Life Is Full of Hardships
The struggle for power and profit is inherent in intelligent beings. Quel'Thalas's rule was originally a contradictory dual monarchical system, and the the Scourge invasion destroyed the original ruling system, creating numerous power vacuums. ✊😺 🐨☺
The nominal leader of Quel'Thalas is now Kael'thas, a prince of the Sunstrider, but he is currently in Outland, and affairs within Quel'Thalas are being managed by Lor'themar and Rommath, whom he has appointed.
Lor'themar is Sylvanas's lieutenant and has a close relationship with Liadrin, the adopted daughter of Silvermoon Chancellor Vondelor. Rommath, on the other hand, is Kael'thas's loyal servant. Their cooperation can somewhat bridge the power vacuum and contradictions, at least until the Forsaken appear.
The emergence of the Forsaken propelled Sylvanas Windrunner, originally just a ranger-general, to the position of racial leader. Now a lord, Sylvanas was determined not to allow her brother Lirath to be overshadowed by Lor'themar and Rommath, who were like mere gigolos.
It's not just a matter of pride; there's another layer of interest at play. If Lirath becomes the leader of the remnants of Quel'Thalas, Sylvanas will be better able to control the surviving members of her people through her brother, and the siblings can join forces to avenge the the Scourge.
"Tsk tsk!" Zul'ra thought about the power struggles within Quel'Thalas and couldn't help but shake his head with a click of his tongue. The Sin'dorei had also suffered a lot. They were already like this now, and it would probably be even harder for them after Kael'thas joined the Legion.
Leaving aside Zul'ra's musings, after Lirath returned, Quel'Thalas quickly dispatched a delegation to handle negotiations. Zul'ra discovered something unexpected in this delegation.
The team was led by Archmage Rommath and Ranger Halduron, and the pupils of most of the Sin'dorei, including these two, had changed from blue to green.
The Sin'dorei, with their green eyes, negotiated with a completely different mindset. They offered Zul'ra the lands south of the Elrendar River, including Deatholme, in exchange for Amani military aid to retake Silvermoon City, but in return, they requested to retain their current residence in the Ghostlands.
Deatholme is still in the hands of the Scourge, so the Sin'dorei's move is essentially getting something for nothing. In the past, Zul'ra would definitely have disagreed and would have wanted to test the Sin'dorei's limits to extract more value, but the situation is different now.
After the Sin'dorei presented their conditions, Zul'ra agreed without hesitation, only adding one condition: that the Sin'dorei provide him with a port on Isle of Quel'Danas free of charge, because the Amani would soon be heading north to Northrend to deal with the the Scourge and needed a transit port.
Faced with Zul'ra's straightforward agreement, the Quel'Thalas negotiating team felt extremely frustrated. They were prepared to spend a lot of time and effort and pay a price, but they did not expect Zul'ra to agree so readily, and with only one additional condition, leaving all their accumulated efforts in vain.
The negotiating team carefully considered the additional condition proposed by Zul'ra. Isle of Quel'Danas no longer had Sunwell; it was still occupied by the Undead. Moreover, Amani wanted to borrow a port for transit in order to fight the the Scourge on the Northrend. Such a noble cause was an irrefutable reason.
After discussing for a while, the negotiating team agreed to Zul'ra's request, but they were also eager to add another condition. However, Zul'ra did not allow them to refuse without stating their condition, as he was not one to easily gain an advantage.
Having their demands flatly rejected, the negotiating team realized they might have been pushing their luck, so they changed their attitude and respectfully signed a treaty with Zul'ra. In exchange for Quel'Thalas relinquishing all land south of the Elrendar River except for its settlements, as well as the right to use a port on Isle of Quel'Danas, they agreed to Amani's military assistance in retaking Silvermoon City.
After the treaty was signed, Archmage Rommath immediately asked Zul'ra to make preparations and send people to participate in the formulation of the battle plan, because the battle to retake Silvermoon City would definitely take place within this year. In addition, Quel'Thalas also needed to order a batch of supplies and food from Amani.
When the topic turned to the battle plan and the need for supplies and food, Archmage Rommath's expression turned sour. He suddenly remembered that the contract he had signed with Amani seemed to have many loopholes, and wondered if he had been too eager for Amani's military aid.
"When will your war council be held, and who will be participating?" Zul'ra looked at Rommath, quite surprised. He was also surprised that the treaty had not been discussed in much detail. The mental state of this mage and the other Sin'dorei seemed somewhat similar to that of Velinde, but not as severe or obvious. He wondered if it was because their pupils had changed color!
"Besides our two sides, Sylvanas is also participating in the war council..." Rommath faced the towering Trolls, trying to concentrate, but his thoughts kept wandering away. He was surprised by his own state.
"The sooner the operational meeting is held, the better," Halduron said, stepping forward to interrupt his companion who had suddenly stopped speaking and seemed a little off.
"Give me a timeframe you can be sure of." Zul'ra shifted her gaze from Rommath to the short, thin, but considerably more robust than the Sin'dorei ranger, Halduron.
"The war should ideally end before the winter cold snap arrives, so the battle plan should ideally be finalized before October. Currently, we and Sylvanas are gathering the relevant intelligence, and we plan to convene around August," Halduron estimated.
"Okay, then in a month and a half, that is, in the middle of August, I will bring people to participate in the meeting. Where will it be held?" Zul'ra listened to Halduron's estimate and chose a time for herself.
"The Dawnstar Spire," Halduron named a place.
"Alright, is there anything else you'd like to add? If there are any questions about supplies, you can talk to my assistant." Zul'ra ended the conversation, gesturing to Duan Broken-Tooth was listening nearby.
"Thank you, King of the Amani." Rommath sincerely expressed his gratitude to Zul'ra, who had decisively settled the matter.
"You don't look very well, you need to rest more." Zul'ra nodded politely as she looked at Rommath, who had been silent until now but was now expressing his gratitude.
"Thank you for your concern, but I do need to rest." Rommath looked at the seemingly approachable Trolls and expressed his gratitude again. He didn't know what was wrong with him; perhaps he was indeed a little tired. Since the the Scourge began, no Sin'dorei had been able to get a good night's sleep!
Thank you to Evil Moon Comet and Marauder for the donations. Thank you for your support. That's all for tonight. I'm so tired, I need to go to bed early.