The Birth of the Dawnblade Legion

The Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider's added requirements caught the previously selected noble youths off guard, and the High Elf commoners were no exception.

Magister Dath'Remar Sunstrider had done his utmost, but he had only managed to select a little over a thousand High Elves in Dalsom's square.

Though they had only selected a little over a thousand High Elves with fanatical faith in the sun, far short of the ten-thousand-man legion they had envisioned, Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider was not disappointed in the slightest. On the contrary, he was quite satisfied.

Standing on an elevated platform in the square, accompanied by his three aides—Ranger-Lord Lor'themar Theron, Magister Dath'Remar Sunstrider, and High Priestess Countess Liadrin—he addressed the thousand-plus High Elves below. "I am pleased to see you, my people.

"I believe that by coming here, you have already prepared yourselves to join a brand-new legion.

"The Kingdom of Quel'Thalas already possesses many legions: the Sunfury Legion, Eclipse Legion, Firewing Legion, Flaming Eagle Legion, Flameblade Legion, Bloodhawk Legion, Ranger-Expeditionary, Legion of Magisters, Spellbreaker Guard, and more.

"We possess so many powerful legions, yet we still suffer grievous losses in our battles against the Forest Troll.

"At the root of it all, we lack powerful Warriors, forcing the Ranger-Expeditionary to confront the Forest Troll head-on."

Dalsom lay at the southernmost edge of the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas, with Zul'Aman of the Forest Troll directly to its west. Before Dalsom was founded, its residents had lived in nearby High Elf villages.

Thus, compared with the High Elves of North Eversong Woods, the High Elves of Dalsom knew more clearly what sacrifices they had made throughout their millennia-long war against the Forest Troll.

"I know that a new class is difficult to accept, especially one that uses the Holy Light rather than the arcane.

"But for the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas, for our people, someone must make sacrifices.

"Only by sacrificing ourselves and becoming powerful Paladins can we protect the people behind us.

"I am a prince of the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas and a descendant of the Sunstrider family. I shall lead from the front and guide you."

If it had been forcibly imposed, it would easily have met resistance. But Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider himself was the first High Elf Paladin. With him setting an example, these High Elves' resistance toward Paladins vanished. Their Little Prince had willingly sacrificed himself, so what concerns could they possibly still have?

"Though Paladins wield the Holy Light, we do not need to devoutly believe in the doctrines of the Holy Light as humans do to gain power.

"We are the proud Quel'dorei, the High Elves.

"When our forebears chose to live beneath the sun, marking their break from the past, we abandoned the so-called faith in Elune, the moon goddess.

"We believe only in the arcane and the Sunwell.

"But we revere the sun. We were reborn beneath the radiance of An'she. We shall transform An'she's power into the Holy Light and use it to protect our people."

Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider extended his right hand, and a mass of Holy Light Energy resembling flame appeared.

"Feel the power that comes from An'she. Feel the Holy Light, as scorching as the sun. The eternal sun is guiding us!"

Using the sunlight cast down by An'she, Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider drained the Holy Light Energy within him, transforming it into golden particles that descended upon all one thousand-plus High Elves.

"From this day onward, we are a new legion of the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas. I name us the Dawnblade Legion. For Quel'Thalas!"

Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider had only recently received the baptism of the Holy Light, and the Holy Light within him was far from abundant. The reason he could baptize more than a thousand High Elves at once was mainly due to An'she's power and these High Elves' fanatical faith in An'she.

Each High Elf received only a small amount of Holy Light through the baptism. Yet under Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider's impassioned words, they felt An'she's warmth. Combined with their own fanatical faith in An'she, Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider's Holy Light merely delivered the final push, breaking through the last barrier that had prevented the High Elves of the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas from generating Holy Light through their faith in An'she and becoming Paladins who wielded the Holy Light through the power of the sun.

More than a thousand High Elves felt Holy Light Energy as scorching as the sun arise within their bodies, and they cried out excitedly, "For Quel'Thalas!"

A new legion of the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas had been born. The Dawnblade Legion, centered around Paladins who wielded the Holy Light, had come into being. Led by Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider, the Dawnblade Legion began its journey.

The successful baptism of more than a thousand High Elves into Paladins proved that Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider had succeeded in replacing the human Paladins' faith in the doctrines of the Holy Light with faith in An'she.

However, aside from Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider, none of the High Elf Paladins who had successfully undergone baptism in the Dawnblade Legion experienced the mutation that turned their eyes golden.

This also proved that the transformation of Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider's eyes was unique.

Next, Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider would lead these thousand-plus High Elf Paladins to the Kingdom of Lordaeron to receive training in Paladin skills.

Paladins had existed in the Kingdom of Lordaeron for over twenty years. Through their battles against the orcs of the Old Horde, they had developed from the original five Paladins into a force with a systematic set of Paladin skills for practical combat. This was precisely what the High Elf Paladins of the Dawnblade Legion needed.

Before departing, Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider entrusted Dalsom to his three aides for governance.

Though Magister Dath'Remar Sunstrider was Dalsom's founder and truly excelled in Arcane Magic, his talent for governance was not particularly outstanding.

Ranger-Lord Lor'themar Theron, however, displayed extraordinary ability. While assisting Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider with Dalsom's administrative affairs, the suggestions he offered were all exceptionally insightful.

Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider had his three aides each handle Dalsom's affairs, but only Ranger-Lord Lor'themar Theron managed everything with perfect order, doing even better than Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider himself.

After Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider asked him, Ranger-Lord Lor'themar Theron said that he had never studied anything related to governance. That left only one possibility: Ranger Lord Lothmar Theron possessed exceptional leadership talent by nature.

It was precisely for this reason that Little Prince Tyrel Sunstrider entrusted Ranger-Lord Lor'themar Theron with full authority over Dalsom after his departure.

This was also why Magister Dath'Remar Sunstrider became dissatisfied.