Kestien Nighthawk

Kestien Nighthawk is a seasoned swordsman from Quel'thalas, found often in search of work. =Description=

This elf is rugged by elven standards; His hair is a thick, layered, tousled mess down to his shoulders, his entire jaw lined with lazy scruff. Any visible skin is pocked and scarred with the healed remnants of sores and frostbite, marring beneath them what might be considered by some to be a handsome individual. A small brass ring hangs in his left ear, almost tight enough to be called a cuff.

He seems to be missing two fingers on his left hand at the first joint after his knuckles, along with the tip of his pinky and pointer finger, as though they were bitten off in some small creature's jaws. They have been replaced with dark black fingers, which upon closer inspection would reveal themselves to be of engineer's work. =History=

The Farstriders
Kestien's parents were both members of the Farstriders, though never married, and were more than pleased to see their only son taking to the ranging lifestyle like a fish in water. Where Meldrina excelled with the bow and arrow, Kestien found himself gravitating towards his father's teachings of bladework and close-combat techniques. The family of three became an inseperable team as time went on, giving the Nighthawks a small reputation within the Farstrider's ranks.

They spent much of their time escorting caravans and supplies across the Eastern Kingdoms to the various lodges scattered throughout Lordaeron and beyond, prompting Fal'theris to experiment with dog breeding after seeing their worth to the humans.

The Fall
During the Third War, the tactical decision was made to split the Nighthawks, sending Kestien and Meldrina afield while keeping Fal'theris within Eversong to directly defend Quel'thalas. When word of Silvermoon's fall reached the remaining members of the family, they were devestated. They returned to the ruined city as soon as they were able, though their newfound homelessness was the least of their problems. Meldrina's health declined dramatically with the fall of the Sunwell, leaving her somewhat hardier son to care for her in her vulnerable state. Unable to return to their posts with the Farstriders, Kestien took to busking and pickpocketting to keep a crumbling roof overhead and food in their bellies.

Upon returning home one evening, he found his mother in their ramshackle home, descended into the ranks of the Wretched. Too grieved to stop her, she escaped into the streets, and later he would find, from the city altogether.

No longer responsible for the care of his mother, he abandoned petty crime and began to use his skills in combat and tracking to more questionable uses, delving in to Silvermoon's underbelly to take anonymous contracts that paid better than juggling.

The Burning Crusade
Tired of allowing the shell of his mother to languish, Kestien made the choice of tracking down the Wretched that was once Meldrina and ending her suffering. After much searching, he found that she had made her way to Bloodmist Isle, drawn by the energy of the fallen Exodar and carried by the skills perfected at the height of her health. Upon arrival, he discovered that his mother's life had already been ended by the Eredar commander present there, who also wounded Kestien critically before managing to activate his hearthstone and escape. As he recovered with the help of his allies, he found himself falling deeply in love with a Sin'dorei priestess named Célie Soulforge, opening up to her about his grief and feelings of failure regarding his family one night in a dingy Booty Bay inn room. After a courtship spent adventuring throughout Outland, finding peace within the walls of Shattrath and the stone huts of Nagrand, they married, and had a daughter, Siralynd.

The Wrath of the Old Gods
Shortly before the campaign into Northrend began, Kestien had taken up with a military corps by the name of the Iron Dragon. A middling group of fighters in Outland, they became renowned for their skill and ferocity by the time Naxxramas was conquered. They were one of the first allowed into the halls of Ulduar, and it was there that Kestien's life took another unexpected turn.

Seperated from the others within the bowels of Yogg-Saron's prison, he was left behind to face the power of the Old Gods alone. Mentally destroyed and physically weak, he found an escape to the mountaintops of the Storm Peaks, where he collapsed. He was rescued by an elven woman, Calendre Ashbough, who plucked him from the snow to nurse him back to health in the safety of Silvermoon.

Frostbitten and missing fingers, Kestien found himself without any recollection of his past or who he was. His identity at the very least was disclosed by a friend of Calendre's, Harlynnquin Sol'aordan, who knew him briefly from shared work within the Iron Dragon and held a jealous grudge against him and his happy family existence. She made use of a piece of Kestien's soul, surreptitiously stolen months previous, using it to steal into his dreams and implant memories that would keep knowledge of his family hidden. Not having full knowledge of the spell's workings, however, Harlynn found their dreams linking with increasing frequency outside of her control, with their shared taint from the Old Gods making each night-time encounter frightening and potentially dangerous.

Kestien recovered slowly, and began to feel closeness with Harlynn as they worked together in their sleep to wrestle Yogg-saron's whispers under control. That world was shaken briefly, however, when a letter came to inform him of his wife, Célie's, death. This, and the discovery of her old prayerbook when cleaning their old home brought back a flood of memories, and a fair amount of rage directed at Harlynn for her secrecy and lies. The anger was short-lived, between Harlynn's own newfound guilt and the struggles the two continued to fight in their dreams.

Upon the return of Kestien's daughter by a long-time family friend, Kestien and Harlynn found themselves falling deeply in love as they shared their most intimate struggles and moments with each other. Kestien was even able to convince her to abandon her path as a warlock, out of fear of what the fel corruption might do to her already mentally corrupted state.

His memories however, were still largely vague and emotionally disconnected. Struck with an idea, he travelled to Wyrmrest Temple in hopes of seeking an audience with the Queen of Life herself, Alexstrasza, and be purged of whatever darkness might still be lingering in his mind. Intrigued by word of his time with the Iron Dragon, he recieved one, and was bestowed with cleansing fire with one condition: A debt to the flight, to be collected at any time. Kestien was assigned a "young" drake, Ayranistrasz, to watch over and protect the flight's investment until the time came for the rogue's skills to be put to use.

They put in their time with the Horde military in Icecrown well after the fall of the Lich King, clearing the halls of scourge and retrieving bodies to be burned by the Ashen Verdict.

Kestien and Harlynn went on to informally adopt each other's children, raising them together as siblings. When not settled in Eversong, they went on to participate in expeditions to Uldum on behalf of the Reliquary.

The Cataclysm and Beyond
With Deathwing's reemergence, it was time for Kestien's debt to the Red Dragonflight to be repaid. His time away from home put a strain on his and Harlynn's relationship, with the latter remaining home with the children during Kestien's absence.

His service was cut short, however, when Siralynd fell mysteriously ill. Kestien returned to Eversong, remaining at his daughter's side until her tragic passing. Driven by grief and the stress of a troubled relationship, he blamed Harlynn for Sira's death and left their home, leaving a treasured piece of jewelery behind. Thinking he would never return, Harlynn fell into a deep depression, sent her son Daraphel away to his Kestien-despising uncle Jophel, and took her life.

Upon discovery that he had lost his family utterly, and the deepest love he was like to ever feel, Kestien fell into a spiralling depression that intensified after the defeat of Deathwing and the fulfillment of his debt to the Red Flight. He wasted away, lifeless for months until the discovery of Pandaria wherein he attempted to distract himself with work once more. Seeped in guilt, despair and anger, however, he discovered quickly that spending time where the Sha might hound him around every corner was an impossibility, and turned to trying to find work-- and perhaps his drive for life-- closer to home. =Personality=

Gruff, stuffy, and easily offended at first meeting, he covers a largely golden heart up with attempts at seeming more rough and tumblr than he really is. When in good company he opens up to be all boyish grins and good-hearted vulgarity, and is loyal to those he trusts to be himself with to the ends of Azeroth and back again.

Theris

 * Kestien's faithful worg. Named after his hound-training father, he has proved himself a loyal companion both for travel and in combat a thousand times over. Fierce enough to best the most fearsome of orcs, and yet will still roll over for a good belly-rub.

Ayranistrasz

 * The red drake assigned as Kestien's guardian before the war against Deathwing. Though his role of protector is officially over, he will still gladly lend a hand should Kestien be in the neighbourhood of Dragonblight.