On the orders of the Circle leadership, Jivan and I ventured to Blasted Lands to look into the rumors of extensive cult activity surrounding the Dark Portal and a potential scheme to wrest it open again. As it would seem, we have arrived on the location only in the nick of time. Where usually only abominable Felguards patrol the plain in front of the portal, a sizeable stronghold of apparently Horde origin has sprung up. Numerous siege weapons and barricades point straight at the portal as if in in attempt to keep back an impending attack.



However, it would seem that something has gone wrong. Immense Felguards still patrol the hills with their accursed hounds, and the camp lies abandonned, the weapons unarmed. There is no sight of life to be seen. No sign of combat. Only the abandonned tents, crates of explosives, weapons, all, lie there gathering dust.

We enquired at the nearby fort Nethergarde, but the humans proved as obstinate as ever. They have apparently "missed" this sizeable horde force putting up their camp, and they have no intention of sending out further troops in the immediate future. They seem content to merely keep on guarding the border and "securing the land" as they call it.

Upon leaving the audience of the resident commander, a wizened Shan came upon us, his form having sprouted into a venerable tree as well during the recent events.



According to him, a great number of horde troops, consisting mostly of orcs and trolls, had occupied the space in front of the portal and put up the barricades not two days ago. But where they had gone now, he did not know. He told us how he spent his time here now trying to find ways to heal the land. While he did show us how he apparently "cured" a handful of the tainted dirt using a blue substance unknown to me, his ramblings sounded like little more than pipedreams to me. He did, however, bestow upon me a bag of the dirt and a sample of the substance to pass onto the Keeper, should we want to delve deeper into this.

Upon closer scrutiny, the Shan revealed himself to be none other than the Shan Wiseleaf, who should be known by most of you. He claims that should we arrive in force to secure this area, we can count on his support.

Which brings me to the conclusion of this report:
The Blasted Lands is right now facing the possibility of a fullscale invasion. The Portal is stirring, it's look has shifted, and the very air smell of impending change. The presence of the Horde encampment only support this claim. The humans seem to care little for the event save for securing their own skin, so I would say a contingent of Kaldorei troops is needed there now more than ever. The cultist activity in the area needs to be scrutinized as well, but their numbers have swelled, so we need to move with care. Possibly establishing contact to the Horde to exchange information could prove fruitful as well. For now, I move that we send a force to take part in this. I for one am not about to let another invasion take place right under my nose.