Heirloom

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Master Ketiron outside Sen'jin Village, shortly before the Cataclysm

Visibly aged by the war against the Scourge, his hair as white as the name of his House, Master Taeril'hane Ketiron retired to his beloved Silvermoon to teach new Blood Knights the mastery of the Light, using his Liadrinist training as a basis. Three years have passed since the fall of the Lich King - but Ketiron was still a servant of the Horde, and soon, the Horde called him back into service...

Zalazane's Demise: The Liberation of the Echo Isles

Ketiron at the side of Chieftain Vol'jin of the Darkspears at the assembly area outside Sen'jin Village

While in Silvermoon, Ketiron (and many other champions of the Horde) received a letter from the shaman Vanira, an advisor to Chieftain Vol'jin of the Darkspear tribe. Having fought alongside the Darkspear trolls - and accepted at least one into the House Guard under his command - Ketiron greatly admired the jungle trolls' tenacity and bravery, and with his wife Areinnye supporting him, Ketiron rallied fifty of his best House Guards and set out by zeppelin for Durotar.

The Echo Isles had been under the control of the deranged Hexmaster Zalazane for years, ever since he had turned on his fellows, hexed many trolls and raised many more from the dead, and held the Isles in his iron grip. Thousands of soldiers of the Horde, including Ketiron and other members of the Whitehair House Guard, had gone to the Echo Isles to slay Zalazane and bring back his head, only to find that they had been deceived by his black magic - the "heads" proved to be things like painted rocks, coconuts, and the heads of his hexed trolls. Finally, Vol'jin had had enough - gathering allies, Vol'jin rallied an army along the Darkspear Strand outside Sen'jin Village. Ketiron was sent with the other scouts to seed the Echo Isles with frogs imbued with shamanistic sight by Vanira.

To his astonishment, Ketiron discovered that the frogs had discovered a "tiger matriarch" that was in fact a hidden troll druid - a path that he had not known the trolls to follow. She identified herself as Zen'tabra, and pledged her aid to Vol'jin if he retook the Echo Isles. With his people rallied to his banner, Vanira bringing the elements, and Zen'tabra pledging the power of Durotar's beasts, Vol'jin at last gave the order to advance on the Echo Isles. To ensure their ultimate success, Vol'jin first had to appease the great Loa Bwonsamdi, guardian of the Darkspear dead, who had been long neglected ever since the Darkspear fled the Echo Isles. Bwonsamdi was amused by Vol'jin's impetuousness and challenged his army to prove that they had the "mojo" to earn his aid. After fighting off his cursed dead, the army fought against the Loa himself. Impressed, Bwonsamdi pledged that he would aid the Darkspear if they retook the abandoned burnt village on the largest of the Isles. Destroying the traitors on those isles, led by the foul Jun'do, Bwonsamdi blessed the long-immobile tiki warriors and commanded them to obey Vol'jin's orders. At last, the army came to confront Zalazane himself.

With his hexed dire trolls and his foul magics, Zalazane proved both his cleverness and his cowardice, as he fled to a westerly isle. Upon confronting him there, the army found that they could not penetrate the shield that protected the Hexmaster. Zalazane again proved his power by turning Vol'jin's Darkspear guard against their allies. But the Darkspear "traitors" were outnumbered nearly thirty to one, and Zalazane was cornered. Boasting of his invincibility and that his shield was impenetrable, Zalazane was greeted by the evilly mocking laughter of Bwonsamdi...

The Loa condemned Zalazane for trying to usurp his control over the dead, and declared that the traitor would soon join them. Screaming in denial, Zalazane suddenly exploded, the Loa's rage at his betrayal made manifest. His reign over the Echo Isles was over, and the Darkspear tribe could at last return to the lands that Thrall had promised them. Bidding Vol'jin farewell and good luck, Ketiron set out once more for Silvermoon. But he would not be allowed to rest for very long...

Passing the Torch: The Ascension of Warchief Garrosh Hellscream

Ketiron stands at the side of Vol'jin and Eitrigg as Garrosh is named Warchief of the Horde

Following the liberation of the Echo Isles and his return to Silvermoon, Ketiron felt a powerful earthquake rattle the entire land of Quel'Thalas. Upon making contact with his allies in Kalimdor and in the southern kingdoms, he learned that the tectonic activity was widespread. Then a message came from Master Pyreanor in Orgrimmar, requesting that Ketiron come immediately on the next zeppelin. Concerned by the urgency in Pyreanor's missive, he set out for Lordaeron to book passage on the Thundercaller.

Upon arriving in Orgrimmar, Ketiron was escorted by Pyreanor's honor guards to Grommash Hold, where he saw a powerful, muscular looking orc bearing stone axes, wearing light armor with what looked like a pit lord's tusks on his shoulders. To his horrified surprise, he realized that this strange figure was Garrosh Hellscream, who had commanded Horde forces in Northrend, right up to the final victory over the Lich King himself - but looking nothing like Ketiron remembered. He was disturbingly reminded of the fel orcs in Outland, and hoped that Garrosh had not made a pact with a demon as his father, Grom, had many years before.

Also present were Eitrigg, Thrall's advisor and an ally of Highlord Fordring, and Vol'jin, fresh from his victory over Zalazane. Once all were assembled, Thrall began to speak, remarking that while a great victory had been won in Northrend, the very earth itself was beginning to cry out in agony. Ketiron knew that the Warchief meant the earthquakes, but was surprised when he also mentioned elemental attacks in the countryside, and utterly shocked when Thrall declared he was leaving for Nagrand to meet with the Earthen Ring. Ketiron, utterly astonished, suddenly realized that Thrall was stepping down...and had named Garrosh to be Warchief in his absence.

Ketiron's mind was racing - Garrosh was popular among the orcs for his brazen leadership in Northrend, but he had made it clear that he favored war with the Alliance...and with Arthas dead, the Master suddenly saw that nothing was holding him back. With the formalities addressed, Ketiron left to return to Quel'Thalas. With Garrosh leading the Horde, he feared that things would turn down a particularly dark road...

The Sundered Elements: Thwarting the Doomsayers' Plot

Ketiron, disguised as a doomsday cultist, witnesses Cho'gall issue his orders

As time went on, things became far worse. Ketiron led his students in their training for knighthood, and upon their success, he sent his apprentices to Orgrimmar, Thunder Bluff, and even to the Alliance cities to offer their services as needed. Some were also inducted into his House Guard, including his favored apprentice, Nor'taeron.

The earthquakes soon grew in such intensity that Ketiron decided to leave Quel'Thalas to escape them. He journeyed to the Grizzly Hills, his favorite "thinking place" outside of his homeland, where he met with Ambassador Jaeden'laek, the draenei shaman who had fought alongside Ketiron in Icecrown. Jaeden'laek informed Ketiron, one of few servants of the Horde the farseer deemed trustworthy, of a conclave that had taken place in Stormwind with all of the Alliance leaders present; Jaeden'laek had accompanied his leader, the Prophet Velen, from Azuremyst as an emissary of the shamanistic order within the Alliance. Much like Ketiron had heard during the meeting in Orgrimmar, the Alliance leaders had discussed rogue elementals in the countryside and in some cities.

As the two veterans chatted, a mage portal opened, and Ketiron's chief advisor, Lord Kel'theris, stepped out, informing him of a "great inferno" that had hit Orgrimmar. As they materialized in the Drag, "Kel'theris" ambushed him, and revealed that he was an impostor sent to lure Ketiron into a trap, all the while babbling about the world being remade in fire. Using both his martial skill and his engineering devices to give him a speedier edge, Ketiron ran the traitor through with his jeweled sword. Two Orgrimmar grunts, hearing the sounds of the confrontation, came to Ketiron's assistance, and informed him that the real Kel'theris had been attacked, but was expected to live. Several of his House Guards were also on standby to assist him.

With his duty done to stem the Twilight's Hammer, Ketiron stands before his new Warchief

Brought before the grunts' commander, Blood Guard Torek, Ketiron learned that the doomsday cult mentioned in passing by Vol'jin had come out into the open, promising protection from the coming apocalypse. Ketiron disguised himself as a visiting Thalassian nobleman (which, in fact, he was) and joined the crowds, learning more of the cult's message. Keeping down his disgust, Ketiron carried on his investigation by posting notices throughout Orgrimmar denouncing the cult as dangerous.

Seeking to learn more about the cult's workings, Ketiron disguised himself as a cultist recruit and travelling to their base of operations, at Jaggedswine Farm outside Orgrimmar. There, he was sent to spread the message of the cult, but was laughed at by most of the stout-hearted soldiers of the Horde. He also tried to convince members of the cult, whose concerned families had come to the Orgrimmar guards to find them, to return to their lives in Orgrimmar, but - caught up in their new masters' apocalyptic ramblings - they refused. Finally, the cult members were assembled at an altar to hear from their leader, and the silently-horrified Ketiron relied on sheer willpower to avoid becoming physically sick as he recognized the symbols that adorned it - the Twilight's Hammer...

Appearing before his followers, the ogre-mage Cho'gall - his body warped by the powers of his former master, the Old God C'Thun - directed his followers to use strange devices they had been crafting at their base to unleash a tide of elementals on the city of Orgrimmar. Ketiron, as the "newest recruit", was given the duty of distributing them by the camp leader, Overseer Jintak. Instead, Ketiron brought them back to Blood Guard Torek, who instructed him to destroy the devices already set up in the city. With their plan (temporarily) thwarted, Torek sent Ketiron to Grommash Hold, to report on the situation in person to the newly-appointed Warchief, Garrosh Hellscream...

The Corruptor Returns: Twilight's Hammer Falls Upon Orgrimmar

Ketiron arrests a group of Twilight infiltrators in Orgrimmar

Remaining in Orgrimmar while the civil unrest went on, Ketiron was called on by Garrosh to assist Blood Guard Torek in dealing with a growing problem with the Twilight's Hammer. Outside the main gates, citizens of Orgrimmar and visitors from outlying settlements assembled to try and return to their homes, but by Garrosh's order were subject to searches by the city's grunts and by other soldiers of the Horde given special dispensation to act in the new Warchief's name, so that the Twilight's Hammer did not carry out their plans to destroy Orgrimmar from within.

Deploying his apprentices, who had accompanied him to learn their duties to the Horde, Ketiron ordered the search and seizure of any cultists outside the city gates trying to get in, and to bring the evidence to him, where he stood with Torek. Sure enough, his chief apprentice Nor'taeron Sunblade discovered suspicious literature and a note detailing select locations inside Orgrimmar - which indicated that the Twilight's Hammer already had agents in Orgrimmar. Prior to that, however, Ketiron received unwelcome news - from Nor'taeron's elder brother Ivaris, the lieutenant to Areinnye, general of the Whitehair House Guard. Through his investigations of the cultist activity in Orgrimmar, Ivaris had discovered that Joshmaul the Corruptor, killed three years earlier, had returned and was now working for the cult. With Joshmaul back in Orgrimmar, Garrosh in his corner, and Thrall gone in Outland, things had suddenly become a lot worse.

With the information in hand from the cultists, Ketiron and his apprentices spread out in search of cult infiltrators already in Orgrimmar, arresting them and rounding them up to be used in the Ring of Valor. From one of the cultists, he learned that they planned on opening portals in the city and unleash elementals of earth and fire to burn the city to the ground. Once again donning his cultist disguise - and apparently, the cult had not discovered that he was acting to sabotage them - he returned to Jaggedswine Farm, where Overseer Jintak gave him a copy of the Book of Incantations, which detailed the cult's rituals. Recognizing the coup and practicing the incantation for the benefit of the cultists around him, Ketiron took the book back to Torek, and was instructed to find the ritual sites and intentionally misspeak the incantations so that they would backfire.

To Outland in Search of Answers

Ketiron attends a shamanic council at the Throne of Elements

As the strange quakes began and rogue elementals were reported in greater numbers, Warchief Thrall stepped down and left for Outland, seeking to prevent a sundering on Azeroth by visiting the sundered homeworld of the orcs, to learn more of the art of shamanism from his grandmother, Geyah. The Wildhammer clan had also sent a representative, to ensure that the Alliance too would learn of what was necessary to combat the increasing unrest on Azeroth.

An emissary of the Earthen Ring in Orgrimmar informed Ketiron of a meeting of the shamans, and dispatched him to journey to Outland and place himself at Thrall's bidding. The troll mages of Orgrimmar kept a portal open to the great crater in the Blasted Lands where the Dark Portal stood, and Ketiron immediately departed, riding through the Portal and then summoning a Cenarion hippogryph to fly him the rest of the way - to Nagrand, the ancestral grounds of the orcish clans before the formation of the Old Horde. North of the village of Garadar, where the uncorrupted orcs made their home, was the Throne of Elements, where resided the Furies - the four great elemental avatars of sundered Draenor...