The Sickness
Lupen, July 26, 2006
Lupen’s breathing had become slower than normal, suppressed,
watered down. Though Forsaken are rarely “sick” on any normal
viruses or bacteria, Lupen had felt rather sick, what’s left of
his lungs and stomach had been bothering him the past few days.
Constant fits of vomiting and the coughing up ebony blood were
common. Most probably to the pleasure of his Grim comrades, he
had been speaking far less than normal, as it hurt to use the
throat. Aside from these problems, his head had been throbbing
violently during times of stress.
Syreena, a Forsaken Rogue, and a Grim. Lupen, though he refuses
to admit it, considers her a close friend. Not long ago, a
package was dropped off at the Grim Halls, addressed to the Dread
Mage, from the young Rogue. It contained a small Red Rose and a
crude, “Get well” sort of note. It was odd that she had noticed
his condition, as he had tried to keep it secret, perhaps it was
merely his decreased mood that gave it away. He hoped that no one
else had realized how dark he had been acting in the recent past,
far darker than usual. He feared the worst.
The Grim had just left the Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj, slaying the
massive scorpion and the General Rajaxx. They had left VIA mage
portals… Lupen did not truly mind the Arcane Energies, but he did
mind the crowding to get through them. His head throbbed
violently, he spared no time in leaving the Trollish Mage Hut in
the Orc City, summoning his Dreadsteed as soon as he could. To
the bank first, then to the Grim Hall to retire… It had been a
long night.
The air was thick, dreadfully thick, terrible, horrid,
unbearable. Lupen spit up a bit of black blood and coughed. He
could not wait to get to his coffin… The only true sanctuary.
Nearly there, he dismounted and dismissed his Demon-Horse. Lupen
walked slowly up the pathway, the stones hardly moving under his
weakened feet. Every step further brought more pain throughout
his body, each breath heavier than the last. The Dark Forsaken
bowed his head down slowly, letting the blood drain from his
mouth and nose. His body spazzed violently, unleashing a torrent
of blood onto the ground, he followed shortly thereafter. He was
cold and alone on the hard ground. The Demons were winning.
Less than a year ago, as many of the Grims vividly remember, he
had been taken into the Nether by one of the darkest
Demon-Wenches. The Sand Troll, Warneshi, knew much about them… He
knew this demon personally… He was the first to witness Lupen
fall this time ago. “Help me… Brother…” Lupen had muttered.
Warneshi only smirked and told him “not to fight it”, as it
“would be all over soon.” Other Grims came into Brill’s Town
Hall, to see Lupen knelt over, and Warneshi standing over,
emotionless. For some time, Lupen was banished to Xoroth, the
land of Demons, a hellish place of Green Flames and the Darkest
Ones. The vampiric succubi feasting upon the rotted flesh, the
dread Nathrezim looming over, 4 of them stood atop the pillars of
flame and doom, watching the young Warlock writhe in pain as the
Manahounds were released into the pit. Lupen was chained to a
rock slab, unable to move anything but his head, he would yell
out in agony after each bit of his Dark Mana Essence was drained
from him. His blood was a deep red then.
Nearly a week and a half, Azeroth Standard Time, The Grims were
led by Warneshi Sandscalp to The Dark Portal in the Blasted
Lands, which, though tapped to the Outland, could be used to
channel into Xoroth. Warneshi swore at The Cursed Wench before he
jumped into the portal himself. To the Grims outside the portal,
as soon as Warneshi jumped in, Lupen had been ejected out, time
moved much slower in Xoroth. What seemed like seconds to
Azeroth’s members was several minutes in Xoroth. He heard
Warneshi in the distance; he heard his Half-Demon hissing voice
atop the Felguards, which yelled out in Demonic, “Intruder! The
Tyrant returns!” Lupen would have smiled if he could, but his
body, mind, and soul were drained. The Tyrant approached the
slab, breaking the Demons around with relative ease. Sandscalp
glared angrily at Lupen, who stared back emotionless. Warneshi
had opened his mouth and uttered a few words, but Lupen could not
hear them. With one swift movement, Warnesshi broke the horrid
bindings, and sent Lupen on his way, toward the portal… Lupen
looked back once, to see Warneshi being swarmed by Dreadlords,
the Warlock attempted to turn and fight, but realized he would be
worthlessness. Warneshi came out of the portal, hurt, but alive,
not long after Lupen had.
Much time had passed since those days; Lupen had finished his
training, and suppressed his Demonic Corruption (though he had a
nasty tendency to utter words in the Demonic tongue from time to
time, much to the dismay of Bloodscream and Skash.) He made short
work of most anything that came his way, be it Demons, Fiends of
the Core, Hakkar’s Minions, or even Alliance… He would silently
think about his debt to the Sand Troll, but now, now it is time
to repay it.
[Warneshi]
Warneshi watched silently from his position in the shadows. He
watched Lupen struggle and limp his way to the guild hall doors.
Warneshi sniffed the air and smiled, it was rank with demons, and
their corruption, it reminded Warneshi of the days he loathed and
missed at the same time. The days when beings would avoid the
deserts of Tanaris at all costs because of the legends of a great
demon of sand that would swallow whole armies full...the days
when his rage was fueled by Slys'Thok.
Lupen collapsed and at this moment Warneshi moved from the
shadows and swiftly closed ground with the warlock. Being near
Lupen made Warneshi's hunger almost unbearable, so much power
just laying there, for the taking. Warneshi would admit it to no
one, but he still craved the demon energies that used to be his
soul, and Lupen had just such energy. Warneshi controlled his
hunger and knelt down next to the forsaken, grabbing him by the
hair on the back of his head and lifting his head up. Warneshi
smiled sweetly as he whispered into Lupen's ear.
"Little corpsse, did Warneshi not say they would win? You are
stronger then you were, but even thiss time....Warneshi may not
be able to save you."
[Lupen]
Lupen coughed a bit of blood onto the ground, and uttered but a
few words before passing out, "Beyond both you and I, brother."
[Syreena]
"Bear! Wait for me!" Syreena's voice called out as the worg pup
bounded towards the gulid hall. He stopped though, as the scent
of fresh blood filled his nostrils, and he turned to the fallen
warlock. He licked his muzzle as he lowered his head to the blood
on the ground.
Syreena ran up behind him, stopping suddenly as she saw Lupen
lying there in a puddle of his own blood. There was no mistaking
it was him. The pink dress stood out in a crowd.
"Lulu?" she asked with concern, as she moved towards him. But
then she stopped again as she realized it was Warneshi hovering
over him, holding his head up by the hair. The little rogue
wasn't sure what to think of the smile the Tyrant was wearing,
and she questioned him without thinking. "What have you done to
him?"
[Chingaso]
Chingaso walk up, see Syreena and grin. Then see Warneshi hold
Lupen head by hair and see fear on Syreena face. Grin disappear.
Chingaso realize this no time for prank.
"Tyrant? What you do Lupen?"
[Grolish]
Grolish enters the guildhall, tired after a long fight with the
bugs in Ahn'Qiraj and sees Lupen and the group around him.
Looking around for signs of trouble or enemies, he approaches the
group.
Checking Lupen's condition, it appears to Grolish that he is
still alive, so he begins casting his strongest Healing Wave.
As he waits to observe the effect of the spell, Grolish asks
"What the hell happened here?"
Looking at Chingaso..."This BETTER not be the result of one of
your pranks!"
[Malstrom]
Walking in through a back door, whistling quietly with a casual
grin on his face, Malstrom walks in to see several people
standing around a striken Lupen. The whistling stops immediately.
At first he is concerned, but he sees another shaman, Grolish,
standing over the fallen Grim. If the ailment could be cured,
surely the other shaman had cured it. Only this did not seem to
be the case. What was Warneshi doing anyway? What the hell is
going on?
Curious, Malstrom finds a good spot to watch and listen, and does
just that.
[Warneshi]
Warneshi looked at the group that had assembled before him and
the fallen dread mage. Leaning back to the unconcious warlocks
ear he whispered quietly.
"To be free we musst give up what we are..."
Warneshi let Lupens hair go allowing his head to hit the ground
with a soft thud. Rising to his full 8 foot height, Warneshi
narrowed his eyes at The Grim, looking to Grolish first.
"Releasse your spiritss shaman, they can not heal thiss diseasse,
only real powersss could save thiss one."
He swung his gaze to include all The Grim before him, then he
spoke again, a large smirk crawling across his face.
"He iss losst for now, in a world none of you will undersstand.
Only he may save himsself and it will not be strength, but by
sacrifice he iss returned. Lupen Vakov drank to deeply of a power
that iss beyond all forgiving."
Warneshi cackled and leveled a serious gaze once again at all the
assembled Grim, then strode out of the guild hall.
[Guduk]
Guduk moves into the Guild Hall, his armour making his movements
very noticable as he looks around. "Where is Lupen, i have need
of his dice. I.."
Guduk pauses as he sees the others and hears Warneshi's words, he
frowns and mutters as the fellow Warrior moves to leave. "Cursed,
is he? Perhaps thats how he kept winning those dice rolls"
[Warneshi]
Warneshi smirked at Guduk as the Tauren spoke.
"Perhapss so, hiss luck seemss to have run out."
Warneshi proceded out of the door of the guild hall, his cackling
giving the night a reminder of the demons that always from the
shadows.
[Syreena]
Syreena frowned at Warneshi's words. She didn't understand, but
he was leaving. She would talk to him about it later, she
decided.
As Warneshi left, Syreena rushed to Lupen. She pushed Bear out of
the way and rolled the Dread Mage onto his back. After a glance
in the direction of the room where the coffins were kept, she
wrapped her hands around one of his wrists and began to pull him
in that direction, though she struggled with the weight.
[Grolish]
"Let me help you with him, sister."
Grolish picks up Lupen easily and takes him to cot.
"I'll try to keep his body in as good of a condition as
possible...the soul?...someone else is gonna have to handle
that."
[Skash]
*Skash wondered into the rather large group of Grim gathered, his
shield spreading sparkling lights as he passed.*
Wut yous all doin?
*Skash then spotted the fallen warlock. His eyes narrowed as he
looked Lupen over. It was no secret Skash held no love for
warlocks, and he only tolerated those in the Grim for the health
stones they provided him. Skash pushes his way past the other
Grim to stand before Lupen and procedes to poke him a few times.*
Dum warlock! Dis mebbe teach Lupen ta mess too much wit demons!
Still, Lupen goin ta need help? Skash protect all Grim. Eben dum
warlocks...
[Chingaso]
Chingaso beckon Grolish to side. When Grolish close, Chingaso get
right up in Tauren face qand say very quiet but intense,
"Chingaso never hut Grim. Not with prank, not any other way.
Grolish remember this."
Chingaso stalk off into night.
[Syreena]
The next morning, Syreena returned to the guild hall to check on
Lupen. She frowned with concern when she saw him still lying on
the cot where Grolish had put him. He was still covered in blood
from laying in the blood puddle where he fell. Through the night,
she had held onto the hope that he would have recovered quickly
and would be up and about when she came back.
The little rogue fetched a bucket of warm water, and then knelt
down beside the cot. She spoke to Lupen as she began to wash the
dried blood off his face and neck.
"Lulu? You should have been with us last night. We killed all the
Alliance we found in Ratchet and Stranglethorn. And then we went
to Duskwood, and the Steward showed us secrets there. Pincus let
us see the ghosts in the cemetary, and then we all went down into
the catacombs. I found a felhunter that looked just like yours!
He followed me around for a while, but when we went back outside,
he started chomping on the zombies and ghouls there and he
wouldn't come to me anymore. I asked Pincus to show me how to
call him back, but he said no. Maybe you can show me when you're
better.
"Warneshi was with us in the catacombs," she continued more
slowly. "Something was weird about him. He ate all the Alliance
souls in Stranglethorn and Duskwood that we killed. But in the
catacombs, he tried to get one of the triplets. It was weird,
because I don't think they did anything to make him mad, like
throwing snowballs at him or anything. And it seemed more...crazy
or desperate then when he grabs someone when he's mad at them.
And then, after a while, he seemed confused about where we were
and how we got there. Maybe he has trouble with demons too. Maybe
he did this to you and doesn't remember. Or maybe it was the same
demons that took you last time."
Syreena sat on the floor next to his cot, deciding to watch over
him for a few hours before getting ready for this evening's
adventures.
[Lupen]
Lupen opened his left eye as he heard Syreena speak... He
breathed a bit easier now that he was aware of his surroundings.
The room seemed to spin, but he sat up slowly and muttered,
"Core. Must... Go to core. Kill Old Minions. Enslave Elements."
Lupen attempted to get up out of the cot, but was overwhelmed
with pain and snapped back to the rough pillow.