Rustypal's tales - a Draenei paladin's musings

[MotherOwl (Dranina)]

The tales of Rusty the Ironman

My early years
I was just a toddler aboard the Exodar as it sailed the skies, and only remember the crash vaguely as a big confusion, people screaming and me getting lost. After the crash I was brought to the orphanage in Shattrath, together with almost all the draenei children from the Exodar. I suppose it was better to have us out of the way while people died and were buried, while people sought after family and friends, and while liveable dwellings were made from the broken starship. The Matron Mercy were nice to us all, but she was overworked and underfed, like all of us. Only from time to time did people have time for us. I remember one year a paladin in shining armour came and offered one of us a ride on his wonderful horse. Doorna, the most courageous of us, got the honour. She stayed away for a week, and came home full of stories of wonderful places and strange beings she had seen. She had even met the Prophet in the remains of the Exodar, and visited her older brother at the xxx‘s place in green and peaceful Nagrand.
The life in Shattrath was a drab life. We could not leave the city, as wild beast wandered outside, ready to kill us. Only the cemetery was free from beasts, securely guarded by peacekeepers on pleasantly sturdy and faithful elekks. The town itself was a place of strife (Aldor / Scryer, bird people / human etc.) and refugees. Darkmoon Faire that visited from time to time with wonders and animals from Azeroth and beyond was the only real bright spot, and it lasted only until Silas Darkmoon found the magic isle of his dreams and left for good. I remember one of the last times. Silas had found a band of mighty warriors who did not fight, but sang. They were loud but good. Only one of their songs were hair-raisingly unpleasant. I am Murloc. Even though I had never seen a murloc, not even heard of one before, their sounds made me want to run and hide under my blankets.

Not many of us draenei ever saw our families again. Draenei are not very fertile, having none or at most two children in each family, and the death toll from the crash was high. I also learned that both my parents had died. Either during the crash or shortly after, but their bodies were not found until much later. I think I had guessed, as the living parents had been meeting with their children for some time by then.

When the Isles were somewhat regulated, children from my age group was taken back to the Isles to learn a profession. Most choose sedentary skills, gem cutters, bowyers, leatherworkers, my best friend became a baker in the inn, and another became apprentice hippogryph handler in faraway Theramore. I met Baatun and was immediately drawn to serving the light.

Training and studies, but also fun.
After studying for some time, I was sent to Ammen Vale to get some real life experience. I was sorry to leave Batun and the elekks, but we had fun in Ammen Vale. We young ones swam in the reddish water and dared one another to touch the crystal in the lake. I was sent on divers easy tasks like inoculating the peaceful owlbears, learning herbs and pickint the rigt ones for medicine, cleaning debris from the crash, helping the crippled and suffering. On one of my errands, I met Tolaan, he was mortally wounded by Sunhawks! I revenged him, but was scared to find how bad my fighting skills were. I studied hard from then on and learned to use the powers of the Light to hit my enemies harder and make myself harder to hit. Easy and fun use of the powers I thought.

After Aurelon tried to learn me a way to heal with the power, but did not succeed, I was sent on to Azure Watch to learn Furbolg and be of use there. Trainer Tullas (a really nice lady) finally taught me the healing, and told me that the use of the power comes in different schools. I have taken to the fighting part of paladins’ powers easily, both the aggressive and the defensive side of it. But I seemed to have troubles with the healing.

My linguistic gifts made it easy for me to learn the Furblog language, and I was initiated to the Stillpines. They took me for a hero, but I did not feel like one. I was still sent out gathering herbs, and helped healing a strange lady, woo spoke wildly of Demons and Eredar. I was sent to Odesyus' Landing to find her kind, and there I was able to help him and the cook, McWeaksauce. I bravely fought naga and murlocs, and learned more of the figthing powers of a paladin. I was slowly rising in their regards. In the end the leader of Azure Watch, Menelaous, told me in his own pessimistic way that they need one like me at Blood Watch.

Shortcut to Mushrooms! ( lvl 11 fighting two Sunhawks lvl 12 and 13 Bloodmyst Isle)
The first weeks in Blood Watch were not that different from what I knew. I was hunting bears, picking flowers and training in the ways of the Light, but then the going got tough. Jessera of Mac'aree, an old patriarch of Azure Watch, sent me to pick some mushrooms for his collections. The first two were easy-peasy, and I began to think his warnings were just intended to take the fun out of the trip. But then, as I dived into the blood red river to get to the Aquatic stinkhorn, my hand was torn by a thousand needle like teeth from an aggressive looking fish, also known by the same name. I clutched the mushroom carefully and swam onto land as quickly as possible. Luckily my mail shirt was tougher than fishys' teeth and I jumped back on dry land. Phew. Maybe Jessera was right after all.

And now for the last one, Fel Cone fungus, a drab, uninteresting one. I searched a long time, tiring in the glaring sun, then finally I saw one in a thicket with a lot of other equally drab mushrooms. I picked the largest of them and put it in my basket, when suddenly I was beset by some Sunhawks, who thought the isles were theirs alone. And those sneaky ones came two and two, not much honest combat in that. The youngest was not as good a fighter as me. After his first stab, I blocked his second dagger with my shield, and slashed at him with my sword. He fell to the ground, and stopped bothering me. The second one was a great fighter, bigger than me, with a longer reach. I could not block both of his long daggers with my sword, and the dagger in my shoulder impaired my shield arm. He hit me again and again, and I could not retaliate. I felt my vision blurring - there must have been poison on that dagger - I collected my wits and sent a prayer for help to the Naaru, and They had not forgotten me. I felt a healing wave run through me, and my sword penetrated the assassins' armour. I pulled out the poisoned dagger, bound my wounds, quickly picked up my mushrooms and other belongings and hurried home to Blood Watch.

On my complaining Jessera said he had warned me that mushroom hunting was dangerous business. As he is one of the immortal ones, I think he is more than 25,000 years old, there's no sense in arguing with him. He even hinted that he has more collectibles he want me to get for him. What's a poor girl to do?


ETA some pre-history.

[MotherOwl (Dranina)]

More work! (Lvls 12 - 15)

Sometimes I feel like the only able-bodied person on the Isles. A few days after my mushroom-gathering adventure, Tracker Lyceon asked me to get some meat for the hungry population, I was not impertinent enough to ask him if a tracker was not some kind of hunter. He’s a big hunter, when I do the hunting, and he the cooking, but I swallowed my words. When I was about to leave, he asked me to kill some of the royal blue flutterers as well. He told me some high tale of them bringing the crystals’ contamination about. I don’t know of any harm they do, I think he just dislike them for their beauty, but matron Mercy taught me to be obedient, so I just bobbed my head.
Anyway off I went, but when I passed his hut Anchorite Pathaeus waved me aside. He told me that since I had been around a lot and seen in the company of both furbolg and night elves, I would not be suspicious - as he himself would be. He asked me to deliver a letter asking for help from the people of Auberdine. I think pretty little help will be forthcoming, remembering the state of Auberdine and surroundings after Deathwing flew by. But who am I to debate with an Anchorite. I tucked the letter inside my tunic and left with his blessings. I toyed with the idea of buying a ride on a hippogryph, but when Laando told me it would cost me 99 copper, I declined.
My plan was to buy me some new armour in Exodar, what I was wearing felt uncomfortably small in certain places. So I ran. As I came to Kessel’s crossing, Kessel called me. I thought he maybe had some more Sand pear pie for my sweet tooth, but no. He told, that the naga had started raiding his camp at night scaring the elekks. He asked me kindly, but I could sense his anger with the nagas, to kill as many of them as possible, and especially their leader Xiz. He even gave me a banner to plant in his dead body. He would pay me good for the deed, he said.

I told him yes, but I have urgent business in Exodar first. He told me “Then hurry, girl.” But he did not offer me an elekk this time. So off I ran. After crossing the bridge to Bloodmyst, the sun made me feel very hot. I jumped off the bridge and trudged along the water’s edge cooling my feet and enjoying the cool, tangy air. I went along deep in my thoughts when I suddenly heard a spear whiz past my ear. I looked up and saw the rickety stilt huts of Murlocs in front of me. A shiver ran through me. How many times had I heard of a stout warrior or crafty hunter being murdered by those filthy beasts. And now their war song Mgrgrgrgrgrgrlww sounded terrifying in my ears. I drew my sword and hacked my opponent down. It was surprisingly easy, which was a luck, as I was beset by many more of those strange creatures. When I was able to stop fighting, I looked over bloodstained sand and gore. Luckily not much of it mine. I bound my wounds and searched the bodies. Nasty job, but I found a few coppers and one of the fellows even had a pearl and two smallish gems tucked in his pouch. Then I also found some sacks of grain, and I remembered Gurf of the Stillpines complaining of the thieving murlocs when I last visited Stillpine Hold. I also remembered something he said about his dignity being hurt. So I proceeded down the coast, gathering all the sacks of Stillpine grain I was able to find, mostly avoiding combat. But as I saw a small treasure chest in one of the houses I thought to myself: “This is my lucky day, maybe I can get enough for a whole new set of mail.” I sneaked up to the hut, and downed the sole guardian before he said more than Mgr... and opened the chest. Those murlocs sure are a strange lot. I found some cheese, half gone but still edible, 15 coppers, some clams and a strange elixir, which I will sell in Exodar. I then hurried on, but the a big, dark murloc stood in my way. He said “Murgurgula...” which I took to mean “Over my dead body!” so I killed him after a hard battle, he was tougher than his looks made me think, and in a pouch on a string round his neck I found a big tuft of Furbolg hair and skin . I cut the string and put the purse in a pocket, thinking that Gurf might want me not to know what was in it. He also had a great looking belt, which I thought Yil, the mail armour merchant in Exodar might be interested in.

Then I hurried to the Exodar, skirted it and found Kella Nightbow, she thanked me for the missive, and said she would see to it, confirming my suspicion, that people on the Isles have not heard of Auberdine’s fate. Once inside the city, I went first to the auction house. I had heard that pearls and gems sold for more money there. Then I climbed the strange stairs to Yil’s shop. He inspected the belt, and sold me a whole, new outfit in exchange for that belt and my old armour. Now for a bath and a quiet corner in the inn. I ate sparingly from my bags and innkeeper Breel supplied me with leftovers and a mug of beer. Nice man Breel.

... to be continued

[MotherOwl (Dranina)]

More work! - second installment

Next day at noon I left the Exodar again, I felt much better. Which was a luck seeing what this day held in store.
Outside I ate what I had in the company of the elekks and their masters, and I fed one curious elekk all the murlocs’ cheese. Aalun chided me for feeding her elekks, an old joke between us. I always feed what I have left to the elekks, especially Fant, a purplish calf to whom I’ve taken a special liking.
Well all good things have to pass, so I said my goodbyes and went east to find Kessel’s nagas. Shortly after having crossed the road, a weak voice hailed me in Furbolg. The princess of the Stillpines had been taken prisoner. I knocked out the nearest guards and searched their pockets for the key. When I reached the cage, The princess told me that High Chief Bristlelimb had the key himself and had sworn to offer her royal self to their gods at the next new moon. As the moon was full the night before, I had some time and promised her to return before then.
I then continued west and soon found tracks of Kessels fish people. Half eaten fish bones lay in the grass and there was a strange, fishy smell to the otherwise clean sea breeze. I sneaked closer. On the top of a small rise, I saw a broken temple, and crests of nagas over the walls. I saw a worn path through the grass leading up there, heavily guarded by blue naga warriors and paler magicians. I picked up several small stones and threw one on the warrior closest to me. He looked in my direction, and I made a rude gesture intended to make him charge me. It worked like magic, and in one to one combat I was able to best all of the naga. Then I crept into the ruin itself. There he stood, Xiz. a head bigger at least than his fellow nagas, watching over two treasure chests. His hair or whatever it was, was red as blood and his shining sword was half again as long as mine. “Maybe I can tease him as well? It worked nicely with the other nagas, and an angry fighter is a bad fighter.” I drew a slow breath, whispered a prayer to the Naaru and said the phrase intended to bring nagas in a frothing rage. It worked! He lashed after me with more anger than skill, and I was able to catch his sword with my shield. I feinted and parried a lot, dancing around, teasing him and making him even more angry and reckless. And finally I saw my chance. He barred his left side with an angry lunge for my head, and I planted my own sword squarely in his heart. After checking my cuts, none of them serious, I opened the chests and found an assortment of things reminding of the murlocs’ chest. I wonder if they are related in any way. I found some rusty armour obviously from a fallen warrior, some hard cheese (what’s with cheese in chests, don’t they have cupboards?), a freshly baked bread - strange things happen - some semi-precious stones and 3 light leathers. I took it all and then I remembered the banner. I placed it firmly in Xiz’ dead body and sneaked off. It was high time, some of the farther away guards had heard our fighting, or rather Xiz’ yells, and were arriving to check on him. I ran head over heels through the woods until I was brought up sharply by the sight of hostile furbolgs. Not Stillpine ones obviously. Bristlelimbs. Like the ones who had kidnapped the princess!
I hid behind a tree until my ragged breathing became normal again. I watched the camp, but I detected no unusual activity. The guards walked the perimeter and inside the camp quite usual activities were going on. The only thing that gave me an idea that it was chieftain Bristlelimb’s camp, was the great number of shamans hanging around. From what they said, praise the Naaru and Arugoo for my fluency in Furbolg, I understood that he was nursing a hangover in his tent. Nothing could have sounded sweeter. I sneaked up behind a guard and after a short, intense fight, he bit the grass. Their guards were not formidable for a chieftain’s camp. I was able to lay out three of them cold before anybody noticed anything. The shamans tried to surprise me with their fireballs, but I am tough in that respect, so almost no harm dome there, Also I was able to stun them most of the time when they started on their strange gestures and chants. The only real bad surprise were their totems. Vicious little things, that grew up from the ground and spat fire at me. But a single broad sweep of my blade mostly made them tumble, so I cut my way to the middle of the camp before Bristlepine high chief woke. As I had heard, he was in a bad way. He squinted in the sun’s sharp glare, and had trouble co-ordinating. Shortly I pitied him, but then my mind went to the princess and to Arugoo, my teacher in Furbolg back in Azure Watch, who also had suffered in the hands of the Bristlelimbs. I decided the most practical thing was knocking him out, and this migth also be a way leading to less trouble with the Bristlelimb furbolgs, I hammered the butt of my sword into his skull and he staggered. He must have a hard noggin for he even then tried to maul me with his paws and succeeded in making some long scratches along my legs. I gave him one more, and as he fell, I gave him one more for good measure. The key was in his pouch belt together with some other stuff and another cheese! I hurried back to Princess Stillpine’s cage. They had not learned the lessons, and their guards were as sloppy as on my first visit. So I cut a path, also for the Princess, and opened the cage. She told me to tell ambassador Frasaboo what had happened. I don’t know where the princess went, but she was armed with a giant staff, so I had no worries for her safety.

I Went back to Kessel’s crossing, where I told Kessel that the Nagas would probably not bother him any longer, and received his praise and a token of his gratitude. I fed the cheese to one of the elekks, which gate me a good rubbing in exchange. Oh how I would like to own one of these faithful and merry mounts.
Then I took my weary self to Stillpine hold where I was greeted with gratitude. Gurf received the grains and the pouch with an expression of disbelieving thankfulness. He opened the pouch without the slightest shyness and tried to put the patch back in place. I hid a smile with a yawn and accepted some coins and a new pair of pants, he just finished. I stayed in the Stillpine camp for some days until their shamans were satisfied that my legs were healed again, I even got to see them put poor Gurf’s skin back in place.

[MotherOwl (Dranina)]

Letters and missives (level 15-17)

I made my way home to Blood Watch without further incidence, and was met by a scolding by our mailman, Hermesius. He had a letter for me, and now I had been away for almost a week! It was my first letter ever, so I sought out a quiet corner to read it. It was from Admiral Odesyus, he had had a vision one night in a heavy sleep after eating too much of Cookies awful grub. An old sailing friend of his, captain Edward Hanes, had visited him in the dream and told him a strange tale about an island named Wyrmscar. Now he needed me to hear this tale and help him out.

Well next came Tracker Lyceon and asked me how I was doing with those bear flanks of his. I tried to avoid the matter by asking him more about the flutteres, but he could not be distracted. I had to get out and get those bear flanks now! But it was not an easy thing to get out of the village. Jessera of Mac'aree grabbed my sleeve and entreated me to go and look for more mushrooms, this time on the same island where Odesyus’ vision was situated. I told him, that I would do it, but maybe not today, as Lyceon was impatient with me. He told me a bit about the island, Wyrmscar, that there be dragons. It made my willingness to go there even less.
Then Vindicator Aalesia stopped me: “I never thanked you enough for your job with gathering those strange Crystals for me. You did well, and now I would like you to look for more strange stones near Nazzivian.” Well it was still in the same general direction as the brown bears, so I accepted the job.
At my way over to the smith’s place Morae, our herbalist, got hold of me. She stated the fact that surely all who could be found alive after the crash was found by now. Her husband was still not found. “Could you please keep an eye out for my husband, Galean, he was at the cryo-core as the ship crashed.” She cried and told me to please, please, please look for him. I remembered my own uncertainty after the crash, while I was at the orphanage in Shattrath, and my muted sorrow when Matron Mercy told me that except for my mother’s younger sister and her two children I was the sole survivor from my family. My aunt lived in far away Stormwind, and wanted nothing to do with draenei ever again, so I went to live with Baatun, the paladin-trainer in the Exodar. All this went through my head as I patted her shoulder and tried to still her tears. She showed me her amulet and told me that her husband had one just like it, a very special one, indeed. They were gifts from her sister and looked like a resting insect, made in gold with wings of semi-precious stones.

I decided to go to Nazzivian for crystals first, following my motto take the worst when you’re at your best. So off I went. On my way I saw some more bears, but strangely no blue flutterers. I had taken to watching them and I was on the brink of believing Tracker Lyceon's idea. The were always gathered around bits and pieces of the tainted crystals from the Exodar, and they tried to brush me with their antennae when I got close.
The road to Nazzivian was hardly more than a track, and soon it became bordered by palisades and lit up by torches stuck in mounds of sculls. I shivered, but was determined to do my duty, I walked off the road where the palisades were broken and kept to the long grass. I saw something moving ahead of me. A strange being, it looked a bit like a hairy draenei, but it had long green horns, slim and twisted like the horns of a gazelle. It was beautiful in its foreignness. I walked slowly so as not to attract any attention. I almost made it to an altar of sorts, where a strangely glistening stone had caught my attention. But one of the satyrs saw me and cast a strange spell on me. It made me feel cold and lethargic all over, It was all I could do to raise my sword and strike him. To my utter surprise he wore almost no armour, and my sword went through him as a hot knife through butter. When I stopped shivering from the spell, I grabbed the strange tablet together with a sample of the ubiquitous crystals.
Well that was one easy victory. There were as Lyceon had guessed, lots of the flutterers around the crystals, so I killed off some more for good measure. A brown bear roared and I attacked and ran my sword through it. I had promised Lyceon those flanks, and now was as good a time to go bear hunting as any. The last bear I tracked brought me near a big part of the Exodar. Rotund and purplish it lay before me. Could it be the cryo-core? I finished off the last bear. Unable to carry any more, I tucked the meat inside the pelt from the last bear and went exploring. The place literally swarmed with Sunhawks. But they seemed unorganised, they just walked around gossiping, not keeping the sharp look-out, I would have expected. I circled the dome-shaped structure, and found the right spot for my raid. Only a few Sunhawks were about, deep in conversation. A lone guard stood by a small door, looking in the other direction lost in his thoughts. I practised my Thalassian, threw a stone and whispered: Ilidan eats shit. That brought me the wanted attention. His face turned white, and he charged me. I tackled and bound him and pulled him over behind a tree. Then I crept closer to the structure. I was lucky, this door was also only guarded by a single guard at the inside. I jumped through and engaged her quickly. Either she was not as loyal as her comrade, or maybe she was smarter, Anyhow my studied insult did not make much of an impression on her. She fought with a cold determination, and I had to use all my skill to overpower her.
When I looked around the room, I saw a lifeless form on the ground behind my fallen enemy. As I neared, he opened his eyes, whispered Morae’s name, and expired. I looked, but found no amulet on him, but as his clothes were cut and torn, I reckoned they had taken the medallion together with his coins and other valuables. My next idea was to tackle the Sunhawks one after another until I found the one wearing Galaen’s medallion. I looked cautiously out of the door, and right outside another guard stood ready. I whispered my phrase and he came running in, insistent upon killing one impertinent draenei. I quickly bested him, and bound him hand and mouth. In his pockets were a wad of papers full of strange signs. Something for Vindicator Boron and his obsession with Sunhawks. But no amulet. I went outside and was met by two sunhawks. They must have heard suspicious sounds and had come to investigate. I tackled one and hit him in a sore spot whereupon he crumbled. The other one was a she, so no go, I had to kill her. I finished her as quickly as possible and hit the moaning man over the head with my sword. Then I bound him as well. I checked them both, and - oh luck - the lady had Galaen’s medallion hidden inside her red tunic on a string round her neck. That was my proof and I ran off.

Upon my return, I gave the Sunhawk’s papers to Vindicator Boron. He gave the papers one short look, and passed them back to me. “This is written in Thalassian I think. Please bring them to Elysia, so that she might have a go on translating them.” As my Thalassian is constricted to speaking a few phrases, mostly insults and swear words, I had no chance to see if he was right. I took them over to Elysia immediately. She said that it was indeed Thalassian, and promised to treat them urgently. I looked at the wad of papers and told her I would return later.
Morae cried some more when I handed her the medallion, but it seemed to give her some comfort to hold Galaen’s amulet at last.
I took a long soak in my tub, oh the luxury, and got hold of some of Lycaeon’s delicious food. That man might be a poor hunter, but he is one good cook! The next days I spent repairing my mail, it was rather frayed already, and I’m afraid I have not quite stopped growing yet.

[MotherOwl (Dranina)]

More Murlocs!
Some days later Elysia was done with the translations. Boron read the text and exclaimed: “Velen must know this! Rusty, please, take this text to Prophet Velen in the Exodar.” Now it was my time to loose my colour: “Me. The Prophet. Oh no. I can’t.” “And why not, may I ask,” was Boron’s gruff reply. “Are you not hale of life and limb.” I tried to tell Vindicator Boron that I felt unworthy to go before The Prophet, but he waved me off. “You’re the best we have, and also the only one. Get going already, lass!”

So off I went. I dared not trust my legs. This time I paid Laando his 99 coppers to rent a hippogryph. It was a nice ride. My hair flew in the winds and the view was just great. I passed the murloc encampment where Murgurgula’s minions had come close to costing me my life. And then the Exodar loomed ahead. I almost jumped off the hippogryph from shock as it flew inside instead of landing gently outside. The wings nearly touched the walls and I crouched low so as not to bump my head. The flight ended just outside the bank. I got my shaking legs to the ground. The hippogryph master noticed my white face and asked me if the going had been rough outside. I answered with a shaky smile and voice: “No, only inside. Laando did not tell me you flew into the Exodar nowadays.” He smiled and said that there was too much noise outside, what with pilgrim’s feast, Spring fling and all kinds of festivals, that had come to the Isles lately. “The hippogryphs have to sleep, you know.” I nodded agreeing and went on. After this crazy flight the last thing I felt up to, was an audience with The Prophet. But I had to. I went up the shiny, golden stairs and asked one of the servants if I could speak with Prophet Velen. He eyed my worn outfit and my slender frame. Then his eyes fell on the hilt of my well-worn sword and I saw his looks change a bit. He told me that I could wait here for some minutes, while he saw to the details. Well there was no getting out now. I tried to polish my shoes by rubbing them on the back of my trousers, but to no avail. My whole gear was threadbare and dusty. The servant called my name and lead me on to the Prophet. I delivered my best bow and told him my name. He asked me to state my business and I held out the original missive together with Elysia’s translation, while giving the short resume of the happenings, which I had been practising all the way. The servant took the papers and handed them to him. He read, and I stood waiting. He made small, strange noises while reading, and re-read several passages. Then he turned away to his writing stand, wrote a short note and sealed it. “Rustypal, take this letter back to vindicator Boron. He will see to your reward.” Then the audience was over, I bowed and backed off like Matron had told us long ago. I bet I saw the Prophet smile at my antics.
After a short rest on a bench out of sight of anybody, I went to Yil’s armour shop. I really needed a new suit of mail. He had just the right thing for me, It fit like it was made for me and it was strong, yet flexible. My dream armour in short. But alas, my meagre savings were not enough for even half the armour, including the exchange price of my old, which admittedly was very worn. I bade Yil hide it so that I could have a chance saving up for it. He hung it in a dark corner of his shop, behind more colourful, but less functional gear. “Some go for bling,” he said smiling at me. I smiled back and left. On the way out a large shield caught my eyes. Yil saw me looking at it and told me the price. I’m sure he set it low enough to be a temptation to me. I bought it, and ran a caressing hand over its hard metal surface. Not a scratch, not a weak spot. “You’d like to see this customer return,” I teased Yil. “Yes,” he answered, “that and I like your spunk, gal. Stay alive out there.” I did not miss my chance of caressing my darling elekk Fant on the way out.

The audience with Prophet Velen, followed by Yil’s kindness had made my spirits soar and I walked along almost on the clouds. I decided to take the shorter coastal road and to take a short cut over the water to Bloodmyst Isle instead of using the bridge at Kessel’s Crossing. I waded in the lukewarm waters, admiring the bridge from a new angle. I then climbed the small cliff to the headland and more or less followed the blood red river direction Blood Watch. In one place the cliffs gave way to shallow dunes partly covered with red grass. The river broadened and the woods closed in. Suddenly a wooden branch grabbed me. It was a treant, and one of the thwarted ones. It lashed out with its wooden arms and tried to entangle me. I pulled my trusted sword from the scabbard and began chopping it down like any old tree. This is the only way to get out of a treant’s grasp. I felled it and went down to the water to wash my sword from the sticky sap of the treant. As I washed and scrubbed with handfuls of sand, I heard a sound I have reasons to fear. Mgrgrgrgrgrgrlww, mgrgrgrgrgrgrlww. Four murlocs were almost on top of me before their battle cries awoke me. I stood up and drew back from the water. A short prayer was all I had time for before they were upon me. This is it, was my thought. Velen’s letter will never reach Boron now. They fought like mad. One of them tried to stun me with spells, two stabbed at me with long spears and the last one had a nasty looking sword. I kept going backwards to avoid being surrounded. I concentrated on the spell caster. His spells hurt me a lot, and made me stumble time and again. He went down quickly. But I could not block both the long spears even with my new shield. I hated to think what they would have done to my old, wooden shield. Either one or the other got to me all the time. The one with the sword was also a formidable fighter, but his short reach and my big new shield made him not so dangerous. I was sure my last hour had come. Master Baatun’s word rang through my head. Never turn your back on an enemy. Keep fighting backwards if needs be, but never turn around. I now heeded his advice, and slowly I could feel the three murlocs tiring. I called upon the powers of the Light, Normally I seemed to have more luck with my fighting powers, than the healing ones, but this time they all worked like clockwork. I healed my wounds with a surge of power and stunned one of the spear stabbing murlocs with another one. The sword fighter and I exchanged blows while the other spear”man” kept on stabbing me over and under the shield. Finally with a well aimed thrust, I penetrated his defence. It left only the two spear armed murlocs to me, for the other one had recovered after the stun, I dealt him. Now I was becoming tired. They stabbed at me in unison and made it almost impossible for me to concentrate on the Powers of the Light. I stabbed and blocked for what seemed like an eternity, bleeding from uncountable small stabs all over. My arms felt numb and the shield was so heavy. A last surge of power killed off the right hand murloc, and I could finally concentrate on the last one. He fell finally, and I stumbled another step backwards ... right into the stump of the treant, I felled at the beginning. A grateful feeling went through me, and I thanked the Naaru and the Light that I did fight the treant first, else I would have been dead by now. I went down to the water to bathe my wounds and carefully tried the healing powers. It was easier this time. I was happy, but I do not hope that I need a brush with death for each new ability I have to learn.

When I returned to Blood watch I first handed in the message to Vindicator Boron. He heard my story as I was visibly shaken still, he asked me to shoot a few of the murlocs with a marking gun as he would like to track them. It’s all a part of his and Morae’s track the wildlife project. He was a bit shocked that I had trouble with my healing. His musings brought him far back in time. It seems Aesom had the same kind of trouble. He sent me over to Delenn. Maybe she could help me. Delenn was very sympattetic to my problem, she gave me a lot of texts on healing and the Light and the Naaru to study. I sat in my hut for days on end, avidly reading. And then I was able to see the healing aspects of being a follower of the Light. Only resurrection was still outside my scope, but as I adhere to the Order of the Iron, it migth not be so strange. Delenn understood me and promised to have a word with Aesom about herself taking over my training. I’d like that,. I often feel as if Aesom has his head full with more important things.

[Dranina]

Go north! (lvl 17)
When I was rested after the exertions and felt confident with my new powers, Vindicator Aalesia came to me. The Sunhawk missive had spoken of a portal to Outlands through which the Bloodhawk seemed to get new reinforcements. He wanted me to find its location. It had to be in the north, in the parts of the isle where almost none of our people ever came. He warned me that as the portal crossed the Nether, there might be strange, dark creatures about. I had to look out for anything unnatural. We went outside and he pointed northwards. Also he said, to find out the full scope of the crystals’ effect on the original population at the Isles, I had to get him a last crystal sample from the northern part of Bloodmyst to supplement my other finds. He had learned that a group of satyrs and many owlbeasts lived up north. “And one last thing, Rustypal, if you find the legendary red waterfall, You’ll have to take a sample for Aesom, he is interested in that kind of marvels.”
Morae had recovered her interest in all things growing after I brought her her husband’s amulet, and as she overheard the last part of our conversation, she wanted me to get some bark from the living trees up north as well.
“Are you going North?” Nachlan asked me. He was an old red bearded dwarf, one of the very few non-draenei to be living north of the Exodar. “It is babysitting we are, you know. Outrageous, I’m an explorer, not a babysitter. And now this here gnome joined Explorers’ League almost a month ago. The last I heard from him was three weeks ago, when a scout told me that he had seen a gnome in an old turtle shell on the northern shore, surrounded by murlocs. He had a thing with murlocs that one, just like our Morae here. Could you check on him, please?” My curiosity awoke. I had never seen a gnome before, but it should be easy enough to find a strange being in a turtle shell, or maybe his earthly remains. If only it was not for the murlocs. Their name alone sent a shiver up and down my spine. Already twice had I almost lost my young life to those strange beings. But I promised him to have a look.

Next morning at the break of dawn I went north. In the beginning the land looked normal enough. I hunted a bear to have provisions for my trip, as Tracker Lyceon had already used up almost all my previous kills. I stuffed my meat bag and went on northwards. The overgrown path took me to hilly country, and soon I caught sight of owlbears. They looked like the ones in Ammen Vale until I noticed their eyes. They were stark raving mad. I circled them, regretting what the crash of the Exodar had done to wildlife here. Maybe the crystals really were tainted, and slowly - or not so slowly really - changed all life forms with which they came in close contact. And I often found small pieces of the crystals in the stomach of my prey. I had to tell this to Vindicator Aalesia on my return. The satyrs had made their dwellings on top of a hill. I went into their camp and found the crystals and killed a few for the parts Aalesia and Morae were so interested in.
As I wandered on a strange smell reached my nose. Nothing like I ever smelled before. A threatening smell if a smell can be described that way. Pungent and heavy, a bit like bad incense with ... I don’t know ... dung or blood or ... some evil element for sure. I kept my eyes peeled for anomalies. And anomalies I soon found. Big shadow-things, like the abominations warlocks summon to do their fighting. Only much bigger, clad in shoulder pads and nothing more, but shrouded in swirling mists from the dark nether. I kept a wide berth, but got a peep into the part of the Exodar they seemed to be attracted to. There was some sort of swirling darkness inside, probably the portal Vindicator Aalesia asked me to look for. I felt stupid for not having asked what a portal looked like. I left the place after noticing its place on my map.
Then the clean smell of sea hit my nostrils. I could not get further north, but could see the beach ahead. I smiled. That crazy gnome was up here somewhere. I scanned the surroundings, and found out that a kind of no man’s land existed where the murlocs did not venture too far inland and the bears kept their distance. Only the flutterers went there. Following that small strip of land, I progressed quickly along the beach. And I easily found a huge turtle shell lying alone on the beach. I fought my way down there, cautiously killing as few of the murloc people as possible. And then I looked into the shell. Inside sat a Gnome, he hushed me and told me that he was known by the name of Clopper Wizbang. He was a smallish humanoid with a large, white beard and green goggles. He told me to lay low as he tried to study the murlocs. Nachlan had given me the impression that the gnome did not know what he was doing, but he came over as sane and coherent to me, if a bit talkative. No wonder when he was living alone and far away. I spent the night in his turtle shell and left all my meat and bread at his place. He was a wee bit tired of clams and fish as he put it. I promised to return when opportunity arose to provide him with a change of fare. He gave me an old treasure map, he had found, admitting that it might be a hoax, but it looked old and authentic to me.

At the end of the beach was the blood red waterfall. I filled up a flask and made for the return. Suddenly a growl of immense proportions reached my ears and the biggest, meanest looking bear I ever saw came trotting in my direction. I had just time to pick up shield and sword before he reached me. Belatedly I remembered the hunters’ warnings of Deathclaw. He was big, but luckily for me he was as stupid as he was big. He came charging downhill and I had no trouble making him almost impale himself on my sword. He tried to get up on his hind legs to swipe me, but then I was so far beneath him that his claws only scraped my horns before my sword was lodged squarely in his shaggy midriff. The wanted posters told of a reward for bringing home his paws, so I cut them off along with the good meat. Then I made for home.
As I came near Vindicator’s Rest a blood elf on a horse with fiery hoofs tried to ride me down. I recognized him from a picture Kuros had shown me and let out a scream for help. Then I pulled out my sword as he sprang from his horse and ran towards me. As we engaged, the underbrush came alive and a handful of rangers jumped out. They did not kill Matis, but took him in custody and brought him to Blood Watch. At their insistence, I followed. Vindicator Kuros made a vision of The Prophet come alive and interrogated Matis in his presence. Matis either kept quiet or insulted the Vindicators, our whole race, and the Naaru. In the end Kuros’s hot blood got the better of him and he stroke down Matis after yet another of his venomous remark.

[Dranina]

A Treasure Island (18-20)
In the following weeks I was busy. Sunhawks kept popping up at the most unlikely places, and I was sent to scout and harass them as best I could. An important part of the old Exodar, the Vector Coil, had fallen in very hilly country. The Sunhawks were there as well, trying to find a way to turn it into a portal, I suppose.
In my scouting, I also ran into Cornelius. He had taken an expedition up behind Vector Coil, it was a total failure due to the giant spiders living there. They had caught all of them, and only Cornelius himself had succeeded in getting out of the cocoons, they were spun into. He had tried several times to free his companions, but to no avail. He was almost killed every time. Now he was weak with hunger and the after-effects of spiders’ poison. I gave him some of Lycaeon’s meat, and promised to look after his fellows. It was not easy. The expedition members were wrapped up together with satyrs, flutterers, owlbeasts and an occasional sunhawk. And they had no gratitude left for me when I freed them, they were all quite angry and attacked me the second arms or claws were free. And the spiders did not do anything to help. They tried to spin me in as well, and bit and stabbed at me with their venomous fangs. In the end I had freed all 5 members of the expedition, and they left for Blood Watch immediately, limping and lurching from the poison, but grinning with the happiness of being alive after all. I slept in Tel'athion's Camp, a small hut near the river, it was rumoured that a madman lived out here alone, making strange potions with the red water, but I found nobody and the hut seemed deserted.

After weeks of being on my guard with every step, I started seeing Sunhawks all over, even in my sleep. I needed to do something else. I then remembered Clopper Wizbang’s treasure map, and decided to go and see what was in there. I asked Exarc Admetius for some days on my own, as I needed to study and meditate and generally collect my thoughts. He was very forthcoming and gifted me with his spare elekk as a reward for all my working. I could also count on help in reading the fine script on the map. Delenn had dug out some more books for me to study, and even an old scroll on healing and the Light as seen by the Naaru. '

My first priority was to learn how to handle my elekk. His name was Mingus, and bigger by at least 3 hands than Fant, the only elekk I had ever ridden. Slowly I walked down to the low ground trailing him after me. Once down there I mounted the elekk. He was surprisingly agile for his size and almost threw me before I got hold of the reins. But then I got the grasp of it, and after some days my behind was sore, but I had grasped the beginnings of elekk riding. The next weeks I dozed in the sun reading Delenn’s books and trying to read the letters in the old scroll on healing. Lycaeon had provided me with some of his delicious food, I needed not hunt or do anything before I felt like it.

... to be continued.

[Dranina]

Treasure Island part 2

The inactivity did me good, but I needed to keep in shape, so I dug out the gnome's treasure map and went looking. As I reached the ruins mentioned on the map, I tethered Mingus to a tree, and climbed the low hill. The place swarmed with nagas, but I was quite happy to kill a couple of those. It was not too difficult, and a nice change from the Sunhawks. When I had cleared the small structure of nagas. I started searching. It was some kind of temple, now in ruins. Behind a pillar lay an old book, battered and weather beaten, but still readable. The small temple was ideal for living in for some days. I cleared out all the nagas, there were no more living ones around, and found a path for Mingus to get up there, it was not easy, but we made it.
My days studying old scrolls had given me an insight in the healing powers of the Light, but also a fair reading skill when it came to old scribbling. I was able to decipher parts of the book. It was a diary by a night elf - I think - named Nolkai. Another one most probably a human, Andrew Clementine, had scribbled in the book, counting his drinks and drunken exploits. Not a nice read, but Nolkai's diary was something else entirely It ended abruptly with the words: "The enemy is nearly upon us. We've gathered up all the survivors and retreated to the temple to the east. It's the last ground we truly hold on the island, and there is a sense among the survivors that we will make our last stand here. I've taken care to bury my last few possessions on the grounds of the temple, with the hope that someone will find them and know what happened here." I looked to the east, and saw an even smaller structure. I left Mingus in the bigger temple and walked to the easternmost structure. Even more nagas were living there, but they were more of training objects for me, an irritation rather than a threat. It was not easy to find the place, Nolkai had spoken of, but in the end my digging hands found a smallish chest. I brushed the dirt away and opened it, Inside was a slim, golden band with the inscription: "A token for my love to remember me by. May Elune watch over my dear Nolkai." a lantern and some old coins. I did not understand how these items were supposed to tell me, or anybody what had happened. I decided to show the items to one of the anchorites in Blood Watch.
I spent some more days in Nolkai's temple, reading scrolls of healing, teaching Mingus and fighting an occasional naga.
One day I found a crumpled letter in a pocket. "Oh yes," I exclaimed, "Odesyus' letter. I got to go to Wyrmscar Isle." From the top of Nolkai's temple, I could see the Island to the northeast. Elekk handler Kessel had said something about keeping his elekks out of water, but I wanted to bring mine to Wyrmscar.

Early next morning I left Nolkai's temple and set out for Wyrmscar Isle. Mingus was a great swimmer, so I take it that Kessel was only joking. When I could clearly see the shore of the isle, I also saw lots of small dragons flitting around. All stories I had heard of dragons, had led me to figure them bigger. I followed the coastline looking for captain Edward Haines. By an old ruin, I saw a ghost! He did not look like a sea dog to me at all, and as I came near I saw my mistake. He was an elven prince of old. I heard his ghostly voice speak to me. In sorrowful tones he told me of the days when he, prince Toreth, was the green dragonrider and blessed by Ysera. The green dragons were all killed by Deathwing and his kind, as he could not stand Ysera's kindness. Her cursed broodlings still inhabited the island, and the bones of green and black dragons, still littered the earth. Prince Toreth asked me to help him find his eternal rest by freeing the isle of the shadow of Razormaw, one of Deathwing's lieutenants, who still hung around, he circled the summit, and I often heard his batlike wings flapping. I was to kill as many of the spirit broodlings as I could and gather bones from the dragons and place them on the pyre on top of Wyrmscar. This would provoke Razormaw and his anger would help me overcome him.
I picked up the bones, they were big enough to come from dragons the size I imagined, but luckily not as heavy as they looked. Many of them were dragged off by owlbeasts to the mainland. But finally I had a nice bundle. I hauled the bones past the attacking broodlings, up a narrow winding path to the summit. Up there I killed off all Ysera's ghostly broodlings and threw the bones on the pyre. I could see him soaring around the summit, but he did not seem to be coming my way. My nervosity gave way to impatience, but finally, as my patience was almost worn thin, I saw him coming towards me. He was big! I backed up so that I stood with my back against the only big part of the old building up there. Then we engaged. My big sword was to almost no avail, as he was a ghost, but my paladinish bolts of Light hurt him more. He tried to breath fire at me, and I was suddenly scared. I thought of fleeing, but he blocked the narrow path, and behind me the ruins blocked the access to the sloping part of the summit. I had to stay and fight to the end. His fire rolled around me once more, but I realized that it was almost as ghostly as himself and did not hurt much. I once again grabbed my sword tight and called on the Light. Bolts of power shot out from my sword and Razormaw fell to the ground, even more transparent in death.
Prince Toreth thanked me profusely with his ghostly voice, and with a big sigh his spirit left this world. I knelt down and commended his spirit to the Light.

... to be continued

[Dranina]

Last of the Isle

Captain Edward Haines was a real ghost as well as a real sea dog. and his only interest was his crew. He bade me put them to rest, so that he - and Odesyus - could sleep in peace again. I did as he bade, after he cast a ghastly spell upon me, making me partly undead myself and able to go without breath for long periods of time. When the unappetizing job of finishing off undead sailors was done, the Captain bade farewell forever and told me to dig in the sand nearby. Down there I found a shield in the form of a ship's wheel. It was very beautiful, but magic. And as I belong to the Order of Iron, I cannot use such. I'll keep it in a safe place as a souvenir.


More Sunhawks (Lvl 21-22)

When I returned to Blood Watch after my holiday, I was once again put on Sunhawk cleanup duty. During pauses and mealtimes Vindicator Kuros told me more of Sironas, and when it finally dawned upon me that Sironas was the one who perverted both Saruan, and an unnamed lady, probably Kuros' sweetheart as well as mentor, I began to understand his fervour in exterminating the Sunhawks, and the anger, that led him to strike down Mattis, as he alluded to what he'd done for Sironas.

One thing was a wonder for all the Hand of Argus. Where did all the Sunhawks come from? We had shut down the portal in the north, surrounded the Cryo-core, and their camp. Now we made daily forays in the hilly zone where the Vector Coil -- another important part of the old Exodar -- had fallen and still they came. Even better armed for each passing day. I was sent to Vindicator's rest, where Demolitionist Legoso and the Vindicator, Aesom, had a word or two to tell me. The sunhawks' latest invention, Sun Gates, was a movable portal. The implored me to destroy it. Which was rather an easy task. After my long training I was able to finish off any Sunhawks in a efficient manner. I found the Sun gate, held up by four crystals. I broke the crystals one after one, and the gate simply stopped to be.

We still had many Sunhawks to fight and I did my share of the dirty job, but their number was lessening.
But as I fought Sunhawk I felt more and more listless. I caught myself in thinking that Exarch Menelaos was right when he felt like just waiting for death to come. It was foolish to fight always fight. It was not necessarily a loosing battle. but the numbers of fights were overwhelming. In the end Delenn noticed my quiet manners and I told her of my thoughts. She said that even if a paladin's powers come from the Ligth, they come in schools in the same way magic does. There was a way of keeping a balance of power, maybe I was doing too much fighting and not much healing. I should try to limit my use of the powers of the Light to the most mundane when fighting. I found it ridiculous that I should not use the powers to eradicate my enemies as quickly as possible, but promised to give it a try. The next couple of days I used only minimal output of Power for fighting, and accordingly I had to use more Powers in healing myself. And it seemed to help. It was as if things regained their old colours. I told Delenn that she seemed to be right. And she made me promise to go on like that. I made the promise, but with a heavy heart.

Tldr
Killing Sailors and Sunhawks - rationalizing the limitations of MoP.

[ironlife1234]

What happened next?

[Dranina]

That is a very good question. I'd like to give the word to my main. Bredil. But he's a very frustrated paladin, who spend most nights on Sunsong Ranch, drinking and swapping tales with Jogu, crying in his cups every time a new Pandaren godchild has bitten the dust at the tender age of 20 or thereabout. He had high hope for one of his sons, Warets, but he ran afoul of a couple of dragon kids in Badlands some time ago. No news has been heard from his Draenei friends for a long time.

I'm afraid poor Bredil needs some serious repairs and more then one cup of Kafa to get him fit for fight again. The same goes for most of my IMCs.

MoP has hit hard on Paladins, removing the mana regen from Seal of Insight. My Peaceful IMC gets almost all my playtime nowadays, as it actually seems faster/easier than Pally, when the first 4 levels are done.
But I did not begin IMC because it was easy. I did it because it brought colour back to my surroundings again. And my peaceful is doing just that. Yesterday she swam The Forgotten Reef for a long time, picking a Stranglekelp here and there, evading the omnipresent murlocs and enjoying the views.
I'll be back at the Pally IMchallenge once I adjust to no mana regen - but it might be some time yet.

[Dragon]

I don't want to be "that guy"...but you might consider altering your timeline a tiny bit. Draenei are incredibly long-lived, and as far as we know, probably mature pretty slowly. I believe less than a decade has passed since the Exodar crashed, so unless this is set some time in the future, Rusty would likely still be far too young to be out adventuring. :X It doesn't really matter that much, and I don't think anyone else would care at all, just wanted to point it out. :>

I've always wanted to do a quest-by-quest journal with one of my characters, but never had the patience to do so. I suppose I will just enjoy yours for now. Looking forward to more!

[Dranina]

Better late than never ...

Dragon , You're too right. The timeline thing has me buggered too - one of the many things not bringing this story any further. The main reason being my own inability to get any IMC past level 50. Another obstacle has been my inadeptnes (if such a word exists) in adding pictures here. I can do it, but each time it's a long, tedious process involving much waiting and repeating. (my internet connexion mostly to blame)
I recently began revising and rewriting Rustypal's story and am slowly putting it up on my IMC blog link Any comments there will be avidly read. I'll start by altering the timeline - or maybe easier making Rustypal a teenager when Exodar crashed As the first chapters are already put up, this change will happen later.

[Dranina]

Now I've reached the end of A Draenei Paladin's Musings. Tomorrow will see the round up-post posted. Later will come revision and straightening of the timeline. After this process I will maybe publish the whole story in one long lump here. Let's see.

[Dranina]

At long last finishing my tale:
What we know
Some time later Vindicator Aesom summoned me. He told me that as I was one of the best fighters and at least as good at learning new languages, I was the perfect Draenei for the job. I must have looked fairly puzzled. He told me to fetch us some tea and be at ease. And then he began at the beginning. "We know that the Sunhawks, and indeed all the Blood elves on these Isles are led by Sironas herself ... Yes Rusty?" My surprise in learning that Sironas was a she must have shown.
"Yes she's a she, and the worst of our nightmares come true. She and her allies seek to enslave O'ros and control Exodar and the Isles. Light be praised, you've stopped their feeding lines by destroying the Sun Gate. but unfortunately, they continue to use the mutagen -- that's what you, Morae and Lycaeon was talking about the other day, and it fits with what we knew. We suppose they're using the Vector Coil as a base for the poisoning of the Isles, using the mutagenic properties of the debris and crystals to their advantage.
Exarch Admetius has devised a desperate plan. Go, seek him out."

And what we like to know
I took my leave of the Vindicator and went in search of Exarch Admetius. It was no problem finding him, actually he was just outside, waiting for me. He invited me home -- he lived next door -- for even more tea. With almost no preamble he told me of his plan.
"I am in need of your services, Rusty. I have a plan, but before we can get any further, we need some vital information." He smiled at me, but far from calming me, he conferred much of his own anxiety to me.
"We need to know the if there's any weakness in their defence of the Vector Coil. We have not been able to get close enough to to really gather useful information. But we have a prisoner. If we could get the prisoner to talk, we could get the information, we need to get through their lines and destroy the Vector Coil once and for all. Yes, you heard me right. I want to blow the damned thing up."
"But how can I ... I mean, I don't speak Thalassian apart from a few choice insults..."
"I have an idea, or rather a plan, Rusty. Please listen."
I nodded, and he continued: "All attempt at interrogation have failed miserably, Rusty. Torture is out of the question. That's not how we do things. Not even in an extreme situation like this. But as said, I have a plan. What we need is the right man or rather Draenei in the right place. I am, as you might know, well versed in magic. I can cast a spell upon you that would make you look like a Sunhawk yourself, and even teach you the language for the duration. I think that the Blood Elf out there is almost ripe; due to the long time of loneliness and insecurity concerning his future, he might be willing to spill the beans to a fellow prisoner. Of course we'll have to treat you like we would a captured Sunhawk. Hell, the guards will even think you are a newly captured Sunhawk agent, and treat you accordingly. I excuse on beforehand for any rough handling.
In the end of course I gave in. When the Vindicators want something they can be rather convincing.