Chapter 1854: Chapter 1256: Arathi (I Mean Zongzi Tastes Bad When It’s Salty)
To be honest, life in Southshore Town has been difficult for quite some time. This didn’t start when Duanmu Huai and others arrived on this planet; in fact, Southshore Town was already struggling before that.
From the map, it’s clear that to reach Alliance territory from here, one needs to pass through Arathi Highlands, then cross Thandol Span into the Wetlands, and only then can you reach Dun Morogh or Theramore via Menethil Harbor.
However, the problem is that not long ago, Thandol Span was blown up by Dark Iron Dwarves, and Arathi Highlands was blockaded by Horde forces, essentially trapping Southshore Town in Hillsbrad Foothills.
Southshore Town had considered breaking through the Arathi Highlands blockade and repairing Thandol Span. But they were also attacked by the Forsaken, and the farms responsible for supplying food were destroyed. The iron-producing Azurelode Mine was captured by the Forsaken, and even the former mayor of Southshore Town was assassinated.
Originally, Mayor Mareb planned to request help from the Dwarf stronghold Dandarlor, located at the border of Hillsbrad Foothills and Arathi Highlands. However, when they sent someone to check, they found that Dandarlor had also been slaughtered by the Horde!
This left Southshore Town in complete disarray.
Although Southshore Town also has a dock, there are only a few fishing boats here. To make matters worse, while there is no Horde at sea, there are Naga! If you dare to sail out, they’ll sink your boat in minutes!
Southshore Town is surrounded by enemies on all sides. If it weren’t for the Tribunal purifying the Undercity earlier, scaring away the undead from Tarren Mill, Southshore Town might have already surrendered completely under the Forsaken’s salami-slicing tactic.
However, unfortunately, before Southshore Town could enjoy a few days of peace, another undead summoned a group of Skeleton Soldiers to attack.
Although the undead were repelled with Duanmu Huai’s help, Southshore Town paid a heavy price. Their Gryphon Master died in the battle, and the Gryphons under his care scattered and disappeared without a trace.
This world, although an underdeveloped magic civilization, already had many modern concepts. For instance, Gryphons were akin to single-person aircraft, allowing travel back and forth on fixed routes. Previously, Southshore Town maintained contact with Dun Morogh and Stormwind via Gryphons, allowing them to receive some material support.
Now, however, the last line of communication has been severed, and Southshore Town is completely isolated and helpless.
The arrival of Duanmu Huai and his companions sparked a glimmer of hope for Mayor Mareb. He specially wrote a letter and asked Duanmu Huai to take it to the Alliance stronghold to seek assistance from Stormwind.
Of course, this was not an easy task. As mentioned earlier, Arathi Highlands was now in the hands of the Horde, and Thandol Span was destroyed by Dark Iron Dwarves. Getting through these places without some skills to reach the Alliance territory wasn’t easy. Yet, it was clear at a glance that Duanmu Huai was formidable, and since they were the only group of adventurers passing through recently, Mayor Mareb had no other choices.
Although Mayor Mareb couldn’t offer much as a reward, Duanmu Huai was still more than willing to accept this mission. On one hand, as the Great Judge of the Tribunal, it was his duty to protect humans. On the other hand, Mareb’s backing was somewhat official. At least with the letter and Mareb’s introduction, it would be easier for Duanmu Huai to communicate with the Alliance people rather than directly fighting them.
So, after resting for a night in Southshore Town, everyone set off immediately, heading towards Arathi Highlands.
Duanmu Huai had initially planned to sample the local cuisine. However, after being cut off from supplies for so long, the inn had only fish and dried fish left... There was no choice but to grit his teeth and bear it for now.
As there were no threats, the journey to Arathi Highlands was somewhat monotonous. However, for the young women, it wasn’t boring at all since they were currently engaged in a lively discussion about a story.
A story about Stratholme.
This story was heard earlier in the morning at the inn during breakfast when they listened to a Bard recount it. This unfortunate Bard was trapped in Southshore Town with nowhere to go. Upon seeing Duanmu Huai and others, he shamelessly sought tips, and Duanmu Huai, wanting to learn more about this world, shared a bit of the reward given by Mayor Mareb with him.
The Bard gladly accepted the reward and proceeded to sing a tale of a fallen prince.
According to the Bard, a long time ago, Undercity wasn’t called Undercity; it was the capital of the human nation Lordaeron, which was the most powerful human force in the Alliance at that time. Back then, Prince Arthas of Lordaeron was a prince deeply trusted and loved by everyone.
So, what caused that land to become what it is now? At the heart of it was the fall of this prince. To discuss the fall of Prince Arthas, one must mention the key event: the Culling of Stratholme.
The incident itself wasn’t overly complex. An evil undead cult had spread a plague that killed people and turned them into undead creatures. When Prince Arthas led his army to trace the source to Stratholme, the plague had already broken out.