Murtle Lightsprocket The hammering was ringing round the halls and ancient corridors and dwellings. Filling the air with a rhythmic song of the anvil. As one moved into more populated areas the sound its self was nothing strange or out of place. In fact the noise was just one voice in the choir of engineering and construction from within the vaulted roof space of the great forge. Down below amidst the daily comings and goings a lone figure walks along the tunnels and streets unnoticed. That in its self was not at all unusual, in actual fact it was just another visitor within the mountain home of the Dwarves of Ironforge. What was about to transpire? Well that was defiantly not something normal, no not normal at all. Just two streets away from the forge it’s self the lone figure stops in one of the darkened streets under a glowing fire lamp. A figure looks around as if to check their surroundings they pull a small scrap of parchment from a pocket after a small struggle. Straining to read it in such dim lighting conditions the figure held it under the fire lamp and then placed it back inside the pocket from which it had first came from. With a deep intake of breath the lone figure let out a concerned sigh and sunk both hands into his pockets as he started to think inwardly to himself. “This can’t be the place! It looks like it has been abandoned for some time. But it’s the right address that we were given by the locals.” After a brief pause to look for anyone was approaching he muttered to him self “Probably a nothing more than a wild Kodo chase anyway.” With that he set about making his way to the front of the building. The dwellings looked like they had sat there for years undisturbed. That is all but for one. The cover from the door was left off. Some wood and burnt and semi destroyed furniture that was both broken and burned lay heaped up in several make shift piles. Studying the external entrance he stood in wonder at the mess and made his way through the debris field taking great care not to bring any of the steep piles of wreckage down upon him self and continued his way inside. The inside of the first room was dark and cold. In the corner to the left was an old table, chair & book shelf that had been left to fall into a state of disrepair. There was no lights in the room but candles that were mounted by the doorway and the faint glow from the far right that was only now noticeable to Elrihir as his eyes adjusted to the dim conditions. Elrihir’s heart started to speed up both from the excitement and from, well…..was there something else? He kept telling himself he was in no danger after all he was in the great city of Ironforge. What harm could befall him here? More angry at him self for scaring himself so easily he took a candle from a window close to him and made his way down the dimly light steps into the darkness. Noises could be heard from a distance. It was hard to hear what it was exactly or from where it was emanating from. Was it growls? Was it a language? Elrihir could not make it out clear enough to tell. At the bottom of the stairs it opened out into another room. There was a hearth at one end that had a soft gentle flame that seemed to dance gently in the great opening casting its light and shadows through out the room making it hard for Elrihir to see for sure what was there. His grip tightened on his hilt as his mind tried in vein to maker sense of it all. Just then he became aware of a movement from the corner of the room. The room its self was also sparsely light with candles that gave off a gentle faint glow. “Er….Hello there! I’m looking for..” Just then before he could utter a single word more a large shape blocked the light from the
fire and came into the light of the candles. It was large and seemed to be without any definable form. Yet it was defiantly there. With a low moaning as if the wind its self was breathing out, Elrihir found himself flying backward through the air and landing with a crash as he fell through a table. Glistening in the light he could see this form that had been so hard to distinguish was a Voidewalker! Voidewalkers were demons of incredible strength and power. They were not of solid form and beings of pure uncontrolled rage. Elrihir finding a table leg lying in the surrounding rubble picked it up and started swinging away hitting only the air and the walls around him. Grunting and groaning he gave everything he had. With one crushing blow to his chest, he fell to his knees exhausted and battered. Looking up he saw the look on the demons face as it showed almost no emotion as it bore down on him. In that moment Elrihir said a prayer to the light and shouted in defiance to the demon “I do not fear you! I am a servant of the light. The darkness shall not prevail over me!” Suddenly the door at the far end of the room burst open casting light into the darkened room. In the doorway was a small figure. Or at least that is what it looked like. It was hard for Elrihir to tell as his eyes were struggling to adjust to the new lighting conditions. Just then a high pitched shriek filled the air. “Zar,nak!!! What the fel have I told you before! Just look at the mess!!! I’ve only just finished clearing up after the last time!” At that the shapeless mass turned and growled a strange language that Elrihirs ears had never heard before. “NO!” snapped the little figure. “I will not have this! You will learn your place or its back to the Voide with you!” The little figure held out her hand and produced a small glint of light that seemed to emanate from it. The creature gave out a gasping shriek and then vanished into the air with a rush of wind. And the room was empty once more. Well, empty aside from a battered and bruised Elrihir. Making his way to his feet he checked himself for injury but found only his pride was mortally wounded. The small figure gestured over to him to follow her inside. As he hobbled over into the freshly light room he could see this figure was a small female Gnome with greenish hair, large eyes was dressed in dark red robes with gold trim carrying a gnarled staff.The room its self was brightly light with candles that hung on what looked like up turned wheels from the ceiling. The furniture was old but still in reasonable condition. This rooms shape was long and rectangle with a door leading off to the far side and a table with heaps of parchments that lay strewn all over it that even spilled on the floor. The walls bore little in the way of decoration as other people would call it. In place of picture frames there were framed schematics, and parchments of ancient texts. Still in a daze Elrihir sat and tried to take in the events of the past hours. The daze was suddenly interrupted with the question. “Sir? Are you ok?” The gnome asked once again tilting her head to the side. Elrihir looked out into the darkness from where he had only moments ago been attacked and then looked back at the little Gnome amd back once more to the spot where the creature vanished where now only its bindings remained. “tha…tha….that….wwwas….a..a..a…..” he stuttered clearly going into shock. “Yes yes indeedy, that was quite a nasty shock to you I’m sure.” Said the gnome in a strange almost excited
fashion. “Come let me fetch you a warm drink to calm you” She smiled a rather strange and as Elrihir thought a genuine smile. Some how Elrihir knew that this small gnome meant him no harm. Slowly he sat back into the seat allowing the moment to pass as if some how he was starting to accept the events that were unfolding. Handing him a cup of tea the Gnome said “I really am sorry about all that! He is just so problematic right now, but then again when are demons not?” She smiled another smile and Elrihir almost forgot about his wounded pride. Well almost! Gathering him self for a moment he began “Ah yes speaking of demons I take it you would be Murtle Lightsprocket yes?” once again Elrihir had put aside his personal self and became the Marshal that everyone in Stormwind knew him to be. The little Gnome seemed surprised as if the very question had hit her like a snowball hitting some one in face on a hot summer day. The Gnome who was putting some old and rather unusually large books back onto the shelf suddenly stopped. With a sign she took a deep breath and without turning round she said “Look! Yes I am MurtleLightsprocket. And yes Jezzybell Lightsprocket IS my sister. But I really don’t want to talk about her. Thank you!” Marshal Elrihir took note of the heavy layer of anger that was present in her voice and altered his tone in an effort not to anger this stranger little Gnome further. “I’m sorry Miss Lightsprocket I actually don’t believe I know your sister. Its just…… Oh…..I’m sorry I haven’t introduced myself, how rude of me please do forgive me. I am Marshal Elrihir Link and I am here on official Marshal business. Murtle spun round with an instant look of confusion on her face to see the Human before here with an out stretched hand holding the royal Marshal seal. Her jaw instantly dropped. “Oh if it’s about the damage I’m ever so sorry! It was not my fault! Honest it wasn’t” The Gnome stood before him waving her hands in the air clearly excited. Elrihir could tell getting through to this little Gnome was going to be a tall task. A tall task indeed. “no no it’s nothing like that!” Although Elrihir was sure she could never of heard him since she was talking almost without stopping for breath, as soon as he had said that he was not here on the matter of the destruction of anything; something he thought to him self he could now understand with all the mess out side the source of her relief. Murtle for the first time in their conversation stopped what she was doing and had taken a seat by Elrihir at the sole remaining table that had not been engulfed in sheer mess. On the table was a candle that light up her face. Her skin was almost flawless and her large eyes were blue with a hint of green that glistened when it caught the light. Though there was something else about her, as if something that just didn’t sit right. Something still kept him feeling uneasy. For the first time Murtle was silent and awaited what Elrihir had to say. “What I need….that is what the Marshals need of you is your knowledge and expertise of demonology. It would seem that one of my marshals was on a patrol in lakeshire and was set upon by an unknown demon like creature. He has not been able to tell us much so far. We..” He paused for a brief second and then began again with a slightly defeated tone in his voice. “We have no idea and are totally at a loss. We have conflicting information and we have no where else to turn. One of our special unit officers suggested you for this, I believe you know her? Priestess Marinda Starbreeze?” The
gnomes face light up at the very mention of that name. “Oh my!” she exclaimed with renewed and seemingly unyielding energy. “I haven’t heard from mistress Starbreeze in so long!” Before the Gnome could launch another barrage of conversation at Elrihir he pushed for an answer. “Well miss Lightsprocket can you help us?” The Gnome stroked her chin while she thought. “Well now you were in Lakeshire you say. Hmm well not a hotbed of demonic power or activity. Laylines also are wrong for fel demons so I guess that’s good news.” The gnome paced up and down in front of an open and unlit fire place. Elrihir sat and stared with an amused look on his face at this fascinating creature. Murtle glanced up at the marshal and asked “Mr Elrihir you look rather cold, would you like the fire on?” Elrihir was most surprised by this offer. Not so much as surprised at the kind offer, but at the fact she seemed not to feel the cold as much. “..but then again if she was from here perhaps she was just used to it?” He thought to him self before spluttering “Oh my erm, I don’t want to be any trouble!” The gnome smiled that same soft and reassuring smile “Oh it’s no trouble at all!” Murtle turned towards the open door and gave a shriek that seemed to be too big to of came from such a small person. “Belfip! Here! NOW!” The door at the end of the room swung open and from out of the shadows of the other room came a gangly creature that walked on two legs, a pale almost grey colour and not much more bigger thanMurtle. Mutrle pointed to the cold fireplace and ordered “The marshal is cold, start a small fire for him” the creature gargled something and then seemed to throw a small fire bolt at the wood that lay in the open fireplace as it burst into flames in a shower of sparks. At that moment Elrihir stood up and proclaimed “That’s it! That’s what we have been looking for!” Murtle looked quite confused at this outburst and scratched her head “Belfip? He’s my own Imp. He’s nothing really. You think he attacked your man?” At this Murtle was starting to get annoyed. Not only with this seemingly wild and un founded accusation but with the fact of another person presuming to know better than her, something she never took kindly to. Marshal Elrihir could see how offended the gnome was by his last comment and tried to reassure her immediately. “Oh Miss Lightsprocket Let me assure you I didn’ mean your er….imp? I mean that’s the description we were given by Marshal Rayze who was attacked about his assailant.” Murtle relaxed a bit at hearing this and started being more curious than angry once more. “Oh? An imp? Hmm puzzling indeed! Imps are by and large just pets, helpers even slaves or assistants to warlocks. Few on our realm run free. Unless a band have left the burning steps….but then again it would have been a group of them not just one.” Elrihir once again stood and stared in wonder at this little Gnome. A gnome that seemed to be unlike most he had encountered. And as a demonologist she seemed to more than know her stuff. “Warlock! Yes it must have been another warlock! That makes sense now. He stumbled upon a warlock of sorts or the pet of one while out serving his master.” Murtle was clearly getting excited and started bouncing up and down in a rather odd fashion. Elrihir allowed himself a small smirk at this before continuing, “You say we have a warlock attacking our people?” His voice was notably filled with concern and the expression on his face only confirmed this. “Warlocks are shunned even within the magic community.” Murtle went on to explain things
further. “You see the origin of Warlocks originated from mages who diverted from the schools of the arcane to practice more demonic magics. In the end we were forced into hiding. That is why for example even in the city of your Stormwind the warlocks are forced to hide away.” Elrihir nodded a small feeling of guilt ran through him. Although he didn’t quite know why, it was not like he had ever had anything against the warlock community. He also noted that this one reason was the reasoning behind the empty buildings adjacent to this one. And why Murtle had taken to hiding down here in a darkened living quarters. This time Elrihir was deep in thought. “There are Black Rock orcs in that area within the castle there. Perhaps they were responsible?” Murtle shook her head “No I don’t think that’s right. The castle is too public. The ones responsible would hide away from sight and almost never be seen.” Again Elrihir paused and thought some more. “There is a network of old mines in that area. There are Gnoles who inhabit the area there. But…” Before he could finish Murtle shouted “YES! That’s it! I’d bet my latest invention on it!” Elrihir stood and turned to face Murtle. “Miss Lightsprocket we need your help. We are not equipped to fight demons and dark magic. Please say you will join with us and help us conquer this menace!” Murtle was stunned. No one had ever asked her for anything. No one had ever needed anything from her. Well, not in a good way that is. Her mind was racing her heart was thundering so loud she was sure that he would hear it. “You want me to be a.a.a Marshal?” her voice almost showing signs of cracking under the strain of the emotion of the moment. “I’m sure Marinda would more then be happy to show you the ropes.” If Murtle was over excited before, it must only of been a precursor to what was about to happen. “Marinda? Oh my stars! Mistress Marinda is a marshal? Oh my stars oh my stars! Where do I sign up?!” The rest of the conversation was not actually intelligible largely due to the sheer rate at which she was talking. But Elrihir was glad of her good natured enthusiasm as he had heard all sorts of stories about warlocks and how hard they were to get on with. With the aim of keeping things moving Elrihir thought it best that he move things along as there were still things to do. “Murtle!” he interrupted as gentle as he could without being too forceful. “Before you join with us, I need to explain that things bight be…” He paused searching for a kind way of phrasing it before finishing “..well..difficult for you. You see my people are largely of the Draenei race. And with their back grounds might not take to you too well.” Murtle cocked her head to the side once more and said “You know for a tall one you sure don’t pay attention to things do you?” Elrihir looked confused for a moment before Murtle continued “Greatness isn’t known by inches alone! My people might be small to you. But what we lack in height we make up in stature, courage and if I must say so myself engineering skills.” Murtle smiles once more, this time it was more of a knowing and slightly more of a reassuringly confident smile Elrihir thought to him self. “I think I will be just fine.” With a smile she ran off to get her personal belongings and organise the removal of her other things.
As Elrihir looked on he uttered slightly under his breath “Yes Murtle I think you will be alright. In fact I think you might do just fine” And with a small smile he turned to exit the building and headed for the trams….