(2026-04-04) Vale Campaign: Mogu Cruelty and Mistfall Supplies

Details

Author:	Alli
Summary:	Caspis, Florande and Shun return to the front at the Golden Stair, and then assist Mistfall Village in gathering the supplies needed for its growing population. Hopefully, Aviana is pleased. Or at least, understanding. ~2600 words.
Rating:	T for Teen

Arc: Vale of Eternal Blossoms

Florande slinks into the Golden Pagoda as a panther, lifting one paw to a pillar and stretching up into elvish form as she passes inside.

A stormcrow circles the area, then swoops in and changes into a dark-haired kaldorei as it lands.

Florande smiles. "Shan'do."

"Thero'shan." Caspis bows.

"You are here to help fight the mogu?" Florande asks.

Caspis nods solemnly. "I am pleased to see you are in the fight."

Florande nods eagerly. Her eyes track to the mountains for a moment, and then she refocuses.

Shun appears in the shadows of one of the pillars. He nods to Flo and Caspis as he arrives.

Leven Dawnblade looks over at the two druids and the rogue. "We're still holding the line at the Golden Stair, so if you want to fight mogu, that's where I'd ask you to do it."

Caspis inclines his head solemnly to Leven.

Anji looks over curiously at today's team. "Shun, you remember that big statue they were trying to animate, a few days ago?" she asks. "Seems like they're trying it again. Show them how much we appreciate it, yeah?"

Shun grunts, "Of course."

Caspis looks like he is in a slightly Doomy mood, his eyes glowing fiercely under his avian hood.

"The latest news, though, is that they've bent the will of the sky serpents, and they've turned them against us," Anji says stormily.

Caspis growls softly.

Shun furrows his brow at this.

“The defenders won't fare well against them, but I bet you three would,” Anji says. "I trust you to remove them from the sky."

Florande glances at Caspis. "Aviana would bless this, yes?"

"She weeps, no doubt, but grief does not remove the need to kill." Caspis is definitely in Doom Mode.

"We will kill," Florande agrees seriously.

Kun steps up next to his wife and rubs a furry ear. "In case you haven't heard, they've started up their cannon bombardment again. They must have brought in replacements. Wreck them, will you?"

Caspis nods. "It will be done."

"Just need some more explosives…" Shun utters.

Florande looks curiously at Shun. "I could try vines and roots for the cannons, but maybe explosives are faster."

"That works too," Shun shrugs.

"Maybe both," Florande says, with a quick grin at Shun.

Sun wrings her hands nearby. "And please, please, rescue any pandaren captives you find? You don't want to know what the mogu are doing to them. I can hear their screams from here."

Caspis growls again. Louder.

Florande's ears droop at Sun's words, and she nods.

"Even demons seem less malevolent than these mogu," Caspis observes darkly. "Demons simply exult in chaos. These creatures are built entirely of hate and disdain."

Florande sober further at Caspis's words. "We will… we will stop them. They won't get away with it."

Caspis turns back into a stormcrow and prepares to depart.

Shun takes in a deep breath and starts sprinting and shadowstepping.

Then Florande, also, is a stormcrow.

Caspis lets out a bird-of-prey shriek as he flies.

The flying team arrives at the Golden Stair, where mogu torture prisoners and shadowy dominated cloud serpents soar through the sky.

When he lands at their destination, Caspis shifts into the form of a moonkin: a black-feathered one that looks strange and almost portentous, its antlers like burnt tree branches.

Florande mostly stays in panther form while fighting, flickering occasionally back into elf.
"Cannon unattended here," Florande calls. "Break it?"

[Shun]: "Do it."

Florande calls roots to twine up through the cannon. It starts to creak and then finally cracks.

The cannon is not unattended for long. A nearby mogu notices what the team is doing and attacks.

While striking down a Mogu, Shun quickly steps aside to avoid a blast of lightning from above. He looks up.

"The serpent," Florande says, and then is panther again.

Shun nods and starts throwing some daggers up at it.

Caspis hurls bright bolts of sunlight.

After the serpent falls, Florande shifts back into elf to say, "I do not like how the mogu twist creatures' minds."

"I do not think I have seen the cloud serpents look that way… are they afflicted by Sha?" Shun asks.

Caspis growls contemplatively.

Florande frowns, looking up at the sinuous dragon shapes flying around in the sky. "They do look… a little shadowy?"

The Doomkin stands back to let Shun deal with the cannons.

Florande does not seem to be bothered by the Doomkin. Shan'do is Shan'do.

Shun doesn't seem to know what to make of the Doomkin but his focus is on taking down the Mogu anyway.

The Doomkin is acting like it totally belongs here, so it's probably fine.

As the team approaches a staircase, a large stone figure is visible at the top, surrounded by mogu channeling energy into it.

Caspis sheds a few black feathers as he moves along, hulking and strange.

"More cannons…" Florande looks to Shun. "Explosives?"

Shun nods to Flo and sets down a bomb the pandarian gave him.

Farewell, cannon!

Florande eyes a group of dormant mogu statues as they pass.

"That was all the prisoners I see," Florande says, scanning the Golden Stair. "I am sure they will catch more, but… for now."

Caspis attempts to escort a fleeing prisoner, and runs into a small ambush.

Shun swiftly moves to assist the Doomkin.

Caspis nods gratefully to Shun.

Florande also helps take down the ambush. Claws and teeth.

When the enemies have fallen, Caspis points up at one last corrupted serpent flying about.

Florande nods a feline head.

Shun leaps up and shadowsteps onto the serpents back to help drive it to the ground.

Caspis sears it with more shafts of sunlight.

Florande rakes it viciously with her claws, once it is in range.

After it falls, Shun just slowly shakes his head.

When it falls, Caspis shifts back into kaldorei form for a moment. Healer vibe. He says a brief prayer in Darnassian.

Florande looks down at the shadowy serpent, and then turns back into elf to say, "I think we have done all they asked?"

Shun nods.

Caspis nods solemnly, and shifts back into stormcrow form.

Florande follows, a slightly smaller stormcrow.

Cas's stormcrow form also looks a little doomy, ngl.

They arrive to the Golden Pagoda to a happy welcome.

"I saw many come back this way safely," Sun says with a smile. "Thank you, my dears."
Caspis bows deeply.

"And thank you on behalf of my ears as well, for the cannons," Kun says with a grin.

Shun grunts.

"Good job taking down those cloud serpents," Anji gives a thumbs up. "And keeping that behemoth of theirs off our battlefield."

"I suspect they will try rebuilding it again eventually," Shun states.

"No doubt," Anji says. "But we're better at destroying it than they are building it, don't you think?"

"We will wear them down," Caspis says with quiet confidence.

Shun nods.

Caspis is ten thousand years old. He knows how to do patience.

Leven looks over sternly, and turns to the group. "Your work today is not done. My scouts have spotted no mogu near Mistfall Village today, but I've been hearing of some troubles with the local wildlife and spirits. I sent Che there, but he'll need help."

"Che…" Florande repeats.

Shun raises a brow, but then nods.

Caspis is already changing into a stormcrow halfway through 'he'll need help.'

"Che Wildwalker," Leven says. "An old veteran, very competent."

Florande nods, and takes to the skies.

Caspis shrieks, birdly. He seems to want people to know he is coming.

At Mistfall Village, Che Wildwalker spots the help arriving from the skies, and waves the team down. A majestic tiger companion sits by his side.

Caspis lands in elf form, and admires the nearby tiger.

"I see Leven has sent me some people with interesting skills today," Che says gruffly. "I'll have to thank him."

Caspis shifts briefly to saber form to confer with the tiger..?

"Interesting skills…?." Shun mutters under his breath.

"What do you need help with?" Florande asks.

Caspis seems convinced that the tiger is doing okay, and shifts to Doomkin form to prepare to provide assistance.

“The hawk numbers in the vale are thriving,” Che says, pleased. “This is opportune for our fletchers, for we will need a great number of feathers if we are to keep the archers upon the wall stocked with arrows. If you would not mind, could you aid us in gathering these feathers? You might also check with the Mayor on what needs to be done."

Caspis sighs softly. Gonna have to do more prayers to Aviana.

Florande glances worriedly at Caspis, but then nods. "Only as needed, for the defense."

Caspis shifts briefly back to elven form to say, "Aviana understands the necessity of loss and sacrifice."

The team heads over towards the inn.

"Mayor Shiyo?" Florande asks the woman in front of the inn. "How might we help today?"

Caspis looms. Helpfully.

The mayor claps her hands. "Oh, good, if you wouldn't mind checking with Cook Tope? He's busy trying to keep all these refugees fed!"

Shun grunts and heads down the steps.

The team next heads down to a little eating area, where a number of chefs have set up to cook.

"Oi. Mayor Shiyo sent us. What do you need?" Shun asks.

Cook Tope waves from behind his table of fish and stew. “Hard workers deserve hearty meals, but I'm all out of good meat! Can you head out into the forest and get me some fresh gazelle meat?”

“I also need more pomfruit! Go knock some loose from the trees for me, would you?” Cook Tope says, holding out some fireworks. “Take this, I use it when I go harvesting. Things go quicker when the fruit comes to you!”

Caspis seems fine letting Shun handle this.

Florande looks to Shun. Maybe he's the fireworks guy.

Shun furrows his brow. "You use…. fireworks for…. Harvesting?"

"We can hunt, definitely," Florande nods. "For the gazelles…"

"Would that not set the trees on fire?" Shun asks, befuddled.

Caspis looks equally befuddled and is of little assistance in explaining this.

Cook Tope smiles cheerfully. "Oh yes, they just give the tree trunks a nice thump, knocks the fruit down! They're old and dense, and not likely to catch. But… you could always bring a bucket, just in case."

[Shun]: "……."

Caspis sighs. Two black feathers drift toward the stone at his feet.

"Let's do that," Florande whispers. "Or just… pick the fruit."

"I will just. Go up the trees to…Yeah. That." Shun nods.

Florande nods. It's decided. No fireworks.

Caspis nods approvingly at the team's decision.

A nearby merchant waves bashfully.

“Would you do a humble merchant a favor? I've been needin' to refresh my stock of eternal blossoms,” Merchant Benny asks nervously. “They grow in the woods nearby. Could you help me out, perhaps?”

Caspis nods and looks to Florande.

"Oh? Oh yes! I can pick flowers," Florande nods. "That is not a skill I was expecting to come useful in a war campaign."

Caspis lets out a low approving … hoot. Sound. Thing.

"Herbalism is useful in all sorts of scenarios," Shun states.

"I like plants and animals," Florande says, a little shyly.

She carefully cuts a bloom as Shun and Caspis head across the water toward the trees.
Caspis nods, and places a clawed hand… talon… thing… on her shoulder briefly.

Shun starts climbing some trees to get some fruit.

Caspis makes an approving sound as he watches Shun.

Florande is interrupted in collecting a flower by a lightning wolf. Well, sometimes fighting lightning wolves is part of herbalism.

Caspis tosses a light healing spell in her direction, though it doesn't have the potency that it usually does.

Florande glances over with a grateful look in her panther eyes.

Caspis is briefly distracted by watching a porcupine doing porcupine things.

After teleporting, climbing, and shimmying his way around the trees, Shun has a basket full of pomfruit.

Florande flies to a branch, and then realizes she can't actually carry the fruit as a stormcrow. She settles for agitating the branch, knocking them down, and then collecting them after. She can only carry a few, so it's good Shun got a basket full.

Caspis conjures a storm to help quickly cull a small herd of gazelles. Caspis stops to… skin a porcupine? Ow, Caspis, what are you doin.

Florande helps chase down another small group of gazelles.

Shun joins in, appearing in the middle to throw a volley of blades at them all.

Florande looks at the others. "Ready to take things back? Flowers, feathers, meat, fruit…"

Caspis nods with satisfaction.

Shun nods as he starts lugging things back to town.

Caspis pauses first to shift to elf form and say a prayer for the fallen birds. Then he changes into a bird himself, and soars back to the village.

Florande soars after him.

“Was your flower-gathering bountiful?” Benny asks when they arrive, and then he sees the bounty. “Aha! You are quite the kind patrons. Thank you… thank you.”

"I hope people like them," Florande says with a little smile.

Tope happily receives the basket of pomfruit and the fresh meat. "Doesn't get much fresher than that! And I always misjudge how much pomfruit juice I need."

Caspis immediately gravitates back to the amazing tiger.

Che, standing next to the amazing tiger, accepts the feathers with solemn gratefulness.

Shun nods to Che.

“I hesitate to ask such menial things of ones so accomplished as you, but we are in desperate times,” Che bows. “You have my most gracious thanks. There is one more thing I would ask of you.”

“It seems Aetha has been levitating the livestock and dropping them into the river again,” Che says with disapproval. “The mayor has requested that we remind her that these kinds of jokes are not welcomed.”

Florande frowns as sternly as she can. Yes, no jokes.

“Would you be so generous as to travel to the ridge above the village and teach her this lesson?” Che looks us over. “You cannot kill her, you can only send her away for a time, but this should prove a potent reminder.”

Shun just blinks.

Florande looks to the others, and nods tentatively. "Fight the spirit, but don't kill her. That seems… we can do that."

They fly up to the ridge where the spirit wanders.

Caspis lets out a HUGE sigh when he sees the elemental is bird-shaped.

Florande looks at the spirit curiously, and then glances at Shun and Caspis for confirmation.

Shun nods, then moves in to engage.

Caspis helps show the avian spirit some Tough Love.

Aetha summons a little whirlwind that the attackers have to dodge.

Florande darts in as a panther, taking swipes when she can.

Caspis fights wind with wind, sending a little cyclone at her.

Shun ensures to avoid stabbing any vitals.

When it looks like things are starting to go poorly for the spirit, she giggles and flies away.

Caspis sighs, but there is an affectionate, parental note in it this time.

"…Strange spirit," Shun mutters.

Caspis nods.

Florande turns back into elf form. "I hope that was the right message."

The team heads back to Che.

Che looks over. "It is done, then?"

Caspis nods solemnly.

“The spirits may be childlike, but they possess generous amounts of strength for their size,” Che says seriously. “Your victory is no small thing, and is very appreciated.”

"I believe your work is done here, for now," Che says. "Keep an eye out, we do not know where the mogu may strike next, or what tasks may be needed to support the growing village here."

Caspis bows respectfully to the pandaren veteran.

Florande bows politely. "We are happy to be of help."

"Very well," Shun says with a slight dip of his head.