(2022-06-12) Spirits and Shadows (S6E6 - White Squad Log)

Details

Author:	inkie
Summary:	White Squad collects bones and bits of beasts, visits Nagrand, and marvels at the boundless necromantic resources of Auchindoun.
Rating:	M for Mature 17+

Arc: Season 6

These are definitely not the same NPCs that Blue Squad encountered a few weeks ago. You can tell because their names are different, and yet clearly also the names of actual characters.

Cressidha traces her water-conjuring symbol in the air.

Bennarin nods respectfully to Cressidha.

Cressidha nods back. "Ben." She offers him some water, because everybody needs water even if they don't have a mana bar.

Bennarin accepts it gratefully. "Thank you, miss. How you doin' today?"

Ismene sits on the fountain, carefully transferring items from a plain bag into a rather luxe, apple-embroidered bag.

[Cressidha]: Better, thank you. Gerhold saw to the return of the mask last week, I hope?
[Cressidha]: I, ah, might have walked off with one of their sacred relics by accident.

[Bennarin]: I did not hear from him direct but I am assumin' yes. It is kind of his whole project, I recko– you did?
Bennarin blinks at Cressidha and then a smile tugs at one corner of his mouth.

Cressidha clears her throat. "The three they sent us to retrieve, I put the mask in my bag."

[Bennarin]: Ohhh, I see. Well, you got it to him, then, I reckon?

[Cressidha]: I did.
[Cressidha]: Ah! Ismene.

Ben and Cressidha approach Ismene at the fountain.

Bennarin smiles at Ismene.

Cressidha holds out some bottled water. "Good afternoon."

Ismene looks over and brightens immediately. She holds up her Fauncy New Bag with Bonus Apple Blossom Embroidery. "Cressidha! Thank you SO much! The bag is just beyond anything!"

Bennarin tilts his head and regards the bag with interest.

Cressidha looks genuinely happy. "Oh, I'm glad you like it!"
[Cressidha]: I thought, well, apple orchards…

Bennarin grins at Cressidha.

Ismene shows off her Imbued Netherweave Bag to Ben. "It's not even my embroidery, Cressidha did it, isn't it wonderful?"

[Bennarin]: It is wonderful. That is real considerate of you, Cressidha.
Bennarin up-nods. "Hey, Sil."

Silvestre walks over lightly from the gryphon master. "Hi everybody! Where's Blue?"

Ismene waves at Sil, quite energetically.

Cressidha turns and nods to Sil.

[Bennarin]: They got called up to the marsh today. Somethin' about Miz Nellie's work with the Cenarions?

[Silvestre]: Ah, okay. heard they did some good stuff there, months past.

Bennarin nods again.

Silvestre waves to Mizzy and nods back to Cressidha.

[Bennarin]: We are just waitin' on Sir Gavynn, I reckon.
Bennarin looks around.

[Silvestre]: Somethin' exciting happen, Mizzy?

Ismene proudly shows off her Fauncy Imbued Netherweave with Apple Blossom Embroidery all over again. "Cressidha gave me a gift."

[Bennarin]: Real pretty.

Cressidha is all smiles. Ismene has accepted her present. All is well in the world.

[Silvestre]: Oh wow, that's real nice. All the apples.

Ismene hugs it to her chest and says with all due solemnity, "Though really, I don't at all deserve it. Three times, you've died under my watch! I couldn't be more horrified."

[Cressidha]: Three times you've brought me back, I think, is the more important part.

Ismene sighs. "Well, I couldn't bear to part with it now, of course."

Bennarin reaches out to pat the fountain beside Mizzy affectionately, in lieu of patting Mizzy herself. Because Unprofesh.

[Silvestre]: I ought to make you somethin' too, then.
Silvestre glances to Cressidha to confirm the protocol.

[Ismene]: And Sil, you needn't at all. It's my job, after all!

Cressidha smiles at Sil. Yes, apparently, this is the protocol.

Ismene brightens. "Sir Gavynn! How good to have you back."

[Cressidha]: Sir Gavynn, good afternoon.
Cressidha smiles and offers him some water.
Cressidha gives Sil water too, obviously.

Silvestre thanks Cressidha for the tasty water.

[Cressidha]: What's on our agenda today?

[Bennarin]: We are s'posed to go talk to a fellow down in the crypts about them bones scattered around the Wastes.
[Bennarin]: We all ready for it?

[Cressidha]: I am.

[Silvestre]: I'm ready!

Cressidha fetches her horse.

Ismene hops off the fountain (but not that far, wow). "I'm ready!"

[Bennarin]: Okay then.
Bennarin nods. He glances over to Gavynn and nods again respectfully. "You ready, sir?"

[Gavynn]: As I'll ever be, where to?

[Bennarin]: Under the crypts again.

[Silvestre]: We are gonna know that place like the backs of our hands.

[Bennarin]: Which is… not great, if I am honest. Of all the places to know.

[Cressidha]: One day, I'll remember where the entrance is.

Bennarin remembers the entrance. This time.

They descend the zig-zagging tunnels that lead down to the crater.

[Ismene]: I suppose no one ever needs help in any cheerful places, do they? "Everything is lovely here, could you go and smell some lilac for us?"

[Bennarin]: I dunno that they got lilac out here.

[Silvestre]: Maybe weeding? We could find someone who needs weeding in their pretty garden?

They arrive not at an exit but at the balcony halfway up, from which they have jumped previously.

[Bennarin]: Oh, that's the Sil shortcut way again.

[Silvestre]: I mean, if it works…

Cressidha readies a feather.

[Bennarin]: How's your knees, Sir Gavynn?

[Gavynn]: I think I'll go around–

Cressidha laughs.

[Silvestre]: Ah yeah, the plate can't help.

[Bennarin]: Okay!

Ben follows the others down the shortcut way. Local gravity works well.

[Bennarin]: … ow.

[Ismene]: JUMP, GAVYNN!
[Ismene]: I'll heal your knees, old fuddy duddy!

[Bennarin]: Mizz, you can't call him a old fuddy duddy.
Bennarin grins at her.

[Ismene]: I can't?

[Cressidha]: He isn't that old, is he?

[Bennarin]: He is a paladin, you got to respect.

Gavynn arrives with knees and dignity intact and rejoins the Limber Youth.

[Ismene]: I'm sorry I called you a fuddy duddy, Sir Gavynn.

Bennarin nods solemnly.

They approach an unfamiliar crypt entrance. One of the few unfamiliar ones, at this point.

Bennarin peers around, searchingly.

[Cressidha]: Lovely. A bone pile.

Bennarin points at Ramdor the Mad.
[Bennarin]: That's our fellow, I reckon.

[Cressidha]: Do we… put the bones in… the pile?

[Bennarin]: We can ask him.

Cressidha takes out a bag.

Ismene eyes the little boy.

Bennarin glances over to see where Mizzy is going.

Cressidha does not turn the bag upside-down. She respectfully takes out skeleton parts.
Cressidha has just SO many bones in this bag. This is ridiculous.

Ramdor the Mad says: Be silent! Damn you, spirits!

Bennarin blinks at Ramdor the Mad.

Ramdor the Mad rummages through the bones.

[Cressidha]: Are you all right, sir?

[Silvestre]: I guess these got all scattered around when whatever happened here happened?

Ramdor the Mad adds the bones they have brought him to his … bone pile. He is not super impressed by the bones (presumably because he already has quite a large collection), and suggests they make themselves more useful by laying to rest some of the spirits and skeletons that wander the Wastes above.

[Bennarin]: Okay, yessir. We can… put more spirits to rest.

[Ismene]: Ben…

[Bennarin]: Mizmainy?

Bennarin eyes Ha'lei up and down.

Ismene instructs the child, “Tell them what you told me.”

Bennarin smiles at Ha'lei and goes over to crouch down near him.

[Silvestre]: What's a kid doing here?

[Bennarin]: Hey, fellow. What's up?

Ha’lei sees dead draenei.

Bennarin stops smiling. "You… oh."

Ismene whispers, "It's very sad, he has this gift and no one believes him except someone everyone else thinks is insane."

Bennarin looks over his shoulder, back at Ramdor. "… yeah. Okay. We will– okay. We will check with him, buddy."

[Silvestre]: I dunno if that's a gift, after what happened on this world, *Sil whispers.*

[Ismene]: Even more important that someone believes him, then.
Ismene turns big brown sad doe eyes on Ben. "We can help him, right?"

Bennarin rises to his feet again and nods grimly at Sil, and then less grimly at Mizzy. "'Course we can."

They trek back across to Ramdor of the Bone Pile.

[Bennarin]: Uh. Hey, again.

Cressidha 's expression is serious again. Or maybe that's just her normal face.

Ramdor tells them to bring him a book of the dead, such as traditionally carried by the Death Priests of Auchenai.

[Bennarin]: A book of the dead. Is that… the title?

There aren’t a ton of these books still floating around, fortunately, I guess. Unfortunately, necromancers are really into them, which is bad news for everyone. (Necromancers are not the same as Death Priests. Death Priests are… good? Less bad? Unclear. If Ramdor is anything to go by, they are not exactly warm and fuzzy.)

Ismene frowns. "Well I certainly shan't condone any necromancy and I agree. Leave the spirits alone, they've paid their dues."
Ismene looks to Gavynn as the other Light Adjacent person present.

Ramdor knows one such book is being held in Shattrath City by one of the Aldor anchorites. He does not clarify whether it is The Book of the Dead or a book of the dead, per Ben’s question, but returns to ranting angrily at his bone pile.

[Bennarin]: … never mind. We will look for it, I guess.
[Bennarin]: Let's go clean up some of them spirits he asked for first, though. That will… probably help the kid out some, too?

[Cressidha]: I do hope so. And it will help them, ultimately.

[Silvestre]: There must be just so many spirits, though.

[Gavynn]: There's a few too many ghosts around as-is to worry about necromancy, I think.

[Bennarin]: … yeah.

The Gang rides up to the Wastes again and begins to search for spirits and skeletons, as instructed. They do not have to search very hard.

[Bennarin]: I see skeletons.

[Silvestre]: Does it actually help to kill them again?

[Bennarin]: Damn. They really are just all over the place. And I dunno, Sil?

[Gavynn]: If exorcised, they'll have to be re-summoned somehow.

[Bennarin]: You reckon someone around here is summonin' 'em? Or they'll just go to peace now?

[Silvestre]: And I guess no way they can be revived. Because skeleton.

[Gavynn]: The skeletons hold up until they can't physically maintain their form.

[Cressidha]: That man mentioned necromancers.

[Bennarin]: … right. So that sounds like the main problem.

[Silvestre]: Some people down in the crypts, maybe? More death priests?

[Ismene]: Death priests. It's just offensive.

[Bennarin]: Yeah.

Cressidha does not get too close to the edge.

(Of the world. Their fighting has brought them pretty close to the edge of the world. This is very normal.)

Zombies! Also very normal.

[Gavynn]: Wights too, great.

[Silvestre]: They got all flavors of undead in here

Cressidha covers her mouth to hide a smile.

[Bennarin]: Undead is not my favorite flavor.

In the course of their fighting, occasional strange shadows materialize and attack. The group fights a few of them off as they go.

[Bennarin]: Damn, how we keep draggin' these shadows after us?
[Bennarin]: We are near the other caravan. Let's let that fellow know we put some of the spirits down.

Ismene shivers.
[Ismene]: I keep thinking I see more of those shadow-ghost things.

Bennarin peers at Ismene searchingly.
[Bennarin]: I mean, we seen a couple, yeah?

[Gavynn]: Not safe out here– wherever this is.

[Bennarin]: Yeah, let's– get.

They ride for the Refugee Caravan.

Bennarin spots Soolaveen and waves.
[Bennarin]: We cleaned some of 'em up, sir, yes.

Soolaveen appreciates them. He is more polite than his compatriot Ramdor the Ranty.

Bennarin nods respectfully, then looks to Cressidha.

Cressidha bows her head. "Ah. Portal to Shattrath?"

[Bennarin]: Miss, you can port us back to the city to find the fellow with the book? Yes'm.

Cressidha nods and flicks a portal stone into the air. It cracks open.

[Bennarin]: Okay. He is an Aldor, the fellow said. Draenei, that means?

[Cressidha]: Yes.

[Silvestre]: Uh…
[Silvestre]: They don't let me up on their tier.

[Ismene]: We'll stuff you in one of Cressidha's bottomless bags, Sil.

Rather than proceed to Aldor Tier with a Sil-in-a-Bag, they approach a nearby draenei in anchorite’s robes.

Ben eyes Anchorite Jimothy up and down.

[Cressidha]: Excuse me, sir, we're looking for a Jimothy…

They are, it seems, addressing Jimothy.

[Bennarin]: … oh. Well. Okay then.

[Gavynn]: Well that was easy.

[Silvestre]: Oh this him? *Sil ducks behind Mizzy, just in case.*

Bennarin smiles winningly at Jimothy, who does not seem won.

Jimothy tells them — with substantially less concern than one might expect from a fellow who’s lost a book of the dead, but perhaps that carelessness is the whole problem — that he has lost the book of the dead. He suspects Ruffians, which is frankly pretty classist of him, but also perhaps a reasonable guess just considering the anchorites-to-ruffians ratio in Shattrath.

Silvestre mutters, "I think you oughta be nicer about the refugees…"

[Bennarin]: … ruffians? Okay, that, uh, does not narrow it down.

[Ismene]: We know a lot where we live now.
[Ismene]: I bet Dirty Bob knows something. The one that keeps stealing cookies from the little kids?

Cressidha crosses her arms.

Bennarin narrows his eyes at Mizzy. "Yeah. Okay, maybe."

[Silvestre]: Well okay, that's a pretty dirty trick. I see how he got the name.

[Ismene]: He's awful. And he's usually drunk.

[Cressidha]: Hm.

They proceed to Lower City, in search of Ruffians.

Bennarin looks around.

Cressidha flexes her fingers. Frost crackles around her hands.

[Bennarin]: Usually this way, playin' dice.

Ismene pauses to smile at some passing refugee children.

Bennarin eyes "Dirty" Bob up and down.
[Bennarin]: Yep. Okay.

Ismene mutters, "Well, he's upright."

[Cressidha]: Excuse me.

Bennarin whistles sharply.
[Bennarin]: Hey, Bob.
[Bennarin]: We are lookin' for a book.

"Dirty" Bob says: Time to teach you a lesson in manners, little girl!

He is presumably addressing Cressidha, whose manners are in fact excellent and were much nicer than Ben’s. This seems sexist and inappropriate.

"Sketchy” Steve cracks his knuckles.

"Frankly Kind of Grody” Gorbo cracks his knuckles.

"Dirty" Bob says: Now I'm gonna give you to the count of '3' to get out of here before I sick the dogs on you.

Dirty Bob has misspelled sic. What a ruffian.

[Cressidha]: I beg your pardon?!

"Dirty" Bob says: 1…
"Dirty" Bob says: 2…
"Dirty" Bob says: Time to meet your maker!

Dirty Bob and his friends have made a grave mistake.
"Dirty" Bob says: Alright, we give up! Don't hurt us!

Bennarin scowls at "Dirty" Bob and works his jaw.

[Cressidha]: Tch.

[Bennarin]: Hn.

Gavynn scolds "Dirty" Bob.

The Ruffians have sold the book of the dead.

[Bennarin]: F*cken sold it. F'course.
Bennarin spits on the ground.

[Ismene]: For a lot of gold. Which, you'll notice, they don't still have or they'd not be living out here.

Silvestre mimes drinking, and raises a questioning eyebrow at Mizzy.

Ismene nods at Sil.

[Silvestre]: Seem like a goose chase to anyone else?

Cressidha shrugs.

Ismene looks to the others, as she is bad about goose-chases.

[Bennarin]: It does, Sil. Yeah. But also I ain't sure I like somethin' called a book of the dead rattlin' around, and that… fellow sent us for it.
[Bennarin]: I reckon it is worth a ride to Nagrand to see. Worse comes to worst, we get a break from Bone Wastes. An' we can tell that death priest fellow we tried.

[Silvestre]: Yeah, okay, does sound like a bad thing to be out and around.

[Ismene]: Have I been there? I don't think I've been there.

[Silvestre]: Don't think I have.

[Bennarin]: I been in just one edge of it. Miz Gwen said it is the prettiest piece of the Outlands, though.

[Cressidha]: It's lovely. I've been there, once, to extract primal water from some water elementals…
[Cressidha]: I don't have any flight paths there, I'm afraid.

[Gavynn]: Safer place if it's got less undead and necromancers

[Ismene]: That's certainly true.

[Gavynn]: …and Shadow Council
[Gavynn]: and bird-men
[Gavynn]: and giant spiders

Ismene giggles.
[Ismene]: I'm sure it has its own dangers.

[Silvestre]: Sounds all around great.

[Bennarin]: I know it is to the west.
[Bennarin]: We will see if we can find a flight path on the way.
[Bennarin]: Reckon there is got to be a draenei town.

They cut west through the forest, and are immediately attacked by warp stalkers. Mizzy’s horse bolts, and they are obliged to stand and fight the warp stalkers.

[Ismene]: Oh Runaway… You were doing so well!

[Bennarin]: There is a road someplace.

Cressidha ices a warp stalker.

[Bennarin]: Okay, here we go.

They pass out of the forest and into a sunlit grassland.

[Ismene]: … Wow.
[Ismene]: It reminds me of home.

[Silvestre]: This place does not look hurt at all.

[Gavynn]: Sunlight?
[Gavynn]: Seems almost odd by now

[Ismene]: Floating islands!

Bennarin cranes his neck at the blue sky. And the floating islands.
[Bennarin]: Damn.
Bennarin whistles.

[Silvestre]: Whoa! Okay, then. Bit hurt.

[Cressidha]: Which way?

[Bennarin]: We can look for a town an see if they know where this Armory is at.

They come to a fork in the road, and a signpost planted there.

Bennarin consults the sign. Ben does not read draenei. But the sign does point down a particular road.

They ride on in the direction the sign was pointing. Pointing is good, right? Signs point for a reason?

[Bennarin]: Look at these f*cken trees.

[Silvestre]: Trunks're HUGE!
[Silvestre]: You could make a house inside one.

[Ismene]: What's that place called, with the zhevras and the giant long-necked spotted animals?

[Bennarin]: The Barrens?

[Ismene]: Which is a terrible name for it. It's not barren at all.
[Ismene]: But it reminds me of that.

Bennarin stares at a Talbuk Stag.
Bennarin points at the Talbuk Stag.
[Bennarin]: Never seen a deer like that. Is that a deer?
[Bennarin]: It is handsome as hell.

[Ismene]: It's so pretty.

[Cressidha]: Or something similar.

[Bennarin]: Huh.

[Silvestre]: Draendeer.

[Bennarin]: I see a town.
[Bennarin]: … a half-floatin' town.

[Ismene]: Is that a town?
[Ismene]: I mean, are you sure?

[Cressidha]: Looks like it from the crystals.

They ride up a slope toward the crystals etc., and encounter a bridge and two Broken guards stationed there.

Bennarin halts.

[Ismene]: Oh! Hello.

Bennarin nods respectfully to one of the Telaari Watchers.
[Bennarin]: Sir. We okay to go in here?

The Watcher nods and waves them through politely.

[Ismene]: Look at the waterfall from the floating island.

Cressidha calms her horse down. Cinnamon did not like that bridge.

[Silvestre]: Maybe we could have group meetin's here instead of Shattrath. Cause damn this is pretty.

[Cressidha]: Oh, lovely.

[Gavynn]: Place looks halfway between home and Hellfire.

[Bennarin]: Damn.
[Bennarin]: So pretty.

[Ismene]: It's beautiful.

Bennarin looks around, awed.
[Bennarin]: Okay. Y'all go find a flight path? I am gonna ask around about this armory.

[Cressidha]: If they have one, it's likely elevated…

[Ismene]: That looks like the tallest place.

Cressidha, Ismene, and Sil ride off to find a flight path. Ben and Gavynn ride deeper into the town.

Bennarin approaches Warden Moi'bff Jill, who is standing at the center of town and looks Fancy.

[Gavynn]: This one looks official.

Bennarin nods to Gavynn.
[Bennarin]: Hello, sir. You, uh, speak Common? Azerothian?

Warden Moi'bff Jill says: I do. Can I help you, friend?

[Bennarin]: Can you tell me roughly whereabouts there is a abandoned armory?

Warden Moi'bff Jill 's expression darkens slightly, but he nods and offers directions.

[Bennarin]: Okay. Thank you, sir.

Cressidha and Sil return to join Ben and Gavynn.

[Bennarin]: Got directions.

Warden Moi'bff Jill says: New posting going up! Adventurers and heroes, gather round the bulletin board!

Cressidha glances curiously at the bulletin board, but she focuses back in on the job.

[Bennarin]: North of here, he said.
[Bennarin]: Where is Mizma– oh there.

Cressidha sends up a flare of arcane sparkles just as Ismene rides up.
[Cressidha]: There you are.

[Bennarin]: Okay.

Ismene sighs. "I suppose we should live in Shattrath. So many people to help there."

[Cressidha]: What do you mean you 'should' live in Shattrath, Ismene?

[Ismene]: Well, you know. There are so many people in need. We moved to the Lower City to be closer to them. Now I help sew clothes for the orphans.

[Cressidha]: I imagine you can live wherever you like as long as you don't mind the commute, no?

[Ismene]: But they know they can come to me if someone's sick or injured in the middle of the night.

[Cressidha]: Ah, I see.

[Silvestre]: I don't know what I could do for orphans. Think any of them are into knife-throwing?

[Ismene]: They should learn to defend themselves, Sil.
[Ismene]: Then maybe Dirty Bob wouldn't steal from them.

Silvestre makes a huh sound, and looks thoughtful.

[Bennarin]: I am not wild about these bridges, I got to say.

Cressidha once again calms her horse down.

[Gavynn]: The whole place is a bunch of floating islands, if you fall off you'll probably float anyway.

[Bennarin]: That is… a fair point, but I ain't gonna be first to test it.

[Gavynn]: Like water.
[Gavynn]: But the opposite.

Bennarin squints through the trees at the building ahead.
Bennarin circles the building cautiously.
[Bennarin]: Looks abandoned for sure.

[Ismene]: Those owls are so big.
[Ismene]: Oops. Mean big owls.

[Bennarin]: Hello? Anyone here? We are lookin' for a book?
Bennarin peers into the shadowy interior.
[Bennarin]: Hey. Sir?

[Cressidha]: Hm?

They find an elderly Broken seated despondently in the building. He did, in fact, have the book of the dead, but his son Levar, an aspiring necromancer, swiped it and ran off to raise an army of enslaved souls at Auchindoun. Kids, man.

[Bennarin]: You– oh. Took. Again.
Bennarin sigh at Martin the Tired.

[Silvestre]: What a coincidence.

Martin the Tired wants the Gang to thwart his obstreperous offspring’s soul-stealing agenda, and notes that they can probably take the book they’re after off his son’s dead body once they, you know, see to all of that. Assuming they’re willing to do so, because who can say whether these strangers have ever even done a good deed before?

This seems like kind of a passive-aggressive observation to make regarding the people you are asking for help.

Bennarin straightens defensively. Excuse you, buddy.
[Bennarin]: We will stop him.

Martin, having successfully reverse-psychology’d Ben into helping him, gives them a shopping list of the stuff he needs to make them a potion. He assures them they will need the potion to fight Levar the Soul-Stealer. It will help them see souls.

Is this really necessary to Levar’s defeat? Who can say? Martin seems to think it is a required skill.

[Cressidha]: That's… quite a list of ingredients.

[Bennarin]: What is a 'gronn'?

[Ismene]: Remind me to pick up a bestiary for Nagrand.

[Cressidha]: They look a little like ogres, but bigger.

[Bennarin]: … bigger'n an ogre? Uh, I hope they got better hygienics.

[Cressidha]: I can't imagine what purpose an eyeball would serve, but…

[Silvestre]: To see spirits with?

[Cressidha]: Hm.

They ride off in search of gronns and other ingredients.

Bennarin whistles.
[Bennarin]: I cannot get over how pretty.

And then they come over a ridge and find a field full of voidwalkers.

[Ismene]: Demons.

[Cressidha]: Ah.

[Bennarin]: … oh. Well.

[Silvestre]: Had to be a catch somewhere.

[Gavynn]: And ethereals.

[Bennarin]: … and ethereals.

[Silvestre]: Seem to pop up all sorts of places.

[Bennarin]: Miss Cressidha?

Cressidha approaches the ethereals.
[Cressidha]: Good afternoon.

Ismene glares at the ethereal.

[Silvestre]: Cold shoulder, huh?

[Bennarin]: Careful. We dunno what ones these are.

[Cressidha]: Are you mining the… crystal mountain?

The ethereal attacks her. This is a grave mistake on his part.

[Bennarin]: WHOA.

Cressidha huffs.

[Silvestre]: Not nice ones.

[Ismene]: Well! That answeres that.

[Bennarin]: You okay, Cressidha?

[Cressidha]: Light, I'm not here to compete with– I'm fine.

[Bennarin]: … we'll steer clear of 'em for now.

Cressidha sighs.
[Cressidha]: Understood.

Bennarin glares balefully at another ethereal.

An entire herd of clefthoof, led by a massive grey one, lumbers past.

[Ismene]: Look, a whole family!

[Cressidha]: That one's… huge.

[Bennarin]: Looks like a granddad one.

[Ismene]: Awww, the babies….

[Cressidha]: Aw…

The Gang is supposed to be collecting clefthoof blubber, but … awwww.

[Bennarin]: Ain't gonna break up a family.

[Cressidha]: Even the little ones are huge.

[Gavynn]: Let's leave these be.

Bennarin waves at a Clefthoof Calf.

Ismene sneaks a hopeful look at Ben.

[Bennarin]: We ain't gettin' one of them, Mizzy.

[Ismene]: I know, I know. Sir Gavynn already said to leave them be. *Sigh*

[Silvestre]: Too big for a Shattrath place.

Gavynn points at Durn the Hungerer.

[Bennarin]: Oh shit.

[Gavynn]: Giant!

[Cressidha]: Watch out!

Silvestre gasps at Durn the Hungerer.

[Ismene]: Yikes.

[Bennarin]: What the f*ck.

[Ismene]: Is that a… a gronn?

[Cressidha]: Is… that a gronn?

Ismene exchanges looks with Cress.

Cressidha looks at Ismene and smiles.

[Bennarin]: I got no other guesses, so.

[Silvestre]: So we gotta kill somethin' like that?

[Bennarin]: We are s'posed to get an eyeball from one?

[Ismene]: It's definitely bigger than an ogre.

[Gavynn]: Are there… smaller ones?

[Cressidha]: I do hope so.

[Silvestre]: Let's keep an… eye out…

[Bennarin]: Hope so. Gonna take the five of us just to carry that one's ey–
Bennarin eyes Sil severely.
Bennarin points at a Mountain Gronn.
[Bennarin]: Little one.

They successfully kill the little one. “Little” is an extremely relative term.

[Ismene]: Whew.

[Bennarin]: … am I carryin' the eye? I am, ain't I?

Ismene doesn't bother to say she's not.

[Cressidha]: I can.

[Bennarin]: Nah, I got it, miss.
[Bennarin]: I am used to, by now.

Cressidha produces a small knife and cuts the eyeball out of its socket. "I have a bag for this."

[Bennarin]: … oh, okay. A bag for it is a good plan.

[Ismene]: You have a bag for eyeballs?

[Silvestre]: Comes up often, in arcane research?

[Cressidha]: I have a bag for things I don't want to touch any longer than necessary.

[Silvestre]: Eyeballs in particular?

[Cressidha]: Anything sticky, or gooey.
Cressidha deposits the eyeball in that bag.

[Ismene]: Oh. That's very practical.

[Bennarin]: … Mizz, we got to get you one of those.
[Bennarin]: Mizzy has a thing like that too, Cressidha. Hers is called 'a husband.'
[Bennarin]: A bag would be better.

Ismene giggles.

Cressidha washes her hands off with some water from one of her flasks.
[Cressidha]: A bag is always better.
[Cressidha]: For. Carrying disgusting things. I mean.
[Cressidha]: Not…

[Bennarin]: Not for everythin'. Yeah.

[Cressidha]: I didn't mean to– yes.

Bennarin grins at Cressidha.

[Cressidha]: You know what I mean. I hope.

Ben knows what she means.

[Bennarin]: Looks like demons ahead.
[Bennarin]: Forge Camp?

[Cressidha]: Hm.

Bennarin frowns, squinting.

Ismene smiles at Sir Gavynn. "Thank you for coming to get me."

[Gavynn]: Big plain, bigger monsters all over it.
[Gavynn]: Can't have you getting lost.

[Ismene]: I do get lost, too. My curiosity gets the better of me every time.

Bennarin smiles wryly at Ismene.

[Gavynn]: Some of your elf friends in the other group would stop in Hellfire and the marsh to pick flowers while helboars and bog giants were chasing us.

Bennarin laughs.

[Gavynn]: I've come to expect this sort of thing.

Ismene laughs.
[Ismene]: Ogre.

[Bennarin]: Hey, it's fightin' with the gronn.

[Cressidha]: Hm.

[Bennarin]: Huh.

They collect some bird beaks. Bird beaks are on the list, too. They have still not successfully recovered any fresh clefthoof blubber.

[Bennarin]: These birds seem to be killin' all the oxes we need.

[Ismene]: Or they're just dying and the birds are carrion feeders.
[Ismene]: I mean, they are quite old.

[Bennarin]: Well if they are just dyin' that is bad news for us findin' one.

They find one. They kill it.

[Bennarin]: Uh, Miss Cressidha? You got that bag?

[Silvestre]: Blubber fit in it too?

[Cressidha]: If you can, ah, carve some of that… off…
Cressidha gets the bag open.

[Bennarin]: Got it.
Bennarin offers her a dripping chunk of blubber.

Cressidha holds the bag out for Ben to just drop it in.

Bennarin does, respectfully. He wipes his hand on his tabard.
[Bennarin]: Okay.

They return to Martin the Tired.

[Bennarin]: Got a whole bag of nasty for you, sir.

Cressidha dumps out the ingredients.

Here is where Martin explains to them that he hasn’t been one hundred percent honest with them, and that this potion he’s making them in order to fight Levar will give them the ability to see ghosts forever and ever and also possibly drive them mad. NBD.

[Cressidha]: I beg your pardon?

Ismene looks at Ben and the others. "Forever?"

Bennarin 's eyes widen. He looks uneasily at Mizzy.
[Bennarin]: How important is this f*cken book?

[Silvestre]: This seems like a significant favor. Other folks go mad?

[Ismene]: I can sometimes see spirits, but I don't know if I want to see, say, the ghosts of people who used to live in our house wandering around and sitting in furniture that's not there anymore.

[Silvestre]: So is it just the Auchindoun dead, or like all dead everywhere?

[Cressidha]: I think it's all dead everywhere, Silvestre.

Silvestre whistles. "That'd be a hell of a thing."

[Bennarin]: Sir, I ain't askin' that of my squad, sorry. That ain't what we sign up for.
Bennarin knits his brow sternly at Martin the Tired.

[Ismene]: Wait, what happens if we don't, though?

Bennarin shrugs grimly. "We don't get the f*cken book back, I guess."

[Silvestre]: And all the dead rise?

[Ismene]: If we don't, then the crazy death priest keeps summoning the dead and building his army.

Cressidha crosses her arms.

Bennarin eyes Mizzy again uneasily.

[Ismene]: I can do it. If… If no one else wants to? Maybe I can point at things and you can destroy them?

[Bennarin]: No. If one of us is gonna do it, then I will.

Ismene steps up and grabs the flask from Martin.

[Bennarin]: Mizz–!

Ismene smacks her lips and wrinkles her nose. "Tastes like soup that went bad."

Bennarin stares at her.

Ismene looks around carefully.

[Bennarin]: Ismene. You okay?

Silvestre now also eyes Mizzy worriedly. "Are you alright?"

[Ismene]: I don't see anything. Maybe it's not so bad.

[Cressidha]: Hm.

[Ismene]: Aside from a desperate desire to rinse my mouth out.

[Gavynn]: I'll deal with this necromancer and be done with it. They want to hide from one mad wizard and let him build an army at their front door–
[Gavynn]: They have no idea what they're getting into.
Gavynn storms off in anger.

Bennarin stares after Gavynn.

Ismene leaves the room after Gavynn.

[Cressidha]: Well. I suppose I'd rather know the ghosts are there than not.

[Silvestre]: Maybe if it's all there all the time it won't be that weird.

[Cressidha]: I'll drink the… gronn eyeball. It's fine.

Cressidha doesn't sound enthusiastic, but she sounds determined.

Bennarin rakes a hand through his hair wearily.

Ismene yells into the room, "Gavynn rode off! We have to hurry!"

[Bennarin]: Miss, if your broth— oh, sh*t.
Bennarin looks back at Mizzy's shout.

Cressidha takes a sip of Gronn Eyeball Potion.

[Bennarin]: All right, give me it.
Bennarin drinks hastily and grimaces.

[Silvestre]: Hand it here then?

Bennarin hands it to Sil.

[Cressidha]: I can portal us back.
[Cressidha]: It'll be faster.

They hustle outside to join Mizzy. Gavynn is nowhere in sight.

[Cressidha]: Ismene!

[Bennarin]: Where'd he go?

[Ismene]: His horse is very fast. He went that way.

Cressidha flicks a portal stone into the air.
[Cressidha]: We can meet him.

[Bennarin]: Okay. Cressidha's got us.

They step through the portal in Shattrath and mount their horses immediately. They ride hard out of the city and south toward the Wastes.

[Bennarin]: Let's see if we can catch him by Auchindoun.

[Cressidha]: He wouldn't try and face this necromancer alone, would he?
[Cressidha]: … Would he?

[Bennarin]: I dunno.

[Ismene]: Wouldn't your brother? I think it's a paladin thing.

[Cressidha]: No, because he's not stupid.

[Bennarin]: Cole is too sensible. Yeah.
[Bennarin]: This might be… a Scarlet thing.

[Cressidha]: Or maybe he'll just be waiting. I hope.

[Silvestre]: They've got to teach those paladins more anti-martyr stuff.

[Ismene]: I guess I've known all the ones who get wounded because they say, "I and I alone must conquer this evil! Stay back, for I am armored with the Light!" and then they come back bleeding or with no arms or something.

[Silvestre]: Can you regrow arms?

[Ismene]: If you catch it soon enough.

[Silvestre]: Wow. The Light's pretty cool.

Sun with sunglasses emoji.

[Bennarin]: … it just me or there a lot of ghosts around here now?
Bennarin points at the drifting blue ghosts in the distance.

[Cressidha]: Oh, the flying ones?

[Bennarin]: They are all goin' a way. You see that?

[Silvestre]: Good away or bad away…?

[Bennarin]: Just a way.
[Bennarin]: Let's follow.

[Cressidha]: There's a whole…

They round a gap into the ruins and behold a GIANT EREDAR standing atop some stone steps, channeling some spoopy spirit energy. An entire congregation of kneeling, weeping draenei ghosts crowds the stairs before him.

Bennarin gapes at Levar.

[Cressidha]: Are those ghosts?

[Silvestre]: Okay, that guy's got 'em kneeling.

[Ismene]: He did say we'd see them… spirits.

[Bennarin]: Yeah. Like– a ghost– huh. Congregatin'?
[Bennarin]: SIR GAVYNN?
[Bennarin]: Y'all reckon he went …?

[Gavynn]: Over here. *He waves them over to the rubble.*

[Cressidha]: Ah.

Ismene sighs in relief. "Oh thank the Light."
Ismene looks Gavynn over to be sure he's healthy. Because of course paladins can't heal themselves or anything.

Cressidha smiles. She seems to relax, somewhat.

[Bennarin]: Oh. Good.

[Silvestre]: Oh good, you didn't go alone.

[Ismene]: What'd you see? Anything other than this… misery?

[Gavynn]: That must be the guy up there.

[Bennarin]: Sir, no offense, but. You got to keep with the squad.
Bennarin peers through the rubble at Levar.

Ismene ducks a little as a red spirit thing flies overhead.

[Gavynn]: We have some hermit hiding in ruins, asking us to do his errands for him.

[Silvestre]: This does seem like a good errand though.

[Gavynn]: While there's a powerful necromancer warping the entire area right outside their only city.

Ismene says gently, "It's his son, Gavynn."

[Bennarin]: Listen, I ain't a fan of it no more'n you are. But we got to work as a unit. We ain't gonna leave this guy standin', no matter.

[Silvestre]: We gonna do this together?

[Bennarin]: Are we ready to deal with him?
Bennarin rolls a shoulder.

Cressidha flexes her fingers. A thin sheet of ice forms on the backs of her hands.

Bennarin glances at Gavynn.

[Cressidha]: I'm prepared.

[Bennarin]: Okay.

The Gang moves grimly forward as one. They charged up the stairs and attack Levar the Soul-Stealer.

[Silvestre]: GAVYNN!

[Ismene]: Oh!

The fight ends. Levar is dead. White Squad has prevailed.

[Bennarin]: What? What happen? You okay, Gavynn?
Bennarin looks between Sil and Gavynn.

[Silvestre]: Thought he had you there for a second, eyes looked funny.

[Ismene]: Oh, that. I took care of it.

[Silvestre]: Oh, well that's good. *Sil smiles at Mizzy*

[Ismene]: The ghosts are all gone now, see?

Bennarin blinks. He looks around and shakes his head a little, as if to clear it.

[Cressidha]: … They are.

[Silvestre]: Maybe it's not so bad, then, so long as the spirits get to go on.

Gavynn glares angrily at Levar.

Bennarin turns back and eyes Gavynn with concern.
[Bennarin]: You all right, there?

[Gavynn]: A weak trick, but the spell broke easily enough.
[Gavynn]: This is no lich, that's for sure.

Cressidha nods.

[Ismene]: Fel-touched, though.

[Bennarin]: Well. Lucky us. Let's get his book an' go.

[Silvestre]: Guess we better destroy the book now?

[Cressidha]: The 'death priest' by the bones might know how.
Cressidha levitates the book into a bag.

Ismene looks at Gavynn with a gentle concern.
[Ismene]: You are all right, yes, Gavynn?

Gavynn nods. "Yes, I'm quite alright. That wasn't nearly as powerful as whatever was being held in the Blood Furnace."

[Cressidha]: Good.

Ismene relaxes and smiles.
[Ismene]: I just worry about your temper. You'll give yourself indigestion!

[Silvestre]: That or like, rush into something without us and die.

[Ismene]: Sil, he waited.
Ismene frowns at Silvestre.

[Gavynn]: Truthfully, I wasn't sure you'd want to face this thing.

[Cressidha]: Why wouldn't we?

Bennarin eyes Gavynn up and down.
[Bennarin]: Sir. No offense but we have faced a lot of sh*t.

Ismene turns her frown on Ben.

Bennarin said no offense, Ismene.

Silvestre looks insulted.

[Ismene]: It was a kind thought to spare us. But of course we're always there for each other.
[Ismene]: I'm sure Sir Gavynn didn't mean we'd be incapable of facing it.

[Gavynn]: It's done now, and one less necromancer to corrupt whatever's left floating of this land.

[Cressidha]: Indeed. Shall we?
Cressidha gestures vaguely to the Bone Wastes.

[Ismene]: Hmph. Yes, we shall.

[Bennarin]: Right. Okay. But squad is squad for a reason. We go in with support. An' I am directin' it, as long as we are a Cobalt squad. Yeah?
[Bennarin]: I realize I ain't everyone's boss, but I am White Squad's.

Ismene 's lips thin.

[Bennarin]: And yeah. Let's go see a man about a book.

Silvestre nods.

[Cressidha]: Ah. Yes.

[Silvestre]: Way this thing got passed around, it'll happen again if we don't get rid of it altogether.

[Gavynn]: Is it wise to give it to that hermit, then?
[Gavynn]: Not the anchorites in Shattrath? Or simply destroy it?

[Silvestre]: Destroy it, that was the plan.

[Ismene]: Dark books like that are rarely easy to destroy. It might take more than throwing it on the fire, and maybe he knows how.

[Bennarin]: We said destroy it, but– was that fellow in the armory who told us to do it, and I dunno how we feel about trustin' him.
[Bennarin]: Anchorites in Shattrath isn't a bad idea.

[Cressidha]: I'd like to hear from the death priest why he wanted something like this in the first place.

[Silvestre]: So we at least talk to him?

[Bennarin]: I am willin' to ask him. But.

Cressidha nods.
[Cressidha]: I've got the book hidden, Ben. I'll follow your lead.

Ramdor the Mad rummages through the bones.

Bennarin eyes the two ghosts now flanking Ramdor the Mad.

Ismene looks at the spirits on the bonepile that were NOT there last time oh dear.

[Bennarin]: We got a book, sir. From a necromancer.
Bennarin glances at Cressidha.

[Cressidha]: Do you know how it might be destroyed?

[Silvestre]: What would you do with it, if we gave it to you?

Ismene says softly, "Let him destroy it, if he knows how. There's no good use from such a book, not ever."

[Bennarin]: Okay, well. I reckon it's gettin' destroyed then one way or another. We'll do it or we'll watch you do it here.

Bennarin folds his arms.

Cressidha takes the book out of her bag. "Destroy it yourself, or we will."

Bennarin watches Ramdor the Mad narrow-eyed as the old death priest takes the book.

Ramdor the Mad says: And now to do what I should have done a hundred years ago.

Ismene watches him carefully.

Ramdor the Mad says: Never again…

[Bennarin]: … okay.

Ismene blinks. "Oh. I suppose it was as easy as setting it on fire."

[Silvestre]: That's that, then.

[Cressidha]: Ah.
[Cressidha]: Well. I could have done that.

[Silvestre]: If they'd told us that in advance, yeah.

[Bennarin]: There was a lot we could've been told in advance.

[Cressidha]: Ismene.
Cressidha gestures across at the child.

[Ismene]: Hello again, Ha'lei. Is this your grandfather that you told us about?

Bennarin peers at Greatfather Aldrimus.

Ha'lei says: Uh huh! His name is Aldrimus but you shouldn't probably call him that because of how he's older and you have to respect your olders.

Ismene bites back a smile.

Bennarin nods gravely at the little boy.

Cressidha smiles quietly.

[Silvestre]: Of course. *Sil nods*

Ismene introduces herself politely. "Hello. I hope it's all right if I call you Greatfather Aldrimus."

Bennarin nods respectfully to the Ghost Grandpa.

Aldrimus sighs. "It is, of course. If only because I must ask one more thing of all of you."

Bennarin raises his eyebrows.

Aldrimus says: I was fortunate to escape being bound by Levar or another of his ilk, and spirits here rest more easily now that he is destroyed. However, Maladaar lives on, inside the crypts. He must be stopped.
Aldriumus says: I mean, Maladaar is dead of course ha ha. You should go kill Maladar. One "a" at the end. He's bad too.

Bennarin glances over at the Draenei Pilgrims to see whether they are following all of this. They are not, and one of them is eyeing the humans talking to the air dubiously.

Ismene looks at Ben.

[Bennarin]: We will handle it, sir.
[Bennarin]: We are gettin' unfortunately pretty good at necromancers, between our own Plaguelands and here.

[Silvestre]: Yeah, I bet we can handle this no problem.

[Cressidha]: Indeed.

Ismene whispers, "It's a shame Ha'lei's mother can't hear her father when he's right there."

Cressidha nods.

Clarissa says: Please, father, I do not have your strength. I cannot do this on my own. Please help me…
Clarissa wipes the tears away.
Ha'lei tugs on Clarissa's robe.
Ha'lei says: Don't cry, Mommy. Greatfather says not to worry.
Clarissa says: In the end, we will all be together, sweetheart.

Bennarin winces, looking between Aldrimus, Ha'lei and Clarissa.

[Cressidha]: Perhaps we should…

[Bennarin]: Uh. Yeah.

Cressidha backs away from the family.

[Bennarin]: Gonna leave 'em be.
Bennarin nods respectfully and backs away also.

For an instant, just an instant, a truly observant person might notice Mizzy's shadow lags behind everyone else's shadow.

[Ismene]: Poor family.

[Silvestre]: Poor lady, if only she could see…

[Cressidha]: Was there anything else, or shall I portal us back to Shattrath?
Cressidha holds up a portal stone and waits for confirmation.

[Bennarin]: I am ready, miss.
Bennarin looks to the others.

Cressidha tosses the stone up into the air. It cracks open.

Ismene steps through, sighing in relief.

[Bennarin]: Okay. Job well done, y'all. I will report to the Captain.

[Ismene]: See something beautiful, see something horrible. A life in Cobalt Company.

[Silvestre]: See you all next time!

Bennarin waves goodbye to Silvestre. Farewell!
[Bennarin]: See you, Sil.

[Cressidha]: Indeed. Have a good evening.

Ismene goes to stare at A'dal for a bit.

[Gavynn]: One more crypt to go through then.

[Bennarin]: It just don't end.
Bennarin shakes his head wearily.

[Ismene]: If it's our last one, I'll truly celebrate.

Gavynn agrees with Ismene.

Cressidha folds her arms.

Bennarin eyes Cressidha. "You okay?"

[Cressidha]: Hm? Yes, I'm fine?

Bennarin nods slowly, studying her. "Okay." He glances over at Mizzy.

[Cressidha]: Do you think the other squad's come back yet?

[Bennarin]: I don't know. I dunno what they were up to today. Somethin' for Nellie.

[Cressidha]: Hm. I'll give it a few minutes, I suppose.

Bennarin nods again. "You want a cup of tea or anythin' while you wait, you can always come down by our place."
Bennarin glances at Mizzy again.

Cressidha smiles. "Thank you. I'm all right."

[Bennarin]: Okay.
Bennarin reaches out a hand as if to pat Cressidha on the arm but does not, his hand just skimming the air beside her.

Ismene walks back to Gavynn. "I know you meant well. And I appreciate the thought." She offers him a smile.

Gavynn nods, though his expression remains stern, almost distracted.

Ismene pats him on the arm and goes back to her husband and Cressidha.
[Ismene]: Do you think we'll ever finish one of these days in a good mood?

[Cressidha]: You aren't?

[Ismene]: No. I feel… let down, somehow.

Bennarin knits his brow and studies Ismene.
[Bennarin]: We done good work, Mizmainy.

[Cressidha]: I feel like that went rather well. Was there something else you were hoping for?

[Ismene]: Maybe it's just knowing there's still one more crazed necromancer in a crypt.

[Bennarin]: Well. Yeah.
[Bennarin]: But all we can do is our piece of it at a time, yeah?

Cressidha removes her tabard, folding it up neatly.

Ismene searches for the positive. "Nagrand was pretty."

[Bennarin]: Nagrand was pretty as hell.
[Bennarin]: We will get back there, yeah?

Ismene looks back. "You don't suppose Gavynn will go back there and try to take out that Maladar person himself, do you?

[Cressidha]: No, I don't believe so.

Ismene sighs. "Well, that's good. He holds himself so aloof at times. But he truly does have a good heart."

[Bennarin]: He better not try it. I have got my reservations about this whole squad-auxiliary business an' it seems like maybe he does too. I might mention to the Captain, just to be sure we are all good.
[Bennarin]: I can't lead a squad if not all the squad is on it. You know?

[Ismene]: He gave his life to save mine. I'll never forget that.

[Bennarin]: Mizz, I ain't gonna forget it neither. Never. But I got to be sure no one else is in danger unnecessary, yeah?
[Bennarin]: Includin' him.

[Cressidha]: Him riding off alone like that doesn't just endanger him, it could in theory endanger the rest of us. I think I understand your perspective.

Bennarin nods at Cressidha.

Ismene chooses silence on the topic.

[Cressidha]: Perhaps you might speak to him, on a day when we aren't… focused on field work, Ben? I don't think he's deliberately… you know.

[Bennarin]: No, yeah. I know he ain't a bad fellow. But I got to make sure we're on a same
page.

[Cressidha]: Of course.

[Ismene]: Well, I think I'm going to go and get some sewing done. Cressidha, thank you again for my lovely bag.

[Cressidha]: You're quite welcome, Ismene. I'm glad you like it.

Bennarin glances back as Mizzy heads off without him.

[Bennarin]: I– oh.
Bennarin frowns.

[Cressidha]: I wonder what's bothering her.

[Bennarin]: I am gonna– catch up with her. If you ain't mind.

[Cressidha]: Of course. Please, by all means.

Bennarin nods respectfully.

[Bennarin]: Good evenin'.

Cressidha nods.