[Horde] Chapter Three: Session Twenty-Nine
Appearing Characters: Alleria Windrunner, Aracyra, Arthak Saurfang, Azgadaan, Gel'nok, Gramgun Laughingeye, Gul'dan, Halno, Kael'thas Sunstrider, Kargath Bladefist, Khadgar, Lana'thel Duskseeker, Lantresor, Larynna Nightshade, Levia Blackflight, Mindi, Mork, Nyxxa, Orican Runesight, Sadras, Sagaz, Shaspira, Sinestra, Taldaram Evenstar, Teron'gor, Thaladred, Thalodien Duskwither, Thura Saurfang, Turalyon Windrunner, Vaerux, Vereesa Windrunner
January 7th
Azgadaan and the others are standing right at the edge of the frozen water, near where Taldaram had crumpled to the ground. The rest of the Guardians of the Eternal Spring began to converge in toward Lana’thel’s body to get her and the other wounded out. It seems the elves are starting a fighting retreat.
Sadras also starts to shout orders to protect themselves, but not to follow the retreating elves.
She looks to the group before disappearing into the snow.
The elven ranger corp continues to fire off some defensive arrows, and they seem to be holding for the rest of the elves to retreat. The squad of blood knights that were engaged with the ethereals also begins to disengage.
Azgadaan starts to advance toward Lana’thel, and several elves ready their weapons.
He attempts to pull off the manacles from Lana’thel, and he tosses a healing potion at the body of Taldaram.
Bow strings go taught, and all eyes are on Azgadaan. There is tension in the air. Azgadaan retrieves the manacles and then steps back.
One of the magisters appears in a flash of a portal next to Lana’thel’s body and the unconscious blood knight. She scoops up the potion and gives it to Taldaram. A few more soldiers approach and pick up Lana’thel, and they continue to retreat. Taldaram instinctively grabs the throat of the magister, but he immediately releases her upon realizing who it is. He glares at Azgadaan, grabs his axe and Frostmourne, and then joins his group in retreat.
There’s a loud crack, and the frozen water along the shore starts to crack and break, following the elves. The snow and fog also begins to fade.
Sadras starts barking orders to put fires out and send out scouts around the perimeter to ensure a second attack doesn’t occur.
Azgadaan looks for anything left from Lana’thel, but he is unable to find any blood or anything that he’s able to identify as her’s.
Nyxxa reappears.
Nyxxa presents them. There’s a small amount of blood of them.
Azgadaan grabs some rags and wipes Nyxxa’s blade clean.
Nyxxa puts a hand on Azgadaan’s shoulder.
Nyxxa smiles at him.
They start to examine the damage to Gramgun’kur, and Azgadaan goes to check on Mork and Mindi. The vessel begins to fade as Azgadaan approaches, and he actually sees the corpses of four elves between them. Mork is wearing a horned helmet that is far too large for him, and is holding the weapon that Azgadaan gave him.
Mork flexes. The situation is a bit unexpected, but Mork had impressed Glashaa, who is a pretty mighty warrior. Mork has a few minor injuries, but they seem to be pretty unscathed.
Mindi nods.
Halno scans around the battlefield, and he finds a few of the blood knights that did not make it. Halno promptly restrains the bodies and then drags them back to his lab. He gets a total of four. He then goes to find Sagaz.
Nyxxa had approached Gel’nok’s body, which had shrunken back to his normal shape after he was slain. There are main wounds on his body, as well as the wound from Frostmourne itself. His flesh is more dull from the frost and the chill of the night. Nyxxa cautions anyone about going near bodies that were killed by Frostmourne.
As Arthak makes his way into the hallway to the Sunwell Plateau, he sees the battle has already opened up. It seems there are more corpses of Shadowsword than anything else.
As Arthak appears, a group of Sunreaver Warriors wearing red and black and gold moves forward and engages one of the Shadowsword Spellbreakers. The Spellbreaker struggles to fend them off as he is surrounded.
Arthak charges in to back up the Shadowsword and rages, wielding Champion’s Forge. The Blademaster Initiates also come running after him.
The Shadowsword Spellbreaker that got mobbed disengages to get to a safer position, while the Shadowsword Soldiers move to engage. As the clash begins, one of Sunreaver warriors is cut down.
The Sunreaver Battlemage casts Blizzard on the group of Shadowsword and Arthak. A wintery storm opens up, slamming shards of ice into the ground. The Shadowsword Spellbreaker that had retreated gets struck right through the chest, dropping to the ground--dead. Several of the Shadowsword soldiers are also dropped to the ground.
The Resistance Rangers also open up on the Shadowsword Soldiers, and the felblood unit is decimated. The Sunreaver Arcane Archer also closes, and fires off at the last Shadowsword Spellbreaker, taking him down as well.
The Blademaster Initiates finish catching up to Arthak, and they continue past him to engage with the Sunreaver Warriors. The Resistance Rangers fire another volley of arrows, this time at the Blademaster Initiates, and three of the orcs are dropped.
The Sunreaver Arcane Archer rushes forward, and a stream of fire shoots out from his arm as he takes a shot. A line of fire streaks forward from the arrow, hitting two blademaster initiates and Arthak. Arthak is able to dodge out of the way, but the two initiates that were hit takes some singing wounds, dropping another initiate. The archer then backs up.
However, some Shadowsword Soldiers and another Spellbreaker start to close in from further down the hall to reinforce.
The Sunreaver Warriors carve into the Blademaster Initiates, dropping another orc.
The Sunreaver Battlemage backs closer to the Warriors and Arcane Archer, and he casts fireball focused down at the Shadowsword Soldiers that had come to reinforce, and four of the felbloods are dropped.
Arthak finishes closing with the Sunreaver Warriors, cleaving in for some damage. The Shadowsword Spellbreaker goes in to attack the Resistance Rangers.
The Sunreaver Warriors split their focus, half going for Arthak and the other half going for the Blademaster Initiates. Only two attacks manage to hit Arthak as he fends them off. The other half is a bit more fruitful as they attack the Initiates.
The Resistance Rangers try to fend off the Spellbreaker in melee, who is now not looking very good.
The Blademaster Initiates push into the Sunreaver Warriors, but are unable to push them back. The Sunreaver Battlemage casts arcane missile on the Spellbreaker, who is now in critical condition, but is still up.
The Shadowsword Soldiers move in on the rangers, dropping two of them.
The Sunreaver Arcane Archer focuses on Arthak with fiery arrows. One of the arrows plant firmly into his flesh. Arthak roars and increases his size, before hurling himself into the Sunreaver Warriors. The scene draws a bit of attention
Arthak slams Champion’s Forge into the group once, striking down two of them, but the elves are able to collectively dodge the other forceful swing.
The Shadowsword Soldiers continue to push into the Resistance Rangers. The Arcane Archer once again focuses in on the giant, flaming Arthak. The first attack strikes him right in a crack in his armor, the second attack misses, as does the third attack.
The Blademaster Initiates continue to focus in on the Sunreaver Warriors, and some of the warriors are disarmed. The Sunreavers strike back, four attacks against Arthak, three of which hit off his steaming, molten flesh. The other three attack the Blademasters.
The Resistance Rangers disengage and fall back, but the Spellbreaker follows them, attacking twice.
Arthak swings into the Sunreaver Warriors again, dropping another of their number.
The Sunreaver Battlemage casts another fireball at the Shadowsword, but the Spellbreaker counters it. The Resistance Rangers unload into the Spellbreaker in response, killing him with a slice to the throat as they back off more.
The Blademaster Initiates push into the Warriors again, once more dropping another of their number.
The Sunreaver Battlemage uses Shatter on the approaching Shadowsword Soldiers, killing four of them. The Shadowsword soldiers approach, focusing their attacks on the Sunreaver Arcane Archer who they manage to pin in an alcove, slaying him.
The Sunreaver Warriors continue to split their focus against Arthak and the Initiates. Arthak maneuvers around the Sunreaver Warriors to try and close on the battlemage. The first blow from Arthak is parried away with a shield. The second blow, however, lands. Arthak then action surges on the mage, driving Champion’s Forge through his chest. He then turns on the Warriors, but he is unable to land the hit.
Some of the Blademasters were able to pick themselves up and rejoin the attack with relentless endurance, and they run into the Sunreaver Warriors, dropping their number down to three.
The Resistance Rangers continue to fight back against the Shadowsword Warriors, their situation now dire, and managed to kill several of them. The Sunreaver Warriors, meanwhile, once again go for the Blademaster Initiates. However, they all are unable to land a hit.
Arthak swings into the Sunreaver Warriors, leaving them at only one of their former number, and a very wounded one at that.
The Shadowsword Soldiers continue to harry the Resistance Rangers, dropping another one.
The remaining Sunreaver Warrior disengages and starts to try and run. The rangers do the same and also try to flee. Arthak orders the Blademasters and Shadowsword to get out of the way and let the elves flee, as there are more important things to take care of.
Arthak looks through one of the windows that looks down upon the Sunwell. He can see orcs and elves in the midst of conflict. Gul’dan and a number of warlocks and death knights, as well as grunts from the Stormreavers are there. Runesight is on the far end attempting to defend as best he can. There are an abundance of elves defending key points. Notably, there is a titan of an elven man who picks up an orc and thrusts his greatsword through the orc’s chest. There seem to be three sections around the Sunwell of some importance. There are three elven mages, each with a small filigree metal device, which seem to be concentrating. The rest of the elves are surrounding them to protect them. It’s mass chaos. From the looks of it, the Horde has them surrounded. There is a beating wings and a shower of sparks from overhead, but there’s not a good angle to see what’s going on.
The Blood Shrike is there, hanging on a side of the rubble and sniping from above. Then there is a second Blood Shrike that is also unloading arrows into the enemies. There is also Sinestra Windrunner, who is sniping at the orcs as well.
The remaining Shadowsword wipe the blood from their blades, and one approaches Arthak.
Arthak surveys the situation, and he tells his Blademaster Initiates to return to the main battle before he tries to break through one of the windows after he once again rages. As he runs forward, he slams straight, but he slams into something. The window is now completely shattered, but there is an orc that is now standing in the way at the very edge.
Arthak is surprised to see Kargath, who lets go of the rope and stares Arthak down.
Kargath raises his blade and points it at Arthak.
Kargath steps forward and brings his blade back, as if to strike. He rushes forward, and sparks fly as he strikes with his first attack. The second blow and third blow are also deflected aside.
Arthak tries to grapple Kargath.
Kargath says nothing else as Arthak drags him through the window. Arthak lands on top of Kargath. He lands in a pile of glass.
Arthak steps next to the death knight next to Teron’gor. The entire scene drew attention, however, and Sinestra’s focus hones in on him. She takes aim at Arthak with an alchemical arrow. A rain of goo covers Arthak as the capsule on the Arthak explodes and begins to burn.
She strikes again, and Arthak drops. However, the nearby death knight casts life transference on Arthak, getting him back to his feet. The death knight then looks at Kargath.
Kargath doesn’t answer.
Teron’gor reaches forward and starts to cast a spell at Kargath, but the raven-haired Enchanting Magister (Larynna) counters it.
The nearby Shadowblade Elf (Thalodien) slips around the side and slides beneath Teron’gor before attacking Arthak.
Meanwhile, appearing on the edge of the lip of the arena, is Shaspira. She takes a deep breath, and when her eyes open, her eyes are burning. She raises a hand to the sky, and the clouds begin to shift and move. As everyone watches, fel lightning begins to crackle overhead. The red lightning courses down into the pillar of light, and there is a blast of air. The Sunwell and its energies begin to shift to red, and Shaspira speaks in eredun in a booming voice.
The ground around the Sunwell starts to crack.
Turalyon immediately runs for Shaspira, raising his blade into the air. A beam of energy flies toward Shaspira, transforming into a greatsword made of pure light that mirrors the one in his hand. It slams into an invisible ward around Shaspira, and her eyes flicker in Turalyon’s direction.
She holds a hand out to Turalyon, but the human paladin is able to force his way through the spell.
The massive spellbreaker swings in on the orc group he is engaged with, cutting down two of the orcs. The Shadowsword soldiers post themselves in the windows to rain arrows down on their enemies.
The three elven magisters around the Sunwell continue to focus on the ritual.
Kargath stands up and immediately goes for Arthak.
As Arthak is struggling, he hears the sound of metal scraping, and Kargath’s blade goes through his chest. Arthak crumples to the ground, falling to unconsciousness.
As Arthak’s vision fades, the storm of lightning continues to ripple around. As Kargath goes to bring the blade down on Arthak, the death knight grabs his arm and shoves him against a wall. The Shadowblade Elf runs to engage Teron’gor.
In his fading vision, he sees Sinestra look around, and she then leaps off the side and spins through the air. Her form begins to shift and burn as a cloud of pyroclastic energy forms around her. She transfigures into a massive creature, and then many individuals turn toward Sinestra.
The last thing Arthak sees before his vision fades into full unconsciousness is a massive draconic form fly into the energy of the Sunwell. Almost muted, he hears a terrible shriek as the massive dragon is half submerged, a massive green fist clenching around her throat as it sticks out of the Sunwell.
As Arthak swims into unconsciousness, he hears something strange. It’s a voice, but it’s not speaking in a language he can understand, but he can understand its meaning.
It’s a high, flitting voice.
Arthak’s eyes then snap open as his breath returns to him. As he comes to, he isn’t sure how much time had passed. As he glances at the portal, it is now rippling uncontrollably. Half of the elves in the room are now gone. The relics the elves were channeling are now shattered, and the entire thing is now rippling apart.
Some of the orcs have suffered some damage, but as Arthak looks around, the forcefield is gone. Gul’dan moves toward the portal to try and stabilize it, and Shaspira, surrounded by intricate circles, is doing the same. The cracking stone around the Sunwell continues extending, and something starts to grow out of the edge of the Sunwell. They seem to be roots.
No one knows what the hell is going on.
Both of the Blood Shrikes appear to be running toward the Sunwell, and some others had jumped into the Portal. Arthak moves to intercept the nearest Blood Shrike after going giant. She looks up at Arthak, then vaults around and runs for the portal.
Kael’thas backs away back toward the Blood Shrike, and he starts to cast a spell.
The other Blood Shrike vaults into the Portal, but the energy blasts out into the array of clouds, and the entire earth starts to quake. Through the beam, there is a rupture upwards.
Back in Gramgun’kur, they can see all the crazy stuff going on as the entire island starts to quake.
Shooting up from the Sunwell are roots and bark, piercing through the entire chamber. One root slams into the stone behind Arthak and starts to burrow through the wall. A root slams into Arthak and he slides backward, and a tree erupts into the sky from the center of the portal.
Everyone in the chamber starts to run, orcs and elves both.
Arthak climbs over a root, and he sees both of the Blood Shrikes. One of them was grievously wounded, and they are both close to Kael’thas, who is casting. The waters of the Sunwell is now splashed all over the place, and the Portal seems to be gone.
Arthak closes with Kael’thas and takes a swing at him. Flaming chains erupt around Kael’thas, but with a flick of his wrist, the weapon he had sheathed flips out of its sheath and carves through the flames. Arthak then keeps running.
There is a blast energy that washed through everything, and wraps the Blood Shrikes and Kael’thas as he and they vanish.
Gul’dan seems to be attempting a teleport as well, but Shaspira hadn’t moved, looking over the vines and staring at the tree.
Fel fire erupts, and they appear in the courtyard. Roots are ripping down walls, and elves have fled or rapidly disappearing. Arthak’s people are largely alright, and they are looking at the building and Lantresor and Thura both look at Arthak.
His troops rally around him, and they all start to run through the now gaping hole in the wall that has been completely compromised. Arthak himself escorts Gul’dan.
Arthak slices through some of the smaller vines as he goes. Gul’dan also summons demons in a burst of fel fire that help fight their way out through the vines.
Meanwhile, at Gramgun’kur, everyone watches in awe as trees fall in the distance. A root blasts through one of the external barricades and snakes its way through Gramgun’kur, snaking perfectly through the streets. However, it doesn’t destroy any of the Broken Blade buildings.
Azgadaan immediately sends Aracyra.
Nyxxa sounds on her horn of silent alarm.
The elven ships, meanwhile, had started to move away. Azgadaan uses his instrument to cast fly, and they can see the roots continue to burst forth, covering the entire island and extending to the cove that Gramgun and his ship are in.
Halno pops his head out of his sanctum and hears a bunch of people screaming for evacuation. He grabs two bodies and runs to get Sagaz. About three minutes later, the tremors begin to slow, and there’s a moment of eerie silence.
As Halno looks back to Gramgun’kur, and everything seems to have slowed down.
As Halno looks, he doesn’t know what’s happening, but jutting out of the Sunwell Plateau is a massive tree that towers hundreds of feet up. Its branches are illuminated, and there are soft lights floating around like pollen.
Halno drops his two bodies, and tells Sagaz to watch them, then he approaches the roots. He pokes one of them, and they are very solid. He blasts the root with a firebolt, and it leaves a small mark, but it doesn’t react.
Nyxxa heads to check on where Arthak was, and she intercepts him on their way.
Nyxxa takes a deep breath.
Nyxxa is studying Arthak’s expression.
Nyxxa nods.
As they make their way through the winding paths and the forests, and Arthak falls behind for a moment and sits on one of the roots. He gives the bark a pat.
He waits for a moment, and one of the luminescent orbs floats down and pops in a soundless spray of sparks that dissipate in front of Arthak’s face and disappear. He almost hears the sound of a faint ringing noise.
It’s unknown if that was a coincidence or not, as the sky is now full of those lights.
Lantresor is waiting quietly, though the rest had continued.
As Nyxxa wanders through the trees, there’s something strangely familiar about all this. About being able to call a place home amongst true trees. She almost feels a pang of nostalgia. She remembers only the feelings of awe and deference and respect wash over her. There’s something familiar about this situation.
She looks up to the sky, and sees the light dancing in the lights as they fall over everything, but she doesn’t hear anything.
The group returns to Gramgun’kur, which is largely undamaged. There are a few root injuries, but beyond the damage done by the roots and the fires that have been put out, it seems it is mostly superficial. There doesn’t seem to have been any additional lives that were taken by the spontaneous growth.
A single root had penetrated through the side of Halno’s sanctum, but it is largely intact.
After everything has calmed down, Aracyra’s hound like shadow appears first. It sniffs Azgadaan silently before it melts into the ground, and the air ionizes with shadow magic, and Aracyra teleports in front of him, and throws her arms around him.
Azgadaan asks how she is, and she confirms she is fine, thought he roots had covered the entire island. Azgadaan gives Aracyra the brief updates and then takes her back to his home so he can take care of any injuries she has. Aracyra asks if she can stay the night, and Azgadaan agrees.
Arthak and Sadras find each other immediately, and Sadras pulls Arthak into a strong hug, also healing him in the process.
She pushes her forehead against Arthak’s.
Sadras punches him lightly with a grin.
The pair starts to help gather the fallen, while Halno also starts to make preparations for burial rites. Levia finds Nyxxa in short order to make sure she’s okay. Nyxxa hugs her, and she freezes for a moment, but then returns the hug.
Levia also has no idea what’s going on, but Nyxxa admits things seem… familiar, in a sense.
Vaerux, meanwhile, mentally jabs Nyxxa, expressing they need to have a chat.
