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Tip of the Spear
#1
Ulrach Wayland had finally reached the port-city of Theramore. The Second Fleet had transported the whole of Elwynn Battalion to Kalimdor, gears began to grind worldwide. Ulrach waited at the docks, patiently watching his soldiers disembark from their moths-long journey over the endless ocean. Several Captains approached the Colonel, being nodded off they headed to their men, leading them to the barracks. Eventually Ulrach himself went to the barracks, once his men had found their temporary bunks.

For several long hours the Colonel talked and discussed tactics, orders, and strategy with the military leaders of Theramore. For hours they consulted maps and scout reports. For hours they contemplated means of following their orders. The War in the West was about to begin. In the late evening, Ulrach excused himself, retiring to a small quarter made for him. He sat at the desk, grabbing a small cylindrical metal tube, a pen as it were. For a good hour or so, Colonel Wayland scribbled out his own report.

Quote:Stormwind High Command.

The full strength of Elwynn Battalion, around three hundred assorted infantry and supporting units, have made it to Theramore. Morale is high as the men are making their own assumptions to our purpose here. I plan on briefing my Captains within the week, thus briefing my men.

Within the next five to seven days I intend to enlist the aid of mercenaries, to begin paving the way to the Barrens. Until I receive new orders or intel, Elwynn Battalion will continue it's planned march. The Fort will be ready as soon as major reinforcements begin to arrive.

For the Alliance.

- Col. Ulrach Wayland


Satisfied with the look of the report, Ulrach folded it, sealing it inside a envelope, stamping a wax seal of the Alliance Military over it. He stood, walking outside to a pair of soldiers standing idle, he handed one the letter. In a moment both men saluted and went off towards the docks, to the ships. Ulrach nodded to himself, soon enough, the game will start.
Do you have what it takes to join the Fighting Blues?
Do you have what it takes to defend your homeland?
Will you stand up in defense of the innocent? The weak?
Will you stand up in defense of Justice and the Law?

[Image: images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRVE3uy8TjirssygDEKMi2...Ia13_WYQpw]



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#2
The dry heat of the Barrens persisted long into the night, making this new environment unpleasant for the Colonel. Base Camp Victory had been established, not far from the Dustwallow Border. Within the perimeter was the full strength of Elwynn Battalion, some three hundred men and women. Ulrach had his own tent set up near the middle of the sea of blue tents, within he had just enough room for a desk and a few other provisions a commander should have. However, first things first, with the events of Dustwallow, a report must follow.

He broke out a brown quill and a small pot of ink, beginning to scribble down in an orderly fashion.

Quote:Stormwind High Command

The last of the first wave of builders have arrived, the Dustwallow Highway will be complete in months time to allow ease of access to the Barrens, and indeed the rest of Kalimdor, by way of Theramore. That being said, there are still a great many complications. First, I count that about seven Theramore Scouts were killed along the main road due to several major problems.

First; the local Grimtotem Tauren tribe. A well-armed group of four attacked a band of scouts, killing two of them. My party, mostly consisting of paid-mercenaries, found the tauren as they were about to leave. All four were subsequently executed, after given the chance to lay down their arms.

I suggest some form of treatise with the tribe, either peace, or threat of extermination. If they choose to attack the Highway, they could become very problematic. Threat level is Red.

Second; the local fauna. The local animals, mostly crocalisks, appear to be quite bold indeed. After devouring a theramore scout, they soon attacked my party once more. However, with only minor injuries to myself and Knight-Captain Feranos, we slaughtered the beasts and continued.

I would suggest more patrols around the more sunken portions of the main road for now, other than that I have no suggestions on how to deal with the animals themselves. Threat level is Yellow.

Third; Ogres. Upon arriving at one of the many bridges along the main road, my party encountered a group of ogre bandits. They demanded coin from us, in return we killed all but one, who fled before his comrades attacked us. The ogres also managed to gruesomely kill another Theramore Scout.

I would suggest action against the local clan of Ogres. Even though the ones we encountered were simple bandits, the local clan could prove hostile to Alliance efforts in Dustwallow. I would recommend action taken against them to remove them from the area. Threat level is Yellow.

Fourth; an orc scouting party. As was expected of nearing the border to the Barrens, I encountered a group of five to seven orcs. One of them was a Warlock. They ambushed just before the drop off point for the builders.

I would highly suggest the building of watch towers, possibly a gatehouse at the gap in the mountains. This path is the primary entrance to Dustwallow, walling it off would ascertain Alliance superiority in the region. Threat level is Red.

Colonel Ulrach Wayland, Elwynn Battalion


Addendum; it would appear that the next wave of builders has arrived as of my writing this. Construction on Fort Triumph will begin shortly.

Ulrach finished his report by sealing it with a wax stamp inside an envelope. He walked outside as a few dozen workers had shown up, setting up their own tents and supplies. The Colonel handed the missive to a soldier, who in turn hopped onto a cart headed back off to Theramore. With that, Ulrach headed back inside his tent for a good night's rest. He had a lot to do in the coming days.
Do you have what it takes to join the Fighting Blues?
Do you have what it takes to defend your homeland?
Will you stand up in defense of the innocent? The weak?
Will you stand up in defense of Justice and the Law?

[Image: images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRVE3uy8TjirssygDEKMi2...Ia13_WYQpw]



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#3
Sitting at his desk in Fort Triumph, Ulrach gently rubbed the bandage around his head. A nasty fight that had been earlier, but nonetheless, he had a report to write out. Grabbing a blue quill, Ulrach set out to writing with a stubby candle nearby for light.

Quote:Stormwind High Command-

Fort Triumph remains after a vicious attack by the local silithid. Apparently they did not care for the construction of the Fort over a large colony in the Barrens.

My party of soldiers and mercenaries arrived just in time to help defend the Fort as a great number of scorpids and grubs crawled out of the nearby hives. We defeated wave upon wave, until a gnome destroyed one of the mounds. This startled and angered a group of large Silithid Wasps.

During the entire encounter I, and several others, felt a clawing at my mind. Eventually, several of us were controlled temporarily by the culprit of the attack. A Quiraji Priest, so the mages tell me. This is a disturbing turn of events, if the Quiraji can reach this far, more than the fort might be in danger.

I am suggesting to General Hawthorne of the requisition of several gnome commando's to clear out the silithid hive and remaining bugs within. Fort Triumph will not fall to an underground threat.

That being said, my scouts report little to no activity on the Horde as of yet. We will soon make use of this to help push the invasion further.

- Colonel Ulrach Wayland, Elwynn Battalion, Fort Triumph


Sealing the letter inside an envelope, Ulrach handed it to a soldier waiting nearby, who ran off with it towards an incoming caravan. With that, the Colonel headed to his bed and collapsed from the shear exhaustion. Soon enough, there will be more to come.
Do you have what it takes to join the Fighting Blues?
Do you have what it takes to defend your homeland?
Will you stand up in defense of the innocent? The weak?
Will you stand up in defense of Justice and the Law?

[Image: images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRVE3uy8TjirssygDEKMi2...Ia13_WYQpw]



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#4
At the cleanest tavern in Ratchet, Matthew ordered himself two mugs of mead and requested a goblin pen and paper from the bartender. His hands still felt they were covered in blood though he had washed away the gore of an orc admiral who met his end at the hands of either a very violent mage or very inexperienced one.

He was asked to write a report for Ulrach on the happenings during the latest mission he received from Alliance command, and Matthew thought to himself if he should include an embarrassing detail involving himself, a witch doctor, and turning into a frog. Deciding it was a very unimportant detail, the paladin slid a candle closer and began his report.

Quote:To Colonel Ulrach Wayland,

As requested, here is the report on the latest mission given to my group by the Alliance command.

The ships took their time arriving to Theramore, no doubt having gone to Tanaris to drink at Gadgetzan and realizing too late that they had a mission to complete. We boarded one of the ships (a normal transporter and warship) and followed Hartley's Icebreaker north toward Ratchet, where we ran into three Horde ships. One of them engaged Hartley as the other two attacked the ship I was on and the sister ship behind us.

We were ordered to use the cannons to sink the closest Horde ship, and some of our crew fell into the waters below, which were infested with sharks who were quite hungry and fighting amongst themselves to bite whatever they could. We thankfully sank the ship with little effort, but the Horde also managed to cause ours to sink, and we were ordered to the lifeboats. Down one ship, the plan seemed to be go to the Alliance ship, but the group had a different idea in mind.

Between the Horde ship with a few trolls and the Alliance ship with its own crew being knocked into the waters below, it was decided we would board the Horde ship and claim it for ourselves. The Horde was not happy about that, and used rifles, pistols, axes, and even cannon fire to prevent us from getting on. When we climbed up, we were greeted by an almost-all troll crew of axe throwers and a witch doctor. Despite killing the trolls with relative ease, we were still being fired upon by the Alliance ship nearby, who couldn't tell we had taken the ship due to fog and gunpowder. The most eager of the recruits, Mynsc, managed to tear the Horde flag down, and while it saved us from cannon fire, it didn't matter because none of us knew how ships worked, and we needed to abandon it quickly to take the lifeboats to Hartley's Icebreaker, the Bellipotent.

Hartley managed to sink the last of the Horde ships on his own and his ship appeared perfectly fine. However, the orc crew immediately boarded the Bellipotent and started a fight on the deck. The orc Admiral started shouting typical Horde phrases like Lok'tar O'gar and For the Horde, which did wonders for his crew. One of the women with me managed to curse him and end his talking, leaving him with gibberish (warlock magic?). That only caused him to try and curse at us, taking his axes and twirl (whirlwind) around to strike at all of us. He wasn't very successful. The only thing he did manage to do later was grab Knight-Captain Victoria Feranos and Mynsc, throwing them at the two spellcasters we had with us. The mage didn't like that, and what followed was her casting a spell powerful enough to make the orc explode. Literally. I was covered in blood.

After a small celebration by the crew, the Admiral dropped us off at Ratchet and left to do whatever it is the Alliance told him to (all I know is that it involved Ratchet). I paid the men and women that followed me already, and I will remain around Ratchet for further orders.

-Knight-Captain Matthew Hunter
Eagle's Valor

“Seems good enough.” Matthew thought to himself, pushing the letter and pen away, ready to send it once he was finished drinking and conversing with a fellow Knight-Captain. A brief moment of peace before the next objective.
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#5
Another small task for Northwatch complete, Matthew Hunter decided to take a quick break in his tent. Ratchet was too expensive and too goblin for Matthew's taste, and Theramore was too far away. It was amusing to the paladin that he wanted to -work- just to past the time.

Sitting by a small chest, Matthew used it as a desk to write a report for Ulrach, slightly worried for the man. The Colonel was nowhere to be found yesterday.

Quote:To Colonel Ulrach Wayland,

We are currently down three gyrocopters and one of our volunteers was almost killed clearing a bridge for a caravan.

Our assignment was to clear the way for caravans from Ratchet and Triumph to reach our camp near the Crossroads, and the Alliance decided it would be easier for us to deal with them using copters and mortars. I took to the skies with two others and Knight-Captain Victoria led three volunteers with mortars. That is when our problems started.

Two of the men following Victoria did not take mortars, and one of the men in the sky decided that he wanted to use his longbow inside of the machine gun. I would be more upset if the man missed every shot, but he managed to hit an orc in the neck. Somehow. I don't understand and I don't care to understand it.

There were four camps near Ratchet, and we cleared them as quickly as we could. After we found a fourth camp and the Knight-Captain told two of her men to charge in and kill them (punishment for forgetting mortars), we received orders over radio to check on a bridge south of the Crossroads. There, we were attacked by four assassins using rockets and grenades plus three wyverns who no doubt followed us after wondering where the machine guns and explosions were coming from. At the bridge, we lost all of our copters, but left no survivors among the Horde (they didn't give us a choice). One of the volunteers did something that only a savage orc would do, and I will not repeat it here.

We returned to Ratchet and I made sure to pay the volunteers out of my own pocket. We are now awaiting further orders.

-Matthew Hunter
Eagle's Valor

Finished, Matthew caught the attention of a passing guard and asked him to deliver the report to Ulrach. He collapsed on his bedroll immediately after, his quick break turning into a two hour nap.
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#6
Ulrach sat at his desk, reading over reports from different Drill Instructors. His Battalion was back to full strength once more, it would seem. His men training rigorously for the last few months, preparing for a full scale invasion that was issued by the King himself. The Island Kingdom of Tol Barad, under siege by forces unknown. That was always a precarious term: 'Forces Unknown'. Ulrach had seen all manner of enemy combatants from Orcs to Demons. In any case, Tol Barad would be freed from the grip of this enemy force.

He set a report down, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He had to speak to his men in the morning, congratulating them for making it this far. These new recruits would graduate into the Army proper and yet even the veterans had no clue what was waiting for them. He looked over a commendation for a Private J. Ramirez, a promotion to Private First Class for his action in saving a pair of nobles some time ago. Ulrach never could take his mind off of the men under his command. All of them had families, lives outside of the Army. He wanted nothing more than to promise them what he knew he could not deliver: That they would all return home safely.

Sighing, he knew it to be folly. War has its sacrifice, always. Ever since Alterac in the Second War, Ulrach had promised to return his men safely home. Alive or dead, he made it a priority that not a single man was left behind. Nearly thirty years later with however many campaigns and wars he's fought in... Ulrach always stayed true to it. Every man was returned home to his family, Alive and well or with the colors of Stormwind folded gently upon his coffin.

The Colonel stood, his candlelight dieing. He walked over to a stunted window in his office. It looked out over the whole city from the Command Center, the Moons shining brightly behind the silhouette of the Cathedral. He stood there for some time, the candle eventually fading away as Ulrach stood in a tranquil state of mind. Tol Barad was going to be nasty territory. Lives were going to be lost, there was nothing he could do about it. He nodded to himself, slowly making his way out of his office.

The walk home was nice enough, living in one of the many residential areas near the Command Center. It was late, maybe one or two in the morning, no one was awake at his home. Ulrach simply laid down next to his wife and slept, silently praying for himself and his soldiers.

The podium stood in front of some hundred soldiers standing at attention. Behind it sat the families of these men and women. Ulrach stood at the podium in his dress uniform, medals of campaigns and acts of heroism and bravery adorning his chest, alongside a bright and silver eagle denoting his rank of Colonel. "At ease, Gentlmen," he said as the men released their salute, standing tall. "You have graduated from the harsh training I have put you through. But know that this is not behind you. Know that everything you have learned will be used in the field of battle. I will not lie to you... In days time we will depart from Stormwind and head north. His Majesty has issued a declaration, that Tol Barad will be accepted back into the Alliance. We are going to liberate it.

Ulrach looked around at the many faces in the crowd of men and women in uniform, "Know that I cannot save you all. No form of training, protocol, or preparedness will stop a man from his time. I will do everything in my power, and I swear to you now before the eyes of the King and before the presence of the Holy Light... I will bring you all back. In my command know that if you die in service to your King, you will come home. I will scour the battlefield for you if you are lost. Every man here is my brother-in-arms and I will protect my brothers, in this life or the next. As your Colonel I will be there with you, every second of this war. I will be the first foot on the ground and I will be the last to leave. Stand tall, Soldiers of the Nation of Azeroth." He stepped down from the podium, saluting his men as they saluted him back.

The festivities lasted for some time, dwindling over the course of the evening. The new Boys in Blue heading off to collect their things. There was a fleet of ships to board in the morning. Ulrach was eager and hesitant at the same time, ready to simply get this business over with. War had become his curse.
Do you have what it takes to join the Fighting Blues?
Do you have what it takes to defend your homeland?
Will you stand up in defense of the innocent? The weak?
Will you stand up in defense of Justice and the Law?

[Image: images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRVE3uy8TjirssygDEKMi2...Ia13_WYQpw]



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#7
Mithas and Ramirez were packing their gear, by this time they have become very versed in the act. Mithas bringing emergency medical equipment that was not standard issue, Ramirez making sure the adamantine dagger he had come into possession of was tucked in just right.

Ramirez was folding some shirts when Mithas finally sat down, holding his heavy ledger, "You think I have time to visit Elizabeth?"

Jamie nodded, "Everyone is visiting family right now."

"Who are you visiting Jamie?"

"Already spoke with the family today. And hoping I get a letter from Elendriel before we ship."

"She still talks to you a lot. Any news from Ashenvale?"

"She doesn't bring it up. Makes me think she doesn't want to talk about it."

Mithas nodded slowly, "Yeah... Jamie, you have the shirt still?"

Ramirez picked up the light mithril shirt off his bed, "Still got it Richard."

"Good. I think it will come in handy again."

"When doesn't it Richard?"
[Image: lich_king_signature_by_wyrx-d3jo9rm.png]
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