The Grand Tales of the Honor Guard

[Belber]

The sun is as intense as ever today. Luckily, the shade of Cenarion Hold's inn does seem to offer some respite following a day of hearty adventure in the sands of Silithus.

I awoke today to that infernal buzzing of insects. I'm happy that the young silithid aren't as formidable as their elder counterparts and I defeat a whole swarm of the little insects flying around my head with a single swat.

I was tortured in my dreams again last night by the visage of that foul elven woman, Lady Narsissa and the beating that both Eggshen and I took at her hand a few evenings prior. I'm not one to dwell on the idea of revenge but...I must admit, the thought did cross my mind.

As I strolled out into what was already an unbearable heat, even in this early morning and grabbed a quick bit of breakfast, I overheard a small contingent of our alliance compatriots discussing where they though the foul Lady Narsissa might be. I mentioned to them that I had my reasons for wanting to dispatch of her and that I was more than well aware of where to find her. Her foul den had been burned into my memory and I wouldn't soon forget where to track her and that foul crystal into which she gazes.

So, with a fellow mage, a just paladin, and a kind druid in tow...we were off into the glassy sands of Silithus. Our mounts were quick and fleet of foot and we faced little challenges to our travels. As we moved across the shifting sands, the large, quivering appendages of Hive'Regal loomed ever larger against the horizon. We rode into a small camp of dwarves, here performing excavations to learn more about the mysterious Qiraji. They had ventured into the hive themselves and knew of the wicked Narsissa. They were pleased to here that we were want to strike her down. Our kind druid wondered whether they were happy because we would be setting her soul free. I laughed. I said, they'll be happy that they can get in there and start diggin' without having to worry about her. I could tell this because the dwarves were quick to have us do some of their handy work while we were down there...they wanted brains and they wanted copies of some odd glyphs they had seen in previous journies into the hive. We gladly told the dwarves we would aid them in this deed and turned our steeds to the east, and bore down into the hive.

The insects seem to sense intruders. Their workers plodded around...content to idly dig and scratch at the sun-baked sands but the hive was swarming with the Silithid's more robust defenders. Stealthed insects appeared out of the wavering sheets of heat that rippled off the sand and, with a bit of magic here and the clash of a good, true weapon there, we cut through the ranks of the Silithid hive and, finding a safe haven for our steeds, strode down into the gaping maw of one of the hive's many tunnels. The inside was covered with a thick, organic looking shell..almost as if we were marching down into the belly of an even larger beast. We turned a corner and one of the insects loomed into view, it's antenna fidgeted and twisted through the dark and I recognized them at once...these were the slavemakers...the creatures responsible for tormenting our good friend, Eggshen, into striking me down. I know that I am an honorable and just fellow...but it was time for a bit of revenge. We assaulted the beast before it could even detect our presence and, although it flailed mightily, we struck it down before it could enter any of our brains. As it fell to the ground...we were surprised by a night-elf rogue who appeared from the very shadows. A rogue wandering the tunnels alone...perhaps a foolhardy expedtion...but his blades shone like lightning and we gladly accepted him into our ranks.

We poured through the tunnels...slicking through the Silithid swarms with ease and finally stood face to face with the foul Lady Narsissa. We called on her to turn her back on the strangely glyphed crystal and return to the walls of Cenarion Hold. This only angered her and, with a flash of foul magics that sent our rogue and druid running, she was upon us. Our paladin positioned himself so as to draw her attention while both myself and our other mage sent scores of flames dancing across her skin. She did not take kindly to this assault and, with small of curl of blood smeered across her teeth, she howled out some cursed tongue and entered the brain of our poor rogue. He turned on us all...obviously her puppet. I quickly turned him into a sheep...as he was much to dangerous to bring down...and returned our attentions to the foul mistress. The cavern was alive with blood splatter and the smell of brimstone from the wild fire magics that coarsed through the insect's hovel. We continued to assail her from all sides and she cursed us as our druid repaired every wound the foul mistress seemed to place upon us. For a brief moment, I believe I saw a glimmer of worry fall across the Lady Narsissa's face before her knees buckled, she fell to the ground, and the death blow was delivered unto her!

We had prevailed and even with my lust for revenge...I felt a hint of sadness for this poor night elf's fate. It would indeed be heart-wrenching to have to tell her husband back at the hold of what had transpired here. We quickly proceeded to take care of the other tasks that the dwarves had hoped we would perform for them and gathered our things and left the slime-covered tunnels of the hive as quickly as we could. It would not take long for the silithid to have learned of our actions here today and come at us in force.

We found where we had hidden our steeds, mounted, and rode away to the dwarven camp. They were pleased by the glyphs but, sadly, could not read them. They knew of someone who could though and we rode away to Cenarion Hold.

T'was a grand adventure but, my body grew weary and my mind doubly so from its constant manipulation of the arcane ether. It was off to bed with me...but I did learn of a larger threat. A threat requiring an army...an army from the ranks of the Honor Guard would be grand indeed! And as I lay my head down on the pillow and let myself drift towards sleep, I saw the well-seasoned ranks of the Guard charging into the face of a greater threat than the horde...perhaps a greater threat than the Burning Legion itself...and, oddly, I think I smiled.

Safe travels!

~Belber

[Belber]

Today, I woke from the warmth of a lovely dwarven quilt in the Inn at Ironforge to find a message waiting from our most valiant leader, Lord Thairos. It seemed that there was an expedition mounting an assault upon the foul ruin of Dire Maul. Once the grand seat of the arcanist factions of the High Elves, Dire Maul has since fallen into ruin. The place is haunted by the angry spirits of the fallen Highborne, spending eternity suffering since Lady Azshara ushered in the sundering. There are small pockets of Shen'dralar still pursuing darker strains of the arcane arts within the crumbling walls but, for the most part, the grand ruin has become the home to demonkin and orgres of all kinds.

I quickly used my ultrasafe transporter to beam myself into the goblin trading outpost of Gadgetzan, and commandeered a Gryphon to carry me to the edge of the great wilderness of Feralas. There, I mounted my Mechanostrider and raced through the underbrush. My journey was without problems...save for the attentions of a wolf who could not keep pace...and soon I found myself riding up through the cracked pillars and dried up fountains of Dire Maul. As I approached, I was greeted by Pathi, Coralirahd, Eggshen, and Thairos...this would indeed be an expedition of the Honor Guard!

((To be continued))

[Belber]

((Dire Maul continued))

We gained entry into the ruin quite easily as another band of adventurers seemed to be taking a good deal of enjoyment out of assailing the ogre guardians who roam what was once the entry hall of the fallen city leading to a grand open common area. The ogres not engaged in fierce battle seemed rather oblivious to our presence...or were simply cowering and not looking to gain our attentions as we raced to the entrance to the eastern burroughs of the ruin. Once inside, it became apparent that this particular portion of the ruin had been over-run by the natural world run amok. Twisted sons and daughters of the elves treant friends roamed the raised balcony while ancient banners of this once proud and noble society still flittered in the wind. Some of us who had come on this expediton were in search of a key, the Crescent Key, which unlocks many of the sealed gates and doorways found in this foul ruin, and we spoke with the only being known to carry said key...a small impish looking demon by the name of Pusilin. Pusilin finds much humor in leading us on a race into hordes of enemies and, with a quick taunt, he darted away across the ancient stone balcony. We did battle with the denizens of this place...small hordes of man-eating plants were dealt with in an explosion of fire and arcane energies while towering insane tree-folk were held at bay by the might of Eggshen and Thairos. The two were most willing to take the brunt of the attacks...taunting our foes and opening up deadly assaults by the rogue, Pathi. The very air crackled with the sound of my fireballs and pyroblasts while countless wounds were tended by the priest, Coralirahd. We quickly advanced through the large open area and followed Pusilin down into a darkened hallway that led to a smokey room filled with demon-folk, the twisted and foul satyrs. We disposed of this nuisance quite readily and, after climbing a small set of stairs, found Pusilin again. He was no longer quite as friendly as he had originally make himself out to be and he threw himself at us...summoning demonic minions to his side. Little did he know that the Honor Guard were not to be trifled with and his twisted hold over the Crescent Key came to a quick and brutal end.

((to be continued))

[Belber]

With the key in hand, we roamed through the crumbling foundations of the formerly grand high-elven city. We crossed paths with a tormented high-elf, hungry for magic and making nefarious deals with a gathering of demonkin. We found a foul altar and defeated the Fel-beast that was using it for who-knows-what...but surely not for making puppies or gingerbread houses.

With the balconies cleared, we leapt down into a garden and enlisted the aid of one of the giant tree-folk that was still somewhat sane. The task made much easier by Pathi's ability to stealthily creep through the gardens and get the big-fellow's attention without drawing the ire of the twisted plants that roam along the once grassy lanes. The big tree-folk bashed open a nearby door for us, and we ran down a twisting corridor to a small amphitheater where we soundly defeated another demonkin who was busily attempting to twist nature itself to do his dark biding.

We raced up a small cavern and emerged back in the large common area of the ruin and proceeded into the western wing. Within, we quickly made short work out of a few high-elfs who still toyed with the idea of tapping into the dark magics that Lady Azshara had released here prior to the sundering.

With the day done, we all stepped through a portal to Ironforge and said our goodbyes. This evenings sleep will surely be a sound one...assuming I can get all the plant slime off my robes first.

Safe travels!

[Eggshen]

I still have sticky sap on my mace and shield. I also have some sort of ichy rash on my arms and none of my potions seem to cure it. Blasted plants!

[Tado]

Most definitely sounds of great adventure.

~Tado