Syruna Starmourne

Early History
Born the second child of Tyrael and Rorael Starsong, Syruna was brought up in upper-middle class Kal’Dorei society. Though not of the Highborne, her family was well respected and that in tandem with Syruna’s beauty brought many suitors. To her, only one was good enough; her lover, Ilthilior. The years before the War of the Ancients were her best; she was young, beautiful, and in love. Then everything changed.

With the coming of the war, she enlisted alongside Ilthilior in the army against Queen Azshara and her followers. He was assigned to the frontlines, and she to defend the home-front. Throughout the long war, they saw each other infrequently, but wrote to one another constantly. Syruna didn’t see much combat in the war; few strikes were made against her post until the peak of the conflict.

Nobody saw the attack coming. Although nocturnal, the Night Elves couldn’t hold a candle to the demon’s mastery of shadow. Beneath a raven sky, a large force of Demons crept stealthily towards Syruna’s hometown. They made a quick and devastating attack, killing nearly everyone in the coup. Syruna didn’t hear of it for a few days, but when she finally got word of it she was caught between rage, depression, and confusion. Save for Ilthilior who was posted far from Astranaar, Syruna was alone in the world. While drowning in her solitude, an idea took root in her mind and began to grow; she would follow in the path of Illidan and become a Demon Huntress.

After endless months of bloodshed, Syruna had her mind made. The war was coming to a close, and there was no need for her in Astranaar any longer. She sought out a mentor to bring her through the rituals, and found one in Feronar Darksorrow. While Ilthilior finished his tour, Syruna completed her initiation through chaining a demon to her essence, burning her illustrious eyes out in the process.

Ilthilior returned to find a changed Syruna. No longer was she the ideal Kal’Dorei woman. Her skin, once like silk was now marred with dark runed tattoos. The sockets that replaced her pale eyes were loosely covered by a blindfold. More than anything, Ilthilior could sense a dark, demonic aura around her, and as she rushed up to greet him, he rebuked her, calling her a monster. Of all of the tribulations and sacrifices she made to become a Demon Hunter, losing Ilthilior struck her hardest. Instead of the martyrdom she deserved for selfless sacrifice, she was met with scorn every way she turned.

Immersion in Demon Hunter Culture
The emotional trauma of being isolated from society to a socialite such as Syruna was immense. To compensate for the lack of support she received from the Kal’Dorei public, Syruna immersed herself even deeper into the world of Demon Hunting, and grew to respect and care for her fellow sufferers. They understood her; they had all been affected by the Burning Legion in one way or another and had a strong drive to purge their presence from Azeroth. This tight-knit community was all that kept Syruna sane through the millennia.

The years passed, and though the Night Elves gained little love of the Demon Hunters, they grudgingly accepted their value. Syruna and her comrades were sent on many a mission to Felwood and other sites where the demonic taint was strong. Such was her life for nine thousand years until the War of Shifting Sands changed things for her.

War of Shifting Sands
Wars often start social revolution among peoples. While a long and brutal war, the War of Shifting Sands brought Syruna back into the fold of Night Elven civilization. She proved to be a great asset and was later recognized as a hero of the war. She was equally respected as a powerful ally, and feared because she brought the aspect of the unknown; after 9,000 years of relative isolation she had grown reserved and said little.

At the height of the War of Shifting Sands, Syruna made her first contact with Ilthilior since the day he had thrown her aside. Since then, he had risen to become a military commander of some repute, had moved onto another lover and with her had started a family. To his credit, he attempted to be civil with her and threw light apologies her way. She would have none of it, and lashed back violently at him, calling him a vile coward for not standing by her.

Tensions mounted and upon her insulting of his honor and family, he challenged her to a duel with the victor being whoever made the other fall to their knees. Even in their youth, Syruna has been the better battler of the two, and now after 9,000 years of unending, arduous training, the difference in their abilities was clearer than ever. The heat of combat combined with years of bottled rage and depression proved to be too much for Syruna to control, and the demon within her surfaced. A new darkness coursed through her veins and she began to feel empowered. Nether energy surrounded her as she changed from mortal to demon. While in this new state, she had no identity; her hatred defined her and it fixated completely on Ilthilior. She continued hacking into his body long after he lay dead at her feet.

When she finally came out of her destructive trance, it took her a minute to comprehend what she had done. She put up no resistance as she was taken into custody by Night Elven guards, she simply sobbed quietly while led away. Syruna was not ultimately imprisoned for the killing; it was an official duel and on top of that her reputation as a war hero preceded her in the courts. The psychological pain she would have to live with for the remainder of her life was punishment enough.

Post-War of Shifting Sands Life
An uneventful thousand years passed; Syruna had regular patrol duties through Felwood and Ashenvale, attempting to eliminate the demonic taint there. She slowly reintegrated herself with society, and through doing so discovered that her brother, Lythaen, had survived the War of the Ancients. He had heard of her exploits in the recent war and made contact with her. Their reunion was a beautiful moment; two siblings who for 9,000 years believed they were the sole survivors of their bloodline finally came together. Up until the Third War, Syruna and Lythaen were never far apart.

The Third War
The coming of the Third War tore Syruna’s newfound stability asunder. She herself did not fight in the war; rather she trained soldiers and prepared them for war. Lythaen took a different path. Trained as a Druid of the Claw, he was sent to the front lines. His unit took part in a bloody battle against the Scourge. Lythaen was not present for a headcount of survivors the next day, and a missing persons report was made. His body was never found, and it was presumed that the Scourge had taken him as their own.

Once again, Syruna was all alone in the world. While others began to rebuild their lives, Syruna could not move on. She suffered from what humans might call severe depression, but that only scratched the surface. 10,000 years of repressed rage, sadness, and loss surfaced and boiled within her after Lythaen’s death. She channeled her raw emotion once more through vigorous training. Her last act before setting out on what was to no doubt be a long journey and a new life was adopting the surname Starmourne in memoriam of her family.

Travels Through the Eastern Kingdoms
In the years that followed the Third War, Syruna led an active and dynamic life. After her final tour through Darkshore, Ashenvale, and Desolace to keep an eye on the demonic corruption, she set sail for Azeroth and arrived in Menethil Harbor in the Wetlands. She found that she vastly preferred the Dwarves and Humans of these lands to most of her people. They did not judge her for her sacrifice; rather they took it in stride and welcomed her into their community. As a particularly drunk dwarf said to her at the Lions Inn, “We all have our scars from war; you just wear yours on the outside.” He promptly threw up after.

She didn’t linger long in Menethil, though she would’ve liked to. Her goal pulled her through the vast, lush Arathi Highlands, beyond the rolling green acres of Hillsbrad, until finally she made clear of the treacherous Alterac Mountains into the Plaguelands. It was here where she could make her vow of revenge a reality. She had heard of Light’s Hope Chapel and the Argent Dawn and made the long trek through the barren, dead lands to that bastion of faith. There she committed herself mind and body to their righteous cause.

The Argent Dawn
Syruna ascended the ranks of the Dawn swiftly, and was soon a prominent crusader of justice. In her years with the Dawn, she aided in the killing of many key Scourge leaders throughout the Eastern Kingdoms, most notably the liches Balzaphon and Araj the Summoner. Syruna’s sights were, however, set on a more important target; Northrend. As soon as travel to that most unwelcoming of frontiers became available, Syruna set sail and arrived as an emissary of the Argent Dawn.

Northrend
While construction of the various Argent Dawn base camps were under way, Syruna spent a good deal of time in Dalaran, and she fell in love with the city. In her ten thousand years of life, she had never seen a more cultured city. The magnificent architecture, the scholars glued to their books, the relative peace between otherwise warring peoples – she loved it all. She would have liked to stay longer, but life pulled her in another direction: Icecrown.

Nearly a year after her arrival in Icecrown, the gates of the Lich King’s citadel were finally breached. She was among the first to volunteer herself for a tactical strike to assess the various levels of the citadel. Upon successfully returning from that, she was assigned to an infantry unit which took part in some of the battles against both Lady Deathwhisper and Lord Marrowgar. While she did not participate in the final battle with the Lich King due to severe injuries, when the news broke she found herself weeping as she had not for many millennia.

Cataclysm
For the first time since the death of her brother, Syruna felt some level of inner peace. The Scourge were weakened incredibly by the loss of their leader. However, with the second shattering of the world, so to was her peace torn asunder. Deathwing escaped his eternal emprisonment, and behind him loomed other evils; the Naga and the Old Gods.

Initially, Syruna took no part in fighting the tides of evil directly. Instead, she immediately traveled back to her native Kalimdor to aid in the recovery mission in Darkshore. Seeing the carnage caused by Deathwing opened up old wounds and brought her into action. And so she joined the fight in Mt.Hyjal, the most sacred of Night Elven lands, hoping to eradicate Ragnaros' presence from the lush forests. She still returns regularly to aid in the battle against the Firelord, but now spends much of her time in Stormwind training new recruits in the ways of combat to prepare them for what is to come.

Physical
Syruna is a traditionally beautiful Kal’Dorei female. Ocean blue hair cascades far past her shoulders, wild and free. Magenta skin seems to emit a glow in the moonlight. Once, she had lustrous silver eyes that were the envy of all Night Elven society. Now, in their stead are two empty holes shrouded only by a dark blindfold. Blood red tattoos now mar her toned slender body, spanning from her eyes down to her arms and chest. The ancient scar-like runes and blindfold point towards her chosen path, and show some of the sacrifices she made. The harshest sacrifice, however, is not visible to mortal eyes.

Personality
The years have wizened Syruna. While in her youth She acted as the hand of vengeance, her hatred has cooled to an inner rage; quiet, but at times far more dangerous. The passion of the young gave way to the insight and calculating nature of the old. The world has hardened Syruna. Her chosen path isolated her from all of Night Elven society, leaving her in solitude for many years. Because of this isolation, Syruna is reserved and short with words. Still, to those who gain her confidence, she is companionable and can even be known to make a jest. Despite their rejection of her, Syruna remains a patriot and has risen to the call of her people whenever they needed aid.

Due to her history with the Burning Legion, Deathwing, and the Scourge, Syruna remains ardent in her loathing of these peoples and all they stand for. She uses the demon within her as a means of empowering herself to defeat them, though rarely does she lose herself in rage.

One final aspect worth noting about Syruna is her detachment when it comes to love. Over the millennia, she has had many a lover. She has watched so many die, that she has become immune to the fidelity and fervor of young love. Certainly she enjoys her then companion’s company, but little love is lost when he falls to a foe stronger than he.

Quotes
“''I paid the ultimate sacrifice for my people! I was young and in love and I wanted to protect my people. You didn’t have the courage to stand by my side through my sacrifice! You are just like the rest of them! You can’t see that I made the choices I made out of love for my people. And they call me blind...''”

Said to Ilthilior (~1000 Years Ago at the height of the War of Shifting Sands)

“''You want to know why I have fought through the millennia? I fight because I’ve had almost everything taken away from me. And I refuse to let anyone else suffer the same. I fight because if I don’t, then who will? If I don’t have the courage to fight, then how can I expect someone else to? I fight because evil people are causing evil things and if people aren’t willing to fight for what’s right, then there’s nothing left to fight for.”''

Said in a heated conversation with a colleague.