The Nightblades are called to Mount Hyjal to meet with their High Command contact, Grand Priestess Stormglaive. A routine inspection, or so it is presented. On the way to Mount Hyjal, however, the Nightblades are caught in a terrible storm and are forced to land somewhere in Ashenvale. The storm keeps them grounded and prevents them from leaving and continuing their journey. Is this storm natural, or is there something else behind it?
Part 1: Summons from High Command
Participants: Tinwëtar, Aariam, Kathene, Ialluen, Thylendra, Telariel, Telderan, Uodrieth, Falyra, Sheradel (guest), Chymione (guest)
Mission Report 1 – Stardust Spire, Ashenvale
Date: 1st of Sellistre, 2021
Summary: The Nightblades had been called to Mount Hyjal to present themselves to Grand Priestess Stormglaive and other representatives from High Command. It was not entirely clear as to why, only that they needed to leave with all due haste. The Nightblades packed in a hurry and set off by hippogryph towards Mount Hyjal.
As they flew over Desolace it started to rain, a gentle drizzle at first, but by the time they reached Ashenvale forest they found themselves caught in a proper storm. The storm was strong enough to force the Nightblades and their mounts out of the sky, some managing to land more gracefully than others. The rain was dense and a thick fog rose all around them, making it almost impossible to see anything in front of them. Once the Nightblades and their allies had managed to regroup they heard eerie calls out in the rain, coming from all sides. Eventually they recognized the calls as very high pitched howls and soon after they were beset upon by a small pack of wolves, a huge bear and two bog beasts. A strange combination of foes, to be sure. The beasts all seemed to be terrified and furious, attacking anything in sight.
In the end the beasts were slain and their terror was remarked upon, as well as the fact that the wolves and the bear seemed malnourished. The bog beasts also exhibited some strange signs of drying out from the inside, the vines, twigs and branches that usually clung to them being shrivelled and dead.
The Sentinels managed to find their bearings eventually and made their way to Stardust Spire where they were welcomed by the Huntress in command. The storm was still raging and it was clear the Nightblades would not be able to continue their journey as long as it held sway.
Part 2: Elementals and Shamans
Participants: Tinwëtar, Kathene, Aariam, Ialluen, Thylendra, Telrenya, Telariel, Telderan, Alylia, Uodrieth, Falyra, Sheradel (guest), Chymione (guest)
Mission Report 2 – Stardust Spire, Ashenvale
Date: 3rd of Sellistre, 2021
Summary: Following a request from Huntmistress Jalin of Stardust Spire, the Nightblades decided to brave the still raging storm and head out to look for a druidess that was missing. She was last heard from when she was attacked by something or someone near Silverwing Refuge. The Sentinels at Stardust Spire knew she had survived the attack, but they hadn’t heard from her since and were starting to worry. So out into the rain the Nightblades and their allies went.
They reached the Horde lumber camp at Silverwing Refuge and found it abandoned and with no obvious signs of the druid. They did see a lot of new sapling trees growing here and there, but it seemed like they were struggling a bit for some reason. Still nothing that pointed towards the druid’s whereabouts. So the Nightblades divided themselves into three groups in order to cover more ground and set out to look for the druid.
Huntress Nightborne and her group happened upon a pack of rabid squirrels in their search and were forced to fight them off. Later they also found a piece of fabric, likely torn from a garment of some kind, and some sort of tracks. Following the tracks they found a lone tauren, slain and partially eaten by an animal. This animal was later identified as a bear and they saw it from a distance, but did not engage. They harbour some suspicions that the bear might be of necrotic origin perhaps.
Meanwhile, Commander Ravenmist and her group headed straight for the lodge at Silverwing Refuge, following some deep tracks in the mud. Close to the lodge the tracks veered off towards the lake and led them to a dock where the boat (that clearly had been moored there) was missing. On the island in the lake they saw shapes moving and they also heard someone scream. In response the group attempted to levitate across the water, but in doing so drew the attention of one of the elementals that inhabited the lake. The elemental was large and filled with rage. In the end the group managed to fight it off and made it safely to the island. There they found the remnants of a ritual circle and four tauren shamans impaled upon tall ice spikes. They found a fifth shaman barely alive behind a large log and she told them that the elementals had been running berserk and attacked travellers and caravans. The shamans had been trying to soothe them, but instead the elementals had attacked. The shaman died before she could tell the Nightblades her theory of who was behind the elementals attacking.
Captain Wildstar and her group on the other hand encountered another group of Horde shamans. This group had also been slain and were found floating in the water. Their investigations roused yet another angry elemental, this one a lot larger and more dangerous than the one Commander Ravenmist and her group faced. The group were forced to fight for their lives and almost drowned in the process. In the end the elemental vanished back into the lake and the Nightblades fought to get back on dry land and out of the water.
During this entire ordeal the storm had still been raging high above and with every passing moment out in it the Nightblades and their allies felt more and more exhausted, as if their strength was slowly being drained away. In the end they were all too exhausted to continue their investigations and were forced to return to Stardust Spire to get warm and dry again while they figure out where to go and what to do next.
Part 3: The Barrows of Dor'danil
Participants: Tinwëtar, Aariam, Ialluen, Thylendra, Telrenya, Telariel, Telderan, Alylia, Uodrieth, Falyra, Sheradel (guest)
Mission Report 3 – Stardust Spire, Ashenvale
Date: 5th of Sellistre, 2021
Summary: The search for the missing druid was still on. The Nightblades debated amongst themselves where she could have gone to seek shelter from the rain. Two possible options that were close enough were brought up: Talondeep Path and Dor’danil Barrow Dens. Many argued against the dens, claiming that they would possibly have flooded due to the heavy rainfall and that there were rumours that the dens were haunted due to what the Horde had done to the druids that used to live there. After a lengthy debate it was decided that they would try and look for the druidess at Talondeep Path instead. And so the Nightblades set out on foot in the rain. However, once they got to the location of the tunnels they found them to be blocked. Their local guides, Uodrieth and Thylendra, had both forgotten that the pass had been destroyed by the Goblins in the war. Thus the Nightblades were forced to turn back and head towards the Barrow Dens instead.
Once they reached the dens they found the site to be completely empty. Telrenya refused to go down into the tunnels and opted to stay sheltered up above instead to await the Nightblades return. The rest, armed with weapons that had been warded against spirits, headed down into the dens. The darkness down in the tunnels was near impenetrable and the only light source they had were the light the Priestesses could provide with their divine gifts. As they descended into the deep, some of the Sentinels started hearing a soft clicking sound now and again.
Eventually they reached a crossroads and the group split in two in order to more effectively cover two of the alcoves that were in front of them. The group led by Huntress Nightborne found traces of a campfire inside the alcove, and the group headed by Commander Ravenmist found a sleeping pallet and a small treasure of wood carvings. Someone had stayed here, and recently. Perhaps it was the druid they sought.
The two groups then proceeded to head even deeper down into the dens and eventually the Commander’s group heard someone fighting up ahead. A spider came crashing over the balustrade of an alcove above them and the Sentinels rushed into a nearby tunnel in the hopes that it would lead up to whoever was fighting the spiders above. They found their path blocked by even more giant spiders, however, and were forced to fight their way through them. They eventually managed to break through and found Thylendra fighting alongside a female druid. The druid they had been looking for, in fact.
Meanwhile, Huntress Nightborne’s group had taken another route and got to the same intersection as the Commander’s group, only a little later. By the time they got there they found all the entry points blocked by walls made up of smaller spiders and a HUGE spider was guarding the middle of the room. The Sentinels engaged and tried their very best to push through the seemingly endless waves of spiders. They were later joined by the Commander’s group and the druid and together they managed to vanquish the large spider and disperse the smaller ones. Once the battle was won, the Nightblades and the druidess headed back to Stardust Spire where the druidess and Huntress Jalin were reunited at last.
Part 4: Dangerous Patrol
Participants: Tinwëtar, Kathene, Aariam, Ialluen, Thylendra, Telrenya, Telariel, Telderan, Alylia, Uodrieth, Falyra, Sheradel (guest), Chymione (guest)
Mission Report 4 – Silverwing Outpost, Ashenvale
Date: 8th of Sellistre, 2021
Summary: A missive arrived from Commander Swiftarrow of the Silverwing Sentinels. In the letter she informed the Sentinels that some of her number had gone missing while they were out patrolling. She warned anyone staying at Stardust Spire to be wary when heading out and to never head out in groups less than three Sentinels at a time. The Nightblades, still having not found a reason for the unnatural rain or found a way to stop it, decided to offer their services and help out. They packed up their things and set out for Silverwing Outpost.
Upon arrival they were greeted by two Sentinels, Ligthwind and Silverspear, who seemed to know Thylendra on sight. Silverspear in particular seemed almost delighted at seeing the diminutive Sentinel and greeted her with some slurs regarding her height and her sneakiness. Luckily Lightwind was a bit more professional and let the Nightblades know that their commander could be found up at the Grove, so that’s where the Nightblades headed, leaving Lightwind and Silverspear behind.
The Nightblades arrived at Silverwing Grove and were granted an audience with Commander Swiftarrow who proceeded to provide some more information about the missing Sentinels. She informed the Nightblades that there were four Sentinels missing and that they had gone missing in pairs while patrolling the road past Raynewood tower and somewhere along the road to Forest Song. She also provided the names of the missing Sentinels: Rainblossom, Dewdrop, Steelgaze and Bladesinger. Their bodies had not been found, so Commander Swiftarrow still harboured a hope that they might yet be alive. Once the Nightblades had learned everything they could from the Commander they decided to head out as one group to scout out the patrol route past Raynewood tower.
Once the Nightblades reached Raynewood they found the tower completely deserted. Not a Sentinel to be seen anywhere. They had, however, just left their gear, weapons and supply crates in the tower, yet there were no signs of a struggle anywhere. Perplexed by this, the Nightblades searched around the tower for any clues in regards to the Sentinels’ whereabouts. They found some tracks leading away from the tower, as well as some strange bundles of sticks. While pondering the sticks, the bundles suddenly came alive and started attacking the Sentinels. Likewise, those who were investigating the tracks were also beset upon by strange creatures made from branches, sticks and bones.
The creatures were vicious combatants and the Nightblades had to fight hard to destroy them. Moonfire proved especially effective against them and druidic life magic seemed to have good effect as well. The Nightblades managed to defeat the creatures eventually, but not without injuries. While the Priestesses tended to the wounded after the battle, some of the others searched for more signs of the missing Sentinels. They found a torn piece of a Silverwing tabard, as well as a silver buckle in the shape of a glaive. One of their druids, Sheradel, had also felt a strange tug on her druidic magic coming from the east. She wanted to investigate it further, but by then the draining effect of the constant rain was starting to turn dangerous and the Nightblades were forced to gather up their wounded and head back to Silverwing Outpost.