A sudden BANG rings out of the Ringing Deeps, near Opportunity Point. The various flora and fauna scatter from the sudden influx of noise and hurled debris as a wall of rocks is forced to give way. A passage deeper underground reveals itself once the dust clears.
The Machine Keepers already have their hands full trying to tend to the Awakening Machine and undoing the damage done by the previous Machine Speaker to investigate, and the Kobolds are preoccupied with daily existence. The ‘outsiders’, as they were collectively known as, already took notice of an influx of goblin activity near the area. Once word of this most recent development spread, they swarmed to it like moths to a flame.
–
Right on time, as he predicted. Ain’t sure why I expected anything less.
Guuah looks down from a high position with Ticker perched on his right shoulder, away from the crowds of individuals swarming towards the new opening leading deeper into Azeroth’s depths. He was inside his favored ride, Mobius 2. A heavily customized dirigible often used by Delvers, it has been maximized for speed and little else. The wings have rocket thrusters, the giant balloon has a rocket thruster, and all that heat the engine is generated is filtered out by an elaborate exhaust system of around half a dozen pipes, all belching flame.
It’s hardly subtle and calling it a fire hazard is a vast understatement, but it’s fast, and what’s more important to a Timewalker than being punctual?
Revving up the engine, Mobius 2 roars to life and starts zooming towards the opening, zooming over the heads of those below.
Various goblin folk, seem to be fightin’ the adventurers. Wait, what…
He flies by a series of pipes, seemingly draining some sort of resource. He also notices some slimes and slime like creatures. This is not an uncommon sight to any goblin of any stripe, as there’s always at least one conducting experiments. All things considered, getting slimed was one of the more positive outcomes.
Looking beyond the plant, he sees something beyond it. Something that seemed to be not of this world. Pillars that look more like flesh as opposed to stone reached up to the ceiling, with the terrain blighted and twisted into a mockery of it’s former self. Rivers of a viscous looking liquid flowed like water. The stench was overwhelming, but he couldn’t quite place what it smells like, except otherworldly.
Near the ceiling, the area seemed littered with stars. And despite the very real stone roof over his head, it somehow seemed endless.
Black Blood.
This substance seems to be a running theme in recent events. The Nerubians used it for their ‘Ascention’ rituals, but why would goblins, especially Gallywix, care for it? How would they even manage to contain it even if they found a use?
The use of Black Blood has very significant consequences, but at least the Nerubians were predictable. Goblins? Outside of their obsession with money and explosions, there’s no way of knowing just what they would be capable of with this stuff. Or worse, who they would sell it to.
It didn’t take long for Guuah to understand just how dangerous this can be for the timeline. This needed a solution, and it needed one quickly.
Ain’t got time to wait for these adventurers to do their thing at their leisure. Just gotta find a good perch, load up a long distance slug, line up my shot on that fat blastin’ mug of his, and–
BANG!
While Guuah was planning his assault, the wing of Mobius 2 clipped one of the stone pillars while he was gawking at the nightmarish sight beyond. The impact causes the wing of the craft to rip right off, and immediately the dirigible started yawing and descending towards the ground at a relatively sharp angle.
“Blastin’ hell…!”
He struggles to right the vehicle, turning back the way he came, away from the nightmarish ‘forest’ but it soon became clear that the vehicle was no longer skyworthy. He quickly removes his safety restraints and with a leap hurls himself out of Mobius 2, with Ticker squawking mechanically behind him.
A loud explosion is heard as Mobius 2 crashes into the stone wall, shattering into various pieces. It didn’t take a mechanic to judge that it was unsalvageable.
As Guuah started careening to the floor of the caverns, he flips himself to be right side up, and with a press of a button on his belt activates anti-grav thrusters on his boots. With a relatively gentle push, he floats backwards a short distance before the thrusters gave out. This allowed him to instead skid to a stop on his feet as opposed to becoming a mess.
He looks to the wreckage that was once Mobius 2, with the flames reflecting off his shades. The week started off bad when he was assigned this job, and it’s only getting progressively worse.
And he hasn’t even made it to Undercity yet.
Looking around himself, and brushing off the dust on his armor, he looks for a means to progress further. He sees above him some sort of drilling station, complete with a huge drill. It seemed to be some sort of tunnel system?
Adventurers seemed to be swarming to the spot. Maybe that’s his in.
Activating his cloaking field, he sprints up to investigate without drawing attention to himself. He sees adventurers lining up and being escorted in after being checked in by some goblin officials.
Ain’t sure I’m sneakin’ in…
He sees a crowd of individuals: A tall human, a gnome with pink pigtails, and a dracthyr swearing armor that seemed to be perpetually on fire, in addition to a greatsword that also seemed to be perpetually on fire. Yet the armor was glaringly blue.
He slides in between these individuals as his cloaking field is giving out, revealing him and his shiny Timewalking garb. He stuck out much like, well, a goblin in a group of individuals usually associated with the Alliance.
The tall human hands papers that they were provided for passage. The goblin at the station looks over the party. She is of average build, wearing a brimmed white hat with a similarly white uniform.
Naturally, the other goblin with the hourglasses emblazoned on his pauldrons did not escape her notice.
She tips her head down and looks at Guuah, scrunching her nose a bit as she peers at him. “And this guy? He with ya?”
The rest of the party turned towards Guuah with a very confused expression on their faces. Not wanting to relish in all the newfound attention, nor give them a chance to answer in his stead, he speaks up:
“Mercenary. Work with these here Alliance folk all the time. Ain’t all of us are Bilgewater, y’know.” Guuah’s voice was monotone, to the point. Not much emotion behind it.
The tall human, a bearded man who had simple clothes on, looked down at the goblin himself. He arches a brow. “I don’t recall asking you to come along with us. In fact I never seen you before in–”
“Oh, I was sent here to help ya, by uh. Khadgar.” It was the first name that popped into Guuah’s head. “Y’know how he goes on 'bout how Azeroth’s in danger and we’re the only folks who can save it and all that. He hired me to come on down to join ya.”
The human put a hand to his chin as the gnome and dracthyr watched, still confused by the situation they found themselves in. “Hmm. That does sound like something Khadgar would do, but–”
“AHEM.” The goblin drillkeeper interrupts the human again, crossing her arms and tapping a black boot to the earth. “Yous got a line behind ya, pal! Gimme the paperwork and go!”
The human nods and hands over the papers. Pulling out a notary device that resembles a quill, but is metallic with a button on the back end of it. She taps this button and a metallic tip, similar to a quill, appears and is already soaked in ink.
Wonderous thing, technology.
The drillkeeper scribbles on the papers, signifying that these people had an extra person that was not listed. “Ya good to go, pal. Note yous paying a fee for bringin’ the gross yellow guy in with yous. Bill will be in the mail.”
The human, and the party, shoot a sidelong angry glare at the goblin who forced himself into their group, but not wanting to hold up the line any longer than they had to… “Thank you, miss.”
They start to make their way to the drill, with Guuah in tow.
–
The drill was, surprisingly, very well furnished. Cushioned seats lining the sides, with condiments and a functioning restroom in the back. From Kaja’kola to disposable burgers, it had anything a traveler to Undermine needed.
Guuah was prepared to sit down, before a firm hand grasped his shoulder.
“Do you mind explaining yourself? That hundred gold I’m being charged is coming from somewhere, and it’s sure not us!”
Thankfully, Guuah’s line of work has taught him Common, in addition to a number of other languages. He takes a step back and shrugs the human’s hand off his shoulder, taking a staggered stance. The gnome and the dracthyr seemed more interested in talking to one another, as they certainly weren’t paying the bill.
“Listen, pal, I needed a way in, and ya lot provided. Sorry it came at a cost but sure ya will make it right on back.”
This did nothing to appease the very angry human, his hands clenching into fists. “You aren’t sent by Khadgar, are you? Just who are–”
The human seems to have a tendency to be interrupted, as the drill starts coming to a screeching halt, with Guuah leaning forward from his planted position and the human flat out falling on his back. The gnome and dracthyr were comfortably sitting and suddenly turned to see their friend in his new position.
The gates open. “Maybe another time. Have a good one, pal.” And Guuah steps off the drill, leaving the party to sort out their debt.
–
It’s a busy time at reception, with gatekeepers making sure that newcomers aren’t bringing in anything dangerous. Well, dangerous beyond established limits. Various goblins are coming and going, carrying crates of various things and of various sizes. It’s impossible to know they contain.
People of all kinds are among them, getting sorted through all sorts of paperwork and, naturally, fees associated with said paperwork. Alliance, Horde, anything in between wanted access to Undermine.
The noise was enough to make Guuah feel ill. The huge swarm of people didn’t help any.
He approaches a lone uniformed man, clad in the same outfit as the goblin from earlier, with a brimmed hat and white uniform. “Right, need to do a quick check on you, standard procedure.” He raises some sort of electrical device, humming ominously as he waves it over Guuah’s person. The hum soon grows into a high pitched wine.
“I do have a gun on my back, y’know.”
“Yeah? What about all this other stuff? Bombs, some sorta traps, it looks like? Bunch of metal bits and–”
“Self-defense.”
The scanning goblin looks to Guuah, dead in his eyes for several uncomfortable seconds. Guuah doesn’t flinch, or move. It was a very awkward stare in stark contrast to the hustle going on around them.
Finally, the uniformed goblin breaks out laughing. “Oh, I’m pulling your leg, bud! Hah, always so fun to make you new folks nervous. Yeah, all that stuff is fine 'round here.”
Guuah only replies with a sigh of annoyance and a curt, “Sure.”
“Ah, jeez. Well, welcome to Undercity, pal! Enjoy your stay. No refunds.”
The uniformed goblin steps to the side and motions Guuah in. In the corner of his eye he sees the human and his party talking to a small group of other goblins. They seem to be clad in darker uniforms but he can’t get a good glimpse at them.
Thinking nothing of it, Guuah turns his eyes forward to the bright spectacle before him. The many streets sprawling out into a urban jungle, gaudy lights and decorations littering any spare bit of ground not paved over. The greedy and the desperate hawking their wares to any who will listen, with a lot of socializing besides.
Then his attention was brought to the huge building located at the other end of the city. A large, imposing building, with enough lights to power multiple Alliance and Horde cities alone.
If I had to guess, Gallywix is hidin’ in there. Let’s make this quick.
Seeking refuge from the huge crowd and the nonstop sights and sounds, Guuah quickly makes his way into a series of alleyways. They were damp, moisture dripping along the sides of the cheaply painted walls, with a scent best described as ‘unpleasant’. Still, it beat the onslaught the main roads brought upon his senses.
Don’t wanna talk to any of these folk, get the job done and leave.
As a Timewalker, he knows it is best to be discreet. His entrance alone annoyed him more than it should because he had to reveal to others that he’s here, but thankfully no one seemed to recognize what his occupation is. Maybe thought he was some rich big shot with his armor.
The less others know he’s here, the better. Not that he’ll find common ground with the rest of the people here. Especially the goblins and the cartels.
I’m gonna have a vacation after this. Blastin’ dragons can deal with this nonsense themselves. Ain’t even supposed to be
Guuah interrupts his thoughts as he turns around behind him. He’s in the middle of a dark alley with no lights save for the artificial sky above him. There are multiple small nooks and crannies that one can slip into. He swears he heard footsteps stepping in a puddle…
He waits a few moments. A few more. All is silent.
He turns back around and moves a bit further, and hears it again. This time he quickly withdraws his RX-5000 “Moneyblaster” shotgun and it revs to life, steam expelling from the sides of the barrel as inner machinery powers the long gun. Once more he rotates around, his gun at the ready.
“Who’s there? Show yaself!”
Silence.
Guuah holds his gun with one hand as he reaches to his side, where his Freezing Trap is located. He grabs the device and begins to hurl it back the way he came when suddenly–
“Heya pal, ya lost?”
Guuah turns once more in the direction of the voice. At least where he thought he heard the voice. “Who–”
A sharp impact suddenly slams into the back of his head, and all goes dark.
