Zael

Zael (born May, 600 K.C.) currently carries the mantle of future Lord of Blackfeather Terrace beside his fiancee, Keely Marlfox. He is the founder and personnel director of United Aegis, and a talented herbalist, monk, and druid of the wilds.

He is a man of strong build, with broad shoulders and powerful limbs, with burn scars that tear across his biceps and ribcage, making him look nearly tiger striped. Bright blue eyes stand out from an olive complexion and dark hair.

Zael is calm, friendly, and very approachable, with a tendency to ramble if allowed.

Childhood
Not much is known about Zael's childhood - he was left as an infant upon the steps of Alonsus Chapel. Raised there by monks and priests of the Light, he was well on his way to squiring for a long forgotten Paladin of Stratholme.

It was because of this, he was spared death during the Culling of Stratholme, and followed the call of the Light to further craft himself into a weapon of its righteous fury, becoming a Monk of the Scarlet Crusade.

War Against the Lich King
Chosen as one of the Crusade's best and brightest, he would sail with the Scarlet Onslaught, to Northrend, in the year 619 K.C., at the age of 19.

It was this year that mark his departure from the order, and where he would begin to see the flaws in the zealotry of the Light. Given orders to purge a settlement that housed a number of innocents, prisoners and non-combatants alike, he instead fled, discarding his Scarlet raiment and orders, fleeing into Grizzly Hills.

With little to offer, he fell in with the Westfall Brigade, and accepted orders to fish and hunt for food to supply the soldiers.

The Worgen Curse
One afternoon, fishing, Zael stumbled upon what looked like a wounded man, or beast. Unable to leave it there, he moved closer, curiously, only to discover it was a feral Worgen, feasting on the remains of a human it had captured - likely one of the missing from Westfall Brigade.

Bitten and sick, he fled into the mountains, where he would struggle with the beast in his mind, and the discipline of his training, for several months.

Little Wolf
In the early months of 620 K.C., he was captured. Hunters from the Redfang Tribe of Furbolg, had carefully laid a trap for the feral, living so close to the outskirts of their village, and hauled him into their camp.

Here, they left him at the feet of another monster like himself, but more slender, clearly female. Nicknamed Little Wolf, she spoke to him, and explained what she was, and what he had become - and likely how.

It was her that would help him find his humanity again, and the Furbolg who would add Druidism to the discipline of the Monk within.

By summer, he had regained his name, some of his memories, and had harnessed the ferocity of the Curse to aid his combat, leaving his home in Grizzly Hills with his bonded mate Keely Marlfox, to travel to Teldrassil.

Rage of the Firelands
After becoming an apprentice with the druids of the Cenarion Circle, Zael and Keely traveled to Mount Hyjal, where he would quickly rise to the rank of Druid, and begin teach others his unique fighting style.

Caring for the mountain was his top priority, stopping the fires from spreading, and healing those fighting the corruption and expansion of the Firelord into the realm.

Once the Heroes of the Alliance and Horde had defeated Ragnaros, Zael and Keely traveled, visiting many Cenarion fortifications across Azeroth to continue training and helping others.

The Mists of Pandaria
After the mists had parted, and Garrosh's pride and arrogance sundered the Vale of Eternal Blossoms, Zael and Keely traveled there in the fall months of 623 K.C. to work with both the Horde and the Alliance in maintaining what little stability the land had left, and offer their aid and support to those taking the fight to Hellscream directly.

The Legion Returns
Little was heard of Zael and Keely between the fall of Hellscream and the death of Varian Wrynn. Always traveling, the pair would find themselves in Val'sharah, and the Dreamgrove, in the summer of 626. Keely, still an apprentice of the Cenarion Circle, accepted training here for a time, strengthening her healing abilities.

From here, Zael would part with her, for the first time since their meeting, and continue his travels alone, giving her time to train. He would find himself in Silithus, offering his wisdom and help to the druids there.

In the fall of 627, the sword of Sargeras fell upon the region. Sensing this catastrophic event a moment before it's occurrence - barely enough time to get his students out, but not enough time to flee himself.

Struck down out of the air, the air seared from his lungs, and burns destroying his feathers, he would languish near death once he was found by Alliance forces. With no way to contact Keely, it would be months before she found him, working tirelessly to heal him and save him from the despair that filled the Wound.

When the pair returned to Stormwind, things had changed within the company Keely had worked for. Tensions rose, but during this time, Zael, Keely and Lynesse grew close, with the young void elf treating the pair almost like her own parents.

Rise of the Void
In the spring of 628, their dear friend Lynesse finally fell to the Void, and disappeared. Zael and Keely struggled to raise a group to search for her, and the apathy of their company drove them to form their own; United Aegis.

Under this name, they would search for, and eventually find the wayward ren'dorei, finding new friends along the way, and building a small group, dedicated to the non-partisan protection of Azeroth.

Their small family was not to last, though, with the very corruption that had called Lynesse away the first time, rising again to taunt and tantalize her into leaving the couple for good in the summer.

They would continue slowly building their organization, recruiting quietly, finding those of like mind, the stalwart, the brave, the ones who saw no faction divide, and give them a home.

War of the Thorns
When chaos broke out in Darkshore, in the summer of 628 K.C., the pair took up arms with the Cenarion Circle, reinforcing the battle of Wildbend River in their first partisan action since leaving Northrend. Falling back to Lor'danel, they were among those who chanced the flames and flew across the water to Teldrassil when the fires began.

At some point during the frantic moments that followed, Zael succumbed to the smoke, collapsing within the Temple of the Moon after dragging as many as he could to safety. He roused in the arms of Keely, finally dragging him through the portal as well, and into the air of Stormwind.

United Aegis rallied in the streets, playing their part in the humanitarian efforts that followed, offering food, water, and supplies to refugees on the streets, as well as donating what they could to the encampment by the Embassy.

The Wake of Thorns held in Duskwood at the Twilight Grove only solidified their non-partisan beliefs. A vigil open to both sides of The Blood War, it was there that they met like minds within the Horde, and declared themselves neutral.

Not long after this, he would propose to his mate, and begin preparations to marry, traveling to Kul Tiras to meet his mother-in-law.

Nobility
In the fall of 628, Keely would discover the ancestral right to the lands of Blackfeather Terrace, and take the title of Lady of the House of Marlfox.