World of Warcraft®

Figure I'll put forth the short story of my character's transition from Wrath to Cataclysm. If you know my characters, probably not so much as I(or even you, maybe) would like then up until The Sundering I called my rag tag group of 9 the 'Emissaries of Neltharion' a silly old venture I thought I could make work. The very beginning was so Marry Sue-ish it hurts to think about now...but over time I turned it into a respectable gathering. Over time I got better at writing and story crafting, so by late Wrath I had the present concept that they were all part of the Twilight Hammer, though there was tension between the Twilight and my characters. We were outcasts, anti heroes, drifters without a solid faction or allegiance.

Along came the sundering and my group of now 10(Gilneas Priest, good background to it) were marked for death and all that by the Twilight. Rounded up with other 'traitors' and put to death... Luckily some craftiness, level thinking, and skilled members allowed us to escape. The event that took place after however we do not lay claim to being the cause, but if you read it I worked it in such a way as to say "It could've happened, maybe we caused it, maybe not but it fits and isn't a Mary Sue, just coincidence"

I'll leave it for you to decide, please enjoy the short story of how my group went from the Emissaries of Neltharion to the mercenary group 'Knights of Blackwing'... I had fun with this. Story below in many parts....

"Knights of Blackwing"

It'd been two weeks since I returned from Gilneas with Saelin and my new ally Elizabeth, we weren't back for a day when a messenger came. With him was a fine piece of parchment with the Twilight Hammer stamped into the wax seal. Upon reading it turned out to be a summons from the council, most likely a report on my work in Gilneas and an inquiry as to the Worgan curse I now bore. The one thing that bothered me was that as I found out all my Emissaries had been summoned. Not once since I began the group I called 'The Emissaries of Neltharion' did we get summoned all together. I was aware the Twilight knew about us but the fact they would want us all made my stomach uneasy.
It turned out my suspicions were right though; the summons had been a trap. Through a Twilight Gate we all went and ended up in some dimly lit underground assortment of rooms with no visible way out and any portal out was ineffective. So there we were for a total of three days trying to figure a way out of this damned place before the true agenda had been carried out. I lay most days in the bed they gave me and pondered our choices, many times I'd end up falling asleep and wake up in what I presumed was morning. The same happened tonight, I had been thinking about how now that the Twilight had cast us out we would carry on finishing our plans. Deep in thought all manner of time seemed to pass me by and I fell asleep. I ended up being woken up by a very eccentric voice I knew only too well, "Darrian, vake up Darrian, zis isn't time to be over sleeping, vee are being summoned by Cho'gall; don't doddle"
I could hear Mivius's voice through the haze of sleep and woke up to him sitting at my desk gathering up various papers, his small spectacles balanced precariously upon his bulbous nose as he flipped through our collected stack of documents frown barely masking the worried look on his face.
"Why are we being summoned? We have not been sent out or called upon since I returned from Gilneas with Elizabeth" I managed to stifle my shocked acknowledgement as I sat up, the impact of the Gnome's statement casting a shadow over my rough features, "Wait, Cho'gall is summoning us; personally?"
"Yes, and it iz for zat reason we cannot doddle, if our suspicions are correct then we must gather all we can; zis is it my friend, if we succeed then we have grounds to appeal our case, if not zen ve vill die by 'his' hand or those who we'd ask for refuge from'". The gnome explained; head buried in a sack of parchment I knew contained names of Twilight spies.
We knew the day was coming. When Deathwing as we were ordered to call him; would rise forth into the lands once more, reshaping the world in a vision as twisted as his mind. The preparations had been going on for weeks, tremors from his restlessness spanned the globe and only we the Twilight Cult knew their source. It was since then we had been compiling data to give to Varian and Garrosh to prove our trust, whether we were accepted or not that was up to them. I quickly got out of my bed and dressed in my usual attire, slipping on my shirt, fastening all the buckles and clasps, and attaching my swords to their rightful places. I walked to the other side of my room and picked up my old hat; as I stared into the worn cracks of that aging leather I looked to Mivius and said, "The others are they ready for this? Our fates are balanced on but a wire, the slightest falter would mean destruction" He only nodded at my words.
"Do not underestimate zem Darrian. You sought zem out from all corners of Azeroth for zis mission of yours. Each one of us could've killed you were you stood and you knew zat; you did your research. Yet you found us one by one and laid out your sheer unbelievably fool hardy plan and one by one you von us over. So here we are at the end of one mission, you've vorked with the other flights and aspects, braved the unbearable and gazered your allies close." The Gnome ranted on, his hands as expressive as his accent, he put his hand to his face, running his fingers through his white hair he gave me a look such as a teacher would give when his worst pupil surpassed his every expectation. "You managed to put a group togezer of such conflicting personalities as would kill each other in different circumstances, yet here we are under your word and have in some far stretch of zee word become friends. It is zat that makes me question vat your true greatest accomplishment is."
His words brought a smile to my face as I placed my old hat on my head; I grabbed my rifle from its resting place against the wall and looked back. "Are you ready?" I ask as with one last glimpse he places all the papers into his satchel.
"I am ready, vee best be off quickly so as to meet wiz zee ozers before our meeting wiz Deathwing" He said while walking past me into the dimly lit corridor, followed by me closely behind.

The two of us walked in silence down the corridor, dimly lit torches struggled to repel the darkness yet as a newly cursed Worgan the light was more than enough for me to see. We travelled for minutes as what seemed hours before Mivius stopped and turned. "You are zee last one here and zee ozers have most likely beaten us here. No matter zee outcome of today Darrian it is a pleasure to have been your ally and friend." He spoke up to me, an uncertain smile on his lips and I could only guess that worry filled his eyes.
I could hear voices within, mostly rambling gibbering and some wary theories flowed but none of them even registered above the voices I heard clear as day through that black door accompanied by the plucking of strings that could only be Delindris, "Don'cha see mon, dey be gaderin' all manner of questionable people 'ere. I'd recognize some of dem, but some be new ta me. I still don' be trustin dat courier, I still tink I shoulda guttad 'im" Jal'tor's heavy accent sang out.
"Should have? The miscreant met his end when he foolishly thought it would be wise to walk into my chambers and wake me with his oh so important message in hopes I might reward him for his deed. I did, I gave him a good jar in the fore front of my collection of Fools' Souls" chided Aikaena's sultry voice.
"Them ma'be you're the reason lass, tha' Darrian is late." Jarten's rough voice cut in.
"Pah! We sent Gnome to go fetch him. They shoulda known better then to send puny courier to gether us up. Least they had brains and sent more than one, this time" grumbled Viktor in his thick accent.
"We must be patient, he will not leave us to this, he has never been one to abandon his allies no matter what fate might befall him" Grawnt's tone rumbled low.
I looked down at the top of Mivius's head as he stood there, my hand on the door. I was about to walk in where I heard Elizabeth's slow, confident voice silence the group within, "You are right, Darrian is not one to leave us. He came in the dead of night to Gilneas, seeking refuge with my parents as he carried out his mission. Back then I did not think what implications his visit might serve, and it was little more than a week when our manor was broken into by the savage Worgan. Beaten, bloodied and my parents dead I did not know what I was to do, what would become of me. Still there stood Darrian, his shirt in tatters, his chest sliced, and yet he stood over me, not one of those beasts laid a claw on me after that." Her story left silence for a matter of moments before another voice picked up.
"Went not a soul dared to speak to me, knowing full well the extent of my abilities, Darrian did. He of all people knew the risks yet he didn't let it stop him from confronting me about his plan. I would've stripped him of body and ripped his soul from his corpse if he'd been any weaker man. Yet not once did his soul falter before me, it resonated strong and so I listened to him, I accepted his proposal, and here I stand before you all today without a shred of regret for what I decided to do for once in my life" Aikaena's sultry tones added on.
"Aye, and once I knew the glory of bein' a paladin of the Silver Hand, af'er the Third War and when most of us were scattered to the far reaches of the land, or dead. I spent long nights in the taverns drownin' memories, reminiscin' of ol' times in Stratholme, before me and my handful of survivors escaped the mad prince and the hungry flames. Be it by the grace of the Light I made it from tha' city or by some other twist o' fate, I never knew tha' years la'er I'd find myself face ta face with a strange man in an old hat telling me about his plan ta change things in the world. I'd heard more believable stories from drunken recruits but the gleam in this man's eyes told me tha' 'is goal was not crazy. I still don' know why to this day I followed him but I shoulda died in Stratholme, this ploy of his felt like this would be how I was ta repay my debt" followed Jarten's gruff dwarven accent.
"Agreed Jarten, even on the lost path the sign to the proper course is not always visible on the side of the road. I've spent many millenniums wandering this world; I've watched many great things happen, as well as many atrocities. Yet in all my travels of this world I have yet to meet someone as fool hardy, daring, yet dangerously wise and brilliant than Darrian. He is a unique blend of human who does not let the world choose his path nor decide his fate. He is a master of his own destiny, and when he sought me out in the forests of Ashenvale to ask of my assistance, I was more than a little cautious. Yet I agreed to join this group of wayward nobodies who cared little of each other and more about their own wants, and still he managed to bring us here and we begin to set aside our ideals and work as on, to even go so far as to call each other; friend " came Saelin's wise words.

"Friend, it'd be strange mon to be callin' ya friends. Ta be tinkin' about anytin' but robbin' ya and leavin' ya for dead in some alley. I wandered my way 'round since I was notin' but a wee child in a tattered shirt, stealin' my way t'rough dis world. When ya live da rogue's life you learn quick mon dat if ya don't silence dat witness or plan your escape, it can be da end of ya. Even when years later I found myself in da hands of da twilight, doin' der dity work I always kept people from getting' close ta me, because as a rogue you neva know who might want ya dead, could be your friend, could be yer lover, could be yer boss. Yet here be comin' dis human boy wit his crazy ideas dat make stabbin' myself make sense, of course I dinn't listen to him, it seemed likely to be som stupid mission dat would brin' me closer to me grave.Yet if it wasn' for dat crazy boy I would be dead even quicker den if I'd listen to him, for dat I owe him my life an' ya know what? Dis little venture has proven ta be de best tin' dat eva happen ta me" Jal's troll accent, unmistakable after hearing it for so long.
"The Troll is right. When Exodar crashed and my section broke apart over swamp, I thought myself failed and better dead, when my crew fought for their lives, the bloodshed soothed my unease, when the she dragon came and made us an offer, I did not think twice. When I came to the aid of the Twilight and killed for them I did not look back at the corpses I left, I only looked to the prospect of one day returning to me people. Every step, every body was a trial and burden I bore. Then comes Darrian and offers to share my burden in exchange for his help, so I help him and he seeks out the answers I want. He brought me piece of mind when none of these weak minded fools would, he searched for the answers my heart needed, and so I am indebted to him and I will see his cause to the end; be it his or mine" came Viktor's thick accent.
"Yes" began the slow rough voice that could only be Grawnt, "I remember back then when I set out on my journey, a journey as my ancestors before me have endured, every son must walk Azeroth in search of some way to improve it. The size of our change in the world mark how strongly in tune with the spirits I will be, this action cannot be one of force; it must come to us on this journey. After decades of travelling I met that man we have come to call 'friend' and I still remember the gravity of what he told me, the implications of such would outweigh any father before me. The price of failure would mean death, but still this man, this wayward spirit sought me out and offered me what I had spent 30 years searching for. So I accepted his offer, and here I stand before you all without regret in my soul for the decision I made. Even then let us not forget when Cairne was murdered by Grimtotem treachery, and my home stolen from my people, did Darrian come to me and promise to join the fight in retrieving it. Not only him, but all of you fought for Thunderbluff as nameless mercenaries and with your help and all those involved we found victory. I can't thank him, or all of you enough for your actions that day, I can only use it to solidify the foundation of my trust in our captain that he will not lead us astray".
The soft music that underlined the stories pause and resumed with a soft voice that made my heart skip, only Delindris could manage such a feat, "Many things Darrian has done for you all, and I have known the extent of his compassion for many a year. It's his actions that have defined him, it's his passions that have fueled him, his sense of right and justice has made him more than most men dream to be. He has not let the barrier of race stop him from changing the course of things, it is that reason I fell in love with him, it is that reason some of my best songs are written about him. When I met him long ago back before my death, when I was still a sentry in Ashenvale. He impressed me back then too, so much so that we made a promise to see each other again, how short lived and sad that promise came to become. I was killed by Orcs, he was captured by Onyxia, and fate seemed to want our promise broken. Yet then after resurrected by the Lich King and him as a member of the Twilight cult, we eventually found each other, when I lost my will he continued to fight for its return. Bloodied, beaten, on the verge of death as I tried to kill him he did the last thing he seemingly could think of and embraced me on that rotting field and broke the control of the Scourge. If it was not for him I would have remained a slave, I would have killed those who did not need to die but he freed me from that prison and he is the reason our promise was fulfilled that day"

As I stood there silently, the stories one by one giving strength to me unsure soul, I didn't even notice as the door opened and Mivius walked past into the room beyond. "He is wizout a doubt zee most foolish, overconfident, and brash man I have ever met. But he has never once let us down, never once backed from overvelming odds ven someone zat matters is in need. No; He is a man who sought each and every vone of us for our talents, for our life goals. He travelled all of Azeroth to track us down vone by vone and he has succeeded in his first task, yet his, and our greatest test looms before us! I remember ven I vas a Mage of Dalaran, I alvays dreamed my studies in Arcane Engineering vould benefit zee world. Ven zose short sighted men only vanted to benefit zere own city and saw I vanted to share my research, zey exiled me and confiscated sixty years of pain staking vork so as my brilliance would only benefit zose of arcane skill. Zose fools! Yet even zen Darrian came and offered to help me rebuild, he even vent so far as to enlist Jal'tor to recover my research. Never vas I so happy zen zee day my life's vork vas handed back to me by a stranger I had barely met. So now he has involved us all into his life's work and here vee are at zee climax ready for vatever manner of challenge befall us, all in zee name of Darrian".
I could only smile to myself then as I leaned against the frame looking at my Emissaries, my allies, my friends. Any doubt I had about the decisions I've made in pursuing this seemingly impossible dream has been replaced with a confidence that only yesterday I would have laughed at. I was lost for words as one by one they noticed me there, all looking, all smiling at me, the honest act propelled my words forward, "Heh, I can't recall the last I heard such kind and heartfelt stories all because of my actions. I won't fool you by saying that this is the true challenge before us, and I won't lie by saying luck is on our side or be overconfident in the matter. Plain and simple this might be the end, I don't know what sort of setup or trap lies on the other side of the gate but regardless it won't be pleasant. How I figure it they must have some magic suppression in waiting"
"Don worry mon, dey were plannin' somethin' like dat but it has been takin' care of" Jal'tor gave a sly wink.
"Leave it to me to worry about the mundane, heh, well I'm glad that the probability isn't zero" I shake my head at the thought, "Well now for one other matter that's been plaguing my mind over the recent weeks, as we're no longer Emissaries of the Twilight and Deathwing, and thus not compelled to follow them any longer, what then should we be? Anything that came to mind was unsuitable for our task." At my question they all just looked at me and laughed, my confusion deepening it was Elizabeth who spoke first.
"Well, we had been having that thought as well and we were hoping you'd change it to something less wretched. We've heard that in some areas of the Twilight you've earned the title 'Knight of Blackwing' in their unforgivable jests. Well it seems only fitting but of course if that's the name we all bear."
"So you all want to be known as the 'Knights of Blackwing'?" I ask in a sudden surprise at the offer. I was not unfamiliar with being called 'Knight of Blackwing' for how I went about my business but for them to want that as their banner, I could do nothing but stand there and wait for the response I already knew. All of them began to nod and that solidified matters. "Then forever now we shall be the 'Knights of Blackwing' until we're all dead or our mission complete".
As I looked on them I had to let my smile be chocked down as this wasn't to be a happy occasion but a serious one. I gathered them close so as the other occupants of the room could not hear our conversation, "Then it is settled, Jal has given us an opening, the plan is we will enter the Twilight Gate and appear wherever it is linked to. From there we will stick tightly together, no straying from the group. Mivius has our ticket to redemption and also he's the one best capable to escape if they seal us off. We will all stand in front of him and block whoever is there from seeing him and he will prep a teleportation spell so that at a moment's notice he can escape. If he can he will bring us all, but he's the one with the information needed to secure our freedoms; everyone got it?"

A unison nod confirmed I would not have to delve into detail, which considering a Twilight Council member just walked into the room it was for the best. His face hidden, cloaked in deep purples and silver the Councilman walked towards the gate followed by numerous occupants who began testifying to save their skins. The figure just kept walking not paying anyone attention, once he reached the gate he raised his hand. Within it was an ornate trinket which as soon as he held it up the gate sprang to life and a swirling violet portal appeared. "You are all requested to now enter and seek your judgment" he stated in a gravelly voice before standing beside the gate and letting those eager to be abolished of their crimes hurry through.
"Keep to the plan, and from here on you, don't get caught off guard" I said back in a harsh whisper as I led my Knights through the gate; Mivius encircled by us and hidden from the Councilman. The other side was more or less what I expected, dimly lit, quiet but for a few sounds of something very large against rock. As we walked out of the gate we began our plan, us in the front, Mivius in the back, the all but silent sound of his casting drowned by the murmur ahead. When the last of us exited the gate it closed as was guessed, and the darkness swallowed all. The silence was cut short by a shout, "I am innocent and have served unquestionably loyal to our lords! Whom do I speak to, to have this obvious mistake corrected?!"
The air went still for only a few moments before a sound like the earth itself spoke, "mistake?" it said in a menacing growl, "who is it you think you are talking to; mortal? Do you not know who you stand before?" At this two large globes of fire lit in the darkness, and with the sudden realization I knew whom we were standing before and made a motion behind my back to be ready. The two globes looked at the speaker before slowly rising into the air, the man's shouts for his innocence drowned by the beast before us. "You are not here to prove anything; mortal. You are here simply as an example to those whom would defy me, my order and my control. I am Deathwing the Destroyer! Rejoice for I shall forge my new world on your bones!" he roared as his body began to glow in the fire of his ever present rage, as the sound of Deathwing drawing breath filled the cavernous area the man made one last plea before the great Aspect turned him to ash, along with anyone standing beside him. From there the panicked cries of men and women of all races broke out over the sound of flame.
As it engulfed everything in its path I managed to shout over the roar, "Mivius! Get us out of here now! It doesn't matter where just open that portal and send us all through quickly" I paused for a moment thinking of places to go, one came to mind. "The park, Take us to the Stormwind Park!" I yelled out.
I could feel the heat rise as every second was counted by my heart beat, the seconds stretched on as the blue glow of the arcane portal formed under our feet, and one by one each of us were sucked into it. I watched and waited as the inferno drew close, I could feel the magic pulling me down wards until right before the flame hit the cave vanished. Instead of searing oblivion I found myself face down in soft grass, I reached with my have and grabbed a fistful, the earth vibrating under my fingertips. I looked up as my Knights began picking themselves up, a group of guards standing stunned among the other inhabitants of the park. I began to push myself off the ground when I was forced back down by a violent earthquake, the buildings shook, pieces various debris began to fall as well as some bystanders. For one ridiculous moment I thought this was yet another tremor, but the wave of fear rolled over me as I realized what was about to happen. I pushed at the unstable ground with all my might and made it to my feet, two words screamed past my lips as I began to run full tilt, the earthquake long forgotten, "Deathwing! Run!"
I did not need any more motivation for my Knights to understand as they all used their abilities to quicken their paces. Be it the ethereal wolf ahead of me, the great crow above me, or ahead of me the hulking Draenie with Aikaena under one arm and Mivius clinging to his shoulder. We ran with every ounce of energy we could muster, mid stride I looked back at the now running civilians, and what they were running from. There on wings so large as to cast the entire park district into shade was Deathwing in all his fury, I could see the rage in his eyes and for a brief moment I wondered if this was our fault. We ran as I heard him draw breath, expanding his massive chest, I had to think fast. "The canals jump into the canal!" I called over the screaming of people.

We dove one by one into the water as for the second time that day I could feel his flames at my back. The sensation of water as I cut through it drowned the roar and the heat. It turned out we weren't alone in the canal either as the wall of fire rolled over us, and the water began to heat up, I noticed many citizens of Stormwind had dove into the canals to escape Deathwing's wrath. No one seemed to care about how long we were submerged, it wasn't until the titanic shadow passed over us and off out of sight that we all breached the surface. A collective gasp was heard as everyone gulped their first breath in what seemed ages. As we all swam to the solid ground a mighty roar rang out, stopping our hearts and making us look to the gates as he stood there perched on top of them. No one moved, no one spoke or cried, we all just swam there until at least he flew off.
I made my way to the canal wall, to where Viktor's outstretched hand waited for me. I accepted it as he pulled me out of the water I took a brief survey of the event unfolding before me. People were recovering those in the canal, and guards were running towards the park. It wasn't until I turned around that all breath was stolen from my lung; the park was gone. Before me was nothing but well nothing, an empty chasm of rumbling stone and rocks. I wanted to stare on as the threat had passed but I had a more pressing matter as the sound of heavy boots thundered in our direction. "Jal, vanish" I shot a whisper at the Troll as she faded into nothing.
"What happened here?" commanded a guard as he ran up to us. Once he spotted Grawnt his surprise turned to rage, "Horde! Capture it men!" he bellowed as his men began to advance making me think quickly.
"I am Captain Darrian Karlin and I order you to halt!" I ordered and to my relief they listened, "Commander this Tauren is with me under my protection, he is an emissary of the Earthen Ring come to speak with some of the Cenarion Circle Druids that resided in the park district. This is not the time to be gallivanting after a foe that is of no harm. Get you men to aid the injured and pull anyone else from the canal, then I need you to secure the area and put out fires, there might be more injured in the ruble. Do not make me repeat myself, move to it!" I shouted out my orders hoping I sounded credible as I had to get Grawnt out of the city and fast.
The commander stood there dumbstruck for a moment before gathering his composure. "Understood; Sir! Men you heard the Captain get moving, I expect to see no slacking; move!" he began bellowing out my commands and left me to my true task of making our next move.
I turned to my Knights as the all gathered around me, weary, ashen and a little worse for wear they stood and waited for my order. "Alright, the next step now that we all survived intact is to present our appeal to Varrian and Garrosh. I will go to Varrian while I do that Grawnt will have a copy of our evidence and bring it to Baine Bloodhoof to who will oversee matters. If all goes well we should be all pardoned, if not we'll be hunted down and killed. I doubt that second one but it never hurts to be prepared; if we do however make it out of this ordeal then we will all meet in Booty Bay in one week. Everyone got it?" my order given and the nods giving answer to my question we all split up.
The week went by, my evidence was given and to my knowledge Baine accepted Grawnt's. It took some convincing but I managed to avoid the gallows and also spared the rest of my team so long as I continued to aid the Alliance and if I was caught aiding the Twilight my immediate execution would be carried out. I accepted Varrian's terms and made my way through the Trade District, as I looked at the people rebuilding Deathwing's damage I spotted two people by the front gate and made my way to them.
"So, did zey pardon us?" asked Mivius, his face apprehensive.

"Yes my friend they did, but on one condition. If I help the Twilight I'm to be immediately executed where I stand" I smiled down at him as he laughed and looked up at Elizabeth, "Shall we go? I'm sure the others are waiting for us".
With some quick words Mivius opened a portal to Booty Bay and we were off to meet with the new Knights of Blackwing. The events of the Cataclysm have ushered in a new age, yet I knew with the strength of my allies behind me, we will not fail. Now as we met in the Goblin town we hatched our new plan, one that would take every ounce of our skill and strength to accomplish; we sought to kill Deathwing the Destroyer.

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The end, this story was also submitted for the writing contest but I felt with shows some insight into the bonds between my characters, some personality or what not. Do feel free to greet me on any of my Knights...though depending on which one will depend on the response...they're all exceptionally fun to play though....I love talking in Mivius's German accent |:)