Stellamare

Appearance and Personality
Stellamare Anne (Hunter) Nightwood is 20 years old. She has straight black hair, blue eyes, and pale skin. She's quite small (5' 5") yet strong--she can wield a two-handed weapon with a surprising amount of power. She's curious (some would say nosy) and always eager to meet new people, especially other paladins. She's a loyal and protective friend with a sly sense of humor. Stella is extremely empathetic, reckless, and often ruled by her emotions. She has a slight purplish mark--not a birthmark, not a scar--on her stomach below her rib cage.

Childhood
Growing up, Stella was largely shielded from the horrors of the world. She was born to the Hunter family in the Eastvale Logging Camp (her parents are horse breeders) in Elwynn Forest. She's the youngest of five children, and she grew up running around in the woods, scuffling with her siblings, and riding horses. One day a paladin came to town to help the citizens with a prowler problem, and Stella was filled with awe. She vowed to someday be a Light-filled warrior too, and started spending her free time in Northshire Abbey, learning from the Brothers there. She later moved to Stormwind to continue her training.

The Brotherhood
After arriving in Stormwind, the first person she met was the knight Larrthor Au Rutha. He introduced her to his order, the Brotherhood of the Dawn. Stella was impressed by their goals—to wipe out the scourge and the burning legion—and was accepted into their ranks. She served as Larrthor’s squire and was eventually knighted herself. She met many dear friends and her paladin training was going well.

Seeing the Dead
Soon after joining the Brotherhood, Stella met a man (we’ll call him A.) who, without her permission, inserted a rune inside her that allowed her to see and hear the dead. His reason was that it would help her to more effectively fight the scourge—the dead could provide information about the enemy and offer her advice. The rune was magically placed under her rib cage, leaving a slight purplish mark on her skin. The visions were a shock at first. Stella felt like there were a thousand voices in her head, all demanding attention and not all of them kind. They also gave her horrible nightmares. However, she slowly adjusted and even received training on how to shield herself from their constant presence. Stella told few about her new sight, but those she told were filled with horror—especially since Stella started a romantic relationship with A. Her friends and the Brotherhood didn’t trust or like him, and Stella often felt pulled in two. She also began to doubt herself as a paladin, wondering if she could serve the Light when she felt tainted by the rune.

The Kindest Man
One day in the cathedral, Stella met a fellow paladin named Clementis Nightwood. The two began talking and were instantly at ease with each other. They became close friends, talking for hours and going through many experiences (both traumatic and happy) together. Clem started walking her home every night, and to Stella’s amazement he did not revile her for her visions. Stella told him, quite truthfully, that he was the kindest man she’d ever met. At the same time, her relationship with A. began to be strained. Stella began to think that they were too different to be together despite their love for each other. Eventually A. left her. Before he left, he muffled her visions. (The rune can’t be removed, but Stella now only sees the dead when she’s completely drained of Holy energy—then the visions come flooding back.) Losing A. and the spirits (to which she had become accustomed and learned to appreciate) was a shock, and she turned to Clem for comfort.

Happily Ever After
It didn’t take long for the relationship to turn romantic. Being with Clementis made her feel at peace—like she was closer to the Light, like she was protected from all harm. The two moved to Lakeshire together. One day, however, Clem met her at home looking pale and ill. He told her a grim story—how he had saved a friend from a cursed staff, how he had cleansed the evil from the object and from her—and how he had died in the process. A group of comrades had rallied around to help, and only through their combined Light powers were they able to bring him back from death. Stella cried when she heard this, realizing how close she had been to losing him. Clem, inhibitions gone from this near fatality, proposed to her. A week later they eloped to the Barrens, taking only a few friends and having a quiet ceremony beside a lake. They had known each other for nine weeks.

The Archbishop’s Request
Soon after their marriage, Clementis received a charge from Archbishop Benedictus. The Cathedral of Light, once a place of peace and prayer, had become overrun with hate-filled speeches, arguments, extremism, and violence—even murder. The archbishop, grieved by all this chaos, called on Clem to help restore order. Knowing Clem to be revered with many factions and a diplomatic man, the archbishop asked him to gather like-minded companions to bring the virtues of the Light back to Azeroth—to remind people what the Church of the Holy Light stands for. Thus Clem founded the guild Keepers of Virtue. The order’s mission is to teach the virtues of the Holy Light: Respect, Tenacity, and Compassion. Stella immediately pledged her support to the cause.

What’s To Come Is Still Unsure
Having completed her paladin training, Stella divides her time between fighting in the Outland and her guild responsibilities in Stormwind. ((More to come as Stella’s story progresses.))