VariGenn

VariGenn is the slash ship between Varian Wrynn and Genn Greymane from the Warcraft fandom.

The Second War
Genn - king of the nation of Gilneas - first became aware of Varian when he and the other human kings gathered in the kingdom of Lordaeron to discuss the situation with the Orcish Horde. Varian - the prince of the recently destroyed nation of Stormwind - was under the protection of Lordeaeron's king, who told Genn and the other leaders that he promised to reclaim the kingdom and that uniting would allow them to retake all of the southern kingdoms. Genn wasn't entirely convinced about this alliance being a good idea, resulting in the other rulers beginning to doubt it. It took a Lordaeronean priest bringing Varian in front of him and explaining what was at stake - that being preventing the Horde from making more orphans like Varian - to finally convince Genn to join what would become the Alliance of Lordaeron. With Gilneas offering token military aid, the Alliance is ultimately able to retake Stormwind and win against the Horde.

Following the Second War, Varian, Genn, and the other Alliance leaders went to see the newly constructed Nethergarde Keep. At the keep, Genn complained about about how much went into what looked to be an overly-extravagant fortress. Varian - now officially Stormwind's king - points out to him, however, that the keep is ultimately meant to keep them all safe and there wasn't a cost to that. This does keep Genn quiet for a bit, but he still doesn't like it. Ultimately the Keep, and the fortune going into the Alliance's newly-built orc internment camps, finally cause Genn and the rest of Gilneas to wall themselves off from the rest of the Alliance just before the start of the Third War.

Wolfheart
At the beginning of the Cataclysm, Genn, with him and his people having been displaced from their home, decides to ask if the Alliance - different from what he previously knew - would want them back. The reintroduction of Gilneas would become a topic of an Alliance summit held in the night elf capital of Darnassus. After realizing that Varian was going to be at the summit, Genn expresses his belief to Archduid Malfurion Stormrage that the two of them can mend things with each other. It's at the banquet preceding the summit that Genn and Varian reunite after years of Gilneas' isolation. From the moment Varian entered the banquet, however, his contempt for Genn abandoning the Alliance of Lordaeron was obvious to all present as the high-king accused him and his people of cowardice. Genn tried to explain his actions to Varian (an explanation that the other representatives at the summit accepted beforehand), but Varian wasn't moved and instead left for his quarters. Frustrated by Varian's words, Genn was left angry enough that he also leaves the banquet.

At the summit proper, Genn made his case to the Alliance representatives what he and his people could bring to them upon reintroduction - showing them how the Worgen curse gives them strength. Most of the delegations were for admitting the Worgen in but the ultimate choice was Varian's, who had talked with Malfurion after the banquet about giving Genn and his people a chance to prove themselves. While the high-king appears to have listened, he suddenly and startlingly denies them admittance as he tells everyone why the Alliance doesn't need them - although it's really a thinly-veiled denouncement of Genn, specifically - before leaving the summit in chaos. With the summit effectively ruined, Varian prepared to leave Darnassus despite Malfurion's best efforts. However, Varian's inability to forgive Genn for doing what he thought was right for Gilneas, and his overall treatment of them and the summit, causes his son Anduin to leave with another leader.

Still determined to get Varian and Genn talking to each other, Malfurion tricks the former - who was in a deep depression after Anduin's departure - into hunting within the worgen's hunting grounds. Varian isn't happy about Genn's presence and begins arguing with him when Genn quips how terrible of a hunter he is. Malfurion suggests settling the argument with a competition, an offer that Genn flatly refuses but Varian silently agrees to once the worgen king darts off - but only so that he can prove he was better. The two reunite when they both go after a boar that Genn was hunting and continue to argue, during which Genn reveals he knew from when they reunited that Varian is blessed by Goldrinn - the Wild God partly responsible for the Worgen curse. During the hunt, however, they end up encountering a large bear that begins fighting some of the Worgen that was hunting with Genn. Putting aside their animosity, Varian and Genn work together to save Genn's pack and kill the bear. Afterward, Genn compliments Varian for the kill - only for the high-king to not be there after he and his pack howl in celebration of it.

As a heartbroken Genn watched his people prepare to depart Darnassus, feeling their chance to rejoin the Alliance is gone, he's surprised to find Varian behind him. Genn is understandably sore about the high-king leaving when he and his pack were honoring him for his kill, but Varian explains he left because it gave him quite a bit to think about. After he sorted through it, Varian returned to ask Genn about what allowed the Worgen to control their more bestial side - and if it could help him. Genn explains the dangers that come from the ritual's failure, only for Varian to affirm he could do it since he was desperate to change after losing his son. At that, Genn muses that he also lost his son and decides to allow Varian the opportunity - but continues to warn of what dangers Varian will face performing it. After arriving in a clearing, Genn guides Varian through the ritual as the high-king is confronted by what he felt following many of the tragedies of his life. By facing the rage he felt at them and finding the calm that was hidden within, Varian manages to control his fury. As the ritual ends, Genn notes that Goldrinn has blessed Varian - a blessing that he and the Worgen soundly honor. With newfound control, Varian has Genn go with him to Ashenvale.

Guided by what Varian saw during the ritual, he, Genn, and the Worgen arrive in Ashenvale to find it under assault by a Horde attack force personally led by Warchief Garrosh Hellscream. Wasting no time, they rushed to reinforce the Alliance forces that were on the defensive. Working separately, Genn and his Worgen assisted the Alliance in taking down several of the Horde's Magnataur slaves while Varian personally fought Garrosh. With their combined efforts, Garrosh and the Horde were forced to retreat. As high priestess Tyrande Whisperwind arrives to thank Varian for the assist, Genn takes the opportunity to lead a cheer of the high-king - which Varian isn't a fan of but internally admits how important it is for Genn. Later on, a new summit is held in Darnassus where - after admitting his faults to the representatives and what he's done to atone for them - Varian calls for another vote that ends with the Worgen readmitted into the Alliance. Genn reveals he's honored by the decision but also that his people honor Varian.

Legion
When the Burning Legion launched an invasion against Azeroth, Varian and Genn went with a fleet to the invasion's starting point at the Tomb of Sargeras. However, they were separated when the fleet was shot down at the nearby shore. Hours later, with the help of reinforcements, Genn is able to fight his way back to Varian, and together their armies battled their way to the Tomb. By the time they reach the invasion's orchestrator, however, Varian and Genn are forced to retreat when the demons become too numerous and the Horde - who'd been helping the battle up to then - makes a sudden exit. However, Varian nearly falls off the gunship their escaping on thanks to a barrage just as a massive demon grabs onto it. Genn holds out his hand to help Varian up - only for Varian to instead hand him a letter he was writing on the way to the Tomb and tells him to give it to Anduin, to which he silently agrees. With that, Varian lets go and falls right onto the demon's head, slaying it and allowing the gunship to escape. From the retreating ship, Genn can only scream in rage as Varian is overwhelmed by demons and ultimately killed.

Following the battle, Genn didn't attend Varian's funeral as he couldn't bring himself to say goodbye to him or to face Anduin for his loss. As such, he also had an Alliance survivor of the battle deliver Varian's letter to the now king. With that dealt with, Genn freed himself to muster forces to attack the Horde as he believed them to be the reason for Varian's death. When Genn confronts Sylvanas - now the Horde's Warchief - in the Vault of Eyir, he claims vengeance for Varian against her before stopping what she was doing there. Later in the war, when Anduin feels he can't follow in his father's footsteps after going to where he died, Genn assures him that Varian died a hero. Going further, Genn tells him that Varian's last stand was his challenge to his people - that even faced with the gates of hell, they can never let fear win.

Fanon
VariGenn is an uncommon ship in the Warcraft fandom. It started gaining traction following the release of the Wolfheart novel as it showed the two reuniting and working past the animosity the two had for each other. Their interactions at the beginning of Legion only further showed fans of the ship how much far they came from then, and how Genn's reaction to Varian's death shows that he places him alongside his own late son and kingdom for what motivates him. Another factor that's used to bring the two together is their relation to Anduin: with Varian being his actual father and Genn showing to be a father figure following Varian's death.

On AO3, this ship has minimal works written for it, with 18 tagged entries currently. It's Genn's second-most written ship after Gennduin. For Varian, it's his fourth-most written behind Varianduin, Garrian, and VariTiff.

Fandom
FAN FICTION

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