Lore of Warcraft: The Demon Hunter of Azshara.

"Can you see them, mortal? No... I did not think you could.  Sighted but sightless - it is your gift and your curse..."

  His name is Loramus Thalipedes, a Night Elf of the Ancient World.  Within the realm of Azeroth, he is the last of his kind. He is a Demon Hunter.

His past is shrouded in the mists of countless millenia.  It is very likely he was around more than 10,000 years ago, when the Burning Legion first invaded this world.  He was around when they returned.  And while the nations of the Orcs and the Humans moved on from the devastating conflict, he remained, ever watchful, ever vigilent.  The Demons may have been defeated, but the danger is not over.  It is never over...

To this day, tragic remnants of the past haunt him.  In the Blasted Lands, Demonic Survivors of the 3rd War went into hiding.  Led by the dreaded Doomguard, Lord Kazzak, the most elite forces of Archimonde's Legion carved their lair into the blackened rock.  There they remained, gathering strength, and preparing for the return of their hellish armies. 

Warchief Thrall, very aware of the great evil surrounding the lands of the Dark Portal, sent a contingient of warriors to scout the land and prepare for assault.  The Warchief quickly realized, however, that the magnitude of the danger was far greater than he first surmised, and hastily ordered his warriors home to reassess their strategy.  But as fate would have it, he was too late.  His warriors,anxious to rid their new home of the vile taint of demonic corruption and lead by the great war hero, Trebor, charged headlong into the Blasted Lands, eager to meet their hated foes in glorious combat.  But there would be no Glory in their sacrifice, no Honor to be had in a warrior's death.  There would only be torment, and eternal damnation.

Loramus knows all of this.  He tells his story:

"In the age of war, Razelikh the Defiler served as the most fearsome of Lord Kazzak's lieutenants. When the Legion was defeated and Kazzak forced back into the Tainted Scar, Razelikh was tasked by his master to secure the Blasted Lands.

While the Alliance fought petty battles with the Horde over territory outside of the Blasted Lands, Razelikh was uniting the differing Shadow Council sects and the brutish Dreadmaul ogres of the land."

"Tragically, it was Thrall's wisdom that finally sealed the bond between the demon lord and his minions. It was Trebor's regiment that served as the catalyst to unite the demon lord, the shadowsworn sects and the ogres. The lure of nearly unlimited power and the granting of immortal shock troops to each respective leader sealed the deal in blood."

Archmage Alistarj and Lady Sevine commanded different sects of the Shadow Council, while the Ogre Chieftain, Grol the Destroyer, ruled the fearsome Dreadmaul Clan.  While owing no love for eachother, the promise of such immense power, power enough to conquer all the lands of Azeroth, was the bond they all shared.  

Loramus continues:

 "What Sevine, Allistarj, and Grol did not realize was that just as their servants were bound to the land, so would they be... You see, the price for their own immortality was also imprisonment and eternal servitude under the command of Razelikh. The cruel cunning of Razelikh had emerged the victor once again."

"Their minds are now tainted... Yes, even more so than before. They live only to serve and protect Razelikh. The amulet fragments they each hold are the key to summoning the demon lord. What you do not understand is that none of them can be harmed through any conventional means."

"Let us pretend that you undergo the long and arduous task of creating the bane necessary to break through the demonic wards placed upon the triad. What would be your next course of action? To face the Defiler in his lair?"  (Loramus laughs)

"You are foolhardy... It is an admirable quality of your kind - to blindly enter battle when you have little to no chance of success."

(Loramus pauses) 

"I will assist you, if only to see just one of Razelikh's minions fall."

 And so it falls to you, warrior of the Dawn.  Will you take up the cup that so few have ever dared to attempt?  Will you brave the horrors and tragedy that yet remain as bitter lessons of the past, lessons learned too late?  The choice is yours.  Loramus, the Demon Hunter, awaits...

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