The open space was littered not only with over two thousand infantrymen, but also more than seven hundred fallen high-ranking knights. This battle marked Galen's most significant loss since his debut, a consequence of facing increasingly formidable enemies, from small troll bands to simultaneous combat on three fronts.
The deaths of the high-ranking knights particularly grieved Galen. With a training capacity of only twenty knights per month per barracks, he had spent over a year building up his knightly order, only to see so many perish against the wild boar riders!
"I need to rely less on solo head-on assaults," Galen reflected. "Combined arms tactics are essential."
Standing on the battlefield, Galen invoked Aragorn's ultimate move: Resurrection.
Golden light emanated from the Crusader Fortress for nearly a minute. When the spell subsided, most of the fallen two thousand seven hundred had risen, but nearly five hundred remained permanently deceased.
Galen's mastery of the Holy Light was inferior to Aragorn's, both in the number of those resurrected and in the inability to revive those dead for more than two hours.
Aragorn could have saved almost all of the two thousand seven hundred, even if their souls had been claimed by Hela, Bwonsamdi, or other death gods, or were already en route to the Shadowlands. His Holy Light could have pulled their souls back.
Galen sighed. Aragorn was confined to Honor Hold, and the centaur's relentless attacks had also inflicted casualties on the Stone Guard Legion. Galen was left with no option but to expend gold on Resurrection.
Galen assigned the newly resurrected soldiers to the Tidefury Legion garrisoning the Crusader Fortress, and redeployed personnel from the Tidefury Legion to replenish the depleted ranks of the other legions. Concealing the Resurrection spell necessitated this additional effort.
Varrokal deployed seven hundred newly trained high-ranking knights to replace the First Knightly Order's losses.
Having just completed these arrangements and taken a seat, Galen found a Shadow Agency intelligence summary on his desk.
"It's likely about the orcs' recent movements," Galen surmised, opening the report. His expression shifted as he read.
"Dark Portal Year 2, September 3rd: The Shattered Hand clan attacked the Tower of Zenith but were repelled by Gavinrad leading the Iron Horse Brotherhood. During the pursuit, they were ambushed. Lord Lothar's timely intervention allowed the Iron Horse Brotherhood to break through safely."
"Dark Portal Year 2, September 20th: The Bleeding Hollow clan breached Gran's Farm. Elro Ebonlocke fled with a large number of villagers!"
"Dark Portal Year 2, October 1st: The thick fog shrouding the Swamp of Sorrows suddenly dissipated, and a large number of orcish troops emerged."
"Dark Portal Year 2, October 5th: Elwynn Forest fell completely!"
"New Dark Portal Year 2, October 10th: Redridge Mountains fell completely!"
"New Dark Portal Year 2, October 20th: The Tower of Zenith was lost. The Stormwind army retreated to the shores of Stone Cairn Lake and established a new defensive line!"
The orcs had launched a full-scale offensive. Most of their forces had arrived, with only a small contingent remaining in Draenor. Stormwind was falling rapidly.
The Shadow Agency estimated that at least one hundred thousand orcs had poured out of the Swamp of Sorrows. Given the three-to-one human-orc combat ratio, Stormwind would require at least three hundred thousand troops to contend with them.
But Stormwind's population barely exceeded a million. Where would they find three hundred thousand able-bodied men?
Elwynn Forest was in peril.
This was the heart of Stormwind, the kingdom's core, with its numerous villages and large farms, home to over seven hundred thousand people. Losing the front line would force the populace to retreat into Stormwind City, relying on its walls for defense against the orcs.
But if Stormwind lost Elwynn Forest, where would their food supply come from?
Lothar's defeat was inevitable. The orcs were too powerful, and he lacked sufficient troops. A skilled cook cannot make a meal without rice. Stormwind's fall was imminent.
If King Llane wasn't foolish, his envoys for aid should already be en route north.
And the orcs occupying Redridge Mountains could advance north at any time. The Bronzebeard dwarves in Dun Morogh would be the first to be hit. The sparsely populated Northern Hinterlands might offer the Wildhammer clan a chance to escape.
"The defense of Thandol Span must be reinforced," Galen realized. He immediately contacted his father to send troops to garrison the Thandol Sea. "Amor and the Crimson Flame Legion must be recalled to the Arathi Highlands as soon as possible!"
While Galen pondered these matters, Gandalf returned with news from the Eastern Plaguelands. After suffering nearly twenty thousand casualties, the Broken Spear tribe had chosen to confront the Thunder Legion and the Crimson Flame Legion by the river, neither crossing to advance nor retreating.
"If they want confrontation, so be it," Galen decided. He planned to build a wall on the mountain pass leading to the Eastern Plaguelands, sealing off the passage, and establish a mortar emplacement on the beach west of the River of Thirst to bombard the east bank daily.
Mortars could also be positioned on the city walls, their range covering the plains beyond the river. A small garrison and a mortar squad would be sufficient to deter any advance by the wild boar men.
"This is a sound strategy!"
Aragorn, supported by Cairne Bloodhoof and a large tauren force, was secure. Galen's priorities were to cooperate with Hamuul in establishing a new southern defensive line and station a legion in the northern valley leading to Ashenvale, guarding against the harpies of the No Man's Land to the northwest.
A full fortress was unnecessary, given their Lawful Good neighbors to the north, one of Azeroth's oldest powers. A simple outpost would suffice.
As Gandalf prepared to lead farmers south to build the fortress, Galen noticed a blue highlight on the Heart of Origin's strategic map above him.
On the map, allies appeared as white, hostile enemies as red, friendly allies as blue, and neutral entities as yellow.
Galen's maxed-out reputation with the tauren made them appear as deep blue glowing dots. Even Magatha was light blue!
This new light blue dot indicated a friendly entity, with some goodwill towards Galen.
Galen deduced that this entity was powerful, having bypassed the arrow tower's detection to reach the Crusader Fortress's core. Despite the fortress's incomplete construction and defensive gaps, such an arrival indicated significant strength, at least in concealment.
"Which friend is visiting? Galen Trollbane invites you to join us for dinner!"
Galen stood tall, hands behind his back, chin slightly raised, and a faint smile on his face, projecting an air of mystery.
It was quite a performance. Gandalf instinctively reached for his staff, but Galen stopped him.
The light blue color suggested friendliness, and Galen trusted the Origin Heart's detection. "She hasn't provoked me, so she's unlikely to suddenly turn hostile!"
A small black raven landed on the town hall windowsill. A breeze stirred, and faint lights shimmered on the ground. The raven began to grow, transforming into a beautiful woman!
"Who is this?" Galen wondered. "Which human female mage possesses such power? Could she be a disguised blue dragon?
I barely escaped Chromie; am I now targeted by the blue dragonflight?
No, that's unlikely. I haven't used my wizard army extensively, so I shouldn't be exposed!
Perhaps a great druid? But they're usually night elves, not human-looking."
"Madam, I am Garrosh Trollbane!" Galen decided to engage her, regardless of her nature.
"So, you're a Trollbane. Has Stromgarde expanded its influence to Kalimdor?" the woman murmured, lost in thought. She then scrutinized Galen. "My name is Aegwynn, and I was once a mage of Dalaran!"
"Aegwynn!"
"You're Aegwynn? The former Guardian?"
Garrosh exclaimed, realizing he should have recognized her sooner. Only Medivh, from the Guardian lineage, could transform into a raven, a power derived from Atiesh, the Guardian's legendary staff.
The "chicken leg staff," as it was often called, resembled a raven perched atop a staff, though many jested that it looked like the end of a chicken leg.
Aegwynn could open portals to Karazhan and was said to attract ravens.
Guardians, including Medivh, often used raven form for travel, such as Medivh's journey to warn King Terenas of the impending Scourge.
"It seems you've heard of me, Trollbane. I am Medivh's mother," Aegwynn said, surprised. After all, she had relinquished her role as Guardian decades before Galen's birth.
"It's thanks to my teacher's guidance. This is my mentor, Gandalf!" Galen gestured towards Gandalf.
Aegwynn turned her gaze to Gandalf, scrutinizing him. "Hmm, not bad, his strength is comparable to Antonidas'."
Her tone in appraising someone so old felt strange. Aegwynn appeared to be in her twenties, while Gandalf had a long white beard and visible wrinkles.
But Galen knew the truth. Aegwynn used magic to maintain her youth. She was a legendary figure from over a thousand years ago, who had hunted demons with the dragonflights and was known as the most rebellious Guardian in the Tirisgarde's history. The Tirisgarde Council had long sought her replacement, but she chose to bear a child instead.
The Guardian's magical energy could be transferred, similar to passing on power. Upon aging, it would be passed to the next Guardian. Aegwynn's actions were akin to turning public ownership into family inheritance, infuriating the Tirisgarde Council.
Galen was surprised to find her near the Barrens, and even more so that she came to him.
"Is this about Medivh?" he wondered.
"I'll test her again!"
"I wonder what brings Madam Aegwynn here at night? Is there anything I can help you with?"
"I have been living in seclusion in Razorfen Downs for the past two years, until recently I discovered a large number of quilboar mobilizing, so I came to see what was happening. I didn't expect to witness a spectacular battle. Stromgarde truly deserves to be called a nation of warriors!"
"Seclusion?"
Galen recalled that a year before the Dark Portal's opening, she discovered her son Medivh massacring members of the Tirisgarde Council. When she tried to intervene, she was defeated by the possessed Medivh and fled to Kalimdor.
"She fled in disgrace, and is using 'seclusion' to save face!"
"Madam Aegwynn is too kind. By the way, madam, a green-skinned monster has appeared south of the Kingdom of Stormwind, and they have been fighting Stormwind for some time now. Are you aware of this?"
Medivh's father was Nielas Aran, the chief court mage of Stormwind. Medivh, in addition to being the Guardian, was also a high-ranking Stormwind noble. Despite being from Dalaran, Aegwynn had close ties to Stormwind. Galen deliberately mentioned the orc invasion to gauge her reaction.
A shadow crossed Aegwynn's youthful face.
"That is why I came to find you, Garrosh. You and your tauren allies possess great strength. The orcs are numerous and powerful. The Kingdom of Stormwind cannot withstand them! I hope you can aid the Kingdom of Stormwind!"
"So, it is about Medivh," Galen thought. "She still cares for him." In the original timeline, Aegwynn spent nearly twenty years gathering magical energy to resurrect Medivh, ultimately sacrificing her youth to do so. Galen's perception of her, once that of a selfish and arrogant person, was changing.
"But she must know Medivh is possessed, right? She was defeated by him, yet she remains in denial?"
"Madam, I have fought the orcs, as has the Holy Light Church of Lordaeron. We know they are physically strong and far superior to humans in combat!"
"What!"
Aegwynn, having been recuperating in Kalimdor, was unaware of the situation in the Eastern Kingdoms.
"We fought alongside Lord Lothar and killed nearly ten thousand orcs, but we also suffered heavy casualties. The Guardian Medivh was present and fell unconscious after casting a powerful spell!"
Aegwynn looked worried, realizing her child was still fighting, and at least had moments of clarity.
"What happened afterward? What is Medivh's current condition?"
"A few months ago, Medivh's health was reportedly poor. At a royal banquet, he seemed like a different person, radiating a violent aura that frightened the nobles!"
Aegwynn's expression changed drastically. "The situation has deteriorated to this point! I must act quickly!"