I’m really happy with the character concept I’ve made and have grown very attached to this character. However, there is a significant issue with his story that I’m not sure how to resolve. Just for some context, the key events are as follows:
Malineth grew up pursuing his passion of herbalism and providing potions for the Sentinels. He was often mocked for his physical weakness and clumsy style of fighting, frequently losing duels against friends within the Sentinels.
However, what he was noted for is his freakish speed while he runs. This allowed him to serve as a scout on behalf of the Sentinels in the Battle of Mount Hyjal. He was not a Sentinel himself.
During the Battle of Mount Hyjal, his mate was brutally killed by a pack of Fel Stalkers. After the war he became depressed before opting to travel along the Eastern Kingdoms to find a new purpose. This was made possible by the Night Elves joining the Alliance.
There are a series of events where he encounters lots of people, learns from them, as he travels across the Eastern Kingdoms. He ends up in Booty Bay. He accepts work as a herbalist for the Goblins there.
He befriends a Blood Elf assassin who is also working on behalf of Goblins as a ‘debt collector’. After developing a close relationship with him, he begins to realise that what he (Malineth) has is a burning desire for vengeance (long period of self-reflection, etc, I’m going to write a story about this).
His assassin friend trains him in combat, something he never really got back home. He discovers that his speed can be an asset in conflict. He gets significantly more proficient at it.
*However, after a lot of self-questioning he realises that any vengeance against demons will require him to seek out new forms of power. He was aware of Illidan, but begins to reflect on whether he was in fact right. And even if he wasn’t, do the ends of achieving power justify the means?
Now here is where I have the problem. The next step is that he goes to Outland and ends up finding the Illidari, as many others did. HOWEVER… if the dark portal was closed, and he did not follow Illidan, Kae’thas and Lady Vashj through the portal earlier, how does he get there? Bear in mind this is before the events of TBC where the Dark Portal opens.
The only possible solution I’ve come up with is the Belf Rogue brings him into contact with some corrupt Magi who manage to create a portal for him to Outland. But if a small group like that could do it, why wouldn’t anyone else?
Is this a general problem for Nelf Demon Hunters?
After this, he simply goes through the standard Illidari storyline… assuming I can resolve this issue.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated as I’m otherwise happy with the character concept. I just need to get that issue resolved!
I advise a read of the Illidan novel.
The (mostly) main protagonist is a night elven demon hunter.
The plot follows along most of his recruitment into the illidari, training, rituals and then hunting demons until Illidan’s death at the end of TBC.
Everything that novel leaves vague, you can leave vague as well. If people ask IC, refuse to answer. Your character doesn’t need to be an open book about his backstory. Or, what I usually do with a lot of my characters, they just lie.
Thanks for your reply, that’s very helpful. I guess I wanted to make it as consistent as possible. I did read the Illidan novel just before the Legion launch. I could be wrong but I don’t remember it really specifying how Nelf DHs would generally get there at that time. I know the Belf case is clear.
But I like the idea of being secretive about it actually. Adds a little more edgyness to the story
Whether intentionally or not, it is one of those areas that Blizzard has left vague.
However, we can infer a few possible ways a Night Elf could arrive in Outland.
They were part of Illidan’s original disciplines who followed him the first time. These would be the 10,000 year old veterans.
They were part of Maiev’s expedition but decided to follow Illidan instead.
Illidan had agents and followers on Azeroth within Night Elf society who intentionally headhunted new recruits and candidates and facilitated their travel to Outland.
Leaving the details of how you got to Outland vague might be the best option, although if you want an explanation then I personally think the latter option mentioned above would be best to explain the bulk of the Night Elf recruits. Especially as the Illidan novel suggested there were a lot of Night Elves that came to him, enough so as to result in a roughly even split of Blood Elves and Night Elves among the Demon Hunters despite the fact Illidan had ready access to a slew of elite warriors from Kael’thas own armies.
Thanks for the help. Actually that last suggestion could go nicely with the ‘vague’ on too. E.g., he came into contact with some agents of Illidan who helped him get to Outland. He’d never have to say how. In fact, he’d probably just refuse to say.
I do wish Blizzard had been a bit more explicit. But on the other hand it does allow us some room for creativity.
Wait, does that mean going through the dark portal “during TBC time when everybody else went to Outland” is too late to join the Illidari and become a demon hunter?
If I remember rightly, the Illidan specifies the invasion of and removal of Illidan was rather quick. I’m not sure it would have been enough time to train and become a Demon Hunter. I’d require deserting and travelling to BT before undergoing all the rituals.
I guess you could make the case that the training was incredibly quick for some Demon Hunters?
Uhh, I’m afraid that would be fairly tricky. Unless the character is an absolute prodigy that has barely any trouble during the training - which would be fairly unheard of, and then she’d also need to desert right as she arrives - then there shouldn’t be too many oportunities or too much time for a full training.
After Malfurion let him go, Illidan created a portal to Outland by using a small rift left behind from the portal Kel’Thuzad had used to summon Archimonde into Azeroth.[[33]]
Might have found a mage or otherwise who did that for the soon-to-be DH. Illidan’s naga sorceresses were also able to create portals to Outland, so that’s the most plausible way IMO.
