The woman walked quietly through the storm-soaked streets of a small village just north of Ferelas. Her ears gave a gentle twitch as she pulled the hood of her cloak above her head keeping her head low as she glanced at the cobble work below. Alnarra was on a mission to find answers, and if that meant employing less then ethical tactics, so be it. The druidess had always known that Section 28 had gone to great lengths to compartmentalize information. Even as the commanding officer of the organization there were always projects and matters kept away from her peering eyes.
One such project came to her attention though a small anonymous letter in the mail. The envelope had no markings, no scent, and the letters were all taken from a mixture of books and newspapers. Questioning the postmaster proved less then helpful and attempting to trace the letter had been fruitless. The contents though bared a matter that Alnarra thought might be worth investigating.
Project Snowclaw
DRK 135.23 – 123.35
You need to know
That’s all the letter included, a simple message with a set of coordinates found in the norther region of Darkshore. Though ravaged by the war with the Horde, the druidess had managed to find her way to the area to scout the coordinates. Sadly, when she arrived there was little more then rubble and ancient ruins long since abandoned, but she refused to give up on this curious lead.
Hours of research in her small campsite, digging through countless missives and buried reports had lead her on what seemed like a goose chase. She had determined the coordinates given in the letter once served as home to a Section 28 Laboratory constructed during the initial wars with the Satyr after the sundering.
Based on the information available it involved what later became the druids of the pack, long since sealed away in the Emerald dream. Finding the pieces and collaborators on the project proved difficult and even after multiple visits to the war-torn site of the lab the druidess was still left with little.
Yet she persisted. One comes to learn that in the industry of spy craft random messages often mean a great deal more. Her research into this ‘Project Snowclaw’ had led her here, this small village in Desolace. Looking through the tents there was a mixture of creature inhabiting the small trading village. Tauren, Centuar, Kaldorei, Goblin, Orc and Troll all made their home here. This village did not belong to the horde or alliance, it did not take part in the war. It was simply home to those who lived there.
Looking down at her notes, the druidess casually glanced around, she was here searching for a researcher who had been at the Darkshore labs, and afterwards taken to living a life of seclusion in this place. Asking the locals for a name did little and it became apparently quickly that whomever this researcher was they had gone to great lengths to ensure they not be found.
Skins, leathers, and the stink of boiling fat loomed heavy on her mind as she went tent to tent holding out a small artist rendition of the man she was looking for. But at each stop she found nothing but blank stares, confusion, and annoyance.
Perhaps she had gotten the wrong village, or perhaps the information was outdated. In a period as turbulent as the last 30 years, even information only days old could be made irrelevant by the constantly shifting sands of war.
And then the knife blade was pressed against her throat…
“Why do you search for a man who has been dead for ages?” a voice whispered into her ear, a drop of spittle splashing against her neck.
There was a grumble, but she finally spoke “I come searching for answers which he may have”
The blade pressed closer causing the druidess to take a sharp breath as she prepared herself for a fight. Alnarra steeled herself however, violence was a last resort and she had no intention of spilling blood today.
“Tread carefully into research abandoned or buried, you might find the answers leave corpses” the ragged voice whispered once more.
“I’m not afraid of such answers, I gave such worries up when I accepted my role in helping to create those corpses” she retorted, her silvery eyes darting to the side, trying to catch a glance of her would be assailant.
A small laugh followed, and the blade retracted “Alnarra Stargrove, Former Commanding Officer of Section 28… I thought I might see you one day”
As the blade moved away the druidess spun around to look upon the source of the voice and what stared back at her could best be described as Nightborne, she raised a curious eyebrow “If you come for my blood then you just missed your opportunity”
“Quite the opposite, I have been expecting you commander, though I did not think Section 28 would so quickly dismiss such a project” the Nightborne snickered
“Project? Project Snowclaw” The druidess retorted.
“Yes… No” the man responded “Both,” he took a deep breath “I am the researcher you seek”
“You are nightborne” she stated flatly
“And so, was your wife for a short period of time was she not?” the man retorted
A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she nodded. This was some manner of illusion magic. Given the skills and capabilities of some of Section 28’s greatest researchers she grew increasingly unsure of whether or not the man standing in front of her was really there, or if he was what lay hidden behind layer after layer of disguise.
“Be clear then, if you know of Project Snowclaw, what is it?” the woman asked “Why would someone want me to know about it?”
A snort and a laugh, followed by a roll of the eyes “You” he responded simply before looking around “Perhaps it is better to ask some of the victims though hmm? I hear rumor that stationed in the great woods of the north, where the wind swept tundra meets the frozen troll empire, there lay an old worgen man who can answer your questions”.
And with a whisper of the wind the man vanished into the air around them leaving the druidess eyes scrambling to find answers.
This had only lead to more questions and more frustration, and she suspected that it was far from over. She would have to head back to the Enclave and Storm Glaive in Ferelas, less her trips start to draw more attention, but for now at least she had a lead
