Travler66
Let her name echo in song!
- Location
- Beyond
Well, if we play our cards right, Trolls will be back on the world stage.
Well, if we play our cards right, Trolls will be back on the world stage.
- Location
- canada
Actually this video is quite relevant as it reminds us how OP Aegwynn and her son are. We are also not far off from her being a thing.......about 150 years according to the official timeline.
hmmmm..... welp I guess the Portal is not going to happen in this quest barring a timeskip. I mean even if our actions somehow weaken Azeroth enough to attract the legion slightly sooner it is still 1145 years off......... jesus thats a long time.
Massgamer
Advance toward the Future
- Location
- The Future
Yeah, our actions are mainly to get the Gurubushi and Stranglethorn in general back on their feet, assuming all goes well by time of First War the empire will be as strong as the Alliance.Actually this video is quite relevant as it reminds us how OP Aegwynn and her son are. We are also not far off from her being a thing.......about 150 years according to the official timeline.
hmmmm..... welp I guess the Portal is not going to happen in this quest barring a timeskip. I mean even if our actions somehow weaken Azeroth enough to attract the legion slightly sooner it is still 1145 years off......... jesus thats a long time.
- Location
- canada
ummm alliance level strong I doubt but twice the level of Stormwind I will believe.
GhostKing 666
Bringing Nightmares to life evey minute
Eh, I'd doubt we'd be that strong. Matching the strongest or even any two or maybe three member states sure, but the thing that makes both the Alliance and the Horde the main superpowers of Azeroth, is the fact that both are multinational alliances between different nation states.
We'd need to get other Troll Empires on our side before we could take either at their peak.
- Location
- barking
It's hard to imagine that it is a long time till even Ragnaros is summoned
- Location
- canada
ya Stormwind was the strongest human Nation at the time of the First War. If we can manage to be 2x as strong as them but also have powerful individuals who could at least hope to slow down Medivh, then that is enough for me. In cannon the Various tribes separated were about that strong but lacked anyone capable of even slowing down Medivh. Realistically getting to about 3x as strong with the ability to halt Medivh in his tracks is possible with the Loa on our side.
- Location
- The Space Between
150 years pre-Aegwynn? I wonder how Deadwind Pass looks what with the lack of death and wind and tower
There's probably a lot of interesting places and ideas kicking around that far back in time.
The Gnoll Wars are one of the foundational conflicts of Stormwind that make it such a militarily competent and well organized power. I uh. After we tussle with the Hakkari we should think about smashing into the Gnoll from behind. Gnolls can be sacrificed to da Loa pretty easy, and it helps our neighbor.
There's probably a lot of interesting places and ideas kicking around that far back in time.
The Gnoll Wars are one of the foundational conflicts of Stormwind that make it such a militarily competent and well organized power. I uh. After we tussle with the Hakkari we should think about smashing into the Gnoll from behind. Gnolls can be sacrificed to da Loa pretty easy, and it helps our neighbor.
GhostKing 666
Bringing Nightmares to life evey minute
Honestly, I'd doubt even then we'd be able to slow Medivh. Arcane magic(especially powerful arcane magic) has always been the achilles heel of trollkind. Even with help from the Loa, it's always been the thing they could never beat and what always allowed the Elves to kick Troll ass despite a vast numbers disparity. We'd need something new, some new gamechanger before we fight Medivh, because otherwise history would probably just end up repeating itself.
- Location
- My house, probably
- Pronouns
- He/Him
One way of preventing Medivh, or Aegwynn, from screwing us over would be to take over Deadwind Pass before Aegwynn builds Karazhan. Because if there's no Karazhan then Medivh/Aegwynn will stay in Tirisfal.
Alternatively we could try to kill the Avatar of Sargeras before Aegwynn, since doing so eventually led to her leaving the Council of Tirisfal, but I don't think our chances of success are all that high.
Alternatively we could try to kill the Avatar of Sargeras before Aegwynn, since doing so eventually led to her leaving the Council of Tirisfal, but I don't think our chances of success are all that high.
- Location
- canada
Actually the times the trolls were defeated by Arcane magic were
- by the Night Elves who only won thanks to the Well of Eternity power boost and having a massive army backing the mages.
- by the Humans who only won thanks to a massive trap laid by over 100 mages that only worked because the Amani got super overconfident thinking the humans didn't have magic. (they were beating the High Elves who had magic before then so ya.)
- and 3 by Medivh who won thanks to being op plus the Gurubashi not having any of the loa backing them and being broken in to pieces from each other.
Every time Arcane magic beat the Trolls there were BS plot circumstances that ensured their defeat. With how we are united we are and how Blizz is not here to beat the plot stick over our heads and force us back down into our 'place' and how we have the Loa on our side again? We should be fine.
Yeah, lets not be too hasty in assuming we can contend with even a sliver of one of the titans. Admittedly the biggest issue at the moment is even having a reason to go anywhere near Northrend at the moment, though that's still asking to pick a fight with something that's going to leave us with a mountain of dead at the very least, and something that taxed one of the most powerful guardians ever produced.
Massgamer
Advance toward the Future
- Location
- The Future
Hmmm, when we go to fight Hakkar and his followers, do people think we might have to deal with a blood plague situation that happened in WoW raid?
Sure it was just a glitch, but considering what boss it came from and how it mimicked an actual pandemic it would be kinda cool and make sense that we would have to deal with something like it later.
Sure it was just a glitch, but considering what boss it came from and how it mimicked an actual pandemic it would be kinda cool and make sense that we would have to deal with something like it later.
Wouldn't be the first time the Soulflayer did so.
Apparently he inflicted something similar to Zandalar in the days when they were ruled by a Council, not a king. It got about as bad as it did in WOW and forced them to rely on Golems to preserve and bury the dead, while burning the bodies of those infected and putting the ashes in urns special urns. Although some apparently think Hakkar still has some grip on even the urns. They've even left a placard in the crypt in King's Rest that basically tells anyone who might have become infected to jump off the bridge it's on to save Zandalar the pain of having to deal with another round of the plague.
Uldir even did some research into it in effort to see if there was a cure. Even the constructs found the only way to end it was the quarantine and extermination of the infected.
Apparently he inflicted something similar to Zandalar in the days when they were ruled by a Council, not a king. It got about as bad as it did in WOW and forced them to rely on Golems to preserve and bury the dead, while burning the bodies of those infected and putting the ashes in urns special urns. Although some apparently think Hakkar still has some grip on even the urns. They've even left a placard in the crypt in King's Rest that basically tells anyone who might have become infected to jump off the bridge it's on to save Zandalar the pain of having to deal with another round of the plague.
Uldir even did some research into it in effort to see if there was a cure. Even the constructs found the only way to end it was the quarantine and extermination of the infected.
Last edited:
Emerald Daze
[] An Incredible Amount: -2500 Farming Income Per Turn Until Called (Gain the aid of 14-17 Ettin, including the mighty Mountain King himself, and all the best ettin fighters in the village)
In all the time that you have known them, Ruwe has been excellent at their job. Incredible, in fact, as befitting one so blessed by Bethekk. As a scout, as an infiltrator, and especially as an assassin, there is almost no one else you could possibly imagine trusting in. So while you had gone off to negotiate with the frustratingly simple but refreshingly direct ettin, they were sent elsewhere. Specifically, to seek out the green dragons which you have sighted more than once. But it was that same competence and skill which makes it so that even you do not worry when they miss their first appointed check-in time. After all, the swamp that the worshippers of Hakkar have taken to are quite extensive, and certainly they will have to dodge patrols and the like to find the dragons. Besides, you were still on your way back from the mountains. It is only after you've actually made it all the way back to Zul'Gurub proper and they still haven't reported in that you get worried.
Then the dreams begin.
First of all, as a witch doctor with some powerful mojo, you are not unaware of how dreams might provide a vector for certain spells. You know a good number of them yourself. As such, you've long made sure to have some protections put in place, so that nothing from the other side can get in if you don't want them to. There's no need to let any little malicious spirit from taking a bite out of your dreams and spitting back out nightmare if it's not necessary. It might not stop you from having regular bad dreams, but bad dreams and real bad ones caused by outside forces are entirely different. Which is why the fact that you get dreams which seem to blast right on through those defenses of yours, of Ruwe kneeling with their arms wrapped around their knees, are quite alarming.
Also alarming is the sight of one of those things that your cousins to the far north are always complaining about – an elf – standing with their arms crossed. He says only a single word, 'Come', and then you somehow know exactly where he's talking about. As it's not within the jungle, nor the Gurubashi Mountains, you are somewhat disinclined to just follow his orders, but the dreams continue, nonetheless. The elf starts to get exasperated and you can tell he's shifting locations, but in all that time you are also preparing. As such, about a week after these forcible messages have interrupted your ability to sleep properly began, you are ready. A potion here, some herbal supplements there, and a few souls offered up to the Loa, and you are ready.
When the dream begins, this time you are already standing and lucid, seeming to surprise the elf somewhat as you regard him.
"Iffin you think you gonna just browbeat me into doing something, you gotta another thing coming, mon," you sneer at him before glancing behind to Ruwe, somehow also drawn into whatever this is.
"Ruwe. You good?"
They roll their eyes and sigh.
"Considerin' that I got caught and hauled around like piece of raptor meat? No. But I ain't dead yet, Chieftain," they huff.
"You…," the elf trails off incredulously, looking you up and down. "Are more powerful than you seem at first."
"Yeah, well…,"
Your form flickers as your mastery over your astral form displays itself for a moment.
"I got the Loa on my side. Now then," you gesture towards Ruwe again. "What is dis all about? Who are you? Why you doin' this?"
The elf sniffs haughtily at you before – to your absolute shock – melting. Not into nothingness, no, but rather it is as if the shape of an elf is smeared like daubed paint. Smeared and stretched, and within seconds the elf has been reshaped – no, your instincts and the spirits whisper to you. Not reshaped. Returned to their proper shape. Their true shape. Ruwe disappears entirely, leaving just the two of you. And suddenly your preparations seem a little lacking as a large green dragon glares down at you within the dream, which then begins to shift and warp again.
(Dream Defenses: 57+Piety(16)=73/100)
Instead of a representation of Zul'Gurub, or even of the Vale, you are removed to a strange misty place of green. Now, it wasn't as easy as he might have wanted it to be. In fact, you felt him strain pretty damn hard to pull it all, for all that he's trying to pretend he didn't, but he succeeds all the same. Now, the green dragon looms over you, and when he exhales, the green mists of this indistinct place shift and move with the gusty breath. Inhaling deeply, you stand tall, drawing your power to you, and refuse to cower before the beast. If he thinks you are going to go without a fight in this realm, he doesn't know witch doctors, let alone you.
"Your brashness is an insult, mortal, but I shall forgive it in this instance," the green dragon booms. "For I am Lord Itharius of the Green Dragonflight, and we may yet possess a common foe."
"Oh?" You narrow your eyes. "And who might dat be?"
Itharius leans his large head down, turning slightly so that one of those large slitted eyes can come before you.
"Those who worship the monstrous being known as Hakkar," he growls. "For they are our enemies as well."
(Diplomacy: 16+Diplomacy(9)=27/100)
"They made enemies of some dragons, eh?" You lift your chin, "And yet…they still goin' around, doin' as they do."
The green mists of the dream flatten and blow away as the dragon growls angrily, the noise rattling your bones a bit.
"You test my patience, troll, with your flippancy. Many of my kin are dead, thanks to the Hakkari and the Atal'ai. Does it please you, then, to know that they are feeding dragon blood to their master, empowering him and themselves?"
A cold trickle comes down your back, and your crossed arms unfold themselves as you stride forward.
"What? They got dragon blood now too?!" You shout. "How am I supposed to be happy about dat sorta thing?!"
"You are not," Itharius snorts, green smoke emerging from his nostrils. "And yet it is true."
"How – okay," you pause, spinning on your heel and grinding the heel of your hand into your forehead for a moment. "What happened, then, huh? What happened?" You ask as you turn around to face the dragon once more.
Itharius flaps his wings a moment, and you swear you almost hear a grinding of his teeth.
"Years ago, my mistress, the mistress of all the Green Dragonflight, Ysera, one of the five greatest guardians of the world, learned of a plot by the remaining Atal'ai to bring Hakkar forth into the world once more," he rumbles, loud in volume but subdued all the same. "They had constructed a new temple, prepared it for their dark summoning."
A burst of fear goes down your back at that. The idea of Hakkar coming back into the world was a horrifying one. You trust in yourself, your skills, your people, but beating back Hakkar the first time around effectively shattered your people utterly. Even with all the work you've done to drag your people back from the brink, you don't know if you could take on Hakkar fully reborn once more. It would surely end the Gurubashi as a people if Hakkar came back. The entire point of you gearing up to take the Hakkari down was to prevent that from happening in the first place!
"But you stopped them, yeah?" You say, almost panicked, "Otherwise, cause otherwise-,"
Otherwise you'd all be dead anyway, right?
"The summoning was disrupted," Itharius nods his large head, but you can't get halfway through a sigh of relief before he continues. "At great cost. One of your tribes was sacrificed in their entirety to grant him power through Hakkar's…," the dragon snarls, "Blessings."
"Oh no…," you murmur.
"I believe you knew them as 'Greyvines'," Itharius says with what might be a hint of gentleness, but it is covered in grief and anger. "And with their mass-killing, for the briefest of moments, strength enough was gained to harm Ysera Herself."
You've only read some of the old histories. But the spirits of dreams and nightmares alike that flit about you when you sleep both go completely still at his words. Then they outright flee in terror into the astral distance. You have, literally, never seen that happen before. Never heard of it happening before from any witch doctor you've ever met or spoken to. Including your father's spirit. You know about the dragons, somewhat, from way back in the day. But the way this one speaks of her, you are pretty sure that anything hurting this 'Ysera' cannot be good in general.
"Now, she is forced to rest and recuperate in the Emerald Dream, her druids doing their best to attend to her and sooth her pain. She cannot be approached outside of the Dream either, for her very blood harms those around her – even her own kin," he roars in pain.
He rears up, this great dragon, and slams his claws down onto the ground once more to either side of you.
"Her great consort, my brother Eranikus, is now a maddened slave to the Atal'ai, my great mistress herself deathly ill, so forgive me little troll when your frail mortal arrogance inspires me to desire to shred your pathetic mind and soul apart!" He bellows now so loud that if you were in the flesh it would blow out your ears. "And yet. I. Do. Not." He quite literally bites out each word. "And do you know why?"
"Because you need the help," you say calmly, raising your hands up with palms forward. "Hey, mon, apologies on my part, okay? Let's keep it cool and collected, huh?"
(Diplomacy: 76+9=85/100)
Itharius pants heavily for a moment before pulling back from you, inhaling deeply to try and center himself. It takes him a minute, while you consider what you've learned.
"So you hit dem Atal'ai hard…they just hit back harder than you thought they would," you conclude, sighing and rubbing at your face, "It just cost the whole of the Greyvines to do it."
"…yes. And now the Green Dragonflight is in disarray. None but we can even begin to aid our mistress, and yet we cannot ignore the threat that the Atal'ai continue to pose. Not even to us, but to the world."
"And then," you thump your chest, "Here come de Gurubashi, growing strong, who got more den one reason to hate them, who would have good reason to not want Hakkar coming again, huh?"
The dragon is silent for a moment before nodding grudgingly. Or at least what you think might be grudgingly given it's a big dragon.
"There remain few of us left that can pursue this duty, the Dream requires the attention of far more, and yet the Hakkari and the Atal'ai have continued to grow in strength," he growls, snorting green smoke again. "And yet, I know your nightmares, Jo Jo Headshrinke," he leans in close, large jaw snapping close to your face, "I know you fear the rise of Hakkar once more. Many of the Gurubashi do. Can you truly abide standing by and doing nothing?"
Narrowing your eyes, you jut your chin out towards the dragon.
(Diplomatic Response: 24-Angry(5)=19/100)
"You be thinkin' you know me, huh? Thinkin' you gotta try to, what, scare me into comin' after dem Hakkari? Shows what you know," you spit to the side, the spittle transforming into an acrid black acidic cloud. "We been comin' for dem anyway!" You cackle, and there is a chatter of spirits behind you as they too laugh. "I sent out Ruwe to go lookin' for your kind, yeah, to tell you to stay outta de way when we go in!"
The dragon's eyes widen.
"What?" There is actual confusion in that draconic boom, then.
(The Realm Beyond: 72+16=88/100)
"Yeah, we wanted to give ya a warnin', not this little turnaround ya think ya done," you stomp your foot, and then there is a sense of upside-down vertigo before the two of you are shunted right back into the astral realm above Zul'Gurub. "So next time chu wanna give a warning, how about actually talkin' rather than dis silly little power game vague 'come'," you grasp exaggeratedly, "Nonsense."
And, just like the dragon before you, you really have to work to keep from showing just how much you just strained to pull that off. If this was the physical world, it would be the equivalent of trying to heft up a boulder the size of Zulgo'longo in a single hand. Without a hand. While on fire. You'll definitely need to spend the next few nights recuperating from the sheer amount of energy and effort expended in just that one move, but aside from your astral form flickering for a moment you manage to keep your composure. The dragon's wings beat twice as he rears slightly, but his own self-control reasserts itself just as quickly as your own. Large slitted eyes narrow and a low hanging green mist dribbles from his open maw, something telling you that it is not so harmless as it might appear.
"You are brash indeed, mortal, to speak so to a member of the Green Dragonflight so carelessly. Were the situation not as it is…," he trails off warningly.
"Ah," you waggle a finger, "But it is though, yeah? So, consider dis – you let Ruwe go, we go after Hakkar and Di'zo, and you and me?" You cluck your tongue and roll your hand low in the air, "Water under da bridge. Maybe we get to be real good friends," you chuckle, "Maybe we just go our separate ways, mmm? Besides, I don't know much about ya 'Dragonflight' you be talking about so proudly," you snort. "Maybe we did long ago, but maybe that knowledge got lost when the world went boom, huh?"
Itharius growls lowly but does not speak immediately. First he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.
"Perhaps. Long has it been since the Empire of Zul reigned, longer still since the Gurubashi and Amani castes broke from the Zandalari. Our memories are long, but the Sundering can be blamed for much lost."
You can't help but suck some air through your teeth at that.
"Jeez, mon. Pulling real hard back in dem histories, huh? Hey, maybe de Zandalari remember, but we ain't seen one a dem for a long time. Maybe one of the other tribes outside the city, but de Gurubashi proper? Nah," you flap your hands and sigh.
It's annoying to consider that sort of thing. Even if everything goes well, you'll no doubt end up having to beg a way into the Zandalari's good graces if just to re-copy their libraries and make new carvings for Zul'Gurub. On the one hand, everyone was a little busy with Hakkar and all that, but on the other, that so many tablets were irreparably broken is just another thing to blame on the damned Loa of Blood. Knowledge is power, after all, and you refuse to let the Gurubashi be powerless ever again.
"How about dis," you splay your arms wide, "We're getting ready to go take Hakkar and the Hakkari down, all of dem if we can. But I bet it would be easier if we know just what was going on dere, huh?"
"You would have us scout for you?" Itharius huffs.
"You want them dead, don't ya?" You raise an eyebrow.
(Diplomacy: 68+Desperation(10)+Grudges(10)=88/100)
Itharius doesn't hem, he doesn't haw. The big dragon growls, closes his eyes, and then nods once.
"Very well. We shall speak again in the realm of dreams on this matter for more immediate matters when you march, but there is some you should know before then."
Itharius speaks curtly, but informatively. It is not information that you are happy to learn, but must. Di'zo, the Atal'ai, the Hakkari, have built a grand new temple deep within the Black Morass. A new city, in fact, though it is not yet complete. Hakkaramon, it is apparently called. They have heavily fortified their territory, and have set up guard towers and patrols aplenty. Thankfully, however, they have built a large amount of their defenses in the assumption you would charge at them from the west - from Brightwood. They do not suspect that you have already carved a bloody path through the mountains to strike from the south. That may prove useful in the coming war, long or short as it may be. They have abandoned all other Loa for Hakkar, and in return the Loa of Blood has granted them his favor and strength, that same favor and strength which once seemed worth it enough to abandon everything but his worship. Just as the Gurubashi have prepared for Di'zo, who has taken the position not just as Chieftain, but as a self-proclaimed Blood Emperor, Di'zo and the Hakkari have prepared for the war they knew would come for them after they fled. They have been ravaging the Black Morass for some time now, anything and everything with blood in it has been dragged to the altar, and it is only the sheer abundance of life in the swamps that have kept them out of sight until now.
His information delivered, the green dragon begins to fade from sight. You feel the telltale signs of your own waking in the physical world as well, the insistent tug that is growing stronger between spirit and body.
"And Ruwe?" You demand, making the dragon snort again.
"They will be freed, and may return at their own pace."
Only then do you finally snap awake, and immediately regret it. The wave of exhaustion that falls over you nearly pushes you right back to sleep, your body tingling and aching as your wearied soul resynchronizes with it. Straining yourself so badly on the other side means you'll be tired for the next few days, and even if your body doesn't quite understand the pain and soreness and its source, it doesn't mean it won't hurt. And, worst of all, there is very little chance that you'll be able to – or, if you are honest, willing yourself – to not attend to training with your sword. Not at a time like this. Especially at a time like this.
Grimly, however, one of the first things you simply must take care of is to tell everyone the news. It was a faint hope, a desperate one, but one that has been dashed if the dragon's words are true. And though you weren't trying any truthtelling spells or the like, something tells you that the dragon simply had no reason to lie. Why would they? You know little of the beasts, but they are prideful if nothing else, and powerful besides. Admitting to their failure at eradicating the Hakkari burned at this 'Itharius' mightily.
As such, it must be added into the records.
The Greyvines are dead, like so many others, to feed Hakkar's lust for blood.
Result Of Action:
Ruwe temporarily taken captive by 'Lord Itharius' a large and powerful dragon of the Green Dragonflight - whatever the hell that is. Someone greater than Itharius, a 'Ysera' attempted to destroy the Hakkari, but Di'zo sacrificed the entirety of the Greyvine tribe to Hakkar for an extreme but temporary boost in power to injure her and see the dragons off. Now only Itharius and a handful of other dragons remain to contest the Hakkari, and bitterly hate them - and have agreed to at least somewhat help the Gurubashi when the time comes to attack them. Worryingly, you now know that the Hakkari have been fortifying their position since their arrival in the Black Morass, and though they were a minority when they fled, their numbers have grown since through foul means. They have built a massive ziggurat temple - Atal'Hakkar - to the Loa of Blood, and the beginnings of a new city, Hakkaramon, with checkpoints, guard towers, patrols, and more - but focused on the western approaches and not the south. As of yet, Hakkar himself has not been brought into the physical world, but time is surely running out as the Hakkari grow in strength. Numerous green dragons and drakes were brought low defending Ysera as she escaped from the area, wounded as she was by the Hakkari empowered by the sacrifice of the totality of the Greyvines. One, named Eranikus, has apparently fallen to some strange madness and has been taken as a captive as well. Itharius does not know what has been or is being done to the green dragons taken within the ziggurat, as Hakkar's wards prevent him from seeing them.
Emerald Daze
In all the time that you have known them, Ruwe has been excellent at their job. Incredible, in fact, as befitting one so blessed by Bethekk. As a scout, as an infiltrator, and especially as an assassin, there is almost no one else you could possibly imagine trusting in. So while you had gone off to negotiate with the frustratingly simple but refreshingly direct ettin, they were sent elsewhere. Specifically, to seek out the green dragons which you have sighted more than once. But it was that same competence and skill which makes it so that even you do not worry when they miss their first appointed check-in time. After all, the swamp that the worshippers of Hakkar have taken to are quite extensive, and certainly they will have to dodge patrols and the like to find the dragons. Besides, you were still on your way back from the mountains. It is only after you've actually made it all the way back to Zul'Gurub proper and they still haven't reported in that you get worried.
Then the dreams begin.
First of all, as a witch doctor with some powerful mojo, you are not unaware of how dreams might provide a vector for certain spells. You know a good number of them yourself. As such, you've long made sure to have some protections put in place, so that nothing from the other side can get in if you don't want them to. There's no need to let any little malicious spirit from taking a bite out of your dreams and spitting back out nightmare if it's not necessary. It might not stop you from having regular bad dreams, but bad dreams and real bad ones caused by outside forces are entirely different. Which is why the fact that you get dreams which seem to blast right on through those defenses of yours, of Ruwe kneeling with their arms wrapped around their knees, are quite alarming.
Also alarming is the sight of one of those things that your cousins to the far north are always complaining about – an elf – standing with their arms crossed. He says only a single word, 'Come', and then you somehow know exactly where he's talking about. As it's not within the jungle, nor the Gurubashi Mountains, you are somewhat disinclined to just follow his orders, but the dreams continue, nonetheless. The elf starts to get exasperated and you can tell he's shifting locations, but in all that time you are also preparing. As such, about a week after these forcible messages have interrupted your ability to sleep properly began, you are ready. A potion here, some herbal supplements there, and a few souls offered up to the Loa, and you are ready.
When the dream begins, this time you are already standing and lucid, seeming to surprise the elf somewhat as you regard him.
"Iffin you think you gonna just browbeat me into doing something, you gotta another thing coming, mon," you sneer at him before glancing behind to Ruwe, somehow also drawn into whatever this is.
"Ruwe. You good?"
They roll their eyes and sigh.
"Considerin' that I got caught and hauled around like piece of raptor meat? No. But I ain't dead yet, Chieftain," they huff.
"You…," the elf trails off incredulously, looking you up and down. "Are more powerful than you seem at first."
"Yeah, well…,"
Your form flickers as your mastery over your astral form displays itself for a moment.
"I got the Loa on my side. Now then," you gesture towards Ruwe again. "What is dis all about? Who are you? Why you doin' this?"
The elf sniffs haughtily at you before – to your absolute shock – melting. Not into nothingness, no, but rather it is as if the shape of an elf is smeared like daubed paint. Smeared and stretched, and within seconds the elf has been reshaped – no, your instincts and the spirits whisper to you. Not reshaped. Returned to their proper shape. Their true shape. Ruwe disappears entirely, leaving just the two of you. And suddenly your preparations seem a little lacking as a large green dragon glares down at you within the dream, which then begins to shift and warp again.
(Dream Defenses: 57+Piety(16)=73/100)
Instead of a representation of Zul'Gurub, or even of the Vale, you are removed to a strange misty place of green. Now, it wasn't as easy as he might have wanted it to be. In fact, you felt him strain pretty damn hard to pull it all, for all that he's trying to pretend he didn't, but he succeeds all the same. Now, the green dragon looms over you, and when he exhales, the green mists of this indistinct place shift and move with the gusty breath. Inhaling deeply, you stand tall, drawing your power to you, and refuse to cower before the beast. If he thinks you are going to go without a fight in this realm, he doesn't know witch doctors, let alone you.
"Your brashness is an insult, mortal, but I shall forgive it in this instance," the green dragon booms. "For I am Lord Itharius of the Green Dragonflight, and we may yet possess a common foe."
"Oh?" You narrow your eyes. "And who might dat be?"
Itharius leans his large head down, turning slightly so that one of those large slitted eyes can come before you.
"Those who worship the monstrous being known as Hakkar," he growls. "For they are our enemies as well."
(Diplomacy: 16+Diplomacy(9)=27/100)
"They made enemies of some dragons, eh?" You lift your chin, "And yet…they still goin' around, doin' as they do."
The green mists of the dream flatten and blow away as the dragon growls angrily, the noise rattling your bones a bit.
"You test my patience, troll, with your flippancy. Many of my kin are dead, thanks to the Hakkari and the Atal'ai. Does it please you, then, to know that they are feeding dragon blood to their master, empowering him and themselves?"
A cold trickle comes down your back, and your crossed arms unfold themselves as you stride forward.
"What? They got dragon blood now too?!" You shout. "How am I supposed to be happy about dat sorta thing?!"
"You are not," Itharius snorts, green smoke emerging from his nostrils. "And yet it is true."
"How – okay," you pause, spinning on your heel and grinding the heel of your hand into your forehead for a moment. "What happened, then, huh? What happened?" You ask as you turn around to face the dragon once more.
Itharius flaps his wings a moment, and you swear you almost hear a grinding of his teeth.
"Years ago, my mistress, the mistress of all the Green Dragonflight, Ysera, one of the five greatest guardians of the world, learned of a plot by the remaining Atal'ai to bring Hakkar forth into the world once more," he rumbles, loud in volume but subdued all the same. "They had constructed a new temple, prepared it for their dark summoning."
A burst of fear goes down your back at that. The idea of Hakkar coming back into the world was a horrifying one. You trust in yourself, your skills, your people, but beating back Hakkar the first time around effectively shattered your people utterly. Even with all the work you've done to drag your people back from the brink, you don't know if you could take on Hakkar fully reborn once more. It would surely end the Gurubashi as a people if Hakkar came back. The entire point of you gearing up to take the Hakkari down was to prevent that from happening in the first place!
"But you stopped them, yeah?" You say, almost panicked, "Otherwise, cause otherwise-,"
Otherwise you'd all be dead anyway, right?
"The summoning was disrupted," Itharius nods his large head, but you can't get halfway through a sigh of relief before he continues. "At great cost. One of your tribes was sacrificed in their entirety to grant him power through Hakkar's…," the dragon snarls, "Blessings."
"Oh no…," you murmur.
"I believe you knew them as 'Greyvines'," Itharius says with what might be a hint of gentleness, but it is covered in grief and anger. "And with their mass-killing, for the briefest of moments, strength enough was gained to harm Ysera Herself."
You've only read some of the old histories. But the spirits of dreams and nightmares alike that flit about you when you sleep both go completely still at his words. Then they outright flee in terror into the astral distance. You have, literally, never seen that happen before. Never heard of it happening before from any witch doctor you've ever met or spoken to. Including your father's spirit. You know about the dragons, somewhat, from way back in the day. But the way this one speaks of her, you are pretty sure that anything hurting this 'Ysera' cannot be good in general.
"Now, she is forced to rest and recuperate in the Emerald Dream, her druids doing their best to attend to her and sooth her pain. She cannot be approached outside of the Dream either, for her very blood harms those around her – even her own kin," he roars in pain.
He rears up, this great dragon, and slams his claws down onto the ground once more to either side of you.
"Her great consort, my brother Eranikus, is now a maddened slave to the Atal'ai, my great mistress herself deathly ill, so forgive me little troll when your frail mortal arrogance inspires me to desire to shred your pathetic mind and soul apart!" He bellows now so loud that if you were in the flesh it would blow out your ears. "And yet. I. Do. Not." He quite literally bites out each word. "And do you know why?"
"Because you need the help," you say calmly, raising your hands up with palms forward. "Hey, mon, apologies on my part, okay? Let's keep it cool and collected, huh?"
(Diplomacy: 76+9=85/100)
Itharius pants heavily for a moment before pulling back from you, inhaling deeply to try and center himself. It takes him a minute, while you consider what you've learned.
"So you hit dem Atal'ai hard…they just hit back harder than you thought they would," you conclude, sighing and rubbing at your face, "It just cost the whole of the Greyvines to do it."
"…yes. And now the Green Dragonflight is in disarray. None but we can even begin to aid our mistress, and yet we cannot ignore the threat that the Atal'ai continue to pose. Not even to us, but to the world."
"And then," you thump your chest, "Here come de Gurubashi, growing strong, who got more den one reason to hate them, who would have good reason to not want Hakkar coming again, huh?"
The dragon is silent for a moment before nodding grudgingly. Or at least what you think might be grudgingly given it's a big dragon.
"There remain few of us left that can pursue this duty, the Dream requires the attention of far more, and yet the Hakkari and the Atal'ai have continued to grow in strength," he growls, snorting green smoke again. "And yet, I know your nightmares, Jo Jo Headshrinke," he leans in close, large jaw snapping close to your face, "I know you fear the rise of Hakkar once more. Many of the Gurubashi do. Can you truly abide standing by and doing nothing?"
Narrowing your eyes, you jut your chin out towards the dragon.
(Diplomatic Response: 24-Angry(5)=19/100)
"You be thinkin' you know me, huh? Thinkin' you gotta try to, what, scare me into comin' after dem Hakkari? Shows what you know," you spit to the side, the spittle transforming into an acrid black acidic cloud. "We been comin' for dem anyway!" You cackle, and there is a chatter of spirits behind you as they too laugh. "I sent out Ruwe to go lookin' for your kind, yeah, to tell you to stay outta de way when we go in!"
The dragon's eyes widen.
"What?" There is actual confusion in that draconic boom, then.
(The Realm Beyond: 72+16=88/100)
"Yeah, we wanted to give ya a warnin', not this little turnaround ya think ya done," you stomp your foot, and then there is a sense of upside-down vertigo before the two of you are shunted right back into the astral realm above Zul'Gurub. "So next time chu wanna give a warning, how about actually talkin' rather than dis silly little power game vague 'come'," you grasp exaggeratedly, "Nonsense."
And, just like the dragon before you, you really have to work to keep from showing just how much you just strained to pull that off. If this was the physical world, it would be the equivalent of trying to heft up a boulder the size of Zulgo'longo in a single hand. Without a hand. While on fire. You'll definitely need to spend the next few nights recuperating from the sheer amount of energy and effort expended in just that one move, but aside from your astral form flickering for a moment you manage to keep your composure. The dragon's wings beat twice as he rears slightly, but his own self-control reasserts itself just as quickly as your own. Large slitted eyes narrow and a low hanging green mist dribbles from his open maw, something telling you that it is not so harmless as it might appear.
"You are brash indeed, mortal, to speak so to a member of the Green Dragonflight so carelessly. Were the situation not as it is…," he trails off warningly.
"Ah," you waggle a finger, "But it is though, yeah? So, consider dis – you let Ruwe go, we go after Hakkar and Di'zo, and you and me?" You cluck your tongue and roll your hand low in the air, "Water under da bridge. Maybe we get to be real good friends," you chuckle, "Maybe we just go our separate ways, mmm? Besides, I don't know much about ya 'Dragonflight' you be talking about so proudly," you snort. "Maybe we did long ago, but maybe that knowledge got lost when the world went boom, huh?"
Itharius growls lowly but does not speak immediately. First he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.
"Perhaps. Long has it been since the Empire of Zul reigned, longer still since the Gurubashi and Amani castes broke from the Zandalari. Our memories are long, but the Sundering can be blamed for much lost."
You can't help but suck some air through your teeth at that.
"Jeez, mon. Pulling real hard back in dem histories, huh? Hey, maybe de Zandalari remember, but we ain't seen one a dem for a long time. Maybe one of the other tribes outside the city, but de Gurubashi proper? Nah," you flap your hands and sigh.
It's annoying to consider that sort of thing. Even if everything goes well, you'll no doubt end up having to beg a way into the Zandalari's good graces if just to re-copy their libraries and make new carvings for Zul'Gurub. On the one hand, everyone was a little busy with Hakkar and all that, but on the other, that so many tablets were irreparably broken is just another thing to blame on the damned Loa of Blood. Knowledge is power, after all, and you refuse to let the Gurubashi be powerless ever again.
"How about dis," you splay your arms wide, "We're getting ready to go take Hakkar and the Hakkari down, all of dem if we can. But I bet it would be easier if we know just what was going on dere, huh?"
"You would have us scout for you?" Itharius huffs.
"You want them dead, don't ya?" You raise an eyebrow.
(Diplomacy: 68+Desperation(10)+Grudges(10)=88/100)
Itharius doesn't hem, he doesn't haw. The big dragon growls, closes his eyes, and then nods once.
"Very well. We shall speak again in the realm of dreams on this matter for more immediate matters when you march, but there is some you should know before then."
Itharius speaks curtly, but informatively. It is not information that you are happy to learn, but must. Di'zo, the Atal'ai, the Hakkari, have built a grand new temple deep within the Black Morass. A new city, in fact, though it is not yet complete. Hakkaramon, it is apparently called. They have heavily fortified their territory, and have set up guard towers and patrols aplenty. Thankfully, however, they have built a large amount of their defenses in the assumption you would charge at them from the west - from Brightwood. They do not suspect that you have already carved a bloody path through the mountains to strike from the south. That may prove useful in the coming war, long or short as it may be. They have abandoned all other Loa for Hakkar, and in return the Loa of Blood has granted them his favor and strength, that same favor and strength which once seemed worth it enough to abandon everything but his worship. Just as the Gurubashi have prepared for Di'zo, who has taken the position not just as Chieftain, but as a self-proclaimed Blood Emperor, Di'zo and the Hakkari have prepared for the war they knew would come for them after they fled. They have been ravaging the Black Morass for some time now, anything and everything with blood in it has been dragged to the altar, and it is only the sheer abundance of life in the swamps that have kept them out of sight until now.
His information delivered, the green dragon begins to fade from sight. You feel the telltale signs of your own waking in the physical world as well, the insistent tug that is growing stronger between spirit and body.
"And Ruwe?" You demand, making the dragon snort again.
"They will be freed, and may return at their own pace."
Only then do you finally snap awake, and immediately regret it. The wave of exhaustion that falls over you nearly pushes you right back to sleep, your body tingling and aching as your wearied soul resynchronizes with it. Straining yourself so badly on the other side means you'll be tired for the next few days, and even if your body doesn't quite understand the pain and soreness and its source, it doesn't mean it won't hurt. And, worst of all, there is very little chance that you'll be able to – or, if you are honest, willing yourself – to not attend to training with your sword. Not at a time like this. Especially at a time like this.
Grimly, however, one of the first things you simply must take care of is to tell everyone the news. It was a faint hope, a desperate one, but one that has been dashed if the dragon's words are true. And though you weren't trying any truthtelling spells or the like, something tells you that the dragon simply had no reason to lie. Why would they? You know little of the beasts, but they are prideful if nothing else, and powerful besides. Admitting to their failure at eradicating the Hakkari burned at this 'Itharius' mightily.
As such, it must be added into the records.
The Greyvines are dead, like so many others, to feed Hakkar's lust for blood.
Result Of Action:
Ruwe temporarily taken captive by 'Lord Itharius' a large and powerful dragon of the Green Dragonflight - whatever the hell that is. Someone greater than Itharius, a 'Ysera' attempted to destroy the Hakkari, but Di'zo sacrificed the entirety of the Greyvine tribe to Hakkar for an extreme but temporary boost in power to injure her and see the dragons off. Now only Itharius and a handful of other dragons remain to contest the Hakkari, and bitterly hate them - and have agreed to at least somewhat help the Gurubashi when the time comes to attack them. Worryingly, you now know that the Hakkari have been fortifying their position since their arrival in the Black Morass, and though they were a minority when they fled, their numbers have grown since through foul means. They have built a massive ziggurat temple - Atal'Hakkar - to the Loa of Blood, and the beginnings of a new city, Hakkaramon, with checkpoints, guard towers, patrols, and more - but focused on the western approaches and not the south. As of yet, Hakkar himself has not been brought into the physical world, but time is surely running out as the Hakkari grow in strength. Numerous green dragons and drakes were brought low defending Ysera as she escaped from the area, wounded as she was by the Hakkari empowered by the sacrifice of the totality of the Greyvines. One, named Eranikus, has apparently fallen to some strange madness and has been taken as a captive as well. Itharius does not know what has been or is being done to the green dragons taken within the ziggurat, as Hakkar's wards prevent him from seeing them.
jwolfe_beta
Semi Genre-Savvy Overlord
- Location
- Canada
At the very least we have a better idea as to the Platinum-grade hellhole we're marching into.
Nix's Warden
Welcome to Hades
- Location
- United States
Well I never thought I'd see this again! A very pleasant surprise carrying unpleasant news but so it goes when Di'zo is involved.
RIP Grayveins. And I really hope Ysera can recover from this and her consort rescued. The Green Flight would be good allies in the times ahead.
RIP Grayveins. And I really hope Ysera can recover from this and her consort rescued. The Green Flight would be good allies in the times ahead.
- Location
- PA
I for one, at not looking forward to the amount of smug the Zandalari are going to be throwing at us come meeting with them again.
But we have some knowledge we didn't have before, and not all of it grim tidings and warnings of just how bad this Di'zo guy buffed himself up to be!
But we have some knowledge we didn't have before, and not all of it grim tidings and warnings of just how bad this Di'zo guy buffed himself up to be!