Scene #5423: The Nightmare's Corruption in Ashenvale

Owner	Pose
Lunara	Lunara is back among the forests of her homeland. It would be great if she could relax, but that would have to wait until she has at least made her way around the area and made sure nothing terrible had happened in her absense. Checking with some of the Kaldorei Elves in Astranaar, she learned there were reports of corruption to the west. She quickly made her way in the direction they indicated and before long it was clear something was very wrong. From the grass to the trees, everything looked like it was dying, and was taking on a sickening blood red color. The dryad's eyes widened at the sight and muttered to herself. "The Nightmare... I must find the source of this corruption."
Alucard Tepes	Lunara wouldn't be the only one who ad noticed this thing going on. However, as these were forests, Alucard had allowed himself more of a 'native' air to this. So to speak. He would be left mostly alone, he figured, if he were in the shape of a forest creature. Of course, the only forest creature he can manage... is a wolf. Thusly, there is a white wolf sniffing about the trees and whatnot. White fur and gray eyes. The tips of each strand of this wolf's fur have a daub of lavender at the very ends, though, giving him a slaty, dusky purple color overlaying the white. When the wolf comes loping out of the forest, it catches sight of her and freezes. Then its head goes back and it sniffs in her direction. Lunara is a creature of the forest, though... she IS nature itself. That... is not a wolf. That is something else. Something darker, wearing a wolf's shape...
Lunara	Lunara was focused on looking for signs of who, or what, was causing this corruption, though she had a short list of suspects in her mind already. She was not so narrowly focused that she wasn't paying attention to her surroundings. One must always be alert to danger in this land, particularly on the more western side of Ashenvale. Her gaze falls upon the wolf and lingers. White wolves were not unheard of in this area. They were prized by the Orcs as mounts, which only made them more rare in the wild. This one seemed different though, as she sensed something, peculiar about him. "What, or should I say, who, are you, my fanged friend." She asks sternly, her gaze unwavering.
Alucard Tepes	The wolf sniffs at Lunara from a distance away. Though when an attack isn't forthcoming (poor thing has probably had to evade Orcs most of the day, after all), the wolf approaches a little closer. Mind you, the wolf is still cautious in its approach. However, once it's close enough, it does something odd. It speaks. "I am no one of import. I am merely concerned at the corruption of the forest." This isn't wolf-speak. This is actual human language, picked up by the translation effect. The wolf speaks with a deep, smooth baritone voice.
Lunara	Lunara blinks after the wolf speaks. "A wolf that speaks perfect common. Now I've really seen everything. Why do I get the feeling that you are more than meets the eye?" She asks before looking around to make sure no one was around. Her gaze quickly flicks back to the wolf. "In any case, I am Lunara, and it would seem we share the same concern. The corruption stems from the Emerald Nightmare. I will find who or what is behind it, and make sure they pay for their crimes against nature. Do you wish to assist me?"
Alucard Tepes	The wolf moves to sit as Lunara looks around, content to stay where he is for the time being. As Lunara explains somewhat of what's going on, the wolf lowers his head. "That would explain the scent..." he notes. And when Lunara asks if he would like to accompany her, the wolf stands again. "That would be appreciated. If we are both to investigate the same source, it would be better to work together," he notes. A bow of his head, as if in greeting. "I am called 'Alucard'."
Lunara	Lunara nods to the wolf and begins heading further into the corrupted part of the forest, a long cruel looking spear in her hand. As she attempts to locate the source of the corruption, curiosity strikes her. "What exactly do you think you smell? Your sense of smell is likely better than mine." She asks as they pass by a particularly sick looking tree and Lunara stops for a moment to examine it.
Alucard Tepes	Alucard begins to follow Lunar further into the forest, ears and nose especially alert for danger. Predators see motion better than details, after all. He pauses, though, as she stops by a particularly sick-looking tree. At her question, he lowers his head to sniff at the tree. Immediately he draws back, snorting a breath through his nostrils as if he could waft the smell out of them that way, and shakes his head -- much like a wolf who's smelled something to aggravate his sense of smell. But he has been asked. So he answers, "Decay. Wrongness. And..." Pause headtilt. He looks up at Lunara. "...Goat?"
Lunara	Lunara's face contorts into a scowl and she stamps a hoof in anger. "Satyrs, I should have guessed it would have to do with Xavius and his ilk." She states angrily before moving on again, and sure enough, soon they could see telling hoof-prints fainly in the dirt. Dropping her voice to a whisper, she says to Alucard. "Come on, let's follow these, but keep your wits about you. We could be in for a fight."
Alucard Tepes	Satyrs? Alucard knows the mythical satyrs, and with the smell of goat, that seems to be accurate to what he knows them as. But he knows satyrs as minor spirits of nature themselves. Apparently they are different here. He has questions, but these he keeps to himself and follows Lunara. Her directive to remain quiet gets a wolfish nod, and he lowers his head. Wolf stalking posture! His feet pad silent through the grass and dirt as he follows Lunara, his ears perked forward, eyes and nose pointing towards the direction the prints go in. "Lead on," he notes quietly.
Lunara	Lunara continues following the tracks, moving as quietly as one with hooves could, having had lots of practice trying to move through the forest without being detected by things that would like to see her dead, like the orcs. She seems agitated, as her tail twitches back and forth. Something was not right here. This amount of corruption was unlikely to be caused by a single satyr, unless it was Xavius himself. But she didn't see any other tracks. She decides to share her thoughts, keeping her voice nearly silent, but with wolf ears Alucard should hear her easily. "I have a bad feeling. I feel like there should be more tracks as a doubt this is the work of a solitary satyr. Which means they could be deliberate, to lead nosy forest defenders like us... into a trap." It's not long before her fears are manifested and a group of Satyr come into view from out of the forest, surrounding the pair. Most of them seem to be warlocks, as they summon demons of all sorts, from imps to demonic dogs with two legs, to humanoid demons with wings and a grotesque face in their chest. One, which is perhaps the leader, aims a blast of fire at the pair. This isn't just any fire however, it's a demonic green color and consumes life energy for fuel. "Avoid that!" She cries as she dodges it herself and begins attacking the demons and trying to cut her way through to the satyr warlocks that are summoning them, to stem the tide.
Alucard Tepes	"It would not be the first time, Lady Lunara," Alucard returns, as he follows at her heels. Oh yes, he knows the feeling of a trap. His father's castle was little more than a vast death-trap for the unwary. And for plenty wary would-be heroes, too! Suddenly Lunara and he are being surrounded! He firms up his stance, emitting a growl at the beasts as they summon MORE grotesque beings. Most likely demons, he figures. As for the green fire? He... waits. Until he's absolutely sure that Lunara is out of the way. And then... The wolf dissolves, into mist. The flame burns through it, but only scatters the mist. And as it reforms, there is suddenly something very wrong here... The first hint is the darkness -- an aura of something horrible makes itself known, as if it's been there but hidden until now... something that nature would generally flee from. Something not of Mother Earth. And then the mist reforms... And there is Alucard, in his natural form. He quickly retieves his sword and shield from his person and holds them at the ready. He seems willing to follow suit with Lunara here, too, mother's heirloom sword biting into the nearest of the demons to make the mistake of trying to attack him.
Lunara	Lunara nimbly leaps and bounds among the demons and satyr, slaying them both with well timed stabs of her spear. She tries to use her nature magic, but it is weakened by how corrupted the land and flora around here are. A demon comes up behind her only to get kicked in the eyes by her rear hooves and stabbed by her spear a moment later. For a moment she is distracted by Alucard, finding it hard to believe that this man was the wolf she had been with this whole time. Vampires were all but non-existent on Azeroth and she has not seen one in the Multiverse yet, so she didn't recognize him as such. Unfortunately the demons and satyr are quick to take advantage of Lunara's brief lapse of focus. They surge forward to envelop her, attempting to overwhelm her. She is able to beat them back but one of the fell hounds manages to bite her rear right leg, and she also receives a gash on her left flank. The wounds cause her to limp a bit now, but she is still fighting her way toward the hellcaller who seems to be leading the group.
Alucard Tepes	Seeing Lunara get momentarily overwhelmed draws a scowl from Alucard. He pauses, to do something that might be considered stupid in the thick of battle. He sheathes his sword. This forces him on the defensive almost immediately, as the demons see his lack of a weapon as a lapse in offense. They soon find that the dhampir's greater strength means he's just as good using the shield for offense, as demons are batted away. When he gets a moment, the hand that he had been using his sword in glows a bright, eerie blue-white, and he moves it through the air before him in an arcane gesture. Lunara, if she can sense magic, will be able to feel this -- he's a mage as well as a swordsman. When the arcane gestures are complete, his whole body glows that blue-white. "SOUL STEAL!" And as he says this, the magic he's cast will try to draw the life from as many of the demons as it can get to. There are too many for it to reach the summoner, but with luck this will whittle down the numbers some!
Lunara	Now that Alucard's magic has weakened many of the demons, Lunara quickly cuts through several of them and begins taking out the warlocks. She soon turns her attention to the hellcaller who is once again aiming blasts of life-stealing entropic fire at both herself and Alucard. He even taunts them. "You fools. Slaying us accomplishes nothing. The corruption will continue. Xavius has grand plans for your precious 'Emerald Dream'. Lunara growls and throws her with all her might, her aim true, it sinks deep into the leader Satyr's chest and he slumps to the forest floor. The rest of the few surviving satyr scatter and try to flee into the forest.
Alucard Tepes	Alucard draws his sword as the hellcaller brings that fire to bear again. But then he is... suddenly not there. The outline of his body glows red, and then seems to just zip to the right. He reappears behind one of the fleeing satyrs in the same manner as he disappeared, and swings, separating this satyr's head from its neck neatly. However, others have escaped. And he heard those words. Looking to Lunara, he inquires, "...This seems larger than just one group of these beasts causing trouble. Do you know what he spoke of?"
Lunara	Making her way back over toward Alucard, still limping a bit from the pain of her injuries, Lunara nods to him. "Yes, Xavius is a satyr, but not just any satyr, he's the first of his kind. He used to be kaldorei, but he betrayed his own kind for the Burning Legion, an army of demons bent on wiping out all life. All the other satyr were once Kaldorei as well, until Xavius turned them. If he is ultimately behind all of this, then I'm afraid this goes far beyond just corrupting the forest..."
Alucard Tepes	Alucard notes the limp, and sheathes his sword. Then he reaches into his cloak and retrieves a vial from within, offering the vial to Lunara. "This will help," he notes quietly. Though he listens to her assessment of the situation, the ghost of a thoughtful look on his face. He's hard to read for a humanoid. "What are these... kaldorei?" Alucard asks. But one thing he DOES know? "...You will need more assistance than just myself, I think," he observes. "I am part of an organization that I may ask for assistance. Have you a radio? I can relay your frequency to them if they choose to assist."
Lunara	Lunara's fur was also stained with blood near both wounds, though they were starting to clot and even at the larger gash on her flank the flow of blood was down to a trickle. She accepted the vial and looked at it for a moment before turning back to Alucard. "Do I drink it or apply it?" She asks before moving on to answer his questions. "As for the Kaldorei, they are a race of elves, but don't call them elves, they find it disrespectful. From the waist up I am similar to them in appearance. Kaldorei druids sometimes rest for a long time while they slumber an aspect of themselves manifests in the realm of the Emerald Dream. The nightmare is it's corruption, and it may also corrupt those who slumber. This must be avoided at all costs, so yes, if you can offer further assistance I have little choice but to accept." She says before offering the frequency of her radio.
Alucard Tepes	"Drink," Alucard replies to the question. He tends to answer questions with as few words as possible. He listens to the explanation here, and nods. "I see. Is the forest a dream? Or merely where their power links them to whilst they dream?" he asks. He also gives her his own frequency as well. "I will present the situation to them. There will be people who wish to help you. However, you have the right to refuse if you do not think their assistance is the best thing for your forest," he assures her.
Lunara	Lunara nods, unstopping the vial, smelling it's contents briefly before drinking it down. "The forest just links to the dream in such a way that if the corruption is severe enough it shows in this realm also. There are hidden dens where the druids sleep that have a deeper connection to the dream. Will I hear from you again or will it likely be someone else?"
Alucard Tepes	The contents of the vial don't smell particularly bad. And when she drinks it, she may feel the warmth trying to go to her wounds, to start healing them. A standard healing potion, it seems like! Alucard nods at the explanation of how things work with the dream. "Then it is important to see that it does not become corrupted," he surmises. As for whether it will be him? "It could be," he replies. "Or it could be one of my superiors. I am an officer within the Paladins. A superior may wish to meet with you and decide the best course of action based on your information."
Lunara	As Lunara feels the healing potion going to work she smiles a bit. "I feel better already, thank you for that. In any case, I appreciate your help today. I'd likely be a little worse for wear if you hadn't come along. I also look foward to working with the Paladins." She replies, hoping to see Alucard again soon.
Alucard Tepes	Alucard bows. "You are quite welcome," he replies. A thought occurs to him, and as he straightens, he asks, "Will you be all right?" Since he assumes she lives in this forest, and with it being as corrupted as it is, he's not sure she's safe.
Lunara	Lunara nods. "I'll be fine. Although I don't really have any sort of permanent home here in Ashenvale, I tend to stay further west unless I'm patroling the forest. Out here is too close to the orc camps for comfort. If one of their hunters were to find me while I sleep, that would be such a dissapointing way to end my days."
Alucard Tepes	Alucard nods. "It would be," he agrees. "That was my concern. Do you wish company back? In case any of these beasts--" He tilts his head to indicate the place they just fought the demons and satyrs "--Decide to try to follow you?"
Lunara	"Hmm, probably not a bad idea. You can accompany me to Astranaar. Usually I stay clear of the town unless I have business with the Kaldorei that live there, but maybe just tonight, it would be safer to stay near there, or perhaps even take a night at the inn." Lunara ponders as she begins to head back toward the road leading west.
Alucard Tepes	Alucard nods, placing his shield back where it was, upon his back. Then as she heads towards the western edges of the forest, Alucard's form blurs again, shrinking to the size of the wolf from before. As if she were about to ask why (which she probably wasn't), he offers, "This form disturbs nature less than my 'natural' one."
Lunara	Lunara nods, grinning a bit as she looks back at him. "Perhaps, though even in your normal form, with me I don't think anyone would give you any trouble, except for the orcs and satyr of course."