#77

A photograph of what looks like Brill is seen here, though in ruins. Eishona writes below.





I took a trip to the Eastern Kingdoms for the first time with Vik’wa. We’d heard word of an attack on the Undercity, and decided to see for ourselves the devastation that was spreading through the scuttlebug in Orgrimmar. We took a portal that was provided on the airship tower - that stopped flying due to the troubles there I am told.

Portal magic is so strange to me, even now after having used them from Dalaran so many times. It makes my ears and nose tingle - sort of like when you sleep on your arm and your hand falls asleep and tingles when it wakes up? It’s like that.

We came through the other side of the portal and our senses were bombarded with the reek of scorched earth. Hazy smoke filled the sky, and all around us were the ruins of war. Vik’wa called them siege weapons, great wheeled machines that lay broken and abandoned now, and the ruins of a town she called Brill. She showed me roughly, where the air ship used to come in at, now nothing more than a few charred beams remain.

The stink of scored earth and flesh was everywhere, and the reek of something called Blight, a greenish cast to the earth and air in the distance, nearest the Undercity dominated everything. We were cautioned to stay away from the green mist by several people, saying it was dangerous to be near. We followed their instructions carefully, taking our time through the ruins of Brill as we met with others. She went with another mage, discussing what this meant for teaching since the Undercity was now unlivable - she procured many of her books from vendors there.

I ended up on my own for a little while, just looking around and being generally upset over the losses here. I could pick out the remains of many - I couldn’t place the races, only that they were the charred remains of someone. Now and then I could tell - we tauren have much larger bodies than say, a human. It was sobering, to again see the results of war before me, stretched out to be seen. No one was offering funerary rites to the fallen, which was also upsetting. After Darkshore, seeing the Horde do their rituals for their fallen and seeing some Nightelves mourn their losses, I am surprised to see nothing done in Brill.

I’d brought a small offering to the Earthmother, which I put in a little spot and lit a candle as Elder Wooshy taught me. I also lit some incense and said a few words for the fallen - for all of them, not just ‘our’ side, because I think regardless of my personal standings, I think we’re all part of this Horde stuff. I don’t think an Alliance member will care, they’ll only see a person of the Horde and try to harm us. They’d never guess Vik’wa and I don’t have a real membership or connection to the Horde apart from trading and living in the cities they’ve built.

I’ve had to really examine where I stand - a lot of my team stand with the Horde. I don’t demand they do or don’t, they are all free to pick their own lives, after all. I have traded with all people. Everyone can use supplies and barring really nasty attitudes that come up now and then we’ve only had a few problems. I’ve seen but an inkling of the tensions between the Horde and the Alliance, seeing it all first hand has been deeply troubling. I feel like I need to pick a side, that a neutral stance as a trader will be harder to maintain. My lover is a Worgen too. I know that now. Where ever he is, I still wait for him, regardless of our faction.

 I haven’t told Ginja about this yet. She’s a supporter of the Horde, but has always been respectful of my desire to remain neutral - it’s better for business after all. I’m not sure the Horde will take me though, I tried before and got beaten up trying to spar with some orcs to prove myself to them.

Jukko has said they’ll take contracts on a more permanent basis, that you have to perhaps make a blood pact or take an oath, tying yourself to the Horde. He said that’s what he did, he took an oath and signed some kind of contract that he said he can’t escape despite working primarily with the Cenarion Circle. He says you can step away from the Horde once you’re ‘in’ but they find you in the end. That’s what I’m afraid of - I value my privacy, and my freedom. I’ve heard desertion is punished by death, exile or maiming, it can depends on who you talk too.  None of that sounds pleasant, and I plan on living a while longer yet.