#alynore

[sirdolraan]

Touching Base

(( DWC November 2024 Day 3, Morose/Strength, CW: None; @daily-writing-challenge ))

The blue light of the holo-transmitter lit up Dolraan's room, pushing back the darkness of night-time Dornagal. He fought the urge to yawn as he spoke at length with his executive officer Alynore, catching each other up about the goings on on the opposite sides of the world. Lucky her, it was morning in Light's Hope.

"-should have everything ready for your idea about setting up Argent embassies in regions shared by horde and alliance-aligned peoples, the emissaries will be leaving in a few hours to present the idea to the leaders still in Orgrimmar and Stormwind. Beyond that, the work out here continues, there's scourge to suppress and naturalists to protect. Got some good news from Crown's Guard, the extra three yards of purification have held, and our druid friends were making very excited noises over the soil samples we brought back." Alynore reported, her image ticking things off her fingers as she spoke, before she looked at Dolraan with a wry smile. "How's the island vacation?"

"Oh, you know, plenty of sun and surf," Dolraan replied, shaking his head wryly. "Have you had a chance to go over that package I sent about the Arathi Imperials of Hallowfall?"

"Sure did, Wes agrees with me that it's a lot to take in, and certainly more than I bet you were bargaining for when you headed out to Dalaran to hunt down the Harbinger."

"It certainly is. The strength of their faith is nothing short of inspiring... if not also a bit worrying."

"Thinking about the Scarlets?" Alynore asked, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Little bit. Enough conviction and you can find yourself going in entirely the wrong direction. They've got their own little void cult problem who think that the best way to honor their Sacred Flame is to trigger their apocalypse, and another who responded to us showing up by using the light to raise their fallen as undead to prove they could stand alone. The Lamplighters and the majority of the folk are good people in a bad position, but everything they tell me about their home, and their ideas on strength and faith, makes me worried as hell."

"We've sent word to Stormgarde and Silvermoon to ask if they have any records of the timeframe that would have led to this empire's founding, but considering how many of the northern cities have risen and fallen again and again since then..."

"We're not likely to find much." Dolraan replied, rubbing his eyes. "Do me a favor, suggest to the other highlords that we should build some new watch towers along the eastern coast. Just in case."

"Wes is already drawing up plans. You're getting slow in your old age." Alynore replied, grinning mischeviously.

"Says the woman who got a good night's sleep. Take care of Light's Hope, sister, I am going to get some shut eye."

"Will do, brother. I'll let you know if we get any news," Alynore signed off as Dolraan turned off the device, and stretched, walking over to the bed. He sighed slightly as he lay down, lamenting how lonely it was. Worst part of the job was when it set him on different paths than his beloved wife, he thought, as he wrapped himself up in the blankets and closed his eyes to prepare for the new day to come.

[noonmutter]

Poems for Vember and Nore.

"Speaking with you is memory "Both missed and a most joyous journey "Catching up with one another beneath ghostly lamplight "Sharing gossip and swapping tales on foggy nights "A childhood neither of us really knew "A familial bond neither expected grew "Idiot adventures "Simple, heartfelt gestures "Nothing less than family true "Including the occasional noogie, too."

"There is nothing left to say "For one so devoted "To the light and to family and to strangers unknown "Protection personified "Blunt, perhaps crass, but dignified "Called and trained to fight as an army alone "But alone is a falsehood "And frankly impossible "As one can never pick a fight with only one Dragoon."

[sirdolraan]

Strain

(Daily Writing Challenge day 4, Feb 23 2022, prompt: Pose --- Deception)

Being stabbed by Frostmourne in the final confrontation with the Lich King.

Being nearly crushed under the massive, armored talons of Deathwing.

Weathering the brutal fel fires of his dear friend when her loyalties wavered.

Dolraan had borne many terrible ordeals, and never given up. Never. Until now.

"How much longer do you need me to do this?" he strained through his teeth, careful as possible to not alter his pose.

"Oh not too much longer, my lord!" replied the sculptor, a young lady named Janya. "Just another hour today and we can both get some rest!" She smiled at him as she resumed humming and gently tapping away on the block of stone before her, that would at some point become a statue of him, as desired by his fellows on the council.

"We've all stood for the carving, Sir Sa'naan." Alynore had told him, trying and failing to hide a grin as she stressed his very official title. "You can't evade it forever."

Attempts to convince them to work off snapper prints or holos had fallen on deaf ears. The "artiste" insisted on a live subject. And so Dolraan stood, striking a heroic pose, his every muscle straining as he held his sword high, shield at his side, Alynore grinning at him from where she sat, loving every moment of his torment.

In retrospect, being stepped on by a fifty foot long dragon hadn't been that bad after all.

@daily-writing-challenge

[noonmutter]

The Light in Lordaeron

The following storyline begins just before the events of Battle for Azeroth, and follows Terry’s conscription into the army of the Alliance. It was...eventful...and he spent a while trying to process it. Thankfully, he had Toffee with him to make life slightly less harrowing when things got quiet again, and he seemed to be well on his way to accidentally forming a following by the time things got really wierd.

Orders

With war brewing yet again, the call goes out.

Deployment

On the eve of their first anniversary, and celebrating their engagement to be married, Terry and Dwyn get a very unwelcome surprise.

Conscription

On his first mission, Terry and Toffee give a good account of themselves. It doesn’t work in Terry’s favor, and he finds himself in trouble.

Consummation

Terry returns to Stormwind to await new orders, and receives a much more welcome surprise.

Sendoff

Consequences arise from the happenings in Lordaeron.

Letters to a Fellow Soldier

A letter from an unexpected source provides support Terry didn’t know he needed until he got it.

Letters to a Fellow Soldier 2

More of the same, and Terry asks a question.

Letters to a Fellow Soldier 3

An answer received and tentative half-plans made.

Confrontation

Terry shows his colors a second time, and doesn’t know whether he’ll get away with it. Nor does he care.

Timing

Terry is given several pleasant surprises in rapid succession, by the least pleasant method possible. 

Weight

Assaulted from all sides even in his sleep, Terry gets new orders when he wakes.

The Price of Loyalty

A brief aside to check in on Terry’s battle buddy and complicated relationship, Ansul “Wolf” Barton.

The Price of Loyalty Pt. 2

Things go from bad to worse when Terry’s conversation with Ansul prompts him to call Shedwyn, too.

Depth

Even as he’s being shipped out, Terry grapples with horrible news, all the while being watched.

Pressure

Terry goes for a ride.

Darkness

Terry’s ride ends but he doesn’t get a t-shirt or a novelty photo.

Snap

Terry recovered from his crappy ride thanks to a timely intervention from Darlain, lent a hand in taking down Azshara which was hardly remarkable enough to write down haha shut up, and was almost immediately given new deployment orders. Within about thirty minutes of his arrival at Darkshore for cleanup duty, things went wrong. Because of course they did.

And nobody heard from him again.

--(Everything past this line takes place just before and over the course of Shadowlands)--

Sucker

Nobody’s seen or heard from Terry in roughly three months. This is a problem.

Punch

Terry wakes up yet again, much to his own surprise.

Claw

In which Terry's will wavers.

Gutted

Leon found out about Terry’s reported death long after Shedwyn, Ansul (Terry’s battle buddy), and even Valarin had. He did basically nothing about it, unable to parse his own reaction enough to act on it. Time for that to stop.

Battered

As wheels set in motion without him, Terry grasps at straws to keep himself going.

Afterlife

As so often happens in Azeroth, action is spurred by a dream...

Wander/Blame

A memory of respite from Terry’s suffering, and a brief moment of acceptance.

Really?

Let the sins of Terrence Samuel Ambroce be known henceforth.

Sapped

The atonement begins, whether he likes it or not.

Poppa

We haven’t checked in on Toffee in a while. We should do that.

Surrender

In which someone who failed the first time, tries again.

Sentence

In which a failure fails and makes it Terry’s problem.

Revelation Pt. 1

In which Terry recalls the previous prison, to distract himself from his current one.

Revelation Pt. 2

In which Terry embraces inevitability.

Revelation Pt. 3

In which Terry finds faith.

Revelation Pt. 4

In which faith brings truth, and poor timing wrecks it all.

Revelation Pt. 5

In which a failure is punished.

[noonmutter]

“Alynore,

Thank you for the previous letter, and the entertainment that went with it. Don’t think I’ve ever seen a night elf smirk like that, least of all an officer.

I am unable to provide too much detail as to my current deployment, save that I am among a detachment sent to Zandalar. While I am not alone–and knowing that does provide some comfort–it is probably for the best that no one who doesn’t need to be here is able to smell me. The heat and the humidity here are damned near unbearable in full kit, and what I thought was a mouse turned out to be a tick.

Your faith is welcome, when so many, myself included, are lacking.

I was When I nearly In Lordaeron The L Something happened in Lordaeron. I don’t know how to explain it in writing. No idea how to approach it. It’s easier for now to just start with a question:

How did you find the Light as a paladin? Was it a calling sort of thing, or something else?

It’s important.

Terry Ambroce Pvt 2nd Class of the Alliance

PS - Captain Sirenspawn wanted me to extend a standing invite to tea any time you two happen to be on-base at the same time. Is this how officers flirt?”

( @red-alynore )

[red-alynore]

Horizon Zero Dawn’s Aloy is about the most perfect visual rep for Alynore yet. Aside from the fact she uses a bow, while Nore can’t hit the broadside of a barn at range.

[red-alynore]

Cambor: Oh Alynore, you are not at all subtle. XD

LynMars: Nore and Subtle once passed each other in a hall, nodded politely, and kept walking opposite directions.

[saltsparkle]

Send me ✘ for an aesthetic board about our muses.

@red-alynore