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Alastor quickly stood up and, in a firm tone, spoke.
"Everyone...ENOUGH!"
He released his aura and let it fill the spacious room. His Primarch aura—capable of either soothing psyches or igniting hope—began to calm everyone's agitated emotions.
Seeing that it worked, Alastor strode forward and positioned himself between the Gilneans and the rest of the gathered leaders before turning toward Genn Greymane.
To the King of Gilneas's surprise, Alastor placed his hand over his heart and gave a customary Azerothian salute, showing the appropriate respect and etiquette befitting Azerothian royalty.
"King Greymane, thank you for taking the initiative to make the journey and to explain the reason for your silence."
"I'll admit, the reason ended up being rather…....surprising. But nevertheless, before we let our emotions prevail, it is best that we hear the full context of this 'transformation' of yours before moving on with more cooler heads."
By the end, Alastor deliberately glanced at the other leaders behind him, who fidgeted or looked away briefly due to their earlier outburst before returning to their seats as Alastor nodded in satisfaction.
Wordlessly, Alastor gestured for some of the servants to bring in a few more chairs for the four new arrivals, who then changed back into their human forms—silently demonstrating that they were, in fact, in control of their transformation.
After returning to his own seat, Alastor gestured for them to continue. Though the others still gave the newcomers wary looks, they remained silent, as Alastor had made it clear he preferred diplomacy in this situation.
Surprisingly, it was Krennan Aranas—the Chief Alchemist of the Gilneas and the only one who had not transformed—who spoke.
"Lord Alastor, I am Krennan Aranas, Chief Alchemist of the Kingdom of Gilneas. First of all, let me thank you for the leniency and open-mindedness you are showing us despite the troubling circumstances."
Genn, Liam, and Darius nodded and inclined their heads toward Alastor, showing their agreement.
Alchemists were somewhat of an outlier. They employed methods both scientific and arcane to advance and practice their craft, and because of this, they were considered part of both a kingdom's Mage Guild and its Science Guild.
Almost every race on Azeroth had alchemists who specialized in different fields and professions.
For example, Dwarven alchemists and forgers were the most numerous and knowledgeable when it came to metalworking and the creation of special alloys.
Gnomes blended alchemy with their mastery of engineering and more "intricate" works, which complemented their natural curiosity and relentless pursuit of innovation.
…....Just when their inventions did not explode—along with their workshops.
Humans, as always, were a mixed bag. They dabbled in nearly every branch of alchemy like they did with many other fields, though their mastery often lagged behind that of other races.
Yet despite this, human masters—like in many other professions—were known to match and even astonish the masters of other races, especially with their novel theories and advancements in the field.
"Think nothing of it, Scholar Krennan."
Alastor smiled and waved off the thanks as Krennan began explaining what had transpired in Gilneas.
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For the last few months, Gilneas had been successfully holding back attacks from daemons, black mages, Beastkin, and—more recently—the Scourge at the Greymane Wall.
However, more than a month ago, the situation took a turn for the worse when a combined force of daemons, led by a Great Unclean One named Rotigus, alongside a large host of undead and Nefarian—the eldest son of Deathwing—assaulted the Wall.
This attack overwhelmed the outer defenses and forced the Gilneans to retreat back to the legendary and ancient structure, where Gilnean forces barely managed to hold them back.
This series of defeats was not only due to the sheer number of daemons and undead, but also due to Rotigus unleashing torrents of diseased, magical rain—along with his other corrupted abilities—and Nefarian's immense power as the eldest living son of the Black Dragon Aspect.
Suffice it to say, the Gilneans were growing desperate, especially since they knew that even if they called for aid, reinforcements would not arrive in time.
To make matters worse, due to Gilneas's isolationism, they had neither developed a sufficiently powerful Paladin order nor maintained a large supply of Light-blessed weaponry.
Their mistrust of mages—while not as extreme as that of Stromgarde—also meant they lacked a significant number of practitioners within their Mage Guild.
Circumstances such as these forced the kingdom's leadership, including King Genn, to confront just how vital such institutions were—not only for security, but for detecting, resisting, and countering dark and fel forces.
Unfortunately, this realization came too late. Their isolationist stance had also left them without strong ties to other kingdoms—none who would come to their aid of their own volition.
It was during this time that the Gilnean royal mage, Arugal, proposed a plan.
Arugal had always been a controversial figure. While he had been granted the rank of Archmage by the Kirin Tor, it was primarily due to his knowledge and research rather than his raw power or skill.
Had that been the extent of it, he might have simply been dismissed as eccentric—or irrelevant. But that was not the case.
The true source of controversy lay in his research, which delved into forbidden knowledge—specifically involving Beastkin and the domination of the mind, more precisely, free will itself.
Because of this, Arugal was, at best, disliked by many within the Mage Guilds of other kingdoms as well as in Dalaran. Others went further, calling for him to be placed under "observation" due to how closely his work skirted the Tenets of magic.
In the end, Arugal was forced to leave and return to his homeland of Gilneas. There, due to the kingdom's shortage of mages—and his status as a native—he was taken in by the Greymane family and eventually rose to become the Royal Mage.
Faced with the current crisis, Arugal—who had always sought to prove himself as a great mage and validate his research—saw this as his opportunity to achieve glory.
He claimed to have uncovered a legend of a powerful Night Elf hero from the ancient past who had sealed away feral, wolf-like beings known as the Worgen within the Emerald Dream.
Arugal's plan was to release them, bind them under his control, and unleash them upon the daemon–undead army.
Genn was desperate. Especially with the looming threat of the Greymane Wall falling—and the devastation that would follow in his land and on his people—forced his hand. In the end, he gave Arugal permission to proceed.
Arugal ultimately succeeded. His ritual tore open the barrier between realspace and the Emerald Dream allowing him to summon the Worgen and bind them under his control before unleashing them upon the enemy—and the results exceeded all expectations.
The Worgen displayed exceptional resistance to daemonic corruption, both mental and physical. Combined with their savagery, enhanced vitality, and immense physical strength, they tore through the enemy forces.
This granted the Gilneans not only a reprieve, but the opportunity to flank and dismantle the invading army, while their strongest warriors and military assets focused their full might on Rotigus and Nefarian.
Though neither was slain, both were ultimately forced to retreat.
It should have been a great victory—but things quickly took a turn for the worse when the Worgen, deprived of their enemies, turned their savagery and bloodlust upon their "allies."
The Worgen already possessed wolf-like ferocity, superhuman physical abilities, heightened senses, and powerful regeneration. When they attacked the unprepared Gilnean soldiers, they wreaked havoc.
Worse still, with every bite, cut, or drop of Worgen blood, the curse spread. The afflicted began transforming into Worgen themselves—only to turn on their former comrades.
Arugal was stunned by the sudden turn of events. He attempted to reassert control over the creatures, only to discover—to his growing horror—that their growing bloodlust and innate savagery prevented him from exerting the same control he once had.
Genn attempted to contain the Worgen through overwhelming force, but this only worsened the situation, as the number of infected grew at an alarming rate.
Then came the worst of it.
The remaining Gilnean forces failed to seal the gates of the Greymane Wall in time, allowing the Worgen to pour through and scatter across the kingdom.
With each passing day, Worgen attacks ravaged towns and cities throughout Gilneas. In their wake, they left countless newly infected victims, who soon joined in the slaughter.
The situation deteriorated so severely that even Genn, Liam, Darius, and many others fell victim to the Worgen curse.
Only their immense willpower—and the enhanced resilience granted by their royal and noble blood—allowed them to retain control as they fought against the feral instincts clawing at their minds.
Thank the Light, during this time Krennan succeeded in creating a potion—a "partial cure"—that allowed afflicted Gilneans to retain their sanity and maintain control over their feral nature.
The cure was swiftly distributed across major settlements with the highest concentrations of Worgen. In time, the majority of the afflicted received it, enabling them not only to regain control, but even to shift between human and Worgen forms at will.
But the damage had already been done.
Countless lives were lost, and a majority of Gilneas's population had become Worgen.
Arugal had fled early on, but he was eventually captured and executed by Crown Prince Liam, who, in a fit of rage, tore the disgraced Archmage apart in his Worgen form.
Genn, meanwhile, was consumed by immense guilt for the fate of his kingdom and his people, blaming himself as one of the primary causes of the catastrophe.
Darius, having come to terms with his new nature, stood by his king and friend. Together with Liam and Krennan, he urged Genn to travel to Dalaran and meet with Antonidas and the other leaders gathering there.
Knowing that they were not able to respond to Dalaran's own call for help due to settling their own crisis, they needed to explain their recent actions—and seek aid for their dire predicament.
If the curse could not be cured in the short term—or at all—then they at least needed to ensure the truth of what had happened in Gilneas was known, and, if possible, secure allies.
None of them were naïve.
The people of Azeroth had been fighting Beastkin for as long as history could remember—even before the time of Emperor Thoradin. It was safe to say that, aside from black mages and Orks, nearly every race harbored deep hatred for Beast-like mutants.
With the current war raging, that hatred had once again reached its peak. Beastkin were among the primary forces employed by the black mages, alongside daemons and the undead.
The fact that much of Gilneas's population now resembled a form of beastkin—even if they retained their sanity and could shift between forms—would be more than enough for many to condemn them as no different.
At worst, it could lead to a crusade against Gilneas once the war was over.
Whether they liked it or not, they needed not only to explain what had transpired—but also to secure allies, if they wished to see their kingdom survive.
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After the Gilnean delegation finished their account, the chamber fell silent.
Many of the gathered leaders stared at them wide-eyed, stunned by what had unfolded in Gilneas without the wider Alliance's knowledge.
Alastor felt a headache beginning to form as the explanation concluded, barely resisting the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose.
Worse still, he realized he would be the one expected to make a decision.
He could feel the allied leaders instinctively glancing toward him—a fact that did not go unnoticed by the Gilnean delegation, who also thought that Alastor was, for all intents and purposes, the "leader" of this coalition.
A realization that made Alastor's eyebrow twitch.
He certainly did not recall ever formally assuming the role of de facto leader of the southern Alliance armies.
Apparently, that detail no longer mattered.
Nearly everyone gathered in the chamber had already decided he was the one in charge.
Even Krasus, Tyrande, and Aegwynn.
Krasus was somewhat understandable.
His mission, given to him by Alexstrasza had been to meet Alastor and escort him safely north, and during that time, his respect for him had only grown.
Having witnessed Alastor's power, leadership, and command firsthand, The ancient red dragon now followed him willingly—not merely out of duty.
But Tyrande and Aegwynn?
They were also powerful and wise—one the leader of her people, the other the most powerful mage alive on Azeroth.
Yet even they remained silent, tacitly giving their approval for him to lead, content to act as advisors—and, when necessary, formidable combatants.
So when Alastor saw Rhonin giving him a double thumbs-up while the rest of the room looked to him for a decision, he couldn't help but wonder if some cosmic being was playing a joke on him!
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