User:Joshmaul/Inar of Borealis

"'I started out as a self-taught fringe wizard. I became a refugee after the Horde destroyed my homeland, and left my studies aside to mete out a living as a laborer in Borealis, under the care of my cousin Kahlis. I ruled the city in Settra's minority when Kahlis met his end in Outland. I became a refugee when the Scourge came. Now I want to return to my studies, and provide my powers to the cause - and, if necessary, to easily deal with my former ward when we meet again. His mercy aside, he is an abomination...and must be dealt with.'"
 * - Inar of Borealis, to Rhonin Redhair

Inar of Borealis, a self-taught mage, originally survived both the destruction of his homeland of Stormwind and his adoptive homeland of Lordaeron, and yet continues to perservere against all odds. Despite being a member of Saavedro of Stratholme's inner circle by virtue of his links to the Kirin Tor, Inar maintains a revulsion for the undead that extends to both the Forsaken and the Knights of the Ebon Blade, the so-called "free" undead fighting against the Scourge, and so he is hell-bent on destroying his cousin/adoptive son - Settra, General of the Forsaken.

Biography
Inar was born in Grand Hamlet in southern Elwynn Forest (now Darkshire, Duskwood), the son of a Grand Hamlet town councillor who later became the town's ambassador to the Court of Wrynn. Like Settra and the priest Sekhesmet, Inar is Ralmanni, descended from a group of wanderers who inhabit southern Azeroth. His mother's elder sister married the father of Kahlis, Magistrate of Borealis in northern Lordaeron.

Inar realized he had mage potential early on, and - rather than apprentice himself to anyone - decided to take advantage of his father's assignment to Stormwind to use the city's vast library. He was there, in fact, when Stormwind came under attack and fled with members of his family that joined Anduin Lothar in the flight north. With others of his people, Inar journeyed to Borealis to live with his cousin and his people, and became one of Kahlis' trusted advisors. After Kahlis - a general in the army of the Alliance - was killed while fighting in the Alliance Expedition beyond the Dark Portal, Inar became the Magistrate-Regent of the region during the minority of Kahlis' son Settra, adopting the young man as his son, and became Settra's chief advisor when he officially took charge of his city. Like others who had become associated with the towns they lived in, Inar adopted the title "Inar of Borealis" for the rest of his life.

Surviving the Scourge
Borealis was a testing ground for a strain of the Plague of Undeath developed by Kel'Thuzad and the Cult of the Damned. With more people becoming sick, Settra left Inar in charge of Borealis and travelled to Lordaeron to call for assistance in Borealis, ordering the killing of any "death cultists". Inar joined Settra in the Capital City several days later reporting that Borealis was completely overrun. The test was judged to be a success, and Kel'Thuzad set up the plague for wide distribution - through the grain shipments in Andorhal.

Inar, who had also trained in swordsmanship, joined Settra as part of an army that entered Stratholme to fight Baron Rivendare. Settra and all of his men were killed, and Inar - the only survivor - fled across the Eastern Plaguelands, severely wounded and lost. He was found by Tirion Fordring along the road between Stratholme and Corin's Crossing, and brought to Fordring's modest home on the banks of the Thondroril River to recuperate. Upon learning that the entire force had been destroyed by the undead and that it was believed Settra had been raised into undeath, Inar vowed to destroy his now-corrupted kinsman. Settra was liberated later that year by the defeat of Arthas and the Lich King's weakening hold over his undead legions, and joined with Sylvanas Windrunner and her Forsaken.

The Hunt for Settra
Inar remained obsessed with destroying Settra, and nearly got his chance. During the war for Northrend, Settra - now one of Sylvanas' generals - was overseeing the city of Brill along with Magistrate Sevren when a report of a human in Brill's cemetery came to his attention. With the majority of the "fighting dead" in Northrend, Settra investigated himself and was amazed to discover Inar. The Forsaken General ducked every attack the maddened Inar made, trying to reason with his adoptive father. Inar was convinced that all undead were Scourge, and tried to convince Settra to allow himself to be killed so he could be "redeemed". Being the superior fighter, Settra disarmed Inar and held the human at his mercy, but ultimately decided to spare his life, allowing him to leave Tirisfal freely.

Inar, however, was not done with his quest. Journeying to Dalaran, Inar offered himself for training to Rhonin, the Kirin Tor leader. Rhonin agreed to undertake some of Inar's formal training - essentially a refresher in some of the things he had learned from tomes in Stormwind, combined with a teaching of portal magic. Once this was done, Rhonin sent Inar to Jaina Proudmoore at the Argent Tournament Grounds, where she would observe the Tournament and then journey to Icecrown Citadel to begin the hunt for Arthas. Through Jaina, Inar joined up with Saavedro of Stratholme, who had undertaken the Trial of the Crusader and was himself ready for that final battle. While he was pleased to fight alongside the Regent of Lordaeron, he was less than enthusiastic about Saavedro's death knight comrade, Artimus Devaneaux, the former Magistrate of Tirisfal.

Through the Black Gates of Icecrown


With the final push against Arthas imminent, Inar journeyed with Jaina to Icecrown Citadel, where they would begin their efforts to weaken the Lich King and destroy what remained of the Scourge. After enduring the Forge of Souls, Inar accompanied Jaina into the Pit of Saron, where they were joined by Sylvanas (as a leader of the Horde) and Blood Knight Master Taeril'hane Ketiron. Inar had met Ketiron at the Argent Tournament and was impressed with the blood elf's piety and skill at arms. Inar saw first-hand the Lich King's atrocities, where he slaughtered the champions of the Argent Crusade and raised them in undeath, and put heroes of the Alliance and the Horde to work as slave laborers mining for saronite, given the disruption of their operations caused by the Knights of the Ebon Blade. During the battle against Scourgelord Tyrannus, Inar was inspired by the heroism of the liberated slaves, led by Martin Victus and Gorkun Ironskull.

As the two commanders lauded their rescuers, Inar and Ketiron were pulled back to the entrance of the tunnel they had come up to face the Scourgelord - just as the huge frost wyrm Sindragosa rose from the lower pits and destroyed the ragtag army in one fell swoop. Inar was horrified to see such a cruel fate befall these brave warriors, and hoped that such a price would not be paid with the fall of the Lich King...