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Beastwatch isn't very far north of Highpass, just on the edge of where the botani have grown the forest to. The Horde base is hidden among a strand of trees and overlooks both the woods to the south and the arid wasteland to the north. Northern Gorgrond is practically a desert, filled with strange rock formations and steaming pools of water. From this height Khadgar can even pick out gronn in the distance, battling with the edges of botani growth and ripping up the plants as soon as they sprout. He surprises himself with a wheezing cough and a thread of worry worms through him. He knows he's coming down with something but it shouldn't be affecting his raven form and certainly not this quickly. The flight was barely an hour.
He quickly descends to Beastwatch, hoarsely cawing as alights on a tent pole. There are several orcs about wearing strange skull-like masks; Laughing Skull clan. Outnumbering them are trolls and tauren all bearing totems that mark them as shaman. One brown furred tauren looks up from a map he's studying on a table, his horns stretching out nearly a foot from his head. "Khadgar!" Kanu grins, his deep voice booming across the camp. "Welcome, Archmage, I'm glad you received my missive." His ears flick as Khadgar takes his human form. "You are looking pale, my friend."
"Well met, Kanu," Khadgar answers, leaning heavily on Atiesh. "I'm coming down with something, I'm afraid. How may I help you?" Please let it be something quick.
"Of course. This way." The tauren turns his broad back to Khadgar and leads the way into the tent behind him. Khadgar gasps as soon as they pass inside; the pelts have been warded and hid the magic that lay within.
"Where did you find this?" He steps forward to examine a large, squat cylinder that sits on a table, nearly taking up the entire surface. It's sides are a dull bronze color, dusty and encrusted with dirt. Its surface is edged in the same metal, securing a large, pale, glass-like domed top. The metal bands are etched with runes Khadgar recognizes. It's been damaged recently judging by the deep score along its surface, exposing severed innards. The dome isn't shattered, though, just cut through. Whatever strange material it is isn't as brittle as glass.
"Stole it from an Iron Horde excavation. It controls the gronn and the magnaron, the big ones with the strange markings. Touching it let you feel where those creatures were for leagues and give them commands. We used it to assault the Iron Approach. We freed many slaves but the artifact was damaged."
Khadgar reaches out to touch the device after getting a nod from Kanu. There is no connection to the gronn now. He can still sense the power source within and he reads the runes aloud. "'The Heart of the Magnaron.' I don't know how, but this is-" He's broken off by a hacking cough. "Titan," he finally gasps.
Kanu's tail thrashes, eyes widening. "Titan? A Titan relic, here? I don't understand."
"Nor I," Khadgar replies, wishing he'd gotten to inspect it before it was damaged. "I have never heard legends or stories of a Titan presence on Draenor, at least not the one we know." He swallows back a cough. "But perhaps that's another variance between them." The cough wins out, leaving the human hacking.
Kanu gently places a massive three fingered hand on his shoulder, face concerned. "May I ease your illness? I specialize in the element of water, I should be able to pull some of it out of your lungs."
Khadgar's leaning heavily on his staff when he can finally speak again. "I...would appreciate that, yes. This came on quite quickly."
"This will feel strange," Kanu warns him, "but it should not hurt."
The tauren raises his hands, chanting quietly in Taur-ahe. Blue light swirls and eddies around his palms, reaching out to Khadgar's chest. It's one of the more bizarre sensations Khadgar has ever felt, something slimy and moist being pulled up and out of his lungs. He coughs as it passes but his breathing easier almost immediately. They both stare at the suspended ball of vibrant green mucus.
Kanu's ears flick but his tone is mischievous. "You haven't been spending time with an Apothecary, have you?"
"Not to my knowledge," Khadgar answers, a frown touching his own features. The thought of Apothecaries with something that works this quickly in their arsenal makes him uneasy. "Do you mind if I burn that? Just in case."
"Be my guest."
"Thank you," the mage says as he carefully incinerates the mass, careful to not drip fire anywhere. "I can breathe much easier now."
"It doesn't help with the disease itself, but you should feel better for a time. As for the relic, can you fix it? It is a most potent weapon and would be a great boon in our war."
Khadgar bends over the device again, inspecting the inner workings. "I'm afraid this is beyond my magic. It's more the mechanics of it that are broken. The best chance of fixing it would be to bring it to the gnomes. Unless you want to trust something this delicate to goblins."
Kanu snorts. "Hardly." His ears flick as he thinks. "The device is broken and worthless like this. Technically, you lead this expedition, not the Horde. I do not see an issue in bequeathing you a broken Titan artifact."
The human's eyebrows rise. "I do not mean to put you in a difficult position, Kanu."
"You are not," he replies, shaking his mane out. "It is habit from when Garrosh ruled and his Kor'kron made a point of hunting down traitors, real or imagined. Those days are past and we are at peace, however long it may last." He huffs. "Take the relic. Repair it that we may defeat the Iron Horde."
"It may take some time," Khadgar warns. "This could be completely different than the Titan machinery we're used to. In which case I'm certain Mekkatorque will not sleep a wink until he understands it."
Kanu's eyes widen. "You would bring this to the High Tinker himself?"
"Of course." Khadgar grins. "Gelbin and I have been friends for many years; he'd love the chance to repair something like this."
"Gnomes." Kanu snorts a laugh. "Extend my thanks to the High Tinker, then, for his help in defeating the Iron Horde."
"Consider it done. I will take this straight to him." He places his hand on the device. "Farewell, Kanu."
"Farewell, Archmage," the young bull answers as Khadgar and the device wink out of sight in a flash of purple light.
He quickly descends to Beastwatch, hoarsely cawing as alights on a tent pole. There are several orcs about wearing strange skull-like masks; Laughing Skull clan. Outnumbering them are trolls and tauren all bearing totems that mark them as shaman. One brown furred tauren looks up from a map he's studying on a table, his horns stretching out nearly a foot from his head. "Khadgar!" Kanu grins, his deep voice booming across the camp. "Welcome, Archmage, I'm glad you received my missive." His ears flick as Khadgar takes his human form. "You are looking pale, my friend."
"Well met, Kanu," Khadgar answers, leaning heavily on Atiesh. "I'm coming down with something, I'm afraid. How may I help you?" Please let it be something quick.
"Of course. This way." The tauren turns his broad back to Khadgar and leads the way into the tent behind him. Khadgar gasps as soon as they pass inside; the pelts have been warded and hid the magic that lay within.
"Where did you find this?" He steps forward to examine a large, squat cylinder that sits on a table, nearly taking up the entire surface. It's sides are a dull bronze color, dusty and encrusted with dirt. Its surface is edged in the same metal, securing a large, pale, glass-like domed top. The metal bands are etched with runes Khadgar recognizes. It's been damaged recently judging by the deep score along its surface, exposing severed innards. The dome isn't shattered, though, just cut through. Whatever strange material it is isn't as brittle as glass.
"Stole it from an Iron Horde excavation. It controls the gronn and the magnaron, the big ones with the strange markings. Touching it let you feel where those creatures were for leagues and give them commands. We used it to assault the Iron Approach. We freed many slaves but the artifact was damaged."
Khadgar reaches out to touch the device after getting a nod from Kanu. There is no connection to the gronn now. He can still sense the power source within and he reads the runes aloud. "'The Heart of the Magnaron.' I don't know how, but this is-" He's broken off by a hacking cough. "Titan," he finally gasps.
Kanu's tail thrashes, eyes widening. "Titan? A Titan relic, here? I don't understand."
"Nor I," Khadgar replies, wishing he'd gotten to inspect it before it was damaged. "I have never heard legends or stories of a Titan presence on Draenor, at least not the one we know." He swallows back a cough. "But perhaps that's another variance between them." The cough wins out, leaving the human hacking.
Kanu gently places a massive three fingered hand on his shoulder, face concerned. "May I ease your illness? I specialize in the element of water, I should be able to pull some of it out of your lungs."
Khadgar's leaning heavily on his staff when he can finally speak again. "I...would appreciate that, yes. This came on quite quickly."
"This will feel strange," Kanu warns him, "but it should not hurt."
The tauren raises his hands, chanting quietly in Taur-ahe. Blue light swirls and eddies around his palms, reaching out to Khadgar's chest. It's one of the more bizarre sensations Khadgar has ever felt, something slimy and moist being pulled up and out of his lungs. He coughs as it passes but his breathing easier almost immediately. They both stare at the suspended ball of vibrant green mucus.
Kanu's ears flick but his tone is mischievous. "You haven't been spending time with an Apothecary, have you?"
"Not to my knowledge," Khadgar answers, a frown touching his own features. The thought of Apothecaries with something that works this quickly in their arsenal makes him uneasy. "Do you mind if I burn that? Just in case."
"Be my guest."
"Thank you," the mage says as he carefully incinerates the mass, careful to not drip fire anywhere. "I can breathe much easier now."
"It doesn't help with the disease itself, but you should feel better for a time. As for the relic, can you fix it? It is a most potent weapon and would be a great boon in our war."
Khadgar bends over the device again, inspecting the inner workings. "I'm afraid this is beyond my magic. It's more the mechanics of it that are broken. The best chance of fixing it would be to bring it to the gnomes. Unless you want to trust something this delicate to goblins."
Kanu snorts. "Hardly." His ears flick as he thinks. "The device is broken and worthless like this. Technically, you lead this expedition, not the Horde. I do not see an issue in bequeathing you a broken Titan artifact."
The human's eyebrows rise. "I do not mean to put you in a difficult position, Kanu."
"You are not," he replies, shaking his mane out. "It is habit from when Garrosh ruled and his Kor'kron made a point of hunting down traitors, real or imagined. Those days are past and we are at peace, however long it may last." He huffs. "Take the relic. Repair it that we may defeat the Iron Horde."
"It may take some time," Khadgar warns. "This could be completely different than the Titan machinery we're used to. In which case I'm certain Mekkatorque will not sleep a wink until he understands it."
Kanu's eyes widen. "You would bring this to the High Tinker himself?"
"Of course." Khadgar grins. "Gelbin and I have been friends for many years; he'd love the chance to repair something like this."
"Gnomes." Kanu snorts a laugh. "Extend my thanks to the High Tinker, then, for his help in defeating the Iron Horde."
"Consider it done. I will take this straight to him." He places his hand on the device. "Farewell, Kanu."
"Farewell, Archmage," the young bull answers as Khadgar and the device wink out of sight in a flash of purple light.
