milliways_bar | (no subject)

"Galactic...I don't know that word." Again, he seems pleased by this.

"Flight means, well, like a flight of birds? You do have birds, don't you? Dragons are great winged lizards (thought don't let them hear you say that), and the Bronze Flight would refer to all the bronze dragons.

"Anyhow, Neltharion, the Black Dragon Aspect of Earth, went mad quite some time ago. We have these things called Old Gods chained in our earth and being the Aspect of it he was more susceptible to their whispers than most. He's been trying to take over or outright destroy Azeroth for many years and three years ago he nearly succeeded."

"Yes and other winged species. Galactic, like a galaxy, multiple star systems. What's the difference between a god and an aspect?"

Those are both words he's heard but not that he knows in this context.

"I'm sorry. I grew up during a war and know how someone with power who wants to conquer can cause a lot of harm."

"Star systems? Intriguing! And an Empire that spans all of them..." He's a touch awed for a moment.

"Old Gods are more powerful than individual Aspects. I believe that's why the Titans created five of them, so they could work together." He doesn't think to mention that the Old Gods aren't truly gods because, well, the traditional idea of a 'god' isn't really a thing on Azeroth. They just have beings that claim worship and it doesn't occur to him to say so.

"So was Azeroth. Neltharion, he was called Deathwing by this point, nearly cracked Azeroth in two. It took almost all the power the rest of the Aspects had to stop him and whatever they did used up whatever made them Aspects. They're mortal now and while some still look after their charges they don't have the power to do it as well as they used to."

That's a lot to process and Cassian's not completely certain he understands how that all would work,

"How do all of these relationships seem on the ground? To someone who's not that powerful?"

"We fight to preserve Azeroth where we can." He lets out a sigh. "As of late it seems like a never ending struggle. You'd think we'd be happy for peace after dealing with something like that, but no, right back to warring with one another."

He does not think highly of the faction war.

"Who's warring and why? I can understand that. I don't think there's ever been a point when the galaxy was truly at peace. There's always a battle or a war somewhere,"

The reasons for them are complex as the Empire is good at using war for their own means.

"Garrosh Hellscream started it this time, the now former warchief of the Horde. He's a bit of a bastard, though, and eventually started killing even those in his own faction for not being orcs. He was overthrown but escaped and is now leading a new Iron Horde to attack all of Azeroth."

The rat returns about then with their food which Khadgar gratefully accepts. His stew is orangish in color with bits of meat in it.

"Its between species or the factions are always changing? Kriff, that's awful,"

Cassian's stew has a strong smell of spice and he smiles as he'd forgotten how he liked this one.

"No race has changed sides and only the pandaren are divided as to who to support. There's been some talks to bring some members of the Horde into the Alliance but they've always fallen through." He takes a bite of his stew. "I'm part of the Kirin Tor, what used to be a neutral organization, so I'm more willing to work with both sides than some."

He's thinking specifically of Jaina though he can't really blame her for her attitude.

"That must make it hard for some people to trust you," It could easily be read as trying to play both sides.

Khadgar considers that thoughtfully.

"I suppose it could. I've been a neutral party for longer than I've been formally allied with the Alliance at this point. It hadn't occurred to me that I could be looked at that way." Hrm.

"It's just incredibly frustrating to let the faction divide dictate defense of the whole planet. The Iron Horde doesn't care if we are Horde or Alliance." Their forces are almost always split when it comes to fighting back.

"Once things start breaking down into sides, it can be hard not to see everything that way. That's usually how it goes, it matters to fight for your home and your people, its hard to help people look beyond their own needs,"

That's something Cassian spends a lot of time trying to convince people to do. Fight for the galaxy instead of just their home.

"Oh, I know. I keep hoping the animosity will dull with time but then you have people like Garrosh that go and start it all anew." He snorts. "Garrosh wasn't even part of the old Horde."

"He saw a chance for power and grabbed it,"

Cassian's seen that and the Empire tends to cultivate people like that.

"Essentially." Khadgar shakes his head as he takes another bite of his stew. "That and trying to live up to his father's memory. Unfortunately Grommash is one of the worst orcs he could choose to emulate."

Well. At least as far as the Alliance is concerned.

"What made him so awful? Legacies tend to make everything complicated," He's seen systems get worse because someone wants power for the sake of a legacy.

Time for another story.

"Grommash was the first orc to drink demon blood in the old Horde and encouraged the rest of his race to join him. Nearly all of the orcs followed his lead. Demon blood is...intoxicating, close to pure fel. It gifts you with great power but also a terrible bloodlust. The fel corruption of the Horde killed their world and so they came through the Dark Portal to claim ours. They came very close to wiping out the Alliance and only infighting on their part saved us.

"Garrosh thought it a story of great conquest. He wished to finish the job."

"Kriff, so he found that demon blood to drink too?"

He doesn't know what fel is but he's seen drugs that give people strength and how it changes them.

"No, Garrosh decried demons and anyone who trafficked with them," Khadgar explains. "The old Horde was being used by the Burning Legion, you see, a host of demons that's been trying to destroy Azeroth for over ten thousand years. The Horde was just their latest gambent at the time. It's left a permanent mark on their people, one that Garrosh looked down on. He was too young, you see, to partake of the blood himself and so he's not corrupted. He views those of his kind with green skin as weaker.

"Of course, then he turned around and embraced void magic instead so he really isn't one to talk."

"What a mess. How does your planet survive with all the war?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure. The only time we don't seem to be fighting each other is when we're fighting something that wants to kill us all. We do sometimes have peace in between, even if it doesn't last very long."

"They rarely do. My home's like that, there's always trouble somewhere."

"I imagine so with an empire that controls a, what did you say, a galactic?"

The closest thing they have to that is the Burning Legion.

"Yes, the Galactic Empire. Do you have various governments on your planet or is it more factions?"

"Some of both, I think. The Horde has various races that all answer absolutely to a Warchief, while the Alliance has more of a council system with a High King at the head of it. There are a few kingdoms and organizations that don't answer to either, though."