Aemon Bayne

Sir Aemon Bayne is an elite knight that hails from Gilneas. Afflicted with the Worgen curse, he has become one of the few Primalists to fight for the alliance. Aemon used his bestial abilities and martial prowess on the battlefield with great success, aiding in the defeat of the great dragon, Deathwing. After halting the advance of the Iron Horde, he has joined the Argent Crusade, and serves as a Bannerman for House Ravenshield.

Human Form
When seen in his human form, Aemon often prefers to wear the lavish formal attire of his Native Gilneas, although his thick frame is not incapable of moving heavy plate armor. Aemon, although not quite as handsome as his father, is still quite appealing. Standing far over the average human height, his body is sculpted from years of extreme training. His face is strong, masculine, and lightly scarred, with high cheekbones and an untarnished nose. However, his amber eyes are often described as fierce, unwaveringly so regardless of the situation, and his expression is often cold and austere. He has long, wild black hair, although he slicks it back away from his eyes. Aemon's jaw is covered in a thick beard.



Worgen Form
A hulking mass of rage and muscle, Aemon towers over man, orc and elf alike, when in his Worgen form.

Aemon carries a variety of frighteningly large weapons, although he seems to favor wielding two massive, glowing batltleaxes known as Fangfire and Dreamcleaver.

Aemon's face bears light scars, and his eyes glow a violent red. Save a few key areas, his body is covered in course fur, and his head sports a great, wild mane. He has equally sharp claws that protrude from his plate gauntlets, leading some to reconsider disarming him.

As he is often at work, Aemon is most often seen in his Worgen form.

Personality
Aemon is a warrior, through and through. Much like the orcs he faces on the battlefield, Aemon seeks blood and glory on the battlefield, in honor of himself and his people. Although he doesn't actively seek for a glorious death, Aemon is incredibly courageous, sometimes to his detriment, and revels in the very act of combat.

He, like other worgen, has been treated by the waters of Howling Oak, and must deal with his bestial urges. However, Aemon is no stranger to his feral side, and in fact sees beauty in it. As a result Aemon chooses not to fight against those urges but to embraces them with open arms, as a Primal. Due to this behavior, he is known to be sexually overbearing on females of all races, and he is easily provoked, often over frivolous nonsense. He isn't much for talking, and does so in a deep, guttural growl. It is unwise to touch, cheat, threaten, shout at, or bother Aemon in any way without his permission, as he has been known to snap at or maim people if provoked.

If he is in his Human form, his urges are under control to a greater extent, and, although he speaks rarely still, it is in an eloquent Gilnean accent.Despite all general aggression, Aemon retains a soft spot for his mother. They share a strong bond despite his affliction, and she is enjoys coddling the great beast with milk and cookies during his frequent visits.

Possessions
In all stances, Aemon is guarded by extremely heavy plate armor. Although this armor may vary from time to time, it is layered, and extremely thick.

Aemon is a fan of two-handed weapons, and is often seen wielding one in each hand. He often searches the auction house for new weapons, or loots particularly interesting ones off of felled foes. Aemon keeps these blades and maces on rotation so that he never tires of one.

Gutmelder and Dirgeshatter, the Twin Firemauls
Gutmelder and Dirgeshatter are two massive, molten mauls capable ofshattering and or melting through armor in an instant. They were forged from the entropic heart of Cyrukh the Firelord, the corrupted and insane furie of fire in Outland by the insidious shaman, Ronak Thundermaim. Ronak modeled them after the Firemaul of Destruction, which was wielded by Warbringer O'mrogg before his defeat in the Shattered Halls.

The presence of Cyrukh, as well as his corruption seem to live on in a sense through the weapons, and they can ignite if they aren't fed with fallen  foes for some time. Each of the firemaul heads are detachable, and can be replaced onto shorter handles.

Ronak used these incredibly powerful weapons to lead himself to victory and numerous campaigns, but they proved useless against Aemon when he pounced upon Ronak from behind and tore him to shreds. In gladiatorial fashion, Aemon claimed both weapons for himself.

Fangfire and Dreamcleaver:
Ever the procurer of matching two handed weapons, Aemon recently took a liking to two orcish battleaxes, which he plundered from a particularly ferocious Laughing Skull raider on Draenor. These axes were similiar in make to Gutmelder and Dirgeshatter, but were instead imbued by the grand and majestic, but equally terrifying Primals of Draenor.

These weapons are fast, and much like the firemauls, are capable of melting metal. However, despite their fel green glow, this energy is instead derived from natural, druidic incantations. Aemon named these weapons after Ralaar Fangfire (the first worgen) and the Emerald Dream respectively.

Aemon's Hellreaver
Much like Aemon's twin firemauls, Aemon's hellreaver is molten, massive, and of orcish make. He earned this polearm by slaying an undefeated fel orc blademaster in the Ring of Blood. Hellreavers are unique to the Fel Horde, but counterparts may exist.

Abilties
He has years of training by orcs as a gladiator, and, despite his hatred of them, retained their value on strength and honor.

As a primalist, Aemon is often close to nature and can communicate to some extent with his fellow beasts. He is massive and incredibly strong, but, much like most large animals of prey, he is also much faster than an average human.

Primal (Battle) Stance
Following his transformation, Aemon became a powerful primalist, a breed of warrior separate from others in its embrace of pure bestial rage. Although deceptively cunning, Aemon holds absolutely nothing back in combat, using whatever he has at his disposal to hack, crush, and mangle anything that dares challenge him. He is relentless and strikes with reckless abandon, taking blows to his armored frame without flinching while growing ever-more furious as the battle continues. He often throws himself into situations where he is utterly outnumbered, coming out bloody and bruised, but victorious.

Although he rejected wearing armor for many years, Aemon has recently taken to wearing an especially monstrous suit of armor. Using his gathered funds, he had it crafted by orcs on Draenor, reforged by Ethereals so that it would scale size when he changed forms, and sewn together by primal druidic energy, giving it a characteristic green glow. Trophy bones of humanoids and beasts alike are incorporated into its blackrock metal exterior, along with warm, thick furs. A cracked skull, with a faint blue glow in its sockets is fastened to his belt.

This armor covers his entire body, save his claws, which are often used as weapons. In addition, a hinged jaw adorned with Rylak fangs is linked to his helm, giving him extra power to his bites, should he feel the urge.

Defensive Stance
Despite his animalistic tenancies, Aemon is more than capable of protecting himself and his allies, if need be. While others were campaining in Pandaria, Aemon traveled across Azeroth and Northrend on a mission to discover the tale of his father. While learning of his father's heroic deeds, the knight decided to learn the art of defense, and inherited his mighty shield, The Ashen Bulwark.

He is covered in thick, pitch black armor over boiled leather and chainmail. A great gorget wrought of blackrock seems to double as a muzzle. Although, it doesn't appear to be enough of a barrier to stop him from sinking his visible, razor sharp teeth into someone he catches on his bad side.

Although his curse renders him unable to become a Paladin, Aemon is capable of lifting and manipulating his father's shield with strength alone, an impossible feat for many. Between his armor, his shield, and his fortitude alone, Aemon is an unshakable force in his defensive stance. Along with the shield, Aemon often wields Dirgeshatter.

Early Life
Sir Aemon Bayne was born into an minor aristocratic family from Gilneas.

His father, Gareth Bayne was born a common tanner, but, after uncovering and defeating a budding sect of the Shadow Council within Gilneas, he was awarded lordship by King Greymane. Soon after, Gareth departed from his family, determined to represent his people in the Alliance. Aemon and his mother communicated with Gareth for months, and they were very proud to learn that he was representing Gilneas in the prestigious Order of the Silver Hand. Unfortunately, they stopped receiving letters shortly thereafter. Aemon would spend the remainder of the Second War waiting for his father. The King continued to arm his borders, and for his mother, it seemed all hope was lost for his return by the time the wall was raised. To Aemon, however, his father was an unstoppable hero. He retained hope for his survival, and wanted beyond all things to be as strong as his Gareth was.

During much of his early childhood, Aemon was coddled and protected by his mother, who feared that she might lose him too. Although he loved his mother dearly, Aemon had little care for her restrictions, even at a young age. Determined to follow in his father’s footsteps, Aemon signed himself up in the Gilnean military as young as he could, so that he could be free to pursue his goals outside of his mother's control.

After a short while, Aemon managed to became a squire, inspiring his commanders with his unwavering dedication. To King Greymane, Aemon, although not as great a warrior as his father, was everything a Gilnean should be: hard-working, resourceful, and extremely patriotic. Genn often organized meetings between his son, Liam, and Aemon, in an attempt to set an example example. These dates were often cordial, and the two never became close.

By his late teens, Aemon had joined that Gilneas Royal Guard. He had been taught mainly to fight in a formal fashion by the Knights and fellow guardsmen, but the young squire would gain much experience over the coming years. Numerous threats loomed over Gilneas, the first of which, the Undead Scourge. As the Lich King's legions of marauding undead swept over Lordaeron, Gilneas came into sight. Aemon stood headstrong along with Liam at the Wall fending off that which attempted to break their defenses, and watching in horror as the denizens of Silverpine were torn apart by living corpses. In the end, however, Gilneas prevailed.

The undead at the other side of the wall were obliterated by a virtually unseen force, a Deus ex machina, in his eyes. Aemon's comrades told of these apparent saviors, these Worgen, as loping, wolflike humanoids that hunted and flayed their enemies in the shadows of night. Indeed, it was often mused that they brought fear in the hearts of the mindless undead. Despite his unease regarding these mysterious monsters, Aemon had a grudging respect for them against their common enemy.

The Worgen Crisis
However, Aemon had little time to celebrate. The worgen, somehow emerged in droves over the Wall, and quickly. What began as an outcropping of disappearances and grizzly murders within Gilneas’ walls rapidly became outright turmoil, and Aemon was ordered to route out the beasts and protect the nation's populace. However, the worgen proved dangerous, cunning predators, and were not so easily defeated.

While checking in with his higher-ups in Gilneas City, Aemon found its housing and factories ablaze. This time, Aemon found himself at odds with yet another enemy, Gilneas itself. The headstrong Lord Darius Crowley lead numerous dissenters of King Greymane's isolationist policy in open revolt against the crown. Although he loyally served his king during this time, Aemon began to question the morality of his actions as he as he slayed and imprisoned those he had fought alongside months ago. Aemon began to lose a great deal of his youthful fervor as he opened his eyes and ears to the criticism that Gilneas and King Greymane received. However, in the end, he resolved that law and order had to be kept in order to protect Gilneas from the Worgen menace. After Crowley was sent to prison once more, Aemon was commended by Greymane for his continued support and dubbed a Knight of Gilneas. Soon after, he was placed in charge of massively bolstering security, in the headlands and northern reaches of Gilneas City. Aemon was thrust into action when the worgen curse had reached epidemic force. The entirety of Gilneas was ravaged by hordes of worgen, however, Aemon, with a notably small force, was was able to defend the northern border of Gilneas city from its feral attackers for many months.

Starved, and slowly losing men, Aemon became desperate for a way to alleviate the constant pressure from worgen packs. Such an opportunity seemingly came when a scout told Aemon of a prominent alpha, commanding his pack beyond the wall in Silverpine Forest. If assassinated, he would plunge the worgen into chaos. Selflessly, Aemon offered to challenge the alpha on his own, placing his life above his men's. After a tearful farewell with his mother, Aemon was led by the scout over the wall into the darkest reaches of the wilderness. However, the scout turned on Aemon, catching him unaware, swiftly transforming into his bestial form and leaping onto his back. Aemon slayed the traitor, but not without sustaining grievous wounds. The knight languished in his folly, unable to return to his men within the city, who were likely beset by more traitors. He remained in the forest, where he believed he would bleed out. Instead, he rose more terrible than before, as a worgen. Over the coming years, Aemon lost all that he was as a man. Free from regret, remorse, and his former self, Aemon became one with the land, and the beast within. When foolhardy adventurers encroached on his territory, he dispatched them without a second thought. He hunted alone, a rage and a bloodthirst filling his veins. Feared and respected by undead, human and worgen alike, he was given the name, Baynefang. It was a life free if expectations and aspirations, and a life lived in the moment. However, he felt a vague longing for something he loved, something he could never attain as a beast.

Aemon remained dominant of his territory for quite some time. However, the encroaching horde saw fit to rid themselves of this threat, and began a coordinated effort to stop him. He was at last brought down by a well trained group of mercenaries. The leader, Ronak Thundermaim, was an aspiring Gladiator Master. He saw an opportunity in Aemon, and decided to capture him rather than slay him on the spot.

Slavery
The worgen was shipped to Kalimdor in chains, and was to be a guard dog of sorts to the orc. The feral beast was unresponsive to training or motivation, and his Ronak intended only to use him as fodder for training against his more productive gladiators. Much to his surprise, Aemon cut through swathes of his foes with nothing but his fangs and claws. The slavemaster, impressed, and suddenly out of fighters, decided to grant him their weapons, and place him within the Crimson Ring Gladitorial circuit.

Although he was far too aggressive to fight on a team, Aemon decimated his foes within the arena, bringing terror to those that were previously deemed fearless. Ronak had a bone to pick with the more successful Rehgar Earthfury, and he was pleased to know that Baynefang was seen by many as an up and coming successor to the infamous gladiator Lo'Gosh, otherwise known as Varian Wrynn. The slave master, however, was exceedingly, and unwisely cruel to Aemon, underestimating his intelligence. Prior to a major match, The Slavemaster was caught off guard, flayed, and devoured.

The Cataclysm
Aemon was passed between multiple owners, each of whom considered him too unruly for the ring. Ultimately, he was purchased, cheaply, by the Twilight's Hammer Clan. After his defeat, the now undead Nefarian was eager to rebuild his forces. Nefarian cared little for Aemon's allegiance, and intended to simply set him loose on intruders. The worgen was caged within Blackwing Descent for months, with little to eat. However, shortly after the Cataclysm, a raid of Adventurers from the Alliance stormed the Black Dragon's gates.

Despite being feral, Aemon noticed that these adventurers were unlike those he had met before. A night elf, named Drecktalen Underroot resolved to coax the gladiator out of his cell. Although half-feral and wary of his liberators, Baynefang was united with them against their common enemy. The worgen, alongside his companions battled and destroyed Nefarion and his twisted experiments. For his efforts, he was awarded the title, Blackwing's Bane.

However, soon after this victory, Baynefang was proactively captured by Drecktalen, and brought to the waters in the Howling Oak. There, he was delivered a treatment that enabled worgen to regain their humanity and identity. The treatment had limited results.

Rushed with memories once more, Aemon set about learning the fate of his people, and finding his family. Devastated by the loss of his kingdom and disgraced by being treated like an animal for years, Aemon grew depressed for some time. However, he was given purpose once more when he was reunited with his beloved mother. Determined to defend his mother and his homeland at all costs, the worgen knight fully intended to clense his land of the vile and insidious Forsaken, but his fury was directed towards an even greater threat, Deathwing.

After years of isolation, King Greymane had decided it was in Gilneas' best interest to cast away their pride in favor of joining the Alliance. Pleased to learn of his cherished knight's survival, the King sent Aemon as a representative of his people, this time to battle the Twilights Hammer in their mad quest to destroy all of Azeroth. When the Zandalari began to mobilize their forces in Zul'Gurub, Baynefang defeated the powerful troll, Jin'do. Later, he found himself at Wyrmrest temple, crushing the forces of the Aspect of Death himself.

Post-hour of Twilight
After the Hour of Twilight was abated, Aemon returned to Gilneas to battle the Forsaken. After many bloody battles, the Alliance had brought their forces to somewhat of a standstill, and Aemon decided to travel the world, following in his father's footsteps to learn more about him. He eventually learned that Gareth had become a Paladin of the Argent crusade that heroically gave his life defending Highlord Fordring from the Lich King at the Frozen Throne, leading to Arthas’ ultimate defeat.

learned that his people, with the help of Alliance, had brought the Forsaken to somewhat of a standstill, and decided to travel the world, following in his father’s footsteps.

The Iron Horde Invasion
By the time Aemon returned, he found Stormwind in panic, struggling against a massive onslaught of brown-skinned orcs. The worgen, emboldened by his accomplishments and that of his father, has cut through his enemies into the Dark Portal, wielding rage and blade against the Iron Horde. However, once their assault was thoroughly stymied, Aemon returned to Azeroth, where he pledged his allegiance to the House Ravenshield and the Argent Crusade.