This story is written by the player Venzolo in order to give context to his character story arc. This document should be taken only in an OOC context of consumption as the events therein are not widely known ICly.

Venzolo dipped his hand into the waters of a small pond somewhere in the middle of Desolace.  The charred flesh stung against the cool water and Venzolo gritted his teeth but then the pain subsided a bit and he had some modicum of relief.  Venzolo made a note never to try picking something up out of acidic demon’s blood again no matter how shiny it may be. It had been a few days now since his battle with Okambra, Gordrik’s fel infused hag of a mother.  To think the voice in his head had driven him right to her of all people.  He looked at his reflection in the water.  He was covered in wounds yet again and the expensive clothes he had bought in Orgrimmar were all but ruined.  He looked like a mess and now he had nowhere to go again.

Another reflection appeared next to him in the water. He looked up to see the ghostly face of a young Draenei girl looking at him.

“Looking kind of rough there Ven,” she said.

“Yeah, you could say that again kid.  So, how’d it go?”

“The Skyrunners won the battle. Though the Bloodtotem died. And most of them are pretty beat up now.  It looked like they were going back to the village.”

So, they actually did it? Now that was rather impressive. He smiled a little bit and then considered the spirit standing next to him.  This little Draenei spirit had been the one who had called to him and had given him no peace.  She had been killed and her soul stuffed into a bottle by a Warlock back on Draenor before it became outland.  Apparently that Orc had survived all the way to today but then Okambra had stolen the bottle from that warlock and taken it to Feralas where she had been plotting against the Skyrunners.  Her name was Nessa.  Venzolo thought once he had released her from her eternal imprisonment, she would disappear like a fart in the wind to wherever Draenei went when they died but she insisted that she do something in repayment for saving her.  He sent her off to go check on the Skyrunners and when she told him that they were on the march he sent her off again to see how the battle turned out.

“So what now.  What are we gonna do next?” She asked. Venzolo fixed her with a stern gaze and shook his head.

“Next?  There is no next kid.  Next you move along and leave me alone.  I’m off to Orgrimmar to drink myself to death that’s what's next.”

Nessa looked stricken and sad like someone had just slapped her across the face.

“Come on.  That can’t be it.  You took on that big powerful Warlock all alone and now that’s it you're done? Finished?  Where’s that curiosity that led you to studying magic, where’s the fire that led you to building your own company from the ground up, where’s the ambition that led you to lead your own band of mercenaries into battle?  You can’t be done,” she said throwing her ghostly hands to her side in frustration.

Venzolo raised an eyebrow at her and fixed her with a critical eye.  “Kid how in the world did you know about all of that?”

She looked down shyly, “I’ve been kinda snooping in your dreams a bit.  And you talk in your sleep.  And snore really loud.”

Venzolo rolled his eyes and put his hand over his face.  “Well kid all those things you mentioned I’ve lost all of that and more.  Why should there be a next?  I’ll probably just end up losing that too, whatever it might be.  I’ve got nowhere to go no ties to anyone alive so what’s the point?” 

“Why don’t you go back to the skyrunners?” She asked.

“Oh, please how would that be a good idea?   Here I am having a mental breakdown because I’m hearing voices in my head and do they care are they worried I’m going mad with whispers?  No! All they do is chastise me for drinking.  I mean come on. I don’t care about them anymore,” he said waving his hand angrily.

“Ya know for someone who doesn’t care about them. You spend a lot of time thinking about them. I think they have potential.”

“Potential? Potential for what?”

“Potential to be more than just another mark.  I mean, why were you even interested in joining them in the first place?”

Venzolo let out a sigh.  “There is a Tauren spirit in Northrend who guards the location of an ancient spell book.  The spirit only talks to those of Shu’halo blood.  I was going to use the Skyrunners to convince the spirit to give up the location.  But what’s the point now if I can’t even use my magic anymore anyway?”

“Why did you want the spellbook?” She asked.  She had a lot of questions. Why did she care so much?

“I’m not sure but apparently it could teach you to make barriers that were nigh unbreakable.  If I got my hands on it I was going to buy a private island put up one of those unbreakable barriers and spend the rest of my life alone surrounded by piles of money. At least that was the dream,” he said putting his face in his hands.

“That’s understandable,” she said simply.

Venzolo looked up at her.  His eyes were wide a look of surprise plastered on his face. That was not the response he had expected least of all from her.  Every time he had ever told his dream to anyone else, they had always scoffed or rolled their eyes or told him it was selfish and not worth the effort.  Every. Single. Time.  Yet not her.

“It is?” He said still a little bit in shock she had agreed with him. “Most people think when I tell them they say I’m an idiot for wanting something like that.”

“Well you are an idiot but not for that dream.  You want the happy life you had on Kezan back.  You just want the normal life you had before Deathwing destroyed it and threw you into this crazy world of monsters, demons, and self-righteous morons.” 

By the light she understood.

“But tell me Ven,” she continued, “Ever since you lost your old life on Kezan.  Are you saying none of it was fun?  Even just a little?   When you swindle some honorable orc out of his gold you didn’t feel the least bit satisfied at your success?  When build a bomb don’t you feel the tiniest bit of pride?  When you're in a battle don’t you feel a thrill seeing an enemy fall before you?”

Venzolo said nothing. He looked back from her to his reflection in the water.  For so long after Kezan exploded all he had wanted was to go back to that life.  He had chased after it gathering power and wealth to achieve it.  But if he had truly wanted to have a peaceful life again he could have.  He could have opened a shop in Orgrimmar or Hardwrench Hideaway and just ignored the world and its problems.  But no he fought with the horde even when he didn’t need to anymore.  He took it even further and made his own mercenary group after that.  Always seeking more magic and spells.  Always trying to make bigger bombs.   

“No... I just... I just...,” he stammered. Suddenly Nessa flashed out of existence and reappeared right in his face. Venzolo fell backwards from genuine fright. 
[p]“Come on Venzolo Shadowspark you never liked it even a little?  The lying, the scheming, the thrill of the fight. Of betting your life?  You smiled and laughed while you battled one of the most powerful Warlocks in these lands.  You try to hide it, you say you hate it out here but really you love it.  You just lack purpose,” she said then her ghostly form would float out over the water and disappear. 
[p]He would sit staring at where she disappeared.  He hadn’t felt more lost in his entire life than he did right now.  Though his thoughts were interrupted when a big bubble floated up and popped in the pond right in front of him.  That was weird.  He stared at the spot where the bubble had popped.  Then suddenly a watery hand shot out grabbed his face and dragged him into the shallow pond. 
[p]He writhed around in the water but then calmed himself and opened his eyes.  However, suddenly he was no longer in a small pool.  He was in a vast ocean.  Beneath him there was no sea floor just endless darkness.  He swam for the surface.  As his head broke through he was greeted with a scene of utter chaos.

To his left in the distance a massive range of mountains rose up to nearly touch the clouds.  An army of fire elementals were attempting to ascend the mountain range which was defended by earth elementals.  They shot boulders and fireballs back and forth at each other meanwhile the skies rolled with massive storm clouds.  Wind elementals dove from them pelting both sides with lightning.  It was incredible.  But then Venzolo looked behind him only to see a tidal wave in the distance coming straight at him.  It rose so high that it evened dwarfed the mountains and parted the clouds.  Atop it rode Neptulon the Tidehunter himself.   Venzolo watched in horror as the wave crashed forward engulfing him.

Venzolo’s vision went dark and then a million other visions flashed through his mind so colorful and vivid he could barely comprehend them.  Though one of the visions stood out in his mind one wherein he sat atop of a pile of gold but not on a private island it was in the middle of the Skyrunner village.  He looked happy. 
Venzolo shot upright, spitting water from his mouth.  He was back in the shallow pool of water in Desolace Nessa stood on the edge of the pond looking at him with a big smile on her transparent face.

“I knew it.  Venzolo you’re a Shaman,” she said with glee and a giggle.

“I’m a what?” Venzolo said standing up out of the water wiping his face.

“You’re a Shaman.  That’s why you heard my call.  The whispers you have been hearing I bet it’s the elements and spirits around you talking.  If you focus more and listen every once in a while, I bet they wouldn’t bother you so much.”

Venzolo let out a sigh.  At some level deep down he had always known that.  He had just ignored it.  He preferred the cold logic of spells as opposed to the wishy-washy nature of spirits and elements.  But now that his magic was so weak maybe it was worth a try.  He thought back to the battle he had seen in his mind and looked at Nessa as well.  The elements and the spirits they had wants and needs just like people did.  Which meant they could be bargained with.  Maybe there was something there after all.  Using water and frost with the help of the elements instead of spells.  However, he needed a place to stay where he could learn how to utilize these powers.  One place came to mind.

“So, you really think the Skyrunners are worth it?” He said to Nessa. She smiled.

“I saw the way they fought. They’re a caliber above the fools you normally deal with so I don’t think you’ll be able to swindle them.  But they could be your new crew to replace the one you lost.  But if they're your crew it means they get a cut of the spoils of any endeavors.  You know how it works.”

Venzolo looked down at his hand which no longer hurt.  It had been healed along with all his other wounds.  “Unfortunately, kid, I think your right.  So what about you?  Are you sure you want to come with me?  Don’t you have family waiting for you on the other side?  Don’t you want to go to them?”

Nessa got a faraway look in her eyes for a moment then she said, “For years while I was stuck in the bottle, I could hear my ancestors calling to me. Telling me to join them.  But now I hear nothing.  The silence is deafening.  I don’t want to go.  I spent so little time in the world alive.  I want to see more of it even if I can’t do much in it.  You’re a good man Venzolo and I want to help you.”

Again, Venzolo stared at her.  A good man?  He’d definitely never been called that before.  “Well, alright kid.  Then you and I partners in this endeavor from now to forever.  Now if we’re gonna get that stubborn old bull to let me back into the village I think I’m gonna need some support.  I want you to head to the village ahead of me.  Find Kanatu.  I think the spirits of his ancestors live in that wood totem.  See if you can convince them that I’m a good man too.  That would be a big help.”

Nessa smiled a big smile, “Alright, I’m on it partner you can count on me!” She disappeared with giggle floating on the wind.

Venzolo rubbed his hands together.  Seems that he was back in action.  He hoped the world was ready.  But he knew they weren't.