Faroth'arn's Journal

Philosophy
''Despite what we believe, or have come to believe about the faiths and thoughts of this world's denizens, there is one factor that unites us all. We are thinking beings. We are seperated from beasts and animals and constructs becuase we can think, not only think, but understand that there is something or someone doing the thinking, and then reflect on that thought we are thinking. That is sentience, that is philosophy. - ''Master Faroth'arn Oakwarden


 * The Soul; A Study Of Logic And Reason

The Suncrown Conclave
''A summarised catalogue of the history of the Sin'dorei and our role within the ever-changing world around us. It is our goal, while also preserving our people's future and promoting the dangers of our accursed dependancies, to also record our mistakes and successes so that new generations may learn from the tales we tell. I have taken this burden upon myself as senior sorceror of the Conclave.'' - Master Faroth'arn Oakwarden

Page 447; Winter
''It is with a heavy heart that I return to this journal for the third time to share my deepest thoughts on this ... new venture I name the Suncrown Conclave; named as such after my dearly missed home, Suncrown Village, razed by the Undead Scourge during the Third War by the traitor-prince. Perhaps venture is the wrong term, for it implies uncertainty and risk... a gamble, even. We can ill-afford to gamble with the fate of our people, for there are only two definitive outcomes. The destruction of the Sin'dorei being the most likely of the two. The other, well, I shall touch more on this later.''

''It has been months since the betrayal of our young savior, Kael'thas. But it still haunts our minds to this day. If noble King Anasterian's son himself had grown so bitter and thirsty for power, then what hope did the rest of us have? What hope do we have now as we are dragged further into a global conflict between the Horde and the Alliance? What hope can our weary people hold tight while even a significant minority of our own kin still hold loyalties to selfish quests for power?''

''I have no answer... other than change.''

''So dependant we were on magic that when it was brutally taken away from us, a part of us was taken with it. I don't speak of morality or ethics, though it would appear to be an obvious place to point the finger, to easily cast blame on something other than ourselves for the actions we've taken since the Third War. No, I speak of our pride. Dating back further than ten thousand years to the Kaldorei civilization and our role as the upper caste, the Highborne, shows just how grand our pride was. Noone should ever dare question the most powerful sorcerors to grace Kalimdor. That was certainly our belief, and has been up until now. A select few still believe that. It took Arthas to drive the blunt truth home to the majority:''

''We are not all-powerful. Omnipotence rests with the gods alone who'm, if they exist... and I shall question this in another entry, have saw fit to show us just how dependant we are. I give praise to the sun that we are in a position of open-mindedness. Our plea to the Horde to accept us, our tolerance of their kind, all serves to bring about a radical change upon a race who's unwavering arrogance has cost them dearly. The High-Land shall be restored only when we prove that we deserve it.''

''A young student asked me what exactly I meant by these changes two nights ago. I found that I could not answer him. What change would ensure our preservation?''

''I found that there was one area that stood out too far for anyone to ignore, and that was our magical withdrawal. We turned to scavanging from crystals, at first it was not enough and many of the infirm and young quickly fell to tapping from each other, slaying them in the process. These wretched as we know them, began to drain the magical essence that permeates the creatures that share the realm with us, they too having been affected by our Sunwell's presence over the centuries. In desperation even the sane of mind turned to this method, an act which I shall always regret in partaking. Eventually Prince Kael'thas and his new master, the Night Elf Illidan, found our salvation in harnessing the rich magic of the demonic. Fel creatures, entrapped within crystals of our design proved to be one of the most long-lived of power sources we'd known since our earliest Kaldorei sorcerors began to try and vial away the Well of Eternity... and were executed for it. How did we not see those signs? A weakness? I assure myself this is the case. We have no other to blame but ourselves in allowing our dependancy to override our most fundamental of laws and social aspects. We noticed it in the wrong way. We raised the banners of Silvermoon City high as our capital's construction was completed in half the time that we had spent mourning it since its destruction. We noticed that we allowed our pride to become the better of us, and just like that as we restored our kingdom's capital, it returned as quickly as it had left.''

''... and it drove our Prince Kael to seek even more power, power to enact his vengeance... power which tempted his thoughts to stray from the protection of his people to much more sinister motives. I begin each day with a stroll through the city's gardens just to remind myself what we would have lost had the demon lord entered our world, and I give thanks to our brave warriors who died to prevent his victory. But here I have begun to digress. Change. Indeed, our wielding of something we have known since the first records of our history began, must change, but also our attitude towards the less- .. Ah, notice how easily it is for us to judge the younger races. Their seemingly-primitive civilizations will no doubt outlast our own. They have proven their tenacity, their strength, their heart, more times than I shamefully can recall the Elves having ever done. Yes, we must change our attitudes and work -alongside- the Horde and their noble warchief. I shall miss King Terenas and the Alliance of Lordaeron greatly, however the humans of Stormwind are a farcry from their honourable northern kin. Dwarf and Elf have never had the deepest of relationships, for it was we who named them 'Dwarf' rather than the Earthen they prefer, in the first place; a result, again, of our arrogance. The Kaldorei shall never again accept us, nor we them. Despite the numerous dangerous and records of misuse, Magic is an integral part of this world and we know its gifts intimatly. Our druidic brethren match the Sin'dorei in arrogance, and I am appalled that they struck at us in our hour of greatest need, before we even began talks with the Horde. Evidence that their hatred of our kind will never cease. Our only possible hope of a bond with the Alliance would lie with the Draenei, who's very prophet offered us a chance for redemption; the return of our Sunwell. Thanks to they and the Naaru, we can begin the slow process of weaning ourselves from tapping the demonic crystals to returning to the Sunwell's embrace, then slowly teach ourselves to then draw from the very world around us, so that should the unthinkable happen and the Sunwell is lost again, we will never repeat our mistake. However, the Draenei are readily influenced by the words of Priestess Tyrande, and the backing of the other Alliance leaders would surely place pressure on the Draenei to reject our plea for peace.''

''I feel that it is in the Horde that we must place our trust. The very same Orcs who burned our forests and rallied our ancient Amani enemies to slaughter innocents. But somehow, different. Lord Antonidas of Dalaran's research into the lethargy of the Orcs after the Second War had shown some evidence of corruption amongst a once peaceful race, however it is largely unimportant. They have embraced us as their allies, and we shall in turn do the same.''

''In memory of Anasterian, in memory of Quel'thalas. The Suncrown Conclave, my personal contribution to the future, shall be the first to enact these changes and share them with all Sin'dorei, in order to build an even mightier kingdom, a kingdom of prosperity, but most importantly, peace.''

''This burden is shared by all ... and we must bear its weight together...''

''In my fourth entry I will remember to explain in full what the Conclave has planned. However, a glass of wine and a warm hearth await me...''

- Master Faroth'arn Oakwarden

Page 448; Winter
''The frost coats the leaves of my garden and I ponder... is beauty a universal truth? We all understand its meaning, but it applies to different things for each race, each individual even. For a Dwarf, beauty may be the first cold ale after many hours in the mines. A Gnome may see beauty in his technological constructs, the craftsman's passion evident in every bolt. As for myself, the first threads of magic I began to weave all those centuries ago brought a tear to my eye. I ask myself this question becuase I have watched my followers work together to build a future we may all share in an age of peace, and there is a certain form of beauty in that, I feel.''

''I often find myself asking what beauty Arthas may have seen, before the darkness enveloped his soul. Rational thought tells me that he is no longer capable of such emotion; the last remnants of his former self consumed, leaving behind only the Lich King. He is beyond redemption and the fury within beckons me to join the assault on Northrend, but I stay my hand for now. No, I must remain here in Quel'thalas. Once we succumb to vengeance, we become no better than Arthas... or even the Forsaken. How I pity them.''

''The Suncrown Conclave has drawn allies to its side. Rangers from the south, a notable Rind Sungazer in their number; saw fit to seek my guidance and I am pleased they did so. Their knowledge of our kingdom's expanses are astounding, and none have fought harder than they against the Undead Scourge and Amani Empire. Several young apprentice magi, the confusion of recent events having took their toll, have also sought me out for which I am almost grateful to be reliving my role as an academy instructor. However the addition I find most intriguing is a Blood Knight, one of the first of their order i've come to discover, by the name of Shiraiyas Dilithien Lightwhisper. His hatred of the Light for forsaking Quel'thalas to the actions of the Scourge drew him to Lady Liadrin's side in the manipulation and overall dominence of the captured Naaru. His bitterness brought him a mastery of his abilities. Now, with the Sunwell restored and the actions of the Sin'dorei forgiven by the very Naaru themselves, his position is now one of confusion rather than understanding. I feel that I have been given an oppertunity to finally take the first step to what we might call a "redemption". Through his grasp of harnessing the very Light itself, a process which will require much patience, Master Lightwhisper shall become a fitting symbol of justice for the Sin'dorei. I pray he is up to the task, for the true battle lies with himself.''

''In time, we too will join our kin in Northrend where the Horde strikes the very gates of Icecrown Citadel itself. The courteous offering of sanctuary from Aethas Sunreaver is most appreciated, and I shall indeed be honoured to accept the young sorceror's invitation. I'm rather fond of his efforts to bring the Sin'dorei, nay the Horde, into Dalaran; although the days of being pestered by the humans for my knowledge returns to haunt me. A glass of wine shall lay waste to those doubts.''

''However! In order to secure ourselves a place of trust in the eyes of the Horde, I have devised a simple and decisive move which shall prove that the Sin'dorei are as much a force to be reckoned with as the Orcish Horde has shown to be. I will discuss this at length in my next entry after a routine analysis of the Sunwell.''

''The roof of the world awaits... and with it comes destiny...''

-Master Faroth'arn Oakwarden

Page 449; Winter
''I note that I have mentioned the season at this present time would be winter. Although that does not apply to our home, for long ago our sorcerors enchanted the forests of Quel'thalas, bathing them in eternal springtime. How that changes when you journey to the south. Change. A word that certainly makes itself known. I recall a recent conversation with Shiraiyas. He asked if I had a family before the Third War. The question caugh me entirely off-guard. I did not have a family. Potential mates, in the distant past of my youth, though study consumed me at that time. But no, the entire concept of a family, is unknown to me. I suppose one could say that my many students have been almost like a family. You don't teach for over two-thousand years and not develop a fondness for your apprentices.''