(2021-11-11) Jo's Replacement Journal, Entry 10

Details

Author:	Alli
Summary:	Jo recounts the (second) defeat of Araj the Summoner, the formation of green squad, the progress of Gwen in combat magic, and the disappearance of Hexera.
Rating:	T for Teen

Chain: Jo's Replacement Journal

It’ll make a real difference for Andorhal, I said. But then, I guess a different timeline bled over, and the lich was back? I really need to study time magic more. I should probably come up to Andorhal on my off-time and talk to Chromie about it. You know, for the acquisition of knowledge. No other reason, obviously. Because I do know she’s a dragon. Of course.

Anyway, we’re also going to raze Scholomance to the ground, because what the hell and who would ever do that. We went in to investigate the courtyard and there were pulsating tree stumps and bones and blood… and we met some kind ghosts, Eva and Lucien Sarkhoff. They told us what had happened there, from the perspective of loyal servants of House Barov. How things went bad, and worse, and how they suffered. And how they still suffer. It was… sickening. Worse than I’d even guessed from the decor. I think Nilunelle was especially badly shaken.

Another way you can tell it’s an awful place is the steps for making a key to get in. We had to gather up fragments of bone from walking skeletons and then merge them with thorium in a volcano. Then we had to kill the aforementioned lich (again) to use his sigil on the resulting mess. Evil, right? Totally evil. I tried to describe it to Colson, and I think I might’ve even disturbed him. Which I didn’t think was a thing? I don’t know him all that well, but he seems pretty unflappable.

Well okay, enough of that. Let’s talk about happy stuff.

Things are going great with my apprentice, Gwen! Except I set her on fire, a little bit. I think she forgave me, though. I thought her shield was up and then… ouch. She seems very motivated to help the company in combat lately, so I’ve set her up with a team to go into the Uldaman dig site. I wanted to send some more people in there, anyway, since I heard from Tadget that the Titans were involved in Silithus. We weren’t looking for bug symbols in Uldaman, back when we went in. Maybe there’s bug information? That or more of those discs. I found a gateway in Tanaris, and it seemed to imply that those discs were keys of some sort. I didn’t have the one I needed to get in, so maybe that one’s still down in Uldaman.

The other new thing is the formation of Green Squad! I think this a great idea, and I wish we’d had it in place back when Sparkfly joined, among other people. The group’s multicultural, with draenei, humans, elves, and dwarves. And no gnomes, but hey, I guess there aren’t all that many of us around anymore. Glynara was really excited to be chosen as leader— I hope she’s up to it. I mean, I guess she wants to be a senator or whatever, so probably she’ll be very diligent in this first leadership role. Her and her pig.

The others have a lot of tragedy among them, like everyone does these days, I suppose. Taelei’s people, naturally, have lost a lot in the recent past. And she’s a fire mage, so I approve of her, obviously. Rissa lost her mothers, in a fashion. They’re asleep now, for centuries? Maybe it doesn’t seem so long to her people. Casey’s an orphan —I might need to keep an eye on her, make sure the card-playing doesn’t get her into trouble. Cambrin’s from Silverpine, lost his family there. Should I point him toward that warlock, Lena? Might be friends, since they’re from the same area, or might just dig up bad memories for both of them.

I’m going to send them into the Deadmines soon, so I hope they mesh as a team by then. I don’t want to get anyone killed in their first mission. Or ever, really.

Which reminds me of… Hex, who is not dead. She could easily have been magically transported to some remote corner of Azeroth, and just not been able to get in touch in the last two weeks. Elo was talking about holding a memorial, but I can’t just… he would’ve given up Tadget for dead on the first day. It’s only been a few weeks, and we’ve only been investigating for a couple days. There are still leads to follow up. I won’t say anything till I hear back the final word from Ivri and Ben. And talk to Gerhold. And maybe Inkie, to see if Black Company knows anything.