Shattrath City Northwest, Zangar Sea.
More than a decade ago, this was still an inland sea, surrounded by Nagrand, Frostfire Ridge, and Talador, until after the world of Draenor began to decline, the sea level of Zangar Sea began to drop, and the spore plants in the sea began to grow wildly.
Eventually, the current Zangar Marsh was formed, with a large number of spore mushrooms taking shape, becoming a luminous mushroom forest, which, although not rich and fertile, was a vibrant ecological area.
After the fall of Shattrath City, the Draenei leader, Prophet Velen, led the remaining members of his race to Zangar Marsh. The tall and dense mushroom forest allowed the Draenei to successfully escape the Orcish search and survive. They also built a small town called Telredor on top of the mushroom forest as a refuge.
Warden Maraad hurried through the mushrooms and quickly arrived at Velen's prayer room. The Prophet would pray to the Holy Light at this time every day, seeking the Holy Light to guide the Draenei out of their misfortune.
After anxiously waiting, the Prophet finally came out.
"Maraad , is there any situation?" Velen could see Maraad's unease at a glance.
"Prophet, there is indeed important information!" Maraad looked excited.
"What important information?" Velen, whose injuries had not yet healed, had lost his ability to foresee the future, and often had to rely on normal means to obtain information.
"News has come from the clan in Auchindoun that Lord K'ure has escaped!"
"What!"
It was indeed great news. Velen was tens of thousands of years old, and he was so shocked that the staff in his hand almost slipped!
"It's the Scarlet Crusade! A legion that also believes in the Holy Light. Their leader rescued Lord K'ure from the crashed ship, and also helped Archbishop Maraad clear the Shadow Council of Auchindoun, and is preparing to carry out the plan to convert Lord De'ore!"
"The Scarlet Crusade? Is it a new Holy Light Legion?" Velen heard of this Holy Light organization for the first time.
When Sargeras fell, the Titans of the Pantheon and the progenitors of the Naaru once cooperated to crusade against the newly formed Burning Legion. The Naaru formed the Holy Light Legion for the first time and launched a crusade, but both the Holy Light Legion and the Titan Legion failed.
"According to the information from the Auchenai priests, the world where this Scarlet Crusade is located defeated the invading Orcish Horde, and only tens of thousands of Orcs out of hundreds of thousands of Orcs escaped back to Draenor! !"
The news that the Orcs had suffered a crushing defeat and that the army had suffered heavy casualties eased the hatred in Maraad's heart!
Two consecutive heavy news stunned Velen a little. No wonder Maraad was so excited just now.
Moreover, the information came from Maraad, the leader of the Auchenai, whom Velen personally appointed as Archbishop, and whose loyalty was beyond doubt.
"Is there any more detailed information!" Velen eagerly wanted to know more.
"The Scarlet Crusade comes from the world connected by the Dark Portal!"
Maraad recalled the information brought by Auchenai priest Nimram not long ago.
"The Orcs destroyed a nation of a race called humans in the first wave of attacks. Their leader united the forces of other races and nations to form an alliance."
"It was the Alliance that defeated the Orcish Horde in the subsequent war. Blackhand died in battle, Gul'dan died in battle, and less than one in ten of the Orcs who escaped back to Draenor survived!"
"And the Scarlet Crusade is the most powerful member of the Alliance. Their Highlord is a powerful paladin. Gul'dan died in his hands. It is said that his skull contains evil power and has been sealed and collected by their leader!"
Velen listened with some concern: "Gul'dan is good at conspiracies and tricks. I am worried that his soul is still hidden in the skull and will induce and corrupt the holder!"
"Prophet, should we contact the Scarlet Crusade?"
"Only the Crusaders have entered Draenor?"
"According to intelligence, yes! According to the rangers' reports, the Dark Portal has been destroyed by unknown creatures. Besides the remnants of the Orcs, no other humanoid creatures have entered!"
"Then contacting the Crusaders is necessary!"
Velen quickly decided to make contact with the Crusaders. At the very least, the Crusaders had helped the priests of Auchindoun, which was a sign of goodwill. Velen's previous caution stemmed from the Draenei's current lack of self-preservation capabilities. He feared they would suffer even more harm, as their numbers were truly dwindling.
Under normal circumstances, if the Alliance were to enter Draenor in force, it would likely be a retaliatory invasion. However, with only a small army, it's probably a reconnaissance force. He could make contact first to probe the Crusaders' intentions.
They were able to save the Naaru, so the strength of the Crusader leader should not be underestimated. Moreover, for the Draenei, who also use the Light, the Crusaders have a natural affinity with them, making it easy to reach a cooperation.
"Maraad, lead an elite squad to find a way to infiltrate Auchindoun, contact Archbishop Malaadar, and at the same time, probe the Crusaders' intentions. It would be best to reach an alliance."
Velen finally made up his mind. The emergence of a Light faction might be a turning point in the destiny of the Draenei. Although he prayed to the Light and asked the Naaru for help, his injuries had not yet healed, and Draenor was too remote, preventing him from contacting other Naaru.
In the original timeline, Draenor was shattered by an explosion caused by Ner'zhul, which made Kil'jaeden realize the complete failure of the Orcs. Therefore, he sent Magtheridon to lead the Burning Legion to garrison the shattered Draenor and become the first King of Outland.
At the same time, Khadgar, one of the five heroes who stayed in Outland at the Dark Portal, discovered Magtheridon's new threat. So, he traveled the astral plane to find new allies. In the astral plane, he discovered the main force of the Naaru, the Sha'tar, and asked them for help. The leader of the Sha'tar, A'dal, then drove the Tempest Keep fleet to the shattered Outland.
The arrival of the Sha'tar would have to wait at least three or four years, and three or four years was too long, with too many variables. Prophet Velen urgently needed to change the status quo of the Draenei.
"Prophet, what about the defense of Telredor after I leave!" Malaad, as the Draenei's defense successor after Great Sage Akama and Nobundo disappeared, and also the strongest defense officer, personally arranged the defense of Telredor.
"Finding allies who can help the Draenei is the top priority. I will let Defense Officer Boros take over your defense duties. Go to Auchindoun with peace of mind. I saw your relatives waiting for you there in the future."
Relatives?
As a defense officer who believes in the Holy Light, the Naaru Hammer in his hand will severely punish anyone who dares to threaten his people. He vowed to protect the innocent, but when the Draenei were invaded by the Orcs in Draenor, Maraad failed to keep his oath. A catastrophe befell his people. Since then, the pain of the disaster has often lingered in his heart, and he has been silent in regret and self-blame for many years.
And his sister, Lylaan, is another pain in his heart. He failed to protect her and let her be taken away by the Orcs. Later, he learned that his sister Lylaan had given birth to a mixed-race baby girl, and he had always wanted to find his niece!
Maraad said nothing more, choosing to listen to the Prophet's decision and lead the team to Talador.
Ner'zhul had now left his lair in Shadowmoon Valley and arrived in Tanaan Jungle, sitting on the throne of Hellfire Citadel. He stared at this gloomy, nightmarish fortress, where the Orcs outside were repairing the walls destroyed by the black dragons.
Ner'zhul's eyes showed disgust. He didn't like this place.
Hellfire Citadel was a terrible, unsettling place in the eyes of this old Orc.
The chaotic architecture, the jagged edges, and the dark stones and twisted corridors, the passages coiled together like mad snakes.
Traditional Orcish villages mostly consist of small houses, huts, and short towers. If this fortress has anything in common with them, it is probably that it has distorted and deformed the traditional settlement form, just like the Orcs who have already been distorted and deformed.
In fact, Ner'zhul was a conservative Orcish shaman. He lived peacefully with the Draenei in Shadowmoon Valley for the first half of his life. The days were quiet and peaceful. He hoped to reach the end of his life in this way, and then transform himself into a member of the ancestral spirits and be with the spirit of his deceased wife.
It was only in the second half of his life that someone suddenly told him that the Draenei were trying to subvert the Orcs and exterminate them.
He didn't believe this, but the demons, posing as the soul of his beloved deceased wife, Rulkhan, warned him that the Draenei were plotting to exterminate the Orcs. In deception, Ner'zhul signed a blood pact with Kil'jaeden and launched a war to exterminate the Draenei.
The old Orc, who discovered part of the truth, was determined to resist his demon master. However, Gul'dan, his apprentice who followed him and coveted his power, secretly reported the shaman's betrayal to Kil'jaeden.
Gul'dan usurped Ner'zhul's position, and the old Orc was stripped of his power. Facing the powerful Kil'jaeden, he retreated and could only watch the Orcs gradually become bloodthirsty slaves eager for warlock magic.
Now Kilrogg had returned from the invaded world, telling him that the Horde army on the Dark Portal side was almost wiped out, Gul'dan had betrayed, Blackhand had fallen, and Orgrim was captured, and that this world was on the road to extinction again. This old chieftain of the Bleeding Hollow clan asked Ner'zhul to become the Horde's third warchief.
And Ner'zhul came to Hellfire Citadel not for the position of the third warchief, but because he felt a brief revival of the elements in the direction of Tanaan, so he came to find the truth.
But sometimes things don't go as he expected.
"Warchief, I have reunited the remaining clans, the Bleeding Blade Clan, the Laughing Skull Clan, the Bonechewer Clan, and the Shattered Hand Clan have unanimously recognized your leadership. We are united once again, making the Horde almost as powerful as the first invasion of Azeroth!"
The Horde's loyal Kilrogg traveled around and colluded with most of the clans.
However, Ner'zhul would not be blinded by power. He had long known that the Orcs were being targeted by a terrifying being because of their powerful combat power.
And what does it mean to be almost as powerful as the Horde that first invaded Azeroth?
In Ner'zhul's view, the re-united and re-established Horde is a joke!
What makes Ner'zhul feel despair now is that the Dark Portal on Draenor has been destroyed!
The initiative to open it again is on the other side!
Perhaps when the Dark Portal opens again, it won't be the Horde invading Azeroth, but the armies of Azeroth invading Draenor for revenge!
Kilrogg's bewitching words floated past his ears. He knew the current state of the Horde very well. Without the Blackrock clan, the strongest in overall strength, without the brave Warsong clan, without the Fireblade clan, the best at assassination, and without powerful spellcasters, what could they do with just a bunch of warriors with muscles for brains?
"Have you found out what caused the elemental resurgence some time ago?" Ner'zhul asked worriedly, thinking that the elemental resurgence might be an opportunity to restore the shamanistic way!
Without spellcasters, how can they win with just a bunch of thugs?
Whether it's invading other worlds or defending Draenor, restoring the shamanistic way of the orcs, increasing the number of spellcasters, and strengthening themselves can't be wrong!
"The fluctuations came from the territory of the Tiger-men, but we don't know how the Tiger-men shamans triggered the elemental resurgence!"
Kargath, who was stationed at Hellfire Citadel, even though he was caught off guard by the Black Dragon invasion, still knew everything that was happening around the fortress.
"Tiger-men? That group of inferior races?"
In Ner'zhul's view, besides the orcs, other races such as the Tiger-men and Arakkoa were all inferior races, useless except for serving as slaves for the Horde.
"Send out spies, I want to know their every move!"
"As you command, Warchief!"