(2025-08-20) Stromgarde Strategy Session

Details

Author:	Alli
Summary:	Arric, Atley, Corvin, Ionala, Maisha, Shun and Velrin meet to discuss the recent attempt on Danath Trollbane's life and make plans. ~2700 words.
Rating:	T for Teen

Arc: Struggles of Stromgarde

Maisha Cloudskimmer waits nervously in the Ironforge Cobalt Company HQ, in casual outdoor clothing that makes it look like she's ready to trek out whenever decisions are made. She's sitting at a table cleared of the usual snacks, with chairs arranged around it for easy discussion. The call was sent out, and now it's time to organize a plan for problems in the north.

Arric Falrevere's summer-sky eyes light up when he enters and spots Maisha, and he crosses the room to give her shoulder an affectionate squeeze.

"No snacks today," he notes.

Atley marches in. He wears his vest and a long-sleeved dark green shirt. Spotting Maisha, he inclines his head. "My lady." He pulls a seat out at the end of the table and settles down in it, the Lion Horn clattering faintly against the wood, studying her. "How's the day?"

As Atley enters Arric’s expression hardens a bit - not unfriendly, just less expressive, more traditionally masculine.

"Sir Atley," he says respectfully in greeting.

Atley inclines his head to Falrevere, "My lord." he greets respectfully.

Velrin walks in wearing her armor as usual.

Maisha smiles in relief when she sees Atley, Arric, and Velrin arrive. People! Hello, people!

"Aye, no snacks. I thought we ought ta be focused," Maisha says, then she turns to Atley and says, "Pleased ta see ye here, too, Sir Atley. Day's gone well, and the weeks — far's I've heard, no attempted assassinations since Trollbane, at least."

Atley's look darkens at Maisha and he grunts. Spotting Velrin over his shoulder, he pushes himself up and stands by his chair, offering her a hand. "Watcher," he greets with some subtle amusement.

Velrin smiles brightly at Dane and winks.

Corvin steps in quietly, making his way down the stairs with all the wariness of a forest creature in his eyes. He seems inclined to linger near the wall, but then seems to realize this will make him stand out more. He reluctantly takes a seat at the table instead.

Shun makes his way in, grabbing a chair as he grunts a greeting to those here. He eyes Corvin for the moment.

Atley rests a hand on the back of his chair, nodding once at Corvin and Shun simultaneously as he remains standing, in case any other ladies arrive.

Arric looks curiously at Corvin. "I don't believe we've met," he says. "Arric Falrevere."

Corvin's returns Shun's stare, and then turns to Arric with a nod. "Pleasure. I'm Corvin Trent. I've been mostly working in Kalimdor lately. Ashenvale, Stonetalon, Barrens."

IonalaZephyrine?arrives dressed in a simple wool robe with a woven basket-bag hooked in one elbow. trailing from it is a strand of crimson yarn, connected to a scarf knitted with scrap wool of different colors and stripe widths. The scarf is long enough that the end is also tucked into the basket. She pauses at the bottom of the stairs, counting the faces she knows.

Maisha waves wildly to Ionala, gesturing to an empty chair near to her.

Atley nods to IonalaZephyrine? and points behind her. "You've a bit of loose thread there, my lady."

"Ah, hello Miss W-" Arric hesitates. "Er…"

"My knitting." She holds up the basket, then smiles at Arric. "I still haven't decided what to do, but Miss Webster is safer, for now."

"All right," Arric says. For some reason he looks slightly wounded. He's a delicate little guy.

Shun silently regards everyone as names are given.

"Hi Maisha," Ionala says. "I hope you're well."

"Aye," Maisha says with a smile. "Been holding well enough. I hope you have as well, an no problems following on what happened in Outland."

Atley knits his brow.

"Everyone at Honor Hold has been alert, with no incidents. I have been roaming Outland to try and cover up my visits there," Ionala says.

Maisha nods, and then she looks around at the assembled people. "Reckon you've all heard about the attack on Danath Trollbane by now? He's fine, but he's tasked us with heading up to the Arathi Highlands to sort out whatever scheme the Syndicate is up to. On account of…" Maisha glances to Ionala (Zephyrine?) to see if she would like to offer any explanation or not.

Atley looks to Maisha and retakes his place in the seat once Ionala and if sits. He links his gloved fingers together and listens with an attentive glare.

Shun grunts, "That is why I am here. I have a vested interest to destroy the Syndicate. "

"Nasty lot," Arric agrees.

Atley grunts.

Ionala sits. "It was an accident. The attack happened while I was there. Maisha and Arric had come by to visit, but we never had the chance before the alarm sounded. We rushed in to help and King Danath recognized me. I'm Zephyrine Kerwin, and I disappeared years ago."

Arric watches Nala quietly, his expression attentive and somewhat wistful.

Atley raises his head very slightly in clear approval of the title 'King Danath,' but lifts a brow upon the explanation of her disappearance.

"The Kerwins are Stromic nobility," Maisha adds, for those who might not know the region well.

Corvin gives Ionala a glance half-startled and half-appraising.

"It's a long story, but it was safer to be Ionala Webster,” Ionala explains. “And if there's Syndicate spying out why their team of assassins never made it back, It's probably still safer to be Ionala Webster."

"So what we've got to do is decide on a plan of how to investigate," Maisha says with a nod. "I've been asking around about the current situation in Arathi. How much do you all know about recent stuff?"

Atley's gaze lingers on Zephyrine for a long while before he shifts his gaze to Maisha. "Only some. I'd welcome more information."

Arric nods. "I've been scouting out the area myself, but I've been avoiding the city, trying to pass as a simple hunter and fisherman while I keep my ear to the ground. I've heard nothing helpful as of yet."

One hopes he wasn't trying to pass as a 'simple hunter and fisherman' in his current outfit.

"I would like to know more as well. I've avoided the area," Ionala says.

"Not super recent but I have been following Syndicate activity up until a little over a year ago," Shun says.

Maisha nods at all the answers. "Stromgarde holds Refuge Pointe, and a portion of the capital city of Stromgarde Keep. It was a little over a year ago that they announced that their king had died. King Galen Trollbane, I mean. Nala and I were there when they decided to make it public."

"That's why Danath Trollbane in Outland has the right to the title, though he's left the ruling of the kingdom to the League of Arathor," Maisha explains. "Now, though, I heard that Galen Trollbane's been reanimated. He's with a force o' Forsaken on the border of Hillsbrad. Obviously, he's no' the king anymore."

Atley's rugged features slowly twist into a glare, though this doesn't appear to be the first time he's learning of this information at least. "But he still claims a right to the throne, does he?" he asks Maisha, before shifting his gaze to Zephyrine.

Zephyrine goes pale to learn that Galen is a Forsaken now.

Arric frowns in concern, studying Zephyrine.

Corvin shakes his head quietly.

"No…" Maisha says. "Inheritance law wi' the undead's a tricky business, but they lose their titles and inheritances. Ye can't come back and reclaim."

Atley nods. "F'course. I'd never stand by while a rotter makes a claim for the Stromgardian throne, but that must be the strategy of the Forsaken. To expand their influence into wot's left of Stromgarde in the Highlands, by use of Galen's reanimated corpse?"

"I don't understand why they'd care one whit about the man's bloodline," Arric says. "As far as I've seen, they expend their 'influence' by hosing areas down with green sludge from plague cauldrons. Identity, national borders, none of that means anything to them. If it breathes, they want to kill it."

Corvin nods slowly, grey eyes fixing on Arric.

"KIll it, or turn it to their side. Galen, as the former king, would know more about the current vulnerabilities and strengths of wot's left of Stromgarde than the average rotter,” Dane says. “The Forsaken consider themselves the perverse inheritors of Lordaeron. It would be to their benefit to kill and reanimate Galen's former subjects to curry a same sense of inheritance over Stromgarde."

"Aye, that's a lingering threat," Maisha says. "And they got other problems. The orcs at Hammerfall an' the ogres and trolls. The ogres they've been pushin' out o' the capital, an' the trolls are more of a theoretical worry, as they're over in the east. But anyways, it's a precarious situation, an' they can't afford th' Syndicate to upset things."

Velrin knits her brow, “I wish I could be of more use here… Most any information I could give about Strom and the Highlands is horribly out of date…”

Atley raises a hand. "You know the history and the spirit of the folk there," he says to Velrin, before turning back to Maisha. "Can you tell me more about the attempt on King Danath, specifically?"

"Aye," Maisha nods. "We were just in Honor Hold, me an' Arric an' Nala an' Velrin, when a shout went up, and we ran into the Keep to help. There was a group of folk attacking, an' we helped fight 'em off. Two were alive in the end. The guards said they'd playacted as being mercenary reinforcements till they got close enough to take their shot at King Danath."

Atley nods slowly. "Have these two survivors been interrogated? Where are they now?"

"Aye, I reckon they're still in the prison at Honor Hold," Maisha says, nodding. "They seemed tight-lipped about future plans, if they knew about 'em, but real zealous-like."

"Would interrogation be helpful, do you think?" Ionala asks.

Maisha shrugs, and looks to the war experts. "Do you think a person would tell more under more questioning?"

"In my experience, it depends on who asks the questions," Atley says. He looks at Shun. "You know the Syndicate as well as anyone. Do you warrant you could get these two to talk? Any information we could gather would be of use. Our great strength here is that the Syndicate is an enemy of ours and the Horde."

"I would like to suggest," Arric says firmly, "that if we are going to the prisoners via any connection whatsoever to Cobalt Company, including giving the names under which we are registered to Cobalt Company, that any interrogation be conducted in a civilized and honorable fashion."

Maisha blinks at Arric, and then says, "Oh, aye, yes. I just meant talkin' to 'em, right?"

"One has to ask, these days," Arric says a bit wryly.

Atley inclines his head to Arric. "That is worth underlining, and I am in agreement."

Corvin shifts in his seat a little uncomfortably, and says, "Also, if they were trying to blend in, we should probably also keep an eye out here. In case there are more, maybe… around Stormwind."

Arric nods to Corvin, his brow wrinkling. "Any ideas on how we might spot their agents before they start drawing blades?"

Atley looks to Corvin as well.

"Maybe, but if they recognize me, they will certainly be unhappy to see me," Shun says.

"I… I couldn't say," Corvin shifts uncomfortably in his seat. "Maybe a fondness for the color orange? It's kind of an Alteraci symbol."

"Emotional reactions may prove useful, but I'd advise questioning them under disguise at first," Atley says.

"That can be arranged," Shun nods, "I could potentially pose as another prisoner or something along those lines. "

Atley grunts. "You know wot' you're doing. I'll leave the finer details to you." He looks around the table. "One more of us to accompany Shun on this would prove useful."

"Do you have ideas on who that would be?" Ionala asks.

Shun eyes Corvin again.

Atley shifts his gaze to 'Ionala.' "My mind was drawn to you for this, my lady. You've proven skilled with subterfuge, and you know the cause well." He gestures to Corvin.

"As I sit, I'd have Corvin become leader of a squad composed of Lord Falrevere, Velrin, and lady Cloudskimmer. Venture into the area, under disguise, in a discreet fashion, to learn wot' we can of the Syndicate's movements on the ground, with the interrogators joining the group at a later date once they've worked the prisoners."

"I think we could easily pass for a team of hunters looking to make some coin, given the abundant wildlife in the area,” Arric agrees.

Atley inclines his head. "And you've experience doing that by your lonesome."

"Oh, I'm no'… I'm no' Wildhammer nobility," Maisha hastily adds, blushing faintly. "Ye can just call me Mai."

Corvin nods slowly.

Atley shifts his assessing glare to Corvin. "Are you able for this?"

"I know the land well," Corvin says, glancing at the other hunters. "I think we could pass for it, as a team. Though it could be we should send someone into Stromgarde Keep as well — in case there's infiltrators. I've heard Trollbane has a niece in there."

Atley folds his burly arms across his chest and strokes his chin in thought. "You mean to appoint her a full-time guardian. Someone from Cobalt, that can be trusted. One of ours."

Ionala nods. "I have a little bit of experience as a lady's maid…."

Arric looks slightly fretful again.

"You'd prove useful, but my mind on this was drawn to Velrin,” Dane says. “A kaldorei roaming the land will draw more attention than you, and while her experience in the area is valuable, yours is more recent. I see you better spent on Corvin's undercover squad, after the interrogation is conducted."

"I reckon Arric, Shun, an' Corvin could probably stop in to check on things as well, without raising eyebrows," Maisha adds cheerfully. "It bein' a human kingdom an' all."

Atley grunts.

"And what of yourself?" Corvin asks, looking at Dane. "Will you go to Arathi, to Stromgarde, or to Outland?"

Atley grunts. "My duties may keep me elsewhere at times, but I'd make for Stromgarde, to meet with the Lady Trollbane on behalf of the Company for additional protection, and largely leave the field work to you lot."

Velrin nods to Dane, “I’m happy to help in any way I can.”

"Okay, then I think we've got a plan?" Maisha says, looking around uncertainly. "To start with, Shun an' Ionala go to question the prisoners in Honor Hold. Sir Atley and Velrin head to Stromgarde to check for problems there. Corvin, Arric, and I head into the field as discreet hunters. Then Shun an' Ionala come up to Arathi after the interrogation and…"

Maisha pauses. "Should we meet up at Stromgarde Keep, to exchange information? Might tip our hand to the Stromic folk, but they're anyway on our side."

Atley nods and grunts. "They ought to meet you wherever you are in the field. The less eyes on this, even friendly eyes, the more secure the operation. This will be a tabards-off operation. Our secrecy is our strength," Atley says.

"Agreed," Arric says. "Once we've accomplished our objectives there will be plenty of time to represent Cobalt Company and give credit where it's due."

Atley turns his glare on Arric — it might seem withering, depending on how well one knows Atley. "Is there anything else on your mind, my lord? Now's the time to speak it."

"Nothing that concerns anyone else present," Arric says. "You have my word that if I have anything to say about the mission I will not be timid about it, sir."

Atley grunts, before he looks around. "Anyone else?"

Shun grunts.

Corvin hesitates for a moment, then shakes his head.

Maisha smiles back at Atley, pleased for a mission about to start!

Atley pats the table with his gloved hands. "I'll bring this proposal to the Captain to make it official. I doubt she'll have reservations. See to your preparations. House Trollbane will not fall on our watch."

"It shall not," Ionala says, a bit vehemently.