A cold wind blew through the forest of Darkshore. It whistled as it flew through ancient night elf ruins that dotted the landscape, like a echo of the past. Twisting through the trees and along the rocky shores. It hammered at shutters and rooftops of Auberdine. Out it went, over the Veiled Sea to the Isle of Azuremyst, long undisturbed by the races of Azeroth, thumping on Draenei workers trying to reassemble after the destruction of their ship, Exodar, when it crash landed.
Here, in the Ammen Vale many survivor's made this part of the ship their home as they cleaned up the surrounding area. North the wind whipped, into the Sacred Grove where it beat on the cloak of a young Draenei Shaman, surrounded by his totems in a meditative state. Wards were there to alert Tyredan of imminent dangers. This was normally where shaman's in training would come to master their totem's on this new world of Azeroth, but Tyredan was beyond that level of training. He came here because he had found it a place of serenity.
Tyredan took a deep breath, relaxing and calming himself. Closing his eyes, he felt himself fade away, drifting off with the spirits. Upon opening them, he stood in the middle of a large open field that was unknown to him. The wind from the physical world did not touch him here but he still had to be careful as it would still affect his body.
A Dark seed stood alone in the middle of the barren field. Around it the earth was scorched and covered in shadow and ash. The seed began to sprout dark thorny roots, scarlet like blood. The tendrils grew, slithering out, stealing life from the ground around it. The sky began to fall to crimson and then to black. A mysterious light source was still present, as often was the case with such visions or even dreams.
Tyredan pulled his axe and hammer out, projected into the spirit world with him, and began to hack against the shadow. With every stroke he was knocked back, overpowered by the evil that was pouring out into the world. He stood in horror as the life the roots absorbed caused it to grow, and at it's heart powered the opening of a portal into nothingness. Scarred and bloody talons reached through the portal, a low roar of anger, growing in intensity.
Suddenly, a bright light shot forth from the horizon as a silvery dawn fought back against the darkness. The energy it emitted, caused parts of this evil plant to burn in fire, and evaporate, but more branches and foliage filled the gap. Standing he took the initiative, swinging his empowered weapons at the tendrils. Snakes struck out from the grass at various spots, that seemed relatively haphazard, limbs and branches broken, crippled or cut off. He knew they hadn't been there before, but had the feeling they were always near.
The snakes didn't seem to notice the portal, filled with fire and hatred. They fought around it, severing the tendrils that were often replaced with another as soon as they were gone. That meant something, but he wasn't sure what. It seemed almost like they were fighting to destroy the seed, but could it be the seed was not the real threat. The tree began to be pre-emptive, seemingly striking where it appeared to know where the snakes would be.
He felt something pulling on him, followed by a screeching that reverberated through his head. His ward was broken. Quickly he rolled to the right, just as a dagger came passing by in the physical world. He felt it prick his shoulder. Pulling his real weapons as he stood, he looked around to see a Blood Elf vanishing behind a tree. A rogue. He recalled the totems that were out and dropped an earthbind totem and a magma totem for offensive, and a cleansing totem and windfury totem for support. He kept to the center of the totems hoping to draw the rogue in. It wasn't always the best idea to let a rogue get close, but his skills were in enhancement and close quarters was where he specialized as well.
The magma totem erupted and Tyredan sidestepped. A dagger narrowly missing his back. Twisting his body, he swung the hammer, catching the Sin'dorei in the face and knocking it back a good ten feet where it rolled to a stop. It stood, glaring at him, blood trickling down the side of his face. Charging forward it stepped into the shadows and once again Tyredan sidestepped, this time his axe taking the rogue in the shoulder, slicing at the tendons and forcing it to the ground. A scout, apparently not a very well trained one.
"Your task shall fail, Shaman," he coughed, blood covering the leaves in front of him. "The world is on the brink and the master's chosen shall be reclaimed." What was the elf even talking about? The words the elf spoke hovered, something Tyredan was missing.
His left arm, that had not been hacked by Tyredan's axe, reached for the dagger just out of reach, but Tyredan was quick to step up and step on his wrist. "What master are you talking about? What task?"
"As the dark master foretold, you would be here today, on your vision quest, the first point in time that leads to his failure." The elf started to cough harder, pulling on the exposed tendons in his right shoulder. Somehow he had managed to move his right arm and poured a vial into his mouth, quickly foaming up and sending shocks through his body. His eyes glazed over, staring up at the falling dusk. Reaching down, Tyredan closed his eyes. Looking up at the stars he shifted into a wolf and ran off towards the crash site. He had a vision that somebody knew he would have and tried to kill him for. He had to meet with the council.
The five Draenei in their finely woven robes or delicately forged plate mail stood around the front of the room delegating about blood elf activity on Bloodmyst isle. The Draenei scouts had pushed back many of the forces, but there was resistance. A legend in his own right, the prophet Velen stood at the forefront. To his left was an instructor of Shaman ways, Sulaa and Gurrag of the Stillpine furbolg. To his right was Officer Khaluun and a Brigadier General of the Alliance. Master Sergeant Thelaana stood in front of the ensemble with two soldiers as Khaluun handed her orders with his personal seal.
Tyredan stood restlessly against the back wall, fiddling with the parchment in his hands, his own detailed report of the vision and the elf. He was cautious to trust visions so easily, but had been learning much about shamanistic ways from the Stillpine tribe. He was a gifted Shaman, or so he was told and although the Stillpines seemed primitive and lived of a relatively primal nature, they had a certain adaptation to Shamanistic ways. He had learned a lot from them during this time.
He stopped fiddling as he rubbed at his shoulder. The one strike that the rogue had landed was still a bit sore and not fully healed. Draenei mystics did not believe there was any harm from the magic and it should naturally heal. He had also taken it to a priest he had known from Draenor. Oreonna had a strong attunement to the Holy Light, but could only slightly speed up the natural healing. With that knowledge, he knew had the Blood Elf struck true, he would have died quickly, if not instantly.
The Draenei were an ancient race, long outliving even the Night Elves of this world. They had been fighting and running from the Burning Legion longer than these races had been able to communicate. Here they were though, crashed landed on this still somewhat primitive planet after the Exodar was sabotaged in their escape from Draenor. It seemed odd to Tyredan that fate would crash them on Azeroth. It was true, that because of the dark portal the worlds had a connection that through dark magics, was permanent, but they didn't come through the portal, but rather on board the Exodar.
"Come, Tyredan" said Khaluun and he snapped out of his daydreaming to see Thelaana departing down the stairs. She was there to request a few more soldiers for patrol. The sunhawks had mostly taken to the area around the Vector Coil on Bloodmyst isle, but his report of them in the Sacred Grove was disheartening. Tyredan did not think the rogue that attacked him was tied to the other blood elfs though. He walked towards the councils round table laying the parchment upon its glass like surface. "What is it you bring before the council young Shaman?" They had a base report of his request, but there was procedure to follow.
Tyredan bowed, showing his respect for the formalities before he spoke, telling them of his time with the Stillpine and what he had learned from them. "They have a lot to offer even considering their almost primitive nature and I have had a vision that disturbed me greatly." The present furbolgs, did not seem to take insult to his slight. They didn't consider themselves beneath the Draenei, but they knew their standards of living were basic, and they had need of basic things. He shifted uncomfortably under their gaze. "I meditated on it for some time before bringing it to you my lieges, to know there was nothing to concern you with," he continued. They nodded in acceptance. "The vision I saw tells of great tragedy in this world's future, near to that of Draenor, maybe worse."
Sulaa spoke, knowing much of Tyredan's studies and knowing much about the faults he bared "Do you believe what you have seen young Shaman, you are young in your experience and must be aware of the implications in this ability." He cocked his head as if waiting for a specific response.
"Mistress Sulaa, I know I am young but I do understand that visions are open to interpretation, they are a guide to keys for possible futures. The chaotic nature of the future is ever changing and this is why nothing may be fully as it seems. Not everything I see is true or false either way but more of possibilities if things are left unchecked. An echo of events in the present."
Sulaa nodded in a stunned acceptance and was willing to accept his vision now so Tyredan laid it out in in implicit detail.
"Well said, young Shaman" came the voice for Farseer Nobundo as he joined the committee. "Never presume anything about the future. Plan for it, but act in the present."
"A dark seed stands alone in a lush, green field. The seed sprouts colored as blood. The more it grows the more life it steals from the land around it. Growing darker and soon blocking out a dawn of silvery white. Branches become miles long, thousands of them, growing in every direction. Nothing survives where this evil grows. The life the branches stole absorbed back into the roots and a dark portal opens into an abysmal darkness where on the other side was a flame filled with anger. A silver light on the horizon begins to fight back and at various spots, limbs and branches are broken, cut off and crippled by snakes that weren't there before, that came out of nowhere."
The committee stood for sometime without saying anything. It was clear this threat was not related to the Sunhawks as previously thought. The blood elf he vanquished was acting under orders from somebody else. That's when he realized the truth of it all. The blood elf was a rogue assassin, there to kill him. He had known it. He knew what would have happened if that dagger had struck him more than it did. He knew the blood elf sought out him specifically. Perhaps it was the intensity of the moment. Nobundo had a look of inquisitiveness. Tyredan stepped back to his spot along the wall to wait.
There was a small congregation of the members of the council, which also sent for deferment to O'ros, the Naaru that resided on the Exodar with them. However there was a light of hope in their eyes.
"This is your vision young Tyredan." Velen finally said. "With it comes the responsibility to ensure that the correct steps are taken. You will travel to Stormwind and meet with Emissary Taluun. Word will be sent ahead of you based on the recommendations of Brigadier General Lightwind. The vision you described has lead him to believe the snakes are the representation of members of a mercenary wing of the Argent Dawn, which could be a represented by the Silver Sun you spoke of."
He bowed again. "Yes, Prophet." He had never been one for exhaustive travel. Now he was being assigned to one because it was his vision. He knew little of this world they were in other than stories, but now he was charged to travel across the whole of Azeroth and have a meeting with people he didn't know, as the outcast to their group, to guide them.
