Sithrin Deathlore

This character is related to The Chronicles of The Dark Hand.

"Struggling to silence my Death Knight biology's call to inflict pain is utterly foolish; trying to suppress it only feeds it strength. Instead, like the other fruits of the Undead existence, I embrace my thirst for agony as an asset, converting its all-consuming demands into fuel for my personal cause: the eradication of the Legion; and all who wear its foul Demonic taint."

"Why do they call me The Light Ender? After the loss of so much, only a vapid moron would see the Light itself as anything other than just another form of magic. Worshipping its power as if it were a deity is an awesomely fruitless and dim-witted exercise, and any who do so are just conditioned slaves of superstition and/or the backwards church. Such mental retardation is an offence to both the intellect and the noble dead of the past; hence why my hatred is so fervent. That is why I'm infamously known to some as "The Light Ender", and that is why a part of my existence is so strongly focused on awakening the sheep of that backward mindset's flock. In time, the false ideology that ultimately led to my downfall will be no more; as will its guardians."

~ Sithrin Deathlore, Death Knight

=History=

Sithrin's history is recorded here.

Prelude I: The Original Lore
Year -2,840 - Year -2,780
 * "Lore", Sithin's initial surname, is born by a man originally known as Therinath Char: a Human ancestor of Sithrin's, and an ancient citizen of the old Arathorian Empire.


 * In his early years, Therinath, whilst quite well known for both his promising skill in combat and his disgraced family name, is better acknowledged among his kin as a jovial young man of narrative. This is mainly because, in the uneasy moments of a battle's pause, Therinath would often command the attention of his fellows through story, regaling them all with flavored and humorous tales of old to boost their morale.


 * As Therinath matures into a more noteworthy soldier, this habit of storytelling only becomes more ingrained in his character. Valuing their comrade's consistent passion for story as a positive and empowering trait, Therinath's fellow soldiers dub him "Lore": a nickname of affection for his infectious cheer through dark and tense times. This label follows Therinath throughout his career as a soldier of the Arathorian Empire.


 * It's not until the conclusion of the Troll Wars, Therinath's last period of service to King Thoradin, that Therinath finally manages to convince his wife, Selina, to change the family name to his personal handle. To Therinath, this change isn't just a way to honour his cherished memories of his military past, it's also a way to achieve something that he'd always wished to: a distance between his hated father's sullied line of drunks and thieves.


 * Two decades after the conclusion of the Troll Wars, Therinath Lore, the first man of his name, died peacefully of old age. To all who knew him, he left behind the positive memories of his merry spirit, the enduring scrolls of his many tales, and, most importantly, the start of a great line of descendants; a people that would eventually inhabit many interesting parts of both the Elven and Human history to come.

Prelude II: The First Lore of Magic
Several Significant Years After Dalaran's Founding
 * Much time has passed since Therinath's day, and the Human world that his descendants now inhabit is a radically different place. The Arathorian Empire has fractured several times over into many distinct and powerful Human nations of their own. Over generations, many citizens have left the Empire's capital, Strom, to forge a new path in these fresher lands of growth; but most of those of the name of Lore remain loyal. Zelarin Lore is one of his name's few exceptions, and it's with him that magic, in particular taboo magic, and High Elven blood first become apart of the Lore legacy.


 * Fueled by a childhood of inspiration from Therinath's written tales of Magi in the Troll Wars, an adolescent Zelarin embarks upon a lone journey north to forge a life for himself in the magical city-state of Dalaran. He's a young teenager possessed by a determination for one thing: awesome magical power.


 * After years of working hard to establish himself in his new homeland, Zelarin is identified by a senior Mage of the day as a promising young man of great passion, intellect and character. With this acknowledgment, Zelarin, despite being older than the average apprentice, is finally granted his wish to study magic under the guidance of a true expert; and he does so exceptionally well. Eventually, Zelarin evolves into a wise wizard, and, as time progresses further, he finds for himself a beautiful High Elven wife, a noble woman he loves wholeheartedly, and settles with her for a peaceful life of magical research, parenthood and happiness.


 * Putting an end to Zelarin's happiness is the death of his beloved wife. Convinced that magic can do anything, Zelarin becomes obsessed with finding a way to bring his loved one back to life; no matter what the cost. In secret, he plumbs the depths of magics' darker applications, disregarding all taboos whilst searching tirelessly through the years to find what he seeks: a way to rebirth the dead. Despite such effort and sacrifice, his time does not purchase him his prize; it instead delivers him something darker. Through Zelarin's reckless experimentation with magic, a sinister Demonic entity from the Twisting Nether finds a way to embed its consciousness into the desperate wizard's mind. The entity slowly consumes its host's sanity, eroding its sound thoughts until its victim falls into madness and physical decay.


 * Due to his insanity, Zealrin's children feel forced to abandon him, and thus they leave Dalaran to live with their High Elven relatives in Quel'thalas. Zealrin dies penniless, outcast and alone in a cave outside of his beloved city's violet walls, forgotten by the magical home that helped him obtain his boyhood dream. Only one possession is found with his corpse: a cryptic book written in Erudun on the entity's teachings on Shadow magic.


 * Despite their father's extremes, Zelarin's children decide to preserve his memory. Although its contents is an enigma to them, the book their father left behind is kept, becoming a family heirloom and making its way through the generations of Lores' who exist between Dalaran and Quel'thalas. None care to deeply analyse the tainted book's pages, until it comes into the hands of a descendant who eventually identifies its true worth: Sithrin himself.

Part I: Sithrin's Early Years
Year -18 - Year 6
 * By the time of Sithrin's birth, the well-established magical branch of the Lore name has become relatively noteworthy within some of Dalaran and Quel'thalas' significant academic circles. Sithrin's father and the branch's current patriarch of the time, Elrich Lore, and his "pure-bred" High Elf wife and Sithrin's mother, Jenice Lore, are both well respected teachers of magic, and the couple often frequent both Silvermoon and Dalaran on business. This constant traveling between both magical cities instills a young Sithrin with a strong sense of belonging to both cultures, which works in the favor of his parents aspirations to mold their half-elven boy into a worldly Mage of the Kirin Tor.


 * At the age of twelve, Sithrin's world is shattered. An Elf supremacist group of radicals decide to secretly start eliminate Half-elves for their perceived "impure" blood. Identified for their name's history of producing half-elven stock, those of the name of Lore within Quel'thalas become targets. Eventually, the Lores within Quel'thalas are either eradicated completely or forced to flee the kingdom and abandon their name out of fear. Whilst in Quel'thalas visiting an academy, Elrich and Jenice Lore become counted among the assassinated. Sithrin, luckily left behind on this trip, essentially becomes one of the last of his name. Naturally, he's utterly heartbroken.


 * After months of failing to emotionally move on from his parents absence, Sithrin decides that Dalaran and his magical studies hold too many memories to bear in such sorrow. In an effort to forget his past, the young half-elf leaves his city-state home and all hopes of becoming a Mage behind, choosing instead to start anew in the Kingdom of Lordaeron. He only takes with him the gold that his parents left him, Zelarin's Tome, and an adept-level of magical knowledge.


 * Like general attitudes in Quel'thalas, certain groups within Lordaeron's Capital City treat Sithrin poorly for his half-cast blood. Due to this, finding work and settling into his new homeland is a difficult task. Only finding belonging among the members of the Church of the Holy Light, Sithrin becomes a member of the devout, and eventually becomes a skilled Priest of the Light.

Part II: The Knights of the Silver Hand
Year 6 - Year 20
 * The dawn of the destructive Second War demands the birth of an elite solider: the Paladin. During the battle to defend Capital City from Orgrim Doomhammer's mighty Horde, Sithrin bears witness to the Paladin's awesome power; and he's utterly captivated. Greatly inspired by the ability of these blessed warriors to fuse martial combat with the power of the Light, Sithrin decides to apply to become a recruit of their noble Order: the Knights of the Silver Hand.


 * After Uther the Lightbringer and the Church of the Holy Light approves his application to become a Paladin, Sithrin is accepted into the elite Order's ranks and moves to their headquarters in Stratholme. After much resistance, a peculiarly enigmatic High Elf and former Farstrider by the name of Arrodis Lightfury reluctantly accepts Sithrin as his apprentice, thus marking the start of the young Priest's transition into a martial warrior of the Light.


 * Although initially desiring to work alone, Arrodis eventually identifies a likeness in the young half-elf that makes his apprentice grow on him. Arrodis, although not a half-breed like Sithrin, none the less feels as though he knows the plight of the half-elves well, due to his own early difficulties with general High Elven society. The tale of Sithrin's parents' demise reminds the master Paladin of how against him some within Quel'thalas were when he first arrived in his ancestral homelands; all because of his mixed race upbringing in Lordaeron. The two bond over their joint feeling of not belonging, and eventually mature past the master-apprentice line to become the very best of friends.

Part III: Fall of the Apprentice
Year 20
 * By the time of the Third War, Sithrin is a fully-fledged and well-respected member of the Knights of the Silver Hand. The war's early days bring with them many new and unbelievable hardships for all of Lordaeron. Kel'thuzad and all of the terrors that come with the Plague of Undeath, the horrific culling of Stratholme, and the flight of Lordaron's rogue Prince to Northrend, are all endured by Sithrin and his fellows in some form or fashion; but the worse is yet to come.


 * As the war period continues on, Arthas Menethil, Prince of the Kingdom of Lordaeron and former Paladin of the Silver Hand, tragically falls prey to the dark sway of the Lich King in his quest for vengeance. Upon returning home from Northrend, he murders his father, King Terenas Menethil II, in cold blood, and then proceeds to convert his own terrified subjects into vile members of his master's living dead. Although trying their very best to protect Capital City from its corrupt former Prince, Sithrin and his fellow Paladins ultimately can not compete with the sheer volume of Undead that comprise the Lich King's unholy invasion force. Lordaeron fall, and Sithrin barely escapes with his life. He loses everything.


 * Upon regrouping with his fellows, it's clear to all that Sithrin has sustained more than just heavy physical wounds in the great fray. Healers, whilst able to rectify most of Sithrin's physical damage, know that there is only so much they can do for his current mental state. Sithrin's emotional constitution, too, has been tested to its very limits, and his superiors, having witness signs of his depreciation during the overall war, come to the conclusion that, without respite, he may eventually become a serious liability to the cause. It's agreed that something needs to be done. Although greatly reluctant to relieve a skilled Knight of his duties after sustaining such heavy losses, Arrodis Lightfury, Sithrin's superior, old mentor and close friend, knows that his comrades fears about his former apprentice are ultimately just; and thus he breaks the news. Sithrin, despite an emotionally-charged initial challenge, eventually complies and follows his friend's direction. Arrodis sends Sithrin through a portal to Quel'thalas, delivering him into the care of his own home, and ordering him to rest until ready to fight once more. Unfortunately, Arrodis knew not of what was to come.


 * To the surprise of many, the Scourge eventually manage to achieve what was thought to be impossible: forced entry into the magical High Elven Kingdom of Quel'thalas. Once the invasion force reaches Arrodis' home in the southern Eversong Forest, Sithrin and Lyrissa Lightfury, Arrodis' wife and a skilled Priest of the Light, try their very best to fend off the Undead onslaught; but they're no match for such numbers. Sithrin, knowing it the only chance for his best friend's wife and two children to escape, commands the family to leave whilst he valiantly stays behind to distract the enemy through combat. Lyrissa, recognising this extreme option as the only chance for her and her childrens' survival, reluctantly adheres to Sithrin's request, and flees in search of refuge. Sithrin employs all of his skills as a Paladin to fend off the frenzied attackers, but, by the time of a Death Knight's arrival, he's simply too injured and devoid of energy to survive. Sithrin falls by the runeblade of the elite Scourge trooper, and, after being identified as a member of the Silver Hand, is resurrected into a Death Knight in the service of the Scourge.


 * Utterly under the the Lich King's sway, he follows his master's orders to hunt down the living. Using his new Unholy powers, he easily ends all who stand before him. Eventually, he comes across where the Lightfury family have sought refuge. A battle between Lyrissa Lightfury and her now Undead-friend ensues. Lyrissa's grief for Sithrin ultimately hinders her ability to compete with Sithrin, and he quickly manages to get the upper hand in the battle and sever her head from her body.


 * Arrodis himself arrives moments later. He's met by the horrific sights of both his beloved wife's mangled corpse, and his former best friend torturing and then executing his children in two foul strikes of his hammer. Naturally, Arrodis becomes possessed by a mixture of hatred, sorrow and rage, and a mighty battle ensues between master and former apprentice. Arrodis' now unbridled command of the Light allows him to dominate the battle, but, just as Sithrin's demise draws near, the Undead begin to swarm the fight's location, and Sithrin, severely burnt by righteous fire and close to his end, uses the opportunity to narrowly escape with his existence; but he does not escape alone.


 * Whilst in retreat north along the forest's western coastline, Sithrin suddenly becomes entrapped by the effects of pursuers sudden spell. Manannan Felstrike, a senior Magister and Arrodis's notoriously machiavellian half-brother, had secretly been watching Sithrin's battle with Arrodis from afar; and he saw a great opportunity at leverage with his relative within the Death Knight's existence. The great mage's spell encases Sithrin in a solid block of magical crystal, and then the Magister, swiftly running out of time with the surprise onset of oncoming Scourge, blasts the prison off the coast and into the sea for later acquisition. In his inescapable prison, Sithrin remains entirely conscious, but completely unable to move; and this continues on for years to come.

Part IV: Rise of the Nerubian
Year 20 - Year 30
 * In a cruel twist of fate, essential immortality, what many saw as one of the only positives of the Undead state, Sithrin, in his undersea tomb of crystal, saw as a curse. As the years roll by and the world changes, Sithrin's mental subjugation to the Lich King wavers. The first blow to his master's control of him is with Illiadan's assault on the Frozen Throne in Year twenty-two, and the final nail in the proverbial coffin comes in Year twenty-seven, when the Lich King falls. Arthas' death means that Sithrin suddenly becomes his own free agent, however, although now mentally free, he still sits held in his magical prison cell with nothing other than both his seething hatred for the Light, and his tortured memories of the past to keep him occupied. Then comes the Cataclysm.


 * When the very earth of Azeroth fractures with Deathwing's reemergence, tremors from the world's trauma shifts a large boulder off of an underwater cliff and directly on top of Sithrin's prison. By dumb luck, the sheer weight of the giant rock creates a large enough impact to shatter Sithrin's prison of solitude, and allow him to rise up to the surface. He was now free; but he had no idea what to do next.


 * Swimming to the closest coastline, that of the tainted Ghostlands, Sithrin emerges onto solid ground; and what he sees of the land he used to know is almost alien to him. Quel'thalas, as he saw it then and there, was infested with the Undead. Sithrin was mortified. Not knowing what new world lay behind the Elven coastline, he decides to tread with caution. Within the forests, he stumbles across a lone mercenary and his caravan. After easily defeating the young Elf in bare-handed combat, he offers the soldier of fortune an alternative to death at his hands: helping him into Lordaeron. Seeing no other option, the defeated stranger agrees. Sithrin drapes himself in the Elf's spare attire, and they move off and out of Quel'thalas into the south.


 * On the pairs' journey, Sithrin sees part of the destruction that's transpired in his years of absence. By request, his companion also informs the Death Knight of all that he knows of recent history. Sithrin is stirred by what he hears. Of particular interest to him is the assimilation of freed Death Knights into the Horde and Alliance. A plan for his future purpose spawns. When Archerus, the floating stronghold of the Knights of the Ebon Blade, comes into view, the Death Knight and the mercenary part ways, and Sithrin ventures for the Undead construct alone.


 * Upon arriving beneath the floating stronghold, some of the Knights of the Ebon Blade, being former Knights of the Silver Hand themselves, recognize the decaying face of their fallen brother. After some interrogation, the dark faction opt to not destroy him, but instead take him in as one of their own. Under the guidance of his comrades, Sithrin spends two solid years improving his Death Knight abilities to the point of mastery; and, in the process, contemplating his next step in the world.


 * In Year 30, after becoming one of the Ebon Blades' strongest Death Knights and regaining his name's love for the study of magic, Sithrin decides to join the Alliance and work towards the eradication of the Burning Legion: the creators of the Scourge that forced him into his current existence. As a constant reminder of his dedication to this new purpose, Sithrin adopts a new, altered last name: "Deathlore", effectively killing Therinath's name in the process.



=Trivia=


 * All editor privileges and credits for this page belong to Arrodis (user), aka Jesse, of Moon Guard, US.
 * Sithrin's vocal inspiration is the actor Jeremy Irons portraying the character of Scar in the film "The Lion King" (1994).
 * Sithrin is a character who's been role-played consistently for a total of one year.