Wandering through Desolace...

I realize that not much has changed. I did not like it when I was here before, I do not like it now. It is dusty, devoid of civilization, and full of nasty little animals that sting, claw and bite without the least provocation, Not to mention that there isn't a pub for miles, if not hundreds of miles.

As I was wandering through the deserted landscape, some ruins in the distance caught my eye. Now, you may or may not know that I am not a charter member of the Explorer's League. I do however, maintain close ties with them, and have worked with Brann Bronzebeard personally in the past. I could not leave these intriguing ruins unexplored. The ruins themselves were relatively unremarkable, Pre Sundering era Thalassian ruins from that are frequent in this area. The ruins had been taken over by a tribe of Magram Centaur, which again, is not uncommon in these lawless parts. As I wheeled my cat to leave, this structure caught my eye.

So, seeing strange ruins in a distant part of the land without anyone around to help me or tell me otherwise, I did what any dwarf would do, I went inside to see what it was. Hopefully, I could discover the origins of this out of place structure. As I pressed deeper into the musty tunnel, I began to come across restless centaur spirits. This place seemed to have been holy ground for them, and had somehow become disturbed.

It is rare to find centuar tribes that have actually evolved enough as a civilization to actually build more advanced stone structures, so I was beginning to get excited that I was on the verge of a great discovery here. That was when I turned the corner and found this:

It was an open magic portal, standing alone in a room. It must have been crafted many years ago, by a very skilled practitioner of the magical arts, since outside of the collective magical might of the conjurers of Dalaran, there is no one left in the world that can make permanent magic portals. It is a near lost art, and the power it takes to maintain them indefinitely....Well, lets just say they are rare, indeed.

Well, it was there, I was there, I had to do what came naturally! I closed my eyes and stepped through the portal. I must admit, I did not expect what I beheld when I opened them.....

I was standing in a pool of clear green water with a thundering waterfall nearby and the wet moist air filled with the sounds of life. I looked up, and could see the moon still in the daytime sky. It appeared that I was still in Desolace, but a part that was not so easily accessible. This must have been protected from the explosion of the Well of Eternity during the sundering. This is what Desolace used to look like!

Now thoroughly enjoying myself, I gripped my axe, tightened my pack straps and went off to see what I could see.

I saw some dinosaurs. Now, I don't like dinosaurs. I don't know what kind they were, and could care less what kind since my experiences in Un'Goro. I left the seat of many a good pair of trousers in that crater hanging in the jaws of those beasties!

As I ventured in further I also saw the biggest bloody crockolisk I have ever seen in my life, and I have seen some big ones, but this monster took the cake.

As I ventured deeper, I found a mad being that hurled herself at me, intent on crushing me for venturing into her lair!

I defended myself and sadly, ended up slaying the beastie. After the fell, he thanked me for releasing her from her milennia of torment, and I felt a great peace settle over the caverens.

I then wandered around for a time, looking for an exit from these amazing caves, only to find that my entrance portal was, unfortunately, one way. Well, as any good dwarven adventurer, I was prepared for this, and activated my stone, and was whisked away to my Favorite Pub in Ironforge, to share my tale with my friends in the Explorers League, and get myself a strong pint of real dwarven beer.

There's something going on in these Plauged Lands....

As of late, the toll of constant conflict has begun to wear upon my spirit. Seeking replenishment and solace in the Light, I ventured forth to a place that had been a place of comfort to me in the past, the Tomb of Uther the Lightbringer. As I approached this most sacred of places, the clash of steel and the distinct sounds of battle came to my ear from amongst the ruins of the town of Andorhal. I spurred my war ram, Percival, forward. (Yes, my Battle Charger is named Percival. I do not want to hear any jokes. My AXE also doesn't want to hear any...understand?)

As I swept into the ruins of that once prosperous little township, I came upon the remains of what appeared to be three warriors, now being devoured by the undead that plague the former lands of Lorderon. I quickly called upon the cleansing power of the light, and struck down the undead filth. As I knelt beside the body of the fallen warriors, I murmured a quick prayer to the light. No one deserves to die in such a manner. As I stood up, I noticed a glint in the ash on the ground. I picked it up, and realized that it was a signet ring, bearing the mark of the Scarlet Crusade.

What were Crusaders doing here? I was under the impression that most of the fanatics had withdrawn to the far reaches of the Plagued Lands, far to the east, to their Citadel of Tyr's Hand. As a follower of the Light, I can understand a loathing for the Undead. I can understand the Scarlet Crusade's desire to destroy them. I, myself, share this loathing. What I cannot understand is the Crusaders need to persecute the innocent in their hunt for evil. I must find out what the Crusaders are doing in the ruins of Andorhal.

As I rode through the once beautiful forests of Lorderon, searching for the Crusaders camp, I camp upon something much more ominous....

The Crusaders had tortured them, and branded their bodies with the mark of the Crusade before hanging them, and leaving their bodies hanging as a warning to all who would stand against them.

I will always hunt the Undead. Scourage, mindless undead or the free 'Forsaken' allied with the Orcish hordes are all the same to me. They are all unnatural, and must be removed. But above this desire to rid the world of this undead plauge, there is something more that drives me. I must protect the innocent. I must defend the defenceless. I must protect people from my former brothers, and their twisted zealotry. I must end the menace of the Scarlet Crusade.

This is who I am.....

I am Thogrim of Ironforge. I have seen many things in my travels. I have seen many wars and much suffering in this land. I have seen and fought against the seemingly endless swarms of the undead as they try to strip the Light from Azeroth. I have seen the flames of fallen cities, and heard the screams of the inhabitants, and the shouting of the desperate defenders. I have seen the haggard refugees with haunted eyes. I have seen the orphans begging in the streets of Stormwind, and heard the cries of the weeping widows in Ironforge. I have seen and mourned for fallen friends, comrades, and family members.

Yet, not all is dark in this war torn land. There are a few who stand up, a brave few who resist the encroaching darkness. The few brave souls that have sworn to defend the peace, such as it is. These are our stories.