I was recently invited to travel along the Kirin Tor and other mages and specialists to the Isle of Thunder for the recovery of an artefact dating back to the Age of Hundred Kings.
, for many years believed to be a mythical artefact which has been proved to be real after long research, investigation, culminating in the expedition itself. This is the story of this week-long journey.
With such a big group (around 30 people) we were divided in three groups: some stayed to set up the camp, others went scouting, and the last group went to investigate and make offers in some Loa shrines.
Even if setting the camp might seem like an easy task, just tedious, this place is not a holiday destination. The group suffered an attack by a big pterosaur, luckily for them a Sentry protected the group, shooting at it with a beam. Not all Sentries were so helpful, as some went on a rampage and attacked other dinosaurs which did not seem hostile at the time. After being neutralized the group could go back to setting up tents, the command centre, and wagon to keep things protected.
The scouting mission, at least the first one, was successful even if they found some corpses and serpent-like creatures that watched them under the water.
Being interested in history and culture, I decided to join the group that went to make offers at the Loa shrines, a magnificent opportunity for students, researchers, and even amateur historians. I asked Lord Thallarin Manashriek about why they wanted to check these shrines:
Lord Thallarin Manashriek: “My wish to venture out and discover the shrines you witnessed were born out of reverence for the loa themselves and - indeed - to perhaps see if I could return any lost zandalari prizes to their civilisation, after the effects of Zul's... ahem, expedition.”
During this adventure we encountered a golem which seemed to be there since the fall of the Thunder King. But being too damaged to fight, it seemed more confused than aggressive, and so the group decided on a peaceful approach. The golem ended helping us along the visit to three shrines: one to Krag'wa, Loa of Frogs, one to Gonk, the Loa of Shapes, and the other to Elortha No Shadra, or Shadra, the Loa of Spiders. Sadly, in helping us the golem exhausted itself and decided to live the rest of its days within the Palace of Lei Shen. Telling the golem news from the world and about how Queen Talanji is making a great work, we left the golem with renewed hope and peace. We then moved to the last shrine (Krag’wa’s) to make some more offerings. Once back in the camp I asked Lord Thallarin Manashriek about the importance of said offerings:
Lord Thallarin Manashriek:
“To understand why these shrines are important, we must first understand the notion of what Loa are: they are spirits of worship, countless in number and form yet with a select few elevated to grand power. The idea of these shrines not only shows praise and worship to the Loa, but also empowers them - which in turn makes them more likely to bless and aid those who had helped them equally so. The importance of restoring this shrine shows - to Krag'wa - that we believe in him. We left offerings and gifts unto him so that he may look upon us favourably in our future and protect us as is his nature.”
We finished the night listening to a horror story told by Lord Thallarin Manashriek about how he developed a certain… respect, if not fear for diving. Seeing Archmage Moonblaze scared was something, of course the story was quite well told.
Day 2: return your books in time
During the late evening of the previous day another scouting mission went out, they seemed to find some corpses and some traces of void. This image seemed to severely affect some members of the group that returned to Dalaran and did not come back until quite some days after.
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We travelled to a Lorewalker library in the Valley of Eternal Blossom, to retrieve a text that should help in the search of the artefact. In there a Lorewalker informed us the library was recently attacked by mantids, and so we divided in two. One group to search for the text, the other to cleanse it from the void. Not wanting to get killed so soon I went to the library group, still it was not completely safe.
As soon as we entered, scrolls and papers started to attack us, cutting our skin, choking us, pulling us, and even taking our weapons. We managed to get rid of them, sadly some texts were destroyed in the process but no major injuries so far. We started searching for smaller sources of void and cleansed the place, a member got trapped by a tentacled and shake around, but without further damage. Finally, we moved to get the text, which turned out to be a cipher. While on the way rescued a lorewalker who was attacked by the void. The other group had a harder time, some members were hit pretty badly in the head, but nothing that was not better after a few days.
Day 3: no rest in this adventure
As Archmage Moonblaze tried to open the cipher, the groups divided in two quests.
One group went to scout some Sunreaver wreckages. After talking with Magistrix Assina Sunhawk I am very glad to say our readers will have a chance to read more about the current Sunreaver’s mission and objectives in recovering pieces (of course preserving any confidential information, as we do with any other organization may it be Kirin Tor or Echo Company to give examples). This will be a separate piece to allow a more in-depth view. But I would like to use these lines to thank Magistrix Assina for seeing past the name of the paper and remember our readers we might be more active in Alliance and have offices there (also in Dalaran), but we do our best in being neutral and love to hear news from any place in Azeroth.
The other group followed a series of hints left in a notebook by a previous Kirin Tor expedition, as well as the information got in the scouting in the first day. With this they manage to reach a tomb were an artefact known as the Scepter of Silver Storm. It was not an easy task as the place was filled with traps of all kinds: lightning traps, water ones, drugs as well. Sadly, this group also found the remains of the previous Kirin Tor expedition that died due to the traps, may they rest in peace and their efforts never be forgotten:
Mister Alonsus Archibald Pendergast, Magus and Linguist, Historian, Explorer, Philanthropist, human, leader of the expedition and author of the journal, who could read and transcribe Mogu writing.
Allendra Winterveil, Quel’dorei abjurer.
Merrick P. Fizzleblitz, gnomish battlemage.
Krestor Williamson, Alonsus’ apprentice, human, an aspiring transmuter.
Between Mister Celesdair Nethershroud and Mister Erir Violetwind I got told some of the traps they had to deactivate after solving a riddle:
Celesdair Nethershroud: And there were two putts of arcane dust. And a rather narrow corridor. And the corridor was riddled with little holes.
Erir Violetwind: We had to sink the bowls into the well to collect water, pull it back up and carry it through the tripwired corridor.
Celesdair Nethershroud: And… light focused through several of them. Looking like a web.
Erir Violetwind: If you hit a tripwire... it shot you with a poisoned dart!
At the end we had to pour the water into the mouth of a statue, that opened the door.
This is the end of the first part, a week long adventure was too much for one article. There is more to come, more danger, a group trapped in a tomb, traps and killing statues. If you want to know what happened, keep your eyes open for the second part.