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Diplomacy 101: Chapter 9
🕑 Added 2024-08-04 21:10:07 +0000 UTCAfter Kael’Thas decimated the enemy air force, the ground troops cheered in a frenzy.
“The Prince! The Prince! Rally sons and daughters of Quel'Thalas, rally!” Lor'Themar shouted, and banged his bow against his chest in an attempt to uplift morale.
Varrus clapped and shouted alongside everyone else.
Every little bit of zeal would help in the upcoming conflict, and Varrus was no different from everyone else, in that he had to maintain his own mental strength, and never give in to despair. Because even with his Skyrim Ui, he still feared death. He was quite cognizant that he might lose this fight, and be forced to flee, or worst case scenario, even face his demise.
Morale wasn't just important for the troops, it was just as important for him as well!
In fact, Kael’Thas’s high profile battle in the sky garnered more public support than any of Varrus’ actions.
Maybe in another timeline, Varrus would be jealous at the shift in attention, but all he felt was pride for his friend. The meeting with Tou’vor, and his hectic battle for survival when he first transmigrated taught him a valuable lesson. To thrive in this giant death world, you had to find allies, and work together. No man was an island unto himself, and taking care of everything single handedly was unrealistic.
Heck, even the greatest villains in all of Warcraft had their own forces to project power. No one man could solo run this insane universe, not even the devil of the WoW franchise, Sargeras! And if Varrus was to thrive, then a healthy and sane Kael’Thas could be nothing but good news for the Highborn.
Kael’Thas had been expected to be the perfect royal ever since he was discovered to be a magical prodigy the likes of which had never been seen before.
When his infatuation with human women came to light, and that his overall worldview was pro-humamity, well, he surely made many enemies when he left to jointly lead the Kirin Tor.
In fact, Varrus couldn't be more concerned for the moody “teenager.” The guy just lost his awesome dad, and had to uphold the desires of a crumbling nation on the brink of destruction.
The young Elf’s first act upon returning to his homeland in over 50 years was to destroy the corrupted Sunwell, and doom his entire race to mortality. This wasn't exactly the most popular action.
As far as Varrus was concerned, a beloved, compassionate monarch was much preferable to the angsty, high off his own smug chaos loving prick that Kael’Thas would canonically become.
Varrus just had to make sure the praise didn't go to his friend’s head like in the original timeline. Otherwise, things would not end well for their people.
While he was lost in thought, his everfaithful companion, and bodyguard, Rho'dan leaned down to whisper in Varrus’ ear.
“The Prince has done well, Highlord, but the enemy forces are many beyond reckoning.” Rho’dan’s rough voice spoke of caution and warning.
Varrus trusted the veteran soldier's input, and could only helplessly nod in reply.
Despite Varrus sinking several more medium sized ships during Kael’Thas’s aerial battle, it hardly made a dent in the massive Troll fleet.
Oh sure, he killed a little more than a thousand Trolls in that short span, but the boats were rapidly closing, and tens of thousands of Trolls would be committed upon the beach in a matter of minutes.
The ebb and flow of the ocean only saw the enemy forces move that much closer, and a seemingly never ending chain of boats constantly formed up on the horizon.
It was a harrowing, and quite frankly, depressing sight to behold.
While Varrus was turning an ear to Rho’dan’s counsel, his hands hadn't remained idle.
Bollide after Bollide streaked through the sky, and decimated ship after ship, but it truly wasn't enough.
Varrus was quite frankly becoming desperate.
His Destruction skill was leveling up at a decent rate, just hitting Expert now after he had killed literally hundreds if not thousands of Trolls. He had some plans in mind for the new spells he had unlocked, as well as what he could do once he hit Master, but for now, Bollide was his best long distance spell.
During Varrus’ constant barrage on enemy vessels, he was always scanning the battlefield so that he could react to any sudden developments. Two things caught his eye, and were of major concern.
One huge threat to the Elven force was emerging from the totem ship of wind. Blowing dust and the smell of ocean salt everywhere, a giant wind elemental the size of a category one tornado coalesced above one of the totem ships, and faced Kael’Thas down.
The elemental was white-blue, and semi-transparent. Gusts of wind swirled around in the shape of a tornado, and the elemental possessed gauntleted hands, and glowing-super bright-white eyes.
Varrus held his breath as Kael seemed to be caught off guard by the elemental's sudden emergence.
Caught in the eye of the storm, Varrus could hear the frantic cries of Kael’s phoenix as he tried to escape.
Swooping down from a sharp angle, Jan'alai, the Troll traitor and girl possessed by a dragonhawk Loa bore into the tornado in a flash of green flame.
A moment later, she tore another hole inside the elemental, leading Kael’Thas out.
Varrus could only hope his friend was okay, because he had other concerns to pay attention to, and couldn’t afford to tunnel vision his focus on one specific fight.
During this exchange with the wind elemental, the second major issue issue that caught Varrus’ eye was one of the other totem ships. Lobbing molten projectiles, the totem of fire was engaged in a concerted trade of powerful magical attacks with a group of Elven mystics. Rhommath, the current acting Grand Magister led 100 mages to counter the totem ship, and were in a deadlock. The totem ship, however, seemed to have a slight edge over the Elven forces due to the lightning shield cast by the electric totem ship.
Varrus didn't have much time to worry about either totem ship, as the Troll landing was imminent, in just a few minutes they would make landfall, and the Elf force had barely scratched them!
With no one taking on the lightning totem ship, the entire Troll army was protected from ranged attacks. If he could somehow take it out, or occupy it somehow, Varrus knew the tide of battle would shift in his favor.
As it stood, it took a dozen or so mages tossing spells in concert to sink one canoe. Given the Elves slim numbers, they were only managing to take out 5-10 canoes every two to five minutes. Each canoe crewed about 10 Trolls, meaning they vanquished 100 Trolls in that span of time.
The inefficiency was stunning when Varrus figured it should take only three or so mages to take out a canoe, maybe just one would be good enough! If the Trolls didn't have their lightning shield, they would be losing 4x more boats in that same amount of time.
By now, with Varrus’ efforts taking out several hundred man boats, and the mage's efforts, he figured they had slain barely 2,000+ Trolls.
It was a significant number to be sure, but in a battle containing tens of thousands of Trolls, it was but a drop in the bucket!
Angered by the near helplessness of the situation, Varrus decided to go all out.
Targeting the lightning totem ship, Varrus began to spam the Bolide spell every second that he could.
Meteor after basketball sized meteor slipped out of his grasp, and zoomed forward with a terrifying momentum.
As the meteorites were about to collide with the transparent shield protecting the ship, three hovering lightning orbs broke away from the ship, and intercepted his attack.
No matter how many times he struck, a new lightning orb would form just in time to block the fiery hot rock.
Varrus frowned as his Bolide didn't even scratch the shield, and were forced apart before impact.
However, he noticed that the lightning orbs could barely regenerate with his rate of fire, giving him an idea.
All this time he had been dual casting for the added damage boost from his perks. Ever since he played Skyrim, this was his preferred method of playing a mage, because who didn't like dealing more damage?
However, in the real world, thinking in terms of damage wasn't always the most viable option.
Instead of dual casting and combining both hands for one empowered attack, he could instead alternate hands to improve the tempo of his spells! Thus bypassing the swift regeneration speed of the lightning orbs!
Putting his theory to the test, Varrus began to cast Bolide with one hand after another.
Nearly doubling his cast speed, Varrus began to laugh nearly maniacally as his super sonic meteorites started to prove their worth!
Every fourth attack broke past the orbs, and began to batter away at the shield covering the totem ship.
“Fuck yeah!” Varrus celebrated as he was finally able to chip away at this behemoth.
However, Varrus’ jubilation was swiftly tempered by the sturdiness of the totem ship's lightning shield.
As a capital ship, and primary shield generator for the entire fleet, the shield was holding steady, and didn't appear to be disappearing anytime soon.
In fact, given that the wind totem ship was powered by a spectacularly powerful elemental, one that was continuing to trouble one of, if not the strongest High Elves alive, Kael’Thas, then Varrus speculated he was contending with a powerful electric based elemental as well.
Despite his seeming lack of progress in destroying this monstrous vessel, there was a silver lining.
Varrus noticed that so long as he kept the enemy occupied, the rest of the fleet lost its protection!
Realizing he had to capitalize on this fact, Varrus raised his voice to inform the nearby mages, and command staff.
“Lor'Themar, the shields! The shields are down! Mages, redirect your firepower!”
“Lord Vandercross has done it! Sons and daughters of Quel'Thalas, now is the time to aid your Prince! Direct your firepower at the totem ship of wind. Take it down, take it down!” Lor'Themar shouted, and pointed toward the intense fight happening above the clouds.
At the same time the lightning shield dropped, countless mages took this opportunity to strike at the wind elementals vessel.
Occupied by Kael and Jan'alai, the elemental could only roar in defiance, unable to protect the ship. As the totem binding it took too many hits in a short amount of time, it cracked, exploded, and sank into the briny deep.
Freed from control, the wind elemental seemed to wake up from some sort of mind control control, and was rapidly weakening in relation to its previous strength. However, it was still powerful, and seemed determined to swat Kael out of the sky.
Without its bindings however, the elemental was weak to ancient High Elven sorceries. Kael’Thas cast a spell, and banished the elemental back to the Elemental Plane.
The wind totem ship was destroyed, and the mages directed their wrath at another totem ship with a concentrated attack.
Rhommath, newly appointed Grand Magister of the High Elves, was leading his group of 100 in a grand ritual.
His sonorous, bass-like, magically amplified voice boomed across the open waters as he chanted.
“Ah Sinor-ben del’ai fioré.
Ah Sinor-ben del’ai knüt.
Ah Sinor-ben del’ai ræshah!”
Extreme heat and swirls of arcane lights drifted around the man as dense energies made the very air shake.
Following in his chant, the hundred mages held their hands up to the sky.
Varrus was mesmerized as he watched the mana leave their bodies, and funnel into Rhommath.
The Grand Magister held the energy for but a second, then unleashed hell.
A column made of fire spawned into existence, instantly blotting out the sky.
Morphing into the shape of a phoenix, the seemingly living fire rained fireballs into the ocean as it flew towards the enemy fire totem ship.
Wherever it passed over, Troll ships would combust, and flesh turned to ash. The heat was so intense, the Trolls didn't even have time to scream, sizzle or burn, no they disappeared, turning into a shadow like the victims of a nuclear blast!
Varrus looked at Rhommath and the mages in awe as they casually swept away nearly a fourth of the enemy fleet in a matter of minutes.
However, it would seem conducting such a strange ritual took its toll on the one hundred, as they were eating Mana Stones like a jelly bean addict. They then themselves fed a constant stream of energy into Rhommath.
Rhommath, a Hero level character, was sweating bullets as he continued to direct the fire phoenix.
Evidently managing such a great power was not for the faint of heart!
As Varrus marveled at the death and destruction meted out by the summon, a giant fire elemental-similar in appearance to the wind elemental-emerged from the totem ship.
It swiped its gauntleted hands, conjuring up a pillar of flame in an attempt to fight fire with fire, but the phoenix flame simply flew right through it.
The phoenix screeched so loudly, it shook the sky, it then plunged beak first into the elemental.
Extreme heat merged and melted as the two powerful forces of nature brawled like a fight between kaiju.
As the fight dragged on, Rhommath’s chanting speed doubled, and toxic, sludge-like blue mana goo began to seep from his eyes.
Obviously in great pain and distress, Rhommath somehow maintained his composure.
“Ah Sinor-ben del’ai fioré.
Ah Sinor-ben del’ai knüt.
Ah Sinor-ben del’ai ræshah!
Ah Sinor-ben del’ai von’motha!i”
Rhommath said, altering the meaning of his ritual.
His voice seemed to harmonize with some unknown cord, forcing the fire phoenix to glow blue.
The now blue flamed phoenix broke out of the stalemate, and began to eat away at the elemental. Its talons tore pieces of flame away, and its beak would devour huge chunks every few seconds.
Roaring in defiance, the elemental began to lose its orange-fire glow, flickering and dimming out. It was like a candle wick on its last tick of life, sputtering and gasping for the faintest glimmer of hope.
Reaching upward, the elemental tugged tightly on the phoenix’s wings.
The fire phoenix was gripped in the elemental's grasp, and forced into the ocean. Steam clouded the ocean, temporarily blocking Varrus’ view. All he heard was great gasps of super heated air belch into the sky. He could only guess as to the outcome of this monumental struggle!
Rhommath didn’t remain idle, and increased the tempo of his chanting once more.
Even more sludge-like blue goo oozed from the magister, yet his resolve was ironclad.
“Kiii!” The phoenix screeched, emerging from the ocean in an endless torrent of fire and flame. It then pierced through the center of the elementals chest, creating a gaping hole that could not be filled.
The fire elemental tried to reform its center, but blue flames licked at its wound, preventing recovery. The phoenix pressed its advantage, and proved to be relentless in its attacks. Every rip and tear made the elemental smaller, and smaller, while the phoenix seemed to get bigger and bigger.
Varrus found himself barely able to keep up his Bolide barrage as the intensity of the fight between kaiju reached its crescendo.
Victory here, Varrus surmised, would almost guarantee victory over the entire Troll army. Bereft of two totem ships, the Trolls would stand no chance against this amped up super weapon. This phoenix construct would surely be able to dust every last enemy Troll!
However, when it seemed everything was going right, the fire elemental dashed Varrus’ hopes, and began to consume its own energy for one final, fiery confragulation.
Shrinking in on itself, the elemental began to dazzle the entire battlefield as it lost its orange glow, and turned into a hot white fiend.
Like a star going supernova, the elemental erupted in a brilliant explosion, taking out the summoned flame phoenix with it.
A second later, and a bright, blinding light flashed, and Varrus barely had any time to react before he found himself placed behind Rho’dan.
Alongside him were the other four original guards of House Vandercross. Each decked out with enchanted gear specializing in vitality, they weathered the follow up shockwave with ease, protecting Varrus.
Wobbling to his feet, Varrus saw that the entire Elf line was askew, and out of position.
Furthermore, Rhommath and his 100 mages were out of commission. They all oozed foul smelling magical detritus, and were splayed out on the sand like a group of drunks.
The explosion had rocked the waves to such a degree that countless ships collided with one another, or were forced to sink.
Almost half of the Troll fleet arrayed against them had perished. If Pathaleon’s intelligence report was to be trusted, that should be close to 20,000-30,000 Trolls dead.
Ignoring the number of Troll forces headed toward the northern front, there were perhaps 20,000~ Trolls about two minutes out from making landfall.
Roughly 10,000 Elves stood on the sands to meet them. Personally, Varrus liked those odds. In every medium, Elves always fought outnumbered. It was when the enemy were so numerous, they blotted out the sky that a force of Elves should grow concerned.
However, that didn’t mean he could afford to grow cocky. The Amani had yet to unleash either the Loa possessed Trolls, or their leader, Zul’Jin who was infused with all the powers of the Loa like some Avatar from the Last Airbender cartoon. They also had a sneaky shaman lurking in the background, one who hadn't made a move since the opening salvo destroyed the cliffs, and expanded the beach head.
All things considered though, the current number of enemies arrayed against them was the best outcome they could've hoped for.
Varrus firmed his resolve for the upcoming battle, and mentally prepared the list of spells he would unleash. He then thought to his wife, and made a promise to himself in an attempt to fire up his fighting spirit.
‘I will see Syra again, and I will live to make those 12 babies!’
Saying a short prayer for the safety of his wife, Varrus put his faith in her, and prepared to surprise these Trolls with a troll like weapon.
Varrus’ gaze became like steel as he amped himself up for the impending invasion.
The Trolls had landed.
