The Twilight Hammer really is in for it now...

This post is a response to The Eleventh Hour challenge/fun. I'll try and ramble about the past, present and future of Darkwhisper gorge. Considering my normal posting style is not exactly known for it's roleplaying aspects - consider this a first. Let's see what cometh of it, shall we?

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Alright. So you are here to learn, aren't you? Sit down then and shut up. An old friend of mine has told me you had some trouble with the demonic presence here in Desolace? Ran into a fistful of Burning Blade supporters as well, I take it, and now morale is low, the booze is out and it all looks like a damned dustbowl of an area?

See the bright side: Arist'ta thought it would be a good idea to send an old dwarf down here to show you what it's all about. Means at least one thing. I brought enough Shimer Stout to cheer you lads up a little.

There is a downside as well, of course. This is Desolace. It is a damn dustbowl. But if you manage to listen up for a while you'll be heading off to the next front in a few weeks time. You'll be ready to enter the first stronghold of the Scarlet Crusade or start working on the Gorishi infestation down in the south.

Now about those cultists...

You've all been fighting all your life. You know what to do, you know how to react. You possibly even remember to keep your healers alive - although they do look a bit sissy in their silly robes. So what could an old dwarf like me possibly tell you about?

Well... I can tell you about history. Ancient history, really. See, back when I was a wee little lad with hardly any armour to my name and still lusting for gold and a stout dwarven girl to take home I was worried about everything as well. I was afraid of places, got scared by dinosaurs chewing on my friends and terrified by an ancient female iron golem in some caves under the Badlands.

Of course, back then I was willing to travel to the ends of the world as well, at the whims of just about anyone. Take this little goblin in Ungoro, for instance. He sent me off to bring news about a prime bath location to an aquaintance of his in Winterspring. The other end of the world really. But for a bag of silver and a pat on the back ...

Anyway, I digress. I made my way there, met a lovely dwarven girl as well. A lass called Donova Snowden. She was apparently investigating the special powers of the local hot springs - and who am I to refuse a lady, especially when she thoroughly wants to investigate steaming hot water? Still got an old faded picture of her right here, look.

She sent me off to do some exploration for her as well - mentioned something about having to recover the right attire for her investigation of the hot springs, and would I mind checking out a place called Darkwhisper Gorge in the south.

Darkwhisper Gorge, eh?

You would not believe how much I was waggling my eyebrows whenever she mentioned that name. Sounded very promising.

Didn't turn out to be quite that exciting when I got there... or rather... a completely different kind of exciting.

You see, Darkwhisper Gorge is infested by demons. Lots of demons. They are crawling all over the place. You think Mannoroc Coven is bad? Childsplay, really. But the nice dame asked for an exploration, so explore I did. Probably cost me 20 years of my life and I'm sure a few hairs on my beard turned white.

When you first get there it just appears a little strange. Snow suddenly ends and it's looking warm and sooty and smells of ash and brimstone. Bit like the entrance to good ol' Ironforge, I suppose.

Of course, it's not quite the same. Turns out the area is filled to the brim with precious metals. Hmm... now that still does sound like Ironforge...

As much thorium mines as a dwarf could wish for. However, the area is not empty. Now just like they taught you in basic training, it's always a good idea to make sure you can live through a fight - or at least make sure someone gets away to bring the information home, while you stand there and make sure they are not harmed. How's a lone dwarf going to do that?

Yes?

Anyone?

*sigh*

Well do what any other proper army does and go and get reinforcements, obviously. So I went home and came back, with my partners and a sissy robewearer and one of those night-elf fellows with a bow and some pointy sticks.

Our plan was to get to the story behind Darkwhisper. To make sure we explored each and every corner and fished up any information we could find.

And just where did you get that picture from?

Alright. We even went fishing. There is a rather large pool down there. And it is infested by demon fish! Demon fish I tell you. Although in fairness, they probably just look like any other fish by the light of day, but in the perpetual gloom down there? With ash raining down on you? Looks a hell'a'lot like demon fish.

Now that is more like it. A cave entrance, you see? Illuminated by pale blue torches, burning bright enough to shimmer through the sooty atmosphere. I can tell you now - we never dared enter that cave. Turned right back, there and then.

Those demons I told you about? They hounded us all the way back to the entrance of Darkwhisper Gorge. Stopped cold as soon as we ran out in the snow. Ha! Noticed that? I sometimes wonder if that's the only reason Ironforge has no demons around.

Any of you from Teldrassil? Well as far as I remember, there are Satyr running wild just outside the gates of Darnassus. Stormwind? Warlocks with the fiendish minions all over the place.

But Ironforge, Dun Morough and Loch Modan are as clean and clear as can be. No demons around our towns! And as I said.. I sometimes wonder if that's not just because of all the snow. Seems to keep demons at bay.

Now, I was trying to teach you something though, wasn't I?

Well then... the important lesson is that it doesn't matter how often you get maimed by demons in your life. With each time you'll just come back wiser, stronger and more prepared. As long as your spirit is strong and you're willing to give it another go, you'll just be able to come back.

And as you get stronger, you also have more success with the ladies *winks*. See, I went back to Darkwhisper Gorge this week. Mainly to drop of a bag of gold for some ransom. But that's another story. Met up with Donova again, and let me tell you - she looks just as good as she did way back then. See?

Now the demons in there aren't even that much of a threat any more. If anything they seem a bit unorganized. Hardly worth the trouble, unless, of course, they have to stand right next to a valuable mining location.

This one girl, she seemed to be the head demon in there. Head demoness? Demon-queen? Doesn't matter, really. Never even offered me a pact, she did. I felt way put off. 'S not the weirdest thing I found in there, though. Someone seems to actually live in there. Someone friendly. Good chap, who shown an honest interest in Mining.

But seriously, the worry and despair are gone. That area is something I don't fear any more. And you'll surely feel the same, soon. Don't give up with those Cultists in Mannoroc. You'll overcome them and ... well ... kick some demon butt.

You know, thinking about Darkwhisper made me realize... I've never gone back to that Cave. The one with the blue fires? I still wonder what it leads to. Might have to go there one of these days again, when I get another day off.

Heh.

Just because I'm older than you doesn't mean I get to sit at a fire with an ale all day long. There are still things need to be killed and sissy priests need protecting. Nothing changes, in the long run.

But you know, once this business in Northrend is all covered and once that other King is done playing war, maybe I'll get a few days. Pick up a few brave souls and walk back to Darkwhisper. Try and find out of there really is a path to the World Tree from the scorched Caves of Winterspring.

With a bit of luck, it'll all just lead through the mountains, over a pile of gold and straight to a pleasant nightelf meadow. Something like this, really.

Yeah flowers. I wouldn't mind a bed of flowers once in a while. Might even get to bring Donova there.