History Of The Grim: The King Of Rats
Posted: Tue Aug 27, 2013 3:06 am
As told by Syreena
18:07:27 [Aureliya]: Did you fall from your mount?
18:07:38 Sunderpalm coughs at Paxristos.
18:07:49 [Sunderpalm]: ...i sorta...
18:07:55 [Sunderpalm]: dropped my mug and dove after it.
18:08:00 [Syreena]: I think everyone's here!
18:08:02 You look at Sunderpalm and cover your face with your palm.
18:08:11 Selins giggles at Sunderpalm.
18:08:13 [Syreena]: Can you hear me back there, Ruuki?
18:08:25 Sunderpalm "I got it though! *waves mug around before filling it*
18:08:28 [Aureliya]: Has everyone arrived?
18:08:40 [Ruuki]: I can hear you Syreena.
18:08:44 Syreena nods.
18:08:46 Sunderpalm smiles at Ruuki.
8:08:44 Syreena nods.
18:08:46 Sunderpalm smiles at Ruuki.
18:08:54 [Syreena]: I think we're ready then.
18:09:14 Aureliya looked around and did a headcount, then moved to find a comfortable spot near Syreena.
18:09:15 [Sunderpalm]: Quest?
18:09:17 Sunderpalm pokes Overlord Mok'Morokk. Hey!
18:09:23 [Syreena]: The event I'm going to tell you about came to be known as The King of Rats.
18:09:46 Krog says: Kagoro, I require your presence!
18:09:52 Krog says: Go to the Shady Rest Inn and follow the tracks. See where they lead and report back to me.
18:09:52 Kagoro says: Understood. I will return shortly.
18:09:58 [Syreena]: It started before I was even a Grim, though I was present for the later parts of the tale.
18:10:01 Sunderpalm pokes Overlord Mok'Morokk in his nipple armor.
18:10:06 [Sunderpalm]: Quest? ...hic!
18:10:10 [Syreena]: The rest of it, I've learned much like you're learning of it.
18:10:13 Selins looks around for any rats or bugs.
18:10:16 [Aureliya]: Syreena, sorry to interrupt. Could you attune Brishen?
18:10:40 [Aureliya]: A summons, please, Melchom?
18:11:35 Sunderpalm lets out a loud belch.
18:11:39 Nanori sits off to the back, and listens somewhat grateful for the break from combat.
18:11:49 Ruuki foresees a repeat of the Blackrock Spire incidents with a drunken Sunderpalm and the bonfire.
18:11:56 You nod at Brishen.
18:11:59 Brishen greets everyone warmly.
18:12:04 Paxristos greets Brishen warmly.
18:12:12 [Syreena]: Eight and a half years ago, The Grim gathered in this same place, but for a purpose that was much grimmer than just storytelling.
18:12:16 Sunderpalm raises his mug in toast to Ruuki's comment.
18:12:22 Aureliya settled down and listened, as Syreena continued the story.
18:12:43 [Syreena]: Things were very different than they are now. Most of you were still in your hometowns, or fighting in some far off land we didn't even know about back then.
18:13:01 Paxristos looks at Sunderpalm.
18:13:01 [Syreena]: To fully appreciate the story I'm about to tell you, you must understand a few things.
18:13:21 [Syreena]: None of us had ever set foot in Outland or Northrend, and we didn't know that Pandaria even existed.
18:13:42 [Syreena]: This was in the days of the old Horde....orcs, trolls, tauren, and Forsaken. That's all.
18:14:15 [Syreena]: If we even ever encountered blood elves back then, they were hostile. Goblins were for business dealings, but not to be fully trusted. Pandaren weren't even a figment of our imagination.
18:14:40 [Syreena]: We'd never even been to Molten Core at that point, or any of the other deep dark places requiring an army to defeat.
18:15:09 [Syreena]: The largest battles against the Alliance took place in the open, such as Tarren Mill and Southshore, not on fields controlled by battlemasters.
18:15:37 [Syreena]: We didn't fight for resources, or flags, or for a higher ranking within the Horde. We fought for territory, and for blood, and for survival.
18:15:45 [Syreena]: We fought for peace through annihilation.
18:15:47 Aureliya listened wistfully, having heard the tales of the great battles between Southshore and Tauren Mill, though she had never experienced them firsthand.
18:16:19 Sunderpalm wiggles as Punchpants/sit
18:16:27 [Syreena]: Back then, travel was even different. Only flight masters could control wyverns and other flying beasts.
18:16:53 [Syreena]: Only the very experienced, very wealthy of us even had a mount of any kind. Even those mounts weren't trained to swim.
18:17:06 [Syreena]: Most of us travelled only by foot, zeppelins, and controlled flight paths.
18:17:28 Selins tries to imagine such a time only to shake her head.
18:17:46 [Syreena]: We spent more time then in the major cities, working to gether with other Horde and the Horde leaders.
18:18:10 Ruuki can picture that world in her head, having heard similar stories from her father when she was a young calf.
18:18:22 [Syreena]: Maledictus, the Founder of The Grim, was still our leader back then. He was a Forsaken priest who worshipped the Dark Lady.
18:18:44 [Syreena]: He could often be found in her presence, praying to her, asking for guidance, and even reading poetry to her.
18:19:09 Sunderpalm whimsily daydreams about the story being said while sparring with Punchpants with the fingers of one hand.
18:19:09 [Syreena]: Maledictus was also a member of the Royal Apothecary Society, along with several other Grims at the time.
18:19:23 Aureliya looked to Syreena with interest, having heard nothing beyond the name of the original leader of the guild.
18:19:52 [Syreena]: The RAS had long been working on a plague that would presumably affect only the Alliance races. They had labs in the lower sections of Undercity, where they experimented on people, mostly Alliance.
18:19:59 Nanori sips from a flask that she withdrew from her belt, before slipping it back into the pouch the flask seemingly disappearing.
18:20:25 [Syreena]: They were trying to develop a plague that was deadly, but not too quick to kill. The host would need to live long enough to spread the plague, to make it most effective.
18:20:48 Selins recalls the labs, she often goes there for training.
18:21:08 [Syreena]: The RAS had developed a strain that worked on weaker specimens, but they needed to test their newest variety on someone stronger, to make sure it would be effective on the toughest warriors of the Alliance.
18:21:12 Melchom grins at the thought of such a plague.
18:21:16 Ruuki had avoided that area of the Undercity on her very few travels there, always creeped out by it.
18:21:27 [Syreena]: Maledictus was charged with finding such a specimen.
18:21:34 Sunderpalm mutters "It stinks in there, and there's no brew..." and frowns.
18:21:59 [Syreena]: As much as he hated Brackenwall Village, with its uncivilized ogres in this stinky swamp, the priest gathered The Grim here for this purpose.
18:22:20 [Syreena]: He brought several jars of plague with him to test on whatever new lab rats he might find.
18:22:50 Selins grins slightly hoping to be able to do similar things as she trains.
18:22:58 [Syreena]: Also, there were rumors he wanted to investigate. Rumors that the Alliance were keeping a secret on nearby Alcas Island, guarded by a legion of fierce Naga.
18:23:12 Aureliya glanced surrepticiously aside, hoping the ogres didn't overhear that.
18:23:21 [Syreena]: The RAS had speculated that this secret could hold the key to a breakthrough in their plague research.
18:23:59 [Syreena]: After one of the inspiring speeches Maledictus was known for, he marched The Grim out of this village, through the swamp, across the water, to Alcaz Island.
18:24:02 Ruuki can't help but tense up, worried the ogres would take offense.
18:24:15 [Syreena]: Let's go there now. We'll fly for time's sake, but remember, back then, most were on foot.
18:24:30 [Aureliya]: Selins, ride with me.
18:24:31 Sunderpalm winces slightly as Punchpants spins around his hand and jabbed in squarely in the side.
18:24:37 [Sunderpalm]: Wait, what...?
18:24:43 Selins jumps on the rocket quickly.
18:24:46 [Sunderpalm]: No worries, I'm good to drive.
18:28:30 Sunderpalm lets out a long, drawn-out sigh.
18:30:19 Sunderpalm greets everyone warmly.
18:30:24 [Syreena]: Well, that was interesting.
18:30:30 [Sunderpalm]: Indeed.
18:30:33 [Ruuki]: Are all accounted for?
18:30:44 [Syreena]: I believe so.
8:30:55 Selins gives herself a once over tending to the claw marks on her arms.
18:31:14 Melchom looks up towards Syreena.
18:31:20 [Syreena]: Well, when The Grim reached that shore we just left, after their long swim and waterwalking, they barely had time to catch their breath before being attacked from behind by a Hydra.
18:31:23 [Selins]: Thank you.
18:31:29 Nanori smirks at the other female elf checking her marks the scar on her face very visible. "What's another scar?"
18:31:34 Sunderpalm tips his mug at Selins.
18:32:02 [Syreena]: As soon as they killed the Hydra, they heard hissing coming from the jungle. There was no turning back though, because more Hydras were coming up out of the water.
18:32:04 Sunderpalm gently pats Punchpants.
18:32:09 Selins leans over and whispers. "Not the scar I worry about, infection and such."
18:32:21 [Selins]: I know that feeling.
18:32:28 Melchom smirks slyly at Selins.
18:32:32 [Syreena]: The Grim moved forward, and the naga warriors attacked. In a bloody battle, The Grim cut their way through them, and pressed on.
18:32:32 Aureliya chuckled at Selins.
18:32:34 Nanori shrugs. "When you grow stronger you won't worry about that so much."
18:32:48 Brishen leans in and whispers "I could help with that..."
18:32:48 [Syreena]: They found a grate in the ground that led to some kind of tunnel or sewer system.
18:32:59 Sunderpalm laughs at Brishen.
18:33:22 Selins looks back with an arches brow. "With infections?"
18:33:33 [Syreena]: Laughingcrow, a Tauren hunter...and the most Grim Grim I've ever met....smelled a human down there, so they went down, hoping to find a new lab rat for the plague experiments.
18:33:34 [Sunderpalm]: NOPE ...hic!
18:33:48 Brishen winks slyly at Selins.
18:34:11 [Syreena]: They came to a tunnel filled iwth water, and after swimming through it to the other side, they came up out of the water into a cell...holding a very notable prisoner.
18:34:13 Selins grins wickedly at Brishen.
18:34:17 [Syreena]: King Varian Wrynn.
8:34:25 Selins gasps
18:34:25 Sunderpalm gasps at Punchpants.
18:34:28 Aureliya widened her eyes.
18:34:58 Ruuki blinks, not having heard of this part of the story before.
18:34:58 Melchom tries to remember the name.
18:34:59 [Syreena]: Rumor was that Wrynn was on his way to Theramore for a meeting wth Jaina, and that he was kidnapped on the way through Dustwallow Marsh.
18:35:37 [Sunderpalm]: The great Varian Wrynn, bested by naga! ...hic!
18:35:42 [Syreena]: Maledictus, very happy, almost gleeful with his discovery, informed the human king that he was found guilty of his crimes against the Horde.
18:35:43 Sunderpalm rolls on the floor laughing.
18:35:51 Syreena shrugs at Sunderpalm. Who knows?
18:35:59 [Syreena]: Some say the Defias Brotherhood were behind it.
18:36:20 [Syreena]: The punishment for his crimes was death, of course.
18:36:49 [Sunderpalm]: Excuse me.
18:37:11 [Syreena]: The Grim set upon the captured king, tearing him to shreds. Some of the Grim Forsaken greedily ate Varian's flesh. Then something very strange began to happen...
18:37:36 You grin wickedly.
18:37:43 [Syreena]: The blood and pieces of flesh strewn about the cell began to move, sliding along the floor to where the king had stood.
18:38:05 [Syreena]: The undead who had eaten parts of the king, vomited their snack, and those pieces too moved to joint he rest of the king's remains.
18:38:06 Sunderpalm eyes narrowed.
18:38:07 Melchom wrinkles his nose up in disgust.
18:38:25 Selins places a hand over her mouth and the other on her chest as she tries to contain her stomach content.
18:38:35 [Syreena]: The pieces joined to form the boyd of the king again, flesh growing back and knitting itself into place. Varian stood there once again, whole and alive.
18:38:35 Sunderpalm raises his mug to toast the plot twist.
18:39:05 [Selins]: Such magic...it has been seen?
18:39:07 Ruuki looks horrifed, though she tries to remain tough looking, crossing her arms over her chest instead.
18:39:18 [Syreena]: Maledictus said there must be magic on the cell to keep the king alive, no matter what happened to him. he had found his new lab rat....the King of Rats.
18:39:32 Sunderpalm passes Ruuki a drink to help.
18:39:34 Paxristos is not surprised, always considering the human king to have worm-like qualities.
18:39:46 Melchom grins wickedly.
18:40:09 Selins makes an "I get it" kind of face as she nods.
18:40:22 [Syreena]: The Grim hacked the king to pieces again, and this time Maledicuts poured black plague poweder into his wounds before he became whole again. As before, the corpse put itself back together, and lived yet again.
18:40:28 Ruuki couldn't imagine being subjected to that sort of torment.
18:40:50 [Syreena]: The Grim left the cell then, to give the plague time to grow in their new rat, planning to return a few days later.
18:41:09 [Syreena]: I was with them when they returned to Alcaz Island, but th eadventure did not turn out like anyone had planned.
18:41:25 Paxristos listens intently to Syreena.
18:41:40 [Syreena]: The Grim planned to visit their King of Rats again, to see if he died from the plague, or to collect samples from him if he still lived.
18:42:16 [Syreena]: Once more, Grims and others of the Horde, about 90 people in all, made the tiring journey across the water to the Island.
18:42:42 [Syreena]: Instead of being confronted by Hydras and naga, however, we were met by an Alliance force more than twice the size of our own.
18:42:54 [Syreena]: Somehow, the Alliance had learned of our plans and had rallied to protect their king.
18:43:26 Melchom stares blankly in an attempt to imagine such a force.
18:43:27 Aureliya cursed softly beneath her breath, and glanced back at the island, imagining such a battle.
18:43:40 [Syreena]: That battle is still the largest battle I've ever been part of. With all the bloodshed and magics in the air, it seemed to tear a rift in time itself. Or maybe it was from the enchantments on the island.
18:43:54 Paxristos pictures rats protecting their "King Rat".
18:44:24 [Syreena]: Everything slowed down. Time stuttered, for hours, just starting and stopping with no warning. Then it just...stopped. I and most of the others blacked out.
18:44:25 Sunderpalm mutters to himself 'Rat...ling?'
18:44:47 Paxristos gets chills thinking of strange magical force that separated the party earlier.
18:45:00 [Syreena]: When I woke up, it was quiet. Horde and Alliance bodies both were scattered over the beach and in the jungle. Some, like me, were waking up. Others never would.
18:45:14 Selins taps her lip trying to think of the kind of magic that could do that.
18:45:49 [Syreena]: We went back to that underground cell on the island again days later, but we never saw Varian Wrynn in that cell again. The Alliance, or someone, had moved him.
18:45:51 Nanori smirks thoughtfully.
18:45:57 Ruuki shakes her head, envisioning such a sight, with it sending a chill down her spine.
18:46:03 [Syreena]: Maledictus disappeared not too long after all this happened.
18:46:17 Aureliya frowned. "What became of him?"
18:46:44 Melchom listens carefully for the answer.
18:46:53 [Syreena]: I'm not sure. I heard he died. I heard he went into hiding. I heard he has gathered a new group to lead.
18:46:55 Syreena shrugs. Who knows?
18:47:20 [Sunderpalm]: Why dissappear sho shuddenly?
18:47:22 [Syreena]: Some Grims went searching for him, but without success.
18:47:25 Paxristos ponders Syreena's actions.
18:47:44 [Syreena]: Maybe the RAS decided he had failed them.
18:47:46 Syreena shrugs. Who knows?
18:47:57 [Sunderpalm]: And dealt with them in their own way...
18:48:03 Selins frowns.
18:48:05 [Syreena]: I wouldn't put it past them.
18:48:22 Melchom nods softly in agreement.
18:48:26 [Syreena]: Obviously the plague didn't kill Varian Wrynn, since he sits on the throne in Stormwind today.
18:48:36 Aureliya looked quiet and thoughtful, still contemplating the story Syreena had told.
18:48:38 Paxristos spits on the ground.
18:48:38 [Sunderpalm]: No drink will lead to grump-ridden days, and decisions.
18:48:41 [Syreena]: Whatever the humans might call him though, he'll always be known by The Grim as the King of Rats.
18:48:48 [Selins]: Or was it the magic the keeps him alive still?
18:48:55 [Ruuki]: Perhaps the plague is dormant, waiting for him to die before it becomes active?
18:48:56 [Syreena]: Could be.
18:49:09 [Aureliya]: A truly fascinating story.
18:49:21 [Syreena]: Thank you.
18:49:22 [Nanori]: Indeed.
18:49:25 Sunderpalm passes Ruuki drink to fix that.
18:49:28 Paxristos meditates on the tale just told.
18:49:40 Selins grins as she thinks of ways to get samples.
18:49:48 Aureliya looked around at those gathered. "Supplicants, I hope you have listened well and learned something new this evening."
18:49:59 Selins nods.
18:50:00 [Sunderpalm]: A shtory of the ages, Great Lady!
18:50:02 Paxristos nods at you.
18:50:05 Ruuki turns to Aureliya and nods.
18:50:19 Melchom nods at you.
18:50:27 [Aureliya]: For those of you who have yet to complete their trial of resolve, your attendance here tonight will count for that.
18:50:39 Sunderpalm bows before you.
18:50:42 Selins cheers!
18:50:44 Paxristos thanks you.
18:50:47 [Aureliya]: And Syreena, thank you for sharing such a tale, and bringing us to the very location.
18:50:48 Nanori glances around and nods. "Peace through Annihilation!"
18:50:50 [Sunderpalm]: Very kind of you
18:50:54 Syreena nods at you.
18:50:57 Sunderpalm wipes his mouth discreetly.
18:51:10 [Nanori]: I suppose I will be on my way.
18:51:12 [Aureliya]: I will provide a portal back to Orgimmar.
18:51:19 [Nanori]: Oh that's handy.
18:51:21 Syreena grins wickedly.
18:51:24 [Sunderpalm]: ...hic!
18:51:24 Selins thanks Nanori and Aureliya " Thank you for assisting me."
18:07:27 [Aureliya]: Did you fall from your mount?
18:07:38 Sunderpalm coughs at Paxristos.
18:07:49 [Sunderpalm]: ...i sorta...
18:07:55 [Sunderpalm]: dropped my mug and dove after it.
18:08:00 [Syreena]: I think everyone's here!
18:08:02 You look at Sunderpalm and cover your face with your palm.
18:08:11 Selins giggles at Sunderpalm.
18:08:13 [Syreena]: Can you hear me back there, Ruuki?
18:08:25 Sunderpalm "I got it though! *waves mug around before filling it*
18:08:28 [Aureliya]: Has everyone arrived?
18:08:40 [Ruuki]: I can hear you Syreena.
18:08:44 Syreena nods.
18:08:46 Sunderpalm smiles at Ruuki.
8:08:44 Syreena nods.
18:08:46 Sunderpalm smiles at Ruuki.
18:08:54 [Syreena]: I think we're ready then.
18:09:14 Aureliya looked around and did a headcount, then moved to find a comfortable spot near Syreena.
18:09:15 [Sunderpalm]: Quest?
18:09:17 Sunderpalm pokes Overlord Mok'Morokk. Hey!
18:09:23 [Syreena]: The event I'm going to tell you about came to be known as The King of Rats.
18:09:46 Krog says: Kagoro, I require your presence!
18:09:52 Krog says: Go to the Shady Rest Inn and follow the tracks. See where they lead and report back to me.
18:09:52 Kagoro says: Understood. I will return shortly.
18:09:58 [Syreena]: It started before I was even a Grim, though I was present for the later parts of the tale.
18:10:01 Sunderpalm pokes Overlord Mok'Morokk in his nipple armor.
18:10:06 [Sunderpalm]: Quest? ...hic!
18:10:10 [Syreena]: The rest of it, I've learned much like you're learning of it.
18:10:13 Selins looks around for any rats or bugs.
18:10:16 [Aureliya]: Syreena, sorry to interrupt. Could you attune Brishen?
18:10:40 [Aureliya]: A summons, please, Melchom?
18:11:35 Sunderpalm lets out a loud belch.
18:11:39 Nanori sits off to the back, and listens somewhat grateful for the break from combat.
18:11:49 Ruuki foresees a repeat of the Blackrock Spire incidents with a drunken Sunderpalm and the bonfire.
18:11:56 You nod at Brishen.
18:11:59 Brishen greets everyone warmly.
18:12:04 Paxristos greets Brishen warmly.
18:12:12 [Syreena]: Eight and a half years ago, The Grim gathered in this same place, but for a purpose that was much grimmer than just storytelling.
18:12:16 Sunderpalm raises his mug in toast to Ruuki's comment.
18:12:22 Aureliya settled down and listened, as Syreena continued the story.
18:12:43 [Syreena]: Things were very different than they are now. Most of you were still in your hometowns, or fighting in some far off land we didn't even know about back then.
18:13:01 Paxristos looks at Sunderpalm.
18:13:01 [Syreena]: To fully appreciate the story I'm about to tell you, you must understand a few things.
18:13:21 [Syreena]: None of us had ever set foot in Outland or Northrend, and we didn't know that Pandaria even existed.
18:13:42 [Syreena]: This was in the days of the old Horde....orcs, trolls, tauren, and Forsaken. That's all.
18:14:15 [Syreena]: If we even ever encountered blood elves back then, they were hostile. Goblins were for business dealings, but not to be fully trusted. Pandaren weren't even a figment of our imagination.
18:14:40 [Syreena]: We'd never even been to Molten Core at that point, or any of the other deep dark places requiring an army to defeat.
18:15:09 [Syreena]: The largest battles against the Alliance took place in the open, such as Tarren Mill and Southshore, not on fields controlled by battlemasters.
18:15:37 [Syreena]: We didn't fight for resources, or flags, or for a higher ranking within the Horde. We fought for territory, and for blood, and for survival.
18:15:45 [Syreena]: We fought for peace through annihilation.
18:15:47 Aureliya listened wistfully, having heard the tales of the great battles between Southshore and Tauren Mill, though she had never experienced them firsthand.
18:16:19 Sunderpalm wiggles as Punchpants/sit
18:16:27 [Syreena]: Back then, travel was even different. Only flight masters could control wyverns and other flying beasts.
18:16:53 [Syreena]: Only the very experienced, very wealthy of us even had a mount of any kind. Even those mounts weren't trained to swim.
18:17:06 [Syreena]: Most of us travelled only by foot, zeppelins, and controlled flight paths.
18:17:28 Selins tries to imagine such a time only to shake her head.
18:17:46 [Syreena]: We spent more time then in the major cities, working to gether with other Horde and the Horde leaders.
18:18:10 Ruuki can picture that world in her head, having heard similar stories from her father when she was a young calf.
18:18:22 [Syreena]: Maledictus, the Founder of The Grim, was still our leader back then. He was a Forsaken priest who worshipped the Dark Lady.
18:18:44 [Syreena]: He could often be found in her presence, praying to her, asking for guidance, and even reading poetry to her.
18:19:09 Sunderpalm whimsily daydreams about the story being said while sparring with Punchpants with the fingers of one hand.
18:19:09 [Syreena]: Maledictus was also a member of the Royal Apothecary Society, along with several other Grims at the time.
18:19:23 Aureliya looked to Syreena with interest, having heard nothing beyond the name of the original leader of the guild.
18:19:52 [Syreena]: The RAS had long been working on a plague that would presumably affect only the Alliance races. They had labs in the lower sections of Undercity, where they experimented on people, mostly Alliance.
18:19:59 Nanori sips from a flask that she withdrew from her belt, before slipping it back into the pouch the flask seemingly disappearing.
18:20:25 [Syreena]: They were trying to develop a plague that was deadly, but not too quick to kill. The host would need to live long enough to spread the plague, to make it most effective.
18:20:48 Selins recalls the labs, she often goes there for training.
18:21:08 [Syreena]: The RAS had developed a strain that worked on weaker specimens, but they needed to test their newest variety on someone stronger, to make sure it would be effective on the toughest warriors of the Alliance.
18:21:12 Melchom grins at the thought of such a plague.
18:21:16 Ruuki had avoided that area of the Undercity on her very few travels there, always creeped out by it.
18:21:27 [Syreena]: Maledictus was charged with finding such a specimen.
18:21:34 Sunderpalm mutters "It stinks in there, and there's no brew..." and frowns.
18:21:59 [Syreena]: As much as he hated Brackenwall Village, with its uncivilized ogres in this stinky swamp, the priest gathered The Grim here for this purpose.
18:22:20 [Syreena]: He brought several jars of plague with him to test on whatever new lab rats he might find.
18:22:50 Selins grins slightly hoping to be able to do similar things as she trains.
18:22:58 [Syreena]: Also, there were rumors he wanted to investigate. Rumors that the Alliance were keeping a secret on nearby Alcas Island, guarded by a legion of fierce Naga.
18:23:12 Aureliya glanced surrepticiously aside, hoping the ogres didn't overhear that.
18:23:21 [Syreena]: The RAS had speculated that this secret could hold the key to a breakthrough in their plague research.
18:23:59 [Syreena]: After one of the inspiring speeches Maledictus was known for, he marched The Grim out of this village, through the swamp, across the water, to Alcaz Island.
18:24:02 Ruuki can't help but tense up, worried the ogres would take offense.
18:24:15 [Syreena]: Let's go there now. We'll fly for time's sake, but remember, back then, most were on foot.
18:24:30 [Aureliya]: Selins, ride with me.
18:24:31 Sunderpalm winces slightly as Punchpants spins around his hand and jabbed in squarely in the side.
18:24:37 [Sunderpalm]: Wait, what...?
18:24:43 Selins jumps on the rocket quickly.
18:24:46 [Sunderpalm]: No worries, I'm good to drive.
18:28:30 Sunderpalm lets out a long, drawn-out sigh.
18:30:19 Sunderpalm greets everyone warmly.
18:30:24 [Syreena]: Well, that was interesting.
18:30:30 [Sunderpalm]: Indeed.
18:30:33 [Ruuki]: Are all accounted for?
18:30:44 [Syreena]: I believe so.
8:30:55 Selins gives herself a once over tending to the claw marks on her arms.
18:31:14 Melchom looks up towards Syreena.
18:31:20 [Syreena]: Well, when The Grim reached that shore we just left, after their long swim and waterwalking, they barely had time to catch their breath before being attacked from behind by a Hydra.
18:31:23 [Selins]: Thank you.
18:31:29 Nanori smirks at the other female elf checking her marks the scar on her face very visible. "What's another scar?"
18:31:34 Sunderpalm tips his mug at Selins.
18:32:02 [Syreena]: As soon as they killed the Hydra, they heard hissing coming from the jungle. There was no turning back though, because more Hydras were coming up out of the water.
18:32:04 Sunderpalm gently pats Punchpants.
18:32:09 Selins leans over and whispers. "Not the scar I worry about, infection and such."
18:32:21 [Selins]: I know that feeling.
18:32:28 Melchom smirks slyly at Selins.
18:32:32 [Syreena]: The Grim moved forward, and the naga warriors attacked. In a bloody battle, The Grim cut their way through them, and pressed on.
18:32:32 Aureliya chuckled at Selins.
18:32:34 Nanori shrugs. "When you grow stronger you won't worry about that so much."
18:32:48 Brishen leans in and whispers "I could help with that..."
18:32:48 [Syreena]: They found a grate in the ground that led to some kind of tunnel or sewer system.
18:32:59 Sunderpalm laughs at Brishen.
18:33:22 Selins looks back with an arches brow. "With infections?"
18:33:33 [Syreena]: Laughingcrow, a Tauren hunter...and the most Grim Grim I've ever met....smelled a human down there, so they went down, hoping to find a new lab rat for the plague experiments.
18:33:34 [Sunderpalm]: NOPE ...hic!
18:33:48 Brishen winks slyly at Selins.
18:34:11 [Syreena]: They came to a tunnel filled iwth water, and after swimming through it to the other side, they came up out of the water into a cell...holding a very notable prisoner.
18:34:13 Selins grins wickedly at Brishen.
18:34:17 [Syreena]: King Varian Wrynn.
8:34:25 Selins gasps
18:34:25 Sunderpalm gasps at Punchpants.
18:34:28 Aureliya widened her eyes.
18:34:58 Ruuki blinks, not having heard of this part of the story before.
18:34:58 Melchom tries to remember the name.
18:34:59 [Syreena]: Rumor was that Wrynn was on his way to Theramore for a meeting wth Jaina, and that he was kidnapped on the way through Dustwallow Marsh.
18:35:37 [Sunderpalm]: The great Varian Wrynn, bested by naga! ...hic!
18:35:42 [Syreena]: Maledictus, very happy, almost gleeful with his discovery, informed the human king that he was found guilty of his crimes against the Horde.
18:35:43 Sunderpalm rolls on the floor laughing.
18:35:51 Syreena shrugs at Sunderpalm. Who knows?
18:35:59 [Syreena]: Some say the Defias Brotherhood were behind it.
18:36:20 [Syreena]: The punishment for his crimes was death, of course.
18:36:49 [Sunderpalm]: Excuse me.
18:37:11 [Syreena]: The Grim set upon the captured king, tearing him to shreds. Some of the Grim Forsaken greedily ate Varian's flesh. Then something very strange began to happen...
18:37:36 You grin wickedly.
18:37:43 [Syreena]: The blood and pieces of flesh strewn about the cell began to move, sliding along the floor to where the king had stood.
18:38:05 [Syreena]: The undead who had eaten parts of the king, vomited their snack, and those pieces too moved to joint he rest of the king's remains.
18:38:06 Sunderpalm eyes narrowed.
18:38:07 Melchom wrinkles his nose up in disgust.
18:38:25 Selins places a hand over her mouth and the other on her chest as she tries to contain her stomach content.
18:38:35 [Syreena]: The pieces joined to form the boyd of the king again, flesh growing back and knitting itself into place. Varian stood there once again, whole and alive.
18:38:35 Sunderpalm raises his mug to toast the plot twist.
18:39:05 [Selins]: Such magic...it has been seen?
18:39:07 Ruuki looks horrifed, though she tries to remain tough looking, crossing her arms over her chest instead.
18:39:18 [Syreena]: Maledictus said there must be magic on the cell to keep the king alive, no matter what happened to him. he had found his new lab rat....the King of Rats.
18:39:32 Sunderpalm passes Ruuki a drink to help.
18:39:34 Paxristos is not surprised, always considering the human king to have worm-like qualities.
18:39:46 Melchom grins wickedly.
18:40:09 Selins makes an "I get it" kind of face as she nods.
18:40:22 [Syreena]: The Grim hacked the king to pieces again, and this time Maledicuts poured black plague poweder into his wounds before he became whole again. As before, the corpse put itself back together, and lived yet again.
18:40:28 Ruuki couldn't imagine being subjected to that sort of torment.
18:40:50 [Syreena]: The Grim left the cell then, to give the plague time to grow in their new rat, planning to return a few days later.
18:41:09 [Syreena]: I was with them when they returned to Alcaz Island, but th eadventure did not turn out like anyone had planned.
18:41:25 Paxristos listens intently to Syreena.
18:41:40 [Syreena]: The Grim planned to visit their King of Rats again, to see if he died from the plague, or to collect samples from him if he still lived.
18:42:16 [Syreena]: Once more, Grims and others of the Horde, about 90 people in all, made the tiring journey across the water to the Island.
18:42:42 [Syreena]: Instead of being confronted by Hydras and naga, however, we were met by an Alliance force more than twice the size of our own.
18:42:54 [Syreena]: Somehow, the Alliance had learned of our plans and had rallied to protect their king.
18:43:26 Melchom stares blankly in an attempt to imagine such a force.
18:43:27 Aureliya cursed softly beneath her breath, and glanced back at the island, imagining such a battle.
18:43:40 [Syreena]: That battle is still the largest battle I've ever been part of. With all the bloodshed and magics in the air, it seemed to tear a rift in time itself. Or maybe it was from the enchantments on the island.
18:43:54 Paxristos pictures rats protecting their "King Rat".
18:44:24 [Syreena]: Everything slowed down. Time stuttered, for hours, just starting and stopping with no warning. Then it just...stopped. I and most of the others blacked out.
18:44:25 Sunderpalm mutters to himself 'Rat...ling?'
18:44:47 Paxristos gets chills thinking of strange magical force that separated the party earlier.
18:45:00 [Syreena]: When I woke up, it was quiet. Horde and Alliance bodies both were scattered over the beach and in the jungle. Some, like me, were waking up. Others never would.
18:45:14 Selins taps her lip trying to think of the kind of magic that could do that.
18:45:49 [Syreena]: We went back to that underground cell on the island again days later, but we never saw Varian Wrynn in that cell again. The Alliance, or someone, had moved him.
18:45:51 Nanori smirks thoughtfully.
18:45:57 Ruuki shakes her head, envisioning such a sight, with it sending a chill down her spine.
18:46:03 [Syreena]: Maledictus disappeared not too long after all this happened.
18:46:17 Aureliya frowned. "What became of him?"
18:46:44 Melchom listens carefully for the answer.
18:46:53 [Syreena]: I'm not sure. I heard he died. I heard he went into hiding. I heard he has gathered a new group to lead.
18:46:55 Syreena shrugs. Who knows?
18:47:20 [Sunderpalm]: Why dissappear sho shuddenly?
18:47:22 [Syreena]: Some Grims went searching for him, but without success.
18:47:25 Paxristos ponders Syreena's actions.
18:47:44 [Syreena]: Maybe the RAS decided he had failed them.
18:47:46 Syreena shrugs. Who knows?
18:47:57 [Sunderpalm]: And dealt with them in their own way...
18:48:03 Selins frowns.
18:48:05 [Syreena]: I wouldn't put it past them.
18:48:22 Melchom nods softly in agreement.
18:48:26 [Syreena]: Obviously the plague didn't kill Varian Wrynn, since he sits on the throne in Stormwind today.
18:48:36 Aureliya looked quiet and thoughtful, still contemplating the story Syreena had told.
18:48:38 Paxristos spits on the ground.
18:48:38 [Sunderpalm]: No drink will lead to grump-ridden days, and decisions.
18:48:41 [Syreena]: Whatever the humans might call him though, he'll always be known by The Grim as the King of Rats.
18:48:48 [Selins]: Or was it the magic the keeps him alive still?
18:48:55 [Ruuki]: Perhaps the plague is dormant, waiting for him to die before it becomes active?
18:48:56 [Syreena]: Could be.
18:49:09 [Aureliya]: A truly fascinating story.
18:49:21 [Syreena]: Thank you.
18:49:22 [Nanori]: Indeed.
18:49:25 Sunderpalm passes Ruuki drink to fix that.
18:49:28 Paxristos meditates on the tale just told.
18:49:40 Selins grins as she thinks of ways to get samples.
18:49:48 Aureliya looked around at those gathered. "Supplicants, I hope you have listened well and learned something new this evening."
18:49:59 Selins nods.
18:50:00 [Sunderpalm]: A shtory of the ages, Great Lady!
18:50:02 Paxristos nods at you.
18:50:05 Ruuki turns to Aureliya and nods.
18:50:19 Melchom nods at you.
18:50:27 [Aureliya]: For those of you who have yet to complete their trial of resolve, your attendance here tonight will count for that.
18:50:39 Sunderpalm bows before you.
18:50:42 Selins cheers!
18:50:44 Paxristos thanks you.
18:50:47 [Aureliya]: And Syreena, thank you for sharing such a tale, and bringing us to the very location.
18:50:48 Nanori glances around and nods. "Peace through Annihilation!"
18:50:50 [Sunderpalm]: Very kind of you
18:50:54 Syreena nods at you.
18:50:57 Sunderpalm wipes his mouth discreetly.
18:51:10 [Nanori]: I suppose I will be on my way.
18:51:12 [Aureliya]: I will provide a portal back to Orgimmar.
18:51:19 [Nanori]: Oh that's handy.
18:51:21 Syreena grins wickedly.
18:51:24 [Sunderpalm]: ...hic!
18:51:24 Selins thanks Nanori and Aureliya " Thank you for assisting me."