Meryl Winterwind, the Archmage of the human kingdoms, had led troops in pursuit of the remaining Troll clans in Hinterlands when he was surrounded and ambushed by a large number of Troll Witch Doctors. Struck by countless powerful voodoo spells, he ultimately succumbed to his grave wounds. The Arathor Empire held the grandest state funeral for Meryl Winterwind.
That was the official account.
The information Hu Feng received differed somewhat from that account.
After suffering grave injuries, Meryl knew the voodoo had seeped into his bones and that there was no time for treatment. After making all the necessary arrangements, he vanished alone into the forests of Hinterlands, his whereabouts unknown.
His coffin contained only a staff and a robe. It was essentially an empty tomb.
Hu Feng let out a heavy sigh, feeling somewhat helpless. Was this the immense inertia of history?
Meryl Winterwind should originally have died in battle during the Troll Wars, but due to the Titans' influence and intervention, he had survived safely.
But now, it seemed that had merely delayed things for a time. Meryl still died at the hands of the trolls, then used the magical power he possessed to transform himself into the first undead being to retain all his free will from life.
From then on, Meryl vanished from everyone's sight, living in seclusion in the northern part of Elwynn Forest in the southern Eastern Kingdoms—what would later become Duskwood—until a long time afterward...
As one of the strongest among humanity's first generation of mages, his contributions were immense and would forever be remembered by humanity.
The Kirin Tor Magic Council continued operating. Without Meryl's leadership, the Kirin Tor Magic Council formally lived up to its name and became a council-run system.
The Kirin Tor Council of Six consisted of six of