Journal of Evangelyne de LaCroix

[Missbliss]

An aged worn out journal with leather binding. If you're reading this, it's either because it's owner is showing it to you, it's been lost, or Evangelyne de LaCroix has fallen. (obvsly it's public and anyone can read, but for IC reasons consider this disclaimer)

No family, no allies to speak of, I wandered so far from home. My mother gave me this sword to protect myself, but as much as I cherish it, I wish that I had her instead. Why am I writing this? I am just a sellsword from Lordaeron. I could die tomorrow in battle and no one would even know or care. Maybe that's why I'm writing this. Maybe I hope that at least, if I die, someone will read this and know that I was alive once, and that I tried to live despite having lost everything.

I started my journey in Elwynn Forest, taking a room at the inn in Goldshire. The people here are troubled by bandits and aggressive wildlife, and horde marauders and bandits often pass through here to pillage the tent camps set up in the centre of town. At least for a sellsword like myself, it's good business. There's no shortage of work here, though it becomes increasingly dangerous each day I remain involved in these affairs.

Nonetheless, I should mention that my faith in God and the Light are strong. I can thank my parents for that. They were loving and good people. I will write more of them, lest their memory dies with me. Strange... So many people I know have died in the previous wars... Am I the only one who is alive to remember them? Maybe that's another reason for me to keep going.

I also found this gnomish device which takes pictures, so I'll be using it to document my travels. I used a tripod to take this one. It's me standing in front of the Goldshire Inn. Lion's Pride inn, I think it's called. This marks the start of my adventure. May the light protect me.

[Missbliss]

Battle of Stonewatch Keep

I headed to redridge, hearing about a recent orc invasion. I have utter disdain for orcs, as they killed many of my family members during the second war. I find their culture and way of life to be incompatible with humans, as they are not of this world but of another much darker one. Given this chance to take some revenge upon them, I felt grateful and thanked God. As well as an opportunity for glory and righteous vengeance, it also had the potential to be very profitable...

When I arrived, as usual I made my way to the inn and town hall, asking about the situation and the local land owners. As a test of my mettle, they had me go into the wilderness for various tasks such as killing murlocs or dragon whelps. Dragon whelps I'm fine with, but I always hate dealing with murlocs, and they seem to have infested everywhere. On land they are easy enough alone, but the cowardly wretches always run towards their allies. Under the water they are even more dangerous, since that is their element. I've learned my lesson over the months and have prepared for this with some potions that I've concocted. Thanks to that, I was able to deal with the murlocs safely and easily. I would warn anyone in the water that they can very easily drown. Just recently a mercenery friend of mine died from drowning. It was very sad and I miss her very much.

Anyway, after the murlocs, the time finally came to begin what I sought out to do. I had learned from the guards that the orcs had recently rushed through the gate of the Burning Steppes, and shortly after took the nearby keep of Stonewatch. It was their that they were building their forces to attack Lakeshire. They had set ambushes along the road, and I was tasked to go and clear them so travelers and supplies could pass undisturbed.

I was disheartened to see how great their numbers were, and realized there was little I could do by myself. By the grace of God, I came across 2 other mercenaries who had the same contract, and we decided to work together. I wasn't keen on splitting the reward, but as a mercenary it's always more profitable to remain alive. We didn't bother introducing ourselves, but one of them was a dwarf who seemed to harness the light as well as I did. The other man was a human, and his size and strength were impressive, as was the two-handed axe he wielded.

After clearing the ambushes, we felt ambitious. It was suggested that we go to the keep and take the head of Tharil'zun. It would be no easy feat, but my new friends and I were very brave. It was agreed we would do it and we set off.

We went around to the north side of the keep, where a few orcs guarded the gate. We managed to sneak close to them and killed them without alerting the main force. It helped that we weren't the only adventurer's there. The others who were attacking the keep provided a nice distraction which allowed us to fight deep into the courtyard of the keep. We eventually came to a place where we expected Tharil'zun to be. We planned to ambush him, but as we were in wait, it was He who came upon us unexpected. We were busy trading supplies and exchanging pleasantries, and from this I learned another valuable lesson: ALWAYS REMAIN VIGILANT!

Fearing defeat, we called retreat, and I skidded down the side of the mountain which the keep sat upon - right into a gnoll camp! I didn't have time to see if my friends were behind me. Battered from my fall, and with a band of bloodthirsty gnolls behind me, I felt like this was the end. With a silent prayer I sprinted and jumped into the river, letting it's flow carry me downstream. The gnolls stood at the shoreline snarling, unwilling to go into the water. I learned another new thing - gnolls can't swim. I am grateful to God and the Light for protecting me.

Luckily, my compatriots had the same idea, and we met up downstream on the shore of the river. After a short rest where we licked our wounds, we began marching back. We weren't done. It wasn't much debate before we decided we would make another attempt on Tharil'zun. As we came around the hill, we discovered what appeared to be an old highway leading to the south entrance to the keep. We followed it, coming to a bridge guarded by more savage orcs. They came upon us and we cut them down, fighting our way across the bridge. Orc bodies fell into the valley as we slew them one after another, until the climax of our battle which happened at the south gate. Their sentries there hit hard, but I had no fear, for God is my shepherd and the light protects me. It was His will that I would join forces with this dwarf paladin, who brought me back from the edge of death more than once during this battle. Many would have turned tail and ran, but I would rather die with my dignity intact.

Afterwards we briefly rested at the gate of the keep, orc bodies and their blood spattered across the grass and cobble. Tharil'zun still lay within, and there were doubts that we would be able to defeat him. We had no idea how strong of a warrior he was, and what we had faced so far had nearly killed us. If he was any stronger, it could be the end, and surely many have tried to kill this orc before and failed. Before going inside again, I got on my knees and prayed. Surely my allies thought me mad for doing so, but I always pray before important battles, and here I am still alive. My faith told me that we would be enjoying some well-deserved rest in Goldshire before the night was through.

In the end, we were victorious. Tharil'zun was surprised when we killed his guards easily and ran him through. It was much easier than the battle at the gate, and afterwards we took his head back to Lakeshire as our trophy. We were rewarded handsomely with silver, weapons, and armor. Thanks to us and other adventurers, we prevented the orcs from attacking Lakeshire. Some of the demons still remain in the keep, but it will take them some time to reinforce their army. Surely there will be another 'Tharil'zun' to lead them. Orcs are competitive, and the place will quickly be filled after a short bout of chaotic violence.

Regardless, I feel as if I've done enough in Redridge for now. My purse is heavy, my sword sharpened, and my appetite sated. God is good. I am grateful and happy, and look forward to my next adventure in in the land of Westfall.

Before I left, I wanted to take a picture of the keep with my camera, so I headed back in the evening on my way out of Redridge. It was a memory I won't soon forget.

[Missbliss]

*The page this journal entry is written on is stained with tears*

The tensions between defias and the people's militia is mounting. Soon there will be a battle, and I would never tell anyone but I'm afraid. I'm afraid I won't survive. I don't want to be just another casualty of war who is forgotten. If my parents are watching me I hope they understand if I don't make it. I want them to know that I tried my best. I want them to see that I never gave up hope. I kept going to the very end. I want them to know that even though neither of them were perfect I still loved them, and I hope they loved me.

It's too late for all that now. I have to get it together. Tonight was a rough night but I did the right thing and I'm proud of myself for it. I just have to hold onto my faith and believe that God will guide me along the correct path. I don't believe I would've come this far just to die now. I still have to go to Lordaeron. I still have to fight for my home. I can't die in Stormwind's wars. My purpose is greater than that! I still have more people to help. I can do more good in the world.

Well, that's enough. I just needed to get these things off my chest. Friends are few and far between in my line of work. At least I have this journal to talk to.

[Missbliss]

The Defias Messenger

The time had come for me to return to Westfall, so I did, getting another contract from The People's Militia to intercept a messenger of the Defias. He was to be found walking along the west road between Moonbrook and Jangalode mine, so I went to the entrance of the Gold Coast Quarry and waited for him there.

I waited long into the evening sitting on a fence which ran along the road. I looked over at the Sun setting behind the sea's horizon and found it to be very beautiful. Everything glowed a fiery orange until finally it sank behind the sea and night fell upon Westfall.

I was beginning to become concerned. There was no sign of the messenger, so I decided to patrol the road instead of waiting. Perhaps he had been informed that the message would be intercepted and took a different route, or so I thought.

As I came upon a more secluded part of the road, shadowed by two small hills, I heard a feint noise and suddenly got the feeling I was being followed. I turned around, but only the night was before me. I squinted my eyes at the darkness until I heard a whipping sound behind me. I turned around just in time and took a step backwards. The tip of a sword barely missed my face, and a man in a red bandana then stood before me. I drew my own sword in response.

"Why are you looking for me?" He asked me, holding his blade between us. I could tell by his stance and the way he held his sword that he was no skilled swordsman. He was young, but older than me. Perhaps in his mid 20s, with brown hair I remember.

"I didn't know you were the defias messenger, but I assume that's who you are?" I mocked him a bit, and it got to him. He growled at me, swinging again at me which I parried before stepping back. "Lay down your sword and surrender. I don't intend to harm you." I warned him.

"Ha! Surrender? Why, so you can take my message and foil the plans of the defias? You nobles will never understand. The brotherhood is greater than any one of us! I'd gladly die for the cause!" He attacked me again with more vigor. He was young and aggressive and becoming more dangerous.

"Noble? You misunderstand. I'm just a sellsword for Stoutmantle." I explained to him, "And you should think twice about throwing your life away so recklessly." I parried another of his blows, this time stepping behind his leg and shoving him hard with my shoulder. It was a move that I learned from a Scarlet Crusader that was quite effective. He fell down and dropped his sword, clearly surprised that such a small woman had knocked him over. He scrambled, picked his weapon up and got to his feet. I didn't intend to finish him, I just wanted him to know that I could. "Well?"

"Ha..." He laughed at me bitterly, "What value is my life to people like you all of a sudden? No one cared when my mother died because my father couldn't afford medicine for her. We've always been disposable to the nobles, stoutmantle included! At least with the defias, I can die with some dignity!" He attacked again, and for a moment I hesitated. I didn't know how to respond to him. I blocked his slashes but he was forcing me backwards. He was gaining momentum and it was getting dangerous.

"Stop! What are you talking about? What does your father not being able to afford medicine have to do with anything?!" I asked him

"Are you stupid? Don't you know anything? My father helped rebuild Stormwind and was never paid! He lost everything because of it and when he joined the defias he was punished! You think I'll surrender just so I can end up like him? Never!"

He swung harder, and despite his lack of skill, his size, strength, and aggression were beginning to wear on me. I counted his rhythm and waited for the precise moment. He swung and I ducked and stepped behind his strike, using his own momentum to push and throw him face first onto the ground. He was still for a moment before groaning and stumbling to his feet, leaving his sword on the ground.

"Are you alright? Are you done?" I asked him. I was starting to breath heavily. He turned around, and I saw him reaching into his sleeve. I saw something metal gleam in the moonlight. I tried to warn him; to get him to stop. I think I yelled "Don't!", but it all happened so fast. I saw the flash of steel as he ran towards me, pulling his dagger back as he prepared to rush me and impale me with it. I didn't want to kill him, but I couldn't wrestle with him again, not with that dagger in his hands. I stepped back and parried his blade away, but his weight was still coming forward. I remember the shock in his eyes as I ran him through his chest with my sword. He tried to stab me again even after that, but I grabbed his wrist. I could feel his strength leaving him as he fell before me and my blade slid out of him. Hi body fellt limp on the ground and blood began to pool around him. I stepped back and watched as he died. I didn't know what to think or say. It wasn't the only human I'd ever killed, but I felt the fear of God creep into me as I wondered if I had committed some horrible sin. I can only pray for forgiveness now.

What am I even doing in Westfall? Why am I fighting my fellow man when my homeland is in ruins? I can't go now. I'm too involved, and I gave my word to Stoutmantle that I would see this through to the end. I only hope that I can help bring peace to these lands, and that I'm not unintentionally making things much worse.

Afterwards, I searched his body and found a sealed message that had yet to be delivered. Could this be the message that he was delivering? I wondered. I couldn't leave his body on the road, so I took it behind the hill and put rocks and twigs around him, hopefully enough to keep wild animals at bay until the morning when a proper burial could be arranged. After all that, I returned to Sentinal Hill.

[Missbliss]

Evangelyne was murdered by troll scum inside the Goldshire inn. When she heard them talking about not having friends, she felt compassion and buffed one of them without realizing they were PvP flagged. The troll was disguised as human and as soon as she became flagged he murdered her for literally no reason. Of course, the troll wil face no consequences for this because he is a coward who murders for his own malice while afraid to risk his own life like Evangelyne did. The consequence is his own hell that's he's created for himself in WoW, logging into gank and wasting his time. Not Evangelyne, though. He freed her from the hell that is Azeroth and thanks to him she uninstalled the game and will never return. The Light is good, the light is Holy. This is a blessing.

---

The moment she 'died', Evangelyne woke up in another universe; A better universe. It was a universe where the canon made sense and the models weren't so cartoonishly stupid, that if you were actually living in that universe, you would feel like something is seriously fucked up. It would be like God made some horrible aweful mistake that needed to be fixed. Realizing this, she could totally understand why the burning legion wanted to destroy everything.

She stretched her arms in the air and yawned, the horrible experience quickly fading from her mind like a bad dream. In this universe she was glad that Azeroth wasn't real and couldn't imagine living or existing or even roleplaying in such a god awful stupid place.

She looked forward to the new adventures before her, the ones that would make sense and not exist in a stupid game world hell full of straight up [REDACTED]

[Mac]

Sorry to hear you lost your hardcore character, especially the way you did, but it’s great you kept a journal for them.

Better luck on your next character!

[Missbliss]

Sorry to hear you lost your hardcore character, especially the way you did, but it’s great you kept a journal for them.

Better luck on your next character!

thank you but i won't be making a next character. This was too sad for me. I didn't even mention all the friends and the romance that Eva was looking forward to before her life was cut short. I'm not into writing snuff or murder stories really I wanted to write something hopeful and inspiring and it was just a major disappointment. Nobodies fault but it sours my opinion and I don't want to go through it again.

[Mac]

Well, that's really sad to hear then. But I've also lost hardcore characters that I was attached to so I know how that goes. I found rage-deleting the game and then redownloading it a week later or so helps.

At any rate, thank you for the stories and take care!

[Maesus]

Edit: I'm wrote this several hours after your last post, so hopefully I'm not stirring the fire here, but I do like to snoop and I'm a little bit of a devil's advocate.

Oh man, I feel for you. The connection you feel to your character is very sweet and I understand it must sting to lose her, but... I just wanted to look up some details, but now I have to ask... Did the ganker actually know that you are HC?

I looked up Evangelyne in the Harcore list, but it only gave me Evangelyn, a human paladin 26, dead.
So I went to look up Evangelyne on Armoury - a level 7 high elf mage. So I have to assume your Evangelyne de LaCroix is Evangelyn in-game.

Now, Evangelyn was not in Still Alive. I checked a random living HC character, their guild showed up on their Armory page. I checked a random dead HC character, their guild still showed up on their Armory page...

Evangelyn wasn't in any guild at all. Undertandable for the RP reasons, of course, but if you're not in a HC guild, how can people tell if you're HC? I can only recognize HC players based on Still Alive, Going to Death and Cold Embrace (I don't even know if there are any more)

I read through your post about it on Suggestions, you never mentioned that you told this ganker you are HC...?

I mean, I really do understand the loss of a character you're attatched to, I made plenty of those, but... If you leave Still Alive, you kind of have to accept the responsibility of being on your own, actually paying attention if the people you interact with are PvP or not.

I still agree with some sort of punishment for people who gank HC characters, but that's on a case-to-case basis.
And in this case, I am lead to believe that the ganker simply did not know you're HC... Sucks, big time, but what else can you say?

[Maesus]

Edit: I wrote this several hours after your last post, so hopefully I'm not stirring the fire here, but I do like to snoop and I'm a little bit of a devil's advocate.

Oh man, I feel for you. The connection you feel to your character is very sweet and I understand it must sting to lose her, but... I just wanted to look up some details, but now I have to ask... Did the ganker actually know that you are HC?

I looked up Evangelyne in the Harcore list, but it only gave me Evangelyn, a human paladin 26, dead.
So I went to look up Evangelyne on Armoury - a level 7 high elf mage. So I have to assume your Evangelyne de LaCroix is Evangelyn in-game.

Now, Evangelyn was not in Still Alive. I checked a random living HC character, their guild showed up on their Armory page. I checked a random dead HC character, their guild still showed up on their Armory page...

Evangelyn wasn't in any guild at all. Undertandable for the RP reasons, of course, but if you're not in a HC guild, how can people tell if you're HC? I can only recognize HC players based on Still Alive, Going to Death and Cold Embrace (I don't even know if there are any more)

I read through your post about it on Suggestions, you never mentioned that you told this ganker you are HC...?

I mean, I really do understand the loss of a character you're attatched to, I made plenty of those, but... If you leave Still Alive, you kind of have to accept the responsibility of being on your own, actually paying attention if the people you interact with are PvP or not.

I still agree with some sort of punishment for people who gank HC characters, but that's on a case-to-case basis.
And in this case, I am lead to believe that the ganker simply did not know you're HC... Sucks, big time, but what else can you say?

[Missbliss]

Edit: I wrote this several hours after your last post, so hopefully I'm not stirring the fire here, but I do like to snoop and I'm a little bit of a devil's advocate.

Oh man, I feel for you. The connection you feel to your character is very sweet and I understand it must sting to lose her, but... I just wanted to look up some details, but now I have to ask... Did the ganker actually know that you are HC?

I looked up Evangelyne in the Harcore list, but it only gave me Evangelyn, a human paladin 26, dead.
So I went to look up Evangelyne on Armoury - a level 7 high elf mage. So I have to assume your Evangelyne de LaCroix is Evangelyn in-game.

Now, Evangelyn was not in Still Alive. I checked a random living HC character, their guild showed up on their Armory page. I checked a random dead HC character, their guild still showed up on their Armory page...

Evangelyn wasn't in any guild at all. Undertandable for the RP reasons, of course, but if you're not in a HC guild, how can people tell if you're HC? I can only recognize HC players based on Still Alive, Going to Death and Cold Embrace (I don't even know if there are any more)

I read through your post about it on Suggestions, you never mentioned that you told this ganker you are HC...?

I mean, I really do understand the loss of a character you're attatched to, I made plenty of those, but... If you leave Still Alive, you kind of have to accept the responsibility of being on your own, actually paying attention if the people you interact with are PvP or not.

I still agree with some sort of punishment for people who gank HC characters, but that's on a case-to-case basis.
And in this case, I am lead to believe that the ganker simply did not know you're HC... Sucks, big time, but what else can you say?

((Thank you for replying and being understanding. Yes, I was in Still Alive, and this person did know that I was hardcore, or at least he didn't stop to look or consider. I can't explain why it doesn't show that I was a part of Still Alive, but I was. My friend is in that guild and he can vouch for it.

I didn't get the chance to tell this person that I was hardcore. Literally it all happened within the span of like 2 minutes immediately after I logged back in, where I was in the upstairs of the Goldshire Inn. I saw a night elf and human sitting at a table talking. I assumed they were roleplaying, until the night elf mentioned something about friends and I thought they were saying they didn't have any friends, so I felt bad and buffed them not realizing they were flagged. The human was a troll in disguise and before I knew what happened I was getting attack. I didn't have time to say 'no please don't kill me i'm hardcore' because I was killed in something like 2 or 3 hits. Afterwards he was /laugh(ing) and saying that people grats him in chat when he kills hardcores.

Also this is all I will say OOC in this thread because I don't want it to get locked. I just wanted to clarify what happened. I'd like people to be able to reply to the thread if they want to say anything about the character or her story.

[Missbliss]

And like many people who's holidays are tainted by grief, those who knew Evangelyne will be no different. She was a good girl, perhaps misguided. She wanted to make the world a better place. She believed in showing mercy and kindness to people, and being understanding even if she had her own tendencies to judge prematurely. She hated violence despite doing it for a living, hoping to one day enjoy a peaceful life.

Survived by no family, only those who were lucky enough to meet her along her journey will remember her as the kind cheerful girl that she was. Saelis, the high elf who she met in Goldshire, and the one she planned to arrest Vancleef with. Robert, the man who vied for her heart and perhaps could have meant something to her. Timothy, the orphan she adopted from the orphanage and took on as squire.

These short bittersweet memories, held by these people, are the only things that Survive of Evangelyn after she was so brutally and heartlessly murdered by a troll that never should have even been in Goldshire in the first place. A gift from God who came to shine light in the world, snuffed out by an evil man full of malice, for no reason whatsoever but for his temporary enjoyment.

Such is the nature of this world. Justice is not dished out fairly, the righteous can suffer while the wicked prosper. Someone as innocent and loving as Evangelyn can die so horribly, after having suffered so long and holding onto just the smallest bit of hope for at least a meaningful death. She is denied even that.

Nothing is new under the sun. Time and chance happen to us all, and the righteous and the wicked alike are judged. All there is to enjoy the pleasures in life given each day, to drink laugh and be merry, and to celebrate life for every precious moment that it gives us. This is what Evangelyne represented and this is how she would have wanted people to remember her.

No more was she beloved to anyone than she was to me, her creator. I loved her innocence and her boldness. Her courage, tenacity, and her strong conviction to speaking life and hope to people rather than despair. I am deeply hurt that she could not find herself in this world; Couldn't find her purpose, or achieve what she wanted. I am angry and bitter towards it but I know that Eva has her wings now and can fly wherever she wants. She's not restrained by the confines of this one world, but rather can inhabit many. Like I mentioned this is just a bad dream to her, and now that she's woken up she can look forward to the future with her bright gleaming blue eyes and continue to hope and dream and love life like I created her to do.

Thanks.

[Gladeshadow]

I didn’t personally quest with Evangelyne, but I did quest with others who knew her, like Saelis. I enjoyed the story, especially acknowledgement of fighting for the “evil” side in the Defias quest line.

I also RP as hardcore. Though the danger of NPCs is significant, it is always the danger of other players that is greatest. Griefers are clearly disturbed individuals - and that’s putting it kindly. More could be said, but I’m not trying to get this post deleted!

Azeroth is a brutal world. It’s always something I struggle to remember since the cartoony graphics belie this fact. Yet I’m always reminded of the viciousness of it on a daily basis. If the graphics corresponded to the bleak nature of Azeroth, I think a lot of players would be turned off by the whole thing.

I think your story might not only serve as a cautionary tale but also as one of inspiration. Many of us who play are idealists; we want to make not only a more just and fair Azeroth, but a more just and fair real world as well. While the real world most of us live in is less gory than Azeroth (depends where you live, really), I always remember it is home to many who frankly care about others as much as that troll cared about Evangelyne. It’s a tough place.

I thank you for sharing your well worth remembering story.

[Mac]

I didn’t personally quest with Evangelyne, but I did quest with others who knew her, like Saelis. I enjoyed the story, especially acknowledgement of fighting for the “evil” side in the Defias quest line.

I also RP as hardcore. Though the danger of NPCs is significant, it is always the danger of other players that is greatest. Griefers are clearly disturbed individuals - and that’s putting it kindly. More could be said, but I’m not trying to get this post deleted!

Azeroth is a brutal world. It’s always something I struggle to remember since the cartoony graphics belie this fact. Yet I’m always reminded of the viciousness of it on a daily basis. If the graphics corresponded to the bleak nature of Azeroth, I think a lot of players would be turned off by the whole thing.

I think your story might not only serve as a cautionary tale but also as one of inspiration. Many of us who play are idealists; we want to make not only a more just and fair Azeroth, but a more just and fair real world as well. While the real world most of us live in is less gory than Azeroth (depends where you live, really), I always remember it is home to many who frankly care about others as much as that troll cared about Evangelyne. It’s a tough place.

I thank you for sharing your well worth remembering story.

That's a very nice eulogy.