Ah, so a Goblin in Kezan built a meteor attractor in order to get cheap, high quality iron, which worked too well, thus calling down an asteroid to smash the island beneath the waves, which caused the tsunami. In the coming decades, long eared murlocs will plague the shores of Azeroth with their seaforium loan-sharks and shady fishscale ventures.When I said this was going to be AU, I meant it
I'm betting it has more to do with the Archmage Kel-thuuzad of the Kirin-Torr.
The Archmage? Surely he is a fine, upstanding fellow, with no dark secrets or hidden agendas. Plus, from the forward he wrote I get the distinct impression that he might be a Gamer himself, and everyone knows that the PCs are the good guys.
Blatant sarcasm!
I really don't think he had anything to do with it though. If I was really going to pin the blame on somebody, I would go with, hmm, Deathwing. Powerful, earth aligned, lairs under the ocean (sorta), and is known (by us, according to Canon, probably) to be active during this time period and region.
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When he was figuring out the states with how the math works he said something about how he could increase his mp. Everything else in the story has indicated Arthas is going to go for a completely physical build and will avoid magic.
The Stormbringer
Worm Fanfic & Crack Connoisseur
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I'll be honest... this story has inspired me to consider writing my own Gamer story. I'm thinking Starcraft, possibly and SI story... I've already got the beginning of it roughly planned out, but I'm still unsure.
@Halt What sort of challenges do you face when working on a Gamer fic? Like, plotting powers and abilities, working out the numbers and mechanics, etc.?
@Halt What sort of challenges do you face when working on a Gamer fic? Like, plotting powers and abilities, working out the numbers and mechanics, etc.?
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First and foremost is the story itself. The problem with too many Gamer fics and why they fail is that they rely simply on the concept (Gamer powers + random universe 2216) to push the story forward. While this can work (in the short term) and I will freely admit to having done the same early on in this fic, that does not mean an author is free to just ignore plotting entirely. Novelty alone cannot sustain a story.
Of course, how much you actually plot out is entirely dependent on you. Different styles for different writers. I personally prefer a system of knowing beginning + ending + general plot points, and planning out a few chapters ahead so I know if I have to Chekhov Gun something.
Second is the generic crossover problem: how do different systems interact? How do you fit Harry Potter magic in Worm? Can Zeratul's Templar powers beat the God-Emperor? How does Warcraft skills mix with the Gamer system?
Tangential to this point is how to get the systems to interact in the first place. Most stories choose to ignore this, and that is a perfectly legitimate way of doing things. Others use the Random Omnipotent Being (ROB) to throw character p into world a. Or some variation thereof (magic rituals, demon summoning ala Familiar of Zero, drunk Apparition).
Powers, abilities, mechanics and numbers are related to this as well. Specifically, do Instant Dungeons exist? Gamer's Mind/Body? Inventory? Do you want to add new features commonly seen in MMORPGs? How does leveling work for you? Is Party System applicable?
The Gamer had an interesting way of doing things, but like many manhwa/manga/anime/wujia/fanfiction, falls into "glaringly obvious Power wank fantasy". You must be willing to tweak, completely change or outright add/delete to the Gamer canon as it fits your narrative.
For example, in this fic, Instant Dungeons don't exist as some have guessed. And why should they? They worked in the manhwa because of the veil and the fact that modern society does not approve of murdering your classmates for XP. The MC needed a way to get stronger.
But in Warcraft? Why the hell would they. There are bandits, ogres, trolls and a dozen other "creeps" to kill, not to mention the constant war that leaves hundreds of thousands dead. In Starcraft, the same would apply. A Zerg Swarm is no longer the unstoppable world destroying force, it's now just Gamer bait.
Never be afraid to challenge the status quo of fanfiction of a fanfic genre. Everyone and their mother does mage builds? Why not try some other build that hasn't been done to death? Or go even more meta: write a story where the Gamer assumes certain things, only for the Game to screw him over (i.e. show him he's completely wrong), making his min-maxing a potentially lethal mistake. Key to this is understanding how your own system works first, as I covered in Power, abilities, mechanics and numbers. I would also add that it's in my preference to have multiple "builds" that my Gamer can viably choose from. Balance, after all, is what defines an MMORPG. Why would anyone party if a Mage can tank as much as a Paladin with his BULLSHIT MAGIC SHIELD.
Ahem. *Glares at canon*
As for planning out certain skills to fit the story, I've never done this myself. The skills, I find, are best left to develop naturally out of the circumstances the Gamer finds himself in. Of course, planning it out also works and I believe that is what Ryuugi did in his now iconic The Games We Play story.
Next up, the Antagonist. Who is your Gamer fighting? The Gamer power, by definition, is bullshit. Even for MMORPGs it's bullshit because it combines the advantages of two systems without their flaws. You either get to up your stats after leveling up and putting points into them OR up your stats by grinding. No game in real world uses both. So, you can either change this aspect of the game OR you can have the Antagonist rise up to the occasion.
Is your foe a giant Black Dragon with metacosmic powerz? How about the Xel'Naga? Hell, throw in the literal Demon if you have to. You might even play it up and write a tragedy where for all of the hero's new found power, he finds himself unable to defeat his enemy because it is society itself, the self-destructive way his people think. Maybe the enemy is another gamer?
Whichever one you choose, write it well, because the antagonist is a critical foil for the protagonist.
The Stormbringer
Worm Fanfic & Crack Connoisseur
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- Spaaaaace~!
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Awesome story so far. Very good choice to discard unnecessary elements of Gamer "canon." The cheap drama added by Gamer's Mind/Body etc. have been way overplayed at this point.
The Warcraft universe has perfectly good game mechanics of its own, anyway. Several versions, even!
Also a bold choice to have your protagonist be a young child. I really like the way you're handling Arthas here.
The Warcraft universe has perfectly good game mechanics of its own, anyway. Several versions, even!
Also a bold choice to have your protagonist be a young child. I really like the way you're handling Arthas here.
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Well, first of all, there's an argument to be made for semantics. To us, practically speaking, a druid's skills (such as Malfurion Stormrage) and a Paladin's skills (Healing Light) and the Liche King's powers (Necromancy) and a Dalaran Archmage's magic, there's no difference. We lump them categorically as magic. But in universe, there are subtle, important differences in perception, corruption and function. So when Arthas says magic is not his thing, he refers specifically and exclusively to Dalaran/High-Elven Magic. Or rather, what he means to say is "I don't want to be a Dalaran Mage, because than means spending all my time studying tomes and theory."
It's not to be taken as a general disavowal of everything magical (as we understand it). Indeed, mana points and activatable skills are a cornerstone of Warcraft 3 Gameplay and every hero will have at least one of them.
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The Stormbringer
Worm Fanfic & Crack Connoisseur
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He just needs to crib Reincarnation from Tauren Chieftains, Divine Shield from Human Paladins, Wind Walk from Orc Blademasters, and Blink from Night Elf Wardens.
This is my unstoppable evasion combo!TROOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLL ARTHUS!!!!He just needs to crib Reincarnation from Tauren Chieftains, Divine Shield from Human Paladins, Wind Walk from Orc Blademasters, and Blink from Night Elf Wardens.
Interlude: Vereesa Windrunner
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Interlude: Vereesa Windrunner
"A king who does not let his subjects speak is no king at all." - King Terenas Menethil II
"A king who does not let his subjects speak is no king at all." - King Terenas Menethil II
"Stratholme, the city of merchants," Sister said, tilting her head towards a side alley filled with peddlers and craftsmen and ware sellers. "It's the most prosperous of the human cities and only Lordaeron City can claim to house more humans within its walls."
"That doesn't explain why we're here, Alleria," Vereesa said.
"The King has appointed me as emissary to the Grand Alliance of King Terenas, sister. It is my duty to attend as his representative and maintain the goodwill between Quel'Thalas and Lordaeron."
"This is a waste of time! Sylvanas gets to fight the trolls and we're stuck here talking with humans."
"Mind your tongue sister. Careless words cause conflict," Alleria said. "You'd be surprised how sharp some ears can be."
I snorted. "You cannot be serious. We're speaking in Thalassian."
Alleria rolled her eyes and raised a hand, signalling for their party to stop before a white-robed man. "Anar'alah, Archbishop."
"Bal'a dash, manalore. Anu alah dela'na."
Greetings traveler, Vereesa's mind supplied, The eternal Light guides us. "He speaks our tongue?" Vereesa whispered.
"Just a tad," the Archbishop said with a small smile.
"Your enunciation is impeccable, Archbishop Alonsus," Alleria said, glancing sharply towards Vereesa. "Forgive my sister here. It is her first time to venture into human lands. The transition has not been easy on her."
Point taken.
"There is nothing to forgive, Ranger-Captain," Archbishop Alonsus said. "Shall we proceed to the Castle Plaza?"
"Yes, let's." Sister walked with the Archbishop, though kept herself a half-step behind him. "So Stratholme, a strange choice for the inauguration."
"It was the best compromise," the Archbishop said. "The only choice really, if you think about it."
"How so?"
"There are only so many cities in Lordaeron, Ranger-Captain. Lordaeron City, Stratholme, Andorhal and Tyr's Hand are the greatest of them. Not all in the clergy agreed with creating a warrior order for the Church."
"I see. So that made establishing this order in Tyr's Hand impossible," Alleria said. "The dissenters would never have stood for it."
"Yes," the Archbishop said. "Right now, dissent is the last thing the Church needs if it is to be a pillar of support against the coming darkness."
"How come?" Vereesa asked. "What's so special about this 'Tyr's Hand'?"
The Archbishop laughed. "Tyr's Hand is where the Grand Cathedral of the Light sits. It is the greatest of all the churches."
"I'm afraid I don't follow," Vereesa said.
"Ah, perhaps I'm not explaining this very well," he said. "Alleria, some help?"
"Gladly, Archbishop," Alleria said. "To put it bluntly, Tyr's Hand is a holy site for their religion."
"Well, not quite, but close enough," the Archbishop said. "It's the head of the Church, you could say. All churches look to it for leadership in spiritual matters. It was there that Three Virtues were penned, you know."
"Right, so if the new order was established there, it would be akin to a declaration that the Church of Light universally accepted this new warrior branch," Alleria said. "That's why there would have been dissent."
"I didn't realize religion could be so political," Vereesa confessed.
The Archbishop laughed once more. "Neither did I when I first became a priest. Still, I try not to let it get to me too much. It is ironic that in my efforts to keep the Church from being too embroiled in politics, I must delve into it myself."
"Wait, what of Lordaeron and Andorhal then?" Alleria asked.
"Oh, yes. Well, Lordaeron is the Capital City, the King's seat of power. While not everyone agreed with the need for the Order of the Silver Hand, all agreed that it was prudent to keep some distance between the Church and the Royal family."
"What for?" Vereesa asked.
He smiled, though his eyes became distant and melancholic. "We've had tyrants and fools for kings before. King Terenas is wise beyond his years and a man of impeccable moral standards, but that is no assurance that all of his line will continue to act in the same manner."
She frowned. This kind of talk would have been treasonous in Quel'Thalas. Alleria must've known what she was thinking though, because she answered her unspoken thoughts.
"King Terenas is...different from other kings. He's far more open to criticism," Alleria said. "Anyways, before we get sidetracked, what of Andorhal then?"
"Ah, yes, you'll forgive an old man for going off on tangents," the Archbishop said.
He looked to be of fifty human years. Hardly old by elven standards. Oh wait, humans didn't live as long as we did.
"Andorhal," he continued, "wasn't chosen for more mundane reasons. There were fears that the Church might become involved with the border skirmishes between Alterac and Lordaeron should we be established there."
"I see. Stratholme really is the only reasonable choice then," Alleria said. "Very astute of you to discern, Archbishop."
"My thanks for the praise, Ranger-Captain, but I would be lying if I said I came up with it alone. Much of the credit belongs to King Terenas and his multitude of advisors as well as the more vocal members of the clergy."
The party entered a large square where a crowd had already gathered around a raised podium near the Castle gates. Were all these people here just to see this new order?
"The King awaits you within the Castle, Ranger-Captain," the Archbishop said.
Alleria nodded. "May the Light guide you today, Archbishop."
"May the Light guide us on all days, Ranger-Captain."
-Gamecraft-
"Presenting the Emissary of King Anasterian and Quel'Thalas, Ranger-Captain Alleria Windrunner and company!" the herald announced as the doors to the balcony opened. Chairs were lined up near the railings overlooking the plaza below.
By the center chair, a human king, the King of Lordaeron, stood. "Ranger-Captain Windrunner, I am glad that you made it."
"King Terenas," Alleria said, curtseying, "may I introduce my sister and a ranger under my command, Vereesa Windrunner."
Vereesa did her best to mimic Alleria's movements and stumbled for her efforts. These human customs are strange. Why did sister have to bother with them? she thought.
The King nodded his head, acknowledging us it seemed. "Please, sit. The inauguration will begin soon."
Alleria sat to the King's right, and Vereesa sat to her right. To his left was a noble with the crest of a lion and a young human donning robes of a deep violet. A mage perhaps? Those human wizards of Dalaran wore purple didn't they?
"Respect, Tenacity, Compassion," the Archbishop began in the plaza below, his voice soft, yet carrying easily, "the Three Virtues of the Holy Light are the pillars upon which our faith is established."
"How goes the mobilization, Sir Lothar?" the King asked the Noble.
"Slower than I'd like," the Noble replied. "Most of those ready to move are in the South. Stromgarde, Azeroth, and Kul'Tiras are shoring up their defenses. Alterac is ready to march South to bolster the defenses wherever the orcs choose to attack while Gilneas is slow to move its armies from their current positions."
"Hmm...Greymane is dragging his heels," the King said.
"The Three Virtues are to guide our actions, not just during the good times, but also in the dark times. Especially in the dark times," the Archbishop continued.
"He is," the Noble said. "King Greymane didn't appreciate getting outvoted on the Alliance's military leadership."
The King groaned. "His shortsightedness will doom us all."
This Alliance was sounding more and more like a mistake. What was the point of declaring solidarity if each Kingdom would go on to act in their own interest? Quel'Thalas would be fine without the help of these humans. Even now, they squabble and get in each other's way!
"I will not lie to you, my friends. These are indeed dark times. You have heard rumors of war and destruction and chaos. I am here to tell you they are not rumors. This otherworldly Horde is real. I have seen them with my own eyes." Murmurs met the Archbishop's pronouncement.
"Any good news for me?" the King asked.
"Some," the Noble said. "The Dwarves have sent their own ambassadors and are finally ready to join the Alliance."
Dwarves? It was uncommon for them to venture out of their mountains.
"That doesn't sound like them," Alleria said.
Below, the Archbishop raised his hand to quiet the crowd. "We face a threat that could mean the end of humanity as we know it."
The Noble shrugged. "They've seen the threat these orcs can pose. The Bronzebeards of Khaz Modan and the Wildhammers of Aerie Peak have both approached King Danath. Our scouts say that orc banners have been spotted marching for Khaz Modan from Blackrock."
"But we are not helpless. The great enemy will know our strength, our resolve. Our faith will not waver. We will not waver," the Archbishop said.
"What of Dalaran?" the King asked, directing his question at the young purple-robed man who had been silent until now.
I was right. He was from Dalaran.
"The Kirin Tor is prepared to provide support wherever necessary, King Terenas. Currently, our mages are just brushing up on their spells, but we are ever vigilant," the young man said.
"I call upon the Order of the Knights of the Silver Hand to lend their faith and their blades in service of humanity," the Archbishop said. Five men approached him and knelt, one by one.
"War is a different beast entirely," the Noble said. "Khadgar, you know as well as I do that in the midst of battle, an untested wizard breaks more often than not."
"Rise, Sir Uther, First of the Silver Hand! May the Light watch over you!" the Archbishop said. He sprinkled something over the man's head. Blessed water?
The young man sighed. "I do, but the Kirin Tor is adamant that our conjurers will do fine in combat."
"And the Archmagi agree?" the King asked.
"Rise, Sir Turalyon, and may the Light watch over you!"
"Other than Archmage Kel'Thuzad and Archmage Krasus, yes," the young human said.
"Rise, Sir Tirion, and may the Light watch over you!"
"Not Archmage Antonidas?" the Noble asked, eyes widening. "I thought he'd have more sense than that."
"Rise, Sir Saidan, and may the Light watch over you!"
"Antonidas is a proud man, and proudest of his magic most of all. To suggest that it is insufficient for any task is, for him, an insult," the King said.
For such a learned man, he sounded incredibly foolish. Magic was not a true substitute for skill at arms. At best, it was a powerful and useful art, but it could be overcome.
"Rise, Sir Gavinrad, and may the Light watch over you!"
The three men fell silent as they paid greater attention to the Archbishop.
"In all things, paladins must reflect the Light, which supplements our strength. To strive to be divine for one of our kind does not mean we strive for godhood - we strive to be good in all actions. Although called upon to smite evil in these harsh times, you must always remember that it's aiding others that will truly set you apart from the other citizens. Compassion, patience, bravery - these things mean as much to a paladin as strength in battle. Know this well, and never forget it.
"We will," the five men replied in unison.
"It's time to bring up the next order of business, King Terenas," the Noble said. "The one concerning the elves."
Vereesa sat a little straighter and her ears perked up. From the corner of her eye, she could see her sister remain impassive. "Oh? What about?"
"We've heard of the trouble stirring in Quel'Thalas," the King said. "The trolls under his 'Zul'jin' are becoming a problem."
Alleria made a sound of agreement. "It's being handled."
"Too slowly," the Noble said. "Far too slowly."
Vereesa bristled. It wasn't as if there was much we could do to speed up the process! We had to beat the trolls in a war of attrition and the damned beasts had ridiculous regenerative capabilities!
"We have a solution," the King said. "Them." He pointed to the five men, the new paladins.
What could five humans do?
"What can five men do?" Alleria voiced her thoughts. "No disrespect intended, King Terenas, but even if they were the greatest warriors in all of Lordaeron, five men would not be enough to change the war's pace."
"If they were alone, you would be right," the King said, "but we're not sending just them."
"An army?" Alleria asked.
"Not quite," the Noble said. "I was not lying when I said most of the armies were in the South. We can spare a few hundred men though, allow you to face the trolls in prolonged combat instead of the skirmishing tactics you've been engaging in."
"This is a very generous offer, Sir Lothar, King Terenas," Alleria said. Vereesa suppressed a snort. Generous? We don't need their help and they act as if they are doing us a favor! "What do you require in return?"
"We are all members of the Alliance here, are we not?" the King asked. Somehow, it didn't seem like the question was meant to be answered. "These trolls seem to be tying down many elven warriors. Left unchecked, they could harass our lines of supply and create a second front for the orcs to exploit. We wish to curb this threat before it can grow."
"And, perhaps finally," the Noble said, "King Anasterian will honor his word and send the help he promised."
Alleria gave them a forced smile. "Of course! I will be sure to convey your offer to my King."
"Knights of the Silver Hand, hear me well," the Archbishop finally spoke again from below. "To the North, our elven allies require help and they shall have it. To you, Uther, First of the Paladins, I entrust this task."
"It shall be done," the man, Uther, answered, raising a great warhammer above his head with one hand. It glistened unnaturally in the sunlight, as if the light was attracted to the hammer.
"Do so. We look forward to seeing elven bows alongside human swords soon," the Noble said.
"I'm sure the King will accept," Alleria said, her smile growing even more strained.
"You sound confident of that, Ranger-Captain," the Noble said.
"I know the King well. It's why I was chosen to act on his behalf, after all," Alleria said.
"Very good, Ranger-Captain," the King said. "If I could bother King Anasterian with one more request? My son, as you know, will be fostering in Alterac in five months' time. It is mountains and wilderness for the most part, and I fear my guards are not completely up to the task of protecting him in those conditions."
Alleria was silent for a moment. "You wish for a ranger to be assigned to him?"
"If at all possible," he said.
Alleria glanced at Vereesa and smiled. "I'm sure something can be arranged."
Why do I get a bad feeling about this?
-Gamecraft-
"Absolutely not," she said."This is an order, Vereesa," Alleria said.
"Well, consider this insubordination. I'm not going to play babysitter for some prince, sister!"
"I don't think you understand what an opportunity this is," Alleria said. "The humans have us in a bind."
"What bind?"
She sighed. "You've heard of the debt the Sunstriders owe to the humans, the Arathi?"
Vereesa frowned. "Yes, but the Arathi have died out."
"Not quite. Sir Lothar is the last of their blood. The Sunstriders owe him the debt now, and he has asked for Quel'Thalas to join the Alliance."
Oh. That explained why King Anasterian agreed to this Alliance in the first place. "Well, we're part of it now, aren't we?"
"We are. But now that we have been caught in their grand web, we may not be able to leave whenever we want to anymore," Alleria said. "It would have been simpler if they asked for help against the orcs, but they phrased it specifically so that we become part of the Alliance and all that that entails."
"What do you mean?" Vereesa asked.
"Think about it sister. When the war ends, do you suppose the humans will allow us to leave without a fight? It's entirely possible that they will turn their attention towards our homes, seeing secession from their Alliance as breaking the Anasterian debt. If we don't break from them, they could impose all manner of rules and laws and treaties on us even after the war, turning us into a puppet state for the human kingdoms!"
Okay, that sounded bad. "Would they really go that far?" In a defensive war, we could likely win against the humans but the outcome would leave us horrible crippled.Would we survive our next enemy?
"King Anasterian believes so," Alleria said.
"Well, how does me watching over some brat change anything?"
"It changes everything. Prince Arthas is the heir to the Throne of Lordaeron, the largest nation in the Alliance. The entire idea of the Alliance relies on Lordaeron's continued support of it. They supply most of the food, a quarter of the men and their lands connect the other human Kingdoms to each other," Alleria said.
"So if it were to pull out, the whole thing would collapse?" Vereesa said.
Alleria nodded. "And with it, any potential invasion of Quel'Thalas. A ranger assigned to guard the Prince would be in a position to influence his thoughts. Even if he fails to change the King's mind in the future about letting Quel'Thalas leave, he would act as a rallying point for those nobles who disagree with the idea of an Alliance."
"But then why would this King Terenas ask for a ranger if he knew his son could be influenced so?"
"He worries for his safety. He wasn't lying when he said Alterac's terrain was ill-suited for his guards to handle, and Alterac and Lordaeron have not been on the best of terms prior to the Alliance's formation. I would not put it past the King of Alterac to have the Prince disposed of if it became convenient for him."
"This whole thing is giving me a headache," Vereesa said.
Alleria snorted. "This is just the surface of it sister. Be glad you aren't an emissary."
"And nobody else can do it?"
"Nobody I trust."
Keep that brat prince alive. Should be simple enough. How much trouble could he get into?
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- United Kingdom
It's funny that the elves are so worried about accepting human suzerainty, but are then actively choosing to follow human customs, thus accepting humans as the greater partner, and lord.
Compare this with the situation preluding the Opium Wars, where the British would not kowtow to the Emperor, thus demonstrating that they, as diplomats, were representatives of a sovereign, not a vassal, and that they desired trade with China, rather than that they were bringing gifts.
I'm not sure this is a credible argument. The Alliance, in the beginning, was just a mutual defence agreement, with treaties of friendship and trade. It was not a union of sovereign kingdoms. There was that questline in Warlords where you had to help Varian go round and get the various races to acknowledge him as High King, but that was after 40 years of the Alliance being together, and still, it just acknowledge Varian as the head of the Alliance. The other sovereigns are still sovereign, they aren't vassals.
Comparably, the elves have no reason to worry about having laws imposed on them. There are Articles of Confederation, not a Constitution. Sure, Anasterian is linked to the Alliance through Lothar, but the dept is personal in nature, because Lothar fights the elves do, the elves aren't obliged to join up with a federal system.
Even after the Third War happens, and 10 years into WoW, the different races were still conducting their own military and foreign policy, historically the measure of a state that is sovereign. It's only the external threats of BC and Wrath, and then Pandaria, that required a joint military force to head off. Then after than having worked so closely together in their colonial efforts the Alliance became stronger till they did actually acknowledge Varian as High King in WoD
There was also some Draenei in... Valliance Keep possibly? Not sure, anyway, they were sent there to help out and were complaining to the commander of the fort that they were just hanging about instead of fighting. So the commander told them pretty bluntly that they weren't trusted by the Alliance and it would create problems if they were actually fighting.
This demonstrates the level of confederation in the Alliance. The Draenei arrived, and conducted trade with the Night Elves, who were in the Alliance. Why would Azeroth, way across the sea care about them? Comparably, both the Blood Elves and the Orcs are in the Horde, making the Horde the enemy of the Draenei, and with the Night Elves willing to sponsor them they joined up.
Dorben
Mediocre RS Player
Got a mix of first and third person address so it's quite disorienting. I had to check who's perspective I was in a few times. It's mostly third, so it may be best to just stick to that.
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Ah, but when has credibility and logical arguments ever mattered to the scared? Such is human (elven?) nature.
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- with internet
Now if Vereesa decides to follow her orders, and puts some serious effort into it, she will give Arthas a wonderful gift; a skill to resist psychological manipulation.
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- United Kingdom
What?
The Troll Wars, of which the High Elves took part in, with Anasterian as a king, took place 2,800 years before the Dark Portal opened. He's not ruled for all that time without being rational. He's not an idiot, not is he a child. He rules one of the most powerful kingdoms in the world. Don't flanderise him to shoehorn your plot in.
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Warning: Spoilers may be found in the following text.
The question that must be first brought up is 1) Who is Anasterian Sunstrider?
King of Quel'Thalas, a prideful kingdom with a prideful king. Smart? Crafty? Wise? At times, to varying degrees. Honor-bound, places a heavy weight on his words, which ties in to pride. Believes his people need not depend on any other, as when he chose not to get involved with the Third War too much. Again, pride, or perhaps he found the rumors of plague and death as fanciful tales, thinking the magic of his people and the Sunwell would protect them?
No matter the case, it's pretty evident his defining trait is pride. And proud men, overly prideful men especially, fear being brought low. They might not be aware of that fear, but it is there; a dangerous, twisted, ugly crablike thing. It's perfectly legitimate to think they would be too proud to think that humans could topple them. At the same time though, we've established Anasterian is smart, smarter than underestimating a race whose martial values he has witnessed firsthand before.
So 2) Why did the Elves need help in the Troll Wars?
Lack of military strength is the obvious answer. Because they lacked skill? Maybe, but doubtful. Because they lacked the numbers to wage a war? Hmm. Perhaps they knew how hard the losses would be, and so could not bring themselves to make that sacrifice? Plausible. Their entire specialty in war - fighting from a distance, seems to suggest this as well.
Enter the Arathi, Man, the "lesser race", to take the brunt of the fighting for them. Meat shields, basically, whose value is to hold the line and be damage sponges. But remember that in exchange for their aid, the elves taught man magic. And Anasterian saw the skill at arms of Man. The two make for a deadly combination.
Man may not be as sturdy as the Trolls, but they breed just as fast and they can plan. Perhaps, just perhaps, a seed of doubt is placed in his head. Oh certainly Man is still inferior, but so were the Trolls and they were a threat too.
3) The current situation
Fastforward a couple thousand years, and Anasterian remains, ever watchful of his neighbors. We know that in canon, there were border disputes between Quel'Thalas and Lordaeron. Disputes which only ended recently thanks to King Terenas' skillful diplomacy. A failure of diplomacy usually indicates one or both sides being unwilling to engage in it (or both). That hints at some tensions at the very least.
Tensions enough which justify taking a renewed interest in the human kingdoms (if it ever faded to begin with), or to take an even closer look at the situation. Lordaeron is the greatest of the human kingdoms above the Thandol Span, second only to Azeroth in the whole of the continent. Any king not an idiot would be a little wary of them. Alone, few kingdoms might stand against it successfully.
Sure, the elves probably could do it, but the loss of lives afterwards is a nauseating thought. Far better, certainly, to keep the humans squabbling among themselves? Divide and conquer, a strategy as old as Sargeras.
4) The Grand Alliance
What's this? A military alliance between all the human kingdoms? Against this so called "orc invasion?" This is a lose-lose situation. Should the humans prevail, this Grand Alliance might perhaps go on to become something even more than an Alliance. After all, what assurances are there that Terenas wouldn't do so? Is Anasterian to rely merely on goodwill, reputation and honor to protect his people from becoming secondary?
Please. Anasterian isn't stupid. Human kings have broken their words time and time again to each other. They're all the same.
The best situation would be if these orcs and humans weakened each other, with the humans ultimately prevailing only marginally. After all, the elves have need of meat shields still and this will hardly be the last war the world has seen. But as any chess player knows, you plan for the mate ten steps ahead. That is to say, don't wait for the problems to come knocking at your doorstep before looking for a solution to pre-empt it.
So while your points are true, that Anasterian is not stupid, you perhaps mistake rationality / being smart or wise to an invulnerability to fear. And as Anasterian (MAJOR SPOILER) is no Gamer, he is no exception. Anasterian doesn't know how things might end up, so he seeks to control the situation, and turn every potential outcome into a victory for his people.
As for your other argument, well it's besides the fact, isn't it? That's all post-fact proof and unless Anasterian has developed time-travel powers to his magic (hello there, Bronze Dragonflight), he has no real way of being certain.
5) On the Nature of the Grand Alliance
While you aren't wrong in saying it never evolved into something more than a military alliance, there are some actions which are questionable. The greatest of these is Terenas' imprisonment tax levied on other sovereign kingdoms to fund the Orc Internment camps post Second War. It wasn't a popular move and it broke the Alliance up, and I can only conclude that he had nowhere near the majority needed to enforce this action. That's an overstep of sovereignty, certainly. Taxation is one of the three powers inherent to a government after all (or so Politics 101 teaches me).
Then there's also the planned political marriages between Jaina and Arthas, the consolidation of the Alliance Army under a unified command, the links of friendship between Danath and Terenas, the attempt to absorb Alterac after its insurrection failed (with David Prestor aka Deathwing to inherit after marrying into the Lordaeron Ruling Family). Individually, none of these facts say much, but together one can paint a plausible theory with them.
And what is fanfiction if not the exploration of plausible theories?
TL;DR: I've given this far too much thought than a sane man should admit to. Character Agency has not been irrevocably violated.
PS: I should perhaps clarify that I don't mean this is the only legitimate interpretation of the characters or situations at hand, merely one of many plausible ones that best fit my narrative. And again, I reiterate, AU. Which stands for Author Unbound. (Nah, its really Alternate Universe).
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Ghostdevil
The Devil of Ghosts
- Location
- United States
Lol, that guy got pwned in this argument
- Location
- with internet
I was fairly sure he didn't have Gamer's Body or Mind. I mean, right from the start with Cleric Abenthy, his injuries were familiar and normal to an experienced medical professional, and we've seen him be overwhelmed by his emotions several times, to the point he even gained skill-ups from dealing with his emotions personally.
Edit: Also, that he's seen his skill list several times, so if he does have them and they're just off or something, they aren't listed there.
Edit: Also, that he's seen his skill list several times, so if he does have them and they're just off or something, they aren't listed there.
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Chapter 10: Listening In
- Location
- Philippines
AN: So, odd thing happened. I could've sworn I posted this chapter before, but it appears I hadn't. Chronologically, this occurs before the Vereesa Interlude
Chapter 10: Listening In
"Feelin' better o'er there?" Jax asked as we entered the room. The smell of something sweet was in the air and candles burned to either side of Falric. Cinnamon?
"Good enough, all things considered. The Cleric says there'll be something scarring," Falric said, "finally something to show the women."
…Why would girls want to see a battle scar?
Jax snorted. "Won't help with tha' beardless face 'o yours!"
"Only a matter of time that." His grin faded. "I heard there was an attack. Well, another one."
"Aye, a few bandits," Jax said. "Nothin' that couldn't be handled."
"Was anyone hurt?"
Jax shrugged. "Shallow cuts and a couple 'o bruises are the worst of it, as far as I know."
"What of Prince Arthas?" he asked.
"Not a scratch on 'im." Jax took a few steps closer to Falric, and in a softer voice, said, "Would you believe he didn't sneak off to chase the bandits after they ran?"
Falric's brow rose and he glanced at me. "Really?"
"Stayed in town like he was told to."
Falric turned to me. "Anything you'd like to add to that?"
"We shouldn't have fought." I closed my eyes so I'd stop seeing white, so I'd stop seeing him bleeding on the ground. "It's my fault, that you got hurt. I made the choice for you."
"I don't know if you remember rightly, milord, but I wanted to fight too."
"You could have died," I said.
"I did mine duty. You don't become a soldier without knowing the risks."
My eyes opened into a glare. "You could have died." Didn't he get it?
"But we saved lives," he said. "There are fathers out there who won't have to know to the pain of losing their wifes. There are children who won't have to grow up without a mother."
"Oh," Jax murmured. I could hear him the floor creaking underneath him as he shifted his weight.
"You want to die for that? For them?"
He nodded.
"Why?"
He smiled though he wasn't happy. He smiled a bitter smile. "Because they're me."
And it finally hit me, what he was saying. It was obvious all along. Why didn't I see it?
"I…" My throat closed and my words died with it.
"My mom was from Tenby," he began. Tenby, I had heard of. It was a small village, perhaps half a day west on foot. "Dad didn't care much for the Feast of Winter Veil, so we'd end up in Tenby most years, give mom a chance to be with her parents and brothers."
"Terrible, jus' terrible," Jax said, staring at the ground.
"Like Brill, it was a safe place, milord. And it was a village, too small and too poor to have a wall of its own, but life there was good. Then the bandits came on the night of the Feast. It was timed well, with the moon at its high. The men were drunk on mead already. We stood no chance! They took her and others still..."
I could imagine what he left out. There were few pleasant endings for a peasant woman taken in a bandit raid.
"I've wanted to be a soldier ever since. Every year, I'd ask the guards that passed through here to let me come with to Lordaeron. Every year, they'd say no, said I was too young."
"Until this year," I said.
"Until this year, when I challenged one of them to a duel," he said. "I told them if I won, they'd have to let me be a guard."
"Wait, I've heard 'o this one before. That was you?" Jax asked.
Falric grimaced. "Yes, I was the one who challenged Captain Valmont."
"Who?" I asked.
"Captain Valmont," Jax said, "is one 'o the best swords in the East Guard."
"Which really means he's the best sword in the entire Guard," Falric said. "I lost badly."
"I don't follow," I said. "If you lost-"
"How did he get into the Guard?" a voice finished from behind us.
"Sarge Wycliffe!" Falric stood up, hastily saluting. The blankets covering his body fell to the floor and Observe was telling me his wound was mostly healed now, if still tender. The Light was capable of amazing feats, especially when it came to healing.
"The Captain said that if his half-trained arse was dumb enough to challenge a member of the Guard, he might as well die for his country."
Jax turned around and went through the motions of a salute. "Welcome back, Sarge. The King's back, I s'ppose?"
"Just a few minutes ago, actually." Wycliffe looked at Falric. "You ready to move out?"
"Yes sir!" Falric said. "Are we leaving tonight, sir?"
"No, it's too dark for that now. Sir Warwick's decided to move at the crack of dawn though, so you'd best get some more rest. We'll have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."
"Where's my father?" I asked.
"At the town hall, in a meeting with Sir Warwick, milord," the sergeant said. "You should be heading there yourself for bed."
A meeting? What could they be talking about? The trolls maybe?
The Quest 'Listening In' has been created!
-Listen in on your father and Warwick without getting caught
Reward: 15000 XP, ?
Failure Penalty: Decreased Relations with your father and Warwick
That was a lot of experience points, more than I had ever been offered. No way I was passing this opportunity up. Besides, I didn't feel sleepy at all!
Jax stretched his arms. "I could do with some sleep myself."
"You have first watch tonight," the sergeant said.
"What! But I spent all day watchin' o'er the Prince and fightin' off bandits!"
"You fought for an hour at best."
"Actually, we were mostly watching the fight," I said. "You were by my side the whole time remember?"
The sergeant crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Sounds like you're well rested then, compared to those of us who were riding hard. Get to it."
"Fine," Jax grumbled.
-Gamecraft-
The door shut as I was left in my room for the night. The bed was hard, made of heavy wood that even the pillows we had brought didn't help. Still, it was preferable to sleeping outside. At least here it was warm.
I concentrated on my Minimap, thankful that the tour this morning had included the interior of the town hall. I had a rough blueprint of the structure which told me Father's room was across mine, though I was still blind to the patrolling guards.
I rose, as quiet as I could, and placed an ear beside the wall.
It was too thick to hear anything but faint, muffled sounds.
What skills did I have that could help?
I opened up my skill menu and began scrolling. None of my combat skills would of help here. Persuade and Oration too, were out of the picture. I doubt I could convince any of the guards not to send me back to bed if I was caught sneaking about, much less this. Math was out as well. That left me with:
Self-delusion LV 2 EXP: 82.21%
A liar lies to others. A visionary lies to himself.
Observe LV 27 EXP: 89.92%
Much is revealed to those who do not ignore their senses. Reveals information.
The senses? Did Observe work on more than just sight? That seemed to be what the skill description implied.
No time like the present. "Observe."
Muffled sounds. Conversation. Guards posted outside my door. It wasn't likely they'd come in, unless there was an emergency.
Wind blowing into the room. Cold. Mid-autumn. Window open.
The window! Father always kept his windows open at night and they were large enough for me to fit through and the ledge would give me some footing. I could circle around and listen in.
The plan went off without a hitch.
"...possess more cunning than I thought to know that the water ran too fast for our horses to cross." That sounded like Father.
"You give them too much credit, sire. I would rather attribute it to luck than any tactical forethought on their end," Warwick said. "While it's a shame that we weren't able to catch all of them, we did get a few."
"They didn't say much."
"They are brutes. I'm impressed they were able to say anything at all. Though to be fair, they might as well have said nothing. They kept blabbering of some gibberish about 'Zul'jin'. Who in Light's name is that supposed to be? A tribal leader of some sort?"
"I doubt a mere tribal leader would be able to give the elves so much trouble. Besides, the prisoners seemed to imply Zul'jin was so much more than that," Father said.
"What of it? It is an affair for the elves to deal with."
"These trolls could seriously interfere with what support King Anasterian has promised us," Father said.
"Anasterian is an isolationist on par with Greymane, milord. I doubt they will send any significant force south of their woods, whether there are trolls or not! The elves are spellslingers and archers, more used to whittling away at their enemies than engaging in battle. It is part of their aversion to loss."
"You seem to hold that against them. Isn't it commendable that they value life so highly?" Father asked.
"Elven lives, sire," Warwick said. "They'd as easily trade a thousand human lives if it could save an elven one. They do not see us as equals. That Anasterian sent a Ranger-Captain to the convocation of the Grand Alliance. Their help would be great, yes, but they make for poor allies with that mindset of theirs."
"We need their support, nonetheless. Their skills will be invaluable in the coming times. We may even need to intervene in Quel'Thalas should this 'Zul'jin' be a threat."
"The trolls are good on the field, but they are atrocious at sieges. They'll never break through Quel'Thalas' defenses," Warwick said. "Besides, the army is stretched thin as it is. I don't know if we can afford to send more men to fight more wars we don't need to."
"We are at peace with Alterac now, are we not? Surely we can pull soldiers from that front."
"You actually trust Perenolde?" Warwick hissed.
"He's sending us his eldest."
"And we are sending him your only son, the future King of Lordaeron! A daughter, even the eldest one, is not equivalent to the Crown Prince!"
"Arthas wishes to go. I will not stop him."
"He's a child! Hardly difficult to lure in with sweet words."
Hey! I take offense at that!
"Arthas must make his own choices," Father said. "And I must not give King Perenolde reason to turn on us now. His mountains are the fastest path to Stromgarde and the Thandol Valley."
Warwick sighed. "Even if we do pull soldiers from the South, I cannot help but worry that it will tempt Alterac to strike first once more, like in the recent war."
"Perenolde has given his word. To break it now, with all the Alliance at witness, no man would trust him again."
"Because he was so honorable two years ago when he started this war. Not all men hold on to honor as dearly as you, sire."
He did? I didn't know about that...
"I suppose you are right. I do not relish the thought at leaving the young Varian on his own with the number of bandits there. Azeroth's people need time to pick themselves up. Do we have any alternatives?"
"What of this new army the Archbishop has called for? The Silver Arm, was it? It will be a good test for them," Warwick said.
"The Order of the Silver Hand are too new and too few. They haven't even declared themselves yet."
"But they will, soon. We could attach a few of our western units with them to give them some much needed manpower. It'll be good training for them too with all the peace they've had."
"Some of the Eastern Lords will protest this." I could practically hear Father's frown. "Lord Garithos especially."
"They are a minority."
"A vocal one," Father said. "But yes, a minority."
"Perhaps a coalition force instead, milord?" Warwick asked. "Stromgarde and Kul'Tiras both are strong proponents of the Alliance."
"Kul'Tiras is a nation of shipmen. They won't be of much use in a land war, to say nothing of the damage they suffered during the Titantide. Stromgarde city too, was hurt badly, even if the rest of Danath's kingdom wasn't hurt. However, they are on the frontlines and will need their strength. Kul'Tiras if the orcs invade by sea, Stromgarde if by land."
"Gilneas wouldn't lift a finger to help us, of course. They've never been too happy with us. Thankfully, they were hit just as badly by Titantide as Kul'Tiras."
"It is petty to take pleasure in the misfortune of others, Lord Warwick."
"Then may the Light forgive my small transgression, my liege, for I am a petty man by nature," Warwick said.
"You know, it's strange. Now that we speak of it, it seems only Alterac was unaffected two years ago."
"They're situated inland, with mountains surrounding them," Warwick said. "Mere geographic happenstance."
"Even Dalaran was affected. A magical backlash, Archmage Antonidas called it, which shattered the First Tower of the Violet Citadel. And now we hear news of Quel'Thalas being weakened."
"Allegedly, from enemy sources."
"Weakened enough that trolls managed to slip past elven rangers to enter our lands. That is not insignificant. That is indisputable fact," Father said. "We do not know what is bothering the elves exactly, but it is clear something is. They could have felt the magical backlash Dalaran did."
"It's...possible," Warwick said.
Their words really weren't making me feel better about my fostering.
The Quest 'Listening In' has been completed!
+15000 XP
Your level has increased by one! Your level has increased by one!
My first trip outside of Lordaeron and I had gained five levels, where before it had taken me days to get even two.
I need to get out more often.
-Gamecraft-
You did not get enough sleep. You have received the status effect 'Tired'. You will suffer a 20% stat penalty, a 30% MS and AS penalty and a 40% HP and MP regen penalty until you recover.
As a result of my nighttime adventures, I only got in three hours of sleep last night (or rather early this morning).
"See, somehow, I'm not surprised you're tired," Falric said. "You know sleep is actually important, right?"
"Two," I said.
"Two?"
"Yes, two." Then I rode away. That was all the justification I needed.
...Did I just let something about the Game slip?
I moaned. "It's too early for this." I wonder if I could fall asleep while riding?
"Any idea what that meant?" I heard him ask Jax.
"Hours of sleep probably."
Now about my Medicine Man Quest...I could talk to Nort I guess?
-Gamecraft-
Name: Arthas Menethil – The Crown Prince of Lordaeron
Class: Gamer
Level: LV 9
HP: 169/169
MP: 156/247
STR: 13
AGI: 36
INT: 19
WIS: 13
VIT: 13
LUK: 11
Points: 10
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