Conflict and hatred afflict the world of Azeroth, a disease that has been spreading for generations. Horde and Alliance march to war endlessly, and no accord seems to put an end to the hostilities.
Teldrassil has burned.
Lordaeron is in ruins.
But i...
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The soft Highlands breeze stirred his hair, as he gazed upon the vast and now war-torn lands of Arathi from the heights of Thoradin's Wall. During his childhood, he had always enjoyed climbing the Wall with his friends, trying to avoid the crumbling and weakened stones. From up there, they could see both Arathi and Hillsbrad, and far in the distance, Alterac Mountains. There, they felt like kings, and Stromgarde was theirs.
Now, he was alone, a humble servant of the Holy Light, with no childhood friends to accompany him. Argheros Irondawn carried five golden tokens attached to his holy armor, one for each of his fallen comrades. Erick, Alfonse, Maya, Elyna and Rose followed him everywhere when they were kids and the kingdom of Stromgarde was vast and powerful.
They were born during the first war against the orcs, and they grew up during the cruelties of the second war. When the merciless Horde assaulted the northern kingdoms, the Alliance rose up to defend their lands, including Stromgarde. Orcs, trolls, ogres, even goblins and dragons, all rallied together to bring human civilization to the ground. An army of monsters and a war from the most horrible nightmares.
Eventually, the Alliance prevailed over the Horde, but Elyna and Rose didn't survive the orcish savagery. Even though the war was over, a group of pillagers raided their village before they could realize what was happening, and there were no survivors left. Argheros tried not to think that the orcs may have eaten them; but that thought still haunted his dreams, after so many years.
In spite of the Internment Camps, peace was far from being achieved. He and his remaining friends grew up in the middle of a political conflict with Stromgarde's neighboring kingdoms for the control over Alterac, until this city eventually fell and the infamous Syndicate arose from the ranks of their people. Erick lost his life to their assassins, during one of his first patrols as a young soldier trainee.
Years later, the coming of the Scourge hit the northern kingdoms. They weren't ready for such enemy, and they lost Maya to the Undead just before Arthas departed to the cold wastes of Northrend. They were wise enough to burn her body, and wise enough to follow Jaina to the west instead of Arthas to the north.
Alfonse and Argheros helped in founding the first human settlements in Kalimdor. They were young footmen, but they fought side by side with the most hardened veterans against the new Horde. It was during that expedition that they met Syla, a bold Kul Tiras sailor with a talent for stealth and subtlety. She was incredibly resourceful, and reminded them of brave Maya.
As they followed Jaina to the north of Kalimdor, a night elven arrow reached Alfonse's heart before humans and night elves became allies. Syla and Argheros buried him in the forests of Ashenvale, under an ancient tree that now, after all those years, engulfed the grave with its roots.
Argheros had no family either. His parents, two proud knights from Stromgarde, had fallen fighting the orcs. His mother survived long enough to accompany the Sons of Lothar to Outland, where she perished heroically. He had found new brothers and sisters within the Church of the Holy Light, a faction he joined after the Battle at Mount Hyjal. He invited Syla to do the same, but she refused energetically.
