| The Arshaz | |
|---|---|
 The Arshaz dimension, inspired by Ruby Dragonshrine | |
|
Location |
Twisting Nether |
|
Founders |
Mira Electrobolt |
|
Capacity |
5,000-10,000 demon souls |
|
Notable Structures |
Stasis Block: Alpha |
|
Capacity |
5,000-10,000 demon souls |
|
Inhabitants |
2+ Highguard Mages/Engineers |
|
Prisoners |
179 imp (soul) |
|
Status |
Operational, population increasing |
The Arshaz ("The End" in Thalassian) is an astral prison complex developed by gnomish dimensional engineer Mira Electrobolt and Quel'dorei abjurer/leywalker Entilzha Firesong for use against the Burning Legion. Soulmage Ellarenya Dawnfury has played a vital role in developing and refining the soul capture technique employed, which has been refined with the help of Illidari soulstones gained in Azsuna.
The Arshaz is designed to hold high value Legion targets in stasis, either intact or as souls, though soul capture is preferred and only 11 of the 2,000 or so inmates are held body and soul; four of those not traditional Burning Legion races but their Suramar loyalist allies from the Duskwatch, the most valued of those held in the facility in terms of intelligence gains.
he facility contains an interrogation chamber which doubles as an elimination facility, using teleportation to the Twisting Nether to send demonic entities to their true deaths.
Founding[]
Firesong and Electrobolt has previously worked together on a number of complex Titan-related projects, and while their methods differ, with Mira holding true to her gnomish roots favoring technological solutions, and Entilzha being somewhat of a magical purist and mystic, the varied skillsets of the two mages are complimentary, and they'd formed a strong research and magical partnership well before word the Legion was returning.
When news of the looming attack did come, the need to truly turn the tables by preventing or at least interrupting the endless flow of "slain" demons returning from the nether was apparent. Mira's rare talent with dimensional magics and pocket dimensions combined with Entilzha's advanced knowledge of abjuration and other means of confinement made the concept conceptually viable, if to many it seemed far-fetched.
Having learned from past efforts to contain demons in this manner resulting in the demons killing one another to return to the nether, it was decided early on that the complex would focus largely on holding demonic souls with individual stasis fields using magnetism and geometry to create areas void of any energies a demonic soul might use, and a vast array of wards of differing forms of energy encasing each soul would be among the many design and security features, one of the most vital being orbs which consistently drain the energy of demon prisoners to assure they remain weak and unable to attempt escape, with each demon or demon soul in complete isolation from other demons and from all forms of energy. Each soul is housed in a round, orb-like device that serves to contain it as a soulstone would though with several security layers, beyond which lies the energy void, each small cell separated via a strong magnetic field. Should any soul escape into the energy free void, the draining orbs are configured to at once absorb the energy that is the soul, assuring it remains contained and likely severed across multiple orbs. Temporal Stasis is more demanding in terms of energy, but is employed as needed, notably with intact demons held in Delta Block, though other measures have proven reliable to contain
Design[]
With the Ruby Dragonshrine as a visual backdrop, the dimension appears a vast, verdant, natural landscape aside from the large, geometric stasis blocks, though the beautiful backdrop is woven into the fabric of the dimension and is not actual life. The only "native" creatures in the Arshaz are mana wyrms.
Mira built a number of security features directly into the dimension, with time flowing in a highly erratic fashion, speeding up and slowing down at harsh and random intervals, its near impossible to move about the dimension without a suitable amulet to create a pocket of stable space-time around the wearer. This is intended to keep the demons disoriented and confused to prevent trouble from starting and quashing it quickly if it does transpire. As a last resort, a fail-safe designed to tear apart the boundary with the nether and detonate the whole astral dimension is also built in, though with uncertainty as to whether all of the demon souls would be sufficiently in a nether-rich area for a true death along with the massive time, effort, strategic and intelligence merit of the dimension, extensive measures have been taken to assure it will not be needed.
The physics of the dimension were shaped to optimally use four mana collectors which Firesong has designed, using them to each generate one of four large, pink pylons which continually draw arcane from netherspace and feed energy to their respective stasis blocks. Each block is sustained by its own pylon, though energy can be transferred between should it be necessary.
As the now massive pylons grew to full strength, the design of the four stasis blocks was finalized and laid out by Firesong, with the large polygon structures built as a framework with a series of spells then later solidified with conjuration magics; the blocks have a titansteel-like foundation which covers the exterior of each to various degrees..
Geometry is vital to the Arshaz pocket dimension's physics, and each of the stasis blocks is a polygon designed to optimize effectiveness in their respective areas of the dimension, from the simplest pyramid-like Alpha Block to the Hexagon Gamma Block and the bizarre twelve-sided dodecagon of the maximum security Stasis Block Delta. The wards mirror this approach, forming a complex array of shapes with man more faces than a design on Azeroth would call for.
Blocks Alpha, Beta, and Gamma are designed to hold up to 10,000 demonic souls of average strength between them, and their central features are large numbers of stasis bubbles each designed to contain an individual demonic soul. A series of spells draw all energy from an area within a magnetic field, then each is heavily warded. The first blocks were painstakingly woven by hand, though an arcane replicator would then work reproducing the base designs to fill in the stasis blocks.
The space between each stasis bubble is filled with wards, strong magnetic and temporal effects and omnipresent orbs siphoning energy from each contained soul, assuring they weaken thus lessening the chances of escape attempts. The three soul blocks do not have ordinary corridors, but are designed so that passages can be opened to any given block from the pylons, and the draining orbs move gently among the various cells, pushing them slightly as they're designed to revert to their designed pattern.
As with many pocket dimensions, a local population of mana wyrms has taken root, most notably on the edges of the dimension and near the arcane collection pylons. The constructs along with the few Highguard mages or engineers present in the Arshaz at all times assure that the wyrm population is regulated and kept from the stasis blocks.
Stasis Block Delta[]
Stasis Block Delta is designed to contain demons intact with body and soul, requiring more precautions and a different design than the other blocks. It's not believed an Eredar's soul can be contained; thus any captured must be taken alive and suitably subdued for portal transit to the Arshaz. Especially dangerous or valued souls are also intended to be kept here. Delta Block took by far the longest to design and create, with each cell containing its own unique stasis runes, and a number of supplemental runes of binding.
Aside from its odd shape, it holds more the form of a conventional prison, with cells of various sizes, some with well beyond the twelve sides that comprise the exterior. Silver Covenant Constructs patrol the structure's halls, with the cells using the same basis as the other blocks but with seals and stasis runes adorning each cell, and a much higher number of draining orbs, blocks divided by warded and electrified bars, and geometry-based wards which around some of the larger cells, contain hundreds of unique faces. The building itself is a dodecagon with twelve sides. Delta Block's siphoning orbs are capable of a higher rate of energy draining and have been designed to use the energies drawn from the demons to generate wards should it prove necessary, though such use is not planned but is one of many emergency measures in place to assure this vital block remains secure.
Delta block holds a limited number of prisoners, the first being Eredar from the soul engine as Falanaar, subdued with their own control orbs long enough to be sent to the Arahaz. As the Suramar campaign got underway and prisoners were taken from the Legion-aligned Duskwatch, they were placed in Delta Block "with the other demons", places in close proximity to the Eredar, a few Inquisitors and a hulking Doomguard, held physically as he was suitably bound but too large a soul to contain.
The temporal effects of the Arshaz proved overwhelming to their moral perception, and concerns their sanity would be destroyed along with any intelligence they held led to the development of cells enclosed within a time bubble that partially ease the effects, with mortal prisoners transferred there 24-72 hours after arrival.
Early Progress[]
The Arshaz initially met limited success as trapping the souls of demons is highly complex, and both conventional soulstones and engineering-based alternatives, though has provided actionable intelligence, initially related to a number of Mo'arg though the imps have proven useful in providing the true names of high ranking demons when faced with the threat of true death, which was carried out on a number of imps to ensure compliance from the others. Work on improving soul capture technology continues given the frequency of contact with demonic forces, many experimental soul gems and engineer "soul cubes" are being tested leading to improve and expand designs.
The capture of a rather large Doomguard using a new soulstone design during an attack on Dalaran was a promising advance from much weaker demons, but much work is still needed to maximize the potential of the facility by capturing and thus removing from the war major Legion players such as Eredar and high ranking Nathrezim. A number of true demonic names have been learned via interrogation and that list continues to grow, heightened by knowledge gained in Azsuna.
Operations[]
Access to the Arshaz is for obvious reasons highly limited, with only Mira and Entilzha capable of opening a portal or wormhole there. The need for either an engineering-based device or suitably runed and enchanted necklace to balance out the temporal effects further limits accessibility. Regardless, it was decided that at least two trusted mages or engineers would watch over the dimension at all times, with a workshop and command station underneath the Engineer's Overlook in the center of the four stasis blocks serving as a center of operations for the dimension's few dozen golem sentries. The small overlook above the workshop holds a with a view of all four blocks, supported by divination orbs. Flying engineered devices have a difficult time operating due to the irregular flow of time. The golems transmit their data to the workshop, allowing the few Highguard or other suitably trusted Silver Covenant mages and/or engineers present in the complex a detailed report of the whole dimension, and the substantial golem presence does much to make safe operation with limited personnel possible.
The site used for interrogation and the permanent destruction of demonic souls is one in the same, with a specialized structure employed for both functions. A large number of siphon orbs are present and can be used at various intensity levels. A runic pattern on the floor when activated will teleport the soul, gem, or collection of soul gems placed on the rune to a location in the twisting nether designed to detonate arcane charges when the portal is activated, intending to destroy all remnants of what was passed through with an overkill level explosion.
Lord Firesong generally governs the day to day operations of the facility though relies on input from those with more relevant knowledge than himself as he grows more familiar with demon souls and their nature. Certain Illidari may be consulted given their unique experiences with such matters, though none are permitted in the Arshaz without Firesong or Electrobolt present.
Delta Block is currently vacant, and any decisions to hold specific demons there would involve the necessary consultations to gauge risk factors, and some such as pit lords may prove beyond reliable means of confinement, but Delta Block Exists to contain demons vital to the war effort, and the area is being prepared for its first guests.
Beacons combining dimensional technology and more conventional ley-based communication are used to assure those in the astral space can keep in regular contact with Azeroth. This is especially vital as even with the protective amulets, perceived time in the Arshaz may still differ from time passed on Azeroth. Shift changes are initiated by the Azeroth side to assure the proper schedule is kept.
Azsuna Advancements & Suramar Campaign[]
Landfall in the Broken Isles saw intense fighting right beneath Dalaran in Azsuna, led by Illidari forces though in desperate need of support against an advancing Legion. Illidari provided soul gems proved far more suitable at containing demons, and engineered cubes based on their design also proved more reliable.
As a result, captures began steadily increasing, with over a thousand felguard souls held. Pushing into the soul engine at Falanaar and encountering the Eredar soulmages led to acquisition of their control orbs. While they only held briefly, with them it was possible to subdue an Eredar long enough to be sent to the Arshaz, resulting in the first prisoners to Stasis Block Delta.
As the focus of the Highguard closed in on Suramar, so did the operations of the Arshaz, with the demonic allies of Elisande's forces given priority for capture, as with the forces of neighboring Felsoul Hold. A number of the Duskwatch captured during a jailbreak operation at the Sanctum of Order became the first mortal inmates, and seem to question their decisions as they're "kept with the other demons."