Andreas didn't expect a few instances of provocation to play a decisive role immediately.
Nefarian, Onyxia, and the other progeny of the Black Dragon King were clearly intent on staying safe and watching from the sidelines. Until their lingering hopes were utterly crushed, the children of the Earth-Warder would always harbor a final sliver of hope that their father might regain his sanity.
Having met and subtly guided these important scions of the Black Dragonflight twice now, Andreas believed these far-from-stupid dragons would eventually take action—at the very least, they would follow his lead and investigate the records of the Old Gods' existence.
Andreas wasn't worried about them failing to find relevant records. As a scholar-type dragon, Nefarian possessed an extensive reserve of knowledge. As long as they were determined to search, as one of Azeroth's guardian races, they should be able to find the answers they sought regarding the existence of the Black Empire.
With matters in Highmountain concluded, Andreas did not return home immediately. Instead, he flew in a wide arc around the Broken Isles.
He wasn't just flying for fun; Andreas was recording the new Ley Line node coordinates of the Broken Isles after they had been separated from the main continent. Once he returned and handed these coordinates to the arcanists in Moonnight Town, travel between the Broken Isles and Kalimdor would become much more convenient.
In the process of recording the Ley Line nodes, Andreas gained a general understanding of the Broken Isles as they were ten thousand years ago.
Stormheim was not much different from how it would be ten thousand years in the future. Vrykul tribes of various sizes were scattered throughout the fjords, warring with one another over territory and survival resources, with the fires of battle spreading across the region.
Suramar City, the core of the Broken Isles, was shrouded in a massive purple barrier. The central areas of the city were all within the protective reach of this shield. Large tracts of land outside the city limits had been abandoned, with the ruins of elegant Night Elf architecture scattered throughout the forests.
Since only a few years had passed since the end of the War of the Ancients, the problems of overpopulation and resource scarcity in Suramar had not yet surfaced. There were no Nightfallen being exiled yet, and the areas surrounding the outer city were peaceful.
Returning to Val'sharah from northern Suramar, Andreas slowed his flight speed. The air quality within this primeval forest was exceptionally high, and Night Elf villages of various sizes were scattered throughout Val'sharah.
These compatriots living in the Broken Isles had been out of contact with Kalimdor for several years, and they were gradually growing accustomed to their new life far from the main continent. Andreas's appearance was a great surprise to the Night Elves of Val'sharah. They hadn't expected anyone to cross the vast ocean to reach the islands, and the villages where he stopped along the way treated him with great hospitality.
Through observation and by questioning the villagers, Andreas learned that these settlements had all been established after the War of the Ancients. During the war, the Night Elves, driven by a sense of crisis, had congregated at Black Rook Hold, a logistics fortress. Although the Great Sundering had terrified the Night Elves of Val'sharah for a time, once peace returned, they gradually left the overcrowded camping areas around Black Rook Hold.
These departing Night Elves formed groups and established many villages across the vast expanse of Val'sharah, starting their lives anew.
From inquiries at the villages along his route, Andreas learned that there was a Temple of Elune called Isildien in central Val'sharah. South of the temple lay the woodlands where Cenarius once resided, and near those woodlands was a medium-sized town named Lorlathil.
The Night Elves living throughout Val'sharah would travel to Lorlathil once a month, where a large open market provided them with many daily necessities.
At the mention of Lorlathil, Andreas suddenly recalled information Shandris had mentioned before. Lorlathil had existed long before the War of the Ancients; it was the birthplace of both Shandris and Andreas. Members of the Moonshadow and Feathermoon families were buried in the cemetery on the outskirts of the town.
Andreas had not inherited his predecessor's memories and didn't know where the old family home was. However, when he arrived at Lorlathil and asked, the townsfolk quickly pointed out the location of the Moonshadow family's ancestral home.
"Lord Andreas Moonshadow is a celebrity in Lorlathil. We heard he fought heroically against the demons. The surviving residents of this town decided together to restore the old Moonshadow house and preserve it as a memorial."
When Lorlathil was attacked by demons, it wasn't just the Moonshadow and Feathermoon families that suffered; every Night Elf living there was hit by a devastating blow. Not even one in ten of the original inhabitants had survived. Most of the current residents of Lorlathil had moved there later. As Andreas walked down the bustling streets, not a single person recognized him.
He stood before the restored Moonshadow home for a moment. Quite a few travelers from across Val'sharah were there visiting.
Has it become a tourist attraction...
Shaking his head with a mixture of helplessness and amusement, Andreas turned his gaze to another large wooden house nearby. That was likely the former residence of the Feathermoon family.
...
Because he had notified the villages he encountered beforehand, when the monthly grand market was held, the mayors and village heads of the surrounding areas all gathered in Lorlathil.
Fleet, the mayor of Lorlathil, was one of the survivors of the demon attack. He was surprised and confused to see so many village heads gathered in his town.
"Everyone, what is going on? Is there some collective event being held?"
One of the village heads asked strangely, "Mayor Fleet, haven't you heard?"
Fleet asked back blankly, "Heard what?"
"Allow me to explain."
The doors of the town council hall opened, and a silver-haired man wearing Druid robes walked in. His eyes were a very peculiar sight—black pupils with a thin golden ring.
When Mayor Fleet saw those rare golden eyes, the man's familiar features immediately triggered a memory.
"It's you! Andreas?! Your eyes... how did they..."
The mayor's reaction momentarily stunned Andreas. He then said with a wry smile, "My apologies. Due to a severe head injury during the war, I have lost all my past memories. And you are?"
Fleet nodded in realization, then introduced himself somewhat sadly, "Just call me Fleet. I had some dealings with the Moonshadow family in the past."
Andreas reached out and shook Fleet's hand. "Mayor Fleet, let's save the reminiscing for later. Let's get straight to business."
"I have come here to reintegrate Val'sharah with Kalimdor. I need your help."
The village heads who had been informed by Andreas earlier remained mostly calm, while the others, like Fleet, showed expressions of pleasant surprise.
"Is that true? What do we need to do?"
Andreas explained with a smile, "I need you to mobilize all the Druids in your respective villages and towns and gather them at the Grove of Cenarius."
"I need to borrow the power of that sacred grove, brimming with natural energy, and the help of the Druids to attempt to establish contact with Cenarius in the Emerald Dream. We will attempt to link Val'sharah to the range of the World Tree, Nordrassil."