Andreas' abrupt question left Huln stunned for a long moment. Under the varying gazes of the clan chieftains, Huln eventually snapped back to his senses and let out a hearty laugh.
"Of course. The Highmountain tribes have been formally unified. Even without me, I believe the united Tauren will continue to carry out my ideals and walk a path toward a bright future."
Andreas pondered for a moment. "I understand, High Chieftain Huln. Let us set out to rendezvous with Igrul first. Once we reach the sealing site of the Holy Hammer... I will tell you the price of using it."
...
In the five years since the War of the Ancients ended, the Broken Isles had completely separated from the main continent of Kalimdor. The trolls, who once threatened the survival of the Tauren, were nowhere to be seen, which indirectly gave the Highmountain tribes a chance to recuperate and thrive.
During these five years, Neltharion had been busy trying to stabilize his torn body. He had experimented with many materials, from sturdy timber to various ores and metals, but none could withstand the molten flames erupting from within the former Earth-Warder.
This unexpected situation infuriated Neltharion. Even high-strength Thorium armor struggled to resist the erosion of the magma for long. His poor physical condition forced him to live in seclusion recently, but his temper grew increasingly volatile with every failed experiment. In the past year alone, over a hundred Drogbar assisting with the armor plating had died under his sudden outbursts of rage. Even the other Black Dragons living in Highmountain dared not approach his lair lightly.
Thanks to this, the Tauren of Highmountain enjoyed five years of precious development. However, both Huln and Igrul knew that this surface peace was only temporary. Regardless of whether Neltharion found suitable materials, once he surged out of his lair again, no one was confident they could survive the madness of the corrupted Black Dragon Aspect.
When Huln led a small team of elite Tauren to secretly approach Neltharion's Lair, the waiting Drogbar quickly guided them inside. Seeing Igrul again, the Drogbar leader's temperament seemed much more composed than before. Five years of hardship and endurance had allowed Igrul to grow; he was no longer as explosive as he had been when Andreas first met him.
"High Chieftain Huln, Lord Moonshadow, thank you for accepting my invitation." Igrul's expression was heavy. "Just yesterday, another twenty-three of my kin were murdered by Neltharion. Our patience has reached its limit."
Huln sighed and clapped a heavy, powerful hand onto Igrul's shoulder. "Buck up. We are here specifically to solve the problem—the great problem haunting all the natives of Highmountain: Neltharion."
Igrul nodded, pulling himself together and regaining his usual efficiency. "Though Neltharion has fallen, he still wields the power of the Earth-Warder. If we launch a head-on assault without preparation, our chances of winning are extremely low. We must rely on the help of a certain relic."
Huln said, unsurprised, "I know. It's the Holy Hammer you mentioned before, right?"
"Correct. One of the Pillars of Creation bestowed upon the Keepers by the Titans: the Hammer of Khaz'goroth the Shaper."
...
The Titan Khaz'goroth was known as the Shaper, a master of crafts including architecture, engineering, and forging. The Earthen and Mountain Giants among the Titan-forged were designed and created by him. The so-called Hammer of Khaz'goroth was actually the warhammer once used by the Titan himself. Through Khaz'goroth's long-term use, the Titan's divine power had gradually saturated the weapon.
In ancient times, the Titan Keepers, led by Odyn and Ra, used the Pillars of Creation granted by the Titans to destroy the Black Empire founded by the Old Gods in one fell swoop. After the war, to prevent the overwhelming power of the Pillars from being abused, the Keepers sealed these mighty artifacts in separate locations, after which they vanished from sight.
Neltharion had coincidentally discovered the sealing site of the Hammer of Khaz'goroth and built his lair right next to it to facilitate his research of this Pillar of Creation. However, his research yielded no results. Due to a certain Prime Designate's prejudice against the Dragon Aspects, he had placed enchantments on the Pillars; no dragon could break the seals.
"It is here."
Guided by Igrul, Andreas and Huln arrived at a cavern filled with a vast number of giant discs. These discs were made of a material that was neither metal nor wood, looking like stones deliberately polished smooth, with very clear patterns carved into their surfaces.
Andreas looked at these discs and rubbed his chin with interest. The Discs of Norgannon? A pity there's no specialized equipment to read them. These discs were data storage media used by the Titans to record the history of Azeroth, essentially the equivalent of a computer hard drive. To read them required specific devices; Andreas knew where they were, but every such location was a literal dragon's den or tiger's lair, impossible to reach in the short term.
In front of these platinum discs, a green warhammer stood suspended in mid-air, protected by a translucent barrier. Arcane arcs, like flickers of lightning, occasionally dissipated from the hammer. One could intuitively feel its immense power just from the energy leaking out.
Igrul looked at the suspended hammer with longing and frustration. "The Hammer of Khaz'goroth, a mighty Pillar of Creation. If we can gain its help, we will surely defeat Neltharion."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Huln smashed his fists together, eager for action. "Activate the seal. We must pass the trial."
"Wait a moment." Andreas pressed a hand on Huln's shoulder. "Let me first explain the risks of using a Pillar of Creation."
Taking down the staff from his back, Andreas placed the head of the staff before Huln and Igrul. A blue-purple gemstone had replaced the original core of the Staff of G'Hanir, spinning freely within the staff's energy field.
"The Tears of Elune," Andreas said solemnly. "This is also one of the Pillars of Creation. I used it once during the operation to storm the Well of Eternity at the end of the war."
Strictly speaking, Andreas had forcibly "looted" this gem right in front of Tyrande, and he had successfully dodged her multiple attempts to reclaim it claiming he 'forgot' where he put it.
Huln and Igrul both looked shocked. They hadn't expected this seemingly unremarkable gemstone to have such a grand origin. Igrul asked excitedly, "If we have two Pillars of Creation, our chances of defeating Neltharion..."
"It's not that simple." Andreas cut him off with a shake of his head. "Listen well. The Pillars of Creation were never intended for mortals. Even for Titan Keepers, using them consumes a vast amount of energy. I did use it once in an extremely dangerous situation, but that was with the current High Priestess, Tyrande Whisperwind, sharing the burden of the Tears of Elune's consumption."
"Even so, as ones favored by the gods, our internal energy was completely drained by the Tears. To this day, I dare not activate its true power again, only using it as an amplification device on my staff."
Andreas looked at them both seriously and warned, "If you plan to use the Hammer of Khaz'goroth, make sure you are prepared to lose your lives. Once your own energy is sucked dry, the next thing the activated Holy Hammer will consume... is your life force."