Dark Ranger

Dark rangers are elven rangers with a different focus. The dark ranger is a cunning character, adept at manipulating opponents. Forcibly raised from the dead, the former rangers of Quel'Thalas enjoy nothing more than sowing dissension and hatred within the enemy ranks.
==Introduction to the Dark Ranger==
When Sylvanas Windrunner, Banshee Queen of the Forsaken, regained her physical body, she realized that the natural world would never respond to her wishes again. Angered by this development, she turned to the arts that were becoming more and more natural to her: Necromancy. She altered her elven ranger teachings into a new form. Thus, the dark rangers were born. When the Lich King's power began to wane, his mental domination was weakened, and many of his undead became free of will again. Many undead elves including the dark ranger Sylvanas, found themselves free of will, and Sylvanas rebelled against Arthas, turning her banshees against their former king. After gaining control of the Tirisfal Glades, Sylvanas proclaimed herself Queen of the Banshees and leader of the Forsaken (the free-willed undead).
Many dark rangers are former banshees. The difference is dark rangers have regained their physical bodies, thus possessing greater powers.
Once fully trained, Sylvanas's dark rangers once again assumed their roles as guardians and hunters, now working for the Forsaken. Some undead, especially former elves, view rangers as a necessary force, and trust them implicitly. Other Forsaken view these shadow killers as relics of an old past, with an inability to move along with the times.
Dark Rangers serve as generals for Forsaken armies, as well as elite scouts and assassins. Like most Forsaken, dark rangers remain in the back lines, performing precision attacks and curses
==The path of the Dark Ranger==
Nearly all dark rangers are undead high elves found only among the Forsaken. No other faction has the elves' history coupled with the personal knowledge of shadows to learn the arts of a dark ranger. In fact, many dark rangers refuse to teach their arts to anyone who wasn't a former elf. While these rangers have slackened their restrictions some, most dark rangers were once elves.
There has been only one recording of a human ranger and subsequent dark ranger. Nathanos Blightcaller's resurrection as one of the Forsaken and service to the Dark Lady has earned him the rank of Champion of the Banshee Queen. He resides at Marris Stead in the Eastern Plaguelands.
Dark rangers are similar to their high elven cousins, but focus on shadowcraft more than nature. Dark rangers are silent and invisible stalkers of the shadows, felling unsuspecting opponents with a single arrow. Dark rangers still favor the bow as the ultimate weapon, using the same arts that Quel'Thalas taught for millennia. Their spells work with manipulating the essences of life and death, as well as various horrible curses and mind-enslaving abilities.
Dark rangers' senses grow sharper than even those of other Forsaken. The dark ranger learns how to fade into dark conditions, wrapping herself with shadows. The skilled dark ranger can notice the tiny movements of her enemies along with other visual and auditory cues that allow her to react more quickly in combat.
While they no longer study nature, dark rangers remain some of the best trackers in the world. Naturally, most dark rangers hail from the scout class, but many newer rangers are former rogues, who use their stealth abilities to act as silent and near-invisible slayers for the Dark Lady.
==Suggested Representative Classes==
*Hunter - Especially of the Undead variety. The specs perhaps most suited for this roleplay class would be Survival, and to a lesser degree, Marksmanship. Beast Mastery is without a doubt the least suitable, as beasts in general do not respond well to the Undead. However, if choosing to used undead, plagued or otherwise diseased beasts (or even Spirit Beasts), this might work.
==Dark Rangers of the Sha'tar==
* Mailinya Shadowstrider - Aided the Dark Lady for a time as her Master tracker and scout. She scouted in the Eastern Plaguelands where she tracked down the Death Knight Thel'is and also burned piles of corpses to hinder necromancy.
==Roleplaying Tips==
An elven ranger who dies and returns as a Forsaken undergoes a great shock. She can no longer cast elven ranger spells. While some may choose to let things be, most immediately seek out a dark ranger to relearn their arts.
An elven ranger seeking to convert to a dark ranger must, of course, have died, returned as a Forsaken, and seek to learn the arts of the shadow rather than the wild. This ordeal is difficult, as the dark ranger must twist everything she was taught about nature to start learning her darker trade. Then comes the hard part. A dark ranger-to-be must undergo a lengthy trial, where she unlearns everything she was taught as an elf and learns the new arts of a Forsaken.
Category:Roleplay Classes
Category:Forsaken
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Category:Undead
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