Liandrist Nearfar, Warrior of a Forgotten Generation.

This is a tale of happiness and Woe.. of victory, and Loss. and of riches, love, greed, and murder. This - is the story, of Liandrist; Last of the Nearfar clan.

A dark, clouded figure appears in the distance, you can't tell wither or not it's just some trick of heat that the barrens is playing on you, but you approach the figure anyway- attracted by the mysteriousness of such a thing being in a place like this.
The figure is moving slowly across the barrens, towards a hill east of Camp Narache, as much as you wish to change your course, to turn a blind eye, you feel the ever pulling need to follow this figure, you're curious as to who, or what, it is.

As you follow after the figure, you notice a small line of blood that it seems to be trailing, and when you return your gaze to it, you realize that it has stopped. The figure is looking at a small hut near the hill's base, and judging by the figures' size and form, you infer that it is none other than a tauren. You slowly approach the figure as it collapses in the sand. As you look into the figures' deep blue eyes, and observe the texture of it's skin, you can tell it's a warrior. The figure moves..

"What is your buisness with me? Why have you followed me through this Hell they call the barrens...."

..... The figure pauses..

"I'm guessing you wish to know how i reached where I am now.. I feel inclined to tell you, seeing as you must have followed me out of curiosity. Dust a rock off for yourself, and listen closely- my time may be short.

And you wouldn't happen to have any water on ya', wouldya'?"

The figure purses it's lips, and vigerously drinks the water..

"I am the humblest of most warriors, I have fought many battles, lost many friends, and earned my name and rank in blood and sweat. I have travelled across many lands, been to places large- and small; and have seen things you couldn't find in dreams, or nightmares. From the gates of Silithus, to the tip of Hyjal, and down to the dark portal, i've seen it all, and then some. Most times its not easy trying to find a place to start.. but I'll do my best."

The figure sits up straight, propping itself upon an old, rusty sword..

"The barrens. A bright, harsh, husk of a land. Comepletely.. barren.. of life. My parents and a few select others where the first of the tauren to have ventured beyond our beloved Mulgore. My mother, Beautiful, well built for the warrior she is at heart. My Father, the most powerful of all the pioneers into mulgore, had seen many battles. His scars riddled his face, and waved over his rippling muslces. He always kept his swords at hand, or where he can see them - He is rarely caught un - aware - and is known for his valor during the wars agianst the Centuar. I, myself, was a strong young calve. (i am NO COW, do NOT associate me and my people with those mindless creatures) I beleived in the Earth Mother, Who continues to watch over me this day, and that the shaministic ways of the Tauren are the key to bringing peace to such a war ravaged world. My mother would sing me hymes about what happens in the world outside of my hut. the great battle for mount hyjal, the betrayal of Illidan, and the many wars before those events. Our little village in the barrens was prospering extremely well despite our conditions. We had befriended the nearby Kodos and used them to help us with our farming and worldly deeds of the like, where we in exhange protected them from plainstriders, centuar, and raptors. we had received messangers from the centuar, warning us to leave their lands - or be attacked in mass and slaughtered, including our women and our young. I only cuaght small portions of my father's meetings with the warriors of the village. But of course, we returned our message to the centuar.. the centuar messenger's head. they had taken' too kindly to our actions."

The figure shudders violently, and appears to have a small seizure..

The figure resumes..

"I can still hear the beating of their hooves in the night..
the low grumble of their disgusting language..
The nightmares still trouble me to this day."

"They came at night, My father awoke myself and my mother - and warned us to remain quite. He dis-apeared into the night, and all was silent. My mother lit a lamp to better aid our vision, and a shadow crossed the hut - a centuar warrior, his blade drawn."

He runs his hand down his blade, and you notice a finger is gone..

"I couldn't help but feel empowered by the sight, blades have always appealed to me in such a fashion."

"Then i heard the dull crunch of a hoof on sand and dry dirt, the Centuar turned it's head-

-And my father struck whilst it was un-aware."

"My mother attempted to cover my eyes and stifle me, but i saw most of what happened.. my memory is slow, but i will describe the battle as best i can.."

"The centuar was instantly decapitated, and several more shadows emerged-all the familiar forms of tauren. I knew i was safe."

"Then a horn sounded, and i knew something was wrong- this was not the familiar tauren battle horn i had grown acustom too, this was the disgusting howl of the centuar Khalkar. Many more shadows emerged, but they where not the crisp cut forms of tauren. i can not recall much of what happened after that. But all i saw left was centaur when i checked agian. They turned to us, and horror struck my heart, it grabbed me like death's arctic grip. They approached the hut's entrance, and slowly looked into the hut- My mother killed the lamp. The centuar approached, slowly creeping into the darkness of the hut, and my mother vanished into the darkness. The entire hut lit up with lightning and thunder.. i was blinded by the light, but i knew i heard the centuar fall to the ground, my mother grabbed me and gripped me tightly- we ran from the hut as fast as possible, and made our way to the village center and commerce area, there was our best hope to find survivors at, and maybe even my father. The huts around us where collapsed, and on fire. The crops where burned, and blood ran in the watering hole. Tauren corpses lay scattered in the sand, with centuar corpses atop them. We rounded the corner only to find the commerce area, and the centuar clan's leader. My mother nestled me into her cloak, and whispered to me to hold tight, and told me that she loved me. I once more heard the crack of thunder, and felt the heat of lightning, but there was no thud. Then i heard the swift whistle of a crossbow bolt. My mother fell backwards to the ground and on top of me. I was too terrified to make any level of sound, but i knew what had happened. The warm and loving touch of my mother had left me."

The figure coughs out a spot of blood, and gags..
He kisses his ring, and zones out..

You approach him after he's sat in that position for over a minute, and he jerks away..

"Give me just a moment, I need more time to re-cooperate my mind.. but if you wish to leave, then let me to fight my own demons"

Of past loves
&
Other Affairs.
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"The very air Crackled with energy, the mages began casting there spells, and us, being the first line of defense, and then the first line of offense.. readied our blades, and prayed for a quick, clean death."

Liandrist roars to the sky.

"You could see the very edges of time and space as the portal began to manifest itself. Many of my men where terrified at the site, but nonetheless, we had to withhold our duty, to Fight for the Horde- and for our lives. The moment the portal opponed, they came through."

Liandrist coughs, and heaves deeply. He takes a long breath, and continues.

"There where far too many of them, I was immediatly knocked backwards into my Terranova. There where 3 on my shield, and i had already pushed 5 unto my blade. I had draged terranova out of the mess of the slaughter, and pleaded that she stay back."

You close your eyes, and imagine what Liandrist describes..
The blasted lands, clean of life, more so then the barrens. the only denizens of this land, are demons.

"But Liandrist, I don't want you to die on me! I will NOT stand back and watch you fight and die to defend your people!"

"Terranova, even now my men are fighting and dying to defend US as we quarrel over such small things! Just stay back!"

Liandrist charges back into the flesh mass of humans, orcs, and demons..

"If that fool of a tauren thinks i'm going to idlly sit back and watch as he fights.. then he's truely gone insane"

Terranova follows after Liandrist, staying with enough distance away from the demons so as to shoot them..

You open your eyes, to see that Liandrist has stopped.

"There where far too many of them.. there wasn't much that could have been done.. the mages that held the portal open had been killed, and it was beginning to close. the demons began to funnel out of the ever size-decreasing portal. thrall himself was there.. and at his battlecry, my warriors pushed themselves as hard as they could towards the portal. Thokka, to my left.."

The Fel Tyrant swung it's mighty blade towards Thokka, and clove him in two. His intestines, stomach, and entrails spilled out over the battlefield. Thokka did his best to hold his insides and fight at the same time..

"Thokka! Don't you Dare die on me, damn you!"

Liandrist jumps atop the tyrant, and slits it's throat with his sword, only to see Thokka face down in the dirt, sleeping eternally in his own guts, a fel blade in his back.

"DIE FOOLISH IMP!"

Liandrist brings his right blade back, and whips himself towards the imp's direction.. defenseless, the imp is decapitated.

There is a scream.
In horror, Liandrist turns around to see His beloved Terranova...

...and the imps that surounded her, dragging her through the portal.

"I did everything i could, comepletely forgetting the battle at hand, i ran through my enemies to make my way to the portal. it was nearly shut when i had arrived, and was forced to dive through it."

"Terranova..!! where are you?!"

The burning heat of the outlands singed the taurens fur.. the light from the fire in the sky blinded him, and the demonic presence of the demons weakened him.

"They took me.. also. i was knock un-concious, and dragged across the hot sands of the outlands, untill i was dropped and awoken. I looked at my suroundings, I had been stripped of my armor and my weapons, i was bound by magic, and surounded by demons. Then i saw terranova. she lay comepletely awake on a stone table, bound by cord and leather, her chestplate ripped asunder by the demon lord that stood above her. the imp's giggled wildly, and i could feel the wickedness of their words as they spoke in their demonic tongue."

"Release me! So i may kill you all for what you have done to her!"

"We have done NOTHING yet, mortal. now.. Bare witness to the death of your beloved..!!"

Terranova turned her head towards Liandrist.

"I'm sorry"

Liandrist draws his blade and throws it into the air.. mourning the loss of his Terranova.

"Damn those Demons..!!

I'm sorry, friend. I'll have to continue this another time.. the pain right now, is just too un-bearable."
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You return the next day to the same spot, to discover that he hasn't moved from his spot on the hill in the hinterlands, that rises beside the waterfall's edge. You approach Liandrist as the moon sets over the waterfall's edge, and he greets you.

"It's actually quite nice out here, in the hinterlands- that is. This is where i gave her the ring."

Liandrist removes his glove, the "ring" placed on his center finger, his farthest finger missing.

"I hadn't expected to have it back so soon, But there wasn't much that could have been done to keep it on her hand."

They gut her, in front of him. He tried to break loose, to close his eyes, to die. He wanted everything in the world to stop what was happening before him, but he couldn't. She was dead.

Liandrist was enraged.. unable to control himself, all bonds of sanity lost, he ripped free of his captives. He made a bee-line straight towards the commander, and turned the blade on it's weilder. it wasn't nearly enough to slay the mighty demon, they bound him once again, and removed the finger that his ring was on.

"Help didn't come untill it was too late to do anything.. they where about to slay me, and i wanted them to.. i no longer had a reason to live. Grentgore rode in with the wolf riders, and felled the massive demon with his gorehowl, the axe of Grom Hellscream. He shouted at me to arm myself, and had given me my armor and blades. I ran to Terranova's side, and grentgore stood by my side."

Grentgore placed a suprisingly gentle hand upon Liandrist's shoulder,

"I releive you of your duties to the horde. Leave the battlefield Liandrist, you've seen enough."

"What about my men? I MUST avenge Terranova..!!"

"I share you pain Liandrist, but i don't need anymore of my friends dying this day. please, return to Thunderbluff."

Defeated, He was escorted through the portal that the mages had re-oppened. The forces of the Horde and the alliance had a foothold at the base of the portal, as proud as he was, Liandrist couldn't help but feel lost.

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"The nightmares where recurring. I came close to giving into the horror of the night, and just jumping over the edge of Thunderbluff. The air was always cold, I felt dirty, and no matter how many times i bathe, i was never clean. I felt empty, and drowned myself in liquor. that only made the problem worse. But the dreams always returned me to this spot, here; In the Hinterlands. I rode through one day, and had a flashback of when i first met her."

You could hear the thundering hooves of the kodo as he supported the hefty tauren through the hinterlands, he was riding fast, and had obviously just received his first mount.

"What a fine day to ride, eh- rusty? Not much of a name for such a fine kodo as yourself, but it will have to do! Ha ha!"

He thundered through the rolling hills of grass, and rode over the roads, effertlessly weaving his way through the crags and rock. He njoyed his mount VERY much, and was very fortunate to have friends fund his efforts.

Then a gunshot was heard.

"did you hear that rusty?" *The Kodo stops immediatly*
"Go! Now! see what made that sound!"

They travel far towards the source of the sound, and climb one last hill, untill they see a tauren hunter running away . more noticably, a female. and she was in danger. He had to act, being as chivalrous as he is.

He demounted, and ran towards the hill, and then saw the Human warrior that was chasing after the hunter, sword in hand. Liandrist intercepted his course.

Liandrist threw his blade up and matched the warrior's own blade, the warrior ignored liandrist, and attempted to pass him by, untill Liandrist cut his hamstring. Immediatly the human swung around, and knocked Liandrist down with the momentum of his swing. the human came in for the finishing strike, but Liandrist rolled and avoided his blade as he dug it into the earth. He took this moment to rise up and remove the hands of the human, and peirce him in the chest. The human was no more.

"Hunter? Where are you? Are you safe?"

"I am between a rock and a hard place, warrior. Aid me further if you will."

Liandrist approached a nearby set of rocks, and found her leaned up against the stone, covered in blood- a wound in her side.

"He nearly killed you, you ought to be more careful"

Liandrist gives the hunter a roasted quail, and attempts to bandage her up.

"who are you?"

"The name is Terranova. and might i know who it is that has saved me?"

"Liandrist. You could just call me L, for short"

"After that she noticed my wounds, and dressed them. I asked her to take it easy, but she insisted that she move on. I stuck with her in case she was attacked again by the human brutes. She told me she lived in Orgrimmar, and asked that i stop in every once and a while if i need help with anything, or need anything at all. I thought she was pretty and nice, so i kept her address in mind, and planed to visit her later that evening."

"but that is just more icing to the cake, which.. is not a lie, by the way. but.. "

"upon returning to this very spot, i saw something i never dreampt of seeing again."

The moon had set over the waterfall's edge, and there was a silver clad tauren upon the hill by the water's edge. Liandrist stood in shock, as he had instantly registered in his mind that it was none other then terranova.

"but.. she is dead.."

Liandrist climbed the hill, ever so slowly... when he had reached the top, Terranova turned to him. He reached out for her, but his heart skipped a beat when his hand passed through her face, and out the other side. he felt a freezing cold upon doing so, and quickly drew his hand back.

"Liandrist. please, do not fear me for who I am now. But I have come again my love, but not for long"

"what is it you wish to say, Terranova?"

"Do not mourn my loss Liandrist. The demons have been slain, and my time in this world has been long. Now i may rest easy knowing that you are alive and well. I hope that you may find love again in this cruel world, for fate has not been as kind to me as it has been to you"

"I do not wish for you to leave me terranova, stay with me here, or bring me with you!"

Liandrist lunged for terranova's ghostly figure, only to pass through her entirely and fall down the hill on the other side.

"i must leave now Liandrist. You may have my ring to remember me by. Farewell, my love"

"No! Don't leave me Terranova!"

Reaching towards the sky as the mist was wisked away in the wind, and single teer fell from the mist and landed in Liandrist's paw. it solidifyed into the shape of..

"a Ring. and that's all I have left of her to remember."