(2025-03-03) Chapter IX: Terror in Terokkar, Part 1 (Cobalt Blade)

Details

Author:	OzmaAsimov
Summary:	The Cobalt Blade investigates a tragedy at a Cenarion outpost in Terokkar Forest.
Rating:	T for Teen

Arc: The Cobalt Blade

[Zaara]: Hello!

[Thalstan]: Lo there, Booty!

[Tadget]: I like your pants!

Zaara beams. "Thank you!"

[Tadget]: I'm right at eye level with your whatsit.

[Thalstan]: Right, so, City o' Lights and Wind Chimes, what do ye all think of it?

[Tadget]: Lived here, done that. But it's fine.

[Zaara]: Wind chimes? *Zaara tilts her head.*

Thalstan gestures over at the wind chime. Uh. Naaru.

[Tadget]: What does the naaru sound like to you?

Zaara remains blind, Thalstan.

[Tadget]: She can't see your gesture, dingba— er, sir.

[Zaara]: You call the Sha'tar wind chimes?

Zaara frowns.

[Tadget]: Some people do because they sort of dangle prettily and make pretty music.

[Thalstan]: Right! Sorry, Booty, it's been too long. I was talkin' about the A'dal over there. And he's got this lovely little city model, too.

[Zaara]: They do make music, yes. It is the music of Light and life and peace.

[Tadget]: Yeah, maybe be respectful, dingbat, sir.

[Zaara]: They save this place after what the orcs did, and make it a home for many lost.

Vesyllah snerks.

Tadget nods at Zaara.

[Thalstan]: I was bein' respect… I like wind chimes, I'll have ye know.

[Tadget]: I can't really understand the Light stuff they're saying but I understand it's super beautiful.

[Zaara]: It is. Super beautiful.

Tadget nods at Zaara.

Thalstan rustles his beard and tries to regain some modicum of dignity.

[Vesyllah]: I prefer tauren rock music. They call it that because it's like bashing your ears with rocks.

Tadget agrees with you.

[Arthur]: the music does sound like that. It's easy to get…I want to say lost in thought, but it's much calmer than that.

Tadget smiles at Arthur.

[Tadget]: Maybe that's why I don't really understand it. I don't have a calm mode really.

[Thalstan]: Right. Well. I see we're all here, so… as ye recall, we're ta report ta Allerian Stronghold. But I got a message here that we've a stop along the way.

Vesyllah sighs. "Of course. Because we're not busy enough already."

[Tadget]: My cool exterior belies a frantic savage energy like unto a raging rapids. Of blood or something.

Vesyllah nods in appreciation for Tadget's imagery.

[Thalstan]: There's a new Cenarion outpost in the forest near here, and they reported seein' some blood elves nearby. Then, well, there's been no word since. As we're on a look out for blood elves, we're to stop by and make sure all's well.

[Zaara]: You have rapid blood? Your heart is normal I think. *Zaara tilts her head.*

[Tadget]: My heart is super abnormal, but thanks, Booty.

Zaara nods solemnly. "I mean only in health. Not in mind."

[Tadget]: Gotcha. *Tadget makes a rifle cocking sound to help transmit the finger-guns she's aiming at Zaara.*

Thalstan blinks at Tadget. "I'm sure yer heart's jus' fine. Yer a hero, aren't ye?"

[Tadget]: Sure.

[Thalstan]: Yeah.

[Tadget]: So. We're stabbing blood elves today? Cool. One just ran into me, pretty sure on purpose. Whole empty floor and he runs into me.

[Vesyllah]: Did you stab him?

[Thalstan]: Uh… let's not stab any Scryers. Those ones are loyal t'A'dal.

[Tadget]: I was too shocked to stab him! And then he was gone.

[Tadget]: He was late for court or something.

[Zaara]: They are very fast and weaselly.

Tadget agrees with Zaara.

[Thalstan]: We see any of the stray ones unaffiliated out there, an' they're up ta no good, we can stab away.

Tadget stands at attention and salutes.

[Thalstan]: Right, well, let's get outta Shattrath to point the stabs in the right direction, aye?

Earthbinder Tavgren steps into the road, waving down the Cobalt Blade.

[Arthur]: It's time for mayhem and trouble!

Tadget cheers at Arthur!

[Thalstan]: Lo' there, GryFinn.

Thalstan peers at the kaldorei-style arch. "This must be the place."

Arthur passes out cupcakes.

Earthbinder Tavgren says: I recognize you, do I not? You are the Cobalt Blade?

[Tadget]: So anyway…

[Tadget]: Sorry, I got lost in a daydream of slaughter for a second.

[Thalstan]: Yes, sir, we're the Cobalt Blade. Ye may recognize us from the posters.

Earthbinder Tavgren says: I fear your daydream may be close to reality.

[Tadget]: Neat.

Earthbinder Tavgren says: Something terrible has happened at the outpost. I tried to investigate, but many of the teromoths attacked as soon as I got near. I believe they may be suffering from some infection.

Earthbinder Tavgren says: If you can brave the moths, please go into the outpost and see what you can learn about what happened here.

[Thalstan]: I think we can handle a few moths, aye.

Earthbinder Tavgren says: I fear killing the moths in the area surrounding the outpost may also be necessary to prevent a possible spread of contagion.

[Thalstan]: We'll go see what's happened.

A strange spherical device sits, inert, in the middle of the central building.

[Arthur]: Hey, did you see this thing back here?

Arthur points at the sphere.

The outpost is littered with the bodies of dead night elves.

[Arthur]: You see all those little holes?

[Thalstan]: Little holes?

[Vesyllah]: What about them?

[Arthur]: They're nozzles. I think that thing didn't explode. I think it just sprayed a whole bunch of bad.

Tadget doesn't pay much attention; she is busy stabbing moths.

Vesyllah frowns and kneels by the device.

[Arthur]: I could…hm. I might be able to figure out what it was, if I had help from an alchemist.

[Thalstan]: Are we in danger? Should we back away?

Vesyllah points to a bit of residue on one of the nozzles. "I'd bet my left tit this is the compound that was strengthening the fel orcs."

Arthur is already getting help from an alchemist.

[Arthur]: No!

[Arthur]: Oh no!

[Thalstan]: Oh… whoa. So it strengthens orcs, but does this to everyone else?

[Vesyllah]: It seems inert now. But…

Vesyllah looks around at all the bodies.

[Tadget]: What were they doing with it here?

[Tadget]: Was this the point?

[Tadget]: Or a side effect?

[Thalstan]: I doubt the Cenarion's meant ta give it a try.

[Tadget]: I mean, not the Cenarions but the um, you know, the bad guys.

[Arthur]: I don't know if we'll find any witnesses.

[Tadget]: Blood elf guy and his demonic orcs.

Thalstan nods.

[Tadget]: It was a blood elf right?

[Vesyllah]: The report said there were blood elves around here before they lost contact, right?

[Arthur]: It looks like it was really potent, if you look at the….

[Tadget]: And the main bad guy was some kind of elf, I remember that for sure. Maybe I just assumed blood elf because, well, bad.

Arthur trails off, finally seeing how many druids lie dead here.

[Vesyllah]: So…this stuff killed my people, and drove the moths crazy?

[Thalstan]: Aye, they said blood elves around here, before… *Thalstan also looks at all the druids*

[Tadget]: So did it just like… explode hugely? If so that's some radius.

[Tadget]: Or if it's like… hm. Airborne kind of toxin situation.

[Arthur]: no wait, look

[Vesyllah]: If the tauren was right and it's contagious, maybe the moths spread it.

[Tadget]: Ohhhhhhh.

[Arthur]: Look at how they're facing.

[Arthur]: They were all running away.

[Tadget]: Oh man.

[Tadget]: That's grim.

[Thalstan]: So maybe it just like… sprayed in all directions. And now the moths… we'd best kill them, so this doesn't spread.

[Tadget]: Yeah.

Vesyllah narrows her eyes. "These people deserve vengeance."

[Tadget]: Uh, is it gonna spread to… us?

[Thalstan]: I hope not. Ves ye can cure disease, aye?

[Thalstan]: Or Zaara, but I thought that was a priesty thing.

[Tadget]: Oh great, my life's in Ves's hands. Awesome

[Arthur]: we…might want to wash our everything. after this.

[Vesyllah]: I don't think so. The compound seems to have turned to an inert powder, as far as I can tell.

[Tadget]: Well we can kill the moths anyway. Just because I feel like killing something