2007年6月21日星期四

The Murlocs

urloc origins buy wow goldare shrouded in mystery. This is due not only to the fact that

these creatures appeared on buy wow goldAzeroth's shores fairly recently (as far as

world history goes, anyway) buy wow goldbut also because murlocs shun mortals and

rarely, if ever, speak anything but their own garbled language.
What's been known up until now about the fish-men buy wow goldis the following:
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they are not the most intelligent creatures. They congregate on shorelines in

tribes buy wow goldand villages. They have been known, in certain instances to worship

enigmatic sea-deities (sometimes including naga). And they seem to care buy wow

gold
little for the mortal races.

However, recent accounts by select individuals buy wow gold who managed to gather

information— either by buy wow goldspying, torturing or surreptitiously gaining the

murlocs' trust, havecheap wow gold brought some interesting details to light…

First, murlocs may not be as dumb as buy wow goldeveryone thinks they are. Several clues

point to the fact that buy wow gold their steady infiltration of the world's land masses

may be a coordinated buy wow goldeffort. Whether or not this enterprise has been

undertaken strictlycheap wow gold of their own accord is not yet known.

Also, the murloc race may be far older buy wow goldthan most believe. Several accounts

and clues seem to buy wow goldsubstantiate this. In fact, it is now believed that

murlocs (or, more appropriately, their ancestors) may even pre-date trolls. Of course these ancient murlocs lived in the

oceans' depths and cheap wow goldtherefore were never known to the world's early land-

dwelling races.

In the last few years, the vile naga have buy wow goldbegun reemerging from their watery

abodes, causing buy wow goldhistorians to speculate that their migration may have

triggered the buy wow goldmurlocs' slow encroachment onto land. Some also guessed that

the murlocs might be working in concert with the sinister cheap wow goldamphibians.

But perhaps the most cheap wow goldstartling revelation to come from recent intelligence

-gathering efforts was this: the naga may not be the only nightmarish horrors lurking buy

wow gold
in the seemingly bottomless oceans of the world.

Several indicators from the murlocs buy wow goldthemselves point to the possibility that

the fish-men are but buy wow goldworshippers or underlings of perhaps several deep-sea

cheap wow goldmonstrosities that currently lie sleeping, or at least waiting, in the

murky fathoms – and even more disturbing, that the murlocs' buy wow goldemergence is an

indication of their incipient awakening.

If that is buy wow goldthe case, the mysterious cheap

wow gold
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glimpse at something far more buy wow goldterrifying.

2007年6月20日星期三

The War of the Shifting Sands

he midday sun buy wow goldfixed its unflinching gaze upon the sands of Silithus, bearing

mute witness to the multitudes forming ranks outside the Scarab wow goldWall.

It continued cheap wow goldits passage, though to the masses gathered below, it seemed as

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armiescheap wow gold simply collapsed from exposure.cheap

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Amid the wow goldrestless formations a lone night elf

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others who were gathered--an assortment of representatives from every race in every

land in the known world--viewed her with wow goldtheir own racial prejudices.
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After all, the blood feud between night elves and the likes of trolls and

tauren cheap wow golddated back centuries.

No matter theircheap wow gold affiliations, however, all who had come to battle that day

shared one sentiment for the night elf: respect. Shiromar was like the sun above--impassive,
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unwavering, and unflinching. These qualities had served her well in the recent

months, providing her with the wow goldstrength to continue when all seemed lost; when
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the quest seemed neverending; and when her companions had simply
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There had been the watcher, buy wow gold and the Caverns of Time; there was the bronze

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shards and their keepers, the ancient dragons, none of whom would give up their

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violence, all were employed to accomplish the task.

And all of this for one item, the item cheap wow goldgripped in Shiromar's hands even

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In thewow gold end, all roads had ledcheap wow gold

here, to Silithus, and to buy wow goldthe gates of the Scarab Wall. Here, where the

Scepter cheap wow goldwas shattered.

Shiromar looked up at the sky and remembered a timecheap wow gold when the sun had been

eclipsed by dragons; when wow goldthe Qiraji and silithid flooded over the legions
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of night elves in seemingly eternal waves; when hope seemed but a shadow. It seemed

as if none would survive those terrible months; yet herecheap wow gold she was, standing

before the sacred barrier that savedwow gold their lives all those years ago, during the

War of the Shifting buy wow gold Sands...

Fandral Staghelm
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andral Staghelm led the wow goldcharge, his son Valstann at his side. They had chosen the

gorge so that their flanks would be protected against the unending cheap wow goldflow of

silithid. Shiromar was close behind the frontwow gold line, casting spells as quickly as

her energies wouldcheap wow gold allow.

They had fought their way to the mouth cheap wow goldof the gorge, Fandral and Valstann

accompanied by the mostwow gold battle-hardened sentinels, keepers and priestesses, with

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The priestess Shiromar and her cheap wow goldcompanions had all regained enough energy to

call upon the grace of wow goldElune simultaneously; they now watched as a blinding

column of cheap wow goldlight obliterated the swarm blocking the gorge's terminus.

Then, a low buzzing sound filled cheap wow goldthe air. One by one, flying insect

creatures--the winged wow goldQiraji, flew over the lip of the gorge and down, striking

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Fandral led the front linescheap wow gold from the gorge into the open sands, stepping

over the wow goldcorpse-mounds of the silithid. The air was alive with the thrumming of

the Qiraji as they swooped down and slashed with clawed buy wow goldappendages.
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Rajaxx
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land-bound Qiraji pouring over the crest like ants swarming from a hill.wow gold A

towering monstrosity lumbered into view, swinging clawed limbs, looming over all, shouting commands to the insect
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soldiers.

Among the chattering wow goldand droning of the swarms, one sound seemed to repeat in the

presence of thecheap wow gold commanding warrior: Rajaxx, Rajaxx... though Shiromar did
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As the next wave of wow goldQiraji drew near, a great horn
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sounded: from the east and west, multitudes of night elves charged onto the

field. With a blood-curdling cry Fandral and buy wow goldValstann pressed straight into

thecheap wow gold heart of the oncoming swarm; the two sides clashed
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Shiromar felt for sure that cheap wow goldthey had won out; but as the shadows grew long

and day proceeded into night, the battle continued. In the center of the fray, Fandral, Valstann, and the Qiraji general
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clashed in a wow golddesperate struggle.

As Shiromar cheap wow goldnarrowly avoided several attacks from the winged Qiraji,
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she glanced to where the general battled father and son. The numbers of the

Qiraji were dwindling, and the general seemed to sense this, for with a mighty leap he bounded away, back to the ridge where

Fandral had first spotted him. From there cheap wow goldhe disappeared and the few
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That evening watchescheap wow gold were set as the night elf forces rested. Fandral knew

that the Qiraji threat had not fully been quelled, and he expected the battle to begin cheap

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still ringing cheap wow goldin her ears, though the surrounding desert remained quiet.
With morning, as the troops cheap wow goldreformed and pushed on to the ridge they were

greeted by an eerie stillness. Shiromar scanned the horizon but the Qiraji and silithid buy

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were nowhere to be seen. As Fandral prepared to press on, a messenger arrived with dire news: the town of

Southwindcheap wow gold Village was under attack.

Fandral consideredcheap wow gold pulling the troops back to defend the village, but he

sensed that such an action would only leavecheap wow gold an open door to invasion from

the cheap wow goldremaining Qiraji. They still had no idea of just how many the insects

numbered, or even if they had seen all that this new race had cheap wow goldto throw at

them.

Valstann correctly cheap wow goldguessed his father's thoughts and offered to lead a

detachment to the village so thatcheap wow gold Fandral could stay and provide
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Standing close by, wow goldShiromar heard the rest of their conversation play out:

"It could be a ruse." wow goldFandral said.

"Surely we can't take that cheap wow goldchance father." Valstann answered.
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"I'll go. I will defend the city and I will return victorious, upholding the

honor cheap wow goldof your name."

Reluctantly, Fandral nodded. "cheap wow goldJust return alive and I will be more than

satisfied."

Valstann gathered wow golda detachment and Fandral watched his son depart. Shiromar

worried that their forces were divided, but she understood the necessity wow goldof the

action.

Silithid Hive
For the next few days Shiromar and thecheap wow gold others battled wave after wave of

silithid wow goldstreaming from the hives scattered throughout the land. Still, the

Qiraji remained unseen. A feeling of dread began working its way under Shiromar's skin; she felt it a bad omen that the

silithid's cheap wow goldmasters had not appeared for so long. She worried
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over the fate of Valstann, and at several points throughout each day, during lulls

in the continuous butchering she spied Fandral quietly looking back over the horizon, anxiously anticipating his
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son's return.

On the third daycheap wow gold as the noon-day sun reached its zenith, the Qiraji

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the air; oncecheap wow gold again interminable multitudes crested the rim of the
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And waited.

Fandral formed his cheap wow goldlines and stood at the forefront of the ranks as

Stormcrows wow goldcircled overhead and Druids in bear form clawed the dirt in

anticipation, all watching cheap wow goldintently. Moments later the ocean of insects
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Qiraji general approached, carrying a wounded figure in its clawed appendage. It proceeded to the front of the Qiraji lines

and held Valstann Staghelm aloftcheap wow gold for all to see.

Southwind Fallen
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stood mute, knowing that wow goldSouthwind had fallen, and fearing that his son may

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Within wow goldthe general's claw, cheap wow

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Valstann stirred and spoke to the general, though he was too far away to be heard.

At once the spell that had wow goldfallen over Fandral broke and he bolted forward,

followed by the night elf forces, but the distance was great... and cheap wow goldeven

before the Qiraji general acted, Shiromar knew they could not wow goldreach Valstann in

time.

The Qiraji general fixed his cheap wow goldsecond claw onto Valstann's bloodied form, and

with both he wow goldsqueezed... and pulled apart, separating the young
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night elf's body at the waist.

Fandral slowed, faltered, and cheap wow goldfell to his knees, the onrushing night elves

parting around him. Aswow gold the two forces finally clashed, a sandstorm rushed in from

the east, blocking out all light; choking, stifling. Shiromar felt the winds force her movements nearly to a halt. She
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of her dying comrades.

Through wow goldthe chaos she glimpsed the murky, behemoth
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shadow of the Qiraji general not far away, slashing and reaping through rows of

night wow goldelves like a harvester shearing wheat. Then she heard Fandral, his voice

ghostly through the storm, calling for the armies to fall back.

Much of whatwow gold followed seemed cheap wow goldto

happen rather quickly, although in fact it took days: Fandral led his forces out of Silithus, through the
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mountain passes and into the bowl of Un'Goro Crater, the silithid and Qiraji

legions never far behind, consuming those wow goldwho fell just beyond the
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protection of the primary force.

Ungoro Crater:
Fire Plume Ridge
Once inside Un'Goro cheap wow goldhowever a strange thing happened: word spread

throughout wow goldthe ranks that the Qiraji had fallen back, just as the forces had

passed the cheap wow goldedge of the crater. The Arch-Druid gathered the
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remaining troops in the bowl's center and gave the order to stand fast.
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Finally, a lull had come in the fighting, fleeing and dying.
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But the night elves had suffered a bitter defeat, and Fandral
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Staghelm's demeanor had changed irrevocably.

Shiromar watchedcheap wow gold as Fandral stood guard, looking out from Fire Plume Ridge,

the steam of thewow gold volcanic vents rising behind him, the orange lava glow
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illuminating his face, a mask that concealed the deepest anguish--a
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The sudden cheap wow goldretreat of the Qiraji puzzled Shiromar. The more she thought on

the subject, thewow gold more she remembered the legends surrounding the Crater, rumors

that it cheap wow goldhad been built in the primordial age by the gods
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themselves. Perhaps they watched over the land. Perhaps
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their blessings still anointed this place. One thing however was for certain: if a

plan was not devised to stem the tide of the insect cheap wow goldrace...

Tanaris:
Caverns of Time
Kalimdorcheap wow gold would be lost forever.

The Warwow gold of the Shifting Sands continued for long, agonizing months. Shiromar

managed to wow goldsurvive battle after battle, but always the night elves
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Out of desperation Fandralcheap wow gold sought the aid of the elusive bronze

dragonflight. wow goldTheir initial refusal to interfere was reversed when the brazen

Qiraji attacked buy wow goldthe Caverns of Time, home and province of Nozdormu the
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Timeless One.

Nozdormu's heir, Anachronos,cheap wow gold agreed to enlist the bronze dragonflight

against thewow gold marauding Qiraji. Every able-bodied night elf joined the cause, and
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to retake Silithus.

Even with the might of thecheap wow gold dragons backing them, however, the sheer numbers

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Ysera of the green flight; Caelestrasz, child of
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Alexstrasza from the red, and Arygos, child of Malygos from the blue.

Dragonflights
The dragons and cheap wow goldwinged Qiraji clashed in the cloudless sky above Silithus

as the whole of wow goldthe Kalimdorian night elf forces streamed in across the
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Shiromar later heardcheap wow gold whispers that the dragons flying above the ancient

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onslaught of the insect race.

Perhaps it was thischeap wow gold revelation that spurred the dragons and Fandral to

hatch their final, wow golddesperate plan: to contain the Qiraji within the city, to

erect a barrier buy wow goldthat would confine them until a more hopeful stratagem
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With the aid of the cheap wow goldfour dragonflights, the final push to the city began.

Shiromar marched wow goldbehind Fandral as the corpses of the winged Qiraji fell from the

sky. High above, the dragons were making short work of the insect soldiers. As wow

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one the night elves and dragons formed acheap wow gold moving wall which pressed

the Qiraji back toward the city of Ahn'Qiraj.

But near the city gates,cheap wow gold the tide turned, and it was all the combined

forces could do to hold wow goldthe line. To push any further would be impossible.

Merithra, Caelestrasz and Arygos decided to push into the city and hold the Qiraji back long enough for Anachronos, Fandral,

and cheap wow goldthe remaining druids and priestesses to create the magical barrier.

And so the three cheap wow golddragons and their companions flew headlong into the Qiraji

legions, wow goldinto the city where they hoped their sacrifice would not be
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Outside the gates cheap wow goldFandral called upon the druids to focus their energies as

Anachronos wow goldsummoned the enchanted barricade. Beyond the gates, the three
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dragon progeny succumbed to the overwhelming forces as the
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Qiraji surged forth.

Shiromar concentrated cheap wow goldher energies and called upon the blessing of Elune as

the barrier erected itself before their eyes, rock and stone and roots from beneath the sands emerging to create an

impenetrable wall. Even the winged soldiers who attempted to fly over thecheap wow gold

barrier met with an invisible buy wow gold obstruction that they could not pass.

The Qiraji who remained cheap wow goldoutside the wall were quickly slain. The corpses of

Qiraji, wow goldnight elves and dragons littered the bloody sands.

Anachronos wow goldmotioned to a scarab scuttling below his feet. As Shiromar watched the

creature froze, then flattened out, transforming into a metalliccheap wow gold gong.

Stones shifted into place near the wall, creating a wow golddais where the gong was

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Scepter of the
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The great wow golddragon then proceeded to the severed limb
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of one of his fallen companions. He held the appendage and after a series of

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The dragon wow goldtold Fandral that should buy wow

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any mortal ever wish to pass the magical barrier and access the ancient city, they need only strike the scepter

against the cheap wow goldgong and the gates would open. He then handed the
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scepter to the Arch-Druid.

Fandral looked wow golddown, his face twisting in cheap

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"Would you shatterwow gold our bond for the sake ofcheap

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Fandral turned. "My son's soul will find no comfort in this hollow victory, dragon. I will have him back. Though it takes

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... who could wow goldsee him in her mind even now, as if it were only
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yesterday and not a thousand years past.

One by one, the gathered forces of Kalimdorcheap wow gold looked to her, waiting. She

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Shiromar
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2007年6月19日星期二

Road to Damnation III

he wraiths buy wow goldteleported him back to the citadel and escorted him downward

through a series of halls andwow gold rooms that Kel'Thuzad knew he wouldn't be
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entered a huge wow goldcavern whose dank chill sank into his bones. In the center of the

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up again. His resolution wow golddidn't last long, however. It felt as if a weight
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morewow gold than he'd buy wow goldthought.

Far above him, at the top of the spire,wow gold he could barely make out a large chunk of

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it had a faint bluish gleam.cheap wow gold There was no sign of the necromancer.

One of the cheap wow goldwraiths used a frigid gust of wind to give him a push. His pace

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climbing, though he was breathing hard.

Time passed, andcheap wow gold a blast of sleet brought him back to full awareness. He

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A wraith wow goldbehind him said, "We cheap wow

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Grimly Kel'Thuzad resumed the wow goldclimb and hunched his shoulders against the growing

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The wraiths brushed against him and cheap wow goldstartled him into crying out. Echoes of

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No answer, just a storm of wow goldhail that lashed at him cruelly. He stumbled and

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The necromancer spoke directly buy wow goldto Kel'Thuzad then in a voice that was no

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Relentless, the cheap wow goldwraiths did not permit him to stop.
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You will never catch me unaware, for wow goldI do not sleep, and as you should have

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Kel'Thuzad had long since torn his wow goldrobes, and his
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leggings were useless against the icy rock of the rough-hewn stairs. His hands

and knees left bloody tracks behind wow goldhim as he struggled up the last spiral. The

throne radiated bone-chilling cold, and mist surrounded it. A throne not of crystal, but of
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ice.

Immortalitywow gold can be a great boon. It can also be agony
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the likes of which you have not yet begun to fathom. Defy me, and I will teach

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beg for death.

He came within a few feet wow goldof the throne and could go no farther, pinned

helplessly beneath the thing's overwhelming wow goldaura of inhuman might and hatred.

Anwow gold unseen force bore down on him and ground the side of his face into the

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words escaped him.

Finally the pressure eased. The wow goldwraiths flitted away, but he knew better than to

rise. Doubted, in any wow goldcase, that he could. His eyes, however, unwillingly
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sought out hischeap wow gold tormentor.

A set of plate armor was seated wow goldwithin the throne, rather than upon it.

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thatwow gold no light at all was buy wow

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sanity.

The ornate spikedwow gold helm obviously doubled as a crown. It was set with a single

blue gem and, like the rest of the armor, appeared empty. In one gauntlet, the figure wow

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clasped a massive sword whose blade had been etched with runes. Here was power. Here was
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despair.

As my lieutenant, you will gain knowledge cheap wow goldand magic to surpass your most

ambitious dreams. But in return, wow goldliving or dead, you will serve me for the rest

of your days. If you betray buy wow goldme, I shall make you into one of my mindless
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ones, and you will serve me still.

Serving this spectral wow goldbeing--this Lich King, as Kel'Thuzad was beginning to think

of him--would assuredly bring Kel'Thuzad great power... and damn him for all wow

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eternity. But that knowledge came far too late. Besides, damnation had little meaning without the prospect of true
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death.

"I am yours.wow gold I swear it," he said cheap wow

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hoarsely.

In response, the Lich King sent wow goldhim a vision of Naxxramas. Small black-robed

figures stood in a broad circle outside on the glacier. Their arms, visibly wreathed wow

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in dark magic, rose and fell in time with a droning chant that eluded Kel'Thuzad's understanding. Tremors shook the

earth wow goldbeneath their feet, but they kept casting.

You will go forth and wow goldbear witness to my power. You will
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be my ambassador to the living, and assemble a group of like-minded people to

further my plans. Throughcheap wow gold illusion, persuasion, sickness, and force of

arms, you wow goldwill establish my hold upon Azeroth.

To Kel'Thuzad's wow goldastonishment, the ice cheap wow

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shifted and cracked, and the top of a ziggurat pierced the frozen ground. A building was being pulled
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up out of the soil. While the robed figures redoubled their efforts, the vast

pyramid continued its impossible emergence. wow goldChunks of dirt and ice flew outward

with explosive force. Soon the entire structure had broken free of the earth's embrace. wow

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Slowly but surely, Naxxramas rose buy wow goldinto the air.

And this will be your cheap wow goldvessel.

2007年6月18日星期一

Road to Damnation

his continual harassment grows buy wow goldtiresome. I was in the midst of important

studies, delicate magic that requires weeks of preparation and ritual." Kel'Thuzad had been forced to wait for hours, fuming

at the insult, before he was permitted the bare courtesy of confronting his accusers. The group's apparent spokespersons,

Drenden and Modera, had long been two ofcheap wow gold his most vocal critics.

Nonetheless, they would not have launched this latest inquisition without support from Antonidas, who had yet to show
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himself. What was the old man up to?
Drenden snorted. "That's the first time I've heard your sort of magic called 'delicate.'"

"An ignorant cheap wow goldopinion from an ignorant man," said Kel'Thuzad with cold

precision.

A distant voice spoke to him then, the voice of a friend. By now its remarks had grown so familiar that they felt like his

own thoughts. They fear and envy you. After all, buy wow gold thanks to this new course

of study, you are continuing to gain in knowledge and power.

There was a sudden flash of light, and a cheap wow gold scowling gray-haired archmage

appeared in the hall. A small wooden chest was tucked under his arm. "I would not have believed it if I
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had not seen it myself. You have abused our patience for the last time,

Kel'Thuzad."

"The venerable cheap wow goldAntonidas graces us with his presence at last. I began to

think you had fallen ill."

"Age frightens you, doesncheap wow gold 't it?" Antonidas snapped. "You realize there's

only one alternative."

Let him think so, if that comforts buy wow gold him.

Calming somewhat, Antonidas said, "As for my health, you need not have concerned yourself. I was merely busy elsewhere."

"Searching my chambers for cheap wow gold evidence of forbidden magic? You should know

better."

"True, your chambers bore no such evidence. buy wow goldThe warehouses you own in the

northlands, on the other hand..." Antonidas gave him a disgusted look.

Damn the man for being a self-righteous snoop. "You had no right--"

Antonidas tapped his staff to the floor, silencing him, and turned to the other magi. "He has turned the buildings into

laboratories for a series of foul experiments. buy wow goldSee for yourself, colleagues.

Behold the fruit of cheap wow gold his labors." He opened the chest and tilted it so that

all could see.

The decaying remains ofcheap wow gold several rats. Two were still scrabbling clumsily at

the sides of the chest in a vain attempt to escape. Several magi bolted to their feet, and there was a hubbub of dismay. Even

the golden-haired high elf who had been sitting in the back of the room seemed startled, though Prince Kael'thas was a man

whose age made that feat cheap wow gold nearly impossible.

Turning back to the captive rats, Kel'Thuzad saw that they had collapsed and stopped moving. Another set of failures,

apparently. No matter. Someday he would create buy wow gold a stable undead specimen. His

hard work would be vindicated. It was only a matter of time.

There are loose cheap wow goldthreads in the spell that silences you. Shall I show you

how to unravel it?

Time, and his unknown ally, whose enigmatic cheap wow gold voice occasionally helped him

to move one step closer to his goal. Show me, he thought.

A young woman arrived in another flash of light. buy wow goldAs she went to stand by

Antonidas, the high elf's gaze followed her with troubled, brooding intensity. But Jaina Proudmoore took no notice; she was

utterly focused on her cheap wow goldduties. The handsome prince didn't stand a chance.

Her vivid blue eyes spared Kel'Thuzad a curious glance. She took the box from Antonidas, who explained, "My apprentice will

see to it that the chest and its contentscheap wow gold are incinerated."

The woman inclined her head and teleported from the room. Across the room, the high elf frowned at the spot she had vacated.

Under othercheap wow gold circumstances, Kel'Thuzad might have found the silent drama

amusing. However, left unchallenged, Antonidas was continuing his tirade. Mutely seething, Kel'Thuzad
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resumed his efforts to free himself.

"We have permitted this cheap wow gold state of affairs long enough. Rapped his knuckles

occasionally for his more questionable pursuits. Tried to guide him. Now we find he has been practicing evil magic. The name

of the Kirin Tor is fast becoming a curse on the lips of the local cheap wow

gold
villagers."

"You lie!" Kel'Thuzad burst out, cheap wow gold and a few of the magi were his again,

waiting for him to offer an explanation. "Peasants remember the Second War just as well as we do. Say what you like about the

orcs; their warlocks wielded great power. Power against which we had precious little defense.
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We have an obligation: we must learn to wield and counter these magics

ourselves."

"To form an army of dead rats, their cheap wow gold unnatural existence measured in

hours?" Antonidas asked dryly. "Yes, my boy, I found your journals, too. You kept quite detailed records regarding this

abominable enterprise. You cannot mean to use these pathetic creatures against cheap wow

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orcs. Assuming, of course, that the orcs should ever emerge from their current lethargy, escape the internment camps,

and somehow manage to become a cheap wow gold threat again."

"Being younger than you hardly qualifies me for buy wow goldboyhood," retorted

Kel'Thuzad. "As for the rats, they are the gauge by which I measure my progress. It is a standard experimental technique."

A sigh. "I am aware that you cheap wow gold spend most of your time in the north these

days. Your increasingly lengthy absences were what caught my attentioncheap wow gold in

the first place. Yet even you must have heard that the king's new tax has given rise to civil unrest. Your selfish pursuit of

power could incite the peasantry to revolt. Lordaeron would be engulfed in civil war."

He hadn't known about the tax. Antonidas buy wow goldmust be exaggerating. Besides, true

magi would focus on matters of greater substance. "I will be more discreet," he offered, gritting his teeth.

"No amount of discretion cheap wow gold could possibly hide a secret of this magnitude,"

said Drenden.

Modera added, "You cheap wow goldknow that we have always walked a fine line in order to

protect our people without becoming a danger ourselves. We dare not sacrifice our humanity--not in appearance, and certainly

not in truth. At best, your methods cheap wow gold would see us condemned as heretics."

It was too much. "We've been called buy wow goldheretics for centuries. The church has

never been fond of our methods. Such sentiments notwithstanding, we are still here."

She nodded. "Becausecheap wow gold we avoid dark magic, which leads to corruption and

catastrophe."

"Because we are necessary!"

"Enough." Antonidas sounded weary. To Moderacheap wow gold and Drenden, he added, "If

words alone could have reached him, they would have done so before now."

"I have heard your words," Kel'Thuzad buy wow goldsaid in exasperation. "Merciful gods,

I have heard them until I am sick of them! It is you who will not hear mine, and put aside your antiquated fea--"

"You mistake our cheap wow goldpurpose here today," interrupted Antonidas. "This is not a

debate. At this moment, your properties are being thoroughly searched. All items tainted by dark magic will be confiscated

and, once identified to our satisfaction,cheap wow gold destroyed."

His nameless ally had warned him this might happen, but Kel'Thuzad had not believed. Strange. He felt almost relieved that

events had come to thischeap wow gold pass. The need for secrecy had limited the scope of

his work, hindered his advancement.

"In light of the evidence," Antonidas said heavily, "King Terenas has agreed with our judgment. If you do not abandon this

madness, you will be stripped of your rank and holdings, and you will be exiled from Dalaran--indeed, from all of Lordaeron."

His mind racing, Kel'Thuzad bowed and left buy wow gold the hall. Doubtless the Kirin Tor

were keeping his so-called disgrace quiet, fearing repercussions should his actions become public knowledge. For once, their

cowardice would work in his favor. His wealth would never line the king's coffers.

pack of wolves stalked cheap wow goldKel'Thuzad for miles, just out of spell range,

before they fell behind. Glancing warily over his shoulder, he saw them snarl and flatten their ears before darting away.

Thankfully the arctic winds were dying out as well. In the distance he could make out the summit, a bleak mountaintop, the

sight of which gave him a sense of triumph cheap wow gold and foreboding. The very peak

of Icecrown. Few explorers had ventured onto the glacier, and even fewer had survived to tell the tale. But he, Kel'Thuzad,

would scale its buy wow gold heights alone and look down on the rest of the world.

Unfortunately almost no maps cheap wow goldexisted of the frigid continent of Northrend,

and he found them woefully inadequate, like the supplies he'd proudly packed for this journey. Uncertain of the path ahead

and his ultimate destination, he could not cheap wow gold teleport. Not sparing himself,

he staggered onward. He had lost track of how long he'd been walking. Despite his fur-lined cloak, he was shivering

uncontrollably. His legs felt like pillars of stone: awkward and numb. His body was cheap wow

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beginning to shut down. If he didn't find shelter soon, he was going to die out here.

Eventually a glint of light drew his gaze:cheap wow gold a stone obelisk carved with

magical symbols, with a citadel beyond it. At last! He hurried past the obelisk and crossed a bridge
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of what looked like pure energy. The citadel's doors opened at his approach,

but he stopped short.

The entryway was guardedcheap wow gold by two grotesque creatures that resembled giant

spiders from the waist down. cheap wow gold Six narrow legs supported each creature's

weight; the other two limbs were attached like arms to a vaguely humanoid torso. More fascinating than the creatures

themselves, though, was their current state. Their bodies showed an assortment cheap wow

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of open wounds, the worst of which had been roughly bandaged. One guard's arms were bent at improbable angles. Ichor

oozed from the other's fanged maw, but the guard made no effort to wipe it buy wow

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Despite the familiar stink of cheap wow gold undeath, the guards showed no sign of

confusion, unlike Kel'Thuzad's rats. The spider-like creatures must also have retained most of their original strength and

coordination. Otherwise, they would have made poor guards. Their creatorcheap wow gold

was clearly a skilled necromancer.

To his surprise, they moved aside to let him pass. Unwilling to question his good fortune, he gladly entered the citadel,

which was significantly warmer. cheap wow goldIn the hallway ahead was a battered statue

of one of the half-spider creatures. The building itself was of recent construction, but the statue was quite old. Come to

think of it, he'd seen similar statues in the ancient ruins he'd passed through on his buy

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way north. The cold wascheap wow gold slowing his wits.

At a guess, the necromancer had conquered a kingdom of these spider-like beings, successfully converted them into undeath,

and taken their treasures as the spoilscheap wow gold of war. Exultation filled him. He

would surely learn great things here.

At the end of the hall, a cheap wow goldgigantic creature lumbered into view: a grotesque

mixture of beetle and spider. It approached him at a deliberate pace, and Kel'Thuzad observed that its towering body sported

an even greater number of wounds and bandages. Likecheap wow gold the guards, it was

undead, but its sheer bulk made him feel more frightened than impressed. He doubted he had sufficient skill to vanquish such

a monster, much less buy wow gold raise it from the dead.

The creature greeted him in a deep bass voice that reverberated within its ponderous body. Although it spoke perfectly

understandable Common, the sound chilled him.cheap wow gold Strange buzzing and clicking

underlaid its words. "The master has been expecting you, archmage. I am Anub'arak."

It had both the intelligence and motorcheap wow gold skills for speech--astonishing!

"Yes. I wish to become his apprentice."

The huge creature simply looked down at buy wow goldhim. Possibly it was debating

whether he would make a tasty snack.

He cleared his throatcheap wow gold nervously. "May I see him?"

"In due time," Anub'arak rumbled. "Thus far, you have devoted your life to the pursuit of knowledge. An admirable goal.

Still, your experiences as a mage cannot have prepared you for serving the master."

What could have inspired such a speech? buy wow goldDid the majordomo consider

Kel'Thuzad a rival? That was a misconception to dispel as soon as possible. "As a former member of the Kirin Tor, I have more

magic at my command than youcheap wow gold could probably imagine. I am more than

prepared for whatever tasks the master gives me."

"We shall see."