Human Origins and the Shadow of War

The Night Elves focused on development and production on the continent of Kalimdor, creating an atmosphere of peace and tranquility both inside and out. Divine Lord Sarodar continued to live his leisurely life, enjoying his days without a care.

Meanwhile, across the Endless Sea on the Eastern Kingdoms continent, a grand and epic drama was unfolding with the passage of time.

The initial cause of all this was related to the far northern continent of Northrend.

The Old Gods' flesh-and-blood curse was spreading and, like a plague, rapidly infecting the Titan-forged creations on Northrend.

A significant portion of the Vrykul were gradually corrupted by this curse. Their extremely hard, metallic bodies softened, eventually transforming into fragile flesh-and-blood forms that could bleed and feel pain.

Furthermore, they, who were once incredibly orderly, gradually developed psychological emotions called feelings. They became impulsive, reckless, prone to jealousy and greed, or even willing to sacrifice everything for so-called love. To the Titans, this was a manifestation of chaos and disorder.

The Vrykul suffered greatly from this. Their Vrykul kin no longer accepted them and banished them to remote regions of the continent like the Borean Tundra and Howling Fjord.

But the suffering was far from over. The Vrykul discovered with horror the anomalies appearing in their descendants.

Many children were incredibly frail, with their height and muscle mass far inferior to their elders.

The Vrykul made an incredibly cruel decision: they would abandon these substandard children, leaving them to fend for themselves in the vast snowfields.

However, because they now possessed the emotions of flesh-and-blood beings, the parents of these children could not bring themselves to do such a thing. Looking at their children, who would never become mighty Vrykul warriors, they felt no disgust, only a feeling called paternal and maternal love.

So, they took their children and left willingly, calmly accepting their fate of eternal banishment.

These Vrykul boarded the ships provided by their kin and sailed into the vast Endless Sea, heading towards the southeastern waters.

They were somewhat similar to the High Elves of the past. After enduring countless hardships and suffering, they finally succeeded in setting foot on the land of the Eastern Kingdoms.

Here, they established their new homeland. Primitive clan villages sprang up one after another, and they expanded towards the southern regions of the continent.

As time passed, the older generation of Vrykul had passed away, but their descendants continued to thrive.

Humans, that was their name.

Their average height was only around 1.78 meters, and they had to gain muscle through arduous training to acquire strength. Their facial features also gradually softened, losing the sharp intensity of the Vrykul.

The humans lived in a fragmented clan society until one clan rose to prominence.

In the Arathi Highlands, the Arathor clan produced a skilled and wise chieftain. Under his leadership, the Arathor clan established their own great city: Stromgarde.

Subsequently, they abandoned their clan society and became the first, and most glorious, kingdom.

Emperor Thoradin led his armies into conquest. The people were united, the soldiers were of one mind, and the Arathor Empire spread the glory of humanity abroad.

Their armies swept through all the human clans, large and small, and brought them under the rule of the Arathor Empire.

These chieftains also accepted Emperor Thoradin's wise rule, revering him as their supreme king.

For the first and last time, humanity entered an era of complete unification. All humans were no longer distinguished by clan or regime; they were all citizens of the glorious Arathor Empire.

Regarding the rise of the Arathor Empire on the continent, their neighbors in Quel'Thalas immediately received the news and completely sealed the gates of the Wall of Quel'Thalas, strictly guarding against human invasion.

The High Elves had no interest in paying attention to this nascent young race and disdained any communication or contact with them.

Emperor Thoradin once led his troops in an attempt to attack these long-eared elves, but the human forces, unaware of the enemy's true capabilities, suffered a devastating defeat.

Magic...

This was the first time humans encountered this unknown power that so profoundly shocked them.

Siege engines turned to charcoal in the onslaught of Flame Storm, and soldiers became ice sculptures under the assault of Blizzard. The military doctors, who used ordinary physical means for treatment, had no countermeasures.

Thus, after their initial encounter, the two sides returned to peace. Emperor Thoradin attempted to establish friendly contact and exchange with the High Elves.

The High Elves finally deigned to look upon humanity, this young race, with proper regard. Although their armies had suffered a crushing defeat, their fearless and desperate offensive style left a deep impression on the High Elves.

After the humans retreated, the High Elves thoroughly repaired their Wall of Quel'Thalas, which had been battered to the brink of collapse.

So... they decided to establish contact.

The two sides officially began peaceful diplomacy, sending exchange ambassadors to each other.

The human empire began to import luxury goods from the High Elves in a stable and large-scale manner, including various enchanted trinkets, small items, and enchanted armor and swords.

In return, the High Elves imported raw mineral resources, various furs, and exotic wines from the human empire.

With each side getting what they needed, the relationship between them was relatively pleasant and harmonious. Emperor Thoradin gradually abandoned his ambition to conquer these outsiders.

His ambition for conquest faded, but another desire arose.

Magic, humanity must also master this power!

The High Elves did not agree to this; they refused to teach humans the power of magic.

This was not solely due to concerns about whether humans would become their enemies again after mastering magic.

Another significant reason was that humans had extremely poor affinity and perception towards magical energy, comprehension, and their bodies' ability to channel magic.

Therefore, teaching a single human mage would consume time, effort, and resources equivalent to training five or six elven mages.

To put it bluntly, who would have the patience to teach a foolish pig to communicate politely?

Thus, Emperor Thoradin's wish remained unfulfilled, and the bickering between the two sides on this matter never ceased.

But soon, an opportunity that could be called a turning point in destiny arrived.

Although the once glorious Troll Empire had disintegrated, the Troll tribes scattered throughout the world after the Great Sundering still possessed considerable strength and posed a threat.

If there was any race the Trolls hated the most, it would naturally be the elves. This was a deep-seated hatred stemming from the destruction of their nation and extermination of their people.

Thus, the High Elves began to worry, because deep within the Eversong Woods in Quel'Thalas, a Troll clan was sharpening their blades, preparing to engage in a life-or-death battle with their mortal enemies.

The Amani clan, residing in their forest city of Zul'Aman, had finally recovered after a long period of dormancy, just like the High Elves, and were immediately preparing to launch a decisive war.

The Troll Wars were on the verge of breaking out.

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