Chapter 483: Zul'Aman Campaign
Alaric successfully persuaded the Wildhammer Dwarves to join the Alliance, completing the final piece of his plan and integrating them into the coalition against the troll forces.
At the same time, Alaric established a brandy trade agreement with the Wildhammer Dwarves, with the Windrunner family also participating.
The arrangement was that Alaric would provide the distillation technology, the Windrunners would purchase fruit wine to produce brandy, and then sell it to the Wildhammer Dwarves.
Of course, it would be some time before the Wildhammer Dwarves could enjoy a brandy as rich and mellow as the one from that night.
Even with the technology in their hands, the Windrunner family could only produce an inferior version.
This wasn't because Alaric was holding back trade secrets, but simply because no one else could afford to use time magic to age brandy, turning ordinary alcohol into a well-aged spirit in an instant.
If the mages of Dalaran or Quel'Thalas ever found out that Alaric was using time magic for brewing, they would no doubt scold him furiously.
For the average mage, time-based spells were incredibly difficult to grasp, let alone cast.
Typically, only archmages could use such magic, and even then, they had to be extremely cautious.
Very few could wield time magic as extravagantly as Alaric, let alone use it to produce such exaggerated effects.
In the following days, representatives from Lordaeron, Quel'Thalas, and Aerie Peak engaged in intense discussions about troop deployments, victory spoils, and territorial distribution.
The final decision was:
Lordaeron would send two infantry legions, totaling about 7,000 to 8,000 soldiers, under Alaric's overall coordination.
The High Elves would deploy six out of their eight legions, roughly 3,000 soldiers, along with 1,000 Farstriders, making a total of 4,000 troops under the command of Ranger-General Sylvanas Windrunner.
The Wildhammer Dwarves contributed 500 Gryphon Riders, led by Kurdran Wildhammer.
Additionally, a volunteer force of 2,000 High Elves was led by Alleria Windrunner.
Lordaeron would also provide a large number of priests, laborers, and militia for logistics and auxiliary combat support.
The High Elves dispatched a sufficient number of mages to provide magical support.
Thus, a grand coalition of over 10,000 troops was assembled, with Alaric—holding the highest military rank as the Alliance's Military Advisor—serving as the supreme commander.
The campaign against the trolls was officially launched.
Although many saw Alaric as merely a military theorist who had devised excellent battle plans but lacked practical command experience, his allies—Alleria, Sylvanas, and Kurdran—were all seasoned generals.
With their support, Alaric was confident that he could fully unleash his talents and lead the army to victory.
The Two-Phase Strategy
According to Alaric's strategy, the campaign was divided into two phases:
First, eliminate the Amani trolls entrenched in Zul'Aman. Then, move on to wipe out the Forest Trolls in the Hinterlands.
It was well known that the more advanced a civilization, the more sophisticated its political system, allowing it to sustain large, organized nations.
Conversely, primitive governance structures led to tribal fragmentation.
This was why races like Humans, High Elves, and Dwarves could establish stable and lasting kingdoms, whereas trolls and orcs only formed loose tribal coalitions, plagued by internal divisions that prevented long-term unity.
In the past, during the height of Amani troll dominance, all troll tribes across the Lordaeron continent bowed to their rule.
However, after their devastating defeat in wars against Humans and High Elves, the Amani Empire crumbled.
The remaining Amani trolls stubbornly clung to Zul'Aman, waging an endless war against Quel'Thalas, while countless smaller troll tribes scattered across the continent, each acting independently.
Among them, the most powerful trolls resided in the Hinterlands, a region largely unexplored by Humans and High Elves.
The main troll factions in the Hinterlands were the Vilebranch, Witherbark, Smolderthorn, and Mossflayer tribes.
The strongest and most malevolent among them was the Vilebranch Tribe, which occupied the ancient troll city of Jintha'Alor.
They had abandoned their traditional bat Loa gods and instead worshiped Hakkar the Blood God, an evil deity once eradicated by the trolls themselves.
Alaric's plan was to first crush the Amani trolls in Zul'Aman, forcing their remnants to flee into the Hinterlands, thereby stirring up chaos among the tribes.
Ideally, this would lead to infighting among the trolls, weakening them before the Alliance moved in for the final strike.
Preparing for Battle
Following this plan, the Alliance forces gathered at the borders of Quel'Thalas, near Zul'Aman.
The trolls were a technologically primitive race that lacked advanced metallurgy. Their weapons were made from wood, bone, and stone. However, despite this, trolls were fearsome warriors.
The Amani trolls belonged to the Forest Troll subspecies, recognizable by their green skin and moss-covered bodies.
They were experts in jungle warfare, using spears, throwing weapons, and daggers to ambush enemies in the dense forests.
Their mastery of poisons made them even deadlier, as they could incapacitate foes before striking the final blow.
Even the High Elf rangers had to admit that when it came to forest warfare, the Amani trolls were their equals.
For centuries, this superior knowledge of jungle combat had allowed the Amani trolls to survive repeated extermination attempts by the High Elves.
They would retreat into Zul'Aman's dense forests, biding their time before launching fresh attacks on Quel'Thalas.
But now, with Human and Wildhammer Dwarf reinforcements, the trolls could no longer rely on their old hit-and-run tactics to wear down their enemies.
Alaric's Tactical Adjustments
Alaric did not separate the Alliance forces by race, nor did he allow each faction to command independently.
Instead, he integrated the High Elf rangers into the Human infantry regiments, turning them into scouting and archer units.
The infantry legions advanced in formation, conducting a sweeping operation across the jungle, leaving no room for the trolls to maneuver.
This forced the Amani trolls into direct confrontation with the disciplined Alliance forces—a fight they were bound to lose.
As for the Wildhammer Gryphon Riders, Alaric deployed them to patrol above the battlefield in waves. They provided:
Immediate aerial support for infantry units under attack. Superior reconnaissance and rapid communication.
Although High Elf Dragonhawks were more agile and had mystical abilities, Gryphons were stronger, more resilient, and capable of long-range flights and extended patrols.
They could withstand troll ambushes, making them perfect for Alaric's strategy.
The Zul'Aman Campaign Begins
With everything in place, the Alliance army marched into Zul'Aman, initiating their campaign against the Amani trolls.
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