Against the Legion(WoW: Legion)

"We shall first go for the Wardens," you say, and you can hear a relieved sigh from one of their number nearby, though it is quickly shushed by another. You raise one hand even as Kayn opens his mouth. And though he doesn't let that stop him, your voice is more powerful, overriding his as you explain your actions.

"The Wardens are in the most immediate danger. And while I cannot speak for all of us Illidari, I became what I am to protect others from the depravations of the demons. I have seen the destruction of two worlds thanks to them, the loss of so many lives. No more. Our Illidari brethren are safe enough for the time being, protected from harm by the very prisons that hold them. While those will not last forever, they will last long enough, I think. And the naga... Are uncertain. We do not know why the demons avoid them so. Unless one of you know."

Here you pause and look at the Wardens, who shake their heads. Nodding you look at Kor'vas and Kayn, glaring at him when he opens his mouth to try and speak again. And again it doesn't stop him. So you just start talking over him once more.

"Besides, there is a tactical advantage to aiding the Wardens first. This is their prison. They know it far better than we do. We could navigate it without them, but it would be slower, as we would have to send out Kor'vas to scout, and find viable routes to an end goal we do not know the location of. and we would have to backtrack if we found we were not headed in the right direction."


Looking around again you see Kor'vas nodding in agreement, the Wardens just looking stoic(except one who looks relieved. Must be new. And likely the one who sighed earlier), and Kayn looking broody. Which is normal for him, so you pay that no further mind. Instead you look to Kor'vas again and gesture grandly.

"Lead the way! And as we go, tell us what we face as far as numbers and types of enemies." You point to Saria after saying this and motion her forward. "You know the capabilities of your fellows better than I do, so we will be coming up with a plan of attack when we have the information from Kor'vas."

Kor'vas nods her head and turns to lead the way through the Vault, talking as she goes. "I saw about... Twelve enemies, though there are more than that. It's just that some of those were packs of imps, and... Well... They're imps." She punctuates this statement with a shrug. "Only really good as a target for glaive throwing practice. So each pack counts as one. Besides them there is one succubus, no clue why they brought her here. They're better at infiltration and seduction than all out assault. Two felguards accompanied by two felhounds each. At least, they seemed to be the ones giving them orders. One abyssal, though I think they just brought it in to work on tearing down their fortifications. And they're lead by a dreadlord."

This draws sounds of upset from everyone. Dreadlords are not easy opponents, between their physical might and magical strength. That will make things a bit tricky.

"As for the Wardens," the night elf continues after a moment, "I only saw three, but there could be more. Couldn't get that close, and there was their barricade in the way."

After a few moments in silence Saria speaks up, "Well, if we come up with a plan, one of us could get to where the Wardens are and coordinate an attack on a certain signal. Though there is the risk of whoever the messenger is being spotted, causing the alarm to be raised. Or worse. Other than that... It would require at least two of mine to take on the dreadlord."

You fall silent and begin to think about a plan of attack. The dreadlord any one of the Illidari could handle alone, though it would occupy their full attention. And there's no guarantee of a lack of injury. Kayn has the skill, to be sure. You are skilled as well, though a bit less so. You may have been an artisan, a blacksmith, but all Illidari know how to fight. Kor'vas would have the skill too, though she'd likely manage better if she could ambush him while his attention was elsewhere.

Plan of attack, pick one from each section, or write-in a whole plan:

Contacting the Besieged Wardens:
[ ] Send nobody.
-No risk of being caught, but the Wardens will be just as surprised as the demons.
[ ] Send Kor'vas.
-Low risk of getting caught, but Kor'vas would need to convince them that she's there to help.
[ ] Send Kayn.
-Medium risk of getting caught, but lose one of your stronger fighters, and he would have to convince them.
[ ] Send Saria.
-Low risk of getting caught, automatically convinces the Wardens, but lose one of your strongest fighters, and the leader for the Wardens following you.
[ ] Send an NPC Warden.
-Variable risk of getting caught(will roll to determine selected Warden's actual skill before rolling to see if they make it), automatically convinces besieged Wardens.
[ ] Go yourself.
-High risk of getting caught, would have to convince the wardens.

Taking on the Dreadlord:
[ ] Send Kayn.
-High chance of success, medium-low chance of injury.
[ ] Send Kor'vas.
-Medium-high chance of success, medium chance of injury.
[ ] Send Saria.
-Medium-high chance of success, medium-low chance of injury.
[ ] Take it on yourself.
-Fight would be the focus of the next couple updates, which would determine chance of success and injury.
[ ] Send two NPC wardens.
-Medium chance of success, medium-high chance of injury.

Stal'rem's actions:
[ ] Write in what you want Stal-rem to be focusing on doing during the fight(all out offense, defending the troops, drawing attention, etc.) unless you assigned him to one of the above options.

It's a long one...


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After a few minutes of thought you're bringing your group to a stop. A quick scan of the area reveals no demons nearby, though you will not relax your guard entirely. Once everyone is close by you start to speak.

"Here is how we will do things. Kayn, you will assault the dreadlord. You possess the skill to engage it alone and keep it from aiding it's subordinates until we have gotten rid of them." You shake your head as he starts to reply and continue, "I know you could kill it with out aid, but in doing so you might be injured. And we will have more to do before the day is done, and can ill afford avoidable injuries amongst our number."


You turn to look at Saria. You think it's Saria, anyway. The Warden armor and cloak do make telling them apart a bit difficult at times. And if it's not her you're going to look rather silly in a moment.

"You should slip ahead and inform your fellows about the planned assault. We will signal before we begin, allowing you to coordinate an assault from that direction, catching the demons between our forces."


The other Wardens shift nervously at this, one even looking at the others with what you guess to be uncertainty. Saria hesitates before nodding her head and turning around to address her troops.

"His choice is a wise one. If he, or one of the other Illidari, were to be the one to contact the others there is the risk they could be attacked, or simply not believed. Follow the Illidari Stal'rem's commands as they were my own while I am gone."

There's a bit more nervous shifting at this, before one steps forward and nods at her, then looks toward you. The rest follow the example of that one, and Saria gives a nod of her own before moving over to confer quietly with Kor'vas. While she does that you address the Wardens before you.

"There will be two groups, if so small a number of us can be called such. I will be directly leading one, and Kor'vas the other. The one I lead will be the assault group. We are going to be hitting them head on. From behind, as their attention should be focused on the barricade. Try not to think on incongruity of the idiom too much. Those of you comfortable fighting in the open like that will be with me. Mages raining spells, warriors getting in close, whatever. The other group will be lead by Kor'vas." As you say her name the night elf walks over to join you, having apparently finished her conversation with Saria. Who is now gone, apparently.


"Those of you who go with Kor'vas will be picking off targets of importance first, avoiding combat, and contact if possible, with the other demons until all your targets are eliminated. First will be the succubus. We do not need her charming any of us into turning on our fellows. Then the felhounds. Then the infernal."

Before you can say more one of the Wardens, a nervous lilt to her voice, asks, "Shouldn't we take out the infernal first? They have a tendency to... You know... Rain fire."

She's shushed by a harsh sound from one of her compatriots, but you stop them from doing anything more.

"It is a good question," you reply. "And in a larger scale battle, they would be the preferred target. But there are only six of us here, with Saria contacting the others. If it continues to focus on the barrier, it will not be attacking us. If it tries to call down felfire on us, it will also be hitting the other demons. And yes, felfire hurts them too, and with them outnumbering us, I will not stop it from potentially taking out any of it's fellows. If there are no other questions?" When none are forthcoming you continue, "Very well. I do not know your capabilities and preferences, so those of you who are more capable with the task set to Kor'vas move and join her please."

Two of the Wardens do just that, leaving you alone with the one who had questioned you about the infernal. Kor'vas smiles brightly and says, "Alright, ladies, let's go assassinate some demons!

One of the Wardens speaks up, in a decidedly deep voice, "Uh.... I'm not-"

He cuts off when Kor'vas' mouth parts in a wide grin, something you know she really only does when she wants to unsettle people. Something about the twin rows of sharp fangs. You're not entirely sure why people find it odd, but they seem to.

"As I was saying, ladies, let's go."

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When you arrive you take a moment to survey the field, finding it to be much as Kor'vas had mentioned. An infernal assaulting a barricade, hastily built but it seems to be being maintained by magic. Though it looks to be weakening. The demons might assume that is because the infernal is breaking through, but you know it is more likely that the Wardens are relaxing their reinforcement efforts, in preparation for your assault.

The rest of the demons seem to simply be waiting, one felguard moving in a patrol pattern with his hounds while the other keeps his eyes on the barricade. The dreadlord stands in the back, because they're too cowardly to lead from the front, with the succubus at his side. The imps mill about, as imps do, cackling occasionally, and throwing a bit of fire toward the barricade, seemingly out of boredom.

A quick signal to Kor'vas sends her and her two wardens slipping off.



You, meanwhile, perform the signal to the Wardens on the other side of the blockade. Focusing on a section of the ground in the patrolling felguard you call upon the fel power within you. Glowing lines trace themselves in the ground, burning into the shape of a sigil. You'd timed it right, and the sigil explodes in felfire as the demons pass over it, a column of green flame causing it to cry out in shock and pain while the felhounds howl. Then you're moving with supernatural speed, fire trailing in your wake as you throw yourself among them. One glaive lashes out to bisect one of the felhounds as you turn your gaze to the other. You reach up and lift the blindfold away from your eyes, a concentrated beam of the chaotic energies within you lashing out to incinerate the creature, leaving nothing behind but bone and ash.

Before the felguard can fully recover you're moving to headbutt him, the thickened plates and ridges on your head causing his head to snap back and disorienting him further. Shaking his head he lifts his massive axe, preparing to bring it down on you. But then his chest seems to almost sprout metal, the circular glaive of the Warden with you skewering him from behind. As she yanks it out of him with a spray of black blood the felguard collapses to the ground.


All the demons are looking your way now, your entrance hardly a stealthy strike. And that's just fine with you. Your eyes see the magic maintaining the barricade fade. Then the items making it up are blown outward, staggering the infernal who takes the brunt of the attack, and squashing a couple stray imps. Before the infernal can recover a barrage of spell and steel flies from the room, followed by Saria leaping out, glowing glaive striking the stone 'head' off of the demon, and sending the rest crumbling to the floor as little more than inert rock.


Your attack has been going off without a hitch so far, and Kor'vas' strike is no different. While the succubus is looking toward you, and just barely starting to turn to the falling infernal, she's beset upon by the three stealthed attackers. Her body seems to simply sprout metal for a moment before it collapses in a spray of black blood, the three figures that had briefly surrounded her jumping back before disappearing into shadow once more.




The dreadlord seems to be the only one who noticed the death of the succubus, but before he can do anything about it, Kayn is on him. What little you can see as you move to engage the second felguard reminds you of just why he is one of Illidan's lieutenants, despite his personality. His glaives flash as he leaps onto the demon, his first attack driving both blades into him before he tears them back out, rending flesh with the serrated edges. Though that is not enough to put down the dreadlord who musters his magic and calls fire up from the ground in a pillar around him.

For naught, as Kayn simply uses the dreadlord as a shield, jumping onto his shoulders, glaives driving into his eyes. The flames sputter and flicker as the cuffs and collar of the dreadlord fall to the ground, while the demon itself tries to do it's bat trick to get away. Kayn was having none of that, one hand lashing out and you can sense him tearing the essence of the demon away and into himself.

Though Kayn's strike was effective, you've seen him being cautious. That was not it. That was him looking to destroy a foe without regard to his health, which means he went against your order. While on the one hand he was uninjured, on the other he still went against your orders. Something to think about.

With the dreadlord defeated it's a simple task to mop up the remaining felguard, felhounds and imps, taking but a minor fraction of your time. When the fighting is done you look around. You can sense the lingering essences of the demons. You could use that to regain some of your power, though as always you must be careful in doing so, lest it change you, or overwhelm you. Further, you would need to decide how much you get, and how much Kor'vas and Kayn get.

Also, you need to decide where you are going next. You could free your brethren now. You doubt the Wardens would complain about this, after your actions here. Or you could see what is going on with those Naga. Or, perhaps you could rush to where Gul'dan is now. You have a small force, but it is a force none the less.

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Gained 4 NPC wardens

Essence Distribution: There are fifteen imps worth 1% each, 4 felhounds worth 5% each, two felguards worth 8% each, one succubus worth 6%, and one infernal worth 10%, for a total of 67% power reserves available to be absorbed. As your personal reserves grow, they will affect your stats(when I actually get them down), increasing them, but the DC to resist physical transformations or an overload from power increase.

[ ] You absorb none, Kor'vas and Kayn split it all amongst themselves. The Wardens would be pleased with this choice on your part.
[ ] You split it evenly amongst yourself, Kor'vas and Kayn. You have enough good-will with the Wardens that they won't raise a fuss.
[ ] You split it between yourself and Kor'vas. Kayn already ate himself a dreadlord, the glutton. You have enough good-will with the Wardens that they won't raise a fuss, Kayn will be displeased.

Kayn:
[ ] Speak to him about his disobeying you. High difficulty. On success, he falls in line. On failure, your relationship with him is lowered.
[ ] Say nothing. No changes to his relationship, but he will be more willing to disobey orders in the future.

Next Step:
[ ] Go to free your Illidari brethren.
[ ] Investigate the Naga.
[ ] Hunt Gul'dan.

You survey the room strewn with corpses and essence from the dead demons, thoughts running thorough your head. You could use the power contained there. Things have been fairly easy for you, so far, but there's no guarantee that they will remain so. Especially if you run into Gul'dan. Of course, you are not the only one here to consider. The Wardens would likely not be too pleased about you doing so, but you feel they would be understanding. Kor'vas and Kayn are undoubtedly not at full strength either, the imprisonment having drained you all.

On the other hand, Kayn just finished off that dreadlord, fighting recklessly in doing so. While dreadlords are all different, some boasting more power than others, you know enough to know a baseline for how much of their essence, their soul, a demon hunter can take. And unless it were a particularly weak dreadlord, you would guess he gained about as much as you and Kor'vas will if you were to split the essence here two ways, instead of three.

"Kor'vas. Regain your strength and I shall do the same. Or as much as we can from these dregs. Kayn, no complaints. You had the dreadlord. Wardens, gather any supplies here that you may have need of. When we are finished here we go to free the Illidari Kor'vas found. We will need their strength."

You and Kor'vas move around the room, tearing the lingering essence out before it can fully dissipate into the Twisting Nether, and pulling it into yourselves. You feel a rush of strength, of power, an addictive sensation, but one that Illidari resist through sheer force of will and certainty of purpose. Though there have been enough that have fallen to aiding the Legion to know that not all can resist. It is something you must all be wary of.

As you do this some of the Wardens observe. Some do so with a wary gaze, prepared to attack at the first sign of anything amiss. As is expected. Others, however, you simply get the sense of curiosity, and no hint of alarm. And yet others pay no attention what so ever, as though it were nothing of concern. Saria is one of those last.




Once you are finished, your group moves out. It doesn't take long before you've arrived, and find yourself peering into a chamber lined with the prison-crystals that contained you, and yet contain your brethren. Oddly, the room is largely clear of demons, a few scattered packs of imps, a patrolling felguard.


It doesn't take long for your group to dispatch the demons within. There are thirteen of you, after all, though you still take care, as even a single lowly imp can harm the careless. A fact that Kayn finds out, as he charges into the fray with reckless abandon, likely still high on his victory over the dreadlord, though he suffers for it as a bolt of fire flies from one of the imps to strike him in the back, causing him to cry out in pain as his flesh is seared. The imp doesn't survive long after that.

When the battle is done you move to the Wardens and ask, "Can you release them from their prisons? We could do so ourselves, but I believe it would take us more effort, more strength. And it might make them less likely to attack their captors on sight upon being released, if it is those captors themselves doing it. "

After a moment Saria nods and lifts a hand to gesture toward her fellow Wardens. As each is freed you, Kor'vas, and Kayn are moving, near constantly, to get them rearmed and caught up to speed on the situation. The vast majority of them are simply rank and file Illidari. Not to belittle what they have given, what they have lost, and their willingness to fight, but... They are nothing special. They haven't the skill of Kayn, the or the cunning of Kor'vas. One, however, is a shock when the crystal breaks apart, and out tumbles Altruis.

Altruis the Sufferer. The renegade. He was one of the first of the Illidari, joining Illidan even before Illidan came to the Outlands. And he turned his back, and walked away. In his own words, he felt that Illidan became the very thing he was fighting to stop. You know that that is something that Kayn, particularly, dislikes him for. You and he...

[ ] did not get along. You can understand his views, but felt they were too naïve against a foe like the Burning Legion.
[ ] held a mutual respect. You would hesitate to call your actions friendly, hard to when you were a part of the force under Illidan's command. But you were not antagonistic to one another.
[ ] were friends. It was one that often gained you hostility from your fellow Illidari, or whispered worries of you, too, betraying the cause. But you did not let that stop you.
[ ] did not really know each other. He left before you joined Illidan's service, and never encountered him on any missions.

Once everyone is armed and brought up to speed, you gather your core group as you find yourself coming to think of it. Kor'vas, Saria, Kayn, and the new addition of Altruis. Regardless of your thoughts on him, or those of others, he has been dutifully fighting the Legion, and his experience is hardly to be scorned.

"I say we go straight for Illidan now," Kayn speaks up. "No more freeing others, no more delays. Get his body before Gul'dan can. I dread to think what that monster will do with it if he has it."

Saria makes a soft noise before she comments, "Loathe as I am to admit it, I agree in part with the Sunfury. Any freeing of others, or likewise giving of aid, should only be extended toward those directly on the way to where Illidan's body is kept. We cannot afford to take the time scouring each floor."

"But a larger force would be helpful against the likes of Gul'dan. And I would rather see this prison not fall into the hands of the Legion. Some of those imprisoned here... Would be all too willing to offer them aid." After Altruis offers his thoughts, you turn your gaze to Kor'vas.

"Don't look at me Big Guy. You're the leader here. I'm a scout. Too much of a lone wolf to be thinking in terms of squads and grand strategy."

As Kayn grumbles about the fact that you're acknowledged as leader without any complaints from the others, something that draws a disbelieving look from Saria and amused ones, one more subdued than the other, from Kor'vas and Altruis, you think about your next course of action.

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[ ] Investigate the Naga.
[ ] Search for more to add to your forces.
[ ] Hunt down Gul'dan
[ ] Proceed straight to the chamber where Illidan's body is kept.