Chapter 882 1. The Founding Ceremony of the Silver Dawn (Part 1)
The last few months of Dark Portal 18 were a lot of fun.
On the one hand, Pandaria, a new continent that embarrassed the Empire and the Alliance, finally opened four coastal trading ports to both sides, which meant that this new continent began to integrate into the world order. This is an excellent opportunity for the merchants of the country, especially the Stormwind Kingdom, which is undergoing reforms on the imperial side.
A new large market means that the products produced by the rapidly increasing artisans in the Stormwind Kingdom have new export channels.
At present, the flagship products of the Stormwind Kingdom are produced in the Shining Plains, and have been industrialized, and the high-quality salt, and some specially processed seafood, as well as the wine industry that has gradually emerged in the hinterland of the kingdom, the land of the Shining Plains It is barren and cannot grow much food, but this kind of land is very suitable for the growth of grapes introduced from the night elves.
The Kingdom of Stormwind spent a lot of money and invited many winemakers from dwarves, tauren, high elves, and Syndra elves. After a period of experimentation, they made a wine with a unique taste. For the Pandaren, this should be regarded as a very popular product. At the same time, Pandaria's food imports, which are so cheap that the food merchants are desperate, can also greatly alleviate the people's thirst for food and clothing in the Stormwind Kingdom.
With the use of the large port built by Varian on the coast of the Shimmering Plains, the golden waters of the South China Sea once again extended outwards. As long as the Stormwind Kingdom can find a way to break through the trade barriers of the Steamwheedle Consortium, they will soon be able to join this effort. Among the sea trade roads flowing with gold coins.
In addition to the integration of Pandaria into the world, another big news is about the tol'vir in Uldum. These strange creatures who have been isolated from the world for more than 10,000 years have begun to try to communicate with the outside world. The Kingdom of Ramkahen Pharaoh Phaoris is a wise ruler. He did not stand alone on the side of the empire. Instead, he relied on the businessmen who heard the news from the Dark Blade Consortium. While submitting his credentials to the empire, he also sent diplomacy Ambassadors were sent to the far eastern continent.
From the very beginning, this weird civilization joined the neutral camp without a teacher.
Of course, compared to the millions of pandaren in Pandaria, the tol'vir with a population of only nearly 800,000 are just a small civilization, but this small civilization has some resources that make other civilizations very jealous...
More than 10,000 years ago, the activation of the furnace of origin completely destroyed the natural environment of Uldum, but after being reshaped by the power of the Titans, the desert contained unimaginable mineral reserves and many It is a rare ore that does not exist in the outside world. According to the description of the imperial archaeological observation team who returned from Uldum, the desert of Uldum contains a huge gemstone mine that is comparable to the reserves of the entire world. The gemstones there are not worth much at all.
However, just when the businessmen who were swayed by the news planned to take this opportunity to make a fortune, they discovered in despair that the cunning Pharaoh had dispatched all his legions in advance, and united the Orsis tribe and the almost extinct The Neferset tribe protected all the gemstone mines in the entire Uldum Desert.
In several trades in the past 3 months, the tol'vir merchants who wore light gauze and seemed simple but actually very shrewd set up a gem market in the valley at the junction of Uldum and Tanaris. It was just three months of trade, and it earned the closed tol'vir kingdom a fortune comparable to half a year's tax revenue for the empire.
Moreover, it is said that there are amazing reserves of oil resources buried underground in Uldum. The tol'vir have also begun to contact the goblin consortium, planning to mine crude oil for sale. In the foreseeable future, the tol'vir civilization with few people is likely to become The richest desert tyrants in Azeroth, after all, their home is built on a real gold mine.
And the third thing that shocked the whole world in the past 18 years of the Dark Portal was the "Ulduar" event in the Northrend continent. The bronze beard dwarves predicted a disaster to the whole world, and The very real evidence was presented, causing the whole world to become turbulent. Several forces have sent troops to the northern continent. It is said that on the mysterious storm cliff, a protracted war is going on.
Countless mortal warriors are using their courage and sacrifice to protect the world they live in.
And in the spring that came quietly in the 19th year of the Dark Gate, another sudden event caused another storm in the world that had not yet calmed down.
A few years ago, when the empire moved westward, they stayed in the homeland of the empire with a great spirit of sacrifice, inherited the legacy of Emperor Lothar, and guarded the last land of the empire in Stratholme. Inspired by the Holy Light, the world-renowned fanatics, in the spring, would like to announce to the whole world...
They are about to build a country.
For a moment, the nobles of the entire human empire, who were jittery because of Varian's reform, felt as if they had been stabbed severely from the back, while the federal government occupying the Eastern Continent cheered for this news ...
In short, this news is like a scorching knife, stabbing fiercely into the peaceful daily life of the Empire and the Federation, and at the same time disturbing the peace of both parties.
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"In short, please pass on my exact words to Earl Godfrey...The establishment of our empire at this time does not mean that we have left the empire. In fact, this is just a difficult choice about the political form of the eastern continent. .”
In the past few days, Grand Knight Fording, who was overwhelmed by the ambassadors who frequently traveled between the Empire and the Stratholme area, patiently explained to the envoy in front of him:
"Only if we establish an independent country, can we ensure that the Stratholme region will not be merged into the federal government, and only a real country is qualified to discuss the issue of over-divided land at the political level and the Federation.. .And this has also been approved by His Majesty the Pope, and even King Liam has chosen to support it in the vote of the King's Council."
Great Knight Fording said in a deep voice:
"I understand Earl Godfrey's worries, but with all due respect, such worries are meaningless. The Scarlet Crusaders are all believers in the Holy Light. Does the Earl still worry that we will fall to the side of the undead?"
This somewhat impatient response made the envoy who came on behalf of the Gilneas nobleman Earl Godfrey somewhat unable to answer, but he did feel the helplessness of the Scarlet Crusade and the Federation For the degree of penetration of this land.
He has only been here for 2 days, and he saw at least 7 caravans from the Federation swaggering into the trade area of Tyre's Hand... It was like walking in his own country.
The Scarlet Crusade, which is at an absolute disadvantage in terms of military strength, faces the three legions deployed by the Federation around Stratholme. The pervasive commercial infiltration of the Federation, these knights who are loyal to the empire but far away from the country, can only barely maintain the empire's claim to the Stratholme region by using curves to save the country.
And it's better to let the Scarlet Crusade establish a country than to throw Stratholme to the Federation...
After seeing off this polite envoy, Grand Knight Fording sat wearily in his office. There were too many plans and messy documents on the desk in front of his eyes.. .For the paladins, instead of burying their heads in this terrible document "war", it would be more enjoyable to rush into the battlefield and have a hearty battle with those undead.
But there's no way...it's the path they chose, and they must follow through to the end.
What makes Fording even more worried is that after staying here for several years, the "fanatic" purification belief within the Scarlet Crusade seems to have begun to break away from the control of the upper echelon... As an old knight who has experienced countless wars , Fording knows better than anyone that once an army is captured by fanatical and dangerous extreme beliefs, it is equivalent to this army walking on the road of self-destruction.
He didn't want to see this ending, but in the face of the current situation, it was difficult for him to find a breaking point.
And just as Fording was frowning and thinking hard, the door of his office was pushed open, and a young knight walked into his office, and put a letter with the Pope's personal stamp on it. He landed on Fording's table, then looked around, lowered his voice and said to the big knight:
"Father... the messenger specially told me that this letter can only be read by you and Grand Knight Mograine!"
Tylan Fording, this 22-year-old young knight returned to Stratholme from the empire after he became an adult 3 years ago, and became a paladin captain under his father. Fording's bravery and wisdom, whether it is martial arts or character, are the best among the younger generation.
Darien Mograine, the second son of Grand Knight Mograine, and Miss White Mane, the adopted daughter of Grand Knight Mograine, also came back with Tailan, and Reynolds, the eldest son of Grand Knight Mograine. Mograine remained in the empire, inheriting the Grand Knight's title of Duke of Lordaeron.
It’s fun to say, a few children returned to the Eastern Continent, and they wanted to force their old fathers to “return” to the empire for retirement, but Jiang was still old and spicy. After a fruitless “rebellion”, these children were Semi-mandatory stay in Stratholme to receive paladin training, and stay with the hot-blooded soldiers for a long time, even the young people are unwilling to go back to the empire to face those cumbersome etiquette and hypocritical nobles, so they just stay down.
Of course, the more likely reason is that the standard of living of the Scarlet Crusaders in Stratholme is no worse than that of the Empire due to the influence of the "decaying life" of the Federation... some special treats are even worse than that of the Empire. The empire provides better, and it is said that these young people will secretly take advantage of the holidays from time to time to go to some nearby federal cities to have fun...
They are not fighters of the older generation. They have a concept of hatred between humans and the undead, but they are definitely not as stubborn as the old people. They also have a deeper understanding of the civilization of the Federation than the young people of the empire. Occasionally when they dream back at midnight, these Young people themselves have their own eccentric notions of not-so-"loyalty."
After being reminded by his son, Fording, who had originally planned to open the envelope like this, suddenly stopped his hands, a thought flashed in his eyes, and then said to his son:
"Then go, invite Mograine over here!"
After Tailan left, Old Fording looked at the letter and couldn't help sighing again.
He understands the meaning of this exhortation from the Pope... As one of the three leaders of the Scarlet Crusade, old Fording knows that his former comrade-in-arms, General Abidis of the Kingdom of Lordaeron, is actually currently in the army. The source of those fanatical purification thoughts, Old Fording is against this fanatical extreme thought of "purifying all evil", and he is more inclined to follow the essence of the teachings of the Holy Light.
And the attitude of the Grand Knight Alessandro Mograine between the two is somewhat ambiguous. He belongs to the neutral faction. On the one hand, Mograine, like Old Fording, can understand that the Scarlet Crusade is currently trapped. The predicament in the Eastern Continent, but on the other hand, the hatred of the Empire and the Dark Blade is also affecting him, and he is also happy to see the young warriors retain this hatred of the undead and all evil things.
Only in this way can young people be guaranteed not to be corrupted by the federal "sugar-coated bullets".
And now, the entrustment that comes with this letter also represents that the Pope finally chose the old Fording's idea, which made the Grand Knight very relieved. The Pope was not blinded by hatred, but also Old Fording was very worried. What he was worried about was that if this letter contained some sensitive information, it might cause internal divisions in the Scarlet Crusade...
At least, the older and more stubborn General Abidis would definitely not agree with some moderates.
But Mograine is a force that can be united. If two of the Big Three are inclined to the Pope's suggestion, then no matter how stubborn Abidis is, he will not openly oppose the Pope...
"Well, this might be an opportunity."
Old Fording narrowed his eyes and read the letter. After reading it, he thought, he seemed to have found an entry point to organize the fanatical and dangerous thoughts that were being spread.
"What's the matter? Fording, I'm about to be driven crazy by those stupid noble envoys! I just can't figure out how the establishment of an ecclesiastical state can cause such a big disturbance? Those nobles are really stupid Blind in both eyes? Can't they see what we're facing?"
Accompanied by Mograine's loud voice, an old knight in full armor strode into the office. He was smoking the best cigar produced in the Federation, and sat down on Fording's office, a sofa produced in the Black Iron District. Go up, then took a breath of smoke, and took the letter from Fording, but just glanced at it, and the tiger-like forehead of the great knight Mograine wrinkled tightly.
"Fu..."
The big knight exhaled smoke, then shook his head at Old Fording:
"No! This won't work! I won't agree!"
"Anduin Wrynn's background is too sensitive, his arrival... will make the Crusaders split themselves!"