Khas Smythe

Khas Smythe is a warrior of Arathi descent. An experienced soldier, he has fought under many banners and beside many a friend during his time.

Early Life
Khas was born the second child of a simple family in Smallton, a village nestled in the Northern Hills of the Arathi Highlands. His father, Jord, was a skilled blacksmith, and his mother, Gale, was a kind wifeand mother. Khas was the younger brother to Duorn, and the older brother to Leyanna.

Childhood
As a child, Khas would oftentimes venture off into the hills surrounding Smallton, never content to remain in one place for too long. Unlike his brother, he had no interest in learning the finer arts of blacksmithing from his father, an art Jord was eager to pass on to his children. Instead, Khas took after and admired his uncle, Joreg, an armsman in service to the Thane of the region. Khas romanticized the idea of soldiers and knights with their armor and arms, even going out of his way to catch a glimpse of the rare brigade from Stromgarde moving through the region.

Coming of Age
Despite his sons lack of interest in smithing, Jord still wished him a productive life. Years prior, a small troop of knights lead by a noble of Stromgarde was passing through Smallton. The nobleman wished to survey the metalworking of the region and stopped by Jord's shop where he sold his wares. Jord sold the nobleman his finest blade, forged from strong Arathi steel. The nobleman was so impressed by the work, he vowed Jord any reasonable favor he could pull in the city of Stromgarde, should Jord continue supplying him with arms when requested.

Years later, when Khas had matured to the ripe age of fourteen, Jord called upon that favor. He sent Khas off to Stromgarde with a shirt of chainmail, a basic sword, traveling supplies, and a letter to the nobleman.

Upon his arrival to Stromgarde, Khas was made a squire under the nobleman's house. During the next four years, he learned (sometimes to his chagrin) his words, history, the courtesies of nobility, numbers, and most importantly of all, riding, swordplay, and battle tactics.

The Second War
At the outbreak of The Second War, Khas was given leave from his duties as a squire to join the forces of King Thoras Trollbane in assisting the Alliance of Lordaeron. Khas was stationed at the bridges of the Thandol Span in a footman regiment. He saw some of the fiercest fighting of the North as the men of Arathor fought sword and shield to defend the Span from the orcish incursion.

Between the Wars
After the conclusion of the war, Khas returned home to Smallton. By this point, his brother Duorn was a trained smith and the family business was doing well thanks to the war. Khas grew restless in the small town, however, and sought greater adventure.

The North Guard
The northern reaches of the Highlands had always been less tame than the plains to the south. As a result, a coalition consisting of mountaineers, rangers, and other soldiers of the land had taken it upon themselves to see to the defense of the northern realm.

The North Guard, or just the Guard, as some would call it, routinely made recruiting rounds through the northern villages and holdfasts. As a child, Khas had eagerly wanted to join, but his father always forbade it. As a young adult, Khas wanted nothing more than adventure. At his earliest opportunity, Khas joined the North Guard.

The de-facto leader of the Guard, a ranger by the name of Ced Carovitch, took Khas under his wing and taught him the lay of the land. Khas also grew close with a young man named Barlim, son of Ced, as they were two of the younger members of the Guard. For the next fourteen years or so, Khas patrolled the northern Highlands and southern Hinterlands.

The Third War
Rumors of plague in Lordaeron trickled down to the Highlands. Early on, there seemed to not be great cause for concern, as Arathor was bordered by mountains to the north and a great wall to the west. However, once news of the Prince's betrayal and the true nature of the plague reached the ears of Ced Carovitch, the Guard was put on high alert. Though the Guard was by no means a great military force, they had the manpower to hold dominion over the three main mountain passes that lead north. For the first year of the War, the Guard saw little activity.

Kalimdor
When a call to arms went out by the mage Jaina Proudmoore for forces to join her in an expedition west, Khas sought leave to join her. Ced, not anticipating a threat from the undead to the north, allowed Khas and a select few other rangers to join up with the Stromgarde Brigade.

Khas joined Proudmoore through her exploits in Kalimdor, serving as a foot soldier under the banner of Stromgarde. Miraculously, he survived the war against the Burning Legion and returned to the new port city of Theramore, where he stayed for the next three years.