Leifen Steelstriker

Sir Leifen Steelstriker the Highlander, was born in Stromgarde, some years vefore the Second War. His mother was a mage from the Kirin Tor and his father a veteran of the First War. He is one of the best knights known to Derron Forrgrim, and one of the few known survivors of Stromgarde.
He is currently presumed K.I.A., last seen in the halls of the Nexus, Northrend.
==Appearance==
===Physical===
He is usually a quiet person but usually has no problem speaking his mind without hesitation. A glance at Leifen reveals a beard, a bit unusual for a 29 year old, but Leifen does not care much about his hair, hence the amount of it that grows on his head and face, not a priority in this man's life. He has pale skin, uncommon with veteran adventurers who wear armor reguarly. He tends to prefer light clothing and leather boots, occasionally a hat or cap to keep the sun out of his face. He strides without a care in the world, a good sign meaning he is fairing well. He bears several scars on his body, most of them from his forearms and hands from hurriedly scurrying through a tunnel in Stromgarde to escape. Others are just battlescars, either covered by his facial hair or faded away.
===Personality===
A slight smirk or smile is seen generally on Leifen, but when you are close or part of his Order, he is generally a funny and cheerful person. He is a trustworthy person, but is sometimes unsure of himself and reminders of childhood generally make him unhappy or upset. Leifen is aerophobic, so bringing himself to ride on a gryphon is a problem, and will only do so if necessary. Although people see him as a nice guy, he does not have much paitience and has at some times a very short temper.
==Early Life==
Born a few years before the Second War - making Leifen Steelstriker about 29 years of age - in the Arathi Highlands. His father, Kane Steelstriker, was a veteran of the First War, and was a renowned soldier in the town guard of Stromgarde. His mother, Yvette Steelstriker (née Frostfist) was a Frost mage in the Kirin Tor. At a young age, he was taught to use a number of weapons, as he longed to be someone like his father. He preferred axes and longswords. Steelstriker spent countless afternoons, learning to use rifles to shoot rabbits in the fields.
===Escape===
When Leifen was about 24 years of age, he woke in the night to sounds of screaming and the clatter of weapons. Determined to show what he learned from his father, he was about to suit up before being halted by Kane and told to escape out a small tunnel in the northern city walls. A long journey to Southshore was experienced, and gave Leifen an idea of survival and a more independent mind. Waiting in Southshore for fellow survivors, Leifen was then convinced that Stromgarde was lost, and took a boat to Stormwind harbour, instead of taking a gryphon. He was directed to Northshire Abbey after arrival.
==Stormwind Army==
Recovering
for a year after his escape, Leifen improvised his training as a warrior, striving to be like his father. His trainers were Llane Beshere, who trained him in physical combat, and Brother Sammuel who usually trains Paladins, but introduced Leifen to the Light so the impact and scarring of the raid on Stromgarde was not so severe. During his sessions with Sammuel, he sometimes saw his later Grandmaster, Sir Derron Forrgrim the Oathkeeper. During his training, Sammuel eventually decided to take Leifen as a Page, later Squire. Leifen was often mocked being too old for this.
===The Alliance===
Leifen left Northshire and enlisted with the Alliance. He spent 2 years stationed at some towns in the south, and walked out with the rank of Sergeant. Leifen decided to travel around Azeroth, to see the world. This took up a year. Another year was occupied when he grew fond of dwarves and lived in Ironforge for a bit, embracing it's safe hospitality. He later traveled back to Stormwind via the new-at-the-time tram. Brother Sammuel got him into the Silver Hand as a Squire of the Order. He was later knighted by the first Grandmaster Forrgrim and the first Marshal Gaiwind.
==Presumed K.I.A.==
Leifen went M.I.A. once when leading a platoon into a Vrykul village in the Howling Fjord. He is now presumed K.I.A. by the Stormwind army along with a Alliance unit.
===The Transmission===
A transmission recieved by one of the Silver Hand's amulets by Leifen suggests that he is alive, before it is destroyed by what it seems to be dragonkin.
===The Truth===
Leifen is a prisoner of the Mage Hunters of the Nexus, and spends his days waiting for someone to rescue him.
==Leifen's Capture==
In the Nexus, after Leifen's transmission...
When the dragonkin patrol continued down the hallway, Leifen sighed with relief. He hadn't slept for numberless nights, the bags under his eyes growing darker each hour. He stumbled over to his frozen platoon, and shuddered. Something gleamed on the floor. Leifen looked down."Bollocks!"He knelt down, and held the shattered pieces of his amulet in his scratched hands. Leifen clenched the pieces. Keeping them in the palm of his glove, he slowly pulled it off, and chucked it into one of the blue fires of the Nexus. Then a sudden blow over the head made him black out. The dragonkin had returned.The last thing he never saw.They dragged Leifen across the halls, towards a torture room, before that, the prison pens. Men and women of all, tried to reach to Leifen, screaming for help...
The dragonkin tied him to an icy rock, it's shape thin and sharp, like a spear. They left the room.A human mage hunter entered the room, and Leifen looked up. He spat on his robe.'You disgrace your former masters of the Kirin Tor...'The mage hunter raised his hand, and an icy wind started to slowly choke Leifen.'B-chkk--Ba--bastard!' choked Leifen.'They were weak.' hissed the man. 'You'll be here for a while before your kin even know you're missing, knight.'The mage clicked his fingers, and a burly grey skinned dwarf stepped out and cracked his knuckles.'This'll be fun.' cackled the dark iron dwarf.'Fuck you two both.' Leifen swore.The dwarf picked up a ice shard and stabbed Leifen in the shoulder. He screamed in the dwarf's face, which was emotionless. The mage hunter raised his hand and clenched it, as this was done ice froze over Leifen's tongue, and he could speak no more.Throughout the night, the dwarf and mage hunter continued to beat him, and Leifen's horrendous screams were heard throughout the night. Prisoners whispered to eachother, shaken with fear.
Then, finally, the screams stopped.
Leifens limp and half-dead body was dragged out of the room. Blood dripped from his mouth, his eyes were swollen and black. He had rope burn on his wrists, and all his limbs seemed to be bleeding. They chucked him into a cold cage. He had been stripped of his armor, and wore nothing but the torn rags that were once his proud clothing. Those clothes belonged to a man. A man named Leifen. This half-dead person in the cage was different from Leifen. Instead of brown hair, he had bloody soggy hair. Leifen had a handsome face with a beard. This man's face was swollen and soaked with blood. Bits of hair surrounded his mouth.
Leifen was different from that day.
As days passed slowly, so did Leifen's memories. All the memories of Arathi glory, Elwynn life and the Silver Hand, started to fade, and were replaced by thoughts of freedom and prosperity. Not even Sir Steelstriker could handle the dark cold cage of this so-called hell. He was close to giving up on the light. The fact that he never got any anymore made it worse. His prayers seemed pointless. Thoughts of misery returned the memories of Stromgarde, an unforgettable homeplace. Then the good memories returned, but made Leifen sob, remembering things that would never happen again. Sitting by his proud father next to the burning fire, dreaming of also being an inspiring hero. Leifen clenched his eyes shut, tears streamed down his face. Eyes opening, he returned to this icy prison. His eyes glowed red and burned with rage. He let out a blood curdling scream.
Just when insanity seemed certain, the Highlander looked up.
A small crack in the ice was in the cell ceiling. Light seeped through it.
He smiled.
==More Information==
Some more detailed stories of Leifen's life can be found on the forums here...
- Knights of the Hand website
Category: Alliance
Category: Human