Post-Siege Plaguelands Expedition

The Post-Siege Plaguelands Conflict was a series of battles fought in the Eastern Plaguelands and Western Plaguelands between the forces of the Argent Crusade, Grand Alliance, New Horde and Cult of the Damned. It saw several bastions of the Cult of the Damned taken over by the Argent Crusade.

=Alliance Reinforcements=

Seeking to build the Alliance’s relationship with the Argent Crusade, King Varian Wrynn sent the First Regiment of the Stormwind Army to the South Eastern coast of Lordaeron. The regiment’s ultimate destination, Tyr's Hand, would serve as their staging base as they aided the Argent Crusade in their dire situation amongst the Plaguewood and Eastern Plaguelands. With active assistance from both the Magus Senate of Dalaran and Stormwind Circle of Magi, the combined force hoped to shed light on whatever emboldened the remaining undead in Lordaeron.

On orders from Lady Jaina Proudmoore, the Magus Senate of Dalaran sent a task force of several archmagi to investigate the ruins of Caer Darrow and its possible ties to the increased undead activity in the plaguelands.

The Regiment's Arrival
On August 25th, 34 L.C., the first regiment arrived in the ruins of the Scarlet Enclave after sailing from Stormwind Harbor. When the Argent dignitaries that were expected to greet them failed to arrive, Lord Maxen Montclair ordered for the regiment to march to Tyr's Hand to investigate. Lured by a mysterious cry for help in an abandoned orchard, the soldiers discovered a lone Argent Crusader tied up behind a farm house. The crusader, Jonathan Ward, told the regiment that he was the lone survivor of the Argent dignitaries; abushed by a band of undead Scarlet Crusaders led by a lone necromancer. With no scarlets nor necromancer to be found in the immediate area, the regiment escorted Jonathan to Tyr's Hand. Greeted by Lord Commander Dilan Ravenshield and Commander Lantos Swiftsong of the Argent Crusade, the regiment was given provisions and lodgings within the garrison at Tyr's Hand for their pledged aid.

Scarlet Knights and a Knave
The following night, the first regiment set back out for the Scarlet Enclave to find the necromancer and his Scarlet thralls. Joined by Archmage Zanbor Emerson and several mages of the Magus Senate of Dalaran, the regiment split into two task forces that scoured the ruins for any sign of cultist activity.

The southern task force, led by Lord Maxen Montclair, returned to the site where the Argent Crusader said that they were ambushed. While nothing pertinent to the search was initially found, regiment Footman Valcore MacKay was suddenly attacked by several skeletal hands that burst from the floor when he was scouting the old Scarlet chapel. Sir Elevaan Greywald, Gaige Coleman and Maxen Montclair rescued the Footman, dragging him out of the chapel before the mages present set the structure aflame.

The northern force, led by Vindicator Azmoz, investigated the ruins of the scarlet garrison and its surrounding township. Within the crumbling keep the soldiers and mages discovered a laboratory filled with corpses of Scarlet Crusaders in various stages of rotting. Further investigation saw several other alchemical implements in the ruins of the blacksmith and other nearby houses. As the task force was about to report back to Tyr's Hand, the silhouettes of six figures appeared on the northern horizon.

Five knights of the Scarlet Crusade, risen into Undeath, surrounded a lone necromancer. The six charged on the northern task force, engaging the soldiers in fierce combat before the ruins of the scarlet smithy. Several regiment soldiers were severely injured by the risen knights, including Lord Maxen, whose horse had its legs cut out from under it. Only after nearly an hour of fighting did the necromancer fall; obliterated by Vindicator Azmoz's crystalline hammer. The regiment returned to Tyr's Hand to inform the Argents of their victory.

Attack on the Cauldron
A day's rest and patrol after their encounter with the undead crusaders, the first regiment was informed that Argent scouts spotted cultists enacting a ritual not far from the walls of Tyr's Hand. Lord Maxen mobilized a task force immediately and marched its soldiers to the reported location. Meriliah Forger led a scouting party around the lake to the west of Tyr's Hand, eventually finding the cultist encampment. Five necromancers of the Cult of the Damned channeled necromantic energies into a bubbling cauldron that spewed fumes of black, purple, green, and gold. After nearly being discovered by the cultists, the scouting party returned to the rest of the task force to inform them of what they saw.

Unable to launch a ranged attack due to obstruction by trees and brush, the regiment charged on the cultists' position in force. The battle that followed was a overwhelming victory for the soldiers of Stormwind. The necromancers were slain in quick order, their cauldron overturned by Lady Elsa Bowen. The regiment suffered only minor injuries from the necromancers' attacks.

The Swamp Golem
The first regiment returned to the field the morning after their fight with the necromancers, having pledged to aid the Cenarion Circle in their rejuvenation of the land surrounding Tyr's Hand. Accompanied by Commander Lantos Swiftsong, the regiment task force met with Druid Filip Leafbough. Filip, a night elven druid, led the regiment back to the site of the cultist's cauldron, where he claimed that his comrades were busy cleansing the earth. Upon their arrival at the site, however, not a druid was to be seen. Investigation turned up a love letter addressed to Filip by one of the missing druids stained with blood. Vindicator Azmoz discovered the missing druids on a lone island in the center of the adjacent lake - all of them impaled on spikes and long dead.

In seething rage, Filip leapt into the water in his aquatic form and raced to the island. Fearing that such was a trap, Lord Maxen Montclair led the regiment around the isle to a narrow strip where they could fjord the water. Something intercepted Filip as he swam, dragging him beneath the waves. The regiment troops looked on helplessly as the froth of the struggle turned purple from Filip's blood.

After the regiment made it to the isle in the center of the lake, a mysterious and frightening creature slowly rose from its depths. A swamp golem, comprised of seaweed, slime, debris and discarded weapons emerged, its frightening jaws made from broken glass, swords and splinters of wood. Filip hung lifeless from one of the spears jutting from the creature's mossy hide. The lake monster immediately attacked the regiment, dealing significant damage and casualties to the task force - using its massive jaw to rake the isle and scoop up soldiers into its maw.

Only through persevere and bravery did the regiment prevail against the swamp golem. Footman Zeusus St. Lionheart hurled his longsword into the beast's eye, sending it into a slow retreat back into the lake. Lieutenant Thomas Kalron, with the strength of an ogre threw a large rock at the beast, smashing its jaw. Spellsword Gaige Coleman blinked above the swamp golem, falling upon it with his swords aflame. The monster was finished off by Footman Valcore MacKay, who leapt upon the beast and split it down its middle - wielding his broadsword two-handed.

The victory was overshadowed by the loss of the druids and the grievous wounds suffered by the regiment troops. Beaten and ragged, the task force returned to Tyr's Hand empty handed for their efforts.