NOTE: This is a piece of fanfiction. WoW and places are (c) to Blizzard tm.


It was an exciting day for Nathan Jones, the latest paladin to have completed his training. As he had excelled, his superiors had nominated him for a special mission given to him directly by his king, Varian Wrynn.

‘Paladin, I have summoned you before me to entrust you with a mission of grave importance.’ King Varian Wrynn’s words echoed through the throne room. Though it was filled with guards to ensure the King’s safety, Nathan felt each word add its own burden on the young paladin’s shoulders. Though he had progressed through his training as a paladin with skill surpassing his peers, he felt thoroughly unprepared to be addressed by the King directly. He could feel his muscles tensing up as he remained kneeled before the most powerful man in Stormwind. ‘-having accomplished this, Nathan Jones, you are to enter into Karazhan and investigate the matter. Take with you any number of allies you deem necessary to succeed. Good luck, young paladin.’
Unsteadily, Nathan rose back to his feet. He could feel his face heat up and desparately forced his body into a clumsy bow, as he avoided his King’s gaze. After backing away for a few steps, he quickly turned around leaving the palace in a hurry. Outside, out of sight of the King or his guards, Nathan slumped against a wall, cursing at himself. All he recalled was that he was supposed to enter Karazhan, though he could bring allies if he so desired. To go back and ask for the part he missed was not even an option to the ambitious young paladin. He took some deep breaths and tried to regain his calm. Nathan decided he should recruit some allies to increase his odds of survival, before heading to Karazhan and hoping that whatever the King desired of him, he could do by investigating the tower and ridding the edifice of any evil that may lurk inside. The very first person that sprang to mind was a childhood friend, also residing in Stormwind and so it was he that Nathan first sought out.

‘You want to go where?!’ Not the reaction the paladin had hoped for. ‘Not only is that godforsaken tower miles away from here, but as if the filth you’d be exposing me to wasn’t enough, you want me to come along and risk life and limb, for what exactly?’ Nathan smiled awkwardly, fiddling with the straps that held his armor together, like a child being scolded by his teacher. ‘Oh that’s right… You didn’t even think to pay attention, you might be doing all this for a few shiny marbles that go clickety-clack if you shake them in your hand! Well forget it! There’s no way I’m risking my comfortable and spiritually rewarding life, which is just fine thanks for asking, for you or your bloody pointless mission!’ Nathan knew it would come to this. He waited for his friend to catch his breath and slowly, deliberately, spoke the magic words: ‘Bruce, do you remember that summer when we were twelve…? I do…’
The change in his friend’s composure and expression was like night and day. The priest, who until moments ago had been fuming, almost frothing at the mouth, slowly began to slump as his face became pale. Nathan smiled, the battle was won. ‘Well… If we’re going to do this, we should do it properly…’ Bruce staggered, accelerating slowly, as he collected his things, before leaving the cathedral with Nathan.

Their next stop was the Mage Quarter. Bruce had heard of a mage by the name of Lexis who was reputed to be knowledgeable about the tower. The prospect of a hardened veteran was a welcome one, as it would vastly increase their chances of survival. As they entered his dwelling in The Blue Recluse, however, they were soon met with disappointment. Though Lexis was decades their senior, he confessed he had never actually set foot inside the tower before. Regardless, with an enthusiasm that Nathan admired and Bruce had learned to dread, the mage gathered his things, scooping dozens of bottled potions into his bag, nearly forgetting his staff on their way out. He reached under his bed for his greatest treasure, a heavy and aged tome simply entitled ‘The Last Guardian’. Lexis explained he had borrowed it from the Dalaran library, but forgot to return it when he left the magical city. Bruce and Nathan exchanged looks, though they thought it better not to press the issue. Nathan couldn´t help but smile, this was looking to be a promising mission already. The three headed for Stormwind’s main gate, though Nathan had the feeling they were being watched. He stopped and turned. From out of an alleyway stepped a young woman, her blonde hair gently swaying with each step as she flashed the trio an angelic smile. ‘I’m so sorry for eavesdropping, boys, but I couldn’t help feeling curious when I heard that you’re planning on visiting Karazhan. My name is Sophie Lelands, mind if I tag along?’ Bruce raised an eyebrow at the maiden before him and sighed. ‘Look, missy, I don’t know what you’ve heard, but Karazhan isn’t exactly a safe place to be. It’s a dangerous place and we don’t need you making it more so.’ Sophie frowned, though she was relieved to see Nathan was exactly the sort of man she imagined him to be. The paladin patted his friend’s back. ‘Oh come now, she looks like she can handle herself, those daggers don’t look like they’re there for show.’ Bruce’s shoulders sagged. Nathan would bring a goat along if he thought it looked fierce enough. ‘Fiiiine… But don’t come crying to me if you walk out of there with fewer limbs than you went in with.’ Nathan beamed. ‘That’s settled then. My name is Nathan, this here is Lexis and the charming priest goes by the name of Bruce.’ Sophie smiled and feigned a curtsy. ‘Pleased to meet you all.’ Having strengthened his unit with the addition of the rogue, Nathan led them along the long winding road to Deadwind Pass.

                *  *  *

Night enveloped the sky as the four adventurers traveled the barren path that winded through the pass. Bruce, already homesick, kept an eye on the few carrion birds that seemed to take an interest in the group. As they reached a crossroad, Nathan spotted two dwarven travelers studying a map. Being a firm believer that any traveler couldn’t possibly be a bad person, he dismounted from his steed and approached the pair. Though they shared the same silvery color of beard, the two differed wildly in their equipment. The one holding the map, judged by Nathan to be the senior of the two, was clad in thick plate armor, with a large sword strapped to his back. His friend wore much lighter mail armor, his profession revealed twofold by the gun he used to scratch his head as he studied the map, as well as the worg curled up behind them. Its ears twitched as Nathan approached them, when Nathan came within range of the canine, it sprang to its feet and let out a deep growl. This drew the dwarves’ attention away from their map, to the four before them. ‘Can we help ye, lads?’
Nathan smiled and pointed at their map. ‘You look like you could use some help yourself, where are ya headed to?’ The dwarves glanced at each other, silently debating whether or not to share that information with the humans before them. They were not in familiar territory however, and so their paranoia gave way to necessity. The elder dwarf spoke: ‘We’re headed ter Karazhan lad. Any idea which way ter go?’

Bruce, who had chosen to keep a safe distance between himself and the worg, heard the dreaded word. His sole comfort was that the more people his friend recruited, the more meat shields would be running around that could get hurt instead of him. He glanced over at one of the few trees in the area and saw several birds perched on its branches now. It seemed to him that they were mocking his fate.

Meanwhile, Nathan had exchanged pleasantries with the dwarves. The elder did all the talking for them, and introduced himself and his partner as Gorr and Brogg Frostbeard, brothers hailing from Kharanos. They had heard of the many valuable treasures the tower was said to hold and decided it would be a waste to leave those treasures for someone else to find. Brogg pet his worg, whom he’d affectionately named Fangs. Their number now six, the group set out together for the final stretch to the tower.

Before long, they found a small settlement at the base of the tower. All that remained, however, were the foundations and basements hinting at what once was. From the corner of their eyes, the group could see faint shimmers of former residents, though they faded from sight as soon as one tried facing them. Lexis, who until now had gathered all his knowledge on Karazhan from secondary sources, felt the magnetism exerted by the building that he’d read about. The silence that seemed to wrap around the settlement and the tower like a blanket was now broken by a high pitched shrieking. It came from the tower’s main entrance and as the six approached it, they found a female gnome unleashing a verbal torrent of curses, as she violently pounded her tiny fists against the unyielding steel gate.

Ever the diplomat, Nathan was the first to attempt to approach the gnome.
As he greeted her though, he only managed to draw her fury’s attention away from the gate and onto himself. The gnome sprinted up to him with blinding speed, leapt up and wrapped her tiny hands around the paladin’s neck.
‘Do you have it?! Tell me you have it! I’ll wring your neck if you lie to me and tell me you don’t have it!’ More surprised than actually feeling threatened, Nathan stumbled backwards before regaining his senses. He picked up the gnome as he would a child, which he soon regretted when the gnome countered by repeatedly smacking him with her staff. Nathan dropped her and quickly drew his shield, trying to protect himself from the surprisingly powerful jabs she dished out. The others could only stare dumbstruck at this scene, with the exception of Bruce, who had temporarily lost control of his legs as he laughed endlessly. Finally it was Sophie who decided she had seen enough. She snuck up behind the gnome and with a deft strike of the hilt of a dagger against the back of the head, knocked the small one out.

Having safely tied the gnome up, Bruce woke her up gently as he could, prone to seeing her as a child, rather than an adult gnome. Groaning, she opened her eyes. There was still an inkling of madness in them, however she seemed to be capable of conversation now. ‘Can you tell me what your name is?’ The gnome didn’t respond. ‘You met my friend Nathan already, he’s the one you tried to choke, remember? Well anyway, my name is Bruce.’
The gnome now looked at him, slightly curious as if the priest was speaking in a language foreign to her. ‘Why am I tied up, mister Bruce?’ Gorr shook his head. ‘No use tryin’, priest. She’s lost her marbles. If ya ask me, this place is doin’ a number on her.’ Lexis nodded. ‘It’s not unthinkable… I’ve read accounts that some people being drawn to this tower like moths to a flame. Like this gnome here, they’ll feel their whole life depends on making it inside.’ The last word sparked recognition in the gnome. ‘Inside… Yes that’s right. Mister Bruce, do you have the key? I wanna get in but I don’t have the key and now I can’t go inside but I have to go inside but without the key I can’t open the gate and so I can’t get inside, but I need to get inside!’ The madness had come back with a vengeance and overtook the gnome. Nathan stared at the gnome in horror, while Lexis ruffled through his bag. The gnome tried to free herself from her bondage, but before she achieved any success, the mage force fed her a small vial with a bright green liquid inside. The gnome instantly became tranquil. Sophie shot the mage a look, anticipating her question, he showed her the label of the vial. It had contained a concentrated, but powerful tranquilizer. ‘Priest, you can untie her now, she won’t be violent for a long time now.’ Bruce nodded and released the gnome, who slowly rose to her feet. ‘Nice to meet you all, my name is Bitsy Coppersprocket.’ Bruce was impressed with the change in her behavior. He couldn’t help noticing the absence of an obnoxious display of friendship though and wondered if Nathan held a grudge. He glanced over at the paladin, who seemed frozen. The others, too, now turned to face their leader. Sophie was the first to realize.
She closed the distance between herself and Nathan as a predator would a defenseless prey.
‘You don’t have the key, do you?’

                  *  *  *

Three shapes traversed through the Deadwind Pass. Their destination was near. Riding on their elekks, two draenei kept close watch on each other. The third shape, a large feline, stayed ahead of them. The prophet Velen had not exaggerated. Already the draenei could detect the evil and malice emanating from the tower. If they focused enough, they could even hear the most foul curses, as if to discourage any would-be invader of the tower. As the trio arrived at the base of the tower though, they were surprised to find six adventurers pinning down and beating up a seventh, who could only apologize profusely as they each pointed out in the most creative ways how much of an idiot he was.
The male draenei, who went by the name Dekar, cleared his throat. He quickly realized this would not do. He dismounted, winking slyly at his female companion and drew his shield and sword. He gave them one last chance to notice him, as his partner and even the large cat covered their ears. Dekar bashed his sword repeatedly against his shield, until the group finally let go of Nathan, if only to cover their ears as well. The warrior stopped and smiled diplomatically. ‘Greetings, adventurers. My name is Dekar, I am here on behalf of the prophet Velen, to put a stop to Karazhan’s evil. Might you tell me what is going on here?’
A cacophony of explanations offered by the seven before them, each competing to be heard, forced the draenei to repeat his silencing technique.

‘Alright, alright… From what I somehow managed to gather from all that, you also have business inside this tower, yet lack the means to enter. It would seem this meeting is a fortunate then, joining forces will certainly increase our chances of success. We were provided with a means to enter this forsaken place.’ The female draenei revealed a key she wore tied around her neck for safekeeping. ‘Now allow me to introduce my company… This beautiful lady is Selan, the cat goes by the name Nevarial.’ The cat reverted to her original night elf form. ‘Please refrain from calling me a cat, Dekar. Ever since we left Auberdine I’ve told you over and over to use my name. If you don’t stop referring to me as if I were some kind of pet, I’m leaving you and your woman here.’ Revealing the key calmed the others down and while six pairs of eyes watched Selan unlock the gate, Nathan took it upon himself to extend his friendship to Velen’s emissaries. ‘Greetings, my name is Nathan. I’m glad you came here when you did, I’m not sure I’d have survived the trip back to Stormwind. Let me introduce you to the others.’
As Dekar, Selan and Nevarial were introduced to Nathan’s companions, the group finally entered Karazhan, not one knowing entirely what to expect inside.

                  *  *  *

Rather anticlimactically, the hall they entered was surprisingly normal. Nathan and Dekar, the most heavily armored of the group, lead the way and saw that the hall led either left to the stables, or right, upstairs, where they could faintly hear music. Nathan asked Lexis which way to go, hoping the mage would at least have some knowledge of the architecture of Karazhan. Lexis could not answer his question, however, as he revealed that the knowledge he’d gathered on the tower was provided by people who had approached, but never actually entered the spire. Preferring any choice over standing around wondering, Selan spoke: ‘Our mission would have us ascend this tower, paladin. I say we go upstairs.’ Nathan agreed, dismissing the stables as a place of interest. As the group agreed on their direction, however, a hollow clatter of hooves echoed through the stables. Surprised at the thought of horses living within this tower, Nevarial and Sophie snuck over for a closer look and saw that the room was filled with the ghostly apparitions of horses. Though they appeared to be little more than bones and hair, the creatures seemed no less active than their living counterparts. The pair swiftly returned to the rest of the group and shared their discovery.

‘Getting to the top of the tower is one thing, but that doesn’t mean we should barge through this place’s main entrance like a bunch of idiots,’ began Sophie.

‘I agree, these undead aberrations do not seem like they would be able to put up much of a resistance against our combined efforts while there is no telling what awaits us up those stairs.’ Nevarial’s support inspired Bruce to speak up as well: ‘I didn’t think I’d ever say this, but I’m with Sophie on this one. The devil you know would seem more favorable than the ones waiting for us up ahead. I’ll support any decision that’ll keep us alive.’ The dwarves were already climbing up the stairs, to them the choice was an easy one. Horses were a lot less likely to keep treasures than humans, so going to the stables was a bad idea as far as they were concerned. Bitsy, too, felt an urge to head for the human domains and as the sedatives began wearing off, she began climbing up the stairs as well, waiting for a chance to sneak off.

The trio of Sophie, Nevarial and Bruce now became involved in a heated argument with Nathan, Dekar and Selan, as they exchanged their reasons for going one way or the other at an increasingly louder tone. Yes, the stables were safer, but that was not the path of a brave soul to walk. Of course a brave soul by that definition would inevitably, and very quickly, become a dead soul. As Nathan tried to think of a reply, he started feeling something tugging at his arm. As he lost his train of thought, he looked to his side to see Lexis trying desperately, yet as politely as possible, to get his attention, as the mage pointed at a figure behind Sophie. Dekar noticed it as well now, and was quicker to act than his paladin ally. Drawing his shield and sword, the warrior let out a battle cry that alerted everyone else of the threat that had presented itself. Sophie, Nevarial and finally Bruce turned around to see a nightmarish creature, carrying a knight on its back. The pair formed a grotesque parody of a mounted knight, each exuding an aura of pure evil, as green flames licked the hooves of the creature whose only similarity to a horse was its general shape. The knight raised its weapon at the group, pointing at Dekar. ‘Come Midnight, let’s disperse of this petty rabble!’ The creature answered its master’s call, staggered and as it began to charge, so too did all of the skeletal horses in the stables. Lexis teleported himself to safety, reappearing on the steps, while Bruce let out an awkward shriek, stifled as Nathan bodily shoved him out of the way, covering himself and his friend with his shield. Sophie and Nevarial made use of their skills to quickly make their way up the steps as well, while Dekar shielded their retreat.

As their assailant led the stampede out the stables and through Karazhan’s main gate, Brogg quickly aimed his rifle at the evil knight and fired at the rider to no avail. As the last of the spectral steeds vanished through Karazhan’s heavy wooden gate, the group slowly recovered. Fortunately, aside from a few bumps and scrapes inflicted on Bruce, the group remained unscathed. Brogg cursed for missing the shot and put his weapon away, as the rest made their way up the steps.

‘Now that we’re this far up the steps, we might as well go all the way,’ ventured Nathan with a playful grin. Bruce, normally the first to point out that standing close to a pitfall did not mean you had to jump in it, silently followed his friend. He was trying to work out how to balance the sheer terror of facing dozens of creatures charging straight at him and being saved from that prospect with the complete idiot he knew Nathan to be. For now he decided that the group should stick together as much as possible. As they ascended to the top of the stairs, however, they found themselves standing in a ballroom. Pleasant music welcomed them and though at first glance the room had seemed empty, imagery of human nobility dancing and chatting among themselves slowly came into view, as if reality bent to allow them to exist. Bruce couldn’t help but wonder if instead of reality, it was their minds that gave these people life. Sophie ventured out into the room further than the others, and found that their ghostly company ignored them completely. Staying close together, Dekar and Nathan gripping their weapons in case of a sudden attack, they followed the woman’s lead, taking them to an adjacent dining room. Here, too, people faded into reality, with the exception of one. At the far end of the room, stood a tall creature. At one point he had been a man, though he seemed blissfully unaware of his death, and had simply continued on being. Dressed in the tattered remains of what once had been a butler’s costume, the creature seemed to take no notice of them, instead holding a conversation with the spirits of four nobles.

As the group neared, they could hear the nobles request an audience with Medivh, the previous occupant of the tower. Lexis instantly began taking notes and through whispers shared with the group his theory that time is somehow warped within the confines of Karazhan. When he finished speaking, however, the decaying remains that stood before them, fixed its gaze on the mage.
‘Hm, unannounced visitors. Preparations must be made.’
        
                  *  *  *

The undead being lunged at the mage. Dekar blocked the attack, calling upon his impressive strength just to avoid being bowled over. The ghoul drew a rusty blade and lashed out, striking the draenei’s shield one blow after another. As he gripped his weapon with both hands, however, the concussive force of two magical missiles caused him to stagger backwards. Behind Dekar, on either side, Bitsy and Lexis unleashed powerful attacks on the cursed being. Brogg set Fangs loose as well, and the wolf-like creature snapped at the ghoul’s ankles, to force it to the ground as he was trained to do. His master shot the ghoul, aiming for the head, as Gorr charged at the creature from its flank. With a powerful blow the dwarf brought his axe down on its neck, crushing the bones that connected its skull to the torso. As the head rolled down the steps, the body collapsed and the spirits that had previously filled the room faded away. As the room quieted down, the group could hear Bitsy cackling softly. The sedatives keeping her in check were already starting to wear off, which Bruce found to be a startling discovery. Brogg and Gorr quickly inspected the corpse but found nothing of worth.

Dekar stretched his arms, preparing himself to continue his quest. ‘Let us proceed, I do not wish to stay here longer than we need to.’ Leading the way once again, Dekar and Nathan crossed the ballroom, instinctively trying to avoid bumping into the spectral guests that occupied the room, though Nathan soon discovered that they could not touch the ghosts. As they ascended to a higher level, the paladin was surprised to see a theater before them. He stopped, the sight before him so incredulous that he believed it to be an illusion, crafted to confuse Karazhan’s invaders, making them easier targets for its denizens. Lexis shook his head and reached for his book. ‘No no no… This is all wrong! This theater is mentioned nowhere in the text. I can’t believe my source could be so wrong.’ Bruce glanced at the mage. ‘Yes… It’s almost like it was written by someone who only pretended to be an expert on Karazhan,’ his voice oozing with venom. Lexis, whose time in Dalaran had taught him that understanding double meanings could save your life, held his tongue and put the book away again. 

As Nathan stood in awe, Bruce, who had already decided for himself that such a colorfully decorated area must house countless ways of equally colorful death, felt himself being watched and turned his gaze to find a stunning beauty beckoning him. Priests did not carry a reputation for being the most desired class of men. As a result, Bruce was a helpless victim to any woman’s charms and so found himself wandering off in her direction. As he disappeared around a corner, Brogg managed to catch sight of him and nudged his brother. Silently the two followed after the priest. Nevarial in turn saw them leave and suspecting foul play, stalked after them while their allies proceeded into the theater.

Bruce followed the temptress into a hallway, which filled itself with several other beauties as the priest proceeded. He was about to follow the woman into a bedroom, when two pairs of hands and one set of teeth stopped him. Falling backwards, Bruce came to his senses as he stared into the faces of his dwarven allies and the night elf.

‘Easy now, lad, ah dunno what ye thought ye saw, but there’s nuthin’ fer ya here.’ To Gorr Frostbeard these words were the closest he could get to offering some consolation. To Bruce, celibate whether he liked it or not for his entire life, it was the single most depressing news in recent history. As he rose to his feet, the women that had faded into existence earlier had vanished. Bruce wanted to question it, but judging from the expressions of his fellows, it seemed that he had been the only one to see them to begin with. Instead, he rose to his feet and prepared to head back to the others, when Brogg and Gorr wandered off into the opposite direction. Nevarial and Bruce exchanged looks and followed them, not sure where the dwarves were leading them, until they saw it too: At the end of the hallway, in a circular room, stood the a ten foot high statue. It was the image of a beautiful woman, whose icy expression was sharply contrasted by the lavishly decorated clothing she wore. Her robes were adorned with gold and jewels. The only way this statue could have been more appealing to the dwarves would have been if it were to hold aloft a pint of ale. Breaking into a sprint, the dwarves rushed ahead to the statue, their greed doing their thinking for them as they began both appraising the statue’s worth and how best to transport it out of the magical tower. Bruce and Nevarial stood behind the brothers, somewhat impressed by the rate at which they exchanged ideas. Bruce watched Fangs for a moment and, affected by the excitement of Brogg and Gorr, in that moment felt safe.

‘Your behavior will not be tolerated!’ As stone feet separated itself from their pedestal, the dwarves, Nevarial and Bruce tried to hurry back into the hallway, where they hoped the statue wouldn’t be able to follow them. Unfortunately a magical barrier erected itself, locking them in with ten feet of outwardly female, yet inwardly stone, rage. Nevarial was the first to act, as she quickly shifted her shape from a cat to a much larger bear. Rearing up on her hind legs, she let out a roar that drew the statue’s attention. Brogg and Gorr acted quickly and each drew a large two-handed axe, with which they attacked the statue’s legs. This act came naturally to the dwarves, who were well versed in dealing with enemies taller than themselves. They knew that if you simply chopped at the lower bits long enough, the higher bits would eventually be within range. Bruce had hidden himself behind a pillar with lightning fast reflexes, however seeing his allies fight spurned within him a desire to increase their odds. Speaking a few choice words, a white light engulfed them, acting like a powerful shield. He followed up quickly with short prayers, blessing them so that they could withstand the statue’s attacks. As the battle raged on, until a rumbling noise followed by a thunderous crash heralded the end of the struggle. Working together perfectly, Brogg and Gorr had managed to completely sever one of the statue’s legs from the knee down, causing it to fall. A cry that was more outrage than agony erupted from the statue’s mouth as its eyes lit up like tiny suns. It reached out for Gorr, but another magical shield created by Bruce repelled the stone hand. Brogg let out a dwarven battle cry as he smashed his axe into the right eye of the statue, causing the light to bleed out. The dwarf grunted with satisfaction, but a sudden attack by a fist that was as tall as he was sent him flying through the room, crashing into the far wall. Gorr, enraged by the attack on his younger brother, charged at the statue and blinded her left eye as well, dodging the madly flailing arms with more instinct than expertise. Nevarial let out another roar and threw herself on one of the arms, trying to pin it to the ground as Gorr climbed up their enemy’s back. With one last mighty strike from his axe, the dwarf severed the battered head from its torso, instantly draining all energies that animated the statue from it. He looked over at his brother to see Bruce kneeling by him and treating his injuries.

‘You were lucky, somehow you managed to get away from this with nothing but a couple of bruises, hunter.’ Brogg wheezed as the priest helped him to his feet. ‘Ya call that luck? Now ah’ve gotta get back here later to carry the rest of the gold out!’ Gorr was relieved to see his brother in better shape than he had feared. As his worries slipped off him, so did he slip off the statue, which had begun to crumble to dust. With a groan the warrior fell on the floor, followed by a wail from his brother as they both realized all their trouble had been for naught.

As they returned to the theater , Bruce, Nevarial and Fangs did their best to cheer up the two dwarves. As they walked up to the main stage, Bruce noticed Nathan and the rest of their allies. The blue-skinned Dekar looked an impressive shade of purple, as the priest watched him shred what was left of a red riding hood. A worgen lay slain on the stage, who seemed to have died from excessive stabbing by the warrior, as evidenced by the draenei’s blade planted firmly in the creature’s mouth. Nathan waved at the group and beckoned for them to come over. As the group was reunited, Bruce felt an overwhelming urge to ask what had happened. Nevarial let out a chuckle, being quicker on the uptake than the priest, and a furious glare that could have melted steel quickly dispersed any curiosity on Bruce’s part. While nearly all the witnesses to what had taken place were trying their best to diplomatically hide their amusement, the only one not having such issues was Lexis. The mage was still stunned to have found out that the source of all his studies on Karazhan, which he risked life and limb to steal away from Dalaran’s library, could not have been more wrong on the design of the tower. He’d always believed Medivh to have been a total recluse who avoided social contact as much as possible, with the exception of the handful of people he maintained relations with. The view of such a reclusive mage couldn’t contrast more with this interior, clearly designed to house over a hundred guests at a time. Lexis shook his head and made mental note of the discrepancies he had encountered so far, so that he could offer a more accurate account later.

As his focus returned to the group, he saw them leaving the stage, heading up to the balcony level of the room. The mage hurried after them, taking up the rear as he noticed Bitsy getting more and more jittery. At the top level Nathan found a hallway that led away, to a completely different aspect of the tower. Where up until now the tower exuded wealth and had been more like a palace than a renowned mage’s dwelling, this new area seemed to give up all pretense. The floor was filthy, covered in a thick layer of dust, the droppings of rodents and the walls’ only decoration came in the form of thick spider webs. Though this part was no less infested by apparitions than the previous areas, the spirits found here adapted their appearance to their surroundings. They looked only vaguely humanoid, with little distinguishing features, and would fade in and out of sight at random. Though Lexis, Bruce and Selan watched them with equal parts fascination and suspicion, their interest went unrequited. The ghosts took no notice of the intruders, which suited Nathan and Dekar just fine, as a creeping feeling of unease spurned them on to get their mission over with. In the back of the dank room they found a neglected staircase leading to the tower’s higher levels. With the exception of the light-footed Sophie and Nevarial, the group exerted great caution as they slowly made their way up. Some stairs were simply missing a step, others were in such disrepair that the wall supporting them were missing entirely. Nathan glanced outside into the night sky. What little he could see was illuminated by a full moon. As he looked up at it, he could see a raven circling high above the tower. The paladin continued on and much to his relief, before long the stairs led them to a part of the tower that Lexis and Bitsy recognized as Medivh’s fabled library. The gnome eyed her company, saw an opportunity and with surprising speed bolted off into the library. Nathan and Bruce gave chase, followed by the others, though when they entered the library themselves, the warlock was nowhere to be found.

‘The little one seems to have run off to find whatever it is she came here looking for,’ Selan offered as a small consolation to Nathan. ‘No amount of sedative could have prevented this, paladin. The moment I laid eyes on her I could tell she was not going to let anyone stop her.’ Nathan sighed. Deep down he knew she was right. His naïve, optimistic side struggled to accept this new reality though, as it meant that despite his best efforts, he was going to leave behind an ally. His stomach turned as a sense of dread welled up in him. From a dark place in his mind, a part of him wondered if more would fall victim to the tower. Confronted with such discouraging thoughts, Nathan felt himself slip into a downward spiral. He wondered if perhaps he should allow Dekar to take command of this group. A warm hand placed on his shoulder shook him out of his thoughts. Nathan looked to the hand’s owner and saw Bruce, offering the paladin a faint smile.

‘I know what you’re thinking, Nathan. Don’t blame yourself.’ The young paladin returned the smile. In Bruce, he found renewed resolve. ‘Right,’ Nathan began, ‘The gnome seems to have disappeared for now. Though we could waste valuable time looking for someone who probably doesn’t want to be found, I suggest we instead move on and find whatever it is that’s in control of this tower now.’ Brogg and Gorr were happy to see the group moving on again. The books held no interest to them and though they had not discovered any worthwhile treasure in the lower levels, the dwarves held hope that they might find something at the top of the tower. Dekar patted Nathan on the back, seeing in the paladin a younger version of himself, and the pair led the group further up the tower, until even the library lay behind them. A room, sealed off from the hallway by two large wooden doors, seemed to beckon the group to come inside. Dekar and Nathan each tried to move a door, but neither budged. Brogg, Sophie and Selan joined Dekar while Bruce, Gorr, Lexis and Nevarial in her bear guise assisted Nathan. With combined efforts, the doors creaked before slowly opening, revealing what was kept inside.

                  *  *  *

As they entered, none were prepared for what they saw. Of all the things that one might find in a mage’s tower, none expected to see such a large chessboard. On either side stood rows of warriors, each side representing a small army. On the one side stood a chess army of humans, its king made to look like King Llane. Opposing them, stood an army of orcs, their king resembling Warchief Blackhand. Nathan recognized the pair from history lessons he endured in his childhood with Bruce. Though most were intrigued by the lifelike quality of the game pieces, Brogg and Gorr were soon bored with them. Their scan of the room confirmed that nothing of value could be found here. After waiting a short while for the others to lose interest as well, and poking fun at Lexis, who in vain was trying to lift one of the human pawns, the dwarves headed for the door they had spotted on the opposite side of the room. As they approached it, the door slowly opened, luring them closer. Fangs began to growl, though this did not deter them. Brogg, closest to the door, turned to ask his brother if they should go ahead without the others, when suddenly a tentacle lashed out through the doorway, wrapping itself around the dwarf’s neck. Letting out a startled scream, the hunter was pulled through the opening. This drew the attentions of Nathan and Dekar, who came running to Brogg’s aid, though not before Gorr chased after whatever had taken his brother. Bruce, Sophie and Nevarial, followed closely by Selan and Lexis, chased after Nathan and Dekar and as the remaining members of the group stormed into the hallway, they found Gorr, cradling the lifeless body of his brother, weeping like an infant. Behind the dwarf lay a mystifying creature. It seemed to be made entirely of flesh, teeth and tentacles, with no bone structure to be seen. Gorr’s axe was embedded deep in the creature’s head. Fangs, who had entered after Gorr, was licking his master’s face, whining as it tried in vain to wake the dwarf.

Nathan’s throat dried up and he found it hard to swallow. The self doubt he had kept hidden away after the gnome’s disappearance returned, expanding its hold over the young paladin’s mind. Nathan looked crestfallen, everybody could see it, though nobody could think of any consoling words to say to him. Minutes passed, slowly turning into an hour, when Gorr, wiping his tears away, gently laid his brother down. Silent, he rose to his feet and withdrew his weapon from the monster’s flesh. Watched by the others, what remained of the dwarf’s grief slowly transformed. Where tears had first welled up in his eyes, now a fire awakened. The dwarf trembled as he clenched his weapon.

‘We’re goin’ up. We’re gonna find the bastard that controls this freak show an’ I’m gonna take his blasted skull.’ Gorr, trembling like a volcano on the verge of an explosive eruption, spoke the words slowly, deliberately. It was an announcement, not a request, and none dared deny him. Leading the way, followed shortly by Dekar, Sophie, Bruce, Lexis, Nevarial, Selan and Nathan bringing up the rear, the dwarf ascended the final staircase leading to the uppermost level of Karazhan. Unlike the ones before it, this staircase was narrow and to everyone’s surprise, at the top they found they were no longer in a world they knew. A rocky plateau stretched out before them and as they stepped outside, they found the sky littered with hovering rocks, stars and even planets. It was a night’s sky unlike any they had seen. Gorr stepped out onto the plateau, his axe thirsting for blood. In dwarven tongue, he issued a challenge. It was met with silence. Gorr challenged the sky again. A sense of dread overcame Nathan when a bellowing voice answered the dwarf’s call: ‘Madness has brought you here. I shall be your undoing!’

The sky seemed to rip open and a large, grey-skinned creature stepped through, into existence. It shared some similarities in appearance to Dekar, though this creature was much larger, several times the warrior’s size and looked a lot more menacing. Nathan and Dekar drew their weapons, aiming to take control of the battle quickly while their allies got into position to unleash a flurry of attacks on the being. They moved too slowly for Gorr, however, as they saw the dwarf charge at their enemy, axe ready to strike. Nathan felt his movements grind to a halt when the creature initiated its own attack. It saw Gorr coming and with a large muscular arm lashed out at the dwarf. The attack connected and as the axe skidded across the plateau, the dwarven warrior fell to his knees, his neck bent at an impossible angle. Dekar, Sophie and Nevarial had caught up to Gorr by now and initiated their own attacks. Easily deflected, the creature frowned, as if mocking their hubris for attacking someone so much more powerful. ‘You face not Malchezaar alone, but the legions I command!’ More rifts opened in the sky and through them stepped terrible stone constructs, animated by demonic flames. Their heat was such that they could immolate a man through touch. Nathan heard Dekar cry out in agony as one of the constructs held the draenei in a bear hug, incinerating him. The being that called itself Malchezaar attacked Sophie himself, crushing her with a flat hand, as if he were swatting a fly. Nevarial, who had managed to dodge Malchezaar’s minions using her agility, leapt at his neck, trying to bite his throat. Though her nails dug into the being’s throat, she was left vulnerable and when the demon began to squeeze her in his hands, the wind was forced out her body, denying her even the ability to cry out. One by one Nathan saw his allies fall. Lexis and Selan found themselves boxed in by more of the constructs and shared the same fate that had befallen Dekar. Bruce had been frantically trying to conjure up protective shields around his allies, but fear, panic and fatigue were getting the better of him. Breathing heavily, he tried to erect a barrier around himself and Nathan, but Malchezaar easily broke through and seized the priest. He tried frantically to escape and though Nathan begged for his body to move, to help in some way, he found he couldn’t. He heard the call of a raven behind him and as his last friend fell before his very eyes, Nathan’s world ceased to be.

Nathan awoke. He could hear sounds, people talking in hushed whispers, and it took him some time to dare open his eyes. He found he was lying in an old bed, men in violet robes were attending to him. Slowly he began to sit up, drawing the attention of his caretakers.
‘Easy, child. You are quite lucky to be alive, lucky that we found you in time.’ The paladin attempted to ask questions, but found he couldn’t find the words. Eventually, he managed to utter ‘Karazhan?’. The men exchanged looks and the one in charge nodded. ‘Yes, you were found just outside of Karazhan, along with your friends. I’m afraid the elf and the two draenei have already left. They refused to stay and rest, saying they had a long trip ahead of them. The others are still here though, albeit in different rooms of this inn.’

Confused, Nathan tried to process the information he just received. He had seen them all die, yet they were still alive? ‘How…?’
The man shrugged, scratching the back of his head. ‘It was quite uncanny, we found you just outside of the tower, a raven perched on your chest, as if it was guarding you. As soon as we came close, it flew off. From the magical energies lingering around the seven of you, we deduced you must have been high up inside the old tower. It’s nothing short of miraculous that you even made it out. We recently lost one of our own who was researching the tower.’
Nathan tried to make sense of everything, but his mind failed him. Groaning as he laid back down, the paladin fell asleep.

                  *  *  *

Nathan, Bruce, Lexis and Sophie entered Stormwind’s palace together. On the way back they exchanged their experiences of what happened at the top of the tower. Each had seen a vision of their allies dying, before being attacked last. Each could recall the raven’s cry before losing consciousness, though none knew if any of their final battle had been real, or how they had escaped Karazhan. The mages who took them in, revealed they did not find any gnomes or dwarves at the base of the tower. As Nathan walked through the long hallway with his friends, he was reminded of the first time he walked this path. The King had been awaiting them as they entered the throne room, where they kneeled before him.

‘Tell me, young paladin, what did you find?’ 
Remaining kneeled before his King, Nathan recounted the past events, remembering to include everyone that joined him on his mission, the creatures they encountered, aided in some parts by Bruce and Lexis. As they continued, King Varian Wrynn’s expression notably changed. Sophie, apt at reading faces, making her a dangerous person to play cards with, could tell he was genuinely surprised by what Nathan told him. Though Nathan included the death of Brogg, he left out most of what happened when they encountered Malchezaar.
When he finished, the King took a few minutes before he responded. When he spoke, he spoke deliberately, reminding the four of Gorr.

‘Paladin… I asked you to investigate rumors of the dark riders terrorizing Duskwood. I needed you to discover if they indeed rode from Karazhan. While I have deduced as much from your encounter with the rider, I did not expect you to investigate the tower so thoroughly.’ Nathan could feel his face begin to heat up. Next to him, Bruce’s face reddened similarly. Their King continued: ‘Nevertheless, thanks to reports provided by both you and the Kirin Tor detachment stationed at the base of the tower, we are now aware of the greater threat that Karazhan houses.’ A vein began to throb on Bruce’s forehead. ‘For your efforts, you will of course be rewarded. All four of you have my thanks.’ The King motioned for one of his stewards to approach. The steward, a lanky young man, gently pressed a small pouch containing coins into Nathan’s hand. With that, the King excused them.

The four managed to walk in remarkable harmony, despite representing complete extremes on the emotional spectrum. On the left walked Lexis, who was a mix of excitement and childlike joy, at the prospect of writing about his first hand experiences in Karazhan, as well as a hypothesis he was forming connecting the ravens surrounding the tower to Medivh. Next to him walked Sophie, whose wide grin concealed the fact that as soon as they had left the King’s sight, she pressed a small dagger against Nathan’s side. On the far right walked Bruce, bearing an expression of rage that could strike fear in the heart of any man, as even the guards subtly leaned away from him as he passed by. Between Sophie and Bruce walked Nathan. Though his lips were curled into a smile, his eyes screamed out in terror. As they returned to the city proper, Lexis was the first to part ways with the others, hurrying back to his lodgings. Sophie and Bruce pressed the cause of their recent hardships bodily against a wall. As Sophie pressed the tip of her dagger against his throat for a change of pace, she pocketed the payment he received and after threatening Nathan to never involve her in anything again, quickly left, resigning the paladin to Bruce’s mercy.

Bruce found himself unable to start as he pinned his friend to the wall. Then, like an avalanche he squeezed out the words. ‘You… You stupid idiot… You dragged us all the way through hell and back… For nothing?! You were supposed to watch damned horses and you decide “no, that’s not exciting enough, let’s climb a tower that offers the same survival rate as a slaughter house”?! I saw things in there I am never going to forget, Nathan! Never! I saw women, beautiful women, just within my grasp, tempting me. Now I’ll have the rest of my life to mull that over in my mind. Do you know how long the rest of my life will be?’ Nathan opened his mouth, but was immediately cut off. ‘You can bet that it’s going to be a lot longer than you will get to live! And what was your reward? A little bag with shiny metal things. That you don’t even have anymore. Well done, Nathan. Bloody well done!’
The priest finally released his friend, though not before reminding the paladin in several creative ways how much of an idiot he was for putting everyone through this. Nathan considered it, but it occurred to him that if they hadn’t gone inside, Dekar, Selan, Nevarial, the Frostbeard brothers and Bitsy would likely have entered anyway, and a lot more might not have returned. Though Nathan couldn’t call his mission a success, he accepted he couldn’t change the past and tried to look on the bright side of things, swearing to himself that he would follow his missions more closely from now on. He glanced up at his friend, whose face had finally returned to its normal hue. Nathan smiled and readied himself for a game of Poke the Bruce.

‘But it was fun, wasn’t it?’ With surprising speed for someone wearing plate armor, the paladin ran off in the direction of Stormwind’s cathedral, chased by a priest whose face began to resemble a tomato as he yelled incoherently.