Convocation of Elrendar

"Name me the largest lake in our great kingdom. Name me the stretch of purest water splitting our fair lands in twain. Name me the dividing line between the unrelenting chaos of the southern Quel'thalas and the glorious majesty of the north: Elrendar." - founding Archon Sateal Emberheart
“We may be allies to the orcs and their Horde, but to defend both their best interests and stay true to the ideals of our people, sometimes they must be steered in a direction they cannot understand - make the choices they cannot for their own good, the Sin’dorei, as always, must come first.” – Overseer Anrithen Eirvaness
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Introduction
Originally the union of three organizations - Esoteric Illusion, Ashwing and The Rising Phoenix - at the end of the Northrend campaign, the Convocation has existed in one form or another for some years, and has changed much since its creation - be it a military regiment, an expedition to acquire relics of interest for Quel'thalas or a diplomatic platform to ensure cooperation between the Forsaken and the Sin'dorei. However, its ultimate loyalty has always hinged on the betterment of the Sin'dorei people.
Most recently, after a tumultuous time in Hellscream's service during the Fourth War, where the Convocation worked more closely with the increasingly tyrannical Kor'kron than most other organizations, internal struggle resulted in much of it splitting off to join the Uprising, at the cost of most of their belongings and an already damaged reputation. Reorganized following Garrosh's Fall in the service of the Reliquary, they now act as their, and by extension Quel'thalas' enforcers across Azeroth, an Overseer tasked with making sure they maintain the High Kingdom's interests and left to finance themselves, a situation which sometimes leads them to mercenary work to refill their coffers.
To go about its duties, the Convocation has been split into three wings, each tasked with a specific manner in which they might assist the greater whole, and holding a degree of autonomy from one another. The Military Wing, serving as their front line force, taking command in war and providing protection for the rest of the group on expeditions. The Research Wing, housing its spellcasters and tasked with the creation, analysis and deployment of arcane relics as well as providing magical support for the other wings. Finally, the Covert Wing, dealing with subterfuge and sabotage and, along with the Military Wing, the group most often deployed against the opposing faction.
The three Archons, one in charge of each wing, decide the greater course that the organisation takes, their own designs on the the group's future intertwined with their duties, whether to the Convocation's benefit or otherwise. Above the Archons stands the Overseer, ensuring each wing upholds the tenets o the Sin'dorei but conceding command to the Archons when the Convocation is pursuing its operations. Said operations, usually delivered either by its leadership through their own contacts or the Sunfury Spire, vary from excursions for a single wing to far-reaching military campaigns or expeditions. The only constant, then, is their ultimate goal - the strengthening of the order and of the Sin'dorei.
Ranks
===Initiate===
The under-appreciated masses. Every member of the Convocation goes through a trial period. Depending on their skills and potential this stage can stretch from weeks to months. They are the nobodies in the Convocation. They follow their orders when given them and remain silent - for they should know their words mean little, for now. They are the future of the Convocation.
===Sunborne===
Final recognition. These members have passed their initiation process and are now recognised within the Convocation by their full rank and experience outside of the Convocation, assigned to a specific wing in which their skillset would be best put to use. They still have a way to be considered more than rank and file, but they have earnt a degree of respect and their voices are now heard by the Archons. Whether or not they take notice may be debatable. These members understand the goals and ethos of the guild and are expected to uphold the ideals held by their leadership.
===Praetorian===
The Decorated Ones. Those of the Convocation whose skills are clearly valued and often the second in command of a wing. The Praetorians can easily be considered among the most powerful warriors, sorcerers, tacticians, and menders the Convocation has to offer. Their loyalty to the Archons and the ultimate goal of the Convocation of Elrendar is without question. Many of these serve as representatives for the Convocation itself in order to acquire new recruits simply for the fact that Praetorians - for the majority - are ideal Sin'dorei in the eyes of the public.
Leadership
The Paragons of the Spire. The Archons are the leaders of the Convocation's wings, beholden to the Reliquary and the Sunfury Spire, though they do have a great deal of influence in how their orders are interpreted and carried out. Traditionally each of the three wings is led by a seperate Archon, but several times in the Convocation's history, only one Archon has been available to lead all three wings (through plot or unfortunate events) - to effects good and ill.
== Overseers: ==
The post of Overseer has come and gone as time goes on, with different individuals taking the post for different reasons. Still, their overall function has been the same. Make sure to keep the Archons and the Convocation in line with the requirements set forth by Quel'thalas, avoid power grabs, report back to the Sunfury Spire and take command if the Archons are judged as incapable of handling a situation.
=== Athelios Andilien ===
The Convocation's first Overseer, joining their ranks only a few months prior to the Cataclysm, he managed their relations to Quel'thalas almost entirely and was responsible for managing their findings and steering them towards relic recovery. When the Shattering hit however, he revealed his true colours. While the Convocation were seperate, one side on Kalimdor, another on the Eastern Kingdoms, he, in actuality a Twilight's Hammer agent, delivered the relics to the Hammer and implicated the Convocation, leaving some to be tortured for their supposed treachery and others struggling to come home. Over the course of the Cataclysm, the organization came close to catching him multiple times but he went under permanently as Deathwing was defeated. He remains missing in action.
=== Sil'varen Throndroril ===
Sil'varen Throndroril, also known as Sil'varen of the Danil'Aran, was the second Overseer of the Convocation, taking over after Athelios' desertion. Also a Blood Knight and a capable engineer and smith, though not to Emberheart's extent, she was deemed more fitting to make sure the Convocation kept in line during her time, being considered more reputable, having risen only to the Firewing in Outland before deserting, unlike the Archons, which had the habit of being Sunfury veterans. Affectionately referred to as "Cobwebs" by her colleagues for being notoriously uptight and proper while on duty, that belied Sil'varen's true qualities, fond of the more base pleasures Quel'thalas had to offer and uncomprising on the battlefield. Following her being entrusted with another group, the Convocation lacked an Overseer for some time, in Quel'thalas' eyes to its detriment.
=== Anrithen Eirvaness ===
A nobleman of the house of the same name, known for its role in the defense of Quel'thalas and funding of rangers, Anrithen was the Convocation's third Overseer, though he did not make his presence known as such. A defender in Thalassian formations, a Bloodwarder, Anrithen's spotless record was what allowed him to leave early to support the Darkspear Uprising, where he met the Convocation after their desertion from Hellscream's ranks. Following them as they aided the Horde forces in Stonetalon and Azshara and ultimatey defeated Amaran and his Crimson Hand in Northrend, he took over as Overseer shortly afterwards. A patriot through and through, Anrithen's impeccable etiquette and love for the Sin'dorei hides his more questionable qualities, most often his intention to help others be ideal Sin'dorei as well and spread the Thalassian culture across the Horde, whether his help is welcomed or not.
== Current Archons ==
===Military - Thelnarion Shari'fal===
A priest before the Third War, and formerly a Blood Knight driven to a place in the order against his will, he readopted the Light as a warden of the Sunwell following its restoration, Thelnarion Shari'fal leads the Convocation's military wing with commendable resolve, his subordinates loyal. Sharing a gift for the use of mind magic common to the Sunfury Spire's Inquisitors, his methods, while well-intentioned have, like Edanna's, drawn a degree of contention, their opposing approaches having helped develop a rivalry between them and their wings. Altruistic and devoted to the Light, the Archon believes in achieving unity between the Sin'dorei and Quel'dorei, an admirable goal made more difficult by opposition from within and without.
===Research - Edanna Kal'es===
A member of a merchant family and former theatre actress, Edanna's adoption of the arcane occured relatively late, this did little to dampen her aptitude for the art. Having served the Convocation since its creation, and being among the most talented spellcasters in its retinue, she also contributed to the expansion of its capacity for research, not only claiming and examining relics, but also monitoring their deployment and overlooking the creation of magical items. While responsible for a couple of diplomatic blunders and her approach has its share of detractors, Kal'es nonetheless remains a great asset to the organization and commands almost absolute trust from her wing.
===Espionage - Sathreyn Duskwalker===
A former criminal and expert survivalist, Sathreyn assumed the post of Archon soon after the Convocation was reorganized and leads the most varied wing with the tightest discipline. Despite turning to the Celestials during his stay in Pandaria, he still has the greatest eye for subterfuge among the organization, as well as an aptitude for engineering of all kinds, providing the more traditional technological benefits to the Convocation where Archon Kal'es deals in the magical. Somewhat idealistic despite his origins, he is usually the voice of reason and the mediator during disputes among the wings, and his eye for strategy has rarely failed the Convocation.
== Former Archons ==
==== Espionage - Relcha Kim'belore ====
A nobleman's daughter with a spotty history, she was driven to perfect her arcane skills from early on, but ultimately strayed following the Fall, dabbling in minor cults and adopting the use of fel before she joined the Convocation's ranks. An influential presence that for the most part worked in the shadows, she maintained an impressive array of blackmail material, working as much to the Convocation's benefit as to their detriment. A proven alchemist who's knowledge of the craft is shrouded in a mess of disturbing rumours, she commanded the Espionage wing until the end of the Fourth War, retaining her place among the organization's ranks as an advisor afterwards.
==== Military - Sorlain Amaran ====
A former Blood Knight of some renown, questionable though it may be, Sorlain was known as much for these qualities as his ruthlessness and his single-minded devotion in leading the Convocation down a path of his own design. This goal of his, matched by his desire to have the organization steer as close to the Kor'kron as possible and disdain for Quel'thalas' current leadership lead him to all but monopolize command over the course of the Fourth War, maintained by a few close enforcers and his would-be private army, the Crimson Hand. Ultimately leaving its ranks to branch off on his own, he was hunted down and defeated by the Convocation before his plans could come to fruition and currently lies incarcerated along with Elient Darkstrike.
==== Military - Varenus Sin'velas ====
Formerly head of the Military. A Blood Knight Champion with an impressive record in Quel'thalas, his ascension, much like that of Thoro'dias Dawnweave, was lined with political problems, being sent on a suicide mission not soon after he was appointed Archon after spiting more influential Knights. An idealist through and through, he had been part of the Convocation since its creation and championed the interests of the common Sin'dorei leading him to butt heads with his peers - especially the coldly pragmatic Elient Darkstrike and the ever-ambitious Sorlain Amaran. Able to inspire both loyalty and discipline, he held a soft spot for those under his command and under him the Military Wing was its most cohesive.
==== Espionage - Elient Darkstrike ====
The second, though not last Archon to turn against the Convocation, Elient was the youngest elf to take that position. Having a mixed history, the Sunfury Spire was willing to ignore her transgressions against the city as long as she provided valuable intel to them and dispatched their enemies. Pulling the Convocation's strings during her tenure, she left soon after the Eredar Meeryn's defeat, but revealed herself again over the course of the Fourth War to oppose them multiple times, ultimately incarcerated soon after Amaran's own defeat along with a partner of hers, though not without significant difficulty.
==== Bishop M. Halstead ====
The first and only Archon to not be an elf, and the first to turn against the Convocation openly, Halstead was a relic of the Convocation's brief time as a bridge between Quel'thalas and the Undercity, despite his assumed identity as a priest of the Shadow being nothing more than an entertaining ruse. An accomplished conman and proficient liar, he used his influence to steal some of the relics the elves acquired and, after many of the founding Archons were absent or otherwise occupied, he made off with the contents of their vault. Captured and executed soon thereafter, the desperate position he put the elves in nevertheless took its toll on the group.
=== Founding Archons ===
Before the wings were established, the Convocation's leadership was centralized in the four founding Archons, each of which held relatively equal influence, at least on paper, over the Convocation's membership. Largely appointed by the Sunfury Spire, the founding archons embodied the conflicting principles of the organization's creation.
==== Aerandir Sion Ravenmist ====
It was often whispered that the polite yet secretive magi was in cahoots with the highest echelons of the Sunfury Spire, and was merely within the Convocation to keep tabs on the other (somewhat uncontrollable) Archons. He rarely engaged in battle, so the limits of his power with the arcane were unknown to the rest of the Convocation. Despite this he still inspired a degree of loyalty with many of the more eccentric members, and, along with Aldanion, was key in helping the guild understand the artifacts they uncovered. He was often the voice of calm reason and objectivity within the Convocation.
==== Sateal Emberheart ====
A former Sunfury officer and military commander. Years of battle had made him into what some describe as exactly what the Blood Knight Order had in mind when they were founded. Pragmatic, sardonic and determined with a zest for impassioned speeches, Sateal was the military tactitian set on seeing the Convocation through even the harshest of times. He valued every Sin'dorei, and his altruistic code towards his kin often put him at odds with the other Archons. Due to his age he was considered wise and practical, but his legendarily short-temper often rendered the aforementioned virtues moot.
==== Aldanion Bitterheart ====
Blood Mage, former leader of The Rising Phoenix, and former Sunfury. Experienced and powerful in his understanding of the ebb and flow of the darker magics that once embodied the Sin'dorei. He was known throughout the Convocation to abuse his power as an Archon from time to time. Deemed power-hungry by both his colleagues and his subordinates, he nevertheless proved a potent asset to the Convocation during his tenure.
==== Krisom Aaron Stillwater ====
A blood knight in life, and one of the leaders of Esoteric Illusion. He was killed and raised as a death knight within Northrend only to later join the Knights of the Ebon Blade. His organization having collapsed in his absence, the now Death Knight joined the Convocation, serving as the most warlike of the original Archons and the head of the undead within its ranks. Adept at instilling fear and raising morale on the battlefield; his icy demeanor and dark visage made him a terrifying force to behold, lacking much tolerance for insubordination on the part of his followers.
==== Thoro'dias Dawnweave ====
Despite the fact that he wasn't one of the founding Archons, Thoro'dias nevertheless was considered such, replacing Aerandir after the latter's disappearance. Formerly an esteemed Blood Knight in charge of the Fifth Crimson Battalion, his refusal to execute a pregnant soldier cost him his position. The Convocation offered him a choice - either join them or accept his sentence. Accepting their deal, what followed was a meteoric rise to influence, the skilled duelist known for his wry remarks and fondness for alcohol, ultimately the last of the founding archons to remain, holding all but absolute command of the Convocation for a time.
History
== Creation of the Guild ==
=== Origin ===
The Convocation was formed in the wake of the Lich King's ultimate defeat as a regiment tasked with retrieving magical artifacts and analyzing magical anomalies, though in practice it served more as a military regiment. Formed after a meeting held between the leaders of Esoteric Illusion , The Rising Phoenix and Ashwing near the titular river, they performed they were governed by the four founding Archons, among them Sateal Emberheart, Krisom Stillwater and Aldanion Bitterheart.
Soon after a few succesful forays, the Convocation were branded as traitors by their Overseer Athelios Andillien, himself a Twilight's Hammer double agent, and in the wake of the Cataclysm, the group was split in twain, some trying desperately to survive the Shattering on Kalimdor, while others suffered in the Sunfury Spire at the hands of the Magisterium.
Their banner at the time was a golden tree on a bright red field, interchangeable with that of Silvermoon and the Blood Knight Order on official occasions.
== The Cataclysm ==
=== Brightest Hour ===
Soon after the Shattering, there was a brief shift in leadership, a spot left open by the absence of one of the founding Archons, Aerandir Ravenmist, taken by Thoro'dias Dawnweave, once head of the Fifth Crimson Battalion. The Convocation was much more active then, performing vital tasks both in the interest of Quel'thalas and Azeroth as a whole.
They assisted in the Thunderaxe War, fighting alongside Dagger and Totem and the Spine, when they were led by Chieftain Gremkarc and Apothecary Viatrix respectively, and played a crucial part in combatting the Zandalari Resurgence in the Ghostlands.
On a less global scale, the Convocation worked with such groups as the elite regiment of Oshu Kazil in Feralas, retrieving a dangerous set of artifacts from the native harpies, as well as keeping them away from the hands of the Kaldorei and the fast advancing cults.
Their second foray and near the last action carried out by the current set of leaders was an expedition into Outland, which brought the elves face to face with a potent enemy in the Eredar Meeryn, and eventually forced the Archons into a struggle as part of the Wolfbrother Defensive, a joint initiative with Dagger and Totem and various freelancers that sought to repel an attempt by the Twilight's Hammer to gain a foothold in Outland.
The banner of the post-Shattering Convocation changed often, but generally retained the bright red and gold color scheme, and the colours of Quel'thalas were still allowed as substitutes.
=== Changes ===
While mostly marked by triumphs, the Convocation's success was not without tribulations, all of which came to the forefront during the latter part of their post-Shattering existence. Deals made with the Forsaken to facilitate better diplomatic solutions, as exemplified by new Archon Halstead were mostly ignored, but nevertheless destabilized the leadership and drained the vaults.
Finally, after several unfortunate events, Archon Dawnweave took his leave and left for a brighter future, Emberheart, gravely wounded, joined Dagger and Totem and Bitterheart and Stillwater disappeared, the latter occasionally referenced by his closest acolytes in the Order of the Ebon Blade. This left a new group in charge of the Convocation's affairs, one not used to the burdens of leadership - Sorlain Amaran, Elient Darkstrike, Varenus Sin'velas and Relcha Kim'belore.
After a vain attempt to maintain personal power, mandated by the Magisterium, Archon Amaran allowed others to assume his position and his influence waned, especially once a new segmented structure was implemented, splitting the Convocation into three wings, led by the other three.
This period was marked with trying to rectify previous mistakes. Facing the traitorous Halstead, who had made off with a vast amount of funds, a plot puppeteered by the aforementioned Eredar, ended in relative success, but left the group lethargic and struggling to survive. Their resurgence, and following struggles began when the group was once again pushed to action by the Southern Barrens Conflict.
The banner at the time once again changed time after time, only briefly retaining a red tree on a black field as its sigil, with their loyalty yet allowing for the colours of other groups in Quel'thalas to carry the same weight.
=== Tumultuous Resurgence ===
Brought together with the Spine and the Thousand Eyes, the Convocation, along with a group of soldiers brought there without the Sunfury Spire's approval, worked against the Alliance expansion in Kalimdor. For the Convocation, this was a test of mettle, to see if they still held the strength to match more established groups. It yielded success, and the organization solidified its ties with both parties, something which would pay off for good and ill in the future.
Leadership remained shifting until Deathwing's fall, when Edanna Kal'es took the position of head of Research, Sorlain Amaran held onto his post as head of the Military and Relcha Kim'belore was made leader of the Covert Wing. This fragmented chain of command was the Convocation's undoing during the Spine Insurgency, when the renegade Forsaken took two Archons captive and played the last for a fool.
Once again siding with the Eyes, the Convocation fought tooth and nail to put down the rebelling undead, and faced them in their final hour at Thunder Bluff, where a flesh giant fell upon the city, the dying dirge of the Spine. While freed from captivity, the Archons were on shaky ground, until an opportunity presented itself with the expansionistic and increasingly aggressive reign of Garrosh Hellscream.
The banner of the resurgent Convocation shifted often until the end of the Spine Insurgency, when the bright red and gold shifted to a deep crimson tree on a black field, a personal touch by Archon Amaran and an omen of the Convocation's shifting attitude to their duties. Other Thalassian organizations remained in high favour.
== The Fourth War ==
=== Into the Unknown ===
The Convocation took its chance to retain their glory with the attack on Theramore. Lulling Galliard Crokford, sole survivor of the fall of the Spine and Kren Demonblade, fellow captive of the Forsaken and their respective troops along with a group of freelancers, an attack was launched on the watchtowers of Dustwallow, paving way for the mana bomb.
When the bomb struck, the two commanders of the Eyes and the Forsaken left, unwilling to share in a victory as dishonorable, something the Convocation, then under the sole command of Sorlain Amaran, capitalized upon. Using the Spine Insurgency and the increasing militarization as his excuses, the Crimson Hand, a personal guard of sorts and the fist of the Convocation's contribution to the war effort was formed. When the opportunity to gain further favor with Hellscream presented itself, the elves took the chance and departed on their ship for Pandaria.
While doing their best to support the war effort, the group was quickly overwhelmed. At the Battle of Serpent's Heart, Amaran's ambitions of raising their flags as the shining jewel of the Horde's invasion were broken, and he had to share power once more. Months wore on, and the elves lost lives, the Crimson Hand decimated, food ran low, and they moved from settlement to settlement, doing their very best to retain a coherent structure in the face of oblivion.
In a suicidal siege near the Zouchin Province, the Convocation found salvation at the hands of the Horde's arrival on Pandaria in full force, and the elves were called to serve at Domination Point. It was then that tensions rose with other Sin'dorei groups, gaining the ire of the Reliquary and being hastily shipped off back to Quel'thalas in preparation for their orders.
At the start of the Fourth War, the Convocation held both Quel'thalas and the Horde in equal regard, and tabards of Hellscream's loyal warparties and Orgrimmar were as valid as those of Silvermoon and the Blood Knights and the Convocation's own red tree on a black field.
=== Shifting Loyalties ===
The Elves were quickly dispatched to Northrend after being left with not more than a week in the almost deserted Silvermoon, called to serve as glorified watch dogs for the Sunreavers in the face of rising tension with the new head of the Kirin Tor, Jaina Proudmoore
Not content to let their talents be wasted, the Convocation delayed their arrival by two weeks and completed odd jobs and scouted out Highborne ruins from the Borean Tundra to Dragonblight, coming to blows with left-over Azure Flight supporters, the Alliance and the spirits of the Crystalsong Forest before they finally reached their goal, Sunreaver's Command.
The Purge followed soon after, and the Convocation, along with several volunteers, including the Kor'kron Officer Arkhara, worked both to save as many elves as they could and to punish the Alliance for a crime they yet saw as without precedent. Overcome by zeal, Lareen Dawnlake, Head of the Crimson Hand, and Khairan Sunshard extended their revenge outside of what the Spire saw as proper, painting the city red before making their escape with the rest of the party.
Rather than returning to overjoyed ovations, they were instead met by charges of war crimes and misconduct. Taking the fall for the misdeeds of their men, the Archons suffered the punishment, and the Convocation as a whole weathered the storm. Losing their base at the West Sanctum, their ship - the Sunchaser, a vast portion of the contents of their vault they'd regained and the Crimson Hand reduced to a skeleton crew of twenty, at least officially, they were sent to Desolace in exile, having to regain their favor with blood and sweat.
To a point, this measure backfired, galvanizing the Convocation's willingness to turn to Hellscream's Horde with nowhere else to go, it inadvertandly allowed him to station many of the Crimson Hand within Quel'thalas borders, something that would come into play much later and finally stretching their ties with the Sunreavers thin, Aethas' moderate views and their view that he had a tendency to cowtow to the Kirin Tor having already damaged their relations.
=== Exiled ===
Left out on Desolace to fend for themselves, the Convocation made the most of their exile. While left without orders for a week, they examined and catalogued the area near their camp at Furien's Post. What they found shocked the group as amidst the ruins of the twice destroyed Thunderaxe Fortress two cults held sway. One, the struggling Burning Blade, and near the coast, once infested by naga, left-over Twilight's Hammer.
Pleas to the Cenarion Circle fell on deaf ears, until the elves found Karnum's Glade infiltrated by more than a few agents of the Hammer. With some of the Convocation held at the Glade due to a misunderstanding, the group left out to complete another task, the one handed to them by the Sunfury Spire.
Sent to Sargeron to take a tome of volatile power, the elves were instructed to secure an agent of the Spire. Upon taking the entirety of the cult prisoner and narrowly surviving encounters with the native satyr, no double agent was procured, the whole mission merely having been a ploy to dispose of the Convocation.
Bitter, the elves turned elsewhere for assistance. Upon discovering proof of traitors in the Circle's lands, the Convocation quickly disposed of them, and having left the Circle in their debt, used it as an excuse to consult contacts at Ghost Walker Post and send in Orcish troops into the Glade, allegedly to help with the restoration effort.
All that was left was dealing with the Twilight's Cult holing up in Shok'Thokar that had made off with the dangerous tome after an assassination attempt on Edanna Kal'es. Seeking assistance from the Thousand Eyes, the Convocation and the Eyes struck a blow to the Gelkis in exchange for the elves scrying out their kidnapped Maen Haloyakee.
Using the dead Gelkis and their spoils of war as proof of their good will, along with a healthy dose of mind-adjusting magic, the Convocation convinced the warring Magram tribe to assist them in their assault on Shok'Thokar. While the centaur served as fodder to distract the cultists, the elves decapitated their leadership and reclaimed the book, leaving both the tribe and the Hammer battered and broken.
Having gained considerable favour with Garrosh's Horde in the process of systematically scouring the area of any opposition to a hypothetical incursion, the Convocation procured themselves a ship and sailed for Bladefist Bay, triumphant.
=== In Hellscream's Service ===
The Convocation's arrival in Orgrimmar was as the usual to non-orcs in the Horde which were deemed to be of use - given the bare minimum, a broken tower and a fraction of resources, they were deployed to the front nearly immediately, a rift already starting to form within their ranks. One, headed by Archon Sorlain Amaran, which sought to maximize the gains from working with Hellscream, his own increasingly autocratic authority backed up by his enforcers - the Crimson Hand and their leader Lareen Dawnlake, and Edanna Kal'es - the leader of the Research Wing who hoped to ride out the storm that was Garrosh's ruinous reign and eventually oppose him.
While this conflict was brewing, the elves were sent into Ashenvale, nominally under the command of the same Kor'kron officer who had assisted them in Dalaran - Arkhara who was to lead them, along with a few other volunteers to victory against the night elves, 
The reason the elves themselves were called was to follow in the footsteps of a line of superweapons that were supposed to win Hellscream the war, in place of the magnataur and kraken, the Warchief wanted a new line of dire orcs, quicker and with a resistance to magic - the ironically termed Grom's Blood project was the result, which the Convocation were convinced to assist. The project itself became a battleground no less lethal than the one against the Alliance, as sabotage was discovered, attempts to spirit off the methods used to the Undercity were interrupted and the first of the creatures, termed Chothaki, saw deployment, primarily due to the contribution of Aleck Forestfire, one of the few Forsaken within the organization. 
All the while, the initial reason for their deployment still stood, as after a disastrous first move against the night elves, the Convocation took charge of its own role in the conflict, firsly in the reclamation of kor gems from the depths of Blackfathom to better arm the Blood Knights within its ranks, hunting down an Alliance convoy which had attempted to steal the valuable crystals and bring them to Darnassus through Darkshore. This move also allowed them to come into contact with a tribe of furbolg which had had a disastrous encounter with a group of Highborne looking to use them as shock troops against the growing Horde aggression. Instead, the elves took charge of them, convincing the tribe of semi-feral furbolg to instead lend their claws to their offensive.
This is where, after the capture of several Kaldorei for interrogation on their next move, yielding valuable intel, the first desertion took place. Disillusioned by the Convocation and especially Amaran and his Hand, Thialen Vrax left their ranks, rallying a few Horde volunteers willing to work outside the law, largely trolls, freeing the captives and forcing the Convocation back after they had attempted to take the vulnerable position of Silverwing Outpost.
Incensed by this, their commanding officer took another golden opportunity - intercepting an alliance convoy, assisted by Viridiel and Arkhara, which held a valuable prize - an ancient of war meant to reinforce the weakened night elf position. Slaughtering its defenders and deploying powerful binding charms to capture the creature. Inserting arcane crystals into the wounds, the ancient was sent back as the vanguard, as a multi-pronged attack cost the night elves significant territory. While ultimately a minor blip, given the Kaldorei's penchant for sneaky counterattacks, the spectacular assault and seeming totality of the victory earned the elves a commendation from the orcs, albeit a near meaningless one, and per request of its Archons, a trip back to Quel'thalas.
=== Homeland ===
From the start, the Convocation's arrival back in the High Kingdom wasn't what they expected. Met politely by envoys from Silvermoon, they found Quel'thalas suffering in its own way. Following the destruction of Theramore, the Warchief Hellscream made his proclamation - that every able man and woman contribute to the war effort, be it as another soldier or as labour in the industry. For the Sin'dorei, this was no pleasant fate, and while vast swathes of the population were deployed in the Horde's war machine, who the Convocation encountered in their capital were those sufficiently wealthy or influential to maintain their place there.
It was among them that the elves wanted to find the one responsible for their exile. Instead, they found themselves embroiled in political conflicts, primarily against two groups of nobles who had remained in the High Kingdom - House Sehsel, prominent for its vast coffers and tight relationship with the Bilgewater Cartel and House Jarath, primarily invested in the Blood Knights. Both with reasons to support Hellscream's Horde and thus push the Convocation into doing the same by way of pushing them into hostile relations with Quel'thalas' ruling body, made easier by the Regent Lord and much of his high command being absent on the Isle of Thunder.
Concurrently, the Zandalari, this time spurred by their resurrection of the Thunder King once again proceeded to try and rouse the Amani. Playing on the vulnerability of Quel'thalas and arranging for transport to carry troops to the Isle of Thunder, the trolls' ploy merited the intervention of what parts of the Sin'dorei's standing army remained and that of the Convocation. Despite a victory, the frigate they had taken to Orgrimmar, the Sunchaser and the ship that brought them to Quel'thalas, an orcish vessel named the Mannoroth's Tusk taking a significant role in the defense of the Anchorage, this brought the Convocation no closer to finding the people responsible for their initial exile.
What did was their suspicion of a man, going by the name Aterim Fiae, allegedly selling information to the Quel'dorei and facilitating the movement of Silver Covenant troops on the Isle of Quel'danas in the guise of pilgrims. More importantly for the Convocation however, he and the house he was associated with had cause to arrange their expulsion from the land were this to be true, to cover their tracks.
Pursuing this lead to the isle without much subtlety, they did indeed find links tying the agent, part of the Sin'dorei navy to a network of Covenant connections. The Convocation's conduct, however, hit a snag, and faced with a refusal to investigate into the man for reasons that were not disclosed to the organization, they went on their own, encountering a single ship that was indeed holding smuggled Quel'dorei arms as well as Aterim himself. Taking him captive, they soon after realized that he was in truth a double agent and that he had nothing to do with their exile. 
Seizing upon it, the factions in the Sunfury Spire, content to quarrel in the absence of the Regent Lord quickly settled on dismissing the Convocation indefinitely once more. This time however, all of their assets were moved in the hands of the Kor'kron, who were to be directing the elves from then on, a fate unpleasant for the children of Quel'thalas. With opinions turning overwhelmingly against Hellscream and with less allies than even before, the Convocation left for what they hoped would be greener pastures.
Recruitment
Recruitment is handled ingame, simply send a letter to Anteran, Edanna, Sathreyn or Thelnarion and they'll bring you up to speed on the guild.
If you are interested in joining the guild, you can contact an officer in-game, be it through mail or whisper. No need to be shy. Additional information and useful links are posted below, and anyone interested is free to apply to our guild site, which includes summaries of past events, glossary of terms we often use and all sorts of other helpful information.
The guild is open to Blood Elves, of any class (ICly within reason of course) and level. Experience with Roleplaying is not required, provided one is open to criticism and wishes to improve. Other races might also be considered, but keep in mind that we'll be focusing primarily on elves in our events and your character should have a very good reason to choose an elven regiment.
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convocationofelrendar.guildomatic.com
EthosThe Convocation has gone through many iterations, and has been repurposed to the point that little remains of its original purpose save for the focus on acquiring arcane relics. Nevertheless, the primary conflict it handles has remained relatively constant - the struggle between innovation and tradition, both where outside factors are concerned and within Sin'dorei society itself.
Firstly the changes following the Sunwell's destruction and the recovery process following its reignition and following that the blood elves' reaction to the increasingly aggressive politics that come with Garrosh's reign and their ramifications, positive and negative to Quel'thalas as a whole. In the aftermath of the Fourth War, it is once again the matter of recovery and what role the blood elves are to take in the Horde's future development. 
Basically what we're after and what we want to deliver is simple; authentic, believable, quality blood elven roleplaying with an emphasis on the moral ambiguity of the blood elves and their relationship with the rest of the Horde.
== On the name ==
"With our people divided we still require the hand of leadership, but the Convocation of Elrendar is not here to boast the same political power as its predecessor. No, we are here to put into practice that which the river itself represents - the dividing line between the chaos of the Ghostlands and the glowing majesty of Quel'thalas." - Founding Archon Sateal Emberheart
"When the first four Archons came together at the banks of Elrendar, I prefer to think that they chose the name for more than the location, that they sought to be more than Quel’thalas’ errand boys and warlords, that they strived to claw their way up to the top. In that I'm like them, though in my dream there is less room for equals." - Former Archon Sorlain Amaran
=== Ambition and Influence: ===
In name, the Convocation harkens back to the organization that first bore that name - the Convocation of Silvermoon, the guiding council of most influential noblemen which ruled over Quel'thalas alongside Anasterian and Dath'remar. Destroyed during the Scourge's attack, half murdered by the treasonous Dar'khan Drathir the rest slain as the undead hordes rampaged over the elven homeland. In their place, Kael'thas and later Lor'themar ruled with greater authority, their advisors chosen rather than holding power seperately.
No member of the Convocation bears any familiarity nor link to this council, but it has nevertheless shaped their conflicted path. Groups within Quel'thalas expect political activity from the order, much as they try to quench its ambition, most often accomplishing the opposite - pushing the Convocation towards attempting to influence the High Kingdom, sometimes subtly, other times in failed reaches towards sweeping change. 
Historically, the political aspirations of the founding archons varied, each working to expand their influence in their own way under the banner of the good of the people, whereas afterwards when the Convocation and Quel'thalas were pushed further apart during the Fourth War, the lust for authority in spite of the Sunfury Spire on the part of one of the Archons wrought damage that's still being mended following Hellscream's removal from power.
For the time being, the Convocation's political ambitions, if at all to be carried out, are for the most part merely extensions of the government line or monitored closely by the Spire, but not quenched entirely. It is inevitable that their conflicted history or their upholding of their duty would push them back into conflict, but it's likely that it will take time before they're able to exert any influence without drawing the ire of prominent parties.
=== Duty and Allegiance: ===
Despite their aforementioned nominal connection to the Council of Silvermoon, the meeting place where the Convocation was formed was by no means incidental. In the wake of the Lich King's defeat, despite widespread elation on the part of the Sin'dorei, the Dead Scar and the Ghostland as a whole proved a sobering reminder of how much they had still lost, bolstered with the casualties in Northrend still fresh in the memories of the elves and particularly the founding Archons.
The Convocation, more so than its hunt for relics to employ in service of Quel'thalas or its often overstepped stabs at rising far above their station, defined the role they were to play by the river upon which they formed. A solemn promise not to allow the High Kingdom to suffer a loss like this again, to ward its people and its borders and advance its goals from within and without.
In that regard, unlike its questionable politics and the attempted powergrabs of its leaders, the Convocation has not yet failed. Despite differences in interpretation and shifting policy towards the ruling Sunfury Spire, in their various ways the organizatons' incarnations have stayed loyal to Emberheart's words, acting, for better or for ill for their vision of what the Sin'dorei have to be in order to prosper and what actions must be taken to make sure that a tragedy like the Fall does not repeat itself. 
Holdings and Other Assets
== Current Holdings ==
=== Shoreline Gazebo ===
On the outskirts of Sunstrider Isle is a small gazebo overseeing the sea, remarkably maintained even after the Fall. As no Sin'dorei seized it, it soon came into the possession of the increasingly prominent Blood Knight Order. It was there where the first portion of the Second Trial was held for prospective adepts - they would be asked to do battle with seasoned Knights to prove their devotion to the cause as well as their martial prowess. 
However, when the Sunwell was restored the Order veered away from this practice and to more conventional tests of loyalty in tune with those used by human and dwarf paladins and draenei vindicators. As such, the gazebo was left abandoned, unfurnished and relatively unused save for clandestine meetings.
It was in this state that multiple people attempted to buy the place and use it for their own ends, including then Archon Sorlain Amaran before the Convocation's exile. Acquiring it after a healthy investment, he set about bringing in furniture and living essentials before the organization left Quel'thalas. Not willing to bother with something like this while war still raged on, the gazebo was once again left abandoned until the Convocation returned under the guidance of Overseer Eirvaness. 
Rather than be given back the West Sanctum, the Spire opted to leave them with the gazebo, avoiding any expenses and further pushing the idea of the organization financing and maintaining itself rather than spend further funds on them. As of the end of the Fourth War it is the elves' headquarters and most common meeting place.
== Past Holdings ==
In its lengthy history, the Convocation has moved across many different locations, but in regards to its holdings, it has rarely had a prominent area of influence, usually only have access to one or two places to work out of at a time. Thanks to unfortunate circumstances or simply the goal to move on, some of these places have been abandoned.
=== Elrendar Conference Building ===
Fittingly, the Convocation's first headquarters were located at the river which gave it its name. A dingy, unimpressive building, barely furnished on top of it, it was where the Archons first started meeting to discuss the next course for the organization. After they were cleared of their charges of treason and their ranks expanded however, the Convocation saw a need to expand to a more fitting area.
Technically speaking, the building only left the elves' ownership when the rest of their holdings were confiscated by the Sunfury Spire, but it was never used after the move to the Sanctum and the costs of furnishing and repair were too prohibitive to gain any actual benefit out of the place, leaving it as little more than a novelty.
=== West Sanctum ===
The West Sanctum, formerly used as a guiding force for arcane energies in Quel'thalas was, like most other things, damaged in the Scourge Invasion. Incapable of maintaining itself, anomalies - arcane wraiths and similar creatures emerging making work there without heavy guard impossible, the situation worsened by Kaldorei sabotage. 
While these factors were handled in the initial rebuilding period, the anomalies persisted in part and it was never completely restored to its original purpose, which contributed to the decision to allow the Convocation to set up there in place of their old base of operations at the banks of Elrendar. This move was facilitated to a significant extent by Lindoriel Duskwither, who took the place of Archon for a time while Aldanion Bitterheart was thought to have left its ranks. 
In the Sanctum the Convocation went through several different leaders, and save for the addition of a sizable wine cellar and the changing banners to suit the organization's colours remained mostly unchanged. It finally left the Convocation's care where after their diplomatic blunder on Quel'danas and making themselves targets for sections of Quel'thalas' ruling class it was taken from them along with all other holdings in the High Kingdom save for the contents of their vault which were passed to the Kor'kron. Currently it is nominally in the hands of a research team looking to fully restore its functionality, making recovery difficult.
=== Dranosh'ar Tower ===
After the fiasco around Dalaran, while the Convocation still held ownership over the West Sanctum their exile from the High Kingdom made it impossible for them to use it as a base of operations. After their significant contribution to the Horde's war machine in Desolace, their work was acknowledged by the orcs by being given one of the towers on the outskirts of the Dranosh'ar Blockade as a meeting place. 
Predictably for an orcish gift, it didn't have much to offer either, the inside barebones, supplies moved to serve the orcs and peons recalled rather than work for elves. Despite this, the elves made the most of it for their brief time holding the area, trees grown inside to remind of Quel'thalas and per recommendation by one of the Archons, the erecting of large banners displaying the Convocation's sigil and soon after that of the Crimson Hand as well. 
Unlike its other holdings, there was little controversy when it was taken by the Kor'kron, all relics of its brief stay under elven management purged without so much as a notice from Orgrimmar. Held by Hellscream's loyalists during the siege it, like much of the blockade and the city itself, was heavily damaged by the united forces of the Alliance and the Darkspear Uprising.
== Other Material Assets ==
=== The Sunchaser ===
Docked at Sunsail Anchorage
Over the course of an adventure in the South, the Convocation obtained a ship to call their own: a pirate brigantine formerly known as Blood Wind. Because the original owners had to be brawled for the ship, it was in a rather sorry state at first. The ship is currently housed in a dry dock near Sunsail Anchorage, where it is being refurbished, fitted with new sails, and derattified.
Upon their departure to Pandaria, the ship was refitted once more, now under the name of Sunchaser. Its flag boasting the Convocation's own red tree on a black field, it also had magically enhanced holds and an enchantment to ensure everpresent wind, allowing a total of 40 people on board.
After the Sunchaser was momentarily used by a splinter group of Sin'dorei helmed by their former Archon, it was deemed lost pending the end of the Fourth War. Luckily, after some work for a section of the nobility looking to establish successful trade in the Swamp of Sorrows, the Sunchaser was returned to them as a reward for good service, albeit missing quite a few expensive parts. Recently, it was seized by the Bungo in an elaborate caper in order to save on his tax return.Category:GuildCategory:Horde GuildCategory:RP Guild