Richard Zverenhoff

Born Richard Whiterose in Ambermill to Mary Whiterose and possible the father of Duke Nicholas Zverenhoff.
== History ==
=== Early Life ===
Born in Ambermill Richard grow up with a humble life. When he reached the age of ten a passing noble picked him out to be a stable hand and Richard found himself in the busy city of Andorhal. 
Life in the city was much faster than the peaceful pass of Ambermill, but Richard adjust well to the pace. However rumours started to spread about the Zverenhoff Household. Young Richard had a strong likeness to Nicholas Zverenhoff the heir to the family estate and title. 
=== Rise to power ===
When Nicholas Zverenhoff gained the title of Duke the press surrounding the father of Richard had grown great and to easy this Duke Nicholas installed Richard as the Baron of Ambermill. Richard's title of Baron was not comfirmed upon him by King Terenas, but his training as a knight was allowed to continue.
=== Fall of Lordaeron ===
After the horror of the murder of King Terenas, Lordaeron fell into choas. Only the nobles and knights such as Uther managed to keep order. When the scourge turned against Andorhal, Richard was among its defenders. As the scourge breached the city, Uther picked out the humble noble for a special task. He would take all those able to flee the city to the Greymane Wall and seek protection beyond it.
Richard led them to the mighty wall but found the gates firmly shut. Some decided to remain at the wall in hope that the gates would be reopened, but many others joined Richard as he led them onto the fishing village of Southshore. There they managed to get a boat to the port of Menethil and from there the refugees spread south to Stormwind and Khaz Modan. Richard however remained in Menethil for a time as a guest to the Dwarf paladin Jovnau Truthhammer. Jovnau had lost his faith in the Holy Light and Richard tried to convince him that there was still hope for those who remained faithful, but nothing could sway Jovnau, not even his daughter Kronica, who had freshly returned from Theramore.
Richard was disheartened by this and moved to Stormwind where he joined the Order of Benedictus. In the Order Richard found a path to follow and who serve them with honour as he progressed among them.
=== Order of Benedictus ===
Richard saw little of war during his time with the Order of Benedictus, splitting his time between his estate in Silverpine forest and Stormwind. He cared for the refugees that were still trapped outside the Greymane Wall as well as those in Ambermill and Pyrewood Village.
In Stormwind the endless trouble with the cultists of the Dark Sphere gave the Holy orders a job in hunting them down. At Darkshire Richard came across some of these cultists and followed them to their meeting. However he was discovered, outnumbered and alone he was beaten near to death. His almost lifeless body was taken to the Ravenhill Catacombs and left to die. Before leaving the Dwarf Dharum removed a finger from Richard's hand as a throphy.
Richard was found alive by a Knight of the Brotherhood of Light and taken to Northshire Abbey for healing. Richard had a new finger crafted from Truesilver and Mithril to replace the one that was stolen. The lose of his finger put Richard out of duty for many weeks and he found himself watching the meetings of the Stormwind Council at Westbrook. When the position of Minister of Justice became open, Richard applied and was appointed.
As Minister of Justice, he brought in laws against prostitutes but soon found the paperwork beyound his humble roots and resigned from the post.
=== Martyrdom ===
Richard remained with the Order of Benedictus until it's fall as it Knights moved to other orders. Richard too moved from order to order, founding the Order of Alonsus. His duty to his believe Half Brother, Duke Nicholas and the Argent Dawn would mean Richard would be sent on a spying mission against the Scarlet Crusade at their Monastery. The mission was betrayed however and Richard was captured during a battle not far from the grave of Archbishop Alonsus foal.
After weeks of imprisonment, torture and trial, Richard was found guilty of standing in the path of saving humanity from the evil surrounding it and sentenced to death.
That morning Richard was taken out into the courtyard outside the Scarlet Cathedral and there he was burned at the stake. As the flames rose higher Richard could be heard singing of the Holy Light.
Abide with me, in this my hour of need;
Burn through the fear, Light with me abide;
Where is deaths string? Where, grave, thy victory?
I trumiph still, i thou abide with me.
O Light, abide with me.
Richards ashes were gathered up and rescued from the Monastery by an unknown agent. His ashes were buried in the grounds of Northshire Abbey. His Truesilver finger was melted down and cast into three rings which were given to members of the Brotherhood of Light.
Category:Alliance Characters
Category:Males
Category:Paladins
Category:Deceased characters