Shadow Trails in Azeroth

Although Azeroth has changed so much in the past hundred years that Lord Black always feels that this is almost another fantasy world of swords and magic every time he comes back, there are always some things in this ever-changing world that transcend time. outside.

For example, what makes Black very gratified is that even if a hundred years have passed, damn Northrend is still the desolate and terrible appearance he remembers.

Of course, the Northern Sea Route of the trade route around Azeroth passes through very prosperous places.

The human empire has its own capitals and cities in several overseas territories here. Relying on the good natural environment and rich resources, the people here live a prosperous and very united life. People such as the bear people and the walrus people actively integrate into the changes in the world. Foreigners also built their own cities and settlements in the mountains.

However, Northrend's natural geographical location determines that there is still a vast area of ​​​​this continent located in the Arctic Circle of the planet. Those areas are difficult to fully develop due to the harsh environment all year round.

In addition, Northrend is also the headquarters of the Scourge.

Although in today's world environment, the existence of death knights has become an uncommon one among many professions. There are even some guys who actively seek out the undead and try to join them for various reasons, but for most To normal people, the undead are still an unwelcome friend.

The eternal bloody war that took place in the Kingdom of Shadow lasted for a hundred years. This was just the beginning of the conflict between the forces. For high-level professionals and historians, the inside story of the eternal bloody war is not undiscussable. Yes, but don't expect ordinary people to be able to tell the difference between the undead in the Shadow Realm and the undead in Azeroth.

Therefore, the saying that the dead people crawling out of the graves are all bad guys is spread in many areas. To these crazy words, Lich King Lothar will not take the time to respond at all.

The old man was still busy punching all kinds of enemies he didn't like in the abyss.

In fact, a hundred years later, the Scourge Legion in the Maw has become a line of defense to limit the war to the Kingdom of Death. People in the material world can live a stable life thanks to the hundreds of years of watchfulness of these sleepless ones.

Although Lord Black had agreed with the six realms on the scale of the war and the location of the battlefield, there were many madmen in the six realms who wanted to expand the eternal bloody war.

Not to mention others, the great demons of the Burning Legion alone are very eager to rekindle the war on the two battlefields of the Shadow Realm and the material world. Don't think about what these demons think, or what their crazy desires are. Purpose.

If you can figure out what's going on in their burning, mushy brains, it only means that you, brother, are certainly not ordinary people either.

In short, Northrend, as the base camp of the Scourge, is a place forgotten by civilization in current Azeroth. This forgetfulness is based on a civilization consensus.

All rulers respect these undead spirits who watch over the otherworld and give them a wide berth.

But today is something else.

A steel spaceship newly assembled by the Kul Tiras National Aircraft and Ship Research Institute was cutting through the cold fog of the frozen sea at dawn, and the rapid rotation of sixteen high-energy propellers was also setting off gusts of wind on the North Sea. Soldiers on the stern watchtower used lights as semaphores to communicate with a North Sea Fleet reconnaissance ship cruising in the sea below.

He was identifying himself to the ship, and the reconnaissance ship below was obviously in the shape of a warship but did not belong to the fleet of a formal political entity in Azeroth.

Their existence is a historical issue, and its context can even be traced back to the split of the Immortal Fleet, the great pirate faction, a hundred years ago.

That was a very complicated event that had a very important impact on the situation in Azeroth's Endless Sea.

The aftermath is still taking effect even today.

To put it simply, after the great pirate Black Shaw, who ended an era, left Azeroth, his huge fleet fell apart amidst everyone's expectations. Several major factions in the fleet competed with each other for the pirate legacy left by Black. There was a big fight, which also included some conspiracies and machinations involving the Cursed Fleet in the South China Sea and the Black Spirit Pirate Group in the Eastern Continent.

The great sea battle across the entire Endless Sea lasted for seventeen years, and millions of lives were involved.

In the end, the fox queen Eudora united with the North Sea pirate king Anne Bone, and secretly colluded with the Kul Tiras fleet, and the other pirate factions were defeated in a battle in the fateful waters of Khaz Modan.

The elven pirates were almost completely wiped out in that battle, with only the flagship Pride of the Moonshire and seven ships left to return to Suramar's home port.

The orc pirates' strength was greatly reduced and they were forced to withdraw from Azeroth and return to Draenor's big bath to recuperate.

The Troll Pirates, the Storm Duke, and the Cursed Pirate King Gaboa, who wanted to take advantage of the chaos to pick peaches, sank in the icy water together with their flagship Death.

Well, he just took his own life again.

But the old guy was happy again after his second death, returned to the undead state crazily, and frantically searched for the eternal secret treasure left by Blake in the shadow realm and the material stars.

It is said that last month someone saw the shabby Death and its crazy and happy captain plundering a group of unlucky Pandaren merchant ships in the waters of Pandaria.

After that battle, the rivals of the Immortal Fleet and the Cursed Pirates completely disappeared from history, and the golden age of piracy finally came to an end. In this era, there are still a large number of pirates operating in various fields, but it is difficult for them to do so. Recreate the peak of pirates in Black Shaw's era.

But probably no one except them would miss that era.

But the alliance between Eudora and Anne Bonn at least saved Blake's base in the North Sea, and that naval battle was the last naval battle commanded by the old Dai Lin. According to gossip, in the post-war ocean, Dai Lin Admiral Lin signed an agreement with these pirates on behalf of the Human Empire.

They can retain the right to rule the frozen sea until the last orthodox undead pirate dies on the sea.

This is a rather legendary agreement. Everyone knows that Beihai will one day return to the embrace of the Human Empire, but the tenacity of the North Sea pirates far exceeds everyone's expectations.

In order to protect the last territory left by Lord Blackshaw, the North Sea Pirate King Anne Bone transformed herself into a demilich.

It is said that two-thirds of the pirates in her North Sea Fleet are now undead.

In addition to them, the fox queen Eudora also used her terrifying wealth to establish high-level connections in the human empire.

Although Her Majesty Eudora died of old age in the Wharton Desert more than 20 years ago, the fox queen who took over still firmly safeguarded the interests of the North Sea Fleet.

These warships currently cruising on the frozen sea are the eyes and ears of this legendary fleet. It is not that no one has provoked them, but every provocation will receive a resolute and fierce response.

Anyone with a discerning eye knows that Narthalas Academy on Tol Barad Island is the biggest supporter behind this fleet. As long as the now-famous academy does not collapse, the legend of the North Sea Fleet will continue.

After my death, I have to find a way to bring the North Sea Fleet and the Frozen Sea under the rule of the empire.

On the deck of this steel spaceship flying across the frozen sea, His Majesty Varian Wrynn, wearing only a black robe, looked expressionlessly at the warship hidden in the cold mist below.

In the cold wind, His Majesty the Emperor exhaled a burst of white breath and said to His Majesty Miassas, who was wearing armor beside him:

It's not just humans who covet the wealth of this frozen sea. Quel'Thalas and the elven kingdoms have been trying to turn this place into their territory. The alien alliance in the North has become stronger and stronger over the past hundred years. The Vrykul headed by it The Human Kingdom has the potential to engulf Northrend, and the 'One-Eyed King' who single-handedly unified the Vrykul civilization is a ruthless character.

He, his vicious queen, and his sons are the beasts about to emerge and will be your greatest enemies for hundreds of years to come. If you can't suppress him now, sooner or later, the Human Empire will have another battle with the Vrykul in the North.

To avoid war, you must show tough enough Mia Sas! are you listening?

I'm listening, Your Majesty!

The angel princess responded immediately, but the old Varian shook his head. He sighed and said:

No, your mind is not here. Are you thinking about your father? Blake?

You are my father

Her Royal Highness the Princess with wings said this, which sounds very much like the prerequisite task of a father is kind and a son is filial, but in fact it is not.

Princess Miassas was just stating a fact.

She had married His Majesty Varian's only son Anduin Wrynn seventy years ago. The relationship between the two was very good, and it was not a political marriage.

For the sake of Miathas' future, Prince Anduin even voluntarily gave up his right to inherit the empire, only to take over the family title and become the Archduke of Storm in the empire.

The two have three grown-up children.

From a legal perspective, she did have to call Varian her father.

You're just being stupid.

Varian showed no mercy to his heir and daughter-in-law.

This emperor who spent his military life, this great human being who was about to go to Icecrown Glacier to fulfill his promise and succeed His Majesty Lothar as the second Lich King, reprimanded in a deep voice:

Even if you already know your father's difficulties, the inertia formed by years of wrong thinking still prevents you from facing him, and you are still complaining that he took your mother away by force.

But listen to me, kid.

This is the best ending for your mother. I know that from the bottom of your heart, you don't want your mother to leave you and this world.

At this point, Varian's serious expression disappeared, he shook his head, sighed and said:

This is also what I hope to see. I regard Jialiya as my eldest sister. I also hope that she can get rid of this dull politics and have a good old age. You should feel happy for your mother now.

She finally freed herself and embraced the happiness she longed for.

As for your father

As for Blake.

Well, I don't have much to say about him as a person, he's never been a likeable guy, but you can't deny him that.

Whether it is from the perspective of a daughter or an emperor, you should accept your father and admit your mistakes to him. In the final analysis, he did not see you to protect you.

Are those memories still bothering you?

There's still some leftover.

Facing the inquiry from His Majesty Varian, whom she respected very much, Miassas did not hide anything. She reached out and took off her golden lightning helmet, and shook her flowing blond hair.

With the white wings swaying behind her, she said hoarsely:

Those memories belonging to Gristia still appear in front of me occasionally, but compared to that empty and boring past, my life as a human being in the past hundred years is obviously much more fulfilling.

So, if you insist on an answer, I'll tell you.

Back then, the Eternal One chose to enter the material world through the cycle of life and death in order to find relief, but now she has gotten what she wanted.

I am Myathas Menethil Proudmoore!

I am the daughter of Calia Menethil, the heir to the Empire of Man and will be its Queen when the sun rises tomorrow morning.

I am who i am!

Very good, I'm very satisfied with this answer.

Varian looked back at his heir with admiration and said:

Don't forget to add that next time you introduce yourself. You are the eldest daughter of Black Shaw. You are the sole heir of Derek Proudmoore and Calia Menethil. You are the most important person in the Human Empire. A direct descendant of noble blood, just like Sir Anduin Lothar back then.

You are destined to push our civilization and empire to the pinnacle of its rise.

Well, also, before I am about to offload this heavy responsibility, I need to tell you here the biggest secret hidden in the position of Human Emperor.

This is a secret that only emperors can know.

I had a mentor who taught me the art of power and rule from the eve of my becoming Emperor, and now, she will be your mentor as well.

Is it Queen Azshara?

Princess Miassas raised her eyebrows, this action made her look heroic.

She whispered:

I occasionally learned this secret from a chat between my aunt and my mother. I'm sorry, Your Majesty, I didn't tell you. I already know His Majesty the Emperor's little secret.

No, you don't, child. You know nothing of the truth of this secret.

Varian showed a strange smile and took out a krait symbol of the Deep Sea Empire from his robe. He stroked the symbol with nostalgia and said softly:

Queen Azshara relied on her own efforts to shape the godhead thirty-three years ago, becoming the second god born in this world, and becoming the spokesperson of the arcane realm, one of the six forces, under the stars. She Now she is indeed active in the battlefield of the Eternal Blood War, fighting for the glory of the arcane realm, but a projection of her power has remained in the secret room of the throne room in Stormwind City.

After you go back, you can use this key to open the secret room.

But remember, Myathas, my daughter, the arcane deity means something different to others than she means to you, and she is more than just your mentor on the path to domination.

Still your elder.

The human emperor, who was already bald due to busy state affairs, showed a rather strange expression. He looked around and whispered to the next emperor in a low voice:

She was the last lover of your marvelous father, and as far as I know, the arrogant empress missed him very much after your father left.

I don't know if the two of them have renewed their relationship.

But maybe you have enough reasons to get closer to Queen Azshara. This is a good thing. You need to grasp this unique relationship, which can bring more benefits to your rule and empire.

I knew it!

Princess Miassas clasped the krait emblem in her hand with her fingers, and she complained:

Everything about that man is so vulgar! My mother is so good and perfect, why would she fall in love with such a terrible person?

Well, as far as I know, it was your mother who actively pursued Blake.

Varian pouted and said:

Don't worry about your elders' affairs, especially those related to Blake. It can easily ruin your outlook. Well, look, Icecrown Glacier is here.

My promise is about to be fulfilled, and His Majesty Lothar can finally rest.

The Winter Queen promised to send his tired soul into the cycle of life and death, so if possible, Miathas, you must try your best to find Sir Lothar's new life.

Giving him a happy life may not be so glorious and legendary, but I hope he will have no regrets in his second life.

This is the last thing I plead with you.

Well, no, there's one more thing.

His Majesty the Emperor was a little embarrassed to speak, but he still whispered:

I know that you and Anduin have your own way of getting along, and he seems to enjoy it, but he is the Lord of Storms after all, and it is too embarrassing for my son to attend diplomatic events with panda eyes.

If there is a conflict between you, it may be possible to resolve it in a more gentle manner; it is not a good idea to get into a fight in front of the children.

this

The next queen of the empire suddenly lowered her head with guilt.

After several seconds, she turned away and looked to the other side, complaining softly:

Your son, my husband, is good at everything, but he always steals cards when we play cards for entertainment. I don't know how he developed this problem, but he is a hundred years old and still refuses to change. Like a naughty kid.

I cough too, okay, Your Majesty, I will try to control my temper.

I promise!

Good, then I have nothing to worry about.

Varian took a step back, satisfied.

Looking at the Icecrown Glacier and those gloomy dark spiers that were so close in front of him, he let out a sigh of relief. In this low temperature that was so cold that it froze his soul, he said to Miassas:

Go, you don't have to accompany me here to finish the last journey, go to Kaodala, your father is there, he and his second mate have a hundred-year agreement that will be fulfilled tonight.

This may be the last time your father returns to this world for the next hundred years. Few people know what Black Shaw is doing after leaving this world, but I happen to be one of those who know.

I can tell you, my successor, that the work your father is doing is very sacred and noble. It is a cause that all humans in this world can respect.

You should see him off.

Don't let your life leave regrets, kid.

Believe me, your father loves you very much. No one in this world loves you as much as he does. You are his biggest concern when he travels across the world.

Go ahead.

Face your heart.