| Gehlnarine Liridian | |
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 Gehlnarine Liridian By: user:QuirkyTagalong | |
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Race |
Human |
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Class |
Wizard/Sorcerer |
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Home |
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Alignment |
Lawful Neutral |
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Relationship Status |
Widowed of Lorabell Liridian |
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Titles |
Minister of Justice of Dalaran(Former) |
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Affiliations |
Magus Senate of Dalaran (Former) |
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Family |
Lorabell Liridian, Wife (Deceased) |
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Status |
Alive |
Gehlnarine Liridian is an Archmage and former Minister of Justice of the Magus Senate of Dalaran. An extremely talented abjurer, Gehlnarine focuses his energy on the creation of protective spells and wards. The Archmage also serves as Head of the House of Liridian and owns the Barony of Sagehollow in Arathi.
Appearance[]
Gehlnarine's thick grey hair falls luxuriously down his shoulders, evidently the one aspect of his appearance he places considerable effort into. His green eyes are surrounded by crowsfeet. He is commonly clad from the neck down in rune-inscribed robes, wearing a large golden amulet around his neck. On his fingers, he wears both a sigil of the Kirin Tor as well as the signet of House Liridian. In his hand, he commonly carries one of his many staves. Occasionally, Gehlnarine can be seen with multiple staves on his back. When he speaks, his accent will occasionally betray a light Gilnean influence.
History[]
Gehlnarine was born on July 26th in the year -8 L.C.. He was born as the product of an affair that Lady Giradella Hathaway Amanemodas of Gilneas had with the Stromic-Born retainer in the house: one Fredrick Liridian. What was supposed to be a simple case of a secret affair turned into an illegitamate love child. Giradella hid the fact that the child did not, in fact, carry the blood of her husband in his veins. Soon enough, she gave birth to a baby boy.
As Gehlnarine grew, Davian (Giradella's husband) became increasingly suspicious that Gehlnarine shared characteristics with his mother and none with him; also sharing some characteristics with the former retainer of the House. It was shortly after the death of Giradella in a riding accident that a rival party had uncovered letters passed between the late matriarch of the house and the former retainer and the truth came out, injuring the pride of the sorcerer beyond repair, even despite his swift action in silencing the threatening rival with blackmail funds.
Gehlnarine, fearing for his life, fled Gilneas, traveling to Stromgarde to find his birth father mentioned in the letters. However, all he found was disappointment and despair, discovering that Frederick had been slain in battle.
He spent the next couple of years on the streets, watching the knights and warriors with envy, wishing he could one day become a brave Knight of Strom, defending the lands from whatever may threaten it. However, his scrawny build kept him from being on par with the other children who fantasized of epic battles and glorious victories.
When he was seventeen years old, Gehlnarine became aware that he could occasionally move things with his mind and once or twice, he accidentally caught fire to a few things. It was upon further investigation that he learned that an academy existed in Hillsbrad that focused on those sorts of things. Ecstatic, Gehlnarine set off for Dalaran and was accepted into the academy.
As the years passed, Gehlnarine became obsessed with magic, spending countless days and nights pouring over tomes in the libraries of Dalaran. He officially decided to focus on Abjuration as his specialization, learning to create wards and other forms of defensive magic.
After graduating from the academy, Gehlnarine remained with the Kirin Tor, working as an abjurer and researcher, completing several theses on the higher forms of protective wards and charms as well as beginning research into creating a compendium of magical creatures and ways to defend onesself from said creatures.
The Nexus War:[]
In the year 619 K.C., the Nexus War began. Gehlnarine aided in the moving of Dalaran to Northrend. During the war, Gehlnarine had a runespear forged. This runespear was enchanted and created specifically to detect and aid in the slaying of Blue Dragons. Gehlnarine named the runespear Dracorund.
During the Nexus War, Gehlnarine slew many Blue Dragons in defense of Dalaran. It was during this time that Gehl realized his disdain for the Blue Dragonflight, thinking them either mad or pompous.
Returning to Roots:[]
Many years passed, and Gehlnarine's work and efforts gained him the title of Archmage. He made his goal to learn everything he could possibly learn about magic all while teaching others. He set off for Stormwind to create a mage circle in order to both teach and learn. At the first meeting, he was introduced to Hellissa Brisby, a fellow mage and, unbeknownst to Gehlnarine, a Duchess from Arathor. As the Duchess and he interacted more as the days went by, he learned of where she was from and what was going on up north. After much deliberation on his part, he dissolved the barely infantile Circle and set off to return to his homeland.
It was in Arathor that Gehlnarine swore his allegience to Hellissa Brisby and her household, House Ravenshadow. He was made the Court Wizard and served under her command. When she announced her position as Lady Regent of Stromgarde, Gehlnarine's responsibilities increased along with hers.
Not long after Hellissa's stepping down from her position as Regent, Gehlnarine was introduced to one Arranax DeVin of the Magus Senate of Dalaran. It was after a long evening of discussion that it became apparent to Gehlnarine that Dalaran was seeking to grow even further under this fairly new Senate. After discussing it later with Duchess Brisby, Gehlnarine was sent to Dalaran to meet with the Senate and become a member as an ambassador from House Ravenshadow.
The more time continued on, the more Gehlnarine found a sense of home and belonging with the Senate. He threw most of his energy into being a productive member of the Senate, even eventually developing an improved filing system for the inner workings of the Senate. It was this acheivement that garnered him attention from the Inner Council.
The Violet Eye:[]
Under the watchful eye of the Inner Council, Gehlnarine and Arranax DeVin began speaking regarding his admittance into Arranax's unit: The Violet Eye. The Violet Eye was a secret police of sorts meant to see to the security of Dalaran and its holdings, keeping it safe from betrayal and saboutage. It wasn't until Case #1058: Violet Tongue that Gehlnarine had a chance to prove himself.
At the time, political relations were extremely tense with the Church of the Holy Light and its affiliates. During this time, Gehlnarine learned of the presence of a 'spy' within the ranks of the Magus Senate. It came to Gehlnarine's attention that one of the Senate's newer members, one Matiff Durthan was currently working as an informant to Tenevus Stromheart of the Silver Hand. Gehlnarine reported this to Arranax immediately and Matiff was summarily interrogated.
The interrogation proved unfruitful, as Matiff was under the impression that he was a sanctioned emmissary of the Silver Hand, though such was never confirmed officially with the Senate beforehand. Upon Matiff's release, Gehlnarine took it upon himself to follow the man in secret. It wasn't long until Gehlnarine recorded a conversation between Matiff and one Ritchard Elric of the Silver Hand. In this conversation, it was revealed that the Silver Hand had even more informants in the Senate. This revelation, and the events that transpired afterwards, lead to an almost immediate acceptance into the Violet Eye.
Within the Eye, Gehlnarine acted as Delimator; filing the paperwork and keeping track of information and classified personnel files. It was during this time that the new filing system he had created began to garner him attention from the Inner Council.
The Inner Council[]
Some time passed, and Gehlnarine's work for the Eye and the Senate gained him favor within the Inner Council of the Senate. When a position was next opened up on the Council, Gehlnarine was offered the seat. To this, he excitedly accepted. Upon acceptance to the Inner Council, Gehlnarine was made the Minister of Justice, overseeing law and order within Dalaran and its holdings. In order to do this effectively, Gehlnarine created the Dalaranian Investigation Unit (DIU) to act as Investigators and Detectives within the city. Gehlnarine placed Matiff Durthan, acquitted and pardoned for all unwitting acts against the city, as High Investigator of the Senate. During their time working together, Gehlnarine and Matiff came to call each other friend.
Suicide Mission to Draenor[]
When the dark portal turned red and the Iron Horde began to pour through, the Senate made the decision to send many of their most able on the suicide mission to close the portal from the inside. Preparing for the probability of death, those embarking saw to their wills and belongings. Gehlnarine took this opportunity to propose to the woman he loved. Lorabell Jennings and he were married the day before the mission. Gehlnarine made his new wife a promise: that he would return to her. He would use everything within his power to ensure his and the others' survival and safe return one day. To that end, he saught out Matiff to ask the man for a very large favor.
Gehlnarine approached Matiff, asking him for a difficult favor. One that he had never thought he would have to ask of anyone. He asked Matiff to use the knowledge he had from his days before the Silver Hand as a warlock to ensure that Gehlnarine's obsessive personality did not cause problems for him or those around him as he began to delve into the Fel Arts. The man reluctantly agreed, and both agreed that, should Gehlnarine become corrupted, Matiff would end him. And so their work began.
The Senate poured through the portal, doing their part to aid in the deactivation of the Dark Portal from the other side. Their task complete, the Senate moved to begin their fight for survival, quickly becoming split up by an Iron Horde ambush. Alone, Gehlnarine began searching Tanaan Jungle for his friend.
Several days later, Matiff and Gehlnarine finally reunited, where they began their trek through Shadowmoon. Matiff felt drawn westward, and so they pressed on. While Matiff scouted ahead, Gehlnarine was ambushed by the Shadow Council and captured, taken prisoner. He was tortured regarding translations and expansions of the texts Matiff had provided as well as the text Gehlnarine had taken with him from House Raventhorn. Gehlnarine refused to give out any information.
As the Shadow Council prepared to sacrifice him in one of their demonic rituals, Gehlnarine managed to loosen one of his bindings enough to free an infernal, causing enough of a distraction to free himself further. He dispatched and siphoned the fel energies of those present and entrapped their souls within soul shards. Recovering from his wounds, Gehlnarine stumbled out of Gul'var and into the path of an Elunite Priestess of the Senate.
Gehlnarine was taken to an encampment that the survivors of the Senate had begun to form. When Matiff found Gehlnarine, the two of them moved on towards Nagrand.
Upon arriving in Nagrand, Matiff realized it was the Throne of Elements calling to him. The two split ways just near the Throne of Elements and Gehlnarine proceeded to make his way to a secluded cave. He channeled energies through an artifact he had brought with him and used it to form a time bubble within the cave. While only a few days had passed on the outside, ten years passed on the inside, where Gehlnarine poured over the texts he had with him and conversed with the demons he had learned to summon, learning all he could about the fel arts.
When the power in his artifact ran out and shattered, Gehlnarine emerged on the verge of insanity, but more powerful than ever. When he rejoined with Matiff and, eventually, the others in the Senate, he became the High Nethermancer of the Senate. They eventually found their way through a portal and back to their own version of Azeroth, ending the suicide mission with most of their lives intact.
Inner Turmoil[]
In the time following the suicide mission to Draenor, Gehlnarine's life was turned upside down in a number of ways.
The effect of the fel magics upon his being was undeniable. The archmage became more and more withdrawn, falling back to his office or his barony in Sagehollow. During this time, his obsession and addiction to fel magic became even more pronounced. In his desperation and corruption via oversaturation of fel energies, Gehlnarine lashed out, plotting and scheming and, as a result, hurting many of the people who once called him friend.
During this time of turmoil, Matiff sought to do good on their agreement and end the Archmage. In singular combat, magic erupted around them as spell after spell was thrown and deflected. In the end, it was Gehlnarine's own chaos bolt that was the trigger for his downfall. Matiff took the bolt mid-flight, quickly twisting it and altering it into a destructive blast and hurdling it back at the Archmage. Before the explosion overtook him, Gehlnarine hurled his staff to a nearby spectator, one Arranax DeVin, who knew that the staff's crystal contained his soul gem. The flames enveloped Gehlnarine and he was obliterated.
Soon after, Arranax DeVin managed to construct a cadaver out of salvaged parts of recently deceased human beings in the Plaguelands. Once the construct was formed, DeVin channeled a powerful necromantic incantation, bringing life to the shell and then embuing it with the soul from Gehlnarine's gem.
Returned to life, the Archmage retreated to a secretive location, working out a powerful illusion enchantment onto his clothing to keep his appearance as it was rather than the horribly disfigured person he had become. This course of events had brought to his mind just how far he had fallen and he decided it was time to rid his soul of the corruption he had so foolishly bathed himself in.
He withdrew into his apartment in Dalaran, refusing to leave for several months as he suffered through the withdrawals of his fel addiction. Eventually, the archmage was clean and vowed never again to touch fel magic. However, this did not stop him from fighting within the Senate for the rights of those who weilded dark magics, proclaiming that freedom to make one's own mistakes was important and that there could be no light without an equal amount of darkness. The Senate did not agree and soon, due to a conflict of beliefs and interests, Gehlnarine left the Senate and set out on his own, his future uncertain.
He returned to Dalaran when the Legion attacked Azeroth, recognizing the error of his beliefs after seeing the massacre at the Broken Shore. He vowed to fight the fel and all it stood for, leading Sagehollow battlemagi in the battles against the Burning Legion.
In the midst of these battles, Gehlnarine was petitioned by Dalaran and the Highguard to sit on a tribunal of judges in a trial for the Sin'Dorei known as Tendael. During the trial, it was revealed that a Demon Hunter had been behind the crimes being pinned on the elf. It was also made apparent that the prosecutor, who was also the emmissary from the Kirin Tor to the Highguard, was conspiring to frame the Sin'Dorei for crimes they did not commit. The man went insane, attacking the Highguard, other members of the tribunal and Gehlnarine himself. Those assembled subdued the mad mage, handing him over to Gehlnarine to be locked away in the Violet Hold.
After the disaster that was Archmage Manafont, Gehlnarine was assigned to take the mage's place as emmissary from the Kirin Tor to the Highguard.
Shortly after this appointment, however, Gehlnarine found himself at odds with his own being. He had been feeling off for some time and was unable to place exactly why. He withdrew to his tower in Sagehollow, where he spent much needed time in both preparing his forces to aid in repelling the Legion yet again and caring for his wife and newborn child.