Karetos Erickson

Born from a gilnean lighthouse keeper named Brandon Erickson and a kind former farmer from Hillsbrad named Eleanor Redpath, Karetos grew up on the shores of Gilneas in Tempest's Reach with his twin brother Harald. Their father chose the latter's name, a strong gilnean name, while their mother named Karetos, a name fit for a lordaeron noble she always said. Constantly competing against one another, Harald was always the stronger brother and often won their races and few squables. Karetos on the other hand was always the smartest and the most compassionate of the two. When they grew older, they became a very good duo and brought a hefty number of fishes with each trip. Having learned to complete each other in their craft, one brother led the boat to key areas while the other's strong arms would catch the biggest of prizes! The two brothers had planned on becoming the best fishermen in all the reach and often ventured as far as Menethil Harbor to trade with the dwarves of the Wetlands. They truly were a force to be reckoned with in their craft at the time, until the war that is. As they were but boys they heard stories of the orcish invasion but were far too young at the time, they even heard stories of the fall of Stormwind and as they grew older felt a bit ashamed that their own kingdom was not taking part in the effort. Then, as soon as Gilneas joined the newly formed alliance of Lordaeron in 10 L.C both brothers, then 17 years old enrolled in the Gilnean forces and fought during the second war. Harald being much wilder and eager for battle was more the soldier type, while Karetos tended to the wounded. However, he was as eager as his brother and arranged to be usually sent straight to the battlefields, to the front lines, becoming a field priest of sorts.

Throughout the second war, Karetos came to admire the newly formed Order of the Silver Hand and it's now legendary leaders. So much so that his biggest dream at the time was becoming a paladin himself. And so, he began training and sparring with his brother in between battles. Shunned by his more pacifistic fellow priests, he found himself more comfortable with the company of his brother's men and comrades. The brothers fought in Alterac and their strong relationships with dwarves helped them quite a bit, especially when the time came to liberate Ironforge from the horde. It is said Harald fought with a fury greater than that of a wolf this day. Then one day, the time came for the assult on Blackrock Spire. While Harald and the troops were sent to the battlefield, the priests were to remain in Dun Morogh to take care of the wounded there. Karetos kept training by himself, his dream in sight as his brother left for battle. Then, near the end of the war, the news came. His twin brother Harald went missing. Shocked, Karetos knew what missing in action meant, his brother was most likely dead. And so he grieved his brother for the years to come, the gushing wound of his loss never truly closed. Now more focused than ever on his objective, he lessened the pain in the fray. It was then that he left his fellow priests and began fighting on the front lines, sword in hand. He had saved countless lives during the war, but now at the end of all things, in front of the dark portal the time for vengeance had come.

After the war, Karetos chose to remain with the alliance instead of returning to Gilneas with his fellow countrymen. Shorlty after, in 13 L.C, Gilneas left the alliance and began the construction of the Greymane Wall. Meanwhile, the order of the Silver Hand began the training of new paladins to add to their ranks. Already being strong with the light and having received proper martial training aswell as possessing battlefield experience, Karetos ended up being a prime candidate for the order. And so, he left the north for Stormwind where the training of this new generation of crusaders mostly took place. During these peaceful years, Gavinrad the Dire wielder of the libram of Compassion took a liking to Karetos and took him under his wing, overseeing many parts of the young paladin's training. After he was officially welcomed into the order in 18 L.C, Karetos went back to the northern human kingdoms and instead of going back to his home in Gilneas decided to make a new life for himself in Lordaeron, he then lived there in the Bastion, in Stratholme, with his fellow paladins, serving the kingdom.

As the events of the third war took place, Karetos witnessed the fall of the kingdom into undeath, disease and tragedy. When the scourge first arose, he served under Uther as one of his paladins and left with him, disgusted, after the prince ordered the purging of Stratholme. Long after, Arthas came back from the cursed land of Northrend, killed his father and laid further ruin to the kingdom. As the scourge rallied to their new leader, the knights of the Silver Hand were gathered in Andorhal under Uther, in 22 L.C. It was there that Karetos lost the sight in his left eye and became horrifically scarred, fighting for his life and the countless innocent citizen as his charge. As one by one the great knights fell, including his mentor Gavinrad aswell, Karetos led a group of citizens out of the city as the undead legions came forth. As they were escaping, undead screeching behind them, a lone woman and her older father fell behind. Without a moment of hesitation, Karetos ordered the citizens to push forward without him and promised he would come back for them. He then rushed back and faced a flood of dead bodies, clawing and biting, determined to tear the young woman and the old man apart. It is there, near what is now known as Chillwind Camp, that he took his stand against the army of undead. He fought them for hours, protecting the young woman and her father until none remained but the three humans in a pool of blood and a torrent of ashes.