The Tales of Rusty 10

Treasure Island part 2

The inactivity did me good, but I needed to keep in shape, so I dug out the gnome's treasure map and went looking. As I reached the ruins mentioned on the map, I tethered Mingus to a tree, and climbed the low hill. The place swarmed with nagas, but I was quite happy to kill a couple of those. It was not too difficult, and a nice change from the Sunhawks. When I had cleared the small structure of nagas. I started searching. It was some kind of temple, now in ruins. Behind a pillar lay an old book, battered and weather beaten, but still readable. The small temple was ideal for living in for some days. I cleared out all the nagas, there were no more living ones around, and found a path for Mingus to get up there, it was not easy, but we made it.

Figthing nagas in the smallest temple. 

 My days studying old scrolls had given me an insight in the healing powers of the Light, but also a fair reading skill when it came to old scribbling. I was able to decipher parts of the book. It was a diary by a night elf - I think - named Nolkai. Another one most probably a human, Andrew Clementine, had scribbled in the book, counting his drinks and drunken exploits. Not a nice read, but Nolkai's diary was something else entirely It ended abruptly with the words: "The enemy is nearly upon us. We've gathered up all the survivors and retreated to the temple to the east. It's the last ground we truly hold on the island, and there is a sense among the survivors that we will make our last stand here. I've taken care to bury my last few possessions on the grounds of the temple, with the hope that someone will find them and know what happened here." I looked to the east, and saw an even smaller structure. I left Mingus in the bigger temple and walked to the easternmost structure. Even more nagas were living there, but they were more of training objects for me, an irritation rather than a threat. It was not easy to find the place, Nolkai had spoken of, but in the end my digging hands found a smallish chest. I brushed the dirt away and opened it, Inside was a slim, golden band with the inscription: "A token for my love to remember me by. May Elune watch over my dear Nolkai." a lantern and some old coins. I did not understand how these items were supposed to tell me, or anybody what had happened. I decided to show the items to one of the anchorites in Blood Watch.
I spent some more days in Nolkai's temple, reading scrolls of healing, teaching Mingus and fighting an occasional naga. One day I found a crumpled letter in a pocket. "Oh yes," I exclaimed, "Odesyus' letter. I got to go to Wyrmscar Isle." From the top of Nolkai's temple, I could see the Island to the northeast. Elekk handler Kessel had said something about keeping his elekks out of water, but I wanted to bring mine to Wyrmscar.

In-game notes: Level 20

Thr Tales of Rusty - 9

A Treasure Island

In the following weeks I was busy. Sunhawks kept popping up at the most unlikely places, and I was sent to scout and harass them as best I could. An important part of the old Exodar, the Vector Coil, had fallen in very hilly country.
The Sunhawks were there as well, trying to find a way to turn it into a portal, I suppose. In my scouting, I also ran into Cornelius. He had taken an expedition up behind Vector Coil, it was a total failure due to the giant spiders living there. They had caught all of them, and only Cornelius himself had succeeded in getting out of the cocoons, they were spun into. He had tried several times to free his companions, but to no avail. He was almost killed every time. Now he was weak with hunger and the after-effects of spiders’ poison. I gave him some of Lycaeon’s meat, and promised to look after his fellows. It was not easy. The expedition members were wrapped up together with satyrs, flutterers, owlbeasts and an occasional sunhawk. And they had no gratitude left for me when I freed them, they were all quite angry and attacked me the second arms or claws were free. And the spiders did not do anything to help. They tried to spin me in as well, and bit and stabbed at me with their venomous fangs. In the end I had freed all 5 members of the expedition, and they left for Blood Watch immediately, limping and lurching from the poison, but grinning with the happiness of being alive after all. I slept in Tel'athion's Camp, a small hut near the river, it was rumoured that a madman lived out here alone, making strange potions with the red water, but I found nobody and the hut seemed deserted.

Near Tel'athion's Camp

After weeks of being on my guard with every step, I started seeing Sunhawks all over, even in my sleep. I needed to do something else. I then remembered Clopper Wizbang’s treasure map, and decided to go and see what was in there. I asked Exarc Admetius for some days on my own, as I needed to study and meditate and generally collect my thoughts. He was very forthcoming and gifted me with his spare elekk as a reward for all my working. I could also count on help in reading the fine script on the map. Delenn had dug out some more books for me to study, and even an old scroll on healing and the Light as seen by the Naaru.

Riding my Elekk.

My first priority was to learn how to handle my elekk. His name was Mingus, and bigger by at least 3 hands than Fant, the only elekk I had ever ridden. Slowly I walked down to the low ground trailing him after me. Once down there I mounted the elekk. He was surprisingly agile for his size and almost threw me before I got hold of the reins. But then I got the grasp of it, and after some days my behind was sore, but I had grasped the beginnings of elekk riding. The next weeks I dozed in the sun reading Delenn’s books and trying to read the letters in the old scroll on healing. Lycaeon had provided me with some of his delicious food, I needed not hunt or do anything before I felt like it.

In-game notes: Level 18-20

The Tales of Rusty - 8

Go north!

When I was rested after the exertions and felt confident with my new powers, Vindicator Aalesia came to me. The Sunhawk missive had spoken of a portal to Outlands through which the Bloodhawk seemed to get new reinforcements. He wanted me to find its location. It had to be in the north, in the parts of the isle where almost none of our people ever came. He warned me that as the portal crossed the Nether, there might be strange, dark creatures about. I had to look out for anything unnatural. We went outside and he pointed northwards. Also he said, to find out the full scope of the crystals’ effect on the original population at the Isles, I had to get him a last crystal sample from the northern part of Bloodmyst to supplement my other finds. He had learned that a group of satyrs and many owlbeasts lived up north. “And one last thing, Rusty, if you find the legendary red waterfall, You’ll have to take a sample for Aesom, he is interested in that kind of marvels.”

Morae had recovered her interest in all things growing after I brought her her husband’s amulet, and as she overheard the last part of our conversation, she wanted me to get some bark from the living trees up north as well.

“Are you going North?” Nachlan asked me. He was an old red bearded dwarf, one of the very few non-draenei to be living north of the Exodar. “It is babysitting we are, you know. Outrageous, I’m an explorer, not a babysitter. And now this here gnome joined Explorers’ League almost a month ago. The last I heard from him was three weeks ago, when a scout told me that he had seen a gnome in an old turtle shell on the northern shore, surrounded by murlocs. He had a thing with murlocs that one, just like our Morae here. Could you check on him, please?” My curiosity awoke. I had never seen a gnome before, but it should be easy enough to find a strange being in a turtle shell, or maybe his earthly remains. If only it was not for the murlocs. Their name alone sent a shiver up and down my spine. Already twice had I almost lost my young life to those strange beings. But I promised him to have a look.

Next morning at the break of dawn I went north. In the beginning the land looked normal enough. I hunted a bear to have provisions for my trip, as Tracker Lyceon had already used up almost all my previous kills. I stuffed my meat bag and went on northwards. The overgrown path took me to hilly country, and soon I caught sight of owlbears. They looked like the ones in Ammen Vale until I noticed their eyes. They were stark raving mad. I circled them, regretting what the crash of the Exodar had done to wildlife here. Maybe the crystals really were tainted, and slowly - or not so slowly really - changed all life forms with which they came in close contact. And I often found small pieces of the crystals in the stomach of my prey. I had to tell this to Vindicator Aalesia on my return. The satyrs had made their dwellings on top of a hill. I went into their camp and found the crystals and killed a few for the parts Aalesia and Morae were so interested in.

As I wandered on a strange smell reached my nose. Nothing like I ever smelled before. A threatening smell if a smell can be described that way. Pungent and heavy, a bit like bad incense with ... I don’t know ... dung or blood or ... some evil element for sure. I kept my eyes peeled for anomalies. And anomalies I soon found. Big shadow-things, like the abominations warlocks summon to do their fighting. Only much bigger, clad in shoulder pads and nothing more, but shrouded in swirling mists from the dark nether. I kept a wide berth, but got a peep into the part of the Exodar they seemed to be attracted to. There was some sort of swirling darkness inside, probably the portal Vindicator Aalesia asked me to look for. I felt stupid for not having asked what a portal looked like. I left the place after noticing its place on my map.

Figting blue abominations. The portal was inside the building to the right.

 Then the clean smell of sea hit my nostrils. I could not get further north, but could see the beach ahead. I smiled. That crazy gnome was up here somewhere. I scanned the surroundings, and found out that a kind of no man’s land existed where the murlocs did not venture too far inland and the bears kept their distance. Only the flutterers went there. Following that small strip of land, I progressed quickly along the beach. And I easily found a huge turtle shell lying alone on the beach. I fought my way down there, cautiously killing as few of the murloc people as possible. And then I looked into the shell.
Inside sat a strange character. The Gnome. He was a smallish humanoid with a large, white beard and green goggles. He hushed me and told me that he was known by the name of Clopper Wizbang. He told me to lay low as he tried to study the murlocs. Nachlan had given me the impression that the gnome did not know what he was doing, but he came over as sane and coherent to me, if a bit talkative. No wonder when he was living alone and far away. I spent the night in his turtle shell and left all my meat and bread at his place. He was a wee bit tired of clams and fish as he put it. I promised to return when opportunity arose to provide him with a change of fare. He gave me an old treasure map, he had found, admitting that it might be a hoax, but it looked old and authentic to me.

Clopper Wizbang in his turtle shell

At the end of the beach was the blood red waterfall. I filled up a flask and made for the return. Suddenly a growl of immense proportions reached my ears and the biggest, meanest looking bear I ever saw came trotting in my direction. I had only just time to pick up shield and sword before he reached me. Belatedly I remembered the hunters’ warnings of Deathclaw. He was big, but luckily for me he was as stupid as he was big. He came charging downhill and I had no trouble making him almost impale himself on my sword. He tried to get up on his hind legs to swipe me, but then I was so far beneath him that his claws only scraped my horns before my sword was lodged squarely in his shaggy midriff. The wanted posters told of a reward for bringing home his paws, so I cut them off along with the good meat. Then I made for home.

In-game notes: Level 17