After the cataclysmic Sundering, the ancient continent of Kalimdor was torn into four major landmasses and countless islands of various sizes.
Unfortunately, the Seat of the Sky (Shai-Lazar) suffered a devastating blow during this global upheaval. The levitation magic arrays of this sky city were destroyed in the shattering of the earth, causing the entire city to plummet from the heavens.
Thanks to the protection of residual magical arrays, Shai-Lazar managed to remain somewhat intact upon impact, but the subsequent tectonic shifts tore the temple city completely asunder.
The collapsing earth swallowed a portion of the city underground, forming a subterranean ruin. Most of the remaining part sank into the sea, while a small fraction was ripped away onto fractured islands, where it remains to this day, enduring the wind and rain of the Veiled Sea.
Although Andreas had speculated about this based on geographical records, seeing the scene in person still left him feeling a profound sense of melancholy.
As expected, the temple ruins of Blackfathom Deeps originated from the Seat of the Sky.
After traveling south from Mount Hyjal, the team led by Andreas entered the lush forests of Ashenvale. Moving westward to the edge of the coast, they were met with a beach scattered with ruins.
The Zoram Strand... though, of course, it was not yet known by that name.
It had taken Andreas several years to finally select this location as his base. Initially, he had considered heading to Eldre'Thalas in southern Kalimdor to "occupy the magpie's nest," but considering the vast distance between Feralas and the core territories controlled by the Night Elves, he eventually passed on that option. Stonetalon Mountains and the Barrens had living conditions that were too harsh, and Winterspring was too cold, so they were excluded one by one.
As for Felwood... haha.
Zin-Azshari—the region later known as Azshara—still retained the violent, residual magical energy from the explosion of the Well of Eternity; it would be uninhabitable for at least several millennia.
If one wanted to maintain a certain distance from Mount Hyjal without being too far removed from the center of Night Elf society, the answer was obvious. Starting from the coast west of Ashenvale and extending north along the long coastline—a place that, countless years later, would be called Darkshore.
In this era, Teldrassil and Darnassus did not yet exist, and Darkshore was not considered a core controlled area for the Night Elves. Andreas chose the ruins of the Seat of the Sky as his base for two reasons: first, to facilitate expansion northward into Darkshore in the future, and second, to guard against Felwood, which bordered Darkshore.
While he didn't remember the exact details or dates, Andreas had a vague memory of the first major conflict after the War of the Ancients—the Satyr War—which seemingly began in Felwood. This was the most critical reason he had abandoned that forest.
The ruins of the Seat of the Sky were scattered across the entire beach. Those Night Elves who had once been fortunate enough to make a pilgrimage to Shai-Lazar showed expressions of regret and sorrow. They closed their eyes, clasped their hands, and prayed silently.
Once the prayers were finished, Andreas began organizing official business.
"Feryn, take the Druids of the Talon and conduct aerial reconnaissance in the vicinity. Report back immediately if you discover any danger."
"Yes, sir!"
During the War of the Ancients, Feryn Riverwind had served alongside Chu Stormstout as one of Leticia companions. After the war ended, the young Pandaren of the Stormstout family did not follow the majority back to Pandaria. After spending a year of boredom in Annahis, the naturally restless Chu finally set out on a journey again, intending to travel across the entirety of the new Kalimdor on foot.
Due to the primitive communication conditions, Andreas and the others had no idea where Chu had gone after leaving Mount Hyjal, or whether he was alive or dead. When their companion first left, Leticia was depressed for quite some time, and Andreas had to take time out of his teaching schedule to comfort his young apprentice.
In truth, even if Chu hadn't left, the time he could have spent with Leticia and Feryn would have been but a blink of an eye to a Night Elf. Pandaren are a short-lived race; even without the immortality granted by the Dragonkings' blessing, a Night Elf with a lifespan of thousands of years is far longer-lived than a Pandaren. As a member of the long-lived Night Elves, Leticia had to learn to adapt to the separation from short-lived friends; it was, after all, only a matter of time.
Furthermore, Chu was not alone when he embarked on his journey. Not all Pandaren returned to Pandaria with the main group; a very small portion chose to remain in Kalimdor after the war. Traveling with Chu were two men and two women—five people in total. All five were veterans of the War of the Ancients, and by traveling together, their survival rate was greatly increased.
Perhaps one day in the future, we might discover a small Pandaren settlement in Kalimdor.
Feryn was a student of Fandral Staghelm and one of the first Druids to agree to join the expedition. Unlike other rule-following Druids, Feryn shared certain similarities with his mentor, Fandral. This lad would occasionally come up with eccentric ideas and quickly attempt to put them into practice. While he harbored no ill intent, most of his ideas would inexplicably turn into pranks, resulting in him being caught and pummeled by a furious Leticia...
The reconnaissance results were very smooth. Within a radius of twenty kilometers, there were no threatening individuals visible on the surface.
"Now, there's only one difficult problem left."
Andreas walked to a dilapidated temple and looked down gravely. A dense Shadow energy wafted from the ruins submerged by seawater beneath the stairs. It went without saying that there was absolute danger within.
"Lieutenant Delier."
Andreas turned to look at a Highborne acquaintance behind him wearing magus robes—none other than the former Captain of the Moon Guard, Delier.
Delier bowed respectfully with his hand over his chest. "I am here. Please give your orders."
Andreas did not harbor prejudices against the Highborne like Tyrande did. As long as someone proved to be trustworthy, he welcomed them all. The Moon Guard squad led by Delier had fought bravely during the War of the Ancients, proving their stance through practical action; Andreas would not view them through a biased lens.
"You should have sensed the Shadow energy beneath the temple as well. I have a mission for you."
"Yes!"
Andreas shifted his gaze to a mature beauty whose face still bore permanent war paint.
"Naisha, you will lead the combat priestesses as the vanguard. The Moon Guard will serve as your rearguard. Explore this underwater ruin in as much detail as possible."
Upon receiving the order, the heroic woman lowered her mask to cover her face and gave a serious military salute. "Understood!"
Because of Maiev, the combat priestesses had always harbored dissatisfaction and a sense of defiance toward Tyrande. As the new High Priestess' power gradually solidified, they were naturally marginalized. Most combat priestesses had transitioned into the newly established Warden force under Maiev.
The remaining small portion was recruited by Andreas. After his persistent requests, Maiev finally nodded helplessly and agreed to send her most capable lieutenant to serve as the commanding officer of this unit.
Maiev agreed to Andreas' request not only because of their good relationship but also because she wanted to leave a memorial for the former combat priestess unit; this small squad of only 50-some people was the last combat priestess unit still in existence.
As for the origin of the relationship between Maiev and Andreas... first, it was because Andreas got along very well with Jarod. Before Jarod went into seclusion, Andreas often pulled the genius commander aside to discuss overall strategy and battlefield command details.
Although Maiev appeared cold on the outside, she cared deeply for her younger brother. Beneath that indifferent exterior hid a passionate heart. By extension, the relationship between Maiev and Andreas had grown much closer.
Second, it was because of Andreas' status as a chosen of the Moon Goddess. Maiev was a loyal believer in Elune. Compared to the headstrong High Priestess Tyrande, she found herself more in tune with this mature and approachable Shadow-blessed of Elune.
Finally, it was because both of them disliked Tyrande and were equally guarded against by her. This gave Maiev a sense of "shared misfortune" with Andreas.
"Very well. Set out. Send someone to report on the progress every two hours."
Andreas spoke solemnly to the two. "Remember, your exploration concerns the safety of our base. Ensure that every corner is thoroughly explored."
"By your command!"