User:GoldenYak/The Fall of Azj'Aqir
Related to Spider Kingdom Expansion Concept
Entry 01
One of the goals I hope tae accomplish pokin' around here in Northrend's bowels is tae learn more about the aqir. Legends of these nasty fellows can be found all over the world, if ye know where tae look. Mostly stories about how rotten they was that've become myths o' the folk they were rotten tae. Now that I've become chums with some nerubians, the aqir's alledged descendants, I've gotta shot at gettin' some good solid knowledge about just who the aqir were.
Unfortunately, the nerubians ain't exactly been forth-comin'. Some kinda cultural taboo 'bout discussin' their ancient ancestors. They call 'em the Azj'Aqir, but they ain't willin' tae tell me much more. I figured at least ol' Ul'Tomon might be able tae give me a l'il insight into their culture, but alls I got was a cold stare. And nerubians've got six eyes, so they can really stare.
I did learn that the city of Ahn'Vekir was the first one ever built in Azjol-Nerub, and that means it was built by the Azj'Aqir what came tae Northrend from wherever it was they came from. The nerubians left Ahn'Vekir ages ago, and no one goes back or wants tae talk about it. If I'm gonna learn anythin' about the aqir, that's where I'll learn it.
Entry 02
I've made it tae what I figure is the heart of Ahn'Vekir. The nerubians we've met in the past may avoid this place, but them Newbreed critters are everywhere. Definitely not your garden variety spider-folk, they are.
The architecture here's obviously nerubian-related, but there's somethin' off about it, somethin' I can't quite put my finger on. The angles ain't quite right... walls and ceilings shouldn't meet up the way they do. I could swear some of these temples're bigger on the inside. It's as if the builders weren't payin' much attention tae the laws of nature as we know 'em.
Plus all the doorways and arches and passages and stuff were made for folk bigger than your typical nerubian. Much bigger...
Entry 03
There's a big honkin' plaza in the middle of the city, with what I could swear was a Titan Waygate smack in the middle! It's a real mess - smacks of what those qiraji buggers did tae the Titan city we now know became Ahn'Qiraj. But that means that the aqir knew what a Waygate was... maybe even how it worked! Maybe that's how they got here in the first place. The plaza has a mess o' frescoes that depict what I think is the history of this city. I'm recordin' what I've been able tae piece together here.
Some of this, we know - the aqir fought a lot of ancient wars against the trolls, back when the trolls were pretty much runnin' the planet with their great big empires. The trolls say they gave the aqir a kickin' and sent 'em runnin', and that's how the Spider Kingdom we know and love got started - one batch of aqir settled down in Northrend. The wall carvings here in the city back that up - they depict a load of trolls and bug-like fellows havin' a major punch-up. There's a lot of walls completely covered in these - a war record of all the major battles fought.
There's some interestin' implications in these records that the troll legends never hinted at though - the language is tough tae make out, but doable if ya read nerubian. The word used tae refer tae trolls translates as 'slaves' or 'rebels'... or possibly 'livestock'. Is this just the aqir's racist regard of everyone else as food showin' through, or could the aqir have ruled the trolls at one time?
Entry 04
These carvings shed more light on the fall of the ancient aqir empire, Azj'Aqir. Seems like the troll legends don't quite tell the whole story - the trolls might not even have known. But the aqir record leaves little room for doubt - it weren't the war with the trolls alone that shattered the empire of Azj'Aqir. The trolls had help... from the dragonflights. The record shows that three flights played a hand in the fall of the aqir - the blue, green, and black dragonflights.
In light of everythin' that's happened recently, it might be easy tae forget, but we should remember that Deathwing weren't always a complete bastard... He used tae be Neltharion, the Earth-Warder, the Titans' top dog when it came tae keepin' the world a safe place, and he specialized in takin' care o' threats risin' up from underneath.
Seems the aqir liked tae live underground, and their empire expanded and started tae come into contact with the black dragonflight. Guess ol' Nelly thought they were gettin' too big for their buggy britches, and when the war against the trolls broke out, the Dragonflights hit them where they live. The record shows that the Black, Green, and Blue aspects and their flights struck at the Azj'Aqir primary hive-city - their capitol. With all of their forces spread out fightin' with the trolls, it was no contest. Azj'Aqir was done for, and the aqir made themselves scarce, fleein' tae the furthest corners o' the world.
The rest is history.
Entry 05
The wall carvings show a load of buggy critters, aqir I suppose, tunnelin' deep beneath the earth. There's a real interestin' bit though - shows 'em goin' through what looks like the mucked-up Waygate here in the middle o' the city. Just like I figured, that's how the aqir got tae Northrend. The record shows them buildin' Ahn'Vekir soon as they got here, around the Waygate they arrived from. Folks've found broken Waygates before, but no one's ever been able tae make one work completely reliable like... not those Twilight buggers, not the Scourge.
Here's the million gold coin question though - did the aqir take advantage of a Waygate that was active at the time and has since shut down, or did they figure out a way tae turn it on an' off at will? If the aqir ever mastered Titan technology, it would've explained how they were able tae expand their empire throughout so much o' the world. The records refer tae it as the 'Gateway tae the World'. So until I straighten this mystery out, I'm callin' it the Worldgate.
Entry 06
The record of the war and the foundin' of Ahn'Vekir is over, but there's still more wall carvings. Unfortunately, I can't get tae 'em - those Newbreed buggers have moved in and driven me and me team off. Here's the really scary part - their bringin' in loads of what look like machinery. It's made of stone and crystal and hums somethin' fierce, but I seen machines like 'em before - the control consoles of Titan Waygates.
Unless the whole dang Newbreed is conspirin' tae pull me leg, it seems like the Worldgate really is a Waygate the aqir took over for themselves - and the Newbreed are plannin' tae get it up and runnin' again! That can't be good - if the Newbreed get control o' the Waygates, they could turn up anywhere in the world - even right underneath Ironforge itself.
I've got a plan tae get close tae those control consoles - if they're anythin' like the Titan versions, I should be able tae get 'em tae work. And maybe I can make sure they don't work. Controls are probably in nerubian though... what's the word for 'Deactivate' again? 'Krk'ilk'kek?' Or is that 'Reverse...'
I'll figure it out.
This is the final entry in Brann's Journal.