Celeste "Malistra" Moongrave

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This is a quick introduction to the character and brief backstory. Will flesh out more events of her early and teenage years as time goes on, as well as events during her time under the Lich King.

## ***Early Years***

Celeste was born in Lakeshire to Timothy and Mira Moongrave. Timothy was a tailor and Mira an enchanter. Celeste’s early years were very happy and normal, until the Orc Invasion of the first war.

Her father was killed in the Orc’s rampage towards Stormwind. She and her mother along with the other survivors escaped to Lordaeron, where they lived with relatives.

## ***Teenage Years***

After the rallying of the Orcs in the second war, things seemed to settle down a bit and she had what outwardly seemed to be a normal life for a few years. However, the feeling of helplessness and fear that swept through her during the events of the Orc’s invasion never left her. She wracked her mind as to what she could do to change that. She wasn’t strong enough to be a warrior. She couldn’t leave her poor widowed mother and go off studying to be a mage. What did she know about being a hunter? Although she did love animals. As for being a priest or paladin, Celeste was far too curious and ponderous to have the necessary faith and trust to be a priest or paladin. She questioned everything and had a natural, insatiable thirst for knowledge, all knowledge. Those paths seemed to require blind belief and following, something she would never have or do.

## ***Warlock Beginnings***

As time carried on and she learned more of what the world was like, she became more and more concerned with her ability to defend herself. Would she always be a helpless little urchin? She “luckily” came upon a chance to change this when coming a traveling merchant woman on a foggy night passed right outside her house. Celeste came outside to allow her dog Tommy to pee before bed, when the women called her attention and asked her if she wanted to buy something or trade with an old woman. The old woman’s wares were varied, indeed. Apparently, she wasn't a simple merchant but was also a trader.  Celeste’s attention came to a stack of books. One book in particular caught her attention for its elaborate runic designs. She immediately reached for it and as she did so the old woman hid an insidious smirk.

“How beautiful!”, Celeste exclaimed

“Yes indeed”, replied the old woman.

“What is it about?”

“I don’t know, someone traded it with me in the last town”, the old woman lied.

When Celeste opened the book and flipped the pages an instant feeling of power touched her being. She was mesmerized. It felt amazing! Turning the first pages in the first chapter she saw an instruction on how to cast a shadow bolt. Celeste immediately slammed the book shut and looked up.  The old woman feigned concern.

“Everything OK, Sweety?”

“Yes, yes of course. How much is this one?”, Celeste asked. A little too quickly.

She could not think of anything else but possessing this book. This was her answer. If only it would work. She needed this to be the real thing! She didn’t bother to think about where the book came from or why this old woman had it.

“Make an offer.”, the old woman replied.

Celeste knew she didn’t bring any money out with her, she wasn’t planning on going anywhere. Like most would anyway, she reached into her pockets and felt two copper coins. She pulled it out and stared at the two coins in her hands.

“That’ll do.”, the old woman said.

Celeste looked at her incredulously and laughed thinking the old woman was joking.

“I can’t eat the book, can I?”

“I suppose not.”

Celeste slowly handed her the coins and the old woman quickly snatched the coins out of her palm.

“Done deal.”, said the old woman and smiled. (See footnotes on old woman)

Celeste’s concerns faded and she smiled a huge smile back and said thanks to the old woman and turned and bound into the house.

She poured over the book. A lot of the later pages confused her. She didn’t understand the markings or incantations, so she started at the beginning and studied the pages on casting the shadow bolt.  She performed all the initial rites needed in her room, gathering the required items, drawing the diagrams and runes and enchanting the words needed to empower herself with the ability to cast the spell. Then a few days later she found a lonely spot in the woods and started to try and cast the bolt. She found it easy to summon the malice and discontent needed to cast the bolt. When the first bolt was cast she was ecstatic. The hopeless weakling would be no more. She could finally take care of herself.  She would learn more and grow this skill. No longer would she be shackled. She could finally live.
With her fears set aside. Celeste could finally dream. Dream of a future, of desires. She realized that what she wanted most in life was to know life itself, in the form of knowledge. She would learn as much as she could about anything.

Soon she would learn an important lesson about life. The lesson of irony. For as she had finally unshackled her fears and had began to live, that life would be taken from her by the Lich King.

## ***Death and Undeath***

Arthas Menethil the estranged prince of Lordaeron then returned with his Undead army and swathed the land in death and decay. Raising the dead to be his Undead servants. Celeste like all the others in Lordaeron became one of those Undead.  The dark abilities she had thought herself became useful to his army as well. Her skills and abilities improved quickly with the Lich Kings power and demonic knowledge behind it amplifying them. She committed many atrocities in his name.  She was given the nickname “Malice”, which reflected the attitude with which she carried out her duties. You see being under the Lich Kings control one would find it difficult to hinder one’s base impulses.
This continued and she pillaged her own lands in the Lich Kings name until one day she was lucky enough to regain the freedom of her own mind due to some dwindling of his power and the aid of the Banshee Queen, Sylvannas. She, however, did not retain all the extra abilities she had learned under the Lich King’s control. She would have to relearn them. It was after all her only protection in “life”.  She was awoken in Brill.  When she was asked her name, she knew that she could not go back to being Celeste nor was she Malice any more. So, she decided on Malistra, a close enough human name.

## Footnotes

***The Old Woman -***  The old woman was a Burning Legion Succubus in disguise. You see as the Burning Legion was behind the invasion of the Orcs as well as the Lich King, they would take many more subtle approaches to diminish resistance. They were always watching for weaker willed individuals from the shadows. They would offer them promises of power in the form of the dark magics with the hopes of them failing to control the demons that they summoned since one needed a strong will to control a demon. This coupled with the corruption of the dark magics would end up leaving the victim a puppet of the Burning Legion.  However, in this case, Celeste only perceived herself to be weak and weak in physical strength at that. The truth is Celeste had a very powerful will and mind, coupled with a vast intellect.  The Burning Legion only ended up putting power into the hands of something that they could not control.

## User

Tao#5944 on Discord.

Malistra in game.

Appreciate if anyone would critique this and give me any pointers. Thanks.