Taldren

Information

Appearance

Usual Garments/Armor: During his leisure time he prefers wearing reinforced leather, while otherwise being seen in the armor specific to a Warden. As for weapons, besides the glaive and numerous blades attached to his cloak, he carries a special dagger, who’s blade length is between that of a one-handed sword and a regular dagger (kodachi). He also carries a set of lockpicks, smoke bombs and metal vials for potions and medication.

Other: As for his appearance, Taldren can be quite imposing due to his height and slightly savage look. His body (chest, back, shoulders, upper arms and legs) is covered in scars left behind by a variety of weapons, ranging from sharp to blunt, as well as fangs and claws.

Personality

Taldren is loyal to his people, to the extent of being willing to give his life without hesitation for their protection. He will stand by any Kaldorei as long as they have not went against their people, the elf not having raised his sword against one of them his whole life, no matter the treatment he received. He expects the same from his fellow elves however, being quite easy to disappoint him or even lose his respect if shown that one is not willing to stand for their kin.

Free spirited and independent, he does not believe in the superiority of women, in any regard. If anything he considers that one can do whatever he sets his mind to, no matter the gender. He also prefers efficiency over anything, being more than willing to break the rules or fight dirty, especially if it serves the greater good. It is obvious that he is not a shining example when it comes to following tradition, considering what he chose to do, however he is polite and respectful to those that deserve it.

He holds a grudge against the Sisterhood of Elune for not acting against the orcs the moment they settled in Ashenvale, considering that the leaders of the Kaldorei failed their people in that regard. While being distrustful when it comes to the Highborn, he does not shun them upfront, nor does he judge them as a whole, giving each individual the chance to prove themselves.

As for his views on the other members of the Alliance, he has learned to appreciate the help they can offer against their common enemy, as well as the benefits of cooperation as opposed to isolation.

History

Taldren was born in Winterspring to a huntress and a weapon-smith, the elf growing up in the cold north of Kalimdor. To his father’s disappointment, it was clear from a young age that his son had no inclination whatsoever towards the druidic arts, crushing the man’s dream to see his offspring as more than a craftsman. His disappointment only grew when his son didn’t show any talent for smithing either, as the extent of Taldren’s ability regarding the craft was repairing and maintaining a weapon. To top it off, when the young elf’s interest proved to be the very weapons his father crafted, more precisely wielding them, the weapon-smith lost all hope for the legacy he planned to create. His mother was of the same thought and she tried to discourage her son from following the path he had started walking on. Eventually she convinced her mate to take more interest in him and even impose on their offspring that he should just accept his role in life and keep studying under his father, in the hopes of becoming a decent craftsman one day. Fed up with the critiques and unwilling to bow down to what fate had apparently in store for him, Taldren left. He stole a pair of daggers, a traveling cloak and what coin he found in the smithy before running away. Leaving Winterspring, his family and the only home he knew, he went west, to the northern part of Ashenvale forest, or as it is known now, Felwood.

Once there, the elf tried to convince numerous trainers to take him under their wing and teach him their fighting styles, only to be turned away, trying to join the Sentinels as a last resort, even though he knew he had little to no chance of succeeding. He did not expect, however to be mocked, ridiculed and humiliated in the process for being “a male that wanted to do a female’s job”. Burning with hatred and, in his opinion, self-righteous anger, he left once more, retreating deeper into the thick forest. He made himself a camp and started living off the land, finding more than enough food by gathering fruits or hunting beasts. It came at a cost though, for his inexperience made him stare death in the eye more than once, as the young elf came close to becoming prey while trying to be a predator. He remained there for the following three millennia, almost like a hermit that visited settlements from time to time to trade pelts and trophies taken from animals in exchange for gear, weaponry and its upkeep. What he prized the most were books that detailed fighting styles and techniques, both offensive and defensive, as well as information regarding when the Sentinels held their training sessions and where, so he can sneak a peek and learn whatever he could by watching them fight.

In the first half of those three thousand years Taldren kept mostly to himself, time during which he got familiar with and mastered the use of various weapon tiers, ranging from one-handed and two-handed weaponry to dual wielding, as well as the use of devices such as smoke bombs, traps and the properties of different herbs, ranging from healing, releaving pain, inducing hallucinogenic effects and poisoning. He even started ingesting minute quantities of various poisons, increasing the dosage over time and developing a tolerance to them so that they cannot be used against him, should the enemy get a hold of his weapon and injure him with it. During this time he also developed a physique worthy of a warrior, adding to the imposing effect his height had. Already having a natural brute strength, he did not focus so much on increasing it, focusing instead on becoming quicker, trying to create a balance between the speed-strength ratio his body could offer, which took many of his opponents by surprise when he showed just how fast he can move. In the second half of the three millennia he began wandering the elven territory, heading from one area to another, lending a hand wherever it was needed and the Sentinels didn’t offer it already. In the meantime he started hunting the few demons that still hid throughout the forests, especially satyrs that preyed on travelers. He took immense satisfaction out of making them suffer, his preferred method of defeating them being a tactic of assault and retreat, causing as much confusion as possible while engaging them repeatedly until the satyr in question would try to flee. That is when he would strike and immobilize them, torturing the satyr before decapitating him. Afterwards he would leave the head impaled on a spike, with the maimed body at the base of it, as a message to any other demons that might see it.

By the time this period of three millennia was coming to an end, Taldren had succeeding in becoming a close resemblance to a weapon-master. It did not come without a price, as living mostly in isolation for all this time, as well as suffering numerous physical traumas while fighting for the protection of the people that rejected him caused him episodes of depression, not to mention a constant feeling of suffering that ended only when he was locked in battle, only to resume afterwards. Violence and brutality used against anything that might threaten the people he sought to fit in with had become his world, for that is all he had known for a lifetime. The adrenaline surging through his body while fighting an opponent was now the only thing left that made Taldren feel alive and ironically, the dedication to prove himself to the Kaldorei that brought him to this was now also part of what made them reject him, most of them considering him a brute, beast or a savage for the tactics he used.

All the bad opinions regarding him did not count for much when the War of the Shifting Sands had begun and the Kaldorei needed every abled body they could get. His request to join the fight was granted easily, Taldren now serving as a soldier and scout in the elven army. It was unlike anything he had seen or experienced before: all out war with an enemy that did not feel fear or remorse, just the desire to kill you. To call the endless months of battle brutal would be a severe understatement as the Kaldorei army clashed time and time again with the insectoid creatures. Taldren thrived on all of it, as he finally felt alive, finally felt like he belonged somewhere: in the blood soaked sands, fighting side by side with his comrades- he could not imagine being someplace else. By the time the barrier was created and the Silithid trapped, Taldren was a completely different person. Surviving this war had not only made him even more deadly, but had also taught him some valuable lessons: how pride can lead to one’s downfall, how powerful an impact the demoralizing effect of losing a leader can be and how strongly it can ignite the passion of the troops to avenge their fallen general, how fighting side by side with others is always more desirable than fighting alone, no matter how skilled one is.

By the time he returned to Ashenvale after the war had ended, Taldren had made a few friends, all of the survivors of the conflict with the Silithid. Being seen in their company often, as well as them spreading word of his actions has gained the renegade elf enough respect among his kind as to not be shunned on sight and even be able to live in a settlement without someone objecting, at least right away. Even so, this transition was not easy for him as his introverted nature and isolationist habits made it very difficult for him to adjust to being among his people, even though that is what he has sought for so many years. As time passed he managed to adapt to this kind of life, growing to enjoy the company of others, especially his friends, for whom he had developed a fierce loyalty. Despite all this, his brash attitude, hotheadedness and impulsive nature still got him into trouble from time to time, but nothing so serious as to warrant the hatred of others. So happened that because of the small group of people that accepted him and became more than just comrades to him, Taldren managed to find some semblance of peace, learning while at it to be more compassionate, patient and disciplined, to the point of being able to function normally in elven society and even be able to resist the occasional goading he received for being a male wielding a weapon.

The orcish invasion of Kalimdor took him by surprise, finding out about it when him and two other elves were suddenly facing the green brutes. He was the only one who survived the encounter and barely at that, the elf falling to the effects of combat stress reaction, finding out for the first time in his life what it meant to be broken. Luckily for him he was found by a Sentinel patrol and taken to safety, where he was cared for by one of his friends, a druid that was responsible for mending the injuries of his outfit during the war with the Silithids. The mending offered to him worked wonders as the soothing effects of the magic took over, which only helped him snap out of his state faster. He was no longer the same however as he reverted to his old self, as the waves of anger and rage could be matched only by his unquenched hatred and desire for revenge. Unfortunately by the time he recovered the orcs were no longer the top priority as the demons had returned, which drove him even deeper into following his need for revenge as he now had two enemies to eradicate for defiling his home. The Third War took an even heavier toll on him, as for each battle with the demons he lost a friend or someone he knew well, to which were added the numerous physical injuries sustained, which almost got him killed as he would fight until he could not stand anymore.

After Archimonde was defeated and the demons have been grinded to a halt, it took him a few months to fully recover, physically and mentally. His recovery was impeded when the Sisterhood of Elune decided to take no action against the Orcs that remained in Ashenvale after the Third War was over. Enraged and infuriated, he took it upon himself to rid the elven lands of the filth that butchered and maimed his people, killed Cenarius and slain his friends. He embarked on a five year campaign to sate his vengeance, caring a one man war on the orcish invaders using guerilla tactics. In this period he used traps and ambushes against the orcs and now the increased number of demons, fighting day and night to keep his people safe, even if their leaders would do nothing about these threats. It was now when he had fallen so low that not even his surviving friends recognized him: he became obsessed with killing the enemy, starting to use pain-dulling concoctions brewed from plants to keep him going, keep him alert and keep him in the fight, becoming addicted to them. At this point Taldren started believing that the Goddess was punishing him for defying tradition and not accepting his role in elven society, considering that she was keeping him alive just so he can suffer, which was the only way he could explain to himself how he had survived for so long. He finally realized what he had become when he heard of the intent to bring down the barrier that kept the Silithid trapped, immediately putting an end to his rampage and seeking out his druid friend, whom he asked to help cleanse him and get him back on his feet so he can join the forces headed for Silithus. His friend was not pleased with the reason for which he chose to put an ended to his madness, but he did not object, considering that it would be far better than the way he already was. Free of the pain medication he had grown accustomed to, Taldren bid farewell to his friend and headed for the desert, considering it his duty to finish what was started a thousand years ago.

It was there that he met a Warden which, after witnessing what he was capable of in combat, decided to give him a chance at becoming something greater than the guilt ridden wreck he had become. After the Silithid threat was nullified, Taldren returned to Ashenvale with the Warden and began the arduous training that awaited him. It took him five years to see it to completion, being helped by the fact that he already had the weapon training and combat experience, the only things left to master being the discipline, magic and the physical training that allowed Wardens to be so fast while wearing plate. The training, bringing a rigorous discipline and clarity of though with it, had made him realize that perhaps he was wrong about the Goddess, since she was now allowing him to be one of the most stout protectors of his people. The same training, although very close to completion, was interrupted by the Shattering, the elf postponing it in favor of helping the Kaldorei with whatever he could, especially as the conflicted with the orcs had ignited and turned into full out war. He carried on like this for a few months before realizing that he had to finish what he started, returning to Mount Hyjal to continue his study of the philosophy followed by the Wardens and complete his training.

While there, the first of their kind, Maiev Shadowsong, was given as an example to follow by some and by others as a lesson to be learned. He personally felt compassion for her, understanding what it means to follow your obsession so blindly that it leads you to ruin and seeing how it happened to the best of the Wardens he took the lesson to heart, vowing to never let himself become like that ever again.

Although now a full-fledged Warden, Taldren still has a lot to learn, about himself and what it means to hold such a position among the Kaldorei. The struggle with his past still plagues him, despite his control over his emotions, the elf now seeking the council of more experienced Wardens than him, constantly trying to improve his abilities and do everything in his power to be worthy of the title bestowed upon him. However, his purposes and goals in life have remained the same from the moment he began walking on this road: protect his kin, find the peace he has sought for so long and, if still possible, have a family of his own one day.

Skills and Abilities

Alchemy and herbalism: He is capable of brewing healing potions, poisons and powerful pain medication, while recognizing and knowing the effects of the majority of herbs found in upper Kalimdor.

Lock enthusiast: Everyone needs a hobby and Taldren has picked lockpicking. For educational purposes, of course.

Map of Scars: Over four millennia, the elf has survived more close encounters than he can remember, the marks left by them on his body being testament to his ability to endure great amounts of pain and survive them. [Receives +2hp in combat, if agreed on by the opponent.]

Orc Hunter: Taldren’s obsession with removing the orc presence from Kaldorei lands has forced him to learn everything there is to know about his target, from physical attributes and weaknesses, to tactics used and cultural beliefs that can be used against them. [Receives 1+ damage on all attacks while fighting Orcs, if agreed on by the opponent.]

Poison Resistance: Ingesting various poisons, as he started with small doses which he increased over time, has allowed Taldren to develop a tolerance to them.

As for the traits and abilities of a Warden, he has mastered all of them, although some still give him trouble:

Blind Justice: The explosion used to shatter a blade is more powerful, but an accuracy penalty is suffered while aiming the shrapnel, which will affect all the targets in a given direction, friend or foe.

Avatar of Vengeance: While being fully capable of making the spirit of vengeance manifest, Taldren’s own guilt over losing loved ones over the years has affected him. Using this ability require a lot more concentration on his part than it normally would.

Taldren

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