Galen remembered that there were many cloudwing hippogryphs living in the forests of Azsuna. He had seen night watchmen riding hippogryphs over Narsalas City before.
Therefore, Galen wasn't worried about the source of the hippogryphs. When the time came, he could build a beast pen in Azsuna and just catch them.
After waiting for another dozen hours, the first druid trained by the Tree of Knowledge appeared.
Druid
Armor Type: Medium Armor
Weapon: Claws
Strength: Master
Skills: Intermediate Druid Spells (Upgradable)
Talent Skills: Rejuvenation, Roar, Bear Form
Training Cost: 200 units of Gold, 300 units of Wood
Training Time: 32 hours
Consumption: 4 units of Food per day
Galen was very satisfied with this mid-tier druid. After the night elves banned arcane magic in later generations, druids became the main spellcasters in the army. In addition to the basic archer units composed of female night elves, there were also sentinel units composed of huntresses. The remaining were only a small number of night elf warriors, and more men chose to learn the druidic teachings and become druids.
The night elves admired nature and had many allies in the natural world. When wars broke out, they could summon powerful rock creatures like mountain giants, as well as faerie dragons and chimeras to fight.
Unfortunately, Galen only had the Tree of Knowledge and could only train claw druids. If he had the Tree of Wind, he could even gather Teron druids and faerie dragons.
After researching the more advanced druid spells in the Tree of Knowledge, Galen handed over the security work of the new base to Brox. Once the farmers built more barracks, he would have more confidence.
… … … … … …
In the northwestern suburbs of Suramar City, Malfurion had just returned from the secret grove of Cenarius in Val'sharah.
Malfurion was born in Lorlathil in Val'sharah and grew up in Suramar with Tyrande Whisperwind.
Later, when the three of them were exploring the nearby forest, they encountered the demigod Cenarius. This opportunity allowed Malfurion to come into contact with the teachings of nature and become a druid.
He had been studying the druidic path with his demigod teacher Cenarius for a long time. Recently, while traveling in the Emerald Dream, he came to the location corresponding to Zin-Azshari in the Emerald Dream. After returning to reality, he became worried.
He saw a huge portal appearing above the imperial capital, right above the Well of Eternity.
His teacher had said that the Emerald Dream and the real world were closely connected, and events in the real world would be reflected in the dream.
Now Malfurion felt that the real world around the Well of Eternity was becoming increasingly turbulent.
He couldn't understand how the Queen would allow those highborne elves who were obsessed with arcane magic to blatantly abuse the power of the Well!
If no one stopped Queen Azshara and her high-ranking mages, they would cause a great disaster, the lightest result of which would be the destruction of Zin-Azshari, with the lives of hundreds of thousands of people at risk!
Malfurion was certain that Queen Azshara could not be unaware of this matter. The Queen was not a nominal puppet leader. She was powerful and held great power. Even the arrogant highborne elves had to obey her orders!
Not only him, but his demigod teacher was also filled with worry about this matter. However, Cenarius had no idea what to do now, so he could only hide his worries and comfort his student: "Those scenes you saw in the Emerald Dream have multiple meanings. No matter how real they seem, even if you think they are real, they are just tricks that the dream plays on our brains with limited perception…"
Returning to his residence, Malfurion stood by the window and looked at the rushing waterfall in the distance.
This was a low wooden house, simple and full of natural atmosphere. There were only three rooms in the wooden house, one of which was his bedroom, which contained a bed and several books he had collected, all related to natural knowledge and his recent studies. The other room at the back was a food storage room, with an ordinary small table for him to prepare meals.
The third room was Malfurion's meditation room, which was also his favorite place. Here, he could sit quietly in meditation, enjoy the moonlight, and review what his demigod teacher taught while drinking wine and reading natural classics.
Compared to most night elf houses, his residence seemed very simple. With the rise of the night elf empire, the highborne elves became greedy for pleasure and luxurious life, and the lower-level elves also changed their living environment.
The highborne elves had abandoned the teachings of nature and no longer believed in the moon goddess Elune. Malfurion's love for nature made Cenarius appreciate him. That was why he took in a mortal to teach the druidic teachings, hoping to bring the night elf faith back on track.
Usually, his childhood friends Tyrande and his younger brother Illidan would gather here with him, but recently Tyrande had officially become a priestess of the moon goddess and returned to the Temple of Elune in Suramar to study.
Illidan, who had originally been with him, was impatient with the study of natural teachings. The setbacks in learning druid spells made him decide to focus on arcane magic, which was the mainstream of the night elves at the time, so he returned to the bustling city of Suramar.
"Sigh!"
What a chaotic and lonely night!
Malfurion leaned back in his chair, the moonlight casting a layer of silver frost on his face. He closed his eyes and fell into deep thought, hoping to calm himself down.
Just as he was resting with his eyes closed, a whisper entered his ears.
Malfurion was surprised. Who came to this dense forest far from the city?
Malfurion stood up and looked towards the window, just in time to see three night elves, one man and two women, walking out of the dense forest.
The visitors were Galen and his companions. After the base took shape, his next plan was to find the chosen ones of this era: the Moon Priestess Tyrande, Malfurion Stormrage, and Illidan Stormrage.
At this time, the three of them had not yet grown up. Born as civilians, they rose in the later wars. Now, they were at most three young men. It was not about hugging their thighs, but at most about mixing and becoming familiar, and joining the team in advance.
At this moment, Galen's appearance concentrated the advantages of three generations of the Sunstrider family, not only possessing the strength of the night elves but also the gentleness of the high elves. Adding to that, the two tall and slender Sylvanas and Alleria, full of wild beauty, gave Malfurion the first impression that these three were definitely outstanding individuals.
Galen had been wandering in the forests of Val'sharah for three days. According to the map provided by Prince Farondis, combined with Galen's knowledge of Cenarius's grove from later generations, they began searching for the traces of Malfurion or Cenarius.
At this moment, they had just entered a valley and discovered that the environment here was beautiful, tranquil, and secluded, with a waterfall. With mountains and water, it was simply a paradise.
Immediately afterward, Galen and Malfurion's eyes met in the air!
A look of recognition confirmed that this was the person I was looking for.
Malfurion's bird feathers on his arms were too conspicuous; it was difficult for Galen not to recognize him.
"Guests from afar, I wonder what brings you here?"
Malfurion could tell at a glance that the three young night elves were extraordinary, with strength comparable to his own, a legendary rank. Coupled with their well-equipped gear, this future Archdruid walked out of his wooden house and took the initiative to inquire.
"We come from Nar'thalas City. Not long ago, we heard news that a demigod of nature was hidden in the northern forests. We are full of awe for nature, so we came to Val'sharah from Azsuna, hoping to catch a glimpse of the demigod's demeanor in the forest."
Malfurion thought, this story sounds a bit familiar!
Isn't this what he, Illidan, and Tyrande did a few years ago?
Back then, Malfurion had heard several legends mentioning a reclusive forest demigod in the surrounding forests.
Malfurion had always held deep reverence for the natural world. Although the night elves as a whole had long lost interest in nature because of the existence of the Well of Eternity, arcane magic had become the mainstream cultivation path for the entire night elf society.
However, he still told Illidan and Tyrande about the legend of Cenarius, and the three night elves began an adventure to find the demigod, eventually encountering Cenarius.
Malfurion looked at the three's young appearance, far less rugged than his own, and concluded that they were another group of the new generation full of curiosity and a spirit of adventure.
However, Malfurion would not easily tell the three unfamiliar compatriots his identity and Cenarius's whereabouts; he needed to investigate them.
Back then, his mentor had set up many trials through the plants and animals in the forest, and finally personally delved into their hearts before deciding to show himself!
Out of consideration for his compatriots, Malfurion invited Galen and the others into his quiet room and poured them his special honey wine for hospitality.
After sitting down, Galen took a generous sip of the sweet wine that Malfurion handed over, then closed his eyes and savored the pure natural honey wine.
Seeing Galen drink, Alleria and Sylvanas also took a sip to try. The sweetness of the honey made the two rangers from ten thousand years later look intoxicated, their eyes narrowed into small crescents.
Galen smiled softly at this scene, which made the two Windrunners a little shy.
The honey they had drunk before was not as delicious as this one personally brewed by the Archdruid Malfurion.
"My name is Galen'Remar, and they are Sylvanas and Alleria. We come from Zin-Azshari and currently reside in Nar'thalas City."
Galen's introduction was very simple, leaving a lot of room for speculation.
Sure enough, Malfurion showed an expression of "as expected."
He could tell at a glance that the three possessed the temperament of those who had long been in high positions and issued orders for a long time. Although they did not have the frivolous and pretentious demeanor of other highborne elves, they were indeed nobles.
Malfurion guessed that they were noble children from a highborne elf family who had come out to practice and were currently studying at the mage academy in Nar'thalas.
However, Malfurion saw that the three did not flaunt their noble origins like those playboy children, so he didn't ask further.
"I am Malfurion Stormrage."
Such an ordinary sentence shocked the two Windrunners behind Galen. This was the leader of the night elves who exiled their ancestors!
However, Malfurion's main energy was focused on Galen, and he did not notice the subtle changes in the expressions of the two ladies.
"Nice to meet you, Malfurion."
"I am also honored to meet you, Galen'Remar!"
Galen now regretted it so much. He had planned everything, but he had a naming difficulty. In order to prevent the old night elves from associating him through his name when he subtly adjusted history, he casually fabricated the alias Galen 'Remar to match his identity as a relative of Dath'Remar.
Now, every time these night elves called him that, he felt his goosebumps rise!
Afterward, the two began to chat, with the topics intentionally or unintentionally revolving around nature and the environment. Malfurion was full of awe and love for nature, while Galen chose some topics about green living, low-carbon environmental protection, and sustainable development. Combined with his afforestation of the Barrens and his saving of Draenor's vitality and ecological restoration, he barely managed to connect with the druid leader Malfurion.
The Druid order is a sect that advocates "balance, harmony, and life." It originated with Cenarius and flourished among the night elves. The later Cenarion Circle became the pinnacle of the druids, and its members included night elves, tauren, trolls, and worgen, dedicated to healing the damage to nature and life caused by war.
Although Galen was not a druid, in this world where trees could become spirits and there was a group of wilderness demigods composed of a large number of animals, he felt that as long as he maintained a harmonious coexistence between man and nature and helped Azeroth plant more trees, the people were doing it, and the star soul was watching, and he would always be appreciated by Ai Jiang.
After a conversation, Galen's concept of protecting the environment and the harmonious coexistence of life and nature was quite recognized by Malfurion, so he didn't pretend anymore.
"Galen'Remar, in fact, I am the student of the forest demigod you are looking for..."
Malfurion paused for a moment, saw Galen with a look that said, "Are you kidding me?", and quickly continued: "Your ideas are very novel, perhaps my mentor would be very willing to talk to you!"
The forest demigod Cenarius had favored the night elves since their appearance, believing that they were sufficient to take care of nature in an orderly manner.
So he personally assisted this fledgling race, teaching them everything in the natural world. What he hoped was that the night elves could devote themselves to living in harmony with nature.
Unfortunately, with the overuse of the Well of Eternity by the arcane mages, the powerful power made the highborne elves give up the way of nature.
This was also a concern of Cenarius. Azshara and her followers' wanton abuse of the Well of Eternity made the forest demigod increasingly disappointed.
Perhaps the Galen Lothering in front of him was an opportunity to change the highborne elves!
After much deliberation, Malfurion decided to take Galen and the others to find his mentor, Cenarius, and have his teacher give them the final test!
Moreover, Malfurion keenly sensed a faint affection between Galen and the two Windrunner sisters, just like how he and his brother both harbored feelings for their childhood sweetheart, Tyrande!
This was Malfurion's biggest concern besides the abnormality of Zin-Azshari!
The relationship between the Stormrage brothers and Tyrande had changed!
Time had changed Malfurion, Illidan, and Tyrande's relationship; they were no longer naive teenagers who could play carefree all day long. Now, they had grown up and become adults.
The two brothers had often engaged in friendly competition since childhood, but recently, the competition had become increasingly tense, escalating from the growth of strength to some kind of struggle.
Tyrande had perhaps noticed this change, becoming the focus of the Stormrage brothers' competition, and was deeply troubled by it.
At the same time, this female night elf also discovered the change in her feelings for the Stormrage brothers. If she were to choose a lifelong partner in the future, that person would be either Malfurion or Illidan.
Tyrande couldn't make a decision and chose to temporarily escape, returning to the Sisterhood of Elune in Suramar to continue her studies.
Therefore, when Malfurion saw the bond between Galen and the two Windrunners, he sighed in his heart, "What a lucky kid!"
The next morning, Malfurion used druidic magic to transform into a snow-white elk. Galen and the three of them rode the Nightsabers of Narthalas, following behind Malfurion to Cenarius's secret grove.
"By the way, Galen, did you notice anything unusual in the city when you left Zin-Azshari?"
Malfurion still couldn't forget the scene he saw in the Emerald Dream, and since he happened to have a friend from the imperial capital, he couldn't help but want to inquire about the situation.
"Zin-Azshari?"
Galen's background was all made up on the spot. When it came to Zin-Azshari, his biggest impression was the ruins north of Doloroth, where, besides the architectural remains of the city, the most well-preserved were probably some broken temples and statues.
"We haven't been home for more than two years."
Galen's words completely distanced himself from the matter. Whether what I say later is right or wrong has nothing to do with me. After all, it's been more than two years, and it's normal for the capital to have changes.
"However, I learned from my brother who lives in Zin-Azshari that the Queen and her followers are brewing a big plan. My brother didn't elaborate on the specific plan, but I sensed worry from his words!"
"A big plan?" The elk that Malfurion transformed into showed a human-like expression, looking puzzled: "What big plan? Could it be related to that huge portal?"
"Oh, right!"
Galen heard Malfurion's murmur and continued along his line of thought: "Portal, my brother mentioned the portal. According to him, a powerful being has come to our world through the portal, said to be an envoy invited by the Queen."
"Galen, how could your brother know such secret information?" Now it was Malfurion's turn to be puzzled. The Well of Eternity was regarded as a forbidden treasure by the Highborne, and even nobles of slightly lower status didn't have the authority to approach it!
"My family has been serving the monarchy for the twentieth generation since our generation..."
Galen appropriately showed a little pride. Anyway, that's what Dath'Remar said, and he seemed quite proud of his background when he said it.
"That is indeed a family heritage worth being proud of." Malfurion nodded. The Highborne had always been capable guardians of the night elf empire, dedicated to taking care of the people and the Well of Eternity, but after the external enemies were defeated, they, who possessed powerful arcane magic, began to become arrogant and indulgent.
"Perhaps you are also a qualified Highborne!" Malfurion sincerely praised these words. Although they had only spent a short night together, he could also sense Galen's humility and gentleness, and he didn't have the superficial and pretentious manner of other Highborne.
"Thank you for your praise, Malfurion."
The light in the dense forest was dim, which was very suitable for the night elves' travel conditions. The energy in their bodies would be very abundant at night, while the sun during the day would weaken their bodies to a certain extent.
In the end, the Well of Eternity transformed them into magical creatures.
This was also why so many branches appeared among the elves in Galen's era.
The high elves moved away from the Tree of Life, lost their eternal life, their skin lost its violet hue, and their figures gradually shrunk, eventually calling themselves Quel'dorei.
The night elves of Suramar built the Nightwell and magical barriers to protect the city. Over time, their appearance was eroded by magical power, and they changed, becoming distinctly different from other elves, with darker purple skin, forming the Shal'dorei race.
There were also the Fal'dorei, also known as "Spider Elves", a variant of elves living in the Suramar region, whose bodies were twisted by chaotic forces in the explosion of the magic tree Arcandor.
As Malfurion led them into a new grove, Galen gradually noticed a trace of strangeness.
By the faint light scattered between the leaves, Galen saw a face staring at him in the nearby forest.
This was a face composed of branches and leaves, with clearly visible facial features, even with a dense beard, a pair of bright eyes, and a large mouth composed of the gaps between two clusters of branches.
Ancient Protector?
Or in a rooted state?
"Hi, hello!"
Galen waved to the ancient tree, greeting loudly.
"Hmm?"
The ancient tree obviously didn't expect Galen to be so familiar, but seeing that they were guests brought by the disciples of the Forest God, it still slightly swayed one of its branches, and the branches shook for a while, responding to Galen.
Sylvanas and Alleria behind Galen only realized at this time that the big tree in the distance was alive. Fortunately, they had seen the Tree of Knowledge and Tree of War planted by Galen in advance, otherwise, they would have been startled if they saw this peculiar life form for the first time without being prepared.
Quel'Thalas didn't have tree life. They only knew about this kind of creature in ancient books, while the high elf kingdom had more arcane constructs and automatic cleaning brooms on the streets.
In the center of the grove, Galen saw an old deer!
Colorful flowers bloomed enchantingly under his feet, and the green grass was also very lush. A group of birds circled his antlers, singing happily, and some of the birds playfully danced around his palm. Many rabbits and fawns frolicked around him!
The demigod of the forest, Cenarius!