Karazhan

Daio was once a mage who participated in a project by Archmage Arrexis, the carrier of the staff of the first Guardian, Ebonchill, this project was trying to study the wards surrounding Karazhan in a bid to be able to open them and to make new spells.

This mission went well until they triggered the demon possesed Medievh who in a way of irony made them fall into the trap of the wards by making use of the trusting nature of the scholar by offering "advice", after heading the advice Arrexis managed to bring his whole team of students and coworkers into a ambush in the Twisting Nether where everyone but Daio perished.

His work was burned and the mentions of Archmage Arrexis were purged from documents, Daio was exiled from the Kirin'tor and was used as an example of what not to do. Only Daio kept knowledge of the research into magical wards, the Kirin'tor did not wish for more experiments to be done in the cursed tower, they specially feared the corrupted Guardian.

The effects a single Guardian had in the world were severe, Medievh opened the way for the Legion to return after millenia through the Dark Portal and the advent of the Horde.

Before the Dark Portal demons would have to make use of many tricks and manipulation to get anything done... their numbers were too small due to the difficulty of reaching Azeroth, but after Medievh their numbers increased many fold and they could almost openly scheme and affect this world.

Karazhan was the tower built by Aegwynn, Medievh's mother and the previous Guardian... she was the one who broke the tradition of the Guardians and defied the Council of Tirisfal, who she saw as corrupt and too politically inclined.

She remained as Guardian for a thousand years, only coming to give up her mantle after meeting her husband Nielas Aran, who was one of the mages sent to make her yield to the Council, that they who were once enemies had a child and agreed to pass on the duty of the Guardian to their child.

It would all go well if she wasn't infected with a spirit of Sargeras, she once fought his avatar in the lands of Northrend and defeat him... atleast thats what she thought, because his spirit was kept hidden within her and would isolate her and prepare to take over her son.

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The tower was already in sight, a colossal figure that towered over the Deadwind Pass. It was one of the biggest structures in Azeroth, also one of the most dreaded ones...

It was once home of the last two guardians, a place that was filled with banquets and laughter... a beacon of arcane knowledge and the ingenuity of what was achievable with magic. Now it was the cursed resting tomb of the Guardians and the legacy of their fall, corrupting the land around it much like the Dark Portal and often bringing terrible beings into this world.

This was the place that our party was headed to, because if we delayed too much the tower would be shut down and entrance would be close to impossible.

Right now only the wards prevented anyone from entering, it was almost an open door for those who knew how to enter.

The window of opportunity was only going to last for a couple of years, after all the ownership of the tower would be something that many powers sought after, someone would seek to claim soon, I knew who they were and wanted to prevent it.

Imagine having the biggest and most powerful magic tower in Azeroth for yourself?

"Hehe, Selia, welcome to our new home!" I said to the surprise of all our party.

She looked at the decrepit tower and the land around it which was so dead that it was close to black and which had not a living being was in sight. She looked at me as if she asked, 'I don't remember agreeing to this...'

When I saw her look I knew I had to convince her better, "This place has the biggest library of magical tomes and research material other than Dalaran... It has many conveniences like automated servants and employees, the curse can be lifted I'm sure, we just need to do some work..." The more I spoke the more I felt like an unreliable salesman trying to convince someone to buy a product none wanted.

'Atleast she liked the magic research part... she still has some doubts but still is open to try.' I analyzed after seeing her expression, I didnt want her to dislike her new home, but it was indeed in a very precarious state after the death of Medievh, the souls of those who died around would linger inside making ghosts and undead, time would warp every once in a while giving visions of the past or future... some magical anomalies would show in halls and start making a mess out of things, there was also the occasional malfunction of the artifacts and golems which would go in a killing spree. Indeed for many this would seem a death trap, but for me it held too much potential to be left rotting and vacant for unsavory masters wishing to claim it.

"I guess annual cleanup will be quite bothersome..." I said as we landed in the outer boundaries of the wards.

I also noticed that we were not alone... there were some visitors around us, even I could not see if they were dead, alive or their nature due to my senses being warped in this place.

But atleast one of them looked to be a mage of Dalaran, he also seemed to be used to the weird sight around.