Blood and Thunder Chapter 1: The First World War (Open RP)

[Airrik]

((Better understanding if you read Airrik's Backstory in the Bard's Chamber forum))

"What'll it be?"

Airrik was working a slow day shift in the Legerdemain Lounge, when a Blood Elf, clad in Silvermoon Ranger gear took a seat at the bar. It wasn't long before Airrik realized who it was however, and jumped across the bar. The ranger jumped up from his seat, and met Airrik with a warm embrace, then a friendly handshake, before Airrik went back to the other side of the counter. Airrik knew the ranger, as he was the one who first came to Airrik's cry for the help the night he found he wife slain. The Ranger, had been charged with finding the person responsible, since it occured in SIlvermoon. Of course, he hadn't been able to.

The ranger took a small sigh, "It's been a long time Airrik."

"Indeed it has, how are you?"

"Well, remember how, after so long... We were asked to give up on the investigation?" The Ranger frowned slightly.

"I remember" Airrik frowned too.

"Well, It's been over a year since we've not been been searching anymore and... Well, I have been looking still, secretly."

"I figured as much, you are very kind." Airrik slipped back into a smile.

"Well, after what happened, and how you found her... I thought she needed justice. Plus I had just joined the Rangers, and felt I had something to prove.. But, I can't search anymore..Listen Airrik, my commanding officer found out that I was still working on it, and, I risk losing everything if I don't let this one go. They say there's no use."

"I see..."

"Airrik, I'm very sorry. I know you've had your own demons since this has happened, and now, look at you. you're a death knight. If this how you really want to remember her?"

"It's what I have to do... It's all I have left. I have to find who did this, even if Silvermoon does not."

"I know you feel that way, so that's why I come here to give you this. It's the only piece of evidence I ever found. Of course, it didn't lead me anywhere."

*The ranger handed Airrik a silver necklace, with a symbol of the Alliance Lion.*

"Airrik, remember this? it's the necklace she had on. She was burned so badly... We, cleaned the necklace up some to try to make sense of it. It has the initials 'KOE' on it. We tried, but we couldn't find an Alliance commanding officer with those initials. That's where we hit a wall."

"Why didn't you tell me of these initials before?!?" Airrik shouted, louder than intended.

"We only found out a few weeks ago, Airrik.. I.... I'm sorry, friend."

The Ranger left in haste, fearing to upset his friend Airrik.

Later that night, Airrik lay in bed, dangling the necklace in front of his face. The newly cleaned necklace shimmered in the moonlight, and the initials 'KOE' stared at him. Under a sigh, and with great anger he muttered to himself.

"....Kingship.."

[Oneille]

Love a gift unending...a gift without reason...a gift that holds more honor than war can merit. Love is a tribute to the mortal condition. Several members of Tribe Nyx have become subject of its demands of such whims. As of recently Priestess Asarelah Trueheart wed, in a rush, her champion Jeriden Dawnbringer. Both live their lives with honor, respect, and love. Granted, he and she are constantly at the beckon call of duty between tribe and guild but with news of a daughter engaged to a certain Sin'dorei Nightwarder blessings are brought forth.

Lord Leothiel Frosthawk, Nightwarder of War and Ambassador proposed marriage to his consort Oneille Brightgrove of Silvermoon. The intendeds currently make plans for a wedding while the rest of the tribe rallies to fight the constantly threat of scourge and Alliance. Let it be known that of all the Alliance only Kingship of the East makes the worse impression. Some call the Kingship titans, the greatest of the fighters the Alliance has to offer...what fool in their right mind rejoices the victory of slaying the innocent! I ask you who!?!

In dire, if not grim misjudgement the Kingship's self appointed king rallied his men and decided to take action, "I will not cease until the entirity of the Horde surrenders!" King Hinik how loose was your crown this time...er go...how tight is it...enough dog...stay your tongue! Many chide themselves enough for attacking your personal quarters or attacking the nursery where your children lay. We are not murderers nor will we ever be!

What of the Battlebaster Heimdel...his anger, his malice, his revenge against the preistess Lah for betraying his love...Love that word...it permeates. Love is a fine wine...drink deeply and you'll seek the bottom...drink too lightly and carelessly you've stained your lips!
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Oneille stood on her apartment's balcony admiring the setting sun. The autumn winds swept through the now darkening streets of the elven capital. The elven maiden's crimson hair caught about her face as her admiration became directed at the diamond ring about her hand. There upon her delicate finger rested Leothiel's engagement ring. A flawlessly cut diamond that shone as bright as the Na'ruu.

"Mmm, Leothiel I miss you dearly. When shall this pain of separation cease? It's practically unruly that we must do through this each time. Soon we'll be married...and from there a lifetime together, " Oneille turned to notice the crimson vase still holding the white roses. The flowers slowly withered but still kept.

"It's about us and our tribe. I hope Father Frosthawk does well in Outland. He is on a sojourn to see our world as we've known it."

[Oneille]

I perceive the battles with Kingship as never ending. Yes, the obvious stated I feel that for my own part I'm understanding war in this land. I'm taking to the battle armor vendors, playing the arenas and hoping to take down the mighty Alliance leaders once and for all. As I sat there holding a broken arm and being stared down by Hinik and his men I felt ashamed, embarrassed. I value my tribe and my people. My war chief is my calling, serving him is the greatest honor ever. Several tribe's men fare greater in combat than I...but I'm trying to learn.

In a world divided by whose armies are greater and whose power is strongest, I do not doubt Kingship but I loathe them. Utterly loathe them...to each member I curse them. I place nothing but contempt to them. I enter Icecrown each day doing what the Argent Crusade asks of me. Becoming attacked by Kingship...it's nothing new. Wounds heal, bones mend, and still I go on. But as I lied there in the snow wheezing for breath Hinik, his weapon held high ready for a crushing blow, I understood why so many want them destroyed. I just want to be left alone to live my life with him, Leothiel.

One last swipe and Hinik sent me to the welcomed embrace of unconscious. The black void of silence, a hushed whisper for help, and all I could think of was my love...my winged Lion.

((disregard the actually user interface just trying to get the picture up))

[Leothiel]

It had been a long night for Leothiel. He barely slept as he went to review the events of the previous day. No longer welcomed in Mazthoril... he thought as he saw Azureus sleeping on a pillow on the windowsill nearby. Soon, his thoughts went to the evening Ward of War meeting cut short. We are to be feared for the right reasons... was the central idea of his thesis on how the Nyx warriors should conduct themselves. Forewarning of an Alliance attack Orgrimmar cut that short. He attempted to fall asleep once again....

His thoughts returned to Nagrand and some time with Oneille to talk, unwind, and let his wings out. Immediately, he saw in horror as his consort was sapped, which some daggers in his back immediately followed. He saw five Kingship and called from the spirit world. Kingship mustered their forces faster than the Horde Assembly could gather. Where is our haste in gathering when we need it? he thought when he finally fell asleep.

[Oneille]

Hallow's End, 2nd day

The tauren druid chuckled heartily as his friend's gathered about him. In the jovial revelry several members of the Horde's finest clans and tribes traversed the lands to join in the fun in Brill. Tonight a tauren druid pranced about in a pirate guise offered to him by way of a costume wand given out as a prize to fellow trick-or-treaters. As merriment continued through the evening Oneille made her way down the cobbled road eager to join the celebrators. For the occassion she dressed in her "hunter" outfit or something reminiscent of a hunter. She loved the way it fit and how it looked.

The paperwork and bustling of the day had died down, and the night brought a chance of games and merriment. Oneille brought her adopted son Roo to the events supervising him as he stared in awe of the adults milling about.

"Mommy who all big peoples?" Roo asked as his mother bent down to smile and pat his head.

"These are fellow members of the Horde like mother and you're going to behave little man."

Roo made a face as his mother smirked down at him. Both walked over to the local tavern where little Roo bobbed for apples, with assistance from Oneille. She smiled brightly for the first time in a week the elven warlock was free of war.

It is Hallow's End and as such she was elated to see her son enjoying himself. Elsewhere in the world troubling winds blew...something was on the horizon.

[Asarelah]

Asarelah rested her chin in her hand, as she gazed at the winter's blustering chill wind flay the branches bare from her garden trees. Her heart felt as empty and desolate as the stripped trembling branches. A single tear trickled down her cheek. Flicking it away, she shook her head and returned her thoughts to all the things that had come to pass in the last few weeks.

Theotaz, Tasera, Ashsaber, Warrioes, Perten gone.... Many others not heard from in weeks....

Howling gone.... and still as good as dead, deep in his self emposed coma and exile. No matter how she missed his roaring at her, she had no doubt that he would never walk the lands of Azeroth again.

Now Dawnbringer was gone, too. His vow of honor to serve as her protector and Champion had met it's purpose, and she was still safely bound to the Lady's service. But the time of that need was long past, and over. She would go before the Nyxian Tribal Counsel asking that the wedding they had demanded of her be disolved. But still, she remembered.... Jeriden had been kind to her, and had told her once that he loved her above all others; that he would wed her in a true ceremony in the Cathedral of Stormwind City if that was her wish. But she had never spoken, and that was simply not to be.

"Done with the past. I am done!" she thought to herself, shaking her weary head, and refocusing on other matters.

The wedding of her daughter Oneille to the Lord Ambassador Frosthawk was coming up in less than a fortnight. She must prepare for that joyous occassion. And then there was the matter of her daughter Wiindriider's aspirations to become an Umbral Champion in service to Lady Nyx. She must also help Wiind prepare. And there was daughter Myyah to look after too, now that the Lord Vindicator was gone from her life.

Ah, but where to begin .........

[Theotaz]

The lure cast a lazy arc through the air to land with a satisfying plop right in the eddy of the creek he'd wanted. The current would make the lure dance, making it more attractive to the soon to be fish dinner. It felt good to taste food again. It felt good to taste air, really taste air again. The great hunting cat stretched out at his side. Some how the old cat had found him. Free from being a death knight. And for a while free from the concerns he had carried with him.

Devastation was coming. He knew now where the runes had come from. So much to know and not speak of. The aspect of time had made it very clear as to why. For a while his fate was not his to choose. Still, it pleased him to have deduced the source of the disruption to the fortunes of Nyx. The Lady knew, and the Lady knew that he knew and served her faithfully in his silence.

The line gave a jerk. With a quick yank he set the hook, and with a heave of his shoulder yanked the fish out of the water. He caught the morsel neatly in the net before it hit the ground. A quick moment with the tweezed got the hook out. With a flip of the wrist the fish was dropped into the ready bucket. He had some Sin'dori spices. In a bit Asarelah would smell the frying fish and likely come to investigate. He wondered if she would recognize him as he was.

He looked at his refection in the waters of the creek. It was passing strange to him to see his skin a healthy trollish blue, and the bright red crest of hair as he once had. He wouldn't be able to stay this way for more then a few weeks. This was the old him. Him as Theotaz the hunter. But it was a gift of time that was. The head of Romilar came up beside his reflected in the water. The great cat yawned. It was Romilar. His spirit in a real body for the first time in years. He had been scared at first. The spirit of Cats had come and spoken to him. He had calmed. The great cat also knew this was only for a short.

There was plenty of fish now. He set the camp table up, and the chairs. The yams were ready now. It was time for the fish to be started. He raked the coals up and laid the iron grill on it legs above then. within a few moments it was ready. He laid the breading flour out, and the cooking oil. Next several of the smaller fish he fetched out of the bucket and cleaned and de-boned. A quick flip through the breading and spice, and a ladle of oil under each fish. The fish started sizzling almost at once.

Romilar sidled up beside him almost at once. The great cat knew that smell from times gone by. And for once it would be all you can eat night. The feline was patient though. He learned years ago that the fish was ready when it was ready.

There was a rustling in the bushes. Something moving closer. "Maaassssterrr?" came the quiet questioning call. "Maaaster.... strange... saaaafe?" Theotaz chuckled. "Yes little one, it be safe. Come meet my old friend. Maybe you help him, yes? He has burrs in his fur and he does not remember how to take them out." The ghoul carefully pushed out through the brush. It stopped, puzzled now that it could see him clearly.

"Maasteeer alive?!?"

Theotaz nodded at the ghoul. "Only for a short time little one. This is what I looked like before I was de Death Knight . Now, you are my friend too.. come... I have shiny fishes in dis bucket for you."

Theotaz pulled three small fish, still alive from the bucket and handed them to the ghoul, who began eating in his rather sloppy messy way. Romilar, the great cat, looked on in disdain has he nosed his now cooled down fried fillets into a proper position to lap down. Theo chuckled at the differences between his two companions.

The first course was gone shortly. Theo was pleased to see the ghoul go down to the creek and wash the residue of his meal off. The ghoul settled beside Romilar and started gently fingering though the cats fur. Crypt Kicker would make a little disapproving noise with each burr he would find and work out of the cats fur. Romilar would put up with almost anything to get groomed and was soon contentedly purring. Theo was relatively sure that Romilar would not try to groom the ghoul in return. There was some concern there but, well, he'd just have to wait and see. And he was relatively certain if he got most of the pieces back the ghoul would be fine. Well. Mostly sure.

"So little one, der be something you can do for me."

The Ghoul looked up.

"I need some more sea salt and a touch of hot peppers. Ova der be de house of Asarelah, and she be home. I want you to go ask for some from her. You come openly, and you be polite, cuz she might not rememba yous. So yous gotta tell her who you be. And after you gets dat stuff just before yous leave... you gots to tell her she be invited to dinna. You understand.. invite last, but dat be de most important ting."

The ghoul nodded. "Master want lady to come here?"

Theo nodded. "Yes."

The ghoul rose and scampered toward the bushes. "I be back soon soon.. I tell nice lady, yessss"

Theo jacked the grill off the coals to let it cool off a little. There were plenty of coals and fish left .

[Asarelah]

Asarelah looked up at a puzzling sound at or near her front door. Rarely were there sounds that she could not immediately identify, but this was one such. A cross between cloth being torn and meat being pounded to tender drifted intriguingly past her sensitive ears, and moved her feet quickly forward to the door to investigate.

Lah nearly stumbled where she stood at the sight of the visitor pounding on her front door. "Crypt Kicker! What are you doing here? And where on earth have you been? You disappeared when Theo did. Theo... is he with you? Where is he????!!!!!" Asarelah's voice raised in increments with each remark, approaching a shrill shriek, as she stepped past the ghoul that was waving his arms, dropping splats of goo on her front steps, trying in vain to get her attention. She could not see any evidence of the ghoul's missing Master, but her keen sense of smell caught a whiff of fresh grilling fish on the wind.

"All right little one, your Master is on the creek fishing, right?" Asarelah turned back to the ghoul, flashing him a smile that would have blinded a living being.

"Niccceee Ladyyy, Yessss.... Massssterrr is fisssshhinnggg... You commeee.. briiinngg ..." And with that the ghoul's confusion was obvious as he struggled to remember his instructions.

Asarelah gently prompted the decaying creature, realizing that much of what rattled around in his skull was naught but air, cob webs and an occasional bird's nest. "Dear little one, I can smell the fish cooking, but would wager that Theo is without seasons for it.... Did he send you to fetch garlic and herbs?"

The ghoul's violent head shaking in the negative sent more gobs of goo flying, and Asarelah stepped back out of the sling path. "Ummm, salt from the sea perhaps little one?" she further inquired, and tried to calm Crypt Kicker, reaching out her hand in compassion to pat and comfort the obviously struggling and confused ghoul.

"Yeeessss.... seeaaa saalllttt.. anndd.... aannddddd... aaannnddddddd..." the ghoul nearly wailed his frustration trying to remember his assigned task.

"Well, yes then. He would also want pepper, no doubt." Asarelah looked inquiringly, continuing to pat the little one.

"Hoottttt...." the ghoul nodded enthusiastically.

"You are too hot?" Asarelah looked puzzled.

"Nooo, nooooo..... Maaasstterrr.... wannnttsss hhooottt peeeppeerrrsss.... Hooottttt!!" Crypt Kicker was obviously so excited that he could scarcely speak, but the toothless mouth worked hard to get his message out. "Annddd youuu, niiccee Laddyyy.... Youuuu come... Master saaayysss youuuu commmeeee toooo. aaahhh aaahhhh..... Pllleeeaaassseee.... Yoouuu coommee tooo, Pleeeaasseee..."

Asarelah nodded agreement, turned promptly on her heel, hastened to the kitchen to gather the requested condiments, slipping them in to a carry sack along with other goodies that a wandering troll might enjoy, and returned quickly to follow the faithful ghoul to his long missing Master.

[Theotaz]

Theo sensed the coming of Asarelah long before he saw her. I was a marvel to have the sense of what was about once again. He had missed this. Atish fit snugly in his hand. He remembered the quest so many years ago to aquire it. Each of the demons in turn. He had ghosted through Orgrimaar with his old, and now days antiquated equipment. Younger adventurers had laughed at the troll in the old fashioned rig as he went past. The older warriors had nodded in respect as he passed. The veterans had seen old geer well cared for, that hung comfortably. He'd smiled at the puzzlement on the young rowdies faces. He'd made he way easily northward to Ashara.

She was moments away. He lowered the grill back onto the coals, and gave it a quicks rub with the grind stone to scour the residue of the privious cooking away. It would be a shock for her, though it wouldn't surprise him if she didn't even notice that he was mortal, even if it was only for awhile. Another load of fish for Romilar was sizzling on the grill within moments. A light salad of cold greens with sliced nuts, crumpled cheese, and an spiced vinergertte was sitting nearby along with a decanted bottle of SUntouched reserve. Cooling in the creek were 2 bottles of Redridge honey mead. Durop grain stuffed grape leaves soaked in light oil sat ready. Sitting down beside him was a sealed enchanted box that had been imbued with the spirit of Northwind. In it was a strawberry sherbert that would make a mervelous desert.

Theo's head came up from his cooking. he could hear the ghoul scampering toward the fish camp. he ran into view stopped "come, sheee.. come!" Theo chuckeld and pointed over to one side where the last of the smalled fish swam forlornly in the bucket. "I left you de last few.. you wants more you gonna have ta catch 'em yourself mon. Now scoot on ova der anbd go eat. You'se done good, I am vera happy wid cho." The Ghoul gave a messy but happy sounding gurgle and headed to the waiting fish.

A golden blond head of hair came around the near trees. Lah stopped. He looked directly at her. Letting her see him. "Theo?" she asked in puzzlement, her eyes taking in the eating Ghoul, the Lion stretched out beside him, the camp, and the very non death Knight gear and armor he was wearing. He nodded and waved her forward to a seat at the camp table. There would be time for answers later.

[Asarelah]

Stepping out from the trees, Asarelah stopped dead in her tracks as she watched Crypt Kicker fetch a wriggling fish from a bucket and sit down to happily gum it in to goo. The Troll that had just motioned the ghoul to go ahead and eat looked healthy... and alive !!

"Theo?" she asked in puzzlement.

He nodded and waved her forward to a seat at the camp table.

"But... but... How ?? You are alive ??" Lah stuttered. "And WHERE have you been !! Oh my!!"

In a daze, Asarelah took the indicated seat, open eyes questioningly staring at her friend in stunned amazement.