Nyx

((This thread is on going, as Airrik's story progresses))

Once in Dalaran, there was a barkeeper by the name of Airrik. Considered a normal blood elf by many, he worked the late shift in one of the lounges in the busy city. During his employment, he met and fell in love with a lady blood elf priest named Emmalyn. All was well...

Little did Airrik know that after marrying this priest, she had done great works for her race. Such great works in fact, that she became the target of an assassination by the Alliance. After coming home one night he found her body had been half burned, her hair shaven, and clothes torn. The Alliance had slain his wife, and as a barkeeper, he hadn't the power, or even the courage to avenge her death...

After many nights without sleep Airrik decided to take his own life, but right before he could carry the act out, he sought fit to first at least attempt to gain the power needed to find revenge against the Alliance. He sought out the most powerful person he could think of... Arthas..

Upon speaking to the lich king, Airrik was promised to receive enough power to find and avenge his wife's killer. Arthas laid his sword to Airrik's neck, killing him. After this, Arthas would raise him from the dead, as a powerful death knight. Airrik was now free to find those responsible. However in exchange, Arthas had asked him to come back after the task was done, and lend his services to the lich king himself. Airrik was not foolish enough to think he could find true revenge on his own, so he began recruiting those who had also been wronged by the Alliance, this 'guild' would 'harvest' the Alliance until each member had fulfilled their revenge. In the meantime, Airrik would begin to gather intelligence on the act that had happened to his priest, and once her killer had been identified, a <Final Harvest> would be made. Founded by Elders who also had vendettas against the Alliance, they vowed to work together until each thirst for revenge had been met.

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Many moons had passed, and <Final Harvest> Grew in numbers, and made several successful battles against the Alliance. Progress was being made, and Airrik was being hailed as a commander of one of the quickest growing armies the horde had seen. With time however, unrest grew within the high elders of the harvest. As the Elders found their revenge, they lost the need to continue in the war against the Alliance. Without notice one morning, 4 out of 5 Elders left the Harvest. With their own selfish needs met already, they lost all loyalty to Airrik.

Meanwhile, Arthas had been watching, and losing patience himself. He didn't think Airrik's goals would take so long, and wanted to collect the debt of Airrik's service. When word got to him that the elders of the Harvest had left, he come to collect his debt early. He found Airrik one night, and told him he now only had one week to finish finding his wife's murderer, and no matter what the outcome, he would begin service for the Lich King.

Airrik knew he had to act fast to remain true to his own goals. He sought the dark lady Nyx herself the next day, as he had heard stories of her power.

Lady <Nyx> was kind enough to allow Airrik into the ranks of the Nyxians, where he would find his shelter. Lady <Nyx> knew that the Lich King would not dare try to collect his debt on a Nyxian, lest he upset the Dark Lady herself.

Now Airrik rests within the Nyxian service, but of course, still finds time to ponder his next step in finding his wife's killer...

((Permission was granted from Aitiana to use Lady Nyx in this back story. This back story was send via in game mail to Aitana for approval, which was given.))

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"What'll it be?"

Airrik was working a slow day shift in the Legerdemain Lounge, when a Blood Elf, clad in Silvermoon Ranger gear took a seat at the bar. It wasn't long before Airrik realized who it was however, and jumped across the bar. The ranger jumped up from his seat, and met Airrik with a warm embrace, then a friendly handshake, before Airrik went back to the other side of the counter. Airrik knew the ranger, as he was the one who first came to Airrik's cry for the help the night he found he wife slain. The Ranger, had been charged with finding the person responsible, since it occured in SIlvermoon. Of course, he hadn't been able to.

The ranger took a small sigh, "It's been a long time Airrik."

"Indeed it has, how are you?"

"Well, remember how, after so long... We were asked to give up on the investigation?" The Ranger frowned slightly.

"I remember" Airrik frowned too.

"Well, It's been over a year since we've not been been searching anymore and... Well, I have been looking still, secretly."

"I figured as much, you are very kind." Airrik slipped back into a smile.

"Well, after what happened, and how you found her... I thought she needed justice. Plus I had just joined the Rangers, and felt I had something to prove.. But, I can't search anymore..Listen Airrik, my commanding officer found out that I was still working on it, and, I risk losing everything if I don't let this one go. They say there's no use."

"I see..."

"Airrik, I'm very sorry. I know you've had your own demons since this has happened, and now, look at you. you're a death knight. If this how you really want to remember her?"

"It's what I have to do... It's all I have left. I have to find who did this, even if Silvermoon does not."

"I know you feel that way, so that's why I come here to give you this. It's the only piece of evidence I ever found. Of course, it didn't lead me anywhere."

*The ranger handed Airrik a silver necklace, with a symbol of the Alliance Lion.*

"Airrik, remember this? it's the necklace she had on. She was burned so badly... We, cleaned the necklace up some to try to make sense of it. It has the initials 'KOE' on it. We tried, but we couldn't find an Alliance commanding officer with those initials. That's where we hit a wall."

"Why didn't you tell me of these initials before?!?" Airrik shouted, louder than intended.

"We only found out a few weeks ago, Airrik.. I.... I'm sorry, friend."

The Ranger left in haste, fearing to upset his friend Airrik.

Later that night, Airrik lay in bed, dangling the necklace in front of his face. The newly cleaned necklace shimmered in the moonlight, and the initials 'KOE' stared at him. Under a sigh, and with great anger he muttered to himself.

"....Kingship.."

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After many moons, Airrik found himself tortured worse than ever in his brain. The image of his wife burned beyond recognition played over and over again. Everyone told him to ‘just let go’ but just ‘letting go’ wasn’t that easy, but he did deem it was needed.

Airrik knew that his wife had a love for ever song woods, so it was there he found himself clutching a large cloth pouch. This pouch contained the ashes of his wife. He hadn’t yet the summoned the courage to spread them in the woods like she would have wanted, and he struggled now to do the same. However, slowly, he lifted the pouch open, and lightly took some of her ashes in his hand, and watched and the wind took the ashes away, and into the forest without effort.

As Airrik began sobbing, he took another handful, and another, before finally they were all gone... With a deep breath, Airrik looked into the pouch that was now empty... Or so he thought...

In the bottom of the pouch, a small object stared Airrik in the face. A tooth. While finding the remainder may have been unsettling, to Airrik, it summoned all the anger in him. You see the tooth, was not that of a blood elf.. The tooth.. Was that of a human...

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“WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!?” Airrik yelled, sobbing from tears of sheer anger. He had stormed into the office of his friend, the silvermoon ranger once in charge of the investigation of the murder.

“Airrik.. What are you talking about?” He responded. His emotion seemed dead... Neutral at best, like he was afraid of what was happening, but had been expecting this day to some.

“Tell me why, Ranger, or better yet, you filth of a damn liar, why a Human’s tooth would be contained within my wife’s ashes. I’m not playing games with you anymore. I never trusted the initial investigation. How the hell I ever trusted you is beyond me. Tell the truth now, or die by it!”

The Ranger took a big gulp. “Airrik... You’ll kill me anyway..”

Airrik couldn’t draw a full breath.. his breathing was panicked, and shallowed... instinctive only.. “You’re right.. I will.. but if you tell me the truth now, you will at least die with honor. Take this lie to your grave, and you take with it, NOTHING, that your people stand for. You’ll lose all respect, and I will make it so, even as it should be the last of me. Now tell me!”

Airrik drew his sword in one quick motion, barely missing the Ranger’s head, but instead, striking the sword that lay in the corner. Airrik used such force, the he broke the Ranger’s sword clean in two, taking his defense in the room.

“How can I tell you anything but a lie? It’s all been a lie! Every damn thing that you hold in your heart is a lie Airrik!”

“Hold your tongue!” Airrik yelled, and brought his sword to the Ranger’s throat.

“Airrik, you don’t understand.. It’s all been a lie. I will at least give you the honor of explaining it before you send me to my grave.”

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“We needed you”, The Ranger began, “The Horde needed you. You were a bartender, Airrik, but my generals remembered you in the training field before. You were so powerful with a sword. They pleaded with you to go to war with them, but instead you chose to try a normal life. My generals sent word that you were to be made into a great asset in war, whether you liked it or not. So... I kidnapped your wife..”

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“You killed her?!?” Airrik yelled.

“No, I didn’t kill her. I brought her here, to try and see if she could influence you to fight for our cause. She said she stood by your decision. Loyal to you, above all else. I decided to turn her over to the Alliance, in hopes that you would go after her. I arranged with an informant of mine to meet in Ashenvale near Auberdine, but she escaped my grasp and went into the forest. We never found her since.

In absence of her body, we learned of a human female that had come to silvermoon city in hopes of getting paid for information about the Kingship of the East. She was the one I killed, and left in your apartment for you to find. I even brought you her necklace when I heard you had gotten back into bartending, to try and inspire you to fight even stronger. Of course, we never knew you would make a deal with Arthas, and when you joined Nyx we were pleased at first, until you began spending more time at the bar again.”

“Ranger”, Airrik replied, “You will now die with honor. To ensure a quick death, tell me... is she... still alive?”

Airrik relaxed long enough to let the Ranger grab his nearby Silvermoon tabard and put it on. “I can’t say for sure, but many moons ago I heard word that she was still alive. She feared coming back in Horde territory, and she hid out in Ashenvale. Why, it’s only hearsay, but myth has it that she has spent so much time hiding near the night elf encampments there that she hasn’t a need for arcane magic at all anymore, and that her skin has returned to darker shades, like that of the Kaldorei. Now Airrik, I ask that you please don’t severe the head.. my family seeks an open casket should I ever die in battle.”

Airrik raised his sword again, “No Guarantees”

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The next morning, Silvermoon guards found the Ranger slain. To this day his head has never been found.

Over the next years, Airrik began his search in Ashenvale, and every place else he could think of. He knew that the Horde would be wanting him for questioning, and his absence alone would warrant his death on sight, so he lived like he imagined his wife would be, camping in the forest. Airrik began to hunt his own food again, and little by little, his instincts took over as he began to try and track his wife.

His nights often ended with withdrawals from the arcane magic, that caused shivers, and sweats... Over a few years, these went away, and now Airrik too was immune to it’s sting. His skin began to take a purple shade, and his hair even regained it’s color. One day while getting water, Airrik caught his reflection and even noted to himself that he looked like those he used to kill. Kill... Airrik thought... All in vain? He had been tricked into killing the Alliance, when in fact the Horde had been responsible for the disappearance of his wife. So many lives slain, and how many of those were innocent? Airrik clenched his fist in anger as he thought of what the Horde had put him through, and through their trickery, made him do. His heart was heavy, and he needed to lift the weight to continue his search for his wife. He needed to confess his wrong doings, and he knew who to speak to.

Airrik sought out Tyrande Whisperwind. He now took the full appearance of the Kaldorei, and had no trouble penetrating their towns. Once she granted him an audience, Airrik told her everything. He feared she may kill him on the spot, and at didn’t care, for he was now fearing that his wife would never be found. High Priestess Whisperwind listened, and perked up when Airrik told her of his rage against the Horde for their trickery. She saw in him not just a tool in battle, but a lost soul needing a home. She absolved his sins in the name of the Kaldorei, asking only in return that he help defend it’s lands. The Priestess discussed the Horde attacks of their towns, and stated that help was always needed, but not required.

Airrik was blown away at the care shown for him, and where the Horde had made him fight without his knowing, now he was being asked to take arms against them.

In a ceremony only between the two, Airrik was pledged into the Kaldorei, and the Priestess had also offered shelter for his wife, should she ever be found. Airrik knew his wife had feared both the Horde and the Alliance, and now he sought to find her even more quickly, to let her know that they had a place to start over...

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