Norael

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Information

Player: Norael

Character Full Name: Norael Tel'arien

Character In-Game Name: Norael

Nickname(s): Nor

Association(s): The Blood Knights, Silvermoon.

Race: Blood Elf

Class: Divine Guardian

Age: 903

Sex: Female

Hair: Blonde, dyed crimson red

Eyes: A faded and dull green glow, flickering like a candle struggling to remain alight in the wind.

Weight: 193 pounds.

Height: 6'5


Appearance

Tall, somewhat broad shouldered, and with a slim yet muscular frame, Norael can easily be mistaken for a slimmer man of her race whilst in her armor. Beneath all of her armor is a mess of scars, ranging in size and intensity from the tiniest knicks from a blade, to what could have been mortal wounds. Her hair, dyed a crimson red to honor the fallen, as well as match her armor, hangs a few inches above her hips when let down from its normal pony tail.

Usual Garments/Armor: A mix of heavy and medium weight plate, chain, and leather armor, accompanied with a shield, sword, and secondary, larger weapon. Matches a color scheme of red and black.


Personality

Alignment: Neutral Good

Norael's personality is a mixed bag of mood-swings with slightly misplaced good intentions. Normally she comes off as a 'strong silent', keeping to herself when in public locations, and is even fairly introverted amongst those of the Order. Though if someone observes her long enough, they may catch on to some sort of old, lingering sadness that's kept with her for centuries. Her personality somewhat conflicts with her priorities as a Paladin, leading to difficult situations in her life. At best, she'll take a sword for you, protecting you to her fullest extent. At worst, she'll be breaking your arm or throwing you over the bar counter.

History

Early Years

Born to a wealthy merchant father and a priestess, Norael was raised in comfort, and some might even say luxury. She always received new trinkets and toys whenever she asked, and money was never an issue. Life was quiet and happy.

More than a half a century was spent living peacefully in Silvermoon, before she began traveling with her father, wanderlust having struck the young elf. From Silvermoon to what is now Stormwind City, and many cities in between, she saw quite a lot of what the world had to offer on this side of Azeroth, and she made many friends with the locals.

She began studying the Light, under the gentle urgings of her mother. What little time wasn't spent helping her father sell his wares was spent studying the thick, aged tomes on the Light. She learned quickly, and after a few years, she was finally able to call upon the blessed Light, to both her and her mothers delight. While less time was spent helping her father, she was often found nearby helping others in need, be it sickness, or grief of a loved one. It's no surprise she became part of the Church of the Light as a priestess in the following years.

Years pass, and gradually she moves to Stormwind City as a more permanent residence to allow her see to her duties as a Priestess. That doesn't mean she wasn't visited often by her mother and father, traveling across the continent to their ultimate destination.

Life as a Priestess earned her many friends. Helping one recover from illness or injury often had a way of forming friendships. Gradually Stormwind became a second home for her.


Adulthood

Norael flourished as a young adult. She mastered the basic and intermediate spells and prayers of the Light, and much of her time was spent fulfilling her duties. Her abilities as a healer shined especially brightly, capable of weaving the Light and mending even serious wounds. Throughout the years, she was approached by humans and elves alike to be healed.

There was one thing she would never be capable of healing, however.

Humans she befriended as early as their childhood were aging far beyond her. People she often spoke to daily were gradually fading away. Growing old and dying. She was not quite ready for it to happen. No one is usually prepared to see their friends pass away before their eyes. But, the world moves on, and essentially she did as well.

As the years continued passing by, the elf found herself with much more spare time. After pulling together what coin she saved over the last century or so, she went out of her way to purchase a piano. It was no grand piano, and the age on it was questionable at best, but it was tuned, and worked. It almost seemed magical what people were capable of on the mysterious wooden construction. One can barely keep up with their hands sometimes, and yet it would bring the most pleasant sounds to ones ears. Norael's playing was anything but pleasant for quite some time.

The years continued to pass, and as new generations came along, the priestess began finding herself in.. hostile situations. She had always been exposed to mild bouts of racism coming from the humans, but never before was she confronted and insulted, being screamed at as if she had murdered someones family. Dagger ears, blasphemer of the Light. Just a taste of things she was named, simply for being different. It became a plague to her, most often it was the same group of people who sought to torment her. Then it was a danger. They grew violent, either tired of her refusal to counter their harassment, or simply bored of being verbal. It went from rocks and garbage being thrown, to being physically assaulted by several of this 'gang' that endlessly harassed her.

She left Stormwind soon after. Could she blame all of the humans for what transpired over the months, years? Her fellow clergy were never like this to her. Still, she could not return. They had won, and driven her off. At least, until they perished, like every other human eventually does. She will live to see another generation, they won't. All will be normal, again.

She spent several decades back in her homelands, her family happy to see her again, entirely oblivious to her plight that caused her to return. Her mother and father had began to raise two more children over the last few decades-- A daughter and a son. While she had no real duties in her home, she did spend much time watching after her siblings, and, after being surprised by her father, practicing her musical talents on a brand new piano. He had shown much interest when she described her enjoyment in playing, and there was no stopping him from going out of his way to have one brought to their home. Life was good, once more.


Darker Times

Norael was married, once. To a merchant not unlike her father. His sweet, caring demeanor was replaced by a demanding, often violent personality once they were married. It was a mildly tragic marriage that ended swiftly in one violent lash towards Norael. Even if she knew better, his words still hit her hard. Her mood darkened for quite a while, and it only worsened as her father passed away, stuck down by bandits as he travelled south. Her family was left with his wealth, but it'd never bring her father back.

She began dabbling with darker magics. The Divine Shadow that's only spoken in whispers, and often not practiced in the open. Her intentions were good at first. To be able to fight for and protect those she loved, as well as herself. She returned to Stormwind shortly after her fathers death, armed with her growing knowledge of the Shadow.

Her intentions strayed, though. A want for knowledge had began to take her over. She wanted to know more and more about this new source of power, and how it worked. Her first victim was a squirrel skittering around the trunk of a tree, out in Elwynn Forest. It's pained squeals disturbed her, but as she continued to experiment on living creatures, her targets grew in size.

In the following centuries, she sank deeper and deeper into the dark magics, and her morality all but disappeared. Her targets of torture gradually became humans. Bandits, at first. They were evil, after all. They would've killed her just like they killed her father. And those people muttering 'dagger ears' under their breath. They were eventually going to attack her just like before. Everyone was out to get her. The world was nothing but foul and evil.

Rumors of a 'witch' spread in the small communities outside of Stormwind for a few years. A foul mistress who tortured and killed those found alone. And the rumors were mostly true. She had turned into an emotionless instrument of suffering. And when all but the tiniest sliver of her morality was gone, it was all brought rushing back to her. Another victim that would've likely meant the total loss of herself ended up reminding her of who she was. A crying elven priestess, not unlike her all those years ago.

She vowed to never wield the shadows again, and thus began the process of piecing back together her shattered emotions, and to once more understand right from wrong.


A New Beginning, and the First War

Decades passed, and even centuries. While she had spent long rebuilding herself, she was still an emotional wreck. Paranoia and fear was dominant, and anger was not far behind. Guilt was there too. Years were spent in fear of being finally found out for her crimes, but it never came to be.

The Light had long left her, and it was for many years still that it would finally return to her. By the First War, she had returned to her duties as a Priestess, though she was often distant and detatched from her work. She hurried to and from home to avoid contact with anyone, and rarely left the safety of her house.

Then the orcs invaded.

She was forced to defend her home. It would be a terrible thing to not help with the war effort. She left with the armies, and was kept in the back of the lines as a healer. She faced blood and gore she was not accustomed to, and it nearly drove her away. But she did not abandon those who fought for her and her home.

It was difficult as a healer, however. You could not spend too much time on one man, lest others suffer for your tardy actions. Begs and pleads for comfort would come from their mouths as she moved from one soldier to the other. All she could do was prevent, or in some cases, delay certain death. An officer of the Stormwind armies was often there to raise her spirits, however.

Captain Amadal. By no means a large man, he was spoken of as a great leader and a skilled fighter. He often departed as he reminded her it was time to be strong. If it was for him, she likely would have never remained as a healer, too disturbed by the work to continue.

The orcs were unstoppable, though. They pushed closer and closer to Stormwind. And after one particularily brutal battle, the same captain was brought under Norael's care. There was hardly a man there to heal, his lower body nearly removed by an orcs axe. Panicked and disturbed, there was nothing she could do. Her magic failed her, and all it did was delay his death. His dying words were an echo of the previous days. "Time to be strong again." The maimed captain shoved his helmet to the elfs chest, and expired shortly after. She spent the following hours with the captains helmet on her head, huddled in a tent. The retreat was called as the line was broken by the Orcs, and she was forced from her home. Stormwind was destroyed.


The Second War

Norael had grown vengeful after the First war. The Orcs were now the reason for her suffering and torment. When the call came to the clergy of the human kingdoms for a change, she was indeed among the priests who flocked to the so-called Silver Hand.

She was no warrior. In fact, she was almost everything but. Soft and weak, it was a struggle for her to keep up with the others. Her skill with weaponry was lacking, and her ability to keep up in armor was non-existant. But her determination and drive kept her amongst the ranks. That, and she wielded the Light to an extent that made up for her short-comings.

She took part in small skirmishes against the Horde, wearing the Silver Hand colors proudly. Her tall stature aided in surviving against the frenzied beatings of an axe on her shield, and the overwhelming numbers on her side ensured victory. At least, until she was brought to the major battles. She held her own, for certain. But with the bloodthirsty orcs, it was only a matter of time before she too became a casualty. With an axe cleaving into her abdomen, and tearing through her armor, she was swiftly taken out of the war effort, and forced to recuperate behind the lines. The war was rumored to end soon, though. She made good of her recovery, and spent the last few days doing what she knew best-- Healing the wounded.


The Third War, and the rise of the Sin'dorei

Norael returned home to Silvermoon, returning as a proud Paladin to her mother and siblings, blue and silver adorning her. She had found her place in the world, she felt. Protecting the innocent, and fighting evil face to face.

Though, it is hard to fight an evil that only grows stronger as your allies die.

The Scourge tore through Silvermoon, and there was chaos amongst the city. Norael commanded her mother to flee the city, and her siblings left with her. Whether or not they made it, she never found out. She joined the defense, ending in inevitable defeat as Arthas marched his way to the Sunwell, and defiled its waters. The elves were scattered throughout their forests.

With a bulk of the Scourge moved on, there was still a pressing matter of the still countless numbers of risen that walked through their destroyed home. Norael was a powerful force against the undead, being one of the few who still held on to the Light. Many felt the Light had abandoned them in their time of need. She, on the other hand, felt that even the Light was not capable of defeating what had besieged Silvermoons walls.

And now, with the loss of the Sunwell, her race was suffering. Enchanted items were drained of their magics by the desperate, and people begged and pleaded for an answer. When Kael'thas brought an answer in the form of demonic energy, Norael was instantly repulsed. She took to solitude, spending most of her time meditating in silence to make it through. When even she was near the brink of giving in, she would rather suffer than use it. But its energy flooded the city. It was everywhere. Even without so much as touching the vile magic, it left its mark upon her. Its lingering effects gradually painted her eyes with a dull, emerald green. Forevermore, she will be marked as a Blood Elf.


The Blood Knights

A new order had risen after the reclaiming of Silvermoon. The Blood Knights. Sworn to be the 'true masters' of the Light, the idea almost seemed blasphemous to Norael. They drained their powers from a mystical being of the Light, only further reinforcing her beliefs. And yet, they did what was right for Silvermoon. The Silver Hand was nowhere to be seen, now.

Norael joined the Knights just like many others, and thus began her career. Her free time begain to drastically dwindle into nothingness now. Her duties as a Blood Knight were far more rigorous than anything she had experienced before. And to even further better herself, in hopes of being able to help in a time of need, she spent long hours training her body. She became strong and a skilled wielder of her sword. But she did not limit herself to one weapon. Whenever she could spare the time, she spent time in trying to master many weapons, ranging from spears, to greatswords. She was becoming a fine warrior.

Then the time came to aid in the battle for the Sunwell. Driven by her new strength of mind and body, she was one of many to dive head-first into the demons that plagued the Sunwell. Little was thought about during the battle, and she fought with the fury that had welled up inside of her over centuries of mistakes and misery. It was a hard-fought victory she was more than proud to have taken part of.

Norael had little part in the campaign into Northrend. In fact, her time was spent in Silvermoon, attending to her duties as a Blood Knight, and training herself, and with others constantly. A patrol was never missed, and she was quite the combatant when it was necessary to thin the numbers of both Scourge, and the Wretched plaguing the other half of Silvermoon.

And as if out of nowhere, she began showing new talents with the Light, only adding to her martial skill. She never discussed where she gained this power, though. But her very body had become a vessel for the Light. Tattoos bearing prayers and blessings of the Light sprawl across her body, from ankles and wrists, all the way to her neck. She was becoming an excellent defender of the weak and innocent. Yet she kept to her duties, working day in, and day out for the betterment of her home.

Once more she heard whispers and rumors about herself. But instead of 'witch' or 'dagger ears', the chatty adepts would mutter out 'Champion'. It couldn't be nothing more than a rumor, however. While she had spoken about Master before, she always felt Champion was out of her reach. A fleeting dream, if you will. The days and weeks continue to pass, and she kept to her duties as before. And yet, what if it was true? That little thought pushed her into action. She began to lead patrols now, instead of following or patrolling on her own. While the Scourge and the Wretched were no longer a huge threat to Silvermoon, she and the patrols she led made progress. Numbers were thinned, and reports of innocent people being attacked we down. Maybe the idea of her being Champion was let out to see if she would take the initiative. She cannot know for certain. But they day arrived where she was called before the leading members of the Order. After a short ceremony, the Paladin had found herself granted the great title of Champion, and was given a greater responsibility. She must care for her fellow Knights as much as the citizens of Silvermoon.

There's still much to be done.


Skills and Abilities

Divine Charge - Less of a charge, and more of a bolstered Blessing of Freedom, the user is momentarily freed from the 'restraints' their body and mind typically has, granting them enhanced senses, speed, and power. For a few, precious seconds, the user is capable of performing great feats of unnatural strength and speed, such as charging an enemy whom is not prepared for the attack, or more preferably, dashing to the aid of ones ally, potentially saving them from what would be a life-ending blow. As great of a boost as this may seem, it puts massive strain on the users muscles, and even their heart. While one use may not immediately affect them, it will leave them drained after their encounter, and possibly cause long-term health concerns. If used again without much rest, or even immediately after another, they risk much, much more serious problems for their body

Redemption Aura - The user of this aura gradually sacrifices their own well-being to offer protection, and even gradual healing to allies in the area. Damage taken by those affected will seem diminished, while the follower of the Light will receive what harm that their ally did not. The healing aspect of this aura is a great strain on ones mind and stamina, and poses a threat to ones well-being should they allow it to continue for too long. As such with any of the Lights power, the evil and undead may find themselves uncomfortable in the range of this aura, if not in a minor to moderate amount of pain. Combining the defense provided by the Devotion Aura, and the Blessing of Sacrifice provided by determined paladins, it can prove to be a powerful aura, should the user survive long enough for others to benefit.

Bulwark of the Light - By channeling the Light through ones shield, the user can project a much larger barrier, capable of absorbing and deflecting evil magics, and lessening the threat of other projectiles, magical or otherwise. While not incredibly draining, this ability does demand nearly full concentration to maintain. As is the way of the Light, evil and undead beings that pass through the barrier directly may suffer mild damage, though the barrier itself poses little to no obstruction for such beings, allowing them to pass through with some effort.

Divine Barrier - A nearly impenetrable shield, so long as the user can maintain concentration. Kept immobile and otherwise inable to act, the barrier also keeps nearly all forms of harm away. While it could allow time for rescue to arrive in a time of need, it can also prove to just delay the inevitable.

Empowered Healing - For a short amount of time, the user is capable of great healing, potentially restoring lost limbs, or bringing one at the brink of death back to health. This is extremely demanding on the healers body however, and it's unthinkable of being able to use such healing power over and over again, let alone in the following days.

Empowered Auras - Norael's auras are powerful indeed, proving effective in defending herself and her allies in times of need. They only add to her strengths as a capable protector of the good and innocent.

Bane of Evil - Due to her deep understanding of the Shadows, as well as her connection to the Light, Norael is highly resilient against evil magics, namely the Shadow and demonic magics. Magical attacks against her mind and body are reduced in effectiveness.

Requirements/Weaknesses: Adherence to the Light - Norael must remain as close to the teachings of the Light as possible. If she strays with questionable deeds, her abilities begin to weaken, becoming nearly useless eventually, and she even loses access to some of her abilities, becoming entirely unusable. If she commits an evil deed willingly, all abilities are lost just as the Light is.

Embodiment of the Light - Norael has chosen the painful process of tatooing her entire body to dedicate herself to the Light, but it serves more than one purpose. The inscriptions and prayers of the Light marked across her body also serve as the source of her strange and new abilities. If they are damaged in any way, they must be entirely replaced, the ability they pertain to being unusable.

Encumbered - Not by any means a slow, clumsy brute, Norael is however weighed down by heavy equipment and armor. Years of harsh training have proven effective in strengthening her body and making it used to the burden, but while she is fully equipped, actions during fast-paced movement become difficult and often slow. Momentum is an evil mistress.

Overbearing Justice - Norael must seek to put an end to Evil whenever she witnesses it, the only exception being when it is obviously pure suicide. Allowing an Evil deed to go unpunished will lead to a weakening of her abilities, and allowing an evil deed to happen with no attempt to stop it may as well be commiting evil herself, leading to the loss of the Light entirely. This however means her charging into situations not exactly beneficial for her health.