Devouring Blades

In 39 L.C., the great destroyer Sargeras was imprisoned, ending the lasting threat of the Burning Legion. But the evil that he did lived on after him, including the many tools his minions created to hasten the destruction of all worlds. Among those weapons were the **Devouring Blades**, and it became the quest of Dame Raaxi, aided by the crews of the *Skylance* and the *Deception*, the Argent Onslaught, and the Order of Ashfall, to find and neutralize them before they could be turned on the ailing world of Azeroth.

## History

The Devouring Blades, or *Crulsach,* were created ages ago by one of the Legion. The weapons themselves escaped demonic corruption, and were able to draw on whatever energies surrounded them, growing more powerful over time. The name of the creature that forged them is unknown at this time, but it has been suggested that they were meant to be brought together and, once empowered, intended to be used by their creator to betray Sargeras.

Though some were forged and likely remained on distant worlds, some were either created on or brought to Azeroth during the War of the Ancients. It was there that the demonic bladesmith's plans were halted by Azerothian forces, the blades taken as trophies, or sealed away for fear of what they could be, and the exact fate of each was lost in the chaos of the Sundering and the passage of time.

## Legacy

The first of the Crulsach was claimed by the father of Dame Raaxi, on the Draenor of the alternate timeline. He managed to acquire it before it was completed, and passed it to the daughter of his mainline self.

However, it had attracted the attention of a demon who desired it, and the demon attempted to slay Raaxi and steal the blade. Fortunately, a demon hunter named Vitara Steelsing had been hunting this demon, and helped her to slay it.

It was at this time that Raaxi learned the true history of the Crulsach, and was directed to Kirastrasza, a red dragon who knew the locations of several blades.

## Feralas

The second was located on an island near Feralas, which devoured whatever life was around it, kept in check by druids who were able constantly to regrow and renew the plant life around it with the aid of seeds from Gorgrond. The privateer crew of the *Skylance* removed the blade, keeping it bound in the vines it had been sealed in to stay the blade's hunger for the time being. This blade now lies in the hold of the *Deception*, captained by Tyrnathera Stormcaller.

## It's All Your Vault

### Next

Fallen Far from the Tree

Another blade Vitara knew of, and it was in the keeping of a wealthy pandaren merchant in the Jade Forest. This blade was put up as a prize for a long-distance horse race. For this mission, Raaxi called upon the Argent Onslaught and the Knights of Ashfall to help win.

Lord Jeremaias Auromere and Sir Peryn Crowson took first and third places, respectively, and Commander Rease Stoneheart of the Argent Onslaught, second place. Auromere thereby won access to the vault where the blade was kept.

That night, the company opened and entered the vault. Not far in, the party encountered a pair of mogu statues, who compelled the party to prove their worth by fighting prisoners of the vault. These turned out to be two dreadguards, a shadow priest, and a wounded man. The shadow priest fought both demons and the party, and the wounded man sought protection. The dreadguards were dispatched swiftly, and the shadow priest disabled by Auromere in a rather disconcerting display of street-fighting techniques. The priest was taken prisoner and questioned, and the wounded man admitted to the party's company.

The priest revealed that he was taken prisoner by the owner of the vault, he knew not how long ago, and had been in quest of the Blades himself. However, he demonstrated contempt for the party, and could not be trusted; he was kept bound, and in the custody of Daevanne Giltcastle.

Deeper in the vault, the party was acted upon by fading residue of the Sha; their worst emotions and emotional impulses were enhanced, and the party struggled to maintain self-control. However, the shadow priest revealed indirectly what was happening, which aided them in overcoming.

When the party finally arrived at the Blade, they discovered that it had been imbibing sha energies. Before they could attempt to retrieve it, the owner of the vault appeared, and warned them that the wounded man was not what he appeared. The wounded man argued that the same was true of the pandaren before them.

Both were revealed to be true. The wounded man was, in actuality, a Faceless One, which the party swiftly dispatched. The owner, though, was a pit lord. Curiously, the pit lord was not hostile, and preferred to build a new life over destroying; it had left the Legion. Auromere found this unusual, but Aldorae Starseeker attacked without question. The pit lord withdrew, wounded, but not before unleashing water stored within the walls, bidding the party leave or drown, he cared not which.

The Blade was retrieved, and the party hastily escaped through a portal to the ruins of Theramore--the only safe place that such an artifact could be taken. During a general dispute about the handling of the events within the vault, Captain Tyrnathera Stormcaller bade Auromere keep the Blade in Ashfall.

### **Heroes of the Vault**

* Neapolitan Butterchurn
* Peryn Crowson
* Maradynn Dawnshatter
* Daevanne Giltcastle

## Vampire Killers

### Next

Winds of Change

Upon recieving information from a concerned, neutral-leaning Blood Elf that some of her people were kidnapping Alliance from the northern Eastern Kingdoms, specifically humans, then deserting Quel'thalas for an unknown destination, the Storm Glaive intercepted one of the deserting ships.

After a battle between the two frigates, they captured both the Alliance prisoners and a few of the deserters, discerning from them the ship's original destination. Upon arriving at this island, called Vallacia, to the far west of Northrend, the Storm Glaive's crew was able to find out a little of what went on through the goblins in charge of processing prisoners and delivering supplies to the towering castle dominating the island. They only learned that the prisoners were being delivered to the castle, along with the deserters, and that both a fel-tainted dragon and a demon hunter pursuing it were causing problems for the castle's owner, Lord Harker.

Approaching the castle, they were forced to deal with one of Harker's agents, a san'layn, whom they slew with the aid of the Illidari. Now believing that Harker likely commanded more san'layn and other undead, and uncertain of braving a castle full of these things alone, the Storm Glaive contacted its allies within the Knights of Ashfall and the Argent Onslaught.

The call was answered, and while Vitara engaged the enemy to create a distraction, the heroes swiftly broke into the castle and advanced deep into its dungeons. A trap lay in wait for them: piles of bones, enchanted with necromancy to form endless waves of skeletons. After a few minutes--pressed for time by the agonized cries of the dying ahead--Auromere called for the bone piles themselves to be purged and destroyed. This ended the fight, and the heroes moved in closer, to see if they could rescue the innocent victims.

Unfortunately, what awaited them here was a flesh golem of particular horror. Formed of the decomposing bodies of those it ate, it spawned endless limbs with which to attack the heroes. After a few unsuccessful attacks, the fiend was finally vanquished by setting it on fire, and it collapsed and fell apart while reaching for a strange stone conduit that pulsed with magic.

The conduit led up, and so up they went. There, above, they found three paths before them. Auromere, following his ability to sense the presence of undeath, led them toward a room where a solitary man stood, watching the holographic image of a fel dragon doing battle.

The man was the lord of the castle, Harker. He greeted them, and his answers to questioning revealed that he had, indeed, one of the Devouring Blades in his possession, not to mention the captives. He attempted to convince the heroes that they should leave him alive to help contend with the fel dragon and the san'layn--but Admiral Aldorae Starseeker and Dame Raaxi were having none of this. They fought, and during that fight, Harker was unmasked as a dreadlord. Auromere, filled with the Light, struck the final blow against the master of the house, incinerating him in a great upwelling of holy power.

The prisoners were located, but the Blade still remained concealed. Rather than permitting the dragon or the san'layn to take possession of it, Aldorae created a seal upon the castle--until the team was ready to return.