Valkynere Portsmouth

"We are not Darkness Incarnate; we are what we choose to be."

- V. Portsmouth Grand Warlock Valkynere Portsmouth is an elder warlock and teacher. He has returned to the Kingdom of Stormwind to ensure the security and longevity of his craft and culture. Father Portsmouth has written many scholarly works over his lifetime, including a recent popular grimoire known as ''[|The Concise Grimoire of the Lamb]. ''

Father Portsmouth has served in the military of the Kingdom of Stormwind, sworn under the reign of King Barathen "Adamant" Wrynn. He achieved the rank of Grand Warlock shortly after the end of the Third War.

Early Life
Valkynere Portsmouth was born under the reign of King Barathen "Adamant" Wrynn. His childhood was characterised by the aftermath of the Gnoll War, his father having served in a warring capacity.

Valkynere was brought into the seminary at an early age, his aunt being a Sister of the Church of the Holy Light. He served as an altar boy and planned to continue his aunt's footsteps to becoming a brother. However, by a chance visit of a passing Dalarani show-man mage, Valkynere's magical talent was discovered. The young Portsmouth was a volunteer for the travelling man's magic act. The act involved guessing which cup a ball was hidden under - the trick involving teleportation of the ball to always make the volunteer incorrect. Valkynere became frustrated, believing the trick to be cheating and he managed to cease the little teleportation game and guess correctly.

Military Years
The mage took it in stride and spoke to Valkynere's parents about joining the Stormwind Mages' Guild. Valkynere joined and studied hard. By age sixteen, he was admitted into the Stormwind Infantry as a young battlemage. He fought throughout the Gurubashi War and rose the ranks to Master-Sergeant by the time of the First War.

Valkynere fought bravely in the First War. This was the time he first came into contact with Fel magic, impressed by its destructive power. During the clean-up of a minor battle, Portsmouth discovered a grimoire on the body of one of the Orcish warlocks. This is when he became enthralled by what else was out there.

Portsmouth studied the text hard and by the Second War, had begun harvesting Fel for the first time. One battle within the pushback to the Dark Portal, Portsmouth's spells turned green. He destroyed a line of orcs and paved the way for the victory of the battle - at the expense of being discovered.

Valkynere was arrested and imprisoned for his use of the Fel. He was interrogated and tortured during this time period. It was a truly formative experience. Though, he was released from imprisonment, as the Alliance of Lordaeron did not wish to take one of its primary battlemages off the field for too long. From that point on, however, he studied in secret. He was honourably discharged following the end of the War.

The Dark Arts
Father Portsmouth outpaced his associates swiftly in the Dark Arts. By the Third War, he had already mastered four of the five forms of Dark Craft set forth by his Warlock circle of the time. This granted him the title of Grand Warlock of the Old Circle. The circle perished only a few years after the Third War - as the Cult of the Damned sapped up most of his former members.

Father Portsmouth has been travelling and studying since the Third War. He has engaged in various adventures and quests for heroes, but only now, at the end of the Legionfall War, has he returned to reclaim his rightful status.

He released a popular initiate-level grimoire and has made it his mission to improve the culture of his kin on Azeroth - a race against time due to the illness his craft has put upon him.

Magical Ability
Father Portsmouth is one of the most experienced and knowledgeable warlocks on Azeroth. He represents the pinnacle of devotion to his craft. He has mastered four of the five dark arts listed for his defunct warlock circle.

Fel Magic
The first dark magic Father Portsmouth ever learned was Fel Magic. As a pyromancer for thirty years in the Royal Infantry, Portsmouth took to Fel Magic quite easily. His knowledge of Fel is so advanced that his claims about its power are often seen as outlandish, simply because no others can replicate his results.

Shadow Magic
The second dark magic Father Portsmouth learned was Shadow Magic. Father Portsmouth has been known to be extremely inventive with Shadow Magic. He has learned to completely disarm other magicians by creating small pockets of void to vacuum up any evocation sent his way.

Demonology
Demonology was not something Father Portsmouth initially wished to study. This was in large part due to the prejudice he had acquired throughout the First War. However, Father Portsmouth proved an exceptional student of the craft. He is capable of summoning up to three infernals when operating at his maximum capacity.

Blood Magic
Hemomancy is a craft Father Portsmouth came to adore. He found its link to biology quite fascinating. The use of the circulatory system to control and kill was nothing short of genius. Although Father Portsmouth has mastered Blood Magic, he rarely uses it - only on rare instances of mortal combat.

Necromancy
Father Portsmouth studied Necromancy for a time. Though, he gave up the endeavour at the onset of the rise of the Lich King. He felt the presence of the King in the magic and decided to leave it alone. To this day, he has not progressed beyond the proficiency of 'adept'.