((Blizzard will be releasing World of Warcraft: Classic on August 27th, 2019, and so I will be sometimes playing Jon Chess from his days working for Elling Trias as an Agent of Cheese. These are the stories of his early days! His more current exploits may be found at "Walking In The Shadows" at http://jonchess.blogspot.com/ ))
Dear Diary,
I confess I feel more than a little silly writing pages in a blank book; I cannot believe that anything I have value for a reader. I undertake this exercise with reservations, but keeping this journal and being honest within its pages are required from my new employer. But I get ahead of myself.
My name is Jon, and I am an orphan. I was sent here from my home in Pyrewood Village when I was six years old; I arrived in Stormwind, with so many other refugees from Lordearon when the mad mage Arugal summoned the Worgen from the Emerald Dream and unleashed them upon the lands, overwhelming Silverlaine Keep and renamed it Shadowfang Keep. A reign of terror settled on North Gilneas, and the great Gilnean Wall was sealed.
I have had nightmares of red eyes and slavering jaws pursuing me relentlessly, snapping on my heals. Not every night, not anymore. Still, the idea of facing those ravening beasts is quite unnerving. Many such nights I wake up sweating and crying, shuddering in fear, and as tired as if I had actually been running, wolf-men on my heels.
When I arrived, I was wearing a necklace with the signet ring of the Silverlaine family around my neck. The ring was given me as a token of my parents, who perished in the service of the Baron of Silverpine when Silverlaine Keep was taken by the Worgen.
I grew up in the Stormwind Orphanage, with dozens of other orphans my brothers and sisters, my new family. The orphanage was run by John Turner and his wife Stephanie, but as both are busy collecting supplies or crafting clothes we were cared for and overseen by Orphan Matrons Nightingale and Shellene. The orphanage was located just south-east of the Cathedral of Light, on the square of the Cathedral. The orphanage was originally meant to house children who had lost parents due to the attacks by the Scourge, and often young initiate paladins often donated clothes to the orphanage in their quest for enlightenment. Some of the paladins also sent time conducting classes to teach the children basic literacy and mathematics, and I was an avid student. I prevailed upon the paladins to allow me to train with them, learning the basics of defense with sword, mace, axe, and dagger. I was strong for my age, with a thick peasant's body, but I was also deceptively swift and quick with my reflexes.
Naturally, I was forced to also imbibe the philosophy of the Holy Light, which boiled down to three basic precepts:
So... while I can value the three tenants of the Light, I really only have a strong affinity for one of them myself. The priests say that striving to inculcate those virtues is the path to enlightenment, and so I suspect I have a long path to virtue.
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| Jon Chess faceclaim - but with white/silver hair |
I confess I feel more than a little silly writing pages in a blank book; I cannot believe that anything I have value for a reader. I undertake this exercise with reservations, but keeping this journal and being honest within its pages are required from my new employer. But I get ahead of myself.
My name is Jon, and I am an orphan. I was sent here from my home in Pyrewood Village when I was six years old; I arrived in Stormwind, with so many other refugees from Lordearon when the mad mage Arugal summoned the Worgen from the Emerald Dream and unleashed them upon the lands, overwhelming Silverlaine Keep and renamed it Shadowfang Keep. A reign of terror settled on North Gilneas, and the great Gilnean Wall was sealed.
I have had nightmares of red eyes and slavering jaws pursuing me relentlessly, snapping on my heals. Not every night, not anymore. Still, the idea of facing those ravening beasts is quite unnerving. Many such nights I wake up sweating and crying, shuddering in fear, and as tired as if I had actually been running, wolf-men on my heels.
When I arrived, I was wearing a necklace with the signet ring of the Silverlaine family around my neck. The ring was given me as a token of my parents, who perished in the service of the Baron of Silverpine when Silverlaine Keep was taken by the Worgen.
I grew up in the Stormwind Orphanage, with dozens of other orphans my brothers and sisters, my new family. The orphanage was run by John Turner and his wife Stephanie, but as both are busy collecting supplies or crafting clothes we were cared for and overseen by Orphan Matrons Nightingale and Shellene. The orphanage was located just south-east of the Cathedral of Light, on the square of the Cathedral. The orphanage was originally meant to house children who had lost parents due to the attacks by the Scourge, and often young initiate paladins often donated clothes to the orphanage in their quest for enlightenment. Some of the paladins also sent time conducting classes to teach the children basic literacy and mathematics, and I was an avid student. I prevailed upon the paladins to allow me to train with them, learning the basics of defense with sword, mace, axe, and dagger. I was strong for my age, with a thick peasant's body, but I was also deceptively swift and quick with my reflexes.
Naturally, I was forced to also imbibe the philosophy of the Holy Light, which boiled down to three basic precepts:
- Respect is the first virtue taught to adherents of the path of the Light. Conducting oneself with honor and treating one's opponent as one wishes to be treated shows respect. Respecting one's opponents on the field is acknowledging a connection, which brings one closer to the Light. Personally, I felt quite differently - after all, any enemy you spare will come back to slaughter Alliance innocents. The Horde, and the Forsaken, in particular, were nothing more than a ravaging fire designed to destroy the peoples of Azeroth.
- Tenacity is the second virtue. This is the virtue of persevering through troubling times and painful experiences. Pain is acceptable, blood is acceptable, tears are acceptable, poverty is acceptable - only giving up is unacceptable. I feel that tenacity is just a polite word for stubbornness, which according to Matron Shellene I have in over-abundance.
- Compassion is the third leg on the tripod of the worship of the Light. The ability to look beyond appearances and understand and appreciate the similarities in all people is beyond price... and I think, beyond me as well. I can feel compassion for my own people, but when I contemplate the Forsaken or the Worgen, I find that my heart has turned to ice.
So... while I can value the three tenants of the Light, I really only have a strong affinity for one of them myself. The priests say that striving to inculcate those virtues is the path to enlightenment, and so I suspect I have a long path to virtue.
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