#tazavesh

[twodirt]

i started this back at the start of 11.2 and now its the start of midnight but uhhmmmm

nasir likes the freaky little cats in tazavesh

[saraj-the-ethereal]

DwC August 2025

Day 1, 8/17

Ethereal/Calculate

@daily-writing-challenge

“So, will you be going back to K’aresh too, my friend?” The Nightborne’s question was a repetitive one ever since Enzo Viserus had learned that travel had been officially implemented to the ruins of the Ethereal’s homeland. So repetitive in fact that Saraj weighed whether the Nightborne’s mental faculties were fading. Fleshlings and aging were a temperamental state, it seemed.

“Your Saraj will be staying to serve in the Red Room. And the Consortium’s interest, as always.” the Ethereal confirmed with what was often the same amused sort of graciousness that defined the airy float of his voice. “It is of the rumor that the K’areshi Trust is progressing well without him.” A cocktail of arcane-fused wine was smoothly offered to the Nightborne assistant. Clearly Viserus needed a little ‘refreshing’.

The Nightborne in turn eyed the cocktail, and with a genteel chuckle took it. “Thank you, Saraj, whatever would I do without you?”

A day or two passed, and as Saraj exited void storage in the cellars, Enzo engaged him again. “Have you heard? The Courier is officially setting up trade contracts with that city of yours, Tazavesh! Several of our couriers and runners are K’aresh bound. Should be quite lucrative. No doubt you're in tow right along with them? You just let me know what I need to cover, and I’ll have our fine little bar taken care of.”

“There are no trades scheduled with Tazavesh that depend on your Saraj needing to be present,” the Ethereal again provided his buffer as he moved past with arcano-datapad in hand. “But a man’s generosity is appreciated. We shall let the couriers have their pay, no?”

The sun and moon traded partners on Silvermoon again, and this time Enzo Viserus was in deep talk with the energetic little vulpera courier at the Red Room. Saraj slowed in his step as he restocked the Red Room, and assured no chair or table was out of place.

“So yeah the spaceghosts are doing some baaaaaad stuff on Kresh,” Sylvea spoke, and then paused. “Well I mean, the voidy-kind of space ghosts.” She tilted her head as she tried to explain, her ragged, fox like ear flopping over the large, healthy one. “There were not-voidy space ghosts and Broke guys, and they were pretty okay! So they gave me some bombs!” The vulpera uttered her words with unhinged cheer, her toothy grin splitting her snout too sharply. “And I was told to deliver ‘em to the void ghosts and their big glowing machines! And I DID, and they exploded and it was GREAT.” 

Enzo chuckled, and crossed looks with the goblin server that had also paused at the bar to overhear the conversation. It was a distinctly bothered look from the goblin, but she put on a pearly white smile as the vulpera turned to beam at her. “Good for you, doll! You get em girlie!” Dezzie said with fake gusto, all the while taking the sweet dessert wines from the Ethereal that would be popular for the lunch time rush. The goblin quickly wandered away.

“That does sound very exciting. And dangerous,” Enzo remarked with sincerity, and glanced at the Ethereal with an almost calculating fashion. “It’s a wonder why our own resident ‘spaceghost’ has not attended to assure your and the other couriers safety!”

“Yeahh, there’s a lotta voidy spaceghosts that need explodin’. Lady Saf says they're tryin’ to explode the planet again or somethin’. But I’m good! I was born to explode all the things! I mean, not the ‘planet’. But you know. The bad guys.” The vulpera looked up with wide, curious eyes on the Ethereal now. “I bet there are space ghosts that miss you, Saraj. Doing…well, space ghost…things.”

“The Consortium’s goals lie beyond K’aresh, and to help Empyrean Imports flourish,” the Ethereal explained. “It is not your Saraj’s place to be on the remains of a dead planet, but to help engineer the protection of this one. And of course, serve our clients. Speaking of which..” the Ethereal gestured to the first lunch patrons of the day.

Charmed as always with Saraj’s voiced, sensible imparting, the staff of the Red Room eventually returned to their own devices. In the end, the many parts of Empyrean Imports were united and devoted to one congruent religion: business. And they paid their tribute on the daily.

But as the night would fall on Silvermoon, words would find the Ethereal’s attention from the Courier herself, across private channels.

“It’s confirmed. The Shadowguard remnant on K’aresh, they are fueling the summoning of Dimensius. Saraj…I heard this damn thing’s voice.” 

“It is only another cult of madness, Courier. Surely the sensible will persevere over the void addled as they always have?”

“You tell me, Saraj. You tell me, with a force of endless hunger that does not whisper in your own bones, but spans generations. Maybe space. Time. This…thing, it’s even beyond the Sha’s hunger. I could feel it.” The Courier took a breath, and calmed her voice. “But yes, maybe…maybe with enough connections, bodies here we can stop it.” She sounded as if she were trying to convince herself. “Just one of the reasons you should be here, really.”

“Do explain. Your Saraj would hope to not complicate contracts with the Consortium if unneeded. Again.”

“One of the technicians at an eco-dome here became very invested in knowing me when they overheard me speaking with you. Practically bounced at the name Saraj. It’s been some thousands of years since he took to his wrappings, but he somehow remembers the name “Saraj”. Saraj was a guard of some renown, apparently.”

“The name Saraj was quite a common name among the people of K’aresh, Courier.” Even as the Ethereal stated this frame of thought calmly, memory flashed like lightning through his own mind, blinding. A painful flash of hands, gripping, forcing, tying, binding, pleading, before screams were silenced into flesh evaporating oblivion. “Perhaps your guest remembers another Saraj.”

“Oh, clearly,” Safrona continued. “He said that the Saraj he knew had died with K’aresh, though he had been one of the few taught to bind his soul to survive Dimensius. Like many of those among the Protectorate, which they call themselves now.”

The Ethereal touched the glowing catch of his wrappings that kept his form in place, a gift once given on the day of the Devouring. He no longer recalled his own name, what he had looked like, what he had sounded like - he had been Unworthy. The years had fallen through like sand, and he had moved on from his dying world and its history to assure the Devouring would not happen again to another.

But he remembered Saraj’s name, face, and the sound of his voice, and he adopted them. He had become the one that saved the Unworthy. A memorial, of sorts, to a Protector long dead.

“A coincidence, your Saraj is sure.”

“Of course,” the Courier replied with a tone that feigned disinterest. He knew in time he himself might be invited to one of her Confession booths. He knew her too well not to follow the lead.

“In any case, I need you at least in Tazavesh. This city is not properly mapped for outsiders and I can’t tell any of these damn space ghosts apart. At least I know you. As for the Consortium, I'll pay double for your services as my retainer right now. They won't argue against gold."

Saraj chuckled sincerely, feeling for once, identified. “...I shall be there soon, Lady Safrona.”

Perhaps feeling K’aresh beneath his feet, he would recall the story of his namesake in full, and she would learn.

[safrona-shadowsun]

The Courier sighs deeply. "Void storage limitation is terribly inconvenient."

[tyrinity]

Figured my first art on here should be immortalizing the time I severely underestimated the murlocs in tazavesh and wiped my whole dungeon

[mr-afton]

Are you excited for Tazavesh M+? I am because screw brokers.

[headlessdog]

tazavesh

[casthaleigh]

9.1 Spoilers ahead

I have a theory…

THE BROKERS ARE SOULS OF FIRST ONES, AND SO ARE THE ATTENDANTS IN ORIBOS AND THE ETERNAL TRAVELER.

Let me explain:

As I ran through the Tazavesh mega dungeon, and the brokers opened portals to Azeroth, but remained solid, I realized that it was the same magic Zovaal used in the SoD ending cinematic, and roughly the same colour as the magic the attendants use to tp in Oribos and Korthia. The Eternal Traveler has similar magic when you fist summon him and when he leaves(see mount from Shadowlands Collectors Edition). Since we can infer that Zovaal was headed to the Sepulcher of the First Ones(or Nathraza, the Dreadlords home world, [Sidebar: based on in-game cutscenes and quests, he uses the inter-dimensional portal magic which makes me think he’s headed to Nathraza in 9.2]), I wonder if he(Zovaal) just needs First Ones magic to exist outside of the Shadowlands. I think that’s why he said Denathrius had ”served his purpose”(because Zovaal wouldn’t be able to take him out of the Shadowlands); and why he is using Anduin as a vessel and not a soul.

[amani-outrider]

Tazavesh