The Fiery Menace

The Fiery Menace is the title of Season 1 of the Goldpaw Chronicles and the sequal to Project Horde: Darkspear Trolls. It follows the story of Xerron Goldpaw finding hints and tracks of his long-lost family and ending with a battle against Vanboom Industries.

## Part 1: Saga of Mystery

At the time of the Northrend Expetition with Draxle Steamgear, Xerron found different pages of stories which hint towards a Goblin exploring the halls of a Titan temple of Tanaris. This Goblin was found out to be Kazzil Goldpaw, Grandfather of Xerron Goldpaw. After returning, Xerron orders a trip into the said temple and with the aid of Knix, Riket and Draxle they did so. Inside the temple they come across a strange machine, which turns Xerron into a Golden suit upon him being scanned. The suit attacks the other Goblins, but was easily defeated.

Once the Golden Suit was beaten, it runs out. As the players follow the suit, they hear a loud roar coming from outside. Soon after infront of the Goblins stood Bluetooth, the Metallic Proto-Drake. In defense of it's home, the mechanical Dragonkin attacked. The battle, although long and rather deadly, ended victorious for the Goblins. Xerron was released from the Golden Suit's grasp and Bluetooth released a vision to the players from Xemaz Goldpaw. This vision warned the company of a terrible flame approaching them, and to prepare for it.

## Part 2: The Winterspring Hunt

2 Months after the events in the Tanaris Temple, Xerron and his crew once more gathered up, this time however in Everlook, Winterspring, to hunt down "The Assassin", an entity who had bothered the company during the time between the two events. The Goblins, using the clues that they could gather up, soon found themselves against a corrupt Furbolg chieftain, an oversized yeti and many little challenges in between.

Their search payed off however, when they found themselves at the entrance of Giants' rest, before continuing onwards, the crew decided to sleep for the night to rest their bodies. What happened in the morning was something nobody expected: Xerron Goldpaw had gone missing, only a little note left by him. Even then, the rest continued. The valley was haunted by visions of the past, showing a lone Goblin wanderer cursed with dark and sorrows. At the end of the valley, in the ruins of an old night elf structure, a single Goblin, wearing blue rugged clothes and a hood, meditating silently. This Goblin turned out to be Blaw Goldpaw, one who was thought to be dead. He proceeded to attack the Goblins to test their might and cordination.

Blaw ended the battle when he had enough, he returned back to meditating and drinking his brew to keep him warm. He spoke of the same terrible flame which Xemaz spoke off, hinting towards great danger to those who do not act. He decided to join the Company two days after, lending his aid to the others so he can protect his nephew, Xerron, with his life.

## Part 3: The Downfall of Vanboom Industries

The day Blaw Goldpaw joined the company of Steamgear was also the day the terrible flame reached the Goblins, hunting for the blood of Goblinkind, lead by a Goblin garbed in red, flaming clothing, a skullmask over his face and wielding Flameberge, which was thought to be safeguarded in the storage room of the Steamgear Trading Co. . This Goblin cared for nothing, he slaughtered who he could in the company until he was stopped in a duel against Krezzik Sparxson. He retreated from where he came from, no traces left behind. The Goblin was known as Barbaso Vanboom, once a nobel Goldpaw named Barb, he sought vengeance after he was banished from the family, making his own company called Vanboom Industries which he would use to crush any who oppose him.

Months have passed, the fear of the Goblin wielding Flameberge growing larger for some, Blaw had taken the liberty of gathering information which would be important for the company. In getting this info, Blaw was aided by Riket Steamhealer. The two discovered that Vanboom Industries has another Goblin in charge alongside Barbaso: his name Commander Grillblast. This ruthless warrior had almost ended Blaw's life, if not for the help from Riket.

With enough info at hand, Blaw begun planning his strategy to overthrow the Vanboom Industries and with it: Barbaso Vanboom. The strike begun with Blaw Goldpaw, Riket Steamhealer and Draxle Steamgear sneaking into an outpost of Vanboom industries, placed just outside Barbpoint, once called New Kargath but then bought by Vanboom. There they faced off against Commander Grillblast. Believing that he could beat the Goblins himself, Grillblast did not sound any alarms. If not for his stubbornes, he would have lived. With the outpost claimed for the Steamgear Trading Co. and Grillblast "disarmed" and beaten to death, the armies of Steamgear marched towards Barbpoint and Blaw started preparing to execute the next phase of the plan.

Xerron, Draxle and Riket, lead the armies of Steamgear against the army of Vanboom, while the battle intensified, Blaw led a smaller scouting group into Barbpoint trough the outpost they had captured, slaying those guarding the place and preparing for the arrival of the rest of their allies. When the army of Vanboom was all put corpses, Xerron, Draxle and Riket encountered a shadow being, created by Barbaso himself to stop the intruders. Even with it's mindcontrolling abilities, the Goblins were able to defeat it. Only one thing stood in their way now: The Rich King himself.

The three Goblins met up with everyone else, and while they rested, Buzzek Steamgear blessed them with a holy shield. They had learned that Blaw had left them, nobody knew where he went but Xerron grew worried, he urged Riket and Draxle to continue, believing his uncle had gone to face against Barbaso alone. They climbed the tower of Barbpoint, only to see nothing but a portal at the top. As they inspected the magical gateway, the tower begun to collapse, while Draxle and Riket made it trough, Xerron was left behind.

The Goblins Draxle and Riket found themselves moments later in an old, dwarfish ruins, a throne in the distance, ancient and slightly shattered, and the same masked Goblin sitting atop it: The Rich King Barbaso Vanboom awaited them. Over his head stood a charred Goblin hung by chains. Flameberge levitating in the air, gathering power.

The battle begun when Barbaso drew Flameberge and the Goblins Draxle and Riket charged into battle. At first the battle was steady, but when Barbaso used the powers which Cinderflame bestowed upon his servant, the tide of battle slowly started to turn towards Barbaso's favour. Soon he found himself in need of more power though, transforming Flameberge into it's second and soon even into it's third and final phase. Even though Barbaso had the upper hand, the blessing which Buzzek gave to the Goblins was enough to hold them up. Disappointed that Barbaso could not kill the Goblins, Cinderflame himself emerged from Flameberge, taking up the weapon to fight the Goblins himself. Barbaso aided his master in combat but even together they could not beat them. Barbaso was given back Flameberge so he could channel one, devastating powerful spell to finish the Goblins off. Before he could cast it however, Draxle interrupted him and Riket shattered Flameberge into tiny pieces with his weapon. When Flameberge was destroyed, so too was Barbaso's life and Cinderflame's essence. As Barbaso was lying down on the ground, dying, his mask taken off and his old self coming back, the last shimmer of Barb's soul awakening, he saw his brother Kazzil, and in the hands of his brother's ghost's hands he passed away.

As this happened, Xerron made it to Draxle and Riket, shocked at what he saw, he picked up Barbaso's mask, knowing it would take only a nobel soul to take up such a burden of becoming the next Rich King, he hesitated to put it on, only to be broken from that thought by the charred mysterious Goblin, now sitting atop the throne of the Rich King, Xerron quickly noticed who it was: Bobab. He handed his family's old friend the mask instead, as it was his last will in life, to be the next Rich King and to lead the Vanboom away from the land, as far as he could.