Magnus Wulfhart

*"Do not confuse a lack of kindness for not being 'good'."* - Magnus Wulfhart

His name mostly unknown, Magnus has fallen into obscurity and remains a recluse even when venturing out to the broader world. Part of a bloodline that has forged the human empires of old, albeit the man himself is unaware of this fact as it was never shared with him.

He has taken to discovering secrets of the world in a pursuit of a greater meaning. His goal is not quite clear to anyone, possibly not even himself.

## Biographical information

### Date of birth

Year 584 by the King's Calendar (-8 ADP / 36 years old)

## Description

Albeit he is only in his mid-thirties, bits of grey started springing forth both in his usually relatively short locks and beard, giving him the typical salt and pepper look. **(WIP)**

## Personality

It is difficult to pinpoint exactly what kind of personality Magnus is best described by. He does not mince words or engage in pleasantries much anymore, and for this people often mistake it as rudeness. Mixed with the fact that he does not shy away from brutality and victory by any means - he is frequently even described as unsavory, undesirable and a hazard to all that is good. He is by no means evil, but a man that has moved past seeing things in just black and white and very much walks his own path.

## Background

#### Early Life (-8 to 0 ADP)

Born just eight years before the First War into one of the many families that have descended from the numerous offsprings of Thoradin himself - albeit the Wulfharts have no claim to a legacy of Thoradin, merely share his bloodline through a marriage from centuries ago.

The early years of young Magnus were spent with much joy, loving parents attentive to all his needs and cultivating his growth into a fine young boy. He wanted for nothing and got everything as necessary for his development. As the light of his parents' life, he was however, sheltered from the world and thus his view of things may have been skewed. To him, the relative luxury of his home was the norm and he did not know the concept of hardship; and perhaps it was thanks to this drive of his parents to protect him that led to no mention of his vague ties to his ancestry - something he knows nothing of to this very day.

His mother educated him in basic manners and literacy until he reached the age of seven, at which point Magnus was sent off to one of the noblemen in Stromgarde to serve as their page - as is customary to strengthen ties between families and show support for each other. Here he was assigned to not only serve under one of the knights, but also run messages, clean clothing, weapons and armor, and learn the basics of combat, horse-riding and even hunting.

#### First War (0 to 5 ADP)

It was during the events of the First Great War that Magnus' curiosity towards the rest of the world began to grow - especially since news rose of another kingdom being put to ruin by strange forces from another world. His training and education were enough distraction to keep the young Wulfhart occupied, but a certain concern grew in his heart - as it did too with so many folk around him. He was becoming a fine young man and during his growth-spur he had far surpassed most of his peers - but such was no surprise to those who knew his father who himself towered over most members of the court. This combined with the fact that he had taken his assignments seriously and with great attention to detail at all times, his mentor proposed to elevate his training to that of a squire two years early - just after Magnus' twelfth birthday. It was with great pride in his heart that the boy accepted the offer to take his training towards becoming a knight of Stromgarde onto the next leg of the journey.

It was just a year after such developments that the air grew heavier as whispers of a Second War rose and soon enough with the announcement of a new alliance being formed between the human kingdoms, preparations began to fend off the Horde once more.

#### Second War (5 to 6 ADP)

As forces were being mobilized in response to Orcish movements - Magnus joined his mentor with the half of the Stromgardian army that was sent to be part of the standing army of the Alliance.

##### Battle of Hillsbrad Foothills

As the Alliance and Horde forces clashed, the boy was stationed towards the back with some of the commanders and logistics personnel. The chaos that ensued was incomprehensible to Magnus - the sight of the Orcs and their beasts boggled the mind. A battle of this scale went against everything he was taught about combat so far; no elegant dance of blades and skillful display of finesse was present - each swing of a sword he saw was desperate, a swipe at encroaching death to keep it at bay just a while longer. His ears rang from the constant shouting, clinging of metal on metal and the wails of pain from both sides, and his eyes were burning from the sheer amount of dust that was kicked up by the boots of the men.

Time after time, orcs crashed against the defensive lines of the human army which was being managed quite expertly, new lines of spearmen already at the ready when a previous one was broken through. Amidst the raging battle however, Magnus still recognized the voice of his mentor - especially when it rang out in a howl of pain, and he saw the knight buckle over with the tip of a jagged spear jutting out of his back. Without even noticing it himself, Magnus just took off - grabbing just a shield and a small bag of first aid supplies to rush into the depths of the grinder. Within just seconds he found himself by his mentor who laid in the mud, still breathing but on the very edge of life and death. The heat of the battle seemed to die down after the third assault - just as the boy was trying to help his mentor and preserve his life. A strange mist rolled in on the field however, and the men around grew anxious. Trotting of hooves sounded out in the thickening fog and soon those in the front line began to hack and cough, blood pouring forth from their mouths, nostrils and eye-sockets. The sight itself was terrifying but the worst of it was yet to come. Magnus was petrified - he wanted to help his mentor and get off of the field of battle but his body disobeyed. And then he felt the knight fall limp in his arms as the last vestiges of life departed from his body. Then the silhouettes of the enemy riders strode closer to reveal the death knights atop their undead steeds - a sight that has burnt into the mind of the boy for the rest of his existence. But he had other things to worry about - the men who collapsed on the first defensive line ahead of him began to erratically rise from the ground with jittery movements and gurgling rising from their throats; and that very same guttural sound sparked up just next to the ear of Magnus as the body of his mentor began to shake. Undeath claimed the fallen men and they were being turned against their own. It was then that the fight or flight response of Magnus really awakened, as he ripped the broken off tip of the spear from the chest of his mentor and drove it through his skull. Leaving the lifeless body in the mud, Magnus began to make his way through the newfound chaos that unfolded around him - men fighting their fallen brethren, which just seemed absurd and impossible. It was only thanks to Uther and three other paladins who charged forth among the lines that the boy could make it through and to the backline where he simply found a ditch to lay low for a brief moment.

Magnus was clearly still in shock, despite the brilliant Light that washed over the battlefield and reignited the fighting spirit of humans; he was unable to process everything that unfolded, especially things that he had no knowledge of whatsoever - like the vile magics that turned the men and his mentor against them. And for the rest of the battle he remained in the back, simply trying to survive and not be in the way of anyone else.

After the battle's conclusion Magnus regained some of his senses and remembered one of his most important duties to his mentor - making sure that he would be provided an honorable burial. After retrieving the body of the knight, the young Wulfhart was brought back to his family home in Stromgarde with the news of his mentor's passing. For a short while he remained here to digest what had happened; a sort of recovery and rumination of the events. In an attempt to help with moving past the loss of his mentor and to refocus the boy, Alastair has introduced him to the family trade - alchemy. Learning a new skill was going to take quite a while but it did achieve the goal of reigniting the interest of Magnus - especially when he learned that certain potions could save lives; something he could have used to perhaps change the outcome of his former mentor's fate. During this time multiple battles took place in which Stromgarde was not directly involved, but once the betrayal of the Kingdom of Alterac was unveiled even Magnus' blood boiled over. He insisted to join his father - who was obliged to answer the call of Thoras Trollbane in marching into Alterac to block them from assisting the Horde any further.

##### Marching South

Once the Kingdom of Alterac was contained, Magnus headed south with the main army in pursuit of the Horde forces - as Thoras has tasked his nephew Danath to assist in the efforts of retaking Khaz Modan. It was an arduous, long march with various skirmishes that chipped away at the Orcish numbers - a journey on which Magnus was tasked by his father to focus on making sure that all their gear would be looked after and maintained, as well as giving him the duty to harvest herbs when possible to keep their supplies for various potions and medicinal remedies in check.

With a desire of not wanting history to repeat itself however, Magnus made sure that he would stick by his father's side as often as he could to make sure he was protected at all times. It was thanks to this tenacity that he had saved Alastair's life during one of the battles against the Bleeding Hollow clan, when they found themselves in a pinch and outnumbered. The young Wulfhart displayed what he had learned through training under his former mentor, and his observations from previous battles, as he ferociously fought with a claymore he had pilfered earlier from one of the supply wagons. He wounded several of the orcish warriors and even struck a mortal blow to claim his first real kill - something even recognized in the army as a rite of passage. Magnus was no longer a boy, he was now considered one of the men of Stromgarde.

##### The Battle of Blackrock Spire

For the siege of the last bastion of the Horde, Magnus remained with the siege engines to assist in maintaining and loading them in what the Alliance expected to be a drawn out and arduous conflict. Contrary to these beliefs however, the gates of Blackrock swung open and the Orcs launched an unexpected counter offensive led by none other than Warchief Doomhammer himself at the front. As the orcish leader locked into single combat with Anduin Lothar, Magnus watched from afar with bated breath - a feeling of someone, or something else watching over the field of battle overcoming the young man. This strange phenomenon was pushed to the back of his senses the moment Lothar fell at the hands of the Warchief however. The morale of the Alliance's forces could visibly be seen dropping as the Supreme Commander fell lifeless to the ground - but a sudden burst of blinding Light enveloped the area and all fighting halted to moments later reveal Turalyon with the shattered sword of Lothar in his hand, standing over an unconscious Orgrim. His rallying words rang out over the field, calling on Lothar's sons and daughters to uphold their leader's legacy and carry out the duty of ridding Azeroth of the ruinous Horde.

With the Alliance forces reinvigorated by such a display of resolve in one of the bleakest moments of the war, a final clash had taken place between the armies - and Magnus was no exception either. He charged forth and into the enemy lines with his fellows and carved through orcs like a man possessed. The forces of the Horde soon buckled under the assault and scattered in all directions; and for those who remained by the mountain locked in combat were eventually overrun and captured alongside their Warchief.

#### Aftermath (6 to 8 ADP)

The nations of the Alliance erupted into revelry as the war has finally ended - albeit many were forever plagued by the horrors inflicted upon not just themselves but their comrades and loved ones. Magnus was no exception in this - he could not fully appreciate the coming of a peaceful time. But the nations began their recovery and the Wulfharts did not stand by idly. Young Magnus petitioned to enter the service of a knight serving under Danath to finish his training as he was aware that he had much to learn still. Alastair granted him his wish, just in time too, as Danath's forces soon marched south to serve as overseers for the orcish internment camps. While continuing his service and training as a squire Magnus has also picked up some proper discipline, especially now that one of his duties was guarding prisoners of war. His family remained in Stromgarde and focused on restoring the lands ravaged by war.

#### Beyond the Dark Portal (8 to 26 ADP)

##### Sons of Lothar

Having been pledged into the service of a knight under Danath, Magnus soon marched towards the Black Morass when the call went out for aid from none other than Turalyon. Forces of the Horde have re-emerged from a once again active Dark Portal and laid siege to Nethergarde Keep. Numerous reports rose of forces striking deep into Alliance lands before disappearing - accounts of even black dragons assisting the orcs in whatever scheme they were brewing. In hope of avoiding another full-scale war the Alliance Expedition was formed with the aim of going through the Dark Portal to strike at the heart of the Horde and deter another invasion of Azeroth.

During their march towards Nethergarde however, the infamous death knights and the never seen before Warsong clan ambushed the forces of Danath. They were overrun and outnumbered, and would have all perished in battle if not for a select few of Trollbane's men who insisted on breaking through the lines and delivering news to Khadgar, the wizard in charge of the keep. With a handful of his knights - including Magnus who fought to protect not just his mentor, but their mutual leader - a small gap in the orcish lines was punched and they made it off, with the rest of the forces sacrificing themselves so that a warning could be brought to their allies. Once they have delivered their warning to Nethergarde, the Alliance Expedition was building up properly and Danath was named second-in-command to General Turalyon.

##### Invasion of Draenor

Shortly after, the Alliance Expedition pushed through the Dark Portal to carry out their mission - but what awaited them on the other side was nothing any of them expected. The red wastes they have arrived upon were a hellscape none could have imagined and Magnus even felt some understanding towards why the orcs would be trying to make it over to Azeroth; but his ruminations could not carry on much longer as the Alliance forces pushed into the wastelands, clashing with Horde forces on a constant to gain a foothold within the peninsula. During the time of establishing Honor Hold, Magnus was put to work in the rapid construction of the fortifications and later on assigned to guard duty on the regular, as he was deemed still young to participate in most of the upcoming skirmishes and battles.

Once Hellfire Citadel was captured and forces had to be split up between the commanders in order to thwart the plans of the enemy, Magnus joined the army led by Danath and Kurdran Wildhammer to pursue Ner'zhul who possessed the Book of Medivh. During this pursuit Kurdran was actually apprehended by the orcs and a rescue mission had to be mounted - but their target was taken to Auchindoun which required the preparation of yet another siege. To achieve this, Danath ordered the establishment of Allerian Stronghold in the proximity, which meant only one thing for Magnus; more work on fortifications and guard duties. The pace at which the Alliance forces spread out on Draenor and sprung up these footholds were mind-boggling, but also vastly helped by the elven mages that accompanied them. Shortly after an arakkoa named Grizzik, who had been following the expedition, was captured and he pledged to assist the Alliance in their mission to free Kurdran by guiding them into Auchindoun. Magnus was not part of the rescue mission - which was a partial success; Kurdran was freed and Kilrogg Deadeye was slain in single combat by Danath, but this bought Ner'zhul enough time to escape. The Book of Medivh remained out of reach and the attention of the Sons of Lothar now turned towards the Black Temple where the Spell of Conjuration has gone underway.

Splitting up the Alliance forces and chasing after the items required to finish the ritual designed by Ner'zhul has given time for the Horde to launch attacks against the fortified positions of the Alliance on Draenor and the pressure was being felt by everyone. Magnus himself was exhausted and they were marching again - to meet up with the forces led by Khadgar. When they joined up as a singular army Magnus has tasted real battle once again as he was on the frontlines with his brothers and sisters, razing orcish strongholds on the outskirts of the Black Temple before raiding the temple-city itself. But they were too late. Ner'zhul and the Shadowmoon clan slipped away as portals began to tear open, escaping through one of them and abandoning the rest of the Horde. It was this betrayal that led to one of Ner'zhul's servitors, Obris giving the Book of Medivh back to Khadgar. The planet was reacting violently to the incomprehensible amount of energies brought on by the increasing amount of portals appearing all around and a certain dread took over Magnus. As they were rushing their way back towards the Dark Portal, the decision was made; they were going to destroy it in order to protect Azeroth. This was it - their last stand. The young man steeled himself and thought of nothing else but his parents being safe at home; and that they would remain so thanks to their sacrifice here - in such a forsaken land, where nobody will know of what they have done. With the planet beginning to buckle in on itself, Magnus and the others protected Khadgar while he took to using the Skull of Gul'dan and the Book of Medivh to shatter the stone-frame of the Dark Portal. Desperate Orcs rushed into their blades, trying to flee the erupting planet and eventually a strike landed on Magnus; a club connected with his helmet-clad head and knocked him unconscious.

##### Life on Outland

Magnus woke up in the barracks back in Honor Hold - something he did not comprehend at first. The last thing he could remember was their last stand at the Dark Portal and the planet tearing itself apart around them. It was later explained to him by one of his fellow company men that Khadgar succeeded in destroying the frame holding the portal to Azeroth together; after which they all made for one of the rifts opened by Ner'zhul's spell as it was their last option. Magnus' mentor stayed behind as per his own wishes - he was already gravely wounded, but made sure to hold off the orcs from the retreating men and thus bought them enough time to carry the young Wulfhart through with them. Nobody ever spoke of what they have seen when stepping through the rift or how they made it back to these hellish lands, but neither did Magnus press them on it. He was somewhat relieved to be still alive, but conflicted otherwise. His mentor was once again dead, Turalyon and Alleria were missing, and the rest of the Sons of Lothar were trapped on the husk of a planet with no way home. To make matters worse, reports of demons pouring forth from the rifts constantly came in and the outlook of their situation seemed quite bleak. If they were to survive with such impossible odds there was a lot to be done; and it was perhaps at this point that the desire and hope of Magnus for a life of normalcy has faded. It was replaced with an acceptance for struggle, hardship and an endless fight for survival. Something he would come to embrace in the coming years.

As he reached the age of eighteen, Magnus was knighted by Danath - who was the only authority to do so at the time - for his bravery at the Dark Portal and outstanding service throughout the campaign. Such a distinguished gesture brought some life back into the man and he even began to harbor a faint hope that one day he would return home to his parents to tell them of all that has happened. His focus was reaffirmed and though he was now a fully anointed knight he still had much in the way of development. Danath assigned him a modest troop of twenty men and Magnus began leading small patrols out into the outskirts of the hold to maintain a perimeter for early warnings against potential attacks. Attacks which began to grow more frequent and increasingly threatening the foothold of the last Sons of Lothar in the Hellfire Peninsula. The early warning system proved to work well-enough to give the defenses enough time to prepare for an assault - at which point Magnus and his men joined the defenders and took part in fending off the attackers. These ranged from small skirmishes to full-on assaults on a regular basis with even the occasional sieges that lasted for days if not weeks. It was during these days that Magnus became a truly hardened warrior, often fighting without a stop for extended periods of time.

Years of fighting for survival went on, with certain periods relatively tame where Magnus - among others - could lead skirmishes past the territories surrounding Honor Hold and even establish some connections with other outposts that were holding out as well as Khadgar who has taken residence in Shattrath City. Soon enough things changed on Outland as one day the people of Honor Hold witnessed a procession they couldn't quite believe. A hulking demon chained down in an even larger caged cart was hauled in towards Hellfire Citadel, with a strange, winged figure standing atop said carriage as if proclaiming victory. As later they would find out it was none other than Illidan, the self-proclaimed Lord of Outland hauling the pitlord Magtheridon into the citadel which served as his jail for the future. They were unsure of whether this bode well for them, though soon it would prove that it was merely a regime-change as other than the remnant orcish and demonic forces, now even the Illidari tried their hands at launching attacks against Honor Hold. To Magnus this came as less of a surprise as he began to grow indifferent to their situation altogether and ceased to have expectations for things turning for the better. But eventually his growing skepticism was proven wrong for once when the naaru arrived in Shattrath City in hopes of rendering their aid against the encroaching dangers of the Burning Legion and its minions. Whenever they were able to afford such, Magnus led small but well guarded convoys between Honor Hold and Shattrath City to both acquire some supplies and escort their injured who needed the aid of the Light to be saved from being crippled or dead.

#### The Burning Crusade (26 ADP)

After nearly twenty years of fighting for survival, things were about to change - and fast. Demonic presence increased vastly in a buildup towards an assault on Azeroth itself. The men of Honor Hold couldn't do much in terms of stopping the tremendous amount of forces amassed that now marched up the Path of Glory and towards the Dark Portal which suddenly sprung to life once more. The Sons of Lothar knew however, that they had to prepare themselves in case those on the other side of the portal were to push the invasion back and come through to Outland in a counter offensive. Their preparations paid off as their intuition - or perhaps last shred of hope for not being stuck on a dying remnant of a planet for the rest of their lives - proved to be true; albeit nothing could prepare them for the news of what had occurred on Azeroth in the past two decades.

(WIP)