Light and Shadow

Zandalar currently stands as the sole landmass in Azeroth independent of the Alliance. It's important to note that Galen refers to the land, not the seabed. Of course, Galen had traveled through time very early and had no knowledge of the so-called Dragon Islands. He had never inquired of Palthiastrasz or Ancagalon, and the two dragons, believing their master to be omniscient, never mentioned it. It was a perfect oversight.

Although the Zandalari Troll Kingdom had previously suffered defeats in Stranglethorn Vale and during the Gurubashi Troll Civil War, most of their losses were naval, leaving their army's strength largely intact. Most significantly, they remained steeped in their past glory, which gave Galen no inclination to actively invite them to join the Azeroth Alliance. This was because the Alliance had no need for a disunited member state. Now, with internal threats like the Twilight Cult and the Blood Trolls within their sphere of influence, and the independence of their three vassal tribes, they were merely waiting for the Zandalari to desperately seek external assistance when they could no longer hold out.

Which military force was stronger in Azeroth now? Looking for the Alliance in the Eastern Kingdoms... one would find the Alliance. Therefore, when faced with the discovery of the Twilight Bastion, Dathrohan's desire to purify the evil was understandable as the Bishop of Stratholme of the Church of the Holy Light, while Galen was the Grand Chancellor of the Alliance of Azeroth. The two held different positions and possessed different perspectives.

Furthermore, Galen had never displayed any fanaticism in his belief in the Holy Light, yet Dathrohan had never questioned Galen's devotion. As a high-ranking member of the Church of the Holy Light, he knew that his old friend had reached a level in the way of the Holy Light that he, and even Uther or Turalyon, could hardly match in their lifetimes. This was also why Dathrohan did not dissuade Galen when he saw him wearing the Skull of the Fallen and the Blade of the Black Empire.

After listening to Galen's ideas in detail, Dathrohan prepared to leave Vol'dun and return to Lordaeron with the books left by Bishop Natalie. As the paladins were about to set off, Galen stopped the great knight.

"Brother, the notebook in your hand—which I'll call the Secret Book of Light and Shadow—contains some secrets about the void. It's very dangerous. Have you figured out how to deal with it?"

Dathrohan paused, unsure how to answer for a moment. After a long silence, he slowly exhaled: "Galen, this notebook is not something I can handle. You are right. The secrets it contains are too vast. I am going to hand it over to the Archbishop!"

The current Archbishop of the Church of the Holy Light was Benedictus. When Stormwind City was breached by orcs and the people of the Stormwind Kingdom fled north for refuge, this devout priest, with his unwavering faith, ignited hope and courage in the hearts of countless Stormwind citizens, becoming the embodiment of faith for many. Because of these achievements, Benedictus was praised by the people as the "Incarnation of Holy Light." After Archbishop Alonsus Faol retired, he inherited his mantle and became the Archbishop of the contemporary Church of Holy Light. This time, Dathrohan had come to investigate the truth of Natalie's death under the Archbishop's instructions. Now that the mission was complete, it was natural for this notebook to be handed over to the Archbishop.

This was precisely what worried Galen. He had a headache. Galen had once studied the reasons for Benedictus's fall in the original timeline. This disciple of Faol had experienced two orc wars and possessed a strong mind. Although he was troubled by the suffering the war brought to the people, he never wavered in his faith in the Holy Light. In a sense, he believed these sufferings were a test of his faith.

However, the Third War was different. The emergence of the Undead Scourge and the fall of Lordaeron brought his beliefs to the brink of collapse. Like Arthas, he wondered why the Holy Light could not protect the people of Lordaeron, why it could not protect King Terenas and those paladins who believed in the Holy Light. Had the Holy Light abandoned these devout believers? The Twilight Cult sensed the wavering of this Spokesman of the Light and corrupted him. In the whispers of the Ancient Gods, Benedictus came to believe that the Holy Light was no longer merciful and that the Twilight Judgment was the true hope of this world.

Now, Galen had changed much of history. Alonsus Faol, who was supposed to die in the Church of the Holy Light, had been persuaded by him to extend his life through the Lightforging Ceremony. The destruction of the Undead Scourge led to the early liberation of Lordaeron, and the headquarters of the Church of the Holy Light still stood in the north instead of moving to the cathedral in Stormwind City. The strength of the Knights of the Silver Hand made it difficult for the believers of Lordaeron to stray, and Benedictus, being in the north, was not exposed to the teachings of the Twilight Sect. Additionally, the Knights Templar in the Arathi Diocese were equally powerful, and the people had been redeemed, so Benedictus had no reason to fall.

Under such favorable circumstances, Dathrohan, you sent a notebook on the secrets of the void to Benedictus...

"Galen, just as Lord Faol said during our inauguration ceremony, Holy Light is the embodiment of one's own firm belief. If Natalie's discovery is correct, I believe that the use of shadow will not extinguish one's original Holy Light."

"What?" At this moment, Galen looked at Dathrohan with new eyes. He had not expected that this old friend would possess such brilliant ideas. One must remember that among the first generation of paladins, Uther had the most devout faith, Turalyon was the most talented, and Dathrohan was only slightly stronger than Danath, who had been forced into the order. It seemed that after so many years as a bishop, Dathrohan had made great progress.

Holy Light and shadow are two sides of the same coin; where there is light, there is shadow. Indeed, there were some priests with outstanding talents who had noticed this, but in the human world, where Holy Light was the orthodox power, they would not wield this power of shadow. Also, the Holy Light believers and those ordinary priests were not the top tier. Once they knew this, would their faith collapse? At this critical moment, when the last hidden danger of Azeroth was about to be resolved, Galen dared not gamble.

"Dathrohan, I don't want to interfere with your mission, but I think at this critical moment, you have to go see Lord Faol first. He lives in seclusion in the monastery north of Tirisfal Glades!"

"Please tell Lord Faol to give me some time. I will provide him with a complete set of the teachings of a Shadow Priest !"