Whatever It Takes!
"I have witnessed the rise and fall of empires... the birth and extinction of entire species... Over countless millennia the foolishness of mortals has remained the only constant. Your presence here confirms this." Loken yelled as they approached. "My master has shown me the future, and you have no place in it. Azeroth will be reborn in darkness. Yogg-Saron shall be released! The Pantheon shall fall!"
"Are they all this big?" Alleria mocked, nocking an arrow aimed at Loken's head. "The enemies you fight that is, are they all this big, or is this guy an exception?"
"He's not the biggest we've fought, but he's not the smallest either." Sylvanas replied, unsheathing her swords.
"Watcher Loken, you have failed in your prime duty as a Watcher of Ulduar and jailer of Yogg-Saron. By the power and authority granted to us by the Titans, I hereby sentence you to death." Alexstrasza yelled back. "Do you have any last words?"
"Your ignorance is profound. Can you not see where this path leads?" Loken laughed.
"We will not stand by and let the Old Gods escape their prisons, Azeroth will not fall into darkness, nor burn in fel-fire!" Alexstrasza roared, fighting the urge to transform into her natural form. "Yogg-Saron will be defeated, and all those who follow will be buried with it!"
"What hope is there for you? None!" Loken snarled, getting to his feet and marching toward them. "Come closer. I will make it quick."
Lightning rained down from nowhere as Alleria and Sylvanas rushed to engage Loken in combat. Sylvanas took the Watcher's focus and fought him hand to sword, while Alleria covered her sister's back with rapid arrow fire. Alexstrasza and Ysera seemed content to bless the Windrunners with their gifts, over engaging the Watcher themselves.
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"Brann! A little more speed would be greatly appreciated!" Vereesa yelled, amid a storm of ice shards raining around them, fireballs incinerating corrupted iron constructs, as two magi fought back to back against seemingly endless waves of enemies.
"Don't rush me! Titan constructs are tricky buggers to interface with!" Brann yelled back.
"Are all dwarves so easily irritated?" Kalecgos asked Vereesa.
"Not from my experiences," she replied, out of earshot of Brann. "Though the situation does demand it."
"True!" Kalec said, as he polymorphed an entire group of enemies into penguins, allowing Vereesa to incinerate them.
"So that was the problem? Now I'm makin' progress..." Brann cheered.
"Critical threat index. Void analysis diverted. Initiating sanitization protocol." The Tribunal stated.
"Hang on! Nobody's gonna' be sanitized as long as I have a say in it!" Brann said quickly, his hands moving faster across the Titan console.
"I thought you said you were an expert, dwarf!" Kalecgos snarled.
"I thought you were the Aspect of Magic, dragon!" Brann yelled.
"Not the time!" Vereesa cut them both off, as large golems appeared and quickly attacked them.
"Maybe I can be of some assistance," a familiar arrogant voice said.
Before either magi could react, the constructs were blasted backward and walled off by pure arcane energy.
"Where the hell have you been?" Vereesa yelled at Medivh, turning her frustration at Kalecgos and Brann's bickering, into anger against the Guardian.
"Surveying the landscape, I was seeing how much chaos the fall of the Temple has caused," Medivh said plainly, summoning a bubble to protect them from the Tribunal's defence protocols. "It seems this Lich has sparked civil wars across the entire continent. Trolls fighting each other south-east of here, 'Vrykul' tearing each other to pieces in the distant south, and elemental creations throwing themselves against each other in droves just south of here. All the while you're here facing off against an Old God."
"And you find that entertaining?" Kalecgos asked, sharing in Vereesa's irritation.
"Not at all, as all these forces could turn the tide against the Legion. I would advise you finish your business here and restore balance." Medivh said simply.
"Well we'd move a lot faster if we had a Guardian actually helping us!" Vereesa sighed.
"I am helping, I'm providing valuable information where needed." Medivh smiled.
"You're the most powerful magi alive, why not use that power to fight the Legion?" Kalecgos asked.
"Because the Legion have yet to arrive, so why waste my skills where they are not needed? Good day." Medivh bowed, before transforming and flying back the way he had come.
"Not much of a Guardian," Kalecgos said plainly. "Though these shields have kept us alive."
"At least he gave us that courtesy," Vereesa breathed. "Brann, how much longer?"
"Not much longer lass!" Brann replied. "Ha! The old magic fingers finally won through! Now let's get down to-"
"Alert! Security fail safes deactivated. Beginning memory purge..." one of the Tribunal heads stated.
"Purge?" Oh no you don't! Where did I—Aha, this should do the trick..." Brann spluttered, before the Tribunal's attacks ceased, and the constructs on the other side of Medivh's shield stopped their assault and stood still.
"System online. Life form patterns recognised. Welcome Branbronzan and Aspect. Query?"
"Query? What do you think I'm here for? Ale and bread? Spill the beans already!" Brann yelled at the three metal heads. "Tell me..."
"I think your personal quest about learning your people's origins can wait Brann, I have a more pressing question," Vereesa cut in. "What lies beneath Ulduar, beside the Old God imprisoned deep beneath. We saw giants being carved from the rock-face, and this place is too vast to just hold one Old God."
"Ulduar is a city," Kalecgos said, before the Tribunal answered.
"Aside from 'Old God', Ulduar houses numerous safeguards for combating parasites designated 'Old Gods'." The Tribunal began. "In response to parasitic infestation corrupting Earthen, Forge of Wills and other systems were instituted to create new Earthen. Safeguards were implemented and protectors were appointed."
"What protectors?" Brann asked.
"Aesir and Vanir or in common nomenclator; Storm and Earth Giants. Sentinel Loken designated supreme. Dragon Aspects appointed to monitor evolution of Azeroth." The Tribunal stated.
"What happened to the old ones?" Vereesa asked.
"Additional background is relevant to your query." It said. "Following global combat between Aesir and Vanir..."
"What caused the war?" Kalecgos asked quickly.
"Unknown. Data suggests that impetus for global combat originated with prime designate Loken, who neutralized all remaining Aesir and Vanir, affecting termination of conflict." It continued. "Prime designate Loken then initiated stasis of several seed races including Earthen, Giant and Vrykul at designated holding facilities, including Ulduar."
"These races could aid the Alliance, the ones we've fought have certainly shown they are strong fighters." Vereesa said quietly. "What does Prime designate mean?"
"Designation of Prime Designate relates to Watcher's duty to monitor imprisoned 'Old God' and the constructs in stasis." The Tribunal explained.
"What would happen if the Prime Designate fails in its duty, or is terminated?" Kalecgos asked, realising his fellow Aspects were about to terminate Loken for failing in its duty.
"If Prime Designate fails or is terminated, Pantheon involvement would be required to ensure planetary stability, including the continuity of life on Azeroth." The Tribunal explained.
"Wait, if Loken is killed... The Pantheon will return? What will happen then?" Vereesa asked urgently.
"An agent of the Pantheon will determine if the planet is following Pantheon designated path, if finds show deviation, planetary re-origination will be implemented."
"Oh no!" Vereesa exclaimed. "We've got to stop them from killing Loken!"
"I thought we were assigned to turn these constructs to our side, that's something we have yet to do." Kalecgos queried her, stopping her in her tracks.
"Is there somewhere we can reprogram the constructs, or at least create an army that will fight for us?" Brann asked the Tribunal.
"Designate the Ironshaper controls production of constructs in this facility," the Tribunal began.
"Thank you very much, that'll be all... For now." Brann said, following Vereesa and Kalecgos from the room.
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"My death... heralds the end of this world." Loken breathed as it collapsed to the ground dead.
"By the Light of the Sunwell I missed this!" Alleria laughed, pulling her arrows from Loken's corpse.
Sylvanas managed a brief smile at seeing her sister happy, but her concern for Loken's final words was shared by the two dragon aspects.
"What did it mean?" she asked, but Alexstrasza's blank look meant that she had no answers.
A rhythmic thudding heralded the arrival of Thorim, who knelt beside Loken's corpse, and quickly ripped its tongue out in one clean motion.
"Was that necessary?" Alexstrasza asked.
"His vile tongue cost many lives, including my beloved." Thorim said, before marching away. "I take it as a means of payback for her death."
"I'll be sure to follow his example when we kill Ner'zhul!" Sylvanas chuckled, though only Alexstrasza heard her.
"I think death is too good for it, we will think of something that will keep it alive and suffering, as well as incapable of corrupting others." Alleria said, resting her bow over her right shoulder. "Are they all this easy nowadays?"
"Not really, and you have to remember we're just getting started with this war." Sylvanas laughed. "There'll be tougher fights ahead."
"Oh goodie!" Alleria said gleefully.
At that moment, a door opened on their right and the other group hurried out, minus Brann, a panicked look on their faces.
"Please tell me you haven't... killed Loken," Vereesa gasped as she came to a screeching halt in front of Sylvanas and Alleria, her eyes falling upon the watcher's corpse. "Oh no!"
"What? I thought we agreed that killing him was a good thing?" Alleria said confused.
"We have just learnt from the Archivum that the death of the Prime Designate will bring about Pantheon interference," Kalecgos explained as Vereesa caught her breath.
"That's good, right? Maybe they can help defeat the Legion?" Sylvanas said hopefully.
"I doubt that the Pantheon themselves will intervene," Alexstrasza said softly. "Did the Archivum specify what sort of involvement the Pantheon would..."
"Planetary re-origination," Vereesa answered.
"Oh dear, that is not a good sign," Ysera breathed. "We must defeat Yogg-Saron and find a way to avert this counter-measure. Did you take control of the iron constructs?"
"Yes," Kalecgos smiled, as Vereesa pulled a small device from within her robes. "Brann is currently overseeing production of Earthen creations to defeat the corrupted iron constructs."
"And the armies that lie dormant? We passed at least a hundred giant metal Vrykul in stasis, they could be really useful against the Legion." Sylvanas said quickly.
"I'm working on it lass!" Brann's voice yelled from the device in Vereesa's hand. "You just worry 'bout the defences of Ulduar, and I'll worry 'bout the army beneath it!"
"What defences?" Alleria asked. "And where's that 'Guardian'?"
"No idea where Medivh's gone, but he's not being very helpful at the moment," Vereesa snarled.
"Don't worry sister, if he continues acting so aloof, I'll happily relieve him of his head again," Alleria chuckled.
"We know you want his head, you don't need to remind us," Sylvanas sighed.
"Now who's acting like the oldest sister?" Alleria retorted, before Brann got the topic back on track.
"The defences are in three layers; ground armies of iron constructs, aerial vehicles in the sky, and orbital weapons." Brann summarised. "The ground and air won't be a problem for ya, and the orbital weaponry... well, if you're quick you can avoid it."
"Thank you Bronzebeard," Kalecgos stated. "I agree that we will not have any trouble from the ground or air, but knowing what the Titans left behind to guard their terminals, I fear the power of these orbital defences."
"What of the Watchers?" Ysera asked.
"We don't know," Vereesa said quickly. "The Archivum did not have any information on Ulduar itself, just the outer areas including these two halls."
"There's a bigger terminal inside Ulduar that should have more information on the status of the Watchers," Brann said from the device. "The Archivum was at least polite enough to tell me that."
"Okay," Sylvanas said. "Brann, keep producing Earthen to clear Ulduar of corrupted constructs, and learn exactly what the full scale of the dormant forces are, and how we can turn them against the Legion and the Lich."
"Will do lass," Brann replied.
"We'll try and fly into Ulduar, destroying what we can from the air," Sylvanas said quickly. "We'll keep this communicator so we can contact you if we need your assistance, or if you learn something new."
"Wise move lass, good luck with the assault." Brann said, before he ended the conversation.
"We're seriously attacking a Titan city with three layers of defences?" Vereesa asked in disbelief.
"Not directly," Sylvanas smiled. "I'm guessing it'll be like every other Titan building, and have a fair few holes we can exploit, plus it seems rather obvious that the front door will be sealed."
"Clever," Alleria smiled, giving her sister a powerful hug.
"Certainly well thought out my dear, I foresee no complications." Alexstrasza smiled.
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"You have done well," The Lich smiled down at his disciple. "The 'heroes' have fled to Ulduar, and are preparing to face an Old God... The fools."
"What if they succeed my liege?" the kneeling disciple asked.
"Then there are other Old Gods who will rise in its place, and they will have wasted time whilst we grew stronger!" The Lich stated.
"What do you wish of me my liege?"
"Infiltrate Ulduar, and observe their progress, but do not engage!" He ordered. "Return once they have confronted the God of Death."
"Yes my liege," she growled.