"After spending several weeks amongst the Forsaken I will admit to feeling a certain degree of disgust with the situation. As a result, I have decided that it would be best to distance myself from them for a time. Although I will return to the Undercity for supplies (if any can be found that a living person can make use of...) I feel it best to stay far away from their holdings.
As soon as I was able to break away from my duties, I entered the Western Plaguelands. This area is hotly contested between the Horde and Alliance, but this means little given the fact that it also has one of our greatest triumphs there; Hearthglen. What a magnificent fortification! I must say that my spirits lifted greatly just riding through its mighty gates. To think that we are slowly starting to take back the lands from the Scourge, to heal the very world that they sought to rend apart; it is uplifting and sets my heart at ease!
Hearthglen is a wonderful example of what the Crusade can do for lands long torn by war. Not only is it a fortress that protects the surrounding countryside with patrols and strength of arms, but it also is a place where one can go to learn the deeper mysteries of the Light, or to consult with our allies amongst the Cenarion Circle. It is also a place where new recruits are now trained in the techniques that we all learned through much experience in battle up North. I was able to spend some time with the recruits there and despite my previous experience at war it was good to refresh my skills and speak with the eager trainees that will one day carry the banner of Light out into the world.
There is another crucial point to all of this that has great bearing on my own personal situation; that is the way the land itself is being healed. The Blight is simply a disease; an ailment like any other Scourge-born illness and it can be cured, removed, and eradicated from the lands. This gives me hope that one day Quel'Thalas will see a similar rebirth and that places like the Ghostlands and Dead Scar can be repaired. I set my hand towards this goal by working with the Crusade, and I believe it is a purpose that is perfectly in line with my duties both as a Crusader and as a Blood Knight. I fight for the Light, and for all of the lands that have been touched by darkness.
With my trip to Hearthglen complete, I continued onward and made my way to Light's Hope Chapel in the Eastern Plaguelands. One cannot pass through this region without visiting such an historic location. Just standing upon those holy grounds immediately filled me with the love and grace that the Light brings, and I felt renewed in my mind and soul. The Light is love. It is in all of us and all of the world around us, and through it we can attain a higher level of understanding and compassion. It is also a shield against the darkness, and nowhere do I feel more secure than when I stand before that unassuming looking chapel.
The only blight upon my eyesight when I visited that place was, of course, the Ebon Hold floating high in the distance. That dark edifice is a stark reminder of what can happen when the Light's grace is nearly snuffed out by evil. I feel sympathy and sorrow for those poor twisted souls who stand endless vigil within the stony confines above. They did not ask for the fate delivered to them, and it is difficult to imagine being trapped in a twisted, unnatural form and plagued with unholy magics. I wish that I could give them the peace that they deserve, but that is perhaps for another time. There is much yet that they can do in the world to atone for what they have become, and as has been shown in the past they are willing to put their blades to use against evil. Time will tell if the darkness that has been planted within them will overcome them. If that day comes, then my blade will swiftly turn towards the task of giving them rest at last.
I believe I will continue to work with the Crusade in these lands for a short time longer before I resume my duties amongst the races allied with the Sin'dorei. This experience has warmed my heart and renewed my purpose. I cannot fail my people, and I must stand strong by the Light's grace. There is much darkness to put to an end before my journey comes to a close."
~An excerpt from
the memoirs of Britanielle 'Britany' Dawnblaze, Paladin of the Argent
Crusade.
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