You all know of my name and my ranks, so I will not bore with introduction. Rather, I will tell you of the lands you have assisted to cleanse: Embertree.
I was granted Embertree and the title of Knight-Captain by the Ranger-Captain Vaelrin Firestorm. He granted me nobility. He granted me the seat of Embertree Court, and the lands of Embertree. However, these lands were twisted.
When the scourge walked upon Quel’Thalas, Embertree, like many lands, was destroyed. To rid it of the blight, Lord Firestorm burned the land. He had the lands regrown, their wounds tended to with druidic magic. However, it was not as easy as that.
Whatever magic the overlords before me used to make the land forever a brilliant orange had twisted. The Blight twisted it. And then the nature magic furthered it. The woods ran blue and beasts were made. These beasts and the man behind them, the undead husk of the son of the previous overlords, wreaked havoc on any that tried to live in these lands once again.
Men and women were killed, and I requested your help. I requested your help, and you answered my call.
You know of my name and ranks, but many of you know not of who I am. I am a woman of my word, and a woman that values a fair trade. You have helped me tremendously. You have helped the people of Embertree tremendously. And where you gave me assistance, you have given the people hope and the ability to make their lives anew.
I find it only right that those that assisted in cleansing the land deserve a part of it. To each and every one of you that assisted me, I give you a choice: You may inhabit a house that is already built but uninhabited, or you may have a half acre plot of land where you may build your own house. I ask only that you abide by the laws of Embertree, like any other citizen.
Thank you, Oathsworn. On behalf of myself, and the people of Embertree, thank you.
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The sea breeze sweeps in from the Shallowbrook coast. Salt-tinted air rolls over the lavender and violet speckled meadows of Embertree. Wind catches in the long, thick locks of bright auburn and brings her back.
She is bruised and battered but she has not fallen. The Dawnspire is safe. Quel’Thalas is safe. Land must be regrown, the Fleet must be rebuilt, the Anchorage needs to be remade.
But they have not fallen.
A wolf howls in the distance. The sound the reverberates through the twilight.
She turns to the eerie distant glow of the woods and a breath catches in her throat.
To her right: the woods, the howl.
To her left: the sea, the one-eyed man.
And then a warmth behind her as scarred arms wrap her in an embrace.
She is at a crossroads. Though the war is over, she is flanked by two battles that have not yet been won. But the warm, deep voice of the man behind her urges her to bed. He urges her to rest and she agrees.
A second howl joins the first.
Then a third, louder than the others.
The Seer’s warning whispers to her in the back of her mind.
Accompanying my report of Belanore, please accept this letter of a more personal matter. I required time and peace to think over what I saw so that when I came to you, if I came to you, it would be with fact. I know that you are a woman that appreciates the truth, and so know that it is the truth that I give to you always, Knight-Captain, including now.
In my report of Y’Salone, I made note of a strange man that appeared if only for a second. It was a figure, hidden in the trees and gone in a second. That man showed himself once more in Belanore, and in a more certain way than before. There are so many things, I do not know where to start.
I took the bones of the largest of the wolves that we fought. What was left was ancient. No wolf should be able to live that long. The fur was nearly gone, but the shade of black, the look of the beast – she held a great resemblance to the fierce pet of Lord Rhansar Silvercrest, the last Knight-Captain of Embertree before you were given the title and responsibility. Fenra was his greatest companion, ever faithful to Lord Silvercrest, his wife, and their son.
The stranger is Amorthan, son of Rhansar Silvercrest. I’m sure of it.
I don’t pretend to know how. For all intents and purposes, he should be dead. The entire Silvercrest family perished with the fall of Silvermoon, protecting Embertree from undead. His appearance spoke of death. He looked like the beasts we have fought: twisted with vines, skin pale and iridescent.
What’s more, Knight-Captain, he didn’t recognize me. I was with Amorthan from birth onward, yet he looked at the lot of us as though we were the beasts.
I don’t know what to make of this. He fled to the North East, towards the mountains.
I am ensuring that Fenra be given a proper burial, as fitting for the pet of a former Knight-Captain. I ask only for time to properly digest what has been discovered. However, should you require anything, you need only call for me.
Ever at your service,
Baclen Highstar
Captain of the Guard
Like one that on a lonesome road doth walk in fear and dread,
And having once turned ‘round, walks on, and turns no more his head,
Because he knows a frightful fiend doth close behind him tread.
COMPLETED
Embertree’s name was derived from the appearance of the trees before the land came into ruin. The previous overlords, House Silvercrest, enhanced the woods with magic, causing the trees to come alive with a variety of autumn shades that gave the illusion they were constantly lit with flames. Thus the name Embertree was born.
With the blight came the ruin of the land, but Lord Vaelrin Firestorm of Shallowbrook returned. Shallowbrook, and therefor Embertree, were burned and purged of the blight. Druids were brought forth to regrow the land of the beauty it had lost, but unfortunately, the woods had changed. Embertree became a dark, twisted forest, illuminated by the lingering traces of dying arcane that once kept it thriving.
The new overlord, Knight-Captain Esme Sunshard, has worked closely with Lord Firestorm to rebuild the lands to what they once were, but construction on restoring the towns has been ordered to a halt. Men and women were being lost - taken and killed - while rebuilding the towns within the woods, and it has become clear that help will be needed.
Knight-Captain Sunshard has already enlisted the help of the Sunguard’s Pathfinders to establish wards along the border of Embertee to keep whatever is within it from escaping. Now it is time to finish the job.
Now it is time to find out what lies within the wood.
The story thus far...
Foreman Dawnfall to Esme Sunshard
Captain Highstar to Esme Sunshard
What Lies Within the Wood
A Request of the Pathfinders
Prelude: Placing the Wards [Logs]
A Request of the Sunguard
Event 1: Magemire [Logs]
Event 2: Isalora [Logs]
Event 3: Tottenham [Logs]
Event 4: Neverglen [Logs]
Event 5: New Aramore [Logs]
Event 6: Y’salone [Logs]
Event 7: Belanore [Logs]
Finale [Logs]
Parcels of Gratitude
This will be a series of events for members of @thesunguardmg. These events will span out over some time and all of them will make use of the hero mode version of the Sunguard Roll Battle System. In order to attend, please sign up in game and make sure you have your character sheets and tokens updated and ready to go at least 24 hours before each event!
I hope to see you all there, and it is my sincerest hope that you all enjoy these events, and that they inspire you to write and more!
I am certain many of you know who I am, but nevertheless, allow me the formality of introducing myself. My name is Esme Sunshard, and I am a Sunward within the Pathfinder unit, second in command to Ranger-Captain Vaelrin Firestorm.
This day, I write to you all asking for assistance. Embertree, a land that has been granted to me for nearly a year now, is under siege from within. Our enemy is not a cult of necromancers, nor is it a pack of demons, but something for more natural and yet mysterious. There are beasts within the woods of Embertree, and they are disabling those that would seek to make a home for themselves here in this land from doing so.
Our Oath speaks of the protection of Quel’Thalas, but there is a silent knowledge that we also wish to see the land thrive. Embertree is part of that land. Embertree is part of Quel’Thalas. And those that seek a home here are the very Sin’dorei that we have fought time and time again to protect.
With a treacherous fight ahead of us on the Broken Isles against the Legion, I understand that our numbers are stretched thin. Still, I urge us to not lose sight of what is behind us while we are busy looking forward. I urge us not to forget Quel’Thalas and the lands within it.
Help me save Embertree.
I will be in your debt, and I am a woman that pays what is owed.
Esme Sunshard
Sunward of the Sunguard
Knight-Captain of Embertree
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Each and every one of you should know my face and my name. Many of you know my penchant for privacy, but matters have arisen that require me to step outside of what I find most comfortable. Let me say most plainly that I am writing this notice to request the aid of you all.
In the recent year, Ranger-Captain Firestorm bestowed upon me the rank of Knight-Captain of his lands, Shallowbrook. With the title and responsibility came land: Embertree. I am afraid that the process of rebuilding Embertree from its destruction and regrowth has been halted. There are problems deep within the thick woods of my land, problems that will need to remedied. But in order to do so, I will first and foremost need the assistance of those with your skills.
I am in the need of those that are able to move swift and silent, that are able to act with the precision that I pride the Pathfinders on having. I am in need of you.
This is no order, for this is no war waged by the Sunguard. Rather, this is a personal request from me to any who might answer my call.
Know that I will be grateful for whatever aid I am offered.
Esme Sunshard
Sunward, Spectre
Knight-Captain of Embertree
🍂 The first event of my Embertree Series will be a Pathfinder only event on Thursday, November 10 at 8 PM Server time! This is an official IC request for any Pathfinders that would like to attend. It will be hero mode, but combat will be minimal and perhaps entirely avoidable, depending on how the Pathfinders play the game! Even so, please have your character sheets updated and contact @sakialyn for a token if you do not already have one - preferable giving her at least 24 hours. Thank you and I look forward to seeing you guys there! 🍂
How strange it was to be back in Embertree Court. Rather, how strange it was to feel so comfortable in an estate where Esme had been sure would just be another place to hide her books and work when needed. Nevertheless, she found the place to be strangely pleasant, especially after having been away for what felt like years. She reveled in the familiar scent of the nearby sea and even in the familiar faces of the few housekeepers that had kept the place tidy in her absence.
She was reluctant to the word ‘home’, but the word resonated within her as she sat at her large desk in the library and allowed her thoughts to wander. Absentmindedly, she adjusted the new piece of jewelry on her ring finger, a thing gold band with a tear drop diamond. Simple and light, but new to her nonetheless.
A faint cry of the phoenix in the aviary stirred her from her thoughts. She glanced up and to the side, watching the orange glow filter through the towering windows, and after a moment of appreciation for the beauty of it, she turned her focus back to the work at hand. Maps of Embertree and Shallowbrook were spread out in front of her, books of the history of Embertree, of magic, of corruption…and five freshly-written letters.
Her hand writing was still poor, but years of practice had started to do it favors. And for these, she took her time to make them presentable and as readable as possible. One last time, her fel-tainted eyes fell over the words to ensure that everything was in place.
“I am a woman of my word,” she muttered to herself as she plucked up the nearby quill from the ink pot.
With signatures laid on each parchment, they were rolled up, pressed with wax, and to be sent away to their recipients.
Eldriana Fairlight,
You will surely recall our exchanges of words following Redmorn’s numerous missteps. I am sure that you recall the letter you sent to me shortly thereafter, requesting advice in exchange for very nearly anything. It is time to pay your debts.
I ready myself to reclaim the land that has been given to me, but in order to do so, I will regrettably require assistance. A request will be posed to the Pathfinders, a call for volunteers. You will not be given this same option. There will be no choice for you.
In exchange for what I have done for you in the past, you will assist me with what needs to be done, from start to finish. Once the reclaiming of Embertree is complete, we may both consider ourselves to be free of debt from one another and in fair standing.
Listen for my call, for it will be soon. I expect to see you when the time comes.
E.S.
Ithranicus Remar,
Two or so years ago, I was not only tasked with assisting in your training, but you specifically requested it after the fact. I agreed to do so in exchange for an unnamed favor.
You are able to kill now, and I can only assume it is without regret, but while not taking the other life for granted, as I taught you. While there have been disagreements since and I have doubted your ability to remember just who is responsible for your aim – that aim still remains true.
I upheld my end of that bargain, and it is time that you do the same. I will be reclaiming my lands from what beasts lie within them. As a Pathfinder, I will require more of you than the other volunteers that will heed my call. As a Dawnward and one indebted to me, I also expect more of you.
The time to fight will be soon. I will expect to see you when the time comes, and bring with you any others that will find themselves swayed by your request.
E.S.
Sho’tase Dawngaze,
A year ago, we fought in Draenor, in a different time. During this time, you had requested my help in many ways. If you recall correctly, I asked for nothing monetary in exchange, merely a favor.
The time has come to settle your debts with me. In the coming months, I will be cleansing the lands that have been given to me of the beasts that have made Embertree their home. I am unable to do this with the manpower within Embertree now, nor am I able to do this by myself. Rather, I will be requesting aid from the Sunguard.
You will answer that call. Once Embertree is free to grow once more, you will be free of debt to me and you will have my gratitude.
E.S.
Zalin Shadowsunder,
You and I have had a speckled past, but recently – within the last year or so – we have made amends. I am sure you recall our conversation on board the Widow’s Bane, where you laid out what you had been hiding from me since joining the Sunguard. In exchange for honesty, my ear, and advice, you agreed to owe me a favor later down the line.
You have since become a Sunward of the Sunspears and therefore, I should hope, a man of your word.
In the coming months, I will call upon that favor and your thirst for blood on the battle field. Embertree suffers from an internal corruption, and I can only assume that it is magical in nature. How convenient that you are a Spellbreaker, no?
Listen for my call, and when the time comes, answer it. I will expect to see you standing with me at the end of it all, and when that time comes, your debt to me will be repaid.
E.S.
Caeliri Dawnsworn,
Recently, you agreed to an exchange, a deal. Regardless of the issues in the midst of it all – for which you have my apologies whether or not I was the one at fault – my end of this deal was upheld. Yours, an unnamed favor, has yet to be fulfilled.
I am sure that you will find what I ask of you to be convenient. After all, you have been residing within Shallowbrook for some time now. And so, I merely ask of you to assist with the neighboring land. Embertree is in turmoil, though well hidden. The woods must be cleared and purged of what has made itself at home within them, and you will assist with that.
You will stand with me until the end of this little battle within Embertree, and after it is finished, you will owe me nothing. So be ready to heed my call in the next month or so, when the time comes.
Who knows? Perhaps in the dark of Embertree Woods, you will be able to find the Light once more. Irony has its place, after all, and stranger things have happened.
Like one that on a lonesome road doth walk in fear and dread,
And having once turned ‘round, walks on, and turns no more his head,
Because he knows a frightful fiend doth close behind him tread.
It had only been a month since Esme had last gazed upon Embertree, yet it felt like years. She took a deep breath of the morning air, looking down from the rise of the hill. Mist hung heavy over the blue and purple speckled meadow, surrounding the estate in the center and creeping into the woods along the border as if it was some living thing. Sunlight had begun to peer over the mountainsides and spill over the land, enhancing the eerie blue-violet glow from deep within Embertree Woods.
She was Knight-Captain over these lands, but she was not dressed as such presently. No fine silks, no rich armor. Rather, she was dressed as she had years ago. Sun-bleached leather that had once been pitch black clung to her body, yet made her movements easy and silent. A mask was pulled up around her face, hiding the sincere frown upon her lips. Her hair, thick and bright in the fresh morning sun, was held back in a long braid down her back, out of the way for ease.
Esme was not in Embertree as a Knight-Captain. She was in Embertree as a scout.
An old and worn utility belt hung around her waist, holding necessary tools of her trade, but also two letters: one from Foreman Masten Dawnfall and one from Captain Baclen Highstar. Both cautioned her of the problems rising in Embertree Woods. Both called to her for aid. She knew of the dangers within the wood, enough to order for escorts for travelers, but it was time to get a better idea. If she would need to ask for help, she wanted to know what exactly they would be dealing with. And so, while the Pathfinders under her and Vaelrin scouted the reaches of the Broken Isles to the South, she set herself to work and scouted her very own lands.
She had planned for it to take a day in its entirety, even with magical assistance. She had with herself five stones that felt light as air, yet sturdy as steel. They had been calibrated to send her to each of the four corners of Embertree, with a fifth one that would send her back to the landing of Dalaran. Back to where Faervell was waiting for her below the floating city, on board the Widow’s Bane.
First, she visited the North East corner, the soft ground of the meadow beneath her feet and the woods in front of her. A cursory glance to the side allowed her to catch a glimpse of Newstorm not too far away; one of the finished towns that Foreman Dawnfall had written to her about and boasted of gems that had been found in the mountains nearby. Her ears perked at the sound of the river that ran between her and the town, and before long, she turned to the task at hand.
Many times, she had been tasked to creep through jungles and ships to see what awaited ahead. She was accustomed to being swift and silent. She was used to needing to keep an eye out for the barest of movements, or listen to the quietest of snaps and creaks. She knew to look down for shifts in foliage, hidden tracks, or things that may have fallen out of place.
Everything smelled damp and untouched as soon as she stepped into the darkness of the woods. There was an ever-present buzz; a hum that sent light vibrations down her spine the closer she got to some of the trees. How odd they were, with the bark cracked as though it had been burned from a fire. Yet, in place of bright orange embers that crackled, there was a steady blue-violent glow. Dying arcane energy. It was both beautiful and eerie. Something was not right about it, but she knew what it was and how it came to be. And so, she pressed on.
The South East corner of Embertree showed as little promise as the last. She waded into the woods between two of the towns that had been given up on without help – Isalora and Tottenham – and she found the same as she had before. Blue glow, no tracks that were not from animals themselves. Though…
Esme knelt to look at the imprints of hooves, her brows furrowing at their size. It was difficult to tell, but they appeared to be much too large for that of the deer and stags that she knew to roam the woods. It was even too large for that of a moose, which she knew did not reside in Embertree.
Strange, was all she could think, reaching for her belt and jotting what she had found down. It may not be a ground-shaking find, but it was an oddity none the less. Yet, half way through her note, she froze at the sound of a loud, but distant growl. It was a sound that bubbled up within the belly of whatever beast is belonged to and it caused her ears to perk and her attention to swivel swiftly to the East.
Lake Alari.
Beneath her mask, she gently gnawed on her lower lip. Foreman Dawnfall had mentioned something about crocolisks, but that sound…. Quickly, she shook her head. Her quill scratched against the parchment as she jotted down another note. Stuffing it away, she pressed on. She was scouting, not fighting.
It was midafternoon by the time she arrived on the border of the woods to the South West, beside the Esa’dorei River. New Aramore should not be too far within and it proved to be true. Midst the blue glow from the trees and the orange glow from the sun above, the ruins of New Aramore looked like a place lost in time.
Stone buildings that had once been cozy houses lay crumbled and open to the elements. Vines had overgrown where life had once been, followed by blight, followed by fire. Esme touched one of the walls and stepped through the remnants of an arched doorway, into what had no doubt been an entry room before so much destruction and regrowth.
People had lived in those walls, in that town. Small though it may have been – it had been a farming town, after all – there had been a community that had lived there. As she wandered through the once-houses and once-shops, the realization of such a thing very nearly distracted her from her mission, but a dragonhawk’s cry brought her attention forward. Or rather, the sound brought her attention up.
Esme glanced towards the sky to see a dragonhawk soaring above. Slowly, she stepped back against the fractured stone wall and the shadows climbed up her legs, enveloping her into near invisibility. She watched the beast make a once-around before it flapped its wings and slithered through the air towards the West. Soon enough, its cry was met with others and Esme could only assume that the once-thriving ranches of dragonhawks were still a nest for some. She did not deem it worthy to notate it down, but soon the chorus of calls were drowned out by an ear-ringing loud shriek of a caw.
Thankful for the shadows around her, she stayed in place and turned towards where it came from. Like the growl from earlier, it was recognizable – almost – but something in it was wrong.
“The beasts of the wood,” she muttered quietly to herself.
Reaching to her belt, she pulled out the last teleportation stone that was tied to Embertree and steadied her breathing. She had known that things were in Embertree and that the rumors had always been composed of beasts, but she had not traveled extensively in the woods since the first day she had been taken to Embertree by Vaelrin. What had taken root in this place where magic flickered with near expiration?
She shook the thought from her mind and looked to the stone to ensure that it was the right one. Before another loud cry what whatever it was could shake her, she crushed the stone in her hand with a harsh grip. Familiar magic surrounded her and tugged at her core, pulling her through what felt like a tunnel until she found herself at the last destination.
Darkness. How long had she taken? Esme glanced from the left, to the right, and then up. No, she was not on the border of the woods, she was in the woods. The calibration must have been off. Even so, she could see the barest trace of a sunset’s light filtering through the dense trees overhead. That blue-violet glow surrounded her and it was that which solidified her knowledge that she was at least still in Embertree, and instilled momentary relief within her.
Momentary.
For barely a second did she find that relief before she felt the ground shake beneath her. Instantaneously, she felt the jolt of adrenaline rush through her, followed by the tingle of shadows encircling her. She turned from one side to the other and then ducked to a tree, pressing against it.
Again, the ground shook and somewhere, a branch creaked and strained before snapping. Grass shifted, bushes rustled, and finally, she heard it – a low growl. Impossibly loud, the rumble-like snarl reverberated through her entire body, and caused her to straighten.
So many years, she had spent facing down death, and in that moment, she was thankful for the practice. Rather than whimper or whine, she was able to hold her breath and steady herself, remaining impossibly still in the shadows – even when everything within her screamed at her to run or to at the very least look at what it was. At where it was.
Another shake of the ground beneath her and her ears perked when she heard another growl and another crack and snap of a branch.
Behind her.
Gods, behind her.
Esme pressed her back against the tree closest to her, the shadows around her glowing eerily with the expiring arcane embedded within the trunk. Breathing quietly through her nose, she fought the need to swallow down for fear that it would be too loud. Slowly, she turned her head – just in time to feel the ground shake, and even more so than before.
Inky black fur moved through the dark woods, accentuating the ivory of long, sharp fangs. Esme only caught a glimpse before she shot her attention forward and reminded herself to stay still.
Stay still. Say silent. Stay still. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.
There was a sickening sound that was beyond Esme’s comprehension; a sound of something moving that shouldn’t be. Another snap of a branch and another shake of the ground as the beast took a step. It was then that the smell hit her. It took all of Esme’s willpower not to gag and lose her stomach. It smelled unbearable. An overpowering odor of death mixed with wet fur, musk, and the too-sweet scent of sap.
The growling was terrifying and it sent a chill down her spine. She dared not look over her shoulder again, but she felt the harsh bristles of fur smack against her as a large tail or something of the sort hit the tree she was pressed against. She heard the creaking and stalking stop and for an instant, she felt herself grow pale.
Keep going. Keep going. Leave.
Her heart raced and she could feel the warmth from her breath grow almost unbearable beneath her mask. Curse after curse screamed through her mind as she felt the tree press against her as the beast leaned into it. She heard three loud sniffs at the air, another low growl….
And the ground shook beneath her feet once more as a step was taken. And then another. And another. The branches cracked and it only took a second for her to realize that the sounds were growing fainter. Whatever it was, it was leaving.
Very slowly and with a quivering hand, she reached to her side and groped for the final stone. Only when the ground had stopped moving and when the sounds of the beast died down, did she actually pull it out. Gods, the stench was still there – still permeating the air.
Only one thought came to her mind before she crushed the final teleportation stone to return from whence she came.
They were right; we need help. Embertree needs help.
