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The Maid of the Comet: A Tale from Azeroth

What should the next Quest be?

  • Paths of Rhun (Middle Earth East Quest)

    Votes: 5 31.3%

  • By Your Will (Dungeon Keeper 1 Quest)

    Votes: 5 31.3%

  • Another Legend Quest (Gilgamesh, Lucrezia, Mordred, etc)

    Votes: 5 31.3%

  • None of the Above

    Votes: 4 25.0%
  • Total voters
    16
  • Poll closed .
Reader mode
Okay. I think the conversation is decided. Update underway.

Also, I'm putting up a poll on what should be my next project, whether I run it concurrently or after this one ends (hopefully in a satisfying conclusion).
 
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Chapter 2.7
  • Threadmarks
    • You wandered for a while, never exactly focusing on one part of the camp until you found an area bearing the silver sun. The soldiers in black were milling about, and some were working at a breakneck pace under the guidance of the woman you had seen earlier.

    You briefly considered just leaving. They were busy, and most likely planning to move soon. But you didn't know who they were, and that was unconscionable. You needed to know as much as possible. Thus, you strode up with all the authority you could muster.

    Which was promptly undermined as she turned to face you, and you found her actively looking down to actually look you in the eye. This was beginning to get tired.

    "Ah, so you must be the one that nearly blinded the army earlier." You couldn't help your eyes widening at the concept, but you managed to regain control of your eyelids fast enough that she probably didn't see it.

    "I doubt that it was quite that bright. I wouldn't have been able to see at all, myself." You took the opportunity to redirect the conversation. "And my name is Jeanne."

    "Officer Pureheart." She extended her hand, which you shook as she continued. "Head of the Chillwind outpost of the Argent Dawn."

    "You're one of the Dawn?" That made too much sense now that you thought about it. In fact, it should have been obvious. A     silver sun? Curse your lack of context! On second thought, you should have probably reined in the time you spent talking with Phillipus. His melodrama was rubbing off on your thoughts. Recovering your senses, you said the first thing that came to mind. "I've heard a great deal about your order." Pureheart snorted.

    "I'm sure you have, traveling with Scarlets. We don't exactly get along, after all." You had gathered that. You'd had to intervene personally when the crude jokes using the order's title had become intolerable.

    "I don't understand why there is such animosity, though." You took a seat on a log bench opposite Pureheart. "You're fighting the same battle. I'll admit that I do not entirely approve of working with the undead, but-"

    "The Forsaken aren't the Scourge, Miss Jeanne." She was defensive. Why? "They have their free will, and they have their personalities. Yes, they were changed when they were raised, but you try to imagine the trauma of dying and rising again with your mind completely intact."

    "And everything else I've heard?" Your opposition was more out of habit forged by war room debate than anything else. "The slavery? The vivisections?" You hadn't even known that word existed before you had arrived, and now you wished that you had never learned it at all. "Do their circumstances justify their actions?" Pureheart was drawing her hand across her face, clearly tired of similar sentiments.

    "The Forsaken are… Complicated." She looked over at her soldiers. "They have a natural tendency towards negative emotion: anger, hatred, and the like. The ones who gravitate towards organizations like the Dawn are the ones who rise above that, and can interact with the world in a way that actually resembles a living person. The ones who join the Apothecary Society are typically those who feel even less than usual." She shrugged, a grimace on her face. "But the Undercity is strong enough that we can't afford a battle with them at the same time as with the Scourge. Windrunner may be less heroic than she was, but she's a damn good administrator, if the results are any indication."

    "And… What about the Light? I've heard some things said about your order's interpretations, and none of those were particularly flattering." Your newest point simply made Pureheart sigh.

    "We're far less extreme in our practices than the Scarlet Crusade." She leaned back, before remembering that there was nothing behind her. "There are the three virtues at the core of our faith: respect, tenacity,, and compassion. The willingness to forgo hate, the willingness to persist against the odds, ad the willingness to love and understand those different from us. We in the Argent Dawn try to observe all three. The Crusade? I've attended one of their masses, and I have only one thing to say." She frowned. "I've never heard compassion and respect so blatantly overshadowed by tenacity before or since. The priests who fight under the sign of the flame are almost universally dedicated to victory at any cost."

    "But against a foe like the Scourge, isn't that somewhat necessary?" It seemed so to you, anyway.

    "Not if the zeal of the victors leaves nothing behind to reclaim." She stood. "I apologize, but I must be attending to my unit. Good day to you, Miss Jeanne."

    "And to you." That had been enlightening. Fresh questions in your mind, you decided to find another individual. It was time you met Sir Morlune, as far as you were concerned.
    ​

    It took some time, and more than a little pestering Phillipus, but you eventually found Sir Morlune saying prayers over a small graveyard just South of the Bulwark. You could understand some of his words, but the prayer itself was unfamiliar, scattered with words in another, older language that sounded like Latin if it was spoken by a German and then an Englishman with neither fully remembering what they had heard. As you tried to match some of the words to ones you knew, he finished the prayer and turned to face you.

    "I'm surprised that you didn't speak up." He did not seem at all opposed to your patience, instead sounding more like Gilles did whenever he had proven you wrong on something (a rare occurrence).

    "I did not wish to interrupt. I understand respect for the peaceful dead." The specific form of dead was necessary, given the circumstances. Morlune chuckled, and you could have sworn he looked more like a doting grandfather in that moment than a knight on crusade.

    "A young woman who understands faith. I can appreciate that." He picked up the massive hammer, resting it on his shoulder. "Walk with me, if you would." You did so, trying to find the words for what you had to ask. "You have questions. Don't be afraid to ask them." At your expression, he laughed. "The young have a particular look whenever they are curious, I've found. It's no particular transparency on your part."

    "I just…" This felt like discussing faith with your town's priest again. "I spoke with Officer Pureheart. She said a few things that I wanted another perspective upon." Morlune, surprisingly, did not react with any derision. Only a raised eyebrow betrayed his own feelings.

    "Such as?"

    "Well, she said that your two orders have quite different interpretations of the Light, for one thing. She claimed that two of the virtues your church holds dear are pushed aside in favor of the third." He nodded, appearing to chew on his mustache as he thought.

    "In a way, she is correct." His bluntness was unexpected. "We have no illusions about the nature of our order, nor about our focus. But we allow ourselves to see what the Argent Dawn do not: that this crusade is a matter of faith as much as it is territory; vengeance as much as Justice. When Arthas betrayed his father, he didn't just destroy a kingdom; he broke its people. The Grand Crusader, General Abbendis, the Grand Inquisitor and even humble Miss Barton all lived through the Scourging. Commander Pureblood and Highlord Fordring are natives as well, and even Highlord Mograine, Light keep him, was a member of the Silver Hand before its dissolution, and saw the Kingdom fall apart." He rolled one shoulder with a grimace. "The Argent Dawn have good intentions, but they're too soft, too forgiving. They don't understand the situation in Tirisfal was we do, and have no presence in the East that we did not make possible. They believe that compassion is something we can afford. We disagree. When the foe is mindless, heartless and without number, there is no place for such kindness. They are dead, and destroying them frees their souls from their torment." He swept his arm outward, pointing back at the graveyard. "Those stones are among the only ones still marking bodies in the whole of the Plaguelands. The rest are either emptied by the works of necromancers or mark only urns filled with ashes. Both of our orders fight to prevent any more suffering, any more undead being left to wander the realm as mindless pawns. But they fight for 'peace in our time.' We fight for Lordaeron."

    It was a great deal to take in. The Dawn, as far as you could tell, was made up of pragmatists who didn't care what happened with the land after the Scourge was destroyed. The Crusade was focused far more on reclaiming it; all of it, from Tirisfal to the East. One order made compromises to ease the burden of the effort. The other made no such efforts.

    "And the Forsaken?" You looked up to gauge his reaction. "What is the Crusade's stance on them?" Morlune ran his hand through his beard, working out a knot you couldn't see.

    "They are something different from the Scourge. That is the basic idea." He sighed. "But not much better. In the early days, I've heard that there was some negotiation, but things have become hostile since then. The Grand Crusader has declared that we're to tolerate them only if there is no other choice." He turned to look at you. "Your experience with them should be indicative, if the good Captain was being truthful." Nodding, you let him continue. "The Dawn uses individual exceptions as proof that the whole can be redeemed. I don't believe it. One of our finest, a James Vishas by name, has studied them extensively. Their souls are bound imperfectly to their bodies, preventing them from experiencing the world as we do."

    "Pureheart mentioned their leaning towards the darker emotions, but why wouldn't individuals be accepted?"

    "Because of the very fact that their souls are so bound. It is wrong and unrighteous to allow such suffering. Why do you think so many refuse to turn away from Sylvanas and her cronies? They are, each and every one, deeply traumatized and scarred on a level that we simply cannot treat. If we could rehabilitate them, I would absolutely advocate such. But it is a part of their being, and it is far more merciful to free them than to leave them in a state where the Light is their antithesis." The two of you walked in silence for a while, as you made sense of the different arguments in your mind. This only broke when he began again. "I noticed a novice wielding a great deal of Light during the battle. Was that you?"

    "I suppose it was." You shrugged. "Pureheart claimed that I blinded the army, but I cannot see how."

    "Ah, but to those versed in viewing the magics of the world, your display must have been visible from Andorhal, miss!" Morlune was smiling, and you once again saw that grandfatherly expression. "Thornby wasn't exaggerating. I can see that now."

    "Oh?" Now that was interesting. "And what did he say? He only told me that my Light was 'potent,' whatever that may mean." Morlune grinned even wider.

    "He said that you may even come close to Whitemane. Of course, Thornby has only met the woman once, and that was a mass that I didn't attend due to other concerns, so I'm not certain that it's actually true. But you have potential beyond even some of those I taught in the old days." He looked back toward the Bulwark, the fortifications drawing nearer as you walked. "Are you coming to Vandermar?"

    "That was the original plan." You had new perspective after all. "I might accompany your party back there, if I may. I'd like to see how you've managed to rebuild, given what I've seen of the circumstances and," you swept your arm out at the landscape, "the environment." Morlune nodded.

    "If you do, I think I'd like to speak with you further. There are a few who have a feeling of.. I suppose it is potential around them. I've met the young Highlord Fordring; he has it. Sir Uther had it, and Tirion as well, for the short time I knew the both of them. I daresay you do as well." He turned to you again, standing at the edge of the Bulwark. "Such potential is rare, and easily turned to dark purposes or unworthy causes. I would like to discuss the possibility of bringing it to fruition in the best way possible." You raised an eyebrow.

    "Such as being a paladin, Sir Morlune? I cannot say I know much about such things." He turned back toward the other Crusaders.

    "We all began as novices miss. There is no shame in where you start; only in where you find yourself, should you have taken a wrong turn." He nodded to you, that smile still there under his beard, though somewhat more somber than before. "I hope to see you among our number when we go." He turned and walked away, leaving you to your thoughts, and your decision.

    Choose One:

    [] You went with the Crusaders to Vandermar. They were harsh, but justifiably so, and you preferred to be among people who would know you than start over a second time. It was selfish as far as you were concerned, but you felt as though it would be forgiven this once.

    [] You went with the Argent Dawn to Chillwind Camp. They were naive, but well-intentioned, and you found just as much righteousness in them as in the Crusade.

    [] Write In
    ​
    ​
    End of Chapter Two
    ​
    ​
    Faction Met: The Argent Dawn
    ​

    And there you have it. I hope I did them both justice. If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask.​
    Adhoc vote count started by King Tharassian on Mar 22, 2018 at 2:51 PM, finished with 537 posts and 8 votes.
    • [X] You went with the Crusaders to Vandermar. They were harsh, but justifiably so, and you preferred to be among people who would know you than start over a second time. It was selfish as far as you were concerned, but you felt as though it would be forgiven this once.
      [X] You went with the Crusaders to Vandermar. They were harsh, but justifiably so, and you preferred to be among people who would know you than start over a second time. It was selfish as far as you were concerned, but you felt as though it would be forgiven this once.
      [X] You went with the Argent Dawn to Chillwind Camp. They were naive, but well-intentioned, and you found just as much righteousness in them as in the Crusade.
    Click to expand...

    Adhoc vote count started by King Tharassian on Mar 22, 2018 at 3:45 PM, finished with 26 posts and 15 votes.
    • [X] You went with the Crusaders to Vandermar. They were harsh, but justifiably so, and you preferred to be among people who would know you than start over a second time. It was selfish as far as you were concerned, but you felt as though it would be forgiven this once.
      [X] You went with the Argent Dawn to Chillwind Camp. They were naive, but well-intentioned, and you found just as much righteousness in them as in the Crusade.
      [X] You went with the Crusaders to Vandermar. They were harsh, but justifiably so, and you preferred to be among people who would know you than start over a second time. It was selfish as far as you were concerned, but you felt as though it would be forgiven this once.
      [X] You went with the Argent Dawn to Chillwind Camp. They were naive, but well-intentioned, and you found just as much righteousness in them as in the Crusade.
    Click to expand...
     
  • Threadmarks
    • [X] You went with the Crusaders to Vandermar. They were harsh, but justifiably so, and you preferred to be among people who would know you than start over a second time. It was selfish as far as you were concerned, but you felt as though it would be forgiven this once.
     
    [X] You went with the Crusaders to Vandermar. They were harsh, but justifiably so, and you preferred to be among people who would know you than start over a second time. It was selfish as far as you were concerned, but you felt as though it would be forgiven this once.
     
    [X] You went with the Crusaders to Vandermar. They were harsh, but justifiably so, and you preferred to be among people who would know you than start over a second time. It was selfish as far as you were concerned, but you felt as though it would be forgiven this once.

    Because lets be real here The Argent Dawn are more the pawns of Stormwind and the Alliance than they are true crusaders. Also I want to see if we can fix the worst problems with the Crusade and make them a force truly for good rather than the corrupt pile of crap they are in cannon.
     
    [X] You went with the Crusaders to Vandermar. They were harsh, but justifiably so, and you preferred to be among people who would know you than start over a second time. It was selfish as far as you were concerned, but you felt as though it would be forgiven this once.
     
    With our potential I believe we could rise to the top ranks of the order, besides when you are fighting against a literal horde of undead abominations that seek to slaughter your entire land harshness and pragmatism is necessary.
     
    [X] You went with the Crusaders to Vandermar. They were harsh, but justifiably so, and you preferred to be among people who would know you than start over a second time. It was selfish as far as you were concerned, but you felt as though it would be forgiven this once.
     
    [X] You went with the Crusaders to Vandermar. They were harsh, but justifiably so, and you preferred to be among people who would know you than start over a second time. It was selfish as far as you were concerned, but you felt as though it would be forgiven this once.
     
    [X] You went with the Argent Dawn to Chillwind Camp. They were naive, but well-intentioned, and you found just as much righteousness in them as in the Crusade.

    To keep the arguments flowing and provide plenty of fodder. More specifically-I admit to not knowing the lore well but I thought the Scarlets went bad via a hidden Dreadlord screwing things up, and I don't much like the thought of trying to beat one at his own game.
     
    [X] You went with the Crusaders to Vandermar. They were harsh, but justifiably so, and you preferred to be among people who would know you than start over a second time. It was selfish as far as you were concerned, but you felt as though it would be forgiven this once.
     
    Another fun fact.

    While Jeanne's trial was declared null and her accuser stripped of his position nearly immediately after the end of the Hundred Years War, her sainthood wasn't determined until the around the time of the world wars.
     
    King Arthur said:
    Can we quickly ask around about what kind of teachers both sides have? Like, do both sides have any notable Light Users?

    Sure, we wouldn't recognize the names from Adam, but you can tell a lot just based on how people speak about them.
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    I'll tell you. Jeanne heard the names Valorfist, MacDonnell and Pureheart when she went into the Argent camp, and met Pureheart. Among the Scarlets, she heard of Sir Morlune, as well as one Priestess Barton, one Granis Darkhammer and one Malak the Avenger.
    EDIT: And also Whitemane.
     
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    So, two options. Option one; potential and even likely damnation as Jeanne is driven to extremism and falls under the sway of a Dreadlord, and that's if the Grand Crusader doesn't conveniently die and she gets murdered and her corpse possessed. She might redeem the Crusade though and remove said Dreadlord.

    Option two; the guys who are definitely good people and much less susceptible to corruption, but the going is at least at the start going to be a lot tougher. Not least of which because she came from the Scarlet Crusade and the Argent Dawn will be suspicious of her for that reason.

    san said:
    Because lets be real here The Argent Dawn are more the pawns of Stormwind and the Alliance than they are true crusaders. Also I want to see if we can fix the worst problems with the Crusade and make them a force truly for good rather than the corrupt pile of crap they are in cannon.
    Click to expand...
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    Okay, first, we appear to have some very different views on the Argent Dawn. Second, quite frankly, the support of Stormwind and the Alliance are not exactly a bad thing, even if it means doing the Alliance's bidding.

    And the Argent Dawn isn't bound to that at all. It favours the Alliance to an extent, yes, but that's because the Dawn is largely made up of humans and their allies. They've a notable and sizable contingent of orcs and trolls as members as well, and no few undead who shed the Scourge's control and joined up.

    If anything, the Scarlet Crusade is more likely to join the Alliance than the Argent Dawn is once the Plague Lands are retaken and the organisation that did it actually becomes a geopolitical factor because there's no way they're going to accept the Forsaken controlling anything in Lordaeron and they don't have the manpower and resources to effectively oppose an entire nationstate on their own, never mind one that can call upon the rest of the Horde for reinforcements.
     
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    Hazard said:
    the Argent Dawn will be suspicious of her for that reason
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    I know, right? It's too bad Jeanne had no experience convincing a bunch of disheartened soldiers to believe in her and thereby turn the tide of a horrible war ar-

    Wait, yes she does!

    [X] You went with the Argent Dawn to Chillwind Camp. They were naive, but well-intentioned, and you found just as much righteousness in them as in the Crusade.

    On another note, I like this more because I'm not actually all for Jeanne being tied down in this conflict too much. I wanna explore a bit, you know?
     
    For Lordaeron!

    [X] You went with the Crusaders to Vandermar. They were harsh, but justifiably so, and you preferred to be among people who would know you than start over a second time. It was selfish as far as you were concerned, but you felt as though it would be forgiven this once.
     
    [X] You went with the Crusaders to Vandermar. They were harsh, but justifiably so, and you preferred to be among people who would know you than start over a second time. It was selfish as far as you were concerned, but you felt as though it would be forgiven this once.
     
    [X] You went with the Argent Dawn to Chillwind Camp. They were naive, but well-intentioned, and you found just as much righteousness in them as in the Crusade.
     
    [X] You went with the Crusaders to Vandermar. They were harsh, but justifiably so, and you preferred to be among people who would know you than start over a second time. It was selfish as far as you were concerned, but you felt as though it would be forgiven this once.
     
    [X] You went with the Crusaders to Vandermar. They were harsh, but justifiably so, and you preferred to be among people who would know you than start over a second time. It was selfish as far as you were concerned, but you felt as though it would be forgiven this once.

    King Tharassian said:
    I'll tell you. Jeanne heard the names Valorfist, MacDonnell and Pureheart when she went into the Argent camp, and met Pureheart. Among the Scarlets, she heard of Sir Morlune, as well as one Priestess Barton, one Granis Darkhammer and one Malak the Avenger.
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    Click to shrink...

    Okay, people who know Warcraft, anyone recognize these names?

    Who do people think is the holiest/the best with the Light/the best teacher?

    Cause that' a pretty important factor to me and might make me change my vote, and I imagine at least a few others might agree with me there.
     
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    Hazard said:
    So, two options. Option one; potential and even likely damnation as Jeanne is driven to extremism and falls under the sway of a Dreadlord, and that's if the Grand Crusader doesn't conveniently die and she gets murdered and her corpse possessed. She might redeem the Crusade though and remove said Dreadlord.
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    Ah, yes... The "Sadistic QM Principle."

    Don't be fooled. Redeeming the crusade won't be easy, but it is certainly possible, given the divergences I used for this version of the setting.

    Hazard said:
    Option two; the guys who are definitely good people and much less susceptible to corruption, but the going is at least at the start going to be a lot tougher. Not least of which because she came from the Scarlet Crusade and the Argent Dawn will be suspicious of her for that reason.
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    All true. I mean, you have to overcome one faction, steal from another, and get ahold of something insanely difficult. ;)

    Claytonimor said:
    On another note, I like this more because I'm not actually all for Jeanne being tied down in this conflict too much. I wanna explore a bit, you know?
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    Don't worry, you can go places as either. It'll just be more specific and goal-oriented than the Argents.
    Adhoc vote count started by King Tharassian on Mar 22, 2018 at 3:27 PM, finished with 550 posts and 15 votes.
    • [X] You went with the Crusaders to Vandermar. They were harsh, but justifiably so, and you preferred to be among people who would know you than start over a second time. It was selfish as far as you were concerned, but you felt as though it would be forgiven this once.
      [X] You went with the Argent Dawn to Chillwind Camp. They were naive, but well-intentioned, and you found just as much righteousness in them as in the Crusade.
      [X] You went with the Crusaders to Vandermar. They were harsh, but justifiably so, and you preferred to be among people who would know you than start over a second time. It was selfish as far as you were concerned, but you felt as though it would be forgiven this once.
      [X] You went with the Argent Dawn to Chillwind Camp. They were naive, but well-intentioned, and you found just as much righteousness in them as in the Crusade.
    Click to expand...
     
    King Tharassian said:
    Ah, yes... The "Sadistic QM Principle."

    Don't be fooled. Redeeming the crusade won't be easy, but it is certainly possible, given the divergences I used for this version of the setting.
    Click to expand...
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    people always try making others believe that choosing what they don't want in a quest will likely lead to DOOM! at this point I think most questers just ignore this argument.
     
    [X] You went with the Argent Dawn to Chillwind Camp. They were naive, but well-intentioned, and you found just as much righteousness in them as in the Crusade.
     
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