Tormeron's events: the Stories

[Gergel]

(January the 20th)

Another visit to the Stormwind Cathedral crypts. It did not look like masses of undead this time, fortunately. Merely strange blue lights flickering in the darkness. The priests were considerably less on the edge as well. Still, the small group that had gathered on Adrenus' bequest did not take any chances. Thelarwen led the excursion down the stairs with her sword at the ready.

Instead of a gibbering undead monstrosity (or a thousand) they found only one person. He was quite alive, and did not gibber much. Although he also did not appear to be fully in possession of his faculties, as he appeared to believe that he was currently in the Blue Recluse bar. Because the man did not look like he would be a danger to neither himself nor others, the group left him behind and proceeded deeper into the crypt.

The blue light was emanating from what looked like two discarded staff-head-crystals on the floor. Without much in the way of "caution", Aroona picked one of these up, and shortly thereafter Thelarwen did the same with the other. Both immediately fell under the same illusion as the man -- that they were, all of a sudden, in the Recluse bar. While confusing, the illusion appeared to be quite benign and caused no harm or desire to attack anyone (except booze in Aroona's case). And also it dissipated quite rapidly, with Aroona, Thelarwen as well as the unfamiliar man regaining their senses in a few minutes.

According to the man, he saw an unfamiliar female draenei death knight in the crypt shortly before he found a glowing staff head and fell under its illusionary influence. The name that immediately cropped up was "Malleena".

There was little else to do in the crypt (all glowy staff heads were used up by that time) and so everyone proceeded back up into the city to look for the draenei death knight. They found her near the Blue Recluse.

Malleena was as unhelpful as usual. After a bit of prodding she admitted to having been in the crypts but did not have any ideas about the staff head crystals (she had also found one and picked it up, but it had apparently failed to affect her in any way).

She wandered off. Then she wandered back in order to inform Thelarwen that there was a bounty on Thel's head. She declined to elaborate (or just didn't know) why there was a bounty, or by whom. But it was not an official Stormwind or Alliance one, clearly. The best guess among the assembled people was that it was a private bounty, only for a small group of mercenaries.

In any case, no one was feeling particularly worried. Thelarwen is not exactly someone to run away and hide in fear. Usually it was the other side doing that. "Wanted: dead." Well, a bit late for that. Florence Silsbury wondered if she could collect the hefty bounty by grabbing the undead Thel by the hand and dragging her to whoever posted the bounty and declaring: "See! Dead! Now gimme my money!"

But that was a matter for another week. Malleena did mention that she would look Thel up (eventually) and provide a bit more concrete information about the bounty. Perhaps a week later, as these things are wont to happen.