This is pretty much how it happened. A few changes from how I actually played, of course, and I beat the satyr boss in about 30 seconds but I found myself writing this story as I quested in Felwood...so here it is.
Night was falling fast.
My horse was exhausted; I'd need to find a place to stop for the night.
I had ridden through Ashenvale for most of the day now. I had heard that the northern forest, corrupted by the invasion of the Burning Legion, had grown more dangerous of late, and had resolved to investigate it.
The transition was startling.
Where once the trees had been vibrant with life, they now wilted and died. The birdsong stopped suddenly, plunging me into an eerie silence. Even the ground changed. The green grass was brown, and dead, and in patches I could see black growth springing from the parched dirt.
Even the animals had changed. I saw bears in the forest near the trail on which I rode. Their eyes were hazed over with pain; the corruption of the land had clearly affected them as well. They wandered about, mauling trees, each other, and themselves, seeking only an end to this pain that tortured them.
I gave them a wide berth.
The moon rose over the warped trees. Shadowmane gave a weary snort. I patted him lightly, reassuringly, even as my eyes scanned the horizon, looking for a place to rest.
I had resigned myself to camping out in a clearing tonight when I spied a dirt path to my right. With a light tug on the reigns, I steered Shadowmane down the road, whispering in his ear, "We'll be there soon, boy. Not far now."
I hoped the dirt path was made by elven feet, or perhaps even human ones.
A building sprang up in front of me suddenly. I slowed my horse's pace. We'd make it before it grew too dark out. And besides, we might need to leave in a hurry...
We approached the building. We were close now, so close I could see silhouettes in the doorway by the firelight. A campfire was burning, lowly.
Something struck me as odd about the silhouettes, but I paid it no heed. I was tired, and my horse needed rest as well.
Then, as I drew nearer, I realized what had been bothering me.
One of the silhouettes was too large. It was unmistakably the figure of a Tauren.
I dismounted quietly, and murmured a few quiet words to Shadowmane. "Stay here, boy. I'm just going to go check something out."
I murmured a few words of magic. I could feel the ice forming a protective barrier around me, and though I was chilled from the night it brought me no discomfort.
I tied my horse to the tree, and slunk away into the shadows, more words of magic on my lips...this time of an offensive nature.
I crept up through the forest. I drew nearer and nearer, not a branch snapping underfoot, until I could see the Tauren clearly in the firelight. I circled the building he was in, and gathered the magic into my body, prepared to unleash a torrent of flames before he even knew what was happening...
Something was wrong.
His eyes had been following me the whole time. Now that I thought about it, I could feel his power radiating from him in waves...he wore a druidic symbol around his neck. He probably knew I was coming long before I got here. And, if so, he could've killed me by now if he had wanted to.
Sighing, I released the magic and walked into the firelight.
"Hail, traveler. You've been expected." The Tauren said to me. But he was not expecting the bitterness in my voice as I replied, "I know."
The sun rose, bringing a pale, green light to the land. I shuddered, in spite of myself. Not even the sunlight was untouched by the Legion's corruption. What power, I thought to myself...
I rose quickly to feed and water my horse, whom I had brought to the small camp. There were Night Elves here too; I thought it strange that they should live with the Tauren, but I had seen such things before. The Tauren and Night Elves both had strong ties with nature, ones that often surpassed the hatred many members of the Horde and Alliance still bore for each other.
One of the Night Elves, a not unattractive woman, approached me as I saddled my horse and prepared to leave.
"Traveller, I beg a favor. Few seek adventure here in Felwood...its corruption is widespread, and indiscriminate. We here, at the Emerald Sanctuary, seek to cleanse this corruption, but there are others who work to sustain it..." She began.
"And what would errand would you have me run?" I snapped.
She appeared taken aback. "There are Satyr to the northwest. I ask that you kill as many as you can...but their leader especially. If they are successful I fear things may only get worse here in Felwood..." Her voice trailed off, tinged with sorrow.
"The reward?"
"I...I have little to offer you, sir...is not the knowledge that you have saved this land reward enough?" Anger flashed in her eyes. She had come to me thinking I gave a damn about this land or its people. I could see this cause was one she had given many, many years of her life to...
"No, it is not." I said simply. "I am a mercenary of sorts. I could just as easily hire myself to the Satyr themselves, and I'm certain they would pay well."
"Sir! We have given you shelter for the night! You are in our debt!" She spat the words.
"...very well. Know that this is beneath me...Know that I do this...not to better this wretched land. I care nothing for it. I do this...to better myself. But...know, also...I do this, for I am indebted to no one!" Throwing her a deadly glance that caused her to shiver, I threw a leg over the saddle and rode off, to find these satyr and pay my debt.
The Satyr encampment was surprisingly close, and I reached it well before midday. I wondered to myself why she had not come here herself and destroyed these Satyr. Surely, between her and the Tauren...
I shrugged. She had her reasons. Tying Shadowmane to a nearby tree, I filled his feeding pouch - not trusting the grass to be edible - and whispered to him, "Stay here. I'll be back soon."
It was a short walk from there to the tents that marked the Satyr. Little more than crude canvas propped up by sticks. With all that power, this was the best they could do? I laughed to myself, silently, not wanting to give myself away.
I observed my enemy, as I always did. These Satyr - the Jadefire clan, I had heard - had red manes...and razor-sharp claws, in addition to powerful magics. No matter. Stronger foes than these had fallen to my spells...and my steel.
A quick word caused a nearby tent to burst into flames. There were a handful of the demons camped out underneath it, and at the sudden heat they lept up and looked around. They smelled human downwind, certainly, and went to investigate.
Another quick word and I was gone.
Shaking off the disorientation that always comes when I traverse the land with that spell, I took in my surroundings quickly. I was right where I wanted to be. The largest, most ornate tent loomed before me, while two Satyr stood under it. One was a hellcaller, I noted, by the aura of black power that shimmered around him. The other was undoubtedly the Satyr's leader. He was larger than the others by a full foot, and he radiated such intense power that for a moment I hesitated, unsure if I could fulfill my pledge. What was this land to me? Surely not worth my death...but I shook those thoughts off. I would not go back on my word.
The Satyr saw me, or if not they smelt me, for they looked in my direction and immediately began to attack. I heard the hellcaller chant words of power, and immediately cast a spell to ward off the searing flames I knew he would throw at me. As the magic formed a protective barrier around me, I lunged forward, out of the trees, and ducked the larger Satyr's grasping claws, trying to close with the hellcaller. His spell complete, a large ball of flame smashed into me, but my magic shield held strong. His eyes opened wide for a second, and he gasped out the words "A valiant effort, pitiful human..." before my sword embedded itself in his stomach. He gasped in shock, and slumped over. Withdrawing the blade quickly, I whirled to face my other opponent.
"Well done, mage..." He rasped. "But I sense your power, and it is no match for my own...I will bring the corruption back to these lands, and you have no magic strong enough to stop me!"
His words rang in my ears. I knew what he said was true. How could I match this demon, who was undoubtedly one of the most powerful Satyrs in the world?
"And now, mortal...you will die..." He hissed.
The battle raged on for long hours. Panting for breath, beaten and bloody, I gasped out the words to spell after spell, feeling the magic flow through me...but with each spell it grew harder and harder to form the words, to draw the power through my body. Soon, I knew, it would be over.
As if sensing my defeat, the Satyr drew closer. "A valiant effort...young mage...but you knew from the beginning this was a fool's quest..." Anger blazed in my soul. I would not be defeated! I gathered all my strength for a last-ditch spell...and flung it with all my might at the Satyr.
He brushed it aside with a massive claw.
Falling to one knee, I grew dizzy. Blackness swam on the edges of my vision...but then I heard that rasping voice, mocking me.
"Now, mage, I will devour your soul...and the stronger I shall become for it..."
He reached out that deadly claw, slowly, tantalizingly, words of a spell on his lips. If only I could place that spell...
My brain went numb with shock. I could indeed place that spell! There would be no peace in death for me...that spell would claim my soul if he touched me, and I would serve him even in death...
"No, Satyr." I whispered. With all my strength, I grabbed my sword in both hands. I had forgotten about it during the battle, and from the shock on his face, so had he.
"The last word you hear in this life...will be my name. Remember it, as you writhe in the foulest regions of the Twisting Nether..."
The sword blow nearly cut him in two.
The Satyr's vision faded, the pain coursing through him was agony. Every breath grew harder, and he knew he was dying. Looking up, he saw the mage's eyes, a cold, unfeeling blue that seemed to reflect firelight, even in the day...and he saw death.
The last words he ever heard haunted him throughout the abyss.
"You die by my hand. You, like so many others."
The eyes seemed to gleam now. The light he saw reflected flared up, filled with life, excitement...ambition...power.
"Another trophy...for Soulfrost..."
