Update on the Update

Okay, forget the update I added to yesterday's post. Tien will still be the main family's last name. Nikolas will have a different name change later. Stay tuned. And forget the name Gavalan. For now.

The Main Character- A History, Part V: Change

The Monastery in the Tirisfal Glades (image from www.toomanyannas.com)

UPDATE: Change Nikolas' last name (and that of his family) to Gavalan. Altus Galavan, Naya Galavan, Katia Galavan, and Nikolas Galavan. Why Galavan? Two reasons: a) it's a mix of the words gallant, valor and valiant, words that describe the family; and b) Nikolas will use the name "Tien" as a nom de usage/alias later on. Okay, back to the back story action.

As I traveled north toward the Tirisfal Glades, I learned at taverns and inns much about what had happened since Stratholme and Darrowshire. In his quest against the Scourge and its leaders, Arthas followed a demon named Mal'Ganis to Northrend, a frozen wasteland continent at the roof of the world. It turned out the Scourge had been created by demons not of this world. There, in Northrend, something happened to the prince that made him lose his mind and actually side with the Scourge. He returned, murdered his father, and disappeared as quickly as he had returned, leaving his people to watch the kingdom to which Arthas had been heir fell apart.

Uther Lightbringer, Arthas' teacher and friend, had parted ways with the prince at Stratholme, refusing to slaughter innocent people. Much of Lordaeron's army followed Uther, including Arthas' close friend, a sorceress named Jaina Proudmoore. When Arthas reappeared following his father's murder, he somehow had allied himself with the Scourge. Commanding its agents, he confronted Uther at Andorhal and slew his former teacher. That left Jaina in command of the Lordaeron armies. Reports are that she followed the advice of some mystical advisor and took the armies west, across the sea, to Kalimdor. The Scourge, led by its demon masters, followed them to that distant land.

Reports came back to the Eastern Kingdoms that the Scourge met a major defeat at a place called Mount Hyjal, and that somehow the spirits of the earth itself had risen up and vanquished the Undead masters. It was evident, though, that the Scourge was far from finished. They still held much of Lordaeron; they had all but decimated the high elves that lived north of Lordaeron; and rumors spread that Arthas had survived and taken command of the Undead. What his plan was, no one exactly knew. But the Scourge fought on, continuing their attempts to wipe out the living.

The remnants of Lordaeron's armies had rallied behind leaders from the Silver Hand, great warriors like Alexandros Mograine and Taelan Fordring. They renamed their forces the Scarlet Crusade, and concentrated their defenses in and around major cities and locations that hadn't fallen to the Scourge: Tyr's Hand, Hearthglen, Northridge, the Monastery, New Avalon and Havenshire served as the main bases of operations. Other large cities, like Andorhal and Stratholme had fallen under Scourge control. Outside of Lordaeron, the Scourge had begun to push eastward into the vast forests of Silverpine; beyond that, it appeared that the Scourge had little or no presence. That gave me comfort, knowing that my mother would be safe far to the south in Stormwind, and that my friends in the Hinterlands were safe for the moment.

From Southshore, I made my way north to the Tirisfal Glades, which I found had also been overrun by the Scourge. It took time, staying hidden and avoiding roads, but I finally reached the Monastery (now called the Scarlet Monastery in honor of the Scarlet Crusade). Staunch defense by Alliance soldiers had kept the sanctuary safe, and as I approached I felt heartened. That feeling quickly left, though, as I came upon the guards watching the path to the Monastery. From the onset, I felt they were treating me with suspicion, as though I were an enemy. I told them I wanted to see Katia Tien, and they recognized the name, but wouldn't let me pass. Instead, they sent a runner to fetch my sister and bring her to us.

It had been some years since we'd seen each other, but with Father's death, our reunion was bittersweet. We embraced, happy to see each other well. Katia told the guards I was to be trusted, and took me on into the Monastery. She introduced me to her mentor, a priestess named Sally Whitemane. Katia was one of Whitemane's better students, and was quickly becoming a talented priestess whose ability to use the Light's power would soon match Father's own skill. Whitemane immediately struck me as a strong and determined woman- she had a fierce but cold beauty; her gaze seemed to me as it were ice. I met in her the same distant quality, the same suspicion as the guards. She was cordial, but my welcome was anything but warm.

Honoring Father's wish, I tried to convince Katia to leave for the south. But true to the stubbornness she got from Father, Katia refused. She told me of all that the Scourge had done: how they had taken over the overwhelming majority of Lordaeron, how the capital city was an empty shell, and how the Scourge had somehow managed to destroy the entire wizard city of Dalaran. She said the remaining armies of Lordaeron were determined to hold on to that which they still had, and try and reclaim the land from the Scourge. Nothing I said dissuaded her from her intention to stay and fight. Feeling responsible for her safety, I decided to stay and keep an eye on her. I offered my scouting services to Renault Mograine, leader of the martial forces at the Monastery. Katia vouched for my intergrity and trustworthiness, and Mograine reluctantly agreed.

While Katia and the other clerics at the Monastery worked on new ways to fight the Scourge, my time was spent scouting Undead positions in the Tirisfal Glades. My job was to report their movements, numbers, and any arming or building up of defenses. I also worked as a messenger of sorts, taking messages and news from the Monastery through the mountains to Hearthglen and back. It was somewhat mundane work most of the time, but it allowed me to keep an eye on Katia.

The more I spent time among the Crusade soldiers, the more I became concerned at what the armies of Lordaeron ws becoming. I can find no better description than to say that a kind of darkness or gloominess was evident in their very countenances, as if a blackness lay within, hidden by their proclaimed devotion to the Light. This was most evident in the leadership, people like Whitemane and Mograine.

As I listened to soldiers' conversations and sermons from Crusade priests, I began to gather what had happened to Lordaeron's armies. Their intent of driving the Scourge from the land, even from existence, had been firm from the beginning. But the Scourge never seemed to weaken, and despair began to settle in the hearts and minds of the Crusaders. Despair turned to fear, fear turned to paranoia, paranoia turned to fanaticism.

That paranoia began to consume the Crusade- where at first they viewed the Scourge as their primary enemy, they soon began to distrust those of all different races. Even long-time allies, like the dwarves or high elves, were viewed with suspicion. The Crusade had essentially isolated themselves from everyone that wasn't human.

But I soon learned the problem didn't stop there.

As the weeks wore on, the Crusade's suspicion began to spread to everyone who wasn't part of the Crusade. Outsiders, human or otherwise, were treated as hostile unless they could prove their loyalty. The effect was that those outside the Crusade began to view the Crusaders as fanatics, zealots and extremists. Some began to publicly question the motives and actions of the Crusade and its leaders. These were imprisoned, if possible, by the Crusade, deemed to be a danger to both morale and security. I began to have my doubts, but was careful to keep them to only myself. Even my sister was unaware of my growing concern; if confronted, I would blame grief for Father's death.

As it is, I must now tread lightly on a daily basis. I am glad that my only work lies in scouting and reporting Scourge locations and numbers. I thank the Light that I am outside the Scarlet bastions most of the time, for despite the constant presence of the Undead in Lordaeron, I still feel peace in the forests.

I do not know, however, that I can stay too much longer, if the Crusade continues to fall further into paranoia and despair, even madness. For now, I will watch and wait, hoping things get better before they become worse. For now, Katia is safe; Mother is safe; and I am alive. That is enough.

High Inquisitor Isillien, leader in the Scarlet Crusade (image from www.wowwiki.com)

The Main Character Two-fer: A History, Parts III and IV

Part III- Growing Up

For the next thirteen years, I essentially lived as an elf- eating their food, drinking their drinks, singing their songs, and playing their games. When I turned 17, Anu'Serr began taking me out on patrols and hunting parties. On the third such trip, I had my first battle encounter with forest trolls (to this point I had only seen them from a distance). I found them to be tall and extremely strong, but my training served me well and we survived the attack. Every time I fought the trolls, I learned more about how they fight, how they think, how they move, and used that to my advantage. Over the years there have been a number of close calls and I have a nice collection of scars, but I've managed to make it so far with my limbs still attached.

As I fought and bled and hurt and felt victory with the elves, I developed a close kinship to them. Anu'Serr, more than my teacher, became my older brother- a mentor to guide me, but never to replace my father. Others became close friends for whom I would willingly give myself (and I knew they would do the same for me). They taught me what they had learned about nature, that it had a voice, and that if one listened closely enough, he might hear its whisper. I learned the diverse uses of each plant, how liferoot can help one heal his wounds and fadeleaf sharpens one's senses. I think some of the elves might have had the beginnings of talent for what I have heard called druidism, a gift embodied by some of their distant kin, the Night Elves. I have not any skill like that, but living and Quel'Danil has awakened in me a feel for nature and life that I think most urban-dwelling humans and peoples lack.

This connection, I think, became the strongest in my relationship with Silvereye, my gryphon. When I was 16, my father took me to Aerie Peak for my birthday. He, Dobrin and Anu'Serr had arranged for me to have my own gryphon hatchling to raise, train and care for. I was ecstatic. My father lectured me about the diligence and maturity I would have to show, but he didn't need to say anything: growing up around the majestic creatures and watching how the Wildhammers cared for them had given me a sense of awe and almost reverance toward teh gryphons. I knew that they were powerful and sometimes deadly, but if properly treated and respected, a gryphon could become a person's closest friend. Dobrin gave Silvereye to me when she was only a few months old. She was named for her eyes that were as clear and sharp as mirrors.

Under the close watch of Anu'Serr and a few of Aerie Peak's gryphon keepers, I learned how to feed her and care for her. We rarely spent time apart. Even when I started going on patrols with the elves, Silvereye would be close by, either perching on a tree asleep or hunting small game for food. When she was big enough (I was about 18 years old), I began training her to fight alongside us. She became a valuable part of our patrols, scouting ahead for trolls and attacking them from the air. I've heard that many hunters have such a connection with their pets that the pair can essentially read each other's thoughts. Over time Silvereye and I developed a similar connection. With a thought or look I could communicate what I needed, and she could do the same. It's nothing so advanced as mind-reading or telepathy, but just an understanding.

Finally, when Silvereye was about 5 years old (I was 21), she was big enough to ride. Having spent so much time together, it was easy for she and I to make the transition to mount and rider. A large part of that bond is trust, and we had learned to trust each other implicitly over the years. Silvereye had become my best friend. She knew I would take care of her, and I knew she would never let me fall. I gained a new feeling of freedom when I started flying on Silvereye's back. To this day I've never experienced anything to rival such exhileration.

So it was that I spent much of my adolescence and the beginning of my adult life among the forests of the Hinterlands, among the elves and with the dwarves. Those were happy times for me, and for my family. I didn't see them a lot, but I was able to spend important occasions with them- I never missed a birthday, and usually made it home for Winter's Veil or Noblegarden. I was proud to see my sister off as she headed north to Loraderon, accepted as a new student at the Monastary tucked away in the Tirisfal Glades. When I was 24, my father recieved a reassignment from the Silver Hand. He was to take a post at Tyr's Hand, far to the northeast near Lordaeron's eastern coast. He and my mother left while I stayed behind, accepting Quel'Danil as my new permanent home.

A gryphon like those found in The Hinterlands (image from WoWWiki)

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A Scourge Necropolis hovering over Lordaeron (image from WoWWiki)

Part IV- The Scourge Invasion

The world at large turned upside down in the year 25. I was 27 at the time, as unaware as everyone else of the danger and destruction that would soon be visited on the world. I learned later that the pieces necessary for the downfall of Lordaeron had been in motion for some years, but the orchestrators somehow managed to keep their work away from the eyes of the world. Perhaps we had become complacent since our victory over the Horde, confident that we were all but invincible. If so, may our children forgive us our naievety.

To summarize, the troubles first started when citizens became sick in several of Lordaeron's towns and villages. At first people thought it was just a sickness that would come and go, like any other. But when the dead started to rise again, people started to see how wrong they were. In a matter of a few months, thousands were in danger of being infected by this mysterious plague. The King's own son, Arthas Menethil, helped determine that the plague had been spread through infected grain, and the entire operation was centered around Andorhal, the chief grain distribution hub for the kingdom. The whole thing had been engineered by demons intent on conquering our world- they had manufactured the plague to raise an army of Undead to infest and overthrow the land. The prince and his companions managed to destroy the infected grain, but they were largely too late. The Undead armies, more commonly known as the Scourge, grew with each person they killed; they quickly claimed much of Lordaeron for its own. The armies of Lordaeron and what reinforcements they could muster from their allies fought valiantly and fiercely. But in time only a few bastions of life and humanity remained in the once mighty kingdom, like Hearthglen, Tyr's Hand and the Monastery in northern Tirisfal. My parents were at Tyr's Hand and my sister at the Monastery, so at the beginning we were spared the tragedy that befell so many other families. But the fight against the Scourge would touch everyone in some way, and more often than not, all that was left behind was death, sorrow and pain.

When I first heard that the plague was more than a typical illness, I left Quel'Danil and joined my father in Lordaeron. We were with Uther Lightbringer when he met up with Prince Arthas at Stratholme. When Arthas decided to kill the citizens of Stratholme rather than risk their infection and rebirth as Undead, Uther went against the prince and left, and Father and I left with him. Uther assigned Father to join a small force being sent to defend Darrowshire, a small town in the heart of eastern Lordaeron. Leading the force was a kind but formidable paladin named Davil Crockford; the leader of the town's militia was a man by the name of Joseph Redpath.

The Scourge attacked Darrowshire shortly after our arrival. We defeated the first wave of skeletal warriors and ghouls with some ease, and our confidence was bolstered; it seemed that the Light was with us and would protect us from the unholy Scourge. But the Undead captains were strong and clever, and the second wave almost broke us. Only the paladins' command of the Light's power kept the Scourge from ruining our defenses. From there, however, the battle turned ill and quickly so.

One of the Scourge captains, known to all as Horgus the Ravager, fought his way to Davil and engaged him in battle. Davil won the fight, but suffered a mortal wound and died shortly thereafter. Father and the other paladins managed to stay organized despite the fall of their leader, but what happened to the Darrowshire militia was far more devastating. The other Scourge leader, a death knight by the name of Marduk Blackpool, sent in his most elite forces. As they cleaved their way through our defenses, Blackpool approached Captain Redpath and, by some dark and powerful magic, ripped the man's soul from his body. Far away though I was, on the other side of the battle, I could hear the cry of agony from the Darrowshire captain. It is a sound and feeling that haunts me to this day. What followed was worse, for Redpath and for us. Through some necromantic means, Blackpool twisted Redpath's spirit into an evil shadow of itself. As we watched, Redpath's corrupted spirit began spreading the taint of dark magic to the defenders of Darrowshire, turning them against their brothers. Worse than that, the now-evil soldiers began murdering those women, children, and infirmed who had not the time to evacuate Darrowshire before the Scourge attack.

Our defense utterly shattered, the paladins called for a mass retreat: anyone who could get out was ordered to do so by any means possible. Father, myself and the other paladins covered the retreat of as many civilians and soldiers as could get away. We managed to hold off the Scourge long enough for them to make their way across the Thondroril River (I learned later they made it safely to Hearthglen). We decided to head east to Tyr's Hand. As we traveled, we knew there would be danger of running into more Scourge forces. Father told me he had sent a letter to Mother in Tyr's Hand, asking her to leave for the southern kingdoms, away from the Scourge threat. He said he wasn't sure the letter had reached her, so he asked me to get her out of Lordaeron should he fall. Of course I agreed, though I vowed to myself not to let anything happen to my father nor anyone in my family.

After only a few days of travel, we happened across a small Scourge force. We fought them and drove them back for some hours, before they were reinforced by another small contingent of Undead. It was at this point that my heart was shattered- as Father held off a pair of ghouls, a massive Abomination (a twisted creation of body parts and corpses crudely sewn together) came up behind him. I saw it and was too far away to intercept, so I vainly tried to fell it with arrows. I might as well have been poking an elk with a needle. The Abomination knocked him to the ground with one swipe of its massive cleaver. Father's armor was split, his side torn open. Three other paladins rushed to his side and brought the Abomination down. I rushed to his side, where the life in him was slowly slipping away. As I kneeled in the pool of blood flowing from his torn body, he used his final breaths to tell me how proud he was of me, and how he wanted me to make sure our family was safe.

Father died in my arms, but I barely had time to weep or grieve: the Scourge were mounting a counterattack. The knights had to tear me away from Father's body forced me to leave it behind. Our numbers were too few and our strength drained; we had to flee. We managed to get away, and continued our trek to Tyr's Hand. All I could think about as we walked was my father. I'd replay moments from my life when we had spent time together, laughed together. It took all my effort to keep the image of his broken body and his Scourge attackers away, and more often than not my attempts were in vain. Hot rage boiled together with bitter sorrow, and I wondered how I would tell my mother and sister.

As it turns out, I didn't have to say anything. As soon as we made it to Tyr's Hand (gratefully finding it unscathed by the Scourge), I found my mother, and my face said it all. She looked at me and saw my grief, knowing immediately what had happened. She fainted and was out for several hours. When she came to, I told her everything that had happened since Stratholme. When I told her that Father wanted her and Katia to go south, away from the Scourge, she was hesitant at first; she felt safe in Tyr's Hand, and feelings of taking vengeance started to creep into her mind. But when I emphasized that her safety was Father's last wish, she relented and agreed to leave with me.

As the Scourge had occupied much of the region by that point, we decided to make our way through the mountains into the Hinterlands. I sent word ahead to Quel'Danil that we would be coming and by which route they could expect us. It took us two weeks of traveling through snows and high passes, but we finally started to descend into the warmer valleys below the mountains. Scouts from Quel'Danil found us and gave us food and drink before taking us to the lodge. We rested there for several days. In that time, I sent word to Dobrin of Father's death. I was glad to learn the Scourge had yet to come to the Hinterlands; indeed, scout reports showed they had stopped their southward expansion on the northern side of the pass between the Hinterlands and Lordaeron.

When we were well rested, Mother and I traveled by gryphon to Southshore. There we learned that Lordaeron's capital city had fallen into ruin after Arthas murdered his father on the throne. No one knew exactly why the prince had descended into the madness that now consumed him, they only knew that he was but a shadow of his former self. We also learned that much of the Scourge force seemed to have left Lordaeron and sailed west for the far continent of Kalimdor, a land mysterious and largely unknown to humans. Why exactly they had left we didn't learn until later. What mattered at that point is that Mother was sailing south to safety. I parted with her, vowing to fulfill the other part of Father's wish in making sure Katia was safe.

An Abomination, similar to the one that killed Altus (image from WoWWiki)

The Main Character- A History, Part II: A New Life

Quel'Danil Hunting Lodge (from wowwiki.com)

The elven hunting lodge was nothing short of breathtaking, like nothing I'd ever seen before. It looked so distinct, and yet seemed to fit the mountain forests as if it had grown from the ground. The elves called it "Quel'Danil," which meant "peak of the sun." Almost instantly I fell in love with the place, wanting to never leave. I was young then, and couldn't imagine how much that place would come to mean to me.

Anu'Serr took us around, showing us the big central area where the elves dined and relaxed and taking us to the armory where there was an awesome assortment of blades, bows and other weapons. He showed us the training grounds, where he let me try out a training sword. My father had taught me how to wield a blade, and Anu'Serr was again impressed by my ability. Finally, he took us to meet Jalinde Summerdrake, the elven captain in charge of the lodge. She, too, had fought alongside my father in the Second War, and greeted us warmly. She told us we were welcome to visit anytime.

I feel I should add now that even as a child I had always taken a great interest in nature. I used to love stories of the great dragons and legends that told of trees that could walk. My father said he'd even heard stories of wood elves who could turn into animals. From those stories and my free time in the forests of Hillsbrad during the Second War, I gained my love of the outdoors. I grew to prefer the countryside over the big cities of the Alliance. I preferred to spend my youth pretending I was a hunter in the forest than a soldier of the Alliance like the other boys.

During our visit, which lasted several weeks, something inside of me awoke. I felt an exhilaration being in such a natural-feeling place. It wasn't just that the building was isolated out in the middle of the forest; it was as if the lodge was the forest itself. I felt a lightness in my heart, a smile in my soul, and I felt at peace here. Looking back, it was the kind of feeling one gets when he returns home.

When it came time to leave, I told Mother and Father what I had felt. I told them I wanted to be a hunter, like the elves, and live in the forests. I thought they would just laugh, that Father would say he wanted me to grow up to be a mighty paladin or soldier or priest like him. Instead, he simply put his hand on my shoulder and said, "You'll make a fine hunter, son." I looked at my mother, almost expecting this to be a trick, but only saw a sincere smile on her face.*

When Anu'Serr learned of my desire, he made my parents an offer: if they would allow it, I could come to the lodge every summer and train with him. He offered to teach me how to hunt, track and move like an elf through the forest, to make armor and weapons as the elves do. My parents liked the idea, and held the high elves with great respect. So it was agreed.

I started that next year. In April, my father would take me to the lodge, and I would return home in November for winter. Over time, I began to spend more time with the elves, and shortly before my parents left the Hinterlands, I was all but a permanent resident at Quel'Danil.

Anu'Serr taught me much. He taught me how to move like an elf, swiftly and silently- because I am human, I didn't have the natural lightness with which elves move, so I had to learn to compensate. I'd never beat an elf in a foot race, but I learned to run undetected through the woods faster than most humans I know. I at least became quick enough to escape any troll threat, and that is no small feat, even for an elf. I also learned how to be virtually invisible, using my surroundings to shroud my presence, so that only the keenest eye or sense of smell would know something was out of place.

I was taught how to fight like an elf. Elves in general avoid the large, powerful but difficult-to-wield weapons preferred by humans and orcs. Especially in the woods, they prefer smaller but swifter weapons, for speed can be just as deadly as power. Anu'Serr taught me to use swords, daggers, staves and spears as weapons in almost any situation. I learned that the handle of a sword can be as effective a defensive tool as the blade is for offense. I came to know that a dagger properly wielded in the off-hand can deflect a blow or jab as effectively as a shield. I also learned how to fight and defend myself with my bare hands.

Though I was gifted with great speed of hand since birth, Anu'Serr saw room to grow. To increase my fighting speed, he had me practice sparring in heavy mail armor. When I fought as fast as I could, Anu'Serr would remove the armor, and my speed increased dramatically. It was through this practice that I began to rival some of the elves at Quel'Danil in fighting speed. I later learned why Anu'Serr trained me in this way- as a ranger and forest hunter, I would wear armor made of thick leather rather than heavy steel. To compensate for the difference, he taught me to be fast. He told me that in many situations, greater speed would compensate for stronger armor or weapons. I began to prefer using two swords in battle, using one to protect and one to attack as necessary.

Anu'Serr helped me improve my marksmanship. He taught me how to breathe just right so as to make the steadiest shot. I learned how to lead a moving target, and how where to strike a foe to bring it down in one shot. Anu'Serr even taught me to make my own bow and arrows, though it took me several tries to make one that seemed less a tool and more an extension of myself.

Each year, as I returned home to my family, they would comment on how different I was, how much older I seemed. I felt older, older than I thought I should feel for a boy still considered a youth. My biggest fear during those years was that I was growing away from my family, that I would become a stranger to them. But each time I was home, Father assured me that he and Mother loved me, were proud of me, and knew I was where I was supposed to be.

*Only later did I learn that Father had a dream while we were at the lodge. In it he had seen me as a man, dressed not in armor wielding a mighty sword or hammer like a paladin, but standing in the trees, apart from him, Mother and Katia. He told his dream to Mother, who said she had a feeling that same night that my destiny would take me along a different path than my father, herself, or even my sister. Father told me later than when I told them, even in my adolescent and boyish inexperience, that I wanted to be like an elf hunter, they both understood that this seemed to be the path that my life was to take.

Jalinde Summerdrake, Captain of Quel'Danil (from wowwiki.com)

The Main Character- A History, Part I: Childhood

My name is Nikolas Altus Tien. I don't know exactly why I am writing this, a brief account of my life thus far. I do know that the idea to do such came to my mind as I traveled from Hearthglen two days past, and has been on my thoughts so strongly that I think I won't be rid of the thought until I do something about it.

Stormwind City (from wowwiki.com)

I was born two years before the Horde first came to Azeroth. My father, Altus, was a priest serving at the Northshire Abbey, and my mother Naya stayed at home with me. She used to be a sorceress in training at Dalaran, until she met and married my father.

I don't remember the start of the First War, when the Horde came through the Dark Portal and invaded the kingdom. I was only two then, when Father went away to war. But I do remember when he came back and told us we'd have to leave out home. It was four years later, and my mother had given birth to my little sister, Katia, while Father was gone. Mother gathered me and Katia while Father packed what he could into a small handcart, and we left Northshire and headed to the keep at Stormwind. But the Horde couldn't be stopped, and it wasn't long before we had to leave the keep for the sea, cramming into boats that would take us away from the invading Orcs. We sailed north as the Horde burned all that we loved and knew. I was only six, but I remember the sadness and how cold it was on the seas.

We arrived on the southern shores of Lordaeron, where we sought refuge. I remember seeing Lord Lothar, our leader, leaving for the capital city to inform the Lordaeron king of the Orc threat. As for us, Father took us north to Alterac, to seek shelter and provision from my maternal grandfather. He was a noble of that small kingdom, and would have plenty of room for us until we could find something more permanent. But I remember that our welcome was colder than even the sea itself. I learned later that he was angry at my mother for marrying my father. He held the idea of nobility in high esteem, and felt Mother was betraying her noble heritage by marrying someone who wasn't even from Alterac and was a humble priest.

Two things stand out about that day. The first was the way my grandfather beat my mother in front of us for turning her back on her heritage. He hit her face three times, called her an ingrate, accused her of betraying her family, stared burning hatred at her. The second thing was the pure fury I saw in Father's eyes as he stood watching, restrained by grandfather's guards, powerless to do anything.

At least, I thought him powerless at the time. The guards were big, what could he do? As I got older, I started to think that maybe he could have done something. After all, he was a priest who wielded the holy power of the Light. Could he not have called on that power to intervene and protect Mother? I felt anger at him for standing by. I began to see him as a coward, as weak, and began to distance myself from him. It was mainly for that reason that I chose to spend much of my time in the Hinterlands hunting with and learning from the elves. Well, that's getting ahead of myself.

It took a number of years for me to realize that Father might have been trying to teach me something that day. I think he was showing by example that rage is only proper if it's restrained, that one should be careful how he acts, especially when he's angry. I feel now that if Father had lashed out, he might have done something that would haunt him forever. Further, if he had acted, the rest of us might have been further harmed by harsh retribution. And so I began to respect his inaction that day.

Angry, wounded and saddened, we returned to Southshore, where we found shelter with a kind old sheep farmer and his wife. Their children had grown and moved to Brill, so they had ample room for us. Father was called to war a second time, for after destroying Stormwind, the Horde had turned its attention northward. This time, though, Father joined a new order of holy warriors called paladins. They had the same ability to wield the power of the Light, while possessing the martial skills of mighty warriors. Their order came to be known as the Knights of the Silver Hand. Mother, Katia and I stayed behind in Southshore. While I helped the old man with the farm, Mother and Katia aided the war effort by sewing the sheep's wool into bandages to send to the soldiers.

The war was relatively short- Father came home about a year later. He announced we would be moving north where his dwarf friend, Dobrin Hammerstone, lived with his clansmen. Father met Dobrin while he performed diplomatic duties for Northshire before he was married. The two crossed paths several times, and Father tells me they became fast friends. By chance they had ended up in the same company during the Second War. Dobrin invited Father to take us to the Hinterlands, home of the Wildhammer dwarves, to which Dobrin's clan belonged. Father agreed, thinking it to be a quiet way to raise his family.

Father was right. We felt truly at peace in the Hinterlands. Father and Dobrin built a home for us in a valley several miles from Aerie Peak, the mighty Wildhammer city built into the side of a huge mountain. To suit our new home, the leader of the Paladins, Uther Lightbringer, assigned father to be the Silver Hand's diplomat to Aerie Peak. Whenever he as home with us, he took the opportunity to teach Katia and myself about the Light. Mother stayed at home with Katia and I, teaching us how to read and write, how to conduct ourselves, and about the magic she had learned during her training at Dalaran. I was more interested in Mother's magic (in part because of the anger I felt toward my father, as I mentioned before); Katia was always more inclined to Father's teachings about the Light and its power. Those inclinations would in part define our futures.

I happened upon the direction my life would take, not knowing that's what it would be. To the east of Aerie Peak, the powerful high elves of Quel'Thalas had established a hunting lodge. Enmity going back thousands of years existed between the elves and the forest trolls that inhabited the forests of Azeroth. Several troll tribes had settled in the Hinterlands, and the elves helped the dwarves keep them at bay. Neither side strove to great efforts to wipe out the others; to do so would have come at far too great a cost for both the ultimate winner and loser. So, they kept their territory and fought daily to keep the other side off of it.

In my eleventh year, we attended Brewfest, a traditional dwarven festival, at Aerie Peak. I entered an archery competition for the younger dwarves (who were still some 30-40 years my senior), and despite my youth, won somewhat handily. A high elf visiting from the hunting lodge came up to us and told us he was impressed with my skill. When my father introduced himself, the elf surprised us by saying he knew of my father. He explained that a number of the elves at the hunting lodge had fought in the same company as Father during the Second War. The elf, named Anu'Serr Stormshade, said his kinsmen spoke highly of Altus, and took us to meet a few of them who had also come to the festival. I remember how happy Father was to see them, and how glad they were in return. The only person outside of our family in whose presence Father seemed to be most happy was Dobrin. Father stayed and talked with his friends, while Mother, Katia and I enjoyed other parts of the festival. When Father joined us again, he told us we had been invited by the elves to visit the hunting lodge. Katia and I were so excited- we'd always been intrigued by the somewhat mysterious high elves, and now we would have the chance to see where and how they lived.

Aerie Peak (from wowwiki.com)