reviews:
Guest 1: Well really his ire is directed at a figment of his imagination, and thats the bit that for an Alliance member would be terrifying since even low level petty racism is abhorred by the Alliance...unless its towards evil people, like Orcs, Goblins etc...because good guys. But what the mad count did to the Halflings is just absolutly unacceptable and they must despise him for it, you only do what he did to Horde races, because thats just and good. There is a note of Irony but that seems to be the unspoke view of Alliance fanboys.
Guest 2: But Younger also means softer, both of will and of armor and flesh.
Guest 3: Nothing ever, ever goes wrong with evil magic swords...so long as your an anime protagonist or MC of a Western RPG, correction a RPG not made by yoko Taro...she'll be fiiiiiine.
Guest 4: It's funny how, based off how warfare used to be waged this both is and isn't significant. It's a moderately significantly sized army, but even if such a force were destroyed suffering horrific casualties, the Empire would have the army almost entirely replaced within months, much like the HRE, and Hapsburg Austria they are Based off of.
Guest 5: Oh the support certainly would add a couple thousand more but those are uncertain numbers and typically most aren't committed soldiers so historically most armies don't count them unless they're contracted, most notably in seiges.
JiggyliFAP: Not all Journeys need to be on untredded grounds. But I certainly think you will still enjoy the destination.
Dragon King of the West: He does have a reputation to live down to. And I'm sure we all are hyped for that battle, and some of the other coming fights. Speaking of which yes Kyn'ra found and shattered then absorbed a Chaos Weapon.
Hakuryuu: since you started with a 'And' as well as the rest of the paragraph after I'm going to guess the first half of your review was cut off or was one of the Guests...but idk which.
As for the Dawi, that decision was one that took plenty of time to decide on but both meta on my side and from their lore the Dawi aren't really certain if the Ankor would actually care to commit to another world's bullshit. But likely after the first Dawi come back grumbling and complaining about how wrong the other world's fake Dawi are the Young Engineers probably would rush off for the chance to actually build their inventions...much to the chagrin of the Gnomes, Goblins, and their elders.
But that is a good and near spot in analysis of what's going in Ulthuan.
Onix121: you forgot Pickgle and Picklorne. But we shall need to see won't we. or the most terrifying Eekizz Switchpickle.
Chinerpeton: Maybe for the WC3 Theramor, but the WoW Theramor is 1) clearly just the gate and Theramor's central Keep. but also 2) Theramor's level of scalling down would then put Azeroth at bigger than Jupiter if applied evenly. 3) if proper upscaling of land masses and terrain is applied many WoW stories become absolutely sensesless and meaningless AND the coastlines would be unrecognizable to WoW fans (thus fail). Soufang's "brilliant" move to have his men swim a particular river just bacame a order to "go kill yourself" and melee becomes ever more pointless and deliberately suicidal as archers can shoot arrows over mile wide rivers with pinpoint accuracy.
But I contend that Theramor was never Theramor to begin with. Besides the WC3 Theramor looking so drastically different from the one in WoW, the design we see looks more like an Alliance Keep building from WC3. Almost like one of two things happened, either one of the devs was making THERAMOR but then realized he had to cut content. Or they forgot about Theramor while building the map and had to convert a existing asset in this case an alliance keep into Theramor. And this is freakishly common, case and point DBZ entirely forgetting multiple core characters from the Dragonball series. And I'll also raise you the suspension of disbelief question. How many roleplayer traveled to Theramor pretending it was a big bristling city, or even treated it as a large town, as opposed to "Jaina's tower".
Also playing into this is that for many of the cities, other towns etc, Blizzard made constructive use of clutter, and various old RPG tricks to give the illusion of a larger place than what was actually there, and much of it was positioned where upscaling is feasible. Where Theramor has a lot of empty wasted space, rather than cluttered space, and doesn't use any of the old techniques to fake a larger place. And after that ill save you from the whole long bit about proper upscaling, blast areas, and how fitting fit Theramor into proper upscaling without changing the shape of the island dramatically the population it could support would at most be into the hundreds.
I don't accept hand waives by GW, or their insults directed at their fans, why should I accept either from Blizzard. Also can't trust the Warcraft RPG book, not only was it discontinued, it contradicts a large chunk of the WoW canon, and not "oh he was over here," or having things in not quite the right spot but straight up character deaths and major story beats.
Returns
The morning brought warmth and new life to those within the mountain fort. The cold of the Norscan north being shaken off as those present slowly woke and started preparations for that day's work, namely the business of killing. Thanks to a designated rear guard including Eekizz Switchpickle as their leader, an force of one Hundred seventy eight Pioneers set out climbing down the mountain into the arrayed valleys beneath. In the valleys the camps of the Norscans waited the first just blocked from the sight of the Pioneers by a ledge.
Then nearly three hours later the Pioneers had taken the high lands around the camp all without the nearly five hundred warriors within not noticing that the Pioneers had taken place over their camp. They waited for Kyn'ra, their leader looking down on the foe. The Kaldorei carefully counted each and every foe, all of them showing themselves at one moment or another allowing her to track and count them, five hundred and twelve of the norscans waited in their camp looking bored out of their minds.
Kyn'ra then stood and waived to her followers and they cast aside stealth to rush upon the camp below them. The Pioneers managed to close most of the distance to the camp before the first Norscan noticed their approach, but by then it was too late. Explosive and wide area spells flew and Kyn'ra even called down the might of falling stars upon the camp. The surrounded Marauders failed to organize each charging a different direction shouting wildly or crying out for one on one duels in their twisted language. Gun fire and arrows added to the magic silenced most of this. By the time the Warriors and Rogues were in fighting among the Marauders the ambushers had already killed well over half their number, Kyn'ra focusing on her star fire burnt through the backs and skulls of many more of the Norscans.
Less than ten minutes later the battle was over, five hundred and twelve Norscans lay dead or dying, each of them having failed to even injure so much as one of their killers. This didn't mean that her soldiers didn't struggle, the warriors and rogues were already asking the healers for a energy boost as they had exhausted themselves. Meanwhile already the archers, and gunmen of the Pioneers were complaining of low ammunition.
And there were still seven of these camps to go before day's end. But the day before hadn't been entirely idle, Kyn'ra had taken a idea from the Kislevittes and swt up hidden resupply points along the planned paths she could be marching. Now all she needed to do was make her judgement call.
Kyn'ra shouted out for Madroth Firebelt the Dwarven warrior who served as one of the Pioneers field commanders. The Dwarf stumbled over to Kyn'ra clearly exhausted and even still covered in chunks of Marauder flesh from when he rampaged through a group of them on the charge. The Dwarf looked to Kyn'ra with a critical expression, a mix of worry and stren determination on his face.
"Yes lady Kyn'ra." The Dwarf panted.
"I think we have the advantage, but we need to move quickly before they start consolidating. Take a hundred and twelve of us, take the mountain over pass route. I'll take the remaining sixty five and proceed up the valley to strike the other camps. Whoever hits the seventh camp first will wait a half hour then press forward to find the others." The Kaldorei, chosen of her Goddess, instructed the Dwarf who nodded then walked back into the Pioneers to select his portion of the Pioneers.
Between the next several minutes the Pioneers were divided until Kyn'ra was left with a good mix of mages, warriors, hunters, rogues and a rare pair of healer priests. Then Madroth Firebelt and his portion of the Pioneers left and Kyn'ra nodded to her own group who then all took off in the direction of the other end of the valley where the faintest signs of smoke from the next camp's fires let Kyn'ra know the camp was still there.
The Pioneers under Kyn'ra's command moved swiftly and two hours after they had set out they had the next encampment was in their sights. This camp was arrayed much like the first, but with more open space between it and any nearby terrain features, drastically reducing Kyn'ra's ability to just ambush these foes. Still the plan was similar to what the Pioneers had executed before, they would charge the camp, spells and arrows flying, the rogues would approach from the outer edges of the fight to catch anyone who runs or ambush the rear of the enemy. But this time the Warriors would hold back until the enemy closed in this time, allowing them time for more spells and arrows before the melee breaks out.
The first camp the Marauders charged, arrows and spells flew but eventually the Warriors and Rogues had to clash as all fice hundred and twelve Marauders charged headlong at Kyn'ra's Pioneers. The battle left many wounded but not beyond the ability of the healers. The second camp was encountered four hours after that. These Marauders used their shields to protect themselves as they charged, a chant of "Hunden krever at vi dør, så vi dør med ære! Vi møtes til ære! Blod for blodguden, hodeskaller for hodeskalletronen!" roared from these men as they closed. If Kyn'ra had not acted quickly summoning Elune's divine starfire to come down upon them, more of her followers would have died.
Five died by the enemy's hand in that clash two of the warriors, one of the healers, and two of the mages. And it was all because Shandris had been reluctant to use Elune's gifts, so at the third camp Elune opened up with the power of her God and before the Marauders could clash with the warriors the archers and mages had killed them all to a man, all while blazing white starfire burned the camp. The final Camp Elune prepared to rain fire down again, but instead upon arrival they found Madroth Firebelt and his survivng ninty-two Pioneers as they had suffered some casualties due to a hunter alerting one of the camps early causing one to charge them before they had been ready.
Still now the Pioneers had regrouped and the sun had started to set. If the Pioneers move swiftly they could strike the main camp as darkness set, the clash would be harsh but between Kyn'ra's power and the superiority of the Pioneers it would be quite possible to kill all of these Norscans before the day was out.
Kyn'ra looked over her followers. They were tired, all day they had been fighting or marching through frozen mountains. But they had accomplishment and pride, moral was high, still was it right to push for this? Kyn'ra's thoughts drifted back to Mordheim, how the Horde had unleashed the Horrors of Mallus upon her, of the Vampires. No, no respite for these mad followers of the dark, Mallus gave no quarter no matter the virtue of the victim, and Kyn'ra had no mercy left to give.
"Pioneers! Gather yourselves, we have a final victory to claim, Once this is done I shall seek Elune's guidance and she shall see us all home to where we belong." Kyn'ra cried out to the Pioneers about her. Tired cheers spread as the Pioneers all gathered their weapons ready to march and to kill, for there would be no mercy, no respite given to the monsters of this world and they would be the ones to deliver the justice evil so rightfully deserved.
The Pioneers marched for the central camp. This camp was situated alone in a single round valley with frozen rivers passing through it and frozen tributaries coming from the mountains around it. The camp itself was like a ugly scab on the white and grey backdrop of the valley. And just outside the camp, waiting in ordered ranks was the Marauder army. Even as they Pioneers arrayed themselves to face these men Kyn'ra was able to gather an exact count of her enemy. One thousand and twenty four foes including the Shaman kneeling in prayer at the back of the enemy army.
"Listen, they're far more brutal in close combat than the other humans of this world, but these primitives are not especially tough, nor well armored. We will draw them back, we will close on them and retreat while firing on them. Wound them, slow them down, don't waste time looking for kills, once we thin their ranks a straight forward clash will belong to us! For Azeroth, For the Alliance, For Elune!" Kyn'ra's orders and battle cry was met with cheers and a rise of enthusiasm among her followers.
Then the foe began to chant. The words frantically called out by the Barbarians as they beat their shields were enough that Kyn'ra could feel the pain such unnatural words evoked. Or rather the language itself had been fine, but what was spoken was not something meant for this world. "Vi dreper for Khorne, vi dør for Khorne! Drep oss nå, for vår Gud vil drepe oss for å bringe sin ære. Dø nå for oss, dø for Guds ære!!!"
Kyn'ra scowled at the foe, none had yet fled all choosing to fight to the death. But still she cried to order to set the grim task for her followers. "No survivors, they all die today! For Elune, For the Alliance!"
A hundred and five Pioneers charged towards the Marauders Kyn'ra's battle cry in their throats, meanwhile over a thousand frantic Marauders charged towards them screaming incoherent war cries. Then as planned Kyn'ra unleashed Elune's starfire upon the foe as magic projectiles, arrows, and gunshots ripped into the charging foes. These ones attempted to block much of what was coming with their shields, but these were not shields of Alliance steels, nor did these men possess skill with these shields to match that of the Hunters or the ingenuity of the Mages, warlocks, and few Druids who followed after Kyn'ra.
Then as the charging Marauders closed the Pioneers turned and ran back the hunters dropping crude traps that delayed the Marauders as the Pioneers pulled back, then another volley and more spells and starfire. The Pioneers pulled back again, and now Kyn'ra needed to change the plan. "Madroth! We're splitting up, skirt around them, try to draw them back into their camp!"
The plan decided the Pioneers started breaking up into groups scattering and moving around the Marauders who themselves broke into disorganized groups to chase after the Pioneers. As the Pioneers scattered moving to avoid the Marauders while trying to skirt around them and back into the Marauders own camp, some of the Pioneers found themselves caught by the Marauders, some simply fought free then with support escapped from the pursuit, while others fought bravery until the bitter end. One Mage who was caught even did something with their magic causing them and the six Marauders pinning her to all explode.
Still the fighting was swift, frightening and exhausting but the Pioneers managed to loop around the Marauders, getting into the Marauders own camp. The Norscans were enraged charing at their camp screaming in their twisted language but raining starfire and spells of Fel and arcane magic plagued the Marauders every step while gunshots and arrows claimed lives. Then finally the Pioneers and Marauders clashed in proper battle. Warriors and Marauders swung cruel steel at one another, limbs were hewn from bodies and Kyn'ra found herself charging into the midst of it, her Wakizashi lopping off arms while keeping her bow ready to launch arrows about her.
Then as the fighting progressed Kyn'ra found herself alone with naught but the enemy Shaman kneeling on a pad in front of her. His foul language still stining the air, his prayer never ceasing throughout the entire battle. Only the light of the freshly raised moon giving away Kyn'ra as she moved in for the kill. Her blade would remove this cultist's head and his dark powers would be broken, but the moon's gleem on Kyn'ra's blade gave her away.
However the Shaman never responded simply raising his head while finishing his prayer. "You may try to strike. But it is too late, my Strategy has worked, you are surrounded and the sacrifice shall only grow." Kyn'ra ignored the man moving in for the kill.
The man's eyes widened with a maddened ferver. "Blood for the *hurk*" The cry of the Shaman cut short as a spear stabbed down as if thrown from the heavens, the blade perfectly severing the man's head from his shoulders.
Kyn'ra froze in shock, and then noticed the changes about the battlefield. All about her the Pioneers were catching their breath, every Marauder killed and the valley floor red with their blood. A mist was rolling into the valley from the hills about them and the heat of the sun was now sweltering.
Kyn'ra's eyes widened. It was in the night and the sun had set long ago now, why should she be feeling the sweltering mid-day heat, like that of the desert? The Kaldorei looked about herself trying to comprehend what she was seeing. A massive ball of fire loomed in the air over the battlefield while dark smoke spread from it polluting the sky. The mountains blazed with red flames and the snow mixed with blood melted revealing a thick sheet of ice beneath the feet of the Pioneers. The heat even distorted the air about them, and even the spear that struck down the shaman seemed to twist and wave in the heat.
Then Kyn'ra cast her eyes back to the burning mountains only for her to choke on a gasp. Marching down each of the hills and mountains about them came a army of horrible scale. hundreds of warriors armored much like the mummified remains Kyn'ra had found in the fortress the night before marched alongside horrific demons who each seemed to carry a sword made of flames, the mist about them proving not to be cool air but rather the snow and ice melting in the mere presence of each member of this damned army.
Then the army stopped, their encirclment of the Pioneers complete. The horizon glowed red, shadows looking like walls boxing in the Pioneers. Where had such an army come from? Five Thousand demons and fully armored warriors, at least, surrounded the Pioneers And the burning ball of flame above them burned with an oppressive heat that was melting the snow and even made the Ice beneath Kyn'ra's feet slick and strain under the Kaldorei's weight.
Then the Demons started stomping while the warriors beat their weapons against their shields, against their chest plats or the pummels of their weapons against the ground. All of it formed an oppressive beat as these warriors began to chant. "Min bror, kom og bli med meg. I kamp skal vi slakte. Når Holswig vil feile, ofret til vårt alter. å min bror, med ditt mot kan vi erobre. I bladet ditt setter jeg min lit til at du vil respektere!"
As they chanted Warriors and Demons all individually stepped forward each pointing to a different one of the confused Pioneers with their blade a twisted challenge shouted in their dark tounge, an utterance the Pioneers could somehow understand but that sounded of naught but rage and blood. Only Kyn'ra was ignored by the army surrounding them. Frantic the Pioneer leader looked about her trying to understand, to find an eacspe for her followers.
Kyn'ra's eyes settled on the spear. The weapon still holding up the body of the decapitated Shaman though it had also peirced through the Ice and clean water leaked up from beneath the thinning ice. But none of the warriors around them had tried to reclaim their spear, so Kyn'ra closed with the weapon intent on claiming it. As Kyn'ra neared the abandoned weapon the star of hellfire burst, the hellish power of the sacrifice unleashed and a piller of flame fed into the chosen of Elune.
The flame flames burned, yet didn't consume. Kyn'ra was wracked with agony, but was not harmed as she absorbed the dark power, power far far beyond what the sword she had taken contained. Vision blackened as the Kaldorei dropped to her knees screaming, her followers unable to aid her for fear of the fire falling upon not only her, but next to the spear as well.
Then the agony stopped, the dark flames stopped feeding into Kyn'ra allowing her to witness as the coalesced flames broke as a hand read out reclaiming it's spear.
Before Kyn'ra stood a creature that somehow liked like a twisted parody of a succubus. But where Succubi was temptresses the only temptation this being possessed was that of slaughter and battle with a brutality unheard of. Her armor was stained red by blood, in her hand a Shield with two horns and a twisted face stared at Kyn'ra, as she looked at it the shield locked eyes with her making promises of reflief if she only stay still. But the visage of the horned blood soaked woman pulled Kyn'ra away from the shield as the spear tip was put before the Kaldorei's face.
None of the army about them had tries to claim Kyn'ra in challenge, because Kyn'ra had already been claimed by the creature standing before her. This must have been the true leader, some grand champion of this world's Dark Gods. If Kyn'ra took on this monster's challenge and won, then she would be denying the enemies of Azeroth a vital leader.
Kyn'ra prepared her sword and bow and stood backing up several paces. As the leader of the Pioneers backed away the creature raised her spear unleashing a primal warcry one which the warriors about her answered now charging with abandon at their chosen foes from the Pioneers.
Kyn'ra had already loosed a arrow but it was deflected by the shield. The second arrow flew under Kyn'ra's foe as the woman was carried aloft by hellish wings. Kyn'ra's third shot was wasted as she narrowly dodged a thrown spear. Before she could try to kick it away to disarm her foe, to buy herself time to cast magic or to put this woman down with arrows the blood soaked monster was atop her. The demonic shield swung brutally at Kyn'ra the horn tips aiming to impail the Kaldorei.
It was as if the shield promised relief, that Kyn'ra would be saved if she just gave herself over to its embrace and the caress of its tounge. Kyn'ra stared at the twisted thing, knowing how wrong it was but...but...THE SPEAR! Kyn'ra broke her attention from the shield just in time to turn a spear thrust that would have decapitated her into one that only cut deeply into her shoulder.
The Night Elf stumbled back as her blood thirsty opponent violently drew her spear out of her. The dragging pull widening the wound on Kyn'ra's shoulder. Then the Bloody woman thust her spear again forcing Kyn'ra to dodge again, this time the Kaldorei's blade struck out before harmlessly bouncing off the metal armor of her opponent. Then the woman across from her smiled hatefully before lifting a sharp hooved foot that she thrust into Kyn'ra's chest. So kicked the Kaldorei flew back several feet before rolling on the ground.
As she rolled Kyn'ra drew and fired a arrow which the charging monster batted aside with her shield. But that created a opening for Kyn'ra, the monsters Spear was drawn back for a powerful downward thrust, and now her shield was aside. Kyn'ra ended her roll now on her knee while bringing up her sword. The blade scrapped across the crotchplate, the chestplate, and then across her opponent's face.
In keeping the blade from bisecting her head the blood soaked woman had leaned back and away from Kyn'ra disbalancing her which allowed Kyn'ra then to thrust her body forward. The crude tackle ended up stabbing and cutting Kyn'ra against the armor of her opponent, but Kyn'ra succeeded in knocking her foe over.
This was no real victory for Kyn'ra, her opponent was back on her feet within seconds, but that was seconds the Night Elf used to create distance between the two of them, and seconds that Kyn'ra could use to check on the battle about her. The entire scene was far from good. Madroth Firebelt was locked with a armored Warrior, the corpses of four other warriors and one of the Pioneers at his feet. The Dwarf look exhausted but he still pressed on, behind him a axe weilding warrior decapitated one of the mages, then stood watching Madroth and his opponent fight, as though the combatant was waiting his turn.
Then Kyn'ra could watch no longer, she spun around with three arrows nooked and ready fire. Kyn'ra unleashed all three which arched in odd angles that suprised to primitive foe of the Kaldorei. While not strong on their own these arrows held a sufficient payload. The first impacted the woman's shield before detonating, the blast deflecting uselessly off the shield did little more than create a haze of gunpowder smoke. The second exploded just ahead of the monster's spear spoiling the blood craze cultist's grip on her weapon, and the last exploded between the woman's shield and her face causing the only damage thus far and staggering her.
Freed Kyn'ra called upon Elune, her goddess' power certainly would strike down a great number of these crazed cultists. Kyn'ra channeled the might of her God, Elune herself speaking to her now. "This is the end, Kyn'ra once this fight is done, collect more power and bring it back to Azeroth."
Kyn'ra called forth the starfire, the might of Elune's wrath raining down on the entire valley, upon these worshippers of darkness...and nothing came of it. The spell was summoned the Starfire of Elune rained, but it all fizzled out before ever nearing the ground. Across from her, with a blood soaked face Kyn'ra's opponent grinned maliciously. The damned woman even began to laugh with a cruel laughter that choked on the blood seeping from her wounds, and that laughter was joined by some of the warriors about them.
As the woman laughed Kyn'ra looked about in confusion and desperation. Madroth Firebelt was dead, the Dwarf's eighth opponent having skewered him on a Halberd and was in the midst of decapitating him. All around her the Pioneers were dying or dead. "It is over." Kyn'ra could hear a voice whispering into her.
"No, no no no." The Night Elf repeated rejecting what she was seeing. Meanwhile her opponent leapt back several paces, wings outstretched as if ready to pump the air with all their might, the ground widely cracking under the woman's hooves and the light impact of her shield against the ice. The spear of Kyn'ra's opponent was held over her shoulder in a back handed grip. This woman was going to throw herself at her and try to bowl Kyn'ra over entirely.
"Give in." The voice whispered again.
"Noooo!" Kyn'ra roared, drawing her bow, notching a arrow and even feeding some of her blessed power into it.
The Blood covered monster lunged forward her wings giving speed to her forward flight. Kyn'ra screamed her own rage and in exertion as she released her arrow while drawing her blade up. Kyn'ra's arrow sailed beneath her foe as the creature's flight brought it to her. Blade deflected spear point as the winged beast's knee caught Kyn'ra's face.
The creature rolled in the air, drawing back her spear prepared to throw it into the Night Elf who now lay sprawled on her back after the jagged knee armor tore her face open. But Kyn'ra's arrow impacted the ice, unleashing its power in a pillerof flame that even disttacted her would be killer. Beneath them, the ice cracked, and the cracks spread and grew wider. And then the layer of ice covering the long frozen over lake shattered exposing the lake to the surface air for the first time in years.
And as this happened the water accepted Kyn'ra's tribute. Warriors bearing grisly scalps and heads as trophies, the desecrated corpses of the Pioneers and Kyn'ra herself all dropped beneath the waters.
Above it all Valkia the Bloody watched in outrage. Her tribute to Khorne had stolen herself from her! The Gorequeen stayed above the waves waiting, one minute, two minutes, three. Four minutes then five, Nothing surfaced from the ice filled waters. Valkia then looked over her army, a sufficient army for her to take south, with cults sustaining them as they marched they would be able to reach the destination so to challenge this new world of weak magic living cowards. One portal was deep into the Empire, the other was alone and ready for conquest. So after another moment of rage, Valkia spit blood into lake before sending her army to the South East.
Beneath the waves Kyn'ra sank, the darkness of the waters enveloping her. The Kaldorei's mind raced and she could feel the dark power within her trying to break free. But she could also sense another presence. But how, how was she going to eacape this, how was she supposed to fillfil her destiny now?
"Your destiny was to serve as a conduit to bring that power back to Azeroth for use child." The voice of Elune spoke to Kyn'ra again. "You knew that your sacrifice would slow and weaken our enemy. But now, now the last part remains unfulfilled, a wasted deal since you wont uphold your end of the bargin."
Bargin? What Bargin?! Kyn'ra now thought dreadfully as the corpses of the Pioneers and sinking warriors of Chaos passed her field of view as light from the surface shone through for the briefest moment.
"We need the power YOU were collecting, to study, to convert. To bargin with and use against the Dark Gods. So we struck a deal." The voice was filled with boundless confidence, speaking to Kyn'ra as if she were a youngling.
What deal? I never made a deal! I never agreed to a deal! The drowning woman thought. Even as the thought crossed her mind a laughter began to emanate as if the water itself was laughing at her, her own mind was laughing. And a dark fish with glowing orange eyes lackadaisically swam by Kyn'ra it's eye focused on her.
"No deal? But I oh so like deals." The fish purred at Kyn'ra, then swam out of the Kaldorei's view.
Kyn'ra's arm reached out as the Kaldorei pondered to herself thinking, what was that?
"Not what, who? Who granted you such power? Who could turn the Fel and Void powers of Chaos into something Azeroth could use? Who is it, that can sustain you?" The voice? Fish? The other entity provided.
Elune. Elune granted me these powers, she will turn tbe might of Chaos against them, protect Azeroth at any cost, she will do what is necessary to save all of us. Kyn'ra's thoughts were filled with a maddened conviction, yet somehow a dread, a new question ate away at the back of her mind. But why chose me, why use me in such a way?
"Awww, it seems Elune didn't return the faith you had in her. She never chose you, you were meaningless to her. And it seems that Azshara lied to you to give you comfort when your goddess abandoned you to the cruelty of Mallus." The Voice provided, the languidly swimming fish now came towards Kyn'ra head on.
A-Azshara...the name pounded through Kyn'ra's mind. The dread name of the fallen Queen, the traitor of all of Azeroth who selfishly wished to destroy them all.
"Oh such cruel thoughts directed at your savior. But why destroy Azeroth when it and all the cosmos beling to me? She chose you because you can do what no Kaldorei would, you would be the perfect instrument of my world's salvation." The fish slowly circled before Kyn'ra.
Your world? The thought passed by Kyn'ra's mind swiftly yet still the other speaker picked up on it with amusement.
"Yes, before all that is and all that came before you. Azeroth belongs to me. I will not tolerate it in the hands of another." As it spoke the fishes mouth opened exposing sharp vicious teeth within.
But I'm supposed to save Azeroth! I'm going to save Azeroth! I can't let these damned Mallites destroy our world. Their vicousness, their violence and hate, They all deserve to die! Ill kill every last one of them and save Azeroth! Kyn'ra's mind went into a frantic overdrive, her lungs burning even as theg slowly filled with frozen water, and her hearts exteme pace slowing.
"And you can do that. All you need to do, is acknowledge me. Accept my gifts and as my servant we will safeguard my world from these invaders." The voice spoke again and Kyn'ra could find no fault, they would save their world, there would be no threat from Mallus! But who was she speaking with.
Kyn'ra's fading mind struggled to know who she was speaking with, who was her patron. Then it came to her. I accept you as my God, N'zoth. I shall from here on out serve you faithfully.
"Good, then let the old Kyn'ra die, and we shall begin anew, my chosen champion. Return to me, bring me all the dark power your body now possesses." The fish, no a school of fish all swam to Kyn'ra enveloping her.
The warmth of the sun greeted Shandris Feathermoon as she stepped out of her tent. The feilds outside of Mordheim were warm and pleasant at this time, though the forests behind Shandris remained grim and dark despite even the best efforts of her Druids.
Still the affairs of the last month had finally begun to reach their end. And these last few days had borne some pleasent surprises. Many of the surviving Mercenaries of Mordheim had determined the city would become a future trade hub, and as such required a 'proper city garrison' while that had not changed much about the current circumstances many of these Mercenaries were reaching out to merchants and wanted to send out their own soldiers to Azeroth so they could establish trade relations. None of these troops were avaliable for Shandris' own campaign, but with the merchants that had slowly been trickling into the city good trade with the Empire was sure to follow, and many donations and discounts were being given to the waiting army.
The next pleasent suprise kept arriving in small numbers over the course of the last several days. While the army was still mustering small groups of dwarves began to appear, one after the other. Before the final arrivals already eight hundred Dwarves had come. While of those six hundred Dwarves had come Shandris questioned how useful four hundred minors would be, but she didn't question the decision of these miners to willingly commit to fighting the Horde. Besides those three hundred had come one hundred Dwarves armed with Crossbows, and another two hundred weilding axe and shield, though apparently half of those were some sort of honored veterans calles Longbeards, something of some distinction. And while Shandris couldn't quite see what about these Longbeards was diffrent she was happy to have the ever grumbling, always complaining, never silent dwarves...Shandris couldn't wait to no longer be camped next to them.
Then on the same day the final two forces of dwarves had arrived. The first came marching in a odd air of fatality about them. Another three hundred dwarf warriors, from Karak Kadrin marched alongside with another hundred shirtless orange haired dwarves who followed after them but seemed to be rejected by their fellow dwarves. These were introduced to Shandris as the Throng from Karak Kadrin who planned to fight until either their deaths or until the war was done, save for the messengers who would return to their Slayerking to report if 'the foes of Azeroth were worthy'. Shandris assumed that if these orange haired near nude messengers would only stay for a small portion of the fight then she wouldn't blame them.
After that had arrived the last group of the Dwarves. These Shandris had a much more formal introduction to as a old Dwarf waddled up to her, bowed and announced that he was putting himself, his son, and a force of two hundred Warriors, two hundred Thunderers, and twenty Iron breakers at her disposal as well as three Dwarven canons. Shandris bowed to the Dwarf accepting his services, though unsure who he, his son, or what any of that besides Warriors and canons meant... or Shandris didn't know until a disturbingly familiar, stomach churning voice spoke up.
"Just to inform you, the Dwarf you are speaking to is Burlok Damminsson head of the Dwarves Engineering Guild which spans most of their Empire. Thunderers are Dwarf handgunners, and Ironbreakers are a sort of elite Heavy infantry among the Dwarves armed in some of the most impressive armor on our planet. Now that I think about it, I would love to record and see how the diffrent metals of our worlds hold up to one another. But that's why I got myself assigned as the cheif chronicler of this event, sorry for the delay...oh I never got to ride one of your trees since we have some down time can I please?" Irma Schoff smiled sickeningly from the shade of her umbrella, at her side a number of aids carried books and scrolls looking pale faced at her interjection.
Shandris felt a disgust build as she noted the woman while the Dwarf went into a lecture about proper procedures and protocol, which seemed to have no effect on the Imperial Woman as she smiled simply before answering the Dwarf with. "Well since Lady Shandris comes from another world I want to make sure she knows what proper protocol is, though to help this along, maybe you can give me a list of protocols and rules she and her Kaldorei Sentinels should abide by...oh that might make for a interesting book, 'the protocols of the Dwarven Guilds as compared to Azerothean rules'."
Shandris felt somehow cheated as the...well nerd lead the Guild Master away. But there were other concerns for Shandris to address. Namely that now that the entire force had gathered Shandris needed to find a way to swiftly breach the last layers of ice and snow so they could march onto Azeroth proper, and she and the Imperials needed to determine the Army's chain of command. While she was the one who gathered them all and would presumably be their overall leader, the truth was that the Empire troops would be best suited following men of their own nation. And that meant deciding upon leaders.
And deciding upon leader meant gathering them all and making them agree to a leader.
AN: Norscan in this spoke Norwegian I didn't include the translation this time because Kyn'ra didn't have a clue as to what they are saying but here it is.
Hunden krever at vi dør, så vi dør med ære! Vi møtes til ære! Blod for blodguden, hodeskaller for hodeskalletronen!
(The hound demands that we die, so we die with honor! We meet in honor! Blood for the blood god, skulls for the skull throne!)
Vi dreper for Khorne, vi dør for Khorne! Drep oss nå, for vår Gud vil drepe oss for å bringe sin ære. Dø nå for oss, dø for Guds ære!
(We kill for Khorne, we die for Khorne! Kill us now, for our God will kill us to bring His glory. Die now for us, die for the glory of God!)
Min bror, kom og bli med meg. I kamp skal vi slakte. Når Holswig vil feile, ofret til vårt alter. å min bror, med ditt mot kan vi erobre. I bladet ditt setter jeg min lit til at du vil respektere!
(My brother, come and join me. In battle we shall slaughter. When Holswig will fail, sacrificed to our altar.oh my brother, with your courage we can conquer. In your blade i put my trust that you will honor!)
AN2: i rushed to finish this early as a sort of birthday present to myself, just in case i can't write much, if i don't have anything from preventing me from writing another chapter then this was just a fun gift from me to you, i enjoyed writing this and it felt good getting some of these payoffs written out.
