"What is your take on this? Which side do you think should take in the Forsaken—the Horde or the Alliance?" Rhodes asked.
"Great Master, have you not already made your decision? It is impossible for the Alliance to accept the undead. The only ones capable of taking in such 'alternative' lifeforms like the Forsaken are the Horde," Sandro replied.
As far as the Forsaken were concerned, Rhodes had already laid out the plan; Sandro's role was simply to help his master maintain control over them.
"You're right. There's actually no need to send an emissary to the Alliance. Humans cannot accept those who have become undead, even if they were family. In the eyes of the living, they are already dead," Rhodes said, nodding.
If the Blood Elves hadn't been abandoned by the Alliance and left with no other choice, they would never have joined the Horde either. In terms of elven aesthetics, who in the Horde was even remotely easy on the eyes? Only the Nightborne, who would join much later, fit that criteria.
In the original timeline, the Blood Elves were only added to the Horde to balance player populations and provide a "pretty" race for the faction; the Draenei were originally considered for the Horde slot. But now, thanks to Rhodes, the Horde consisted only of Orcs, Tauren, Darkspear Trolls, and the Forsaken.
Speaking of which, Gilneas would eventually return to the humans. However, their Worgen curse would require Malfurion's help; otherwise, it would be a major problem. That thing was contagious—one bite and you're a Worgen.
"Great Master, I have recently been conducting research on a new type of undead," Sandro reported. "Following your vision, I utilized the First Aid Tent you provided to harvest parts from Zombies. I have successfully stitched them together to create a Abomination. These monsters have no self-awareness because they are composed of mismatched remains; they only obey the commands of their creator."
By taking advantage of the Heroes of Might and Magic units' ability to "refresh" and heal, Sandro was harvesting flesh from Zombies and then stitching them into Abominations.
"I only provided the idea; the execution is all thanks to you," Rhodes said.
His Hero city could provide a steady stream of Zombies, which, combined with the First Aid Tent, meant a limitless supply of raw biological material. This created a perfect cycle, allowing his army of Abominations—excellent meat shields and fodder—to grow indefinitely.
"The Scourge's technology is quite impressive," Sandro continued. "They can even transform animals into undead. I am very interested in Gargoyles, Crypt Fiends, Frost Wyrms, and those massive Scourge beasts.
I'm currently studying Skeletons. Per your suggestion, I'm having Skeleton units yield bones to construct powerful Skeletal Mages. It's much more efficient than traditional conversion, and since Skeletons are plentiful, we can mass-produce them."
Sandro was genuinely impressed. If the Lich King existed in his home world, he would undoubtedly be a premier Necromancer. In Enroth, many Necromancers from Deyja had tried to add ranged casters to their ranks.
They had experimented with Skeleton Archers, but their damage was pitiful and their coordination poor, so the project was scrapped, leaving Power Lichs as their only ranged unit. But the Scourge's Skeletal Mages changed the game.
Though their magic wasn't as potent as a Power Lich's Death Cloud, their fireballs were far superior to arrows. Best of all, unlike the independent Forsaken, these units were mindless and totally obedient to Sandro, Straker, or Rhodes.
"Good thinking, Sandro. The Zombies and Skeletons are being upgraded; the Wights can be trained into Banshees by Sylvanas, and the Dread Knights can become Death Knights. The Bone Dragons' path leads to Frost Wyrms. Now, the only ones without a clear development path are the Vampires and Power Lichs," Rhodes noted.
In the original timeline, the Scourge developed the San'layn—vampiric elves found in Icecrown Citadel. However, since the Blood Elves might not be going on a Northrend expedition anytime soon, that unit might never exist. The only things currently resembling vampires in the Scourge were the Dreadlords.
"Great Master, the Vampire units excel at killing to rejuvenate themselves; they are creatures of blood. I am already researching this. The Scourge's mastery of 'Blood' magic is quite thorough. I am confident I can transform the Vampire units for you soon. I just ask for your patience."
Sandro wouldn't let the Vampires go to waste. Azeroth's Shadow energy was also a perfect fit; with Shadow infusion, Vampires could become invisible, making them even more lethal on the battlefield.
Rhodes nodded, leaving the Vampire project entirely to Sandro. His primary focus was now the Conflux (Elementals). While the Undead were powerful, they were "creatures of the dark." They were great for dirty work, but he couldn't let it be known that he commanded the dead on a public battlefield.
"And what of the Power Lichs? Do you have a plan for those powerful units?" Rhodes asked.
"Great Master, regarding the Power Lichs, I believe your suggestion to convert them into Azerothian Liches is feasible. However, it requires more experimentation—and I myself must first transition into an Azerothian Lich," Sandro suggested.
Sandro's specialty was originally "Sorcery," but he wanted to adapt it into a "Unit Specialty." The Liches of this world were a perfect fit for him. Becoming a Lich required immense mana; the stronger the mana source, the more powerful the resulting Lich. Once transformed, he could train Rhodes' Power Lichs into true Azerothian Liches.
"So, you wish to become a Lich yourself?" Rhodes understood immediately.
Compared to a Necromancer from Heroes of Might and Magic, a Lich in Azeroth had a much brighter future. That was why Straker had already chosen the path of a Blood Death Knight. Combining the powers of both worlds yielded exponential results.
"Precisely, Master. And not just a common Lich—I must become a Grand Lich. In fact, if it weren't for the fact that the Helm of Domination is controlled by the Jailer, I would even ask for your permission to become the next Lich King," Sandro revealed his ambition.
Though bound to Rhodes, his hunger for power remained. The Lich King was the ultimate ideal for him—supreme power and the ability to command all undead. To Sandro, that crown was more valuable than the Cloak of the Undead King and the Armor of the Damned combined.
Rhodes was silent for a moment. Sandro was, as always, the most ambitious villain of his home world. By saying he wanted to become a Grand Lich, he was subtly testing the waters to see if Rhodes would let him take the crown.
The Jailer influenced the Lich King through the crown, but he didn't have absolute control. If he did, Arthas, Ner'zhul, and Bolvar would have been his puppets from day one. Anyone who wore the crown gained the power to unify the undead, and the stronger the host, the greater the crown's output. Even Bolvar, though weaker than his predecessors, displayed incredible power in the later years, controlling the Ebon Blade and creating new Horsemen.
"I think I understand, Sandro. You want to be the third-generation Lich King, don't you?" Rhodes asked.
"You know me well, Great Master. As the Lich King, I could better govern the undead for you, study the essence of death, and even resist the Jailer to an extent.
Zovaal is powerful, yes, but his 'Domination' magic does not supersede your System. As your subordinate, I would be shielded from his influence. I could steal the power of the Lich King without suffering the side effects," Sandro said with a smirk.
His plan was perfect. The power of Rhodes' system acted as a natural counter to the Jailer's influence.