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Prelude: The New Plague
Erynia, a druid of the Silvereye driven
by a terrible violation, has been given the task of learning the
fate of a druidess and her protector. At every turn, the plot takes
a turn for the darker, becoming a tale of perverted evil almost
beyond imagining. As she learns more, she is drawn further into
a web of corruption that seems aimed at her personally, and masterminded
by a creature of malign will and great power. If she is to emerged
from the web unbroken, she will need all the aid she can be given.
"Shadow of Caer Darrow"
Sylendra and Korgan, dispatched to learn the truth
behind the dissappearance of many Kaldorei druids travelled to the
distant island of Caer Darrow, and the ruins of Scholomance.
Travelling to Scholomance in
defiance of the will of the Silvereye, Erynia and Arydia confirmed
the gruesome truth. Sylendra and Korgan are dead, horribly
slain by the monstrous Liche that lurks beneath Caer Darrow.
Their fate is recorded in terrible detail in Sylendra's diary
which was recovered and returned to Eryn. But while travelling
in the plague ridden lands of Lorderon, the pair fell victim
to the same plague that afflicted Haldin
Oathbearer of Dun Morogh. |
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Erynia and Arydia look out
over the twisted ruins of Scholomance |
The need to find a cure for the
mysterious plague that had afflicted the Dwarves of Dun Morogh has
become much more pressing. Two members of the Silvereye have been
infected by it. Only though a combination of a seal of powerful
natural magic, and Eryn's strong will is the plague being kept
at bay. Unless is it is cured, and soon, both she and Arydia will
die.
Spurred on by the need to find a cure, Taiev redoubled
her efforts, travelleing to the Wailing Caverns and fighting a series
of bloody skirmishes with the Forsaken encamped around the ancient
Barrows in Ashenvale. Finally, with the help of Kayneth Stillwind
of Ashenvale, she retrieved a sample of the original disease the
Forsaken had inflicted on the sleeping druids.
Using this she began to develop a potion that would
counter the foul Forsaken magic, and make it possible for natural
druidic magic to heal the sickness. But the question remained, would
it work?
"Moonrise"
But the dilemma was taken out of her hands, for
Erynia´s strength had finally failed. Acting swiftly, the
Silvereye mustered its forces in Moonglade to confront the plague
head on. A gathering of druids combined their strength in a potent
ritual of natural healing. First one, then the next succumbed in
the desparate battle with the plague, pouring their strength into
Arydia and Erynia. But as they spent their strength, the plague,
constrained by Taiev's concoction, receded and went into remission
and was finally driven out.
Erynia and Arydia were healed. But the price for
Erynia was heavy: the strain of holding the Plague and the surge
of energy from the massive healing ritual had all but destroyed
her memory. She had been saved... but at a terrible cost.
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The ritual
begins, Niviel calling on Malfurion and the blood of slaughtered
Cenarius for strength. |
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Building
in strength, the ritual fights to twisted hexes that bind
the Plague into its victims. |
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Taiev looks
on, as her sisters gather their strength. |
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The power
flows freely, great bursts of energy lighting the trees of
Moonglade |
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One by one,
the druids begin to collapse, exhausted by the effort. |
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Building
to a crescendo, the great flux of natural energy burns out
the Plague |
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Taiev looks
down on Erynia. The cure had seemingly worked - but the works
of Liches are not so easily undone... |
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Act I : Shadow over the Dream
"Twilight"
Ras Frostwhisper´s hold on Eryn grows stronger,
and the Plague spreads faster than the Silvereye can contain it
- striking down members of the Masquerade and the Clans Morogh.
The need to uncover the truth about Ras' plan, and more importantly,
how to counter it. Steeling itself for the worst the Silvereye began
an investigation of the barrow Dens in Moonglade, but none where
prepared for the grim truth of what lay within.
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Entering
the Stormwage Barrow dens, uncertain ofwhat they will find
within |
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Mighty Tauren
stand watch over the entrances... |
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Deep in
the Darkness, they begin to uncover disturbing clues... |
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Hurried council and dark conclusions
point to a great plot masterminded by the monster of Caer Darrow. |
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In niches and barrow chambers, they discovered the
corpses of druids twisted and corrupted by the Liche's power. Worse
yet, the Barrow seals were unbroken, indicating that the sleeping
druids had somehow been corrupted from within the Emerald Dream
itself. More ominous yet was the discovery that Erynia herself had
emerged from one of the barrows hardest hit. It seemed more and
more likely that Ras had put his mark on her from within the Dream.
A full
report was compiled by Gilthas Moonshadow and presented to the
Silvereye. On this basis of this report, it was decided to search
further afield. Acting on reports gathered months earlier by Taiev
Shadowglade pointed to the presence of something twisted and evil
in the Wailing Caverns in the heart of the Barrens, and a party
of SIlvereye druids was despatched to travel into enemy territory
and investigate the caverns. Ominously, the report on the state
of the Wailing Caverrns was ominous indeed, indicating that
the Emerald Dream was indeed being corrupted.
"The bad copper piece..."
In the courtyard of the keep the blasted island
of Caer Darrow, Darjana Stargazer noticed a single candle - an ominous
name inscribed upon it: Ammare, a name that held dark memories for
Erynia.
Interlude : "The Shadow of the Coldbringer"
Acting on a pair of reports by Darjana Stargazer
on the growing
darkness in the Razor Fen Kraul, Taiev Shadowglade lead a party
into the depths to examine the situation for herself. What she discovered
there was disturbing the extreme. The Quillboar, twisted in the
of undeath had taken to aducting and torturing travellers in the
Barrens, before cooking them alive in a cruel furnace. Deeper within
the Downs, the situation grew more ominous. Skittering shapes lept
from shadow to shadow and it became obvious that the once proud
scions of the great Boar God had become twisted servants of the
Scourge.
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The party
prepares to enter the Downs - intent on discovering the truth
of the growing corruption of the Quillboar |
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A slaughtered
Nerubian is an ominous indicator of he identity of the "new
allies of the Quillboar people" |
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Aiding the
mage Belinastraz to destroy the Quillboar's hateful alter |
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Belinastraz
true identity revealed, and a disturbing new development... |
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A great
heap of bones bears witness to the hundreds of slaughtered
travellers |
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In the depths
of the Downs, the true master of this terrible place... |
Although many in the party, including Kyndra were
all but overcome by their hatered, and wished nothing more than
to launch an assault on the Lich immediately, Taiev held them back.
Deeply concerned by the consequences of alerting Ras to Silvereye
plans by destroying one of his chief Lieutenants, Taiev withdrew
with her party - promising to return in force and destroy the place
and its cruel master utterly.
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Chapter II : Assault on the Scourge
Realising that the time had come, Erynia Starshard
called upon the aid of the Silvereye in launching a full attack
on two chief lieutenants of the Lich Ras Frostwhisper. The destruction
of these two monsters would force Ras to focus on remaking their
physcial forms, and binding their tortured spirits back into their
smashed bodies. Erynia assembled a powerful assault, comprised of
many of the Silvereye's greatest warrior for one thrust of the attack,
while Kyndra would lead the second thrust targetted at the master
of Razerfen Down - the Lich Amnennar the Coldbringer. With most
of the Silvereye poised to strike at Stratholm, Taiev called up
Rodentia and Rattus, two Gnomes whom she had aided on several occasions,
calling in their debt to her. The small warband set out from Menethil
harbour, their grim goal - the destruction of Amnennar.
The Destruction of Amnennar
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The clanking
monstrosities ridden by Rodentia and Rattus bring up the rear
as the party left Menethil. |
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Fording swollen
rivers, the party made good time. |
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The entrance
to the Razorfen Downs yawned ominously, great numbers of twisted
quillboar mindlessly answering the call of their new master. |
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Bypassing
the greater part of the undead resistance, thanks to their
knowledge of the Downs gathered on their previous foray, the
party descended into the depths. |
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A moment's
calm... the Liche´s guard lie dead, and his miserable
twisted existence is all but at an end. The bravery of master
Rattus knew no end even in the face of the twisted Lich (although
he did have to take numerous breaks to answer the call of
nature on the way) |
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Kyndra, all
but consumed with hatered toward Amnennar calls out... gloating
over the creature´s imminent death. |
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As the Coldbringer fell, crushed, to the floor of
his defiled chamber, the warband quickly slipped away like shadows
into the night - the magicks of Mistress-Mage Rodentia carrying
them to Darnassus in the blink of an eye. Their task was done, and
a great blow had been struck against the minions of the Liche-King.
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