"Who is this?"
High elves are uniformly considered handsome and beautiful. Their lifespan, reaching several thousand years, allows them to maintain a youthful appearance throughout their middle age. Only in their final centuries do they show signs of aging, as seen in the current Sun King. He ascended the throne when humanity rose, and after more than three thousand years, he has begun to age.
Galen, who struggles with facial recognition, can only distinguish high elves by gender.
His recognition of Kael'thas relies not on his face, but on the three fire orbs behind him and his mage robes.
If Kael'thas were to exchange clothing with the mage who just spoke, Galen might mistake the other high elf for "Kael."
"This is the Grand Magister of the high elves, Rommath!"
Galen recognized the name. In his previous life, as a mage, he had acquired an orange cloth armor from the Burning Throne instance. Its passive ability, triggered by Blink, created a mist-like shield, earning it the nickname "Misty Robe."
A description on the gear read: "During the Third War, the Grand Magister of Quel'Thalas, Rommath, performed one last act as the city fell: he teleported Lady Liadrin to safety."
Galen had researched the original owner of this robe.
The high elf kingdom is jointly ruled by the Sun King and the Silvermoon Council, composed of prominent high elf families. The Sun King is the nominal head, while the council members wield significant influence. Salornar, Sunstrider, Sunfury, Flamewaker, and Dawnblade are familiar surnames among high elves, often used to name their legions.
Belovael Salornar, second only to the Sun King, was a legendary figure, a member of the Silvermoon Council, and the Royal Grand Magister. His disciple, Rommath, became the first mage of the later blood elves.
"And this is Salorean Sunstrider!"
As Kael'thas spoke, everyone's attention shifted to the high elf carrying a weapon on his back.
Unlike the muscular warriors of races like tauren and orcs, or even the well-built human warriors, high elves are naturally slender. Their warriors appear only slightly stronger, and without plate armor, it is difficult to identify them as melee combatants.
Galen had never heard of Salorean. The Sunstrider surname immediately indicated loyalty to the royal family. Galen's gaze went to the weapon on his back. The hilt looked familiar.
"Quel'Delar!"
The blade, forged by the ancient dragons, was one of the sister blades given to the elves by the Red Dragon Queen Alexstrasza. Galen recognized it from his extensive questing in Northrend, where the reforging process was still vivid in his memory.
Galen recalled that this high elf was Salorean: the Sun King's confidant, the keeper of Quel'Delar, the captain of the Sunstrider Royal Guard, and the strongest warrior in Quel'Thalas.
Kael'thas had brought the strongest warrior and Grand Magister of the high elves, indicating the Sun King's concern about the Burning Legion and Sargeras. Whether it was the Sun King's idea or Kael'thas's persuasion, Galen was pleased by their trust.
"Sinu a'manore!"
Galen greeted the two high elf powerhouses in their native tongue, then explained Belovael's earlier question.
"Paladin: a new profession jointly developed by Archbishop Faol of the Church of the Holy Light and the Bishop of the Arathi Highlands, Master Aragorn!"
"In essence, they are warriors of the Holy Light," Galen clarified.
"Priests can become paladins? Abandoning their staves for warhammers and longswords? I must inform my old friend Fondalore of this news and suggest a career change, haha!"
Fondalore was a high-ranking high elf priest, equivalent to Archbishop Alonsus Faol.
Despite Belovael's jest, Galen sensed his skepticism and stepped forward.
"Avenging Wrath! Guardian of Ancient Kings! Holy Light Hammer!"
Galen activated the paladin ultimate abilities he remembered from his previous life. The tower interior filled with golden light. Even Chromie and Aegwynn turned to watch.
Galen, bathed in golden light, manifested wings of Holy Light. Behind him stood a tall guardian of Holy Light, its wings folded, wielding a Holy Light greatsword. Before him, a massive Holy Light hammer crashed into the ground, emitting waves of Holy Light that healed minor wounds and infused everyone present with a warm current.
Everyone present, a gathering of experts, recognized that Galen's aura, amplified by Avenging Wrath, approached legendary rank. These were not mere visual effects but potent divine abilities!
Kael'thas was particularly pleased. As the heir to Quel'Thalas, he knew his kingdom lacked durable front-line fighters. While they had warriors, they were few. High elf racial traits favored spellcasters, and the Farstrider units, led by the Windrunner family, while possessing some melee capability, preferred ranged archery.
If Galen's claims were true, the paladin class could address this weakness.
Aegwynn also recognized the righteous and orderly power, the bane of shadow and fel energy, which would be invaluable in their upcoming mission.
"Impressive ability! This profession has a limitless future!" Rommath abandoned his jesting tone, offering sincere praise. He, with his vast experience, acknowledged the incredible creativity of this young race.
"Alright, everyone, we should proceed to Stormwind Keep. King Llane awaits us," Lothar urged.
The three high elves glanced at Lothar. They knew this powerful warrior was a descendant of Emperor Thoradin of the Arathor Empire, whose ancestor had forged a covenant with the Sun King. Though the human empire had fallen, the emperor's bloodline and the covenant endured.
"Chromie, Aegwynn, it's time to go!" Galen called to the pair in the corner.
"Chromie? Chromie! Where is she?"
Hearing the name Chromie, Rommath shuddered, looking around frantically, his earlier composure vanished.
"Oh! Rommath, my friend, you're here too!" Chromie skipped over, followed by the expressionless Aegwynn. The two seemed to have reached an understanding, appearing quite amicable.
"Chromie, why are you here? Shouldn't you be at the Caverns of Time...?"
Chromie jumped up and struck Rommath's knee, interrupting him.
"What are you talking about, my friend? I heard you needed help, so I came! Are you not happy to see me?"
Baelovar, looking miserable, reluctantly replied, "Welcome. I am very happy to see you!"
Galen was speechless. He had assumed Aegwynn had widespread friendships. Now, Chromie appeared, seemingly knowing all the top combatants of every race. He wondered at the animosity towards dragons.
Despite Chromie's minor antics, the group arrived at Stormwind Keep, heavily guarded for this meeting that would determine Azeroth's future.
King Llane was somber, saddened by Medivh's fate and worried about his kingdom. Stormwind had lost nearly half its territory. Though Elwynn Forest remained under control, the situation was dire.
"Llane, take heart! We are not defeated. There is still hope. When your father faced the gnoll siege, did he not prevail? We still hold Elwynn Forest and command five legions!"
Upon entering Stormwind Keep's hall, Lothar saw Llane's despair and was angered. As king, he could not yield. Unless he died, he, a member of the royal family, had to fight to the end.
Moreover, powerful individuals from various factions were present. If their leader lacked confidence, how could they inspire them to fight against Sargeras?
Lothar's words invigorated Llane, rekindling his fighting spirit.
"You are right! The people of Stormwind are resilient. Even if we fall, we will fight to the last!" Llane declared.
Galen, observing their exchange, wondered if they might suddenly embrace and proclaim their shared youth.
Suppressing the thought, Galen quickly interjected, "Uncle Llane, we are here to aid the Kingdom of Stormwind, and indeed all of Azeroth!"
"Yes, to thwart the Burning Legion's conspiracy, every race on Azeroth must stand united!" Kael'thas affirmed for the high elves. With their long lifespans, they were acutely aware of the Legion's terror. A successful Legion invasion would doom all races.
"The legions of Stromgarde stand ready. The orcish threat extends beyond Stormwind. They seek to conquer the entire continent. We must unite humans, dwarves, gnomes, and high elves against them!"
"The Thorium Brotherhood agrees, and the Mountain Guardians are ready to fight!" Durin declared.
"Quel'Thalas will not shirk its duty!" Kael'thas added, pledging support and intending to request reinforcements from his father later.
With three factions committed, Galen turned to the fourth: the sole "gnome" present.
Rommath and Aegwynn also looked at Chromie.
"What are you looking at me for? I command no legions!" Chromie lied.
"Then why are you here?"
Chromie was speechless.
Llane was heartened by this support. He had been overwhelmed by the news of Sargeras and the Burning Legion, especially the possession of Medivh.
"I vow to fight to the end, to protect my people and Azeroth!" Llane solemnly swore.
"Our most urgent task is to expel Sargeras's soul from Medivh and save him," Galen said. "Someone wielding world-destroying power and hostile to Azeroth is a grave threat. What if he descends upon Stormwind and rains down meteors?"
Lothar shuddered. If Galen was right, and Stormwind was destroyed, they would lose the will to resist.
"That is unlikely. The Demon King would consider such actions beneath his dignity. He prefers to use the orcs to weaken Azeroth's resistance, then open the portal for the Burning Legion to invade and destroy both the orcs and Azeroth," Rommath explained, drawing on ancient texts.
"Then let us act! We should strike Karazhan directly. With so many legendary-level warriors, we can overwhelm Sargeras, even if he can only wield Medivh's power. This is Sargeras we are talking about! Only Aegwynn has slain him before. Success would be a tale for the ages!" Chromie urged.
"Did you see something?" Aegwynn asked Chromie.
"Unspeakable, unspeakable," Chromie replied.
Chromie would not reveal her vision of Aegwynn leading the party to kill her own son. Such a dramatic event deserved to be witnessed by all.
Aegwynn, observing Chromie's cryptic smile, suspected their success.
The group discussed the details. Karazhan was Medivh's creation, but Aegwynn knew the path and offered to guide them.
With their team assembled, they prepared to enter the wizard's tower.