[Alliance] Chapter Five: Session Forty-Eight
Appearing Characters: Alleria Windrunner, Arthas Menethil, Benedictus, Florence, Garona, Gilveradin Windrunner, Jaina Proudmoore-Menethil, Kala, Kael'thas Sunstrider, Lankester Merrin, Liadrin Everpost, Mace, Maraad, Maxwell Tyrosus, Mercy, Natalie Seline, Parvaen Phoenixlight, Remnii, Rommath Pyrewing, Seria, Uther Menethil, Victor Prestor, Zabra Hexx
October 21st
As Remnii finished up the failed scrying, Jaina asked if the draenei had any luck. Unfortunately, Remnii said she had not, and her brow wrinkled.
Jaina considered and expressed that the situation didn’t make sense.
Kael’thas crossed his arms.
He looked across the group, and then he turned and left fairly quickly. Uther noticed his eyes had flashed red briefly. Jaina informed the group she would go and check the study, as it was possible Vel may have stopped there. She suggested the group take a look at Vel’s room and they could meet up after the fact and discuss anything they found.
The party headed to Vel’s room to look around. They didn’t notice any sign of struggle, but it seemed like almost all of Vel’s belongings had been left behind, including her spellbook, which was open on the desk next to Heigan’s as if she had been working on transcribing some of the spellwork.
Gil looked at Arkha’din and used [Sending] to ask Arkha’din where his mistress had gone. The mana wyrm roused and hovered over and told Gil to tell him where she was, because she hadn’t fed him last night.
The sending was cut off. Gil relayed to the group that Vel had never made it back in to feed Arkha’din the prior night.
Uther nodded.
Gil looked back at Arkha’din and used sending again, relaying the question to the mana wyrm.
He hissed a bit in Victor’s direction, as it seemed he had assumed his mistress was with Victor.
He raised his hand as if to strike the creature, but then caught himself and apologized. Uther put a hand on his shoulder.
Victor offered mana to Arkha’din and apologized for lashing out at him.
Remnii looked around with [Detect Magic] and it did not appear that there had been any magic cast recently, but Remnii did notice there were a smattering of magic items and components left behind.
She looked at Victor with a somber nod.
Remnii prayed to the naaru seeking guidance, but it seemed that not even they could offer an idea even if they were ultimately with her. Remnii asked Seria if she had any spells for tracking or similar.
Seria decided to use [Augury] to get a read on their next course of action being raising Natalie Seline. She conferred with the spirit of her mother, and Kala expressed that she couldn’t see everything on the other side, but she believed that was the right course of action… but there was something obstructing the connection to the woman they were referring to.
In further investigation, they did not find any signs of where Vel was going, but they did find Vel’s journal. However, upon opening it, they quickly realized the entire book was heavily encoded.
They grabbed the journal and they headed to meet up with the rest of the group to compare notes. Garona, both Arthases, Maraad, and Jaina were there along with Rommath, Kael’thas, and Alleria.
He handed the journal over to Rommath, and he chuffed as he realized how incredibly encrypted it was, and to himself, he mused that it reminded him of Belo’vir’s own codes. He showed it to Kael’thas as well.
Alleria immediately headed off to try and find something.
She looked after Alleria, and Garona nodded and headed off. Remnii decided to try [Commune] to get some more answers, but she heard from Liadrin later that Zabra Hexx had arrived with Natalie’s body and they would have it available later that night.
Uther set off to ask various castle staff if they had seen Vel at all, while Seria did the same after any of the animals in the castle. Gil opted to take Arkha’din with him into the town to see if the familiar’s bond could pick up on something while he asked after sightings of Vel’s animal forms. Jaina also established a telepathic bond amongst the group.
As Seria shifted into various small animal forms and asked the various animals around the castle, but there wasn’t a lot of conclusive information. However she did notice a lot of the creatures of the night, like rats, bats, spiders, and likewise, congregating around the castle because of the influx of vampyrs that had arrived. One of the cats commented they had seen a white raven flying away from the castle late the prior night, but they had not been able to chase it. Seria decided to head further into the town and she put up [Locate Creature] to try and search for Vel, but she at no point got a ping that indicated the spell had sensed her.
Uther asked around the castle staff, and he was able to corroborate the information. None of them saw Vel leave, nor did any of them see any strange animals. However, later on, he heard some commotion coming from the castle garrison, and he headed over to investigate. There were five Lordane guardsmen there that were being detained. A ranking member of the Lordane army, a woman with a black pixie cat named Florence, seemed to be speaking with a few other soldiers. She had some dossiers of the five guardsmen.
She looked pointedly at the youngest guard, and the others looked at him with contempt.
The youngest claimed that “they” had told them it wouldn’t be a problem. Uther asked who “they” were, and another of the group said it had been one of their cohorts as things had been stressful with the refugees and talk of the plague. They thought they could just enjoy the evening.
The guard said it was the northwest side of town between apple street and westboro lane. He explained that the section of town was peaceful and there hadn’t been crime there in months, even with the influx of refugees.
The first thing Uther could tell was that something was not adding up, and the way he had jumped on Uther’s suggestion that it was the other guardsmen’s idea was a tad fast and it seemed clear that there was something they weren’t telling him.
Florence nodded in understanding. The youngest of the guards spoke up in a panic as he said the salary was the only thing that could help his mom. He had apparently been offered extra money by someone, and he hadn’t intended on getting extra drinks.
Uther asked where the extra money came from, and the guard said some men had approached them and told them they would cover their area of duty. They were apparently with the Crusade and had wanted to give them a break as they had been working so hard. The guard said that he believed the Crusade was trying to help, and it wasn’t a bribe.
Another guard demanded to know what they were supposed to do because food was getting scarce with the fields being burned by orcs and the grain they had being burned. They wanted to know how they were supposed to turn down the help given because the Crusade was helping to maintain order and ensure everything wasn’t falling apart. He didn’t regret what they did, and he said they would have gotten away with it if someone hadn’t been weak.
He looked at the mouthy guard, who admitted they lived at the corner of apple and fountain lane.
The guard looked down.
One of the other guards that had been quieter asked what was going to happen.
Uther rubbed his forehead.
It was explained it had only been recently and periodically. There didn’t seem to be a schedule, but it started about a week or two ago, and it wasn’t always the same place.
The guards nodded, and she looked at the youngest of them and assured him they would also take into consideration the truth offered. The guard assured her it would never happen again, and Florence thanked Uther for his wisdom.
Uther said he couldn’t say much, but he ultimately did not trust the Scarlet Crusade. Florence said most of the commissioned officers agreed, as they had a tendency to over reach and they operated without much oversight.
With some further questioning, Uther was able to determine the area the guards were operating in was a clustered area that made up about an eighth of the city. It seemed the block was not next to the keep, as it was a residential district, but the edge of the area had a decent number of clergymen living in them, and it was sandwiched between the barracks of the Silver Hand that was being used as the barracks for the Scarlet Crusade and the Basilica of Saint Mereldar.
The area of the city where the most elven refugees were staying was not next to this place. In fact, the elven refugees were staying on the opposite side of the city. So it didn’t seem like it was a cover to dig up vampyrs or anything.
Meanwhile, as Gil went about the city, Arkha’din didn’t sense anything that had to do with Vel. Nor did he notice anything magically out of sorts. Gil asked around if they had noticed anyone disappearing or anything strange about the guards. It seemed general reception to the Crusaders was positive, as they were viewed as the replacement to the Silver Hand and had largely been aiding the guards, posting extra watches, sharing supplies, and likewise. Some of the commoners made mention of sermons that were being held by the clergy of the Scarlet Crusade, including one that was held by Sally Mograine herself a few days ago. It seemed to be largely like a normal church sermon, but it was evident they were passionate and promised to ensure the dark tidings wouldn’t threaten them. There was a bit of fear surrounding the stories of tragedies, but there were other people that were confident the Crusade was watching over them and some were clearly worried about the influx of elves and the low grain supplies. A lot of the elven refugees expressed that a lot of people were scared of them and their magic.
Gil was also able to give out some goodberries and help with some minor illnesses and the like.
However, as he was going about, he saw a familiar face amongst the elven populace. It was Parvaen Phoenixlight, one of the two hawkstrider breeders he had helped a while ago, and he seemed to be doing alright and was buying some blankets from a nearby tailor. Gil decided to approach in his disguise and ask a few questions, and he similarly expressed that he should keep his head down. He explained that he and his sister had intended on leaving, but with the rumors of the contaminated grain, he thought it was better to stay for the time being.
He also mentioned that some of their people had been getting hit by the destruction of the Sunwell pretty hard, particularly those from the city, and he was trying to help get some crystals and the like out where he could. He asked if Gil was doing alright, and Gil assured him that he was, but it was good what he was doing.
Gil then headed over to the area under the influence of the Scarlet Crusade, and he shifted his disguise to be human as he asked around. He posed that he was looking for comfort and described people disappearing in the night, as well as stories of a mysterious white raven. At this point he also had the information Uther had managed to find.
A Crusade expressed he would be happy to bring Gil in if he had a sighting to report so they could get their men out looking. Gil decided to follow along and offer vague information to paint a story. He offered the name Zelda and pretended like he couldn’t remember the last name because elf names were “strange”. The Crusader assured him there had been a lot of rumors lately, but he wanted Gil to be assured that he didn’t need to fear anyone just a bit different from him, as they were all in the situation together.
Gil nodded and explained he believed he had seen the elf turn into a bird. The Crusader said it could have been a simple manifestation of magic, but it is good he had informed them, as they could look into the name and follow up on any information. The Crusader said they could find Gil later if they had some other follow up questions in case they had further questions, and Gil decided to give one of the streets in the area Uther had indicated.
The Crusader said that because Gil had been so forthcoming, he wanted to inform him that if he saw any of the Crusaders in the region there was no reason to be concerned as there were simple patrols and they had ultimately concluded their business.
Gil thanked him and the Crusader asked how his family was on supplies, as they could get them some things if they needed it as a thank you for his transparency. Gil said he was doing alright, and the Crusader said he would make sure it got to those who needed it in his stead.
Gil relayed the exchange he had to the others over the telepathic bond.
Remnii had meditated for a long while as she used [Commune], and she began to ask questions of the naaru. She felt the radiance of them wash over her.
She asked if Natalie Seline’s soul was reachable, despite complications. A harmonious tone indicated yes.
She asked if Natalie Seline’s soul could be reached through conventional resurrection magics? She got harmonious music that turned into discord, indicating a yes with some catches.
She then asked if a normal resurrection spell was powerful enough to bring Natalie’s soul back, but it was again harmony into discord.
Remnii’s focus shifted toward Vel and she asked if Vel had gone to meet with a friend. The response went silent, indicating the force couldn’t know and it was beyond its knowledge. However, this confirmed that Vel seemed to be protected from divination, as there was no other real explanation.
She then asked if Vel was abducted by the Scarlet Crusade, but she got another unknown in response.
She asked if the Crusade had abducted someone from the bribed district that Uther had gotten from the district. There was a harmonious chorus of yes.
Remnii then asked the naaru if Natalie was willing to be resurrected. She got a discordant sound that indicated she was not willing to be resurrected, though there was likely a reason.
Victor said their next step was to collect Natalie’s body, and they hastily set off to the orphanage, which was called the Arms of Saint Mereldar. They passed taverns and shops that were still open, and they periodically passed Scarlet Crusaders as well as citizens and guardsmen. It was disconcerting, in a way, but it was hard to say how much the rank and file soldiers of the Crusade knew about the truth.
The orphanage was a humble building, but it was large enough to keep a large group of kids. It was three stories and seemingly very well funded. The symbol of the Holy Light was displayed proudly on its side. Uther knocked on the door, and it was opened by a half-troll with pinkish-purple skin. She was a tad heavyset and hunchy due to her advanced age, and she had long white hair. It was matron mother Mercy.
Mercy scowled at him.
Mercy was the loudest one so far.
They passed by toys for various age brackets all neatly put away. There were symbols and texts of the Holy Light all over. They got a locked cellar, and they descended down the stairs. There were wardrobes of old clothes that needed mended, old broken toys, and supplies needed for child rearing. An old table had been cleared off, and they saw the body of Natalie Seline resting upon it. Nearby was Liadrin, Zabra Hexx, and Maxwell Tyrosus, as well as a priest who appeared to be in his late thirties. He was wearing casual, comfortable night robes, but he had a symbol of the Holy Light around his neck. He seemed to be casting some sort of magical triage over Natalie.
Liadrin smiled at Remnii and the others and said it was good to see them. She explained they had just gotten Natalie settled in. She looked at them, and then asked where Vel was, as she had assumed she would have wanted to be there.
She quickly explained the situation, and Liadrin furrowed her brow.
She then explained what she had learned about Natalie.
Zabra started to chant, and then the magic wreathed Natalie’s body. However, it then failed as it was unable to make a connection.
He started to look at some of his notes, but Remnii put a hand on his shoulder.
She recounted that Natalie was killed in a strange way, and Liadrin was uncertain what Natalie would have been trying to hide. Remnii mused on it, and she had recalled that in all circumstances the spell was used, the spirits being communed with were either in the ethereal or in the Shadowlands. It was possible that Natalie simply didn’t want to communicate, but it was also possibly something else.
Seria stepped forward and she tried to use [Speak with Dead]. Her eyes became imbued with magic as her form shifted back to her true form, and the skull-like tattoos on her body manifested. Spectral threats tied around Natalie’s limbs, and her eyes opened. Mercy blinked and asked if that was supposed to happen, and they assured her it was.
They asked what happened when Natalie died. The body looked at them, and Natalie said that “she” had tried to kill her when her back was turned.
Remnii said that it appeared it was Calia that had tried to kill her, and Victor demanded to know why that was the case.
Remnii asked who was the one that tried to kill Natalie, and Natalie confirmed it was Calia Menethil-Prestor.
He grabbed the side of his head.
Victor grabbed his head again.
Remnii nodded, and Uther and Victor headed out. Remnii asked Natalie why Calia struck her down, if she knew. Natalie said Calia was jealous of the “blade”. Remnii asked what blade Natalie spoke of, and she said it was Xal’atath.
Remnii asked why Natalie didn’t wish to come back, and Natalie said her mind was shattered and her body was no longer safe. So she had fled beyond where Calia’s magic could reach her.
Remnii asked where Natalie went, and she said she had cast her soul into the Void, beyond where Calia could reach her. It was her final act with the blade. She asked if Natalie had advice on how to find her in the Void. Natalie said to “follow the thread”.
Remnii thought about it, and she started to think about powerful magic that would allow Natalie to project her soul from her body. Her mind fell on astral projection, which caused a thin thread of magic to connect the soul to the body. Remnii looked around and saw nothing, but Seria and Gil looked around and noticed a very thin sliver of a translucent thread. It was connected from Natalie’s chest and seemingly led into the shadows of the room. It had a blue and purplish aura around it.
Remnii asked Natalie what she could tell her about Xal’atath. Natalie said it was a blade beyond definition, and she had seen empires built and grumble. She was an enigma, a question, an answer, and clarity. Natalie did not know what she truly was, but she was a weapon, a prison, and a tool. Perhaps she was far more.
The body slumped to the table again, and the unintroduced priest caught her. He said he wasn’t sure what any of this was, but there was nothing holy about what Natalie was referring to. He seemed shocked that Calia was responsible for killing her, but he introduced himself as father Lankester Merrin, the purveyor of the orphanage. Apparently Natalie was an inspiration of his, and he didn’t know what she got herself into.
Remnii mused that light and dark didn’t run too far apart, and Natalie had been kind to her and was a scholar before all else.
Liadrin nodded.
She pointed to the shadows.
Lankester nodded and said she was welcome in his abode at least, including if she needed to recover. Liadrin said that she was glad to help out in whatever way she could. Lankester said he would pray the Light would guide them through the darkness and back, and they were welcome at the orphanage whenever they needed to be there.
Uther was walking with Victor around the block to help him cool off. Victor was very quiet.
Victor sighed.
Uther pulled Victor into a tight hug. Victor’s grip was tight enough that his claws partially slipped through the disguise.
Victor gave him a pat on the back as he pulled away.
Uther grinned and punched Victor lightly in the shoulder.
Victor smirked and punched Uther back. They had rounded back to the orphanage just in time to see the rest of the group leaving. Remnii greeted them, and Uther asked what they learned. Gil said they were going to go to the void.
Remnii gave a quick description of what their options were, as well as the fact Natalie’s mind was likely shattered. Uther recalled what happened with Vel in Northrend where Tae’shara’s father was exposed to something that shattered his mind. However, him becoming undead allowed him to recover. He also knew that from his exposure to Vel the undead seemed to have some sort of resistance to madness caused by the void. He also knew there were a handful of other vampyrs at the castle that Vel had spoken to about this very matter.
They returned to the castle, and Jaina managed to set Remnii up with an opportunity to go and bring food to Benedictus so she could speak with him. However, as she arrived, it was like she was bearing witness to the skeleton of the basilica. The wood and cloth was all gone, and the stone was blackened with broken windows. It was once a beautiful church, the original church of the Holy Light that was built by Uther’s ancestors, but now it was a husk of what it was.
It was a sad sight to behold, and Remnii continued forward one step at a time. The guards went to stop her, but they recognized her as the woman that was supposed to be there as Remnii had taken on her appearance as a disguise. They suspected nothing, and they expressed they were unsure if Benedictus had touched their last meal. It was sad to see him go like he was, and they were unsure he was going to survive the week.
Remnii assured him they were going to keep trying for as long as he was there. He mentioned that she was something special, and Remnii smiled, as the guard matched the description of a “Mace” that Maelynn had described. It seemed that he had a thing for her.
Remnii headed inside and she heard the soft repetitive “tink” of a chisel and hammer on stone. In the darkness, she saw the shell of an old man. The last time Remnii had seen him, he was a broad-shouldered, strong old man. But now she could practically see his bones, as his muscles had deteriorated, and he wore no shirt despite the chill in the air. His trousers struggled to cling to his gaunt form.
The shattered remains of his masterpiece, the statue of Saint Mereldar, were all around him, her head broken, her wings in pieces, and the core of her body crumbled and burned. He was on a poor excuse for a scaffolding as he hammered away at the side of a blackened thigh of a statue. There were trays of food that were cold and eaten by mice or other creatures. Water was untouched. He didn’t seem to notice her as he continued to work.
Remnii set the food on a cleared table, but she kept the water skin and a single biscuit as she climbed carefully up the scaffolding to him. His hands were red and his body was covered in scratches, marks, and blemishes. His eyes were sunken and shrouded in dark circles. He was muttering a prayer to the Light with a slurred tongue. He still did not notice her.
Remnii called to Benedictus, but he did not respond.
She produced a small, broken votive, and started to softly sing the prayer with him as she repaired it. Her voice rippled through the halls, and the sconces on the walls lit. Her glyph appeared on her forehead as her disguise melted away, and Benedictus’s eyes turned from his work and focused on her.
She held the repaired votive out to him with a warm light. Benedictus looked at him with unfocused eyes, and he said her name.
Remnii greeted him warmly, and Benedictus’s tools fell off the scaffolding and hit the ground. He turned and looked at them and said he had to keep going, but Remnii told him that she would get them.
He looked at the statue.
Remnii looked down at the tools Benedictus had dropped. She caught him starting to walk off the edge of the scaffolding, and she grabbed his arm.
Remnii got the sense that Benedictus was probably experiencing exhaustion-fueled hallucinations, but whatever he was talking about happened before all this, and it sounded like a vision.
She pulled out the waterskin.
She channeled healing magic into his hands. Benedictus felt the magic of the warmth on his hands
Benedictus looked down at all the trays down below as if seeing it for the first time. He started to weep, his eyes stinging with how unblinking they had been. He staggered, and then dropped to his knees. Remnii heard the creaking and groaning of wood. The scaffolding had started to creak and shift. He started to spill off the scaffolding.
Remnii dove after Benedictus as the scaffolding collapsed. She grabbed him and pulled him as closely and tightly as she could, and put her faith in the Light. A faint golden image of golden wings burst from her shoulders in an emulation of those she had seen Yrel manifest. The entire space was filled with light.
There was a moment they were both suspended, and then they glided down safely to the rocky ground. Benedictus looked up at her in awe.
He took the waterskin from her and took a drink. Remnii gently took his hand and took him to the hot porridge that she had left on the table. He ate slowly, and Remnii then used the magic of T’uure to cleanse some of the fatigue from him so that he could go to sleep.
She put her disguise back on, and she supported Benedictus on her arm as, for the first time in months, he left the ruins of the basilica. The guards looked on in awe as Remnii led him to a soft bed back at the castle.
The guard nodded in awe as Remnii offered a smile and continued to support Benedictus toward the castle.
