In response to the mages' inquiries, Alaric continued his explanation.
"In fact, your understanding of Earthquake is incorrect.
The spell itself is quite stable; the so-called 'uncontrollable' nature stems from the varying effects depending on where and how different mages cast it.
Aside from individual differences among mages, the biggest factor affecting Earthquake's outcome is the geological structure.
Even within Hillsbrad Foothills, the terrains of the Stahnbrad Highlands and the Sofera's Naze are distinctly different."
The mages nodded in deep thought, anticipation gleaming in their eyes as they looked at him.
"As you all know, yesterday I led some of you to conduct a thorough survey and measurement of the mountains surrounding Jintha'Alor.
With that data, I have fully grasped the structure of the terrain. Last night, based on the effects of Earthquake, I performed precise calculations for the spellcasting strategy.
If we follow my calculations exactly, the mountain will collapse in the way we desire, burying Jintha'Alor and the trolls within beneath the very mountains that once protected them."
After explaining, Alaric presented his calculations from the previous night, along with a detailed breakdown of his reasoning, demonstrating the logic behind his conclusions to the assembled mages.
Seeing Alaric's analysis, the mages couldn't help but admire him, unanimously approving his plan.
Conducting precise analyses and calculations for large-scale spells before casting them was not unheard of in the arcane community—most commonly applied in teleportation magic, where pinpoint accuracy was crucial.
However, using such rigorous methodology for warfare magic, integrating geological analysis into spellcasting, was an unprecedented move by Alaric.
In truth, Alaric's method mirrored the blasting techniques used in civil engineering in his past life.
On Earth, engineers used explosives to demolish mountains; in Azeroth, Earthquake served the same purpose.
In fact, Earthquake was even more efficient—requiring fewer calculations while delivering superior results.
That said, gathering a sufficient number of mages to cast Earthquake was far more difficult than acquiring explosives. While explosives required resources and expertise, they were far easier to obtain and train personnel for.
Each method had its pros and cons.
With the plan finalized, Alaric ordered the troops to retreat several miles before leading the mages onto griffins, flying to a vantage point near Jintha'Alor.
From there, he instructed the griffins to circle above, standing by for extraction. He also assigned two mages to prepare Feather Fall and Levitate for emergency rescues.
Once everything was in place, Alaric and the remaining mages set up the ritual circle and began their incantations.
According to D&D standards, Earthquake was a spell of the 7th or 8th tier—just short of the highest tier, 9th, and nowhere near legendary magic. Thus, among the gathered mages, several were capable of casting it individually.
However, considering the magnitude and scale required, cooperative spellcasting was necessary.
The ritual circle gathered the mages' arcane energy, transforming it into a raw, primal force. Silently and invisibly, the magic seeped into the mountains surrounding Jintha'Alor, altering their internal structure.
As soon as the spell was cast, Alaric and the mages swiftly mounted their waiting griffins and ascended into the sky.
That was when the spell's effects truly began to manifest.
At first, only a faint tremor was noticeable. But soon, deep rumbles echoed from within the mountains—like thunder rolling through the earth—the sound of bedrock fracturing under the force of Earthquake.
The tremors quickly reached the mountain's surface. Thanks to Alaric's precise calculations, the section of the mountain closest to Jintha'Alor bore the brunt of the devastation.
Massive rock formations began to crack—first small fractures, then larger ones, spreading until they covered the entire mountain peak.
Then, under the pull of gravity, the rock began to collapse.
Like an avalanche, shattered stones and loosened soil cascaded downward, the momentum building rapidly.
Within moments, the falling debris became a raging landslide, an unstoppable torrent pouring from the mountaintop to the valley below.
A mudslide of destruction.
And at the very center of this calamity was the troll city of Jintha'Alor.
The Revantusk trolls had already noticed the thunderous tremors and were on high alert. Paranoid, they initially suspected some new Alliance superweapon.
But who could have foreseen that this was no mere weapon—but the raw, unbridled power of nature itself, unleashed by magic?
They barely had time to react before catastrophe struck.
The uppermost tier of the city, home to the high priests and their sacred temples, was the first to be annihilated.
The deluge of stone and soil overwhelmed the grand structures in an instant.
The priests never even had a chance to pray to Hakkar—their pleas drowned beneath the avalanche, their bodies buried forever in the cascading debris.
Next came the chieftains, followed by the warriors, then the commoners, and finally, the slaves...
Like a merciless executioner, the landslide wiped away every tier of the city.
The stepped terraces of Jintha'Alor only served to slow the descent of the debris slightly, but even that was no salvation.
Flesh and bone were no match for the relentless power of nature. Except for a handful of the lucky—or unlucky—few, the majority of the trolls were buried alive beneath the suffocating weight of rock and earth.
By the time the earthquake's effects subsided and the mudslide came to a halt, all that remained of Jintha'Alor was a desolate wasteland.
The once-proud troll city had been reduced to ruin.
Destroyed by the wrath of nature.
Destroyed by Alaric's Earthquake.
The mages, witnessing the sheer devastation wrought by their spell, were astounded yet exhilarated.
However, as those most familiar with magic, they were used to the wonders and power of the arcane.
The real shock belonged to the common soldiers.
For the warriors, rangers, and generals in the army, capturing the heavily fortified Jintha'Alor before the orcs invaded Lordaeron seemed an impossible challenge—a grueling battle lay ahead.
Who could have imagined that, in mere minutes, the city would be utterly obliterated?
Not only that, but there was no need for any cleanup operation—the trolls were already entombed beneath tons of rock.
Even if a few had survived, they were trapped under such immense weight that escape was impossible. Whether through suffocation, fatal wounds, starvation, or dehydration, they were doomed.
And those who had managed to flee?
They were likely so few that their number wouldn't even reach triple digits.
For the Revantusk tribe, this was nothing short of total annihilation. They would never rise again.
Thus, in the eyes of the army, the power of these mages—especially Alaric—became even more terrifying.
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