Baldrec Ashcroft

Baldrec Ashcroft was the Grand Marshal of the Seventh Vanguard. He is a well-known as a naval hero throughout the Grand Alliance, and is a direct adviser of High Commander Halford Wyrmbane. Recently Ashcroft returned North and after being held captive by an elven group, he rejoined the Scarlet Hammer which he served in a few years ago.

Appearance
When you look at the face in front of you, the thing most would notice right away would be his Blue Naval hat signifying he is a man of the Sea. His facial hair is neatly trimmed which is surprising as most men of the water do not keep their self in such shape as does he. His blues eyes attract most attention towards him, other then his hat. When you take a deep look, pain and suffering can be noticed, but is quickly overcome by the grim look on his face. His hair was a dark brown and has greyed into a white color, from all the stress over the years.

Early Childhood
Baldrec Ashcroft was born to a noble family in Southern Lordaeron along with his now deceased sibling Ellrick Ashcroft. The two brothers grew up and were very close to one another. The two brothers loved 'sword fighting' with branches they broke off of trees. Baldrec's father was a commander in the Lordaeron Navy, eventually rising to the rank of Admiral. After seeing is father rise to such a position, he was inspired to say the least.

Now instead of sword fighting with his brother, he would build rafts and 'sail' them along the coast of Lordaeron, pretending to command a fleet like his father. Eventually after much begging, his father allowed him to enter into the Kul Tiran Naval Academy, to study naval command and tactics. While Baldrec was at the Naval Academy his brother, Ellrick, took a very different route. Instead he joined the Church of Light and trained as a priest under some of the greatest minds of the time. Kul Tiras and True Love When Baldrec arrived in Kul Tiras, he fell in love. Not in love with a person, but in love with the environment, the city, an the entire atmosphere of the place. Baldrec was escorted to the Royal Naval Academy of Kul Tiras, by some of the royal guards that served the Lord-Admiral himself. When Baldrec arrived and finally settled in, he was introduced to many of the noble residence his age. One in particular stoood out to him, her name: Elizabeth Edinburgh. Elizabeth was the daughter of Lord Fredrick Edinburgh, Duke of Northcliff, Kul Tiras.

Baldrec excelled in his study, eventually becoming one of the highest graded students in the Academy, and began to attract a lot of attention from the Naval High Command in Kul Tiras. High Command began to follow Baldrec's grades and the work he did in the Naval Academy, but Baldrec did not particularly care about that at the time, as he was on a different mission. The young man had fallen in love with the girl Elizabeth Edinburgh and would stop at nothing to see her. He eventually convinced her, through a song sung by himself that the two should court one another. She finally agreed to the young sailor from Lordaeron and the two started their long and loving relationship from there.

Many months later, Baldrec finally convinced Elizabeth's father to allow him to marry his daughter. The two wed outside of the Edinburgh estate in Northcliff, looking over the ocean. From that night on Baldrec knew he was only going to truly love one person in his life, and that was Elizabeth.

Later on in the year, Baldrec graduated from the Academy with honors. After the graduation he was offered a position at the Kul Tiran Naval High Command, and he gladly accepted to remain within Kul Tiras with his wife who was pregnant at the time. Baldrec worked his way up to Lieutenant within a year's time and was given a small command to patrol the waters of Northern Kul Tiras. There, Baldrec learned the ropes of command and leading small vessels into combat.

The Sailor on the Seas

Baldrec was transferred from the Kul Tiras Navy and was assigned a position within his father's fleet as a Lieutenant. Many Naval battles, victories, and loses occurred as Baldrec continued with his career in the Navy, and worked his way up to being given a command post, on a vessel of his own. Baldrec Ashcroft, Captain of the Lordaeron Navy, and heir to House Ashcroft. Life was good and remained the same for many years. He would often visit his son in Kul Tiras and teach him the ropes of sailing when off-duty. Baldrec was then deloyed on a deployment that would send his entire life in a different direction then thought because on that very deployment, Stormwind was attacked. The savages ransacked the city, killed all that stood in their way, and left death, and devastation to all. Baldrec's ship and a few others were sent south, to provide an escort for the fleeing ships of Stormwind. Once they arrived back in Lordaeron, he went back to his duties.



After a few months at sea Baldrec returned home once again, to find his brother awaiting him at the Ashcroft Estate... but he was not in the Priestly robes that Baldrec expected, but instead, bright shining armor of this new order they called the 'Silver Hand'. Ellrick had been trained as a Paladin, under this newly created order, so he may fight the Orc invasion. Baldrec was so inspired by his brother that he himself went and joined the Silver Hand, and started his training to become a Paladin. Once finishing a quicker version of Ellrick's training he joined his brother on the battle field, to fight against the Orcs.

The paladins were essential in winning the war, and the sight of them wielding their mighty war-hammers and holy powers gave others inspiration on the battlefield and the home front. The Silver Hand paladins were truly a sight to behold. After the Second War, Baldrec returned to active duty in the Lordaeron Navy. Eventually peril had once again come over the people of the Eastern Kingdoms, and a new phenomenon known as the Plague started hitting Cities with in Lordaeron. Once again the Knights of the Silver Hand were called in to try to stop the imminent threat over the people of Lordaeron.

The plague eventually took hold of the nation. The Prince of Lordaeron purged the city of Stratholme and betrayed the Silver Hand. Baldrec and his brother both fought the rising Scourge armies with the other members of the Order. Just before the fall of Lordaeron, Baldrec, and Ellrick convinced there aged father, to take one of his remaining ships to Stormwind, along with members of the Ashcroft Estate's staff.

The Scarlet Redemption

Eventually Lordaeron fell to the undead armies that were under the Lich King's control. The two brothers then heard of the formation of former Silver Hand members, known as the 'Scarlet Crusade'. The pair were delighted of the news, and joined as fast as they could. Baldrec had the opportunity to join the Scarlet Fleet, while his brother took to the Inquisition. The zealous Scarlet Crusade purged everything undead, even people that weren't in un-death were sometimes killed off under suspicion. After a long time after its creation, the Crusade began to fall apart. High General Brigitte Abbendis was now in control as her father had sadly passed. When the Scourge Death Knight's took to destroying Tyr's Hand, and the Scarlet Enclave; Abbendis then reformed the Scarlet Crusade into the Scarlet Onslaught. Baldrec, now an Admiral in the Scarlet Fleet followed orders, and set sail for Northerend.



Once in Northerend the Scarlet's started to construct a new bastion named 'New Hearthglen'. Baldrec noticed something strange about Abbendis and the Grand Admiral Barean Westwind. A few days after the suspicious activity started, Baldrec got orders from General Abbendis to take the Scarlet fleet, on what seemed to be a suicide mission. Admiral Baldrec Ashcroft, of the Scarlet Onslaught; had now given up everything to fight the Scourge that destroyed his home land. The target of Abbendis’ orders was not even Scourge, but Alliance men and women. Ashcroft had enough of this. He set sail with his fleet, but not to the target destination that Abbendis had set, but instead the rebuilt city of Stormwind.

As they sailed into the Alliance cities' harbor, Baldrec and a few senior officers paddled onto shore. They then met with Alliance leaders to negotiate surrender with them. All ships and supplies were given to the Alliance in return for safe shelter for all men and women aboard. Baldrec stayed in Stormwind with his father in their new home that was built in Elwynn forest. Eventually the Scarlet Onslaught was defeated, along with the Lich King, and his Scourge armies.

There were still undead in his home of Lordaeron that had to be dealt with. Thus when he heard of a Scarlet reformation called the Scarlet Hammer; he joined as soon as he possibly could, once again, he joined the Scarlet Navy sect, as a captain. Baldrec served in the Hammer faithfully, commanding the few ships that the Hammer had, he was once again in his glory. The Scarlet Hammer then headed to Tirisfal, on a mission to defeat the Whitemane traitors. A night after the Hammer attacked the monastery; Baldrec received a letter offering him a position. The position: Admiral of the Seventh Vanguard. Seeing this as a great promotion, and a way to be able to truly serve the Alliance, he gladly accepted. In the process he had to leave the Scarlet's once again. A Service to the King

Baldrec met a man named Colin Taylor: the Marshal of the Seventh Vanguard. The two co-led the Vanguard into Gilneas to re-enforce the Seventh Legion there. When the time came, they set off for Pandaria. The Seventh met with the First Regiment, and attempted to take Twinspire Keep. The Seventh was defeated, and retreated to Paw'don Village. Once they had regrouped they then made their way back to Stormwind, as the time was not yet right to attack the Horde armies. The Seventh recruited men and allies in their time in Stormwind.

Eventually they returned to Pandaria, stronger than ever. Baldrec had then taken ill after sometime in Pandaria. Marshal Taylor returned the men to Stormwind after a number of devastating defeats, at the hands of the Horde. The High Commander called Taylor up north, and demanded that the Seventh Vanguard disband at once. Admiral Ashcroft was offered retirement and was granted Knighthood into the Brotherhood of the Horse while many others dispersed around the Alliance forces such as the First Regiment. Baldrec's illness left him in a disarrayed state, where leadership was not an option, thus he joined the First Regiment, under command of Lord-Marshal Maxen Montclair.

After a rigorous and straining recovery Baldrec sought out a meeting with the King and requested that the Seventh Vanguard of the Seventh Legion, be allowed to reform under his complete control. After much talk and discussion by the High Commander of the Legion and King Wrynn, the Seventh Vanguard was approved and given authorization to reform under Ashcroft’s command. Now, with Ashcroft commanding the Seventh Vanguard once more and they have become stronger than ever with enough man power to once again carry out operations on their own without assistance from other units in the Legion.

The Southern Settlement

<p class="MsoNormal">The Grand Marshal led the Seventh Vanguard on many missions for the Alliance, with their main target being Garrosh Hellscream in Kalimdor. Baldrec participates in lots of politics within the City of Stormwind and it was formerly acting as the Stormwind Judicial Court's Lord-Magistrate. He is deadest on the reformation of the Courts to bring justice to all in the King's land until the stress of his military campaigns and civil life became too much. He resigned from the position of Lord-Magistrate and set his focus on the war against the Horde.

<p class="MsoNormal">One day Baldrec's good friend Lord Erich Manstein approached him and the two began to talk about the current state of the Silver Hand and its members. They spoke of such events in the recent years that began to rebuild the holy order but failed. They then began to lay the foundations for what is known today as the Silver Hand Congregation. Baldrec was a founding member of the Silver Hand Congregation and Quartermaster to the order.

<p class="MsoNormal">Baldrec married Lady Tamora Rolhelm, Duchess of Stonewatch. He was then coroneted the Duke of Stonewatch and with his wife, rules the Duchy of Stonewatch. Together they set many reforms in place, that resulted in the rebuilding of the old battle-worn keep, the resettlement of all displaced civilians, and many other things such as rebuilding the Seventh Regiment of the Redridge Brigade.

<p class="MsoNormal">The time then came once more when Baldrec and his men and women of the Seventh Vanguard were once more sent out to Kalimdor on their final deployment there. They were ordered to land on the shores and set up base within the abandoned Kul Tiran Keep of Tiragard. Baldrec and his Vanguard launched many successful attacks against the Horde forces that were instrumental to the plan that had been laid out when he was in Stormwind.

<p class="MsoNormal">Eventually the day finally came when the Coalition forces arrived from the Alliance. Together, along with the Horde Rebels the Alliance forces began to engage Hellscream's Horde in many battles that would allow them to get closer to the final prize: Orgrimmar. Together the Coalition forces fought the Horde in a very bloody yet victorious front that resulted in the successful landing on the beaches of Kalimdor at Bladefist Bay.

<p class="MsoNormal">The forces then began to march forth, achieving victory once more over the heinous Kor'kron Legion and making their way into the Underhold. Once the entrance to Garrosh's secret holdout was secure, the Grand Marshal ordered an immediate retreat of all Coalition forces so the King's Elite team could take over and finish the job of disposing the Orcish Tyrant Garrosh Hellscream.

A Heroes Welcome
After securing the Underhold and the front on Kalimdor, Baldrec ordered an immediate retreat of all coalition forces. Baldrec stayed behind for several days in order to oversee the retreat of the Alliance forces from the continent. On his final night in Durotar, he stopped by the forward base camp of the First Regiment and met with his longtime friend Lord Maxen Montclair, Lord-Marshal of the prestigious First Regiment of the Stormwind Army. The two men talked for a while and discussed the war and their plans after their deployments were complete. Baldrec mentioned that he was going to take leave from the Legion after the war in order to rest and focus on rebuilding his lost lands. The two began to talk in greater detail and eventually Baldrec was offered a position within the ranks of the First Regiment for when the war was over. Baldrec gladly accepted the offer and said farewell before continuing to his ship that was going to bring him back to Stormwind.

When Baldrec returned he was greeted by Royal Guards informing him of the King's requested presence. Baldrec gladly accepted the invitation and was promptly escorted to the Stormwind Castle. Baldrec entered the Keep and was greeted by high ranking military staff. He entered into a four hour long meeting which included his debrief from the campaign, giving the names of the fallen, and naming those who deserve medals. After the meeting Baldrec entered into a private session with the King and was personally rewarded with the title of Count of Ridgepoint and all the County of Ridgepoint under the name for the Marshal's valiant work in the war against Garrosh.

Northern Reclamation
(Work in progress.)