The Titan Watcher Freya journeyed across the world after the Titans and Titan Watchers sealed away the Old Gods and Elemental Lords, seeking lands brimming with life energy. These regions offered the most conducive environments for the development of nascent flora and fauna. Eventually, she identified three such locations: Sholazar Basin, which became one of her Titan biological laboratories; Un'Goro Crater, now occupied by gorillas; and the Vale of Eternal Blossoms in Pandaria. In these lands saturated with arcane and natural energies, Freya sculpted vast natural valleys and dispersed an incredibly diverse array of primordial life. Consequently, the laboratories in Un'Goro Crater and Sholazar Basin shared similarities in both function and terrain.
Sholazar Basin was a realm of lush rainforests, and all Galen had witnessed along their path was dense vegetation, the cheerful melodies of birds, and the scurrying of lively small creatures. Alleria and Sylvanas had long since ceased their conversation with the Storm Watcher, having swiftly grasped the fundamentals of Titan wind runes.
"Everything here is so magical; it's hard to believe this is still part of Northrend," Alleria exclaimed from her perch on the black mammoth.
"Not only that, but I can also sense an abundance of life energy here," Galen added, closing his eyes in careful contemplation.
"This is Freya's laboratory; it's only natural for vitality to be strong," Emalon explained, glancing back as he led the group northeastward.
Galen nodded in agreement, his gaze sweeping across this secluded paradise, a basin rich in resources. He silently resolved to claim Sholazar Basin for himself.
"The Lifeblood Pillar is just ahead. My friend, Freya's avatar should be nearby. When the time comes, I can inquire about Loken's situation!" Emalon announced, pointing towards the colossal crystal pillar in the distance. "Yes, big guy, I won't deceive you. Freya will tell you the truth!"
Just then, a deafening roar echoed from the sky! Galen, with his keen eyesight, spotted a massive avalanche cascading down the northeastern mountains. A tremendous volume of snow slid from the foothills, creating a thunderous rumble. Once the avalanche subsided, a vast, steep slope was revealed. A massive amount of ice and snow had collapsed from Icecrown Glacier, extending all the way into Sholazar Basin, burying countless trees and animals in its wake.
"What happened!"
"It's an avalanche! How could an avalanche occur? This is not normal!"
Emalon and his brother, Himalon, exchanged worried glances and quickened their pace! They had only taken a few steps when another violent explosion rocked the basin! The towering crystal pillar Emalon had just indicated, the Lifeblood Pillar, erupted in a burst of energy, with a third of its structure breaking off and crashing heavily to the ground!
The most distinctive features of Sholazar Basin were the five towering crystal pillars that dominated the landscape: the Pillar of Light, the Pillar of Blood, the Pillar of the Heavens, the Pillar of Mosslight, and the Pillar of Sunburn. In ancient times, to facilitate Freya's creation of life forms and nurture all things within, the Titans had constructed these five pillars, which exuded the power of life and formed the defensive shield of Sholazar Basin.
"No! Who did this!" The two giants, witnessing the destruction of the Titan facilities, broke into a frantic run towards the Lifeblood Pillar.
Who was responsible? Besides the Lich King's Scourge, who else could it be! Originally, this defense system had prevented the Scourge's power from penetrating this land. Now that the Lifeblood Pillar had been destroyed, a fierce battle was likely imminent!
Galen then realized that the area on the map labeled Avalanche Foothills originated from this very event. He had initially found this area incongruous with the rest of the mountains. Now, considering the mountains in the northeast corner, which bordered Icecrown Glacier, the Scourge's abattoir where the Lich King created abominations, the connection became chillingly clear. Galen urged the black mammoth beneath him to accelerate.
Boom! Boom! Boom! The war elephant swiftly arrived before the shattered Lifeblood Pillar, and indeed, they saw numerous aberrant behemoths belonging to the Scourge!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Several arrows flew from behind Galen, swiftly felling the Scourge soldiers blocking their path!
"Galen, quickly head north to find Freya! We must defend this place! There is still a chance to repair the Lifeblood Pillar, provided the remaining portion is not destroyed!" Emalon bellowed, blocking the entrance of a cave from which a horde of undead was pouring, with many ghouls even leaping onto his massive form. Himalon stood as a bulwark against the aberrant behemoths on the periphery of the Pillar of Blood, preventing them from getting closer.
Heh! Damn Scourge! I was just contemplating claiming this entire basin for myself a moment ago, and now you want to compete for territory? Who is the Scourge commander this time? Didn't I make you suffer enough in Borean Tundra!
Galen contacted Aragorn through the Heart of Origin, and a blue rune array swiftly illuminated the air above his head! Boom! A spatial shockwave from the teleportation rippled outwards, and the empty space beside Galen filled with Holy Knights astride their warhorses.
"Temple Knights, charge! Purify the evil before you!!!" Galen roared, and more than two thousand Holy Knights around him blazed with holy light before surging forward! "Fight for the Holy Light!"
Incredulity flashed across Emalon's face. Although a third of the Lifeblood Pillar had collapsed, its defensive capabilities were not entirely neutralized. The life energy remained abundant, and the magical net energy was compressed. How had Galen's friend teleported in? However, when he saw the demigod Paladin leading the charge, he found his answer. It was Tyr's aura! It truly was Tyr! The rock watcher was both excited and slightly disgruntled. Galen's friend was being coy. If he had summoned Tyr earlier, why would they have rushed off to find Freya's avatar! He even secretly dug a tunnel to get here! However, he conceded that if they hadn't arrived, this place would likely have been overrun by the relentless undead!
After summoning Aragorn and the Temple Knights, Galen continued his northward dash. He recalled that Freya's avatar resided there, near a river called the River of Rain Sounds. Sure enough, as they reached the river, they found a towering female giant resisting the relentless onslaught of Scourge soldiers emerging from the ground and undead bats and gargoyles swarming from the sky! The female giant was Freya's avatar. She stood as tall as the Algalon brothers and was covered in verdant vegetation, yet her form appeared to be composed of flesh and blood rather than rock and metal! Freya's avatar continuously swung the long tree branch staff in her hand, channeling natural energy to animate the flowers and plants on the ground, compelling them to rise and combat the undead. In moments of crisis, she also summoned large cannons of green life energy, unleashing them to obliterate the bats and gargoyles circling overhead.