(2021-10-17) Rise, Obsidion!

Details

Author:	inkie
Summary:	An account of White Squad's Episode 3 mission.
Rating:	T for Teen

Arc: Season 4

[Jocoza]: Hi, Elo!
[Jocoza]: I take it you got the letter, that we're not going up north today?
Auralind's ears twitch.
Jocoza has been quietly sitting by Auralind.
[Elohad]: Been a long time since I saw that place.
[Bennarin]: Ma'ams. Sir.
[Jocoza]: The draenei shaman I spoke with, Arguune, says he can feel the wrongness from here.
[Jocoza]: Oh, hi Ben!
Ben salutes Jocoza with respect.
[Bennarin]: Hi, Cap'n.
Ben smiles at Elohad.
[Cressidha]: Good afternoon, everyone.
Elohad gives Ben a warm smile.
[Elohad]: Afternoon, Cress.
Bennarin nods respectfully to Cressidha.
[Jocoza]: To you, too.
[Bennarin]: Miss Cressidha.
Jocoza climbs to her feet, finally getting tired of craning her neck that much.
Auralind stands as well … so everyone can crane their necks.
Bennarin cranes his neck at Auralind.
Cressidha goes to sit down while there's still time to sit down.
Elohad remains standing the table, nibbling at food.
Bennarin eyes the food, and opts to join Elohad.
[Jocoza]: I hope you're all not too worried, leaving the situation with the Argent Dawn for a little while. In the end, Colson's going to keep an eye on things for us up there.
Cressidha nods.
Elohad nods. "I know if they needed us urgently, Sev would let us know."
Atley marches inside, tugging on some of the straps of his equipment.
[Atley]: Hullo', you lot.
Atley growls in greeting.
Bennarin nods respectfully to Atley.
[Jocoza]: Yes, he said it would be a few days till anything new turned up for us to do.
Auralind nods, "Elune adore."
[Jocoza]: Hi, Dane!
Elohad salutes Atley with respect.
Elohad is armed and ready, and his expression suggests he is Deep in Thought and might launch into a rambling monologue if addressed.
Atley fosters a hardy glare, his jaw set in quiet determination as somewhat weary, half-lidded eyes flick about the place.
Cressidha's hair is pinned up and she looks ready to work. Like usual.
Jocoza glances around anxiously, trying to read the mood of the room.
[Bennarin]: Cap'n Jo, you got my letter, ma'am?
Jocoza fixes her eyes on Ben. "Oh, yes. I'm glad you were able to resolve that so smoothly."
Elohad looks grave, thoughtful, but not far away — ready to snap back to attention at a moment's notice.
Bennarin nods respectfully and eats some cheese. Respectfully.
Elohad also eats cheese. Gravely and thoughtfully.
Atley side-eyes Ben and the cheese and lumbers over to seize a few cubes for himself, tossing a handful in to quietly chew.
[Jocoza]: Nobody in Booty Bay came looking for money, so I think everything's fine on that count.
[Bennarin]: Okay, ma'am. Like I said, I will be responsible if it's needed. I dunno if we want to mention it to Sir Black or anything.
Ivrianna enters at exactly 3pm because she's just that good.
Jocoza waves at Ivrianna.
Atley glances up and grunts at Ivrianna.
Cressidha gives Ivri a little wave.
Bennarin glances at Ivrianna and nods politely.
[Jocoza]: Hmm, maybe so, if you think it's Scourge-related?
[Bennarin]: Okay.
Ivrianna gives a little salute to everyone.
Elohad salutes Ivrianna with respect.
[Jocoza]: Alright, it looks like just about everyone is here, so it's best we go ahead and get started.
Bennarin stops eating cheese and focuses attentively.
Auralind nods firmly.
Elohad listens intently to Jocoza.
[Jocoza]: As you all may know, we're not heading back up to the Plaguelands this week. Though Lieutenant Aspenwood will be attending to the situation up there on our behalf.
Cressidha nods.
Bennarin glances at Cressidha.
Cressidha doesn't look surprised.
[Jocoza]: We have two objectives today. As you saw — hopefully — in my letter, the Kirin Tor is concerned about Twilight’s Hammer activity in Blackrock Mountain.
Atley grunts mildly and manages a half-nod.
Elohad frowns and nods.
Jocoza nods to Cressidha, and continues, "Cressidha and I met with a draenei shaman, Arguune, who confirmed there’s a serious imbalance in the fire elementals in that area. We think the cultists are working with the Dark Iron dwarves of Blackrock,
[Jocoza]: who as you may remember from history — or from our work around Uldaman — were enslaved long ago by the Firelord Ragnaros.”
Bennarin knits his brows.
Jocoza looks around, gauging everyone's attention.
[Jocoza]: We’re not sure what they’re up to exactly, but the Kirin Tor have reason to believe they’ve summoned a couple of powerful minions of Ragnaros into the mountain already. Arguune thinks whatever is going on
[Jocoza]: may pose a threat to the entire continent at least. We also know that the cultists are taking and torturing prisoners, though we don’t know why.
[Jocoza]: Everything clear so far?
Atley squints disdainfully at the subject matter, eyes on Jo as he raises a hand to itch at his chin.
[Atley]: Aye.
[Cressidha]: Yes.
Elohad nods again, his expression grim.
Bennarin nods once, curt.
Ivrianna nods a little.
[Auralind]: Very clear.
Jocoza nods. "Of course, it would take a lot more than a small strike team to take out the Firelord Ragnaros and all the denizens of Blackrock Mountain."
Elohad grimaces and nods.
[Jocoza]: The Kirin Tor doesn’t expect us to take on all of Blackrock City. They want a strike team to handle the prisoner situation and, if possible, deal with the summoned elementals. They also want us to find out how to access
[Jocoza]: the deeper regions of the mountain, where Emperor Thaurissan is holed up.
Atley mutters something unfavorable about the Emperor.
Ivrianna has never heard of this Emperor and does not.
[Jocoza]: So here's where it comes to our assignments. We're going to be splitting up the squads again this week.
[Jocoza]: We’re sending Blue Squad in on the mission I have just described, along with Auralind, who will stand in for Colson today.
Bennarin flicks a glance to Auralind, and then back to Jo.
Auralind nods firmly.
Elohad smiles at Auralind.
[Elohad]: Two for one, not a bad deal …
[Jocoza]: White Squad is going to investigate a dig site in the Searing Gorge where an archaeological team disappeared while searching for relics they believed might be valuable to the Twilight’s Hammer.
Bennarin straightens, looking Grimly Purposeful.
[Elohad]: Hm, yeah, anything the Twilight's Hammer wants … we gotta keep it from 'em. Good call, Cap.
Jocoza smiles at Elohad.
[Atley]: Mm, mad men.
Elohad shivers theatrically in agreement.
[Jocoza]: I expect we will. We're a formidable team, all of us together.
[Elohad]: So Blue Squad's heading into the mountain, huh?
[Jocoza]: Yes, into one part of it. We have focused objectives, so you shouldn't need to wander all through.
[Elohad]: “… Damn. Heh. All right then.” He squares his shoulders.
[Jocoza]: To get to Blackrock, we'll need to fly to Thorium Point. Are you all ready to head out?
[Cressidha]: I am.
Atley nods once and grunts his answer.
Ben salutes Jocoza with respect.
[Elohad]: Yes, Cap.
Ivrianna nods as well.
The whole group arrives at Thorium Point, preparatory to splitting up.
Elohad mutters, "Damn…" again.
[Elohad]: Blast from the past …
[Atley]: Not been back since the war, have you sir?
[Elohad]: Nope.
Atley grunts.
[Atley]: Me neither. Only seen it from a distance.
[Elohad]: Ah, damn, son, it was a … yeah. A whole thing. I was … a bit closer, but … yeah.
Blue Squad sets out. White Squad remains.
Bennarin settles in his saddle and rolls a shoulder to adjust the shield on his back.
[Bennarin]: We ready, then?
[Jocoza]: I think so. Nilu?
[Jocoza]: Or should I call you Nellie?
Bennarin looks respectfully to Nilunelle.
Nilunelle grins at Jocoza. "I like Nellie. It is nice name too."
[Jocoza]: “All right, then. Nellie.” Jo smiles.
Bennarin grins to himself and urges his horse into motion.
[Bennarin]: Dig site was east, they said.
[Jocoza]: Yes, southeast, if I recall.
The team approaches the vast Dark Iron mining operation in the Cauldron.
[Bennarin]: Damn.
[Bennarin]: What're they doin' over there?
[Jocoza]: Is that like … a mine of some sort?
[Bennarin]: Looks like mine machines, I guess. Big operation, though.
[Jocoza]: It's probably best to keep our distance. I don't like the looks of those golems.
[Bennarin]: Ain't surprised some archaeologists ran into trouble with all that happenin'.
They ride past Blackrock.
[Bennarin]: Damn, that mountain.
Bennarin cranes his neck.
[Jocoza]: It's huge.
[Bennarin]: That where the orcs an' all are?
[Bennarin]: Or just Dark Irons?
[Jocoza]: Yeah, I didn't mention the orcs in my spiel.
[Jocoza]: Should be in there, though? The Blackrock orcs.
[Bennarin]: Maybe for the best. Mr Atley gets wound up.
Attack of the lava spiders!
[Jocoza]: Lava spiders still burn. Good to know.
They ride on.
[Bennarin]: This burnin' go all the way back to the war, or it's new?
Bennarin surveys the charred landscape.
[Nilunelle]: Hurts to see all the trees charred …
Bennarin glances sympathetically at Nilunelle.
[Jocoza]: If I recall from the book … probably was a normal area before the War of the Three Hammers.
[Jocoza]: And this is more a side effect of Ragnaros, maybe?
[Nilunelle]: But. Life will come back. Always does after fires.
[Jocoza]: We might need to see to the root cause though, before the trees return.
Bennarin nods at Jo and Nilu.
[Bennarin]: Wonder if it was pretty. Ain't too far from Loch Modan, maybe?
[Jocoza]: Loch Modan is lovely. You can just walk all around the lake.
Jocoza looks a bit dreamy for a moment.
[Bennarin]: I fought a lot of troggs out that way.
[Bennarin]: But pretty.
[Bennarin]: The area, not the troggs.
[Jocoza]: Obviously not the troggs.
Bennarin squints at tents in the distance.
[Bennarin]: Hey. Reckon I see 'em. Or the site, anyhow
Ben points over yonder.
The erstwhile dig site has been overrun by Dark Iron dwarves and their minions.
[Bennarin]: Oh, damn.
[Bennarin]: It's them golems.
[Bennarin]: Not good.
[Bennarin]: Whole place looks Dark Iron.
[Jocoza]: Looks like we're going to have to try to get past them.
They wreck a War Golem handily.
[Jocoza]: Okay, not too tough. They look worse than they are.
[Bennarin]: Maybe we're just that tough, ma'am.
Bennarin grins at Jo.
Jocoza grins.
[Bennarin]: Gonna clear from around the edges toward the middle so we can get down there.
[Bennarin]: Ma'am, your fireballs are packin' some punch.
[Jocoza]: Happy side effect of the imbalance, I think.
[Bennarin]: Oh yeah?
[Jocoza]: See him just shrug off my ice?
[Jocoza]: Too much fire round here, ice is weak.
Bennarin whistles low.
[Bennarin]: I had not thought of that. That it could work like that, I mean.
[Bennarin]: They're throwin' fire too.
[Jocoza]: Makes sense, ruled by a Firelord.
Ben points at Dorius Stonetender.
[Bennarin]: Fellow down there.
[Jocoza]: Oh, he looks not like one of them!
Ben pauses to stare at a massive, toppled stone figure half-buried in the dig site.
[Bennarin]: Damn! What is this?
[Bennarin]: Giant f*cken snake thing.
[Jocoza]: Is it a statue?
[Nilunelle]: I think so.
[Jocoza]: Seems trollish.
[Nilunelle]: It was same like the pillars.
They speak to the wounded Dorius Stonetender, who, despite having been prone on the dirt, immediately leaps to his feet and declares that he needs to get to Ironforge to advise the Explorers’ League of his discovery. He marches off, White Squad in tow.
[Bennarin]: Hey. You okay to walk all that way, sir? We got a healer right here.
Bennarin nods at Nilunelle.
[Nilunelle]: I will heal so he can walk better.
Nilunelle casts a spell of renewal on the dwarf.
Ben smiles at Nilunelle.
[Bennarin]: Thank you, miss.
Dorius Stonetender marches directly toward a group of Glass Spiders.
[Bennarin]: Hey, maybe not the spid— okay, the spiders.
They fight the spiders.
[Jocoza]: Dorius, you can go around them.
[Bennarin]: Sir, we could — yeah.
Ben eyes Dorius Stonetender up and down.
Dorius declares a need to rest, and sits down.
[Bennarin]: Okay.
A group of Dark Irons attacks!
Nilunelle kneels before Dorius Stonetender.
[Bennarin]: Shit. An ambush?
Bennarin looks around warily.
[Jocoza]: Dark Irons really want to stop this guy.
[Bennarin]: You must be on to somethin', sir.
Dorius Stonetender leads them to the edge of the Cauldron and tells them his captured dig team was taken into the mines by the Dark Iron dwarves, and they should mark the location because they’ll have to return, after they get him to Ironforge. Then he tells them he will not carry any more fights so they had better be prepared to pitch in this time.
Bennarin raises his eyebrows at Dorius Stonetender.
[Bennarin]: So that's where they … okay. Anyhow you could maybe avoid the spiders.
Jocoza glares at Dorius.
They travel onward. Dorius declares he needs another rest, and that he should probably quit smoking. He sits down.
[Bennarin]: Maybe not a good spot — okay.
[Jocoza]: I suspect it's the injuries, sir.
[Jocoza]: Not the smoking.
They are, naturally, ambushed again. White Squad kills the ambushers. They continue their trek.
[Bennarin]: Let's don't rest in open places, huh?
Bennarin stays close to Dorius, scanning the hills warily.
[Bennarin]: Gate ahead.
[Jocoza]: Do you have the key?
Dorius wanders off the path.
[Bennarin]: Gate's just over the —
A Dark Iron dwarf appears atop a nearby rise! He shoots Dorius, who collapses dramatically in the dirt, dropping a letter as he does so! The sniper disappears in a cloud of smoke!
[Bennarin]: SHIT.
[Jocoza]: Wait, what the?
Bennarin sprints for the sniper's nest. He stares around wildly.
[Nilunelle]: Where … where did that come from?
[Jocoza]: They aren't shooting at us …
[Jocoza]: Just him?
[Bennarin]: He's f*cken GONE.
[Bennarin]: Stay behind me and low anyhow.
Bennarin keeps watching the hills, furious. "What's the paper about?"
[Jocoza]: It's a letter, in the case of his death.
[Nilunelle]: He knew…
[Nilunelle]: He knew he might not make it.
[Jocoza]: He must care for his men very much.
Bennarin is having a hard time keeping himself between Nilunelle and all of the surrounding hills at once.
Jocoza looks to Nellie, sharing a sad look.
[Bennarin]: What do we — okay. Okay.
[Jocoza]: His men have been enslaved, like the Dark Irons. Working on something called "Obsidion" in the Cauldron.
Bennarin takes a deep breath and remembers he is supposed to be Squad Leader. "Who's the letter to? Just us?"
Bennarin peers at the paper in Jo's hand.
[Jocoza]: To his brother, in Ironforge.
[Nilunelle]: I will purify this place … and mark it as his place of rest …
Bennarin squints at the sky and calculates. He nods absently at Nilunelle and steps back.
Nilunelle casts a Tranquility spell over the area.
[Jocoza]: Thank you Nellie. I hope his spirit can sense that someone will take care of the rest.
Nilunelle gives a small, solemn nod. "I hope it helps."
[Nilunelle]: It is a place of rest now.
Jocoza nods at Nellie, and looks sadly at the dead dwarf.
[Bennarin]: Reckon we have time to get the letter to Ironforge and then get back here and see to his people. Maybe his brother knows about these … stones? Relics?
[Jocoza]: Yes, I think we should talk to him before we venture in. We should get all the information, right Ben?
[Bennarin]: Yes, ma'am.
Bennarin nods respectfully and perhaps a little gratefully at Jo.
The team mounts up. Their mounts had totally tailed them here.
Bennarin takes a deep breath and squares his shoulders as he rides.
They reach the edge of the Cauldron again, en route to Thorium Point.
[Bennarin]: They're everywhere.
[Bennarin]: Hell of an operation.
[Bennarin]: Okay, heads down.
Nilunelle ducks her head and crouches over her frost saber.
Jocoza giggles.
Nilunelle even keeps her ears pressed low and down to the sides.
They reach Thorium Point safely.
[Jocoza]: Okay, to Ironforge!
Back in Ironforge …
[Bennarin]: Hall of Explorers.
[Jocoza]: More and more to do with them.
[Jocoza]: Uldaman, and that temple in the swamp.
Ben approaches High Explorer Magellas.
[Bennarin]: Sir? You know a Thorius?
[Bennarin]: Thank you.
[Bennarin]: “He's a Curator,” Ben reports to the other two.
[Jocoza]: Ah, probably around in here somewhere.
[Bennarin]: Reckon he's the dwarf and not the gnome.
[Jocoza]: Sir! Are you Thorius?
Jocoza Blinks in front of him, stopping him in his tracks.
Bennarin offers the man the singed letter and steps back gravely.
Thorius receives the news with much dramatic weeping, and pleads with White Squad to go and rescue his late brother’s team.
[Bennarin]: Yessir.
[Bennarin]: Was our plan anyhow. We'll go get 'em.
[Bennarin]: Guess we find out what's in those minin' pits now.
[Jocoza]: Not much in the way of new info. But I'm glad we at least told him what happened to his brother.
Bennarin nods grimly.
[Jocoza]: And we do have a specific location.
[Jocoza]: The Slag Pits.
Back at Thorium Point …
[Jocoza]: Alright, let's go rescue these fellows.
Bennarin surveys the mining operation.
[Bennarin]: He pointed us to the north end, yeah?
They stop at the canyon’s edge.
[Jocoza]: Somewhere in here, then?
[Bennarin]: Reckon. Got to be a way down. Mining lifts or somethin'.
[Jocoza]: I could just jump but …
[Jocoza]: I can't slow time for you too.
[Nilunelle]: Mm. Yes. It is a bit … far …
[Bennarin]: Or we could — let's go round the north end where he showed us. Looks like a slope there and we ain't have to fight for these lifts. That's too close quarters for my likin'.
[Jocoza]: Solid plan.
[Bennarin]: Okay. From here should be okay.
They encounter a team of Dark Iron dwarves, and kill them.
[Bennarin]: Okay. They got security patrollin'.
[Jocoza]: Going around in groups.
[Bennarin]: They ain't want visitors. Do not want visitors, I mean.
Bennarin keeps watch while Jo mines.
Fire elementals! Again with the killing.
[Jocoza]: These ones are immune to fire.
Bennarin cranes his neck at the mine paths.
[Bennarin]: Dead end. In lava.
They find a bridge leading upward.
[Bennarin]: Here we go.
There are dwarves mining all along the suspended catwalks and bridges.
Ben peers at Slave Worker searchingly.
[Nilunelle]: Oh dear …
[Bennarin]: Ain't Dark Irons.
[Nilunelle]: Is this …
[Nilunelle]: This is one of his people?
Bennarin glances back unhappily at Nilu.
[Bennarin]: Took prisoner.
[Jocoza]: This could be his team, or part of it.
[Jocoza]: Careful not to hurt them.
[Bennarin]: Yes'm.
[Bennarin]: Door here.
They enter a mine tunnel, which opens into a huge cavern.
[Jocoza]: Is that … a gnoll?
Bennarin whistles low at the sight of the gnoll.
[Nilunelle]: Also is working.
[Jocoza]: Not just dwarves they've captured.
Bennarin peers down into the canyon.
[Bennarin]: Look at the scale of this place.
[Bennarin]: They ain't playin' around.
[Bennarin]: Must've dug out half the gorge.
[Jocoza]: It's sort of like Ironforge, but made by horrible people.
Bennarin snorts a laugh, startled.
[Bennarin]: … hadn't thought of it. But yeah.
[Jocoza]: Dark reflection of, I guess.
They are, during all of this, slaughtering Dark Iron Taskmasters and Dark Iron Slavers as they make their way up the bridges and around. They arrive at an iron gate across the mouth of another quarry.
[Bennarin]: Serious business gates.
Despite being serious business, the gates are not locked. The team enters cautiously.
[Jocoza]: More excavating.
[Bennarin]: Look at it.
[Jocoza]: Whoa.
[Jocoza]: Small corridor, but in here …
[Jocoza]: The ceiling is so high.
[Bennarin]: You think all these workers is prisoners?
[Nilunelle]: I think so.
[Jocoza]: They don't really look willing, to me.
Bennarin grimaces.
[Jocoza]: Wouldn't need so many overseers if they were employees.
[Bennarin]: No ma'am, guess not.
They enter a vast, open cavern, with what appears to be a stone shrine at its center.
[Jocoza]: What's this? Some kind of shrine?
Bennarin backs away warily from the shrine.
There is an injured dwarf lying beside the shrine.
[Nilunelle]: Oh!
Jocoza looks frantically to Nellie. "I think it's one of Dorius's friends, but he's dying."
Ben kneels before Dying Archaeologist.
Jocoza looks around. "I see others here, not mining. Doing something. This must be his team."
[Bennarin]: Sir?
The Dying Archaeologist tells them with his dying breaths that they need to retrieve the relic from the Twilight cultists in the mountains, and return it here to the shrine to free his comrades.
[Bennarin]: A cultist relic. Sounds fine.
[Bennarin]: Miss Nell, can we get him out of here?
Nilunelle tries to summon up the green energies, but she's too late. It's not enough.
Nilunelle sinks to her knees and gives a slow, sad shake of her head.
Bennarin steps respectfully over to Nilunelle's side, not quite touching her. "Thanks for tryin'."
Jocoza puts a hand on Nilu's shoulder for comfort.
Nilunelle tilts her head towards Jocoza's hand and gives an appreciative nod.
Nilunelle rises and takes a breath.
[Nilunelle]: We will return … and tend to him and the others.
[Jocoza]: Yes. We've got to help the others before it's too late.
[Bennarin]: Okay. Let's go get that thing.
Jocoza nods at Ben.
[Jocoza]: I wish we could help all of them.
[Bennarin]: Wonder if there's a foreman or somethin' we could take care of to set 'em all loose.
[Jocoza]: If they're all mind controlled, though …
[Bennarin]: How d'you break a spell like that?
[Jocoza]: I never went in for studying mental domination. Because, well, why would I?
Bennarin smiles wryly at Jo.
[Bennarin]: No, ma'am. Because you're a good egg.
Jocoza smiles at Ben.
[Jocoza]: Maybe we could see if one of Gerhold's contacts has an idea of how to break it.
The team rides back past the road to Thorium Point on their way to the cultist enclave. There is a familiar figure waiting in the road.
Gausanders is being carried princess-style by Jhuuthun and waves at everyone.
Jocoza waves, and says, "Hi Sandy, I didn't expect to.. whoa."
Jocoza eyes Jhuuthun up and down.
Bennarin blinks at Gausanders.
[Bennarin]: Sanders? Uh.
Bennarin eyes Jhuuthun uneasily.
[Bennarin]: You … okay there?
[Jocoza]: What is that thing? Has it captured you? Do we need to kill it?
Nilunelle catches her lower lip.
[Nilunelle]: Sandy … ?
[Gausanders]: Hello everyone! I'm sorry I'm late, you had already left when I got here!
Jocoza waits to hear if Sandy is in mortal danger.
[Gausanders]: No, no, don't worry, that's my felguard! I said "Catch me!" and ran up to him and he … he just did. I didn't even have to use warlock magic to force him to.
Nilunelle just … sort of … stares.
Bennarin is staring tensely at the demon, a hand on the hilt of his sword. He does not relax at Sandy's explanation.
Jocoza blinks. "Oh. Okay. That … makes sense?"
[Bennarin]: It’s … with you?
[Gausanders]: Don't worry everyone, I'm controlling him with magic to make him harmless! Nothing to fear.
Bennarin considers Sandy and fails to look reassured.
[Nilunelle]: Just … please be careful.
[Jocoza]: “Ookay …” Jo says uncertainly. “Speaking of controlling things, maybe you're the one we should talk to about mind domination magic. And how to break it.”
Jhuuthun stares blankly at everyone, still carrying Sandy.
[Jocoza]: We're in the middle of trying to free an archaeology team, down in the cauldron.
[Jocoza]: They've been enslaved by some relic thing. And there's lots of other slaves we don't know how to free.
[Bennarin]: We're goin' to find the relic now. Cultists got it.
Bennarin is watching the demon again rather than Sandy.
Jocoza pauses, and adds, "Enslaved by the Dark Iron dwarves, mostly. With some Cult involvement."
[Gausanders]: “Ooooh!” He nods. “Yeah I can help, but we'd need the relic for sure!”
[Jocoza]: We got the relic location off one of the archaeologists … he didn't make it.
Jocoza glances sadly back to Nellie.
[Gausanders]: Oh no … We need to find the relic to save the others then! It's even more important!
[Bennarin]: Okay. Keep that thing where I can see it.
Bennarin tips his head toward Jhuuthun.
[Gausanders]: “Right, sure!” He gets down from the felguard's arms and gets on a felsteed instead.
[Gausanders]: Stay here!
Bennarin opens his mouth and then shuts it again.
The team rides off.
Bennarin eyes Twilight Fire Guard up and down.
[Bennarin]: They do not look like the other cultists.
[Bennarin]: Cultists got robes.
Jocoza peers at Twilight Fire Guard searchingly.
[Gausanders]: This one's got shorts!
[Jocoza]: All dressed in red.
[Bennarin]: Rotter, anyhow. May as well.
[Jocoza]: Do they look like Twilight Hammer to you?
[Bennarin]: Well, they are not friendly, for sure.
[Gausanders]: Cultists are rarely very friendly!
Bennarin frowns at the color of the sky.
[Bennarin]: Oh, that one got a robe.
[Jocoza]: And an orc. It's … a multicultural doom cult, I guess.
Bennarin prods the orc's corpse with his boot, looking disgusted.
[Gausanders]: How are you feeling about joining us on your first mission, Jhuuthun?
[Bennarin]: May as well clean 'em out and then go up that ro —
Bennarin stares at Sandy.
Jhuuthun Just scratches his head and lets out an "uuuuuuuh …"
[Gausanders]: … Right, I'm preventing you from talking because that's in the rules now. I forgot.
Bennarin raises an eyebrow at Sandy.
They ride up the road behind the cultists’ camp, and find more cultist camp. Cult Things are afoot.
[Bennarin]: Green fire ain't seem good.
[Jocoza]: Is it like a plague thing?
[Gausanders]: Looks like an imp!
[Jocoza]: Or like fel?
[Gausanders]: Oh no, that was a gnome.
Jocoza frowns at Sandy.
[Jocoza]: Probably fel, then.
Bennarin frowns at the marks on the ground.
[Bennarin]: Is that safe to step in? Or?
[Jocoza]: Well, the practitioner is dead. So probably.
[Bennarin]: Okay.
[Nilunelle]: She is night elf …
Nilunelle looks quite shocked.
Bennarin glances apologetically at Nilunelle.
[Gausanders]: Yeah, there are so many of them in this cult!
The next group of cultists they attack shout something about sacrificing them all to Ragnaros.
[Bennarin]: Shit, you hear that?
Bennarin is out of breath.
At the top of the hill is a second stone shrine.
[Jocoza]: This looks like the other altar.
Gausanders squints. "There's someone in that cage!"
[Bennarin]: Where's the … oh.
[Nilunelle]: There is someone in the cage!
[Jocoza]: Oh! Not enslaved then.
[Jocoza]: We could free them!
They fight their way around a lava pit to reach the cage, which contains a captive Kaldorei man. He does not actually seem interested in leaving his cage, but instead asks them to listen to his story.
Nilunelle nods at the night elf man with much respect.
[Gausanders]: I love stories!
Bennarin shifts his weight a little restlessly, and watches the lava pit.
Gausanders sits down and, pulls on the felguard's arm to follow his lead, and both sit down with their elbows on their knees.
The elf tells them that he was a Twilight’s Hammer cultist, but that he repented and in secret began composing a prayer to Elune. When the other cultists found out, they took his prayer tablet from him and killed him, binding his ghost in this cage. He wants them to find his prayer and bring it to the Temple of the Moon in Darnassus.
Bennarin raises his eyebrows at the elf … spirit.
[Nilunelle]: He… he's…
Gausanders puts his hand through the cage and "touches" the ghost. "I didn't think this one was a ghost at first, though! But that's definitely one!
Jocoza frowns at the night elf spirit.
[Jocoza]: Yeah, he looked solid from a distance.
[Bennarin]: A prayer tablet?
[Jocoza]: We do seem to be doing a lot of errands for ghosts these days. At least he saw the error of his ways.
[Bennarin]: Well, we're killin' fellows anyhow.
The relic the team seeks is at the center of the lava pool.
[Bennarin]: Cap'n Jo, how you reckon we get at that thing?
[Jocoza]: I am… not sure. Any ideas, team?
[Jocoza]: I tried fire ward, but no luck.
[Bennarin]: Damn.
Ben eyes the distance to a rock near the pool’s center. He backs up, takes a running leap, and — fortunately — lands on the rock. He can reach the relic, and does so. He makes it back to where the rest of the group waits beside a table at the edge of the pool.
Nilunelle shrieks and covers her mouth. "Its eye is moving!!"
Nilunelle points a trembling finger at the head on the table.
Bennarin 's attention swivels to the table.
[Bennarin]: Shit.
Bennarin knocks the head off the table and puts his sword through it, disgusted.
[Jocoza]: What is that?
[Jocoza]: Some Forsaken thing?
[Bennarin]: Looks like parts to make those things we seen in Andorhal.
[Bennarin]: The stitched-up ones.
Nilunelle shudders from her toes to the tips of her ears.
The team fights their way back down out of the hills.
[Gausanders]: Can I put your soul in a stone, Nilu?
[Gausanders]: Too late, you're doing great!
[Nilunelle]: I set renewals on me to protect me. But. Thank you, Sandy.
Gausanders nods at Nilunelle.
[Jocoza]: That table there looks Scourgey too.
[Bennarin]: Think it's safe to knock over? Maybe you set it on fire, Cap.
Jocoza indeed sets it on fire.
Gausanders cheers at Jocoza!
Nilunelle frowns with such disapointment at the night elves here.
[Bennarin]: Reckon our priority is to get to them archaeologists with this relic, though.
[Jocoza]: Yeah, I don't want to leave them like that.
[Gausanders]: Nilu! Is that the thing?
[Bennarin]: … oh, hey.
[Jocoza]: The Prayer.
Bennarin peers at the object Nilu holds.
[Bennarin]: Gold tablet. Nice.
Nilunelle studies it with care. "I think … yes. Yes, this is it."
[Jocoza]: Nilu, you'll take it back to Darnassus?
Nilunelle nods. "I will."
Ben smiles at Nilunelle.
[Bennarin]: Okay. Takin' care of all the ghosts.
[Bennarin]: Now let's get some archaeologists loose.
[Jocoza]: Okay, back to the living, now.
[Gausanders]: That's the second time in two weeks that Nilu has to go back to bring artifacts to Darnassus!
They make their way out of the hills and back to the Cauldron, and take the circuitous path down to the mine entrance once more.
[Bennarin]: This cave.
[Jocoza]: Sandy be careful of the slaves.
[Gausanders]: Gnolls?!
[Jocoza]: We don't want to hurt them.
[Gausanders]: I will!
[Jocoza]: Yeah, it's mostly dwarves and gnolls that I've seen.
[Gausanders]: You too, Jhuuthun!
They attack a Dark Iron Taskmaster, and the nearby slaves jump in to attack the team members.
[Bennarin]: Shit.
[Bennarin]: Fellows, come on!
[Nilunelle]: Their minds aren't their own!
They are obligated to kill the slaves.
Bennarin winces.
Jocoza looks stricken.
Gausanders pats one of the slaves. "I'm sorry!"
[Bennarin]: Keep well clear of 'em from here. Look for the Dark Irons.
[Bennarin]: Hey, that one run off.
Bennarin looks after the slave.
[Jocoza]: Maybe some of them are breaking free, if only a little?
[Bennarin]: Well, good.
[Gausanders]: We're going to be helping all the other ones!
They make their way back into the cavern with the shrine.
[Bennarin]: That's our altar thing.
Bennarin steps up to place the artifact carefully.
[Gausanders]: Another ghost!
Jocoza gasps at Dorius.
You remember Dorius? The archaeologist they escorted? Who was ‘shot’ and dropped the letter? Well it TURNS OUT he was Personally Selected by Ragnaros and orchestrated this whole mission as a trap to help him summon one of his boss’s minions, a creature called Obsidion (the relic they spent all this time recovering was Obsidion’s heart), and also P.S. he’s now calling himself Lathorius the Black.
[Jocoza]: This one is worse than a ghost.
Bennarin stares at Dorius, ashen with fury.
[Bennarin]: You fucken what?
Obsidion rises. Lathorius the Black does a whole Villain Routine. White Squad ATTACC.
White Squad KILL.
[Gausanders]: “Hey! I got that thing's soul!” He holds up Obsidion's soul shard.
Bennarin steps on the dead dwarf's back, seizes his hair, and cuts his head off with grim satisfaction.
[Bennarin]: Well, I got this bastard's head.
Gausanders flinches a little.
Jocoza looks at Sandy warily. "Maybe just dispose of that one?"
[Jocoza]: I can't believe it was a setup.
[Bennarin]: Should've known. He was a pain in the ass.
[Bennarin]: Cap, you got the heart out of the thing?
Bennarin studies the fallen Obsidion warily.
[Jocoza]: Yeah. We'll take it back to Thorius, right? He seemed honest.
[Bennarin]: Yes'm.
[Bennarin]: I — dunno if I should bring this.
Bennarin considers the dripping dwarf-head.
[Jocoza]: Do you really think he'd want his brother's head? Even after all this?
[Bennarin]: Uh. Probably no.
Bennarin sets the head down carefully next to the corpse.
[Bennarin]: Let's get out of here. Archaeologists seem to have cleared out.
[Gausanders]: Does anybody remember the way out?
Gausanders looks at Jhuuthun, for whatever reason.
[Jocoza]: Oh, no need. I'm a mage.
[Jocoza]: Okay, Nilu, I'll make you a portal to Darnassus to deliver the prayer?
[Jocoza]: Nilu… Nellie, do you mind if we come with you?
[Jocoza]: And then I'll get the rest of you wherever you want to go.
They are portal-delivered to the Temple of the Moon.
[Nilunelle]: This way …
Bennarin peers around the grassy temple in awe.
Gausanders looks around at the temple, because that's one pretty temple.
Jocoza curtsies before Astarii Starseeker.
Nilunelle bows before Astarii Starseeker.
Gausanders bows before Astarii Starseeker.
Bennarin hangs back respectfully as Nilunelle addresses the priestess in Darnassian.
Nilunelle peeks to the others. "I think … we can go now. We have done … duty." She nods. This is the right word.
[Jocoza]: “Good.” Jo nods to Nilu.
[Bennarin]: Okay, yes, miss.
Gausanders smiles at Nilunelle.
Gausanders waves at Astarii Starseeker.
[Jocoza]: Next, to the Hall of Explorers.
Jocoza opens a portal to Ironforge. The weary group traipses over to the Hall of Explorers to find Curator Thorius.
[Jocoza]: Sir? Your brother is a jerk.
Gausanders nods at Jocoza.
Bennarin stands grimly at Jo's shoulder.
[Jocoza]: Also, here's the heart of the creature he tricked us into summoning.
[Gausanders]: And no one tricks me into summoning stuff! I do it because I want to, usually, so that was very rude!
Bennarin watches the dwarf cry and feels glad he did not bring the dead brother's head with him or anything.
[Jocoza]: Anyway, we stopped it, and stopped your brother for good. I think the archaeology team was legit, and they seemed to have cleared out when we killed the thing.
Curator Thorius wanders off, presumably to grieve.
Bennarin looks after the dwarf, and then down at Jo.
[Bennarin]: Reckon that's us done for now, then, ma'am?
[Jocoza]: I think that was well done, all. Sure we didn't really mean to summon Obsidion, but we dealt with it.
[Jocoza]: Yes, a good day's work.
[Bennarin]: We got the archaeology team loose.
Nilunelle nods. "We did good things… even with the bad that happened.”
[Jocoza]: And delivered that repentant cultist spirit's prayer.
[Gausanders]: That's the Sandy way! If you accidentally summon something bad, you take care of it as well and no one can get mad at you!
Gausanders nods at Jocoza.
Ben eyes Sandy up and down.
Jocoza giggles at Sandy.