Catiana Stahnhope

"I had a tendency to kill for pleasure. I loved the screams, warm blood on my hands, bones snapping..."

Biography

General Information

• Name: Catiana Stahnhope
• Nicknames: Cat, Cati, Cati-Cat, Caterpillar, Pills, Kitty, Darkheart (rarely), The Mistress (rarely)
• Race: Human
• Age: 35
• Gender: Female
• Birth Date: July 6th
• Birth Place: Tirisfal Glades
• Home: A farm behind Ambermill in Silverpine Forest.
• Guild: The Reapers, The House of Rine
• Occupation: Warlock and Necromancer, hired hand.
• Magic: Shadowmancer, Pyromancer, Demonologist, Necromancer, Corpomancer
• Hobbies: Necromancy and Corpomancy, studying to improve herself, reading, writing, fishing, the Argent Tournament, and occasionally being near her friends.
• Family: Leo Stahnhope (father, deceased), Celestine Stahnhope (mother, deceased), Tarriq Stahnhope (brother, Forsaken), Somael Stahnhope (son, "adopted"), Aldrisian Stahnhope (husband), Darc Stahnhope (ex-husband, father of Zeke), Eric Hotokegi (ex-husband, father of Annelisa), Annelisa Stahnhope (daughter, alive), Zeke Stahnhope (son, alive), Kaelinn Stahnhope (granddaughter, alive), Aerolis Stahnhope (grandson, location unknown (presumed dead)), Kigeth (son, "adopted"), Calerin (son, "adopted"), Simyr (son, "adopted")

Physical Characteristics

• Height: 5'8
• Weight: 140 lbs.
• Skin: Rather pale.
• Hair: Black and is either pulled up into a ponytail, or flowing loosely past her shoulders.
• Eyes: Brown.
• Clothing: Usually wears black, red, or blue colored robes and armor that cover her near-entirely, if not fully. Every single outfit she owns is covered in blood.
• Jewelry: Wears a crossed twin scythe amulet. Both of her ears are also pierced, and from them hang simple silver loops.
• Weapons: She carries a staff on her back, a sword at her hip, and a dagger in her pack at all times. Occasionally, she will carry an unnamed staff with green flame that, upon the flame touching flesh, steals enough energy from the victim to power one of the runes on her arms. This rune can then be activated.
• Scars: Several close-together scars run down the length of each side of her neck, and a large, jagged, horizontal scar can be seen on her left wrist (slightly above a runic marking) when her gloves and bracers are taken off.
• Health Details: Will occasionally experience panic attacks. Other than this, she is a very healthy person.
• Other: If any part of her right arm or hand is revealed, one will notice glinting, violet metal. This is due to a mechanical arm of Saronite and Cobalt Ore attached to her shoulder. If her forearm and wrist are revealed, two glowing runes can be seen on this arm, and retractable claws occasionally reveal themselves on her hand. On her other arm exist two runes in the same spots as they are on her right arm, as well as a horribly charred hand. Other than this, she always carries a rather large backpack and smells of mageroyal.

Personality Summary

Upon first noticing her, Catiana will seem quite simple. A quiet woman who spends much time reading, writing, or speaking to her Felhunter. Once one meets her, they will most likely think her to be entirely innocent, sweet, and helpful. After truly getting to know her, however, one will see a much darker personality. Due to her past and they way she spent her teenage years, Catiana has developed a cold heart and sinister soul. In her younger days she had a tendency to not only kill for fun, but to torture her victims physically and mentally before eventually ending their lives. Only recently (since losing her husband and having her first child) has she seen the value of life and even tries to preserve it at times. Not only this, but she has become a much kinder person, offering aid where she can and taking joy in meeting new people. Unfortunately, she still has her merciless moments when enraged to the point of becoming bloodthirsty (which isn't a hard thing to accomplish). Along with this, she is known to be masochistic, a danger-seeker, and rude to those she dislikes.

Intellectual/Mental/Personality

• Usual Mood: Usually happy and contemplative, but is easily saddened as well.
• Intelligence Level: High Medium
• Known Languages: Common, Demonic, Gutterspeak, Thalassian
• Character's long-term goals/desires in life: To obtain massive amounts of power, be loved, and to eventually die by ultimate sacrifice in order to protect those she cares about.
• Character's short-term goals/desires in life: Help friends in need and learn new things daily.
• How self-confident is the character?: Medium
• How does Character see him/herself?: A violent woman who probably deserved all of the tragedies thrown at her.
• How does Character believe s/he is perceived by others?: Hated by some, liked by few.
• How does Character express themself?: Through either calm words or anger, depending on the situation, as well as facial expressions. Writing things down is also used.
• Is this character generally dominant or submissive?: Though she attempts to be dominant, she more-often-than-not becomes submissive.

"I am not a trouble maker! I'm just a target for stupid people's sadism!"

• Patience level: Medium
• Does the character seem ruled by emotion or logic or some combination thereof?: Usually emotion, especially when her anger gets the better of her.
• How does the character view life?: A wonderful thing, but also something that must eventually end.
• How does the character view death?: Unfortunate, but sometimes necessary. Unless it's her own, of course, which is almost perfectly fine by her.
• Most at ease when: Alone in a quiet area with a good book and glass of wine.
• Ill at ease when: In a crowded, loud place where she knows no one.
• Describe their sense of humor: It usually involves those she dislikes, and will involve mockery of those people, but also includes unintentional humor.
• Character/Personality/Mental/Social Strengths: Quick minded, focused, diplomatic when calm, friendly and helpful to those she cares about and occasionally those she has just barely met.
• Character/Personality/Mental/Social Flaws: Easily angered, violent, masochistic, sadistic, not trusting, danger-seeker, unwise at times, occasionally cocky (when dealing with those few that she dislikes).
• Biggest Vulnerability (non physical): Anyone threatening or harming her children (real or undead creations).
• Optimist or Pessimist: Either, depending on the situation. In every day conversation, however, she will usually be pessimistic.
• Introvert or extrovert: Usually an introvert.
• Greatest Fear: To lose a loved one when she could have prevented their death.
• Other Fears/Insecurities/Phobias: Being rendered powerless, wearing armor that isn't protective in some way (she wouldn't wander around in simple, everyday clothing), swimming in bodies of water.
• Minor accomplishments: Obtaining the ability to manipulate fire, creating her undead "children," understanding that she needs to focus her rage into her spells.

Relationships

• How social is he/she?: She keeps to herself when around people she doesn't know, but is rather social around those that she does.

• Crushes: Aldrisian
• Love(s) (since I figure it's more interesting, I'll list her past and present loves): Treymalus (deceased), Eric (ex-husband), Azurnon (presumed deceased), Linoge (ex-fiance), Darc (ex-husband), Aldrisian
• Best Friends: Aldrisian, Somael, Tarriq, Kaelindra, Annelisa, Zeke, Calerin, Kigeth, Simyr
• Friends: Duinmir
• Hates: Her ex-adoptive father.
• Dislikes: She has not committed the names of the few people who annoy her to memory.
• Rivals: Her ex-adoptive father.
• Pets: Gobtai (Imp), Charkrit (Voidwalker), Bronvina (Succubus), Bheeghun (Felhunter and her personal favorite), her Dreadsteed, Ashkore (Red Drake), Chronius (Bronze Drake), Shadow (Black Kitten), and Crypt (Undead Pug).
• Sexuality: Straight, with some bisexual tendancies.
• How does s/he view other people or society?: Some are great, some are okay, some are annoying, some should die painful deaths.
• Reaction to Alliance: Neutral, unless those she is around are friends.
• Reaction to Horde: She tends to act friendly towards the Horde, especially her friends and brother.
• Reaction to Neutral Groups: Neutral, unless those she is around are friends.
• Is the character judgmental of others and how so?: She is, but only when the person angers her or appears fun to annoy with judgement.
• How is s/he perceived by...
• Strangers?: They usually don't notice her unless she speaks up, but she always tries to make a good impression.
• Friends?: An angry, depressed, troubled woman, but one that can occasionally be kind and even trusted with tasks.
• Wife/Husband/Lover?: A kind person who just takes a little getting used to, but holds an odd attractiveness that they can't put a name to. Without this aspect, most of them probably wouldn't have been able to stand her.
• What type of people does s/he like or associate with?: Those who she can hold an intellectual conversation with, those who keep her entertained, and those who can teach her new things.
• What type of people doesn't s/he like or associate with?: Those who question her (mainly paladins and priests), and those who seem annoying (too energetic, too quiet, etc.).
• What do family/friends like most about character?: She can be fun to be around and quite helpful when said help is needed.
• What do family/friends like least about character?: Her violence and tendency to place herself in dangerous situations.

Likes

• Color: Black, red, and sometimes blue.
• Clothing: Bloodstained, covers her body, offers protection.

  

  "The past hurts. The present hurts. That means there's nothing left for us but the future, and even that looks bleak."

• Place: Anywhere dark and secluded, beaches, or where her friends are.
• Food: Cabbage Kimchi, pretzels, chocolate, and wine.
• Music: She doesn't spend much time paying attention to music.
• Book: Historical documents and writings, mainly those dealing with the Scourge.
• Animal: "Felpuppies" and cats.

Dislikes

• Color: Pink, yellow, and anything else annoyingly bright.
• Clothing: Bright, revealing clothing that offers minimal protection.
• Place: Cathedrals, chapels, churches, and the like where she believes she is frowned upon. She also usually dislikes being in large bodies of water unless she absolutely has to, despite her love of beaches.
• Food: She has not yet come across a food that she dislikes.
• Music: She doesn't spend much time paying attention to music.
• Book: It's pretty much impossible for Catiana to dislike a book.
• Animal: The larger ones, such as rhinos and mammoths, that shake the ground. Naga as well, if they count.

Emotional

• Describe character's sense of morals: Help those in need and kill only when necessary or when provoked.
• Describe character's etiquette: Kind, willing to listen, and polite.
• How does this character act in public?: Shy, relaxed, or violent based on the crowd.
• How does this character act at home?: Serious, gloomy, using every opportunity to learn something.
• How has this character most changed from childhood?: Has become much more cold-hearted and blood-thirsty, much more emotional, and much more jaded.
• How have they remained the same?: Still wields magic, and can still be quite kind.
• How does this character deal with or react to:
• Anger: (Of another.) "...well. Sorry for saying anything." (Of herself, low to moderate.) *focused and using her rage to empower her spells, if it has come to a fight* (Of herself, -very- high.) *growling and striking out furiously while her expression makes it appear as though she's been placed in a rage-filled trance*
• Sadness: (Of another.) *holding the person* "Everything's gonna be alright, don't worry. We'll fix this." (Of herself.) *quiet, contemplative, and solitary*
• Conflict/Danger: "This should be fun..." *evil grin*
• Fear: *tense and quiet, with a spell secretly prepared or her hands gripping weapons*
• Change: "...that's new."
• Loss: (Of a battle.) *angered* "Once I recover..." (Of a loved one.) "W-what...? No...no, it can't be..." or "Show me where the corpse is. I'll take care of it. Death isn't real, after all." (Her response to losing a loved one will vary from person to person.)
• Homosexuality: *smirk* "Hehe..."
• Pain: Catiana has a rather high pain tolerance. Due to this, she will just barely notice small to moderate amounts of pain, and high amounts of pain will only push her to fight harder and more violently until she succumbs to her injuries.
• Stress/Pressure: *focused, pacing, and mumbling to herself*
• Guilt: *bites lip* "I'm sorry..."

"I've been trying. Trust me, I haven't put myself in a dangerous situation since...erm...yesterday."

• Being wrong: "Fine." *glares slightly and turns away*
• Being criticized: (Destructive) "Shut it." (Constructive) "Hrm...possibly."
• Praise: "Thank you." *smile*
• Love: (Friend) "Heh...thanks." *smile* (Lover) "I love you..."
• Being hated: "Join the club, pal."
• Public Humiliation: *turns to face the source* "You're dead..." *moves to strike, or waits a short while until the moment is right*
• What does the character want out of life?: Love and power.
• What would the character like to change in his/her life?: The loss of so many of her loved ones, and the fact that she once killed for fun.
• What motivates this character?: The end-goal of great power, the eventual ability to protect her family no matter what.
• Why?: She's power hungry, and she places her family above herself.
• What discourages this character?: Being proven wrong or shown that she is weak.
• Why?: It makes her end goals seem far out of reach.
• What most describes this character's personality?: A kind and helpful, but also sadistic and masochistic woman.

History (Brief)

Catiana was born in Tirisfal Glades, where she lived for 13 years. Her entire family was killed by the Scourge one night, with her being the only survivor. Another warlock decided to raise her in the city of Stormwind, where she met her first love (although it did not work out), but disowned her when she could not grasp using spells which involved fire. She left Stormwind and traveled down to Elwynn Forest, where she met several people, mastered fire, and fell in love with a man named Treymalus. When he began disappearing, Cat traveled to Silverpine Forest, where she discovered that her brother was not entirely dead, as he had been resurrected as a Forsaken.

Treymalus began to disappear for longer periods of time, and Catiana taught herself Necromancy in order to stay distracted from her sorrow. She created her first 'son,' Somael, who was aged and revived through an unknown process a while later. Treymalus came back after this event, but only for a short while. Time passed, and Cat was informed that Treymalus would be returning, but she found his corpse in Feralas that night.

Catiana then fell in love with a man named Eric, who she had known for a long time and brought back when he disappeared. The two fought often due to him being a paladin and her being a warlock and Necromancer, but Catiana still became pregnant and married him. A while later, she found Eric's body in Icecrown. After mourning for a while, she became the apprentice of Drakion, who she had known while in love with Eric.

This resulted in her staying in Darkshire, but she continued to visit Elwynn from time to time. Since she has made friends in these two places, as well as taverns in Stormwind, she traveled between all of them, not staying in one of the three for too long. However, all of that would change when her Necromancy got out of hand.

Months passed, time bringing love and taking it away, and giving her a baby girl named Annelisa. Her studies continued, but she began to fall ill. Within a few weeks her Necromancy had turned her into one of the undead under the command of a high ranking Scourge member. She spent weeks terrorizing all those who had caused her trouble earlier in her life, killing each and every one of the retired warlocks who had been her trainers. When she sought out her ex-father, however, he was no where to be found.

Before she could learn of his location, she met a man named Darc who freed her from her curse. They fell in love, married, and Catiana became pregnant with her second child. The happiness was short lived, however, as the return of an old friend and the reawakening of an order tore the happy couple apart. Catiana was plunged into sorrow for a short while, pushing all joy away from her, before the worgen Aldrisian entered her life. He managed to pull her back up from the hole she had dug for herself, helping her rebuild her life and eventually becoming her fiance.

History (Long)

Childhood

Catiana began her life much like any other child - smiling, learning, playing, and having an all around good time. As an early teenager she even began to learn a few simple spells from her mage mother. She made friends, explored, and got in trouble like anyone would. Life was good, until a particularly dark night in the forests surrounding Lordaeron. Up until that night the family had been living peacefully in their small home within these forests, entirely oblivious to the issues the rest of the world was facing - specifically the Scourge. That night, however, the peace would be shattered and reality would set in.

The entirety of the family had been sleeping when the eldest child, Tarriq, smelled smoke and woke up to see the home in flames. He shook Catiana awake first, making sure she was safely outside before rushing back in to retrieve his parents. When he re-entered the home, however, it was too late. A flaming beam had fallen from the ceiling, forcing his still-sleeping parents just out of reach. As much as he would have liked to, he couldn't stay and say his final goodbyes and had to return to his sister. Upon doing so, he had glanced over his shoulder to take one last look at the home and witnessed a much larger threat: Scourge minions were the ones who had set the home on fire, and they had noticed him fleeing. With the Scourge now pursuing him, Tarriq took Catiana's hand and led her deeper into the forest.

The two would come across a tree that appeared easily climbable, and Tarriq would lend Catiana a hand in making her way up before doing so himself. This had secured his fate. Almost out of nowhere, a skeletal assassin appeared and buried a dagger into his back before disappearing just as suddenly. He fell to the ground, gagging and coughing up blood. Catiana had noticed and nearly screamed, but Tarriq quickly shushed her. His last words were used to comfort his weeping sister.

Several hours later, Catiana, thinking the area safe, wiped her tears away from her cheeks and climbed down the tree. She wandered through the forest for what seemed like ages, looking for any sign of life. Luckily, she found what she was looking for when she entered a small clearing, which contained a camp of those who had fled Lordaeron days before. Among the group was a friend of the family, and a warlock, who took Catiana under his wing.

Second Chances

Deciding to make use of Catiana's spell-casting background, her new father became determined to train her in the dark arts, as well as impress upon her a hatred for all things dealing with the Light. She lived with him and other warlocks in the basement of the Slaughtered Lamb, and although she was a still just a shy, seething teenager, she was respected because of her new father, and accepted into the community without a second thought. Things went incredibly well for the first few years; her enthusiasm and great performance made it seem as though she had a natural aptitude for the arts. After quickly mastering shadow spells, her new father decided to allow her to attempt summoning and enslaving a demon of her choosing.

She took a few hours to peruse over images and descriptions of demons before making her decision: a felhunter. Not only did it appear cute to her, but she felt as though it would also prove to be a powerful companion. After the initial summoning and defeat of the demon, Bheeghun, Catiana began to attempt forming more of a friendly relationship, and less of a master-and-slave one. Oddly enough, this was accepted by the felhunter, and unlike many warlocks and their demons, a lasting bond was created.

A year or two more, and Catiana would seek to develop yet another lasting bond, but with a fellow student which she had become enthralled with. For the next few months she would spend much time by his side, sharing spells, secrets, and the occasional awkward, "accidental" kiss. Unfortunately, before their puppy love could become something more meaningful, Catiana and her new father would witness the student speaking to a group of paladins from the Cathedral. Her father hurried her away before she could witness anything, but the message was clear after an overheard conversation between her father and another warlock: the student had been convinced to repent and give up his ways as a warlock. Catiana would never see him again.

Her father began to notice the change in her attitude. Rage and hatred twisted her once happy expressions and actions, so he decided harness this rage and incorporate fire spells into her training routines. Things became much harder, and resulted in her burned hand. For some reason Catiana could not grasp the concepts used to cast these spells, and as her morale dropped, her effort in other areas dropped as well. It wasn't long before she began taking her training less seriously, which put her on her father's bad side and resulted in a loss of respect from the community that once accepted her as their own. Never truly able to teach her how to wield such a weapon, and angry at the disrespect he was being shown, Catiana's new father disowned his now fully-grown daughter.

Foundations

Catiana left her once-father's home with the ability to survive in the world, seeking knowledge and opportunities. Her first stop was the town of Goldshire, where she spent her first few days of freedom people-watching and getting used to the area. During this time, Goldshire was a respectable place, where crime and lust were not too common. Due to this, the population would easily suspect a random new warlock to be up to no good. This caused a few confrontations, mainly with those of the Light, which Catiana met with violence, never diplomacy.

Fortunately, a young Night Elf named Reene got to her before the law could, taking an interest in her violence and the fact that she seemed to -want- to disturb the peace. Being who Reene was, her and Cat's relationship was ever changing. One moment they would be talking and laughing together, and another they would be at each other's throats. This provided a good amount of practice wielding fire for Catiana, and was the first step of her mastery. Besides this, Reene created the foundations for one of the greatest events of Cat's life when she led her to Silverpine Forest.

Although the trip was merely to visit Shadowfang Keep (a place which would change Cat's life and lead to her lack of a right arm in the future), Catiana felt strange about Silverpine Forest itself. As if there was somewhere she needed to be. Even gazing upon the magnificent Keep did not chase these feelings away. On that day she never did follow them, but planned to return at one point in order to investigate further.

The next few weeks went on somewhat slowly. She met a few more people, including a man named Eric. At first, she felt a connection to this man, as well as the first few hints at love, but he was engaged at the time, so she settled for a close friendship and sought the love of a Night Elf named Treymalus. Only the first few days of their romantic relationship were fantastic, as he began disappearing for no obvious reason. These disappearances only lasted for a few days at the beginning, so Cat thought little of them and decided to use her free time returning to Silverpine.

This time, the feeling was even stronger. It lead her to a path, paving the way towards what seemed to be a small village, but she had no desire to enter. This was due to the fact that her gaze was locked on a dark figure a ways up the path. The silence and stillness seemed to last an eternity, but in actuality it wasn't too long before the figure moved swiftly down towards her. As he drew closer, she noticed that he appeared to be a walking corpse, and although she knew little of the Horde, she knew which races filled it and that they were enemies. Regardless, she felt no desire to attack this person, especially when he voiced her name in Demonic.

Before long, it became clear that this man was her perished brother. He had been 'revived' into the Forsaken, and took up learning Demonic magic as well. Hours passed as the two shared both stories and tears at the reunion, but they both knew they could not stay together for long. Were either of them seen communicating with someone of the opposite faction, punishments would be dire. After making plans to meet again soon, they parted ways.

Loss

Catiana returned to Goldshire, feeling the happiest she had been in a long time. Despite the possible consequences, she was tremendously excited to inform Treymalus of her discovery. She waited in Goldshire for him, taking notice of the town's building corruption as cries of pain, lust, and death became clear, but as each day passed her excitement lessened, only brought back up by the occasional meetings and training with her brother. Treymalus, however, never showed up. Assuming him dead once he had been gone for nearly half a year, Catiana began to slip further into the already existent darkness of her soul. During this period she took up Necromancy as a way to distract herself, and created one of her most important 'sons', Somael. Originally a small, undead, Elven child, Somael was created not only to keep Catiana company as she spent many long nights alone, but to also search for her lost love. This lasted for a few weeks, but the very last time he was sent out, Somael came back as an alive, fully grown Elf. Although Catiana and Somael know that it must have occurred through magic, the details are a blur in Somael's mind.

Treymalus returned weeks after the event with Somael, and for a while Cat felt as though everything would be alright. However, it became obvious that something was amiss. For the few days they were together, Treymalus seemed interested in only Cat's body, and continuously brought up another woman. Only days before he disappeared again did he reveal that he had been with this woman during his disappearance (and impregnated her, which Cat would later find out upon meeting the woman and the daughter he had helped create). Cat stayed with him only because she was convinced they could fix things, but then he was gone once more.

During his second disappearance, however, Catiana was able to get to further know Eric, and the two became even closer. Unfortunately, Eric disappeared as well after a tragedy within his family that resulted in the death of his three children and the end of the relationship with his wife (the previous engagement had not worked, but he found a new woman and married her). Not just going to stand by as another one of her friends vanished, Catiana devoted weeks to figuring out a way to find and bring him back, and was solely responsible for doing so. Immediately after, a more romantic relationship began to blossom. Despite this, her excitement when she heard that Treymalus was returning the next day was not lessened in the least.

She had a hard time getting to sleep that night, seeing how she was going to get to see her lover once more. A few hours after actually falling asleep, though, she awoke in a cold sweat. A horrible feeling pierced at her until she got up, got dressed, and rushed to Feralas. Only minutes passed before she found her love's mauled corpse.

One Door Closes, Another One Opens

A few weeks after her tragic loss, and once she had recovered from the sorrow that gripped her, Catiana fully accepted Eric into her heart. As with Treymalus, things were wonderful at first. However, Eric was a paladin, and very strong in his feelings towards the Light. At times this made him upset with Cat, since she stood for everything against the Light. Conflicts were had, but were always resolved and the two moved past whatever had happened.

Things became more difficult, however, once Catiana met a man named Drakion. At first he was just another warlock, but as she spent more time talking to him she found herself incredibly interested in him and his life. Shortly after she began looking up to him did he begin to vaguely mention apprenticeship. This thought excited Cat immensely, but once she informed Eric of the possibilities, he in turn informed her that he wouldn't stand for it. More fighting ensued, and resulted in the first stage of the relationship falling apart.

The fighting became more common, and yet the love was still existent enough for Cat to become pregnant. A few weeks after the discovery that they were going to have a child, the two were married during a party in Hillsbrad Foothills. Only a few minutes of joy were had before, as if foreshadowing the future, a man approached Eric and informed him that a dear friend of his had gone missing in Icecrown. He suggested that Eric keep an eye out, since he was already stationed as a healer there. Yet another fight ocurred that very day as Catiana asked to come with him to Icecrown and help him find his lost friend.

Eric began spending less and less time at home and more time in Icecrown performing his healing duties. Before leaving he would always tell Cat to stay home and stay safe, but she quickly grew bored of this. A month or so into her pregnancy she got the idea of visiting Eric, but could not find him when she arrived at the camp he was supposed to be stationed at. Deciding to do a little searching, she ended up finding his corpse, bloody and facedown in the snow.

Catiana sought the quickest escape from her life possible, but found herself unable to do anything as she worried for the life of her soon-to-be-born daughter. She decided to simply stick it out with a new care for almost all things living. After mourning for months, her first action was to seek out Drakion and ask to be his apprentice. At this point she had mastered fire, yet still sought more and more knowledge. He accepted her request, which lead Cat across one of Elwynn's rivers and into the land of Duskwood.

Traveler

Catiana stayed in the town of Darkshire, where Drakion took up residence, sleeping outside on the fountain and lending a hand to the local guild, Shadow Song, whenever possible. This lead to her becoming friends with several people, and enemies with some. Here she even met Drakion's brother, Linoge, and fell in love with him after several other failed relationships.

Months later, after the birth of her child Annelisa, she returned to Elwynn to find the place almost entirely corrupted. Only one place held any hope: the Westbrook Garrison. Another guild took up residence in the Garrison, KenyrTlithar, and Cat decided to occasionally lend a hand here as well. As it did in Darkshire, this resulted in her getting to know several more people, and making a few more enemies.

Catiana began to wander between the Westbrook Garrison, the Stormwind taverns (mainly the Blue Recluse), and Darkshire, offering aid and learning when she can. All the while she sought her own path, taking scraps from every aspect of her life that fell apart or would fall apart, and using them to create new lives for herself. Lives with new strengths, new chapters for her story, and hope for a promising future. Or so she thought.

"Death Isn't Real"

As Catiana became more involved in Necromancy, her health slowly began to deteriorate. She had been warned about the effect that the magic had on the body, and knew that she had three choices: receive Linoge's aid in becoming an Ethereal, receive Drakion's aid in becoming half-demon, or become one of the walking dead. Before she could choose, however, Linoge would find her body on the floor of their small home.

As he held her and cried, begging for forgiveness, her eyes suddenly snapped up to stare at him. She pulled away and stood, mocking him. A battle ensued, from which she fled after a good while. Then began her process of retribution. Over the course of a few weeks she hunted down every member of the old group of warlocks, each of them now old, retired, and relaxing in their homes. This was of her own free will, though her new undead master had intentions of his own. Her biggest goal became to find and destroy Annelisa and Linoge, the two things in the world that brought her weakness.

She hunted them day and night, never quite able to find either of them, as Linoge had hidden himself and Anne in the Nether. Her inability inspired a new goal within her...a way to spend her free time. With each of the warlocks dead, she began to hunt down her ex-adoptive father. For some reason, though, she was entirely unable to find him.

Unknown to her, after she had been disowned her adoptive father himself began studying Necromancy. He too fell prey to undeath, and rose up in the ranks of Arthas' Scourge. Without him, the group of warlocks had fallen apart and went their respective ways, a new group replacing them in the Slaughtered Lamb. When word had reached him that Catiana had become one of the undead, he took up the responsibility of commanding her, knowing of her power.

One night, in Elwynn Forest, Catiana stumbled upon a young man in a mask. After thoroughly frightening him, they fought several times. However, by some twist of fate, they became friends and then lovers, as her undeath had robbed her of any feelings for Linoge, in the same night. By the next night the man, Darc, had made a deal with her master, and freed her. She was alive once again.

Months went by, Catiana and Darc making a home in her Necromancy laboratory. To many, they fell off the face of the planet for an extended period of time, Catiana hiding from a group of paladins who were unaware of her entrance back into life, as well as her master who sought to regain control of her, and Darc from his brother, who was convinced Darc had killed their mother. The two's time together brought them very close, and they were eventually married, Catiana becoming pregnant with her second child: Zeke.

Purpose, and a Lack Thereof

After a long, happy year together, raising their two children in their Necropolis home above Zul'Drak, Cat and Darc were approached by an old friend of Catiana's: Duinmir Karn Argonar. The elf had been on an incredible journey and, having returned, found his old order disbanded. He came to Cat with a plea: reunite the members of The House of Rine, and continue its teachings. Catiana found herself unable to refuse her friend, and The House of Rine was reborn, placing its roots in the ruins of Gilneas, where Cat and Darc made their new home, seeking a more normal lifestyle for their children.

While Catiana was tasked with seeking out the order's old knights, Darc, Somael, and two other members were to receive Duinmir's teachings, so that the message of The House of Rine might be spread across Azeroth. All was calm in the order for a month or so, before Duinmir's old foe Bishop Annidas made an appearance, shaking the order to its very core. Catiana became infatuated with defeating Annidas, resulting in her often placing herself in precarious situations, much to Darc's growing distaste. Before she could ever put an end to Annidas, however, Catiana awoke one morning to find herself alone, with a note on Darc's pillow claiming that he could no longer handle the distance she was creating between them, and had left.

This, as it would appear, was the trigger for all of Cat's life falling down around her. It was not long before The House of Rine appeared to collapse as disagreements between members caused them to go their separate ways, and Duinmir disappeared once again, leaving Cat alone in the quiet solitude of Gilneas. Not wanting to expose Annelisa and Zeke to her sorrow, Catiana sent the children away to live with Somael, who needed the company after the recent death of his wife. Overwhelmed with sorrow, both Catiana's health and home fell into ruin in what would appear to be her end.

This was, of course, until the arrival of Aldrisian.

A Time-Tested Love

Catiana met Aldrisian, the worgen death knight with an incredible story, through the death of a mutual friend. Sitting amongts the crumbling shambles of her neglected home, Aldrisian had come to find her with questions about their friend's final days. Though she knew little, the two chose to continue speaking, in what would first become a strong friendship, and then, as she visited him one night to make sure he was safe during a storm, an unbreakable romance.

As the months went on, both Catiana and her home returned to their former glory, her love of life that she had first discovered when holding the newborn Anne in her arms returning to her in all its glory. The children were taken back into the Stahnhope home and, a later, Aldrisian joined the family as well. The site of sorrow and lonliness was filled with love and energy once more, especially when, lying in bed one late evening with the children sleeping soundly downstairs, Aldrisian turned to Cat and asked her for her hand in marriage.

Currently, Catiana continues The House of Rine by herself, reaching out to the community with its message and teachings. She remains within the ruins of Gilneas with her family, and though they are not yet married, the wedding date for she and Ald is soon to be set.

Undead Creations

• Somael: Somael was created from the body of a young elven child, who died due to neglect and abuse. Originally, Cat created him to serve as a search party for her missing lover, but he turned into more of a dear son than anything. While mending his body before she granted him life once more, she allowed melted Khorium to harden on his skin, creating a thin layer of protection almost everywhere on his body. As a child, he wore dark, light clothing that covered him completely, and was told to keep his head down at all times so that no one would see his face and jump to conclusions. After he was revived and aged due to unknown magic while looking for Treymalus, however, he began to wear heavier armor, and wasn't afraid to show skin. He now has a daughter, is an incredibly happy, positive person, and continues to love his mother dearly, although he does think her to be insane.
• Calerin: Calerin was her first undead creation, and was to be used to assist Cat with her Necromancy, as well as everyday tasks. Although he once appeared as a tall, slender man entirely hidden by sophisticated clothing (a light shirt, pants, boots, and gloves, all in the color of brown), Cat has improved much in the art, and has perfected his face so that it no longer needs to remain hidden. With his cowl down, a handsome face can be seen, free of blemishes and framed by long black hair. Only two things seem inhuman: lifeless eyes and ice-cold skin. Calerin doesn't talk, but his expressions give away that he is incredibly friendly.
• Kigeth: Kigeth is Cat's undead bodyguard, although only recently is he starting to be seen around her once more. Not many know what he looks like, as he is fully and constantly covered by black, plate armor and is dual-wielding black swords. Underneath his armor, however, he is a simple skeleton. He does not talk simply because he can't, and communicates through grunts, snarls, and growls, although they do not always sound angry. Though he is incredibly protective of Cat, he simply could not be the best bodyguard for her because of two things: he fights awkwardly, and, like she is with all of her other creations, Cat is incredibly protective of him, and will occasionally place herself between him and an enemy if he is attacked.
• Simyr: Simyr is the most recent of Catiana's creations. He is an abomination created almost entirely from Defias blood, skin, and bones (metal is the only thing not supplied by them), and although he looks similar to other abominations, he has a few differences. For one, his internal organs are not exposed at his stomach. Catiana found this to be an odd practice, and a possible weak-point. Next, he does not have hands. Instead, he has metal sockets that can hold an arsenal of weapons (sickles, simple hooks, chains, hammers, and long blades) which he keeps strapped to his back. Finally, he is incredibly neat and clean looking - no stitches can be seen (although his skin does have several different shades to it), and his head looks less ugly, to be blunt. Simyr was created by Catiana to act as a bodyguard for her daughter, Annelisa.
• Xavier: It is known by some that the Raven Hill Inn holds the spirits of several now deceased villagers, and Catiana took the time to befriend each of them. Xavier was one of the shades that developed a close bond of friendship with her - so much so that he has agreed to follow "the Mistress" throughout Azeroth, lending aid whenever he can. Being a shade, he can only speak through thoughts, but those he communicates with have no reason to be alarmed. Xavier is a very kind and respectful gentleman, after all.
• Crypt: While at first this adorable canine may look like any other pug, Crypt is certainly not the average dog. This pup is, indeed, undead, created by Catiana to be a ruse in the most dire of situations. When not provoked, the puppy is energetic, loving, and playful, but when he or his master are threatened, Crypt will sink his teeth into the individual unfortunate enough to provoke action, injecting the victim with a crippling, nausea-inducing plague. You absolutely do not want to get on this puppy's bad side.

Quotes

• "The past hurts. The present hurts. That means there's nothing left for us but the future, and even that looks bleak."
• "I had a tendency to kill for pleasure. I loved the screams, warm blood on my hands, bones snapping..."
• "We are blind. We stand about and follow our ideals...make our perfect little lives, unaware of the horrors the rest of the world is going through. No compassion in our hearts. And when our perfect lives or ideals are challenged, we blame others. Those who are entirely not to blame. The poor, the king, the Horde, the undead...when more often than not, we only have ourselves to blame."
• "I've been trying. Trust me, I haven't put myself in a dangerous situation since...erm...yesterday."
• "I am not a trouble maker! I'm just a target for stupid people's sadism!"
• "Can't wait for you to realize that the Light's teachings make you too optimistic and fluffy, and will lead to your demise."