Valewalker Farodin appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary, wild Druid.
According to Prisim detailed investigation, Farodin was a native of Val'sharah. His parents had perished during the War of the Ancients, and he had learned his druidic arts from the Archdruid Ialothiel.
As Tauren and other races joined the Cenarion Circle, the number of members grew so large that Malfurion could no longer manage everything alone. With the permission of the forest demigod Cenarius, Malfurion began bestowing the title of Archdruid upon the core members of the Circle.
Ialothiel was an Ancient. Entrusted by Malfurion, he had watched over Val'sharah for years, teaching almost all the new generation of Druids in those forests. Farodin, who was once a mere fruit farmer, was one of them.
However, unlike other young Druids, Farodin was not interested in flashy shapeshifting or spells with powerful visual effects. The older Farodin was a typical "academic" Druid; he was not skilled in combat but instead applied the philosophy of the Druidic path to everyday life.
Andreas didn't have a deep impression of the name Farodin in his memories, but the events he had caused immediately clarified the man's identity to Andreas.
The Tree of Miracles, Arcan'dor—Farodin was its creator.
This Druid, who called himself a Valewalker, possessed a unique talent for cross-breeding and improving tree species. Working alone and in secret, he had managed to create the prototype for the Arcan'dor.
However, once he achieved results, he made a reckless and ill-considered decision driven by excitement. He planted the first Arcan'dor seed in the ruins of Suramar and told the early exiles of the Nightborne that the fruit from this tree could harmonize and cure the magic addiction that had plagued them for years.
However, by acting rashly without verification, Farodin ultimately caused a catastrophe.
While the Arcan'dor could theoretically achieve the intended effect, there were many difficulties to resolve during its cultivation. Planting the Arcan'dor for the first time, Farodin struggled to cope with the various fluctuations that occurred during its growth. Coupled with the Nightborne's impatience—absorbing the unstable energy of the Arcan'dor too early—the energy within the tree eventually became unbalanced, triggering a massive explosion.
The Arcan'dor was a perfect fusion of nature and arcane forces. Theoretically, if it could overcome all obstacles and reach maturity, it could indeed cure the magic addiction of the Nightborne, and even all Highborne.
The exploding Arcan'dor released all its stored nature and arcane energies at once. These mutated energies twisted the biological forms of the Nightborne, transforming them into an entirely new species: the Fal'dorei spider-people.
"Release me, you uncouth Kaldorei commoners!"
The Fal'dorei brought into the administration hall struggled and shouted, "Farodin! Hand over the Arcan'dor seed! I know you still have one on you!"
Andreas frowned. "Gag her and take her away to await sentencing."
This Fal'dorei's generalized insult toward "commoners" had offended many people in the room, as almost all the high-ranking officials of the Night Elf Republic today were of commoner origin.
However, her outburst provided Andreas with a vital piece of information: there was another Arcan'dor seed.
Temporarily ignoring the dark-faced Tyrande, Andreas looked at Farodin, whose hands were bound by arcane shackles, and asked, "Is what that Fal'dorei said true? Do you really have another Arcan'dor seed?"
Farodin opened his mouth, initially intending to deny it. However, under Maiev's piercing, sword-like gaze, he finally gave a bitter smile and said, "Yes, there is indeed another Arcan'dor seed, but it is not currently on my person."
"Where is it?"
Andreas spoke calmly. "The lesson of the Fal'dorei is deep enough, isn't it? You should know that a Tree of Miracles isn't something you can cultivate alone on a whim."
"Wait!"
Tyrande's brow furrowed. "Andreas, you're not actually thinking of investing resources to grow an Arcan'dor, are you?"
"Yes, why not?"
"I disagree!"
Tyrande reminded him sternly, "Suppressing the Fal'dorei in Falanaar has already cost a significant portion of Black Rook Hold's military strength. If it fails again, who will take responsibility?"
Andreas ignored the hidden edge in Tyrande's words and turned his gaze toward Fandral, who was attending the meeting on Malfurion's behalf.
Since the planting of Andrassil in Moonsong Forest, the Druids led by Malfurion had been on high alert, increasing the duration and intensity of their patrols in the Emerald Dream. As the practical leader of the Cenarion Circle, Malfurion naturally had to lead by example. Over the past 200 years, he hadn't even returned to the physical world once. It was no wonder Tyrande, lacking her partner's presence, was so irritable.
Fandral gave Tyrande a contemptuous look; the blunt-tempered man never bothered to hide his emotions.
"I have already gathered the high-ranking members of the Cenarion Circle to conduct a preliminary survey of the exploded Arcan'dor. After discussion, the Druids have reached a unified conclusion."
"Theoretically, the Arcan'dor can indeed achieve the effect of curing magic addiction as Farodin claimed. However, its cultivation process is exceptionally complex. The slightest mistake could ruin everything or even trigger a massive disaster."
Fandral looked at Farodin and rebuked him sternly, "Your actions were far too reckless! If you had told the Cenarion Circle earlier, did you think we would just stand by and watch?"
Andreas's lip twitched slightly. 'You're one to talk about being reckless, brother...'
Seeing that Tyrande was about to speak again, Maiev raised her hand to cut her off.
"In other words, if this magical tree called Arcan'dor is grown to maturity under standardized cultivation and meticulous care, its fruit can truly harmonize the magic addiction of the Highborne?"
"Archdruid Fandral Staghelm, can you give a definitive answer?"
Fandral nodded solemnly. "Yes. However, I hope to obtain the Arcan'dor seed for further in-depth inspection. This is the shared opinion of all high-ranking members of the Cenarion Circle, including my mentor."
"No!"
Farodin's expression changed as he struggled to stand up from the floor. "The second Arcan'dor seed is currently receiving the residual magical infusion of Falanaar. It is far from ready to be harvested. You cannot take it away now!"
Andreas smiled reassuringly. "Calm down. The Cenarion Circle is full of talented individuals. The concerns you mentioned will naturally be taken into account by them."
"Fandral."
"Yes."
"I leave the matters concerning the Arcan'dor to you. I hope you can bring us good news."
Andreas looked at the still-displeased Tyrande. "High Priestess, please be patient. We will not blindly plant a second Tree of Miracles."
"If it truly performs as intended, the Highborne's dependence on magic sources will be significantly reduced. This would undoubtedly be a good thing for the entire Night Elf Republic."
"Hmph!"
Tyrande sat back down huffily. "Fine. Since even Malfurion has agreed, I have nothing more to say. But you must prioritize safety. I do not want to see another batch of spider-people created."