Adventures of an Altaholic: Kahlee's 6th Journal Entry

Once I left Duskwood, I continued on my way south. I entered a jungle area called Stranglethorn Vale. I found it was very lush with vegetation and full of things that wanted to kill and eat me. I came across a hunting camp and joined them for the night. The head of the hunters, Nesingwary, invited me to go on a hunt with them the next day. I thought about it for a bit and turned down their offer as I didn’t feel taking a life without just cause.

I was up early with the hunters, thanked them for their hospitality and went on my way. The hunters had told me that the coast wasn’t far off and I headed that direction. I thought the sea air would help clear my head after Duskwood. What the hunters failed to mention was that there were Trolls camped near the coast where I was headed. I ended up routing the small party of Trolls and continued to the coast since I could now smell the sea air. As I walked the beach, I saw something sparkling a little bit ahead of me. As I approached, I saw that it was a bottle which the sunlight was glinting off. I stopped to pick it up and noticed there was a note in the bottle. I found that very strange but I opened the bottle and pulled the note only to read a plea for help from someone that was being held captive. My only clue as to the person’s whereabouts was brief descriptions of what could be seen offshore.

I can’t ignore a plea for help so I folded the note, put it in my pouch and turned my horse’s nose to the south. The hunters had told me of a port town called Booty Bay. I thought it might be a good place to start as the note mentioned sailing ships and I might be able to find a map maker there as well.

After talking with the map maker, I determined where this person must be being held – an island just off the east coast of the Cape. I made my way out there to find many jaguars roaming the island. I avoided as many as I could but had to kill the rest. After killing one of the cats, I came around the corner to see a female Tauren sitting by a fire crying. I didn’t understand the entire story of how she got there but the bottom line was that a giant ape, Skymane King Mukla, had the key to her chains. I went in search of King Mukla and he wasn’t that difficult to find. Getting to him was a little harder as I was still having to deal with the jaguars and some monkeys. He wasn’t much of a challenge even if he did manage to send me flying backward several times. I grabbed the key and hurried back to the Tauren, unlocked her bonds and helped her flee to Booty Bay. I figured that from there she can contact her people and get escorted back home.

While in Booty Bay, I found a ship that was heading to Ratchet, a port town in Kalimdor. On the spur of the moment I decided to book passage on it and the next day found me on the seas once more. Ratchet isn’t much. It’s run by goblins and feels sort of rundown to me but I was able to purchase supplies and a map of the area. I headed out from the town for the Southern Barrens. From my understanding the land used to be larger until the cataclysm tore the land in sunder. There are places here that are lush so I decide to check them out while I avoided the lions and raptors in the area – I didn’t want to get eaten.

I reached one of these oases and it felt …. wrong. I can’t explain it but the energy of the place was wrong. As I lead my horse through the undergrowth I was actually attacked by a plant. This shocked me – not only did I have to look out for the wildlife but also the plant life. I stumbled across a small camp startling a couple of druids. They were gracious and offered me their hospitality for the night. I asked them if they knew what was wrong with the oases and one of them, Naralex, told me his story. He and his followers had tried to bring water to the Barrens and only partially succeeded and while he was in the Emerald Dream (a dreamscape that druids may enter and is ruled by Ysera, the emerald drake) a malevolent force used him to corrupt the waters, wildlife and his followers. He was awakened by some adventurers and his only remaining disciple but the damage was already done. The corruption continues in the oases and he was trying to make it right. I offered him my help as I couldn’t stand the wrongness I was feeling.

We went out to cull the corrupted wildlife and the plant life as well. It was hard work and after a week we had made a dent in the corruption. Upon the destruction of one of the plant creatures on my way back to camp, I found a squirming piece of plant stuff and took it to Naralex that he might tell me what it was. He was aghast when he took it. He told me that with what he held in his hand his worst fears were realized. This corruption wasn’t just an overabundance of energy but the work of the Nightmare (which is a corruption of the Emerald Dream). He said a rift must have been torn in this area and Naralex was going to try to close it. He told me that he understood if I didn’t want to help him with this but it was too important not to help. He spent a day preparing for the ritual and we went to the Nightmare Scar to do battle.

While he did the ritual to close it, I was to stop anything from escaping the rift. This sounded so easy but when he started the ritual to close the rift, shadow creatures came from it to attack him. I stood between him and these creatures and with the power of the Light upon me, I destroyed them. I don’t know how long it took but I swung my sword until I could no longer feel my arm and my blood flowed freely from the many wounds I took yet still I stood strong. As he finished the ritual a final shadow creature emerged and it took all I had to kill it and then it was done. Naralex came to me and helped me up. He gave me a small hug and told me that we had done it; the rift was closed and the source of the corruption was gone. With the work we had done, the oases would be free to cleanse itself and the wildlife and plant life would return to normal eventually.

Back at the camp, Naralex and his disciple bandaged me up and let me slumber while they talked of what they still needed to do to help the recovery of the oases. I was sore the next day but bid Naralex farewell as I had decided to return to Ratchet to recover from injuries and get my armor and sword repaired.

Kahlee
((currently Level 38))