Racena Duvall

Swordmaster Zephon Carhagen (Born Zephon Velcair Carhagen, June 19th, 113 B.W) is the ruling Swordmaster of Avern, acting Highlord of the Knights of the Holy Flame, a Avernian branch of the Knights of the Silver Hand, and 1st Sword of the Sword Knights of Aella, a holy order originating from the Imbringen Islands. Once considered at one time to be a wandering knight and war hero, he now resides at Avernus Castle, a bastion of stone and metal in Avern, a kingdom located above the northern reaches of Lordaeron, nestled between the Western Plaguelands, Eastern Plaguelands, and Quel'thalas.

As the ruling monarch of the Kingdom of Avern, and 1st Sword of the Sword Knights of Aella, Zephon commands a large, well trained and equipped military force, a rarity in the northern kingdoms. He uses this force to defend his lands and his people but is not above aiding allies, even those in other regions of the Eastern Kingdoms or on distant continents.

As one of the oldest Knights of the Silver Hand still among the living and loyal to the original order, Zephon shows pride not only in the Order but also in his own accomplishments that were carried out while serving in its ranks. Having served in multiple wars and campaigns over his long life, he is not without his own accolades and medals. He is a recipient of the Medallion of the Alliance, gained for acts of valour and sacrifice during the Battle of the Portal, in which the Burning Legion attempted to use the Dark Portal to invade Azeroth.

In recent weeks, Zephon has been reaching out to individuals that he believes may be beneficial to the Knights of the Holy Flame and the Sword Knights of Aella. Those who join him are promised a life-long crusade against the evil of the world. One that will only end once the roots of destruction and chaos are ripped free from Azeroth and burned in the holy fire of justice. He also seeks allies in neighbouring lands and kingdoms, approaching any who he feels would be willing to work with him against potential threats.

Appearance
A half-elf of 135 years of age, Zephon Carhagen is what one might consider a mixed bag when it comes to his appearance due to his parentage. From his Quel'dorei mother he takes his pale skin, long flowing black hair and his slightly elongated ears, and from his human father, he takes a thicker, more structured build, green eyes and chiselled facial features.

He is almost always seen in a set of plate armour, regardless of where he happens to be in the world. This is due in part to his life on the battlefield and his position as a Knight of the Silver Hand, rather than a desire to always wear the often heavy protective plates that cover his form. The plates themselves are either gold or white, similar to those worn by the Knight of the Silver Hand yet different in their own way, showing that he serves as the head of his own unique branch of the Holy Order.

When he is not in his armour, he can always be found wearing some form of rich noble garb, often an embroidered silk shirt and a pair of black or dark coloured trousers, which at times make him appear to look like a Gilnean nobleman rather than a man of Lordaeron.

His weapon of choice is a greatsword of elvish design, Bel'Serrar, which bears the royal seal of Quel'thalas. The blade itself is well crafted and looked after, and Zephon is rarely if ever seen without it, implying that he has a strong connection with the blade.

Personality
Zephon is contemplative and patient, hardly ever taking rash action unless he is severely pressed or angered. A true tactician, he plans and considers every possible outcome before taking a step in either direction when it comes to making important decisions, which has helped him more often than not avoid many serious mistakes which have befallen those with less patience than himself.

While he may be slow to anger due to his almost limitless patience when he is forced to the breaking point he can be rather savage with his words. Having gained a sharp tongue from both his mother and father, what he says can sometimes be considered brutal and unnecessary, he maintains a truth to his words, meaning that he truly believes all that he has said.

Faith
Zephon, like his late father and mother, was at one point a true follower and loyalist to the Church of the Holy Light and its tenants, even taking up the holy position of Paladin within the Order of the Silver Hand after the Second War with the Horde came to a close. He served the church for many years, fighting in many Alliance campaigns until a great schism occurred which caused him to denounce the Church and withdraw from the church faithful, although he still retained his status as a Paladin and Knight of the Silver Hand.

Staying separate from any major church organizations for a long time, he eventually encountered a new church which served the Holy Light in its own way. Known as the Holy Church of True Justice, this church, and its lessons spoke to Zephon on a level that the Church of the Holy Light never did. Offering his services and the opportunity to expand the religion on the shores of Lordaeron, he was named 1st Sword of the Sword Knights of Aella, the militant branch of the Holy Church of True Justice.

Lands and Titles
As the Swordmaster of Avern, Zephon governs over a coastal region of Lordaeron and controls a vital port region in the north. From his castle of Avernus, he performs administrative duties for his entire region. He does not, however, concern himself with every plight that the people have, as it would be far too much for a single man to handle. Instead, he has divided his lands into several provinces, delegating control of each province to his inner circle of friends and allies. Each province has a major city and several smaller townships within it and the Lords of these areas see to the needs of the people within their own borders, reporting on larger issues to Zephon himself.

=History=

Early Years and Education
Zephon Carhagen was born in the city of Avern in the year 113 B.W to Johan Carhagen, a miner, an engineer, and Eliria Dawnbreeze, a former guard to the Sunstrider royal line of Quel'thalas. From a young age, Zephon was divided between two worlds. On the one side, he had his human family, of which he shared many of his physical traits. On the other side, he had his elven family, which gave him some features which caused him to stand out from the crowd. The constant struggle to belong was one that he always fought with as a child, which left him with few friends, but more time to focus on what he could learn from those around him. As his family was considered to be 'middle class' he was not afforded the best education by any means, but what his family could afford was given to him, as both Johan and Eliria wanted the best for their only son.

It was when he reached the age of seven, that his mother began to instruct him in the art of the combat. As a former royal guard of Quel'thalas, Eliria Dawnbreeze was expected to have the best training possible to defend the royal family against any possible threat, foreign or domestic, and it was this training that she passed on to Zephon. He would wake early and begin endurance and weapon training, learning how to swing a practice blade and shoot a bow. As he grew older, he graduated to practising with steel blades and firearms, and when his mother could afford it, he was brought out into the open plains surrounding Avern where he would learn to ride a horse.

By the time he reached his teenage years, he was a capable swordsman, archer, and rider, although still not the best by any means. His constant training, however, drew the attention of the ruling monarch of Avern at the time, Vladimir Kingsmith I. He was looking for a capable trainer to teach his son Prince Viktor II the way of the sword, and when he learned that there was a former royal guard of Quel'thalas living in his city, he was quick to bring her into his employ. Elevated to a higher position, Eliria was to train Viktor, but she refused to leave her son without a guide and so they were instructed side by side. While at first frosty to each other, to the point where they would feud about trivial matters, eventually, the two boys became good friends as they continued to train together. This good friendship would grow until the pair became almost inseparable with both young men considering the other to be their best friend.

Early Military Life and the Second War
By the time Zephon reached what would be considered early adulthood, at least as far as appearance was concerned, his good friend Viktor was already man well into his thirties. He was now the King of Avern after the passing of his father Vladimir Kingsmith who had died under suspicious circumstances. As the new King of Avern, Viktor had already married to a beautiful Alteraci woman named Lucretia, and the pair had already welcomed their first child into the world, a young boy by the name of Aretain Kingsmith. Zephon was named as the young child's godfather and instructed to watch over the boy in much the same way his mother Eliria was watching over Viktor and his wife. Zephon took to his task well, he kept a close eye on Aretain as he grew older and was in many ways considered to be the young man's uncle, even though they had no blood relation.

When the Great War began in the year 592 K.C, Zephon was originally unaware. News of the Orc Horde did not reach Lordaeron until refugees from the fallen kingdom of Stormwind arrived a few years later. Once news from the south had reached the human kingdoms of the north, the ruling King of Lordaeron, Terenas Menethil II, called for his banners. Lords from all over Lordaeron answered the call, including Viktor who pledged a considerable portion of his own forces to the war effort. Part of those forces was the elite company of the Avernian Military, the Raven Company. These men and women were considered to be the best of the best within Avern, and had served in many smaller conflicts over the years and as Zephon had proven himself as a capable warrior, he was placed in command of the company, charged with upholding the honor and pride of the Avernian military as he waged war against the Orcish Horde.

With the Raven Company at his back, and Viktor and his mother Eliria riding beside him, Zephon and the Raven Company cut deep into the Orc forces. They fought in many battles, in many different regions. He fought in the Battle of Hillsbrad, and again in the Defense of Tarren Mill and Southshore. He was even present when the Alliance led a daring raid against the Horde controlled island of Zul'dare. Battles were won and lost and there were many losses throughout the Great War on both sides, however, the most savage blow came during the Battle of Dun Algaz, when Zephon's mother Eliria was cut down by Maim Blackhand in single combat. Zephon was enraged at the loss of the woman who was closest to him, and carved a bloody path through the Orcs to reach Maim but sadly lost track of his quarry in the throng of the melee. After the battle had ended, Zephon recovered his mother's body and personal effects, including her sword Bel'Serrar, or as it was known in the human tongue, the 'Sun Blade'. Taking it as his personal weapon, Zephon used the blade for the rest of the war.

While the Orcs were still a substantial threat that had to be dealt with, it was not the Orcs which Zephon would fight in the later stages of the Second War. In a cowardly move perpetrated by Kind Aiden Perenolde of Alterac, the mountain kingdom had chosen to work with the Horde and attempted to sabotage the Alliance from within. Zephon himself fought against the Alteraci betrayers in what would become known as the Fall of Alterac where the forces of the Alliance of Lordaeron descended on the mountain kingdom and forced it into bloody submission.

After Alterac had been crushed and its citizens put under martial law, Zephon effectively retired from the war. While the conflict still raged as small raiding parties were tracked down and outposts razed, the main war front was located at Blackrock Mountain, far from where Zephon and the Raven Company were located. They remained in Lordaeron, fighting where ordered until news arrived that the Orc Horde had finally been defeated. Against all odds, the Alliance of Lordaeron had triumphed.

For his services in the Second War, Zephon was appointed to the rank of Knight-Lieutenant. For his acts of valour, both in the defence of Alliance territories and while fighting aggressively against the Orc Horde, Zephon was awarded the Alliance Legion of Valor and the Second War Campaign Medal, the latter having several bars added to it in recognition of his contribution in several key battles during the war. Once the medals had been awarded and the ceremonies concluded, Zephon returned home to Avern with the body of his mother, intent on giving her a proper burial according to Quel'dorei customs.

== Joining the Silver Hand == In the years following the end of the Great War, Zephon remained devoted to his duties in Avern as a Knight-Lieutenant and leader of the Raven Company. He was happy with his role in life, as an honoured veteran and commander, but fate would play Zephon a different hand, as Avern was visited by Lord Edward Kang. Lord Kang was a humble man, but none the less an important figure. Known by his holy moniker, 'Ballador the Bright', Lord Kang had served in the Second War and was one of the original Paladins of the Silver Hand. A holy order of knights which had risen during the previous conflict with the Horde. Lord Kang had come to Avern in search of recruits, men, and women who would devote themselves to the Light and wield it against the unholy and the corrupt. When he heard that Avern was the home of Zephon Carhagen, a valiant and devout war hero of the Second War, he sought the man out, impressing upon him the importance of the Silver Hand and attempting to gain him as a potential recruit.

Zephon was hesitant at first. There were doubts in his mind, he had already given so much to the Alliance, years of his life among other things, and yet, Lord Kang's message of the Knights of the Silver Hand and what they represented spoke to him and drew him in. Eventually, Zephon agreed to join him as a recruit of the Order of the Silver Hand, and so he departed, along with Aretain Kingsmith, his godson who had also been recruited, but not without Lord Kang having to navigate the treacherous waters of politics.

Both men travelled to Stratholme, the home of the Order of the Silver Hand, where they trained to become Knights of the Silver Hand. Zephon learned a great many things while he was in conducting his training. Advanced sword techniques that his mother had not taught him, the ability to wield the light both as a weapon to harm, and a tool to heal. He also spoke with several engineers, taking on the trade. While he was no master, he learned quickly and soon was adept at creating some basic mechanical items and firearms. Seeing firearms as a versatile weapon, he spoke to senior Paladins of the order, impressing upon them that these weapons could be used when standard melee weapons were ineffective however his suggestions were rebuffed, as the paladins of the order considered the firearm to be a dishonourable weapon. None the less Zephon kept one with him at all times.

As training continued in Stratholme, Zephon would watch over Aretain. The young man was now in his early twenties and was an accomplished fighter and weapon master. What Aretain had in blade skills, however, he lacked in light mastery as Aretain was not as proficient as the other Paladins in the use of the light as a weapon or a tool for healing. The pair worked together as partners, up to and even after their knighting ceremony. Zephon, upon receiving his title as Knight of the Silver Hand, chose to retain his name and did not take on a holy moniker, while Aretain did so and became known as Cyrus the Merciful. Together the two Knights travelled throughout the northern kingdoms, bringing the Light to those that needed it and punishing the wicked who would prey upon the innocent.

The Third War Begins
Time would continue to move by for Zephon rather uneventfully as he carried out his service as a Knight of the Silver Hand. He brought the light to the needy and punished the wicked, earning the Long Service Medal for his many years of honorable service to the Alliance of Lordaeron, and earning a promotion to the rank of Knight-Champion for defending a small village in eastern Lordaeron from a gang of bandits that had proven to be too resilient for the Alliance patrols in the region to stop. Zephon had even managed to train his own apprentice, a young man by the name of Karnwield Raymond Veras, who took the name Eckhart the Pure after his graduation, an accomplishment that made Zephon beam with pride.

Time, however, was not on the side of the righteous, for it was during this period of peace, in the year 612 K.C, that the events that lead up to the Third War would begin. Rumors of plague began to spread in the kingdom of Lordaeron, and the priests and paladins were powerless to stop the corruption from taking root. As the bodies began to pile up, smoke began to rise over Lordaeron, pyres created to burn the bodies before the sickness could spread, but along with the growing death toll came more unsettling news, a rising dark presence, undead, creatures not seen since the Second War when the Horde employed necromancers to bolster their ranks.

Soon reports arrived that there were undead attacking travellers on the road, and so the Paladins of the Silver Hand were ordered into action. Those who were not attempting to cure the plague or on assignment to defend important dignitaries were assigned protection detail for the villages and roads of Lordaeron. Zephon was appointed to guard the Kings Road, but soon the road became indefensible and the realization grew in his mind that they were fighting a losing battle. He was soon recalled and summoned by the Grand Master of the Order of the Silver Hand, Uther the Lightbringer, to defend the city of Hearthglen, where Uther's protege, crown prince Arthas Menethil was stationed. The Knights assembled and rode to the defence, arriving just in time to save the besieged settlement. After saving Hearthglen, he continued to travel with Uther and the other paladins, until the fateful moment when they arrived at Stratholme.

It was in this city, the place he had called home for so many years as he trained to be a paladin, that Zephon would face one of the first moral dilemmas of his military career. Crown prince Arthas Menethil had arrived before Uther and the other Paladins and had informed them all of what would happen to the city, that those who had been infected by the plague within would eventually turn into the undead. The shock of this revelation chilled Zephon to the bone. No wonder the men and women of Lordaeron had been fighting a losing battle, for every citizen that fell to this plague or to the undead minions that carried it, an undead soldier was raised in its place. Arthas presented the Paladins with the only option he could think of, a purge, to kill the infected and prevent them from becoming raised as undead abominations. The idea caused Uther and many of the other paladins, Zephon included to chafe with fury, and as the teacher and student exchanged heated words, it became clear what would happen. Arthas, by the authority of the crown, suspended the Silver Hand and ordered those that wanted to save the land to follow him into Stratholme. Zephon, despite his desire to see the land saved, could not justify the price to be paid, and so he and many of the other paladins, including Uther the Lightbringer, rode away from the city.

In many ways, Zephon felt guilty. He had chosen to stand by his superior, and in doing so, had helped enable the massacre of the people of Stratholme. Even those who were not sick with the plague would not be spared, the only thing that would remain in that city was the scent of death. After the disaster that became known as the Culling of Stratholme, very few people trusted the Paladins of the Silver Hand, after all, the massacre had been performed by one of their own. It was a black stain on the order, one that would never fade.

Much time would pass after the Culling and the undead threat, while always present, was finally being kept in check. This good fortune would continue for a while at least, that is until the return of Arthas Menethil. The Paladin, now twisted by a great darkness which no one predicted, killed his own father and unleashed the undead on the city of Lordaeron, destroying it entirely. Zephon was shocked by the news when it arrived, and as the undead began to assault the citizens of Lordaeron again in greater numbers. The constant assaults pushed Zephon back, forcing him to retreat south into the Kingdom of Stromgarde. He lost contact with the rest of the Order, along with his godson and his best friend Viktor. News would eventually trickle down as refugees began to flee south, but nothing of consequence, at least not for some time. Knowing that his duty was to help those in need, Zephon began to escort the refugees further south through the mountainous regions of Khaz Modan and finally into the Kingdom of Stormwind. Once he arrived in the city, he took up a posting within the Church of the Holy Light, with his efforts focused on aiding the refugees and attempting to connect with the Paladin Order of the north.

Eventually, Zephon would meet up with his godson Aretain again, the young man now tortured by the things that he had seen in the north, had survived the undead assaults on Lordaeron, although he would come with dire news. While Aretain himself had survived, his wife, two brothers and only son had died during the assaults with the latter being killed before Aretain's very eyes in what would become known as the Shattering of the Silver Hand. He would also learn that his best friend Viktor, who he had known for decades, had been killed in Lordaeron City, having given his life trying to save children from an orphanage within the city walls. Zephon mourned alongside his friend and lord, as even though he had not lost any family of his own, he was as close to the Kingsmith line as any direct descendant.

While Zephon remained in Stormwind and did not become involved in the battles on Kalimdor, he rejoiced when news reached him that in the year 613 K.C the Scourge and their demonic masters, the Burning Legion, were defeated at the Battle of Mount Hyjal. The Third War had finally come to a close. As troops and civilians alike attempted to rebuild their lives, mass memorial services were held for the deceased, and medals were awarded to those who had survived, as well as those who had died, with their honours given posthumously. For his service in the Third War, Zephon was awarded the Third War Campaign Medal along with the Conspicuous Service Cross for his willingness to aid refugees, guarding them as they travelled the majority of an entire continent and ensuring that they remained safe for the entire duration of their journey.

The Burning Crusade
Following the close of the Third War, there was a long period of lasting peace, at least for the Eastern Kingdoms. Zephon remained with the Knights of the Silver Hand in Stormwind City throughout this period, and while there were conflicts with powerful enemies, none of these conflicts dragged Zephon into the fray directly. That however changed in the year 618 K.C when the Dark Portal, the gateway that had originally allowed the Orc Horde to invade Azeroth so many years ago, reopened and allowed hordes of demons into the region known as the Blasted Lands. The thought of the demons returning to Azeroth to finish what they started during the Third War immediately earned Zephon's attention, and so he rode out to meet the demonic invaders, working with the forces of Nethergarde Keep and the Argent Dawn to halt the incursions of the Burning Legion. He fought long and hard during the Battle of the Portal, killing many demons with his greatsword and killing even more with the light as he forced it upon the demons bodies.

As the tide turned against the demonic host, it became clear that the Burning Legion could only be stopped if they travelled through the portal and stopped their forces on the other side. Zephon gathered a few noble souls and pushed through with the rest of the vanguard, stepping onto the fel-blasted plains of Hellfire Peninsula. The fight continued against the demonic forces that were charging up the stairs, but now that they held the portal, more Alliance forces could push through, along with forces of the Horde, who it turned out were now temporary allies, at least in this particular struggle.

The War in Outland waged on for the better part of a year. During this time the Alliance made many gains and reunited with old heroes thought lost. Zephon assisted where he could, but most of his efforts were focused on the defence of Honor Hold and the defence of the portal. For his efforts, he was named an honorary member of the Sons of Lothar. Eventually, however, the conflict came to a close, at least for Zephon, with his superiors ordering him back to Stormwind City. While the battle for Honor Hold and the Dark Portal would continue without him. The Burning Legion never gained a strong enough foothold to enter Azeroth through the Dark Portal again.

For his efforts in fighting the Burning Legion in the Battle of the Portal, Zephon was awarded the Medallion of the Alliance.

The Northrend Campaign
When Zephon returned to Stormwind, he learned that the reason for his return was that news of an old ally had reached the Order of the Silver Hand based in Stormwind. Tirion Fordring, once a founding member of the Silver Hand had emerged and declared that the Silver Hand and a neutral organization, the Argent Dawn, would unite and serve as a singular body known as the Argent Crusade. This news tore at Zephon. He respected Tirion Fordring a great deal, even sympathizing with him, albeit in silence, for his actions in Stratholme prior to the Third War, but he was an exile, and that exile still held. Or did it? The Kingdom that had exiled him was no more. Lordaeron was dead, and theoretically, so was the exile. Zephon had a choice. He could stay with the Order of the Silver Hand in Stormwind, or he could unite with the Argent Crusade in Lordaeron, in regions that had since become known as the Plaguelands. As torn as he was, his initial decision was to remain within Stormwind, that was until the Scourge, the dreaded enemies of old assaulted the capital directly with plagues, ghouls, and abominations. The city was thrown into absolute chaos during what would become known as the Plague Siege of Stormwind, at least in his mind.

The resurgence of the Scourge alarmed Zephon, and he fought long and hard in the defence of Stormwind, helping the wounded when he could spare the time from killing the undead. While the siege eventually broke and the people began to rebuild and clean up the streets, it became clear that the Scourge was going to resume the job they started in Lordaeron. They had attacked Stormwind, farther south than he had ever seen the undead advance, which meant that there was nowhere that the undead would not go if it meant purging humanity from the face of Azeroth. This meant that there was only one possible path to take. Zephon would have to take the fight to them, and there was no military force better equipped for this fight than the Argent Crusade.

Requesting a temporary leave of absence so that he could fight alongside the Crusade, Zephon gathered his items and travelled north to the Plaguelands, where he joined up with the Argent Crusade forces and officially joined the organization. From there he worked with the Crusade as they travelled to the seat of the Scourge's power in Azeroth. The icy wastes of Northrend. At that point, Zephon became embroiled deeply in the War against the Lich King, or as he would call it, the Northrend Campaign.

During the war, he fought primarily with the Argent Crusade forces, which meant that he was not present for the Battle at the Wrathgate. He was, however, one of the many Paladins who led the charge into Icecrown Citadel, fighting against the most powerful of the Lich King's undead minions. Finally, in the year 620 K.C the Lich King was defeated, signalling the end of the Northrend Campaign. With the Argent Crusade, Alliance, Horde and Knights of the Ebon Blade cleaning up the remaining threats, Zephon returned to Stormwind, returning to the Knights of the Silver Hand and his position within the Alliance Military, which had been changed to Marshal, a reward for his years of long service.

The War against the Twilight's Hammer
The War against the Twilight's Hammer began for Zephon a year after the fall of the Lich King and began when the Shattering occurred, causing global devastation the likes of which Zephon had never seen. The great black wyrm, Deathwing, attacked Stormwind directly, destroying the Stormwind Park and murdering countless civilians.

Following the dragons departure, the Cult of the Twilight's Hammer sprung up in its wake. Countless citizens turned out to be cultists loyal to a group of powerful, disturbing beings known as the old gods, and even the military was not immune to the corruption. The Alliance already had its hands full with skirmishes against the Horde. A renewed conflict that had been instigated by the newest Warchief, Garrosh Hellscream, and so when it came to fighting this new cult, manpower was stretched thin. Zephon himself was assigned to Alliance engagements on the high seas, fighting over a region of the coastline which if claimed by the Horde, could be used as a staging point to launch invasions against Stormwind itself. Efforts in that region were not aided at all by the interference of the Naga, who attacked Horde and Alliance ships alike with a giant squid-like creature that could break ships apart and sink them to the depths of the Ocean. While Zephon was lucky enough to not be on a ship that was targeted by this creature, the loss of Alliance soldiers proved to be disastrous for morale and served only to slow the war effort in that region.

Other regions reported similar incidents, with the Alliance forces being waylaid by Twilight's Hammer or allies of the Old Gods while attempting to push back against Horde forces. Eventually, it was determined that the Twilight's Hammer and their Old God masters would need to be the priority, and so the Alliance forces converged on Wyrmrest Temple, which had come under siege by the Old Gods and their minions. Zephon fought during the battle, a long and bloody conflict, which only ended after the defeat of Deathwing within the Maelstrom. Sadly, however, while the war against the Twilight's Hammer had officially ended, all that it had done was remove the one force distracting the Alliance and the Horde and keeping them from fully turning on themselves. With the Twilight's Hammer now out of the way, the two major factions began to engage in total war, which would reach an area that as far as Zephon was concerned, didn't exist.

The Pandaria Campaign
The Pandaria Campaign was an escalation of what would become known as the Fourth War. By the year 622 K.C the Alliance and the Horde were waging wars on both continents, but it was the battles on the south seas that would become the most critical battles of the entire war. For those ships would be responsible for the discovery of a landmass that had never appeared on any map before then, the island continent of Pandaria.

The moment the continent was discovered, the Alliance and Horde both sent large detachments of forces there to secure the land for themselves. Zephon had been sent to assist Captain Doren with securing the northern region of the Jade Forest. The Alliance created a significant military base in the ruins of an old, yet grand temple, but before they could do much else, the Horde assaulted the region with one of their gunships, slaying many of the Alliance defenders in the ensuing battle. Zephon was shot several times during the battle and fell back along with several Alliance soldiers who had also been wounded during the skirmish. He and the remaining soldiers made their way deeper into the forest, unprepared for what they would face with Zephon himself losing strength from blood loss as they desperately searched for sanctuary.

Zephon and the other survivors were eventually found by several Pandaren monks. These Pandaren brought Zephon and the survivors to the Tian Monastery, where they patched up Zephon's wounds and gave him the time he needed to recuperate. Zephon spent several weeks at the monastery, as his wounds were not easily healed despite his mastery over the light. As soon as he could depart, however, he left, not wanting to drag the denizens of the Monastery into the struggle that he was involved with. As he journeyed south, he learned that the Alliance forces had made landfall in a region that had become known as Lion's Landing. Departing immediately, Zephon arrived in Lion's Landing and immediately presented himself for duty where he began his service in what would become known as Operation: Shieldwall.

It was while he was fighting in his operation that he would once again be reunited with his godson, Aretain Kingsmith, who had begun operating a mercenary company in the area, which he had dubbed the Raven Company, in honor of the military company which was the pride of the Avernian Military during the Second War. When he asked if Zephon wanted to assist him in his missions on Pandaria, Zephon agreed. He requested a leave of absence from Operation: Shieldwall activities and joined up with the Raven Company as they pursued their own objectives, which still aligned with those of the Alliance, but with the added incentive of paying more gold.

The Battle of Thunder Isle
The Battle of Thunder Isle is where the fate of Zephon twisted greatly and in a way Zephon never expected. Still with the Raven Company, having fought battles across the entire continent of Pandaria, Zephon, and the Raven Company under Aretain Kingsmith had sailed to the Isle of Thunder, a savage island which had been left untamed, the dominion of powerful Mogu, Saurok, and Zandalari Trolls. Aiding the Kirin Tor under Jaina Proudmoore, the Raven Company fought many battles across the Isle, mostly engaging in hit and run guerrilla tactics which proved extremely effective against the Mogu, who were powerful, but easy to scare into rash action.

What the Raven Company did not expect, however, was to face turncoats within the Kirin Tor. Greedy mages who accepted gifts from the Mogu, gifts of great arcane power, if they secured the leader of the Raven Company and handed him over to them for punishment. That is indeed what happened, as the Kirin Tor turncoats captured Aretain and threw him to the Mogu to be punished and tortured for his acts against them. This act almost drove Zephon mad with grief, for Aretain was the last of the Kingsmith line and his own godson, to fail to protect him now, would be dishonouring the memory of his best friend Viktor who had charged him with looking out for him.

Zephon lead search party after search party, and even made forays into the main citadel on the Isle of Thunder, the home of the fabled Thunder King. When he eventually found Aretain in the depths of one of the Thunder King's prisons, he did not find the man that he had once served under. Instead, he found a wraith, bound by wicked magic into the armour that he had once worn into battle. His godson and the last of the Kingsmiths had been turned into one of the undead.

Despite what had happened to him, Aretain was still conscious of who he was and who he served. He knew that he was damned for the rest of eternity, at least until the spells that bound him wore off or his armour rusted and fell to pieces. He knew that at this point, he could no longer continue to lead the Raven Company, nor could he govern the land of Avern that was his birthright. Rather than have all that he had built cast aside and broken, he turned his attention to Zephon and declared that he was to serve as the new commander of the Raven Company and King of Avern. It was unexpected and highly irregular, but despite this Zephon accepted the charge he was given, considering it as a last act of service to his godson.

When the war against the Thunder King ended with the fabled Kings death, Zephon took the Raven Company and returned to the Eastern Kingdoms, leaving Pandaria behind completely. As soon as he arrived in Stormwind, he and the company bought horses and rode north, travelling all the way to the Kingdom of Avern which Zephon now controlled. There he remained, and in doing so, he did not fight in the Siege of Orgrimmar, nor did he fight in the campaign against the Iron Horde sometime later.

For his service on the field, Zephon was promoted to the rank of Grand Marshal and awarded the Fourth War Campaign Medal, the Grand Commendation of Operation Shieldwall and a King's Cross for wounds suffered.

Campaign against the Fleshcrafter
When Zephon arrived in the Kingdom of Avern, he did not arrive to the sound of rapturous applause and cheering, but to the sound of agonized cries and warfare. While the creation of the cease-fire at the conclusion of the Siege of Orgrimmar had ended Horde aggression in Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms, there were still other threats that needed to be dealt with, some closer to home than others, many of them political. Avern's position on the northern coast, with a bay capable of housing a considerable navy, was a target of many different factions, including the Argent Crusade and the Alliance, both of whom wanted Zephon to declare for them so that they could use the bay for their own ends.

Zephon however still had trouble with the Scourge and the Cult of the Damned who had fled to his lands following the victories of the Argent Crusade in what had become known as the Eastern and Western Plaguelands. These Scourge remnants were led by a powerful Death Knight and Fleshcrafter named Lord Moander, a being who had hounded Zephon since the Third War.

Wanting this threat removed from his lands entirely, he reached out to both factions, offering the use of his port if they were willing to divert troops to assist in clearing out the Scourge remnants and its leader. Neither faction was willing to offer aid, however, which forced Zephon to confront the matter on his own, which proved unsuccessful as the Scourge was far too well entrenched, even for his forces, which were considerable.

Under pressure from both factions and still dealing with a powerful Scourge presence. Zephon was almost prepared to throw in the towel and surrender the land to the scourge. However, as luck would have it, he was visited by a vessel from a far-off region. This region, he would soon learn, was called Imbringen, and it was the home of the Luxerois Federation, a powerful government which had ties dating back to long before the Orc Horde had arrived on Azeroth. With that vessel were men and women of faith. These individuals did not serve the Church of the Holy Light or any other church that Zephon knew of, but instead served a multitude of gods and goddesses which they collectively called the Twenty Gods. One particular member of this religious delegation served a goddess of justice, known as Aella, and her faithful abhorred all things undead and unnatural. Seeing that Zephon and his lands were in need of aid, the emissaries of Aella's church, which was named the Holy Church of True Justice offered Zephon a deal. They would bring their holy order to Avern and help him eliminate the undead presence in his lands, in exchange, Avern would enter into trade contracts and port access with the Luxerois Empire, and Avern would become a holy bastion for the Twenty Gods, where the faithful would build churches and spread their religion to the rest of Lordaeron and beyond.

Seeing as the Holy Church of True Justice was willing to provide aid when the other two factions that already inhabited Lordaeron had thus far refused, Zephon accepted the terms that were offered, on condition that the Holy Church of True Justice help him first, as he did not want empty promises and no action taking place to stem the tide of evil. The vessel departed, returning to their own lands, and Zephon continued to wage war against the Scourge in his lands, doing his best to push them out in case the Holy Church did not hold up their end of the bargain.

Several months later, after many battles had been fought, many of which were losses, several white-sailed ships appeared in the bay that Avern controlled, all bearing the sigil of the Holy Church of True Justice. Once docked, the ships unloaded fresh reinforcements. Holy warriors many of whom using weapons and fighting styles that Zephon had never seen before in the hands of the faithful. With their aid and the aid of his own forces, the Scourge and the Cult of the Damned forces were routed in what would become known as the 'Battle of Bloody Justice'.

After the battle had come to an end, and the forces of the Holy Church of True Justice had ensured the area was purified of all corruption, Zephon sat down with the leader of the holy forces, known as the First Sword of Justice, and discussed his obligations moving forward. Knowing that honour demanded that he make good on his word, Zephon sent out missives to the Luxerois Empire to discuss terms of trade and port exclusivity. He also commissioned builders to clear an area of Avern which would be turned into a plaza of faith, where the churches of the twenty could be constructed. As a reward for his willingness to honour his agreements and his show of valour on the field, the First Sword of Aella named Zephon as the First Sword of Aella and leader of the Holy Church of True Justice in Lordaeron. Zephon accepted the honour and shortly after changed the title of the ruler of Avern from the traditional 'King' to 'Swordsmaster' to tie in with the already close connection the city had with the Holy Church of True Justice.

The Interim Period - Peace Reigns
After the establishment of an alliance between the Kingdom of Avern and the Luxerois Federation, Zephon was finally able to see to the rebuilding of his lands and the creation of new buildings and monuments to honour the fallen and the creation of the Sword Knights of Aella. Construction began on a bastion for the Sword Knights, which would become known as Sword Keep within the Archduchy of Highmark, and many other temples and shrines would be built as the faith of the Luxerois Federation slowly spread into Avern. Sadly, however, with change, there is always resistance, and this was no less true in Avern, as the peasantry and many of the nobles took to the streets, expressing anger at the idea that these new faiths would take over their own, or that light worship would become marginalised or worse, illegal. Seeing the potential for conflict, and not wishing to create tension with his new ally, Zephon was quick to address the situation, first by addressing the populace of Avern directly, where he proclaimed that he had heard the concerns of the people and that Light worship would never be marginalized or outlawed as long as he ruled. To ensure the finality of his statement, he wrote a royal decree, declaring that light worship would remain and that churches and temples dedicated to the Light were not to be touched, nor worshippers converted or harassed into joining any of the new faiths, and vice versa.

For the next year, peace would continue to thrive, and Avern would rebuild. With the aid of technologies created by the Luxerois Federation, new advancements would be created at the Avernian Engineers Guild and Gunnery School, but fate it seemed would not allow for Avern to remain in peacetime, and Zephon would soon be forced to marshal his forces and sound the drums of war.

The Legion Invasion Begins
The Legion Invasion began suddenly, with no one being given much time to prepare regardless of faction. The Eastern Kingdoms were hit hard, with Legion warships strafing entire regions with felfire while demonic portals and structures erupted from the ground, spewing forth horrific minions which destroyed anything in their path. There was no favouritism, no mercy, and it became very clear that if the forces of Azeroth did not band together and fight against this enemy, that there would be no future for either the Alliance or the Horde. While Avern was ultimately spared from much of the destruction, the neighbouring regions were not, and so Zephon determined to fight back against this enemy, summoned the Knights of the Raven, his personal regiment, before riding to the Hinterlands where he had heard that the Alliance had created a command center of sorts to coordinate defensive actions in the Lordaeron region. Upon his arrival, he and his men established themselves in defensive positions, while also offering military aid to any of the other generals who needed it. This ultimately required more men, and so Zephon ordered the 1st infantry regiment, as well as the 1st artillery company to ride from Avern and assemble in the Hinterlands where they could be put to better use. The remainder of the Avernian army would remain behind, to be commanded by Gregor Doran, one of Zephon's most trusted generals.

Wounded in Battle, Reinforcements to Kalimdor
Following the arrival of the Avernian military, defensive actions against the Legion seemed to operate more smoothly, although this was primarily due to the level of coordination that the Alliance generals had. Sadly, not all battles went according to plan, and it was in one of these battles that Zephon was badly wounded. In an attempt to save one of the Alliance generals from what would have been certain death, Zephon himself was scorched by felfire. For the most part, his armour protected him, as it was a suit blessed against the unholy power of the Legion, but the gauntlet on his left hand had been savagely ruined in an earlier battle, and so with that portion of his armour breached, Zephon was scorched by the fel, his arm permanently disfigured, with the taint threatening to spread further into his body. No light magic seemed to be effective against the corruption and so Zephon ordered his men to do the only other thing possible, remove the corrupted limb. Loyal without fault, one of his bodyguards removed the limb with a swift strike from his sword, and Zephon was returned to the Hinterlands, unable to fight further until a replacement limb could be crafted.

It was in the Hinterlands when reports came across his makeshift desk, that Kalimdor was also under direct assault by the Legion. He was hardly surprised. If the Legion were attacking the Eastern Kingdoms it was a safe bet that they were also attacking the Night Elves and Draenei in Kalimdor, and they likely had invasions happening in Northrend and Pandaria as well. Knowing that he could not leave his allies across the sea without aid, he signed official orders which directed the 1st and 2nd Naval Fleets, as well as the 2nd Infantry Regiment and 1st Cavalry Cohort to sail to Kalimdor, where they would aid the Night Elves and Draenei forces stationed in the region.

It took many weeks, and many lives were lost, but eventually, the invasions that took place in the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor ended, with a final assault occurring above Deadwind Pass, on the magical flying city of Dalaran. While Zephon was in the city, he was not in the air fighting the Legion's forces, as he was still waiting for a replacement limb to be fashioned for him, but his commanders were on the ground in the city streets and what air assets he could bring to the battlefield were present helping the defenders in the sky until the Legion finally attempted to knock the city out of the sky by bringing multiple destroyers to bear against it. Unable to remain above Deadwind Pass, the magical city was forced to flee with all their defence forces, relocating to the oceans above the Broken Isles.

Establishing an Outpost
With the city of Dalaran floating above the Broken Isles, it was time to take the fight to the Legion by foiling their plans across the various regions that made up the Isles. Maps were scarce, and so was intelligence, but it was clear that the city of Suramar, visible from the heights of Dalaran, was going to be an obvious target of interest in the future. Knowing that he couldn't keep his forces stationed on Dalaran, and with no naval support to take them back to Avern, Zephon and his men established themselves in the region of Stormheim by claiming an abandoned watchtower that held a commanding view of the inland plains and canyons. With the watchtower secured, and local resources abundant, it was easy to set up a basic outpost with lodgings and proper defences. For the next several months, Zephon and his forces would operate out of that outpost, although smaller listening posts were also established in other regions where his scouts would gather much-needed intelligence before sending it back to the main outpost, which they had dubbed 'Aella's Watch'.

Argus Appears, the Crusade against Antorus Begins
Many months after the initial deployment, Zephon and his forces had established themselves fairly well in Stormheim. Not only was their outpost well defended and welcoming to Alliance troops in the region, but other forces native to the area had also sent emissaries to treat with Zephon and request the aid of his forces in dealing with local matters, most notably the Valajar of Stormheim, the Highmountain Tauren of Highmountain and the Nightfallen of Suramar. While his forces were limited, Zephon aided each of them as best he could, with intelligence and protected trade routes if nothing else could be done. It was during this time that Zephon's engineers, aided by the Sword Knights of Aella's own smiths, fashioned a replacement arm for the one Zephon had lost during the initial invasion of the Burning Legion. Fashioned from mithril and other blessed metals and enchantments, it was a magical implement designed to work much like a real arm, and the holy blessings on it allowed its touch to burn undead and demon alike as if it were soaked in holy oil. With the arm attached, Zephon could finally return to the battlefield, and it would appear that this happened just in time. While Zephon and his forces had been holding their positions on the Isles, an elite team led by Illidan Stormrage, Velen and Archmage Khadgar had pushed into the Tomb of Sargeras, the location where the invasion had begun, to finally close the portal there and end the Legion invasion of Azeroth. While this itself was known to Zephon, what was not known was that Kil'jaeden, the second in command of the Burning Legion had opened a portal and lured that team onto his ship which was in orbit above Argus, the official homeworld of the Burning Legion. It was there that the elite team defeated Kil'jaeden, finally ending his life before Khadgar opened a portal to bring the team back to Azeroth. While the plan worked, it had an unwelcome side effect, as the spell was manipulated by Illidan to create a rip in space and time, giving everyone on Azeroth the illusion that Argus was orbiting above Azeroth like a fel-blasted moon.

The moment the planet was revealed, Zephon and his forces reached out for intelligence. It was a chaotic mess, no one had any idea what to make of the situation, or how to deal with it. Eventually, it was the Prophet Velen who came up with the idea of taking the fight to the Burning Legion homeworld, and they had a small ship designed specifically for that purpose known as the Vindicaar. Order leaders and champions were selected by personal invitation to board the Vindicaar for its initial attack, but while Zephon and his men had certainly proved themselves, they were not one of the groups invited to join in the initial assault. Of course for Zephon this was not a slight, but rather a blessing, for it allowed him more time to assemble his own force which would go to Argus once there was a portal established that would allow transport between Azeroth and Argus.

When the portal itself was finally established, Zephon and an elite team of fifteen men, his best veterans, many of whom had served with him for years, travelled through the portal and arrived on the fel-blasted landscape of Argus. Moving to the region known as Antorus, they established a base camp between some narrow canyons, shielded from the strafing fire of the Legion's vessels, yet easily defensible. Sanctifying the ground of the camp, it was this encampment that would act as Zephon's home for the next few months while he and his men fought against the Legion on their own ground.

The Campaign Ends in Victory, Zephon returns to Avern
Several months after initially establishing themselves on Argus, word reached Zephon that adventurers had stormed the demon forge located on Antorus. It was this facility that allowed the Burning Legion to be reborn on Argus to fight again, and it was this facility which would have to be destroyed if there was to be any hope of defeating the Burning Legion for good. Indecision gnawed at Zephon when he heard the news. He and his men should have been a part of that group, as it was their sacred charge to be the first into the thick of the battle and the last to leave it. Should he join them and push toward that ultimate victory? Or should he and his men take a different approach? In the end, the decision was made for him, for while the adventurers pushed into Antorus and attempted to destroy the facility, demons from outside were pushing toward the breach, attempting to flank the invaders and cut off their reinforcements. This was something that Zephon would not abide, and so rather than rush in to claim the glory, Zephon and his men instead chose to focus their attention on the breach. Pushing into the region, they cut down the demons attempting to secure it before claiming the area for themselves and creating a defensible position on top of it. No demon was getting passed them, but they would also aid any reinforcements trying to enter Antorus to aid the attackers.

They held that position for hours as the fight in the facility wore on. Zephon and his men faltered more than once, and many of his men lost their lives, but they forced themselves to hold the ground, denying the Burning Legion the opportunity to cut off allied reinforcements. Days turned into weeks, and they held the ground as best they could until finally the victory horns were blown. The Burning Legion had been defeated, Antorus was disabled and more importantly, Sargeras, the leader of the Burning Legion, had been imprisoned. The war against the Burning Legion was over.

Of course, there was little time for celebration, not at that moment, while Antorus had indeed been destroyed and the leader of the demons was no longer able to give orders there were many demon generals that were still alive, not to mention the large number of demon troops that still covered Antorus like a demonic plague. The war on Argus was not going to end in the short term, it would take many years, centuries even before the demonic armies were wiped from the universe, but that was not time that Zephon and his men had. A victory was a victory, and it was time to return home. Gathering the bodies of the fallen, as well as their broken armour and weapons, Zephon and his men returned to Avern, where they were met with rapturous applause from peasant and noble alike. In the time that Zephon had been on Argus, word had spread throughout Avern of the sacrifice that he was making to ensure that his people remained safe, and so his victorious return was one that was heralded in the streets.

In the weeks that followed a large funeral service was held for all the Avernian soldiers that had lost their lives in the battles that had been waged across Azeroth and beyond. Zephon himself was in attendance, looking on as the deceased were honoured for their ultimate sacrifice. Reparations were made, and orders were sent, ordering the dismantling of many of the listening posts that had been set up across the Broken Isles, although the outpost of Aella's Watch would remain. In time, it would become a lightly guarded trading outpost rather than a military fort, offering goods and services to the native forces that continued to inhabit the various regions of the isles.

Dedication to Avern, Zephon Resigns from the Alliance
Following the funerals and victory celebrations, there was an assumption that many would finally be able to enjoy a hard-won peace, yet Zephon knew better. During the war that had waged against the Burning Legion, tensions between the Horde and the Alliance had reached boiling point, no thanks to Genn Greymane, who pushed against the Forsaken due to his own personal vendetta against Sylvanas for killing his son. At many times it endangered the entire war effort, and yet miraculously the other races of the Alliance and the Horde had not joined the conflict, save for mercenaries from both sides who were eager for blood or followed the ideals of Genn and Sylvanas too closely.

But now that the Legion had been dealt with, and there was no enemy to unite the Horde and the Alliance, the tension between the factions would only grow in intensity, and the discovery of a new resource in Silithus, unearthed when Sargeras's blade impacted Azeroth meant that the was was only going to heat up further.

But still, Zephon had hope. Hope that the races of the Horde and the Alliance could see past the blind aggression of the past and realize that together, there was a true chance for Azeroth to survive against the other larger threats that were no doubt coming. Sadly, it was at a meeting of neutral parties that the hope that he had was shattered, for almost immediately attendees in the group were pushing for those in attendance to dedicate their armies in opposition to the Horde, as they were considered to be the 'great threat' that the Alliance and all neutral groups had to defeat. This, of course, was something that Zephon deeply disagreed with, but after hearing the demands, and reflecting on them, he knew that as long as people like Genn and attendees like the one who had bayed for Horde blood were part of the Alliance, that there would never be peace between the factions, and that would mean that he would have to make a choice on where he stood.

Ever since he had become the leader of Avern, Zephon had treated the land as a safe space, a place where those wishing to escape the faction conflict could settle and make a new life for themselves. Many former Horde and Alliance soldiers had taken up his offer and had settled in the lands that he controlled, some had even chosen to join his military, to fight for the land that had taken them in, so that they could defend what they had built from threats like the Burning Legion. Yet if he remained within the Alliance hierarchy, he knew that the moment war broke out, he would be ordered to bring his forces into the war, and that would violate the trust that he had built, and make his lands no different from any other Alliance territory.

With much deliberation made, Zephon took the only step that felt right in his mind. Walking into the Royal Keep, Zephon approached the King and formally handed in his resignation, ending his role in the Alliance military, although he expressed that he would remain a friend of the Alliance for as long as he ruled, and Avern would raise no blade against them in times of war. The King while reluctant, accepted his terms on the condition that he never aid the Horde military in any conflict should the factions ever be at war, terms which Zephon accepted. No longer a Grand Marshal, he would still be treated as a friend to the Alliance, but he would not be obligated to wage war as a member of the Alliance should a new conflict break out across Azeroth.

If only he knew how close such a conflict truly was...