From Camp Narache to the Bear's Shape
One long day took Nanaki from the lowing crowds of Camp Narache through the Rites of the Earthmother, three falls into darkness, Moonglade, and at last the shape of the bear.
Enforcer Emilgund
The Road
The candle is low and my hooves ache, so I will set it down in order. The day began at Camp Narache, loud with tauren, and I climbed from there to Red Cloud Mesa. The road led east to Brambleblade Ravine and past Kodo Rock. After that came Stonebull Lake and Bloodhoof Village, where I rested at the inn and made it my home.
Later I saw Palemane Rock, the Winterhoof Water Well, the Ravaged Caravan and the Bael'dun Digsite. I wandered into the Rolling Plains for a short while, though not for long, as I will tell below. Thunder Bluff came next, then Spirit Rise, the Wildmane Water Well and the Golden Plains. Red Rocks, the burial ground, lay beyond them. Atop the bluff I stood on the Elder Rise.
Turak taught me a spell that carried me to Moonglade, to the village of Nighthaven. There I walked to the Shrine of Remulos and Lake Elune'ara. Last of all I went down to the Southern Barrens and Camp Taurajo. I met the flight master there and flew back to Thunder Bluff.
Battles
By day's end I had cut down two hundred and seventeen foes. Most were Bristleback quilboar (eighteen), Battleboars (seventeen), prairie wolves (fifteen) and Venture Co. workers (fifteen). There were fourteen Bael'dun diggers, thirteen Palemane poachers, thirteen mountain cougars and a dozen Bristleback interlopers. Palemane skinners and tanners, Bael'dun appraisers and plainstriders made up the rest.
The one worth naming was Chakuyak, the hunters' dangerous wolf, whom I put down west of Stonebull Lake. Near Thunder Bluff I also slew Enforcer Emilgund, a rare humanoid.
I fell three times. Something I never saw struck me down in the Rolling Plains. In Nighthaven I fell twice more, once before I had even spoken with the druid there, and once more later. Between those two falls I won an honorable victory over an adventurer of the enemy faction. Each time I woke as a spirit and found my way back.
Deeds
Chief Hawkwind set me to a "humble task": to find his mother at the well southeast of Camp Narache. She sent me back with a water pitcher, and her son in turn named me a druid who might be heralded in Thunder Bluff. That opened the Rites of the Earthmother, and the day was spent walking them.
Seer Graytongue set the Rite of Strength: kill Bristlebacks in the ravine and bring their belts. I also carried his smoldering incense to the shrine of An'she and Mu'sha before it burned away. Brave Windfeather asked for the head of Chief Sharptusk Thornmantle, and he spoke of justice served when I brought it. Grull Hawkwind wanted plainstrider feathers and meat, cougar pelts, and Battleboar snouts and flanks for stew. Baine Bloodhoof gave me the Rite of Vision, and I drank the Water of the Seers by the tribal fire. Seer Wiserunner told me to be unafraid and passed me. The Ancestral Spirits at Red Rocks passed me in the Rite of Wisdom, and Cairne Bloodhoof greeted me in Thunder Bluff.
There was plenty of smaller work. I carried supplies to Kaga Wildhoof, who taught me camping. I found the Longwalker Malah slain by arrows and carried her report to Bloodhoof. I found Kyle, Ahab Wheathoof's runaway puppy, and fed him strider meat. I cleansed the Winterhoof Water Well with a totem Mull Thunderhorn made. I smashed the dwarves' digging picks for Baine, and I gathered the parts Maur Raincaller needed against the bite of Mazzranache. Morin Cloudstalker asked me to look in the caravan's crates, which held documents, then to strike at the Venture Co. miners. When it was done he said they would not take the tauren lightly. Lorekeeper Raintotem asked me to drive Bristleback interlopers from the graves at Red Rocks, and I did.
In Moonglade, Dendrite Starblaze sent me to the Great Bear Spirit, then back to Turak. Turak asked me to prove "the strength of body and heart," and when I returned he said he sensed that strength in me.
Fellowship
Camp Narache was crowded and noisy with new tauren lowing at one another. I answered once, with a hearty:
"Mooooooooooo."
In Bloodhoof I joined the guild Blacktide as an Initiate. Later a fellow Blacktide hailed the guild aloud, and I took it as a welcome.
Several travelers joined my party through the day, among them hunters, a warrior and druids. Each stayed only briefly and then went their own way. A tauren shaman once told me, near Kaga's fire, to sit and rest a while.
Spoils & Craft
The finds were few. I picked up the schematic for EZ-Thro Dynamite, a pair of Tribal Pants, and two pieces of malachite.
My hands were busy with craft most of the day. I made linen bandages, many of them, and a first aid kit. I cooked charred wolf meat, brilliant smallfish and herb baked eggs. I tanned light leather and made eleven light armor kits. I made a camp chair, two campfire kits and later a camp tent. I also cast a line and learned the patience of fishing.
Growth
Strength came to me in waves. I felt new power several times in the day, and the last time was at the highest bluff of Thunder Bluff.
Gart Mistrunner taught me the Mark of the Wild early, and a second, stronger form of it later. I learned Moonfire and Rejuvenation, then Thorns and a stronger Wrath. Entangling Roots and a stronger Healing Touch came after. A second Moonfire and Nature's Grasp followed. From Turak I learned the spell to carry me to Moonglade. At the end I learned the shape of the bear, with Growl and Maul to go with it.
I took up skinning, tanning, first aid, cooking, fishing and leatherworking, and deepened skinning to journeyman's craft. I also learned to fight with a two-handed mace.