Winter in the Stratholme region is bleak.

On the road in the distance, groups of cavalry galloped by, and the dust raised gradually merged with the gray sky.

Oryx stood at the top of the watchtower, overlooking the migration team that dragged his family and carried large bags to the city of Stratholme, and his heart was extremely heavy.

The day before yesterday, a plague of natural disasters broke out in the Arathi Heights. Yesterday night, a plague of natural disasters broke out throughout the territory of Lordaeron. It was also around that time that he was assassinated by the Blade of the Dark Empire of Saratas.

After only one night, the situation took a turn for the worse. With the news of the fall of the two Scourge fleets that had landed in Lordaeron, the Kortilas fleet that had actually fallen to the Scourge and the suspected fall of the maritime power that had topped Azeroth, he finally realized......

Even though he had taken the Burning Legion very seriously, he still underestimated this terrible enemy.

Two days.

From the beginning of the plague to the time it swept through the Northland, less than two days had passed.

In two days, the entire territory of the Northland, which has been deeply cooperating in the past two months and has long become monolithic, is in an emergency......

This made Oryx feel that what he had done in the past was nothing more than holding down the water outlet. When enough pressure has accumulated in the water pipes, the flood will inevitably erupt in a more violent manner, and it will be out of control.

In the canon, no one is aware of the connection between the Scourge and the Burning Legion. This is true from the dragons to the mortal races. The selfish Naozu who served the Burning Legion weakened Azeroth through various covert means simply because it was the best option.

Oryx changed the world's perception of the war, realizing that it was actually a prelude to another invasion by the Burning Legion, and he united to deal with it.

But in exchange for this, it was the full response of the Burning Legion, which was aware of its own exposure and no longer hid behind the scenes. In the canonical history, the Burning Legion acted in secret, not without the ability to make a big show, it was just the best choice in the situation at that time.

And under the change of situation, so in the past two months, there have been so many variables.

For example, the plague that broke out in Gilneys, the fall of the kingdom of Kul Tiras, the intervention of the forces of the Elder Gods, and the fall of the kingdom of Stormgard, which Oryx never expected......

Azeroth is not a static chessboard.

If you want to change history, there are always many higher and more powerful existences than you, think what you think, count what you calculate, and take the lead everywhere.

Oryx felt like he had done nothing wrong.

In a limited amount of time, I can only do so much, and I can only do this. No one has done anything wrong except him.

Although there were inevitably many twists and turns in the process, the entire tribes and countries of the Northland did have a hundred thousand hearts and minds to resist the impending catastrophe.

But the situation remains the same.

It can only be said that this is the shackles of the times. The mortal races of Azeroth today are far from being as powerful as those of later generations, and even if they are well prepared, they can only do their best to minimize the harm of the catastrophe, but they do not have the ability to eliminate them in the early days.

It's quite frustrating.

"My lord, we are seriously short of building materials. After the outbreak of the plague, no horse team dared to take this road, and a large part of the building materials were stranded in the warehouses in the city. ”

The foreman in charge of the construction of the barracks walked up to the watchtower, sweated profusely, saluted Orix, and began to complain.

Oryx replied, "I'll figure it out." During this time, even if there is a shortage of building materials, do not stop work, and if there are not enough building materials, go to cut down trees and use those unusable wood; I went and demolished my house and my house. I don't care if you use rotten wood or mud, no matter what, I'm going to get my defenses right. No matter how superficial the defense is, it can buy us enough time when the Scourge Legion calls. ”

The foreman could see that he was still trying to say something, but in the end he just nodded, and he took the order and left the watchtower.

Oryx sighed.

When the plague broke out, he halted the construction of the territory and began to evacuate the people and the displaced people who had been swarming during this time, causing some of them to seek refuge in the city of Stratholme, and some to hide in settlements in the southwestern mountains that already provided some security.

No way.

Rivendell Territory is located in the Great Plains of Stratholme, a flat river, and there is no danger to rely on. Not to mention that it is impossible to build effective defenses against the attack of the Scourge forces in the short term, and even if it can, if it is besieged, there is only a dead end.

Therefore, he evacuated the people, led the private army to stay in the territory, and instructed the construction team that was originally responsible for the expansion of the barracks and the territory to build simple fortifications such as trenches, low walls, and tunnels.

He was going to use the Rivendell Collar as a forward line of defense outside Stratholme.

He would lead his troops to defend the city and buy enough time to perfect the defenses of the hundreds of thousands of civilians who had poured in to the city over the years.

Earlier today, he had heard that the high-ranking members of the Silver Hand Knights had all been withdrawn from the Silver Pine Forest War Zone. Lord Uther went to the royal capital, Lord Gavenrad went to Andorhar, and his teachers, Saidan Dasohan, and Mograini returned to Eastern Lordaeron, the former to take charge of the defense of Stratholme, and the latter to help General Alfred Abydis, who had been appointed in danger, to defend against the Scourge fleet that had landed on the eastern seaboard.

All sorts of things were handled by more specialized people, and Oryx, the Hand of the King in charge of the defense of Eastern Lordaeron, had become a nominal position.

Due to his serious injuries, Alsace did not let him go to the front in any way, and only put him in charge of the fighting in the Stratholme area.

……

"Twelve hundred, and another thousand two hundred for the draft, my lord."

Later in the evening, in the mansion dining room, Oryx, who was eating lunch, received a magical communication from Mayor Bathoras, using the kind of magic communication stone sent by the High Elves, and in order to communicate, Oryx sent several pieces to Stratholme.

"How many pieces of equipment are there in the arsenal?" Oryx stuffed a piece of fish into his mouth and asked as he ate.

"No, no more. I have gathered the city's blacksmiths and begun to urgently build armaments with a batch of metal ingots that have been intercepted. It is expected that in a week, 300 sets of armaments will be built. Bathras replied respectfully.

Oryx nodded, "Okay, I see." You don't have to worry about defense. Just leave it to my teacher, you are solely responsible for the resources, and you must not let the construction of defense facilities go wrong. ”

"Yes."

Communication is lost.

Oryx couldn't help but shake his head.

For the past two days, Stratholme was urgently recruiting soldiers. More than 3,000 people applied.

A small number are veterans of the Second War more than a decade ago, and most of the rest are Hillsbrad displaced people who have come in the past two months with hatred for the disaster. The former are basically middle-aged men in their thirties and forties, while the latter have no military literacy, and they are casually armed with the reserve armaments that were rotated and sealed in the arsenal a few years ago, and then pulled to training, ready to be sent to the battlefield in wartime.

In the war against the Scourge Legion, any troops with low combat capabilities are useless. Because ordinary soldiers will only be sacrificed under the minions of the undead, and become the food for the Scourge Corps to supplement themselves.

If you want to deal with natural disasters, you still have to win with elite troops. This is best exemplified by the successful assault of the Icecrown Fortress by the elite forces of the Alliance and the Horde and the Ash Inquisitors during the Northern Expedition.

Aurex understands this.

However, now it is not the Northern Expedition, but a defense. Country. War. If there is no conscription, there is no one available, and what can be done about this? Do you want to give up the whole of Stratholme when a natural disaster strikes?

Now at his disposal, in addition to the three thousand soldiers of the private army of the territory, plus the soldiers urgently recruited in the city of Stratholme in the past two days, the militia groups in this area, the city guard, and the regular troops of the Knights of the Silver Hand, and the two thousand five hundred soldiers of the Ninth Legion who were still on the road and turned around at some point due to the sudden outbreak of battle, a total of eight or nine thousand.

Guarding the vast Stratholme Plains is simply wishful thinking, and can only be defended by the city.

"Your Excellency, we're going back."

The Magister Landra, who had been left behind by Prince Kael'thas to serve as a liaison officer in Rivendell, suddenly pushed the door in a hurry.

"Oh? Why? Oryx asked in surprise as he put down the dishes.

Quel'Salas...... Something went wrong. "Diagram of the Great Dao of the Heavens