| Aelleena | |
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Title(s) |
Grand Anchorite |
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Gender |
Female |
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Race |
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Age at death |
36,500+ |
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Birthplace |
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Class(es) |
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Affiliation(s) |
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Occupation(s) |
Grand Anchorite of the Auchenai |
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Location |
Cremated in Auchindoun, spirit consumed by D'ore. |
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Status |
Deceased |
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Relative(s) |
Alastasia (mother) |
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Mentor(s) |
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Student(s) |
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Alignment |
Neutral Good |
WIP.
Description
Appearance
WIP.
Personality
Though quiet and reserved at heart, Aelleena was renowned for her benevolent disposition among her peers - a soul who was always willing to place the needs of others above her own. Having been among the most venerable anchorites of the draenei, it was clear that she was intent on remaining faithful to her holy oaths, even to the afterlife itself.
In solitude, Aelleena was a sentimental individual, frequently contemplating the psychological well-being of the people around her. She was sympathetic towards the misfortune of others, often falling into a deeper sorrow than most during periods of widespread suffering. However, even in the worst of times, she was adept at concealing her inner emotions; only those who were closest to her could have seen what laid beneath her pleasant composure.
Though she was not a woman of numerous companions, she adored those who she was familiar with, supporting them in their struggles across countless millennia. At her core, she was faithful and compassionate and wore her mantle as an anchorite with pride and dignity.
Biography
Humble Beginnings
Approximately thirty-six thousand, five hundred years ago, Aelleena, the sole child of Alastasia and Harsuur, was born in Amanare, the capital city of Amanalar, upon the surface of Argus. Throughout her childhood and for millennia after, she lived an innocent life within her homeland. Though she was raised as a rather shy and reserved individual, she was inherently benevolent and kind-hearted and was adored by her friends and relatives.
Alastasia and Harsur were reputable artists and philanthropists, donating much of the profits of their works to noble causes. Whilst Alastasia was adept at sculpting, Harsuur specialized in painting. A young Aelleena was inspired by the talent and generosity of her parents and thus followed in their footsteps. Under their tutelage, she was taught the arts of painting and sculpting, and although she initially showed a higher aptitude in the former, her skills in the latter had caught up in time.
Over the years, Aelleena found herself appreciating the sprawling plains of Amanalar and often ambled across them, during which she saw many unique forms of animal and plant life. As an artist, she was aware that certain Amanalarian plants could be used to create different shades of paint. Perceiving it as an enjoyable pastime, she scoured Amanalar for these particular plants, harvesting and mixing them with other ingredients until she learned how to create her own paints from scratch.
Although she was inadvertently forced to live in the shadow of her parents, Aelleena still succeeded in forging a distinctive spotlight for her artistic works, which inevitably increased with her skill. Art galleries in Amanare offered to pay considerable funds for some of her most remarkable handiworks, which added to her wealth and fame. Though she could have pocketed her profits, she, like her parents, was not an acquisitive individual and instead chose to donate the majority of it to charities and foundations in Amanalar, whilst keeping enough to live a comfortable lifestyle. In the midst of all this, Aelleena had never once left the confines of her homeland, which also happened to be common within its populace.
Danarshi
Throughout the initial millennia of her life, Aelleena fell in love with several different men, though none of these relationships had truly lasted. It was not until she passed the age of eight thousand, five hundred that she met the love of her life, Danarshi, upon the fields of Amanalar during one perilous day, when her safety was put into jeopardy by a pack of wild predators that had courageously wandered from the forests surrounding the bordering mountain ranges of the region. Before they could prey upon the innocent woman, Danarshi, who was a member of the famed Amanalar Peacekeepers, spotted the commotion from afar and rushed to slay the beasts, saving the life of Aelleena in the process. A frightened Aelleena did not hesitate to shower her gratitude upon her saviour, declaring that she was forever indebted to him.
Fortunately for Aelleena and Danarshi, they resided within close proximity of one another in Amanare, and thus remained in close contact after their introduction. They became familiar over the months, as they frequently met to exchange their interests. It was not long before Aelleena discovered that Danarshi was, in fact, the son of Duum'viaer, a member of the Council of Amanalar, who were the rulers of Amanalar itself. She was consumed with intrigue as she learned more about her newfound companion, absorbing the tales of his past, which included his accomplishments as a harbinger and a peacekeeper. Danarshi, too, was fascinated by the talents of Aelleena, and she showed him her proudest works.
Though they did not directly have a lot in common, Danarshi possessed a warm and approachable personality, and Aelleena came to cherish their conversations about their differing abilities and interests; she found him inspiring and felt a sense of safety when around him. Eventually, their friendship turned to romance, and although the reticent Aelleena was slow to reveal her feelings to him, once she did, she was relieved to discover that they were mutual. Upon this moment, they declared each other as lovers. Their decision was met with utmost support from Alastasia and Harsuur, who were impressed that their daughter had bonded with an Amanalar Peacekeeper, let alone the son of an Amanalar Council member.
Little had Aelleena and Danarshi first anticipated, their love would last for years immeasurable; the longer that they spent within each other's company, the more that they began to realise this. Ultimately, three hundred years after their initial meeting in the fields of Amanalar, they married one another in a prodigious wedding ceremony and vowed to remain eternally faithful; due to the insanely long lifespans of eredar, such a vow carried an incredible weight, as they would, essentially, spend an eternity with each other.
Irenora
Within the following centuries, the parents of Aelleena, Alastasia and Harsuur, formed a close friendship with their newfound co-parents-in-law, Duum'viaer and Shi'var. Due to Duum'viaer being a member of the Council of Amanalar and Shi'var being a master philosopher, such notability had naturally spread to Alastasia and Harsuur and highlighted them further to the population of Amanalar. Aelleena, too, was positively affected by her joining with Danarshi, increasing her status as an artist. The couple cherished their time together in their own company for seven centuries after their wedding, until they ultimately agreed upon the birth of their first child. Months later, their baby was born a girl, who they named Irenora.
Aelleena and Danarshi allowed Irenora to mature peacefully within the safety and comfort of their home in Amanare, permitting her the freedom to decide upon her own path. A thousand years after her birth, however, Danarshi lost his patience after failing to contain his urges and proceeded to offer his daughter his teachings in the art of a harbinger. Though Irenora openly confessed an inspiration for her father and his heroics, her life had dictated that her calling did not rest with the practice of melee weaponry and close-quarters combat. Deep down, this came as a disappointment to Danarshi, though instead of conveying this to her, he made no further attempt at persuading her and accepted her decision.
Aelleena, on the other hand, saw no reason to offer her teachings to Irenora, realising that if she wished to arise as an artist, then she would not have hesitated to approach her about it. Although Irenora had also admired the skills of her mother, they, too, did not resonate with her on a personal level. It was not until shortly afterwards that she would discover her purpose, when the brother-in-law of Aelleena, Mordaros, approached Irenora and convinced her to witness a magical ritual inside the forests of Amanalar, performed by mages from the Xzaarven Order of Arcane. Time and time again in the past, Aelleena and Danarshi had warned her of the dangerous predators that lurked within the forests, but despite this, the young eredar placed her faith in her uncle and did as he suggested.
Irenora returned from the forests unharmed and fascinated after seeing the ritual, as she was promised. Within the following days, she ventured to the magical city of Xzaarven in Amanalar and was welcomed into the ranks of the Order of Arcane, adopting the title of Arcanist. Aelleena and Danarshi did not learn of her interest in magic until after this moment, to which they initially responded with surprise. They were not upset with their daughter, however, and were quick to pledge their full support.
The Burning Legion
Over a thousand years later, the darkest event in the history of Argus transpired, when Sargeras approached the Triumvirate with promises of untold power in exchange for the service and loyalty of the eredar within his army, the Burning Legion. Aelleena was filled with anxiety as propaganda filled the streets of Amanalar’s settlements, urging their citizens to pledge themselves to the rule of the Triumvirate beneath their mysterious new masters. As an inherently kind and peaceful soul, Aelleena had never found herself interested in raw power, thus why such offers were offputting to her.
Throughout the days that followed, thousands of Amanalar's citizens, primarily from Xzaarven, were incidentally vanishing, including Mordaros. Unfortunately, seemingly no one outside the Order of Arcane were able to fully understand the underlying cause of this, and Aelleena was no exception; she started to perceive that something sinister was approaching. Not all was hopeless, however, as Prophet Velen shed light on the situation, revealing that Kil'jaeden and Archimonde were planning on corrupting their people into demons. He formulated a strategy in defiance of the Burning Legion, suggesting that those who were to venture to Mac'Aree would find a means of escape from Argus.
Much to the dismay of Aelleena, she discovered that Danarshi had proven more susceptible to the offers of the Triumvirate, though primarily due to ignorance and conformity rather than genuine interest; he feared what their fate would be if they were to stand against the united forces of the eredar. Aelleena was quick to share her worries with him, as well as Velen's message. Initially, he remained sceptical towards the idea of defying his race and abandoning his home planet, but it was not long before he saw the sense in Aelleena's words and agreed that his loved ones were more important to him than any mere offerings of power.
The Great Escape
Within the following days, Aelleena and Danarshi met with Irenora, Duum'viaer, Shi'var and the Amanalar Peacekeepers in the centre of Amanare, where they hoped to decide upon how to deal with the coming chaos. During these moments, freakish sounds from an abnormal storm loomed over the horizon, intensifying as it crept closer towards Amanalar, signalling that an apocalypse was hastily approaching.
Duum'viaer took charge and formulated a stratagem: Danarshi would escort Aelleena, Irenora and Shi'var out of Amanare whilst congregating all civilians that he stumbled across, before leading them all to Mac'Aree via any means necessary. Meanwhile, Duum'viaer and the remainder of the Amanalar Peacekeepers would make their final stand in the centre of Amanare, in hopes of causing a distraction in favour of the fleeing group, and as a final act of defiance against those who would harm Amanalar.
Aelleena watched in shaken silence as a reluctant Danarshi revolted against Duum'viaer, but the old harbinger was resolute in his ways. With sorrow, Aelleena, Danarshi, Irenora and Shi'var wished their tragic, heartfelt farewells upon Duum'viaer and initiated a journey that would test the will of Aelleena unlike anything had before throughout her life. She followed her husband as he rallied all civilians who stood in their path, and once they reached the outer walls of Amanare, they had amassed approximately three hundred eredar.
Before they exited the city, Aelleena pleaded to Danarshi that they first search for her parents, and although she came close to convincing him, he recognized that such a risk would likely result in the deaths of themselves and the three hundred civilians. Though she was devastated upon hearing this, she could not disagree with him; the lives of her husband, daughter and the civilians were too important to place into jeopardy, even for the sake of Alastasia and Harsuur.
They did not tarry after leaving Amanare, and neither did the accompanying civilians, who were stricken with fear. As they trod into the plains of Amanalar, Irenora attempted to teleport them all to Mac'Aree, though found herself too unpracticed to transport such a large number of people over such a vast distance. Without a reliable means of teleportation at their disposal, they had no choice but to pass through the forests and mountains of Amanalar, from which they would walk the long distance to Mac'Aree.
After accepting her shortcoming, Irenora warned her family and the refugees of the treachery of the Triumvirate of Xzaarven and the Xzaarven Order of Arcane, who she was aware had sided with the Burning Legion. She advised that they avoid Xzaarven as a whole, which Danarshi agreed upon. Any semblance of peace had come to a sudden halt, however, as the skies were suddenly darkened with winged monstrosities that were unlike anything any of them had ever witnessed, ranging from felbats to fiends and doomguards, demons in their purest of forms.
Despite Danarshi's steadfast attempts at leading his family and the civilians away from the approaching demons, they were too swift to outrun. A doomguard slammed in front of them, mere metres away from the Harbinger. The demon snapped its sharpened teeth at him, questioning his loyalties to the Burning Legion. With a ferocious slash, Danarshi cut the creature down, infuriating its surrounding kin, who descended upon the innocent eredar with felbats in tow. He then yelled for the amassed group to flee, which they did. As they drew closer to the cover of Amanalar's forests, many civilians were scooped away and slain by the winged demons. While Aelleena was forced to helplessly spectate, Irenora joined the fray, assaulting the attackers with her arcane magic. The most courageous of the civilians also lent their aid against them, though, with most of them unarmed, there was little that they could do.
By the time they passed into the concealment of the forests, thirty eredar had already perished. Fortunately, the winged predators could harm them no longer within the thicket. Their respite was short-lived, however, as colossal formations of rock and cinder rained down upon the woodland from the skies above, alight with fel. These were revealed to be more than mere meteorites, reanimating into infernals. They climbed out of their craters and on to the surface, spreading emerald wildfires throughout the vegetation.
Aelleena helplessly follows as Danarshi leads their way through one of Amanalar's forests, its trees burning to the ground around them in felfire.
Danarshi led the remaining two hundred and seventy eredar to an overpass and fled across the border of Amanalar, successfully evading the demons who were preying on them, though only after twenty more of the refugees had fallen to asphyxiation from the foul smoke that flooded the forests from the spreading fel fires, lowering the survivor count to two hundred and fifty. As the skies were made visible to them once more, they were revealed as choked with clouds of darkened ash and crackling fel lightning, from which infernals rained down upon the distant cities and settlements. Amanalar had met its downfall.
Unfortunately for the survivors, their journey was far from over. Atop the overpass where they stood, they seized the opportunity to recover their strength and set eye upon their homeland for what they assumed was the final time, before continuing towards Mac’Aree. For three hazardous days, they travelled across Argus, avoiding the demonic patrols however they could, though forced to fight for their safety on a multitude of occasions, losing dozens of additional lives in the process.
Fatigue had started to afflict them several miles into their trek. A harsh reality soon struck Danarshi, as well as a difficult choice: if they were to stop, then they would risk failing to reach Velen in Mac’Aree, which would have sealed their fates upon a dying Argus. In knowing this, he proceeded with the harrowing decision of abandoning those who were too weary to follow. While Irenora reluctantly agreed on the necessity of this decision, Aelleena could not help but argue with her husband, horrified by the idea of leaving innocents to such a wretched fate. Despite the additional guilt she laid upon him, she failed to sway him and they continued onward regardless. Although she was upset, in time, she would realise the strength and wisdom that he possessed in carrying this out and would forgive him.
The Final Stretch
Once Mac’Aree was finally visible on the horizon, approximately one hundred of the survivors from Amanalar remained standing. Much to their dismay, not even the grand capital of Argus itself was spared from the wrath of the demons, as fel fires had spread across much of its streets and structures. A glimmer of hope yet remained for them, however, as the chaos within the city appeared fresh - many of its spires still stood proud and screams reverberated throughout the air. It was unlikely that Velen had yet fled the planet, though their time was ever-fleeting – this was the final stretch. Sustained by adrenaline, the survivors approached Mac’Aree, adamant on finding Velen.
The demonic presence in Mac’Aree was stronger than anything that they had yet seen. From the moment they stepped hoof through its gates, they were assaulted from all foreseeable directions by an amassed assortment of demons that included imps, felhounds, felguards, shivarra and more. There was, however, one species of demon in particular that sent shivers down the spines of the survivors: the man’ari, eredar who had succumbed to Sargeras. With eyes of flaming fel, skin of red, grey and orange, charred hands and hooves, the man’ari lashed against them without remorse.
Despite the dire circumstances, Aelleena and the survivors persevered, pushing their way through the collapsing streets of Mac’Aree. For almost every demon that fell, the lives of civilians were claimed as payment. Although their numbers continued to dwindle, their wills remained unwavering, as they were resolute on reaching Velen. Following a debilitating series of minutes, at last, their destination was set in sight, south-east of the Seat of the Triumvirate, within an arena, where a shining, resplendent light could be seen radiating through the archways of metal and crystal that surrounded its perimeter.
From hundreds of metres away, thousands upon thousands of eredar were within Aelleena's sight, frantically fleeing through the archways into the safety of the luminous light, where no demon could pass, lest they were dissolved to ash by a device known as the Argunite Matrix, which shielded the arena. As the survivors drew closer to the source of the light, an abnormal sensation of courage and resolve washed over them, renewing their vigour and intensifying the more that they approached. Mere moments ago, they were trudging with fatigue – now, they were speeding into a running pace.
Cries of pain, fear and hatred sounded in all directions as Danarshi raised his shield in front of him, forging a path through the amassing assemblage of demons and eredar for his family and the survivors who remained at his rear. Aelleena, Danarshi and Irenora were the first to step into the arena through one of its archways, and as they did, a single scream amidst hundreds had sent a chill of dread down their spines; it was the voice of Shi’var. They could do nothing more than stand in shock as she was impaled by the polearm of a doomguard, mere inches away from the archway. The helpless woman was then hauled into the surrounding crowd, never to be seen again.
The panic-stricken shouts of Aelleena, Danarshi and Irenora resounded across the area, calling for their loved one, though there was no response. After all that had transpired over the previous days, it was this moment when the weight had proven too heavy for Aelleena to carry, and any lingering semblance of innocence within her was snuffed out like a flame on a candle. Though the desire to mourn Shi’var was overwhelming for the three, there was no opportunity for such; they had to flee Argus, lest they would all perish.
Fleeing Fate
Those who had successfully passed through the archways into the arena had found themselves within the presence of L’ura, a naaru. Whilst levitating several feet in the air, L’ura danced and weaved about in a supple manner, its crystalline appendages revolving as holy magic flashed from its form. With the Light at its disposal and the assistance of the Argunite Matrix, L’ura fended off the hordes of stampeding demons to the utmost of its ability, allowing many of the fleeing eredar to pass unharmed; many others, however, such as Shi’var, were not so fortunate.
Though powerful, L’ura was not impervious. Soon, its might was matched, when Kil’jaeden himself appeared on the field, accompanied by an elite force of fellow man’ari, including Khazaduum, a monstrous man'ari who dwarfed his kin in size and ferocity. Khazaduum pierced through the defences of the arena and destroyed the Argunite Matrix, rendering the survivors vulnerable. Aelleena was no less helpless in the situation, able only to watch with hope as Prophet Velen stepped forth with the Ata’mal crystal in hand and summoned the aid of another naaru, K’ure. In mere moments, a grandiose dimensional ship, the Genedar, appeared within the skies above and whisked the survivors away to safety.
A heavy hum sounded throughout the Genedar as three naaru, K’ure, D'ore and K'ara, powered and piloted the dimensional ship from within it. The metallic floor shuddered underneath the hooves of Aelleena as she stood at the side Danarshi, who was motionlessly and silently watching through a glass aperture as L’ura sacrificed itself against Kil’jaeden and the demonic forces on the location that would be renamed Triumvirate's End. Steadily, the Genedar ascended through the atmosphere of Argus, revealing a world that was shrouded in clouds of smoke, ash and fel lightning. Until their homeworld appeared as nothing more than a faraway speck within the vastness of space, Aelleena attempted to comfort her husband with a hand upon his shoulder, though to no avail.
Of the approximate three hundred Amanalar citizens who had fled Amanare, only thirty-eight had survived, including Irenora, Danarshi and Aelleena; most of them, however, would, too, perish, throughout the many millennia to come. Awoken to the tragedies of war, Aelleena felt as though she could no longer stand idly and live her life in peace whilst her fellow kin suffered. She would soon seek out a way of achieving a higher place amongst her people, where she could help ease their pain.
The Exiled Ones
Shortly following their exodus from Argus, the uncorrupted eredar renounced their own race in spite of the man’ari, renaming themselves draenei, or “exiled ones” in Eredun. The draenei set out on an unknowingly long journey throughout the Great Dark Beyond that would last for the course of nearly twenty-five thousand years, on a quest to locate a world that they could call home.
Kil’jaeden, hellbent on revenge against the traitorous draenei, sent his most trusted accomplice, Talgath, in pursuit of them. Talgath would torment them for countless years, rendering it as nigh impossible for them to safely settle upon a world. No matter where they ran, Talgath would find them, and the Burning Legion would follow, leaving a path of destruction in their wake, decimating all worlds that the draenei dared to touch.
The initial years aboard the Genedar were tempestuous for the draenei, with tension and anxiety often filling the atmosphere around them, largely due to their fear of the Burning Legion and the unknown, as well as the calamity of losing their homeworld. It was during this period that Aelleena was particularly sombre, overwhelmed by the negativity that surrounded her. Still, her search continued for a means of alleviating their suffering, unaware that her answer awaited her only around the corner.
The Holy Light
The naaru hastily arose as the most respected symbol to the draenei people, standing out as godlike beings who symbolized positive virtues such as hope, righteousness and nobility. The naaru granted the draenei a gift that had never fully graced them on Argus: the Holy Light. The naaru served the draenei as mentors and protectors, instructing the amenable in the ways of the Light, whilst defending the race from the Burning Legion.
Though Aelleena had seen and felt the effects of the Light from L'ura in Mac'Aree, she did not realise its potential until K'ure, D'ore and K'ara bestowed it upon her kin. At that moment, she saw the feats that it was capable of achieving: healing wounds and sicknesses, soothing emotions, bolstering courage and resolve, and harming the wicked. Suddenly, she understood where her final calling laid, and with little hesitation, swore herself to the service of D'ore in exchange for his teachings of the Light, which she would use to help her people in any way appropriate.
Aelleena arose as not only the first wielder of the Light within her family but also as one of the first anchorites in draenei history. Danarshi, however, who was suspicious of unfamiliar magics after the fall of Argus, was more reluctant to accept the Light than his wife, and although she attempted to lessen his distrust of it, her efforts were futile and he remained as a harbinger for what appeared to be the foreseeable future. While Irenora, on the other hand, was not as openly sceptical about it, she had long since found her purpose in the arcane and thus continued her path towards mastering it.
Kai'soran
With their still-recent exodus from Argus, Aelleena and Danarshi could see that this was an important period of change and progression for their people and agreed to mark it with a second child. Shortly after Aelleena was admitted as an anchorite, their first son, Kai'soran, was born. As one of the initial draenei born away from Argus, Kai'soran effectively served as a symbol of his race's transition from eredar to draenei.
For centuries, his purpose amongst his people remained a mystery. At the age of five hundred, however, Aelleena and Danarshi, stressed by their recent calamities, forcefully attempted to influence the direction of his future. While Aelleena encouraged him to arise as a warm, peaceful and generous anchorite, Danarshi instead enthused him about the violent though honourable ways of a harbinger. Ultimately, in an effort to equally please them, Kai'soran took the mantle of one of the first draenei vindicators, pledging himself to K'ure and embracing his teachings of the Light.
Over four thousand, five hundred years later, Danarshi inevitably collapsed under the united sway of Aelleena and Kai'soran, laying down his melee weapons and plate armour in exchange for a staff and robe and following in the steps of his wife as a holy anchorite, swearing himself to D'ore. As followers of the Holy Light, Aelleena, Danarshi and Kai'soran would help shine the way for the draenei on their long voyage, remaining faithful for countless years to come.
Great Dark Beyond
Planet after planet, the draenei scoured the Great Dark Beyond in search of a new home.
For countless millennia, the draenei wandered the Great Dark Beyond onboard the Genedar, continuing their search for another world that they could call home. Throughout this period, Aelleena witnessed hundreds of unique locations and phenomenon that she never would have dreamed to have seen on Argus. She saw worlds that were teeming with life and wonder, whilst others were scarcely habitable.
Although her commitment as an anchorite would remain as her main focus throughout this period, she had also used her spare moments to maintain her abilities as an artist, painting many of the incredible scapes that she saw, and sculpting some of the unusual creatures that she encountered, so that they could be remembered forevermore by her people. Many of her works earned her additional fame and admiration amongst the draenei, alongside her ever-increasing skill as an anchorite. She was loved and admired by almost all who knew her, though her husband remained above all others, as their connection still proved as strong as it had been since the day of their vows on Argus.
All was not pleasant during their long voyage, however, as regardless of what the draenei found on the planets they discovered, none were spared from the Burning Crusade. Still, for thousands of years, the Burning Legion pursued them, annihilating all worlds that the draenei touched. For several of those millennia, this calamitous reality drove deeply into the heart of Aelleena, affecting her more than most and prompting her to constantly improve herself as an anchorite. Eventually, however, even the sympathetic Aelleena became accustomed to the threat of the Burning Legion, and although she would never be able to suppress her sorrow, she at least learned how to allay some of the pain.
The Departure
At some point during the journey of the draenei through the Great Dark, the prime naaru Xe'ra, who was aware of their exodus from Argus, intended to induct them into her holy faction known as the Army of the Light, which stood valiantly against the Burning Legion. Comprised primarily of surviving races who had lost their worlds against the Burning Crusade, Xe'ra saw the draenei as a promising addition to the Army of the Light, and thus proceeded to select their most powerful and elite warriors to join its forces.
While Aelleena, Danarshi and Irenora were not among those who were chosen to join the Army of the Light, Kai'soran was, in fact, among those who were selected. Though he closely considered accepting the offer of the prime naaru, he ultimately saw himself as a protector of innocents rather than a vessel of retribution and chose to decline under the justification of serving K'ure. Though Aelleena did not understand why her husband, daughter and herself were seen as unworthy, one could have speculated that Aelleena was simply too condoling for such a harsh life, while Danarshi and Irenora's faith in the Light was perhaps not as strong as Xe'ra desired.
Once Xe'ra had finished her recruitment of the draenei, the Genedar was split into another dimensional ship known as the Xenedar, which housed the chosen soldiers. With that, the Xenedar and its draenei crew flew away into the cosmos on their mission to oppose the Burning Legion, leaving behind those who had remained on the Genedar. Though most were proud and appreciative of the courage and heroism of the Army of the Light, many shared sorrow over the departure of their fellow draenei, afraid that they would never see them again. Aelleena felt each of these emotions, especially the latter.
Grand Anchorite
Approximately fifteen thousand years following the exodus from Argus, and five thousand years after Irenora had arisen as a grand arcanist, Aelleena, under the authority of D'ore, was awarded the title of Grand Anchorite in acknowledgement of her skill, wisdom and selflessness as an anchorite. Such a title was among the most prestigious an anchorite could hope to accomplish, and it was a testament to the power and intellect that Aelleena had come to possess. Shortly in the future, Kai'soran arose as a high vindicator, while Danarshi would not join his wife as a grand anchorite for another five thousand years.
Leanarhi
For countless years since the birth of Kai'soran, Aelleena and Danarshi contemplated the idea of having a third child, though their commitments and responsibilities had always caused them to shy away from it. It was not until roughly twenty-three thousand years after the exodus that, at last, their second daughter, Leanarhi, was born. The young draenei served as a symbol of the resilience of her people, who had survived the Burning Legion for years immeasurable. Unlike Kai'soran, however, Leanarhi was far from the first of draenei children. Already, the majority of her race were seasoned individuals, and her family was no different. Though there was much that she could learn from them, there was also much that she had to prove.
Aelleena and her family onboard the Genedar from left to right: Danarshi, Irenora, Kai'soran, Leanarhi, Aelleena.
Learning from their mistakes from their upbringing of Kai'soran, Aelleena and Danarshi did not attempt to force a particular path on Leanarhi, allowing her the freedom to determine her own fate. Her siblings were no different in their approach, supporting their sister as any sensible siblings would have, though influencing her in no particular way. Leanarhi grew to be a secluded individual of few words or companions, though, like her family, she was resilient. Unlike her relatives, however, she did not find her interests within the Light or arcane. Her purpose would remain hidden for many years, and she would wait patiently for the day it was revealed.
Fall of the Genedar
Over twenty-four thousand years following their exodus from Argus, panic spread throughout the Genedar when the naaru K’ara was gravely injured during the dimensional ship's approach of yet another uncharted planet. Her final act was a warning for the draenei to eject her from the vessel before she fell into a state of Void corruption that is common among dying naaru. She lashed out at K'ure and D'ore, who were shielded by Prophet Velen himself. The Prophet ejected her from the ship, as she requested, but it was too late; K'ure and D'ore were weakened by the assault, unable to properly land the Genedar. The dimensional ship was doomed to crash into the unknown planet.
Exiles' Refuge
The Genedar was soon to pierce the blue skies of the world that it approached. Though it plummeted into the planet's soil, the dimensional ship, and most of the draenei inside, survived. Unfortunately, among the casualties of the crash was D'ore, which devastated Aelleena, Danarshi and hundreds of other draenei. Not all was lost, however, as the planet was found not only to be unscathed by the Burning Legion but habitable as well. As the draenei drifted from the vessel, their eyes were met by rolling fields of lush, green grass, rich soil and beams of warming sunlight; they had arrived within the land known as Nagrand, meaning "Land of Winds" in Orcish. Despite the crash, the worries of the draenei were swept away by such a stunning sight.
The crash-landing of the Genedar, observed by an orc of the Warsong clan.
Draenor, meaning "Exiles' Refuge" in Draenei, was the name that the draenei bestowed upon this new world. From this moment forth, they would consider it their home. For the first time in millennia, Aelleena was filled with the hope of a future free from the peril of the Burning Legion, however, still, she could not help but fear the possibility of the demons discovering them on Draenor, where they were now stranded. Despite her worries, she intended on helping her people forge a successful society on their new world however she could, and she would be sure to treasure her time spent there.
Expedition
Shortly after their arrival on Draenor, the draenei planned to send scouting parties across the continent to map its features. While Kai'soran remained within Nagrand to aid with the formation of draenei settlements there, Aelleena, Danarshi, Irenora and Leanarhi accompanied the first of the groups to venture past its perimeter, anxious to discover what was awaiting them beyond the bordering mountain ranges. In consequence of this, their time in Nagrand was only brief.
During their departure, they bestowed a touching farewell upon Kai'soran. Due to the impervious bond that the family had formed with one another during their long journey throughout the Great Dark Beyond, their separation was difficult for them. Without further delay, they set off with their fellow draenei into the distant, unknown lands of Draenor, on an expedition that would last for several weeks, during which they hoped to map the continent where the Genedar had crashed.
An uncharted Draenor.
The journey was one to be remembered, as they passed through lands of luscious jungles, barren deserts, freezing blizzards, towering spires, everlasting night and gleaming forests of golden flora, filled with the comforting sounds of countless forms of life. The land of gleaming forests became known as Talador to the draenei. Located in the centre of the continent, Talador was considered as the heart of Draenor, both literally and, eventually in draenei society, figuratively.
Home for the Honoured Dead
Once the draenei had completed their expeditions and successfully mapped the continent, Aelleena, Danarshi, Irenora, Kai'soran and Leanarhi were all left with a difficult choice: the location where they would deem home. While an indecisive Leanarhi returned to Kai'soran in Nagrand, and Irenora would come to declare residency in Shattrath City and assist in its construction, Aelleena and Danarshi would discover their own purpose. They learned that the Sha'tari, a fledgling order, planned on establishing a magnificent mausoleum in Talador, where the corpse of D'ore would be interred, as well as deceased draenei.
Auchindoun sits proudly on Talador soil as a place for the dead to find eternal peace.
Avid on bestowing D'ore the burial they believed he deserved, Aelleena and Danarshi willingly aided the Sha'tari in the assembly of the mausoleum, which became known as Auchindoun, meaning "a Home for the Honoured Dead" in Draenei. Following its completion, the newly appointed Exarch Maladaar led and created the Auchenai, who would serve as the custodians of Auchindoun and the caretakers of the deceased within its halls and crypts. Death, in the perception of draenei, was a particularly important and devastating affair, due to their almost immortal lifespans; they could only feasibly die in a painful or violent way. Aelleena and Danarshi could perceive few positions more virtuous than a caretaker of the dead and therefore were among its first members.
Auchenai
Within Auchindoun, Aelleena continued to serve as an anchorite alongside her husband, which now often led to them interring deceased draenei into the crypts and performing their funeral rites, among other duties, which, at times, included the healing of those who had not yet passed on. However, it was not long before they learned of a secret that few outside the Auchenai's trusted had known: following the death of D'ore, Void energies began leaking from his remains, attracting souls and consuming them as a means of regenerating his strength and returning him to the Light. In addition to this, it was learned that once a spirit came into close proximity of D'ore, it was able to be communed with.
Those within the Auchenai who were made aware of this, which included Aelleena and Danarshi, were quick to realise what one of the underlying purposes of the order truly was: to feed the souls of the dead to D'ore in order to aid in his regeneration. Aelleena, among others, were initially horrified by this, but Maladaar quelled much of the unease by ensuring that the process was involuntary on behalf of D'ore and that it was the ultimate means for a spirit to become one with the Light. Though this convinced Aelleena to stay within the Auchenai, she refused to contribute to the feeding of souls to D'ore, despite her reverence of him, and instead continued to focus on interring the deceased into the crypts, performing funeral rites and helping to preserve the spirits of important draenei.
One With the Light
With their discovery of the attraction and consumption of spirits by D'ore, the Auchenai introduced soulpriests and soulbinders into their order, whose purpose was to interact with the departed in their own unique ways. While the soulpriests helped to purify the lost and restless spirits who could not find their way to D'ore, the soulbinders worked to preserve prestigious draenei souls, sometimes by placing them into mechanical constructs known as vigilants, which allowed them to continue serving their people forevermore. There laid one significant hurdle in their path, however: they could not see the spirits with their own eyes, nor could any other draenei.
To solve this issue, the Auchenai devised a complex concoction that allowed those who drank it to permanently peer into the Shadowlands and witness the spirits that dwelled within, as well as commune with them, no matter how far from D'ore they were to stray. This mixture was granted only to the soulpriests and soulbinders of the Auchenai, as their duties depended on its abilities. Though Aelleena was fascinated by the idea of seeing and interacting with the souls within the spirit world, she was afraid of the strain that it would have upon one's sanity and thus chose to steer away from it.
This happened to be the least of Aelleena's concerns, however, as she soon discovered that the soulpriests and soulbinders planned on wielding the powers of the Void in order to more thoroughly interact with spirits. Due to the naaru having long since indoctrinating her into viewing the Light as inherently good and the Void as inherently evil, she was appalled upon learning this, as were others, including Danarshi. Before this was to spark out of control, Exarch Maladaar made certain that his intentions were understood by his disciples, informing them that the Void would be used only to help in the purification process of the spirits and that any who were to misuse it would be severely punished.
Because of all the trials and tribulations that were involved in becoming a soulpriest or soulbinder, Aelleena unquestioningly chose to remain as an anchorite within the Auchenai. As years started flowing by, she and Danarshi persisted through countless days and nights of strange paranormal phenomena that they could only assume were linked to the invisible spirits that lingered in Auchindoun. While this only strengthened Aelleena's fear of the concoction and its effects, Danarshi, instead, found himself more curious about it, as he was left noticeably more disturbed by all that was haunting them.
Despite the connection that the soulpriests had with the Void, Danarshi considered undergoing their initiation so that his eyes could be opened to the spirits around him, and so that he could actively assist in the recovery of D'ore. Aelleena, who was frightened of the consequences this could have upon her husband's mental wellbeing, attempted to dissuade him from the path that he was preparing to walk. She persuaded him for a time, but on the thirty-fifth year after the construction of Auchindoun, he inevitably succumbed to the temptations that ailed him and forsook his title of Grand Anchorite in favour of Soulpriest, immediately undergoing his training.
Deep within the ranks of the Auchenai were their monks, who worked to master their control over their emotions. They shared their wisdom with their fellow Auchenai so that they could cope with the strain of witnessing the Shadowlands and wielding the Void. Though Aelleena and Danarshi had already practised meditation techniques with the monks in the past, it was nothing compared to what Danarshi was about to experience. For ten years, he underwent intensive disciplinary training with the monks, surviving challenges that would have scarred many. He was taught how to cope with traumatic occurrences and how to maintain control over his emotions in difficult situations. It was not until after this that he was shown how to wield Void and Shadow magic.
Upon the day that his training was deemed complete by the Auchenai, they granted him the title of Soulpriest and presented him with the concoction that would forever allow him to peer into the Shadowlands. Aelleena was one of the dozens of draenei who witnessed his drinking of the tincture, and the moment after he did so, only she could see the horror that was present upon his face from what he saw, despite his attempts to hide it. This, in of itself, proved to her that his role as a soulpriest would further change him as a person; the only answer she did not have was: how long would it take for it to occur.
Darkened Descent
Throughout the following decades, while Aelleena still remained loyal to her original purpose within the Auchenai, Danarshi focussed intently on his newfound abilities as a soulpriest, working tirelessly to purify the wandering spirits in Auchindoun. Unfortunately, as Aelleena had predicted, his constant exposure to the wailing deceased caused his sanity to plummet as the years progressed. She could do nothing but watch as her husband shifted into a dismal, irascible and isolated individual; the worse that he got, the less that he would listen to her, and the more hostile he acted towards her.
The sombre atmosphere of Auchindoun had left its mark not only on Danarshi but on Aelleena as well. Though it did not affect her quite as adversely as her husband, she still found it increasingly difficult to be cheerful or positive while in its halls. Often, she would leave the mausoleum to wander the forests of Talador and clear her melancholy thoughts by foraging for flowers, painting pictures of the scenery, meditating and reminiscing of brighter days gone by. She sometimes utilised her expertise as a painter to create images that expressed her emotions, which further helped her maintain a hold over herself.
A century after the crash of the Genedar, Aelleena and Danarshi received an unexpected visit from Kai'soran, who they learned was on a pilgrimage to Karabor in Shadowmoon Valley, where he hoped to offer his service to the Holy Light. Though they remained in limited contact with Irenora over the years, they had not seen Kai'soran since their arrival on Draenor. Aelleena was elated by her reunion with her son, and even Danarshi managed to show some measure of joy, with most of it staying hidden under his disconsolate disposition. Aelleena showed Kai'soran around much of Auchindoun, allowing him to see sections that few outside the Auchenai were ever privileged enough to see. Shortly afterwards, he wished positive fortune on his parents and continued his journey, resolute on reaching his destination.
More years passed and Danarshi only continued to descend into darkness. What little sleep he could find often resulted in him awakening at night screaming and drenched in sweat in front of Aelleena, and throughout the day, she frequently saw him speaking out loud while nobody was around, though whether it was to himself, the spirits within the Shadowlands or both, she did not know. At this point, Aelleena was now surprised over how far he had fallen; although she had long since assumed he would be negatively changed by his duties as a soulpriest, she did not expect that it would be to such a frightening degree. It was although he was possessed, no longer the man she had loved for countless millennia, and it left her ultimately heartbroken.
The Horde
One hundred and eighty-eight years following the arrival of the draenei on Draenor, many of them had grown complacent, failing to foresee the return of the Burning Legion. Talgath had, at last, found his prey, and his master, Kil'jaeden, wished them only one fate: their demise. Rather than raining demons upon them, however, he worked from the shadows, manipulating the orcs to rebel against them. Granting the powers of a warlock to the crippled orc Gul'dan, Kil'jaeden used him as the primary pawn in his schemes. Over years, lies and deceit were spread throughout the orcish clans, until they were convinced that the draenei were plotting against them, to which they united under the banner of the Horde in preparation of facing their adversary.
After eight years of plotting, conspiring and provocation against the draenei, the Horde marched upon them in full force, initiating their war at Karabor in Shadowmoon Valley. Once Gul'dan rose the Hand of Gul'dan, the orcs attacked Karabor, and though the draenei had managed to hold against them for several minutes, despite being outnumbered, the tides were turned when the Horde unleashed the Dark Star upon them, which was, in fact, the naaru K'ara in her Void state. With K'ara at their disposal, the Horde utilised her shadow magic to decimate Karabor and its forces, sending the surviving draenei into full retreat.
Aelleena was petrified when she heard about all this, afraid for the safety of herself and her children, especially Kai'soran, who was living in Karabor at the time of its fall. The Hand of Gul'dan only made matters worse, as the fel volcano was proof that the Burning Legion had found them. Soon after, Danarshi approached her and shared his anxieties over the siege at Karabor before revealing his plan to flee to Shattrath and reunite with Irenora before the Horde marched upon Auchindoun, due to a misguided assumption that the city would have a higher chance of survival against them.
Danarshi offered Aelleena the choice to accompany him, and although she silently considered it, mostly because she wished to see her daughter, deep down, she could not bring it upon herself to abandon D'ore or her fellow Auchenai to their fates. Despite her refusal, he left Auchindoun on the same day, driving the final wedge into their relationship; whatever love and affection that remained between them was extinguished, marking the tragic end of their eternal bond. Now without her husband for the first time in countless millennia, Aelleena nervously awaited the arrival of the Horde with hopes that the Auchenai would be able to stand against them.
Auchindoun Down
The predictions made by Danarshi were soon to be proven wrong, as the Horde next set their sights upon Shattrath City. After amassing outside its walls in staggering numbers that the draenei stood no chance against, the city inevitably fell. Some of its surviving defenders made their way to Auchindoun to help the Auchenai against the orcs, but Danarshi and Irenora were not among them. Forced to assume that her husband and daughter had perished, her resolve was shattered and she found herself severely disheartened. At this point, she contemplated if Danarshi was right about Shattrath being more formidable than Auchindoun, which put her into doubt that Auchindoun would fare any differently.
The Auchenai and the survivors from Shattrath were organised by Exarch Maladaar in preparation for the inevitable Horde attack. Before long, the orcs made their move against Auchindoun, though not in the form that the draenei had expected. Instead of an overwhelming army, Gul'dan sent his most powerful warlocks from his own organization, the Shadow Council, to storm the sacred mausoleum, led by Teron'gor, in fear of the wrath that the draenei spirits would inflict upon them. Despite their precautions, the Shadow Council was met with a fierce resistance that threatened them with defeat, as the spirits did, indeed, come to the aid of their living kin.
Aelleena, who was near the frontlines of the conflict, could feel her confidence returning as victory suddenly seemed possible. Unwilling to inflict pain unless necessary, she stayed far away enough that she was safe from the orcs and able to heal the wounded without interruption. This persisted for several minutes, during which many of the Shadow Council agents were slaughtered. However, as Maladaar led the draenei forward to finish off their foes, the remaining warlocks pooled their powers and attempted to summon a powerful demon, but in their wild desperation, it went horribly wrong. Instead, an otherworldy elemental creature known as Murmur materialized within Auchindoun and created a shockwave that ripped its surroundings asunder, blowing the tomb city apart.
Maladaar and the nearby draenei used their magics to shield themselves from the blast. Though they survived, many were killed, including Aelleena, who had lingered too far from the frontline. Fortunately, the magnitude of the explosion was sufficient enough to grant her a quick and painless death. In the following moments, the vast land and forests surrounding Auchindoun were levelled by the spread of the shockwave, leaving a charred wasteland full of corpses and skeletons that would become known as the Bone Wastes. Now lacking the numbers to resist the Shadow Council, the warlocks overwhelmed the draenei survivors and locked them in chains, imprisoning them in the ruins of Auchindoun. Afterwards, a few of the warlocks stayed to prevent Murmur from getting loose.
Mourning
At some point in the near future, the Auchenai managed to free themselves from captivity and fled into the Auchenai Crypts to hide from the Shadow Council and their Horde allies. As soon as they deemed it safe, some of them returned out into the open to mourn for their dead and ponder over what they were to do with them. Ultimately, the number of corpses was too vast and most had to be left to rot, save for some of the higher-ranking members of the Auchenai who they stumbled across, which happened to include Aelleena. They carried her into Auchenai Crypts and preserved her partially decayed remains with the Light before interring her.
From its destruction, Auchindoun was flooded with thousands of more spirits than it had ever seen before. Almost all of them were lost due to misery and despair, trapped within and around the tomb city, unable to find their escape. Aelleena was one of them, stuck in an unending daze, unable to perceive where she was or what was happening. In consequence of the immense concentration of souls, the veil between the Shadowlands and the material world was weakened above Auchindoun, revealing a sky consumed by an immeasurable vortex, a sight that is normally only visible within the Shadowlands itself.
Madness
For years, the Auchenai stuck within Auchindoun, afraid to leave and discover what had fallen upon the rest of Draenor. Deep within the Auchenai Crypts laid D'ore who, even after two centuries, had yet to finish regenerating, and thus, Void energies continued emanating from him. With the loss of all who they loved, the transformation of Draenor into Outland, and their constant exposure to D'ore's Void energies, their perceptions of reality were warped and they began to turn mad. Over time, Exarch Maladaar and his disciples formed the opinion that Draenor was a doomed world and ceased caring for the dead, which led to them practising necromancy on them.
They experimented on the deceased for many more years. Roughly two decades later, Aelleena had miraculously remained untouched by the Auchenai, her corpse still preserved in its resting place; around this time, however, that would soon change. Danarshi, who had survived through the fall of Shattrath and all that succeeded it, returned to Auchindoun to discover the fate of the mausoleum and his long-lost wife. Devastated by the state that it was in, he sent a desperate prayer to D'ore, hoping to contact him, though instead, Maladaar answered his call and welcomed him into the Auchenai Crypts, despite his abandonment of them in the past.
Resurrection
The Auchenai led Danarshi through their decrepit halls and indoctrinated his feeble mind into accepting their newfound motives. They showed him the lifeless body of Aelleena and offered to teach him necromancy so that he may use it as a means of reviving her, which proved sufficient in swaying him. For a year, he studied tirelessly to learn how to raise the dead into a sentient state. Throughout this, the last of his sanity dissipated, his body became emaciated from malnourishment, and his appearance was warped from the dark magics that he wielded.
Shortly after the first year into his studies, Danarshi grew impatient and went to resurrect Aelleena, eager to reunite with her. After he successfully summoned her spirit, she stared at him in a confused and frightened manner, no less unable to understand what was happening around her. Danarshi spoke to her emotionally, expressing his longing for her and his regret over abandoning her, though she could not hear him. Regardless, he proceeded to merge her with her body and was shocked when his spell failed, throwing her into a mindless state. Much unlike her living self, she aggressively lashed out at him, injuring him before being bound by his Void magic.
Though this would have deterred most, any semblance of sanity within Danarshi had long since been absent. Rather than forsaking the path he had chosen, he resumed his studies, leaving Aelleena confined where she was of no harm to him or the Auchenai. Initially, he strove to find a means of lifting her mindlessness, but as time went on and the answer became less clear, his objective was lost amidst his madness. He was ultimately consumed by a lust for power and knowledge and resorted to experimenting on other corpses in the Auchenai Crypts; from now on, he focussed on Aelleena only enough that she could not escape, but little more.
Release
Four years after Aelleena rose as an undead, the prayer that Danarshi sent to D'ore on his return to Auchindoun long ago had finally reached the weakened naaru through his Void haze and the deafening cries of spirits, to which he responded by speaking to him in his dreams, condemning him for his actions and ordering him to leave Auchindoun and atone for his sins. This awoke him from his insanity and caused him to realise the horrible crimes he had committed. He immediately made his way to Aelleena. While she snarled at him, he grieved in front of her, apologizing for what he had done to her and criticizing himself for what he had become.
Aelleena's shoulder was touched by the palm of Danarshi's hand and her soul was drained from her now-heavily decayed body, which fell limp and motionless as a result. Her spirit floated in place, as it had years prior, but her face now expressed complete terror, pain and suffering. This lasted for only a short time before her transparent form was consumed in Holy Light by D'ore and floated gracefully through the halls, stopping only once she reached the naaru, who absorbed her essence into his own, leaving no trace of her behind. In the seconds that followed, Danarshi cremated her corpse so that it could not be experimented on again and departed from Auchindoun, his mind his own once more.