Caterinia Blackmorn

Caterinia Soren-Whitehall is the second wife of the former Duke of Dawnshire, Henry Whitehall. She is currently engaging the forsaken host, known as the Bloody Dawn. After her husband's death, she now controls the entire Duchy of Dawnshire after challenging her Nephew, Darion Blackmorn's right of succession on the grounds that Wolf's Crossing is a sovereign state and should have no claim over a Duchy that has been part of Lordaeron for centuries. When confronted by Blackmorn, she was said to have laughed in his face and said. "I will have more sons if I must, but you will never inherrit Dawnshire." In spite of their differences, she and Blackmorn have not forsaken the ties of family and continue to aid one another when necessary.

Often referred to as the Lioness of Dawnshire, Caterinia has been to war twice and led her husband's men into battle on numerous occasions when the Duke was engaged elsewhere during the war against the scourge. A very wealthy and prideful woman, she is not to be trifled with.

Appearance
The product of two ancient Noble houses, Caterinia's comely appearance can certainly be attributed to good breeding. Tall and well-endowed, she has the figure of a woman matured and is said to have aged like a fine wine. Her sapphire eyes are perhaps her most striking feature, though her reddish hair and often sultry smile are a close second. Her hair is long, cascading in soft curls, smooth as spun silk. A small scar resides just below her hairline, a memento of a past battle.

Personality
Proud and even arrogant at times, there is no denying that Caterinia is a woman who believes herself to be better than others. As the product of a union between two ancient Noble houses, she insists on being treated with the respect due to her high birth and station. A shrewd businesswoman and a cunning strategist, she believes that even in a world largely controlled by men, a woman should lead if she is proven to be more capable than a man of equal station. Well-spoken and highly intelligent, Caterinia can be quite manipulative when a situation calls for it. She believes strongly in the ties of family, be it through blood or by marriage and would stop at nothing to protect her own. Honor and oaths sworn upon it are of great importance to her and though she does not give her word lightly, once Caterinia has made a promise, that promise is kept. She has been known to exact terrible vengeance on those who have broken their oaths.

History
Eldest daughter of James Soren and Catlynn Sciorra, Caterinia was born with every advantage a child of a prominent house could desire. She was given the very finest in education and as a militant family, the Sorens insisted that all their children learn the art of fencing and the intricacies of military strategy. Tall for her age and quite strong, Caterinia took to such lessons like a moth to a flame.

Marriage and Children
At the age of fifteen, she was wed to Henry Whitehall, then Earl of White Harbor and heir to the Duchy of Dawnshire. The marriage was favorable for both houses and in spite of the difference in their age, Caterinia both loved and respected her husband. It was not long before their first child was born--a son, Henry II. Times of war made it necessary for the couple to put off having more children and it was not until Caterinia was twenty that her daughter, Merrideth was born.

The Lioness Of Dawnshire
Due to its proximity to Andorhal, Dawnshire suffered greatly under the might of the undead scourge. Caterinia was said to have fought side by side with her husband and his men while the scourge lay siege to Whitehall Manor. She was struck by falling debris when the largest portion of the Castle came crashing down during the last hours of the siege, and in spite of her wounds, refused to surrender. Having suffered two more minor wounds during a last stand in the East wing, she was later dragged from the Castle by two of her Knights to join her husband and Dawnshire was evacuated. Caterinia would later lead the reserve force of her husband's soldiers into battle against the scourge on numerous occasions while Duke Henry and some remaining Knights of the Silver Hand fought to stop the scourge forces from marching East.

Though she was not particularly skilled in single combat, Caterinia was a very successful battle commander and held White Harbor Castle through wave after wave of scourge onslaught. She was said to have given the following speech to the Castle defenders when the enemy emerged from the woods: "The sword of the apocalypse has left its blackened scabbard and death itself has come for us upon its pale horse. We will not run in fear. We are the lions of Lordaeron and lions do not cower in the face of death. We will face death with a roar of courage. We will look into the abyss of death's eyes as the Light itself transforms us into the wrath of the righteous and we will send death back to the fires of hell. This Castle has stood for half a century and it will not fall today."

During the final battle, the Castle's cannons had fired the last of their ammunition and with another wave of the undead nearing the gates, Caterinia ordered the cannons to be loaded with shot and scrap metal from the Castle's forge. Though many of the cannons were damaged from using such material, with all twelve guns fired, they managed to destroy hundreds of the abominations before the infantry took the field and finished off the rest. One of her Knights, Sir Thomas Quinn took to calling her the lioness of Dawnshire and others soon followed.

The High Cost Of Victory
First held by the scourge and then the forsaken, after more than a decade in enemy control, the Whitehalls assembled a host and took back the city of Dawnshire and their seat of power, Whitehall Manor. Though the forsaken were driven out, Caterinia's son, Henry II was slain in single combat by forsaken Commander Blightheart. His remains were laid to rest beneath the chapel in the city of Dawnshire.

The Death of Henry Whitehall and the Fall of Dawnshire
Though the couple had not shared physical intimacy for nearly a decade due to the Duke's advancing age, Caterinia was devastated when she learned that he had fallen in battle at the age of three-and-sixty against the forsaken. With Dawnshire in peril, she moved her household to White Harbor Castle once more, where she now controls what remains of the Duchy with the help of her daughter. Despite the efforts of her Nephew and his paladins, the city of Dawnshire fell beneath the might of Commander Bishop and his host, the Bloody Dawn.

She is currently rebuilding the military strength of her house and plans to request that Queen Madelynne recognize her as her husband's successor, rather than allow her Nephew to inherit what she feels he neither needs, nor deserves. Though she does not wish to do so, she has expressed her willingness to marry again for the sole purpose of a male heir to the house of Whitehall.

Having recently been approached by the Thorns and the Blackmorns, Caterinia has agreed to lead what remains of her forces into battle once more in the effort to retake Thorn's Reach. She and her daughter are currently marching north with a small host and what artillery could be salvaged before Dawnshire's evacuation.

Love and Relationships
Though Caterinia loved and respected her husband till the day he died, there remained a great difference in their age and when it was that Henry could no longer satisfy his wife's ravenous appetite for physical intimacy, she was permitted other lovers. True to her word, she neither gave such men her heart, nor became with child, which would have brought shame to the house of Whitehall. Caterinia is known to have invited at least two of her Knights into her bed.

Caterinia and her daughter are close and with White Harbor's proximity to Eastvale, the two see one another often. She and her elder brother, Varic Soren have remained close, often writing one another and dining together at White Harbor Castle when his duties permit. Her relationship with her Nephew has endured much strain as of late, but in spite of their differences, she and Darion remain allies if nothing else. Caterinia remains at odds with with Hearthglen and Tirion Fordring. She is said to have entertained thoughts of freeing her Nephew, James Soren III, who remains a prisoner of the Argent Crusade. James is the current Earl of Winfield and one of only two male Sorens that remain in all of Azeroth. He was captured when Hearthglen was taken by the Argent Crusade.

Public Opinion
For choosing to retain her husband's name and holdings despite ancient customs, Caterinia is respected by many women, but also loathed by those who feel it is not a woman's place to bear her husband's arms. She is loved most of all by the people of White Harbor for sparing them from the horrors inflicted on much of Lordaeron by the scourge and the forsaken. The Argent Crusade despises her for the torture of several of its members that were captured in response to her Nephew's continued captivity.

Currently
After the destruction of the remaining holdings in her late husband's Duchy of Dawnshire and the loss of her cavalry at the battle of Edenfield, Caterinia has rejoined her daughter on the outskirts of Eastvale and plans to return to her Castle at Leone. Feeling betrayed by those she once thought of as allies, Caterinia was considering the surrender of the entire Duchy to the crown until she was accused of treason and imprisoned by Darion Blackmorn. Caterinia was later freed after a daring rescue made by her brother, Sir Varic Soren.

After assembling what remained of her cavalry, Caterinia led them in battle to take control of a newly-constructed holdfast on Wolf's Crossing's Eastern border, from where she launched an attack on Darion himself. Using a number of sellswords, she was able to capture the self-styled King of Wolf's Crossing.