Trial of the War Mage Journal: Hugo Renfield

This journal was omitted from the publically available list of War Mage journals due to the writer being found guilty of working with Horde Warlocks. Hugo's stance within the Mage's Circle of Sarceline and Cabal of the Burning Sword has been revoked.

## Forward

I, Hugo Cornelius Renfield, hereby commit myself to completing the Mage Gauntlet as so I can rise in my duties as a loyal Wizard to Westridge and the crown. I have survived and overcome my mage trials and await the next adventure of my life. And with that, I commit this journal to describing and recording every detail of my journey so that other aspirants may be motivated by my own works and pursue the title of Cabalist.

### Entry 1: 1/15/38 LC

On the first month of the new year on its 15th day in the year 38 LC, I journeyed with a loved ally to Northrend to investigate and analyze the ley lines in that region, specifically in Icecrown. I traveled to the frost leyline and came up with quite a lovely idea. What would happen if I created a living estate. I conjured a small arcane font with nethermancy and created a frost rune at the point of greatest intersection at the frost leyline location. I etched my mansion into the rocks of a nearby cliff. As the ice impacts the rock, a form would begin to etch itself besides the stone formation. The formation of porches gated by ice windows began to emerge under a clean cut ice roof. A sharp gate would come up and stop before the rest of the formation. From the edge of the structure, a path with various ice statues would begin to connect with the gate. Doors would be made more clear as time passed by and one could get a glimpse of the inside. The three story building contained several bedrooms and a moderately sized kitchen and dining room. However, only two frost elementals could be found maintaining the estate. As evidence of my deed, I leave the coordinates of the estate. As it was made in Northrend, the location should stay unless outside interference is made. As insurance, I have taken a detailed statue of Nipsey Delany and have sent for it to be given to the Sarcleine Mage Tower. If one wishes to, they may analyze how much mana was spent on the creation of the estate, and whether the statue was part of a larger spell.

### Entry 2: 2/3/38 LC

After the Argus mission, I decided that it would be good for me to pursue the next trial of the War Mage. I have been having difficulty with finding the time to do the next trial in between Sir Roy’s desire to have me groom Hazel, halberd training, Azerite research, and maintaining a healthy relationship with an Oriae Shadowstrider, a member of the new Alliance faction of Ren’dorei. To be quite honest, the Azerite research has taken a large toll on me. Fortunately, as it is a large resource that requires much research I have been granted a compromise. Higher pay for research in exchange most of my duties shall not be leading men, rather I shall be confined to a section of Sarceline for the purpose of only academics. Of course, I shall miss my former rank, but this is all in good faith for the glory of the Alliance.

I decided to test the power of Azerite along with my current skills in mage casting with a certain spell in the mountains that lead to Stormwind, specifically in Westridge. Thus, I traveled to a village near the Northeastern edges of Rockhold of the county of Wanduke.

As I was searching for the optimum location to use the leyline in that area, I encountered a group of 10 humanoid creatures dressed in black robes covered in black armor with purple highlights and designs. From my initial glance, I thought I saw an amount of void runes on their armor. Thus, my curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to follow them to whatever dastardly location they were heading to.

I followed the group to an alter carved out of stone. One its stone slab was a skeleton, a beating heart, black moss, the picture of Count Laldere, and a puppet of C’thun. Despite my sudden curiosity in their ritual, I did not believe it was wise to allow them to continue their spellwork.

I made my distance and began to ponder casting a spell. However, a much better idea came to my head. This ritual would take a long time to complete, thus what if I were to create a powerful spell to satisfy my Mage Gauntlet and save Westridge before their spell is finished?

I traced a circle and in it placed a symbol of the wind rune. I took out a chunk of Azerite from my bag and began to start casting to see how large of a wind elemental I could create. I must admit the Azerite served as a large boost to my energy for when I finished, I created a massive 12 m tall force of fury.

Unfortunately, the cultists immediately recognized the threat and one of them escaped with the items. I turned into a worgen and sprinted after the horrible man as my elemental quickly pummeled three unprepared cultists into bloody pulps. A few of them tried to banish my aberration, but the creature interrupted their spellcasting by blowing them back with a gust of wind. As one gnomish female was knocked back, she was quickly sucked into his vortex form and flung towards me as death overtook her.

Deep in the chase, I could see the cultist slip off some of his ingredients as he made a desperate escape. When he looked back to gage how far I was, he tripped on an outgrowth of wood and fell over. Thus, I exploited his mistake and finished his pitiful life and returned to the initial alter location with the reagents of their spell.

When I returned, I saw one cultist impaled with his own staff and another rocking back and forth in a fetal position. The remaining three were no match for my creature as their spells were merely absorbed into his vortex and fired back. As they attempted their shadow wards, I fired a beam of pure decay at one of them, distracting the other two and sealing their fate with my elemental’s punch. I then gave the reagents to the elemental and ordered it to fly to Sarceline to give them as a tribute of my trial.

### Entry 3: 2/13/38 LC

The next location was the fire leylines at the Searing peak in the Redridge mountain. I traveled their alone without any Azerite on this occasion as I would like to attempt a rather bold spell and see if I can do it with only myself and the raw overflowing energy of a leyline. When I wrote that down, it seems to me that I have always been using outside resources in these trials. However, that seems to be the point. Trying to maximize your full potential with a literal ton of arcane energy. Well, not a literal ton...more of a figurative ton. I do not think the Stormwindian system of mass measurement is quite standard as of yet.

Nonetheless, I traveled to the Searing Gorge and outside of the volcano, where I overlooked the rest of Redridge by the mountains. The view was quite extraordinary to be quite frank. The nobles in this region must be blessed with great prominence and power because of this volcano.

I took out Bill and began to focus on the leyline after summoning a nether powered font of growing arcane. I reached forward and into my soul to see if I could outdo my other trials. Of course, that would be difficult as I have no Azerite. Yet, I didn’t become a worgen for the last trial. Thus, I shifted forms and attempted to tap into not only my raw mental but also my prime physical prowess (an asset Sir Roy had been heavily training me on).

I reached deep into my core and contemplated on a great spell. I of course am quite familiar with the art of pyromancy as I generally prefer to cast its magic among my decay spells on the battlefield. Of course, soul magic was recently deemed to be of shadow and thus it was disallowed, preventing my casting of Soulfire. Pity...it was such a powerful spell and I put my own energy into it. Of course, I did know of other spells, like hellfire or meteor storm.

However, these laws were kept in place to ensure honorable combat. We don’t want to end up like those genocidal orcs after all. Maxen Montclair recognizes the service to his people and if they wish they may leave to pursue the more mainstream dark arts. However, in other lands such luxuries were not available. Especially in Gilneas, the entire area was sealed off, and I can’t believe I was forced to miss out on the world for Genn Greymane’s own xenophobia and cowardice. How dare he try to lock up his citizens as if they were criminal scum? Try to block us off from any outside help and force us to be backed into the corner. Fel, I can’t understand that bloody man! The bloody forsaken attacked from the sea and pushed us back INTO THE WALL!

I began to heat up furiously as fires began to encircle me. It was as if I was emitting a powerful aura of pure flames. The inferno raised up into the sky and began to vortex---I estimated that its radius was about 1 meter. The fires began to circle and spiral as my anger grew, the light orange flames burning and bursting with my raging soul! It was the insanity inducing heatwave of my spell that awoke me from my trance. I immediately attempted to calm myself down, but the spell was too powerful to immediately dispel. Thus, I waited and as I waited a rare breed of bear was roaming near the leylines. The creature had a red arcane hue of red in its eyes and had fire rune markings across it. As I had no proof so far to give of my deed, I slammed by inferno on the bear, searing and killing it instantly. Once my spell was calm enough to be dispelled, I sent it to the Sarceline Mage Circle as evidence of my trial.

### Entry 4: 2/24/38 LC

After training young Connorsela Silverblade and Victoria Sorrowsong, I traveled to the Badlands and arrived at 2200. I will admit that it was quite late, however I was in somewhat of a rush of excitement to complete my trials. I still needed to be able to prove myself in using a Bill to defeat a knight, and young Connor was not at the current skill level to be of worthy competition. To be quite honest, I doubt my complete ability to best a trained knight of First Company. Of all the people, I could beat perhaps the Lord Marshal due to his one eyed disability and old age. However, I could not honorably allow myself to challenge a frail old man to a such a duel. Besides, if I did win then what sort of character would that make me, striking down an old man and perhaps my future Lord?

I found a canyon close to an Alliance outpost of Dragon’s Mouth. I traveled eastward into the canyon and began to focus on the nearby leylines. Suddenly, my worgen form sprouted from my body, and I was forced in all fours. My body began to sprint at speeds I never thought possible. If I do claim to be so bold, I expected that my speeds would have been able to compete with an airship! Of course, that is an exageration most likely, but it does highlight my perception of the situation. I began to search for a potential trophy of my sudden power and spotted a lone ogre carrying a dead boar over its back. I charged up the arcane in my body and bursted through like a comet, shattering the ogre’s form instantly! After a few hours, I finally was relieved of my speedy affliction and sent the ogre’s remains back to Sarceline as evidence of my trial.

### Entry 5: 3/2/38 LC

I recently had an exhausting duel with a recently dubbed Knight, known as Dame Arebele--I unfortunately forgot her moniker. Nonetheless, my war Bill and her various armaments were able to draw even blows with each other. However, I must admit an amount of envy consumed me for she had been using demonic resources to vastly improve her strength, despite her small size. Fortunately, I emphasized that this would not be a magical duel, which while meant I was not allowed to rely on my worgen form did aid me in learning and adapting with my base. I was also quite lucky as I learned that this warlock-knight could transform into a truly terrifying demon.

Nonetheless, we both fell over in exhaustion from our wounds. I myself struck at her neck, and she managed to land her spear right below my armpit. I haven’t been killed, but blood magic was used to stabilize my condition. However, I awoke today to be greeted by an extremely sore fatigue.

Fortunately, where one man sees an obstacle, I see an opportunity.

I traveled to the nearest moonwell I could find and submerged myself underneath the arcane infused water. While normally, my wounds would have opened up even more, I made a slight abjuration spell over my immediate body as to not expose my wounds.

I began to meditate on the procedure of cauterizing and sealing the wounds underneath the water, but immediately stopped for I soon realized that I was accidentally committing to blood magic. It seems that the intentional use of manipulating wounds and injuries--even surface level ones--will inevitably lead to blood magic. However, I did need healing and I needed to do it myself.

I traveled back to Sarceline and acquired a tome of stitches and began to manually stitch myself with a conjured stitching set. As I moved the needle and string through my flesh, the arcane magically seared my flesh and meshed it together. Eventually, the stitches vanished and all the wounds I had previously suffered vanished! I have sent the bookstamp in my tome to Sarceline as evidence of my trial.

### Entry 6: 3/2/38 LC

After the promotion ceremony where I returned to the rank of Sergeant, my dear Oriae and I traveled to Grim Batol with the intent of proving my attunement to the leyline of shielding.

In order to prepare for the spell, Oriae Shadowstrider took the soul of a trog to power he soul shards--that very trog corpse shall be the item I send to Sarceline as evidence of my trial.

As she was absorbing the soul, I was mentally preparing myself and my ward for her upcoming attack by tapping into not only the nether but the enhanced leylines. As she was preparing, I asked her to give me a three second warning.

Oriae then started to breath slower, concentrating all of her focus onto the spell. The crystals floating around her head began glowing fiercely as they empowered her casting. The floor beneath was scorched as fel fire erupted around her and from it void colored smoke enveloped her slender figure "two.." Oriae then opened her eyes as they glowed with fierce fel power. She raised her hands up into a casting stance and locked eyes with Hugo "three."

I immediately raised my full war force to meet her chaos bolt and transformed into my worgen body. I was projecting a thick wall of firm and unmoving orderly arcane energy in front of myself. My shield was compact and only protected him from a frontal assault. As I aimed, I howled out to the world around awaiting her attack.

Oriae finished speaking and immediately cast the spell, a powerful chaos bolt infused with the void. The spell sounded like a million voices screaming in anguish as it hurled from her fingers, fel and void dancing together in a chaotic battle. When the bolt struck it exploded into a storm of chaotic energy. Void and Fel engulfing the area around the shield in a storm. As it faded the floor was cracked and destroyed, looking like it was burnt to a crisp with unholy fire. The air around us felt deathly cold, like all the life in this already dark place was sucked up into nothingness.

I held in my breathe and pushed forward against the deadly chaos bolt. I began to push and slide as I fought desperately to hold my ground against the raging blow. The shadowy tendrils behind me began to strike at my back, and I quickly adapted the shield into a single bubble, where most of its contents were concentrated to the front. Thus, the ground and backside splash engullment was dealt with. However, his point of impact resistance was weaker. Thus, I bit his tongue and channel more energy from the nether into his prismatic barrier. As an added bonus, I created a layer of decay ahead of his shield in order to lessen the initial impact. After 5 minutes of pure struggle, the spell dissipated and I collapsed exhausted on the cold stone ground, with scars of previous arcane strain arriving on the surface of my torn worgen body. I thus was able to block and survive the most deadly chaos bolt I have ever encountered.

### Entry 7: 3/10/38 LC

I traveled to Mirkfallon lake before our deployment to Silithus for I was curious on the the potential and maximum use of the elements on Kalimdor. Afterall, I use decay a force that allows one to bind elements to one’s own will. These things are important for the Alliance as most orcs and trolls of the Horde use such forces. However, moderation is essential as while a minority an amount of our allies rely on the druidic and shamanistic trees as well.

Nonetheless, I traveled to the Mirkfallon lake. However, I had the displeasure of encountering a goblin manufacturing plant. Normally, I don’t interfere with the greedy paws of the goblin people, but their manufacturing plant had been polluting the lake at Mirkfallon. My sympathies grew even more when I noticed how deteriorated the local wildlife had become. Fel, it was like I was walking through the withering woods! I immediately decided I would intervene. However, despite my skills with Decay I would not use decay in this act of retribution for the elements and wilds have suffered too much at the hands of greed.

I thus tapped into the nearby powers of the elementals and memorized their patterns. Using this knowledge, I summoned a mighty large water elemental that was the same size as the one I created in Wanduke. This elemental crashed and torrented against the plant, smashing its construction to pieces as it attempted to wash out the harmful sludge and toxins that had plagued the land. Knowing of my good deed, I retrieved a Steamwheel Cartel sign that was amongst the rubble and sent it to Sarceline.

### Entry 8: 4/4/38 LC

Two days ago on Sunday, I led a section into Deadwind Pass to acquire an imp that was spotted within an ogre camp. The mission did fortunately serve the King as we removed an ogre leader as a result. However, my intent was the imp. I had written before on a theory I had regarding demonic purification. So what better way to earn my Cabalist rank. I thus asked Bishop Sweete for permission regarding this endeavor and was given a writ of preeminence and permission to lead a section into the abandoned lands of Greenard.

The demon was transferred to outside Karazhan in a cage of my design and was bound to me and my staff. I then killed it with the excessive magical energy here in Karazhan.

The imp’s soul was then resurrected inside the staff I use known as Bill. The demon’s soul was however connected to the nether. I thus temporarily used the powers of nethermmancy to send the imp to the nether; fortunately, as I was the conduit for the imp I could easily bring back the soul to my own location without the need of a ritual or a formal summon. Once the basic regeneration of the soul was complete, the soul was then transfered into my own machine that was invented on Argus. This machine was then able to purify out the demonic fel energies as I transfered into the soul arcane power of Karazhan. I will note that I did this procedure in front of a crystal orb for the Lord High Mage and in the presence of a paladin of the order of Saint Isaac. After the soul was purified, the body underwent the same procedure of purification. Finally, the procedure was complete. I used the power of nethermancy and chronomancy to age and complete the regeneration of the soul and united the body of the imp with its soul. This process was long and draining, taking 48 hours to complete.

Thus, after my extensive journey, I finally was able to purify the fel out of the demon! I have sent the demon to Sarceline for inspection along with the used fel crystals from my machine. As I expected, the demon has become much more calm and less aggressive without the fel in its body and has stopped chanting phrases that hail the fallen Legion. If possible, I would like to see if perhaps an alternative with other forms of magic is viable. Fel, I would love a holy imp to fight by my side. Ideally, I would like to see how viable these types of demons are in combat.

I have noted that the demon’s soul is still bound to the nether and that to call it to me, I would have to summon it from the nether in case it dies again. I have named the demon Sweety in honor of the Bishop that allowed me to carry out this mission.

### Entry 9: 4/5/38 LC

I had intended to go complete the attunement at the Stonetalon mountain sooner, however the duties of deployment and the opportunity of my demonic purification had gotten in the way of some of the other trials. Well, to be honest I don’t think I have proven to Sir Roy my ability to ride well on Pablo, and I am frankly unsure of what terrifying beast I would slay as part of my other trials. To be honest, my main goal is to ideally finish these trials of the War Mage before the end of this current week.

And as we are having a campaign, and I a Master Trial in a certain….harvest….I thought I would knock out these two trials. Thus, I woke up at 500 and began.

First, I located the mazes of stone by Stonetalon mountain to find the leylines of Stone. I did arrive in that location, however there were various Kaldorei students from Dalaran already investigating and studying at the runes. I camly explained that I was there to perform a feat with the leylines through attunement to become a Cabalist. Yet, they reluctantly agreed for they were years into their research project and didn’t want any catastrophe to set them back another couple of years. Despite their lifespan, it would seem that even Kaldorei value their own time.

Thus, I went into my own separate corner of the room and began to think. I knew that a Levi Morne had turned his skin to stone. That would seem to be a good choice of spell. However, I cannot allow myself to plagiarize another. However, an idea did come to my mind. Afterall, I am an alchemist.

I began to channel the powers of the stone leylines together into a single rock. As I did so, I summoned some of my own reagents. With each item coming together, the rock began to twist and turn. My attunement to the stone leylines progressed and finally I contained the full scope of the spiritual power there into that stone creating the most potent philosopher's stone I have ever made! I have sent the Stone to Sarceline as proof of my feat.

### Entry 10: 4/5/38 LC

Here it is. The final leyline of my trial. I’ve been at this since January, and it feels like this journal has become a part of me and my character. As I climbed to the top of the Stonetalon mountains I reflected on what I’ve done. I’ve built mansions, looked death in the eye, fought for Stormwind, created tools that will last a lifetime, and even purified a demon! If that doesn’t solidify my legacy I don’t know what will.

Awareness. I was aware of what was going to be. I’ve been progressing through Knighthood and these trials to become a Stormwind Paragon. And as a Cabalist I won’t be limited to touch what I can’t see.

I arrived at the peak of the mountain and let the essence of it flow through me. Every worm, eagle, and mortal from here to Moonglade felt like they were a part of this great circle of life. Everything is moving together in one direct flow where each action results in an equal and opposite reaction somewhere else.

Those Kaldorei where working hard and fast at the leyline without realizing about the countless ants and worms that were tunneling underneath them. Even if I didn’t become a Cabalist others would. Even though life crumbles and dies as do cities, it is the people in them that make a society or a culture work. It is what people take from and do about their situation that makes them truly alive. I wish to live. I wish to become a Cabalist and help see myself and Stormwind grow. Long live the King.

I submit this journal and my memories to Sarceline as evidence of the completion of this trial.

### Entry 11: Trial of the Spellhunter

**REDACTED**

I am now a Cabalist of the Burning Blade.