Caeruleagos

I keep delaying this post, but I'll finally get to it now. This will only be a part one as I lack the time to write anything substantial right now, but it should get me going again when I have more time. Considering my promotion and the fortunate influx of new members, I can not remain an unknown to those who I've not known for a very long time. As an experiment, I think I'll try writing it IC.

Ambassador Caerule Agos, is how most of the world knows me now. I have travelled the world and beyond. I have created marvels of engineering, earned the respect of a multitude of people's and factions, faced some of the greatest foes found in the world and cut short countless of lives to serve the greater good. I've made many friends, allies and enemies. I've stared death in the face a dozen times. I have felt the flames of corruption within and felt the burden of redemption. Love do I know, and it knows me back. I have gained much in life, the Horde and my guild, though now I face an uncertain future...

My beginnings are humble enough. As is common these days I grew up under constant threat of danger. My mother was slain when I was very young by a black dragon whose name I have only recently come to know; Teremus... The Devourer. Shortly after, my father set off into the newly opened Dark Portal, to enter the strange new world beyond. Ever a driven scientist, it was presumed he went there in order to further his experiments. I've sort of followed in his footsteps when it comes to engineering, though this was later in life.

I grew up in beautiful Winterspring. Though it is a land with many dangers for a youngling, I grew up surrounded by loving friends and an older brother. My brother is a champion who excels when it comes to combat and defense. He has honed his senses and very little escape detection by his eyes. I could never compare with my brother in terms of strength and dedication. My interests were more of a scholarly nature. My studies have been varied, and I was guided by a great teacher to this end. Long before I set out I was schooled on all manner of subjects, including history, magic, and a basic understanding of engineering. Anything regarding the various dragons has also held my interest.

My knowledge was put to the test when I was sent out into the world. After saying my goodbyes I left my place of birth by way of portal. I arrived in a village near the magical city of Silvermoon. The first person I approached was a rude individual who demanded my aid. After being forced to accomplish his demeaning tasks more people approached me, wondering if I could help them with other problems as well. I had hoped to integrate quietly, without drawing any unwanted attention, but I soon found myself helping all manner of people, and have never really stopped.

When I did integrate into life at Silvermoon and surroundings, I found many things to be not as I expected. Though a twisted lay line seemed to draw in all manner of madness to the local inn, like a nexus of insanity (on which I hope to one day publish a book), I also met many honorable people with noble values to mimic my own. I soon joined a group of like-minded individuals whom I got along with. Many of my preconceptions also turned out to be wrong. For example, the verbal traditions of the Tauren mean they produce little literature. What I managed to read about them often had not put them in a positive light, leading me to have many prejudices. I've since come to admire their culture.

I was quick to have need of a weapon, and I have tried to master as many as possible. Lacking the dedicated mind for battle many warriors use to focus their fierceness into devastating attacks, I instead choose to rely on my magic to aid me in battle and further empower my attacks. This path of a magical warrior worked out well for me for a good time, though I did face some situations in which I was wounded badly. I left Silvermoon one day, pondering this problem, and walked right into a cunning ambush, laid by a fierce red feline. She fought fiercely and with deadly accuracy. I was so impressed that I wished to harness this power for my own use. To give noble purpose to this savage animal. I used my magic to bind its will to my own, gaining control over its every thought and instinct, learning to control it at my desire. In a moment of exhaustion and emotional weakness, I named the cat after my mother, in addition to a draconic suffix indicating her color, in accordance with my interest. Alrystrasza has been with me ever since and has served me whenever a battle got too tough for me to handle alone.

As my skills and knowledge increased and I took up engineering in all earnest, all was going very well. Delving deeper into the varied cultures, I happily joined in with the Brewfest celebrations. It was here I met a certain red-haired lady who would change my life forever. I found her basically every day, sitting on a tent, overlooking the celebration, together with a big cat named Denzil. As we got to talking she proved to be a source of great fascination to me. She was completely opposite of me, being at home in the wilds, having great emotional bonds with her animal companions and much different outlooks on life. Still, her grace, friendliness, new wisdom and curious outlook on life captivated me and we slowly grew closer. Never had I seen this coming, but we came to fall in love. I let her into my heart and eventually she proposed to me on the most beautiful of evenings. We still grow closer every day, and I look forward to a long future with my love, Nielethiel Di'amore.

As I moved further into the world I got more and more in touch with the Forsaken. I came to perform tasks for them in defense of Horde and even became friends with one named Grittlebone, whom I still count as my best friend to this very day. My aid to the Forsaken became quickly acknowledged, which would be of benefit later as I received my first real brush with true Evil. A death knight named Shadowhound was draining the weak in Silvermoon of their mana. When I dared stand up to him, he carved his initial into my hand, cursing it to never heal. I vowed to defeat him one day, and continued my assistance to the Horde in the world, fighting threats in many places, often aided by allies and friends like the mighty druid Lor. Nielethiel eventually helped me over my hatred for Shadowhound, and so I approached him to make my peace... Instead of removing my curse, he placed a new one upon me. A custom curse that only he or his death could break, and would have all blood leave my body in a week's time.

Long story short. My friends rallied together to assist in finding a cure. The Royal Apothecary was to find one for me, through my reputation with the Dark Lady, my friendship with one of their own, and many services provided and ingredients gathered for them by me and my friends. Quelatroci and Chinedow, to name just a few. They managed to cure me before the excrusiating curse brought me to a horrid end. As a side-note, with the help of a Paladin I did eventually succeed in killing Shadowhound.

To be continued...

Very descriptive so far. Sounds good

Well, let's move onto chapter two:

The next chapter in my story deals with the Evils I voluntarily and likely foolishly let into my life and attempted to control. Needless to say, they are tales of warning; as such things never ever work out well. My first mistakes deal with a fierce red raptor whose bloodthirsty attacks had earned him the Taurahe title of Ishamuhale. This raptor was one that no longer hunted for food, but out of an unnatural desire to hunt and kill; an insatiable bloodlust. Having taken the lives of many travelers and merchants, there could be only one fate for such a creature; death. However, I sought it out to make its power my own; to use this powerful Evil against the other evils in the world. The battle was intense and I was gravely injured soon after it began, but my magic managed to halt its attacks on time and allowed me to bind its will to my own. Still, I got more than I bargained for…

I renamed the red raptor Ishamustrasz. It wasn’t long before the first problems arose. Alry’s mind had been easy to manipulate. She would accept the feelings, instincts and thoughts I manipulated as her own, and act accordingly. Though the process did work on Ishamu, it was clear he was smart enough to know he was being manipulated, and he tried to resist it. My mind was superior still, of course, but it did make him more difficult to control, especially if I got distracted, or if his blood lust got stimulated and got the best of him. When enemies appeared, he was difficult to hold back. Still, I kept him around. Never had I had such an effective killing machine at my disposal. No enemy could survive long under his attacks, and he grew even stronger through the constant battles I exposed him to. It wasn’t long before he could defeat raptors twice his size. Eventually, he matched up to Devilsaurs.

Countless numbers of foes were dispatched by his teeth and claws, and I even begun to harbor hopes for possible redemption of this Evil creature. Further foolishness on my part accelerated the fallout that was to come, though it was likely inevitable. My experiments into primitive raptor magic lead to surprising new insights, but resulted in Ishamustrasz also learning an enchantment to enhance his intelligence somewhat. The creature also became obsessed with magic of all types, rushing headlong into a few dark rituals. Including an active one that placed a ritual upon him, allowing one to drain the properties of other beings to enhance yourself, which was fortunately incomplete. The final drop was him breaking free from my orders in order to kill my riding raptor and claim the magical armor I had forged for it. I mercifully spared his life, releasing him in the Blade Edge mountains in Outland. I’ve not heard of him since…

My second mistake had to do with an artifact. A Torch of never-faltering fire, enchanted with power drained from an artifact holding power of the Elemental Lord Ragnaros. A black dragon forged it for me to perform some task. I killed him and took the powerful artifact for my own. The power of an artifact that can set aflame anything you want may be corrupting enough as it is, but with the power of an Old God’s servant fueling it, it should come as no surprise that the creation was one that should have been considered cursed. Like Ishamu, I wielded its power with the best intentions, and to great effect. I burned down foes and structures with ease, urged on by the artifact’s influence. A fire grew in my heart.

It stimulated my hatred, and through the tiniest of influences, my intention was turned towards the black dragons still occupying Blackrock Spire. I forged a cunning plan to kill as many as I could. Though Blackwing in the top of Blackrock Mountain, and Ragnaros in the depths of it, had been defeated, their followers still occupied their territories. The Dark Iron dwarves and Twilight Cultists still worshipped Ragnaros and hated the black dragonflight. From the Twilight Cultists in Silithus, I gained all I needed to infiltrate the ranks in Blackrock as a high ranking member. With the aid of allies and trickery, I managed to strike at the top of the twilight cultists and Dark Iron leadership, and frame the black dragonflight for it, drawing a lot of political power to myself and dragging those in service of Ragnaros to war.

I led a large force through the spire, killing as many of the black dragonflight and their allies as we could. Though many lives were lost, the ultimate victory was glorious, as was the celebration that followed. I shall not deny that I had grown closer to the people I had infiltrated, led and fought through great hardships with, especially with my artifact dulling me to what properties of them I would normally abhor as vile and evil. I was ill-prepared for what followed next. I was dragged to the fiery depths of the mountain and in front of an avatar of Ragnaros himself, who currently resides on the elemental plains. To my shock, he revealed to me he had known about my identity and intentions the whole time, likely watching through his artifact. He was pleased with the massive victory over our mutual enemies I had orchestrated and gave me the option to become a true leader among his cult, and have the power and people following me to go with the position. At the head of such a powerful group, I felt I could change a lot in the world. He also gave me the option to walk away with just my life, and time to think about it.

It wasn’t until I confronted my love with accusation Ragnaros had hinted at to undermine the feelings keeping me away from accepting his deal, that I saw the mistake I was close to making, and the corruption taking hold of me. I smashed the Torch to be done with it, which too was likely something the cunning Elemental Lord had anticipated. The energies inside didn’t fade away, but instead enveloped and entered me. Instead of freeing myself from corruption, I had completed it. I’d like to say my mind and morals were not so easily manipulated and that I resisted the corruption. I did not, and it took a large group of friends fighting their way into the Depths of Blackrock, beating me down and purifying me, to free my from my corruption and place among the apocalyptic cult of the Twilight Hammer. I’ve learned this much; never ever attempt to accomplish your goals through the use of evil deeds, artifacts or beings, no matter your intentions. It never ends well.

To be continued…