[Alliance] Chapter Four: Session Thirty-Two

Appearing Characters: Alleria Windrunner, Califax, Elissa Cross, Illidan Stormrage, Jarod Shadowsong, Kel'Thuzad, Kor'vas Bloodthorn, Medivh, Remnii, Rokhan, Samaara, Seria, Tae'shara Sunwatcher, Tol'vas Moonshadow, Uther Menethil, Velameestra Windrunner, Wynn

Appearing Creatures: Keeper of the Grove, Lampad, Oracula

July 27th

As the battle with Illidan’s guardians continues, Vel tries to rush after Elissa into the midst of their enemies. They can hear a rumbling, and a rolling fog had started to seep up from below, more treants climbing up from below. Howling winds also start to whip around. Buffeted by the wind, Vel reassesses and casts [Slow], spectral chains wrapping around the two wildkin and the ancient protector.

One of the lampads tries to dispel one of the dryads, but the magic holds, and the lampad scowls. The other lampad also tries the same, and one of the dryads promptly disappears.

Elissa is sparring with one of the slowed wildkins, able to duck around the creature’s claws. The slowed Ancient Protector hurls a rock at Uther, but the attack slams into the ground just to the side.

Califax starts to chant the incantation for wrath of nature, but Vel hears the incantations and slices her hand through air using [Counterspell]

Meanwhile, Seria scurries onto the nearest wildkin and bites down on its hand, sending it tumbling to the ground below.

Remnii casts spirit guardians and starts to move forward. The wind starts to push on Elissa as she moves forward, but she resists the gale. She raises her sword into the air and uses her channel divinity, minty green energy wafting through the air. One of the deep guardian lampads starts to flee.

One of the dryads allied with Tol’vas uses dispel magic in an attempt to dispel the fog of the druid grove, and she spins her spear around her. The fog gathers into a mote around her that is then cast aside--the fog vanishing. She winks back at the group.

Uther charges forward and strikes into the remaining slowed wildkin, smacking unconscious to the ground. However, thorns and brambles had stuck into his armor, slowing him down and pricking his skin.

One of the dryads is pushed off the side of the cliff by the gust of wind, but Tol’vas relinquishes the summon on her before she hits the ground. Her sister, however, fairs better as she digs her hooves into the ground.

One of the lumbering shroomeants slams its fist into the stonework, trying and failing to hit Seria.

Tol’vas drops a [Gravity Sinkhole] on Califax and the unturned lampad, and the gravity tugs at them, but they are able to resist the pull of the spell. The fleeing lampad leaps into one of the mushroom trees and disappears, running away from the combat at hand.

The remaining deep guardian lampad looks at Uther.

She casts [Mark of the Wild] on herself and spins her scythe around and hurls it and her staff at Uther. However, both are deflected aside. Kor’vas carves into one of the newly arrived treants, carving into its bark with a flurry of blows.

Califax charges forward toward Elissa, but she deflects his attacks aside--the [Protection from Evil and Good] aiding her against the large, elk-like man. Some of the stones start to collapse below Seria, but she is able to scuttle out of the way.

Remnii plants the Exodar Lifestaff on the ground, and six golden motes appear above her head, and the naaru sigil appears over her forehead as she casts [Crown of Stars]. She fires one of them at the shroomeat that is harassing Seria. The mote smashes into the treant, staggering it.

Kor’vas manages slams her glaive into the shroomeant, then feints beneath it and runs for the ancient protector. The thorn aura around it stabs into her flesh, but she continues to smash into it. One of the dryads throws her javelin into the severely injured shroomeant that Kor’vas had just left, but it is still hanging on.

Tol’vas moves forward and upcasts a [Banishment] on the remaining lampad and Califax. The lampad resists, but as Califax rears around, Tol’vas slams his staff into the ground, and a thin fissure races towards Califax. It opens up, revealing a green, misty essence that he tumbles into and disappears. He then retreats, seeking out cover.

Seria scuttles forward and bites into the ancient protector.

He runs over to Elissa and quickens thunder step to get to the remaining lampad. He then swings into the lampad with his hammer. She tries to block, but the might of his strikes are too much.

The shroomeant in Remnii’s spirit guardians explodes the shroomeant in its range, and Vel casts [Toll the Dead] on the other remaining shroomeant--the bark flying off as the creature solidifies once more into a solid tree. She then hurries up to the Ancient Protector and slashes into its bark.

Meanwhile, Elissa is helping Uther with the lampad. The lampad blocks the first strike, but Elissa gets through with her second attack.

The Ancient Protector turns towards Tol’vas and hurls a rock. The rock clips his shoulder, and his concentration starts to waver, but just barely holds.

Vel slashes into the protector with [Heart Strike], a magenta slash appearing in its bark before she flips her blade around and attacks it again. Seria follows up with a bite, and the ancient protector starts to freeze up, and falls.

Tol’vas hurls a wrath at the lampad, but it arcs wide. He then ducks behind Seria and casts [Roar].

Remnii runs forward and stabilizes the ancient protector with [Spare the Dying]. She then fires one of the motes at the lampad. Uther brings her down to her knees with a fearsome strike of his hammer, leaving her unconscious on the ground. The skull helmet took the brunt of the damage and went skittering across the ground.

Califax had been successfully banished.

Medivh flutters down and transforms back into his humanoid form.

They cross the bridge and quickly make their way up the passage into the massive, chained, stone pillar. They can see more crystals lighting the way, but as they reach the far end, they see a platform of stone with a large bright crystal. Within it is a humanoid figure. There are chains piercing through the crystal, entombing him in the prison. The figure seems to be moving. Around the platform is incredibly deep water with creatures moving within it.

Medivh rolls his shoulders and walks to the head of the group. He clears his throat and plants his staff on the ground, and lets go of the staff. It falls towards Vel, who catches it.

Tol’vas points to the staff.

Medivh starts to chant in a combination of languages like Thalassian and Titanic. His eyes go bright blue, his cloak roiling around him, and massive glyphs appear around him.

He thrusts his hand forward, and the glyphs pulse, and connect with the crystals. They glow brightly, and the crystal then cracks, falling apart. The Betrayer is still chained within, but he issues forward as the crystal tumbles away. Then, one by one, the chains recede. He is a night elf with simple cotton trousers and long black hair that drapes over his flesh, which has dormant tattoos similar to those on the Illidari.

The figure catches himself on the ground, and the various crystals in the area extinguish. There is an eternal moment as Illidan Stormrage gets to his feet and steps forward. His face is covered with a simple black blindfold.

He scowls.

Illidan looks up at Kor’vas, and his brow furrows. She looks up at him.

Illidan stops at the name, and the motes behind his blindfold look at Tol’vas.

Illidan listens.

Uther sighs in relief upon hearing Vel say yes.

They run out from the immediate prison, and they see a bunch of Watchers with the lampad, and a portal opens to reveal Califax with two other Keepers of the Grove. They start to run forward.

Vel hurls her hand towards the ground, using [Teleport] as the roots start to try and ensnare and entangle them, and the group disappears with a swirl of magical energy.

They reappear in the middle of the yard surrounding Wynn’s hut. There is bright, hot sun beaming down on them, and Scavell--who was sunbathing--jumps up and a bolt of lightning shoots into the distance as he is startled awake.

Medivh immediately races over to Vel.

He takes his staff back, as Vel had still been holding on to it.

He looks at the cottage. Illidan is looking around, squinting up at the bright sun. He takes a deep breath of the fresh air. Kor’vas is stretching and audibly sighing.

The locking mechanisms on the cottage start to undo, and Wynn steps out.

She has a tray with some refreshments and a large bowl for Scavell. But then she stops.

Her eyes fall on Medivh.

Before the group sees anything else, a blast of arcane energy comes rocketing from behind the party. As they whip around, they see Medivh had fired a bolt of energy at Wynn, who raises her hand--summoning her staff and deflecting the blast aside at the last second.

Medivh steps forward, his eyes burning a bright blue and energy coursing around him. Magic is crackling in the air in his vicinity.

He hurls another bolt of energy, which Wynn also deflects.

Another blast, and another one. She deflects both attacks aside, and then Medivh starts to conjure a [Disintegrate] spell. At that point, Vel bursts into action and gets right between the two battling mages--her back to Wynn and her eyes glued to Medivh.

She bares her fangs at the Guardian, whose body seems to be incredibly strained by whatever he was doing.

There’s a bit of a hiss to her voice, and Medivh’s eyes waver for the briefest of seconds, and Wynn blasts the disintegrate from his hand.

She takes a deep breath, and Medivh is now visibly panting, but still on edge.

Wynn taps her staff on the ground.

Medivh scowls.

Wynn disappears into the house for a brief second to get some tea things for everyone. She gives Vel a nod before she retreats. Medivh steps past Vel and looks down at her with a serious look.

He follows after her.

Remnii turns to Kor’vas and Illidan and bows her head.

Kor’vas smiles.

Remnii’s eyes narrow slightly, looking between Kor’vas and Illidan.

She pats his shoulder, and Illidan looks down at the hand.

Kor’vas cocks her head.

Illidan starts to laugh.

He looks to the rest of the group.

They wait a few moments, and Aegwynn returns with tea, and Medivh follows her, still scowling. The suit of armor, Moroes II, also comes out with some tea things.

Wynn sighs.

Her eyes glance back to Vel, Medivh, and Uther specifically.

Vel had read it. It’s a history, though it’s likely an embellished history. Uther remembered seeing a copy in his mother’s library. It is a telling of the story of the Guardian Aegwynn, and explains how she became the first and only Guardian of Tirisfal. It also mentions her banishings of some demons, the fact she was a maverick and that she was not the most popular among some, but one of the stories is the most famous: the dragon hunt. It is in reference to one of her greatest exploits, the banishment of a great demon she had combated in Northrend alongside a flight of blue dragons. She faced this great demon in single combat, and eventually destroyed it--sealing its spirit away in its own corpse, that she buried at the bottom of the sea.

She looks at Vel.

Vel knows the story again. He was born to Aegwynn and the court conjurer, and upon his 16th birthday, when the power of the Guardian was awakened, a blast of energy nearly leveled the tower, and he went into a coma. Eventually he awoke, and was able to take over the role of the Guardian. That was several decades ago.

Medivh furrows his brow.

Wynn sighs.

She looks to the rest of the group.

Wynn’s silence confirms the statement.

Wynn sips her tea. Medivh’s brow is furrowed, his hand on his chin as he listens.

Remnii coughs.

She looks to the rest of the group.

Both Wynn and Medivh promptly look at Vel.

Wynn offers a small grin.

Medivh nods.

Wynn closes her eyes and takes another sip of tea. Medivh’s fingers dig into his leg.

He smiles and offers a hand to Wynn.

She looks at his hand.

Medivh shakes his head.

Wynn gives a solemn look.

Medivh stands up, and Wynn stands up defensively, but he puts his arms around her.

Wynn freezes, her eyes wide, and her eyes glass up just a bit. But she closes them before she cries, and she gives him a hug back. Vel also closes her eyes and looks away, the sight stirring some of her own emotions.

The pair parts.

Illidan had been very interested the entire time. Remnii stands up, looking very solemn.

Wynn closes her eyes, the weight falling back on her shoulders. Remnii removes herself from the summary.

She then launches into the explanation of the opening of the Dark Portal and the present world state, at least last she had heard of it. However, Illidan speaks up.

Illidan nods.

Vel glances at Tol’vas.

Tol’vas’s gaze shoots over to Illidan.

He looks at Vel.

Illidan chuffs.

Remnii does come back from her walk.

Illidan grins.

Illidan smirks.

Illidan looks at Uther.

The group then informs him of the situation with Tyrande and the night elves and the draenei.

Illidan shrugs.

He turns and starts to walk away.

Illidan half-glances back.

Vel: I will say, on a baseline level, it will be a lot faster if we also go in a group. I’m not sure what magics you’re capable of, but we do have people with a variety of means to near instantaneously get across the continent.

Illidan seems to consider for a moment.

He glances at Uther.

Uther grins.

He looks at Tol’vas.

Illidan nods.

Illidan glances at Tol’vas, and then at Kor’vas.

Kor’vas perks up immediately.

She looks at Uther.

She looks at Illidan.

Illidan holds his hands out to the side and two iridescent green warglaives appear in his hands.

He flips them around, and Kor’vas is practically bouncing as she leaps into spar with Illidan. Some people take to watching them, and Illidan seems to warm up to things slightly. Medivh and Wynn had a small conversation. Wynn also thanked Vel.

As the immediate conversations die down, Vel opts to take care of any sendings that need done--including to her aunt Alleria.

Alleria responds almost a little too fast.

Vel hesitates for a moment, as the ending statement had caused something of a pit in her stomach.

Vel makes a note to do so before then reaching out to Tae’shara’s sending stone.

She then uses her own sending back to Vel.

As if on cue, Seria is getting her scrying bowl out as if she’s going to try and scry her son.

Vel looks at Remnii.

Remnii offers a gentle smile, still holding tight to the Exodar Lifestaff.

Vel looks over at Seria.

Her eyes flicker to the scrying bowl, recalling Riff’s natural protection against scrying.

Seria still insists on trying to scry Riff, and the water glows cloudy, but suddenly she starts to hear a sound. It’s like some sort of hissing. And she can see a figure start to appear in the bowl. It looks feminine, and there is black hair and pointed ears. She doesn’t see Riff anywhere. It’s just blackness, with the figure standing there.

More whispers sound, and suddenly the image starts to move erratically and uncomfortably. Seria blinks, and the woman’s eyes are suddenly right in the bowl, blank eyes bleeding ichor. As Seria meets her eyes, her own eyes start to sting, and there is an agonizing pain in the back of her head. She staggers back.

There is another sound, like vibrating metal. Vel glimpsed the face in the bowl, and heard the language--one she didn’t understand. Remnii, however, understood it because of [Tongues].

“You should know better.”

The entire group winces, as if being pulled towards something. However, when they open their eyes, Seria is gone. Seria’s eyes hurt again, and when she opens them again, she is in a pitch-black room. There are mirrors covered with rough hewn, dark grey, stained sheets. She is not alone. There is a presence speaking the words she doesn’t understand, and laughing.

Outside, Remnii looks at Vel.

Vel looks into the bowl, and she can see the outline of a figure. It’s Seria. Then there is the same voice.

“Your friend should have known better than to peer beyond the veil. Why don’t you come join her?

Remnii translates.

Vel hears Kel’Thuzad in her mind.

Vel and Kel’Thuzad brainstorm for a mile a minute, and they realize the name of the creature. A creature that lives within the realm of the Shadowlands. One of death and ill omen. Entities that live in mirrors. It’s an oracula.

Seria starts to feel claustrophobic, and Remnii hears more words.

Vel sticks her hand into the bowl. She touches the bottom.

Remnii is still translating.

The woman appears before the mirror, and she reaches a hand out--physically stretching from the water.

Uther’s fist clenches.

Seria runs from the rear of the oracula, and casts [Moonfire]. The creature screeches as the spell ignites her.

Seria runs for the opening and shoves the oracula side. She reaches through the mirror, and it’s horrendously painful as she spills out from the bowl.

The oracula screeches.

Vel feels her heart stop for a second, and Seria kicks the bowl, breaking the connection. A thought comes to Vel’s mind.

Seria nods.

Vel opts to respond vocally, the statement serving as much as an answer to Kel’Thuzad as a comment to everyone else.

She glances at Seria.

Vel seems to be clearly stressed, more than she already was. Seria had started to creep back to her scrying bowl and started to do some cleansing rituals over it to try and get the bad mojo out. However, now that things were starting to calm down, Vel looks at Uther as she passes.

Vel’s voice cracks audibly, her words pained, but after a moment of silence between the pair of them, she turns away to start working through her notes and other pursuits. Uther doesn’t follow her.

A tension hangs over the camp, and Remnii starts to try and send Jarod.

He is clearly wounded, and barely conscious. Remnii sits back for a second, and then makes her way over to Vel.

Remnii bows her head, and leaves Vel to her illusions. She then goes to find Kor’vas.

A rock hits Kor’vas in the back of the head.

Remnii nods.

They start to stroll.

Kor’vas looks Remnii up and down, and she snickers.

Remnii’s eyebrows raise.

Remnii shakes her head and smiles.

She pulls her glaives out.

She points to a symbol.

Remnii nods with a small smile.

Kor’vas purses her lips, and then shakes her head.

There’s a faint blush on her face.

That evening, as the sun starts to go down, as the group starts to get ready to sleep in whatever ways they need, Remnii’s sending stone starts to quaver. It’s Samaara.

Remnii’s hand clutches around the staff at her side.

She reconvenes with the group.

Vel tilts her head to inform that she’s listening, and Remnii gives the news.

Remnii gives the update.

As the cottage and surrounding environment falls into silence, Vel reaches out to Alleria via [Dream], who materializes within the dreamscape with hardly any waiting. As Alleria’s eyes fall on Vel, her shoulders loosen from the tension, and she moves with a quickened pace towards her niece where she promptly wraps her into a hug.

Alleria’s eyes widen.

Vel chuffs.

Alleria nods.

Alleria nods.

Alleria also informs Vel of other things they had seen, including many creatures they had not encountered before. The dealings with the native humans had also not been positive, and these humans also did not speak common. Apparently initial interactions had been fine, but the moment it spread to them that the Sin’dorei were working with the vrykul, dealings promptly turned hostile. However, most notably, the humans did not fight with weapons--they fought with claws because they would turn into hybrid bear-men, if reports were to be believed, though Alleria had not seen such personally.

Vel is somewhat exasperated at the news of “bear worgen”, though Alleria mentions that these humans didn’t seem to be ravenous monsters--they were more controlled.

Vel then also informed Alleria of some of the happenings since the last time they had really spoken at length, including the apparent infiltration of the Legion into the dealings between the draenei and kaldorei.

Alleria grins at that. Vel does not remain for much longer after catching up, as she opts to also try and touch base with Astalor that night with what remnants of her magic she has left.

Meanwhile, Seria is dreaming Rokhan.

He squats down.

Seria goes into details about the interaction, and Rokhan considers for a second.

Seria gives him a look.

Seria nods.

The dream ends, and Seria pulls away from it. Seria goes to dream Riff next, but he’s not sleeping. She waits, and then waits longer, but he never sleeps.

This page was last edited on May 04, 2023, at 09:11 PM

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