History of the Ebon Flame
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Ebon Codex > Culture and History > History of the Ebon Flame
"In our pride we have brought doom upon our world. By our sacrifice, we shall be its salvation”
Ana'rathiel Firesoul, First Keeper of the Flame
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Origins
Ten thousand years ago, the folly of the Highborne invited the demons of the Burning Legion into our world. The nations of ancient Kalimdor banded together to battle this tide of darkness and only by the Sundering of the very world were they able to repel the invaders. This age of strife would forever be known as the War of the Ancients.
During the War the Highborne, subjects of the Queen Azshara, revered these demons as gods, believing the blight they unleashed upon the world to be their salvation. However, a tiny fraction of the mighty Highborne society saw the error in their ways. They unmasked their demonic masters for who they truly were: unnatural, unholy parasitic beings, seeking to destroy all life on Kalimdor. Desperately trying to rid themselves of the demonic taint they saw was corrupting their brethren, these rebellious Highborne plead to the skies for redemption. As the ancient legend goes, the goddess Elune herself granted these forlorn elves salvation: she bestowed upon them a sacred flame witch which they would cleanse their souls and body of the demonic corruption. In the Flame that was of neither colour, yet cast the darkness aside, in the Flame that was ebony black yet burned brighter than any star, their souls were cleansed, the spirits purified. And on that day, on the shadowy streets of the capital city Zin-Azshari, these Highborne took an oath, but not to neither ruler nor country. They took an oath to the very lands of Kalimdor. They swore to protect the world from any harm, from any danger that might come to it. They offered their lives, their souls to ancient Kalimdor and bound their spirits to the land in eternal servitude. They sealed their oath with their very blood, poured onto the flames of purification. On that they, these Highborne, became brothers. On that day the Order of the Ebon Flame was born.
The War of Ancients ended with the cataclysmic destruction of the Well of Eternity, the massive explosion sundering the world, the raging seas swallowing entire landmasses. What little remained of the once marvellous Kaldorei empire now lie in ruins. Uniting these ravaged survivors fell on the shoulders of Malfurion Stormrage and Tyrande Whisperwind; heroes of the war. Sealing a pact with the mighty four Dragonflights, they ensured the chaotic energies of the Well of Eternity would never threaten Azeroth again. The ruling caste of the Highborne was all but eradicated, the few who survived forever altered by the unholy energies they revered. They became horrific abominations, retreating to the shadows of the forests and the deep oceans. They would become the Naga and the Satyr.
After the war came the long age of restoration, where the night elves tried to find their place in the world once again. They turned their backs on the arcane magics, the very magics that invited the demons to Azeroth, instead pursuing the ancient art of druidism, the ways of communing with nature and the lands themselves. The Highborne, not being able to cope with their addiction to the arcane energies left the night elves, travelled to the distant lands of Azeroth, in the hopes of finding a new home and forging their own destiny. They would become the high elves of Quel'thalas. The Order of the Ebon Flame decided to remain with the night elves, turning their backs on arcane magics as well. They too, suffered from the withdrawal effects of arcane magics, but felt they still owed much to the lands of Kalimdor.
When the Long Vigil came and the druids retreated to the Emerald Dream, the Order remained at the side of Tyrande Whisperwind, keeping a close eye on the lands they've sworn to protect. For nearly ten thousand years the Order stood true to its oath, protecting Kalimdor whenever the need arose. They flourished, always on the lookout for new members who had the will and strength to pledge servitude to the lands they loved so much. In the following centuries the Order grew into a veritable army, a mighty weapon with which to protect Kalimdor. They were the sword of reckoning that struck down the vile demons that still sought entrance to our world. They were the first and last line of defence during the War of the Shifting Sands. The evils that threatened Kalimdor were numerous, but the Order prevailed. Until the Third War came.
The Third War
The second coming of the Burning Legion, the terrible consequence to their millennia-old error catching up with them. And again, the world was on the brink of destruction. And Kalimdor needed the Order of the Ebon Flame to fulfil the promise it made ten thousand years ago. At the Battle of Mount Hyjal, the Order fought alongside the combined armies of Horde, Alliance and Night Elves. Again, they were the first and last line of defence. They held the demons at bay long enough for Malfurion to summon the ancient wisps. Just as the vile arch-demon Archimonde ascended to siphon the World Tree, Noldrassil, from its energies; the very lifeblood of Kalimdor rose and destroyed Archimonde.
It was a victory for the mortal races of Azeroth, albeit one bought with the blood of tens of thousands of life amongst them the Order of the Ebon Flame, for it appeared that the Order was all but eradicated by the Burning Legion. Ancient Kaldorei legends still speak of the brave men and women who fought for the Order and died for the lands they have sworn to protect.
But the tale of Ebon Flame would not end there. For there was a lone night elf, who survived the Battle of Mount Hyjal. A single soul, tasked with keeping the Flame alive, continuing its legacy. No one knows who this man was and how he came to the illustrious post of Keeper and the Flame. For four long years the Order was presumed dead, giving its last breath in service to Kalimdor. Records of the Order resurfaced when the mysterious Keeper arrived at Teldrassil, suffering from an unknown malice. Whether destiny guided his steps, or by sheer coincidence, in Teldrassil the Keeper met with young Thalos, one of the Shen'dralar Highborne. Feeling the icy grip of death on his shoulder, the Keeper performed his last act to the Order, making sure that it would not die with him: he passed on the Flame to Thalos, along with the responsibility of continuing its legacy. It is said that the moment the Flame bonded with Thalos' soul he saw a vision: ten thousand years' worth of memories of all the past members of the Order of the Ebon Flame flooded his mind. At that moment he understood that he was given a task far greater than one man. At that moment he understood that he was given a purpose. On that very day Thalos became Eleventh and Last Keeper of the Ebon Flame.
Thalos proved himself to be a capable leader. Combining the ancient knowledge of the Shen'dralar and the memories of past Flames imprinted upon him, he began the long and tedious journey of rebuilding the Order. But instead of an order of ancient night elves, it became a band of brothers, still keeping true to the oath past members gave the lands. Just as the Alliance did welcome the night elves into its ranks, so did the Ebon Flame welcome members of the Alliance. In but a few years Ebon Flame became a brotherhood of elves, gnomes, dwarves and humans. Reborn from the ashes of the Third War and eager to continue its legacy, Ebon Flame was ready to face the challenges this new Azeroth provided.
In the years to come, Ebon Flame has proven itself worthy of its ancient legacy: wherever the world threatened by an evil force the Flame was not far. The brotherhood braved the challenges of the Blackrock Mountains. They fought the Dark Iron Dwarves and their master, the fire-lord Ragnaros deep within the Molten Core and emerged victorious. They toppled the reign of the black dragon Nefarian in their campaign against the Blackrock orcs. They fought alongside the Might of Kalimdor when the Old God C'thun awoke in the ancient temple city of Ahn'Qiraj.
When the Dark Portal opened once again, they were amongst the first to step onto Draenor. It was during this time the Alliance accepted amongst their ranks the enigmatic Draenei; an ancient and benevolent race. Adding their strength to their numbers Ebon Flame quickly braved Outland's challenges and put an end to its dreadful master, the demon Illidan Stormrage. Ebon Flame grew and so did its renown: amongst the people the black flame they have chosen for their symbol represented hope, strength and faith that no harm may come to them as long as they are protected by these stalwart champions. Truly, no challenge seemed impossible for Ebon Flame, no force powerful enough to cause it to fall.
Fall From Grace
Thus it came to be that the force necessary to destroy the guild came from within: Thalos, Eleventh Keeper and Lord of the Ebon Flame fell from grace when he pledged his allegiance to the Lich King in the promise of eternal power. It is said the Lich King desired the power of the Ebon Flame, wanted to chain the spirits of the thousands of warriors stored within to his iron will. He plagued Thalos' dreams for months, promising eternal power and the long-awaited fulfilment of the Flame's legacy, in exchange for eternal servitude. Alas, even the strongest of hearts wavers when faced with such promises, and Thalos' was no exception. It is said that in the end he willingly gave his life to the Lich King, abandoning his brothers, his people. The Lich King took Thalos' soul and re-forged him into a mighty weapon of reckoning, a dark champion: a death knight. They say the moment the Lich King broke Thalos' will, the Eternal Flame of the guild halls quivered and died out.
After Thalos' betrayal, Ebon Flame fell into disarray. Internal fighting started over the guild's future. Many members felt disheartened, felt that with its Keeper gone the Ebon Flame would no longer be able to fulfil its duty and would soon cease to exist. Others believed that as long as there are men and women willing to do what's necessary, Ebon Flame would never die; with or without its leader. And again some believed that the battle over Thalos' soul was not over and that he could still be saved from eternal servitude to the Lich King.
It was after many weeks that order was restored to Ebon Flame, thanks to Thalos' seconds-in-command the paladin Maelor and Kinta. Not willing to give up on their leader just yet, they have set Ebon Flame on a new path, one of redemption: they vowed to liberate Thalos' soul from the Scourge's dominion. Thus began a new chapter in the guild's history that would be known as...
The Ebon Redemption
No one knew what they were looking for. No one knew if redemption was even possible. With nothing armed but unwavering faith and indomitable spirit, the Ebon Flame set out to save its leader's spirit. But the quest took a greater toll on the guild than they realized. With each passing month of searching for a way to redeem Thalos fewer and fewer of the Flames believed in their success. Many left during this troubled period, the dreams and hopes they once had for their guild shattered. Even Maelor, who the others have always looked for guidance seemed to distance himself from the Flame. Torn between the loyalty to his friend and leader and his guild, the Prophet fell into deep melancholy; turning to the bottle for salvation. He never truly managed to get over his friend's betrayal, it cost him almost everything, including his one true love, Sofiana.
After nearly a year the faintest glimmer of hope emerged. Ebon Flame came into possession of a rare artifact, called the Memento of Tyrande. Held by the demon Illidan Stormrage, they said that that single flower was all he had left to remind him of his unfulfilled love, Tyrande Whisperwind. For ten thousand years he held onto the memento, never allowing him to forget who he loved the most. This symbol of love in its purest form would be the key to redeem Thalos.
Not much later the Lich King awoke and Azeroth was once again on the brink of destruction. After the initial invasion was forced back, the Horde and the Alliance set to the seas and sailed to Northrend to end the threat of the Scourge once and for all. And as it has done for centuries, the Ebon Flame was at the front lines again.
A few months after their arrival on Northrend the Ebon Flame finally confronted their fallen leader. To this day it is not entirely clear what occurred that day. Scholars theorize that the powers of the Memento of Tyrande somehow resonated within Thalos, reminding him of his own love for his chosen, Calia. This love was what lifted the veil from his eyes and guided him out of the shadows. Once again, Thalos was a Flame.
But his betrayal did not come without a price. Even though the Keeper of the Flame was redeemed, the Eternal Flame remained dead. What's worse, the Lich King has succeeded in his malevolent plan: he chained the spirits of long-dead Flames to his will, granting him an army of ancient and experienced spectral soldiers. Still to this day, the Ebon Flame fights the Scourge relentlessly in the frozen lands of Northrend; their will never failing, their spirit indomitable, vowing to bring the Lich King to justice and free their spectral brethren.
They took an oath centuries ago that they would rise against any evil that threatened the world. And for the first time in ten thousand years it became personal.
