It wasn't that Andreas wanted to slack off by not personally exploring the ruins. In his memory, Blackfathom Deeps—aside from its winding, confusing subterranean waterways—was ultimately just a level-20-plus, five-man dungeon.
In the version he remembered, aside from Murlocs and Naga, there were only some Twilight's Hammer cultists who worshipped the Old Gods. The final boss was a massive hydra named Aku'mai, said to be one of the pets of the Old Gods.
However, Andreas boldly speculated that since only a few years had passed since the Sundering, Aku'mai and the Naga shouldn't have been dispatched to wreak havoc in Blackfathom Deeps yet. As for the Twilight's Hammer, the Ogre founder of that cult wouldn't even be born for another nine thousand years...
The "Zoram" coast was littered with a vast number of temple ruins. Under Andreas's orders, the carpenters and stonemasons utilized the materials from these ruins, taking only a few days to construct the preliminary prototype of their main base.
While the others were busily building the camp near the green fields at the edge of the beach, Naisha and Delier continued their deep exploration of the underwater ruins.
Just as Andreas had thought, the exploration process for the combat priestesses and the Moon Guard went very smoothly. Aside from some aquatic animals accidentally trapped in the ruins, there were no traces of Naga or Murlocs in the first half of the site.
Just as Andreas was directing Feryn and the Druids to clear farmland and gather berries and other food, Jorge—a young mage under Delier—suddenly teleported back to the camp with some rather unwelcome news.
"Naga? They're actually there?"
The once-fidgety young mage seemed much more steady after experiencing the brutal reality of the War of the Ancients.
Jorge answered gravely, "Yes. In the temple district of the latter half of the ruins, we discovered traces of those fish-tailed humanoids you described. They seem to be constructing some kind of statue and remodeling the temple ruins."
Andreas's brow furrowed. He rubbed his smooth chin thoughtfully. "Statues, temples... how could they have arrived so quickly?"
"Jorge, did you see the leader of these Naga?"
"Yes. According to the report from Miss Naisha, who slipped into the temple, the leader is a female Naga with four arms. She holds a bow and arrow and a staff in her two pairs of hands simultaneously."
"Is that so..." Andreas raised an eyebrow and lowered his head to consider. "Jorge, wait here for a moment. Once I've handled the camp's arrangements, I'll set out with you."
"Yes, sir!"
...
Temporarily leaving the camp's affairs to a reluctant Leticia, Andreas teleported back into Blackfathom Deeps with Jorge, using the spatial coordinates inscribed on Delier.
Gloomy, dark, and damp—this was Andreas's first impression of Blackfathom Deeps. The ruins of the Seat of the Sky, buried underground, had not seen daylight for years. Glowing moss crawled over the marble pillars of the ruins, providing a faint illumination for this underwater site where sunlight could not reach.
Visual range wasn't an issue for Night Elves; as a nocturnal race, all Night Elves possessed strong night vision. After a quick survey of the surroundings, Andreas waved his hand to interrupt the greetings from Delier and Naisha.
"No need for formalities. Let's get straight to business."
The exploration team was currently located outside a temple ruin, surrounded by numerous pools of water. Andreas could hear the crisp "clinking" sounds of rhythmic hammering coming from within the open doors.
Delier and Naisha exchanged a glance, and the heroic Naisha stepped forward to explain the situation. The exploration of the waterways in the first half of the ruins wasn't worth detailing; they had only encountered some aquatic creatures that were supposed to live in the sea.
"In the latter half of the ruins, the relatively intact temple structures become more frequent. We've encountered quite a few male Naga along the way."
Naisha offered an uncertain speculation. "This is just my guess, but the Naga seem to be a matriarchal society. Although the two-armed male Naga look physically stronger, they handle all the manual labor. Their status is clearly inferior to the four-armed female Naga overseers."
Andreas refrained from commenting for the moment, nodding slightly to signal Naisha to continue.
"We had minor skirmishes with a few Naga on the way. The males have decent strength and agility, and they are formidable in underwater combat. However, they are relatively clumsy when sliding across land. Although they appear amphibious, their combat effectiveness on land and in water are worlds apart."
Naisha pulled out two scales from her person—one delicate and small, the other thick and coarse.
"These two types of scales come from female and male Naga respectively. After testing by the Moon Guard, the female Naga scales contain trace amounts of Arcane energy. During previous combat, we confirmed that these female Naga can cast spells freely."
Based on her combat experience with the Naga, Naisha described the characteristics of this new race concisely. Andreas took the scales to observe them, then nodded in approval. "A very intuitive explanation. Well done."
Looking toward the temple not far ahead, Andreas narrowed his eyes, a cold glint flashing in his golden-ringed pupils. "Regardless of their origin, we cannot allow them to stir up trouble in the rear of our base."
Andreas suddenly transformed into a black panther, prowling silently toward the temple with the help of his soft paws.
"Delier, Naisha, ready your troops. I'll go in first to scout the situation. Perhaps... I might even run into an old acquaintance by surprise."
...
Cloaked in Shadow energy, Andreas slipped into the temple undetected. Here, he finally saw the Naga—the amphibious race born after the Sundering—with his own eyes.
"Hurry up! In the name of Queen Azshara, you slaves, increase your pace!"
A four-armed female Naga swung a whip, violently lashing the dull-looking male Naga laborers. These males were constructing a statue in the center of the temple ruins. The original statue of Elune had only its lower legs remaining; it was unclear if it had been damaged during the Sundering or if the Naga had destroyed it. In its place stood a statue of a female Naga whose face was not yet clear.
Seawater leaked occasionally from the ceiling of this submerged temple. Deep within the vast hall, a dark, profound tunnel could be seen, from which an ominous and fierce aura wafted.
Andreas felt familiar energy fluctuations from this aura. Xal'atath chose this moment to speak: "I smell it. The scent of N'Zoth. As expected, it is meddling again."
Xal'atath's blade hung by Andreas' left hind leg; it was the only item that had not merged into his transformation. From this, it was clear that the entity had not truly submitted to Andreas as it claimed.
Bypassing the Naga and slipping into the tunnel, Andreas found a shadow behind a structure that couldn't be seen, reverted to his original form, and crushed the Arcane talisman in his hand.
The Moon Guard waiting outside immediately received the signal. Naisha lowered her faceplate again and ordered in a hushed tone, "I will lead the vanguard. Prepare to launch the assault."