[BIO] Archibald Shadowsworn

[pateuvasiliu]

(( This is a Second Gen DK and will solely be used for Scourge RP ))

Character name, in full: Life: Archibald Gerald -> Archibald "Malice" Shadowsworn .



Character history: Archibald was born to the Geralds, a family of minor nobles residing in Andorhal . They weren't as rich or famous as the other noble families of the city, yet they strived to rise in the society and hold important positions in the Kingdom. Since childhood, Archibald was kept away from the "dirty, low-class " boys that played with wooden swords and danced in the mud and was " preserved " to become a fine gentleman and a prodigy in diplomatic and courtuous acts. He was the Gerald's secret weapon in their greedy search for wealth and respect.
As years passed, Archibald developed his history, diplomatic and polite talking skills, being a prodigy when it came to smooth talking. Far away from the South and safe inside the walls of the family's estate, he only heard of the War from whispers, letters and later books. His life seemed dull and boring, for him, as he gradually understood that he was a tool in his family's hands. Still, out of love for his parents, he continued with this lifestyle.



One day, he met a beautiful noble woman from a higher-ranked house. It was love at the first sight. He spent as much time as posible with her, evading meeting her parents, as he knew that her family would never allow her to fall in love with a man from a lower caste. They kept their relationship secret for many months, until Archibald decided that life is too short to keep your emotions hidden: hand in hand, they went to both of their families and told them of their secret love.
His parents were proud. Perphaps, too proud. They didn't care for the love between the two. They just saw it as an oportunity to share blood ties to a stronger house. Archibald suspected such, but kept it hidden. He was happy they agreed. However, when they went to the girl's family, it was an outrage: threats of death and beatings did he receive. They threw him out of their estate and told him to never search for her again.



Broken and desperate, Archibald went back to his home where his parents had awaited. Instead of a maternal hug and soothing words, his mother cursed him. They blamed him for the unremediable broken link between the two houses. With them as enemies, their house would never rise. His father beat him out cold and left him bloodied on the floor. When he awoke, his very being was shaken with rage: something terrible had happened to him during the night. With blood-shot eyes, he pretended to be all right, going as far as helping his father with some papers. Throughout the day, he gathered wood and oil and scattered them through his house. When the night came he did the most cruel gesture he had ever performed: his parents inside, he threw a flaming torch into the estate.
When the guards arrived with water, it was too late. The family was -all- believed to have been engulfed by the merciless flames, including Archibald. He ran away to their distant cousins in Stratholme, explaining his apparent death with the fictional idea that someone was after him.

Exhausted and only now realising what terrible deed he had comitted, he slept. During the night, he had terrible nightmares of undead and malefic beings gathering in a distant, frozen land. A terrible voice echoed through the corners of his imagination: " You have lost everything you had.. because of greed and power...but they are not yours, child. No.. the ones that hurt you are an affront to this World. They are weak, fearful and selfish. But I...I am a generous King, unlike yours. I can grant you immortality and happiness alongside the woman you love. I can make all those that oppose you now kneel to you. All you have to do is to use this incantation inside the crypt . "

With the burning desire to see his beloved, Archibald walked into the night through the empty streets, forsaking his humanity. Inside the crypt, he read the incantations, and more visions appeared: an army of undead marshalling upon the Human Kingdom. Then, the voice spoke once more: " Gaze upon the return of the True King into this world. Join me, and you shall live forever, basking in glory and power. I can save -HER- from imminent death.."
Shaken as he was, Archibald couldn't believe this: Lordaeron will fall to this entity... No. This was madness. He travelled back to Andorhal to warn his beloved of the danger and convince her to follow him out of the kingdom. But there was the place where his path would ultimately be chosen: he saw her hand in hand with a tall man, none other than Bartholomew Ignatus, heir to the richest house in the region. His heart pumped black blood as anger took over.



That night, in his dream, he knelt before the Being. He called it his true King and Master. The Lich King promised him eternal power and the love of his life staying by him forever. They sealed the pact, and then he was no longer human. He was changing into something more. Without a real catalyst, his dark personality empowered him for the first days: he was now stronger and faster. He could fight like a seasoned veteran, and he never held a sword in his whole life. His first horrific act was to murder Bartholomew in his sleep, incinerating the house and killing everyone inside.
His free-will was ultimately lost when he saw his beloved dead next to Bartholomew. He realised it was him: -HE- was the one who was to blame for everything that went wrong in his life. If only he had chosen his own path, instead of...-But his thoughts were cut out, just like a candle is extinguished by the wind. His will was no longer his own. For, in his horrific acts, he sold his soul to the Lich King and became one of his Knights.



Character personality: When a child, Archibald was an inocent person, striving to please his family's wishes, even if they sometimes, well mostly, didn't concide with his. He learned etiquette fast enough, becoming polite, curtous and a profficient liar if he had to. Although a noble, he wished he was born a common boy as he often saw them play outside and enjoy their childhood, whereas he was forced to study and his only friend was his tutor.



As he grew up, Archibald's emotions intensified: he was now aware that he was raised as a diplomatic weapon, a slow but sure way to success, wealth and respect for his family. He ignored it for a while, and the only thing that made him still pursue this path was the acknowledgement of the fact that the woman he fell in love with will never be allowed to marry a man from a lower caste. Thus, he kept pressing on.



After the tragic events and the turning - Personality wise, physically he was still human - Archibald's personality darkened under the dominant influence of the Lich King: although his words and thoughts were his own, The Lich King had complete control over his body. He developed dark humour, cruelty and his greediness extended, only he craved for power now, instead of respect and love. Such ardent was his desire that he learned how to control his powers faster than expected: within months, he was able to raise the dead and wield a runeblade like a true swordsman.



His hatred for the living also increased due to his nature: he sees them as abominations and defiants to the True King, wanting to eliminate them and raise their bodies into servitude to the Lich King. When it comes to combat, he prefers to relay on Shadow-aligned attacks of the Unholy Path, rather assaulting his foes with horrible diseases and raised carcasses filled with heretic magic rather than engaging in bloody onslaught in frenetic attacks.





Character description: During his life, Archibald was a beautiful, well-kept man. He had long, black hair and generally kept his beard shaved. Even though he was not used to combat and running, he managed to keep himself slim and healthy.


After becoming a Death Knight, his skin grew pale and his eyes lost their hazel color, becoming light blue. His long, soft hair is now wirey and rough, having taken a gray tint. His body has also morphed under the unholy influences: he became taller by a dozen centimeters and widened, his muscles becoming stronger and thicker. He can easily wield a greatsword and wear plate armor without it hindering his movement.

[The Madgod]

If I recall, second generation death knights are former paladins, who, after failing to help cure their people of the plague of undeath, tried to find the source up north, like Arthas. They became angry and embittered, and once they reached the Frozen Throne and the Lich King (who never really called himself the true king till after he became merged with Arthas) promised them power and the like, they were able to accept the pact and become death knights.

As well, death knights aren't raised / made from non-soldiers. The Scourge only makes the best warriors into death knights. A noble who has never fought in his life wouldn't be worth much to them. He would be made into a ghoul, something that fights out of instinct, rather than a death knight, who has already proven themselves on the battlefield, as that is how they are generally picked.

[pateuvasiliu]

If I recall, second generation death knights are former paladins, who, after failing to help cure their people of the plague of undeath, tried to find the source up north, like Arthas. They became angry and embittered, and once they reached the Frozen Throne and the Lich King (who never really called himself the true king till after he became merged with Arthas) promised them power and the like, they were able to accept the pact and become death knights.

As well, death knights aren't raised / made from non-soldiers. The Scourge only makes the best warriors into death knights. A noble who has never fought in his life wouldn't be worth much to them. He would be made into a ghoul, something that fights out of instinct, rather than a death knight, who has already proven themselves on the battlefield, as that is how they are generally picked.

There are cases of non-warriors which were given the unholy powers of the Lich King. The "True King" syntagm was to show that this King was better than the Lordaeron one and the only being he listens to.

Despite the heavy costs of free will, some powerful mortals are intrigued by the promise of immortality and pledge their souls freely into the Lich King's service to achieve it. (Baron Rivendare is an example of this).

[The Madgod]

But your character isn't powerful, he is a lesser noble in a farming town. Baron Rivendare was the big man of Stratholme, one of the largest cities of Lordaeron. He also most likely received weapons and horsemanship training. Add in that he was a close friend to Kel'Thuzad and he helped create the Cult of the Damned, and you have a guy who is much more qualified to be considered the sort of person the Lich King would want as a death knight. As well, this is purely speculation, but if Rivendare is to be considered second generation, then he most likely made the dark pilgrimage to become a death knight. As far as before Kel'Thuzad's resurrection, I don't think there would be a necromancer strong enough to create death knights in the field, nor did the Lich King's power go that far (hence why the pilgrimage even existed)