| Annabelle Baker Cleric of Greyridge | |
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Annabelle Jane Baker |
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Alive |
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Certaintly |
| "You can lose anything so long as you keep your faith." | ||
Annabelle Jane Baker, formally referred to as Mother Annabelle Baker, Her Grace or Dame Annabelle Baker is the High Priest of the Diocese of Greyridge, a Knight of Greyridge, a published author and a jousting champion.
She is known primarily for her clergy work in her home County of Greyridge, where her family lineage traces back to the county, making that area her primary focus. She has also spent time at the Cathedral of Light in Stormwind City and Northshire Abbey in Northshire, as well as the High Priest of the Barony of Eastcrest. Serving primarily as a mender and a preacher in for those communities, her life is dedicated to the service of the Holy Light.
She has also served with the Grand Alliance Coalition, the Protectors of Redridge, the Order of the Silver Hand and other various private companies and groups, including the Quicksilver Company, the Whitewind Company and the Eastcrest Vanguard; in a field medic and mending role.
She has written and arranged multiple books of proverbs and psalms for her didactic collection, the Modern Books of Psalms. The Book of Cycles, the Book of Occasions, the Book of Solitude and the Book of Vessels.
History[]
Early History[]
The only daughter born to Bradlee and Monica Baker, Annabelle Jane Baker, is the youngest and final child of her parents. Bradlee Baker, a larger than life man, served many years in the Stormwind Army and Royal Navy of Stormwind before becoming a ship captain and mate for The Artificer Expedition, the Grey Dawn Shipping Company and the Quicksilver Company. Monica Baker worked mostly as a midwife and medicinal mender before retiring to raise her children. Annabelle's older brother, Gregory Dale Baker, is about a year and a half older than her.
Both her mother and father are Redridgian, with her great-grandfather, Justin, establishing the apple orchard in Apple Valley that gave the small village it's name, it was passed to her grandfather, Randy. The orchard is now operated by her uncle Cary and brother Gregory, the fourth generation of Baker to work the orchard. Annabelle spent the first decade of her life growing up within the County of Greyridge.
During early schooling she developed an interest in the Light and the Cathedral from traveling sermons and sporadic visits to Stormwind City. Her mother, who had worked previously as a mender and a nurse, pushed for Annabelle to become a priest, something she had not had the resources to pursue. Once old enough, just after she had turned ten, Annabelle was sent to the Northshire Abbey to continue her general studies and begin devoting solely on the Holy Light and becoming a priestess.
Excelling at her studies, by the age of fifteen she had finished at Northshire Abbey and was sent to Stormwind City and the Cathedral of Light to serve as an acolyte and continue her learning. After two years working at the Cathedral of Light, Annabelle was able to return to her home congregation in Greyridge after petitioning by current the head of clergy in the area, a Gilnean Cleric named Father Nathan Caldwell. Father Caldwell had been put in his position by the current ruler of the Greyridge area, William Grey, who was very close with Annabelle's father, Bradlee, and made sure his daughter would serve her home congregation.
Ordainment & Knighthood[]
Following a year spent as the sole student of her mentor, Father Nathan Caldwell, Annabelle was ordained within the Church of the Holy Light, in the area of the Kingdom of Stormwind, becoming a Priestess of the Holy Light, the day after she turned eighteen. She was placed alongside her mentor, Father Caldwell, as the second priest serving the County of Greyridge.
Following the events of the First War for the Defense of Redridge, Annabelle's cousin, Jeremiah Baker, had been killed while fighting the Blackrock Orcs in the Burning Steppes while defending Redridge. Jeremiah had been on the path to becoming knighted by the County of Greyridge, a dream of both Annabelle's father and uncle. Annabelle's brother, Gregory, had opted away from that lifestyle, spurring Annabelle to decide she would push herself to knightood.
Continuing her training under Father Caldwell, an experienced cleric, Annabelle began to train in combat and martial skills while further studying to become a paladin. Squired under Sir Walter Foxman, a Knight of the Silver Hand and friend to William Grey, the knight had little impact in her life beyond routinely checking up on progress, opting to let Father Caldwell handle the large majority of her training while she continued her work as clergy in the County of Greyridge.
Annabelle participating in a joust. Credit: yousai65
As Annabelle progressed she began attending jousting tournaments. Starting with winning local Midsummer Festival jousts, she began jousting in representation for her county. Able to win the October Rose Cup, then make the finals in November in defense of her title, losing only by a single point, it became known she would be knighted by the County of Greyridge, becoming the fourth knight of the county. She rewarded the accolade given to her by winning the Midwinter Festival of the Lake Jousting Tournament, defending her title. The week before her twenty-third birthday, Annabelle was knighted in Greygates, the seat of the County of Greyridge. She was also knighted by the Order of the Silver Hand, becoming a paladin. Her Silver Hand epithet being Dame Annabelle the Dutiful, so given due to unwavering service to her congregation as a priestess before, during and after her training.
Post-Knighthood[]
Following her knighthood, Annabelle moved her ordainment back to the Cathedral of the Light in Stormwind City for a half a year, feeling that she had left too soon and had unfinished business there. Performing mostly mending duties, she also learned bandage and medical balm preparation and got valuable experience pertaining to pregnancies, child birthing and infant care. She worked her way up, earning the opportunity to act as celebrant and lead weekly services.
Her first deployment as a Knight of the Silver Hand came shortly after her accolade. Annabelle took part in the Tempest's Fury campaign, offering her services as a field medic for the duration of the campaign in the Dragon Isles. She fought alongside those that braved the depths of the Obsidian Citadel, part of the group dubbed the "Obsidian Breakers." For her efforts in the Tempest's Fury campaign, she was awarded with the requisite Grand Alliance Campaign Service Medal. She also earned the Grand Alliance Medical Cross and the prestigious Grand Alliance Ribbon of Sacrifice for her efforts in the Dragon Isles.
Just months after being knighted the Second War for the Defense of Redridge broke out. Annabelle, along with the other three knights of the County of Greyridge, were thrust into service, acting as the spearhead of the operations to clear the Burning Steppes of Blackrock Orcs that threatened Redridge. Though successful, the first Knight of Greyridge, Sir Victor Moretti, was killed in defense of the county, placing a heavy burden on the remaining trio of knights. This made Sir Audric Steelmantle the most senior knight, with Sir Aladar Dalant behind him. With persistence, the Protectors of Redridge were able to quell the orc threat, bringing safety back to the Redridge Mountains, at a cost.
As the fighting began to close, Annabelle moved her ordainment back to the County of Greyridge, becoming the High Priest of the congregation there, trading roles with Father Caldwell. Father Caldwell was advancing in age and deservedly surrendered some of his duties to his student, with Annabelle happy to take the helm of her birthplace's congregation. With her new and advanced role, she concluded work on the first two books of her Modern Books of Psalms. The Book of Cycles and the Book of Occasions were both published in the spring of her first knighted year, selling well and becoming a useful tool for all clergy of the Holy Light to find word and wisdom for their services and sermons.
Following the freedoms afforded to her after entering a more peaceful time, she again was able to win the Rose Cup in June, this time on her horse Charity as Hubert the mule had since been retired.
Her second deployment at the behest of the Silver Hand was to Elwynn Forest and the Northshire Abbey during Operation: Goldclaw; again in a field medic capacity. She saw multiple bouts of action against gnoll and Dark Horde foe and was twice called upon to perform last rites and burial services for Stormwind citizens that were regrettably killed by opposing forces. For her service in the field she received the Stormwind Campaign Service Medal. For her service mending between outings she received the Stormwind Medical Cross. Lastly, for painstakingly performing funeral rites for all slain, she was awarded with the Sash of the Silver Hand and the Pendant of the Holy Light.
In the ensuing peace, Annabelle began working alongside the Eastcrest Coalition as a hired field medic. Her third book in her Modern Books of Psalms collection, the Book of Solitude, was published as well, just before deployment to the Azure Span for the Tempest's Shadow campaign. During the campaign, Annabelle once again served primarily as a field medic, though also handled last rites for the fallen and sometimes worked as a camp medic as well. She was awarded with the Grand Alliance Medical Cross, Ribbon of Sacrifice and Campaign Service Medal for her service, as well as the Sash of the Silver Hand and the Pendant of Holy Light.
Ordination[]
The ecclesiastical heraldry of the Diocese of Alnwick, Eastcrest, Greyridge and Hallowbrook. Credit: Squallrunner Arts
During her time in the Azure Span, she was made the High Priest of the Barony of Eastcrest by Baron Terran Lloyd. At the start of the new year, she had begun the construction of a chapel within his Barony. Due to her role as High Priest of two separate congregations, she left active and direct service within the Order of the Silver Hand, opting to focus on her congregation and allowing her ties to the Church of the Holy Light and the Eastcrest Vanguard to be her links to duty.
After time spent working as the High Priest of both Eastcrest and Greyridge, Annabelle was able to lead the formation of a greater diocese between the two areas, as well as the County of Alnwick, the March of Hallowbrook and the Barony of Westwold. She was ordained as the Bishop of the Diocese of Eastcrest & Greyridge on February 15th, 639.
Not long after taking the role, Annabelle was called into action in defense of the Dark Portal in the Blasted Lands, serving as a field medic again for the Grand Alliance Coalition. For her service she received the Grand Alliance Campaign Service Medal, Grand Alliance Combat Medic Ribbon, Medallion of the Grand Alliance, Pendant of the Holy Light and 'Observer's End' Medal in recognition of outstanding service.
In the summer after, she finished the fourth book of her service psalm collection, the Book of Vessels. She spent the majority of the year in Elwynn Forest, living in the newly founded town of Lindsby while she oversaw the construction of a chapel in the hamlet. After bolstering all of the congregations that made up the Diocese, by the next year she was able to return to Redridge and focus again on Greyridge specifically, the noncontiguous Diocese able to split into smaller, autonomous areas.
Personal Life[]
Annabelle and Map Credit: gobbyteeth
Annabelle currently resides at the Apple Valley Chapel with her cats, Maggie and Map. Maggie was adopted by Annabelle from a Redridge farm a month after her knighting and Map was given to her by her friend Lily Ann Silver about nine months after that, in October. Her childhood cat, Mollie, passed away at seventeen.
Annabelle makes a hobby of horse riding and jousting. Her horse, Charity, and the family mule, Hubert, are both kept in the Apple Valley Orchard. She also enjoyed birds and birdwatching. She kept lists of different species seen and heard about her travels, as well as had ample feeders for her local feathered friends.
Annabelle's hobbies mostly align with her work. She reads feverishly and writes at almost any chance she can get. She collects old clerical writings, with her favorite being journals and librams of past clergy. She is a published author of scripture and will rather passionately speak on the topic for as long as she is allowed to do so.
Annabelle helps her mentor, Father Caldwell, with his Father's Fixin's booth that attends a few of the yearly markets around Azeroth. The venture has been quite successful, winning award ribbons at the Brewfest Benefit Bash, the Jingle Bell Jubilee and the World's Faire Carnival.
Physical Description[]
Standing at 5'9, Annabelle was graceful and lithe, slim and attractive. Set to carrying herself with a practiced poise from clerical and martial training, cloaked in a neat air of meticulous propriety.
A wavy mess of neatly styled ringlets of coppery-red toned hair falls around freckled face. Her fair features are lightened up by her misty blue-green eyes, while her cheeks and nose were normally flush. Only her face is ever visible, covering the rest of herself at all times, she always wore gloves.
When able to relax, Annabelle wears well-made but modest dresses or frilled or textured high-necked blouses with layered long skirts. She always wears gloves and leather flats. Rarely she will wear pants with a vest or shirt of decent make.
When working she wears the simple frock of a priestess and leather shoes. She always wears gloves and often many layers at a time. She may have a libram or other books with her.
Around her neck was often a simple golden chain, with a small golden Sigil of Faol strung upon it, though almost never seen, always hidden under clothing. The necklace was a gift from Evelynn Dalant, her sister-in-law.
When called into battle Annabelle wears long armored robes or plated armor. The robes are similar to that of a normal priestess' robes, just reinforced to offer her some protection from attackers. She will also have her libram and sometimes a shield or off-hand trinket. For a weapon she uses a sword that was presented to her when she was knighted. Dubbed 'Certainty,' the beautiful short sword denotes her oath as a paladin and knight. To protect herself she may carry a wooden shield, reinforced with metal banding, with the logo of her county on the front. Strapped to her waist will always be a libram, often Protection, Holiness or Compassion.
Gallery[]
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