The Tales of Rusty - 1

My early years

I was just a toddler aboard the Exodar as it sailed the skies, and only remember the crash vaguely as a big confusion, people screaming and me getting lost. After the crash I was brought to the orphanage in Shattrath together with almost all the Draenei children from the Exodar. I suppose it was better to have us out of the way while people died and were buried, while people sought after family and friends, and while liveable dwellings were made from the broken starship. The Matron Mercy were nice to us all, but she was overworked and underfed, like all of us. Only from time to time did people have time for us. I remember once a paladin in shining armour came and offered one of us a ride on his wonderful horse. Doorna, the most courageous of us, got the honour. She stayed away for a week, and came home full of stories of wonderful places and strange beings she had seen. She had even met the Prophet in the remains of the Exodar, and visited her older brother at the Ethereal‘s place in green and peaceful Nagrand.

The life in Shattrath was a drab life. We could not leave the city, as wild beast wandered outside, ready to kill us. Only the cemetery was free from beasts, securely guarded by peacekeepers on pleasantly sturdy and faithful elekks. The town itself was a place of strife and split allegiances - Aldor against Scryers, Horde against Alliance, and bird people against everyone - and refugees. Darkmoon Faire that visited from time to time, with wonders and animals from Azeroth and beyond was the only real bright spot, and it lasted only until Silas Darkmoon found the magic isle of his dreams and left for good. I remember one of the last times. Silas had found a band of mighty warriors who did not fight, but sang. They were loud, but good. Only one of their songs were hair-raisingly unpleasant. I am Murloc. Even though I had never seen a murloc, not even heard of one before, their sounds made me want to run and hide under my blankets.

Not many of us Draenei ever saw our families again. Draenei are not very fertile, having none or at most two children in each family, and the death toll from the crash was high. I also learned that both my parents had died. Either during the crash or shortly after, but their bodies were not found until much later. I think I had guessed, as the living parents had been meeting with their children for some time by then.

When the Isles were somewhat regulated, children from my age group was taken back to Azuremyst Isles to learn a profession. Most choose sedentary skills, gem cutters, bowyers, leatherworkers, my best friend became a baker in the inn, and another became apprentice hippogryph handler in faraway Theramore. I met Baatun and was immediately drawn to serving the Light.

Rusty. Just arrived at Ammen Vale, Azuremyst.

After studying for some time, I was sent to Ammen Vale to get some real life experience. I was sorry to leave Batun and the elekks, but we had fun in Ammen Vale. We young ones swam in the reddish water and dared one another to touch the crystal in the lake. I was sent on different easy missions like inoculating the peaceful owlbears. I learned my herbs, about  picking the rigth ones for medicine; I cleaned debris from the crash, helping the crippled and suffering. We killed the abominations, mostly flutterers larger than us, and plants showing signs of wanting to walk. The elders told us that the propellant for The Exodar (our spaceship), which had largely been poured out over Ammen Vale,  was a mutagen, not hurting us Draenei, but obviously not healthy for the animal and plant life of Ammen Vale.

Reaching the Red Crystal.

On one of my errands, I met Tolaan, he was mortally wounded by Sunhawks! I revenged him, but was scared to find how bad my fighting skills were. I studied hard from then on and learned to use the powers of the Light to hit my enemies harder and make myself harder to hit. Easy and fun use of the powers I thought.

Notes: The first couple of levels (Ammen Vale). This story has been a long time in writing. I began playing an Ironman Challenger - always Paladins, female Draenei and Human males -  way back in  March 2012. Cataclysm was the newest expansion, Silas Darkmoon had only recently opened up Darkmoon Island, Raid finder and Transmogrification were brand new features. Yes long ago.