The Story of Eminor Duskstrider

[Last Updated May 20, 2017]

Eminor was the third son born to Caemhhean Duskstrider, the lord of a lesser noble house in Quel’Thalas. While his father was otherwise kind and caring, he made it very clear from a young age that Eminor would never inherit the lordship. Because of this, Eminor never had very high ambitions for his life, originally wanting to be a member of the Royal Guard.

His childhood was basic. His life consisted entirely of studying, appearances, and only a few hours of free time. He made a few friends, however none were ever as close as two lowborn; a boy named Welvaen and a girl named Taela. The three had met while Eminor was out playing in the streets, immediately becoming best friends. They stayed very close throughout their entire childhood.

From the earliest age that he could hold a weapon, he trained. He started with swords until he was confident with them, then moving onto more savage armaments, namely axes. While he appreciated both types of weaponry, he didn’t feel right wielding either. After experimenting with maces, bows, crossbows, and poleaxes, he couldn’t quite figure out what weapon was best for him.

Taela, who had been studying magic, eventually recommended that he try a bit more ‘out-there’ weapons, such as a spear. Eminor tried it, expecting to find another weapon that he didn’t quite like, however it was the opposite. He took to the weapon straightaway, being quite satisfied with every aspect of the weapon. He loved the reach, the slicing, and how fast one could attack with it. From then on, he dropped his ambition to become a Royal Guard, instead now wishing to become the best spear wielder in all of Azeroth.

Welvaen and Eminor got into a fair bit of trouble throughout their childhood as the former constantly talked the latter into going out for nights of trouble. They frequently stole, pranked, and otherwise caused trouble throughout the streets of Silvermoon. Welvaen eventually turned this troublesome enjoyment into practical purposes, becoming a rogue.

The two also frequently attended parties despite being warned against it by Taela. Eventually an end would come to their party days as Welvaen once got more drunk than he ever had one night. He blacked out, and subsequently got in a fight with a group of four, who beat him relentlessly and then stole all of the silver he had on him.

Eminor participated in many duels throughout Quel’Thalas, wanting to prove he was the best. He went mostly undefeated, with only a stray loss every now and then. He became renowned throughout the tournament fighting of Eversong, going by the name ‘The Blue Viper’. The most memorable fight was against a dual sword wielding elf. This elf caught Eminor on his left hand, severing the pinky at the second knuckle. Eminor then beat him in two strikes: slicing at his shin and the dull end to his head, knocking him unconscious. Taela talked Eminor out of continuing the duels afterwards.

Welvaen was the first to suffer loss in the group, as his father had an abrupt and unexpected death, leaving Welvaen orphaned at a young age. Eminor let him into his home and family, much to the dismay of the latter. The House of Duskstrider got used to Welvaen’s presence, however, as they found the extra pair of hands to be useful around their home.

Eminor and Taela grew to love each other as more than just best friends, however they had to keep their relationship a private; Taela was a lowborn, she could not be with a noble, even a third child of a lesser house such as Eminor. This did not stop them. As fate would have it, Taela became unexpectedly pregnant. Eventually the rest of his family would learn of this. Eminor’s father told him to forget about his relationship with Taela, to play the child off as Welvaen’s, and to never speak to either again. Caemhhean wasn’t about to let the House of Duskstrider’s name be dragged through the dirt by a grandchild born to that of a lowborn.

Welvaen, despite having generously been given house and home from the rest of the Duskstriders, had stood by Eminor and Taela’s side throughout all of this. The three began plans to flee Quel’Thalas, not wanting to be shunned by the unreasonable pricks they thought of as a family. After going over all of the options, they decided to move to Dalaran. It would provide a good home, Taela could further her magic studies, and the child would receive a future education.

They gave the Duskstrider’s a presumed final dinner, knowing that their fates were to be determined that night. Caemhhean told Eminor to follow his demands else face being disowned, and had until the birth of the child to decide. Eminor, Taela, and Welvaen left for Dalaran the following morning.

The three arrived almost a month later, after stopping briefly to see a few sights along the way. The same day they arrived, Taela and Eminor were officially married by a priest of the Holy Light, and subsequently bought a home with the little coin they had. Days later and a daughter was born, the parents unable to decide on a name. The four lived within this home peacefully until a week later when King Terenas II was assassinated, causing Lordaeron to then fall into ruin. By the time the Sunwell was defiled, Eminor and Taela had nothing but rage brimming within them. News had then reached them of Prince Kael’thas’ campaign to reclaim their fallen kingdom, and Taela and Eminor were quick to volunteer.

Welvaen, not caring about the kingdom that had done nothing for him, offered to stay behind at Dalaran with the baby. The two accepted his offer and left their daughter with their mutual best friend, certain she’d remain safe. Eminor and Taela never saw Welvaen and their daughter ever again.

Through the trials and tribulations that followed, Eminor and Taela remained side by side, following Prince Kael’thas wherever he went. Eminor believed it to be a poor decision when Lady Vashj offered her help, however like Kael’thas, his opinion changed when they found themselves in the dungeons of Dalaran. He realized that doubting his Prince was foolish, and had no quarrel when the elves allied themselves with Illidan Stormrage.

The couple continued to blindly follow the Prince until he allied himself with the Burning Legion. Eminor had no prior experience with the demons but he knew it just did not seem right. He and Taela attempted to flee to Shattrath City and join the Scryers, but were stopped by a group of demons as they were preparing to step through the portal that Taela had just created. They were both prepared to fight. However, just as Eminor was about to charge, Taela pushed him through the portal after proclaiming a final ‘I love you’. He watched as the portal then shut without his beloved coming through.

Eminor was lost on what to do. Distraught. Minutes passed. He stared at where the portal had just closed, expecting his love to appear at any moment. That moment never came. His sorrow turned to rage. Demons had taken the one thing he truly cared about, he must have revenge. Despite having ended up not far out the border of Shattrath, he threw away the plan to join the Scryers, instead making his way to the Black Temple. He pledged himself to the Illidari and vowed to do whatever it would take to avenge his beloved.

He was a hothead, he was arrogant, and he had recently lost everything he cared about, all of which certainly showed in his training. He followed instructions, did what he was told to do, but he wasn’t making any progress. The pieces to the demon hunter puzzle were not clicking in his mind. He grew impatient, simply wanting to become a hunter without having to go through all of this. One of the senior demon hunters, a kaldorei named My’laris, took note of Eminor’s impatience and poor attitude, and decided to take him as a direct apprentice.

My’laris was a calm and collected individual, the opposite of Eminor. None of his positive values rubbed off on the recent widower, so My’laris did not allow Eminor to conduct the ritual of becoming a hunter. Instead, he opted to wait until Eminor grew as a person. My’laris eventually decided to bring Eminor along on a mission close to the Black Temple, hoping it might instill the values within him.

The two were held up in a campfire when the armies of Azeroth marched on the Temple. They couldn’t return, not while every entrance was blocked, so they remained at their camp. My’laris, despite typically being patient, was sick of wasting time, so he told Eminor to stay at the camp while he moved to assist the Illidari. He never returned.

Somehow his camp went unnoticed by everyone. When the armies left the Temple, Eminor assumed that both My’laris and Illidan Stormrage were dead. Eminor had lost his family, his wife, and his mentor. He was alone.

The Sin’dorei wandered the wastes of Outland for almost two years, searching for someone who could continue his training, and reaching as far as the border of Blade’s Edge Mountain. He lived off the land, killing animals and drinking water found in lakes and puddles. In time, he made his way back to Shadowmoon Valley where he encountered another Sin’dorei, Daelar Noar’themal. Eminor recognized the horns, tattoos, and blindfold immediately, and subsequently begged Daelar to accept him as a student. Although Daelar was reluctant and warned Eminor about the dangers of being a demon hunter, he eventually conceded and began training the aspirant.

Eminor was trained for over a year in Shadowmoon Valley when the two came to the conclusion that their presence on Outland was pointless. They then snuck their way through the areas of the broken world and through the Dark Portal. They began hunting down demons throughout Azeroth, not quite finding that many to truly kill. After some time, Daelar learned of a group of demon hunters fighting at Dire Maul in Feralas. The two made their way across the ocean, meeting up with like minded individuals. Maltharesh Rahn’dorel, Zyranni Bleakheart, and Iliya Stormchaser made up the group that fought the minor invasion found at Dire Maul, accompanied by a mage known as Jaritana Thel’dori.

The demons invaded through the ruins of Eldre’Thalas under a new Gordok throne claimant, Zal’Gor. The ogre, a powerful warlock, brought a small invasion force to Dire Maul and took the throne. Eminor, along with the aforementioned group of individuals, assaulted the kingdom, appropriately named New Goria, and killed every demon inside along with the King. Because Eminor, along with the group, defeated the King of Dire Maul, they were declared the new Kings (and Queens). While a few other people immediately relinquished their title to the previous King of the Gordok, Eminor opted to keep his. He proudly wore the title from then on, making sure all whom he met would know of his proud accomplishment.

After accomplishing their goals at Dire Maul, Eminor and Daelar stayed with the group as most of them travelled to Dragonblight. A so called ‘Shadowknight’ had attacked the group prior to Eminor and Daelar’s arrival, so the group tracked him to the frozen wastes and began pursuing.

This shadowknight, who eventually came to be known as Mithaniel, was eventually tracked down by a number of temporary visitors with the group, including a blue dragon named Corrigosa. They learned of a crypt in Icecrown that Mithaniel had taken a base and moved to assault it. A long battle occurred, with the defenders having a larger roster than anticipated. Among the demonic side was not just Mithaniel, but also Apotheosis, a corrupted demon hunter, and Malfegor, a powerful Man’ari Eredar, along numerous other demons. The group fought valiantly, bringing a humiliating defeat to the Burning Legion. Mithaniel suffered a grievous wound, Malfegor was forced into retreat, and the rest of the Legion’s combatants fled, proving the Legion to be made up of cowards.

The pack spent another couple of nights in Dragonblight as they prepared to leave. Jaritana, at some point, made an announcement that she would be leaving the group to continue her studies under the training of Corrigosa. Eminor and Jaritana had grown rather close so while he was happy for her, he also couldn’t help but feel sad that he first friend in the group was leaving. Daelar also stated he would be gone for a while, having business to attend to.

The group then made their way to the Grizzly Hills. They took over an abandoned watchtower for a few days, intending to rest before continuing east. While in the hills they encountered a sin’dorei huntress named Rhaeya Ven’delorn, who took the place of the now departed Jaritana. Maltharesh, Zyranni, and Rhaeya were out on a scouting mission when they were ambushed by a dreadlord, known as Xatheroc, and a fleet of demons. Rhaeya was captured and the other two were forced to flee.

The pack then, alongside the Arkanford, fled to the mountains of the Howling Fjord. They took up a temporary home in the cart of Aevelm Embrysian, the leader of the Arkanford. Maltharesh, a skilled blacksmith, began creating new weapons for everyone in the pack, including Eminor, who desperately needed an upgrade from his poorly made steel spear he had been wielding for years.

Rhaeya, who had previously been thought dead, reappeared a day later, claiming to have been let go by a rebellious demon. She stated that she too wished to become a demon hunter. With Daelar now absent, Maltharesh took both Eminor and Rhaeya as apprentices.

Eminor had most of his training done by Daelar so Maltharesh didn’t have to do as much for Eminor compared to Rhaeya. Because of this, the next day Maltharesh declared the ritual’s date to be within the week. Eminor frantically began last minute training, studying, and preparing. This was, after all, life or death.

The following day Maltharesh completed and delivered Eminor’s upgrade. He handed him a decorative red spear named Haliaetus, after one of the phoenixes of Anasterian Sunstrider. The weapon immediately proved to be a far better option than his previous spear, having been weighed and proportioned correctly.

Although Eminor did not participate himself, the Pack was able to ambush a group of retreating Legion forces in the Hills. The subsequent victory allowed them to free the Grizzly Hills from the Legion’s influence entirely. The group then travelled to the small town of Solstice Village, taking it as a home for at least the time being.

Rhaeya and Eminor, the two trainees, looked around for suitable housing for each of them. They found a small hunter’s lodge that Rhaeya deemed to be good for her. Eminor stuck around for a bit and they began having a conversation about their past. A few deeply worded sentences later and then the two ended up kissing for quite a while, then declaring themselves to be secretly together. Eminor thought he may have found his second chance at happiness.

The following day Eminor was awoken earlier than anticipated by none other than Maltharesh. Today was the day. Eminor followed him to a circle of runes set up in the town, with Zyranni nearby. A felguard stood chained in the center, unable to act. With a couple of words exchanged, Eminor made his way into the circle and was sealed off, with the felguard being subsequently released.

The battle was fast but brutal, with Eminor coming out as the victor. He was then instructed by Maltharesh and Zyranni to eat the heart and drink the blood, so Eminor did just that. Rhaeya showed up around this time, Eminor and her catching each others eyes for only a moment before he fell unconscious. The visions forced themselves into his mind, taking control of his dreams. First he saw a world, peaceful and tranquil at first. Within moments, the world was flooded by a fleet of demonic ships which then sent unending munitions down on the poor occupants of the world. With a flash of light, the world was destroyed, looking to be in a worse state of affairs than even Outland.

Then came something much more familiar. He was forced to the main gates of Silvermoon City as the city fell. He walked around the armies of demons and the leagues of fallen high elves, unable to look at their faces. The demons obtained victory easily, and yet there was still an uncountable number roaming the streets, slaughtering all those they could. Eminor realized, in this moment, the threat Azeroth faced. He felt nothing more than a desire for vengeance and a feeling of complete helplessness, but he did not yet break.

The third vision brought him to Terokkar Forest, on the outskirts of Shattrath City. It was a peaceful change of pace compared to the previous two, with not a soul in sight. Eminor recognized it immediately as the place he ended up after being forced through a portal by his now deceased wife. He was now faced with the most painful moment in his life, and he couldn’t even stop himself from staring. His eyes were glued to the spot no matter how hard he tried to look away. He couldn’t take it.

His hands were quick to make their way up to his face, pulling both of his eyes out and allowing them to fall to the floor. Eminor was quick to follow them onto the ground, clutching his face in complete agony. He fell into an unconscious state in his vision within moments. Maltharesh brought the Eminor to a nearby building, depositing the now blind elf onto a bed. Eminor has maybe had a moment or two of consciousness since, but for the most part he has remained comatose since.

By the time he fully awoke, he had already developed small, stubby horns. He skin remained otherwise unchanged, however. Over the course of the next few days he began to develop his sight. Then, in absolutely horrific timing, their village was attacked. Malfegor himself, alongside his pit lord Araghan and his felsworn Lorelei, brought a battle into their very home. By the time it had ended, their entire village was destroyed, Donny was dead, and Maltharesh had been captured by Malfegor.

Eminor was without a mentor for quite a while. His options were limited, and he knew only one thing: he had to get Maltharesh back. He got in touch with the man'ari eredar Minerva, seeking to strike a deal. She was willing to do so, and Eminor began gathering his end of the deal, a simple sum of one hundred gold for Maltharesh's life.

Aevelm, the leader of the Arkanford, had a different thought, however. He too struck a deal with Minerva but traded Mithaniel Duskcloak's freedom for Maltharesh. Eminor was sent into a rage and would have tried to kill Aevelm for making such a foolish decision if not for Rhaeya talking him out of it.

Aevelm's deal eventually went through and brought Maltharesh back. Eminor and Rhaeya then travelled together to Feralas so that they could meet back up with Maltharesh. They did not find what they were looking for, however. Maltharesh had already learned of Eminor's willingness to work with Minerva and had deemed him a traitor. The two had a short fight which sent Eminor into a retreat. Eminor then took over as Master of the Talthrien members that would still follow him.

Now he searches for more to join his ranks in the fight against the Legion, even getting back in touch with Daelar, who informed him of an Illidari sanctuary in the works.