Atiel

Information

Player: Ukarai

Character Full Name: Atiel Nightleaf

Character In-Game Name: Atiel

Nickname(s): Nightleaf

Association(s): The Ebon Blade, The Cenarion Circle, Ashenvale

Race: Night Elf

Class: Death Knight (Frost)

Skills and Abilities:

In Control: Through meditation, Atiel has come to terms with his impulsive urge to wreak havoc. He strikes with precision and controlled strength rather than reckless power.

Age: 3,586

Sex: Male

Hair: Long hair drapes over his shoulders and down his back, though it's lost the lively color it once held. He has a groomed beard and long eyebrows.

Eyes: Ghostly Blue

Weight: 278 lbs

Height: 7'1”

Appearance

What may appear to be faded blue tattoos are actually a complex series of frozen scars, self-inflicted after his release from the Lich King's grasp. When he's not in his saronite war armor, he goes without a shirt, his markings a constant reminder of the chaos and destruction spread by the Scourge.

Personality

Unlike most of his brothers in death, Atiel isn't hotheaded. He has learned to control his violent impulses through hours of daily meditation, but that isn't to say his hunger to cause pain and wage war doesn't occasionally bleed through. Not even he is immune to the dark tendencies Death Knights face. Through some difficulty, Atiel has regained his empathetic view of others. He's generally soft spoken and thoughtful, but he's not as cheerful as he once was, trying to keep to himself when he can. His love for nature is now one sided, but he cares for the world even if it doesn't care for him.

History

- I -

Atiel was born and raised in Ashenvale. He showed a love for the animals of the Vale at a young age, often preferring their company over his people's. He seldom talked to others and kept to himself on most days, not because he was shy, but because he was afraid he'd say something that may hurt their feelings, or be misunderstood. Atiel was soft spoken and held a great empathy towards others' feelings and emotions. He was caring, kind, and nurturing, never hesitating to hug someone who was having a bad day. He was a great listener, though his favorite thing to listen to was the forest at night, feeling the Vale was more alive when the moon was out than it ever was during the day. Atiel would close his eyes and listen to the sounds, naming the familiar noises and learning the new ones. He'd fall asleep among the trees and awaken to the singing birds. His love for the forest grew greater and greater with each passing day, soon catching the eye of an old Elf who became his teacher.

When he wasn't under the wing of his master, Atiel was often followed into the forest by a young girl around his age. They'd race through the forest and climb the trees, sharing meals and stories. She would talk and he would listen, sometimes for hours on end, but he didn't mind. He liked having her around, and she liked being around him. Their time together soon blossomed into a close friendship. They'd decorate each other's hair with twigs, flowers, and leaves, fall asleep beneath large trees, and act as shoulders to cry on. Life was going well for the young Druid in training.

He learned the principles of natural order and the the balance of nature until the day finally came. He took a long walk in the forest before being admitted into the Emerald Dream. Meivare promised she would be here for him when he emerged, and so he slept. Atiel sacrificed all of those years in the Dream to become closer with nature. He exited the Dream during the Third War to defend the forest he grew up in, fighting alongside Meivare. They had little time to catch up for lost years, however, the looming threat of destruction taking priority. After the Night Elves gave up their immortality to defeat the Eredar leader, he vowed to devote his life to protecting Azeroth, wishing to create a peaceful world for him and his newfound love.

"You waited all of these years for me, Meivare, and I would want nothing more than to spend the rest of my mortal days in your arms, but I must leave to ensure the safety of our forest. My heart is and always will be with you." He left the forest to fight the Scourge in the Eastern Kingdoms, seeing it as a threat that needed to be stopped, lest it spread to Ashenvale. He joined the Alliance in fending off the undead. He died a hero on the battlefield, but that was not the end of his time on Azeroth...

His body was dragged off to Acherus, the Ebon Hold, where he was raised as a Death Knight under the Lich King's control. He fought savagely against the enemies of the Scourge, laying waste to the Scarlet Enclave. The voice of Arthas resonated through his head, guiding his and his brethren's actions. He couldn't fight back.

The Scourge had captured Meivare, who followed Atiel to the Eastern Kingdoms to fight alongside him in secrecy, knowing he would have disagreed with her decision. He was ordered to end her life. She begged him not to, but he was helpless. He didn't say a word when he lifted his runeblade in the air. She was one of his countless victims.

He participated in the battle at Light's Hope Chapel, only to be freed from the Lich King's control. His mind was once again his own. He could now reconcile all that he'd done. Unlike many of the Forsaken that were raised to serve the Scourge, he retained all of his memories. Driven by the rage of vengeance, he joined up with the Ebon Blade and ventured to Northrend. He fought valiantly, if not recklessly, alongside his Death Knight brethren until news came of Arthas' death.

- II -

Atiel departed to the wastes of Dragonblight, where he had time to think about his new role in Azeroth. He no longer felt the connection with nature that had driven his previous life. Animals scattered and fled upon seeing him. His footsteps brought death and destruction rather than growth and restoration.

"I killed you, Meivare, and I can never forgive myself. I don't know how I'll go on without you here to guide me." The cold air around him grew still in silence. He looked down at his Runeblade, holding it in the air. For a moment he thought he saw her face in the reflection of the blade, but it dissipated, and only he remained staring back at himself in choked desolation.

He pondered the raw power he now possessed, and thought of all the things he could do. All the places he could go. All the people he could kill. He brushed the thought away, trying his best to stave off the dark hunger by hunting local wildlife, but he was filling an endless void. He wanted nothing more than to return to Ashenvale and help his kin protect the forest, but he was afraid of what they'd think of him. He feared losing his temper and lashing out at his people. He would be misunderstood and viewed as an abomination, his very existence spitting in the face of natural order.

He decided to prepare himself mentally and physically before returning to the Vale, wanting to prove to his people that he was no threat to them. Having no need to sleep, he underwent daily meditation from dawn to dusk, traveling across Northrend at night. He desperately searched for ways to reverse his undeath, knowing that the answer had to be out there somewhere despite hundreds of failed attempts. He believed the key to living lied in empathy and understanding, something that he had taken away from him during his time under the Lich King's control.

He honed his skills of controlling the battlefield through frost runes and precision in his time spent in Northrend, practicing his footing and technique, all of which seemed to come naturally. He thought that was partly because of his reanimation, though also felt his determination to be a large factor.

Before leaving the frozen tundras of Northrend, he carved archaic symmetrical markings into his torso with his runeblade. The frozen scars served as a constant reminder of the reckless havoc spread throughout the world by the scourge. He wasn't going to hide from his undeath. He wore it on his flesh without pride and without shame. He stated that he was still the druid that protected the forest all those years ago and that he was here to help.

He proved to his old friends that he was in control, showing his worth on the battlefield against the Orcs. He gained acceptance among his brethren, but they still didn't look at him as Atiel. When they did speak his name, it wasn't said in the same tone. It wasn't that of affection and joy. It held a subtle inflection of fear, fear that he would snap and fall victim to the hunger so many others had.

Despite their fear, he never lashed out at them. Atiel now wanders the world in search of a cure to his undeath, occasionally returning to Ashenvale to help his people. He is driven by the instinct to survive and the hope that he will one day live again.