After forcibly traversing an unknown nautical route to reach the Eastern Kingdoms, many Highborne had fallen ill with various diseases.
The alchemists among the Highborne were working hard to relieve their kin's suffering. Fortunately, the herbal resources in Tirisfal Glades were abundant. Although a small number of their people inevitably passed away due to illness, they managed to curb a large-scale outbreak.
Dath'Remar had very sound reasons for choosing this place as their base. Powerful magic radiated from beneath the ground at all times, which greatly alleviated the Highborne's magical addiction.
Andreas knew the source of this unknown magic; it was not entirely safe or controllable. Absorbing such dangerous energy over a long period would likely affect the Highborne's sanity sooner or later.
Dath'Remar led Andreas and his party into a small hut that had only recently been constructed. Lacking resources, he spoke to Andreas apologetically, "I'm sorry, we don't have the black tea we used to serve you. Please forgive us."
Andreas waved his hand dismissively. "Such minor matters don't matter. Let's get down to business."
Looking at Celeste, whose eyes were still slightly red but whose spirits were much better than before, Andreas said with a light smile, "I've taken decent care of your daughter, and now I can finally return her to you in one piece."
Having gone through many hardships, Dath'Remar's son, Danath, had developed a more stable temperament. He bowed solemnly to Andreas in gratitude.
"Lord Moonshadow, thank you for taking care of Celeste."
Dath'Remar stroked Celeste's still-brilliant golden hair, a thoughtful expression appearing on his face.
"Andreas, can I trouble you to continue looking after Celeste?"
"Father?!"
Celeste looked up at Dath'Remar in surprise, and a look of confusion also appeared on Danath's face.
Andreas thought calmly for a moment, a flash of realization crossing his eyes.
"Dath'Remar, so you've noticed that something is wrong, haven't you?"
"Yes."
After offering Celeste some comfort, Dath'Remar said gravely, "There is something strange about the magic beneath this land. Half of it carries a majestic and righteous aura, while the other half is eerie and dark."
"We haven't been settled here for long, so perhaps the signs aren't obvious yet. But if we continue like this, I fear the kin who absorb this magic long-term will be affected eventually."
Andreas nodded. "That's exactly what I wanted to say. I'm quite sensitive to the powers of Light and Shadow. From the moment I stepped onto this land, I could feel the intertwined forces of Light and Shadow deep within the earth."
"This contradictory land reminds me of a legend recorded in the Great Library of Eldre'Thalas."
Dath'Remar paused, then straightened his posture and asked, "Eldre'Thalas preserved many precious secret tomes from the era of the Night Empire. A legend kept there shouldn't be mere groundless rumor."
"Indeed. If you're not in a hurry, I'll tell you about it."
...
Most WoW players who played the Legion (7.0) expansion know that a total of three artifacts were buried in the Tomb of Tyr.
Aside from Xal'atath, Blade of the Black Empire—which was currently hanging from Andreas's waist and was only brought there much later by the Twilight's Hammer—the other two artifacts each had their own history and stories.
Among them, Strom'kar was exactly as Andreas recalled: it was plunged into Zakajz's head by King Thoradin in his later years during a fatal attempt to seek the origins of humanity.
The history of the other artifact went back even further, traceable to tens of thousands of years ago. It was the weapon of Tyr, the Keeper of Order—the Silver Hand.
To put it simply, the righteous Tyr discovered traces of Loken's fall, but his investigation was noticed by Loken at the same time.
As the Keeper of Wisdom, Loken held the highest authority and prestige among all Keepers after the disappearances of Odyn and Ra-den. Aside from Archaedas and Ironaya, who were closest to Tyr, the other Keepers were unwilling to believe the fact that Loken had fallen.
Lacking the strength to overthrow Loken, Tyr and the other two could only temporarily flee Ulduar, waiting for the right moment to find enough allies to counterattack. Upon their escape, the three also schemed to steal the Discs of Norgannon from Ulduar.
These Discs contained all the evidence of Loken's recent misdeeds. If this evidence were made public, all of Loken's crimes would be exposed.
To silence them, a desperate Loken sought help from Yogg-Saron, the prisoner held within Ulduar. The Old God told Loken the locations where two of his C'Thraxxi generals were sealed.
Clutching at a straw, Loken unsealed Zakajz and Sartharion (Krixix) without a second thought, commissioning them in Yogg-Saron's name to hunt down Tyr and his companions.
Ultimately, Tyr and the others could not escape the pursuit of the C'Thraxxi. To cover the escape of Archaedas and Ironaya, Tyr resolutely stayed behind to fight the two C'Thraxxi generals alone.
After a battle that lasted six days and six nights, an exhausted Tyr detonated the remaining Order energy within his body to protect his friends' retreat and ensure the Discs of Norgannon could be preserved.
The massive explosion killed Zakajz on the spot, and Sartharion was heavily wounded and fled in panic.
When Archaedas and Ironaya witnessed the aftermath of the explosion and returned to the battlefield with heavy hearts, only the bodies of the heroically sacrificed Tyr and Zakajz remained.
Archaedas and Ironaya built a tomb for Tyr and left behind the Silver Hand—designed by Mimiron and forged by Archaedas himself—as a memorial.
A portion of the Vrykul, moved by Tyr's bravery and honor, volunteered to stay and guard his tomb. The others followed Archaedas and Ironaya further south to carry on Tyr's legacy.
As for what happened to them later, that is another story.
...
After hearing the story, Dath'Remar asked in surprise, "So you're saying... the Humans currently living in Tirisfal were once Tyr's followers, the Iron Vrykul?"
Andreas's story firmly grabbed everyone's attention. Even Onyxia had never heard of these secrets.
She shook her head in disbelief. "I saw Vrykul in Northrend when I was young. I never thought those savage brutes were close relatives of Humans."
Andreas shrugged and smiled. "What you saw were likely the Dragonflayer Vrykul of Howling Fjord. Those guys aren't anything good; they're all fanatical followers of Loken."
"If you want to find honorable Vrykul, you'll have to go to Stormheim in the Broken Isles to try your luck. The Vrykul who believe in Odyn might give you a different perspective on their race."
Affected by the Old Gods' Curse of Flesh, most Titan-forged lost their once-solid bodies of stone and metal, becoming the flesh-and-blood beings they are today. The Vrykul were among them.
Furthermore, the regression of this race did not end there. The offspring of the Vrykul gradually became unable to inherit their tall and strong physiques. Through the long passage of time, they eventually regressed into the Humans of today.
"Dath'Remar, after hearing this story, you should have a good idea of the situation, right?"
Andreas straightened his expression and said, "Because of the explosion of the Well of Eternity, the continent of ancient Kalimdor was torn apart, and the Tomb of Tyr sank underground as a result. The area you are currently living in is directly above the Tomb of Tyr."
"The Silver Hand contains Tyr's insights into the power of Light, which holds the Void power of the Old God general Zakajz in check. That is why you can feel two different types of magic simultaneously."
Dath'Remar nodded gravely. "That is exactly what I'm worried about. I intend to rest here for a while and then continue our journey, but..."
A look of helplessness appeared on Dath'Remar's face. "The kin don't seem to think that way. Having experienced the arduous voyage across the sea, they don't want to undertake another major journey."
"I plan to let the kin rest here for a period. Once any ominous signs are discovered, I will immediately use them as a breaking point to convince everyone to move again."
Dath'Remar kindly stroked Celeste's hair. The girl's face was full of reluctance to leave her father and brother.
"Andreas, our future remains uncertain. To prevent the Sunstrider family from ending with me, I must trouble you to continue looking after Celeste."