Aftershocks (Andro & Styracosaur)
<h1 id="title">Elliquiy Role Playing Forums</h1>
		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Bondage, D/s, S&amp;M =&gt; Bondage: Exotic Solos =&gt; Topic started by: Andronica on 29-12-2015, 21:43:53</h2>
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				Title: <strong>Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Andronica</strong> on <strong>29-12-2015, 21:43:53</strong>
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				"Feralas requires much healing in order to undo some of the damage caused by the Cataclysm," said the deep baritone of the Archdruid. His voice rumbled and whispered at the same time like strong groaning of wind through the trees in Teldrassil. Long locks of straight green hair fell down the older man's back, flesh of shocking magenta riddled with teal tattoos. He was not yet facing the younger female night elf in his presence as he concentrated on something within his hands.<br><br>Slowly the male druid turned around to face who he was speaking to. In his large calloused hands he held an orb that looked to be made of glossy ebony for the way the surface shone, though the small orb had something bright green which writhed inside of it, tendrils of emerald within black swirling miasma. The Archdruid's silvery blue eyes flashed as he concentrated on the orb he held and then something sparked within the darkness of the orb and caused it to sputter like a tiny lightening storm within a glass ball. The undulating strange aura from the object quieted down significantly at that point and Malfurion reached out to hand the orb to the other druid.<br><br>Lavania held up her hands to take the object and she spied it for a moment. Her purple brows furrowed as she looked it over and turned it in her hands, heeding the Archdruid's lowly rumbled advice to be careful while handling the object. <br><br>"It washed up near Feathermoon after the great storm. A naga artifact of some kind, riddled with intensely dark magics. I trust you will see this through and discover the source of the evil that is still permeating the wilds of Feralas, yes?" he inquired with a raise eyebrow. Lavania was a keen and strong druid both in her practice and knowledge of magic as well as the feral arts. She did not have the pleasure of being trained under Malfurion but the Archdruid knew how her mentors sang her praises. She rose quickly from a sentinel to teacher. Various missions over the last several years proved her talents tenfold.<br><br>"I will not fail you, Archdruid," the younger woman assured him. She dipped her chin slightly as she spoke and the movement caused her wavy dark hair to fall around her face and frame her angular features. High cheekbones, a small chin and pointed nose, and full sensual lips accented the female druid's face. Bright orange eyes, framed in dagger tattoos, stood out like beacons on her sharp face and spoke volumes of the wit behind her gaze. The night elf stood gracefully in Malfurion's presence and listened carefully to his words which gave off an aura of a more mature night elf than what her true age might lead one to think.<br><br>Lavania's weight shifted onto her hip as she waited for further instruction from Malfurion, who began to speak at great length about what the druids of Feralas did. What was important to uphold. Where she ought to stay clear of. The&nbsp; young druidess waited patiently as she was provided with a generous amount of information. Below the pair, priestesses in training roamed the Temple of Elune and conducted prayers and rituals which created a rather calming atmosphere.<br><br>"This is a dangerous task. I have summoned help from our allies. I will take you to your companion now," announced Malfurion.<br><br>The Archdruid began to plod down the marble ramp connected to the balcony they had been speaking on. A soft breeze rustled the raven feathers on Lavania's pauldrons as she turned with the Archdruid at his request. Lavania moved with swift ease down the ramp as she was not trapped in a linen dress like the novice priestesses around her. Instead she was outfitted with an elaborate leather cuirass and tasset down her thighs - her feet were bare of course - which granted her a vast range of motion.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Styracosaur</strong> on <strong>31-12-2015, 07:51:57</strong>
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				The Sentinels were eyeballing him, and Melegor Skychaser didn't appreciate it.&nbsp; <br><br>He knew what he looked like: a tauren, a bull-man, towering over even their lanky, pantherish forms and broader than them by far.&nbsp; His back and most of his short, soft fur was the dull, silver-gray of a uniformly overcast sky, on a day where one could almost believe they were at the bottom of some impossible sea; the remainder, mostly on his belly, was the pale cream of the softest dawn-lit clouds.&nbsp; The combination was striking, but not innately intimidating, like the pure black or rusty red hides of many of the more warlike clans.&nbsp; Further softening his appearance, his horns did not jut forward, to come to warlike, bovine points, but rather turned out, sloping down gently before rising a bit at the end; not horns to be feared as weapons, but rather to be stroked in thought, or to serve to hang amulets and medicine bags from - which, in point of fact, he did, although only a few.<br><br>Over this huge-but-not-terrifying exterior, he wore padded cloth for comfort, then tightly-woven mail for protection, and then leather for subtlety.&nbsp; All the elements honored, either by the composition of the layers or by small bits of embroidery or knotwork or talismans embedded within, and plenty of protection granted from both injury and environment, without the loss of too much agility.&nbsp; One layer hung from a broad belt down to below his knees; another draped over his shoulders down to his midriff, and then he wore greaves and gauntlets of the same for his major extremities, all carefully marked with red and white paint in patterns representing the spirits.&nbsp; On his head, he wore nothing but a band of layered leather sewn with thick metal rings and feathers; that, and his wise horns, and his unremarkable deep brown eyes.<br><br>Under one arm he carried a totem, a five-foot length of storm-felled tree trunk a yard across.&nbsp; It had been painstakingly carved with representations of the Earthmother and the four elements, with symbols of his ancestors worked in between; he knew every surface, as he had done the carving, under the watchful eye of a master woodworker.&nbsp; With equal care he had painted it to honor them, red and white and blue and green.&nbsp; He could feel the eyes of all those spirits upon him when he carried it, and as much as it was a tool for meditation, it also had more practical uses; he had smashed more than a few centaurs or gnolls with its brutal, crushing weight, and felt his ancestors' approbation at his fighting skill.&nbsp; <br><br>He knew all these things, and more besides.&nbsp; And still, he knew what the elves saw when they looked at him.<br><br>Just another tauren.<br><br>"Stop eyeballing the Sentinels, Melegor.&nbsp; We have permission to be here, and it is unnecessary to antagonize our hosts."<br><br>Melegor snorted, stirring the heavy copper ring through his septum, and turned to regard his escort.&nbsp; Rimblat Earthshatter had long been a member of the Earthen Ring; more than that, he had fought alongside the Alliance in the Plaguelands, working to understand and undo the damage wrought by the Scourge and their horrors.&nbsp; Even in this age, even after Deathwing shattered the world, there were still many in the Horde and the Alliance unwilling to cooperate to repair some of the damage done to the world upon which they all relied.&nbsp; The shamans of the Earthen Ring and druids of the Cenarion Circle were more in touch with that world than most, and so had taken bolder steps than many others to attempt to repair that damage: to wit, assembling teams of druids and shamans to attempt to counter that damage.&nbsp; Large teams worked together in some of the more horribly wounded places, but there was too much damage, too widespread.&nbsp; Everything was out of balance, and a patient could succumb just as easily to a fever as to the stab which had brought it on.&nbsp; <br><br>"They don't want us here," he said in Taurahe, and Rimblat frowned, having cautioned the younger tauren against using their tongue and creating the appearance of secrecy.<br><br>"And we do not want to be here," Earthshatter said mildly, "for the reason we are here is truly a horrible one."&nbsp; At that, Melegor grudgingly nodded.<br><br>"So we will wait for your new companion - new partner - and then we shall begone, and you may set about the work of the Ring and Circle."<br><br>"Healing the wounds of the Cataclysm, easing the pain of the spirits, and restoring their balance," Melegor said, sing-song, words jammed into his head by rote repetition.&nbsp; Rimblat nodded, satisfied if not exactly pleased.&nbsp; He worried sometimes about the choice of this young Skychaser for such an important role, when he was still so surly and imbalanced himself, but he was not all bad.&nbsp; He spoke Common better than many of the older members; he had a natural talent for communing with the elements (even if he allowed his mood to influence that talent overmuch), he was able to defend himself in personal combat, and (sadly, not to be neglected) he was a member of the Skychasers, who dominated the shamans of the Tauren.&nbsp; That influence could potentially be useful in a tough spot.<br><br>"Yes.&nbsp; Healing, easing pain, and restoring balance.&nbsp; This is your mission, your quest.&nbsp; And the kal'dorei can help, as you can help her.&nbsp; Please, for all our sake, do what you have been trained to do, what you know to be right."&nbsp; Rimblat spoke, voice somewhere between a plea and a command, and Melegor, after a pause, could do nothing but nod.&nbsp; He didn't hate the elves, nor even the Alliance; he just didn't see why he had to work with them.&nbsp; But as Rimblat said, the goal was an important one, one worthy of sacrifice.&nbsp; He drew a deep breath and released it slowly, releasing some of the tension in his gut.<br><br>"Ahhh, here they come.&nbsp; Remember to be respectful; this is Malfurion himself who comes to see us."
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				Title: <strong>Re: Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Andronica</strong> on <strong>02-01-2016, 20:10:30</strong>
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				Malfurion led Lavania through Darnassus away from the great white marble Temple of Elune. They walked only a short distance through the kal'dorei capital before they reached the people the Archdruid wanted his student to meet with. By the great twisted tree near the gate to Rut'theran Village, there stood a small host of sentinels all trying to act calmly and go about their business. In their midst were two tauren. One whom Lavania recognized immediately by reputation and his appearance - Rimblat Earthshatter. Another tauren stood beside him and the druidess could only discern that he was the one Malfurion spoke of. Although it was hard to conceal the look of surprise on her face by the time they walked over.<br><br>"Rimblat. It is a shame these are such dire circumstances in which we cross paths again," spoke the Archdruid with a solemn tone. The towering kal'dorei turned his invigorating gaze onto Melegor and the faintest hint of a smile formed on his lips. "I do not believe we have been introduced before, young shaman." he said. His deep voice rumbled and rustled like wind dancing through tree branches. A clawed and feathered hand motioned to Lavania at his side.<br><br>"One of my brightest pupils, Lavania. She will be accompanying you to Feralas to carry out the mission of the Cenarion Circle," Malfurion reiterated. Lavania stood at his side and bowed her chin slightly when he introduced her. and gave a larger bow to Rimblat. She had seen a few tauren before in the Cenarion Circle but she always thought of them differently from other tauren. She never worked with a shaman before, however.<br><br>The female kal'dorei stepped forward after Malfurion spoke so she could properly meet her new strange partner. She held no hatred for the tauren people nor for shamans, as the doctrine they kept close to heart was so similar to that of the druids. With a soft sound to clear her throat, the druidess took a few steps forward and dipped her chin respectfully to Melegor, reminding herself to look at him as she would any other member of the Cenarion Circle. Their causes were just and they shared a love of upholding balance in nature, after all.<br><br>"Lavania Dawnsinger," she said, pointedly speaking to Melegor to seem friendly and personable. The sentinels were simply doing their job of being wary and watchful but they most likely made the pair of tauren a little uncomfortable. "Whenever you are ready, we can leave for Feralas to begin our mission. I have never worked alongside a member of the Earthen Ring but I am eager to start, and familiarize myself with your order in the process," added Lavania.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Styracosaur</strong> on <strong>03-01-2016, 20:29:17</strong>
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				Melegor watched as the two druids approached.&nbsp; Malfurion, of course, was a name to conjure with - the first of the druids, half the leadership of the kal'dorei (along with his wife), one of the most powerful individuals on the face of the world.&nbsp; And the other druid with him, the woman - weren't the women all priestesses, not druids? - looked appropriately . . . druidy, he conceded.<br><br>"Thank you for meeting us, Archdruid," said Rimblat, bowing in response to Malfurion's greeting.&nbsp; Melegor aped his gesture, a few heartbeats behind.&nbsp; When spoken to, Melegor just nodded; what did one say to a living legend?&nbsp; <br><br>Then Malfurion introduced Lavania, and Rimblat nodded in return.&nbsp; <br><br>"I am pleased to meet you, Lavania.&nbsp; I know that the Archdruid would not send someone if they were not one of his best, and the Earthen Ring is honored by your assistance."<br><br>Then the two new partners faced each other.&nbsp; Melegor got a much better look at her: wavy purple hair, orange eyes, tattoos, a suit of feather-decorated druidic armor that nonetheless exposed quite a bit of athletic flesh.&nbsp; She looked every bit the kal'dorei druid, and very self-possessed.&nbsp; As much as he had no wish to bother with the kal'dorei, his mission was important, and she seemed like as good an example of her kind as he was likely to find.<br><br>"Melegor Skychaser," he said, giving her a brief bow.&nbsp; "I'm ready now, then."&nbsp; He paused.&nbsp; "And I look forward to working with you, and learning the ways of the Circle."
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				Title: <strong>Re: Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Andronica</strong> on <strong>04-01-2016, 22:18:10</strong>
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				Once the pleasantries were concluded, Lavania motioned for Melegor to follow her away from the two representatives of their Orders. It was clear she would be taking the reigns for now as the guided her new partner through the bottom of Darnassus towards a strange undulating purple light in the trunk of a tall tree. The portal would engulf them for the mere blink of an eye before spitting them back out into the small fishing village and port just outside the border of the city proper.. A teal haired night elf stood tall and strong by some nesting hippogryphs by the portal exit.<br><br>"Have you come for a ride to the mainland?" he asked, words falling a bit curt as he noticed the tauren accompanying Lavania. The druidess shook her head.<br><br>"Not today, Vesprystus. We need your most swift and sturdy boat for a long journey. The Cenarion Circle and Earthen Ring have to restore balance in Feralas," explained female kal'dorei with an offhand motion toward Melegor. Upon hearing that the tauren was someone of import, the hippogryph master's chest puffed out and he put on a different air. He was more proud and welcoming.<br><br>"Of course, come with me," he said with a nod of his head. He beckoned them with a large hand around the hippogryph nest and down to the port below. Several docks lined the mangled shoreline with only a few active, though he pointed over toward a dock that was both not in use and undamaged. "My best boat is there. Take it for as long as you require, druidess. You will find her crew there," he added with a nod of his head toward the small home nearby. <br><br>Lavania thanked Vesprystus, "That boat will do perfectly," she replied with a small smile. She made no mention of the crew, however. Once she and Melegor walked away, Lavania spoke up again. "Are you well trained in elemental magic? We could guide the boat to Feralas ourselves with fair winds and a calm sea," she replied, clearly having a little knowledge of the kind of magic Melegor might be adept in. As they walked towards the boat with a curious look from Vesprystus, the druidess spoke again to keep the conversation casual and friendly.<br><br>"Do you travel often with the Earthen Ring?"
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				Title: <strong>Re: Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Styracosaur</strong> on <strong>06-01-2016, 18:20:54</strong>
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				With a last nod to Rimblat, Melegor followed, his heavy tread easily keeping pace with Lavania's agile footfalls.&nbsp; The purple light, he was familiar with; it was how they had come this far before.&nbsp; It was unnerving to Melegor, not like the portals of the mages; it wasn't a doorway between places, but rather a flow, like easing into a river and then stepping out at your destination.&nbsp; Even stranger, it was not a flow of magical energy, but the lifesblood of the great tree itself.&nbsp; However, it did not seem to be painful, despite Melegor's discomfort (fear was such a strong word) with the idea of letting himself merge with the tree, however temporarily, and be spat out elsewhere.<br><br>Druids, he thought.<br><br>Lavania went through without hesitation, and he did his best to follow, and in a flash of purple light, he was now down at the tree's base.&nbsp; While she talked to the kal'dorei who seemed to have little love for Melegor (a sentiment readily returned), he twisted to look behind them.&nbsp; Darnassus, the city they had just been in, was so high above that it was completely invisible from this height, and yet he had traveled from there to here in an instant.&nbsp; He could hardly fault the teleportation for efficiency.<br><br>As the man gestured, and Lavania began to walk away, Melegor followed.&nbsp; The sooner he was away from this tree and all of its kal'dorei ways, the better.&nbsp; When she made her proposal, he blinked his large eyes and considered, studying the size of the boat and its sails.&nbsp; He was certainly no mariner, although he'd seen and ridden on a number of ships before.<br><br>"It is possible," he eventually rumbled.&nbsp; "Although the air spirits are difficult to keep focused for any length of time.&nbsp; And if anything happened with the sea, I could not both steady it and keep us moving."&nbsp; He sighed heavily.&nbsp; "It would be best to have a crew, although I could try to speed the ship on its way."&nbsp; He wasn't looking forward to being at the mercy of the kal'dorei, but at least on the ship there would only be a few he was trapped with, and not the whole city.<br><br>"I . . . have not traveled much," he admitted.&nbsp; "I was trained in Thunder Bluff, and since then sent to the Barrens, to help manage the damage left in Deathwing's wake, where he tore the land in two."&nbsp; He glanced at her, how eternal and in control she seemed.&nbsp; "I am sure you have traveled more, and done many more things, Lavania."
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				Title: <strong>Re: Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Andronica</strong> on <strong>08-01-2016, 16:32:03</strong>
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				Lavania nodded at his confession and smirked. "The Cenarion Circle takes us all over Azeroth. Though it is not usually so far and wild as Feralas, at least not for one such as myself. I am still... learning," she admitted a bit sheepishly. Clearly the notion that she was still living in someone's shadow, no matter how glorious a mentor they were, perturbed the young druidess somewhat and made her feel a bit less valuable. Yet she presumed she was of great enough import if Malfurion himself sent her with Melegor for this task.<br><br>"Then we shall have a small crew join us," Lavania said with another nod of her wavy purple hair. She steered them toward the small home where various seafarers and fishermen enjoyed spending their time and upon entering, all eyes were upon them. On Melegor, that is. <br><br>The hut was full of night elves and a few humans only; one of which was a grizzled woman with an eye patch who stared over at the tauren as if she were still deciding what to think of him. They seemed to know who Lavania was affiliated with yet many questioning gazes landed on the grey tauren who towered over her at the door.<br><br>"Vesprustus gave the Cenarion Circle and Earthen Ring a modest swift ship to take us to Feralas. We need a few hands to help us get there," Lavania stated aloud, causing a few brows to raise. The grizzled woman put down her drink and then sighed heavily through her nose.<br><br>"Might as well. My ship was sundered in the Stormwind port when that blasted dragon mangled the city. I could use the fresh air," the human said, slipping out of her seat. A few other humans and night elves followed her motions as she walked toward Lavania but still gave Melegor a scrutinizing glance with her one good eye. "I've never had one of your kind on a ship before but if Vesprystus vouched for you, and the druids are with you, then I suppose you aren't all that bad," the Captain stated as she jut out her chest.<br><br>"Serena Dalton. I used to serve in the Alliance Navy," the older woman explained, finally cracking a smirk. Lavania lead her and the small crew out to the dock where Vesprystus ship was and made introductions.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Styracosaur</strong> on <strong>15-01-2016, 06:51:12</strong>
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				As though working with the single kal'dorei wasn't bad enough, now Melegor would have to deal with a whole crew of them, and some humans besides.&nbsp; He did not wish them, specifically, any particular ill; however, he was not part of the Alliance.&nbsp; He was part of the Horde.&nbsp; The Horde solved its own problems, often with force, but also with wisdom.&nbsp; He bridled at the idea of needing the help of anyone from outside; grumpily, silently, he stalked along with the others down to the ship, while they chatted amongst themselves and with Lavania.&nbsp; Idly, he reached out with his spirit eye, feeling for the spirits that were always there.&nbsp; As in the Barrens, they were in a tumult, some driven to quiescence, while others raged, dangerously close to entering the physical world to vent their confusion and panic.&nbsp; The realization was oddly focusing.<br><br>The spirits of all Kalimdor were in this state - and likely those of the Eastern Kingdoms, as well.&nbsp; This was a problem for the world.&nbsp; No matter how much he didn't want to accept help from, or offer help to, anyone outside the Horde, the spirits didn't care about such banal concerns.&nbsp; If they were to be soothed, teased, and sometimes forced back into order, he couldn't either.&nbsp; He had a task to perform for the Ring, and he would use whatever means were at his disposal to do so.<br><br>". . . are we supposed to sail?&nbsp; The sea has been even wilder than usual, and this ship is no battleship, not even a frigate."<br><br>"I will help," he said, voice shockingly deep compared to the thin chests of those around him, and the eyes of elf and human suddenly focused upon him.&nbsp; Perhaps it was because he'd been silent so far; perhaps because he was a tauren, and words of Common were not expected from him; perhaps for any number of other reasons.<br><br>"The spirits are wild.&nbsp; I will calm them.&nbsp; Maybe get their help," he said, reaching for the words he'd had little call to use since he'd learned them.&nbsp; "The sea will not swallow us."
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				Title: <strong>Re: Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Andronica</strong> on <strong>18-01-2016, 20:37:41</strong>
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				"I trust we won't have much problem with the state of the sea, thanks to our stalwart Captain here. And your communion with the elements," Lavania said as she turned to face Melegor's concerned comment. They could have flown, which was likely the only other option unless a mage could conjure a portal near enough to Feralas for them. But Lavania thought taking a ship might be better so they could watch the coast more keenly for naga activity as opposed from high in the sky. At the very least Lavania knew it would be a fairly entertaining trip by the way the Alliance Navy members reacted to the tauren speaking in common tongue.&nbsp; <br><br>With a satisfied nod of her head Lavania seemed to trust Melegor's resolve to keep the spirits calm. The Captain butt in as well quickly and patted her upper chest, where a patch to signify her rank previously would have been on her old uniform. "I'll do my best to keep her steady, I promise you," Serena said, her voice hoarse from age with plenty of determination shining through. She called to the rest of her rag tag crew, now looking more like pirates than anything else, and had them bring whatever was required but nothing more onto the ship. She was a small fast vessel and there was no need to over-encumber her.<br><br>The purple haired druidess walked onto the ship with the others and began to set it up, readying it for transport under Vesprystus watchful eye upon the crest of the village's hill. Soon enough the ship was ready to push off from the dock and head straight onto the rocky waters. Captain Dalton looked out over the horizon with a confident look in her eye.<br><br>"I reckon the trip will take us several days. A week at least," she said aloud to Lavania. The druidess was not perturbed by the estimate in time and decided instead that she would take the opportunity to... learn from Melegor. Finding the tauren shaman, the night elf sauntered over to his side and cleared her throat softly.<br><br>"How is it that you're able to commune with the spirits?" inquired the druidess. Her kind had an innate relationship with nature but she suspected Melegor's abilities were not simply another sense that helped the kal'dorei feel minute changes in the environment; specifically in lands most ancient and sacred to her people. There seemed to be more ritual to it compared to the ways of the druid.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Styracosaur</strong> on <strong>23-01-2016, 17:13:13</strong>
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				Melegor knew he was out of place on the ship, having no real experience with the daily functions needed to keep one running, not even being a member of the Alliance like the rest of the crew (and thus presenting something of a distraction), and on a simpler level just being large enough to present an obstacle.&nbsp; He would have been reasonably happy to just help haul aboard supplies, but he wasn't even sure of where they should go, or how they should be organized.&nbsp; Ultimately, he decided that the best place for him seemed to be up on the platform at the rear of the ship (the aftcastle, he thought he'd heard it called), where he could watch the busy proceedings or just look out at the sea.<br><br>He saw the purposeful motion towards him, and glanced at the druid.&nbsp; The play of muscles under her skin told him she was no mere academic, which was in line with his expectations.&nbsp; Except for those few druids who went vegetative, lingering long in places to talk to the trees and attune themselves to the environment, most of them were highly active, not merely observers of the balance of nature but active elements, and fierce warriors defending it from ruination.&nbsp; He'd had a few conversations with some of the druids of the Horde at various times, and they'd always impressed him with their devotion, so similar to his own and yet just slightly different.<br><br>"There is a gift to it.&nbsp; Something innate.&nbsp; Some can hear them strongly, others but weakly or not at all," he said, responding to her question.&nbsp; After all, there were shamans amongst the Alliance ranks, so he wasn't telling her anything she couldn't have gotten from one of them.&nbsp; "But that's only the beginning.&nbsp; They communicate differently, see differently, experience differently.&nbsp; Their world is completely different from ours, even though it is the same place."&nbsp; He extended one enormous hand.&nbsp; "Pick an element, and imagine your body is made up of it, that you perceive it much as we perceive color or sound.&nbsp; How does that change your world?&nbsp; How does the air feel, what do you hunger for?&nbsp; How do you speak?"<br><br>"So, we learn rituals.&nbsp; Offerings, words, expressions of magic.&nbsp; Things they understand.&nbsp; This lets us talk with them, in a way, or calm them, or enrage them, and suchlike."&nbsp; He swung his head towards Lavania, regarding her evenly.&nbsp; "I have heard things are different for the druids."&nbsp; It was a question in the form of a statement, if she chose to interpret it that way.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Andronica</strong> on <strong>25-01-2016, 22:13:07</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				Although Lavania was a stalwart student of the druidic arts, blossoming into adulthood as a clever and agile young night elf, there was a certain curiosity about Melegor that seemed to touch her deeply. For all her travels with the Cenarion Circle, she met trolls and tauren alike who acted entirely outside the influence of the Horde. She expected nothing less from a member of the Earthen Ring, yet the dappled tauren before her exuded a different sort of personality than she'd ever encountered. He was not the soft spoken nurturing sort, nor was he a blood thirsty hunter or warrior. Shamans were... peculiar to Lavania, and she sought to learn more.<br><br>"I spent very little time with the dwarf shamans during my travels. I don't favour their cold snowy homes or their mountains; I had business in the wetlands at the time as well. Unfortunately that meant I could learn only a little from them," she prefaced her curiosity at Melegor, so as not to appear strange in approaching him as she did. He was the first shaman she'd really taken an interest in, ever. The way his towering muscular frame presented itself as both strong and serene impressed her, and for a tauren he was not... painful to look at. The purple haired druidess came alongside Melegor as he explained his innate talents to her.<br><br>Then she chuckled when he peered down at her. "I suppose our ways are alike and different in equal measure. <br><br>"Kal'dorei with a deep connection to nature are taught at a young age to commune with it. To nurture balance where ever they go, and learn to detect when the earth is in pain without having to conduct rituals, or we do so very rarely. We often can converse with spirits and animals of the wild as if they were speaking like you and I. They all have emotions and desires we can understand with little effort, it is merely another language we are taught," Lavania said, making vague hand motions as her explanation progressed.<br><br>"We are living conduits for nature, whereas shamans seem to use rituals to achieve that end," she added. Then her amber eyes turned toward the choppy seas they sailed on. Her body became a little stiff as her hands clasped the grainy wooden railing. "Have you ever been on a mission of such importance?" inquired Lavania, showing a little vulnerability as she fleetingly appeared nervous and unsure.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Styracosaur</strong> on <strong>31-01-2016, 07:15:06</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Melegor listened and nodded.&nbsp; There were plentiful druids in the Horde, but he'd never had much call to bother speaking with them about their abilities.&nbsp; After all, he was a shaman, and he dealt with shaman issues, Earthen Ring issues.&nbsp; Sure, they could impact everyone, but he didn't need to know the intricacies of arcane magic, or divine magic, or how to make a poison or disarm a foe in order to work with those who did.&nbsp; Commonality of purpose was enough.&nbsp; Still, what Lavania was saying made quite a bit of sense.&nbsp; Living things had spirits, too (which was, he supposed, an inversion of how most people would have to force themselves to realize that the elements had spirits).&nbsp; Since those spirits ate and drank food and water, and breathed air, and reproduced, all via methods more familiar to tauren and kal'dorei and the other species, it would make sense that speaking with them would be a bit simpler than with beings that communicated in the crackle of flames and blast of the furnace, or grinding of stone and hissing of dust.&nbsp; <br><br>All the while, he admired how her fingers flickered, narrow and dainty.&nbsp; So many of those in the Horde were hewn with broader strokes, especially those who he encountered amongst his fellow shamans.&nbsp; It might seem an odd thing, to admire her fingers and the hands that gave rise to them, but given that each of his own digits was easily as wide as half of hers, it was an interesting and unusual sight for him.<br><br>Then her final question came, abruptly putting an end to his idle admiration.&nbsp; He tilted his head slightly as he thought, the wind and waves growing more and more agitated at their intrusion by the minute.<br><br>"I . . . don't know," he grudgingly admitted.&nbsp; "I just do what I'm told.&nbsp; The elders have the most wisdom, and I trust them."&nbsp; Even if they made him work with the Alliance on this.&nbsp; "The spirits are upset everywhere.&nbsp; Things long buried or hidden have been unearthed everywhere.&nbsp; If this is where we are to start, then let's get it done."&nbsp; He smelled at the air.&nbsp; "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to do what I said I would."<br><br>He began to rummage in a belt pouch, pulling free a small stick of incense and a bowl, as well as a small bag of pungent-smelling herbs.&nbsp; The bag, he hurled into the sea; the stick, he concentrated on, reaching out for the blessings of Fire, and breathed, a single ember emerging with his breath to alight on it.&nbsp; He wasn't sure what the incense would smell like, but he knew that the air should enjoy it, as the water would enjoy what he had thrown to it.&nbsp; Gifts chosen and offered, he sat, bulky form levering down with surprising grace (or unsurprising, once one realized that tauren lived with their bodies as much as any smaller race lived with theirs).&nbsp; and began to concentrated.&nbsp; Perhaps later he could perform a longer ritual, but for now, simply calming the spirits enough to not overturn or throw the ship would be adequate.&nbsp; He held the incense between his hands - the air should smell and taste it, but not put it out - and concentrated, sending his will, his awareness, outside of his body.&nbsp; The spirits would be there; hopefully talking to them would get the results he needed.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Andronica</strong> on <strong>02-02-2016, 16:47:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lavania nodded knowingly as the shaman explained how he trusted in the wisdom of the elders and seldom inquired further into his missions. "It is good to trust our elders when they task us with going out to heal the wounds of the world," the druid said with a nod of her chin. "Though perhaps it is because I have an inquisitive nature that I always try to delve a little deeper and pry into what is happening," added the druid with a more toothy mischievous grin. <br><br>She looked up and over to Melegor as she did so, as the towering tauren stood a good head above her and then some. He was strong and sturdy, unflinching in the battering winds that assaulted the small ship. Other night elves seemed to move with the wind and conform to the elements, yet Melegor was like a rock. She felt some admiration begin to swell in her chest although she did not know why. Once more Lavania nodded as Melegor took charge of the situation and declared the spirits upset and in need of soothing. She took several steps back and could see him produce a small bag of herbs. When Melegor sat in meditation after offering little gifts to the spirits, which Lavania found interesting, she decided to leave him be.<br><br>Instead of lingering where she might disturb the shaman's rituals, Lavania walked along the deck to the upper platform of the ship where their one-eyed veteran Captain stood with her hands firmly planted on the ship's wheel. They could speak at a surprisingly level tone despite the howling of the wind previously, which went down significantly after Melegor entered his meditative state and burned incense.<br><br>"The waters will not be so choppy if we try to remain closer to shore. Going out too far will get us turned over in no time," Serena declared with a knowing jut of her chin. Her one remaining eye squinted as she looked out over the horizon on either side of them; one showing the endless angry sea and the other showing the severely wounded coast of Ashenvale. Lavania could hear the moans of nature through the trees even at such a far distance and it made her heart lurch in her chest. <br><br>"Once Melegor calms the spirits we can find the fastest and most inconspicuous route to Feralas," Lavania reassured Serena. Every so often the druidess looked down toward Melegor in his seated position and watched him with intense curiosity in her eyes, as if she was learning something fascinating for the first time. She didn't dare go back down to him until he was finished his ritual so as not to disturb the important communication he had with the spirits.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Styracosaur</strong> on <strong>10-02-2016, 03:32:39</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				All the sensations of his body vanished - the weight, the strength, the air on his nose, the spray of seawater on his lips.&nbsp; There was no gravity, no light on his shoulders.&nbsp; Either he had no body, or the world itself had changed around him.<br><br>In a way, both were true.<br><br>He stood to see a world cast in silver and blue and shadow, a world where streamers of pure elemental force moved through airless void, where the ship he was on was a mass of abstract, alien shapes and his own body a dead, empty boulder of flesh.&nbsp; The sea around the ship was alive with iridescent blue energy, whipping and crackling like a sea of ethereal fire, while the sky was a maze of torrents, crossing and criss-crossing like the bandages on a gravely wounded man.&nbsp; Here he was in a sort of elemental limbo, an astral plane equally shared between all the different spirits.<br><br>The water spirits were there, blazing through that shimmering sea, their wakes sending echoes into the physical world; similarly, the air spirits tugged on the cords overhead, and the wind gusted unpredictably.&nbsp; They were panicked, some angry and some afraid.&nbsp; There were no true leviathans here, none powerful enough to tear a hole into the physical world and unleash its emotions more directly, and for that, Melegor was mostly grateful.&nbsp; In some ways, he would have preferred such a direct conflict.&nbsp; He could still have one: latch onto a spirit, pull it into the physical world, and beat it into submission.&nbsp; But that would be mostly pointless - there would be a dozen others still howling and yowling in the astral.<br><br>So, instead he began to chant.&nbsp; It was an old chant, one which had been changed and modified and altered over the many, many years since its devising.&nbsp; A chant with a multitude of variations, in target and time and duration, but one underlying purpose: to bring the elements peace.&nbsp; His gifts were already entering the spirits' awareness, relaxing them; now, with his words, he aimed to lull them further into quiescence.&nbsp; Some of them looked at him, coming closer with hisses and clacks, and although he maintained his awareness of them, he continued the progression of the chant.&nbsp; Talons of shifting force coalesced, snapping just short of him, testing him, even as they gradually relaxed and eased.&nbsp; They would rise again, in time, upset by the sheet of disorder that lay over the whole world like a shroud, but for now, they returned to something more like their normal routines, dancing in the energetic layer beneath the ship, plucking the strings of the wind overhead in a carefully organized rhythm.&nbsp; He sat down once more, continuing to chant, relaxing the throat that he didn't have to try to keep going as long as possible.<br><br>And in the physical world, the churning sea began to settle, and the unpredictably blasting wind began to resume its normal course.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Andronica</strong> on <strong>10-02-2016, 18:20:09</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lavania watched from Serana's side for a spell as the shaman began his ritual. The guttural chant was deep and baritone, low enough that it vibrated in her own chest. Or perhaps it was simply a spiritual kinship that caused such familiarity between them due to their connection with the natural world. The druidess' keen amber eyes watched languidly as if Melegor's ritual was putting her into a trance as well, as it was so different from her other experiences of communing with spirits. Slowly but surely Lavania was able to notice that the winds started to calm their incessant howling and no longer battered the ship. The sea as well lost the tumultuous ferocity in its waves and resumed a more calm atmosphere at Melegor's bidding.<br><br>After keeping an eye on the shaman while he conducted his ritual for some time, Lavania descended from the top of the ship. She walked over toward the tauren deep in his chanting and then moved right past him. She was not sure how taxing such rituals were on the body and mind for druids relished in their synergy with nature, it rarely exhausted them. Mindful of how steep the task was for herself and Melegor, Lavania went down into the lower level of the ship to a room she designated as her own. It was a simple room at the end of the ship with a small window to the outside world where she could see Melegor's coaxing of the spirits in action.<br><br>From her personal belongings she took out a few items; a finely spiced dark wine and some crusty bread. Hardly a lavish meal, but food none the less which she thought Melegor might appreciate when he was done communing with the spirits. Then the druidess hurried back up to the deck and carefully sat across from the tauren. His shadow consumed her while his imposing frame remained deep in thought as the hum of his chant passed his grey lips.<br><br>Placing the food and drink down, the purple haired night elf leaned to the side as she kept an eye on Melegor, wholly transfixed with the process he endured. As the chanting continued but began to quiet down and all around them it looked and felt like the spirits were assuaged, Lavania finally spoke up.<br><br>"I brought you something, if you're hungry," Lavania said aloud in a soft voice. Her head tilted as she examined Melegor's face, waiting to see if he would react or if he was still in the midst of the ritual. She didn't want to interrupt him, after all.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Styracosaur</strong> on <strong>13-02-2016, 15:54:19</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As the spirits settled, Melegor changed up his chant just slightly.&nbsp; After all, the world was full of spirits - invisible, intangible, and yet affecting the stuff of reality in many ways.&nbsp; He couldn't remain in the astral realm forever, but the ship would need to continue on in order for them to reach their destination; his solution was to try to draw the spirits with them, to make them interested in following the ship on its course.&nbsp; They wouldn't stay forever, of course - air and water were notorious for being easy movers but not excessively loyal - but if he periodically encouraged them, they could give the ship a little envelope of normal, or at least more normal, wind and waves to help it along.<br><br>So, he chanted on, promising continued attention and gifts, promising interesting experiences, if they would come along.&nbsp; While their mercurial nature would limit the ritual's effectiveness, it also made it easier to convince them to come along.&nbsp; After all, why not?&nbsp; The sea was large and the air, larger - why not stay with the ship, rather than going elsewhere?<br><br>He perceived, dimly, a shadow of soul and matter coming over to his body in the physical world, of words made of ripples in the air coming to his ears.&nbsp; Someone was trying to speak with him, to interact with him.&nbsp; His well-practiced lips maintained the chanting, even as he took the time to really look around.&nbsp; The air and water seemed reasonably well drawn to him and the ship, now, touching it in the ways they could, exploring it, the air spirits sometimes diving down on its deck to play with its crew or sails.&nbsp; They would hold, at least for a while.<br><br>Melegor's body had a familiar weight and size to it, and he gave the smallest of starts as familiar sensations returned - temperature, sunlight, gravity, movement.&nbsp; He worked his lips for a moment, finding them a little dried from echoing his work in the astral plane, but nothing too severe.&nbsp; Lavania sat there before him, swallowed up in his shadow, and his brow furrowed slightly as he called up the memory of what she'd said.&nbsp; His body had that knowledge, although it was blurred and indistinct, like a voice through water.<br><br>"Ahhh . . . thank you," he said, his voice like two stones grinding.&nbsp; He coughed once, swallowed, and reached for the wine.&nbsp; His hand nearly wrapped all the way around the bottle, and with delicate precision (despite his blinking eyes) he pulled the cork free.&nbsp; He took a light swallow, just enough to wet his mouth and throat, although it was easily as much as a smaller person's big mouthful.&nbsp; The taste of the spices lingered on his tongue, some familiar and some less so; both the kal'dorei and tauren were residents of Kalimdor, so they were certain similarities of herbs in play.&nbsp; Replacing the cork, he tore off a chunk of the bread - small for him, just a couple of bites, although large for another.&nbsp; He wasn't really hungry, but he had lost some energy, and at the very least the act of eating helped to anchor him back properly in his body.<br><br>"Those are very nice," he said politely, narrowing his eyes periodically to get himself back to looking at light.&nbsp; "Ah, the spirits should travel with us a ways.&nbsp; I'll need to coax them to stay with us, but they should help to buffer us from the worst effects of the spirits' fright."&nbsp; He placed his hands on his knees and took a deep breath, slowly letting it escape, before meeting her luminous eyes.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Andronica</strong> on <strong>18-02-2016, 01:15:25</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lavania reached toward Melegor's outstretched hand as he made for the wine and handed it to him quickly. She eyed him up and down, tilting her lavener face slightly as reams of deep purple hair cascaded down her front as she examined the shaman. It was clear by the expression on her face that she was curious. More than curious perhaps. Yet she was going to act reserved and mildly interested at the most. Lavania kept quiet as Melegor supped her meager offerings and then nodded her head when he thanked her and commented on the stat eof the spirits.<br><br>"You're welcome. I've never seen a shaman commune with the spirits before. I've worked with the Earthen Ring only a few times and even then, I did not spend much time in their presence and always had an escort from the Cenarion Circle who did most of the interacting between us. It is... a very intricate process you use," she commented with a small smirk. <br><br>Clearly the druidess had never seen anything of the sort. Her people were able to lean against a tree and hear its woes, or listen to a song in the breeze merely by existing around nature. The druid's connection with the spirits sometimes called for special herbs and incense but only if they wished to directly walk among the spirits or enter the Emerald Dream. Those methods seemed far more commonplace for Melegor and his fellow shamans. Then, tearing her eyes away from their free roam about his body and face so as not to appear rude, Lavania cleared her throat a few times and continued to speak. <br><br>"Thank you for calming the spirits. This is the best way to reach Feralas and also be able to examine the damage caused by the Cataclysm in more depth than if we were to simply fly there. I hope this won't be a taxing process for you on the rest of our journey," Lavania added. Then she rose slowly but left the food and drink for Melegor if he wished to have if despite the size of the meal likely being small for a tauren.<br><br>"Come and rest when you are able. It might do you some good. And perhaps... we can talk at length about the Earthen Ring?" the druidess suggested with a sheepish expression.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Styracosaur</strong> on <strong>22-02-2016, 04:53:11</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Melegor nodded as she spoke.<br><br>"Well, I have spent very little time in the company of druids, so I suppose I shall learn much from you, as well."&nbsp; Her gift of bread and wine, wholly unnecessary, had definitely helped to warm him to her; not that she had ever been unkind, or even less than fully respectful, but his lack of interest in participating in this mission with a member of the Alliance had cast a pall over the entire prospect.&nbsp; As much as he might hope that his intellect would always triumph, as his teachers well knew, Melegor's emotions had nearly too much power over him.&nbsp; Thus, a small gift of food could impact him where days of persuasion from Rimblat had barely made a dent.<br><br>He smiled, a small thing, as they sized each other up once more.&nbsp; She definitely looked capable of handling herself, despite having a frame that was wiry by tauren standards (as most frames were).&nbsp; He spent a few moments studying her feet - always such strange things, to a hooved race - and how she seemed content to have them bare rather than covered.&nbsp; That, at least, made sense to him.<br><br>"Of course.&nbsp; I will do what I need to in order for us to succeed in our task, as I am sure you will."&nbsp; He nodded his head, the small ornaments dangling from the musk-ox dip of his horns swaying gently.&nbsp; "Do not worry about me, in this at least."<br><br>As she stood and made her offer, he nodded again, looking up at her (but only a bit).<br><br>"You are quite right.&nbsp; I will come once I feel steady enough not to immediately fall overboard."&nbsp; He chuckled, a basso profundo rumbling.&nbsp; "I will be happy to talk to you of the Earthen Ring.&nbsp; And . . . it seems I should remedy an error in my own education, and ask you about the Cenarion Circle."&nbsp; He smiled politely, reaching down to massage his legs through the layered skirt he wore, little of the actual sensation getting through, although at least it made him feel like he was doing something to speed his recovery.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Andronica</strong> on <strong>25-02-2016, 19:39:14</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lavania looked up and thought she could see the hint of a smile on the tauren's mouth. She was not at all used to seeing such a positive reaction from a member of the Horde before, besides the balanced dispositions handful of tauren who worked frequently in the Moonglade. Even then, most druids looked quite complacent and tranquil in their element whereas she thrived to live a more passionate life among nature - so Melegor's smirk took her aback, pleasantly, as she thought shamans of the Earthen Ring had a similar reverence about themselves. To know she didn't have to keep up a calm, placated demeanour made the young druidess (by kal'dorei standards at least) breathe out a quiet sigh of relief.<br><br>She nodded as he told her not to fret and stood up from her kneeling position in front of him. Her linen dress caught the salty sea breeze and whipped her clothing around her legs, showing off their shapely athletic form for a brief moment while she stood upright. <br><br>"Of course, do not force yourself. I will go and meditate and when you feel rested enough to visit, feel free to join me," Lavania suggested quickly. She felt a spur of nervousness catch in her throat and stomach as she proposed something as simple as scholarly conversation with the tauren. She had met several tauren before, and other members of the Horde who were not aligned with the same malicious intentions of their leaders. Yet something about Melegor struck her as different... she felt an instant ally in him. He aroused curiosity in the young druid and maybe a few other things, as well.<br><br>The sudden feelings of comfort that permeated her when he was in her presence had thrown her off balance before, but now she was steady enough to explore such foreign sensations. Lavania nodded her head once more to affirm their meeting later on, whenever he felt up to it. Then she nodded down towards the food and drink with a smirk.<br><br>"Bring that back if you don't finish it, all right?" Lavania instructed. She sauntered off across the deck and down into her room at the back of the ship where she had many windows to view the outside world from. It was furnished in simple kal'dorei fashion as the ship belonged to Vesprystus, with a Darnassian-made bed and limited décor with a quaint and warm atmosphere. Once Lavania was inside her room she sat upon the bed and pondered some key points about the Cenarion Circle to share with her partner on the mission - yet her thoughts kept drifting away from studious things.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Styracosaur</strong> on <strong>26-02-2016, 13:23:54</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Melegor watched Lavania moving away, feeling a moment of, if not quite admiration, at least appreciation.&nbsp; She was tall, as were her kin, tall enough that he didn't dwarf her, and was certainly athletic.&nbsp; As much as tauren had a few key physical differences from the various other peoples, they could appreciate their aesthetics as well as the others could appreciate theirs - and Lavania certainly had quite a bit to appreciate.&nbsp; Sometime they might be enemies, or at least not allies, but for now they were, and really, whether they were or not had little impact on a little eyeing.&nbsp; <br><br>After his few moments of woolgathering, Melegor returned to the twofold task at hand: making sure that his spirit had well integrated with his body, and making sure that his legs had not fallen asleep during his brief spirit walk.&nbsp; In a lodge, he might have been wearing just a robe or loincloth, which would make this easier - if he was going to need to repeat the soothing ritual during their voyage, then he might pull one out from his pack and wear it, instead of his armor.&nbsp; He was well aware that he was no hero, and that ultimately if the crew decided they wanted to kill him, he would be outmanned - or, even if he succeeded, unable to operate the craft on his own.&nbsp; No, his battledress was a bit excessive, barring something unusual.<br><br>He went through a number of different exercises, as he'd been trained to do: concentrating on tensing every muscle in sequence, on feeling the sensations from each patch of his hide.&nbsp; Once he felt satisfied, he rose to his knees, and did it again; after that, he rose to his feet, and stood braced against the rail for a third repetition.&nbsp; The smell and spray of the sea were unfamiliar to him; tauren did not generally ply the sea, preferring instead to roam the land, and while he'd been on a boat (ship?) before, it was still a bit of a new experience to him.&nbsp; It was interesting, though - between the blowing breeze and the taste of salt, he felt a bit more of a connection to those spirits of air and water that he had just been pacifying.&nbsp; It was a small thing, but it was good to embrace those.<br><br>With a few clomping steps, he felt satisfied that his body would not betray him.&nbsp; The little bowl was now full of ash, rather than incense; he threw that over the side, to the sky, before replacing the bowl in one of his pouches.&nbsp; The bread and wine were next; since Lavania had indicated he could bring them back, he decided to leave them be for the moment.&nbsp; Perhaps while they talked they might share them.&nbsp; Otherwise, he might have finished the bread, although the wine seemed a bit more special.<br><br>The crew rushed about their tasks, eyeing him as he eyed them, but they had all seen and heard what he did, and felt the difference in the sea.&nbsp; They were not friends, but to just be on the same ship?&nbsp; That they could both tolerate.&nbsp; He did his best to maintain a steady pace, carrying his totem under one arm in a well-practiced hold, giving them plenty of time to see him coming and to maneuver around him.&nbsp; The walk to Lavania's room was a short one, although somewhat lengthened by the swaying of the deck and movement of the crew, so it was with some relief that he knocked on it when he arrived, eager to get in and out of the way.<br><br>And, perhaps, to talk to her.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Andronica</strong> on <strong>29-02-2016, 14:36:44</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lavania had just begun a short stint of meditation when she heard the powerful knock on her door. It wasn't overly loud or boorish as some might suspect from a tauren as his hands held a strange kind of grace to his mannerisms, she'd noticed. Immediately she batted her amber eyes and rose up from the bed to relieve the trance-like weariness from her body before walking to the door. A few seconds later Melegor would find the door open with the druidess standing on the other side, accompanied by a smile on her mauve lips as she side stepped to allow him in. The totem that he held under his arm was going to be a slightly tight squeeze into the human-sized door frame, though.<br><br>"I hope you enjoyed the bread," she said once he was inside. Lavania closed the door behind the shaman and motioned with a wide sweep of her hand for him to take a seat wherever he might like, whether it was accompanied by the totem or not. Now that they had something akin to privacy she did not feel so guarded in front of Serena or her skeleton crew as they busily manned the ship on the newly calmed waters - which they had a tauren to thank for, none the less.<br><br>"Since we will be spending some time with one another on this mission, I think it'll be a good idea to get to know one another," Lavania began to say as she flashed the tauren a quick polite smile in hopes that he reciprocated. Of course he did! Why else would he agree to come meet with her otherwise? The night elf found herself looking at Melegor for a longer than intended period of time and to avoid being rude, she cleared her throat and walked over to the bedside. Immediately the druidess pulled her legs up into a crossed position and rest her hands languidly on her knees as she got comfortable.<br><br>"Tell me - how were you inducted into the Earthen Ring? Did you become a shaman because you had a calling from a young age, or were you picked from your kin by Rimblat?" inquired Lavania with a curious tilt of her head. The thirst for knowledge, whether of scholarly tomes or becoming more personable, never seemed to be satiated with her. She sat in wait with raised brows, eager to hear his story.<br><br>"If you want to share that with me, that is," Lavania quickly added in hopes she wasn't being too demanding. Normally she was content to be alone and she hardly ever batted an eye at the prospect of having a partner. Yet with Melegor she wanted to present herself in the best manner, for a reason she did not quite understand. The normally feral druidess was somewhat tamed in his presence.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Styracosaur</strong> on <strong>05-03-2016, 16:23:09</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				For a few moment, Melegor appraised the door, her room, and his totem.&nbsp; He certainly didn't want to leave it outside if he could help it, and the rooms were tall enough for kal'dorei - even if there was limited floorspace, they were tall enough.&nbsp; So he came inside, ducking his head just slightly, and set down the tremendous section of carved tree trunk in as out of the way a spot as he could divine.&nbsp; <br><br>"Yes, it was very good.&nbsp; Usually my people make it a bit more heavily spiced, so it was nice to try.&nbsp; Thank you."&nbsp; As she gestured for him to sit, he reached out to set the wine bottle on the small table, and then for himself opted to sit on the floor.&nbsp; Between his breadth and his mass, he was reluctant to try out one of the available chairs, and felt like it would be more than a bit rude to co-opt her bed as his own seat.&nbsp; Besides, the deck was no stranger to him, and she even had a small carpet that cushioned his backside a bit.<br><br>"You're absolutely right - depending on how long our journey is, we could be companions for quite some time.&nbsp; So it would be good to know each other a bit."&nbsp; The words squirmed on his tongue a bit - he never would have thought to be saying such things to someone from the Alliance.&nbsp; But the goal was good, and she had (so far) demonstrated herself to be a good person - so he would give her a chance.&nbsp; As she climbed upon the bed, he caught a brief flash of lavender thigh while she arranged her legs to her liking.<br><br>He had opened his mouth and begun to respond when she made her addendum, and he chuckled.&nbsp; <br><br>"Don't worry.&nbsp; I won't answer anything I don't want to."&nbsp; He smiled, briefly, at her, before gathering his scattered thoughts once more.&nbsp; "You could say I had a calling.&nbsp; My tribe - the Skychasers - are known for producing shamans.&nbsp; They keep an eye on all the children, to see if the spirits talk to any of them, or listen to them.&nbsp; It usually takes a while to figure out, but I do remember the day that they came and talked to me about my gift, my honor and responsibility."&nbsp; He smiled faintly, dreamily, at the memory.&nbsp; "I'm not really that old, but it feels like so long ago."<br><br>"In any case, I was trained, carefully, as I was raised.&nbsp; You don't want to give too many powers to children, you understand, but at the same time it's dangerous for them to go untrained.&nbsp; Once I was old enough, I volunteered to join the ring - very few shamans don't, at least among the Skychasers - and they began some more intense training.&nbsp; Rimblat was one of my main instructors during that time, before he left to cross the sea."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Andronica</strong> on <strong>09-03-2016, 18:54:48</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lavania chuckled softly as Melegor assured her that her suggestion to get to know one another was a good one, and that he was more than willing to share. She felt somewhat naive for having worried that she was being too imposing so early on in their partnership. She never had close friends beside her sisters even after she joined the Cenarion Circle. It was purely her preference to work alone but if she was paired up she was still amicable and efficient. With the tauren however, something felt different. She was driven to accept his companionship and learn <em>about</em> him as more than a helping hand in Feralas.<br><br>She nodded every so often as he unravelled his tale, as she found much in it that resonated with her own life. "When I was much younger I did not take very well to all the rigours and rules of training as a druid. I wanted nothing more than to be free and wild. Although that desire was quickly checked in me when I learned more of the world and my potential," said Lavania with a soft shrug of her shoulders. She grew from being a feral little creature, the youngest of her siblings, into someone respectable and valued in Darnassus. That was a far greater future than she could ever imagine for herself and she learned to relish it.<br><br>"I was picked in a similar fashion. My sisters and I all went on separate paths from a young age, taking to different hobbies and talents. You wouldn't even know we were related," she mused with a chuckle. "I was approached for druid training as a youth after my mother noticed I was more keen about nature than becoming a sentinel, and the elders agreed. I didn't mind being separated from my siblings as my eldest sister already left to become a priestess of Elune. Part way through my training I went to visit her in Darnassus and that was when I first met - saw - Malfurion." Lavania paused to take a breath as if recalling that very moment when the air hitched in her lungs upon seeing him.<br><br>"At his suggestion my teacher brought myself and the other young druids to the Moonglade, where we learned temperance and wisdom. We often went on missions to outposts controlled by the Cenarion Circle but this is the first I will undertake without any fellow druids in accompaniment. I've seen orcs and tauren who are blessed with Cenarion's gift but I've never worked alongside one before... It's proving to be very enlightening, though," concluded the druidess. She smiled at Melegor from the bed where she sat with one leg over the side in a relaxed position. <br><br>"You are not used to working with members of the Alliance, are you? What did you do in Rimblat's absence before he came to you again for this task?" inquired Lavania. Her brow rose slightly and she sat up straighter but it was not an expression of judgement so much as curiosity. There were many orcs and trolls in the Cenarion Circle and she acclimated to them early on, whether or not her mentor was around.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Styracosaur</strong> on <strong>12-03-2016, 21:17:07</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Melegor listened as Lavania briefly summarized her childhood and training.&nbsp; It did sound more than a little similar to that of the shamans, which made sense.&nbsp; The various other disciplines of magic - mages and warlocks, priest and paladins - all required extensive amounts of book reading and rote practice (from what he understood).&nbsp; If they failed at this study, they could blow themselves up, cause pain instead of relieve it, or any number of other things.&nbsp; However, the shamans and druids were much more in tune with the natural world.&nbsp; Theirs were magics of talent and feeling.&nbsp; He had rites to learn, yes, and he was sure the druids had similar, but for the most part, their training was practice, practice in contacting the natural world and in shaping their own natural talents.<br><br>"No, no I am not," he said, somewhat ruefully, not quite ashamed but also not quite proud any more.&nbsp; "The Earthen Ring, while it will accept any the spirits touch, has nearly entirely drawn from the Horde until recently.&nbsp; The Draenei and Dwarves have their own traditions and concerns, and integrating together is very much a work in progress."&nbsp; For the most part, the Alliance and Horde halves of the Ring operated independently, more as sister organizations than parts of a whole.&nbsp; They shared some information, and coordinated some efforts, but outside of a few key areas, really had very little contact.<br><br>"But, as I have been told repeatedly, we must all work together if we are to survive this cataclysm.&nbsp; All things are threatened, spirits and flesh alike, and so it is time for us all to work together to accomplish what good we can."&nbsp; He favored her with a small smile at this, still turning it over in his head.&nbsp; It was one thing to be rebellious against commands from above, but now that he was on his own . . . what, should he have refused to ride on this Alliance ship?&nbsp; Should he do nothing while Lavania worked?&nbsp; No.&nbsp; They had similar goals, and if he wanted to achieve them, he would need to work with her.<br><br>"Now, during Rimblat's absence, I have had other mentors and tutors to guide me in improving my skills.&nbsp; Mostly, I have been in the Barrens, helping to keep the Centaurs and Quilboar contained."&nbsp; Such a polite euphemism, for a savage and unending war, a conflict being waged for years uncounted between the Tauren and their more uncivilized neighbors.&nbsp; Thankfully, the Horde kept the other two mostly in check, although raiding parties were always a risk.&nbsp; His totem had swatted down more than a few Quilboar, and absorbed a few centaur arrows&nbsp; over the years.&nbsp; <br><br>"But since the cataclysm, I have been trying to calm the spirits of the Barrens, a task which seems to have no end.&nbsp; And that is where I would likely be if I had not been chosen for this task."&nbsp; He smiled, faintly, but thoughts of Centaur raiders and raging earth spirits were still too near the top of his mind to fully let go of.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Andronica</strong> on <strong>15-03-2016, 17:53:04</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lavania solemnly nodded her head in acknowledgement when Melegor explained the sad fact that the Earthen Ring was fairly limited in its Alliance-borne members. The Cenarion Circle was more varied to be sure, supporting many tauren, trolls, and worgen who were touched by Cenarius' blessing as opposed to a massive force of kal'dorei only. Yet that did not mean it went without any tension or hardship in the quiet background of its machinations. She was glad to see that Melegor was so contemporary in his willingness to work alongside her, even if she like many other druids did not claim to belong to one faction or another. If he were older she wondered, would he be wiser or more resistant to their partnership?<br><br>"We are well on our way to rectifying the mistakes of the past, including and exceeding the Cataclysm," said Lavania with a mirrored smile on her mauve lips. Her kind words would have been accompanied with an equally kind gesture such as a touch on Melegor's forearm, but he sat too far away for such thing and so her expression had to be the solitary enforcer of her opinion. <br><br>"Perhaps even after this mission we can work together to find ways to bring our respective groups together and erase the lines between Horde and Alliance. It is wishful thinking, of course. There will always be distrust or dislike. Yet I think we may be able to accomplish it in our lifetime," mused the druidess sheepishly, her smile becoming a little lopsided.<br><br>At Melegor's conclusion Lavania seemed to perk up a little, coming out of her polite shell and showing more than just a passing fancy in her tone. She stood up suddenly and walked to the windows at the foot of her bed which encompassed the back end of the ship. She could see the faint shoreline but for the most part it was only deep blue sea.<br><br>"I've never been to the Barrens. Most of my training and work has been in Ashenvale and Darkshore. I've never gone across the continent, let alone to the Eastern Kingdoms except when I occasionally ran errands or went to summits in other capitol cities. Would Rimblat allow me to accompany the Earthen Ring in the Barrens? I'm so used to dark lush forests... I would long to commune with another kind of nature entirely," she said, speaking of the hot sandy plains with a strange fondness.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Styracosaur</strong> on <strong>19-03-2016, 19:39:10</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				It was hard to view Lavania as an enemy, and even hard to view her as an ambivalent neutral, now that they were talking.&nbsp; He realized that this was part of the purpose of these joint quests, to expose the Horde and Alliance to each other as well as Ring and Circle, and he could acknowledge its wisdom without being overly pleased about it.&nbsp; However, in this one particular case, he was warming to the kal'dorei in fact as well as theory.<br><br>"There is much bad blood between the peoples of each faction," he said simply.&nbsp; "The kal'dorei and tauren have some of the least, but there is plenty to go around.&nbsp; Until and unless there can be some resolution, some release of those misdeeds, I do not think the Horde and Alliance will cease to be.&nbsp; Temporary cooperation is likely the closest they can achieve, until enough generations pass for memories to fade."&nbsp; Which was, in its own way, reminding Lavania of the loss of the kal'dorei's immortality.&nbsp; Well, if she thought of it, it would be its own mark in favor of what he was saying.<br><br>"And as for whether you could travel to the Barrens . . . " Melegor shrugged heavily.&nbsp; "It is Horde-claimed territory, but right now, everything is very chaotic.&nbsp; You could likely travel there on your own if you wished.&nbsp; If you traveled with an escort, then you would most likely be safe from the Horde's patrols, but might draw more attention from the other dangers."&nbsp; He paused a moment, thinking, and then added "If you were in the company of tauren, most of Mulgore is safe enough, and very different from the forests.&nbsp; But for now, I'm not sure there is true peace to be found anywhere."&nbsp; He fell silent, thinking about the grassy plains of his&nbsp; home, being wandered by Quilboar, by raging elementals, by centaur, by Alliance raiders.&nbsp; He gave a little shake of his shaggy shoulders, setting the ornaments hanging from his horns to clacking and swaying.<br><br>"Well, a brief visit would likely be possible.&nbsp; And maybe a longer one once we have restored the world to a state of some balance."&nbsp; He gave her a brief smile.&nbsp; "And for myself . . . I agree.&nbsp; The Eastern Kingdoms must be an interesting place, to have birthed so many different cultures.&nbsp; Perhaps sometime I would like to see it."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Andronica</strong> on <strong>23-03-2016, 21:07:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Melegor's more level headed realism certainly put a dent into the druidess' whimsical thinking. While she was not exceptionally long-lived for a night elf, she knew of many others who could recall a time when there was relative peace in Azeroth. No ancient dragons, no sudden maelstroms, and no outland demons clawing their way through portals. She knew her hope of a peaceful Azeroth was impossible to achieve but she thought some semblance of widespread neutrality could still be achieved through the combined efforts of the Earthen Ring and Cenarion Circle. <br><br>She merely grunted when the shaman mentioned the expanse of time it would require for things to settle down and fade away. "You are not wrong on that account. Humans and orcs are always out for blood. The Banshee Queen and her undying grudge certainly pose a problem, too. And the blood elves only joined the Horde for self serving purposes. I'm more worried about how far they've fallen than how loyal they are to Hellscream," she said with a quick waving gesture of her hand at the example. "But we have at least been gifted with understanding the value of balance in all things and I still believe with time and consistency, we might be able to expand that doctrine beyond healing the earth's wounds," Lavania stated with an affirming nod of her chin. <br><br>Then she smirked and walked around a bit to stretch her legs as she pondered Melegor's uncertainty about the Barrens. "What about an escort from the Earthen Ring?" she inquired quickly. Clearly Lavania had a plan brewing and she wasn't going to let it go. Not when the opportunity to go farther than she'd ever been before might finally be in her grasp. She loved the forests of Darnassus, Ashenvale and Darkshore but there was more to the world than kal'dorei lands. She wanted to help elsewhere... and in the process, gain a bit of freedom from her mentor, too.<br><br>"I'm sure once our mission here is complete, Rimblat would not be opposed to letting you show me through Horde territory? I can present a very convincing case for the sake of research and aid, of course," Lavania suggested. She looked over to Melegor with a glimmer in her eyes and a flash of her sharp white teeth.<br><br><div class="spoiler_container"><div onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button" class="spoiler_header">OOC</div><div class="spoiler_body">Yay, page 2! A new record for us. :P</div></div>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Styracosaur</strong> on <strong>29-03-2016, 04:48:19</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Melegor listened, idly stealing glances Lavania's legs scissoring as she walked around the room, the flickering of smooth purple skin.&nbsp; No other group seemed to share the short fur of the Tauren; even the Worgen, from what he'd heard, were more of cursed humans than anything else.&nbsp; It forced a certain broadening of perspectives, even if one generally still preferred their own people.<br><br>"It is possible," he conceded warily, unwilling to commit for those far his superior in the Ring.&nbsp; "Although you would certainly need to talk to Rimblat about that.&nbsp; You might need a larger escort, as well - Hellscream is much less tolerant of Alliance members within Horde territory than the reverse.&nbsp; The Earthen Ring may care about your offer, but he certainly wouldn't, and neither would the Horde's warriors."&nbsp; He returned her smile with a smaller, tooth-hidden one.&nbsp; Even on his most loudly anti-Alliance days, he rarely wished to fight - just for them both to leave each other alone.&nbsp; That whole mental scenario - of Lavania being attacked, of the Earthen Ring defending her (possibly with arms) - it troubled him on several levels.<br><br>"But it does seem like such an event is quite some time away, so who knows.&nbsp; Perhaps the kodo will learn to sing."&nbsp; He gave a low, rumbling laugh at that.&nbsp; "Have you heard of that story, Lavania?"&nbsp; There were too many uncertainties, too many things above his responsibility and knowledge.&nbsp; Better to break things up with a little story and leave those weighty thoughts for the time being.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Andronica</strong> on <strong>05-04-2016, 18:44:09</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lavania exhaled softly through her nose and a smile came to her lips, although it was slightly forced in the context of their discussion. The druidess had gotten ahead of herself in requesting that she be taken along with Melegor or some other delegates from the Earthen Ring to expand her knowledge and sate her curiosity. While she suspected they would do well in this particular task they were assigned together for, perhaps it was a bit too early - or naive - to think that the Earthen Ring and Cenarion Circle might work together like this in the long run.<br><br>"No, I haven't heard that story. Tell me about it," Lavania responded as she walked away from the window. The kal'dorei sat upon the bed and never broke eye contact with the tauren as he relayed the fable to her...<hr><br>The next week passed surprisingly quickly for Lavania, who expected that their days at sea would be long and boring. Instead, she found herself increasingly enamored by Melegor. She especially enjoyed hearing him speak, whether it was to dispense some curious shamanistic advice or to simply tell her another story. The culture of the tauren were especially rife with such tales and she was eating them up like a fascinated youngling, not that Melegor seemed to mind. It must have helped ease the passage of time for both of them. However, by noon on the eighty day of their travels when the small ship was closely following the coast towards Feralas, there was a change in the air.<br><br>Captain Serena Dalton found Lavania and Melegor on the deck that day when the sun was highest in the blue sky. The water was calm, or at least, it merely felt that way. Although she had not said anything, Lavania sensed that something was amiss and remained of a quiet pensive mood until it was broken by the human.<br><br>"It's been an unbroken smooth journey since you calmed the spirits last week," Serena said to Melegor. She approached the pair near the railing of the ship and peered out along the glassy dark blue waters. "But I don't think it'll keep up, especially now that we're almost there," Serena observed. She was right, too. Already in the distance it looked as if the clouds were growing dark over Feralas' shore in a concentrated spot, which wouldn't bode well for the sea faring group.<br><br>"There's something unnatural about that storm in the distance. It's growing too quickly," added Lavania with a nod of her chin. Her brow furrowed slightly as she continued to speak, "Naga used to infest these waters but my people drove them back to their ruined island temple. I doubt they stayed there after the cataclysm. It must have decimated the outpost," she thought out loud with some hesitation in her voice. Lavania brought her hand up to cover her brow and shield it from the sun so she could peer into the distance. The arched mauve rooftops of her people's architecture was indeed missing but she had hope that the sentinels set up came nearby to continue their watch.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Styracosaur</strong> on <strong>12-04-2016, 03:43:37</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Melegor had never considered himself much of a storyteller.&nbsp; In fact, when the children gathered in the circle to listen to one of the elders tell stories, he was usually the one being told 'sit down, Melegor', 'stop yelling, Melegor', 'stop hitting them with your tail, Melegor'.&nbsp; Granted, he hadn't engaged in most of those behaviors in years, but still - he was the one without patience, the one who didn't get the point about teamwork or honesty or what-have-you.&nbsp; Thus, in a twist befitting one of those stories, he was the one doing his level best to tell them to Lavania.&nbsp; She seemed to enjoy them; he'd always found them old and worn, but it made sense that she wouldn't, since she wasn't a tauren, wasn't even in the Horde.&nbsp; <br><br>So did he spend much of their time traveling - other than a few words of encouragement to the spirits, and the occasional look into the spirit realm to make sure all was in order, there was little for him to do.&nbsp; The crew seemed more comfortable around him, although he was less concerned with them than with Lavania; Lavania, whose laugh became more familiar, whose smile seemed readier, whose fit, toned body seemed to draw his eye more and more.&nbsp; He had heard of a handful of cross-faction romances, although never between a tauren and another . . . and why was he even thinking about such a thing?&nbsp; It was just an idle fancy, part of the process of settling into work as a team.&nbsp; <br><br>As the Captain and Lavania spoke, Melegor furrowed his brow and looked into the distance.&nbsp; The storm looked completely unnatural, although in these uncertain times, who could be sure?&nbsp; With an exhalation to clear his mind and a moment's concentration, he skimmed the surface of the spirit world, and looked.&nbsp; He saw a thing of iridescent, multi-colored lightnings, a weight and a pressure, an invasion, and then shook his head to clear it.<br><br>"It's not the spirits, not part of the normal weather.&nbsp; The arcane is driving it."&nbsp; Could he overcome whatever the spell was?&nbsp; It wasn't impossible, but calming the spirits was not where his skills lay, at least for now.&nbsp; He could try, but as long as they could force more energy into their spell, he wouldn't be able to counter it - and from how quickly it grew, he would say that they had a lot of energy available.<br><br>"If it's the naga, I don't think I'll be able to stop it," he conceded, the words burning a bit on his tongue - but it wasn't in him to lie for his pride.&nbsp; Not when lives were at stake.&nbsp; The naga were twisted and vicious, but also ancient and highly skilled at magic - more skilled than he.&nbsp; "Can we avoid it?"&nbsp; Probably a pointless question; if it wasn't natural, then the answer lay more in the hands of the sorcerer than with their captain.&nbsp; But it was all he could do.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Andronica</strong> on <strong>14-04-2016, 05:16:09</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lavania didn't dare show too much fear or apprehension when she was with Melegor on the deck even though Serana's news was grave. The storm was growing every passing second and it looked dark and terrible; a formidable pall that would soon engulf their modest fleet ship. When the shaman voiced his concern, however, something about that vulnerability gave the druid the ability to be just as transparent. She fought naga before, along with satyrs, goblins and orcs to name a few. Yet the naga were more fierce and vicious than anything she had ever seen. It was no wonder they were a cursed people.<br><br>Swallowing hard, the druidess tried to steel herself. She jut her chin over towards the encroaching storm clouds and took a deep breath up through her nose to clear her mind. "If this is the dark magic of the naga, and it most certainly seems that way, I can't stop it either," she admitted. There was no bravado to put on. Lavania simply wanted to be rational and get them all to Feralas without injury or delay. And that likelihood was disappearing rapidly.<br><br>"I'll scout the shores to see if we can find a safe place to land without hitting naga territory!" she announced and immediately took off towards the edge of the deck. Without preamble or discussion with the others, the druidess leaped off the railing. In the blink of an eye her form changed into that of a large raven-like bird with an intimidating wingspan and sharp golden eyes. With a few strong flaps of her wings Lavania soared up into the sky and towards the storm before disappearing somewhere among the clouds. She returned only a few moments later but it must have felt like an eternity to those on deck, as Serana was wide-eyed by the time she got back.<br><br>Lavania's great wings spread as she landed on deck and when the bird's clawed feet touched down, they quickly shifted back into the pale legs of the kal'dorei who looked like she was merely slipping off the back of a mount with utmost grace. Yet she was out of breath and a bit disheveled.<br><br>"The shore is swarming with naga. There is a group of witches conjuring the storm through a dark crystal," she explained between taking in lungfuls of air. As she spoke, a sudden loud sound and a rumble that nearly unbalanced the humans on board rang through their ears. A thick bolt of lightning erupted just beside the ship and echoed along the unsteady waves. <br><br>"Maybe they noticed me somehow?" Lavania posited, her brow furrowing with worry. But there was no time for that. "We can't stay on the ship. They'll see it if they haven't already and they'll destroy it. I would gladly fly one or two of you to safety except we may not have that much time. There might be a night elf camp farther down the shore but it will be a while until we reach it, longer if the ship is struck down. Can any of you swim?" asked the druidess. She glanced between Serana, Melegor and the others frantically.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Styracosaur</strong> on <strong>21-04-2016, 05:12:24</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				As Melegor listened to Lavania's report, he felt his heart close off, rather than sinking.&nbsp; The situation was too dire to give in to emotions like fear, to worry about surrender or the possibility of failure.&nbsp; This was the time to ignore such feelings, and to push on as hard as you could, even when such an act might be viewed as futile.&nbsp; While the captain reassured Lavania that they were Alliance sailors, of course they could swim, he drew in a breath of the salt-and-ozone air.<br><br>"Lavania, get whoever you can to safety," he said, letting his totem thump heavily to the deck - and yet somehow it remained upright.&nbsp; "I will do what I can with the spirits, to keep the ship intact as long as possible.&nbsp; Maybe we can get out of their range, or at least far enough that when the ship is lost, we can make it to the cover of the kal'dorei."&nbsp; Yes, we, nevermind the fact that while he communed with the spirits, he would be at most half-aware of his body, only vaguely conscious of such sensations as water filling his lungs.<br><br>The heavy, black clouds of naga sorcery reached across the sky as Melegor sat by his totem.&nbsp; His lips moved in a quiet invocation to his ancestors - he had needed their assistance on many an occasion, and this was yet another.&nbsp; With that, he let go of his body, and stepped free into the spirit realm.&nbsp; The naga's arcane sorcery mired the sky in a webwork of iridescent, bitter lightning, trapping spirits of the air in its web and driving others before it.&nbsp; Again, Melegor drew in a breath and blew it out his nose, before he began another song, a powerful song, a song to remind the spirits that the air was theirs, and they were it, that they had claimed dominion over the skies since before the first living being had drawn breath on this world - and no paltry magic could take that sovereignty from them.&nbsp; It was, in many ways, a counterpoint to his earlier ritual for peace and calm - but as they had responded to that, they began to respond to this, began to hurl themselves at that fine latticework of arcane energies, to claw at it, to free their trapped brethren and tear down this childishly brash invasion of their territory.<br><br>Hopefully, with Melegor's encouragement, they could buy the crew the time they needed to have at least a chance at survival.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Andronica</strong> on <strong>21-04-2016, 19:53:59</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lavania parted her lips almost immediately when Melegor issued his confident instructions. She was normally used to working alone and although the druid was more than capable of taking orders, she was unsure for a split second. Leaving Melegor to his own fate while she tried to rush the Alliance crew to safety, however few of them there were, was a noble thing. He was more proficient in taming the spirits, too. So his suggestion made absolute sense. Yet in the pit of her stomach she felt conflicted about it all.<br><br>Knowing they had no time to waste on bickering or discussing the plan of action, Lavania went ahead to the railing and motioned for a few of the nearest crew members to join her. <br><br>"Don't worry about taking me until the end. I'll help our tauren friend stave off this cowardly attack!" Serena called over the din of crashing thunder and lightning nearby. Lavania acknowledged the Captain with a quick glance before motioning to the others nearby.<br><br>"One of you get on my back. I can carry the other without hurting you," she said, leaving who went where to be discussed among the humans. In a flash she transformed and two of the crew members jumped on. <br><br>She was gone in a matter of seconds and disappeared in the grey clouds above. A few very long moments later the large raven-like bird returned to the ship only to find that it was already under siege by the naga sentinels who thrashed at the hull while they tried to puncture it. Serena aimed her pistol and shot one square in the chest, sending it reeling back into the water with a screech of anger. As she landed, Lavania could see that Melegor was still in a trance. There were only a few more remaining members of the crew--<br><br>A bolt of lightning struck the ship's front end and cracked it immediately. The sail of the small vessel caught fire and snapped overboard, taking out one of the remaining crew members and a few naga with it as it hurtled into the water. Serena shouted above the commotion. Everything was weaving into one loud singular sound in Lavania's ears as her senses were overloaded. However, she could still see Melegor cross legged on the deck like he often was while communing with the spirits. His body didn't seem affected or aware of the now rapidly sinking ship as Lavania bolted for the Captain who dove into the water to help the sparse remnants of her crew...
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Styracosaur</strong> on <strong>30-04-2016, 22:44:02</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Melegor sang to the spirits, urging them to fight against the magic twisting and corrupting their world, the spirit world, just as much as it reshaped the physical one.&nbsp; As he drove them into rebellion, his hooves began to move on the shadowstuff of the deck, a surface not truly there in the spirit world, but that he could stand on.&nbsp; It wasn't a dance in the way that many peoples would count such things: there was no music, no rhythm beyond that imparted by repetition of the song to sear its words and patterns into his mind.&nbsp; He did not do it to attract a mate or impress one, and its steps were, altogether, very simple.<br><br>What it did do, and do very well, was draw the spirits' eye, and in this case, honor them.&nbsp; Perhaps a more experienced shaman could have used magic to make a tighter connection to the spirits, or even command them temporarily, but he could do neither.&nbsp; He could only ask, and hope that they answered.<br><br>As the spirits of air pulled and tore at the lattice of magic weaving through the air, extending towards the ship, so too now did the spirits of water.&nbsp; Their reach was not so great, but where the mesh dipped, where it extended a tendril to brace itself, they smashed it, made it unstable, made the whole web quiver and quaver and ripple.&nbsp; <br><br>He dimly heard a noise, a distracting presence, and looked around.&nbsp; He could see ghostly outlines streaming vapor, bodies clashing on the ship's surface.&nbsp; If one of them were to kill his body . . . well, there'd be nothing he could do for it from this place.&nbsp; Then there was a blast of energy, painful to his non-eyes, and the ship lurched under him, sucking at his hooves.&nbsp; That, he decided, was his cue to leave.&nbsp; He had never stood a chance to completely save the ship; now, whatever good he'd been able to do was over.&nbsp; His song ended, his dance ended, the spirits whirled, confused, before they began to vent their spleen on whatever they could find.&nbsp; All Melegor could do was dodge an air spirit and throw himself back into his body as quickly as he could, hoping that he'd be able to return to his senses and control of his limbs before he no longer had them to command.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Andronica</strong> on <strong>02-05-2016, 20:17:12</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				When Lavania broke the surface of the tumultuous sea water, she was immediately able to open her bright orange eyes and hold her breath without issue. The druid's predatory gaze narrowed as she could see naga coming towards the underside of the rapidly sinking ship and worming through the windows, probably looking for anything worth taking back to their wretched settlement. Heads to be displayed to strike fear into the hearts of the poor souls who wandered too close to the beach front, or trinkets and other amenities that they could deconstruct or sell. Filthy scavengers, the lot of them! Lavania held no sympathies for the kal'dorei ancestor who begot such monstrosities.<br><br>Her eyes, however, did turn toward something familiar in the water. Above and around her she could see Serene and a few other crew members fighting valiantly for their lives. Yet her previous determination to help them dwindled rapidly when she saw another figure in the distance: Melegor. <br><br>Except he wasn't swimming. He was sinking, likely water logged from staying in the spirit world while he went down with the ship. Without skipping another beat the druidess swam over towards the tauren's body with fluid serpentine movements. Her strong athletic limbs enabled her to take hold of him by the shoulders and propel his body up from the wreck. Although the effort of doing so, even in water, was turning her knuckles white as she clenched his fur. She paused only to direct his large muzzle towards her face as she breathed out a strange spell which created a bubble of sorts around his nose and mouth.<br><br>Lavania pushed on and tried to move quickly under the skirmishing on the surface so she could take him to the shore where she already deposited a few of the luckier crew members. All around her she could hear and feel the commotion as the naga were drawn to Serena and her crew. The coppery&nbsp; taste of blood drifted faintly into her senses as she realized the naga probably wounded someone, and they were going to feast. It was a sad sacrificed but the druidess did not regret choosing to swim for Melegor after entering the water. Everything was happening so quickly it was hard for her to take point under the water.<br><br>She pressed forward until the swirling waters made it hard to command her limbs, and instead of fighting, she merely held on to Melegor and waited so that fatigue wouldn't take them. There was no use exhausting herself while the storm raged its strongest but after a while of waiting, which felt like an eternity to Lavania, she felt a strangely warm undercurrent push them up and away. The vibrations in the water had become considerably less violent, too, and sunlight illuminated the surface when the druidess finally looked up upon entering the shallows. She swam with her arms wrapped under Melegor's wide neck and shoulders to support him. <br><br>Lavania allowed the current to carry them over to the shore, inevitably burdening her burning limbs with heaviness from the swim. They were coughed up on the sandy beach - in Desolace.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Styracosaur</strong> on <strong>09-05-2016, 08:19:38</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Slowly, Melegor returned to consciousness.&nbsp; It was not an easy journey - the return to his body would have been difficult enough, but then there was the body's movement, the beginnings of drowning, the magic-driven storm assaulting his senses, the wildness of the spirits breaking free of his direction - really, it was a much harder journey than any he'd had since first learning to allow his spirit to walk free.&nbsp; But still, delay or no, he had made it, and it was time to be up and at it.<br><br>Right after he finished hacking his lungs out.&nbsp; He was possessed of enough self-control to roll onto one arm, at least, as he coughed brutally, the small amount of seawater that had seeped into his lungs doing its best to be more painful on the way out than it had been on the way in.&nbsp; He couldn't even tell when it actually emerged - perhaps it was as a spray, or a few dribbles out of his mouth? - except for how the burning irritation in his chest eased, and he was able to rest on his side long enough to gather his wits.<br><br>He remembered - roughly - what had happened on the ship.&nbsp; Now, he was on a beach.&nbsp; He had not been expecting trouble - none of them had - so he had exactly none of his well-made equipment - no layered leather and mail, no pack of supplies, not even the well-worn totem, an absence that stung the most.&nbsp; On the deck, he'd had nothing but a painted vest and a kilt - now, the kilt lay in tattered bits around him, already not even doing so much as protecting his modesty, much less offering protection from the environment.<br><br>Slowly, he rose up onto his palms, looking out to sea.&nbsp; He had nothing - or rather, he thought he had nothing, before he registered the presence of someone else nearby on that desolate and abandoned stretch of sand, a presence that stilled any immediate thoughts of either raging or giving up.<br><br>"Hello, Lavania," he said mildly, voice roughened by his coughing fit.&nbsp; He was too tired, and too numbed by their desperate straits, to bother with any sort of panic, or even with the simple covering of his nudity.&nbsp; He had no clothes; she was going to figure it out sooner or later when she saw him with no clothes on.&nbsp; Now, what to do, what to say - some uplifting quip?&nbsp; Checking on the state of the crew?&nbsp; Getting her thoughts on what they should do next?<br><br>"Thank you for saving me."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Andronica</strong> on <strong>09-05-2016, 21:13:34</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lavania wasn't sure how long they were on the beach before Melegor woke up. The druidess hovered over her travelling companion for a short while as she examined him to ensure at first that he was still alive, and then to assess any wounds he may have sustained. She specialized in the more primal aspect of Cenarius' teachings but her healing was not too bad, if used as a last resort. <br><br>She was starting to worry that he wouldn't return to consciousness at all and that he was trapped in the spirit world, or some other consequence of being so close to death while not properly inhabiting his corporeal body. Druids knew the dangers of leaving their prone form behind, even for a short amount of time. It was likely no different for the shamans. Yet by the time he began to sputter up some sea water, she quickly retreated a few steps to give him the space he might need to turn over and clear his lungs.<br><br>The movement made his tattered clothing - or what remained of his already sparse attire - shift on his groin. Lavania didn't immediately notice that he wasn't decent but when she did a blush thoroughly invigorated her cheeks and made her avert her eyes back up to Melegor's face. She tried not to think of his powerful thighs and the other handsome curiosity that lay between his legs, hardly covered by the tatters of his loin cloth. It was her turn to clear her throat as she sat up on her knees and shifted to keep his lower body out of her sight, so as not to make him uncomfortable when he became aware of his condition.<br><br>A bit of mirth returned to the kal'dorei's face as he thanked her. She merely shrugged her shoulders. "I'm sure you would have done the same if the situation were reversed." Then her head bowed slightly. "I tried to find Serena and her crew but this isn't the part of the beach I left them on. In fact, I think we're very far from our intended docking point. Desolace, if I'm correct?" she asked, as she never had been to that part of Azeroth before. With a slightly furrowed brow Lavania looked up across the desert wasteland and felt the burning heat of the sun kiss her cheeks more intensely than before.<br><br>With her dour declaration made, the druidess turned her attention back to Melegor. She reached out and touched his broad hard shoulder. "How are you feeling?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Styracosaur</strong> on <strong>10-05-2016, 01:25:32</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Melegor gave a low, rumbling chuckle that dissolved into a few hacking coughs at the end, before reaching up to gently pat Lavania's small, slim-fingered hand.<br><br>"I feel like I've been beaten with cudgels and half-drowned - which is, all in all, not too bad."&nbsp; He pursed his lips at the thought of the crew of the ship, but there was nothing he could do for them now - there was little enough he could do for himself.&nbsp; He gave a silent prayer for their survival, and then threw in a few words for his own.&nbsp; That small task taken care of, he began to try to stretch and test his body for injuries while he processed what Lavania had said.&nbsp; Desolace was a place few tauren would go willingly; here was the ancestral home of the centaurs, one of their most hated foes, and other such outcasts and exiles.&nbsp; But this was where they were, and there didn't seem to be any way to leave other than by their own power.<br><br>"I'm pleased to see that at least one of us is still armed and armored."&nbsp; He reached down with one finger, gently testing the waistband of his loincloth; apparently, as the ship went under and then Lavania somehow wrestled him here, it had been severely damaged; now, it was scarcely more than a belt.&nbsp; He looked over at Lavania, amused and unsure of the kal'dorei nudity taboos.&nbsp; He would certainly prefer to be clothed, but mixed-sex bathing was hardly unheard of for the tauren, so any embarrassment he felt was far from terminal.&nbsp; "Although unless you happen to have a spare cloak or some such, it seems I'll need to walk as the Earthmother intended for a time."&nbsp; With a grunt of effort, his strained muscles propelled him into a standing position, where he began to test his body again for injuries - taking a few steps, leaning, stretching, and so forth.&nbsp; <br><br>"Perhaps you'd like to take wing and see what you can see?&nbsp; I know that Desolace is not entirely devoid of friendly - or at least mercenary - inhabitants.&nbsp; While you do that, I'll see if I can find anything useful along the shore.&nbsp; Rest assured, I may be unarmed, but I am not entirely helpless, now that I am awake."&nbsp; He held out one hand and reached internally, finding that wellspring of disorder and manic energy that shamans learned to tap quickly.&nbsp; A few slow tendrils of electricity crawled up his fingers, filling the air with the stink of ozone.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Andronica</strong> on <strong>10-05-2016, 22:29:44</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The druidess let out a soft chuckle despite the circumstances and breathed a soft sigh of relief when Melegor patted her lithe hand with his own, practically encompassing it in his strong grip. She was happy to see that his sense of humour was still intact as they would need that kind of positivity if they were going to take a long detour to their destination. At the tauren's next comment however, Lavania was caught slightly off guard as she immediately looked down her body then towards him as if to figure out what he was referring to. <br><br>Oh, yes. That.<br><br>She blushed and brought her gaze back up to Melegor's with an apologetic expression. "I didn't mean to... I just--" Lavania cleared her throat and adjusted her kneeling position ever so slightly in order to distract herself from the shaman's mostly exposed and very impressive appendage. <br><br>"Nudity isn't unheard of in my culture at all. I bathed quite frequently with my sisters when we studied under our mentor. I've simply never seen a tauren as bare as the Earthmother intended, as you say," she replied almost instantly in hopes of clarifying her awkward behaviour. The simplest answer would be that Lavania had only a few lovers, both male and female, but none of them had inspired such sudden ardour in her like spying Melegor's nude prone form when he lay quiet on the beach. Being caught off guard by such an unexpected thing put the druidess in a state of unease and she stood up at the shaman's request while trying to stand back and give him some space as he stretched - and swayed.<br><br>Seeing the spark of electricity run through Melegor's hand, Lavania was satisfied she could leave him alone and not feel guilty for it. She nodded and ran off, leaping into the air as her arms extended and were instantly replaced by a wide winged length that carried her off into the wind currents. Having never been to Desolace before and knowing about it from brief lectures or tomes, she only knew the most basic things about the desert area. During her flight she saw a mostly endless sea of rock, sand and dry plains inhabited by centaurs. Although she thought there was a hint of greenery in the far distance, but she didn't want to get her hopes up.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Styracosaur</strong> on <strong>11-05-2016, 01:24:29</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Melegor chuckled at Lavania's suddenly bashful demeanor as she took wing.&nbsp; He never would have expected such timidity from the normally clear-eyed, curious, and forthright woman.&nbsp; He could certainly understand her curiosity, though - for his part, he wondered if the other peoples were truly hairless all over, as they seemed to be.&nbsp; How odd it must be, to walk around with your skin bare and exposed to the sun and the elements, without a coat to help shield you.&nbsp; Perhaps, if they continued together, he might get a look at what she was concealing below her garments, by way of balancing accounts . . . <br><br>He snorted and shook his head, trying to ignore the heavy warmth in his groin at the thought.&nbsp; No, this was just an accident, an unavoidable one, resulting from a dangerous ambush that they'd barely escaped from.&nbsp; No balancing would be asked for or needed.&nbsp; She'd saved his life, as well as some of the crew, at least, and deserved lauds, not leers.&nbsp; He willed himself into motion, stepping away from the indentation left by his body in the sand, and began to search.&nbsp; His hooves treaded heavily into the wet ground, with the susurrus of the ocean on one side and the dead heat of the land on the other.&nbsp; At this point, naked as he was, he could use pretty literally anything - an animal to eat, a piece of driftwood to serve as a club or firewood, a scrap of sailcloth to fashion into a makeshift garment, anything.&nbsp; The western side of Kalimdor had little merchant traffic, and so the chances of finding such detritus were low (and lower still, given the unreliability of the oceans lately), but he had nothing to do but spend time waiting for Lavania's return.<br><br>The absent weight of his totem troubled him more than anything else, and he felt another pang of loss.&nbsp; He had carved it himself, with faces and symbols to represent his ancestors, to bring glory to their names and memories; carved it, and then treated it, and painted it (with some help).&nbsp; It had not just been a weapon, but a symbol of his family, his history; he felt a little lost without its constant weight and sheltering presence.&nbsp; <br><br>Something moved; he reached out even as he reached inwards, and an arcing slash of lightning leapt from his fingertips.&nbsp; The crab was hurled skyward in a little gout of sand and newly-fused gobbets of glass, half its body blasted away.&nbsp; With a little chuckle of regret, he approached it and picked up the limp body in his off hand.&nbsp; It might not be much, but it was something to eat, and that was a start.&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Aftershocks (Andro &amp; Styracosaur)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Andronica</strong> on <strong>11-05-2016, 01:46:48</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The transformed druid appeared fairly inconspicuous as she flew around a small part of Desolace's sky. It was quite hot as she came to notice very quickly, and that made her rather uncomfortable. The salty sea water she and Melegor swam and floated in for an extended period of time didn't help alleviate the feeling of dryness that took over once she was baking on the beach aside the shaman's prone form. With a soft defeated trill, the raven turned on the tip of her broad wing and circled back. It took a handful of minutes for Lavania to recognize the sandy shores she was washed up onto earlier and she landed there. This time, Melegor was absent from his spot.<br><br>She didn't fret, however, and easily spotted the tauren by following his hoof marks in the sand that lead to his current location a short distance away. The druidess' bare feet hardly made a sound as she jogged the gap between them and paused near the tauren's side, examining the crab in his grasp. <br><br>"We need to find some water," Lavania informed him pointedly. They both lost their provisions when the ship went down and she had every reason to believe the naga took whatever was useful from the floating remnants of the crew's necessities. Water skins, wine and ale bottles, and other sealed belongings would be snatched up once the dead crew had been taken to be defiled in rituals (or otherwise consumed by the naga's hungry scouts and warriors). That thought sent a shiver down Lavania's back and made her visibly grimace.<br><br>"I saw something green farther inland if you're up for a walk. It will take us until at least night fall to get there from the look of it, but there may be someone to help us if it's not an oasis festering with centaurs," Lavania suggested. She jut her dark haired head toward the direction where she saw the patch of distant green in her flight. Without waiting for Melegor to agree - what other option did they have, any ways? - Lavania began to walk away. Anything was better than roasting on the white hot sands of Desolace's beach. There had to be travelling merchant caravans or outposts of some kind that weren't completely hostile in the predominantly desert area.<br><br>When Lavania did look over to her tauren friend, she was reminded quickly of his nudity. It was... preferable for the kal'dorei to see Melegor like this. Alluring and intriguing, at least. Though she supposed he might want something to cover him even if neither party was embarrassed (any more) about his naked furry form.<br><br>"Hold a moment..." she suddenly urged him. Lavania lifted the hem of her tattered but long linen dress and found a spot around mid-thigh. Digging her fingers into the soft cloth, she began to tear it apart in a somewhat consistent manner around her legs. That left her shapely lavender body mostly exposed save for her nether region and midriff, as the top half of the dress was cut low already for a comfortable fit that wouldn't impede her movement.<br><br>"Here." Lavania held out the lengthy piece of cloth that could wrap around Melegor's hips and give him some privacy for when he decided he may not want to walk as the Earthmother intended.
			</dd>
		</dl>
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