Lillian Vanone

Lillian was born February 23rd, 9 L.C. to James Vanone and Clara Vanone. Simple merchants they were, and they lived in the Northgate Woods near the newly built Greymane Wall. Clara had come from a completely different lifestyle. One she had to leave to be with the man she loved. Clara made this sacrifice, and she abandoned her roots as a Harvest Witch. Lillian was not the couple's first child, however, as their eldest child, Isaac, was thirteen years older than Lillian. As a little girl, she enjoyed helping her mother tend the garden and loved watching the ravens that would come whenever she threw crumbs outside. Lillian never knew of a life without the Greymane Wall, and as a result, all she would ever hear from her parents about it was some kind of uprising. She never knew what this meant until her life would come to a complete changing point.

When she was barely 4 years old when her parents, along with her brother, decided to join the Northgate Rebellion against the nobles of Gilneas. Her mother knew that there was only one safe place for Lillian during the rebellion. She traveled through the deep forests of Gilneas to a small all-female sect: the remaining Harvest Witches of Gilneas. Clara came every month to see her daughter and give her information about her family. Quickly, the Harvest Witches began to teach Lillian their ways, hoping to win back her mother as well. It took much practice for Lillian to become accustomed to their lifestyle. But, at the age of 10, she had spent more time with several Harvest Witches than her own family. Her mother came again one month, per usual, and told Lillian that her beloved brother Isaac was slain by an assassin only a few days earlier. This hurt Lillian, that her brother, even though she did not spend much time with him, was now gone forever. He seemed like a stranger.

### Becoming a Harvest Witch

Though Lillian was not born into the sect, she adapted to their rules and their ways with constant effort. She began learning the rituals of a Harvest Witch, and they found that Lillian had quite the talent and drive to become one. At the age of 13, she was given the ceremony and became a small part of their group. Her mother no longer came monthly as tensions rose, but Lillian did not depend on her mother or father anymore.

## The Curse

### Denial

Lillian was sent to the Blackwald in search of the other Harvest Witch sect in Gilneas, but, on the off-roads she encountered something she wishes she hadn't. Crimson eyes stared at the young Lillian, watching her every step. Slowly it came, but soon all Lillian could see was darkness. She awoke on the ground of the forests, a bite mark on her leg now. She departed from her journey there and fled to the Wetlands. Her body had collapsed in the marshes, but before she could turn an Elf carried her off. Flashes of blue and purple lights dance through her vision. A strange language, one she cannot speak, haunted her dreams. Was she hallucinating? She believed that this is what it is like to be out of control of your body. When next she saw a full vision around her, a strange new figure became her body. For days she couldn't look at herself. She was ashamed of what she became. Every day she hoped that it was all a dream. She didn't even know *what* she was anymore. The Elves called it a blessing. They did not have to live with being a 'child of Goldrinn'.

### Anger

Weeks passed as the adolescent Lillian came to realize what she was. This curse, she had heard, the Curse of the Worgen. For all she knew her previous life was over. She lashed out against the Elves for making her consciously realize what she was. Giving her strange potions time and time again with no success. She hated those around her. During the nights her distress became worse, her anger now went to the rabid Worgen that bit her. She then began to blame the Harvest Witches, people who raised her, for sending her out when they knew there was a danger. At last, she blamed her parents. The most vile of them all. She was angry at them for joining the rebellion and letting her brother die while Lillian learned to play with plants in the forest. It was hard, even for the Elves, to soothe her rage. She would never accept what she was, she believed, never.

### Bargaining

Lillian's constant anger subsided when she saw that the Elves were only trying to help her. After spending almost a month going through denial and anger, she began to think that perhaps learning the ways of an Elven Druid would help her learn to get rid of her form. When she tried at her old rituals again, the speed of them increased dramatically. She began training and learning under the aid of the Elf who had brought her to Darnassus. Perhaps if she kept training her form would go away. Her human form would come out! She could renew her human form, right? Lillian asked her mentor this, and all she could say broke Lillian.

### Depression

She trained eagerly for a year until she realized that there was no way she could train away her form. Being a Worgen, this would always be a part of her. Never again would she see her human form. She had to grow up in someone else's, no, *something* else's body. Months of melancholy and sadness proved to be a setback for her. She knew that she could do better, but to what end? The time to decide a Druidic totem came, and Lillian did not know, for she had found no way in her life to make this endless ache go away.

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### Acceptance

Lillian traveled throughout Moonglade in search of answers for as long as she could. Repeated whispers of a magical artifact known to the Kaldorei as the Scythe of Elune intrigued Lillian. By this time she was a young adult, but she had little control of her primal form. She went back to Darnassus and when she arrived, many that had the curse were dressed in Gilnean clothing. They looked upon her with disgust as they transformed into their human forms with seemingly no effort. She came to a newly placed tree, known as the Howling Oak, and there it was: the artifact, as well as Druids around it. They performed a ritual on Lillian, and when she awoke, her human form was restored. She looked at herself in shock and left without a word immediately. Finally, she felt free as a bird. With little training, she transformed herself into a beautiful black hawk and soared across Alterac.