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**FlyingSquirrel** · 09-08-2010, 04:12 PM

[Event open up to both good and bad? Or just bad?]

**Duraza** · 09-08-2010, 05:09 PM

[Doesn't matter... Actually, the event is for players trying to stop Gladstone but I suppose if there were baddies who wanted to help him they could try it as well. Mainly whoever doesn't want to see him succeed though.]

**Duraza** · 09-10-2010, 06:14 PM

For one who is ambitious to achieve the virtue known as power they must be careful. The powers they will seek can be far to great, far too consuming. The forsaken preach that that you may run into a power far too great, too difficult for you to handle. To may find yourself unable to control it and when that power becomes your master you have failed. It will eat you whole. Power itself as an insatiable appetite and enjoys to swallow ambition whole.

Fel can be such a power. Without a gentle touch, with a careful hand to guide such wicked might one can become lost within the labyrinth that is its stomach. Fel creates rage in even the calmest of men, desire in even the most content, and addiction in the incorruptible.

It was Samuel Lester who once realized how dangerous fel could be. But he saw it as a not just a tool, not just a power, but a weapon from which great good could be done. He set off, using the power of demons to defeat foes that normal means could not touch. But a simple good cause could never be enough, it would never be enough. Darkness came for him, it showed him the path that he had to walk. To find greater power was the only way, and to use that power to rid Azeroth of his foes was the only method.

Gladstone became the warlock and Samuel Lester accepted him as the path to righteousness. Only a force like the Burning Legion could bring the world to its knees. Only the rage of a demon could match any power that was thrown at them. Only the desire for fel blood to touch your tongue, that wonderous addiction could keep you in line, keep you obeying as commanded.

Terror. Might. Burning rage. The demons had the force and Gladstone would be the harverster of that power. War was the method. The sword was made from felish flesh. And he would be its guide, the hand who took corruption by the hilt and smashed it into an unsuspecting world. Gladstone turned to his Saytr, raising his arms in the air as he spoke out.

"Burn it all to the ground! Leave no tree untouched, no blade of grass unchared. When the children cry, when they ask their parents why, why such destruction. The answer will be our names, the truth will lay in our hands. 'Gladstone' they will call out. 'He is the heathen who brought the end of the green world that once was!' And when they ask his motives, when they ask what would drive any man to simply turn beauty into ash they will call out, they will know!

...And they will scream it out... and their children will fear it in their nightmares, and when Gladstone stands before them to bring judgement... they will mutter it to themselves..."

He wants us to feel the power...
Of his justice.

Justice of the Wicked

Uthaniel released balls of flame searing the body of one of the Saytr before Aliana raised her hands and from the skies fell a star, crushing the demonic brood where he stood.

Gladstone watched. A group too large had come for his Saytr to deal with and he knew it. Four of them had already fallen, one infernal crumbled to the ground, the last standing with two Saytr to block the path. Aroes' magic had cut them off from a third infernal stone and another summoned infernal. But it did not matter. Even in so much bloodshed, after watching the fall of so many of his men, Gladstone could laugh. For behind him was the boy, laying on a summoning circle. Hellcallers chanted, darkness gathered around them and from the depths of the nether... Doom was approaching.

It was then that the orc Ghash slamed into one of the Circus' warlocks, Gennas. He knocked the human away before making chase after him. Then Franziska's blades charged into one of the saytr, gutting him until his rich blood poured onto the ground. The infernal brought its huge fist up, fel flame covering it before slaming down into the ground, a wave of green fire jutting out. Some like Annabelle and Uthaniel were harmed, others like Sylvandre and Nardor pursuing on and diving into the fray to seek more death.

Izshandriel was the next to go. She had fired arrows against the enemy but they all had achieved nothing. Then came the arrows of Nardor and Sylvandre against her, their shouts for her betrayl to their people. The points pierced her armor, giving Izshandriel no choice. She followed Gennas in retreat, trying to escape with her life at the least.

Avints and Annabelle, with blade and holy might watched the last of the battle ready saytr fall to the ground dead. And then, the unexpected happened. Aroes lifted a hand, using his skill over the arcane to levitate the human boy laying in the summoning circle. He brought the boy to their safety, the Hellcallers now losing control. The situation looked bad, only the infernal and Gladstone standing between the group and the summoning circle... And they were without a sacrifice.

"Keep on chanting, this isn't over yet," Gladstone cried out to the Hellcallers. They did as told, keeping the shadowy figure waiting, looming between realms. Then they were upon him. Abby, Franziska, and Grimwood, each making their mark on Gladstone's body. He was weak now, blood dripping from him. And the chances were slim of his escaping.

This is it. To call Doom, to bring the blade of corruption upon their souls and watch them drown in sea of fel... I must make the offering of my worthy flesh and blood. Let me join corruption, let me no longer guide its blade but become the blade itself, hilt and sharp point aimed at the throats of my enemies!

Gladstone jumped into the summoning circle, it glowing brightly, "This is it! Call him, use my body to end the lives of our enemies. Come forth Doom!" The Hellcallers raised their arms in a final chant. Green flame rose up and consumed Gladstone's body.

This is it! This pain, this tingling. This is justice! The powers of corruption. I have brought them, I have done so with my own power! Now Doom, finish it for me!

Red skin, great wings, dark hooves. Black and gold armor. At nine feet, he towered over them, the great horned fiend of the Burning Legion. A three fingered hand grabbed Gladstones body. Rough laughter came from a mouth filled with fangs. "And so this human sacrificed himself to summon me. And he brought me here without a master. Fear, I am the Doomguard, I am the son of the Legion, the brood of its darkest kings!" He tossed Gladstone's body away before slaying the remaining Hellcallers. "Face me and die before the blade of the Burning Legion!"

Swords and arrows came after the Doomguard, unrelenting attack beating into his flesh, cutting into his body. And then he let out a roar words of a demonic tongue spilling from his mouth. And then a storm of flames came upon the area, red fire burning away at the area, "Do not tempt me mortals! I am of the mighty Eredar. My rage, my power cannot be defeated!" As the flames faded away darkness covered the area, blinding vision, hiding the massive Doomguard away. Then he took to the skies, flapping his great wings to watch the battlefield from overheard, "You cannot stop me!"

Avints brought a hammer to his side as the darkness started to cover them before flinging it up. Spinning with a hard force it slammed into the Doomguard's chest, making his body quake. Aliana and Annabelle's combined efforts started to clear away the darkness while Aroes raised his own hand, covering the demon's eyes in shadow. Nardor and Sylvandre rose bows up again, arrows piercing the Doomguard's wings, bringing it to the ground.

Navren approached the group as the Doomguard took the barrages lead on by Abby and Franziska. As the doomguard fell to its knees Ghash climbed over it, raising a hand, "A sword!" Sylvandre took one of her own, tossing it to the orc before he let out a battle cry and slashed it accross the Doomguard's neck, thunder blasting through the creature. Then, Navren stood up on his saber, hurling his blade forward like a javelin into the demon's chest before ripping it out from the chains that connected the sword to his arm, demonic innards pouring out of the now slain beast.

At long last the Doomguard had been defeated... And Gladstone had been put to rest.

Spoiler:

**Duraza** · 09-12-2010, 09:42 PM

Gladstone was defeated... in Feralas.

Sagi shook his head, letting out a breath. In his hand was the small pocket watch given to him by Horace. He opened and closed the thing repeatedly, looking at the 26 hours it had. The clocksmith had mentioned something about time that day, saying that even a clock with so much time could hold hours too little.

And I've no doubt Gladstone lays dead somewhere.. But how? Fel may be dangerous, but the man wa-... How is it he was beaten? It shouldn't have happened.

No one survives forever... As much as we would like to avoid dealing death, death itself comes one day, or the next.

Shut it... You avoid dealing death. I know it is my power and my way. Still, I've got to find out what happened though. I suppose it's possible he's dead but still. Perhaps I just rather not believe it.

What is it about death that you find such trouble understanding? Why is it that you, we seem to have such opinions on it I wonder.

Don't act as if you've forgotten. Death is the end. To die instead of mastering death... is to have failed the virtues. If I die that means that I could not control my own power. And then what? I'll know that all this time I was wrong. That I'm weak, and no better than a tool.

Sagi's Duality

It laid before Sagi, right there on that slab of bone. Sylvandre's dead body. He and Therai looked at it for a while, presented to them by another Kaldorei. She said she had found the wanted posters and was simply making the delivery. Sagi eyed the corpse for a while. Sylvandre was still in her plate, down to the face mask.

"I thought you should do the honors," the other Kaldorei said.

Sagi merely gave a nod, hand reaching for the metal plate. He held it there for a while before removing the plate, revealing Sylvandre's face. It was the first time he had ever seen her face, gazing into it for a moment before turning to the other Kaldorei, "Very well. I suppose you'd like to be payed?"

She turned and nodded, "Yes. But, there is still one thing that I'm wondering about."

Sagi returned the nod, tipping his hat up, "And what's that?"

The Kaldorei reached for her crossbow, slinging it out, "Justice." Before Sagi was given the chance to speak or respond she fired off into his chest, arrows made of Elunite launching into him one after one. From so close up, the very force of each blow knocked him backwards, arrow after arrow pounding at his flesh, piercing his body.

The mountains where collapsing.
Rage of the elements had ended.
Darkness started to fade away.
Senseless battle started to cease.
Disorder disappeared.
Lands started to be cleansed of impurities.
And yet, the mountains were collapsing.

What... is this? What's going on? Answer me!

The end at last. It seems as if your world is falling apart.

The chains around the boy faded away and his form shifted to resemble that of the man, both of them mirror reflections of each other, watching peace created in their world... right as the walls that contained it all started to fall.

What does this mean? Explain, you know what's going on here, you understand it. Tell me!

Calm down Sagi. Don't worry, sense is on its way.

The boy, now resembling the man, turned to view the falling mountains, gazing beyond their crumbling peaks, towards the world that always laid outside of them, the world he had for so long been forbidden to see.

And so my lands finally join your own. Do you see it now, do you understand the truth that only death could bring Sagi? Why my small chaotic section of the world is finally becoming apart of the lands you hail from? Its because you no longer have to sneak under mountains to get to me... And I no longer have to hide behind mountains for you to understand me.

Sagi froze, unable to speak. He looked at the man for a while, and then, to the world that was his mind, the truth of the peace that one has when his in control of his thoughts, not the madness that was for so long sealed away. And then he looked for the man again, but he was no where to be found.

"Where have you gone?"

Sagi searched around, eyes scanning the now crumbled mountains, gazing over the now calm lands, gazing toward the skyline. He saw nothing.

"I'm right here Sagi."

Sagi's hand reached up for his own mouth, covering it. He shook his head before removing the hand. And then, his eyes widened. His form had changed. The kaldorei he truly was revealed in-front of him, neither the man of beauty of the ugly boy in sight.

"This is the true you Sagi. We, are the true you..."

"No, you existed and I existed... We are not one and the same."

"But we are. You killed me remember? You took control of this mind, this body, this destiny, not me."

"And yet you spe-"

I speak when you refuse to believe. You killed your duality with that deadly spear of yours... I exist when you feel what you refuse to believe can be your own feelings. When you act in a way you do not wish to accept. -You- create me Sagi, and when you cannot accept yourself, you keep me alive. But our duality is now but a fraud. -We- truly are one being with one destiny.

I suppose I understand... But, what happens to us now?

As Sagi stood in the air, even in the quite peace he could feel the weakness overcoming him, overcoming his world. Death was overtaking him. He could not see it but it was there, ever present, slowly creeping through his mind for a single strike.

"Now, we do not give up. We will not forget our virtues. Even in the face of death, we must stay tenacious and unrelenting. We will not give in to this grip, no matter how tight. Struggle and we will surpass death."

Sagi was on his knees, blood loss killing him when Sylvandre going after him again. She put the crossbow away, drawing two swords both of that same metal, Elunite. She charged Sagi before thrusting both blades into his chest.

The world was overtaken by a force. The force was unseen, unheard, unknown, yet ever present. It smothered Sagi, leaving him no escape. Everything started to disappear. And then, the sky started to fall from the very heavens, just like the mountains that once raised to the sky's topmost heights.

"I will not give up... Somehow I'll get back. The Forsaken were once human. They died and returned, only afterwards ascending. Perhaps death is not the end, only the next road to walk. And we will walk it till we find power at its end."

Sylvandre tore the blades out. Sagi's body fell to the ground, limp and lifeless. But it would never be over.

Spoiler:

**Duraza** · 09-16-2010, 02:08 PM

The words of the Cult have been scattered around the lands of humans. Our teachings of the four essential virtues of Shadow have been given to the populace. They now know of the Cult but such knowledge will not last.

A great seed of darkness was planted on those foreign soils, a seed that was Respectful and laid deeper than any other to avoid their wrath. That was tenacious and took whatever moisture and nutrients were left, feeding on the scraps to grow strong. That then sprouted and grew powerful, rising up from the ground as a black flower of void. And then, the flower mastered death itself, ascended it and joined the darkness.

Undoubtedly Light will see that Darkness, and where Light comes Darkness shatters. However, the ascended do not fear death, the shattered pieces still able to come together and fix a puzzle. Shadow will remain and it is shadow that they will come to fear.

Then, when the time comes, a time that we have already seen and foretold, there will not simply be words of the Cult, not merely the image of our likeness. When the time comes the Voice of the Cult will speak the words, will embody itself on their lands. And those scattered shadows will reunite as Light fades away and Darkness comes.

The closing statements of Dark Priest Sozun Croz at his last sermon.

The Wicked's Act of Power

Its finally completed. I have succeeded in the first stage of this grand venture without a single failure. Perhaps, if they understood what has happened like I do, then they would understand the great victory that I have secured... And how only more victories can come.

After speaking with Therai and the two others... I've convinced them. The remnants of the Circus that are trusted between the three will be moving off and away from the Catacombs. It matters not where they go, only that they disappear. Their purpose in Elwynn is finished. They've also left me three gifts... The first being the plague they leave behind. That tool will be used when I find the moment opportune.

The second is the corpse of the human Gladstone. I did not tell them that Xeonart brought him to me, that I hold the corpse and only need the soulstone to bring his return to Azeroth. Instead they believe the body lost and that I will be searching for a way to bring him back with soulstone alone. This ensures that if they come across the stone before me, they will deliver it gladly.

And third is the humans they have changed in their wake, specifically the human girl Rheina. The very purpose of My Circus, for that's what it truly is, mine, was to convert their people from Light to Shadow. Of course, Rheina and the others will not act in the name of the Cult. No, as I've told her, destiny will guide her to raise a Church of Shadow from which she and others can continue to bring fear to the populace of Elwynn... And bring Light to the Darkness...

And with Duskwood and the Catacombs feared because of the might they displayed there's no doubt that the Church of Shadow has a home to grow in. With the Heretic Circus still in existence and the name known there is an easy target to place the blame of the Church of Shadow's... practices. The Cult will be forgotten, only Sagi and his 'madmen' thought of to be the blame.

Spoiler:

I had Xeonart go off and speak with the elf, Sylvandre, regarding Sagi's staff. Now the elf can only wonder what's within. Her suspicions will keep her eyes on the Circus... Perhaps, if Sagi does return she will have the staff kept away from him. Sagi was a fool when he thought he bested me for those... precious secrets. No, with the staff in the hands of his enemies there will be conflict still. Conflict over the Nightmare they still do not understand. The Nightmare that Daveius spoke of... but by now may be forgotten.

And last... there is Xeonart himself. That Knight will pursue the staff. He is a tribute to his 'heritage.' Fallen Hero of the Forsaken. So long as he thinks that I have been wronged he will pursue justice... And keep their eyes locked on another enemy. Another enemy who distracts them from the real mastermind, the manipulator in the background.

Spoiler:

For me there is only one step left, one last goal to be completed before ascension is obtained. For truly, there can be no argument. In these events I have mastered the third virtue. Power is mine to control. My touch is one of the greatest subtly, yet, it set events into motion years ago when I first started to train Sagi... When Mistal and Therai first joined to work with me. And then, I disappeared, fading away while Sagi took all the infamy with 'his Circus.'

Spoiler:

But now... it is time. Rheina has a Church to raise... Xeonart justice to carry out... While conflict between the remnants of the Circus and their various enemies will hopefully continue. And I... I have one last task. Death leaves itself the final obstacle for me to master. And once I have then it will be my time to march to the green forests of Elwynn...

Spoiler:

And unite the Shadows to bring a final Darkness upon their world.

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