Background

Ael’s story

I grew up while my parents were far away from home most of the time. They enjoyed a high leveled education to aid the fields of war with their healing powers as noble holy priests. In my childhood I spend much time on my own in the once lush and peaceful woods of Darkshore. Close to nature and its creatures under the grace of Elune. By living so close together with the spirit of nature a bond was established. As I grew older the bond became visible. In rather being with animals then people but also physical characteristics, more then most elves I grew facial hair like sideburns and long eyebrows.
The absence of my parents leads me back to nature. Though the healing powers they had learned through and through seemed to have come into me. When darkness grew in the forests and illness spread among the creatures of nature. I used this gift to cure as much animals as I could to keep the region save of the legion’s corruption.
All my good will could not stop the corruption from spreading. Demons infiltrated Darkshore. The only thing I could do was search for a wise mentor to teach me in the ways to cure the more evil weapons like poison and curse. I was still a young one back then and a quick learner.
This peaceful fight against the legion from my side continued until one day my father returned from the frontline.

My father acted glad to be back with me and was very proud to see that I had grown in intellect as well as physique.
He admired my courage to follow in his footsteps in healing, although I used nature’s forces. But in his time on the battle field he had seen the massive destruction caused by powers of arcane origin. He wanted me to be not only helping to do good by curing, but he saw that there would be times I might have to be able to defend myself. He forced me to meet a new mentor who would train me in using the gift granted to the elves by the old magical waters of the well of eternity. This man was not only wise in the arcane forces but he also brought me even closer to nature than I already was. I felt nature’s forces growing inside of me. But not healing forces this time, they were powerful weapons of destruction. I could feel the wrath of nature against the corruption of the forests flowing through me. My mentor learned me how I could use these terrible powers at will. He instructed me to live among the animals again, to study their behavior, their way of surviving. Year after year we wandered through Teldrassil and Darkshore. Slowly I came to understand the Bears and Feline predators, lived among them.
I grew up to be a Druid.

My father never went back to the fight in the wars that raged on the main land. Retired to Teldrassil he lived solitarily in a small cabin in the great forest. Many years past but the once great holy priest fell back into shadow, torn by the scenes he had faced on the battle field, mourning for the loss of my mother. When I came to visit him, each time he became more difficult to notice in the dark interior of his burrow, which slowly came overgrown by nature. Until one time I came to him, his home was deserted, nature had consumed him.

From that day I had nothing left to call home. I left Teldrassil and roamed around in northern Kalimdor helping nature where I could. Only seldom the evil forces were strong enough to withstand the healing powers of nature I used, forcing me to use the destructive ways my father obliged me to learn. But the evil corruption lasted longer than anyone had hoped. Experienced as I was I could not hold back the forthcoming doom to our forests. Still I was alone and the feeling of helpfulness started to fade from me. I found myself falling more and more to fighting instead of curing. Ending up in a battle not to overcome by both sides…

It all changed in one great fight with animals I once lived with, in peaceful harmony.
Fighting these contorted creatures I was pushed back against the rocks behind me. I felt there was no winning chance for both sides, but it would be worth to die here along with these beasts to keep the world safe a little longer. When suddenly there was a great shadow falling over the forest, I felt a dark presence near. In front of me there were only animals so I looked over my shoulder up the cliff. There I saw a dark silhouette standing high on the rocks. At that moment I feared that my end had come a little sooner than I had hoped. But when I heard the words whispered from his lips, it was not pain hitting me but a shield that blocked all attacks and made my attackers even more furious. At once they all jumped on this dark shadow elf while he came running down towards me. But our shields did not hold. In one last burst of concentration he healed me for the last time. Faster that I could react, his tortured body fell and lay still as a shadow cast by a giant cloud covering up the sun.
This new turn in the battle had given me time to regain my breath. In one raging roar my body was torn and replaced for a giant bear. This taunt pulled all remaining enemies back on me, leaving the dead body. Their hits I didn t feel anymore the only thing I felt was my claw ripping through their soft flesh. It all ended in one bloody mess. My fur was covered in body juices of spiders, bears and wolfs. When the fight was over I felt my rage slowly fading from me but the frown would forever mark my face. I shrunk back to my own self. Crying for the animals I had slain I sat on the ground for a few minutes when I thought back to the strange shadow that came to aid me. I raised myself back on my feet and searched the blood and flesh covered ground for the shadow from the cliffs. The only thing I found was the body of a young priest scarred by claws and stinging poison. Scarred, but his body seemed to be intact. This young, and already brave enough to come to aid an experienced Druid in an unwinnable fight. This one deserved to be reborn and have another chance in life, just like he gave me new spirit to live and fight for the safety of our world.
On this stained forest ground I recalled all the power I had left to grant this brave elf his rebirth among his brethren.
Slowly life flowed back into his body. I called all natures’ forces to heal the scars brought on him by the forest creatures, and somehow I noticed that the once dark shadow was fading. Before me stood an honorable young elven priest…Grateful as I was I took him under my protection.

This priest would be known as Baelmah, a great name, for a priest with great intentions. I lead him back to an elven settlement. On our way I told him my story and he told me his. We discovered that we both were saved just in time, not only by what just happened but saved from our lives as well.
In my long life I met many people wise and strong. I always admired the cunningness of my parents. So I new just the man to be my new friends mentor. The same man instructed my parents and taught them everything he knows. Baelmah grew out to be a mighty Holy Priest.
I moved on. Without a home to go to I roamed the world again, but this time not alone, offering our aid wherever needed.

And so we shall, until the end of time.

Aelvanath