In Azeroth, within the barren lands of the Eastern Kingdoms, a magnificent city was under construction. The kobolds, led by their king, Nibnob, had successfully completed the outer walls after nearly half a year of work. Simultaneously, they were expanding the underground fortress at the valley's center.
Currently, the city consisted only of a town hall and a Hall of Kings, intended for the spirit guardians Durotan and Draka. Durotan and his wife were also overseeing the city's construction, resulting in walls characterized by their ruggedness, unlike the refined and aesthetically pleasing structures built by humans.
As Galen teleported out of the town hall, he was greeted by Nibnob, who proclaimed in fluent Common with an old Arathi Highlands accent, "Nibnob has come to pay respects to his master! May his master live for ten thousand years and unite Azeroth!" Galen wondered how long this bootlicker had studied with the Stromgarde immigrants in Whispering Gorge.
This is truly trying!
The slogan-like flattery grated on Galen's nerves. I am a serious force of the Order Sequence, not someone who indulges in such sycophancy. My sanity is rapidly decreasing!
"Alright, alright, that's enough!" Galen quickly interjected, fearing even more exaggerated praise.
"Master, are you satisfied with my work?" Nibnob fawned, seeking commendation. In his mind, he had helped his master seize a valuable territory and perfectly achieve his goals. He deserved to be rewarded!
"Well done!" Galen bent down and patted Nibnob's head, rewarding him like a pet. He also produced a bottle of clear spring water from his pocket. "This is water from the Spring of Life. You've done a great job, and I bestow this upon you. It will restore your youth and vitality."
Only the basic farmers knew that Galen diluted the Spring of Life to plant trees. Although he had an inexhaustible supply, he rarely used it, as its value would diminish with overuse.
Nibnob was overjoyed. Compared to other kobolds, he was already old, and many tasks were beyond him. The Spring of Life was perfect for his needs.
"Thank you, Master! I will work even harder in the future!" Nibnob grinned, his face splitting with joy.
So ugly! Ugly dog!
"Now that this task is complete, I have another for you," Galen said. He believed in giving more responsibilities and rewards to loyal and capable subordinates. He was still unsure about the limits of the Origin Heart. If these Azerothian subordinates couldn't keep pace, they would be marginalized at best, or given a territory in Azeroth to govern themselves.
Galen's ambition was to reach the stars! He imagined the first kobold and quillboar in space. What would that be called? Seeing the world! Exciting.
"Please give your orders, Master!" Nibnob said, eager to prove himself. He knew Hogger had been on a mission for almost half a year and had to catch up! He couldn't let a gnoll steal his master's favor. I am the most loyal dog under my master!
He didn't consider the two quillboars in the neighboring province a threat. In his eyes, they were fools concerned only with fighting and their people. Only he and Hogger understood that pleasing the master would bring greater benefits to their clans!
"Hogger has been redeployed in Elwynn Forest for half a year, unifying his Riverpaw gnoll clan and fighting a guerrilla war against the orcs in Westfall. I need you to take three thousand elites from your clan to Elwynn Forest. Many of your kind live in the mines there. Unite them, disrupt the orcs' mining operations, and prepare for the Alliance's counterattack!"
Guerrilla warfare behind enemy lines. The tactics glorified by my Great Celestial Dynasty. With many native creatures in southern Azeroth, Galen had to utilize them!
"As you command, Master! I can depart at any time!" Nibnob said, his ears perking up at Hogger's name.
He didn't even bother to drink the Spring of Life or visit the female kobolds in the dungeon. He was impatient to gather his forces and head south!
"Don't be in such a hurry. The battle between the Alliance and the Horde will take at least one to two years. You can rest for a while," Galen said with a sly smile. Only when Nibnob seemed hesitant did Galen give him a return scroll. "This scroll will take you directly to Hogger's base camp. You are old acquaintances. I hope you cooperate sincerely behind enemy lines and achieve great results. I will reward you handsomely!"
Galen was drawing a big pie, becoming the kind of person he disliked.
Nibnob hurriedly returned to the underground fortress at the city's center. This was the new kobold kingdom, and he had gone from a geomancer ruling ten thousand kobolds to a king with hundreds of thousands. His guards were even more elite. In less than half a day, he had gathered three thousand strong kobold elites, originally foremen and other high-ranking individuals. To surpass Hogger, Nibnob was willing to spend a lot.
Galen noticed the rivalry among his subordinates but saw it as healthy competition, as long as they didn't sabotage each other.
The valley city, named Durotar, currently had only the outer walls. Galen planned to unlock a million people within the next few days and had selected the locations for new town halls and barracks. The vast valley was even larger than Stromgarde. The south gate would be Power Valley, the west gate Spirit Valley, the northeast gate Honor Valley, and the north side Wisdom Valley.
This division, made by Durotan and his wife, mirrored the ideas of a certain new Warchief.
Galen began deploying forces in the four areas, transferring forty thousand farmers from all over, densely packed around the town hall.
Durotar began to be built on a grand scale.