Memories of Valor A Recount of the Valor Family and Their Service to Raven Hill There was no greater family in all of the Eastern Kingdoms than the Valor family. Their deeds to the people they swore to protect were nothing short of miracles, and their loss is a loss for all of Raven Hill. I write this account to set the record straight, detailing the marvels that were Grant, Ira, Silvia, and Merrick. May these writings be a small consolation for how sorry I am for their absence.

Where would you like to fly to?

My gift is simple, and mundane. I cannot peer between worlds such as those with the skysight, nor can I draw upon the magic of the ley lines beneath Zephras like others can. But a gift it remains and I am grateful to have it. Appreciation of what you have is the key to happiness. Yearning for what you may have, or what you have lost, only leads to despair.

This tome appears to be about the Valor family. I believe I've heard of a few of them. Good folk. Not sure they merit an entire book about them. I'll make you a copy of the tome. If you see anything else related to them on your travels, I'll be happy to take it off your hands.

Hey, citizen! You look like a stout one. We guards are spread a little thin out here, and I could use your help...

Sometimes I wonder if Surena was not a succubus in disguise, sent to warp and twist my mind... Ha! I give her too much credit, I think.

The Cult? They are zealots and killers. They believe that we are being punished for some unspecific sin. The reality is that those that lead them are opportunists leftover from a dubious order of so-called "Priests" of Al'Akir, the Windlord. They now find themselves in a position to weaponize the fear of our people to consolidate their own power... and they have been quick to do so.

Well done, well done, adventurer. I see we've done right in deciding to train you. Your performance certainly does not disappoint. I've no qualms in showing you the way to control your newly bound succubus. Observe carefully.

Have you found anything? I'm not holding out much hope.

Checked in with Rathiril then? Great. Lots of tension between the High Order and the Windshapers these days, but they keep things civil here in Shen'dar. Well, at least in the village anyway. What happens out in the wilds stays in the wilds. Now that that's done, you look like someone who might be looking for something to do with their hands. I've got a few things that need doing, if you are game for a bit of work?

You will need a powerful reagent to tempt an incubus -- an object that represents great devotion and love. With my scrying, I have located a small figurine that should be suitable for your ritual. Thousands of years ago, the figurine belonged to a young couple. The original owners are no more, but their keepsake has survived to the present day. Follow the road north into Ashenvale, then west and past Maestra's Post. You will see a house nestled amongst the trees. There you will find what you seek.

May the blessings of the night be yours, friend! I am Illiyana Moonblaze, and I am the main supplier for the Silverwing Sentinels here in Ashenvale. As you improve your standing with the Sentinels, I will make available to you a fine selection of goods that you can use inside Warsong Gulch. Should you find yourself in need of item repair, I also provide those services.

Ho there, traveler! New to town? Well, once you get settled in come see me if you'd like some work. I've been working overtime preparing for the Festival of Winds and I'll take all the help I can get keeping the larders full!

So now that we've learned the basics, why don't you go and learn a tradeskill from the trainers in the village nearby. They will also teach you how to create a camp fixture suitable to your new profession.

A good campfire is the foundation to any good camp.

Magic can accomplish almost anything, but stagnation and inaction have caused us to lose so much of ourselves in the thousands of years since we left Kalimdor. The High Order seeks to reclaim the Highborne heritage that we've left behind and become the masters of our own destiny once again. The Windshapers think we are simply reckless and arrogant. Hypocrisy at its finest, if you ask me. The Windshapers will entertain no ideas but their own when it comes to this crisis. Who, I wonder, is truly arrogant?

Take my advice, don't sit close to the shadows.

Was your search a success, adventurer?

Yes, I can tell this will do nicely, let me just work with it for a moment... Takar is a resourceful fellow to have around, isn't he? If only I could persuade him to move back to civilization.

Where to begin? Our home is failing. The wards have fallen and the three provinces have begun to drift apart. There was a time not long ago when the spires of Shen'dramar were visible from the western watchtower. No longer. Day by day the wind pylons that anchor our home to this plane weaken...

Zephras is in great danger. The elemental wind spirits that brought us here to Skywall so many thousands of years ago have abandoned us, leaving us vulnerable in this unstable realm. Our once-robust society spanned multiple island sanctuaries in our corner of Skywall, but now we are not even sure if any other shen'dorei remain outside of this small island. Things are dire, but the High Order is committed to rising to this challenge.

These sneakthieves have likely been breaking into our supplies for months. I tried to convince Aonda to put a raid together to clear out that bandit cave for good, but she didn't want to pull the few peacekeepers we have away from the village. With the cultists at Falaath Village to the south growing in numbers, I suppose I can't fault her for that.

With this, you'll be able to set up a camp anywhere out in the wilderness. What you've learned is just the basics, so you won't be able to place too many furnishings around it. Raise your cooking skill and you might just be able to learn to make even bigger fires. You can also learn the basics of furnishing your campsites from other tradeskill trainers if you're savvy in their skills.

Why are you bothering me, recruit? If you want to talk to other doe-eyed fools, try the inn on the north side of town. The recruits that congregate there tend to have brains as smooth as their freshly shaved heads. Oh, and shave that head of yours. The only thing the windlord abhors more than chatty recruits is chatty recruits with a full head of hair. Now, be gone from my sight.

I suppose that is true. I and the rest of my elites used to belong to an order known as the Empyrean Blades. We were the personal guard of our former leader, the Shal'nan. In the current, uncertain times we do what we can to help lead the peacekeepers citizen militia, since we are the closest thing to professional soldiers left on Zephras.

Alas, I have prattled on long enough. Should you find yourself in the port of Valanaar, seek out Elaadrin Evengale. Elaadrin was once my student, but now he serves as the Chief Magister of the High Order. He is headstrong and capable, and it's now up to him and young Skyborne such as yourself to carry the hopes for our people forward.

The spirits of the wind may have left us, but the power of the elements is not entirely out of reach for those with the patience to seek them out. If you are initiated in the ways of the shaman, I can help you grasp them.

Even the Windshapers would tell you that the spirits never spoke highly of any supreme being amongst them. They acknowledged the existence of a being named Al'Akir, but they avoided invoking his name, almost as if they feared him. Even if this Al'Akir is an all-powerful "Windlord" or ruler of the wind elementals, relying upon elementals is what got us into this mess. We must now see ourselves out of it.

With the bandits dispersed, that is one less problem for us to deal with. Though I confess that now I worry that any bandits who survived may turn next to the cult for protection, further bolstering their increasingly alarming numbers. Still though, we'll take the victories where we can get them.

Do you feel it? Yes? Good! You have taken your first steps. You'll find that with your abilities, you will be able to tap into latent magical energy in many locations. Doing so will provide a myriad of benefits, some profound, others more subtle. You won't know until you tap into them, But that's the best part of the gift... making the unknown known. If we are to survive these dire times, we must be unwavering in our search for knowledge... and power.

Why is this happening? Put simply, the spirits of the wind just... vanished. The petty sprites and lesser elementals you've likely encountered out there are a pale imitation of the true spirits of wind. Non-sentient, aimless, and a far cry from the kindly spirits we lived in harmony alongside for thousands of years.

The Al'Aketh cult claims that Al'Akir the "Windlord" will save us from our current woes here on Zephras. If Al'Akir is real and really is the ruler of Skywall, why did the wind spirits refuse to speak of him for so long? Either he isn't real, or even worse, he's real and he's not as benevolent as the cult claims him to be. Either way, nothing about what the cult is doing is good for us normal folk.

The High Order's mission is vital to the survival of our people. We hold our elemental benefactors in the utmost regard, but we must face reality; they are gone now, and we are on our own. Between threats from within such as the Al'Aketh, and uncertainties of our security on this plane, it is our destiny as Highborne descendants of our ancestral home of Eldre'Thalas to use our gifts to ensure that the shen'dorei can stand on our own once again.

It pains me to shed shen'dorei blood here in the grove, but we do what we must.

Aetheen sent you, then? I'll confess, you don't look like much to me, but Shen'dar Village won't turn down willing aid, much less aid sent from Elder Aetheen herself.

The wind whispers to those who listen... Do you hear it?

Many disagree on this point. The Windshapers would have you believe that joining hands and merely hoping for the spirits' return will be sufficient. Their order's power has waned however, and their path relies on putting us back on the cycle of dependence that got us to this point. The High Order on the other hand... we believe in a more direct approach.

Having the skills needed to survive the outdoors is critical. A well-rested and well-prepared adventurer has a much higher chance of surviving this lifestyle.

Very well done. You've felled beasts and laid low cultist interlopers. You have shown great promise but your path must soon take you beyond the relative safety of Thendal Village.

The Windlord's blessings flow through me!

The cult hit us by surprise. Raani never saw it coming and Arvensus took a sword to the gut. For my part, I took a lightning bolt to the chest and blacked out. They never bothered to finish me off... I guess they assumed my wounds would do me in. When its all said and done, I suspect they might.

Old Borgy sent you? Always looking out for me. We could certainly use another set of hands around here. Business has all but stopped with the recent tragedy, and I think you could help set things right.

Does your heart beat in rhythm with the winds?

What I ask of you is not easy, but you must be prepared for much greater challenges if you are to survive long enough to be of service to Zephras Isle.

The ursera have grown far more aggressive of late. I wonder what has changed to cause this shift in behavior?

This is most troubling, but unfortunately unsurprising. We've been aware of the cult's movements for some time, but we've been content to watch from afar. Their agitation of the wind spirits near the standing stones is a clear escalation on their part. You've performed a difficult but necessary service for Thendal Grove, adventurer. Thank you.

It was all I could do to stop myself from going over and joining you from my position here. I can only hope that these louts got the message and clear out of here soon. Thank you, hero. You have the gratitude of the Rangers of Thendal Grove.

You must remember that while this realm has been our home for millennia, we will always be somewhat alien to this place. We are not in the terrestrial world that birthed our people. We are in the realm of Skywall, the elemental plane of air. We arrived here as the guests of spirits with whom we found kinship in ages past. Now that we Shen'dorei find ourselves bereft of their presence--and potentially--their protection, there's no telling how the other denizens of this plane may perceive us.

Was your crossing difficult, adventurer? You have come a long way to speak with me. But fear not, I know why Gakin has sent you, and he was wise to, for I can help you in your search.

More than I'd like, I'm afraid. We've been harassed by a group of bandits camping out in a cave to the north, and the Al'Aketh cult recently took over Falaath Village to the south of us. I trust every peacekeeper and citizen here, but we are far too few to keep the village secure. If the cult decides to continue their expansion here, there's little we can do to stop them.