forsaken conspiracy

The quarantine cells at the Scarlet Monastery are as comfortable as regular quarters - the mattresses are thin but clean, as are the sheets. The bars and locks are the only sign that the occupants are not fully trusted to have the run of the Monastery.

There is a standard doctrine to arrival of supply caravans to the Scarlet Monastery, and the cursed Scarlet caravan operators follow it to the letter, wheeling their wagons to a halt in a designated area within easy reach of the archers on the parapet. "Halt! Who goes there?" calls the hail from the guard commander on duty. "Supplies from Tyr's Hand!" comes the response.

Though the majority of Daniel Bates' conspiracy has been rolled up, there are still a few loose ends. Daniel Bates himself is still at large, as are a number of the senior apothecaries and deathstalkers he took with him. There are a few known cells, such as the one at the Sepulcher, which must still be dealt with. And, of course, their original plan to infect the Scarlet Monastery had included an assembly point, which Ezra had been given.

It is only mere hours after Nerai returns to the Defiant that a messenger brings a note addressed to her. The note reads: "I must speak with you on a matter that concerns your friends. Come alone, or if you do not, ensure that your friends are not seen." There are directions to a mausoleum in the great Graveyard near Brill. The note is simply signed with an M and a stylized gear.

The Sepulcher of Silverpine was once nothing more than a common graveyard. However, most of its original population was removed to fight for the Scourge during the Third War - some of which regained their free will and returned to dwell there as Forsaken.

The Defiant sails over the once-vibrant forests of Tirisfal. Though the trees still live, the forests are somber and quiet; not so much a sense of virulent decay as the stillness of the grave. The Scourge left its mark on the land, and its present inhabitants have little interest in revitalization.

For now, the naga menace seems to be on the retreat. The draenei and their furbolg allies have pushed back the creatures of the sea on all fronts. But the scouts in the outer ocean, led by the lamia Ssudran, report that the naga are sending wave after wave of reinforcements, limited only by the numbers that can pass through the narrow ocean fissures.

The Battle for Tides' Hollow was two days ago, and yet the words of the Forsaken agent, who had stood by the naga warlord's side, still echo in Ezra's head: "You who call yourself Ezra Pyreborn: Your wife and child hate you now. If you wish to be reconciled with them, you must join with us. Go to the Sepulcher in Silverpine, and speak the name of Timothy Lammas. You will be recognized."

A few days later, Luciel Starwhisper comes to Saeren and tells her that the Sentinels and the Warsong Clan have come to a tentative agreement to join forces against the naga of Azshara. "But we need to send word to Astranaar of our plans," she says. "And my sentinels have reported that the furbolgs of Greenpaw have grown restless. It's no longer safe to travel the roads."

The next day, the three companions are led to a smaller meeting hall within Grommash Hold. There, they are greeted by one of Thrall's advisors, who bears curious news: Daniel Bates, the being named in Ezra's note, apparently committed suicide three months ago.