Stormwind is the ruling center of the Stormwind Kingdom, and it is also the first city built by the Stormwind ancestors when they pioneered the wilderness from Northern Borderlands to Southern Borderlands.
This large city built with white boulders and with majestic walls is located on the coastline of the Endless Sea, across a harbor from the Eastern Continent's famous "fertile granary" Westfall, and on the other side is Echo Mountains extending down from Burning Steppes at a higher altitude.
It is located in the north of Elwynn Forest, which is rich in products, and is nearby "Northshire Abbey", one of the centers of human Holy Light belief. It can be said that from the perspective of the capital, the location of this city is quite perfect, and because it is close to the sea, Stormwind Kingdom merchants can trade with the dwarf kingdom by sea.
The convenience of shipping has brought Kul Tiras's caravan to the Stormwind Kingdom. With the treasure land of granaries, just the grain trade can bring huge profits to the Wrynn Royal Family every year. Moreover, Stormwind Kingdom also produces various minerals due to the complex terrain in the country. Several large gold mines in the country have also become important financial sources.
Although there are threats from Gnoll bandits and Gurubashi Trolls from Stranglethorn Vale, overall, Stormwind Kingdom is indeed in a stable development period due to its unique natural environment.
It is not nonsense for Gavinrad General to boast to the foreign Diakum that their kingdom has inherited the pioneering and adventurous spirit of the Arathor ancestors. Because Southern Borderlands has only one Human King country, the political environment of the Stormwind Kingdom is relatively simple, and there is no complex political game like that in the Northern Borderlands kingdom.
The most important thing is that the ruler of the Wrynn Royal Family has always advocated reason and courage.
Since the King Baratheon era, the rulers of this country have been managing the people in a tolerant way, so Stormwind Kingdom can attract many pioneers from Northern Borderlands. It was under this circumstance that the large and small farms of Westfall were developed.
This kingdom also has the most powerful spell caster in the human world, Astral Mage Medivh, who is stationed at the border, and Arathor Empire, the orthodox bloodline of the royal family, Lothar, serves as the commander of the armed forces. Today's King Llane Wrynn is also a famous "Wise King".
This troika is pulling the kingdom forward, and has given Stormwind the appearance of becoming the "Second Stromgarde".
As for why Lothar's fathers, who are the orthodox bloodline of the Arathor Empire royal family, did not stay well in Stromgarde, but came to Southern Borderlands to mix with the pioneers who were "mud-legged" in the eyes of the nobles, this must be attributed to the rather troublesome "legal dispute" between the Northern Borderlands countries.
From a darker perspective, if the bloodline of Lothar continues to stay in Northern Borderlands, it will not be a question of whether he can get ahead, but whether the family will be extinct.
As the last descendant of the human royal bloodline, Lothar grew up in Stormwind. He liked it here and devoted himself to helping his sworn brothers. He did not miss his hometown in the north at all, but today he was uncharacteristically anxious and even rode forward in the city regardless of the danger.
I rushed all the way from the bustling business district to the quiet Mage Quarter. I jumped off my horse and rushed into the "The Blue Recluse" tavern next to the teleportation tower. I saw the Gavinrad and Malin mages resting here.
"What's going on? How could you be so injured? Redridge Mountains had an accident? Gnoll is restless again? It's only been a few years since our Execute and their Chieftain?"
Lothar strode forward and looked at Gavinrad General who was sitting in a chair receiving treatment from the doctor.
As a lowly general promoted by himself, Lothar had great trust in the military capabilities of Gavinrad. When they fought Gnoll in the Redridge Mountains, this guy rushed into the battle many times despite being injured, and forcibly defeated Execute, who was entrenched in the mountains, Darkhide Gnoll Chieftain.
But even at that time, Lothar had never seen Gavinrad in such a miserable state.
Faced with Lothar's inquiry, Gavinrad first drank the strong liquor at hand to numb the pain of the wound on his body, and then replied dumbly:
"It's Green Skins Orcs!
A few days ago, their city fell into the edge of the valley of Black Morass. I was reminded by a foreign Saint who fell from the sky, and led a team to Black Morass to investigate. As a result, I fell into a trap. If the Saint hadn't rescued me in time, I might not have been able to come back.
Master Malin has compiled an important military intelligence report, please pass it on to King Llane.
Redridge Mountains must increase its troops! Marshal, otherwise once Green Skins launches a large-scale attack, our military strength will not be able to resist their invasion."
"Is the situation this bad?"
Lothar frowned and looked at the report in his hand. When he saw that the opponent's estimated troop strength reached 400,000, even though the marshal had spent the first half of his life fighting against foreigners in various parts of the kingdom, he couldn't help but take a deep breath.
This number is too exaggerated.
Even if the domestic militia is added, the total strength of the Stormwind Kingdom is now only about 100,000, and they are scattered in various directions to defend against foreigners. And if the quality of Green Skins Orcs's individual soldiers is really as exaggerated as this report says, then this battle will not be fought.
The kingdom can't win at all!
"They have no civilians, they are all corrupted half-demon Warrior?"
When the marshal saw the last page, he believed that Gavinrad would not lie about this kind of thing, but his reason told him that this report was really incredible.
He asked:
"You mean, a city filled with violent Green Skins fell from the sky, and the purpose of these destroyers from another world is to invade us? There is also an alien Saint who has been fighting them to warn us in advance that the war is coming?
Why doesn't this feel right?
Apart from anything else, if a city from another world really crashes into the vicinity of the kingdom, why wouldn't the kingdom's guardian Medivh not notify us? He has always been stationed at the border, and any disturbance from the alien race cannot be hidden from him."
Gavinrad and the military mage Malin both fell silent.
They could not explain this problem, but the investigation results and Green Skins's malicious intent could not be false, so Lothar immediately went to Stormwind Keep where King Llane was located after asking.
The young king who was dealing with domestic government affairs was also shocked when he heard about Green Skins. He immediately asked the same question as Lothar.
The two of them grew up together with Medivh, and their relationship is as close as brothers. King Llane trusts them as much as he trusts his right-hand man. He looked at the evaluation report and said:
"This alien Saint that suddenly appeared is a bit suspicious.
I trust the Kingdom Guardian's opinion more than his warning. Maybe we should send someone to ask Medivh. If he didn't warn us, maybe it means that Green Skins's disaster is not as exaggerated as the alien Saint said?
Moreover, Gavinrad General also said at the end of this report that the alien Saint made it clear that these Green Skins who called themselves "War Horde" were losers in the "Draenor" world. They fled to our world to avoid being pursued by the Justice Alliance.
This proves that they are not invincible."
"I think so too, but more than our own thoughts, I now believe in Gavinrad's judgment after going deep into danger. He is a warrior of the kingdom. He said that Green Skins poses a huge threat, so we must be prepared!"
Lothar held the hilt of the sword at his waist and pondered for a moment, then said:
"I will first take Moonbrook Brigade who is guarding Westfall to the Redridge Mountains for support. You send the royal envoy to Karazhan as quickly as possible to ask Medivh, if the battle situation on the front line is tight, then the defenders of Brightwood and Eastvale, as well as our most elite Kurzen Border Guard Brigade, will be deployed to the Redridge Mountains.
Regardless of whether the threat of Green Skins is really that great, Redridge Mountains must not be lost!
Once Green Skins crosses there, the terrain of Eastvale, Elwynn Forest and Brightwood is completely undefensible!
And Gavinrad confirmed that Green Skins has pretty good caster power, so I need to bring some mages and Priest there."
"No problem, Archbishop Alonsus Faol will bring Church of the Holy Light Priest of Northern Borderlands to the Kingdom for preaching in the near future, so Northshire and the holy monks in the cathedral can go with you Redridge Mountains."
Llane nodded and said:
"Strong generals like Gavinrad are injured. I don't trust you to go alone. Take my King's Guard and your Iron Horse Knights with you. If there is a real threat, these elites can buy us time to dispatch our troops and generals."
"Hmm."
Lothar calculated in his mind that under such mobilization, the military strength he mobilized to the Redridge Mountains would exceed 6,000 people. Counting the nearby garrison, an army of more than 10,000 people would be enough to spread out the mountain pass of the Redridge Mountains.
The width of the battlefield in that place is limited, and the mountain passes that can be fought are all under the control of the kingdom. No matter how many Green Skins people there are, they can't spread out. This is called terrain advantage.
But out of caution, Jazz still suggested:
"That foreigner Saint claimed to be a prophet, and Master Malin said that guy seemed to be able to see into the future.
He said that the giant Saint was not optimistic about the kingdom's war situation. He also suggested that we immediately request support from other kingdoms of Northern Borderlands, saying that all human power must be gathered to defeat the violent Green Skins.
What do you think?"
"Haha, how else can I see it?"
King Llane dismissed this, saying:
"This is not at all a question of whether we are willing to ask for help, Lothar, you know very well how I, Father King, begged the kings of Northern Borderlands to send troops for support in Gnoll Siege of Stormwind, but what was the result?
Except for Kul Tiras who sent a few small warships and Dalaran who sent some mages, other kingdoms did not even bother to express symbolic support.
That kind of embarrassment forced me, Father King, to arm the entire city. We, who were only ten years old back then, all put on armor and went up to the city wall!
We finally defeated Gnoll on our own
The alien Saint may have good intentions, but it is obvious that he has no idea how terrible the internal divisions in the Human King country are. In these years, every time Medivh talks about this issue at a gathering, he is filled with indignation.
You and I both know how disappointed he is about the division of humanity, and my anger about this is no less than Medivh.
Our "proud isolation" sounds courageous, but isn't it forced?
When we are really in trouble, even the Bronzebeard Dwarvess of Dun Morogh are more reliable than our compatriots!
At this point, we should probably forward Green Skins's war threat to King Magni Bronzebeard. If we need help, then King Bronzebeard and his dwarf army are our truly worthy allies."
"Well, you're right."
Lothar nodded.
His status prevents him from expressing an opinion on this issue.
But Jazz himself knew very well that after Emperor Thoradin mysteriously disappeared more than two thousand years ago, the Arathor Empire he founded had split. The kings in Northern Borderlands's hometown all hoped to unify the countries and become emperors, and even the mages who were supposed to be stoic were eager to try.
However, the bloodline who is truly qualified to sit on the throne has to stay away from his hometown under the pressure of various factors.
Today, Lothar has long lost interest in rebuilding the empire. All he the One wants to do is protect the prosperity of the Stormwind Kingdom, which he regards as his motherland.
But when Stormwind Keep walked out to prepare for the expedition, Lothar looked at the warm sun above his head but couldn't help but feel a throbbing in his heart.
If everything goes wrong, if the kingdom is really destroyed by the Green Skins invasion as predicted by the foreigner Saint, then I might have to use my identity to do something I don't want to do.
"Marshal Lothar! Are you going on an expedition?"
The boy's excited voice sounded in the garden next to the fortress, making Lothar turn around and see Llane's son.
Varian Wrynn, who is nine years old this year, is wearing a small armor, carrying a wooden sword and charging out like a knight. The "royal bulldog" following him at his feet is wagging its tail and howling.
"Take me with you! I will go with you to defend the kingdom!"
The little prince cheered:
"My mother often tells me stories. She said that when gnolls besieged the city, you and my father were about the same age as me, but you also climbed onto the city wall, and my father even killed seven gnoll warriors with his own hands!"
"Listening to his bragging, your father was almost frightened to death in that battle. I was the one who really killed seven Gnoll!"
Lothar laughed and bent down, pinched little Varian's cheek, and said softly:
"But a brave Champion of the Kingdom like you should stay in the city and protect the people. Wait until I fail before you go to the battlefield. Just like those stories say, heroes always appear at the last moment."
The little prince who was praised by "Batulu, the number one in the kingdom" Lothar, immediately puffed up his chest, proudly held his wooden sword and said loudly:
"Forget it! Rather than me appearing as a hero, I want you to be victorious and triumphant! But can you bring me a real weapon this time? This wooden sword is too light, and only children use wooden swords."
"Okay, I will definitely bring you a really good sword back."
"His injuries are serious."
On the upper floor of Karazhan, the slightly pale guardian Medivh looked at Orgrim Doomhammer who was sent to him by the Orcss. He shook his head and said:
"He was hit in the front by the hot Ashbringer and his heart was injured. You should be lucky that he didn't drink the demon blood, otherwise that blow alone would have been enough to annihilate his soul."
"That's why we sent him here to ask for your help."
Varok Saurfang said in a deep voice:
"Eitrigg Warlord knows the oath you made with Orgrim Great Chieftain. You fulfilled your promise to bring us into Azeroth. We will serve you, but Great Chieftain must survive. Only he has enough prestige to command War Horde, which is currently in chaos."
"It's natural, I should help my collaborators."
Astral Mage nodded.
His true appearance is that of a middle-aged man with a decent beard. His graceful appearance is full of the style of a big shot. He is wearing a black and red robe with crow feather-like decorations on his shoulders. He wears a hood to let the shadows naturally fall on his cheeks.
In his hand lives a classical but exquisite staff.
The head of the staff is carved into a raven that symbolizes wisdom, and a red magic silk ribbon embellished with sapphires hangs from the staff body. It floats around under the influence of magic, making this weapon full of power and mystery.
Even though the loyal and brave Varok Saurfang is a pure Warrior, he can still feel the powerful magic power from this staff.
This proves that the mage in front of him is a super spell caster far beyond Gul'dan. In fact, after everyone has experienced the mythical version of Dark Portal's teleportation, no one will doubt the power of Medivh anymore.
As long as he wants, he can single-handedly destroy a small world like Draenor.
"I have guests coming soon, and I don't have time to help Orgrim Great Chieftain slowly recover. I will use time magic to get him back to health, but it's best for him not to go to the battlefield recently."
Medivh flicked his fingers, letting the counterclockwise light of time surround Orgrim's severely injured and almost burnt body.
Then he looked at Varok, those eyes seemed to be able to see through people's hearts. During Orcs Warrior's uncomfortable activities, he said:
"Tell me, what other problems did Eitrigg Warlord bring you? If you tell me clearly once, I'm afraid we won't have the chance to communicate for a long time."
"Two questions."
Varok replied:
"First, although you brought most of Warrior from War Horde, our supplies were almost completely lost. Hunting wild beasts at Black Morass is enough to sustain us for a short period of time, but to launch an attack on the Stormwind Kingdom, we need military rations.
Lots and lots of military rations."
"Shouldn't this be a problem for you to solve on your own?"
Medivh said casually:
"If you can't even solve this problem, what use do I need from you?"
"We can solve it on our own, but then the "big invasion" you want to see will have to wait a while longer."
Orcs Warrior sighed and said:
"It's really not that we are delaying on purpose. We Orcs also know the principle of gathering food first before going to war. Otherwise, when we drive straight into the Stormwind Kingdom and only rely on looting, we will definitely fall into passivity."
"Hmph, cunning."
Medivh shook his head, and with a wave of his hand, a book on the table fell into Varok's hands.
Orcs didn't understand Azeroth's language. When he looked confused, he felt Astral Mage's finger on his forehead. Like the enlightenment of wisdom, various languages were forced into Orcs Warrior's brain, almost overloading Varok's pig brain.
But after howling a few times, he found that he miraculously understood the name of the book.
"<You can make a fortune by watching it·On the similarities and differences in business models among Goblin chaebols>?"
Orcs looked at Medivh with wide eyes, who waved his hand and said:
"Go find these "little Green Skins"! As long as you can pay the value, Goblin will bring you everything you need. There is a Supreme Gold Card of Booty Bay Goblin Bank in it, which I will give to you.
What about the second thing?"
"Ouch."
Varok cautiously put this unseemly-looking book into his arms, pointed to the coffin he had brought, and said:
"The second thing is the will of Black Wolf God. It hopes you can cure its war God Chosen, the powerful Warsong Chieftain Grom Hellscream.
The war between Black Wolf God and White Wolf God is about to begin. They will each choose God Chosen to lead their own hunting groups. This does not conflict with your plan. The awakening of Grom will make our war against the Stormwind Kingdom smoother.
And Gorehowl.
We lack the resources to rebuild it.
But for a spellcaster as powerful as you, this shouldn't be a problem."
"Well, Grom Hellscream, I saw his battle with Diakum, and I was deeply impressed."
Medivh reached out and touched the coffin containing the half-dead Grom. He turned back and said:
"But I need to talk to it."
"Huh?"
"It doesn't matter if you don't understand. Just take a nap and let me borrow your body. That's good Warrior."