[Horde] Chapter Four: Session Twenty-Eight
Appearing Characters: Arthak Saurfang, Azgadaan, Azuka Stormbreaker, Blackhand (Echo), Gel'nok (Echo), Gelnar Doomhammer (Echo), Go'el, Halno, Lantresor, Levia Blackflight, Nalga Doomhammer (Echo), Nyxxa, Orgrim Doomhammer (Echo), Rexxar, Sadras, Telar (Echo), Veena
Outland Day 38
The four hunter-killers were thoroughly dismantled, and the group takes a deep, hot breath.
The rest of the group nods, seemingly no worse for wear beyond a few minor burns and cuts. The group heals up a bit between contributions offered by Azgadaan and Levia. Arthak looks at the hunter-killers more closely, but is unable to find any sort of makers mark that would be solid evidence that they may have been created by Blackhand.
The group continues onwards onto the second half of the colossus bridge. They end up in small tunnels that seem to be high passageways that have rivers and lakes of lava churning below. Then they start to head upwards and pass even deeper into the tunnels, causing them to lose sight of the rivers. There is a door at the end, which seems to be made of stone with deep grooves upon it. The stone seems to be solid obsidian, and there is an orcish rune that means “earth” upon it. Arthak pushes against the door, and with some time, it starts to give, and there is a heavy rumbling sound.
They step into the next, pitch black room, and the stone swings shut slowly behind them. The room is large, easily 100 feet square, and there is a massive pile of gravel, stones, and rubble at the center. There is another rumble, and more stones tumble from the ceiling and join the pile.
They see another echo of an orc with a shovel in his hand. It’s Gelnar. He takes a shovel full of gravel and throws it aside, and the young forms of Nalga and Telar aid him. A moment later, their older versions are doing the same, and the echoes rapidly fade into each other as more and more orcs show up. Then there’s Gel'nok as well, both his hands intact, shoveling away.
Then they fade away.
The air is heavy, and movement in the place is very difficult.
Azgadaan suggests the spell [Mold Earth] to help them.
The group examines the room and there are no obvious exits. There are no pathways of any sort, and the only hint seems to be the digging echoes. However, they are unsure if magic would violate the test.
Nyxxa nods in agreement and goes to help Sadras.
The mages opt to not use magic and all start contributing to digging. It’s incredibly exhausting, and over the next hour they don’t even manage to clear half of it. Their muscles are burning from the exhaustion. No more rubble seems to have been added to the pile.
They continue to work, but the struggle is starting to wear on Nyxxa as well as Azuka. Azuka opts to step aside and rest for a bit, as does Nyxxa. Azgadaan casts [Enhance Ability], but the earth around him starts to tremble. As they look up, a chunk of stone falls right on Azgadaan. He is able to push through the concentration, and holds onto the spell he had placed on Levia and Halno, but rubble gets added to the pile.
They continue to press on, but the work is grueling. They’ve been going for three hours, and there is still a bit more to get through. They keep working for another thirty minutes, and they find another obsidian dais below it. On the edge of the stone, there is another key rune that pulses with deep, yellowish energy.
He looks at his palm.
She takes the rune, and the wall crumbles beyond them--revealing a passage. Sadras stumbles with a grunt, and the stone beneath her shatters and breaks.
Sadras laughs, and her hand meets Arthak’s shoulder with the force of a boulder. She looks at him affectionately. They move forward, and they can hear Sadras’s every footstep as she leaves indentations behind them.
He’s obviously joking, and they continue on. The next room is also very warm, though not as much as the colossus bridge. They enter into a wide chamber, and inside it are bright glowing flowers of various sizes. Some are massive, easily the size of a man or larger. They seem to be emitting warmth and light. They’re torchblooms, which normally grow in volcanic regions, but they are never this large.
They see another flicker, and an echo materializes. It’s a younger Blackhand with a large blade in his hand. He carves through an invisible plant of some kind. Orgrim is following him.
The echoes continue and fade away.
Further on, they see Gelnar and his two children appear.
Gelnar gets down to his children’s level.
The two younger orcs nod in understanding, and the echoes flicker away. But then Sadras’s weapon starts to glow.
They turn around and one of the torchbloom’s vines whips out toward Sadras, who dodges out of the way. There are squeals and scraping leaves as the flowers start to move and shift, hungrily reaching toward the group. The largest of them has ichorous, burning sap dripping from it as it too starts to animate.
Nyxxa runs for one of the smaller blooms and cuts into it with a slice of her glaive. Rexxar hucks one of his axes and then looks down over the edge.
Levia holds her hands out, and her veins and eyes go pitch black. The tendrils of the massive, ancient torchbloom start to wilt and wither as she uses [Blight] and then leaps off the side of the cliff and starts to fly down.
He leaps at the massive, ancient torchbloom and uses giant’s might--growing larger as he swings into the plant with Quel’delar. Then backs off as one of the smaller ones starts to approach--propelled on a series of stems. It tries to grab Azgadaan and Arthak, but is unable to grab hold. The bigger torchbloom reaches out and grabs Nyxxa and whips its other tendril at Arthak.
Another smaller torchbloom wraps its tendrils around Arthak. Azgdaaan changes into a giant ape with [Polymorph] and starts to clamber down the side of the cliff.
Halno runs in and jumps up, grabbing Nyxxa by her hooves. He then casts [Dimension Door] and teleports them down to the bottom of the cliff, dropping them the last 10 feet onto the ground.
A smaller torchbloom manages to snag Levia and drag her closer, puncturing her flesh with a barbed stinger-like growth. Levia curses and kicks the stinger aside, struggling to break free of the grapple.
Nyxxa scrambles to her hooves and drops her glaives to ground to instead fire arrows up at the torchbloom. One of the arrows misses, but it strikes a rock, disturbing it just enough to trigger an isolated rock slide. The torchbloom manages to hold onto Levia, but both of them plummet. Levia lands on top of the large plant, cushioning part of her blow.
Arthak, as the only remaining target on the platform, starts to get dogpiled. However, he is able to deflect aside most of the attacks as Levia continues to wrestle with the flower that fell with her.
Giant ape Azgadaan hurls a rock down at the prone flower, and then leaps off the wall of vines and slams into the plant with closed fists. The plant promptly deflates.
She pats Azgadaan on the foot, who in turn pats her on the head.
Arthak manages to break free from the ancient torchbloom and starts to run, but he is grappled again by one of the smaller ones. Arthak breaks free again, and then leaps off the cliff. Another vine lashes out for him, which Arthak slices through, but as he plummets, Azgadaan--still in his ape form--catches him and drops into a roll. When they stop, Arthak is now on top of an un-polymorphed Azgadaan.
Arthak stares at him for a second and then rolls off of him.
They look up and see Azuka crest the cliff as well and fall, but then she slows. They see a pair of wings beating very, very hard, and quickly realize Veena is holding tightly to the back of her armor and slowing her as much as possible.
Lantresor easily leaps down and lands flawlessly, while Go’el and Sadras follow suit. Rexxar had gotten onto his dread raven and they flutter down.
Down at the bottom, they can see torch lights coming from the next chamber. Nyxxa sneaks ahead to scout. She sees a low chamber and about a dozen figures, but she quickly realizes they are actually statues of orcs. Beyond them is another passage. There doesn’t seem to be any immediate threats. She uses [Detect Magic] and starts to look around, noting that the statues are magical--one of them has divination and necromancy magic, and another has evocation and transmutation magic. The other states are of a similar reading. The entire room is wreathed in abjuration magic.
She reports back to the group and the group heads to the entrance. Arthak notes that each of the statues represents a different clan. One of the closest ones is wearing armor and has a symbol that would imply they are Blackrock. Arthak recognizes the statue as Crorm Blackrock, the founder of the Blackrock clan. Another has the prominent symbol of the Warsong, the statue holding the head of an ogre with his axe raised to the sky. All the others are also likely the founders of their respective clans.
The group gathers in and prepares to rest briefly. Halno opts to spent the time furiously transcribing magic from Belo’vir’s spellbook into his apexis crystal. Throughout the rest, they would see echoes of the people that had come before--at least, everyone except Blackhand. Even Gel’nok had been visible, kneeling before the Blackrock statue. They all seem to be staring up at the statues, or leaving offerings--many of which still remain. The echoes make no sound.
The group gets up and heads further into the room, and there is a presence--as if there are others around them, though they cannot be seen. Arthak looks around at the statues more closely, and he notes that there is no Shattered Hand statue--likely given his clan was so young. The sheer skill behind the stonemason that had carved the statues was incredible, as they all look lifelike.
The clans present are the ones lauded to be the first clans in existence--all others came after them: The Blackrock, the Laughing Skull, the Lightning’s Blade, the Dragonmaw, the Bleeding Hollow, the Bonechewer, the Frostwolf, the Whiteclaw, the Thunderlord, the Burning Blade, the Redwalker, the Bladewind, the Warsong, and the Shadowmoon.
Arthak recognizes all of the founders.
Arthak locks eyes with Crorm and mutters words of respect as he leaves his forging hammer at the feet of the statue next to a rusted head of another forging hammer and other various things. A question finds its way to Arthak’s mind--asked by no one but himself.
There’s no need to answer it, not now, but Arthak does sense he should have an answer. Arthak nods up at Crorm and then moves to the Burning Blade statue where he tears away a piece of his banner and sets it down before that statue. Lantresor also stands before that statue and nods.
Lantresor takes his second blade from his back--the one he had trained with and used until Samuro’s death--which he lays before the statue. Once more, the weight of the legacy falls on Arthak’s mind.
It’s another question he should have an answer for.
Meanwhile, Go’el approaches the statue of the Frostwolf founder. He reaches into his pack and pulls out a bundle of frostwolf fur. He unravels it, revealing a hood of white fur. Arthak recognizes it as the headpiece of Durotan, and Go’el lays it at the feet of the statue. Sadras, meanwhile, goes to the Whiteclaw statue. She kneels and takes out the onyx figurine she had just purchased.
She looks at it with a sad smile, and then looks up to the statue.
She places the figurine at the feet of the statue.
Nyxxa whispers quietly in darnassian to the statues as she walks around.
Her eyes linger on the Laughing Skull statue, and she recalls the things she heard about them, and a thought enters her mind:
Nyxxa pales at the question, and then heads over to the door to await the time to leave.
Halno approaches the Shadowmoon statue and leaves the defective truncheon of the death knight at its feet.
Halno feels the weight of the path his former clan had fallen onto--the darkness that came with Ner’zhul and his actions. A thought comes to his mind:
No one had asked it, but someone is still waiting for an answer.
Azgadaan goes to each statue and pours some alcohol out at the feet of each statue, apologizing for what his people did to the planet. He then stops at the Lightning’s Blade statue.
He pours the rest of the drink at her feet, and a thought comes to his mind:
As Arthak heads toward the door as well, his eyes flicker to the Warsong clan, and his thoughts go to Garrosh. He stops and sighs, then heads over to the statue.
He pulls out Traitor’s Gifts and slices his hand open, then squeezes some drops onto the stone at the statue’s feet. He thinks of all the blood that had been shed, and he looks up at the visage of the founder of the Warsong, a thought comes to him:
Arthak finishes walking over to the door and joins Nyxxa. Levia and Rexxar do not go to any of statues. Azuka largely follows after Arthak, watching, but she doesn’t approach any of the statues or give any offerings. She seems antsy, and almost uncomfortable. Arthak raises an eyebrow at her.
Azuka looks at the ground for a solid moment, and then looks at Arthak.
Arthak smirks.
She looks in the direction of the statues.
She also joins the group at the door.
As Azgadaan thinks of his question, and what he will have to endure and give up, and for a moment his blood runs cold. After all, it’s one thing to fight with his father, but another thing to fight against the Legion. However, he’ll have to. If he’s going to survive and build a better future, and a life, one he could be proud of--he’ll have to.
The eyes of the statue of the Lightning’s Blade spark, and a thin outline of blue energy courses around Azgadaan, and then it fades. He feels a blessing--a favor perhaps--run through him. Similar flickers had appeared around several of the others. He nods at the statue, and then places the empty bottle on the stand next to her.
Slowly, and in contemplative silence, the group heads out of the room. They continue on wordlessly. Arthak contemplates the questions he had been asked, answering them in his mind and heart. He can feel the gazes of the statues, and the weight of those questions. He feels some modicum of strength, and the mastery and keenness of his maternal ancestors, he wonders if they are watching over him.
Halno is likewise musing over the question he had been asked, and he realizes the answer to his question: sometimes, keeping a secret means keeping a life. As he thinks of the lives and unlives that matter the most to him, and the orcs better than him--the ones he would like to see make it to the end of this--a silver glow surrounds him for a moment.
Nyxxa, however, is unable to find an answer.
Before long, it starts to get very hot again, and they are once more facing the glow of the depths of the Heart of the World. The weight of the air is getting heavier. This time, however, they see a sea of magma with loose igneous rock on its surface. It’s likely the heart of a volcano, and they can see another rune--this one the symbol of “Fire” emblazoned on a rock. On the far side, there seems to be an exit, but it's hard to see through the smoke.
Nyxxa looks around.
There are none for a moment, but then they see two figures running across the center of the path as fast as they can. Then they stop and look up, then vanish.
He then points, and something starts to move in the lava. It would have been easily mistaken for a stone or bubble, but it’s a creature with rock-like flesh. Nyxxa and Halno then see more movement in a different area.
Go’el shakes his head.
Arthak gets out the gift they had got from Incineratus, and puts it in Azuka’s hands.
Azuka squeezes the embrace of Incineratus, and flames immediately start to lick around her form. Arthak, Azgadaan, Go’el, and Nyxxa start to run for the path the echoes had shown while Levia takes to the air. Azgadaan casts haste on himself.
The heat is unbearable, and they see the shapes in the lava move quicker, and then lizard-like creatures with eight legs start to crawl out of it. A much larger creature starts to also emerge after them--the group is surrounded.
The massive hellfire salamander launches itself onto the rocks, magma dripping from its flesh. There is something glowing right over its heart: the rune key they need. It rears back and spews fiery, magma breath over Nyxxa, Azgadaan, and Arthak.
The other salamanders start to close on the group as Nyxxa goes to meet them, managing to stun the massive hellfire salamander and knock it to the ground. She then moves on to the smaller one that had closed, but this salamander resists the stunning strike. The fire is wafting off the creatures and over her.
Halno picks himself up with a cold-element [Arcane Hand] and raises 50 feet into the air--well away from the lava. He then casts [Lightning Bolt] changing it to cold damage as he fires it at one of the smaller salamanders.
Arthak rages and goes for the stunned, prone hellfire salamander. He uses [Absorb Elements] from Quel’delar before starting to swing over and over again into the beast. He uses his fire rune to restrain the creature, trying to do as much damage as possible as he attempts to carve into the creature’s belly. As he exposes the rune, Arthak reaches in and grabs it, and then starts to run. He feels agonizing pain as the rune burns into his flesh.
One of the smaller salamanders run for the moving target, lava spewing from its mouth as it catches up to him. The one Halno had hit runs in his direction and jumps at him, snapping and spewing lava to try and hit him the air, but it is unsuccessful.
Nyxxa hesitates as she looks to Go’el and then to Arthak.
She nods and starts to run, leaping over the lava to get to Arthak’s side. She immediately carves into the salamander, leaving it critically injured. Lantresor swoops in to back up Go’el with a devastating strike to a smaller salamander, leaving it stunned.
Azgadaan boops the salamander he’s engaged with on the nose with his maul, runs around it, and then starts to run back to join Arthak and Nyxxa.
At that moment, Nyxxa has her answer to the question she was asked, and her eyes start to burn as she hears a cackle in her mind.
The hellfire salamander struggles against the chains and flails its tail around, but Go’el deflects it aside and smacks the smaller salamander. It then breaks free of the chains.
Halno continues across on his hand a fair distance up in the air. As he passes over, he casts another cold lightning at the salamander he had left, leaving it dead on the stone.
Go’el’s eyes start to crackle and he casts [Thunder Step]. The smaller salamander gets blasted back into the lava--dead--and Go’el reappears behind Nyxxa.
Nyxxa knocks out the salamander next to Arthak, and it falls unconscious to the ground. Azuka joins them as she runs across the top of the lava, the gift from Incineratus protecting her from the heat.
The hellfire salamander roars as it flips itself upright, and it leaps up at the hand carrying Halno. It clamps down on it, and it jostles, but Halno manages to hold on.
As the group runs, magma rock erupts in front of them and a salamander leaps out of the lava beneath. Sadras buffets the salamander aside, but the platforms are starting to crumble. The magma rock starts to break under Go’el, and he backpedals--narrowly avoiding dropping into the lava--and manages to get around it.
Azgadaan points at the last small salamander that had followed them.
They all keep running. Rexxar is soaring above them on Nisha next to Halno.
He swoops down near the last salamander.
He whistles out a specific call as he casts [Animal Friendship]. The salamander looks up at him, and then at the massive hellfire salamander and scurries over to start doing a mating display. The hellfire salamander growls and grabs the smaller one, throwing it into the lava. A moment later the salamander crawls out and tries again.
The distraction gives the group ample time to escape.
However, then they hear more panting, and its another echo: Nalga.
She looks back.
She drops to her knees.
She clutches her arm, clearly wounded.
She whispers a prayer on her breath, and she stands and starts to walk deeper into the Heart of the World. The group follows her to the next room.
