JmonsterNEO
Spouter of nonsense
- Location
- The quest forums
And that is confirmation that everything will absolutely not go to plan.
Chaoswind
Lord of nonsense
- Location
- Latin America
I mean there is plenty of plot hooks and possible chaos seeded in the fic.
The Sith Nerubian Vizir that wanted to drain a loa for power sounds like the kind of guy that could fall to the void if left unsupervised, and there are internal Nerubian politics in motion due to the tectonic shift in policy and the order of void hunters coming clean.
Lordaeron got fucked by the void and is under a regent meaning they are no longer the unquestionable big boy human kingdom of the alliance, they also committed in writing to help pay for the rebuilding of storm wind, something they will now struggle with unless aided by others.
As Lordaeron falls down a couple of steps Alterac raises a bunch in turn, this means the humans are more even when it comes to resources and capabilities, Lordaeron and Strongarde are still top human dogs, but Lordaeron is a lot closer to Strongarde now, Alterac position is now more comparable to Gilneas as well. On the overall the human kingdoms are better off, but they are also more equals than ever and that may give some of them ideas.
Zhuljin and the trolls are going to be making money moves.
The Elves of Kalimdor got approached by the aspects and got told the burning legion made some money moves in another continent of Azeroth and if they would be OK with settling Fel tainted fuckers on their land, they obviously said NO to the second, but the First means that more of their leadership is going to be waking up because oh god the burning legion is making money moves.
The information of the Dark portal being an ever present knife in the eastern kingdoms means that despite their internal grievances the alliance is less likely to turn on each other any time soon.
Deathwing is going to get his bath interrupted. I wonder if the others aspects will try to help the black dragon's now that they know the Nerubians could escape the influence of the void gods. I could see Alex going full step mom and taking black dragon eggs in an effort to help cleanse them of influence.
Chapter 55
"You know, I wasn't quite expecting this much walking," said Krivax as he chugged down another stamina potion and recast the ward protecting him and his guards from the desert heat of the Badlands.
"Blame yourself for being too big to ride the rams!" Trixie called out from atop a large pink mechanostrider, the ostrich-shaped machine easily keeping pace with the dwarven rams. "We'd be making better time if you hadn't brought so many guards."
"Yeah, well, Azjol-Nerub can't just let me run around without any guards," Krivax grumbled as he stepped over debris from a broken orcish catapult. "Especially not when there might be Horde running around and I'm about to enter a potentially dangerous Titan facility."
"Where's your sense of adventure, Krivax? Weren't you excited to get away from all your diplomatic stuff?" Trixie asked teasingly.
"My sense of adventure died when I realized we would have to walk through several miles of desert," Krivax deadpanned.
"Ha! You best get used to it, lad. The life of an Explorer isn't glamorous," chuckled Brann Bronzebeard from the front of the caravan. Along with Krivax's eight guards, Brann had brought along several Explorers' League researchers and wagons carrying important surveying equipment. Since much of the equipment had very sensitive enchantments, they couldn't be carried along in a spatial bag. "Besides, it's not like you'll be here for long. I'm sure you need to get back to your important business. What with the trials goin' on and all that."
Krivax groaned at the reminder. The summit had lasted an entire week as they hashed out the details of their agreements and the so-called Dalaran Trials began. One by one, the Horde leadership was being pulled out in chains from the Violet Hold and brought before an Alliance tribunal to answer for their actions. It was a necessary process, but it had already been a month since they started and Krivax wasn't interested in sitting through the rest of them.
"Do you know how much farther we have to go, Brann?" asked Krivax, hoping that he didn't sound like an impatient kid. "If I have to keep drinking these potions, I'm going to end up with alchemical poisoning."
"Shouldn't be too much longer now," said Brann, retrieving the map to Uldaman from his saddlebag. "Accordin' to the goblins you hired, we just need to head west as soon as we enter the Badlands from Loch Modan and look for a cave."
Krivax hoped that he was right. " Have you been to many locations left behind by the Titans before?"
"A few times, but only a few of them had anythin' we could work out," Brann admitted. "One of them was why my brothers and I started the Explorers' League! We found some hints that the Titans were related to our people's origins."
"I see. Well, I'm glad to be traveling with someone with your experience," Krivax said, genuinely relieved. Considering how dangerous Titan facilities could be, Uldaman was one location in which he didn't fully trust his metaknowledge.
"Aye, lad. There's no need to worry, I've brought a lot of useful gadgets to make sure we don't get done in by any nasty surprises," said Brann, gesturing toward the wagon hauling the equipment. "Plus we've got those scary guards of yours. I hear you nerubians are really good fighters underground, so we should all be safe."
That was true enough. Azjol-Nerub took his safety very seriously and decided to send some very capable warriors to escort Krivax. If he had not argued that he needed to be part of the expedition due to his experience with sensing and countering Void magic, Krivax wasn't sure the council would have allowed him to go at all.
"So, what are those 'gadgets' actually for?" Krivax asked curiously.
"Oh, it's just a wee collection o' contraptions our pals in Gnomeregan whipped up," Brann explained, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Last time we stumbled into a Titan-related site, we face some terrifyin' defenses. They really didn't want folks diggin' into their secrets. These gadgets ought to help us detect them early on and deal with them when needed."
"I made this one so that we can monitor our path back to the camp," Dulink, one of the gnome tinkers who had joined the expedition, said as he pulled out a gnome artifact that looked like a cross between a camera and a ray gun. "This one detects any motion and automatically freezes them solid."
Krivax glanced dubiously over at the wagon filled with strange machines. Warcraft was a setting that frequently delved into things that would be more fitting in a sci-fi novel, which often made things very confusing. He had already given up on figuring out how gnomish technology worked a long time ago, but he knew it tended to be… unpredictable at best.
The less said about goblin technology the better.
"Well, I hope they work the way that you expect them to. If this place is anything like the facility in Northrend, then we'll be needing them," said Krivax, knowing full well that Uldaman contained many potential dangers.
"Hey! Are you doubting gnomish technology?" Trixie protested indignantly.
"Yes," was his deadpan reply.
Trixie huffed at Krivax's response, while Brann just laughed. "Oh, don't be so hard on the lad, Trixie. He'll learn to appreciate gnomish inventions soon enough."
The two of them continued to bicker until they finally closed in on their destination. When they did, Krivax was surprised by how unremarkable the entrance to the Titan facility actually was. If not for the enchanted marker left behind by the goblins, he wouldn't be able to distinguish it from any other hole in the side of a rocky cliff.
Deciding that it would be a good idea to scout ahead before running blindly into a dark cave, Krivax established control over one of the skitterers he had brought for this exact purpose. After casting the spell that would allow him to look through its eyes, Krivax slowly sent the skitterer forward into the cavern entrance in search of any dangers.
"Well? Spotted anythin' yet?" asked Brann after waiting for several minutes.
"You're going to need to give me a little more time than that. The caverns are expansive and I'm taking things slowly," Krivax replied, his voice distant as he focused on the skitterer's vision. He could already tell that this place was different from what his metaknowledge suggested, as these caverns only had a single path in Warcraft. "However, I've already passed by a few dangerous beasts down here. A lot of giant bats, and even a pack of basilisks."
The skitterer was lucky that it was too fast for the six-legged lizard creatures to catch, or it would already be sitting in one of their stomachs.
"Basilisks? Don't they need to eat a lot? What're they doing just sitting in an uninhabited cave?" asked Trixie, her voice filled with confusion.
"Notice anythin' odd about those beasties, lad?" Brann asked, concerned. "Basilisks in particular are prone to being changed by magic."
Krivax quickly directed his skitterer to the closest pack of the beasts and checked. "Most of them have giant stone spikes growing out of their backs. One of them looks like it's mostly made of jade."
"Aye, we can be certain we've found the right spot. Y'see, critters like those tend to sustain themselves on magic and stick close to spots filled with it," Brann said excitedly.
The other researchers from the Explorers' League were just as excited and began eagerly talking among themselves, but Krivax didn't allow it to distract him. He knew that they were about to walk into somewhere incredibly dangerous, and he intended to scout every nook and cranny so they didn't stumble onto anything they couldn't handle.
The caverns were mostly empty and quiet, but Krivax felt his caution had been proven warranted when he spotted a half dozen goblin skeletons in one of the tunnels. He had enough experience with fire spells that he could tell that they had all died by a concentrated gout of flame. After repeating his findings to the rest of the expedition, the mood among the group quickly sobered.
"Any sign of what killed them?" Trixie asked, her expression solemn.
Instead of answering, Krivax directed the skitterer down the tunnel where the goblin remains were found. As the skitterer advanced, it came upon a large cavern containing two crumbling and worn-down statues carved in such a way that they appeared to be holding up the ceiling. In between the two statues stood a gate made of a material that resembled marble. Strange arcane runes covered the front of the gate, but only half of them still glowed with any magic; their light flickering weakly. The rest had long since faded, leaving the runes barely legible.
Krivax couldn't help but wonder what the gate to the Titan facility had looked like when it was still in a state of good repair.
In the heart of the cavern stood an unmoving figure, a large humanoid golem made of stone and metal. It stood at around eight feet tall, had proportions far bulkier than any human, and had rune-covered arms. Krivax recognized several of the runes as being related to fire. It was clear to him that the golem was the one responsible for killing the goblins and would likely attack anyone who tried to enter Uldaman.
Krivax reported his findings back to Brann, who seemed torn between excitement and solemnity.
"By the gods, a Titan golem!" Brann exclaimed, eyes wide with wonder. He wasn't the only one, as the rest of the expedition was similarly amazed. "I've seen similar constructs before, but they're usually dormant or broken down. This one's still functionin' and guardin' the entrance!"
"Imagine how much we could learn from it if we took it back to Gnomeregan," Trixie mused, her voice nearly reverent.
"We'll have to be careful if we want to get past it without taking any casualties," said Krivax as he directed the skitterer back to the surface. "I don't want any of us ending up like those goblins."
The Captain of Krivax's guards, Rahtep, asked, "Can the golem reach the ceiling? If so, we can clamber onto the cavern's walls and attempt to web its joints from a safe distance."
Krivax replied, "Unfortunately, I think the golem's arms can send flames at anyone on the ceiling. However, I think jamming the spears into its joints can immobilize the golem. I can cast a barrier to protect you briefly from the flames."
"Very well, Vizier Krivax," Rahtep replied and turned to command the guards.
"We could probably deactivate it with some of our gadgets, but we should probably save them for the gate and the rest of the place. I don't want to have come all this way just to get stopped by a door!" said Trixie.
"I think we should tackle the golem head-on," Brann said, thoughtfully stroking his beard. "It'll give us a good idea of the state of Uldaman's defenses. We can always retreat if the golem is too powerful and come back with more equipment and bodies if needed. After all, we're not that far away from Ironforge."
Once the preliminary plan to deal with the golem was decided, Krivax summoned a ball of light to illuminate the way and directed his guards to the front as they all began making their way carefully down the caverns. There were a few occasions in which they were attacked by the giant bats Krivax had noticed earlier, but his guards easily skewered them as soon as they got close.
Thanks to his guards, Krivax didn't even have to fight and he could focus on scouting ahead with the skitterer and expand the tunnels with geomancy as necessary. When they finally reached the cavern where the Titan golem was standing, the group paused to assess and prepare for the confrontation with the golem. The researchers without any combat experience fell to the back while the rest of the expedition prepared for a fight.
"Alright everyone, let's do this carefully and efficiently," Brann called out and he readied his rifle. "Remember, our goal is for all of us to get through this alive."
Not seeing the need to give a dramatic speech for a single golem, Krivax merely nodded toward his guards, prompting them to advance slowly into the cavern. After a few moments, Krivax, Trixie, and Brann followed behind as everyone spread out to surround the golem. Unfortunately, they didn't get very far before the golem seemed to detect them and suddenly activate.
The golem's body creaked and groaned as it came to life, the runes on its arms flaring with bright red-orange light. Its eyes glowed the same fiery hue as it slowly turned its head towards the nearest nerubian guard and spoke with a robotic voice. Despite speaking in a language Krivax had never heard before, he was still able to understand its meaning.
"Unauthorized intruders detected. Initiating defense protocol."
With those words, the golem lifted its arms and released a stream of red-hot flames that lit up the previously dark cavern. Krivax immediately leapt into action, throwing up an arcane barrier to protect his guards from the golem's attack. The barrier held, but Krivax could feel the strain on his magic as the flames licked against the protective shield.
Trixie fired at the golem with her shrink ray, but it seemed to have no effect. Brann's heavily enchanted rifle was powerful enough to blow a hole through the construct's head, but it simply ignored the damage and continued to spew flames.
Fortunately, Krivax's guards were all experienced warriors equipped with the best gear the Azjol-Nerub could provide. Simultaneously, eight nerubian warriors charged at the golem spear first from different directions, piercing all of its joints and preventing the construct from moving any further. It continued its attempts to attack, but a single immobilized golem that had already been degraded by age wasn't much of a match for the barrage of attacks by Brann, Krivax, and the nerubian guards.
It took some effort, but Krivax's guards rained down blows relentlessly until the golem's eyes eventually ceased glowing and its body shut down. Once he was certain that the danger had passed, Krivax let out a sigh of relief and made his way over to the inert golem. His guards, led by Rahtep had removed their spears from the joints and took up a loose cordon around the chamber.
"Well, that was unexpected," said Trixie as she ran up to the construct and started examining it. "I thought a golem made by the Titans themselves would be a whole lot more dangerous."
"I don't think this means much. There's no way to know how functional it was after all this time, and it was only a single golem," said Krivax, doing his best to prevent the rest of the expedition from getting too full of themselves. "For all you know, we could open that gate and find a hundred of these things waiting for us."
Krivax hoped that wouldn't be the case, but it was a possibility, albeit a distant one. There was a time when the Keepers were able to construct entire armies of artificial beings, but most of the ones in Uldaman were probably too degraded to function.
Brann nodded in agreement as he studied the golem with open fascination. "You've got a point there, lad. We'll proceed with caution, no matter what we've seen so far."
"Even if it wasn't as scary as I thought, this golem is still amazing!" said Trixie, her eyes sparkling. "Imagine what kind of technology the Titans used to create something like this! I've examined one of Quel'Thalas' golems at Gearshaft University, and there's no way one of those would have lasted as long as this one before shutting down."
"I'm sure the High Tinker will enjoy studying it when we send it back to Gnomeregan, but I think we should move on," said Krivax, approaching the gate to Uldaman and looking at the flickering runes. "You said one of your gadgets should be able to open the way forward?"
"Aye, I think so," Brann replied, running back to the wagon filled with equipment. Krivax was surprised that the rams hadn't made a fuss during all the fighting, but any ram given to King Magni's brother must be very well trained. "High Tinker Mekkatorque personally made me something just for this. He called the contraption an 'Arcane Magic Disruptor,' so it should do the trick. Now where di—ah, here it is!"
The device looked like nothing more than a plain black cube with a series of buttons and dials on one side. Brann fiddled with it for a few moments before aiming the cub at the gate. With a flick of a switch, the device emitted a beam of energy that struck the runes of the gate. The air in the cavern crackled with arcane energy as the runes grew brightly before suddenly dissipating completely.
A low rumbling filled the cave as the massive doors parted, revealing a dimly lit passage ahead. The expedition exchanged glances, their enthusiasm tempered by the unknown dangers that lay ahead.
"Alright everyone," Brann said, his voice serious. "Keep your eyes peeled once we enter the facility. Remember, we're here to learn about the Titans and their history, not to become history ourselves. Krivax, you send one of your little skitterers ahead just in case."
With a nod of agreement, Krivax did so and was immediately taken in by what he was seeing. Much of the facility was worn down by time, but it was actually in a far better state than he would have expected.
In Warcraft, Titan architecture tended to vary wildly and was based on cultures that existed back on Earth. If Krivax was to describe Uldaman, he would say it resembled a fantasy version of an ancient Greek temple. The halls were filled with large columns and intricate friezes depicting scenes of the Titans and their many creations adorned the walls. The high roof and the large furnishings made it clear that Uldaman had been built for humanoid beings far larger than Krivax had ever seen. Despite there being no obvious light source, the entire structure was illuminated by an eerie light that made Krivax feel uncomfortable.
As he directed the skitterer forward, it quickly became clear to him that Uldaman was much larger in reality than it was depicted in Warcraft.
"I think we're safe to move forward," Krivax said once it became clear that there wasn't an army of constructs waiting for them.
As the expedition ventured into the ancient facility, Brann, Trixie, and the other researchers marveled at everything they saw. There were many times that the group had to stop for them to take notes and sketches of the various structures they found.
Krivax continued to scout for threats ahead with his skitterer and stumbled upon several more golems. Thankfully, they were rather few in number and simple to dispatch with a little planning and preparation. At some point, the group stumbled on the inert form of what Krivax recognized to be a Titanic Watcher, which were giant humanoid constructs created by the Titans to lead their armies and run their facilities. It was around fifteen feet tall, looked to be made completely out of stone, and was slumped over in a corner of the room with an oversized book and a strange staff at its feet.
Thankfully, the being didn't suddenly wake up and attack them, even when Brann eagerly ran over to the book and tried to read what was inside. Krivax wasn't willing to take any chances and he quickly grabbed the staff before ushering the group along when it became obvious that the book wasn't written in any modern language.
The rest of the exploration continued in that manner, with them occasionally destroying golems, Brann disabling traps before Krivax could clumsily activate them, and Trixie gushing over every piece of broken Titan technology they found. Krivax was enjoying himself just as much as he expected he would. Exploring the wonders of Azeroth was something that he had always wanted to do, but his duties had always gotten in the way.
Unfortunately, it wasn't long before his skitterer stumbled on a room that sharply reminded Krivax how dangerous this place truly was.
"Everyone stay together and don't run ahead. We need to be extremely careful when we enter the next room," Krivax said solemnly.
"Another golem, lad?" Brann asked, gripping his rifle.
"No. There shouldn't be a fight, but I'm not sure how to explain it to you," Krivax said after a moment of hesitation. "I think you need to see this for yourself."
Everyone exchanged worried glances, but they trusted Krivax's judgment and followed his instructions. As they entered the room, they were met with a sight that was both awe-inspiring and terrifying. The chamber was vast and circular with numerous doors and passageways branching off in every direction. The most striking feature of the room, however, was the seemingly endless amounts of unmoving malformed creatures being held behind barriers of arcane magic. They were humanoid and about the same size as a dwarf, but far more bestial in appearance.
"What are these things?" Trixie whispered as if she were afraid to awaken the creatures surrounding them.
"I don't know, lass, but I think we'd be better off avoiding them," said Brann, his voice uncharacteristically quiet.
"I think you're right. We should leave this place and move on," Krivax agreed.
He knew exactly what these creatures were, and his companions were right to fear them. Uldaman was created for the express purpose of containing the troggs, which were the Keepers' first attempt at creating sentient life. In the original timeline, the group that first discovered Uldaman inadvertently released the troggs, who then poured out of the facility and launched an attack on Gnomeregan. This would start a chain of events that resulted in Gnomeregan being completely irradiated and a large portion of the gnomish population being killed.
As they ventured deeper, they came upon several more rooms dedicated exclusively to storing the troggs. It wasn't until they stumbled into a cavern with a large model map of Uldaman in all its former glory embedded in the floor that Krivax finally found what he was looking for. His true purpose for going to Uldaman was always so that they could, hopefully, make peaceful contact with the Keeper inside, and this model map was the key to doing so if his metaknowledge was accurate.
While the rest of the group was gushing over the map and discussing amongst themselves, Krivax walked over to one of the model structures and gestured toward the keystone embedded into it. "Brann, I think this might be some kind of key. It's shaped exactly like the staff we found earlier."
Trixie and Brann quickly made their way over and saw that he was right.
"There's a good chance that it opens that gate," said Trixie, glancing nervously toward the forty-foot-tall gate on the other side of the cavern. It looked exactly like the one at the entrance to Uldaman, except the runes carved into its surface were still glowing brightly with magic. "Are you sure it's a good idea to open it, though? We have no idea what's on the other side."
If Krivax actually had no idea what was on the other side, then he would be the first to agree with Trixie. However, this was crucial to making peaceful contact with the Keeper, so he quickly moved to soothe her fears.
"I know it's a risk," Krivax acknowledged. "But this is also our best chance to learn more about the Titans and this facility. We need to know more about where those creatures came from and what kind of danger they are. We've been able to handle everything that we've come across so far, so I'm sure it'll be fine."
"The lad has a point," Brann agreed, stroking his bushy beard thoughtfully. "This place is the grandest archaeological find in our people's history. We've come this far, and we can't let fear hold us back now. If there's a chance that openin' this gate will give us the answers we seek, then we have to take it."
Trixie hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded in agreement. "Alright, let's do it. Just… be ready for anything, okay?"
Krivax nodded, gripping the staff tightly. He'd been preparing for this from the moment that he learned that Deathwing had escaped, and the time had finally come. As long as he succeeded here today, Azeroth would be saved from one of the most devastating events in its history. Krivax directed Rahtep and his guards to take up defensive positions before pushing the staff into the keystone with a click.
The model map of Uldaman immediately lit up as streams of magic flowed into the staff. After a few moments, it emitted a beam of magic into the nearby gate. Just like at the gate at Uldaman's entrance, the runes glowed brightly before suddenly dissipating altogether. As the gates swung open, Krivax felt the ground shake from the footsteps of the being that emerged.
Unlike the Titanic Watcher that they had come across before, this one was very much active. She stood at an imposing thirty feet tall and looked like a beautifully carved marble statue of antiquity. She carried a large maul and wore a robe of seemingly flowing bronze robe and metal greaves.
"None may steal the secrets of the Makers! Who dares disturb these halls?!" said the Titanic Watcher, her voice reverberating strangely as she swept her gaze over the expedition.
Her eyes softened minutely when landing on the dwarves and gnomes present but immediately turned hostile the second she noticed Krivax and his fellow nerubians. "Aqir! Disgusting spawn of the Old Gods! You dare befoul Uldaman with your presence?!"
Before anyone could react, the Titanic Watcher was already charging toward them with its weapon raised. Krivax was barely able to conjure a barrier of ice around them before it swung down with murderous intent. Although he had grown much stronger since he first came to the Eastern Kingdoms, Krivax still felt as if his barrier was stuck by an angry Spiderlord.
Retrieving a flask from his spatial bag, he quickly threw it onto the ground and watched as a living, silvery liquid surrounded the expedition and formed a secondary shield between them and the Titanic Watcher. Krivax was extremely glad that he had purchased the flask from Archmage Karlain because his wall of ice shattered completely from the next attack.
"Brann! Try talking to her! She seems to think we're her enemy but she might listen to you!" Krivax yelled over the noise of their barrier being literally hammered.
Brann hesitated for a moment, but soon stepped forward and raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Wait! Please, listen to us! We're just explorers here to learn about our history!"
"Silence, traitor! I'll not listen to one corrupted by the Curse of Flesh as they consort with the aqir!"
Brann continued trying to plead his case and Krivax tried to explain that they weren't aqir, but the Titanic Watcher didn't seem interested in listening. Eventually, Krivax realized that this wasn't going anywhere and he decided to move on to his contingency plan. As he reached into his spatial bag Krivax could tell that she was watching him warily, which made his next actions much easier.
Channeling his magic into the Light-infused scepter that he had borrowed from the Church of the Holy Light, Krivax watched as the Titanic Watcher suddenly reeled back in surprise as she faced the entirely unexpected action. He had known there was a chance that the Keeper and the Titanic Watchers would associate him with the Old Gods, so Krivax had made sure to bring something that could prove otherwise.
Krivax heavily favored arcane magic and only had limited experience channeling the Light from practicing with Anub'rekhan. Without such a powerful object of Light, he probably wouldn't have been able to do so at all. That meant that it basically did nothing to the Titanic Watcher, but that wasn't his intention. A true aqir would never be able to even hold an object of Light, let alone use it. That was why when he unleashed its power before the Watcher and stood unharmed, it gave her pause. One which he didn't hesitate to make use of.
"I am a nerubian of the kingdom of Azjol-Nerub to the far north! It is true we are descended from the ancient aqir, but we are not them!" Krivax shouted out. "We have abandoned our ancestors' ways and freed ourselves from the Old Gods' and the Void's influence! We are not here to harm the legacy and works of the Titans, but to learn from it alongside its descendants!"
Krivax stepped forward with his arms raised beseechingly, hoping dearly that his plan would work out.
The Titanic Watcher stared down at him searchingly, studying Krivax and the other nerubians with a critical eye that seemed to see through them. After several terrifying moments, she stepped back and lowered her weapon, the anger in her expression replaced by curiosity.
"I believe your words, creature," she said slowly. "The Void clings not to your forms and no aqir I have ever known has spoken to me with such resolve, nor have they channeled the Light without sustaining great injury. Explain to me why you have come to Uldaman and how you have bypassed the facility's defenses."
Krivax took a deep breath, grateful for the reprieve. "Thank you. My name is Krivax, and we are part of an expedition led by Brann Bronzebeard. We've come from Ironforge and Gnomeregan to learn more about the Titans and the ancient history of the dwarves. We have no intention of causing harm or taking anything without permission."
They had already picked up several items during their exploration, but it was obviously better to leave them behind than get squashed by an angry stone giant.
The Titanic Watcher considered his words, her gaze shifting between the members of the expedition. "Your intentions appear to be genuine, but know that I am Ironaya and I am responsible for protecting these halls and all they contain. You have not explained to me how you managed to bypass our defenses. A party of your strength should not have been able to get past them."
"Well, we fought or deactivated what defenses we came across, but the things seem to be in a… state of disrepair," Brann explained with a grimace. "Sorry to tell you, your ladyship, but I think you've been asleep for a really long time. We also used this little contraption to get past the front gate."
Ironaya bent forward as Brann presented her with the Arcane Magic Disruptor and carefully picked up the device between her thumb and pointer finger, before bringing it close to her face and examining it.
"Still so clever…" he heard her mutter to herself in amazement before looking back down at them. Afterward, Ironaya finally turned her gaze away from them and took in her surroundings, especially the poor state of the whole map chamber. "How long have I been in stasis?"
"There's no way to know, but I imagine you've been in stasis from at least before the Sundering," Krivax explained.
"The what?" Ironaya responded with obvious bewilderment.
This… might take a while, Krivax thought to himself as prepared for a long conversation.
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Thanks for reading!
"Blame yourself for being too big to ride the rams!" Trixie called out from atop a large pink mechanostrider, the ostrich-shaped machine easily keeping pace with the dwarven rams. "We'd be making better time if you hadn't brought so many guards."
"Yeah, well, Azjol-Nerub can't just let me run around without any guards," Krivax grumbled as he stepped over debris from a broken orcish catapult. "Especially not when there might be Horde running around and I'm about to enter a potentially dangerous Titan facility."
"Where's your sense of adventure, Krivax? Weren't you excited to get away from all your diplomatic stuff?" Trixie asked teasingly.
"My sense of adventure died when I realized we would have to walk through several miles of desert," Krivax deadpanned.
"Ha! You best get used to it, lad. The life of an Explorer isn't glamorous," chuckled Brann Bronzebeard from the front of the caravan. Along with Krivax's eight guards, Brann had brought along several Explorers' League researchers and wagons carrying important surveying equipment. Since much of the equipment had very sensitive enchantments, they couldn't be carried along in a spatial bag. "Besides, it's not like you'll be here for long. I'm sure you need to get back to your important business. What with the trials goin' on and all that."
Krivax groaned at the reminder. The summit had lasted an entire week as they hashed out the details of their agreements and the so-called Dalaran Trials began. One by one, the Horde leadership was being pulled out in chains from the Violet Hold and brought before an Alliance tribunal to answer for their actions. It was a necessary process, but it had already been a month since they started and Krivax wasn't interested in sitting through the rest of them.
"Do you know how much farther we have to go, Brann?" asked Krivax, hoping that he didn't sound like an impatient kid. "If I have to keep drinking these potions, I'm going to end up with alchemical poisoning."
"Shouldn't be too much longer now," said Brann, retrieving the map to Uldaman from his saddlebag. "Accordin' to the goblins you hired, we just need to head west as soon as we enter the Badlands from Loch Modan and look for a cave."
Krivax hoped that he was right. " Have you been to many locations left behind by the Titans before?"
"A few times, but only a few of them had anythin' we could work out," Brann admitted. "One of them was why my brothers and I started the Explorers' League! We found some hints that the Titans were related to our people's origins."
"I see. Well, I'm glad to be traveling with someone with your experience," Krivax said, genuinely relieved. Considering how dangerous Titan facilities could be, Uldaman was one location in which he didn't fully trust his metaknowledge.
"Aye, lad. There's no need to worry, I've brought a lot of useful gadgets to make sure we don't get done in by any nasty surprises," said Brann, gesturing toward the wagon hauling the equipment. "Plus we've got those scary guards of yours. I hear you nerubians are really good fighters underground, so we should all be safe."
That was true enough. Azjol-Nerub took his safety very seriously and decided to send some very capable warriors to escort Krivax. If he had not argued that he needed to be part of the expedition due to his experience with sensing and countering Void magic, Krivax wasn't sure the council would have allowed him to go at all.
"So, what are those 'gadgets' actually for?" Krivax asked curiously.
"Oh, it's just a wee collection o' contraptions our pals in Gnomeregan whipped up," Brann explained, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Last time we stumbled into a Titan-related site, we face some terrifyin' defenses. They really didn't want folks diggin' into their secrets. These gadgets ought to help us detect them early on and deal with them when needed."
"I made this one so that we can monitor our path back to the camp," Dulink, one of the gnome tinkers who had joined the expedition, said as he pulled out a gnome artifact that looked like a cross between a camera and a ray gun. "This one detects any motion and automatically freezes them solid."
Krivax glanced dubiously over at the wagon filled with strange machines. Warcraft was a setting that frequently delved into things that would be more fitting in a sci-fi novel, which often made things very confusing. He had already given up on figuring out how gnomish technology worked a long time ago, but he knew it tended to be… unpredictable at best.
The less said about goblin technology the better.
"Well, I hope they work the way that you expect them to. If this place is anything like the facility in Northrend, then we'll be needing them," said Krivax, knowing full well that Uldaman contained many potential dangers.
"Hey! Are you doubting gnomish technology?" Trixie protested indignantly.
"Yes," was his deadpan reply.
Trixie huffed at Krivax's response, while Brann just laughed. "Oh, don't be so hard on the lad, Trixie. He'll learn to appreciate gnomish inventions soon enough."
The two of them continued to bicker until they finally closed in on their destination. When they did, Krivax was surprised by how unremarkable the entrance to the Titan facility actually was. If not for the enchanted marker left behind by the goblins, he wouldn't be able to distinguish it from any other hole in the side of a rocky cliff.
Deciding that it would be a good idea to scout ahead before running blindly into a dark cave, Krivax established control over one of the skitterers he had brought for this exact purpose. After casting the spell that would allow him to look through its eyes, Krivax slowly sent the skitterer forward into the cavern entrance in search of any dangers.
"Well? Spotted anythin' yet?" asked Brann after waiting for several minutes.
"You're going to need to give me a little more time than that. The caverns are expansive and I'm taking things slowly," Krivax replied, his voice distant as he focused on the skitterer's vision. He could already tell that this place was different from what his metaknowledge suggested, as these caverns only had a single path in Warcraft. "However, I've already passed by a few dangerous beasts down here. A lot of giant bats, and even a pack of basilisks."
The skitterer was lucky that it was too fast for the six-legged lizard creatures to catch, or it would already be sitting in one of their stomachs.
"Basilisks? Don't they need to eat a lot? What're they doing just sitting in an uninhabited cave?" asked Trixie, her voice filled with confusion.
"Notice anythin' odd about those beasties, lad?" Brann asked, concerned. "Basilisks in particular are prone to being changed by magic."
Krivax quickly directed his skitterer to the closest pack of the beasts and checked. "Most of them have giant stone spikes growing out of their backs. One of them looks like it's mostly made of jade."
"Aye, we can be certain we've found the right spot. Y'see, critters like those tend to sustain themselves on magic and stick close to spots filled with it," Brann said excitedly.
The other researchers from the Explorers' League were just as excited and began eagerly talking among themselves, but Krivax didn't allow it to distract him. He knew that they were about to walk into somewhere incredibly dangerous, and he intended to scout every nook and cranny so they didn't stumble onto anything they couldn't handle.
The caverns were mostly empty and quiet, but Krivax felt his caution had been proven warranted when he spotted a half dozen goblin skeletons in one of the tunnels. He had enough experience with fire spells that he could tell that they had all died by a concentrated gout of flame. After repeating his findings to the rest of the expedition, the mood among the group quickly sobered.
"Any sign of what killed them?" Trixie asked, her expression solemn.
Instead of answering, Krivax directed the skitterer down the tunnel where the goblin remains were found. As the skitterer advanced, it came upon a large cavern containing two crumbling and worn-down statues carved in such a way that they appeared to be holding up the ceiling. In between the two statues stood a gate made of a material that resembled marble. Strange arcane runes covered the front of the gate, but only half of them still glowed with any magic; their light flickering weakly. The rest had long since faded, leaving the runes barely legible.
Krivax couldn't help but wonder what the gate to the Titan facility had looked like when it was still in a state of good repair.
In the heart of the cavern stood an unmoving figure, a large humanoid golem made of stone and metal. It stood at around eight feet tall, had proportions far bulkier than any human, and had rune-covered arms. Krivax recognized several of the runes as being related to fire. It was clear to him that the golem was the one responsible for killing the goblins and would likely attack anyone who tried to enter Uldaman.
Krivax reported his findings back to Brann, who seemed torn between excitement and solemnity.
"By the gods, a Titan golem!" Brann exclaimed, eyes wide with wonder. He wasn't the only one, as the rest of the expedition was similarly amazed. "I've seen similar constructs before, but they're usually dormant or broken down. This one's still functionin' and guardin' the entrance!"
"Imagine how much we could learn from it if we took it back to Gnomeregan," Trixie mused, her voice nearly reverent.
"We'll have to be careful if we want to get past it without taking any casualties," said Krivax as he directed the skitterer back to the surface. "I don't want any of us ending up like those goblins."
The Captain of Krivax's guards, Rahtep, asked, "Can the golem reach the ceiling? If so, we can clamber onto the cavern's walls and attempt to web its joints from a safe distance."
Krivax replied, "Unfortunately, I think the golem's arms can send flames at anyone on the ceiling. However, I think jamming the spears into its joints can immobilize the golem. I can cast a barrier to protect you briefly from the flames."
"Very well, Vizier Krivax," Rahtep replied and turned to command the guards.
"We could probably deactivate it with some of our gadgets, but we should probably save them for the gate and the rest of the place. I don't want to have come all this way just to get stopped by a door!" said Trixie.
"I think we should tackle the golem head-on," Brann said, thoughtfully stroking his beard. "It'll give us a good idea of the state of Uldaman's defenses. We can always retreat if the golem is too powerful and come back with more equipment and bodies if needed. After all, we're not that far away from Ironforge."
Once the preliminary plan to deal with the golem was decided, Krivax summoned a ball of light to illuminate the way and directed his guards to the front as they all began making their way carefully down the caverns. There were a few occasions in which they were attacked by the giant bats Krivax had noticed earlier, but his guards easily skewered them as soon as they got close.
Thanks to his guards, Krivax didn't even have to fight and he could focus on scouting ahead with the skitterer and expand the tunnels with geomancy as necessary. When they finally reached the cavern where the Titan golem was standing, the group paused to assess and prepare for the confrontation with the golem. The researchers without any combat experience fell to the back while the rest of the expedition prepared for a fight.
"Alright everyone, let's do this carefully and efficiently," Brann called out and he readied his rifle. "Remember, our goal is for all of us to get through this alive."
Not seeing the need to give a dramatic speech for a single golem, Krivax merely nodded toward his guards, prompting them to advance slowly into the cavern. After a few moments, Krivax, Trixie, and Brann followed behind as everyone spread out to surround the golem. Unfortunately, they didn't get very far before the golem seemed to detect them and suddenly activate.
The golem's body creaked and groaned as it came to life, the runes on its arms flaring with bright red-orange light. Its eyes glowed the same fiery hue as it slowly turned its head towards the nearest nerubian guard and spoke with a robotic voice. Despite speaking in a language Krivax had never heard before, he was still able to understand its meaning.
"Unauthorized intruders detected. Initiating defense protocol."
With those words, the golem lifted its arms and released a stream of red-hot flames that lit up the previously dark cavern. Krivax immediately leapt into action, throwing up an arcane barrier to protect his guards from the golem's attack. The barrier held, but Krivax could feel the strain on his magic as the flames licked against the protective shield.
Trixie fired at the golem with her shrink ray, but it seemed to have no effect. Brann's heavily enchanted rifle was powerful enough to blow a hole through the construct's head, but it simply ignored the damage and continued to spew flames.
Fortunately, Krivax's guards were all experienced warriors equipped with the best gear the Azjol-Nerub could provide. Simultaneously, eight nerubian warriors charged at the golem spear first from different directions, piercing all of its joints and preventing the construct from moving any further. It continued its attempts to attack, but a single immobilized golem that had already been degraded by age wasn't much of a match for the barrage of attacks by Brann, Krivax, and the nerubian guards.
It took some effort, but Krivax's guards rained down blows relentlessly until the golem's eyes eventually ceased glowing and its body shut down. Once he was certain that the danger had passed, Krivax let out a sigh of relief and made his way over to the inert golem. His guards, led by Rahtep had removed their spears from the joints and took up a loose cordon around the chamber.
"Well, that was unexpected," said Trixie as she ran up to the construct and started examining it. "I thought a golem made by the Titans themselves would be a whole lot more dangerous."
"I don't think this means much. There's no way to know how functional it was after all this time, and it was only a single golem," said Krivax, doing his best to prevent the rest of the expedition from getting too full of themselves. "For all you know, we could open that gate and find a hundred of these things waiting for us."
Krivax hoped that wouldn't be the case, but it was a possibility, albeit a distant one. There was a time when the Keepers were able to construct entire armies of artificial beings, but most of the ones in Uldaman were probably too degraded to function.
Brann nodded in agreement as he studied the golem with open fascination. "You've got a point there, lad. We'll proceed with caution, no matter what we've seen so far."
"Even if it wasn't as scary as I thought, this golem is still amazing!" said Trixie, her eyes sparkling. "Imagine what kind of technology the Titans used to create something like this! I've examined one of Quel'Thalas' golems at Gearshaft University, and there's no way one of those would have lasted as long as this one before shutting down."
"I'm sure the High Tinker will enjoy studying it when we send it back to Gnomeregan, but I think we should move on," said Krivax, approaching the gate to Uldaman and looking at the flickering runes. "You said one of your gadgets should be able to open the way forward?"
"Aye, I think so," Brann replied, running back to the wagon filled with equipment. Krivax was surprised that the rams hadn't made a fuss during all the fighting, but any ram given to King Magni's brother must be very well trained. "High Tinker Mekkatorque personally made me something just for this. He called the contraption an 'Arcane Magic Disruptor,' so it should do the trick. Now where di—ah, here it is!"
The device looked like nothing more than a plain black cube with a series of buttons and dials on one side. Brann fiddled with it for a few moments before aiming the cub at the gate. With a flick of a switch, the device emitted a beam of energy that struck the runes of the gate. The air in the cavern crackled with arcane energy as the runes grew brightly before suddenly dissipating completely.
A low rumbling filled the cave as the massive doors parted, revealing a dimly lit passage ahead. The expedition exchanged glances, their enthusiasm tempered by the unknown dangers that lay ahead.
"Alright everyone," Brann said, his voice serious. "Keep your eyes peeled once we enter the facility. Remember, we're here to learn about the Titans and their history, not to become history ourselves. Krivax, you send one of your little skitterers ahead just in case."
With a nod of agreement, Krivax did so and was immediately taken in by what he was seeing. Much of the facility was worn down by time, but it was actually in a far better state than he would have expected.
In Warcraft, Titan architecture tended to vary wildly and was based on cultures that existed back on Earth. If Krivax was to describe Uldaman, he would say it resembled a fantasy version of an ancient Greek temple. The halls were filled with large columns and intricate friezes depicting scenes of the Titans and their many creations adorned the walls. The high roof and the large furnishings made it clear that Uldaman had been built for humanoid beings far larger than Krivax had ever seen. Despite there being no obvious light source, the entire structure was illuminated by an eerie light that made Krivax feel uncomfortable.
As he directed the skitterer forward, it quickly became clear to him that Uldaman was much larger in reality than it was depicted in Warcraft.
"I think we're safe to move forward," Krivax said once it became clear that there wasn't an army of constructs waiting for them.
As the expedition ventured into the ancient facility, Brann, Trixie, and the other researchers marveled at everything they saw. There were many times that the group had to stop for them to take notes and sketches of the various structures they found.
Krivax continued to scout for threats ahead with his skitterer and stumbled upon several more golems. Thankfully, they were rather few in number and simple to dispatch with a little planning and preparation. At some point, the group stumbled on the inert form of what Krivax recognized to be a Titanic Watcher, which were giant humanoid constructs created by the Titans to lead their armies and run their facilities. It was around fifteen feet tall, looked to be made completely out of stone, and was slumped over in a corner of the room with an oversized book and a strange staff at its feet.
Thankfully, the being didn't suddenly wake up and attack them, even when Brann eagerly ran over to the book and tried to read what was inside. Krivax wasn't willing to take any chances and he quickly grabbed the staff before ushering the group along when it became obvious that the book wasn't written in any modern language.
The rest of the exploration continued in that manner, with them occasionally destroying golems, Brann disabling traps before Krivax could clumsily activate them, and Trixie gushing over every piece of broken Titan technology they found. Krivax was enjoying himself just as much as he expected he would. Exploring the wonders of Azeroth was something that he had always wanted to do, but his duties had always gotten in the way.
Unfortunately, it wasn't long before his skitterer stumbled on a room that sharply reminded Krivax how dangerous this place truly was.
"Everyone stay together and don't run ahead. We need to be extremely careful when we enter the next room," Krivax said solemnly.
"Another golem, lad?" Brann asked, gripping his rifle.
"No. There shouldn't be a fight, but I'm not sure how to explain it to you," Krivax said after a moment of hesitation. "I think you need to see this for yourself."
Everyone exchanged worried glances, but they trusted Krivax's judgment and followed his instructions. As they entered the room, they were met with a sight that was both awe-inspiring and terrifying. The chamber was vast and circular with numerous doors and passageways branching off in every direction. The most striking feature of the room, however, was the seemingly endless amounts of unmoving malformed creatures being held behind barriers of arcane magic. They were humanoid and about the same size as a dwarf, but far more bestial in appearance.
"What are these things?" Trixie whispered as if she were afraid to awaken the creatures surrounding them.
"I don't know, lass, but I think we'd be better off avoiding them," said Brann, his voice uncharacteristically quiet.
"I think you're right. We should leave this place and move on," Krivax agreed.
He knew exactly what these creatures were, and his companions were right to fear them. Uldaman was created for the express purpose of containing the troggs, which were the Keepers' first attempt at creating sentient life. In the original timeline, the group that first discovered Uldaman inadvertently released the troggs, who then poured out of the facility and launched an attack on Gnomeregan. This would start a chain of events that resulted in Gnomeregan being completely irradiated and a large portion of the gnomish population being killed.
As they ventured deeper, they came upon several more rooms dedicated exclusively to storing the troggs. It wasn't until they stumbled into a cavern with a large model map of Uldaman in all its former glory embedded in the floor that Krivax finally found what he was looking for. His true purpose for going to Uldaman was always so that they could, hopefully, make peaceful contact with the Keeper inside, and this model map was the key to doing so if his metaknowledge was accurate.
While the rest of the group was gushing over the map and discussing amongst themselves, Krivax walked over to one of the model structures and gestured toward the keystone embedded into it. "Brann, I think this might be some kind of key. It's shaped exactly like the staff we found earlier."
Trixie and Brann quickly made their way over and saw that he was right.
"There's a good chance that it opens that gate," said Trixie, glancing nervously toward the forty-foot-tall gate on the other side of the cavern. It looked exactly like the one at the entrance to Uldaman, except the runes carved into its surface were still glowing brightly with magic. "Are you sure it's a good idea to open it, though? We have no idea what's on the other side."
If Krivax actually had no idea what was on the other side, then he would be the first to agree with Trixie. However, this was crucial to making peaceful contact with the Keeper, so he quickly moved to soothe her fears.
"I know it's a risk," Krivax acknowledged. "But this is also our best chance to learn more about the Titans and this facility. We need to know more about where those creatures came from and what kind of danger they are. We've been able to handle everything that we've come across so far, so I'm sure it'll be fine."
"The lad has a point," Brann agreed, stroking his bushy beard thoughtfully. "This place is the grandest archaeological find in our people's history. We've come this far, and we can't let fear hold us back now. If there's a chance that openin' this gate will give us the answers we seek, then we have to take it."
Trixie hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded in agreement. "Alright, let's do it. Just… be ready for anything, okay?"
Krivax nodded, gripping the staff tightly. He'd been preparing for this from the moment that he learned that Deathwing had escaped, and the time had finally come. As long as he succeeded here today, Azeroth would be saved from one of the most devastating events in its history. Krivax directed Rahtep and his guards to take up defensive positions before pushing the staff into the keystone with a click.
The model map of Uldaman immediately lit up as streams of magic flowed into the staff. After a few moments, it emitted a beam of magic into the nearby gate. Just like at the gate at Uldaman's entrance, the runes glowed brightly before suddenly dissipating altogether. As the gates swung open, Krivax felt the ground shake from the footsteps of the being that emerged.
Unlike the Titanic Watcher that they had come across before, this one was very much active. She stood at an imposing thirty feet tall and looked like a beautifully carved marble statue of antiquity. She carried a large maul and wore a robe of seemingly flowing bronze robe and metal greaves.
"None may steal the secrets of the Makers! Who dares disturb these halls?!" said the Titanic Watcher, her voice reverberating strangely as she swept her gaze over the expedition.
Her eyes softened minutely when landing on the dwarves and gnomes present but immediately turned hostile the second she noticed Krivax and his fellow nerubians. "Aqir! Disgusting spawn of the Old Gods! You dare befoul Uldaman with your presence?!"
Before anyone could react, the Titanic Watcher was already charging toward them with its weapon raised. Krivax was barely able to conjure a barrier of ice around them before it swung down with murderous intent. Although he had grown much stronger since he first came to the Eastern Kingdoms, Krivax still felt as if his barrier was stuck by an angry Spiderlord.
Retrieving a flask from his spatial bag, he quickly threw it onto the ground and watched as a living, silvery liquid surrounded the expedition and formed a secondary shield between them and the Titanic Watcher. Krivax was extremely glad that he had purchased the flask from Archmage Karlain because his wall of ice shattered completely from the next attack.
"Brann! Try talking to her! She seems to think we're her enemy but she might listen to you!" Krivax yelled over the noise of their barrier being literally hammered.
Brann hesitated for a moment, but soon stepped forward and raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Wait! Please, listen to us! We're just explorers here to learn about our history!"
"Silence, traitor! I'll not listen to one corrupted by the Curse of Flesh as they consort with the aqir!"
Brann continued trying to plead his case and Krivax tried to explain that they weren't aqir, but the Titanic Watcher didn't seem interested in listening. Eventually, Krivax realized that this wasn't going anywhere and he decided to move on to his contingency plan. As he reached into his spatial bag Krivax could tell that she was watching him warily, which made his next actions much easier.
Channeling his magic into the Light-infused scepter that he had borrowed from the Church of the Holy Light, Krivax watched as the Titanic Watcher suddenly reeled back in surprise as she faced the entirely unexpected action. He had known there was a chance that the Keeper and the Titanic Watchers would associate him with the Old Gods, so Krivax had made sure to bring something that could prove otherwise.
Krivax heavily favored arcane magic and only had limited experience channeling the Light from practicing with Anub'rekhan. Without such a powerful object of Light, he probably wouldn't have been able to do so at all. That meant that it basically did nothing to the Titanic Watcher, but that wasn't his intention. A true aqir would never be able to even hold an object of Light, let alone use it. That was why when he unleashed its power before the Watcher and stood unharmed, it gave her pause. One which he didn't hesitate to make use of.
"I am a nerubian of the kingdom of Azjol-Nerub to the far north! It is true we are descended from the ancient aqir, but we are not them!" Krivax shouted out. "We have abandoned our ancestors' ways and freed ourselves from the Old Gods' and the Void's influence! We are not here to harm the legacy and works of the Titans, but to learn from it alongside its descendants!"
Krivax stepped forward with his arms raised beseechingly, hoping dearly that his plan would work out.
The Titanic Watcher stared down at him searchingly, studying Krivax and the other nerubians with a critical eye that seemed to see through them. After several terrifying moments, she stepped back and lowered her weapon, the anger in her expression replaced by curiosity.
"I believe your words, creature," she said slowly. "The Void clings not to your forms and no aqir I have ever known has spoken to me with such resolve, nor have they channeled the Light without sustaining great injury. Explain to me why you have come to Uldaman and how you have bypassed the facility's defenses."
Krivax took a deep breath, grateful for the reprieve. "Thank you. My name is Krivax, and we are part of an expedition led by Brann Bronzebeard. We've come from Ironforge and Gnomeregan to learn more about the Titans and the ancient history of the dwarves. We have no intention of causing harm or taking anything without permission."
They had already picked up several items during their exploration, but it was obviously better to leave them behind than get squashed by an angry stone giant.
The Titanic Watcher considered his words, her gaze shifting between the members of the expedition. "Your intentions appear to be genuine, but know that I am Ironaya and I am responsible for protecting these halls and all they contain. You have not explained to me how you managed to bypass our defenses. A party of your strength should not have been able to get past them."
"Well, we fought or deactivated what defenses we came across, but the things seem to be in a… state of disrepair," Brann explained with a grimace. "Sorry to tell you, your ladyship, but I think you've been asleep for a really long time. We also used this little contraption to get past the front gate."
Ironaya bent forward as Brann presented her with the Arcane Magic Disruptor and carefully picked up the device between her thumb and pointer finger, before bringing it close to her face and examining it.
"Still so clever…" he heard her mutter to herself in amazement before looking back down at them. Afterward, Ironaya finally turned her gaze away from them and took in her surroundings, especially the poor state of the whole map chamber. "How long have I been in stasis?"
"There's no way to know, but I imagine you've been in stasis from at least before the Sundering," Krivax explained.
"The what?" Ironaya responded with obvious bewilderment.
This… might take a while, Krivax thought to himself as prepared for a long conversation.
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Chaoswind
Lord of nonsense
- Location
- Latin America
I suspect the people of the Eastern kingdoms will have an easier rapport with the watchers (I mean they are their gods). Would be funny if the alliance informs the watchers about how unfair the dragon queen has been with them, and then Ironaya and Archedas call out Alex to her face for being a bitch to the watchers favorite mortals... I mean I think the Gnomes, Dwarfs and Vikrul are their favorite creations as I think the trolls have other origins and elves are evolved trolls.
Chapter 56
Ironaya frowned as Krivax and Brann explained that the Sundering was a cataclysmic event that had shattered apart Azeroth's old landmass. She then instructed the expedition to follow her back to the room she had emerged from in order to perform some rudimentary diagnostics on Uldaman. Krivax was quite sure that the room was pretty much empty in Warcraft, but that apparently wasn't the case in reality.
Once they entered, Ironaya waved her hand and a section of the wall slid open, allowing a strange mechanical orb surrounded by connected bars of light to float out. Krivax wasn't quite sure how the thing worked, but Ironaya spent several minutes staring at the thing before turning back to them.
"Significant sections of this facility's sensors have been damaged. Alert mechanisms designed to inform me or Keeper Archaedas of irregularities have become nonfunctional. Systems indicate a duration of sixteen thousand, five hundred, and forty-two years since my entry into stasis. Facility impairment aligns with a disaster akin to the one you have described. Detail the origins of the Sundering, mortals. There are limited events capable of generating such widespread destruction."
The expedition spent several moments trading glances before Brann decided to speak up. "That's a wee bit complex, and we only just discovered the whole truth ourselves, thanks to the dragons. I reckon it'd be best if our friend Krivax took the reins and filled ye in on the details."
"What? Why me?" asked Krivax, glancing down at Brann with an incredulous expression.
Dealing with stuff like this was one of the primary reasons he'd specifically approached Brann in the first place.
"What are you sayin', lad? You're the diplomat around here. Besides, don't you nerubians have a bit more know-how about ancient history than the rest of us?"
…Damn. That makes a lot of sense.
Krivax winced as he tried to put together the words as Ironaya turned her gaze to him. It wasn't every day that you had to explain to a thirty-foot-tall magical robot exactly how messed up the world had gotten while they were asleep.
"I suppose I should begin by asking if you're familiar with the kaldorei, or night elves as they're more commonly known," said Krivax, deciding to just start at the beginning.
"I am not. Arcane-Driven Language Interpretation Enchantments are transmitting images of an unknown being," said Ironaya, her voice remaining monotone and steady.
"Wait a minute. Is your translation magic reading our minds?" asked Trixie, her voice stuck between wonder and concern.
"Incorrect. My translation systems function through principles similar to arcane divination."
"That sounds amazing! You've got to teach us how to make something like that," said Trixie, apparently deciding on wonder.
"The secrets of the Makers are not to be shared with outsiders," Ironaya said harshly, her voice changing tone for the first time since she stopped attacking. Before any of them could respond, the Titanic Watcher turned back to Krivax. "Proceed."
Sensing that she was starting to get impatient, Krivax quickly launched into his explanation. "Around fifteen thousand years ago, a tribe of trolls settled near a powerful font of arcane magic called the Well of Eternity near the center of the Pre-Sundering continent. After living near the well for many generations, the trolls were gradually turned into elves by its energy and learned to wield powerful arcane magic. They used this new power to conquer most of the continent and create the Kaldorei Empire."
Ironaya remained unsettlingly still as Krivax explained the events leading up to the Sundering.
"The kaldorei ruling class, known as Highborne, became decadent and obsessed with power, the worst of whom was Queen Azshara, who made contact with an army of demons called the Burning Legion. The Highborne used the Well of Eternity as a portal to allow the demons to invade Azeroth in the name of their master, Sargeras. The War of the Ancients is really complicated and I don't know all of the details myself, but the end result was that the kaldorei resistance, the Dragonflights, and the Wild Gods were able to win the war. Unfortunately, the Well of Eternity was destroyed in the aftermath, causing an explosion that destroyed most of the world."
There was a lot that Krivax didn't include in his explanation, such as the fact that Azshara was still alive and had aligned herself with the Old Gods in the aftermath of the war. She and her followers had been turned into naga and ruled the underwater empire of Nazjatar. Honestly, Krivax could go on talking for hours, but he understood well that he should keep things succinct so that it wouldn't get overwhelming.
Even as stoic and unmoving as she was, there were still several moments that revealed Ironaya's tumultuous emotions. When Krivax mentioned Sargeras in particular, the Titanic Watcher seemed nearly stricken with grief. That was unsurprising given that Sargeras was one of her former Titan masters, who betrayed and killed the rest of the pantheon.
Krivax continued on to talk about more recent events after he finished explaining the Sundering, such as Deathwing's corruption, the general state of the world, and finally the First and Second Wars. Ironaya was extremely concerned about anything related to the Void and seemed to think that it was important enough that she needed to take them to the Keeper.
"This must be brought to Archaedas, immediately."
"Who's that?" Trixie asked curiously.
"Archaedas is one of the nine Keepers, those few among us who were chosen by the Titans themselves to lead us in their absence," Ironaya explained as she made her way out of the room and started striding down a nearby hall. Krivax and the rest of the expedition hurried to follow after her. "He is the one responsible for Uldaman, and it is vital that he hears what you have told me."
There wasn't much room for more conversation as they did their best to keep up with Ironaya's long strides as several large doors opened with her approach. The deeper portions of the facility seemed to be in a far better state than the rest, and they quickly passed by several golems and dwarves made completely of stone. Krivax could tell that Brann wanted to burst into a flurry of questions upon sighting them but held his tongue as they kept following after their tall guide.
"Be honored, mortals. You are the first of your kind to enter Khaz'goroth's Seat," said Ironaya as she opened the final door and stepped into a grand chamber filled completely with golems and stone dwarves.
In the center stood the inanimate form of another Titanic Watcher, although this one emanated waves of power even in its current dormant state. His body was constructed from a mixture of various grayish-blue metals and minerals that Krivax couldn't recognize, and his eyes glowed brightly with magic. He wore a cloak over surprisingly simple armor and carried a massive hammer in his right hand.
"Archaedas," Ironaya said reverently, her voice echoing in the chamber. She stepped forward and placed her hand on the Watcher's chest, a wave of energy pulsating from her touch.
The very air seemed to vibrate with power, and Krivax and the others watched in awe as Archaedas slowly came to life. The Keeper's gaze swept over his surroundings, focusing on their little group for a moment, and his voice boomed with the sound of rumbling stone when he eventually spoke. "Ironaya, why have you awakened me and brought creatures of flesh into our inner sanctum with aqir by their side?"
Ironaya bowed her head respectfully before answering, "Archaedas, these mortals bring important news from beyond Uldaman. I have verified that these creatures are not aqir, and are free from the Void's influence. Please check for yourself."
"Hold on there. Is there something wrong about us being made of meat? I've seen some of those stone dwarves we passed by. Do they have something to do with it?" asked Brann
"The earthen are our servants. Created by myself and the other Keepers for the purpose of shaping the subterranean regions of this world," said Archaedas, looking down at Brann with an inscrutable gaze. "Prior to my stasis, our servants were displaying symptoms of the Curse of Flesh, which progressively transformed their physical composition to one made primarily of organic matter. This same curse was affecting the class of titan-forged servants that Keeper Mimiron referred to as the mechagnomes."
"Wait, are you telling us that our bodies are the result of a curse?" Trixie interjected, her voice filled with disbelief.
"In a sense, yes," Archaedas replied, his voice unwavering. "The Curse of Flesh is a corruption originating from the Old Gods, who sought to weaken our titan-forged creations. It was theorized by myself and Keeper Mimiron that flesh would render our servants more susceptible to Void corruption. Your current state is a threat to the security of this facility. To ensure the safety of Uldaman, comprehensive scans will be required to verify the absence of Void corruption within your beings."
Krivax was suddenly extremely glad that he had never decided to mess with the Void. He had no doubt that Archaedas would absolutely kill them if he detected even the slightest amount of corruption. None of them feeling like they had anything to hide, the expedition quickly agreed to be thoroughly examined by Archaedas. Another one of those floating orbs, similar to the one that Ironaya was using earlier, appeared next to the Keeper and began circling the expedition while emitting a gentle beam of light that scanned each of them in turn.
As this was going on, Ironaya agreed to answer Brann's questions about the past while Archaedas simultaneously examined the test results and ran every diagnostic test that he could on Uldaman.
"Aye, so if I'm understandin' you correctly, our dwarvish and gnome ancestors would have come from facilities like this one, after being turned meaty by that Curse of Flesh, eh?" Brann questioned, his eyes wide and his voice shaky with excitement. The rest of the expedition was equally enthralled by the revelations, listening intently as Ironaya continued to share the ancient history of their people.
"Correct. If the world's land has become as shattered and disconnected as you say, then it is probable that the origin of your ancestors traces back to this specific facility," said Ironaya, her voice exhibiting a touch of emotion. "Uldaman once contained the highest density of earthen and mechagnome populations in this portion of the world."
Several members of the expedition began to take in their surroundings with a hint of reverence at the Watcher's words. Krivax had no doubt that Ironforge and Gnomeragan would name Uldaman as a site of great historical importance to people once word of their discovery spread.
"But, what were those… things that were trapped behind those magical barriers we saw earlier? They don't look like any race that I've seen before," Trixie asked curiously.
"The entities you are referring to, designated as troggs, were products of an unsuccessful first attempt to create the earthen. They were overly aggressive, simple-minded, and difficult to manage. We opted to seal these constructs due to their inferior design, and this installation was established for containment purposes. Subsequent to the arrival of myself and Keeper Archaedas, it was refitted with a complex monitoring system. We had not anticipated that such a large catastrophe would cause such widespread damage and result in us being kept in stasis for so long."
Krivax hadn't actually known why the two of them never came out of their stasis in Warcraft until someone woke them up, so this additional information was quite helpful.
"If you don't mind me saying, I think you should prioritize checking on whatever's holding them and making sure they stay contained," Krivax suggested, thinking about the destruction they would cause if they escaped. "I believe that the Curse of Flesh has totally changed them and they are now entirely organic beings. They probably won't be eager to listen to orders anymore, so I'm not sure how… effective the stasis chambers holding them will be if they wake up."
"Your suggestion is heard, but unnecessary. Creating and maintaining the Titan facilities across Azeroth is the explicit duty of Keeper Archaedas, and myself as his subordinate. We will do everything in our power to fulfill the duties assigned to us by the Makers," Ironaya said with conviction.
After hearing that, Krivax suddenly felt as if he had won the lottery. He hadn't known much about Archaedas before coming to Uldaman, other than he was a Keeper empowered by the same Titan that empowered Neltharion. Getting him on their side would already be great, but if he was actually responsible for creating and maintaining the various Titan facilities then so many problems could be solved. Many of Azeroth's future problems were caused by malfunctions in these facilities. The Old Gods breaking free from the prisons being the most urgent example.
There was even a possibility that Archaedas would be able to do something about the Dark Portal, which was never resolved in canon!
"My scans are complete. None of them show any sign of being corrupted by the Void," Archaedas announced, turning his attention back to the group and pulling Krivax out of his gleeful thoughts. "Explain to me why you chose to awaken me from stasis. Specify the catastrophic event that you were previously alluding to."
Once the Keeper was done scanning them, he seemed to instantly lose any hostility he had to the nerubian members of the expedition. Krivax was a bit surprised by how quickly Archaedas' prejudice disappeared, but it made sense in retrospect. The Keepers and Watchers were essentially sapient magical machines and probably looked at the world in a much more single-minded and logical fashion. There were a lot of reasons why that could be detrimental, but it also meant that they wouldn't hold on to grudges in the face of evidence.
Feeling reassured, Krivax immediately began recounting everything that he had previously told Ironaya about the state of the world. The Keeper was not happy in the slightest to hear about the Sundering, or what the kaldorei did to the Well of Eternity. Krivax couldn't remember the specific lore surrounding the well's origin, but there was a good chance that it had something to do with the Keepers. Pretty much everything in Azeroth had been shaped by what the Titans and their servants had done in the world's ancient history.
Archaedas was very disturbed and upset on hearing of Deathwing's corruption and betrayal. Krivax thought that Archaedas probably felt that betrayal on a more personal level given that he was the one responsible for channeling Khaz'goroth's power into Deathwing and empowering the corrupted Aspect.
The Keeper even had a similar reaction to Ironaya when he was told about Sargeras, which Brann quickly picked up on.
"Do either of you know a thing or two about this Sargeras fellow? The Burning Legion seems awfully set on stormin' Azeroth," said Brann, his keen eyes watching the two of them for any reaction.
Archaedas and Ironaya's expressions both seemed to darken at the question. After several moments of silence, it was the Keeper who decided to answer. "Sargeras was a member of the Pantheon, although not one that we have ever met as he did not participate in the ordering of Azeroth. The Makers referred to him several times in their records. I find it difficult to believe that a member of the Pantheon would betray the rest, but all evidence seems to support this conclusion. There is no known force in the universe equal to the Makers. Yet we know that they are dead, and only a Titan would be capable of creating a force akin to the Burning Legion. In addition, sensors indicate that you believe your words to be the truth."
Surprised at the Keeper's words, Krivax stretched his magical senses in an attempt to find the truth spell surrounding them. A sense of caution grew within him as he failed to find anything, and he resolved to be careful with his words for the rest of the conversation.
The expedition wasn't happy at all to hear that a Titan was responsible for creating the Burning Legion. Titan worship wasn't widespread amongst the dwarves, but it wasn't nonexistent and most held a sort of reverence toward the Pantheon. Krivax suspected that such sentiments would grow significantly in the near future.
Once everyone calmed down a bit, Krivax continued explaining things to Archaedas. After he finished explaining the Sundering and why they chose to wake him up, the Keeper decided that he wanted to verify their story further. After all, their story might not be necessarily accurate if they did not have full knowledge of the events.
"How's he going to do that?" asked Trixie as the Keeper disappeared behind a door on the other side of the chamber.
"That is not information that you need to know," Ironaya responded.
Unknown to the Watcher, Krivax already knew exactly how Archaedas would be verifying their story. The Discs of Norgannon was an artifact that the two of them had spirited away with them to Uldaman. Its primary purpose was to record everything that transpired in Azeroth and would be enough to get them up to speed. Krivax sincerely doubted that it actually recorded everything as that would be ridiculous, but it probably had all of the major events.
In the meantime, the expedition didn't hesitate to pepper Ironaya with questions, which she patiently answered so long as the topic wasn't too sensitive. When Archaedas eventually returned after nearly half an hour, his expression was far more solemn than when he had left.
"The mortals' claims are true," Archaedas said to Ironaya once he drew close. "The Well of Eternity has imploded and caused catastrophic damage to Azeroth's landmass and most of the Titan facilities across Azeroth. Reports indicate that the Titan-forged caretakers of Uldum have activated the facility's illusory defense system. Attempts to contact Uldaz, Uldavek, and Uldir have all met with failures. Fortunately, sensor readings seem to indicate these facilities as being uncompromised."
Uncompromised? They're all very much compromised! Also, what the hell are Uldaz, Uldavek, Uldir? Krivax wondered incredulously. He really hoped that Azeroth didn't have even more dangerous Titan facilities than the ones he knew about.
"Excuse me, but Azjol-Nerub has territory close to a facility called Ulduar, and we're quite certain that it contains an Old God and is definitely compromised. Void energy has been gradually increasing across Northrend for generations," Krivax said urgently. It was important that Archaedas understand exactly how screwed up everything was. "Also, what is the importance of Uldaz, Uldavek, and Uldir? If they're anything like Ulduar, then we need to know."
"Do you have evidence for your claim, mortal? You believe your words to be true, yet all sensory data seems to show otherwise," said Archaedas. "Facilities dedicated to Old God containment were the most comprehensive of all installations and included several redundancies. I created several emergency systems designed to awaken me specifically in the event that these facilities were compromised."
Fortunately for Krivax, he had prepared physical proof in advance that demonstrated that Yogg-Saron wasn't completely contained. Azjol-Nerub had recently finalized a research agreement with Ironforge and Gnomeregan, and Krivax had quickly suggested that they study the effects of Saronite together. The two nations knew far more about magical metals than even the Kirin Tor or the Circle of Viziers after all. The Void-corrupted ore was the result of Yogg-Saron slowly breaking free of his prison, and could only be found in Northrend.
Krivax retrieved the Saronite sample from his spatial bag, which was contained in an enchanted lockbox designed to insulate Void energy, and carefully presented the substance to Archaedas after warning him. The last thing he wanted was to be smited after showing he was carrying Void corrupted material, after all. The Keeper seemed skeptical at first but agreed to examine the Saronite and compare it to records that they had of Yogg-Saron's corruption. When it came back as a positive match, Archaedas' expression grew grimmer than it had been since their conversation began.
"You are correct. This substance carries the corruption of Yogg-Saron, and implies that sensor readings of Old God containment facilities cannot be trusted. It seems likely that they have been subverted. Each of the facilities must be manually examined and their functions restored, as all life on Azeroth will be under threat if they were to escape," said Archaedas, his expressions more lively than ever before.
"Then we must act as swiftly as we can," Ironaya said with determination in her gaze.
"Wait just a minute. Are you trying to tell us that there are a whole bunch of facilities acting like bombs waiting to go off?" Brann asked in alarm.
Azjol-Nerub had shared a bit about their suspicions regarding Ulduar, but it still wasn't a widely known issue, as people didn't fully understand the magnitude of the threat.
"Correct. Uldaz, Uldavek, and Uldir are the facilities responsible for containing the Void entities known as N'zoth, C'thun, and G'huun respectively. Any single one of these beings would be capable of freeing the rest of their kind and conquering Azeroth, should they escape their prisons," Archaedas explained, most of his attention on one of the floating orbs.
"Then you better get to fixing them so that doesn't happen!" Trixie said emphatically, fear growing in her expression. "I saw what that Void monster did to Capital City. I don't want to wake up one day to scary monsters and tentacles everywhere! I'm sure that there won't be a ruler in the Eastern Kingdoms unwilling to help you out once they hear about this."
"Your assistance is appreciated, but this matter is beyond you, mortals," said Ironaya.
"I wouldn't be so sure. Records indicate that the mortals recently slew a C'thrax, one of the two that was responsible for killing Tyr," said Archaedas, sounding as if he barely believed what he was saying himself.
Ironaya raised her eyebrows, visibly impressed. "Truly? How did they manage to accomplish such a feat?"
Archaedas went on to explain Uldaman's records, probably the Discs of Norgannon, had recorded a C'thrax as being defeated near a mortal city. Krivax and Trixie went on to give more details about the event after Ironaya asked for them. Despite the fact that it was heavily injured and that the Alliance had the aid of the dragons, actually bringing it down was a great feat. Ironaya seemed surprised that the mortal races had managed to defeat the C'thrax at all. The two of them also seemed particularly appreciative that they slayed Tyr's murderer and that Tyr's Guard had stood vigil over the fallen Keeper's tomb for millennia.
"Without the Forge of Wills, we lack the capacity to create new servants and there are few left within Uldaman. Cooperation with the mortals will be necessary to properly repair damaged facilities and ensure that the Old Gods remain contained," Archaedas explained.
"I recommend instead that we seek to contact the Aspects. Despite one of their members being corrupted by the Old Gods, they are much more suited to assist us in this endeavor," said Ironaya, disagreeing with the Keeper.
Although dealing with the Titan facilities was very important, the Watcher's words remind Krivax that it wasn't actually the primary reason that he had wanted to go to Uldaman. He didn't want to get so caught up with dealing with the facilities, they forgot to address Deathwing at all.
"If you intend to contact the Aspects, that's something that I could help with," Krivax offered, drawing the attention of the two giant beings. "I actually serve as the lead diplomat for Azjol-Nerub and have regular contact with Alexstrasza. Also, I believe that you might want to talk to them about Deathwing. The Aspects mentioned that he had escaped to a place called Deepholm and that they were having difficulties getting there."
"Accessing Deepholm would be prohibitively difficult under most scenarios. However, Uldum contains a portal to the elemental plane which can be used to access Deepholm," Ironaya said thoughtfully before turning to Archaedas. "I recommend accepting the mortal's offer. Facility repair is our primary duty, but a Void corrupted Aspect is an existential threat to Azeroth."
Krivax was glad for Ironaya's endorsement and expected the Keeper to agree. As Archaedas merely continued to study him with an inscrutable gaze, Krivax began to get the feeling that something was wrong. After several more moments of silent consideration, his fears were soon proven right.
"We will contact the Aspects, but we shall do so on our own. It should not be a difficult matter and I do not trust you sufficiently for this task," said Archaedas, his voice carrying a sense of finality that made Krivax's heart drop.
He thought that the Keeper had gotten over the whole aqir thing, but that didn't seem to be the case.
"I understand that you don't trust me due to our heritage, but I swear to you that Azjol-Nerub has turned away from the Void," said Krivax, hoping to change the Keeper's mind.
"You misunderstand. I don't trust you in particular. Not only due to your heritage but also due to your anomalous qualities," said Archaedas, staring down at him with a suspicious gaze.
The expedition turned to him with confusion in their eyes. Several of them asked what the Keeper was talking about, but Krivax didn't actually have any idea himself. Noticing their incomprehension, Archaedas decided to offer an explanation.
"Void corruption can be extremely subtle, and our most thorough scans to detect it involve searching for any anomalies with the subject's body and soul. Although you show no signs of corruption, your soul shows signs of transplantation and is significantly older than your body," said Archaedas, shocking Krivax to his core and terrifying him. "Strangely, there is no evidence of the magic responsible for this phenomenon. I have suffered from the deceptive nature of the Void before, and do not intend to receive any aid from you without an explanation for this discrepancy."
Krivax had no idea what to say. He'd considered sharing his metaknowledge with people before but always found excuses not to do so. Now his secret had been discovered in a way that hadn't planned for, and in front of several people that he barely even knew!
Krivax turned to offer Brann and Trixie whatever explanation he could come up with, but he was once again shocked when he discovered that the two of them were completely still and looking off into space with unblinking eyes. Krivax turned to the rest of the expedition and his guards, only to find that they were all frozen and slowly turning a dull shade of bronze. Archaedas and Ironaya both seemed unaffected by what was going on and were staring at a particular corner of the room.
Before he could fully understand the situation, Krivax's attention was suddenly drawn to a voice that he had only heard on a few occasions. "I apologize for the interruption, but Vizier Krivax was about to offer an explanation that I believe my siblings and I should be present for."
In the corner that Archaedas and Ironaya were focused on, Nozdormu and the remaining uncorrupted Aspects appeared from thin air. Nozdormu merely looked quietly amused while Malygos and Alexstrasza were studying Krivax with odd expressions. Ysera had her eyes closed and most likely had half of her mind within the Emerald Dream, but Krivax could tell that even she was curious about what all of this was about.
"I told you that you could search for the one who sent the letter to Krasus after a few months, brother. I bet that you didn't expect that they would also be the one to secure our access to Deepholm," Nozdormu said to Malygos, who merely grunted in response.
Krivax froze at the Aspect of Time's words. It had been so long since he had sent that letter to Krasus that he had been fully convinced that he had gotten away with it, or that Nozdormu never intended to confront him. The Bronze Dragonflight had never once intervened despite all of the changes that Krivax had made to the timeline, so he had begun to think that his transmigration had somehow obscured him from their vision.
It never occurred to Krivax that Nozdormu would just be waiting for a specific moment to confront him.
"I do hope you forgive our intrusion, Archaedas," Nozdormu said to the Keeper. "But the situation being what it is, I figured it was better to ask for forgiveness than permission. It is important to the fate of Azeroth that we all be here for this discussion."
"You are forgiven, Aspect. I am quite curious to learn what prompted this," said Archaedas, turning his gaze back to Krivax.
Stuck under the inquisitive gazes of several godlike beings, Krivax hadn't felt this out of his depth since the day he had hatched from his egg and realized where he was. And much like that day, there was only a single thought going through his mind.
Fuck…
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Once they entered, Ironaya waved her hand and a section of the wall slid open, allowing a strange mechanical orb surrounded by connected bars of light to float out. Krivax wasn't quite sure how the thing worked, but Ironaya spent several minutes staring at the thing before turning back to them.
"Significant sections of this facility's sensors have been damaged. Alert mechanisms designed to inform me or Keeper Archaedas of irregularities have become nonfunctional. Systems indicate a duration of sixteen thousand, five hundred, and forty-two years since my entry into stasis. Facility impairment aligns with a disaster akin to the one you have described. Detail the origins of the Sundering, mortals. There are limited events capable of generating such widespread destruction."
The expedition spent several moments trading glances before Brann decided to speak up. "That's a wee bit complex, and we only just discovered the whole truth ourselves, thanks to the dragons. I reckon it'd be best if our friend Krivax took the reins and filled ye in on the details."
"What? Why me?" asked Krivax, glancing down at Brann with an incredulous expression.
Dealing with stuff like this was one of the primary reasons he'd specifically approached Brann in the first place.
"What are you sayin', lad? You're the diplomat around here. Besides, don't you nerubians have a bit more know-how about ancient history than the rest of us?"
…Damn. That makes a lot of sense.
Krivax winced as he tried to put together the words as Ironaya turned her gaze to him. It wasn't every day that you had to explain to a thirty-foot-tall magical robot exactly how messed up the world had gotten while they were asleep.
"I suppose I should begin by asking if you're familiar with the kaldorei, or night elves as they're more commonly known," said Krivax, deciding to just start at the beginning.
"I am not. Arcane-Driven Language Interpretation Enchantments are transmitting images of an unknown being," said Ironaya, her voice remaining monotone and steady.
"Wait a minute. Is your translation magic reading our minds?" asked Trixie, her voice stuck between wonder and concern.
"Incorrect. My translation systems function through principles similar to arcane divination."
"That sounds amazing! You've got to teach us how to make something like that," said Trixie, apparently deciding on wonder.
"The secrets of the Makers are not to be shared with outsiders," Ironaya said harshly, her voice changing tone for the first time since she stopped attacking. Before any of them could respond, the Titanic Watcher turned back to Krivax. "Proceed."
Sensing that she was starting to get impatient, Krivax quickly launched into his explanation. "Around fifteen thousand years ago, a tribe of trolls settled near a powerful font of arcane magic called the Well of Eternity near the center of the Pre-Sundering continent. After living near the well for many generations, the trolls were gradually turned into elves by its energy and learned to wield powerful arcane magic. They used this new power to conquer most of the continent and create the Kaldorei Empire."
Ironaya remained unsettlingly still as Krivax explained the events leading up to the Sundering.
"The kaldorei ruling class, known as Highborne, became decadent and obsessed with power, the worst of whom was Queen Azshara, who made contact with an army of demons called the Burning Legion. The Highborne used the Well of Eternity as a portal to allow the demons to invade Azeroth in the name of their master, Sargeras. The War of the Ancients is really complicated and I don't know all of the details myself, but the end result was that the kaldorei resistance, the Dragonflights, and the Wild Gods were able to win the war. Unfortunately, the Well of Eternity was destroyed in the aftermath, causing an explosion that destroyed most of the world."
There was a lot that Krivax didn't include in his explanation, such as the fact that Azshara was still alive and had aligned herself with the Old Gods in the aftermath of the war. She and her followers had been turned into naga and ruled the underwater empire of Nazjatar. Honestly, Krivax could go on talking for hours, but he understood well that he should keep things succinct so that it wouldn't get overwhelming.
Even as stoic and unmoving as she was, there were still several moments that revealed Ironaya's tumultuous emotions. When Krivax mentioned Sargeras in particular, the Titanic Watcher seemed nearly stricken with grief. That was unsurprising given that Sargeras was one of her former Titan masters, who betrayed and killed the rest of the pantheon.
Krivax continued on to talk about more recent events after he finished explaining the Sundering, such as Deathwing's corruption, the general state of the world, and finally the First and Second Wars. Ironaya was extremely concerned about anything related to the Void and seemed to think that it was important enough that she needed to take them to the Keeper.
"This must be brought to Archaedas, immediately."
"Who's that?" Trixie asked curiously.
"Archaedas is one of the nine Keepers, those few among us who were chosen by the Titans themselves to lead us in their absence," Ironaya explained as she made her way out of the room and started striding down a nearby hall. Krivax and the rest of the expedition hurried to follow after her. "He is the one responsible for Uldaman, and it is vital that he hears what you have told me."
There wasn't much room for more conversation as they did their best to keep up with Ironaya's long strides as several large doors opened with her approach. The deeper portions of the facility seemed to be in a far better state than the rest, and they quickly passed by several golems and dwarves made completely of stone. Krivax could tell that Brann wanted to burst into a flurry of questions upon sighting them but held his tongue as they kept following after their tall guide.
"Be honored, mortals. You are the first of your kind to enter Khaz'goroth's Seat," said Ironaya as she opened the final door and stepped into a grand chamber filled completely with golems and stone dwarves.
In the center stood the inanimate form of another Titanic Watcher, although this one emanated waves of power even in its current dormant state. His body was constructed from a mixture of various grayish-blue metals and minerals that Krivax couldn't recognize, and his eyes glowed brightly with magic. He wore a cloak over surprisingly simple armor and carried a massive hammer in his right hand.
"Archaedas," Ironaya said reverently, her voice echoing in the chamber. She stepped forward and placed her hand on the Watcher's chest, a wave of energy pulsating from her touch.
The very air seemed to vibrate with power, and Krivax and the others watched in awe as Archaedas slowly came to life. The Keeper's gaze swept over his surroundings, focusing on their little group for a moment, and his voice boomed with the sound of rumbling stone when he eventually spoke. "Ironaya, why have you awakened me and brought creatures of flesh into our inner sanctum with aqir by their side?"
Ironaya bowed her head respectfully before answering, "Archaedas, these mortals bring important news from beyond Uldaman. I have verified that these creatures are not aqir, and are free from the Void's influence. Please check for yourself."
"Hold on there. Is there something wrong about us being made of meat? I've seen some of those stone dwarves we passed by. Do they have something to do with it?" asked Brann
"The earthen are our servants. Created by myself and the other Keepers for the purpose of shaping the subterranean regions of this world," said Archaedas, looking down at Brann with an inscrutable gaze. "Prior to my stasis, our servants were displaying symptoms of the Curse of Flesh, which progressively transformed their physical composition to one made primarily of organic matter. This same curse was affecting the class of titan-forged servants that Keeper Mimiron referred to as the mechagnomes."
"Wait, are you telling us that our bodies are the result of a curse?" Trixie interjected, her voice filled with disbelief.
"In a sense, yes," Archaedas replied, his voice unwavering. "The Curse of Flesh is a corruption originating from the Old Gods, who sought to weaken our titan-forged creations. It was theorized by myself and Keeper Mimiron that flesh would render our servants more susceptible to Void corruption. Your current state is a threat to the security of this facility. To ensure the safety of Uldaman, comprehensive scans will be required to verify the absence of Void corruption within your beings."
Krivax was suddenly extremely glad that he had never decided to mess with the Void. He had no doubt that Archaedas would absolutely kill them if he detected even the slightest amount of corruption. None of them feeling like they had anything to hide, the expedition quickly agreed to be thoroughly examined by Archaedas. Another one of those floating orbs, similar to the one that Ironaya was using earlier, appeared next to the Keeper and began circling the expedition while emitting a gentle beam of light that scanned each of them in turn.
As this was going on, Ironaya agreed to answer Brann's questions about the past while Archaedas simultaneously examined the test results and ran every diagnostic test that he could on Uldaman.
"Aye, so if I'm understandin' you correctly, our dwarvish and gnome ancestors would have come from facilities like this one, after being turned meaty by that Curse of Flesh, eh?" Brann questioned, his eyes wide and his voice shaky with excitement. The rest of the expedition was equally enthralled by the revelations, listening intently as Ironaya continued to share the ancient history of their people.
"Correct. If the world's land has become as shattered and disconnected as you say, then it is probable that the origin of your ancestors traces back to this specific facility," said Ironaya, her voice exhibiting a touch of emotion. "Uldaman once contained the highest density of earthen and mechagnome populations in this portion of the world."
Several members of the expedition began to take in their surroundings with a hint of reverence at the Watcher's words. Krivax had no doubt that Ironforge and Gnomeragan would name Uldaman as a site of great historical importance to people once word of their discovery spread.
"But, what were those… things that were trapped behind those magical barriers we saw earlier? They don't look like any race that I've seen before," Trixie asked curiously.
"The entities you are referring to, designated as troggs, were products of an unsuccessful first attempt to create the earthen. They were overly aggressive, simple-minded, and difficult to manage. We opted to seal these constructs due to their inferior design, and this installation was established for containment purposes. Subsequent to the arrival of myself and Keeper Archaedas, it was refitted with a complex monitoring system. We had not anticipated that such a large catastrophe would cause such widespread damage and result in us being kept in stasis for so long."
Krivax hadn't actually known why the two of them never came out of their stasis in Warcraft until someone woke them up, so this additional information was quite helpful.
"If you don't mind me saying, I think you should prioritize checking on whatever's holding them and making sure they stay contained," Krivax suggested, thinking about the destruction they would cause if they escaped. "I believe that the Curse of Flesh has totally changed them and they are now entirely organic beings. They probably won't be eager to listen to orders anymore, so I'm not sure how… effective the stasis chambers holding them will be if they wake up."
"Your suggestion is heard, but unnecessary. Creating and maintaining the Titan facilities across Azeroth is the explicit duty of Keeper Archaedas, and myself as his subordinate. We will do everything in our power to fulfill the duties assigned to us by the Makers," Ironaya said with conviction.
After hearing that, Krivax suddenly felt as if he had won the lottery. He hadn't known much about Archaedas before coming to Uldaman, other than he was a Keeper empowered by the same Titan that empowered Neltharion. Getting him on their side would already be great, but if he was actually responsible for creating and maintaining the various Titan facilities then so many problems could be solved. Many of Azeroth's future problems were caused by malfunctions in these facilities. The Old Gods breaking free from the prisons being the most urgent example.
There was even a possibility that Archaedas would be able to do something about the Dark Portal, which was never resolved in canon!
"My scans are complete. None of them show any sign of being corrupted by the Void," Archaedas announced, turning his attention back to the group and pulling Krivax out of his gleeful thoughts. "Explain to me why you chose to awaken me from stasis. Specify the catastrophic event that you were previously alluding to."
Once the Keeper was done scanning them, he seemed to instantly lose any hostility he had to the nerubian members of the expedition. Krivax was a bit surprised by how quickly Archaedas' prejudice disappeared, but it made sense in retrospect. The Keepers and Watchers were essentially sapient magical machines and probably looked at the world in a much more single-minded and logical fashion. There were a lot of reasons why that could be detrimental, but it also meant that they wouldn't hold on to grudges in the face of evidence.
Feeling reassured, Krivax immediately began recounting everything that he had previously told Ironaya about the state of the world. The Keeper was not happy in the slightest to hear about the Sundering, or what the kaldorei did to the Well of Eternity. Krivax couldn't remember the specific lore surrounding the well's origin, but there was a good chance that it had something to do with the Keepers. Pretty much everything in Azeroth had been shaped by what the Titans and their servants had done in the world's ancient history.
Archaedas was very disturbed and upset on hearing of Deathwing's corruption and betrayal. Krivax thought that Archaedas probably felt that betrayal on a more personal level given that he was the one responsible for channeling Khaz'goroth's power into Deathwing and empowering the corrupted Aspect.
The Keeper even had a similar reaction to Ironaya when he was told about Sargeras, which Brann quickly picked up on.
"Do either of you know a thing or two about this Sargeras fellow? The Burning Legion seems awfully set on stormin' Azeroth," said Brann, his keen eyes watching the two of them for any reaction.
Archaedas and Ironaya's expressions both seemed to darken at the question. After several moments of silence, it was the Keeper who decided to answer. "Sargeras was a member of the Pantheon, although not one that we have ever met as he did not participate in the ordering of Azeroth. The Makers referred to him several times in their records. I find it difficult to believe that a member of the Pantheon would betray the rest, but all evidence seems to support this conclusion. There is no known force in the universe equal to the Makers. Yet we know that they are dead, and only a Titan would be capable of creating a force akin to the Burning Legion. In addition, sensors indicate that you believe your words to be the truth."
Surprised at the Keeper's words, Krivax stretched his magical senses in an attempt to find the truth spell surrounding them. A sense of caution grew within him as he failed to find anything, and he resolved to be careful with his words for the rest of the conversation.
The expedition wasn't happy at all to hear that a Titan was responsible for creating the Burning Legion. Titan worship wasn't widespread amongst the dwarves, but it wasn't nonexistent and most held a sort of reverence toward the Pantheon. Krivax suspected that such sentiments would grow significantly in the near future.
Once everyone calmed down a bit, Krivax continued explaining things to Archaedas. After he finished explaining the Sundering and why they chose to wake him up, the Keeper decided that he wanted to verify their story further. After all, their story might not be necessarily accurate if they did not have full knowledge of the events.
"How's he going to do that?" asked Trixie as the Keeper disappeared behind a door on the other side of the chamber.
"That is not information that you need to know," Ironaya responded.
Unknown to the Watcher, Krivax already knew exactly how Archaedas would be verifying their story. The Discs of Norgannon was an artifact that the two of them had spirited away with them to Uldaman. Its primary purpose was to record everything that transpired in Azeroth and would be enough to get them up to speed. Krivax sincerely doubted that it actually recorded everything as that would be ridiculous, but it probably had all of the major events.
In the meantime, the expedition didn't hesitate to pepper Ironaya with questions, which she patiently answered so long as the topic wasn't too sensitive. When Archaedas eventually returned after nearly half an hour, his expression was far more solemn than when he had left.
"The mortals' claims are true," Archaedas said to Ironaya once he drew close. "The Well of Eternity has imploded and caused catastrophic damage to Azeroth's landmass and most of the Titan facilities across Azeroth. Reports indicate that the Titan-forged caretakers of Uldum have activated the facility's illusory defense system. Attempts to contact Uldaz, Uldavek, and Uldir have all met with failures. Fortunately, sensor readings seem to indicate these facilities as being uncompromised."
Uncompromised? They're all very much compromised! Also, what the hell are Uldaz, Uldavek, Uldir? Krivax wondered incredulously. He really hoped that Azeroth didn't have even more dangerous Titan facilities than the ones he knew about.
"Excuse me, but Azjol-Nerub has territory close to a facility called Ulduar, and we're quite certain that it contains an Old God and is definitely compromised. Void energy has been gradually increasing across Northrend for generations," Krivax said urgently. It was important that Archaedas understand exactly how screwed up everything was. "Also, what is the importance of Uldaz, Uldavek, and Uldir? If they're anything like Ulduar, then we need to know."
"Do you have evidence for your claim, mortal? You believe your words to be true, yet all sensory data seems to show otherwise," said Archaedas. "Facilities dedicated to Old God containment were the most comprehensive of all installations and included several redundancies. I created several emergency systems designed to awaken me specifically in the event that these facilities were compromised."
Fortunately for Krivax, he had prepared physical proof in advance that demonstrated that Yogg-Saron wasn't completely contained. Azjol-Nerub had recently finalized a research agreement with Ironforge and Gnomeregan, and Krivax had quickly suggested that they study the effects of Saronite together. The two nations knew far more about magical metals than even the Kirin Tor or the Circle of Viziers after all. The Void-corrupted ore was the result of Yogg-Saron slowly breaking free of his prison, and could only be found in Northrend.
Krivax retrieved the Saronite sample from his spatial bag, which was contained in an enchanted lockbox designed to insulate Void energy, and carefully presented the substance to Archaedas after warning him. The last thing he wanted was to be smited after showing he was carrying Void corrupted material, after all. The Keeper seemed skeptical at first but agreed to examine the Saronite and compare it to records that they had of Yogg-Saron's corruption. When it came back as a positive match, Archaedas' expression grew grimmer than it had been since their conversation began.
"You are correct. This substance carries the corruption of Yogg-Saron, and implies that sensor readings of Old God containment facilities cannot be trusted. It seems likely that they have been subverted. Each of the facilities must be manually examined and their functions restored, as all life on Azeroth will be under threat if they were to escape," said Archaedas, his expressions more lively than ever before.
"Then we must act as swiftly as we can," Ironaya said with determination in her gaze.
"Wait just a minute. Are you trying to tell us that there are a whole bunch of facilities acting like bombs waiting to go off?" Brann asked in alarm.
Azjol-Nerub had shared a bit about their suspicions regarding Ulduar, but it still wasn't a widely known issue, as people didn't fully understand the magnitude of the threat.
"Correct. Uldaz, Uldavek, and Uldir are the facilities responsible for containing the Void entities known as N'zoth, C'thun, and G'huun respectively. Any single one of these beings would be capable of freeing the rest of their kind and conquering Azeroth, should they escape their prisons," Archaedas explained, most of his attention on one of the floating orbs.
"Then you better get to fixing them so that doesn't happen!" Trixie said emphatically, fear growing in her expression. "I saw what that Void monster did to Capital City. I don't want to wake up one day to scary monsters and tentacles everywhere! I'm sure that there won't be a ruler in the Eastern Kingdoms unwilling to help you out once they hear about this."
"Your assistance is appreciated, but this matter is beyond you, mortals," said Ironaya.
"I wouldn't be so sure. Records indicate that the mortals recently slew a C'thrax, one of the two that was responsible for killing Tyr," said Archaedas, sounding as if he barely believed what he was saying himself.
Ironaya raised her eyebrows, visibly impressed. "Truly? How did they manage to accomplish such a feat?"
Archaedas went on to explain Uldaman's records, probably the Discs of Norgannon, had recorded a C'thrax as being defeated near a mortal city. Krivax and Trixie went on to give more details about the event after Ironaya asked for them. Despite the fact that it was heavily injured and that the Alliance had the aid of the dragons, actually bringing it down was a great feat. Ironaya seemed surprised that the mortal races had managed to defeat the C'thrax at all. The two of them also seemed particularly appreciative that they slayed Tyr's murderer and that Tyr's Guard had stood vigil over the fallen Keeper's tomb for millennia.
"Without the Forge of Wills, we lack the capacity to create new servants and there are few left within Uldaman. Cooperation with the mortals will be necessary to properly repair damaged facilities and ensure that the Old Gods remain contained," Archaedas explained.
"I recommend instead that we seek to contact the Aspects. Despite one of their members being corrupted by the Old Gods, they are much more suited to assist us in this endeavor," said Ironaya, disagreeing with the Keeper.
Although dealing with the Titan facilities was very important, the Watcher's words remind Krivax that it wasn't actually the primary reason that he had wanted to go to Uldaman. He didn't want to get so caught up with dealing with the facilities, they forgot to address Deathwing at all.
"If you intend to contact the Aspects, that's something that I could help with," Krivax offered, drawing the attention of the two giant beings. "I actually serve as the lead diplomat for Azjol-Nerub and have regular contact with Alexstrasza. Also, I believe that you might want to talk to them about Deathwing. The Aspects mentioned that he had escaped to a place called Deepholm and that they were having difficulties getting there."
"Accessing Deepholm would be prohibitively difficult under most scenarios. However, Uldum contains a portal to the elemental plane which can be used to access Deepholm," Ironaya said thoughtfully before turning to Archaedas. "I recommend accepting the mortal's offer. Facility repair is our primary duty, but a Void corrupted Aspect is an existential threat to Azeroth."
Krivax was glad for Ironaya's endorsement and expected the Keeper to agree. As Archaedas merely continued to study him with an inscrutable gaze, Krivax began to get the feeling that something was wrong. After several more moments of silent consideration, his fears were soon proven right.
"We will contact the Aspects, but we shall do so on our own. It should not be a difficult matter and I do not trust you sufficiently for this task," said Archaedas, his voice carrying a sense of finality that made Krivax's heart drop.
He thought that the Keeper had gotten over the whole aqir thing, but that didn't seem to be the case.
"I understand that you don't trust me due to our heritage, but I swear to you that Azjol-Nerub has turned away from the Void," said Krivax, hoping to change the Keeper's mind.
"You misunderstand. I don't trust you in particular. Not only due to your heritage but also due to your anomalous qualities," said Archaedas, staring down at him with a suspicious gaze.
The expedition turned to him with confusion in their eyes. Several of them asked what the Keeper was talking about, but Krivax didn't actually have any idea himself. Noticing their incomprehension, Archaedas decided to offer an explanation.
"Void corruption can be extremely subtle, and our most thorough scans to detect it involve searching for any anomalies with the subject's body and soul. Although you show no signs of corruption, your soul shows signs of transplantation and is significantly older than your body," said Archaedas, shocking Krivax to his core and terrifying him. "Strangely, there is no evidence of the magic responsible for this phenomenon. I have suffered from the deceptive nature of the Void before, and do not intend to receive any aid from you without an explanation for this discrepancy."
Krivax had no idea what to say. He'd considered sharing his metaknowledge with people before but always found excuses not to do so. Now his secret had been discovered in a way that hadn't planned for, and in front of several people that he barely even knew!
Krivax turned to offer Brann and Trixie whatever explanation he could come up with, but he was once again shocked when he discovered that the two of them were completely still and looking off into space with unblinking eyes. Krivax turned to the rest of the expedition and his guards, only to find that they were all frozen and slowly turning a dull shade of bronze. Archaedas and Ironaya both seemed unaffected by what was going on and were staring at a particular corner of the room.
Before he could fully understand the situation, Krivax's attention was suddenly drawn to a voice that he had only heard on a few occasions. "I apologize for the interruption, but Vizier Krivax was about to offer an explanation that I believe my siblings and I should be present for."
In the corner that Archaedas and Ironaya were focused on, Nozdormu and the remaining uncorrupted Aspects appeared from thin air. Nozdormu merely looked quietly amused while Malygos and Alexstrasza were studying Krivax with odd expressions. Ysera had her eyes closed and most likely had half of her mind within the Emerald Dream, but Krivax could tell that even she was curious about what all of this was about.
"I told you that you could search for the one who sent the letter to Krasus after a few months, brother. I bet that you didn't expect that they would also be the one to secure our access to Deepholm," Nozdormu said to Malygos, who merely grunted in response.
Krivax froze at the Aspect of Time's words. It had been so long since he had sent that letter to Krasus that he had been fully convinced that he had gotten away with it, or that Nozdormu never intended to confront him. The Bronze Dragonflight had never once intervened despite all of the changes that Krivax had made to the timeline, so he had begun to think that his transmigration had somehow obscured him from their vision.
It never occurred to Krivax that Nozdormu would just be waiting for a specific moment to confront him.
"I do hope you forgive our intrusion, Archaedas," Nozdormu said to the Keeper. "But the situation being what it is, I figured it was better to ask for forgiveness than permission. It is important to the fate of Azeroth that we all be here for this discussion."
"You are forgiven, Aspect. I am quite curious to learn what prompted this," said Archaedas, turning his gaze back to Krivax.
Stuck under the inquisitive gazes of several godlike beings, Krivax hadn't felt this out of his depth since the day he had hatched from his egg and realized where he was. And much like that day, there was only a single thought going through his mind.
Fuck…
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Thanks for reading!
- Location
- United States
I typically am not a fan of telling people about si origins fully, but here it would be such an amazing way to troll these guys. Like you'll never ever get an opportunity to give a group of demigods existential crisises.
JmonsterNEO
Spouter of nonsense
- Location
- The quest forums
The jig is finally up, and we can only hope that Krivax doesn't get incinerated. Also Nozdormu is smug as usual.
Chaoswind
Lord of nonsense
- Location
- Latin America
This is not so much telling as being confronted.
I usually feel the same, but the company in question being the ones to ask at least makes sense considering they are all in the low tier God status.
Kri is going to have to tell the truth in a way that they won't either end mind broken (you are all fictional), or that they would more readily accept without squashing the interdimentional spider.
Honestly they are probably more likely to accept the "my first people were powerful but accidental seers who saw much of this world in their dreams" then "you are fictional".
At least that would be the excuse I would use. And it has the benefit of probably actually being true in the si's world.
At least that would be the excuse I would use. And it has the benefit of probably actually being true in the si's world.
xbox432
Lover of Editing
I don't think being obtuse would be a good idea here... With those individuals in particular, and with as much scrutiny as they currently have him under? They'd know he was bullshitting. And it's not like explaining it would be hard. With as advanced as they are, they should be able to understand multiversal theory and the implications of what "infinity" actually means when it comes to chance. Though yeah, he might want to warn the other "mere mortals" that what he is about to discuss is a cognito hazard and let them decide for themselves whether or not they want to listen in.
And as others have said, here's hoping Krivax doesn't get his mind peeled open like a Tel'Abim Banana. Because those guards of his, and the other explorers as well, ARE going to report this back. Also... hopefully Krivax doesn't have a mental breakdown now that he's finally gonna get a chance to vent.
Chapter 57
Krivax felt like his brain must have stopped working from the shock because he remained silent for an awkwardly long time before coming up with a response. And when he did, it wasn't exactly the height of diplomatic eloquence. "Uh… what's going on here?"
"You understand what is happening perfectly well, Vizier Krivax," said Nozdormu, his expression amused and indulgent as if he were talking to a particularly slow whelp. "I have already watched this conversation play out, but my siblings aren't quite so fortunate."
"We heard what the Keeper said about your soul, mortal, and we know that you're the one who sent that letter to Krasus," said Malygos, staring at Krivax with suspicion in his eyes. "You obviously know far more than someone like you should. Given that Nozdormu insisted on our presence for this conversation, I assume your strange knowledge is more comprehensive than what you placed in the letter. Explain how you know what you do and why your soul is older than your body."
Krivax pushed his mind to the limits trying to think of a way out of this situation but kept reaching the same conclusions. Every single person in the room was stronger than him, was able to detect his lies, and would be unwilling to accept him holding back relevant information.
Fortunately for him, they at least seemed reasonable enough to hear him out rather than just taking the information forcefully. Krivax was under no illusions that he could prevent them from doing so if they decided to stop playing nice.
"Vizier Krivax, please take a deep breath and calm yourself," Alexstrasza said soothingly, noticing his panic. "All we want is to understand how you know as much as you do. If you truly are the one who sent that letter to Krasus, then I owe you an immense debt of gratitude. I won't allow you to suffer any undue harm."
It didn't escape Krivax's notice that the Dragon Queen specified harm that was undue, but her words still helped calm him down regardless.
"That's… complicated, and a bit of a long story," said Krivax, speaking between deep breaths as he focused on calming his nerves.
"If you'd prefer, I could always just pull the information from your mind," said Malygos. The half-mad dragon's tone was completely flat, and Krivax couldn't tell if his words were supposed to be a threat or a genuine offer.
Either way, Krivax very much didn't want Malygos rummaging through his mind. Not only because of general privacy concerns, but Krivax wanted to avoid dealing with the whole 'fictional world' thing. Malygos was unpredictable enough on a good day without adding existential questions on the nature of reality to the mix.
"Well, mortal?" asked Malygos, scowling impatiently.
"Uh, no. Just… give me a moment to get my thoughts in order," said Krivax.
He half expected to receive a sharp rebuke or an annoyed response, but Malygos merely huffed and kept his silence, much to Krivax's relief. After several moments of contemplation, Krivax took a deep breath and just decided to stick as close to the truth as he could, addressing each problem as it came. There wasn't much else that he could do, given the circumstances.
Maybe… this will turn out alright? Krivax thought to himself, trying to remain optimistic. There's a lot that they could help with that I can't do on my own.
"If you've heard what Keeper Archaedas said about my soul, then you can probably guess that this isn't my first life," said Krivax, deciding to just start at the beginning. "Are any of you familiar with the concept of reincarnation?"
"We are. I've never experienced it myself, but there are several different methods to reincarnate oneself with magic," said Alexstrasza, her expression becoming pointedly neutral. "Were you a necromancer prior to your reincarnation? Perhaps a shaman?"
"No traces of Death magic were detected in the anomaly's soul," said Archaedas, his gravelly voice echoing throughout the room.
"No. I was just a regular human who had never used magic in his life. I remember dying and then waking up in an egg," said Krivax, speaking slowly and he chose each word carefully. "Shortly after I hatched and received my new name, I realized that I had a… vast amount of information about the future timeline of this world. I didn't like what I saw, so I did my best to change things and… here we are."
Krivax doubted that the Aspects would fail to notice that he was hiding something, but he felt it was still worth it to try. The Aspects traded thoughtful glances with each other… or Malygos and Alexstrasza did at least. Ysera still had her eyes closed and seemed as if she was barely present, while Nozdormu already knew how this conversation would play out and was just watching patiently.
"That sounds like it must have been a very… disorientating experience. Do you know who or what did this to you?" Alexstrasza asked compassionately.
"I don't," Krivax said honestly. He wished that he did, but figuring out the circumstances of his reincarnation was well beyond his ability.
Krivax turned his attention to the Aspect of Magic and felt himself grow tense once he noticed the mad dragon studying him with blatant suspicion in his eyes. His fears were validated a few moments later when Malygos spoke. "You're hiding something, mortal. Cease wasting our time and tell us everything that you know before I lose my patience."
"It's… I'm not hiding anything maliciously. It's just really hard to explain," Krivax said hesitantly. "I was human in my last life, but… not one of this world."
Krivax went on to explain his extradimensional origins while leaving out the matter of this world being a fictional one back on Earth. They were marginally more surprised than when he talked about the whole reincarnation thing, but everyone was already aware that this world wasn't the only one. Still, it was rather strange even to them. Malygos, Nozdormu, and Archaedas asked plenty of questions surrounding his old world, and Krivax did his best to answer them. It soon became clear to Krivax that they were all incredibly interested in discovering the nature of whatever power sent him to this world. The things that he knew surpassed even what Nozdormu could foresee, as his vision only extended to the prophesized Hour of Twilight.
Krivax had personally never given it that much thought. He didn't see much point in wondering about the nature of the multiverse or the actions of forces beyond his comprehension.
Obviously, they all didn't see it the same way and wanted to make sure that there wasn't some godlike entity using Krivax as a tool to manipulate Azeroth. A lot of time was spent on that topic, but there really wasn't any evidence one way or another, so they were forced to move on.
Everyone also seemed quite interested in the differences between Earth and Azeroth, such as their technology, the lack of magic, and humans being the only sapient race. The Aspects seemed to consider it a good explanation for why Krivax was so strange by Azerothian standards.
The conversation eventually progressed once it became clear his old world wasn't influenced by any power that they were aware of. Krivax felt a great deal of relief when Alexstrasza proposed they move on to talking about his actual knowledge of Azeroth's timeline, and he thought for a moment that he was actually going to get away with not revealing the true nature of his old world.
He shouldn't have underestimated the perceptiveness of creatures that had lived longer than he could fathom.
"And is that all, mortal? Are you hiding anything further?" asked Malygos, studying Krivax carefully.
Krivax knew he couldn't deny it, so he decided to stick close to the truth. "Nothing relevant to the fate or safety of Azeroth. I understand how important this is, but there are some details about my previous life that I'd like to keep private."
Krivax genuinely felt that the whole 'fictional world' thing didn't matter. He'd always been the kind of person to go with the flow and didn't care much about existential questions. However, there was no telling how the crazy dragon would react, so he'd just prefer to avoid it entirely if possible. Also, a part of him wanted to test how the Aspects would react to even a small amount of defiance. Krivax would tell them whatever they wanted if they pushed him, but at least he would know what kind of people he was dealing with.
"And you think you're qualified to know what is and isn't relevant to the safety of Azeroth?" said Malygos, sneering contemptuously. "Allow me to make your situation clear since you seem to have problems understanding. You will tell us what you know without omission, or I will take the information directly from your mind."
"Your threats aren't helping anyone, Malygos. The truth spell has shown that Vizier Krivax genuinely believes it to be irrelevant to the fate of Azeroth. He's done much for us all, and we can afford to show him some courtesy," said Alexstrasza, chastising her sibling.
Krivax was relieved to see Nozdormu and Ysera both nod in agreement. Archaedas was a bit harder to convince, but the Keeper relented when Krivax swore that it was nothing that could impact his duties. Malygos was the only one who wanted to force Krivax to tell them everything.
"Courtesy? I'm showing plenty of courtesy by being as patient as I am," said Malygos, glancing at the Dragon Queen. "Do you all truly believe that we can trust a mortal with such important knowledge? To judge what among that knowledge is relevant?"
When Krivax looked back on this moment in the future, he would blame his reaction on many things. The Aspects of Magic's constant threats, the stress that he'd accumulated since arriving in Azeroth, and being called 'untrustworthy' by one of the least trustworthy people in the room.
"I've done nothing but do my best to use this knowledge responsibly," said Krivax, his words coming out in an angry chittering hiss as he glared at Malygos. "You have no idea how much worse things would have been without my intervention. I refuse to be lectured about trustworthiness by someone wh—"
Krivax angrily forced his mandibles shut as he realized that he let his emotions get the better of him. He'd always prided himself on being able to control himself, but his current situation was sending his emotions spiraling. Unfortunately, Malygos didn't seem particularly interested in letting the matter rest.
"Don't stop now, mortal. Tell me what it is that makes me so untrustworthy," said Malygos, his voice low and dangerous. "Don't think that I haven't noticed how you look at me. Tell me what great crime I'm destined to commit."
"I… don't think that's a good idea," said Krivax, feeling his anger leave him.
"Malygos, perhaps the mortal is right. If destiny has already been changed, then it may be better to leave certain matters unsaid," said Alexstrasza, placing a concerned hand on her brother's shoulder.
"I've never been interested in ignorance. Speak, mortal. Tell me what fate you believe would have awaited me."
Krivax could tell that Malygos had no intention of letting this go. He didn't care very much about sparing the cruel dragon's feelings, but he was concerned about how Malygos would react. Krivax only hoped that the other dragon Aspects would rein him in.
"Several years into the future, you decide to… focus your attention on your role as the guardian of magic. You do this by attempting to redirect the leylines of the world to the Nexus and siphon all magic away from the mortal races. This event causes widespread damage throughout the world and triggers a conflict called the Nexus War. You were defeated and killed by a coalition of mortals and the Red Dragonflight."
The room was completely silent after Krivax was done speaking. The two titan-forged giants and Nozdormu barely had any reaction at all, while Alexstrasza looked horrified and Ysera seemed faintly surprised. Malygos himself was completely expressionless as he glanced at Nozdormu for confirmation, only to fall into thoughtful silence when he received a nod in return.
When Malygos' reaction finally came, it wasn't at all what Krivax was expecting. "I see. I was expecting worse."
Krivax was so startled that he blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "Is that really all you have to say?"
"Do you expect me to act like I'm surprised?" Malygos asked, rolling his eyes. "That sounds exactly like something that I would do. The only unexpected detail is that Alexstrasza managed to put me down before I did more damage. I didn't think she had it in her."
"I dearly hope I'm never forced to make such a decision," said Alexstrasza. Her eyes were conflicted as she looked at her sibling, and her voice was quiet with grief. "Malygos, do you truly care so little about your death that you barely find it worth mentioning? I understand how difficult matters have been for you, but Sindragosa wouldn't want this for you. She would want for you to find happiness, not to be so… self-destructive in your grief."
"Sindragosa is dead, at the hands of Neltharion. She isn't here to tell anyone what she would have wanted," said Malygos, practically hissing out the words as he glared at Alexstrasza and his skin crackled with magic. "When are you going to learn that there is no happy future waiting for any of us, sister?! Neltharion was wrong about many things, but he was completely correct to say that the Titans' blessing doomed us all to horrible ends. There isn't a single thing that this mortal has said about my future that surprised me."
"You dare to besmirch the Makers in my presence?" Archaedas boomed out with more emotion than Krivax had ever heard from him. The very earth beneath them began to shake and the air grew heavy with power, but Malygos wasn't intimidated in the slightest.
"Keep your opinions to yourself, you over-glorified golem! I have no interest in listening to the words of a single-minded construct that only cares for the few duties its creators gave it," Malygos said contemptuously to the Keeper before turning his attention back to Krivax. "Tell me, mortal. Am I wrong? Is there a happy fate waiting for the rest of my siblings?"
Krivax glanced nervously at Nozdormu, who was locked in a conflict with his evil time-traveling future self and was passively walking toward that destiny. He then looked at Ysera, who dedicated everything to fighting the Emerald Nightmare and barely paid any attention to the physical world. In the original timeline, she would become corrupted and end up being killed by her closest allies. The answer must have been obvious from his expression because the madness in Malygos' eyes only grew and the dragon began quietly chuckling and muttering to himself. The magic around him grew turbulent as he dissociated from reality, and Krivax felt as if he was standing in the same room as a mana bomb.
At that moment, Krivax looked around the room and suddenly understood how Azeroth had gotten to such a bad state despite having so many powerful protectors. They were all just so… incredibly dysfunctional. It was obvious to Krivax that despite what Malygos might claim, he was extremely bothered by what he had heard.
Even while Malygos was laughing madly to himself, Nozdormu and Ysera both looked distant from what was happening. The former looked as if he was watching an interesting television show that he'd seen many times before while the latter seemed barely present. Archaedas and Ironaya looked as if they didn't understand what they were seeing at all.
Alexstrasza was the only one trying to actually talk to Malygos and pull him back to reality, but her efforts weren't having much of a result. Krivax felt like he should say something, but he didn't think a motivational speech from someone like himself would be particularly helpful. Still, it was probably better to say something rather than just sit back and watch while the crazy dragon lost his mind.
"You're right that the future isn't kind to you or your siblings, but that can be changed. Alexstrasza should have been captured by the Horde, yet we successfully prevented that from happening," said Krivax, hoping a more logical argument would get through to Malygos. The mad dragon turned his gaze in Krivax's direction, but his eyes were glassy as if he barely understood where he was. "Your fate is easy to avoid, so long as you know about it. I can even tell you where Sindragosa's body is so that you can give her a proper burial."
"Sindragosa? I… wasn't able to find her. The magic of the Dragon Soul was too strong. It lingered. Made scrying for her impossible. I could have found another way, but I… stayed in my lair for too long," said Malygos, his voice growing progressively more lucid as he pulled himself out of his haze. "You know where her body is, mortal?"
"Yes. It's on Northrend. In the region of Icecrown," said Krivax, grateful that Sindragosa was an important enough character for this information to stick with him.
The room was tense and silent as Malygos processed this information. Krivax watched him cautiously, unsure of how he would react. After a few moments, the madness in the Aspect of Magic's eyes began to fade as he regained some of his composure. His voice was calmer, though quiet and tinted with sadness. "Tell us about the future, mortal. Keep your little secrets. If you're wrong and whatever you're hiding turns out to be vital to Azeroth's survival, then I suppose that is just what this world deserves."
Krivax let out a sigh of relief. He wasn't sure if Malygos had truly changed his mind or if he just stopped caring, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. The Aspect of Magic carelessly cast a spell on him that enhanced his memory recall, and Krivax resolved to share all of his metaknowledge for the first time.
We're going to be here for a while, Krivax mused to himself.
Deciding the best place to start was the beginning, Krivax started by telling everyone how the Second War would have proceeded without his intervention. Alexstrasza had already known what fate would have awaited her, but he could tell that hearing the… gruesome details wasn't pleasant for her, or anyone for that matter. The Dragon Queen was more than a little grateful for being spared such a fate.
Krivax found himself speaking for several hours as he meticulously shared everything of importance that he knew.
The Third War and the Burning Legion's second invasion. The Lich King, the plague of undeath, and the destruction of Lordaeron, Quel'thalas, and Azjol-Nerub.
The Old Gods and their slow escape from their prisons along with the Qiraji swarm and other Void entities like Xal'atah. The creeping corruption of the Emerald Dream and the forces behind it. Deathwing's resurgence from Deepholm and his near destruction of the world, along with the Elemental Lords. Queen Azshara, her underwater naga empire, and her relationship with N'zoth.
The hidden continent of Pandaria and the numerous threats hiding within, such as Manti'vess and the Sha. The various conflicts between the Horde and the Alliance, as well as the Burning Legion's third invasion of Azeroth through a portal created in the Tomb of Sargeras by an alternate timeline Gul'dan.
"Basically, the Burning Legion and the Old Gods take turns creating various crises for Azeroth over the next several decades," said Krivax, feeling utterly exhausted when he was done speaking. Even leaving out the more inconsequential details that the immortals didn't care about, there were still too many things that needed to be addressed.
"That is… much more than I expected," said Alexstrasza, sounding overwhelmed as she echoed his thoughts. "I'm not quite sure where to start."
"The Makers, are you certain that they are alive?" Archaedas asked, not for the first time.
There had been a variety of reactions while Krivax was sharing his metaknowledge, but the Keeper's was probably the most intense when he learned that the Titans were still alive. When Sargeras killed the rest of the Titans, the Keepers had felt an influx of power and fragmented memories wash over them. To know that their spirits still existed in some form was an immense relief to them, and Krivax could practically see the construct become more alive at the news.
"I am. I'm not sure of the exact details, but I saw the Titans sitting at the Seat of the Pantheon and pulling Sargeras away from Azeroth moments after he skewered the world with his sword," Krivax confirmed. He wished that he knew more specific details, but he had only been paying intermittent attention to Warcraft when that lore was being released.
"Then I know what must be done. Azeroth's facilities must be repaired, the Old God threat must be contained, and forces capable of facing the Burning Legion must be prepared," said Archaedas, his voice filled with determination and a sense of renewed purpose. Ironaya remained silent, but she obviously shared the opinion of her leader.
"That's a lovely declaration, but not one that we are in any way prepared to fulfill," Malygos said thoughtfully, his earlier apathy fading somewhat as he contemplated the challenges presented to him.
"What do you mean? You're probably the most powerful beings on Azeroth, I feel like you should be able to solve pretty much anything given a prior warning," said Krivax. The only good part of this whole situation was being able to hand off all of these problems to the Aspects, and he didn't want to hear that they couldn't help.
"There are several matters that we can solve in a relatively straightforward manner, such as finally killing that vermin Neltharion, slaying the trolls attempting to summon Hakkar, and hunting down the creature responsible for the Emerald Nightmare," Malygos explained.
"I will not rest until I have personally ended Xavius' life and felt his soul leave this world," said Ysera. The normally reserved Aspect was practically shaking with fury over everything that Krivax had told her. "I will also need to speak with Tyrande about Fandral and Illidan."
The Emerald Dream was a verdant dimension filled with nature that resembled what the world would look like if intelligent beings had never altered its surface, and was connected to all natural life on Azeroth. The Emerald Nightmare was how druids referred to the Old God's corruption of that realm, which would be accelerated by a former highborne named Xavius.
There was a lot of complicated history involved in the matter, but it was reasonable to assume that Ysera probably hated Xavius more than anyone else in the world right now.
"I'm sure you will, sister. But there are still several threats that the Dragonflights cannot face on their own. Keeper, if we were to muster the full might of every Aspect as well as our flights and lay siege to Ulduar, what do you estimate our chances of success would be?" Malygos asked.
"Such estimations are difficult. We do not know how thoroughly Ulduar has been corrupted nor what steps Loken has taken to consolidate his power. However, your chances of success would be grim," Archaedas said after a moment of thought. "Ulduar was the primary base of operations for the Keepers and is more fortified than any other facility on Azeroth. In addition, it is likely that they have prepared specifically for an attack by the Aspects."
"So a direct assault is a very bad idea," Krivax summed up grimly. "But what about Ahn'Qiraj? In my vision, the Alliance and Horde primarily only had to worry about the Qiraji. I believe that four Aspects and all of your Dragonflights should be able to deal with a kingdom that's probably only as strong as Azjol-Nerub."
"You're correct. We likely could launch an assault on Ahn'Qiraj, secure the facility around the Old God, and allow Archaedas to repair it, but what then?" asked Malygos, uncharacteristically patient as he explained the situation to Krivax. "The Qiraji have almost certainly prepared to fight against dragons after losing their previous war. We would suffer significant casualties while subduing the escaping Old God and would be far less able to assist in the next conflict."
Krivax considered the situation and realized where he had gone wrong with his assumptions. In Warcraft, most of these crises were resolved by the players of the game, who were represented in the lore as 'champions' of the Horde and Alliance. It was assumed that these champions were some of the most powerful individuals in Azeroth yet Krivax had never seen any evidence that these so-called champions actually existed.
If the Dragonflights actually attempted to handle everything that the champions dealt with in the lore, then they would quickly run into real problems like suffering increasingly severe attrition. This would make it harder for them to do their usual duties and couldn't really be hand waved away like it was in the game. It was probably the primary reason why the Qiraji had been sealed away instead of being wiped out in the first place.
"The Lich King is problematic as well," Alexstrasza said reluctantly. "We could likely destroy them fairly easily if they were found before they could build their forces, but Kil'jaeden will likely plan around that. Azshara is a significant problem as well."
"She was your equal even during the War of the Ancients, brother. I imagine she would be much more powerful now after giving herself over to N'zoth," said Nozdormu, smirking cheekily at Malygos.
The Aspect of Magic merely glared at his sibling before turning back to Krivax. "Not only that, but you have admitted that your knowledge has proven to be inaccurate at times, correct?"
"That is correct," Krivax readily admitted. There were plenty of things in Warcraft that were either nonsensical or just didn't translate accurately when they became reality.
Malygos nodded and asked Krivax a question that he had no idea how to answer. "Answer me this, little prophet. If the Burning Legion is hunting the Draenei faction on Draenor, then why have they not already fully conquered that world? They have already had more than enough opportunities to invade that world with their endless armies, yet you say that the Burning Legion won't do so until after this Ner'zhul destroys their world. Why?"
Krivax considered the question and had no good answer. Gul'dan and the Horde had complete free reign over Draenor and would have had all the time in the world to open up however many portals they needed for the Burning Legion.
"I would assume that they were trying to hide their direct involvement, so they could use the Horde against Azeroth without attracting the attention of people like you," Krivax said hesitantly, putting forward the only explanation that he could think of.
"That seems to match my analysis of Gul'dan's memories," said Malygos, nodding in agreement. "That being the case, do you believe Kil'jaeden will truly just leave Draenor alone? Or would he have any number of contingency plans and use demons specializing in infiltration to usher in an invasion whenever he pleased? You recommended during your recounting that we should rescue the innocents of Draenor and perhaps save that world from its fate, but one of us traveling there would be a monumental risk."
"My brother is wise and sadly correct in this matter. I have much experience with dealing with future knowledge, and it is always a mistake to underestimate our enemy's ability to plan and adapt," said Nozdormu.
Krivax found it incredibly frustrating to hear about potential traps or dangers that weren't included in his metaknowledge. Azeroth was already dangerous enough without adding even more problems onto it.
"Alright, I understand. You've detailed all of the challenges and difficulties, but I think the solution to this is obvious. All of you need to work far more closely with the mortal races," said Krivax, desperately hoping the Aspects and the Keeper would agree with him. "In my vision, it was the mortal nations who rose up to defend Azeroth. Think of how much more powerful they could be if you all put effort into empowering them."
The mages of Dalaran would be far more effective in their defense of Azeroth and policing of dark magic use if they were taught magic by the Blue Dragonflight. In the original timeline, the Bronze Dragonflight created an organization called the Timewalkers that trained mortals in their magic, and there was no reason not to start that early. The Green Dragonflight already taught druidism to the Kaldorei, but they barely interacted at all with the other races of Azeroth. The Red Dragonflight was already the most involved in mortal affairs, but they didn't do anything to empower mortals beyond recruiting a few of them as dragonsworn.
Not just the dragons either. Krivax struggled to even imagine what amazing things could be created if Archaedas worked with Gnomeregan and Ironforge to advance their technology, to say nothing of the other Keepers if they were ever freed from the control of the Old Gods. Azeroth was a world that faced yearly crises, and Krivax had every intention of pushing for them to seize every possible advantage that they could.
"Mortals with power very rarely result in anything good," said Malygos, scowling at the suggestion.
"I would not dismiss our young friend's advice out of hand, brother," said Alexstrasza. "If Azeroth is truly going to face so many challenges in the future, it may be worth the risk. The Dragonflights cannot possibly defend this world alone."
"My Flight will be too busy with the Emerald Nightmare and hunting down Xavius to train a new generation of druids… but that might change in the future," Ysera said reluctantly.
"I would only be willing to teach time magic to a small number of mortals for now," said Nozdormu. "I feel like it may cause more problems than it solves, but it seems like an endeavor worth attempting."
Even if it was the obvious choice, the Dragonflights had always shied away from involving themselves with mortals. Krivax was just glad that they were even giving it any consideration.
"I have more important matters to attend to than teaching magic to mortals… but I will not disallow my Flight from doing so if they so choose," said Malygos, his expression as if he had just smelt something disgusting.
Krivax turned his attention to Archaedas, who remained silent for several moments longer before he finally spoke. "I am hesitant to seek the aid of those afflicted with the Curse of Flesh, but you claim that Prime Designate Odyn has done so already. The number of servants remaining in Uldaman is insufficient to maintain Azeroth's facilities and develop a force sufficient to aid the Makers. Cooperating with the mortals seems like an unfortunate necessity."
Well, it wasn't the enthusiastic agreement that Krivax was hoping for, but it would have to be enough.
For the next hour, the conversation revolved around their plans to face Azeroth's numerous threats. The general consensus was that they would seek to amass an overwhelming force before addressing each issue one by one. That way the attrition that the forces of Azeroth would suffer could be kept to a minimum.
The first threat to be dealt with would obviously be Deathwing. Archaedas made clear that the fastest method of accessing Deepholm was through the portal in Uldum. It would also be possible if he had the Hammer of Khaz'gorath, a powerful artifact left to him by the Pantheon, but finding it would take some time. Krivax knew that it was somewhere with the tauren on the Broken Isles, but he couldn't remember the exact details.
Once Deathwing was dealt with, they would need to come up with a plan to address the Draenor situation and then Ahn'Qiraj would become the center of their attention. There was little point thinking of plans much further out into the future, as everything else would depend heavily on their circumstances.
Just as they were about to finish and Krivax thought he was in the clear, he suddenly noticed that the Keeper was staring intensely at him … and his expression was not friendly.
"What is to be done about the anomaly?" asked Archaedas, the implication of his words unmistakable. "The secrets of the Makers were not meant to be known by mortals. We also know nothing about the forces that sent him here."
Krivax felt his blood go cold as he looked into the Keeper's eyes. He knew then that Archaedas wouldn't feel a single shred of remorse if he decided to kill him. The secret that he was referring to was in regard to the fact that Azeroth possessed a nascent soul that would one day develop into a Titan. This was the reason that the Pantheon, the forces of the Void, and the Burning Legion were all extremely interested in Azeroth specifically.
"When dealing with an entity capable of doing what they did to Vizier Krivax, it is best to simply act as if it doesn't exist," Nozdormu said calmly. "If any actions we commit or don't commit could further its unknown goals, then why allow it to affect our decisions in the first place? Besides, I don't see this timeline being harmed by allowing Vizier Krivax to continue on his current path."
"I find myself in agreement with my brother," said Malygos as he sneered at the Keeper. "Besides, it seems that the 'secrets of the Makers' are not meant to be known by even their most powerful servants. Had my alternate self known about Azeroth's soul, I doubt he would have made the decisions that he did. I don't feel particularly inclined to concern myself about their secrets."
"The mortal has helped my Flight by pointing us toward threats we would not have seen until they were too late. He has my favor," said Ysera.
"The power you wield was gifted to you by the Makers, yet you would forsake their interests so shamelessly?" Archaedas asked with growing anger.
"If the Makers wish to take back their 'gift,' then they are welcome to do so," Malygos responded spitefully.
"I understand your concerns, Keeper Archaedas, but I think my siblings and I are all in agreement. Vizier Krivax has done much for Azeroth and me in particular. We will not repay this debt with treachery," said Alexstrasza, her voice carrying a sense of finality. Krivax slumped in relief at the Dragon Queen's words, reassured that she intended to protect him. The protection of the Aspects and Nozdormu's claim that he was beneficial to the timeline seemed to be enough for Archaedas. "In fact, this debt was one that I intended to repay later, but now seems like as good of a time as any."
Krivax was mildly confused as the Dragon Queen walked across the chamber toward him. "Uh, how do you intend to do that?"
Alexstrasza smiled at him gently as she stopped a few feet in front of him. "Vizier Krivax, you saved me from a fate worse than death. It is thanks to you that I was not captured by the Horde and turned into a broodmare. It is thanks to you that I was not forced to watch as countless of my children were killed in front of me, or compelled against their nature to attack innocent mortals. It is thanks to you that Rostrasza and Elorasza are still alive. Throughout your entire time on Azeroth, you have worked to make this world a better place and have succeeded in doing so. For all of this, I would like to offer you a boon that I have only given to a few other mortals over the millennia."
Krivax watched in shock and awe as Alexstrasza outstretched her hand and breathed out a stream of vermillion fire that swirled around her palm and began to rapidly coalesce. He stared with wonder at a luminescent sphere of energy that held more power than almost anything he had felt in his life.
"This is a rather small fragment of my power, but your body could not handle much more than this. If you pledge to continue acting in the interests of Life on Azeroth, then it is yours. The challenges ahead will be significant, and I believe you could do much good with it," said Alexstrasza, smiling encouragingly as she offered Krivax power that a lot of people would kill for.
Krivax wanted it badly. Being Azjol-Nerub's lead diplomat offered him a lot of influence, but so many options would open up to him if he had more personal power. Despite this, Krivax didn't allow greed to overpower his rationality and decided to ask a few questions. "All I have to do is continue acting in the interest of Azeroth? This won't make me your servant or anything, right?"
"It would be a poor way of showing my gratitude if it bound you to my service. So long as you aren't using this power for evil ends, it is yours to do as you please."
That was a good enough answer for Krivax. He didn't want to risk his position in Azjol-Nerub, but the High King wouldn't fault him for this power if it didn't divide his loyalties. Krivax would need to speak with Malygos about the story that he intended to implant in the expedition's minds to explain the matter, but that was a small matter.
"Will it turn me into some kind of dragon-spider person?" Krivax asked, barely stopping himself from reaching out the sphere outright. The dragonspawn and drakonids were both humanoid races of dragon people who were created from mortals, so he knew it was possible. He would almost certainly accept the power even if it did, but Krivax wanted to have some kind of warning first.
"It will almost certainly have some effect on your physiology, but likely nothing so dramatic," said Alexstrasza, seemingly amused by his question. "Your carapace might change colors or you could grow a few claws, but you're unlikely to grow wings and a tail. I cannot say for certain as the effect of draconic magic on the descendants of the Aqir has never been studied."
Krivax hoped that it wouldn't be too drastic. He'd gotten used to being a Vizier and didn't want to deal with a significantly changed body again. Plus every Queen in Azjol-Nerub would want to study him if he turned into a spider-dragon.
Still, Krivax's answer was one that came without hesitation. "I accept."
"Excellent," said Alexstrasza, stretching out her hand as she presented the sphere to him. "Then I give to you a fragment of my power, Vizier Krivax. May it serve you well and make clear my favor to all who see it."
Krivax's hand shook with anticipation as he reached out to the Dragon Queen's offered gift. As soon as he made contact with the sphere, Krivax was blinded to everything aside from the seemingly limitless surge of power flowing through his body. He could feel the Aspect of Life's power settling deep within him and already begin affecting his body.
At that moment, he knew that his life would be changed forever.
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"You understand what is happening perfectly well, Vizier Krivax," said Nozdormu, his expression amused and indulgent as if he were talking to a particularly slow whelp. "I have already watched this conversation play out, but my siblings aren't quite so fortunate."
"We heard what the Keeper said about your soul, mortal, and we know that you're the one who sent that letter to Krasus," said Malygos, staring at Krivax with suspicion in his eyes. "You obviously know far more than someone like you should. Given that Nozdormu insisted on our presence for this conversation, I assume your strange knowledge is more comprehensive than what you placed in the letter. Explain how you know what you do and why your soul is older than your body."
Krivax pushed his mind to the limits trying to think of a way out of this situation but kept reaching the same conclusions. Every single person in the room was stronger than him, was able to detect his lies, and would be unwilling to accept him holding back relevant information.
Fortunately for him, they at least seemed reasonable enough to hear him out rather than just taking the information forcefully. Krivax was under no illusions that he could prevent them from doing so if they decided to stop playing nice.
"Vizier Krivax, please take a deep breath and calm yourself," Alexstrasza said soothingly, noticing his panic. "All we want is to understand how you know as much as you do. If you truly are the one who sent that letter to Krasus, then I owe you an immense debt of gratitude. I won't allow you to suffer any undue harm."
It didn't escape Krivax's notice that the Dragon Queen specified harm that was undue, but her words still helped calm him down regardless.
"That's… complicated, and a bit of a long story," said Krivax, speaking between deep breaths as he focused on calming his nerves.
"If you'd prefer, I could always just pull the information from your mind," said Malygos. The half-mad dragon's tone was completely flat, and Krivax couldn't tell if his words were supposed to be a threat or a genuine offer.
Either way, Krivax very much didn't want Malygos rummaging through his mind. Not only because of general privacy concerns, but Krivax wanted to avoid dealing with the whole 'fictional world' thing. Malygos was unpredictable enough on a good day without adding existential questions on the nature of reality to the mix.
"Well, mortal?" asked Malygos, scowling impatiently.
"Uh, no. Just… give me a moment to get my thoughts in order," said Krivax.
He half expected to receive a sharp rebuke or an annoyed response, but Malygos merely huffed and kept his silence, much to Krivax's relief. After several moments of contemplation, Krivax took a deep breath and just decided to stick as close to the truth as he could, addressing each problem as it came. There wasn't much else that he could do, given the circumstances.
Maybe… this will turn out alright? Krivax thought to himself, trying to remain optimistic. There's a lot that they could help with that I can't do on my own.
"If you've heard what Keeper Archaedas said about my soul, then you can probably guess that this isn't my first life," said Krivax, deciding to just start at the beginning. "Are any of you familiar with the concept of reincarnation?"
"We are. I've never experienced it myself, but there are several different methods to reincarnate oneself with magic," said Alexstrasza, her expression becoming pointedly neutral. "Were you a necromancer prior to your reincarnation? Perhaps a shaman?"
"No traces of Death magic were detected in the anomaly's soul," said Archaedas, his gravelly voice echoing throughout the room.
"No. I was just a regular human who had never used magic in his life. I remember dying and then waking up in an egg," said Krivax, speaking slowly and he chose each word carefully. "Shortly after I hatched and received my new name, I realized that I had a… vast amount of information about the future timeline of this world. I didn't like what I saw, so I did my best to change things and… here we are."
Krivax doubted that the Aspects would fail to notice that he was hiding something, but he felt it was still worth it to try. The Aspects traded thoughtful glances with each other… or Malygos and Alexstrasza did at least. Ysera still had her eyes closed and seemed as if she was barely present, while Nozdormu already knew how this conversation would play out and was just watching patiently.
"That sounds like it must have been a very… disorientating experience. Do you know who or what did this to you?" Alexstrasza asked compassionately.
"I don't," Krivax said honestly. He wished that he did, but figuring out the circumstances of his reincarnation was well beyond his ability.
Krivax turned his attention to the Aspect of Magic and felt himself grow tense once he noticed the mad dragon studying him with blatant suspicion in his eyes. His fears were validated a few moments later when Malygos spoke. "You're hiding something, mortal. Cease wasting our time and tell us everything that you know before I lose my patience."
"It's… I'm not hiding anything maliciously. It's just really hard to explain," Krivax said hesitantly. "I was human in my last life, but… not one of this world."
Krivax went on to explain his extradimensional origins while leaving out the matter of this world being a fictional one back on Earth. They were marginally more surprised than when he talked about the whole reincarnation thing, but everyone was already aware that this world wasn't the only one. Still, it was rather strange even to them. Malygos, Nozdormu, and Archaedas asked plenty of questions surrounding his old world, and Krivax did his best to answer them. It soon became clear to Krivax that they were all incredibly interested in discovering the nature of whatever power sent him to this world. The things that he knew surpassed even what Nozdormu could foresee, as his vision only extended to the prophesized Hour of Twilight.
Krivax had personally never given it that much thought. He didn't see much point in wondering about the nature of the multiverse or the actions of forces beyond his comprehension.
Obviously, they all didn't see it the same way and wanted to make sure that there wasn't some godlike entity using Krivax as a tool to manipulate Azeroth. A lot of time was spent on that topic, but there really wasn't any evidence one way or another, so they were forced to move on.
Everyone also seemed quite interested in the differences between Earth and Azeroth, such as their technology, the lack of magic, and humans being the only sapient race. The Aspects seemed to consider it a good explanation for why Krivax was so strange by Azerothian standards.
The conversation eventually progressed once it became clear his old world wasn't influenced by any power that they were aware of. Krivax felt a great deal of relief when Alexstrasza proposed they move on to talking about his actual knowledge of Azeroth's timeline, and he thought for a moment that he was actually going to get away with not revealing the true nature of his old world.
He shouldn't have underestimated the perceptiveness of creatures that had lived longer than he could fathom.
"And is that all, mortal? Are you hiding anything further?" asked Malygos, studying Krivax carefully.
Krivax knew he couldn't deny it, so he decided to stick close to the truth. "Nothing relevant to the fate or safety of Azeroth. I understand how important this is, but there are some details about my previous life that I'd like to keep private."
Krivax genuinely felt that the whole 'fictional world' thing didn't matter. He'd always been the kind of person to go with the flow and didn't care much about existential questions. However, there was no telling how the crazy dragon would react, so he'd just prefer to avoid it entirely if possible. Also, a part of him wanted to test how the Aspects would react to even a small amount of defiance. Krivax would tell them whatever they wanted if they pushed him, but at least he would know what kind of people he was dealing with.
"And you think you're qualified to know what is and isn't relevant to the safety of Azeroth?" said Malygos, sneering contemptuously. "Allow me to make your situation clear since you seem to have problems understanding. You will tell us what you know without omission, or I will take the information directly from your mind."
"Your threats aren't helping anyone, Malygos. The truth spell has shown that Vizier Krivax genuinely believes it to be irrelevant to the fate of Azeroth. He's done much for us all, and we can afford to show him some courtesy," said Alexstrasza, chastising her sibling.
Krivax was relieved to see Nozdormu and Ysera both nod in agreement. Archaedas was a bit harder to convince, but the Keeper relented when Krivax swore that it was nothing that could impact his duties. Malygos was the only one who wanted to force Krivax to tell them everything.
"Courtesy? I'm showing plenty of courtesy by being as patient as I am," said Malygos, glancing at the Dragon Queen. "Do you all truly believe that we can trust a mortal with such important knowledge? To judge what among that knowledge is relevant?"
When Krivax looked back on this moment in the future, he would blame his reaction on many things. The Aspects of Magic's constant threats, the stress that he'd accumulated since arriving in Azeroth, and being called 'untrustworthy' by one of the least trustworthy people in the room.
"I've done nothing but do my best to use this knowledge responsibly," said Krivax, his words coming out in an angry chittering hiss as he glared at Malygos. "You have no idea how much worse things would have been without my intervention. I refuse to be lectured about trustworthiness by someone wh—"
Krivax angrily forced his mandibles shut as he realized that he let his emotions get the better of him. He'd always prided himself on being able to control himself, but his current situation was sending his emotions spiraling. Unfortunately, Malygos didn't seem particularly interested in letting the matter rest.
"Don't stop now, mortal. Tell me what it is that makes me so untrustworthy," said Malygos, his voice low and dangerous. "Don't think that I haven't noticed how you look at me. Tell me what great crime I'm destined to commit."
"I… don't think that's a good idea," said Krivax, feeling his anger leave him.
"Malygos, perhaps the mortal is right. If destiny has already been changed, then it may be better to leave certain matters unsaid," said Alexstrasza, placing a concerned hand on her brother's shoulder.
"I've never been interested in ignorance. Speak, mortal. Tell me what fate you believe would have awaited me."
Krivax could tell that Malygos had no intention of letting this go. He didn't care very much about sparing the cruel dragon's feelings, but he was concerned about how Malygos would react. Krivax only hoped that the other dragon Aspects would rein him in.
"Several years into the future, you decide to… focus your attention on your role as the guardian of magic. You do this by attempting to redirect the leylines of the world to the Nexus and siphon all magic away from the mortal races. This event causes widespread damage throughout the world and triggers a conflict called the Nexus War. You were defeated and killed by a coalition of mortals and the Red Dragonflight."
The room was completely silent after Krivax was done speaking. The two titan-forged giants and Nozdormu barely had any reaction at all, while Alexstrasza looked horrified and Ysera seemed faintly surprised. Malygos himself was completely expressionless as he glanced at Nozdormu for confirmation, only to fall into thoughtful silence when he received a nod in return.
When Malygos' reaction finally came, it wasn't at all what Krivax was expecting. "I see. I was expecting worse."
Krivax was so startled that he blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "Is that really all you have to say?"
"Do you expect me to act like I'm surprised?" Malygos asked, rolling his eyes. "That sounds exactly like something that I would do. The only unexpected detail is that Alexstrasza managed to put me down before I did more damage. I didn't think she had it in her."
"I dearly hope I'm never forced to make such a decision," said Alexstrasza. Her eyes were conflicted as she looked at her sibling, and her voice was quiet with grief. "Malygos, do you truly care so little about your death that you barely find it worth mentioning? I understand how difficult matters have been for you, but Sindragosa wouldn't want this for you. She would want for you to find happiness, not to be so… self-destructive in your grief."
"Sindragosa is dead, at the hands of Neltharion. She isn't here to tell anyone what she would have wanted," said Malygos, practically hissing out the words as he glared at Alexstrasza and his skin crackled with magic. "When are you going to learn that there is no happy future waiting for any of us, sister?! Neltharion was wrong about many things, but he was completely correct to say that the Titans' blessing doomed us all to horrible ends. There isn't a single thing that this mortal has said about my future that surprised me."
"You dare to besmirch the Makers in my presence?" Archaedas boomed out with more emotion than Krivax had ever heard from him. The very earth beneath them began to shake and the air grew heavy with power, but Malygos wasn't intimidated in the slightest.
"Keep your opinions to yourself, you over-glorified golem! I have no interest in listening to the words of a single-minded construct that only cares for the few duties its creators gave it," Malygos said contemptuously to the Keeper before turning his attention back to Krivax. "Tell me, mortal. Am I wrong? Is there a happy fate waiting for the rest of my siblings?"
Krivax glanced nervously at Nozdormu, who was locked in a conflict with his evil time-traveling future self and was passively walking toward that destiny. He then looked at Ysera, who dedicated everything to fighting the Emerald Nightmare and barely paid any attention to the physical world. In the original timeline, she would become corrupted and end up being killed by her closest allies. The answer must have been obvious from his expression because the madness in Malygos' eyes only grew and the dragon began quietly chuckling and muttering to himself. The magic around him grew turbulent as he dissociated from reality, and Krivax felt as if he was standing in the same room as a mana bomb.
At that moment, Krivax looked around the room and suddenly understood how Azeroth had gotten to such a bad state despite having so many powerful protectors. They were all just so… incredibly dysfunctional. It was obvious to Krivax that despite what Malygos might claim, he was extremely bothered by what he had heard.
Even while Malygos was laughing madly to himself, Nozdormu and Ysera both looked distant from what was happening. The former looked as if he was watching an interesting television show that he'd seen many times before while the latter seemed barely present. Archaedas and Ironaya looked as if they didn't understand what they were seeing at all.
Alexstrasza was the only one trying to actually talk to Malygos and pull him back to reality, but her efforts weren't having much of a result. Krivax felt like he should say something, but he didn't think a motivational speech from someone like himself would be particularly helpful. Still, it was probably better to say something rather than just sit back and watch while the crazy dragon lost his mind.
"You're right that the future isn't kind to you or your siblings, but that can be changed. Alexstrasza should have been captured by the Horde, yet we successfully prevented that from happening," said Krivax, hoping a more logical argument would get through to Malygos. The mad dragon turned his gaze in Krivax's direction, but his eyes were glassy as if he barely understood where he was. "Your fate is easy to avoid, so long as you know about it. I can even tell you where Sindragosa's body is so that you can give her a proper burial."
"Sindragosa? I… wasn't able to find her. The magic of the Dragon Soul was too strong. It lingered. Made scrying for her impossible. I could have found another way, but I… stayed in my lair for too long," said Malygos, his voice growing progressively more lucid as he pulled himself out of his haze. "You know where her body is, mortal?"
"Yes. It's on Northrend. In the region of Icecrown," said Krivax, grateful that Sindragosa was an important enough character for this information to stick with him.
The room was tense and silent as Malygos processed this information. Krivax watched him cautiously, unsure of how he would react. After a few moments, the madness in the Aspect of Magic's eyes began to fade as he regained some of his composure. His voice was calmer, though quiet and tinted with sadness. "Tell us about the future, mortal. Keep your little secrets. If you're wrong and whatever you're hiding turns out to be vital to Azeroth's survival, then I suppose that is just what this world deserves."
Krivax let out a sigh of relief. He wasn't sure if Malygos had truly changed his mind or if he just stopped caring, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. The Aspect of Magic carelessly cast a spell on him that enhanced his memory recall, and Krivax resolved to share all of his metaknowledge for the first time.
We're going to be here for a while, Krivax mused to himself.
Deciding the best place to start was the beginning, Krivax started by telling everyone how the Second War would have proceeded without his intervention. Alexstrasza had already known what fate would have awaited her, but he could tell that hearing the… gruesome details wasn't pleasant for her, or anyone for that matter. The Dragon Queen was more than a little grateful for being spared such a fate.
Krivax found himself speaking for several hours as he meticulously shared everything of importance that he knew.
The Third War and the Burning Legion's second invasion. The Lich King, the plague of undeath, and the destruction of Lordaeron, Quel'thalas, and Azjol-Nerub.
The Old Gods and their slow escape from their prisons along with the Qiraji swarm and other Void entities like Xal'atah. The creeping corruption of the Emerald Dream and the forces behind it. Deathwing's resurgence from Deepholm and his near destruction of the world, along with the Elemental Lords. Queen Azshara, her underwater naga empire, and her relationship with N'zoth.
The hidden continent of Pandaria and the numerous threats hiding within, such as Manti'vess and the Sha. The various conflicts between the Horde and the Alliance, as well as the Burning Legion's third invasion of Azeroth through a portal created in the Tomb of Sargeras by an alternate timeline Gul'dan.
"Basically, the Burning Legion and the Old Gods take turns creating various crises for Azeroth over the next several decades," said Krivax, feeling utterly exhausted when he was done speaking. Even leaving out the more inconsequential details that the immortals didn't care about, there were still too many things that needed to be addressed.
"That is… much more than I expected," said Alexstrasza, sounding overwhelmed as she echoed his thoughts. "I'm not quite sure where to start."
"The Makers, are you certain that they are alive?" Archaedas asked, not for the first time.
There had been a variety of reactions while Krivax was sharing his metaknowledge, but the Keeper's was probably the most intense when he learned that the Titans were still alive. When Sargeras killed the rest of the Titans, the Keepers had felt an influx of power and fragmented memories wash over them. To know that their spirits still existed in some form was an immense relief to them, and Krivax could practically see the construct become more alive at the news.
"I am. I'm not sure of the exact details, but I saw the Titans sitting at the Seat of the Pantheon and pulling Sargeras away from Azeroth moments after he skewered the world with his sword," Krivax confirmed. He wished that he knew more specific details, but he had only been paying intermittent attention to Warcraft when that lore was being released.
"Then I know what must be done. Azeroth's facilities must be repaired, the Old God threat must be contained, and forces capable of facing the Burning Legion must be prepared," said Archaedas, his voice filled with determination and a sense of renewed purpose. Ironaya remained silent, but she obviously shared the opinion of her leader.
"That's a lovely declaration, but not one that we are in any way prepared to fulfill," Malygos said thoughtfully, his earlier apathy fading somewhat as he contemplated the challenges presented to him.
"What do you mean? You're probably the most powerful beings on Azeroth, I feel like you should be able to solve pretty much anything given a prior warning," said Krivax. The only good part of this whole situation was being able to hand off all of these problems to the Aspects, and he didn't want to hear that they couldn't help.
"There are several matters that we can solve in a relatively straightforward manner, such as finally killing that vermin Neltharion, slaying the trolls attempting to summon Hakkar, and hunting down the creature responsible for the Emerald Nightmare," Malygos explained.
"I will not rest until I have personally ended Xavius' life and felt his soul leave this world," said Ysera. The normally reserved Aspect was practically shaking with fury over everything that Krivax had told her. "I will also need to speak with Tyrande about Fandral and Illidan."
The Emerald Dream was a verdant dimension filled with nature that resembled what the world would look like if intelligent beings had never altered its surface, and was connected to all natural life on Azeroth. The Emerald Nightmare was how druids referred to the Old God's corruption of that realm, which would be accelerated by a former highborne named Xavius.
There was a lot of complicated history involved in the matter, but it was reasonable to assume that Ysera probably hated Xavius more than anyone else in the world right now.
"I'm sure you will, sister. But there are still several threats that the Dragonflights cannot face on their own. Keeper, if we were to muster the full might of every Aspect as well as our flights and lay siege to Ulduar, what do you estimate our chances of success would be?" Malygos asked.
"Such estimations are difficult. We do not know how thoroughly Ulduar has been corrupted nor what steps Loken has taken to consolidate his power. However, your chances of success would be grim," Archaedas said after a moment of thought. "Ulduar was the primary base of operations for the Keepers and is more fortified than any other facility on Azeroth. In addition, it is likely that they have prepared specifically for an attack by the Aspects."
"So a direct assault is a very bad idea," Krivax summed up grimly. "But what about Ahn'Qiraj? In my vision, the Alliance and Horde primarily only had to worry about the Qiraji. I believe that four Aspects and all of your Dragonflights should be able to deal with a kingdom that's probably only as strong as Azjol-Nerub."
"You're correct. We likely could launch an assault on Ahn'Qiraj, secure the facility around the Old God, and allow Archaedas to repair it, but what then?" asked Malygos, uncharacteristically patient as he explained the situation to Krivax. "The Qiraji have almost certainly prepared to fight against dragons after losing their previous war. We would suffer significant casualties while subduing the escaping Old God and would be far less able to assist in the next conflict."
Krivax considered the situation and realized where he had gone wrong with his assumptions. In Warcraft, most of these crises were resolved by the players of the game, who were represented in the lore as 'champions' of the Horde and Alliance. It was assumed that these champions were some of the most powerful individuals in Azeroth yet Krivax had never seen any evidence that these so-called champions actually existed.
If the Dragonflights actually attempted to handle everything that the champions dealt with in the lore, then they would quickly run into real problems like suffering increasingly severe attrition. This would make it harder for them to do their usual duties and couldn't really be hand waved away like it was in the game. It was probably the primary reason why the Qiraji had been sealed away instead of being wiped out in the first place.
"The Lich King is problematic as well," Alexstrasza said reluctantly. "We could likely destroy them fairly easily if they were found before they could build their forces, but Kil'jaeden will likely plan around that. Azshara is a significant problem as well."
"She was your equal even during the War of the Ancients, brother. I imagine she would be much more powerful now after giving herself over to N'zoth," said Nozdormu, smirking cheekily at Malygos.
The Aspect of Magic merely glared at his sibling before turning back to Krivax. "Not only that, but you have admitted that your knowledge has proven to be inaccurate at times, correct?"
"That is correct," Krivax readily admitted. There were plenty of things in Warcraft that were either nonsensical or just didn't translate accurately when they became reality.
Malygos nodded and asked Krivax a question that he had no idea how to answer. "Answer me this, little prophet. If the Burning Legion is hunting the Draenei faction on Draenor, then why have they not already fully conquered that world? They have already had more than enough opportunities to invade that world with their endless armies, yet you say that the Burning Legion won't do so until after this Ner'zhul destroys their world. Why?"
Krivax considered the question and had no good answer. Gul'dan and the Horde had complete free reign over Draenor and would have had all the time in the world to open up however many portals they needed for the Burning Legion.
"I would assume that they were trying to hide their direct involvement, so they could use the Horde against Azeroth without attracting the attention of people like you," Krivax said hesitantly, putting forward the only explanation that he could think of.
"That seems to match my analysis of Gul'dan's memories," said Malygos, nodding in agreement. "That being the case, do you believe Kil'jaeden will truly just leave Draenor alone? Or would he have any number of contingency plans and use demons specializing in infiltration to usher in an invasion whenever he pleased? You recommended during your recounting that we should rescue the innocents of Draenor and perhaps save that world from its fate, but one of us traveling there would be a monumental risk."
"My brother is wise and sadly correct in this matter. I have much experience with dealing with future knowledge, and it is always a mistake to underestimate our enemy's ability to plan and adapt," said Nozdormu.
Krivax found it incredibly frustrating to hear about potential traps or dangers that weren't included in his metaknowledge. Azeroth was already dangerous enough without adding even more problems onto it.
"Alright, I understand. You've detailed all of the challenges and difficulties, but I think the solution to this is obvious. All of you need to work far more closely with the mortal races," said Krivax, desperately hoping the Aspects and the Keeper would agree with him. "In my vision, it was the mortal nations who rose up to defend Azeroth. Think of how much more powerful they could be if you all put effort into empowering them."
The mages of Dalaran would be far more effective in their defense of Azeroth and policing of dark magic use if they were taught magic by the Blue Dragonflight. In the original timeline, the Bronze Dragonflight created an organization called the Timewalkers that trained mortals in their magic, and there was no reason not to start that early. The Green Dragonflight already taught druidism to the Kaldorei, but they barely interacted at all with the other races of Azeroth. The Red Dragonflight was already the most involved in mortal affairs, but they didn't do anything to empower mortals beyond recruiting a few of them as dragonsworn.
Not just the dragons either. Krivax struggled to even imagine what amazing things could be created if Archaedas worked with Gnomeregan and Ironforge to advance their technology, to say nothing of the other Keepers if they were ever freed from the control of the Old Gods. Azeroth was a world that faced yearly crises, and Krivax had every intention of pushing for them to seize every possible advantage that they could.
"Mortals with power very rarely result in anything good," said Malygos, scowling at the suggestion.
"I would not dismiss our young friend's advice out of hand, brother," said Alexstrasza. "If Azeroth is truly going to face so many challenges in the future, it may be worth the risk. The Dragonflights cannot possibly defend this world alone."
"My Flight will be too busy with the Emerald Nightmare and hunting down Xavius to train a new generation of druids… but that might change in the future," Ysera said reluctantly.
"I would only be willing to teach time magic to a small number of mortals for now," said Nozdormu. "I feel like it may cause more problems than it solves, but it seems like an endeavor worth attempting."
Even if it was the obvious choice, the Dragonflights had always shied away from involving themselves with mortals. Krivax was just glad that they were even giving it any consideration.
"I have more important matters to attend to than teaching magic to mortals… but I will not disallow my Flight from doing so if they so choose," said Malygos, his expression as if he had just smelt something disgusting.
Krivax turned his attention to Archaedas, who remained silent for several moments longer before he finally spoke. "I am hesitant to seek the aid of those afflicted with the Curse of Flesh, but you claim that Prime Designate Odyn has done so already. The number of servants remaining in Uldaman is insufficient to maintain Azeroth's facilities and develop a force sufficient to aid the Makers. Cooperating with the mortals seems like an unfortunate necessity."
Well, it wasn't the enthusiastic agreement that Krivax was hoping for, but it would have to be enough.
For the next hour, the conversation revolved around their plans to face Azeroth's numerous threats. The general consensus was that they would seek to amass an overwhelming force before addressing each issue one by one. That way the attrition that the forces of Azeroth would suffer could be kept to a minimum.
The first threat to be dealt with would obviously be Deathwing. Archaedas made clear that the fastest method of accessing Deepholm was through the portal in Uldum. It would also be possible if he had the Hammer of Khaz'gorath, a powerful artifact left to him by the Pantheon, but finding it would take some time. Krivax knew that it was somewhere with the tauren on the Broken Isles, but he couldn't remember the exact details.
Once Deathwing was dealt with, they would need to come up with a plan to address the Draenor situation and then Ahn'Qiraj would become the center of their attention. There was little point thinking of plans much further out into the future, as everything else would depend heavily on their circumstances.
Just as they were about to finish and Krivax thought he was in the clear, he suddenly noticed that the Keeper was staring intensely at him … and his expression was not friendly.
"What is to be done about the anomaly?" asked Archaedas, the implication of his words unmistakable. "The secrets of the Makers were not meant to be known by mortals. We also know nothing about the forces that sent him here."
Krivax felt his blood go cold as he looked into the Keeper's eyes. He knew then that Archaedas wouldn't feel a single shred of remorse if he decided to kill him. The secret that he was referring to was in regard to the fact that Azeroth possessed a nascent soul that would one day develop into a Titan. This was the reason that the Pantheon, the forces of the Void, and the Burning Legion were all extremely interested in Azeroth specifically.
"When dealing with an entity capable of doing what they did to Vizier Krivax, it is best to simply act as if it doesn't exist," Nozdormu said calmly. "If any actions we commit or don't commit could further its unknown goals, then why allow it to affect our decisions in the first place? Besides, I don't see this timeline being harmed by allowing Vizier Krivax to continue on his current path."
"I find myself in agreement with my brother," said Malygos as he sneered at the Keeper. "Besides, it seems that the 'secrets of the Makers' are not meant to be known by even their most powerful servants. Had my alternate self known about Azeroth's soul, I doubt he would have made the decisions that he did. I don't feel particularly inclined to concern myself about their secrets."
"The mortal has helped my Flight by pointing us toward threats we would not have seen until they were too late. He has my favor," said Ysera.
"The power you wield was gifted to you by the Makers, yet you would forsake their interests so shamelessly?" Archaedas asked with growing anger.
"If the Makers wish to take back their 'gift,' then they are welcome to do so," Malygos responded spitefully.
"I understand your concerns, Keeper Archaedas, but I think my siblings and I are all in agreement. Vizier Krivax has done much for Azeroth and me in particular. We will not repay this debt with treachery," said Alexstrasza, her voice carrying a sense of finality. Krivax slumped in relief at the Dragon Queen's words, reassured that she intended to protect him. The protection of the Aspects and Nozdormu's claim that he was beneficial to the timeline seemed to be enough for Archaedas. "In fact, this debt was one that I intended to repay later, but now seems like as good of a time as any."
Krivax was mildly confused as the Dragon Queen walked across the chamber toward him. "Uh, how do you intend to do that?"
Alexstrasza smiled at him gently as she stopped a few feet in front of him. "Vizier Krivax, you saved me from a fate worse than death. It is thanks to you that I was not captured by the Horde and turned into a broodmare. It is thanks to you that I was not forced to watch as countless of my children were killed in front of me, or compelled against their nature to attack innocent mortals. It is thanks to you that Rostrasza and Elorasza are still alive. Throughout your entire time on Azeroth, you have worked to make this world a better place and have succeeded in doing so. For all of this, I would like to offer you a boon that I have only given to a few other mortals over the millennia."
Krivax watched in shock and awe as Alexstrasza outstretched her hand and breathed out a stream of vermillion fire that swirled around her palm and began to rapidly coalesce. He stared with wonder at a luminescent sphere of energy that held more power than almost anything he had felt in his life.
"This is a rather small fragment of my power, but your body could not handle much more than this. If you pledge to continue acting in the interests of Life on Azeroth, then it is yours. The challenges ahead will be significant, and I believe you could do much good with it," said Alexstrasza, smiling encouragingly as she offered Krivax power that a lot of people would kill for.
Krivax wanted it badly. Being Azjol-Nerub's lead diplomat offered him a lot of influence, but so many options would open up to him if he had more personal power. Despite this, Krivax didn't allow greed to overpower his rationality and decided to ask a few questions. "All I have to do is continue acting in the interest of Azeroth? This won't make me your servant or anything, right?"
"It would be a poor way of showing my gratitude if it bound you to my service. So long as you aren't using this power for evil ends, it is yours to do as you please."
That was a good enough answer for Krivax. He didn't want to risk his position in Azjol-Nerub, but the High King wouldn't fault him for this power if it didn't divide his loyalties. Krivax would need to speak with Malygos about the story that he intended to implant in the expedition's minds to explain the matter, but that was a small matter.
"Will it turn me into some kind of dragon-spider person?" Krivax asked, barely stopping himself from reaching out the sphere outright. The dragonspawn and drakonids were both humanoid races of dragon people who were created from mortals, so he knew it was possible. He would almost certainly accept the power even if it did, but Krivax wanted to have some kind of warning first.
"It will almost certainly have some effect on your physiology, but likely nothing so dramatic," said Alexstrasza, seemingly amused by his question. "Your carapace might change colors or you could grow a few claws, but you're unlikely to grow wings and a tail. I cannot say for certain as the effect of draconic magic on the descendants of the Aqir has never been studied."
Krivax hoped that it wouldn't be too drastic. He'd gotten used to being a Vizier and didn't want to deal with a significantly changed body again. Plus every Queen in Azjol-Nerub would want to study him if he turned into a spider-dragon.
Still, Krivax's answer was one that came without hesitation. "I accept."
"Excellent," said Alexstrasza, stretching out her hand as she presented the sphere to him. "Then I give to you a fragment of my power, Vizier Krivax. May it serve you well and make clear my favor to all who see it."
Krivax's hand shook with anticipation as he reached out to the Dragon Queen's offered gift. As soon as he made contact with the sphere, Krivax was blinded to everything aside from the seemingly limitless surge of power flowing through his body. He could feel the Aspect of Life's power settling deep within him and already begin affecting his body.
At that moment, he knew that his life would be changed forever.
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Thanks for reading!
I mean, this is still way prior to wow classic which is around when the first champions would start to properly show up.I like how you've balanced Krivax's knowledge by taking away all the other protagonists. He'll just have to make more champions...
hell Jaina's only 8 or so at the end of the ot 2nd war and this one was accelerated massively both in start time and duration, she could be as young as 5.
xbox432
Lover of Editing
Well that went significantly better than I thought it would. Hell, if I'm understanding the tidbit at the end there, then Krivax doesn't even have to worry about the people in the expedition spilling the beans about him. Which is good, he managed to avoid Malygos peeling open his mind, he doesn't need to worry about his leaders doing so once he gets back to Azjol'Nerub.
Also... Ay! Looks like Krivax got himself a power boost. And the favor of at least three out of five dragon flights. I'm curious to see just how the power of Life changes him. I always found it odd that the Druids were connected to the Green (Dream), and not the Red (Life). So I'm not sure exactly how Krivax's new power will manifest.
Also... Ay! Looks like Krivax got himself a power boost. And the favor of at least three out of five dragon flights. I'm curious to see just how the power of Life changes him. I always found it odd that the Druids were connected to the Green (Dream), and not the Red (Life). So I'm not sure exactly how Krivax's new power will manifest.
Chapter 58
Author's Note: I'm looking to commission art for this story, and would like people to send me their recommendations. Please make sure that the artist is available for commission and has an easy way to contact them. Thank you
I chose to write this chapter from a different pov so you guys could see Krivax's transformation that way.
Orgrim found it a strange experience to know with certainty that he wouldn't live to see another day. That he wouldn't breathe another breath, feel the warmth of the sun on his face, or defeat another enemy in combat. His death wouldn't come in glorious combat, but would instead be delivered by the cold, honorless hands of an executioner.
As he sat in front of a desk with parchment and one of the humans' strange writing utensils in hand, the once proud Warchief couldn't help but wonder where everything had gone wrong. It was easy and comforting to blame his people's fate on Gul'dan and his foul magic, but isolation had forced Orgrim to be… introspective. Gul'dan and his warlocks may have led them to their corruption, but his people had chosen to walk down that path themselves.
Everything had seemed hopeless once Draenor's elements had abandoned them and their world was torn apart by calamities. Disease had caused orc men, women, and children to rot away in front of their eyes while the land itself seemed to reject them. The clans had been led to believe that the draenei were the ones responsible for this, and they had united in their thirst for vengeance.
It was only recently that he had learned that it was all a lie…
One of his captors had informed him that Gul'dan had been killed and his mind ripped apart for all the information it held. When they told him the truth of what had happened, that Gul'dan was the one to corrupt the elements and doom Draenor, Orgrim had first believed it was a lie meant only to hurt him. He still believed their intent was to make him suffer by making his failures clear, but he now believed their words to be the truth. It made far more sense than what the Shadow Council had told the chieftains.
And if their words were the truth… then his people had truly lost all honor. Their ancestors would look down on them with shame for generations and Orgrim had done nothing but lead them further into dishonor. For generations, a prophecy had been passed down through his bloodline about their namesake relic, the Doomhammer.
Through blood the weapon shall pass, as surely as night begets day. Until the elements cry unheard, and pride turns to unbridled rage. The last of the line shall deliver salvation and doom upon his kind. Honor will be undone and all will be lost, before it is found again. A stranger will raise the hammer high, and with it justice shall reign.
It was only after he had been captured and taken to his cell that Orgrim realized the prophecy had been referring to him. He would be the last of his line. He was the one who had delivered doom upon his kind. He would go down in history as a failure who led the orcs to their darkest moment.
The prophecy spoke of a stranger who would take up the Doomhammer and help his people find justice and honor once again, but Orgrim wouldn't be alive to see it. His weapon had been taken by that damned dragon and its fate was completely outside of his control. Instead, the only thing Orgrim could do was think about his choices and write down his thoughts in Orcish for the next generation. He had no doubt the Alliance had given him the chance to write to his people with the intention of twisting his words and using them for their own gain, but Orgrim couldn't resist the temptation to record his true thoughts and regrets.
He'd already finished writing down everything he intended to over the past few months and was now just looking over it again.
"Orc! You've got a visitor! Someone wants to talk to you before your head gets lopped off!"
Orgrim was pulled from his thoughts by the rough words of one of the human guards. He'd received many visits from the Alliance, so this wasn't a surprise to him. Orgrim stood from his seat and made his way over to the arcane barrier separating his cell from the rest of the world and waited for them to arrive.
When the boy-king of the first human kingdom the Horde had destroyed showed himself alongside Anduin Lothar, Orgrim let out a mirthless chuckle.
"I've been expecting to see you for months, yet you never came. I should have known that you would only show yourself on the day of my execution," Orgrim said bitterly. "Are you here to gloat over your victory, or perhaps you want one last chance to break my spirit?"
He couldn't imagine the boy-king visiting him for any other reason, given that the Alliance mages had long since pulled all the information they wanted from his mind. He was only glad that he never learned where exactly the Frostwolf Clan had settled when they left the Horde.
Contrary to his expectations, the two humans remained silent as they studied him with inscrutable expressions.
"Well? Do you have something to say, humans?" Orgrim asked, annoyed by their silence.
When the boy-king finally spoke, his voice was far calmer than Orgrim would have expected. "I thought you would be a lot more… intimidating. I was expecting to find a monster, but you remind me more of a pathetic animal just waiting to die."
Orgrim roared and smashed his fist against the barrier, the force of his anger causing the magic to flicker. He was annoyed when neither of the humans flinched at his outburst. "Would you say the same if this barrier wasn't separating us, boy?!"
"I would. I've seen that hopeless expression on your face far too many times already from countless others," said the boy-king, his eyes wiser than his years. "I've seen it on the soldiers sent out to war. I've seen it on the faces of my subjects after they were forced to flee their homes. I've seen it in the mirror after the only orc my father trusted betrayed him and carved out his heart in front of me. I know what hopelessness looks like and you are no better off than the rest of us, orc."
Orgrim wanted to snarl and rage at the boy-king, but he couldn't muster the will. The fire inside him had long since been extinguished by his imprisonment.
"What do you want?" Orgrim asked, his voice completely void of emotion.
"I wanted to look into the eyes of the monster responsible for the destruction of Stormwind and ask him why he did what he did," said the boy-king, his voice shaking with anger. "We could have had peace if you had just been willing to listen to my father's pleas. We could have cooperated and found a way to help your people, but instead, you chose to wage a pointless war! Why?!"
The boy-king was yelling by the time he was done speaking while Lothar stood by his side silently, glaring at Orgrim with hatred in his eyes.
"You don't understand what it means to be an orc. None of you do," Orgrim said after a few moments of silence. "To be an orc means to struggle against a world doing everything it can to destroy you. To be an orc means to fight for every breath, every morsel of food, and every drop of water. You humans don't know what it is like to struggle to survive every second of every day… and that was before our world began to die. Your father could have offered us everything we ever wanted, and we wouldn't have accepted it unless we paid for it in blood and tears."
Orgrim had come to learn that Azeroth was a world with just as many dangers as Draenor, but life on this world was surprisingly kind to its weaker inhabitants. On Draenor, there was no room to tolerate weakness, no room for negotiations, and certainly no room to indulge in mercy. The Horde had been born out of desperation and a desire for survival, and it had forged them into a force capable of conquering worlds.
"I heard that you were one of the few orcs who didn't drink from the demon's blood," said Lothar, speaking for the first time since the humans arrived. "Unlike the rest of your kin, you don't have even a paltry excuse for your actions. You could have chosen to lead your people to a brighter future, but you didn't. That is nobody's failure but your own, Orgrim Doomhammer."
Orgrim scoffed at the human's words. "If you truly believe that I could have forced the Horde to accept peace, then you understand us even less than I thought. Even before the Horde was corrupted by Gul'dan's dark magic, we had already ravaged our world and either slain or enslaved its inhabitants. War was our inescapable fate from the moment that the Dark Portal was opened."
It was a bitter conclusion to accept, but it was one that Orgrim had reached after months of isolation and introspection. Peace was never a possibility, and he very much doubted that the Horde would be able to ever integrate into this world. They simply weren't made for it.
"I don't believe you," said Lothar, his voice firm and unwavering. "We learned from Gul'dan's memories that Garona was being controlled by magic when she murdered King Llane. Until that moment, I came to view her as a friend and saw with my own eyes that orcs were capable of more than just violence and destruction. There was a chance for peace, but you chose not to take it."
Orgrim had nearly forgotten about Gul'dan's pet assassin. He had given her over to a veteran warrior by the name of Eitrigg and hadn't thought of her since. It didn't surprise him in the slightest that Gul'dan had been controlling her with magic, but the human was misguided if he thought she represented orcs.
"Garona was nothing more than a half-orc pet of Gul'dan. True orcs will always return to their roots, and you're hopelessly naive if you believe otherwise," Orgrim said derisively. The Alliance might one day succeed in pacifying his people by placing them in camps and attempting to indoctrinate them, but it would be useless. Unless they were led by someone who truly understood orcs, peace would never last.
Orgrim suspected that a part of Lothar must have known his words to be the truth because the human warrior fell silent. Instead, it was the boy-king who spoke up next in a quiet voice. "I know that if my father were here, he would urge me to seek peace and forgive the Horde for what they have done, but I don't know if I can. When I look at you, the only thing that I feel is pain and hatred."
Orgrim knew exactly how the boy felt. When the Red Pox swept through Draenor and the world began to die, he had also felt nothing but pain and despair. Even if he hadn't fully trusted Gul'dan's claims that the draenei were responsible for their suffering, it was so easy to lose himself to bloodlust. That was probably why he found the boy-king's next words to be so surprising.
"But… I still think it's worth hoping that our people can live in peace, even if I'm never able to stop hating orcs. Now that I'm here I've realized that I don't want to end up like you, spending my remaining days wondering what the world could have looked like if I had chosen to believe that things could have been different," said the boy-king, his words cutting Orgrim deeper than even that sharpest knife.
"You're going to be disappointed, boy. Life isn't a shaman's story, and it rarely has a happy ending."
"Maybe, and if your people prove incapable of living peacefully on Azeroth, then we will do what needs to be done," said the young king, his eyes hard as he looked up to the much larger orc. "But I still believe it is worth trying. I owe my father at least this much and I genuinely hope you're wrong about your people. My people have suffered enough from war for one lifetime."
As Lothar looked down at the young king with pride in his eyes, Orgrim found himself unsure of what to say. After several moments, he settled on an honest response. "I hope I'm wrong as well, boy."
He doubted that he was, but he hoped that those who came after him would make better decisions and lead the orcs to a better future. Apparently having nothing left to say to him, the young king gave a satisfied nod and turned to leave as he delivered a final comment. "You will not be missed, Orgrim Doomhammer. Azeroth will be a better place once you are gone."
Lothar glared at him silently for several moments before following the boy without another word.
Orgrim's gaze followed them until they left his line of sight. Once they were gone, he let out a heavy sigh and returned to his desk. As he looked down at the words he had written, Orgrim thought about the young king's words and he recalled the prophecy of the Doomhammer.
The prophecy had correctly predicted that the last of his family's line would doom the orcish people, so he had some hope that the rest would prove just as accurate. The prophecy predicted that a stranger would wield the Doomhammer and bring salvation to his people, so maybe the young king's hopes weren't as naive as they sounded.
As he contemplated this distant possibility, Orgrim decided to add one final entry to his writings, a message to the one who would wield the Doomhammer.
"Whoever takes up the Doomhammer after me, know that you carry the weight of an entire people's hopes and dreams. Do not make the same mistakes I did. Seek the wisdom of the spirits of the land around you to lead our people to a better future. A future in which they can regain their honor and live without the shame that my generation has placed on their shoulders. The future of the orcs now lies in your hands. May you be the salvation they so desperately need."
Orgrim hoped that this letter would actually find its way to their hands.
With his final words committed to parchment, Orgrim placed the human writing utensil down and leaned back in his chair. He knew that his time was coming to an end and that there was nothing left for him to do. As he closed his eyes and waited for the humans to drag him to his inevitable end, Orgrim Doomhammer made peace with his fate and prayed to the spirits that his people would one day find theirs.
Korialstrasz, though he still used Krasus while wearing his mortal guise, used magic to hover in the air over the recently plowed field as he waited for the human farmers to finish planting their seeds.
He'd flown over the fields in his true form at first, but he could tell that the mortals weren't exactly comfortable with having a dragon flying over them. It didn't help that the wind caused by his wings made their tasks significantly more difficult.
"Uh… I think we're ready, mister dragon."
Krasus looked down at the young farmer boy who had nervously called for him and offered the boy what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "Very well. Then I'll begin using my magic to accelerate the growth of your crops. I'd suggest that you move out of the way if this makes you uncomfortable."
Most of the humans did exactly that, but the boy who had called for him shifted hesitantly before asking Krasus a question. "Y-You said that the magical fire you use to grow the plants is safe, right? And that it heals people?"
Krasus' Life-infused fire was perfectly able to burn anything it touched to ash if he willed it, but mentioning that didn't seem prudent. "It does. Do you have a wound that needs healing?"
"I hurt my feet a bit while working in the fields yesterday," the boy admitted, looking down at his worn-out shoes. "I can still work! But… it hurts a whole lot, and I know the priests are really busy…."
Krasus sympathized with the boy and was glad that this was such a simple problem for him to solve. "Say no more, child. Just stay where you are and my flames will heal you as I bring Life to these crops."
Krasus could tell that some of the other mortals were distrusting of him, but there was little they could do. The child might be little more than a whelp in his eyes, but he was old enough to be considered an adult by the laws of Lordaeron.
The boy looked up at Krasus with a mixture of hope and trepidation in his eyes. He took a deep breath and nodded, signaling that he was ready.
Krasus concentrated carefully. It was a simple matter to summon his Life-infused flames in his true form, but slightly more difficult in his mortal guise. Reaching toward that essence of Life that existed within every member of the Red Dragonflight, Krasus lifted his hand and released a controlled stream of vermillion flames that swept through the field. Wherever it passed, the seeds buried beneath the earth began to sprout and grow at an astonishing rate, quickly maturing into healthy and vibrant crops.
As always, the humans stared in awe at the miraculous sight and their apprehension temporarily disappeared as they watched food grow before their very eyes. The fire soon washed over the boy's feet, and he gasped in surprise as the pain he had been feeling disappeared and was replaced by a soothing warmth.
"Thank you, mister dragon," the boy said, his voice filled with gratitude. "My feet don't hurt no more!"
Krasus smiled warmly at the boy, glad that he had been able to help. "You're welcome, young one. I'm glad that I could be of assistance."
As the farmers gathered their tools and set to work harvesting the newly grown crops, Krasus flew a short distance away and prepared a teleportation spell.
This was the final field Krasus planned to assist with for the day. His Flight was hard at work doing their part to ensure the mortals could feed themselves and their prisoners, so there would be someone available to take his place while he traveled back to Dalaran ahead of the significant occasion.
Although Krasus didn't typically find such morbid events appealing, Orgrim Doomhammer's execution was one that would be attended by every politically significant figure in the Eastern Kingdoms.
Including a certain Vizier who Krasus was quite keen on seeing, but hadn't had the opportunity to do so recently. When Krasus had heard from his beloved that Vizier Krivax was some manner of seer who was responsible for sending him the letter detailing Deathwing's intentions, he'd wanted to meet the nerubian immediately. That desire only grew once Alexstrasza informed him that she'd gifted the Vizier with a portion of her power. Such a thing wasn't unheard of amongst the Dragonflights, but it was rare that an Aspect would bestow a mortal with such an honor.
Finishing his spell, Krasus disappeared from the fields of Eastweald and reappeared in Dalaran's main portal hub. Upon arriving, Krasus was immediately greeted by one of the city's guards as he went through the administrative process of recording his entrance into Dalaran. Once that was taken care of, he immediately started heading toward the city's exit.
The execution grounds had been placed within the city at first, but things had started to get a bit… out of hand.
"Monster!"
"Murderous animal! You'll get what you deserve!"
"I hope you suffer, orc!"
Krasus' attention turned toward a snarling orc that was being marched in chains from the Violet Hold toward the execution grounds. Mortals cursed, spat on, and threw rotten fruit at the prisoner as he passed through the streets.
When the Alliance agreed to allow their citizens to bring accusations against individual members of the Horde for their crimes, Krasus had assumed that there wouldn't be many occasions of this happening. Times of war were always chaotic, and finding the individual orcs who slaughtered your family or destroyed your village was a daunting task.
Krasus shouldn't have underestimated the lengths mortals would go to for their vengeance. Almost immediately, prominent nobles hoping to gain favor with their subjects began to fund groups of investigators dedicated to finding the orcs responsible for specific crimes. These groups scoured records, interviewed survivors, and pieced together evidence that would lead to the identification and eventual execution of many orcs. Funding for these efforts was so high that Dalaran had seen several innovations in the field of divination magic in recent times.
Consequently, the number of executions had soared far beyond anyone's expectations and the streets of Dalaran grew packed with the number of people wishing to watch the orcs meet their ends.
As Krasus made his way out of the city, the crowds thickened and he found himself caught in a sea of people all headed towards the execution grounds. The grounds had been moved to a large, open area outside the city walls in order to accommodate the ever-growing number of spectators. Many rows of wooden benches had been erected to provide seating for the onlookers, while a raised platform held the block upon which Orgrim Doomhammer would soon be decapitated.
Although he couldn't help but find the spectacle a bit distasteful, Krasus understood well why these events were so popular. Hatred always followed large wars, and the Horde's crimes were even more heinous than most. He could spot people from all over the Eastern Kingdoms and even make out rows of merchants looking to take advantage of the large crowd.
Krasus turned his attention away from the sight and decided to focus on his true objective. Closing his eyes, the Archmage stretched his senses out over the field and searched for the steady flame of Life magic that was almost as familiar as his own. He could sense a few other members of the Red Dragonflight in the crowd, but it didn't take very long for him to find the person he was looking for. Although Vizier Krivax held only a tiny portion of his beloved's power, it still held a potency that made it wholly distinct.
Deciding that he had no interest in pushing his way through the crowd, Krasus cast a quick levitation spell and began flying toward his objective. The Vizier was surrounded by guards and seated in a special area reserved for high-ranking officials and nobles. The nerubian guards visibly tensed as he approached, but Vizier Krivax seemed to have sensed him and quickly waved them off.
"Vizier Krivax. It's good to see you again," Krasus greeted as he touched down next to the nerubian and took in his new appearance.
Where before Vizier Krivax possessed a brown carapace, his outer layer was now as brightly red as Krasus' own scales and his robes were now a dark purple. He could even see that the nerubian had a few scales intermingling with his chitinous plates, especially around the joints. Although he still possessed eight eyes, the two largest had taken on a more draconic appearance with slit pupils and a faint glow. His limbs were thicker, his mandibles were sharper and more robust, and he exuded a sense of power that hadn't previously existed. The nerubian even seems to have grown since the last time Krasus had seen him, standing slightly taller than any other Vizier he had seen.
Overall, most people who saw Vizier Krivax would find him even more intimidating than most nerubians… until he spoke that is.
"It's good to see you too, Archmage Krasus," said Vizier Krivax, his voice as cheerful and friendly as ever. "I was a bit worried about you after I heard that you would no longer be a member of the Council of Six. I'm glad to see that you're doing well and still in Dalaran."
Krasus could feel his smile grow a bit dimmer as he remembered his meetings with the Council of Six, but he took the Vizier's words in stride. "Thank you, Vizier Krivax. It's unfortunate, but I actually find myself to be quite relieved for the opportunity to remain a member of the Kirin Tor without hiding my identity."
Unfortunately, helping Capital City fight off the C'thrax didn't change the fact that he had lied to the ruling body of Dalaran for his entire time as a member of the Kirin Tor and hid his true loyalties. Divided loyalties were tolerated in the case of Prince Kael'thas because they were known and Dalaran's relationship with Quel'thalas was very close.
It also didn't help that Krasus had secretly used his authority in service to the Red Dragonflight a few times over his long tenure or that Alexstrasza was unpopular with many influential people due to her actions regarding the orc internment camps.
Still, things could have turned out much worse and he could still count some of his former colleagues as friends.
"But that's enough about me. I'm far more interested in talking about you," said Krasus, his smile returning as he focused on the Vizier. "You've been a hard person to get in touch with recently, Vizier Krivax."
"Ah. Well, the High King called me back to Azjol-Nerub after he heard about what happened in Uldaman," said Vizier Krivax, chuckling nervously as he explained himself. "The Queens were… extremely interested in studying my transformation. I'm fairly sure the only reason I'm not still being poked and prodded is that the kingdom needed me to return to my position."
That didn't surprise Krasus in the least. The nerubians seemed competent enough to realize that Vizier Krivax was their most personable diplomat.
"What did you tell your ruler about my beloved's gift?" Krasus asked curiously after casting a privacy ward to prevent any eavesdroppers.
"Uh, how much do you know?" Vizier Krivax asked after a moment of hesitation.
"My Queen has informed me that you're the seer responsible for sending me that letter," Krasus readily admitted. "I've also been told that this should be kept a secret. I suspect that there's more to the story, but the Aspects are reticent about their meeting with you. I believe the only reason that I've been told this much is that my beloved wishes to send me to handle a few matters in Draenor based on the information that you've provided."
His conversation with his Queen after she'd returned from Uldaman had been confusing, but positive overall. The Aspects seemed to have found a path to finally slay the traitorous Deathwing and were currently traveling to Deepholm. Krasus didn't know all of the details, but he was eagerly awaiting the good news and his beloved's return.
She had made clear to him that they would all have much to do once the Aspects returned.
Vizier Krivax slumped in relief at his answer before he responded. "I see. I'm glad to hear that the Aspects are keeping this to a small circle. The matter is… quite sensitive. As for the High King, he believes that the Aspects have a close relationship with Keeper Archaedas and Alexstrasza was extremely grateful to me once she learned that I was the one who found Uldaman. I informed him that Alexstrasza gave me this reward for helping the Aspects discover a way to reach Deathwing."
Krasus chuckled in amusement. He had never heard the Aspects say a good word about any of the Keepers aside from Tyr and Freya, but there was hardly anyone who would know that. Finding a path to Deathwing was also a great achievement worthy of reward. It was a simple and effective lie that nobody would be able to prove false. "Did they believe you?"
"Dragons already have a reputation for being a bit… arbitrary in their decisions, and not enough is known about Alexstrasza for the High King and his council to know if this is out of character," Vizier Krivax explained. "I think the Queens were so eager to study me that nearly everyone just decided to accept it and move forward."
Krasus was glad to hear that. There were many races that wouldn't have so easily accepted one of their own being significantly transformed, but the nerubians seemed far too pragmatic to concern themselves with a few differences.
Their conversation remained pleasant and light as the two of them discussed a variety of matters, from diplomacy to magic. Eventually, Krasus decided to bring up the primary reason that he had decided to seek out the nerubian.
"Vizier Krivax, I'm sure that you've already heard this from my beloved, but I wanted to express my deepest gratitude for what you've done for us," said Krasus. When he thought of what might have happened without the nerubian's interference, he was barely able to contain his rage. "I also wanted to ask if you need any assistance in adjusting to your new abilities. I doubt that there's anyone on Azeroth more qualified to do so than myself."
There were a few other members of the Red Dragonflight who had delved into Arcane magic, but none who were as accomplished as himself. He dared to say that he could even match most of the Blue Dragonflight in that area.
Krasus was somewhat amused to find that he could read Vizier Krivax's body language much better after his transformation, and the nerubian's interest was quite clear.
"Really? That would be a big help. I've been experimenting with my magic from the moment I left Uldaman, but it's still a bit hard to understand," said Vizier Krivax, extending one of his lower arms and summoning a small sphere of Life-infused flame. "I can do this pretty easily, but I don't really understand how Life magic works, or why it affects my Arcane magic. Ever since my empowerment, my normal spells keep doing things I don't want them to. It's very frustrating."
Krasus hummed thoughtfully. He had a feeling about what was going on, but he wanted to be certain of it first. "Vizier Krivax, could you summon a small sphere of water? I have a theory that I would like to verify."
The Vizier immediately created a small sphere of floating water between them, and Krasus was unsurprised to note that it seemed to be writhing erratically.
"See? This spell is one of the simple ones I learned as a novice, but it's acting strangely," Vizier Krivax said, sounding frustrated. "The spell is correct, but it shouldn't be moving around like this."
Krasus smiled reassuringly. This wasn't a problem that he'd had to deal with himself, but it wasn't unheard of. "I believe I understand what is happening. My beloved's power is quite possibly the purest source of Life magic still on Azeroth. Even as small of a portion as it is, her power has become a fundamental part of your being and is affecting your entire magical essence. As a result, it is intermingling with your arcane magic and is giving it a certain life-like quality, causing unpredictable effects."
Krasus idly poked the sphere and chuckled when it attempted to leap at his finger. "You will have to learn to properly separate your magics, but on the bright side, it should be relatively simple for you to learn how to summon a water elemental. You'll need to keep testing to see how it can be useful in other ways as Life is an extremely powerful force."
"Really? I've always wanted to summon a water elemental," said Vizier Krivax, glancing toward his sphere. "Do you have any advice for me on how I can actually isolate these magics? Life magic just seems to come naturally whenever I want to cast something."
"Of course," said Krasus, glad he could be of assistance.
Krasus taught the young nerubian several tricks that would help him adjust his mindset and call only on the type of magic he wanted. Different magics typically required different mentalities to use, but Vizier Krivax was having difficulty because he could now call on Life subconsciously.
It didn't surprise him to find that Vizier Krivax's Life magic was even purer than his own. Such was to be expected given its source. It did mean that the Vizier would likely be prodigious in the art of creating golems if he ever chose to pursue such a path, something which sent the nerubian into a thoughtful silence when he heard.
Their conversation continued until they were suddenly interrupted by the blaring of a loud horn, signaling the arrival of Orgrim Doomhammer at the execution grounds. Krasus and Krivax exchanged a solemn glance as the crowd's murmurs grew louder. After a few moments, Krasus spotted the orc being led toward the platform in chains while being completely surrounded by heavily armored guards.
As the executioner stepped up onto the platform and the mortal representatives responsible for overseeing his trial took their position, a hush fell over the crowd. Much to Krasus' relief, it seemed like the mortals didn't intend to waste any time as they began reading the sentence as soon as the orc stepped onto the platform.
"Orgrim Doomhammer, you have been found guilty by a duly appointed council of judges of numerous war crimes against the people of Azeroth," said Chief Judge Farthing, a bishop of the Church. His voice was cold and authoritative as he read out the orc's sentence. "You have consorted with foul magical forces inimical to life, commanded armies that massacred countless innocent civilians, and caused immeasurable pain and suffering throughout these lands. Today, you will pay for those crimes with your life."
The other judges present, who were a collection of high-ranking representatives from the rest of the mortal nations, nodded solemnly in agreement. The crowd's murmurs grew into a cacophony of jeers and cheers, as those who had suffered at the hands of the Horde clamored for justice. Krasus could feel the weight of this moment as the officials struggled to get the crowd under control.
Once the grounds were finally quiet enough for her to be heard, the chief judge continued with an unwavering voice. "Before your sentence is carried out, does the prisoner have any last words?"
There was a moment of silence as the crowd seemed to lean in at the question.
"None that would matter to any here," Doomhammer eventually stated, much to the renewed jeers of the countless surrounding him.
Once the crowd fell silent, the Chief Judge continued once again. "Very well. The sentence that has been handed down by this council is death by beheading. May the Light grant you mercy. Executioner, you may proceed."
The massive, hooded executioner stepped forward, his ax gleaming in the sunlight. Orgrim Doomhammer was unflinching as he was forced to kneel on the platform and his head was pushed down onto the block. The executioner wasted no time and raised his ax high above his head as the orc stared him straight in the eye. Krasus could almost hear the crowd hold their breath as the ax was brought down in a swift, decisive motion upon Orgrim Doomhammer's neck. The crowd erupted into cheers as the orc's lifeless body slumped to the ground, his head rolling a few feet away.
Thus was Orgrim Doomhammer, Warchief of the Horde and the greatest threat in recent generations, finally slain.
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I chose to write this chapter from a different pov so you guys could see Krivax's transformation that way.
Orgrim found it a strange experience to know with certainty that he wouldn't live to see another day. That he wouldn't breathe another breath, feel the warmth of the sun on his face, or defeat another enemy in combat. His death wouldn't come in glorious combat, but would instead be delivered by the cold, honorless hands of an executioner.
As he sat in front of a desk with parchment and one of the humans' strange writing utensils in hand, the once proud Warchief couldn't help but wonder where everything had gone wrong. It was easy and comforting to blame his people's fate on Gul'dan and his foul magic, but isolation had forced Orgrim to be… introspective. Gul'dan and his warlocks may have led them to their corruption, but his people had chosen to walk down that path themselves.
Everything had seemed hopeless once Draenor's elements had abandoned them and their world was torn apart by calamities. Disease had caused orc men, women, and children to rot away in front of their eyes while the land itself seemed to reject them. The clans had been led to believe that the draenei were the ones responsible for this, and they had united in their thirst for vengeance.
It was only recently that he had learned that it was all a lie…
One of his captors had informed him that Gul'dan had been killed and his mind ripped apart for all the information it held. When they told him the truth of what had happened, that Gul'dan was the one to corrupt the elements and doom Draenor, Orgrim had first believed it was a lie meant only to hurt him. He still believed their intent was to make him suffer by making his failures clear, but he now believed their words to be the truth. It made far more sense than what the Shadow Council had told the chieftains.
And if their words were the truth… then his people had truly lost all honor. Their ancestors would look down on them with shame for generations and Orgrim had done nothing but lead them further into dishonor. For generations, a prophecy had been passed down through his bloodline about their namesake relic, the Doomhammer.
Through blood the weapon shall pass, as surely as night begets day. Until the elements cry unheard, and pride turns to unbridled rage. The last of the line shall deliver salvation and doom upon his kind. Honor will be undone and all will be lost, before it is found again. A stranger will raise the hammer high, and with it justice shall reign.
It was only after he had been captured and taken to his cell that Orgrim realized the prophecy had been referring to him. He would be the last of his line. He was the one who had delivered doom upon his kind. He would go down in history as a failure who led the orcs to their darkest moment.
The prophecy spoke of a stranger who would take up the Doomhammer and help his people find justice and honor once again, but Orgrim wouldn't be alive to see it. His weapon had been taken by that damned dragon and its fate was completely outside of his control. Instead, the only thing Orgrim could do was think about his choices and write down his thoughts in Orcish for the next generation. He had no doubt the Alliance had given him the chance to write to his people with the intention of twisting his words and using them for their own gain, but Orgrim couldn't resist the temptation to record his true thoughts and regrets.
He'd already finished writing down everything he intended to over the past few months and was now just looking over it again.
"Orc! You've got a visitor! Someone wants to talk to you before your head gets lopped off!"
Orgrim was pulled from his thoughts by the rough words of one of the human guards. He'd received many visits from the Alliance, so this wasn't a surprise to him. Orgrim stood from his seat and made his way over to the arcane barrier separating his cell from the rest of the world and waited for them to arrive.
When the boy-king of the first human kingdom the Horde had destroyed showed himself alongside Anduin Lothar, Orgrim let out a mirthless chuckle.
"I've been expecting to see you for months, yet you never came. I should have known that you would only show yourself on the day of my execution," Orgrim said bitterly. "Are you here to gloat over your victory, or perhaps you want one last chance to break my spirit?"
He couldn't imagine the boy-king visiting him for any other reason, given that the Alliance mages had long since pulled all the information they wanted from his mind. He was only glad that he never learned where exactly the Frostwolf Clan had settled when they left the Horde.
Contrary to his expectations, the two humans remained silent as they studied him with inscrutable expressions.
"Well? Do you have something to say, humans?" Orgrim asked, annoyed by their silence.
When the boy-king finally spoke, his voice was far calmer than Orgrim would have expected. "I thought you would be a lot more… intimidating. I was expecting to find a monster, but you remind me more of a pathetic animal just waiting to die."
Orgrim roared and smashed his fist against the barrier, the force of his anger causing the magic to flicker. He was annoyed when neither of the humans flinched at his outburst. "Would you say the same if this barrier wasn't separating us, boy?!"
"I would. I've seen that hopeless expression on your face far too many times already from countless others," said the boy-king, his eyes wiser than his years. "I've seen it on the soldiers sent out to war. I've seen it on the faces of my subjects after they were forced to flee their homes. I've seen it in the mirror after the only orc my father trusted betrayed him and carved out his heart in front of me. I know what hopelessness looks like and you are no better off than the rest of us, orc."
Orgrim wanted to snarl and rage at the boy-king, but he couldn't muster the will. The fire inside him had long since been extinguished by his imprisonment.
"What do you want?" Orgrim asked, his voice completely void of emotion.
"I wanted to look into the eyes of the monster responsible for the destruction of Stormwind and ask him why he did what he did," said the boy-king, his voice shaking with anger. "We could have had peace if you had just been willing to listen to my father's pleas. We could have cooperated and found a way to help your people, but instead, you chose to wage a pointless war! Why?!"
The boy-king was yelling by the time he was done speaking while Lothar stood by his side silently, glaring at Orgrim with hatred in his eyes.
"You don't understand what it means to be an orc. None of you do," Orgrim said after a few moments of silence. "To be an orc means to struggle against a world doing everything it can to destroy you. To be an orc means to fight for every breath, every morsel of food, and every drop of water. You humans don't know what it is like to struggle to survive every second of every day… and that was before our world began to die. Your father could have offered us everything we ever wanted, and we wouldn't have accepted it unless we paid for it in blood and tears."
Orgrim had come to learn that Azeroth was a world with just as many dangers as Draenor, but life on this world was surprisingly kind to its weaker inhabitants. On Draenor, there was no room to tolerate weakness, no room for negotiations, and certainly no room to indulge in mercy. The Horde had been born out of desperation and a desire for survival, and it had forged them into a force capable of conquering worlds.
"I heard that you were one of the few orcs who didn't drink from the demon's blood," said Lothar, speaking for the first time since the humans arrived. "Unlike the rest of your kin, you don't have even a paltry excuse for your actions. You could have chosen to lead your people to a brighter future, but you didn't. That is nobody's failure but your own, Orgrim Doomhammer."
Orgrim scoffed at the human's words. "If you truly believe that I could have forced the Horde to accept peace, then you understand us even less than I thought. Even before the Horde was corrupted by Gul'dan's dark magic, we had already ravaged our world and either slain or enslaved its inhabitants. War was our inescapable fate from the moment that the Dark Portal was opened."
It was a bitter conclusion to accept, but it was one that Orgrim had reached after months of isolation and introspection. Peace was never a possibility, and he very much doubted that the Horde would be able to ever integrate into this world. They simply weren't made for it.
"I don't believe you," said Lothar, his voice firm and unwavering. "We learned from Gul'dan's memories that Garona was being controlled by magic when she murdered King Llane. Until that moment, I came to view her as a friend and saw with my own eyes that orcs were capable of more than just violence and destruction. There was a chance for peace, but you chose not to take it."
Orgrim had nearly forgotten about Gul'dan's pet assassin. He had given her over to a veteran warrior by the name of Eitrigg and hadn't thought of her since. It didn't surprise him in the slightest that Gul'dan had been controlling her with magic, but the human was misguided if he thought she represented orcs.
"Garona was nothing more than a half-orc pet of Gul'dan. True orcs will always return to their roots, and you're hopelessly naive if you believe otherwise," Orgrim said derisively. The Alliance might one day succeed in pacifying his people by placing them in camps and attempting to indoctrinate them, but it would be useless. Unless they were led by someone who truly understood orcs, peace would never last.
Orgrim suspected that a part of Lothar must have known his words to be the truth because the human warrior fell silent. Instead, it was the boy-king who spoke up next in a quiet voice. "I know that if my father were here, he would urge me to seek peace and forgive the Horde for what they have done, but I don't know if I can. When I look at you, the only thing that I feel is pain and hatred."
Orgrim knew exactly how the boy felt. When the Red Pox swept through Draenor and the world began to die, he had also felt nothing but pain and despair. Even if he hadn't fully trusted Gul'dan's claims that the draenei were responsible for their suffering, it was so easy to lose himself to bloodlust. That was probably why he found the boy-king's next words to be so surprising.
"But… I still think it's worth hoping that our people can live in peace, even if I'm never able to stop hating orcs. Now that I'm here I've realized that I don't want to end up like you, spending my remaining days wondering what the world could have looked like if I had chosen to believe that things could have been different," said the boy-king, his words cutting Orgrim deeper than even that sharpest knife.
"You're going to be disappointed, boy. Life isn't a shaman's story, and it rarely has a happy ending."
"Maybe, and if your people prove incapable of living peacefully on Azeroth, then we will do what needs to be done," said the young king, his eyes hard as he looked up to the much larger orc. "But I still believe it is worth trying. I owe my father at least this much and I genuinely hope you're wrong about your people. My people have suffered enough from war for one lifetime."
As Lothar looked down at the young king with pride in his eyes, Orgrim found himself unsure of what to say. After several moments, he settled on an honest response. "I hope I'm wrong as well, boy."
He doubted that he was, but he hoped that those who came after him would make better decisions and lead the orcs to a better future. Apparently having nothing left to say to him, the young king gave a satisfied nod and turned to leave as he delivered a final comment. "You will not be missed, Orgrim Doomhammer. Azeroth will be a better place once you are gone."
Lothar glared at him silently for several moments before following the boy without another word.
Orgrim's gaze followed them until they left his line of sight. Once they were gone, he let out a heavy sigh and returned to his desk. As he looked down at the words he had written, Orgrim thought about the young king's words and he recalled the prophecy of the Doomhammer.
The prophecy had correctly predicted that the last of his family's line would doom the orcish people, so he had some hope that the rest would prove just as accurate. The prophecy predicted that a stranger would wield the Doomhammer and bring salvation to his people, so maybe the young king's hopes weren't as naive as they sounded.
As he contemplated this distant possibility, Orgrim decided to add one final entry to his writings, a message to the one who would wield the Doomhammer.
"Whoever takes up the Doomhammer after me, know that you carry the weight of an entire people's hopes and dreams. Do not make the same mistakes I did. Seek the wisdom of the spirits of the land around you to lead our people to a better future. A future in which they can regain their honor and live without the shame that my generation has placed on their shoulders. The future of the orcs now lies in your hands. May you be the salvation they so desperately need."
Orgrim hoped that this letter would actually find its way to their hands.
With his final words committed to parchment, Orgrim placed the human writing utensil down and leaned back in his chair. He knew that his time was coming to an end and that there was nothing left for him to do. As he closed his eyes and waited for the humans to drag him to his inevitable end, Orgrim Doomhammer made peace with his fate and prayed to the spirits that his people would one day find theirs.
Korialstrasz, though he still used Krasus while wearing his mortal guise, used magic to hover in the air over the recently plowed field as he waited for the human farmers to finish planting their seeds.
He'd flown over the fields in his true form at first, but he could tell that the mortals weren't exactly comfortable with having a dragon flying over them. It didn't help that the wind caused by his wings made their tasks significantly more difficult.
"Uh… I think we're ready, mister dragon."
Krasus looked down at the young farmer boy who had nervously called for him and offered the boy what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "Very well. Then I'll begin using my magic to accelerate the growth of your crops. I'd suggest that you move out of the way if this makes you uncomfortable."
Most of the humans did exactly that, but the boy who had called for him shifted hesitantly before asking Krasus a question. "Y-You said that the magical fire you use to grow the plants is safe, right? And that it heals people?"
Krasus' Life-infused fire was perfectly able to burn anything it touched to ash if he willed it, but mentioning that didn't seem prudent. "It does. Do you have a wound that needs healing?"
"I hurt my feet a bit while working in the fields yesterday," the boy admitted, looking down at his worn-out shoes. "I can still work! But… it hurts a whole lot, and I know the priests are really busy…."
Krasus sympathized with the boy and was glad that this was such a simple problem for him to solve. "Say no more, child. Just stay where you are and my flames will heal you as I bring Life to these crops."
Krasus could tell that some of the other mortals were distrusting of him, but there was little they could do. The child might be little more than a whelp in his eyes, but he was old enough to be considered an adult by the laws of Lordaeron.
The boy looked up at Krasus with a mixture of hope and trepidation in his eyes. He took a deep breath and nodded, signaling that he was ready.
Krasus concentrated carefully. It was a simple matter to summon his Life-infused flames in his true form, but slightly more difficult in his mortal guise. Reaching toward that essence of Life that existed within every member of the Red Dragonflight, Krasus lifted his hand and released a controlled stream of vermillion flames that swept through the field. Wherever it passed, the seeds buried beneath the earth began to sprout and grow at an astonishing rate, quickly maturing into healthy and vibrant crops.
As always, the humans stared in awe at the miraculous sight and their apprehension temporarily disappeared as they watched food grow before their very eyes. The fire soon washed over the boy's feet, and he gasped in surprise as the pain he had been feeling disappeared and was replaced by a soothing warmth.
"Thank you, mister dragon," the boy said, his voice filled with gratitude. "My feet don't hurt no more!"
Krasus smiled warmly at the boy, glad that he had been able to help. "You're welcome, young one. I'm glad that I could be of assistance."
As the farmers gathered their tools and set to work harvesting the newly grown crops, Krasus flew a short distance away and prepared a teleportation spell.
This was the final field Krasus planned to assist with for the day. His Flight was hard at work doing their part to ensure the mortals could feed themselves and their prisoners, so there would be someone available to take his place while he traveled back to Dalaran ahead of the significant occasion.
Although Krasus didn't typically find such morbid events appealing, Orgrim Doomhammer's execution was one that would be attended by every politically significant figure in the Eastern Kingdoms.
Including a certain Vizier who Krasus was quite keen on seeing, but hadn't had the opportunity to do so recently. When Krasus had heard from his beloved that Vizier Krivax was some manner of seer who was responsible for sending him the letter detailing Deathwing's intentions, he'd wanted to meet the nerubian immediately. That desire only grew once Alexstrasza informed him that she'd gifted the Vizier with a portion of her power. Such a thing wasn't unheard of amongst the Dragonflights, but it was rare that an Aspect would bestow a mortal with such an honor.
Finishing his spell, Krasus disappeared from the fields of Eastweald and reappeared in Dalaran's main portal hub. Upon arriving, Krasus was immediately greeted by one of the city's guards as he went through the administrative process of recording his entrance into Dalaran. Once that was taken care of, he immediately started heading toward the city's exit.
The execution grounds had been placed within the city at first, but things had started to get a bit… out of hand.
"Monster!"
"Murderous animal! You'll get what you deserve!"
"I hope you suffer, orc!"
Krasus' attention turned toward a snarling orc that was being marched in chains from the Violet Hold toward the execution grounds. Mortals cursed, spat on, and threw rotten fruit at the prisoner as he passed through the streets.
When the Alliance agreed to allow their citizens to bring accusations against individual members of the Horde for their crimes, Krasus had assumed that there wouldn't be many occasions of this happening. Times of war were always chaotic, and finding the individual orcs who slaughtered your family or destroyed your village was a daunting task.
Krasus shouldn't have underestimated the lengths mortals would go to for their vengeance. Almost immediately, prominent nobles hoping to gain favor with their subjects began to fund groups of investigators dedicated to finding the orcs responsible for specific crimes. These groups scoured records, interviewed survivors, and pieced together evidence that would lead to the identification and eventual execution of many orcs. Funding for these efforts was so high that Dalaran had seen several innovations in the field of divination magic in recent times.
Consequently, the number of executions had soared far beyond anyone's expectations and the streets of Dalaran grew packed with the number of people wishing to watch the orcs meet their ends.
As Krasus made his way out of the city, the crowds thickened and he found himself caught in a sea of people all headed towards the execution grounds. The grounds had been moved to a large, open area outside the city walls in order to accommodate the ever-growing number of spectators. Many rows of wooden benches had been erected to provide seating for the onlookers, while a raised platform held the block upon which Orgrim Doomhammer would soon be decapitated.
Although he couldn't help but find the spectacle a bit distasteful, Krasus understood well why these events were so popular. Hatred always followed large wars, and the Horde's crimes were even more heinous than most. He could spot people from all over the Eastern Kingdoms and even make out rows of merchants looking to take advantage of the large crowd.
Krasus turned his attention away from the sight and decided to focus on his true objective. Closing his eyes, the Archmage stretched his senses out over the field and searched for the steady flame of Life magic that was almost as familiar as his own. He could sense a few other members of the Red Dragonflight in the crowd, but it didn't take very long for him to find the person he was looking for. Although Vizier Krivax held only a tiny portion of his beloved's power, it still held a potency that made it wholly distinct.
Deciding that he had no interest in pushing his way through the crowd, Krasus cast a quick levitation spell and began flying toward his objective. The Vizier was surrounded by guards and seated in a special area reserved for high-ranking officials and nobles. The nerubian guards visibly tensed as he approached, but Vizier Krivax seemed to have sensed him and quickly waved them off.
"Vizier Krivax. It's good to see you again," Krasus greeted as he touched down next to the nerubian and took in his new appearance.
Where before Vizier Krivax possessed a brown carapace, his outer layer was now as brightly red as Krasus' own scales and his robes were now a dark purple. He could even see that the nerubian had a few scales intermingling with his chitinous plates, especially around the joints. Although he still possessed eight eyes, the two largest had taken on a more draconic appearance with slit pupils and a faint glow. His limbs were thicker, his mandibles were sharper and more robust, and he exuded a sense of power that hadn't previously existed. The nerubian even seems to have grown since the last time Krasus had seen him, standing slightly taller than any other Vizier he had seen.
Overall, most people who saw Vizier Krivax would find him even more intimidating than most nerubians… until he spoke that is.
"It's good to see you too, Archmage Krasus," said Vizier Krivax, his voice as cheerful and friendly as ever. "I was a bit worried about you after I heard that you would no longer be a member of the Council of Six. I'm glad to see that you're doing well and still in Dalaran."
Krasus could feel his smile grow a bit dimmer as he remembered his meetings with the Council of Six, but he took the Vizier's words in stride. "Thank you, Vizier Krivax. It's unfortunate, but I actually find myself to be quite relieved for the opportunity to remain a member of the Kirin Tor without hiding my identity."
Unfortunately, helping Capital City fight off the C'thrax didn't change the fact that he had lied to the ruling body of Dalaran for his entire time as a member of the Kirin Tor and hid his true loyalties. Divided loyalties were tolerated in the case of Prince Kael'thas because they were known and Dalaran's relationship with Quel'thalas was very close.
It also didn't help that Krasus had secretly used his authority in service to the Red Dragonflight a few times over his long tenure or that Alexstrasza was unpopular with many influential people due to her actions regarding the orc internment camps.
Still, things could have turned out much worse and he could still count some of his former colleagues as friends.
"But that's enough about me. I'm far more interested in talking about you," said Krasus, his smile returning as he focused on the Vizier. "You've been a hard person to get in touch with recently, Vizier Krivax."
"Ah. Well, the High King called me back to Azjol-Nerub after he heard about what happened in Uldaman," said Vizier Krivax, chuckling nervously as he explained himself. "The Queens were… extremely interested in studying my transformation. I'm fairly sure the only reason I'm not still being poked and prodded is that the kingdom needed me to return to my position."
That didn't surprise Krasus in the least. The nerubians seemed competent enough to realize that Vizier Krivax was their most personable diplomat.
"What did you tell your ruler about my beloved's gift?" Krasus asked curiously after casting a privacy ward to prevent any eavesdroppers.
"Uh, how much do you know?" Vizier Krivax asked after a moment of hesitation.
"My Queen has informed me that you're the seer responsible for sending me that letter," Krasus readily admitted. "I've also been told that this should be kept a secret. I suspect that there's more to the story, but the Aspects are reticent about their meeting with you. I believe the only reason that I've been told this much is that my beloved wishes to send me to handle a few matters in Draenor based on the information that you've provided."
His conversation with his Queen after she'd returned from Uldaman had been confusing, but positive overall. The Aspects seemed to have found a path to finally slay the traitorous Deathwing and were currently traveling to Deepholm. Krasus didn't know all of the details, but he was eagerly awaiting the good news and his beloved's return.
She had made clear to him that they would all have much to do once the Aspects returned.
Vizier Krivax slumped in relief at his answer before he responded. "I see. I'm glad to hear that the Aspects are keeping this to a small circle. The matter is… quite sensitive. As for the High King, he believes that the Aspects have a close relationship with Keeper Archaedas and Alexstrasza was extremely grateful to me once she learned that I was the one who found Uldaman. I informed him that Alexstrasza gave me this reward for helping the Aspects discover a way to reach Deathwing."
Krasus chuckled in amusement. He had never heard the Aspects say a good word about any of the Keepers aside from Tyr and Freya, but there was hardly anyone who would know that. Finding a path to Deathwing was also a great achievement worthy of reward. It was a simple and effective lie that nobody would be able to prove false. "Did they believe you?"
"Dragons already have a reputation for being a bit… arbitrary in their decisions, and not enough is known about Alexstrasza for the High King and his council to know if this is out of character," Vizier Krivax explained. "I think the Queens were so eager to study me that nearly everyone just decided to accept it and move forward."
Krasus was glad to hear that. There were many races that wouldn't have so easily accepted one of their own being significantly transformed, but the nerubians seemed far too pragmatic to concern themselves with a few differences.
Their conversation remained pleasant and light as the two of them discussed a variety of matters, from diplomacy to magic. Eventually, Krasus decided to bring up the primary reason that he had decided to seek out the nerubian.
"Vizier Krivax, I'm sure that you've already heard this from my beloved, but I wanted to express my deepest gratitude for what you've done for us," said Krasus. When he thought of what might have happened without the nerubian's interference, he was barely able to contain his rage. "I also wanted to ask if you need any assistance in adjusting to your new abilities. I doubt that there's anyone on Azeroth more qualified to do so than myself."
There were a few other members of the Red Dragonflight who had delved into Arcane magic, but none who were as accomplished as himself. He dared to say that he could even match most of the Blue Dragonflight in that area.
Krasus was somewhat amused to find that he could read Vizier Krivax's body language much better after his transformation, and the nerubian's interest was quite clear.
"Really? That would be a big help. I've been experimenting with my magic from the moment I left Uldaman, but it's still a bit hard to understand," said Vizier Krivax, extending one of his lower arms and summoning a small sphere of Life-infused flame. "I can do this pretty easily, but I don't really understand how Life magic works, or why it affects my Arcane magic. Ever since my empowerment, my normal spells keep doing things I don't want them to. It's very frustrating."
Krasus hummed thoughtfully. He had a feeling about what was going on, but he wanted to be certain of it first. "Vizier Krivax, could you summon a small sphere of water? I have a theory that I would like to verify."
The Vizier immediately created a small sphere of floating water between them, and Krasus was unsurprised to note that it seemed to be writhing erratically.
"See? This spell is one of the simple ones I learned as a novice, but it's acting strangely," Vizier Krivax said, sounding frustrated. "The spell is correct, but it shouldn't be moving around like this."
Krasus smiled reassuringly. This wasn't a problem that he'd had to deal with himself, but it wasn't unheard of. "I believe I understand what is happening. My beloved's power is quite possibly the purest source of Life magic still on Azeroth. Even as small of a portion as it is, her power has become a fundamental part of your being and is affecting your entire magical essence. As a result, it is intermingling with your arcane magic and is giving it a certain life-like quality, causing unpredictable effects."
Krasus idly poked the sphere and chuckled when it attempted to leap at his finger. "You will have to learn to properly separate your magics, but on the bright side, it should be relatively simple for you to learn how to summon a water elemental. You'll need to keep testing to see how it can be useful in other ways as Life is an extremely powerful force."
"Really? I've always wanted to summon a water elemental," said Vizier Krivax, glancing toward his sphere. "Do you have any advice for me on how I can actually isolate these magics? Life magic just seems to come naturally whenever I want to cast something."
"Of course," said Krasus, glad he could be of assistance.
Krasus taught the young nerubian several tricks that would help him adjust his mindset and call only on the type of magic he wanted. Different magics typically required different mentalities to use, but Vizier Krivax was having difficulty because he could now call on Life subconsciously.
It didn't surprise him to find that Vizier Krivax's Life magic was even purer than his own. Such was to be expected given its source. It did mean that the Vizier would likely be prodigious in the art of creating golems if he ever chose to pursue such a path, something which sent the nerubian into a thoughtful silence when he heard.
Their conversation continued until they were suddenly interrupted by the blaring of a loud horn, signaling the arrival of Orgrim Doomhammer at the execution grounds. Krasus and Krivax exchanged a solemn glance as the crowd's murmurs grew louder. After a few moments, Krasus spotted the orc being led toward the platform in chains while being completely surrounded by heavily armored guards.
As the executioner stepped up onto the platform and the mortal representatives responsible for overseeing his trial took their position, a hush fell over the crowd. Much to Krasus' relief, it seemed like the mortals didn't intend to waste any time as they began reading the sentence as soon as the orc stepped onto the platform.
"Orgrim Doomhammer, you have been found guilty by a duly appointed council of judges of numerous war crimes against the people of Azeroth," said Chief Judge Farthing, a bishop of the Church. His voice was cold and authoritative as he read out the orc's sentence. "You have consorted with foul magical forces inimical to life, commanded armies that massacred countless innocent civilians, and caused immeasurable pain and suffering throughout these lands. Today, you will pay for those crimes with your life."
The other judges present, who were a collection of high-ranking representatives from the rest of the mortal nations, nodded solemnly in agreement. The crowd's murmurs grew into a cacophony of jeers and cheers, as those who had suffered at the hands of the Horde clamored for justice. Krasus could feel the weight of this moment as the officials struggled to get the crowd under control.
Once the grounds were finally quiet enough for her to be heard, the chief judge continued with an unwavering voice. "Before your sentence is carried out, does the prisoner have any last words?"
There was a moment of silence as the crowd seemed to lean in at the question.
"None that would matter to any here," Doomhammer eventually stated, much to the renewed jeers of the countless surrounding him.
Once the crowd fell silent, the Chief Judge continued once again. "Very well. The sentence that has been handed down by this council is death by beheading. May the Light grant you mercy. Executioner, you may proceed."
The massive, hooded executioner stepped forward, his ax gleaming in the sunlight. Orgrim Doomhammer was unflinching as he was forced to kneel on the platform and his head was pushed down onto the block. The executioner wasted no time and raised his ax high above his head as the orc stared him straight in the eye. Krasus could almost hear the crowd hold their breath as the ax was brought down in a swift, decisive motion upon Orgrim Doomhammer's neck. The crowd erupted into cheers as the orc's lifeless body slumped to the ground, his head rolling a few feet away.
Thus was Orgrim Doomhammer, Warchief of the Horde and the greatest threat in recent generations, finally slain.
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