Issabeia Dufaud

Origins
Issabeia was born August 19th, year 14 LC to Alexandra and Mason Heartsong in northwestern Westfall. Upon birth, Issabeia was originally named 'Isabella' before her parents decided to give her the unique name of 'Issabeia'. Her parents had conceived Issabeia soon after they were married and had eloped to Westfall from Stormwind City. Alexandra was barely 18 by the time Issabeia was born, and Mason was well into the age of 19. They were impoverished and destitute and were hardly able to take care of themselves, as well as a very young child. They did the best as they were able, but it was hard for the both of them.

The two were incredibly happy and had no problem with their current life; however, after Issabeia turned a year old, they wondered that even if they were happy, would their darling child be? Issabeia picked up books fairly early into her life, learning how to read thanks to Alexandra's constant attempts and the pile of books she had obtained from trips into a nearby town. Mason had been incredibly busy while Alexandra took care of Issabeia. He took care of the small amount of farmland that generated almost all of their income. As soon as little Issabeia could talk, she seemed to never stop. Alexandra and Mason thought that their daughter would become quite the talker, but they soon realized that it was only a phase. She grew to be elegant, even for a small child. By the age of 2, she was already trying to read by herself. It would take her a while to finish a simple page in a book that wasn't meant for children specifically, but she loved it.

Alexandra and Mason continued to talk about how they would raise her until they came to a conclusion that would leave them unhappy but gave Issabeia a chance to not grow in poverty. They wished a rich and cultured life for her at the age of 3. Very saddened by their decision, they traveled to Stormwind City to meet with a family friend who could take care of her and teach her the ways of the Light.

Growing Up Away from Family
The man who had taken Issabeia into his care was named Thomas Blythe, a man of the Light and a retired Paladin. He ran a bit of a training service to young children who desired to take paths into the Light. Thomas had given her books to read about the Light. She was taught Its ideals and history early.

By the age of 6, she had already read a book or two considering the Light and Its history, and she was now prepared to take Thomas' class with several others. She was quiet and shy, unlike herself at 2 years old. Thomas took it up as his responsibility to break out of her shell and help her become social so she could make friends. This proved to be fairly hard. The other kids in her class had thought she was a bit odd since her head was always in some kind of book. She proved to be incredibly studious and excelled at nearly everything thrown at her during her first year of her class. Thomas knew she was bright, but he could see how Issabeia needed a good friend at her own age.

He encouraged her to talk to the other children again; however, they did not seem to like her even after she was kind. It seemed almost futile. Thomas saw that she was happy and didn't need friends. She kept to herself until the age of 9 where she grew close to a boy in her class who thought she was pretty. This boy went by the name of Jared Ainsely. He talked to Issabeia and they became close. He had troubles with his work and studies, so Issabeia had offered to help him. She took a trip to his home to help him, and she found out that Jared was a noble. His family had a large home near the Stormwind Keep.

His family had not taken a like to her after they found out that she was as poor as she was. They were incredibly rude and obscene to her, showing her no respect. Vanity and selfishness were all that Issabeia saw in Jared's family, so she thought to herself that Jared would grow to be that way.

She did not talk to him again until the age of 10, where they were assigned to take a trip into the Mage Quarter together and learn something. They took themselves to the top of the Mage Tower and decided to ask a mage there about the history of the Mage Quarter. As the old man yammered on, Issabeia was intent on taking notes and paying attention, while Jared tried to speak to her and explain his position with his family. An hour passed when the man stopped talking. Issabeia had her notes, and they left to go back to Thomas' home where the class took place. No one was back when they had returned, so Issabeia was finally forced to talk to Jared. Jared explained to her that he knew his parents were a certain way, but he did not plan to be like them. Issabeia warmed back up to him and they became friends once again, finishing their lesson there with much learned.

As Issabeia's class ended for a small break during the hot summer days, she decided to obtain her first job. She was requested by a couple of kind nobles if she would help clean their home while they were away on travel. Issabeia had not seen Jared all summer, but it didn't bother her. The family paid her well for her work there, and she was told to sleep there in luxury since she's keeping watch of the place. The family's home had a lovely deck where Issabeia would read for hours. She read the history of Dwarves, the First War, the Second War, and even the Third War. She was absolutely shocked by the death and torment of others, and she was never the same towards fighting of any kind.

She was awoken to the terror and ferocity of war, and from that moment on she would never be cruel or unkind again. She followed this and began to help those in need around her constantly while still keeping a hold of the Light. When her class with Thomas resumed, she was no longer terribly shy. She was outgoing, friendly, and many came to her for help with anything. Jared, however, was not there and she believed that he would never come back to her life.

Heartbreaking Decisions
Issabeia dawned on the ending of her classes as she grew much into her adolescence. She had become friends with the six or so people in her class until chaos began to spark during the return of Deathwing in year 31 LC. Their class came to a halt as they all had a craving for battle after their studies, but Jared was still nowhere to be seen or heard from.

Issabeia traveled to Mount Hyjal to help with an encampment dedicated to healing the wounded. She spent many weeks there, seeing people die within mere inches of her. She became very connected to the spirituality of the Light, as only one soldier had died under her responsibility. Those around her said it was her talent or luck, but she believed that it was the Light's will. She carried around a small sigil of Faol to spark her faith whenever she gazed upon it. She obtained this from Thomas before she left as a token to come back home safely. During the last couple of weeks in her encampment, Issabeia was assigned to meet with a soldier and give a status report to send back to those still fighting. She rode out to meet at a rendezvous point with the soldier, only to find out it was someone she would have never expected to see again. She barely recognized him, but he immediately recognized her.

It was Jared Ainsely.

They embraced and spoke for much longer than needed for duty, and he went back to send information. Before leaving, he arranged another meeting with her in secret to catch up and speak with her. She was eager to speak to him once again since she knew that she grew feelings for him even though they haven't been together in years, and her heart fluttered when Jared told her that he felt the same way. Telling her that her beauty, both inside and out, is unmatched by any noblewoman, Jared was able to charm her into a gentle kiss. Though it was sweet at first, he began to force her into more than she was comfortable with doing, and she was terrified. The two did not have sexual relations, but Issabeia told him swiftly after he became aggressive with her that she never wanted to be anywhere near him again. She took her saddened self back to her encampment and began to weep. Her first friend and her first love had tried to take advantage of her kindness.

The very next day at her encampment would become even worse than the day before. During the hours of dusk, a few soldiers came into the camp for healing after an ambush. The most wounded one had lost a leg and both of their eyes. The soldier was barely conscious, but he heard the voice of Issabeia and called out to her, apologizing and sobbing without any tears. Issabeia recognized the man's voice, and once again she was reunited with Jared Ainsely. He cried out to her as he was being taken to a different part of the camp, telling her that he loved her and he was sorry for everything. After hours of stress and screaming, Jared was healed and stable. He requested for the girl he loved and come she did. Instead of talking for more hours, he asked one thing of her: a swift death. He explained he was in pain and it was inevitable. She took a small surgery knife and, with his guidance, she drove it into his chest. She fled for Stormwind and took some time away from war.

A few months later, Issabeia was issued to the Twilight Highlands to deal with the work of cultists near the Bastion of Twilight. She was in a deep, depressed state, feeling almost nothing and wanting to do nothing. While traveling to the encampment, she was attacked by a single cultist and had to retaliate or die herself. Out of complete self-protection, she said a prayer and a beam of holy fire scorched the cultist and left them dead. Completely struck with amazement and awe, Issabeia rushed to the encampment and rose out of her state of depression. Her sense of empowerment did not cloud her faith, but instead her faith was restored and used in her healing, eventually rising to the co-leader of the encampment's medical ward. She was sent home after a couple months of service around December in year 32 LC.

Rebirth
Upon her arrival back home to Thomas, she discovered he was dying of old age. As the only person that could take care of him, Issabeia was forced to stay home instead of going to the cathedral to begin her studies as a priest. She was fine with taking care of him at first, but as he became less and less able to take care of himself. Responsibility dawned on Issabeia and she found it overwhelming after she had to do almost everything for him. She tried to keep up a personal life and had to abandon it due to her caring of Thomas. It became harder for her as he gained memory loss; therefore, his memories started to fade and so did Issabeia's patience. One day it became too much for her, and she lashed out to him. She shouted obscenities, told him that he should die already, and said that he hated him for keeping her back for a whole year. She left him in his feeble state and traveled to the Mage Quarter after finding a flat there. She began her own studying of scriptures and such, but guilt dawned upon her. She had heard a few months later that Thomas died of sickness and bad health.

The Silver Hand
As a year or so of hopeless studying came, at the age of 20 she was ready to take advances with her work in the Light. She began helping the homeless in Stormwind by offering them a place to stay and praying each day without falter became a routine for her. Issabeia's sadness over the death of Thomas sparked her to place in an application to the Silver Hand in Stormwind as an aspiring novice of the Light near the beginning of the summer of year 35 LC. After being accepted a day or so later, she was inducted within a week. Whilst doing her studying in the Cathedral of Light, she became acquainted with many of the Order's Chaplaincy sect. One of these people being Mother Bronwynn Branson. The two had comparably different personalities, but they shared an interest in something unheard of and knew it was a long time coming. She asked to be mentored by Bronwynn, and Bronwynn told her that she would mentor her a couple days after Issabeia asked. Bronwynn had Issabeia do many writing assignments to clarify and analyze the Codex of Scripture, as well as the Codex of Rites in a blue-binded journal. Over a couple of months, Issabeia's curiosity and bookwormish tendencies led her into her trial phase of learning fairly swiftly.

Truth
Issabeia, now at the age of 21, had no knowledge of anything involving her parents besides what she remembered when she was very little. A friend of Issabeia's father, who is a Tauren in the Cenarion Circle, wrote to Issabeia describing his concerns and that he wishes to help her find any information about her parents. She knew that working alongside the Horde would be breaking her vows, so she kindly resigned from the Silver Hand. After her resigning, she took many weeks to discover the truth about her parents and especially herself. She discovered that both Mason and Alexandra died defending their small farm because Mason was rumored to be working with the Horde. Issabeia, strangely, felt no sorrow or remorse, for she barely remembered her mother and father; however, she did promise to maintain all family traditions and stay loyal to herself. While still finding more information in Westfall, Bronwynn found Issabeia and finished their training. She excelled and ascended due to the trial, and she gained a sense of strength physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Physical Description
Issabeia's physique is both tall and thin. She seems to be fairly weak with only a small bit of muscular definition. Her face has softer features, which makes her look fairly happy and kind all the time. When her face was rested, a small smile is always on her face. Issa's bust and rear are on the small side, but don't look out of place from her thin figure. She has fair skin. Her hair is incredibly unruly and curly since golden blonde curls fall around her face and reach down to the middle of her back. She has gentle looking grey-blue eyes that "sparkle" when she is under extreme emotion. Her eyebrows have a nice arch. If she were to wear pants or something of the sort, she might look very willowy or lissome. Her posture is always perfect, and her steps are delicate and soft.

Sir Thomas Blythe
This knight of the Sons of Lothar was Issabeia's prime mentor and adviser while she grew up. In many ways, he was like a father to her. He gave her education, encouraged her to step outside of what was comfortable for her, and Thomas taught her to take the initiative if she wanted to do something. These lessons are held dear to Issabeia to this day. His teachings have inspired her and made her into the woman she is. While she did something aggressive to him during their last meeting, Issabeia has confessed this and repented in the name of the Light. Thomas gave Issabeia his family's wealth when he died, and the two impacted the other incredibly positively.

Mother Bronwynn Branson
Bronwynn is the role model of Issabeia. She taught Issabeia at her arrival to the Silver Hand as a Novice. Issabeia pleaded with her to be her mentor as she saw that Bronwynn was in the process of becoming a Battle-Cleric, something Issabeia still aspires to be. She looks up to Bronwynn with deep respect and honors her as a good friend. Since Bronwynn was the Prime Seminarian, Issabeia learned quickly to make thoughtful and informative sermons on the holy Scripture. She is thankful for her time with Bronwynn as an educator, and she is thankful for Bronwynn's training that made her the Battle-Cleric she is today. In addition to be one who Issabeia looks up to, Bronwynn and Issabeia share an ancestor, making them distant cousins and some of the only family she has.

Mother Leedra Tirigand
Former Silver Hand chaplaincy member Leedra Tirigand is an even closer relative to Issabeia. The two are similar in manner, but Issabeia treats Leedra in an almost motherly fashion. Leedra looks out for Issabeia and constantly teaches her important lessons about how a lady, especially a priestess, should act. They look alike in a strange way that many have confused one for the other. However, once you know the two, they are very hard to mistake for each other.

Dame Vivian Tapp
This shieldmaiden and honored knight-healer has quickly become Issabeia's closest friend. She trusts her beyond belief, telling her about almost everything in her life. They share much of what they have to tell to each other as they are similar in some ways of appearance. The two share inside jokes and can usually be seen whispering and giggling almost anywhere. Vivian and Issabeia are inseparable, and Vivian is even helping Issabeia find the truth about her parents. The two spend so much time together that they might as well be roommates.