Mak'Gora

Garrosh kills Cairne

Mak'gora

The Mak'gora (also written as "mak'gora" or "Mak'Gora") is a duel of honor, a challenge for leadership of the Horde, and possibly to the individual clans. Traditionally it is a duel to the death, under Warchief Thrall's rule it became a non-lethal combat.

In a traditional Mak'gora, the challengers set the terms of the engagement. For example, in the case of Garrosh Hellscream and Cairne Bloodhoof, Cairne decided the rules were: each person may use only one weapon, blessed by a shaman of their choosing, and wear only a loin cloth. Furthermore each person must have at least one witness present ("Although I daresay we'll have more than that.").

Known Mak'gora

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• Garrosh Hellscream challenged Thrall who accepted. The duel was interrupted however with the Scourge Invasion of Orgrimmar.
• Cairne Bloodhoof challenged Garrosh to a duel after the massacre of the peaceful druid gathering in Ashenvale. Garrosh accepted, on the condition that they do an old Mak'Gora, making it a fight to the death. It ended with Garrosh killing Cairne with a weapon poisoned by Magatha Grimtotem.
• Issued by Thrall to Garrosh Hellscream in Nagrand on Draenor, resulted in the death of Garrosh.
• Issued by Ashra Valandril to Shagara. Ashra did not know what mak'gora meant, he understood it simply as a duel, and even did not accept the ritual blessing. Ashra lost but Shagara did not kill him.^{[citation needed]}

In the movie

This section concerns content exclusive to the Warcraft movie or its sequels.

• In the Warcraft movie, Durotan challenges Gul'dan to Mak'Gora, Gul'dan manages to defeat and kill Durotan, but by using his powers to drain the life essence from Durotan. Gul'dan's reputation is severely damaged by this encounter.
  • Another Mak'Gora is issued by Blackhand to Anduin Lothar, where Anduin is victorious by slashing Blackhands lower body, and then piercing his heart. Gul'dan is furious and demands Lothar be killed, but the Horde tacitly agrees that Lothar fought with honor and is allowed to leave the orc encampment.

Possible Mak'gora

• One may have occurred when Orgrim Doomhammer defeated and killed Blackhand the Destroyer, taking control of the Horde at the end of the First War. Tradition allowed a warrior to challenge his chieftain for supremacy, and Doomhammer won this challenge with a blow that crushed Blackhand's skull.^{[citation needed]}