| Observations on the Reality and Legend of the Ma'lanth Beastheart
as noted by Thessalonius P. Crankdazzle III, PpD, BA, DAS
After over two decades of careful research and study, it seems today is to be my last day with the tribe led by the half-elf, Sihmm, unless I can convince the elder to let me accompany the Ma'Lanth on the long, arduous journey to Lordaeron, which seems highly unlikely, given their protective nature and my advanced age. They have recieved grave news of some plague which has begun sweeping the lands inhabited by the humans, and apparently another Ma'Lanth tribe that roams the deep forests of Silverpine has been swept up in this chaos. It has been said that they travelled to Tarren Mill occasionally for supplies; not long after this last journey they evidently went missing.
Needless to say, coupled with the loss of Shaana, the keeper of the beastheart, the tribe has undergone no small amount of discomfort; though the little girl to whom she gave birth has grown into a fierce and capable young woman, appears healthy and sound, and according to the shaman, gives all indications that the spirit has passed to her without controversy. Still, I see little of the same behaviour as her mother; Andro seems focused and disciplined, if not somewhat naive.
I shall never forget Shaana's death, even as it was so many years ago. It was an awful event; Shaana's inability to master the beast spirit eventually lead to her death in the hills of Desolace, unwisely clambering after vulture's nests in areas that posessed little sturdy footing, even for a woman of her relative physical prowess. The fall was long, and brutal, and very little of her body remained intact; I am only relieved that Andro will never know the nature of her mother's death; in fact as Sihmm explained to me, Andro will never know Shaana was her mother at all, nor that he was her father. I doubt she will ever suspect, she looks no more elf than I do.
Which brings me to one final observation for this report: the curious Ma'lanth custom of not letting families know their own parentage. I felt surely after Shaana's death that Sihmm would tell Andro about her mother; but it was not to be. This custom seems to be in place to reinforce the idea of tribe as family, ties of blood mattering less than ties of identity as Ma'lanth. It appears Sihmm is the one exception; and this is only because of his unique position as tribal elder, Andro's father and curiously, the fact that he came to the tribe later in life and not in birth as most of these individuals had. Sihmm is half-elf, son of Tormus Windwalker, well-known in adventuring circles for his detailed and thorough research on the hippogryphs of Feralas. After so many years..I suppose normal civilisation held little appeal for him. Sihmm knows as little of Darnassus as I do of the Ma'lanth, and yet posesses all the grace and reverence for nature that his forebears were reputed to have had.
((there appears to be a pause in the writing at this point, the pen rests on the paper, causing a small inkblot to appear before the writing resumes))
Sihmm has just informed me that they are leaving for Lordaeron tomorrow. I've tried to tell him that it is pure folly, in this day and age it takes weeks to reach the shore of the other continent, not to mention the dangers awaiting them upon their arrival, if in fact this rumour of a plague is correct. Even if they arrive safely, chances are their tribesmen have long since been killed or worse. Sometimes I think I'm quite happy to remain in these remote corners of Feralas; such horrible events seem very far away indeed.
He is, however determined. He, Veti and Andro set out for Lordaeron with my deepest respect and good wishes; but something about this journey troubles me...call it gnomish intuition, but I do not think our paths will cross again.
I hope I am wrong. I fear I am not.
It was his last journal entry on the strange and solitary Ma'Lanth hunters.
Thessalonius Crankdazzle went on to conduct numerous detailed and obscure observations throughout Azeroth well into old age; it is rumoured he retired somewhere off the coast, far South of Silithus, spending his days fishing and enjoying the sea view.
As for the small band of Ma'Lanth he studied, they left for Lordaeron as intended. They never returned. |