[Horde] Session Six
The party finds themselves (finally) in the port town of ________. The port is at the edge of the corrupted jungle, multiple piers and boats can be seen along the water’s edge. This is the party’s last time to refuel before Shadowmoon.
Mork’s cart is sold off before they cross the water, they net seven gold for it.
Arthak manages to get ahold of a courier to send a letter to his uncle about the encounter with Garlok, a Mok'Nathal, and his new Horde. It is flown off on the leg of a kaliri toward the north.
Spinyl offers to disguise herself in order to look for information on the waters off the coast of the port, and Azgadaan agrees with the idea and promptly casts ‘’enhance ability’’ on her to make it even easier. Spinyl then, in turn, uses ‘’alter self’’ to take on the form of a female orc once again. This time, however, it is not Glashaa, but instead one that resembles more of a worker. She heads toward the fishing areas.
There are a few orcs casting nets and using spears, in addition to a few inside the buildings that seem to be in charge of inventory. She chooses to go toward the fishers, and walks up to another female orc that was spear-fishing (quite successfully). Spinyl comments approvingly on her catch, and the other woman simply grunts and asks what she wants.
Spinyl stated her group was passing over the waters and wanted some insight. The fisherwoman simply said “good luck” and commented that the large fish she had caught is a small animal compared to what could be found out there.
She also commented only crazy people took boats out fishing, and those that did didn’t always come back. Several boats that went out frequently were washed back on shore spattered with blood.
The only things that could really dissuade attackers (beasts or otherwise) are typically being able to attack more ruthlessly or flat killing them.
Any other conversations provided about the same knowledge. Typically only rowboats came in and out for fishing, though occasionally other ships (like from the Stormreavers) or trading vessels came in - however, those were not normally for public use. Typically 3/4s of the boats that went out would come back.
After some deliberation with the rest of the party, it was decided they would need about three row boats to accommodate the party.
Mork, Mindi, Azgadaan, and Remnii would go on one boat.
Yrel and Arthak in another.
And Sorak, Spinyl and his wolf in the third.
It would also take about 12 hours of rowing to get to where they need to go.
Yrel ended up grabbing a harpoon/spear in order to better fend off enemies in the water. No one is sure where she got it, and she has no intention of providing that information. Sorak also got two doses of a Bloodbloom poison to have further means of defense.
They rested for the night, and chose to set off first thing the next day.
Raftmaster Borud Sandstorm, an orc who is missing an eye, has a pegleg, and is nearly as old as Kilrogg, is sitting next to a tankard in a ramshackle shack. He apparently recognized the group from word-of-mouth, and upon asking was told they got Kilrogg’s permission through killing things on his behalf.
“Killing things is the best way to get to an orc’s heart, let me tell ya!” - Raftmaster Borud Sandstorm
He led the group to three rowboats and said that they would be just fine as he was “pretty sure they finished the repairs on them”. When the group inspected them, they seemed to be in alright condition. Borud shambles off, and as Azgadaan looks around his boat he realizes there was a paddle missing. Borud cheerfully tossed him a paddle from another boat and walked off.
The party god in the boats and set off. They can see the land across the water in the distance, so they aren’t exactly in open water, but it is quite a ways away.
There are some schools of fish, but there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot going on. At one point, Sorak’s boat skips ahead a bit and he noticed that one of the fish happened to have two heads. Wintermaw playfully paws at the fish to try and catch them, but is unsuccessful in doing anything but rock the boat.
Spinyl successfully keeps her balance, but Sorak is sent reeling off the side of the boat. Sorak gets back to the side of the boat and commands Wintermaw to sit still, but he just sits there with his tongue hanging out like he’s the “best damn boy in the world” - clearly he does not act like he did anything wrong. Spinyl helps Sorak back into the boat.
Arthak and Yrel definitely saw that, and Yrel stifles a laugh. Arthak just sighs.
A few hours in, Remnii is clearly seasick. As soon as she does, a teeny-tiny little leak erupts in the center of their boat. It isn’t in any danger of sinking, but it’s enough to be really annoying on top of a clear fish smell that seems to be hanging around.
Azgadaan offers to allow Remnii to ride on Daan to get her off the rocking of the boat, and he quickly alerts Yrel - via Message - that Daan would be resting on her boat when he gets tired from carrying Remnii.
Yrel is not particularly amused.
In the meanwhile, Azgadaan wanted to prove a point and took over for Mork to show Yrel he could, in fact, actually row. Yrel, however, was not having much trouble keeping pace when she took over for Arthak.
“Don’t worry Lord Azgadaan, I’m sure she noticed! With a few more feats of bravery, I’m sure you’ll win her heart!” - Mork, referring to Yrel
As the group continues on, they are generally unaccosted. Eventually, after about 10 hours of switching back and forth rowing, they come into about an hour or two’s distance of Shadowmoon Valley.
However, that is when they see a jet of water shoot out about 35 feet to the right of the small group of boats. There is a shadow under the water, and it shifts to move directly towards the boats. Sorak happens to know that the whales - likely the owner of the spout - are massive predators in the area that sense through echolocation.
The shadow suddenly splits into two, and one shadow goes deeper underneath while the second one breaches up over the boats.
It successfully gulped Daan down, though Remnii was fortunately able to tumble into the water. The whale splashes back into the water, though the resulting wave fortunately does not cause any boats to tip and Remnii is pulled back into one of them.
They choose not to try and pursue the whale as Azgadaan could potentially just re-summon Daan, and they continue on. Spinyl, however, is clearly saddened about Daan getting eaten.
They get to the shores of Shadowmoon Valley without further incident. The land itself is incredibly bleak and “fucked up”, and they come ashore a bit north of the draenei city of Elodor.
The blackened and broken bastion of Elodor is nothing like Remnii and Yrel remember.
As the group rests, they take the time to reaffirm their plan and opt to follow the road to the Temple of Karabor. Yrel suggest they rest somewhere safe so they are not traveling by night, and Arthak agrees. They opt to set up watches and will leave as soon as daylight - or whatever is closest to it - breaks.
They scale the cliffs and make their way to Elodor. There are discarded weapons, broken shelters, and the bones of the fallen scattered throughout the ruined city. However, it is completely deserted aside from an occasional strange, twisted creature lurking and darting through the shadows.
They choose to make camp once they get further into the city proper. However, Arthak expresses concern about the presence of the spirits of the draenei’s ancestors given the amount of bones. He states that if there were any ways they had to dispel them, it would be useful, though Yrel stated that she would be able to sense them if they were present.
While Yrel is laying down a bedroll, Azgadaan secretly Messages her to ask if this was a location where tools to repair the Chronicle could be found. She angrily storms up to him and tells him to speak with her a small distance away.
“I’m being insensitive again, aren’t I?” - Azgadaan
She states it is bad enough that a “man’ari” is trampling on the bones of her ancestors, and if there is a way to repair the Chronicle she will find it - though she is not to be hounded about the draenei’s secrets. She stated it is taking every ounce of willpower to not simply strike him down, and he should be grateful she is helping him even a bit.
Azagadaan said if it would make her feel better, she could hit him, and she contemplates it, but refuses so she would not be “playing his game”.
Azgadaan insists on apologizing for not protecting Remnii when the ooze attacked, and for anything else he had been partially responsible for concerning his demons.
Yrel said if he wanted to prevent that from happening, then he should simply not use them. However, Azgadaan said he had no other way to fight. Yrel revealed she had been brought up as a priestess, but clearly she found a new path to follow - thus Azgadaan could too.
“Rely on yourself, and rely on your allies. Don’t rely on servants you pull from the Nethers.” - Yrel
Azgadaan asks Yrel if she could teach him how to fight. She said she has no intention of telling him everything she knows, because she has no reason to trust him. However, she asks him to prove to her that he is insistent on changing.
He removes his soul crystals from his component pouch and immediately disposes of them, much to Yrel’s clear surprise. He also swore that he would die before he allowed Yrel or Remnii to do so.
Yrel said they should get some rest, though Azgadaan asked if he could still poke around. She said it would not be wise alone, though when he asked she said she would prefer not to poke around that night nor linger tomorrow.
However, there was likely nothing there.
Even so, before he goes to sleep, he did decide to poke around the cavern. In the process, he finds a silver talisman that resembles a holy symbol of the draenei. Remnii recognizes it as she symbolically cleanses the area with prayer.
Azgadaan also asks Arthak if he could fashion him some weaponry so he could “try something new”.
Arthak agrees if Azgadaan could provide the resources, though asks if he had ever even been trained.
“If I’m going to train, why not train with everyone?” - Azgadaan
“Everyone, I have a few words before we set up the first watches. As most of you would have noticed, there’s tension in our ranks. To be specific, Sorak hates the demon, as does Yrel, and also, Yrel at the moment, very much dislikes me. Remnii sold out her gods for reasons I am not certain on and do not entirely trust. Spinyl is informing on us to her Queen of Whispers, though she has been up front with that - who knows what she hasn’t. And I am fifty percent certain Sorak is spying on me on Go’el’s behlf - not that I mind - and Azgadaan, for some reason, is quite eager to please our draenei.” - Arthak calls everyone out
He then proceeds, in the interest of team building, that everyone will be paired specifically for watches. And during the watch, they would have to teach each other something. Azgadaan and Yrel would be together, Spinyl and Sorak, and Remnii and Arthak.
Azgadaan and Yrel would be first (and Arthak says this would be a good opportunity for her to teach him to fight), Sorak and Spinyl second, then Remni and Arthak would be last.
“Now when you say this isn’t an excuse to beat up the man’ari, what are the constraints of that?” - Yrel
“He has to be able to function. Nothing but superficial bruising, and nothing that Remnii can’t fix - without depleting her incase we get into any fights.” - Arthak
Mork asks what he can do to help, and states he is good at counting. Arthak asks Mindi if he is good at counting, and Mindi says no. So Arthak pairs the two up, and they are incredibly happy about it.
Mork also wishes Azgadaan luck in winning Yrel’s heart seeing he and Yrel were paired up together. Yrel sneezes.
Sorak and Spinyl have a brief conversation where he is unsure what to teach the “fiend”, and Spinyl suggests he teach her about natural beauty. Sorak just looks around at the dead environment and asks what she’s even talking about - though she specified about Draenor in general.
Sorak finally relents to just teach her how to patch up wounds.
Remnii, meanwhile, goes through a variety of prayer rituals.
As the group watches as they get ready to go to sleep, from the center of the continent they observe a massive mountain spew green smoke into the air. It seems to be seeping an iridescent green lava almost constantly. Azgadaan happened to know it as the “Hand of Gul’dan,” and it was the site of the first instance of powerful fel magic on Draenor, which was performed by Gul’dan himself.
“What a prick naming a mountain after his hand.” - Azgadaan
“You’re right. I think they should have named it the Hand of Mork!” - Mindi
“Hey, that’s my name!” - Mork
“....you two should probably practice counting.” - Azgadaan
When Yrel and Azgadaan go out for their watch, Yrel throws a stick at him. He catches it. She is holding a similar stick, and she spins it around for a moment and asks what experience Azgadaan has. Azgadaan pulls out a quarterstaff.
“I just whack a thing with a stick until it stops moving… typically they’re small.” - Azgadaan
Yrel sighs and says they should start with the basics. However, Yrel said he could use defensive magic if he wished. Then they start fighting.
Azgadaan tries to knock her prone, but she is able to resist and shoves him off her. She spins the stick in her hand. “You’re not going to learn how to use it if you’re afraid of it!” and then she cracks Azgadaan under the jaw and knocks him prone.
Azgadaan spits some blood from his mouth and then attacks with his stick. She easily deflects the blow and whacks Azgadaan a second time. Azgadaan swings at her again and once again she parries it and then whacks him on the side. She comments that he needs to watch his form as his momentum was giving him away.
After he adjusts he manages to successfully clip her on the shoulder. Her eyes flicker for a moment and she quickly strikes twice and takes him down.
She tosses her hair out of her face and simply says “sorry” then helps him up again so they could continue.
Azgadaan manages to hit her again, and he blocks her return for a moment before she suddenly hooks his stick and tugs it out of his grasp. He fetches his stick and quickly whirls around to strike at her. She blocks it, but her stick snaps in half and the broken half goes flying.
“Not bad, not bad. Perhaps there is hope for you yet.” - Yrel
She attacks him rapidly with the broken half and manages to hit. She opts to try and take him down with only half her weapon, and manages to succeed in doing so even after he lands another hit on her side.
Yrel once again disarms him, but admits that he did not do poorly for his first go.
The remainder of the night, after they finished training, Yrel kept to herself and attempted to limit more interactions with Azgadaan as she had “interacted with him enough”.
Before they go to wake up the next watch, Azgadaan hands her a key to his manacles incase they have to put them on her again for show and she needs to get them off quickly. She thanks him, and they wake Sorak and Spinyl up next.
There is some bickering between the two of them as Spinyl “dares to compare a noble frostwolf to a demon like Daan”. Sorak then begins to explain how a Frostwolf orc comes to bond with one of the wolves and how they become inseperable.
Spinyl is a bit confused that if a frostwolf dies its owner can’t simply resummon it.
Eventually, Sorak attempts to have Wintermaw tackle Spinyl, but he doesn’t, and instead comes up and nuzzles her hand - much to her glee.
Spinyl then explains what she wants to teach: how to better tell secrets. Or, rather, how not to tell them. Specifically, she had a game for him to learn.
She snapped her fingers to make the images look like wolves (seeing he doesn’t like demons), and explained that she supposed the game would now be “awoo”.
It’s basically the game Meow. Which is amazing.
Sorak attempts to use his gift of sight to cheat, but it doesn’t work - much to his confusion. He loses the first round.
He attempts to do it again, but once again she beats him.
He hates losing.
This time he does have Wintermaw playfully tackle Spinyl, and he proceeds to kiss her all over her face while Sorak walks away.
“Wow… what a sore loser.” - Spinyl
The next morning when everyone woke up, Spinyl was probably still under that frostwolf.
Sorak goes to wake up Arthak by saying they are under attack. For a second, Arthak believes him and draws his weapon - to an incredulous look from Sorak who says it’s his watch.
Arthak sees Spinyl under Wintermaw, walks over, scratches the wolf behind his ear.
“I’m assuming Sorak was teaching you to work with animals? Consider this your first test.” - Arthak
He then walks away to wake up Remnii.
When he asks her if she wants to teach first or if he should, she said that what she had to teach would probably be a nice break before everyone woke up. Arthak asked if she ever learned how to fight, and she admitted that she didn’t really have the gift for it.
Arthak said they would try tonight, and if it didn’t work, he has a few other ideas. He asks Remnii if she wants to use a blade (sheathed) or her staff, and she said she would prefer to stick with her staff.
Arthak pauses to don his armor and asks Remnii to assume a fighting stance. When she does, he goes and adjusts her stance and tells her to try and defend.
She is unable to do so against the first blow, and gets the wind knocked out of her. She stumbles back, but shakes it off to totter forward and attempt to hit Arthak in return.
She fails.
“Do you know what you’re doing wrong?” - Arthak
“Arthak, to be honest, I have no idea. In a century and a half of formal training I did not receive much combat training outside of magic, and another forty years after things got bloody, Samaara and Yrel were strict about me staying to what I’m good at. So I have no idea… but maybe I went in too much with my weight?” - Yrel
Arthak agrees, but says the issue is she is hesitating. She tottered instead of striking. She didn’t want to hurt anyone.
Then he asked if she hated anyone, and she was unable to describe any emotion as even angry.
Arthak asks Remnii when she was mad - and then he pauses and asks if it was when someone was being “whimsical”. Remnii said it was more frustrated than angry.
While Remnii tries to think, Arthak attacks her again.
He then speaks to her again, but purposely uses the name “Nii-nii” seeing she clearly didn’t like it. She attacks again, but once again fails and Arthak continues to press that she’s hesitating.
“Even that name has a reason.” - Remnii
Remnii attacks again, and manages to clock him in the chin - more conviction than anger - and knocks his helmet off.
“...Alright. Whatever that was, keep doing that.” - Arthak
He attacks again, but this time manages to miss her. Remnii, running on adrenaline, strikes at him, but he parries and clocks her across the face. She now has a bloody nose.
Remnii, in response, uses a spell to blast him with holy magic, and she had secretly cast another spell on herself.
Arthak explains that he is doing this in case she is ever in a situation where she would need to, because everyone takes a beating at some point, and tries to attack again - but finds his sword had stopped a hair away from her due to the ‘’sanctuary’’ spell.
Remnii acknowledges that everyone does - her people had and had already that night, even. However, she lets the spell drop and says she will not shy away from being hit. He does take a swing, but he misses (his heart isn’t in it).
Remnii does not return the swing, and instead returns to a state of rest, given his eye contact.
Arthak asks why she sold out her god.
She explains that she had not been born with the gift of prophecy, even though her father did, and explains that Velen once had a vision of many races fighting back the Burning Legion. She said she had seen images of the people thanks to Spinyl from worlds away. However, she also admitted that among those races - among the humans, elves, dwarves (whatever those were) - there were orcs. Despite everything, she said her father’s visions come true, so there was still hope that the orcs would fight against the Legion.
“So, you gave up your god because you saw it as a step toward your father’s vision coming true?” - Arthak
“In the grand scale, yes. It may not seem right, but I would not count Mu’ru out either. He is strong. When he holed up in Tempest Keep after we parted ways when the Exodar left, we both knew it was only a matter of time until he was found. It does not make what I did better, and yet the most influential draenei are no longer here. There is no one to rally an army, and the fighting in the future can take any amount of force. And I took the biggest gamble in my short few years, and I dunno if it will pay off. But it has to start somewhere. Closing the gap between people….” Remnii sighs and looks at the ground for a moment.
“Interesting…” - Arthak
“And what do you make of it then?”
“In all honesty. I believe you would have been better off gambling on Go’el.”
“You know in a way I would like to think that myself, but I’m sure Go’el has a part to play. But at the same time, his father Durotan once broke bread with mine. I was there.”
Remnii then explains that Go’el would have stayed if he wanted prestige, because Go’el knew who she was. And at this point she didn’t have much more to lose.
“Not much to lose… okay. That makes sense.” - Arthak
“I have much to fight for, yes, but not a whole lot to lose at this point. The conviction, that stays, but personally… ehh.”
“I have burns to testify that I noticed the conviction.”
Remnii offered to continue talking about it, but she also had her own thing to teach Arthak, and he agreed to get back on track. Remnii said she would not teach Arthak Eredun in full as it was dark and corrupted - it had power and was dangerous to speak - but she would teach him draenic proper.
Arthak was very interested in learning, though Remnii said it may take longer than fighting rotations. Regardless, Arthak wanted to learn.
The first word Remnii opted to teach Arthak was “Epolani” - a foolish notion, person, or thing.
In addition to the base of many words, which is A’
Lastly, Remnii admitted Arthak may get a kick out of one of their greetings (and one of their farewells): Chronakai Kristor. The Legion will fall.
She also asked him to keep the meaning of that from Azgadaan.
They talk a bit more before it comes time to wake up the rest of the group (and pull Wintermaw off Spinyl). “Go’el was the easy way, you have good in your Arthak.”
As the end of the watch comes, the earth seems to shake. Remnii remembers it as something large lumbering toward them. As she looks down, she sees a herd of elekk heading toward the group. There are 23 in total, with 20 of them being adults.
They quickly wake the rest of the party, and Sorak whistles for Wintermaw. He quickly bounds off of her to greet his master. Spinyl, fortunately, is not dead.
Sorak is able to find a safe route out of the way of the elekk. As they made their way out of the tunnels, they find a tiny elekk plushie - which Remnii quickly picks up. They escape safely, however, Azgadaan asks Yrel (via message) why Arthak used his mother’s last words as a greeting as Arthak had greeted Yrel that morning with “Chronakai Kristor”.
She simply says its more complicated than it seems, so Azgadaan asks Arthak, and he says that Azgadaan should ask the draenei. He said he tried. Arthak wants to know why Azgadaan wants to know, and the eredar admitted that he heard it used in different ways.
Arthak stated it was a word he wanted to know, and Arthak said it was much like what he wanted to know of Azgadaan’s oath.
They go back and forth for a bit, and it comes down to the fact they need to exchange the information for both of them to be satisfied.
Azgadaan stated the greeting was also his mother’s last words, and he doubted that his mother would have said hello before she died. However, the eredar emphasized that Arthak should not press.
Arthak apologized considered the situation, and revealed the phrase meant “the Legion will fall.”
Azgadaan smiles faintly, and they hurry on.
The group travels for the rest of the day and are fortunately not accosted by anything. In fact, it is eerily quiet. They make camp again almost by necessity as it becomes almost too dark to do anything safely.
A little before noon the following day, they manage to get to the black temple. What was once a magnificent temple honoring the Holy Light and the Naaru is now a broken and twisted mockery of what it was.
As they approach they see a singular orc. He stands pretty non threateningly, and smiles.
“Greetings. My master will be pleased to see you arrived. I am Keli’dan the Breaker. Pleased to make your acquaintance.” He then beckons them into the hall.
They all enter, and Azgadaan comments that the temple reminds him of Argus. There is an abundance of other orcs from the Shadowmoon clan that water as the group comes in, but they are all smiling.
The warband arrives at the door of the fortress, and Dantarg is waiting. “Welcome friends. We are glad that you have come, and you have answered the master’s summons. It is only because of your hasty arrival that you have beaten the warlock here. Follow us. The master will see you.”
They follow after him and reach the top of the temple. They can see that the mist the surrounded the area is gone, and on the terrace at the top is a singular, old, hunched orc. He is carrying a staff made of bone with skulls attached to it, and the skull’s eyes glow pinkish-violet. He raises his hand toward the moon, and as they walk in Dentarg says “Master Ner’Zhul, we have brought the ones you sought. The ones you would speak to.”
The orc lowers his hand and says, “You’ve arrived at last, my friends.”
“We have indeed, elder.” - Arthak
“And you’ve arrived just in time. I imagine you’re wondering why I requested your presence here so far from the destination that is your goal, yes?”
“I at least was curious. I suspect we all were.” - Arthak
“That is simple. Without my help you had no hope of succeeding. I have the means you seek to suppress the Naaru. And to strike against the Legion. That is what you all seek, is it not?” Ner’Zhul laughs.
Arthak confirms if he has the means to subdue the Naaru, and Ner’Zhul says he does. He also reassures them that they had time to ask questions as his “former pupil” (Gul’dan) would not arrive for a day and a half or so.
Azgadaan asked if Ner’Zhul distracted him.
“The stars have a certain way of operating. Not to mention, the same stars that help guide those that take such methods of transportation… but enough about me.”
“I imagine there’s a price for your assistance.” - Arthak
“As you can imagine my hands are tied. I cannot leave this temple, but you… you can. To capture a Naaru is not easy. But I imagine you could guess that, couldn’t you?”
Ner’Zhul also commented that Remnii senses something deep below where they stand. Specifically, she senses two Naaru being suppressed very close to where they are right now.
Remnii nods.
Ner’Zhul says that they need three Naaru.
And the pieces are now in place. And it is up to them to decide which pieces would be lost. Apparently there are were four in total.
Ner’Zhul also mentions a “father’s legacy”, though he looks specifically at Arthak when he says that.
