Book of Mercenaries gets its first chapter released later today and we've got early details on what we can expect from it. Rokara is the first character to get the Book of Mercenaries treatment and everything we know about her story can be found below.
This should go without saying, but, there are major spoilers so if you want to wait until the adventure hits, don't read anything below!
The Five Lessons
Garrosh wants this great Darkspear shaman to put Rokara through her paces.
Enemy Deck
Player Deck
Voiceovers
Quote From Out of Cards PreMission
- Rokara: I swore to serve my clan as a great warrior. That oath has brought me here, to Orgrimmar.
- Garrosh: A new peon? Is this the best the Frostwolves can send us? Bring me a shaman! We’ll see if you belong in my Horde.
Intro
- Rokara: I am Rokara of the Frostwolf clan!
- Brukan: I am…ready for breakfast.
Exchange
- Garrosh: Don’t go easy on him. There is more to Bru’kan than he lets on.
- Brukan: <Belch>
- Rokara: My clan has honor! Warchief Thrall is a Frostwolf.
- Brukan: I tamed the elements before Thrall tamed his nappy!
- Rokara: Garrosh Hellscream…son of Grommash! The tales of your father are legendary.
- Garrosh: Focus on the fight! Serve me and I will build the glorious Horde my father could only dream of.
- Brukan: You’re pretty good. Strong enough to carry my backpack.
- Rokara: I’ll prove how strong I am. For the Horde!
- Brukan: For an early lunch!
- Rokara: You’re tougher than you look, old troll.
- Brukan: I have trained many young orc-lings, but none so driven as you.
Victory
- Garrosh: Hmph. Well fought. Bru’kan will see to your training. The Warchief has need of fresh warriors.
- Rokara: I will serve with honor! Where now? Silverpine Forest? Stonetalon Mountains? I’ve always wanted to –
- Garrosh: You go to the Barrens! We’ll make a grunt of you yet.
Loss
- Brukan: You have much to learn, young one.
Idle
- Brukan: I haven’t got all day. I’m starving!
- Brukan: <Snores>
- Brukan: A storm’s coming. I feel it in these old bones.
HeroPower
- Brukan: Ha!
- Brukan: Totally totems!
- Brukan: Try this!
EmoteResponse
- Brukan: You fight better when you aren’t yapping.
The Tender Tauren
The Kolkar clan loathes the Horde and will not tolerate any incursions into its domain.
Enemy Deck
Player Deck
Voiceovers
Quote From Out of Cards PreMission
- Rokara: The Barrens lived up to its name, but at least I had my teacher for company.
- Rokara: It seemed like we walked for ages. (Bru’kan said I wasn’t ready for a mount.)
- Brukan: I will teach you five lessons to become a true member of the Horde. “You must prove yourself worthy!” That is the first lesson.
Intro
- Rokara: Bru’kan, look! That tauren is in trouble. We have to help him!
- HezrulBloodmark: You trespass on Kolkar lands.
Exchange
- Guff: I was only smelling the wildflowers, Mister Centaur. See? Aren’t they pretty?
- HezrulBloodmark: <Aggressive neighing>
- Guff: You stepped on the pretty flowers!
- Rokara: Hey! Your fight is with me, centaur. Let the tauren go.
- HezrulBloodmark: I shall grind your bones beneath my hooves and use his horns as a back scratcher!
- Rokara: So much for negotiating.
- Rokara: Tauren! Help us fight this enemy.
- Guff: Fight? Me? I don’t know. But wait! I can help you.
- HezrulBloodmark: I will trample you all!
- Brukan: Rokara…it is time for your second lesson. And that lesson is… “For the Horde!”
Victory
- Guff: Thank you for saving me. I am Guff Runetotem.
- Rokara: We could use a healer, and I’d never forgive myself if something happened to you. Come with us!
- Guff: Woohoo! Guff’s going on an adventure!
Loss
- HezrulBloodmark: Now we ride to burn the Crossroads!
Idle
- HezrulBloodmark: <Impatient neighing>
- HezrulBloodmark: We have tolerated your incursions long enough.
- HezrulBloodmark: Aren’t you a little short for a grunt?
HeroPower
- HezrulBloodmark: <Snort>
- HezrulBloodmark: Go, hyenas!
- HezrulBloodmark: <Indignant neighing>
- Brukan: Nature calls!
- Brukan: Shocking!
- Brukan: After this I’ll have some tea!
- Brukan: You be careful.
- Brukan: Spirits guide me.
- Brukan: <Grunt>
EmoteResponse
- HezrulBloodmark: I am a chief. I answer to no orc.
For the Horde
On the Gold Road Rokara meets a warlock struggling to control an enormous undead quilboar.
Enemy Deck
Player Deck
Voiceovers
Quote From Out of Cards PreMission
- Rokara: Bru’kan led us south, deep into the heart of the Barrens, on guard for quilboar ambushes. The young tauren druid proved to be…a handful.
- Guff: Look! It’s a cute little scorpid. Hey little guy. Ouch! Careful! You poked me with your stinger there.
- Guff: Aww, the scorpid was just saying hi, weren’t you…oh…feeling a little woozy.
Intro
- Rokara: Look at that quilboar! It’s horrifying.
- Plaguemaw: <Roar! Squeal!>
Exchange
- Tamsin: Obey me, you lousy necrotized lug!
- Plaguemaw: <Roar>
- Brukan: If that warlock can’t tame the beast, it will surely kill her…again.
- Guff: Looks like that warlock is having trouble. She should try asking the quilboar nicely.
- Rokara: They are both abominations. We should slay them both!
- Brukan: No, Rokara. Forsaken like her are a part of the Horde. We must help her.
- Guff: Nooo, Rokara! I’m sure they’re both very nice, if a bit smelly. Don’t tell them I said that.
- Rokara: If you say so.
- Tamsin: Yes, help me! It’s not like I raised this giant quilboar from the dead.
- Tamsin: And I certainly didn’t do it to lay waste to my enemies.
Victory
- Tamsin: I suppose you commoners expect me to thank you.
- Brukan: You can! By joining us on our quest. We could use a warlock’s talents in the Barrens.
- Brukan: Remember, Rokara. Horde is family, no matter what you look like. That…is the third lesson.
Loss
- Plaguemaw: <Snort, Squeal, Evil Chuckle>
Idle
- Plaguemaw: <Snort>
- Plaguemaw: <Squeal>
- Plaguemaw: <Bristle>
HeroPower
- Guff: Blessings of the Earthmother…in cookie form!
- Guff: Whoops! I’m a bull in an alchemist’s shop.
- Guff: Nature will rise against litterbugs!
- Guff: Peace, friend.
- Guff: <Soothing Sounds>
- Plaguemaw: <Eager Squeal>
- Plaguemaw: <Sinister Squeal>
- Plaguemaw: <Mischievous Snort>
EmoteResponse
- Plaguemaw: <Hostile squeal>
The Deep Doom
Rokara begins to realize that Guff's affection for monstrous creatures is hazardous_to_her_health.
Enemy Deck
Player Deck
Quote From Out of Cards PreMission
- Rokara: The warlock’s name was Tamsin Roame, formerly one of the finest students at Scholomance.
- Tamsin: THE finest student at Scholomance. Get it right!
- Rokara: The next step on our journey was – Guff, what are you doing? Get away from the water!
Intro
- Rokara: Guff, where are you taking us – Oh no!
Exchange
- Rokara: A giant threshadon!
- Brukan: Not just any threshadon. That is Isha Awak, terror of the Merchant Coast, feared by the Horde, Alliance, even pirates!
- Rokara: Pirates are cool.
- Guff: That is Isha Awak! Terror of the sea! It eats orcs. And it’s cute.
- Rokara: Well, tell him my armor tastes terrible.
- Tamsin: Pah! The threshadons in Darrowmere Lake are much bigger.
- Rokara: You say that like it’s a good thing!
- Brukan: Focus, Rokara! This is your most dangerous battle yet. Slay the beast!
- Guff: A little salt, some spices, and I’m sure we can make your armor taste great!
- Tamsin: It is a good thing because I hunted those beasts for sport. This one should be easy.
- Dawngrasp: Note to self: Frostbolt causes indigestion in gargantuan aquatic fauna.
- Guff: That elf must ALSO taste terrible.
- Brukan: A child of the blood – sin’dorei!
- Tamsin: A mage from Silvermoon. Fascinating.
- Dawngrasp: You can call me Dawngrasp. Thank you for coming to my aid.
- Dawngrasp: If we survive this, we should fight together. For the Horde!
- Rokara: Yeah! For the Horde!
Victory
- Brukan: You have learned the fourth lesson, Rokara. No challenge is too great for the Horde.
- Brukan: Now come. Our true quest is about to begin. We have a troll to meet in Ratchet.
HeroPower
- Tamsin: Maim, my pretties! Maim!
- Tamsin: I love their beady little eyes. So cute!
- Tamsin: Quiver in fear!
- Tamsin: Run amok!
The Caravan
Kazakus saw to it that his caravan was well-guarded.
Enemy Deck
Player Deck
Voiceovers
Quote From Out of Cards PreMission
- Kazakus: Ah, welcome! You must be young Rokara. Sit, sit! It is good to know the Horde still sends its bravest to help old Kazakus with his missing caravan.
- Kazakus: I need you to find what remains of the cargo. Try to retrieve the caravan’s security system if you can. It shouldn’t be any trouble for heroes like you.
Intro
- Rokara: There’s the caravan! But what’s that big statue?
- Golem: Detected – Unidentified humanoids. Engage defense protocol.
Exchange
- Rokara: Looks like we found the troll’s security system, but it’s not looking very secure. We have to stop it.
- Tamsin: Whatever’s in that caravan must be valuable and will aid me in my quest for power!
- Brukan: Remember what you’ve learned. I’ll be by your side.
- Dawngrasp: Let’s teach this thing the freeze dance.
- Guff: Um, excuse me, Big Statue Person? Can you go back to statue-ing, please?
- Golem: Target acquired.
- Brukan: Rokara, if things get out of hand, I want you to run away.
- Rokara: What?!
- Dawngrasp: Rokara, if I perish, tell the Silvermoon magisters I fought bravely. They will have their doubts.
- Guff: Is anyone hurt? I can heal you!
- Rokara: Guff, you’re always so helpful.
- Tamsin: You think I’m afraid of a rust bucket like you? I faced the Lich King in single combat, and lived!
- Tamsin: Well, technically, I didn't live, but I got better! You won’t!
- Rokara: Don’t talk like that! I’m going to get us out of this. Just watch.
- Rokara: What brought you to the Barrens, Tamsin?
- Tamsin: A patron encouraged me to seek my fortune here. She sees a bright future in me.
- Guff: You really think I’m helpful? Back home everyone's always saying, “You’re in the way, Guff!” and “Don’t drink that, Guff. It’s for ceremonies.”
- Brukan: I have lived my time, and perhaps, in training you, I have finally made amends.
- Dawngrasp: I trained under Prince Kael’thas himself, you know. Please – don’t judge. I get enough of that back home.
- Golem: Disperse countermeasures.
Victory
- Rokara: We did it! Now what are these glowing stones?
- Dawngrasp: Those “stones” are shards of fractured Light, consistent with the composition of the energy sentients known as the naaru.
- Tamsin: Thanks, I hate it.
- Rokara: Come on. Let’s pack these up and get them back to Kazakus.
Loss
- Golem: The package is secure.
Idle
- Golem: Discordance. Recklessness. Imperfection.
- Golem: Scanning…
- Golem: <???>
HeroPower
- Golem: Modify loadout.
- Golem: Reticulate splines.
- Golem: Enhance.
- Dawngrasp: Precisely!
- Dawngrasp: Take this!
- Dawngrasp: Bash’a no falor talah!
- Dawngrasp: Fear my frost!
- Dawngrasp: You have much to learn.
- Dawngrasp: <Grunt>
EmoteResponse
- Golem: Halt. Prepare to be neutralized.
Ambush!
Bael'dun Keep played a critical role establishing an Alliance foothold in the Barrens.
Player Deck
Voiceovers
Quote From Out of Cards PreMission
- Kazakus: You’ve done well, but one of the shards from my caravan has gone missing.
- Kazakus: My associates have traced the shard to a miner named Feegly out of a dwarf fortress near Bael Modan. Find the shard and bring it to me.
Intro
- Twinbraid: Horde intruders! Get them!
- Rokara: Ambush!
Exchange
- Rokara: Why can’t anything in the Barrens ever be easy?
- Twinbraid: Less whining more fighting!
- Twinbraid: Ironforge will prevail!
- Rokara: Without all your fancy armor and weapons you’re just facial hair and bluster.
- Brukan: We have no quarrel with you dwarves.
- Tamsin: Foolish dwarves. They love their forges but neglect to harness true power.
- Dawngrasp: Theoretically, there is nothing to prevent us all from coexisting. And yet…
- Guff: I don’t like this, Rokara. Their sticks make LOUD NOISES.
- Rokara: Bru’kan, after that last battle, I thought for sure you would teach me your fifth and final lesson.
- Brukan: Bah! You are not ready for the final lesson! Not even close!
Victory
- Rokara: Now answer me, dwarf. Where is the one you call Feegly?
- Twinbraid: FEEGLY? He’s gone mad! Found some big gemstone and fled into the mines.
- Twinbraid: Go ahead and follow him. I hope you suffer the same fate!
Loss
- Twinbraid: Aww…is that it?
Idle
- Twinbraid: Echeyakee got your tongue?
- Twinbraid: Are you thinking about the most graceful way to lose?
- Twinbraid: You Horde types aren’t so tough.
HeroPower
- Twinbraid: Power up!
- Twinbraid: Say hello to my little friend!
- Twinbraid: <Metallic armor clanking sounds>
EmoteResponse
- Twinbraid: My troops have you surrounded.
The Power of the Shards
In a weakened state, naaru may produce void energies with deadly consequences.
Enemy Deck
Player Deck
Voiceovers
Quote From Out of Cards PreMission
- Rokara: We searched the dig site at Bael Modan. The thief Feegly was at the bottom of a mine. He cradled the shard like a wolf pup. The magic in it had done something frightening to him.
- Feegly: Please…I don’t want to fight. Heh heh heh.
Intro
- Rokara: Feegly, drop the shard.
- Feegly: The shard has changed me. It will change you too.
Exchange
- Rokara: We won’t hurt you, just give it to us.
- Feegly: The shard…it speaks to me.
- Rokara: I don’t care if the shard sings you a gnomish jig. Hand it over.
- Feegly: Eeeheehee. They all have power. But together…so much more. Like you…and your friends.
- Feegly: I must assemble the shards. I could bring back the dead…or bring Azeroth to its knees!
- Brukan: Elements protect us!
- Dawngrasp: The raw, unfiltered power of a naaru reformed!
- Guff: But I like Azeroth!
- Tamsin: And, uh…where did you say these shards were again?
- Kazakus: What is taking so long? Get me that shard!
- Rokara: Kazakus, what are you doing here?
- Kazakus: I grew impatient of waiting. I will help you now.
- Kazakus: I have brewed an elixir to help you in your fight.
- Kazakus: I have assembled a golem for you. Try not to break it.
- Kazakus: He is beaten. Destroy him and claim the shard.
- Rokara: But he’s helpless. I can’t.
- Kazakus: Coward! I’ll finish this myself.
Victory
- Rokara: I couldn’t do it. There was no honor in that kill.
- Kazakus: Return to Orgrimmar. Your work here is done.
- Brukan: You showed strength and discipline.
- Dawngrasp: The outcome was inescapable as soon as Kazakus intervened. There is nothing you could have done.
- Guff: No kill has honor, Rokara, but you do.
- Tamsin: Nobody is perfect, Rokara. But don’t worry, you can mercilessly crush your enemies next time.
Loss
- Feegly: Quake before the shard’s power!
Idle
- Feegly: <Snickers>
- Feegly: Don’t touch my shard.
- Feegly: My shard, mine! Heheheh.
HeroPower
- Feegly: Behold its power!
- Feegly: I will change you.
- Feegly: Transform!
EmoteResponse
- Feegly: <Evil, crazy laugh>
The Final Lesson
Garrosh has been waiting for Rokara to return and he is NOT_happy_about it.
Enemy Deck
Player Deck
Voiceovers
Quote From Out of Cards PreMission
- Rokara: Our party dwindled on the walk back to Orgrimmar. Guff returned to Thunder Bluff.
- Rokara: Dawngrasp said they wanted to explore the region’s oases, and Tamsin said she wanted to search Dreadmist Peak, both for more shards.
- Rokara: When Bru’kan and I reached Orgrimmar, Garrosh was waiting.
- Garrosh: I have heard of your successes, whelp, and your failures. Let’s see if you’ve learned enough to stay alive in battle with ME!
Intro
- Garrosh: I’m surprised the Barrens did not break you.
- Rokara: I broke the Barrens!
Exchange
- Garrosh: See if you can break my armor. I won’t go easy on you.
- Rokara: Nor I you!
- Garrosh: Why did you spare the life of that FREAK who had stolen the shard?
- Rokara: I pitied him. As Horde I showed him mercy.
- Garrosh: Heh. I pity those that show mercy.
- Garrosh: Blood and thunder!
- Rokara: Strength and honor!
- Garrosh: Hmph – you fight well. But this “mercy” will make you weak. I will cut ALL the weakness from the Horde.
- Rokara: Then maybe it’s a good thing you’re not Warchief.
- Rokara: What is honor without mercy? You would have me destroy the helpless?
- Garrosh: I would have you do as you’re told!
- Garrosh: Enough! You have proven your prowess in combat, though you should learn to guard your tongue.
- Garrosh: You are now a champion in service of the Warchief. Prepare for your next assignment.
Victory
- Rokara: I did it, Bru’kan! I passed Garrosh’s test!
- Rokara: But Garrosh is wrong about the Horde. Compassion is strength. Mercy is honor.
- Rokara: I should never have idolized him. I must follow my own principles and believe in myself.
- Brukan: Rokara…that is the final lesson.
Loss
- Garrosh: You are beaten.
Idle
- Garrosh: You don’t stand a chance against me!
- Garrosh: Your weakness makes you hesitate.
- Garrosh: Young orcs don’t know the meaning of strength.
HeroPower
- Garrosh: I will never break!
- Garrosh: Your heart makes you weak!
- Garrosh: I am invincible!
EmoteResponse
- Garrosh: Only victors have honor!
Comments
In which we learn that Guff Runetotem is "special."
I was a bit bored with another single player mission. I hope this is not the promised new Mercenary mode?
it isn't.
Finished it, got my pack - but the Achievement shows 0 complete. When I go to the Solo Adventures menu, it has a red 9 indicating I have 9 things to do (even though there are only 8 levels). But, it shows me with the crown of completion on the left.... anyone else?
I think the number in the Solo Adventures menu indicates how many stories remain in the entire Book of Mercenaries -- so 9 out of 10?
The achievement is definitely bugged, though. Mine shows 0/8 even though I have the crown and the card pack as well.
I haven’t enjoyed Hearthstone’s single player games, but I’m cautiously optimistic about this. (So much so that I skipped the spoilers in this article.)
In my opinion, Warcraft lore is REALLY boring. I actually get less interested in cards and characters when I learn more about them. (In contrast, I love learning the lore behind Runeterra cards.) But when Hearthstone creates new characters or elevates really minor existing ones, that can be interesting. The League of EVIL and League of Explorers were both a lot of fun. I’m excited to see a year developing 10 new characters.
I love how scatterbrained Bru'kan is. It's honestly really funny
Is there a pack reward for this or no?
There should be 1 warrior pack like the garrosh book of heroes.
I like Rokara. Going to craft that card with my Lunacy dust.
So we're basically skipping guldan and thrall now?
no, Thrall is coming later, his new skin is already in the game.
Also, Malfurion Gul'dan (and maybe Illidan I guess?) are still coming down the line. They're just doing different characters inbetween because of the whole theme of the year
Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if they did a “Book of X” for the next expansion or the last expansion of the year. People are assuming from the year of the gryphon expansion teaser image that there’ll be an Alliance themed expansion after this one follow by and AvH expansion of some kind. That gives Team 5 a lot of room to create more lore within Hearthstone, and thus, more heroes/mercenaries/X to fit into the story they’re trying to tell. It’s not a year long narrative like Year of the Dragon, but it’ll be loosely tied together.
This is all just a guess anyway based on the image linked above.
Adding further details:
To me it sounds like we'll follow the current 10 mercenaries all year as they gain experience and level up, and that we won't see more as the year progresses. Reading "semi-monthly" as 'every 2 months', I assume the months will alternate between the Books of Merenaries and Heroes, at least while we finish up the OG class heroes. After that, who knows? They have said they'd like to cover other heroes we have, e.g. Maiev and Medivh, so maybe they'll start appearing in the BoH at that point? It would be ~8 months away so there's lots of time to prepare for it.
They did make it sound like the Barrens had more focus on the Horde mercs, but I don't know if they plan to take it further than just them appearing in the Barrens cinematic. Maybe we'll learn about all of them first? The BoM would be slow for that, but the quote above does mention telling their stories on their website, so maybe we'll see stuff there? Or perhaps the mini-set?