Kingdom of Lordaeron

Bidding farewell to Duke Jorach and Vanessa VanCleef, Prince Liam and Wilton departed Ravenholdt Manor, where they had lived for three years, and embarked on the next leg of their journey.

Although the little girl Vanessa rarely gave these two senior brothers a pleasant look, she felt a lingering reluctance as the time for parting drew near, hiding away with red-rimmed eyes and refusing to show her face. In the end, it was Prince Liam who found the sulking girl inside a large tree on the west side of the manor.

That tree had been dead for many years, its interior hollowed out by insects and ants, serving as a "secret base" the group had discovered by chance. By choosing such a place to hide, the girl clearly wanted to be found, even if her stubborn mouth refused to admit it.

After promising countless unequal treaties, Vanessa finally agreed not to pursue the issue of Prince Liam and Wilton leaving her behind to "go out and play." Prince Liam then presented the "gift" he had previously promised her.

Once again utilizing the ability of [Prince Liam], the little girl Vanessa was bathed in golden holy light as a phantom with a pair of pure white wings manifested behind her. Azeroth certainly did not have creatures like angels, but Prince Liam recognized the phantom's identity at a glance: a creature from the far north of Northrend known as a "Val'kyr."

The appearance of this phantom proved that Vanessa had gained the new power bestowed upon her by Prince Liam—[Darkfallen Eydis]!

[Name: Darkfallen Eydis (Vanessa VanCleef)]
[Status: Biological, Loyalty 25]
[Origin: Northrend]
[Type: Follower]
[Rarity: Orange]
[Stats: Attack (3), Health (4), Mana Crystal Cost (3)]
[Skill: When targeted by magic, can absorb a portion of the scattered magical elements to attack the enemy; damage dealt is related to individual strength and magic intensity.]

The earliest Val'kyr were holy light beings created by the watcher Odyn, consisting of ascended female Vrykul. The original Val'kyr were champions of the Light, created to serve Odyn, the Prime Designate of Azeroth, by leading the souls of those who died gloriously to the Halls of Valor.

[Darkfallen Eydis], however, was a Val'kyr belonging to the Scourge, serving as an agent of the Lich King in the spirit world. According to the descriptions of the wise Thalorien, they were terrifying existences composed of pure nightmares.

As the Darkfallen Eydis from the dungeon boss encounter "Twin Val'kyr," she possessed the ability to reflect magical energy back at opponents. This powerful means of both offense and defense could be called the bane of mages, making it perfectly suited for a Rogue, a profession that lacked defensive measures.

With this extra layer of protection for Vanessa, Prince Liam could leave with more peace of mind. After all, Vanessa was a bit different from his own sister and that girl Lorna; she had the misfortune of carrying the surname "VanCleef" and having a father who never let anyone rest easy...

Moreover, Prince Liam already anticipated that even if she managed to avoid the chaos in Stormwind City, given the girl's "straightforward" knack for causing trouble, the messes she would stir up in the future would only be more numerous than those of her father, never fewer.

Bidding farewell to everyone in the manor, Prince Liam and Wilton stepped out of the hidden cave of Ravenholdt Manor once more. Over the past three years, they had entered and exited this place more than once, and the manor had left them with a sense of home. Not knowing how long it would be before they returned, both felt a bit melancholy and did not converse much along the way.

Following the path Prince Liam had taken before, they headed north, passed through the first human kingdom "ravaged" by Prince Liam, crossed the high Alterac Mountains, and finally entered the territory belonging to the Kingdom of Lordaeron.

As the most powerful of the six existing kingdoms of Azeroth, the Kingdom of Lordaeron dominated the entire Eastern Kingdoms, occupying a vast expanse of northern territory, and it was currently in its prime.

However, Prince Liam knew that their good days would not last many more years, for they had a prince even better at squandering the family fortune than himself. He, at most, had run away from home, but that fellow Arthas was a classic example of someone who would sabotage his father, his master, and his country.

Before long, this great kingdom would become a ruin filled with the stench of death. Not only would most of its territory be shrouded in plague, but the once-flourishing capital would also be reduced to ruins after a great war, completely losing its former glory.

Prince Liam simply wanted to see what Lordaeron looked like before it became a ruin.

Following a narrow mountain path over the Alterac Mountains, it was not long before they reached Andorhal. As the granary supplying the entire Kingdom of Lordaeron, the Andorhal region possessed a vast number of farms and fields. Here lived the most diligent people, who, through year after year of toil, not only supplied the grain needed by the entire kingdom but also provided an important source of revenue for the Kingdom of Lordaeron.

Andorhal was not yet the plague-ridden land that would later ravage the entire north. As Prince Liam and Wilton traveled, they saw only hurried merchants and massive granaries lining the roads. The people were busy and fulfilled, appearing orderly; everything was so beautiful, unfolding before them like a pastoral painting.

Perhaps accustomed to such scenes, Wilton showed no reaction, whereas Prince Liam, the prince, looked around curiously, taking it all in to his heart's content.

There was no smoke blotting out the sun, no churning plague cauldrons, no skeletons or ghouls covering the ground, and no flora or fauna corrupted beyond recognition. Everything in the current Andorhal was so beautiful that it was impossible to reconcile with the version in Prince Liam's memory.

Even after the Scourge had been cleared and Andorhal had regained a glimmer of vitality, it had only recovered a fraction of its former population, incomparable to the scene before him now.

The trip to Andorhal left Prince Liam feeling very satisfied. Having seen the shattered Azeroth of decades later, he was even more eager to walk around, to see, and to imprint the entire world into his mind. Even if his own strength was not yet enough to stop this beauty from being destroyed by malice, he would try his best to maintain it as it was, and then make it better and better.

After resting for a night in Andorhal, Prince Liam and Wilton parted ways.

Wilton headed east to return to Darrowmere, while Prince Liam headed west toward Lordaeron City. The two agreed to rendezvous in Lordaeron in half a month, then find a ship to set sail together and see the world outside.

Of course, this was just Prince Liam's excuse; he had nothing he needed to "see." He had already cast the Assassin League and the damned dice to the back of his mind. What he needed now was the best ship in the world, a crew of capable sailors, or... perhaps a mage who could make the ship "fly"?