Arris


 * "My child, you are a shining example to all of us. You are honourable, loyal, intelligent... and most important of all, you are willing to aid others when it may not suit your own desires. This is the sign of the true warrior; a true defender of our people."
 * -- Faroth'arn Oakwarden

Arris Oakwarden was an elven warrior of noble blood during the dark days of the Lich King. Pledged to the service of the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas, Arris matured in the company of close friends and fellow warriors. Come the Second War, Arris was cut off from reaching the capital by the Orcish Horde, and remained by the western coast to escape their notice. By the Third War, the young warrior earned his first taste of combat, at the terrible price of watching his home razed to the ground by the Scourge. Arris joined with his granduncle, the former academy instructor Faroth'arn Oakwarden, in rallying like-minded blood elves together under a banner of resolve, but the effort was doomed to fail under an inexperienced and aged hand.

Faroth'arn took ill and Arris remained to care for him until Lord Arramar Oakwarden approached him with the offer to join The Suncrown Order and reclaim the oppertunity that had laid before the conclave previously. Arris, although reluctant to leave Faroth'arn in another's care, agreed and rejoined his young love, Mirithe Springleaf.

Appearance
Standing tall and proud like his heritage, Arris fufills the steriotypical image of the thalassian elves. His hair is healthy and golden, swept above his brow in an almost artistic fashion. Stern eyes show promise of respect and admiration for the legends of old and the heroes of the present. His bearing ensures proper etiquette and tradition is granted whenever the situation might warrent it. Of noble birth, Arris carries himself much like the famed figures he worships as paragons.

Class/Skills/Attributes
From an early age, Arris had been pressured to follow many different, often conflicting paths in an attempt to mould him into a prodigal heir to the line of House Oakwarden. His father, Arric, instructed him personally in the finer points of swordsmanship, drilling him through various duels and acts of swordplay. His mother desired a scholar, a safe and rewarded proffession. Arris is thus knowledgable in the fields of elven history, philosophy and literature. It one of his few desires to be able to survive the current conflicts and help his kingdom through the pursuit of knowledge rather than martial dominance as was the wish of his father. Recently, Mirithe has instructed Arris in the wielding of the bow and it is a form of combat he has come to appreciate greatly.

He can speak fluently in Thalassian and the Common tongue, also being one of the few individuals in the Suncrown Order who can understand sign language, having taken great lengths to be able to speak with Mirithe Springleaf. Arris is generally considered to be open-minded, proud of his kingdom, loyal and a dependable ally.

However, his main downpoint is his inexperienced nature which can often lead to him missing the larger picture and being regarded as 'dense', especially by his mate; Mirithe. He has many years ahead of him in which the realities of life will finally mould him into a capable leader in his own right.

Duties
Arris is one of the many retainers in the service of the Suncrown Order. His duties, in their most basic form, entail that he stand as a versatile warrior ready to face all challenges demanded of him by Lord Oakwarden. Examined in detail, the duties of a retainer lie within the boundries of their abilities. Arris is more versatile than most, and so can be called upon for a wide range of tasks.

Equipment/Apparel
He is often clad in the typical strong leather armour crafted by the tanners of Silvermoon after the Third War; the red representing the sin'dorei oath of remembrance to those who fell to the terrors of the Undead Scourge. A tabard adorned with the crest of the Suncrown Order is commonplace during formal ceremony. His weapon is of elven origin, a curved blade of high quality he still carries to this day. It is advisable for combat against the Undead Scourge, whose reliance on overwhelming numbers and closed distance is nulled by the punishing sweeps of the blade. His middle finger, when not covered by a leather glove, bears a signet ring, engraved with the symbol of House Oakwarden.

Arris carries a waterskin, a satchel of rations and a short dagger on his belt when duty takes him beyond the walls of Silvermoon City. When otherwise away from duty, Arris dresses in extravagantly detailed shirts, along with his fine lynx-pelt cloak.

Early Life
Arris was born one hundred and seventy eight years ago to Arric and Malia Oakwarden in the grand city of Silvermoon; capital of Quel'Thalas. Presided over by his grandsire, the birth was considered a monumentous occassion for the bloodline; the child even recieving blessing from his granduncle Faroth'arn Oakwarden. The young child was named after his father.

The inquisitive child grew within the confines of his family's proud home, at once beginning to develop his skills at reading and writing at the behest of his mother; and the dismay of his father. Being a warrior himself, Arric wished his child to follow in his footsteps and earn honour for the Oakwarden name by wielding the sword.

Wrath Of The Lich King
With the end of Lich King's long wait, and his broken assault of Orgrimmar, the horns of war sounded across the lands of the Horde. Boarding mighty fleets, the warriors of the Warchief sailed to Northrend under the command of Overlord Hellscream. From the east came the fleets of the Banshee Queen, her vengeful wrath landing upon the shores of the Howling Fjord. Much to his ire, Arris was restricted from joining the massive assaults by both his uncle and granduncle. Instead he remained with his cousin, Arramar's daughter, for the intitial stages of the war.

House Oakwarden
House Oakwarden's history is a deep and extensive one that reaches back over ten thousand years ago to the time of the ancient kaldorei civilisation and the reign of the higborne caste. Ruling lands in the central-southwesterly regions of the great landmass of Kalimdor, House Oakwarden was a wealthy and influencial noble family. Each generation was sworn to the protection of their realm from the primitive tauren, the savage furbolg, greedy earthen and vile trolls. But the less evident threats came from the political world as tempers clashed between the kaldorei and the seclusionist attitudes of the highborne. From the fierce protection of their realm, House Oakwarden attracted the proud warriors of the lesser kaldorei nobles of House Dusktalon; traditionalists of a strict honour code, who'm in respect of the Oakwarden's determination and honour chose to submit themselves fully as their protectors. Lord Val'thalan Oakwarden and Lord Lethis Dusktalon swore oaths of alliegiance to forever unite the two Houses in blood.

Embroiled in the tensions between Azshara's court and the kaldorei populace, House Oakwarden eventually rallied under Dath'remar's rebellion when the Burning Legion was set loose upon Kalimdor. Claiming victory, though at the cost of the Well of Eternity's destruction, the kaldorei found peace. Short-lived as it was, the peace ended when the highborne struggled under the new laws of land forbidding the arcane under penalty of death. Swearing a judgement, Dath'remar Sunstrider led the highborne across the great sea to found their own kingdom; eventually leading to the creation of Quel'thalas. House Oakwarden, then under the guidance of Lord Denerith, was quick to recognise Dath'remar as the first king of Quel'thalas.

During the Troll Wars, Lord Teroth'arn Oakwarden participated in the human/high elf coalition's victory in driving the Amani from their great city of Tor'Watha. However, entangled in hidden political intrigue, Teroth'arn shamefully relinquished his power and prestige during the War's end, resulting in a blur in the history of the House. His eldest son Faroth'arn, who was interested in sorcery and study rather than politics, followed his father's example. House Suntalon, formerly Dusktalon, honour-bound to the Oakwarden line, ceceded their own noble rights shortly after. Theroth'arn's second son, Galath'arn, did no such thing himself however, and retained his own wealth and title. After his death during the Scourge advance upon the Sunwell, Galath'arn's first son would take up his position as the head of House Oakwarden.

Mother: Malia Oakwarden (Deceased)

Father: Arric Oakwarden

Mirithe Springleaf
Arris and Mirithe met one another shortly before the pilgrimage to Outland, when the young ranger attempted to pledge herself to Faroth'arn through his closest link; his grandnephew. The two felt an immediate attraction, from Arris' desire to protect the shy ranger to Mirithe's admiration of his noble charm and polite mannerisms.

During the pilgrimage to Outland set by Faroth'arn as a means of retracing Kael'thas' steps down the path of madness and betrayal, the two grew ever closer as the emotional toll of their once-savior's deeds dug deep into their hearts. Seeking comfort, the two discovered their feelings for one another were strong and promised to bind hands when they returned to Quel'Thalas.