User:Dathala

Dathala Highmoon: Disciple of Shadow
Dathala Highmoon is a young practitioner and follower of Shadows. She is a proud student of the dark path and makes no attempts to hide her calling. She can most often be seen cloaked in the embrace of her Protectors, walking the world in Shadowform. A history of strewn with loss, confusion, abandonment and pain have lead her to embrace the path of Shadow and take great joy and pleasure in its rewards. Although she travels the world in search of power she can most commonly be found in Stormwind and its surrounding lands as well as the floating city of Dalaran, perusing its vast libraries.

Basic Information

 * Race: Night elf
 * Gender: Female
 * Height: 6'1"
 * Weight: 150 lbs
 * Eyes: Lavender
 * Hair: Dark Blue
 * Guild: Wrath of the Fallen
 * Alignment: Lawful Evil
 * Server: Moon Guard US
 * Profile: Dathala's Armory Profile

Description
A feminine contour, slightly more than six feet in height, possessing long swept ears rests within swirling shadow. However, upon closer inspection, it is revealed that within the shadow is an uncharacteristically full figured Kaldorei woman whose form is draped in elegant robes of uncommon design. Her lips are painted the deep and rich color of the night sky while blemish-less skin carries a soft lavender hue.

Despite the robes, she is quite shapely, exquisitely proportioned, graced with an undeniable aesthetic beauty and symmetry to her features. Her voice strong yet feminine and when speaking Common, carries with it a thick Darnassian accent.

In her hands are clutched small prayer beads that dangle about her right wrist. She rubs them often, fingering the crescent moon symbol that dangles at its end. About her neck, she carries a brightly shimmering crystal in the shape of a triangle. Within its center is etched the symbol of the Eye of Dalaran. Upon her hip rests a small bag that jingles as if filled with tiny baubles as well as a dagger of substantial magical power. The blade appears oddly sentient, for within its hilt is housed what appears to be a eye, living, watching, seeking. Resting between and across her chest is a rune etched strap from which hangs a book of considerable magical power.

Only on rare occasion, will the swirling black mists lift their shroud of protection.

Personality
Dathala is young by Kaldorei standards, no more than a young adult or late teenager by human standards. This in combination with her dark powers and harsh, tumultuous past have combined to form a unsettling and often unpredictably violent personality. She is cunning, patient, confident and predatory and quite possibly, certifiably insane. However despite these silent and unsettling traits, she remains composed, calm, poised and elegant.

Whether striding about as a being of living shadow, hovering silently, suspended by darkness or dispersing her very essence into a sentient, cloud dark energies to emerge bearing weapons and draped in robes she had not worn moments ago, Dathala has proven to exhibit a flair for the dramatic.

"They Who Protect Me"
Hers was not always a path of darkness and only a handful of individuals know of the moment in her life that ultimately shattered her faith in Elune and set her on her dark path. However she looks upon that one night with great gladness. For without it she would have remained blinded by the Light she so devoutly believed in and would have never heard the beckoning of the entities she has come to refer to as They Who Protect Me. She has also been known to call them simply her Protectors as well. Although the manifestations of what They are have only been directly seen by Dathala and the one she calls her Chosen, the precise nature of what They are is unknown even to the dark priestess. What is know by all however is that Dathala is unfailingly devoted to them and the powers they grant and will do all she can to carry out their will along her path. However as of late her suspicions have grown and she believes she grows closer to knowing the truth about her malevolent benefactors.

Her Suspicions

The exact identity of her enigmatic protectors has never been completely known. Nevertheless, Dathala continues serve them faithfully. She does their bidding and seeks to grow in power beneath their tainted tutelage. Her power over the mind, nightmare, dreams, horrific visions, dark healing and overall Shadow magic have enabled her to delve ever deeper and have driven her to go to great lengths to please them in all ways.

With her Chosen at her side she once stood at the foot of the Three Thrones of her Protectors. She watched and listened as they accepted the offering made of her Chosen. She watched as her Chosen was pulled into the darkness by their will and thought nothing of returning to walk the waking world and leaving her Chosen in their custody. What befell her Chosen during that time is known only to them, but that offering, as all other in her past, granted the Dark Disciple greater insight and standing in the eyes of They Who Protect Her.

Since then Dathala has sought out and found passage into places to increase her powers and her rise has since been rapid. The secrets of the troll kingdoms have been plundered followed by Blackwing Descent, The Bastion of Twilight and The Throne of the Four Winds. The secrets within each, bringing her closer and closer to her goal of learning the absolute truth about who They are, while allowing her powers to grow exponentially.

Now with the Firelands in her sights, her offerings have grown far more frequent. The suffering her servants must endure for her progress has increased and with that, a potential glimpse as to Their true nature has been gleaned. What she saw both horrified and thrilled her. The whisperings began to make sense. The voices that called to her long ago as she lay beaten and broken. The voices that saved her from and may very well have lured her towards madness point to one source. It is her belief that these were the whisperings of the Old Gods and that The Three, were somehow their heralds. Reaching across the blackness of the Nether from their realm of Shadow to find one willing to take up their dark torch.

Disciple of Darkness . Bender of The Light
Although her strength lay in the mastery of the gifts bestowed upon her by her Protectors, Dathala understands that the Light has many uses. She holds nothing but utter disdain for the Holy path and considers herself a 'bender' of the Light. One who through disciplined, rigorous, meditation, has learned to mold and form the Light to her will.

A Dark Leader Emerges
Dathala has done much to reach the heights of her power. Much has been offered. Much has been sacrificed. Lives have been lost. Salvation found. Many are they who have come face to face with the unleashed powers of They Who Protect Her. Some have found the experience horrific and the stuff of nightmare, while others have come to understand the strength of their lure and the power and purity of their path. As a result, these have come to depend on Dathala for guidance and knowledge in the path of Shadow. Many have come to depend on the embrace of Her Protectors and the presence of the dark priestess. As a result she has begun to emerge as a leader to some. A leader who is feared, sought and respected.

The Chosen, The Sentinel, The Blade

Their names are seldom spoken. They are only referred to as My Chosen, My Sentinel and My Blade. It is almost as if they have become and accepted these new identities wholly and completely. Regardless of how many choose to follow her teachings, these three kal'dorei seem to stand as her loyal, respected and called upon.

The Prodigy

Recently, Dathala has brought another into her small but faithful flock. The human she refers to as The Prodigy. Gifted in the ways of both the Ley and the Fel, Dathala and her companions have worked a great deal to pull her into the fold and now the Prodigy's conversion to the path of They Who Protect Her is complete. However the will of the Prodigy is strong and Dathala's use of shadows had to be subtle. The Prodigy maintains that she still possesses her free will, however Dathala has planted a seed, deep within her. One that exists with the deepest recesses of her mind. With it, she can call upon her whenever she wishes. Dathala attributes the Prodigy's unique strength to her unique blend of Fel and Ley powers.

Fel Curiosity or Addicition?

In recent months, Dathala has shown more and more curiosity towards all things related to the Fel magics, common to those who walk the path of the Warlock. The one she calls The Prodigy offered her her first close glimpse and now she has set her eyes on another. Her Blade and Chosen have aided her in rituals which have allowed her to siphon these Fel magics from another human practitioner by the name of Ellett Brenlowe. Through the ritual the practitioner has become bound to Dathala and serves now as a source of Fel magic that she studies and taps when the need arises. It should be known that Ellett is far from a willing subject of Dathala's study. However the dark disciple's mastery over the mind consistently proves to be enough to conquer the will of the slowly weakening human.

Fallen Heroes or Fools Without Focus
It's Dathala's hope that the path to understanding the ways of the ancient Sorcerer can be found by the blend of Fel, Arcane and Shadow. Notorious individuals such as Illidan Stormrage and Queen Azshara, despite their descents into madness, are inspirations to the Dark Disciple. However she sees not a dismal descent, but an aspiring ascension. Though she may never wield and weave such a potent blend of magics, understanding and studying how they can be woven is the first step. Her recent acquisition of gifted Fel practitioners has placed her one step closer.

A Relentless Pursuit of all Knowledge
Dathala considers herself to be a scholar seeking to gain knowledge in all things both magical and mundane. As a result she is passionately numerous paths. To uncover the mysteries of history she pursues Archaeology. To understand the flora and fauna of the known worlds she has begun on the paths of Herbalism and Skinning. Through these combined paths she believes she can reach even greater levels of power. Power worthy of the dark Protectors she so devoutly serves.

A Dark Truth when Flame Falls
At long last, through tremendous sacrifice Dathala has seen the fall of the Firelord and conquered the Firelands alongside those she calls allies, Wrath of the Fallen. From the Firelords cache she has plucked Sho'ravon, Greatstaff of Annihilation. Upon taking the staff in hand the complete truth of behind her Protectors was revealed. A truth that revealed that They Who Protect Her are in fact, emissaries of the Old Gods. Griping the staff their whispers filled her mind and the promise of even greater power was made to her. The words she heard chilled her...

'' In the beginning was shadow eternal. Hate blazed forth, and FIRE was born. Wounds scabbed, and so begat EARTH. Cries of anguish birthed howling WIND. Wherein the skies wept seas of TEARS. We live in the shadow, The world we know Built of rage, hurt, anguish and sorrow.''

She now knows that The Three Thrones are indeed somehow connected to C'Thun, Yogg-Saron and N'Zoth. She also believes that her path is not one of madness followed by the Twilight Hammer but one of subtlety and lasting devotion as opposed to blind fanaticism and a nihilistic view of life.

Departure and Return
It has been many months since Dathala learned the deeper meaning of her Protectors origins. Things all began to make sense and though she almost succumbed to the incessant whisperings, she once again mastered her mind and realized that a nearly year long test had been passed. Her sanity maintained and won, she returned to a world much changed. She had wrestled with the whispers all through the tumultuous battles that saw the end of Deathwing. Sealed away in silence and meditation, she emerged only to seek sustenance. But now she is once again the master of her own mind and They Who Protect Her have vowed to continue to do so. Sadly though, she woke to find that her Chosen had vanished, her Blade had slipped into madness, set upon my the torment of her Protectors and her Sentinel was nowhere to be found. The Prodigy had vanished as well. Dathala was truly alone now. Seemingly a new test set before her by her Protectors. Perhaps this is another test of theirs, she thought. One to prove her worthiness once again.

Though she missed them greatly she knew she had no choice but to continue on and step out again into the world and continue her search for knowledge and power. It would be then that she would hear of the discovery of a new land and a new source of power. Power she would seek to harness. The land was called Pandaria and the power stemmed from ancient entities known as the Sha.

A New Companion
Additional months would pass as Dathala landed upon the shores of Pandaria. She would know these curious creatures and come face to face with the Sha. Their powers intrigued her and after a few victories and worthwhile discoveries she found herself having a need to return to the lands of Stormwind in search of calm, away from the pursuit of power. It was on such a day that she happened across the human Pyromancer known as Jana Alinston. After jana's approach, the two would somehow become friends. Their initial conversation opening the door to the likelihood of many more such meetings. This idea of friendship was not foreign to the Shadow Priestess, but a friend was something she had not had in many years. Many were those who feared, followed and swore fealty to her but few were those who would call her friend. This was something new and she was unsure as to how this would pan out.