Nouri The Heretic

[Noury]

The glowing embers of the fire were stirred up into a swirl of sparks and ash. Nouri tossed another handful of dry branches on the coals, which ignited into new flame almost instantly. The red flickering made the shadows of the Elwynn Forest trees come alive in some macabre dance.

Tomorrow he would enter the Abbey to commence his formal training. That he was even accepted into the fold was a miracle in itself. More proof of the Light's power and higher purpose for Nouri. The abbott had been sceptical at first; who wouldn't at the sight of such a dishevelled, unwashed vagabond appearing at his abbey door with the goal of receiving higher learning in the ways of the Light. But he had obviously seen the power of the Light in Nouri, as all people will in time. It was destiny, as Nouri had forseen in his visions.

Long had he wandered the wild places of the world, sleeping in caves and abandoned homesteads. He even dwelt for a time among the troggs of Loch Modan, who seemed to not recognize that he was human. But then with his unruly hair, unwashed body and tattered rags on his back, he could easily pass for a trogg.

How old was Nouri? Even he could not say. Old enough to be a man, but certainly not so old as to be considered in his middle years. Yes, there were a few streaks of grey in his wild mop of hair, but that could easily be attributed to his harsh years of wandering alone in the wild. Where did he come from? That also was a distant memory lost in time. From somewhere far up north was all he knew for sure. He obviously had a family at some point, but aside from some vague recollections of a rosy cheeked heavy grey-haired woman wiping berry stains from his mouth, and a tall toothless wiry man in overalls and a straw hat, he really didn't remember much.

Nouri wasn't even his real name, that too was a casualty of time. He had taken the name from a story he had overheard some woman years ago telling her child as they passed his cave, unaware of his presence. They were on a picnic near some lake in the east. Some tale of a boy named Nouri, who thought the world was ending..

More clear in his mind were the dead ones. The shambling, rotting forms that in his mind's eye were chasing him. Right to the lake's edge they chased him. Then there was the river which swept him away south, away from the dead ones. They still haunted his restless sleep.

Then the wandering. Years upon years of aimless mind-numbing existence, living off of grubs, roots, rotten fruits and whatever else could be scavanged. Nouri would probably still be a vagrant in the world if it were not for the Light. The Light had told Nouri not to despair, that he was being forged, tested. Soon he would be an instrument for The Light, a weapon of salvation.

That was Nouri's destiny, to save the world. Save it from the dark dangers, from outside forces, from demonic influence, yes even from itself. Of that Nouri was now certain. Obviously the Abbot had also seen this destiny, for he had accepted Nouri as an acolyte of The Light.

Soon, Nouri would spread the Word of the Light to all reaches of Azeroth! He would purge the taints and restore order. He would offer counsel and preach his visions to all who would listen.
Oh yes! … Praise the Light!

[Mortica]

((very nice! Welcome to TNG!))

[Laron]

/salute

Greetings, and welcome.

[Lovely]

((Welcome!))

[Noury]

The first sermon in Stormwind was daunting. So many people! Nouri never believed the world could hold so many together in one place.

He found a town square just across from the auction house and started preaching.

" ..Abolish any childish thoughts, and strengthen your mind and spirit. Cast out the evils of vain passions and base wickedness, and love of praise and fondness of contention, and tiresome jealousy and wrath, and anger and desire for avarice. Guard your camps and weapons and spears. Arm yourself and all the soldiers which are the words, and commanders, which are the councels, and your mind as a guiding principle.."

A few curious passersby stopped to giggle at the figure of such a dishevelled, wild looking man standing there ranting on. But only for a time. Other matters called them all away.

Nouri continued for a bit, but saw that his audience were too involved in transit to stop and heed his words. He decided to try the inns and taverns.

The first place, called the Gilded Rose, was practically empty and void of any possible listeners. Nouri stayed there for a little while to see if patrons would arrive; they did not.

Moving along, Nouri took the opportunity to explore the city in greater detail. Indeed, he was asked by someone almost immediately upon first entering Stormwind to deliver something to a vinter, a chap called Gallina.

In the section of town which was identified by placards as 'Old Town' Nouri found his first little success. In a small tavern called "The Pig and Whistle" Nouri found a pair of Night Elves and a human in discussion at a table. Discussion and drink from the looks of it.

"REPENT! "

The trio stopped in mid talk to blink at the strange apparition that had entered the tavern.

" Listen to my words, to my advice. Do not show your back to enemies and flee, but rather, pursue them as strong ones. Be not an animal, with men pursuing you; but rather, be a man, with you pursuing the evil wild beasts. lest somehow they become victorious over you and trample upon you as on a dead man. And you perish due to their wickedness.

Protect yourselves. lest you be delivered into the hands of your enemies. Entrust in the Light, and reason and mind, and no one will be victorious over you. May the Light bless you.."

With that Nouri left the Inn. They trio had been listening at least. Nouri knew that from the occasional sarcastic barb tossed his direction during his sermon. Patience, Nouri thought. All will come to understand in time.

The dwarves at the last Inn Nouri visited were the hardest. Nouri understood this and expected it. They are stuff of the earth, stone and crystal and ore. Hard and difficult to budge. Just as the earth, it would take tremendous pressures and time to move such as they, but when the DO move, it is swift and dramatic. Very confident in their ways, and suspicious of any that would offer an alternative to that. Indeed Nouri, although initially invited to sit with them, was soon left to his own devices as they immersed themselves in dwarven discussions.

Nouri pondered all this as he made his way back through Elwynn Forest for the Inn at Goldshire.

Yes, he would need to study the dwarven kind in more detail.. They would be shocked to learn how much they are similar to their distance relatives, the Troggs. But Nouri would never be such a fool as to tell them so..

Mind and Reason.. they prevail.

[Caelyn]

((Although just a tad late, let me also say Welcome and it was fun seeing you last night. I'll be seeing you around.))

[Kurohane]

((*giggles* That was great last night, Nouri. The three of us were litterally rolling with laughter. <3))

[Noury]

((*giggles* That was great last night, Nouri. The three of us were litterally rolling with laughter. <3))

((I guess no chance then you want to be a disciple of Nouri? :wink: ))

(( Seriously, I didn't know what to expect when I tried that last night. The reaction was actually better than I had hoped for. This is going to be a real RP experiment for me. I just want to be careful I'm not offending anyone who might not appreciate the "evangelical" flavor of this character. If indeed anyone has grief with this please let me know soonest..))

[Noury]

Many long weeks, that's what Nouri figured it would take to learn all he could of the Dwarven peoples.

For days now he was holed up in a cave near a semi-frozen lake near the lands that were once the doorstep of Gnomergan. Occasionally he would make his way into Kharanos, the little dwarf village just to the east of his cave. There he would preach and make prophesy. But true to their nature the dwarves generally ignored him. Every once in a while a dwarven priest would stop and listen to Nouri's dialogue, and snort some curse in dwarvish to him. No matter, Nouri expected no less. Change comes with great patience and time.

Unfortunately time was not on the world's side. Nouri understood that. The Light had told him so. Great things were happening in the world, and soon more great things would be revealed. Things long hidden away from the world, and more. Newcomers there will be. The "Shining Ones" from beyond.

This Nouri knew, and understood. This is what he felt his destiny it was to prepare all for. The coming of Great Things.

Much to do, many to teach.

But for now, those Ice Trolls in the neighbouring cave needed to be taught to keep the noise down while he prayed..

[Noury]

It was still dark outside the chill cave when Nouri heard 'the Call'. It woke him from his restless sleep and the ever present dream of walking corpses, chasing him across a farmer's field towards the shores of a large, cold lake.

It was the Call of the Light. Its message was clear; time to leave these dwarven lands and return to the south. The human city needed his presence once more, to spread his teachings and firm their resolve.

The Children of the Light needed to be ready for the darkness that approached. Always there was darkness, the Enemy of the Light. More often than naught Nouri knew the darkness to live among the dead ones, the Scourge as they called themselves, or the Forsaken. Nouri saw no difference, made no distinction.

The Children of the Light would prevail, it is destiny. Nouri would find those dedicated to their protection and pledge service to them. In that way the Light would be served..

Praise the Light!

[Teelia]

((<3 I love this character!))

[Noury]

"Run Wes, head for the lake! Don't look back son. There are too many, too ma.." the rest was lost as father was hauled down and engulfed by the surge of writhing, rotting flesh. Frozen in place for a second, then frantic running. Running to the shore of the lake. Then water, dark and cold and pulling him under. Sweeping him away..

Nouri woke with a start. He was shivering and cold. His robes were still damp from the fall he took into the Stormwind Canal earlier that evening in his blind haste to escape the young woman. Teelia had been her name.

She had encountered Nouri as he held a sermon at the fountain before the Stormwind Bank. She was just another citizen, trying to ignore Nouri's monologue and hold a discussion with a friend when somethiong had caught her attention. She had approached the base of the fountain and began to listen in rapt attention to Nouri. At least Nouri assumed it was his sermon that had attracted the pretty young woman.

But it was something else entirely.

The woman insisted she knew him! That he was familiar to her. She asked to speak with Nouri after his sermon, which he assumed would be to ask for more teachings. But the woman had started talking about her past in Lordaeron, her family estates and was fairly certain Nouri and his family once worked one of their estate farms.

A name she had, Wes..

But it was meaningless to Nouri. He was Nouri, who lived with troggs and wandered the wilderness and to whom The Light had given a mission.

He ran from the woman, and in his blind haste to flee tripped near a bridge and plunged into the canal. Immediately the cold waters engulfed him and for a moment Nouri had a flashback to an earlier time when he had once before fled from someone, or something and plunged into cold waters.

The woman, Teelia, brought him back to the present and hauled him out of the waters where he floundered.

Nouri took his leave of Teelia, but she would not let him part without promising to speak with her again sometime.

Nouri agreed, then went into Elwynn Forest to pray. He prayed fervently all night, without even bothering to change out of his wet robes. Sometime during the night he fell asleep from exhaustion under the lip of a rocky overhang. Then the memories came back in a flood..

Now, shivering and still damp, Nouri made his way back into Stormwind and went directly to the Cathedral. The abbots took him in and set him up with a warm meal and a bath. An acolyte took away his damp robes to be cleaned and dried while another led him to a cot where he could rest.

Warm and dry in the house of the Light, Nouri soon drifted off into a troubleless sleep.

[Noury]

The shout came from across the waters where the river forked away eastwards along the northern shore of Duskwood and southwards towards the steamy heat of the Stranglethorn jungle. Nouri heard it quite plainly, the sound of a woman in pain!

It appeared to come from the little island in the middle of the river. Gathering up his robes Nouri waded into the cool waters and swam towards the island. As he drew nearer the plaintif calls grew stronger. Climbing out onto the little island Nouri saw a Night Elf woman drawn up in obvious agony against the base of the island's one lone tree. Beside her was an anxious looking grey wolf, whining at his mistress' discomfort.

"Is there something the matter?" Nouri asked. But as soon as the words left his lips he already knew the reason for the woman's distress. It was plain to see, the woman was in labour!

"I...." the woman began to say, when a chill breeze blew up from behind Nouri and he heard a voice, no more than a whisper on the wind, emanate from seemingly nowhere.. " Hurry up! This form is draining my strength, tell him Jade.."

Turning around Nouri could just barely make out the vague, transparent form of a woman mounted on a fiery steed just a little distance away, watching the elven woman. Some Illusion? A mage trick? No, with a spine tingling shock Nouri came to the realization this was some sort of spectral figure, a ghost of some fashion! Frozen in sudden fear he made a silent prayer to the Light.

But the woman's plea broke his trance. "Please. I'm with child.. merely trying to find a place to birth."

Nouri knelt before the woman and asked if she could travel. Stormwind was not far, and she needed special care.

" No, I would rather birth among the forests... .. I want this to be private.." she replied. Nouri thought he heard the spectral figure whisper " Do you want any one to see you Jade?' The woman seemed distraught, but then she was about to give birth. Again the spectre uttered words. " Are you that ashamed? Ashamed of helping me to this realm again?"

To Nouri's astonishment the woman, 'Jade' as the spectre called her, answered the ghost, " No.. not at all... just.. I feel exposed..."

Nouri sighed. This was surreal, and Light only knew what this all meant.

Nouri took off his cloak and laid it out for the woman on the soft ground. "How soon is it?" he asked.

"By Elune! its any moment..." Jade answered. She then let out a cry and bit her lip to try to stifle it.

"Here chew some of these herbs, they will help with the pain", Nouri offered her some Silverleaf. The woman shook her head. " No please..I'll be fine.."

Nouri replaced the herbs then began to prepare a prayer of renewal. At least that would help with the tearing.

The woman let out another cry as the next contraction overtook her. They were coming frequently now. “I’m scared, I have never done this before” she said between breaths.

“Neither have I truth be told..” Nouri said. But as soon as he uttered those words, he knew them to be false. He HAD done this before, at least something similar. An image flashed across his mind, of a younger him kneeling before a ewe. ” That’s it Wes, the head will come first. When it does, support it and make sure the cord is clear..” The voice of someone coaching him, his father?

The woman’s water broke then with the next contraction. She uttered a squeal as the wave overtook her. The spectre spoke ” Give birth to me”

Nouri shut it out, although some part of him shuddered at the implications of those words. All that mattered was the woman, Jade, and the infant.

“Now, lay back and relax. Breathe steady between the contractions. You are crowning. I see the baby’s head.”

The woman looked at Nouri as she clawed the ground around her. The next contraction should reveal the head.

Sure enough, the head and shoulders emerged with the next push. Nouri gently supported the head and made sure the cord was clear. Another image. ” With the next push the lamb will come out Wes. Don’t pull it too forcefully. Let the ewe do the work, just make sure it emerges clear and straight out towards you. Be ready as it will be slippery.”

The woman caught her breath and got ready for the next push. When it came Nouri encouraged her “That’s it! It’s coming. One last effort dear. “ She cried out and tears streamed from her eyes. Nouri eased the infant out. It emerged covered in waxy vernix. The woman let out a mighty exhale and fell back in exhaustion.

Nouri wiped around the infants mouth and nose, then with his sharp tailoring scissors snipped the cord and tied it off with some coarse thread. From behind him he heard the spectre exclaim ”Yesss…”

The infant let out a cry as it started to breathe. Its color turned a healthy pink. Nouri wrapped the infant up in the woman’s cloak and handed it to her.

“It’s a girl!……….”

Once the placenta emerged, Nouri cast a healing on the woman. She seemed to regain strength.

“I will bless this child.” Nouri told the woman.

“Please do.. it is a new chance at life for someone...... thank you”

Nouri made the blessing, then something strange happened. The spectre seemingly dismounted from her fiery steed and dissipated into a mist. The mist gathered itself around the newly born infant girl, then was absorbed by her!

Nouri uttered a prayer to the Light. The woman then kissed the child and muttered something to herself. “a gift from Serline like she promised.”

“I think you should go to Stormwind with haste.. you need proper rest and food” Nouri told the woman. But she refused. Taking up the wrapped infant, she bowed to Nouri and departed the island.

Nouri stood there for a time, trying to make sense out of the whole experience. He decided it would need some long meditation and prayer to come to some understanding of what just happened. He could only hope his blessings would ward off any evil influence that was a work here.

[Tillna]

((niiiiiiiiiiics...if you want a better explination..I need to write it up soon...Shiggy reborn FTW!))

[Noury]

Nouri was pleased with himself. The Light had guided him true, as if there was ever any doubt. His decision to rejoin society and study with the clerics of The Light in Stormwind Cathedral had opened up a whole new world of possibilites for him.

Already he had been sent on missions for the Alliance, combatting evil in the outer reaches of the realm and spreading the words The Light gave him to speak unto the faithful. Many new peoples he has met on his journeys, or while exploring his new home in Stormwind. Most of them through his new friend, Teelia. Well, she was new in the sense that Nouri had only just been reunited with the girl after the horrors of the Scourge invasion of Lordaeron years ago. A period of his life that was still for the most part wiped from his memory. But with Teelia's help he was starting to remember more on a daily basis it seemed. She was patient and understanding and very unjudgemental. Nouri would have to learn her story sometime, to find out how she had survived in those years after the invasion.

It was she who had introduced him to the elf woman Aendra, mistress of some mercenary order called "Thorns and Roses". Truth be told, Nouri had stumbled into their meeting hall and only by the grace of The Light was Teelia present as a guest so that she could intervene on Nouri's behalf.

Aendra was a pleasant woman, with a sensible head on her shoulders. Nouri liked her plain way of speaking. One would not have to worry about how one stood in her graces, it would be obvious. At least that is what Nouri perceived, maybe the woman was just an excellent actress!

It was a measure of the impression Nouri must have made on Aendra that she a sought him out for advise on behalf of a friend of hers, a human woman named Catharine. The poor soul was in a sorry state of emotional turmoil. The nature of her problem was puzzling and intriguing. Nouri enjoyed mysteries and this one was challenging to say the least. He had taken notes and spent long hours in the Cathedral library studying the matter, looking for some historical parallels. So far nothing revealed itself. He hoped that at the very least he was able to reassure Catharine that he sensed no dark forces at work, demonic or otherwise. Hopefully his intuition wasn't flawed.

His sermons in front of the Stormwind Bank were still not attracting the audience he had hoped, but then these things took time. Nouri knew that when things were stable many people went about their business only taking a passing interest in matters of faith. It was when dire events transpired that spiritual guidance becomes more important.

The sad reality, Nouri knew, was that there would always be dire events.. He would be ready.

Praise the Light!

[Noury]

Archbishop Benedictus stood at the altar as he did everynight, presiding over the evening prayers of the acolytes.

On this evening however his thoughts were elswhere. It was a measure of the countless times he had done this that he was able to continue in automatic mode, without missing a single stanza or stumbling on a blessing.

It was the acolyte in the third row, two places in that occupied his thoughts. The one that had run in late, as he had the past few nights. What was the lad's name? Nouri, that was it. The one that looked like something a worg had dragged in.

Only tonight he looked different, almost normal. Of course that wild shock of hair still provided an affront to the Archbishop's conservative tendencies.

But it wasn't his appearance that bothered him. It was the comments he made during the lecture Benedictus had presented earlier in the day. The lecture on the 3 virtues.

" Respect. Tenacity. Compassion. These are the virtues we followers of the Light adhere and revere." Benedictus paced as he spoke, a habit of old..

"Respect is the first. Through Respect does one support and strengthen the bonds of creation. This you have already learned. It is your personal power, your place in creation to show respect for life, and thus gain the respect of the Light."

It was then that this Nouri had spoken. "But Your Grace.. what if there is no life to show respect for? What if in fact something is dead, only not lying as the dead should? Would Respect not be wasted on such? Would that not indeed serve the Shadow's purposes?"

Benedictus stopped his pacing to consider the lad. "You speak of the Scourge, and their offshoot, The Forsaken do you not?" The lad nodded.

"It is a delicate matter, that is certain. But be sure that if there is any spark of life still in those poor creatures they are still then a part of creation, and as such can add to its wonder through Respect. Once you learn the 3rd virtue, Compassion, all will become clear. If you manage to last that long."

"But Grace, did not the Paladins get created for the very purpose of eliminating that abomination? Obviously the thought was there that the undead did not serve The Lights purpose.."

Benedictus was swift to respond. " Careful lad, that path is one that leads to Shadow and sorrow, as Uther discovered. I was there remember?"

The lad didn't look convinced, but had the sense to hold any further ideas to himself.

Benedictus knew, that one would bear watching.

Finishing up the evening prayers, he decided to look in on the lad's sponsors to learn all he could of his history. He had the feeling there would be much to learn.

[Noury]

Nouri had just finished up the last of the insurgent orcs in Redridge he had been tasked to clear from the surrounding countryside when the summons came.

There was a party of adventurers in Westfall who needed spiritual support for a brave venture into the not-so secret Defias base of operations in what was known as the Deadmines.

Nouri pondered the offer then decided to accept. It would be a valuable test of his abilities. He met up with the adventurers in Moonbrook, just outside the Mines entrance. There was a well seasoned human warrior, a human rogue, a dwarf paladin and a night elf huntress. On face value, a well rounded party. We would prevail. Or so Nouri thought..

The descent into the mines was uneventful. The warrior had already cleared they way by dispatching many of the guards by himself. That was a good omen. Or was it?

The party entered the mines proper. Immediately the warrior charged the nearest Defias thug. Without missing a beat the paladin engaged the next nearest target. Nouri was caught off balance but quickly recovered and began the prayers of healing on the warrior, who was taking damage. It was then that things started to go wrong. Where was the rogue and hunter?

After a few moments, Nouri heard the rogue call out "Healing! I need healing!.." There he was, over in the corner engaging a third thug all by himself! The hunter was somewhere off in the distance shooting at seemingly random targets, all the while her pet cat was running about in a random fashion, attacking whatever moved. Nouri cast a low lesser heal prayer on the rogue then switched back to the warrior. Nouri tried to concentrate on the warrior, but he was taking tremendous damage and Nouri's heals needed to be increased. It was after that heal that the thugs became aware of Nouri.

First the thug on the rogue broke off and ran towards Nouri. Then the one the warrior was fighting joined him. Nouri protected himself with a shield and made a prayer of fading. The warrior would come and engage the thug again, Nouri knew.. but to his horror he saw the lad run in the opposite direction and engage a fresh target! Nouri called out, "I need help!" The paladin finished off his target then came to Nouri's aid. Together they dispatched both thugs. Nouri paused long enough to heal himself and replenish his mana, only to note the rogue and hunter had engaged fresh targets also!

After what seemed an eternity, the cavern was clear. As the adventurers rested Nouri instructed them, " Look, you need to stop attacking all different targets! Let the warrior take one, then the rest of you engage a second one, together! Focus your attacks. These Defias are stronger than they look. Hunter, you need to reign in that pet."

The paladin agreed. He was sensible after all. The rogue however had some words for Nouri. "Is that pathetic heal you sent me all you can do? I needed more than that!"

Nouri felt his blood getting hot. Serenity Now, Nouri.. he thought to himself. "My duty is to the warrior. If I can spare a heal for anyone else I certainly will, but not so large that it will draw attention to myself. I am not a combatant. If you all focus attacks, you will not need my healing much during combat."

With that settled, the party ventured further in. It appeared that all but the paladin had some sort of hearing disability, as the same scene repeated itself. Only this time the warrior, wielding 2 swords instead of a shield, ran off into a nearby antechamber, only to return with the largest, fattest humanoid Nouri had ever seen in tow! And he did not look happy..

When the dust settled and the chaos was over, only Nouri and the paladin remained standing. Nouri went about and revived the fallen adventurers, then proceeded to admonish them, again.

The rogue started getting snippy, made some comment about "prissy priests" then yelled out something that sounded like "Leeroy something or other.."

He then asked the party.." So, shall we try again?"

Later that night, Nouri nursed his bruised knuckles. He then offered a prayer to the rogue, who was certainly somewhere in Stormwind looking for someone to help reset his teeth..

[Teelia]

((Haha...Excellent Deadmines story, Nouri. If you want to go again, I'll gladly run with you.))

[Kurohane]

((And me too, silly.))

[Noury]

(( Thank you ! I now know what you all mean when you talk about "PUG Hell" ))

[Teelia]

((Just let me know when you want to go. We can even RP it. And if Kuro and I both go, we can wade through it pretty quick.))

[Barke]

((Don't forget about myself if I am around. Looking to beat my old record ^_^ ))

[Kurohane]

((I'm sure Xel would be up for a quick run too. Jeebus. With the five of us, we'll fly through there so fast we won't even be sure what happened!))

[Noury]

((haha! I was just thinking the same thing! If I blink I'll miss Van Cleef's massive cardiac arrest..

So.. can I at least toss the occasional heal ? Maybe cure that broken fingernail or stubbed toe? ))

(( Seriously, all I need DM for is the Staff of Westfall reward for VC.. the xp at this point is irrelevant for me.. oh and the $$ and wool is cool..))

[Barke]

((Well so far I have managed like...16 minutes or something like that....so I want to beat that record while killing everything in my path. >D ))