Professor Navi and her Night Elf Artifact collection

Navimie wiped her brow as she threw the shovel aside and gently scooped the fragments from the ground.  They were the last pieces for an Umbra Crescent, an artifact that fetched quite a nice price on the market.  It was a good find, as artifacts such as this - they helped fund her digs, but she was still missing one last artifact in her Night Elf collection.  That artifact was imbued with magical power, storing mana that could be used later in time of need - Tyrande's Favourite Doll.

Tyrande Whisperwind, the high priestess of Elune, and married to Malfurion Stormrage, was no longer sole ruler of the night elves. She grew up in the ancient city of Suramar, far from the first Well of Eternity, not far from the Stormrage twins. Tyrande's idyllic childhood proved to be in sharp contrast to the sorrow and conflict that she would endure later in her life.  The doll from her childhood would have been the pinnacle of Navi's collection.

She had found every other Nightelf artifact there was to find, and had sold many more on the antiquities market.  She had lost count of the number of Coins from Eldre'thalas she had found.  Eldre'thalas was the old city of Queen Azshara's arcanists that fell into depravity after the Great Sundering - it was not known to many that this once great city was now the ruins of Dire Maul. 

A number of artifacts telling the story of Pyramonde and Theleste were amongst Navi's favourites.  The high price they fetched on the antiques market was one reason she liked them, but the story of tragic love told in those pieces were much like the story of those star crossed lovers, Romulo and Julianne. What did happen to those two?  It seemed obvious that they were in love, for engraved on the Delicate Music Box was the sweet message, "To My Dearest Theleste"; and on the Hairpin of Silver and Malachite was engraved "To Theleste, on her twenty-fourth birth year."  The Cloak Clasp with Antlers engraved with Pyramonde suggested he was from a noble house, and the Chest of Tiny Glass Animals, most of the glass elven made animals suffered some minor chips and cracks except for the stag whose head has been clearly cut off.  The initial T at the bottom of the chest implied it belonged to Theleste - was she angry at the house with the Stag emblem?  For keeping her and Pyramonde apart?  Perhaps she had seen the message inside the Silver Scroll case - "Pyramond, under no circumstances are you to spend time with that tavern wench. Your mother and I forbid it. She is far beneath your station."  Was Theleste the tavern wench?  Or was Pyramonde having an affair with one, when he was supposed to be with Theleste?  The Cracked Crystal vial told the end of the tale - attached to it, written on vellum was this note: "Dearest P, now that I know we can never be together, it is my wish to drink this draught of spider venom. If this note finds you, my hope is that you might do the same. May Elune watch over our souls."  Theleste obviously killed herself, and she believed that Pyramonde should do the same - but did he love her?  Navi liked to think that they were in love, and it was a forbidden love, rather than a love betrayed.

She fingered the Umbra Crescent gently, the edge was dulled with time, but the blade was much like that used by Maiev Shadowsong.  There was no magic in the blade now, but Navi didn't doubt that there was power there, once.

Navi sighed.  There were a few extra fragments from her dig, which looked like they were the makings of another Highborne Pyxis.  It seemed like the Doll was beyond her reach still.  All she could do was to continue looking.

This post is part of a Blog Azeroth Shared Topic suggested by Cymre of Bubbles of Mischief.