Adrya Blackdawn

The Lady Adrya Blackdawn is the second of her name, Matriarch of the Noble House Blackdawn. She is the thirteenth in a line of very short lived women whose unusual deaths were never investigated. Currently, she serves Quel'thalas as a Commander of the Dawnfury Concordant.

She keeps a very short list of trusted friends and allies, having found that very few Sin'dorei truly live up to the standards she has set for her people. As such, some find her to be ruthless in her discipline as she tries to craft each and every soldier into what she believes is best for Quel'thalas.

Biography
Adrya Vala Blackdawn was born to the Lady Sithesia Blackdawn and the Lord Silas Dawnborne-Blackdawn, first daughter of the pure bloodline and heir to the legacy of her people. Sithesia was barely two hundred when she gave birth to her first daughter and Adrya's male twin, Xainis Blackdawn.

It is said that from the womb, her grandmother Vala taught Adrya all she would ever know. The reigning Matriarch groomed her granddaughter for the rule of the House and all of the duties that came with it, and found that the youngest blood far surpassed her own child. Vala determined that her own daughter's time as a Matriarch would be short to make way for the new age of House Blackdawn, heralded by the child who shared her name.

As the firstborn daugher of Sithesia Blackdawn, she grew up knowing much was expected of her. The young Lady's grandmother, Vala, raised her in conjunction with her own daughter to groom Adrya as Matriarch of her House when Sithesia's time was ended. Her schooling involved a great deal of dark magic and learning the ways of deceit. Command was poured into her veins, and from childhood House Blackdawn grew to love her.

There existed no doubt in their follower's minds that the Thirteenth Matriarch would be born for greatness, blades and magic both sworn to her aid from the time she was in her cradle. The number held a special significance, and as her life continued, many signs once seen in her behavior and strength held true. House Blackdawn had finally born its perfection.

Adrya Blackdawn became a mother at a young age, to no great shame of her House. The Noble House Blackdawn far preferred children born outside of wedlock to their perspective Matriarchs to preserve the name of Blackdawn upon the child. Voried'hel Blackdawn was born of his mother's affair with one Lethelion Wintersun, a priest now deceased. She lived as a devoted mother and noblewoman in representation of her House for many years until she answered the call to service.

Adrya Blackdawn has served the nation of Quel'thalas since the Second War, where she put the fel skills of her bloodline to good use. Upon the end of the fighting, she returned home to her only son of the time, Voried'hel. Several months after she returned to the Blackdawn estate, she gave over her second son, named at the time Silas Blackdawn, to adoption. Another son was the last thing her House needed, and until such time as she birthed a daughter, could not be expected to keep her son.

She returned to the service of Quel'thalas at the call of Kael'thas Sunstrider, following him to Draenor where she served in the Sunfury Army, stationed in Netherstorm for several years. She defected just before Kael'thas' attack on the Sunwell, and it could be argued that she was still loyal in her heart. The Lady's service drew to a stand still in these pivotal moments in Sin'dorei history, and it was not until much later that she emerged again, following Annexious Bloodfury in the Will of Dath'Remar.

In these stagnant moments of her life, Adrya Blackdawn made the grievous mistake of marrying one Anetho Dawnpride, bearing a daughter he named Ayaka. Their relationship was short lived, the Lord Dawnpride too volatile even for the Lady herself. She took her child away, divorced him, and vanished from his life into the ranks of the Will. She put her skills as a dark practitioner to use again, glad to serve the Lord Bloodfury until her dying breath.

It was during this time that she met her current husband, Adionus Sunbreaker. Their friendship was quick, the Blood Knight's demeanor gentle and truthful. To spare herself further pain, Adrya agreed to marry this Knight above any others, knowing he would never harm or betray her. She was pregnant with their first children upon their wedding, and a few months later gave birth to the twins Evela and Thalia.

They lived a moderately peaceful life following the dispersal of the original Will, but that was short lived. The evils of her House caught up to her and her children, and Adrya could no longer avoid the truth of what was coming. She embraced what would become of her, exercising the will of the Blackdawn Mantle, the combined spirits of their Matriarchs, to destroy her own mother and carry the burden. It left Adrya maddened, and she did not return home for several months.

She was found in the Ghostlands by several of House Blackdawn's followers, namely Lethelion, the very man who fathered Voried'hel, and his wife of the time Illianora Wintersun. They could not get her to leave, but they found Adionus and convinced the Knight to enter the dark woods of Quel'thalas to bring back his wife. Success was his, but Adrya remained distant and weary, even after she became pregnant with their third child. Several months passed and she considered returning to the Ghostlands. She trained to become a Blood Mage in this lull, but it was not enough. Her feet carried her in that very direction, but a familiar voice called out to her. Adrya found her purpose again.

It may have been the work of fate that Annexious Bloodfury encountered and recognized Adrya in the streets of Silvermoon that day, offering her the chance to return to the Will of Dath'Remar, the newly minted 902nd Regiment of Quel'thalas. Despite her well hidden pregnancy, she was allowed to return to his ranks. She went about her duties for the next few months, hiding her condition. Even during the battle that claimed Annexious' life, she made herself known as a Blood Mage. She put her power to good use, protecting her unborn child during the battle.

Annexious' death was difficult for her. She made the best attempt at keeping her grief a secret in those days early in the aftermath. The eulogy she gave on his behalf was more of a mask for her to wear in the coming months. She claimed no friendship, no deep understanding, but this was all falsehood. She thought herself closer to him than she would have liked.

In the weeks that followed, Adrya was named Vanarch of the 902nd alongside Alorinis Bloodarrow to oversee the regiment following the disappearance of Annexious' son, Sanguinorian. They planned for the worst, and it was not without difficulty that they created the Dawnfury Concordant, named the 501st regiment of Quel'thalas by the magistrate. They splintered away, and while she was happy to serve her people in cooperation with the Ranger-Lord Bloodarrow, there was a hole in her heart. She made it a ritual to visit the grave of Annexious Bloodfury each Sunday, and she has only ever missed her appointments during the recent time of her illness.

Some months after the formation of the Concordant, Adrya's physical condition began to mysteriously deteriorate. Her weight-loss was significant, and after a slow struggle with this, she stepped away from her military to try and recover. Publicly, it is known she went into a coma not a day after she informed Alorinis she could handle no more. Within the House, the struggle undergone by the Lady was spiritual in nature.

When she returned to the Concordant, she was all but a skeleton of the woman she once was thought to be. She had grown weak in her unspoken conquests in the name of her House, and she waited many weeks before taking up a position of Command under Alorinis Bloodarrow. Her mood had soured in the months she had been gone. Her once back-and-forth caring, and the spiteful, behavior all but vanished. All that remained was the spiteful flame she became on the battlefield.

House Blackdawn
Long shrouded in the insular behavior of its members, House Blackdawn has long been powerful among the nobility. Their strength came in wealth, various subordinate Houses having pledged loyalty to each Matriarch and providing the means for which they pure bloodline was to live. Some say that the greatest folly of the subordinate Houses was continuing to uphold the bloodline, but any outside of the House may notice the almost religious zealotry taken by anyone alligned with the House.

The power structure is as follows:

Matriarch
The Matriarch of the House has always been the first born daughter of the woman who came before her. She claims dominion over the land of each Subordinate House and tribute paid to her at the start of every year. Most Matriarchs do not hold their title for more than three hundred to six hundred years. When prepared for burial, it is found that all have been stabbed in the chest. In the recent expansion of House Blackdawn, two Matriarchs have been sworn in, Adrya Blackdawn, Matriarch of Fire, and Sithesia Blackdawn II, Matriarch of Shadow.

Hammer of the Witches
The Hammer of the Witches is the title taken by Rellorin Dawnscorn. Speculation on the long reign of a single Rellorin Dawnscorn favors the thought that the position is much like that of the Matriarch, passed down from generation to generation. It could not be only one man.

In this new age, two new Hammers are being trained to oversee both matriarchs.

Flameborn
Any child of the Matriarch that does not inherit the title may be considered Flameborn, a place of respect and honor among the members of the House. Leaders of the subordinate Houses are also considered Flameborn. Voried'hel Blackdawn, Illianora Dawnsplitter, Cercelia Winterbane, Thalieva Dawnscorn, and Helandri Dawnborne all bare the title.