User:Joshmaul/Ordevaas Portalseeker

"'Ordevaas Portalseeker was a man of immense contradictions. A fervent defender of Quel'Thalas who joined the Horde, who had despoiled the elves' forests not twenty years before; a pious servant of the Light who swore fealty to a warlock; a man who once wielded his powers naturally, stealing it from a holy guardian; a man who venerated Kael'thas without question, only to be one of those who sought his death. In the end, I believe he truly understood the nature of the Light...right before he eventually rose to join it. His death was a great setback to our war with the Corruptor, but I pray that his sacrifice was not in vain.'"
 * - Ambassador Jaeden'laek, personal journal

Ordevaas Portalseeker was the last Patriarch of the House of Whitehair as an independent entity. One of the last Blood Knight Masters personally trained by Lady Liadrin, Ordevaas joined his matriarch in opposition to the House of Sunstrider when their treachery became apparent, and fought against the Legion-tainted forces in Outland and in Quel'Thalas itself. Following the death of Prince Kael'thas, Ordevaas became a venerated figure within the Horde as a diplomat, holy warrior and explorer. Having waited nearly a decade since the fall of Silvermoon, Ordevaas relished the chance for revenge against the Scourge for despoiling his homeland, and prepared to fight them on their own turf.

After his father stepped down, Ordevaas became the patriarch of his family, now growing in power for the first time since the fall of Quel'Thalas. He died of complications of wounds shortly after the defeat of the forces of his mortal enemy, Joshmaul the Corruptor.

History
Ordevaas Whitehair was born in the town of Tranquillien approximately 275 years before the end of the First War, the elder son of the heir apparent to the House of Whitehair, Kel'theris. At the time he was born, Kel'theris' father, Lord Dath'Kunam, still ruled the family.

In his youth, Ordevaas was a formidable warrior, and often fought against the Amani forest trolls in his first century or so of life. When his brother Kel'tanis disappeared while investigating the Amani catacombs northeast of Tranquillien shortly before the First War, Ordevaas laid down his sword and travelled through the Elfgates to Stratholme, home of the Church of Light.

Sekhesmet, the High Priest of Stratholme, took Ordevaas under his wing and trained him alongside his young human apprentice, Saavedro. While Saavedro was first and foremost a healer, Ordevaas preferred to train for combat, and often sparred with the troops at their training camps. After Quel'Thalas joined Stromgarde and Gilneas in seceding from the Alliance, Ordevaas, along with other elven priests as well as sorceresses trained in Dalaran, refused the orders from the Convocation of Silvermoon and remained with the Alliance. Along with Saavedro, Ordevaas was dispatched to Stormwind as an ambassador from the priesthood by Sekhesmet, now a member of the high priesthood of Lordaeron.

On the way, Sekhesmet and Ordevaas accompanied Baron Artimus Devaneaux, the Magistrate of Tirisfal, to a tournament in the fighting pit at Durnholde Keep, held by the master of the fortress, Aedelas Blackmoore. At one point, Ordevaas and Artimus met in combat. Both were evenly matched; the human nobleman preferred his paired long and short blades, while Ordevaas moved quickly with a single one-handed blade. The combat was incredibly lengthy, and several pools were run on the odds. In the end, Ordevaas narrowly defeated the Magistrate; Blackmoore, as a result, lost a good deal of money (when Artimus came to visit, he usually bet heavily on him - and Artimus usually won).

Saavedro and Ordevaas stayed in Stormwind for several years, enjoying the peace following the defeat of the Horde, when disaster struck.

The Invasion of the Black Prince
Prince Arthas Menethil, son of King Terenas II of Lordaeron, became corrupted by the undead Scourge that had arisen in the northern provinces of Lordaeron. Wielding the cursed runeblade Frostmourne, Arthas was dispatched by the Dreadlord Tichondrius to take the remains of the necromancer Kel'Thuzad to Quel'Thalas, and place his corpse within the mystic waters of the Sunwell - the source of the magic that sustained the high elves. Arthas created a path of destruction from the borders of the Eastern Plaguelands (as they are now) all the way to Silvermoon itself. His corpse submerged in the holy waters of the Sunwell, Kel'Thuzad was resurrected as a nightmarish lich, and the waters of the Sunwell were fouled - cutting every surviving elf off from their source of magic.

In Stormwind, Ordevaas was wracked by violent seizures as the severing of his connection to the Sunwell sent a psychic backlash that threw him into a coma. Unconscious for several months, Ordevaas awoke in the Cathedral of Light, where Archbishop Benedictus had administered to him with the aid of Saavedro. Saavedro, a haunted look in his eyes, explained what had happened in the north - the undead Scourge had destroyed the kingdoms of Lordaeron and Quel'Thalas. Ordevaas knew of Quel'Thalas - the Sunwell would not have been destroyed if Quel'Thalas was intact - but Lordaeron was a greater shock. When asking what had happened to Sekhesmet, Saavedro told him.

Grief-stricken and now cut off from magic, Ordevaas left Stormwind and travelled to the Eastern Plaguelands, where he remained with other high elf refugees at the Quel'Lithien Lodge - one of few places of life left in northern Lordaeron. The Quel'Lithien Lodge was along the road to Quel'Thalas, blocked by debris immovable by a single man. But on the other side, life lingered still.

Return to Quel'Thalas
The pass to Quel'Thalas was unblocked six years after the loss of the Sunwell, and a courier ran through from Silvermoon. It spoke of the new Kingdom of Quel'Thalas that had risen from the ashes, and the rise of the sin'dorei - the blood elves. Their leader, Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider, son of the late King Anasterian, had promised the blood elves a future in the new realm of Outland, the remnants of the world of Draenor. Ecstatic that his beloved Quel'Thalas had survived and that there was a new world awaiting his race, Ordevaas returned to Silvermoon and became one of the sin'dorei. In light of this spiritual rebirth, he renamed himself Ordevaas Portalseeker. Like Saavedro had done, Ordevaas set aside the robes of the priest and took up armor and weapons as a holy warrior - a paladin. The difference is, Ordevaas had stolen the powers of the Light from a captive naaru in Silvermoon, and thus became a member of the Order of the Blood Knights.

When he arrived in Silvermoon, he discovered his brother Kel'tanis, who had disappeared three decades earlier, had been found dead by rangers, his life drained out of his body by the vile traitor Dar'Khan Drathir. The House would learn later that this had been a lie...

Discovering the Corruptor's Treachery
Ordevaas was enthralled by the powerful warlock Joshmaul the Corruptor, who sought world domination and was rallying like-minded individuals to aid him in pulling it off. Ordevaas - a loyal servant of Prince Kael'thas, like most blood elves in their early training back in Quel'Thalas - was told by Joshmaul (who had told the same to Lady Liadrin, the matriarch of the Blood Knights) that he had encountered Prince Kael'thas in Outland and offered his aid, which was begrudgingly accepted (Kael'thas was not fond of orcs). Grand Magister Rommath, an ambassador sent to Quel'Thalas by Kael'thas to rally the people, had preached that Kael'thas would lead their people to the paradise beyond the Dark Portal. While he waited for his chance to reach the promised land, Ordevaas did Joshmaul's dark bidding. At his lord's behest, he captured the draenei vindicator Velenkayn at Corin's Crossing, decapitated Nyssha Swiftblade - an SI:7 assassin and Saavedro's adopted daughter - and participated in the corruption of Velenkayn into a death knight. They also chased down Artimus Devaneaux into Northrend, and aided in General Settra's "redemption" (breaking him away from the Scourge) of the human death knight.

Upon returning to Outland from Northrend, however, Ordevaas found out the truth. At first opposed to the Scryers for their apparent betrayal of Prince Kael'thas, Ordevaas later joined them (the other choice was the Aldor, a group of draenei priests - a prospect that Ordevaas found distasteful due to the ingrained prejudice preached by Rommath and Joshmaul). Later, he learned that Joshmaul had also pledged himself to the blood elf magisters. Now Ordevaas was baffled; Joshmaul was supposedly a servant of the Prince, but he served traitors. Then his most disturbing mission came from the Horde, from officers from Stonebreaker Hold. He was to go in and kill servants of Kael'thas.

At first, Ordevaas thought of defecting, and walked into Firewing Point expecting to be welcomed. Instead, he was ambushed by four Firewing Bloodwarders and left to die, until he was found by Saavedro near Allerian Stronghold. Saavedro took the dying Blood Knight Master to Shattrath, where - with the aid of the naaru - he was able to nurse Ordevaas back to health. Ordevaas immediately became confrontational, when Saavedro informed him of what he (and Joshmaul) knew of the Prince's service to the Legion. When Saavedro called Kael'thas a "power-mad lunatic", Ordevaas tried to deny it - but he knew that his old friend was not lying to him. Nearly lashing out against the Knight of the Silver Hand (refraining from doing so because of the presence of A'dal), the Blood Knight Master departed for Silvermoon.

When he arrived, Ordevaas received news from Shattrath: A combined Aldor/Scryer expedition had entered the center palace of Tempest Keep, Kael'thas' fortress, and defeated the lord of the blood elves in combat. One of them handed one of Kael'thas' three Verdant Spheres to A'dal, and the naaru believed they had won - only for Kael'thas to appear before them to ridicule them, and say how he had used the naaru and Illidan to further his goals; what they were, no one knew yet. "Lay down your arms and succumb to the might of Kil'jaeden!" was the power-mad Prince's parting words.

Upon hearing this, Ordevaas flew into a rage. Rommath - and more importantly, Joshmaul - had lied to him. Angered by the Corruptor's duplicity, Ordevaas declared revenge against him. His father, Lord Kel'theris - receiving this information himself - at last agreed with his son on an important issue. At Ordevaas' urging, the House of Whitehair officially rescinded its alliance with Joshmaul and declared themselves allegiant to the greater Horde. Ordevaas renounced the way of life he had once followed, and asked the forgiveness of those he had wronged - including Saavedro.

Upon the revelation of Joshmaul's treachery to his masters in Silvermoon, Lady Liadrin and the Blood Knight Order also broke off ties with Joshmaul.

Inheritor of the House


During the war in Northrend, Kel'theris grew to realize that his son had become the public face of the House of Whitehair and was the one most linked with the leadership of both Silvermoon and the Horde. Electing to focus more on his studies as a mage ("A mage's life is 99% study and 1% spellcasting," he often joked), Kel'theris stepped down as the head of house and named Ordevaas as his successor, which would be uncontested as Ordevaas had been heir apparent since his birth. Kel'theris, however, remains as his son's most trusted advisor.

Returning to Silvermoon after becoming its champion in the Argent Tournament, Ordevaas accepted his rank from Regent Lord Lor'themar Theron and had his hair ceremonially tied in Kal'manis' Topknot, one of the symbols of the patriarch's status that dated back to its foundations seven millennia earlier. The clasp had been worn for nearly three decades by his father, who removed it and passed it on as part of his respect for the House traditions, as well as acknowledging the ascendancy of his son.

Relations with the Horde and Other Factions


After he broke away from Joshmaul, Ordevaas urged his father, Lord Kel'theris, to end his allegiance to Kael'thas and swear fealty to the Horde-allied government of Regent Lord Lor'themar Theron. Kel'theris and Lor'themar were old friends who had survived the Second and Third Wars with their sanity (relatively, in the case of Kel'theris) intact. Kel'theris was at first hesitant, but when Kael'thas attacked Silvermoon, kidnapped M'uru and showed himself as the corrupted soul he had become, Kel'theris relented and accepted his son's advice.

Sending Ordevaas to Orgrimmar in an effort to atone for the House of Whitehair's crimes - particularly Ordevaas' involvement in some of Joshmaul's schemes - Kel'theris was able to convince Warchief Thrall to allow the Whitehairs and their servants (which came to include Sekhesmet of Stratholme, left in the hands of the Scarlet Crusade by Joshmaul and rescued by an ally of Ordevaas) free passage into Orgrimmar, lifting the Horde preferred-dead bounty placed on the heads of both Ordevaas and Sekhesmet for their involvement in the murder and corruption of the shaman Noggra.

Since then, Ordevaas has functioned as a roving ambassador on behalf of both the Theron government and for the House of Whitehair, and has travelled to the other capitals within the Horde. He is also Silvermoon's ambassador to the Scryers, who were also former servants of Kael'thas who realized (before he eventually committed his real treason, against Silvermoon itself) that Kael'thas was a servitor of Kil'jaeden.

Ambassador of the Horde
The Blood Knight Master came to the realization that in order to solidify his relations with the Horde, he had to learn more about them. So he travelled to Durotar and undertook the tests of endurance, strength and obedience that were necessary for all orc and Darkspear troll warriors. He also went to Mulgore and underwent the Rites of the Earthmother, the standard coming-of-age ritual for all new tauren in the service of the united tribes. This eventually earned the Blood Knight Master the notice of Warchief Thrall...

Sufficiently impressed with his dedication, Thrall elevated Ordevaas to the rank of Ambassador, making him an official representative of both the Warchief and the Regent of Quel'Thalas. The tauren call him "Akiticha", or "warrior of blood".

With the Alliance
Ordevaas, along with the House of Whitehair, has also pledged himself to the Lordaeron Deathsworn, a sect of Alliance warriors led by Saavedro whose sole effort was to reclaim Lordaeron from the Scourge. Unlike most Blood Knights (or, indeed, most blood elves), Ordevaas has reached something of a rapport with members of the Alliance, courtesy of the legendary Khadgar, one of the heroes who had gone beyond the Dark Portal two decades earlier and now served the naaru as an advisor.

Ordevaas also aided the Lordaeron Deathsworn in the hunt for the renegade death knight Artimus Devaneaux. Joining with the dwarven general Korogh Madeyes, Ordevaas and Saavedro tracked Artimus into Lordaeron and saw that he had escaped to Northrend. Korogh immediately gave chase, while Saavedro - with the battle against the Legion intensifying with Kael'thas' operations on the Isle of Quel'Danas - was forced to return to Shattrath and join the Shattered Sun Offensive, and Ordevaas continued battling the forces of Kael'thas that remained in Outland.

Within the Blood Knight Order
Ordevaas was one of the first to join with Liadrin when she swore allegiance to the Sha'tar. He sees Lord Solanar Bloodwrath, Liadrin's apprentice and trainer of new Masters in her absence, as a dimwitted upstart who continues to be blind to the true nature of the Light. Ordevaas' apprentice, Master Taeril'hane Ketiron, also shares this opinion - though is much more tactful than his mentor and tries not to mention it out loud.

As a result of both Kael'thas' raid on Silvermoon and Liadrin's declaration of allegiance to the Sha'tar, the Blood Knight Order was split between Liadrin and the Masters she trained, who sought to atone for their crimes, and the aspiring Masters who would be trained by Bloodwrath, who continued to espouse the cruel tenets that Liadrin had recently condemned. Both Liadrin and Ordevaas were venerated figures on both sides of the debate - Liadrin for founding the Order, and Ordevaas for his unquestioning service to the betterment of the blood elf people - though their judgment is brought into question when they continue to condemn the methods of Bloodwrath and his supporters.

The Death Knight Orders on Both Sides
With conflict arising on the continent of Northrend, word has spread throughout both the Alliance and the Horde of the inclusion of renegade death knights who broke away from the Scourge. General Settra, a Forsaken death knight, is among many who take up this path in the name of the Horde. Though Thrall banned the use of warlock magic and necromancy when he became Warchief, the use of black magic is still rampant within the Horde - though only the blood elves and the Forsaken make it public knowledge.

Upon breaking away from Joshmaul, Lord Kel'theris (at Ordevaas' behest) shunned the use of demonic or death magics, though he has come to rely on the shadow magics used by his friend and advisor Sekhesmet, a Forsaken priest. A vocal faction of Horde members, led by Joshmaul himself, quickly rose in opposition, saying that in order to defeat their enemies they had to fight fire with fire. Ordevaas in particular condemns this thinking as madness. However, he has had some meaningful interaction with the Knights of the Ebon Blade (particularly during the Drakuru affair in Zul'Drak, where Ordevaas - enraged by Drakuru's trickery - sought to destroy him, and the Ebon Blade offered him the best means of doing so; Saavedro also participated in that campaign), and will fight alongside a death knight if the circumstances call for it. However, this is only a show of solidarity against a common foe, not an endorsement of their methods.

Death
Ordevaas, ailing from a mysterious lung sickness, was forced to his bed for some time after entering the tournament. However, he was guided by a desire to end the battle against his former "master", Joshmaul, and destroy him in combat. Although his student, Taeril'hane Ketiron, was leading the Whitehair forces, Ordevaas made an appearance on the field in person.

Seriously wounded by Shankolin Blightpath, Ordevaas was sent to his House physicians in Dalaran. However, despite showing signs of recovering from his wounds, his weakened state made him suseptible to a return of his illness, complicated by the serious wounds. He died one week later. Saavedro of Stratholme - himself seriously wounded in Icecrown Citadel - was at his bedside, as were his daughter and his new son-in-law, Master Ketiron, who were both declared joint heads of the House of Whitehair.

In-Game Accomplishments

 * Current Status
 * In Azeroth
 * In Outland
 * In Northrend

Quotes
General Krakork: What do you blood elves know about fighting demons? Ordevaas: Mind your tongue, General, or I will rip it from your mouth. General Krakork: Are you threatening me? Ordevaas: Well, I wasn't asking you for the weather in Durotar, was I?

Kel'theris: Your cruelty will one day come back to haunt you, my son. Ordevaas: Cruelty? I call it mastery. And the methods you yourself have used are no different from mine. Kel'theris: I do these things for the good of Quel'Thalas. You merely do it for the enjoyment. Ordevaas: I can serve Quel'Thalas and enjoy myself at the same time, can I not?

"Stupid naaru...when will you realize that our domination of your power is complete? You can rail against your imprisonment all you want. Your power is MINE, and so it shall remain. The Silver Hand bows and scrapes before beings like you. We Blood Knights, on the other hand, are the true masters of the Light - taking it by force, as it should be."
 * - Ordevaas' old way of thinking - speaking to the naaru M'uru

Saavedro: How does your daughter feel that you enjoy the torture of beings of the Light, and you have betrayed the Alliance -- Ordevaas: You're calling US the traitors? Look in the mirror, Saavedro - Garithos betrayed us, not the other way around. Saavedro: You weren't even here when it happened; how the hell can you take that personally? Ordevaas: He insulted the honor and competence of my Prince, and he paid the ultimate price at the hands of our Forsaken allies. Grand Magister Rommath and Lord Joshmaul have shown us the destiny that awaits beyond the Dark Portal. We will go to Outland, where we will rule. Prince Kael'thas will lead us to victory. Saavedro: Prince Kael'thas is a power-mad lunatic, and so is Joshmaul! Ordevaas: Were you any other man, I would kill you where you stand...
 * - trying to deny what he knew to be true

"JOSHMAUL!!! You treacherous son of a bitch! Why didn't you tell me Kael'thas sold us out to the Legion? You lied to me - you and Rommath both! You filthy swine...you think Saavedro is your greatest enemy? Wrong! Your greatest enemy stands before you, heathen!"
 * - to Joshmaul upon confronting him with this knowledge

"Don't toy with me, Bloodwrath - you may be in charge now, but I was a Master long before you. I learned the hard way that our prior service to the Sunstriders, and the 'gift' that Kael'thas gave us, turned out to be for naught. The world is well rid of Kael'thas, and it's time you realized that, you witless cretin."
 * - to Lord Solanar Bloodwrath, who maintained the "old ways" of Blood Knight training

"It amazes me that wherever there's a human leader seeking to save his people, there's always a blood elf working at his side. Whether that's willingly or not, well...that depends. Like Kael'thas and Garithos - we saw how well that worked."
 * - to Valeera Sanguinar, during visit to Stormwind