[Horde] Chapter Two: Session Eighteen
August 11th
0:00
Inside the obelisk, they see a wide menagerie of devices that seem to be a mix of tool and torture device. However, there are also obvious tools found within a forge as well, as well as tools that may be used for more delicate arts such as jewelry making.
There are also pieces of ongoing projects, like altered glaives and pieces of Infernals.
As they stand around waiting, Remnii approaches Kroll and quietly asks him to tell the “young master” (meaning Azgadaan) two words: Raluhi crystal. Kroll complies quietly.
They then hear distant humming, and a figure steps into the room. It’s a relatively tall, and lithe demon. She is easily between 10 and 15 feet tall, though she is hunched a bit. There are long, leathery black wings folded around her shoulders like a cloak. She has a long and angular jaw with curved horns, and two long, pointed ears. She almost looks vaguely like a dreadlord.
She greets them, somewhat curious as to why they have disturbed her. Azgadaan introduces himself as Azgadaan of House Jaraxxus, and explains he was here under orders of Lady Shaspira. He was to bring the Frostwolves back to Hellfire Citadel, but a portion was missing. He was looking for answers, as the Frostwolves wouldn’t budge otherwise, as they are concerned about the earthquakes.
Vilateth said it was a simple answer. The earthquakes were nothing to be concerned about, and there weren’t any Frostwolves present. Azgadaan turns it over to Go’el, who explains the forge camp is situation one one of his former villages.
The demon responds that the Frostwolves were removed, as the location was important. They were asked to leave. Not by her personally, but by one of the warlocks.
The conversation continues, but they don’t get really any solid information. The demoness seems to be rather matter-of-fact and blunt, but ultimately, most of her responsibilities were what she was doing in the obelisk, not in the social aspect.
Arthak then asks about the tools in the room, as there is no anvil or many other necessities of a forge. They start to discuss the specifics of her forging, and he asks what she uses. With a movement, she simply conjures an alien-esque hammer out of shadow in her hand.
Arthak then pulls out his own hammer, and he talks about how there was a certain degree of familiarity to it, though it can break. Vilateth asks to see it, and she examines it, though comments it’s flimsy… thus it’s impressive that he can create anything with it. Arthak gestures to his armor and the blade on his side, and he expresses he forged them himself.
The demon is intrigued, and mentions that had she more time she would have liked to discuss more. After all, it’s always wise to continue learning from others. Arthak agrees, and mentions it’s hard for a craftsman to find other time. The demon sighs with pride, expressing she would have it no other way.
She asks if Arthak has renown amongst his people, and he responded that he did in certain regards. The demon then preens on her most recent endeavor, which she feels would make the “Maw of the Damned” seem like a trinket.
Arthak expresses he isn’t familiar.
Vilateth said it was just a “trinket” made by a half-baked eredar. It was his own undoing, and took 10 of her people to create. However, this project was one that was her’s and her’s alone. She gestured at the floor as she did so.
Arthak then comments he has a blade that was from Legion craftsmanship he had reforged, and he was curious to get another creator’s eye on it. She is very much intrigued.
Arthak pulls out the sword he had made for Kaylaan, and hands it over. Vilateth accepts it and whisks it over to a table to examine. Her tail (which dreadlords do not have) is twitching excitedly. She murmurs to herself, noting it was eredar craftsmanship with a touch of the draenei, indicating it belonged to someone that fell after. She then notes the modifications Arthak made, and then comments that she would pay Arthak a generous sum so she could study it.
Arthak, however, expresses that he would rather use weapons of his own make, and that was the only one he had. She muses that is a noble take, though not one she fully understands, as her people are not fighters. She doesn’t have the taste for violence--she prefers creation. She would leave the fighting to the Nathrezim.
She isn’t a female dreadlord, it would seem.
Arthak thanks her for indulging his inquiries.
Azgadaan asks Vilateth if he can see one of her tools, and she humors him, handing him a sharp hammer made of shadow. Azgadaan then tries to produce a similar one. The demoness offers an endearing laugh, and comments that fostering such skills are valuable.
Azgadaan then starts to fish for her species, mentioning that she mentioned she was separate from Nathrezim. She stands higher, and rolls her eyes slightly, but she bites hook, line, and sinker. She says she is a Tothrezeim. Her people do not hunger for such… knowledge, as the Nathrezim do. She and her people are creators.
She explains that her race is the “mother” of the Nathrezim. The creators, in a sense.
Azgadaan requests to pull Vilateth aside, and he asks her a question.
Namely, he asks what the best gift for an eredar would be. She asks who he had in mind, and Azgadaan murmurs to himself for a moment and then asks if she can keep a secret. Vilateth mentions that she is quite adept at keeping secrets.
Azgadaan asks her how much for her to keep the secret, and Vilateth blinks, taken by surprise, and comments that perhaps she should see what the secret is first. Azgadaan admits he is looking for a gift for Aracyra.
Vilateth muses her race are not familiar with courtship, but suggests a foci of some sort, given Aracyra is a mage. One that would fit her… style.
She then mentions she would be willing to enter into a contract to create such a thing for him. Effectively open a line of credit on his behalf. Azgadaan agrees, asking to enter a contract for a moderate foci for 1000 Rezii (a gold equivalent), and Vilateth summons a contract for the loan.
Azgadaan signs.
Vilateth muses that she will create something that will inspire Aracyra to mate with him. Azgadaan immediately says that he’s not looking to immediately go that far. And she widdles it down to her “looking fondly upon him.”
As an afterthought, Azgadaan also asks about a crystal focus, and Vilateth muses she has plenty with at least one to spare if he would like it.
1:17
Vilateth leaves and returns with a green crystal he hands to Azgadaan. She said she would be willing to part with it for 100 rezii. She also offers to just add it to his line of credit, and Azgadaan agrees.
Vilateth goes on her way, and another wrathguard approaches, informing that they need to leave as the Ashtongue are attacking. They leave, and they see felguard patrols running about. It seems the attack is happening at the western end.
For a moment, Go’el looks back at the camp, and there is a flicker of rage in his hand. Nyxxa urges them all to follow her out.
However, Go’el turns to go back, mentioning it will “only take a moment”. Arthak calls after him. Go’el’s eyes start to glow, and the earth starts to tremble, but it stops as Arthak puts a hand on his shoulder. Go’el growls, but drops the spell, and they all leave.
There are skirmishes breaking out, and a bright green meteorite soars overhead and slams into the ground in the distance. Then another one as the battle increases.
When they get to safety, they agree to part ways and each go back to their clans. Go’el thanks Arthak from stopping him from making a mistake. Go’el asks Nyxxa what she would be doing.
Nyxxa said, given the name of the world that was dropped while talking to Vilateth (Azeroth) her time table increased exponentially. She was from there. And she noticed some things about the group. Namely, whenever the Legion lands, there is always a rebellion. She had been part of two. And won. Twice.
They discuss a bit, and it’s decided that Nyxxa would accompany them as they are going to be going to the same place. Nyxxa can effectively be their “guide” to Azeroth, at least in some regards, for what she remembers, anyway.
Go’el prepares for them to leave, and Arthak requests that they go back to collect his sword.. As he admits he isn’t quite ready to say goodbye he realized.
However, at that moment, Sadras shifts nervously, and Sadras mentions she wasn’t expecting this to come out so soon. She pulls out some metal. She had gotten the rest of Varg. Arthak had been acting stupid, and she thought he might want it back at some point and she wanted to be the one to give it back to him. Though she thought it was going to be a bit longer.
Arthak stammers a thank you to her.
Remnii also produces a piece of Varg and she smirks at Sadras.
2:00
Go’el teleports them back to Wor’gol. Azgadaan delivers the crystal to Raluhi, who begins to make plans to utilize it effectively. He mentions that he can harness a spell that would allow them to feed the entire clan if he expended all his resources.
Azgadan helps Raluhi where he can to stabilize the crystal focus.
2:22
Remnii talks to Arthak about getting Raluhi the resources to recreate the spell “create food and water”. 2:27
Arthak smiths some things, including a bracelet for Spinyl and the commission he owed Gul’dan.
He then goes to find Mankrik, and watches him train for a moment. Mankrik is rather aggressive in his movements, as he was when he fought with an axe, instead of the more graceful, precise movements of the Burning Blade style.
They enter into a training session, and Arthak starts to goad Mankrik into getting angry over and over. With every strike, Arthak says it isn’t angry enough, until suddenly Mankrik swings in and chips a piece of metal off of Arthak’s armor, having entered a barbarian rage.
That was what Arthak wanted to see.
He then proceeds to show him how to cool his rage through meditation.
11:27
Remnii and Raluhi continue to work on things.
Raluhi is able to finish the crystal chronicle and recreate the “Create Food and Water Spell”
Remnii finds Ahonan, and she speaks to him about the reveal in regards to his true name that he had given her over sending--that his true identity was Larohir. He informs him then on her meeting with Akama, including what he said. At the end, she produces SpiritSong to show Ahonan.
She continues to state that she is worried about having the Ata’mal crystals in Hellfire, given she may very well draw the ire of Shaspira. She asks him for ideas, and he tells her he will speak with Raluhi about any countermeasures they could perhaps use.
They continue to talk, and Ahonan reassures her that she will find her Argus, and Velen, someday. Remnii starts to cry, and expresses how much she misses everyone. Ahonan says that he misses his daughter as well. He pulls her into another hug, and Remnii starts sobbing. There is the hint of moisture in Ahonan’s eyes as well.
Ahonan tells her that if Remnii sees Ishanah before he does, to tell her that he will always be waiting for her. Remnii says she’s going to start crying harder.
3:15
Kroll recognizes Dranosh, though Dranosh does not recognize him. Kroll quietly asks Go’el if they can bring Dranosh “into the loop” so to speak, and Go’el advises him to remain quiet on the matter for now as he had been informing Dranosh of things he needed to know. Go’el also informs Kroll that a number of the denizens from Garadar had escaped on a ship and were safe. For now.
Kroll muses that he wishes that they could have gotten more information from Vilateth, though it seemed that she was ultimately rather distant from the core of things.
As they near the end of their conversation, Go’el looks down at a gravesite. Go’el explains they had laid Drek’thar to rest while they were gone. Next to the former chieftain, Durotan.
Go’el thanks Kroll for joining them, and Kroll jokes that he felt the merry band needed a “bit of wisdom.” Go’el laughs quietly, and said he will make use of it. Drek’thar had told Go’el he would be ready, but it doesn’t feel like it.
3:31
As they finish their conversation, Nyxxa appears to speak to Go’el, and Go’el waves Kroll off and walks away with Nyxxa. He thanks her for her aid, and then admits that he had spoken to the spirits about her. Asked them to judge her and divine her purpose, as her kind had done a great many things to his people. However, they remained silent.
Nyxxa said that satyrs were a special case: demons but not quite. The Twisting Nether was a thing of chaos, and things get a bit hazy. Go’el nods, mentioning that similar circumstances were on Draenor, as some orcs had started to mutate with the gifts of the Legion.
Nyxxa mentions that something is brewing. Given the actions of the Ashtongue, and what she’s observed with the group, things seem to be rather disorganized. However, if there was anything she learned, it’s the necessity to think on her hooves--and they all seemed nice, anyway.
Go’el muses he isn’t sure if he can trust Nyxxa herself, much like she isn’t sure who she can trust, however, he does know she recognizes she is alone. His people have a saying: “The pack must hunt together or they die alone.” He says that her actions will determine if she can be trusted, but if she is to be an ally, and she can aid them, then she need not be alone in the moment.
Nyxxa said it sounds like something her people, her past people or current people or whatever the situation is, would have said. Go’el muses he would like to know more of them someday, though he hopes she realizes that she may have to fight them. Nyxxa acknowledges she realizes this, though ultimately, she knows that she would not be accepted with kindness or love given what she is now.
Go’el mentions that, if she needs anything, his people would provide if they could. Nyxxa asks him if anyone knows anything about camping, and Go’el pauses for a moment before simply stating his people were nomadic by nature.
Nyxxa is pleased, as there are some skills she will have to relearn.
3:43
Azgadaan asks Remnii if the Ashtongue are okay. Remnii casts sending, targeting Vendiir, and she hears back that the forge camp was too strong and they had to cut losses. The Ashtongue were leaving. Remnii messages back, telling them to be careful, as they met with the leader of the forge camp and she was frightening. Vendiir says that they will take care of those who remain. Naphliir, Oss, and Vord were among those who went down.
August 13th, Morning
After some rest, everyone starts to gather up to leave. They overhear some conversations with orc younglings who are confused that they are leaving so early.
