Greetings, members of the WoW community!
I was playing WC:3R (yeah, sue me!) when I began the mission “The Dark Lady.” In case you do not remember, this mission depicts the battle between the budding Forsaken and Varimathras. In order to achieve victory, Sylvanas used her banshees to possess many leaders of rival groups in the region, such as the bandit lord Blackthorn and the ogre leader Mug’thol. As we know, Mug’thol freed himself from this possession via the Crown of Will and is still alive in lore, commanding his ogres from Alterac to harass the downhill lands.
But I always wondered about the canon fates of the other leaders: Blackthorn, the Murloc Puddle-Lord and the forest troll chieftain Zul’rogg. Snarlmane died, so a new leader came to power in my mind. So I began thinking of an idea that I’d like to see added at a future point, a new faction.
Note: all info concerning characters is headcanon and does not reflect actual lore!
My idea is that when Sylvanas crossed over to the Shadowlands, the other leaders were also freed from their banshee possession by Sharlindra (the banshee that the Crown of Will was given to after it was taken from Mug’thol) to show that the Forsaken were not tyrants. The formerly possessed leaders went to strike out on their own, eventually joining Mug’thol in Alterac and forming a large faction of their own: the Blackridge Mercenaries!
Co-lead by Mug’thol and Blackthorn, these mercenaries offer up their services to the highest bidder. Establishing themselves in their new large Mercenary Camp within the ruins of Alterac, players will be able to hire a mercenary for the day from the various subfactions that make up the Blackridge: the ogres, forest trolls, bandits, gnolls and murlocs.
Like the WoD follower system, completing quests and killing creatures with a follower will grant reputation with the subfaction involved, but only via completing quests will reputation with the Blackridge themselves be earned. These mercenaries are very difficult to trust anyone since their encounter with Sylvanas, but it can be earned with enough time (and coin). Earning their trust will be greatly rewarded: each subfaction can offer up its own unique cosmetic transmogs, pet, mounts and similar, but you need to earn the favour of Mug’thol and Blackthorn themselves to reap the greatest of these rewards.
Subfactions:
Mossflayer Survivors: Zul’rogg was fortunate to have been sent away from the deeper Plaguelands that he and those that followed him did not succumb to the ill fortunes of his main tribe, but his enslavement was by no means any better. Now free, this bitter chieftain and his followers now has to rely on the Blackridge to live any sort of life.
Puddlewaders: The Puddle-Lord was seen as useful by Sylvanas against Varimathras, the murlocs being deadlier than most assume. Eager to scavenge for treasure and more territory, the Puddlewaders have joined the Blackridge.
Scratchfur Pack: Since Snarlmane was raised as an undead and joined the Rot Hide gnolls, a strong survivor known as Scratchfur rallied the survivors and joined up with the Blackridge to continue to pillage and loot.
Blackthorn Bruisers: Blackthorn’s personal debt collectors, these rough bandits will come to collect from any that owe them, or kill whoever pays them well.
Ridgebreakers: These are some of Mug’thol’s favoured warriors. They will do as he commands for freeing them from Sylvanas, and don’t need much convincing to break some heads.