Arc 3 Start
It had been a month since the Demonsword Clan hailed your sword, a month since Haomarush had scorred a bloody line on his chest and sworn his blood-oath to follow you in life and death.
The cold of the mountains had passed and you had passed it in stillness and contemplation, camping in the caves above Varnhold. You suspected they had been occupied by some beast, but there were drawings on the walls too and a peaceful pool where water dripped in the darkness.
The Mak'gora had exhausted you. Physically yes, for your heart had beat almost to bursting in your chest, and the shaman had told you that you'd broken several ribs and torn muscles. You'd been recovering for almost a fortnight, but it was a spiritual ache too.
The Pure Flame had come forth once more, come forth at your will, and your soul had burned as a weapon. You'd told no one of it, no one but Vark, and your brother had been good counsel in the weeks that followed. He had nursed you and cared for you, and it was his steady arm by which you walked to the cave's entrance so the warriors could see you.
Haomarush had left, taken the Demonsword Clan back into the mountains at your command, gathering the last of the raiding bands in the hills while he did. They would trouble the Alteraci no more, but in the time it took you to confront the Blademaster you knew he'd slain many.
Bishop Karlus had not returned, but his Deacon had apparently dispatched a confused report of your duel, and in his correspondence with you since Karlus seemed to express amazement that Fel Orcs would leave peacefully, and indeed the situation had been resolved favourably at all.
You would tour the Demonsword holdings in time, of that you were sure, and you'd have a full accounting of how the clan had so swollen with strength and numbers. So too would you have to get around to investigating what might have happened to Jubei'thos, for when you'd questions Haomarush the Blademaster hadn't been able to give you much. Haomarush had apparently been defeated by the traitor prince, Arthas, and left for dead, and when he recovered he'd gathered the remains of the clan, the majority of which had been ignored by the early Scourge in their desire to destroy Dalaran.
Kalaran Windblade had delivered the corpse of the king to Dathrohan, as you'd instructed, and it seemed that the Lady Prestor had been decided upon as the next monarch of Alterac. The crown jewels of that kingdom were already in transit through Khaz Modan, though it seemed the succession might be somewhat more complex than some had anticipated.
Vark had been in Anderhol as your emissary, and had brought back much news, some well and some perhaps less so…
The King is dead, long live the King!
In as yet uncertain circumstances, Genn Greymane, King of Gilneas, has been killed. That the death was violent is all that seems certain at the moment, but rumours abound of a hunting accident, Northgate rebels, or some sort of woodland cult being involved. Liam Greymane succeeds his father, a boy known to be more open than his father to outsiders, having previously argued against the construction of the Greymane Wall and the kingdom's subsequent isolation. What may chance of this is much speculated upon, but emissaries bearing the sigil of the Scarlet Crusade were seen entering Gilneas recently.
Zul's Embassy!
On sea and through the air the Prophet Zul has been driven forth by his visions, and travels to the wide reaches of the ancient Troll empire. To jungle and frigid tundra, to sandy waste and wooded hill, Zandalari ships have visited every major port in the Great Sea to announce a new alliance of Trollkind, and it is known that the Golden City will guarantee the independence and security of the other tribes of Trolls.
Trade War!
Where both the Goblins of Kezan and the Kul Tirans had attempted to expand in the previous year, it seems now that Kezan has come off worse from the exchange. While cannonfire has occasionally been exchanged, it's been more usual for the Kul Tirans to simply out-manoeuvre their opponents, catching the wind and strengthening their colonies in Kalimdor, while crowding out Goblin trade along the Merchants' Coast. This has even led to an explosion of goods out of Kalimdor the likes of which the people of the Eastern Kingdoms have never seen, with one notable incident in which a pack of imported raptors escaped into Elwynn Forest demonstrating the novelty of such goods. The Trade Princes of Kezan can hardly accept this imposition on their trade though, and have openly sought mercenaries to continue the conflict.
The Idle Warchief!
Meanwhile, as Orgrimmar recovers from the devastation of Forneus' March, the Warchief Thrall has been largely absent from affairs, leaving his subordinates to command the nation. While some say Thrall is wounded, others point to trips the Warchief has taken to many areas of Kalimdor to commune with and calm the Elements. Still, the Orcish people, and the wider Horde, lie wounded themselves and without a leader the race suffers greatly. Taking advantage of this, the Kal'dorei of Ashenvale have advanced in force, compelling Thrall to order a retreat of the Warsong from that territory.
Burning Thorns!
Neeru Fireblade has led his clan in battle against the Quilboar of the Barrens, a dozen Blademasters at his back, and warlocks and warriors many in his guard. The whole Razorfen is said to have burned green for weeks during the fighting, with many demons and horrors being seen, as well as other allies among the Grimtotem Tauren joining the attacks. The devastating victory, which slaughtered the Quilboar and driven their clans away, has only enhanced Neeru's prestige. In addition to this, with the public absence of Thrall, Neeru took the opportunity to intercept reports from the Eastern Kingdoms, using the words of Thrall's own agents to condemn the Warchief, openly accusing him of treachery and tyranny in the attack of the Frostwolves upon his son, Grok'mash Fireblade. This was a grave charge indeed, and it was only through the intercession of the Circle of Elders that the city didn't break into open strife. The Warchief returned to a hostile populace, with even his own Frostwolves being horrified at the reports.
Forsaken Desolace!
The appearance of thousands of undead took the people of Desolace by surprise. None more so than the Centaur tribes who hold that land sacred. The Centaur, completely inexperienced in fighting this new foe, have suffered devastating defeats, with the tireless undead finding no difficulty in a land which provides little sustenance, for after all, they don't eat! The only group who haven't been surprised so far have been the Burning Blade of Thunder Axe Fortress, and the subsequent closeness between the groups has caused for much anguish among the centaur who've found themselves trapped in the hidden valleys of Mauradon.
An Alliance in Tatters!
In a paradox much remarked on in noble courts, the Alliance is stronger than is has been in recent years, yet much weaker too. Of the human kingdoms, not one is ruled by an experienced monarch. Saiden Dathrohan still refuses to produce the 'Scarlet Princess', while Varian Wrynn leads an indolent and pathetic existence while towns openly declare for regional nobles. Alterac is said to have fallen to Orcish invasion, while the ruler of Arathi can only claim to actually rule a third of his kingdom at most. Monsters and rebels crawl over Gilneas, with Kul Tiras perhaps the only kingdom to remain strong, despite the losses of two navies in a decade. The mages of Dalaran are illusive, the Dwarves of Khaz Modan insular. The only recent announcement which might bring joy to some is the announcement of marriage between King Wrynn and the Lady Prestor, who some already call the Queen of Alterac. While positively received, the news has also been remarked upon as merely the joining of two already weak nations, which may not necessarily form a stronger whole. Yet, just as the kingdoms falter, one rises ascendant. The Scarlet Onslaught has expanded, annexing parts of neighbouring kingdoms and extracting punishing treaties with others in return for much needed aid. The work of Dathrohan is at direct odds with the very ideals of the Alliance, yet aid is aid, wherever it may come from.
Enemies of the World!
While temporal concerns occupy the attention of many, the wise of Azeroth maintain their watch over greater threats. And threats there are! Ancient barrows and tombs have been broken open, artefacts stolen, and evil abounds in the land. Reports of Scourge activity have increased dramatically in what many suspect is the preparation of a counterattack after the defeat of the Scourge in the Plaguelands. Meanwhile, strangely reports of demonic activity and cults of the Burning Legion seem to have decreased!
You mulled over the news as you recovered. You were obviously most interested in the affairs of your clan, but you were thousands of miles away on a different continent and you had work to do yourself.
"Dathrohan said he'll be coming here." Vark said, picking at a spiced beetle which had been sent in a bundle of gifts from the Grand Crusader. "When the snows clear."
"A couple of months at most." you remarked, crunching down on one of the insects yourself. There had been taillasher eggs too, and you suspected Dathrohan had specifically acquired food from Durotar to gain favour with you. Certainly it had reminded some of home when you'd distributed most of it to the warband, but Vark had retained a few parcels for you two.
"It's up to you." Vark said, "I've little better to do but frankly I'd rather not get into a fight with everyone back at home." the big orc shrugged. He'd taken a rather relaxed attitude to chiefdom, despite now leading a formidable band of ogres, but you also supposed it wasn't that difficult to lead such creatures.
"That may not be up to us." you replied.
A particularly loud crunch saw Vark crushing the thorax of a beetle between his blocky teeth. "Well, in that case, let it be done and quickly."
You remembered how Vark had so casually sent arrows from his greatbow at the grieving Drek'thar. There had been a cold sort of calculation there, to simply slay, and say nothing of honour or grace.
"We'll see…" you replied. You did need to make a decision. A month's rest was acceptable, but you couldn't squat in caves forever, and even now people were beginning to ask questions. Dathrohan would ask them too, while the Demonsword would expect you to have a plan as well, or they'd probably take to raiding again.
It would have been better if you'd been able to speak to your father before engaging such a course, but unfortunately it was impossible. To have a detailed discussion, rather than sending simple messages or strong impressions of emotion would require greater resources than you had now, and perhaps greater skill too. No, you would have to decide on your own.
Choose any number you like as long as the vote counter counts it properly, the one with the most votes will win.
[ ] Rule in Alterac
The most obvious option, Dathrohan has promised you effective rule of Alterac. This will further involve you in Alliance politics, but will also allow you to become a sponsor and patron of all Orcs in Lordaeron.
[ ] End of Exile
You were sent away, that is true, but with Drek'thar's attempted to murder you, perhaps you should do as Vark said and return home to confront Thrall directly.
[ ] Confrontation in Desolace
Another thing to confront would be your father's schemes. You believe it's possible to reopen the portal Varimathras used to evacuate the Forsaken to Desolace. You could use it too and finally discover what your clan has hidden in that barren land.
[ ] Take to the Sea
The Kul Tirans are one of the greatest impediments to the Horde's safety and security, for by their navy they hold a stranglehold on trade down the coast of Kalimdor. You made early attempts at discussion with Lord Waycrest, and the Kul Tirans can no doubt use the assistance of good fighters in their conflicts with the goblins. Such assistance might in turn grant you some influence in Boralus, and you might negotiate a favourable outcome for the Kul Tiran colonies in Kalimdor. Additionally, you'd previosuly been interested in the Broken Isles, so this might be an opportunity to visit that storied location.
[ ] Into the Cold
You know Dathrohan intends to attack Northrend at some point, one way of using the Demonsword Clan well might be to volunteer yourself and your command as an expeditionary force to that strange continent to prepare the way for the Scarlet Onslaught.
[Write in] The Wide World
Or, you supposed, there were other matters you could attend to. Whatever you chose, you could not compromise your ideals or your position, and any mission must also have a way of preventing the Demonsword from returning to their old ways, lest your duel be for nothing.
Vote will remain open for a while. Discussion is encouraged. Write in is permitted, but follows the same criteria as previously, with the additional responsibility of using the Demonsword for something. Grok assumes that if he's not in close supervision of them (eg the same region) that they'll start raiding again because they'll feel abandoned. Similarly, recall that without official Alliance sanction, you won't be permitted to move large numbers of troops through Alliance land. Similarly, if you need to get anywhere far away, you need a way to do that. You might, for example, trade a favour with the Kul Tirans in return for transport, but you'd have to do some service for them in a miniarc before you started the new arc etc.
Like the previous arc, there may be miniarcs, but for the beginning at least we'll probably return to plan voting. I'll decide at a later date.
Feel free to ask questions before voting, if appropriate I'll answer in character, but can also do so OOC depending on the question.
