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aidan-hartwood · 7 months

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Aidan Hartwood Cameos in WoW

[Part 1: Jedelan and Vilthea] - this contains spoilers to Jedelan's fate so skip this if you don't want that spoiled as Aidan does not know what happened to him ICly, otherwise check it out to learn more about Vilthea, and how she connects Aidan to Jedelan.

Battle for Azeroth

The first time the player can encounter Aidan is upon arriving in Boralus. Traveling to the docks just beside Pinky's Groggery in Upton Borough the player can see Aidan working at the dock. If spoken to he will say:

If you're planning to go to Drustvar, don't. The rumors about there are true. I narrowly escaped with.. help. Avoid that place at all costs.

Aidan will then have a quest that the player can accept.

Level 10 Quest: Way of the Tides

Clicking the quest Aidan will mention:

Growing up in Drustvar I always wanted to be a Tidesage, I dreamt about it every day, but the reality was there was little chance I'd get to leave my home to become one.. After escaping Fallhaven, I was rescued and brought here to Boralus and since have decided to follow my dream. I have been in talks with a Tidesage, and am supposed to meet with them to hear their response on if I will be accepted and can begin my training. Unfortunately, with my duties here cleaning the docks I am running late. Could you go meet with them and tell them I will be soon?

Accepting the quest the player will then be guided to the Tradewinds Market.

Once there they will find a dark-haired woman in Tidesage robes near the Enchanting trainer. Speak with her to progress the quest:

<The woman wipes something red from her lips with her thumb before turning her gaze to you> Can I help you? 🗨️ Aidan Hartwood sent me, to tell you he is going to be late for his meeting regarding becoming a Tidesage.

If the player selects the dialogue option the quest will update and she will say the following:

Ah, yes! Well, unfortunately Mister Hartwood was not accepted, we believe he has the skill but not the resolve to join our ranks. Now, I'm a very busy woman, I need to get back to the Monastery, I was expecting him to be here on time. One moment. <She takes out a piece of parchment and summons a magical quill before writing on the parchment> Here. Give this to Mister Hartwood, as well as my condolences, I just know he will be distraught.

The player will be given the letter to take back to Aidan to complete the quest. Making their way back to him they will find him standing by the crates where he was cleaning, speaking to him he will say:

You're back! What's this? <You hand over the parchment and he begins to read it, his expression turning solemn before crushing the parchment in his hand> I see.. Thank you for bringing me this. What am I supposed to do now? I lost my home, my family, and now my dream is dead? What do I do now? I- I'm sorry I need a moment.

Completing the quest the player will receive 5000xp and 10 gold, as well as 150 rep for the Order of Embers. Aidan will then walk off and disappear.

Note:

This first time we see Aidan gives a few backstory hints First, he is from Drustvar, and alludes to the fact that there is something bad going on there, but doesn't say explicitly what that is perhaps out of fear. After his narrow escape he began working at the docks in Boralus, but his dream is to become a Tidesage.

The quest reveals that he lost his family and home to whatever happened in Drustvar.

And, if the player saw the other cameos for Jedelan and Vilthea, they may recognize that the dark-haired woman that the player met was not in fact a Tidesage, but Vilthea in her human disguise. Her wiping her lip hinting at the fact that she killed the Tidesage Aidan was supposed to meet.

2. The second cameo players may encounter Aidan is later in BfA once they reach Drustvar. In Corlain, at a farmhouse near the armory, the player can find Aidan on the balcony of the home examining what looks to be a ritual site. With him are an imp named Zorjub and a succubus named Vilthea. All three can be spoken to and will have the following to say:

Zorjub

Master won't let me burn evil nasty witch book. Zorjub is good at burning things. <Zorjub's hands ignite with fire as he bounces excitedly and looks at the book and then Aidan> Can I burn it? Can I burn it?? Let me burn it!

Aidan

No, not yet! Calm down, Zorjub. We don't know if it's her book, if it is then I definitely don't want you burning it. <Aidan looks from Zorjub to you> He gets a little excited. I'm still new to this whole warlock thing so I'm not really sure if there is a way to make him... not so fire happy.

Vilthea

When Aidan became my master's apprentice I never thought it was going to mean I'd have to watch over him like some pet. <Vilthea sighs rolling her eyes> At least he's cute. Maybe he will be fun to play with.

Note:

This cameo hints at a few things. Since we know BfA takes place over two years this cameo hints at a bit of some time passage. During that time Aidan has become a warlock! He's still learning as he only has his base imp, Zorjub. With his new walk of life he has also gotten some new armor and a scythe that is similarly styled after the Heartsbane. It can be assumed he is hunting the witches, which given his comments in his first cameo means they were responsible for him losing his home and such.

His comment about "her book", is a hint that he may know the witch that left it there.

Vilthea's appearance also hints at a few things. It seems her pretending to be a Tidesage to crush Aidan's dream was a ploy to get him desperate, to which he apparently turned to a darker path and eventually made a deal with her master to be taught how to be a warlock. It has also let to her being Aidan's 'watcher', or babysitter effectively, much to her dismay, though this cameo shows she does find him attractive.

This is the first time the player hears of her having a new master as the last time she was seen, during MoP, she had none. Apparently during the the years she became bound to a new warlock.

Shadowlands

The next time the player can encounter Aidan is if they select Shadowlands timewalking, or are level 60, and find their way down into the crypts under the Cathedral. There they will find Aidan casting a spell on a Voidwalker as it writhes about, while Vilthea stand behind Aidan next to a skeleton. Approaching, the player can speak with both Aidan and Vilthea who will say:

Aidan

I have to focus... <He pushes his hand forward and the shadowy energy pulsates>

Vilthea

Aidan is progressing well in his studies of demons and fel magic. I knew he was ready to summon his own Voidwalker, and what better way than to summon the one that belonged to a rival my old master killed many years ago? Add a little insult to his memory. <Vilthea laughed and looked down at the skeleton before kicking it> Lest you think me just another evil demon, the man was a scourge upon the world. Part of a noble family that protected him despite knowing he used his demonic powers to harm innocents. Kidnapping people and experimenting on them. He deserves only the worst. <She shrugged and then turned her attention to Aidan, stepping forward to trail her hand across his neck lovingly> You're doing great, Aidan.

Note:

Aidan's story has progressed since the player last saw him. The fact that he is now in Stormwind shows he's left his home and venturing out into the world. The fact that he is no learning how to summon his own Voidwalker and bind it shows he's learned more about being a warlock since the player last saw him as he only had his imp, Zorjub.

The player also gets a little more of Vilthea's history with her old master, he apparently had a rival warlock within the city who he eventually killed. This cameo also hints at there being a little more to her and Aidan's relationship compared to before.

Dragonflight

The next cameo takes place in Dragonflight, once the player hits level 70 they can find Aidan in Old Town, in the back alley by the Pig and Whistle. It's quite the scene as Aidan is surrounded by two imps, two dreadstalkers, and a dead Felguard. Aidan has a quest the player can accept.

Level 70 Quest: Chasing Tomes

If spoken to Aidan says the following:

I'm in a bit of a situation here involving a untrustworthy thief, go figure, and a not too happy warlock. Think you can help?

The player can then select the quest to which he says:

I'll try to give the short of it. Basically, I'm after some old tomes written by a warlock named Jedelan decades ago. He went missing and some took advantage of that to steal all his work. I was supposed to meet an... less reputable trader here who allegedly has dealt with one of the books only for him not to be alone. <Aidan gestures at the dead Felguard> If I was a betting man, which I am, I'd say this dealer is in league with one angry warlock who has the tome I'm looking for, but doesn't want to give it up. The dealer fled to Dalaran through a portal. I could use some help, I have no idea what to expect in Dalaran. You in?

Accepting the quest the player is directed to head to Dalaran (Legion). Once there the player will see a succubus run up to them and start to follow them while using Lesser Invisibility, this is of course Vilthea, who will say:

Hurry! Aidan tracked the dealer into the Underbelly of the city. We need to help him and get that tome back!

If the player wanders around too long instead of heading to the sewers she will say:

Normally I'm all for taking in beautiful sights, but now is not the time.

The quest then points the player to the Underbelly where they will find Aidan accompanied by his Voidwalker, Hathnos, two dreadstalkers, and two imps. Across from him will be a man in robes named Endrik Wyther and his numerous demons including two Felguards, a succubus, and two imps. The player can then attack. Aidan and his demons will help during the fight until Endrik goes to 5% health at which point he open a Demonic portal and flee. Leaving behind a tome the player can loot. To finish the quest the player need only give the tome to Aidan who will say:

Thank you, I'm not sure I could have fought him alone. A shame he fled, but I cared more about getting the tome than anything else. Here, it's not much, but it's the least I can do for you helping me.

Finishing the quest rewards the player 250 gold and 500 rep with Order of Embers. Aidan will then walk off with his demons and disappear.

Note:

This cameo shows Aidan has made further progress in the dark arts! He now has multiple imps and two dreadstalkers, showing his knowledge on summoning demons is growing.

This quest also shows Aidan has begun to hunt for Jedelan's old grimoires. Having found one which a warlock named Endrik Wyther's came into possession of somehow.

2. The second cameo in Dragonflight takes place after the player completes Aidan's quest. If the player finds their way to Olivia's Pond in Storwmind they can find Aidan reading a book. However, if close enough the player can see an invisible Vilthea standing just behind Aidan. The player can speak to both who say:

Aidan

I spend a lot of time out and about, but never to just enjoy nature and relax with a good book. This is a nice change of pace. <Aidan flips through the tome> Vilthea wasn't kidding when she said her old master had a plethora of knowledge. It's incredible, actually. I hope to learn a lot from this tome, then we can try to find the others.

Vilthea

I'm a woman of my word, Aidan. I promised you power and knowledge from Jedelan's tomes as long as you helped me find them. I always keep my promises. <Vilthea spoke in a sultry whisper leaning her head on his shoulder>

Note:

This second cameo confirms that Aidan is searching for Jedelan's tomes cause Vilthea promised him he could learn whatever he could from them. It also shows that when Aidan has down time he enjoys to simply read and be outdoors.

#About Aidan #Aidan cameos #warlock #Vilthea the Succubus #world of warcraft

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celenacallaghan · 2 years

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New-Old Souls

Izzy Ambershield x Hien Rijin/Varian Wrynn

World of Warcraft/Final Fantasy XIV Crossover

Tags: Angst, drama, reincarnation, AU, spoilers, Stormblood/Endwalker spoilers, Battle for Azeroth spoilers, all the feels, reunion, some sexiness, flirting, kissing, not beta’d

When the Bronze Dragonflight spirited Isoldera Ambershield away from the dying Azeroth, she found herself embraced by Hydaelyn and reborn in a land known as Eorzea. For years, she believed herself alone. The only survivor amidst a handful of survivors of the Old Gods. It isn’t until she lays eyes on Hien Rijin, the lost Doman prince, that she realizes perhaps she isn’t as alone as she feared.

The grassy plains of the Azim Steppe danced in the evening breeze. Full to the brim with delicious food and drink, prepared by the blushing Cirina, Izzy wandered over to where the sounds of battle rang out. Her heart pinched with every step, every resounding cry. Even in this far off world, so different from her own Azeroth, in a new body and all alone, she knew the shine of his soul. She leaned against an enormous boulder that separated her from Gosetsu and…Hien. She needed to remember to call him Hien, although her very being cried out that wasn’t his name.

Young. So very young. Yet their stories shared so many similarities. Both lost their fathers at a young age. Heirs to thrones stolen out from under them. Warriors filled with pride, honor, and fire. Hien wasn’t tempered by age or experience, though. Not like him. Her storm king. Izzy brushed her damp cheek and took a shuddering breath. The first time she laid eyes on Hien Rijin, she almost sobbed his name.

Varian. Varian Wrynn.

Izzy clenched her hands into fists behind her back. Not since her first years on Eorzea had she longed so strongly for her homeland. For her dark lady. Her storm king. His soul was here, but Hien remembered nothing of Varian. The torment of having her beloved king so near and yet so unreachable drove her to roam the Steppe for days until her emotions settled. She used the excuse of learning the lay of the land to deflect Lyse and Gosetsu’s questions, and while Izzy had learned much about the layout of the Steppe, and encountered a few of the Xaela tribes who lived there, she couldn’t run forever. She had to face it. Face him.

“Were you truly so concerned with my well-being?” The lighter, accented voice took on a teasing tone. “You never showed it when we used to spar.”

A bark of laughter came from the rough old samurai. “How you cried when you lost. And when your mother tried to comfort you. And when you inevitably came at me once more, swinging your wooden sword like a wild beast.” The tone shifted into one of fondness and memory. “Mina’s little Master Shun. What a fine young man you’ve become.”

She snorted under her breath, but it was enough to attract their attention. Hien called out to her.

“Ah, the mask slips. And here I was, so close to cultivating a winning persona. Don’t you agree, Isobella?”

That name grated on her ears. It wasn’t hers, but she hadn’t the courage to give him her true name when they first met. Not when he didn’t even blink at her appearance. Izzy emerged from her hiding place and approached the old friends. Gosetsu laughed and chided Hien to be himself until they won back Doma. Izzy glanced at Hien; her lips twisted in a bemused smirk.

“’Shun’, was it?”

Red patches appeared on his cheeks and he huffed with a grin and a shrug. “Yes, yes, tis a name my parents gave me as a child – but I should like to think I have long since outgrown it.” Hien eyed her with a familiar gleam in his eye. “But as you seem determined to bring it back into use, I believe a match is in order. If I win, you will be honor-bound to divulge one of your darkest secrets.”

Her pulse leaped. A smile slowly formed on her lips. “Very well. Gosetsu, may I steal your sparring partner?”

He gave one of his chest-deep laughs and bowed. “Have at him, my lady. It shall be an amusing spectacle, the Warrior of Light and the Prince of Doma.”

Izzy hummed her agreement and swung her lance from her back. Hesitated. This wasn’t the way Varian knew her, and if she wanted to awaken his soul, she needed to be herself. Or as close to the self as she had been back on Azeroth. She reached into her pocket and withdrew a stone that pulsed in cadence with her racing heart. A bit of concentration, a flash of magic, and her armor vanished, replaced by flowing, open robes over thigh-high boots and trousers. Instead of a lance, she wielded a staff, one that shone gold as the sun. A few tugs undid her braid and she let her masses of amethyst-touched curls fall down her shoulders and back.

Hien froze. Was that a flash of blue in his eyes? A hint of recognition? It was gone too fast to trace, and the young prince drew his katana. She paced off against him and lowered her staff as though she held her lance. The weapons were different, a lance meant for piercing and power, the staff for bludgeoning and blocking, but nothing could erase the imprint on her soul of her past as a healer. One who wielded staff and mace alike to the terror of her enemies and the victory of her allies, whose magic blazed across the battlefield like a supernova.

“Are you certain you wish to fight as a mage, my friend? My young master is a talented swordsman – “

“I am familiar with the staff, thank you.”

The pair faced each other and a flash from the past rushed in. Northrend. Her amongst a group of orcs. Across the plains, Varian on his steed, with a squad of Alliance soldiers. They had to battle then. It was what honor and the hate between the factions demanded. She didn’t face him directly in combat, that honor reserved for Garrosh, but that moment when their eyes locked across the tundra plains remained scorched in her soul. Izzy met Hien’s pale green eyes and her hands tightened on her staff. She begged to any deity listening: let him remember her.

“Hajime!”

At Gosetsu’s shout, they clashed. Hien was precise. Every slash of his sword part of the Iaijutsu training engrained in him since childhood. There was no hint of the wild, almost berserker energy of her storm king. Yet Izzy fought on. His blade struck her stave, but its iron core ensured it didn’t break. They traded blows and weaved about, each testing the other’s reflexes and prodding for weaknesses. While Hien had speed and precision, Izzy had strength and agility honed in her dragoon training. Without her heavy plate armor, she fairly danced away from his strikes.

“Quite impressive, Warrior of Light,” Hien complimented, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “But do not think I shall surrender.”

“Never crossed my mind,” she quipped back, falling into familiar habits. “Let’s dance.”

They continued. Izzy dodged many of his blows with dragoon jumps, but he never let her get far. A bubble of laughter escaped her as she landed on top of a rock and Hien dashed across the green to reach her. He leaped onto the rock and swung, but she had already slipped away. She spun, her feet landed in a wide, balanced stance, and brandished her staff.

“You’ll have to be faster than that, my lord.”

The grin that lit his features shattered her focus. It wasn’t the practiced smile of a courtier, the laughing face of a friend, or the manic leer of Zenos. It called to mind a wolf, its teeth bared, when its prey glimpsed it in the trees, and like prey, Izzy froze. Hien charged her with a roar and she barely raised her weapon in time. The strike hit harder, rattling through her bones, and she grit her teeth against the impact. He bore down on her. Foolish. She wielded a lance that weighed more than a man. Even his strength couldn’t make her buckle.

“Do you yield?” he growled.

She fought the urge to close her eyes and shudder. Heat pooled low in her belly and she met his eyes.

“Never,” she whispered. “My king.”

His eyes went wide, black centers expanding and yes, there. A flash of blue. A little more. She almost reached him. Izzy pressed closer, using the strength in her core and legs to brace herself, until they were inches apart and his hot breath brushed her cheek. She grunted as he changed the angle of his sword and twisted her wrist in the wrong direction, but hung on. Close. She was so close. She fought back in the contest of raw strength; her arms trembled and their weapons rattled as they tried to force the other into submission. Sweat beaded along her brow as the heat in her core grew.

“You demanded one of my darkest secrets if you win.” Her voice took on a husky edge that drew the young lord’s gaze to her lips. “I will give you one now. My true name isn’t Isobella.” She paused. “It’s Isoldera Ambershield.”

With all the power she had from the Crystal of Light, the Echo, and the absorption of Hraesvalgr’s eye, she strained to reach the soul that slept within Hien. Light, first pale blue and that of Hydaelyn, formed between them. Then slowly, slowly, it turned gold as she willed her Echo to show the truth of the soul. Not to her, but to him.

“Please,” she begged, throat thick and eyes burning. “Please, remember. Remember me, storm king.”

* * * ** ** *

When Hien first met the Warrior of Light, something in him roared and struggled to wake. A part of himself he always struggled with since childhood. The wild temper, the lust for combat, the stubborn refusal to submit to Garlean rule, all parts of himself his tutors tried to drum out of him. It wasn’t fitting for a prince to show such emotions. It wasn’t safe to draw the eye of their Garlean overlords. So Hien smothered that part of himself in etiquette, honor, and duty. For the sake of his parents, his retainers, his people, he became the drone that Garlemald wanted to see.

He smothered it, but it didn’t die.

It flared when he glimpsed her amethyst eyes in the dark. They almost glowed with the power she carried as effortlessly as the enormous lance on her back. That same color appeared when the sun struck her raven hair and highlighted the purple undertones. And when she donned her healer robes, he shook with the effort to contain the raging beast within. This woman, this Elezen woman with secrets in her eyes and sunshine in her smile, destroyed what took years to contain. He wasn’t even certain if it was such a terrible thing.

He chased her across the plains, certain she toyed with him. The likes of him did not challenge such a vaunted warrior, whose only defeat had been at the hands of Zenos. But an inner voice growled that he had to win. Show her the truth. His strength may not be as great as hers, but he was no weakling. Hien used every combination of Sen in his arsenal, everything he knew, but it wasn’t enough to reach her. She was too wild, too unpredictable, with how she used dragoon techniques while wielding the power of a white mage. He needed to match that wildness.

He had to embrace his inner beast.

A wolf’s howl echoed in his mind as he turned the tables. Abandoning form and precision, he struck with reckless strength and abandon. Gosetsu yelled something. Of course his teacher would be appalled, but he didn’t matter. Nothing mattered except the woman whose bewitching eyes never left his.

“You demanded one of my darkest secrets if you win.”

Hien’s breath caught but he didn’t yield in their contest of strength. His muscles screamed with strain as he fought to keep her in place. No woman had ever matched him with such strength. Such power. He dug the heel of his boot into the dirt, even as his eyes drifted to her deep red lips as they formed her next words.

“I will give you one now. My true name isn’t Isobella.” She paused. “It’s Isoldera Ambershield.”

The howling in his ears grew, joined by the roar of a lion, as light and memory exploded in his mind’s eye. A castle of white stone and blue rooftops that soared above a shining city. A woman with blue eyes and golden hair, who held a swaddled babe in her arms. Wait. He knew this. He had done this before. A tall, Elven male with dusky skin and green hair sat with him in pools of water. Another woman, also golden-haired, stood over him as she chanted spells. Her ice blue magic filled the room, and he thought of how appropriate that word was to describe it. Words rang out.

“You are…you must be…Varian Wrynn, the lost king of Stormwind!”

Brown eyes danced with promised mischief. “I see what Izzy meant when she said I was your Winter’s Veil gift.” He gave a sweeping, courtly bow. “Paxton Ashbough, son and heir of Duke Vincent Ashbough of Stormwind’s House of Lords at your service and with every drop of court news a king in hiding could want.”

A boy, golden haired and blue-eyed, looked up at him with a heart-breaking torment in his eyes. “I - I couldn’t sleep. I kept dreaming about Onyxia and then Garona. They killed you. Over and over.” His boy trembled, face pale in the ghostly light. “I needed to see that you were really here.”

Memory after memory, colors, sensations, sounds, names, and more rushed through his mind in a dizzying spiral that left him reeling. One memory rose above the others, as though guided to him. He peered through to a bleary vision. Blazing, golden eyes set in a tanned face and surrounded by wild, black curls. Curls that shone violet under the sun. Crimson lips as red as blood as they laughed, frowned, kissed him, loved him –

His breath hitched in his chest as her hair tumbled over bare shoulders and shielded them from the outside world. She knelt astride him, a goddess in all her glory. Her eyes seared his soul as she stroked his cheek and moaned his name like a prayer.

“Varian.”

His precious Amber.

The woman he wasn’t supposed to love. An enemy. A savior. A friend. Hien – Varian – cried out as memories continued to assault him. Who was he? A soft, familiar voice brushed his ear. Or was it his mind?

“You went through this once before, storm king. Go deep inside yourself. Find the center of the storm and the strength to accept who you are.”

A path through the howling chaos appeared, lit with soft golden light. He knew that light. He trusted that light. A voice within him urged him to go. It was older, deeper, and reminded him of Gosetsu. Or perhaps his father. With firm words, it bade him follow the path. He struggled to his feet, but hesitated. Part of him didn’t wish to go. If he walked down that path, who would he become? Who waited for him at the end? Who was this Varian Wrynn and why did his story and his soul feel so familiar? Although the Garleans beat many things out of him, they hadn’t fully stifled his curiosity. Hien placed one foot forward, then another, and again, until he walked down the path where a tall, shadowed figure dressed in armor awaited him.

* * * ** ** *

“What have you done?” Gosetsu yelled over her. “If you’ve hurt him – “

“I haven’t hurt him,” she snapped back. “And as for what I’ve done, it’s personal, has nothing to do with you, and won’t damage him in any way, shape, or form. Now, if you would please leave us alone so I can monitor him?”

The damned samurai had jumped in the moment Hien collapsed. Izzy understood his fear, but the old bastard tried to block her from the fallen prince and she almost bashed him for it. She needed to be at his side to guide him through the chaos of his memories. When she first woke hers with the help of the Echo, it took her months to sort out the mess because she had no idea how to wield the strange power. Thank Belore she learned fast out of necessity.

Gosetsu didn’t leave, but he did back away, grumbling the entire time. Izzy ignored him in favor of keeping her senses and magic attuned to Hien. Just the act of healing him made her chest tighten so hard it hurt to breathe, but she remained steady. When she felt the storm of his memories and emotions slow, she pulled back a little. Time stretched as the currents of his soul and aether settled and merged into one. She waited. Touched his face. Held his hand. Steady pulse. Deep, even breaths. She laced her fingers through his and squeezed.

“I’m sorry. I know, I know I’m selfish. I just – I missed you so much. I never – I never thought I’d see you again,” she choked, voice barely above a whisper. “Please. Please wake up, Varian. Don’t leave me again.”

She lowered her ear to his chest just to hear his heartbeat, to reassure herself that he was alive, as tears streaked down her face. A quiet sob caught in her throat as she pressed a kiss to the backs of his knuckles. Alone, but together with the man she had loved enough to challenge a nation for, the floodgates opened and she wept.

“It’s gone. It’s all gone. Azeroth. The Alliance, the Horde. The Old Gods came back and N’Zoth – N’Zoth – “ She couldn’t finish the sentence. “There were so few of us left. Anduin. Jaina. Sylvanas. Vol’jin. We did our best. We tried. He was too much. Not even Wrathion’s stupid, goddamn cloaks made a difference in the end.”

The whole story tumbled from her as she wept for their lost home and fallen comrades, but she held onto one small spark of hope.

“The bronze dragons got us out. The last of us.” She lifted her head. “So you have to come back. You have to help me find them. Please, my love. Please.”

Her words dissolved into a formless babble of pleas and apologies. Izzy was meant to be the hero of Azeroth. She was supposed to save them. In the end, she couldn’t save anyone. The world soul died. The Void Lords took over. Azeroth became what Eorzea now knew as the Seventh. Or perhaps the Thirteenth. A world consumed by either Darkness or Void, but still gone. The only home she’d ever known. People she loved. The history, the cultures, the nations. For so long, she was the only one who knew or remembered Azeroth and all it had been. All it could have been, had the endless cycle of war and hate not sown the seeds which allowed the Old Gods to tear Azeroth’s world soul apart after they corrupted her.

“And now here I am, in a new world, expected to be its savior all over again. I can’t.” She shook her head, forehead against his breastplate. “I can’t do it. Not alone. I’m not as strong as I was. I’m weak. Useless. I don’t know why the bronzes bothered to save me.”

Haurchefant. Ysayle. Moenbryda. Papalymo. The whole of Azeroth. Minfilia. Who was she trying to fool? Though she took up the lance, determined to strengthen herself so she would never lose anyone again…it still happened. And each death cut the deepest parts of her heart and reminded her of how weak she was. How badly she failed those who counted on her. It was that same reason which drove her away from healing when her memories first woke in Eorzea. It reminded her too much of who she used to be.

The failed hero.

A soft touch to her hair made her head shoot up. She gazed into eyes that were bluer than before, still with a hint of olive green, and new lines fanning from the corners. Her vision blurred as more tears welled and fell.

“We will find them, precious Amber,” he murmured, the voice a low rumble between Hien’s cultured Doman accent and Varian’s low growl. “Together.”

She should have been more restrained. Stoic. But that had never been her way. Izzy’s heart burst and she wailed as she threw herself into Hien’s arms. Because despite having awakened his memories, he was still the young lord of Doma. But the muscled arms that held her tight and stroked her hair just so were all Varian. Great, shuddering cries racked her body as she clutched her beloved, until he tipped her head back and wiped her tears. Then he mortified her by swiping at her running nose with his shirtsleeve, but before she could pull away, he kissed her.

It was nothing so simple, though. When his lips brushed hers, searching, bold, and achingly familiar, it shattered the barrier protecting the deepest parts of her soul she kept locked away from her fellow Scions. They wouldn’t, couldn’t, understand the pain and memories she held. But he did. He rolled them until he pinned Izzy to the ground and covered her with his body. He rested his full weight on her, just how she liked it, and she dug her fingers into his shoulders. Every fiber of her being screamed that yes, this was her storm king. At long last. Izzy moved one hand from his hard, muscled shoulder to his wild mane of hair.

Inky black rather than dark brown, but still soft as silk between her fingers, she undid the top knot and let it fall free. Faint traces of pine and something else, something Doman, tickled her nose, but it was still him. He bit her lip and soothed it with his tongue. The sharpness of it brought a yelp from her, followed by a deep, throaty moan. Oh yes. He remembered. Izzy twined her fingers through his hair and raked her nails gently over his scalp. The growl that rumbled in his chest sent a powerful thrill through her, along with another wave of heat and slickness between her legs. She squeezed her thighs together, wanting him inside her, entwined as they hadn’t been in years. His muscles quivered under her hand, tense with restraint.

He released her mouth long enough to gasp, “The others…will wonder…”

As much as she wanted to dismiss them, Izzy sighed. “I suppose I’ve been selfish enough for one night. But I promise you this, my love.” She tugged his head and used the leverage to roll him onto his back until she laid on top. “Once I get you in my bed, I’m not letting you leave until you properly apologize for leaping off that zeppelin and dying on me.”

He returned her challenge with a cocky smirk and dark, lust-blown eyes. “That doesn’t sound like much of a punishment, precious Amber.”

Gods above. She held firm, even though his words made her want to cling to him and cry for joy. She cocked a brow in playful challenge and chortled darkly. “Oh, my dearest lord. If you thought my sexual knowledge and appetite shocking back on Azeroth, you have no idea what’s in store for you after my life in Eorzea.”

Izzy leaned down. Instead of the kiss he expected, she darted at the last minute and nipped his neck right above the collar of his armor. She didn’t have fangs as she did when she was a sin’dorei but it still made a lovely bruise that was sure to draw questions from the others. Cackling to herself, she leaped off of him before he could retaliate and tossed her hair back over her shoulders. It was a familiar move on her part and she sucked in a breath when heat filled his eyes.

It wouldn’t be easy. Eorzea had its own challenges. She still carried all the expectations of the Warrior of Light. But for the first time since she remembered who she truly was, Izzy’s heart swelled with hope. A hope that would, one day, shine brighter than Belore’s sun. (Author’s Note: I took some dialogue directly from FFXIV cut scenes, the Warcraft comics, and my own fanfics. This was a snippet that grabbed my by the throat and refused to let go, but is not canon to my current WoW or FFXIV fics. Thanks for reading!)

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lynxfrost13 · 1 year

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Thinking about Ro’wynne and N’Zoth because I just played through the Thaldrazus time jumping storyline (spoilers ahead for dragonflight) and how she was doing okay, she was recovering from old god corruption slowly but surely ever since Battle for Azeroth, it’s been five years and she’s still doing okay. Until she gets to Thaldrazus, and enters that last portal in the hopes of finding Chromie, and hears that all too familiar voice in her head again. And then everything that she’s worked for since then comes crashing down around her.

#sorry I’ve never really rambled about her before #but I might just ramble some more #N’Zoth really messed Ro up in more ways than one #and it took her a long time to even begin getting better #world of warcraft #ro’wynne

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airanke · 6 years

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Actually I have some ideas (?) I wanna’ discuss-- it’s mostly Amita story stuff, but for Legion and Battle For Azeroth stuff (so I’ll put everything under a cut because... I already accidentally spoiled someone on what happens in the Zuldazar raid and like I feel horrible =_=;;; ).

But yeah it’s just points that I want to see if they make sense, because obviously Amita’s story is going to fork off completely from Legion (the biggest two factors being that Vol’jin AND Varian don’t die, because I have a really good idea for Varian that forces him off the throne and puts Anduin in his place and wow amazing it doesn’t involve his death I never knew that was possible wow).

Okay, onwards! I also apologize in advance it gets rambly and long but I have a lot of ideas and I need to make sense of them all :C

First I’ll briefly mention Warlords. I feel like Blizz wanted to put player characters into the forefront more and that’s why Vol’jin “didn’t do anything”. One major thing that happen in Lascivious Ophidian (from here on referred to as LO) is this:

Jaina and Vol’jin tag-team to kill Garrosh. This is proper poetic justice for both the Bombing of Theramore, the Divine Bell incident, the attempt on Vol’jin’s life, and the attempt to wipe out the Darkspear tribe. Remember when Vol’jin tells Garrosh that he’ll get an arrow through his black heart? Yeah.

Anyway, moving on to Legion:

Sylvanas was more than capable of taking out the fel guard before it hit Vol’jin, and so, she does (keep in mind I personally characterize Sylv as being empathetic and deeply caring - perhaps, somewhat compassionate - but she masks it all under anger and indifference. Broken Shore actually supported this and then... BfA happened smh).

Vol’jin and Varian end up fighting the fel reaver together while everyone else gets their shit together and Sylv / Jaina provide long range support, though the latter is considerably mana depleted. Vol’jin still breaks a tusk and ends up losing both.

In the retreat, both Varian and Vol’jin are injured but Vol’jin still manages to shoulder Varian anyway and carry him to Jaina, then he collapses and Sylvanas picks him up and sounds her horn to call her Val’kyr. Horde and Alliance soldiers alike then find themselves either scrabbling onto the Alliance gunship or scrabbling onto the Horde boat. Sylv and Geblin are helping to pull soldiers onto their respective ships.

Slightly off-topic, but an Alliance Paladin and Horde Death Knight (and probably a few other hero / champion aka player characters) stay behind on the shore to prevent demons from pursuing their leaders. They die, of course.

Vol’jin, being a troll, recovers from his critical injury (not sure what it is yet, but trolls are well known in lore from being able to recover from anything, plus in that short story Judgement Vol’jin regenerates his thumb). Varian, on the other hand, is not so lucky, and ends up paralyzed from the legs down. Geblin of course builds him an incredible wheelchair. He begins to mentor Anduin in kingly duties (see? Can “take him out of a story” and not kill him and still have Anduin become king and not have Anduin SHOVED into being a king. Wow. Amazing. Didn’t realize that was even remotely possible).

What events lead up to Amita actually ending up in the Dreamgrove are up in the air, but she does becomes the Archdruid of the class hall in it’s entirety (I need this to be canon to set up BfA events). Thrall also does not disappear, and instead stays at the Earthern Ring to continue mentoring shaman (and passes on the Doomhammer to another shaman as a result). I’m actually not sure if Aggra will even be IN Amita’s story, as she... is literally unimportant and has virtually no impact on Lore as it currently is, except for Thrall’s personal story (I am also Thraina trash, because have I ever told you that Thrall x Jaina was legitimately my first ship before I even knew what shipping was? Yeah. Exactly).

I have no thoughts yet on whether or not I will have Ysera still die in Amita’s story, but we’ll see. This is mostly because I’m still debating on having Amita be nightmare infected in canon (currently it’s just an AU idea I have), but either way, There Will Be A Dragon Fight.

Okay here’s perhaps the most important point. I’m still considering having Vol’jin pass on the mantle of Warchief, but it won’t be to Sylvanas. It will be to Baine - or rather, Vol’jin makes Baine acting warchief in his absence. I remember reading somewhere that the original plan for Vol’jin disappearing on BS was that he “needed to go talk to someone” and then made someone else warchief in his stead so that he could have the freedom to do that. In this case, I’m going to have Vol’jin make Baine acting warchief, and Vol’jin goes to scout out the Zandalari islands, which is where he ends up learning that Talanji and Zul have gone missing, which will of course lead to the infiltration of Stormwind yaddayaddayadda because yes Teldrassil still burns.

Okay, Battle for Azeroth:

I think everyone collectively agrees that the War of the Thorns stuff was horrible because it’s the same old story that everyone is tired of hearing. Anyway. After the Legion’s defeat, Azerite still poses a problem (resource war. I’m going for a resource war). He agrees that taking Teldrassil would be strategic, so War of the Thorns kind of proceeds as is, but he’s THERE, and lets Sylv go after Malfurion.

Horde gets Teldrassil. Baine tells Tyrande to evacuate her city because the Horde will be occupying it soon. Dead are given proper burial rites because Baine is a tauren and Saurfang is an orc and that’s honourable. When the Horde get to Teldrassil, they find siame-quashi crawling all over the place but they soon disappear into the shadows, but Baine knows his brother well enough to be aware that Vol’jin has been in Teldrassil long before they arrived.

Genn incites the burning of Teldrassil - and no, not because he’s malicious and petty but because it makes sense as a war strategy. Yes he knows people are probably going to die, but he corners a Forsaken soldier and pins it on the Horde (the Undercity will also still be blighted into oblivion, and Idk it makes sense to me for the Alliance to make a move like burning the tree if it means taking away a strong foothold from the Horde - or at least, Genn does, but no one finds out that he was the one who started it until Zuldazar Raid stuff. I’M GETTING THERE I PROMISE). Anyway, speaking of that, Vol’jin watches Genn do all of this and then of course has to book it the fuck out of there because no thank you. And he’s not sure how to process the information so he tells Baine to help evacuate the tree as much as he can before yeah they’re forced to leave (also hey the Alliance has shamans too, and if Genn mother-fucking Greymane tells you to do something I’m p sure my scared ass would listen).

Debating on if Sylv starts shooting civillians who can’t make it to the portals / are stuck due to the fires because “killing them with an arrow through the eye is more humane than letting them burn to death”. Compassion, but twisted in a sense. Horde / Alliance mages though try to teleport as many people as possible and both sides suffer some significant losses.

Instead of Legion BS being the reason Jaina becomes furious with the Horde once again, the burning of the tree is. She gets so angry (understandably, plus I can imagine her and Tyrande being rather close as some of the few female leaders in the Alliance) and it’s like an extra blow because Jaina’s already lost Theramore. So then she leaves on her little soul-searching expedition and Thrall wants to go after her but because none of them know how to bring up the news that Greymane was the one who started the fire they kinda go “well shit” and do nothing (which of course bites them in the ass).

Undercity proceeds practically identically to in-game however the comment Sylv makes to Greymane while sitting on the throne is more in-line to “oh yeah you mean the throne you abandoned when you built ur wall and let the Lordaeron citizens - who are basically the Forsaken, btw - die to the scourge you uh. You mean that throne?” obviously way more eloquently but you get the idea.

Amita is coaxed into being under human guise (and goes by the name Juliet, which is also one of Jaina’s nicknames for her) because Jaina decides that she needs the emotional support from her good friend as she goes to Kul Tiras because this has now become a resource war with both Horde and Alliance furious over losing two major important cities respectively. Horde of course infiltrates Stormwind and gets Zul and Talanji out (I’m actually not sure what happens with Saurfang but I think I can still have the event with him facing the Alliance leaders alone happen but more as a “SYLVANAS YOU NEED TO PREPARE EVEN THOUGH I DONT’ AGREE WITH WHAT YOU’VE PREPARED I’LL HOLD THEM OFF” instead of “RAGRGARGR I’M SO MAD HOW DARE U” so Baine is like “I’mma finish evacuating you get yourself ready for the confrontation”).

Lots of shit happens but I’m gonna’ skip to Rezan stuff. Mostly because Amita kills Yazma so I’m not sure how the corruption thing happens, but I’m still going to have him die (perhaps while trying to face off against Mythrax? Translating some raids / dungeons into story points is pretty tough so I haven’t really gotten to that point yet... I’m totally not avoiding it LOL). Either way, whether or not Rezan lives or dies (because that’s important to the story Blizzard wants to tell, but not important to the story I personally want to tell), something does happen that causes Rastakhan to still rapidly age (could easily be something like Bwonsamdi messing around with the connection between Rezan and Rastakhan, after all, Bwonsamdi reeeeeeeeeally wants Rast’s soul).

Oookay so... Siege of Zuldazar:

Amita is in Boralus when the Alliance is planning this. Yes amazingly still no one in the Alliance is aware of what Genn has done (lets just say that he dealt with anyone who tried to let Anduin and Varian know). She ends up ousting herself and Jaina tries to calm her but she ends up furious enough to say “if you march on Zuldazar, the Dreamgrove stands against you. Remember, I am the Archdruid now”. And then she leaves because you don’ fuck w/ a dragon.

So the Dreamgrove of course ends up sweeping into Zuldazar to stop the Alliance in their tracks, and then the Earthern Ring shows up because Thrall is like “I stand with you, Amita”. Amita’s priority is keeping Rastakhan alive so she has Hamuul and Thrall take him and his council to a safe place, and then instructs the druids and shamans to evacuate / protect the civilians, in a sort of “let the alliance and the horde come to blows, I don’t care, just get as many civilians to safety as you can” (wait.. I don’t know if I made it clear that Amita is Champions of Azeroth / Khadgar / Neutral aligned. Okay. She is. Okay back to my rambling).

Basically there are vines everywhere.

Now I still don’t know how the raid ends (like if it ends with a huge naga / old god thing or what, but I’m gonna’ tentatively roll with the idea of Azshara forces rolling in like “durrhurhurr heeellLO LANDWALKERS”), but I know how it ends in LO. Vol’jin confronts Genn in the throne room or... wherever it is that the Alliance confronts Rastakhan, and he and Genn basically have this duel where the whole time Vol’jin is like “why don’t you tell them, Genn, why don’t you tell them who REALLY burned down Teldrassil? Haven’t you told them about how you shoved a torch into the hand of dead forsaken soldier? What about those shamans that were at your side when it happened, what’s become of them?” etcetc which leads to a break in the Alliance’s resolve and they retreat out of Zuldazar because honestly Anduin doesn’t know how to handle this information and I wouldn’t blame him. Neither does Jaina.

As the Alliance is falling back, however, the naga are like “EEEEYY LANDWALKERS” and the Dreamgrove / Earthern Ring come to the rescue with Jaina and Thrall tag-teaming to beat the fuck out of either an Old God herald or a huge Naga mmyes. I will have my Thraina. And the mages show up too because Ollwen is a good friend of Amita’s and she brings the Kirin Tor to HELP. This also saves the Alliance time cuz then they just teleport all the Kul Tiras boats and shit back to Kul Tiras and... then Anduin has to confront Genn. And Tyrande can still become a night warrior lmao don’t worry (as much as I apparently... dislike her???), because even if the Horde wasn’t behind burning Teldrassil, they were still very much behind everything that led UP to burning Teldrassil.

Rastakhn therefore lives but only solely because I want to write him sucking up his pride and stepping down from the throne to let Talanji lead with him as her mentor for at least a year before he finally passes away quietly in the night. Not all deaths have to be blood and glory on the battlefield to have impact. A quiet death is just as impactful (and honestly I have some experience because of how recently I lost my grandfather. Death hits hard regardless of how it happens). So my plan is to have Rastakhan pass away quietly and Talanji goes to greet him in the morning only to come across his cold form. Yeah. The ouchies are still there.

Annnnnnnnnd we’ll see how I decide to proceed from there. Yeah. Wow thanks for reading all the way if you did LMAO?!?!!? You are literally a trooper.

I guess you can tell me your thoughts?? //cries softly.

#Air's antics #BfA spoilers #Battle of Azeroth spoilers #Please don't read if you don't know datamined stuff because EUUUGEUHGHGHGUEH

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