Part 1: Sentinels of Elune
Participants: Tinwëtar, Melaniel, Valla, Tiola, Maeldris, Elysar, Lantara, Ivellion, Kathene, Landrian (guest)
Mission Report 1 – Feathermoon Stronghold, Feralas
Date: 11th of Curuhen, 2017
Summary: Reports of ogres attacking any trading caravans passing the road from the Tower of Estulan and Feathermoon Stronghold had flooded in over the past few days. The Nightblades were issued orders to deal with the situation. Outrunner Wildsong were given command over the mission, as her second attempt at the Sentinel trial.
The group found the ambush spot easily enough, due to the rather large wreckage of caravans and smashed crates. There were also bodies of both orcs and ogres strewn about…but no kaldorei casualties from what they could find. The caravans themselves were both of horde and kaldorei origin.
A trail of debris and broken crates led the Nightblades to a kaldorei graveyard not too far from the road. The ogres had set up their camp there, seemingly not caring one bit about the graves themselves, since they had trampled all over them and set up their tents on top of them, but they had left the owl statue in the middle completely untouched…they even used it as a sort of altar.
The Nighblades killed the lone sentry, and then dealt with the remaining ogres in the camp. During the mission the Sentinels found that the ogres were wielding crude ‘glaives’ made from bear claws and made attempts to use traditional Sentinel battle tactics, albeit clumsily. They also found out that the ogres genuinely believed themselves to be Sentinels of Elune, revering the moon goddess as their deity. They also seemed to think that Eldre’thalas, or Dire Maul, was a Temple of the Moon…with a ‘Priestess’ residing inside.
The ogres had been robbing the horde caravans for everything they were worth, but the crates from the kaldorei caravans seemed to only hold mooncloth and relics traditionally connected with Elunite worship.
Confused by this the Sentinels then returned to Feathermoon, where Outrunner Wildsong was promoted to Sentinel for having led her sisters and brothers successfully during the mission.
Part 2: Among Shadows and Ogres
Participants: Tinwëtar, Melaniel, Valla, Míria, Tiola, Elysar, Seilenna, Ivellion, Kathene (Ogre Priestess), Tolessa (Hooded Figure)
Mission Report 2 – Feathermoon Stronghold, Feralas
Date: 14th of Curuhen, 2017
Summary: After having learned that the ogres considered Eldre’thalas to be their Temple of the Moon, the Nightblades decided to infiltrate the ruins in the hopes of finding this ‘Priestess’ the ogres has spoken about.
The Sentinels made their way into Eldre’thalas by scaling one of the north western walls and walking along the top. At one point they overheard a conversation between a few of the ogres where it was mentioned that someone called ‘The Voice’ was currently speaking to the ‘High Priestess’ and The Voice was not happy. The normal ‘Sentinel’ ogres had wisely cleared out of the ‘Temple’ proper to not have to deal with The Voice’s wrath.
The Nighblades dropped down into the Temple proper and saw two figures standing in the middle of the ruins, arguing. After having moved a bit closer to get a better look at the pair (one was a rather large Ogre magi who seemed to believe that he was a High Priestess of Elune and the other was a hooded figure, wrapped in shadows) the Sentinels overheard ‘The Voice’ berating the ‘High Priestess’ from having attacked the kaldorei caravans, when their original orders were to attack horde caravans only.
After a bit of arguing ‘The Voice’ noticed the presence of the Nightblades and ordered the ‘High Priestess’ to deal with the intruders, to buy herself time to flee.
Captain Glaivestar, Huntress Starsong, Sentinel Ravenwing and Outrunner Starborne stayed behind to fight the ‘High priestess’ while Commander Ravenwing, Sentinel Wildsong, Recruit Moonrain and Recruit Forestfeather ran after ‘The Voice’.
The Commander’s group chased ‘The Voice’ through the underground tunnels of the Maul, fighting various shadowy creatures the hooded woman conjured forth. ‘The Voice’ also used her shadowy powers to drain the Sentinels, as well as empower nearby ogres to attack the Sentinels. In the end ‘The Voice’ managed to call down a shadowy hippogryph and escape.
The Captain’s group fought the ogre Priestess up top, battling against various arcane magics, that the ogre believed to be Elunite magic, and ogre Sentinels. Eventually they managed to overpower the Priestess and push him down into the arena, where the Commander and her group found him and questioned him.
Once ‘The Voice’ had vanished and the ogre had fallen into the arena, the spell that made the ogre believe he was a devoted follower of Elune seemed to be broken. He willingly answered the Nightblades’ questions, revealing that the hooded woman had not been working alone and that she had other tribes under her sway.
Since the ogre had been under a spell the Nightblades decided to spare him and then they headed back to Feathermoon for a debriefing.
Part 3: Missing Moonclaw
Participants: Tinwëtar, Melaniel, Valla, Tiola, Elysar, Kathene, Sellande, Yllynna, Silvaria (guest), Slarks (Moonclaw Patrol leader), Tolessa (Hooded Figure)
Mission Report 3 – Feathermoon Stronghold, Feralas
Date: 16th of Curuhen, 2017
Summary: One of Feathermoon’s Moonclaw patrols had gone missing after having been sent out to investigate why the yetis were acting up. The Nightblades were sent to find out what happened and to bring back the Moonclaws, if they were still alive.
The Moonclaw patrol had last been seen close to the Tower of Estulan, so that is where the Nightblades headed first. They left their sabers at the tower and approached the nearby yeti cave on foot.
What they found was disturbing, to say the least. The yetis had dressed themselves in armor made out of bark and decorated themselves with vines and flowers. They were ‘tending’ to the trees as well as some frightened, and badly wounded, critters. It seemed like they believed themselves to be druids. They were still viciously territorial and hostile to anyone who approached however.
After having found evidence that the Moonclaws were probably within the yeti cave somewhere the Nightblades managed to lure the yetis away, by sending Luna, Nimloth, Palebeak and Ravna and allowing the yetis to chase them, and sneak into the cave.
Inside the cave they found some of the missing Moonclaws. Most of them were completely feral and behaved like Druids of the Claw in cat or bear form, and the Nightblades were forced to knock them out. Further in they found cages with a few other Moonclaws, sane ones, that told of a Dark Priestess who had come and started subjecting their comrades, as well as the yetis, to her will. The Priestess was still inside the cave.
Angered by this the Nightblades headed further into the caves and came face to face with the same Hooded Figure that they had encountered a few days prior. She was in the middle of converting the rest of the Moonclaw pack. Upon being interrupted she ordered the Moonclaw Patrol Leader and her ‘Thero’shans’ to deal with the intruders, and vanished.
The Nightblades fought the Moonclaws and managed to bring them all back to themselves, either by knocking them out or dispelling them. There were still five Moonclaw missing, however, and the Patrol Leader told the Sentinels that they had been ordered to meet the Dark Priestess at the Ruins of Darkmist.
The Nightblades loaded the battered and bruised Moonclaw onto hippogryphs and took them back to Feathermoon.
Part 4: The Dark Priestess
Participants: Tinwëtar, Melaniel, Míria, Tiola, Valla, Elysar, Sellande, Saelytharion, Seilenna, Kathene, Abex, Tolessa (Agam’adil Glaivestar)
Mission report 4 – The Writhing Deep, Feralas
Date: 21st of Curuhen, 2017
Summary: The freed Moonclaw worgen had revealed that the Dark Priestess was going to use Darkmist Ruins as her rallying point for her ‘converted’ army. The Nightblades’ plan was simple; they would go in, look for signs of enemy activity, dispel and free any victims and unwilling followers of the Dark Priestess and apprehend the Priestess herself.
The journey to the ruins was uneventful. The ogre camps surrounding it were completely empty and even the gnoll camps in the hills above the ruins were suspiciously quiet. As the Nightblades made their way up towards the ruins they found tracks belonging to both ogres, worgen and gnolls, as well as harpy feathers, but the ruins themselves were completely deserted. The army that was said to have been amassed there was nowhere to be found.
Instead the Nightblades came face to face with the Dark Priestess herself. She seemed intent on trying to sway the Nightblades to her cause, trying to coerce and threaten them to join her, appealing to their sense of honour and that they would shame the Nightblade uniform if they did not join with her. In the end the confrontation turned into a violent encounter where the Dark Priestess used her shadow magicks to drain and injure the Sentinels to the point of exhaustion.
At one point Tinwëtar’s hood was blown off, revealing her face, and that made the Dark Priestess pause…moments later, Melaniel and the rest of the Sentinels attacked and as Melaniel’s glaives flared up with moonfire the Dark Priestess ceased to fight back entirely. She pulled the hood from her face, revealing herself to be Agam’adil Glaivestar; Melaniel’s mother and Tinwëtar’s best friend and former second in command.
Both Melaniel and Tinwëtar were so shocked by this revelation that they did not heed the warnings of their Sentinels in time…and the Nightblades suddenly found themselves surrounded on all sides by the army of mind controlled converts, led by yet another shadowy Priestess who went by the name of Fuinë Moonseeker.
Fuinë praised Agam’adil for her work and also tried to sway the Nightblades to her cause. The Nightblades refused and it became clear that while Agam’adil had some reservations about using mind magicks to force other kaldorei, and the Nightblades in particular, to do her bidding, Fuinë had no such restraints.
The Nightblades attempted to grab Agam’adil and flee, but Fuinë used her powers to send them to sleep. Once the Nightblades woke up again they were imprisoned in a part of the old Silithid tunnels within the Writhing Deep. Their weapons had been removed, their wounds had been seen to, and there was a strong dampener around the cell they were placed in. No magic that the Nightblades possessed could be used inside. Trapped…for now.
Part 5: The Hunter of Shadows
Participants: Tinwëtar, Melaniel, Valla, Tiola, Elysar, Sellande, Kathene, Abex, Yllynna, Thenorion (guest), Aariam (Agam’adil Glaivestar)
Mission report 5 – The Writhing Deep, Feralas
Date: 23th of Curuhen, 2017
Summary: After having spent two days within the extremely dark and opressive cell the Sentinels were marched out into a secluded arena, somewhere in the deep wilds of Feralas. They were to participate in a ‘sermon’, as Fuinë Moonseeker called it.
Once they were in the arena they were given weapons that had seen better days and as Fuinë began her ‘sermon’ she called in waves of gnolls, ogres and harpies for the Nightblades to fight. As the Nightblades were fighting, Fuinë and her pet shadow priestesses were assaulting the minds of the Sentinels. Eventually all of the Sentinels succumbed into unconciousness.
When they woke they found themselves in Ashenvale, but not in current day Ashenvale. They were surrounded on all sides by other Sentinels wearing the Nightblade colours and in their midst were Cenarius himself. After the initial confusion it became clear that they were all trapped inside Commander Ravenmist’s memory of the Third War, and all of them were now forced to relive that particular memory…the memory when Cenarius was slain and the Nightblades were slaughtered almost to the last woman by Grom Hellscream and the Warsong clan.
It was a bloodbath, and even if the Nightblades fought valiantly they had no chance against Hellscream and his chaos orcs. The Warsong clan slaughtered them all and burned their settlement to the ground.
After having ‘died’ within the memory the Nightblades woke back up within the confines of their cell. Battered, bruised and heartsick most of them were on the edge of complete despair.
Part 6: Light in the Darkness
Participants: Tinwëtar, Melaniel, Valla, Tiola, Lantara, Sellande, Seilenna, Kathene, Abex, Tolessa (Agam’adil Glaivestar)
Mission report 6 – The Writhing Deep, Feralas
Date: 25th of Curuhen, 2017
Summary: Another two days in complete darkness and the Nightblades were on the verge of giving up. Morale was extremely low and some of them had almost completely given up hope.
Sentinel Wildsong, who was one of the people who was contemplating giving up, suggested that they should perhaps do a guided meditation together, to calm themselves and try to find their focus and purpose again.
Even if Wildsong herself was failing in both heart and faith she decided to lead this meditation…and it worked. The Nightblades could feel the darkness around them receeding a little bit as they practiced their guided meditation and they could feel their focus returning.
Then Commander Ravenmist and Captain Glaivestar suggested that they ‘sing in the Dawn’ a tradition that the old Nightblades held in high regard. The Dawn is a time of healing and renewal, and singing in the Dawn means asking the Goddess for guidance and healing.
The Commander and the Captain sang through the song once on their own and then the rest of the Sentinels joined in, one by one. And as they did so something peculiar happened. When they raised their voice in unison, singing in the Dawn, a few flecks of moonlight appeared in the midst of their little circle. The little flecks zoomed around the cell, illuminating certain patches of deeper darkness along the wall.
It turned out that each of those patches of darkness held shadow crystals, and if they were broken the magical barrier that kept the Nightblade’s magic contained would be broken as well. The only problem was that once a crystal was broken, it let out a low humming noise. If many crystals were broken at once it would most likely cause an awful racket and draw the attention of the guards.
The Nightblades were pleased and filled with new hope upon finding the crystals, and a potential path to freedom, but finding the opportune moment to break all those crystals and escape the prison would take some careful planning.
Part 7: Trust Unearned
Participants: Tinwëtar, Melaniel, Sellande, Seilenna, Kathene, Yllynna, Tolessa (Agam’adil Glaivestar)
Mission report 7 – Shadebough, Feralas
Date: 28th of Curuhen, 2017
Summary: Even if the Nightblades had been filled with hope from the cermon, they had still spent the upcoming days in darkness and with no clear way to escape. But, their savior arrived in a very unlikely form. Agam’adil Glaivestar arrived in outside the cell, carrying Captain Glaivestar’s and Recruit Wildstar’s weapons. She claimed that Fuinë Moonseeker had gone too far when she had attacked the Nightblades and tried to force them to join her, and to make amends for what had been done to them Agam’adil had decided to set the Nightblades free.
The Nightblades were, naturally, suspicious but they were not going to turn down an opportunity for escape. They followed Agam’adil to the armory and while the shadow priestess distracted the guards the Sentinels snuck inside and retrieved their weapons.
On their way out they overheard that some of the missing Moonclaw worgen were somewhere within the tunnels as well, and after a heated discusion it was decided that the Sentinels would attempt to save them, instead of retreating immediately.
The Sentinels managed to rescue the first worgen, who was serving as a jailor in their part of the tunnels, and moved on to a deeper section of the complex to find and deal with the rest.
They had to deal with some harpies to get into the second complex, but they made it to the big prison cell without raising an alarm. While there they dealt with the guards, knocked the mind controlled worgen out and set the captured ogres and gnolls free in the hopes that this would cause a sufficient riot to cover the Nightblades’ escape.
They made it almost all the way out before being confronted by a Warden. A willing convert by the looks of things and with the help of some of the freed ogres and gnolls they managed to capture the Warden in the end.
The Warden was sent off under guard to Feathermoon, along with the Moonclaws, and the Sentinels regrouped at the Sentinel outpost at Shadebough for some well deserved rest and celebration.
Part 8: The Shadow of Elune
Participants: Tinwëtar, Melaniel, Valla, Sellande, Kathene, Tolessa (Agam’adil Glaivestar)
Mission report 8 – Feathermoon Stronghold, Feralas
Date: 30th of Curuhen, 2017
Summary: Agam’adil had revealed to the Nightblades that Moonseeker intended to attack Feathermoon Stronghold next, to either get rid of the threat the Sentinels posed to her and “Elune’s” plans, or to weaken them enough to convert them to the cause. Agam’adil also revealed that Moonseker’s army was stationed on Sardor Isle and that they would use the ruins of Feathermoon as a base to launch their attacks from.
The Nightblades sent word to Feathermoon and together with the local regiment the Nightblades raced to intercept Moonseeker’s army before they could attack the stronghold.
Moonseeker was not on site herself, but she had left four of her ‘Shadow Priestesses’ behind to be in charge of the attack. They had harpies and naga under their command, as well as a sea giant.
The Nightblades had divided their forces. The bulk of their regiment went with the Feathermoon Sentinels to attack from the beach, while a smaller force of Nightblades flew in on hippogryphs to rain destruction from above and deal with Moonseeker’s lieutenants.
The Nightblades managed to fairly quickly down one of the Priestesses before she realized what was happening, but the moment she died the remaining three sealed themselves behind shadow barriers.
Sellande came up with the idea to set the tree one of them was hiding in on fire as a distraction, while the Sentinels used one of the glaivethrowers to shoot moon blessed glaives through the barrier and thus break it.
Things did not go entirely according to plan though. Sellande’s fire proved enough to break the barrier, and the Sentinels could deal with the priestess in a swift manner without the use of the glaivethrower…but the Priestess’ death added power to the remaining two Priestesses’ shields.
Meanwhile the sea giant had begun to assault the glaive throwers, so Melaniel, Agam’adil and Kathene were sent to distract the giant, while Sellande, Valla and Tinwëtar attempted to get to one of the glaive throwers to down the remaining two barriers.
The sea giant proved to be a formiddable foe for the Sentinels, but once the third priestess was dead and the fourth had been knocked out the mind control that was holding it evaporated and he abandoned the fighting in favour of rushing towards the sea and freedom.
Battered, bruised and with a prisoner in tow, the Nightblades returned to Feathermoon.
Part 9: The Light of the Moon
Participants: Tinwëtar, Melaniel, Valla, Tiola, Sellande, Elysar, Abex, Thenorion (guest), Tolessa (Agam’adil Glaivestar), Ilsyra/Kathene (Fuinë Moonseeker)
Mission report 9 – Feathermoon Stronghold, Feralas
Date: 2nd of Norothil, 2017
Summary: Moonseeker had not been at the ruins of Feathermoon, instead she had withdrawn to the Temple at the ruins of Isilden together with the rest of her army.
The Feathermoon Sentinels and the Moonclaw regiment were to attack Moonseeker’s forces while the Nightblades headed straight for the Temple to deal with the Priestess herself.
The battle was already in full swing when the Nightblades arrived at the ruins of Isilden. They charged towards the Temple, cutting a path through Moonseeker’s forces.
Once they entered the Temple they found Moonseeker praying and a bodiless, soothing voice speaking to all of them. The voice urged them to give up and join her, since she was their Goddess and were they not her people?
After both Moonseeker and “Elune” had tried, and failed, to sway the Sentinels several times the fight began in earnest. “Elune” had empowered her priestess with even stronger shadow powers than before and try as they might, the Sentinels could barely do any damage to her through her shadow armor.
During the initial phase of the fight Moonseeker had also taken control over Abex Wildfire, forcing the Sentinels to fight him as well as her.
While climbing up to get a better vantage point, Sentinel Wildsong and Outrunner Starborne found three mirrors stationed along the balustrade of the upper balcony. Tinwëtar explained that these mirrors were used in ancient times to reflect moonlight into the Temple proper.
With this revelation the Sentinels got the idea to try to angle the mirrors so that the moonlight would hit Moonseeker, and perhaps that would aid in breaking her shield. Half the group went upstairs to deal with the mirrors, and any minions protecting them, while the rest remained on the ground floor to keep Moonseeker and Wildfire occupied.
The trick with the mirrors worked and the Sentinels broke through Moonseeker’s armor, but at this point “Elune” had had quite enough and took possession of Moonseeker’s body and mind herself. As the avatar for the Shadowy Elune Moonseeker’s attacks were so empowered that parts of the roof began to crumble and cave in every time she hit. This opened up even more venues for moonlight to trickle in.
In the end the Sentinels joined together and as one they pushed Moonseeker into a large beam of direct moonlight. This forced “Elune” to abandon Moonseeker’s body and reveal her true self: a female Nathrezim. The Nathrezim fled, leaving Moonseeker at the mercy of the Sentinels.
Some of the Nightblades wished to kill her, for all the crimes she had committed in “Elune’s” name, but when the Nathrezim had left her body her mind had been completely shattered…leaving her completely defenseless and no longer a threat. The Nightblades then decided to hand her over to the Wardens to await trial.
Their mission complete the Nightblades headed back to Feathermoon to celebrate and rest.
Part 10: Debriefing Ceremony
Participants: Tinwëtar, Melaniel, Sellande, Tiola, Elysar, Kathene, Yllynna, Tolessa (Agam’adil Glaivestar)
Mission report 10 – Feathermoon Stronghold, Feralas
Date: 5th of Norothil, 2017
Summary: Fuinë Moonseeker has been sent off with the other prisoners to await trial. The Nightblades gathered in Feathermoon Stronghold for a debriefing ceremony and celebration. The traditional campaign feathers were handed out and Kathene Wildstar was promoted to Outrunner. Elysar Starborne was notified that she was now ready to undergo the Sentinel Trial to become a fully fledged Sentinel of the Nightblades, and Sellande was made the Nightblade’s official Emissary to the Cenarion Circle and advisor to the Commander.
This marks the end of “The Shadow of Elune” campaign!