Episode 1: The Romancer Onyxbane: a male Night Elf with perhaps one too many women in his life
(Disclaimer: This story is based upon a game called World of Warcraft. Therefore, I do not claim any rights to their story, or game.)
Week three of our journey.
I never kept a journal before, probably because a warrior looks very silly carrying a tiny decorated book around and hiding from his buddies to write in it the night before a battle. But, I thought about how important correspondence was to saving Willypearl's life, and now my sister's and I don't want to take any chances with the future. Maybe if I write down everything that happens to us while we are with the priestesses, maybe my sister will be that much safer when we find her.
Well, I guess I should start at the beginning, since anyone who reads this will first need to know that I am a Kaldorei, or Night Elf, according to the humans and dwarves. Just in case this journal gets lost, take it to the Temple of Elune in Darnassus, because they know me very well there, since I was a kid, and they will know how to get it back to me.
Oh, and there's probably a bunch of Onyxbanes in Azeroth. I cringe to think of how many orcs and dwarves alike have seen that stone, with a soul of absolute darkness, like a moonless night, and thought, 'If I'm going to pick a warrior name, I'd want to be someone as mysterious as this rock,' and then named themselves Onyxbane. It's a pretty natural chain of thought actually. But, I didn't choose this name for myself. My sister did. I don't remember her actual name or my own. I think my name began with an "S" or something like that, and I always called my sister sissy, since I was very little. My next memory, after seeing my parents dragged out of our house in Felwood by demons, was my sister taking my hand in the orphanage and making me swear that I'd name myself Onyxbane, meaning that I would avenge my dark-skinned father. She had already renamed herself Opalbane after our mother. She was crying back then, a lot, so when she screamed at me to do it, I was so afraid of her, I just did it. It was later that I saw how the new identities made my big sister feel better about losing our parents. Maybe she meant to avenge their deaths, but I was too young to understand something like that, and though I loved my parents, I didn't make that vow. Maybe that is how Opalbane grew up to be so bitter. Opalbane was diligent in her lessons to be a priestess because priestesses are the most powerful fighters to the Kaldorei, like Tyrande. I don't know that she liked learning to wear cloth and using the light to help others. I, on the other hand, always wanted to be a warrior, and took my time learning what kind of professions I liked. For example, Priestess Feathershine told Opalbane that alchemy was helpful to priests, and so she committed herself to that as soon as she found a trainer. Me, on the other hand, hated going around picking flowers only for them to crumple in my big hands like I was an oaf. So, I started putting my strong hands to work turning stones into shining weapons and armor I could use. I know what you're thinking. Many Kaldorei don't take to mining and blacksmithing, but I happen to like it. Opalbane always said I spent too much time around the humans. That's probably the reason I talk like one… err, write like one.
That most likely also explains why I fell in love with a woman who turned out to be a rogue and a liar. Humans understand rogues. They, like the Kaldorei, understand the necessity for deception and subtlety. Neither of our races are above having someone assassinated…or turned into a wisp, if the situation is called for. But from my experience in Westfall, and that villain VanCleef, human rogues have no honor, they make up their own rules as they go along, and you're lucky if they stick to them. That's how the Defias got started as I understand it anyways. But we kaldorei must always act with caution, and focus on restoring the land and honoring Elune above all else, and so I like to think that nobler forces drive us. But, I found Wisthera consorting with Dark Iron Dwarves in the Burning Steppes of all places, then slept with her the night that I met her. It must be that my morals had been loosened by the humans I worked with in Elwynn Forest all those years ago, and Wisthera must have grown into a kind of lawlessness I thought impossible for a Night Elf. Or, maybe that just proves that we're made for each other. Or, better yet, that I'm completely wrong about the differences between the Kaldorei and the humans. I hope I haven't offended any of the sensibilities of those in Stormwind, if you're reading this. I guess I'm just trying to figure out how I got involved with Wisthera in the first place. Maybe there's no excuse for our bad behavior, but I hope to Elune that there is.
I met Wisthera while I was on leave from my post in Felwood. It felt only right to help out the druids there after it had been my boyhood home all those years ago. I was headed to Darkshore for a little rest, and I ran into my sister, who was frantic about something I didn't understand. She was really angry with Willypearl, the human mage, and kept raving that she 'set her up' and that all of Stormwind was after her now. Of course, I didn't believe any of that. But then, Opal mentioned that a certain rogue was helping her to hide from them, and maybe she could find her and get help now… it turned out to be the very same Wisthera that Willypearl had written me about a month earlier. Willypearl sounded as frantic then as my sister was at that time. This rogue Wisthera had been scamming Willypearl for years, doing secret favors in exchange for the nice shirts and enchantments Willypearl can make. Once, when I saw how upset Willypearl was, I told her to stop giving the woman these "payments." Since the rogue seemed harmless enough, only asking for things in letters and never in person, I thought that would be the end of it. Willypearl is a sweetheart, and I adore her but her personality makes her very vulnerable. She was obviously being taken advantage of by someone who wasn't too clever or skilled themselves. But then, when I found out this same person was scamming my own sister, I figured out that she was using both of them because Willypearl had been trying to get Opal to be her friend for years… I should have known that only the help of a third party could get Opalbane to really come out of her shell. I just should have known.
You know what else I should have done? I should have asked my sister what Wisthera looked like. I used to think people who called warriors meatheads were wrong, but I'm starting to agree with the idea now. I couldn't calm down my sister who'd become a shadow priest, and I could hardly convince her to come with me, or at least go to the temple in Darnassus for help. She left. I never thought she was running away. Poor Willypearl had been arrested for something… it had to do with meeting my sister near Stormwind, I'm not sure why exactly. Opalbane was too upset to talk about anything other than her betrayal. I was too angry to believe it was Willypearl's fault. In fact, I still don't think Willypearl could have done something to merit being thrown into the Stockades. At that moment, I was sure it was the rogue's fault, and I asked around for the Night Elf rogue named Wisthera for a whole month before I finally narrowed down just the right Wisthera. Maybe if I'd been a rogue, I would have been careful to peg her appearance as well. I think that is what got me into trouble in the end.
My sister gone, and with a good friend in jail, I took it upon myself to settle things. I sent word to the druids in Felwood: I was not coming back, find a replacement I said. I was very angry to have said it, but I had no choice. My rudimentary investigation sent me to the dwarvern lands, in a region called the Badlands. It was interesting, especially the scuffles I had in the Valley of Fangs, but the Burning Steppes was much worse. I am a very skilled warrior, but I don't ever want to see a black dragon or that abominable mountain again. When I passed through that mountain city, I had the feeling someone or something was watching me the whole time, though it looked like it was abandoned. But I kept going because I ran into someone in the Badlands who assured me a lady night elf rogue named Wisthera had business in a tavern on the other side of the mountain. However heinous the place was, she had to go and see to it, so that was enough for me. I tracked the rogue to a little known tavern on the edge of madness it seemed. From my map, I could tell that a day's journey in one direction would take you through the Redridge Mountains, and into the lands around Stormwind, and in the opposite direction, back to Blackrock Mountain. This tavern, for some reason, had not been burned to a crisp by a drake, or bogarded by nefarious darkiron dwarves. All kinds of shady characters came there, out in the open, to have a drink together and some rest before they went on into either the gay red mountains, or the foreboding dark ones. I found myself among their mixed company soon enough.
That's when I met her. I didn't know it was Wisthera. What I did know is that I'd been on the road a long time, angry to bursting about the person who'd hurt my sister and the one person in the world other than me and the priestesses who dared to care about ever-angry Opalbane try to be my sister's friend. I often slept outside with wolves, or worse, black dragons. I heard all kinds of terrible things at night, and I think the only reason I avoided a lot of fights was because I was covered in plate. So, I guess the superior armor I learned to make for myself came in handy afterall. I also have this impressive axe with a skull on the blade… now I'm getting carried away. The point is, I was 'dog tired' as the humans say, and willing to forget all my troubles for a night. I should have been vigilant, but I wasn't. I should have been suspicious about this girl being the only other kaldorei in the place, but I was too drunk to notice. When she got a room for us, out of her purse, and rubbed my shoulders for me, maybe I should not have enjoyed it quite so much, but… it would be hard for you in that situation too I guess.
Wisthera is an amazing lover. I think that was how my addiction to her began. She was adorable, the way she pouted. I told her she had markings like my first warrior trainer in Aldrassil, and she just giggled and said she got that all the time, and yes she was related to her. I should have known that kind of thing was common knowledge, and easy for someone clever to know about me or any kaldorei warrior, but I was not exactly thinking with my head at that point. So, I believed her. I'm a practical guy. I understand that sometimes men and women meet and spend the night only as a way to have fun and nothing else. To be honest, I expected this girl, she told me her name was Sarielle, to be gone the next morning. I liked that name, because I could call her "Sara" and I always thought Sara was such a nice female human name. But, when the red sun rose, Sara was still holding me tight, and she slept clear through noon. Then, Sara offered to get us lunch. It was clear to me that she wanted to stay.
Eventually I becam focused on finding this Wisthera again, so I told my new lady friend about as soon as I was myself again. She even offered to help me look. It is no surprise to me now that we just happened to find all kinds of evidence that this Wisthera got away, or was an alias to begin with, and so maybe I should just go back home and give up on my search. In the end, it was worry about my sister Opal that convinced me to back home. Since Stormwind was closest, I told Sara that I was going there… and I asked her to come with me.
She said yes. Wisthera, the rogue, told me yes, she loved me, and yes, she wanted to come with me to see Stormwind. She was eager to get to civilization, and 'into a dress so I could see' she said. By then, it wasn't just about physical intimacy. It was about the mysterious woman who'd been so kind to me on a moment's notice. It was about the beautiful woman who was dazzling on the inside, the way Priestess Feathershine took Opalbane and I in when we weren't adopted right away. And I thought of the perfect kaldorei woman, saw my Sara, and saw no difference between them.
The day before we got to Stormwind, we spent the night at Eastvale Logging Camp. I remember, because it was a pretty Spring day. We were going to enjoy ourselves in Stormwind, and more importantly, check in on Willypearl and I'd see if any letters came from Opal. At the time, I didn't think my sister would disappear altogether. I thought she just needed some time to deal with becoming a shadow priestess, which she wasn't adjusting to very well, and to find some peace after she fought and wounded some human guards who tried to throw her into jail a few months earlier. I figured that Opalbane would talk to the priestesses in Darnassus, and that they would keep her safe from the authorities while she pulled herself together. But, as it turned out, my sister did not do as I would have done.
And, I guess this is really the last important thing you'd need to know before I start recording this journey that Willypearl, Wisthera, Priestess Feathershine and myself are making. It might explain a lot of the awkwardness on the ship and elsewhere. I don't think that the humans have an equivalent, because the kaldorei have always seen life as very long and our traditions are aligned accordingly. Humans get married very fast and then husband and wife live together until mortality catches up with them. At least, that is the understanding I have from what my human friends have told me. The kaldorei have a stage before marriage, which often tends to be very long, and an important commitment. It's nothing really, just a fun thing we do to show the girl we are interested in that we adore them and hope they would consider being a wife one day in the future. It normally takes place years before any semblance of an engagement or a wedding, but it is a special time in the life of a couple, and I wanted to share it with Wisthera, or… Sara, or Sarielle or whoever she is.
I left early for Stormwind the morning after we arrived in the Eastvale Logging Camp. There were plenty of other couples and families vacationing there, so I knew Wisthera wouldn't be lonely if I was gone for the first half of the day. I had them bring her breakfast, and left a note saying that she should meet me in the park at noon. Meanwhile, I went to the flower shops to find someone who would make a beautiful wreathe for my girl to wear on her head for the whole day. That's how it goes, you know? I give the woman I love a flower wreath to wear on her head, and if she accepts, she can wear it for the entire day. Then, I treat her to all kinds of candies and romantic outings until the sun sets. That is meant to be a symbol of our love, a chance for us to experience what our future together could be like. Then, we Kaldorei try to live in that moment until we are sure we want to marry. It's like making a promise before the big promise. If a woman accepts, the couple is supposed to be exclusive and take the relationship seriously. I always thought I would take the girl I loved to Stormwind for her Wreathe Day, because I like the humans, and I love their modern city. I guess I'd say I'm not a traditional Kaldorei. The world is changing, and I appreciate the Alliance between our people, the dwarves, and even the gnomes. I welcome it, while a lot of my elders would be less eager to embrace the change. I would want the woman of my dreams to understand that about me.
But, on that day, probably while I was waiting in the park for Sarielle, or Wisthera--I'll just call her Wisthera from now on—and bragging to the stable master (the only other kaldorei around) about the day I had planned, my girlfriend was stopped in the Valley of Heroes by the Grand Marshall himself at the entrance of the city, and thrown into the Stockades. Willypearl told me later in the day that they made her confess the person who had stolen the Archmage's ring and given it to Opalbane years ago. All the guards in Stormwind were looking for Wisthera… they were smart. They had a physical description of the rogue, unlike myself. Also, for the record, I didn't know about the ring until that day.
It was clear at that point that my girlfriend, who I'd considered thinking about wanting to marry sometime down the line in our long lives, if she felt like it (so you see how it's not exactly an engagement) was the very rogue who had scammed my big sister, her only friend in all of Azeroth, and then me. I visited Wisthera in jail, and she begged me to believe that she did truly love me and that she was sorry, but I wasn't sure if she was just saying that because she was behind bars.
This time, instead of trying to take justice into my own hands, I made sure that neither of those ladies were going to be executed anytime soon, and then went directly home to Darnassus. Now, Priestess Feathershine is wise, and I trust her, but when I asked her to help, I never expected that she would get Wisthera into her custody, and then in a Darnassian trial, find her to be innocent. I was pretty upset about that.
Right now, we're on a boat to Menethil Harbor, and depending on what we hear from our sources there, Kalimdor again. A week ago, Wisthera testified at Willypearl's trial and showed all of Stormwind that Willypearl was a good person, and was put in jail by mistake. Priestess Feathershine warned Wisthera not to use the words 'corruption of the mages in stormwind' eventhough I think it's the truth. I don't care if there are rumors that warlocks are in the city. Who holds a convention of all the cloth classes in the Alliance, only to put guilt trips on young people who seem to be evil, so that they eventually expose themselves? My sister seemed to fit the description at this convention they had years ago when she was just starting out. Opalbane is very arrogant, and bitter all of the time. And, as her little brother, I am fairly sure that she can come off as more than a bit scary. But some of the evidence they had against her at the trial was frivolous! The Archmage tried to defend himself, saying something about how Opalbane was so pale, and had dark markings on her face, like a ghost. I wanted to take his head clear off with my Arcanite Reaper. Well, I wouldn't really do it, you understand, but that's how angry I was. I can't believe that someone would torture my sister into thinking she was evil just because of the way she looks… and acts… and because as it turns out she just decided to become a shadow priest.
Well, anyways, as you can see, this is a mess. We promised the courts in Stormwind that we would go and find Opalbane and bring her to justice. Priestess Feathershine assures me that there are some people in Stormwind that owe her favors, and justice will actually mean clearing my family's name through some supercilious means. Well, I won't tell you all of our plan, but let's just say I agree with the Priestess; human justice for nobles is quite different. And, I guess you could say my family line is noble as far as Kaldorei go.
We got Willypearl's name cleared and she elected to with us. Now, that's a kind person. After all my sister has put her through with her temper, and after being arrested for consorting with Opalbane, Willy still wants to help. I hope that after this is said and done they can be friends again. Wisthera is here because it's part of Priestess Feathershine's sentence, eventhough Wisthera keeps telling me she wants to help. Obviously, I'm here because I'm Opalbane's brother, and I should have been here a few months ago, instead of chasing a lying cheat of a woman rogue.
Well, that took forever to write. I hope my sister is okay. I'm a bit worried that I never got any letters from her, and that we have to track her down this way, but I'm sure… I have to believe that she's fine. Priestess Feathershine keeps throwing phrases like the 'Twilight Hammer' and 'Burning Legion' around but… it can't be that bad, can it?
No way in Outland is that true. I know my sister better than I know myself.