Lordaeron is a typical feudal monarchy, and the ruling class of this country is supported by aristocrats large and small.

One of the characteristics of feudal countries is that the relationship between the nobility is intertwined, and after hundreds of years of marriage and alliance, betrayal and hostility, it is almost impossible to sort out the relationship between the various nobles in a short time.

For this reason, in Lordaeron, there is a special royal heraldic master, who is responsible for managing and maintaining, as well as sorting out the relationship between the nobles in the country, and when necessary, such as the sudden death of a family, or the death of the head of the family and causing chaos in the family, the heraldic masters will be responsible for selecting the young man who is most qualified to inherit the family, or the side branch.

In fact, this is true not only of Lordaeron, but also of other human nations.

Heraldry, this strange "science", can be called a prominent science in these human countries, and many young generations of aristocratic families will learn this science to recognize who is the friend of the family and who is the enemy of the family.

However, the chaotic aristocratic system, in addition to effectively enhancing the unity and internal relations of the aristocracy, also has a very bad side, for example, some small nobles are likely to have more land and power than the title through marriages and intertwined relationships.

For example, the simplest example, the great nobleman Count Barov, who lives in seclusion in the Stratholm district, is the old nobleman of the Alterac Kingdom, just a count's title, but whether it is the land he owns, or the wealth of the family, or his status in the aristocratic circle, he is far more than an ordinary duke, and the morale of the royal family of Pirenod ruling Alterac, every move of the Barov family will directly affect the entire country.

Another example is our Baron Rivendell...

Rivendell only has the title of baron, but his actual power is not inferior to those of the big nobles, Baron Rivendell is the nominal administrator of the entire Stratholme district, this is an official position directly appointed by the king, the baron is 35 years old this year, he can be called young, strong, energetic, and he can get such a high position at such a young age, also because of his family heritage.

The entire city of Stratholme, the most prosperous city in Stratholm, was the private domain of the Rivendell family when the kingdom was established, and over time, although the title of the baron's family became lower and lower for various reasons, the power they actually controlled was not weakened much.

Especially after the establishment of Stratholm City, the Rivendell family began to rule the entire Stratholme district with the lowest baron title, which can be called one of the largest real nobles in the country.

But the family kept a low profile, and they had always been staunch supporters of the king. When Minechel II ascended the throne, the Rivendell family made a great effort, so after the king sat on the throne, he also gave the Rivendell family absolute preferential treatment.

Unfortunately, all good things cannot be taken up by one person, and good luck in one area means that things will be bad in another.

The Rivendell family is low-key and prominent, but the inheritance of children within the family is very difficult, there has only one heir for several generations, which is definitely a disaster for a noble family, once an accident occurs to a certain generation of heirs, it means that the family is likely to die.

And now, this terrible future is in front of the eyes of the current Baron of Rivendell... His son, the only son he loved the most, had fallen seriously ill a few years earlier and seemed to have no hope of a cure.

"Oryx, are you asleep?"

As night fell, Baron Rivendell's tired voice rang out outside his son's bedroom, accompanied by a heart-rending cough, and moments later, the frail young man, the next heir to the Rivendell family, opened the door for his father.

In front of his loved ones, Baron Rivendell no longer had the hypocritical smile and gentle attitude he had in front of others, his black eyes were full of regret, and he looked at his son, only 19 years old, who should have been the best age of his life, but was trapped in this damn bedroom, waiting for death in agony.

"Father... Ahem, ahem, I... I'm fine. ”

Oryx. With a difficult smile on Rivendell's pale face, he reached out to take his father's hand, but when he raised his arm, a trace of pain flashed across his face, and his body fell backwards in tearing pain, and his quick-eyed father stepped forward and held him in his arms.

"Okay, son, don't talk, just lie down quietly for a while."

Baron Rivendell smiled at his son, picked him up, placed him on the couch beside him, and then picked up the medicine bag on the side and cooked a bitter soup for his son.

This potion was prescribed by the most famous physician in Lordaeron, and with the power of Baron Rivendell, he could easily find a good priest to treat his son, but in fact, one year ago, when Oryx was just getting sick, the Baron took him to Lordaeron, and humbly asked His Majesty Fao to treat his son.

But the Pope told him sad news.

Oryx's strange disease could not be dispelled, it was a disease that had never appeared in the classics, as if in the deepest part of the young man's body, a strange power was born, greedily absorbing the young man's life force, and constantly tearing him into the darkness.

Fao, who was helpless about this, guessed that Aurex was not terminally ill, but cursed, so the baron took his son to Dalaran, and even went to Quel'Thalas, but he could not find a way to uncover this strange curse, and could only watch his son weaken day by day, and be devoured by disease day by day.

But if people are not plants and trees, how can they be ruthless?

Despite the repeated exhortations of Orix, a devout member of the Church of Light, to let his father relax, the young man, after his initial despair and despair, and with the passage of time, seemed to have ceased to struggle, but in his endless agony, seeing his impending death as a relief.

"I can feel, Father, that when I close my eyes, I see... Ahem, the Light, the Light is calling to me. ”

Oryx. Rivendell took the potion handed by his father with difficulty, the strange-tasting potion was mixed with some sleeping potions, which could make the baron's son sleep well, but this potion carried trace amounts of toxins, so he could not drink too much, and every time he took a nap after drinking the medicine, it was the happiest time for Orrix, who was tormented by pain.

"You'll be fine, son."

The baron sat on the edge of the sofa, stroking his son's dull hair, and looking at his inhuman son, tormented by painful wounds, he whispered:

"I'll find a way to save you, I'll find it."

"Don't bother, father."

After drinking the bitter potion, Aurex breathed a sigh of relief, and in a drowsy state, he took his father's hand and whispered:

"This is the will of the Light, Father, these pains, these are trials, soon, soon I will be inspired by the Light, I am very happy, I can have a father like you, you will always be my hero in my heart... After I left, my father and mother lived well. ”

A mischievous smile flashed across Aurex's withered cheeks:

"You'd better have me another brother... I will pray for you in the Paradise of Light. ”

With that, the Baron's son could no longer resist the drowsiness rolling in his heart, and he closed his eyes, and a moment later a low snoring sounded, and Baron Rivendell was half-kneeling beside his son, and he looked at his child with a gentle gaze that was tumbling with a father's greatest love.

"You're a good boy, Oryx, you don't deserve this."

"If the Light can't save you, then I... I'll look somewhere else. ”

A hint of stubbornness flashed in the baron's eyes, he lowered his head, kissed his son on the forehead, then stood up, and straightened his clothes in front of the dressing mirror in the bedroom, the mirror reflected the most perfect image of the noble, his black eyes shone with a touch of determination, Orix's body could no longer hold on, and there was not much time left for him to save his son.

"My son, I will be your hero... I swear! ”

The baron took one last look at his son, who was asleep on the couch, and then strode out of the room without looking back.

————————————————————

Stratholme at dusk is a beautiful city.

The warm afterglow shines on the walls of the city, on weekdays, at this time, the city square is always bustling with people, there is the noise of children and the laughter of adults, and the food carts pushed by vendors walking around, as one of the most prosperous cities in the whole northern Xinjiang, Stratholme has its own pride, as the hinterland city of the kingdom of Lordaeron, Stratholme has more than once in the most critical moment, propping up the entire crumbling country.

The city and its people should also be proud.

Today, however, there is no one lingering in the city square, and the pedestrians on the streets are in a hurry, as if a slight step is the soul of an invisible demon.

On the city walls, the mages of Stratholme are working hard to prop up a magical shield for the entire city, preventing the yellow smoke from seeping into the city.

The smoke killings in the north of Stratholme have been transmitted to Stratholm through the kingdom's communication channels, and now many people know that these smoke are poisonous, and the city shrouded in poisonous fog will naturally fall into panic, but under the watch of the city guards, the city still has not lost order, but it is at the tipping point of order and chaos, maybe it only needs a light push...

"I've done everything you asked me to do."

In the basement of the "Crown Apothecary Company" in the business district, Baron Rivendell, wearing a black cloak, looked at the strange old man in front of him, and he said in a deep voice:

"I threw away my conscience, I threw away my oath, I threw away the honor of my family, I have done what I promised, what about your promises?"

The baron's voice was filled with an unforgettable hatred, it was clear that the old man in front of him was not his friend, it was like an enemy, but there seemed to be some kind of deal between the two sides.

"Of course, Mr. Baron, without your help, those potions would not have been distributed so smoothly across the land, but if it was just that, it wouldn't be enough..."

In the shadows of the basement, the strange old man's voice echoed, low and magnetic, like an old and old-fashioned old nobleman.

"The original deal was that you spread fear on this land, and we will save your only son, and you say the deal is done? No, apparently not yet, there is still one last step left! ”

The old man turned around, it was a face that Baron Rivendell had never seen, and it was not the middle-aged man who took the initiative to find him, this should be a mysterious organization, with some kind of dark ambition, but the baron didn't care about it, he just wanted to save his son, that's all.

"I'm not persecuting you, Baron."

The old man saw the resentment in the baron's eyes, he was not angry, on the contrary, this expression of mortal hatred and powerlessness intertwined made him feel very comfortable, he looked at the angry man in front of him with an admiring gaze, and after a moment he whispered:

"You've stepped into our side, there's no going back, and I know it might be difficult for you to give us your city, so I've decided to pay you some money first, so that you can have confidence in us."

"You want a healthy, handsome heir? Do you need poor Oryx to get rid of the sickness within? Yes..."

"Huh"

A black crystal was thrown to the baron, who held it in his hand, and heard the old man's voice ringing again in the darkness.

"Take it, and you will see with your own eyes the "new life" of your son, and then after that you will bring the shadow of death to Stratholme, and when the city has completely fallen into darkness, you will also receive this gift. ”

The baron clenched the crystal in his hand, and he looked up, the dark basement was empty. The baron let out a long sigh, he turned and walked out of the basement, he was not stupid and would not rashly trust a group of strangers, but 3 months ago, when Oryx couldn't make it out, it was indeed the crystals given by these bastards who saved his son's life.

Like a drowning man who has fallen into an endless abyss, after trying all the methods, he can only hold on to the life-saving straw in front of him.

And at the moment when the baron put on his hood and quietly walked out of the basement, on the empty street in front of him, the tall war horse, carrying the young knight, stepped through the light of dusk, in the neighing of the war horse, the prince of Arthas stared closely at the baron in front of him, in the perception of the holy light, he could clearly feel the evil aura coming from the baron, which made the prince even more angry.

"You have failed your king, you have failed your city, you... Failed your son! ”