(2026-06-08) Relics and Rivals: The Loa Binder (Cobalt Blade)

Details

Author:	Alli
Summary:	The Cobalt Blade (Arthur, Tadget, Thalstan, Vesyllah, and Zaara) is sent by the 7th Legion (Lt. Kerlo Quarterflash) into the fallen city of Gundrak to take a dangerous troll artifact out of the field. The situation with their rivals, the Greymark Crew, takes an unexpected turn. ~3300 words.
Rating:	T for Teen

Arc: The Cobalt Blade

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mentions of incense

Quarterflash greets everyone with a hearty hello!

Thalstan-BloodsailBuccaneers gives Lt. Quarterflash a salute.

[Quarterflash]: Welcome, welcome! I brought pies!
Quarterflash gestures to the table, on which there are indeed an assortment of pies. Probably too many pies.

[Thalstan]: Oh, aye? Ye didnae have to, but thanks! Wow… so many kinds.

[Arthur]: Wonderful! Vesyllah will be happy.

Quarterflash dimples proudly.

[Thalstan]: This'll power us through the next mission, for sure.

[Quarterflash]: Lemon meringue, cherry, apple, blueberry, and a chocolate pie for good measure.

[Zaara]: Hello! Hello! It is I!

[Tadget]: You're such a dweeb.

[Quarterflash]: That's Lt. Dweeb to you, Sharpgear.

Tadget salutes Quarterflash with respect.

[Thalstan]: Hey, Zaara! We've got pie!

[Zaara]: Pie! Lemon mangles?

[Quarterflash]: Er, yes, there is… lemon mangles.

Zaara cheers!

[Quarterflash]: Also cherry, apple, blueberry, and chocolate if you prefer.

[Zaara]: Thank you, Lt. Dweeb!

Quarterflash lets out a long, drawn-out sigh.

Zaara beams.

[Thalstan]: Apple pie, mmm.
Thalstan helps himself to a slice of apple pie to enjoy during the briefing.

Zaara whispers loudly to Thalstan, "Where is the mangle?"

Quarterflash solicitously cuts a slice of lemon merangle for Zaara and puts it on a plate and brings it to her.
[Quarterflash]: Here you are, my dear!

[Thalstan]: Oh, he's a step ahead of me — Lt. Quarterflash has it fer ya!

[Zaara]: Thank you! So much! My dear!

Quarterflash dimples at Zaara. She cannot see the dimples.

[Quarterflash]: Feel free to have a seat while we wait for the tardy priestess!

Zaara sits and tucks into her lemon managangles pie.

[Thalstan]: Reckon we've got another artifact hunt today, aye?

[Quarterflash]: Yes. I shall give the details once we are all assembled!
Quarterflash pulls out a fancy little pocketwatch and frowns at it.

[Thalstan]: Wouldn't want ta make ye repeat it.

[Quarterflash]: Yes, I'm sure you'll be tired enough of the sound of my voice by the end of the meeting without that, hm?
Quarterflash lets out a hearty chuckle.

[Thalstan]: Don't shortchange yerself, ye got a good voice. All gnomish and authoritative.

[Quarterflash]: Oh, thank you! Years of practice. … The gnomish part, anyhow.

Tadget snickers at Quarterflash.

[Quarterflash]: Please, Mr. Reeves, Ms. Zaara, feel free to make yourselves comfortable.

Vesyllah casually strolls in and finds her dark corner to sit in.

[Quarterflash]: Ms. Rivenheart, there are pies!
Quarterflash gestures to the table. Lemon meringue, apple, cherry, blueberry, and chocolate.

[Vesyllah]: Pies? Oh, I had a big lunch. I couldn't possibly eat another bite.

No one can possibly eat this much pie.

Thalstan raises an eyebrow to Ves.

Zaara has finished her slice of pie. She gazes forlornly at her plate.

[Arthur]: Do you want another slice, Zaara?

[Zaara]: Yes!
Zaara beams.

Quarterflash hurries to fetch her one.

[Zaara]: Thank you! My dear!

[Thalstan]: Alright, now we're all here. What are we after today?

[Quarterflash]: All right. So.
[Quarterflash]: As you may recall, during the war against the Scourge, the Drakkari bound their own loa, their gods, and sacrificed them, yes?

[Thalstan]: Aye, I recall th' news on that.

[Zaara]: So terrible.

Vesyllah snorts and frowns.

[Quarterflash]: We have reason to believe that the — or at least a — device they used to bind the loa is still rattling about in what's left of the Drakkari civilization. In the fallen capital Gundrak, to be exact. Nothing there now but wandering undead.

[Tadget]: Wait… so this thing can kill a god?

[Quarterflash]: Bind one, at least, yes.

Arthur takes very thin slices of pie so he can have a bit of different flavors. "Nothing new for you, Tadge."

Thalstan winces. "That's a dangerous thing to have hanging around in a ruin."

[Quarterflash]: Or… anywhere, honestly. Which is why the Alliance military would like it out of play.
[Quarterflash]: Especially as we've little idea how the thing actually works.

[Thalstan]: Aye, that seems reasonable.

[Arthur]: So we're going to retrieve it? Fun.

[Vesyllah]: We should destroy it.

[Thalstan]: Sometimes these things need to be destroyed in particular ways… *Thalstan frowns* I imagine the 7th will see to that?

[Quarterflash]: What you'll be looking for is some sort of temple or other sacred area of the city. We believe that is where you will find it. Destruction is not on the menu until the military has had a chance to examine it.
[Quarterflash]: Sometimes things are not straightforward to destroy.

Vesyllah squints suspiciously at Kerlo.

[Quarterflash]: Certain Old Gods, for example.
[Quarterflash]: It is best to understand a thing before one starts, say, swinging large hammers at it.
[Quarterflash]: The most important thing is to get it off the field and out of play for the Horde or any other random ill-doers.
[Quarterflash]: Especially given the rise of the Zandalari.

Zaara nods solemnly.

[Thalstan]: Oh, if they got hold of it. *Thalstan winces, rustling his beard.*

[Quarterflash]: Any other questions?

[Vesyllah]: Yes. Did you bring moonberry pie?

[Tadget]: Why no pumpkin pie?

Quarterflash lets out a long, drawn-out sigh.
[Quarterflash]: Pumpkin is a bit out of season, but I'll see what I can do. Moonberry I can definitely manage for next time.

[Zaara]: It is very good lemon mingles pie. You should try!

[Thalstan]: One other thing's come up, sort of. *Thalstan says* Greymark — that other team? They sent me a note, want to meet with us. Said 'at the location of our next mission', which I'd guess means they know where we're going.

[Quarterflash]: Blast it.
[Quarterflash]: See if you can find out more about their patron et cetera; this is getting most troublesome.

Tadget scowls.

Vesyllah arches an eyebrow at Thalstan.

[Thalstan]: Alright, so we meet 'em?

[Quarterflash]: Or avoid them if you prefer, but frankly I'm beyond curious at this point.

[Tadget]: I've got someone… looking into them..

Thalstan looks to Tadget. "Oh? Any news so far?"

[Tadget]: Not yet. Still waiting to hear.

[Thalstan]: What do you all say? *Thalstan looks around at the rest of the Blade*

[Tadget]: Ready when you are, Valor.

[Zaara]: Yes.

Quarterflash beams.

Vesyllah nods. "Fine. Let's meet them. They might need a reminder that they're the amateurs here."

Thalstan nods. "Alright, we'll do it. Let's get ready to head out!"

[Quarterflash]: Good luck!

[Tadget]: Pffft, like we need luck.
Tadget lets everyone know that she is ready!

Harsk is leaning against the wall, tapping one finger against it as he waits. He's in the same old Lordaeronian style armor. Sable stands nearby, her eyes narrow, and Len sits across the way against the other wall.

"Ah, there ye are," Thalstan says. "What is it ye wanted to tell us?"

Vesyllah narrows a glare at the Greymarkers…except Sable, who gets an upnod.

Sable kind of smirks, as much as a worgen can, and upnods back.

Tadget glares at them all.

Arthur gives a little wave. "Somehow I knew we'd meet again."

Tadget glares at Art. "Why are you always so gosh darn friendly and nice? It's adorable and annoying. Annorable."

Len waves back at Arthur, like he's greeting an old friend. Then he waves at everyone else in the same manner.

Tadget glares at Len, who might be annorable also.

Arthur smirks. "Annorable. I like it."

Harsk looks over the Blade team, his face solemn. "I did some checking around, like I promised. Turns out my employer did not go behind my back in Dalaran. Third party, not sure who. Still suspicious as hell, but we're still on contract for now."

"That all ye wanted to say?" Thalstan asks.

"You forgot to say something, for sure," Tadget says to Harsk. "You forgot to say, 'We have no intention of interfering with your operation today.' You might want to remember to say that." Tadget glares.

"We're still on contract," Harsk says, narrowing his eyes at Tadget. "I don't want us to come to blows, but we have to make a good faith effort, for now. We could work together…"

[Tadget]: "We can only work together if you plan to hand the item over to us when we find it."

"I have one more clue," Harsk says. "I saw some odd coins down at Thornton's — I don't recognize them. Some older mint than Stormwind, I'd guess."

Thalstan makes a hmmmm sound.

[Arthur]: "Odd coins? Do you happen to have one?"

Sable points to Arthur. "See? See? I said we should've taken one."

Harsk scowls. "We're not thieves."

"Might be more useful if you were," Ves says.

[Arthur]: "Fair. But do you remember what they looked like?"

"Odd kind o' carving pattern on it," Len says, thoughtfully. "Kind o' blocky. Geometric."

[Tadget]: "There is no way on the Titans' green Azeroth that we are handing this item over to people employed by who knows who, who can't even be counted on to acquire necessary physical evidence when it is obviously needed. Hmph."

Harsk sighs. "I said we had to make a good faith effort. Sometimes things just slip through our fingers. And this contract has already been more trouble than it's worth."

Tadget raises an interested brow.

"Blocky? Like…that?" Vesyllah points to some of the trollish carvings on the walls of the temple.

[Arthur]: "Geometric. Did it look like a ribbon woven in and out, lines on top of the other? Or was it flat lines?"

Tadget lets the nerds talk.

Len looks up and makes a surprised noise. "Oh, aye, kinda like." Len might not have noticed his surroundings until it was pointed out.

Ves looks to Thalstan. "Someone's paying with trollish coin? We'd better move fast."

Arthur is interested. "Different Art styles on the coin could help determine where they were made, and—Ves beat me to it. Trollish coins."

Thalstan nods. "We need to get this secured and off th' field. Like the Lt. said."

[Tadget]: "I am okay with them coming along since they said they are willing to let the item 'slip through their fingers.' Into ours."

Sable rolls her eyes, but doesn't argue.

"Any troll coming after this artifact in particular…" Thalstan shakes his head. "That'd be bad news."

"Now I feel like this stinks of Zandalari influence. But… we'll see." Tadget poisons her blades.

"Oh," Harsk says. "I had some instructions from Thornton. We're to treat this place with respect. It's a sacred place, even if the loa and the Drakkari have fallen. That's what he said."

Tadget peeeeeeers at Harsk.

"That sounds mighty trollish of him," Thalstan says, raising bushy eyebrows.

[Tadget]: "My thoughts exactly."

Vesyllah squints at Harsk. "Is Thornton just a troll in a mask?"

Sable laughs, and quickly smothers it.

"No, I assure you, I would notice that," Harsk says.

"Or a mask for a troll…" Tadget suggests.

"Maybe." Ves snorts.

"Those Hallow's End masks," Thalstan chuckles.

Tadget giggles.

"Alright, I see undead snakes ahead," Thalstan says, peering forward. "Everyone ready?"

"Born ready," says Tadget.

"Okay!" says Zaara.

Thalstan charges in. Harsk follows a second after, looking faintly annoyed but leaving Thal to take point.

"That is a lot of snakes," Tadget remarks neutrally.

"Aye, more snakes than I usually have in m'day," Thalstan nods, smacking a snake with his shield. Thalstan peers ahead at a larger, humanoid snake, shimmering with shadowy energy near an altar. "Uh, I think we got ourselves an undead manifestation here."

"Clear it," Len says. "Leavin' it here's not clean. Not kind."

The snake creature fights back, and several undead snakes rally to his call.

Tadget stabs snakes.

Thalstan tries to keep all of the snake attention on himself.

Zaara calls down a gentle rainshower and then drops a totem to slow advancing snakes.

Vesyllah makes a bored sound and casually flings some shadows or whatever.

Arthur gives out free icebolts to anyone who asks.

Sable slips behind some of the smaller snakes to stab them. It seems entirely unnecessary. She might be trying to show off.

Len nods to Zaara the healer, and arcs some lightning through the snakes.

Ves acts like she doesn't notice Sable being showy-offy, but definitely totally notices.

"No point nodding at Zaara," Tadget says to Len. "She can't see you, nimrod."

"Oh, aye?" Len says, as if he had not considered this at all.

"Either eye," Tadget quips.

Thalstan laughs, his beard rustling.

The snake spirit falls.

Zaara doesn't get it but she laughs because she could tell Tadget was quipping.

"Well, not much trouble," Thalstan says. "Reckon we might find more further in."

Len pauses to light incense at the altar, respectfully.

The next corridor is full of bones, patrolled over by wandering undead snakes. The team fights their way through. The chamber after is full of dark elementals and golems, still active even after the civilization that made them has fallen.

Thalstan frowns. "Their works continuin' on without them. Somethin' sad about that, in a way. Reckon we'll have to fight through 'em all the same."

"Oh," says Zaara softly. "I do not like those elementals."

"Somethin' off with 'em?" Thalstan asks, eyeing the dark, purple color.

"Beware of those. The elementals. They are something… dead and dark," says Zaara.

Tadget wipes her nose on the back of her glove and then pulls out her daggers again. "Anything's stabbable."

"Let's stab 'em, clear this altar," Thalstan says.

Harsk nods. "We have incense for it. Maybe it'll help settle things. Who knows?"

"Do not stand in them!" Zaara warns. "They are corrupted."

"Stabbing is agreeable," Ves adds.

Thalstan nods. "I'll be careful."

"Roger that, Booty," says Tadget.

"I always enjoy a good stabbing," Sable says with a toothy grin.

Tadget rolls her eyes so hard. Almost Vesyllah level eyeroll.

Ves smirks at Sable. "I'll remember that."

Thalstan charges in to fight the duo golem and elemental.

Harsk is starting to fall into fighting alongside Thalstan in a complementary fashion.

Tadget fights alongside Sable in an insulting fashion. Yes, I know it wasn't that kind of complimentary.

Sable's fighting is insulting right back. She often goes high.

Rude.

Vesyllah snickers at the rogue competition. Oh yeah, and also fights the golem.

Zaara summons a cleansing rain to clear the corruption of the elementals from the floor, and then drops a healing totem and charges the golem with lightning.

Len stays back, wielding mostly lightning and fire.

The golem and the elemental prove eminently stabbable. Neither last very long against the team.

Art does his job, which is flinging ice all over the boss and staying cheerful.

[Arthur]: "Strange how this is … not fun, exactly. but…"

Tadget giggles maniacally.

"There's a satisfaction to it," Thalstan nods.

[Arthur]: "Yeah."

The next room is more of a cliff's edge path, strewn with wandering troll undead. The water off the side is misty.

Tadget stabs a random frog. Just in case.

The next chamber is decorated all in mammoth style. There are undead trolls, and the shimmering dark spirit of a dead priest at the altar.

"This whole place feels a bit creepy, doesn't it?" Thalstan asks. "Ye can feel somethin' went horribly wrong here."

"This place is what my dearly departed Nish would call 'a bummer,'" Tadget says dryly.

"It is terrible." Zaara shivers.

Thalstan nods seriously. "A bummer."

"The decor could use some work," Vesyllah adds.

The spirit of a mammoth intermittently overlays the priest's spirit.

"Reckon we'll want to clear this fellow away," Thalstan says.

"Roger that, Valor," says Tadget.

"Reckon," agrees Zaara.

Harsk gestures to his crew to be ready.

The mammoth priest spirit is definitely hostile. His form is overlaid with that of a mammoth as he attacks. However, he falls before the team.

Len carefully lights an incense at the altar, in respect.

[Arthur]: "Is that for cleansing?"

Tadget shrugs. Not much of a spiritual type, is Mrs. Sharpgear.

Len nods. "Aye, that's what they said. Fer honorin' the dead loa, which the Drakkari ought ta have done."

Thalstan nods. "Dreadful thing, wha' they did ta their own gods."

"it's dumb to kill gods when they're your gods," Tadget clarifies.

"If I understood right, it was ta get their power," Thalstan says. "But ye'd think a good follower would have that more lasting than ye would from killin' em."

"it's like that old gnome fable about the machine that produced golden punch cards," Tadget says.

"The what now?" Thalstan asks, looking at her.

[Tadget]: "You don't know that one? The foolish gnome breaks open the machine to get all the punch cards at once? So no more punch cards for anyone."

"What is punch card?" puzzles Zaara.

"Wow," says Tadget. "You guys really are uncultured."

"Ahh," Thalstan nods. "Because it took tha' the thing was what had value. But it was the machine tha' made th' thing."

[Tadget]: "Yeah, Valor gets it."

Thalstan leads the team down to a bridge, which seems to be the path to some central chamber.

Sable frowns, sniffing the air.

"Ohhh," says Zaara uneasily, and winces.

"Ohhh?" Thalstan says, looking over at Zaara warily.

"It is… something very bad happening. Like an echo," says Zaara. She continues to squint, as though against a too-bright light.

"There are times I'm glad I can't percieve what Booty perceives," Tadget says dryly.

"An echo…" Thalstan considers. "Of loa bindin'? Might mean we're close."

"Something is dying here. Died here. A screaming." Zaara takes a deep breath and summons a soft rain.

Tadget gently pats Zaara.

Arthur shivers a bit at that description.

Tadget gently pats Art.

Thalstan frowns, looking ahead. Energy shimmers in the air, coalescing into the form of a troll before an altar.

"Might be a place where they did it?" Thalstan asks, lowering his voice like the spirits might hear him. "The killing."

"Echo echo echo," whispers Zaara.

"We'll probably have to fight it," Thalstan says uneasily. "To get to the binder."

"Good to go," Tadget says crisply.

The echo proves to be very hostile. It fights back, and occasional rhinos appear, charging at the team.

Tadget stabs rhino-adjacent manifestations.

Zaara makes it rain. She sends soothing waves over the rhino victims.

Thalstan charges in, and occasionally charges in a different direction, due to chaotic rhino spirits.

Harsk darts around warily, trying to fight the manifestations.

Sable does her stabbing, while Len sends in his lightning.

"Something died here. Like a screaming," Arthur mutters. He never stops casting against the spirits, and doesn't budge out of Zaara's healing rains.

Tadget manages to pat Art's shin gently as she whirlwinds by.

Arthur grins and shrugs off the grim feeling, a little.

Vesyllah weaves a strangling web of shadows around the echo. "Hush now. Back to sleep, tusky."

Finally, the spirit falls. As it collapses in on itself, what remains looks like a manacle, stained with dark blood.

Harsk stares at it. "Shame we got here too late, and the Cobalt Blade already got it, huh?"

"Yeah, real shame," says Tadget.

"Aye, what a shame," Thalstan says with a grin, his beard rustling. Then he sobers as he reaches down to take the object.

"Your cooperation has been noted, Greymarks," Tadget says. "You may emerge from this entire drama unstabbed."

"I'll steal you a coin," Sable says, in a stage-whisper. Harsk glares at her.

Vesyllah smirks at Sable. "Atta girl."

Zaara whispers a word and the little gleaming light of a curse-cleanse dances around each person. Just in case.

"Thanks, Booty! That felt good, whatever that was," says Tadget.

"Let's all get out of this place unscathed," Thalstan says, tucking the artifact away with uneasy reverence. "I'd like to get this where it's safe, and quick."

[Tadget]: "Yes sir!"

Arthur feels easier. "Do you have to do anything else? More incense, or something?"

"I have more incense," Len nods. "I'll do wha' I can ta cleanse this place."

"Hey Art, can I get a portal to Ironforge?" Tadget asks. "I wanna check in on the kids."

"Good man," Thalstan says. "And aye, let's get a portal home."