Oracle Warburn Smoketusk Kidnapped !!

[Asarelah]

QUOTE FROM ORACLE WARBURN SMOKETUSK:

Somewhere dark, cold and damp

Warburn Smoketusk, a shaman of supreme power and knowledge, was lying on his side... helpless. He tried to move his hands... they were bound. He opened his eyes, but it was as dark with them open as it was with them closed. He could hear a sniffing sound and when he moved to turn his ear towards the noise he could hear the scuttling of a rat running away.

His neck felt like it had been charged by a kodo. It was swolen. He tried casting a heal on himself but his magic wasn't working.
"Me magic... won't work... must 'ave been hit by a poison dart" he thought to himself.

He thought back, last thing he remembered is visiting his friend in Kargath. The Badlands Warchief had summoned him with news of Alliance movement on the other side of the mountain. Riding through the mountain pass is the last thing he remembered.

[Asarelah]

Asarelah looks around in panic as the battle draws to a close

"Aitana, were is Warburn?? I escorted him here before the battle, and I can't find him anywhere now!! Have you seen him??"

"I don't know, Lah... I don't think I ever saw him, not even once, during the fighting, now that you mention it. Nor did I ever sense his healing tides..." Aitana looked deep in thought. "No wonder we could not keep our front lines up!!"

Aitana glances all around as if that alone will produce the missing Oracle. Lah reaches into her pack and pulls forth a crumpled flower.

"He gave me this as a token, for my escort earlier..." Lah said quietly, a worried look on her face. "He plucked it from that silly garden basket he found, and tossed it at me as if a joke...."

Concentrating hard on the flower, Asarelah casts Mind Vision just at the tip of the petals, leaning hard in to the enchantment, envisioning her beloved Elder. A glimmering swirls around it, then clears slightly, to reveal the retreating backs of a war party. Peering closely, she is unable to identify any individual rider, but she sees a suppine Warburn slung haphazard across the rump of a mount, his arms and legs dangling.

Asarelah reaches out to Aitana's arm with a gasp, as both women watch the glimmer swirl again, and reveal more. The war party rides through the streets of Stormwind City, and straight in to Stormwind Stockades!!

"Aitana, those hideous jackals have Warburn!!" Asarelah moans, as they watch the vision fade from sight.

[Asarelah]

Quote from Oracle Aitana Tallbear

The shock of the news stunned Aitana briefly, and then she stomped her hoof.

"The motherless sons of ogres have betrayed us yet again! And just after we helped them destroy that cursed artifact that they foisted off on us to begin with!"

Instinctively Asarelah took a step back at the intensity in Aitana's voice. There was a fire in her eyes that few had ever seen.

"It was bad enough that they took me hostage. But him? Why him and why now?"

The question was not directed at anybody in particular. Aitana pulled out her stone. She could sense the others that followed Lady Nyx, but not the presence of Warburn. Either they had taken the stone from him like they had done when she was captive, or he was unconscious. And they only way they could actually keep a shaman captive would be to block his magic and his access to the spirits. Otherwise he should have been able to use a shaman's ability to return to his home.

"Lah, do you you have any way to determine what they have done to him?"

Without waiting for the answer, Aitana reached out with the aid of the stone. Leothiel, I must speak to you at once! Please meet me in Dalaran in The Filthy Animal.

[Tasera]

She could hardly believe that the artifact they had been searching for had finally been destroyed. She witnessed it with her own two eyes. There surrounded by the alliance numbers, she watched anxiously as Caim called upon his dark powers to transform himself into a demon. His abilities were successful. And the artifact in a burst of energy seemed to disintegrate into a cloud of dust and raw energy particles.

A wide smile crossed the young troll’s features and she turned to look at her horde kindred across the expanse of lava and hardened iron. She could notice a few celebrating. Tasera then turned to those who were near her, patting Caim on the back. Her vibrant red eyes then looking amongst the alliance, although she could not understand their spoken language, she could understand their nonverbal speech. They all had smiles as well, and for a brief moment, the uneasiness between the Horde and Alliance was at a halt. There where faint nods, and a few seconds of agreement as the Alliance and Horde’s eyes met. Then that contact was broken as they began to depart. Walking steadily across the chain belt and parting ways at the entrance to the depths of the mountains.

Tasera’s friends, guild mates and fellow horde began to socialize with one another. Congratulating each other with wide smiles. Tasera was among them speaking to storm cry and Lah about her battle efforts and trying to recount how many bullets landed a killing blow on the alliance. Her hound, Despara, was at her side yipping happily and nuzzling his mistress’ hand for the treats she grabbed from a bag held between her fingers. She kneeled down, then looked at her friends, “You can’t forget Despara either, he be a good boy an laid waste to a buncha humans an’ nightelves.” She cackled in her very distinct manner. Despite this temporary truce, she couldn’t help but brag about the blood that she forced upon the alliance side. It was in her nature after all, as a troll.

As the light mood continued, someone spoke up, she was note sure who. And the news they brought dampened the mood swiftly.

“WERE IS WARBURN?” the voice echoed. And for those who knew him all began to whisper amongst themselves. A few mentioned having seen him earlier, but continued to gaze around curiously. Tasera had an inquisitive look on her face and peered to Lah, hearing how she escorted him earlier to this very location. She watched then as Lah used a flower the woman-chasing troll had given her to attempt to find his location.

The moment she saw the images, Tasera’s heart sunk. Despara perked up, then his ears flashed backwards, a devilish snarl crossing his already demonic features.

Tasera dropped her weapon, “How could’ve dis happened?!” the young troll almost seemed to panic, “We got dere before ‘em. Da alliance were behind us when we got dere?! Weren’t dey?”

She grabbed her polearm and stabbed it forcefully into the ground. Her fingers clenched around it tightly, shaking as her temper flared. She didn’t peer at any of her friends, who seemed to be just a perplexed by the development. “I don believe this” she whispered, “I don’t, I thought we were done wit ‘em. An den dey turn around and take Warburn! Lah, Aitana, we have’ta go now, we gotta get ‘im back!” Tasera voiced her distress but the others where already well in the process of making a plan. She fell towards the ground a little bit, not sure why she felt this intense about the development. Her brain was rattled and trying to tie around a plan to get him back. For now though, she had a small idea, and even before asking the others, she beckoned Despara over.

Tasera peered at him at eye level, “Me put a blessin’ on you Despara, out go find Warburn in da human city.” Tasera pulled from one of her packs a small ritual totem, a totem of the loa of the winds. A small trinket of her fathers, she then grabbed a tiny piece of rope and quickly wrapped it around the hounds collar. “Da loa will grant yous speed. An when yous get ta stormwind, howl. Yous howl will be carried by da winds and I will den see wit your eyes.

“Go now! O’hoba!” She exclaimed, and without a second though, the intelligent plague hound headed it’s masters command and began in to a swift sprint towards the human country.


Tasera stood back up, a grim look on her face as she joined the others to try and over hear what they where discussing.

[Leothiel]

Mission to Stormwind

Leothiel Frosthawk received a summons from Lady Aitana, to meet her at the Filthy Animal in Dalaran. He made all haste to answer her summons, and arrived to find the Oracle, with Asarelah at her side.

"Your skills in diplomacy are required, Ambassador. We seek a parlay with Alshar lo Dorano, and Commander Thornleif has graciously consented to receive us. We leave at once!"

The Diplomatic Party made haste to catch the zeppelin for Grom'gol. From there, they would ride overland to the human capital of Stormwind.

"The only thing to be armed with on such a mission is the mind," Leo thought to himself, curbing his temptation to use his deep arcane affinity.

Arriving in Stormwind, none of the guards acknowledged their diplomatic credentials, and there was a bit of a scuffle at the docks. But the path was soon cleared, and when they arrived at the building that housed the operations of Alshar lo Dorano, Tindr recieved them with grace and honor.

After an exchange of pleasantries, Leotheil went straight to the business at hand: Warburn Smoketusk had vanished at some point during the fighting surrounding the Artifact, and it was suggested by some that Kingship of the East may have had a hand in the Oracle's dissappearance.

The Commander asked for evidence, and was told of the vision seen by Aitana and Asarelah, showing Warburn slung across the back of a mount, of a retreating war party which could have been King Hinick's men.

Thornleif appeared to be deep in thought, before instructing his translator to explain to the diplomats that he was loathe to accuse any of his allies based on such as that. But that he might send word to Lady Kharena, or Cendall Fost seeking more information as to any knowledge of Smoketusk's whereabouts.

Leothiel then asked if it would be possible to meet with a representative for Kingship of the East, preferably in a neutral spot. He never liked negotiating on someone else's ground. Tindr made no promise, but granted that he would send word if any information could be obtained.

Thanking the Commander for his kindness and willingness to receive them, the Diplomats took their leave.

[Warburn]

Time seemed to have forgotten the elder shaman. If it wasn't for the semi regular meals he received through the floor slot of his cell he wouldn't have known that several days have passed since his capture. Had he been more like Azim de Mighty, he would have kicked himself for getting captured. Oracle Smoketusk was not one to dwell on what might have been, or on spilled milk. Water will flow where gravity takes it. So does the shaman life.

"Everyting happens fo a reason" Warburn thought to himself.

The reason of his capture wasn't completely clear however he started to suspect that he was being held to be sold. The Defias commander who would stop by once every day or two spoke a language Warburn could not understand. However Warburn did manage to pick out two names. Names of arena masters, Stix Gatecrasher the goblin slave handler, and Rhegahr Stormtotem - an orc arena team owner who Warburn knew as a fellow Shaman who also has mastered the Elemental arts. Both owners would have Warburn fight for life (or death) and glory, and gold for the owners coffers.

The shaman could only hope that his true master, Lady Nyx would send the others to come for him.... Wherever he was. Or perhaps if he bides his time a chance for escape will present itself.

For now the troll was content just meditating.

[Aitana]

Encounters with Lady Nyx were never something her oracles looked forward to. The encounter had been more unsettling than usual. Lady Nyx was furious at the kidnapping of another of her oracles. The air had virtually hummed with the power that seemed to crackle at the lady's fingertips. She wanted Warburn back and she wanted such revenge on those that had taken him that others that considered taking her oracles would think more than just twice about it. The mission was clear. Aitana was to organize a raid to rescue Warburn, and not only that, but to lay waste to all Delfias holding and the human lands. Her own anger at the situation fueled by her fear of what would happen if she failed Lady Nyx fired her into action.

[Asarelah]

Quoted from Cendall Fost:

Looking through his mail, Cendall comes across a letter bearing the mark of the Al'shar. He breaks the seal and unravels the message. His face grows serious as he reads the final lines from Tindr.

"They wish to meet..." He instantly hears the King's refusal for such a meeting in his head. "But I have heard nothing of our people taking the Warchief. Such a grab usually falls to my team.. We can't have anything to do with this, can we?"

He writes a quick reply to Tindr stating, simply, "Let us speak as soon as possible, Thornleif." He folds the parchment carefully and places the dagger seal upon it. He makes his way toward the orphanage to find one of his fastest couriers.

"We mustn't be thought to be holding him. We can ill-afford to carry such additional attention right now."

[Asarelah]

Asarelah heard the pounding footsteps before the angry knocking hit her front door. She could feel the anger radiating from Aitana from yards away, before she even got near the door to throw it open. Neither woman said a word, as Lah motioned for the Oracle to proceed her to the parlor. Waving her hand at a drudge to fetch tea, the Nightwarder waited for Aitana to settle in to a seat, before kneeling at her knee, one hand placed upon it, casting Mind Soothe, trying to restore calm.

Hot tea and biscuits were soon set before the enraged Oracle, and Asarelah served her, praying that Aitana would at least have a few sips to calm herself, before addressing what had brought her to the cottage, in such haste.

Seeing the tea work it's magic, Lah finally spoke. "Mistress, I have hard news to report. Our Diplomatic mission has failed. I fear I have caused nothing but annoyance. And I have instructed Ambassador Leothiel that we must withdraw from the field."

Aitana's eyes gentled as she saw the hurt of that failure gleaming at her from Asarelah's eyes. "Don't fret yourself for it child. It will pass, and be forgotten. The Dream will turn as it will, and none of us to stop it, or gainsay it no."

Clearing her throat, Lah continue bravely. "Further, I have continued casting Mind Vision on that bloom Warburn pitched at me the last time I saw him. The pictures I get are cloudy, but I fear who ever has him intends to sell him.... as a Gladiator !!"

As words of protest were forming on Aitana's lips, Leothiel came rushing in. Turning, the Oracle all but snarled, as she spoke to him. "Took you long enough, what then. Forgotten how to use your own portals?"

Shaking his head, the Ambassador preferred several documents to Aitana's hand. Looking puzzled, she accepted the stack. "I have no time to read such as this. I summoned you here for one reason alone. Lady Nyx beats her drums. We are ordered to War to recover her Oracle!"

"I have no doubt the Lady is in a dark rage. But this news she would not yet know, for it has just come to my hand. We have word that the neither the Alshar folk, nor the Kingship were involved in the taking of Smoketusk," Leothiel nodded, seeing the profound look of relief in Asarelah's eyes. "Further, both Uruwashi and Dalabrac had a go at infiltrating the Stormwind Rogue headquarters to see what might be learned, and this snatch has Defias written all over it!"

"Defias!!" Aitana's eyes blazed a red rage Lah had never seen before, and the hand she slammed down on the arm of the chair all but shattered the wood. "Hear me, Leothiel, you will lead us. Put forth the call. We march on the Defias. We march on Stormwind City!"

[Leothiel]

Leothiel pored over the intelligence reports yet another time. "Defias?" he thought. He turned over to Aitana and asked "Why would members of the Alliance be in league with the Defias? If there are any members of the Alliance that are even caught with them on our mission, they will suffer the same fate. I wouldn't mind finding the ringleader that keeps calling for these kidnappings and either killing them or bringing them to tribunal."