Valley of the Four Winds/Krasarang Wilds: Part 7

I made my way through the Wilds to where the Valley met it. The northern exits from the Ruins of Korja gave way to the Forbidden Jungle, a last outpost of some of the most dangerous creatures in the Wilds. Biting wasps and hundreds of spiders filled the air with noise as light guided my way out of the Wilds. The jungle became lighter and more visible, and the path rose up the hill until I encountered the ruins of the convoy that had been on its way to the Temple of the Red Crane. There, I was met by another envoy, Len, and Sunwalker Dezco.

‘Keliera! I am glad to see a familiar face again. I fought off as many of these ‘mantid’ as I could-‘ Dezco gestured to numerous beaten corpses surrounding him, ‘but I could not stop them dragging the rest of the pandaren into the jungle. They are only civilians, and we must aid them. Fortunately, I kept the healing remedies you and Kang gathered for my Leza, and they will be effective enough to keep the Pandaren alive while they get to safety. Find the envoys and heal them, and send them back my way. I will keep the way clear of any mantid that seek to hamper your efforts.’

The Deepwoods were filled with ancient spirits, and this part of the Wilds held its wisest and oldest trees. I found a few envoys under their shade, but it was not long before I came across the mantid.

Words could not have prepared me for the gruesome sight of them. More horrifying than any Qiraji or Nerubian I had seen in images, the mantid had great bug-eyes and made high-pitched chittering noises, using muddy, sharp wings to ferry them across the Wilds with unmatchable speed. They carried dark yellow weapons that looked as though they had been crafted from glass, and their thin insectoid limbs made sounds like crunching leaves as they moved.

Drawing their ire was even more unpleasant. With a horrific cry in a foul, scraping language I could not bear to listen to, and certainly could not contemplate understanding, they swept down with ferocious speed, using their four front limbs to cut and hack at their enemy. Though I was able to stay back, a single cut from their mystic weapons drew deep blood from my arm, and long after the cut it stung like I had been cut by the finest diamond.

As I travelled through the wilds, bringing them down by fire to their wings and limbs (which was fortunately effective) I saw the lush pastures of the Valley merge with the dark, hot grounds of the Wilds. There were not many envoys left, and the Mantid seemed fairly localised – they must have pursued the envoys from Stoneplow and leapt upon their chance when the mogu had scattered the convoy.

The convoy appeared to have mostly re-assembled by the time I returned. Ambassador Len spoke to me as the wounded were tended to by Dezco.

‘Thank you so much for your help, mage. Not many would go so far out of their way to aid so many – and I have not seen such prowess against mantid in combat aside from the Shado-Pan themselves.’

‘You give me more credit than I am due, Ambassador. Were it not for the monks of the forest, I would not be here, and were it not for Dezco I would not have been able to help heal your companions.’

‘Then perhaps modesty is your greatest strength.’ The Ambassador chuckled. ‘The civilians will all return in time now that the threat of the mantid here has been extinguished.’

‘And we will rally our troops to aid.’ Dezco’s voice chimed in. ‘Kor should be prepared to attack the Ruins of Korja now, and he will no doubt appreciate your aid against Groundbreaker Brojai, the Lord Reclaimer. Once all the civilians are accounted for, I will follow along with Kang, who is transporting the civilians from the outlying camps.’

I ran back to the ruins, making my way to the deeper command section – an isolated clearing, with a terrace surrounded by the same lion-like statues I had encountered in the Ruins of Dojan. In the centre of the circle lay Kor and, I assumed, the leader of the Kaldorei Sentinels in the area. Unfortunately, we were too late, and as we charged Brojai struck killing blows on them.

‘You fail to bend knee to our power? THEN DIE LIKE THE VERMIN YOU ARE!’

‘LYALIA!’

‘KOR!’

A Highborne charged Brojai at the same time I and Dezco did, and Kang joined us shortly after. Even with the statues on his side, he could not match our fury, and as Brojai fell an explosion shook the earth as the portals and structures among the ruins collapsed along with his magic.

Neither side wished to fight after all the losses of Krasarang, and the Highborne – a man named Vaeldrin – agreed with Dezco a truce while both sides recouped their losses and moved against the mantid. Kor in our possession, we moved back to the Retreat.

‘Thank you, Keliera, for helping me avenge my friends and my wife in these lands. I did not always see eye to eye with Kor, but he was my brother, just as I now call you my sister, and I will mourn him. We will move on shortly, but please know that you always have my gratitude – and should we fight together in the future, know that you can always rely on my aid.’

An air of hope and relief had come over the camp when we returned. Though there was sorrow, there was also the knowledge that our path through the Wilds might now be finished, and better times were ahead – the Tauren would move north, in search of the sacred location in their visions, and I would probably head back to the Valley for a rest. Kang met me on the second night, as the Tauren prepared to leave.

‘Keliera, I now only barely remember the path I set out on that led me here, but I know that for both of us it has been far more fulfilling. Perhaps the Hidden Master was simply mastery over what emotions the Sha here presented to us. If you are returning to the Valley, please inform Xiao that I will be staying here a bit longer under the tutelage of the Crane – there is much this place has taught me, and far more it can offer. The mogu, the mantid, the Sha – these are brave times for Pandaria, and dark times too. I would be prepared for whatever the Hidden Master may offer me, if he ever finds me. It has been a true honour to fight alongside you.’

With my paths in Krasarang now leading out of it, I made my way back to the Temple, which had been fully retaken and restored, and got a kite back up to the start of the Valley I had come from – perhaps a new start, in a way. I left maybe wet, tired and covered in cuts and bruises – but with new resolve, new hope for what lay beyond.

It did not take long for me to reach the Valley of the Four Winds, and after so long in Krasarang the wild expanses and bright sunshine almost seemed alien. Xiao still awaited me in peaceful meditation when I returned.

‘It seems both Ken-Ken and Kang learned thanks to your aid, Keliera. And from what we have heard, the Wilds owe you thanks. I would not be surprised to see Kang and Ken-Ken abandon their pursuit of the Hidden Master in search of greater knowledge… but we will see.’

I caught up with Pang after lunch. He continued to provide comfortable accomodation for those interested in helping out around the farm, and he seemed slightly troubled.

‘The virmen problem has decreased in the past weeks, Keliera, but they have not stopped troubling my farms. My son, Ang, runs the small farm down the road from here. He should have brought me some produce earlier today but I have yet to see him. Would you go and check in with him? I want to make sure everything is alright.’

I had no other pressing engagements, and the farm was not far. As I was setting off, Xiao spoke to me again.

‘Keliera, both Lin and Ashyo have yet to send word back on their progress finding the Hidden Master. Both are capable, but they may not wish to inform me if they are struggling. Ashyo headed north, and Lin headed west. If you meet them on your travels, do find out how they are doing.’

I headed across the fields towards Thunderfoot Farms, and soon found Ang’s residence.

‘Ah, a visitor! Please, come in!’ His warm and friendly face furrowed with frustration after I informed him about my purpose.

‘My father, always interfering. I can handle everything here just fine, he needn’t worry… Alright, maybe not everything is under control. A group of virmen took residence here a week ago, and I and Ana have been struggling to get rid of them. They’ve stolen the crops I was planning to deliver to my father and taken them to the riverside south of here. I need those crops back if my father wants them delivered today.’ I agreed to aid Ang, and shortly after his daughter Ana also requested my aid outside.

‘This place is full of marmots! You gotta help me get rid of these things before my father sees! You take them outside of the farm while I fill in their holes, and then I’ll show you the way the Virmen took our crops.” The marmots proved rather entertaining for morning work, and Ana enjoyed it too, dashing down through the farm to the path below.

‘They went that way, miss! I don’t know what they’re upto, but they’ve been coming and going from that river all day.’

I made my way past the hills beside the river, and fell into a hole.

It was a virmen nest! The thing was huge, and no doubt extended under the nearby farms. Stolen crops littered the floor, and around me huge numbers of virmen young squealed impatiently for food. The few adult virmen around were struggling to mush up the crops fast enough to feed them.

‘Turnips must gets punished!’ A virmen yelled beside me, and attacked the turnips. I was hopelessly confused. Had the turnips offended the virmen somehow? I made my way in and recovered as many turnips as I could, and continued along the river once I scrambled out of the nest. Not far down, a large group of virmen watched… watermelons? With flags?!

Were the Virmen racing watermelons? Really?

I again tried to ignore the utter nonsense that appeared to be first-nature to virmen, and carried as much salvaged produce as I could back to Ang’s farm.

‘What were they doing down there with all this? It may be bruised, but it’s all I can offer.’ Ang moved around his house swiftly, neatly boxing the produce so that it would not be damaged further. ‘I’ll take a look down at the river and see if I can get any seeds, and prevent this being a complete disaster. Please, take this back to my father.’ Ang wrang his hands and hurried outside, followed by Ana, and I made my way back to Pang’s Stead as the mid-afternoon sun moved across the sky.

‘Ho ho! Turnips! Now that’s what I like to see.’ Pang was certainly more enthusiastic than Ang had worried. ‘Now, some of these vegetables will be kept rather than sold, so that my family has enough food to feed themselves, especially with winter not far off. However, we have no option but to ask Miss Fanny to deliver them until the Snagtooth Virmen go away. So, if you would… please bring… these to Miss Fanny, and ask her – NICELY! – to deliver them to my nephew Liang’s ranch.’ Handing me a crate of produce, Pang looked over at the road nervously. ‘Ah… here she comes now…’ He half-pushed me towards one of the large kodo-like beings I had seen in the Jade Forest, which stopped roughly at the side of the house.

I was unsure how to ask a beast to deliver things. I placed the crate of produce on her (her?) back, and began to ask.

‘Uh… Hello, Miss Fanny! It’s very nice to meet you. Pang prepared these for his nephew, Liang, and I’ve come to ask you if you could please deliver for them. He’d be very grateful if you did, since-‘ The creature grabbed the crate with her tail, and threw it towards a nearby farmstead with a grunt. It landed perfectly.

I was speechless. With little else to do, I set off for the Farmstead to make sure that the food had arrived safely.

Valley of the Four Winds/Krasarang Wilds: Part 6

The southern islands were known as Unga Ingoo, and they had been hozen territory for years. As I made my way along the beach, I tossed back as many living fish as possible when the hozen scattered. I did not linger too long – I only wished to send a message, and I doubted that I would be stronger than the entire village if I caused it to rally.

As I made my way back out I tripped over in the sand. I had fallen over some crude hozen box – perhaps it was the buried treasure that the map I’d found had indicated. With some effort, I prized the box open to find… a golden banana?

Hozen certainly had interesting value systems. I crossed the lagoon again, this time heading back to Marista. Jay and Tony met me upon my return as I discussed what I had found out.

‘I see. We will keep an eye on the Unga hozen from now on – and make sure we do not overfish these waters either. There is a delicate balance here indeed.’

Nayeli Lagoon saw less crocolisk attacks as the day wore on, and soon they stopped altogether. With the islands now safe, I made my way back north. By now, all of Thunder Cleft had probably moved west, and though the Temple was saved, I still had news of the scout’s death to deliver to Kor and Dezco.

As I wandered north through Kea Krak and into the Deepwild, I came to the realisation that at some point, the cursed rain had stopped. Making my way past the delta in the Krasarang River, I passed the Temple and returned to the main road. The sky was bright and the land peaceful and quiet now that balance had been returned, but I noticed that the wilds were full of sauren.

I managed to sneak along for a while when the sounds of battle rang out from my north. Fighting through the wilds, I came across an isolated jinyu village under attack from a full sauren raid. The jinyu happily let me in when they saw that I fought the sauren too, and I was led as a visitor to their leader, a waterspeaker named Shushen.

‘Welcome, Keliera. The waters foretold of your arrival – sadly, they did not foretell us of the raiders hitting us this hard. I am Waterspeaker Tired Shushen. Welcome to Fallsong Village. These vile Saurok are obsessed with killing and stealing all that we hold dear. They attacked the settlement without provocation or warning. Usually, the Crane Temple aids us against them but we know already that they are too preoccupied – and we are outnumbered. Their leader, Slovan, resides in a lair behind the Krasari Falls. Please, aid us – destroy him so that we can recover what we have lost.’

While I would have liked to stick around and get to know jinyu culture, I could not do that without an intact jinyu settlement. So I headed north, to the large cave on the Krasari River. Here it met the Valley of the Four Winds, or rather came from it. Slovan was not far into the Riverblade Den, but surrounded by his fellows, and equipped in curious mogu-like armour. It took me a lot of power and several tricks – mainly mirror images – to stay out of his reach, but he soon fell.

With their loot in my bags, I found a story scroll by the shores of the river.

‘The Last Stand

Defiant to the last, the saurok stood their ground against the mogu in the swamps of Krasarang. It was here they had a fighting chance, drawing the imperial forces deeper in to unfamiliar territory.

The mogu death toll began to climb as the rebels poisoned water supplies and sabotaged structures.

In his fury, the Emperor Dojan continued to send troops, slaves and weapons to Krasarang in an effort to eradicate what remained of the saurok.

They were never successful.’

I made my way back to Fallsong Village, which was holding its own against the attack.

‘Not many would stop on their own journeys to aid a village in need, Keliera. Especially this deep in the wilds. You are a champion to our people. On behalf of all of us, I thank you.’

I stayed in Fallsong Village for another day and a half after that, aiding in sending off the rest of the saurok, and learning more about the jinyu. The jinyu are perhaps to water as the tauren are to earth. They know more of it than any of their contemporaries can hope to, but they are not unwilling to share their knowledge with those they trust. Their architecture is beautiful, though they live in simplicity. Most tribes are led by waterspeakers, who listen to the water for guidance and use it only to help their villages, and the nearby races if the knowledge applies to them.

The jinyu were not a race that wished war on others, but the Pearlfin jinyu had made alliances via trickery and false friendships much like the Forest hozen had. In the village’s central temple lay another story scroll, which I was told were left in places by the Lorewalkers, for the benefit of those they applied to – even the saurok. Those who wished to hear the stories were free to seek out Lorewalkers or the scrolls – though knowledge was not always a safe pursuit.

‘Origins

This early jinyu shrine may provide some insight to the origins of the race. Depicted is a collection of squat, primitive aquatic creatures. They surround a series of pools on a field of gold – perhaps a rendering of the Vale of Eternal Blossoms.

One of the primitive creatures holds a staff aloft beside the waters, but the symbols that surround his head are of an unknown language that likely predates the first mogu dynasty.

The exact connection between these early aquatic creatures and the Vale remains unknown.’

With a little bit more understanding, and the village safe, I moved on again. I could not keep putting off aiding Kor and the remaining Horde troops in Krasarang, for the cause I supported matched theirs. Reservations about Pandaria could not make me doubt my cause there anymore – though there would be hard times, the War had brought me here with purpose. And I would endeavour to fulfill such a purpose for the good of as many as I could aid.

When I reached Dawnchaser Retreat, named in honour of Leza’s memory (for she had helped the Horde establish this foothold), I found it under attack by packs of mogu troops. I had not seen signs of ruins nearby. I took advantage of a gap in the mogu line and fled through, barely dodging the swing of an ancient axe as it cleaved my cloak in two.

Relief flooded across Kor’s face when he saw me. The troops around the Retreat looked hungry and tired, and I presumed that the mogu raid had been going on for several days.

‘War, Keliera. It always comes down to war.’ Even in light of the Sha of Despair’s defeat, the slight hopelessness felt by everyone in the encampment was clear to me – a fact not helped much by the news of another death.

‘We were laying an ambush for the Alliance in the ruins west of here when the mogu arrived and ambushed us in turn. In their attempt to reclaim the ruins here as well, they have opened mage portals and reinforcements have been streaming through for days. We fell back to this refuge when they attacked but lost a number of troops along the way. The mogu took them captive.

Keliera, I.. apologise for the way I treated you and Dezco back in the Cleft. I see now that it may have been wiser to move as a unified force, and the Alliance has not shown interest in fighting us yet. But Leza’s last visions led us to the light of this place like moths to a flame.

I am afraid that you are the only one among our number who we can afford to send after the troops – those here are too weak to fight further out, and they must remain to defend against the mogu. Though I suspect that, weakened by forced labour, the captive troops will not be stronger than those here, their presence alone will bolster our strength and greater numbers will help our morale. Please, go north and help save our troops.’

Kor remained brooding by the fire as I snuck east out of the Retreat and into the undergrowth, avoiding detection by the mogu. The Wild here was eerie – quieter than any of the areas in the jungle I had been before, but still filled with the dark noises of the jungle that can wake you up in the night with a sweating brow and a terrified chest.

I made my way west to the Ruins of Korja, where ritualists opened portals using ancient relics and weary troops fought their captors. I found Kang Bramblestaff again not far in.

‘It is good to see you again, Keliera, though I wish the circumstances were better. I followed the path of the mogu to these ruins. They are using the relics they reclaimed earlier to summon reinforcements, but I am not sure where from. If you have business here, any relics you find on the portal-openers will aid my search – the mogu have not commanded magic since the time of legends, and these relics are the key to their magic.’

The ruins were considerably more dilapidated than any I had seen before, and opened up into a large field where portals pumped constant reinforcements to the massing mogu army. The captive troops were chained to their locations by runes, forced to excavate endlessly until exhaustion took them. The runes were easy enough to break, but the mogu themselves were more domineering than the weak tribes I had seen earlier in Pandaria, and I found it much more effective to keep to the shadows, flinging the occasional untraceable fireball. In time I made my way around the whole field, having disrupted a large section of their operations – but the portals remained open, and I did not have the ability to exert enough magic to close such large portals.

Kang rendezvoued with me in the Retreat.

‘Well done, Keliera. You have removed the swords from the hands of the children. Now we stand a better chance. Those relics were a brutal weapon waiting to happen, and thanks to you they will not.’

At breakfast the next morning, everyone appeared a little brighter, having gotten more sleep and a bit of peace of mind. Kor seemed reinvigorated now that the battle was turning in our favour.

‘I will not let another troop die against this enemy, Keliera. The mogu are brutish thugs who deserve no power, and certainly not the satisfaction of killing our soldiers. They were brought here for greater things than to die like swines. With the relics in Kang’s possession, the mogu’s ability to call reinforcements is restricted. Now, we can make preparations to bring the battle to their Lord Reclaimer, who has been overseeing the mogu incursions into all their ancient territories.’

The morning was quiet, until the sudden and dramatic arrival of scouts bearing the battered form of a pandaren. Efforts were quickly made to administer first aid to him, and I and Kor sheltered him within Kor’s tent until he was able to speak.

‘Pandaren, what is your name and what manner of being put you in this state?’

‘My name is… Han. I am an ambassador from Stoneplow Village in the Valley of the Four Winds. I was part of an envoy to the Crane Temple, but the mogu ambushed us on the way here.’

I took the lead. ‘The Crane Temple was attacked by the Sha recently. They only overcame the infestation a week ago. The paths are unfortunately not clear. Why were you on your way to the Temple?’

‘The villages of the Pandaren have all been recieving visions recently. The Mantid! They fly across the Wall and assault our homes, attacking in force and devouring our lands! These visions are… occasional, for we live in proximity to the Wall, and Mantid incursions happen, but only one or two. Never have we seen the numbers as we saw in those dreams, and the dreams are happening every night. We fear it is an omen, and were seeking the knowledge of the August Celestials in explaining this.’

The August Celestials were as to the Pandaren as the Ancients were to the Kaldorei or the Loa to the trolls – ancient, immense beings gifted with mystical and unknown power and knowledge. I had met two already – Yu’Lon, the Jade Serpent, was the Spirit of Wisdom and Foresight. Chi-Ji, the Red Crane, was the Spirit of Hope. Their guidance – and those of the others, who I had yet to learn of – had aided the Pandaren for thousands of years. Their knowledge would prove helpful, yes, but what was-

‘Pandaren, we are newcomers to your land. Please, explain – what are these mantid you speak of, and what is this wall?’ Kor asked the questions I was thinking.

‘The mantid are haunting, terrible creatures! They are like insects, but violent and ruthless, and they devour all within their wake! Years ago, the Shado-Pan Monks sealed them behind a wall that cut off a quarter of Pandaria, but it was a small price to pay for the rest! Please, they are preparing to hit Stoneplow! You must go to the border between the Wilds and the Valley where they are massing and get rid of them!’ By now, Han was almost in hysterics, and while a pair of healers calmed him down I and Kor spoke outside.

‘Keliera, we are able to hold our own. The Pandaren have already been valuable friends to our peoples, and this mantid threat sounds more immediate and dangerous than the isolated mogu. We will continue to assault the mogu and you go and aid the Pandaren for now. When you are satisfied that Stoneplow is safe from this ‘Mantid’ threat, return to us and we will prepare for our final assault. Lok’tar Ogar!’

Valley of the Four Winds/Krasarang Wilds: Part 4

When we reached Thunder Cleft, we first delivered the leaves and water to Dezco. ‘Thank you both. Kor is a brave warrior but he lacks compassion. He must learn that life needs to come before death, or there will be no one left when the fighting is done.’ He eyed the water warily. ‘I am unsure of this, but at this point I am willing to try anything if it will help Leza even a little. The land is claiming her and her child slowly, and I fear only divine powers could save her now.’

‘Dezco!’ Leza’s nurse Nala called frantically from the tent. ‘Whatever is going to happen, it is starting now!’ Dezco hurried in, leaving the rest of us to wait, and protect the encampment.

Though there was great toil that night, Leza did not survive the birth. None of our remedies worked, nor the triune of light, nature and elemental healing. The alliance did not come near, and the next day the entire camp was silent in solemn solidarity. The Tauren all adopted mourning facepaints, though the wilds provided different plants, and Dezco spent much of that day aside from Leza’s cremation caring for his new young. Leza’s death had brought twins into his world. We all took brief hope from the fact that our efforts to remedy Leza’s illness may have saved the lives of her twin sons.

Kor departed along with a collection of scouts while the Tauren mourned. The alliance were moving west, and so would the Horde. I decided that it would be best to journey first to the Temple of the Red Crane. Krasarang was plagued with despair like the Jade Forest had been with doubt, and I felt sure that the priests of the Temple would have an answer to the curse I kept seeing the effects of again and again.

The gloomy rain did not halt as I pressed further west. Kang moved into the forest to meditate on the mogu, and had not found the Hidden Master either. The winding paths led around the ruins, into an area known as the Deepwild. This area was the last territory of the serpentine saurok, and was somehow even darker, hotter and wetter than the rest of Krasarang. By now, a consistent layer of sweat and rain clung to my clothes, and I had learnt not to pay it attention. Cranes, moths, snakes, bats and wasps moved around in the undergrowth as I continued along the main road.

Almost a day later a curious shaft of light pierced my vision. It looked eerily familiar, and spurred me onwards. Coming to the shores of an oxbow lake on the River Krasarang, I saw a group of Pandaren with several saurok captives. Drawing closer, the view finally opened up, and I could see the Temple of the Red Crane, no less beautiful than that of the Jade Serpent. It was smaller, with domes on its spires, and built out of beautiful red and white stone. The view was still spellbinding despite the haze of the Wilds.

Amidst the camp I found a Shu’halo scout, felled by saurok arrows. Dezco had sent out a scout days ago to establish contact with the temple. I took her report and murmured a prayer. I would deliver it to Kor when I reached him.

‘The land here is harsh. Past the Ruins of Dojan are the marshlands of the Krasari River. My fur feels as though it will never dry out.

What is worse, the landscape seems to have an almost overwhelming sadness to it. I’m no druid or shaman but I can feel when the light has left a place.

There appear to be patrols of local lizardfolk. The locals I have experienced refer to them as “soren” and they are an ill tempered lot.

To compound this issue, I have encountered a band of priests fleeing their Crane Temple as the physical embodiment of sadness appears to be welling up and attacking everything on sight.

These people must be protected. I will do what I can to assist them.’

A noble end. But the physical embodiment of sadness… Another major Sha, in Krasarang. My suspicions had been right, and I now recognised the pillar of light in the temple grounds. It was identical to the columns of corruption I had seen the Sha of Doubt siphoning energy from in Serpent’s Heart. But there was only one, and I had stopped the effects of despair elsewhere in the Wilds. Perhaps it was not as powerful yet. I spoke to the leader of the group of priests that had fled the temple, Koro Mistwalker.

‘You come from further out… I see… And the sha have seeped as far as the province already, have they?

Well, I hate to break it to you but the temple is overrun with the things. Those of us not dead or possessed are fleeing for our lives. If you defeated the sha at Zhu’s Watch, I have to implore you to help us here.’ Driven by curiosity as to the source of these Sha, and the desire to avoid the same devastation as had befallen the Jade Forest, I agreed.

‘There is a camp to the north, but refugees are being ambushed by packs of sauren on the way there. Help us escort the remainder, and we can make plans when we are safe there. Old temple wisdom: Never fight a tiger with a hozen on your back. The sauren are a more immediate nuisance, even though the sha are the greater threat in the long run.’

The priests had not been able to extract knowledge of sauren patrols from the few they had captured, and we were forced to make a blind run. Two patrols ambushed us with arrows, but they were small in number, and the majority of us made it to Crane Wing Refuge, a hastily-constructed camp where most of the surviving temple-goers resided, and… Anduin Wrynn!?

‘You. I remember you, elf, from the Forest. The Pandaren have shown you and I great hospitality, and now is not the time to resume our quarrel.

After your people left to start the fight, SI:7 agents found me. Though they tried to take me home immediately, I ran away – there is more to this land I need to learn about. I cannot sit idly in the Keep while my people spill their blood. Pandaria could hold the secrets to saving thousands of lives in this war.

I slipped away during the battle for Serpent’s Heart, and fled to Zhu’s Watch, where Mei Barrelbottom recommended I seek an audience with Chi-Ji, the Red Crane, in the temple. I was studying there when the sha arrived.’

I had no reason to quarrel, and left Anduin aiding the villagers. I spoke again with Koro now that the remaining refugees had settled in.

‘Thank you, Keliera. We could not have made it unaided. The saurok still have many scouts all over this region. We will not be safe unless they are taken out, and you have proven your skill in magic already. It would be very appreciated if you would aid us. And here-‘ Koro rifled around his person, bringing out a long, thin branch. ‘This is scrutiny. Use it to set off the saurok traps before you stumble into them.’

I was about to set off when Anduin called after me again. ‘Blood elf! I would speak with you before your departure!’

‘Yes, Prince Wrynn?’ There was a tiny hint of sarcasm in my voice.

‘Several of the villagers were bitten by the snakes that swarm amongst the river on their way here. Their bite causes murksweats – a terrifying condition that is fatal if not cured quickly as it causes the body to reject all fluids. I need venom from the snakes for the antitode. We may be on separate sides in this war, but know that I ask you because I know you wish to aid these innocents as much as I.’ I could not disagree with him and leave innocent pandaren to die, he was right. So, I set off first towards the river’s edge.

The Murkscale serpents were certainly venomous and dangerous, but they were also limited to the river, and I obtained several corpses fairly easily. The sauren traps proved more dangerous, as they were spike traps that almost took off my hands even when activated from afar. The sauren pathstalkers were masters of the wild, but in the open they were vulnerable, and the few that lingered too near the camp were killed quite easily.

Anduin was busy carving a pile of already-hunted murkscale serpents when I deposited mine.

‘Thank you mage. Judging by the sounds coming from the refugees, I would say we are lucky not to have the murksweats. I need to focus to obtain the venom from the head, so please leave me to my work. I would certainly not wish murksweats on my worst enemy.’

Koro met me as we rested that evening.

‘Thank you for all you have done, Keliera. No one deserves a death at the hands of the sauren, be it person, beast or otherwise. They are honourless killers.’ Having supplied anti-venom enough to quieten all of the infecten, Anduin joined us.

‘With the threat of saurok now at bay, we just discuss our next move, Koro.’

‘Certainly. First, thank you – both of you. The Red Crane has always symbolised hope for our people, and I am afraid that even my thoughts began to darken in his absence.’

‘Do not despair, Koro. Where I come from, we have a saying: It is darkest just before the dawn.’

I nodded in agreement, and Koro chuckled.

‘That it is. You speak with a wisdom beyond your years, Anduin. If we get through this, I would like to learn about where you are from.’

We moved on to discussion about the Temple.

‘My time with the Red Crane was short, but I learned a great deal under his tutelage. This Sha energy is something the Horde and Alliance have never faced before – physical manifestation of negative emotion that was bottled under the landscape until the parting of the mists that protected Pandaria.

Having been released, it bursts forth to find living hosts to possess. If we do not aid the Pandaren in fighting them, all of Pandaria – and the world – could be lost in their swarm. They have the mysterious ability to evoke powerful and overwhelming emotional responses in their victims to allow them to possess them. As we fled, senior members of the Order stayed behind to cover our escape. Every moment they stay there they are being subjected to emotional truama, and they may not last long. We must show them hope by defeating the Sha that have overrun the Temple.’

‘It seems that after a few days you understand the ways of the Red Crane already, Anduin. Perhaps you knew them already. Huge maws of despair have been spewing out sha on both sides of the temple – and she who mends torn umbrella will be more dry than she who strikes at rain. We have a way in to the temple if you can close those maws. But as for the striking at rain part… I disagree with it. Sometimes it is very effective – and necessary – to strike at the rain. In order to see through the veil of despair, you will have to carve a hole into it.’

Setting aside our differences, I and Anduin Wrynn, Prince of Stormwind, made our way along the river-bed to the Temple of the Red Crane to help free it from the Sha that plagued all of Krasarang.

Valley of the Four Winds/Krasarang Wilds: Part 3

After that enlightening tale, I made my way back to the jungle and collected the rest of the cranes and tigers I needed.

That was not the end of it, sadly. She set me about taking out the largest crane and tigress in the nearby wilds.

The tigress, Chasheen, was the oldest and fiercest of all in this area of the Wilds. She ruled over the Krasari tigers as Alpha Female, and had a dark, rich fur that had resulted in a camouflage allowing her to surpass all her peers for years. I felt uneasy killing such a noble beast, but I took solace in the fact that she was responsible for the deaths of many innocents herself on the banks of the Dojani River – and she did not make it an easy task to hunt her down. Bones were arrayed like traps around her lair and she had the sharpest teeth I had seen on such an old wildcat.

The crane, Needlebeak, was further north, below the waterfall. From there he had the prime catch of the largest migrating carp from the Valley of the Four Winds, and though old age and generous feasts had made him plump, his plumage and poise kept him almost invisible among the trees. Fortunately my magic meant I did not encounter his beak – easily sharper than any well-made sword.

With their hard-obtained corpses in tow I made my way back to Daggle, hoping that that was enough carnage to satisfy her aims in Krasarang.

‘Excellent! The rest of the safari is up the western side of the Valley of Four Winds. If you find yourself there, join us! Good hunting!’ With that, the goblin strapped herself into her rocket and launched, cargo in tow, over the cliffs towards the Valley.

With that unpleasant business sorted out, I resumed my journey along the path past the Dojani River. Along its delta I found the corpse of a Pandaren alongside that of a local tiger. The Courier had met his end, and the tiger had succumbed to the wounds he had inflicted upon it. After murmuring a quick prayer, I sent an arcane construct back to Zhu’s Watch to notify the village of his demise, and picked up the courier’s unharmed supplies satchel. The Temple might be able to use them.

I did not know which way to go yet. The Temple was supposed to be along this river, but I couldn’t see any sign of it in the rain. However, not far off I saw a bridge along the path, and beside it… Tauren buildings? It couldn’t be. There were other soldiers here? Suddenly, the presence of Sha earlier in the Wilds was possibly explained. I hurried along, knowing that as a Horde soldier I could take refuge there, and possibly find my way to the Temple.

The bridge across the Dojani delta was in fact a fallen jungle tree – the wood and ground were so dark I had not been able to distinguish it. One of the Tauren Braves met me as I approached.

‘Hail, traveller. You are of the Horde, yes? Welcome to Thunder Cleft, a small beacon of the Earthmother’s Light in these dark, unforgiving lands. Please, come inside. Sunwalker Dezco will be pleased to meet a friendly face.’

Inside the encampment were a collection of Tauren Braves and Sunwalkers, as well as an orc. Sunwalker Dezco was the most decorated of those present.

‘Greetings, traveller. I had not thought we would see other friendly Horde faces on these shores. On the command of our Chieftaine, Baine Bloodhoof, we were ordered to sail into the unknown waters of the south. Our people were granted visions by the Earthmother – of a promised land, filled with golden blossoms. My wize, Leza, had visions that led us here. She pushed us north until we reached these cliffs. She is-‘

Dezco was cut off by a strangled scream from a nearby tent. He sighed at the ground. ‘She is in labour, blood elf, and the water and heat here are taking a toll on her. I fear she and our child may not make it out of this jungle. But you are welcome to stay here while we decide upon a path that will take us safely north.’

I met Kang Bramblestaff later that evening (I think it was evening), one of the monks that had been searching for the Hidden Master. Whereas Ken-Ken had followed the east wind, and not really gotten anywhere, Kang had gone south, and had apparently ended up in the central Wilds.

‘This place is most interesting, elf. This settlement is but a few weeks old – as though it arrived as the Mists cleared.’ I was about to ask Kang about his progress searching for the Hidden Master when I remembered my experience at the mogu ruins in the Borderlands. The Shu’halo there had told me to warn Dezco at Thunder Cleft of the mogu! I quickly retrieved the weapon and poison samples I had taken from the ruins, and hurriedly informed Dezco.

‘Chezin is dead to these foul mogu creatures? This is bad news indeed. I have fought alongside Chezin and Kor on almost every shore that has a name.’ The orc, Kor, nodded grimly. ‘Thank you for recovering these weapons, Keliera. It will give us some knowledge about our new enemies.’

As Leza continued her fraught labour, Dezco and Kor worriedly discussed their options.

‘Dezco, we must strike at the mogu now while they think us weak. This is a weapon of the Horde now and we must use it on the Alliance.’

‘This was not supposed to be a combat mission, Kor.’

‘And the Alliance was not supposed to follow us here!’

Dezco went to be with his wife, and I spoke with Kor alone.

‘The Alliance has spies all around us, Keliera. We cannot let them know of our internal problems. Make sure that no information reaches their camp on the south coast.’

Kang spoke with me as I was leaving.

‘Keliera, is it? I remember you now from back in the Valley. My mother, Mama Greatstaff, once told me of a recipe that could heal almost any illness – Skitterer Stew. We must find out if it will help with Leza’s fever – no mother in labour should have a fever. Gather some glands from the pond skitterers around here, and I will gather herbs for the stew.’

Despite appearances, the local pond-skaters were actually pretty slow, since as soon as they ran towards me they fell in the water and were taken completely off-guard. I had managed to collect a few glands when I saw the Darnassian spy making her way south along the riverbed, no doubt from the outpost. I could not let the Kaldorei have an advantage over us, at least while Leza remained in labour, and I quickly engaged her with spellfire. She proved more than a little challenging, especially with her nightsaber leaping at me from the shadows, and I was forced to use almost every evasive spell in my repertoire to get range.

With a suitable collection of glands gathered, I made my way back along the river to Thunder Cleft. Kang awaited me on my return.

‘Even the air here can be dangerous, Keliera. Be careful. Luckily, nothing clears an illness like Mama Greatstaff’s stews.’ When I returned to Kor, he and Dezco were arguing again.

‘Dezco, we must press westward. We are vulnerable if we stay here. The Alliance knows our location.’

‘We must wait. We cannot move Leza while she is in labour.’

‘I appreciate that your wife led us this far in, Dezco, but this is a poor choice of-‘

‘There is no choice here, Kor. We cannot move Leza and we cannot leave her behind.’

‘Very well then. We will simply have to prepare to move westward and move Leza as soon as possible. Keliera, there are mogu ruins to the west. The mogu are like night elves – ancient and with an over-developed sense of entitlement. They must lose it soon enough. Quell their numbers and find out what they are doing there before they have a chance to attack.’

Kang accompanied me on my path west when I set off the following morning. The stew had not worked, and Leza’s condition was worsening. Kang had another idea. ‘This fever is not simply a fever. There is something in the land affecting all of us, sapping our hope and placing despair in its place. The lotus plants in the wilds may be able to help. They grow nearest to us at the Ruins of Dojan, so it is as good a place as any to go picking them. And I hope to find out what is going on at the ruins while we’re there.’

The path to the ruins led us into a curious clearing. An orange sun beamed down from over the cliffs of the Valley, and few trees grew among the ruins. Mogu yells were easily heard. We fought our way in, picking Imperial Lotus leaves when we rested. I could not see any signs of leadership yet, but the mogu were casting curious rituals on the local stone. I saw the statue of a creature I had never seen prior, like a lion but with its hair in ringlets. I wondered if it was a native creature to Pandaria.

‘For the Thunder King!’ A runecaster yelled as he attacked us, and fell.

‘The Thunder King? That doesn’t make sense. The mogu have not had proper leadership since their empire fell fourteen millennia ago. Perhaps they-‘

‘Faster, you fools! We need every one of these artifacts soon or it’s the cane for your hides!’ The voice boomed from the centre of the ruins. Their leader. The mogu were gathering the ancient artifacts here for some purpose, but why here? Why now?

‘I don’t think these mogu are from here. They’re only scavenging relics, not pillaging or digging in. They must have been sent from elsewhere.’ We fought our way up the terraces, as the Ruins led upwards to the top of the hill they were built on. At the top of the terrace a single mogu stood, yelling orders to his brethren. Though taller, armoured and generally stronger than the rest, with Kang’s aid we defeated him in short time. On his person we found some orders.

‘The Reclamation

By the order of his exalted, the reclaimers shall be dispatched to the ruins of Dojan. There they are to recover any artifacts that may be used to arm our people. We need guardian statues, scrolls, any arcane devices that will help us rekindle our former glory.

Priority must be given to the Pools of Youth on the north side of Dojan. These waters are vital to the continued strength of the empire.

-Groundbreaker Brojai,
The Lord Reclaimer’

‘So the mogu are reclaiming their empire. They used to subjugate all the races they encountered. It seems that these particular mogu have aspirations of reliving the past. Wait. This document talks about the Pools of Youth! These pools exist?!’ Kang began to chatter excitedly. ‘The mogu found the Pools of Youth! Mama Bramblestaff used to tell me old stories about those. During the mogu empire they would use the waters to extend life.

Thing is those stories never ended well for some reason. As if the waters were cursed. Either way, we should investigate. There is a good chance those waters might help Leza. It looks like the Pools of Youth are on the northwestern side of the ruins.’

We hurried off the terrace, scrambling down the hill to the northwest. On the northwestern side the terrace linked to a bridge. On the other side, an abandoned pool stretched past intact statues – and in the middle was a massive, chained water spirit. By one of the statues I found a story scroll.

‘The Lost Dynasty

Even by mogu standards, the reign of Emperor Dojan II was short and brutish. His maniacal drive to finish his father’s work and complete the great purge against the rebellious saurok legions drove him to leave his court in disarray while he set out on a doomed military campaign.

From his perch high on the cliffs overlooking the Krasarang Wilds he oversaw the slow clear-cutting of the jungle, the establishment of the Dojanni Dungeons, and the gradual genocide of the saurok race.

What he didn’t expect was for the remains of the saurok fifth and seventh legions to scale the enormity of the cliffs in the dead of night, ambushing his imperial pavilion from the Valley of the Four Winds and forcing him over the edge. His body was never found, and the resulting disarray in the capitol left the empire in chaos for over two years while the saurok melted back into the wilds and disappeared…’

Setting that story of the ruins aside, I and Kang raced into the pools to examine the poor spirit. Red energy like that of the runecasters pulsated around it, sapping its energy. As we approached, the weak spirit smiled at us. Somehow, I felt invigorated. We attempted quickly to free the spirit, and I wondered if the tainted water of the Wilds had something to do with the events here.

When the elemental (who was apparently revered as Na Lek) was freed, a large mogu overseer teleported to the pools.

‘Halt, supplicants! These waters belong to the Thunder King. Your presence is unwelcome. GUARDIANS! KILL THESE INTRUDERS!’ His booming voice shuck the ground, and as it did the statues of the curious lion-beings came to life. Though we were outmatched, the aid of the water spirit quickly struck them down, and Na Lek returned to the pools. Kang collected a small portion of the water, bowing reverently to it. With that done and the local power of the mogu broken we were left to make our way back to Thunder Cleft, and wonder what the mogu’s next step would be.

Valley of the Four Winds/Krasarang Wilds: Part 1

With the death of the Sha of Doubt the Jade Heart’s corruption lifted, and with it Yu’Lon’s strength returned. She moved to the courtyard as the survivors gathered, and addressed us.

‘Thanks to you the Temple is saved. A chain of events began when your people arrived in these lands, and it shows no sign of stopping. While these happenings have proven traumatic, there must be a larger purpose yet for you here. For now it is wisest for you to leave the Jade Forest, and explore the rest of Pandaria. It would be best if the natives did not see you here for a time.’

Yu’Lon moved to the front of the temple, where we clambered on to her and she gracefully leapt into the sky, ferrying us forth across the Forest, past the devastation and west towards the lands we had not yet seen.

‘The battles here have extracted a heavy toll. My rebirth will have to wait some years. I do not know why the Mists have opened, only that it was for a reason. Your war has exposed the darkness hidden in Pandaria – this you have seen for yourself. You are the reason for the opening of the Mists. You must find your purpose. The Valley of the Four Winds is a good place to start.

Another visitor is in the Valley, a Pandaren not native to Pandaria. His name is Chen Stormstout. Learn from him and make friends among the people. Farewell, strangers. I hope to call you friends when we meet again.’

With that, Yu’Lon set back off towards the Jade Forest, dropping us off on the border with the Valley.

‘Be wise, travellers. You must prove to the people here that your purpose extends beyond war and destruction.’

Sure enough, the fabled Chen Stormstout and his niece, Li Li, made camp on the main road not far from where I was.

‘Ha ha! Hello, stranger! My niece and I are new to Pandaria, probably like yourself. We’re visitors from the Wandering Isle. We’re not entirely sure where we’re going next, but the farm up ahead looks like a good place to stay. Would you like to accompany us?’

So Chen Stormstout, the mighty Pandaren brewmaster was from the Wandering Isle, the home of the Huojin Pandaren that had joined the Horde – and the Tushui Pandaren who had joined the Alliance.

I accompanied Chen and Li Li – a talkative pandaren girl who complained quite loudly about how slow Chen was going – to a nearby farmstead owned by a Pandaren named Pang. Though Chen offered ale in return for a place to sleep, Pang declined, perfectly happy for us to stay anyway.

Dawn was rising over the Valley of the Four Winds, and it was a sight to behold. The plains are majestic, far wider, greener and more sweeping than those of Nagrand or Mulgore, and yet nothing like them. Trees and fronds grew from bluffs and light winds made whole acres shimmer.

Pang Thunderfoot, who was providing us kindly with a place to stay, was a retired farmer. ‘The rest of my family runs the farms around here, and I am content to stay here and sell on what they send up. I have plenty of room for visitors. But things are quite troubled. The virmen – rabbit-like creatures around the hills here – have begun to invade the farms, eating our prized crops. Please, if you could spare the time, go take out some of the pests.’

Protecting this man’s livelihood was the least I could do, especially since he was such a benevolent host. I was starting out along the path into the farmland when I noticed a curious scroll propped against the side of the house.

‘Embracing the Passions

While some of the more tame forest hozen have chosen to intergrate with pandaren culture, they remain at their core a simple race driven by their passions. They love hunting and fishing, and often will assault anyone and everything in their hunting grounds. An unfortunate situation, since the hozen hunting ground seldom have consistent bordering or signage. Thankfully, most hozen are kept in check by pandaren monks.’

What a curious bit of information. I wondered if there were hozen in the Valley, and if they would be friendly after the destruction of their relatives in the Jade Forest. My confirmation was right behind me, as a hozen farmhand was busy shovelling hay. He beckoned me over.

‘Me Muno. You know Virmen, dumb little rabbit-things? They not just steal our food. They try start farms of their own. But they dumb. Last night, they break into tool shed, and we wakes up to find rakes and wheelbarrows planted in ground! They was trying to GROW WHEELBARROWS. Please unbury our stuff while you out there.’

I was not sure whether to be wary or amused by the virmen. I found out fairly quickly, as their rabbit-like appearance hid sharp teeth and fast claws. Cries of ‘you go away!’ as they guarded their ‘crops’ filled the air and alerted swarms of the things to me. I was forced to adopt a scorched earth policy more than once. By the time I got back to Pang’s Stead, I had a good collection of tools, and an extensive collection of bitemarks.

‘You’ve done pretty well. There’s still some bounding around, but I’d say they’re scared of you now. You’ve definitely more than earned your stay here.’

Leaving the house to ask about the Valley, I noticed a group of monks hanging around the house. They seemed familiar.

‘Keliera!’ One of the Pandaren in the collective ran over. It was Lin Tenderpaw, a pandaren woman I had become friends with in my time at the Xian Monastery.

‘Lin! What are you doing here?’

‘We graduated from the Tian Monastery not long after you left. We’re on a journey to find the Hidden Master here in the Valley.’

‘The- Hidden Master? What’s that?’

‘Lin, are you coming?’ One of the other monks yelled. Lin dragged me over. ‘You can listen in! It’ll be fun.’

‘Does anyone know where to find the hidden master?’ Asked Kang Bramblestaff.

‘No, silly. That’s why he’s hidden.’

After a long argument, it was decided that the monks there would split up and search for the hidden master through each of the Four Winds – north, east, south and west. After they had split up, I spoke to Xiao, who would remain waiting for the others at the Stead.

‘Ken-Ken and Kang have both gone to the Krasarang Wilds to try search for the hidden master. Their paths are dangerous enough, and I worry that with the lack of humility and brains between them, they may end up in a tight spot. Could you please go and check that they are alright?’

I had hoped to spend more time in the Valley, but it was always something I could come back to later. I agreed, and spent most of that afternoon on the silent paths of the Valley, heading south towards Krasarang. I had been told in Dawn’s Blossom that the Krasarang Wilds formed the densest jungle in Pandaria, and had once covered its entire southern tract, fought back only by the Pandaren, whose agricultural ways had kept the Wilds from spreading beyond the Yan-Zhe River that separated the Valley from the jungle.

The paths made me long for my hawkstrider once more. Velore had been left in Grookin Hill, and there was a good chance that he had made it unscathed through everything that had happened after I had left for Serpent’s Overlook. I passed Thunderfoot Fields, heading southwest until I reached Zhu’s Watch, a lookout post that kept the bridge between the Wilds and the Valley free of trouble.

Past the bridge is Zhu’s descent, and here the grounds become marshy and darker. The trees grow taller, and all you can see in the south is untamed jungle. I found Ken Ken, a hozen monk, in the grounds of the main Watch. Rain fell from the purple skies. Something seemed amiss. Ken-Ken was upset when I found him.

‘This place.. it so sad! Ken-Ken never see a place so sad!’ I asked him what was going on.

‘Pandaren usually welcome travellers with open arms – they always happy to see you even if they really sad! But this town full of jerks! They all so busy sulking that they don’t talk to Ken-Ken at all. Maybe normal Pandaren hiding. Can you find someone who will talk to us?’

Ken-Ken was right. Very few Pandaren were even willing to look at you in Zhu’s Watch, never mind talk. I wandered in to the inn, and it was quite. No merriment. Things were definitely wrong. This went against all of Pandaren culture I had experienced so far. I spoke to Mei Barrelbottom outside the inn.

‘My nephew has always had a pessimistic view of things. When this weird wave of despair hit the town, he took it harder than most. He sat for days and wouldn’t eat. Now he’s wandered off towards the cliffs northeast of here, where the Thunderbirds nest. They’ll eat him alive. Please, you have to find Yi-Mo!’ I agreed, but spoke to a few more people before I left town. The wardens of the town refused to speak at all, stuck in their malaise. A woman named Sunni mentioned that no one had wanted to do anything since the rain had begun, and others mentioned that they toiled pointlessly, and that I was another person come to disturb them.

This was all very confusing. I had certainly never encountered such despair on a wide scale. I headed northeast to search for Yi-Mo, feeling that further attempts to get past the villagers’ apathy would only result in me getting annoyed.

The large Thunderbirds dominate the trees of the Zhu province, huge buzzard-like birds that could eat an elk whole. Fortunately the rain provided cover. The buzzards didn’t seem all that interested, anyway.

I found Yi-Mo by the edge of the cliffs, where a cruel wind blew. He was on the floor, simply sighing. He seemed… darker than the usual pandaren, like his fur was grey.

‘Let me guess: my aunt sent you?’ Yi-Mo sighed again. ‘Ever since the rain began, I’ve felt exhausted. Not physically. Like my soul is worthless. Hopeless. I feel worthless to everyone. At least the thunderbirds will have a good meal from me.’

Yi-Mo didn’t seem in the mood to move anywhere, so I took the next best option and rolled him back to town. The thunderbirds did not take kindly at this, pecking at me as I stole their next meal, and Yi-Mo even encouraged them as I kept moving! When we finally got back to town he stalked off, leaving me alone. I spoke to Mei afterwards.

‘He was going to let himself get eaten by the thunderbirds? I can’t believe it.. this despair affecting the town is worse than I thought. I cannot thank you enough for saving him.’

Mei took a breath and explained the situation.

‘All of this started with our ponds. In a single day, all the water retreated into the earth. When there was none left, it began to fall from the sky. But the ponds do not fill. They are never quenched. Now they birth horrific manifestations of despair – elementals made from the water of the sky and the salt of the earth. The Tears of Pandaria.’

Ken-Ken joined us in the inn, seeking shelter from the rain.

‘Only one lady panda who not crazy? This worse than Ken-Ken thought, Keliera. But Ken-Ken have old hozen remedy that might do trick. Need to mix honey, fish oil and salt. Ken-Ken saw beehives around town, and fish in the dry ponds, but not sure where to fetch salt.’ Mei interjected. ‘The manifestations by the ponds are made of the salts there. If you defeat them, you should be able to extract the salt.’

It was getting quite dark, but I set out anyway, since the pools were not far. Not only were they close, but they were familiar.

The ground was black, and the outside blinding white with the energy being sapped from it. It was the same devastation that had befallen Serpent’s Heart after the Sha of Doubt broke free. The Sha must be around here somewhere, and fairly strong if they had affected a whole town.

The Jade Forest: Part 7

I headed along the splintered path, hearing the anguished cries of the gorillas rebounding off the trees as their home was destroyed. Soon I reached the Gormal Ruins, home to the local mogu – known as the Gormali tribe. I stayed behind a ruined tree, scouting the area, until Shao arrived.

‘How does it look, Keliera?’

‘This wasn’t a quick snatching operation. They have over a hundred villagers in there from all over the Forest. This was planned.’

‘They’re setting up for something big.’

As we watched, the mogu inspected their captives, sending along only those deemed strong enough to work.

‘The mogu value strength above all else, Keliera. It is what their empire was founded upon. We must stop them!’

We forced our way through the camps, freeing any prisoners we encountered and sending them on their way back to the Orchard. We worked our way down the cliffs inhabited by the mogu and soon were stood before their leader, Subjugator Gormal.

‘Ah, volunteers for the Thunder King’s labour force!’

‘ATTACK!’ On cue, a wave of pandaren charged the Subjugator from behind on the beach – reinforcements from the Orchard. Though the strongest mogu in the camp, the Subjugator was no match for so many Pandaren at once, and fell beneath our numbers. With the mogu in disarray, we regrouped on the other side of camp and headed back to the Orchard.

‘If the mogu are banding together they could be a significant threat to Pandaria. Their barbaric rule over these lands will not reoccur. Keliera, we can protect the Orchard for now – head north and warn Dawn’s Blossom.’

I did not linger, arriving in Dawn’s Blossom at the next nightfall. The whole saga since leaving Grookin Hill had only taken a few days. I quickly informed Mayor Windfur when I returned.

‘Organised mogu raids? This is troubling. I will send word to the other villages. But I think you should have a rest after all you have done in such a short time, Keliera. Please, go to the Tian Monastery, north of here. It will help you much to calm your heart.’

I could not disagree, and was soon on my way into the heart of the northern mountains. Past the wooden staircase that leads up the mountain’s edge, a tremendous stone bridge stretches across the Forest Heart, into the heart of the mountains themselves. Though many birds call these peaks their home and the air is sharper, the land is no less hospitable than the rest of the forest, home to many training monks. Halfway along the bridge is a grand bell known as the Gong of Hope, that rings out daily to bolster the wills of the recruits.

In the mountains, thin trees stretch out, grasping for the sun’s rays, and the ground is sparser, filled with lush green ferns rather than huge bamboo shoots and wild fronds. Thin paths lead you through the canyons until you are not really sure which way you came. But if you head inward you are bound to reach the Tian Monastery, with its plazas stretching across the mountaintops. However, even within the grounds one can get lost. Paths lead through markets and training areas, and the Monastery could quite easily be a small town and no one would be none the wiser. Eventually I found my way into the highest of its grounds, past a giant bell and into the main building, where I was directed to High Elder Cloudfall.

High Elder Cloudfall was at the top of the tallest building, awaiting my arrival. ‘Welcome to Tian Monastery. I hope what you have already seen has helped you understand our role in Pandaria. It would be a great honour if you would train alongside our young ones – we have only knowledge to offer, and perhaps an appreciation of our ways. If this interests you, please speak with me after we eat this evening.’

While I waited for evening, I aided in the local harvests of the ripe oranges that were just ripe for eating. The harvest was less a task and more a game of catch, as the trees grew so tall that only the oranges large enough to fall could be gained from them – and then they had to be caught carefully or ruined. The game was made entertaining by the local nature sprites, jumping from tree to tree, knocking oranges out of our hands and generally trying to make us fall over. Thoroughly worn-out and happy, we headed back for the banquet.

I had never truly experienced a Pandaren feast until that evening. Wine and ale flowed like water as the Pandaren celebrated the success of their harvest, and music and tales of history filled me with ease. It truly felt as though nothing was wrong with the world here. I managed to speak to the High Elder at some point during the evening. Welcoming me to the Monastery, he introduced me to the instructors, and we feasted merrily into the night.

At breakfast the next morning, I noticed that Hozen and Jinyu lived in peace within the Monastery ranks. The Pandaren facilitated peace where war would grow otherwise, it seemed.

After breakfast came sparring led by Master Stone Fist, which I took to fairly well, being lithe and quite acrobatic already (the fact that almost all the trainees were still drunk helped too). Afterwards, I sought out Groundskeeper Wu to complete my chores. He told me to collect branches for making weapons, and to transport ale from the merchants for lunch. I was then sent to Instructor Xann at the Ring of Balance. I joined the trainees in the ring who were already practising. I believe the correct phrase was ‘practise makes perfect’ – the pandaren trainees practised their moves ten-thousand times per day to attain this. Fortunately, as a new trainee, I was excused from such rigorous exercise this early.

‘This isn’t your first time fighting, like it is for the new trainees. You have well-practised form – not perfect yet, but certainly better than many here.’ Instructor Xann then had me practise on the training dummies in the yard as the more advanced students did, yelling commands until I perfected my ability to switch targets – something he assured me would be useful in future. He then sent me back to the Groundskeeper.

Groundskeeper Wu sent me out of the Monastery to fetch stew from a nearby old woman for the next feast, and clear the Waxwood that separated her house and the Monastery of tigers and sprites that were beginning to overpopulate and make travel hard. As I entered the Waxwood the sky flashed overhead. A storm was brewing, somewhere, and it was beginning to look as though I would have to take shelter in the old woman’s house. The local sprites were tricksters, and more than once I found myself fighting a mirror image of me just to get past them.

With a mighty peal of thunder rain burst over my head as I reached the house of Mother Wu. I could see the Thunder Hold ruins below me as I hurried inside, and I thought of the Sha. I could only hope the weather was a natural occurrence and not related to my earlier encounter with them.

‘It will do no good taking the stew to the Monastery in this weather – come in and have some tea while you wait, friend!’ Fortunately, Mother Wu was more hospitable than the outside. After about ten minutes of nice tea and chat, the worst of the storm had passed.

‘If you wouldn’t mind, dear, I need some Blushleaf Extract for my next stew – there are plenty of bushes in the Waxwood, and the stuff should be dripping off in this weather. Could you get some for me?’

I agreed, since I had nothing more pressing to do, but what Mother Wu did not tell me was that the Blushleaf Groves were full of tigers. It took quite a few ambushes before I had enough extract to return.

‘Oh, this is wonderful, dearie! The stew is all ready and covered for you to go back now.’ True enough, the stew was now locked safely in a large portable cauldron – with detachable lid. I hurriedly pulled it back to the Monastery before it cooled. With the stew safe, as well as the rest of Waxwood, lunch could now be served.

After a rather damp lunch, I resumed training with Master Stone Fist, who sent me to defeat the advanced trainees – a Jinyu named Husshun, who was a fierce, knowledgeable combatant, and a Hozen named Zhi-Zhi, the fastest Hozen I had seen in all the forest. Though the best challengers I had seen, I managed to defeat them through my own prior experience in battle. My final challenge for the day would be Xiao, the strongest (and largest) student in the Monastery. He was still eating his lunch when I challenged him. Though undoubtedly strong, his feasting had made him off-balanced, and I barely managed to overpower him.

Master Stone Fist was impressed. ‘You have shown considerable mastery over the way of sparring, but perhaps a test of how wide a variety of styles you can command is in order. Find Instructor Myang on the western side of the Monastery. She will train you this afternoon.’

Myang awaited me when I arrived. ‘My students have already spoken of your prowess. I would like to first test your abilities one-on-many. Please step into the ring. Your objective is of course to stay alive for the duration.’

Slightly cautious, I stepped into the Ring of Inner Focus. I couldn’t see any opponents…

‘BEGIN THE RUMPUS!’ Myang yelled with an air of command, and trainees quickly began to stream through the gates of the ring. First in twos and threes, then some larger, single combatants, then a whole host of them. I was quickly forced to use every trick I knew to stay on top, but I managed it.

‘Congratulations Keliera! You have defeated the Rumpus!’ Myang’s voice boomed, signalling the end, and the gates opened. She met me outside.

‘Well done. I have rarely seen such mastery over such a wide array of magic and combat. I think your training here is complete. Come, the banquet is starting, and High Elder Cloudfall wishes to speak to you.’

Myang led me back through the banquet grounds as the sun began to set. The rainfall had yet to lighten up, and a great red canopy had been erected over the banquet grounds. The rain did not dampen the jovial atmosphere, which seemed almost synonymous with Pandaren culture by now. The High Elder beckoned me over as we quickly hurried out of the rain.

‘You have passed your traineeship with flying colours, Keliera, even if it was only an honorary one. Your peers respect you, the young trainees are inspired by you and the masters here thank you for the services you have done for the Monastery. Come now, Wu has prepared a grand feast for us.’

Once again, we drank into the blissful night.

The next morning, though the ground was dry the sky was overcast, as though it knew dark things we did not. I cast my doubts aside for the moment. With my training in the Monastery completed and my mind cleared, I had little else to do except to travel back to Dawn’s Blossom.

When I reached the town that afternoon, I was immediately greeted with a message from one of the local jade merchants, Toya.

‘Keliera! Once again, thank you for your aid. After you freed the Forest Heart from the clutches of the Jade Witch, the jade suppliers began travelling into town again. We have a shipment bound for Lorewalker Cho, north in the Emperor’s Omen. He knows you well, and I was hoping you would be able to deliver it to him. I can give you a free ride there, of course.’

Having learnt quite a lot in the past couple of weeks, I agreed. A free ride, in this case, was a ride via kite, a majestic enchanted contraption that the Pandaren used for flight between towns. Soon I caught sight of the Emperor’s Omen, a gigantic stone tablet carved into the face of one of the mountains and covered in years’ worth of plant life. It was amazing to behold. Not far from where I landed, I saw Lorewalker Cho in discussion with some other Pandaren. He turned as I arrived.

‘Ah, hello again, Keliera!’ Lorewalker Cho eyed the collection of jade I had brought with him. ‘Toya is always dependable.’