#coldlight

~Black Dog’s Descent~

The move seemed to be ideal at the time when they brought the bowl further down into the vault. Cold light the name had been whispered as much that it was easy to start the search upon it and at least hire the right hands to start the story. Hired hands were called upon to continue the search and various tid bits were clear. Coldlight was a patriarch of a small family that once guarded the sunwell before Arthas came. Obviously the removal of the sunwell, meant that amount of power went down the drain and so a man with only so little power went with Kael’thas into outlands. It was there something changed and twisted so.

The informant that was hired proved to run into a little trouble with an orc group from Orgrimmar. As soon as I got the paper back, I knew whom at least briefly whom it was. A group of trained orc assassins that were sent to keep those within Horde that were under the legion’s grasp, cults and other such traitorous activities. It would mean often that such individuals would not be seen again. They were a secretive but fiercely loyal bunch committed to doing the right thing. I know their involvement would be troublesome but the Scions as whole would have to show that they would not be swayed by their power. Their watchful eye was our loyalty to the horde.

But the Orcs of the Black Wolves were a prideful, deeply paranoid group. The Scions  did not pass their test to give much needed information, even though I had been keeping a previous bargain with them about different Fel artifacts. Perhaps they are waiting for a test of loyalty to able to provide what they know.

~Vault Emergency~

It was clear to note that the Scions were still not clear what exactly the Creepy bowl thing did. No one was sure, so what happened next was no one fault.

In one desperate act of his power, Coldlight manifested within the deep vaults finding the key that he sought after. Whatever that was unnatural or whatever it was, him and the key were activated at the same moment locking down the deep vaults to prevent further corruption. All of Myra’s resources were dealing in keeping the two from going further, so various Scions were teleported in to re-activate different fail safes. Of the ones lost within the annals of the records, Aurora, Lyrica, Delryssa, Logaine, two love struck demon hunters were among the group that were remembered as they tread deep within the vaults mysteries. I was unfortunately deep within the vaults when this occurred, since I was pregnant at the time; Myra put me under a protection ward. I was able to watch though.

Dealing with the copious amounts of fel energy and re-animated corpses that littered the various vault records. Switch after switch was activated soon the group was granted access underneath the vaults. A giant thin ghost that was the groups first look at Cold light held a key that funneled in deep within the shadowlands. Under no extreme distress within the group, they managed to defeat the ghost as well as recover the mysterious key.

The creepy bowl thing was put within its own vault to contain the deep copious amounts of fel that was produced. Any guardian and artifact that was no fully corrupted was put to the side to be cleansed. The black empire key that was recovered was put behind deep ice magics hidden once more within the deep vaults.

Myra put out a call to the Scions left to help recover the missing artifacts and the guardian. Little did I know at the time, how much this was the key to unlocking the Creepy Bowl thing.

“This is wrong.”  The mark on her stomach seemed to sting at her dismissal.  Something within her spoke, a whisper that told her that this mark was not hers to bear. She had another destiny and not at the beck and call of a creature made of shadows.

Yet this thing lived in her brother.

“Kael.”  She whispered under her breath, bidding her brother to listen to her.  They had been but children when they had figured out that they could invade each other’s dreams.  Of course, the only stipulation was that the other was sleeping.  Kael rarely slept nowadays and he had found ways to keep her out.  

“Kael’deryn Tyberius Ravensdawn.  I call upon your given name.  Hear my call from the dreamworld. I need you. Please…I need your guidance.” Her voice was a soft supplication against the dream winds that caressed her.  The sting at her abdomen was suddenly everywhere on her skin.  The wind was too cold and she found her surroundings changing.  It was no longer the peaceful midnight seas but the turbulent, icy waters of the north. 

The landscape was changing far too quickly and she realized that her dream was being manipulated.  The cold bit at her bare skin.  She was only dressed in a crop top and leather pants meant for warmer weather.  Calling upon the dream, she willed a fur lined cloak upon herself and pulled it tightly against her body.  “Kael.  Talk to me. Don’t pull this bullshit on me.”

“I͞ ̷a͠m͠ ͏K͡ae̢l ̨a̸ǹd ̡h͟e͠ ̀is̀s͠ss me.”̧ The voice came first, disembodied and echoing.  The figure manifested on the deck of her dream ship. It appeared as a simple black puddle of black ichor before a figure rose from within it in a strange, horrific manner. Shadows coiled around it, wisps forming the figure of her brother until she was left staring up at his tall figure. His skin was a pale violet, his eyes a dark purple, and his hair…his lovely blood-red hair had gone silvery white.

If this was her own fate, to battle some being that lay sequestered within her, she would fight it tooth and claw.

“I am not feeling well enough for this metaphysical fuckery right now.”  She shoved a finger at her brother’s chest.  He was very much real and solid.  “Believe me.  The moment I know how, I will knock you out of him so fast you won’t know what realm you are in.  Now let me talk to my brother in peace before I vanquish your sorry ass back into whatever darkness my mother pulled you out of.”

“I ̕a҉m ͢the̡ ͜Da҉rk͟ness, my̷ Q͞uee̶n͡.”  It hissed back at her.  

“Then release my brother, slave.” Ryssa snapped, irate.  Even in her dream, she could feel the wound in her right palm on the physical realm. The pain was liable to wake her before she was able to communicate with her brother.  The dull throb of the wound was already enough that she was struggling to stay in the dream state.

“We ̛answe̷r͢ ̛t͡o͏ ͠n͞o̡ ̵one͟.͡” The figure began to dissipate, fading into a shadowy transparency.  It mocked her in echo.

“That is not entirely true. You answer to someone or something, Great Father of Lies.  Come talk to me, Great Serpent of the Dark.  Stay a while, Soul Drinker and I will pay tribute to you in blood.”  The figure ceased disappearing.  Instead, it began to grow solid once more.  Kael’s eyes narrowed at his sister but he said nothing.  Instead, he scowled down at her and crossed his arms in front of his chest.  “What's the matter? Is blood not what you want, Great Devourer?”

“What is it that you want, Ryssa?” Her brother’s voice was the familiar tenor she knew.  Even the look he was giving her was that of annoyance. That was Kael alright.  

“I did something.” She began, biting down on her lower lip as she reminisced upon the events.  “I broke the bond a risen spirit had with her Master.  I broke it…and made her mine.  I knew I could make her do anything and she would have no choice.”

A small frown painted Kael’s features despite the smile that began to quirk at the corner of his lips. “That you did.”  He murmured, still watching her in eternal aggravation.  “I felt it through our bond.  Personally, I did not think you would ever manifest it to that degree.  I thought you were condemned to just seeing and talking to spirits.  And that odd bit of psychometry you have. I, however, see no reason why you needed to bring this to my attention.  Being that you are one of few blood relatives that I still have, take care to not flaunt that ability, will you? The dead do not like necromancers. The living fear them.”

“For shadow’s sake, Kael, I do not want it.  It is tainted … just like that … thing that lives inside you.”

“Death cannot be tainted. It is a part of nature. Necromancers have long been a part of the balance despite the talk of being abominations to life itself.  The druids commune with nature and their spirits but you do not see anyone calling them out.  The shamans talk to the elemental spirits and no one is up in arms about it.  Instead, they are revered.”

“That is different. They are-“

“Is it?”  Kael’s head canted ever so slightly as he looked upon his sister.  “Necromancy is but the practice of communicating with the dead either by summoning them or in the rare occasion, raising them in the flesh.  Is that not what they do?”

“Necromancy is-“

“Tch.  Do not begin down that path, sister.  It is not evil or good.  Magic itself is gray.  Our innate ability with the spirits, souls, death, and life-forces have long been passed down our line.  You and I know this.  It is our intent that colors our magic.  Did you really call me into this dreamscape to debate the morality of necromancy?”

“No.  I called you because I need help controlling it and I needed to do this.” She took a swing at him, rolling her hand into a tight fist.  With amazing quickness, she aimed straight for his face.  It made a satisfying crunch and she knew he would feel the pain of it in the waking world. He reeled back and brought hands to his face.  “That was for manipulating and fucking with my memories and because that thing inside of you is an asshole.”

There was a long silence between both of them before Kael slowly let out a sigh, still rubbing his nose. Ryssa was ignoring the pain of her knuckles.  It made it harder to stay in the dream world but Kael had it coming for a long time. He simply nodded, a glare lingering on his violet eyes.

“Very well.  Bolster your mental shields against spirits.  If you can get extra protection against them, I would recommend it.  Avoid graveyards and other necromancers if you can.  You’ll feel their aura before you know what they are.”  He paused, lost in thought for a second.  “Meet me at my Ghostlands Sanctum in five days time and we will get it under control.”

“Thank you, brother”

“Your payment will come in due time.”  With that, the figure began to dissipate once more, fading from existence in the dream world. She was left on the deck of The Ravensdawn once more, alone.  Idly, she felt herself being pulled into the waking world by pain and a mind too active to remain asleep.  Too many things were on her mind and all of them seemed to be of essence.

Her men were wounded. She was weakened.  Kael was still pulling his esoteric bullshit.  And the real Ravensdawn ship had nearly been sunk.  One need not to mention the artifacts in the vaults that needed tending to.

But how to cleanse them without attracting every dead thing within a hundred mile radius?

The pain in her palm was getting worse.  Consciousness was slowly beginning to pull her back to reality.  She lingered for a longer moment in the dream, enjoying the tropical clime now that she had control of her dreamscape once more.  The fur-lined cloak was shed, taking one last breath of freedom before she had to go back to being landlocked in the waking world. The Captain would take what she could.

Resigned, she let consciousness seep back into her.  It was only then that a venomous mist crept into her dreamscape.  It moved and looked much like the shadows Kael usually appeared out of but these were a sickly green.  The color of felfire.

“Oh that’s nice.”  She murmured.  “Thinking too hard on all this, I’m forcing myself into a nightmare.” Her tone was a bit dry as the replica of the guardian owl that had tried to sink her ship appeared in her dream.  Thinking it strange but not giving it much thought, she knew that her own mind could be a weapon against her in dreams.  

In slight confusion, she saw the owl begin to melt.  She had broken that damned thing, had she not? She remembered it as a pile of scrap but here it was, whole and melting into flesh. Pockmarks marred the skin and the mechanical avian elongated to form a gaunt Sin’dorei male.  The Captain took a few steps back out of precaution.  She realized that this was not her but something else.  This thing could very well hurt her within her own dreamscape.  In fact, she was willing herself to wake but she was being forced to bear witness to this creature.

“You took one of mine. I will take one of yours.  My family will always live on through me.” The male spoke, his breath nothing but dusty graves and a scent she associated with Shadowmoon Valley.  It made her own breath hitch as she stared in half-horror at the male.  She was not afraid of his presence but rather of how he had gotten in.  

It meant her mental and mind shields were too weak to keep others out.

“Coldlight.”  She said through gritted teeth as the pain in her palm had reached an excruciating level.  She had cut her own palm as she had held on to the blade of her own cutlass. The poison that coated the blade had seeped in enough that by the time the medics got to it, it was nigh near impossible to cleanse it.  They had done their best to clean it and bandage it but the pain of the poison continued to plague her as she rode it out.  

The pain should have been enough to wake her.  It was time for more painkillers but she was stuck in her dream state, soaked in sweat in the waking world.  No one had noticed as she appeared to be sleeping quite fitfully last time they had checked.  

“An even trade, Captain.”  The male smiled, appraising the woman that had meddled in his affairs. The redheaded let out a bitter laugh as she was given the once-over by the creature she had seen in the vaults.  

“Take one of my men, Coldfingers and you will rue the day you were born.”  

“My family is eternal. The next time we meet, *Captain*, you will kneel to me.  Then we will see *who will serve who.*"  Coldlight's voice echoed in her mind as she was finally released from her dream.  She jolted awake, staring at the ceiling of the medical bay.  A chill was already beginning to work down her back from the sticky sweat the pain and poison were causing.

She sat up, startling a medical attendant nearby.  He said something but Ryssa was already on her feet and out of bed.   “Where are they?!”  Her voice was harsh from misuse.  She was looking for her crew.  In her haste, she had failed to notice that she was in a very unflattering gown that was waving freely behind her.  There was only one thought in her mind.

She had to account for all of her men. 

~Prelude and Possessions~

This Saga begins just as any normal artifact might return within the Scions. One of our exploration ruins within the broken isles left within one of the alcoves of Azsuna opted for this as any battleground.  It was an artifact given to us by the Illidari and the Wardens when they argued in front of Erudition. There was a duel to be won and the group favoring the Illidari were to destroy the artifact while the group favoring the Wardens were to study it. It wasn’t anything spectacular as far as I had known when we received it, just a plain filigree bowl of Sin'dorei designs. Or as I put it “Creepy bowl thing.” 

The Illidari had mentioned that they had destroyed a creature when they were fighting one of the various Legion invasions, and this was left behind. Since it was upon the border of the two factions; they needed a neutral organization to determine what to do. It was decided by the Scions considering our small foothold within the land. The duels were fierce and harsh, but the Illidari group had finished quite easily after a small hiccup winning the rite to destroy the artifact. Glaives and other weapons were present upon the root but it could not be severed. Each slice was regenerated as quickly as it had come across. The Illidari mentioned to let us know of the research we had come across with the intention for our records, and thus it was within our possession. The indestructible creepy bowl thing.

I didn’t have much time to look into the artifact so it was put within the general depot and promptly forgotten about. The Scions do get a lot of artifacts and while I am in the vault most of the times, there are things that seem hidden. Myra, our general guardian keeps bringing up newer and newer artifacts and even though I get help with Sorenar with some of the time; it’s still not enough to account for everything.

Nothing could of prepared me though for what came next however.

I do not say I can remember much of what happened during these next few events. Those that are close to me have stated that I was possessed briefly for this time by someone named Coldlight whom we did not realize at the time came from the creepy bowl thing. The spirit was attempting to get another artifact within the vault that seemed to have deep seated necromantic powers that had subtle ties to the Black Empire. One that had appeared within our vaults that was unseen to most living eyes.

My possession was merely a ruse to get the spirits out the first time, and for the artifacts that he had corrupted to exit with one of the many vault guardians that existed. It wasn’t noticed until the end of one of his games that things were slowly changing. His corruption, our vaults where all coming to a head. Typically spirits that wish harm are usually muted due to the nature of the artifacts that the Scions possess, but Coldlight was clever in affecting one of the many guardians that lined the vaults. It flew unmarred by the wards in and out ferrying three other artifacts that Coldlight had infected.

I do admit I was not as worried about it at the time for typically when an artifact goes within the deep vaults that the Scions carry, we usually do not see it unless we wish to. This one unfortunately had other plans.

The artifacts he corrupted, the vaults he continued to corrupt. This Cold light whom lived within this creepy bowl seemed obsessed with this *key*, that the Scions had no record of existing.