RP art, stories, and reference snippets from WoW Moonguard and Wyrmreast Accord servers.
Monday, August 24, 2020
Greyhawk - Casefile: Darkshire Defias Docket
I never should have agreed to take the case.
Jobs had been scarce, and the wolves at the door were barely able to out-howl the grumbing from my stomach., so when I got a note handed to me in the Pig & Whistle Tavern in the Old Town section of Stormwind from Laurel Nox, I wasted no time pondering whether or not to accept, and intead made my way to the griffon rental pens of Stormwind without delay; the note had asked me to meet Laurel at the Scarlet Raven Tavern in the gloomy town of Darkshire.
Darkshire was a woodland village surrounded by Duskwood Forest. Once a thriving, happy little picture of a rural village, the forest had been corrupted by evil and dread. Undead creeatures roamed the countryside now, and marauding worgen victimized travellers and merchants who dared the roads. The Scarlet Raven Tavern used to be filled with farmers and craftsmen, relaxing after a long day of work, drinking beer and ale and dancing to music when a roving bard played.
Now the inhabitants who still survived were sullen and frightened, and strangers were no longer welcome. Stormwind, hard-stretched to defend their lands from Defias, Murlocs, Ogres, and Blackrock Orcs, barely had time to spare for the defense of the village against the darkness.
I snorted - Darkshire was the perfect place for my potential client.
Laurel Nox was, at first glance, was an attractive practicioner of the arcane, and an alchemist of no small ability She was a svelte woman with hair the color of a raven's wing, and a ruthlessness concealed behind eyes that gleamed with averice. I knew that she was remarkably capable of finding and providing potions, powders, and unguents for her clients, from healing draughts to tinctures that made the skin hard enough to dull even the sharpest of blades... but the word on the streets of Old Town was that she also could, for a price, supply various herbs and compounds of a more recreational - and illegal - nature. She also supplied me with Swiftthistle, from which I made my own vice. Thistle Tea was a stimulant I found quite necessary on long stakeouts and other places where I needed to stay awake. Probably addictive, but one did what one could do to get by.
She was sitting by herself in the common room of the tavern (although technically, the Scarlet Raven was an inn, as they also rented sleeping rooms after the the darkness becane to encroach upon the region). She nodded to herself when she saw me enter, as if I had passed a test of some sort. She goit to her feet and steered me to a vacant table for more privacy.
"Master Greyhawk, once more it is good to see you. Thank you for making the trip from Stormwind. May I buy you a drink, or perhaps some food?" she said as I sat down at the table opposite her.
"No, I am fine," I said, uncomfortable. Laurel and I had never been friendly, just a customer and his supplier, but I had watched her with customers before, and I knew that when she smiled at them it never reached her eyes. "Your note said you wanted to hire me for a job?"
"Straight to business, then?" Laurel said with, what I was certain, was a measure of faux regret. "Very well, there is a barn at one of the abandoned farms that the local Defias are using as a base of sorts.. they have a lockbox there. I want it."
"If all you need is a lockbox, I can tram up to Ironforge and buy you one. I won't even make a copy of the key," I joked.
"I suppose I deserved that - I need the document inside the lockbox, but if you can get it, under no circumstances are you to read the contents. Is that understood?"
I gave her a look of disbelief. "So, go steal a document from a Defias lockbox and return it to you. How will I know its the right one? And even if it is, what is to keep you from claiming i failed, and refusing to pay me?"
"There is only one document in the lockbox, and only one lockbox in the barn under heavy guard - just bring me that, and you get paid - no questions asked," offered Nox. "I'll even throw in a bonus - a brock of Swiftthistle in addition to your normal fee."
That got my attention. Swiftthistle Tea was in demand on the battlefront against the Horde, and a brick of the leaf would set me back half a dozen goldweight of coin.
"Done," I saisd, accepting the contract.
"How soon can you have it?" asked Laurel.
"Well, if everything goes well... have breakfast with me here tomorrow. You get to buy." I said with a confident grin.
I hoped I wouldn't have to stand her up...
* * * * *
"Geeze... Hey Davros, are you sure this is a good idea?" whined Solly Westwhisker, , his pink handlebar mustache quivering nervously. Solomon, or Solly to his friends, was always nervous, but he was also a standup guy, and more importantly, he owed me money. Solly had a weakness for the underground rat races Old Town, and when he had gotten in deep with his bookie. When the bookie was getting impatient for his money, I arranged for his bookie to lay off in exchange for some explosive devices the bookie required for a different, hopefully unrelated activity. Probably illegal, but I don't ask inconvenient questions if I don't have to.
So, the little guy owed me - not enough to spill his blood, but enough that I asked him to come and light off some fireworks for me. He and I were in the rocks on the road approaching the barn, which held the lockbox.
I think maybe my appearance was making him nervous; I was wearing the dark gray leathers of the sort that Defias Brotherhood assassins liked to wear, and one of their red masks pulled down. Usually, I just carried a pair of weighted sticks capped with lead, as I was not about to kill anyone I didn't have to, y'know? Just a few quick raps with the lead, and knees and elbow shattered, but nobody died - ususally. Tonight though, I carried a longsword and dagger that went along with the costume. I could easily pass; after all, my Uncle Dashiel was one of them, a fact neither of us was proud of.
The barn which held the lockbox I needed was called Addle's Stead, an abandoned farm west of Darkshire and near the deserted town of Raven Hill. Laurel hadn't been kidding - the place was lousy with Defias Brotherhood cutthroats of various kinds, both in the farmhouse, the field, and the barn.
"No worries, Solly," I said, reassuring him. "You cut the fuses yourself, right?"
"Yeah, but..." he began, but I interrupted him. "Look, all you have to do is enjoy that Silverleaf cigar, and when its done, stub it out on the fusebox. Then hightail it home, and your debt goes up in smoke and explosions."
"Yeah but..."
"But what?" I said.
"But what are you going to be doing?" he asked.
"Solly, you know me.. I'm going to be doing as little as humanly possible, well out of the line of fire," I said, lying through my teeth.
"Then why the costume?"
"Oh, this?" I indicated my Defias Brotherhood outfit and weapons. "This was for my sneaking around beforehand. My job ends as soon as you light those fuses, and then I get to go have breakfast." And if Solly, may the Light forbid, get caught, that was all he could tell them.
Solly eyed me doubtfully. "If you say so..."
I clapped him on the shoulder. "I say so. Remember, smoke the stogie, and then light the stuff." I left him there, concealed like a squirrel in a hollowed-out tree trunk, squatting on his next of acorns for the winter. Or whatever squirrels do - I don't know, I'm not one of them knife-ear druids or something.
I snuck around to the rocky hill line behind the barn, and waiting for the fireworks to begin. There was one guy who was hunkered down where two boulders were snugged up against the bole of a pine, like twho nuts next to a...well, you know what I mean.
His head hardly cracked when I hit him from behind with a sand-filled leather sap. "Good night, sweet prince, and may Angels speed you to your rest" I mumbled as I dragged him further away - and just in time, as before I got too comfortable taking his place, noises like flintlock gunshots started sounding off across the field.
The fireworks show had begun.
Solly was a genius at maing fireworks of all kinds, and I'd spent hours sneaking around the outside of Adele Steading, planting squibs and rockets and small explosives. The fuses all traied back to the into a knot in the copper fusebox Solly had used as an ashtray.
I tossed a few more smoke grenades at the house and barn for good measure; I hoped that in the smoke and confusion, that nobody would question another Defias Brotherhood thug going to protect the lockbox.
I drew my blades and made the barn just as a Defias spell-caster - dark ominous robes, the kind of guy in the white-mice-and-pixie-dust racket -was heading into the building, ordering the others out. He looked my way and said "You there! Guard the door!", and I followed the last of the others out leaving the mage alone.
I stood outside for just a few seconds before coming back in. The mage looked up at me and snarled "What part of 'guard the door' was unclear?"
He deserved an answer. He really did. So I drew my flintlock and shot him in the head before grabbing the lockbox and setting the inside on fire and a few more smoke grenades for good measure.
The lock was cheap. I had fiddled the thing open before I made Darkshire.
Breakfast was good.
Sunday, August 23, 2020
Blogspot Changes
Made some changes so that I feel better about adding more content from Classic as well as Retail.
Saturday, June 27, 2020
Griffonclaw - Forging a Future
Tuesday, June 2, 2020
Greyhawk - 20 Silver Coins A Day
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
Friday, November 15, 2019
Laurel Nox - The Price of Sa'Diablo, Part I
The first figure removed her hood, stretching out the fabric to get around slender long Ren’dori ears. Short hair colored in a dull cerulean framed a face of soft lilac, her starlight eyes looked hesitantly toward the Main Street.
“There really is no need for such theatrics Vivian. Your bounty was cleared with the unfortunate demise of the Ranger-Captain.”
“I-I am merely looking out for your safety, my Lady.”
“Indeed.” The utter boredom and the disappointment that came with it was certain as the grave.
“The shop you seek is up the stairs and down the causeway. Take a left at the end of the tunnel and follow the wall until you see the shop. The woman you are looking for is named Laurel. If anything happens we-“
“Don’t wait for me.” With that, the hooded woman took off, following the directions given.
((Description of SW and shop face here bc I’m lazy!))
Finding the shop open, she removed her gloves and casually stepped inside.
The scent of freshly-brewed coffee assaulted the woman's nose as she crossed the threshold into the book shop. The shop was two stories high, with a staircase that led up to the mezzanine level. Every wall was covered with bookshelves, and each shelf was filled with books and scrolls. Some of the shelves held small signs indicating the general type of books available on the shelves, which were then arranged in rough alphabetical order by the name of the author. The ground floor also held a small coffee service with a selection of clean porcelain mugs, with a small ewer of cold cream. Small supplies of sugar and honey, cinnamon and chocolate syrup were also available. One mug was filled with small stirring spoons. There were several stuffed leather chairs with side tables. Several rugs covered the floor.
"Welcome to Nighttime Reading. How may I help you to satisfy your desires... for literature?" purred the human. Raven-haired and dressed in soft Magewave robes, her green eyes blazed like emeralds. She wore no jewelry, and if she wore a scent it was drowned in the redolence of the coffee. What might I tempt you with? Some coffee? Tales of romance and desire? Kaldorei poetry? Or worse, Dwarven poetry?"
The woman chuckled, removing slender black gloves. Her hands were pale, almost stark white in the light, and bone thin. They moved with the surety of knowledge and the grace of a spider, tucking this and that as they removed their layers. “Coffee is indeed tempting, but I must pass. I would very much like to hear more about your selection.”
"Please, make yourself comfortable, Miss...? My store specializes in literature, especially steamy romances. I have a small selection of just about everything else - poetry, history, language primers, arcane theory... nothing that is written is out of scope for me. Additionally, I have a wide network of sellers of work of a more... specialized nature, and can put them in touch with prospective clients."
The woman did as she was instructed, settling herself down on the cushions of a couch. "You can call me Ilene."
"Excellent, Ilene. How may I make your visit here satisfying?" said the bookstore owner. "My name is Laurel Nox, and I am at your service."
"An honor to meet you, Miss Nox. I'm looking for some reading material on behalf of my sister. I was told that this was the place to go and... well it's good to see your reputation wasn't unfounded." Ilene removed her hood and smiled politely up at her host, which notedly did not go to her steel-gray eyes. Deep purple hair that hung would just past her shoulder blades was tied up in a bun, contrasting remarkably with her alabaster skin that was clearly well maintained with a variety of creams and ointments; Laurel could smell the heady but not entirely unpleasant mixing of the aromas. Well-manicured, but thin hands played with the fabric of her robe.
"Of course. May I ask what kind of literature your sister has enjoyed previously?" Laurel had an encyclopedic knowledge of the genre popularly known as "Steamy Romances", and stocked an almost complete collection, the notable exception being "Blue Moon", which had unfortunately been published just when Praline of the Scarlet Crusade had enjoyed a brief popularity preaching of the sin of miscegenation, of the mating of different races. The Scarlet Crusader had led several book-burning parties featuring the book as its central fuel.
She chuckled airily, ”Well you see, that’s where I run into trouble. My sister has... we have not spoken in...many years. She’s recently returned from serving Alliance interests but... she’s not as she was. She contracted some...virus? Fungal infection? I don’t quite know what to make of it. It’s eating at her body and mind, left her comatose. I was told by the priests that reading to her might help her keep strength but- well the last book I remember my sister reading was folk tales for children. I couldn’t read that to her, that’d be ridiculous wouldn’t it?”
"Well, that is a question... if she is not conscious, then perhaps the mere engagement of the mind while unconscious is the causation of the possible assistance," Laurel said. "If that is the case, then the subject of the book does not truly matter, and so the reader might just as easily please themselves?"
"I suppose an argument could be made for such a scenario, but I don't want her to come back to me five months later chewing my ear off because instead of encouraging her to return to us, she came back only so she could berate me to death!- If...she recovers, of course."
"But if the price of her recovery is berating your literary taste, wouldn't that be worth it? Of course, there are some... non-standard medical practices that might also help. Like Sa'Diablo..."
At this, Ilene’s eyebrows visibly raised, ”Sa’Diablo? I have never heard of this...What is it?”
"I am told that Sa'Diablo is a drug with both euphoric and healing properties... quite illegal, but also quite effective"
She mulled over the words for some time, scrunching her brow at ‘illegal’, but refocused her gaze not long after. “Healing properties you say? How effective is it at healing? This rot as moved so fast, not even the Light has been able to keep up- Can it- can it heal faster than the Light?”
"I do not know, first-hand. I hear that it is Fel-based alchemy though, so perhaps it might be efficacious where the Light has failed...?"
“Fel-based...? Hm. Interesting.” She narrowed her eyes at Laurel, ”Why would you tell me this?”
"No reason, I just thought it might be relevant to your problem at hand..." Laurel said with a disarming smile.
Ilene frowned slightly, lowering her head and redoubling the efforts to pull at a loose string on her robe. She muttered to herself, before making out. “Show me to your selection of mystery novels, if you have any.”
"Of course!" Laurel turns and slowly walks to the bookshelves containing suspense, murder mystery, and adventure novels. "Please, let me know how else I might help!" Laurel grinned and left Ilene alone with her thoughts.
At some point, Ilene came out of hiding, carrying two books that judging by how haphazardly she handed them to her for purchase, she held no real interest. There was a determination that wasn't there beforehand.
"I think- yes I think these will do fine," she glanced around before continuing,"...and tell me, have you heard anything more about this Sa’Diablo?"
"Well, there was a fellow arrested for selling it in the Pig And Whistle tavern... and sometimes I suspect that Jarel Moor, the bartender at the Slaughtered Lamb, might have connections in that regard. There is much more t the Slaughtered Lamb than meets the eye, and it is rumored to be a meeting place for those with aspirations or connections to the Fel magics. I know I often drink there, and find the crowd... congenial." Laurel gestured to her front door. "My poor succubus has been harassed much less since the fall of the Burning Legion. These days, it's only the Scarlet fanatics or the tattooed space goats that hold any real disfavor for warlocks, even those who fought the Burning Legion with their own demons."
"I...I see." Ilene looked to the door, biting her lip before passing the necessary currency for the books. She wrung her hands, watching Laurel with intense eyes.
"Was there something else with which I might offer assistance, Ilene?" Laurel said with a smile, wrapping the books in plain brown paper and twine.
Ilene shook her head, her smile not quite reaching her eyes, despite how genuine her voice seemed."No, I think you have been plenty helpful to me, Ms. Nox. For once, I have some hope for my pla- my sister. Now, I think it is a lovely fall evening, and I plan to go have a drink."
"May the Darkness embrace you, Ilene" offered the Warlock in farewell. She would have bet a pouch of silver that Ilene's drink would happen in the Slaughtered Lamb. "Hopefully Moor will be able to find out more," she thought to herself. watching the customer walk away.
"And the Shadows give you clemency." Ilene bowed her head, and quickly made her way out and into the night air.
Wednesday, June 19, 2019
Monday, January 7, 2019
Sinister Stuff (i340)
|
Sinister Recipe
· Materials are Level 1 recipes.
|
|
|
Sinister Combatant's Cutlass
|
50x Storm Silver Ore
|
|
|
20x Platinum Ore
|
|
|
15x Elemental Flux
|
|
|
3x Expulsom
|
|
Sinister Combatant's Deckpounder
|
56x Storm Silver Ore
|
|
|
14x Platinum Ore
|
|
|
18x Elemental Flux
|
|
|
5x Expulsom
|
|
Sinister Combatant's Polearm
|
56x Storm Silver Ore
|
|
|
14x Platinum Ore
|
|
|
18x Elemental Flux
|
|
|
5x Expulsom
|
|
Sinister Combatant's Shanker
|
40x Storm Silver Ore
|
|
|
13x Platinum Ore
|
|
|
15x Elemental Flux
|
|
|
3x Expulsom
|
|
Sinister Combatant's Spellblade
|
40x Storm Silver Ore
|
|
|
13x Platinum Ore
|
|
|
15x Elemental Flux
|
|
|
3x Expulsom
|
|
Sinister Combatant's Shield
|
35x Storm Silver Ore
|
|
|
18x Platinum Ore
|
|
|
18x Elemental Flux
|
|
|
4x Expulsom
|
|
Sinister Combatant's Bow
|
14x Star Wood
|
|
|
40x Mistscale
|
|
|
35x Calcified Bone
|
|
|
5x Expulsom
|
|
Sinister Combatant's Leather Armguards
|
10x Hardened Tempest Hide
|
|
|
15x Coarse Leather
|
|
|
12x Calcified Bone
|
|
|
2x Expulsom
|
|
Sinister Combatant's Satin Belt
|
25x Embroidered Deep Sea Satin
|
|
|
20x Deep Sea Satin
|
|
|
25x Nylon Thread
|
|
|
3x Expulsom
|
|
Sinister Combatant's Satin Boots
|
25x Embroidered Deep Sea Satin
|
|
|
20x Deep Sea Satin
|
|
|
25x Nylon Thread
|
|
|
3x Expulsom
|
|
Sinister Combatant's Satin Bracers
|
20x Embroidered Deep Sea Satin
|
|
|
15x Deep Sea Satin
|
|
|
12x Nylon Thread
|
|
|
2x Expulsom
|
|
Sinister Combatant's Satin Cloak
|
25x Embroidered Deep Sea Satin
|
|
|
20x Deep Sea Satin
|
|
|
25x Nylon Thread
|
|
|
3x Expulsom
|
|
Sinister Combatant's Satin Mittens
|
25x Embroidered Deep Sea Satin
|
|
|
20x Deep Sea Satin
|
|
|
25x Nylon Thread
|
|
|
3x Expulsom
|
|
Sinister Combatant's Satin Pants
|
35x Embroidered Deep Sea Satin
|
|
|
25x Deep Sea Satin
|
|
|
25x Nylon Thread
|
|
|
5x Expulsom
|
|
Sinister Combatant's Leather Leggings
|
15x Hardened Tempest Hide
|
|
|
25x Coarse Leather
|
|
|
24x Calcified Bone
|
|
|
5x Expulsom
|
|
Sinister Combatant's Leather Gauntlets
|
12x Hardened Tempest Hide
|
|
|
20x Coarse Leather
|
|
|
18x Calcified Bone
|
|
|
3x Expulsom
|
|
Sinister Combatant's Leather Treads
|
12x Hardened Tempest Hide
|
|
|
20x Coarse Leather
|
|
|
18x Calcified Bone
|
|
|
3x Expulsom
|
|
Sinister Combatant's Leather Waistguard
|
12x Hardened Tempest Hide
|
|
|
20x Coarse Leather
|
|
|
18x Calcified Bone
|
|
|
3x Expulsom
|
|
Sinister Combatant's Mail Armguards
|
10x Hardened Tempest Hide
|
|
|
15x Mistscale
|
|
|
12x Calcified Bone
|
|
|
2x Expulsom
|
|
Sinister Combatant's Mail Leggings
|
15x Hardened Tempest Hide
|
|
|
25x Mistscale
|
|
|
24x Calcified Bone
|
|
|
5x Expulsom
|
|
Sinister Combatant's Mail Gauntlets
|
8x Hardened Tempest Hide
|
|
|
15x Mistscale
|
|
|
12x Calcified Bone
|
|
|
1x Expulsom
|
|
Sinister Combatant's Mail Treads
|
12x Hardened Tempest Hide
|
|
|
20x Mistscale
|
|
|
18x Calcified Bone
|
|
|
3x Expulsom
|
|
Sinister Combatant's Mail Waistguard
|
12x Hardened Tempest Hide
|
|
|
20x Mistscale
|
|
|
18x Calcified Bone
|
|
|
3x Expulsom
|
|
Sinister Combatant's Plate Armguards
|
20x Storm Silver Ore
|
|
|
8x Platinum Ore
|
|
|
12x Elemental Flux
|
|
|
2x Expulsom
|
|
Sinister Combatant's Plate Boots
|
25x Storm Silver Ore
|
|
|
13x Platinum Ore
|
|
|
15x Elemental Flux
|
|
|
3x Expulsom
|
|
Sinister Combatant's Plate Gauntlets
|
25x Storm Silver Ore
|
|
|
13x Platinum Ore
|
|
|
15x Elemental Flux
|
|
|
3x Expulsom
|
|
Sinister Combatant's Plate Greaves
|
35x Storm Silver Ore
|
|
|
20x Platinum Ore
|
|
|
18x Elemental Flux
|
|
|
5x Expulsom
|
|
Sinister Combatant's Plate Waistguard
|
25x Storm Silver Ore
|
|
|
13x Platinum Ore
|
|
|
15x Elemental Flux
|
|
|
3x Expulsom
|



