Lustria, earlier on that day...
Joyous laughter erupted from the throat of Stone Guard Tathrar as he slashed his sword into the skull of a stunted thing while his wolf mauled another. Fierce war cries were shouted by the Orcs of the Shadowmoon Clan as they slaughtered a tribe of squat, comical looking hairless creatures that looked as if a gnome had its belly inflated and its skinned darkened to the color of ebon. Armed with primitive spears, clubs and shields the ebon skinned stunted things were far weaker and frailer than Orcs as they wore only loin cloths and had pieces of bone poking through their noses but many he noted had pieces of some shiny, golden things upon them.
Armed with a heavy curved sword, the veteran Raider had led his band of over three dozen warriors into this pathetic little collection of hovels where they had taken its inhabitants by surprise. Poisoned darts along with throwing spears were fired upon the Orcs who had brought a dozen wolf riders that were able to get around and flank the stunted things while Jungle Troll mercenaries threw spears and Grunts tried to get up close. Whatever these runty, gnome-like creatures were they had been taken completely by surprise when the Orcs attacked and the slaughter was absolutely one side.
The Warlocks of their clan had created a portal leading to this other world where they had found a land that was not hot and dry like Tanaris but rather they had found one that reminded the Orcs of how Hellfire Peninsula used to be. Warm and full of life this world was and the Orcs had especially delighted in also finding seemingly intelligent creatures to sate their bloodlust upon. A perfect world this would be he thought to wage war upon once they were done with Azeroth.
Chopping his blade down upon the shield of one of the dark skinned gnome-things, he cleaved through the wood and into the left collarbone as easily as if he were carving up a hog. Embracing his bloodrage, the veteran Raider lost himself in the sublime slaughter of these weaklings until finally the last of their pathetic excuse for warriors had been killed. Raising their bloodied weapons high or the severed heads of the ebon skinned gnome-things, the Orcs gave a unified roar of victory.
'Lok-Tar!' they shouted! 'Lok-Tar Ogar!'
Dismounting from the back of his wolf, Tathrar then went to the body of one of the nearest gnome-things where he saw a glint of gold around its neck. Kneeling down, he saw what looked to be a simple rope necklace tied around a trinket that took the form of a snake made from polished Turqoise with a golden human skull for a head. Grinning with avarice, the Raider pulled off the shiny piece of jewelry as more high pitched screams were heard, followed by amused laughter from an Orcish throat.
From one of their hovels, he saw an even smaller gnome-thing run out from the main entrance while an axe wielding grunt chased it as if it were a hog that got loose. Wealth and slaughter thought Tathrar with a smile as he pocketed the piece of jewelry. What more could an Orc ask for?
Elsewhere in Lustria... Berenis (formerly The Altar of The Horned Rat,) IC 2532
A light smoky haze surrounded the office of Aelerin, Patriarch the House of Eressae as he sat by his writing desk while pouring over a folded scroll of parchment paper as bright daylight illuminated the ancient stone chamber from a glass window. The keen eyes of the High Elf merchant poured over the script written by scholar-slaves from Cathay which gave a detailed report of the various goods that were currently stockpiled in a warehouse that belonged to his trading company and the items that would be transported back to Ulthuan. Satisfied that everything was in order, he took a nearby wooden stamp which had hot wax covering one end and he firmly pressed it onto the lower right of the document which marked his approval.
Giving it time to dry, the High Elf leaned back upon the cushioned wooden chair behind him and he took a deep breath of the smoky incense that burned along a stone corner which helped put his mind at ease but more importantly, it kept the mosquitos away. Business had been good he thought with satisfaction for since the end of the Vortex War, the Asur had entered a new age where a genuine sense of hope for a better future could be felt by the High Elves as a whole. Sea travel in general had become far safer than ever for no longer did ships have to worry about Druchii Corsairs with Naggaroth conquered, nor the threat of human pirates which had been significantly curbed by the combined efforts of the Asur, Bretonnian and Lybaran navies and especially not the longships of Norsca which were now becoming a memory for the men of Kislev had brutally suppressed the savages in their own lands.
Once he was certain that the seal had dried, he rolled up the scrolls and tied it with a silken string and he called for one of his slaves who waited outside of the office. The wooden door leading out of the ancient stone chamber which had been constructed by the Lizardmen in ages past, creaked open to reveal a well dressed young human male named Lanz who had hailed from one of the destroyed Empire colonies, one of his many indentured servants. Aelerin had purchased this human along with several other slaves during a business trip to the Star City of Axlotl which in recent years had come under the auspices of another Lizardmen called Itza.
Most of the human slaves he had purchased had been sold off to the High Elf colonies in the nearby Culchan plains or The Volcanic Islands but a few like Lanz was literate and formally educated in what passed for The Empire's academies and thus had been useful to keep around to help with the clerical work. The other Old World humans slaves would no doubt mostly have been put to work in the plantations, mines or as domestic servants for the Asur colonists. The lucky ones he could imagine such as former Empire Knights, Pistoliers or other members of their nobility would have been ransomed off to their families.
'Have this sent to the dockmaster' commanded Aelerin in a gentle tone and the human boy quietly nodded before taking the scroll and hurrying off down the stone halls of the compound which served as his home.
Getting up from his chair, the High Elf merchant then quietly moved towards the glass window which had a wooden frame and he pushed it open to let some fresh, salty humid air in. Taking a moment to survey what lay outside, it was hard to believe the strange twists of fate that brought him here away from his wife and child back in Lothern. No one except the Lizardmen knew what the original name of Berenis was, only that it had been conquered and transformed into a foul mockery of their Temple Cities by the Skaven who dedicated it to the foul god known only as the Horned Rat.
During the Vortex War, the so called Altar of the Horned Rat as the Skaven named it had changed hands multiple times from the Lizardmen to The Empire, to the Undead Pirates of Luthor Harkon then the Druchii under the command of Lokhir Fellheart and then back to the Skaven again until finally it had been conquered by the Tomb Kings of the Court of Lybaras. Under the rule of High Queen Khalida who had become a valuable ally of the Asur, the port city which had been renamed to Berenis and had served as a major trade hub between the High Elf colonies in Lustria, the Lizardmen who still dominated much of the continent's interior and of course the Tomb Kings themselves who brought goods back and forth to as far away as the Southlands and Grand Cathay.
The wind suddenly then began to howl, despite the seeming clear day and to the sense of a High Elf attuned to the Winds of Magic he could feel a shift in the Aethyr. Dust Devils began to appear among the sandy beaches around the city which sent clouds of the grainy ground up into the air which marked the beginnings of a sandstorm. Quickly closing the windows and glad that he had no plans on leaving the city today, Aelerin knew that something had happened within the jungle.
Something that must have drawn the wrath of the Tomb Kings and the High Queen of Lybaras.
Kalimdor, Tanaris, 20 Years after the Opening of the Dark Portal. Hours later...
Holding up the shiny necklace, Tathrar grinned as his mate Akna gently took the piece of jewelry made from turquoise and gold while marveling at its luster which accentuated her eyes. They stood within the interior of their little home that was part of a town located to the southwest of the goblin town of Gadgetzan, along the borders with the Troll city of Zul'farrak. A firepit burned within the heart of their home, providing warmth to the Orcish couple as the skulls of dead Sand Trolls looked down upon them while dangling from the ceiling, each one a kill of Tathrar who carried upon his belt the heads of a pair of the ebon gnome-things.
'Its beautiful' spoke the wife of the veteran Raider who continued to study the shiny little thing with wonder.
'We had others like this, gold as well' grinned Tathrar with satisfaction at the expedition. 'A whole world for our people to conquer once we have finished with this one'.
'I hope its not like this place' replied Akna with a hint of sarcasm which gave way to a rare moment of warmth as she placed a hand over her belly. 'I would like to raise our our children somewhere with trees'.
'We will certainly find a home over there' proudly then said the veteran Raider who idly began fantasizing about taking a future son out hunting as his mate put the necklace on.
The rest of the night proved to be uneventful as the couple had a meal of bread and a meaty stew washed down with a type of goblin wine made from Stranglethorn Junglevine. Small talk filled their conversations relating life on the frontier such as on sale goods at the market, that ongoing gold mine dispute between the local Laughing Skulls and Thunderlords, bandit attacks upon the Gadgetzan water caravans, the usual things. Eventually they went to bed together and enjoyed the warmth from one another's body as the chill of the desert was felt by them.
Sleep would find the couple with Tathrar's dreams being filled with pleasant memories of his past battles. He remembered the thrill as his band of Raiders took part in an attack on an Arakkoa camp in Terokkar alongside the Bonechewer Clan and they had participated in a feast where they roasted the bodies of the bird people. He remembered the attack on one of the Draenei villages in Shadowmoon Valley where they let their hungry wolves loose on a pack of cowering children and forced their parents to watch while the Orcs had a good laugh as the youths were torn apart.
Memories of more recent events were revisited by Tathrar as he relived a furious battle upon the plains of the Barrens where he crossed blades with Centaurs. He remembered that pleased feeling he had upon seeing the works of their master, Ner'zhul who had unleashed a deadly plague upon the Tauren of the Stonespire Tribe causing them to transform into blood hungry cannibals. He then relived a proud memory where his band of Raiders had been able to use their nets to ensnare a particularly troublesome Harpy flock and the butchery that ensued as they hacked apart the winged females.
Eventually, Tathrar's blissful sleep was interrupted by the howling of the wind and the sound of sand scattering about on the walls of their home and the Raider groaned with bleary eyes as he went to close the curtains before he stopped as a sudden loud crash of wood being smashed into splinters was heard. Surprised shouts and roars were heard from outside along with the furious barking of wolves and the Orc's eyes widened in alarm as he instinctively knew that they were under attack! Quickly looking to his mate, he saw her already on the move with an alarmed expression as well while she went to grab a cleaned meat cleaver from the kitchen.
Going for his sheathed sword which he had left on a wooden trunk at the foot of their bed, he quickly drew the blade with a rasp of steel upon leather. Feeling more confident as he felt the familiar weight in his hands, Tathrar looked to his wife and nodded a silent command to have her stay inside and she obeyed without question. The veteran Raider immediately then went for the wooden front door of their home which still remained locked.
After undoing the metal locks, he opened the door to see frantic movements as Orcs emerged from their homes with weapons in hand. One of his fellow Raiders, a warrior named Urzak came out clearly prepared for battle before suddenly he was swept off of his feet as what looked to be a javelin sized arrow came out of nowhere and struck from the right side of his head which exploded like a Snapvine Water Melon. Looking to his right, Tathrar saw a series of giant ebon skinned creatures wearing skeletal animal masks and wielding large golden bows.
A swarm of Skeletons were flooding the streets of the town, each one armed with strange blades that looked to be somewhere between an axe and a sword along with shields. Quite notably he saw that they carried flags depicting a turquoise colored serpent with a golden human skull for a head. The symbol he realized was the same as the necklace he had given to his wife.
Several of the Skeletons came at him and the Raider looked about to see if he could get over to the base camp's Beastiary where the wolves were kenneled but found that his path was blocked. Realizing that he would have no choice but to fight on foot, Tathrar gave a loud bloodthirsty roar before rushing at the nearest of skeletons. Before the undead could react, he was already upon them with both hands on the grip of his sword and swinging it in cleaving sweeps as she cut two of them in half and decapacitated a third with the return strike.
He then swung his sword into the skull of a fourth skeleton but the undead managed to get it shield up and the blade shattered smashed through the thing which he realized was made from bronze and wood. He then heard a loud scuttling noise as the ground below became alive with a swarm of tiny moving things and he looked down to see a tide of insects, scorpids and beetles crawling towards him. Slamming his booted foot down on the swarm, he felt the chitinous carapaces break before pain flared through his legs.
Realizing that he had made a mistake, the veteran Raider watched in horror as several of the creatures within the swarm began to devour his flesh and he could feel their mandibles scraping the bone itself. He then tried to turn around but the pain caused him to collapse as he fell upon the swarm that began to crawl all over him. Soon his vision became blackened as the swarm of insects smothered his vision before eating his eyes and burrowing into his very brain.
Kalimdor, Azshara, now...
In the twilight before dawn came to this unknown land, a sense of wonder that stirred even the cold blooded heart of Tlahtuaka was felt as he beheld the majestic form of a massive tree spirit. Bearing a lavender colored bark with bright green leaves, this creature did not generate a wild air hostility like those that accompanied the forest dwelling Elf-Spawn, rather its presence was one of ancient serenity that reminded him of The Sacred Pools. The purple skinned Warmbloods he had learned were called Kaldorei milled about beneath its boughs and its presence seemed to give them a sort of fresh vigor for he could sense a mystical connection between them and the tree spirit.
The floating magic spirits that accompanied the Kaldorei now danced around the trees and surrounding the enchanted plant with a magical light. Before the eyes of the Lizardmen and the Elf-Spawn, the shape of the trees slowly began to alter in a way that mimicked the platforms they had been building for their aerial beasts and sentries which sped up the construction. Now there were many places among the canopies where the Terradons and Ripperdactyls could roost and Skink lookouts to observe for any intruders.
Even the wooden palisade walls the slaves had been building were being affected as vegetation sprouted from the sharpened logs to create intertwining fences of thorn and briar between. Shelters of interwoven branches and leaves had even been erected by the magical lights to house these Kaldorei with more than a few now being given over to the Lizardmen and Elf-Spawn. Curiously he also noticed piles of wooden logs neatly stacked next to the trees but as far as Tlahtuaka was aware, none of them had yet to begin cutting any down.
As curious as he was about such things, Tlahtuaka then turned his thoughts to more important matters as he stood next to He That Hunts Unseen, The Shadow King, the Skink Priest Hex-Xl and the appointed leader of these Kaldorei whose garments suggested that she was only slightly above a common soldier. A lantern pilfered from the camp of the beast things was held up by the Shadow King to illuminate a map which they had found as well and apparently it was a map of this place called Azshara. There were numerous scrawled symbols and figures upon the map as well, some which depicted particularly larger bipedal figures while others such as along the coasts depicting what vaguely looked like a fish with arms and legs.
The slender finger of the Kaldorei leader pointed to a number of locations along the northern parts of the map, close to the waters where she then pointed to the severed head of a dead Orc hanging from the belt of the Oxyotl and indicating that there were others there. She then pointed as well to some other parts of the map, followed by her pointing to the severed head of a beast thing which was carried by the Elf-Spawn lord. The Kaldorei leader then pointed to a part of the map and then to the northeast before holding up before them a golden coin that had also been looted from the beast things.
Holding up the shiny piece of metal while repeating foreign words, Tlahtuaka guessed the meaning was that there was more gold to be found in these locations. Slightly shaking his crest with disapproval, Tlahtuaka was not surprised that these warmblooded Kaldorei seemed to also value gold and he hoped it was not to the same extent as a Man or Dwarf-Spawn. Quiet words were then spoken by Oxyotl which priest Hex-Xl translated to which the Alith Anar replied something and was then translated back to the ancient Chameleon Skink.
From what little Tlahtuaka heard and could surmise, the Kaldorei needed assistance in finding some place with gold and that Oxyotl agreed to spare some Skinks. The Elf-Spawn it seemed would also provide some aid as well and the meanings of their words were soon understood by the Kaldorei leader who seemed pleased to hear it.
'I will go with the warmbloods' volunteered Tlahtuaka towards He That Hunts Unseen and Oxyotl briefly turned his gaze towards the Skink Chief.
'Others will be assigned for this task' softly hissed Oxyotl. 'Rest and when you are ready, lead our Braves in the sky'.
Bowing his crest in obedience to He That Hunts Unseen, Tlahtuaka gave one last look to the magnificent magic tree that was now surrounded by magic lights before looking for an unclaimed shelter to recuperate
Tanaris...
The soft thuds upon the sands could be heard as the band of human pirates were forced to march further south while armed skeletons watched them in an unnerving silence. Morning light had just begun to fill the sky above as they trudged through the dunes, while desperate prayers to the Holy Light were whispered by some to deliver them from this evil. From the lips of Arren, came muttered curses for the chains that bound him were firm and he was certain that if he could get his lockpicks, he could free himself.
Despite the dark, he had been able to make headcount of his group and had found that none among them were dead for the time being. Of course they did not know how long this luck of theirs would last and already they were desperately looking about for some means of escape. Pain still flared across his face for his nose was still broken and he could taste the coppery tang of his own blood.
Having had time to study their undead captors, Arren had been able to determine that they all must have been humans once. Their weapons and equipment were of an utterly foreign design that was unlike anything the humans of the Eastern Kingdoms had used and there was a significant amount of gold upon them, enough to amass a small fortune. Bow wielding archers could be seen among the undead with quivers still filled with arrows which made the idea of running a dangerous prospect as well.
Leading these undead was the same desiccated, bandaged wrapped, spear wielding thing that had spoken to him earlier. No other words were said by the walking corpse as it led them into the desert until they found a spot where something seemed... odd. Despite the gloom of the weak morning light and the cold, the air before them was shimmering as if it burned with the midday heat and he was dragged through the mirage. The world around Arren suddenly became a haze of wavy imagery as he still felt the night's chill and after taking a few more steps, his vision returned to normalcy.
A dozen yards away from him, he saw a series of standing stones with a bright green disc of glimmering light at the center of it. Having spent some time around magicians, Arren knew it was what sorcerers called a portal and and it would lead somewhere else. Certain that it had something to do with these undead, Arren could not do much about it as he and the others were forced to step through with the very real threat of being cut down then and there if they did not move forward.
When the rift of sorcerous energy drew closer, Arren instinctively closed his eyes and hoped that it would not be painful and suddenly he was hit by a feeling of displacement accompanied by nausea. In the next moment, the cold air which he felt was suddenly replaced by a hot and humid one as if here were in the jungles of Stranglethorn. Cautiously opening his eyes, the pirate no longer found himself within a desert but a lush tropical jungle where countless animals made their nightly cries but what drew his eyes were the massive monstrosities that stood before him. Widening his eyes in horror, the pirate beheld a pair of massive skeletal giants towering above them with each one carrying two huge swords held in their bony grips.
Bearing boulder sized skulls as if taken from a giant orc, these skeletal giants were clad in heavy plate armor of bronze adorned with gold and turquoise. Other giant monsters and skeletons could be seen around what seemed to be an open glad where torches burned beneath a sky which still held hints of a setting sun's light. Within the sky above, he saw a white moon which looked similar to The White Lady but the stars were strange and foreign to the pirate's eyes.
It did not take Arren long to realize that they were amidst the camp of an army that was busily clearing the land around the portal by hacking away at the vegetation. Considering that his group were still alive, Arren was certain that they would be interrogated but for why bother with putting them in chains instead of killing them and raising them. A loud roar of defiance was then heard to his left and the pirate saw the forms of many orcs forced to sit around fires while more armed skeletons stood guard over them.
An Orc prisoner had reached for the spear of a skeleton and the brute had managed to get his hands on it and ripped the weapon along with the fleshless arms away from the undead soldier. Before the Orc could turn the stolen weapon upon the undead, their archers drew arrows and shot him dead. Skeletons armed with clubs or maces then stepped forward and proceeded to lay into the crowd of prisoners with savage beatings while those that carried spears used the blunt ends of the shafts to whack green heads.
'Looks like we better be on our best behavior' commented Galgesh who was in front of Arren, the big man's voice held a tone of grim sobriety.
Eventually they were brought to a spot in the encampment near the orc prisoners where a group of ten skeleton guards were left to watch them while what looked to be their leader, the dry corpse thing which had gone off somewhere else among the crowds of undead that parted before it. The pirates watched as many orcs continued to be beaten with blunt objects until things finally calmed down as they were left to tend to their wounded. Soon enough the pirates sat down amidst the grass while nervously looking to the undead guards around them which remained still like statues.
Anxiety and fear creeped into the mind of Arren who began to wonder if this was how cattle felt like before the slaughter.
Naggaroth, IC 2532
'Sigmar protect me! Sigmar protect me! Sigmar protect me!' desperately chanted the Man-Spawn slave that lay strapped to a bloodstained stone table with his body bound by sturdy ropes.
Not far from the pleading Warmblood was a yellow scaled Skink Priest by the name of Mengelox whose eyes studied a most interesting pair of objects, two leather-bound tomes detailing the anatomies of the human body. The first of which was according to the foreign script penned by Warmblood healers as a treatise on the inner workings of a Man-Spawn's body. The second tome was a cruder and filthier thing for it had been penned and created by the Rat-Spawn and detailing their knowledge of human anatomy.
Fascinating, was the thought of the Skink Priest who once served the Slann Mage Priest, Lord Tlaco who in turn held a deep interest in the development of the younger races. Under the patronage of his lord, the Skink Priest had over the years performed numerous dissections, vivisections, ritual sacrifices, alchemical experiments and culinary butchery upon countless warmbloods, all in the name of knowledge. The hated Rat-Spawn, the Skaven it seemed, believed that the source of Man-Spawn's courage was from the spleen while the healers of the humans believed the same organ was related to aggression through the production of a bodily fluid in the form of yellow bile.
Since the end of the last great war, Lord Tlaco like all the other Slann had been engaged in the great mental debate regarding the future of the Lizardmen race as a whole which left his humble servant to continue cataloging the anatomical and physiological knowledge of the world's races. Within this stone chamber which was part of the floating Ziggurat of Caxuatn, Mengelox temporarily now served The Spirit of the Jungle, Nakai the Wanderer both as a healer and spellcaster for their legions. Now he contemplated on how best to proceed with his newest test subject, a young human male, one of many slaves captured from the war with The Empire tribe.
If he removed the Man-Spawn's spleen organ, would it cause him to lose aggression? Would it rob him of any sense of courage? Perhaps if he could make some alterations to its flow of yellow bile, he could find a balance between aggression and courage while maintaining the warmblood's mental faculties? With a fairly sizable number of humans now living as slaves in Lustria's Temple Cities, the Lizardmen had quickly found the limits of the effectiveness when using castration and lobotomy to ensure compliance.
While there were many who called for a purge of the defeated Man-spawn, there were also those among the Lizardmen who saw a usefulness in keeping them around as slaves or livestock. Personally, Mengelox was among the latter who found easier now a days to replace test subjects which often expired from his studies. He, along with many Lizardmen also enjoyed the taste of Man-spawn flesh which he suspected was one of the main reasons why no procedures to stop their females from reproducing were being used and why the human population had been allowed to somewhat grow in numbers.
As he continued to contemplate on how to best operate on the slave, his train of thought was interrupted by the clattering of metal plates and the jingling of smaller trinkets. Looking to the opened doorway leading out of his chamber, he saw the venerable Saurus Scar Veteran, Gortehe who was accompanied by a pair of Saurus Warriors.
'We arrive, descend now' growled the Saurus Scar Veteran and Mengelox bowed his crest in respect as he placed colored pieces of cloth to mark where he was on the tomes before closing them. The Sauruses then went their way down the corridor to the private chambers of other leaders in service to Nakai The Wanderer and he briefly looked back to the human captive.
He will just have the thrall sent to the Ziggurat's Temple Chambers. A sacrifice to earn the Predator God's favor would be far more beneficial now he supposed as he he could always get another Man-Spawn anyway.
Kalimdor, Azshara, 20 years after the opening of the Dark Portal
Basking in the raw power that emanated from the Tree of Life, Kyntaria felt better than she had since fleeing from Nendis and she noticed that it affected the others as well. It was the little things that had changed among them once their connection to Nordrassil had been restored, every Night Elf stood up a little straighter, there was a more confident manner in their stride which even extended their manner of speech. Dancing magic light surrounded the Tree of Life as it empowered one of the Wisps which settled upon an area of open ground and spirit began the process of transforming into an Ancient of War.
With shelters now established for the survivors, lumber being safely gathered and a pair of Moonwells being constructed, she knew that if they were to begin rebuilding and preparing for battle, they would need to find a Gold Mine. Fortunately, the Night Elves knew the location of an unclaimed mine and how to get there. The outlanders it seemed had agreed to offer their aid as the Asur leader, Alith had assigned a group of cloaked archers to aid them and leader of the Skinks, one of the color changing weird eyed creatures that was called Okseeotal or something like who provided a group of similar looking reptiles with fiery orange scales and bright feathered headdresses.
The band of Night Elf Archers protectively stood around the Tree of Life as their allies gathered around them and with a quite nod to the newly grown Ancient, its roots began to move with a serpentine smoothness. Raising itself up from the ground, the Tree of Life uprooted and began to walk on four mighty legs that slowly propelled it forward while the group remained around it. The fiery scaled Skinks proceeded to move up ahead where the colors of their bodies began to shift to other colors that allowed them to blend in with the surrounding forest.
Five wisps had also joined them as they headed out passed the walls and simply there was not much else to be said for the going would be slow. The light of dawn was already filling the sky and Night Elves began to become a bit more cautious for their Shadowmeld would not work during day and they would have to rely on more conventional methods of stealth.
As they walked into the forest, Kyntaria hoped that the Greenskins would not attack the camp.
Grim fascination was felt by Alarion as he watched the reptiles butcher the bodies of dead Satyrs and some Greenskins while strange alchemies took place. The reptiles dud not seem to mind his presence as he stood about in a part of the camp where corpses were being hung upside down and their blood was being gathered in clay bowls. Under the watchful eyes of their leader a creature named Ox-see-oat-all, they were applying herbs, powders and other things to to the collected bowls of blood while others went about hacking off body parts.
The Night Elf fisherman was used to the sight of blood from fish he would catch to the occasional game animal he would hunt alongside his fellow Kaldorei. He was also quite used to the sights and smells of animals being butchered and skinned so that leatherworkers could make use of their hides or their meat to be prepared for consumption. But to see it done upon an intelligent creature, regardless of whether it was demon thing or one of the Greenskins was something different and he was partly more concerned about his own lack of squeamishness on such a thing. Upon a tree not far from where he stood, a pair of Satyrs were tied up while another pair of shield and throwing spear armed Murloc-like reptiles stood guard.
Walking up to the corrupted kin, Alarion realized that he had never seen a live one so close that he could actually touch one. Dead Satyrs he had seen plenty of times, sure, lives ones though he tended to run away from and inform the nearest Sentinel camp. A gristly thought came to his mind that with his fishing knife he could probably even cut one of Satyrs and they would not be able to do anything about it.
'The hell are you looking at!?' snarled one of the Satyrs in an ugly dialect of Darnassian which drew a disdainful look from the other one. 'Looking to prove yourself the mighty warrior? Well here we are scum!'
Anger began to simmer within Alarion whose hands tightened into fists as he wanted to grab a rock and throw it at the Satyr but before he could react, the leader of the reptiles suddenly appeared next to him and he was surprised at how quiet the creature had been. In its clawed hands it held one of the clay bowls filled with blood and it began making a series of chittering clicks to the guards who stepped aside. Another of the reptiles came bearing a throwing spear which it handed to the lead creature who in turn took it with one hand before dipping the obsidian stone head into the bowl.
After coating the tip of the spearhead with blood, Ox-see-oat-all handed the vessel to the spear bearer before walking up to the captives. The Satyrs began to struggle more as the lead reptile stepped forward, they angrily shouted curses and obscenities in a mix of Darnassian and the demonic tongue of the Burning Legion. The reptile then thrust the spear into left arm of one Satyr with only a shallow cut being made.
The lizards then watched to see if something would happen and after a moment the Satyr began to breath more rapidly as he suddenly began to spasm while foam and spittle accumulated from his mouth. The other Satyr, the one who had taunted Alarion suddenly lost his bluster as he looked to the other one in horror until finally, it just stopped moving.
'Hey I was just kidding!' then said the Satyr whose voice now had a tone of hysteria in it. 'I got a friend named Zenn, Zenn Foulhoof. He can provide you things you never dreamed of having! If you tell these lizards to let me go I can take you all to him!'
'Don't even bother trying to tempt me Satyr!' retorted Alarion. 'Your kind made their choice long ago now deal with the consequences'
The reptiles had then begun to mix more powders and herbs into the blood bowl which Alarion then realized must have been poisons like what the Dryads coat their spears in. Once they were done, their leader dipped another spear into the bowl and he began to approach the last Satyr before giving him a cut in the right arm. Before their eyes, the skin of the demon kin began to blacken as if rot had set in and it caused his veins beneath to become visible with the color of black.
In less than a minute, the Satyr was turned into blackened cadaver that looked and smelled like it had been dead for weeks. Having covered his nose and mouth in disgust at the smell but not at the sight before him, he turned around and headed back to the section of the camp which the Night Elves had claimed. Fascinated by what he had witnessed, his thoughts turned to the growing Ancient of War.
When it had fully grown, he would beseech its wisdom for Alarion tired of not being able to do anything else for his people. He did not care that he was a male nor was he a Druid. He would fight to defend the forest and would gladly sacrifice his own life if need be.
Naggaroth, IC 2532.
Four floating ziggurats that radiated with magical lights could be seen in the night sky above the Land Chill as the small army of Asur and their allied forces marched towards the structures. Upon the back of his horse, Inarion had a good vantage point to observe the war host. Among the crowd he saw some familiar faces who had participated in the Khainite ceremony mostly among the common Citizen Levy and some of the Silver Helms. He also noticed the Dark Elf Sorcerer, Tahriel who was still accompanied by the Shadow-Walker Shaelyn as they traveled among other Shadow Warriors.
The Grand Carnifex of Khaine was also there among them, he rode upon the back of a sorrel colored horse partially painted in red as the human knights from Kislev do and he held one of his swords at the ready. Behind the High Priest were a number of armed humans wearing black robes with trims of red while two of them carried a small shrine which had a statuette of Khain upon it. In the years since Naggaroth had opened up to outsiders, quite a number of those that arrived were Khaine's human followers who seemed to be under the impression that they would be free to worship the Lord of Murder without persecution, which was partially true but only under the auspices of the Shadow King's reformed Traditionalist sect.
Unsurprisingly, violent disagreements regarding the worship of the War God had broken out with the human Khainites and ultimatums were given to either submit to the doctrines of the Asur Traditionalists or be slain. For many High Elves, such use of force on matters of faith was distasteful for only depraved beings like the Druchii or lesser ones like humans would use such methods as a means of control, yet it had become a necessity. As long as these human cultists had their uses, he would not complain for the Asur could always use some fodder or extra laborers while on campaign.
Inarion also did not notice if the Asrai who attended the ceremony were there as well. He wondered if they had gone to the Obsidian Peaks which was a long way to the southwest of Blacklight Tower or if perhaps they used some other means to contact their kin in the north. He was aware that in the northern and far more frigid areas of Naggaroth, the King in the Woods along with his wife, the Mage Queen Ariel and their twin heralds regularly fought alongside the Asur forces stationed there against the regular incursions from Chaos barbarians.
It did not matter much to him though for if the Lustrians shared the same goals as the Asur then he would welcome it. During the last great war, the Elves of Yvresse did not find reason to clash with the Lizardmen and despite being aware of battles fought between their kin and the cold blooded beasts, they appreciated the mutual enmity which they shared towards Chaos and those Druchii enthralled to the whims of Slaanesh. Like rest of the High Elves, the Yvressians had been convinced by Prince Teclis to also engage in trade with the reptiles which had proven quite profitable in rebuilding the cities of their misty homeland.
Soon they were travelling through the woods where crashing trees could be heard followed by the chopping of wood. Pillars of multi colored lights descended from the bottoms of the Ziggurats where the forms of Lizardmen both large small emerged from. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of reptiles were now gathered here and establishinging a large fortified camp around what looked to be a gleaming disc of light, a portal, Inarion realized.
Loud screeches were heard as several Griffons, Great Eagles and Phoenixes flew over their heads and Inarion was quick to spot Stormwing, the mount of Prince Eltharion which came to land in front of them amidst several broken tree stumps. The Grim Warden's eyes coolly regarded the host from Blacklight Tower before settling upon Inarion himself.
'My Prince!' called Inarion as he rode his horse forward and bowed his head in respect to his liege.
'Lord Inarion' respectfully spoke the Lord of Athel Tamarha while the rest of the small army headed towards the portal. 'Your presence here is unexpected but a welcome one.'
'I had intended to sail to Karond Kar and inform you my Prince' explained Inarion. 'But Commander Taodin of Blacklight Tower had sent an Eagle rider to deliver the message'.
'We had encountered the courier along the way here' replied Prince Eltharion whose voice then became colder. 'I have been informed as well of the destruction of a slave hamlet, by Greenskins'.
'Yes my Prince, as ever my sword is yours' then spoke Inarion and his liege gave a satisfied nod as the Mistwalkers rejoined their lord while accompanied by the hired band of Wood Elves.
'And who are these Asrai?' questioned Prince Eltharion.
'I am Glade Captain Kellyr of the Bowmen of Oreon' announced the Wood Elf leader who rode forward to meet the Grim Warden. 'Lord Inarion has hired our services to hunt orcs'.
'Your services will be transferred under my command, as long as there no objections' then spoke Prince Eltharion who looked to Inarion. Giving his lord a silent shake of the head, the Grim Warden nodded before looking to the Glade Captain who did not seem to mind.
No other words were needed to be said as the Mistwalkers and the band of Wood Elves joined forces with Prince Eltharion. Turning their attentions to the portal, they saw a familiar figure step through the rift and they saw the Shadow King, Alith Anar who was accompanied by a smaller reptilian creature. This one Inarion recognized as Oxyotl, the leader of a group of Lizardmen known as the Ghosts of Pahuax whose exploits in the north were well known to the Asur, especially to the Everqueen and Prince Tyrion.
A great hulking creature then began to approach the rift and the elves saw a Kroxigor, a particularly large one adorned with many golden trinkets while holding a massive spiked mace. And this must have been the infamous Nakai The Wanderer thought Inarion who had heard the stories about this particular Lizardman being responsible for slaughtering entire armies of humans which was something he quietly approved of. With such a gathering of powerful champions here, Inarion had already suspected that there was much more going on than some mere band of Orcs and now he was certain that this was something else, something far more dire.
Lustria, 20 years after the Opening of the Dark Portal
Slapping the side of his face, Arren cursed as a mosquito that had bitten him had managed to get away and the pirate could imagine that his face was filled with bite marks for a swarm of the damned things had fallen upon them. Torch fires burned in the night as the undead silently watched over both the pirates and the Orcs who had grown quiet as well, the camp they they established was a simple affair of tents being pitched up here and there and he wondered why skeletons would even need shelter. Looking to the Greenskins, it crossed the mind of Arren to try to perhaps talk one and devise a way to get out but another part of him was quick to quash the idea for he held nothing but hate for their kind.
While he did not hold much love for his fallen homeland of Azeroth, which confusingly was also the name of a continent and the world, it had been a lasting experience for a much younger Arren when he had managed to sneak into Stonewind before the Orcs laid siege to it and been able to get aboard one of the refugee ships sailing to Lordaeron. He remembered seeing the fires as they sailed off from the docks when the Orcs claimed victory and he the screams of those who had not been killed in the initial fighting, he used to have nightmares thinking of the slow and excruciatingly painful deaths that awaited those they left behind which probably included that miserable drunken wretch of a bastard who had been his father. It was an experience that would be repeated in Lordaeron years later during the Second War when the capital of the north fell to The Horde.
Arren was well aware that he was not patriot, no hero or righteous defender of humanity but even he had been appalled by the atrocities of the Orcs. Even he, a petty criminal, a bandit, a pirate and outlaw could see that these were dark days for humanity and no doubt the other races back in the Eastern Kingdoms. So much pain and suffering had been caused by those Greenskinned savages and their allies where he had no doubt that they brought ruin to whatever races lived in Kalimdor.
Remaining silent then while looking to his fellow pirates, Arren saw that they too were looking for a chance to escape. He then noticed the eyes of Mishaf squinting and looking towards something across them and Arren turned to see what it was. From the edge of the camp's clearing where skeletal workers had been hacking away, they suddenly became silent as large serpentine things emerged from the jungles.
They were monstrous snakes twice the size of a man and bearing gilded skull-like faces while some had visages resembling a human one with a golden face. Skeletal warriors rode upon the backs of some of the serpents, each one holding a pair of polearms with one it seemed was used to help keep them stabilized, they wore armor that covered the area around the shoulders and neck with gold and turquoise, their faces were covered by gilded masks. Others among these serpents had no riders but possessed arms and were also wielding polearm in their grasps.
The heads of the skeletons around them turned to face the approaching serpent creatures where a banner was held high by one of the riders. It was to hard to see what it was in the dark but as they came closer, Arren could make out what looked to be a turquoise colored snake with a golden human skull for a head. The skeletons then proceeded to kneel before the arriving serpents where among them was one rider that stood out for it was another bandage wrapped corpse thing.
Unlike the other dried corpse undead which Arren was certain had been a man, this one clearly had been a woman in life. Riding upon a serpent as well, the snake-like creature did not bear a gilded face like the other ones but a human-like mask cast from polished ivory and it mirrored that of the undead woman who also wore an ivory mask which depicted a beautiful face. A turquoise colored cloak and kilt was worn by this creature who carried what looked to be a similarly colored staff with the top part being alive with a writhing serpent while her left hand was covered in a gauntlet with long bladed fingers.
Wearing what looked to be a crown and adorned with many pieces of jewelry, Arren was certain that this creature was some sort of leader, perhaps a princess or even a queen. Several skeletons followed behind the undead woman, many of which were bow wielding archers and even other more curious things. Accompanying the undead were seemingly living, breathing creatures of flesh and blood with forms vaguely resembling an ebon skinned gnome with comically exaggerated features.
Heavy steps followed by the clinking of metal was then heard as a large group of Skeletons approached with the spear and shield wielding undead leader among them along with another similar looking figure who had an even more ornate attire. The skeletons which followed the corpse things knelt before the undead woman while the other two who obviously were leaders of some sort raised their weapons in salute to her and the second one held a curved sword that gleamed with a blood red light.
Foreign words from dry, long dead lips were spoken by the undead leaders which came out in an echoing baritone voice first from the one with the gleaming blade and then a regal well spoke feminine one from the undead woman whose mount lowered itself to the ground which allowed her to gracefully step upon the grassy ground. Arren could not understand what they were saying but he believed he able to get their names at least. The undead woman he thought was named Hall-lee-da and the one with the glowing blade sounded like Amen-hat-top.
As the undead leaders spoke, one of the ebon skinned gnome like creatures, a male one came forward and upon closer inspection, Arren realized that it too was an undead thing for a bloody wound was upon its chest as if stabbed by a spear. The undead gnome like creature's eyes were a corpse white as it spoke a different set of foreign words before pointing towards the Orc captives and the other undead seemed to acknowledge it. The undead woman then pointed a clawed finger towards the Greenskin prisoners and the gnome-like creatures began giving voice to shrill cries.
Arren then noticed that the gnome-like things were carrying weapons such as clubs, knives or spears and they proceeded to swarm the Orc prisoners like an angry shoal of Frenzy fish. Much to his surprise, disgust and horror, just like an angry shoal of Frenzies, the vicious creatures began to even eat parts of the Greenskins on the spot while the beasts did try to fight back but the spear armed Skeletons remained close by to assist the ebon skinned gnome-like creatures with well aimed thrusts. While the butchery continued, he then noticed the sauntering of the undead woman who approached them and he turned his gaze to the walking corpse where empty eye sockets gazed upon them.
More foreign words were spoken to them, none were understandable to the pirates as the undead woman became silent for a moment and she looked to skeletons behind her while calling to them. Shortly afterwards as the massacre of the Greenskin prisoners finally became silent, a skeleton holding a bronze lockbox came forward and the undead woman gave the thing an order which the skeleton then turned to face them. Undoing the small metal clasp, it opened the box to reveal several glittering diamonds, pearls, rubies, sapphires and other gemstones that dazzled the eyes of the pirates.
Another word was spoken by the undead woman as the skeletal servant then placed the box down in front of them and kneeled before her. She then gestured to the servant and then pointed to them with her clawed index fingers and Arren believed he began to understand her meaning. Other skeletons then approached the pirates and for a moment, fear gripped the heart of Arren until he noticed that they were not armed and they began to unlocks the manacles that bound their hands.
Soon they were freed and Arren briefly considered the idea of fighting or trying to make run for it but his eyes, as well as those of the other pirates were immediately drawn to the box of gems that still lay next to the kneeling skeleton while the undead woman silently looked upon them. His feeling of what they wanted then turned to certainty as Arren then bent his right knee towards her while bowing his head for he desired nothing more than to possess the fortune that lay before him.
'I swear to serve you, my queen' were the words Arren spoke and the men around him did likewise as well.
Looking up to her ivory masked visage, the undead woman gave him a slight nod before turning her attention away from them and towards the other walking corpses. The undead then began to head to the rift while they left the box with the pirates and their eyes turned to the treasure before them. They had no doubt that these undead had other treasures as well for they had all seen the sheer amount of gold which they openly displayed for all to see.
'Looks like our luck is finally turning around' commented Haseen whose words were unanimously agreed with by all.
Lustria, Berenis , IC2532
The White Wind of Hysh flowed across the Port City of Berenis, bathing it in cleansing magic that purified the corruption caused by the Warpstone deposits beneath the city. Walking down one of the many avenues leading to the docks, Aelerin casually strolled through the darkened, sandy streets where skeletal guards maintained a silent vigil and he did not worry much about the idea of being accosted by petty thugs. Much like how the Asur had once cleansed the crater where the humans of The Empire would later build the city of Talabheim, the Nehekharans made the land safe enough to sustain life, even despite their undead state.
All across the city did the undead quietly shuffle about as the Liche Priests performed rites to honor the goddess Neru who like Lileath was associated with the white moon of Sariour which the humans called Mannslieb. Aelerin could sense and feel the protective magic that was woven across the city and it imparted a sense of clarity to his thoughts as he enjoyed his walk. Other living beings could be seen here and there from fellow Asur to Skink traders, to Dwarfs settlers, numerous sailors from the nations of Men and Ogre mercenaries for all were welcome to trade in the port cities of the Court of Lybaras.
Aelerin's destination was one of the many lodges in the port city where living visitors could unwind. Being used to dealing with the lesser races as part of his business, he did not mind going to such places that would be packed with them. Aside from the living, there curiously were also undead merchants, nobles, scholars and peasants going about in a manner reminiscent of a living populace.
More than once had Aelerin partaken in lavish banquets where he had dined with mummified lords who either feasted as if they were still alive or just awkwardly stared at meals even after the sun rises. These were all very awkward affairs which ultimately were a necessity when doing business with the Tomb Kings as much as if it were with living beings. As he approached the docks district, he noticed something in the air, four moving fiery objects that looked as if...
Aelerin's sea green eyes then widened in realization as he increased his pace and headed directly to the docks itself. Along the way he saw a growing number other Asur heading towards the harbor, no doubt that they noticed the same thing as he had. Once he was in sight of the pier and the sea itself, he saw the approaching fleet of elegant war ships.
Waving reddish pink banners which depicted a crescent moon and the White Tower of Hoeth, Aelerin recognized the flags of the Order of the Loremasters. Guiding the fleet of elvish ships were four Phoenixes that blazed with magical fire while upon the decks they could see the sorcerous lights conjured by mages to help light the way. Large braziers were then lit by the Lybarans which assisted in guiding the ships and after several minutes, the Asur vessels were safely able moor upon the docks.
Standing by the quayside along with a gathering crowd who had come see what the commotion was, they saw the ramps descend from several ships where rank upon rank of High Elf troops disembarked. The crowd made way for the Asur war host which Aelerin noticed must have numbered in the hundreds, perhaps more than a thousand elves. From one of the vessels, a venerable Dragonship came a large number of Swordmasters and Mages where among them Aelerin spotted the distinct form of Prince Teclis limping along.
The sight of the High Loremaster was certainly quite a surprise but it also brought with it an uncomfortable realization. Why was he here Aelerin wondered for Prince Teclis would not have brought an army if this were a casual social call with the High Queen of Lybaras. Remembering the sandstorm from earlier which often heralded the Nehekharan call to arms, he was certain that the two events were somehow connected.
The uncomfortable realization caused Aelerin to look back towards the west and he wondered what could prompt such a mobilization of force.
Lustria, 20 years after the Opening of the Dark Portal
Now freed from their bonds, the pirates were given back their weapons and much to their delight, they were given food, actual fresh fruit and clean drinking water. Savoring the sweet juicy things that were brought to them, they had no idea to what the names were for most of the items with the only thing recognizable they had were seed filled bananas. Regardless, they enjoyed the feast provided to them by the undead as the ebon skinned gnome things disappeared into the jungle while dragging the green carcasses with them.
A fire burned around them as the gem filled lockbox glittered from the light of the flames, its dazzle lifted their spirits.
'I think we can all agree that we are keeping these ones' said Gelgash as he spat out the seeds of some yellow pink skinned fruit with a white interior that was filled with black seeds.
'No objections from me' Mishaf then said while sharpening a jambiya. 'I never wanted to be a pirate and this can be my way out'
'Same here' Haseen added as he looked into the fire while holding a water skin.
Similar sentiments were shared by the group of men and Arren felt like the odd one out for a life of crime and on the run was all he knew. He would not even know what to do with such wealth aside from squandering it on various vices.
'So are we not going to talk about these undead' then spoke a man named Bennon who looked to the undead with wariness. 'Don't get me wrong, those gems are worth a lot but is no one else concerned?'
'If the undead wanted to kill us they would have already' replied Arren as he was peeling a banana. 'You all saw what happened to those Orcs, so they likely want us for something from us'.
'Perhaps they need a guide?' suggested Mishaf. 'Someone who knows about the land?'
'That makes sense' shrugged Gelgash.
'Well we'll find out soon enough I am sure' said Arren as he looked to the gathering army. A crashing sound was then heard to what seemed to be east of their position and the pirates at first thought that the undead were clearing out the jungle.
Instead they saw several torches burning where a great number of creatures had emerged from the jungles. A great horde of reptilian things had appeared along an area where the undead were raising palisade walls and neither side made a move against one another. After a moment where they expected violence to break out, the pirates instead saw the undead make way for the reptilian creatures which somewhat to diffuse the situation among them.
Approaching the same portal the pirates had earlier gone through, the reptiles moved in a manner that was far more organized than they expected. From among the ranks of the undead came that woman who was accompanied by the other two leaders of their kind while from the lizards came a trio of figures as well. Two were noticeably smaller than the other but judging from what Arren could see, the big one did not seem to be in charge.
Of the three lizards, one was a small yellow skinned creature that looked to be of a similar size as a murloc, it wore a bright feathered headdress and it carried a staff si perhaps it was some kind of magician. The second lizard, the bigger one was a large white, practically albino scaled brute that carried a carried a shield and a mace. The third lizard who looked to be actual one charge was a smaller blue grey scaled creature with a distinct red crest upon its head, it bore a tail that split into two ends and it carried a knife along with a golden tablet.
He could not hear what they were saying and even if he did, he would not have understood their words. As unknown words were being spoken between them, Arren could sense and feel... something, in his very head.
It was then that four large, burly lizards came, each one carrying a shield and a polearms while they wore horned helmets made from bone. They were guarding an absolutely massive, bandages creature that sat on a magically floating platform which was adorned with ivory horns and bones.
+Be at peace, Children of the Titans+ whispered a voice in his head and somehow he knew it came from that thing on the floating platform +Know that we have come to honor the pact of the Creators. The Order of your world will be restored.+