User:Bellamuerte

Description
Mistress Bellamuerte Boldvalor (Bella) appears differently depending on her location.

In battle or on task, you see a woman of medium height (5’5”), black hair mussed and tangled; sweating under the weight of her plate armor as she leads her troops and teams. Her eyes will be fixed with a determination unfathomable to most, surveying her targets with measured caution, searching for their weaknesses. Her face will be marked with a serious, quiet ferocity, the thoughts of protecting her troops first and foremost on her mind.

If you see her around a city, it may seem to be a completely different woman. Coal black hair hangs loose and neat, framing a sharply-featured face from which emerald green eyes dance lively with hope and hate, the fel swirl that is common to her race surrounding them. Her lips are full and tend to slide from smile to sneer quickly, changing as fast as her mood is capable of doing.

A large scar marks her left cheek, starting at the mid-point beneath her eye and disappearing back into her hairline. Her left ear, arm, and side show evidence of a prior burn in certain spots, though she often keeps these hidden with her attire. She sports several tattoos, the only one visible at any given time being a black rose surrounded by runic markings, which takes up the entire left side of her neck. The markings surrounding the inked flower stand for three simple words: “Strength. Cunning. Passion.”

Bellamuerte is usually well dressed, the colors of her garb changing depending on her mood. However, she can usually be found wearing a pair of her favorite knee-high black leather boots regardless of what clothing she may choose to sport.

Personality
Bellamuerte is as the tattooed runic markings on her neck describe: strong, cunning, and passionate. She fights hard and loves hard, putting her heart behind everything she does.

Bellamuerte has been called many things, including “bitchy,” “sweet,” “cavalier,” “loyal,” “arrogant,” and “determined.” She is all of these to many people depending on how well they know her. Quick to temper, she can show her vicious side openly. However, once her shell is broken and she is befriended, one would find a friend or lover in the truest sense of the word. She is a devoted romantic who often hides her hopes and dreams behind a mask of apathy or dark wit, this coming from her history of being betrayed or abandoned many times over.

She has worked hard to earn everything she has and demands the respect she does indeed merit, both as an individual and from fellow Blood Knights. A good example of her intolerance to disrespect is her predilection for stripping down lower-ranked Knights for not saluting her as a Master when they are in her presence.

Formation
Born Bellavida Shinestrong to a Ranger and a magistrix, Bellamuerte was urged from a young age to adopt practices and behavior becoming of a Ranger. Although she developed some attributes inherent to a Farstrider such as keen sense of smell and highly attuned hearing, she longed to see lands farther from her home.

After the Scourge attack against Silvermoon City and the acquisition by Kael'thas Sunstrider of the Naaru named M'uru, the Blood Knight Order was formed. Prompted by youthful idealism, a natural rebellious streak, and a crush on Lady Liadrin, Bellamuerte advised her parents of her decision to enter the Blood Knight Order. Still under the age of consent and without her parent’s permission, she had to wait to join, however. Pleas from her mother did not pierce her resolve, so her father stepped in, disinheriting Bellamuerte until she changed her mind.

She left the safety of her homeland, wandering far from her birthplace of Western Eversong Woods to the continent of Kalimdor. On the streets of Orgrimmar, she was found by a Troll rogue named Bula. Her need to survive and her naivety working against her, she allowed him to take her in, only to find he traded her to others, gold for favors of the flesh.

As she neared age to enter the Order, she advised Bula she was leaving his company. The Troll grew enraged, beating her severely on the streets in the Cleft of Shadow. One lone Blood Elf rogue stopped to assist her, subduing the Troll and allowing Bellamuerte’s escape. She departed for Silvermoon City immediately, arriving only with torn rags for clothes, covered head to toe by her own dried blood and bruises. Her resolve seemed to bloom with each step she took as she descended the ramp to seek audience with Lady Liadrin. She had started the walk down as Bellavida Shinestrong, a girl with limited talent, no money, no family, and wounds deeper than mere flesh could hold.

The woman that ascended, having Lady Liadrin’s blessing to enter the Order, was Bellamuerte Boldvalor, and she would never quite be the same again.

Into The Scar
Bellamuerte’s entry to the Order was not easy. Her past to that point had sullied her soul to a great degree, leaving her with a deep, dark bitterness, thus preventing her from becoming a holy mender. Her natural caution, measured sense of justice, and near-disconnection with any matters of faith and reliance on practicality made her an ideal candidate for leading in battle, however. Sent to perform a few small tasks to test her, the Order condoned her departure from Sunstrider Isle, shield slung over her back, sword swinging from her side.

One evening in Silvermoon City, resting from a day’s work, Bellamuerte met a rogue who promised her great power and prowess. Both naturally intrigued and pushed by a recent heartbreak, she delved headfirst into a ceremony with the rogue, only to learn that she had vowed herself to a dark fel demon. She begged for release, finally being allowed to break the contract by providing another willing person in her place. The experience marked her deeply, however, but it would not be until later that exactly how much it changed her would be apparent.

Bellamuerte continued worked hard in Ghostlands, battling against Dar'Khan Drathir and the remnants of Scourge left in the stronghold of Deatholme. It was her successes here that gave her the gift of seeing more of the world of Azeroth, as she was sent as an emissary from Silvermoon City to Undercity, then on to Orgrimmar. Her sense of self cemented as she crossed the threshold into Thrall’s chamber, having left the capital city of Orgrimmar near death and bleeding, returning in her best dress armor to meet with the warchief as a Blood Knight Initiate.

This World and the Next
Bellamuerte traveled both continents of Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor, performing duties and tasks as given by the Order as well as Horde emissaries. She devoted herself to her work, pushing through personal pains such as the death of her young son, Aeodhan, and a failed marriage. As her personal life seemed to shatter, she excelled in her planning and protection of task forces, eventually leading strikes against forces in various strongholds such as Stratholme and exploratory teams into Scholomance. Called to audience with Lady Liadrin, she was given instruction to travel through the Dark Portal to Outland, furthering her training.

While working in Hellfire Peninsula with the Horde forces there, a formal notice called her back to Silvermoon City. She donned her dress armor, greeting Lady Liadrin expecting simply additional instructions or reassignment. To her surprise, a small ceremony was performed and she was given the title of Blood Knight Master as well as instruction on how to summon a war steed. She travelled back to Outland again, pressing forward in her duties. Bellamuerte collaborated with the various forces in locations such as Hellfire Peninsula, Zangarmarsh, and Nagrand, working as both envoy and soldier for the various forces there. Her efforts were rewarded in kind, such as being gifted with a Tiny Sporebat from her work with the Sporelings of Sporeggar.

She had begun working in Shadowmoon Valley when whispers and rumors of a potential attack on Silvermoon City began to circulate. She travelled back to Silvermoon, attempting to seek audience with Liadrin. However, the Blood Knight Matriarch was away, leaving Bellamuerte to attempt to piece things together on her own. She collected information where she could, attempting to anticipate what might occur to her homeland and her people. Finding nothing but ambivalence and blind loyalty in Silvermoon, she once again departed to Shadowmoon Valley to attempt to gather more information. While she was away, Kael'thas Sunstrider and his forces struck, abducting M’uru. She travelled to Shattrath City, watching in shock as Liadrin offered her Order to serve under A'dal. Bellamuerte’s distaste for fanaticism for the Light, her hatred of paladins of Silver Hand, and her distrust for the human race burned. She vowed never to serve as A'dal’s hand and rejected the title of ‘paladin’, still clinging forcefully to her title as Blood Knight Master.

Having her abilities maintained through Liadrin’s deal with A'dal, Bellamuerte was tasked with assignment to work with the Violet Eye. She volunteered to lead exploratory teams into Medivh’s tower, Karazhan, several times, each time returning to Silvermoon City exhausted and edgy. Her mood changed drastically as did her physical appearance. Her right eye would grow black in color, shadow appearing and the fel thickening, swirling dangerously about the orb. Dark circles appeared under her eyes, she lost weight, and became distant from most close to her, including her then-wife. She performed research, attempting to see what had befallen her. She would eventually discover that casting an Arcane Torrent inside the tower’s structure had put her in contact with a ley line, tapping directly into the energies. Although she learned to maintain a sense of control over the energies she'd accessed in error, her right eye was damaged and weakened. When reading, she can be seen sporting a monocle to aid her.

One eve, she had returned from such an expedition and was on a typical patrol of Silvermoon City when an unseen figure attempted to take her life. She went before Liadrin, only to be told that she had been disavowed by the Blood Knight Order. She tracked down the assassin, relinquishing all money and possessions in order to buy back her life. Living on the streets of Silvermoon City, surviving merely via petty theft and few handouts, she began to network and research what had brought about the disavowal. She took in a warlock lover, Shadowmancer Caoine Baobhan-Sidhe, who helped persuade influential members of the Order to reinstate Bellamuerte. Bellamuerte returned the warlock’s favors in kind once she was returned to her power and status.

Philanthropy with Purpose
Bellamuerte vowed not to lose her empowerment once it was returned. Needing to maintain quiet influence so she could protect herself, she created Order of the Blood Rose, a small organization that funds various women, each in a different social class in the Blood Elf capital. She helps the women financially in turn for their various tips and tidbits of information they feed her, helping her by being her “eyes and ears” around Silvermoon City and points beyond.

Forged Anew
Bellamuerte’s return to her Order and status was short lived. Selected for a reconnaissance mission in Northrend, Azeroth, the Blood Knights arranged for Bellamuerte’s false death, a cover-up for her assignment. After arriving in Northrend, she abandoned her mission to return to her beloved. Since a funeral had taken place, few knew the truth regarding her return, save for certain members of the Order and Shadowmancer Baobhan-Sidhe.

After an extended period in hiding, Bellamuerte was eventually turned over to the Order by Shadowmancer Baobhan-Sidhe, a retaliatory strike made due to jealousy of Bellamuerte’s wedding to another. Brought to trial, she was expelled from the Order and her life spared on the condition she would carry out a final mission at their behest. Although it was an assignment given with no intention of her living through it, two strangers appeared to assist her, saving her from mortality.

With her rank and status in the Order removed, she was no longer a Blood Knight Master and her ability to manipulate the Light in battle was significantly reduced. Bellamuerte and her wife made their way to their home in Dalaran, the former Knight taking on tasks for various groups and factions in Northrend. Her work on the icy continent brought her to the service of the Argent Crusade. With them, she furthered a new style of training and combat as a Light-wielder.

With the war escalating, the Order requested her service once again. Though reinstated as a Blood Knight Master, she worked closely with the Argent Crusade, having been rewarded with the title of Argent Champion for her long-time dedication and service in fighting the Scourge in concordance with the group as well as the Argent Dawn.

Stepping aside from defending expeditions into Ulduar after having proved herself worthy in the Argent Tournament, she served as a defender in the Argent Crusade's initiative against the Lich King in Icecrown Citadel. Even after The Shattering, Bella continues her work in Azeroth as needed.

Tidbits

 * Unlike most other Knights who accept their wounds and move on, Bellamuerte pays large sums of gold for skin treatments from Razia the alchemist to prevent permanent damage taken from battle. The alchemist accepts the task willingly in spite of Bellamuerte’s incessant demands that scars be lightened, calluses removed, and any coarse flesh be smoothed. Few exceptions to treatments are made, however, the Knight wishing certain marks left as a reminder for herself as well as others.
 * Bellamuerte's nicknames include (most commonly) "Bella" and "Bells".
 * Extremely vain, Bellamuerte has never divulged her true age to anyone save for one person.
 * Through natural birth and adoption, Bells and her wife, Kylea, have a rather large family of which she is rather proud.

Out of Character Information

 * Bellamuerte is Player Character on the US Server Sisters of Elune.
 * Assume Bellamuerte is Roleplaying unless otherwise noted with Out of Character brackets or a previous warning.
 * The only general times Bellamuerte is Out of Character by default is in Party Chat or Raid Chat unless specifically noted.
 * Anything said in the "Say" Channel or any public Emotes should be assumed to be In Character unless noted with Out of Character brackets or that the action is Out of Character.
 * Some items noted above are considered told Out of Character and should not be considered known until divulged In Character.

Additional Resources (Links)

 * Accounts, Observations, and Musings (IC Stories and Journal, OOC Posts on RP):
 * Twitter (IC):