((I'll post the original here first.))
*The letter is written on a tightly bound parchment, kept together with a thick seal of darkened red wax. The seal shows a single sword, held vertically in the circular design, a lightly embossed halo tilted against the middle of the blade - The symbol of High Chaplain of the Crimson Crusade*
My dear Brother-in-arms, I do hope this scroll finds you well. Outside of Stormwind the battle grows darker, yet there is always hope when bathed within the Holy Light. Other than the darkest reaches of the Scourge’s touch, I see us trouncing over the vileness everyday, a step closer to bringing us to our true place in the world.
It is humanity’s burden to rule with a fair hand, and we shall in time.
In that regard, the future must be looked into. How do we deal with land and creatures we will have dominion over? In that thought process, I will be compiling a series of scrolls. The goal of these chapters is to aid the young someday, for when they take up the mantle to rebuild the realm after we’ve achieved total victory.
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The Horde
A Study in Future Use
Part One: The Upright Bovine (Classified as ‘tauren’ by unknown parties)
After having encountered many of these creatures in my travels, one thing cannot be denied; these beings are physically powerful in a way that we cannot even comprehend. Once having thought they could be nothing more than rabid beasts, my opinion concerning the tauren has changed rapidity. Though the ‘warriors’ of their blood are mainly rabid, much like orcs. I have, however, noticed several I've meet in the wild were quite tame, docile almost. Mostly the female of their breed, as I've learnt.
This has brought me to an inquiry: When the conflict ends, and these creature's masters are defeated, why wipe the land of the beasts? Our domains have suffered horribly during the past. Acres burnt or corrupted; animals diseased beyond help. Lordaeron -it pains me to even put the name to parchment- is in total ruin. We must show compassion even after all this. Whoever is dressing these creatures in armor and clothing have some hold over them. Scourge magic, I am sure. Once that link is severed, these poor beasts of burden will need a true place in the kingdom of animals. The tauren, much as we've accomplished in the distant past, can be bred into a domesticated animal.
Now, I'm sure my theories will raise a few eyebrows. They are willful, yes; however, any beast will submit if a horsewhip is used enough. Will we have upright bulls hauling crates of barley in the next few years? Doubtful. This type of conditioning takes many years to complete. In the beginning stages they will need to be watched and disciplined liberally. Once the calves are born, they will be separated from the grouping to be fed by hand, teaching them their true place under humanity’s rule. The most we could hope for, is plowing of fields during the first generation, with the use of specially made harnesses for the beasts. I am no farmer, having grown up a blacksmiths’ son in Lordaeron, so forgive my lack of knowledge when it comes to agronomic terminology.
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Now, I am sure such a plan will work. Funding it is another matter, and one I will bring up in my next missive. Until them, may the Light bless us.
Chaplain Marethelm, Healer of the Faithful, Inquisitor of the Crimson Crusade
((I’m posting just to add some flavor to the forum, and some depth to my character. Of course, you’re free to post what you want; just don’t expect me to reply to it ICly (especially if you’re Horde. Two of the four races are mindless animals to Marethelm, not thinking beings that can have a conversation). I’ll be writing more. If this is well received, I will post them in the forums.))
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.aspx?fn=wow-realm-argentdawn&t=12829&p=1&tmp=1#post12829
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Tirasa poked her fingers through the little wooden crate, making sure that the animal contained therein was still alive. She didn’t particularly like cats, preferring the canine animal type, but she knew that the Scout, Lamalas, would love this little white ball of fluff.
She sighed. Little Timmy didn’t really know how to take care of this creature very well, but, after all, he was human. The papers in the crate were soiled and smelly, and would have to be changed. And that kitten would need a very thorough bath, but that was certainly a task that its new owner would have to undertake.
Opening the cage and shielding the gap with her hand so the animal couldn’t escape, Tirasa pulled out the dirty papers and parchments, replacing them with some linen cloth she had collected in her travels. The kitten curled up into the linen immediately, and soon fell asleep, which prompted Tirasa to quickly address the crate and send it off to her friend.
As Tirasa made to dispose of the used kitten bedding, she noticed some writing upon one of the parchments. Apparently Timmy had used whatever he could find, and perhaps he couldn’t even read. She unfurled it and read, her features contorting in horror as the words became clear, even amidst the young cat’s feces.
Naturally the image of her love, the mighty and proud tauren warrior Mirk, came immediately to her mind. And the second thing that came to her mind was disbelief as to how the humans could be so incredibly ignorant, and so blind that they could not see what was presented directly before their pasty faces.
Tirasa had also just come back from Mulgore, where she had conducted an albeit novice study of the tauren ways from just beyond the tauren guard’s range of sight. She had always known that they were not beasts at all, according to the teachings of Cenarius that she had heard all her life. But spending time in Mulgore, smelling their smoking food, listening to their drums and chanting, beholding the many beautiful colors of their clothes and architecture, Tirasa had come away with a profound appreciation of the tauren society, if only a fairly shallow one. And of course it had made her love her proud warrior even more.
Tirasa immediately jotted off a request to Darnassus requesting a private audience with the High Priestess, and another to Archbishop Benedictus in Stormwind.
And then she penned another missive, heading then to SI:7 headquarters to have it delivered to this Crimson Crusade.
“My dear Chaplain Marethelm,
Your missive entitled “The Upright Bovine” has fallen into my possession. After reading it, I am reminded of how poorly humans are routinely educated. Indeed, either you have been an unfortunate victim of that system, or have completely forgotten that it was the Kaldorei who fought back the Burning Legion from Azeroth the first time they attempted to destroy it.
Furthermore, it is apparent that you have also forgotten that the Legion was again fought back by the Kaldorei the second time, along with the help of the orcs and the very “upright bovines” that you so detest. These are the very same “upright bovines” that have been blessed by those the Kaldorei worship.
Perhaps, then, before penning such tripe in the future, you should consider how the alliance would succeed against the Burning Legion without the help of the Kaldorei when they return to Azeroth.
I thank you for your attention to this matter.
Tirasa Moonwhisper
Commander of the Talons”