Aroes

Information

Player: aroes

Character Full Name: Aroes Blackstone

Character In-Game Name: Aroes

Nickname(s): Simon Orne

Association(s): Stromgarde(former), House Blackstone(destroyed)

Race: Human

Class: Priest

Age: 37

Sex: Male.

Hair: Black, tied into two ponytails.

Eyes: Brown

Weight:130 pounds

Height: 5'9

Skills/Abilities

Shadow Familair- Possesses a sentient shadowbeast by the name of Shog, is typically small enough to hide in his sleeve but grows larger as it consumes the energy of victims.

Appearance

Aroes tends to wear varying shades of gray in either robes or tunics while at home or in casual company. In a more professional setting he always wears a business suit and like any true gentleman, never leaves home without a hat on his head. He also wears a simple platinum signet ring depicting a slain lion on his left middle finger.

Personality

Aroes is a man of simple pleasures. He is content to simply sit by the fire with a nice glass of white wine and read a good book. In terms of his attitudes towards those that have just met him...he can appear silly, wholly uncaring, or just downright insane. He thrives in activities of the mind such as immediately picking up a book on some obscure topic and reading it cover to cover simply to quench his thirst for knowledge. It should be noted that with the destruction of Stromgarde and subsequent adventuring that he has grown somewhat of a soft spot in his heart for helpless or downtrodden individuals. In terms of attitude in battle, he lives by the motto "I'll slay them myself so I won't have to protect you."

History

Aroes was born shortly before the First War into the Blackstone merchant family. The family specializes in building expansive mines that yielded precious gems and ore fit for forging into steel. His grandfather and father were very disciplined men who made it a point to always appear their best whether it be within the home or at a public function. Much like a business, the family was run by a strict set of rules and -always- headed by the oldest living male. While growing up, Aroes was given access to a good private education in the studies of mathematics, reading, writing, manners, philosophy and business practices.

Business was not great initially after the First War due to major centers of export being burned to the ground. The family unanimously voted to convert all operations into supplying both labor and materials to aid in the reconstruction efforts of neighboring kingdoms, netting a healthy profit all the way. During this time Aroes simply had as much of a normal childhood that is physically obtainable within a family of closet shadow priests. From the daily reports he was forced to listen to while sitting in his father's study, A new war had started up again that directly affected Strom, His father was sent away to war as a battlefield surgeon for the duration of the Second War. During this war the family's operations suffered even greater setbacks than having to convert operations. Caravans were routinely lost and it was hard to support everyone with the drastically reduced income. The end of the war was no better either, Stromgarde, now having left the Alliance, made it much harder to export goods to neighboring kingdoms. They were eventually able to return to their former status after landing a contract to sell most of their steel forged blades to the Stromgarde army.

Towards the end of the Second War when Aroes came of age he was called into his grandfather's study one evening in the autumn. His grandfather walked to one of the bookcases and pushed it aside, revealing a spiral staircase that led into a dark meeting hall below the home. The walls were lined with bookshelves, alchemist tables, strange orange candles, and everything else occult. His grandfather turned to him and said. "You truly are your father's son, welcome to the true family. You see my boy, for generations we have used our force of will to get ahead in the world and it has brought us great wealth. As per tradition, you now have the opportunity to learn as well. You do not have to...there are always your brothers to replace you." Well the choice was brutally clear, he had to learn.

Over the next few years Aroes continued to do business in the family name, establishing contacts as far north as Stratholme. Most of the time he would be sent out simply to act as an envoy for the interests of the business, and occasionally engaging in side deals such as negotiating on behalf of others. Every night after evening meal though, he would study the family's forbidden texts. Most of the techniques focused not just on the dark magic aspect of it but the art of subtle manipulation and persuasive speaking as well. The world of merchanting isn't always friendly though, sometimes there was a need for people to disappear. Aroes learned to harness his force of will to be used for both attack and defense. The number one rule that the family enforced on all that practiced the forbidden arts was "never show your abilities."

It was probably the Third War that hit the Blackstone family the hardest. Strom fell to the likes of treachery, many of the family had been slain only to rise again from the dead and attack, and most of the once great holdings of land or mines would be unavailable for quite some time. It wasn't like the family to run away from a fight...it's just that the survival of the family was key. They fled into the mountains of Arathor only when it became certain that their(meaning Strom) kingdom would be lost. When the Scourge has been driven back or had otherwise simply receded, The remaining members held a meeting to decide what would be done now. It was commanded that each member take a portion of the wealth that had survived the war and go off in search of better prospects. His father traveled to Redridge and opened up a small blacksmith shop specializing mostly in mining tools. His uncle went north and hasn't been heard from since. Aroes made somewhat of a pilgrimage to Stormwind where he managed a small jewelry shop until the Burning Legion once again invaded.

The call to arms was answered when he first set foot through the dark portal, not as a foot soldier, but as a logistics coordinator. Throughout his campaign on the world against the demon scum, he had become rather fond of paradoxical feeling of peace within war and set up small lodgings within Shattrath, even allowing refugees to use them when he was called away. While on leave he made it a point to write down observations on the native species, customs on that world versus elsewhere..et cetera. When Outland became too boring for Aroes, he once again packed up and returned to Stormwind...not long had he been settled when the Lich King reared his ugly head and yet another call to arms was heard. He used a large portion of his savings to charter some ships and contract a crew. Upon reaching the Fjord, Aroes pledged his services to the Alliance, importing weapons, troops, and supplies in exchange for a commission and being allowed access to the rare ore and gems of the Frozen North. He maintained a small fleet of galleons in Northrend until a successful plot by his sister and brother-in-law stripped the holdings from his name. The injuries sustained during the assassination attempt damaged his left leg severely and destroyed his right eye, as a result he now walks with a staff or cane.

He spent several months recovering from an assassination attempt by said brother-in-law at the home of Therai, who instructed him in ways of shadow magic more ancient than the Arathi nation. Following his recovery, Aroes returned to Stormwind to work for his long time business partner, Lord Aulten Calethos. This continued for some months until a fire razed his manor and presumably killed Calethos. The lord's business was signed over to Aroes as per the last will and testament. Seeing opportunity in the coming war, he began requesting more and more weapons and armor to sell to the highest bidder. Going so far as to supply the Black Harvest for their siege on Southshore.

Following the Shattering, Aroes immediately turns his eyes to the west and devotes his ships to more philanthropic pursuits, realizing that the Twilight Cult and Deathwing are a much greater danger than even the Lich King was.