[Alliance] Chapter Five: Session Twenty-Nine

Appearing Characters: Andantenormu, Arthas Menethil, Chromie/Chronormu, Furia, Gilveradin Windrunner, Insidia, Jaina Proudmoore-Menethil, Kinndy Sparkshine, Krasus/Korialstrasz, Liiraluma, Maraad, Morchuron, Moroes, Raluhi, Rat King, Rhonin Windrunner, Remnii, Seria, Talath Dawnsworn, Teemo Manabrake, Uther Menethil, Uuna, Vaelastrasz, Valeera Sanguinar, Velameestra Windrunner, Victor Prestor

October 2nd - October 3rd

Vel and Uther stepped into Vel’s snowy dreamscape to meet with Valeera. Valeera smiled, but then the smile faded briefly.

Valeera cocked her head at Uther.

Vel considered, going over the list of artifacts that Wynn had mentioned, all of which were extremely dangerous. One of them was a scythe with a dreadlord trapped within it that was responsible for the state of the Deadwind Pass. Another was a runeblade forged by the nathrezim that had legends of it wiping out entire worlds. There were other relics and artifacts that could easily ruin a nation.

Valeera sighed.

Valeera nodded.

Uther made a noise of affirmation.

Uther smiled.

Valeera winked.

Valeera grinned, and the dreamscape faded away.

There was a knock on the door of Vel’s manor. Talath immediately jumped to get the door. A few moments later, there was a gasp and some talking.

Everyone went to go see what was going on, and as they entered the entry hall, they saw a group of familiar individuals. First and foremost, among them, was Remnii. Along with her was Maraad, who had a bag over his broad shoulders with his belongings. With them was a smattering of diminutive gnomes, including Kinndy Sparkshine and her dad, her eyes wide and in awe as she had clearly been looking at the entirety of the city. There was also Morchie and Chromie. Next to them was an unfamiliar man who was a tall, lanky draenei with sandy-yellow skin and wide horns with big glasses and sandy blonde hair. It was Andantenormu trying to disguise himself.

Uther barreled forward and picked her up into a hug. Remnii squealed in delight and carefully balanced herself.

They clasped arms gleefully.

Luma and Remnii also greeted each other.

Luma turned around and stalked away. Remnii smiled warmly as they went. The door opened again, and Jaina and Rhonin entered.

Kinndy jumped into Jaina’s arms and received a big twirling hug as they started to chatter back and forth. Jaina then saw Remnii.

Jaina gave Remnii a hug as well.

Raluhi had headed down the stairs.

He froze, and Remnii put a hand on her mouth.

Raluhi nearly tripped as he scrambled down the stairs and embraced Remnii in a big hug and they both started to weep.

Remnii started to laugh and also cry at the same time.

The rest of the conversations had started to move on while Remnii and Raluhi had a much too long hug.

Raluhi beamed.

They pressed their foreheads together.

Raluhi looked up at Maraad.

Maraad bowed.

Raluhi offered a hand, which Maraad grabbed, and Raluhi winced a bit as he was pulled in.

Jaina had sent a glance over at Maraad and looked him up and down before giving an affirming nod at Remnii’s taste as Chromie spoke up.

She elbowed Morchuron in the side.

Vel acknowledged that Medivh would probably be fine with it, and Andantenormu then sidled up next to Vel and cleared his throat. He explained there was another matter he had been sent along to help her with: namely the matter of the telepathic rats she had made a promise to.

He asked where she wanted them, and she asked how many there were.

The dragon reached into a rucksack and pulled out the Rat King. The Rat King struggled and demanded to be unhanded, but Adantenormu said his Oracle wished to speak to him about where his people would be relocated to, and he gently put the rat on the ground.

Remnii was mid-talking to Raluhi when she saw the rat with a crown of trash produced, and her eyes just tracked the passage of the creature–questions clearly written on her face.

Jaina, however, expressed recognition, as she had also apparently met the Rat King during her time in Mechagon.

Vel’s eyes went briefly over to Rhonin, who had torn his eyes away from them boring into Morchuron, with a clear message of “I’ll explain later” before she led the Rat King (and Adantenormu) away to an entrance to the sewers beneath Dalaran. The moment she and the Rat King were out of earshot, Gil informed Rhonin that Vel was their Oracle, and Uther also expressed it was a fantastic story—one Rhonin admitted he was eager to hearing about.

The moment they entered the sewers, Adantenormu opened his rucksack and hundreds of psychic rats of various sizes poured out and began to explore the immediate area around them. A few of them eagerly held up trash and half-eaten food, declaring that the place was full of treasures, the Rat King acknowledged that the sewers would serve well as his new domain. He informed Vel that she was always welcome in his kingdom, and Vel said she looked forward to a continued partnership.

…He also added that if she ever opted to shed her false form and join them, she would have a place available to her, and perhaps even a only slightly-nibbled cushion at his side. If she so desired it. Of course.

Vel thanked him, and gave him a gift of cheese from the kitchen of her manor. The Rat King was ecstatic, and Vel bid him farewell for the time being as the Rat King and his subjects were inflicted upon the sewers of Dalaran, allowing Vel and Adantenormu to return to the manor.

Rhonin immediately greeted her when she returned, his arms folded and an eyebrow raised.

Vel gave him the quick summary of the initial encounter with the Rat King, and explained that they needed to blow up their original home during the siege of Mechagon, thus she had made… an arrangement with them, so that they would vacate the premises.

Rhonin started to laugh and, between breaths, he managed to ask her if she had set a date or not before he nearly doubled over in a fit of cackling. Once he recovered, he admitted that at least she had some friends in low places, and Vel retorted that he did as well now, technically.

Rhonin quickly acknowledged how that could be valuable, and it was a resource he was far from unwilling to use. He expressed that she did good.

They had also noticed Remnii had a new staff on her person, which she had passed over to Maraad briefly as the reunions took place. She had since reclaimed it. The power it radiated was recognizable especially to Uther, as the form it had presently resembled the radiant Light of the Naaru.

Vel pointed it out, and Remnii nodded, a complex expression on her face.

Remnii’s brow set, and Maraad openly frowned. Remnii put a hand on his arm.

The debriefings were made and other reunions were had. Later on, Remnii did call the party together as well as Raluhi and Jaina.

Jaina furrowed her brow, and Raluhi gasped.

She conjured an illusion of Argus as she saw it from the ship. The image then zoomed in the city of Eredath.

Remnii bowed her head.

Remnii smiled sheepishly.

She showed the tall, glittering, cityscape of fel lights and steel buildings all built upon each other. Luma offered a low whistle.

Remnii nodded.

Remnii quickly explained the Triumvirate.

Jaina’s eyes widened.

There was a very keen recollection in her eyes.

Raluhi’s eyes had also widened.

Remnii’s eyes got glassy.

Remnii nodded. Raluhi actively passed out in his seat. He came back to as Remnii stepped forward to make sure he was alright.

Remnii created the image of Shaspira.

Remnii made sure Raluhi was still okay, and then she rose and brushed down her dress. At that moment, the family resemblance between her and Shaspira was keen.

Remnii’s expression was very vacant.

Remnii offered Gil a warm smile.

Later, Talath finished up the project he was working on.

Talath produced Nuu. He still had patches, but it looked like he had formerly perhaps been a draenei doll, and he had now been fixed so that he had small tendrils and horns and a small toy sword that could be attached to his hand. The doll was all cleaned and re-dyed, and had new button eyes.

Remnii also looked on, curious to see Talath’s handiwork.

She smiled faintly as she activated the doll’s voice box. In Maraad’s voice, the doll repeated “May the Light be with you, Uuna” and “I love you too, Uuna” and a smattering of other phrases that Talath had magically recorded.

Remnii smiled and tilted her head as she recognized Maraad’s voice.

Vel looked over at Talath to make sure he was ready as well, and then held out her hands.

The air around them seemed to chill, as if a cool breeze had washed through the room, and then the fabric of the air shifted and blurred, as if they passed through a snow flurry that momentarily turned the area around them white.

When it cleared, they were in a plane that was a dark reflection of the Material Plane, though it was washed out and completely devoid of color.

They saw Uuna not far away. Her hands were clasped behind her and she was bent over looking at something, but the presence of the group alerted her.

She turned around, and her face lit up.

Vel introduced Talath to Uuna, and expressed that he had something for her. Talath had taken a moment to get used to the strange, out of body experience, but upon seeing the little girl, he put a small device in his ear. He tuned it for a moment, and when he spoke, it was evident he was under the effects of a [Tongues] spell.

Uuna looked up at Talath and nodded.

Talath pulled out the small stuffed warrior and held it out to Uuna. Uuna took it with wide, excited eyes.

Uuna did so, and Maraad’s voice spoke up, telling her that he would always be there for her. Uuna gasped and pulled away.

Talath smiled and said it was Nuu, and he was going to be there to fight off all the scary things. But Uuna frowned and shook her head. She said that wasn’t Nuu’s voice. She triggered the voice again, and again, going through the lines.

Vel recalled it was at the tail end of the harvest festival. The veil was thin. And the holiday was about celebrating those that died protecting others. It was likely that, given what Uuna had said about her father, he fulfilled those traits.

There was a possibility they could maybe do something with that.

Vel said that she was going to need Remnii’s help, and then she crouched down next to Uuna. The small girl was crying and holding Nuu close, and Vel asked if she could have her hand. Uuna nodded and held out a hand, which Vel gently clasped in her’s.

Vel told Uuna that she wanted her to help call for her father, and Vel opened up her spellbook to start channeling her own necromantic magic into the air around them. Uuna tried to call out for her father, but her voice weakened and wavered off. Vel encouraged her to try again, supplementing her voice with a small illusion to imitate it and carry it out further through the Ethereal Plane.

Remnii conjured a [Guardian of Faith], and she shaped it to look like a radiant, celestial version of Nuu. Uuna looked up at the guardian, who said he would always be with her. Uuna shouted out again, and it issued out across the Shadowlands.

There was a moment of silence, and they looked around. Uuna hesitantly called out for her father.

Suddenly, everything started to get dark. Then darker than the ethereal plane should be. The long gray shadows started to shift around, as if drawn to the beacon of light. Creatures started to be drawn towards them. Vel recognized them to be fragments, shadows, and shades of lost souls. They weren’t even true beings, so much as the echoing lamentations of what they once were.

And they could prey on those that were not strong enough to protect themselves.

However, it didn’t seem like what Uuna was doing was not working. It just also drew the attention of other things.

Uuna looked up at Vel, and then over at Remnii.

Remnii’s guardian of faith dropped into a defensive stance. Uuna sniffled, but nodded, and Talath knelt down next to her as he held a hand out for Vel’s lantern of revealing. She handed it over.

He took the young draenic girl’s hand.

They started to call for Uuna’s vakos again. Remnii’s staff flared, and she created radiant warriors with [Spirit Guardians] and began to turn undead as Vel conjured a [Wall of Force] to help protect Uuna and Talath. Some of the shades were able to flicker beyond the invisible force field, but when they did they were immediately lit up by Remnii’s guardian of faith.

Remnii and Vel were able to blast other echoes apart, but then there was almost a discordant noise of a cacophonous wail. Something greater had arrived. Vel looked around, dozens of voices moaning and hissing, and she realized it wasn’t coming from anywhere around them. Uuna’s shadow in the light of the spirit guardians had grown long, and eyes started to appear in it. Though her spirit was freed… maybe their spirits hadn’t been freed from Uuna’s.

It formed into a dreadful, shadowy amalgamation of souls, and there were a dozen or more tormented draenei roiling over its surface. Uuna turned in fear and terror as she looked up at the monstrous creation that started to lumber toward her.

Vel ripped down the wall of invisible force and slid in front of Uuna has the creature brought a twisted claw down at the young girl. Vel was able to block the strike with her arm, its claws sinking into her instead, and she reached back and focused her magical on Uuna’s spirit and used [Vortex Warp] to teleport the young girl out of immediate danger. Vel then teleported away herself, which allowed the perfect opening for Remnii who had planted T’uure in the ground before her.

Remnii used [Exorcism], and at the last second, Talath threw a refractive gem into the air. The spell connected, and then was enhanced as it blasted into the amalgamation of spirits. There was a scream, that then divided into their own unique voices.

Remnii looked over at Vel and Uuna. Vel’s wound was already healing, and Uuna was entirely fine.

Uuna looked around.

The group all shouts together, Remnii and Vel both using spells to make their voices even louder. The sound echoed for a moment, and rippled out through the ethereal plane. The fragments of the creature had created vaguely draenic shapes and they started to speak in very loose draenic.

Uuna looked around, starting to lose hope, but then there was a beam of light that shone down on her. A figure of a handsome draenei man had appeared, almost descending from the pillar. He was young, younger even than Maraad. Uuna looked up in awe.

He knelt down, and Uuna ran forward to embrace him. After a moment, he stood again.

Uuna looked up at him and nodded, but then looked at the trio that had helped her.

Uuna ran over to the trio and hugged them.

She handed Nuu up to the two of them.

Uuna ran back to her father and took his hand as he looked over at Remnii first with a warm smile. Remnii put a hand on her heart and bowed to him.

He then looked at Vel.

The draenei looked to the other spirits around him.

The lost spirits became more defined and smiled as they approached him. The draenei scooped Uuna up in one arm, and he led the souls away. Remnii was sobbing as she watched her people go, but Vel happened to spy two winged figures up on the buildings. One was an androgynous, lanky figured draped with white cloth. The other was a similar being, but they were wearing what was more like armor.

Before the draenei spirits disappeared, the being in armor raised a hand and there was a flash of light. It and the spirits faded away. The other figure draped in cloth flew away.

Tears were freely flowing from Talath’s eyes as well, and after Vel turned away from where she had spied the figures, she approached Talath and gently placed a hand against his back.

Talath smiled weakly, his eyes still glassy as tears continued to fall freely, and he wrapped Vel in a tight hug. Remnii was standing in some amount of shock, and Vel opened up her arm to pull Remnii into the hug as well.

Remnii sniffled.

She was already crying as she entered the hug. The trio stood there for a moment, but then Vel ended the [Etherealness] spell and allowed them to transition back to the Material Plane.

The night before they were preparing to leave, Gil had a terrible nightmare. He was chained to the ground and could not move a muscle. His body was burning. He felt tiny creatures climbing all over his body, and then he felt a hot spike searing into his flesh. He screamed in agony. He felt it again and again. His blood was burning with each injury. It was beyond description. There was undefinable rage and hatred. None of this was his fault.

However, the suffering was nothing compared to what he had felt, and it was nothing compared to what he would make them feel for betraying him.

Another hot spike seared his flesh, and his scream rippled through the sky. He awoke with a hot sweat, and a scream.

Vel had heard it, and she caught Bigglesworth outside Gil’s room when she went to check on her brother.

Bigglesworth turned to slink away as Vel knocked on the door to the room Gil was staying in.

Gil viewed himself as being in a cavern. It was safe. Secure. And he knew what he had to do. The immaculate palace would not be there in the morning, and all the better for it if it wasn’t, because he was the only one that could succeed and put an end to the farce. The world might damn him for it. Or forsake him for it. But if that was what needed to be done to achieve victory, then that was what he would do.

He looked down and grasped the Demon Soul as it dangled around his neck. He saw it with a vision that caused his mind to spin. The colors of the world were impossible. The sky was black. The sun was green. The walls that were glittering defied logic. But the Demon Soul was perfect in his vision. It was proof, a testament, of the power inside it. That power would be Azeroth’s salvation one way or another.

The only thing that gave him pause was what She might say. What She might think. He had faced demons. Monsters. But nothing caused his heart as much fear as the thought of disappointing her.

Vel knocked again. Harder.

There was no answer. Vel tried the door knob, and it was unlocked. Vel entered and saw Gil staring at the Demon Soul in his hands.

Gil saw a figure rendered in the strange colors of his vision. She was one of the handmaidens. It suddenly washed away, and he saw the room he had stayed in. And his sister was talking to him with a hand on his shoulder.

Vel furrowed her brow.

Gil explained to her what had just happened.

She nodded in acknowledgement, her brow still furrowed in concern.

Gil followed his sister down to the kitchen to get water and finish calming his nerves. It seemed that whatever had happened had settled for the time being. Vel was watching him carefully the entire time, and it didn’t look like Gil had been affected by any form of magic, but his heightened adrenaline and dilated pupils clearly indicated he had likely had some sort of hallucination like she sometimes did.

She couldn’t help but wonder if the connection to the Demon Soul while he was sleeping had somehow caused him to relive one of the memories or emotions held within the artifact.

Later on, when they headed to Karazhan in preparation to head to the Cavern of the Soul, Gil looked forward and there was a black cat standing in the middle of the hallway. She was staring directly at Gil.

She turned her head to the side.

Gil blinked, and she was gone. But then he heard her voice behind her.

Gil turned, and she was behind him.

Jenafur disappeared again, but then he looked down and she was right there.

A third eye opened up on her forehead. He then woke up on the floor, with Moroes looking down at him.

Gil nodded.

At that moment, Gil realized the cat had never moved her mouth when she was speaking.

Moroes helped him up so that he could guide him to the balcony.

Later on, Gil found Vel and told her about Jennifur.

The group had spoke with Krasus before he left to return to his Queen.

Morchuron chuffed and rolled her eyes.

Gil looked at Uther.

Vel got a momentarily distant look.

Uther nodded, his thoughts drifting to Uther the Lightbringer.

Krasus used his illusion magic to create an image of what Tyr looked like. He was an immaculate man of stone with a crimson hood, a golden beard wrought of filigree, and one hand was alight with silver with a great hammer in it.

He looked over at Morchuron.

Morchuron retrieved the disk from the Timeless Isle. The one that king Mechagon had.

Krasus frowned.

Krasus furrowed his brow.

Krasus looked over at Vel.

Gil blinked.

Gil looked back at Krasus.

Morchuron passed the Mimir disk over to the group.

Jaina wished the group good luck and gave Uther a big hug.

She then looked at Arthas.

Arthas walked up, grabbed her, and kissed Jaina. Jaina smiled into the kiss.

Jaina blushed slightly.

She was a tad flustered, and Arthas stopped her one more time.

Jaina nodded.

She teleported herself away.

Luma and Teemo were bidding farewell.

Teemo chuckled.

They hugged.

Luma tried really hard not to sigh.

She used her jet boots to propel her up to give Luma a kiss.

The rest of those present blinked, also having learned something new, and Luma turned their attention to Uther.

Seria opened up a portal and appeared in the depths of the Red Ridge Mountains not far from the Cavern of the Soul. Vel immediately opened a portal to the mansion behind cover to give them shelter from any prying eyes so that they could make their further preparations.

Remnii conjured a [Heroes’ Feast], and it had a great deal of night elven influence combined with draenic flavor.

That night, Vel also dreamed Victor to let him know they were ready, and that they would all be disguised as black drakonids.

October 4th

The next day, Vel utilized the unseen sensor she had set up, and she was able to locate the group as they moved around and keep a constant bead on their movement. There were two adult dragons and a slew of younger dragons with them. Victor was on the back of one of the larger dragons.

Remnii set up some additional cover with illusions, and Gil managed to also aid with natural cover. Seria got some information from the animals in the area, and some of the ornery mountain goats mused that if they had the chance to knock dragons into a chasm, they’d take it. Uther set up some boulder traps.

At some juncture, Remnii also approached Uther as she had something to help. She cast [Foresight] on him, and warm light coated him.

She also prayed for a divine intervention. Nothing happened, but she knew that the naaru were with her.

As they readied for the attack, Uther addressed the group.

Vel put out a call to the ravens and flying creatures of the night in the area, and they started to amass around the canyon. Gil put up a [Pass without Trace], and gave everyone the signal to go. Vel used [Message] to inform Victor that they were ready to go.

As he got the signal, he drove his weapon into the back of the dragon he was riding.

He twisted his blade, and at that moment, a shooting star shot through the sky and illuminated Remnii’s staff, giving Vaelastrasz the sign he needed to bank towards the group to help.

This page was last edited on April 24, 2024, at 05:57 PM

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"Your father represented everything your people should never become. He was a fool. One that railed against the power that was offered to him. One that fought a war that did not need to be waged. And that lead to the end of his life. It’s an honor, Arthak, because I can see within you the spark of a man who knows what a mistake looks like, knows how to avoid those mistakes. You already said you were a good listener. A great learner. I have faith you won’t make the mistakes your father did."

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