Hello everyone!
It’s been quite a while since we did one of these hearthstone videos but since so many
of you requested it and I was able to recruit a bit of help... let’s give this a go!
With the recent addition of Saviors of Uldum I thought it would be a good idea to kick
things off with the story of Elise Starseeker...
“I am a student of the forest and teacher too many.”
The league of explorers is a band of daredevil adventurers hell-bent on exploring every ruin,
uncovering every secret, and preserving every artifact that Azeroth holds.
The league consists of Brann Bronzebeard, the younger brother of Magni and Muradin,
and a renowned explorer in his own right, Reno Jackson the dashing probationary member
who can sometimes forget the difference between treasure hunter and archaeologist, and Sir
Finley Mrrgglton a distinguished gentleman and scholar who just so happens to be a murloc.
These fearless explorers, whilst capable, can be a little impetuous and they need a
firm hand to guide them.
Lucky for them then that they have the mastermind behind all of the league’s expeditions guiding
them on their way, pouring over maps and charts, and keeping everyone on track and alive; Elise
Starseeker, otherwise known as The Cartographer is the mysterious corner-stone of the League
of Explorers and with her guiding them the League seeks to preserve all the artifacts
they can in the greatest museum on Azeroth: The Hall of Explorers in the dwarven city
of Ironforge.
Elise describes herself as a “student of the forest, and a teacher to many” and indeed
she was, having been a teacher to young druids before she succumbed to her love for exploration
and joined the League of Explorers.
It is not clear how long Elise has been with the League, but she still remains the mastermind
and researcher behind their most successful expeditions and her ability to tolerate immature
minds hasn’t changed a bit.
The Hall of Explorers is where you can find Elise most days, sitting behind her desk piled
up with maps, books, and charts, but her biggest joy is locating ancient artifacts that are
so old they are only whispered of in taverns.
Having been on hundreds of expeditions with the League from the tombs of Naxxramas to
the cliffs of Blackrock, Elise had recovered some amazing treasures for the Hall of Explorers,
and it was her who discovered a murloc egg which she brought back to the Hall and who
later hatched into the dapper gentleman we now know as Sir Finley Mrrgglton.
It was through her careful research that Elise found leads on the location of the three fragments
of The Staff of Origination, an ancient Titan artifact that would be the perfect centerpiece
for The Hall of Explorers museum.
Elise lead the expedition from the safety of her desk, using the maps we see on her
desk of Stranglethorn and Uldum to direct Reno along with an intrepid adventurer to
collect the first piece, the rod of the sun, from the Temple of Orsis in Uldum.
Although Reno and his companion were successful the research that Elise had pieced together
couldn’t tell her that the staff was the only thing keeping the ancient temple standing,
and Reno and his adventurer friend had to make a daring escape as the temple collapsed
around them.
Ultimately they were successful however, and Elise proudly put the rod of the sun on display.
The second piece Elise had found the location of was the headpiece of the staff, and she
sends Brann off to the once mighty titan city of Uldaman.
After facing off against an army of antisocial troggs, Brann and his companion had to get
the better of a Titan watcher, Archaedas, who held the second piece of the staff.
Undeterred and with a new museum centerpiece in sight, Elise sends Sir Finley Mrrgglton
in search of the final piece, the Pearl of the Tides.
After fighting through some less gentlemanly murlocs, Sir Finley and his companion have
to pry the pearl away from the naga sea witch Lady Naz’jar, who Sir Finley would argue
is not very ladylike at all.
It was with immense pride and excitement that finally all three pieces of this ancient artifact
were gathered together in the Hall of Explorers and Elise could feel a thrum of joy run through
her as the pieces were finally combined and the staff made whole.
In a twist that no book or chart could show Elise however, the staff had been cursed and
completing it allowed an ethereal thief, Rafaam, to breach the wards of the museum, take the
staff for his own and turn the precious exhibits of the museum to his own bidding.
After a daring battle the League claimed victory and the staff that Elise had worked so hard
to find was in its new home in the Hall of Explorers.
After encountering some nasty surprises in retrieving the Staff of Origination that she
did not know about, despite her tireless research, it would be natural for Elise to want to step
away from her desk and to live the adventure she was sending her colleagues on, to dive
out of the pages of books and charts and into the heart of adventure.
it was Reno who encouraged her that blazing her own trail is a lot more fun than following
someone else's map.
Bringing together her past as a druid teacher, and her love of exploration, Elise was determined
that she would not let another adventure pass her by and she brings a group of junior explorers
with her to experience adventure and exploration in the untamed land of Un’Goro crater.
Elise the Trailblazer lead her young band of explorers through the strange land of terrible
creatures and even more terrifying plant life.
There was no artifact she sought, and no reason other than the primal need for adventure and
exploration that Elise had strived for.
She would adventure through the strange lands and this time it would be she making the maps
for others to follow.
We soon meet Elise again back with her League of Explorers colleagues and styling herself
as Elise the Enlightened.
The League come face to face with their old familiar nemesis, Rafaam the thief as he and
the League of E.V.I.L, a nefarious organisation of villains created by Rafaam, threaten humanity
itself.
The brave heroes of the League of Explorers take on the responsibility of saving humanity
and Elise can even be persuaded to become a new alternate Druid hero.
Now is the time to be brave, E.V.I.L’s come to enslave, but this league’s gonna save
Uldum.
Aside from saving Uldum, Elise and the League of Explorers have also found time to stop
by the Warcraft universe and investigate the newly rediscovered land of Mechagon.
If you find a night-elf ring dropped by a toxic lurker, you’ll be advised to bring
it to Elise who is standing alongside Reno and Sir Finley in the bar at the back of Rustbolt.
It is fitting to think that Elise, the night-elf druid trainer, has shapeshifted into many
forms in the time we’ve known of her.
When we first meet she is bookish, studious and known as The Cartographer.
With a little encouragement from Reno, and seeing the gaps in knowledge that research
could not fill she transforms into an avid adventurer in her own right and goes by the
name Elise the Trailblazer, and finally Elise as a confident scholar and adventurer coins
the name Elise the Enlightened to take herself forward.
Who knows what adventures Elise and her league of explorers might encounter in the future,
but for now...this is her story.
I really hope you enjoyed it everybody.
It’s a little bit different then what we usually do but I feel like this shorter format
gives an oppertunity to get more people into the lore, those that don’t have time to
sit and chill with the longer versions.
By all means let me know in the comments down below which cards or characters from hearthstone
you’d like me to cover next.
Subscribe if you like my videos, leave a like if you enjoyed this one aaand until next time!
See ya!