((Thanks are owed to my compatriots in the House of Stewards and the player of the Tidesage, my frequent collaborator. All mistakes are my own.))
The fellow known by many as Jon Chess left the blacksmith pit in the trade market area of Boralus, heading for the griffon nests. He had been charged to assist Acenovath in preparing weapons for the tasks ahead in Drustmar; some of the threats required silvered weapons, blessed by a Tidesage.
The Tidesages were the dominant religion of sea priests in the Kul Tiras society, based in the Stormsong Valley, not coincidentally also the center around which the mighty Kul Tirasan navel vessels were built. For decades, emissaries from the Shrine of the Storm had regularly blessed not only the mighty sailors of Kul Tiras, but also consecrated their ships. Most people in Kul Tiras look to the seas for guidance in much the same way that many of the races of the Alliance look to the Light, but the connection of the Tidesages to the waters runs much deeper.
The Tidesages were led by Lord Stormsong and their guiding council, with a representative for each aspect the Order's duties and responsibilities to the people they served - feeding the poor of the kingdom, overseeing the building and blessing of it's might shipping, et cetera.
The most recent Lord Stormsong had become a pawn of the queen of the Naga and had corrupted the guiding council. The corrupted Tidesages had begun to use Void magic, and many Tidesages had been replaced with shape-changing k'thir, creatures coming from the darkest reaches beneath the tides. Most had thought the k'thir were a myth, perhaps a parable against the dangers of delving too deeply within the oceans of Azeroth. The disguised k'thir took control of naval facilities and forcefully corrupted humans into k'thir, while other fanatic followers of Lord Stormsong willingly went through rituals to be transformed as well.
Lord Stormsong himself led the way, becoming k'thir.
The corruption was revealed by Alliance operatives working for Brother Pike, who had become the defacto leader of the resistance to Lord Stormsong and the k'thir. While many of the Tidesages had turned their backs on humanity and started worshiping the horrors of the ocean, others remained firm in their duties to Kul Tiras. The loyalists freed the Kul Tiras fleet from their imprisonment with the aid of Jaina Proudmoore, allowing the fleet to save Kul Tiras from Priscilla Ashvane's Irontide Raider invasion fleet.
Jon had served Jaina Proudmoore during what was now called the Seige of Boralus, and had assisted several of the loyalist Tidesages during the aftermath, helping the people of Boralus recover and rebuild. It was one of these trusted Tidesages that he hoped to find now, and convince her to bless the weapons that the House of Steward's blacksmith Kearnn was making for their expedition in Drustvar.
It took four hours for Jon to scour the Upton Borough neighborhood of Boralus before he found his quarry. Sister Cordelia, when she was not healing the sick and injured, or blessing a newly-captained sailing ship, could often be found somewhere within sight of the Stormsong Monastery which dominated the Boralus Harbor. He found the Tidesage priest looking out across the bay at the Monastery, a serious look on her face. The Tidesages of the Stormsong Monastery had long studied the dark magic, betraying their tenants and teachings. As an archivist of the Tidesages, Sister Cordelia had once called the Stormsong Monastery home.
Jon chess approached her, making sure to make enough noise so as to not startle her. "Excuse me, Sister Cordelia?"
The woman, clad in the hooded robes of a Tidesage, did not turn. "Yes, Mr. Chess?" she acknowledged.
"Sister, I was wondering if perhaps you might be available to help me with a project?" Jon asked.
"I'm available to you for as long as you need, Tidemother willing," she replied, smiling faintly. Sister Cordelia removed her hood. Her copper hair and green eyes framed a clear, pale complexion, with only a sprinkling of lightly-colored, almost invisible, freckles. To Jon, she seemed young, almost impossibly so.
"You are kind, Sister," replied Chess.
"I am kind to everyone, Mr. Chess. Now, what would you ask of the sea?" she rejoined, clearly amused.
"Sister, since we last met, I have joined the House of Stewards, and they are preparing for some activity in Arom's Stand against the corruption of the witches, weapons with a silver patina might be of great use. The efficacy of such weapons would be greatly increased if they could be blessed by an uncorrupted Tidesage. Naturally, I remembered you from our time after the Seige of Boralus, when you worked tirelessly to heal the wounded. So I hope to impose upon you to bless these weapons when they are finished, in a couple of days?" inquired Chess.
The Tidesage seemed amused by his request as if he had been a proud six-year-old repeating a catechism correctly. "Has Alia ever told you that you talk too much, Mr. Chess?"
"...you know Alia?" asked Jon, surprised.
"No."
"Alia has often said as much before forcibly shutting my mouth with a kiss..."
Jon grinned at the recollection.
"You should listen to her." Sister Cordelia's smile widened
"I do listen to her - which is quite distinct from obeying her. Since she gives me the incentive to yammer on by shutting me up with her kiss, she gives more reason to talk verbosely, not less."
"You're doing it again."
The motormouth known as Jon Chess shrugged. "Force of habit. I can never quite give up the hope that Alia's kisses will be forthcoming. By the way, do not think I did not notice you not actually answering the question of how you have come to know of Alia and her importance to me?"
Sister Cordelia's smile widened even more, becoming a grin. "Everything eventually flows back into the sea, Jon."
"I don't believe that sewage disposal was the topic under discussion."
"No, it wasn't." She looked back to the Stormsong Monastery before returning her gaze to Chess. "When will the weapons be ready?"
"Sometime in the next few days," replied Chess.
"When will you need them after they are given to me?" she asked.
"As soon as possible, Sister. Time is of the essence." Jon replied, adding, "Naturally, I would like to make a donation as well as cover your expenses."
"I will not take the coin, but I could use your help in other ways," Sister Cordelia said, her voice thoughtful.
Jon Chess nodded. He was well-experienced in the trading of favors as currency.
"You have but to ask, and if it within my power, my aid shall be yours," Jon replied.
Sister Cordelia turned her head to look behind them. Jon followed her gaze to the Stormsong Monastery.
"There is an artifact that was stolen by a group of the corrupt loyalists to Lord Stormsong before his demise. They fled when we retook the Shrine. The Storm's Wake wants it back. There are also a number of books that would go a long way to restoring our Order, locked in the archives there."
"I see... And that artifact is in the monastery?
"Yes. It looks like a lantern one would use to light a ship's way."
((OOC digression - there was an OOC discussion about the possibility of the lantern being green, and that Jon must recite the sacred incantation to invoke its power:
In the Brightest Day,
In the Darkest Night,
No evil shall escape my sight,
Let those who worship evil's might,
Beware of the power of the Green Lantern's light
...but then we said "NAAAAAAH"))
Jon nodded. "How will I know which of the lanterns in the monastery is the artifact?"
"It'll be quite simple; When you find it, they will try very hard to kill you," said Sister Cordelia.
"Sister. they will try to kill me the moment I set foot on the island; how will that be any different?" Jon chuckled.
"They'll be more insistent about it," informed Sister Cordelia.
"They probably think I talk too much, Jon mumbled.
"Everyone thinks you talk too much." Sister Cordelia said with a sweet smile. "Well, except Alia." There was a long pause. The sky was beginning to darken, thunder and lighting rolling through the clouds in the far distance. A rainstorm was quickly approaching.
"Do you know what many of my brothers have become?" The Tidesage, whose back had been to Jon, turned around to face him once more as she asked.
Jon visibly shuddered. "I know that some have been transformed into k'thir, and are no longer human."
Sister Cordelia's lips curled with contempt. "Something tells me I do not need to warn you of the terrors that lurk in the deep."
Sister Cordelia looked up as it started to rain, thunder splitting the sky. She seemed to relax, letting the squall hit her face. She was silent until it had passed. "Hm. I must tell Thomas to fish on the east side today." She looked back at Chess. "The sooner the better, Chess. Wouldn't want to keep your friends waiting for their blessing."
"Indeed not. I will go tonight, hopefully under the cover of the rain. Can you provide me with a list of titles you want me to steal... reclaim for your Order?"
"Very well," she nodded, approvingly. "Any books will, of course, be welcome, but I would particularly welcome "The Legacy of the Tidesages", "The Blessing of the Tides", and a set of scrolls called "Tales of Ny'alotha".
Chess nodded, committing the short list to memory. "How will I find you when I have the recovered items?"
"You need not worry. I will find you."
"Something tells me it would be unwise to ask how," mumbled Chess.
Sister Cordelia simply smiled at him. "Good day, Mr. Chess."
The fellow known by many as Jon Chess left the blacksmith pit in the trade market area of Boralus, heading for the griffon nests. He had been charged to assist Acenovath in preparing weapons for the tasks ahead in Drustmar; some of the threats required silvered weapons, blessed by a Tidesage.
The Tidesages were the dominant religion of sea priests in the Kul Tiras society, based in the Stormsong Valley, not coincidentally also the center around which the mighty Kul Tirasan navel vessels were built. For decades, emissaries from the Shrine of the Storm had regularly blessed not only the mighty sailors of Kul Tiras, but also consecrated their ships. Most people in Kul Tiras look to the seas for guidance in much the same way that many of the races of the Alliance look to the Light, but the connection of the Tidesages to the waters runs much deeper.
The most recent Lord Stormsong had become a pawn of the queen of the Naga and had corrupted the guiding council. The corrupted Tidesages had begun to use Void magic, and many Tidesages had been replaced with shape-changing k'thir, creatures coming from the darkest reaches beneath the tides. Most had thought the k'thir were a myth, perhaps a parable against the dangers of delving too deeply within the oceans of Azeroth. The disguised k'thir took control of naval facilities and forcefully corrupted humans into k'thir, while other fanatic followers of Lord Stormsong willingly went through rituals to be transformed as well.
Lord Stormsong himself led the way, becoming k'thir.
The corruption was revealed by Alliance operatives working for Brother Pike, who had become the defacto leader of the resistance to Lord Stormsong and the k'thir. While many of the Tidesages had turned their backs on humanity and started worshiping the horrors of the ocean, others remained firm in their duties to Kul Tiras. The loyalists freed the Kul Tiras fleet from their imprisonment with the aid of Jaina Proudmoore, allowing the fleet to save Kul Tiras from Priscilla Ashvane's Irontide Raider invasion fleet.
Jon had served Jaina Proudmoore during what was now called the Seige of Boralus, and had assisted several of the loyalist Tidesages during the aftermath, helping the people of Boralus recover and rebuild. It was one of these trusted Tidesages that he hoped to find now, and convince her to bless the weapons that the House of Steward's blacksmith Kearnn was making for their expedition in Drustvar.
 |
| Sister Cordelia |
Jon chess approached her, making sure to make enough noise so as to not startle her. "Excuse me, Sister Cordelia?"
The woman, clad in the hooded robes of a Tidesage, did not turn. "Yes, Mr. Chess?" she acknowledged.
"Sister, I was wondering if perhaps you might be available to help me with a project?" Jon asked.
"I'm available to you for as long as you need, Tidemother willing," she replied, smiling faintly. Sister Cordelia removed her hood. Her copper hair and green eyes framed a clear, pale complexion, with only a sprinkling of lightly-colored, almost invisible, freckles. To Jon, she seemed young, almost impossibly so.
"You are kind, Sister," replied Chess.
"I am kind to everyone, Mr. Chess. Now, what would you ask of the sea?" she rejoined, clearly amused.
"Sister, since we last met, I have joined the House of Stewards, and they are preparing for some activity in Arom's Stand against the corruption of the witches, weapons with a silver patina might be of great use. The efficacy of such weapons would be greatly increased if they could be blessed by an uncorrupted Tidesage. Naturally, I remembered you from our time after the Seige of Boralus, when you worked tirelessly to heal the wounded. So I hope to impose upon you to bless these weapons when they are finished, in a couple of days?" inquired Chess.
The Tidesage seemed amused by his request as if he had been a proud six-year-old repeating a catechism correctly. "Has Alia ever told you that you talk too much, Mr. Chess?"
"...you know Alia?" asked Jon, surprised.
"No."
"Alia has often said as much before forcibly shutting my mouth with a kiss..."
Jon grinned at the recollection.
"You should listen to her." Sister Cordelia's smile widened
"I do listen to her - which is quite distinct from obeying her. Since she gives me the incentive to yammer on by shutting me up with her kiss, she gives more reason to talk verbosely, not less."
"You're doing it again."
The motormouth known as Jon Chess shrugged. "Force of habit. I can never quite give up the hope that Alia's kisses will be forthcoming. By the way, do not think I did not notice you not actually answering the question of how you have come to know of Alia and her importance to me?"
Sister Cordelia's smile widened even more, becoming a grin. "Everything eventually flows back into the sea, Jon."
"I don't believe that sewage disposal was the topic under discussion."
"No, it wasn't." She looked back to the Stormsong Monastery before returning her gaze to Chess. "When will the weapons be ready?"
"Sometime in the next few days," replied Chess.
"When will you need them after they are given to me?" she asked.
"As soon as possible, Sister. Time is of the essence." Jon replied, adding, "Naturally, I would like to make a donation as well as cover your expenses."
"I will not take the coin, but I could use your help in other ways," Sister Cordelia said, her voice thoughtful.
Jon Chess nodded. He was well-experienced in the trading of favors as currency.
"You have but to ask, and if it within my power, my aid shall be yours," Jon replied.
Sister Cordelia turned her head to look behind them. Jon followed her gaze to the Stormsong Monastery.
"There is an artifact that was stolen by a group of the corrupt loyalists to Lord Stormsong before his demise. They fled when we retook the Shrine. The Storm's Wake wants it back. There are also a number of books that would go a long way to restoring our Order, locked in the archives there."
"I see... And that artifact is in the monastery?
"Yes. It looks like a lantern one would use to light a ship's way."
((OOC digression - there was an OOC discussion about the possibility of the lantern being green, and that Jon must recite the sacred incantation to invoke its power:
In the Brightest Day,
In the Darkest Night,
No evil shall escape my sight,
Let those who worship evil's might,
Beware of the power of the Green Lantern's light
...but then we said "NAAAAAAH"))
Jon nodded. "How will I know which of the lanterns in the monastery is the artifact?"
"It'll be quite simple; When you find it, they will try very hard to kill you," said Sister Cordelia.
"Sister. they will try to kill me the moment I set foot on the island; how will that be any different?" Jon chuckled.
"They'll be more insistent about it," informed Sister Cordelia.
"They probably think I talk too much, Jon mumbled.
"Everyone thinks you talk too much." Sister Cordelia said with a sweet smile. "Well, except Alia." There was a long pause. The sky was beginning to darken, thunder and lighting rolling through the clouds in the far distance. A rainstorm was quickly approaching.
"Do you know what many of my brothers have become?" The Tidesage, whose back had been to Jon, turned around to face him once more as she asked.
Jon visibly shuddered. "I know that some have been transformed into k'thir, and are no longer human."
Sister Cordelia's lips curled with contempt. "Something tells me I do not need to warn you of the terrors that lurk in the deep."
Sister Cordelia looked up as it started to rain, thunder splitting the sky. She seemed to relax, letting the squall hit her face. She was silent until it had passed. "Hm. I must tell Thomas to fish on the east side today." She looked back at Chess. "The sooner the better, Chess. Wouldn't want to keep your friends waiting for their blessing."
"Indeed not. I will go tonight, hopefully under the cover of the rain. Can you provide me with a list of titles you want me to steal... reclaim for your Order?"
"Very well," she nodded, approvingly. "Any books will, of course, be welcome, but I would particularly welcome "The Legacy of the Tidesages", "The Blessing of the Tides", and a set of scrolls called "Tales of Ny'alotha".
Chess nodded, committing the short list to memory. "How will I find you when I have the recovered items?"
"You need not worry. I will find you."
"Something tells me it would be unwise to ask how," mumbled Chess.
Sister Cordelia simply smiled at him. "Good day, Mr. Chess."
No comments:
Post a Comment