Heresy

Observations on the Reality and Legend of the Ma'lanth Beastheart
as noted by Thessalonius P. Crankdazzle III, PpD, BA, DAS


"Some days have passed now, and it is only with a good deal of patience that the Ma'Lanth have allowed me to continue on my travels with their tribe. The taller one, who appears to be an elder of some description,
speaks the common tounge quite well and assures me that as long as I keep my observations for my own records and purposes of academic study, that the Ma'Lanth will accomodate my curiosity and allow me access to their way of life and traditions.

As near as I can surmise, the small bands operate as miniature, non-related families, devoid of any traditional sense of 'mother' or 'child' and instead a basic hierarchy crafted around experience and age. There is little to no quarrelling from what I can see; quite firmly established is this structure such that nobody seems to question it; and in fact they work so well together that it impresses me to no end. Their artwork and jewelry is simple but beautifully made; they are skilled hunters and articulate communicators. On the other hand, they are staggeringly naive on certain subjects that we 'civilised' individuals would find commonplace. Upon showing them one of my finer spyglasses, they had never seen such a thing before, and were quite shocked indeed when I showed them my transporter.

One subject of particular interest to me has been what has been simply, and mysteriously referred to as the 'beastheart', which - and as of this writing I still feel I have not completely grasped this concept fully - appears to be some sort of animal spirit that passes through one selected female of their tribe, and has done so since the dawn of their culture. The posessor of this...spirit, if you will...is therefore granted the dubious benefit of having, essentially, a split soul - partly human, partly animal - granted a full conciousness as a woman, but with the sensory perception and instinct of an animal. From what I understand of their 'religion' (I hesitate to use this word, for their shamanistic beliefs hardly compare to our own form of worship!), this beastheart is both a sacred entity that powers the wielder, and also embodies the spirit of their people as a whole, carrying within it the memories, spirit and strength of all who posessed it prior.

At present it has been explained to me that the red-headed woman, Shaana, is the keeper of this entity, and is currently with child. I must say I find her somewhat..disturbing to encounter, for she appears a normal if somewhat primitive (by our standards) woman, and yet her behaviour at times is uncannily feral; sniffing unfamiliar objects as a wolf or cat might, snarling at unexpected movements or changes (to great effect; I have learned in her presence that picking up my sword too swiftly is a rather risky venture) and her sense of spatial awareness is nothing short of extraordinary. It has also been said to me in confided whispers that she is perhaps too easily influenced by her own gift; indeed, she seems almost less woman than animal at times, and is prone to unusual and curious acts that are sometimed disturbingly violent, and may even put her own child at risk.

Among other things, I have watched this woman - who with some fundamental changes to hair and wardrobe could pass as any normal human - eat the flesh of animals even as they still gazed upon her, hearts ripped from their form even as they still were beating. Neverthless it is a fascinating phenomenon to observe; quite unlike anything I have ever witnessed.

As much as I long to bring this creature to Lordaeron for further study, I am quite sure that the Ma'Lanth would never allow it; doing so would not only betray their trust in me, but I worry that inspection of this unusual creature would bring her no small end of discomfort. The Ma'Lanth seem to cherish their privacy and independence above all else; I must be satisfied to study them in their own domain.

I see that the hunters have returned and they are preparing the feast for the evening meal. I will conclude my notes for the time being.

((rest of the page is blank, except for some scribbled addition, and what appears to be a food stain))

__________________
"I wrote the story myself. It's about a girl who lost her reputation and never missed it." - Mae West
Fireflower's Words of Wisdom: http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/a...ompilation.jpg

Heresy

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.

__________________
"I wrote the story myself. It's about a girl who lost her reputation and never missed it." - Mae West
Fireflower's Words of Wisdom: http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/a...ompilation.jpg