Review: Wolfheart - Part IIIHi, guys. Sorry, I think this is a bit late, but the writing took a bit. I've decided to... spam my own posts with tags. I will go back and tag the other ones, probably, if I think of something clever. In the mean time, here's the next part. Oh, I'll see about getting these posts linked too. Edit: Some of my tags are too long. The full list will be posted at the end of the review under the cut, I may wind up deleting some of the tags that got cut off.Previous: IIIHere we have Part III! Let's see how this book can fail for the next five chapters, shall we?I actually have to back up at this point. I left out an important part of the previous chapter, because it's also full of suck and fail: between meeting with various delegates, a few Sentinels come up and tell Malfurion that he's needed, and as it happens, the person who wants to talk to him is Maiev. It would seem they have found the missing Highborne. His throat was cut twice, and he has a note pinned to him that says "Suffer Not Traitors". Maiev is concerned that it might have been left to discredit the Watchers, and she wants to investigate. In fact, she kneels in front of Tyrande and asks for her blessing to Hunt, which Tyrande gives. Of course, on the heels of this, Malfurion says that he's going to return the body to the Highborne. Which is… okay, look. I'm not a CSI. I only watch them on TV (and make fun of them). But I did work with a pathologist on (mostly) non criminal cases and this is what I can tell you: if you're going to start a murder investigation, there are a few things that are the most important pieces of evidence you have. One of them is THE GODDAMN MURDER VICTIM. Malfurion, YOU ARE NOT IN CHARGE OF THIS INVESTIGATION, it is now out of your hands. Let Maiev do her fucking job, don't micromanage, don't "help". Go back to failing at being optimistic. Malfurion is worse at this than the police in Phoenix Wright (sorry, Gumshoe). And now back to Chapter 10, already in progress.As we saw last time, since waiting for your most important guest is for suckers, Malfurion and Tyrande host a banquets for the delegates that have arrived. For… some reason they have the banquet outside of Darnassus (presumably because of some misguided attempt on the author's part to refer to the holidays in WoW, which are of course only done that way for holiday achievements) and the music has been chosen to 'stir the heart', hoping to call people's attention to a better tomorrow. Even the Dark Irons eat with everyone else, though they test the food for poison, naturally. Malfurion's narration is, despite all of this, apparently pessimistic in a very generic fashion. He's spoken to each of the emissaries and found that many of them have widespread hunger issues (even if they don't necessarily make sense, you could have actually thought about what would happen in such a crisis) and apparently the Sisters of Elune and the druids are being sent to various places to offer relief. Uh, isn't there a giant goddamn volcano in the middle of your forest? Shouldn't you be slightly more concerned with that? At any rate, there are a couple of disruptions. The first disruption is the arrival of Velen (alone from description) to tell people that, while some Eredar Draenei are going back to Draenor to help revitalize the population, the majority are going to stay on Azeroth until it no longer needs help. This is actually a really, really nice thing to do, and it's apparently largely due to the way the Night Elves helped them when they got here. Aw. Now if only the Hand of Argus didn't make me want to stab them. The second disruption is the arrival of the GIlneans, including a very short, awkward speech by Genn that leaving the Alliance was a mistake, and that he's sorry, and that he hopes they'll accept him back. Admittedly, as little as I like Genn, this is actually a rather brave thing to do for someone who's so prideful. Unlike the constant whining about humility from the more recent Golden books, humility means something when you aren't naturally humble. The Gilneans are made to feel welcome (particularly by Kudran, it seems, who would have been more prominent than anyone else here when the Alliance was fighting the Second War) and Genn gets a little drinky and starts talking about some war story, when he is rudely interrupted by some asshole who is claiming all Gilneans are cowards who begged the orcs for their lives and then hid in the shadows (so it's a Second War war story). Genn turns to demand who dares speak so poorly of the Gilneans and… one third of the way through the book, at the very end of Chapter 10, we have our first in-person appearance by none other than our titular character, Varian Wrynn. And it's to be a total jackass and disrupt a diplomatic function that was actually working. Our hero, ladies and gentlemen.The next chapter starts off immediately where the first ended, and Genn saying that Gilneans have never been anything but brave. Varian basically tells him that Gilneans must define bravery in a very different manner, one might say the total opposite of the conventional one. The author proceeds to describe Varian, summarize his back story and generally make me wonder if Varian's cock was a little dry or something, and Knaak felt the need to fix that. Particularly the part where bards tell stories about Varian's trials "to swooning ladies". Varian basically deliberately decided to show up without allowing any announcement or warning about it, and looks around the banquet as if he's a hunter, assessing threats. I've got a big rant coming up about this, but for now, let me roll my eyes and continue. Malfurion gets between them, and asks after Anduin, who Varian says is here "of course". and some of the bodyguards move so Malfurion can see him. Anduin nods to him, and Anduin is also described, though they aren't particularly specific about his age. In The Shattering, Anduin is 13 (despite the fact that he should have been a lot older) and still smarter than just about everyone else in that book. At any rate, Malfurion's narration indicates that most people who were worried about their heir's safety would, you know, leave them at home instead of dragging them across the world, which is pretty amusing. At any rate, it's noted that rather than being a fighter, Anduin is studious (because only beefy, angry people are fighters, am I RIGHT GUYS? It's not like mages or priests have EVER BEEN KNOWN FOR KICKING ASS, FUCK YOUR ESSENTIALISM FOREVER), and that it catches both Malfurion's (but not Tyrande's, who is an actual priestess?) and Velen's eye. It's also noted that Varian is 'unimpressed' by Genn's attempts to control his temper, which to be fair, he's doing, and to be also fair, Varian utterly fails at every time he shows up on screen, because he's a giant douchebag. At any rate, Malfurion apologizes for not meeting Varian personally, and indicates that Varian should join them. Varian flat out refuses, saying that he came to Darnassus for the Alliance, not for Genn, and that he's going to retire for the evening. Varian goes from basically a dick to Genn to ignoring him entirely, even when Genn speaks up and tries to apologize for his arrogance, and promises to swear an oath of brotherhood to Stormwind. Varian finally pays attention to him again to say that Stormwind doesn't need such a brother at its back, and that Stormwind has managed fine thus far without Gilneas or the Worgen and doesn't need them now. Aside from, you know, the fact that Stormwind is fucking its citizens over constantly with ignoring its provinces and committing the army to constant wars on foreign soil. And now, here it comes people. Brace yourselves:"I didn't ask to wear the mantle of responsibility, to become the bearer of humanity's standard! It was enough to rule Stormwind and protect my son! But I did it because I had no choice! Who else was there? Not Gilneas! Stormwind, with Theramore at its side, has had to face the dangers… and now you want to come in under our wing and pretend you'll stand with us this time?""We will stand--""You needn't worry yourself, Greymane! Stormwind and I have done without you, without Gilneas… and certainly without the worgen… and we'll continue to do so! What you truly desire is redemption for your traitorous crimes, which you'll not get from me!""Gilneas was a sovereign nation. We seceded during a time of peace, not war, and for good reasons. You know that. As for the coming vote--" p.125Varian turns his back and excuses himself to Tyrande and Malfurion and leaves, followed by his retinue.Now, when I read this, my first reaction was my inner-Jaina going, "The fuck it was." You know who actually got asked to champion humanity when Lordaeron fell? Jaina Proudmoore. You know who put their heart and soul into trying to fix what was broken? Jaina Proudmoore and the Argent Dawn. You know what you did Varian? You sat around and did sweet fuck all until you got kidnapped and Bolvar was put in charge with a dragon as his wingman. You do not even get to fucking talk about responsibility to humanity. I'd also like to point out at this stage that many members of the Alliance are missing from this meeting. It's great Knaak decided Theramore counts after all, but you know who else counts? Kul Tiras. The High Elves. If Vereesa "I am no blood elf, I am of the high elf people!" Windrunner is counting them as a part of the Alliance and not a neutral faction or part of the Horde, she still counts. The Kirin Tor may still count, or at least deserve to be consulted. The Argent Crusade. Or, I don't know, Calia fucking Menethil. In some of these cases, I can see that the examples aren't immediate, but leaving out Kul Tiras really bothers me, because not only are they most powerful naval nation, they've also been loyal to the Alliance this entire goddamn time. Sure, they've lost people because they lost a significant portion of their fleet and their leader, but there was a clear line of succession, their islands are 100% plague free, and I'm sure Tandred Proudmoore has some stuff to say about all of this. It just… grates at me that Varian is so full of his own self-importance and dares to call someone out on their bad decisions when he's made plenty of them himself, including one that led to his wife getting killed.Anyway, after Varian stalks off, Tyrande gets a few priestesses to follow him, and then notices something that Malfurion is about to: that Genn is on the verge of losing control of his human form, though he gets himself under control, apologizes and says he should have known better. Malfurion urges him to take his seat again, and Genn says he can't and leads the Gilneans off into the woods. They try to get the party going again, but the mood has been broken, and Malfurion feels that he'll have to work hard to correct. Of course, Malfurion, because you've spent this entire book certain this summit will fail. You will surely be the one to fix things. He turns to discuss this with Tyrande and notes that one of Varian's party hasn't left… Anduin. He and Velen are talking about the Light and its various facets when some of Varian's bodyguards come back to fetch him, mentioning that Varian was upset when he realized that Anduin hadn't followed them and commanded Anduin to come immediately. Because I know when I think of a loving parent-child relationship, I think of commands. Anduin looks frustrated, but then resigned and bows to the elves before leaving. Velen comments that Anduin has a quiet strength and that it's a pity that Varian wants to keep him caged as he does himself, and Malfurion mentions that Varian has nearly lost his son more than once, and his fears are not unfounded, nor were his remarks about Genn. Which, you know, is exactly the opposite of what Malfurion told Genn earlier. Tyrande says that Genn will make amends and that he's sacrificed much to get this far (but nothing about how Varian should apologize, typical) and Malfurion asks if it will be worth it in the end, and that Genn and Varian nearly attacked each other, and that Genn nearly lost control of himself with some reason. Again, what the fuck? Does Malfurion just completely heel turn on his opinions every time he talks to a new person? There's a difference between having doubts and out-and-out just lying to your allies constantly. Tyrande is about to ask Velen to leave so that they can discuss something privately, but Velen is already gone (sneaky Eredar is sneaky) and they steer the conversation to Tyrande's vision, in which Malfurion expresses doubts, Tyrande says her vision insists he's the one, and Malfurion says that Varian may be the leader the Alliance needs, or he will lead it to ruin. And now we have yet another heel turn as Malfurion talks about the fact that Varian is more than troubled, though with good cause, that his behaviour towards Genn felt more like self-reproach. I don't quite how you got that from Varian's speech, but whatever. Tyrande notes that the banquet is over, and that she'll speak to those who attended, if Malfurion will speak to Varian. Malfurion expresses doubt and Tyrande says that he should have faith. Tyrande shoos him off and Malfurion goes.We scene switch to Varian who opens his narration with complaining that, since he was a slave and a gladiator, these rooms are far too soft. Now… aside from all of my Issues with Varian, I'd like to point out that since sick gladiators make lousy fights, Varian wouldn't have been kept in 'bug infested cages and grimy, blood soaked cells'. He certainly wouldn't have stayed anywhere nice (though the early WoW comic notes that gladiators who are successful and do well live really well), but this seems like an exaggeration. Also? Varian has been the King of Stormwind since he was fifteen. He has stayed in Lordaeron, and in Stormwind, in very nice rooms for a long time. His brief stint in not the lap of luxury is unlikely to have damaged him in regards to his rooms. Now, if you took someone like, oh, Thrall, who spent much of his childhood and adolescence basically in a jail, then you could argue that he might have a harder time adapting to comfort. Varian is not one of those people. Varian considers departing to the relative familiarity of the quarters on his ship -- speaking of past trauma, Varian, weren't you attacked on a ship and then tortured? Shouldn't that bother you more than a nice room? -- but he respected his hosts enough to insult them, or at least not insult them any more than he had by RUINING THEIR FUCKING SUMMIT BEFORE IT EVEN STARTED. Seriously, at what point does respect even come into what Varian has done? The best part? Varian does not feel bad about it at all. In fact, he's happy, because being an absolute ass to someone who has lost pretty much everything allowed him to vent some of the rage he feels (or rather 'the fire ever raging within him'). You are a fucking CHILD, Varian. A spoiled, poorly-raised child. Llane would be fucking ashamed of you. We go back to the room briefly when someone knocks on the door and it's noted that while the elves tried their best to make the rooms as 'human' as possible, they still have that "nature" feel (no really, I'm quoting from the book) that reminds Varian of elves, and he thinks the oppressive walls of the keep (THAT THE STONEMASONS FIXED, FOR ALL YOU FUCKING CARE) that he usually lives in. One of the guards opens the door cautiously, because apparently Varian has already caught wind of something that happened before his arrival. HOW EXACTLY? If you managed to keep it a total secret from the elves, in their own city, that you were arriving, at what point did any of your guards actually communicate with anyone who would know something about what happened considering what a tightly guarded secret all of this was? Unless Mathias fucking Shaw is with you, this is just more cheating at narrative.In any case, the door opens and it's Anduin and the guards returning. Varian starts with telling Anduin he's worried and snapping at the guards, starting to tell them not to let it happen again (because you can't personally walk with your son and keep him safe, right?) and Anduin shuts him down cold, telling him to leave it be. I want to copy out this conversation because both because Anduin owns face but also because of what Varian is doing to his son:[…]"Anduin, you must understand! You are the prince of Stormwind! Nowhere, not even here, should b considered safe enough for you to go wandering off! You always need at least a guard with you.""Yes. I'm not very good at defending myself," the prince retorted. "I'm not the great warrior you are. You and Magni have already seen how badly I handle a sword, even in practice.""I didn't mean--"The prince sighed. It was a sound Varian heard often and usually because of something he had done out of concern for his son. "No, you don't. You never do, Father. I'm back, safe and sound. As usual." p.129Varian gets shut down, again, and tries to say more, and Anduin tells his father goodnight and goes to his room. The narration notes that while the conversation had been unsettling to the guards, Anduin actually stopped the conversation from getting worse. Varian knows this, and even appreciates it, but it doesn't ease the sting of Anduin's reprimand. Alright, so let's cover what we have here. Varian has issues. He has temper issues, he has severe paranoia issues, he has persecution complex issues, and most importantly, he is hurting his son. Now, and I feel this is something that much of my audience will know, but I'm going to talk about it anyway: abuse does not begin and end at beating someone. It doesn't have to involve any slapping, grabbing, or physically hurting someone. It also doesn't have to involve screaming at someone, insulting them constantly, calling them names. Abuse is as subtle and as effective as constantly undermining someone's authority and ability. Varian treats Anduin like he's incompetent. Anduin is not good at the things his father is good at and is constantly reminded of it. His father has no faith in him, despite the fact that Anduin has protected himself more than once. He has also needed help. That does not undermine Anduin's abilities, particularly considering how little actual training he's gotten in what he's good at. Anduin has every right to be angry, every right to be frustrated. Varian is smothering him to death. Malfurion is right, bad things have happened to Anduin, but at the very least in the Shattering, Anduin not only rescues himself but is responsible for the relative peace within the Alliance because his father's response was to send an entire team of assassins after Moira Thaurissan and lead it himself. His father is a shitty parent and a shitty leader. He does not represent any of my Alliance characters and never will. In any case, despite the fact that Varian's gone on about how nothing is safe, he decides that he needs to go for a walk. Apparently the tranquility of the capital does little to ease his heart, and he stares out into the forest, and his pulse quickens. Varian is a dendrophiliac.Malfurion then catches up to him to talk to him, and they make some brief, nonsensical smalltalk considering in Stormrage, Varian and Malfurion had been established as friends (or friends enough that Varian was invited to his wedding when Jaina wasn't) and Varian apologizes for the banquet. Malfurion says the banquet is of no consequence (the exact opposite of what he said to Tyrande) but the gathering is what matters. Malfurion is more concerned with his confrontation with Genn. Apparently, the mere mention of Genn's name stirs the embers within Varian and causes his pulse to pound. Wait… is Varian angry or are we writing porn here? Varian says he doesn't want to talk about it, but Malfurion insists, and that he needs to consider what happens before, during, and after the summit in light of all that's happened to Azeroth after the Cataclysm, and that all decisions one makes have to be carefully weighed. Varian wants to escape, but since Malfurion insists, he realizes that only one thing will get him that freedom so he says that he'll give Genn and the Worgen fair consideration and gives his word. Except for the fact that Varian has made it extremely, publicly, clear that he will not give Genn a fair chance. That all he wants to do is take out his aggression on a target and Genn is convenient. That Varian does not care what happens other than apparently his own immediate needs, no matter what it costs. Oh, and that he's probably lying so he can go off and skulk in the woods. This is the self-appointed leader of the Alliance, people. Garrosh is fucking terrible, but it takes a special kind of selfishness to be Varian fucking Wrynn. Malfurion thanks him, and that it's all he can ask when someone else interrupts. Varian fights down his impatience with the seemingly "never ending situation" (here's a hint, Varian, if you show up to a diplomatic function, expect to do a lot of talking. When you make an ass of yourself at it, expect to do A LOT OF TALKING.) and his 'trained eyes' look over the newcomer, who is gaudily dressed, and believes that Malfurion would think the same. *sighs* *nose pinches* Look, I get it. The Highborne liked bright colours. Have you ever seen what the rest of the night elves wear at times?! I assure you, their dress is just as gaudy. Varian's "sharp ears" catch in their exchange of greetings that Malfurion is dreading what this Highborne (Var'dyn) is going to say. It clicks in to Varian who (from reports) this is: a Highborne. The Highborne barely acknowledges him, and Varian recalls the apparent arrogance of his kind, and that the Highborne are mages, and arrogant ones at that. *deep sigh* Varian, your personal apologist is a fucking mage. You have an entire mage school in your city. You have dealt with mages before. You should not have the exact same reason to hate these mages as the fucking Kaldorei. Hnnnnnnnngh. Also? Something I feel is an important thing to point out: IT ISN'T ALWAYS ABOUT YOU. COULD IT NOT BE THAT VAR'DYN IS UPSET ABOUT SOMETHING AND IS DISTRACTED BY THE RANDOM HUMAN? No? Fuck you, too.Malfurion says that he thanks Varian for the talk and his reply, and Varian takes advantage of the situation to leave. He says goodbye to Malfurion, not Var'dyn, because two can play the ignoring game, and wishes that he had never left Stormwind. He sees something on the forest's edge, but he believes he knows what it is, commenting aloud "Damned Worgen." Our hero, ladies and gentlemen. Meanwhile, Var'dyn and Malfurion have a talk. Var'dyn says he's here about the disappearance, and while Malfurion's initial intention is to wait to see what he has to say, Var'dyn says nothing more, and Malfurion tells him about the body that was found and about the investigation. Var'dyn says the body needs to be returned to them before any further desecration is done (tough shit) and that they will not speak to Maiev, and any needs they have will be taken care of through Malfurion. Because that's not at all a colossal waste of time. Both in trusting that Malfurion will actually be useful and deliberately impeding Maiev's investigation by acting like a fucking child. Malfurion says he'll speak to Maiev as soon as possible, but Var'dyn kind of spaces out, and Malfurion says that they'll do all they can to bring the assassins to justice, and the Highborne just need to be patient, and Var'dyn cuts him off, saying that they understand patience, but this isn't why he's here. He was never here to talk about the first missing Highborne… because a second Highborne has gone missing. DundunDUN.The next chapter starts, and this is at which point I point out that having chapter titles that completely kill your suspense fucking sucks ass. This chapter is called 'the Horde strikes'. Well, thank you for letting us know what will happen, Mr. Knaak. It's not like building up a sense of fear and dread is useful for storytelling… OH WAIT. We return to our night elf commander who has not heard back from Darnassus, but continues with her plans anyway, preparing to meet the Horde incursion. There's a funeral for Xanon, a sort of mini version of what happened for Jarod's wife, and… the stupid begins early, apparently the commander doesn't "get" druids, and she let one of her two druids go off by himself, "wandering the Emerald Dream or something" p.135 (no really, THIS IS THE NARRATION FOR THIS SECTION and goes on to note that while she's devoted to the ways of her people, she finds druids baffling and frustrating, and that druids go around if half-asleep, and spoke about aspects of the world that have no practical use to a soldier. Golly gee willikers, commander! Perhaps if you would use the druids to their abilities instead of going "druids? who understands those guys anyway?" like some kind of horrible comedy sketch, you might have been able to see this coming. After the funeral, the commander heads back and her second follows. The narration tells us (rather than show us anything at all with body language) that while her second is obedient, the distance between them is growing, and that some of the other officers blame her for what happened. Again, like many things, there's no reason to come to this conclusion, so it really reads more like paranoia under stress. If that's what was actually happening, I'd be impressed, but I honestly think that Knaak is just a terrible writer. Shocker. She apparently 'forgives them their naivete' because the haven't been in the field as long as she has, and given time they will learn, though she suddenly wonders if they'll get that chance. Well, no, probably not, since they're no longer immortal and apparently are going to drop like flies YOU MORON. She also thinks that this incursion is on a far greater scale than previous ones. Really? It's worse than the Warsong Lumber Camps? It's worse than that time they killed Cenarius? REALLY?!The commander is planning on sending scouts north to see what they can see from the air (because leaving your scouts open and exposed when you have racial stealth and a terrain advantage is such a good idea) and as she's sending them out, a wagon from the west bringing supplies comes it, bringing a dead hippogryph that they found about a day out. She recognizes it as the one that went off with her courier, and asks if her courier was found. They say no and then STARTS IMAGINING THAT SHE'S ALIVE AND WELL, IGNORING WHAT THE PERSON IS SAYING TO HER. THIS IS THE COMMANDING OFFICER OF THIS OUTPOST, PEOPLE. THE WISE, MILLENNIA OLD COMMANDER. AAAAAAAAH. Anyway, she asks the guy to repeat what he's saying, and he says they found the message pouch, immediately crushing her random daydreaming. The commander concludes that Darnassus has no idea what's going on (duh) and hurries to get her second to call back the scouts… basically in time to get shot. Some of them, and their mounts, survive, but others die. They form ranks and prepare for an assault, but what comes is bow fire from the trees, aiming specifically for the hippogryphs. She realizes that they're trying to murder their flying mounts to keep them contained and orders the hippogryphs protected, then realizes that the orcs aren't going to fully attack, but instead are counting the Sentinels on the walls and orders them to cease fire. Once this happens, the orcs do in fact retreat back into the forest. One of the Sentinels says the attack is over, but the commander says that they've only retreated for a short time. The answer is four are uninjured, two are injured but can fly, two are injured and can't fly, and one is badly enough injured to die. The commander says to have one of their druids look after their less-injured hippogryphs first, but apparently, he was killed trying to tend to the wounded. *deeeeep breath* If you have a medic and you are under attack, you must do two things: 1) expect the healer to be targeted first, 2) get the healer under cover and have them stay there. Healers are rare and need to be protected. The fact that they let this guy wander onto the battlefield to get shot, and furthermore, that it wasn't procedure to get under cover, is one of the most pathetic things I have ever heard of from a military organization. When she asks after the other druid, the one that went a-wandering, there is apparently no sign of him and he's probably dead. NO SHIT SHERLOCK. YOU LET SOMEONE WANDER OFF INTO THE WOODS BY THEMSELVES IN A FUCKING WAR ZONE. YOU ARE THE WORST FUCKING COMMANDER EVER, AND I AM INCLUDING GODDAMN BLACKHAND. BOTH OF THEM. (All three of them? Griselda doesn't count, she wasn't a commanding officer, and she was cooler than all y'all anyway). The commander naturally chooses to waste no more time on the subject because the Sentinels have gotten along without druidic help for millennia and will do so now. It's good to know how much you care about people of your own race, lady. Really. I am the most impressed. The commander decides that they need to get a message to Darnassus, and because the Horde are out there will arrows, she's going to send them along the exact same path as the previous courier and scouts, but this time cover them with bow fire. Okay. Unsurprisingly, the orcs have anticipated this and send after them… red protodrakes. Oooh, Alexstrasza is going to have such words for Thrall. Oh wait, he's Go'el now, not the Warchief because he handed that privilege over to Garrosh, assured that he would maintain the peace between the Alliance and Horde-- no wait. To cut several pages of battle short, the protodrakes and their riders tear the couriers and their mounts apart, leaving them basically with no way to send for word or help in another fucking direction. As a hint? And I'm no military strategist, if your enemy has been firing at your mounted, air couriers, try sending ground ones. If your enemy knows you want to go northwest, try sending one south east. You have allies there. Theramore, as an example, has a powerful mage as its leader who happens to have sent a delegation to Darnassus, and can probably communicate with them. Alternatively, try making it to the coast to see if you can sail. Yes, both of these methods are more round about, but they are far less likely to result in your scouts being shot down. The commander feels personally responsible for the deaths of the scouts -- and she is, make no mistake about that -- and waits for the axe to fall. And it doesn't. The orcs do not press their advantage. They sit and wait in the woods. Fucked if I know why.This next chapter, labeled "Jarod's Hunt", actually starts with Velen, who is a simple Eredar with simple needs, though his simple room has been assigned facing the Temple of Elune. He is in fact meditating in the garden, alone because the honour guard requested to remain behind in his quarters since surely he wouldn't need them here of all places. This would be a good time for an assassin, just for impact, but actually this works out quite nicely. Mostly because it is nice here -- aside from the serial killer on the loose -- and it demonstrates that Velen actually trusts his hosts. Plus, apparently his Force Light sense is working as he feels someone approaching him, someone with a tremendous affinity towards the Light. It's… Monty Python's Flying Circus!Laurelei Spellchaser! Anduin Wrynn! Look, I don't really have a problem with Anduin being special, but it would be nice if just once such a person weren't ridiculously powerful. Someone can be a good person without being blindingly bright to someone else's Force Light sight. In turn, Anduin isn't surprised that Velen isn't surprised, which is "a further sign that the Light was very strong with King Varian's son." p.147 There are brief pleasantries, but I happen to like their exchange. Velen says (not asks) that Varian doesn't know he's here, and Anduin confesses that his father thinks he's asleep. Anduin feels guilty and Velen says that isn't for him to judge whether or not Anduin thinks he should have stayed in bed, but Anduin himself to decide. Anduin relaxes and says he's old enough to make his own choices, and while he understands his father's concern and loves him, points out that with the way his father treats him, his father is "nearly smothering him". Velen says that he can understand both Varian's concerns and Anduin's problem with how he's treated. Anduin says Velen knows why he's here, and Velen says he does, that Anduin wants to learn more about the Light. Velen says he will be happy to tell him what he knows, but won't seek to guide Anduin away from his father. Anduin nods, and says he wouldn't ask it, only wanting to learn. He says he feels the Light in his heart, and he feels it more every day (because that's totally how the Light works) and Velen says that's because his affinity with it is extremely strong. Velen agrees to talk to Anduin for a time, if he promises to return to his quarters afterwards, and Anduin agrees readily. Velen reflects internally that he must teach Anduin, and that he has a destiny with the Light (DON'T GO INTO THE LIGHT, ANDUIN, DON'T-- wait). Velen remains aware of who he's speaking to the whole time (oh good, you aren't Bella Swan): the heir to the throne of Stormwind, and aware of how important Stormwind is to the Alliance (excellent for alienating people!), perhaps even more important than Varian realizes. He's concerned that anything that threatens the stability of Stormwind will threaten the stability of the Alliance (danger, Will Robinson! Danger!) but on the other hand, if the Light has other plans for Anduin Wrynn…Goddamnit, people, you're allowed to do more than one thing at once. Why can't Thrall be Warchief and Shaman? Why can't Anduin be Priest and King? We've already established that the line between church and state has been thoroughly fucked, assuming there was one to begin with. Paladins have served as regents, advisors and potentially a king. There are full nations that are ruled by religious leaders. Yes, Anduin needs to be trained, but unless his giant man-child of a father is going to be knocked off some time soon, he has time for that. Once Anduin completes his scholastic, religious, and diplomatic training, this child has the potential to be one of the best leaders of the Alliance since Terenas Menethil. Having leaders who believe in peace but are prepared for was is not a bad thing. At any rate, we move on to the next section of the chapter, which involves Jarod's dead wife talking to him. While we here at IT & Co. are often cautious of the voices in one's head, this particular utterance is that Jarod needs to move on. A startlingly insightful statement from a dead woman. In fact, this is apparently not the first time she's spoken to him, and Jarod's instinct is that he's going mad (there's a saying about people not being able to properly evaluate their own mental health) but he's come to realize that his wife is watching over him as she did in life. You know, Jarod, it really says something that you've alienated everyone you'v ever known except your dead wife. It also says something that we get to know more about this woman when she's dead than alive. At any rate, Jarod's narration indicates that while he'll mourn his wife for the rest of his life, she would have wanted him to do more than that, to fit himself back in to Kaldorei society. Jarod considers his options and considers the military to be out, because he'd need to deal with Shandris, which he isn't ready to do right now, and perhaps not ever (hurrah, dealing with your issues in a mature fashion… oh wait, no). He also still feels uncomfortable about the divided nature of Kaldorei society, though that is changing through Malfurion and Tyrande's efforts (as a hint, you were powerful enough to affect change if you hadn't just decided to fuck off.) but he needs to see more. So he gets himself to go out for a walk, greeting people he used to know if he sees them, and while he feels that his wife would be proud of him, he wants to get back to his room……which is when he literally stumbles over a body. He manages not to fall on it by catching hold of a tree, and only leans his elbow on an arm. Immediately, his old soldier instincts kick in and he ducks under the tree, looking around. When he finds no sign of the killer, he takes a look at the body, careful not to touch the body, though his cause of death is obvious and familiar, and there's a note pinned to his chest. Jarod touches nothing, instead trying to figure out why a Highborne would be so close to his living space, and then, through deduction and some very careful looking around, realizes it's because the body was not killed here, but dragged and dumped. Ladies and gentlemen of my readership, I think we've actually just had actual. fucking. deductive reasoning. Holy fucking shit. Jarod's conclusion is that the body was moved from where it had been killed so that clues about the killers would not give them away. This is, I believe, incorrect, but a reasonable conclusion to draw. I don't know if at this point I'm cheating, or if it's because it's obvious to a reader, or if it's just my experience with untangling mysteries before the book does, but I think the whole point of this exercise is that someone (I'm guessing the Worgen) are so eager to help and impress the Kaldorei that they're killing off 'undesirables' (ie, the Highborne) and… presenting them, like a cat presents you with a dead mouse. The note, which I suspect is going to be related to the last one, would probably change Jarod's evaluation, as would knowing there was another body. I don't fault Jarod for any of this. Jarod is not cheating at narrative. He's… doing what they do at the beginning of a CSI episode where they envision a scenario based on what they know, and then the scenario changes as they get more evidence, run more tests (usually involving weapon's discharge into something that looks like jello) and so on. Jarod realizes that this isn't his job. He needs to report it to the Sentinels, though he's concerned about having to leave the body unattended (both of these things are smart, but unfortunately, he lives in an isolated area). He looks around for any signs of life, finds none, and decides to go get help. He concludes that Malfurion, being a druid, is likely to be far outside the city (another reasonable conclusion and a good reason to actually know things about druids) and goes to the Temple, where he runs into Shandris and some guards. Shandris asks Jarod if he has business with Tyrande, and he only hesitates for a second before telling her the truth. Shandris is also competent here: she snaps into action, sending one guard off to find Maiev, two to guard the body, and takes Jarod and the last Sentinel with her and they go to the Temple. No one stops them, and they greet Tyrande, who quickly figures out what happened.Incidentally, considering Jarod was worried about not being able to deal with Shandris, he does so with great ease. The murder is being reported, and of course, Malfurion and Var'dyn walk up and start talking, with Var'dyn basically acting like an idiot. He says that if progress isn't being made, he'll make news of the murders public (because this will totally help) and Var'dyn starts to lay into Jarod because he was the one that found the body (why people always make this accusation, I have no idea. Maybe if they're standing over them, but it makes no sense to report a murder that you're responsible for when you have to run across the city to do it) and Malfurion cuts him off, saying that of course Var'dyn will make no rash accusations. Var'dyn agrees quickly, though he recognizes Jarod. It surprises Jarod that Var'dyn knows who he is, considering his 'threatening posture' beforehand. Frankly, you all treat the Highborne like shit. When you treat people like shit, they're going to treat you like shit back. Don't act surprised by it. Tyrande assures Var'dyn that Maiev is doing all she can, and Var'dyn says that he's spoken to Maiev (didn't you say you wouldn't?) and that she was coarse though competent, but she is only one person and there could be many assassins to Maiev's one. Var'dyn says that the Highborne will not stand idly by any longer, bows and leaves. Shandris says something amusing and sarcastic (that it's amazing that anyone would dislike the Highborne because they're the epitome of respect and congeniality) and… well, the Highborne haven't made themselves look particularly good, but as I've previously noted, people treat them like shit. Malfurion personally blames every one of them for the War, despite the fact that if they were on Azshara's side, they'd be naga right now and not Kaldorei, but on the other hand, they're also risking the investigation by freaking out instead of acting appropriately. Either way, Tyrande and Malfurion focus their attention on him, making him feel uneasy, and he's certain they want something of him. Oh, Jarod, you were so close to my list of top competent people in this book, even with being an asshole. Tyrande says she wants to express her appreciation of how he handled the discovery, and while Jarod demurs, she says that his common sense and training shone through (and we all know common sense isn't, particularly in this book). Tyrande says that the one thing that Var'dyn said that was true was that Maiev would need help (which he didn't technically say, but did imply). They can't allow this to continue, both for the Highborne and the summit. Jarod says his sister is competent and determined. Tyrande says perhaps, but her brother would make an excellent assistant.Jarod hesitates, but agrees, saying he'll bow to Maiev's authority (I don't know why this is precisely necessary, but whatever) and he goes. Shandris goes with him, saying that she's glad that he's involved now, and while she's not hugely fond of the Highborne, she can understand why they'd be upset about this (gee, two people have been murdered in two days, and there was ever a question as to why they were upset?). Jarod asks where he's likely to find Maiev, and Shandris says by this time, Maiev will have had the body moved to the Watcher's enclave where they train, which is where she's investigating the murders from. Shandris seems to want him to say more, to talk to her, but Jarod doesn't and just goes. He's not hugely thrilled about dealing with his sister again, but off he goes. When he gets there, the place is described as "oddly muted" from the sounds of the rest of Darnassus. He winds up talking to Neva, Maiev's new second, who is kind of… cold and weird, noting that she expected Jarod to be more scarred and larger ("Aren't you a little short for a storm trooper?") and Jarod asks about his sister. Maiev was here, but the Highborne came to claim the body and she was pissed off because she's not done with it yet (hint guys: if you want an investigation to progress, stop directly interfering with the investigation) so she went to go talk to them. Jarod asks if they're at the enclave, and Neva says that they are, but he can wait here (and Neva is honestly weird, she keeps walking around Jarod and inspecting him like he's a piece of meat, I don't know exactly what Knaak is driving at here, but it's kind of gross. I want to say it's 'well, in a matriarchal society, this is how women treat men', but Neva also mentions after he's not much like his sister that he _is_… does that mean she's interested in Jarod because he reminds her of Maiev? I don't even know, guys. I do not even know). Jarod cuts her off as he goes dashing off after someone, wondering if it might be one of the Worgen, whom he hasn't met yet but has heard about. He apparently moves very fast through the forest, faster than Neva can follow, when he runs into what appears to be an electrified web net. He gets electrocuted fairly badly, thinking briefly about how he wishes for death (he's alone, his wife just died, the world is all manner of fucked up) but a vision of his wife's face floats up, and he remembers how much she loved life, how she taught him to love being alive again after the horrors of the war. He knows she wants him to live, to move on, not to die unless there's no other alternative. Jarod uses this to hold on a little longer, and eventually the electrocution stops, and he drops to the ground.Someone grabs him (he can't see who, presumably because he's in a lot of pain), and while initially he's afraid that he'll be electrocuted again, it doesn't happen and a male voice that he doesn't recognize asks if he can understand him. Jarod makes a sound like he does, and the person gets him to sit up and leans him against a tree. He apologizes, and says he didn't know that would happen and that he didn't know that was there. His rescuer hears someone coming and takes off, leaving Jarod to try and get his vision back into focus. Not long after, he hears someone say that he lives, and recognizes it as Neva. A second voice says, "Of course he does, he is my brother, after all." Aww, Maiev. That's kind of sweet. Why do I get this feeling you set electrified traps around your base to catch people and your brother faced into one? At any rate, we have a new chapter, and we go back to our Horde fleet of merely eight. They arrive at Bilgewater Port, which has been built up since they were last here, fully controlled and operated by the goblins. A goblin "operating a foul-smelling mechanism used for unloading cargo trundled by in the distance. As deadly as the shredders could be when turned on a foe, they paled in comparison to the natural fury of Briln's cargo". Um, as a side note? You don't use shredders for cargo. You use them for cutting down trees. And sometimes night elves. You don't use them as cargo lifters. Second, a 'mechanism' is not a whole machine. A mechanism is a… lever, or a pulley, or a crank or something mechanical that is part of a greater machine. Anyway, the hold from the first ship opens, and it's noted that after the journey, no one is the same. They're all anxious and afraid. Some of the goblins think this is funny, and the captain (Briln) turns on them, telling them that the creatures are hungry after their journey, and that they need a snack, something they can either help retrieve or be a part of. The goblins are intimidated into behaving. As he's getting them off-loaded, he notices a boat with a party from the mainland, which is Garrosh and some of the Kor'Kron (which are naturally his Kor'Kron, not a force that once served as Thrall's bodyguards, and then an elite force that attacked the Wrathgate. Naturally.) People salute Garrosh as he passes, and apparently he doesn't demand such, but people feel the need to do it, because he's the type of commander that gets it "due to the immense respect and fear his followers had in him". I realize Macchiavelli didn't care whether he ruled through love and fear, but leading by fear means that when people stop being afraid of you, they will stop following you. Love, while harder to earn, is also harder to lose. After all, it took me years to hate Thrall. Briln is pretty solidly convinced that Garrosh is going to kill him for failing, though the level at which he's being paranoid makes this seem ridiculous: Garrosh wanted ten of these things. He got eight. If a commander can't adapt to such a small difference in numbers, then he's just not a good commander. Things happen. Things don't go as planned. He does seem to be managing, and instead of having Briln executed, he makes him his ground force commander, and has his second become the captain of his ship in his place. I have this distinct feeling that the one-eyed Kaldorei commander and this guy are going to square off at some point, just a guess. Also, to demonstrate how badass Garrosh is, or something, he moves in close to the cages and one of the creatures tries to reach with him. Now, the amazing shifting bar-cages don't allow the creature to reach out, and unlike before, these ones weren't bent, and it can't bend them now. Well, that's so terribly convenient, isn't it? I would have over to watch Garrosh get his head ripped off.Garrosh says it's time to remind these creatures of their deal, letting us know that the creatures are nearly as intelligent as the orcs. Not unlike when Blizzard decided baby dragons were conscious and learning while still in egg form fucking horrified me, this upsets me too. I know what these creatures are (I've read spoilers) but this is a race that spent time as slaves. As far as I can tell, there is no bargain here. There is blackmail. Extortion? Shotgun diplomacy? Because Garrosh's "bargain" is that they apparently have baby-creatures here, and he's using them to intimidate the creatures into submission. This is not a bargain, people. This is pointing a gun at someone's child's head and telling them to work. This is awful. This seems to work, and he speaks to them. He says that he has, as promised, kept the children safe, and now it's time for the creatures to do as they promised. Okay, well… if these things were reasonable, intelligent creature who will do what you want, you should not have kept them in cages. You should not have drugged them. There should have been some kind of agreement. If they are animals, while horrible, it's more expected to keep dangerous creatures that you cannot speak to or reason with in cages. You cannot change your mind halfway through this fucking book. Also, did you kidnap their children specifically? Did you kidnap random children and assume they'd care? When was this negotiation? How did it happen? What the fuck is going on? I don't get it, folks. I don't even know. I've read this twice (once to start writing and then again for details) and I just do. not. get. it. Whaaaaat?! At any rate, Garrosh announces that they'll leave at sunrise the next day, and that his plan in Ashenvale is underway. He's cut off communications to Darnassus and they'll make assumptions about what's to come based on past wars, and "they'll die discovering just what great fools they've been made…" Um, you're missing a word, Garrosh, and furthermore… what? Though I also have to wonder how long the author thinks it takes to travel across Azshara to get to Ashenvale, and then to Silverwing Outpost, which they specifically describe. Garrosh's plan is working because the night elves are morons who don't know how to use terrain or time of day advantage. Again, we're reminded that Garrosh apparently wants to rebuild a Horde-dominated world. I look forward to seeing what's left of it when you burn down all the forests, Garrosh, and there's nothing left for you. Have fun with that.Now, this chapter was confusingly named "The Worgen", marked with a Horde symbol, and now we actually get back to the Worgen. The summit has started, and they're holding it outside, because while they could do it inside, there's a concern from both the Worgen and the Kaldorei that people who are uncomfortable with them might feel trapped indoors. Well, while I think this is not necessarily a terrible idea… if they're being introduced to the Alliance, they'd best fucking get used to it. Not every meeting will be indoors. They will have to get used to people. Either way, people are arranged in a basically circular fashion outside. Apparently, the Kirin Tor were invited, but declined because they wanted to remain a bridge between the Horde and the Alliance. Because… making sure the Alliance is stable isn't at-all important, right? And I hate to break it to them, the bridge has been fucking burned. At least the Kirin Tor were remembered? No such luck with anyone else. Delegations are being formally introduced, and this first meeting will determine whether or not the Worgen are permitted into the Alliance. The logic here being that if they get in, they'll be seated with the rest and be able to vote, whereas if they don't get in, they'll probably want to leave as soon as possible to 'keep shame to a minimum'. Oh… kay? This isn't like being voted second for prom queen, people. Whatever, anyway, it starts and people arrive with great pomp and circumstance that remind me more of the Olympics than any meeting, but I suppose this is meant for people to feel proud and show off. The gnomes start out first, then Theramore, progressing all the way to the last group, led by Varian. He and those with him are all dressed as warriors, except Anduin who is in court dress. Varian performs a very elegant, courtly bow before Tyrande and Malfurion -- which confuses them, as it seems out of character for how Varian usually is, and how he's presented himself -- and Tyrande calls the summit into order, the first vote to open the subject, which they note is a formality rather than a concern. The meeting starts, and Tyrande makes a speech, which leads in to introducing the Gilneans, who come to offer their might to the Alliance. They transform into Worgen, and Malfurion says that they have mastered the Worgen curse. We get a brief explanation of why Malfurion blames himself, which is covered if you read the Curse of the Worgen comic, and was something I apparently should have finished and reviewed before this one, but it was honestly really fucking shitty and I didn't think it would have this much of a bearing on this book. Hurrah. Basically, there were idiots who were trying out a druid form. Malfurion himself even tried to use it but when he couldn't tame it, deemed it too dangerous. Cenarius helped him out. (image courtesy of blazecheetah) People did what they do when they're told not to do something and did it anyway. Eventually, Malfurion's solution was to make them all sleep under a tree in the Emerald Dream. Arugal, sent by Genn to find a solution to the Scourge problem, and accidentally wound up pulling in the Worgen, who promptly went and infected a significant portion of the country. How it went from voluntary druid form to werewolf infection, I have no idea. I don't know if the comic explains it. I don't know if they've bothered to give a fuck. Moving on.The Wildhammer say that they will accept the Gilneans' aid, and Tervosh speaks up a moment later. One by one, the various delegations accept Gilneas, and Tyrande calls it to a vote… but then Varian interrupts, asking if he can speak. He makes a speech, and at first it's… extremely positive, it's so happy and it seems so uplifting, that the Worgen would be such valuable allies in the face of the Horde, and that he would be happy to have such allies. This makes Genn and the Worgen extremely happy. Varian says he interrupted a vote, and Malfurion says he'll happily call for the motion again (Tyrande, from moment to the other, is called away by a Sentinel but indicates Malfurion can continue things). Varian then… changes, from being pleasant and positive to being a giant douchebag. He tells them not to bother casting the vote, because he will never agree to having the Worgen in the Alliance. He then walks out with his delegation, the last and most reluctant being Anduin. That's how the chapter end. Varian prattled in his anti-Worgen speech about honour and trust, of which he elicits none of the latter and has none of the former. I think we're supposed to believe that Varian is wildly uncontrolled, that he has issues that prevent him from being able to, say, control his temper, think rationally… but this was deliberate sabotage. He wound the Gilneans up only to shoot them down. This was unnecessary on his part if his intention was not to accept them. This was deliberate, malicious cruelty. Not only that, Varian has, as far as we know (though we're only at the halfway point of the novel), sabotaged the Alliance itself. He has deliberately done this in a time where he himself has mentioned that the Horde are taking territory (though what territory, I don't know, aside from the Forsaken taking Gilneas, the timeline of the zone shift is hard to define) and they need to stand together. Varian Wrynn is a horrible fucking person.Well, that killed all of the fun I was having, people. That's the end of that section. Enjoy the tags.Part IVTags: the hypocrite's oath, cheating at narrative, reading ahead in the script, you are not horatio caine, logic fail, go back to sleep malfurion, fuck this book forever, did not do the research, anduin/jaina in 2012, varian is not the king of parenting, leader of the alliance? I didn't vote for you, not sure if porn or just anger, not being a fuckwit means never having to say you're sorry, *sigh*, *hnnnnnnngh!*, I think you botched your diplomacy roll, not the villain from lethal weapon 2, varian is not trained in socialize, charisma is not a dump stat for heads of state, got wood?, and then there were none, killing the suspense, author fail, azeroth needs more career counsellors stat, bad at your job, for a pessimist you're pretty… pessimistic, I used to make sense but then I took an arrow to the face, not sure if madness or the scientific method, the force is strong with this one, velen is actually pretty bamf, help me velen you're my only hope!, listen to the voices in your head jarod, csi zin-azshari yaye!, if this book goes below 55 mph it will still suck, jarod's 'nam flashbacks, stumbling onto the plot, hellscream's eyes are upon you, not housebroken, does cenarius need to smack a druid?, aaa-oooo werewolves of london, could stand to lose his catholic conscience, warcraft: book reviewTags:*hnnnnnnngh!*, *sigh*, aaa-oooo werewolves of london, and then there were none, anduin/jaina in 2012, author fail, azeroth needs more career counsellors st, bad at your job, charisma is not a dump stat for heads of, cheating at narrative, could stand to lose his catholic conscie, csi zin-azshari yaye!, did not do the research, does cenarius need to smack a druid?, for a pessimist you're pretty… pessimist, fuck this book forever, go back to sleep malfurion, got wood?, hellscream's eyes are upon you, help me velen you're my only hope!, i think you botched your diplomacy roll, i used to make sense but then i took an , if this book goes below 55 mph it will s, jarod's 'nam flashbacks, killing the suspense, leader of the alliance? i didn't vote fo, listen to the voices in your head jarod, logic fail, not being a fuckwit means never having t, not housebroken, not sure if madness or the scientific me, not sure if porn or just anger, not the villain from lethal weapon 2, reading ahead in the script, stumbling onto the plot, the force is strong with this one, the hypocrite's oath, varian is not the king of parenting, varian is not trained in socialize, velen is actually pretty bamf, warcraft: book review, you are not horatio caine
It just keeps getting worse and worse.Deathy... Deathy doesn't like Garrosh at all. He downright hates Varian.Garrosh... Garrosh has gotten character development. It's been bad development, but we've seen him change from the weepy, self-hating young orc, to a headstrong, glory-crazed, self-declared "hero" who has to be the best and strongest to live up to his father's name. Deathy can respect the motivation, though not the execution, behind this.Varian?He's a child. He's a whiny, angry, selfish child who throws a tantrum whenever things do not go "his way".If... and this is Deathy planning for the worst... if Jaina and Varian marry, he hopes it's so she can poison him and become the new Queen of Stormwind and the Theramore Exiles.Because she'd be ten thousand times a better leader.
Addendum: apparently, the worgen were created when the Pack Form-using druids tried to control Pack Form by submitting and opening themselves to the power of the Scythe of Elune, which is made from a staff empowered by Elune and one of Goldrinn's fangs. They were transformed from night elves who could take on a form that channelled Goldrinn's rage to true worgen, transmissible "curse" and all.Given what Goldrinn is like in-game, I find myself wondering why an artifact that apparently increases the strength of a spiritual link to him (and to Elune) would turn you into an indiscriminate killer, and make such a transformation communicable through wounds that aren't immediately fatal. Goldrinn is the Wolf ancient, and wolves are pack hunters -- they hunt for food, not for sport or bloodlust, and while heirarchy is the bedrock of their social structure, they still protect the other members of their pack (in the wild, packs usually consist of a mated pair and their young offspring -- cubs and yearlings).
_How it went from voluntary druid form to werewolf infection, I have no idea. I don't know if the comic explains it. I don't know if they've bothered to give a fuck._THIS LOOKS LIKE A JOB FOR: me.A group of druids flat out refused to stop using pack form, and so Malfurion exiled them to the forests (to the moon!). Apparently those exiled druids were such fanbois of Goldrinn that the had one of his fangs and it was their prized possession or something of that sort. Over time they start getting more and more feral until they stay in pack form almost all the time and aren't much more than wild wolves (it doesn't actually go into any of this in Curse of the Worgen; you learn about it from http://www.wowpedia.org/Faded_Journal ).In Curse of the Worgen, Arvell (the green haired druid) and Ralaar (the dark haired druid, they are bffs or something), get in trouble with Malfurion & Tyrande for using Pack Form to escape some satyrs or something and killing some of their own allies in the process. Malfurion makes them promise not to do it again and lets them go with "their own grief" from killing their own allies being their punishment or something. Arvell agrees, seemingly for both of them because Ralaar doesn't say anything. Of course, later on, the two get into another scuffle (Arvell's girlfriend Belrysa is with them, too) with some demons and Arvell is wounded and dies because he refuses to use pack form and save himself. Ralaar of course doesn't give a damn about what Malfurion thinks, uses pack form and saves his own ass and Belrysa's (without losing it and hurting anyone this time, hooray), and then the two of them take Arvell's body to Malfurion and blame him for his death (and of course Malfurion is emo about it). Ralaar develops a vendetta against Malfurion and wraps Belrysa up in it too, both of them convinced that if Arvell hadn't sworn not to use pack form and had used it he'd still be alive, and eventually Ralaar buddies up with the exiled druids by beating the shit out of their leader and making himself "Alpha Prime"(*puke*).Ralaar eventually gathers up the exiled druids (who use their night elf forms again now because he said so), gets their Goldrinn fang, and brings it to Belrysa who uses her priestess magics or something (did I mention she was a priestess? She was.) to fuse it to her staff and create the Scythe of Elune (ta-da!). Their intent was to use the scythe's power to make pack form more stable so they wouldn't go coocoo when using it, but that plan backfires spectacularly and instead it transforms the druids into worgen (Ralaar being the first, of course, and the others following suit after he said "omg u guise this is osm"). Ralaar of course only has his revenge against Malfurion on his mind, but Belrysa thinks they're going to use this new form to aid the night elves in the battles against the satyrs. They rush off into a battle and all is peachy at first as the worgens tear through the satyrs, but then of course they turn on Malfurion and the night elves with Ralaar rambling on about his revenge blah blah blah. Malfurion tangles them up in a nice aoe entangling roots and the night elves retreat. The worgen run around biting other night elves and turning them into worgen too, and Malfurion eventually calls together a druid meeting in Moonglade to discuss what he's gonna do about it.-snip for length-
At the meeting, they officially create the Cenarion Circle as a means of better preventing an incident like pack form and the worgen from happening again, and then Malfurion tells them he plans to use the Scythe of Elune against the worgen by using it's power to trap the worgen under some kind of magic tree in the Emerald Dream that's name I cant remember. This conversation leads to this hilarious exchange between Fandral (Who is there and not forgotten!) and Malfurion, where Malfurion very hastily declines to explain how he knows about the tree (which is explained later on as being due to his own experimentation with Pack Form and Cenarius having to give him the pimp hand and take him to the tree to calm his spirit, way to cover your tracks there Furion).Then Naralex (who is also there and not forgotten!) brings up the better point; how were they going to get the scythe in the first place? Enter Belrysa, scythe in tow, who causes Fandral to freak on-sight and start yelling for someone to seize her (and Naralex tries to, calm down bro it's gon b ok). Malfurion calls him off and explains that Belrysa is giving them the scythe willingly because she felt guilty about the worgen since she never meant for them to become what they became or something like that. She explains that their plan is for Belrysa to tell Ralaar that Malfurion seeks forgiveness, so they can draw the worgen out into the open, and then use the scythe to send them to the emerald dream for naptime.Malfurion feels bad about having to use deceit to get Ralaar and the worgen out in the open because Ralaar used to be his student (and comments "Long ago Ralaar posessed the greatest of potential yet also within him I detected a smoldering fire. I thought that...he reminded me of..." before changing trains of thought. I'm assuming it's meant to imply Illidan though), so he goes to talk to Cenarius who basically tells him to grow a set just in nicer terms. Malfurion goes through with the plan and it works, ending the worgen problem until Argual managed to summon them up ages later. I guess Velinde Starsong counts, too, since apparently her story is still in the lore too. Why Elune would give her the scythe of all things is beyond me though, except that maybe she's a mega troll since it was moon priestess magic that created the scythe in the first place.
the__ivorytower
