User:GoldenYak/World's Heart/Mage Campaign

Related to The World's Heart Expansion Concept.

Mage Class Campaign.

Class Hall - The Nexus
While the blue dragonflight has suffered terrible losses over the course of its existence, from its decimation during the War of the Ancients, to the madness of Malygos' Nexus War, to the Cataclysm that left them bereft of their Aspect and badly mauled by the forces of the Old Gods. But the spirit of the dragonflight endures, and its most recent generation has banded together even as its elders drift away, lost in their own memories and regrets. The newly formed Azure Order is determined to find a place for dragons in the new age of mortals, and they have reached out to the other races of the world who practice the arcane, intending to pool their knowledge and share in the defense of Azeroth. The Azure Order has opened its ranks to all races, and drawn many spellcasters from all across Azeroth and beyond to the Nexus, the long-time home of the blue dragonflight. Now mages of the Alliance, the Horde, unaffiliated factions, and even beings from other worlds gather in the halls of the Nexus, and study new forms of spellcraft in the rebuilt Eye of Eternity alongside the blue dragons.

In short order, the Azure Order declares its first mission as the arcane defenders of Azeroth - they will repair the damaged done to the leylines of Northrend during the Nexus War. On the order of Malygos, whose hatred of non-draconic spellcasters made him into an enemy of all the people of the world, the blue dragons had wrought terrible havoc upon the natural leylines of the land, attempting to re-write Azeroth's ley network to make the Nexus the hub of all magic on Azeroth. Malygos' ultimate goal had been to drain away all the arcane magic in the world and eject it into the Twisting Nether, leaving mortals without the use of the arcane, though his insane ambition would have wreaked untold havoc upon all the world, possibly endangering the very worldsoul of Azeroth itself. Now, the Azure Order stands ready to undo this terrible mistake and repair the leylines of Northrend. But the task will be even more difficult than the Order suspects, for mages are finding that some dark force, some unknown... Malevolence, has begun to permeate the leylines of Northrend, and the evil power is gaining in strength with every passing day.

Class Hall Special Benefits
Mages can use the leyline network at the Nexus to fast-travel throughout the world rapidly. Finding leyline breaches can also confer special powers to the mage, enhancing their abilities and granting them allies. Some leyline breaches are polluted by the insidious Malevolence and will spawn malicious arcane entities when tapped, and they polluted breaches must be cleared by the mage and their allies to be of any use.

Balefrost, Staff of Eternal Winter
The mage is called to Ulduar by Keeper Hodir, who wishes to test the mage's proficiency in using frost magic. The mage is sent into the depths of Ulduar to battle the nerubian infestation there, ultimately battling a skilled nerubian spellcaster. After besting the fiend in a magical duel, the mage proves their skill to Hodir, who bestows upon them a weapon infused with his power over ice and chill magic - Balefrost, the Staff of Eternal Winter. No sooner does Hodir bestow the artifact then suddenly the nerubians returned in force, bolstered by a pack of n'raqi, including a powerful faceless magus. With Hodir rendered helpless by the n'raqi's spells, it is up to the mage to use Balefrost to overcome the ancient fiend. Upon the n'raqi's defeat, Hodir praises the mage's valor, recognizing them as the rightful wielder of Balefrost.

Blightsear, Feather of Rukhmar and the Suncrys, the Eye of Rukhmar
Arakkoa magi travel to the Nexus to share their knowledge with the mages of Azeroth, and they bring legends of the fabled blade Blightsear, a weapon that channels elemental and arcane flame, forged from one of the mystical feathers of the sun god Rukhmar in Draenor's ancient past. When Draenor was shattered, the arakkoa civilization of Arak was broken and the blade was lost. The mage travels to Outland and finds a broken fragment where the arakkoa kingdom once stood, and amidst the ruins the mage is able to locate and retrieve Blightsear. Shadowy arakkoa who have embraced the power of the Void assault the mage, summoning dark entities and using black magic, and the mage must draw upon the energy of the arakkoa solar weapon, the Eye of Rukhmar, that once defended Arak. The Eye of Rukhmar amplifies the power of the blade and is able to banish the Void, though the eye is destroyed in the process. The arakkoa magi are able to fashion a remaining fragment of the eye into the Suncrys, a relic that amplifies the power of Blightsear.

Orn'Manar, Filament of the Cosmos
Ethereal magi arrive in the Nexus, bringing knowledge of a powerful artifact from their homeworld's history that has recently been discovered in a fragment of K'aresh that was torn free from the Void. The mage travels to the ruins of K'aresh to retrieve this ancient aresheem staff, forged to bind together the filaments of cosmic energy that flow like rivers through the Twisting Nether. Orn'Manar was crafted by skilled aresheem magisters in an effort to spare K'aresh the destructive ravages of the Void, and the power of the staff was used to shield the world for a time. The magisters ultimately could not complete the weapon in time, and it was lost when the Void swallowed K'aresh. The mage of Azeroth must complete the work of the aresheem wizards, while manifestations of the Void and wild arcane entities are drawn to the instrument.

Ebonchill | Harvestchill, Scythe of the Frostlord
The mage is called to the howling Storm Peaks by shaman of the frost dwarves and taunka - a dreadful elemental creature that has been corrupted by the dark power of the Old Gods is attempting to bury all of Ulduar in ice and snow. The elemental, Frost Lord Ahune, has augmented his powers with twisted arcane energy, and the powers of the shaman and the elements alone are not enough to counter the fiend. The mage lends their arcane mastery over frost magic to the effort, thwarting Ahune's plans and ultimately binding the entity within the great staff Ebonchill, cauing it to change forms into a powerful arcane scythe brimming over with Ahune's magic.
 * Passive Ability - Shadow of Ahune. The mage's frost spells are darkened by the presence of Ahune. Their iceblock spell in particular is changed into a much more sinister shape reminiscent of Ahune's jagged, icy body. Their water elemental also becomes infused with frost magic, taking on an icier appearance. Ahune himself will also periodically whisper to the mage, demanding to be freed from his prison or objecting to the mage's use of his power.
 * Artifact Ability - Scythes of Ahune. The mage unleashes a whirling scythe of frost that cuts through the targeted enemy and any nearby foes, slicing them apart with the power of frost.

Felo'melorn and the Heart of the Pheonix | Brimskryne and the Cage of Conflagra
The mage is called upon to study the arcane instruments of Ulduar in the depths of the underworld, in the region known as the Fire Sea. Much of Ulduar's power is drawn from the burning blood of Azeroth's molten core, and the Forge of Flame, an arcane machine built by the Titans, converts the elemental power into arcane energy. While studying the machinery, the region comes under attack by fire elementals led by Conflagra, a powerful elemental being spawned from the flames of Ragnaros himself. Having recently suffered a humiliating defeat by mortals when she attempted to seize the crown of the Firelands from Smolderon, Conflagra has flung all of her forces into an assault on the mortal world. The mage battles Conflagra's forces and uses their mastery over magic to turn the Forge of Flame into a great siphon, drawing and trapping Conflagra in the sword Felo'melorn. Bound to the blade, Conflagra's power transforms it into Brimskryne. The Cage of Conflagra, Titan-made amulet that acts as a control mechanism for the Forge of Flame, is also granted to the mage.
 * Passive Ability - Cage of Conflagra. The fire elemental Conflagra is bound within the mage's artifacts, and is pretty upset about it. She will periodically speak to the mage, threatening to incinerate them in various ways when she inevitably breaks free. Destroying an enemy with fire magic can cause her to briefly forget her anger and cheer on the destructive use of flame. But it's not like she likes you or anything.

Aluneth | Aluneth, Incarnate of Infinity
The mage is called upon to enter the lowest depths of the Nexus, where the leylines of Azeroth blaze with arcane brilliance. The region has become corrupted by the presence of the dread Malevolence, whose arcane manifestations threaten to overwhelm the Nexus. As the mage struggles to hold back the tide of corrupted arcane power, the entity within their staff, Aluneth, is stirred to waking. Recognizing that the Malevolence is a power that could threaten to overwhelm and supplant Aluneth itself as the very incarnation of arcane magic in the cosmos, the entity bestows more of its power onto the mage, causing the staff to transform further. With the newly transformed Aluneth, the mage is able to banish the presence of the Malevolence, though the evil force remains in Azeroth's leyline network. Aluneth vows to aid the mage in seeking out and purging the potential usurper.

Campaign Storyline
Mages must battle a dread Malevolence haunting Northrend's ley line network.

When the Malevolence has been defeated, mages may access leyline breaches throughout the world for benefits without the danger of attracting the attention of Malevolence-related entities.