I had taken a commission from a bombastic, egotistical human in Southshore, which had brought me to the area outside the ruins of Alterac to hunt
"I, the great Bartolo, shall make for you the world-famous, Alliance-renowned, Yeti Fur Cloak!" the gray-haired human had boasted. "Travel the planet and find yourself a better cloak, I dare you. Oh, wait, what is that, little human? 'Bartolo, there is no finer cloak!' Yes, yes! That, I have heard before."
"Bring me some yeti fur, and I will pay you well!"
Jobs which paid well were always welcome. I headed north from Gavin's naze to the snowy slopes of the Alterac mountains, to hunt the yeti for their furs. I intended to use envenomed throwing knives to bring them down, rather than fight them up close; I could just imagine that the claws from those massive paws would leave marks that put the Worgen scars on my chest to shame.
There was an abandoned watchtower to the southeast of the ruins of Alterac that I thought might serve as a reasonable place to make camp; certainly it was more defendable than most other spots. I plowed through the snow towards the defunct watchtower.
As I approached the watchtower, I heard the unmistakable sound of belligerent ogres.
"Raaawr! Me smash puny human!" was not a friendly greeting.
I made my way unseen up the broken stairs and saw three ogres, their feet encased in ice, raging against a human woman mage. The mage was clad in arcane robes but had a poncho over her shoulders and upper torso for warmth. She wore a slouch hat and was chewing on a lit cigar while her hands glowed with magical power. The ogres were pounding the ice imprisoning them with their enormous hammers, and would soon be free,
A smart fellow would have left while the ogres were distracted.
Like an idiot, I threw the throwing knives I'd prepared for yeti at the naked flesh of nearest ogre and watched the blades sink into the rolls of fleshy muscles, almost disappearing. I hoped that his rage would speed the effect of the venom through his system - I had used a very powerful dose, intended to kill yeti. Ogres were marginally larger than yeti, but two daggers should be sufficient to bring him down. I drew my pearl-handled daggers while I watched the mage send forth orange-red gouts of flame from her hands at the far ogre, leaving the middle ogre unscathed and almost free from the ice encasing his legs and feet.
I leaped at the ogre, and my dagger stabbed into his left leg behind his kneecap. He roared in agony, spinning around with an alacrity that belied his ponderous size. Unfortunately for me, When he spun around my daggers were torn from my grasp. The ogre had dropped his hammer, but he picked me up and threw me across the chamber. I felt myself land on an old table, which collapsed under the impact.
The scent of burning ogre flesh filled the air as the immolated ogre collapsed, bellowing in agony. The ogre I had hit with the envenomed knives had slumped over his icy leg manacles, either dead or well on his way there. The last enraged ogre regained his hammer, and staggered forward, limping from the daggers still buried on his joint.
The mage back-pedaled, drawing a wand from her belt and using it to launch bolt after bolt of destructive arcane power. The ogre absorbed these with a grunt but continued forward, lifting his hammer over his head to smite the offending wizard into a paste.
I grabbed one of the shattered legs of the table that had broken under me and dashed up the broken stairs. Once upon a time, they had gone all the way to the top of the watchtower but had crumbled halfway up.
It was enough for my purposes. I flung myself into the air, landing astride the shoulders of the ogre, and battered his face with my makeshift club. The mage continued the barrage with her wand. the ogre swatted me away, but I was prepared this time and twisted in the air to land on my feet. I threw my table leg at his head, but it bounced off his forehead horn. He snarled at me, and I thought that I was finished - but the mage had continued to throw arcane bolt afer arcane bolt into the ogre, and it proved too much for even him in the end. He collapsed, striking the ground like an earthquake.
I sat down, exhausted. The mage came forward and offered me her waterskin. We sat there together, letting the adrenaline and fear of combat drain from us.
I grinned suddenly and handed the mage one of my calling cards. it was absurd, but I always try to be polite, regardless of circumstances. She read the card, and said "Well met, Jonathan Chess. You fight pretty good for a man with a wooden leg."
Our laughter was subdued, but heartfelt nonetheless.
"I, the great Bartolo, shall make for you the world-famous, Alliance-renowned, Yeti Fur Cloak!" the gray-haired human had boasted. "Travel the planet and find yourself a better cloak, I dare you. Oh, wait, what is that, little human? 'Bartolo, there is no finer cloak!' Yes, yes! That, I have heard before."
"Bring me some yeti fur, and I will pay you well!"
 |
| Alteraci Yeti |
There was an abandoned watchtower to the southeast of the ruins of Alterac that I thought might serve as a reasonable place to make camp; certainly it was more defendable than most other spots. I plowed through the snow towards the defunct watchtower.
As I approached the watchtower, I heard the unmistakable sound of belligerent ogres.
"Raaawr! Me smash puny human!" was not a friendly greeting.
I made my way unseen up the broken stairs and saw three ogres, their feet encased in ice, raging against a human woman mage. The mage was clad in arcane robes but had a poncho over her shoulders and upper torso for warmth. She wore a slouch hat and was chewing on a lit cigar while her hands glowed with magical power. The ogres were pounding the ice imprisoning them with their enormous hammers, and would soon be free,
A smart fellow would have left while the ogres were distracted.
 |
| Crushridge Ogre |
I leaped at the ogre, and my dagger stabbed into his left leg behind his kneecap. He roared in agony, spinning around with an alacrity that belied his ponderous size. Unfortunately for me, When he spun around my daggers were torn from my grasp. The ogre had dropped his hammer, but he picked me up and threw me across the chamber. I felt myself land on an old table, which collapsed under the impact.
The scent of burning ogre flesh filled the air as the immolated ogre collapsed, bellowing in agony. The ogre I had hit with the envenomed knives had slumped over his icy leg manacles, either dead or well on his way there. The last enraged ogre regained his hammer, and staggered forward, limping from the daggers still buried on his joint.
The mage back-pedaled, drawing a wand from her belt and using it to launch bolt after bolt of destructive arcane power. The ogre absorbed these with a grunt but continued forward, lifting his hammer over his head to smite the offending wizard into a paste.
I grabbed one of the shattered legs of the table that had broken under me and dashed up the broken stairs. Once upon a time, they had gone all the way to the top of the watchtower but had crumbled halfway up.
It was enough for my purposes. I flung myself into the air, landing astride the shoulders of the ogre, and battered his face with my makeshift club. The mage continued the barrage with her wand. the ogre swatted me away, but I was prepared this time and twisted in the air to land on my feet. I threw my table leg at his head, but it bounced off his forehead horn. He snarled at me, and I thought that I was finished - but the mage had continued to throw arcane bolt afer arcane bolt into the ogre, and it proved too much for even him in the end. He collapsed, striking the ground like an earthquake.
I sat down, exhausted. The mage came forward and offered me her waterskin. We sat there together, letting the adrenaline and fear of combat drain from us.
I grinned suddenly and handed the mage one of my calling cards. it was absurd, but I always try to be polite, regardless of circumstances. She read the card, and said "Well met, Jonathan Chess. You fight pretty good for a man with a wooden leg."
Our laughter was subdued, but heartfelt nonetheless.
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