Caerdan Firestar

=Introduction=

Knight-Master Caerdan Firestar is a member of the Blood Knight order and a veteran of several Horde and Sin'dorei campaigns dating back to the Second War. Previously affiliated with the Blood Knights 7th Regiment, the Sunguard, the Hammer of Liadrin, and the Dominion of the Sun, Caerdan has seen battle in a variety of theaters.

A Sin'dorei of slightly tall and very muscular stature, he is an expert warrior; his martial abilities far surpas his prowess as a wielder of the Light. He is known for his unrelenting hatred of all Trolls -- Amani, Darkspear, or otherwise, though he has viewed the other races of the Horde in a more positive light since the Shattering of Azeroth. In addition to his skills as a Paladin and experienced soldier, Caerdan is also a skilled and studied linguist. He speaks Thalassian, Common, Orcish, Taurahe, and Dwarven with varying degrees of skill, and has studied small amounts of various other written languages.

=Background=

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Born the only son of Arenil Firestar and his wife Elaene, Caerdan grew up as the son of a soldier, learning to wield a sword from his father at a young age. He also inherited his mother's affinity for language, and quickly mastered several tongues throughout his studies in his youth. At the age of 83, Caerdan fought alongside his father when Quel'thalas' army was mobilized during the Second War. Despite his pedigree as a soldier's son and his extensive training, Caerdan's performance was nevertheless unremarkable; he served as a competent and reliable soldier, but failed to distinguish himself on the field of battle.

Years later at 97 years of age, when Arthas led his army of undead minions into Quel'thalas, Caerdan again found himself on the front line of war. His father was killed by the Scourge, and a grieving Caerdan was left with an isolated unit of High Elven warriors as the undead rampaged through Quel'thalas. Caerdan's unit waged a series of desperate, stalling defensive battles against the Scourge, fighting tooth and nail to buy time for the surviving citizens of Silvermoon as they fled for their lives. Eventually, Caerdan and his compatriots were forced to flee, leaving their home to be utterly destroyed by Arthas and his dark army. After wandering with his mother and their group of refugees, Caerdan would eventually return to Silvermoon when it was rebuilt, remaining at home in Quel'thalas while Kael'thas traveled to Outland.

=In-Character History=

Blood Knights Seventh Regiment
When he finally returned to Silvermoon during its reconstruction, Caerdan sought membership and was inducted into the Blood Knights as an Initiate. Bitter at his inability to save his father's life and angered at the blow dealt to his people, Caerdan eagerly embraced the Blood Knights' siphoning of M'uru's power to fuel his own abilities. He proved an adept Light-infused soldier, and after his training was assigned to the Blood Knights 7th Regiment, tasked with protecting Silvermoon City proper.

During his tenure as a member of the Seventh, Caerdan distinguished himself on the battlefield with exceptional performance, and at home with a strong personality and leadershp skills. He climbed through the ranks of the Seventh and was eventually named Knight-Captain of the Phoenix Squadron, one of the Regiment's three fighting divisions. Despite his success, he also received criticism for his racist attitudes toward the other Horde races, and received a reprimand from his officers for his public support of the Sin'talah, or "Blood Party" of Sin'dorei supremacists.

Eventually, the leadership of the Seventh Regiment fell into flux and disorder, with several new Knight-Lords being appointed and removed from the Regiment in a difficult period before its eventual dissolution. Dissatisfied with what he viewed as unacceptable and inferior leadership, Caerdan voluntarily resigned from the Seventh, and was assigned to a unit of Horde soldiers bound for Northrend.

First Tour in Northrend
With the Seventh Regiment behind him, Caerdan sailed northward with a fleet of Horde forces to reinforce the war effort in Northrend. As a respected Knight-Master, Caerdan enjoyed a limited degree of autonomy during his service. He participated in a long and bloody campagin against the Vrykul in Ymirheim, in which he received recognition from his Orc commander for his particular displays of ferocity on the battlefield and his extensive and brutal slaughter of countless Vrkykul warriors.

Following his victories in Ymirheim, Caerdan traveled to the Argent Tournament to train among the many warriors of the Alliance and Horde preparing for the final battle agains tthe Lich King. After proving himself in trials of combat, Caerdan earned the right to formally represent Silvermoon at the Tournament, and received his prized Dragonhawk mount from the Sunreavers in recognition of his skill. However, shortly after distinguishing himself at the tournament, Caerdan was injured while defending the Orgrim's Hammer from a boarding party deployed from the Skybreaker. Suffering a grave wound to his right shoulder, he was withdrawn from Northrend for medical treatment and sent back to Silvermoon to recover.

The Sunguard
Upon returning home from the north, Caerdan nursed his injuries in Silvermoon while surveying the situation at home. Despite his injured condition, Caerdan couldn't bring himself to sit on the sidelines for long; he soon approached Felthier Truefeather and enlisted in the Sunguard. As a Dawnward, Caerdan participated in a number of campaigns against the forces of the Alliance, sating his thirst for battle while recuperating his injuries sustained in the north.

Second Tour in Northrend
As the time for the final assault against Icecrown Citadel drew near, Caerdan withdrew from the Sunguard and returned to Northrend to lend his aid to the final war effort. Caerdan was among many who battled outside of Icecrown Citadel, cutting down countless minions of the Scourge as a team of elite heroes made their way inside the Citadel to slay the Lich King. With his shoulder scarred, but fully healed, Caerdan put on a vicious performance at the gates of Icecrown, littering the ground with the broken limbs of the undead while the Lich King met his demise inside. With the victory won, Caerdan was relieved of his responsibilities in Northrend and returned home to Silvermoon.

The Shattering of Azeroth
After the war in Northrend came to a close, Caerdan was approached by his former comrade, Arrodis Lightfury, to become a part of the fledgling Hammer of Liadrin. As a leading Knight-Master with the Hammer, Caerdan was sent to Orgrimmar to aid the Horde capitol's defenders in defending the city against enraged elementals. Sleeping in a local inn converted into a temporary volunteer barracks, Caerdan waged a furious battle against the elementals, frequently fighting to and past the point of exhaustion as battles raged around teh clock. During the course of the siege, Caerdan gained a newfround respect for Orcs and Tauren -- particularly as he battled alongside and fraternized with warriors of the Kor'kron Legion, whose strength and tenacity impressed the Blood Elf considerably. In the wake of Azeroth's shattering, the Hammer of Liadrin was dissolved, leaving Caerdan on his own once more.

Dominion of the Sun


Garrosh Hellscream's aggressive maneuvers led to a renewal of the bitter struggle between Alliance and Horde, and Caerdan welcomed the new Warchief with some admiration. Finding Garrosh's ruthless assaults against the Alliance to his liking, Caerdan quickly sought a way to get involved in the fighting on behalf of Quel'thalas.

This search led the veteran Blood Knight to the Dominion of the Sun, with whom he participated in several battles during the Theramore Campaign, including the bloody Clash of the Battlescar. As in his past, Caerdan's fighting skills were an asset to the forces of the Horde, and he earned his share of accolades in combat.

However, it was around this time that Caerdan began to display signs of a rapid decline into uncontrollable rage and instability. Several gruesome battlefield executions, coupled with an increasingly unstable mood and several violent outburts at friend and foe alike drew the attention of his immediate superiors in the Blood Knight order. After assessing his situation and it was by a direct command from the order that he was withdrawn from combat and sent on a forced sabbatical leave. This leave effectively ended Caerdan's participation in the ongoing campaign, and would lead to an extended leave of absence for the veteran Blood Knight.

==Sabbatical at Quel'Danas==

With his mental state in question, Caerdan was withdrawn from active duty and sent north of Silvermoon to the Isle of Quel'Danas, where he was ordered to take an extended retreat and clear his mind. While he initially protested this vehemently, Caerdan eventually realized that his cooperation was necessary for his continued service. Because of his retreat at Quel'Danas, Caerdan missed out on the entirety of the Horde's campaign into Pandaria.