The Order of Fenris

The Order of Fenris
Main Leader	Araxamas Terimidias
Formerly	Maelan Terimidias
Secondary Leaders	None
Race(s)	Human
Capital	Fenris Keep
Other Major Cities	The Shrine of Abagail
Theater of operations	Central Lordaeron
Main Language	Common
Secondary Languages	Dwarven
Sub-group(s)	None
Affiliation	Itself
Reputation
Status	Disbanded
Tabard

The Order of Fenris

The Order of Fenris is Lordaeron's equivilant of Stormwind's Brotherhood of the Horse, The Order of Fenris was however far older than the Brotherhood of the Horse.

History

Foundation

During the crumbling of the mighty empire of Arathor, chaos ensued in the human lands. The people now divided we're ravaged by bandits, and the newly formed 7 Kingdoms, vied for power and land.

Lordaeron, the largest of the new Kingdoms, continually lost engagements with their neighbors, the land of Lordaeron was simply too vast an area, and so their forces we're spread too thinly to mount a proper defence. It is during this period that soldiers on horseback became a solution and to further protect the land, Lordaeron established a large millitary outpost on the Dawning Isles, Fenris Keep.

The Dawning Isles position, right in the middle of Lordaeron's aggressors, Gilneas and Alterac, made it ideal politically and with the added protection of the lake, made it a huge strategic point to hold. The Island Keep simply could not be sieged, and after countless attempts to seize the Isle, Alterac and Gilneas dared not attack Lordaeron again.

The veteran fighters of these Knights decided to form an Order, an Order that would forever protect their nation. The Order of Fenris. It was decided leadership would be passed down from Lord to Lord of Fenris Isle, who would oversee the Orders operations.

At some point, the Order also had underground tunnels built below the island, which lead to various points in Central Lordaeron. These tunnels we're far superior to water travel and far quicker. It allowed the Knights to respond to any situation in rapid time.

The Order of Fenris eventually became a very exclusive band of the most elite fighters in Lordaeron, Even though they operated out of Fenris Keep, the Keep also housed a large garrison of regular soldiers (many whom eventually become Knights of Fenris).

The Second War

During the Second War, The Order of Fenris was crippled and divided when Archbishop Alonsus Faol offered the Order to dissolve itself and become part of the new, Order of the Silver Hand, and take up the hammer of Paladinship.

Maelan Terimidias, the Lord of Fenris Isle, accepted the offer. But when he approached his fellow Knights, About half of them refused, including his own son, Araxamas Terimidias.

Maelan surrendered his title as Lord of Fenris Isle, to his son, He along with his supporters left to join the Silver Hand, while Araxamas and those left remained behind.

From this point onwards, Araxamas lead the order against the Orcish Horde, and despite his father's doubts successfully defended the orcs passage into much of Silverpine and Tirisfal Glades. The impervious defence Araxamas had established became legend amongst the soldiers who fought there.

Despite the Order of Fenris's enourmous contribution to the Second War, the people of Lordaeron had simply forgotten about the once glorified Knights in wake of the new Paladins. The Order of Fenris was humiliated at the Victory Parade in Capital City, when the crowds hardly cheered at all in comparison to their Paladin counterparts.

The Aftermath

Araxamas banished all Paladins from Fenris Isle in outrage. He decided to show the Kingdom that they still needed the Knights, by commiting The Order to capturing all the remaining orcs in Lordaeron, and despite clearing almost every Orc from Central Lordaeron, The People had simply moved on.

When the Orcs rallied and escaped from their camps, when Durnholde was burnt to the ground. The Order of Fenris was there to respond, Araxamas hunted down and eventually killed Orgrim Doomhammer, but even this was not enough. 

Araxamas and the Order of Fenris we're ready to move on the biggest Orc threat yet, The Blackrock Orcs hiding in the Alterac Mountains. But upon requesting the permission to enter Alterac, King Terenas decided to send his son Prince Arthas and Lord Uther to deal with the situation. Even the King had deemed the Order, 'ops elite'.

The Third War

When the Plague errupted in the Northlands, Araxamas by this time, had simply had enough. He didn't 'jump' at the oppertunity for the Knights to be recognised again. They we're exsausted and by this time they we're also tired of proving themselves. When a messager from King Terenas arrived at Fenris Isle, requesting him to rally the Knights, he sent the messenger back, telling Terenas to send the Paladins instead.

Terenas did, He sent his Son, Prince Arthas to investigate the Plague....the news of the severity of the Plague eventually reached Capital City, and Uther himself was sent to Hearthglen to assist. Araxamas still did not move.

Then one day, a messenger came, detailing the suspension of the Silver Hand... This was it, Araxamas thought. This was their time.

The Order of Fenris rallied, The Knights headed North to deal with the Plague. To Defend their nation when the Paladin's couldn't. When they arrived however...there was nothing left to defend. They we're too late to save most of the villages. They fought their way through infested village after infested village, determined to find survivors. But there were none. Then they found Tyrs Hand.

Tyr's Hand had became like a Home to many Paladins, It was the Church-City of Lordaeron, and was the place many, if not all, Warriors went to find the Light and become Paladins. 

The City was barely holding its defences when Araxamas arrived. He did not hesitate to send his Knights in to defend the City, as he was not doing it for them but he was doing it for the people inside, the innocent citizens of Tyrs Hand. The Defenders were dumbfounded, they had been expecting Paladins, and when the group arrived they considered the fall of the city. But it didn't fall. The Knights far exceeded the skill of the Paladin defenders, and when the City was safe and the Paladin reinforcements had arrived, The Order of Fenris left.

The Order returned to Fenris Isle, Araxamas was going to address the Chamber (King Terenas & His Ambassadors) of the severity of the threat, and suggest a new Alliance of Lordaeron be formed to combat it. It was decided to wait until after Arthas's returning parade.

This would prove a fatal mistake.

When Capital City burned, the Survivors fled to the safest place they could think. The impenetrable Fenris Isle. The Knights hesitated opening the gates for a momment, looking down on the wounded, defeated Paladins with a strange sense of satisfaction. If it we're not for the countless civillians with them, they might have simply told them to heal themselves.

The Cremation of King Terenas was held on Fenris Isle. Lord Uther, who was amongst the survivors of Capital City, stocked up on men and resources and left to bait Arthas out with the ashes in Andorhal. He hoped to end Arthas once and for all, and almost all the Silver Hand joined him in the operation. Except Maelan. Araxamas's Father had also survived, and for the first time since the split, The whole Order of Fenris was together again. Paladins and Knights. Maelan sought to repair the vast hatred Araxamas had harbored for him and the Paladins...with little success.

For a time the Knights operated as an evacuation force. They would go to a town, safe civillians, bring them to Fenris Isle. And then from there they would go to Dalaran, and onto Stormwind, Kul'Tiras, etc. They saved many lives. It was eventually discovered Uther and the entire force of Paladins that joined him, had perished before Arthas and his Scourge. 

The Fall of Fenris Isle

It was no mistake Fenris Isle was the most fortified and most difficult place in all of Lordaeron to assault. The Scourgewe're but a mindless mob of undead, and with Arthas invading Quel'Thalas, there was no huge invasion force that could challenge the Keep. 

The Dreadlords who remained to command the Scourge in the nowRuins of Capital City , decided to seek out other means of entry to the Island, whispering to a promising young mage, manipulating his dreams and convincing him of the power of Necromancy and the Scourge. Thule Ravenclaw was this mage, He had been assigned to the Isle by the Kirin Tor to oversee the evacuation of Refugees to Dalaran. To achieve this, Araxamas had reluctantly taught Thule about the ancient tunnels under the keep, which had streched far into Tirisfal Glades, Silverpine and Alterac. It was these tunnels the Knights had used all the long to out manevour not only the Orcs, but Bandits and other enemies to the nation for generations. Thule gave this information to the Dreadlords who discovered the secret tunnel entries in Tirisfal and sent swarms of undead inside... 

In the dark hours of the morning the finest knights and paladins of Lordaeron fought the Undead who poured like water into the Keep from its various tunnel access points. Araxamas ordered the Isle evacuated but many died before they could even lift a blade, the vicious dreadlords had planned the attack in the cover of night while many in the keep slept. Araxamas lead what men he could to the docks where he realised they could never set sail before the Undead over-ran them. His father Maelan knew this also, imbuning himself with Holy Fire, striking at the Undead with all his might, His Paladins joining them as they sacrificed themselves to buy Araxamas and what remained of the Keep, time to flee.

The Scarlet Crusade

Araxamas and his men sailed to Dalaran, hardly any of the Footmen had survived compared to the still sizeable group of Knights. There many had heard of Jaina's expedition west , and some of Araxamas's Knights broke off to join the venture. Many however chose to stay with Araxamas, who chose to travel to Andorhal and search for other survivors like them.

What they found suprised them, A whole group of Survivors, The Scarlet Crusade, erecting the Tomb of Uther the Lightbringer. They travelled to the Scarlet Monestary where Araxamas met the new Highlord of the Scarlet Crusade, Alexandros Mograine . 

Araxamas became the Knightlord of the Scarlet Crusade and was to lead several squads of elite, Scarlet Crusade Knights. He and Alexandos planned for hours on how they would Re-take Capital City, reclaim Lordaeron and purge the Undead. He put aside his hate for the Paladins, the Undead had broken their golden pride Araxamas had hated for so long, and for once he actually hated something else even more, The Undead.

This didn't last long. The Dreadlord Balnazzar secretly brought down the Order from within, not wanting the Scarlet Crusade to become the effective fighting force it would be, He had Alexandros killed, betrayed by his son Renault....Araxamas would come next.

Saidan , the caretaker leader after Alexandros's Death who was also Balnazzar in disguise. Instructed Araxamas and his Knight squads to purge the town of Ambermill in Silverpine. When they arrived however, they we're greeted by Kirin Tor Mages.

When he returned empty handed to Saidan, he was accused of treason. Balnazzar maniuplated one of his Knights to testify that the town had indeed been plagued, and Araxamas was shamed by the Crusade and sentenced to Death.

He along with the Knights who knew the lie, left the Crusade.

The Order of Fenris went their seperate ways. Some joined the Alliance, some ventured to Theramore to join their brothers who had left with Jaina initially. Some we're still in the Crusade, and some, including Araxamas, joined the Argent Dawn....