In recent months, Kel'Thuzad felt that the Cult of the Damned, which he had been secretly developing for several years, had reached a sufficient scale. Moreover, his master, the Lich King Ner'zhul, was urging him, so he had to speed up the process. As a result, the activities of the Cult of the Damned were no longer so secretive. Acolytes spreading the Cult of the Damned's ideology were everywhere in the north. Their methods gradually shifted from bewitchment and enticement to fraud and coercion.
The lords of the north had all discovered traces of the Cult of the Damned within their territories. However, the acolytes operating outside were not important figures. Even losing some would not affect the rapid expansion of the Cult of the Damned. What's more, some nobles who had secretly pledged allegiance to Kel'Thuzad were covering for them within their own territories and spheres of influence, making it difficult for official forces to find the true clues of the Cult of the Damned.
This is the territory of Lordaeron, and the army of Lordaeron would certainly be happy to eliminate these evil mages of the Cult of the Damned in Scholomance.
However, no one knew to what extent the defensive forces in these areas had been infiltrated by the Cult of the Damned. If the news were leaked in advance, giving Scholomance a chance to retreat, it would be counterproductive.
After much deliberation, Aiden realized that there was only one force here that definitely had not been infiltrated—the famous Knights of the Silver Hand. These knights, who believed in the Holy Light, would never tolerate such an evil organization. As long as Aiden could provide clues, he would definitely be able to call for reinforcements!
Not far from Scholomance, in the north, was the territory of Tirion Fordring, a leading figure of the Silver Hand, Lord of Hearthglen, and a paladin—a legendary figure. In the post-Warcraft era—that is, after the end of the Third War and the retreat of the Burning Legion once again, Arthas on the Frozen Throne of Northrend had actually become one of the most powerful known beings on the continent of Azeroth. Yet Fordring, wielding the Ashbringer, had defeated Arthas head-on. Later, Fordring raised the banner of the Silver Hand again, leading the Argent Crusade, and led the armies of the Alliance and the Horde to completely destroy the evil Lich King.
People who have played World of Warcraft, especially Alliance players, have great affection for Fordring. Aiden was no exception.
So, he decided to go to Hearthglen to seek help from Fordring.
However, after arriving in the nearby town of Andorhal, when Aiden asked a civilian here about the situation of Tirion Fordring, the lord of Hearthglen, the middle-aged uncle in his forties told him in a tone of half anger and half disappointment: "They all say that Lord Fordring betrayed Lordaeron! I never thought that he was secretly protecting an evil orc and even attacked Alliance soldiers for it! He and that orc will face trial in Stratholme tomorrow. I really hope that all of this is not true… What do you want from him?"
After bidding farewell to the garrulous middle-aged uncle, Aiden immediately realized that Tirion Fordring's matter of privately protecting the orc Eitrigg had been exposed.
The matter was like this:
The Second Orcish Invasion War ended in the defeat of the Orcs. Most of the defeated Orcs were imprisoned in the prisoner-of-war camps built by the Alliance specifically for them. A small number also escaped the Alliance's capture and hid in the deep mountains. The orc Eitrigg was one of the escaped orc veterans.
This old orc was much more clear-headed than those compatriots who had been bewitched by the Burning Legion's demons and drank demon blood. He still retained the original simplicity, kindness, and noble character of the Orcs.
Not long ago, Fordring, who was riding out on patrol, discovered this orc who had been carefully hiding for several years. The two immediately drew their swords and started a great battle. Fordring and Eitrigg were both top experts, and the battle between them was immense. They fought evenly, but at a critical moment, the aftershocks of the battle caused a tower to collapse, and the unlucky Fordring happened to be buried in the ruins, falling into a coma.
When a human paladin meets an orc warrior, they must decide who will die. According to normal procedure, Fordring should have had his head chopped off and become a high-ranking member of the Knights of the Silver Hand who gloriously sacrificed himself in the war.
But he didn't die—he was tied to the back of a horse with reins and carried back to the garrison.
Eitrigg did not take advantage of the situation to kill him.
"How could an orc not kill me, but save me instead?"
Fordring, who was puzzled, did not publicize the matter of encountering this strange orc—but he talked in his sleep when he was unconscious—he muttered that the orcs would attack Hearthglen.
His guard captain, Arden, and his deputy, Barthilas, both heard his sleep talking.
Barthilas was a young and impulsive paladin. His parents were massacred by orcs in the Second War, and after he completed his military training, the war had already ended, and he lost the opportunity to personally avenge his parents. Therefore, he hated orcs extremely. With orcs appearing under his jurisdiction, he definitely wanted to kill them quickly.
Therefore, he strongly suggested that Tirion send troops to search for the orcs, but Tirion, who had been hesitant and indecisive, rejected his suggestion.
A few days later, Fordring sneaked back to the place where he had encountered the orc before—Eitrigg was also very confident. He saved a human, but he was not afraid that the other party would repay kindness with hatred, and he did not move or anything.
Anyway, after the two had an in-depth exchange, they immediately put aside their prejudices and became a pair of good buddies across races. This hermit orc certainly would not threaten Hearthglen and his people, so after careful consideration, Tirion promised Eitrigg as a paladin and lord that he would be allowed to continue to live in seclusion here without harming humans.
After returning, Fordring once again rejected Barthilas's proposal to search for orcs. Barthilas was very dissatisfied with his superior's position. His hatred for the orcs made him think of another way—snitching!
He went to Stratholme and reported to Saidan Dathrohan, the Summoner-in-chief of the Knights of the Silver Hand and Tirion Fordring's direct superior, about the traces of orcs in Hearthglen.
Just at this time, the young orc Thrall became the chieftain of the tribe and launched a movement to liberate the orcs, constantly attacking the orc containment camps built by the Kingdom of Lordaeron at great cost of manpower and material resources. Therefore, Dathrohan attached great importance to the information brought by Barthilas and personally led a large number of soldiers to Hearthglen.
Faced with the questioning of his superior and good brother, Fordring, as a paladin, could not lie, so he had to take them to the place where the orc Eitrigg was hiding. Eitrigg, who was injured in the foot in the previous battle with Tirion, was outnumbered and captured on the spot. He looked angrily at the human knight who had promised him a few days ago that he would not disturb him, but now he had gone back on his word.
At this time, Tirion looked at Eitrigg being held in a cage and abused by soldiers and Barthilas, and saw Eitrigg's angry and questioning eyes, and felt more and more guilty and uneasy. The honor of a knight drove him to snatch the whip from the soldier, disperse the guards who were beating Eitrigg, and loudly demand that Dathrohan release this reclusive, harmless old orc!
Dathrohan looked at his friend Fordring in disbelief, thinking he had gone mad. And Barthilas, who had been kicked to the ground, took the opportunity to shout: "He is a traitor to the Alliance! He should be locked up with this beast!"
Tirion's argument failed to move Dathrohan. Based on the idea of sharing weal and woe, he was identified by Dathrohan as having committed treason for protecting the orc and attacking Alliance soldiers, and was also locked up in a cage…
Tomorrow, in the Hall of Justice in Stratholme, he will face the fate of being judged—as for the orc Eitrigg, he doesn't even have the qualification to be judged. They decided to hang him the day after tomorrow, no, "it." In the eyes of humans, orcs = beasts.
It was already late. Aiden exchanged the Demacian gold coins on his body for the equivalent amount of Lordaeron gold and silver coins in Andorhal. The shop owner liked the exquisite and gold-rich gold coins in his hand. On the back was engraved a golden eagle holding a sword and shield, which was the emblem of Demacia. It was as delicate as a work of art.
Because he was in a hurry, Aiden, who had eaten something casually, rode a gryphon into the air early the next morning and flew to Stratholme in the distance.
…
On this day, hundreds of citizens gathered in the grand square outside the Hall of Justice. They saw that a gallows had been set up in the square. How exciting it was to see an orc hanged with their own eyes! As for the courtroom, only big shots could enter. Lord Tirion Fordring will be tried inside today, and it is said that the charge is treason and harboring orcs? It was unbelievable. He had led the soldiers to kill countless orcs before. How could he defect to the orcs? Most people think this is a despicable slander against this old paladin full of honor. The court will naturally restore Lord Fordring's innocence.
At this moment, Aiden was already seated in the courtroom. Next to him sat a man and a woman, both dressed as mages, talking in low voices. Of course, he is also dressed as a mage now, wearing a mage robe and carrying the Staff of Time. It was because of this outfit that he was able to sneak into the hall.
In the center of the courtroom hung the banner of the Lordaeron Alliance, and next to it were smaller banners representing the seven kingdoms of the Alliance.
Tirion Fordring had been brought into the hall and sat on a large oak chair in the middle. In front of him was the seat of the presiding judge, and behind the presiding judge, on a high platform, four throne-like chairs were arranged in an arc, which were the seats of the jury members.
I heard that four "big shots" are coming to serve as jury members today. Aiden was a little expectant. Because he heard that in Lordaeron, all high-level trials need to be presided over by four of the Alliance's top commanders.
At this time, a paladin stood up and announced loudly: "Guardians of Lordaeron, today, we gather here to judge one of our own. The trial of Lord Tirion Fordring now begins!"
As the first juror entered, the hall suddenly fell silent.