Lor'themar, whose full name is Lor'themar Theron, is one of the rising stars of the Ranger Corps.
He is not best known for his personal strength or military command abilities, but rather for his incredibly faint presence... During the time he spent waiting outside the barracks, Andreas would easily overlook the fact that there was someone standing in front of him if he wasn't careful.
Lor'themar was as if he possessed a natural talent for reducing his presence; as soon as Andreas' attention shifted away from him, he would quickly forget the existence of this common-faced ranger. This strange feeling made Andreas quite uncomfortable.
Fortunately, Vereesa, as a ranger, was very efficient. Andreas only waited at the entrance for about five minutes before Lireesa arrived at the barracks gate with a curious and puzzled Vereesa.
Compared to their last meeting, Lireesa's appearance hadn't changed; she was still radiant. However, Andreas, who was skilled in soul and mind magic, could sense that the vitality of this ranger general's soul was gradually diminishing.
Andreas didn't meet Lireesa as often as Celeste did, but recalling the vibrant, curious young woman he first met, and comparing her to the increasingly weary female ranger before him, Andreas felt quite emotional.
'Time truly spares no one for mortal races.'
Lireesa didn't notice Andreas' sentiment; a slightly surprised and warm smile appeared on her face.
"What wind brings you, a rare guest, to Quel'Thalas today? A state visit?"
"No."
Andreas smiled and gave Lireesa a warm hug, exchanging a close cheek-to-cheek greeting.
"I'm just waiting for certain developments in the Eastern Kingdoms, and I've temporarily slipped away for a change of scenery."
The gossip in Vereesa's eyes was almost overflowing. Having received strict training since childhood, she considered herself to know her mother very well, and she had never seen her mother treat an outsider male with such enthusiasm.
"Vereesa, come here."
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Lireesa waved over her three daughters, who were full of curiosity.
"This is Speaker Andreas Moonshade of the Night Republic's High Council. Try to be more polite when you meet him in the future, and don't always be so boisterous."
"Speaker?"
Vereesa seemed to not fully grasp her mother's words at first. Her brain processed for a few seconds before her bright eyes suddenly widened.
"The Supreme Leader of the Night Republic?!"
"Shh~"
Andreas smiled and winked his left eye. "Don't spread it around. I slipped away quietly this time. Don't let Anasterian know my whereabouts, or it will lead to a lot of tedious and unnecessary formalities."
"Heh~"
Lireesa let out an ambiguous chuckle. "The Sun King is old. He is no longer the revitalizing ruler who led his people to strive for good governance. In recent years, his policies have clearly leaned towards conservatism, and he himself has begun to indulge in pleasure."
Andreas didn't expect Lireesa, despite her age, to still be as outspoken as a firecracker, saying whatever came to mind. He gave her a helpless look, reminding her, "Lireesa, mind your words."
"Hmph~ Don't worry."
Lireesa looked around indifferently. "The rangers here were all trained by my own hands. I trust they won't spread gossip everywhere."
Patting Vereesa's head, bringing the little one, who was staring blankly at Andreas with her mouth agape, back to her senses, Lireesa led Andreas away from the barracks to her home in Windrunner Village.
The land initially acquired by the Windrunner ancestor, Talanas, was actually only the area around Windrunner Village. The surrounding territories were fought for and acquired by his descendants generation after generation.
Not long after the Troll Wars ended, Lireesa took over the position of Ranger General from her gradually aging mother, Veranica.
Taking advantage of the forest trolls' morale being at rock bottom after suffering severe blows, Lireesa led the rangers to expand their territory in the Amani Forest, seizing large tracts of land that originally belonged to the forest trolls.
Anasterian, who was still in his prime at the time, was not stingy with rewards for the rangers, granting most of the expanded Amani Forest territory to the meritorious rangers. The Windrunner family's lands also expanded further as a result.
The Windrunner Spire, located south of Windrunner Village, was built under Lireesa's supervision. This spire played a significant role in its early construction.
Using the Windrunner Spire and the frontline military stronghold of Tranquillien as bases, the High Elves gradually drove the trolls in the forest back into their cities.
Lireesa was not someone who clung to power. Feeling that both her energy and body were starting to show signs of aging, she had long since handed over most of the Ranger General's duties to her second daughter, Sylvanas.
Lireesa had three daughters well-known to Warcraft players: the eldest, Alleria; the second, Sylvanas; and the third, Vereesa, who was now following behind her and Andreas.
Alleria, the eldest daughter, was rebellious by nature. At a young age, she confessed to Lireesa that she would not inherit the position of Ranger General in the traditional way.
Lireesa herself was not one to strictly adhere to rules. Although she was somewhat displeased with Alleria's bluntness, she ultimately agreed to her eldest daughter's request and focused her training on her second daughter, Sylvanas.
However, out of care for her eldest daughter, Lireesa passed down Thas'dorah, the ancestral longbow of the Windrunner family, to Alleria.
Alleria, just as she had said in her youth, did not remain confined to Quel'Thalas when she grew up. She joined a civilian ranger organization called the Farstriders.
The founding purpose of the Farstriders differed from that of the Ranger Corps, which was dedicated to protecting Quel'Thalas. Their ambitions were grander, aiming to uphold the status and rights of all elven descendants in Azeroth.
Alleria herself rarely stayed in Quel'Thalas, spending most of her time traveling across Azeroth. It was said that she had even followed merchant ships to the continent of Kalimdor across the sea and the Broken Isles in the middle of the ocean.
When Andreas arrived at Windrunner Village, Alleria had just returned to her homeland not long ago. However, she was still reporting to the Farstrider headquarters in the central Eversong Woods and would only return to Windrunner Village to reunite with her family in the evening.
Alleria, who traveled everywhere like the wind, did not let her travels weaken her family ties. Whenever she returned home, she would receive a warm welcome from Vereesa and Sylvanas, and the three sisters always seemed to have endless topics to discuss.
Andreas listened with interest as Lireesa explained about her three daughters, taking a sip of bloodthistle tea. However, he subtly frowned.
The magic contained in this herbal tea was too potent, and ingesting too much magic at once made him a little unaccustomed.
Lireesa noticed Andreas' expression and shifted her gaze to Vereesa, who was responsible for serving the tea.
"Get another cup. Why would you serve this tea, meant for master mages, to Andreas?"
Vereesa tilted her head. "I heard that the Night Elves have a source of magic called the Well of Eternity, so I thought..."
Andreas shook his head with a chuckle, put down his teacup, and explained, "Vereesa, you seem to have some misunderstanding about the Night Elves."
"We do possess the Well of Eternity, but that doesn't mean all Night Elves draw energy from it."
"I wonder if you've heard of the Wonder Tree, Arcandor."
Vereesa shook her head with a bewildered expression. "No."
A glint flashed in Andreas' eyes, and he exchanged a look with Lireesa, whose eyes also flickered.
"Is that so? Then I'll give you a brief explanation."
Although Andreas' visit to Quel'Thalas this time was genuinely for relaxation, it didn't mean he lacked any plans or goals.
Because the High Elves constantly drew upon the Sunwell's arcane energy, their Mana Addiction had reached a very serious level.
This was especially true for the elves residing in Eversong Woods; even the commoners had contracted some degree of Mana Addiction due to bathing in the high-intensity arcane environment.
This situation was clearly not good; excessive reliance on the Sunwell would sow the seeds of disaster for the future of the High Elves.
Should they suddenly lose this energy source that provided Quel'Thalas with massive amounts of arcane energy one day, the High Elves suffering from Mana Addiction would eventually fall ill without the nourishment of magic, and that intense withdrawal reaction would surely be unbearable.
The Wretched in Suramar, whose minds were burned out by arcane thirst, were clear evidence; if the High Elves did not take precautions beforehand, a tragic existence similar to the Wretched might appear in Quel'Thalas someday.
Since Dath'Remar led the Highborne away, Quel'Thalas and the Night Elf Republic had long gone their separate ways, but this did not mean Andreas would stand idly by and watch them fall into the abyss.
Leaving aside their lazy and extravagant social atmosphere, the High Elves genuinely possessed high attainments in arcane research, and their nation housed a considerable number of Magisters and Archmages.
Even if he only considered strengthening their fighting capacity, Andreas could not simply watch Quel'Thalas decline as it did in the original timeline.
However, the current Sun King Anasterian's temper was growing increasingly stubborn; no matter how Celeste tried to persuade him, he was unwilling to let Arkandor flow into High Elves society.
The Sun King wouldn't even listen to the advice of his own son, Prince Kaelthas; the ideological differences between the two had yet to be properly resolved and were instead trending toward escalation.
Upon hearing about the effects of Arkandor from Andreas, Vereesa's mouth gradually widened.
"There's such a miraculous fruit? Why don't the high-ranking officials in Silvermoon City request to purchase Arkandor from the Night Elf Republic?"
"Purchase it?"
Andreas smiled mockingly. "There is only one the miracle tree Arcandor, and its annual yield is not large. We didn't even intend to treat the arcanador fruit as a commodity initially; we simply wanted to gift it to the high-ranking officials of Quel'Thalas for trial use."
Lireesa frowned and took over the conversation. "For unknown reasons, the Sun King sternly rejected the goodwill of the Night Elf Republic and strictly controlled the flow of arcanador fruit into Quel'Thalas. It is said that so far, only Prince Kaelthas, who is currently in Dalaran, has consumed one."
"Why?"
Vereesa's head was full of questions; still young, she completely failed to understand the Sun King's actions.
Andreas shook his head and said, "This issue involves Anasterian's political considerations. I do not recommend you delve deeper."
It was obvious from Vereesa's words and deeds that although the girl wasn't purely naive and sweet, her way of thinking was completely unsuitable for political struggle; she would likely be sold out and still help the buyer count the money.
Although Vereesa had almost zero talent for politics, she wasn't stupid, and the implicit disdain in Andreas' words made her quite indignant.
A mother knows her daughter best; seeing Vereesa's slightly widened eyes, Lireesa knew what the child was thinking.
"Vereesa, go call your second sister back. I have important matters to discuss with her."
"Alright."
The young girl shot a sideways glare at Andreas, let out a soft snort, and walked out of the reception room with her head held high.
Lireesa smiled wryly and touched her forehead. "I apologize. Although I am strict in training my children, I have always taken a hands-off approach to their personal growth. As long as they don't stray onto the wrong path, I won't restrict the expression of their individual personalities."
Andreas nodded with a smile. "I think your educational approach is very correct. Children and grandchildren have their own fortunes, after all."
Andreas used to subconsciously pay excessive attention to his daughter Aurora and his adopted daughter Leticia, but following the journey to Draenor, which completely separated him from the younger generation, Andreas had come to understand.
The children were grown adults, each with her own life and ideas; constant concern could sometimes make them feel uncomfortable instead.
After waking up from his slumber, Andreas gradually loosened his management over Aurora and Leticia.
As long as he confirmed they were still on the right path, Andreas would no longer place any restrictions on them, letting them develop freely; at worst, he would help clean up the mess if they made a mistake.
Following Vereesa, Andreas soon met Lireesa's second daughter, Sylvanas.
The two sisters looked very similar in appearance; externally, only their hair color clearly distinguished them.
Vereesa inherited her father's silver hair, while Sylvanas and Alleria, whom he hadn't met yet, both inherited the brilliant golden hair of the Windrunner Family.
Although their appearances seemed indistinguishable—equally beautiful and moving—the temperaments of the two sisters were worlds apart.
Vereesa had a gentle disposition and was relatively mischievous and optimistic; although she occasionally had minor tantrums, she was not difficult to get along with.
Sylvanas' temperament was more serious and aloof compared to her third sister. Her eyes seemed constantly upturned, adding a sharpness to her already stunning and alluring appearance, and her decisive, military demeanor was evident.
"Mother, you called for me?"
"Yes, have a seat first."
Sylvanas seemingly casually glanced at Andreas, and the scrutiny and faint wariness in her eyes made Andreas flash a meaningful smile.
'The living Queen Sylvanas...'
Discussing the issue of Arkandor with Sylvanas went much smoother than with Vereesa. She would not ask many naive, "cute" questions like Vereesa, usually getting straight to the point by looking past the surface of things.
According to Lireesa herself, among her three daughters, Alleria possessed the strongest individual power, but the one most suited to inherit the position of Ranger-General was undoubtedly Sylvanas, who was standing before them.
Sylvanas had high talent in military command and seemed to possess an innate, acute sense for political struggle; these two talents were indispensable qualities for becoming an excellent military commander.
"What do you think?"
After Sylvanas left thoughtfully, Lireesa proudly asked Andreas, "Isn't this child much more capable than Vereesa?"
"Hehe, indeed."
Andreas smiled and commented, "Judging by your assessment of your own daughters, from the perspective of officialdom, I believe Sylvanas will go further in the future."
Lireesa smiled and shook her head. "That is why I focus on training her. Sil will definitely become a more competent Ranger-General than me in the future."
"As for Alleria and Vereesa, they also have their own futures. I just hope the three sisters can always remain united."
"Oh, right."
Andreas put down his teacup and asked curiously, "I heard you recently gave birth to a young son. How come I haven't seen him?"
Mentioning her only male child, the smile on Lireesa's lips deepened. "Lirath? My husband took him to Eversong Woods to broaden his horizons. If you are not staying in Quel'Thalas for long, you probably won't be able to see them anytime soon."
Andreas nodded noncommittally. It wasn't essential for him to see Lirath.
"Let's get back to business."
Putting away the smile on his face, Andreas asked seriously, "Lireesa, I want to know your opinion on the current situation in the Eastern Kingdoms."
No outsider knew what Andreas and Lireesa discussed in private in the drawing room that day.
Sylvanas could probably guess the main points of their discussion, but with her high emotional intelligence, she obviously wouldn't spread it around. No matter how much her youngest sister, Vereesa, acted spoiled, she kept her lips tightly sealed.
At the welcome banquet that evening, Andreas finally met the elusive Alleria.
As his gaze drifted between the three sisters, Andreas was quite amazed by their very similar appearances yet completely different personalities and temperaments.
Alleria's personality was different from Sylvanas and Vereesa; her ethereal and free temperament was like an uncatchable breeze, easygoing and cheerful.
Andreas had originally thought the most mischievous of the three sisters would be the youngest, Vereesa, but in reality, the eldest sister Alleria was even more so.
The three sisters, who had rarely changed into dresses for the banquet, were teasing each other. Alleria gave a wicked grin and lightly fanned up Vereesa's skirt... though in reality, nothing could be seen—by Andreas.
"Big sister!"
Blushing furiously, Vereesa pressed down the hem of her skirt behind her and discontentedly headbutted Alleria's chest.
The playful bickering between the three sisters didn't feel out of place; instead, it highlighted the deep bond between them.
Since Alleria spent most of the year traveling all over the world, for the sake of her daughter's future safety, Lireesa solemnly introduced her to Andreas.
"Alleria, this is..."
"I know."
Alleria interrupted her mother, her beautiful face tilting up slightly as she looked at Andreas with a meaningful gaze. "The highest authority of the Night Elf Republic, Speaker Moonshadow."
"Oh?"
Andreas raised an eyebrow. "You've seen me?"
Alleria shrugged and said, "Yes, more than half a year ago in Moonshadow's Rest, I saw you once from a distance."
'Moonshadow's Rest... I see.'
Since Alleria had specified the time, Andreas quickly realized when it was.
At that time, he happened to be leading Hataru on a tour of the industrial base built by the Night Elf Republic in Moonshadow's Rest.
Archbishop Hataru was very interested in the magitech developed by the Night Elves based on mana energy. As early as their time on Draenor, he had mentioned several times that he must exchange ideas with Night Elf technicians if given the chance in the future.
Not only was Hataru thinking about Night Elf technology, but the Night Elves were also very interested in the crystal technology used by the Draenei. Exchanges between the craftsmen and researchers of both sides should effectively promote technological progress for each other.
While a look of realization appeared in Andreas' eyes, Alleria was watching him with bright, focused eyes.
"Speaker Moonshadow..."
"No need for such trouble."
Snapping back to his senses, Andreas said gently, "Just call me Andreas."
"Uh..."
Alleria turned to look at her mother, and Lireesa gave her an encouraging nod.
"Alright then, Andreas."
Alleria, who was as free as the wind, was never one to be intimidated by power, and she quickly followed the suggestion and changed how she addressed him.
"That alien who was with you at the time—how come I've never seen his kind on Azeroth?"
Alleria had traveled through most of Azeroth over the years. She had seen Bearmen, dryads, Vrykul, and even the Tol'vir of the Uldum jungles in southern Kalimdor, but she had never seen a Draenei.
Andreas smiled and explained, "Those are the Draenei, an alien race that is gentle by nature but powerful in strength. They are currently residing on the overseas Lost Isles; you'll have the chance to gradually learn more about them later."
The Windrunner's welcome banquet was not extravagant. Most of the attendees were Rangers, with only a few Mages participating.
Relying on Rangers alone made it difficult to counter the voodoo of the Amani Trolls. In his early years, Anasterian had sent a group of Mages to settle in this deep forest, building three frontline magical sanctuaries in the names of the Sun, Moon, and Stars.
Among them, the Moon Temple was located between Windrunner Village and the military town of Tirisfal. The Sun Temple was the furthest forward, situated at the foot of the mountains south of the Amani Catacombs, directly facing the threat of ZulAman.
The final Morningstar Tower was located east of Lake Elrendar, guarding the vital pass for the Amani Trolls from the mountains to Eversong Woods.
Counting Tirisfal and Sunwell Village north of the Amani Catacombs, all routes for the Forest Trolls to Eversong Woods were blocked off.
More than half of the Amani Forest belonged to the High Elves. The once incredibly powerful Amani Empire could only retreat into its capital to linger on its last breath.
In recent years, because the Sun King had lost his drive, the pressure on the Amani Trolls had shown a tendency to slacken. This negative trend caused Lireesa and Sylvanas considerable worry.
However, they were ultimately just soldiers. Although they held the title of Duchess, Lireesa could not interfere with the Sun King's decisions, and the Windrunner's foundation was not in Silvermoon City.
The Mages stationed in the Amani Forest were inevitably influenced by the style of the local Rangers. Compared to those pretentious lords in Silvermoon City, Andreas found it much easier to get along with these "unconventional" Mages.
This banquet gave him a general understanding of the attitude of the residents in the Amani Forest toward Prince Kaelthas' political leanings.
Simply put, Quel'Thalas' society had developed a serious fracture, just as Andreas had guessed.
Most in Eversong Woods, near Silvermoon City, supported the increasingly conservative Sun King. They only wanted to continue their hedonistic lives and didn't want to work hard on reforms with an uncertain future.
On the other hand, the High Elves of the Amani Forest were more energetic and driven. They chose to support Prince Kaelthas' governing philosophy of vigorous reform.
While the two sides weren't exactly like fire and water yet, the divergence caused by different philosophies and positions was becoming more obvious over time.
If things continued to develop this way, Quel'Thalas might gradually split into two incompatible factions in the future, potentially even leading to a civil war.
The best way to eliminate internal conflicts is to use a larger external conflict to divert the public's attention. This is a method a certain island nation loves to use, and it cannot be denied that this method of transferring conflict is indeed very effective at times.
The Orc invasion of the Eastern Kingdoms was not a crisis for just one nation or race. Andreas estimated that in order to gain the support of the Forest Trolls, the Horde's new Warchief would likely still invade the territory of Quel'Thalas.
He had mentioned this to Lireesa, but the Ranger-General, who had not yet fully stepped down, was still somewhat hesitant. After all, the Orcish chaos had previously only risen in the south of the continent, and it was still too far from the High Elves located at the northernmost tip of the continent.
Andreas didn't waste his breath trying to convince Lireesa. As long as a seed was planted in her heart, it would naturally sprout and grow rapidly under specific conditions.
'With the current quality of Quel'Thalas' soldiers, it's almost impossible for them to stop the ferocious Horde allied forces. When that time comes... there will be room for our Night Elf Republic to play its part.'
Andreas had no intention of staying in Quel'Thalas for long; as soon as the awaited message arrived from Capital City of Lordaeron, he would set off for Tirisfal Glades.
Niana's intelligence, delivered through shadow familiars traversing the shadow realm, never stopped flowing.
With the strongest national power, Lordaeron declared itself leader of the Alliance after its founding. Though Gilneas and Alterac resented this, King Llane's mediation for the greater good forced them to swallow their pride—for now.
Yet disputes flared again over command of the army.
Every nation wanted its own general placed in charge of the Alliance's vast forces; even a fool could see it was the perfect chance to earn prestige.
Unable to persuade one another, the scheming kingdoms accepted Brunhilde's long-prepared proposal: let Lothar—last bloodline of Emperor Thoradin—command the host.
Terenas and the others grudgingly agreed, on condition that Lothar publicly renounce all claim to the Arathor Empire, ensuring the empire's final death and removing any hope of restoration.
Lothar had long seen the truth: the Arathor Empire existed only in name; the human kings would never surrender their power to an imperial throne.
To win greater fame and gain for the Kingdom of Stormwind, Lothar cast aside his inheritance, proclaiming the Arathor Empire's end and, as Thoradin's heir, recognizing the legitimacy of the seven human kingdoms.
The Gilnean kingdom, never a city-state of Arathor, needed no acknowledgment from Lothar.
Seizing the moment, Brunhilde reaffirmed Gilneas' legitimacy to every human realm except Lordaeron.
Terenas looked as though he'd swallowed a fly, but under the amused stares of the six other kings—and having just become Alliance leader—he clenched his teeth and assented.
Meanwhile, Prisim sent fresh news of the Horde from the continent's south.
Through her contact with Garona, Prisim learned that the Shadow Council had been wiped out.
Led by the turncoat Garona, Orgrim's army stormed Blackrock Mountain, slaughtering every Shadow Council warlock except Gul'dan and Cho'gall.
The Two-headed Ogre Cho'gall was cunning; as Orgrim's hammer fell he knelt, swearing he had forsaken Fel Energy and demonstrated his mastery of Shadow Power on the spot.
Cho'gall's Shadow Power came from the Pale Ghost Orcs. After the anomaly at Oshugun ended, most were blamed for the ancestors' disappearance and executed at the Clan gathering; only a handful hiding deep within Oshugun survived.
Spurned by Highmaul, Cho'gall explored Oshugun's ruins and found them, learning to wield the Void—never imagining this trick would one day save his life.
Orgrim longed to smash both of Cho'gall's heads, but with warlocks scarce he stayed his hand; after Cho'gall swore off Fel Energy, he grudgingly let the Two-headed Ogre live.
Gul'dan was spared not from mercy but because only he could control the Dark Portal.
The Dark Portal had been opened by Gul'dan; its opening and closing required his hand.
The devastation of The Black Marsh made Orgrim wary; Fel Energy still seeped from Draenor, the cracked red earth spreading ever wider.
Orgrim planned to move all orcs to this new world and then seal the Dark Portal forever, severing Draenor to halt the Fel blight.
Yet fate refused to cooperate.
Messengers from Draenor brought grim tidings: the Warsong, Shattered Hand, Bonechewer and Thunderlord Clans, left behind, had succumbed to bloodlust, slaughtering one another across Hellfire Peninsula, nearly mindless.
Orgrim needed reinforcements, clinging to hope that the maddened Clans might yet come to their senses, and thus delayed sealing the Dark Portal—so Gul'dan lived on.
Gul'dan awoke from his soul-wounded slumber to find the world changed.
Blackhand, reliant on the Shadow Council, had fallen to Orgrim in mak'gora; the new Warchief distrusted warlocks, banning Fel worship under pain of death.
A thorough villain, Gul'dan threw aside dignity and groveled before Orgrim begging forgiveness.
With honeyed words and endless vows, Gul'dan convinced Orgrim—who feared human casters and needed the Portal controlled—to spare him for now.
Yet Orgrim set a deadline: within one year Gul'dan must prove his worth without resorting to Fel Energy.
After the Shadow Council's fall, Orgrim kept his word and granted Garona her freedom.
Freed from Gul'dan's mental chains and Horde bondage, Garona felt a liberation she had never known.
Contacted by Prisim's human scouts, she readily handed over non-critical Horde intelligence, then slipped north alone to seek Khadgar and Lothar… Though the commander was chosen, disputes over troop numbers and supplies dragged on.
The Horde, meanwhile, consolidated conquered lands and scoured the southern Eastern Kingdoms for grain to feed the next campaign.
All of Dark Portal year four passed in this eerie calm; both sides knew peace would not last—once either was ready, war would blaze anew.
And this conflict would dwarf the First War. Llane and Lothar, who best knew orc prowess, feared what the future might bring.
Unless the disparate armies could be united under one banner and purpose, the orcs would crush them piecemeal.
With no sign of battle, Andreas opted to stay incognito in Quel'Thalas for a holiday.
The Night Elf Republic's scattered armies were regrouping after the war; once ready they would sail to aid the Eastern Kingdoms.
The Third Fleet, stationed at Sylvie Port, began patrolling the continent's southern coast.
With no orc navy to oppose them, the republic's fleets roamed the southern waters unchallenged.
These prowling steel armadas pressured Orgrim; he redoubled demands on Gul'dan, forcing the warlock to deliver the new force he had promised.
A Blackrock Clan orphan himself, Orgrim knew the worth of arms and armor. He gathered Blackrock smiths for the Horde, yet ore shortages hampered them.
Scouts of the Bloodfury Clan reported from the Searing Gorge: the Dark Iron Dwarves hiding beneath Blackrock Mountain "kindly" revealed that countless minerals lay beneath the snowy peaks of Dun Morogh to the north.
After weighing the risks, Orgrim chose to believe them. Bloodfury vanguard spearheaded the assault from Searing Gorge into the snowy mountains, clashing fiercely with the Bronzebeard Dwarves.
"So dwarves and Gnomes are dragged into the war as well."
Andreas set the report aside and rubbed his chin. "The Dark Irons always loved schemes—setting wolf against tiger to wipe out the Bronzebeards, then sweeping in to claim the spoils when the dust settles?"
The higher-ups of Quel'Thalas paid absolutely no heed to the orc invasion.
Prince Kael'thas, who was in Dalaran, visited various places and obtained a lot of important intelligence from the front lines. However, when he sent the firsthand information he had painstakingly gathered back to Quel'Thalas... nothing happened.
All the intelligence and warnings seemed to vanish without a trace, not even causing a ripple. Anasterian and the Silvermoon Council did not take the orcs, who were far away in the Kingdom of Stormwind, seriously at all.
The Horde's northward attack on the Kingdom of Khaz Modan similarly failed to stir any ripples.
Andreas estimated that not even an orc attack on the Hillsbrad Foothills, Hillsbrad, or even the Tirisfal Glades would alert the Sun King. He would only jolt awake when they were at his doorstep.
Lireesa placed great importance on the intelligence Andreas received daily. With Andreas' permission, she and her three daughters read the Horde's latest movements and the Alliance's squabbling progress.
Vereesa wrinkled her nose and complained, 'Humans are so amusing. They're about to be beaten to their doorstep, yet they still have the energy to care about who's contributing more or less. Aren't they afraid the orcs will take the opportunity to lay siege to their city?'
Andreas' lips twitched with a faint, wry smile. 'Is Quel'Thalas qualified to criticize others?'
'What did you say! We and those...'
'Vereesa.'
Sylvanas, with a stern face, patted her younger sister's head. 'Be quiet. Don't disturb us while we're reading the intelligence.'
'Hmph!'
Ignoring Vereesa's bristling reaction, Andreas sat leisurely on the top floor of the Windrunner watchtower. Gazing at the faintly visible walls of Zul'Aman in the distance, she slowly sipped the Peacebloom tea she held.
'Wait!'
Lireesa's expression changed drastically as she turned to a page of intelligence. 'The orc Horde has made contact with the Forest Trolls?'
'Hmm?'
Andreas tilted her head to look at the document in Lireesa's hand. 'Indeed, there is such a thing. The ones who made contact with the orcs are only the Ragefang and Firetree, two Forest Troll clans so small they can't get any smaller.'
The war in Dun Morogh has temporarily reached a stalemate. The Horde can do nothing against the sturdy Ironforge, but the dwarves and Gnomes also cannot break through the orc blockade. They can only rely on their strong city defenses to hold back the Horde's attacks.
If Dun Morogh is like this, then Loch Modan and The Wetlands are practically undefended.
Although the Horde has not yet fully prepared for war with the human alliance, Orgrim's vanguard has already begun moving north.
The Horde easily broke through the defenses set up by the Bronzebeard Dwarves along the northward route. They are currently lingering near the Wildhammer Dwarves' old capital, Grim Batol.
After the Wildhammer King led a large number of his people north, only a small group of Wildhammer Dwarves decided to stay behind to revive the capital.
But reality is cruel. Lacking manpower and resources, the Wildhammer Dwarves ultimately failed. This group of Wildhammer Dwarves eventually moved south to Nesingwary to establish a village, gazing from afar at the increasingly dilapidated Grim Batol.
After the orcs arrived in this area, they simply used the abandoned Wildhammer capital as a bridgehead for their northern offensive. The influx of a large number of orcs alerted the Wildhammer Dwarves in Nesingwary, who sent word to their kin in the Hinterlands.
'Hold on.'
Andreas suddenly remembered something.
The most famous event associated with Grim Batol is not the Wildhammer Dwarves, but the imprisonment of the Red Dragon Queen there.
Frowning in thought, Andreas immediately contacted Niana via a shadow imp, asking her to act as a relay to try and establish contact with the Wyrmrest Temple... Lireesa read about the Forest Trolls in the intelligence. She instinctively felt these small clan trolls would cause trouble.
But the High Elf kingdom was too far from The Wetlands. Neither Lireesa nor Sylvanas could leave their posts without authorization. The Ranger-General turned her gaze towards Alleria and Vereesa.
As the mother and her four daughters gathered together to discuss the issue in hushed tones, Andreas received firsthand intelligence from Malygos.
The dragon soul was still sealed deep within the Redridge Mountains. However, recently, the orcs had suddenly begun deliberately searching the mountains.
Malygos himself was currently lying in wait near the dragon soul with Alexstrasza. Having regained his sanity, the Blue Dragon Aspect was very wise. He deduced a possibility from the orcs' movements.
These orcs, being a foreign race, should not have known about the existence of the dragon soul. Their sudden search of the Redridge Mountains was most likely connected to Deathwing.
This speculation made Malygos' blood boil. He had been pursuing Deathwing for thousands of years without ever finding a trace. Unexpectedly, after the orc invasion, he kept hearing information about that dragon traitor one after another.
Alexstrasza was more straightforward. She wanted to retrieve the dragon soul on the spot and bury it elsewhere. But Malygos, his mind full of sinister plans, stopped her.
The Blue Dragon Aspect decided to try using the dragon soul as bait to lure out Deathwing.
'Hoho~'
Andreas rubbed her chin with great interest. 'Interesting. How can I not participate in something this fascinating?'
Anyway, the Alliance was still engaged in endless squabbling. Life in the Windrunner territory, though leisurely, was a bit too peaceful here, lacking the sense of urgency from the front lines.
When Andreas prepared to bid farewell to Lireesa, she saw Alleria and Vereesa already packed and ready to go.
Compared to Alleria's calm expression, Vereesa seemed somewhat reluctant. At that moment, she was vigorously polishing her longbow, her eyes fixed intently on Andreas.
'Uh...'
Andreas uncomfortably averted her gaze. Before Lireesa even spoke, he guessed the Ranger-General's intention.
'A correct decision, but what does that have to do with me? Stop glaring at me.'
Sure enough, Lireesa intended to send Alleria and Vereesa south for reconnaissance, with the Hillsbrad Foothills as the primary target, being the war front.
The chieftain of the Amani clan, Zul'jin, was imprisoned in Dunhollow Keep in Hillsbrad. Lireesa was worried that Orgrim might use Zul'jin's status to recruit Forest Trolls along the way for the Horde's use.
Zul'jin was an ambitious troll leader who dreamed of restoring the Amani Empire to its former glory.
But he was not blinded by his own dreams. Zul'jin knew he couldn't find an opportunity within the Amani Forest; the High Elves had long since made the forest as solid as a fortress.
Zul'jin crossed mountains and ridges, leaving the Amani Forest. He headed south to the Hinterlands, Hillsbrad, and the Hillsbrad Foothills to rally the local Forest Trolls, attempting to bring them back under the leadership of the Amani clan and expand the Amani Empire's strength from the outside.
However, dreams are beautiful, but reality is often cruel.
Zul'jin's covert activities inciting trolls in Hillsbrad alerted the Kingdom of Alterac. King Perenolde dispatched patrol troops to surround and capture this destabilizing element who had been active in multiple areas, imprisoning him in Dunhollow Keep.
But Zul'jin's actions were not entirely fruitless. Small clans like the Ragefang, Firetree, and Vilebranch had already agreed to his recruitment.
Even the medium-sized clan, the Witherbark, sensed Zul'jin's ambition and promised to help him rebuild the Amani Empire when they saw hope.
This was also the reason why the Ragefang clan proactively contacted the Horde. By now, they had already reached a 'mutually beneficial' agreement with Orgrim.
'Let's set off.'
Alleria stroked Vereesa's silver hair to comfort her. 'You're an adult now. It's time to go out and see the world. The outside world is wonderful. Compared to being confined to Quel'Thalas, you're sure to find more enjoyment outside.'
Sylvanas' expression was somewhat subtle. '...Alleria, could you not say that in front of me?'
As Alleria smiled and apologized to Sylvanas, Vereesa's mood improved considerably, and she withdrew her glare from Andreas.
'Big sister, is the outside world really that fun?'
'Yes, I promise you.'
'Hehe~ I believe you, big sister. Then let's set off right away!'
Meanwhile, Lireesa pulled Andreas aside and said solemnly, 'Andreas, I must trouble you to help look after these two children while they're away. Especially Vereesa. She lacks awareness of the dangers of the outside world. Don't let some shady character lead her astray.'
Andreas gave a thumbs-up and assured her, 'No problem. I'll call Celeste over from Kalimdor to help look after her.'
After the farewells, Andreas immediately transformed into a large, ginger-colored gryphon. It was Vereesa's first time seeing a druid's shapeshifting magic, and her eyes began to sparkle with curiosity.
Although the southern part of the Eastern Kingdoms was already a mess due to the Orc invasion, the territories of Quel'Thalas and Lordaeron remained very peaceful.
Alleria and Vereesa prepared to head to Hillsbrad Foothills, the foremost battle line. At this time, the Horde Orcs were using Grim Batol as their base, pushing their vanguard close to the Thandol Span, which connects The Wetlands and Hillsbrad Foothills.
The armies of the Kingdom of Stromgarde, under the command of King Thoras Trollbane, were the first to mobilize, firmly defending the other side of the bridge. The two sides confronted each other using the Thandol Span as the dividing line, with war imminent.
The Thandol Span was the only land route leading to the Northern Kingdoms, and the only passage for the Horde, which lacked a navy, to enter the core human territories.
However, Orgrim was currently gazing at the Thandol Span with worry. Although the bridge was quite wide, it was clearly a terrain that was easy to defend and difficult to attack.
As long as the enemy tightly defended the bridge exit, considering the limit on the number of people who could cross simultaneously, the Orcs could not send a decisive superior force all at once.
After leaving Quel'Thalas, Andreas carried the two Windrunner sisters into the Eastern Wilds, flying over the southern mountains directly to the Hinterlands Plateau.
Since ancient times, the Hinterlands had been the territory of the Forest Trolls, and the powerful Shattered Hand Clan firmly controlled this plateau region.
The Shattered Hand Clan was the most powerful Forest Troll Clan besides the Amani. They possessed three large settlements in the southern Hinterlands.
From west to east, these were the Temple of Shadra, the Poison Spider Queen, Zul'Altar, and Jin'thalaar, the capital city of the Darkspear Troll.
In addition, the Darkspear Troll also possessed multiple strongholds and outposts on this plateau, including Zul'Watha and Shaol'watha, making them the undisputed overlords of the Hinterlands.
Aside from the Darkspear Troll, the largest power in the Hinterlands was the Wildhammer Dwarves, who were newcomers.
Centered around their new capital, Aerie Peak, the Wildhammer Dwarves occupied a large area in the northern Hinterlands. Over the years, they had many conflicts with the Darkspear Troll, but neither side could currently overpower the other.
Andreas bypassed the Troll-controlled areas along the way. Escorted by a group of friendly Wild Gryphons, Andreas, in Gryphon Form, finally brought the two High Elves into Hillsbrad Foothills.
Compared to over 2000 years ago, the Hillsbrad Foothills today had not only failed to become more prosperous than before, but many of its wilderness areas had instead been occupied by the Withered Trolls.
The Withered Trolls were originally a Clan that also resided on the Hinterlands Plateau. After being defeated in the internal Troll war against the Shattered Hand, they were forced to relocate southward.
Although the Kingdom of Stromgarde, the master of Hillsbrad Foothills, was determined to restore the glory of the Arathor Empire, reality was very cruel.
After most of the nobles and people successively left to establish their own city-states, Stromgarde, the capital of the Arathor Empire, inevitably fell into decline.
As Fadir, the Last Emperor of Arathi, led the vast majority of the remaining subjects southward, the Arathor Empire completely disintegrated. Only the loyal descendants of Ignatius remained to guard the dilapidated castle.
On the way to Hillsbrad Foothills, Alleria and Vereesa seemed to have endless topics, constantly chattering softly on Andreas' back.
Vereesa seemed very displeased that Andreas looked down on her, and she barely spoke to Andreas actively throughout the journey.
Alleria, who had traveled abroad for many years, behaved maturely and generously. It was thanks to her efforts to liven up the atmosphere that the long journey did not become too awkward.
When the three arrived in front of the rebuilt Stromgarde Keep, Andreas landed and let the two sisters down. Celeste, who had already been teleported from Kalimdor, was waiting at the gate of Stromgarde Keep.
Walking forward to share a moment with Celeste, Andreas turned his head and gestured toward the two Windrunner sisters.
"I don't need to introduce them, right? You should know them better than I do."
Celeste smiled and kissed her husband on the corner of his mouth. "Of course. I was the one who arranged for Alleria to travel to Kalimdor. Vereesa has also grown up and become beautiful."
"Hmph~"
Vereesa puffed up her cheeks, slightly displeased. "Sister Celeste, saying that makes it sound like I wasn't pretty when I was little. Isn't that too much?"
Andreas' mouth twitched. He had a retort stuck in his throat but dared not utter it, and Celeste's warning gaze made him nervously look away.
'Sister again... So you guys use the same address for Celeste as your mother does?'
"Ahem~ Anyway," Andreas used the clichéd but always effective method of changing the subject, "Celeste, I'm leaving Alleria and Vereesa in your care. I still have matters that require me to continue south."
Celeste saw that Andreas was tactful enough not to ask inappropriate questions, and she nodded with a smile. "No problem. Be careful on your way."
...Continuing southward, Andreas chose not to ask Celeste for a teleport, but instead transformed into Golden Eagle Form and swiftly swept through the sky.
From above, he could very clearly observe the Horde Orcs' long supply lines and their military deployment.
Since the Orcs lacked an air force and anti-air defenses, and severely lacked understanding of groups like the Druids, Andreas faced no obstruction while scouting from above.
The Dragonmaw Clan had once tamed a large number of Two-Headed Dragons as mounts on Draenor, but Draenor gradually fell into a state of severe food shortage due to the erosion of Fel Energy.
The Dragonmaw Orcs, who had become extremely violent after drinking the demon blood, were forced by extreme hunger to slaughter all their mounts to fill their stomachs.
Without their Two-Headed Dragon mounts, the Dragonmaw Clan became unworthy of their name. After entering Azeroth, Dragonmaw Chieftain Zul'jin had been trying to find new substitute mounts.
Recently, Zul'jin always had the same dream: he and his tribesmen were riding a group of strange and powerful dragon species, soaring across the sky.
As the Dragonmaw Clan Chieftain who had once conquered the skies, Zul'jin was deeply fascinated by the scene described in his dream. He soon began searching for the mounts from his dream in the Redridge Mountains, secretly lured by a certain entity.
By the time Andreas reached the Redridge Mountains, the Orcs had transported most of their main forces to the frontline fortress of Grim Batol, leaving only the Dragonmaw Clan scattered across the mountains searching for something.
Flying over Stonewatch Lake, Andreas, relying on the Golden Eagle's excellent eyesight, saw the ruins of Lakeshire on the west side of the lake.
Most of the local human residents had been cruelly massacred by the Orcs, with only a small number remaining to be enslaved as laborers.
Although he felt great sympathy for the plight of the humans, now was not the time to alert the enemy. Andreas suppressed the impulse to destroy the Orcs below and followed Malygos' Arcane energy guidance to the valley deep within the Redridge Mountains.
A Red Dragon, having reverted to its original form, was breathing Life-Flame at the Orcs in front of it. Many Dragonmaw Orc warriors were instantly burned to charcoal.
The Orc Warlocks in the back ranks were unmoved. Under the command of an old Orc, streams of Chaos Bolts trailing green contrails flew toward the Red Dragon.
'They've already started fighting?'
Andreas circled above the battlefield, observing. Although the Red Dragon was quite powerful, facing hundreds of Orc Warlocks wielding Fel Energy, it seemed to be struggling to cope.
'Andreas, over here.'
Malygos' voice suddenly rang out in Andreas' mind. Looking in the direction the energy came from, Malygos in High Elf Form and Alexstrasza were hiding in front of a cave not far from the battlefield.
At that moment, a Small Golden Disk was floating above Malygos' left hand. Andreas looked with a strange expression at the identical object being guarded by the Red Dragon behind it.
'So that's it...'
Without a doubt, the Dragon Soul in Malygos' hand was the genuine article; the one protected by the Red Dragon should have been a replica created by the Blue Dragon King using arcane magic.
The purpose was naturally to lure the orcs into stealing it, and incidentally to try and draw out Deathwing, who was hiding behind them.
The Dragon Soul's seal was originally set by Saragosa, and Malygos personally reinforced it multiple times after regaining consciousness.
This artifact, which gathered a portion of the protective power of the four great Dragon Aspects, could not be directly touched by any dragon. Malygos was only able to temporarily control it by exploiting his familiarity with the seal, taking a 'backdoor' approach.
"Here."
When Andreas entered the cave, Malygos casually tossed the golden disc in his hand over to him. Unprepared, Andreas fumbled and caught it.
...You just handed it over to me so openly? Aren't you afraid I'll use it to control dragons?
"Hmph~" Malygos snorted, "You already knew the Dragon Soul's sealing location. If you wanted to make a move, you would have done so long ago. Why wait until now?"
"Since the orcs already know about the Dragon Soul's existence, it's no longer safe to keep it sealed in the mortal world. Help us keep it safe, and absolutely don't let those ill-intentioned orcs take it."
Andreas shrugged indifferently and put the Dragon Soul into his spatial bag.
He kept quite a few powerful artifacts on him. If anyone dared to rob him, they would certainly be richly rewarded if they could win... but the difficulty of defeating Andreas was probably something no mortal could accept.
"What now?"
Andreas looked at the Dragon Soul's guardian, who was already showing signs of defeat. "You're not just going to watch him die at the hands of the orcs, are you?"
"Of course not." Alexstrasza shook her head. "Olastrasz is one of the important members of the Red Dragonflight. We've already made arrangements. Let's just watch patiently for now."
After a long standoff, multiple spews of living flame had depleted Olastrasz's stamina, and the orc warlocks' fel magic finally began to break through his defenses.
"Aww!"
As a Chaos Bolt struck the scales on his neck, Olastrasz threw his head back and let out a pained roar.
"Roar!"
Gathering strength, he unleashed another wide-area dragon breath. The oldest orc warlock raised the Fel Orb in his hand, and a sickly green arc-shaped light barrier blocked the dragon breath.
The strength of a dragon was not something a single orc warlock could match. Under the defense of numerous warlocks, their foreheads sweating as they infused fel energy, this dragon breath was finally blocked.
Feeling the weakness within him, Olastrasz reluctantly flapped his wings and flew up, extending his strong hind claws towards the golden disc behind him.
"Don't even think about it!"
The old warlock raised the Fel Orb high, and a Pit Lord, summoned, descended from the sky. Olastrasz had to retract his claws at the last moment to dodge.
"Foolish mortals! You will pay the price for your recklessness sooner or later! Await the wrath of the Red Dragonflight!"
Olastrasz angrily spat out threats, and under the continuous pressure from the orc warlocks, he finally "reluctantly" retreated.
"Cough, cough~"
The leading old orc warlock stopped the others from pursuing. "Without mounts, we can't catch up... Nek'rosh, break the seal and retrieve the artifact. The future of Dragonmaw depends on this artifact."
A male orc in his prime stepped forward and roughly slapped the barrier around the Dragon Soul.
The corrosive nature of fel energy was strong, and the barrier Malygos had casually set up was quickly eroded away.
Andreas, hiding in the shadows, stroked his chin. 'I heard that Orgrim strictly forbade orcs from continuing to use fel magic, but from the Dragonmaw's feigned obedience, it can be inferred that in places Orgrim couldn't see, many warlocks still showed no signs of remorse.'
'Perhaps this can be used later to sow discord between the orc clans and the Warchief. I'll make a note of it for now.'
The fake created by Malygos, the Spell-Weaver, was so convincing that even Deathwing himself would absolutely not be able to distinguish it in a short time. He had almost perfectly replicated all the characteristics of the Dragon Soul.
At this moment, the counterfeit Dragon Soul still emitted faint fel energy, a lingering aura from when it bombarded the Well of Eternity at the end of the War of the Ancients.
"Oh, oh!"
Zuluhed took the Dragon Soul from Nek'rosh's hand, his entire body trembling with excitement.
"It truly is an artifact imbued with fel energy! It will become the greatest reliance for the Dragonmaw clan to soar through the skies again. From now on, let's call it the Demon Soul!"
Watching the Dragonmaw orcs joyfully carry away the fake Dragon Soul, Deathwing never appeared from beginning to end.
Malygos clicked his tongue in frustration. "Tsk! That fellow is still so cautious. It seems the plan must continue."
After some thought, Andreas roughly guessed Malygos' plan.
"Which of you two is going to go in and cooperate with the orcs in this act?"
"I will." Alexstrasza stepped forward. "I'm worried that Malygos might reveal himself in his excitement if he sees Deathwing, so it's better for him to hide in ambush."
Alexstrasza raised her hand to stop Malygos' protest and said firmly, "This time, we must completely resolve the threat of Deathwing."
"Tsk!" Malygos scratched his head in annoyance. "Alright, I hope Deathwing shows up soon. The energy in the fake won't last much longer."
...The subsequent developments were simple. Zuluhed returned directly to Grim Batol to rendezvous with the main Horde forces. He entrusted the Demon Soul to Nek'rosh for safekeeping and instructed him to quickly figure out how to use it.
After Zuluhed led the main Dragonmaw forces away, Nek'rosh temporarily remained in the Dun Morogh snowy mountains to try and research how to use the Demon Soul.
Deathwing, who had been observing from the shadows, used the nightmare ability temporarily granted to him by N'Zoth to directly infiltrate Nek'rosh's dreams, telling him all the true abilities and uses of the Demon Soul in detail.
"Ah!"
Waking up from his dream, Nek'rosh wiped away a cold sweat. Even in his sleep, he still held the small golden disc.
"Using the Demon Soul can control the Dragon Aspects of Azeroth?"
"Roar!"
Just as Nek'rosh was staring blankly at the Demon Soul, an earth-shattering roar echoed from outside the cave. Several panicked guards stumbled in.
"Dragon... Dragon! A dragon!"
"Nek'rosh! There's a dragon outside that speaks the common tongue. He demands we hand over the Demon Soul, or he'll attack without mercy!"
"What's the panic for!"
Nek'rosh roared, "He's here at just the right time! Let me try the power of the Demon Soul!"
Andreas and Malygos, their figures hidden by Shadowmeld, floated in the air not far away, remotely witnessing Alexstrasza's performance, pretending to be in pain as she was "controlled" by Nek'rosh.
Malygos' elven ears, in his mortal form, suddenly twitched, and his body began to tremble with excitement.
"He's here... I feel him! Deathwing is nearby!"
"Andreas, get ready. Since that traitor wants to manipulate us with the Dragon Soul, we'll simply fight fire with fire!"
Malygos barely controlled his excited emotions, his fangs bared as he grinned savagely, "Let's give him a big 'surprise' with the Dragon Soul."