elementals

“It’s simply a business model that supports your resources and sustains active duty for years. Here…” Arcwik turned slightly, adjusting his tiny spectacles before flipping over the cover-sheet on the graph he had brought. The parchment rustled as it settled behind the easel, revealing the slick three-dimensional line graph. The lines invariably wavered and fell as they wove and wiggled from left to right. The top of the scale, where most of the lines began their journey, was helpfully marked with a tusked happy-face and two raised swords.

The bottom of the scale was identified by an unhappy face, boozle bubbles, and some tears.

The sound of iron meeting solid rock echoed around the forlorn cleft again and again. Like a pack of wolves trying to take down a bear, the general and his guards leapt at the towering creature of stone. Sparks flew as the warriors’ blades clanged against the elemental’s body, accomplishing little more than dulling their weapons. Belying its size, the creature moved with incredible speed and monstrous strength, swatting the mighty warriors aside as if they were little more than play things. 

A letter and package from Mahat to a boy she considers her son.

Hi little one,

It sounds like you've been on adventures great enough to challenge even me. I'm always impressed by your bravery and your nerve, but facing down dreaded pirates on the high seas and egging the ninnies at the auction house! If you asked me I'd say you were a Bronzebeard born in the body of a young purple. And you're growing up so very fast, Aubrey. I bet the next time we meet, you'll crush my poor old bones when you sit on my lap. You're not too old to sit on my lap, are you?

A cool breeze blew over the sea as The Thundercaller made it's way back to Durotar. Gulkar leaned over the port side of the goblin airship, loosing himself in his thoughts as he watched the sea rush by below. The trip to Silvermoon had been a pleasant one and the general looked forward to his return there. The kindness and compliance of the convocate Faetrix had been a welcome surprise to the general, who had believed stationing warriors in the city of the Blood Elves would have caused an uproar. Gulkar did not relish the task but the Warchief's will was law. The threat of the traitorous cults was becoming too dangerous to have to deal with political formalities and demanded action. To make matters worse the recent attempt on Faetrix's life would only strengthen the Warchief's conviction in sending warriors to Silvermoon. Gulkar rubbed his tired eyes as one of his Blood Guards came up behind him.

Herein are the tales of the brave women and men of the Alliance and Horde

who raised sword and spell against the elements that sought to consume our world.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

There was a storm brewing. 

Since the start of the elemental invasions and the cult infiltration, my bad leg had been aching something fierce. For a while I chalked it up to overexertion from my side job. Resting, stretching, icing, heating... Nothing was helping, not for long, anyway.

“What th -”  Echo whirled around as Kast jerked the flare from her belt, but he was already off, jogging toward the center of the fray.  Her eyes moved swiftly from him to the clash between Malifor and Krauss, then suddenly she was bowled over.  Sharp pain slid over her side, bruising her ribs.  What was that? Longsword? Lance? Totem?

The exile woke with a start, not quite rising from the chair he had been sleeping in but was alert enough to know that he was still alone in his safe room.  Judging by the sounds outside it was early morning, with the usual loud-mouths hawking their wares to the foot traffic passing through the district.  Had the exile payed attention to the barkers, he'd have heard that what they were offering was far beyond the norm found in Stormwind.

But the exile didn't pay attention, having heard roughly the same thing over the last few weeks.  He rose and stretched, then went to retrieve his fishing equipment and head out, when something caught his eye.  Under a pile of molding blueprints was a familiar shape.  He tried to dismiss it and continue walking, but the feeling of recognition nagged at him and he turned around and swept the stack of papers off the table to reveal a half-finished mechanical animal.

Those green devils had to be at it again. They had torn apart a beautiful planet with their insanity and they were no doubt trying to do it again. From her small shack she built on the mountainside outside of Stormwind, Melitza could feel the tremors from around Azeroth. She had cut ties with everyone she had met during her brief awakening in Azeroth and avoided the city out of fear from what she had seen. The elements were not always right, but she really didn't want to be in Stormwind if it crumbled into the sea.

A sharp pain seared through her shoulder and into her chest, waking Echo with a wince and a groan.  The little chimes pinged her sleep-addled brain like musical hailstones, obnoxiously loud in the still of the night.  A moment passed before she could open her eyes, and a moment more before she could pull herself up to sitting under the oak tree, finally relieving the pressure of the root stabbing into her.  She stretched her legs then hugged herself, rubbing gloved hands over her arms to get her blood moving.

“Light and Shadow,” she mumbled, “I’m getting too old for this.”

The Elementium Knights are an Alliance fellowship working to combat the insurgence of destructive elemental entities on Azeroth and beyond.  For the week of XXXIV.I.V, we have compiled the following information to keep the Alliance abreast of our most recent activity.

Every Tuesday evening at 6:00pm server time, the simple-minded but fervently dedicated gnomish warrior Maggie Firebrand leads a team of Alliance adventurers into the lava-filled caverns deep beneath Blackrock Mountain.  The mission?  Thin the numbers of the Firelord's ranks, and acquire tools to better strike them down.  Any Alliance character of level 60 or greater is welcome to attend these in-character expeditions.  I'll try to keep this event post updated so it always shows in the calendar.

If you've never attended one of our Core runs, here's some basic info on what to expect:

iny embers danced through the air like fireflies in a lazy summer breeze.  Massive dark iron chains swayed gently above the reservoir of magma, its rumble soft and soothing as the Southshore tide.  Miles beneath this place was chaos, but here there was peace, at least for the moment.

"Uncle Ashrik why do you have to go all the way to Draenor?" the Turk looked up at me with those sad blue eyes.   I had recently adopted him, his parents had been member of the Frostwolf Clan, and indeed were very close to me.  He was an adorable young thing eleven years old, and big for his age.  Only a few heads shorter than a fully grown Orc.

"Because my child, it is the Mecca of all religions, and the Cenarian Circle invited me to go with them myself, I certainly couldn't refuse an offer like that could I?"

The boy pondered for a minute, "This is about that girl isn't it?"

"Which one?"  he was frowning at me, those small features still not completely brutish.

(( WARNING: Includes a few images plus a flash file ... might take a moment to load on a slow connection.  And hey, this one's interactive too!  Can you solve the puzzle and discover which Alliance adventurer pilfered the Molten Heart from Blackrock Depths? ))

(( WARNING: Image heavy!  Many pixels!  May kerplode your cell phone!  Story below the break. ))

Mud, more mud, buckets of rain 

(( Hi everyone! It's been a LONG time since I last posted so I figured that I could manage to scribble something down to let you all know that I am still alive! ))

I'm sorry I didn't tell you about this when I saw you earlier today, but I need to go away for a while. I can't tell you exactly where, because it may mean more than just my life if someone finds out where I'm going. I'll keep writing to you every day to let you know I'm safe. If you don't receive a letter one day, come find me.

-Lis

Compared to her normal armor, the clothing of the Scarlet Crusade was flimsy, rusted, and still a bit dusty from sitting in her bank for so long. But the red and white complimented part of her sturdiest armor. With the addition of scavenged shoulders, a red linen shirt, and most of all the tabard and shield, Lisala Calmwater looked like a young initiate into the Scarlet Crusade.