Information

Clarinda
Legacy Name: Clarinda

The Galactic Chai
Owner: Buttercream

Age: 11 years, 3 months, 4 weeks

Born: December 22nd, 2012

Adopted: 10 years, 4 days ago

Adopted: April 14th, 2014

Pet Spotlight Winner
April 27th, 2015

Statistics

• Level: 77
   
• Strength: 188
   
• Defense: 185
   
• Speed: 185
   
• Health: 185
   
• HP: 185/185
   
• Intelligence: 180
   
• Books Read: 176
• Food Eaten: 0
• Job: Head of Operations

Clarinda was a shy and inquisitive Chai who had an innate spark for magic. It took death and destruction to quicken the tiny flame. And like a beautiful rose blooming, there was no stopping or slowing down the powerful torrent growing within her breast.

As the youngest of six children, Clarinda tended sheep with her father in Elwynn Forest. It was a tedious and bland life but it put food on the table and kept a roof over their heads. The modest family was use to dealing with bold wolves and sly foxes attempting to snag a wooly snack. Lately though, Goldshire gossip was abuzz about terrifying raids from toothy sea creatures, hairy humanoids with spears and pitchforks, and other weird creatures that had an odd fascination for candles rather than the traditional thieves and forest bandits.

It was a dreary and rainy night when Clarinda’s family experienced rumors come to life. The murlocs attacked their cozy farm with ferociously yelled “mmrrrrgggggllll” warcries, and rusty maces and lumberjack axes pilfered from previous raids. Screams from the sheep punctuated the night along with claps of thunder. Clarinda watched in horror as her father rushed from the house in his longjohns with his old military spear and lantern in hand.

Frozen in bed, she saw flashes of light and dimly discernible shapes pass by the open doorway. One hulking shape stopped and in slow motion, Clarinda saw it pause and turn towards the accessible house. She held her breath as the half-fish monster come inside, scenting the air. It swung its large head around and stared straight at her, ignoring her siblings huddling in a corner. With abnormal clarity, Clarinda could see the numerous razor sharp teeth filling its drooping maw and the multiple pairs of ruby fronds jutting from the top of its head going down its back. Hunched over, the Murloc readied its weapon, a small spiked mace, and leaped at Clarinda with tremendous speed.

Screwing her eyes tightly closed, she flung out her hands and screamed to the heavens. A mighty boom of thunder shook the house's foundation, drowning out Clarinda’s desperate cry. When only the distant clang of metal on metal reached her ears did she peek through a squinted eye. An awful smell of burnt rotted meat filled the air as Clarinda looked around the house and found no fishy monsters making an attempt on her life. One of her older siblings stood defensively before the other children, and stared in horror at something on the floor. Following his gaze, she tried to understand exactly what she was looking at. A hulking charred thing lay spread eagle on the wooden floor with a mangled piece of metal near by. At first Clarinda wondered where whatever it was came from, and then it dawned on her, it was the murderous murloc turned nearly ash.

While Clarinda and her siblings continued to stare at the charred creature, her father raced into the house and stopped just before the corpse. He looked from it to his ghost faced son protecting his other children, and then finally to a very confused Clarinda. With gruff words, he ordered his children to pack a few things of clothing and to travel quickly to the Strom family’s farm nearby. Clarinda, though, he order her to stay put. She nodded slowly, trying to give emotional comfort to her siblings as they quickly gathered their belongings but none would meet her eyes. She felt so very alone, and a new kind of fear gripped her.

“Your mother could do what you did tonight, Clar,” her father said, using his favorite endearing term for her once the house was empty save the two of them. “She bore me six wonderful children before she had to leave us. The life of a farmer’s wife was too plain for her. She...she was made for stronger things. Adventuring, she said before she abandoned us.”

“I had hoped with all my blessed might that none had inherited her talents. I thought that everyone was safe..but I knew. I knew somewhere in my heart that you would be the one to follow in her blasted footprints,” he continued, his gaze resting on the burnt thing laying upon his floorboards. A shiver ran through his body after he finished speaking and looked at Clarinda with such sad eyes. Pity reflected in them, for her.

Taking a deep breath, he released it slowly before speaking again, “Gather your things, Clarinda, all of them. We travel tonight to Stormwind.”

In a numb haze, she went about packing her meaningless things. Linen shifts, wool stockings, cotton dresses and shirts, and a pair of winter boots all went neatly into sacks. She took care to wrap her comb, and colored glass jewelry. Donning her finest wool cloak, she took one last look at the creature she had killed before leaving the only home she ever knew.

Clarinda had traveled to Stormwind only once before to assist her father in trade. The capital city for the Humans’ of Azeroth, and one part of the mighty Alliance who were forever opposed to the rival Horde. Ruled by a boy king, who kept his father’s house in order during his absence, and aided by Lady Prestor and Bolvar Fordragon . It was a beautiful metropolis set between rolling mountains and the vast ocean. White marble towers flying the blue and gold Lion of Stormwind flanked the entrance into the vast city.

Clarinda had little time to marvel at the sights and sounds surrounding them as they entered the great city. Her father set a hard pace, keeping them moving over beautiful cobbled streets of the Trade District and through crowded areas near an auction house and bank. He steered them west across a pristine white bridge that spanned a wide canal of murky water, and into another section of the city. Here, ivy grew voraciously and freely, encasing whole structures in vibrant green. Shop signs with magic related themes hung outside of wooden building and inside humans, dark-skinned elves, and the occasional gnome bustled inside. Stormwind was home to not just humans but any Alliance-friendly race was happily welcomed to drink, barter, and rest within her fortified walls.

“Stay here,” her father commanded in a gruff voice, dismounting before a tall, spiraling tower in the middle of the new area.

Clarinda drew up the hood of her cloak, and huddled on her mount, waiting for her father’s return. Crickets chirped, and the sounds of merriment leaked out from a tavern across the green. A steady trickle of people flowed in and out of shops and the tower, no one payed her any heed. She tried desperately to stifle the tears but the longer she sat alone in the dead of night, thinking about home and her fate, the more they flowed. Eventually her father returned with a bearded man wearing a colourful robe. Clarinda quickly dismounted and dipped into a clumsy courtsey.

“Clarinda, this is High Sorcerer Andromath, and you will be staying in his care,” her father said as he began to unload the horses of her belongings.

“Father!” She cried, half-heartedly wiping the tears from her cheeks, “I don’t want to stay here! I want to go home!”

“You cannot stay with us, Clar. It’s too dangerous,” he replied, ignoring her pleas as he mounted his horse and turned away. “You are too dangerous.”

Clarinda fell to her knees, surrounded by her useless things, begging her father to return as he rode into the night. The mage gently took her elbow, and lifted her to her feet. “I say dear, perhaps I should be insulted that you do not wish to study under my tutelage. The casters of Stormwind and the Alliance are mighty, intelligent and heroic. They do not cry over someone’s narrow mindedness.”

“But I didn’t do anything wrong,” she whispered to herself. “I saved them.”

Andromath rested a hand on Clarinda’s shoulder, and gave it a gentle reassuring squeeze. “And you will save many others, just as your mother had done before you, and your grandmother before her. The magic growing within you comes from a very long line of heroic sorceresses. Each one played an important part in the history of Azeroth, something a simple farmer could never comprehend. Your path to knowledge and adventure begins now, dear Clarinda, are you prepared to mourn the father who abandoned you, or embrace the mother who set you down the road to greatness?”

For many years Clarinda studied at the Mage’s Tower in Stormwind before venturing across the great lands of Azeroth, seeking to rid the world of evil creatures. On her travels she became companions with a cynical human warrior who had the driest sense of humor in all Azeroth, a witty and comical dwarf hunter, a cheerful draenei priestess with an infectious laugh, and a somber voiced human warlock who everyone followed faithfully. Together, the five of them formed a strong bond by delving deep into corrupt temples, dragon lairs, and ancient fortresses that old gods and arch demons inhabited. As a progressive group they worked together to slay hundreds of creatures, and overcame countless encounters to obtain honor and spoils.

Like all good things, they must come to an end. As time slipped away quietly, so did each member of the group. It began with the warlock who decided to hang up his staff and retire to a quiet estimate. Then the hunter and warrior retired as well, leaving the priestess and Clarinda to decide the next step of their individual journeys. In somber reflection, Clarinda decided to return to the Mage Tower in Stormwind, and contribute to the education of future generations of magic users. There she made a quaint life, helping to nurture and teach those who too had been turned away by family.

Clarinda or Clar bear, as I like to call him, is to this day, one of the best individuals I have ever known online. Clarinda was a Human Arcane Mage in my guild, Lords of Eternity, and we played together for roughly 3 years. As a progression guild on Garona, we were active during Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King. Clarinda was a good friend both in and out of the game. I greatly miss playing with him, and although I have lost touch with him, I hope all goes well in his life.

Acknowledgements:
Graphics + Story: Buttercream
Coding: sonata
Artwork: Clarinda - Ankoku Minion - roar
World of Warcraft Map and Lore CC Blizard

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