Medivh's Journal

formspring.me

2010-02-20T13:01:00.001-08:00

Understanding that there are bound to be lots of variations, what's a "typical" day like for you? Every day I wake up and cast a cleansing spell which beats indoor plumbing any day. Then I check my email before morning meditation. I do it in this order because meditation really doesn't do much for me besides lower a constant sense of urgency that I would otherwise have and if I find that someone has emailed me asking for something urgent... well, that sense is quite useful, then, isn't it? After meditation, assuming I have no urgent business to attend to, I will go see what Moroes has prepared for breakfast. I admit that when I do have urgent business I will sometimes go without breakfast which will upset the poor castellan, but on this hypothetical day I indulge in a scrumptious breakfast of bacon, eggs and garlic toast. After breakfast, I set about my day. With the Lich king no longer a threat, the days have generally been filled with preparation for the...

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formspring.me

2010-02-10T14:10:00.001-08:00

Ask me anything http://formspring.me/Medivh

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Prophecy Made, Doom Foretold

2009-10-12T12:20:00.000-07:00

It's difficult to bring people to action about the end of the world now-a-days. Last month I visited BlizzCon to warn all the most important people about Deathwing and now, a month later, people are still worried about the frozen zombie locked in his citadel. Don't get me wrong, the Lich King is a grave threat. But, guys! Worldwide cataclysm! C'mon, now. You can't tell me you're not concerned about that. I tell you Deathwing is about to show up and what do you do? You rush back into his daughter's lair to make sure she's dead, and then you go right back to Icecrown. Really?? You're not gonna storm Deepholm and get Deathwing while he's down?? Sure, the way might be blocked for now, but I'm sure a few gobblin explosives or gnomish drills should do the trick. When I warned Thrall of the impending doom of the Burning Legion, he didn't sit around in anticipation. He took action! He rallied the Horde and moved out to Kalimdor! I'm beginning to think that maybe all adventurers are humans...

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On Cheating

2009-07-15T15:18:00.000-07:00

Ok, I've been catching a lot of flack for the way in which I run chess games. Aparently, it's not appreciated when you try to make things interesting by healing the king, speeding things up or catching peices on fire. Normally I would agree that changing the rules of the game mid-game is an unfair way to win. But I'd like to address a folly in the way people approah my particular brand of chess. Let's be clear from the very start: this is not your average game of chess. From the very begining it's clear that you're playing by completely different rules - house rules - my rules. The rules are made clear before you start and they include: "WARNING: expect the unexpected!" Which is pretty redundant now since people always expect me to "cheat." That's another thing. "Cheat" is just a term I use for another aspect of the game. An aspect I use to raise the stakes when things are becoming a little more interesting than I had expected. The average player can't go for more than, say, 5...

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The Secret Life of Mages

2009-06-18T17:52:00.001-07:00

You may have noticed I haven't updated in a while. This is not an accident. You see, before I was resurrected I was pretty seclusive, only coming out of Karazahn when someone needed some official guardian business. Even when I came back during the Third War, I may have addressed several people, but I never got directly involved. (That was the point, after all... if Azeroth doesn't need guardians, then my getting involved would defeat the purpose.) I had started thinking that perhaps my affinity for the shadow of secrecy was due to the influence of Sargeras, and so I started reaching out a bit more... getting a Twitter account and starting an online journal and so forth. I have recently realized, however, that there was a reason no one really thought it was entirely odd that a mage such as myself locked himself away in his tower for so long. Mages always do that. Mages have secrets. Their mysterious ways are directly related to the danger involved in their studies. A single...

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Observations

2009-06-11T12:50:00.000-07:00

When I tell people I can see the future, it's often misunderstood. So I rarely do. What I "see" is less an image than it is a feeling, or a strong intuition. Oftentimes, my journeys are based on these intuitions. I get a feeling about what is in the future for Azeroth, and so I investigate in order to give them a clear warning beyond the simple "HUMANITY IS IN PERIL!" spiel. But there are times when my mind is silent and the voices of the future fail to reach my spirit. In these times, I often study the current age and make predictions about what will occur based on extrapolation. In recent studies, a few things occur to me: 1) Murlocs are a formidable race. Hear me out. Since the discovery of these creatures, every sentient being has been out to get them. They even once threatened to wipe out the Darkspear Trolls until Thrall and the rest of the Orcs came along to help them out. Part of me believes that the Murlocs are just as intelligent as any of the Horde or Alliance races,...

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The Maelstrom (part 8)

2009-05-29T12:54:00.000-07:00

Many very powerful beings make use of avatars for various reasons. Sargeras made one to trick my mother into thinking she could defeat him. Yogg'Saron made one named Sara to lure adventurers into his lair. There are plenty of reasons to make an avatar, but to do it right one needs access to tremendous amounts of magical power and energy. You can make an avatar look like whatever you want and perform whatever task you need done, but the one thing that really makes an avatar and avatar is the fact that it is connected to its creator. Connected is not strong enough a word, though. The fabric of the avatar's being is intrinsically woven into its creator's mind. As we stood outside the door of Queen Azshara's chamber I briefly wished I'd had an avatar to go in my place. The queen is an ancient and powerful being, as beautiful as she is deadly. As leader of the Kaldorei, no man could resist her charms. It was said that she made use of some powerful spells to enhance her perceived...

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The Maelstrom (part 7)

2009-05-28T15:49:00.000-07:00

It has been generally accepted that Naga look like aquatic dragon-ish, snakes with no legs and sometimes a few too many arms. There are slight variations, for example snakes for hair, large fins, shells, etc. However, the male of the species tend to be the dumber, stronger ones while the female tend to be the more intelligent leaders. Because of this, the males always look bulkier while the females have a more petite frame. And when the mouse roars at the lion, the lion jumps. Three 7-foot-tall, lionesque Naga with shell-like helmets swam in my direction at the behest of what looked like a serpentine maid. I was certain of two things: 1) these were non-magic users; easily beaten if I could keep them at a distance. 2) Sharaniss had fled. I did not see him run off, but I held little doubt that when confronted by the guards of his own government, he would rather flee than be faced with treason charges. I conjured up a ball of arcane energy that should be sufficiently powerful to...

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The Maelstrom (Part 6)

2009-05-21T13:11:00.000-07:00

I stepped up to the gate. Two burly guards attempted to intimidate me with their glares. They might have stopped me if it weren't for two factors: Sharaniss was behind me, and I had a ring bearing the symbol of Azshara. It was still interesting that they let me alone, however. I expected them to at least open the gate. "The gate is not locked," Sharaniss explained as he slithered ahead of me and opened it. "As I said, don't be fooled." I walked up to the gateway curiously and reached my hand out. With my hand straight in front of me, I took one more step and my hand stopped on an invisible surface. The force of my hand created a purple ripple emanating from my hand to what appeared to be a huge dome much like the one that used to be over Dalaran during the reconstruction. The difference here was that it was invisible to the eye until touched. I put the ring on my finger and touched the dome again. It seemed to bend a little to my touch. If my theory was correct, I could open...

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The Maelstrom (part 5)

2009-05-18T13:58:00.000-07:00

Nazjatar, the capital city of the Naga, was built from the vast ruins of the ancient Kaldorei city of Zin'Azshari. After the Well of Eternity imploded, the city which surrounded it, Zin'Azshari, was drawn to the depths of the sea and a great rift was errected around the ruins of the well. The surviving Kaldorei, changed by the Well's energies into Naga, reconstructed the city into the walls of the great rift and renamed it Nazjatar. These two cities hold only two things loosely in common: pieces of their architecture, and the rule of the beautiful queen, Azshara. Riding up onto the edges of the city, it was clear that the architecture had some elven influence, but it made some definite marks of its own. The great, sharp hills of the Rift were visible in the distance surrounded by a great palace surrounding what looked like bright sunlight beaming from inside deep canyon. The buildings, including the palace, looked like coral. They were well-crafted, and organic in their...

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The Maelstrom (part 4)

2009-05-16T09:27:00.001-07:00

It was the Naga's turn to laugh. Since he had so much more experience with water-speech, he allowed the flow of water to run freely through his throat and tickle his vocal chords easily. A simple fire spell and a serious face was enough to shut him up. The flicker of the flames within my palm lit up my face with an intimidating flair. And my slithery friend was silent. Somewhere around this time Frost Nova broke. But the Naga was smart enough not to leave until I allowed him to. "The Well of Eternity was destroyed millennia ago, land-man," he finally said. "A never-ending storm rages at the surface, magic is more powerful here than anywhere I have experienced and the Burning Legion still tries to invade Azeroth from the Outlands. The Well was made by the Titans to be the heart of all magic on this world and yet... this world still uses magic. It should not, could not be so easily destroyed. Perhaps it doesn't exist in the same form as it once did, but I cannot believe it was...

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The Maelstrom (part 3)

2009-05-14T21:30:00.000-07:00

I learned something new about Frost Nova that day. I learned something that the Naga have probably known for quite some time. It doesn't work like one would think it should under water. As one of the Naga swam toward me, I focused my magical energy on a spell that, on land, would send a wave of solidified air at the enemy. I had no idea how this spell would act under water and there was no time to test it. Thankfully, it worked well. In fact, it worked more powerfully than I had hoped. It shoved the attacking Naga back and knocked him unconscious. The other two were casters, so they stood farther back. When the wave of solidified water hit them it was nearly dissipated and they were only slightly struck in the middle of casting a spell. I calculated that they were just about as far as a Blink would take me. Thinking quickly, I surmised that a Frost Nova would create a circle of ice around me, capturing my enemies and floating them to the surface unable to break free. I...

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The Maelstrom (part 2)

2009-05-08T23:48:00.000-07:00

In their arrogance, the Kaldorei (Darnassian for Children/People of the Stars, aka Night Elves), wielded the power of the Well of Eternity foolishly, summoned demons to Azeroth and destroyed the world as they knew it. The Highborne (Quel'dorei, "Children of Nobel Birth") of the Kaldorei, a privileged few and their queen, Azshara, were presumed destroyed along with their glorious monuments. Their vast cityscapes and beautiful cultural heritage was lost to history... but those who sank beneath the ocean survived. The Well of Eternity has transformative powers. It turned whatever humanoid race originally dwelt near it into the Night Elves. And when the Night Elves fell to the bottom of the ocean along with the Well, it turned them into a being far more evil, fierce and amphibious than any previous. The Naga. The lingering power of the destroyed Well gave them water-breathing lungs, a serpentine appearance and a ferocious demeanor. Not all the Highborne became Naga, mind you. ...

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The Maelstrom (part 1)

2009-05-08T09:55:00.000-07:00

To most it is merely an unending storm in the middle of the Great Sea dividing Kalimdor from the Eastern Kingdoms. Boats and zeppelins go around it and still face a raging sea that some fail to survive. Learning to fly after learning raven form is difficult enough, but it was all I could do to maintain flight through the wind and rain. I finally landed on a small island near the Eye. This would generally be considered a bad idea, but the Maelstrom has been raging for thousands of years. Any kind of brush and rubble that could possibly be blown in my direction has long since escaped the island's shores. The only thing threatening to knock me off my feet onto the hard, smoothed rocks was the wind and the sharp pellets of rain. I felt stronger. Magic was in no short supply here. I knew immediately that this was because of the Well of Eternity. Millennia ago, the ancient ancestors of the Kaldorei discovered this tremendous source of magical energy. They built an empire around...

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The Argent Tournament

2009-05-03T22:21:00.001-07:00

At first I was skeptical about the reason for holding a tournament on the Lich King's front doorstep. It seemed diversionary. A step backward from an otherwise (relatively) successful campaign against the Lich King. After observing the activities I can safely say there is nothing to worry about. Since the dawn of the most primitive civilized races, competition has been at the root of our training for war. When we weren't fighting, we were playing, and playing kept our skills at peak performance. This is what the Argent Tournament seeks to do: keep our skills a their peak while we gain our strength and wait for the Lich King to make a mistake... show a weakness. Unfortunately, weakness is something he does not allow himself. Even over the Tournament, his shadow hangs. The Black Knight sits ominously in a tent just outside the Horde and Alliance tents. He waits for who-knows-what, gathering information and intimidating contestants. And, apparently, murdering innocent...

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Magic and the Addiction Thereto

2009-04-27T22:28:00.000-07:00

The following audio clip can be used for many purposes, and I will probably reference it again in the future, but my purpose in this entry is to focus on Mae'Than's defense of magic. Let me backtrack a bit. Raven form has many boons. For example, I am able to be places where people cannot see me. I am able to spy, if you will, on the happenings of true events. As an example, the deliberations on the induction of the Sin'Dorai into the Horde. When I looked into that particular meeting, I knew it would be an historic event. I therefore recorded it with a magical audio recall spell. In the following recording, representative Mae'Than of the Sin'Dorai approaches the counsel lead by Cairn Bloodhoof and makes his case for why the Blood Elves should be officially accepted into the Horde. [Download here] I think the representative's argument for magic speaks for itself. Magic is, indeed, a powerful force and is something to be wielded wisely. But one should not mistake the...

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Is Nothing Sacred

2009-04-27T13:23:00.000-07:00

It has come to my attention that my mortal enemy (literally, the enemy that was released upon my display of mortality) started bloging long before I started my new journal. Aside from this, Lor'Themar Theron, Regent Lord of Silvermoon, started blogging just today. Though I may disagree with his governing tactics, he does make a fine list of mixed drinks. Finally, the current and most deadly threat to Azeroth, the Lich King, shares his feelings on the Internet as well. Here's the problem with this: if Sargeras has found his way into the Internet system of earth, it won't be long until he finds the portal that connects it to Azeroth! On the same token, the Lich King may very well be already looking into ways to invade Earth after his conquering Azeroth! And on top of all this, the Regent Lord of Silvermoon will get all of Earth's women (and possibly men) drunk on Mana Potions before he invades in his own special way! Needless to say, we should all be very concerned.

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Medivh's Ravin' Peeps

2009-04-21T16:23:00.000-07:00

Vegetable oil (for the pan) Powdered (confectioner's) sugar 2/3 cup cold water, divided 2 envelopes (2 tablespoons) unflavored gelatin 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar 1/2 cup light corn syrup 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Regular sugar for decorating Tiny amount of melted chocolate for decorating Bird-shaped cookie cutter Spell Book Nethercrystal Line the bottom and sides of a 13- by 9-inch baking pan with plastic wrap; oil and then generously dust bottom and sides with some powdered sugar. In the bowl of an electric mixer, place 1/3 cup cold water; sprinkle the gelatin over the surface. In a heavy saucepan with a tight fitting lid, add sugar, corn syrup, salt, and remaining 1/3 cup water; stir to dissolve sugar. Cover the pan and place over moderately low heat. Remove the cover after 4 to 5 minutes. The steam will have caused any sugar crystals to dissolve and the syrup will be bubbling lightly. Increase the heat to high, insert a candy thermometer, and boil the...

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The Peaceful Warchief

2009-04-01T10:25:00.000-07:00

Orphan, slave, gladiator, warrior, Warchief; the story of Thrall, son of Durotan, is a story that should never have been, but now that it has, Azeroth will never be the same. I personally took part in Thrall's story, though at the time I knew little more than that he was the leader of his people. My plan counted on the Orcs moving west and to do that I needed him to lead them there. I knew he was a powerful Shaman, a wise leader and an advocate for the old ways of the Horde. And of course he knew me, if he didn't recognize me at first. I was the one who helped corrupt his people into demonic magic and brought them to Azeroth. But that was before he was even born. Thrall's father, Durotan, chieftain of the Frostwolf clan, was one of only a few Orcs who opposed the Orcs' turning to the ways of the warlock after the Shamanistic ancestors cut themselves off from the descending race. Because of this, when the Orcs came to Azeroth, he was exiled to the Alterac Mountains and...

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Ulduar Stirs

2009-03-29T15:04:00.001-07:00

Long ago, before the most ancient recorded texts of Azeroth's history, the Titans roamed the universe seeking to make order out if chaos. One particular planet they fancied was Azeroth. This planet was controlled and subjugated by powerful forces of evil, the Old Gods, who manipulated the elemental forces like puppets. Before the Titans could order this planet, they needed to take care of these gods. An epic war ensued. In the midst of this war, the Old Gods, finding themselves at a disadvantage, linked themselves to the planet. If they died, Azeroth was destroyed. The Titans had no choice but to bury the Old Gods deep under the surface of Azeroth. One such god has already been dug up. C'Thun, the great Eye overlooking Ahn'Quiraj from below, has submitted to the power of many adventurers. But one many times greater exists in the far reaches of the frozen north. In the Titan prison of Ulduar, Yogg'Saron has been freed and has overcome the minds of his keepers. This was the...

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Wintergrasp

2009-02-06T12:02:00.000-08:00

It has been long since I updated, and for that I apologize. But I wanted to be absolutely sure that what I was about to write about Wintergrasp was completely accurate. Because it seems quite unlikely. Yet knowing the mindless tenacity of the fight between the Horde and the Alliance, it somehow makes sense. The Horde and Alliance seem to always need something over which to fight. It seems to be in their nature. The Warsong Gulch, the Arathi Basin, Alterac Valley; they even took the war to another world with the Eye of the Storm in Outland. Today they carry on the struggle in Northrend on two fronts: the Strand of the Ancients and Wintergrasp. Wintergrasp used to be an unimaginably cold frozen lake. The Taunka, Tauren of the north, frequented this lake for the prize fish that lay beneath its frozen surface. The lake has since dried up (my unconfirmed theory is that this is the Lich King's doing) and left something a bit more valuable in its wake. Found beneath what used to...

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Tensions in Dalaran

2009-01-22T17:55:00.000-08:00

For the past few weeks I have been exploring Northrend. I realized that as I was entering things in my journal next to weekly I may have missed out on a few things along the way. The Vrykul, for example, while I first stumbled upon them in the Howling Fjord, have made a massive comeback in Icecrown. As undead minions. Yes, I have now officially been to every place in Northrend and I will begin to write some entries that contain some good information on the history and current events that are the most important. With the Wrathgate behind us, the Alliance and the Horde have intensified hostilities and have, as they are able, been fighting tooth and nail. It's nearly impossible to find a suitable place to settle down. I tend to find it most comfortable spending the night in a tree as a raven. Which doesn't allow for writing very well. However, Dalaran, the Kirin Tor and Rhonin have been very... inviting. Of course, they don't know that I am Medivh, and I hide out mainly in the...

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The Feast of Winter Veil

2008-12-17T23:12:00.001-08:00

I've always loved this time of year. Even though most of my life I failed to recognize it. While I was under the control of Sargaras, not a single joyful thought cross my mind, but there were glimpses when I saw the snow falling and heard the carols being sung that I dared to risk the rebellious thought: "Let's be happy." Winter Veil is a tradition passed down for eons celebrated mainly by the Taurens and the Dwarves. It celebrates the time when Greatfather Winter, a Titan of old, would wander across the earth and veil the ground with his white robe to usher in a time of renewal for all of Azeroth. The Taurens celebrate this season as a reminder to rest and renew under their great druidic forces. The Dwarves celebrate to remember their great genealogy which heralds back to the Titans themselves. The Goblins exploit the season to sell joy and merriment for a pretty penny, but they may be forgiven if the citizens of Azeroth remember what the holiday is all about: a joyous time of...

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Our Ancient Enemy; My Old Friend

2008-12-15T10:28:00.000-08:00

In recent history there has been three major events which lead to their most notable and deadliest foes. The first was the creation of the Scourge. Although the Forsaken were born out of those Scourge that found their own will, it can be safely said that most Scourge will remain pathetic wretches who, if they could think anything, would be thinking, "please kill me." The master of these scourge at the time was the Lieutenant of the then-absent Lich King: Kel'Thuzad who ruled from his floating ziggurat, Naxxramas. Kel'Thuzad was the unbeatable enemy who survived raid upon raid of those adventurers who sought both glory and Azeroth's freedom. Many came back with reports of his death, but somehow... he survived. The second notable event was the reopening of my Dark Portal. When this happened, all the forces of Azeroth stormed the ancient homeland of the Orcs which is now known as the Outlands. The self-proclaimed ruler of this land was Illidan, the corrupted demon/Night Elf. ...

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The Old Gods (part 2)

2008-12-14T17:33:00.000-08:00

The Old Gods they called themselves. And so they were to the ancient inhabitants of Azeroth even before the Night Elves. They proved to be a powerful force until the Titans arrived and pitted these "omnipotent" beings in an ages-long war hoping to defeat their strangle-hold of chaos with the establishment of order. This is a war that these beings lost and it left the survivors to wonder what kind of gods are able to be defeated by being buried under dirt. It is theorized by some and spoken in hushed whispers that the Night Elves evolved from from Trolls. Given the elves proven ability to adapt rapidly to changing circumstances (see the Naga and High Elves), it is not a far stretch to imagine that before the time of the elves, the trolls roamed the land and worshiped (or were forced to worship) the the Old Gods. It is then not a far stretch to believe that tribal feuds were responsible for the loss of their knowledge. But what does one do when one loses a god? He finds...

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