Citrine Eagle Highmountain Expedition

The Citrine Eagle Highmountain Expedition was a culmination effort from the Citrine Eagle in a bid to gain new allies in the Highmountain Tribe which populates the region of Highmountain. After defeat in the Shadows of Valor Conflict, Vrykul aggression became more rampant, forcing the birds to "fly-the-coop" in search of new potential allies away from Stormheim.

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Prologue
On their journey towards the mountain pass leading into Highmountain, the Citrine Eagle uncovered Helya loyal Vrykul had kidnapped several Skyhorn affiliated Tauren, and were prepared to damn their souls to Helheim. In a bid of good faith, and to stand against the forces of Helya, a small sting operation was headed into the Vrykul town in order to free the Tauren from their sentence to eternal damnation.

Their mission was - mostly successful, having saved many of the Skyhorn who were captured, their front runner, Hark Featherglide, offered to lead the Eagle's into the passes to introduce them to Highmountain, and so he could safely get his people home.

Trouble at Stonehoof Watch
With the Eagle's arrival in Stonehoof Watch, all was not well. The area was teeming with aggressive members of the aggressive Tideskorn Clan of Vrykul who sought to overtake the Tauren with the help of their Storm Dragons. There, they also came across Herr'ton Goodberry, a member of the Skyhorn tribe who gave the strangers the benefit of the doubt, knowing his people needed all the help they could get.

For two long weeks, the Citrine Eagle assisted the Tauren in the defense of the watch, learning to utilize the bola shooters, and learning how to ground a charge of lighting to counter against the Storm Dragons.

With the defense over, the flock began to push towards a small Dragon roost that perpetuated the issues in the area, and if it were to be cleared, the Tauren of Stonehoof would be safe. This task would take multiple nights, due to a misunderstanding from Shindo as he began to drag a storm drake towards a large charge of electricity, overcharging the beast, and forcing the Eagle's to flee to combat the mother dragon the night after.

The battle against the Mother dragon was tense, but with some dutiful thinking from Sylvia Ashwood, the Dragon was more easily countered by crashing small boulders into it. However, the Dragon fell into a rage, and began to perpetuate an avalanche. Only a few Eagles were nearly buried by this, but many managed to find higher ground in time, giving them the chance to defeat the dragon.

With the dragons death, its whelplings were kept secure by the Skyhorn in a request from the Eagle's guide in the region, Herr'ton Goodberry.

Journey to Skyhorn
The successful defense of Stonehoof offered the Skyhorn a great example as to why the Citrine Eagle should be welcome in the region, and with their guide wholly impressed by their capabilities, led the lot of them towards Skyhorn, but not without a stop on the way to meet with his brother Darg, a wise, older Tauren whom told the group of all the issues that plagued Highmountain. He spoke of a Drogbar menace, and the hammer of Khaz'goroth to the Eagles. However, Darg took on a special respect for a local druid of the Citrine Eagle, Raelor Swiftclaw. With Raelor's great example, Darg chose to follow the group into Skyhorn to help get them settled.

Just like Stonehoof, Skyhorn also seemed to have its issues. Aside from the political unrest in the Highmountain Tribe, the local harpies had begun to encroach upon their lands - which at first, they did not think much of, all until the harpies moved in to assault Skyhorn proper.

Once again the flock found itself defending the Tauren, and got their first example of the great and terrible power the Darkfeather Harpies possessed. A large, terrible Roc bounded towards the Eagle's, and did terrible damage to most of them in which the likes they never experienced with other larger evil birds, and were unable to defeat the Roc, who bounded off to safety while the Harpies began their occupation of territories just outside of Skyhorn.

Darkfeather Roost
With the Harpies populating a new roost just outside of the town, they began to warp and manipulate Eagle's from the Skyhorn Tribe they had captured, and transformed them into the terrible Darkfeather Roc's the Eagle's had to face not a few nights ago. But the occupation of this area made the defense of Skyhorn nearly constant for the Tauren, and the Citrine Eagle worked to play the deciding outcome in the occupation of the roost.

In a large, full scale assault begun by the Skyhorn, the Citrine Eagle spearheaded the charge, taking out a great number of the witches in the roost, along with a small conclave which were ascending Eagles to this terrible power.

But alas, the tides turned when the same Roc that had defeated the Eagle's not a few nights ago returned into the fray, and sought to end them once and for all. This time, they were much more prepared, and with great valiance, defeated the Roc - which forced the remaining Harpies to flee after the Skyhorn charge.

Herr'ton wished to keep pushing into the primary Harpy holdings, but, the Skyhorn as a whole chose to await a better opportunity.

Preparing an Assault, and the Sacking of the Harpy Den
With Eagles of the Citrine Vareity and the Avian-kind on their side, Herr'ton found great pleasure in the fact they would be able to restore peace in the region, and sought to begin the final push into Harpy territory as soon as possible. This all began with assaults on the local Kobolds, who turned out to be loyal to the Harpies. These Kobolds, somehow, almost killed the Eagles. No questions were asked as to why thereafter, but it did indeed happen. And during their fight, they met the matriarch of the den mothers as a whole, a white feathered harpy witch that taunted at the Eagle's as they struggled against small rat-men. In the end, they successfully cleared the way to push inwards, a struggle for another day.

With their forces rested and prepared, Herr'ton chose his newfound friends, the Citrine Eagle, to aid him in spearheading the charge into the Harpy dwellings with him. This charge, almost seemed far too simple. The Eagle's were well able to decimate the ranks of the Hapries in swift succesion, and as they did, the white witch watched them beneath a dome of void powers. In this void bubble a convocation of harpies were also empowering yet another Roc, and unlike at Darkfeather Roost, they proved much more successful this time. The large Roc would preoccupy the Eagle's, and Herr'ton took to a one on one battle with the White With of the Darkfeathers.

The battle was long, and harsh, but as the Eagle's fought the Roc, the White Witch managed to get a hold on Herr'tons spear, an heirloom he'd never give up. Holding onto it for his life, the Harpy with dragged him into the skies, and up the mountains. Efforts to stop this were unsuccessful, and Herr'ton was then lost. But, soon after, the battle was won -- but it did not feel like a victory.

Herr'tons brother, Darg, entered with reinforcements of Tauren to secure the area. Not being able to find his brother after the battle kept him there overnight in hopes Herr'ton would return, vowing to come and rescue him. The Eagle's were very confident Herr'ton would be alright.