Illidan Stormrage

[Illidan Stormrage]

"Betrayer... In truth, it was I who was betrayed. Still, I am hunted. Still, I am hated. Now, my blind eyes see what others cannot: that sometimes the hand of fate must be forced!"

Illidan Stormrage

Source: Warcraft

Alias: The Betrayer, Scourge of Darkshire

Gender: Male

Age: 15,038

Apparent Age: Early 30's

Race: Night Elf/Demon Hybrid

Height: 7'6"/11'0"

Weight: 97kg/114kg

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Appearance:

Illidan is tall and muscular, his skin purple. His thin black hair is long and trails down to the middle of his back, part of which is bunched in a high ponytail. He wears a strip of tan cloth over his eyes which burn green. His ears are long and pointed. His naked arms and torso are decorated with green tattoos. He wears faded purple pants that go down to his ankles, and he wears no shoes.

Personality:

Illidan is angry, selfish, impatient and power hungry. He is willing to do anything to achieve his goals, to the point that everyone he cares about turns their back on him. He has little qualms about wiping out anyone in his way, nor does he feel much guilt because of it. To him, the ends justify the means, and the means he is willing to undertake would be horrifying to many people. He often considers other races beneath him, and that his intelligence dwarfs almost everyone else's.

However, beneath this fury and egocentricity, he is ultimately looking out for the best for everyone. He believes that sometimes great sacrifices have to be made, and yet those who espouse the same thing would never give themselves in the way he does. His initial siding with the Burning Legion, while somewhat denigrated by his lust for power, was a calculated attempt to undermine the demons from within, using their own power. The 'fight fire with fire' mentality is Illidan's strength, and it's what makes him such an unpredictable and deadly opponent. His final goal is to eradicate the Burning Legion, and anything that uses demonic or dark magic to inflict suffering.

Illidan's weak spot is Tyrande. He has loved her since he was a teenager, and though she chose Malfurion as her partner, Illidan's feelings have never abated. He still carries a flower that she once wore in her hair. 

Combat:

Illidan is the first of the demon hunters, a shadowy and often feared class of magically imbued warriors. To become a demon hunter, one must be full of fury and will in order to survive the deadly process. The prospective demon hunter must willingly accept the power of the demonic Burning Legion and burn out their own eyes with unholy fire; their seared sockets are then replaced with green orbs of flame that allow them to see magical essence. They often wear a blindfold to hide them. However the demonic taint in the blood is suggestive and forever attempts to lure the corrupted to abandon their free will and fully integrate with the Burning Legion. Of the few who survive the transformation, there are many that turn to the demons or simply go mad at the ceaseless whispering in their mind.

Those who can resist, however, gain untold power. They can use dark, shadowy magic and gain a metamorphosis into a terrifying demonic figure. When trained, they can learn to coerce demons into servitude, and have a particular propensity for tracking and slaughtering creatures of evil.

Yet a demon hunter depends more on their physical fighting skills than their magic. They rely foremost on speed and agility to evade the blows of their enemies while raining down powerful counter-attacks. They often wear little clothing to promote fast and easy movement. Their weapons tend to be curved and wicked blades of all descriptions.

History:

Over ten thousand years ago, Illidan Stormrage and his twin Malfurion were born into the kaldorei, or night elf, society in Kalimdor on Azeroth. Their society was opulent and without equal, and many night elves were accomplished sorcerers. Along with Tyrande, a female night elf studying as a priestess of Elune, and his brother Malfurion, Illidan enjoyed life. He was a natural at sorcery, and his amber eyes, one of the few things to separate him physically from his twin, was said to be a portent of a great destiny. 

One day the forest demigod Cenarius offered to teach Malfurion and Illidan the secrets of druidism. Malfurion took to the craft far easier and faster than Illidan, who often struggled with the most basic spells. Indeed, his lalent for sorcery, the traditional magic of the Highborne, bloomed far easier. His constant irritation and impatience for the druidic ways saw him expelled from Cenarius' teaching. Instead, Illidan focused on sorcery, and grew so skilled that Lord Ravencrest, a night elven noble, hired him as his personal sorcerer.

However as he aged, Malfurion and Illidan fought over the affection of Tyrande. She cared deeply for both of them, though she already leaned towards one brother, and unbeknownst to Illidan, it wasn't him.

At this time, the Burning Legion, working through the source of the night elven magic, the Well of Eternity, began preparations for the invasion of Azeroth. Charming Queen Ashara and her Highborne sorcerers, Sargeras, the leader of the Burning Legion, orchestrated the slow and gradual process of opening a portal to their world so that he may pass through it and consume all life.

The night elves fought back against the demonic incursion, Illidan being a major contributor in their early success. However his efforts were going unnoticed despite his great talent, even being pushed to the side by another mage he respected. He also discovered that Tyrande had chosen Malfurion over him, whether she was cognisant of it or not. To add insult to injury, the forces against the Burning Legion planned to destroy the Well of Eternity, the source of his magical powers. Feeling betrayed and forgotten, Illidan turned down a darker path.

Illidan joined the Burning Legion.

In truth, it was a ploy. He planned to steal the Demon Soul, an object of unimaginable power, to close the demonic portal and banish Sargeras. Of course, he stood to gain as well, as his plan would allow the Well of Eternity to remain. However, he presented this idea to the demon's benefit: he would obtain the Demon Soul and use it to usher Sargeras into Azeroth. As a 'reward,' Sargeras incinerated Illidan's eyes and replaced them with mystical orbs of green flame that allowed him to see all sources of magic, and covered his body in tattoos that augmented his sorcery. However, during this process, Illidan saw the true strength of the Burning Legion, and realised that even if they won this battle, the demonic horde would still exist and continue to threaten all life.

The Demon Soul was found, but used to strengthen the portal being birthed within the Well of Eternity. The night elves launched a final desperate bid for survival, during which Illidan stole several vials of the Well's waters. The night elves were victorious, and the disintegrating portal destroyed the Well. The enormous damage from the portal's collapse tore the very continent in two in an event known to all in Azeroth as the Sundering.

Unwilling to live without magic, Illidan poured several of his vials into a lake on Mount Hyjal, but was soon discovered by his brother and the night elf hierarchs. Having been deemed a traitor, Illidan was imprisoned in darkness, doomed to spend his immortal existence alone. The new Well of Eternity was consumed by the World Tree and blessed by Ysera, a god-like Dragon Aspect, and the threat of the Legion was ended.

10,000 years later, the Second Invasion began, and against Malfurion's wishes, Tyrande set Illidan free to defend against the encroaching darkness. On his first expedition, he encountered Arthas, a death knight under the command of the Lich King. Arthas informed Illidan of a demonic object of great power that was corrupting the night elf forests; the Skull of Gul'dan. If it was destroyed, if that meant absorbing its energy, the forests would be safe again. Illidan launched an assault on the base and was victorious, drinking in the artefact's dark magic and transforming into a night elf/demon hybrid. His newfound form easily bested the Burning Legion lieutenant Tichondrius, but his metamorphosis was not well received by Malfurion and Tyrande. Despite the good that he had done for his people, Malfurion banished Illidan from Kalimdor forever, believing that Illidan had sunk further into the machinations of the demons. Illidan acquiesced, leaving his ancestral home without argument, finally recognising that his sacrifices and achievements would never be recognised by his mistrustful brother and people.

Once exiled from his lands, the demon commander Kil'jaeden appeared before Illidan. He offered the night elf one final chance to redeem himself in the Burning Legion's eyes, and Illidan had little choice but to obey. He was tasked with destroying the Lich King, the spirit-infused armour frozen in ice that mentally commanded the Scourge, the undead creatures sired by the Legion. Illidan accepted, recognising a chance to eradicate more evil from his world while keeping the Burning Legion off his back for a time. However to accomplish this feat, Stormrage realised he would need assistance.

From the depths of the swirling Maelstrom where the heart of his civilisation had collapsed into the ocean, Illidan called forth the naga. These serpentine creatures heeded the call, led by Lady Vashj; they were once night elves, transformed into new reptilian creatures by their masters, the Old Gods. With their assistance, Illidan plumed the depths of the Tomb of Sargeras, the leader of the Burning Legion, and extracted an artefact called the Eye of Sargeras. With this item, Illidan assaulted the Frozen Throne, but the Lich King's greatest champion, the corrupted death knight Arthas Menethil, arrived to prevent the attack. The two clashed, and Arthas barely managed to prevail. Wounded, Illidan fled Azeroth and entered Outland, the decimated world of the orcs, while Arthas and the Lich King merged into a single entity.

Fearing Kil'jaeden's wrath for his failure to destroy the Frozen Throne, Illidan and his naga sought a place of refuge where they might be safe. During this time, Stormrage also began plans for assaulting the Burning Legion, realising that he could no longer remain passive to their threat. The naga assisted the blood elves, lead by Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider, in a difficult situation, and Illidan promised to help them slate their thirst for magic if they allied with him. They gladly did so, and the night elf provided them with new sources of magic.

With these allies, Illidan assaulted the Black Temple where a pit lord named Magtheridon resided. The Broken, withered creatures that were once draenei, also offered their help to take back their ancestral temple. With their combined forces, they defeated Magtheridon. Illidan imprisoned the pit lord and used his blood to corrupt more orcs, bolstering his army with the monstrous fel orcs, while he began assaulting key outposts of the Burning Legion on other worlds.

In one such expedition, Illidan named Torandril, a night elf demon hunter, as his leader while Illidan was absent. He could not partake in the battle, as Maiev Shadowsong and a band of misinformed adventurers had arrived to take back the Black Temple and kill him. Despite the officers put in charge to defend the fortress, the battle against Stormrage soon took place upon the temple's roof. It was a tough battle, but in the end, Illidan fell. Close to death, Illidan's fevered mind produced an image of the one whom he had sacrificed so much for...

From there, things went black ... and then white, as Illidan came before a bald, glowing child.

Miscellaneous:

- Illidan's eyes are normally not visible through his blindfold. However when aggravated or fighting fiercely, they glow green through the fabric. Likewise, when using magic, the tattoos on his chest and arms glow.

- While he may even reference it as such, Illidan is not truly blind. Indeed, his spectral sight affords him greater clarity than normal eyes do. He is very touchy about having the blindfold removed and will snap if anyone attempts to take it.