Aidan Haltham

Sir Aidan Haltham is a human paladin, born in the Kingdom of Stromgarde. Formerly a knight of the Order of the Silver Hand and an Argent Templar, he followed Highlord Tirion Fordring when he combined the two orders into the Argent Crusade.
==Appearance==
Pale skin, shadows beneath his eyes, and often emotionless expression tend to leave people wondering if there is a spark of life left within the man, but engage Sir Aidan in conversation and you will soon learn that, despite his taciturn appearance, he is a very friendly man.
His brown hair is worn shoulder-length and well kept, offset by a neatly trimmed beard and mustache. Silver-blue eyes watch from beneath dark brows.
His skin bears many scars from battles past, some appearing much older than others, the most noticeable running from just under his right eye, across the bridge of his nose and down his left cheek, ending at his jawline.
==Arms and Armor==
Sir Aidan carries a number of small weapons, but is most often seen with a small warhammer at his hip and a shield bearing the insignia of the Argent Crusade on his back.
His armor is a mix of chain mail and plate cover, in polished steel with golden or bright bronze trim, as is standard among the Crusaders of Light's Hope. Each piece shows signs of long wear, over which he wears a tabard of the Argent Crusade.
==Additional Items==
Among the items always in his possession are a book of litanies, a leather-bound journal, and a number of small trinkets of devotion.
=History=
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Aidan Haltham is the son of Sir Matthis Haltham, one of the first paladins of the Knights of the Silver Hand. Founded after the First War by Uther the Lightbringer, these brave knights were trained in the spirit of the Clerics of Northshire, talented both in the arts of war and the Holy Light.
==Youth (580 K.C. - 597 K.C.)==
Squired as a knight as soon as he was old enough, then later as a paladin, Aidan's youth was filled with training in arms and lessons in following the Light.
At just six years old, young Aidan was given his first steel sword, to replace the wooden one that he had held for as long as he could remember. As often as was able, his father would spend time with him, teaching him the ways of sword play and discipline, bonding with his son in a way that Aidan would never forget. There was not a fencepost around that stood a chance against these lessons and, before long, the boy was ready to be a squire.
At the side of one of the famed Knights of Stromgarde, Aidan would learn about not only the ways of war, but also horsemanship and gallantry.
==The Second War (597 K.C. - 598 K.C.)==
After the First War had come to a close, Uther the Lightbringer and Archbishop Alonsus Faol called upon the knights of the newly formed Alliance of Lordaeron to come together in a time of need, forming the Order of the Silver Hand. Sir Matthis was among the many who answered the call, bringing along his now teenage son as his own squire.
The family moved to the Kingdom of Lordaeron, where Aidan trained with knights from all across the human lands, and with talented clerics who showed him how to wield the Light and be a force of goodness.
It was just after his eighteenth birthday that Aidan took up his sword and shield for the first time as a full Knight of the Silver Hand, fighting alongside his father at Tyr's Hand, Caer Darrow, and the Destruction of Alterac.
Pushing onward, and under the command of Uther the Lightbringer, the Knights of the Silver Hand made their way to the Dark Portal, for the bloodiest battle of the Second War. It wasn't until the battle lay still that Aidan realized all that was lost that day. His father, an honored knight of Stromgarde and noble man, lay slain on the field. It was there, before the ruins of the Dark Portal, that Aidan made a vow that he would always endeavor to be the kind of man his father was.
==The Third War (612 K.C. - 613 K.C.)==
Continuing his service with the Knights of the Silver Hand, an older and more weathered Sir Aidan stood with Uther the Lightbringer when they were called upon to journey with Prince Arthas Menethil and Lady Jaina Proudmoore to investigate a strange plague that had gripped the northern lands.
When Prince Arthas disbanded the Silver Hand in reaction to Uther's unwillingness to slaughter the people of Stratholme, Aidan followed the Lightbringer and left the Prince behind. Later he would return to assist in burying the dead.
When Arthas returned home to Lordaeron sometime later with the cursed blade, Frostmourne, and took out his vengeance upon King Terenas and Uther, many of the former paladins of the Silver Hand lost their lives defending. Those who survived scattered. The Order was no more.
As many of the other surviving members did, Aidan followed the path of the newly formed Scarlet Crusade, though he would find their methods too severe and never ultimately join them.
After the death of Alexandros Mograine, however, when the corruption of the Scarlet Crusade had become apparent, Aidan would join with those who abandoned the Crusade to form the Argent Dawn. With them, he would battle the Scourge throughout the human nations, eventually becoming one of the organizations rumored Templars.
==The Dark Times (613 K.C. - 619 K.C.)==
With the news that Thoras Trollbane had been assassinated and Stromgarde had fallen to the Syndicate and the Boulderfist Ogres, Aidan threw himself more fully into his service with the Argent Dawn, fighting for goodness and justice in a world that felt as though it had begun to unravel.
==Wrath of the Lich King (619 K.C. - 620 K.C.)==
The renewed invasion of the Scourge returned Sir Aidan to a singular purpose and when Highlord Tirion Fordring called for the rebuilt Order of the Silver Hand to join with the Argent Dawn and the remnants Scarlet Crusade in forming the Argent Crusade, there was no hesitation in his willingness to join.
With his shield on his back and his weapon in hand, Aidan traveled to the north with the Crusaders, in a plan to push back the Scourge and stop Arthas once and for all. He fought with them through Northrend, to Icecrown, and eventually into the Citadel itself.
Nearly finding his end on the Broken Front, Aidan was there when the gates of Icecrown Citadel were forced open and he was among the Alliance Champions who formed the Ashen Verdict and ventured inside. While he was not at the Frozen Throne itself when Arthas fell, he feels that being a part of the Ashen Verdict's efforts within the Citadel at all was justice served for all that the fallen Prince had taken from him and his Order.
==The Cataclysm (621 K.C.)==
After the fall of the Lich King, Aidan returned to the Plaguelands of the Eastern Kingdoms with the rest of the Argent Crusade, to once again try to reclaim the area from the remnants of the Scourge. Helping to take Hearthglen back from the corruption of the Scarlet Onslaught, Aidan would split his duties between there and Light's Hope Chapel.
==Present Day (622 K.C. - Present)==
Noting a growing uneasiness in the Templar, Highlord Tirion Fordring insisted that Aidan take a reprieve in his duties to the Argent Crusade and return to his study of the Light, to once again find his balance. Aidan agreed, but only on the condition that he would be immediately recalled should the Crusade find themselves on the battlefield once more.
For several months the Templar traveled through the northern kingdoms, revisiting the places of his youth in a search for peace within himself.
Turning his sights to the south, Aidan spent the months that followed in Stormwind, finally taking the advice of the Highlord and seeking balance within his study of the Light. While his time within the Clergy of the Holy Light was beneficial to that end, it also strengthened his will.
Duty once more calling upon him, he can now be found once more among the Argent Crusade, serving from its headquarters in Hearthglen and leading the Argent Hammer strike team.
=Factions=
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Sir Aidan holds current or past memberships with the following organizations:
*Knights of Stromgarde (Past)
*Order of the Silver Hand (Current)
*Argent Dawn (Past)
*Argent Crusade (Current)
*Ashen Verdict (Past)
=Personality=
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Aidan is a very quiet man, often finding it preferable to listen rather than speak. This brings people closer to him just as often as it pushes them away. When he does speak, his voice is a gentle baritone and his words are carefully chosen. He is rarely cross or impolite with the general populace.
His face lacks the same expressiveness as others, sometimes leaving him looking unmoved by a situation, but give him time to warm up and he will politely smile to let you know he does feel. It is a rare occurrence, however, for those smiles to reach his eyes.
He has a nearly boundless compassion for those in need and will offer heart-felt advice to those who seek it.
==Beliefs==
Brought up as a knight and paladin, Aidan is a devout follower of the Light, though his training as a Templar often places him on the outs with the Clergy of the Holy Light. Many of the Clergy's more traditional priests and paladins disapprove of the mysterious rituals that grant the Templars their strength in battle, though none can dispute their effectiveness.
==Relationships==
Being a hard man to understand has led to a lack of relationships in Aidan's life. While he has loved, as men often do, he has never married. Of the women he has courted, few were able to tolerate his quiet, empty demeanor.
Aidan's only 'family' is a young squire assigned to Aidan through the Argent Crusade. The young boy, named Richard, has become every bit a son to Aidan and has helped to bring him out of his shell more often.
While he can count the number of his friends on a single hand, those he lets close enough to hold such distinction are kept there. He is ever mindful of his relationships with others and will strive to show everyone kindness from the start.
Category:Human
Category:Stromgarde Human
Category:Argent Crusade
Category:Order of the Silver Hand
Category:Characters
Category:Templars
Category:Paladins
Category:Argent Bulwark