Youhun Shufen

OOC Note: This article is no longer accurate to the present state of the character. Details of which are added as a final update to this page. For more details as for the character's present state, see the article on Meng Shufen.

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**Youhun Shufen** is a Stormwindian commoner who serves in the Stormwind Army as a Lieutenant and is the commander of the unit she founded, the Rooks Guard. She served a long military career under the name 'Meng' Shufen since the conflicts on Pandaria, until her demise during the battle of the Broken Shore. Of which after months of being on ice, she was raised back as a Death Knight sometime during the events of the Fourth War.

## Personality & Beliefs

In life, Meng was an energetic, idealistic and tomboyish Pandaren warrior. Always ready to deploy and display her finely honed skills with a blade. To her, war was an artform to be mastered. In death, Youhun retains some of these qualities, but is much more... tempered. One could say that the frost that emanated around her has cooled her fire somewhat. The curse of undeath has granted Youhun long bouts of stoicism and pragmatism. However, it is masked well with a kind demeanor and the occasional bout of ideological inspiration, which makes her feel more alive than her kin.

## Description

Youhun has black and white fur, slightly stiffened from the frost. Her tail is on the longer side and hangs low, typically a trait for red furred Pandaren. Her eyes turned into glowing blue orbs from her transformation to a Death Knight. She has a muscular build, and is taller than average for Pandaren women.

## Biography

### Before the War on Pandaria,

Meng Shufen enjoyed the life of a quiet farmhand. Tending to yaks and beating away varments who would try to steal her family crops. She was rowdy, and considered one of the boys by her brothers and their friends. Often joining them on adventures and treks along the great continent of Pandaria.

### However when the mists fell,

and the continent was discovered by the outside world, things changed. The Horde , led by Garrosh Hellscream , through their aggressive war tactics decimated the Shufen farmstead. This pushed them easily into the embrace of the Alliance, as they offered aide in rebuilding the farms in exchange for help in the conflict. This led to Meng's initial enlistment into the Army of Stormwind, as a foreign volunteer. Through dedicated service as a guide to her unit, she was eventually officially inducted as a Private within the army. Where she would participate in the security for the trial of Garrosh, and ultimately aide in the Siege of Orgrimmar, where she earned the rank of Corporal after the defeat of Garrosh Hellscream.

### During the brief period of truce,

Meng enjoyed some time in Stormwind City. Primarily acquainting herself with the Tushui philosophical movement that originated from the lost Wandering Isle, and slowly picking up the trade of a Steelshaper while associating with them. For the practical purpose of being able to maintain her own armor and weapons while away at war.

### Unfortunately the period of peace didn't last long,

due to the attack on Azeroth by the Iron Horde .
She would continue to ascend the ranks, serving as a Non-Commissioned Officer when she joined the combined Grand Alliance armies in storming the reawoken Dark Portal , and aiding with the conflicts on the parallel universe Draenor. As her unit secured Tanaan Jungle, heroes of the alliance stormed Hellfire Citadel, and defeated Gul'dan , signalling the end of the war. However, the peace was short lived as agents of the Burning Legion  had invaded Azeroth. Meng fought valiantly, and had proved herself capable over multiple campaigns, so when the time came to assault the Broken Shore and stop the legion at their primary entrance point, she was selected as one of the many who would join that terrible battle. Stuffed on a pre-battle feast, with enchanted weapons and reinforced armor, the best the Alliance could muster, she stormed the Broken Shore. Helping the Alliance gain a foothold all the way to the portal in which the legion, aided by Gul'dan, were summoning their agents. The battle looked won, until the Horde pulled out, no longer providing air support. The Alliance armies were overrun, and forced to retreat. In the chaos, Meng Shufen was impaled by the spear of a Felguard, and was left to perish. Her last memories being of King Varian Wrynn leaping from the skyship that would have brought the retreating king to safety, and impaling a colossal legion infernal with his sword. She knew as her eyes closed for the last time, that she would be sharing a grave with her king.
A fine way to die.

### However, the Knights of the Ebon Blade, disagreed.

As soon as it was feasibly possible, agents of the Ebon Blade began a campaign to recover as many corpses of heroes who perished against the legion as possible. With the mass casualties of the Battle of the Broken Shore serving as a goldmine for such an endeavor, as the territory was lost for a long time, making the recovery efforts of the Alliance difficult. This as well left plenty of plausible deniability for why the bodies would be gone. Meng was one of the corpses that were snatched, and placed on ice in Icecrown Citadel. Where she was placed on the long waiting list as Death Knights were raised and trained as quickly as they could be mustered. Meng would find herself called back from the afterlife sometime during the events of the Fourth War. She was trained under the name of 'Lily Plaguebearer' a play on words with bear and plague gifted to her in lieu of  her actual name due to her memory being hazy.

### When she recovered her memories,

she chose to honor her family and call herself Youhun Shufen. Youhun meaning 'Wandering Spirit' in her people's language. She hated the Plaguebearer name, but the few Death Knights of her generation that remember her may still call her that.
Along with recalling her name, she also recalled her allegiance and loyalties. Reporting immediately back to Stormwind, to serve once again in the army. When she returned her status as a member of the army was recognized, but Youhun struggled to find a unit. Her first thought was to join the First Regiment, the distinguished army unit which she heard of during the war on Pandaria. However she was disappointed to discover that in order to join, she would need to be a member of the Order of Saint Zelek an order which does not accept Death Knights who do not have the national origin of light worshiping races. For although the First Regiment expanded their recruitment guidelines, which would have allowed her to finally join in life, her being a Death Knight kept her from joining due to that requirement. She found that this was the rule and not the exception, as many Army units were hesitant to allow a Death Knight into their unit, for concerns of issues between the soldiers.

### This frustrated Youhun,

who simply wanted to proudly serve with distinction amongst her peers. Therefore, she made an application with the Ministry of War, and was granted the rank of Lieutenant as well as the ability to command her own unit, which she named 'Rooks Guard.' Youhun proceeded to style Rooks Guard in the form of a army reserve and national guard. Recruiting anyone loyal to the alliance under the premise that they can serve in the military and attain military benefits while also pursuing their civilian careers. She hopes to continue to forge and refine a reliable, distinguished and flexible military unit, which can meet the army's demand for manpower.

### Things got further complicated,

when a Death Knight from the Ebon Blade began to hunt Youhun, following some missions by the Rooks Guard in the Eastern Plaguelands, where they captured and interrogated necromancers just before the scourge invasion. It came to light that the Ebon Blade have been looking into the absence of one of the spirits formerly in their service, named Youhun Yegui. It came to light from their investigation that this spirit had possessed Meng Shufen, the Pandaren soldier as they were dying on the Broken Shore. The power granted by the spirit was enough to save her life, however it began a series of events where the spirit would take over, and block out Youhun's ability to control herself for it's own control. As well, it would implant false memories, in order to control the soldier. It convinced her that her history with the Ebon Blade was real, when in reality she was never trained to be a death knight. It granted her abilities similar with a Death Knight so none could be the wiser, and wouldn't find the necrotic presence on her surprising. It did all of this with the eventual goal of lying in wait until it got into a opportune spot to enact it's nefarious scheme of saving it's old master, a Lich which was imprisoned in the tomb of a paladin under the cathedral of light. However, under pressure to act as the Ebon Blade caught on to the reports of a imposter Death Knight, and Meng's body fading from living for years as a undead creature when she was actually alive, the spirit acted.

On January 4th, 633KY (2021) Rooks Guard along with Magical Enforcement Bureau Agent Calvin Quill, Councilor Gideon Northgate, and his associates Jontont Frost and Tobias Treadstone had unwittingly participated in the spirits retrieval of a Phylactery, the first step in it's plan to free this Lich. However upon Roland Vanburen's quick understanding of the situation, as well as knowing of the reports about the incident released prior to this mission, Youhun was not allowed to escape after acquiring this Phylactery, and it was destroyed. Killing the spirit, and freeing Meng Shufen from it's imprisonment.

Now Meng Shufen has to grapple with the fact that she is not in fact dead, but is alive again. Reality has changed, and she has missed out on a lot of time due to this spirit. Only time will tell how she will recover from this.

## Titles

### Lieutenant of the Stormwind Army

Youhun Shufen is a Lieutenant in the Stormwind Army. This is an officer rank.

### Commander of the Rooks Guard

She leads a army reserve unit in the Stormwind Army referred to as the 'Rooks Guard.' Her men often refer to her as commander, but this is not to be confused for the army rank of the same name.

## House

Youhun is a member of the 'house' Shufen. A common farming family in Pandaria. Youhun is largely out of touch with her family, especially since her death. However while Youhun has been away, her mother has filled the power void of their village following the conflict on Pandaria, serving as the Elder or Mayor of the village. Family legend says that the Shufens can trace their legacy long ago, during the time of Emperor Shaohao, when a Lord Feng Shufen served. However, with the imperial government now defunct, pressing these claims does not garner the members of the family much besides some local regard and respect.

## Relationships

After her turning into a Death Knight, Youhun essentially had to start from scratch with her relationships, however some of them are notable.

She shares a kinship and brotherly bond with all of her Rooks, however she has taken special solace with her fellow Death Knight Roland Vanburen. Who she has found to be a kindred spirit, whom was also a soldier who served the Alliance proudly in life, but found it hard to fit in with his home. He is always willing to aid, and has been a reliable second for the fledgling commander early on in the history of the Rooks Guard.

As well, Youhun has begun to build quite the name for herself, making herself a ready and available ally for individuals like Lady Rose. The Lady Patron of the 24th Regiment of the Stormwind Guard . Of which she and her Rooks have aided occasionally when it came to law enforcement during the Martial Law placed on Stormwind during the Scourge invasion, brought on by agents of Sylvanas Windrunner.  As well as for some weeks before. Youhun first met her in the early days of her return to Stormwind, and Rose aided her in re-establishing her military contacts. Even passing her name along to Duke Maxen Montclair. The Lord High Steward and Grand Marshal of the Stormwind Army. Through his grace, he permitted Youhun to use Westbrook Garrison as a base of operations for the Rooks Guard. He also has lended a ear to her when he has time to help in guiding her, to which Youhun is very grateful for.

Youhun is also known to associate with Councilor Gideon Northgate of the Mage District. Being a contributor to his paper the Alliance Free Press. As well as pledging her unit to helping secure the Mage District, she and her Rooks secured city council meetings and conventions during the invasion of the scourge under the request of Lord Mayor Vaerien Greyson.
When it comes to romantic relationships, in life Meng Shufen was quite promiscuous, as one is when they are consistently throwing their lives down in back to back wars. However, death has chilled Youhun's heart. Making her incapable of feeling love, at least so she thinks. Occasionally she will have her flirty moments again, but they are far and few in between, and it is unlikely she would have any serious relationship again.

## Gallery

Youhun Shufen, (pictured center), flanked by her Rooks during the first Rooks Guard Roll Call.Youhun before the Battle of the Broken Shore memorial, captured in a wider angle.Youhun, pictured in her full armor, flanked by mounted Rooks Guard.
## External Links

Youhun has been featured in articles of the Stormwind Daily, as well as has contributed to the Ministry of War and other publications. Here are those relevant articles.

Issue 96 of the Stormwind Daily, where Youhun is featured as one of the 'People of Stormwind.'

Issue 133 of the Stormwind Daily, where Youhun's declaration of intent for Councilwoman of Parks and Harbor is published.

Issue 13 of the Alliance Free Press, where Youhun contributed an article on safety precautions to be taken during the Scourge Invasion.