Apologies for the double post. I posted this in the TL3 lounge last year but Finally got the courage to post in a public area.
It came to my attention that one of my favourite side characters in Shadowlands is stuck in Korthia forever, with no conclusion to her story. I wish to end this injustice. Popo deserves to have the rest of her story told, tragic as it may be.
Part One
Marylis and Deos joined me to discuss the impossible situation our “friend” Popo had gotten into, leading to a diplomatic kerfuffle between Bastion and Korthia at the worst possible time. The Korthians were up in arms, and Popo’s trial was into its second day. Agreements had been made regarding her custody, but as outsiders we weren’t allowed to observe the trial.
“It’s just not fair.” said Marylis, “Even I didn’t know there were two kinds of Gromit!”
It’s true. None of us had learned this until the unfortunate incident. The three of us present had been carefully feeling our way through the shattered realm, conscious of the delicacy of our mission, and how important the Korthians were to our goals. The Archon was very insistent that we keep them onside. Hence our problem.
Popo was not a normal steward. Nobody knows exactly why, but she possessed a certain hubris that was absent in the normally sedate and gentle creatures. She was keen to make her mark, and didn’t always live up to the vision of herself that she held in her imagination. As one of her frequent trainers, I witnessed how her trash talking before combat didn’t exactly synch with her other “I must flee!” exclamations whenever the fight got intense. It’s why those of us who know her tend to roll our eyes when she makes the frequent claim about never abandoning friends.
Myself (In disguise) and Popo, fighting others in the Chalice District, just before Popo fled.
“It’s the potions.” Deos commented, “She chugged them like crazy! I don’t think her mind was straight.”
Stewards were never intended to be involved in combat. They’re cowardly by design, and not at all ambitious. It takes years to train a good steward. The last thing you want them to be is brave, or curious. Either one, or both can lead to incidents that require Bastion to spawn a new featherling, and a steward mama to spend years teaching and training them. Steward mamas are what the teachers who educate and care for young stewards are called. They are revered by those they raise. Statues of them are found all over Bastion that remind stewards of the skills and values taught them. Popo’s innate cowardice that was part of that steward self-preservation was in conflict with her delusions of grandeur, and being a potion maker gave her a way to overcome that.
“I blame myself for not sending her back when I caught her smuggling purians in and selling them to the locals.” I said. “But Sika was so insistent about needing a “Popo break” that I looked the other way. Then it happened.”
“So sad.” mourned Marylis “One moment you’re smashing a mindless gromit interfering with a supply run, the next you’re clobbering a beloved and respected Korthian hero!”
“First gromit Mayor” added Deos.
The fact that there is both mindless and civilized gromits came as a surprise to all of us. Popo was in one of her potion fuelled rages as she fought several screaming gromits. Dr. Gypzthxil rushed over, speaking his native language, hoping to calm the attackers down, when he found himself the victim of Popo’s hammer.
“If she had only killed him we could have argued it was an accident.” Deos muttered.
“Yes,” I agreed, “I know she was just trying to show off her latest skill, but skinning him just sealed her fate.”
Marylis wept, “His family will never unsee that!”
A horn blew in the distance, a signal that told us the trial had finally concluded. As per our agreement the Archon had worked out with the Korthians, I was to keep Popo in my custody while the deliberations went on. I had secured a cave to the south, and placed an arcane barrier across the entrance that nobody could pass in or out of unless connected with me. This would keep the Korthians out, and Popo in.
The Korthian Guards with their cyclops helmets walked behind Popo, prodding her with pointed staffs, causing her to wince in pain. Marylis scolded them for their unnecessary cruelty, but the guards just laughed.
“When justice is served on this foul beast we’ll be slowly pulling every feather one by one, and that’s just a start!” the taller one growled.
“Nobody’s been convicted yet!” I said, unimpressed. This just elicited more laughs from the guards.
“Just remember our deal.” warned the tall one, “We have people everywhere, and are watching the soul of this wretch. Don’t you dare even think of sneaking her out. The consequences would be most dire!”
“Speaking of dire consequences,” I replied, “I don’t know how familiar you are with my people, but threatening an Archmage can result in you becoming the dust that enchants my next dagger. Now unless you wish to become part of the cosmos on a more basic level, I’ll take the prisoner into my custody. You can summon me when the verdict is ready.”
The big Korthian seemed unphased by my threat, but nonetheless pushed Popo forward toward me without further comment. I don’t think I’d ever seen a more distressed steward, or a more dishevelled one. I lowered the arcane wall to let her walk into the cave, before recovering the entrance with the opaque, soundproof wall.
“Go back to camp for now.” I said to my two companions. “I don’t expect a verdict before morning, but when it happens I have no doubt in my mind what it will be. We can only hope they’ll be merciful in their punishment.” They both nodded, though I could tell they shared my doubts about Popo being treated with any shred of mercy. The Korthians were revealing themselves as a cruel and vindictive people.
Crossing the barrier, I found Popo standing in a far corner of the cave, her eyes cast to the floor. The cave smelled awful. Stewards were never the best smelling creatures, but this was something else.
“Come over here Popo. We need to talk about what to do next”.
“Cannot. Steward dirty.”
“What happened?”
“I was standing so long. Steward very tired. Steward ask for break many times but they kept pointing and yelling at steward. Then…” she was sniffling now.
“What happened?”
“Steward make a mess. Everyone laugh at Popo.” she was crying now. Stewards, despite their pungent natural odour, are extremely fastidious about personal hygiene and just as much so when it comes to modesty. Popo felt horrified and humiliated, just as her captors had wanted.
“Come over here Popo, I’ll take care of this.” As she neared I summoned a globe of hibiscus water that enveloped her up to the neck, and started swirling around her. Popo giggled.
“Water tickle steward!” she laughed. It was actually unusual for stewards to speak about themselves using their proper name. Only in a group where they needed to speak specifically of themselves does that usually happen. Otherwise they just refer to themselves as “Steward”. It was a modesty thing. Popo’s inflated opinion of herself meant that she often used her proper name all the time, which tended to irritate other stewards. Tonight she was feeling different, and was often using the more modest language a steward was expected to use.
I pulled the water globule, and the muck it had cleaned from Popo away from her and sent it flying out through the arcane barrier that covered the door, making the evening even worse for the tall Korthian guard who had snuck back to the entrance, trying in vain to eavesdrop.
“Steward clean now!” Popo chirped. She reached into the little pouch all stewards carried, with small mementoes of their lives, pulling out a little picture card. On the face was a picture of an excited little owl creature, and what appeared to be a very tired older steward who looked like it just wanted some sleep. “Popo always clean steward. When Popo was featherling, steward mama always give extra purian treats because Popo was best clean steward!” She sighed a little. “Popo wanted to visit steward mama before come to Korthia, but… Sika say hurry.” Her voice broke slightly as if she’d glimpsed something in her future. Something she couldn’t come to terms with.
“Steward hungry.” Popo said quietly, slipping the card somewhat reluctantly back in the pouch.
“I’m afraid the menu is pretty simple tonight.” I said, conjuring a tray of biscuits and water. “Mage food isn’t that tasty but it’s… nutritious.” I trailed off as the “best clean steward” obliterated the biscuits in a whirlwind of flying crumbs.
While she ate her fill, and finished covering a large part of the floor with crumbs, I summoned a small arcane brazier, and set out some soft blankets. Without speaking, Popo curled up in the blankets and fell asleep. I heard a little whimper from the troubled creature before she fell fast asleep, her exhaustion overtaking her fears. She’d been nothing but a frustration and annoyance to me the whole time I’d known her, but seeing her like this, and knowing what was coming for her stirred that part of me that has seen too many injustices in her life, and was not about to let another one happen on her watch.
I left some more refreshments on a table, and left the cave to go confer with Marylis and Deos. I had a plan.
Part Two
I awoke early after a couple hours sleep. It hadn’t been a good sleep. Popo wimpered intermittently in her sleep on the other side of the cave, and I was stressing out hoping my Kyrian colleagues would return in time, with their tasks completed. There was the off chance the Korthians would go easy on Popo, but that was even more of a longshot than my plan.
My sister Ray was not pleased about being ported back home in the middle of the night, but I needed her to do an important task as well. Lastly, my trusted companion Haka needed to reach Klaia with my message. She would be instrumental to the whole plan. I knew she’d listen to Haka, and I knew I could trust the faithful little owl to keep a secret. Besides, she thought portal travel was fun, even if she did throw up almost every time.
Unfortunately I didn’t know any mage with portal coordinates back to Korthia, so everyone would have to travel back through Oribos, which was time consuming. I might have to stall.
“Steward hungry.” Popo said softly from across the dim lit cave. “Mage have purian?”
“You’ll have to settle for biscuits and sweetwater for now Popo. I’ll see what I can do later about some fruit.”
“Okay.” Replied the subdued owl. “Popo love purian.”
All stewards loved purian. It was often given to them as a treat, and lavished on them on special occasions. Popo took it to extraordinary levels, as she did with most things.
“Sika say if Popo do good in Korthia, maybe Popo would get special day reward.” Popo actually looked happy for a moment. Then the somberness crept back. “Special day be nice, but…” She munched on a mage biscuit, not finishing her sentence.
A “special day” was recognition for a steward who did extraordinary work, and it happened only once, or very rarely twice in a steward’s long (Thousands of Azeroth years) life, and not even to every steward. Aspirants would travel from all over Bastion, presenting a ripe purian on behalf of their temple, or workshop. At the end of the day the steward would have a party with their friends, where the purians were part of the feast. A paragon, one of the Ascended most closely associated to the “Steward of the Day” as they were called, would attend to present a gift to the honoured steward. An engraved knife, a ceremonial bell, or for those who were extra special, a carved wooden horn. These would become a steward’s prized possession.
Popo alas, would never have her special day. Any chance of that ended with the last breath of a Korthian civil rights hero who happened to meet a jacked up Popo on that fateful morning.
My thoughts were interrupted by a horn blowing. The Korthians had reached a verdict. I wasn’t looking forward to that moment, but I left a quiet Popo to her breakfast. She had her memento pouch out again, and was looking through various trinkets and picture cards with a look of melancholy on her feathered face.
“I’ll be back soon!” I said. She didn’t reply.
The meeting with the Korthians went worse than I expected. They had found Popo guilty of murdering a prominent citizen, and the vote had been unanimous that she pay for her crimes with her life. What’s worse, they intended to make a public spectacle of her death, by taking her to the edge of the Maw where she would chased by one of the Maw beasts who would slowly consume her in a most painful fashion. Popo’s soul would be trapped in the Maw, reliving her last moments again and again.
I was beginning to wonder if the Jailer was all that bad in comparison. Were these really the same people who produced the archivists I’d come to respect so much?
“You will turn the prisoner over to us immediately!” Intoned the large magistrate in a loud booming voice. “Your Archon gave her word!”
“We agreed to honour your verdict, and the sentence of your court,” I replied, “and I will honour that agreement. But our traditions allow the condemned to eat a last meal of their choosing, and send messages of goodbye to their loved ones.”
“You have until last light today!” Boomed the magistrate. “If you have not turned her over by then our alliance against the Jailer will be over, and every Kyrian, Necrolord, Venthyr, and whatever you are must leave Korthia.”
I stopped by the main camp before heading back. Neither Marylis or Deos had returned yet. I wanted to teleport to Oribos and Bastion to see that they completed their tasks and returned, but if I got too far away the arcane barrier over the cave entrance would vanish, and I did not trust the Korthians… or Popo for that matter.
I spotted a human warlock, that also went by the name Red, who agreed to do a little favour for me in exchange for enchanting her new dagger. Then after a quick visit to the stores area, I walked back to the cave to give Popo the bad news. I had left my trusty companion Dusty, a water elemental, outside the cave as an extra level of security, with orders to freeze anyone who came within a hundred feet. So far he had trapped nine curious Korthians, who I freed with a blast of fire, prompting them to flee. It was the first smile I’d managed in over a day.
Upon passing through the barrier I nearly tripped over Popo. Her little blue eyes were cast up at me with an expression of anxiety mixed with a tiny flicker of hope.
“What happen Simplyred?” She asked. She had never called me by name before. It just wasn’t something stewards did. “Will Popo be ok?”
“No Popo. They found you guilty.”
“What happen to Popo now?”
“The sentence was death. But I won’t let them do that to you.” I said. “What they are planning is too cruel and horrible.”
I thought this would calm her down, but she had misinterpreted what I’d said. Tears were streaming down her feathered cheeks.
“But… you Popo’s friend!” She sobbed. “You can’t…”
“I’m not going to kill you you silly beast!” I interrupted, perhaps with a little less patience than I should have had for the terrified little creature. “I’m working on something, but you’ll have to trust me.”
I produced a ripe purian that I’d raided from the camp stores. It was actually one of the ones I had caught Popo smuggling just a few days ago.
“Here, snack on this while I go check on a few things.” I handed the fruit to her, then turned to pick up my pack again.
“Okay!” Replied a more chipper but muffled voice. I looked back and saw Popo’s face already halfway sunk into the purian, with only pulp covered ears to be seen. “I wait here, you go fix for Popo!”
The old Popo was back. At least until the purian was finished. I walked outside and back to camp.
To my relief both Marylis and Deos were arriving as I approached the camp. Marylis was looking at her bags as if she couldn’t quite figure out why I had requested their contents. Deos too was somewhat quizzical, but seemed less bothered by it all. I told them the news about the verdict, and the intended punishment.
“That’s so awful.” said Deos. “Poor little steward.”
Well, let’s not forget, Popo killed an innocent being who was trying to help her, then skinned him." I replied. “I think the Korthians are being excessively cruel, but some perspective is in order too.”
“I suppose…” sighed Deos.
“I saw Klaia before I left Bastion.” Marylis said, changing the subject. “She just told me to tell you that Haka was safe at Hero’s rest, and she’d given her your message.” I was relieved they’d not sent Haka back. She looked a lot like Popo and like I said before, I didn’t trust the Korthians.
“Alright Marylis, thanks.” I replied. “Take these bags to the cave, but don’t let Popo see what’s inside. I have to explain some things to her first.”
“And me too?” Quizzed Marylis.
“Soon.” I replied, handing her a slightly glowing stone. “This should let you through the arcane barrier, but don’t lose it. It’s a piece of my soul.”
I was pretty sure Dusty liked her. Cross my fingers.
As Marylis walked off, Deos approached me with a nervous look on his face.
“I really hope you know what you’re doing Ma’am” he said. “Are you sure we shouldn’t go through the Archon? You have a home to go to, but Bastion is my eternity!” It was clear his earlier calm was for Marylis’ benefit, something that did not surprise me, but that’s another story.
“Leave the Archon to me.” I said with a slight smirk. My cockiness hopefully covering the big knot of anxiety twisting inside me. There were parts of my plan that I’d have no idea if they worked or not until it was too late.
“All the dirt and…” Deos began.
“I’ll explain it all eventually.” I said, hopefully calmly. “Let’s go to the cave.”
Arriving at the cave, the light had begun to fade, and a sizable crowd of Korthian guards, officials, and curious onlookers had arrived, though word of Dusty’s lack of friendliness had spread, and all maintained a respectful distance.
“Turn over that murderous beast!” yelled one. Muffled shouts from the rest of the rabble echoed similar sentiments.
Turning to Deos I said, “I’ll need you and Marylis to keep them reassured that they’ll get their justice before nightfall, and you’ll both need to trust me no matter what it looks like.”
Deos nodded somberly. I walked through the arcane barrier into the cave, whispered to Marylis and sent her outside to Deos.
“Okay Popo,” I began. “I can’t let them kill you, but you can never go back to Bastion either.”
“But Bastion Popo’s home.” she replied with a sad little hoot.
“If you went back there they’d know immediately.” I replied.
“So many scary places in Shadowlands.” She looked up at me with worried eyes. “Steward frightened!”
“No place is safe in the Shadowlands Popo. Eternity is a long time, and they’d eventually find you. Then there’d be hell to pay. Literally.”
“So where Popo go?”
“You know where I come from? That place in the mortal realm called Azeroth?” Her face immediately brightened.
“Popo go live with you? Steward so happy!” She was quivering with excitement.
“Well, I have to stay here until my work is done, but I’ve arranged for my sister to meet you there and take you to where I live. It’s an island called Quel’Danas. All kinds of odd people and creatures live there. Nobody is likely to ask any questions.”
“Steward get lonely.” she said, a little worried.
“Don’t worry. My partner will watch over you. He’s nice, even for a human.” I smirked. God I missed him. “He’s a plant expert. Take him these and he’ll help you grow them.” I produced a large sack of purians, and a bag of soil. "Just don’t eat these without saving the seeds, or you’ll never see one again.
“Why steward need dirt?” She queried.
“Because, my feathered friend, purians only grow in Bastion’s soil.”
“You call Popo friend!” She smiled. I changed the subject quickly as I sensed time was running short.
“Okay Popo, you know how it feels going through a mage portal, right?”
“Steward get sick.”
“Yes, and trans dimensional ones are even worse.” I explained. “You’re going to tumble and feel very dizzy, but when you land, Ray will be there to take care of you.”
She rushed forward and hugged me. “You Popo’s best friend!” I admit I had a lump in my throat.
“One thing Popo. You have to leave your memory pouch behind. There are things in there that People in my world wouldn’t understand.”
She looked alarmed. Stewards treat those memory pouches like sacred artifacts. I’d heard stories of them falling victim to larions while looking desperately into the night for a lost one.
“Can Popo keep picture of steward mama?” She pleaded.
“Yes” I relented, handing it to her while I left the rest of it on the table. "Now strap that pack on tightly. We’re running out of time. She grunted and wobbled as she stood up with the heavy sack of purians and soil. I started casting the portal back to my home world, and as it coalesced, I motioned to her to jump through. “I’ll see you soon, don’t worry.” As she leaned forward I gave her a little push.
The split second she was through the portal I snapped it shut, lowered the arcane barrier over the cave entrance, cast a shield around myself and let off three massive arcane blasts. The blasts scattered Popo’s mementoes, tore through the bag of feathers donated by helpful stewards back in Bastion, and shattered the entrails of the beasts Bastion’s hunters had used to feed aspirants the night before.
I hadn’t quite raised the shield in time. My ears were ringing, my hair looked like I’d stood behind a rocket, and I was a stinking mess when I walked out of the cave and approached the Chief Magistrate.
“There.” I grumbled. "You got your justice. My friend is dead, as your verdict required. I held up our agreement, but I was never going to let you do it. Torture was not part of the agreement!
Guards and mystics were emerging from the cave with bits and pieces of flesh and feather. “The creature’s soul vanished with the explosion your grace. There’s not much left of her.” One of them said.
I walked away from the angry crowd, motioning for my companions to follow. Dusty trailed slightly behind, keeping snarling gromits at bay.
End of part two.
Part Three
Two days later, at a cafe on the outside ring of Oribos…
Klaia’s arrival surprised Deos and Marylis.
“Did she arrive alright?” I asked.
“Yes,” Klaia replied with a slight smile. “But I wouldn’t go visit for a while. She understands why you did what you did, but she’s still a bit miffed.”
“Doing right by the cosmos, and your friends isn’t easy,” I replied, “But it was the only chance for her.”
“She’ll be okay in time.” Klaia reassured me. “Revendreth will help her get over her vanity and hopefully give Popo another chance”.
“Popo’s in Revendreth! But…” Marylis exclaimed.
“You said you sent her to your home world!” said a surprised Deos.
“I did.” I replied. “I sent her to a city called Dalaran. Or should I say, a place where Dalaran used to be.”
My friends couldn’t decide how to feel. I took advantage of their speechlessness to tell them how the plan worked out. Something I didn’t know completely until Klaia’s arrival.
“We were in a difficult spot. Popo had murdered an innocent, and there had to be an atonement for that, but it wasn’t completely her fault. Stewards were never intended to fight, or make important moral decisions. Popo was placed in situations where she had to do both, and she was already a little unstable.”
“If a steward dies in the Shadowlands,” explained Klaia, “their souls dissipate into anima. That’s it for them.”
“That was why I had to send Popo back to my world.” I added. “When she hit the bottom of that crater and died, she was outside the Shadowlands, and her soul released just like any other one. That was a gamble. I had no Idea if it would work, but it did.”
“I made sure I was there to ferry the soul straight to Oribos,” Said Klaia. “and Pelagos agreed that she should be given another chance, so she was sent to Revendreth to… work on herself shall we say?”
“My sister was waiting. She took care of Popo’s physical self in a respectful and reverent manner.” I said. “It was both for reasons of decency, and not wanting to explain what the heck she was… or had been.”
Marylis and Deos were speechless.
“I didn’t want Popo’s journey to end,” Said Klaia, “and neither did Simplyred or Pelagos. Now she gets another chance, the first steward ever to do so, the Korthians get their justice, and the Archon gets to avoid a tricky diplomatic situation.”
“Did she feel pain?” Marylis looked worried. “I’d hate to think of her suffering.”
“No,” I assured her. “I made sure that pack was weighed down good. She was travelling pretty quickly when she hit. It was instant.”
“I hope she’ll be okay in Revendreth.” Deos commented. “It’s such a rough place.”
“She’ll be fine there. There’s good people watching her.” Klaia reassured all of us. “My guess is that she’ll be ready to move on in no time.”
“Or, she’ll organize some sort of dredger revolt.” I joked.
We all had a good laugh, although it was a slightly nervous laugh in retrospect.
Epilogue
Isle of Quel’Danas, five years later…
He walked across the kitchen toward the larder when there was a near silent flash, placing me right in front of him.
“For the love of Elune!” He yelped. Must you do that?", causing me to laugh.
“You married a mage darling. Don’t be surprised when we do mage things!” I said, kissing his cheek. "Besides, when’s the last time you actually travelled to Dalaran?
“When you were gone to that place you won’t tell me about I did it all the time!”
“Before you go any further my dear, Kadghar tells stories.” I winked. He chuckled and looked in the pouch I’d set on the table. The odour of the fruit had reached the next room by now, bringing our offspring running excitedly into the kitchen.
“Popo fruit!” She said excitedly. “My favourite!”
“I really don’t understand why I can’t get the bloody things to grow here.” He said. “And the cell structure… it’s so alien!”
He was the best botanist Stormwind’s university ever produced, but he still couldn’t figure out “Popo fruit”. Seems Ray did a good job of cleaning up Popo, but not the contents of her pack. Now I go back ever so often to pick the fruit that only grows at the bottom of that crater.
“This fruit started showing up when you returned from…”
“Sweetie…?”
“Yeah I know… don’t ask you about your work!”
I smiled. I miss this when I’m away.
Meanwhile, in a glade in Revendreth…
