Strands of Fate Chapter 3: Enemies in the Darkness (Open RP)

[A Shadowy Figure]

The spiral staircase to the top of the Citadel was long and quiet. A robed figure walked, leisurely, up to the top. Those he passed stepped aside and bowed deeply. He gave them no inclination as to whether or not he even noticed them. As he approached the entrance to the chamber, two massive abominations came into view. The creatures guarded the two large doors leading into the chamber.

The robed figure approached the door confidently. The two abominations growled as he came closer to them. He lifted his hood away from his face for a moment and the two creatures seemed to tense. They clumsily pulled the doors opened. The robed figured passed the two undead, not loosing a step, and entered the chamber. Seven other robbed figures were within the room, seated around a large, octagonal stone table with a pentagram decorating the center. The group rose and bowed as the figure took his place as the table and sat. The others quickly followed suit.

The robed figure pulled his hood away from his head, “What is the status of our progress?”

“We have managed to infiltrate both factions. An easy task to say the least.” Replied a raspy voice.

“With the recent assault on Stormwind, we have little to worry about. Our presence remains invisible.” Added another of the group, her voice cold and sharp.

The robed figure leaned forward and placed his elbows upon the table, “Has our agent been briefed on his mission.”

“Yes. He will be leaving shortly for the appointed area ready to strike that the target.” A deep voiced man to the left replied, “He has been made aware that failure is not an option.”

The robed figure looked over to the deep voiced man, “Whether or not he succeeds is irrelevant. His action is what is important.”

“Indeed. He has what he will need to achieve our goal; both the weapon and the tabard.” Chimed in the sharp voiced woman.

The robed figured looked around the table, an eerie grin upon his face, “You have served the master well. See about your charges, once the plan begins, there will be a great deal to manage. I will summon once again when the time calls for it.”

The group stood and bowed to the robed figure and filed out of the room. The robed figure stood and walked out towards the balcony of the citadel. He took in a deep breath, filling his lung with the frigid air. As he looked out he could see the glorious Icecrown Citadel to the North.

[Asarelah]

The Al'shar thread can be found here, and began before the shadowy figure entered.
They have asked that we post in both places : Strands of Fate - Chapter 3: Enemies in the Darkness
http://alshar.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1613

Asarelah stretched her neck back and forth, trying to ease a cramp. She had been bent over her desk for what seemed like hours, tallying the strength of those that would come to the Nyxian Banner should the Dark Lady sound another call to war. After the condition that Oracle Smoketusk had been found in, and the resistance met when the Tribe sought to recover him from the Stormwind Stockades, Lah was surprised that Nyx and her allies were not already ordered to march; laying waste to every Alliance settlement her Umbral Champions could find.

Her Allies....

Diligently, Lah bent back to her task, trying to match the names of the pledges with War Banners, sorting her hastily scribbled notes as best she could.

The Serpents had promised many seasoned fighters, and could field them with little or no advance warning. The Nightwarder could only shake her head in awe at the Serpent's power, having just literally RUN through the Epic Halls of Naxxramas at their side. It had been all she could do to keep up with Nelligrand as he lead the mixed Nyx and Serpent raiding party through the entire dungeon. They laid waste so quickly that she felt she had just arrived; but in a blink all was finished save the sharing of spoils and heading for a cold brew.

And there were more... The Phoenix showed great promise and were eager to join the cause; as were The Shadowsworn. The Mercenaries had already proven their loyalty, as had The Assault. Lah knew Evil and Blackmoon could be depended upon absolutely to come instantly should need arise. Then all the others that still had not been officially recognized as allies.... Yes, the list was quite impressive, indeed.

With a smile, and the memory of telling the Al'shar Commanders that the Nyxian numbers were no fluke when the Artifact was destroyed, she reached for pen and scroll.

Oracle Tallbear,

I am pleased to report that Oracle Smoketusk has recovered from his ordeal in the Stockades reasonably well. He should be returning to Council shortly, and is ready to proceed at any task the Lady sets him. I expect he would prefer a large dose of vengence as his first assignment, to be truthful, for his leg still pains him greatly.

Further, at your command, I have tallied our strength. Should the Lady sound war drums and call us to battle, it is my honour to inform you that your merest whisper will field any number of Nyxians and our Allies... 40... 80... more?? Many stand ready, prepared to fight under the Nyxian Banner. Just tell me how many you want, and when you want them.....

Your Servant,

Ambassador Asarelah
Nightwarder of Lady Nyx

[Ezraella]

With the passing of a new day, the books just kept stacking up. Ezraella's wish to research the origins of what plauged them was astronomical. No part of her large study had been untouched, either by books, paper or wax from her source of light. Though she could have used Dalaran's rather unique lighting, there was nothing better than traditional methods.

She leaned back, sighing audibly. It was wonderous to see just how far along things had come since the beginning of her time here. There was much more and just information contained within these volumes but, unfortunately, it was a lonely existance.

In the corner of her eye, Ezraella noted a flash of green light. One of the things she had done before returning to Dalaran after her studies of Icecrown was place a perimeter block near the citidel gates. Unfortunately however, because of the sheer amount of traffic going in and out, she had to shift and warp the spell slightly to allow for only larger creatures and allies to be detected.

Rubbing her face tiredly, Ezraella got a quill and a piece of parchment and began to write,

Aitana,

Though I know I have mentioned it before in my writings to you, I should probably mention it again. I am concerned by the current movements within Icecrown. The Lich King's army continues to move and consume those it comes in contact with. The forces out there seem to be holding them, but I fear it is only a matter of time before we are stretched too thin and the Alliance takes the opportunity to attack.

I do not know what else to do other than monitor the situation and report. But I digres, I am sure that it is a concern to all of us. I hope things are moving adequately for you, we shall speak properly later. Oh, and before I forget... How is Warburn? I heard he suffered not too long ago at the hands of the enemy... I have heard very little on that situation, but I will keep my eyes and ears open, should any of it reach the snow lands.

Ezraella Kysarrian
Keeper of Lore

Crunching her fingers to loosen them, she steps outside and around the corner to a mailbox, popping the letter in. ...Things were so peaceful here but she feared that they would not be for much longer.

[Tindr Thornleif]

A few days had passed and although the dawn was pleasant, the noise in Dalaran had become annoying. Tindr had been tasked to re-assess the strength of their forces as well as the threat level in various areas of Azeroth. The late night patrol he had just returned from had left him tired and in need of rest. But he knew he had to get the report written for The Keeper, Andenel, to review.

Tindr decided to retreat to Darnassus where its peacefulness was greatly welcomed. It was as if the city was still in its morning slumber.

Maps and reports still stood in their various scattered positions of the War Room as Tindr entered. Taking a seat at the small desk in the corner, Tindr begun his report when a letter with the Darkwood seal arrived. He quickly opened it as he had been looking forward to hearing from his friend and when he would be arriving.

Thornleif,

I hope this letter finds you well. During my stay in Kamagua, I was granted visions. My lack of experience with using their meditative incense was almost etremely costly but I believe what I have seen may help us to uncover some hidden answers to things. We should speak in person soon. Until then, remain vigilant.

Elune adore,

Leikos


Tindr read the letter with an amount of amusement. “Meditative incense? This should be interesting to hear about.”

[Tindr Thornleif]

(( Post forwarded from Al'shar forums from the Assassin - Genady ))

The mangy dwarf had just gotten the signal from the inside that they were on the way out. But it wasn’t the right side of the inside that Genady was expecting. You see he was on the outside, but the wrong side of the outside - well the right side of the outside only that wasn’t the side of the outside they were coming out of. Whatever. What was important now was for Genady to get to the wrong side of the outside where his target would be.

He hurriedly saddled up on his ram and called his pet hyena to him and took off one a bumpy ride up the road. Un-crumpling a map from his pocket he stared at it perplexed for a long moment. After turning it upside down four times he found his bearings and before long he found himself missing a goat and on a hill overlooking the Horde procession. Heard bleating somewhere distantly the goat would have to wait. He leaned in to speak to the hyena at his side.

“Tees es yoor momeynt off glory. Es taim do as for playn, ah?” His grin was not so much encouraging as frightening but served the same purpose.

His hyena charged the group boldly. The ruse in place, Genady activated the whirring cloaking device on his back and followed its lead. Everything around him blurred and all the Horde vanished as did the surrounding creatures. Well except for his hyena. Was it invisible too? It probably wouldn’t be very distracting if no one can s- No! Genady had no time to dwell on that as he materialized in their midst, nor the fact that his firebomb mysteriously froze the ground around it. Nothing mattered now but sticking to his elaborate plan.

A quick dash past the crowd. He whirled about and drew his rifle, leveling it at Aitana and squeezing off the first specially barbed round. The next one in the magazine was coated in poison not meant for her. Before the recoil of the first gunshot dissipated he gracefully swung the sights in line with a figure to her right and fired again.

Yes, it was all going according to plan. Each specialized bullet sailing from his muzzle to its mark; all coming together now in one beautiful moment of clarity as Genady’s shots flew flawlessly through the air towards himself.

‘Wate… Ah isn’t supposed for shooteen syelf…. Ant Ah es no shoot arro..’

It dugg into his shoulder, throwing him off. The sudden searing pain was the only thing on his mind, until the mace connected with his head.

Things were hazy now. The plan wasn’t so clear, and neither were the vague figures above him. Or at least he thought they were above him; he’d been wrong about this sort of thing before. He was able to bring a shaky hand to adjust the focus on his goggles. He could make out something being raised close over his face.

‘Nah…. Es dat ay orc fute or ay torun fute?’

<THUNK>

[Aitana]

"Solandria, what happened to the band?" Aitana spoke quietly to the Sin'dorei as she handed her a drink. She motioned to the human who had taken the stage in the World's End Tavern. "Comedy is fine, but this human leaves much to be desired. Besides, we came here to dance and celebrate our latest promotions."

Solandria blushed and offered apologies. There had been some confusion about the schedule. Asarelah came to her rescue.

"No worries. I have a flute that can provide us with all the music we need."

Aitana chuckled at that. The priestess was resourceful and she knew exactly which flute Asarelah was referring to. There would be music and dancing whether anybody wanted to dance or not.

The stuffy bar, physical activity and the alcohol combined to made Aitana's head spin. The walls seemed to be closing in on her. Careful to casually make her way to the door so not to raise alarm, she joined a group that was chatting outside the door of the tavern. The cool night air was refreshing.

"... so I fed dat gnome ta Despara an' den she be happy agin."

Tasera and a few others were standing around telling stories. The commeradrie made Aitana smile. It was good to relax with friends. Being in Shattrath also brought back many memories.

"Do any of you know if that crazy human is still by the lake outside this city?"

"What human?" Asarelah had joined the group.

"Surely you remember him. He paid ridiculous amounts and gave away the strangest things for a few fish every day."

"I do not believe I have met him."

"He is close by and it would be refreshing to take a quick trip over there. I can introduce you if he is still there."

The conversation turned to fishing as the group made its way out of the city. They were barely out of the city gates when a dwarf appeared in their midst and shots rang out. Aitana cried out. She was very fortunate the hunter had not had the time to take better aim. The shot missed its mark and had been deflected by her armor. Within seconds Tasera, Leothiel, and Saerok had made short work of him.

For a moment that seemed to last forever, the group stared at the body laying on the ground. It started to stir and Saerok used his hoof make sure it would stay put. His methods were swift and effective even if many would consider them crude.

"Are you injured, Aitana?"

Asarelah was already looking her over.

"His aim was poor or you got a blow in and prevented him from getting a good shot at me. Either way I am safe. I dread to think what might have happened if I had come out here alone as I had thought of doing earlier."

"I know dis banner. He be a de house a Al'shar lo Dor'ano."

"This was no random assault. This was an attempt on Lady Aitana's life!"

Tempers flared as the group continued to discuss the attack. Aitana let the others carry on the discussion and she stared at her attacker. It had been suicidal for him to attack her. And what would cause someone from Al'shar lo Dor'ano want to attack her anyway? They had reached a peaceful understanding that had lead them to cooperate in the destruction of that cursed artifact.

A glint on the ground by him caught her eye. She picked up the knife for a better look. It was in interesting piece albeit wicked looking; jagged about a foot in length and had strange runic markings upon it.

"Aitana, you need to get back into the city. It is not safe for you out here."

She could hear the concern in Asarelah's voice.

"Very well. We should all return to the tavern."

Some of the party that wanted to exact revenge immediately expressed dismay, but Aitana insisted. This was not the time. Besides that, a group of hot-heads running off were more likely to get themselves killed than do any real damage to their targets. No, vengeance would have to wait until they were ready.

[Tindr Thornleif]

The tension was thick. Tindr could sense something wasnt quite right in the way the two from the Nyx banner came upon him. The one, Leothiel, he recognized from a previous diplomatic meeting. The other troll, however, he was uncertain who she was and only knew her from her prowess on the battlefield.

Tindr had often crossed paths with the troll in Dalaran before, exchanging scowls, but this time... was different. He sensed it was more wicked in nature.

Tindr backed away slowly yet remained watchful. Unable to understand their language, he tried to convince himself that the two were simply discussing what to order for drinks and were merely aggrevated that the Lounge was out of stock of whatever they came for.

Yet...

....something didnt feel right.

[Asarelah]

The attempt on Oracle Tallbear's life still had Asarelah's mind in a state of chaos and despair. It had all happened so quickly!

Lah had been in the party riding at Aitana's side. They had just left the Shattrath Lower City Tavern, where there had been much dancing and celebration over recent guild events. The bar had been packed with Nyxians intent on having a good time. But it had quickly become hot and stuffy with all the boisterous dancing, and shenanigans. Along with that, Demineria and Solandria had been serving drinks that packed quite a wallop, and Aitana had gotten dizzy. Many followed her as she stepped outside to revive in the cool night air.

While enjoying the gentle breeze, and visiting with the those surrounding her, the Oracle happened to mention a nearby human fisherman that gave away large amounts of gold for a few fish. When Tasera expressed interest in knowing where this fool could be found, Aitana offered escort to make introductions.

With Aitana in the lead, as the riders cleared the city gate on the path to the lake that nestled just behind the Tavern, Asarelah heard the sound of a hyena's snarling charge. Tasera's hound, Despara, had the hyena by the throat before it could even startle their land mounts. Tas and Saerok were also lightening quick to react. The whirling dervish that had followed the Hyena's vicious attack was clearly intent on the Oracle as his mark. But he was on the ground, with Saerok's massive boot crushing his head, and bleeding out, before Lah could even dismount to shield the Oracle from harm.

Quickly checking Aitana for any injury, and treating the Oracle for shock, Asarelah watched as Theotaz kicked the crumpled attacker over. Her hand flew to her mouth, to cover it least she cry out, and she nearly dropped to her knees, as she recognized the colors on the blood soaked form. In stunned silence she listened to what the others were saying.

"His aim was poor or you got a blow in and prevented him from getting a good shot at me. Either way I am safe. I dread to think what might have happened if I had come out here alone as I had thought of doing earlier." Aitana shook her head, clearly puzzled, as she carefully observed Theo searching the attacker's body.

"I know dis banner. He be a de house a Al'shar lo Dor'ano."

"This was no random assault. This was an attempt on Lady Aitana's life!"

Asarelah was biting her lower lip in her bid to remain silent... to keep from allowing the thoughts racing through her head to spill out. The Al'shar... No.. it could not be! Her mind refused to wrap around what her eyes could clearly see!

Lah was still devastated that her attempts at Diplomacy had failed so utterly, and instead of aid to rescue Oracle Smoketusk from the Stockades, the Nyxian Tribe had been met with massive resistance; from both Al'shar and her allies. Spies reported that the Al'shar had even marshaled all of the Stormwind Trade District in to the fray, fighting to prevent the Nyxian's from rescuing Warburn from his captors.

Tempers flared as the group continued to discuss the attack. Then Aitana bent to pick up something on the ground near the crushed assailant. Asarelah watched as he Oracle turned a blade of some sort over in her hand; jagged about a foot in length and it had strange runic markings upon it.

"Aitana, you need to get back into the city. It is not safe for you out here," was all she could think to say. Asarelah knew if she didn't get the party moving, and away from the body laying before her - the bloodied Al'shar tabard bearing stark witness to her failed attempts to bring peace - that holding her sadness in check would be the least of her concerns.

[Leikos Darkwood]

Meanwhile, back in Northrend...

“Duty… Responsibility… Obligation… Honor. These four simple words embodied the most important pieces of the warrior’s path. They are with him when he wakes and when he sleeps. They are with him before and after a battle. They are with him as he lives and when he dies. And even in death, a warrior’s spirit is governed by these simple beliefs.”

Leikos listened as the words of his long past teacher, Harn Steelhoof, replayed in his mind. He had been deep in meditations since his old friend, Tindr, had visited. The visions he had experienced weighed heavily on the old Kaldorei’s mind. The Kalu’ak village elders had suggested attempting to relive past events in an effort to gain more control over his conscious while under the trance, as they had called it. The suggestion had paid off.

When Leikos was not in meditation, he was either fishing or offering his aid around the settlement. The simple nature of the Tuskarr community appealed to Leikos. They were governed by their Eldership, everyone pulled their weight, and resources were shared equally. In return for his labor, they had taught him their secrets to fishing and given him access to their fishing maps. Not only that, they had begun to teach him the art of spear fishing and fighting. Leikos had been adept with a polearm but the Kalu’ak Spearmen were masters.

Despite the distraction of labor and hunting, Leikos was troubled. He had been away from most everything since the battle in Blackrock Mountain. Letters had found him the last several days, marked with various military affiliated seals. Two had caught his attention. One was from Alliance Command and the other was from General Feathermoon. He had yet to open either and hadn’t planned on doing so anytime soon.

Night came upon the village and Kalu’ak families were found around fires in front of their homes awaiting the evening meal. Leikos normally would spend the evening with Elder Atuik and his kin. This night, he decided to spend alone. He headed into his small tent, and eyed a dark brown Kaldorei crafted chest. The lock upon it was made of black steel. He pulled a key from his neck and opened the chest. The contents within was finely polished black armor. From under his bed he pulled an object wrapped in oil cloth. He removed the cloth revealing a large mace with a faint aura about it.

“The Keeper believes something is amiss, Leikos. If that is true, we will need your skills.” Tindr’s words played in his mind.

The old Kaldorei shook his head remembering his reply, “I am unfit to command or fight. I would only be a weakness.”

Leikos replaced the oil cloth upon the mace and placed it back under his bed. He took one more look at the polished black armor then closed the chest and locked it. As he headed back out towards the fire, he glanced over his shoulder once more, and then headed out into the cold night.

[Leothiel]

As far as Leothiel knew, the murder attempt on Aitana was more of a warning than a real attempt. After all, why would a low level hunter of no significance try to kill someone who is more seasoned?

Back in Dalaran, Leothiel went to his favorite place: Legerdemain Lounge. It was there he found someone high up in the assassin's order: Tindr Thornleif of Alshar Lo Dorano. Leothiel wanted to question Tindr but did not have the full nuances of the Darnassian tongue. The best he can do was a scowl followed by writing on a piece of parchment and leaving it on the table closest to Tindr.