The Second Trial of the Knight-Lord Elanderik Que'tinasi

[Elanderik]

For the most part it had been a fairly typical day that had brought a mix of adventure and a splash of socializing at its end. There were numerous thoughts that had gone through the Knight-Lord's mind since his departure from the Brawler's Arena and the conversations he had engaged in while he was there. First and foremost of them were in regards to his second trial.

While he had a wide selection of individuals in which he could have chosen to come to know, Elek had set his intentions upon the guild's own High Inquisitor, a forsaken Rogue who everyone knew held no fond love of elves and Sin'dorei especially. As his interviewer and ultimately his recruiter into The Grim, who better he felt than to come to know the woman that had either seen through her own prejudices or been compelled to push them aside to give him the chance to prove his worth among the ranks in reverence to The Mandate?

Knowing he was to report his efforts to Syreena herself, the Blood Elf took out his quill and parchments and pushed aside the flakes, chips, and dusts from his jewelcrafting work and set himself some time to write.

High Inquisitor Syreena,

As part of my efforts towards my Second Trial as Supplicant, I have, as you're aware, been making efforts in coming to know you and what The Grim means in your eyes. As such, I wish to present my findings, which I understand may or may not be entirely correct.

While you may not recall most of the details of your life prior to your death and rebirth, it seems that events of a particularly emotional nature are of the sorts of memories that have burned most clearly and hold a place closest to you. As such, they have defined who you were and what you value, and you use these sentiments to guide and direct your ambitions going forwards.

You had described a particularly humble origin that was not without its share of hardship. Between abuse and neglect, you were forced to grow up in a sort of environment where you felt all you had to rely upon was yourself, be it for food, clothing, or whatever other entertainment or necessity there was. It is likely this, I feel, that led you down the rogue's path, learning to blend with the shadows and claim opportunity when and where it arose.

In our discussion in the Lower City, you had recalled an event where you were happened upon by a young woman of Andorhal whom you had ultimately killed. Jealousy does not seem to be something that I would describe you with, though that was the hint and indication that you'd given upon why you'd taken the girl's life. My speculation is that rather than reacting to an animosity towards someone whom you'd felt had a better life, you had rather panicked, fearful of whatever sort of repercussion might have been brought upon you by your particularity less-than-favorable 'father.' Later on, once you were caught, you declined attempts to escape or deny your involvement, preferring the isolation and relative 'safety' the jails of Andorhal provided as they served as a means to keep those who did not care for you (or you they) away. You'd mentioned it was in those cells where you came in contact with the Plague, and I'm afraid there's not much I can state on that regard as you say you do not remember anything between then and the time you rose again in Brill.

Though I don't believe we touched on the topic specifically, I do not suspect you found much difficulty in accepting the call of the Banshee Queen and your life after death. While this may have come as a shock to many of the Forsaken, I believe your familiarity to hardship and your own struggles to survive gave you the tenacity to take it in stride and the drive to learn how to make the most of the newest twist in the hand that had been dealt to you. By no means do I suggest that you liked or approved of what had happened, but you seem not to be the sort to protest, but rather, (sometimes grudgingly) continue forward.

Your reunion with your sister after your revival and the bond you two share to this day suggests to me that she, and probably she alone, had visited you when you were in the jails prior to your death. You seem not to hold any such sentiment to your other family members from your life before The Grim, and I do not wager you would should any of them turn up later. I might even go so far as to say you'd return them personally to their graves.

I'm not certain where the timelines lay out in regards to your association with the orcs who took you in and gave you the nickname "Little Sister." I do not know if they were Grim, but I have a belief that they were. You seem to view The Grim as what you feel a family should be; people you can trust, people you can rely upon, people whose strengths can augment your own, and your's theirs. You do not feel such things should be asked for, but rather, freely given among those in the family and that the people in it should be observant enough to know when it is needed and not against some show of sacrifice to better ensure the continuance and betterment of all those within The Mandate.

While I know we've discussed the matter of Cessily frequently, it is clear that she still remains a significant thought on your mind. You've been hesitant with details about some of your interactions with her, and I feel this is likely due to some degree of conflict in your emotions about her. You told me she took up the whip she was ordered to flay your back with willingly; I don't believe you. Cessily was a woman who, while she would not outwardly show it, did hold a deep degree of respect for those she held above her. I feel that if she had gleefully taken up the whip as you suggested, you'd have no more thought of her than her being some 'stupid elf unfit to be a Grim' and that you'd have sent this new Sin'dorei, Kiryx, away or otherwise made her tasks obviously and overwhelmingly impossible to complete the very moment you felt you saw a glimmer of Suntouch within her.

To tie this back into the notion of Family and The Grim as well, Cessily was, at the time, a Grim. She was family, and a rogue like yourself. There was a commitment to her to raise her up in The Grim, to guide her to better herself and raise the call of The Mandate. I believe you reflect her failures as failures of yourself, that you have the notion or guilt that you could have somehow 'fixed' whatever problems she faced and made her out to be whatever ideal you feel she should have been.

Cessily was a flawed, and angry woman. The mad-mistress might have tasked you to 'control' her, but the very sort of control it would have taken to affect her would have been in direct conflict with what you feel family and The Grim should consist of. Even beneath your own cold exterior, you /are/ a compassionate woman who cares tremendously for those close around you. When I had made the suggestion to 'let it go' in regards to Cessily, I mean it in earnest. Her failure is not your fault. Her attitude and personality were not your doing. While she may have caused you hardship, I would not believe it would have been deliberate - especially if you were untruthful about the ordeal with the whip. I have seen the sides of her she does not show in public, and they are the only reasons I can even imagine why you'd still seem to care any shred about her even to this day.

She is gone, High Inquisitor. Please do not let the memory of her prevent you in your own forward momentum as a member of The Grim or otherwise deter your ability to carry on beneath The Mandate. As a supplicant soon facing my own efforts to detach myself from my past, it would be my hope to know that all members can still do that when it is needed. We all have endured our mistakes and regrets, a million what-ifs and second guesses. We should not have to suffer them for the entirety of our existence, and should be capable of leaving behind the weight that holds us back.

I trust in your ability to show us the way.

With Regards,
Elek Quentin
Supplicant of The Grim

[Syreenna]

The little rogue sat in her office at a desk whose surface (what small part of it was visible through stacks of paperwork) was scarred and scratched. In front of her was a letter she was finishing up. Beside that was Elanderik's letter, creased and wrinkled as thought it had been crumpled up and then straightened again, pinned to the desktop with a small dagger. On the floor around her feet were several crumpled up half-written letters, some were months old and several were less than an hour old.

She had started writing letters in return that tried to explain or dispute what he wrote in his letter. Some of his observations about her were too close to the truth to be comfortable. Some of those truths, Syreena would never admit, not even to herself. And then, of course, some of his assumptions were not correct at all.

Finally, she decided that she had never before defended or justified other subjects of such interviews, so she would stick to the task at hand and not let Elek know just how much his letter, and his observations about her, had gotten to her.

The return letter to the elf--the one that didn't end up crumpled on the floor--was brief.

Elek,

Supplicant Elanderik,

I will consider your assignment half complete. The task was to interview two ranked Grims. You have reported on one.

Peace through annihilation.

Syreena Shadowblade
High Inquisitor of The Grim

[Elanderik]

Another letter lay upon the desk of the High Inquisitor, this time with the subject being Awatu, Commander of The Grim itself.

High Inquisitor Syreena,

As the final part of my Trial of Resolve, I have interviewed The Commander in hopes of understanding what The Grim means and what it represents. My intentions with these interviews were to bring to light the process and decisions that not only determine who is Grim, but what is Grim.

One of the first things I'd come to notice about The Grim and its history was that the title of the commanding person has changed with each person who has claimed the responsibility. From Arbiter, to Shadowblade, and various other titles along the way, The Grim has come to follow the lead now of its Commander. When asked why he chose this particular title among the multitudes of others he could have chosen, Awatu had explained that The Grim, at the time, was in a state of disarray and uncertainty. Inaction, infighting, and other issues plagued the ranks and the future of The Grim had become uncertain. He felt that The Grim needed a strong title, one who could decide on the path the guild would take and forge ahead with a renewed spirit.

His initial order of business was to prune the ranks and streamline The Grim. He had felt it had become too fat and resultantly lazy to sustain itself. Officers that he believed were not performing to task were stripped of their ranks. Members who had not reported in the timelines he deemed reasonable were removed altogether and their privileges revoked. In essence, he brought a reckoning down upon the ranks and reminded those who wear the insignia that The Grim is for the elite, the dedicated, the loyal few who would answer the call and do what is necessary to ensure the enduring survival of the Horde against whatever threats and enemies may arise.

I had asked him about his views on the motto and the events or cause that brought him to believe it. He had revealed that his people had been attacked and massacred by a troop of dwarves, decimated down to and including the last man standing. Family, friends, his whole past upturned in one set of events and snuffed like one might a candle at the end of a day. His vengeance was understandable, and swift. However, it would not stop there. While his rage may have subsided in the years since that event, he had come to the understanding that there exist a number of decision-making members of the Alliance who not only condone the actions perpetrated upon his kin, but wish similar to us all even now. These entities view us as 'mongrels,' as 'animals' or often worse, and their drive to exterminate us "like vermin" can be often openly heard from their very mouths. King Varian Wrynn, Tyrande Whisperwind, and Jaina Proudmoore are prime examples of high-command in which this perception exists. Such hatred has become ingrained in Alliance society. The xenophobia is rooted in many of their citizens and taught to the young to carry on anew, and as such, needs to be utterly destroyed so that the old cannot re-teach it to the young and that the young are not there to continue the circle later on.

Awatu had explained that The Grim is neither "family," or a "tool." The Grim is not a weapon to be wielded against our enemies. Instead, it's a commitment, a choice to take up the burden of responsibility to do what is necessary. I had asked him what lesson he felt he wanted to teach members of The Grim should he only have one he could. He mentioned family and friends, and to cherish what time we have with them as they may be gone tomorrow. Their lives are worth defending, worth protecting, and if we, as Grim are not up to the task, who is?

When I concluded my interview, I also asked for advice he'd have to give a supplicant. He had told me that a supplicant should test and question themselves. While he didn't explain, I understand that these Trials are not simply a lesson or demonstration of obedience, but rather, a means in which the supplicant themselves has to figure out who they truly are. The process of the Trials is largely unhindered by members already within the ranks. Syreena and the High Inquisitors aren't tasked in saying who is or is not Grim; that is something the individual does on their own. They prove to themselves and those around that they either are, or are not.

Regards,

Elek Quentin
Supplicant of The Grim

[Lilliana]

((wow, those were well written))