(2023-11-26) Relics of Ulduar (S12 E3 - White Squad Log)

Details

Author:	inkie
Summary:	White Squad finds themselves on the trail of Brann Bronzebeard and the biggest archaeological discovery of the millennium. Ben's gonna get some sandwiches.
Rating:	M for Mature 17+

Arc: Season 12

[Brannagen]: ‘Lo there Befound, Oranna.

[Brannagen]: Ser.

Oranna finishes tying off her braid, waving. "Hello."

Ben nods to the group.

[Auralind]: Ishnu alah, friends.

[Ben]: Hey, all.

Brannagen smiles at Ben.

Thaeru'kal gives Befound a sniff of greeting.

Ben adjusts his scarf.

Befound blinks companionably at Thaeru'kal.

[Ben]: We are waitin' on Ace, I guess? Y'all seen her?

Oranna shakes her head. "No' since…last week, I think?"

Ben nods. "Okay. We will give her a minute. Y'all been stayin' here?"

Auralind nods. "I have, for the most part."

Oranna nods at Ben.

[Oranna]: It's been cozy.

Ben moves closer to the bonfire.

[Ben]: Oh, there she is. Hey, Ace.

Oranna waves to Ace.

[Brannagen]: ‘Lo there Ace!

[Ace]: Hi!

[Auralind]: Welcome, Ace.

[Brannagen]: Aye, I havena left here since last time.

[Ben]: Yeah? How're they like? The Frostborns?

[Brannagen]: They've been hospitable. Bit serious, maybe.

Ben nods and glances around.

Oranna nods in agreement. "Aye. The weather's been nice."

Brannagen nods at Oranna.

[Ben]: Okay, well. Y'all ready to work? Maybe we can warm 'em up some more. In… uh, in a way that — would that be detrimentary to 'em?

Brannagen laughs at Ben.

Ben grins at Bran.

[Brannagen]: If one of 'em starts ta melt we can turn the topic back ta WAR.

Oranna considers this. "Oh… tha'… would that be… should we ask?"

[Ben]: Well I only meant to warm 'em up metaphorical, so.

[Brannagen]: Hm, they do seem t'avoid the campfires now ye mention it…

[Ben]: Stiffbeard wanted a word with us, if y'all are ready.

[Oranna]: Huh. Oh — ah, aye, ready!

Brannagen greets Glorthal Stiffbeard with a hearty hello!

Ben nods courteously to Glorthal Stiffbeard.

Glorthal Stiffbeard says: You’ve returned! Friends, I have a task for you, following that sad business from the other day, if you’re willing.

Brannagen brushes some snow off his robe.

[Ben]: Yessir, 'course, sir.

Ben is definitely ready to make up for having dropped a corpse. Not that anyone remembers that. Ha ha any way.

Glorthal Stiffbeard says: We’ve beaten those damned harpies into submission more times than I can remember… and they stay quiet for a time after each bout. This time, I thought maybe it had sunk in.

Glorthal Stiffbeard says: Apparently not.

Ben nods grimly.

Glorthal Stiffbeard says: Their memories may be a bit short, but if their numbers are thinned enough, they’ll not be able to make us more trouble. Would ye be willing to do the honors?

[Ben]: Yessir, we can do that.

[Auralind]: I have plenty of experience dealing with harpies. We will be honored to cull them.

Glorthal Stiffbeard smiles tiredly at Auralind.

Oranna doesn't look like she'd be honored, but she doesn't seem reluctant either. There's a grim set to her expression.

Glorthal Stiffbeard says: You'll find them in the canyons north of here. Stay safe, friends.

[Brannagen]: That's what I'm here for!

Ben salutes Glorthal Stiffbeard with respect.

Ben whistles for his gryphon.

[Oranna]: Don't forget ta look up.

[Ace]: Didn't we tangle with harpies once, Bran?

[Brannagen]: Ye know what, I think yer right, Ace!

[Brannagen]: Was that in the Badlands, or…

[Ace]: I think so?

[Brannagen]: Definitely ringin a bell.

[Ace]: Lotta flying foes there.

[Ben]: Them white eagles are so pretty.

[Ben]: Oh, I see some of 'em, down there.

He means harpies, not eagles.

[Oranna]: Looked like a hatchling, tha' last one.

She means eagles, not harpies.

[Oranna]: The eagle, I mean.

Ben straightens from the harpy's corpse.

[Brannagen]: Wonder how big they get…

[Ben]: Hey, hold up.

[Brannagen]: Mmm?

[Ben]: What you reckon this is?

Ben holds up a [Relic of Ulduar].

[Brannagen]: Ohhhhhh.

[Ace]: Pretty.

Ben offers it to Bran.

Oranna leans in closer to see it, but there's no recognition.

Auralind extends a hand. "May I touch it?"

[Brannagen]: Where'd ye find it?

Ben lifts it to Auralind's hand instead.

Auralind briefly removes her gauntlet to feel the surface of the relic.

Lucky scratches his ear with a hind leg.

[Ben]: Harpy had it.

[Brannagen]: I don't wanna be tha' fella who has a hammer an' sees nails everywhere he looks, but… tha's go' a real Titany look about et.

[Ben]: Yeah?

[Auralind]: Hm. Interesting.

[Brannagen]: I'd hang onto et.

Oranna sighs heavily. "Well, they did say there were some things here about."

Ben considers the object again. "That fellow in the camp wanted things like it, yeah? Payin' in beer for relics?"

Oranna nods at Ben.

[Brannagen]: Tha's righ'!

Ben nods firmly and tucks the item into a belt pouch. Free beer.

[Brannagen]: Could kill two berds with one stone here then. Er, one of those berds bein'… actual killin berds.

[Ben]: Okay. Yeah, let's clean these out.

[Brannagen]: Oooh ye found one, Oranna. Wonder why the harpies are hoardin' these. Shiny?

Oranna hands over the relic to Ben. Free beer.

Brannagen cheers at Oranna!

Ben takes it happily. "Thanks!"

[Oranna]: O' course.

Brannagen finds another relic. He does not hand it to Ben.

Oranna seems to be considering the harpies nests. "Aye, ye might be right, Bran. If they're bird like enough…they might be collectin' them jus' because they're shiny. Birds do that."

Brannagen nods at Oranna.

[Ben]: Even snow harpies ain't wear much clothes, I guess.

[Oranna]: Might make 'em too heavy ta fly. Ta wear more.

[Ben]: Oh, yeah.

[Brannagen]: Makes sense.

[Brannagen]: Bet the constant flappin' helps keep em warm.

[Ben]: Piece of a ruin of somethin'.

Oranna examines the piece. "Huh."

[Oranna]: An arch, maybe?

[Ben]: It is like a broken bridge across here? I see a pillar, too.

Oranna nods at Ben.

[Ben]: Harpies maybe moved in and started diggin' all the shiny shit left over out of the snow or somethin'.

[Oranna]: Nestin', aye.

[Brannagen]: Yer cap'n an' I were scoutin' out the Path o' the Titans. No' sure who called it tha', but it sure looks like such a theng.

[Brannagen]: But the Path is mostly collapsed - bet there's bits of it all over.

[Ben]: Path of the Titans? Where's that at?

[Brannagen]: Er it's… *he considers how to describe the location in coherent terms*

[Brannagen]: I think it used ta run all over the continent. Right now ye can see a big chunk of it stickin out over the southern reaches o' Crystalsong.

[Ben]: Damn. And it looks like… what? A Titan road?

[Oranna]: But was it jus' a road, or somewhat like…ah….the tram?

Oranna nods at Ben.

[Brannagen]: Like a huge stone road, lifted up bridgelike.

[Brannagen]: Must be pieces of it scattered all over the place nowadays.

[Ben]: Damn. I might go on have a look at that. The Crystalsong piece I mean.

[Brannagen]: It's somethin' else.

[Brannagen]: Fun ta levitate or slowfall off, too.

Oranna looks nervous at the talk of falling.

Ben peers around them at the canyon's ice-cragged walls.

[Ben]: I reckon we have thinned 'em.

Oranna nods at Ben.

Brannagen smiles at Worg Pup.

[Brannagen]: Lo there Lucky. Et's Lucky, right?

[Ace]: Aye.

Ben summons his gryphon down again.

Brannagen whistles for Magni.

Oranna holds onto hers with a too tight grip. This is fine.

Ben salutes Glorthal Stiffbeard with respect.

Oranna gets her feet back on the ground with relief.

Brannagen waves at Glorthal Stiffbeard.

[Ben]: Sir. We cleared pretty much all them harpies out of the canyon.

Glorthal Stiffbeard says: Dirty work, I know, but ye’ve done us a great service and we appreciate it. Our people will be safer now.

Brannagen bows before Glorthal Stiffbeard.

[Oranna]: There's nests there, though, so I'm no' sure…well. There might be…more. Erm. Eventually.

[Brannagen]: Heh heh.

Glorthal Stiffbeard says: Aye. And it seems — as to the long term… I hear from our scouts that the harpies have a new matriarch, and she’s a crafty and ambitious witch. Putting that one down should stem their aggressions for good.

Glorthal Stiffbeard says: One of our stormriders says he spotted her circling the peak directly northwest of here. Go find her, and let’s see this done.

Brannagen nods at Glorthal Stiffbeard.

Ben nods. "Yessir. We'll handle it."

[Brannagen]: Maybe the new ones'll grow up a bit more shy an' retirin'-like.

[Ace]: Better neighbors.

Glorthal Stiffbeard chuckles skeptically.

[Oranna]: Tha' can happen, if ye eliminate an entire generation, a new one has ta, well. I mean, in animals. I dunno…I'm no' sure that it would be, ah.

Oranna trails off awkwardly.

Brannagen nods encouragingly at Oranna.

Glorthal Stiffbeard smiles benevolently at Oranna.

[Oranna]: Anyway. It could happen. Maybe.

[Ben]: All right.

Brannagen gently pats Oranna.

Oranna chuckles awkwardly at Bran.

Ben squints in a generally northwes– no that's northeast, Ben. Ben turns and squints in a northwesterly direction.

Oranna looks west. Then at Ben. Ben knows, probably.

They set off in the correct direction, and land atop a crag in a barren harpy’s nest full of bones.

[Ben]: This ain't seem like a place I want to spend much time.

Oranna shivers. Yeah, no kidding.

[Brannagen]: I will not plan any parties here.

Oranna chuckles at Brannagen.

[Ace]: No bones, Lucky.

Lucky sighs like no one understands him.

Ben points up at the circling harpy matriarch.

[Ben]: Reckon that's our one.

Ben whistles sharply through his teeth at the harpy.

[Brannagen]: Look at those claws!

They do. They look at the claws from very close range.

Oranna fires like her life depends on it. Which, to be fair.

[Ace]: That's a whole lot of harpy, there.

[Brannagen]: Nice work, team.

[Ben]: Damn, she was not ready to go down.

[Brannagen]: Anyone need any more patchin up?

Oranna lowers her gun slowly.

Brannagen looks them over.

Ben surveys the massive, feathered corpse.

[Ben]: I never seen one this big.

Oranna checks herself as if she might have gotten hit. She was nowhere near the fighting.

[Oranna]: Neither… neither have I.

[Brannagen]: Bet her eggs'll grow up big too, but that's a problem fer Future Frostborns.

Ben grimaces.

[Ace]: Delegation. I like it.

[Ben]: Well. Hopefully we solved a problem for present ones.

Brannagen grins wickedly at Ace.

[Ben]: Let's go tell 'em.

[Brannagen]: Most definitely, ser.

Oranna nods at Ben.

[Ben]: She was mean as hell, sir, but we got it done.

Brannagen chuckles.

Glorthal Stiffbeard says: She's gone, then? Thank you.

Glorthal Stiffbeard says: I’ve spoken with our own Fjorlin Frostbrow, captain of the stormriders. He said that his men will take charge of keeping the harpies down. As long as we don’t let up again, they’ll be hard-pressed to do us more harm.

[Brannagen]: Brelliant.

Glorthal Stiffbeard says: We're grateful for your help, friends. You're free to take your rest, now, you've done a great deal for us.

[Brannagen]: Thank ye fer yer hospitality.

[Ben]: Okay, sir. Cobalt Company is here to help if you need us.

Ben looks around for Rork Sharpchin. He was promised free beer.

Brannagen brushes some snow from his beard.

[Ben]: I reckon I will go see that Explorer fellow about this… whatever it is?

Ben fishes the strange relic from his belt-pouch.

Oranna nods at Ben.

[Ben]: Hey, sir. Found somethin' for you, I think?

[Brannagen]: ‘Lo there Sharpchin.

Rork Sharpchin says: Stillwall. And — eh? What’s that ye’ve got, lad?

Brannagen watches curiously.

Rork Sharpchin leans toward the relic Ben is offering out, then his eyes round and he snatches it with both hands.

[Ben]: The — uh. The harpies had some of 'em, sir.

Rork Sharpchin says: What??! BRELLIANT! Ye say ye found fragments like this — more than one?

[Auralind]: What are they?

Ben takes the second fragment Oranna had given him out of his bag and offers it over as well. Two free beers?

[Brannagen]: Harpies stashin' em all over.

Rork Sharpchin says: Ach, look at ‘em!

Rork Sharpchin is in ecstasies.

Oranna looks like she's already repressing an eyeroll. "Oh, aye, we looked. An' I'm guessin' yer seein'…titans." She mutters. "Titans everywhere."

Rork Sharpchin says: Here, here, all of ye drink up! I’ll tell ye what, friends, any more of these ye find, ye bring them to me any time and ye’ll drink for free as long as ye’re with us!

[Brannagen]: Et's a deal!

Oranna politely shakes her head. No beer for her. "Right. Ah. Great."

Auralind accepts the offered beer with a grimace she thinks is a good fake smile.

Brannagen elbows Auralind meaningfully. Give it.

Auralind subtly passes her beer to Bran.

Brannagen less subtly chugs it.

Ben happily savors a pint of [Worg Tooth Oatmeal Stout].

Brannagen, having drunk Auralind's beer already, tucks away his [Airy Pale Ale] for later.

Rork Sharpchin says: Now, but — och, where were we? Oh, aye. While ye were out, Andorin came looking for ye. Why don’t ye report over to him and see what he needs?

[Ben]: Andorin?

Oranna looks around.

Ben looks around and then looks at Bran.

[Brannagen]: Oh, ah, he's…

[Brannagen]: Where'd he go.

Brannagen points at Archaeologist Andorin.

Ben brings his beer along.

[Brannagen]: Not ta be confused with Andorin Wrynn.

[Ben]: Anduin, sir.

[Brannagen]: Oh aye?

[Ben]: Aye. I mean, yeah.

[Brannagen]: Was wonderin why he had a dwarf name.

Brannagen greets Archaeologist Andorin with a hearty hello!

[Oranna]: Well, I guess th' answer is…he didn't. But — oh, aye, hullo.

Archaeologist Andorin says: Stillwall! And — Cobalt Company, aye?

Brannagen grins wickedly at Oranna.

Oranna nods at Archaeologist Andorin.

[Brannagen]: Aye.

Archaeologist Andorin says: A welcome lot, you are. I heard it was some among ye who found Brann Bronzebeard’s journal in the Grizzly Hills?

[Auralind]: Correct.

[Brannagen]: Aye!!

[Ben]: Oh, yessir. I was — I did. With some White Squad people.

Brannagen 's eyes light up like turquoise stars.

Archaeologist Andorin squints up at Ben. "Well, bravo to ye, son! What a find!"

Brannagen beams at Ben.

Ben turns pink. He adjusts his scarf and nods.

Archaeologist Andorin says: Since its discovery, we’ve had only one other communication from Brann. A mysterious note found its way to Explorers’ League headquarters in Ironforge, with no indication of its origin.

Archaeologist Andorin says: All it said was that we were to meet Brann in his camp here in the Storm Peaks and help him with his search. So that’s what we’ve come here to do.

Oranna sighs. Branns, she tells you.

[Brannagen]: Wow!

Archaeologist Andorin nods solemnly at Bran. Wow, indeed.

Archaeologist Andorin says: This talk of harpies and whatnot has me a little uneasy, and I’m wary of sending one of my teams into what might be an ambush. Which is where you come in!

Archaeologist Andorin looks around the group expectantly.

[Ben]: … to an ambush?

Brannagen laughs at Ben.

[Auralind]: We can handle an ambush.

Ace looks suitably heroic.

Oranna chuckles at Ben.

[Brannagen]: What Mistwalker said.

Auralind smirks in Bran's direction.

Archaeologist Andorin says: Well, ideally not. But I expect as the lass says, ye can handle it, aye.

Archaeologist Andorin did just refer to Auralind Mistwalker as "the lass."

Auralind just sighs softly. Dwarves, man.

Oranna does not look heroic. But, hey, she's here.

[Brannagen]: Good luck tryin ta ambush THIS lot.

[Brannagen]: We got two trackers.

Befound does the ambushing, thank you very much.

Lucky bumps his head against Ace's leg. Hey. Heeeey.

Oranna glances down at Lucky.

Archaeologist Andorin says: Have ye? Oh, that may be handy. Trackers!

Archaeologist Andorin says: In the meanwhile, though — the camp ought to be located northeast of here, across the Bor’s Breath River and at the foot of some ruins from the Path of Titans. See what ye can find! Oh, and, ah, be careful.

[Brannagen]: Oh, there's yer Path I was talkin about.

Ace finds a bit of jerky and Lucky sits, eyes on the treat.

[Ace]: Good boy.

[Oranna]: We'll need a bit more than jus' a note somewhere, though. No' a lot of… tracks on a note like that.

[Brannagen]: Oh aye, I just meant ye'll both be alert ta signs o' danger. More'n most folk.

Lucky grins around his treat.

Oranna nods at Brannagen.

Brannagen grins wickedly at Worg Pup.

[Ben]: Northeast across the Titan Path. So I guess you were right, it does come all the way up.

[Ben]: Holy shit, look at them towers!

[Brannagen]: Wowww.

Brannagen looks a little breathless.

[Ben]: I see a camp past that ruin.

[Ben]: … and iron dwarfs.

[Brannagen]: Damn.

Oranna looks to the skeleton in the tent.

[Ben]: … there is a skeleton.

[Oranna]: There sure is.

[Ben]: Do iron dwarfs have skeletons?

[Oranna]: What…I'm no' sure.

[Brannagen]: Nope.

[Ace]: What's that?

[Ben]: What's what?

[Brannagen]: This was a reg'lar dwarf. Taken by surprise.

Ace points at a disturbed bit of snow.

Ben follows her indication.

[Brannagen]: He was havin' a drenk an– *Bran turns*

Auralind just shrugs.

Ben brushes away the little heaped mound of snow.

Brannagen peers curiously.

[Ben]: There is just a piece of clo— oh, somethin' wrapped in it.

Brannagen bounces a little on the balls of his feet.

Ben opens the waxed burlap cover carefully.

[Ben]: It's a… note?

Oranna peers over curiously at it.

Ben squints. "I dunno if that is Dwarvish or like a Explorer code or what."

[Oranna]: Well, I suppose…I did say we'd need more than a note.

Brannagen peers at it.

[Oranna]: Two might be somethin'. If he's gonna leave tracks in notes.

[Brannagen]: Ach, I dinna know that code.

[Oranna]: Like a scavenger hunt or…*She trails off muttering.*

[Ace]: Wrapped in burlap. Waxed. That's an Explorer thing, aye? Leaving protected notes at sites?

[Brannagen]: Tha's some TOP security stuff there.

Ben looks wide-eyed at Bran.

[Brannagen]: Not their regular ciphers.

[Ben]: Top security? Like… maybe Brann Bronzebeard level?

[Brannagen]: I wouldna be surprised, ser.

[Oranna]: If it turns out ta be another recipe fer soup…

[Ace]: Do you have the cipher, Bran?

Oranna mutters again.

Brannagen laughs at Oranna.

Ben looks back at the skeleton in the tent.

Ben folds the note up again carefully.

[Brannagen]: I know the usual ciphers they use, but thes one is not meant fer the likes o' me.

[Brannagen]: Looks like Real Important Eyes Only stuff.

[Ace]: Reckon it's for the likes of them down at the camp?

[Ben]: Hopefully that Anduin fellow can read it.

[Brannagen]: Andorin.

[Ben]: Right. Andorin.

[Brannagen]: He's a pretty beg shot.

[Brannagen]: Hold onta yer trousers, Andorin.

[Oranna]: He's got suspenders.

Brannagen snickers at Oranna.

[Ben]: Sir. The camp was a ambush, like you thought. Iron dwarfs. But we found —

Ben holds out the burlap-wrapped note.

Oranna looks like she's wondering if he's wearing suspenders because this pants holding thing became a real problem to solve for this guy.

Archaeologist Andorin looks from face to face as he accepts the note. He unwraps it and reads. He frowns, squints, appears to do some counting in his head, reads again.

Archaeologist Andorin turns the note over and considers the blank back of it, then looks up at the group again.

Archaeologist Andorin says: And this is it? All ye found?

[Brannagen]: It looked important.

Brannagen sulks.

[Oranna]: Is it…a recipe fer soup.

Archaeologist Andorin says: Oh, aye, Stillwall, it is! But — the tone of the thing suggests he meant to bury something with it.

[Brannagen]: Ohhh?

Archaeologist Andorin frowns more deeply and thinks for a moment.

[Brannagen]: Do we need ta go back an' look? Ser, did ye really dig around there?

[Oranna]: Somethin' with it? ….a bottle?

Archaeologist Andorin says: All right, all right. Here's what we'll do.

Archaeologist Andorin says: Ye’ve a couple of trackers among ye, ye said?

[Brannagen]: Aye! Best in the land!

Auralind nods.

[Ben]: Yessir.

Oranna nods at the question and then makes a face like uh, probably not the best in the land. Well maybe if the land is very small. Very small sample size.

Oranna is the best tracker in a four inch circle from her feet.

Archaeologist Andorin says: Whatever Brann buried, if it wasn't with this note, then either he escaped with it when the irons attacked, or the iron dwarves took it.

Archaeologist Andorin says: Why don’t ye head back to the camp and see if ye can pick up a trail — either Brann’s or a thief’s!

[Oranna]: Sure.

[Brannagen]: Should be no problem fer these lasses.

Auralind mutters with a quiet chuckle, "…lasses…"

Archaeologist Andorin says: All right. Off ye go, then, and let's hope you're in time!

Befound yawns and stretches. She's a great tracker lass.

[Ben]: We should check the dead iron dwarfs again just in case. One of 'em might've had — oh shit, there's more.

Not for long, there isn’t.

Auralind kneels before Stormforged Tracker.

Auralind places a hand to the ground.

Ben watches.

Brannagen 's gaze strays to the stonework nearby.

Auralind 's nostrils widen as she takes in faint scents in the cold air.

Oranna puts her gun away slowly, and takes a look at the snow around them, wildly disturbed by the recent fighting.

Brannagen follows Oranna and Auralind as they follow signs he can't see.

Ben watches the two trackers, and checks the snowy woods around them warily from time to time as they move.

They arrive at a cave-mouth to the east of the campsite.

[Auralind]: The scent was faint, but it seemed to lead here.

Oranna nods in agreement. "There's been a lot of disturbances along it, but aye, I'd say these are repeated tracks in the snow and under the drift that are like them iron dwarves' make."

[Brannagen]: Are we on the trail o' Brann, or whoever took his item, can ye tell?

[Oranna]: I'm not sure it's the one we want, but it's at least this is where they've been comin' from an' goin'. These aren't wha' look ta me like regular feet.

Oranna means dwarven feet, obviously. You know. Normal feet.

[Auralind]: It did not smell like a dwarf to me.

[Oranna]: In a… good way?

[Brannagen]: Do the irons smell like us?

[Oranna]: …less beer, maybe?

[Auralind]: Ah… this could explain the scent.

[Auralind]: Iron dwarves do not smell like other dwarves.

Ben peers into the cave ahead.

[Ben]: Okay, well. Let's see what's in there.

[Brannagen]: I got yer back.

[Ben]: Be sharp in case it is a shitton of iron dwarfs.

It is not a shitton of iron dwarfs; it is one (1) iron dwarf. But not for long.

[Ben]: Hold up, this fellow had a pack with him.

Ben hefts the bag.

[Ben]: Let's get it out of this cave where we can get a look at it.

Brannagen visibly tries to resist the urge to snatch the bag from Ben.

Brannagen shifts his weight back and forth restlessly.

Ben crouches in the snow and opens the bag.

Oranna takes a wary step back, in case of explosives.

Brannagen steps closer, apparently cool with being blown up.

Oranna values her eyebrows, Brann.

[Ben]: There is a thing in here. I dunno if — Bran, you know how to use this?

Ben holds up [Brann's Communicator].

[Brannagen]: Aye!

[Brannagen]: Et's a communicator!!

[Brannagen]: May I???

[Ben]: … yeah, g'wan.

Brannagen flips some switches on it.

The projected image of a dwarf hums to life.

[Brannagen]: Ach!!!

Oranna does not step forward from her explosives distance.

Brannagen actually tears up a little.

[Brannagen]: Et's him!!

Oranna frowns at the image, her eyes on the heavy snow fall. "Canna be close by, no' with tha' snowfall…" She looks up at the weather around them.

Brann Bronzebeard says: Who’re you? You’re not Explorers’ League — at least, not a team I remember!

[Brannagen]: Prospector Brannagen Stillwall at yer service ser!!

Auralind tilts her head. "Where? Oh… a communicator."

Brann Bronzebeard says: Prospector, ye say! Well, if ye’ve recovered the communicator, that’ll do. Are ye willing to help me out, here? We’re on the brink of something enormous!

[Brannagen]: Whatever ye need, ser!!

Ben looks at Bran. Are they willing? They are willing. He nods affirmatively at Brann. That's not confusing.

Brann Bronzebeard says: I’ve got a lead on Norgannon’s keystone.

Brann pauses and looks around expectantly.

Oranna pales slightly at the name.

[Oranna]: Oh.

[Ben]: On…?

[Brannagen]: Hot damn!!

Brann Bronzebeard says: … the keystone that guards access to Ulduar’s archives?

[Oranna]: Ye've been…right. *She takes a deep breath.*

Oranna nods. "Right."

[Ace]: Oh, wow!

Brannagen is almost physically drooling at the word 'archives'.

Brann Bronzebeard looks at Bran again. This guy gets it. "The Titans divided the thing into two pieces and secreted them away. But I know where the first one is!"

Brannagen has to stop and sit down in the snow. This is all a lot.

Oranna sighs heavily.

Brann Bronzebeard says: The keystone’s shell is held within the Inventor’s Library, on the northern coast, just south of Ulduar itself.

Brann Bronzebeard says: In order to get at it, the first thing you’ll need to do is retrieve the fragments of an access disk from the library’s guardians.

[Brannagen]: We can do et!

Brann Bronzebeard says: Contact me again when it’s ready! Bronzebeard out!

Brannagen watches the image fade away, and heaves a huge sigh.

Ben blinks at the space where the projection stood a moment ago.

Ben looks at Bran.

[Brannagen]: Er… I might need help gettin' up. Bit wobblly.

Ben offers Bran a hand.

Brannagen heaves himself to his feet.

Oranna reaches out to pat Bran gently. There, there.

[Brannagen]: Me ma is gonna FLEP HER LED.

[Ben]: What is Ulduar's archives, sir?

[Brannagen]: Oh, uh, Ulduar is supposedly another site like Uldaman, a Titan place.

[Ben]: Right, I heard the talk about it. They got… like a library in it?

[Brannagen]: References to it all over, but I dinna ken where it is.

[Brannagen]: But aye, sounds like Brann's found a way ta get in there.

[Ace]: And the mysteries of the titans are like honey and cream pastries to a LOT OF US.

Ben 's stomach growls.

Oranna does not look like it's honey and cream pastries. More like a sour worm eaten mealy apple.

[Brannagen]: They're… they're everythin' ta me.

Brannagen gets a little misty.

Brannagen pulls out a hankie and blows his nose loudly.

[Ben]: Well, okay then. Reckon we are gonna help… get pieces of a disk? He said?

[Brannagen]: Aye!

Oranna pats Bran again.

[Brannagen]: Some guardians or other, nothin' we canna handle.

Ace heh hehs. "It's important."

[Auralind]: Are you going to be alright, Prospector?

[Oranna]: They can be a bit…large.

[Oranna]: The guardians, I mean.

[Brannagen]: Aye, aye, I'm all righ'.

[Brannagen]: Just… overwhelmed!

[Ben]: He said north to the coast. Another library of some kind.

Oranna points her attention in any direction except north.

The squad mounts up and begins to wing their way north. As they cross a snowy plain before the next ridgeline, however, Ben spies a structure: a vast tunnel or shaft opens in the earth below. He directs Stratus down for closer look, and they land on the edge of it: a lip of stone as broad as a road.

[Ben]: HOLY SHIT.

[Brannagen]: GREAT MOTHER O'…

[Ben]: What the hell is this?

[Ace]: What is that?

[Oranna]: Damn. Wha'….

[Auralind]: A very large hole.

Oranna chuckles at Auralind.

Brannagen is just sort of vibrating now.

[Oranna]: It is at tha'.

Lucky wants to see!

[Ben]: But it is… pipes, and carvin's, and…

[Brannagen]: Those runes…

Ben gapes and leans verrrrrrrrrry carefully.

[Auralind]: Can you decipher them?

Oranna sighs, and stays away from the edges.

[Ben]: How far down does it go?

Oranna watches Ben nervously.

[Ace]: We have to go in and find out.

[Brannagen]: Can we, ser??

Ace nods. Yep. That's smart. and safe! no trouble at all!

Ben looks at Bran, and then into the hole again. "We was s'posed to go to the library guardians…."

Brannagen 's eyes get three times larger.

[Ben]: … yeah okay, let's look. Will the gryphons go?

The gryphons (and hippogryph) will go, it seems. The squad descends into the cavernous shaft.

[Ace]: THIS IS AMAZING!

[Brannagen]: By the gods…

Auralind dismounts and kneels down.

[Ben]: It keeps goin' down! Look! It's all just — froze over!

[Brannagen]: This is… it feels like part of a great machine… the scale of et.

[Ace]: Look up.

Brannagen is luckily already sitting down.

Oranna points to the thing like a vent.

Auralind puts her ear near the ice below. "Elune's light…."

[Oranna]: Is tha'…coolin' it here? Or is it a vent?

Brannagen 's eyes spill over again. He takes a shaky breath and gets out his hankie again.

Ben is gawking in every direction and doesn't know where to look. He looks down. He looks up! He looks at Auralind! He looks at the vent!

[Brannagen]: I thenk it's ventin' air from elsewhere… but whether tha's ta keep the other place warmer or this one colder I dunno.

Oranna makes the mistake of looking down, with the ice blocking a long tunnel down. The vertigo hits her visibly, and she pales, holding on tighter to the gryphon.

[Auralind]: I do not know if you can see how far down this goes. But the depths beneath us are unfathomable.

Oranna looks a little green around the edges at that. Un–unfathomable.

[Oranna]: So if we were ta fall jus' now…we'd just…keep……..going.

Brannagen just continues leaking tears, it's just a thing that's happening, it's fine.

[Auralind]: The ice is extremely thick.

[Brannagen]: I dinna think we could break it if we tried.

[Brannagen]: Let's no' try.

[Oranna]: LET'S NOT TRY.

[Brannagen]: We're on gryphons though anyhow.

[Auralind]: It would take enormous force to shatter it.

[Brannagen]: They'd know what t'do.

Oranna sighs at Bran's agreement. Whew. No fun explosions of the ice for the unfathomable depths today.

[Ace]: I can't think of anything that would break through the ice without damaging the rest.

Auralind shoos Fial'el a bit higher…away from the ice floor.

Brannagen sketches furiously.

[Ben]: Damn. I want to come back here and make a drawin' or somethin'.

Ben eyes Bran's notebook enviously.

[Brannagen]: I'll breng ye back later, ser.

[Brannagen]: We can both just spend all the time we want.

[Brannagen]: But we should get ta Brann's business, aye?

[Ben]: Okay. Should we — I guess we should go look for yeah.

Oranna peeks over at Bran's notebook to see if he's sketching any dwarves falling down the unfathomable hole yelling BREILLANT.

Ben takes a moment to re-orient himself. Which way is north?

He finds it. They fly north toward the ridge; more collapsed pillars and pieces of a bridge are visible….

[Ben]: More ruins.

… and then they crest the ridge and see what lies beyond it.

[Ben]: … HOLY SHIT.

[Ace]: Mercy.

Brannagen makes a strangled sound.

[Ben]: Y'all are seein' this?

Oranna is seeing this.

[Ace]: Would you look at that? Just…

[Auralind]: I am getting the sense of many structures…

[Auralind]: …but the storms cloud my senses.

[Brannagen]: They're huge, Mistwalker.

[Ben]: Ma'am it is like… it is like a city for giants, all up an' down the cliffs.

[Brannagen]: I'll make a model for ye ta feel later, so ye can get the details.

[Ben]: Buildin's and domes and pillars with gold and carvin's….

[Ace]: This was a titan…city? I think it was a city.

Auralind lifts an antennae-like eyebrow. "Titans, do you think?"

[Brannagen]: Aye… I very much thenk so, Ace.

[Auralind]: Remarkable.

[Ace]: It's huge in scale, built in the peaks, bridging over chasms. It's ancient. It…

[Ben]: Reckon it is safe, with all the lightnin'?

[Brannagen]: I can patch ye up ef ye get struck.

Brannagen doesn't seem to understand what "safe" means.

[Oranna]: What do we do if yer struck though?

[Brannagen]: Then uh, Ben or Ace patches me up, heh heh.

[Brannagen]: We got built in redundancies.

Oranna seems to be going down the list of height of last standing. Oh no.

[Oranna]: Righ'…

Ace goes still and closes her eyes.

Ben glances over at Ace.

Ace opens her eyes. "We're not alone."

Brannagen looks sharply at Ace.

[Ben]: What?

[Brannagen]: What ye feelin, lass?

[Ace]: It's not deserted. some of the wonders are still working.

[Brannagen]: …..!!!!!!!!

Brannagen definitely made audible exclamation marks.

[Ace]: Not right here. Faint, like.

Ben looks ready to topple headlong over the cliff at this news, in his haste.

[Ben]: Let's go see.

[Ace]: LETS!

[Brannagen]: What the…

They land on a broad terrace patrolled by gnomes on mechanostriders. Wait a second, those are no ordinary gnomes!

[Oranna]: Oh. They're… Not Gnomes.

Ben gawks.

[Auralind]: These beings…are not alive.

[Ace]: Mechanicals!

[Ben]: Is these like the ones in the tundra?

[Oranna]: Like th' one Jo mentioned, in the newsletter.

Ace looks excited!

[Brannagen]: Those spoke, didn't they?

Oranna gasps in shock as one runs up to the group.

[Ace]: This is so great!

[Auralind]: And they were hostile.

[Ben]: There is dozens of 'em.

[Brannagen]: These just seem like… construct guardians.

[Brannagen]: Do they even speak?

[Ace]: Only if programmed, I think?

[Ben]: What is the —

Ben points at a Databank.

Oranna watches.

[Brannagen]: Also what're those polyhedrons?

Oranna shrugs at Brannagen. Who knows?

[Ace]: Let's go see!

[Ben]: Where's a polydron?

[Brannagen]: One o' those.

Brannagen points at a Databank.

[Brannagen]: Tha's a polyhedron.

[Ben]: Oh, that is what I just — it is a polydron? What's it do?

Auralind looks down to Thaeru'kal.

[Auralind]: Al dorini nor N shando dath dieb fal a ishura

[Brannagen]: Oh tha's just the name o’ the shape. Anything ye could roll like dice.

[Ben]: Ohhhh.

[Oranna]: Should we… try rollin' it?

Thaeru'kal dips her head to Auralind.

[Brannagen]: I kinda want to.

Brannagen gazes longingly at Databank.

Auralind closes her eyes and focuses on Thaeru'kal's.

[Ben]: Well, let's go see it.

[Ben]: … careful, in case it is explod– ah!

It does not explode. The nearest mechagnome, however, attacks. White Squad dispatches it and returns to their contemplation of the orb polyhedron.

Brannagen peers at the Databank searchingly.

Brannagen pokes the Databank. Hey!

Auralind emerges from her trance. "Incredible…"

[Ace]: Hey, can we get in there?

She means a building above them, a towering arched entrance up a flight of stairs.

[Brannagen]: We should try!

More mechagnomes take issue with their presence as they approach the stairs.

[Oranna]: They dinna…seem ta like us, uh, pokin'.

[Oranna]: Or here.

[Brannagen]: He did say there'd be guardians.

[Ben]: You reckon they are the guardians Brann mentioned?

[Brannagen]: Guess he meant these here construct-gnomes.

[Brannagen]: Aye.

[Oranna]: Th' guardians of Uldaman were huge.

[Oranna]: An'…stone dwarves, mostly.

[Brannagen]: Ye make a fair point, Oranna.

[Oranna]: Earthen, an' the like.

[Ben]: This place is huge. Weird it's got such little guardians.

[Brannagen]: Wonder why it's these little guys.

[Brannagen]: Maybe they are the ones know how to work the polyhedrons?

[Oranna]: Maybe there's bigger ones inside.

[Brannagen]: Just huge enormous gnomes… can ye imagine.

Oranna is imagining it right now.

[Ben]: Should we go inside? You reckon they'll let us?

[Brannagen]: Reckon they canna stop us.

[Oranna]: They migh'..ah…try.

[Brannagen]: Aye.

They sure do.

[Ben]: The stairs is normal-sized. For normal-sized feet I mean.

[Ben]: Not giants.

Oranna nods.

[Brannagen]: Must be for these little guys then.

[Brannagen]: Guess it's all built for 'em.

[Oranna]: Or they added them later, maybe. Maybe it used ta be jus' four stairs an…

[Brannagen]: What am I even lookin’ at?

Ben gapes.

[Auralind]: You tell me.

[Brannagen]: Would ef I could, lass.

[Ben]: There is a huge room. And some… machines?

[Brannagen]: Got wheels in em.

[Brannagen]: Turnin both ways.

[Ben]: Is that runes on 'em?

[Ben]: They are lit up.

[Oranna]: Looks like.

[Brannagen]: An a big… glowy… sphere theng. Aye, runes.

[Auralind]: Do these runes mean anything to you?

[Brannagen]: I bet these are some kinda… information access thingies.

Oranna looks up at the ceiling. "Are those…….faces?"

Brannagen looks up.

Ben looks up too.

[Ben]: … I dunno what the hell those are.

[Brannagen]: I thenk it's just… abstract like.

Oranna shakes her head. Huh.

[Oranna]: It doesn't seem like a library ta me, but…who knows.

[Brannagen]: Decorative, like the flowers on the mouldin'.

[Ace]: There's a lot going on here and I don't understand any of it.

[Brannagen]: Same.

Oranna is the same. It's a dwarven :frog question mark: moment.

[Brannagen]: We're gonna have to swipe some disks from those guardians I thenk. It's always disks.

Oranna sighs. It's always discs.

[Auralind]: I'll trust you to spot the discs. I have no idea what we are looking for.

[Oranna]: Last ones I saw were in Uldaman. They're no'…really easy ta mistake for somethin' else.

[Ben]: If we are followin' Brann Bronzebeard's instructions to this place, an' no one else has been in touch with him, then we are the first people apart from him to find it. We should… make notes an' all, for the Explorers, too. You reckon?

[Brannagen]: Oh aye.

[Brannagen]: I'm gonna spend all week here probably.

[Ace]: Yeah. It's so…

[Auralind]: I will remain to keep you safe, Prospector.

[Brannagen]: Thank ye!

[Brannagen]: I can get us a little camp set up. Without disturbin anythin'.

Auralind nods. "Very good."

[Ben]: Reckon I might come out an' camp too, then.

Brannagen cheers at Ben.

Ben is willing to brave the snow for Titan cities.

[Ben]: … maybe we find a spot kind of shelter from the wind an' all, though.

Ben is kind of willing to brave the snow for Titan cities.

[Brannagen]: Aye.

[Ben]: I will have to go back to Dalaran and get my sketchin' stuff.

[Brannagen]: The guardians dinna seem ta venture inside there.

[Brannagen]: I may just set up a camp right past the doorway.

[Brannagen]: That work fer you ser?

[Ace]: That's probably best.

[Ben]: … that is a pretty good idea, yeah.

Brannagen rubs his hands together excitedly.

[Ben]: I can grab supplies, too. I am a good camp cook.

Brannagen cheers at Ben.

Get ready for sandwiches!

Oranna is always ready for sandwiches.

Oranna lives in Sandwich Readiness as a Default State.

[Auralind]: I will hunt for any additional supplies we need.

[Ben]: Holy shit, this is stairs. It keeps goin'!

[Oranna]: I'm probably…I'll be best back a' the… oh.

[Ben]: There is too much here to explore right now. We better get a base set up an' all.

[Ben]: 'fore it gets dark.

[Ben]: I will get to Dalaran an' be back with supplies.

Oranna nods at Ben.

[Ace]: Yeah. That's a good idea.

[Brannagen]: I'll start settin' up.

Brannagen begins to pull some things out of his bag that telescope into alarmingly bigger things.

[Ace]: I have the makings of honeymint tea and a kettle in my camp gear.

[Ben]: … I'll pick up coffee.

[Ben]: I will see y'all back here in maybe an hour or three. Before nightfall.

Oranna nods at Ben.

[Ben]: Auralind is in charge.

Auralind nods to Ben.

[Brannagen]: Ye goin back, Oranna, or gonna camp with us?

Brannagen smiles at Oranna.

[Oranna]: I'll stay out here. I jus'…I've got my own tent. An'…I'll uh. I'll be a bit maybe…more in…the quieter parts.

Ben surveys Oranna with concern.

[Brannagen]: Sure theng. Just lemme know ef ye need anythin' — I've come very prepared.

[Ben]: But close, yeah?

[Brannagen]: Befound'll keep an eye on 'er too, remember, ser.

[Oranna]: I jus', I have some trouble sleepin' sometimes, ah. Close ta people. I'll be close enough fer shoutin', I promise.

[Ben]: Okay, yes'm.

[Ben]: Befound, I will count on you, too.

Befound blinks two of those eyes at Ben.

[Ben]: All right. Back soon, y'all.

[Ace]: There's a little spot that looks like it would be out of the wind. Some trees, too.

Brannagen excitedly begins to carry his telescoping Things into the structure.

Ben takes his hearthstone from his pack and activates it.

[Auralind]: Oranna, perhaps you can keep an eye on the southern approach, should any harpies or other trouble follow us up here.

Oranna nods to Auralind, looking east, not south.