Post by Liy on May 26, 2011 11:24:24 GMT -5
The idea for this this tale came to me a few years ago as I was writing the dialogue between Liy(il) and Steathi in Part VIII of her background story. It recently occurred to me that the story would most appropriately be told as a myth or legend, since it deals with origins that may or may not be consistent with the accepted canon of WoW lore, or people's individual RP notions of Azeroth's history. Therefore, I'm presenting this as a fairy tale, as related by Steathi (who is the only character in my world that is sufficiently pompous to assume the narrative voice of a fairy tale).
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A common misconception exists across the land, namely in regard to Rogues. It is thought that a Rogue is little more than a brigand or cutpurse, a thief or assassin, a scoundrel without scruples, bereft of common morality and decency. And while it is true that we are all of these things, we are in fact much, much more. For there are many brigands, cutpurses, thieves and assassins across the land; and scoundrels without scruples or morals abound. But very few of these are worthy of the name “Rogue.”
To gain a more genuine understanding, let us examine our origins. For there was a time very early in the history of Azeroth, when there were no Rogues. Certainly there were brigands, thieves, and people without scruples and such. But no Rogues.
The beginning of our story takes us into the lands of the Kaldorei, known to most as the Night Elves, where there lived an old man with four sons. As with most Kaldorei males during this time, the man and his sons practiced the art of the Druid, as taught by Cenarius and handed down through the generations by Malfurion Stormrage.
The old man’s sons excelled in the druidic arts, and were unrivaled in their skills drawing upon the power of the natural world. The oldest was named Sophistiris, and he was the wisest of the brothers. Sophistiris was a contemplative sort, and sought to understand the mysteries of the natural world, and cultivate its arcane powers. Above all, he believed that in nature there is a balance to all things – just as a storm rages one day, so does the sun shine on a calm and peaceful meadow the next; and just as then sun shines on that day, so does the night overcome the day.
The next son was named Belligiris, and he was the most fierce of the brothers. Belligiris reveled in the violent and aggressive aspects of nature. He would run amid the most violent storms and defy their ravaging might, and swim against the vicious roaring rapids of the mightiest rivers. He enjoyed wrestling with the wild beasts of the forest, and emerged victorious from every encounter.
Next was Venefiris, who adored the life of the forest more than anything else, especially the trees, flowers, herbs and all the growing things of the land. Venefiris sought to understand the essence of life in nature, and cultivated this knowledge into healing. Using the oils and extracts from the flowers, herbs and growing things of the land, Venefiris could cure any disease, heal any wound, and sometimes even restore the dead to life.
The youngest son was named Schade. By all appearances, Schade alone among his brothers possessed none of the gifts of nature, and unlike other druids made no attempt to commune with the natural world. Instead, he spent all his time among the shadows. Often he seemed to disappear altogether, and his brothers and father would not be able to find him. His father and brothers loved Schade very much, and were very concerned for him. His father would often speak to the elder brothers, and say to them, “Go. Find your brother, my youngest son. Convince him to call out to nature, that he too may receive its blessings.”
And the brothers would speak to Schade, each in his own way. Sophistiris would tell him of the wonders of nature, and all the glorious mysteries to learn. Belligiris would boast of nature’s power, and all the strength to gain from it. Venefiris would whisper the gentle and beautiful aspects of life, and the benefits of vitality he could bring to himself and others. Each of them would entreat Schade to call out to nature, that he too may receive its blessings. And Schade would say to them, “Dear brother, I have called out, and Shadow headed my call. I honor Shadow and receive its blessings.” But his brothers did not understand, for they did not know Shadow.
One day, running an errand for their father, the four brothers travelled through the jungle. And they were ambushed by a pack of shadow panthers. The brothers attempted to fight them off, but they were badly outnumbered and eventually overcome by the pack. They were taken captive and brought to the shadow panthers’ lair as food for their cubs. But Schade was not taken. When he saw that the panthers would overcome him and his brothers, he called upon Shadow and received a blessing of stealth. He disappeared from sight, and the panthers could not find him.
Schade loved his brothers very much, and did not want to see them harmed. But even more than this, he loved his father, and knew he would be very sad to lose his three oldest sons. So Schade followed the shadow panthers and his captive brothers to the lair, and there he saw a panther that was much greater than the rest, who stood as high as he was tall. The panther spoke, and said, “You do well, my children. The three morsels you bring will fill the bellies of our little ones, that they may grow strong and mighty. As for the fourth…”
The Great Mother Panther turned directly to Schade and spoke, “How are you possessed of my father’s gift, little druid?”
Schade was frozen in terror, locked in the Great Mother Panther’s gaze. He was wrapped in the dark cloak of Shadow, unseen to all of the panthers around him. But the Great Mother Panther’s eyes bore into him. She spoke again and said to him, “Yes, little druid. I am a child of Shadow, and see all who bear my father’s blessing. So I ask again, how are you possessed of my father’s gift?”
Schade stepped out of the dark shroud that concealed him, revealing himself to all the panthers in the lair. Immediately a deafening roar of startled outrage erupted, as some panthers ran to defend their little ones, while others prepared to pounce upon this unwelcome intruder. But the Great Mother Panther called them off and waited in silence for this intriguing visitor to respond.
Schade answered, and said to her, “Mother, I have known Shadow since my earliest days, since the time I first learned to call out to Nature, like my brothers before me and my father before them. Only Nature did not heed my call, and I was greeted instead by Shadow. I come to you now to plead for your mercy, on behalf of my father who loves his sons very much. Please, give leave to the sons of my father that he may not suffer grief unlike any he has known.”
The Great Mother Panther listened to Schade’s plea, and said to him, “I am moved by the compassion for your father, little druid. As you see, I have daughters of my own and love them very much, and they have children as well whom I love in equal measure. But we are a large family, and the children of my daughters need to eat, that they not become skinny and perish. Tell me, then, little druid. If I do not feed the sons of your father to the children of my daughters, whose sons shall I feed to them?”
Schade replied to the Great Mother Panther and said, “You are wise as you are fearsome, Mother, and I have no answer. For I would not visit upon any father the grief of losing his three beloved sons. So then I plead once again, not on behalf of my father but of yours. You have witnessed that I carry the blessing of Shadow, your father. I ask then, as a disciple of Shadow and for the sake of our common bond to your father, give leave to the sons of my father.”
The Great Mother Panther did not immediately respond, but pondered all that she had seen and heard. Then she returned her gaze to Schade and said to him, “You are brave as you are foolish, little druid, for I could just as easily feed you to the children of my daughters as it is with your brothers. But I honor my Father Shadow, and your devotion to him. So I will let him decide. I make an oath to you, sworn before Shadow, that I will release the sons of your father one at a time, if their brother calls upon Shadow and he wills it to be. For each son there is a trial for the brother to overcome. If the brother calls upon Shadow and overcomes the trial, I will release the son of your father. But if Shadow does not heed the call, then that son will feed the children of my daughters.
Schade agreed to the oath, and swore to its terms before Shadow as well. And the Great Mother Panther brought forth Venefiris, druid of the trees, flowers, and herbs, and all the growing things of the land. “We will begin with this one,” she said, “His brother’s trial awaits in the jungle."
So the Great Mother Panther brought Schade deep into the jungle, where lurked the largest beast Schade had ever seen. It was a panther the size of a mountain, with an endless tail that stretched as far as a river. The Great Mother Panther spoke, and said to him, “Behold, little druid, my daughter. She is ever watchful, ever vigilant, and ever hungry. My daughter will not rest until she is fed, and her belly is full. Prepare a feast, that she may eat her fill and sleep soundly. The game of the jungle is yours to hunt. I give you one day from today to hunt, prepare, and cook a feast to feed my daughter. But beware, little druid. If she is not filled, she may eat you as well.
Schade ventured off into the jungle, and called out to Shadow to help him in his trial. At that moment, he noticed that the shadows of the trees in the area were cast in directions at odds with the location of the light. All the shadows converged over one patch of the ground. In this area sat a hare who looked at Schade, as though it had been waiting for him. Surrounding the hare in a perfect circle were herbs, flowers, and various sorts of growing things from the land. Immediately, Schade understood what he needed to do. He butchered the hare, and with the herbs, flowers and growing things of the land surrounding it, he extracted seasoning to prepare a meal for the Mighty Panther.
The Great Mother Panther laughed when she saw the small fare that Schade had prepared and said, “Go on, little druid, feed my daughter the paltry morsel you have served.” And so Schade approached the mighty panther and lay the cooked hare at her feet. The mighty panther lapped it up and swallowed without chewing, then turned its attention to Schade. But its gaze faltered, and its eyes rolled upwards. Then she fell to the ground with a mighty crash and lay motionless.
The Great Mother Panther was astounded and spoke to Schade, “What is this? You put my daughter to rest with portions so small it would barely fill your own belly?”
Schade replied and said to her, “It is true. I called to Shadow, and your father showed me all the herbs, flowers, and growing things of the land I would need to mix the poison I used to season the hare. Your daughter sleeps, Mother, and she will never wake again.”
The Great Mother Panther looked upon her mighty child fallen and motionless, then turned to Schade and said, “You have slain my daughter, little druid. But I shall keep my word and release the son of your father as I swore that I would.” And the Great Mother Panther released Venefiris. And Venefiris saw all that had happened, and remembered.
”Come little druid,” The Great mother panther said, “The second son of your father awaits.” And the Great Mother Panther brought forth Belligiris, druid of nature’s aggressive aspects, and said, “The next trial is to overcome my daughter in the Great Forest to the north. To save the son of your father, you must defeat my daughter in combat. No tricks, little one. You must prove your worth in a fair fight.”
So the Great Mother Panther brought Schade and Belligiris up North until they reached a vast open landscape of desert sand. Schade turned to the Great Mother Panther and said, “Mother, I fear we have made a wrong turn. You said we must go to the Great Forest to the North. And yet here we stand amidst the sands of a barren desert.”
The Great Mother Panther spoke, and said to him, “There has been no mistake, little druid. My daughter used to live with me in the jungle to the south. And she, like the rest of my children, would sharpen her claws on the trees of the jungle. But her claws are so sharp that a single swipe can shred the trunk of a tree. So to preserve the place that I call home, I sent her to this forest. The ground that you stand upon is not sand, as you suppose. It is the fine wooden dust which is all that remains of the proud and mighty trees that once inhabited this land.”
The Great Mother Panther called out to her daughter with a roar. And from beyond a mound of wooden dust, a slender panther emerged with fierce eyes trained on Schade. Schade raised his hands palms out and said to the Great Mother Panther, “Mother, I accept the challenge to defeat your daughter in a fair fight. But is it fair for me to face the beast in such as state? For you see that I have come to you in peace, without weapon or armor.”
“Yes, little druid” replied the Great Mother Panther with a grin, “You are correct. You may arm yourself with the knives you recently employed to cook your culinary delights. Just as you used them to serve death to my last daughter, so shall you be a savory treat to my daughter now wielding the very same instruments. As for armor, skin for skin little one. The leather travel garments on your back will afford as much protection as the skin of my daughter’s own hide. Come now, little druid, call upon Shadow. Beckon him to bless you with the skill to overcome my daughter.”
But before he could act, the ferocious panther charged and pounced. Schade fell back, narrowly avoiding a razor sharp claw which caught the back of his jerkin, leaving it in tattered shreds. The panther did not hesitate but attacked again with equal force. Desperate to avoid imminent doom, and with very few options, Schade picked up a fistful of wooden dust and threw it in the panther’s face.
The beast was blinded.
Schade drew his cooking knives and sought an opening to attack. But the beast violently thrashed about, hoping to catch its prey in a whirlwind of aimless strikes. Schade could not approach without risk of being fatally caught in the razor sharp storm, and saw that the panther was beginning to regain her vision. So he called upon Shadow, and pleaded for a blessing in combat to survive.
Not a moment too soon. For the wooden dust cleared from the panther’s eyes, and she charged him in a vicious rage. But Shadow had blessed Schade, and he dodged the panther’s strike. The panther struck again, and Schade evaded. And again the panther struck, and again he side-stepped. Over and over the panther tried to sever the life of her prey with deadly claws, but over and over Schade avoided her lethal attacks. She was able to catch him no more than her own shadow. But Schade knew that he could not evade these attacks endlessly, and that he needed to finish the encounter on his terms. So again he called upon Shadow, and pleaded for a blessing in combat to slay his opponent.
At that moment, Schade saw his own shadow moving with incredible swiftness, and then he noticed his body following suit. He sliced and stabbed the panther with blinding speed, all the while evading every attack made against him. After several seconds, the encounter was over. Schade had cut the ferocious panther into tiny pieces.
The Great Mother Panther looked upon the remains of her ferocious child, then turned to Schade and said, “You have slain my daughter, little druid. But I shall keep my word and release the son of your father as I swore that I would. And the Great Mother Panther released Belligiris. And Belligiris saw all that had happened, and remembered.
”Come little druid,” The Great mother panther said, “The third son of your father awaits.” And they returned to the jungle, and came to a place where a slender panther with cunning eyes awaited them. The Great Mother Panther spoke, and said to Schade, “Behold, little druid, my daughter. She guards your brother from afar, so swift is she. Any attempt to escape, and she would catch him even before his breath becomes labored from running.”
Schade peered far into the distance, and could barely discern his brother Sophistiris, the wisest of the brothers, bound to a wooden post. He spoke to the Great Mother Panther and said, “A race then, Mother?”
“Yes, little druid,” she replied, “In order to save the son of your father, you must reach him before my daughter. For if she reaches him first, she will slay him where he stands. But if you arrive before her, he will be unharmed, and free to leave.”
And with that, the cunning panther darted off in the direction of Sophistiris. Immediately, Schade began running as well. But the panther ran faster than any beast he had ever seen, and he was losing ground quickly. So Schade called upon Shadow, and pleaded for a blessing of speed. And suddenly he ran faster than he imagined possible, as though the shadows beneath his feet were springs that propelled him forward in great bounds. But just as he caught up, he felt the speed begin to fade from him and again the cunning panther gained ground. He could now see his brother Sophistiris plainly, bound to a poll and waiting in terror as death charged towards him.
So Schade cried out to Shadow and pleaded for something, anything, to save his brother. And suddenly his own shadow, previously behind him, moved unnaturally so that it was cast directly in front of him. Observing this, and seeing that the panther’s own shadow was behind her, Schade drew his cooking knife and stepped into his shadow. At almost the same moment he emerged several paces ahead, stepping out of the panther’s shadow, and sprang forward plunging the knife in her back.
The two of them collapsed forward, skidding to a complete stop mere inches from Sophistiris. But only Schade arose. As for the cunning panther, death had come swiftly and she lay still, never to run again. The Great Mother Panther looked upon her cunning child, then turned upon Schade and snarled, “You have slain my daughter little druid. You have broken our contract before Father Shadow, and now I will feed you and all your brothers to the children of my daughters.”
But Schade was not afraid. He faced the Great Mother Panther and said, “You are mistaken, Mother. I have not breached our contract, as you suppose. For, you stated only that I must reach the son of my father before your daughter. You failed to mention that I was not permitted to harm her. So you see, I remain in good standing with our agreement.”
“Very well little druid,” the Great Mother Panther replied, “Your brothers may leave in peace. But you will feed the children of my daughters.”
And Schade felt a great dread overcome him. He spoke to the Great Mother Panther, and said, “But Mother, you said that if I called out to Shadow and he permitted the release of my brothers, then you would let us go free. You would violate the contract we made before your father, Shadow?”
“No, little druid,” she replied, “I would honor my Father Shadow and observe the contract I made before him. Our agreement states that I will release the sons of your father if their brother calls upon Shadow and he wills it to be.” The Great Mother Panther stepped closer to Schade and cast him an ominous glare, “You, little druid, are also the son of your father. I will give you leave if your brothers call out to Shadow for your release, and he wills it.”
Schade did not reply, but remained silent, knowing that his brothers’ call would not be heard. Indeed, as much as they cried out, Shadow did not respond to Schade’s brothers, for Shadow did not know them. Eventually his brothers ceased their futile efforts, and the Great Mother Panther called forth the children of her daughters who devoured Schade where he stood. The Great Mother Panther then turned to Venefiris, Belligiris, and Sophistiris and said, “Go now, little druids. Return to the father of your brother, and tell him all that has happened in this place.”
The brothers of Schade returned to their father with great sadness and related to him all that had happened. But their father did not weep. He regarded the three brothers sternly, and said to them, “Do not mourn the loss of your brother, but rather honor him. And honor Shadow in his memory. For without the guile, ferocity, and subtlety of your brother, my youngest son, I would be a childless old man.
And so the brothers of Schade from that day honored and called out to Shadow, and embraced its gifts each in his own way. Venefiris, lover of the trees, flowers, herbs and all the growing things of the land learned from Shadow how to mix deadly and nefarious poisons from the living things of the earth. Belligiris, who reveled in the aggressive aspects of nature learned from Shadow the way of speed, precision, and initiative in combat. Sophistiris, the wisest of the brothers, learned all the subtle mysteries Shadow had to teach.
Thus Venefiris, Belligiris, and Sophistiris, like their younger brother before them, devoted their druidic discipline to Shadow. And some druids were intrigued by this new teaching, and became students of the three brothers. And they too became disciples of Shadow, or “Shadow Druids” as they called themselves. But most were suspicious of this new teaching, and The Cenarion Circle prohibited its practice, proclaiming anyone cultivating the druidic arts in order to indulge in the gifts of Shadow to be “rogue druids.”
But over time these rogue druids, or “rogues” as they became commonly known, gained acceptance among the Night Elves, particularly as they realized that Shadow was a natural counterpart to the night, the namesake of the Kaldorei. Even the druids of the Cenarion Circle eventually recognized the legitimacy of their cousins (although they still refused to admit them among their number) and, recognizing Shadow as part of the natural order, incorporated the arts of Shadow into their own teaching – such is the origin of the druid’s cat form.
Beyond the Night Elven borders, the ways of the Rogue spread to the other races native to Azeroth. Only the Tauren steadfastly refused to adopt the Shadow arts of the Rogue, regarding it as a Night Elven aberration of true druidism (although, with feats of logical contortion, they too incorporated cat form in their druidic teaching, despite refusing to admit Shadow as part of the natural order).
And although many of the brigands, cutpurses, thieves and assassins, and every scoundrel without scruples or morals like to fashion themselves Rogues, and mimic our subtle art, very few are worthy to walk in the shadow of our father Schade.
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A common misconception exists across the land, namely in regard to Rogues. It is thought that a Rogue is little more than a brigand or cutpurse, a thief or assassin, a scoundrel without scruples, bereft of common morality and decency. And while it is true that we are all of these things, we are in fact much, much more. For there are many brigands, cutpurses, thieves and assassins across the land; and scoundrels without scruples or morals abound. But very few of these are worthy of the name “Rogue.”
To gain a more genuine understanding, let us examine our origins. For there was a time very early in the history of Azeroth, when there were no Rogues. Certainly there were brigands, thieves, and people without scruples and such. But no Rogues.
The beginning of our story takes us into the lands of the Kaldorei, known to most as the Night Elves, where there lived an old man with four sons. As with most Kaldorei males during this time, the man and his sons practiced the art of the Druid, as taught by Cenarius and handed down through the generations by Malfurion Stormrage.
The old man’s sons excelled in the druidic arts, and were unrivaled in their skills drawing upon the power of the natural world. The oldest was named Sophistiris, and he was the wisest of the brothers. Sophistiris was a contemplative sort, and sought to understand the mysteries of the natural world, and cultivate its arcane powers. Above all, he believed that in nature there is a balance to all things – just as a storm rages one day, so does the sun shine on a calm and peaceful meadow the next; and just as then sun shines on that day, so does the night overcome the day.
The next son was named Belligiris, and he was the most fierce of the brothers. Belligiris reveled in the violent and aggressive aspects of nature. He would run amid the most violent storms and defy their ravaging might, and swim against the vicious roaring rapids of the mightiest rivers. He enjoyed wrestling with the wild beasts of the forest, and emerged victorious from every encounter.
Next was Venefiris, who adored the life of the forest more than anything else, especially the trees, flowers, herbs and all the growing things of the land. Venefiris sought to understand the essence of life in nature, and cultivated this knowledge into healing. Using the oils and extracts from the flowers, herbs and growing things of the land, Venefiris could cure any disease, heal any wound, and sometimes even restore the dead to life.
The youngest son was named Schade. By all appearances, Schade alone among his brothers possessed none of the gifts of nature, and unlike other druids made no attempt to commune with the natural world. Instead, he spent all his time among the shadows. Often he seemed to disappear altogether, and his brothers and father would not be able to find him. His father and brothers loved Schade very much, and were very concerned for him. His father would often speak to the elder brothers, and say to them, “Go. Find your brother, my youngest son. Convince him to call out to nature, that he too may receive its blessings.”
And the brothers would speak to Schade, each in his own way. Sophistiris would tell him of the wonders of nature, and all the glorious mysteries to learn. Belligiris would boast of nature’s power, and all the strength to gain from it. Venefiris would whisper the gentle and beautiful aspects of life, and the benefits of vitality he could bring to himself and others. Each of them would entreat Schade to call out to nature, that he too may receive its blessings. And Schade would say to them, “Dear brother, I have called out, and Shadow headed my call. I honor Shadow and receive its blessings.” But his brothers did not understand, for they did not know Shadow.
One day, running an errand for their father, the four brothers travelled through the jungle. And they were ambushed by a pack of shadow panthers. The brothers attempted to fight them off, but they were badly outnumbered and eventually overcome by the pack. They were taken captive and brought to the shadow panthers’ lair as food for their cubs. But Schade was not taken. When he saw that the panthers would overcome him and his brothers, he called upon Shadow and received a blessing of stealth. He disappeared from sight, and the panthers could not find him.
Schade loved his brothers very much, and did not want to see them harmed. But even more than this, he loved his father, and knew he would be very sad to lose his three oldest sons. So Schade followed the shadow panthers and his captive brothers to the lair, and there he saw a panther that was much greater than the rest, who stood as high as he was tall. The panther spoke, and said, “You do well, my children. The three morsels you bring will fill the bellies of our little ones, that they may grow strong and mighty. As for the fourth…”
The Great Mother Panther turned directly to Schade and spoke, “How are you possessed of my father’s gift, little druid?”
Schade was frozen in terror, locked in the Great Mother Panther’s gaze. He was wrapped in the dark cloak of Shadow, unseen to all of the panthers around him. But the Great Mother Panther’s eyes bore into him. She spoke again and said to him, “Yes, little druid. I am a child of Shadow, and see all who bear my father’s blessing. So I ask again, how are you possessed of my father’s gift?”
Schade stepped out of the dark shroud that concealed him, revealing himself to all the panthers in the lair. Immediately a deafening roar of startled outrage erupted, as some panthers ran to defend their little ones, while others prepared to pounce upon this unwelcome intruder. But the Great Mother Panther called them off and waited in silence for this intriguing visitor to respond.
Schade answered, and said to her, “Mother, I have known Shadow since my earliest days, since the time I first learned to call out to Nature, like my brothers before me and my father before them. Only Nature did not heed my call, and I was greeted instead by Shadow. I come to you now to plead for your mercy, on behalf of my father who loves his sons very much. Please, give leave to the sons of my father that he may not suffer grief unlike any he has known.”
The Great Mother Panther listened to Schade’s plea, and said to him, “I am moved by the compassion for your father, little druid. As you see, I have daughters of my own and love them very much, and they have children as well whom I love in equal measure. But we are a large family, and the children of my daughters need to eat, that they not become skinny and perish. Tell me, then, little druid. If I do not feed the sons of your father to the children of my daughters, whose sons shall I feed to them?”
Schade replied to the Great Mother Panther and said, “You are wise as you are fearsome, Mother, and I have no answer. For I would not visit upon any father the grief of losing his three beloved sons. So then I plead once again, not on behalf of my father but of yours. You have witnessed that I carry the blessing of Shadow, your father. I ask then, as a disciple of Shadow and for the sake of our common bond to your father, give leave to the sons of my father.”
The Great Mother Panther did not immediately respond, but pondered all that she had seen and heard. Then she returned her gaze to Schade and said to him, “You are brave as you are foolish, little druid, for I could just as easily feed you to the children of my daughters as it is with your brothers. But I honor my Father Shadow, and your devotion to him. So I will let him decide. I make an oath to you, sworn before Shadow, that I will release the sons of your father one at a time, if their brother calls upon Shadow and he wills it to be. For each son there is a trial for the brother to overcome. If the brother calls upon Shadow and overcomes the trial, I will release the son of your father. But if Shadow does not heed the call, then that son will feed the children of my daughters.
Schade agreed to the oath, and swore to its terms before Shadow as well. And the Great Mother Panther brought forth Venefiris, druid of the trees, flowers, and herbs, and all the growing things of the land. “We will begin with this one,” she said, “His brother’s trial awaits in the jungle."
So the Great Mother Panther brought Schade deep into the jungle, where lurked the largest beast Schade had ever seen. It was a panther the size of a mountain, with an endless tail that stretched as far as a river. The Great Mother Panther spoke, and said to him, “Behold, little druid, my daughter. She is ever watchful, ever vigilant, and ever hungry. My daughter will not rest until she is fed, and her belly is full. Prepare a feast, that she may eat her fill and sleep soundly. The game of the jungle is yours to hunt. I give you one day from today to hunt, prepare, and cook a feast to feed my daughter. But beware, little druid. If she is not filled, she may eat you as well.
Schade ventured off into the jungle, and called out to Shadow to help him in his trial. At that moment, he noticed that the shadows of the trees in the area were cast in directions at odds with the location of the light. All the shadows converged over one patch of the ground. In this area sat a hare who looked at Schade, as though it had been waiting for him. Surrounding the hare in a perfect circle were herbs, flowers, and various sorts of growing things from the land. Immediately, Schade understood what he needed to do. He butchered the hare, and with the herbs, flowers and growing things of the land surrounding it, he extracted seasoning to prepare a meal for the Mighty Panther.
The Great Mother Panther laughed when she saw the small fare that Schade had prepared and said, “Go on, little druid, feed my daughter the paltry morsel you have served.” And so Schade approached the mighty panther and lay the cooked hare at her feet. The mighty panther lapped it up and swallowed without chewing, then turned its attention to Schade. But its gaze faltered, and its eyes rolled upwards. Then she fell to the ground with a mighty crash and lay motionless.
The Great Mother Panther was astounded and spoke to Schade, “What is this? You put my daughter to rest with portions so small it would barely fill your own belly?”
Schade replied and said to her, “It is true. I called to Shadow, and your father showed me all the herbs, flowers, and growing things of the land I would need to mix the poison I used to season the hare. Your daughter sleeps, Mother, and she will never wake again.”
The Great Mother Panther looked upon her mighty child fallen and motionless, then turned to Schade and said, “You have slain my daughter, little druid. But I shall keep my word and release the son of your father as I swore that I would.” And the Great Mother Panther released Venefiris. And Venefiris saw all that had happened, and remembered.
”Come little druid,” The Great mother panther said, “The second son of your father awaits.” And the Great Mother Panther brought forth Belligiris, druid of nature’s aggressive aspects, and said, “The next trial is to overcome my daughter in the Great Forest to the north. To save the son of your father, you must defeat my daughter in combat. No tricks, little one. You must prove your worth in a fair fight.”
So the Great Mother Panther brought Schade and Belligiris up North until they reached a vast open landscape of desert sand. Schade turned to the Great Mother Panther and said, “Mother, I fear we have made a wrong turn. You said we must go to the Great Forest to the North. And yet here we stand amidst the sands of a barren desert.”
The Great Mother Panther spoke, and said to him, “There has been no mistake, little druid. My daughter used to live with me in the jungle to the south. And she, like the rest of my children, would sharpen her claws on the trees of the jungle. But her claws are so sharp that a single swipe can shred the trunk of a tree. So to preserve the place that I call home, I sent her to this forest. The ground that you stand upon is not sand, as you suppose. It is the fine wooden dust which is all that remains of the proud and mighty trees that once inhabited this land.”
The Great Mother Panther called out to her daughter with a roar. And from beyond a mound of wooden dust, a slender panther emerged with fierce eyes trained on Schade. Schade raised his hands palms out and said to the Great Mother Panther, “Mother, I accept the challenge to defeat your daughter in a fair fight. But is it fair for me to face the beast in such as state? For you see that I have come to you in peace, without weapon or armor.”
“Yes, little druid” replied the Great Mother Panther with a grin, “You are correct. You may arm yourself with the knives you recently employed to cook your culinary delights. Just as you used them to serve death to my last daughter, so shall you be a savory treat to my daughter now wielding the very same instruments. As for armor, skin for skin little one. The leather travel garments on your back will afford as much protection as the skin of my daughter’s own hide. Come now, little druid, call upon Shadow. Beckon him to bless you with the skill to overcome my daughter.”
But before he could act, the ferocious panther charged and pounced. Schade fell back, narrowly avoiding a razor sharp claw which caught the back of his jerkin, leaving it in tattered shreds. The panther did not hesitate but attacked again with equal force. Desperate to avoid imminent doom, and with very few options, Schade picked up a fistful of wooden dust and threw it in the panther’s face.
The beast was blinded.
Schade drew his cooking knives and sought an opening to attack. But the beast violently thrashed about, hoping to catch its prey in a whirlwind of aimless strikes. Schade could not approach without risk of being fatally caught in the razor sharp storm, and saw that the panther was beginning to regain her vision. So he called upon Shadow, and pleaded for a blessing in combat to survive.
Not a moment too soon. For the wooden dust cleared from the panther’s eyes, and she charged him in a vicious rage. But Shadow had blessed Schade, and he dodged the panther’s strike. The panther struck again, and Schade evaded. And again the panther struck, and again he side-stepped. Over and over the panther tried to sever the life of her prey with deadly claws, but over and over Schade avoided her lethal attacks. She was able to catch him no more than her own shadow. But Schade knew that he could not evade these attacks endlessly, and that he needed to finish the encounter on his terms. So again he called upon Shadow, and pleaded for a blessing in combat to slay his opponent.
At that moment, Schade saw his own shadow moving with incredible swiftness, and then he noticed his body following suit. He sliced and stabbed the panther with blinding speed, all the while evading every attack made against him. After several seconds, the encounter was over. Schade had cut the ferocious panther into tiny pieces.
The Great Mother Panther looked upon the remains of her ferocious child, then turned to Schade and said, “You have slain my daughter, little druid. But I shall keep my word and release the son of your father as I swore that I would. And the Great Mother Panther released Belligiris. And Belligiris saw all that had happened, and remembered.
”Come little druid,” The Great mother panther said, “The third son of your father awaits.” And they returned to the jungle, and came to a place where a slender panther with cunning eyes awaited them. The Great Mother Panther spoke, and said to Schade, “Behold, little druid, my daughter. She guards your brother from afar, so swift is she. Any attempt to escape, and she would catch him even before his breath becomes labored from running.”
Schade peered far into the distance, and could barely discern his brother Sophistiris, the wisest of the brothers, bound to a wooden post. He spoke to the Great Mother Panther and said, “A race then, Mother?”
“Yes, little druid,” she replied, “In order to save the son of your father, you must reach him before my daughter. For if she reaches him first, she will slay him where he stands. But if you arrive before her, he will be unharmed, and free to leave.”
And with that, the cunning panther darted off in the direction of Sophistiris. Immediately, Schade began running as well. But the panther ran faster than any beast he had ever seen, and he was losing ground quickly. So Schade called upon Shadow, and pleaded for a blessing of speed. And suddenly he ran faster than he imagined possible, as though the shadows beneath his feet were springs that propelled him forward in great bounds. But just as he caught up, he felt the speed begin to fade from him and again the cunning panther gained ground. He could now see his brother Sophistiris plainly, bound to a poll and waiting in terror as death charged towards him.
So Schade cried out to Shadow and pleaded for something, anything, to save his brother. And suddenly his own shadow, previously behind him, moved unnaturally so that it was cast directly in front of him. Observing this, and seeing that the panther’s own shadow was behind her, Schade drew his cooking knife and stepped into his shadow. At almost the same moment he emerged several paces ahead, stepping out of the panther’s shadow, and sprang forward plunging the knife in her back.
The two of them collapsed forward, skidding to a complete stop mere inches from Sophistiris. But only Schade arose. As for the cunning panther, death had come swiftly and she lay still, never to run again. The Great Mother Panther looked upon her cunning child, then turned upon Schade and snarled, “You have slain my daughter little druid. You have broken our contract before Father Shadow, and now I will feed you and all your brothers to the children of my daughters.”
But Schade was not afraid. He faced the Great Mother Panther and said, “You are mistaken, Mother. I have not breached our contract, as you suppose. For, you stated only that I must reach the son of my father before your daughter. You failed to mention that I was not permitted to harm her. So you see, I remain in good standing with our agreement.”
“Very well little druid,” the Great Mother Panther replied, “Your brothers may leave in peace. But you will feed the children of my daughters.”
And Schade felt a great dread overcome him. He spoke to the Great Mother Panther, and said, “But Mother, you said that if I called out to Shadow and he permitted the release of my brothers, then you would let us go free. You would violate the contract we made before your father, Shadow?”
“No, little druid,” she replied, “I would honor my Father Shadow and observe the contract I made before him. Our agreement states that I will release the sons of your father if their brother calls upon Shadow and he wills it to be.” The Great Mother Panther stepped closer to Schade and cast him an ominous glare, “You, little druid, are also the son of your father. I will give you leave if your brothers call out to Shadow for your release, and he wills it.”
Schade did not reply, but remained silent, knowing that his brothers’ call would not be heard. Indeed, as much as they cried out, Shadow did not respond to Schade’s brothers, for Shadow did not know them. Eventually his brothers ceased their futile efforts, and the Great Mother Panther called forth the children of her daughters who devoured Schade where he stood. The Great Mother Panther then turned to Venefiris, Belligiris, and Sophistiris and said, “Go now, little druids. Return to the father of your brother, and tell him all that has happened in this place.”
The brothers of Schade returned to their father with great sadness and related to him all that had happened. But their father did not weep. He regarded the three brothers sternly, and said to them, “Do not mourn the loss of your brother, but rather honor him. And honor Shadow in his memory. For without the guile, ferocity, and subtlety of your brother, my youngest son, I would be a childless old man.
And so the brothers of Schade from that day honored and called out to Shadow, and embraced its gifts each in his own way. Venefiris, lover of the trees, flowers, herbs and all the growing things of the land learned from Shadow how to mix deadly and nefarious poisons from the living things of the earth. Belligiris, who reveled in the aggressive aspects of nature learned from Shadow the way of speed, precision, and initiative in combat. Sophistiris, the wisest of the brothers, learned all the subtle mysteries Shadow had to teach.
Thus Venefiris, Belligiris, and Sophistiris, like their younger brother before them, devoted their druidic discipline to Shadow. And some druids were intrigued by this new teaching, and became students of the three brothers. And they too became disciples of Shadow, or “Shadow Druids” as they called themselves. But most were suspicious of this new teaching, and The Cenarion Circle prohibited its practice, proclaiming anyone cultivating the druidic arts in order to indulge in the gifts of Shadow to be “rogue druids.”
But over time these rogue druids, or “rogues” as they became commonly known, gained acceptance among the Night Elves, particularly as they realized that Shadow was a natural counterpart to the night, the namesake of the Kaldorei. Even the druids of the Cenarion Circle eventually recognized the legitimacy of their cousins (although they still refused to admit them among their number) and, recognizing Shadow as part of the natural order, incorporated the arts of Shadow into their own teaching – such is the origin of the druid’s cat form.
Beyond the Night Elven borders, the ways of the Rogue spread to the other races native to Azeroth. Only the Tauren steadfastly refused to adopt the Shadow arts of the Rogue, regarding it as a Night Elven aberration of true druidism (although, with feats of logical contortion, they too incorporated cat form in their druidic teaching, despite refusing to admit Shadow as part of the natural order).
And although many of the brigands, cutpurses, thieves and assassins, and every scoundrel without scruples or morals like to fashion themselves Rogues, and mimic our subtle art, very few are worthy to walk in the shadow of our father Schade.
! Glad you enjoyed it.
