The tipsy elves around him jeered, "You've really had too much. How could there be treasure in the Badlands? There's nothing but bare wasteland there."
That was how taverns were. Few people believed a drunk's words, dismissing them as drunken boasting, and the elves drinking nearby took advantage of their own tipsiness to tease him from time to time.
Judging by what that elf had said, the dwarves' Explorers' League had already begun excavating the ruins of Uldaman, but for some reason, they could not venture deeper to uncover the secrets of the Titan ruins.
[Perhaps you could explore the place. The Titans' secrets might help you.] Ellen's voice sounded in his mind.
"Judging by its history, Uldaman does indeed contain Titan treasures. It also holds an image of Norgannon the Lorekeeper, along with the Discs of Norgannon, made by his own hands." Patrick carefully thought back over his memories of the dungeon from his previous life.
[Norgannon is the master of the Arcane, knowledge, secrets, and mysteries. Aman'Thul, the father of the gods, appointed Norgannon to oversee the management and circulation of spells and magic throughout the universe. That naturally includes Arcane Magic originating in the Twisting Nether. Norgannon also possesses a great many intricately engraved Discs of Norgannon, which record vast amounts of information about the Arcane and the Titans.]
Ellen's words were very tempting. All of Azeroth had been created by the Titans, and their secrets naturally attracted countless people. Patrick was somewhat tempted. A trip to Uldaman was certainly worth considering.
"Quelrintis, come here for a moment." Patrick sent his voice to Quelrintis. Taking action was indeed better than merely being tempted. Perhaps he needed to question that elf in detail first.
"Chief Mage, what are your orders?" Quelrintis was quick on his feet and arrived immediately.
"Help me contact that elf in the tavern outside. I have some questions for him." Patrick sensed that the elf was already completely drunk and added another instruction to Quelrintis. "There's no need to go now. Wait until he sobers up tomorrow, then have him come to Sunfury Spire."
Mages belonged to the privileged class in Quel'Thalas, and the Chief Mage of a Mage Tower belonged to the ruling class among those privileged few. Ordinary elves would not refuse a master's summons, because it might mean that a master had taken an interest in them, allowing them to join the master's management staff and reach the pinnacle of their lives.
Uldaman was a city built by the Earthen, servants of the ancient Titans. Like Uldum and Ulduar, it was a city the Earthen had named after the ancient Titans. In ancient times, Azshara, queen of the Kaldorei, had been deceived by Sargeras and worshipped him as the supreme god of the entire universe. Azshara had built numerous portals in Zin-Azshari, the Kaldorei capital at the time, to welcome Sargeras's arrival.
After the portal above the Well of Eternity officially opened, vast numbers of demons began invading the planet Azeroth and destroying the magnificent civilization of the Kaldorei Empire. Meanwhile, Malfurion, his twin younger brother Illidan Stormrage, and the Priestess of the Moon, Tyrande Whisperwind, joined the resistance to fight the Burning Legion's demonic army.
Later, for certain reasons, the resistance and the demons fought a great battle beside the Well of Eternity, destabilizing its energy and triggering a massive explosion.
The explosion destroyed the portal above the Well of Eternity, causing the Burning Legion's first invasion to fail. At the same time, the explosion also destroyed the Well of Eternity, Azeroth's most important energy source. Deprived of a vast supply of energy, the Titan Facilities began developing problems.
The first effects were the loosening of the Old Gods' seals and the weakening of the Ley Line Defense System. As the seals on the Old Gods loosened, the first Old God to recover was N'Zoth. C'Thun and Yogg-Saron then awakened in succession and began spreading their whispers to corrupt the living beings of Azeroth, while accelerating the progress of the Curse of Flesh among the Titans' servants. The weakened Ley Line Defense System made it easier for the demons in the Twisting Nether, who coveted the beautiful planet of Azeroth, to enter it.
The destruction of the energy source, the whispers of the Old Gods,
and the corruption of the Curse of Flesh brought the Titans' equipment on Azeroth to a standstill. The Titan-forged who served as its keepers, such as the Earthen, could only fall into slumber to alleviate this crisis. Eight thousand years passed. The Earthen whom Loken had sealed within the Titan city of Uldaman for thousands of years became dwarves through the Curse of Flesh, and they began to awaken.
Though it was still unclear exactly what had awakened them, one day, the Earthen of Uldaman finally woke from their slumber. These Earthen discovered that their bodies had changed greatly while they slept. Their once stone-hard skin had become soft and smooth, and their ability to control earth and stone had weakened considerably. They had become more ordinary creatures.
The Earthen remaining inside Uldaman were further corrupted by the Old Gods and became Troggs resembling primitive beasts, weak, ugly, and unintelligent, roaming Uldaman entirely on instinct.
"Chief Mage, that elf has arrived and is waiting," came Quelrintis's voice.
"Bring him up."
"This is Lorne Songweaver, a veteran explorer who has spent many years adventuring outside the kingdom." Quelrintis introduced the elf beside him.
He wore red leather armor distinctive to the elves, edged with gold and decorated with golden patterns in the middle, very much in keeping with High Elf aesthetics. Two weapons hung at his waist. He had the usual short blond hair and bright eyes, though he looked a little nervous. This was probably his first visit to Sunfury Spire.
Quelrintis excused himself, leaving only Patrick and Lorne Songweaver.
"No need to be nervous. You can sit."
"..." The elf was still nervous and did not dare speak. Even his ears were trembling slightly.
"How about this? Start by introducing yourself." Patrick sat down in his own seat. Perhaps he was putting too much pressure on him.
"I'm Lorne Songweaver. I used to belong to the nobility of Silvermoon City. After my family declined, I left the kingdom to become an explorer abroad. I'm a rogue, and I've been adventuring in Loch Modan and the Badlands with a few friends." Lorne briefly described his recent circumstances.
Judging by his introduction, the Titan ruins he had mentioned were definitely Uldaman. It was just that he and his friends had not ventured deep inside-or rather, they were not strong enough and did not dare go deeper-so he had returned to Quel'Thalas to seek companions to explore Uldaman together and get to the bottom of it.
"I'm quite interested in those ruins you mentioned. Could you tell me about them in detail?"
...Dividing line...
This is the first cameo character, designed by "Deep Moon Clear Blue." I've already made arrangements for the other requests, but those characters will appear a little later.
Before you continue