Garn Talton

Garn Talton was a man whose family originates from Gregor's Crossing. Having moved to the capitol when he was five, Garn knew only of stories of his family's old home on the outskirts of the bustling Range city. By the age of eleven, Garn had been expelled from his preparatory schooling for getting into fights with other boys. In truth, Talton had defended his weaker class mates from would be bullies, eventually leading to his expulsion. Though a disappointment to his family, Garn made due by helping around his father's shop, eventually signing up for a Gilnean mercenary band at the age of eighteen. Wandering about the northern kingdoms, Garn and his band were note worthy for defending small hamlets or even fighting other mercenary bands or would be brigands in the name of defending the people. Such gambits were not always profitable, especially during the end of his tour with his troupe which left them devastated after taking on brigands from Arathi, costing him two fingers on his left hand.
Returning to Gilneas, Garn immediately signed up for the Gilnean Military. With peace time in Gilneas, Garn made his way into the naval forces of Gilneas, which patrolled the Gilnean borders to ensure pirates and privateers would stay away from traders. Slowly working his way through the ranks to the point where Garn was stationed as a captain of the Valiant Shield, Garn continued to hit and strive for every mark he set for himself along the path of his life. Eventually falling in love with a fellow sailor, Kathryne Dennis, the two married and Kathryne eventually gave birth to Garn's first child, their son, Emery, just before the beginning of the Second War. When the call sounded for Gilneas to aid the Alliance of Lordaeron, Garn and his crew were one of the first to answer. Aiding with the defense of Kul Tiras, the Valiant Shield was destroyed, along with most of his crew. Alongside his wife, Garn was moved into the ground forces, where he achieved fame at the Siege of Silverwood, a small town in border Silverpine Forest against the Horde. After the death of the commander of the forces, Garn took control of his platoon, leading them to several shock and awe victories against the Horde, eventually pushing far into Hillsbrad Foothills where they reunited with alliance main forces by Alterac.
Commended for his bravery, Talton continued to soar through the ranks, eventually being appointed a commander and general of Alliance forces, achieving note worthy victories throughout the northern kingdoms. With the end of the Second War, Talton left the military as one of the most decorated Gilneans of the war, including the Alliance Shield of Bravery, awarded to him for his daring movements and brilliant tactics. With peace upon Gilneas once more, Talton retired with his wife to the Range where they established a small farm stead on the same lands Talton's father once owned. He had a second child, his only daughter Mae, and the family lived peacefully until the onset of the Northgate Rebellion. When the rebellion occurred, Garn once more offered his sword to the king, but was met with devastation when he'd discovered that amongst the rebels was his son, Emery. After having captured his own son in battle, the two's relationship became strained, eventually leading to Emery calling his father worthless and cutting all ties with the rest of his family. Unable to hand his own son in for execution or imprisonment, Talton released Emery, never to see him until the fall of Gilneas.
Heartbroken, Talton returned home at the end of the rebellion to find that his wife had come down with a heavy sickness. Unable to weather through, Kathryne did not survive the year, leaving Talton alone with his daughter on their farmstead. By the time of the Invasion of Gilneas, Garn once more answered the call to defend the country, aiding whomever he could amongst the Ashen Coast until eventually abandoning his farm along with his daughter. As they evacuated, Garn opted to join the Gilneas Liberation Front until he'd found that his son, Emery (now afflicted), had joined with the front. The two did not reconcile, though Emery shared his condolences for the death of his mother. The last Garn saw of his son was his insistence that Garn leave Gilneas with Mae rather than throw himself into another war. Living in the slums of Westfall, Garn and Mae made way by working as farm hands until the arrival of Dame Maribell Parsons and Sir Renat Delhomme, offering them a way out to the Ashen Coast once more. Eager, Garn liquidated all assets and moved north with his daughter, where they established a new farm on the outskirts of a small hamlet named Crossbrook.
Ultimately for Garn, happiness was still fleeting. In time, Crossbrook became the victim of harassment by mercenaries and Wickers under the necromancer Hiram Westcott. Though he yearned to defend his new home, his daughter Mae was stolen away in the night by Westcott's forces with the threat that if he raised his blade against Westcott, she would be slain. Deliverance appeared to arrive by way of the Blades of Greymane, who offered to save Mae in exchange for Garn's aid, which he eagerly accepted. Though the Blades successfully killed the Wickers surrounding Mae, she was ultimately slain after taking an axe wound too deep to heal. Garn arrived just in time to find his daughter dying, holding her in her final moments, swearing vengeance in her name as he comforted her until her passing. With his wife dead, his daughter having been slaughtered and his son's fate unknown, General Talton declared he had nothing left to live for or protect other than his country. Once more he raised his sword in the name of the Blades, offering his considerable skill until he fell on the field.
At the end, Garn met the end befitting a hero. Making peace with himself, he requested a letter be sent posthumously to his son of his final farewell and bequeathed his stratagems onto John "Reaper" McCallan. Requiring a sacrifice to end the evil of Ca'ries, Garn sacrificed his own life to combat the evil remnant of Kil'zoth. In the end, he was victorious as Ca'ries was forever contained within the orb by Garn's soul. The two, locked in combat within the orb, were then taken by Yim'nir, who is ensuring that General Talton succeeds. General Talton was laid to rest beside his daughter and wife, a monument slated to be created in his honor in Crossbrook, Gregor's Crossing and Talton's Rest.
For who stronger to face the dead and the evil than one who has nothing left to lose?
Category:Characters
Category:Human
Category:Gilnean
Category:Soldiers
Category:Blades of Greymane
Category:Warriors
Category:Deceased