Legassa (Gandrelas Belrande)

[Tsaphaan]

The story of the Forsaken known as 'Legassa' starts long before Arthas had all but destroyed Silvermoon City. Legassa was originally known as Gandrelas Belrande, a highly devout Holy Priest of the Light. He was a family man and teacher in the philosophy of the Light as well as, due to his natural affinity for magic, a very capable healer. He married early in his life- his beloved was a woman of great beauty and greater heart, often working to aid both Gandrelas and other caregivers in his order. She bore him a son who was of an extremely adventurous sort, always finding trouble if it didn't find him first. Gandrelas did his best to impart the virtues of patience and self-control upon the boy, but it seemed his spirit was much too chaotic to tame. Regardless, the three of them loved each other and were the ideal High Elven family.

Gandrelas had planned a sort of pilgrimage to the city of Stratholme where he would meet up with humans of his order and begin to plan on ways to further spread the true philosophy of the Light, as they believed some to be learning its practices the wrong way. He had also hoped his son's yearning for adventure would be a bit more sated by travelling outside of the country. It was on the trip back to Silvermoon that Amani trolls ambushed them. Gandrelas was no combatant, but he protected his family with all his might. He eventually caused the trolls to flee, however not before they dragged his wife away with them. They mutilated her body in the process, too much for Gandrelas to heal. He lost his wife that day. And his son lost both his mother and any want for staying in the forests.

Time passed and the two of them slowly drifted apart, Gandrelas could never forgive himself for taking her along with him, for his insufficient healing skills, for his son having to watch his mother die... the list went on. His son knew there was little that could be done but vengeance drove him to take up the blade and practice so that he could 'right the wrong'. The two of them began secretively training for combat, their hearts hardening with each spell and swing of the weapon until an arguement broke out between them. His son left the city by boat and began the life of a sailor, seldom to be seen again. Gandrelas had realized all too late that he had allowed the very philosophy he had taught slip away from him. As a result he felt even more regret and failure, as he had lost another loved one. He was stagnant. Stuck between the want to better his defensive skills in order to protect others (and, a deeper seated emotion, to get revenge himself) and his passifistic teachings. He chose to remain with his former philosophy.

Arthas marched up what is now the dead scar, years later, and launched his assault on the sunwell. Gandrelas instantly took to arms but began healing, his skills (with his pious devotion helping) allowed his healing to exceed even some of the combat medics that were on the front lines. He was asked to take over for a few of the fallen medics, which he reluctantly did. It was then that Arthas had crossed into the city and began assaulting the sunwell. Gandrelas saw that the defenders were swiftly falling faster than healing could repair them... he then recalled the fight with the trolls and sought to, in some way, avenge his wife's death. With all his passifism pushed aside at last, he boldly took arms against Arthas himself as the young king rode in. Gandrelas fell shortly after from the Death Knight's deathcoil- a direct blow to the elf's face. What happened next to the city is all history.

Gandrelas' body was intact, though his face was almost entirely wiped off. He rose as a minion to the Scourge, though he soon managed to break the will of the Lich King thanks to both his awesome willpower and the Lady Sylvanus' efforts. His life from there to present was one of struggle to recall how exactly he came to be the creature that he is. His powers were slowly returning as well, albeit through dark means. His faith in the Light had all but been diminished and he now used his powers to wield Shadow instead. His hatred kept him moving in his search for greater power in order to get vengeance, however he had become very twisted. No longer caring for civil niceties (not that a lack of a face was of any help to this) he became a walking conduit of hell-bent evil. He called himself 'Legassa' the name that belonged to an old demon who believed to preside over the aspect of paradox. Any social interaction that needed to take place was very terse and disturbing at best. Through his quick mastery of dark powers, he could communicate telepathically in order to do whatever business he needed. As you can imagine, this made others ill-at-ease. Legassa became reclusive out of both necessity and apathy to both living and unliving things. It was by chance that he would one day overhear a conversation as he went into the Undercity to retrieve supplies. What he heard pertained to his son's exploits after he had left Silvermoon.

Legassa began probing minds in order to discover all that he could. Once he learned that his son had died but left the world with a boy of his own, the fiendish Shadow Priest's heart softened a bit. He was once again filled with sadness and regret, as he blamed himself for his son's departure. However if he truly had a grandson now, perhaps there was a bit of hope for him yet. He would begin seeking his grandson and perhaps then he could find a way to redeem himself of his self-accused sins. How? He did not quite know. But his instinct told him that perhaps something could be done.

No longer the fiend he had embraced becoming once before, he rekindled his healing nature. Though he felt he had slipped too far to be entirely in good standing with his old ways, he knew that he could at least do some good before suffering his final death. Legassa became something of a martyr. In his most recent quests, he purposefully sought out adventurers who fell to danger and would boldly step in front of even the most fearsome of creatures to save them. Though he would suffer many wounds, his will was indominable. Through willpower alone he would bear the slings and arrows of others until he could master his powers and piece together what is left of his former life.

Godspeed, being of paradox.