Diary of a Sentinal: Four

The Draenei had accepted me, had helped me, and had taught me many things, including how to use a crossbow. I took to the weapon quickly, realizing that it was more powerful than the bows of my people. Citrine had followed me all the way from Teldrassil to the Azuremist island where the strange race had fallen in their craft.

After spending a great deal of time with them, I got to know them and found them to be quite similar to the Kal'dorei. I felt at ease. When they came to me, asking for help, I readily agreed. It was when Achelus sent me out that I found my second companion. Achelus, the poor, unfortunate man, was part of a research team that had uncovered a terrible spider nest up in the hills. I had never seen spiders such as these, covered in spikes and screeching. They unnerved me more than most things did. He asked me to kill them, including their brood mother, Zarakh.

I did so, gladly, as they were dangerous to the refugees from the Exodar. Blood Watch would not be safe until they were destroyed. As I continued up into the hills, I finally found them. Another researcher from Achelus' team, Cornelius, was just outside the pass, desperate for help. He begged me to free any others from his team that may still be alive in the wrapped webbing found all along the path up into the hills. I agreed, hoping I'd find some alive. The spiders were terrible, twisted creatures, affected by the contamination of the island and the crystals from the Exodar. As I slew the large spiders, I moved further up the hill, surrounded by more and more webbing and dead and dying prey. Thankfully, I was able to find a few more survivors from the research team, but all I could do was free them and tell them to run. It was at the top of the hill that I finally faced off against Zarakh, the mother of them all. Poison from the spiders coursed through my body and Citrine's speed was off as she no doubt was also poisoned and in pain. It was a wonder we survived.

I had feared for my life before, during the wars, but I was never as unnerved or scared as I was then. These spiders, with their otherworldly screeching and skittering, were terrifying, even to one such as myself. It was possible their poison affected the mind as well. Shaking, doing my best to fight the venom, I layed a trap for the brood mother, stepped back, and fired. Enraged, the giant spider rushed, falling into my trap and, finally, succumbing to my attack.

What possessed me then, I do not know. Behind the giant spider were egg sacks. Most of them looked normal and a few were even hatching, showing much smaller, less dangerous versions of the colorful arachnids I had slain on the way to the top that no doubt would grow into the terrible monsters I had already killed. There were a few eggs, though, that looked different... larger, I thought, and darker. The researchers at the base might want to look at them, and now that Citrine and I had cleared a path, the going would be easier. I took several, placing them in my pack, hoping they'd not hatch soon.

The researchers were indeed pleased with my prizes and Achelus thanked me. With the researchers saved, I breathed a sigh of relief and continued aiding them. It was many mornings later, near dawn, as I was hunting near Blood Watch that something in my pack jumped. I dropped it swiftly and moved back, guessing what had happened. I had counted the eggs I had taken, and had thought all of them had been given to the researchers. Perhaps on my way down, I had brushed close to another eggsack and it had fallen in? Or perhaps I hadn't gotten rid of them all... regardless, I recognized the movement even when confined in my pack, and the screech that sounded a moment later confirmed my fear. One of the spiders was inside.

It managed to find it's way out, slowly, one black leg after another until it was free. I was surprised to see what appeared to be a much smaller Zarakh, the shiny, black and red exoskeleton covered in spikes and thorny growths. It moved as if confused and I immediately threw a bit of meat away from my bag, hoping it would follow and then run away into the forest. At first, I thought my plan had worked, as it charged after the fresh kill, quickly eating the red meat, but surprised me when it then turned and rushed back towards me, screeching. I backed up, away from my kill. The damn creature had associated me with food.

Still, as I sat watching the spider devour what was going to be my dinner, I thought about how terrifying he looked, how unnerving he was to even me. As often as I found myself in the middle of battlefields, I had to think that he'd be even worse against an enemy. He finished it off, and charged me again, but this time I was ready. I had dried meat rations in my bag and managed to slow him down long enough to feed him, finally sating his hunger.

I shall call you Obsidian, I had thought to myself, and watched gleefully as the great spider followed me tamely. It would be a few bites and trials later that he would completely controlled, but he has proven to be as potent in battle against my enemies as I could have wished. Now, his screech is almost welcome, as it warns me of prowling enemies, and his spitting web can snare fleeing targets long enough for me to come to the fight. His poison sacks were removed, for my saftey as well as others, but he is more than enough to defeat most.

Obsidian, my spider of death, my living snare. A true soldier.

Diary of a Sentinal: Three

I am a hunter. As such, I am usually sent out to track down the enemy, to lay traps for any that would approach, and to become a master of the bow. Or gun, as the case may be. My other gift, though, is through my deep spiritual connection to the living world. I am never alone, even when on a scouting mission, because my animal companions are always with me.

When I first returned to my people after my long time alone, I had to enter Teldrassil. I never felt happy there, as I could feel the deep taint of the tree, even then. Still, I managed to endure and learn more about myself and my abilities. When I was ready, my master sent me out to find an animal companion. I was anxious, not of the beasts themselves, but of my indecision. I had no idea what kind of creature I should choose. I knew that it had to be a creature I could count on, one that would protect me, and one that could take care of itself, if need be.

I had left Dolanaar without a clue as to where I should go or what I should do. I walked the woods, seeking a creature I could count on. There were the cats, creatures my people revered and were connected to, but I could not bring myself to choose one of them. They all seemed... wrong, somehow, perhaps because of the very nature of the tree. The large, green spiders had more intelligence than most gave them credit for, but they seemed too fragile... and dangerous for a first companion. I walked far, suddenly finding myself back in Aldrassil, in Shadowglen.

When I had first arrived in Teldrassil, I had been sent to Shadowglen to prove my worth and my abilities. I learned much, both about myself and about nature. The boars and cats in Shadowglen had multiplied too quickly, throwing nature's natural balance out of proportion. I had helped cull a few of the beasts before, and decided to help again... this time, though, I'd not kill the creature I chose.

Citrine was everything I could hope for. She's quite affectionate, hardy, and intelligent. Her coarse, golden hair may not be the most appealing, but she's a much finer companion than I expected, for a boar. It took time to get her to accept me, to train her. Citrine is a Thistle Boar, and, as far as I know, they are a much smaller offshoot of the Goretusk variety. These small Thistle boars are only found on Teldrassil. While her disposition towards me is quite loveable, a single command from me will find her attacking, charging and goring any enemy.

My other companion was found while I was amongst the Draenei. But his is a very different story, one of danger and fear.

Diary of a Sentinal: Two

I suppose I should write a bit about why I chose to live as I do now, as it seems so against my ideals. For a Kal'dorei, nature is sacred and the natural world is more than our home, it is part of our souls and lives. I have chosen to travel far, to open myself to the strange new peoples of the world, and to learn of things I know my mother would abhor. I do not regret my more recent decisions, but I know they must seem strange to others, especially amongst the Kal'dorei.

When the Great Alliance appeared in our forests, fighting against the Orcish-led Horde, we were as distrustful of them as we were of the Orcs. They were, however, fighting against the terrible greenskins who ruined our sacred forests and our Priestess, Tyrande, and her lover, the Archdruid Malfurion, chose to work with them when faced with the terror of the Burning Legion. They are now our stalwart allies, even if they are quite strange. Even I must admit, the Humans, Dwarves, and Gnomes have taught us what it is like to live mortal lives, something all of the Kal'dorei must now accept and adapt to.

I have chosen to learn of Engineering, a craft and profession previously held by the Goblins and Gnomes alone. My knowledge is, for now, quite basic, and I find myself often stumbling over the strange ideas and unnatural materials. I know my mother would despise such a decision. It was Goblin Shredder machines that destroyed - and continue to destroy - so much of our forests. I see my choice as a way to better understand the enemy. Also, the various weapons you can create using these skills are superior to what I have used in the past, and explosives, while dangerous, are excellent to have in a battle. To ignore them because they are "unnatural" is foolish, as our enemies have no such qualms.

I also left the Sentinals to pursue a life on my own, alone. No doubt my former Sisters, the ones that survived, would never understand... But they do not have to understand in order to accept my decision. My choice was actually made to escape, to get away, to run... after the war, I was lost, confused and broken. My time alone, living as a hermit, was helpful to heal my spirit and mind, but it stunted my social skills as I became more animal than Elf. It was then, that a terrible event occurred off the coast. I remember seeing it from the forest: the huge trail of fire and smoke, and the roar of the engines... the Exodar, a ship from another world, crashed into the islands off the coast of Ashenvale.

My curiosity and my inner need to investigate the damage to the land drove me from hiding, and I returned to my people for a short time. After stocking up on supplies, and finding my companion, Citrine, a small, golden-yellow boar from Teldrassil, I took a ship to the islands to see what could be done. It turns out that the ship had inhabitants, now known, of course, as the Draenei, another race to join the Alliance.

From them, I learned how to use a crossbow and did what I could to aid them in healing the land. In the Draenei, I found kindred spirits, in a way. They are old, most older than a great portion of the Kal'dorei, and have great power. Still, I found them far more comforting than what was left of my people, who were still confused and distrustful. It was the Draenei that enabled me to continue, to grow, and to choose a new path. It was also in this land that I found my second companion and fellow soldier, Obsidian, a thorny, black spider. Though frightening to behold, especially to my enemies, he shows me affection, of a sort, and is the best companion I could ask for on a battlefield.

I decided the only way to find a new path was to explore. So explore I did. I left Kalimdor entirely and sailed East, to the kingdom of Stormwind and then to Khaz Modan, the homeland of the Dwarves and Gnomes. I learned much, saw much, and accepted that the relative peace of Ashenvale was false. The world was steeped in bloody war and I had to step aside or fight.

I choose to fight. The Alliance has need of my skills, such as they are, and I do my best to provide. I have fought in what is known as Warsong Gulch, a valley between Horde and Alliance territories in Kalimdor. The battle there is for lumber and a foothold in my people's sacred forest. I stand as I once did as a Sentinal, but this time my allies are not just Kal'dorei. Humans, Dwarves, Gnomes, and even the Draenei also stand with me to push the Horde out of our lands.

I have, more recently, been called to fight in and near the Arathi Highlands, where the Forsaken, former humans who succumbed to the Scourge plague, now nothing more than walking, rotting corpses, try to take land from the League of Arathor, a group of Humans who are members of the once mighty kingdom of Stromgarde. These lands are fractured and the Kingdom of Stromgarde itself is nearly entirely destroyed, but the resources in the Arathi Basin are needed for the war efforts elsewhere. We cannot allow the Forsaken to use the land for their nefarious and deadly deeds, whatever they may be.

I have become a true Sentinal, not just for the Kal'dorei and our forests, but for all of Azeroth. I'll not stand aside as the Horde, the Legion, and the Scourge do their best to destroy the world. My journey is only just beginning down this new path my life has taken, but I know that it is the right path.

My feet may falter. I may lose my way. But I will find the path again and again, and this time...

This time, I have far more allies at my side.

Diary of a Sentinal: One

I don't know why I bother writing in this thing.

Perhaps it's because I have no family to speak to about difficulties and hard decisions. I have no siblings (that I know of, at any rate), and my parents are gone.

My mother, may Elune keep her and protect her as she dances amongst the stars, passed from this world many moons ago. She was beautiful and graceful. She loved to dance, especially, and tried to teach me. I fear I find less joy in dancing and music than she did, but still, her teachings made me laugh and I remember them fondly. She was a priestess of the Moon Goddess Elune. She tried to get me to follow the same path, but I was far more interested in joining the Sentinals. I sometimes regret that decision, as it has brought me much pain and sorrow, but nevertheless it is my path and I walk it willingly.

My father... well. I know little of him. Now that I have seen the other cultures and peoples of our world, I understand that other races bond in a ceremony of some kind, usually for life. We Kal'dorei are a little less... rigid in our choice of relationships. My father stayed with my mother until just after I was born. Then, as I understand it, he left again. My mother harbored him no ill will, but I sometimes wonder what it would have been like to know him. To learn from him. I do know he was a Druid of the Talon, and that he loved to fly. He would tell stories to my mother about the sky and the clouds and the forest from above.

Sometimes I wish I had his gifts. The thought of soaring above the trees in the dark twilight, the moon and stars overhead and the forest below and nothing but the rush of the wind to keep me company... it is a good dream. But no. It is not my path.

Instead I learned of tracking and of bows and arrows and fletching. I learned how to scout and how to set traps for enemies and prey. I became attuned to nature and the forest around me, including it's creatures. I lived this way for several centuries, content.

Then everything changed.

The world as I understood it was shattered. The orcs, green-skinned monsters from far beyond our borders invaded, raping our forests, using loud, dirty machinery to destroy our sacred places and murdered Cenarius, demigod and child of our Goddess. I fought with the other Sentinals, tried to push the Orcs and trolls back, only to face the demons that followed after. The Burning Legion had found us.

How I survived the battles that ensued, I'll never know. I watched as Archimonde was defeated and then left everything behind, returning to the forests alone. There I stayed for six years, as the new tree, Teldrassil was created and grown... it is wrong and a mistake. Without the blessings of the Aspects, it is nothing but a farce, and a tainted one at that. The Archdruid is a fool. I avoid the new tree and Darnassus, the new home of my people, as much as I can. Instead, I found much interest in a new race, one that came to our world in a rather unfortunate way. Still, unlike the other peoples of the Alliance, they are old as we are, wise as we are, and quite interesting.

It was their coming that brought me out of my seclusion and allowed me to return to the world again.

I'm still not sure if I've made the right choice.

Players: Berryl, Kal'dorei Huntress

Name: Berryl Nightwood

AKA: Huntress, Scout, Sentinal

Description: Tall at six feet, five inches, very graceful and lithe like most of her people. She sports bluish skin, is very muscular, with some minor scarring on her arms, legs, and back as evidence of her life as a Sentinal. A youthful face holds the typical silver-glowing eyes of the Kal'dorei. Her blue-green hair is always kept in tidy, looping braids. Her face bears tattoo markings over her eyes styled to look like long claw marks.

Skills: An accomplished soldier in her own right, she has learned how to use the bow and crossbow very well. In addition, she is very in tune with the natural world, enabling her to tame various animal companions, including a boar (Citrine) and a spider (Obsidian). She is silent, can stalk prey for hours without tiring, and knows how to lay traps and track various creatures and people. Berryl knows basic animal anatomy and is more than capable of catching and skinning various beasts for food, leather and hides. More recently, she has found an interest in the intricate workings of machinery and has learned the basics of engineering and the use of guns and explosives. Though very destructive and against the natural flow, she is a soldier at heart, and the weapons are more effective on the new battlefields of the world.

Basic Background: Berryl is a bit over 400 years old and more or less alone in the world aside from her animal companions. Her mother, a priestess, died over a century ago, and she chose to leave the Sentinals for reasons known only to herself. She has never known her father, a Druid of the Talon, and assumes he now sleeps in the Emerald Dream or wanders the world, unknown. She doesn't know his name, nor does she care to find him.

Her love of nature is only matched by her love of battle and the fierce determination she has to protect Kalimdor and the world beyond. Because of this, she's usually found in one battle or another, a sort of mercenary scout, working with the Grand Alliance to fight back against the Horde.