The Tragic Queen of Carnage

[Duraza]

That is my prayer, my final cry-I pour it out
with my own lifeblood. And you, my Tyrians,
harry with hatred all his line, his race to come:
make that offering to my ashes, send it down below.
No love between our peoples, ever, no pacts of peace!
Come rising up from my bones, you avenger still unknown,
to stalk those Trojan settlers, hunt with fire and iron,
now or in time to come, whenever the power is yours.
Shore clash with shore, sea against sea and sword
against sword-this my curse-war between all
our peoples, all their children, endless war!

-Queen Dido of Carthage
Virgil's The Aeneid, Book Four: The Tragic Queen of Carthage

A Harrowing Path

His great maw lowered with a quick drop, almost as if his jaw unhinged. Within were the vicious canines, gleaming through the filth and saliva. Outwards came his roar, raging eyes focused on their target. He lifted off to his hind legs, massive clawed paws in the air now, black fur bristling.

Lith stood still. Her body was frozen in place as if tight ropes bound her. All she could do was stare into the eyes of the bear, so petrified that she could not even take a breath. It was not that she feared to make noise and so stopped. No, her very lungs would not function. Her heart had lost the will to contract. The eyes of the bear made her body simply cease, beyond fright or terror. That death was so inevitable, it was almost as if death had already come and just left her shell.

The bear stared for only moments more. He seemed to take in her look, the blue skin, cloths and leathers of animals that adorned her body, and those fierce red eyes of her people. Lith's image reflected within his own eyes, becoming so pristine that she was there, as clear as she was in reality. Then, with only the cruel instinct of the beast, the black bear fell upon Lith and consumed her. Flesh was torn away, fat licked clean, until only the bones remained...

And then the bones were broken, cracking into shards. And the bear gorged on the sweet marrow, savage teeth snapping Lith's bones in two, his tongue and snout sucking the marrow clean out...

Lith sat up awakened, her eyes staring into into the wood and green leaf walls of the hut she slept in. She wiped the sweat from her brow, pausing the look at the moisture in her shaking hand. Her lips raised, teeth bared as she grabbed her blanket and threw it off at the wall. It landed just a foot short, softly hitting the ground.

"That dream," she mumbled in almost completely unaccented common, "It was of my vision... It refuses to stop haunting me." Lith brought her knees to her chest, wrapping arms tightly around them and resting her chin on top. "If ya think ya can deter me with your mind games spirits you are sorely mistaken. No one and nothing may stand in the path of champions. Not men an' surely not spirits who have lost their freedom." With that she stood up and brushed herself off.

As the sun started to peak through her windows Lith was almost finished getting ready. She placed two round earrings in each before wrapping her face in a veil, only keeping her eyes revealed with slits for the ears. She grabbed her staff, strapping it to her back. Then finally, she put on the bear head shoulders, both the scalps of young black bears, never allowed to reach adulthood.

Once she stepped out of the hut, behind her were the Hatchet Hills. Their trees and grass gave a single spot of beauty to the ruined Ghostlands. In front of Lith were two great stone walls, waters pouring down them. From each protruded the sculptures of snakes, their heads raised high. The Amani Pass. Lith looked at the road pensively, "Once a great nation... But so long ago fallen... I can hear the cries of ya ancestors even still. They long for vengeance against their enemies."

She turned finally before going off on her way, "They shall have their revenge. Perhaps then, through blood their howls will subside."

[Duraza]

Church of Blood

Zalthiel sat on her sickly horse, gazing from the Ratchet Hills onto the pass below. "How do you plan to carry this all out?"

Lith turned her head to face the dark looking kaldorei, glancing at her ice cold blue eyes, "I do not want to work by me own hand in the city... Callin' enemies so quickly would be folly. Instead, I'll raise up a servant there to do our work."

Zalthiel gave a small nod, "And what do you require my aid for?"

"Your power, and the power of your forces. It'll take some time before I have followers to call mine. Till then I'll be trusting you to support me."

Days later Lith stood in the same spot, only with an entirely different figure talking to her. A male blood elf, daggers strapped to his waist. He wore gray leathers, looking up at the taller woman, "So then? What is the nature of this job exactly?"

"A Church of Blood in your city. That new name deserves a fitting new religion does it not? You will give purpose to the deaths of all your people." Lith looked at the elf's neutral expression, giving him a slight smile, "To kill is to make something sacred and send it up to the heavens... And the blood spilled that soaks into the ground fuels Azeroth itself. The world is in need of nourishment and blood is the only substance that keeps it fed."

The elf turned his head away, rubbing his chin in thought. He then pushed his red hair backwards, tucking it behind his ear as he spoke, "Why hire me instead of a priest...? This sounds like something some shadow priest might actually believe in."

"A shadow priest might take something like this and run off with it... Find to much attachment. Besides, their kind are often so seclusive. I need someone who can be charismatic... And make this sound like the sort of ideals people should have... Not simply a cult for the insane."

A sly smile appeared on the male's face, "Oh, you think I'm charismatic? Well if that's the case... I suppose I could get a few crazies grouped up in Eversong to sacrifice their own. It won't be a problem."

Lith slowly shook her head, "You mustn't admit to publicly sacrificing sentient races. Only claim to kill beasts in these acts. To the more faithful, such truths can be told." She stepped away now, her eyes turning to the gates of Zul'Aman, "They must not be discovered to quickly... Else this step in my vengeance will end in failure. This is where your skills will come in handy. No mercy, eliminate all who you have reason to suspect or I will end you and appoint another."

The elf rubbed his neck for a moment before walking over to Lith, hand outwards, "Very well. You have a deal."

To this, Lith paused, "How much will it be to actually ensure your loyalty."

A single one of her brows remained perked as the sin'dorei grinned widely, his white teeth glaringly apparent against the darker background of the green hills and trees, "For this job... I'll do this for free. Its always so entertaining, pitting the ideals of one against the ideals of another. Whose truth will come out on top in the end? I cannot say for sure but my blood rushes with anticipation wondering what the answer will be."

He turned, walking towards his purple hawkstrider and climbing onto it, "I suppose I'll get started immediately... I'll also need some new cloths to look the part of a cult leader. This will certainly be fun." With a pull on the reigns his strider was off, "I do wish you luck Miss Lith... It would be more entertaining to see what the world should become if your plan was to work."

Lith gave only a nod as the man raced off. With that, she turned off, walking back into her own hut. Sitting on the ground and crossing her legs, she began to meditate, delving into her inner chasm...

Ah... have you returned you blasphemous wench... Returned to give us more punishment?

Silence...maybe she's changed. Maybe she will finally see the light and deliver us from our sufferings...

[Duraza]

Spoiler:

If you attended feel free to write up your character's response if you want to. Once again thanks to all who did attend the Sermon. Also, if you didn't attend but you just want to write a response to Malanar's words from your own Horde char... Go for it!

First Sermon

Have you ever wondered why things such as war, plague, famine, and ultimately death ravage us? What is the cause of constant death in our world? Perhaps, you've come to the conclusion that death and causing death is in our nature. You'd be right... But did you ever wonder whether it was the nature of the very universe to cause death?

Through history there are constantly cycles of life and death. In the beginning the trolls and qiraji poured their life-force over all of Kalmidor. Then the Kaldorei warred the trolls before gaining their peace, troll blood the sacrifice for a thriving kingdom. For life. Blood, fed to the stomach of the cosmos to maintain the order of the universe.

Look even to our own history. For the peace of a home away from Kalmidor the High Elves sacrificed the lives of many trolls in war as well as their own brethren to the madness of Tirisfal. For that a peaceful kingdom was gained... Yet, such destruction came to our peace in later years. Why? Because for too long we lived without offering to the Blood God... to the cosmos that demands death for life.

Blood and Death. These are the things that fuel order, fuel the cosmos, feed the stomach of the universe. For the cosmos itself is a Blood God whose thirst is quenched by the blood poured out. Whose hunger is sated by sacrifice.

Malanar left right away after the sermon, off to the Ghostlands. It was at the Amani pass that he once again met with Lith, the troll having been waiting for him. She sat in her usual browned animal skins and veil, inside of an abandoned hut, "How did it go?"

Malanar walked in and sat himself down crossing his legs with a sigh, frown on his face. He brushed his hair backwards, "They aren't as easily won over as you'd have hoped. The Sin'dorei are a proud and strong race... The thought of some order over them will not easily win their hearts. It was hard enough for them to lend me their ears in silence. One even threatened me."

As Lith frowned herself Malanar continued, "Must we start here? It would be easier to gather followers with other members of the Horde... Raise your church elsewhere."

"It will be done with Sin'dorei. That is the way it was decided and the way it will stay. If you fear for your wellbeing bring a body guard."

The elf laughed lightly, pulling a dagger from within his own robe, "Please. I'm not the least bit worried about dying. But I am worried this plan won't work. They even want to see miracles... That was not in the plan."

"Don't worry about it. Now keep trying. If followers won't come easily through a faithful desire then we will appeal to the darker natures of those who will listen to their greed. Look for those who will follow their own corrupt natures and pledge allegiance in exchange for the dark gifts we can offer. Any and all who would stand, even if falsely, by your side. These will do."

"And as for those who ask questions or continue threats?"

"You gave my permission to make examples of them. There is no longer time to waste. We must move forward."

A cruel smile appeared on Malanar's face, his lips twisting upward as he rose to his feet. The elf gave a small bow, hair falling down, "As you wish." With that he rose again and moved off.