Sawtooth is a member of the Twilight Hammer cult. Born into the Shadowtooth clan, she heard the whispers of the void since her youth, and became obsessed with them, to the point of selling out her own clan to learn more of the voices.
Raphaellian during his time of infiltrating the Twilight's Hammer for the glory of the Alliance. Baby's first void induced psychotic episode. The voices will never leave him alone again.
“...The most gifted amongst the Twilight’s Hammer would be rewarded with ornate facial tattoos. The Void ritual to empower and inscribe them into skin was agonizing, further proving their dedication to the Old Gods.”
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((lil doodle of Jeri’s parents. I imagine his mother was a Void Priestess, and his father a Demonologist. Both were slain in the assault on the Bastion of Twilight.))
(( Co-written with @kidcatgemini, who plays @kaiekasunwhisper. @nepenthea for mention, may she rest in peace.))
SEVERAL YEARS AGO...
“Here they come…”
‘They?’ Brent wondered - he was told they’d only be hunting one lone orc. He shivered, not from fear or anticipation, but from the sheer cold of Dragonblight. He and the other Blackened Blades had chilled to the bone in this dragonbone quarry for hours waiting to ambush the would-be new Earthwarder. Apparently, he had enlisted some help.
It didn’t matter. The Blood Elf smirked beneath his mask, as he took his position. He and his shadowed brethren were more than ready to deal with it. The Hour of Twilight was close, he could feel it! And no washed-up Orc could stop it now. No matter how many friends he brought!
Or… so he thought. One by one, he saw his fellow Blackened Blades dispatched by the Soul-bearer’s entourage. They were frighteningly skilled! Brent watched from the shadows until the group neared. Others dove in, but Brent was patient. He brandished his blades, watching, waiting for his opening… There! He lept from the shadows to strike the greenskin down while his allies were distracted by the other Blades, when--
*THWACK!*
He felt his chest nearly collapse. The air vacated his lungs instantly, as the brutish Orc slammed him with his sturdy hammer. He flew back like a ragdoll, skidding along in the snow. Everything went dark after that… for a moment.
He woke shortly after, feeling like he’d be stepped on by a kodo! Looking around, his fellow Blades were dead. He crawled up the hill, following the various tracks left by his target. But he was too late. As he crested the hill, he saw Asira Dawnslayer, dead in the snow like the rest of them. He collapsed once more, feeling the anguish of defeat stronger and more crushing now than the hammer blow he’d taken. The Orc and his allies made for Wyrmrest Temple now… and Brent was too weak to pursue them any further.
The Blackened Blades had failed.
~*~
The portal closed expediently behind him, sealing Brent off in the safety of Ny’alotha. He cursed under his breath, as he sheathed his daggers. The fighting had escalated quickly in Uldum; Ramkahen and the Wastewanders gained serious momentum in pushing back against N’Zoth’s forces. Brent was, admittedly, impressed with their efforts. The seemingly ragtag group of unlikely allies had organized their counter-offensive well in recent days. He’d heard the Pandaren and their Mogu allies mounted a similarly successful offensive in the Vale as well. The combination of the two didn’t bode well.
Ny’alotha was an odd place, the rogue found. Wide open, perpetually dark, and writhing with monstrous creatures. He frowned beneath his mask - the whole world would look like this too, if N’Zoth got his way… A sigh escaped him as he sheathed his blades. A sigh of relief, perhaps? He wasn’t entirely sure he wanted this anymore. Maybe the forces of Azeroth rallying together like this was for the best…
His ear flickered, as another portal opened nearby. This one linked Ny’alotha to Pandaria, by the look of it. More retreating Twilight forces began pouring through, regrouping after another defeat against Azeroth’s forces. He waited, breath baited, heart sinking every second he didn’t see Kai’eka. Finally, he exhaled a sigh of relief, as she stepped out of the portal, a blade in each hand, both covered in blood. Her natural state.
Her armor beheld scratches and minor dents from battle, but she appeared in good health. Her expression was naturally neutral, but knowing her as long as he had, Brent caught the subtle ear twitch that gave away her annoyance. She frowned as she saw her partner there with the Uldum forces. She was happy to see that Brent was well, but the fact that he was here alongside her wasn’t a good sign.
“Fuck... you too?” She asked, walking over to stand by the Blackened Blade, suddenly feeling the weight of what was happening, “Last stand, then.”
The rogue nodded, wiping his brow with the back of his glove - still running a little warm from the desert heat. His mask hid his deep concern; if Kai’eka was pushed back, of all people… there wasn’t much more the Twilight forces could throw out to stop Azeroth’s advance.
The scattered remnants quickly rallied into loose formations. The dark platforms shifted and turned, altering configuration for something big. Brent’s ears flattened, realizing what was happening.
The Pandaria portal wasn’t the last one that would be opened today.
“Take positions! Patrol the area!” came the deep, unsettling voices of the Twilight commanders. “Azerothians are pushing in!”
Brent grunted. This was the last place he wanted to be right now. Locked away in the twisted shadows of an Old God, with the so-called “heroes” of Azeroth banging on the door? He wasn’t a soldier. Not one for large-scale assaults like this. Behemoth Faceless and Twilight Darkcasters formed ranks beneath the burning, ominous skies of the Black Empire. Unfathomable jellyfish-creatures drifted overhead. Spiky tentacles and eye stalks sprouted forth from Il’gynoth’s nest. This was it; this was all they had left to defend Ny’alotha?
It wouldn’t be enough.
“--Kai.” he called, head and shoulders hung wearily. “It’s… it’s over.”
A heavy sigh, as his eyes met hers. They said it all - defeat evident in them already. He shook his head.
“You and I have seen this time and time again. Ahn'qiraj, Northrend, the so-called ‘Hour of Twilight’...” he grumbled, throwing unenthused air-quotes. “We know how this is gonna end.”
Kai’eka met his gaze as the Twilights scattered into their formations. She knew what he was thinking before he even spoke the words. She felt the same dread wash over her, recognizing the moment for what it was. They’d witnessed the defeat of their Masters time and time again. Before, they’d managed to escape and regroup. This time, they wouldn’t get the chance. The only escape was death. Without a rune, there would be no coming back.
For Kai’eka, though, death wasn’t something to be feared. It was even welcomed, to a point. After a lifetime of devotion to her Masters, and her most recent sacrifice in their name, what better way to end her long life than with one final and ultimate sacrifice? What kind of life was left for her after this final defeat? She and Brent had nothing to return to. Lips pressed into a thin line as she heard the distant sounds of battle as the Azerothian forces pushed through.
“If this is the end, we go down fighting!” she declared!
His heart sank - a strange, jarring feeling in that moment. Of course she’d say that; Kai’eka was so committed to the Old Gods, and had been for literal decades! Her devotion was unfaltering! His, meanwhile, was anything but. Shaking her blades free of the blood that coated them, Kai’eka went to take her proper position in the defensive formation. Guilt washed over him as he watched her stride off proudly to meet her end. She’d already given so much to this damned cult…
The shadows swirled about Brent, as he teleported quickly behind Kai’eka. He grabbed her shoulder, tugging it to bring her around.
Then threw his arms around her in a tight hug.
Kai’eka’s eyes widened in surprise. It took her a moment to register what was happening. It was strange. Despite their close friendship, outward expressions of friendship between them didn’t happen… other than that one night together. Their relationship was usually expressed through short sentences and long comfortable silences.
But again… this wasn’t a normal moment…
There was a loud clatter as her swords fell to the ground and her arms returned the embrace. She kept the hug surprisingly gentle, knowing first hand how fragile her partner could be. Her chin rested on his shoulder in the moment, letting out a sigh.
“Hey… Thanks for keeping me sane over the years.”
“Least I could do, for you keeping us all safe.”
The hug lasted more than a moment. A part of Brent didn’t want to let go. Didn’t want to lose the only other person he truly cared about so soon after losing Nepen’thea. Definitely not losing them both to the same idiotic cult. But there wasn’t nearly enough time to convince Kai’eka to shrug off the shadows and abandon the Twilight forces with him. Besides, it wouldn’t be right. He knew Kai’eka was a fierce warrior… dying in such violent combat for something she believed in was the best death she could ever ask for. He envied people with that sort of conviction.
When he finally broke the embrace, he looked up at Kai’eka as he stepped back. He tried to keep up a stalwart facade, but it was nearly impossible to do. His eyes misted, bottoms of them both pooling as he nodded to her.
This would be the last time he saw her. He wasn’t ready to say goodbye yet… but what choice did he have? Almost in defiance - and yet true to his normal style - he elected not to say anything else at all. A wordless nod said everything for him. He turned from Kai’eka, and tugged his blades free from their sheaths as he walked over to his position.
Even though he, himself, wasn’t ready to die for this cause, he wasn’t going to deny the invaders their chance to die for theirs.
Kai’eka remained where she was for a moment, her turn to watch him go. She’d seen Brent emotional before, but not like this. The fear and sadness he expressed hadn’t been something she’d expected. Was he afraid of death? It was hard to imagine so after all their dangerous missions. One would assume he’d be happy to join with Nepen’thea.
But there was no time to dwell on that. Her ear twitched, noting the sudden silence. N’Zoth must have pulled the intruders into a vision. It would only hold them back for so long. The Horde and Alliance both had spent enough time getting through the various ones they’d set up around Azeroth thanks to that meddling dragon…
Picking up her swords, she turned to leave. Whatever Brent’s disposition on these final moments were, she could only hope he’d make peace with it before the end.
