Benedis Hughes

File:Alliance 32.pngBenedis Hughes

> *"To deny a dead man a right to his vengence? There's no greater crime than that. I've already paid the ultimate price of someone's crime; why shouldn't I have say in their punishment!?"* — Benedis Hughes, post-death
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Benedis Hughes is the father of Abigail and Theo Hughes, and formerly the husband of Samantha Hughes. He now serves as a general forces guard of House Matheredor.

## Physical Description

Benedis is a large and stout Stormwind Human. He sports a handlebar mustache and a balding head. After his death, his face appears sunken in by the cheeks and face losing much of its original shape as it sink in to the bone. Other typical features are the lichfire eyes common with most other Death Knights.

## Personality

Before death, Benedis was a family man first and a worker second, never involving himself in war or the politics of the kingdom, only occasionally helping form emergency militia in times of dire need. He is commonly polite but very informal, often being direct in conversation. Undeath has only enhanced his bluntness, having left behind a good portion of his agreeableness to the grave. Ben still holds onto his humor when he can, seeing it as his only few bridges between him and the living he has to interact with day by day.

Despite being risen as a Death Knight, Ben still retains his disgust for Undead. In fact, his distaste has enhanced since his necrotic body took form, seeing not just the tragedy of being undead but the disrespect and dishonor it brings to those who have fallen in life. Because of this, Benedis doesn't practice Death Magic in the form of necromancy and raising the dead, focusing it instead on direct spells and anti-magic.

## History

Benedis Hughes' life remained relatively normal throughout his lifetime, with very little eventful occurrences until after his death and resurrection as a Death Knight.

### Life While Alive

Benedis grew up with his grandparents on the edge of the Elwyn Forest bordering the eastern Westfall river. The family made a living off fishing and selling to local markets deeper inland. After leaving the home, he brought the skill with him further into Elwryn, finding and settling next to a spot next to a river nearby Stormwind. He met his wife Samantha a few years later, taking her in as a wife to start a family. Though the family eventually hit hard times, Ben was able to secure a temporary job in bars when overfishing was becoming a problem. He and Samantha had two children, Abigail and Theo, along with a dog named Baxter.

### Initial Death

Benedis and his family were murdered soon after the Cataclysm struck Azeroth. Although they all lived through the catastrophe, they were soon bound, tortured, and killed by Wynevra McEny under orders of Rillia as a test for the young criminal. Benedis was the first to be killed, along with Theo, Samantha, and Abigail last.

#### The Haunting of Elwyn Forest and Benedis' Resurrection

After their traumatic deaths, Ben's family came back as ghosts to haunt the grounds in which they died. Benedis himself, however, had his body taken by a Death Knight, and raised in Duskwood the next year. The rogue Death Knight kept Benedis as a personal slave, with Ben unable to fully realize his power as a Death Knight to escape.

Eight years later, when the Fourth War was brewing, Wynevra McEny returned to Elwyn Forest at the request of Fortea McCarrick to put the spirits of those she had killed those years ago to rest. After some time and convincing of the angered spirits, they agreed to let Wynevra leave the haunted grounds with her life if she would rescue Ben from the clutches of the Death Knight.

Benedis was freed the next week while traveling in Duskwood once more. The rogue Death Knight was nowhere to be found, but after cutting through some lesser undead, they freed him. Ben spared Wynevra, on the condition that she help him find Rillia, the woman who ordered him dead, and take vengeance upon her instead. Failing that, Benedis promised he would kill Wynevra in a fashion that would make him and his family's death seem merciful.

He returned to his old home and put his family's spirits to rest, letting them pass into the Shadowlands; all except Abigail, who didn't want to leave Benedis until he was ready to join them in the afterlife.

### Joining House Matheredor

Benedis was searching for months for clues on Rillia. He had almost given up and went after Wynevra, but she convinced him to go to Adorlan and request to join his noble House. Although hesitant at first, Ben believed that joining a noble house would help him get more resources to seek vengeance upon Rillia, and decided it was his best shot.