User:Joshmaul/Saavedro of Stratholme/Competing for Honor

This details the exploits of Saavedro of Stratholme in the Argent Tournament, put on by Highlord Tirion Fordring in the wastes of northern Icecrown.

The Tournament of the Argent Crusade


With the Old God Yogg-Saron unleashing his forces upon the continent of Northrend and the Scourge stepping up its operations against the mortal races, Saavedro received an invitation from the Argent Crusade to journey to a tournament ground in northeastern Icecrown. There, aspirants of the Alliance and the Horde were trained for battle, to see who among them would become the champions needed to take the war to Arthas at last. Intrigued, Saavedro mounted his flying machine in Dalaran and flew across Icecrown, presenting himself as an aspirant of Stormwind (being the kingdom that represented the majority of humans in the Alliance). Since he was no longer on speaking terms with King Varian due to the king's rather closed-minded views about allying with the Horde against these new threats, Saavedro was sponsored by Marshal Jacob Alerius, the Grand Champion of Stormwind. When the time came for him to carry the banner of the other nations, Saavedro received the personal backing of each of their race's leaders.

Saavedro began his training as an aspirant by learning mounted combat, something he had not worked on while training to become a paladin many years before. He was given a lance and taught how to thrust with it while mounted, how to break a defensive shield, and how to weaken an opponent before charging into it. His initial trainers were members of the Silver Covenant, the high elves who controlled the Alliance district of Dalaran, and opposed allowing blood elves into the Kirin Tor. When he had proven himself to them by battling the Scourge of Icecrown, collecting lost weapons from all across Northrend and practicing mounted combat, he was allowed to take the challenge of a valiant, utilizing all he had learned against a living opponent - in this case, an Argent knight. Taking his lessons well, Saavedro defeated his opponent and earned his second flag, marking him as a valiant of Stormwind. As a valiant, Saavedro faced other valiants in the duelling ring and - after getting used to live targets - began to defeat them with some regularity. He journeyed to a small Argent encampment in the shadow of Icecrown Citadel itself and did battle with the forces of the Scourge sent to face them.

While he did tasks for the Tournament - which included chopping down trees in Crystalsong Forest and collecting fallen masonry from the region around Ulduar for use in the construction of a grand arena on the tournament grounds - Saavedro also learned of a figure known as the Black Knight. Claiming to be a member of the Cooper family of Westfall (or as Ordevaas Portalseeker - representing Silvermoon - later discovered, the Valgan family of Silverpine), the Black Knight was believed to be responsible for murdering competitors. Investigating the Cooper house in Moonbrook, Saavedro found a dusty journal in the abandoned home, and found no mention of children. Ordevaas' investigation of Silverpine found a similar journal, revealing that none of the children born to the Valgans would have lived long enough to become knights by the time of the tournament, if they had survived the plague in the first place.

His suspicion piqued, Saavedro returned to Northrend, took a seer's crystal from one of the satyrs of Crystalsong, and investigated the deaths of the murdered competitors. One was poisoned, one was burnt alive, and the other stabbed from behind - and all evidence pointed to the Black Knight, as these knights had sparred with him and were scheduled to face him. Locating and stunning the Black Knight's squire, Maloric, he found a toolkit of murderous items, including poisons and flame-creating materials that were used to kill two of the competitors. Given an enchanted bridle, Saavedro mounted the Black Knight's gryphon and flew to his encampment on an island off the northern coast, where Saavedro found a stolen tournament invitation and orders that undoubtedly came from Icecrown itself, to disrupt the tournament...

Champion of Stormwind and Fall of the Black Knight


After completing the valiant's challenge and defeating a champion of the Argent Crusade, Saavedro was declared Champion of Stormwind, and granted the three pennants that denoted that rank. He was also allowed the use of his own squire. General Oren Tanis, one of his comrades from the Lordaeron Deathsworn, suggested that Saavedro take his eight-year-old son, Vorian II, as his squire, and Saavedro agreed.

With Vorian II carrying his pennants, Saavedro stepped onto the back of an Argent warhorse stabled near the Ring of Champions and decided to call out the Black Knight himself. With his lance tightly held in one hand and the reins tightly held in the other, Saavedro battled the Black Knight on his gryphon in a surprisingly quick and easy fight, leaving Saavedro to wonder exactly why the Black Knight was so feared by the rest of the tournament goers. Setting that question aside, Saavedro returned to the Silver Covenant's pavilion to become a valiant of another Alliance city - this time, of Darnassus.

Crusader of the Argent Tournament
After several months, Saavedro underwent the trials of the valiant for each of the cities of the Alliance. He had already proven himself as part of the Argent Dawn, then the Argent Crusade, but determined to maintain his training for the coming battle in the soon-to-be-completed Coliseum. In all, Saavedro faced five champions of the Argent Crusade in battle, and beat every single one, earning himself the rank of Champion with the entire Alliance. As he was exalted by both the Alliance and the Argent Crusade, he was also granted the title of "Crusader", allowing him access to powerful items.

Saavedro had worked hard to train for the tournament and had also aided (albeit somewhat clandestinely) in the construction of the Coliseum where the tournament would take place. After months of work and dealing with the threat of the Scourge disrupting the games, the Coliseum was completed, ready to receive champions who would fight within the great arena...

Return of the Black Knight


After the death of the Black Knight in the Champion's Ring, Argent Confessor Paletress wished for a "proper burial", despite his evil. It came as no surprise to Saavedro, therefore, that he was sent to investigate the Black Knight's grave at the Tournament cemetery, and he was even less surprised to see members of the Cult of the Damned waiting for him. Saavedro had a sinking suspicion that he knew what the Scourge was planning to do with their gatecrasher, but had to see it for himself. He received orders from Crusader Rhydalla to journey to an encampment just west of the tournament grounds, a region called Deathspeaker's Watch. At the same time, he was tasked by the Silver Covenant - with whom he had gained exalted status - in rescuing a crusader named Kul the Reckless and four aspirants of the tournament, captured by the Cult of the Damned to be sacrificed as part of the ritual to resurrect the Black Knight. Slaying cultists and taking keys to the black cages that littered the camp, Saavedro finally came up to where the Black Knight's body had been taken and confronted Doctor Kohler, the Scourge scientist who was charged with resurrecting the Knight, and taking his orders back to the tournament grounds.

Saavedro suspected that the Knight would return in the first trial within the new Coliseum...

Call of the Kvaldir


Off the coast of Icecrown, to the north of the tournament grounds, was an island that formerly held the tuskarr village of Tualiq. That changed with the arrival of the kvaldir, led by a bloodthirsty raider called Drottinn Hrothgar. The drottinn and his forces took over the island, renaming it "Hrothgar's Landing", threatening the seagoing vessels of the Silver Covenant and the Sunreavers patrolling the coast, and posing a danger to the tournament grounds on the mainland. Another kvaldir named Mistcaller Yngvar manipulated the mists that permeated the island and concealed the kvaldir and their monstrous sea beasts, which attacked the flotillas without provocation.

High Crusader Adelard, commanding the Argent Crusade defenses, tasked Saavedro with assassinating Hrothgar, while members of the Covenant wished him to steal some of their food supplies to better feed the hungry tournament participants. Saavedro mounted his flying machine and flew immediately to Hrothgar's Landing, with a stolen kvaldir war horn to summon the drottinn at a circle of tuskarr statues on the northeastern corner of the island. Aided by a rogue, Saavedro blew the horn that summoned Hrothgar, and with their combined strength easily defeated him. After slaying the drottinn, he went to the western side of the island where he summoned Yngvar inside his cave and destroyed him as well. He also collected the tallstrider legs that the kvaldir ate, sometimes taking them from the bodies of the kvaldir themselves and killed as many kvaldir as he could before returning to the tournament grounds.

The Living and the Dead
In the same region where Saavedro had fought the frost wyrm Chillmaw, between Aldur'thar and the Ironwall Rampart, the spirits of fallen heroes wandered the icy plains. Given a powerful Light-blessed relic, Saavedro flew over the valley to find Scourge skeleton magi converting the spirits into more servants of the Lich King. Taking the discarded soul crystals that covered the valley floor, Saavedro combined them with the power of the relic to bless the spirits of the dead, granting them freedom from the Lich King's grasp.

Into the Great Arena: The Trial of the Champion


As was his right as a champion of the Alliance, Saavedro entered the Coliseum with a group of others who had endured the trials of the Tournament while the Coliseum was being built. Both King Varian and Warchief Thrall were in attendance, much to Saavedro's surprise - and it was likely due to the presence of Highlord Fordring and his Argent Crusaders that they did not start fighting amongst themselves.

The first event was a joust against the Horde's grand champions. Saavedro mounted an Argent warhorse, much as he was instructed, and prepared to face the most powerful of the Horde's chosen representatives - and their entourages. As they faced the Forsaken champions, Saavedro entered into a one-on-one contest with General Settra, one of Sylvanas' most powerful servants, and defeated him. Once the champions fell, the grand champions - all at once - entered the fray. With the powers at their command, Saavedro and his comrades dismounted and handily defeated all of them.

Next, they faced the Argent Crusade's representatives - Eadric the Pure, the Crusade grand champion, and Argent Confessor Paletress, who reminded Saavedro far too strongly of the late High Inquisitor Whitemane. Eadric relied on the blinding power of the Light to attempt to gain the edge, but to no avail. Likewise, Paletress summoned memories of past battles in an attempt to slow down her opponents. It proved to be in vain, and they were handily defeated. But just as Tirion Fordring prepared to congratulate the champions on passing the trial, the visitor that Saavedro had been expecting finally arrived.

The Black Knight flew in from outside the arena and slew the Silver Covenant herald who had called forth the combatants, then entered combat with Saavedro and his comrades. Raising the unfortunate elf as a ghoul, then exploding his corpse to attempt to gain an edge, Saavedro was disgusted to see the rotting skin slough from the Knight's bones, leaving an exposed skeleton which then summoned more ghouls. Undeterred, the party continued on until finally the Knight became incorporeal, a ghost out for revenge...a ghost which was then destroyed, banishing the Knight once and for all and ending the Lich King's attempt to disrupt the tournament.

Or so Saavedro thought...

Into the Great Arena: The Trial of the Crusader


At Tirion Fordring's invitation, Saavedro returned with a larger group for the "Trial of the Crusader", a battle against an assortment of opponents captured by the Argent Crusade to be slain in the arena.

The first - and at the time, only - opponents that Tirion prepared to introduce were the "Beasts of Northrend", four mighty creatures culled from Northrend's icy reaches. The first was a huge magnataur from the Storm Peaks (no doubt a survivor of the attacks against Garm led by Saavedro, Artimus, Ordevaas and Joshmaul - not at the same time, mind you) named Gormok the Impaler, who came with an assortment of snobolds (a common entourage for a magnataur) on his back. Flinging those snobolds on the heads of its attackers, Gormok lived up to his name as he impaled the two men assigned to maintain his attentions. Saavedro and his comrades combined the powers of the Light and the elements to preserve the lives of their party. But there was no time to rest and replenish their energies - as soon as Gormok fell, Tirion announced the next fighters: A pair of jormungar called Acidmaw and Dreadscale.

Acidmaw spit a paralytic poison against the attackers, while Dreadscale unleashed fiery bile. Holding the line against the creatures, they destroyed Acidmaw first; upon seeing its companion fall, Dreadscale became enraged. With all that was left to them, the three healers again kept up their strength, enough to face the last obstacle: The yeti Icehowl, the last of the three encounters. Icehowl was another one that lived up to its name, unleashing icy breath that froze anyone unfortunate enough to be in its path. Building up its fury, Icehowl also charged against anyone it fixed its gaze upon (Saavedro was among those so targeted). Those in its path moved away quickly enough to avoid being trampled, and Icehowl stunned itself by slamming into the solid wall of the Coliseum. After about three of those charges, Icehowl fell, and Tirion congratulated the fighters on surviving the first trial.

The next fight, after Saavedro returned with a much larger group, involved a "grand warlock" named Wilfred Fizzlebang - evidently, Fordring wanted a demon to be the next challenge. Saavedro assumed that the demon the gnome summoned would be a doomguard or some other kind of large but lesser demon. To his horror, it proved to be an eredar warlock, Lord Jaraxxus...who promptly killed the gnome and did battle with the party, summoning shivarra mistresses via his portals and infernals with a volcano that cropped up out of the floor of the arena. After a brutal encounter during which time Saavedro was seriously injured, Jaraxxus fell. At that point, Garrosh Hellscream - standing at Thrall's left hand during the battles in the tournament - accused the Alliance of trying to summon a demon lord to slay the Horde's champions, to which King Varian (much to Saavedro's lack of surprise) fired back with an ego-driven insult.



When Fordring announced the next battle - a group of Argent knights - Garrosh intervened, demanding that the Horde be allowed to send in its own champions to face the Alliance party. Fordring agreed, and the party was faced with their worst nightmare: two priests, a warlock, a healing paladin, a rogue, a healing shaman, a druid, a warrior, a hunter and a death knight...all armed to the teeth and all prepared to fight for the honor of the Horde. In a brutal fight that resulted in several deaths, they destroyed the Horde force. While Varian celebrated the victory, Fordring mourned the loss of brave warriors, chiding all present that the slaughter of these soldiers only served the Lich King's desires. With that subject in mind, Tirion introduced the final challenge: A pair of val'kyr, Fjola Lightbane and Eydis Darkbane. Taking up a dark aura and gaining strength from the dark orbs that floated between them, Saavedro continued his healing spree, while the force he had joined was battling against the light vortices of Fjola and the dark vortices of Eydis, as well as attempting to prevent each one from restoring their strength, as they were linked - much like the Twin Emperors in Ahn'Qiraj, as Saavedro had heard from Artimus Devaneaux. After their defeat, Saavedro felt a sense of pride and elation. He had passed the Trial of the Crusader...or so he thought.

As the twin val'kyr fell, Tirion prepared to laud the champions for their prowess when the Lich King suddenly appeared, seeming less than impressed with the accomplishments of the Alliance champions. He reminded them that the nerubians had crafted a kingdom beneath the length and breadth of Northrend, and offered to let the champions see it for themselves...destroying the floor of the arena and causing Saavedro and his comrades to fall into a subterranean lake in the midst of very familiar architecture. And as they approached the edge of the icy "room", they were greeted by a voice belonging to a creature that Saavedro believed slain at the hand of Artimus Devaneaux - Anub'arak, former King of Azjol-Nerub, brought back once again to devour the champions of the Argent Tournament...

Dodging the swarms of nerubians and scarabs and remaining on permafrost to prevent from being impaled by Anub'arak's submerged spikes, the champions kept themselves alive as best they could. As he weakened, Anub'arak unleashed a leeching swarm to drain the lifeblood from his opponents, but that was not enough to save the King of Azjol-Nerub from his third death - and a final victory in the Trial of the Crusader.