Nikolas' Backstory, Part II

Nikolas also trained with the Wildhammer dwarves of Aerie Peak, becoming a skilled gryphon rider, though his ability would never match that of the dwarves. Nikolas gained a gryphon as a pet and mount when he rescued a griffit (baby gryphon) from predators who had killed its parents. The animal attached itself to Nikolas, who raised it and cared for it into maturity. The two have become close friends and share a bond as strong as those of the Wildhammer riders and their mounts. He named the gryphon Skora. Nikolas’ roles in tracking and hunting mean he only rides Skora when scouting from the air or traveling long distances (Nikolas began to visit his family more frequently thanks to the reduced travel time).

War came into the Tiens’ life for the third time in Nikolas’ 27th year. At the time, Nikolas had spent nine years training with the elves of Quel’Danil and fighting forest trolls in the Hinterlands. When his family came to visit in the summers, Altus would speak more and more of dark rumors beginning to spread across Lordaeron. He advised Nikolas to keep his eyes and ears open for something called the Cult of the Damned, a mysterious group rumored to be involved in sinister and demonic works. Very little was known about the cult until the year 25 (counting from the year the Horde appeared). It was then that the Cult made its dark designs known to the world by releasing a plague upon the cities and citizens of Lordaeron.

This plague was more than a simple disease- it killed those whom it infected, but then raised them into a state of undeath- the plague’s victims became mindless undead minions of him whom the Cult of the Damned served, the Lich King. The Lich King, in turn, served a massive army of demons and demon lords called the Burning Legion. The Legion’s singular goal was to wipe Azeroth of all life and conquer the world for its own. The plague would be the means to this end, and the Scourge, the undead army raised by the Lich King and his servants, would be the instrument for delivering the plague.

Rumors of the plague began spreading in the northern areas of Lordaeron, but the Cult of the Damned was revealed to Lordaeron at large thanks to the efforts of Uther Lightbringer, the leader of the Knights of the Silver Hand, and his protégé, the crown prince himself, Arthas Menethil. The two paladins, with their army, arrived at Andorhal, the town where Nikolas’ family lived, only to discover that grain, tainted with the plague, was being sent out to all reaches of the kingdom. They moved swiftly westward to Brill, but were too late: the grain had been shipped. Arthas, Uther and their comrades swiftly moved to try and stop the spread of the plague, but they were too late. The machinations of the Scourge had ensured the plagues widespread distribution via tainted grain, carried and delivered throughout Lordaeron.

Lordaeron was ravaged by the effects of the plague and the growing undead armies. Most demoralizing of all was that thousands upon thousands of Lordaeron citizens saw their loved ones and friends fall fighting the Scourge, only to see them rise up again to join the Scourge. Fight as they may, the armies of Lordaeron could not stop the growing threat. Many fled westward to the continent of Kalimdor at the behest of a mysterious prophet. But the darkest hours for the kingdom came when Arthas, driven to the brink of madness by his losses and the thought of his homeland falling into darkness, started down a dark path of destruction that would ultimately turn him into the very thing he sought to destroy: the Lich King himself.

Nikolas’ family, though residing in Andorhal at the time, was spared from the plague. Afraid for their safety because of the darks deeds of the Cult, Altus sent Naya and Katia south early in the spring. They lived with Dobrin while Altus and other Knights investigated the Cult. When the Scourge was revealed, Altus was among the Knights who remained with Uther in Lordaeron, even as much of the nation’s population fled to Kalimdor. Though the Silver Hand knew it would be a next-to-impossible task, they felt it was their duty to use the Light they wielded in combating the forces of darkness. When Arthas disbanded the Knights of the Silver Hand after Uther questioned the prince’s decision to kill the residents of the city of Stratholme rather than see them fall to the plague, Altus went with the Lightbringer to defend their home while maintaining their obedience to the tenets of the Light, which Arthas had forsaken. Uther and the other Knights decided to spread out and help defend as many towns and cities as their numbers would allow. Uther assigned Altus to help lead the defense forces of Darrowshire. The relief force was bolstered by several magi from Dalaran and other soldiers who had not fled to Kalimdor. Despite Altus’ protests, Naya and Katia both decided to stay with him- Naya joined the magi and Katia agreed to support the army by healing and tending to the wounded.

Altus notified Nikolas, by courier, where he and the family were headed and what their mission was. Nikolas decided to join them at Darrowshire. Myrokos went along voluntarily, and Nikolas managed to convince Dobrin and a few other dwarves to go as well, but most of the Wildhammers and Quel’Danil elves chose to stay away from the conflict.

The relief force led by the Silver Hand arrived mere days before the Scourge hit Darrowshire. The Knights, led by a paladin named Davil Lightfire, interspersed themselves among the troops to maximize their abilities. Naya and the magi positioned themselves on buildings and elevated terrain to allow them clear line of sight to cast their arcane powers against the Undead. Katia remained in the back, ready to aid those who fell or were hurt.

Nikolas, Myrokos, Dobrin and the others arrived by gryphon mere hours before the battle began. They sent their mounts away to safety; then Nikolas and Myrokos and a few Darrowshire citizens went out ahead to scout the Scourge position. Their reports were grim: the Darrowshire forces were grossly outnumbered. But they chose to stand and defend their homes.

In short, it was a massacre. The Scourge, led by the death knight Marduk the Black, tore into the defenders and slaughtered all in their path. Small victories were won on small levels, but the living never had a real chance against the Undead. Davil managed to kill Horgus the Ravager, one of the Scourge’s captains, but suffered a mortal wound in the effort and died shortly thereafter. At the height of battle, Marduk came to the captain of the Darrowshire militia, Joseph Redpath, and tore him apart. He twisted Redpath’s soul into a corrupted version of itself; Redpath the Corrupt then began twisting and befouling the souls of his former comrades, turning them on their fellows. The fighting didn’t last long after that. Altus gave the order to retreat and flee to those few who remained. His family had been spared, and they began to flee. Altus, Nikolas, Myrokos, Dobrin and a few others stayed behind to try and slow any Scourge pursuers. They managed for a little while, until an Abomination (a massive twisted monster made up of the parts of corpses) joined the fray. Altus challenged the creature as Nikolas and Myrokos peppered it with arrows, but to no avail: the Abomination grabbed Altus, and, with the Knight hacking at its arm to escape, crushed him. Nikolas and the others failed to bring the Abomination down, and were forced to flee after the others. As they ran toward the cover of forests, Nikolas stole one last look back at his father’s broken body. Altus was dead, murdered at the hand of the Scourge.