Arienne Songblade

Page undergoing extensive rewrites after character death.

Physical Description
Arienne Songblade — once called "Dawnforge" in life — is of approximately average height for a blood elven female, but weighs a bit more than most due to the musculature she developed in the course of her Blood Knight training. Her features are angular to the point of being hawkish. Always pale of complexion, death has washed her out completely, the necromantic blue glow of her eyes casting a wan glow on her features. Her hair is wispy and white, brushing the bottom of her shoulderblades. Her posture is one of readiness; her movements are graceful and disciplined. Training as a paladin before her death and awakening, Arienne is most comfortable in full plate. Her preferred uniform outside of combat seems to consist of a black and silver tunic, blackened iron spaulders, a pair of fingerless gloves and leather leggings that seem more suited to a rogue than a death knight, along with a pair of runed shortswords. Her voice, pleasant enough in life, carries the soft echo of all death knights. Her Orcish has a slight Thalassian accent and her inflection and word choice speak to a high level of study more commonly found amongst magisters or city officials. She smells faintly of ambergris, moss, and the sharp tang of mint.

Mounts
The Deathcharger: The traditional mount common to all death knights. Arienne has yet to give it a name. She may not do so, as she prefers the Forsaken warhorse. Tranquility: Not the Tranquility. Just Tranquility. Arienne's self-built flying machine. After being shot down in Icecrown a few days before her death, Tranquility is undergoing extensive repairs to replace her landing struts. Arienne also has designs on building herself a Mechanohog in the near future. Until then, she happily rides in Belaris Delenada's sidecar.

Personality
To an outsider, Arienne might appear to project an aura of definiteness and an almost unshakable self-confidence. This conviction, often viewed as arrogance by some, is not sourced from a general feeling of pride, but from a particular cultivation of somewhat specialized skills. Dawnforge recognizes that she cannot do everything — but the things she can do, she does very well. When it comes to her own areas of expertise, Dawnforge is quick to know if she can be of help to someone, and if so, how. She is acutely aware of what she knows, and even more so what she doesn't. Not that a certain measure of pride isn't warranted: she has accomplished much, not least of all continuing to survive in trying times. Dawnforge is no stranger to adversity, and prefers to meet it head on. At the same time, she spent many of her formative years in relative luxury and comfort, sheltered away from the world's problems, and could speak little about the realities of the Second War. She makes up for it in modern times with a zeal for battle that, at its worst, borders on bloodlust. She seems to be adjusting rather well to the tumultuous changes that resulted in her becoming a death knight and joining the Forsaken. Because of them, however, she seems to have withdrawn from the rest of the Horde somewhat — those races she once welcomed gladly as comrades and kin are now outsiders and foreign to her. The Forsaken, once viewed as a foe or as an unpleasantry she had to tolerate, are now her people and possibly the only ones worthy of her trust. For all her prowess with a blade, Arienne is much less skilled with people in terms of personal relationships. She does not easily sympathize with the problems of others, believing it to be better to suffer in silence and spare others the burden. She is somewhat reserved about her past, generally meeting most inquiries with "The past is as dead as I am," and considers herself on a first-name basis with very few people, most often referring to them by their title, if they have one, or their family name.

Her preferred non-combat activities include tinkering, reading, and fishing — all hobbies she tends to pursue in solitude. Since her time as a death knight and gaining an understanding of runeforging, she has begun to study the art of blacksmithing.

Background
Arienne Songblade was born to Nephele and Lothar Songblade, prominent members of Silvermoon's upper-class. Lothar was an esteemed Magister; his wife, Nephele, a courtier. Arienne was the youngest of three children; Archana, her sister, was her elder by 45 years, and her brother Valendar was 12 years her senior. Her father and sister spent most of the year in Dalaran, and with her mother often busy at court, Arienne and Valendar were often left in the care of their governess, a woman named Manon Riverspell. Manon helped groom Valendar for his position as a royal guard and taught Arienne the intricacies of being a member of the gentry. Once Valendar reached the age of majority, he bleached his dark hair and entered the service of the (traditionally blonde) Spellbreakers. Within a few years' time, Lothar had arranged for Valendar to marry the apprentice of a friend, a bright magistrix named Averill Duskvigil. Nephele bought her son a commission to keep him safe in Silvermoon City, and he came to serve in the Court of the Sun. Not long thereafter, the human Alliance became entangled with the Horde in the Second War. Lothar and Archana were sent to the lines and offered their magical support, although only Archana returned home after the war had ended. She was quickly married to a wealthy human nobleman upon her arrival, fulfilling an arrangement made soon after the girl's birth. The Songblade family mourned Lothar's loss, but quietly and with detachment from one another. Archana and her new husband Severin Sunfire moved back to Dalaran in order to advance Archana's position there; a few years later, their son Zaerin Sunfire was born. As for Arienne's future, her mother had long ago decided that the youngest child would enter the ranks of the priesthood, and she was sent to Hillsbrad to attend to the priests there. She showed some measure of proficiency in learning to wield the Light and a basic understanding of the Three Virtues, and seemed to take quite well to the life of a priestess. Time passed, Nephele remarried to Jareth Fairbreeze, of the town that bore his family's name, and reports slowly started to come down from Lordaeron of unrest and a growing, unknown threat. In the nearby town of Southshore, Alexandros Mograine was beginning to collect like-minded individuals to himself and swore himself to the defense of Lordaeron's borders with the aid of the Holy Light. Arienne followed his forces north to Tirisfal and came to make her home in the Scarlet Monastery. She continued her training there, too unrefined yet to be of much help out on the battlefield, and helped maintain a base of operations in the Scarlet Monastery while Abbendis, Mograine and the others moved toward the borderlands most ravaged by the plague. When Renault Mograine led his father and High Inquisitor Fairbanks to Stratholme and then returned alone, suspicion began to grow amongst the rank and file of the Scarlet Crusade. When the ghoul that Fairbanks had become appeared at the gates of the Monastery, Arienne was just one of the many members to flee the crusade's ranks, but continued her work under the banner of the Argent Dawn. After the loss of the Sunwell, Arienne walked the Dead Scar north toward the remains of Silvermoon. During her journey, Archimonde was summoned into Azeroth and commenced his destruction of Dalaran, resulting in the deaths of Archana and her husband and child. Arienne buried all three, along with her mother and stepfather, in her family's plot. Valendar was missing, but given his post in Silvermoon City, the priestess didn't hold much hope for him. During her journey, Arienne had been able to write off her growing fatigue as a consequence of her journey and the miasma that hung over the Dead Scar and the ruined forests in southern Quel'thalas. (( Work in progress. ))

Death and Awakening
The details surrounding Arienne's death are scarce, and it is doubtful any single person knows the whole of what passed in the days just before she died until she knelt to swear fealty to the Banshee Queen. Official reports indicate that Arienne was slated to fight a duel with Erier Fireiris for honor on the evening she was murdered. Written correspondence indicates the terms of the duel: it would end when the combatants' honor was satisfied. Belaris Delenada is known to have served as her second. The duel's cause seems to revolve around the paladin's decision to end her relationship with Nuhwoti Mistrunner, a close friend of Erier's. Eyewitness accounts indicate that Erier postponed the duel by an hour on the night it was to be met in order to speak to Nuhwoti further. It is known that Erier won the duel, and that Belaris administered the coup-de-grâce, reportedly at the paladin's request prior to the duel. Belaris was empowered by Arienne's last will to handle her remains; all the same, Erier challenged him but was beaten. Reports indicate that Belaris was attacked by a frost wyrm during his retreat from Icecrown with the body; Argent Crusade patrols recovered the wreckage of his flying machine a day later. Arienne's body was lost. Reanimated as a death knight, she served the Scourge in Zul'Drak. Reportedly she was part of the Scourge cell responsible for the recent outbreak of plague in Silvermoon City caused by the tainted wine served at the Outreach Ball. Almost nothing is known about what caused her to break away from the Scourge — only that after she had done so, she chose not to return to the service of Silvermoon, styling herself a member of the Forsaken instead.

Relations
Archana Songblade: High elf mage; eldest sister of the Songblade children. Apprenticed in Dalaran and died when it was destroyed by Archimonde. Valendar Songblade: Blood elf spellbreaker; only son and middle of the three Songblade children. Initially left with Prince Sunstrider for Outland as a member of the Royal Guard; defected to joined the Scryers' forces with Arienne's help. Averill Duskvigil: Blood elf ex-mage; betrothed to Valendar, but their arrangement was dissolved upon the fall of Quel'thalas due to Duskvigil's loss of lands and title. Ascilia Shadowhand: Blood elf warlock; Arienne's companion through most of her adventures in Azeroth over the past year. Defected to join the Sunfury elves, later became Felblood. Dead.  Logan Duskwhisper:  AKA "Duskmourn." Blood elf rogue; well-known as a Steamwheedle Arena contender in Seasons One and Two. Arienne's former retainer and presumed lover. Died in the battle of Warsong Gulch.  Damien Duskwhisper: AKA "Stormfall." Forsaken warrior; Logan Duskwhisper's younger brother and a member of the Runespell Scryers' strike force.  Zuriel Greenfeather: Tauren druid; a member of the Runespell Scryers and the namesake of Arienne's drake, Zuriaku. Died in the assault of Tempest Keep.  Zaniya Liontree: Troll shaman; member of the Runespell Scryers and confidant.  Orannis Whiteglade: Blood elf hunter; Ranger-Sergeant of the Farstriders. Arienne's apparent rival within the Runespell Scryers, the paladin seems loathe to speak of him.  Nexic: Forsaken rogue; commander of the Runespell Scryers and thus Arienne's former commanding officer.  Nuhwoti Hallowfeather: Tauren druid; Arienne was stricken by his unusual choice in following the Holy Light, and became curious about his church, Kiss of the Betrayer. The two were romantic for some time; their relationship ended after his return from a two week long abduction. <LI> Belaris Delenada: Forsaken rogue; Deathstalker and Sergeant-Major of the Shadarim — which makes him her current commanding officer. The pair are rarely seen outside each other's company; popular rumour is that they're lovers. Almost as popular is the rumour that he was the architect of her demise and subsequent rebirth. <LI> Ishbaneer Schatten: Forsaken rogue; leader of Kiss of the Betrayer. Arienne refers to him almost exclusively as "Shepherd" and seems to value his opinion a bit more than she ought. <LI> Trinea Corringthon: Blood elf priestess; Arienne was intrigued to learn that the priestess self-identifies as Forsaken, and has only recently begun to look at Trinea as a friend, perhaps even a confidant. </UL>

Adventures & Stories
Many of Dawnforge's adventures can be found at Contranyms. Wiki-hosted stories featuring Dawnforge: <ul><li>Have You Seen This Druid?</li></ul>