[Horde] Chapter Five: Session Forty-Five
Appearing Characters: Arthak Saurfang, Ayelle, Bakaz, Bilgerudder, Delliana, Elya Azuremoon, Feargus, Gudorg, Halog, Levia Blackflight, Merayl, Neri Shaprfin, Norryn, Oceanus, Okuna Longtusk, Ooka Dooker, Ooker Dooker, Rekki (Vision), Rokhan (Vision), Sacrolash, Seria (Vision), Seska Seafang, Sol'chi, Sternfathom, Sythorne, Thaldrys, Velameestra Windrunner (Simulacrum), Volo'ren, Volrath (Vision), Whalebelly, Zar'Kaa, Zekhan (Vision), Zulfli'jin (Vision), Zuni (Vision)
December 2nd - December 4th
The battle of the finals in the Shipwreck Arena unfolded as the two teams squared off with each other. Neri Sharpfin ran for Whalebelly and dodged around his massive anchor. With two divisive strikes, she brought Whalebelly to his knees with a quick double hamstring. He was knocked out of the round immediately.
The Grooker swung around to attack Neri, but she was able to slip out of the way and avoid a hit completely. Okuna barreled forward to help cover Neri, but in the process Ooka flipped over and managed to bonk him on the head with the blunt end of her spear.
Captain Feargus opted to focus on Arthak, but the orc took a defensive stance and managed to deflect his strikes before sending him backwards with a strong headbutt. Arthak pressed his advantage and followed up on Feargus. He clocked the worgen across the face with the flat of his blade and then hooked the captain’s legs with his scabbard and hit him a second time with the flat of the blade, knocking him out cold. After the first exchange, only the Grooker remained.
Neri, Okuna, and Arthak all looked at the Grooker. The sibling duo opted to go for Okuna with the same strategy, but Okuna threw out a net and completely disrupted Ooka’s attack. The hozen was able to escape the net before Okuna landed a follow up strike, but Neri took the opening and clipped Ooker with her dagger.
Arthak caught the Grooker as they retreated with a devastating strike, but the hozen siblings were still just barely up.
The Grooker continued to focus on Okuna and managed to kick him in the forehead, but it wasn’t enough to take him out and it left them open for a strike from Arthak.
He grabbed Ooka and used her as a bludgeon to slam into Ooker, knocking them both out. The Shipwreck Arena erupted into cheers and applause. Okuna grabbed Arthak’s arm and lifted it up into the air. Neri jumped up on their arms and raised her daggers up triumphantly.
Eventually, the cheering was hushed as a massive sea giant stepped out. He had a circlet with a shark-like crest, and his beard looked to be made of tentacles that shifted slightly as he walked. He raised his hand and looked over to Bilgerudder.
He squinted down at Arthak.
Oceanus nodded and looked down at the Whale Sharks. He hopped down from the stern and landed before the trio.
Oceanus squinted at Arthak, confused.
Oceanus scowled, but at that moment a raucous erupted in the crowd. His attention was drawn to the fighting that unraveled in the stands as other gladiators charged the most tyrannical of the giants.
Arthak rushed forward and swept upward with Varg’osh. It bit into the giant’s leg, and then the blade shifted to its greatsword form. He swung again, and fiery chains erupted around Oceanus as he struck into him a second time, denting his whalebone shield. Oceanus roared and broke the molten chains, but Arthak swung again and destroyed his shield. Seeing the opening, Arthak cleaved into his arm.
Arthak repositioned himself and then charged in for another round of attacks. He switched in the Blackhand’s Fang giantslayer axe just to bloody the axe by slamming it into his leg, and then twisted Varg’osh around to continue his assault as he carved into Oceanus’s side and pivoted around to give Neri an opening.
The gilgoblin darted behind Whalebelly’s unconscious body to try and give herself an advantage, and then she jumped out and fired three times into Oceanus with her coral shortbow.
Okuna lumbered forward and drove his spear into Oceanus. The giant staggered, but he was just barely able to remain standing.
Arthak took the opportunity to get another quick strike in and he activated his fire rune a second time. One more, the chains wrapped around the giant, and Arthak carved into the back of his legs.
Oceanus roared with a final desperate attempt to fight on. The area around him rippled and water started to churn up from beneath the shipwrecks. The water erupted beneath Neri, Okuna, and Arthak, which sent Neri flying into the air and knocked her on her back. Okuna and Arthak stayed stable, however, but Oceanus swept his massive weapon around. It crackled with lightning as it struck Arthak.
Two of Oceanus’s brineguard had started to head down to back up Oceanus, but they were too late. Okuna dove under Oceanus’s legs, tripping up his stance. He tried to throw a net, but Neri fired her shortbow and pinned the net to Oceanus’s face.
Arthak grinned and then vaulted himself upward. He carved Varg’osh through Oceanus’s neck, and his head went rolling to the ground. Arthak then looked over at the brineguard, who immediately turned and ran away. However, some of the other giants grabbed them.
In very short order, the arena had been completely upturned by the rebellion. Gudorg and Halog had been actively announcing what had occurred with a great deal of zeal.
Arthak activated his giant’s might and grew to his giant size, a cigar in his mouth.
As Arthak’s words echoed, he saw anger, shame, and conviction in their faces. Sternfathom hopped down into the arena.
One of the giants asked about the arena, and Sternfathom said he didn’t see any reason to close it, but it should be changed into something more productive.
Several other giants started to punch their hands into their fists, and the sentiment started to ripple toward Arthak’s idea. Some giants were quiet and slipped away, but then Seska stepped forward.
She was referring to the gladiators.
Feargus sat up with a grunt.
A few other pirates whispered excitedly, and Feargus fired his gun into the air.
Arthak said they could work something out. Anything that needed to be translated was translated. Okuna decided to return with Arthak as he believed he now owed Arthak a debt, but Neri bid her farewells as she had other business to look into.
Seska looked at Arthak for a long while, and she approached.
She looked over at the severed head of Oceanus.
Seska smirked and then walked away with a wave. Arthak got the sense that she didn’t want him to be her enemy, because she’d just rather not fight him.
At that moment, Whalebelly started to come to. Okuna pinned him with his boot on his chest and said that he was going to take his weapon, as it was a nice one. He just walked away, leaving Whalebelly partially paralyzed.
Arthak apologized to Whalebelly as he had lied and wasn’t going to kill him. Ooka and Ooker also scurried away after the Brashtide, and everyone just left Whalebelly there, paralyzed and forced to just sit there and think.
Meanwhile, back at Nar’thalas Academy, Vel, Sol, and Levia awoke on their second day of class. They were now sophomores, and their next class was a ritual and endurance test. Sol opted to get his roommate, Norryn, to do a brief study overview.
The instructor was a silver-haired kaldorei ghost with a cowl over her head. She greeted everyone and introduced herself as Delliana. She quizzed everyone on their ritual knowledge and informed them of the challenge before them.
Delliana strolled around the aisles and noted that Vel and Sol were both casting spells that she didn’t recognize. She asked Sol what his was first, and he didn’t answer, as he caught on it was a trick. She then caused a huge sound to try and interrupt them, but they continued to concentrate on their rituals.
People were starting to drop off as an hour passed, but Levia, Sol, and Vel continued. Delliana called for them to continue, but she was getting a tad chilly, and she projected a bonfire that started to radiate intense heat.
Delliana then went over to the chalkboard and started to erase it. It made a horrible grating sound. Levia, Vel, and Sol continued.
She gave each of the ghostly students treats and fancy food and snacks. And then money. With the din and excitement of the room, Levia dropped out and she told Sol and Vel she was gonna go see if she could eat ghost food.
Delliana informed them that she failed to reserve the classroom long enough, and the band was going to come in and start practicing. Sol and Vel continued to maintain their rituals, and at the two hour mark another professor came in and told them a unicorn was sighted. They then projected all the noise into the room.
It was down to just Vel and Sol as they hit the two-and-a-half-hour mark. Ghostly rats came out and started to crawl all over them, and Vel shifted to put one of the rats down, but her thoughts collided and she was officially out.
Delliana started to rain spells around Sol to try and interrupt him, but he was able to hold out for an excessive amount. Delliana congratulated him on a job well done.
They were given a study hall for the rest of the day to research their independent studies. Some of the books were actively flapping around, making it difficult to read, but with their combined efforts they were able to get a fair amount of research in.
When they awoke on the next day, they were at rank three, which was a largely self-guided year. They had to do an essay on a magical subject pertaining to a type of magical creature of their choice. The instructor was a man named Sythorne.
The next day was their final exam, which was being administered by Elya Azuremoon. Levia joked that she couldn’t believe how quickly the years were flying by, as it felt like they had just enrolled four days ago.
Elya Azuremoon was a beautiful elven woman with long blue hair that was braided over her shoulder. She addressed the trio and the other ghost students that were ready to take their own exams.
She smiled and a barrage of arcane missiles were unleashed on the testers. In the group of ten ahead of them, only two succeeded.
Sol, Levia, and Vel were part of the next group. Panels of magic manifested around them, and Elya started the test.
In the first round, Vel was only able to break one lock, but Sol broke two. Vel was also tagged once, but in the second round Vel and Sol both broke through three locks. They continued to barrel through, and they both managed to break through at the same time.
Elya held her hand out and three dozen magic missiles appeared. Sol conjured up a ward and dove forward to snag his while Vel blasted the ground with a coat of ice and used it to gain speed and skirt under the missiles where she was able to butterfly kick upwards and snag her own.
Levia also managed to succeed, and they were the only three of their group. Elya congratulated them and said she wished to give them their diplomas personally, even though they had managed to snatch them. She handed each of them a small slip of paper and shook their hands. On each of the slips was a voucher to turn into the provisioner to get a commencement gift of their choice.
Levia asked the headmistress if they could use one of them to see the Tidestone. Elya said that normally that was not within the purview, but she believed that could be arranged given how extraordinary they were as students. However they didn’t need to use their tickets. Levia asked if they could bring some friends, and Elya said she wasn’t so sure about that as it had been their duty to protect it. Alumni were one thing, but outsiders were another.
Sol rattled off the people they were planning on taking, and after some consideration, Elya agreed, she would just have to do a few screenings. If they brought them around tomorrow, she could do that.
Zar’Kaa had awoken in the same tent as before, and the same scene as the prior day played out. Zar’Kaa told the group to make haste, but as he considered the situation, he mused that he may have fallen into a magical trap of some sort. Zar’kaa suggested the same plan he had in the prior iteration, but he advised them to not come too close to the building. Ayelle and Merayl agreed.
He inched over to Volo’ren.
He gestured to the city.
Volo’ren furrowed his brow.
Zar’Kaa nodded. Volo’ren said this was a good conversation, but they should focus on the mission, and they could talk more when they saved everyone.
They followed the same route. Zar’Kaa remembered the patrols and the other challenges. They maneuvered them with ease, and they found the old desecrated temple once more. Zar’Kaa once again tried the eredar disguise, and he tried the same approach.
This time, Ayelle and Merayl stayed out of sight just like he warned them. Volo’ren and Zar’Kaa entered the facility. They heard the same dissonant sounds of laughter and torture inside, and they had to find the prisoners.
It took them longer than Zar’Kaa wanted, but they followed the sounds and they stepped into a circular room. The fountain at the center was seeping blood, and it was illuminating the once-sacred chamber in a malicious light. There were a dozen magical suspension restraints, and Zar’Kaa recognized the unconscious forms of people he knew: Zuni, Zekhan, Rekki, Volrath, Seria, Zulfli’jin, Rokhan. They all hung limply from the chains around him. They were completely undisguised.
Zar’Kaa ran over to the nearest console to free them. Volo’ren warned him that they needed to be careful getting them out. It didn’t seem that Volo’ren recognized them, but he saw them as the people they came to rescue. Zar’Kaa put his hand on the console, and he started to open as many of the restraints as he could. However, the terminal started going red. Zuni, Zekhan, and Volrath were freed, but on the other side, other prisoners started to disintegrate into dust before he could reach them.
There was laughter.
It was Zar’Kaa’s own voice. Zar’Kaa turned toward the voice, and he saw himself in the doorway he had entered from. His eyes had a red glow to them, and his hands were covered with a thick black tar that cracked with fel energy. He had Zar’Kaa’s spear in his hand.
The shadow version of Zar’Kaa thrust forward with his spear. Zar’Kaa and the shadow dueled back and forth, and Zar’Kaa managed to get two solid hits. The shadowy figure growled and rushed forward for another series of attacks. Once again, the shadowy figure thrust forward, and Zar’Kaa grabbed the spear. The shadowy form roared and then dark wings unfurled from his back and his form went inky.
He charged forward again, and Zar’Kaa rushed to meet him. But then he stopped and pivoted and swiped the spear out of the Storm’s hand and slashed him right across the back, driving through his spine. Zar’Kaa stood over the shadowy figure.
He drove his spear into the neck of the figure, but as he impacted the ground, the room started to crack. He felt pressure on his arms and legs, and he opened his eyes. He was in the room he had saved Volo’ren from, but he was in one of the mechanisms.
He ripped his arms from the device and he took a quick look around. The mechanisms started to spark, and he saw a figure step out from the shadows.
She was a tall eredar woman with deep violet skin and bright green eyes. She was scantily clad, and her form was only just covered. There was shadowy magic receding back to her.
Suddenly, there was a rocking sound that shook the chamber. He saw the ghosts of Volo’ren, Thaldrys, Ayelle, and Merayl in the same devices. Each of them was also released.
Volo’ren called for Zar’Kaa to look out, and he drew a spectral blade. The eredar cursed as the entire facility started to shift. Then she melded into shadow and fled. Volo’ren called for them to run, and they all jumped out through an opening in the facility right before it exploded.
Demons started to swarm, but as a felguard called out an order, a thick bolt pierced through his throat. Thick shadows coalesced around him, and a blade severed his head completely. As the felguard collapsed, Zar’Kaa saw Bakaz and a handful of his headhunters.
Together, they all fled the facility.
