The early morning fog that had settled upon the Island of the Watchers had slowly burned away from the intense midday sun that shined down. Now, a clear blue sky above could be seen as a gentle refreshing ocean breeze blew across the land.

Solares Embersong's quarters overlooked the strongholds courtyard where a large elaborate fountain dedicated to the Goddess Elune stood. The fountain's waters ran over the edges of decorated marble bowls that the figure of Elune held in each of her hands. The falling water would form into a stream at the base of the statute and head in the direction of either north, east, south or west. These streams would then travel through the lavishly lush gardens that made up most the large court yard.

One day had passed since Solares's Moonhawks had delivered the messages to the heroes of Azeroth that she had handpicked for this critical mission. In that short period of time, a feeling of unease had crept over her due to their continued absence. The Moonhwaks had returned a few hours after she had sent them away, the small compartments that had been attached to their left legs were now missing, meaning that the letters had most likely been delivered.

This thought had made its way into Solares's mind as she sat at her wooden desk, looking out the window that had a fantastic view of the courtyard below and the Broken Islands in the not so far distance. Suddenly, a knock came at the doorframe of her quarters that abruptly broke her train of thought, pulling her back into reality. Quickly Glancing over her left shoulder, her medium length dark blue hair swayed slightly from the sudden movement. The woman who stood in the doorway was Nesalla Moonshadow, a fellow Warden and friend of Solares who excelled in marksmanship and other forms of long ranged combat.

Upon her slim female Night elven face, she was emotionless, though her eyes told a different story. Without waiting to be invited into Solares's quarters, she entered and shut the door behind her firmly. With every step she took, her heavily plated Warden armor made a metallic sound as she moved across the floor before stopping only a mere few feet away from Solares. With her right hand, she removed her plated helmet to let her own dark green hair flow. A moment of silence followed while Solares crossed her arms over her chest and peered at Nesalla with a look of expectation across her face.

"Afternoon Solares, excuse me for my interruption but I knew you would want to hear of what my squad and I found on our last reconnaissance duty around the island." Solares merely waved Nesalla on while she reached into a bag around her shoulder, then produced a large black metallic looking shard that she placed upon the desk in front of Solares.

When Solares approached the object, it seemed to be activated from her presence, giving off a fine black smoke that only traveled a foot into the air before vanishing into nothing. The two of them inspected the object silently with a grave curiosity and worry that seemed to fill the room itself. "This is from the Legion alright, but I have no idea what it is, no one knows what it is, not even khadgar himself." said Nesalla who took a step back from the desk it laid upon.

"So you thought you would bring it here and show it to me? What if it drains the soul or life of those who stand near it, what if it's a lure for demons from the Legion? it could even possibly explode and wipe out the whole Stronghold or Island." While Solares spoke, the black shard seemed to pulse a dark crimson red before the pulse ended and the crimson light from within remained a steady, solid glow that could illuminate the room by itself.

Both Wardens were now watching it closely and had backed up a couple of feet to observe the change from within. "Did you ask the Illidari what it was?" asked Solares in a much more normal sounding tone to her own. Nesalla shook her head back and forth a couple times while saying, "I did not." Solares looked at her unamused before slowly walking back over to the shard and pulling out a large amount of black cloth that appeared to be enchanted before wrapping it around the shard and placing it inside of a metal box that she also kept inside of the lower part of her desk.

"Once the heroes we have called for arrive, we will explain the situation at hand then swiftly make for the Illidari to see if they know anything about this shard. For now, all we can do is wait and hope it's not having an active negative effect upon us."Solares narrowed her eyes slightly, not out of irritation but out of thought.

Nesalla nodded her head in agreement and took the metal box from Solares, keeping it under her left arm. The two of them had left the large room before heading through the massive Stronghold and making their way down into its storage area where the shard was safely and securely placed.

"Could be worse, the object could be in the hands of the Legion." said Nesalla, her tone much more light hearted that it had been when she first greeted Solares. "Who knows if it even belongs to the Legion, it could be an object of the old gods, an ancient artifact of civilizations long gone, no way to really tell for now." Solares and Nesalla stopped in the courtyard and took a seat upon a stone bench overlooking the stream that ran to the east and the main entrance to the Stronghold. If anyone new or old would enter, the two helmet-less Wardens could easily be spotted, conversing to each other over the shard Nesalla had discovered.

Thalion Runescar

The sun was high in the sky as Thalion arrived at the home of the wardens. The overall structure was heavily influenced by elven architecture and a grand fountain in the courtyard heralding Elunes infinite blessings had been arranged flawlessly with the layout. The gardens surrounding the area were well tended, both magically and by the groundskeepers who seemed to take great pride in their loving reverence to their moon goddess. Being a Blood Elf, all he felt was a sickening sense of something akin to distrust. It was only thanks to his personal need to detach himself from both Horde and Alliance politics that allowed him to ignore his racial dislike of other Elves. His hands grasped the handles of his swords as if reassuring him that should it come to blows.. Well, he was prepared in any case.

Wrapped in his usual hunting leathers he approached the compound openly. His gait was steady and balanced, meant to show others his confidence and ability without ever needing to display his prowess with the twin swords at his belt. Arrogance was another way to describe it to the callous onlooker. To believe this Rogue thought highly of himself because he had been chosen by the wardens would be a fatal miscalculation to the unwary. Thalion had a high opinion of himself because he had earned it.
An outcast didn't last long if they weren't capable.

Rather than waltz into the main compound, as he likely was expected to, Thalion instead choes to remain in the courtyard and take in the sights of this place. Few beyond the wardens themselves were allowed to see it. He would wait outside in the sun until he was called on. An organization like this not only knew he was coming, they had sentries. Someone would send word of a Rogue idling in the courtyard. The guards had simply let him in anyways. Only further confirming to him his course of action was proper.

Alina Erebos

The enveloping rays of light that came from the clear sky above reassured Alina that she was making the right decision in coming to this stronghold. Though, she could have done without the elvish architecture, somewhat glad that her cowl hid the disapproval that her face would have been clearly displaying. Or, while she didn't mind the buildings themselves, she never understood the elves when it came to the goddess Elune, and to even a greater extent priestess' dedicated to Elune. But, she knew better than to question those who had so humbly invited her to join a worthy cause, knowing full well that she'd have to put her own allegiances to the side for the sake of her new cause.

Alina was cloaked in some of her finest garments that the Church of the Holy Light had provided to her, dawned in white with her face cloaked in darkness. She could barely feel her staff as it was pressed against her back, the light weapon hardly seeing any combat use outside of being a conduit of her varied power. Both gave her slight comfort, though she felt it wasn't very needed. Her old armor and staff suited her just fine, but she couldn't refuse a simple upgrade, especially now that she was going to do something more than help in the background. In fact, she saw this entire situation as an improvement than simply being called on a campaign for duties such as healing wounded, or on a rarer case making someone's mind and body suffer in unimaginable ways for the greater good. Perhaps that was why she was selected, for her understanding in balancing the opposing forces of shadow and light, and for her studies in scriptures both virtuous and vile.

Speaking of potential... Alina noticed as she walked through the courtyard that another resided around as well, and from her initial observations, she could see the contrast that they held when compared to the courtyard. She knew that they didn't pose an immediate threat, if any at all, due to how they were both nearby the warden's compound. If they truly were someone that wished harm upon her or the Wardens, she was sure that they wouldn't be out in the open for the Warden's to spot them. Maybe they found something fascinating in the area that Alina did not, but regardless, she had somewhere better to be than with a stranger, and as such she simply passed by.

Rina Starbreeze

Rina Starbreeze, former Sentinel and Champion of Elune, smelled the air - as she approached the Warden' Stronghold. One could never be too careful with demons, or their servants. It was thing, the Lich King had eagerly taught his 'acolytes' - namely about sensing and smelling the blood of their enemies. To almost taste their fear and drink it in - and in those moments, when their blade cleaved innocent flesh to revel and enjoy it.

It was a moment, that many a Death Knight of Acherus experienced - and a chain that they all carried with them; hidden in the deepest reaches of their scarred souls. She then moved on, do the main entrance - keeping her hood on, hiding her slightly pale face and blue eyes underneath the hood.

The winds kept beating against it, slivers of her blood-red hair visible from underneath. The letter said, that many a Hero was invited - while she was neither a Sentinel or Champion anymore. She was still kal'dorei or night elf - and that was something the Lich King could never change about her. She wasn't Elune' Champion - but she was her cold Wrath and Fury. Especially know, with the chance to make the demons themselves fear death.

In her mind, Rina just 'hoped' - that the Wardens here wouldn't try to attack her on the spot, due to her difference - as she arrived into the courtyard, hood still up. Many a Death Knight had been welcomed back to their respective faction; yet they were always afraid of and scared. Those blue eyes reminding many of the former Scourge.

The first time someone would lay eyes upon the Warden Stronghold, it would appear only to be a grand abandoned castle in the far distance. Upon closer inspection, they would see movement upon the massive walls and in the towers that protected the main structures that made up the fortress. The Wardens kept a close eye on all those that came within a certain distance, preparing themselves to defend the stronghold if those who approached turned out to be hostile.

The main gate at the front of the castle wasn't a gate at all, it was a large metal door that could be lowered or raised, depending on the situation and had been left open for the moment to allow the guests to enter into the courtyard where they were to wait until being addressed by Solares herself. The letter that had been sent out to each of them didn't say this, it was just common sense, something to be expected by guests.

Every step the guests took, every small movement they made, everything they did, from walking up to the gateway to entering the courtyard and wandering around, was being watched by the eyes of the Wardens. The guests who had already arrived would soon find out that the Wardens ran an incredibly efficient and well organised faction that always maintained its honor and respect. What each of them faced with the Legions return was no laughing matter, there was no time for messing around or any form of misbehavior.

"Sargent Solares, three of the guests have arrived." The Warden that had walked over to Solares and Nesalla paused before continuing, confident that they were not going to give any orders for the time being. "If their descriptions are correct, Rina Starbreeze, Alina Erebos, Thalion Runescar have arrived and are idling near the fountain of Elune, in the middle of the Courtyard." Solares and Nesalla stood up at the time and carefully placed their helmets back onto their heads and left the other Warden without saying a word.

It only took a few short moments for them to find their guests and as they approached, both Solares and Nesalla walked in step with each other in form of habit. Nesalla remained silent while Solares spoke, introducing the two of them. "I am Solares Embersong and this is Nesalla Moonshadow. We both serve Maiev Shadowsong in any task she may ask of us, though at the moment she is busy and has put the two of us in charge of the forces upon this island as well as a number of important tasks.

Solares paused for a moment, then continued with what she wanted to say. "Once the rest of those I have asked to join us this afternoon arrive, we will make our way inside and all will explained to you in great detail." She paused once more letting everything that she had said thus far sink in. "I recommend you three get to know each other as soon as possible, you all will be here for quite a while." said Nesalla, finally breaking her silence. She then added,"We will discuss the details of the mission and why you are all here once all of our guests arrive. Until then, feel free to ask any questions that you may have."

Thalion Runescar

The sound of approaching footsteps, ones not belonging to other adventurers, caught his attention and pulled his eyes away from the myriad of fauna surrounding the complex. All of which he was secretly hoping to take a few pieces of for alchemical needs. Potions and flasks were an easy trade for cash or favors. Thalion had a powerful philosophers stone he had crafted in pandaria, making his already potent tinctures all the more effective when used on himself. Such was his reward for years of dedication to the art.
Speaking of flasks, Thalions hand idly brushed against the pouch at his hip and felt the reassuring weight of his various potions. Each one gave the imbiber a temporary boost to their natural abilities. Agility, strength, stamina, intelligence. When this got fully underway he was planning to give out a few of his creations to the party members in case of an emergency. Their survival in the trials to come was added security. If they died, especially the ones fighting up close in the front lines to come, it wouldn't be long before a blade cut out his own heart.

Thalion approached the two armed Wardens and put both hands at his sides before dipping into a low bow. Like any good mercenary, he was at the whim of the client. Circumstances were different this time around but that didn't stop etiquette from dictating his actions. The two females before him now carried the weight and authority of Maiev herself, after all. Thalion rose from his bow to look both Wardens up and down before he spoke.

"Thank you for the opportunity. I will see your will done to the best of my abilities."

Thalion offered a brief salute before turning to view his new allies. A human priestess brimming with a delicate balance of Holy and Shadow energy. Just that realization alone warned the ever cautious Rogue to tread carefully. Her clothing spoke of the light and its blessings but there was something below the surface that promised an eternity of suffering.. Perhaps it was merely his imagination but Thalion wasn't about to doubt himself just yet.
The other ally was a female Night Elf. The cold dead eyes glimmering below her hood was all he needed to know. A Death Knight, former slave and champion of the Lich King. During his time in Northrend all those years ago, Thalion had come to blows with these creatures on many separate occasions. More than one such event had nearly proven fatal as the diseases inflicted by these unholy fiends wracked havoc through his body. Had it not been for the aid of a friendly priest..

Thalion forced the thought out of his head. Instead, he turned on his heel and walked up to the Death Knight but stopped at a respectful distance. Some Death Knights could freeze their opponents solid just by being too close. Caution dictated he be wary of such events.

Like he had done with the Wardens, Thalion offered a deep bow of respect before engaging the, he hated to admit, attractive Night Elf.

"Greetings, wielder of frost. It would seem we will be allies. Hopefully this will be beneficial to all of us and our respective goals."

Eantu looked up at the home of the Wardens and smiled. This was his chance to fight against the legion, to truly test himself against a foe that was dangerous and deserved to be wiped out. As far as he knew, the Wardens had the same thought. He looked down at his armor and noticed that there was still a small amount of blood on it, courtesy of the last two Fel-guards he had encountered on his way here. Alright. Hopefully the sight of fel-guard blood won't bother anyone. He thought as he approached the Warden's headquarters and saw a beautiful fountain with a few individuals near it.

Allies I'd expect. He thought. If they weren't I think they'd be dead, from what I've heard, the Wardens are formidable warriors. As he approached the fountain, he was able to get a good look at the others. One of them, a female night elf had the blue eyes of a death knight while the human female and the blood elf male seemed very much alive.

"Greetings." He said as he approached the fountain with a small smile as two other individuals arrived who appeared to be Wardens. "I am Eantu." He bowed to the others before straightening back up.

“You weren’t meant to kill the bird, Miss Hillsborough.”

Tamuk Ironhorn peered up at the figure in the gloom with exasperation, the parchment that the messenger bird carried held loosely in his fist. There was a low, creaking groan and an odd dripping noise; a putrid puddle of liquid was spreading slowly across the stone tiles, mixing with the blood of the dead creature. The room reeked of chemical fumes, embalming fluid and rot. “It is common courtesy to send the bird back to its owner instead of ripping its head off.”

“It’s MORE common courtesy to avoid sending a rat with wings to land on someone’s desk, Tamukie!” trilled a voice in the darkness, somewhere high above his head. There was another groan and more drips fell from above, hitting the puddle with faint plopping noises. Tamuk sighed, pressing a handkerchief to his nose and looking down at the (slightly bloodstained) letter once more.

“Is there anything I can say that will change your mind?”

“Prob’ly not. Now, when do I get back to killing demons?”

“You must finish cleaning yourself, to avoid any fire hazar-“

“PISH POSH!” cried Melody, another flush of chemicals splashing onto the floor. “You just want to rope me into helping the Wardens. It’s not going to work; Lady Windrunner demands me participation in the battle against the Legion. Why should I leave the Dark Lady’s side for a woman I have never heard of, demanding my presence without any context, and a vague reward of payment? Payment? What do I need money for?”

Tamuk rubbed his snout wearily. “Miss Hillsborough, the Wardens play a crucial role in the battle against the Legion. By helping them, you – by extent – are fighting the Legi-“

There were a series of rapid clicks, the sound of iron chains turning and a low whooshing sound. The undead swooped down, hooked onto a heavy-link chain upside-down. Her bony fingers wrapped around Tamuk’s horns, her metal talons clicking against the protrusions as her gaunt, hollowed face and dimmed yellow eyes were so close to the astonished Tauren that he could see every leathery crease of the skin on top of her sunken nose. “I’ll do it,” she breathed reverently, a wash of alcohol fumes invading his nostrils. “Take me to their island.”

The next day, Melody was staring down the receiving end of a longbow and the inscrutable, helmeted gaze of one of the Wardens patrolling the walls of the Stronghold. She grinned sheepishly, revealing row upon row of false fanged teeth. The Warden did not move. Neither did Melody. The silence stretched out for several minutes before an irritated sigh whistled through Melody’s nose and a pout graced her waxy features. “Fiiiine, I’ll take the main gate,” muttered the Forsaken as she began to climb down the castle wall again. She grumbled the whole way. Waving up to the stony guards watching her every move, Melody paced deliberately across the threshold and into the lavish courtyard. She staggered across the pavement, slugging back a hipflask of unknown origin. She was wearing the finest Chi-ji combat armour, a crop of well-washed and neat black hair adorning her greenish face. A big sappy smile was plastered onto her features and her dull yellow eyes slid from the elves, to the Human, and the Draenei. “HOW NOW!” hollered the forsaken, waving her hipflask in the air as she approached the group.

“You all look...far. Too. Grumpy,” announced Melody, pointing first to Rina, then to Alina, and finally Thalion. “And is that demon blood?” she asked, immediately approaching Eantu and swiping a finger across the armour plating. She popped the bony digit – talon and all – into her open mouth and licked her lips, beaming. “Tasty!” Her gaze swept across the group again and she took a moment to swig some more of her drink, giggling to herself. “The looks, the LOOKS on your faces are so precious. S’matter, never seen a drunk zombie monk before? And I thought you were veterans. Come now,” Melody turned around and peered up at Rina, reaching up as if she was heading to stroke her cheek only to swiftly pull her hand away and smile. “We’ll be working very, very closely together indeed. So introductions are in order! I’m Miss Hillsborough, Melody Hillsborough – but you might know me as The Drunken Forsaken.”

The title was certainly well-known in the Horde’s taverns, but it seemed more like a ridiculous myth than a legendary battlesong of a hero. Melody sounded drunk, looked drunk, and certainly smelled like a drunkard but there was no denying that the large majority of these sea shanties and pub songs highlighted the fearsome might, speed and agility of the intrepid protagonist, as if her stupor heightened her ability to lay waste to her foes. But surely it must be exaggerated; the waif of a Forsaken looked absolutely harmless, and if anything a little pathetic. She could barely stand straight, constantly shifting her weight and fidgeting. Melody sniggered to herself again and peered inquisitively at Alina, who was a little ways off from the group. “What’s up with the priest? I think she thinks you smell, deadie,” remarked Melody idly, jerking a thumb towards Rina.

@Zelosse@Stitches

"Yes nice to meet you too," replied Rina, staring at the crazy Forsaken warrior. It reminded her too much of those jumpy geists, back when she was at Acherus. They jumped, laughed and stared at everyone with their one, manical looking eye.

She turned attention to the blood elf, in front of her. Their tone was easy to understand, since many a night elf and blood elf had been spying and messing with eachother - since their races had rediscovered eachother.

He was rather, friendly - to say the least. The other Wardens looked at her, like some nightmare - truth be told, she was likely a nightmare to many friends and foes alike; she had been a Death Knight before and likely done many a horrendous thing. The blood elf, however, acted friendly enough - better than most, whom just kept their distance and whispered in the dark.

"If you say so," she replied to Runescar, bowing in reply - her voice lacked the hollow echo, that many else carried; having her soul back helped in reducing that eery feeling, that many of them carried before the Lich King' defeat.

Alina Erebos

Alina gave the wardens her full attention while there was only 3 apparent guests, to which she was one of them. Solares and Nesalina... whom serve someone named Maiev. What did they mean by serve? Where they simply servants, or was this Shadowsong some sort of deity to them? She cast the latter out of her head, silently chuckling to herself at the thought. They were definitely just soldiers or the like, following the orders of this Maiev Shadowsong. Though, under the veil of darkness that her hood provided, her face was expressing how she wasn't too keen on getting to know everyone here. Or more specifically... Everyone that was showing up, excluding the one that appeared to be a Paladin.

The first was the elf she had witnessed when she first arrived in the courtyard, whom was currently showcasing his polite behavior to the abomination. And, while she condoned his mannerisms, she was struggling to accept his lineage after their factions had been at war. She knew that not all of them weren't evil or necessarily bad, but it was hard to overcome the prejudices that were established, especially when she had seen the consequences of war.

Though, if she believed him to be in the wrong, than he paled in comparison to the death knight. She remembered vividly the icey sting of death that these harbingers of the scourge once had upon the lands, the damage that they caused under Arthas' control... It was a mess to attempt some of the damage that they could create on the body... Such horror. She saw them as one of the antithesis of the light, another enemy that she struggled to comprehend, let alone accept. She couldn't even look in her direction, even if she didn't appear to be as cold as her presence may have seen.

And yet another came that managed to escape Arthas' grasp, a forsaken drunkard. She wasn't even sure how that could work, but here it was. Then again, all she knew about them was how the light was the best method in slaying them. She had done it on several occasions, smiting them down for the sake of cleansing the land. And her personality... Where were the warden's getting their warriors that they resorted to a drunken corpse? Then again, she questioned what that said about her... Regardless, all she did was make a lightly audible
"Tsk..." as she looked in the direction of Rina and Melody. She was glad she didn't have to act so composed thanks to her hood, lest she'd be forced to smile in their presence. Instead she stared at them with disapproval.

---

---

Aluressa sat on her felbat's back overlooking the sea she held the letter in her hand and looked it over, she was at the Felhammer when one of her fellow Demon Hunters came over and handed the letter over to her. She read over the letter and was asked to aid the Wardens, Aluressa really disliked the Wardens even after she had been freed by them. She still hated the fact she had been imprisoned for years by them, she was still loyal to Illidan and defeating the Legion of course. As she flew closer Aluressa could see the island of the wardens coming closer, she took the reigns of her felbat and put it down into a dive. The demon hunter then spread out her demonic wings and slowly started to glide herself down to the ground.

While gliding down the blood elf could see movement on the ground as she gracefully landed on the ground in the courtyard, she adjusted the tabard bearing the illidari symbol over her chest as well as her armor. Her warglavies rested against her back both of them emitting a bright green glow over them as well as her armor. Aluressa's eye scanning the courtyard at the various wardens and then the others that she assumed that were apart of the group that were all given letters. She remained very quiet as her wings adjusted themselves she made her way over towards one of the walls and leaned herself up against it.

[PART 1 of 2]

The conversations that the guests were having were abruptly interrupted by the sound of someone calling out to the rest of the Stronghold with a powerful voice that echoed among the stone walls. "Airborne object incoming from the South East!" There was a blur of movement from all around the Stronghold as Wardens seemed to appear from the thin air, taking a defensive position with their Longbows along one section of stone wall. They were ready to fire upon command but Solares was quick to call off the attack. "Stand down, that is not a hostile, I invited this Demon Hunter to join us for the time being." Her voice had the same powerful volume to it as the woman who had spotted the Demon Hunter. It easily traveled across the Stronghold and stopped the Wardens from unleashing an unnecessary volley of pinpoint arrows that would turn their target into a pincushion.

Showing great discipline and skill, the Wardens lowered their bows in unison and went back to their daily activities as if nothing had happened. Once the Demon Hunter had landed and dismounted from her felbat, Solares waved the woman over to her. "The Wardens as a whole would like to thank you all for coming to our aid during these dire times." Solares paused to make sure everyone was paying attention now before continuing.

"There are a few important rules you will follow while within our Stronghold. Failure to follow them will result in your permanent dismissal from the Stronghold. First rule, you will show everyone and everything inside of this Stronghold respect. Second rule, do not touch any artifact unless you are given permission, this is not only for your protection but all of ours. Third rule, If you decide to leave and no longer wish to be part of this assignment, inform me or Nesalla before doing so. Fourth rule, stay with the group and work together at all times. You will find no mercy in the hands of the Legion if you wander off and end up being abducted."

Solares turned to her to the right to regard Nesalla before speaking, "Show them the interior of the Stronghold then lead them to where they will be staying. I shall rejoin with all of you shortly, there is something I must check before the evenings fall." Nesalla nodded her head in understanding only a short moment before Solares turned and left them, only to vanish around one corner of the Stronghold.

[PART 2 of 2]

Behind curious eyes, Nesalla watched as Solares quickly vanished from sight, leaving her alone with their guests. At this moment, the Stronghold fell silent, the only sound being the birds in the trees and the gentle warm breeze that made it way through the garden. This silence remained for longer than anticipated before Nesalla spoke in a much softer, more relaxed tone than Solares. "Please follow me and I will give you all a quick tour of the Stronghold, though keep the rules Solares spoke about only a short moment ago, in mind." Nesalla turned gracefully upon her right foot and started to walk towards the entrance into the Stronghold. The two large metal doors were swiftly opened before she stepped inside, hoping the group would follow.

As soon as the doors were swung open, the Wardens guests would see that the entire interior of the castle had been tirelessly and completely repaired by greatly skilled hands. It had even been refurbished to fit the Wardens constantly changing needs, an impressive display of the resources that they held. "This is the main entryway into our Stronghold, as you can see, we have decided to make this a more permanent structure for the Wardens. As you can see, there is a stairway that leads up either side of this statue we have dedicated to the fallen." The statue showed A Warden in full armor upon one knee, her head lowered in a somber way over her own glaive that laid upon the ground beneath her.

"The Stairs on the left will lead you to the armory, artifact storage, a large number of rooms we use for mission planning, a map room, library, Medical area and a large room we use for meetings." Nesalla would then point to the right, "Up those stairs is the dining hall, the kitchen, a couple areas to relax and let your mind reflect upon the day, the living quarters where each of you will have your own room, and a number of other areas that you will find very helpful in all aspects." Nesalla would pause then start walking up the grand stairway on the right.

"Shortly before your arrival, we had a hearty meal prepared and set up in the dining hall. It is currently waiting for you along with Solares, who will explain the situation at hand and why you are all here. Once you have all finished eating and have let Solares speak, we will begin the mission immediately." Nesalla did not turn back to look at anyone in the group while she spoke, but her same less stern sounding voice remained. Finally the doors to the dining hall opened to show a large rectangular table that had a large assortment of foods and drinks from across Azeroth, some incredibly rare and expensive to acquire.

At the far end of the table near a great fireplace was Solares, sitting at the table with an empty plate and cup lying in front of her. "Take a seat and feel free to help yourself to whatever drink and food you desire." said Solares, her voice echoing through the massive room that looked like it could hold at least three hundred people. Nesalla walked down through the dining room and silently took a seat next to Solares, keeping her eyes on someone who sat in the far corner of the room, alone.

Upon closer inspection, one would see a female Blood Elf Paladin sitting alone at a table built for one person. Upon it sat a simple cup of steaming coffee, a plate with a healthy looking soup and a book that was opened, being read from in silence. Her short golden blonde hair barely went down to her neck before it stopped, she wore no earrings and seemed to pay no attention to anyone in the room. Truly, it was an odd sight to behold, even more so inside of the Wardens Stronghold.

Thalion bowed his head politely at the Death Knights brisk, yet not disdainful, greeting back to him. He was about to introduce himself to yet another of the crew that was forming up when the strangest smell touched his nose. Even from a distance it threatened to make his lunch perform a surprise comeback. Had it not been for his years working with the potent smells of grinded leaves and plants it may very well have overpowered him. It wasn't long before the source made itself known, and vividly, spouting disdain and challenge with every step.
The creature was undead. More so than the Death Knight. This foul abomination to the world was a rotten Forsaken, more scourge than the scourge themselves. Thalion still had dreams of the forsaken bombing at the wrath gate that had claimed hundreds of valuable lives in such a grizzly fashion.

This deteriorating piece of garbage was probably drinking the same vile concoction.

Grimace held from view behind his hood the Rogue made his exit to stage right, so to speak, and quickly put himself by the side of the human Priestess. If there was someone he wanted close with something so vile at hand, it was one capable of cleansing him of the toxic runoff oozing from the monks drooling mouth. The paladin had been a close second but ultimately he could not abide the Draenai just yet.

Thalion gazed at the human priest and offered a short bow before he whispered to her.

"My apologies. I'd.. rather not be near that thing just yet."

He was aware she had distrust of his race, truth be told Thalion didn't trust many of his own race either. Part of his reason to be an exile had been the disturbing hunger for mana his people had become addicted to. His life had been spent skirting around the wars caused by the races and simply focused on finding profit in it where he could.

The Wardens coming had offered a pleasant distraction as they mumbled about their rules and requests. The last rule about sticking together with the group was a complete crock of garbage. As a master of stealth, he would need to be alone almost constantly. His job in nearly every respect was recon and information gathering.
Not like you could have the hooved paladin sneak into a demons nest..

Rina was arguably one of the most tolerant towards Melody’s eccentric greeting; she received glares and looks ranging from outright dislike to plain bewilderment – the only reaction she truly seemed to notice, however, was Thalion’s visible retreat behind Alina. Something changed in Melody’s demeanour; there was a crafty glint in her eye, and the drunken movements seemed a lot more sinister as if she was a poorly controlled marionette, and her unsteady gait was the fault of a poor puppet master. She wheeled around to face Thalion, but not approach him. The grin revealed those strikingly bright set of pointed teeth, and her voice dropped into an affectionate, breathy whisper. “How now,” she crooned, “I didn’t mean to scare you, and I’m afraid disgust is part of the package...” She took two steps forward, completely forgetting about her bottle which hung loosely in her hand, “But do you really think they’d send a member of the undead to work alongside priests and paladins just for the sake of it?” She paused in her approach, her grin settling into a pitying smile as she continued, “Or are you smart enough to consider that maybe, just maybe, they sent an undead with enough tricks up her sleeve to be able to shrug off the obvious and purely accidental smiting she’ll receive in the not-so-distant future?” Melody made an exaggerated, mocking shrug and raised her voice again, idly finishing her thinly-veiled warning with a nonchalant “Food for thought.”

Luckily, a Felbat descended upon the stronghold and rather efficiently replaced the growing tension with outright danger. The Wardens were slow to react, in Melody’s opinion, as the rider managed to get into a dive just as the attacks were called off. This provoked another amused chuckle as she waved her bottle in the brooding demon hunter’s general direction, effortlessly falling back into the ‘silly drunk’ routine (rather conveniently timed with Solares’ approach of the group) and asked “How come SHE doesn’t have to take the main gate? Is that elf privilege?”

Melody became remarkably disinterested in what the Warden Solares had to say the moment she uttered the word ‘rules’. Instead, the Forsaken wandered around the group, inspecting each member closely and smiling to herself. Her opinions on the others remained a mystery, since every time she approached a new member her reaction was simply to smile warmly and walk off again. Once Solares finished talking, Melody raised her hand in the air like a timid schoolgirl. “I never wanted to be a part of this assignment, does this mean I can leave?” she inquired jovially, and kept up that silly grin as Solares vanished into the Stronghold. Curiously enough, Melody seemed more than happy to take the subtle signs and tailed near the back of the group. She clearly and rather politely remained as far away from Thalion as possible without leaving his line of sight; she kept her back turned to him as well in an unspoken gesture of what could be trust but probably isn’t.

Aside from respecting the Blood Elf’s wishes, Melody showed much more interest in her surroundings than her partners. She whipped out a little book from her belt which turned out to be a notepad instead of a prayer book, and wrote down little scratchy notes for each room – including the corridors and stairs. This didn’t stop her from putting in her own two cents every so often, as she interrupted the tour to observe that, “for a bunch of soldiers, you Wardens do seem to be much more spoilt than the rest of the troops.” At least she had rightly figured out that her guide wasn’t going to answer, since she didn’t provoke her any further than that.

As Nesella finished her speech Melody looked surprised, deciding to address her squadmates-to-be. “Did anyone else notice that...oh, nevermind.” At the last minute, Melody changed her mind and shook her head with a smile. “You’ll find out for yourselves soon enough,” she chimed as she skipped into the dining hall, gasping with awe. “Lookit all this food I can’t eat!” she cried cheerily, immediately grabbing a chair and dragging it over to sit right next to Solares like an eager child. Curiously enough, she turned the chair back-to-front to sit on it instead of sitting like a normal person; and even then, she crouched on the seat instead of actually sitting down. Her movements were restless and ironically lively for a corpse as she snatched a fork to play with whilst everyone else ate.

It didn’t take long for Melody to start bombarding Solares with questions. “You know, with this much food and medical supplies you could almost definitely contribute to the war effort in a much better way than you’re doing right now. Why are the Wardens hoarding all of this stuff up instead of distributing the surplus to the front-lines? Do you really need roasted talbuk?” Melody gestured with the fork towards one of the plates assembled across the table. “You’re also being pretty guarded about whatever the mission entails and – by the looks of it – you’re gaining our favour through fancy meals before plunging into the nitty-gritty, which suggests whatever it is you want us to do it’s bound to be incredibly dangerous and difficult. So why risk sending a dysfunctional group of aloof, brooding and possibly incompetent war veterans instead of one of your finest Warden taskforces? Well, I think I know why, we’re expendable right? Light forbid you lose some decent warriors, so let’s just send whatever else Azeroth can muster up to do the hard work for you whilst you sit in your castle and, uh...scheme?” Melody suddenly lobbed the fork across the table and grabbed her hipflask, guzzling the contents greedily. When she stopped she burst into a fit of uncontrollable giggles, leaning back a little in her seat to make the chair rock precariously on its edge.

“More importantly...” Melody leant forward, putting her face to Solares’ ear. The balance it must take to keep that chair at such an angle is impressive, especially considering how little control Melody exercised over her movements previously. She lowered her voice to barely a whisper, clearly gossiping in front of everyone assembled. “...Why did you pick me, of all people? Do you really think I’m doing this out of love or money? Do you think I will listen to your orders? Don’t answer that question in public; I want you to think it over and tell me the answer privately before you send me out to die again. None of this pre-meditated bullshit about being ‘a brave hero’ that I hear from other generals, since you’re honestly better than that. I want to hear, in your own words, why you thought of ME when you were sending those letters.”

Melody leant forward again and the chair clunked back into place. She raised her voice into a more conversational tone. “After all, I don’t want to disappoint you.” She smiled and gave two thumbs up.

Calmly, carefully, Solares removed her helmet and placed it upon the table in front of her. The Wardens delicate Elven features were now visible. The turquoise markings upon her face were complemented by the navy blue hair that she kept quite short so that it was non-intrusive. The Warden had remained emotionless the whole time Melody spoke and asked questions, she merely served herself Drogbar Style Salmon and commenced to slice the fish into bite size pieces which she would then eat.

It would have appeared that she was completely ignoring the monk but when the Forsaken had finished her wave of relentless questions and criticism, Solares responded in full. "I spoke to Khadgar recently and requested that he give me the name and location of a well skilled Monk that he knew of. There's no way in the name of Elune that it's you, or Khadgar has a dark sense of humor that I do not understand nor appreciate in the slightest. Luckily for all of us, you are not required to be here. If you would like to take your leave and return to your Dark Lady then you are free to do so, immediately."

Solares took another bite of salmon and once she had swallowed, she continued to speak. "If you decide to stay with us, you need to understand that this is not a game called let's see how much we can anger the Wardens inside of their Stronghold. If it was I would have informed you that first place was returning to your Dark Lady as a pile of ashes inside of a box. I am not here to answer your questions or respond to your criticism. You are not here to ask or say such things. The sooner you understand this, the better. So now you must make a choice, can you follow my orders and obey the rules without question or will you take your leave and return to your Warchief?"

All of this was said in a calm, monotone voice that came from Soalres's emotionless face.

Nesalla gripped onto the hilt of her blade tightly and Solares kept herself on high alert, even the other Wardens in the room seemed to tense and ready themselves for a fight if it came to that, which it hopefully wouldn't.

Thalion Runescar

Thalion followed the warden to the dining hall but could find no opportunity to relax or so much as glance around. It seemed nearly every fiber of his being was concentrating on the fouled the of people's here. Whom had taken an unhealthy attraction to his presence.
His little sidestep had offended the monster and now it wanted a little petty payback.

Thalion took a seat near the back of the table furthest away from Melody. The food was exquisite but the rogue chose not to partake. Poison was a common way to kill someone at a feast like this.
With the legion on full assault it wasn't an impossibility.

It had only taken a few moments for melody to begin her tirade of questions and outright rude insinuations. The Warden leader here made it quite obvious that she would not tolerate it.

Thalion stood up suddenly and glanced at those surrounding him one by one, then raised the cup provided to him (but filled up from a hip flask)

"I, for one, do not trust any of you. Not for your race. Not for your reasons to be here. I do not trust you because I've never needed to trust anyone. I hope you all prove an exception to this, though, so for now," He shot a quick glance at melody before looking to the warden. "Let us all agree on one thing." Thalion brought his cup up high in toast. "Fuck the Banshee Queen."

With that he tipped the tankard over and gulped down its contents in a single swallow before slamming it onto the table.

"Now. Stop wasting time. Where are we going and when are we leaving."

This wasn't a pleasure vacation. It was work. The sooner they got started the better.

Alina Erebos

Alina decided that she would sit far from the annoyance that the undead were proving to be, ignoring the monk's actions and words and instead focusing on the platters of food that waited before her and pondering the previous event that led to her current position...

The first thing that she recalled was the blood elf hiding behind her when the monk arrived. She remembered learning of how the scourge plowed through their territory, destroying the Sunwell that Sin'Dorei depended on. It made sense to her that he would feel unease around the remnants of the scourge because of that, even if they were both from the Horde. Then again, if her history was right, the blood elves were hesitant to join the Horde in the first place. Regardless, she felt some sympathy for him, nodding at him after he whispered his reasoning, and yet chuckling under her breath at him.

She had to admit, it was pretty funny. The elf didn't dignify the forsaken enough to call her undead, simply referring as it as a thing. She preferred to call them abominations, and firmly believed they should return to the grave they were risen from.

Back to reality, the elf whom once seeked shelter to her now stating he didn't trust anyone here as Alina requested tea. She would have been insulted had it not been for the fact that she herself didn't trust anyone else as well, however their reasons were scarcely similar. While they both didn't trust anyone here, Alina solely trusted the wardens and the paladin, all due to prejudices and biases she had already established. She knew not all paladins were righteous, but she herself wasn't righteous despite being a Priest. Seeing that he was a Draenei, it comforted her as most Draenei were.

She was glad that her tea was just right to drink as Thalion did his toast, raising her own cup and taking a drink to it. He went on to demand why we were here, or rather, where we would be going.

"I, too, am intrigued about where our next destination is. With each passing moment, our enemies roam and plot as we do. I don't find it wise to waste your time on the puny thoughts of an undead individual."

"Fuck the Banshee Queen."

The female Sin'Dorei Paladin that had purposely positioned herself as far away from the others in the corner of the room scoffed at this comment in amusement. It was obvious that she did not agree with the rogues statement and could have found it offensive, if she cared enough about their opinions. After regaining her composure, she returned to her meal and book without causing any further interruptions. Both Solares and Nesalla glanced at each other for a very short moment, then broke eye contact. "Agreed, let us begin, there is no time to waste." Solares pushed her wooden chair back from the table and stood, moving to the back of the room where a large, highly detailed map of the Broken Isles had been permanently placed many years ago.

"As you all know by now, the Legion has returned to Azeroth. They pour from the Tomb of Sargeras in an infinite wave that flows across all, leaving death and destruction in its wake. While the troops from both factions hold back the tide of demons, there are certain highly sensitive situations in this war that can not be handled or taken care of by these heroes of Azeroth alone. The Wardens have mostly worked alone in the past but due to these desperate times and due our numbers being so few, we have had to make some difficult and desperate decisions over the last two week. This is where all of you come in, the Wardens have chosen each of you for your deeds of the past. Your skills and areas of expertise are exactly what we need for a number of highly important but exceedingly dangerous assignments."

Extending her right index finger, Solares pointed at the map of Val'sharah and spoke. "Val'Sharah lies north-west of where we currently reside, our first assignment will bring us to the Temple of Elune to help eliminate the Legion forces from its ground. They are taking heavy casualties while the demons push forward into the temple, we cannot allow that. That may sound simple enough but among this is the nightmare corruption that is slowly overtaking the land. We will want to avoid that and allow the heros of Azeroth handle that situation." Moving her right hand, she dragged her index finger across the map until it came to rest upon Black Rook Hold. "Our final destination upon Val'Sharah will lead us to Black Rook Hold, the former castle of the Ravencrest family."

"From our reports, Warden Maiev Shadowsong was last seen here with her brother, Jarod Shadowsong. You may not know the name but she leads the Wardens currently, she helped defeat Illidan, and played a key role in the battle against the Burning Legion during the War of the Ancients. If we end up meeting her, know that she is a living legend and there is a very good chance that without her help, current or in the past, many of the things we tend to take for granted would not be here. Show her the respect that she deserves, she has done and given more than you will ever understand. Take heed to my warning though, if there is any action taken against her, either by voice or physical, there will be severe consequences."

Solares moved back to the table but did not take a seat this time. She did however continue to speak, "I am unsure of what is happening inside of the Black Rook Hold. All we know is that the Ravencrest military has returned as risen, they are now attacking any and all that come near the hold. We will find out why they have returned and have found it necessary to attack all those that they use to help protect. You all have twenty minutes to explore the hold and pick one of the empty rooms as yours before we head out for the first assignment. We will be meeting at the north western side of the island where the docks are. Feel free to ask me any questions you may have until then, dismissed."

Nesalla had stood as well, motioning with her right hand at the group once Solares had finished speaking. "If any of you require assistance finding a room or your way around the Stronghold, please let me know and I or another Warden will be glad to help."

@Andromedai

Rina Starbreeze remained to ask Solares about Maiev. Or namely remained next to the Warden, before she spoke up.

"You people do know, that arrogance is the first step into the grave?" she spoke, hood still up. "You say she was a legend and all that - yet have most of you forgotten why she was here?"

"Wasn't she the one to advocate isolation, racism and even treason against the leaders of the Kal'dorei itself?" asked Rina in a calm tone.

"What if Maiev is corrupted? Or twisted by the Legion? Weren't you Wardens once hunters of these Demon Hunters? In fact - didn't Maiev hunt the first Demon Hunter in existence, Illidan Stormrage?"