(2025-12-08) Savar's Strategy, Part 4 (Cobalt Blade)

Details

Author:	OzmaAsimov
Summary:	The Cobalt Blade follows Savar the Bloodless to Magister's Terrace for a final showdown.
Rating:	T for Teen

Arc: The Cobalt Blade

The events of this log occur immediately after Savar's Strategy: Interlude

---

Space inverts and stretches in the disorienting way of interdimensional teleportation. On the other side of the portal, the majestic spires of the Isle of Quel'danas rise high above the Cobalt Blade.

[Arthur]: you don't have to be good at it! you can just say "Bestie! I'm an expert! I know you have a secret!"

They find themselves standing before a large entry arch covered in scorch marks. Several sindorei warriors lay dead on the ground.

A half-dozen other portals crackle in the air with volatile, unstable arcane energy. A few moments later, all of the portals rapidly shrink, then fizzle into nonexistence, leaving only a sharp tingling in the air.

[Tadget]: I don't like this. This is weird.

Zaara sniffs and then scowls.

Thalstan stares up at the sky, and then at the spires of Quel'danas. "Uh. I think we have a secret now."

[Arthur]: What is it?

Arthur Art doesn't know. Oh, sweetie.

[Vesyllah]: Um…we just took an illegal portal behind enemy lines. Maybe not the best look.

[Thalstan]: That we accidentally infiltrated the elf lands during wartime. That's… that's what this is, aye?

[Tadget]: Eh, whatever.

[Thalstan]: We can't go back, though, except if we use our hearthstones, an' Savar is still ahead. There's no way we could get here again.

[Arthur]: I guess were back to the place that began it!

[Zaara]: We are only here to kill one elf. On purpose.

[Thalstan]: Might be one of those things about permission an' forgiveness… though let's just not get caught, aye? Then no apologies needed.

[Arthur]: That sounds fine.

[Tadget]: I suspect we are going to kill a bunch more than just the one elf. *She says, eagerly.*

[Thalstan]: We're here to kill 'im on purpose, aye, but I did no' realize he'd lead us here exactly.

[Tadget]: Why would we apologize for killing wartime enemies during wartime though?

[Vesyllah]: I'm wondering why he came here to begin with.

Zaara nods at Tadget. "Not on purpose. But yes." She considers. "Well, not premediating. Second degree."

[Tadget]: To me it's like… bonus war.

[Arthur]: well, I haven't been in these parts since they were all Quel'dorei.

[Thalstan]: Usually militaries like to coordinate strategies… I reckon let's just make sure no one can identify us. Then Sparkwire won't have to answer to the generals.

[Tadget]: I mean it'd be more awkward if we teleported into Horde territory to kill Horde during a ceasefire though.

[Thalstan]: Aye, yer not wrong. That'd be worse.

[Zaara]: Yes, this island is a peaceable place. Shattered Sun alliance.

[Tadget]: I can always think of worse. It's one of my gifts.

[Arthur]: that would have been awkward!

Within, more bodies litter the floors, both guards and cultists among them.

[Thalstan]: Let's just… have ourselves a little bonus war, and maybe make sure we don't make Thalassian headlines.

Tadget minutely examines the lace on the skirt of Art's robe, which is at her eye level.

Savari cultists have overrun the compound. But there are still sindorei holdouts ready to defend the place…against ALL intruders.

[Tadget]: Secret bonus war!

[Tadget]: …is the name of my next band.

[Thalstan]: Well, I don't think we can easily sort out friend from foe, except they're all foe. Ready for this?

[Zaara]: Ready!

[Tadget]: I was descended from titan robots ready.

Vesyllah sighs. "Yeah. Let's find this motherer."

Tadget reappears from the shadows, blades flashing, and shouts, "SECRET BONUS WAR!"

[Tadget]: Now opening for the Tauren Chieftains.

Thalstan chuckles, and then dives into battle, his hair flowing behind him.

[Thalstan]: I reckon he must've had allies back here, willin' to hide 'im.

[Thalstan]: That, or he just had a way of making a portal and is killin' his way through. *Thal looks back at the bodies we didn't make

[Vesyllah]: Maybe a bit of both.

[Tadget]: Both is good.

[Vesyllah]: Typical cult leader. He's probably great at brainwashing people. He sure as hell tried to recruit us to his cause.

[Tadget]: That was weird.

[Tadget]: I have never had anyone try so hard to convert me before attempting to murder me.

[Tadget]: The Cult of the Damned and the Twilight's Hammer could learn from that guy.

[Thalstan]: He must be used ta bein' able to sway people. He didn't count on us bein' so principled.

[Tadget]: Yeah.

[Tadget]: Or immune to the power of a shirtless elf.

Vesyllah snickers.

Wretched Skulker says: I'll never stop. Never…

[Thalstan]: Shirtlessness is a tried an' true adventure romance trope, but I don't think he was usin' it right.

[Tadget]: It made me feel neither romantic nor adventurous.

[Thalstan]: Ye ought to have a shirt on, and then ye find an excuse to tear it off dramatically, in order ta do heroics.

Tadget laughs at Thalstan.

[Thalstan]: He just started out with shirtlessness — it kills th' impact.

[Zaara]: What kind of heroics need shirtless?

[Vesyllah]: We could find out.

[Tadget]: Good question.

[Thalstan]: Oh, ye know, climbing walls… swimmin'… uh…

Tadget laughs at you.

[Zaara]: It makes more sense if you do a heroic thing and your shirt is torn off in doing.

[Tadget]: I can swim in leather armor.

[Tadget]: Oh yeah, I like Zaara's version.

[Vesyllah]: Zaara, you're making it very difficult not to say something that will get me in trouble with Cobalt Company HR.

[Tadget]: Like, maybe Finn is doing a back flip to escape from the room where he just assassinated a guy, and his billowing silk shirt catches on the window bars…

[Zaara]: Doing shirt tearing pre-heroics seems presumptuous.

Tadget comforts Arthur.

[Tadget]: Blood elves sure do love pillows.

[Thalstan]: Oh, aye, torn during is even better. Makes ye look heroic and humble.

[Vesyllah]: And sexy. Sexy is kind of the whole point.

[Thalstan]: They're these pointy little creatures, aren't they? Might need 'em ta sit comfortably.

Tadget giggles at you.

[Tadget]: True, they are pretty pointy.

Thalstan nods at Vesyllah. "Aye, and sexy."

[Arthur]: I don't think mages get to tear their shirts off mid battle.

[Vesyllah]: You could try.

[Tadget]: Why not?

[Zaara]: You can pretend you have got a burn. Set part of shirt on fire. Oh no! Take it off!

[Arthur]: it doesn't make sense!

[Tadget]: I like the fire idea!

[Tadget]: Oh no I'm on fire! Tear off clothes!

[Thalstan]: Fire could work, aye!

[Vesyllah]: We could set your clothes on fire for you, if you like.

[Tadget]: Oh great. Swarms of flying wyrms.

[Zaara]: For me I only get my clothes all wet. Is no reason for taking off.

[Vesyllah]: Zaara…you're gonna get me fired.

Tadget giggles at Zaara.

[Zaara]: What? Oh no!

[Tadget]: It's okay Ves, she can't see you ogling if her clothes get all wet.

[Tadget]: I ogle her constantly and she's never noticed.

[Vesyllah]: Good point. Just, nobody report me for any comments.

[Zaara]: What is ogling me?!

[Vesyllah]: Everyone.

[Tadget]: I feel pretty sure that Thalstan leaves everything you say out of his reports, Vengeance.

[Zaara]: But what is it.

[Thalstan]: Maybe the mana wyrms, but we killed 'em.

[Tadget]: Um, looking. Respectfully.

[Zaara]: Oh.

[Tadget]: I respectfully look at you.

[Zaara]: Thank you, Mayhem.

Thalstan chuckles at Tadget.

[Tadget]: No problem!

[Zaara]: I also would ogle you, but.

[Tadget]: Hell yeah you would.

[Tadget]: I'm respecty as heck.

[Tadget]: I'm bringing respecty back.

[Zaara]: I am ogling you all with my heart.

[Vesyllah]: Not sure if that thing was a security measure, or a present from Savar.

[Thalstan]: That is maybe only a thing ta say ta folks ye trust.

[Tadget]: I like to believe everything in here was personally sent to kill specifically us.

[Thalstan]: They could no' have expected us, could they?

[Vesyllah]: Let her have it.

[Tadget]: Shhhhhh don't ruin my egomania with logic.

[Tadget]: My lot is a bleak and pitiful one, doomed to carry out my task of endless murder. I amuse myself how I may.

[Thalstan]: I sort of thought ye liked th' endless murder, Mayhem.

[Tadget]: I am mysterious and ultimately unknowable.

[Vesyllah]: Ugh.

Tadget cackles maniacally at you.

[Thalstan]: Aye, as are we all. The mystery o' every soul. Except for the ones who want to destroy worlds to stop the Legion from… destroying worlds.

[Tadget]: Ohmigod speaking of unknowable, my kids have started DRAWING now. It's so bad. I have never seen such bad drawing.

Thalstan laughs. "What sorts o' things do they draw? Daggers? Gears?"

[Tadget]: Just mostly scribbles. Pinki's sure had a lot of red in it though. I gave her an extra cookie.

[Tadget]: I asked her what it was of, and she just gave me this beautiful dead-eyed smile, just like her dad's!

[Thalstan]: Well, now ye've reinforced it. I hope yer walls are good with red scribbles.

[Tadget]: My life is good with red scribbles.

[Tadget]: So much red in my ledger…

[Thalstan]: Oh, and Tadget, this may no' come as a surprise to ye, but… I think me an' Oranna might be, well, I think I'll go see 'er after we save Outland.

Vesyllah scowls. "Some of Savar's demons ahead."

Thalstan peers ahead. "Aye, ye're right. Reckon we should clear out the elves first."

[Arthur]: Go see Oranna? Oh neat!

[Tadget]: I'm shocked, shocked.

[Vesyllah]: Gonna make some ridiculously attractive dwarf babies?

[Tadget]: Dwarf babies are extremely ugly as a general rule.

[Arthur]: Wait, hold on. You mean you're courting her?

Thalstan chuckles, and grins at her, rustling his beard. "We'll see. Right now we're at, I'd like ta see ye."

[Tadget]: Like overgrown potatoes.

[Zaara]: Valor is having babies???

[Tadget]: By your timeline, yes, extremely soon.

[Arthur]: really cute babies.

Zaara gasps.

[Thalstan]: Courting? Aye, I suppose. Flirting certainly. An' did ye know she calls ye a lord, Tadget?

[Tadget]: Yep.

[Vesyllah]: Weird.

[Tadget]: I find it kind of weird that no one else does.

[Vesyllah]: This is me, surprised.

Thalstan laughs. "Lord Mayhem, then. But aye, she's been workin' in Pandaria, ye know, out with Bran Stillwall and others."

[Tadget]: So are either of you gonna take the other one's name? Jo and Sgt. Quarterflash didn't.

[Arthur]: But that's so great, really. Romance!

[Tadget]: Um, Lt. Quarterflash now I guess.

[Tadget]: Q got the ol'

[Tadget]: "7th Legion promotion" if you know what I mean.

[Arthur]: Um///

[Thalstan]: I had no' thought so far in advance. I'm just, ye know, happy, and… ohhh and real sorry for Lt. Quarterflash.

[Tadget]: That means his commanding officer died, Art.

[Arthur]: Oh. That is sad.

[Tadget]: Yeah. I actually met her, she was alright. Lt. Claretsark. Human lady, mage. She uh, she was at Theramore at a bad time.

[Thalstan]: Alright, group o' demons ahead…

[Tadget]: WAAAAAAAAAAR

[Vesyllah]: Bonus war.

Tadget cheers at you.

[Vesyllah]: Say hello to my little fiend!

Thalstan | The demons are no match for Cobalt Blade.

Tadget falls asleep. Zzzzzzz.

Savar the Bloodless waits patiently, his blindfolded eyes seemingly fixed on the approaching Cobalt Blade. In his hands is a fel crystal the size of a small dog, its surface cracked and scorched, but thrumming with power.

Savar the Bloodless says: “Do you know what this is? Some have taken to calling it the Heart of Kael'thas. It is a fel crystal that was embedded in the late prince's chest. I was pleased to learn the sindorei kept it here. A macabre trophy, I suppose.”

Savar the Bloodless says: “Kael'thas accumulated no small amount of power, and now that power is contained in this. I had hoped to take this back to Tempest Keep by now to finish my work. But you demonstrate a frustrating degree of competence.”

Zaara beams.

[Tadget]: I figured you just needed it to replace the gaping void in your own chest.

[Thalstan]: That's us, frustratingly competent.

[Zaara]: Cobolt Blade!

Tadget cheers at Zaara!

[Arthur]: Imagine, all this good help in one group!

Savar the Bloodless chuckles. "If I still had a heart, I could not do what must be done. You think I do not know I am a monster?"

[Arthur]: …Allied against you, so I guess that's a wrinkle.

[Thalstan]: Somethin' tells me yer not gonna hand over the crystal and come peacefully, are ye?

Savar the Bloodless shakes his head. "No, master dwarf, I will not. Come, then. We will decide the fate of the universe together. Let us cross blades at last."

Savar the Bloodless Savar the Bloodless draws a demon hunter's glaive, fitting the Heart of Kael'thas into a setting on the weapon's hilt. As the blade ignites with green fel fire, Savar's other hand erupts with arcane energy.

[Tadget]: I'm a monster too. But notice I have friends, and you don't.

[Vesyllah]: Not anymore, anyway.

Tadget snickers at Vesyllah.

[Thalstan]: …Why? Why choose ta be against us? Why do all this? There are other ways to fight th' Legion. Better ways.

[Arthur]: All right, Lord hairdo, let's do it.

[Tadget]: Forget it, Valor. It's elftown.

Thalstan sighs, and draws his sword and shield. Violence it is.

[Vesyllah]: Let's end this.

Tadget makes a point of stabbing his unprotected chest area.

Thalstan charges in with determination, shouting a battle cry as he bashes Savar with his shield.

Arthur snaps his fingers, and frost flies from the sound like cold fireworks. he forms a bolt of frost effortlessly, then another, faster than he usually can.

[Tadget]: You're gonna really wish you'd worn a shirt when I'm done with you!!!

Savar the Bloodless raises his glaive to receive the force of the shield bash, and shoves Thalstan back with demonic strength. He staggers back, pelted with a hailstorm of ice from Arthur.

Zaara whispers and a gust of cool air scents the room. A gentle rain begins to fall. It does not settle on the floor but evaporates like mist in the air, providing soothing healing to all it touches. Except Savar.

Thalstan rocks back with the shove, and then roars at Savar, bringing his sword around as he launches back at the elf.

Vesyllah speaks in an echoing voice, uttering the Shadow Word of Pain, following it with a blast of psychic energy. "Been saving this for you."

Arthur is standing in a tiny ice storm as he keeps an eye out for trouble…that isn't him.

Tadget sinks a dagger into Savar's well-moisturized skin and yells, "Badass catchphrase!"

Arthur yelps with laughter.

Zaara "Eat a storm!" cries Zaara, and a spear of lightning flashes through the healing rain to zap Savar.

Thalstan chuckles, giving Savar another shield shove in an attempt to put him off-guard for Tadget's next stab.

Tadget pauses for a moment to watch Savar eat Zaara's storm.

Savar the Bloodless locks his glaive with Thalstan sword, then exchanges blow after blow with him, each spilling the other's blood from small cuts…until Tadget slips by his defenses and buries the dagger in his back. Savar whirls on her, only to be battered by Thalstan's shield, putting him off-balance.

Savar the Bloodless clenches his teeth in pain as the lightning courses over him. He raises his glaive, and slams it into the ground, releasing a blinding burst of energy. Suddenly, the world turns upside down, launching the heroes into the air.

[Thalstan]: We will find a better way! *Thalstan says, striking again.*

Savar the Bloodless says: “There is no other way! All have tried and failed! Sacrifices must be made…and only I can make them!”

[Tadget]: You're about to make a big one.

[Zaara]: You are so dumb.

[Arthur]: If you truly think that, your research methods are awful. you should feel bad!

Tadget cackles maniacally at Arthur.

Thalstan swims through the air, trying to get back towards Savar. "The ends do no' justify the means!"

Zaara is startled only briefly by being airborne. She takes the opportunity to send another lightning bolt at Savar, like a draenei-shaped stormcloud.

Savar the Bloodless launches himself into the air toward his foes, spinning with his glaive in a deadly whirlwind of steel.

Tadget does a little dance, avoiding being minced.

Arthur picks a direction and blinks back into icebolt-and-taunting range.

[Tadget]: Hey Zaara for your information, you look super cool right now!

Thalstan does a less graceful dance, blocking the glaives with his shield rather than evading them.

[Zaara]: Are you ogling me? *Zaara beams.*

[Tadget]: A hundred percent.

Thalstan heaves his sword toward Savar, aiming for his chest, diving through the air after it.

Zaara casts a shimmering shield of water around herself and then sends gusts of rain spinning outward toward her comrades, enveloping each of them in a pain-relieving, cool mist.

[Tadget]: It's a real shame you don't have any friends to heal all the holes I'm poking in you, friendo. *Tadget says to Savar*

[Zaara]: Oh no! Do you want me to heal you, sir? BAD LUCK.

[Tadget]: Everyone's all, "Power is a lonely climb" and all that b.s. but really it's just, no one likes you.

Savar the Bloodless again locks his blade with Thalstan's, but the tip of the sword finds Savar's chest, sinking just an inch in as he struggles against THalstan's strength.

Vesyllah falls into a quiet prayer for a moment, then gestures toward Savar. The air around him ripples, disrupting his magic, and the demon hunter rapidly descends to the floor, Thalstan atop him. The impact drives the dwarf's blade deeper.

Thalstan puts his weight behind the blade.

[Tadget]: YEAHHH!

Savar the Bloodless growls in pain. "This…isn't…over." The Heart of Kael'thas begins to glow brightly, emitting an ear-piercing screech.

[Tadget]: Uh… screaming hearts are bad, right?

Tadget backs up.

[Zaara]: Ow. Ow ow ow.

Zaara casts a stream of ghostly water that zigzags from one of them to another. It does not help with the hearing thing so much.

Thalstan flinches, but stays on his sword.

[Zaara]: Should we smash?

[Thalstan]: I'd say aye, before our ears burst.

Vesyllah abandons her shadows, calling on the moonlight to wrap Thalstan in a protective Shield.

Zaara summons the rainshower again to settle over the group. "Smash!"

The crystal begins to crack further, tongues of foul energy arcing from it, coursing over Savar and lashing at the shield over Thalstan.

Thalstan backs up a step, and then resolutely drives his shield onto the top of the crystal.

Zaara casts a drenching wave of water over Thalstan, as though she is concerned his shirt might heroically catch on fire.

The crystal shatters, exploding violently with force enough to throw every combatant into the walls. Shards cut and slash, but Zaara's healing rains quickly close their wounds.

Arthur gets the wind knocked out of him, but he's on his feet as soon as he can be.

Zaara scrambles to her hooves and channels another stream of pure water that flows back and forth among them. "Ow."

Thalstan is thrown back, but he manages to take the momentum and roll up to one knee, his hair dramatically mussed.

[Tadget]: OWwwwww

Savar the Bloodless lays where he fell. His glaive is broken. His arm mangled by the explosion. His body a roadmap of cuts, embedded with tiny fel crystals.

Tadget moves over to peer down at Savar with macabre interest.

Savar the Bloodless coughs blood, rasping, "Pray…that you were right…" With a final wheeze, the greenish glow behind Savar's blindfold goes dim.

Vesyllah rises from where she was throw, holding her head and stumbling a few steps. "Please…tell me that psychopath is dead."

[Thalstan]: We will be. *Thalstan stares at Savar's body.* When the Legion comes, we'll face them.

[Arthur]: Why are they all like this? They think it's charismatic to be a delusional nutjob who speaks in declarative sentences?

[Tadget]: I think you have to be pretty full of yourself to think that you alone have the solution to a thing.

[Tadget]: So it really whittles down the types of people who can even get to this point in a scheme.

[Thalstan]: Aye, and that you alone know ye've got to sacrifice an entire world.

[Tadget]: Jackass.

Tadget prods him with her foot.

[Vesyllah]: Yeah…but it's also how they convince to many others they're right. Say anything with enough confidence and people will eat it right up.

[Tadget]: Sad but true.

[Tadget]: So uh… what now?

[Thalstan]: Yer not wrong. We've got ta use that knowledge for good, an' not evil.

[Zaara]: Should we… take the pieces of the thing? Some of them? I do not know if a thing like this can be put together again, but if it can, I am certain someone would try.

[Vesyllah]: Now…we should get the fel outta here before more sindorei show up.

[Arthur]: Villains will make a doomsday plan to destroy the world before they'll talk about their feelings.

Thalstan walks over to stomp some of the shards on the ground.

[Thalstan]: We can grab a few if it'd help, but I think Ves is right. We should get out of here before all the fightin' brings others.

[Zaara]: Yes! I just want to make sure we do not leave evil powers for others.

[Tadget]: I agree.

[Tadget]: Art would probably know the safest way to carry 'em.

Thalstan gingerly picks up a few shards. "I'll grab a few, just to make sure it's missing pieces."

[Vesyllah]: I figure the biggest hunks will be the most dangerous.

Tadget snickers.

[Tadget]: I dunno, Thalstan's pretty dangerous…

[Vesyllah]: Chunks. I said chunks.

Tadget cackles maniacally at you.

[Vesyllah]: Ugh.

[Zaara]: You did not! You said 'hunks.'

Tadget points at Zaara.

[Arthur]: I was thinking I could crush them into dust and sprinkle the dust into the nether.

[Tadget]: Ooooh I like that.

[Zaara]: Yes, a good plan.

[Tadget]: Normally I'm a big fan of crystals, but these are an exception..

[Tadget]: They don't feel like crystals should feel.

Thalstan chuckles.

[Thalstan]: Aye, I think we should get rid of it entirely if we can.

Vesyllah helps to gather up any decent-sized CHUNKS of crystal.

Zaara crouches to pat the floor and pick up some jagged shards gingerly. She brings them to Art.

[Vesyllah]: Let's grab what we can and get going. Art, can you portal us out of here?

[Arthur]: Oh yeah! to Shattrath!

Arthur takes the shards first, though.

[Thalstan]: Let's get outta here!