The Princess and the Turtle (part 8)

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Emperor Huizong, Emperor Shaohao, Hozen, Iron Qon, Kun Yomi, Kun-Lai Summit, Lei Shen, Lorewalker Cho, Mogu, Monkey King, Pandaren, Pandaria, Protector Shaohao, Thunder King, Valley of Emperors, Warcraft, World of Warcraft, WoW, Yaochi, Yi-Bo Shen, Yu Gwai

Princess Yaochi stood in the burial chamber of the Thunder King, facing off against the two mogu warlords, one of whom stood in her way for the last couple of days. On her side stood only a Protector of the Golden Lotus she just found in the same tomb and a particularly smart turtle. The battle seemed hopeless, even more so considering what the warlords just said. Yaochi was shocked that they were happy to see her, that they claimed to have orchestrated everything… how could it be?

“That’s impossible,” she finally said, looking between the two smiling monsters, “you couldn’t have possibly planned everything.”

“Not everything,” Kun Yomi responded, “but we planned enough. You see, Qon’s consort has already read the tablet when you found her. We knew we needed blood…”

“…that didn’t come from a mogu,” Iron Qon interrupted, “so we left her to fight you. If you lost, we would have blood from you.”

“If you won,” Kun continued, “you would doubtlessly come here to fight us. So we get your blood anyway.”

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The Princess and the Turtle (part 7)

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Golden Lotus, Iron Qon, Kun Yomi, Kun-Lai Summit, Lei Shen, Lorewalker Cho, Mogu, Pandaren, Pandaria, Protector Shaohao, Ra-den, Thunder King, Titan technology, Valley of Emperors, Warcraft, World of Warcraft, WoW, Yaochi, Yu Gwai

The dull, rough noise of a man hitting stone was filling the room. Yu Gwai wasted no time trying to get himself and his companion free. Hours have passed, and if they waited even a short time more, the day would come again and Yaochi would be left with only a turtle to help her – one of very limited combat capability. However, despite the warlord’s best efforts at breaking the stone with the sheer mass of his body hitting repeatedly against it, the only result was bruises and exhaustion.

The princess just sat on the stairs, covering her ears from the noise and trying to think of a solution. Although she knew Yu Gwai was trying to help them, the noise was starting to get annoying. For hours she looked for a button or mechanism that would release the slab standing in the doorway, but to no avail. She was wondering how Kun Yomi could have known so much about these ancient mechanisms, but then she remembered he was alive when they were constructed. Still, she thought, he couldn’t have been around when the original thing, hidden behind the tomb, where Diaochan found the tablet, was constructed. Perhaps… there she could find something that would save them.

The Princess and the Turtle (part 6)

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Diaochan, Iron Qon, Kun Yomi, Kun-Lai Summit, Lei Shen, Lorewalker Cho, Mogu, Pandaren, Pandaria, Thunder King, Valley of Emperors, Warcraft, World of Warcraft, WoW, Yaochi, Yu Gwai

The princess and the turtle were meandering through the Valley of Emperors, trying to avoid the mogu troops suddenly populating it and to find a clue as to what they were doing at the same time. So far, they had no luck with the latter. They hid in every nook and cranny they could find and managed to avoid combat, but they didn’t know anything more than they did couple of hours before. Yaochi kept wondering why wouldn’t the Monkey King tell them more, or why wouldn’t he just defeat them himself. She felt resting this responsibility on the hands of a child – thinking about herself as a child for the first time in years – was just irresponsible, but what else could she do now?

As the day was drawing to a close, Yaochi was lying down on a ledge above one particular tomb, observing the movements. Two mogu soldiers stood guard over the entrance, nearly motionless. This particular property of the mogu always surprised the princess. They were always so similar to their statues. When a pandaren wanted to make a statue of himself, it took a lot of work to get a resemblance half as perfect. But the mogu, not only could they simply freeze in place like a statue, their skin was like stone and their statues looked so much like them. Little did she know how spot on she was about their nature.

The Princess and the Turtle (part 5)

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Diaochan, Hozen, Iron Qon, Kun Yomi, Kun-Lai Summit, Lei Shen, Lorewalker Cho, Mogu, Monkey King, Pandaren, Pandaria, Thunder King, Warcraft, World of Warcraft, WoW, Xuen, Yaochi, Yu Gwai

Yaochi and the turtle slowly approached the temple, sneaking out of the sight of the mogu. The girl had hoped the mogu would soon leave and she would be free, but life is rarely that easy. Although neither side wanted to attack, they were both ready to fight at a moment’s notice. Iron Qon just sat atop his red quilen, grinning his fangs at the temple’s defenders. When Yaochi got close enough, she noticed something even rarer than the ancient warlords that seem to be coming out of the woodwork lately. She saw a female mogu. A tall, slender figure, red-skinned and beautiful in her own way, although still unmistakably mogu.

She remembered in this moment an old tale about the consort of Iron Qon, Diaochan, a woman as ruthless and ferocious as she was beautiful. Diaochan was a vicious woman who hid her true colors behind her powdered face and elegant dress, making the impression of a demure and obedient lady. But Iron Qon knew the true fire that slept underneath these robes and those who heard the tales about her knew it too. But every now and again someone would underestimate her. Coupled with the infamously chronic backstabber Iron Qon, these two together meant trouble.

The Princess and the Turtle (part 3)

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Kun Yomi, Kun-Lai Summit, Lei Shen, Lorewalker Cho, Mogu, Pandaren, Pandaria, Shan Jitong, Thunder King, Warcraft, World of Warcraft, WoW, Yaochi, Yu Gwai, Zouchin Province

The mogu warlord towered over poor Yaochi, slowly approaching her with his arms stretched out and ready to grasp her. She couldn’t seem to catch a break. Whenever she managed to get away from one enemy, she only fell into the hands of another. Still, something was different about this Yu Gwai. His skin seemed less metallic and his hair looked almost like real hair of a real person, not the unmoving coiffures of most mogu which looked like carved from sandstone. Despite all the differences, he was still snarling at her and posturing to attack. But why?

“Why are you attacking me?” she said, pressing her back against the stone wall. “A moment ago you were helping me!”

“Not me,” Yu Gwai barked back, “the turtle did.”

She raised her eyebrows in surprise. “But you are the turtle!” she replied.

“Not quite,” the mogu said before reaching out to her. Yaochi closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, preparing to be hit… but then another voice filled the air, and a familiar one at that.

The Princess and the Turtle (part 1)

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Ao Guang, Emperor Huizong, Kun Yomi, Kun-Lai Summit, Lei Shen, Lorewalker Cho, Master Chang, Mogu, Pandaren, Pandaria, Thunder King, Vale of Eternal Blossoms, Warcraft, World of Warcraft, WoW, Yaochi

Long ago in Pandaria, far before the Sundering has torn Old Kalimdor apart, old Emperors ruled the land. Although the first emperor was the tyrant Lei Shen, a hopeless horror who enslaved every living thing in Pandaria, slain gods and defeated ancient Keepers, once he died and his original Empire crumbled, the people of Pandaria saw the need for stability one powerful ruler will provide. Thus, the first of the Pandaren Emperors was crowned and his dynasty ruled for centuries to come, as gentle and just rulers.

In time, the first Pandaren Emperor’s descendant, Huizong, ruled on the Jade Throne in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms. He had no sons, which troubled his court greatly, for at this time, only a son could succeed his father on the Imperial Throne. However, he had one daughter, who he had great care and respect for. His daughter, Yaochi, was trained to be all his possible successor could be. Trained like a boy, she resented her father, claiming he only ever wanted a son, not her. But despite this resentment, young Yaochi still loved her father and did what he commanded.

One day Princess Yaochi was being driven in a carriage to the Peak of Serenity, to get her lessons from the wise, old monks that resided there. As the carriage was driving through the snowed mountains of Kun-Lai, she was looking out of the window and thinking of everything she could see all across Pandaria, if only her father didn’t take up all of her free time with exercises and lessons in the palace. She didn’t even pay attention to Master Chang, her father’s court advisor and monk, who was trying to prepare her for her lessons, instructing her about everything awaiting her.