[BIO] Talramnus the Dark Ranger

[Vadoor]

Name: Talramnus Bitterstar
Age: 412
Race: Blood Elf
Status: Undead, Darkfallen
Gender: Male
Languages: Thallasian, Common, Orc, Gutterspeak
Class: Dark Ranger
Affiliations:The Forsaken and Sin'dorei, Bitterstar House, and a loose affiliation with the Horde.


Personality: Cold, calculated, murderous at times, sadistic, arrogant.

Likes: Enjoys killing, Poisons, Archery, the Night, shadow magic.

Dislikes:Dwarves, Humans, High Elves, Most of the Horde races except for Blood Elves and Forsaken.

Appearance: Talramnus is average height for a Blood Elf and his body is toned from years of training. His hair is bleach white, but more dark white, as if shadows have taken hold of it. His skin is pale due to his undeath, and his eyes burn of a red death. He wears the traditional dark ranger armor ((http://www.wowwiki.com/Dark_Ranger_Kalira)), although it is covered by a fine black cloak. At times he appears have an aura of shadow encompassing him.

Weapons: He carries a fine elven longsword and a small dirk of the same make. He rarely uses his swords. His main weapon is his bow, crafted by his brother Feanor. Made from the strong wood of the tress of Eversong Forest, the bow is a beautiful weapon and can only be wielded by those of blood kin to Talramnus due to an enchantment placed upon it by Feanor. The bow now shoots wicked barbed arrows that are poisoned, and have to be pushed through to be taken out of a target. The arrows can be ripped out, but cause great pain due to the barbs.

Strengths:Excellent archer and huntsman, excels at combat in the dark, has no mercy, has use of necromantic and shadow powers.

Weakness:His arrogance and thirst for blood.

History
Born into the prestigious Bitterstar family, Talramnus would have any options in life that he so chose. While his family was more than proficient at magic, with his great grandfather Varanis Bitterstar being a master of the arcane, Talramnus showed a proficiency with magic, but little interest for it. This most likely came about when he was sent to Dalaran at a young age to learn magic and met his half brother, the battlemage Feanor. Although Feanor had met Talramnus when he was a baby, the young high elf had no recollection of ever meeting his brother before, and was quit excited by his martial prowess. After Talramnus would complete his magical training for the day, Feanor would teach him how to wield blades, and how to shoot a bow. The young elf grew more attached to archery than sword fighting so Feanor crafted him a bow worthy of the Bitterstar name. Although Talramnus's upbringing made him arrogant to those he deamed "lesser", he grew quite close to his brother and became fond of their reunions.

As Talramnus's training progressed Feanor taught him how to counter magic while using martial weapons. This training would prove vital when his great grandfather summoned him home to show what he had learned at Dalaran. His g-grandfather pit him against his elders brothers, all of whom were very proficient casters. With his training in magic as well as martial, Talramnus was able to soundly defeat his older brothers. Although his g-grandfather was impressed that he was able to defeat his older siblings, he was not proud of the fact the his grandson was not going to be a powerful magister one day. He told him that rather than wasting his time at Dalaran where he wasn't going to become a mage, he should become a ranger, and use his skills to further his houses ambition in the quel'dorei military. So, after returning to Dalaran to collect his things and say his parting words to Feanor, Talramnus left to become a ranger.

For the next couple hundred years Talramnus would hone his skills as an archer and would become a renowned marksman, always using the bow that his brother had crafted for him. He became famed for perfecting the art of shooting two, or even three arrows at once while hitting multiple targets. Unlike the other rangers however, Talramnus never learned to use nature magic. When his training began, he had attempted to use it many times, but mother nature could feel the darkness in his soul and would not come to his calling. Even though he could not wield nature, he still rose in the ranks of the quel'dorei military due to his family name and his expert skills as an archer. Much to his families approval he soon found himself under the direct command of the Ranger General Sylvannas. Under Sylvannas, Talramnus would become a valuable instrument of the High Elven military, and would prove this when the Second War found its way to Quel'Thalas. The orcish invasion of Quel'Thalas would infuriate the high elves causing them to use their full strength against the monsters. Although his arrogance would keep him from being a celebrated hero, soldiers looked to Talramnus for guidance and the Bitterstar name always inspired courage to those around him. He became known as a viscous ranger, even wading into melee combat with his bow and firing at foes from point blank range. But while his family name inspired courage before the fight, the way Talramnus performed in battle, sometimes, inspired fear. The high elf was known to cackle madly as he dispatched foes and some soldiers swore that his eyes burned with a demonic fire during battle, a fire of pure evil. He showed no mercy to any foe, and had little regard for the dead, sometimes seen maiming bodies.

Eventually the orcish hordes would be subdued and the elves would return to their forests and the tranquility of Quel’Thalas. Talramnus would again venture south to see his brother Feanor and the two would continue their training. The two would spar many times, but Talramnus would never defeat Feanor, as his older brother would always have another trick up his sleeve. Although he tried his best to hide it, his older brother would notice his change in demeanor and would warn him about the path down which he would tread if he continued. The younger elf would tell his brother not to worry, that it was just the lust of battle. The two would enjoy many good years together, until the traitor prince changed everything.

After destroying much of Lordaeron, Arthas invaded Quel’Thalas with his undead horde devastating everything in his path. Talramnus would follow Sylvannas to the front lines and would fight the Scourge with every fiber of his character. When the Ranger General stayed behind at Fairbreeze Village, Talramnus, along with a few of the remaining rangers would join her in the final defense. All would fight valiantly but it would be of no use. After slaying a countless number of scourge Talramnus would be cut down by a death knight as its sword was plunged through his chest.

Like Sylvannas and many other rangers, Talramnus’s death at Fairbreeze village would not be the end of his life. He was forcibly raised and made to serve the scourge as it finished off the rest of the resistance the high elves had to offer. His life as a banshee of the Scourge was short and he was soon reunited with his body for the fact that he was much better archer than a ghost. Unlike the other rangers who mourned their deaths and hated their new lives, Talramnus seemed almost pleased with his undeath. It was as though he no longer needed to hide his inner monster and took joy in the grizzly acts he committed while under the control of the Lich King. While under the Scourge he learned how to wield the shadow, and use necromancy to his benefit. While he was a gifted archer in life, he became much more in death. His shadow and necromantic powers enhanced his killing abilities, allowing to do more than just physical damage to his foes.
When the Scourge assaulted Dalaran, Talramnus would fight and kill those he once knew. The two brothers would not meet each other in this conflict, though many survivors would swear to Feanor that his brother was among the undead. Even though Dalarans defense was fierce, the city would ultimately be destroyed by the great demon Archimonde. When the Scourge and the Legion invaded Kalimdor Talramnus would stay behind with Sylvannas and would serve his former general. After the Legion was defeated at Hyjal, Talramnus would help Sylvannas overthrow Arthas and his scourge in the capital city. Thus began the Forsaken.

Talramnus would become like another hand for the Banshee queen and would serve her without question. He is known among the Forsaken as a truly evil being, with no mercy, for the dead or the living and many fear him. In her need to control Lordaeron, Sylvannas sent Talramnus south to cleanse the living from the land so that the dead would rule all. Here would be his first confrontation with his brother since his death. When the Forsaken attacked the town of Ambermill Talramnus and Feanor unknowingly met in combat. Thinking the other to be just a scion of the enemy, the two brothers were shocked, at first, seeing the other alive. While Feanor at first held back and did not wish to fight his former kin, it became obvious that Talramnus had changed and the two engaged in combat. After a long battle Feanor held Talramnus at sword point, but hesitated to land the final blow. He couldn’t understand how his brother had fallen so far, and how he had became so vicious. While he held Talramnus at his will, the younger brother explained what had happened, and how he no longer had to hide who he truly was. He told Feanor that this was how he was always meant to be, and he would never change. It was Feanor’s love of who his brother had been that saved Talramnus that day. Unable to land the final blow, and overcome with grief, he let Talramnus escape. This would be the first of many encounters between the two as the Kirin Tor and Forsaken fought in Lordaeron.

When the Blood Elves joined the Horde Talramnus was reunited with his family in Silvermoon City. Although he was undead, his family always looked to improve their standings in the world. Seeing that he was high in command under Sylvannas, he was accepted back into the family and once again became a Bitterstar. During the Burning Crusade, Talramnus would be deployed to the Western and Eastern plaguelands to kill the Scourge menace as well as deal with the Scarlet Crusade. Sylvannas also called on him to kill Syndicate rogues in the Alterac Mountains. Among the Syndicate he became known as "The Shadow of Death", because whenever he went out on the hunt he always wore his shadow aura to inspire fear and to help him kill his foes.

He would follow the Forsaken into Northrend and would help his people gain their vengeance on the traitor king. Talramnus would be sent to Venomspite to help test out the new plague on unlucky subjects. Once while out hunting, he happened upon a scarlet patrol in the woods. He would wait patiently for the Scarlet soldiers to pass until the right moment to strike came. Hidden high in a tree, they would never see the attack coming. After the 10 soldiers had passed him, Talramnus nocked three barbed arrows and pulled back the string on his bow until it was taut. He whispered a small spell under his breath, and the arrows turned black from necromantic energy. After the spell finished, Talramnus released the arrows causing the bow string to twang. The three arrows cut through the air between the hunter and his prey, and hit their marks. The hearts of three scarlet soldiers exploded out of their chests, and they fell to the ground, dead. The enemy soldiers cried with surprise and then looked to the woods, searching a hidden foe. But the foe would come from within. Their three comrades rose from the ground and brought their weapons to bear on the soldiers, catching two by surprise and killing them before they were cut down. Talramnus would cackle loudly, not caring if he was found or not. The bow would twang two more times, killing four more soldiers, and leaving one left alive. "Come here my pretty" Talramnus said as he revealed himself and came down from the tree with a single jump. The scarlet soldier charged at him, but to no avail, where his enemy had stood a moment before nothing remained. All the scarlet could hear was the horrible cackle of a foe he could not find, until his legs gave out beneath him. His spine had been pierced by an arrow paralyzing him. He watched as the dark ranger approached him, laughing, with a mad look in his eye. "The light will protect me!" The Scarlet soldier cried out. This made Talramnus laugh even more horribly. "You must be blind, let me help you see," he said calmly as he pressed his thumbs into scarlets eyes, squishing them into his brains and making him scream horribly. "Now you can see much better," Talramnus cackled. Then the dark ranger pulled a vial out from under his cloak. "Here let me help you with those eyes," Talramnus said as he poured the new plague into the eyes of the scarlet soldier. He would stay and watch as the Scarlet screamed and was decomposed into a pulpy mess, smiling with delight the whole time. While in the frozen wastes he would have more confrontations with his brother, and once, would be the victor, though he would not be able to land the killing blow even though he tried. When Wrathgate happened, he remained in Northrend and continued to support the Forsaken as they pushed towards Icecrown.


While all hated the Lich King, Talramnus silently thanked him. It was through Arthas that Talramnus was freed, freed to act as he truly was, to let his dark soul rein supreme. In life he would have been persecuted, imprisoned, or even killed perhaps, but his undeath gave an excuse to that which always was. Arthas freed Talramnus. So when the Lich King was finally brought to justice, Talramnus did not cheer or celebrate. He was content that Arthas was dead, for the slaying of his people and the devastation of Quel'Thalas, but still, silently, he thank him.

(Will add darkfallen encounter here )

After the fall of Arthas, Talramnus continues to serve his queen and his families ambition in undeath. He followed Sylvannas into battle against Gilneas and gained a reputation among the Worgen simliar to that of his reputation with the Syndicate. Alliance forces, as well as the worgen, would be leery to enter the woods near the border for fear of running into Talramnus who became known as "The Shadow".

"Getting to him is half the battle. He is a shadow and moves unlike any foe Ive ever faced. One instant he is there, and the next he is behind you. Perhaps I trained him too well."- Feanor

[Vadoor]

Finished, feel free to critique it.

[ELYPOP]

I'll properly go through this tomorrow, but I picked up something quick right now. So, why are his eyes blue, like a Death Knight? Dark Rangers generally have red eyes, like those depicted ingame, so why is he so special?

Anyways, looking forward to having a better look tomorrow!

[Vadoor]

So, why are his eyes blue, like a Death Knight? Dark Rangers generally have red eyes, like those depicted ingame, so why is he so special?

He uses Clear Eyes (http://www.cleareyes.com/) It works great on those red itchy eyes I guess that was just an oversight to be honest. The red eyes would be more menacing so ill prolly change to that.

[ELYPOP]

That looks great. A few issues though:
- The red eyes aren't demonic. Just... deathly.
- Instead of listing the expansions, change the Burning Crusade to "When the Blood Elves joined the Horde", or something along those lines.
- Same for WotLK. Change that to "After the fall of the Lich King".
- Maybe give us a few more details on the fall of Arthas thing. Did he like the vengeance?
- Old High Elven Rangers used druidic, nature magic. Nothing to do with arcane there.
- When he became a Dark Ranger, maybe delve into how he abandoned his naturey ways, and took up the darker arts.

Aside from those points, I love it.

[Vadoor]

Alright, I fixed all the points you mentioned, if you see anything else just point it out.