User:Marobashi

The following is information concerning the half-elven rogue known as Marobashi. The information, where possible, has been sourced accordingly. For more information regarding Marobashi, please visit the links below.

General Information

Name: Alesson Duskrunner

Aliases: Marobashi, Eagletotem, The Quiet Hand, The Dusk Runner

Age: 29

Height: 5'10"

Weight: 172 lbs

Eyes: Pale silver/blue-green

Hair: Silver

Origins

Marobashi is one of the rare half-elves who were born shortly after the Second War, when the High Elves of Quel'thalas enjoyed a brief period of peace with the human kingdoms to the south. Consequently, while to the casual observer Marobashi appears to be human, on careful inspection it is found that his long silver hair masks the distinctive pointed ears that are the hallmark of elvenkind, and his eyes are an off-colour silvery-green, eerily reminiscent of an animal rather than a human being.

Marobashi's parents were of a union not entirely unheard of. His father was a Farstrider, Elandril of the House of Duskrunner, one of the few remaining Houses of the Quel'dorei to have participated martially in the War of the Ancients 10,000 years ago. Elandril was a minor lord within his realm, which bordered on the Hinterlands and enjoyed a stronger than usual bond with the indigenous peoples in that area, in particular, the people of Arathor. Marobashi's mother, Nelsa Trueshield, was a priestess, and had ministered to the elven prince during the days immediately following the resultant Second War. Gradually, the human girl and the elven prince fell in love, and gave birth to the son they would call Alesson.

Early Life

From the outset, Alesson's existence was viewed with skepticism and fear, as within the union that had brought about his birth were found the seeds that would eventually lead to the elven break with their human allies during the events documented in the time of the Scourge War. Elandril and Nelsa did their best to provide for their son an upbringing free of persecution and trial, but as tensions began to arise within the Eastern Kingdoms, Alesson's parents struggled to find a safe place to call their home, and spent a great deal of time on the roads. Alesson enjoyed his time amongst the Farstrider bands and with the priestesses of the Light, learning from them his connection to all life on Azeroth, and his half-elven mind showing a dangerous propensity to absorb all it was taught and hungrily pursue subjects viewed with indifference to the human children he often played with.

His rustic life on the road and constant appetite for learning very quickly set him apart from his peers, who began to resent his intelligence and physical superiority. As the boy-elf advanced into his teenage years, he became frequently involved in fights and scrapes, often with older children who were perceived as bullies. Elandril grew worried that the animosity being expressed by the children was indicative of a greater fear growing within the hearts of the two peoples, and with some reluctance, he and Nelsa decided to return to the Hinterlands, determining that the elven lands were a safer place to raise Alesson.

Training as a Farstrider

Alesson, yet unaware as to the reasons behind his continued nomadic existence, eagerly through himself into the Farstrider way of life. Already a creature of great stamina and resourcefulness, Alesson proved to be a tenacious hunter, and delighted in training with the sword. He also thoroughly enjoyed stories of the legends of Llalinaedron the First, his ancient ancestor. He was often observed practicing alone, referring to himself as "The Dusk Runner" as he imagined himself fighting off legions of demons at the Well of Eternity.

The Farstriders were impressed with the lad's enthusiasm, but inwardly they, too, held great trepidation towards what the half-elf boy might become in later years. Already the boy was displaying the human traits of impatience and aggression, and though stories of his growing prowess circulated quietly throughout the elven lands, the Farstriders knew that the boy was growing to manhood far too quickly for their ways to embed themselves in his spirit, and with their own growing concerns arising with the human nations, the Farstriders approached Elandril with a grave ultimatum: the boy was too unpredictable, and a danger to the House of Duskrunner. He would need to undergo training the Farstriders were ill-equipped to provide. He would need to leave. With great sorrow, Elandril and Nelsa agreed to leave the Hinterlands, making the long journey down to Menethil, and from there, traversing the Great Sea to Kalimdor.

Life in Kalimdor

Alesson arrived with his parents in Theramore, and immediately felt suited to the way of life in the western continent. Nelsa, too, found a new sense of purpose in the primal landscape, and life within the walls of the newly constructed port city was happy for the boy and his human mother. Elandril, however, endured a growing sense of disquiet in the lands his people had been long exiled from. He took to long forays alone into the wilderness, claiming them as hunting trips but in truth, more to distance himself from the hard truths that his wife was aging more rapidly than his heart could tolerate, and that his beloved son was maturing far too quickly as well. It was in this way that Elandril stumbled into the kaldorei of Ashenvale, and bore witness to the travesties that were occurring in the ancient woodlands of his people.

During one such excursion, Alesson was granted accompaniment from his father, and together the two ventured through the hostile lands of the Barrens and through the Stonetalon Peaks into the woodland. The Orcs were aggressively clear-cutting the ancient forest trees, and with the help of the Silverwing Sentinels, Elandril and Alesson engaged in a guerrilla resistance in their defense. The fighting would have escalated had it not been for the sudden return of the Burning Legion to Azeroth, and the events of the Third War.

Separations

As the unified forces of the Horde and the Alliance fought to drive back the Burning Legion, word reached Theramore Isle of the onslaught of the Scourge upon Quel'thalas. Elandril's heart wavered at hearing of the desecration of his people's lands, and despite knowing that there was nothing he could do to change what had already happened, he set sail once again across the Great Sea. Before he left, however, he arranged for his wife and son to make their way to the new costal town of Auberdine. Alesson already enjoyed an unusually close relationship with the Sentinels, and while disappointed he could not accompany his father to their homeland, was eager to help with the reconstruction of an ancient elven community. He had fallen in love with the woods.

Nelsa, however, was not so easily dismissed. She had since grown into a priestess of some influence within the walls of Theramore, and was loathe to lose a husband to a foolish campaign across the water, and to uproot herself again in favor of a distant, unknown home. She argued defiantly against the wisdom of such a move, when the night before Elandril's departure, she was visited by Elune, and shown by means of a vision what it might mean if her son remained in Theramore. Shaken, Nelsa acceded to her husband's plans, and faced with the ancient truth of the elven deity, herself agreed to venture forth to Auberdine, to explore the mysteries of the Light as interpreted by the ancient elven priestesses. The parting was bitter between Elandril and his family, but he knew that in his heart he would see them again.

Auberdine

Auberdine was a vibrant town. The Night Elves who had lent their druidic assistance to the town's rebirth acted as guardians and mediators within the township, slowly infusing their ancient ways with the new peoples who were steadily flowing into the community from land and sea. Alesson and his mother vigorously threw themselves into the town's life, with Alesson joining the Sentinels on regular forays into the woods and hills, establishing the town's boundaries and himself as a competent hunter. The Sentinels, in particular, carefully observed the young half-elf's growth, having agreed to act as his quiet guardians in honor of the fighting the boy and his father had undertaken in Ashenvale before the War. It wasn't that the boy wasn't capable of protecting himself. It was that the elves had never seen a half-elf before, and were themselves both curious and skeptical of the lad's development. Having been trained by the Farstriders, Alesson found the attentions of the kaldorei warrior-caste both familiar and a source of mystery, and he was constantly asking questions and studying their methods.

Because Auberdine was such a mix of old and new, and a blend of many cultures, Alesson was able to find peace and acceptance more readily there. His heritage still predisposed him to some difficult conflicts of interest at times, but a resident of the port town was judged more on the merit of their actions than by the length of their ears. His father had chosen their new home wisely. Having already been on several boats during his time spent in Theramore, as well as navigating the Great Sea, Alesson did as much work on the waters as he did in the woodlands, and because of this, he spent a great deal of time sailing to distant lands, and assisting in the establishment of Auberdine as a major trading port. When the Exodar lit up the skies and crashed down in northern Azuremyst, Alesson was among the many sailors who immediately set forth to come to the draenei's rescue.

Rite of Passage

With the arrival of the draenei came a fresh and new interpretation of the Light, to coincide with Elune and the old ways. Nelsa lent her spiritual assistance to the draenei in exchange for deeper studies into their religion, leaving Alesson free to roam the new lands, and leading him into conflict with his father's people, the elves of Quel'thalas.

The Sin'dorei - as they were now called - had been ordered by their Prince, Kael'thas Sunstrider, to investigate the crash site of the Exodar. The elves under Kael'thas' dominion had influenced the crash, and for his own designs, the Prince wished to finish the job on Azuremyst. The elves, having endured the wrath of the Lich King, had since renamed themselves Blood Elves, in honor of their fallen. They had also officially withdrawn their allegiances to the human kingdoms, making a point to give their loyalties instead to the Warchief of the Horde, Thrall. Alesson's encounter with the Blood Elves was tempered only by the understanding that the House of Duskrunner had no part to play either in their sudden "renaming" nor their present campaign against the draenei. His father was not among the invading force.

The skirmishes with the Blood Elves were only a token of battles to come, but in them, Alesson learned of the corruption of his father's people, of their racial addiction. Bitterly, he fought for the liberation of the aliens, and as he stood in arms against his own kin, he swore to one day discover the true nature of what had transpired between the elves so long ago, what had placed them on such differing roads. He took his leave of Auberdine and headed towards Ashenvale, acting as a mercenary for draenei who were hoping to establish a research colony inland.

Ronin

For several years, Alesson traversed the woodland realms of ancient Kalimdor, gathering what information he might while using what skills he had learned to remain unseen and untraceable. He ventured north in Winterspring, south as far as Silithus, and investigated the ruins of Dire Maul, the Blackfathom Deeps and Azhara. He was diligent in his pursuits.

He and his father had enjoyed a tenuous relationship with the tauren people in their time before the Third War, and the shu'halo had taken to calling him "Marobashi" (taurahe for "Eagletotem"), and it was the name he used during his years in self-exile. Even to this day, those who may have once known him as Alesson Duskrunner would no longer be able to link the two names, as Marobashi's time in the wilds also saw him reach the fullness of his adulthood, with dark ebony skin and silver-white hair. Only his own mother recognizes him anymore, during the odd returns he's shared to Darkshore, but even she has grown wary of her son, seeing in him a lessening in his humanity in favor of his manifesting elven nature. Nonetheless, the half-elf Marobashi became a figure of small legend, a rogue hunter who left no trace, who's pursuit of prey was relentless, who's affinity for the woods made him the bane of all who disrespected and abused nature.

For several years, Marobashi wandered the wilds of Azeroth in this way, until at last, he discovered the answers he sought. They came to him from the unlikeliest of sources: his ancient ancestor spirit, Llalinaedron the Dusk Runner.

Spirit Walker

The tauren had a name for those warriors who were visited by the spirits of ancestors passed. They were called "Spirit Walkers", and their connection to their ancestral spirits was a bond on more than just the spiritual plane. It was rumored that a true Spirit Walker could channel subsequent ancestors, allowing their bodies to act as vessels for temporary ethereal takeover, becoming vehicles of death and destruction on the material plane. It was said that there were still Spirit Walkers today, amongst the tribal cultures of the Horde in particular, but evidenced even in the primitive societies of the Furbolgs and Quillboars. For one to occur within the elven peoples let alone the humans was altogether unheard of. It took a venture deep into the bowls of the Wailing Caverns in order for Marobashi to awaken to the presence of his own ancestor, and to this day, he seldom speaks of it, if only to illustrate for a listener a key point that requires more than their present field of expertise.

The Wailing Caverns were a favorite haunt of the renegade half-elf. He found within their vast confines a sense of belonging, of spiritual fulfillment, which he would later attribute to the walls that separated the material world from the Emerald Dream being so much thinner there. It was certainly this blurring of realities that allowed for Marobashi to make unexpected contact with his ancestor spirit, Llalinaedron, first of the Duskrunner line. Through Llalinaedron, Marobashi was able to channel into the ancient martial practice of "Twinkage" or "Two-swords", in which the swordsman wielded a long sword and a short sword (dagger), which represented the Lesser and Greater Paths of spiritual belief that comprised an ancient religion known simply as "The Path". Through Llalinaedron's channeled tutelage, Marobashi became a swordsman of unsurpassed skill, and was instructed by his ancestor to build a school within the Caverns, so that "The Path" might be returned to the peoples of Azeroth. But first, Marobashi needed to prove himself worthy of such a distinction.

Gurubashi

Under the instruction of his spiritual mentor, Marobashi left Kalimdor and set sail once again for the Eastern Kingdoms. In the savage jungles of Stranglethorn, there was an ancient arena of the Gurubashi trolls, where daily contests of physical and mental superiority were held, rewarding the victors with trinkets and prizes. Marobashi, fresh from his martial training within the Caverns, grew doubtful of his ability to survive such an encounter because during his time spent as a youth, tales of the victors in Gurubashi were only surpassed by the tales of the spectacular demises met with by the losers. His patron spirit reassured him that none of the arena champions could be considered masters of their Paths, and that by proving his own martial superiority, Marobashi would be heralded as a master himself, and would be sought after by many students. In such a way would his new school be filled.

Marobashi trusted in his ancestor and entered the arena contests. Llalinaedron advised him that in order to be considered a true master, Marobashi would need to attain the title of Arena Grand Master not once ... but twice. Earning the first would be an achievement of skill. Earning the second would be an achievement of patience. Both would be required in what lay ahead. Marobashi settled in to a long campaign. In the end, by picking and choosing his battles and trusting in his training, Marobashi prevailed without suffering a single scratch, a feat as yet unheard-of in the the brutal Gurubashi Arena. With the distinction doubly earned, Marobashi was then guided towards an unexpected Path.

The Little People

An acclaimed champion, Marobashi thought to return to begin the construction of his school, but fame and fortune had their own plans for him. Lauded by the human nations and finding an acceptance within their ranks, Marobashi was hired repeated for his services, and rapidly found himself growing resentful of the unwanted attention. He had even successfully dealt with an insurgence deep within the stockades of Stormwind, and was presented with the Seal of Wrynn, the king's own insignia, which for him was the tipping point - he no longer wished for this type of adulation. In the cover of darkness, he set out to leave Stormwind through the Deeprun Tram.

In Ironforge, Marobashi enjoyed much more freedom. The dwarves, while they had heard of his exploits in Gurubashi, were largely indifferent to his presence within their mountain fortress. The gnomes, on the other hand, were greatly impressed with Marobashi's knowledge of engineering, which he had acquired himself from the goblins of Ratchet. Marobashi spent a great deal of time with the gnomes, even going so far as to aid in their reclamation of Gnomeragen as their ancestral home. However, enjoyable as his time spent amongst the little people was, his time in Ironforge was brought to an end by dire tidings from the north: the undead had invaded his mother's homeland in Arathor.

Blood and Honor

The war in the Arathi Basin was a bloody feud over the highland country's precious resources. The Forsaken defilers had managed to secure the assistance of their Horde allies in their effort to wrest the lands from the Arathi people, but the League of Arathor had met them with a staunch resistance force, and had managed to hold long enough for the combined might of the Alliance to relieve their efforts. Marobashi arrived in a land mobilized for war, and learned first hand of the cunning and tenacity to be found within his mother's people. With great ferocity, Marobashi through himself into the ongoing conflict.

Great were the deeds of Marobashi in that battle, of which much is sung at Refuge Point. His presence on the field inspired the beset Alliance with hope and fervor, and his adversaries quailed at his approach. There were none who could match him, but his time amongst his mother's people was cut short, as word came from the north yet again, and this time, the news was of his father. Taking with him what he could, not to mention much of the finest equipment the League of Arathor could gratefully spare, Marobashi departed the human realm to set out on the long journey home, the Hinterlands, and the house of his father Elandril. Who was dying.

Vengeance

Elandril did not know his son when Marobashi arrived at the Quel'danil Lodge. The years had worked to shape Marobashi into a lean, hard-muscled warrior of peerless skill and grace, and his hair was now a sterling white due to his time spent in communion with Llalinaedron. When the Prince asked who had been brought before him, Marobashi learned that his father had been stricken by a vicious disease concocted by the Scourge, and had lost much of his eyesight. Choosing to conceal his identity from his father, he named himself The Quiet Hand, an informant who brought tidings of the elf-lord's wife and son.

"They are well, my liege. Your son has grown to be a fine swordsman, and wishes to be here at your side, but affairs in Auberdine and the cold winter have conspired to keep him from reaching you.  As you rightly perceived, the lady Nelsa has now grown far too frail to make such a journey by herself, but has asked that you remember her fondly

Cataclysm approaches. The portents all point to a time when a great hero will be reborn upon Azeroth, and the mountains will tremble before him. He will rise up with two swords to slay the Great Dragon, but the world will not know of the deed until the last hour. He will never die.