In the northern part of the Barrens, there's a valley where many kobolds live. The Shadow Division, an elite group, investigated and found that the kobolds and the Bristleback tribe are fighting because the kobolds keep polluting the water source that flows into the Angerclaw River.
Galen told everyone to look at the map. He pointed to a spot in the far north of the Barrens, showing that the valley was located there.
The map showed the Barrens as an oval shape, longer from north to south and shorter from east to west. The Bristleback quilboar controlled the northwest area. Galen recognized the valley the Shadow Division pointed out as the future location of Orgrimmar, the orc capital.
"During our investigation," a rogue said, "the quilboar and kobolds fought many times. Usually, the quilboar attacked the kobold camps!"
"What a rivalry.So many fights in just a few days?"
Galen asked the rogue, "Did you find out why they're fighting?"
"Well..." the rogue hesitated. "We found out that the kobolds were dumping garbage into the Angerclaw River, and also..."
"Poop!"
Everyone reacted strongly to this news.
"Oh, kobold poop!"
"Oh, gross!"
"Ugh!"
"Fadil, did you drink water in Galenport?"
"Ugh! Shut up, Varrokal. The water outside Galenport is seawater. The city gets its water from farm wells!"
Galen remained calm. He hadn't drunk the water, so he didn't care. He'd seen much worse before, like when the sewage pipes in his neighborhood burst. "Could you handle that?" he thought.
"Everyone, be quiet and let's continue listening to the report!"
"Besides the kobolds, the Bristleback tribe's biggest enemies are three small groups in the valley to their south. They often fight over water and land, but the three small groups are outnumbered and losing the conflict!"
"South?" That area was the starting area for new orc players, called the Valley of Trials Galen realized. "Maybe those quilboar are the descendants of the quilboar tribes that used to live there."
"In the southeast, there are several small islands. Nagas are appearing on the islands and attacking quilboar villages on the coast. Also, in the northeast, there's a mountainous area called Dustwind Valley. A tribe of dustwind harpies lives there, and they often come out to raid and capture male quilboar!"
"What about the quilboar in the Thorn Ridge?"
"The quilboar in the Thorn Ridge have been quiet since the legion stopped their attempt to invade the Razorfen tribe's territory. They haven't made any big moves recently!"
"However, many groups of quilboar scouts have been sent out from the Thorn Ridge, trying to get past the Gale Legion's defenses. The Shadow Division and the Gale Legion soldiers have dealt with all of them!"
"Report finished!"
The rogue turned and went back to his place behind Galen. His job was done.
"It seems the Gale Legion is doing well," Galen thought. Since Galen took in the Razorfen quilboar tribe, he had been deliberately blocking news from the north and south. "Fortunately, the Bristleback tribe doesn't have much contact with Razorfen Downs further south, and there isn't much interaction between them. According to the Razorfen shaman priest, the Bristleback tribe is fighting with the Death's Head tribe to the south, and the Death's Head tribe even sent help to the Razorfen to fight off the Bristleback invasion. This Bristleback tribe is really something, making enemies everywhere. They've almost offended all the major quilboar tribes."
"Alright, everyone has heard the report. For this operation, my plan is to first eliminate the quilboar villages around Thorn Ridge. This will weaken the Bristleback quilboar in Thorn Ridge and allow us to slowly take over their territory!"
Galen's plan was straightforward. The Bristleback in Thorn Ridge numbered over a hundred thousand. The quilboar society has very few regular soldiers. Their leader is the most powerful shaman priest. The next level of leaders are powerful warriors, who lead the adult quilboar. At the bottom are the old, weak, women, and children. They divide their people into villages, each led by the strongest warrior. In battles, the warriors lead the adult villagers.
Therefore, by quickly eliminating the quilboar villages scattered throughout Thorn Ridge, by the time their leaders react, they will have lost many fighters. This will shift the balance of power in Galen's favor.
"Prince Galen, since we're destroying the enemy's villages, I suggest our knights charge in and clear them out as fast as possible. Then, the infantry can come in to collect the loot and prisoners!" Varrokal said.
Dezco added, "If the cavalry is involved, count our Tauren Knights in!"
"The kodo beast armor is finished and ready to use," someone reported. The custom-made steel armor for the kodo beasts was completed in Trollbane Harbor, and Gandalf could pick it up when the time came.
"Haha, I've been looking forward to this!" Dezco exclaimed.
During the last battle in Bloodhoof Village, Dezco was envious of the fully armored knights. Tauren aren't good at forging, so it's hard for them to have both humans and their mounts fully armored like Galen's knights.
"Your Highness, while the knights are clearing out the quilboar villages, the rest of us can move north and build outposts to limit the quilboar's territory!" Omar suggested.
"I agree!"
Omar's idea matched Galen's. Sweetwater Oasis was just their first stop for water. Galen's plan was to have Varrokal clear the villages south of Thorn Ridge, and then build a military fortress at the location of the Crossroads. This would not only limit the Bristleback quilboar but also serve as a transportation hub in the Northern Barrens in the future. The fortress would be located between Thorn Ridge and Sweetwater Oasis, at the location of the Crossroads town in later years!
"Your Highness, we also need to watch out for the other forces in the Barrens!" Heinie added. "I suggest sending a legion north secretly, so we can surround the quilboar when the battle happens!"
"Good idea!" Galen praised Heinie.
Then, the seven people and one tauren discussed the plan in detail until the smell of meat filled the air. Everyone ate well and returned to the camp to rest, waiting for Galen's orders the next day.
Early the next morning, after the army finished training, Galen gave new orders.
Varrokal led the First Knight Order and Dezco's Kodo Beast Knight Order to advance east and west, clearing the quilboar villages on the south side of Thorn Ridge. They were to be silent and not let any quilboar escape to alert the Thorn Ridge leader.
Fral and Kimir led the Fourth and Fifth Legions to follow Varrokal and Dezco, respectively, to block any news from spreading. They would also clean up the battlefield and take the quilboar prisoners. Galen didn't plan to kill everyone, because slaughtering the old, weak, women, and children would be inhumane, even if they were quillboar. Besides, quillboar were good laborers. Once the Steelbristle tribe was defeated, Galen could distribute the prisoners to the Bristleback and Razorfen tribes.
Heini led the Second Legion, traveling secretly day and night to Ghost Walker Peak. They would lie in wait, guarding against the harpies from the northwest and preventing them from interfering in the war between humans and quillboar. They would also try to block the passages between the Northern Barrens and the Eastern Barrens. The Shadow Division would send a small team to assist Heni, ambushing quilboar scouts and messengers in those passages.
After Omar and Fadhil completed their plan with Varrokal, or if the quilboar discovered them, they would gather their troops and lead the First and Third Legions, along with the Tidefury and Stormwind Legions, northward. They would use overwhelming force to intimidate the quilboar and support Omar and the others. Then, they would set up camp at the Crossroads town, confronting the quilboar. If the quilboar attacked, they would engage them in open battle. If the quilboar hesitated, Omar would build a military fortress there. Galen had already named the fortress "Crusader Fortress."
(bro changed his mind wasn't it called Barrenhold?)
Galen himself would lead the Silver Legion to the passage between the Northern Barrens and Stonetalon Mountains, building a checkpoint fortress between the two locations in the valley.
Aragorn sent news that the latest paladin awakening ceremonies had finished. This time, priests from various places had come to Minas Tirith for further study. Originally, eight hundred priests and devout followers of the Holy Light from churches all over the Arathi Highlands were studying in Minas Tirith. Only forty-eight new paladins were created. Adding to the twenty-two who had awakened previously, Galen now had seventy paladins in the Arathi Highlands. Aragorn would lead this group of paladins to Eastwind Rest, pick up the special kodo beast armor, and then use a teleportation scroll to join Galen in Kalimdor and participate in the upcoming battle!
After the orders were given, the legions moved out under their commanders. Varrokal and Dezco advanced towards the northeast, aiming to reach the Bristleback Ravine area before nightfall to attack quilboar villages under the cover of darkness. Gandalf teleported early in the morning and took Omar, Fadhil, and Heni with him, heading to their assigned locations. Galen led the Silver Legion through Sweetwater Oasis, heading northwest towards the Stonetalon Mountains passage. He would complete the fortress deployment at the entrance of the Stonetalon Mountains, hand over the Silver Legion to Aragorn, and then return to Crusader Fortress to command the overall operation, officially beginning the Bristleback Ravine battle.
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On Azeroth, outside the Whispering Gulch, beyond the sight of an empty watchtower, two white figures flashed by.
Galen's lumberjacks had decreased a lot after the number of wisps increased. The ancient trees on the Whispering Gulch were spared. The tall trees in the Alterac Mountains hid two huge frost wolves, running quickly through the forest.
On the backs of the frost wolves were a man and a woman, both brown-skinned orcs. The male orc was tall and muscular, wearing a wolf-head headdress. He looked over two meters tall, with a huge battle axe on his back, and very strong muscles on his exposed thighs and arms. It was said that horses could run on his shoulders, and people could stand on his fists.
The female orc next to him was relatively slender, but still strong and fit. In the eyes of the orcs, she was considered very beautiful. She held a small orc infant in her arms. The small orc's skin was green, unlike his parents.
"My dear, are we really going to find Orgrim like this? Will he believe us?" The female orc's brow was furrowed with worry. They were heading to the orc main camp, full of Blackrock orcs and Shadow Council warlocks who were hostile to them!
"Don't worry, Draka. I've already told Orgrim we're coming. We'll meet on the outskirts of the Swamps of Sorrow. If we're careful, we won't alert Blackhand and Gul'dan!" The male orc, Durotan, replied.
Durotan was also worried about the future of the orcs. After being exiled, he led the Frostwolf clan north and saw the prosperity of the human kingdoms. Although he had never seen their armies, the human population was far greater than the orcs', and their potential for war was huge. However, Durotan's main concern was the situation within the orcish nation.
"Something's wrong with Gul'dan. I suspect he's connected to the destruction of our homeworld, Draenor!" Durotan revealed his biggest fear. The decline of shamanistic power and the rise of the warlock profession seemed too connected. Gul'dan's evil power felt ominous, which was why he and the Frostwolf clan refused to drink demon blood.
"But will Orgrim believe us? The idea of an orc destroying a world is hard to believe!" Draka said. She trusted her husband completely, and they had indeed been exiled by Gul'dan through deceitful means.
"Orgrim is one of the few wise orcs in the Blackrock clan. He has had doubts for a long time, but Gul'dan hasn't directly harmed the orcs' interests yet, and Orgrim is still looking for proof!"
"But why did we bring Go'el with us? He's so young!" Draka asked, looking at the small orc in her arms with love. This was her and Durotan's child.
"Go'el is the proof. In recent years, few orc newborns have been born, and Go'el was contaminated by the evil power the warlocks use! That's why I decided to go back and reveal the truth to Orgrim!" Durotan explained. "Damn it, the next generation has been polluted, turning into green-skinned orcs. This is unacceptable!" he thought.
"Durotan, I support you and will always be by your side!" Draka declared.
"Thank you, Draka!"
The couple continued their journey on the running frost wolves, in silence.
Unbeknownst to them, when they passed the watchtower, a small red dot appeared on the Heart of Origin's strategic map, indicating hostility and triggering an alarm. The Shadow Division soldiers left behind were already tracking them from a distance!