The solution Andreas devised for magic addiction was simple: leverage Fandral's expertise to plant a World Tree in the Feralas region, extending Nordrassil's blessing to Eldre'Thalas in southern Kalimdor.
Naturally, such an undertaking could not be hidden from Archdruid Malfurion and High Priestess Tyrande.
Upon hearing that Andreas had personally recruited the Shen'dralar—who had long been severed from their kin—Tyrande's reflex was to stall the planting process. She intended to travel to Eldre'Thalas herself to "knock some sense" into these Highborne of the Shen'dralar.
However, Malfurion gave Tyrande no chance to move. Upon receiving Andreas's notice, he immediately and cordially gave his consent, effectively choking back the words Tyrande was about to utter.
Although the two supreme leaders of the Night Elves, Malfurion and Tyrande, were a couple who supported one another, it did not mean their political views were always in sync. Compared to Tyrande, who possessed an excessive lust for power and wished for all authority within the race to rest in her hands, the "nice guy" Malfurion had little interest in wielding power.
On the surface, it appeared that Tyrande, who held both military and political reins, was the undisputed dictatorial leader of the Night Elves. However, Andreas knew better. Even after two hundred years of striving to consolidate power, Tyrande's governance only enjoyed a mediocre level of acceptance among the populace.
In contrast, Malfurion—who advocated for "governance through non-action" but always stepped forward to lead the people at critical moments—was more deeply revered.
It was a stark irony: as Elune's chosen, basking in the Goddess's favor, Tyrande had to rely on iron-fisted authority to cement her prestige. Meanwhile, the Archdruid, who maintained only a general faith in Elune, had become the spiritual leader recognized by the entire Night Elf race.
Once Malfurion had personally spoken, any resentment Tyrande harbored was futile. Whether from a rational or emotional standpoint, she could not overturn the Archdruid's decision.
In his letter, Andreas specifically requested Fandral Staghelm to oversee the planting of the World Tree, and Malfurion agreed without a second thought. Fandral had accumulated vast experience during the planting of Shaladrassil, and his good relationship with Andreas was well-known to all. To improve efficiency, it was only logical for Malfurion to send the "newlywed" Fandral over to plant the tree.
...
Although the Sundering had loosened the prisons of the three Old Gods to varying degrees, they were at least currently unable to break free from the Titans' shackles. Even exerting external influence remained extremely difficult for them.
Saronite ore veins—the "Blood of Yogg-Saron"—had not yet begun to grow frantically across Azeroth. Thus, planting a World Tree now was undoubtedly safe and controllable.
Regarding the potential explosion of Saronite growth in the future, Andreas had spent the last two hundred years repeatedly mulling over countermeasures. In the end, he had failed to come up with a more foolproof solution.
The best method would be to storm the prisons and eliminate the Old Gods once and for all, but this was the first plan Andreas had rejected. Setting aside how difficult it was to kill an Old God rooted in the planet, the three Old Gods were currently still trapped within their seals.
Titan seals were incredibly sturdy; according to Andreas's memory, the three Old Gods wouldn't fully break free even ten thousand years later. Attempting to penetrate their currently secure prisons might require breaking part of the seals first, which would ironically accelerate the Old Gods' jailbreak.
While it felt unpleasant to watch the Old Gods slowly pry themselves loose from their cages, it was a pipe dream to expect the Night Elves—who had just survived the War of the Ancients and entered a rare period of peaceful recovery—to slay Old Gods that even the Titan Keepers could not fully eradicate.
Moreover, if Andreas remembered correctly, Loken, the Keeper of Wisdom, had long since fallen under the corruption of Yogg-Saron. Odyn was sealed away with the Halls of Valor, Ra-den was missing, and Tyr was dead. The Titan Keepers had been torn apart by Loken's schemes, and Ulduar had almost completely fallen. Who knew what trouble that fallen Titan Keeper might cause during a risky battle against an Old God?
Thus, after long deliberation, Andreas reached a temporary compromise: Saronite could still only be suppressed by planting World Trees. While this would open a door to the Emerald Dream for the Old Gods, it was a necessary evil compared to letting Saronite cover the world and allowing the Old Gods to wantonly absorb Azeroth's nutrients.
While Fandral was busy planting and nurturing the World Tree, Andreas was occupied with establishing outposts on Sardor Isle. Following Tortheldrin's death, the Shen'dralar had decided to abandon their past isolationist principles and reconnect with the outside world, but habits formed over millennia were hard to change overnight.
The outpost Andreas established on Sardor Isle would be their first stop in re-entering the world. The Shen'dralar could take ships to Ashenvale—the core Night Elf settlement—or enter Mashan'she via Lake Gademir in northwestern Feralas. The Dream Tree that Fandral was nurturing was planted on the small island in the center of Lake Gademir.
The Tauren living in Mashan'she, through Andreas's mediation and after two hundred years of isolated development, had re-established contact with their allies from the War of the Ancients, the Night Elves.
After some discussion between Andreas and the Tauren, it was decided that the two races would jointly develop the Stonetalon Mountains, with one starting from the south and the other from the north. Although this desolate mountain range was unsuitable for grazing or farming, its rich mineral resources gave Stonetalon immense strategic value. If the wilderness of Stonetalon could be opened up, the passage between Feralas and Ashenvale would be formally connected, making it much easier for Night Elves to travel between the north and south.
Planting a World Tree was destined to be a long process. By the time the Shen'dralar scholars had cleared the hidden dangers within Eldre'Thalas, Andreas stepped into the return teleportation array under Fandral's moody gaze.
Eldre'Thalas was, after all, one of the six major metropolises of the Night Elf Empire. As long as the million-strong Shen'dralar obtained a stable energy supply and broke their isolationist taboos to expand outward, they should soon be able to reclaim abandoned areas and develop step by step.
When Andreas returned to Moonshadow's Rest, he brought back a large number of hand-copied secret texts preserved in Eldre'Thalas. To house these important books, he ordered Chief Magistrate Marclai to expand the town's library. Until then, these precious volumes would be temporarily kept in the Lord's Manor.
The expedition ended successfully, having achieved its goals. Not only had contact been re-established with Eldre'Thalas, but this long-distance coastal voyage and the Marine Corps' battle with Immol'thar had allowed Andreas to identify several issues.
He wasn't afraid of problems; he was only afraid of not finding them.
While the Cog was a revolutionary sailing vessel, the naval combat capability of such small ships was still lacking. On the way back to Moonshadow's Rest, the three Cogs were attacked by a large number of Naga in the coastal waters west of Mashan'she.
Under the brave struggle of the high-performing Marine Corps, the tiny fleet repelled the Naga, but the naval battle exposed flaws: the medium-sized ballistae installed on the ships struggled to deal sufficient area damage to the Naga.
It seems, Andreas thought, that the research into gunpowder weapons must be put on the agenda.