![](http://cobalt-company.wdfiles.com/local--resized-images/writing:2024-08-26-chapter-xii:bad-news-in-blackrock-mountai/style="margin:/medium.jpg) |
| Details |
| Author: | Alli |
| Summary: | The Cobalt Blade (Arthur, Tadget, Thalstan, Vesyllah, and Zaara) head back into the lower Blackrock Spire and uncover some troubling news about the black dragonflight. Tadget has a dilemma, and Vesyllah has a cold. Thalstan is building poison immunity. Arthur gets to know his elemental. Zaara has good hearing. ~3000 words. |
| Rating: | T for Teen |
Arc: The Cobalt Blade
The team meets once again at the Iron Summit in the Searing Gorge.
Tadget greets Thal with a hearty hello!
Thal greets Tadget warmly.
[Tadget]: How you feelin', boss?
Tadget peers at you searchingly.
[Thalstan]: I'm doin' better. The healers said th' spider venom is totally outta my system.
[Tadget]: Nice.
[Thalstan]: Everyone ready ta go back in?
Vesyllah sniffles.
[Tadget]: I was born ready.
[Arthund]: I conjured some cupcakes.
[Tadget]: Nice.
[Vesyllah]: Sure…led's go back to the horrible volcano.
[Thalstan]: I could always use a cupcake or twenty.
[Tadget]: Yum.
[Arthund]: Luckily for you, they come in batches of twenty!
[Tadget]: Maybe next time we'll get a mission in a nice jungle somewhere. I like jungles.
Vesyllah looks down at her bag of cupcakes, arching an eyebrow. "Cubcakes…" Her voice sounds weird.
[Thalstan]: Y'allright there, Ves?
Tadget peers at Vesyllah searchingly.
[Vesyllah]: Yes…I'b fine.
Vesyllah sneezes!
[Tadget]: Oh no.
[Tadget]: COVER THAT MESS.
[Tadget]: Don't you know anything about the transmission of contagion??
Vesyllah blinks slowly. "Aboud whud?"
[Tadget]: When you're sick, you spread it by sneezing and coughing on other people, dummy.
[Thalstan]: Ach, I should ha' brought my ma's home remedy for a stuffy nose. She's got these really hot peppers, clears ye right up.
[Zaara]: Hello! Hello! I am ready! Are we ready?
[Tadget]: I was born ready, as previously indicated.
[Thalstan]: Zaara, there ye are! I think we are now.
We all head out towards Blackrock Mountain, and then up through the passageway to the spire.
[Vesyllah]: I'b sure thad's all it is. Jus' subthing in my nose.
[Thalstan]: Horrible spidery volcano time!
Vesyllah sneezes!
[Zaara]: Oh! Vengeance! Your accent is different!
[Tadget]: Well it's a good thing I can fight off any sort of illness as easily as I can fight off an Old God.
[Tadget]: Still, cover your sneezes.
[Vesyllah]: With whud?
[Zaara]: Did you not have the nose leaking disease, Mayhem?
[Tadget]: I fought it!! Valiantly!
[Zaara]: Ah.
[Tadget]: I was only sick for like a day and a half.
[Tadget]: Um, they didn't used to die, either. Just sayin'.
Vesyllah grumbles.
[Tadget]: The good news, Valor, is that you may have built up some resistance to that spider poison now.
[Thalstan]: Is tha' how it works?
[Tadget]: I personally dose myself with small amounts of about twenty-seven different poisons on a regular basis, for just this reason.
Vesyllah sneezes right in an orc's face.
[Zaara]: Vengeance is cast disease on an orc!
Zaara laughs.
Vesyllah casts Devouring Plague on the orcs.
[Thalstan]: Is tha' an official Elune attack?
[Tadget]: Who knew she was so disgusting! *Tadget sounds impressed*
[Vesyllah]: A liddle more Night Warrior than regular Elude.
[Tadget]: Woo!! Massacre!
Vesyllah sneezes. Achoo!
Tadget cheers!
Now in the spire, we choose our path and begin fighting our way once again through the orcs.
[Thalstan]: At least we know th' way in now.
[Tadget]: So um you should know I um… I passed my 7th Legion fitness test a couple days ago.
Tadget slips that in between stabs.
Thalstan looks delighted, and then sad.
[Thalstan]: Are ye leavin' us, Mayhem?
[Arthund]: You did? That's really good! Wait.
[Tadget]: I'm honestly not sure what to do. I mean the whole reason I wanted back in was to rejoin the 6th EU, but it's like… not even the 6th EU anymore. Everyone's dead, Tyrrell's not captain anymore…
[Tadget]: I guess he's a WORGEN now???
[Vesyllah]: Hot.
[Thalstan]: Whoa. That's a lotta change.
[Arthund]: Oh wow.
[Zaara]: Everyone is dead?! Oh no!
[Tadget]: I swear, I turn my back on them for two years and BAM
[Tadget]: Well not everyone, but all the cool people died.
[Tadget]: Or became worgen.
[Thalstan]: Does tha' mean… we had that idea while back, joinin' the 7th together. But we're also kinda the Cobalt poster group.
Vesyllah sniffles.
[Tadget]: I have no idea what to do.
[Arthund]: Chest, 8 o clock.
We unlock and loot the chest.
[Tadget]: I had this whole plan and now *fart sound*
[Thalstan]: I do no' want ta lose ye, Mayhem.
[Thalstan]: Yer such a stabbin' expert.
[Tadget]: I mean, who does? I'm amazing.
[Thalstan]: An' I like ye around.
[Tadget]: Awww, don't get all soft on me, Valor.
Now we head into the ogre zone, slaying ogres.
[Vesyllah]: Maybe you're nod meant to go bagg to the 7th.
[Thalstan]: Maybe we could jus'… keep on bein' like this. There's prestige still, aye?
Tadget and Thalstan do the hallway waltz as she tries to get on the opposite side of the ogre from him.
It is a lovely waltz, they are so skilled.
[Thalstan]: I suppose the 7th is less about th' prestige than the Blade.
[Zaara]: We are so prestige!
Tadget giggles.
[Zaara]: COBOLT BLADE!
[Vesyllah]: Who cares abowd prestige? We're effegtive. Thad's whud matters.
Vesyllah sniffles.
Spirestone Mystic says: I'll crush you!
Vesyllah sneezes on Spirestone Mystic. Achoo!
[Tadget]: That's kinda how the 7th sees things. Though they accidentally got some prestige during the Northrend thing.
[Tadget]: People are much more aware of them now.
[Thalstan]: I guess that can be a good thing or a bad thing
Vesyllah 's nose leaks…down to her lip. "UGH!…WHYYY are bodies like this?!"
[Tadget]: Ewwwwww.
Zaara casts a little extra heal on Vesyllah, worriedly.
[Thalstan]: Curse o' flesh, that's what they call it these days.
[Tadget]: Please get a hankie or something.
[Tadget]: Guh-ROSS.
[Vesyllah]: I don' hab hankies! I never god sigg before!
[Zaara]: Haaaaankie. Hankie. Haaaan-keeee.
Zaara laughs.
[Thalstan]: Welcome ta yer first cold, Ves.
Vesyllah makes a sighing-sobbing noise. "Tadget…jus' kill me now."
[Tadget]: Just because a thing has never happened before doesn't mean you shouldn't absolutely OWN it when it does. Come on, you're the Night Warrior's whatever. You can handle a silly cold.
[Tadget]: Make it your @#$%#!!!!
[Vesyllah]: What is silly abowd this? Id's horrible.
Thalstan reaches over to pat Ves, then thinks better of it. He does not want a silly cold.
[Tadget]: Don't let it get to you. You're VENGEANCE!
[Tadget]: Make it wish it never came to you!!
[Thalstan]: It's a thing we all got to go through time and again.
[Vesyllah]: Hooow? I can't stab id or curse id or anythig.
[Thalstan]: It's a matter of endurance, Vengeance. Ye got to prove ye can out-endure.
[Vesyllah]: Ugh…fine…Tadget, nevermide. Don' kill me.
You know what we can stab and curse? The ogre boss standing there with his two lackeys. We get right on that, and soon they are stabbed and cursed and dead.
Tadget cheers!
Zaara cheers!
They consider the meathook hanging in the ogre leader’s nook.
[Tadget]: You know, I really should get a meathook for my place. They really set a mood.
[Thalstan]: Uh, aye, a certain mood. That yer a butcher or… somethin' else.
[Thalstan]: Now we're to th' troll section again
We move through, killing the trolls that attack us.
[Tadget]: Okay so some advice to avoid colds in the future:
[Tadget]: Wash your hands a lot.
[Vesyllah]: Don' hab children?
[Tadget]: Stay away from sneezing and coughing people.
[Tadget]: Wait, do you have a kid? Is that how you got sick?
[Vesyllah]: Whud? No!
[Tadget]: I mean who knows, you're a woman of mystery.
[Tadget]: And probably like a thousand years old.
[Vesyllah]: Goddess…cad you imagine me as a mom?
[Tadget]: I can, actually.
[Vesyllah]: Ugh…and I'm three-hudred and fibteen.
One of the trolls has turned Thalstan briefly into a frog, or he might have a comment there.
Thalstan ribbits.
Tadget giggles.
[Tadget]: You should get to keep your beard when you get polymorphed, Valor.
[Thalstan]: I wish it would, aye. It'd look impressive e'en on a frog.
Tadget giggles at you.
[Tadget]: I cannot stop picturing that now.
[Thalstan]: I suppose three hundred or so is pretty young for a kaldorei to be a mom?
[Vesyllah]: Uh…yeah.
[Vesyllah]: I mean…I can hab babies. Bud…no thang you.
[Tadget]: I can't have any more. I broke my babymaker.
[Thalstan]: Ye've got a good number though.
Vesyllah strikes out at a troll.
[Vesyllah]: This is your penance!
[Tadget]: Yeah that's how I broke it.
[Tadget]: What Ves said. My penance.
[Tadget]: I know she was talking to the troll, but it applies.
[Vesyllah]: A good number? Whud you mean?
[Tadget]: I've got three.
[Vesyllah]: Oh, he wud talking to you.
[Tadget]: That's a good number for a species that is attempting to repopulate, because we made more than we started with.
[Thalstan]: Aye, three little ones.
In the meantime, Arthur is distracted and falls behind far enough that his water elemental tries to make friends with a local troll. It does not go well for the troll. We head back to help, but the elemental has it under control.
[Arthund]: I dawdled.
[Thalstan]: I'm my mom's only one. Ye could say she broke her babymaker wi' me.
[Tadget]: Probably that ginormous head of yours.
[Thalstan]: Likely so. The noble brow an' all that.
[Zaara]: Noblebrow.
We attack an orc in a corridor. Literally every other orc in the corridor decides they want in on that action. Orc invokers, orc darkcasters, orc soldiers, you name it. Here they all come, good luck team.
[Tadget]: Oop, party time
Vesyllah's psychic scream of agony echoes in the minds of those nearby.
The orcs freeze in terror until Thal picks them back up. The team continues to fight vigorously until every last orc falls. Arthur’s water elemental also makes a pretty good showing for itself.
Tadget cheers!
Thal cheers!
[Arthund]: WHEW.
[Tadget]: I feel like I really learned from that one
[Vesyllah]: Whoa…that actually cleared out my…nose passage thing.
[Arthund]: Don't think I didn't see that, Snowy. Good work!
Arthund hugs Water Elemental.
Water Elemental says: That is not my name.
[Thalstan]: Oh? *Thal looks at the elemental in surprise.* What's yer name?
Tadget attempts to poke the water elemental.
Water Elemental says: I am ninety-seventh ice bearing infantry of the hydraxians.
[Thalstan]: Huh, that does no' sound like a name.
Tadget giggles at Water Elemental.
Water Elemental says: Perhaps not. But "Snowy" is undignified.
[Thalstan]: It's undignified, but friendly, the name Snowy.
Vesyllah sniffles. "Nooo…my nose cleared! I could breathe! Why is id stuffing up again?!"
Thalstan peers at Ves. "It'll clear. It always does eventually."
Water Elemental says: It is because you call it "a cold." We are not illnesses.
[Tadget]: The name I mean, not Vengeance.
[Tadget]: Her cold is very undignified.
Vesyllah snorts.
Tadget giggles at Water Elemental.
Water Elemental says: Perhaps this is your penance.
[Tadget]: LOOK OUT, VALOR.
[Tadget]: SPIDERS.
[Vesyllah]: Tadged, stay behind me.
[Thalstan]: Now we'll see if I'm resistant.
We fight a lotta spiders. Poison galore!
[Tadget]: At least Arachno-Tadge didn't join the party.
[Thalstan]: Big one up ahead.
[Thalstan]: We'll fight our way through?
We fight the giant spider, and we win!
[Tadget]: Cover all your eyes, Tadge.
[Tadget]: Oh come ON.
[Tadget]: Whew!
[Thalstan]: Seems like I'm holdin' up on the poison!
Tadget congratulates you.
[Thalstan]: More ogres up ahead, through this rubble.
Tadget nods at you.
[Thalstan]: Does no' seem to be any end ta this Dark Horde.
The ogres have noticed our presence. They react to it by sending wave after wave of ogre fighters. We kill them all, but we are running low on resources and strength when we finally slay their boss. Finally, all the ogres fall - on top of Tadget.
[Tadget]: Help.
Tadget is under a pile of ogres.
[Zaara]: Hello? Mayhem?
[Thalstan]: Mayhem! *Thal starts trying to pull the ogre bodies aside.*
Vesyllah sneezes on the pile of ogres trying to help retrieve Tadget.
[Tadget]: Under here.
We pull off enough ogres to uncover the small gnome.
[Tadget]: Oof, thanks.
[Thalstan]: They just… piled on ye.
[Tadget]: That was too many ogres.
[Thalstan]: Everyone alright? That was a lot of Dark Horde ogre.
Everyone seems okay. We move on, further up the spire.
[Thalstan]: I hope whatever ye decide with the 7th Legion, Mayhem, we at least keep in touch.
[Tadget]: Oh yeah, I write amazing letters.
[Thalstan]: But I hope ye'll decide ta stick with the team. I think we do a lotta good.
[Tadget]: I TOLD YOU I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.
[Thalstan]: I know, I know. I'm jus' sayin'. I'll support yer decision, whatever it is. But if yer askin' me, ye should stay wi' the Blade. I'm a little biased.
Tadget lets out a ROAR! She is the :blob_angrier: emoji.
We come around a corner to find… a large black dragonkin.
[Tadget]: Big boy.
[Thalstan]: Whoa. That's…
[Tadget]: I fought like a thousand of those during the Ahn'Qiraj war, when we took that whole scepter detour.
Overlord Wymthalak says: Who are you? This is not the team I'd asked for. *The black dragonkin hisses*
[Vesyllah]: We're the bedder teab.
[Zaara]: Your team is in the other — uh, place.
Vesyllah sniffles.
Overlord Wymthalak says: Did you bring the whelplings from the Steppes? Our master does not like delays, and it's already been… *the dragonkin peers at us* You are not even trolls. You're… wait, you're…
Tadget cackles maniacally at Overlord Wyrmthalak.
[Thalstan]: We're the Cobalt Blade, here ta end ye!
Zaara looks indignant. "I am not even similar to trolls!"
[Zaara]: COBOLT BLADE.
Tadget whispers "you are slightly similar to trolls"
[Zaara]: I HEAR THAT MAYHEM.
Tadget giggles.
[Zaara]: Nothing is wrong with my hearings.
[Tadget]: I mean, tall and blue. Just sayin'.
Overlord Wyrmthalak says: Did you say Cobalt? Ugh. Not even useful for the master's experiments. The old Nefarian might have laughed at my report on killing you, but these days… well, I'll just kill you.
[Tadget]: Good luck with that.
Tadget wishes Overlord Wyrmthalak the best of luck.
[Thalstan]: I think it's likely ta go the other way around.
Vesyllah holds up a hand and makes a 'bring it on' gesture.
[Zaara]: You have not read the Cobolt Blade stories.
Overlord Wyrmthalak rushes in to attack.
Tadget disappears into the shadows, readying her stabbers.
Overlord Wyrmthalak calls for help!
Trolls rush to the Overlord's aid..
Tadget finds just the right spot to stab without getting swatted by the tail.
What a surprise, we kill the Overlord Wyrmthalak.
Tadget cheers at Overlord Wyrmthalak!
[Vesyllah]: Told you we were gudda kill you.
[Tadget]: I hope his soul hung around long enough to hear that.
Vesyllah sounds so intimidating with a stuffy nose.
Our mission accomplished, we head back to Acride the totally red dragon and not orc, and discuss the days findings along the way.
[Thalstan]: Well, that's definitely a black dragonkin, and sounds like they were sayin' they were takin' Nefarian's orders?
[Tadget]: Uggggggh, Nefarian, how many times do we gotta kill that guy?
[Thalstan]: Aye, I thought he was dead and like very dead. His head was in Orgrimmar.
[Vesyllah]: And whud was thad about bringin' whelpligs in?
[Zaara]: What experiments? He said experiments.
[Arthund]: Maybe a bunch of times, seeing as how he doesn't learn.
[
Tadget]: Well his head was stolen recently…
[Thalstan]: Yeah, that experiment thing makes me uneasy.
[Zaara]: They can not put his head back on him!
[Tadget]: Next time we should burn the head.
[Tadget]: And scatter the ashes in like eight different places.
[Tadget]: My best guess is that it's some sort of necro-dragon. You know, like the Northrend ones.
[Thalstan]: Those bony ones they talk about.
Water Elemental says: We dislike Nefarian. He is cozy with the Firelords, and their presence upsets the balance.
[Tadget]: I agree with Drippy there.
Thalstan nods. "Tha' makes sense. And Ragnaros bein' back an' all, wonder if they're in league."
[Zaara]: The Firelords are making very much troubles right now.
[Tadget]: Black dragons do like magma and stuff.
Vesyllah sneezes!
[Thalstan]: There was one other of 'em in Redridge, Darkblaze. Wonder if he was doin' Nefarian's bidding.
[Thalstan]: Or if they're all in with Deathwing.
Acride waits right where we left him, still in orc visage form.
[Tadget]: Golly McGosh, I never thought we'd find our way back to ya.
Tadget waves at Acride.
Acride rises, looking at the group. "What have you found? Is the black dragonflight up to its old tricks?"
[Thalstan]: We found a black dragonkin deep in the spire, an' he was talkin' about reportin' to Nefarian an' doin' experiments.
[Vesyllah]: An' he was expecting delivery of sub whelpligs.
Acride sighs. "It is as we feared, then. Some power must have resurrected…. or reanimated… Nefarian."
Tadget sighs at Acride.
[Tadget]: Ever feel like nothing stays dead in this world?
[Tadget]: Except my mom, thank gosh.
Acride says: His cruel experiments, chief among them the attempt to create a 'chromatic dragonflight' were well-known and condemned in the past. I hope he is not trying again.
[Tadget]: He doesn't seem like the type to learn stuff.
Acride says: He does not, and we will have to make sure he stops, if he doesn't learn. I expect there will be more work here in the spire, Cobalt, but we will need time to devise a strategy.
[Tadget]: Mkay.
[Thalstan]: We'll standby. Seein' as yer a red dragon yerself, sir.
[Vesyllah]: Oh…hooray. More spire work.
[Tadget]: You can send word to us through either Dalaran or Ironforge HQ.
Acride says: Thank you, Cobalt Blade. I will do so.
Tadget salutes Acride with respect.
[Tadget]: Stay fresh.
[Zaara]: Cheese bag!
[Thalstan]: Reckon we can hearth from here?
[Zaara]: I reckon!
[Tadget]: Sure thing. Later taters!
[Arthund]: Portal.
[Vesyllah]: Art…pleeeease ged us out of here.
[Arthund]: Stormwind?
[Zaara]: Oh portals yes! Portals.
[Tadget]: Get some rest, Vengeance.
[Tadget]: And soup.
[Thalstan]: Right, right, I always forget. Portal!
Arthur makes the portal, and in the next moment we’re all happy in Stormwind, free of the lava and ogres of Blackrock Mountain.