[Horde] Chapter Five: Session Forty-Three
Appearing Characters: Arthak Saurfang, Athissa Hatecoil, Bilgerudder, Driana, Euryale Vashj, Farondis, Filrich, Gudorg, Halog, Idri Nightwatch, Levia Blackflight, Magula, Malisandra, Neri Sharpfin, Nidriel, Norryn, Nyxxa Murkthorn, Okuna Longtusk, Parjesh Hatecoil, Rak'Symma, S'theno Vashj, Seersei, Six, Sol'chi, Sternfathom, Thyrillion, Vaerux, Vejsha Hatecoil, Velameestra Windrunner (Simulacrum), Whalebelly
December 1st - December 2nd
Sol asked Farondis how the elven schools worked in Nar’thalas, as he was from a very alien culture. Farondis explained the schooling was longer than one would expect, as the curriculum could go on for years. However, if they showed enough promise they could likely get enough trust in a few years. Given how things worked now, he was uncertain how the passage of time would seem. Each student’s aptitude was tested individually, and they would progress individually based on their aptitude.
Sol mused they shouldn’t do too badly given their skills. Sol asked how interpersonal relationships typically worked, as his were more hostile. Farondis said that was a complicated question, and Vel asked what Sol meant by hostile. He explained those that fell behind were turned into wrathguards, and Vel blinked, and she and Farondis both confirmed that was nothing he needed to be concerned with.
Farondis explained Elya Azuremoon was the headmistress who had the key to where the tidestone was located. He hoped that they could gain her trust enough to gain that access. He was grateful for their help, and as long as they didn’t make things worse for the people present, he wouldn’t stop them.
Nyxxa asked if he knew how, and Farondis said he didn’t.
Farondis said that he had a laboratory in the palace, and they were welcome to look in it, as it might give them some clues. Farondis guided them to the workshop, and it was in a largely crumbled section of the palace that was largely abandoned. There may have been instruments there in the past that had been used, and Vel and Sol quickly looked around the area.
They found some old notes, and while it didn’t say exactly what happened, they found notes about some sort of concoction. Nyxxa noticed that some of the implements were for brewing alcohol as well, and it appeared that whatever concoction he had been making was in tandem with brewing. The notes also appeared to be rather recent.
The last thing they found was a note explaining a stranger from Pandaria had arrived, and he believed that he knew what his brew was missing and what he may have forgotten.
Vel suggested they try to contact Garuhod to see if they could get some insights, and she began the ritual. The magic filled the room, and she felt a connection, but the spirit seemed scared to come back. Vel asked what allowed him to escape the curse, and she got vague feedback that seemed like Garuhod was unsure, but he felt it was something the outsider did. He was afraid if he returned, he might be trapped again.
Vel severed the spell and relayed what she had uncovered. Nyxxa said that ultimately if Garuhod didn’t know, then there wasn’t much to be done about it. Vel asked the group if they were also looking for Chen, and Sol confirmed. Vel asked if they had met Li Li then, and Sol also confirmed and she was very nice.
Farondis said that he was uncertain what magic Vel had used, but he was glad to know that Garuhod had gotten some peace, even if he wished he could have shared it with the rest of them.
They decided to divide and conquer the various leads in Nar’thalas to try and see what else they could uncover.
Nyxxa went off to find Idri, who asked if her meeting with Prince Farondis was as much of a waste of time as she expected. Nyxxa said there were things to work on, but he was helpful. Idri scoffed and said she would have to take her word for it.
Nyxxa asked Idri to direct her to where Captain Moonfang was, and Idri said Nyxxa could likely guess given she knows the scoundrel. Nyxxa correctly guessed a bar, and Vaerux grumbled in the back of her mind. Idri led her to a bar called the Last Stop, which was seedy and very dilapidated. At one point it looked to be a two-story building, but it had crumbled. Nyxxa witnessed a ghost thrown through the window and heard the sound of breaking glass even though there wasn’t any glass to break.
Nyxxa thanked Idri, who said if she was needed, Nyxxa could speak with one of the town watch. Idri also added if the “drunk from Suramar” caused problems to also let her know.
Nyxxa headed into the bar and she saw a fair number of ghosts mulling around, playing games, and drinking. A lot of the ghosts turned to look at Nyxxa as she entered, and there seemed to be a degree of recognition. It almost seemed like she had been accepted as a regular. It was somewhat uncomfortable, but Nyxxa swallowed the feeling and looked around for Captain Nerus. However, she didn’t see anyone that looked like she expected Vaerux would.
Nyxxa headed over to the bartender and asked after Captain Moonfang. He had a messy bun, an eyepatch over one eye with a grizzled scar, and was missing multiple fingers. One of those fingers had a wedding band.
The bartender called Nyxxa “lieutenant” and said he was surprised she was there without the captain. Nyxxa said she was looking for him, and the bartender said that they were keeping the seat warm, he had said he’d be right back. Nyxxa sat down to wait and got a drink, which ended up being a broken, chipped mug that was then filled from a tap that had long dried. Nyxxa acted out drinking.
Nyxxa said that if Captain Moonfang didn’t come back, she could cover his tab, but the bartender assured her that he was good for it. The bartender said that the captain had just arrived not long ago, but he was surprised he arrived without Nyxxa. Apparently he was asking a lot of questions about how things had been around the area, and he kept asking about the academy, but the bartender was uncertain why, as a bunch of lowborn had no reason to go anywhere near there.
However, it seemed he was trying to learn more. He was wondering if Captain Moonfang had headed to the academy, but he doubted the groundskeeper would let him loiter around. Nyxxa said she had people in her group looking to enroll, and the bartender commented he was surprised Nyxxa was escorting a bunch of prissy highborne, but if they did see Captain Moonfang, they should send him back as his seat couldn’t be kept forward.
Nyxxa continued to make small talk and relayed to the group what she had found.
Vaerux grumbled like he couldn’t remember.
They decided to wait for an hour to see of Captain Moonfang showed up, and Vaerux grumbled about how he always made things so difficult. Nyxxa relayed the information to the rest of the group. Captain Moonfang never showed up.
Rak’Symma sent an animal messenger to the naga camp on Nyxxa’s behalf to warn them that contact would be made, as Nyxxa intended to follow up with them and see what they were doing on the borders of Nar’thalas. The message included Euryale Vashj’s name and that she was a representative of the Illidari.
Nyxxa headed to the place where the meeting was arranged with Sol using his abilities to ride behind her eyes. It was a secluded cove off the delta, and Driana also accompanied her. They waited for a small while, and Driana asked Nyxxa if she thought they were going to come, and Nyxxa said if they didn’t, that was in itself telling.
Not long after, Nyxxa spied two murlocs that were watching them. They hurried away, almost as if they were reporting back to someone. Then several figures emerged from the water. There were about a half dozen figures, and at their head was a large and long male naga with deep blue scales. He had a great lance in his claw, and he was heavily scarred.
Nyxxa said there were no tricks, and she meant what had been said. She said it was her understanding that they were no friends of the Legion. The naga looked Nyxxa up and down, and he commented those were big words coming from satyrs. He looked back.
At that moment, a seventh figure appeared from a gaseous form. She was a younger looking naga with deep viridian green skin, long snake-like tresses, and bright seafoam green eyes.
She folded some of her arms while she tapped her chin with another hand.
There was a deep anger in her eyes, and Nyxxa asked if they were causing issues for them.
The naga chewed on her lip as she considered. Some of the snakes in her hair chittered to themselves.
The female naga and Parjesh exchanged looks.
They were speaking in their language, but Nyxxa was able to perfectly understand it.
The naga looked at Nyxxa and informed her they had come to a decision.
Driana blinked, unsure what that is. Nyxxa and she briefly spoke, and then Nyxxa said they would come along. The female naga told them to accompany them back to their war camp so that arrangements could be made to ferry them to the Eye. Driana asked how they should refer to the female naga, and she introduced herself as Lady Tidemistress Athissa, and she and Warlord Parjesh were members of the Hatecoil.
They headed back to the war camp, and it appeared there was a fair number of naga amassing for conflict, though it was unclear who that conflict was meant for. There were also murlocs and sea giants that seemed to be envoys. They were inscribing a teleportation circle to bring in even more individuals. The two satyrs got some looks as they entered the camp, and Nyxxa did a quick survey of the people and conversations they passed. There were comments about the adept abilities of the ghosts, and that the demons were relentless. It appeared they were hoping for a stalemate, though they were doubtful it would remain. It appeared they were gathering intelligence on both forces and they weren’t sure who they would be in conflict with.
Athissa spoke with some of the other sea witches, and they did some sort of ritual that appeared to be a degree of communication, but Driana was unable to tell who they were speaking with. Athissa returned and informed they had been given leave to visit the Eye of Azshara, but it appeared even Athissa was a tad nervous. They moved to the circle of sea witches, and a beam of arcane lightning arched around and then struck them, which translocated them to a completely different location.
They emerged underwater, and they had to swiftly swim to the surface. When they broke the surface, they were in a tidepool, and they saw a much, much larger naga encampment. It looked more like a city. There were storm clouds circling overhead. Athissa ensured they were still in one piece, and Driana was clearly very shaken, but Nyxxa helped her up.
They headed deeper into the encampment and they saw many different amphibious creatures they passed. They were led to a temple that overlooked the sea, and there were all sorts of great statues erected all over the settlement that were seemingly enchanted. In the gazebo-like temple, they could see across the ocean to the edge of southern Aszuna. Overlooking the temple was another great statue of a naga that was unlike the others, as she had an octopus-like lower half: it was likely Azshara herself.
Several more naga sea witches were assembled, and one of them, who appeared to be among the more powerful, shared physical features with Athissa. Next to her was Euryale and S’theno Vashj.
Vashj regarded Nyxxa with a coy smile.
Nyxxa bowed in greeting them.
Vejsha folded her arms.
Athissa bowed and said that the elder sea witch’s praise did her a great honor.
Nyxxa explained they were seeking to interfere with the Legion, and when they heard that the naga were spotted, she wanted to ensure that they didn’t step on any fins. Euryale smirked and said that was very considerate, and Nyxxa said the last thing they needed was more conflict.
Euryale nodded to the others and she informed them that she would speak with the outsiders alone. Vejsha showed a flicker of displeasure in the snakes in her hair, and she asked if that was wise, but Euryale told her not to question her wisdom. Neither of them had reached their stations through a lack of caution. Vejsha relented and her subjects left. S’theno said it was good to see Nyxxa again as she passed and she hoped they could fight alongside each other again.
Euryale regarded Nyxxa and Driana curiously and asked what exactly they were doing. Nyxxa got the sense that Euryale likely knows that Nyxxa and her companions made contact with the ghosts, and she also likely has an inkling what they were doing, and she was trying to confirm what she thought she knew.
She glanced at the statue of Azshara.
Euryale folded her hands behind her back.
Euryale smiled at Nyxxa, who truthfully admitted that she did not feel good about it given Azshara’s unwillingness to change her mind on Nar’thalas, as giving it to her would give her the power to do the same thing again.
Euryale said she was uncertain if they brought the fragments here or elsewhere, but if they were here, then the naga must recover them, regardless of where they end up. Nyxxa thanked her for her candor, and Euryale offered the same sentiment.
Nyxxa said she would bring the information to the others and they would go from there. Nyxxa asked if there was a way to contact Euryale, and the naga offered Nyxxa a small sea shell that could be used as long as the naga were on the isles.
Driana bowed and said it was a pleasure to see Euryale again. Euryale asked if she knew her, and Driana introduced herself. Euryale said she believed that she remembered the name, and she offered a slight nod.
Nyxxa and Driana were invited to stay on the Eye for the evening and they would be returned the next day.
Arthak went to assess the Legion situation while Rak’Symma threw down a [Forbiddance] spell on the city. While he was watching, he saw the effects of such magic as several imps were immediately destroyed.
However, he believed there were likely ethereal infiltration teams into the city as the ghosts were currently trapped on the material. Sayaad had an innate ability to shift into the ethereal, so they were likely among those doing the primary infiltration, while imps were sent out for physical dealings.
The Legion would also need a way to get the Tidestone out, and if it was stuck due to the curse, then they would also need to do something about the curse.
He opted to go and alert the watch about the demons in the ethereal plane and he was able to convince them to allow some allies in, like demon hunters, though Driana suggested he phrase them as members of the Moonguard. In the process, he got transportation to Illidari Stand to help organize some of the Illidari. While he was there, something caught his eye. There was a skull of a giant that was washed up on the shore.
He opted to go down to investigate, and it appeared to have been picked clean by fauna and nature. It was hard to say how long ago the giant had died, but he saw something glinting in the sand. He brushed the sand away, and he found a bottle with a crumpled piece of paper in it. He pulled the note out, and he found a slightly greasy piece of parchment with text on it, but it was not one Arthak could read.
Arthak returned to the Stand, and it was not a language anyone else knew. Vel was unfortunately busy, but Arthak was able to borrow the raven’s eye from Nyxxa.
Arthak opted to follow up on the matter after informing people what he was doing. He traveled for about half a day and arrived where the bay terminated into the sea. As he approached, he noticed debris of a lot of shipwrecks that were seemingly intentionally placed like some sort of landmark. A handful of sea giants were milling around the area, and Arthak saw a shark get heaved out of the water and thrown onto shore. A sea giant followed to the cheers of his fellows.
Arthak headed downward and a sea giant noticed him. He asked who he was, and Arthak responded in giant that he was just a traveler. All the giants turned and looked at Arthak.
Another giant asked where Arthak was traveling to, and Arthak said he was looking for the Shipwreck Arena as he believed the markers indicated the direction. The sea giants confirmed, and Arthak thanked them. Another sea giant gave Arthak further instructions, and then a few of them offered to take him there. It seemed they were trying to pawn Arthak off on someone.
Arthak said he wouldn’t mind trouble, and one of the sea giants said they wouldn’t want him to run into anything unsavory as there were smallfolk pirates in the area. Arthak made some idle small talk to the giants as they walked.
The giants seemed to be in disbelief, as they knew him and apparently he had arrived at the arena recently and had trouble getting his team together. Arthak said he was glad that he got back safely.
One of the giants nodded and said the stories said as much. Arthak asked if the sea giants once dredged the seas, and they explained that the stories also said as much, but that was long before their time. Arthak said that was a noble legacy, and one of the giants said that Deepbeard was old enough to remember those times. Arthak asked if he was at the arena, and they said that Deepbeard worked with the naga. However, his son, Oceanus, set up the Shipwreck Arena. One of the tournaments started tomorrow.
One of the giants asked if Arthak was looking to fight, and Arthak said fighting tended to happen where he went. He asked if the giants fought in the arena, and the sea giants explained the giants collected teams of gladiators from amongst the smallfolk. Arthak said he met giants that did the same in his homeland. They tasted good, but they were not as good conversationalists.
The sea giants looked at Arthak, then at each other, and they started to laugh as Arthak regaled them with other vague stories of giants from his homeland.
Up ahead, they saw a tapestry that was sewn together from dozens of different sails to create a giant-sized flag. The sea giants said that was Shipwreck Arena, and they could go in and meet everyone. The giants suggested that they speak to them first, and Arthak introduced himself as Arthak Stormbreaker, and asked for the names of the giants that accompanied them: Halog and Gudorg.
They entered into a cave that resembled a giant-version of a casino built out of shipwrecks. There were other giants, and also some worgen and gnolls as well as a few hozen that were actively eating some stew. There seemed to be a mixture of willingness to be there, as there were also whalebone cages with recently beaten captives.
Arthak asked the two sea giants how much they were thinking of getting for him. The sea giants were caught off guard and insisted they were just going to introduce him to Sternfathom, and Arthak said that he could negotiate for them.
Gurdorg asked if he was actually willing to do that for them, as the two of them decided to drop the act. Arthak said there was no reason their efforts should go unrewarded. He asked if he was going to be sold to Sternfathom or Oceanus, and Halog insisted only the teams that won spoke to Oceanus. Arthak said that he intended on winning then, and the two sea giants laughed and said they would definitely have to bet on him.
As they continued, they passed a sea giant that was missing a hand and a leg that was dressed like a pirate and adorned with pieces of shipwreck. He was talking to a tuskarr, but this particular one was huge. He had a dark grey moustache, and his tusks were carved with all sorts of markings and symbols. One of the tusks were sawed off halfway through. He wore armor with other tusks woven into it, but he had no armor on his chest. Instead, it was painted with tattoos that made it resemble a ribcage of a whale.
The pair side-eyed Arthak as he passed, and Arthak asked who the giant was. The giants explained that was Bilgerudder, the reigning champion, and the tuskar was Whalebelly, who was something of a big shot amongst the gladiators. Arthak asked if the fights were to the death, and Halog explained it depended on injury and Oceanus’s mood, as sometimes the prince demanded the deaths of the losing team.
The giants arrived at a residence and called for Sternfathom. He emerged and asked what they wanted. He appeared to be older than the other two, but as he saw Arthak his eyes crinkled into a smile.
The sea giants explained they found him walking along the side of the beach and they decided to guide him to Shipwreck Arena. Stenfathom said that was good, but he didn’t have much in the way of funds as they had little luck in victory. Sternfathom asked if the two giants would accept a favor, and Arthak said that he could help him reverse his fortunes, and Sternfathom offered to make it up to the duo with what they won in the next tournament.
Halog asked what happened if Arthak didn’t win, and Sternfathom assured him they’d win, as he had seen Arthak fight. Halog insisted if Arthak lost they’d have to renegotiate, but Arthak insisted he didn’t lose. Halog and Gudorg relented, and Arthak said he’d be looking for them in the crowd.
The two younger giants left, leaving Arthak with Sternfathom. He commented they were spirited youths, but he believed Arthak could definitely help him pull things off, and he was one short of his team. Unfortunately, one of his men didn’t survive the injuries from the last bout. Arthak said he was happy to help, but there was a reason he was there. He explained he was looking for Okuna Longtusk.
Another voice spoke up in very bad giant and said that he had found him.
Arthak looked back at a much younger tuskarr, but still a man of impressive size. He had a net with a bunch of fish in it, and some simple white tattoos on his shoulders and midsection. He swapped some words with Sternfathom, who asked what other languages Arthak knew. Arthak relayed to him what he knew. Okuna switched to Zandali so he could better talk to Arthak, and Arthak explained that he found his bottle.
Okuna laughed in disbelief, as he didn’t think anyone would find them as he had sent them out months ago. He explained he had been stuck there after the sea giants wrecked his vessel, but Sternfathom had recently acquired him, and he was a much better man than the other giants. Arthak said that he was there to get him out, and Okuna commented Arthak had a funny way to do it as the giants weren’t going to let them leave. Arthak said that was fine.
He turned to Sternfathom and asked why he had come to Shipwreck Arena, and Sternfathom admitted he was hoping to shut it down. Arthak said he had some ideas on how to help, and Sternfathom aid one of their own ideas was coming back now.
Arthak looked back and he saw the sharptoothed smirk of Neri Sharpfin, the gilgoblin that had been rescued alongside Sternfathom.
Arthak asked what the plan was, and Neri said they had been hoping to win one of the matches. Okuna said the winning team was normally granted a prize from Prince Oceanus, and he needed to enter the arena. Arthak said he liked where that was going, and Neri said the tournament started tomorrow and the finals were the next day. She hoped to get Oceanus within striking distance.
Arthak asked if the problem was Oceanus, and Okuna nodded and explained he had been running the place for as long as it had been there. He had a sick fascination with watching smallfolk kill each other. Ultimately, with Oceanus gone, the place could become something else, or dispersed. Neri said most likely the giants would squabble until someone came out on top, but Neri hoped to free the gladiators that were there against their will.
Okuna said he had come to the isles with a mission of liberation, but he had now seen some of the cruelest parts of the world. He hoped to save people from their fate, and he had his own reasons to bring down Oceanus, as he had capsized his vessel and killed the rest of his crew.
Sternfathom said there were a lot of things that needed to be accomplished first, and Neri said she had plenty of ideas to get some others on board with taking down Oceanus. She believed if they could find their way into the armory and get some arms into more sympathetic people, they would have good cover. Arthak agreed that was wise, and he asked how well Oceanus was liked. Sternfathom said he was liked and feared in equal measure, and he was beloved by his father, King Deepbeard. It was a powerful enemy to be made, but Sternfathom felt it was a worthy cause.
Sternfathom gave some other information on the gladiators, and Whalebelly apparently was one of the ones that had been there the longest. Arthak asked about violence outside the arena, and Sternfathom said the giants normally broke them up and threw the interlopers in the cages until the fights started. But they decided it was wise to get some practice in, and they opted to go by the name Whale Sharks.
Okuna vowed that when they got out, he would return to his original mission. Arthak said that he was going to ask him about that later.
Meanwhile, Vel, Sol, and Levia headed to the academy of Nar’thalas. The academy was very difficult to miss, as it was a tall building with large arches and a massive courtyard. Broken statues were all over the grounds, and it was an impressive sight even despite its ruin. They came to a large and impressive atrium that was less damaged than the rest of the city. There were highborne ghosts going about their business, and many had heavy wizard robes and pointed hats.
Levia agreed that made sense, and Sol commented that he was looking forward to not having people out to get him. Levia joked that he still had to worry about her, and they affectionately scuffled a bit before Levia said that at least Vel would be focused on the target.
One of the ghosts approached them. They had a high collar and a posh-looking robe. He asked what he could help them with, as they did not appear to be among the student body. He had sea-green slicked back hair and a long beard. He wanted to know what their business was, as the grounds were heavily restricted. Sol said they were there for enrollment, and they had a letter of recommendation.
The ghost took the letter and looked at it. He was amazed that it was penned by the first arcanist of Suramar. Vel said Thalyssra was her aunt, and the ghost was taken aback again as he didn’t know her siblings had children. Vel introduced herself as Thalia, Sol introduced himself as Solion, and Levia introduced herself as Zaestra.
The ghost summoned some enrollment papers and introduced himself as Thyrillion, one of the curators of the academy that saw to many of the administrative and disciplinary duties, though he hoped that the latter would not need to be of use with such a high recommendation. Vel assured him that she had no intention of wasting the staff’s time or her own. Vel assessed the forms were some degree of geas, though the consequence was immediate expulsion.
Thyrillion said he would show them to their quarters in short order, but they needed to have their uniforms assigned as well. He clapped his hands, and three large, droopy wizard hats appeared and landed in their hands. He encouraged them to put them on, and as they did, their uniforms transformed into the heavy robes. Thyrillion said there was someone who had not yet been assigned a roommate, so they could get joined up with them.
Levia immediately grabbed Vel and said they’d be roommates, and Thyrillion called for a man named Filrich, and another ghost materialized. He looked to be a crotchety older man in a janitorial outfit who said that he could take them to their rooms.
Sol thanked him, and the man stopped for a moment and asked what he said. Sol repeated, and he looked flabbergasted because no one had said that to him before. The ghost of a small sphynx cat trotted out and jumped onto his shoulder.
They were shown to rooms that were right next to each other. Filrich knocked on one of the doors, and another ghost opened the door. He had massive circular glasses, messy bed head, and he was a fairly large guy but also had a keenness that showed his intellect. He said his name was Norryn. Sol said it was nice to meet him, and the ghost reached out for a handshake. He said if Sol wanted the side he was staying on, he could move, but Sol assured him the open side was fine. Norryn sniffled loudly and offered to help Sol move anything, but Sol said he was fine.
Sol started to fiddle with some things, and as he turned his back and then looked again Norryn was in the bed fast asleep. Sol relayed that his roommate already went to sleep, and Vel suggested that the days might be very short given how time was passing.
At that moment, Norryn woke up, and commented Sol was an early riser. Sol relayed that Norryn just woke up, and Vel commented that it seemed the night cycle was about… 10 seconds.
They looked in their belongings, and they all found schedules. They were to report to one of the chambers for their first lesson: cantrips.
They reported to the first lesson with other ghostly students. A highborne instructor stepped forward. She had pale skin, dark lips, bright eyes, and very long hair. She greeted them and introduced herself as Instructor Nidriel. She said they would be discussing cantrips, and she wove her hand to manifest diagrams of various types. She said that they were one of the few forms of magic that became more powerful as their own strength increased.
The trio could obviously answer any questions and perform any tasks seamlessly. Nidriel said their last lesson for the day was one in cantrip control. She snapped her fingers and a crate of wands appeared. She said they were to each take a wand, and she was going to ask each of them to show their control over offensive cantrips.
Targets appeared on the wall, and she said the top performers would find themselves with extra credit. In many cases for the ghosts, it was the first time they were casting any sort of magic. There were all sorts of performances, and the trio of living students came down together.
Vel missed her opening shot, and Nidriel quietly assured her that it was okay to be nervous on the first try. Levia laughed, overhearing it, and she teased her. Vel did better from there on, but Levia had been distracted and started to miss the moving target as she increasingly tilted that she missed it. Sol, however, went well and beyond and smashed the extra credit score. Everyone was cheering him on, and Sol spoke up that he wished to admit that he knew a cantrip before arriving and he had hurt someone really bad, so he had to practice really hard. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room, and even Nidriel said that it was such an inspirational story.
That night, Sol set up magnificent mansions, and when they got up the next day and Norryn commented he couldn’t believe that Sol was already in second class. Sure enough, Levia and Vel had also graduated to the next class.
Rak’Symma, however, had gone to speak with the harpies in the region. The Cragtalon lived to the northwest of Nar’thalas, and it was only about 100 miles to get to their territory. Rak’Symma opted to go alone aside from Nethrandamus, who wanted to get to know her a bit more.
As Rak’Symma arrived in their territory following an entrance call, she noticed the cliffs were carved to resemble teeth as if the crag was the maw of a beast. She got a return call that invited her in, but not in a welcoming way. It was not difficult to find the roost of the matriarch
When she got there, she saw Malisandra, but also two other harpy matriarchs. One was a brownish red color, and she wore some leather with pouches on her body that appeared to be the skin of crocolisks. She had a crocolisk skull as a headdress. The other had bright blue feathers that terminated in an orange color, and she was exceedingly beautiful even by harpy standards. They were Magula and Seersei, the dual matriarchs of the Stoneblood harpies from southern Val’sharah.
Rak’Symma stood her ground for a moment, and then bowed.
Magula fiddled with a rock around her neck.
Malisandra’s eyes narrowed. Magula recoiled in offense. Seersei remained motionless.
Rak’Symma exhaled and lowered her feathers.
Her eyes got glassy.
Magula furrowed her brow and stepped closer to Rak’Symma.
Magula smirked and clucked as she stepped back. The three harpies looked at each other, and then at Rak’Symma. Malisandra closed her eyes, and when she opened them, they burned with a familiar green flame. The tips of her feathers began to burn with sparks, and she stepped closer to Rak’Symma.
She stretched her feathers out, and the inner sections of them burned with emerald fire. She looked at Symma with genuine curiosity, watching every move she made.
Seersei and Magula looked at Malisandra, surprised.
