#xeruul

[hoganlegdrop]

Draecember Day 1: Hugging Someone

The Swamp of Sorrows. A dismal, dreary, drank hole of a place. The air itself is thick and hot, rank with odors that one would rather not ask the origin of. Even the surroundings areas of Deadwind Pass and the Blasted Lands seemed more inviting than having each one of one’s senses attacked in a place such as this. 

But on this day, two particular Lightforged draenei could not be swayed by any of the horrid things that the Swamp threw at them. No - Varistus and Vol’iru, son and father - were traveling to the Harborage. This was where Xeruul, brother of Varistus and Vol’iru’s youngest son, now lived among his fellow Broken. 

Vol’iru was nervous. He had seen the Broken on Argus, of course - but Varistus had told him that the Broken that came from Draenor were not exactly the same. These Broken had felt the warm embrace of the Light and had it stripped away from them. Some were still recovering from the mental wounds that they endured. Others were exhausted from defending the camp, or from helping the others. They were not the freedom fighters on Argus - the Harborage served as a home for the truly Broken. 

Outsiders were usually regarded coldly, but Varistus had made a point in his time on Azeroth to help the Harborage when he could, so the two were accepted into the camp and led to Xeruul’s home. It was one of the larger buildings in the camp, but it also served as an infirmary. Varistus looked at his father, leaning against the building.

“You are sure you are ready? Xeruul is not the same as he used to be, father.” Varistus explained with a frowned expression.

“Your mother would tear off my tendrils if I didn’t take this chance, Varistus. I-” Vol’iru began to respond, but was cut off. 

The flap door of the building, made of hides and leather, was slowly pulled open, revealing a Broken man in dark brown robes, and a mask hanging around his neck loosely. The three of them looked at each other for a long moment - it was the first time in millennia that the three of them had been together, but no one knew what to say. Vol’iru stammered to say something, anything, but Xeruul saved him the trouble by holding three-fingered hand out to him.

“I know, father. While I...” he glances at Varistus for just a second. “...may not be the same as I used to be... I have missed you too.”

Vol’iru bursts out emotionally, both in a sob and a laugh as he moves closer to Xeruul to wrap the Broken in an embrace. It was clear that Xeruul had not had this kind of physical affection for a long time, as his first reaction was to recoil. But the familiarity of it, even after all these years, calmed him almost as quickly. He wrapped his own arms around his father for the first time in thousands upon thousands of years. Tears streaming down his face, Vol’iru nodded for Varistus to join them, and he did. The three of them stood there, at the threshold of Xeruul’s infirmary, wrapped in embrace for a long moment before Xeruul finally moved away. He looked up at both at them as they stood a good two feet over him, tears in both of their eyes. He smiled at them.

“You are both very bright these days. Come inside, you are going to attract the wildlife.” he said with a laugh, already halfway in the building.  

[hoganlegdrop]

1. A letter

Brother, This letter is written by an exhausted hand. The war is against the Legion consumes every minute, every second that I stay here. The Order is under duress, and I am... lost at what to do for them. This distracts us from the ultimate goal of defeating the Legion and coming home, but it is something I must do.  This is not the only, or even primarily, why I write this. I write to tell you that our father lives, Xeruul. I discovered him among the ranks of the Army of the Light a week ago. He is Lightforged and a soldier - much different from how I remember him. He has asked about you on more than one occasion. He feels immense guilt for leaving the way he did, especially since he never knew you, or the man that you were before the Mist. He wants to get to know you know, however. If we make it home, he hopes you will see him, and forgive him.  I love you, brother. Though I existed for so long thinking that only we remained of our family, I hope to include Father in what life we build together after the war against the Legion ends.  Take care of the Order on Azeroth, and please send my love to Freiha and Rokhaan. 

Your brother, Varistus

[hoganlegdrop]

7. Feeling Left Out

Varistus, your valor and deeds have been made evident to us throughout the last few months. We would be honored to have you serve as Honor Guard Captain.

His name is Rokhaan, Freiha. He will be staying with us for awhile, if that is acceptable to you?

My brother despises me for what I did to him. There is no hope at redeeming my family - I can only move on.

Light give me strength as I serve the Order as Harbinger. I will protect all of them with every breath in my lungs.

Over the years following the Exodar’s crash, the hermit broken Xeruul watches his brother Varistus make a name for himself through the elements. From his self-exiled place in the Swamp of Sorrows, the elements of wind and water would return to Xeruul, granting him farsight to act as a silent watcher over his estranged sibling. It was never malicious - and for all things that Varistus was, he was not attuned to the elements whatsoever and never knew what Xeruul was doing. The broken missed his brother, it was the only family he believed he had left.

But Xeruul missed his brother deeply. Even if Varistus had scorned him for his new appearance and chided him for accepting Nobundo’s teachings, he was still Xeruul’s brother. Xeruul simply... didn’t know how to broach the subject. Varistus was under the impression that Xeruul was dead - how would he handle the fact that not only he was alive, but had chosen to remain hidden. 

So, the shaman waited, and watched. Watched as Varistus grew into his role on this planet. Found a partner, and then, a family. A new family. The memories of Meirha and Ruth’um were still fresh on Xeruul’s mind... but he longed to be part of Varistus’s newfound happiness. He had had enough - and would finally get Varistus’s attention. Hopefully, the reunion would be everything he hoped for.

Note: this prompt takes place in the past, Xeruul has since reunited with Varistus.

[hoganlegdrop]

2. Aboard a Trans-Dimensional Ship

“Again!” The large, imposing draenei shouted at the two tired pupils. As the voice still echoed throughout the large, domed room, both of them conjured the Light to the best of their ability, channeling it into their respected targets at the end of the room. One of the targets broke apart and shattered into several metals scraps on the ground. The other... not so much. It rattled around on the pole that propped it up, but otherwise there was no significant damage. That draenei stamped his hoof into the hard, metallic ground of the Genedar, obviously frustrated. The other draenei moved to comfort him, resting a hand on his shoulder. “Varistus, you are trying too hard. Let the Light flow out of you like the music of an instrument. You are trying to use it like you would your axe.” he consoled his fuming companion. “You do not understand, Xeruul. This is something I should be able to do, something I should have been able to do decades ago! You picked it up so easily, despite being a century younger than me!” Varistus answered back, sweat falling from his face. “Age has nothing to do with it, brother,” Xeruul answered, his hand still on his sibling’s shoulder. “But I am being honest, your anger clouds your potential. You cannot hack and slash through every problem we encounter in the Great Dark.”  “It has served me well thus far. If the Light does not wish me to use it, then I will continue to use my body in its stead.” Varistus stubbornly said back to him, glaring down at his mostly-uninjured target. “Uncle, how did you master both the Light, and your martial strength? Xeruul and I only seem to be able to learn one, or the other.” While Ru’thum, uncle of Varistus and Xeruul, answered, Xeruul glanced at Varistus with a slightly offended look. “It is as your brother says. You must open your mind. Believe that you are a conduit for the Light to work through. Your brawn means nothing to the Light. Only your willingness to work with it.” Ru’thum answer, reaching a hand toward Varistus’s target and clenching his fist, the target engulfed in holy magic and crumbling to the floor. “That is all for today. But by the time we reach the next planet, I want to see some progress, Varistus.” Varistus and Xeruul both saluted their uncle, who walked briskly out of the training room, hoof-falls heard down the hallway. Xeruul said nothing to his frustrated brother, only patting him on the shoulder and also exiting, leaving Varistus alone in the Genedar’s training facility to attempt to hone his craft before he was called upon to defend his people. No pressure.

[hoganlegdrop]

TMI Tuesday:💔 What was my muse’s first heartbreak?😳 What was my muse’s worst romantic/sexual relationship? For Vekuum.👠 What was my muse’s last serious relationship like? For Xeruul.

What was my muse’s first heartbreak? Vekuum has never actually had a serious relationship, so he’s never experienced heartbreak in that way. He did, however, lose his family to marauding ogres in Nagrand when he was very young, shortly after the draenei had established Telarri Station. He doesn’t talk about it, and if asked, he usually acts as though he still has a family waiting on him. He doesn’t want to burden others with his trouble.

What was my muse’s worst romantic/sexual relationship? Vekuum slept with an orc once, who turned out to be just as dominant in bed as he is. It ended up in the two actually fighting, and both of them had a few broken bones. He didn’t call her back.

What was my muse’s last serious relationship like? Xeruul hasn’t had a serious relationship since before he mutated into a broken. When he was stationed at Auchindoun as a warden, there was an auchenai priestess named Aerinai. The two had a budding relationship, but she did not survive the destruction of the mausoleum. As a broken, he has found he neither has an interest in relationships, nor does he believe anyone would want to be in one with him to begin with.

[hoganlegdrop]

10, 16, 29 for Swamplord aka Xeruul

10. Do they like children? Do children like them? Do they have or want any children? What would they be like as a parent? Or as a godparent/babysitter/ect?

He likes children in the capacity that they are the future of his species, which is already greatly reduced.  He’s just disappointed that he can never have any of his own.  He doesn’t go around them though, as he is convinced that he will frieghten them, so I doubt there will be a Babysitter’s Club book with him in it.

16. Do they collect anything? What do they do with it? Where do they keep it? 

Naturally beautiful things, like seashells or fossils.  He believes they are gifts from the elements and likes to use them as small milestones in his studies and training.  He has a small trunk at the Harborage that he keeps his few material possessions in - he trusts the other Broken there to not steal them.  Who would steal that junk anyway?

29. What do they do when they find out someone else’s fear? Do they tease them? Or get very over protective? 

In the past, he would likely be overly protective of them, being the proud vindicator.

Now though, he would more than likely just ignore it.  As it is, there are very few people on Azeroth that he cares about and thus, very few people lives’ he would care to intrude on.  If someone asked him specifically for help, he may help, but its unlikely he would go out of his way to help anyone not Broken.  

[hoganlegdrop]

1, 4, 30 for Xeruul

Are they partial to other races or are they xenophobic?

He’s not really partial to anyone, maybe except other Broken.  Its not that he’s xenophobic, its that he sees it as doing them a favor by keeping himself away from others.  They usually ask questions that end up with answers that make both parties uncomfortable.  Or if he would go to Stormwind, he would just end up scaring children.

What is their favorite Spell?

Far sight.  To keep an eye on Varistus and his loved ones.  

Do they study on their own time or aren’t proactive about gaining knowledge?

Pretty much all he does on his own time is study.  Anything that the elements are willing to teach him, he listens.  If the elements aren’t talkative, he studies Azerothian history to try to understand the world he’s a part of not, even if he doesn’t take an active role in it.  He’s quite knowledgeable for a person that wants to part being around people.

[hoganlegdrop]

☆ for Silgathian, ☂ for Varistus, ☠ pffft why not for Xeruul

☆   How adventurous are they?

It really depends on your definition of adventurous I suppose.  For a night elf, I wouldn’t guess too crazy - likes to have sex out in the wilderness, lots of partners, doesn’t really stay tied down for too long.  He also likes to sleep with trolls.  Probably a primal thing?  Who knows.

☂    Foreplay or straight to business?

Foreplay when he and Freiha have the time for it, which is more these days.  During the Sha’tor’s war against the Sargerei he would usually be too exhausted for it, sometimes sex altogether.  But now that they have time to themselves, they can enjoy themselves.

☠   Sexuality

No.