( Below is a complex retelling of two events that occurred in-game over two days. These two events, while on separate days, were canonically coinciding. They will help pave the way toward the Sanctum as a whole and provide opportunities for more growth. Before I begin with this story and piece, its creation would not be possible without the aid and participation of people such as @zalilirah, and @vyvienne. Credit for participation and help also belongs to Varethuun, Catori, Skormosh, Ryo, and Zavryn who took part(s) in this but don't have tumblrs for me to mention. Credit also goes to @sanguinesorceress for helping me brainstorm how to get this down in a (hopefully) semi-articulate manner. Without those peoples help and participation in the events, stories like this wouldn't be possible. So thank you for enabling my writing.)
How does one write events down on what occurred not through just your eyes but the sets of half a dozen others simultaneously without making it sound insane or chaotically inconvenient at the least? The Sanguine, my gift created to bind those willing to share to my mind, to let me hear, see, and feel, as they do, can be as much a blessing for me and them as it can sometimes be an inconvenient curse. Emotions make things hard sometimes for those connected to not share, for their emotions to not sometimes overlap or bleed into the Sanguine, especially when they are at extreme peaks or gut-wrenching lows. Part of me still finds myself confused about the last few days as I process what happened and learned and I cut through what is truly my feelings and that of those connected or who participated.
Nevertheless, I write now to both understand what occurred and to perhaps find some hidden truth amongst the details that I have managed to overlook.
This past weekend a set of operations was put into place to sabotage my brother, Ammaelin's, efforts in his war with us and in hopes, also rescue Nezzok from his capture from our last failed assault. During this operation, my own would be underway some distance away from my old home and his current estate, distraction entirely, to give Zali time without the concern of him capturing or killing her and those aiding her. As events were planned, it was a success, but in its success, I have far more questions than I had before it even began.
The Bloodcrest Estate, my childhood home, rests in the Ghostlands, a place once called The Black Forest. As far as for Noble House Estates, it wasn't the largest or most impressive, but what was our calling was the placement of a Holy Font that sat upon Leylines in the area. It was this very font that I thought I had destroyed years ago, making sure Ammaelin would not be able to use it for himself again, and as two-parts declaration I cut myself away from him and spit in his eye.
During my recent death, Krownos, my father, was released from Prison by Zalilirah, Nezzok, and my followers of The Sanctum as they believed he was the only one who could properly resurrect me. They weren't wrong, but during work to collect the needed materials to revitalize me, he must have traveled home to Ammaelin and reconstructed the Font, relighting it in turn and restoring our family heritage. As to why, I'm not certain, but this would have deeply empowered my brother.
And it did, but still. My resurrection came as intended and in sensing some sort of betrayal, Nezzok and Zalilirah absconded away with my body until I fully regained consciousness, denying him the opportunity to consume my body and take what I was, or had been rather, before my death. I can only applaud their diligence, but in this, I failed to realize what Krownos had done to me. I'll come back to this point later.
Back to this Font. Its explanation of revitalization is key to Zalilirahs efforts as it was this font that was keeping Nezzok's form muted and shackled. A holy font directly over an Undead Troll must have been incredibly painful for him, while also making sure he was never able to have any proper level of strength to fight back, let alone escape. Zalilirahs efforts here were two fold and thankfully Vyvienne was available for the work as she was able to sap and draw out enough of its strength that Zali could implant a trinket I created that sealed its destruction, allowing it to break and for Nezzok to be freed. This all sounds wonderful in theory and storytelling, but truth be told, I'm not entirely sure this wasn't according to someone else's plan as well. Krownos's plan.
He appeared at the end of their work, withered as if severely aged, clothes sagging, a walking stick needed. It was an almost comical sight to see him so far fallen, only it was... off. I recall seeing through Varethuuns eyes as he slammed his head into the stonework, cracking his skull. He killed him. There is no question.
During this time, the team I led for Distraction was working just as intended. We had set off alarms in the area south of the Sanctum of the Sun and Ammaelin came running with all his Holy Vigor and anger as I knew he would. Combat came stampeding in with him and in a matter of moments of realization on who had set off the alarm, we were fighting, The Sanctum vs Ammaelin. My people did as wonderfully as expected, Skormosh even managed to make one man soil himself before he was killed and when the numbers faltered, some took the knee, swearing themselves and the remainder fled as we fought Ammaelin as a group.
What I can't explain was the events occurring during our fight. Last time, he so thoroughly trounced my Inner Sanctum. To the point, it instilled such a deep fear that some of my own absolutely refused to get involved in another fight with him. The last fight was a cataclysmic effort that shames me for not anticipating, but, this... This was different.
Ammaelin struggled, STRUGGLED, to even hit me. I don't think I recall a single blow actually landing. The level of vindication I feel now though in seeing why he made it a point to lock me out of the failed ambush feels justified. Something began to happen though during this fight that may have had much to do with it, but a blessing all the same. Ammaelins resilience waned and soon he weakened and I began to feel empowered. He hit the knee as Pahnd (played by Varethuun), Catori, Skormosh, and Tamaku (played by Nezzok/Zali) waled on his form.
I can only explain what came next through the eyes of those who watched as it's all akin to a drunken blur from my own.
The magical font was destroyed and Krownos somehow rose from the stone flooring. A guard nearby died as his life was ripped from him, devoured on the spot, and revitalizing my father. I remember Varethuuns anger and bitterness at his leech-like abilities and whether he will admit it or not, I believe I sensed something akin to fear at the realization as to how powerful this truly made the old man.
I also remember seeing myself from Tamaku, a young troll Nezzok has taken to teach the ways of Venomancy too, coursing with a black, electrical energy that arced across my form in random stitching. I see myself through his eyes, looking nearly drunk with power as I staggered and Skormosh condescending to Ammaelin about his loss and failure.
The viewpoint of Catori or Pahnd, maybe? Whoever it was, they saw Tamaku spear Skormosh clear just in time for my frame to unleash a massive outlash of power that I was unable to control. The ground around my feet pitted and glassed and a lance of energy came free that sculpted the nearby mountain peak, boring clear through it. I remember hearing Varethuuns' thoughts about having seen it, thinking we must have been fighting still.
I ended up blacking out at some point shortly after...
Now I have more questions than ever.
Krownos has devoured all of my brother's forces, what was left, and destroyed our home. I haven't a clue as to why he did any of it beyond some game that only he knows the rules of. Ammaelin disappeared during my explosive outlet with no signs as to where he's gone or where he's going. There weren't even footsteps leaving the scene!
How the hell has he just disappeared with no physical or magical traces?! Where has my father gone and why?!
And my biggest question of all is why did I not realize what was going on with me and their hands in it? My body is having trouble acclimating to this spike of released energy and going over my old journals and entries, I come to realize that this power I feel isn't new, it's just been found. Ammaelin and my father, I'm sure of it, locked it away when I was resurrected with that god-damned fonts relighting!
I need to figure this all out, as chaotic as my thoughts are, I am enthusiastic for the future. I have regained a part of me that I was not aware I had lost and my Sanctum has no holy host to stand in its way no longer.
The Operation had started off well enough. Skormosh, Nepenth, Varethuun, Ryo, Nezzok, and Runeva. Squad didn't fit given their strengths and abilities. These people stood up and over the common rank and file, not just by a head's height either. Each of them was a mountain amongst molehills, capable of downing dozens of people on their own if not far more. So the decimation of my Brothers forces was meant to be a cake walk, putting it into simplistic terms. What we expected and what we got was anything but. A trap, the best I can put it. I had assumed we were the one setting the ambush, but looking back at the accounts, I can only assume Ammaelin knew we would move and put his forces out as bait. He sacrificed them and it paid off.
The Sanctum showed up and began to summarily dispose of those who'd gathered and amongst the fighting, a priest managed to send off a signal and in his usual gallant fashion, came riding in on his proto-drake, and slammed into my people like some sort of holy meteor, immediately putting their actions to rest.
I watched them through the Sanguine, curious to see if they could handle his machismo only to discover that every effort, aside from the few lucky strikes that managed to get past his defenses, did absolutely nothing. Magical in nature, surely. I need to find out -why- his fortitude has grown so strong over the years. When he interfered on behest of that god damned goblin and his half-breed wife, he didn't boast this sort of strength... Something has changed. I grow distracted though with my thoughts, as this entry is meant to be one to categorize events over hypothesization.
When it became apparent those within the Sanctum weren't going to be able to handle them, I decided to insert myself into the ordeal, only to be summarily removed from play before I could even properly assimilate from my transference. Ammaelin's hammer, a relic similar to my Scythe I feel, was crafted with Holy Blessings during its creation and imbued with magical crystals containing the Light. A fearsome tool made to take people like me and mine off the board and it did its job well. As the goblins like to put it, he 'knocked me into next week'. Before I could hit another surface a portal opened behind him, taking me off to some remote part of the Arathi Highlands.
A trap within a trap and we'd all walked right into it. Another failure on my part, starting to mount and it grows so very tiring, especially when the Sanctum looks to me for answers. Still, this was unexpected as my Father waited for me on the other side and it became all the clearer.
He had orchestrated all of this. Ammaelin's rise to and of power, the ambush of my people, and inevitably the bait I took that put me to stand before him. The old man was near as I remembered him. Well, save for the parlor of his grey, undead skin, and the crimson color of his eyes. He was no longer living, that much I could divine, and before words could be set, he was upon me.
He moved with a speed I could scarcely reconcile. I'd never seen Undead move in such a fashion, especially magical ones. It was as if he'd taken on teachings of Pandaren Monks and Demon Hunters to mix with his own magical acquirements over the years. If this did not worry me, I would be eager with curiosity, ravenous with it like Varethuun, if I did not know what it could spell for me. It took everything I had to keep him back and worse still, as I felt Nezzok's connection across the Sanguine fade as he was captured, I faltered, distracted.
Krownos made his move, set upon me in a grapple, declaring how easy it'd be for him to take Ammaelin once I had been consumed. I could see it in his eyes. We were all but tools to fuel his fire, a hunger I could relate to well, but... fate has a way of taking things into control when one least expects it. By all accounts, I should not be here to write this, I should have been absorbed but Krownos' arm burst into fel flame and moved of its own accord. It turned on him, grabbed at his face and neck, throttling him to the point it burned his undead flesh. His body revolted and it's in this instant I could feel Sanelastus within him. His spirit, soul, whatever remained, was fighting to keep him from obtaining me, condemning me to the same fate he had suffered.
Sanelastus saved me, but to what end, I do not know for the conflict was enough that Krownos howled with an unkempt rage and retreated, feuding with himself. Sanelastus bought me time...
I will not, cannot, let it go to waste. Ammaelin's boost in power must be discovered and finding out what happened with my Father and why may prove critical to my and my Sanctum's very survival. Nezzok has been captured, held prisoner at my brother's estate, kept under lock, key, and holy power to contain his undead form. Ryo gathers a scouting party to discern more information and soon Zalilirah and I will put to task a two-pronged effort to at least try to handicap my Brother, to bring him to a more manageable level. I feel that if we can navigate properly and remove him from the board before my father decides to simply absorb him instead of using him like a pawn, we may find a way to actually take Krownos down as well.
( The above events are an IC recollection, a journal entry by Dinthoqaf, to help relate a portion of what occurred when he'd been removed from the event to keep him from aiding his own people. )
