The seavoyage (Return to Crestfall)

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The seavoyage diary of Ibelin Redmoore
Day 1

It was early in the morning; I awoke to a terrible sound. Whatever it was it made the whole ship shake. I got up and stretched my arms; they were pretty stiff after holding the steering wheel all night. The first thing that came to my mind was that the ship was at ease. I looked over the edge of the ship and could to my amazement see sand, not water but sand. I figured I had reached the shore. I walked down to the main deck and noticed that my ram was gone; I knew I should have tied him up better. I decided to leave the ship and walked inside to get my equipment. I was about to put my armor on when I noticed my growling stomach. A man has to eat, and so I did. Can’t search for a ram without having the energy to do so. The breakfast consisted of a bottle of melon juice, and a haunch of meat. Not the best breakfast in my life, but food is food.

After the “tasty” breakfast I equipped my armor and walked back to the main deck. Unfortunately I hadn’t reached a dock, so I had to lower a ladder. I landed in some wet and cold sand; I looked around and could see a forest in the distance. It was a foggy morning and I couldn’t see much. I took out the horn and blew it, the sound echoed across the desolate beach. I waited for a while, but the ram just wouldn’t turn up. I blew the horn again and this time I could hear a faint sound. Are you out there? I shouted. Again I could hear it, sounded like it was in pain. I quickly dropped the horn and ran towards the sounds. I ran into the forest and stopped when I saw it. The stupid thing had run into a tree, and the tree obviously fell over him. I wondered how I was supposed to move that tree. I stood there for a while and stared at the poor creature. I decided to try to move the tree. I walked over to it and pushed with all my might, but the tree wouldn’t budge. I looked around me and noticed a thick wooden pole, looked like an old part from a ship. I put the pole underneath the tree and used all of my weight on it. The tree moved a little and the ram managed to get on his feet. I stood there holding the tree up. I yelled for the ram to move, and fortunately it listened. Two seconds later I let go of the pole and the tree fell to the ground. The ram seemed to be a little startled from the whole thing and I walked over to calm it down. I noticed that his right hind leg was damaged. I couldn’t ride the ram in its current state so I decided to walk it back to the ship. When I got back to the beach the fog had receded and the sun was shining. I took that as a good sign. I tied the ram to a nearby rock and climbed into the ship to get some bandages. I walked into my room and picked up a few bolts of bandages, and suddenly I noticed that the whole room was a mess. Pictures were ripped down from the walls, chests were opened and my supplies were scattered around the room. I stared with confusion around the room, and wondered what had happened. I didn’t get much time to think because I heard the ram scream again. I ran outside again and looked down at the ram. It was not alone anymore…

I remembered those creatures; I had seen them in Southshore and Stranglethorn. Naga. They didn’t notice me, but it seemed like they were discussing what to do with the ram. I looked a little closer at the two nagas. They seemed like males, I could see this by the way they looked. Strong bodies and terrible lizard like heads. They seemed to agree what to do about it and one of them rose his trident and was about to attack the ram. Of course I couldn’t allow that to happen. I quickly readied my crossbow and fired an arrow towards them. The arrow hit the attacking naga in his throat. It made a terrible roaring sound and fell to the ground. The other one stared with confusion on his fallen mate and glared at me. Suddenly it let out a loud roar he then picked up a spear and tossed it towards me; I saw it coming and managed to dodge the spear. Suddenly I could hear a distant hissing sound; I ran over to the other side of the ship and stared into the sea. I noticed ripples in the water and gasped in terror when a whole army of them rose from the water. I heard a sound behind me and noticed that I forgot to pull up the ladder. I ran towards it and as I feared the lone naga had started climbing it. I dragged out my sword and chopped off the top part of the ladder. The naga fell down and landed on top of the dead one. Suddenly the whole ship trembled; the naga army was ramming it. A few more blows would cause the ship to fall to the side. I had no other choice than to abandon the ship. I jumped off the ship and landed next to my ram. The naga which now had gotten on his feet, or his tail, now towered up behind me and I knew it wasn’t happy to see me again. I acted on my instincts and turned around stabbing my swords into its chest. I dragged the swords out again and kicked his lifeless body to the ground. It was not a pretty sight. I stared at the ship, it was about to tremble. I had to move quick or else I would get the ship over me. I turned to my ram and jumped into the saddle, I knew it was wounded but it was my only chance. I chopped off the rope holding it and grabbed the reins. I looked over my shoulder and the ship was trembling towards me. I ordered the ram to sprint towards the forest. It couldn’t sprint much with a broken leg but it managed to get me away from the ship just in time. The ship slammed into the ground and the mast broke in two. A dust cloud whirled up from the ships body and covered my sight. The ram couldn’t take much more and it collapsed. I fell to the ground and coughed because of the dust cloud. I couldn’t see much it was all blurry, but I could hear the sound of hissing and roars. I looked around and noticed that I was surrounded by hundreds of naga. I struggled to get on my feet and drew my blades, but I still couldn’t see clearly. They were coming closer and I managed to kill a few of them, but they were too many. Suddenly they stopped. I stared at them and wondered what was going on, and before I knew it I felt a sting in my back. It was a poisoned arrow, I felt weaker and fell to my knees. The last thing I saw were two nagas carrying a chain towards me.

I awoke later in some kind of cavern, my arms were chained up and I could barely move. I was stripped of my armor and weapons; all I had left was my shirt and my pants. I got on my feet and looked around. I could hear the naga talk to each other in their terrible tongue. To the left and right of me there were two guards armed with tridents. I also noticed a chest by the wall. I tried to get loose but it didn’t work. They had taken my tools and my flashpowder as well. So picking the locks or vanishing from sight was out of the question. I sighed and sat down again. I wondered about what they were going to do with me, and if I ever would see the light of day again. I remembered my promise. My promise to return in one piece. And here I was locked up in a cave, surrounded by nagas. I was starting to doubt if I would be able to keep that promise. I sat there for a long time just thinking about these things. Suddenly I heard sounds from outside the cave. Whatever it was it worried the naga, and they left me behind to investigate. I got on my feet again and listened. I could hear the sounds of a battle, the sound of blades and shouting. To my surprise I could understand what they were shouting. That could only mean one thing, whoever was out there weren’t naga. After a few minutes it calmed down, and I could hear a male voice congratulating someone. “Well done men!” The voice said, and he was answered by a several loud cheers. “Now let’s leave this place”, he said. I shouted for help as loud as I could, and luckily they could hear me. The man ordered someone to enter the cave and check the sound. “I’m in here!” I yelled. I could hear the sound of footsteps and could see a light flowing through the cave. A man approached me carrying a torch. He was heavily armored and carried the tabard of Kul Tiras. He stared with surprise at me, I just smiled at him; finally another human being. “Well, are you going to stand there all day or are you going to help me out here?” I asked. The man grinned slightly and yelled for the others. Suddenly the whole room was full of armored men, they were all wearing the same tabards. They all stared at me for a while, until a large man, probably their leader, appeared in the cavern. What are you all staring at? He yelled, and moved some soldiers out of the way. I stared at the man, he was the largest man I had ever seen. Well, well what do we have here? He said with a deep voice. I explained that I came to the island this morning and that I ran into some nagas. The man nodded slowly and turned to his men. “Smith and Thomson! Get over here and help the poor man!” Two of the soldiers came over to me and unlocked the chains. Finally my arms were free once more, I thanked them and smiled. “By the way”, the large man said, “I think we found something that belongs to you in a chest over here”. He pointed towards the chest and I walked over and opened it. As I had suspected this was where my equipment was. I put my armor back on and turned towards the men. “A rogue, eh?” their leader said. I nodded. “Well what brings a rogue to these parts of the ocean?” “It is a long story, but I need to get to Crestfall”, I answered. “Well you shouldn’t be going anywhere in your state” he said. I looked at him and agreed. I could use some rest. “My name is Goodman by the way, Lieutenant Goodman”. He took my hand and shook it. “Ibelin here, Ibelin Redmoore” I answered. The lieutenant looked at me and laughed, “Yeah, whatever you say mate” he said and patted my shoulder. I could tell that he didn’t believe me, but I followed him and his mean out of the caverns and into the forest. After a few minutes we reached a path which we followed to a small camp. I spent the first night there.

Day 2

The first thing on my mind this day was my ram. I must have lost it somewhere, or maybe the naga killed it? I didn’t hope so. I got dressed and walked outside the tent I had spent the night in. It was early and I felt a chill in the air. I spotted the soldiers around a campfire, they seemed to be eating. I decided to walk over and join them. I sat down and grabbed some bread, and a bottle of some kind of juice. “Slept well, milord?” The man next to me said in a sarcastic tone. The other soldiers laughed at his comment. “Well, I have slept better..” I answered. The soldiers just grinned. “All right, let’s get moving!”, a familiar voice said, it was Lieutenant Goodman. He was wearing his armor and seemed to be ready to leave. The other soldiers put out the fire and started to pack down the tents. I finished my breakfast and walked towards my tent to equip my gear. On my way there Goodman stopped me. “Something wrong Lieutenant?” I asked. “No, no. But there is something I need to show you before we leave”. I nodded slowly. “Come over to my tent when you are ready”, “Ok” I answered. I equipped my armor and left the tent again. While walking over to the Lieutenants tent, 4 soldiers started to take down my tent. I didn’t mind, I had everything I needed on me. When I got to the Lieutenants tent, I could hear strange sounds from inside. I walked inside and got very surprised to see my ram again. Its leg was bandaged and it seemed to be in good shape. I walked over to it and placed my hand on his forehead. His eyes stared at me with a calm look. “Nice ram you got there” Goodman said. I turned around and stared at him. “How did you know it was my ram?” I asked. He smiled at me and said; “Well, we don’t often see rams around here. And besides we found it in the same naga cave as we found you”. I smiled and turned to my ram again. “We’ve fed it and bandaged its broken leg. It should be able to carry you, but just don’t make it sprint”. I nodded.

After a while we were back on the road again. We were on our way to a small harbor village where we could catch a ferry to Crestfall. It really was a small village, I could only see 3 houses, a stable, a blacksmith and the docks. The Lieutenant ordered his men to stay in this village and rode up next to me. “I will personally escort you to Crestfall. They don’t like strangers around there, and I don’t want to see you get shot” Goodman grinned at me. I blinked my eyes a few times. “Shot?”, I asked a little puzzled. Goodman nodded slowly; “But don’t worry, I am known around there. When they see me I am sure they will let us through the gates”. I thanked him as we rode down to the docks. “By the way, why not bring the soldiers?” I asked. “We were heading to Boralus you see, so I will return to my men once I have gotten you safely across”. The boat-ride went swiftly and we reached the other side in no time. I was about to leave the docks when the Lieutenant stopped me once again. “What now?” I asked. Goodman looked around; “Something is not right here”. I stopped and listened. At first I couldn’t hear anything, but after a while I heard a weird gurgling sound. “Murlocs”, Goodman sighed. I stared at him; “So? I am sure we can handle a few murlocs”. Goodman stared at me; “I can tell that you have never been to Kul Tiras before. We have major problems with murlocs, nagas and pirates. Lately the naga and the murlocs have started working together, don’t ask me why. Anyway, my point is that where there is murlocs, there is naga.” I stared towards the gurgling sound and suddenly a few murlocs appeared. “Do you think we can avoid them?” I asked. Just as I asked that question the ferry behind us set sail. “Well, we can’t go back” Goodman replied. I nodded slowly. “We have to ride to the northern part of the island, the city gates should be there”. I got ready to ride when I heard it, the hissing sound. That hissing could only mean one thing, the nagas were coming. We took off towards the town but didn’t get very far before they surrounded us. We jumped off our mounts and drew our weapons. A few murlocs jumped on us, but we quickly killed them. “This doesn’t look good” the Lieutenant said. “We need help” he said and looked at me. “But how?”, I asked. “You are a rogue aren’t you? Figure something out!” That was when I remembered my flash powder. I stared at Goodman as he gutted another murloc. I knew what I had to do. I kicked back a murloc and slammed the powder to the ground. I vanished into a smoke cloud and managed to sneak out of the ring. I ran as fast as I could to the north, and noticed a huge gate in the distance. A few nagas had noticed me and were getting closer. I slammed my fists into the gate, and shouted for help. Nobody answered and I turned around to face the naga. I drew my blades and charged at them. I managed to kill one of them, but I couldn’t see the one behind me. I turned around and stared straight into its eyes. Suddenly I heard a gunshot and a bullet hit the naga through its head. I dodged the bullet as it flew towards me. I was covered in naga blood and turned around to notice a few riflemen at the gates. I ran towards them and quickly explained that I needed help, and told them about Lieutenant Goodman. They gathered more riflemen and followed me.

When we reached the area, Goodman was still fighting off the nagas and murlocs. I wanted to run over and help him, but a rifleman kept me back. “Let us do this the way we know best”, he said. He gave some signs to the other riflemen and they spread out around the naga and murlocs. “At my signal, fire!” He shouted. “Fire!” The rifles thundered and the air was filled with roars and gurgling sounds. “Fire!”, he yelled again. When the smoke from the gunpowder disappeared I could see Goodman kneeling on the ground. He was covered in blood and he breathed heavily. “Are you ok over there Lieutenant?”, the rifleman said. Goodman coughed a little then he said; “Never been better, Captain”. The riflemen laughed and the captain smiled at him. “Glad to hear that”. I didn’t see the humor in it but I was glad we were ok.

We followed the riflemen through the gates and into the city. The giant door closed behind us. “Back to your positions!”, the captain yelled. “Yes Captain!” the riflemen answered. The captain turned towards us and said; “We better get you two cleaned up”. I couldn’t agree more. He followed me to a small house and said; “Get some rest, and clean yourself up. Meet me at the keep afterwards. Lieutenant, follow me!”. The two men left the house, and I sat down on a nearby chair. I got out of my bloodstained leather armor, and noticed a tub with water. I went over to it and cleaned myself. Then I took on my casual clothes and went to bed for a few hours. After some rest I awoke to the sound of the clock tower. It struck 4 in the afternoon. I got up and put my boots on. I packed my armor in a bag, and opened the door. I looked around wondering where the keep was. It was a huge city, a little smaller than Stormwind though. There were a lot of people walking around the streets. I noticed a sign marked “Crestfall keep” and an arrow pointing west. I followed the directions and spotted the keep. It was huge. It was guarded by two marines both wearing the tabard of Kul Tiras. They stopped me and asked what my business was in the keep. I told them that I had an appointment with the captain. They stared at each other for a while and nodded. I entered the keep and tried to find the captain. The walls were covered with paintings, probably pictures of noblemen. I came across some stairs and walked upstairs. I could hear the captain and the lieutenant talking in the distance. I followed the sounds and suddenly found myself in a large hall. There were torches on the walls, a long table, several chairs and something that seemed to be a throne of some sort.

They didn’t notice me at first and kept talking. “Are you sure?” The captain asked Goodman. “Yes, that is what he said. He called himself Red…”, suddenly they noticed me, “..moore” the lieutenant finished. I stared at the two men for a while. “Hello again” I said. The captain stared at me for a while. “You wished to see me?” I said. The captain blinked his eyes a few times, and the lieutenant hit him in the back to make him snap out of it. “We don’t have all day, captain” Goodman said grinningly. “Of course, of course” the captain said. He walked over to me and took my hand. “Let me introduce myself, I am Captain Halyndor. And I believe you have met Lieutenant Goodman already”. I nodded. “Nice to meet you, Halyndor. I am Ibelin Redmoore”. The captain stared at me with disbelief. “Who are you really? I hope you are not making fun of us or anything..”. I stared at him with confusion. “Why should I?” I asked. “Lord Redmoore was an important man, and you claim to be related to him?” He stared at me. “This isn’t the first time we hear that. A lot of people are pretending to be a Redmoore just to claim the title for themselves” He seemed to be investigating me with his eyes. I remembered the ring my father sent me. I took it off my finger and held it up with the seal towards the captain. He gasped when he saw it. “W-where did you get that ring?” he stuttered. “Well that is the reason I’m here, I received this letter you see..”. I explained the whole story, about how I grew up in Redridge, about the attack on my family, the murder of my mother and the attack on my father. “Recently I got the letter; the ring was enclosed in the envelope. It proves that my father must be out there somewhere”. The captain and the lieutenant stared at each other and sighed. “We also received a letter from him. I am afraid he is dead”. I stared at the men; “No…He can’t be”. “Listen to me Ibelin”, the captain continued, “he was being followed, he was tired of running. He couldn’t take more. The letter you got must have been his last letter. And that he sent it to you must mean that you really is his son”. I stared to the ground. “I am sorry Ibelin”. I looked up at him. “I never really knew him. And when he first sends my a letter, it is because he is going to die..” I slammed my fist into a nearby table; “It is not fair!”. The two men stared at me. “Calm down now” They both said. I took a deep breath and nodded. The captain placed his hand on my shoulder and said; “Welcome home, milord”. I stared at him a little confused; “Milord?”. Lieutenant Goodman looked at the captain and said; “I don’t think he knows the legend captain”. Captain Halyndor nodded. “Well you see…Ever since your father left the island before the first war, he left his title behind. According to the legend, and to the law, once a Redmoore returns to the island he will be named the lord of Crestfall”. I blinked my eyes. “But I can’t stay I’m afraid, I made someone a promise before I left”. The two men nodded slowly. “I will make you two in charge of the city”. “Yes, milord”, they answered, “It would be an honor”. I was a little overwhelmed about the way they were talking to me, like I was some kind of important person. “No need to show me too much respect now”, I grinned. “No problem there!” Goodman replied and walked over and patted my shoulder. “Well, one more question. How am I supposed to get back to Stormwind without a boat or anything?”. The two men looked at each other. “Are you familiar with mages and portals?”. I nodded. “I have been ported around a few times in my life” I answered. “Great” Goodman said, “follow me!”. I looked at the captain. “You guys go ahead, I will stay here and try to get to my senses” he smiled. “It’s not every day I meet a lord” he said and bowed before me. I bowed as well. “Farewell Captain Halyndor, and remember to take good care of the city”. “One last thing before you leave”, the captain said, “If we ever need your council or help we will let you know”. I smiled and followed the lieutenant out of the keep and followed him towards a mage tower. “So, this someone you made a promise to. It’s a girl right?” Goodman said and grinned at me. I nodded and smiled. “Well you better keep that promise”. I was about to enter the tower when I remembered my ram. “By the way, where is my ram now?”. The lieutenant smiled at me; “Don’t worry; I managed to keep those beasts away from it”. He handed me the old horn. I nodded at him and lifted the horn to my mouth and blew in it. I could hear it’s hooves in the distance and suddenly it stood before me. “Can’t leave without you”, I said and patted it. The lieutenant stared at the ram and said; “Well there is no way you are going to get that thing inside” I agreed. “I will be right back” he said and entered the tower. I jumped into the saddle and took one last look around the city. I let out a long sigh and smiled. I actually found this place, I was very proud with myself. Suddenly the door slammed up and the lieutenant and a mage appeared. “Lord Redmoore, meet Archana. She should be able to get you home”. I nodded at her and smiled. “And before you go take this”, Goodman took out a small medallion from his bag. It was marked with a green C for Crestfall, and behind it you could see the insignia of Kul Tiras. “Just so you don’t forget who you are” he grinned again. “Thank you for everything Goodman”. He nodded. “No problem, just too bad that we couldn’t help you find your father”. I saluted the lieutenant and turned towards the mage. She had already opened a portal. “You better get in before it closes”, she said. I looked at the lieutenant again, and he saluted me. I grabbed the reins and rode into the portal.

I appeared in the inn in Stormwind on my ram. Everyone in there stared with surprise at me. They couldn’t understand where I cam from, and I don’t they have seen a ram inside before either. I got off the ram and slowly took it outside. I took a last look at the medallion and entered the inn again. Finally I was back, and it looked like I was in one piece as well.