05-04-2010, 06:51 PM
First and foremost: Tell us about yourself, as a player.:
So... I'm not this good at introducing myself, but let's try. I'm Marco, I've lived for just a pair of decades (20 years, yes), and i could say that I'm a Gamer (and that's pretty corny, since I play WoW, isn't it?) and a Role Player (and that's even cornier, since I'm going to play here) and in general someone who likes to read fantasy books (i've read the lord of the rings something like seven times, if i remember right). I have been introduced to the "wonderful world" of online RpG some years ago, and i kept playing ever since. I'm a great appreciator (if the word appreciator even exists, of course! I don't really like the word "fan", anyway) of the Warcraft Games, and above all of the Warcraft Setting and Lore, wich i know pretty well (not to the levels of some maniacs, but almost...). I have to admit that this is the first time I try to Role Play using a language wich is not my own (I'm from Italy, by the way), but i think, or at least i hope, that my knowledge of the english language will suffice to the task (and surely this is also an opportunity to learn further, now that i think about it).
What else can I say? I'm looking forward to playing here, and hope i will be deemed worthy (so to say...).
What country do you come from? What is your primary language?
As i Said above, I'm from Italy. That said, i guess it is surprising to read that my primary language is Italian. I suppose know english well enough to take the challenge and try to play here, anyway. I always wanted to role play something in english... most of the typical rpg phrases have a much different "epicness" in english, than in any other language. Or at least i always thought, for example, that to say "I shall smite thee with my mighty blade" sounds much more epic than "Ti colpirò con la mia possente lama". Anyway... let's see.
How did you get into Warcraft?:
Well, that would be a long and boring story, if i were to tell it in details. Let's just say that in the far away 2005 (Or was it 2004? I really don't remember) a Friend of mine lent me a Game, saying something like "it's a cool game! It really looks like the Lord of the Rings, except that the orcs here are green, and not so bad!". At the time i didn't even know that there were other fantasy books or games or anything other than tolkien's stuff, so i said "cool", and I tried it. It was Warcraft 3. I enjoyed that game for its story, its characters, its humour, its music, its ending (and i speak about Reign of Chaos ending, that's the better ending I've ever seen in a Game. It made me Cry, i swear) and everything, and it's still one of my favourite games of all times. Than, some years later i tried also Warcraft 2 (oh yeah, I like old games!), and just a pair of years ago also WoW. Never played on an official blizzard server, i have to admit, but always on Italian RpG private servers. And now that there are no more italian rpg worthy of note... here I Am.
What made you seek our server over others?:
Should I answer with a polite answer, or tell the harsh truth? Hm... better the second, I suppose. This is simply the first Role Playing Private (and therefore free) WoW server i found. (<!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.google.com]www.google.com</a><!-- w --> -> WoW role play private server -> I feel Lucky). There's nothing more to say, for now. BUT I say that I've seen some of the site, some of the wiki, some of the forum... and I like it. That convinced me to try and stay, actually. This server seems "serious", i mean. Serious in the positive acceptation of the term, of course.
What kinds of roleplay do you enjoy?:
Oh, that's a good question, i guess. I Enjoy more or less any type of role play... as long as it mantains some degree of seriousness. I don't like very much funny RP, or Tavern Roleplay. Instead, I prefer to build an interesting story for my character... and of course for the characters that come in touch with my own (that's not a single player!). In the end, my ideal of roleplay is the one that is as similar as possible as the story of a book... with the only difference that there is not ONE protagonist, but many. And that you can write the book as many times as you want, but it will be different every time. I Like all sorts of rpg, anyway... from fighting to diplomacy, from action to romance, from storytelling to journey, from the most candid goodness to the most unspeakable evil. My Characters are usually Chaotic (Evil, Neutral or Good, of course), but that's not a general rule. I often like to play "out of the line" characters, but in the warcraft setting that's not the case. In WoW i like to play very Classic Characters. Why? Because the wow lore is already so beautifully diverse even without the need to add something of "strange".
What is your favorite race/class? Why?:
As i said above, in WoW i Like to play very Classic Characters. The race/classes that I like above others are without a doubt the ones that, for me, represent and schematize the beauty of the Warcraft setting. Something like the "archetipes" of the characters i would like to perform. Those are, for me, in this order:
-The feral night elf druid: I would really like (and i did, on another italian rpg server) to roleplay the classic Druid of the Claw (or druid of the talon, i like them both). A gigantic, grim, bearded, sleepy, wild, wise and fierce night elf, in touch with the nature of Kalimdor (and Azeroth of course), and ready to use his sharp Claws to shred away the corruption that is devouring his world... or to die trying. I always liked the connection between the druid, the night, the forest and the beast that the night elves represent. And above all, of course, the night elf druid. Besides this, it's one of my favourite classes also from a mere gameplay point of view.
-The Human Paladin: The paradigmatic Hero, the Martyr, the Avenger and so on. It's pretty banal, i guess, but i really like how they put it in WoW. I would like to play some little unknown wannabe hero, fighting in the shadow of greater heroes and paragons like Uther the Lightbringer or Tirion Fordring. In particular, i like the religion of this paladins, that makes them very different from the usual paladins of other settings (such as the usual, boring, dim D&D paladin). To be honest, the warcraft paladin is the only one i like, wielding his two handed hammer (Retribution, of course!) to smite the evil, and giving his own life to protect all the faithful. In particular, i like the idea of having a "Martyr" character. Something more heroic i simply cannot imagine! And of course... the speech is the same as the druid: The paladin is one of my favourite classes also for gameplay purposes.
-The Orc of the Horde. I like it to be Warrior, Shaman or Hunter (Not a vile Archer, but a Manly, fierce Beast Master, of course!). The classic orc that you feel to role play with the soundtrack of orgrimmar intro in loop (tu-tututu-tututututututu *drums*). Fanatically devoted to the Horde, to Thrall's new teaching, and so on. The classic Grunt, if warrior, the classic Shaman if Shaman, et cetera.
-The Knight of the Ebon blade. The former hero, then villain, then redeemed, in seek of atonement. Remembering the horrors of his past, his faults, his slavery, and using his recently aquired freedom, and his still working horrendous and dark powers, to fight the one that was his master and enslaver, but is now his worst enemy and nightmare.
And so on. This are only four of the many characters i like. I don't really know what to do.
What are your expectations of this server?:
I don't really know what to expect. I've seen it is pretty full, at least for the standards I'm used to (30 folks online at a time on a forum of an italian RP server would be a luxury). And, more important, as i said above, I've seen it is pretty serious and organized. I like it, for now! Just hope it is not too much strict and "cold", but that doesn't seem to be the case. Looks fair so far.
Out of all of our rules and regulations listed on our server, which appeals to you the most?:
Oh... I don'r really know. The usual rules about behavior, respect, peace and love are good and needed, of course, and it's nice to see that here they are. Then... what can I say? The fact thet everyone needs to post his own character biography and so on is also good. It prevents people to role play some odd monstruosity coming from mars, some Drow instead of a Night elf, some evil child-blood-sucker instead of a death knight, some Sayan instead of a blood elf, et cetera. I've seen many of them, it's good to know that probably I won't see anything like that here.
Lastly, tell us a story! It can be short, it can be long; but most importantly, we want to see your work in action. Go!:
((I'll write (or to be more exact, I'll translate and adaptate from italian) here a short part of the story of the past of my former druid, Baltaj))
[…] Many factors caused him to take that decision. First of all, the will of his Mother. For her, the Young Baltaj resembled more and more his distant, druid father. And that Golden Eyes, she knew very well, were a clear sign of his druidic potential and predisposition. Baltaj himself agreed, who felt his duty to follow the footsteps of a father he hadn't really ever known. It was like if becoming like him he could, one day, actually meet him, know him. Besides, his childish, but sincere, promise to his young friend, Arahja, was not forgotten: he wanted to grow as strong as the forest itself, to protect her, and not to be protected by her.
So he left. After he bid his bitter farewall to Arahja, he returned to his mother, and gathered his few belongings. All he knew was strictly necessary: something to light the fire with, some clothes, a knife, and not much else. He wanted to be prepared to everything. After all, all he knew about this Moonglade was what the legends told him. He didn't know how to behave, there, or what to expect.
Bitterly, his mother left him to the beginning of a forest dale, to the border of the sacred Moonglade: she had sworn, after what had happened to her huband, not to set foot in there anymore, for any reason. She only told Baltaj that his Master would have been one of the greatest friends of his father, and one of the few druids still awakened in that age of druidic sleep. Baltaj would have recognized him on sight... or at least so his mother told him.
Confused, but determined, the Kaldorei boy walked forward alone on the narrow forest road. It was late morning on the mountain path on wich his mother left him, but when he crossed the borders of Moonglade, and entered the shadow of the gigantic trees, it suddenly became night. They had told him: In the Moonglade there is no Day, and there is no Winter. The Moonglade is the realm of eternal Night, and eternal Summer. So amazed he was, staring ad the majesty of this enchantment, that he didn't realize of the presence of the huge Black Bear until he almost run into it.
The beast growled fiercely just a moment before Baltaj saw it. He fell to his feet, frightened, but he had enough readiness to draw his dagger, and point it, with trembling hand, against the dark shape of the bear. It was dark. So dark that even his Kaldorei sight couldn't pierce the shadows that engulfed the mighty, dark animal. All he could see was the gigantic shape, and the two Golden, ferocious eyes. They even seemed to glow...
Yet, when the creature came closer, Baltaj was surprised, as he heard him speaking his own language. When it came out of the shadow of the tree's branches, to be elightened by the Moon's light, Baltaj realized his own error: It was not a Bear, but the most huge, muscolar and bearded night elf he had ever seen. Yet, he was almost sure he had seen a Bear, before...
“Your courage honors you, but if the bear had been just a common, hungry bear, you would be shred to tears by now, between his jaws.â€Â
The voice of the Kaldorei wasn't much less frightening than the bear's very growl. It was a deep, throaty voice. Deep as the darkest night may be, and the very earth seemed to trumble and shiver at every word. And so did Baltaj. He hadn't ever been so scared in his entire life. He did not answer, but he stood on his feet and looked at him. His head was at the same height of the giant's belt.
“Who are you?â€Â
Asked than, after a short silence, the Druid. Because of course that was nothing less and nothing more than a druid. His voice was grim, even threatening. Seeing from below, all Baltaj could see was a great, dark beard, and two shining golden eyes. Their sight was hostile, at the very least. The young elf swallowed, and gathered his courage, to answer. He tried to look the druid in the eye, but he didn't manage to stand his eye contact, so he dropped his to the feet of the druid.
“My name is Baltaj. Baltaj Nightmane, and I'm here to become a Druid...â€Â
But he was interrupted by the heavy hands of the Druid, that grabbed his cheeks, and held them tight in an iron grip. He then forced the young kaldorei to lift his face, and look the druid, willingly or not, straight in the eye.
“I already know all this, useless to tell. And look me in the eye: in the forest the one who shows fear is vanquished.â€Â
“But... you were the one to ask me who I were...â€Â
The child had barely the time to mumble an answer, before the druid left the grip on his face, causing his balance to fail. Baltaj fell backwards, and painfully knocked against the trunk of the tree behind him.
“And why should you become a Druid?â€Â
Asked then the druid, careless of the pain he inflicted to the child. Baltaj Answered the simple truth, and found a compromise, in the meantime: he couldn't stand the glance of the druid... so he focalized his own sight on his bushy, dark eyebrows right above his eyes.
“Because i want to use the power of a Druid to protect the ones i care for, the ones that need my protection. And because I want to follow the footsteps of my father.â€Â
The ton of his short speech was determined, now, but still the reaction of the druid was all but satisfied. Without warning, he slapped the young kaldorei in the face. It was the hardest, most painful hit the boy had ever received, and it made him tumble painfully down against the trunk, once again.
“Then you wish to be a Mage, not a Druid. “Use the power†is exactly what a Mage does. You didn't understand anything of what a Druid does, of what a Druid Is. Go Away. Cross the ocean: maybe you'll find some damned Quel'dorei willing to help you, if you want to become like them. If they even still exist.â€Â
And this said, he left the almost fainted boy on the floor where he was, and walked away, in the forest. Everything Baltaj would have liked to do was to sit there and cry, but he knew that was not the right thing to do. Thus, he stood on his feet once again, and he started following him, staggering and stumbling, but determined to reach him.
The huge druid ignored him for all the route. He even accelerated the speed, striding so fast that the child was forced to run, not to be left behind. When the druid started to clumber up the mountains that formed the natural border of Moonglade, Baltaj became even more fatigued: whereas the druid crossed every obstacle with his tall legs, the young one was forced to climb up every single one of them. Thus, he was in the end actually left behind.
He fell several times, and he soon had both his kneels and hands bleeding. Even then, the druid kept walking, ignoring him. As a result, Baltaj arrived to the druid's cavern half an hour after him, tired as he had never been, hurt and wounded. He trudged until the entrance, and fell on it.
“What else do you want? I told you to leave me alone.â€Â
Breathing deeply, Baltaj answered what he had understood during that terrible little journey.
“It's true. I do not know what a Druid does, what a Druid Is. But... that is what I want you to teach me, Shan'do.â€Â
He stammered this last words, and his tone was serious, even grave, even in that situation of pain and fatigue. This was his choice, and he was not going to relinquish it. After he used all of his remaining energies to speak his mind with such determination, he fell unconscious.
When he waked up, he was on a soft floor. A soft bed made of living fern caressed his face, moved by a gentle breeze. Above him, the distant leaves of the Moonglade's gigantic trees, and between them the stars, and the two Moons. After just a moment, a huge, dark shadow covered it all. Shining in the middle of it, he recognized the Golden Eyes of the huge druid staring at him. Baltaj couldn't be certain, but he almost had the impression that they smiled. He realized that the one he had undergone into was some kind of test, and, more important, that he had not failed. But it was just the beginning. And then, his Shan'do spoke.
“So be it. I shall teach you what a Druid is, Young one. Come.â€Â
Baltaj stood up, and he realized that he was phisically fine. All of his wound seemed to have disappeared while he was asleep. Not even a scratch was left. The druid walked through the forest with his long pace, and once again Baltaj had to run not to be left behind.
“Yesterday you spoke about “Using the powerâ€Â. You must know that this is but a small part of what a Druid does. We're not mages, stupid child. We follow Nature's rules. And in nature, you can't take anything, without to give something in return.â€Â
Baltaj listened quietly. He didn't even know the name of the Druid, but he acknowledged his wisdom from his very voice, his very shape and glance.
“You thought to become a druid and shape the Nature with your will... dominate it and force you to serve you. That's not how it works. Actually, it's exactly the opposite.â€Â
As the huge, old druid said this, they arrived to a smoll water pool. In the eternal night its cristalline waters almost seemed to glow. And maybe they did. Or maybe it was the reflection of the stars on its surface. Near the Moonwell, because of course that was a Moonwell, there were two wooden buckets. The druid pointed them.
“Fill them, and take them on the edge of the mountain, above my cave.â€Â
The only order he gave him, before to disappear in the tree's shadow, with his striding pace. Baltaj didn't understand the meaning of all this, but he did as the druid said. He filled the buckets with the glowing waters of the well, and tried to lift them. They were heavy. Really heavy, for a child. After just a hundred of meters his arms started to hurt but still he didnt allow a single drop of the water to fall. For some reason, it seemed really important. Once arrived, he carefully dropped the buckets, and heard the deep voice of the druid, behind him.
“Here you are. See? Before to demand the power that the forest can give you, before to demand the forest to serve you, you must be the first to serve the forest. Look.â€Â
Baltaj looked what his master was showing him. He saw before him a small valley. It was covered with the charred logs of dead trees. Earth herself seemed dead, there. The druid took the moon water buckets, and poured the water, methodically, all over the area. He then lifted his arms and hands, and Baltaj suddenly felt a powerful sense of peace, of tranquillity. Oh harmony and serenity.
For a brief moment, he was sure that all the forest, all the few animals left in the valley, all the remains of the trees themselves, felt the same feelings. Just one moment before, his tiredness was great, but he now felt rested. In the same way, the burned trees sprouted anew.
There's not other word to describe what happened: the trees had simply reborn. It took a few minutes, for the tiny valley, to be populated by a little forest of young, strong summer trees. The druid turned his face to the child, and thus spoke.
“The duty of a Druid is towards Kalimdor's very Nature. When it is damaged by creatures that are not part of it, there the druid must intervene. When the balance is upset, there the druid must intervene. The satyrs that did this are not a natural part of this forest, as they are corrupted by powers that are from a world that is not ours, and that i do not even want to know.â€Â
Baltaj stared at him, amazed once again. And he started to understand. The power of a druid was not a weapon to use for one's own purposes. It was not a Mean to use, but an Aim to tend to. It was not an honor, a decoration, but a gravous responsability. After this happened, they went back to the druid's cavern.
And his training began. [...]
Is there anything else you would like to add, ask, or otherwise clarify?:
No, i think there's nothing else to add. Thank you for asking, anyway.
So... I'm not this good at introducing myself, but let's try. I'm Marco, I've lived for just a pair of decades (20 years, yes), and i could say that I'm a Gamer (and that's pretty corny, since I play WoW, isn't it?) and a Role Player (and that's even cornier, since I'm going to play here) and in general someone who likes to read fantasy books (i've read the lord of the rings something like seven times, if i remember right). I have been introduced to the "wonderful world" of online RpG some years ago, and i kept playing ever since. I'm a great appreciator (if the word appreciator even exists, of course! I don't really like the word "fan", anyway) of the Warcraft Games, and above all of the Warcraft Setting and Lore, wich i know pretty well (not to the levels of some maniacs, but almost...). I have to admit that this is the first time I try to Role Play using a language wich is not my own (I'm from Italy, by the way), but i think, or at least i hope, that my knowledge of the english language will suffice to the task (and surely this is also an opportunity to learn further, now that i think about it).
What else can I say? I'm looking forward to playing here, and hope i will be deemed worthy (so to say...).
What country do you come from? What is your primary language?
As i Said above, I'm from Italy. That said, i guess it is surprising to read that my primary language is Italian. I suppose know english well enough to take the challenge and try to play here, anyway. I always wanted to role play something in english... most of the typical rpg phrases have a much different "epicness" in english, than in any other language. Or at least i always thought, for example, that to say "I shall smite thee with my mighty blade" sounds much more epic than "Ti colpirò con la mia possente lama". Anyway... let's see.
How did you get into Warcraft?:
Well, that would be a long and boring story, if i were to tell it in details. Let's just say that in the far away 2005 (Or was it 2004? I really don't remember) a Friend of mine lent me a Game, saying something like "it's a cool game! It really looks like the Lord of the Rings, except that the orcs here are green, and not so bad!". At the time i didn't even know that there were other fantasy books or games or anything other than tolkien's stuff, so i said "cool", and I tried it. It was Warcraft 3. I enjoyed that game for its story, its characters, its humour, its music, its ending (and i speak about Reign of Chaos ending, that's the better ending I've ever seen in a Game. It made me Cry, i swear) and everything, and it's still one of my favourite games of all times. Than, some years later i tried also Warcraft 2 (oh yeah, I like old games!), and just a pair of years ago also WoW. Never played on an official blizzard server, i have to admit, but always on Italian RpG private servers. And now that there are no more italian rpg worthy of note... here I Am.
What made you seek our server over others?:
Should I answer with a polite answer, or tell the harsh truth? Hm... better the second, I suppose. This is simply the first Role Playing Private (and therefore free) WoW server i found. (<!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.google.com]www.google.com</a><!-- w --> -> WoW role play private server -> I feel Lucky). There's nothing more to say, for now. BUT I say that I've seen some of the site, some of the wiki, some of the forum... and I like it. That convinced me to try and stay, actually. This server seems "serious", i mean. Serious in the positive acceptation of the term, of course.
What kinds of roleplay do you enjoy?:
Oh, that's a good question, i guess. I Enjoy more or less any type of role play... as long as it mantains some degree of seriousness. I don't like very much funny RP, or Tavern Roleplay. Instead, I prefer to build an interesting story for my character... and of course for the characters that come in touch with my own (that's not a single player!). In the end, my ideal of roleplay is the one that is as similar as possible as the story of a book... with the only difference that there is not ONE protagonist, but many. And that you can write the book as many times as you want, but it will be different every time. I Like all sorts of rpg, anyway... from fighting to diplomacy, from action to romance, from storytelling to journey, from the most candid goodness to the most unspeakable evil. My Characters are usually Chaotic (Evil, Neutral or Good, of course), but that's not a general rule. I often like to play "out of the line" characters, but in the warcraft setting that's not the case. In WoW i like to play very Classic Characters. Why? Because the wow lore is already so beautifully diverse even without the need to add something of "strange".
What is your favorite race/class? Why?:
As i said above, in WoW i Like to play very Classic Characters. The race/classes that I like above others are without a doubt the ones that, for me, represent and schematize the beauty of the Warcraft setting. Something like the "archetipes" of the characters i would like to perform. Those are, for me, in this order:
-The feral night elf druid: I would really like (and i did, on another italian rpg server) to roleplay the classic Druid of the Claw (or druid of the talon, i like them both). A gigantic, grim, bearded, sleepy, wild, wise and fierce night elf, in touch with the nature of Kalimdor (and Azeroth of course), and ready to use his sharp Claws to shred away the corruption that is devouring his world... or to die trying. I always liked the connection between the druid, the night, the forest and the beast that the night elves represent. And above all, of course, the night elf druid. Besides this, it's one of my favourite classes also from a mere gameplay point of view.
-The Human Paladin: The paradigmatic Hero, the Martyr, the Avenger and so on. It's pretty banal, i guess, but i really like how they put it in WoW. I would like to play some little unknown wannabe hero, fighting in the shadow of greater heroes and paragons like Uther the Lightbringer or Tirion Fordring. In particular, i like the religion of this paladins, that makes them very different from the usual paladins of other settings (such as the usual, boring, dim D&D paladin). To be honest, the warcraft paladin is the only one i like, wielding his two handed hammer (Retribution, of course!) to smite the evil, and giving his own life to protect all the faithful. In particular, i like the idea of having a "Martyr" character. Something more heroic i simply cannot imagine! And of course... the speech is the same as the druid: The paladin is one of my favourite classes also for gameplay purposes.
-The Orc of the Horde. I like it to be Warrior, Shaman or Hunter (Not a vile Archer, but a Manly, fierce Beast Master, of course!). The classic orc that you feel to role play with the soundtrack of orgrimmar intro in loop (tu-tututu-tututututututu *drums*). Fanatically devoted to the Horde, to Thrall's new teaching, and so on. The classic Grunt, if warrior, the classic Shaman if Shaman, et cetera.
-The Knight of the Ebon blade. The former hero, then villain, then redeemed, in seek of atonement. Remembering the horrors of his past, his faults, his slavery, and using his recently aquired freedom, and his still working horrendous and dark powers, to fight the one that was his master and enslaver, but is now his worst enemy and nightmare.
And so on. This are only four of the many characters i like. I don't really know what to do.
What are your expectations of this server?:
I don't really know what to expect. I've seen it is pretty full, at least for the standards I'm used to (30 folks online at a time on a forum of an italian RP server would be a luxury). And, more important, as i said above, I've seen it is pretty serious and organized. I like it, for now! Just hope it is not too much strict and "cold", but that doesn't seem to be the case. Looks fair so far.
Out of all of our rules and regulations listed on our server, which appeals to you the most?:
Oh... I don'r really know. The usual rules about behavior, respect, peace and love are good and needed, of course, and it's nice to see that here they are. Then... what can I say? The fact thet everyone needs to post his own character biography and so on is also good. It prevents people to role play some odd monstruosity coming from mars, some Drow instead of a Night elf, some evil child-blood-sucker instead of a death knight, some Sayan instead of a blood elf, et cetera. I've seen many of them, it's good to know that probably I won't see anything like that here.
Lastly, tell us a story! It can be short, it can be long; but most importantly, we want to see your work in action. Go!:
((I'll write (or to be more exact, I'll translate and adaptate from italian) here a short part of the story of the past of my former druid, Baltaj))
[…] Many factors caused him to take that decision. First of all, the will of his Mother. For her, the Young Baltaj resembled more and more his distant, druid father. And that Golden Eyes, she knew very well, were a clear sign of his druidic potential and predisposition. Baltaj himself agreed, who felt his duty to follow the footsteps of a father he hadn't really ever known. It was like if becoming like him he could, one day, actually meet him, know him. Besides, his childish, but sincere, promise to his young friend, Arahja, was not forgotten: he wanted to grow as strong as the forest itself, to protect her, and not to be protected by her.
So he left. After he bid his bitter farewall to Arahja, he returned to his mother, and gathered his few belongings. All he knew was strictly necessary: something to light the fire with, some clothes, a knife, and not much else. He wanted to be prepared to everything. After all, all he knew about this Moonglade was what the legends told him. He didn't know how to behave, there, or what to expect.
Bitterly, his mother left him to the beginning of a forest dale, to the border of the sacred Moonglade: she had sworn, after what had happened to her huband, not to set foot in there anymore, for any reason. She only told Baltaj that his Master would have been one of the greatest friends of his father, and one of the few druids still awakened in that age of druidic sleep. Baltaj would have recognized him on sight... or at least so his mother told him.
Confused, but determined, the Kaldorei boy walked forward alone on the narrow forest road. It was late morning on the mountain path on wich his mother left him, but when he crossed the borders of Moonglade, and entered the shadow of the gigantic trees, it suddenly became night. They had told him: In the Moonglade there is no Day, and there is no Winter. The Moonglade is the realm of eternal Night, and eternal Summer. So amazed he was, staring ad the majesty of this enchantment, that he didn't realize of the presence of the huge Black Bear until he almost run into it.
The beast growled fiercely just a moment before Baltaj saw it. He fell to his feet, frightened, but he had enough readiness to draw his dagger, and point it, with trembling hand, against the dark shape of the bear. It was dark. So dark that even his Kaldorei sight couldn't pierce the shadows that engulfed the mighty, dark animal. All he could see was the gigantic shape, and the two Golden, ferocious eyes. They even seemed to glow...
Yet, when the creature came closer, Baltaj was surprised, as he heard him speaking his own language. When it came out of the shadow of the tree's branches, to be elightened by the Moon's light, Baltaj realized his own error: It was not a Bear, but the most huge, muscolar and bearded night elf he had ever seen. Yet, he was almost sure he had seen a Bear, before...
“Your courage honors you, but if the bear had been just a common, hungry bear, you would be shred to tears by now, between his jaws.â€Â
The voice of the Kaldorei wasn't much less frightening than the bear's very growl. It was a deep, throaty voice. Deep as the darkest night may be, and the very earth seemed to trumble and shiver at every word. And so did Baltaj. He hadn't ever been so scared in his entire life. He did not answer, but he stood on his feet and looked at him. His head was at the same height of the giant's belt.
“Who are you?â€Â
Asked than, after a short silence, the Druid. Because of course that was nothing less and nothing more than a druid. His voice was grim, even threatening. Seeing from below, all Baltaj could see was a great, dark beard, and two shining golden eyes. Their sight was hostile, at the very least. The young elf swallowed, and gathered his courage, to answer. He tried to look the druid in the eye, but he didn't manage to stand his eye contact, so he dropped his to the feet of the druid.
“My name is Baltaj. Baltaj Nightmane, and I'm here to become a Druid...â€Â
But he was interrupted by the heavy hands of the Druid, that grabbed his cheeks, and held them tight in an iron grip. He then forced the young kaldorei to lift his face, and look the druid, willingly or not, straight in the eye.
“I already know all this, useless to tell. And look me in the eye: in the forest the one who shows fear is vanquished.â€Â
“But... you were the one to ask me who I were...â€Â
The child had barely the time to mumble an answer, before the druid left the grip on his face, causing his balance to fail. Baltaj fell backwards, and painfully knocked against the trunk of the tree behind him.
“And why should you become a Druid?â€Â
Asked then the druid, careless of the pain he inflicted to the child. Baltaj Answered the simple truth, and found a compromise, in the meantime: he couldn't stand the glance of the druid... so he focalized his own sight on his bushy, dark eyebrows right above his eyes.
“Because i want to use the power of a Druid to protect the ones i care for, the ones that need my protection. And because I want to follow the footsteps of my father.â€Â
The ton of his short speech was determined, now, but still the reaction of the druid was all but satisfied. Without warning, he slapped the young kaldorei in the face. It was the hardest, most painful hit the boy had ever received, and it made him tumble painfully down against the trunk, once again.
“Then you wish to be a Mage, not a Druid. “Use the power†is exactly what a Mage does. You didn't understand anything of what a Druid does, of what a Druid Is. Go Away. Cross the ocean: maybe you'll find some damned Quel'dorei willing to help you, if you want to become like them. If they even still exist.â€Â
And this said, he left the almost fainted boy on the floor where he was, and walked away, in the forest. Everything Baltaj would have liked to do was to sit there and cry, but he knew that was not the right thing to do. Thus, he stood on his feet once again, and he started following him, staggering and stumbling, but determined to reach him.
The huge druid ignored him for all the route. He even accelerated the speed, striding so fast that the child was forced to run, not to be left behind. When the druid started to clumber up the mountains that formed the natural border of Moonglade, Baltaj became even more fatigued: whereas the druid crossed every obstacle with his tall legs, the young one was forced to climb up every single one of them. Thus, he was in the end actually left behind.
He fell several times, and he soon had both his kneels and hands bleeding. Even then, the druid kept walking, ignoring him. As a result, Baltaj arrived to the druid's cavern half an hour after him, tired as he had never been, hurt and wounded. He trudged until the entrance, and fell on it.
“What else do you want? I told you to leave me alone.â€Â
Breathing deeply, Baltaj answered what he had understood during that terrible little journey.
“It's true. I do not know what a Druid does, what a Druid Is. But... that is what I want you to teach me, Shan'do.â€Â
He stammered this last words, and his tone was serious, even grave, even in that situation of pain and fatigue. This was his choice, and he was not going to relinquish it. After he used all of his remaining energies to speak his mind with such determination, he fell unconscious.
When he waked up, he was on a soft floor. A soft bed made of living fern caressed his face, moved by a gentle breeze. Above him, the distant leaves of the Moonglade's gigantic trees, and between them the stars, and the two Moons. After just a moment, a huge, dark shadow covered it all. Shining in the middle of it, he recognized the Golden Eyes of the huge druid staring at him. Baltaj couldn't be certain, but he almost had the impression that they smiled. He realized that the one he had undergone into was some kind of test, and, more important, that he had not failed. But it was just the beginning. And then, his Shan'do spoke.
“So be it. I shall teach you what a Druid is, Young one. Come.â€Â
Baltaj stood up, and he realized that he was phisically fine. All of his wound seemed to have disappeared while he was asleep. Not even a scratch was left. The druid walked through the forest with his long pace, and once again Baltaj had to run not to be left behind.
“Yesterday you spoke about “Using the powerâ€Â. You must know that this is but a small part of what a Druid does. We're not mages, stupid child. We follow Nature's rules. And in nature, you can't take anything, without to give something in return.â€Â
Baltaj listened quietly. He didn't even know the name of the Druid, but he acknowledged his wisdom from his very voice, his very shape and glance.
“You thought to become a druid and shape the Nature with your will... dominate it and force you to serve you. That's not how it works. Actually, it's exactly the opposite.â€Â
As the huge, old druid said this, they arrived to a smoll water pool. In the eternal night its cristalline waters almost seemed to glow. And maybe they did. Or maybe it was the reflection of the stars on its surface. Near the Moonwell, because of course that was a Moonwell, there were two wooden buckets. The druid pointed them.
“Fill them, and take them on the edge of the mountain, above my cave.â€Â
The only order he gave him, before to disappear in the tree's shadow, with his striding pace. Baltaj didn't understand the meaning of all this, but he did as the druid said. He filled the buckets with the glowing waters of the well, and tried to lift them. They were heavy. Really heavy, for a child. After just a hundred of meters his arms started to hurt but still he didnt allow a single drop of the water to fall. For some reason, it seemed really important. Once arrived, he carefully dropped the buckets, and heard the deep voice of the druid, behind him.
“Here you are. See? Before to demand the power that the forest can give you, before to demand the forest to serve you, you must be the first to serve the forest. Look.â€Â
Baltaj looked what his master was showing him. He saw before him a small valley. It was covered with the charred logs of dead trees. Earth herself seemed dead, there. The druid took the moon water buckets, and poured the water, methodically, all over the area. He then lifted his arms and hands, and Baltaj suddenly felt a powerful sense of peace, of tranquillity. Oh harmony and serenity.
For a brief moment, he was sure that all the forest, all the few animals left in the valley, all the remains of the trees themselves, felt the same feelings. Just one moment before, his tiredness was great, but he now felt rested. In the same way, the burned trees sprouted anew.
There's not other word to describe what happened: the trees had simply reborn. It took a few minutes, for the tiny valley, to be populated by a little forest of young, strong summer trees. The druid turned his face to the child, and thus spoke.
“The duty of a Druid is towards Kalimdor's very Nature. When it is damaged by creatures that are not part of it, there the druid must intervene. When the balance is upset, there the druid must intervene. The satyrs that did this are not a natural part of this forest, as they are corrupted by powers that are from a world that is not ours, and that i do not even want to know.â€Â
Baltaj stared at him, amazed once again. And he started to understand. The power of a druid was not a weapon to use for one's own purposes. It was not a Mean to use, but an Aim to tend to. It was not an honor, a decoration, but a gravous responsability. After this happened, they went back to the druid's cavern.
And his training began. [...]
Is there anything else you would like to add, ask, or otherwise clarify?:
No, i think there's nothing else to add. Thank you for asking, anyway.
"Camaraderie, adventure, and steel on steel. The stuff of legend! Right Boo?"
Minsc
Minsc
