglethorn Vale.

Days pass until he finally reaches Grom'gol. He takes the first zeppelin available to Orgrimmar. Once in Orgrimmar, Eternalmage purchases a wyvern flight to Ratchet. During the flight, he keeps thinking to himself, "I am 'reborn'... I cannot just return to the Blacktooth Grin and expect to be named a champion. I am no longer Eternalmage.. I am a new elf. They must not know who I am until after I rejoin their ranks.."

The elf's thoughts are interrupted as the wyvern lands in Ratchet. The elf slowly makes his way to the inn as he notices a hulking tauren wearing the tabard of the Blacktooth Grin standing guard outside the inn. The tauren asks him to wait before entering the inn. The elf stands there as another tauren stumbles out of the in and passes him whispering, "Good luck in there". The elf grins to himself and says, "Many thanks, but I don't think I'll be needing it".

The elf walks into the inn and immediately recognizes the three in front of him. A pale orc wearing an eyepatch sitting behind a table, a small goblin sitting on the crates behind the orc, and an elf standing next to the table with a dark aura around her. Thuugom, Pikki, and Nimithriel all stare at the elf as if he were yet another pitiful being attempting to join the Grin. Thuugom eyes the elf up and down and asks for his name. The elf replies, "Morthalius Darkflame, at your service". The elf adjusts his helm and smiles, hiding his missing tooth and Gol'kosh tattoos. Thuugom nods and asks, "Why do you seek to join the Blacktooth Grin?".