Azeroth Monster Manual

“You might as well be more direct.”

“Let's take an example. Suppose this exhibition match has three rounds, and a total of six 'Gladiators' appear in the three rounds. If Lord Theramore Plagg provides us with three qualified gladiators...

Note, I want those deadly, 'strong' gladiators, not just any trash that can fill the ranks. Sorry, I'm getting a little sidetracked. Um, to continue, then Lord Theramore Plagg will receive less than half of the remuneration for this exhibition match.”

Aier cleared his throat, intending to explain in more detail, lest these important figures have unnecessary misunderstandings.

“For example, today's performance earned a total of 25,000 gold coins, and we will extract 10% of that, which is 2,500 gold coins, as the rental fee for the venue. Theramore Plagg provided three qualified gladiators, while His Excellency the Speaker provided the remaining three gladiators.

Then, after deducting maintenance and some necessary expenses from the remaining 22,500 gold coins, there will be 22,000 gold coins remaining. In the end, the Grand Artificer and Lord Antonidas each receive 11,000 gold coins.

To be even more precise, 11,000 gold coins divided by three, then the value of providing one gladiator is approximately equal to 3,666 gold coins.”

The young man took a sip of the black tea in his cup, looking meaningfully at the high-ranking officials who were constantly calculating.

“So, as long as you provide one qualified gladiator, you can get 3,666 gold coins?”

Brian asked seriously while fiddling with his short, stubby fingers.

“You idiot, you didn’t study math properly when you were a kid. People have already said that only under full capacity can you earn 25,000 gold coins. Do you know what full capacity means? Only when the ticket revenue reaches 25,000 gold coins can we get 3,666 gold coins for providing one gladiator!”

Muradin smacked his younger brother's head, saying in exasperation.

“Bingo, Prince Muradin is right. What I said about shares, or rather, commissions, is like this.”

After hearing Aier and the Bronzebeard brothers' words, even the usually shrewd Antonidas was tempted.

… …

After weighing the pros and cons, all the forces, including Dalaran, signed contracts with Aier. After all, no one would refuse money, not even the wealthy Dalaran.

“Alright, everyone, next I want to talk about the real purpose of gathering everyone here today.”

“First of all, is the news that I have been promoted to Grand Duke by King Anasterian Sunstrider. As for the fief, it will be in Zul'Dare in the Hinterlands. In the future, everyone is welcome to visit my territory.”

After hearing this, everyone praised him and promised to visit Grand Duke Aier's territory in the near future.

The young man clapped his hands with a smile. As the private room gradually quieted down, Aier casually released a transmutation spell. After a while, a lifelike diorama of the Hinterlands appeared before everyone's eyes.

Looking at the light purple magic diorama in front of them, these quick-witted politicians already had some calculations in mind.

“When the first Alliance meeting was held half a year ago, I believe everyone already understood the meaning of the Alliance's existence. This time, I won’t go into too much detail.”

Pointing to the dividing line across Shadra'Alor, Aier spoke eloquently.

“After six months, except for the mysterious Seradane (the Green Dragon's territory), the entire Hinterlands has been declared liberated. Nearly 250,000 troll remnants have become our prisoners, and I have also brought a new ally to the Alliance, the Wildhammer dwarves.”

Hearing this, Brian snorted and was about to say something, but Muradin, with quick eyes and hands, hit him with a fist of love, causing him to hum unhappily and lower his head sullenly.

Feeling Aier's burning gaze, Muradin quickly stood up and thumped his chest with one hand.

“Sorry, Grand Duke Aier, although the Bronzebeard and Wildhammer have some grudges, Ironforge has no intention of objecting.”

Hearing Muradin's words, Aier couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Regarding the Bronzebeard and Wildhammer, one must mention the War of the Three Hammers thousands of years ago, which divided all dwarves, and their respective fates.

The powerful High King Modimus Anvilmar ruled all dwarves with justice and wisdom, however, their mountain city's borders were quite limited, and their tribe and civilization developed too quickly. Soon after, three powerful clans emerged in dwarven society.

As the traditional guard of Ironforge, the Bronzebeard clan, led by Prince Madoran Bronzebeard, had the closest ties to the High King. (Bronzebeard ancestors) The Wildhammer clan, led by Prince Khardros Wildhammer, lived on the hills and cliffs below the mountain, and they hoped to gain more control over the city (Wildhammer ancestors); The third powerful clan was the Dark Iron clan, led by Magister-Lord Thaurissan (this only has a surname, I couldn't find the actual name), they lived deep in the mountain mines, planning to overthrow their Bronzebeard and Wildhammer brothers (Dark Iron ancestors).

The three clans maintained a precarious peace, but the High King's death completely shattered this fragile peace. The three clans launched a war to seize control of Ironforge, and the dwarven civil war raged underground for many years.

In the end, the Bronzebeard clan, with its powerful army, drove the Wildhammer and Dark Iron clans out of Ironforge, winning the war.

Khardros Wildhammer and his Wildhammer warriors migrated north, passed through the Thandol Span, and built their own kingdom on the peak of Grim Batol. The Wildhammer clan prospered there and rebuilt their treasure vaults.

Thaurissan and his Dark Iron clan were not so lucky. The shame of defeat made them even angrier, and they vowed to take revenge on Ironforge. Thaurissan built a city in the beautiful Redridge Mountains (named after himself).

Wealth and the passage of time did not eliminate the Dark Iron clan's hatred for their brothers. Thaurissan and his witch queen, Modgud, launched a two-pronged attack on Ironforge and Grim Batol. The Dark Iron clan prepared to annex all the lands of Khaz Modan.

The Dark Iron armies swept through the armies and fortresses of their two brother clans, nearly capturing both kingdoms. However, Madoran Bronzebeard personally led his clan to defeat Thaurissan's mage forces. Thaurissan and his entourage ignored the battle at Grim Batol and fled back to their city, leaving Modgud's army in an even more difficult situation when facing Khardros and his Wildhammer clan forces.

When Modgud faced her enemies, she always used her power to deeply imprint fear into the hearts of her enemies. Shadows moved at her command, and dark objects emerged from the depths of the earth, lurking in the Wildhammer fortress.

In the end, Modgud broke through the gates and directly began attacking the final fortress. The Wildhammer warriors united as one, and Khardros personally took to the field, killing the witch queen amidst thousands of troops.

Modgud's death caused the Dark Iron army to collapse in the face of the enraged Wildhammer army. They encountered reinforcements from Ironforge on their way south to their city. The remaining Dark Iron clan forces were caught in a pincer attack and were completely annihilated.

The combined forces of Ironforge and Grim Batol then turned south, preparing to completely eliminate Sorcerer-Thaurissan and his Dark Iron clan. But they didn't get far before Thaurissan's rage unleashed a flood of magical energy.

In his desperate attempt to secure victory, he began summoning powerful supernatural beings, recklessly calling upon ancient forces slumbering beneath the earth. To his horror (and ultimately, his doom), the creature he summoned was far more terrifying than any nightmare he could have imagined.

Ragnaros the Firelord, an elemental lord sealed away by the Titans at the dawn of the world, was reborn through Thaurissan's summoning. Ragnaros's re-emergence in Azeroth shattered the Redridge Mountains, his power causing a raging volcano to erupt, forming Blackrock Mountain, which connected the Searing Gorge to the Burning Steppes.

Though Thaurissan was killed by the power he unleashed, many of his surviving kin were enslaved by Ragnaros and his elemental minions. To this day, they remain within Blackrock Mountain.

Having witnessed the terrifying destruction and the flames engulfing the southern mountains, King Madoran and King Khardros halted their armies and hastily retreated towards their own kingdoms, unwilling to face Ragnaros's terrible power.

The Bronzebeard clan returned to Ironforge, rebuilding their glorious city, while the Wildhammer clan returned to their home in Grim Batol. However, the death of Modgud left a taint of evil upon the mountain fortress, and the Wildhammer dwarves found it uninhabitable, grieving the loss of their beloved home.

The Bronzebeard king offered the Wildhammer clan a place within the borders of Ironforge, but the Wildhammer stubbornly refused. Khardros led his people north to the lands of Lordaeron, settling in the lush forests of the Hinterlands. There, the Wildhammer built the Aerie Peak stronghold, gradually embracing nature and even befriending the local griffons.

The dwarves of Ironforge, wishing to maintain contact and trade with their brethren, built two massive arched bridges connecting Khaz Modan with the mountain passes of Lordaeron—the Thandol Span.

The two kingdoms prospered through trade, and after the deaths of Madoran and Khardros, their sons jointly commissioned the carving of two enormous statues in their fathers' memory. These statues guarded the passage leading south to the volcanic lands, serving as a warning to any who would threaten the dwarven kingdoms, reminding them of the terrible price the Dark Iron clan paid for their transgressions.

The two kingdoms continued to maintain close relations for many years, but the Wildhammer dwarves were greatly changed by the horrors they had witnessed in Grim Batol. They began to dwell in the heights of Aerie Peak, no longer delving into the deep mountains to carve out their kingdom. Due to vast differences in ideology, the two dwarven clans eventually parted ways.

This is the reason for the dwarven separation. Although the Wildhammer and Bronzebeard were originally of the same lineage, and became inseparable and reliable comrades in the resistance against the Dark Iron invasion, time erodes all things.

With the Wildhammer's seclusion, or rather, their isolationist policy, the Thandol Span, which originally connected the two countries, gradually became desolate, and the descendants of the two clans became extremely unfamiliar over the course of a thousand years.

The Bronzebeard looked down upon the Wildhammer's barbaric eccentricity, while the Wildhammer resented the Bronzebeard's arrogance and impoliteness. Although they couldn't be said to be at each other's throats, the relationship between the two dwarven kingdoms was, to some extent, not as good as their human (gnome) friends.

Muradin, as one of the princes, would naturally not speak without purpose. After receiving his promise, Aier's last layer of concern naturally vanished. So he nodded slightly to Muradin as a sign, and continued the topic just now.

"As one of the main allies in this war, Quel'Thalas and our Wildhammer friends have divided all the land in the Hinterlands (except Theradras), with Shadra'Alor and Quel'Danil as the dividing line. Uh... roughly 102.65 square kilometers (network data, borrowed by the author)."

Before the words were finished, the atmosphere in the private room suddenly became strange. The kings looked at me, I looked at you, all with an expression of disbelief.

"That desolate land..."

Terenas wanted to say something, but was interrupted by Aiden on the side.

"Lord Aier... Our Alterac is also one of the participating countries. The coalition's food and transportation all rely on our own strength..."

Aiden's obsequious appearance had long since disappeared. From his distraught appearance, it could be seen that this wealthy second-generation king was somewhat anxious.

The young man still had that calm and breezy look. He smiled and clapped his hands, and the elusive old butler Barton reappeared in everyone's sight.

"Your Majesty Aiden, please be calm. We deeply remember Alterac's free assistance to the coalition. This list is the spoils and compensation provided by Quel'Dorei and the Wildhammer for our steadfast allies. Please take a look."

After giving an elegant salute, the old butler took off his snow-white gloves and personally handed the list of spoils to Aiden, who was stunned in place.

Taking the list handed over by the old butler suspiciously, just glancing at it, this wealthy second-generation king, who was quite scheming, almost staggered and fell to the ground.

The sweat constantly oozing from his palms wet the list exuding the fragrance of ink. Just as Aiden was immersed in shock and unable to extricate himself, King Thoras Trollbane, who had been planning for a long time, unexpectedly snatched the list away.

"Give it back to me!"

Aiden shouted eagerly, lunging towards Thoras, who was reading aloud, without any decorum, but was stopped by Terenas.

"Don't be excited, my friend, let us also hear what kind of rewards our steadfast allies have received."

Terenas said with a slightly teasing tone. In today's agriculture (Golden Fertilizer), it's just providing food to the Hinterlands battlefield. Is such a merit worthy of a reward?

He believed that Aier did this just to buy a horse's bones with a thousand pieces of gold. Stripping away the surface to see the essence, this cunning fox's ultimate goal is still those kings who are standing still.

Aier smiled as he looked at the three people in front of him, entangled like street ruffians, and couldn't help but chuckle. That's right, he was indeed buying horse bones with a thousand pieces of gold, and it was a blatant and undisguised purchase of horse bones.

But he was confident that even Antonidas could not refuse such a conspiracy.

As Thoras recited, the originally slightly cheerful atmosphere gradually solidified.

"Soul Embrace Totem (omitted types): 1200 units

Golden Fertilizer 1.0: 1000 servings, 2.0: 1000 servings..."

Hearing this, even the most composed Antonidas couldn't sit still, but the following content of the list made it even more difficult for him to accept...