ebookland Chapter 284 The Duties of a Scout
Chapter 284 The Duties of a Scout
Before the human kingdoms reached their peak, humans were just an ordinary species among the countless creatures of Azeroth.
Compared to some races that have survived for millennia, humans have only learned to use tools and weapons, are adept at construction and communication, and are skilled at imitation. Soon, the ancient trolls were still practicing primitive worship, and the arrogant elves considered themselves the chosen ones of the sun and moon, favored by the gods.
Humans, however, quietly occupied the best lands and began cultivating crops and raising livestock. They learned metallurgy and manufacturing from the dwarves, magic and archery from the elves, and launched devastating attacks against the trolls. Relying on the fortified stronghold of Stromgarde, humans gradually encroached and expanded, eventually establishing the glorious Seven Kingdoms, which dominated the continent of Azeroth.
Azeroth originally referred to the land of the Eastern Kingdoms. The Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor separated and formed ten thousand years ago, and the trolls scattered to various places, each continuing their ancient and primitive civilizations.
The night elves were the first group of darkmoon trolls to live near the Well of Eternity. They gradually gained long lifespans and blessings from the well.
The faith in the moon goddess Elune has a long history, but the nobles among them were no longer content with relying on the power of the well. They mastered arcane magic and thus called themselves High Elves. Queen Azshara was the most powerful mage of ancient times...
It was also under the influence of the Burning Legion that she opened the portal for the first time, summoning the demon army.
Then the Well of Eternity exploded, the Starlight Realm crumbled, Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms were formed, and the world and the seas were divided into countless lost islands and continents...
To date, no one has been able to unify any continent, not even the Lich King, who, despite occupying a large portion of Northrend, still cannot control all the land.
In other words, no one can say that any piece of land has always belonged to them or has always been theirs... As long as there are outsiders who invade, if you do not fight hard and defend your homeland, you will eventually lose your territory, and then the entire tribe will slowly disappear into the long river of history.
The Frostwolf Clan hid in Alterac Valley. If it weren't for the conflict between the dwarves and the Frostwolf Clan, some members of the Alliance wouldn't have known that there was an orc tribe living in what was originally human territory in Azeroth for decades.
Humans are not adapted to survive in such a harsh environment as the ruins of Alterac.
The war destroyed humanity's home, and now, strictly speaking, only the Storm Kingdom remains of the seven human kingdoms.
Kul Tiras? Their lands are plagued with trouble, and their main force has been significantly depleted in the war. Those who remain have either joined the Scarlet Crusade or become Bloodsail Buccaneers...
Gilneas was completely infected with the werewolf curse, and it has become a werewolf kingdom.
Dalaran, a magical city built by mages, is now a floating castle, freely flying in the sky. It has long since stopped getting involved in human politics. They have declared neutrality, and like the thieves of Ravenholdt Manor, they will not participate in the disputes between the Alliance and the Horde, but simply move between them... to protect their own interests.
The city of Dalaran is no longer populated solely by human mages. Master Ansrem is doing his utmost to expel the alien races, but with little success so far. He himself has to resort to seeking outside help and engaging in conspiracies, indicating that the prevailing opinion among Dalaran's mages is to live a carefree life and maintain peace. They are not part of any human faction.
The remaining Alterac Valley and Stromgarde have now become bandit strongholds...
Marshal Garin's banner is certainly impressive, but the true main force of the so-called Arathor Alliance is engaged in fierce battles against the Defiler Legion in Arathi Basin and Undercity. Stromgarde is nothing more than a bunch of warlords...
The Last Lordaeron...
Let's not talk about it...
The most tragic human kingdom... most of its legacy went to Stormwind... the so-called Prince of Lordaeron became the Lich King, and is now the enemy of the entire world...
The Alliance refers to the humans of Stormwind, and the Horde refers to the orcs of Orgrimmar.
The remaining dwarves, gnomes, night elves, draenei... tauren, trolls, undead, blood elves... are allies of their respective factions... some are even far away, each waving their own flags and vying for supremacy in Azeroth...
Ordinary people caught in this vortex have no safety to speak of.
Each kingdom does not have complete control over its own land; they can only relatively control most of the resources in those places.
This is different from the world of Rolin that the teacher talked about. Azeroth is another extremely dangerous world. There is no safe place. Even in the lush forests or grasslands, the threat of monsters and bandits never ceases.
The scouts' duties include assessing the level of various potential threats around the base, determining their location and number, so that their general can make informed decisions. They are also responsible for responding to potential enemy attacks, demarcating safe zones, and conducting security patrols...
Since embarking on his adventure, Lorraine has suddenly realized that the peaceful and beautiful world was merely an illusion. In reality, it's a constant struggle for power and survival, and only the strong and united forces can endure...
The so-called peace and tranquility are because there are guards protecting you from potential dangers.
Because visionary leaders are planning and ensuring the continuation of the community's future...
As warriors of the tribe, we must be prepared to fight.
Weakness cannot survive; strength gives you choices.
Lorraine descended the mountain without any help. He tried to draw his own route, marking many landmarks he saw, including the location of caves, the course of rivers, and the types and numbers of wild animals.
By comparing the map marked with question marks, Lorraine roughly determined that the entrance to the Hinterlands was behind Durnholde Castle, and that Ravenholdt Manor, which the Syndicate had been searching for, was located on an inconspicuous hilltop nearby.
The location of Ravenholdt Manor was naturally told to Lorraine by her teacher.
You can't determine the location of the thief training base just by feeling and looking at a map.
The teacher said that Ravenholdt Manor was a thief's secret base. The roads leading to their base were almost invisible; one could only find a hidden cave by following the steep, winding mountain path, activating a mechanism that tested eyesight and hand speed, to pass the checkpoint and truly enter the secret manor hidden on the mountaintop.
Generally speaking, non-thief classes cannot enter Ravenholdt Manor unless you have an invitation.
So even though he had reached the foot of the mountain where the road might be and spotted a hidden marker, Lorraine gave up the idea of exploring the mysterious Ravenholdt Manor.
After all, the guards inside are all elite assassins. For mages, thieves and assassins are natural enemies. If you're not careful, you might not even finish casting a spell before you go to meet your angel sister.
The goal is to rescue people at Durnholde Castle and find a token of loyalty, not to wander around recklessly like we did in Dalaran's commercial district, where we almost got caught by the enemy. That would delay our important mission.
The second thing a reconnaissance soldier should pay attention to is having a clear objective. Don't hesitate, go straight to the target to avoid any accidents.
However, just after descending the mountain and crossing the river...
Lorraine was stopped by someone.
"Password! Wrong, kill without mercy..."
It was that familiar tone again. Looking up, Lorraine, who was about to wade across the river, noticed several undead sentinels standing on the bank. They held gleaming scimitars, familiar Undercity grey-black hoods, and wooden shields bearing the insignia of Queen Sylvanas in their other hands.
The equipment was standard, but not the typical style of a gravedigger.
Tarren Mill's guards are of a higher rank; they are a true combat force, considered the elite guards of Undercity. They are only slightly inferior to the Royal Dreadguards, and could easily kill Lorraine in his current state.
The three guards present each guarded a different direction along the riverbank, blocking him in the center. If they all rushed at him, Lorraine would surely die.
These guards were expressionless, their crimson eyes revealing them as utterly ruthless killing machines.
The difference between the tomb keeper and the royal terror guard.
Lorraine was aware of this.
This time, however, he was smarter. Before leaving, he specifically reviewed the IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) documents and memorized the passwords for the nearby Forsaken. Lorraine roared, "Our time will come..."
The three Tarren Mill undead swordsmen nodded to each other, and the three guards stood at attention, chests puffed out: "We are the Forsaken."
......
The three guards then saluted Lorraine, for he had by then produced the emblem of the Plaguebringer.
Why not take the badge first? Because it's useless. If the password is wrong... kill without hesitation.
The dreadlord Varimathras issued a special warning to every soldier on the front lines: anyone who deserted their unit or failed to obtain the password would be considered a deserter and would be immediately captured and killed...