Crusader's Blood

Template:Graphic novel Crusader's Blood is the second story in Warcraft: Legends Volume 3.

Written by: Dan Jolley
Sketched by: Fernando Heinz Furukawa
Inking by: Rocio Zucchi
Shading by: Jan Michael Aldeguer

Description

A blood elf mage and a Forsaken warrior embark on a quest of vengeance against a ruthless Scarlet Crusade captain.

Crusader's Blood tells a story of which focuses mainly on five people. It starts in the cellar of the Gallow's End Tavern, with an undead female beginning to tell a story to a captive crusader and an unnamed dwarf. Her story starts with a young male blood elf, Rinn Firecaster, meeting Jillian Grell in a derelict farm in matters of business - she is supposed to buy a gem for her uncle, Barnabas. Before they get any further than introductions, they are ambushed by the Scarlet Crusade lead by Captain Renee Lauer: Both of them are promptly executed to Stefans dismay.

Their nearest relatives - Barnabas Grell and Reynah Firecaster - hear the news soon after, and both swear vengeance without knowledge of each other. The story then cuts to Reynah trying to plead to Sylvanas Windrunner for aid in destroying the Scarlet Crusade, but is denied audience by Varimathras. Varimathras says he'll relay the request when Sylvanas isn't busy with more important matters, and Reynah storms out of the Royal Quarter crying, literally bumping in to Barnabas - both are in a bad mood and promise to kill each other should they annoy one another again. Next, the Scarlets are shown to be grouping near an undefined lumbermill on the outskirts of Tirisfal Glades. A few crusaders are laughing at a rumor that eating a pumpkin would turn someone in to an undead, Renee and Stefan are sparring in the background, to the end of which Stefan questions the Scarlet's mission to her aunt, Renee Lauer. She overpowers her nephew easily in a fit of rage and stops her sword right beside his neck, then turning her angered expression to a smile and reassuring him that their cause is righteous. The next scene shows Reynah and Barnabas trying to capture a scarlet scout for interrogation, but due to each others actions letting him escape. After a brief fight between them ensues, they agree for a truce for capturing of Captain Lauer.

The forsaken woman's story is now interrupted by the captive crusader who has a small argument with the Dwarven captive, after which the undead woman continues her story: The story returns to the Crusader group, which is promptly attacked by Barnabas and Reynah and they succesfully capture the Scarlet Captain after a brief fight. When Lauer returns to her conciousness, her captors are arguing which of them gets to finish her off. But, in doing so they fail to notice that the scarlets have now regrouped despite the loss of their leader and, subdue her captors with relative ease. Soon after it has started raining and the two are being questioned by Lauer, why did they attack such overwhelming force so recklessly. They recount the stories of loss of their loved ones, and at this point Reynah and Barnabas find out their motivations were indeed the same. Lauer ridicules both of them, saying they are both a disease upon the world that must be purged. Reynah, enraged, manages to utter a spell and kill a few of their captors, before they are subdued again. Stefan watches in horror as the captives are brutally slain, but the Scarlet group is now attacked by a horde of Forsaken, lead by Varimathras and Sylvanas themselves. Renee and Stefan try to escape, but they both are ultimately killed.

The captive crusader questions the forsaken woman as to how can she know all this, that she isn't just making this up. At this point the woman identifies herself as Renee Lauer, to which the crusader reacts in disgust - he regards her as a weak-minded traitor. Lauer sighs and says she has told her story many times already, to numerous prisoners, and will keep telling it until people understand.. The prisoner, having had nothing for eat for quite some time says he can't hear any fairytales from the grumbling of his stomach, asking if they plan to starve him to death. To which Lauer responds that no, and she'll get him some fresh pumpkin to eat...