(2023-03-05) Of Airborne Ships and Thieving Hacks, Pirates and God-Kings (S9 E7 - White Squad Log)

Details

Author:	inkie
Summary:	White Squad mops up at Gjalerbron (and has an uneasy encounter with an old nemesis), and then investigates some cemetery vandalism on behalf of new friends.
Rating:	M for Mature 17+

Arc: Season 9

Ben smiles at Paluuva.

[Ben]: Ma'am.

Paluuva smiles warmly to Ben.

[Paluuva]: Hello, Ben.

[Ben]: How're you doin'? Everything sorted from last week?

[Paluuva]: It is.

[Ben]: Good. We missed you but we got on okay.

[Ben]: Anyone come see you about the gulch?

Paluuva sighs softly. "I'm afraid not. I do not think I have yet earned the squad's confidence."

Ben grimaces. "I am sorry to hear it. Reckon they will come on eventually. It'd do 'em good for sure, but I ain't want to press no one."

[Paluuva]: They may. But it is up to me to demonstrate that I can be trusted.

[Ben]: What'd you think about… the other thing? My report?

Ismene smiles as she steps out of the inn.

Ben glances over and grins. He holds out a hand.

Ismene glances over at the inn door, and her smile dims a little.

Rae is standing a little way off from the inn door, and her spectral haunt is hovering in the doorway.

[Paluuva]: The report? Ah yes…

Paluuva 's brow furrows, her face coloring with concern.

[Paluuva]: It has… weighed upon me.

Ismene takes Ben's hand and steps closer to him.

Ben nods solemnly at Paluuva, and squeezes Mizzy's hand.

[Ismene]: Hullo, Paluuva.

[Ben]: Reckon it bears lookin' into, though, yeah? I mean. I assume you are on that already.

[Paluuva]: I am. There is not much to actually research, but… I have thoughts.

Paluuva smiles. "Hello, Ismene. Forgive me, I did not mean to ignore you."

[Ismene]: You weren't. You were in a conversation. I'm sorry I interrupted.

[Paluuva]: You are most welcome.

Ben looks past Paluuva to Rae. He sees her back is turned and opts not to call out. Instead, he steps a little sidelong toward the mailbox and rifles idly through its contents with his free hand.

[Ben]: We was just talkin' about the — oh, hey.

Ben draws out an envelope. He frowns absently at it and then looks up at Paluuva again.

[Ben]: What're your thoughts?

Ismene looks over at Ben. "Something nice in the mail?"

Ismene reassesses. "Something bad in the mail?"

[Paluuva]: Are we free to discuss this matter openly?

Ben shows Mizzy the letter absently.

[Ismene]: Oh!

[Ben]: I dunno the handwritin'. May? I think it's May.

[Ben]: And hold up, ma'am, if you don't mind. I do want to hear what you got, but maybe not right here.

Ben glances around.

Paluuva inclines her head. "Of course."

[Paluuva]: I will give you your privacy.

Ben drops Mizzy's hand to tear open the envelope. "Oh, I ain't mean that, just maybe not discussin' the — thing right out front of the inn." He takes out the letter and shakes it out absently.

[Ismene]: You don't have to go, Paluuva.

Paluuva peers curiously at Ralaea.

Ralaea is staring at the sky.

[Paluuva]: Rae…?

Ben scans the letter, his brows knit. To Mizzy, he says, "It is May. I'll be damn, she wrote me." He smiles to himself.

[Ralaea]: Just…wondering why the sky's pretty in a place like this.

Paluuva casts her eyes skyward.

[Ben]: An' she says she got some new friends down there. I reckon Lena'll be glad to hear it. A priestess girl. An' a —

Ben reads further.

[Ismene]: The land can't help what was done to it, Ralaea.

[Ismene]: Or on it.

Ben hms to himself, still scanning.

[Paluuva]: I would posit it is because darkness cannot exist without light. No matter how much ugliness there is in the world, there is also always beauty.

[Paluuva]: Sometimes you just need to figure out where to look to find it.

Ismene smiles at Paluuva…'s side.

[Ismene]: And a what, Ben?

Ralaea turns around. She glances between Ismene and Paluuva. "Hmm."

[Ben]: — the f*ck you say?!

Ben shakes the letter as if to rearrange the words on it and stares again at the page.

[Ismene]: Ben!

Ralaea lifts an eyebrow at Ben, and waits patiently for an explanation.

[Ben]: That ain't — nah. Th–what? What the F*CK?

Ismene reaches out to try to take the letter from him.

Ben glances up at Mizzy. He lets her take the letter.

Paluuva peers curiously at Ben and Ismene in concern.

[Ben]: That ain't right. That can not be ri– Isak is — I mean.

Ace conveniently steps out of the inn into the middle of the group.

[Aiseia]: What's happening?

[Paluuva]: Ben, what is wrong?

[Ben]: I got a — Mayellen. My si–uhhh friend. From back —

Ismene skims it quickly.

[Lena]: Oh, you got a letter from Mayellen? Is the mail working alright then?

[Ben]: She is sayin' she went and made friends with — a fellow shown up and said he is my cousin?

[Ismene]: Oh! My. Oh my.

Ben stares at Mizzy. "Is that what it says? That's what it says, yeah?"

[Ismene]: He apparently looks like Ben. And he's been to tea with Niris and Elohad.

Ismene sounds strangely hurt by that last.

[Ralaea]: That's good, isn't it?

Ismene hands the letter back to Ben.

[Aiseia]: You have a cousin you haven't met before?

[Ismene]: A Hazan cousin, yes.

[Paluuva]: That is wonderful news, is it not? Your family grows!

Ben glances over at Paluuva. "You ain't met my family, with respect, ma'am. I mean, most my family."

[Ismene]: Who's Isak?

[Ben]: That ain't — I mean, would Aunt Nir fall for — Isak's… my uncle. The one runnoft. I never did meet him. We figured him for dead?

[Aiseia]: He might have done a couple of things before he got around to that part.

[Lena]: Maybe if he ran off he wasn't a bad sort?

[Ismene]: Well, frankly I'm inclined to trust any of your relatives who knew to get away. Niris did well.

[Ben]: They was all —

Ben glances at Ismene. He has no rebuttal to this argument.

Ralaea shrugs. "So. A good thing, then."

[Ben]: But this ain't — how's this fellow showin' up now? After — an' where the f*ck's Isak? An' why's he turnin' up just when I'm —

Ben looks around at them all.

Ismene shakes her head rapidly. "There's nothing you can do about that. Trust Niris and Elohad, and… focus today, all right? I don't want you distracted out there."

[Paluuva]: Perhaps the Light led him to your friend May to look after her in your absence.

[Lena]: I really ought to write May. I hadn't thought of writing at all, to be honest.

[Ben]: I —

[Paluuva]: Trust in the Light, Ben.

Ben looks between Ismene and Paluuva.

[Ben]: I will — okay. I will — Mizz. Can you take this?

Ben offers her the letter again.

Ismene raises her hands and murmurs prayers over each of them, then takes the letter.

Ismene looks to the others. "Do keep him safe today. Remind him to stay focused?"

[Ralaea]: Count on it.

Ismene smiles at Ralaea.

Ralaea gives her a tiny smile in return.

Ben drags both hands through his hair and exhales slowly. "Okay. That's — okay. I'm good. Don't… fret, Mizmainy."

Ben looks like he is fretting.

[Ismene]: Of course I'm going to fret. It's what I do. Now. Go be big heroes.

[Ben]: … yes'm. Okay.

Ismene walks by, sidestepping absolutely nothing in the inn's door.

[Ben]: Okay. Sorry. Okay. What was we — okay.

[Ben]: Shhhhhalerbron.

[Ben]: Is where we was. Yeah?

[Lena]: There was all the Scourge things to kill, right?

[Ben]: Were. Where we were. Yeah.

[Ben]: So let's get — to that.

Ralaea looks eager. "Yes. Scourge."

White Squad mounts up and rides for the northern road.

[Ralaea]: Nice that they have roads out here.

[Lena]: The roads must be recent, don't you think? They don't seem thousands of years old.

[Ralaea]: Didn't think we had time for all that.

[Lena]: Maybe the Lich King did, or the woke up vrykul.

[Ralaea]: Imagine the Lich King placing roads.

Lena giggles. "Does not really seem the building type, I give you."

[Paluuva]: Mmm. We cannot be certain just how recently the vrykul awakened.

[Lena]: Lu, that's a thing they said last time. They're still waking 'em up now.

[Paluuva]: I imagine it has been gradual. It seems they are awakening in phases.

Lena nods.

[Ben]: Anyhow it seems like the Scourge sent 'em help with the awakening, an' that's what we're here for.

They have arrived at Gjalerbron.

[Ben]: The Scourge.

[Ben]: The Mage-Lieutenant wanted us down in the catacombs to stop the dormant ones wakin'.

[Ben]: He said the necromancers might have a thing on 'em. A relic? For the wakening. See if you can find one.

[Ben]: … well, that's Scourge for sure.

Ben eyes a Fearsome Horror up and down.

[Ralaea]: Still seems a bit rude. I'd rather kill them while they can fight back. They're still alive, for now.

[Lena]: Some kind of soul energy over on the right.

Ben points at a Necrolord.

[Ben]: Yeah. He's up to somethin' there with that — sh*t, he's got a prisoner.

[Ralaea]: That's what they're using the prisoners for?

Necrolord says: Hello, little ones. Come to play?

No.

Lena glances at Rae. "Yeah, if they're sacrificing people to wake 'em up, we should probably just stop that.

[Aiseia]: Oh, what's this?

[Ben]: Yeah, it's the sacrificin' people to do it that is the — what you got, Ace?

Aiseia holds up an [Awakening Rod].

Ben glances at Paluuva. "You reckon that's it? The relic?"

[Lena]: I'm not willing to sacrifice anybody to give them a fair shake, when the most talkative they've been to us is to say they want to gut us.

Ben points at a dormant vrykul.

[Ben]: Ace, try it on that fellow.

Lena peers at the dormant vrykul.

The incorrect application of the awakening rod causes the dormant vrykul to expire.

[Ben]: … welp.

[Paluuva]: Oh… well.

[Ben]: That's done it.

[Paluuva]: I expected something more dramatic.

[Aiseia]: Think I did it wrong.

[Ben]: Ace, I think you done it just right, for our purpose.

[Ralaea]: It's just… in the Scarlet Crusade, everyone was convinced that other races were tainted, so we'd kill them before they turned. But… those might have been innocents.

[Ben]: Yeah, Rae, these fellows they are wakin' might be innocents. But the sacrifices are our people, an' might be too.

[Ben]: So.

[Ben]: Let's have another go. Damn, they got 'em packed in down here.

The vrykul dies from being awakened improperly.

[Lena]: If it weren't us or them… I do wonder if maybe some of them might defect one day. And we can find out what all's going on in their heads.

Ralaea still looks slightly uncomfortable with the whole thing, but she doesn't say anything more.

[Aiseia]: But he just fell over without a fight? That's not fair, is it?

The vrykul dies from being awakened improperly.

[Ben]: Is it fair they are gonna kill those dwarfs an' humans they got caged to wake these fellows up to fightin'?

[Ben]: Because either way we shake it, someone gets done wrong.

[Lena]: It'd be nicer if they didn't put us in this position in the first place.

[Paluuva]: Unfortunately, the Scourge does not play nice.

[Ben]: Yeha. The fact it's Scourge necromancers wakin' 'em up also doesn't incline me much toward 'em.

Necrolord says: You too will serve the Lich King!

The dormant vrykul keels over.

Necrolord says: Your life for the Lich King!

[Ralaea]: Do what you have to. I'll kill the Scourge, but otherwise… I'm staying out of it. Unless I'm ordered otherwise.

[Paluuva]: That seems fair.

[Ben]: I ain't gonna order you, Rae. I hear what you're sayin'.

Ralaea nods in acknowledgement.

[Ben]: But I know also how you feel on the Scourge, an' I will ask again you consider that the Scourge is sacrificin' our people to raise these ones. Just… for thought, is all.

Necrolord says: There's always room for one more.

Interference with the wakening ritual causes the vrykul to die.

[Ben]: Anyhow I reckon that's done it for down here.

[Ralaea]: So we kill the Scourge and this stops. We free the prisoners and this stops. There are other answers, that's all.

Paluuva frowns sadly at a tauren hovering over a sacrificial altar.

[Lena]: I think it's too late for this one. This prisoner.

[Ben]: We'll clear out an' hunt the Scourge proper from here.

[Aiseia]: It's true. It's expedient. I just wish they weren't stuck in the middle, even if they are bloodthirsty brutes.

[Ben]: I hear all y'all. An' Rae, I appreciate how you are thinkin' about it.

Necrolord says: Excellent, another sacrificial lamb.

[Lena]: I'd take issue with them being stuck in between.

[Lena]: They're serving the Lich King.

[Lena]: No more stuck in between than the Cult of the Damned.

[Ben]: The sleepin' ones might not be, though, as Rae an' Ace say.

[Ben]: We ain't know till they wake up. But if it's the Scourge wakin' 'em right now…

[Ben]: Anyhow. Let's go take care of Scourge.

[Lena]: Might not, but we haven't met one against it yet.

[Lena]: I'm not saying there's not any, just not our job to search out that one in a thousand.

[Ben]: One of them wights over there.

Ben points at a Putrid Wight.

Gjalerbron Rune-Caster says: Ugglin oo bjorr!

[Ben]: You hear that, Paluuva, ma'am?

[Ben]: We was talkin' about how they all talk Common, but that one said ooglebiorn or somethin'.

[Paluuva]: Indeed. Finally a sample of their native tongue.

[Ben]: I am assumin' it means "I'LL EAT YOUR HEART" or whatever because that's what they seem big on.

[Ben]: But I'd be curious.

Paluuva murmurs, "Ugglin… oo byorr… bjorr… ugglin oo bjorr…"

[Ben]: More across the way.

Gjalerbron Rune-Caster says: I'll eat your heart!

[Ben]: … yeah, like that.

[Ben]: SH*T.

A whole-ass lich has materialized behind the group as they contemplated vrykul linguistics, no doubt chortling nefariously to himself.

He does not chortle for long; White Squad reacts poorly to being startled.

[Ralaea]: He'll be back. We should be careful.

[Ben]: Watch out. I reckon he's got a phylactery somewheres, so yeah. He knows we're around now.

[Lena]: Not so tough as I thought, but yeah. We didn't have any phylackery.

Paluuva grins at 'phylackery'.

Ben points at a Necrolord.

[Ben]: Necromancers in there with the vrykul robes. Reckon they are teachin' 'em some sh*t.

Again, by "robes," Ben means spellcasters.

[Lena]: Bad sh*t, for sure.

[Ben]: Reckon we got to find that boss one.

Gjalerbron Warrior says: I will break you!

Gjalerbron Sleep-Watcher says: I will take pleasure in gutting you!

[Ben]: … an' there's the lich, back again. Go careful.

[Ben]: Tryin' to sense for a necromancer around here is like tryin' to pick a pine needle out've a bear rug.

[Lena]: Up one of these ramps? Big shots like being high up, right?

Ben turns a slow circle, frowning. He nods at Lena.

[Ben]: Yeah. Let's have a look.

[Ralaea]: There's certainly something going on up here.

[Paluuva]: A ritual?

[Lena]: More soul manipulation.

[Ben]: Let's interrupt an' ask 'em.

Necrolord attempts to run away in fear!

Necrolord says: Excellent, another sacrificial lamb.

Lena looks down at the corpse and mutters, "We're not lambs."

[Ralaea]: Those candles have seen better days.

[Ben]: Ah. Fellow in the goat head.

Ben points at Necro Overlord Mezhen.

[Ben]: Goat head mask never means nothin' good.

Necro Overlord Mezhen says: Foolish children, you will not stop what I have set in motion! Now, meet your doom!

Necro Overlord Mezhen enjoys approximately five seconds of misplaced confidence.

Ben stoops to lift the goat skull mask and peer beneath it. At the movement, a paper falls from the folds of the necromancer's robes.

Lena comes over and looks down at the goat-head's body. "What's that? He was keepin' notes?"

[Paluuva]: This time when you say "goat head"… you do not mean draenei, I assume. Because that is not a draenei skull.

[Ben]: Ma'am I do not. This is a certified actual goat skull. I would not say — what is that, yeah?

[Lena]: Oh, no, that's totally a literal goat, yeah.

Ben reaches for the paper.

Lena looks down at the skull again and says quietly. "A really big goat. Monster goat?"

[Ralaea]: … Are draenei goats? You walk upright.

Ben rises and reads the paper, frowning.

[Ben]: It is… a ritual, I think? Somethin’ about a Queen… Anger-boda?

Paluuva peers at the paper.

[Paluuva]: Lena, come take a look at this.

Lena looks back up to Paluuva. "What is it?"

Ben tips the paper to show Paluuva. "Ymiron. That say 'Ymiron' to you?"

[Aiseia]: Who is that?

[Lena]: That's the fellow from the vision.

Paluuva nods.

[Paluuva]: Their God-King.

[Lena]: Guess the whole sleep thing lets them live a long time?

[Paluuva]: The one that declared the Titans had betrayed and abandoned them.

[Ralaea]: Is he actually a god?

[Ben]: I don't reckon, naw.

[Paluuva]: No.

[Ben]: You can't just be a god because you don't like the last ones you got.

[Ben]: Though Bran don't reckon the Titans was gods, neither.

[Ralaea]: That's good…because he's old. And if he was old, and also a god, then…

[Paluuva]: Ah. I see what you are implying. But…'Old God' has a specific meaning beyond that.

[Ben]: An' Lena, what is these diagrams? What's the ritual? I mean, I got a guess, but…

Lena traces over the drawings. "Not something I've done myself, for sure, but it is a manipulation of soul energy. I'd reckon similar to what we were seeing below."

[Ben]: Okay. Well if they are doin' like below, I don't reckon we want him woken up.

[Ben]: So let's go see if we can interrupt Queen Angerboda, too.

They set off in search of a queen to interrupt.

[Lena]: When I hear 'god-king' I think somebody people sort of worship like a god.

[Lena]: But who's not one.

[Ben]: Yeah. Makes sense.

[Paluuva]: Yes. He took advantage of the broken faith of his people to elevate himself.

[Lena]: But if he is a literal god, we for sure don't want him woke up even more.

[Ralaea]: There a rule about gods not being kings?

[Ben]: I mean I think most gods wouldn't bother callin’ themselves kings.

[Ben]: On account of they are already gods. Why they need another, smaller title?

[Lena]: Yeah, the 'god' sounds like a tack-on to me, for a king to make himself feel more important.

[Ben]: But I dunno, maybe some gods are greedy like that.

[Paluuva]: I imagine the Lich King has done much the same as Ymiron did. These people are obviously highly spiritual, but have been victimized by those taking advantage of their spirituality.

[Ben]: Anyhow. Any of you see this ritual in the catacombs? Because I did not. I am thinkin' we check up there.

Ben points over yonder.

[Lena]: I would've noticed a god-king.

[Lena]: I bet, anyway.

[Ralaea]: Place with all the skulls? Sure. It's a good guess.

They enter the skull-bedazzled hall cautiously, and by “cautiously” I mean after noisily slaughtering a half-dozen vrykul and a couple of Putrid Wights on the doorstep.

[Ben]: … somethin' happenin' in here.

[Lena]: That's a big-size one. Probably him?

[Ben]: I see a big lady. Reckon that's the queen?

Ben points at Queen Angerboda.

[Lena]: Angerboda. Sounds angry.

[Paluuva]: It may be.

Queen Angerboda yells: Awaken, Ymiron! The time of your continued reign is nigh!

[Ben]: Okay yeah that's it. Let's get her before she gets him.

The squad battles their way through ranks of vrykul guards.

Queen Angerboda yells: Double your efforts! King Ymiron will awaken and then he will ascend!

White Squad arrives at an alcove where the red-haired vrykul queen and a party of necromancers are channeling shadowy power into a massive vrykul in a horned helm.

[Ben]: HEY MA'AM.

Queen Angerboda yells: You will not stop my work here! My husband-king will awaken!

Queen Angerboda yells: Give me your souls that I might slay the enemy!

Queen Angerboda vacuums the souls out of her necromancer accomplices, who drop like empty socks to the floor.

This actually does not avail her, as White Squad makes pretty short work of her anyway. As they approach the dormant Ymiron, however, a familiar figure takes shape between them and the vrykul god-king.

Paluuva gasps at The Lich King.

[Ben]: … oh sh*t.

Ralaea glares angrily at The Lich King.

The Lich King yells: Not yet, Ymiron! I have other plans for you. You will serve me better within Utgarde Pinnacle. And if these insects survive to find you again, you will get the chance to avenge your wife.

Ben is frozen for a moment, and then he charges forward, swinging his sword at the Lich King… but the apparition is only shadow, and vanishes. Along with the slumbering Ymiron.

Lena raises a hand of shadow magic, trying to attack the Lich King. He and Ymiron vanish before she can.

Ben lowers his sword, staring white-faced at the place where the apparition stood.

[Aiseia]: Wow, he's all over this place.

[Lena]: Well, sh*t. This is an ember clutch all over isn't it?

[Ralaea]: Anyone hurt? Any weird thoughts or whispers?

[Lena]: No, he was only here a second.

[Aiseia]: Not a bit. Just mad. He's playing with us.

[Aiseia]: Goading us along, you know? So we're mad, and we're not thinking as we rush in and get him.

[Paluuva]: I do not understand. He has such power to simply appear where he wishes like this. Yet… twice he has let us live.

[Ben]: He wasn't real. It wasn't real. Sword went right through.

[Ben]: I mean he was — it was like his shadow. But still strong enough to pull —

[Lena]: He took the king, who he's I guess gonna wake up and tell him we killed his wife.

[Ralaea]: And did she just…drain the necromancers? Is that what happened there?

[Ben]: Utgarde, he said. Utgarde Pinnacle? Ain't we been in there? Utgarde's the keep.

[Lena]: A pinnacle’s like the top of it, right?

[Paluuva]: It must be the upper keep.

[Ben]: We'll have to let 'em know. At the Keep.

[Ben]: Let's go.

[Lena]: I don't know what we could've done better.

[Lena]: But now for sure he's going to be our enemy.

[Lena]: Probably would've been anyway

[Ben]: I mean, yeah.

[Ralaea]: At least we'll know for sure.

They set out for Westguard Keep.

[Ralaea]: That one… that Lich King. He wasn't from some spirit realm, right?

[Ben]: I mean, he wasn't… really there. I took a swipe at him an' the sword went right through.

[Ben]: But it was the same… I mean, it felt like him.

[Lena]: So it was sort of like a ghost?

[Ben]: Like a echo, maybe?

[Aiseia]: A… projection.

Ben nods at Ace.

[Lena]: Echo. Hm. Projection.

[Aiseia]: Like his spirit can walk?

[Ralaea]: Is that a shaman thing?

[Aiseia]: It sounds like it is? We'd have to ask a shaman, though.

Ben looks to Paluuva.

Paluuva nods. "I have seen similar things from shaman. But only a shaman could answer for certain."

[Lena]: So maybe more evidence on the whole shaman claim not being nonsense.

[Ben]: Yeah. Which… we can talk about more, actually. Later.

Ben glances at Paluuva.

[Ben]: But for now, let's report.

Paluuva mumbles, "Ugglin oo bjorr…"

[Ben]: Captain Adams, sir!

Ben salutes Captain Adams with respect.

[Ben]: We cleared up the overlord there, the necromancer leader. But there was a whole 'nother… thing goin' on.

Captain Adams raises his eyebrows. "Oh, aye? A whole… what sort of thing?"

[Lena]: We ran into their royalty…

[Ben]: There was a ritual goin' on. A Queen? Was tryin' to raise… that God-King Ymiron? An' we stopped her, stopped the ritual, but… the Lich King shown up. And took Ymiron away.

Captain Adams boggles. "The Lich King himself?!"

[Lena]: Or a projection of him, at least, but he took Ymiron for sure.

Captain Adams says: I don’t like the sound of that one bit. The Lich King absconding with Ymiron can only mean trouble. Unfortunate you weren’t able to kill him along with his queen.

Captain Adams grimaces and strokes his beard.

Captain Adams says: Well. Ye did what ye could, I've no doubt.

Captain Adams says: And ye’ve put a massive dent in their plans, and bought us valuable time. Who knows? The way you lot get around, perhaps you’ll run into old Ymiron again. I’ve no doubt he’ll regret that second meeting.

Lena nods.

Ben nods firmly. "Yessir. The Lich King said he was gone to… Utgarde Pinnacle. Which we reckon is at the keep, down to Valgarde."

Captain Adams scowls. "Utgarde? I suppose I'll have to report this to that imbecile, Keller. I hope you lot do get there first, in that case."

[Ben]: … Yessir.

Captain Adams says: Anyway, you've done as thorough a job as I could ask. Nothing else for you at the moment, Cobalt. Carry on.

Ben salutes Captain Adams with respect.

Lena curtsies before Captain Adams.

Ben salutes Father Levariol with respect.

[Ben]: Sir. We cleaned up that Scourge situation.

Father Levariol quietly mouths a benediction over the group.

Father Levariol says: Bless you, Cobalt Company, you have answered my prayers. Stand proudly in the Light, knowing that your actions here were most holy.

Ben straightens a little and smiles. "Thank you, sir."

Ben salutes Mage-Lieutenant Malister with respect.

Ralaea walks right past Mage-Liutenant Malister. "I'll wait outside."

[Ben]: Sir, we —

Ben looks after Rae. He hesitates and then turns back to the Mage-Lieutenant.

[Ben]: We did as you suggested, an' it worked fine. Took out a whole lot of the sleepers.

Mage Lieutenant Malister says: Ah. So my hypothesis was borne out.

Mage Lieutenant Malister says: You did what had to be done, Cobalt Company. Though some might consider it dishonorable to slay the helpless, in this case we would have been fools to do otherwise.

Ben glances over his shoulder in the direction Rae went again. He turns back and nods once to the Mage-Lieutenant.

Mage Lieutenant Malister says: These vrykul have shown no understanding of honor themselves. And we certainly couldn’t have left them standing there to be ritually wakened at the cost of more of our captive people.

[Lena]: I agree with you, sir. It had to be done.

Mage Lieutenant Malister says: If I may ask of you one more thing? I promise it doesn’t involve another venture into Gjalerbron. You’ve put paid to that place for now.

[Ben]: Yessir?

Mage Lieutenant Malister says: Beyond the Keep’s walls to the southwest, on the bluffs, one of the tuskarr loiters. The tuskarr are a curious local people I believe could prove allies, and would offer us valuable knowledge of the region.

Mage Lieutenant Malister says: I suspect that you, my diverse and heroic friends, might make the best ambassadors to these people. Would you go and see what the tuskarr wants?

Mage Lieutenant Malister nods respectfully to Ambassador Paluuva.

Paluuva inclines her head. "Of course."

[Lena]: Ambassadors. *Lena perks up slightly.* That sounds nice.

Ben looks at Paluuva too. He smiles.

[Ben]: I mean. We got an official one, so. Let's go see what we can do.

[Ralaea]: Time to go?

[Ben]: Rae. We are gonna go talk with a tuskarr, yeah.

[Ralaea]: Good.

[Lena]: We're aiming to make friends.

They set out from Westguard and head straight for the western bluffs. It isn’t long before they spot a portly silhouette seated patiently on a nearby rise.

Lena peers at the giant walrus creature.

[Paluuva]: There they are.

[Lena]: Is that him? *Lena whispers.*

Paluuva dismounts

[Ben]: Hey. Sir? Ma'– uh, fellow?

[Paluuva]: Allow me?

The tuskarr looks up warily at the group’s approach. When he shifts stiffly to stand, it is clear that he has been wounded; his leather jerkin is painted on one side with blood.

[Paluuva]: Oh no, they are injured.

Ben 's eyes widen. He steps back to defer to Paluuva.

[Paluuva]: Please…if you can understand me, I am a healer. I will help you.

Paluuva kneels down.

The tuskarr nods slowly and watches Paluuva with a pain-dark gaze.

[Lena]: What happened?

Paluuva gestures to the tuskarr's blood-stained jerkin. "Show me where are you are hurt."

The tuskarr glances at Lena, even as he lifts his right arm to show Paluuva the slash in his armor.

Ralaea steps away to give them room, and examines the creature further. It really is some sort of humanoid walrus.

The tuskarr speaks haltingly to Lena. "I am Lunk-tusk of the Kalu’ak clan. My people are known to yours as ‘tuskarr’." He grits his teeth momentarily.

[Lena]: Pleased to meet you. I'm Lena of… the humans."

Lunk-tusk nods very slightly, as though it pains him to gesture more expansively. "My partner and I were sent… up here… to investigate…" He glances at Paluuva.

Paluuva smiles softly. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Lunk-tusk. I am Paluuva of Nalador, of the draenei." She hovers her hand over his wound, murmuring softly, "Pheta kura na…"

Lunk-tusk visibly relaxes. "Ah. Paluuva of Nalador. I thank you."

[Paluuva]: How does that feel?

Ben smiles at Paluuva.

Lunk-tusk pats his side gingerly and nods at Paluuva. "Much better. Much. You have my thanks." He looks around the group again.

[Paluuva]: We are happy to help. What happened to you?

Lunk-tusk says: My partner and I were sent up here to investigate strange happenings along one of our people’s hunting trails. It was when we approached the vrykul graveyard known as Shield Hill that we were attacked by the undead.

[Aiseia]: More of them.

[Lena]: The… Forsaken? Or the Scourge?

Lunk-tusk peers at Lena. "I know not what these… two things mean. Are they undead? These are… vrykul, risen from the earth."

[Paluuva]: Scourge, then.

[Lena]: Ah, probably Scourge types then.

[Aiseia]: More Vrykul, risen from the dead. Are they always this restless?

Lunk-tusk shakes his head grimly at Ace. "Never before have we seen this."

Lunk-tusk says: I was lucky to make it to this stone camp of yours, but I am uncertain as to what became of my partner.

[Ralaea]: You were sent "up here" from where? Down there? *She peers off the cliff.*

Lunk-tusk says: Yes. From our village, Kamagua. If my partner is well, it is likely that he awaits me at the Ancient Lift, southeast of here along the bluffs. Would you go and see that he’s all right, and bring him word that I am as well?

Lena looks to Ben for the answer to that last question.

[Ben]: Of course we'll go. Yeah. You gonna be okay here, friend?

Lunk-tusk nods gravely. "I will catch my breath a while. And follow. Tell my partner."

[Ben]: Okay, then.

[Aiseia]: This might be more of the same disturbance we've seen elsewhere. Ben? Sir? do you think?

[Ralaea]: Shouldn't go back there if it's dangerous…

[Ben]: We'll find out. Let's go see how this fellow's partner is, an' what he knows.

Lunk-tusk says: Thank you, strangers. Paluuva of Nalador and Lena of the humans.

[Aiseia]: Oh. Sorry. Aiseia Verity Stormhammer, Clan Bronzebeard of Ironforge-Under-The-Mountain. It's a pleasure to meet you.

Ralaea climbs onto Widow. She looks impatient.

Lena clambers up onto her horse.

Lunk-tusk says: Thank you, Aiseia Verity Stormhammer, Clan Bronzebeard of Ironforge-Under-the-Mountain.

[Ben]: Uh. Ben.

Lunk-tusk says: Thank you, Ben.

[Aiseia]: But you can call me Ace.

Lunk-tusk says: Ace.

Paluuva smiles at Lunk-tusk. "Rest and recover. We will find your partner."

White Squad rides south along the bluffs.

[Ben]: Eyes up for another one.

In the distance, they spot a rope-and-pulley system that appears to be lifting and lowering entire ships in the air.

Ben whistles at the strange construction.

[Ralaea]: They've got a boat on them.

[Paluuva]: I think that is the aforementioned lift.

[Ben]: Huh.

[Paluuva]: Remarkable.

[Ben]: Sir?

The tuskarr shades his eyes and peers at the squad as they approach.

[Ben]: Uh. We are Cobalt Company. We got word from a fellow back along the bluffs, wanted us to let you know he is okay?

The tuskarr says: Ah! Lunk-tusk lives? At least there is some good news to be had on this day…

The tuskarr says: I am Orfus of Kamagua. Lunk-tusk and I were sent up by Elder Atuik to investigate some troubling happenings, and discovered something dire. We cannot handle it alone, as we have learned.

[Lena]: What is it?

Orfus says: The path east of us is a primary hunting trail of the tuskarr. At least that's what it used to be… More recently, our hunters have been returning to Kamagua claiming that the dead have risen and are out for blood!

Orfus says: I fear the ancient vrykul burial ground of Shield Hill has suffered some disturbance. I seek heroes willing to brave its perils and uncover what desecration may have occurred.

Orfus says: Will you lend us your aid?

Orfus looks between the squad members wearily.

[Lena]: Against undead vrykul? We've been fighting the living kind for a while now.

[Ben]: Reckon we can have a look, yeah.

[Aiseia]: The undead is definitely one of our concerns.

[Ben]: You gonna be safe here? Your fellow should be makin' his way back to you soon.

Orfus nods gratefully. "I will await him here. Search the graves for clues and return your findings to me."

Aiseia nods at Orfus of Kamagua.

[Ralaea]: If they're just waking up, you have to wonder how long they've been dead for.

[Ralaea]: How old this graveyard is.

Orfus shakes his head at Rae. "The burial ground has been there as long as my people have, at least."

[Aiseia]: Explorers might get an idea, if we find identifying clues?

[Ben]: We'll have a look, yeah.

[Ben]: Watch out. Road runs between the Forsaken an' a giant.

White Squad evades the attention of both, and ventures out onto a southern promontory.

Ben peers at the chained standing stones.

[Ben]: This look like a burial ground?

[Paluuva]: It certainly does.

[Ralaea]: Of a sort, I guess.

[Ben]: Go careful. I ain't see anything yet, but I feel… somethin'.

[Ben]: … oh yeah. Somethin' ahead.

[Ben]: Whole mess of it.

They venture ahead and discover what is, indeed, a whole mess.

Ben whistles.

[Aiseia]: Oh, this ain't right.

[Lena]: Oh whoa!

[Lena]: Skeletons!

[Paluuva]: Vrykul skeletons.

[Ralaea]: Skeletons… with beards.

Skeletons with beards and boots, in fact. Vrykul skeletons do not go in for shorts, it seems. Probably a climate thing.

[Ben]: An' shades.

Ben points at a Blood Shade.

[Lena]: That is not what I was picturing from the description.

Slowly, battling the undead, they push their way farther into the burial site.

[Ben]: Hold up. Ghost there.

Ben points at Fengir the Disgraced.

[Ralaea]: That one looks more… whole.

[Lena]: He looks still himself, yeah.

[Ben]: Looks like someone… dug up that pit?

[Ben]: If the Explorers f*cken… they wouldn't, would they?

[Ben]: Dig up a buryin' ground?

[Aiseia]: No. Someone did, but this isn't an excavation.

[Aiseia]: At least, this isn't what I've seen other excavations look like. The hole would be bigger.

Ben eyes the ghost warily, but it seems to take no notice of their approach.

[Paluuva]: Careful now.

[Paluuva]: This is an historical site.

[Lena]: Dirt looks disturbed over here on the left?

Ben stoops to examine the disturbed earth, and rises again with… an eyepatch in hand. He turns to show it to the group.

Fengir the Disgraced says: From sundered ground the sacrament was stolen. The Shield of Aesirites is lost. Unrest will be eternal.

[Ben]: … whoa!

[Paluuva]: That seems to have gotten a reaction.

[Aiseia]: Kind of a riddle, eh?

[Ralaea]: So they're doing this themselves? Not the Lich King?

[Ben]: Doing it themselfs on account of… graverobbin'?

[Lena]: That was all nonsense to me though, mean anything to you?

[Paluuva]: The Shield of Aesirites….

[Lena]: What's an Aesirite?

[Paluuva]: I do not know.

Ben shrugs. He pockets the eyepatch carefully. An clue.

[Aiseia]: A holy relic, I'm guessing, though.

[Ralaea]: All I know is they're planning on keeping at this unrest.

[Lena]: Maybe more of the graves have more of the story.

[Ben]: Uh. There is another ghost there. Doin'… lightning?

Ben points at Rodin the Reckless.

Lena climbs down under the lightning and finds a chest.

Rodin the Reckless says: The Staff of Storm's Fury pilfered. A curse upon this land! The storms will never cease!

[Lena]: It was just open. It's got… a snuff tin in it?

[Ben]: … snuff? Who the f*ck…? *Ben looks around.*

[Paluuva]: Hmmm.

[Lena]: "Property of 'Silvermoon' Harry." Sounds Sin'dorei.

[Paluuva]: Harry?

[Ben]: Harry?

[Lena]: Silvermoon? Maybe Harry's a nickname.

[Lena]: Could be whoever dug all this up.

[Ben]: Yeah, but — well. Wouldn't put it past 'em, I guess.

[Ralaea]: I haven't seen any blood elves yet.

[Lena]: Just tossin' his rubbish in the graves.

[Ben]: There's another one. Ghost, I mean.

Ben points at Isuldof Iceheart.

[Ben]: … holy sh*t is that a bear ghost?

Ben peers at Korf searchingly.

[Lena]: Sleeping, at least.

[Ralaea]: So bears can get mad about stolen things too?

[Paluuva]: So it would seem.

[Ben]: Uh. Let's don't wake it up.

This time it’s Ace who scrambles down into the open pit to search for clues.

[Aiseia]: A feather?

Isuldof Iceheart says: The Frozen Heart of Isuldof will consume this land until it is returned. Woe unto those that hold the heart as the curse of frozen blood besets them…

[Aiseia]: A parrot… hey.

[Lena]: …Silvermoon Harry's got a parrot?

[Aiseia]: And an eyepatch…

[Lena]: Wait…

[Ralaea]: A parrot as in…the kind pirates have? Was it a pirate that did this?

[Ben]: Parrot, eyepatch — yeah, this is, uh.

[Aiseia]: What's next? A peg leg?

Lena nods at Rae. "Maybe he's a pirate and he was famous for raiding sin'dorei ships."

[Ben]: He's a sloppy pirate, if it's a pirate.

[Paluuva]: Pirates have parrots?

[Lena]: Oh, yeah, that's a known thing.

[Ralaea]: In the stories they do.

[Ben]: Yeah. I dunno why. Kind of tradition, like spinsters an' cats.

[Paluuva]: How curious.

[Paluuva]: I have been to a world where most of the pirates kept creatures called tavri. They could smell precious metals.

[Lena]: Now that sounds useful.

[Ben]: Huh. See, that makes more sense, I guess.

[Ralaea]: Those would be smart pirates.

[Paluuva]: Unfortunately, tavri are almost impossible to actually tame, and have a taste for flesh. So many pirates were missing limbs.

[Ralaea]: Okay, maybe "smart" was the wrong word…

Ben eyes the ghost of Windan of the Kvaldir up and down.

[Aiseia]: This one looks more like an Explorer's dig. It's big.

[Ben]: That is a f*cken cannonball.

Ben turns the cannonball over carefully in the dirt.

[Ben]: With… a skull an' crossbones on it?

Windan of the Kvaldir says: The anguish of ten-thousand years awaits any foolish enough to don the Ancient Armor of the Kvaldir. Beware the mist and fog, mortals; for with them comes your end.

[Aiseia]: That tears it.

Lena looks at the cannonball in disbelief. "It's about as good as a peg leg."

[Aiseia]: Pirates.

[Ben]: Pretty lousy ones. Unless they meant to sign the whole f*cken mess.

[Lena]: An' they must've stole the armor from the graves. That's what the ghosts are on about.

Aiseia looks up at the sky and mutters.

[Paluuva]: So, it seems likely pirates raided these graves?

[Lena]: Took some cursed armor, caused an undead incident, yeah.

[Paluuva]: How did they manage to leave a cannonball in the grave?

[Ben]: Your guess as good as mine, assumin' you got no guess, because I sure as hell don't.

[Ralaea]: …Intentionally? But… that seems weird.

[Lena]: That does seem odd.

[Paluuva]: Maybe it was intentional and they meant to leave a 'signature', as Ben suggested.

[Paluuva]: The pirates I have encountered in the past have often had rather large egos.

[Ralaea]: They did paint the cannonball…

[Ben]: Let's let that Orfus fellow know.

[Ben]: We can come back an' see what's to be done about clearin' this place.

They ride back to the Ancient Lift and the waiting tuskarr.

[Ben]: Hey, hello, sir.

Orfus smiles with relief to see them again. "What did you find?"

[Lena]: A bunch of pirate stuff!

[Ben]: Uh. Someone has dug up a bunch of pits there an' took some relics, it sounds like. An' — yeah.

[Ben]: We found a snuffbox an' a eyepatch an' a parrot feather….

Orfus bristles. "They might as well have left a peg leg!"

Orfus says: Is there no end to their depravity?

Orfus says: We must recover the stolen artifacts and return them to this cursed place so that my people may once more know peace.

Orfus says: My people are bitterly entrenched in a war with the Northsea Freebooters. You must take your clues to Elder Atuik at once — he will know how to right the pirates’ wrongs.

[Ben]: Ah. A war. That could be why they was… okay.

[Lena]: Ah, so you already know which pirates.

[Ralaea]: We're not going to be cursed just for touching these things, are we?

Orfus says: Not if you mean to return the relics, I don't think. But Elder Atuik will know more, my friend.

Orfus nods gravely to Rae.

[Lena]: Where's Elder Atuik?

Orfus says: To get to Kamagua, you must take the Ancient Lift behind me. Go! Find Elder Atuik, my friends!

Ben eyes the contraption with undisguised delight. "Okay, yessir. We're on it."

[Ralaea]: …We're going to ride the rope boat?

[Paluuva]: Oh my, this should be fascinating!

[Lena]: It looks safer than the harpoons!

[Ben]: A boat. On a rope.

Ben looks gleeful.

[Ben]: Hell yes.

[Aiseia]: This is going to be so cool!

[Lena]: Just to be on the safe side, I'll guard your soul Paluuva.

[Lena]: If we all fall to our death, you can call us back! *Lena smiles at her.*

[Ralaea]: I don't plan on falling to my death, thank you.

[Ben]: Here it comes!

They climb aboard the boat-on-a-rope. It eases away from the wooden “dock” platform, and creaks down the rope toward the island below, gaining some momentum as it goes.

[Ben]: Woosh!

[Paluuva]: Look at that view!

[Aiseia]: Look there!

Lena looks over the edge in amazement.

[Paluuva]: Stunning.

Ben laughs.

[Lena]: Now, this is fun!

[Ben]: … aw. An’ a short trip.

[Paluuva]: Here we are.

[Ben]: Reckon this is the village.

[Ralaea]: I saw this village from above.

[Ben]: Holy sh*t, that's a turtle.

Ben stops to eye the “ship” in the harbor with awe.

[Paluuva]: It is!

White Squad shuffles into the village’s large, central hut. An elderly tuskarr stands by a brazier within.

[Ben]: Elder… Atticus? One of you? Sirs?

Elder Atuik says: Ho, travelers. You bring news?

[Paluuva]: Greetings, Elder Atuik.

[Paluuva]: I am Ambassador Paluuva of the Alliance.

[Paluuva]: We are Cobalt Company.

Elder Atuik nods politely to Paluuva. "You are welcome, Cobalt Company, if you come peacefully."

[Paluuva]: We come in peace and friendship. We have come on behalf of Orfus. We learned something about the disturbance on Shield Hill.

Ben nods at Paluuva.

[Ben]: The trouble you been havin’? We brought you some things we found up there.

Elder Atuik says: Ahhh. Orfus is a good tuskarr — one of our strongest warriors. I knew he would not let us down. Allow me to see what it is that you have brought.

Ben steps forward to show Elder Atuik the eyepatch, feather, and snuffbox. "Someone dug up a lot of the burial pits. An' stole some relics, sounds like."

Elder Atuik 's whiskers bristle. "Someone? It looks to me like pirates. We know these pirates."

[Ben]: Orfus said you might, yeah.

Elder Atuik says: Stealing sacred funeral relics of the vrykul. The fools! This is grave news indeed.

[Lena]: Any idea on how to fix it?

Elder Atuik glowers at the items Ben holds, and then lifts his bleary gaze to Lena.

Elder Atuik says: I will… think on this. It may be that you can do us further service, if you would be willing? My people would be glad of your friendship.

Ben looks to Ambassador Paluuva.

[Paluuva]: You have it, Elder.

Ralaea edges towards the exit. The combined smells of raw fish and incense are becoming too much for her.

Lena smiles at the walruses. Her eyes are totally not watering from the incense.

[Paluuva]: The good news is we know exactly what was stolen. The Shield of Aesirites, the Staff of Storm's Fury, the Frozen Heart of Isuldof, and the Ancient Armor of the Kvaldir.

Elder Atuik nods ponderously. "I will make a plan to retrieve these stolen items and lay them once more to rest. Meanwhile, Cobalt Company, you are free to rest here, or to return to your fellows."

[Ben]: I reckon we will report back at Westguard Keep, sir.

Ralaea looks visibly relieved.

[Ben]: But we will come back an' do what we can when you are ready?

Elder Atuik makes a dignified little bow to the group.

Lena bows back.

[Paluuva]: Thank you, Elder. I will return soon to know your people better if that acceptable.

Elder Atuik says: Of course, Ambassador Paluuva of the Alliance. You are most welcome here.

[Ben]: Thank you, sir.

Paluuva smiles warmly and mimics the Elder's bow, a bit lower than the one he gave.

Elder Atuik smiles back at Paluuva.

[Paluuva]: Thank you, Elder, and good fortune to you and your people.

Elder Atuik says: To you and yours as well, Ambassador.

Elder Atuik says: I will see you all again soon. Be welcome, all of you.

Ralaea sucks in a huge gulp of air. "Thank the Light, it was hard to breathe in there."

Ben smiles sidelong at Rae.

[Lena]: I guess different people get used to different things.

[Paluuva]: This was a very productive mission!

[Ben]: Yes'm, it was. *Ben nods respectfully to Paluuva.* An' I 'preciate you.

[Ben]: Okay. We can — those as want to can use their hearthstones back to Westguard. I am gonna see if I can ride back on the lift thing.

[Lena]: I wonder if they let you just stay on it for a while…

[Paluuva]: I believe… I saw gryphons over here.

Ben glances yearningly in the direction of the lift.

[Ralaea]: Dismissed, then?

[Ben]: I will let you know when we got word to come back an' see to the pirates. Meantime I will report in to Captain Adams. And yeah, dismissed.

[Lena]: See you all later!

Ben proceeds to ride the Ancient Lift back and forth like six times.