I traveled to Southshore to make a cheese shipment delivery from Trias' Cheese in Stormwind; since the Third War, Southshore was a place of strategic importance, providing the Alliance with one of the few footholds in the lands of Lordaeron. Survivors of the Third War had gathered hear and been sent to Stormwind, some had stayed, determined to keep this last foothold. The fall of Tarren Mill to the Forsaken and the encroachment of the Syndicate at Durnholde Keep kept the small Alliance garrison under Marshal Redpath on their toes. Since the fall of the kingdom of Stromguarde, sources of cheese had dried up, and it was one of the strategic resources that Trias Cheese supplied on an ongoing basis.
Delivery made, I had then quietly slipped away from town and journeyed to his real objective, the manor of Ravenholdt. Slightly northwest of Durnholde Keep in Hillsbrad Foothills was a trail into the Alterac Mountains, which led to a guarded cave entrance. I showed them his letter from Lord Ravenholdt, and the guards allowed me into the cavern tunnel. The tunnel exited into a small clearing in the mountains holding the manor and its grounds. Off to the immediate right was a large, well-tended garden, and beyond the garden a fighting training ground. Many Ravenholdt guards, students, and operatives wandered the area on missions of their own.
I was met with an armed guard, who escorted me into the manor, to the Lord of Raenholdt, Jorach Ravenholdt. I did not know much about him, except that he was a friend of Master Trias. Once a nobleman of the kingdom of Alterac, he now was the eponymous head of a guild of assassins and thieves without peer in Azeroth.
"Welcome to Ravenholdt, Jonathan Chess. Master Trias speaks well of you, and commends you to us for training on behalf of... well, let us call her a mutual friend, of sorts," said Ravenholdt. "I understand that you will not actually be staying here, like most of our students; I suppose the business of cheese must go on. Still, we will do what we can - the training will not be easy, nor will it be swiftly accomplished. Indeed, it never stops; there is always something more to learn." He sipped from his cup of wine and gestured to one of his assistants. "Take Chess to Fahrad, and bid him accept Chess as a new student." He nodding his dismissal. "Until next time, Jonathan Chess. May the Shadows hide you."
The assistant guided me to Fahrad. While Lord Ravenholdt was the head of the Ravenhold assassins, the training was guided and supervised by Fahrad. "Come to learn from the master eh?" he said, appraising me with a whithering, dismissive gaze. "I understand that you are here as a favor to Elling Trias, the Master of Cheese?"
"It is true, Master Fahrad," I acknowledged,
"Well... that is perhaps not the worst recommendation, but understand that most people earn their place in Ravenholdt by proving themselves in the outside world first... as a rule, we sharpen the blade, we don't craft it. I fear that the others may not easily accept you as one of them, and that might prove, shall we say, 'accidentally fatal'? Unless you accomplish something to earn their respect...?"
"What would you suggest, Master Fahrad?" I asked.
"Please, just 'Fahrad' - except for Master Kang, who teaches armed and unarmed combat, we have no titles here - just one happy family."
"Very well, then... Uncle Fahrad, do you have any suggestions as to how I might earn the respect of the family?" I inquired with a grin. Apparently, I had just gained a new and deadly family - hopefully not nearly has dysfunctional as most I knew.
"Well... frankly, I do," began Fahrad. "You should know that Ravenholdt was founded long before the fall of the Kingdom of Alterac, but when Alterac was destroyed for betraying the Alliance, the nobles formed the Syndicate - trying to be a second Ravenholdt, but all they could manage was to be second-rate. Those amateurs are nothing but thugs and criminals and bring disgrace to the meaning of the title 'assassin'. We have been entrenched in a battle with the Syndicate for years, and what they lack in skill they make up for in numbers. It's impossible to kill them off fast enough to have any noticeable impact on their population!"
"We've found that the best way to deal with their size is to pilfer their emblems. Once an emblem is stolen the shamed member is 'dealt' with internally." Fahrad chuckled. "So go steal their emblems, and turn them into some of the guards - that will prove that you belong here." Fahrad grinned, turning to the railing and shouting to one of the students on the grounds. "Carlo, come up here!"
"Carlo will show you around, Chess," informed Fahrad. When the rogue arrived, he introduced me. "My name is Carlo Aurelius. Welcome to Ravenhodt." The rogue broke his grim expression with a smile and led me out to the fighting area.
"Master Kang, this here is Jon Chess, a new Brother..." I looked at the fellow with not a little alarm. Master Kang was an orc. Carlo noticed my disconcertment, and added: "Chess, here at Ravenholdt we do not conform to factional differences - all of the Ravenhold League of Assassins are brothers and sisters, regardless of race or political alignment."
"You move like a pregnant yak, Brother Chess," commented Master Kang. "Clearly, the demons of eating meat have done their insidious work already. Consider a diet of vegetables and not animal flesh. "
"How do you feel about cheese?" I asked.
"Cheese is the perfect food - it is dense protein, to make the body strong, and speeds healing!" replied Master Kang. "When the Light heals a body, it draws on the body's resources, and cheeses supply all the material it needs!"
I bowed low with respect. "I am honored to meet a fellow with such profound sagacity."
"Of course you are!" said Master Kang. "Do not despair - you were not born an orc, so perhaps that is not your fault, but we shall see what can be done with you!" Master Kang turned back to his students.
"He likes you," commented Carlo.
"How can you tell?" I asked.
"He didn't break your leg," laughed Carlo.
I also met a Kaldorei woman named Simone Cantrell, who kept the garden. I smiled, recognizing the "medicinal" use of many fo her plants. I met Zan Shivsproket, a brilliant if erratic gnome engineer who created gadgets and devices for the guild. I met the arrogant and aloof Queldorei Myrokos Silentform, who taught advanced stealth and infiltration techniques. I met Smudge Thunderwood, who taught the use of poisons and venoms.
And I met Salome, a sleek black cat with white socks, who was clearly the true master of Ravenholdt.
I slept at Ravenholdt that night, planning on how to accomplish the task that Fahrad had given me.
Delivery made, I had then quietly slipped away from town and journeyed to his real objective, the manor of Ravenholdt. Slightly northwest of Durnholde Keep in Hillsbrad Foothills was a trail into the Alterac Mountains, which led to a guarded cave entrance. I showed them his letter from Lord Ravenholdt, and the guards allowed me into the cavern tunnel. The tunnel exited into a small clearing in the mountains holding the manor and its grounds. Off to the immediate right was a large, well-tended garden, and beyond the garden a fighting training ground. Many Ravenholdt guards, students, and operatives wandered the area on missions of their own.
I was met with an armed guard, who escorted me into the manor, to the Lord of Raenholdt, Jorach Ravenholdt. I did not know much about him, except that he was a friend of Master Trias. Once a nobleman of the kingdom of Alterac, he now was the eponymous head of a guild of assassins and thieves without peer in Azeroth.
"Welcome to Ravenholdt, Jonathan Chess. Master Trias speaks well of you, and commends you to us for training on behalf of... well, let us call her a mutual friend, of sorts," said Ravenholdt. "I understand that you will not actually be staying here, like most of our students; I suppose the business of cheese must go on. Still, we will do what we can - the training will not be easy, nor will it be swiftly accomplished. Indeed, it never stops; there is always something more to learn." He sipped from his cup of wine and gestured to one of his assistants. "Take Chess to Fahrad, and bid him accept Chess as a new student." He nodding his dismissal. "Until next time, Jonathan Chess. May the Shadows hide you."
 |
| Fahrad |
"It is true, Master Fahrad," I acknowledged,
"Well... that is perhaps not the worst recommendation, but understand that most people earn their place in Ravenholdt by proving themselves in the outside world first... as a rule, we sharpen the blade, we don't craft it. I fear that the others may not easily accept you as one of them, and that might prove, shall we say, 'accidentally fatal'? Unless you accomplish something to earn their respect...?"
"What would you suggest, Master Fahrad?" I asked.
"Please, just 'Fahrad' - except for Master Kang, who teaches armed and unarmed combat, we have no titles here - just one happy family."
"Very well, then... Uncle Fahrad, do you have any suggestions as to how I might earn the respect of the family?" I inquired with a grin. Apparently, I had just gained a new and deadly family - hopefully not nearly has dysfunctional as most I knew.
"Well... frankly, I do," began Fahrad. "You should know that Ravenholdt was founded long before the fall of the Kingdom of Alterac, but when Alterac was destroyed for betraying the Alliance, the nobles formed the Syndicate - trying to be a second Ravenholdt, but all they could manage was to be second-rate. Those amateurs are nothing but thugs and criminals and bring disgrace to the meaning of the title 'assassin'. We have been entrenched in a battle with the Syndicate for years, and what they lack in skill they make up for in numbers. It's impossible to kill them off fast enough to have any noticeable impact on their population!"
"We've found that the best way to deal with their size is to pilfer their emblems. Once an emblem is stolen the shamed member is 'dealt' with internally." Fahrad chuckled. "So go steal their emblems, and turn them into some of the guards - that will prove that you belong here." Fahrad grinned, turning to the railing and shouting to one of the students on the grounds. "Carlo, come up here!"
 |
| Carlo Aurelius |
"Master Kang, this here is Jon Chess, a new Brother..." I looked at the fellow with not a little alarm. Master Kang was an orc. Carlo noticed my disconcertment, and added: "Chess, here at Ravenholdt we do not conform to factional differences - all of the Ravenhold League of Assassins are brothers and sisters, regardless of race or political alignment."
"You move like a pregnant yak, Brother Chess," commented Master Kang. "Clearly, the demons of eating meat have done their insidious work already. Consider a diet of vegetables and not animal flesh. "
"How do you feel about cheese?" I asked.
"Cheese is the perfect food - it is dense protein, to make the body strong, and speeds healing!" replied Master Kang. "When the Light heals a body, it draws on the body's resources, and cheeses supply all the material it needs!"
I bowed low with respect. "I am honored to meet a fellow with such profound sagacity."
 |
| Master Kang |
"He likes you," commented Carlo.
"How can you tell?" I asked.
"He didn't break your leg," laughed Carlo.
I also met a Kaldorei woman named Simone Cantrell, who kept the garden. I smiled, recognizing the "medicinal" use of many fo her plants. I met Zan Shivsproket, a brilliant if erratic gnome engineer who created gadgets and devices for the guild. I met the arrogant and aloof Queldorei Myrokos Silentform, who taught advanced stealth and infiltration techniques. I met Smudge Thunderwood, who taught the use of poisons and venoms.
And I met Salome, a sleek black cat with white socks, who was clearly the true master of Ravenholdt.
I slept at Ravenholdt that night, planning on how to accomplish the task that Fahrad had given me.
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