[Horde] Chapter Two: Session Eleven
July 25th
0:00 The group had arrived at a gate that was formerly manned by the Blackrock Clan but was now suspiciously silent. Spinyl went into to investigate. There was an orc slumped against the wall, its head smashed.
As she investigates further, she sees more corpses, and there seems to be small craters--pockmarks of battle. However, as Spinyl looks more, she finds no wounds that seem to have been dealt by orc weapons. It seems to be sheer blunt force trauma.
Meanwhile, Arthak is talking to the mok’nathal and asks if they passed through when they came out of the Frostfire Ridges. However, the elder says they did not take the path. Azgadaan, however, was gathering together some rope and started to tie a bunch together so they could get over the wall.
Spinyl then returns and reports on what she found. Everything inside was dead, and there was no evidence around of what caused it. There were over a dozen bodies, plus hellboars.
Azgadaan suggests they camp for the night and then try to enter the following morning. There is some discussion, and Spinyl expresses she doesn’t want to rest so near the place. Arthak mentions they are exposed in the mountains regardless, but Azgadaan also mentions they may want to back away from the walls in case something starts to try and huck something heavy from the walls.
Remnii mentions that she is worried they will lose time if they go too far. Arthak agrees they shouldn’t camp at the base, but they shouldn’t backtrack too far. They decide to double the watches for the night.
0:20
As the night goes by, on first watch, Azgadaan doesn’t see anything at all. However, Samaara does note it appeared as if a number of aerial scavengers had started to circle in the night. She expressed that they would likely be disinclined to part with their meals come the morning.
On second watch, neither Sorak nor Remnii really heard anything.
July 26th
However, on Spinyl and Arthak’s watch, Spinyl sees movement at the very top of the cliff. Then it begins to scale down the side of the cliff swiftly. Spinyl points it out to Arthak, but Arthak can’t make it out. Spinyl sees it land on top of the wall, and she loses sight of it. Arthak has Spinyl go wake some others up, and he goes to start to approach the wall. He goes about 60 feet closer to the wall. His sword is drawn, but the flame is out.
Then there’s a sudden sound, and a fist of stone erupts from the ground.
0:30
Arthak is hit with two of the pillars, and then several more erupt from the ground and also slam into him. Arthak is bowled over, and he swings at one of the arms. However, his blade glances off the stone. There is more rumbling from beneath him.
Meanwhile, Spinyl had roused the rest of the group, but by the time Sorak looks out after Arthak all he sees is Arthak flat on the ground.
Sorak starts to move toward Arthak. Wintermaw follows.
And then at that moment, two huge arms lift out of the ground again. They try to slam into Arthak, but he rolls out of the way of the first strike just to get hit by the second.
Sorak, however, knows exactly what this is. It’s an earth elemental.
Azgadaan runs out as well.
The ground rumbles again, and Sorak recognizes that the sounds are words. They are communicating in a language Sorak knows.
Voice: “INTRUDERS. NO PASS. NO PASS.”
There are other rumbles that amount to agreement.
Arthak tries to defend himself, and manages to fend off two more blows. Arthak and Azgadaan manage to clip one of the arms as it retreats.
Sorak calls to Arthak and Azgadaan to retreat, and then in the elemental language, Sorak says to “calm themself.” However, it doesn’t seem to have any effect at the moment.
Remnii races up to Sorak and then uses her channel divinity to heal Arthak from a distance.
Arthak scrambles to his feet, and then he starts running back to Sorak and Remnii. However, one of the elementals slams into Arthak’s back as he retreats.
Spinyl flies upward and readies to attack, while calling some words of support to Sorak in whatever he is trying to do. However, at that moment, one of the lesser elementals fully pulls itself out of the ground and slams Azgadaan into the ground.
Seeing her chance, Spinyl fires an eldritch blast and the elemental crumbles and is blasted back. However, the pieces start to reassemble slowly.
Azgadaan, at Spinyl’s urging, starts to try and run away, but he is grappled by the elemental and held as the elemental starts to try and beat him with its large fists.
Sorak, in the elemental language, shouts for the elemental to release Azgadaan and they will leave. The elemental freezes for a moment, and it looks toward Sorak curiously, however it then looks down at Azgadaan. It seemingly listens, and then releases Azgadaan and gently tosses Azgadaan back to the others.
Elemental: “NO PASS. NO PASS.”
Sorak realizes that someone had set the elementals there to guard the pass. The lesser elemental sinks back under the ground.
Azgadaan backs off, and a hand lifts again to attack him, but the larger elemental tells it to stop, and the hand retreats again.
1:01
The elemental steps forward, and Sorak moves to speak with it in its native tongue.
Sorak [in Kalimag]: “Who sent you here?”
Elemental: “YOU… SPEAK THE TONGUE OF THE FURIES….”
Sorak: “I am a mediator between the elements and the living.”
Elemental: “YOU... WHAT BRINGS YOU HERE?”
Sorak: “We are on our way to see my people. This was the shortest route.”
Elemental: “THE SHADOW THAT WHISPERS FORBIDS PASSAGE.”
Sorak: “The shadow that speaks?”
Elemental: “THAT WHISPERS.”
Sorak: “The shadow that whispers prevents passage. How long ago did this occur?”
Elemental: “WE WERE SENT THAT NONE MAY PASS WITHOUT THE ASH. BUT YOU... YOU SPEAK THE TONGUE OF THE FURIES. WE HAVE NOT HEARD VOICE OF MORTALS IN A VERY LONG TIME. THE STONES WITHER BENEATH THE CHANGING OF THE TIDES. THE EARTH TREMBLES AT THE MACHINATIONS BEYOND THE STARS. UNNATURAL. UNEARTHLY. AND YET YOU SPEAK AS THE EARTH TREMBLES. THE SHADOW THAT WHISPERS PROMISED FOR THE EARTH TO RISE UP AND CLAIM THE UNEARTHLY SHADOWS THAT BECKON. THAT TREMBLE. THAT BREAK. WHAT DO YOU PROMISE, CHILD OF THE EARTH AND SKIES?”
Sorak: “I can’t promise anything like that. I can just promise that me and my people will try to purify the lands. Cleanse the elements. Purify the taint. I can’t promise you anything I can’t know I can accomplish. If I could, I would.”
Elemental: “VERY WELL.... CHILD OF STONE. CHILD OF AIR. THOUGH YOU ARE NOT OF ASH WE WILL PERMIT YOUR PASSAGE.”
Sorak gestures at his group and caravan.
Elemental: “MOVE QUICKLY… FOR WHEN YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN PASS THE STONE SHALL ALLOW NO FURTHER.”
Sorak mentions that they will open the gate, and then be on their way. The elemental finds this agreeable, and descends into the earth again.
Spinyl flies up to get everyone in through the gate, and they see the bodies inside. The orcs are mangled. Freshly mangled. There are also four huge vultures picking at the corpses. However, Spinyl is able to use the mechanism to open the gate. However, at that moment, there is a horrifying screech, and something descends on Spinyl. It rips into her with bladed arms.
Spinyl tries to soothe its mind, and she watches, for a moment, as the creature hesitates, giving her the time to slip out of the way. Spinyl disengages, and dips around the creature as she takes flight off the edge of the gate. She is still invisible, but as the creature screeches again, it immediately looks right at Spinyl.
Spinyl starts screaming. She tries to soothe the creature again, and once again, it makes a frustrated noise as its talons scrabble into the stone palisade instead. Spinyl then catches herself with her wings as she tumbles back to the ground. The creature watches for a moment, and then it starts running back toward the mountainside. With its scythe-like talons it starts to climb back up the cliff.
Remnii goes to hug Spinyl and heals her in the process. Spinyl goes on about the birds on the other side of the gate for a moment while hugging Remnii.
Spinyl is milking it *juuussst* a bit.
1:26
Arthak identifies the creature as a rockflayer. They are problems for the Blackrock orcs in Gorgrond. They are horribly monstrous predators, and a small pack of them can take down wandering elekk. Their claws let them climb wherever they want, and they are capable of a potent echolocation. The females are even more violent than the males.
Arthak is also aware that some individuals may have glands in their bodies that allow them to control ravagers to help them hunt.
Arthak congratulates Spinyl on escaping, as not many could, especially when it managed to ambush them. He then goes to spook the birds away, but then Azgadaan suggests that they try to kill them for food instead. Arthak gathers a group to do so, and tries to recruit Dranosh, but Dranosh goes to check on Spinyl instead.
Arthak rushes in with his sword, and the vultures are thoroughly spooked. Gramgrun and some of the others hurl their javelins at the retreating avians. Arthak also takes a pot shot, but misses.
Azgadaan manifests a bow and takes some shots himself. He misses both.
Dranosh’s hawk flies after them for a moment, but it’s not nearly fast enough to keep up.
The youngest male mok’nathal had tried to run in and jump onto one of the birds, but he failed miserably.
They also harvest the dead boars and, using purify food and water, get some hefty food from them. They also loot a bit, and then get on their way.
As the group continues, they feel a strange sensation. Everyone except for Arthak. There’s some sort of ionization in the air.
As Spinyl’s nose wiggles, she recalls, at one point, a troublesome demon who had gotten on her queen’s bad side. He was an accomplished arcanist, but wasn’t good at anything else. She was able to, of course, handle anything he had with a trick she had. She conjured a field that nullified magic. This area seemed similar, though it seemed almost naturally unnaturally made.
Spinyl pipes up and mentions it’s like an anti-magic field.
Sorak tries to use a cantrip, and it doesn’t work, and Azgadaan’s blade had disappeared. Azgadaan asks Arthak for a spare blade, and as Arthak reaches into his pack to comply, the earth rumbles. Arthak, Azgadaan, and Remnii tumble over, while Sorak can stay standing, and Spinyl remains flighted. Wintermaw is also knocked over.
The earth continues trembling for a solid minute before it subsides.
The mok’nathal seem unsurprised by the phenomenon.
2:01
Arthak asks the mok’nathal what the rumbling was. The elder explains it had been rumbling for quite some time, and it continues to grow stronger. The elder mentions it was one of the reasons they left. He continues to explain that the Frostwolves had moved further into the Frostfire Ridges, and that the mok’nathal that had refused to join the Horde were slowly dying as the land dies.
The elder mentions his children would be lucky to survive much longer, and Arthak returns that “if there was no future, at least the end would be glorious.” The mok’nathal scoffs.
2:07
Soon after they leave the antimagic field, Arthak feels a presence in his mind as someone reaches out to him. Shaspira is attempting to contact him.
Shaspira: “Ah. There you are, Arthak. I was beginning to become worried. I see you have made your way into the Blade’s Edge Mountains, and before long you’ll reach the unforgiving tundras of the Frostfire Ridges. You’re making good progress.”
Arthak: “It has not been without difficulty, but we have managed.”
Shaspira: “Of course. Yet here you stand, with a sizeable number of individuals following you. Quite impressive. Quite impressive. It seems this clan of yours will very shortly become a true asset to the Horde.”
Arthak: “That is my intention.”
Shaspira: “I don’t wish to keep you long, but there are a number of things that need clarification as far as your goals. It is imperative that the entirety of the Frostwolf clan report back to Hellfire Citadel. Men, women, and children. Their presence will be necessary moving forward, and I would not have anyone… miss out on the opportunities that lie before us. You understand the Frostwolf clan has been elusive. In fact, I’ve been recently informed that some 20 or so years prior a number of them disappeared through a most curious incident. One I don’t like the sound of. I can only imagine the dangers in such a place. We would not want the Frostwolves to be left ill-prepared for that which they may stumble upon. We would not want a repeat of Garadar, would we? Do this for me, and I will see you are rewarded with both prestige and the military strength to succeed in the coming war.”
Arthak: “Very well.”
Shaspira: “I will speak with you again soon.”
Arthak: “Hopefully I will have more to report then.”
Shaspira: “Ah. Also, tell Azgadaan my daughter sends her regards.”
Arthak: “Yes, I will take care of that.”
Shaspira: “Excellent. Take care, Arthak.”
Shaspira’s presence then left his mind.
The rest of the day, nothing substantially happens.
2:19
As the group is setting up camp Arthak asks Sorak to talk. He expresses he wants to see where Sorak is in regards to everything that’s going to happen.
Sorak counters with the question of “What do you want, Arthak?”
Arthak mentions that this is Sorak’s clan, and they were tasked with the goal of bringing them back.
Sorak sighs. “Frankly, it looks like you’re just gathering a party to hunt my clan down. And frankly, I don’t know that that’s not the case.”
Arthak: “My orders are to bring back your clan, but Go’el is a friend and honorable and wise chieftain. He wouldn’t have failed to arrive at Hellfire Citadel without a reason. I want to find out what that reason is.”
Sorak: “And then bring him back.”
Arthak: “Yes.”
Sorak: “And I suppose whatever happens after that isn’t your problem anymore?”
Arthak: “No. He’s my friend. His fate and his clan’s matters to me and our people, but we also need to be cautious with how we proceed.”
Sorak: “And how are *we* planning on proceeding?”
Arthak: “We spoke of this before. I laid out my intentions.
Sorak: “Just making sure they haven’t changed in the meantime.”
Arthak: “No. My path is set.”
Sorak: “Then why talk to me now?”
Arthak: “As I said, you’re a comrade. What affects you is important, and you deserve to know I’ve received a clarification to my orders. They want just not your warriors. They want the entire clan returned to Hellfire.”
Sorak gives Arthak a very cold look.
Arthak: “Do you have nothing to say?”
Sorak: “You’ve said what you needed to say. I have nothing to speak on this topic.”
Sorak gets up to leave, but Arthak stops him.
Arthak: “If their intention is to destroy your clan.”
Sorak: “As it clearly seems to be.”
Arthak: “I’m not so certain. At least not to kill them all. They have other intentions.”
Sorak: “Some things are worse than death.”
Arthak: “To make them like me?”
Sorak: “No. They can make them like the Burning Blade, or they can leave them to Gul’dan.”
Arthak: “Either option would be foolish. Your clan has allies. While my words do not count for much yet, Gromm Hellscream’s do. If your clan is to survive, it’s going to have to rely on its friends.”
Sorak: “Those aren’t my decisions to make. I’m not the chieftain.”
He finishes walking away.
Arthak: “Alright.”
Arthak is left alone.
2:34
As the first watch begins, nothing substantial seems to happen. As Spinyl starts to drift off, her ear twitches. She hears something. She doesn’t see it initially, but something is rippling in the shadows.
Spinyl starts to prepare an eldritch blast, but then the shadow forms and stands. It’s a hound, one that Spinyl has seen before. It comes and lays down next to Spinyl, and it’s mouthless face opens. It places a small piece of papyrus hide in front of Spinyl.
It’s a letter.
The shadowy hound looks at Spinyl curiously as she picks up the letter, and then it disappears. Spinyl reads it, and then stashes it on her person.
2:28
A sword suddenly plants itself in front of Azgadaan while he is on his watch. It appears to just be a sword from the clan’s stash. Azgadaan reaches for it, and as soon as he touches it, there is a grunt, and there is a heavy impact that sends Azgadaan rolling.
He looks up, and sees Onard, one of the Ati-Kaso. His great maul is in his hands. He looks down at Azgadaan. Yrel is leaning against the stones, watching.
Azgadaan picks up the normal blade instead of his pact weapon like he was going to.
Onard: “Why do you fight?”
Azgadaan: “I fight to keep you safe.”
Azgadaan doesn’t attack.
Azgadaan: “You all safe.”
Onard is already charging, and he lays into him with his hammer. Azgadaan blocks once, and then ducks around the second swing.
Onard: “Not good enough. WHY do you fight?”
He swings again, and the two attacks also miss.
Azgadaan: “I fight to protect you because that’s what my mother sacrificed her life for. I’ll continue doing the same until you’re safe.”
Onard continues swinging, and the two blows miss.
Onard: “So that is why you fight?”
Azgadaan: “For now I can’t find a better reason.”
Azgadaan continues dodging.
Onard: “Then perhaps you should look HARDER.”
Azgadaan blocks the blow on his shield.
Onard: “If the only reason you fight is to make reason from your mother’s sacrifice, you will NEVER be satisfied.”
Azgadaan: “Then what should I do?”
Onard: “WHY DO YOU FIGHT?”
Azgadaan continues to dodge the old Vindicators blows. Onard continues to repeat the question. He reaches forward and grabs Azgadaan by the side of his armor.
Onard: “You think this gives you reason to wear this armor? To pledge these creeds? What do you know about protecting?”
He shoves Azgadaan backwards, but Azgadaan stays up.
Azgadaan: “I know very little, but I want to learn.”
Onard: “You are a child who knows nothing. Little does not begin to describe it.”
He rushes forward, and leaps up. He lunges forward at Azgadaan, and tears the shield off his arm them casts it aside.
Onard: “This will not protect you!”
Onard slams Azgadaan down on the ground, bringing the both of them down.
Onard: “Do you think your mother knew what she fought for? When she turned her back on those that turned their backs on those she tried to save? Do you think she knew? Or was she too a fool clamoring for answers where there are none?”
Azgadaan drops the sword and tries to punch Onard, but he pins his fist to the ground.
Azgadaan: “She knew what she was doing! She was smarter than that. She was smarter than me!”
Azgadaan tries again, but the broken pins his other fist.
Onard looks down at Azgadaan for a moment, and then sighs. “We’re going to have a lot more… work. Much more than I believed.”
He then lets go of one of Azgadaan’s fists and slaps Azgadaan before he gets up.
Onard: “I will ask you again tomorrow. Perhaps a days worth of thinking can give you some of your own reasons to why you fight. And perhaps you’ll have other reasons than just chasing your mother’s skirts. If that is why you fight, you’ll meet a much quicker death than she ever could have.”
He turns and walks away.
Azgadaan sits on the ground brooding. Yrel watches with a distant and curious look. As Onard passes, she watches Azgadaan for the briefest of moments, and then follows Onard.
As Azgadaan looks around, there are others watching from their tents.
2:54
July 27th
The group decides to take a detour to restock on their supplies before they actually get into the Frostfire Ridges.
With some crafting finangling, they finally have enough cold winter duds to “safely” travel the Ridges. They happen to see a bunch of goats up on the mountainside licking at the rock and doing other goat things.
Remnii happens to see, in the distance, some sort of large, winged creature. Spinyl and Sorak also see it.
Spinyl knows exactly what it is. They were once native to a world long, long controlled by the Legion. It is watching Spinyl. It was native to Nathreza, the home of the Nathrezim.
Spinyl flies down and warns the others. The creature then takes off and flies off just as the ground starts to tremble again. Sorak and Spinyl are staying on their feet, but the others topple over.
A Blackrock orc that maintains the outpost hurries some of his men in making any repairs necessary. Arthak asks them if they know what are causing the quakes, but they do not. The orc warns Arthak to be careful going into the Ridges, as the lands were volcanic, and with the fissures opening, that may expose them to the molten activity below.
As they restock, they discuss their options to get through the crackling plains. They either go through ice worm territory, or Thunderlord Clan territory. The majority seem to favor the Cracking Plains, where they can also possible ice fish for some food.
They also do some additional shopping. Arthak gets a deal on a javelin on the condition he introduces his cousin, Dranosh, to the woman selling the weapon as he’s a bit of a hero in the area.
Sorak tries to find someone to make something out of the warpstalker hide. He finds a crafter so mentioned he could probably reawaken the natural defenses, but it’s going to take about a month and a half. Sorak expresses he isn’t sure he has that long in the area, and the crafter mentions he could perhaps arrange his son to deliver it to Hellfire as he’s been spending some time there. He also gets some news that the Frostwolves haven’t been seen much as of late.
Sorak expresses he will stop by on the way back through if he can’t find someone else to do it. The crafter said his name was Drergekonk.
3:48
Later that evening, in a much less dramatic fashion, Onard approaches Azgadaan and looks at him expectantly.
Azgadaan: “I haven’t had enough time to experience… enough. Maybe that’s my issue. I’ll keep thinking.”
Onard: “Good.”
And Onard leaves.
3:50
Also later that night, Arthak calls a leadership meeting. He informs them that he received contact with Shaspira that clarified his orders. He explains they are to return with the entire Frostwolf clan. Arthak admits his suspicion that the Legion may be intending on trying to pressure the entire clan into drinking of the Blood of Mannoroth. It was just speculation, but it was a suspicion. There was also the matter of why the Frostwolves didn’t show in the first place.
Arthak then asks Sorak if the elemental was naturally at the gate, or if it had been placed there. Sorak informs them it was commanded there. Arthak asks by who, and Sorak simply says it wasn’t the Frostwolves.
Spinyl also pipes up that she saw a demon today. She uses minor illusion to show an image of the creature, just shrunk down. She says it was from the Nathrezim world.
Ahonan clarifies: “The dreadlords.”
Dranosh asks where she saw it go, and Spinyl says it went north--the same way the fissures are coming from.
There’s clearly a mystery at hand.
Arthak also said there was one more thing he wished to speak on. He then goes over the gist of his plan again, including frontlining the invasion, as there were some new people present. However, he added the caveat that, while it was his path, it didn’t need to be anyone else’s path.
He had an alternate route. Given Azgadaan was an eredar prince, he could possibly leverage his position elsewhere in the invasion. Perhaps intelligence or higher command. Positions that would not be knee-deep in the carnage. Sorak, meanwhile, could return to his clan. There were other paths.
Lantresor mentioned that he spoke his words when he joined the clan, and ultimately he would follow Arthak through the portal. Thura, likewise, said she would. Gramgun expressed he wasn’t a frontliner, but he would be there in his own way at some point.
Dranosh said he would, though would likely be positioned elsewhere under orders of his father.
4:11
July 28th
They head out the next day. They make it to the Frostfire Ridges. There are unforgiving tundras that are simultaneously barren yet teeming with life.
They travel their first day uneventfully, and reach a point they can make camp.
