[Alliance] Chapter Five: Session Ten
Appearing Characters: Alfred Cox, Arugal, Arthas Menethil, Arvell, Ceredwyn, Elissa Cross, Fenrus the Devourer, Genn Greymane, Halford Ramsey, Liam Greymane, Liiraluma, Lorelei Crowley, Ralaar Fangfire, Seria, Tol'vas Moonshadow, Uther Menethil, Valorinn, Velameestra Windrunner
September 23rd
As the battle began to unravel, Cox moved with a startling amount of speed and drew his rapier and pistol.
He slipped under Halford Ramsey’s guard and went for Tol’vas. He slashed at Tol’vas, who was able to duck under the blows. However, an opening allowed Cox to shoot Tol’vas with his pistol. Tol’vas didn’t feel any pain as the flash of Uther’s magic took the brunt of the damage. Cox then backed away from the group.
One of the Starlight Slasher worgen flipped through the air and drew a blade as he dove for Luma. The blow broke off a forcefield. The worgen instead slashed at Vel, but an explosion of icy energy from her [Ice Barrier] blew back over him. The worgen snarled and tried to vanish, but most of the group was able to keep a bead on him. Meanwhile, a dark magic coated the claws of the pack blightcaster as she slashed at Ramsey.
Seria disappeared in a flash of magic and reappeared next to Cox with a roar. She slashed down at the man, but he was able to duck out of the way just in time to throw the Starlight Slasher next to him into the way of the blow. Seria brought her second claw around, however, and she was able to nick Cox. She roared again in his face, and his hat started to fly off his head, forcing him to grab it and hold it in place.
The blightcaster started to cast a spell, but Seria slammed her claw into them and sent them sailing into the pack ravager. They both slammed into the side of the building and disappeared. There was no further movement. There was also a gunshot as another Starlight Slasher ran forward, and a single shot broke through his skull as Liam arrived on the back of his white stallion.
One of the remaining Starlight Slashers raked at Tol’vas. He was unable to land a hit, but he was able to disappear into the shadows successfully. Luma lined up a shot at Cox, but their attack was interfered with by a lurking Starlight Slasher. One of their turrets scuttled back and shot the Starlight Slasher.
Lorelei ducked around Vel and fired her pistol at the Starlight Slasher before she closed in with her rapier. She landed a strike on his side, which opened a bleeding wound.
Genn continued to leap from building to building as he raced toward the group, and Valorinn closed on Cox to flank him along with Seria. Valorinn howled and then started to gnash and claw at Cox, which tripped him onto the ground.
The remaining Starlight Slasher ran at Tol’vas and ripped into him while Vel used [Heart Strike] to worsen the gaping wound that Lorelei had inflicted on the nearest Starlight Slasher. She then ran to go and help flank Cox, and the Starlight Slasher tried to catch her, but she was able to evade his claws.
Tol’vas erected a wolf totem in the center of the area and then used a point-blank [Wrath] on the Starlight Slasher that had managed to wound him. Uther swung his hammer down on the same Starlight Slasher.
Ramsey slipped by Vel as he went for Cox. They started to fence as Cox struggled back to his feet.
Liam leaped off his horse and rolled into a kneeling position. He lined up a shot at Genn.
He fired twice.
Vel ducked around Tol’vas and spun her sword into a reverse grip as she used [Heart Strike]. The strike cut directly across Cox's eyes, rendering him blind.
Lorelei finished off the bleeding Starlight Slasher and then aimed her pistol up at Genn.
She fired and the silver bullet dug straight into Genn’s leg. She staggered and tumbled off the building. He hit the ground with a snarl.
Cox staggered back and bumped into the side of the courthouse. The decrepit support pillar started to give, and the entire side of the courthouse crumbled down and fell on the group.
The hidden Starlight Slasher lurked over to Ramsey and managed to clip him before the worgen leaped away and raced back around Uther. The other Starlight Slasher went for Tol’vas and managed to clip him as well before backing off the group.
Cox had been backed fully into a corner as Ramsey unloaded with an aggressive flurry of attacks.
Genn got to his feet and lunged at Lorelei. She ducked out of the way of his fangs, and as he whipped his claws around, she just barely evaded them.
Seria continued to slam her claws into Cox as she burst out of the rubble, opening up a wound in his back. Tol’vas hurled a crescent of life energy at the further Starlight Slasher.
Cox staggered to his feet and desperately tried to attack Ramsey, but Ramsey disarmed him. Cox tried to shoot, but his gun clicked, empty. He threw down a smoke bomb and ran, blood streaming down his face, but then he tripped over a root and fell hard.
Genn howled and got down on all fours. He started to prepare to leap at Seria, but she palmed him with her paw and shoved him backwards, interrupting the momentum and denying him a strike.
Luma lined up a shot with their disruptor rifle. Light gathered up in its canon and released, successfully striking Genn in the back. He roared in pain as he staggered. Their turret fired another series of blasts into him.
Valorinn raced at the closest Starlight Slasher and slammed into him. Genn tried to strike at Lorelei again, and there almost seemed to be an amount of hesitation that allowed her to duck beneath them. Radiant charged up on him and Uther swung his hammer into Genn’s back. It seemed he was starting to falter.
An ECG was tossed at Genn, but he was still in a rage as he continued to rage through the effects of the Ritual of Balance. Lorelei took advantage of the opening and drove her rapier into his back.
Luma’s turret got a devastating blow on Genn, which caused him to stagger and release a fearsome howl as he took a last stand. Luma hurled another grenade, but Genn was once again able to resist.
A Starlight Slasher ran at Tol’vas and managed to clip into him with his claw.
A few of Genn’s injuries started to heal and he continued to go for Lorelei. He went for a bite, and Lorelei got her rapier up to block his fangs.
Genn pushed away and slashed out with his claw, which managed to clip her. Uther struck Genn again with his hammer, and he staggered backwards, now in a full frenzy.
Tol’vas swiped the nearest Starlight Slasher, and Vel danced around him to drive her blade into the worgen’s back before she then hurled another grenade at Genn. Genn continued to resist. Seria disappeared again and reappeared at the side of the worgen that was trying to flee. She battered him with her claws, leaving him critically wounded.
Liam fired another series of shots, which dropped Genn down again, again, and again.
Ramsey shot the Starlight Slasher in the back as he started to make his way toward Cox. His former partner was still struggling to escape, but he was not moving well, blood now in a pool beneath him.
Valorinn finished up the Starlight Slasher next to Seria by shaking him back and forth and then tossing him down at Seria’s claws.
Genn howled and then raced around the battlefield, slashing with his claws and fangs. Luma’s turrets fire at him again, and Luma shoved another grenade straight in Genn’s mouth. It started to spray directly in his face, and he slumped down with a whimper.
Vel used the remaining Starlight Slasher as cover from the holy water and drove her sword straight through the worgen’s back.
Ramsey stepped on Cox’s hand to stop any of his remaining blind struggles.
He fired a shot point-blank into Cox’s head and turned around, cleaning the blood from his glasses. Vel snapped her fingers to wipe the blood away.
Liam called for his men to secure the perimeter and then raced to his father’s side.
Luma took a closer look at Genn.
Liam cradled the massive white worgen.
Slowly but surely, Genn’s breathing started to slow, and his claws started to shrink as his fur dissipated. He was changing back into his human form, laying in Liam’s arms. His eyes started to flicker open.
Liam offered a pained smile.
Lorelei approached and Genn’s eyes went to her.
Lorelei smiled.
There was a hint of salience in Genn’s eyes as he looked at Liam.
Genn looked over the group.
Lorelei hands Genn a waterskin.
The group returned to the merchant’s square and were able to get Genn Greymane up to speed on the situation. Genn went through no small amount of horror as he realized the role he played in the terror of his people over the last decade.
Genn looked down at his hands.
He handed his father some food.
He looked at Lorelei.
Genn nodded.
At that point, Ramsey return.
He looked at Tol’vas.
Genn smiled, his hair wild and uncut.
He looked at Vel.
Tol’vas agreed he may have a similar idea.
Uther looked around at the gathered group.
Uther looked at Tol’vas.
Uther hefted his hammer.
He turned and mounted up on Radiant as they got ready to march on the cathedral district. The entire district was coated with a thick, heavy mist. Allies on all sides were converging on the cathedral district, but all of Alpha Prime’s forces were there as well. The streets were choked with feral worgen. With each swarm of worgen brought down, another wave of them crashed over the Gilneans.
The party joined the push, fighting the veritable sea of worgen. Vel was given an opening to conjure a compressed bead of icy, cold energy, and she grasped it in her claws and took off into the air. Tol’vas, similarly, turned into a storm crow and followed after her.
Uther raised his hammer and declared a battle cry as he and Radiant stormed through the hordes of worgen. Seria, similarly, joined Uther and charged into the masses as she threw the worgen and druids of the pack around.
Luma was able to quickly rig up more grenades as they quickly exhausted their stores to hand them out to as many Gilneans as possible.
At some point, they group lost track of Arthas, but then they heard him shout, and laugh. A bridge of vines built itself down from a nearby building, and landing on a couple of worgen was Ceredwyn. On the Keeper’s back was Arthas. He leaped from Ceredwyn’s back and brought his axes down with a howling battlecry. He transformed into his worgen form, his axes whirling with fury as he made a huge target out of himself. Some of the worgen started to flee from his warpath.
As Tol’vas and Vel fly into position, they could see tons of spectral, tormented figures and skeletal wolves flocking around a massive mountain. At the center was a huge jet black wolf with icy mist in his jaws. There was blood dripping from his maw. Haunting just outside the bridge was the tormented spirit of a mage, Archmage Arugal, the one who was responsible for everything happening. Near him was a swarm of spectral ghostly wolves.
He was muttering, raving, and mad. Vel and Tol’vas exchanged looks and Vel dipped down down first. She dropped the bead from her claws, and it landed in the midst of the fountain. Ice exploded upwards with a flurry of ice and runic sigils. Several wraiths and all the skeletal wolves exploded from the blast.
Tol’vas paused in the middle of the air, and he flashed as light refracted off the biggest spike of ice and bathed the entire courtyard in brilliant moonlight. As the light cleared, they saw only the massive wolf, Fenrus, the swarm of the spectral worgen, and Arugal remaining.
Tol’vas and Vel landed next to Arugal, and Vel took her elven form again as she activated her bladesong once more. Now that the way was clear, Seria barrelled directly at Fenrus the Devourer and slammed into him.
Luma aimed their disruptor rifle and shot the wolf straight in the side. A gaping hole was opened in the massive wolf’s side, hissing with the conflux of force and chill. Their turrets also fired into him.
Elissa and some of her allies were able to momentarily draw the focus of the swarm of the sons of Arugal. At that moment, a cannonball also slammed into Fenrus’s side, and they could hear his ribs break.
Tol’vas stood up straight and looked directly at Fenrus.
Tol'vas voice had an imperious command to it. Fenrus’s ears go back, and against his better judgment, he seemed to hesitate. It seemed he didn’t know what to do.
Arthas had planned on charging at Fenrus, but seeing what Tol’vas was doing, he opted to dart under the massive wolf and instead went for the host of spectral worgen. He jumped up on the ice that had been created and slid down straight into the ghostly swarm. The blood shards of his axe drew in the ambient life energy of Arthas and empowered it as he slashed through ghosts. He then swung his flametongue axe into it, and then spun around and cleaved straight through the host of spirits again. They were completely dissipated.
Arthas stood panting as he hefted one of the axes over his shoulder.
Arugal started to cast [Circle of Death], but Vel looked at him and promptly slice the sigil from the air with [Counterspell]. Arugal used [Frostbolt] on Arthas as he tried to harness the fragments of magic and then tried to drain his life essence.
Arthas shoved the ghost aside as Uther charged forward on Radiant and flanked alongside Arugal.
The magic of a [Banishment] began to connect with Arugal, and suddenly a weight seemed to be ripped from him. His staff vanished and he looked at his hands.
Arugal stood there, hoving, and the magic of the light dissipated his hand, and then his arm.
He reached up and removed his cowl with his remaining hand. They could see the sunken face of a very old, tired, dead man.
His body faded away as he was banished beyond the veil, where he should be. The magic rippled, and was finalized.
Tol’vas stepped forward and held out the Scythe of Elune as Valorinn also approached.
Valorinn looked up at the massive spirit beast.
Tol’vas used [Soothe] from the scythe, and the rage started to die in Fenrus’s eyes.
Fenrus growled.
The growl turned into a whimper and he started to back up. Tol’vas reached out and removed the blindness from his eyes. Fenrus leaped onto one of the nearby buildings and released a howl of confusion, fear, and an order for all of his children to leave.
He turned and leaped across the building rooftops. Tol’vas believed he had sensed the wolf into a bit of an existential crisis, and he needed to seek out whoever it was that his father was. It almost reminded Tol’vas of the flight of a pup.
Valorinn sat next to Tol’vas.
The rest of their forces closed in and secured the perimeter. Suddenly, the sound of battle started to quiet. They looked up toward the clocktower cathedral before them. Suddenly, there was a howl from the pinnacle of the clocktower, and the worgen that remained stopped and disengaged. It was the howl of Alpha Prime.
A druid of the pack approached.
The druid looked at the top of the tower.
The group began to step forward, but the druid held a paw before them.
Vel stepped forward and began to weave her magic as she withdrew a silver thread from her component pouch and wrapped it around her finger. She touched Tol’vas’s shoulder as a momentarily tether connected them, and then faded as she used [Tether Essence].
Elissa also used [Power Word Fortitude] on Tol’vas, and Arthas gave him a look that clearly said “kick his ass”. Lorelei nodded as she appeared.
Valorinn growled at the druid of the pack.
The druid of the pack looked down at the wolf and snarled, but relented. Tol’vas and Valorinn were led through the cathedral, dozens of worgen watching Tol’vas, the scythe, and Valorinn, and the ancient doors creaked closed behind him.
They were led to the very tip of the ancient cathedral, where the light of the gloomy world beyond shone through the circular glass pane of the clocktower. Bathed in the dim light was Alpha Prime. Worgen lined that room as well. The hulking, black-furred beast of a worgen turned toward Tol’vas. He towered over the smaller worgen.
Alpha Prime dragged his claw along the metal.
Valorinn snarled.
Alpha Prime stepped across from Tol’vas, his claws fully out. Valorinn looked at Tol’vas for his command. Tol’vas nodded.
They stared at each other for a long while as the group down below looked up at the clocktower. They could occasionally see shadows lurking beyond the glass panes.
Alpha Prime suddenly burst into action and charged straight at Tol’vas. He moved with supernatural speed, and he managed to get a good bite on Tol’vas.
Energy surged into Tol’vas as he tried to to rip his strength away. Tol’vas was able to resist, but down below massive strikes ripped into Vel, and she started to cough up blood as the wounds appeared on her body as well.
Valorinn raced at Alpha Prime and bowled into him with claw and fang. Alpha Prime was left momentarily dazed.
Uther dropped off Radiant and removed his gauntlet as he held his arm out to Vel in front of her face, ready to let her feed if she needed it.
Tol’vas used [Spiritual Weapon], which slammed into Alpha Prime, and he then slammed into him with his scythe. However, at that point, Vel started to regenerate, and several of Tol’vas’s wounds also knit back into place. She nodded at Uther, acknowledging the option he had given.
Alpha Prime slammed into Tol’vas again and knocked his legs out from under him. Vel was winded again, and she opted to bite into Uther’s wrist to help remedy some of her own wounds.
Tol’vas used [Metamorphosis] and vines started to grow around him and create a latticework around him that sprouted wings and was plated with moonlight. He carved into Alpha Prime with his scythe, and Tol’vas noticed Alpha Prime’s own regeneration had been halted by the effects of the scythe.
Alpha Prime slashed at Tol’vas, and this one, Tol’vas was able to deflect with the scythe. Alpha Prime slashed again, but this one landed. A blastback of cold washed over him once, and then twice with another strike. Alpha Prime then grabbed Tol’vas and he started to channel pure moonlight, and shot a [Sunbeam] straight through Tol’vas and Valorinn. The radiant energy seemed to be completely ineffective on Tol’vas, but Valorinn was blinded.
Alpha Prime then hurled Tol’vas through the glass pane and out onto the scaffolding. The group below could see them fighting clearly now.
He sniffed.
Alpha Prime tried to use [Dispel Magic], but Vel’s voice over the telepathic bond warned Tol’vas of the attack and gave him an opportunity to ensure the dispelling effect didn’t land true.
Alpha Prime snarled and slammed Tol’vas against the wall and knocked him to the ground. He then tried to ravage Tol’vas with claws and fang. He then used [Blizzard], and spears of ice struck into both Tol’vas and Vel started to cough up more blood. She activated bladesong so she could start to siphon some of the damage she was taking as she then drank a potion.
Tol’vas reached out with [Dispel Magic] as he sensed some sort of deep magical effect on Alpha Prime. He pushed it. And pushed it more. And then finally, he felt the [Foresight] shatter.
Tol’vas used his bear totem and he was able to break free of Alpha Prime’s grapple. However, Alpha Prime used [Dispel Magic] again, and this time, he was able to successfully rip the spells away.
Valorinn tore into Alpha Prime and then howled as he rammed Alpha Prime into the ground. Tol’vas and Alpha Prime wrestled for a moment, but then Alpha Prime got back to his feet and summoned another [Blizzard] over the area. He then bit into Valorinn’s neck and clawed into him.
Down below, Vel turned into a raven and took off into the air as her wounds continued to mend.
Tol’vas and Alpha Prime continued to wrestle and Alpha Prime knocked Tol’vas down again. Tol’vas got back to his feet and managed to slash into Alpha Prime. They were trying to rip each other to shreds at this point. Valorinn managed to knock Alpha Prime to the ground again. Alpha Prime tried to slash back at Valorinn, but was unable to connect.
Tol’vas slashed at Alpha Prime with the scythe and then used [Frost Shock] as a wave of cold washed over Alpha Prime. Alpha Prime got to his feet and slashed at him, but Tol’vas was able to deflect it aside. Valorinn leaped on his back and knocked him to the ground again.
Alpha Prime managed to successfully slash into Tol’vas and opened up a massive wound. He then lifted Tol’vas up into the air and slammed him down into the scaffolding. The massive worgen reached down to pick up the Scythe of Elune.
Meanwhile, Tol’vas, in his mind, was at the grove of Tal’doren. He could see the clocktower. He knew he couldn’t lose the fight. But he did. He was alone in the grove. A part of him wanted to just… let it go.
But then, he heard a familiar voice.
Tol’vas turned. He saw a wolf looking at him.
The wolf plodded over to Tol’vas. There was something so distinctly familiar about him.
Two more wolves appeared. Then more. And more. Dozens of spiritual wolves appeared. They were his brothers. The ones who died fighting the satyrs. The one that spoke first shifted into the form of a young druid. He had wild green hair in a ponytail.
Tol’vas grabbed the hand.
The druid glowed bright, as did the other wolves. They were channeled into him.
As Vel fluttered around the clocktower, watching and gauging whether or not she should intervene, she witnessed Tol’vas’s hand grip onto the scythe, and there was an explosion of power as the scaffolding began to collapse. The energy flowed around Tol’vas, and then subsided. Tol’vas was standing again, but he looked different.
He was of equal size with Alpha Prime, and he was covered with radiant, moonlit energy, and the scythe was glowing with the same brilliant light.
