Half a year ago, when Orgrim Doomhammer resurfaced and rallied the Orcs, Rend and Maim also chose to head north. Orgrim had thought they still held honor in their hearts, but now it seemed their goals were not aligned with his!
He never imagined they harbored warlocks and were sacrificing living beings to demons!
If there was one Orc who hated warlocks and demons the most, it would undoubtedly be Orgrim.
The Orcish race had fallen to this state entirely due to the schemes of demons.
Because of the demons' design, the Orcs, who originally hunted happily on Draenor, became a brutal, bloodthirsty, and dishonorable invading force.
After the failed invasion, they were enslaved, and coupled with the aftereffects of drinking demon blood, the Orcs in Azeroth lived in a daze, devoid of any Orcish dignity!
All of this!
Was the fault of the Burning Legion!
Demons were the culprits!
Regarding Rend Blackhand and Maim Blackhand, his two nephews in name, Orgrim was angry at their lack of ambition and saddened by their misfortune. Did they not understand that the Orcs, and even their father, Chieftain Blackhand, were victims of the demons' schemes?
However, Orgrim did not know that Rend and his so-called Blackrock Orcs had been driven from the upper levels of Blackrock Spire by the Dark Iron dwarves of Blackforge.
When Ragnaros's avatar was banished, the Dark Iron's puppet army fought a great battle with the black dragons. Later, the defeated puppet army was annihilated by the Ragefire Legion, and the military strength of Blackforge was reduced by more than half.
Shadowforge could only recruit Dark Iron dwarves to replenish the army. Since Durin Oakshield ascended the throne, he had been working to restore the Dark Iron dwarf population. Because the core that drove the puppet army was the Flame Core from the Fire Elemental Plane, and now the passage between the Molten Core and the Firelands had been resealed by Aegwynn, the puppet army could not be rebuilt.
Later, Rend led his Orc clan to occupy the upper and lower levels of Blackrock Spire. The Red Dragonqueen was also searching for traces of black dragons. This Orc force was left behind to mislead and prevent the red dragons from discovering the Blackwing Coven in the upper levels of Blackrock Spire, which was Nefarian's precious laboratory.
Later, until Galen returned, Nefarian was ordered to focus on the Kingdom of Alterac. The Blackwing Coven was resealed, and Durin received the order to drive out the Orcs, which led to Rend's Blackrock clan heading north. It could only be said that Orgrim was being presumptuous.
While the new Orcish Horde was splitting up, Galen had secretly gone to Stratholme!
During this time, he successively subdued the spider queen Shadra and the rhino Akali.
The rhino god Akali was a Loa worshipped by the Drakkari trolls living in Northrend.
The Drakkari were tall frost trolls who were banished to the frigid land of Northrend by their fellow Amani and Gurubashi tribes because of their extreme brutality. They had little interest in knowledge but were fond of hunting.
In the original timeline, during the frost trolls' confrontation with the Lich King, the brutal trolls did not choose sacrifice like other tribes but believed that killing animal gods could grant them power. The rhino god Akali was imprisoned in the Zul'Drak plaza, where its power was extracted until it died.
Galen was not sure how Wovon, the troll commander located in the Eversong Woods, had established contact with the rhino god Akali, located in Northrend, but this did not prevent Galen from obtaining the powerful rhino Loa.
The spider queen and the rhino god could only be considered secondary Loa in the Loa god system, with only a moderate number of followers. The true controllers of troll faith were the primary Loa gods of Zandalar.
They were respectively Rezan, the direhorn Loa, who guarded the Zandalari monarchs and was the highest-ranking King Loa, worshiped by the Zandalari royal family.
Bwonsamdi, a troll-shaped death god, whose titles included God of Death, Protector of the Dead, and God of Graves.
Pa'ku, the pterodactyl Loa, whose titles included Lord of the Skies, Forest and Wind, Wind Spirit, and God of Storms and Navigation.
Akunda, the thunder lizard Loa, whose titles were God of Storms, God of New Beginnings, and God of Storms and New Beginnings.
Gonk, the raptor Loa, who was the God of Shapeshifting, Master Hunter, Master of Transformation, King of the Hunt, and Stampeder of the Beasts.
Torcali, the direhorn Loa, whose titles included Walking Mountain and Wandering Fortress.
Krag'wa, the frog Loa, an animal god with shamanistic powers.
Shirvallah, the tiger Loa, known as the Tiger God, King of Beasts, and Bane of Prey.
These were the top combatants among the Loa, controlling a large amount of faith power, but they lived on Zandalar Island, which Galen could only dream about for now.
Originally, Galen had set his sights on the four Loa of Zul'Aman of the Amani tribe: the bear Loa, the dragonhawk Loa, the lynx Loa, and the eagle Loa. At this time, the Blackwatch sent an urgent message: Tirion Fordring was in trouble!
Galen could only put aside the matter of capturing the Loa and go save his old comrade first.
What was our brother Tirion Fordring up to?
This former war hero, suspected of treason, was already on his way to Stratholme to be interrogated...
Alas!
Galen sighed. What was bound to happen eventually happened.
The famous "Love and Family" event in the history of humanity in Azeroth.
According to intelligence from the Blackwatch, after the end of the Second War, Tirion returned to his homeland of Hearthglen, where he lived a happy and peaceful life with his wife and son.
Not long ago, news of the Orcish unrest spread, and some of the people in the territory were uneasy. Tirion led his followers on a tour of the territory.
As a result, by chance, Fordring discovered a reclusive Orc. They fought fiercely after disagreeing, but the aftermath of the battle collapsed the nearby tower. Unfortunately, Tirion was hit by fragments of the tower and lost consciousness.
When Tirion woke up again, he was already back in Hearthglen. He guessed that the Orc had rescued him from the ruins at the last moment. Therefore, after he recovered, he searched according to his memory and found the Orc named Eitrigg.
The two cherished each other and had a heartfelt conversation.
Eitrigg told Tirion about the noble past of the Orcs and that the Burning Legion's invasion had led them to invade Azeroth. Now, he had no choice but to leave his tribe.
Eitrigg's noble words and deeds overcame hatred and prejudice and won the resonance of the paladin who valued honor above all else. Tirion vowed never to reveal Eitrigg's whereabouts to the outside world.
Originally, if Tirion had traveled alone, the secret action would have been completed!
You had to bring followers.
It's okay if you bring followers, but why did you bring a follower whose parents died in the First War?
Tirion's follower informed Dathrohan, the Grand Knight of Stratholme, who immediately launched a search operation and captured the old Orc near the place where Tirion fought.
When Tirion saw Eitrigg being escorted back to the city and inhumanely beaten, he angrily attacked his subordinates.
Subsequently, the follower who informed accused Tirion of treason.
Galen's reason for going to Stratholme this time was to witness this piece of history. He wouldn't even interfere with the Stratholme court's trial of Tirion.
This was the necessary path for Tirion to grow into the future Highlord, although the process would be arduous.
As for Tirion's son, Galen would protect and nurture him.
Among the second generation of the Silver Hand, Taelan Fordring was a person of great potential. At least in Galen's eyes, he was much stronger than the Mograine brothers!
Perhaps only General Abidis's daughter could compare to Taelan.
Tirion sat in a small cell next to the Hall of Justice in Stratholme. He had been imprisoned for three days. Today, he would be tried for treason, for betraying the very land he had devoted his life to protecting.
If found guilty, he would be sentenced to death or life imprisonment.
However, Tirion did not regret his actions. He was upholding the justice in his heart. He had sworn to protect Eitrigg, and although he had failed due to someone's betrayal, he could not put all the blame on the orc.
Tirion felt he had to set an example for his son, to live by his own sense of justice and honor.
At that moment, the cell door opened, and two guards entered.
One of the guards said, "Get up, prisoner. We will escort you to the Hall of Justice for your trial."
Tirion stood up, straightened his back, and tried to appear as proud and confident as possible. "I am ready, gentlemen."
The other guard bound his hands and led him out of the cell, across the square, and towards the majestic Hall of Justice.
When Tirion sat in the large oak chair in the center of the courtroom, he felt nervous and didn't even dare to look around at the crowd.
Galen used magic to disguise himself, posing as a minor nobleman of Stratholme and sitting in the jury box.
Many of those around Galen were Tirion's former colleagues, their faces filled with reproach. Everyone was deeply shocked by the Highlord's betrayal.
Many had fought alongside him on the battlefield, and many were his former friends, but no one could understand the conviction in Tirion's heart. Their confusion and contempt crashed over Tirion at the stand like a tidal wave.
Tirion's heart was tormented; he just wanted the trial to end quickly.
A paladin in armor walked to the front and announced loudly, "Guardians of Lordaeron, today we will try a brother of our order. I now declare the trial of Lord Tirion Fordring to begin."
This was a trial method originating from the time of Emperor Thoradin, which the Alliance had inherited. Every important trial would be judged by four of the Alliance's most esteemed lords.
Tirion knew that some of them would be old acquaintances of equal standing.
The murmuring crowd in the Hall of Justice quieted down, watching as the first juror entered.
"First, please welcome Grand Admiral Daelin Proudmoore of Kul Tiras." As the paladin introduced him, the slender admiral walked onto the platform. Admiral Proudmoore sat in the rightmost seat, with a worried expression on his face.
Daelin, wearing a navy blue officer's uniform and a large ceremonial hat, noticed an unusually piercing gaze in the jury box. He looked up and saw a young nobleman smiling at him with a wicked grin.
Daelin was stunned. He had never seen this person before, but his smile was so cheap and familiar!
Damn it!
It was Galen!
Admiral Daelin recalled the smile Galen had when he sold him hundreds of aircraft back in the day!
Those aircraft were very useful, even strengthening Proudmoore's rule over the other great nobles!
However, it also emptied half of Kul Tiras's treasury, which made his heart ache for days!
After the celebration in Lordaeron, this kid had started to disappear again, even conscripting his precious daughter to fight orcs in the Hillsbrad region. He didn't expect him to come here too!
But with Galen here, Tirion wouldn't die at least. Daelin's worried mood vanished.
"Next, please welcome Archmage Antonidas of the Kirin Tor Council of Six." As the paladin introduced him, the second juror entered the hall.
People were in awe of mages, especially powerful ones. The crowd watched in silence as this mysterious mage with a huge staff walked onto the platform and took his seat.
Soon, the last two jurors entered: Archbishop Alonsus Faol, who had already retired behind the scenes, and Princess Calia Menethil of Lordaeron.
Originally, the princess of Lordaeron was supposed to be married off to Prestor, the new king of Alterac, by her father. However, our Golden Holy Dragon did not have the same alien aesthetics as a certain blue dragon, and did not like humans, so he directly refused.
Terenas thought that this new king of Alterac was trying to break free from his control, but later found that Prestor was actually implementing a laissez-faire rule over the Kingdom of Alterac, or rather, he had no desire to rule at all. Except for the capital of the Ruins of Alterac, other regions were allowed to be infiltrated by Lordaeron.
With the charm magic from the Black Dragon clan, Nefarian quickly calmed the marriage storm.
However, Calia was very sad because her father forced her to marry Prestor. After warning Arthas to marry for love in the future, she chose to convert to the Church of the Holy Light and became a disciple under the Archbishop.
Arthas mustered the courage to confess to Jaina, largely due to his sister's experiences and confessions.
When all four jurors had arrived, the presiding paladin asked everyone to stand up and welcome Judge Uther the Lightbringer!
Galen didn't expect the judge to be him. It seemed that Lordaeron attached great importance to Tirion's case, and directly transferred Uther, who was suppressing the rebellion, back.
He just didn't know if Arthas could withstand Grom Hellscream and his Warsong clan.
Uther scanned the crowd with his piercing eyes, the silver armor reflecting every light source in the spacious hall, making him look like a messenger of light.
Uther was Tirion's old superior, and they were on good terms in private. Uther's arrival made Tirion a little shaken. Should he really admit his mistakes and beg for the court's mercy?
Clatter!
"Silence!"
Uther sat in the judge's seat and began the trial directly: "Tirion Fordring, Lord Paladin, you are accused of committing treason against the Alliance, directly disobeying the orders of your superiors, and even attacking your colleagues!"
Uther looked at Tirion with reproach in his eyes, heartbroken that he could make such a mistake!
Tirion's face was full of struggle, obviously Uther's arrival had shaken his previous psychological construction.
Finally, Tirion clenched his fists and said with all his strength: "I confess, Your Honor, I am willing to bear the consequences for the crimes I have committed."
As soon as Tirion said this, the audience was in an uproar!
That was Tirion!
One of the first generation of paladins!
A veteran of the Knights of the Silver Hand!
The Grand Lord of Hearthglen in the kingdom!
The crowd around Galen was filled with indignation. They had always thought that these accusations were trumped up or exaggerated against Tirion, but they did not expect Tirion to admit it so openly.
Especially those colleagues who were close to Tirion and those guards from Hearthglen, their expressions were painful, and they looked at Tirion with pleading eyes, begging him to reconsider his answer to the judge.
Galen watched all this expressionlessly.
Galen didn't want to comment on whether Tirion's decision was right or wrong.
Everyone has different ideas, especially those of the first generation of paladins with firm beliefs. Galen still remembers when Tirion awakened the Holy Light, his pronoun was "Compassion"!
It's too troublesome, Galen sighed in his heart, it would be great if everyone was like me. The core of my Holy Light is judgment and adjudication. As long as I think it's wrong, I can draw my sword and go up and do it without saying a word, and the Holy Light especially supports me!
Uther let out an angry shout, and the power of the Holy Light made the noisy crowd feel like they were struck by lightning, and they immediately quieted down.
Uther glared at Tirion and said coldly: "Very good, record it truthfully, the Paladin Lord has pleaded guilty to his crimes!"
"Next, please call Grand Commander Dathrohan to testify!" Uther called on Dathrohan, "Do you accuse this person of committing treason? Now please explain to the court the incident and the process of the crimes committed by this person!"
Dathrohan nodded slightly sadly to Tirion, and then recounted how Tirion had prevented them from capturing the orcs and attacked the captured knights.
As Dathrohan stated the course of events, whispers rang out in the hall again, and the four jurors discussed Dathrohan's testimony.
Uther then spoke to the crowd again: "Is there anyone here who can prove that what Grand Commander Dathrohan said is true?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a knight from Hearthglen stood up with a whoosh. He was the attendant who accused Tirion.
"I can, Your Honor!" The young attendant looked at his lord with contempt in his eyes. "I was on the scene when the incident happened and obeyed the orders of Lord Dathrohan. I witnessed Tirion's betrayal with my own eyes."
Uther and Dathrohan looked displeased after hearing this. They did not like this disloyal and extremely rude paladin attendant from the bottom of their hearts.
However, the young paladin continued as if nothing had happened: "Just as Grand Commander Dathrohan said, I saw Tirion trying desperately to save the orc. He even said that he had an agreement with the beast that no one could overturn. You see, I knew he was plotting something wrong. Before we went to capture the orc, I sensed that this evil traitor was not trustworthy!"
"Silence!" Uther finally couldn't help it and immediately reprimanded the young attendant, "I have known Tirion for many years, and I have even saved his life more than once, and the number of times we have joined hands to break through enemy lines is countless. No matter what he has done, it is not up to a wet-behind-the-ears kid like you to point fingers. Young paladin, you must learn to control your emotions and words."
Uther was already blatantly biased, but no one in the court was dissatisfied. Most of the people here even hoped that Tirion could be acquitted.
Uther waved away the panicked attendant, and then asked Tirion to defend himself.
Tirion remembered many years ago when his seven-year-old son asked him: "Dad, are all orcs bad people?"
"Race does not determine honor. People should not make hasty judgments about beings different from themselves."
This was Fording's answer at the time. Now, this noble paladin will set an example for his son with his own words and deeds, in the name of a father.
He straightened his chest and recounted the entire incident.
"My lords, I know that this statement sounds extremely absurd, but that orc did save my life. In return, I promised as a paladin that I would protect him. That orc is named Eitrigg, and he is the most respectable opponent I have ever seen."
"Please, you must understand what I am saying. If I must choose to break my promise and betray my honor as a paladin in order to continue to follow the Silver Hand, then I would rather not do so, and I am willing to accept any punishment you deem appropriate."
Uther understood what Tirion meant, so he chose four jurors to communicate with, and it seemed that he was trying to win a lenient sentence for Tirion. In the end, the jurors made concessions, of course, the most important thing was to persuade the old stubborn Antonidas.
Uther returned to the center of the court and continued to preside: "Tirion Fordring, this court recognizes the great contributions you have made to guarding Lordaeron and the Allied Kingdoms over the years. Everyone present has witnessed your courage and bravery."
Uther took a deep look at Tirion: "However, even for the sake of so-called honor, colluding with the mortal enemy of mankind is also a heinous crime. In order to pardon that orc, you did not hesitate to take terrible risks for your own selfish thoughts, and disregarded the safety of Hearthglen. Considering your merits, if you are willing to abandon the oath you made to that beast and reaffirm your commitment to the Alliance, this court can acquit you."
This was already the greatest concession of the Human Alliance. The orcs had committed countless crimes and owed countless debts. The war had destroyed the homes of a large number of people, and countless humans had been killed or injured. Many people had more or less relatives who had died at the hands of the orcs, and hatred was already difficult to resolve.
Even Uther, Tirion, Daelin, and even the Archbishop wanted to favor Tirion, they had to take into account the hearts of the people of the Alliance!
As long as Tirion changed his mind, they would execute the orc, and everything could be regarded as if it had never happened. Tirion would still be a senior veteran of the Silver Hand and still the Grand Lord of Hearthglen!
"Please, Your Honor. Settle this matter according to what they say." Tirion's loyal retainer whispered to persuade him.
Dathrohan looked at this old buddy with anticipation.
"So, the orc will be executed, right?"
"That's right, we will sentence that beast to hang!"
This result seemed to be within Tirion's expectations, and he made a decision:
"I will continue to be loyal to the Alliance until death do us part. There is no need for you to doubt this at all."
"But I will not abandon the oath I made. To be untrustworthy is to betray myself and everything we all cherish as noble people."
As soon as this statement came out, the audience was in an uproar!
Uther saw that Tirion's answer was so firm, his efforts were in vain. Since he could no longer change his old subordinate's mind, he could only try to save his life.
"Since that's the case!"
Uther sighed in his heart and said in a gloomy tone, "Tirion Fordring, from this day on, you are no longer a member of the Knights of the Silver Hand. I will strip you of the Holy Light within you. You are not worthy to bathe in the Holy Light anymore."
The final verdict made the audience in the jury gasp. Depriving a paladin of the power of the Holy Light was a very harsh punishment for a paladin, and the more devout the believer, the more painful it was!
Such punishment had only been used on a few people who had committed heinous crimes, but the deprivation of the Holy Light still filled every paladin with utter fear.
Uther piously closed his eyes and prayed. After the prayer, he grabbed Tirion with his hand!
Tirion only felt the sacred power in his body gradually leaving him, and a sense of fear seemed to devour him.
The hall was still brightly lit, but Tirion felt as if he had fallen into the abyss of darkness and annihilation. The surging despair and helplessness made it difficult for him to bear, and Tirion lowered his head in despair.
"You will remove all the attire of the Knights, and your title and power will no longer belong to you."
"You will be banished from the kingdom's territory to spend the rest of your life in the wilderness. I can only wish that the Holy Light will have mercy on your soul."
"You will be escorted back to Mardenholde Keep in Hearthglen to reunite with your family, and then sent to the border of the Alliance territory."
"Finally, I declare the trial adjourned."
Uther slammed his fist heavily on the judgment table, looking at Tirion with disappointment, obviously dissatisfied with the result.
"Your Excellency, please allow me to ask one more question, my wife and children… will they also be exiled?" Tirion asked tremblingly.
"No, this is a crime you committed alone, and it has nothing to do with them. They should not be punished for your pride. They can continue to stay in Lordaeron!" Uther finished speaking and turned away, unwilling to stay in the courtroom any longer, and strode away.
Tirion was taken out of the courtroom by the guards. Next, he would be escorted back to Hearthglen by his retainers, and the audience also dispersed with their respective emotions.
Galen also walked out of the so-called Hall of Justice with the crowd.
As a result, at the gate, he was stopped by His Majesty Daelin Proudmoore, the tall and thin admiral.
"Your whereabouts can be ranked among the ten greatest mysteries of the Alliance, my nephew Galen!" Daelin put his arm around Galen's neck and patted his chest affectionately with his right fist.
"Hey, Uncle Daelin, how did you recognize me?" Galen tried to break free from Daelin's arm, but Daelin held him tightly, so Galen let him go.
"Your disguise is just a casual thing," Daelin tore off the beard stuck to the corner of Galen's mouth. "You didn't take it seriously, it's easy to recognize!"
"Haha!"
Galen rubbed the corner of his mouth. Indeed, he was lazy. Next time, he should go to Kael'thas to get a Deception Orb. At least the previous orb that bound Galen'Remar was quite useful. After Aegwynn's processing, even the demigod dragons did not see through Galen's disguise.
After all, who would think they have too few disguises!
When doing bad things, you always need a disguise to take the blame to feel at ease!
"Alas, it's a pity about Tirion."
Daelin's thoughts returned to the trial just now. As a king, and also practicing the power of the tides, the power of the Holy Light, and the way of the warrior, he knew too well how painful it was for Tirion to be stripped of the Holy Light and his lord title, and then exiled.
"Everyone has to be responsible for their own choices, don't they?" Galen said disapprovingly, "As long as Tirion thinks his choice is correct, I will do my best to help him after he makes his choice as a friend."
"You are truly a chivalrous Duke Galen, haha!" Daelin patted Galen's chest again with his palm.
Bang bang bang!
This is the so-called patting the chest loudly, but what does it mean that Daelin is patting someone else's chest…
"What are you…"
Daelin rubbed his palm painfully. There was something wrong with Galen's physical strength. He felt like he was patting on granite just now. "What is your strength now?"
"Hehe!"
Galen raised the corner of his mouth and smiled evilly again.
Daelin immediately prepared himself mentally, because every time Galen smiled like this, something bad was bound to happen.
"I just practiced casually, and as a result, I accidentally broke through."
Galen paused indifferently.
Daelin did not relax, this kid had too many tricks, there must be more to say.
"Didn't I just become a demigod!"
I… damn it!
I knew it, I knew it!
This mixed kid Galen hasn't changed, such a bad personality, even elders have to be teased!
However, Daelin's advance psychological construction was still useful. Although there were turbulent waves in his heart, his face was as stable as an old dog!
"Well, not bad, not bad, Galen, you have made humans proud."
It was Galen's turn to look stagnant.
Huh?
That's not right, why didn't Uncle Daelin show the amazing expression of my old father?
It must be because I didn't turn on the Hulk transformation skill, lacking visual impact!
Yes, that must be the case.
Galen looked around. The Hall of Justice in Stratholme was located on the city's bustling street. Stratholme was the second largest city in Lordaeron, with people coming and going around. Galen's shame made it impossible for him to expose himself in public wearing only a pair of cropped pants.
So he gave up the idea of a prank.
Daelin also realized that this was not the place to chat, so he pulled Galen towards the embassy mansion prepared for him in Stratholme.
At Daelin's mansion, after dismissing the guards, Daelin took a deep look at Galen.
"The younger generation is to be feared, compared with you, Arthas is like a firefly under the sun."
It seems that Daelin is also somewhat dissatisfied with Terenas, and he is dissatisfied with the grand promotion and celebration held last year after his son stepped into the legend.
Terenas's son became a legend at the age of nineteen, while Daelin's eldest son, Derek, although also a legend, broke through when he was nearly thirty years old.
In fact, this talent is already very good. After all, in human society with tens of millions of people, the number of people who break through the legendary rank is pitifully small.
Comparable to one in hundreds of thousands of miles.
It's just that comparing people is infuriating.