Wolfe LaCroix

frame|Specialist LaCroix early on in her military career wearing her signature goggles
Specialist Wolfe LaCroix, (Pronounced Wulf La-Kroy) better known by her nickname 'Croix' or by her military title 'Bane of the Frostbrood' was an Alliance defect and Horde soldier perhaps best known for escaping Ironforge prison as well as the large role she played in the death of the Frost Wyrm Sindragosa.
LaCroix met her end after being wounded in her battle with Sindragosa and subsequently died in her hometown of Stratholme where a Horde memorial now stands in honor of the veteran scourge war soldier.
==Background==
=== Early Life ===
Born a High Elf along with her twin sister Shivs in the port town of Old Stratholme to the notorious High Elf pirate of the great sea Kane LaCroix and his wife; the High Elf Ranger Ivory LaCroix.
Dispite her Elven ancestry Wolfe was raised in Human society and as such displays an attitude reminiscent of the more reckless mortal races.
Whilst growing up on her father's ship; the 'Affirmation', Wolfe met her cousin and best friend, Kalsath, son of her father's first mate.
After a childhood at sea Wolfe dedicated her teenage years training to be a hunter on land, under the teachings of the Dwarven game hunter Stelin Ironhill.
One day, however, whilst following the trail of a black dragon whelpling through eastern Lordaeron Stelin and Wolfe were ambushed by bandits; Stelin was killed and Wolfe was imprisoned for almost a year.
Many rumors circulated as to how Wolfe escaped the bandit prison, the most popular of which is that she did so using only the nails that held together the wooden bench in her cell.
=== The Culling of Stratholme ===
Many years later Wolfe had recieved word from her sister that the plague of Lordaeron was turning it's victims into the undead, and that Prince Arthas himself was on his way to New Stratholme to resolve the matter personally. 
Eagre to meet the young Prince and learn of his plan Wolfe traveled to Stratholme where she found the culling already underway. Unsure of what to do, she followed Arthas' orders to seek out and kill the dreadlord Mal'Ganis... An order that would have perhaps better gone unfollowed.
After Mal'Ganis killed Wolfe she remained a lifeless corpse for what seemed like forever until, at long last, she was risen to serve Arthas once more, this time as a Death Knight.
=== The Undergrasp ===
As a Death Knight of the Scourge Wolfe served as a taskmaster; she oversaw the construction of Icecrown Citadel whilst Arthas slept, dispelling Ner'Zhul from his mind.
Wolfe also undertook the harsh whims of her master's bloodlust as all Death Knights do; killing women and children and slaying hundreds upon hundreds of Northrend's innocent dwellers being just a couple of the unspeakable acts that she was forced to undertake... But eventually Arthas' pride got the better of him, knowing that the lands were unbreachable he sent a platoon of Saronite-clad Death Knights, among them Wolfe, into Crystalsong Forest to claim it for himself... This platoon was known as the Undergrasp... and it lasted seven hours.
=== Defection to the Horde ===
Wolfe lay wounded upon the glowing grass of Crystalsong forest for several days until she was found by a party of Troll crusaders who were investigating the region. The Trolls claimed to be from a group called 'the Outland Watch' whom were relocated to Northrend to battle the Scourge. 
They locked Wolfe up for eight months until she renounced the Lich King and broke free of his influence.
Her free will restored, Wolfe defected to the Horde in order to serve the Outland Watch and their efforts against the Dwarves in the Blades Edge Mountains...
=== The Outland Watch ===
Wolfe served alongside the Orcs and Trolls of the Outland Watch during their attempted incursion into the local mines that were occupied by Dwarves who could apparently see in the dark, giving them a decisive tactical edge.
After Wolfe's superior captured one of the Dwarves he had the Outland Watch's Goblins backwards engineer the supposed 'Night Sight' and the end result were bright transparent lenses. 
Wolfe volounteered to try out the new technology and the lenses were permanently grafted over her eyes. The result was a hightened sense of sight in dark places, but overwhelming brightness in daylight. It was at this point that Wolfe started wearing her trademark red goggles, to keep the light from burning her eyes.
(( Wolfe's night sight can be seen in her eyes the same way we see the layer of tapetum lucidum tissue in the eyes of dogs and other species who can see in the dark. ))
After a sucsessful incursion into the mines several of the Outland Watch were slain and Wolfe was captured, sent to Ironforge and imprisoned for 4 years.
=== Ironforge ===
Four years into Wolfe's imprisonment she recieved word from the guards that her parents had been mapping the Northrend coast when a giant Frost Wyrm called Sindragosa had killed them both for trespassing too close to Icecrown.
Dispite her captor's condolances, Wolfe was never the same again... She escaped Ironforge soon after and returned to Northrend with a new resolve: to kill as many Scourge Wyrms as possible.
=== Bane of the Frostbrood ===
With the Outland Watch engaging in dog fights with the Scourge in Zul'Drak, Wolfe turned her attention to Icecrown; she joined up with a squad of ragtad Goblins who were creating banged up flying machines and using them to drop bombs onto Scourge infantry.
Wolfe used the flying machines to get close enough to undead Wyrms to deal a killing blow.
It was around this time that Wolfe had her runeblade 'Wyrmbane' forged and earned notoriety for being a mass slayer of undead dragons, nicknamed 'Croix' by the Goblin bombers due to the cross-like formations the Wyrms used to fall dead in, littering the landscape as seen from above.
=== Agrammar ===
Croix hunted Sindragosa for months to no avail, she killed more Frost and Ember Wyrms than she cared to count but was still no closer to the creature that took her family away.
Returning to the Outland Watch's outpost in Zuk'Drak, Croix told her comerades of her exploits and failure.
The reunion was short lived, however, as the Necropolis Zeramas soon claimed the area and the Outland Watch was massacred to the last man.
Croix awoke, rescued by an Orc Death Knight named Ragorath Skullcrusher.
After telling Ragorath of her life, he swore to help her claim Sindragosa's cold dead heart... And with that end in mind, Croix swore alleigance to the Warlord of Agrammar and Ragorath's master; Agrabodak.
=== Liquidation of the Mok'Ogar Elite and the Death of Ragorath ===
Croix then began to serve Agrammar as Ragorath's right hand soldier, yielding many victories for the Orcish clan and earning respect amongst the Orc military, a feat not easily or often gained by an Elf.
Ragorath's numerous victories with Croix at his side earned him the title of 'Commander' amongst Agrammar's officers and he was given a new unit of elite Death Knights to command, known as the Mok'Ogar Elite.
For several months the Mok'Ogar of Agrammar earned notoriety amongst Agrammar's army for both their precision and unwavering loyalty. This unit, however, was not made to last...
After only a half year of service under Agrammar's law Croix was attacked by Ragorath in the Lordaeron throne room above the Undercity, he claimed to be Arthas taking back what was his. In a moment of lucid thought Ragorath asked Croix to kill him... The Elf obliged, killing the closest thing she had to a friend.
Thus Ragorath Skullcrusher and the Mok'Ogar ceased to be.
=== The Foreign Legion ===
Hearing of Croix's crime the Warlord Agrabodak became infuriated, throwing the contents of his throne room around Kargathia keep in a seething rage. But when Croix offered her life in exchange for killing Ragorath the Warlord stayed his hand... Not wishing to kill such a powerful and loyal subject... Instead banishing Croix from his keep and telling her to forge in secret from the Horde a Foreign Legion...
Should Croix amass a force comparable to the might of Ragorath's axe then she would be allowed to lead this force in Agrammar's name against its enemies and gain redemption in the Warlord's eyes.
Whilst recruiting the soldiers who would be the Legion's war machine, Croix was sought out by her cousin; Kalsath, who saw her die at the culling and was overjoyed that she was still 'alive'.
Croix then commanded the forces of Agrammar's Foreign Legion as it's first High Specialist with Kalsath as her right hand man, ever searching for revenge against Sindragosa and redemption for killing her former commander...
But this noble position of Command was not made to last.
Croix lead the Legion as a community, not just an army... She even saw to the creation of a village for her Legionnaires so they had somewhere to live.
But this was not Agrabodak's intent, and after years of loyal service, Croix was cast out of Agrammar and was forsaken by the Warlord's court, The Foreign Legion was liquidated and Agrabodak sat upon his throne, secure again with his precious power.
===The Academy===
Croix, sick of war and longing to put her skills and knowledge to better use, decided to apply for a job teaching young students at The Academy about survival in harsh conditions.
This post was granted to her by the Head Mistress of the Academy and has granted Croix some measure of peace, helping others to begin their own careers and hopefully stopping them from making the same rash mistakes that she made in her youth.
Half way into Croix's term of teaching at the Academy she received a letter from her friend and former war student Daerion whom wrote from an encampment in Icecrown.
The letter read thus:
"The time has come.
Say your goodbyes
and set your affairs in order.
Let us finish what the Frost Queen started
Long Ago."
Reading the letter, Croix knew what it meant, the path to Sindragosa had been opened.
With that, Wolfe LaCroix bid her farewells to her comrades and closest friends; the Goblins of Booty bay, the students and instructors of the Academy, the old war buddies of Agrammar and the Foreign Legion.
Visited did Croix the grave of her parents and that of the Outland Watch's finest warriors, saying a quick prayer she knew would not go far and calling in every favor, every saved life and every escorted noble secured her a place on the campaign party that would seek out and kill the Queen of the Frostbrood.
Thus did Croix's cold, painful journey back to Northrend begin...
===Sindragosa===
Croix joined the preliminary insertion, a squad that cleared Icecrown Citadel of creatures so that the path to the Lich King was clear for those who were powerful enough to face him. After many trials and creatures slain the Elf was finally confronted with Sindragosa, checking her watch shortly before stating "Right then, let's be having you." to which, it is said, the Frost Queen simply laughed.
The battle was long and Croix sustained a mortal injury to her chest in combat but before Sindragosa could finish her off the other members of the preliminary insertion squad struck down the beast, Croix screamed for her teammates to back away as she got up and walked over to the dying creature, whispering "Kane LaCroix." into the Frost Wyrm's ear before plunging Wyrmbane into Sindragosa's glowing blue heart. The blade shattered and Sindragosa died, her bones simply collapsing into a pile before Croix's eyes. The Elf, in her pride, refused to be helped out of the Citadel and was given a temporary healing spell from one of the Druids in the squad before making her way out of the tower, cigarette on the go.
===Death===
The Druid's healing spell held Croix together all the way to Stratholme, where she collapsed to her knees outside of what was once the town hall, her wound bled once more and had no inclination of stopping. Croix fell to the cobbled streets and slowly bled out, thinking of her life to this point. Over the streets walked a familiar face... Croix's missing cousin Kalsath Des'Leroen walked to his fallen friend and held her in his arms, removing her goggles and stating "Even when you're dying, you're impossible to find." to which Croix retorted "Speak for yourself."
"Is this the end?" Croix asked as the light left her eyes.
"No, cousin... It never ends." Kalsath stood, raising his arms as a blinding light caught fire to the surrounding undead that inhabited the Elves' old home and A'dal appeared from the sky with the Sha'tar.
A'dal explained that the Sha'tar knew Croix's death was approaching and that Kalsath had given all of his power as a Paladin in a demonstration of faith asking only that his cousin would taste paradise in the afterlife once her time came, despite her soul being damned as a Death Knight. The Sha'tar had decided to forgive Croix's spirit for the atrocities she had committed and commended her will to survive.
Croix's last words as her soul rose from her body into the light are noted in Kalsath's literary works as being:
"Though my deeds may be forgiven,
Be all my sins remember'd."
And with that Croix faded from existence, after which A'dal turned to Kalsath stating, in reference to Bolvar's sacrifice: "The king is dead, long live the king." Before disappearing with the Sha'tar and leaving the former Paladin to tell others of the event.
===Burial===
Croix's body is buried in the graveyard just outside of Booty Bay next to her parent's grave. There was a large military memorial service to which many of Agrammar attended, as did the survivors of the Outland Watch with the Academy's staff and students along with numerous other people including her twin sister Shivs and the mother of Kalsath's child; Laura.
Warchief Thrall himself is also noted as having being distraught upon hearing of Croix's passing, decreeing that Shivs and all of the LaCroix line will always be welcome amongst the Horde thereafter regardless of race by way of remembrance.
The inscription upon Wolfe LaCroix's tombstone so reads:
"Here lies Specialist Wolfe LaCroix,
Bane of the Frostbrood,
Seeker of serenity in a world at war,
Be her sins forgotten,
But never forgotten be she."
=Personality and Appearance=
Despite her skill with a sword and very keen intellect, Croix was notably very clumsy.
Had a very good sense of humor and was very quick to crack a joke at someone's expense, a trait she perhaps picked up from her time with the Goblins of the Outland Watch, with whom she remained very close up until her death, claiming them to be her 'main source of comedy.'
Croix was not strikingly beautiful but had been known to turn a few heads with her cute appearance, an innocent look that had lead many of her would be captors to believing she was just a harmless girl, a presumption that had been the death of many mercenaries.
An avid smoker of many years, exclusively choosing to smoke rare sun dried Stranglethorn pipe tobacco rolled up in weathered and thinned out dark tree leaves from the Ghostlands.
Her hair was Blonde in life but since she became a Death Knight it turned a jet black color. In the moments before passing away her hair turned back to it's original color as a symbolistic gesture of her consciousness being reunited with her mortal soul in the afterlife.
==Languages==
During her fruitful lifetime Croix picked up the following languages:
* Common - Fluent ( Her first language )
* Orcish - Fluent
* Thallasian - Fluent
* Goblinjabber - Fluent ( A shorthand/slang version of Orcish )
* Darnassian - Partial
* Gutterspeak - Partial
* Draconic - Very poor accent and pronounciation
=Family=
* Father - Kane LaCroix
* Mother - Ivory LaCroix
* Sister - Shivs Ariel LaCroix
* Cousin - Kalsath Des'Leroen
* Second Cousin - Nathaniel Des'Leroen ( Kalsath's Son )
* Uncle - Kelreth Des'Leroen
* Aunt - Ambalika Faylienne
=Trivia=
* Croix's 'Night Sight' and the goggles she used to protect her eyes are a nod to the Vin Diesel character Richard B Riddick whom can also see in the dark, wears goggles and is a master of escape.
* Croix's sister Shivs is a High Elf hunter in game and in order to attend her sister's military memorial service she had to sign off on a document stating her allegiance to the Horde and is therefore technically an Alliance defect, the same as Croix. Shivs can be seen around the Undercity on occasion.
* Sinse her escape from Ironforge prison a large contract was put out for Croix's live capture and she was often hunted.
* There was a running joke that Croix got injured often, every campaign she was in during her military career she always seemed to get hurt in one way or another. This could be put down to her clumsiness.
* Croix was a noted fan of the late Tauren Verdure Whitecloud's philosophical works and often read literature that the Tauren had written down for him (as Taurens cannot write) during his extraordinary lifetime. Croix's literary works make many references to the Tauren, despite her never meeting him.
* Croix's last words are a tribute to the works of William Shakespeare, quoting the end line from the "to be or not to be" soliloquy in Hamlet. So too is the appearance of the Sha'tar at the very end of her life a tribute to our server and it's namesake.
* The manner of Croix's passing is also a nod to the quest line in Icecrown involving Crusader Bridenbrad that was itself a tribute to the death of Blizzard vice president of online technologies Robert Bridenbecker's brother.
==Music==
A while ago Lukomon, a guildie of mine in TOW, made a video of Croix's crusade across Northrend hunting Sindragosa, it was a beautiful piece of youtubeage but has since been lost to the pages of time. The song played in the background, however, was this little celtic number by Jeff Danna, fits our heroine quite well i think.
This song was also played IC at Croix's memorial service by Specialist Luko Angelo, a Troll musician and old war buddy of Croix's from the Outland Watch.
thumb|300px|left|Croix's Vendetta
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