Gladnar Brightfist

"Yoo an' me, we've been en dire straits our whole career as Lamps. World endin' calamities are jus' part of the resumé".

―Gladnar Brightfist


 * Captain Sir Gladnar Didooten Brightfist, a Clanless Dwarf male, is a veteran Paladin Knight who was recruited into The Lamplighters during the reign of The Curator and in the aftermath of the Department Four Schism. After escaping from a dangerous organisation of assassins and seeking safety in Kalimdor, he was chosen to be a member of the new Circle by the Lamplighter's Director, Control, after the previous Circle was destroyed. Along with his companion and best friend Vyrona "Robes" Swiftshade, Gladnar led the new Lamplighters to counter the machinations of The Curator and brought about the downfall of the rogue Circle Member and his wayward Agents. Following the Curator's defeat, Gladnar aided the guild maintain its neutrality in the breakout of the Fourth War and battle against both the Horde extremist group, The Sylvanas Loyalist Institute, and the Alliance black ops team gone bad, T.A.R.O.T. In the aftermath of the War, Gladnar became the Left Hand of Control and continues to guide The Lamplighters to this day.

Description
Gladnar appears on the surface to be like many other Dwarves of his age and shows the signs of a life well lived. Deep creases run across his face and hands and the streaks of black that run through sections of his beard are the only remnants of their former colour, now gone almost entirely grey or white. It is well-brushed and trimmed and tied in three long military braids, both from his jawline and at either side of his moustache.

However, it is in the subtleties that show there is more to him than a mere doddering old man for the perceptive, well-trained eye to pick up upon. His eyes are round and kind, but focused and sharp as a pin. His hands are rough and callused, used to outdoor work. Salt stains the hem of his captain’s hat; this headwear is not merely an oddity of personality but a declaration of his office. The soft aura that surrounds him shows that he maintains himself well.

Personality
Gladnar is a warm and kind-hearted man with a mischievous streak as long as his beard. Although often stubborn and with a penchant for plans involving explosions, he is in most other ways quite atypical for a Dwarf, having no fondness for ale, gold or metalsmithing whatsoever.

Beneath the numerous mordant jokes and playful demeanor, Gladnar is a brooding, guilt-ridden man who reflects often on his failings and rash actions. He is rather intelligent with a fascination for the cultures and languages of different races, and has a deep wealth of knowledge concerning the seas and sailing in all forms.

Gladnar is a quietly religious man, and perhaps stemming from these tenets, he believes strongly in what he considers to be moral and is often uncompromising in defence of what he judges to be right. He also cares deeply for his friends and Agents (particularly Vyrona and Elera Swiftshade) and protecting them is one of the few reasons he will go against even his own moral code to do what needs to be done.

Early Life

 * Born just after the separation of the three largest Dwarven Clans and the outbreak of the War of the Three Hammers, Gladnar Didooten Brightfist was the eldest child of Freya Merrymane and Daragrim "Doot" Brightfist. The Brightfist's lived in village of Lochside, a verdant little hamlet on the shores of Loch Modan and home to the Clanless; a community subsequently ignored and disdained by the Dwarves of Ironforge. He spent his childhood days playing with his younger brother Duncan and the other boys and girls of his village, sailing, fishing, hiking, playing pretend, chasing farm animals and getting themselves into trouble. Their only worries came from the High Elves who descended from Eversong Woods each summer to live in the Lodge, hunt the wildlife, imbibe too much wine and flushbloom and torment the poorer Dwarves with errant behaviours and irresponsible use of magic. Such activities left Gladnar with a sour feeling towards High Elves throughout his life.
 * To the joy of his parents, Gladnar was accepted as an initiate in the Church of the Holy Light by the Humans who did not look down upon him for being Clanless. During his training, he became smitten with a fiery and passionate Dark Iron woman by the name of Bessica MacHammer and the two were wed in the midst of all the Midsummer Fire Festival celebrations after a courtship that lasted four years. Their honeymoon was a long and exciting adventure across the midst of the Eastern Kingdoms. Little were they to know that these years would be the last they would see the kingdoms intact.
 * To the joy of his parents, Gladnar was accepted as an initiate in the Church of the Holy Light by the Humans who did not look down upon him for being Clanless. During his training, he became smitten with a fiery and passionate Dark Iron woman by the name of Bessica MacHammer and the two were wed in the midst of all the Midsummer Fire Festival celebrations after a courtship that lasted four years. Their honeymoon was a long and exciting adventure across the midst of the Eastern Kingdoms. Little were they to know that these years would be the last they would see the kingdoms intact.

Military Career

 * Now a married man and a full fledged Priest of the Holy Light, the eldest Brightfist joined the fighting against the Orcs in the south when the Dark Portal opened and became one of the first wave of Paladins during the Second. His wife Bessica had her clan forge her husband a sword which she named "Bessie" after Gladnar's pet name for her. It was a beautiful curved two-handed blade and one which Gladnar carried throughout his adventures.
 * Gladnar was involved in several large scale battles during the First and Second War. In order to commemorate many of the narrow misses, close victories and the brothers and sisters they lost along the way, Gladnar and many of his comrades purchased tattoos upon each occasion and whenever they could. This eventually lead to the Dwarf being covered from the neck downwards in intricate and carefully detailed designs; a literal map of his military life on both land and sea.
 * He first achieved the title of Captain during the battles of sea during the Second War due to his capable handling of the Alliance ship The Prowess, steering the ship and her crew to safety after the previous Captain was incinerated by dragonfire during a battle with the Dragonmaw Clan.
 * Though the Silver Hand had been suspended from service before the Third War, Gladnar continued to label his profession as a Paladin throughout the corresponding years and was eventually honourably discharged from active duty just before the assault against the dread fortress Naxxramas in Eastern Lordaeron, now simply known as the Plaguelands. He took up a posting as a teacher and mentor for new Paladins joining the Argent Dawn but tried to make time to return home whenever time was afforded to him. However, he reenlisted towards the end of the Northrend Campaign, despite the wishes of his wife. His reasons however, were unshakable and had nothing to do with any perceived duty to military life.
 * He first achieved the title of Captain during the battles of sea during the Second War due to his capable handling of the Alliance ship The Prowess, steering the ship and her crew to safety after the previous Captain was incinerated by dragonfire during a battle with the Dragonmaw Clan.
 * Though the Silver Hand had been suspended from service before the Third War, Gladnar continued to label his profession as a Paladin throughout the corresponding years and was eventually honourably discharged from active duty just before the assault against the dread fortress Naxxramas in Eastern Lordaeron, now simply known as the Plaguelands. He took up a posting as a teacher and mentor for new Paladins joining the Argent Dawn but tried to make time to return home whenever time was afforded to him. However, he reenlisted towards the end of the Northrend Campaign, despite the wishes of his wife. His reasons however, were unshakable and had nothing to do with any perceived duty to military life.
 * Though the Silver Hand had been suspended from service before the Third War, Gladnar continued to label his profession as a Paladin throughout the corresponding years and was eventually honourably discharged from active duty just before the assault against the dread fortress Naxxramas in Eastern Lordaeron, now simply known as the Plaguelands. He took up a posting as a teacher and mentor for new Paladins joining the Argent Dawn but tried to make time to return home whenever time was afforded to him. However, he reenlisted towards the end of the Northrend Campaign, despite the wishes of his wife. His reasons however, were unshakable and had nothing to do with any perceived duty to military life.

Family Crisis

 * In the aftermath of the Third War, Gladnar's wayward younger brother Duncan had become more and more reclusive in his daily activities. Though he had finally settled into his career as a Mage, he had found some difficulties in his social life and had fallen in with several bad crowds. However in 601 K.C, Duncan joined a group called The Flying Gang, a criminal gang headed by the infamous outlaw, John Mead; the Bane of New Stormwind. Sinking deeper into dark magical studies, Duncan eventually fell into Warlock practices with the situation came to a head when Gladnar joined his family in staging an intervention for Duncan. The intervention escalated into a heated argument and Duncan left the Brightfist household and did not return to Stormwind or any other familiar locations. During this time, John Mead was cornered in an attempted robbery and arrested, making Duncan the de-facto leader of the Flying Gang. Its members quickly scattered from the Human lands are were not heard from again until they appeared to emerge in Northrend.
 * Gladnar re-enlisted and journeyed to Northrend under the Argent Crusade's command upon hearing that Duncan and the remnants of the Flying Gang had moved to the location, and he was determined to find him. Months later, the Lich King was defeated and the news of "Deathwing the Destroyer" returning to obliterate large parts of the world down south emerged. The adventurers and champions of Azeroth abandoned Northrend almost entirely though Gladnar was not ready to be among them. Not only was Duncan still missing, it was around this time that he received something which he'd been expecting for almost half a year. His wife Bessica had decided their marriage could no longer continue and had decided to ask him for separation and divorce.
 * Gladnar re-enlisted and journeyed to Northrend under the Argent Crusade's command upon hearing that Duncan and the remnants of the Flying Gang had moved to the location, and he was determined to find him. Months later, the Lich King was defeated and the news of "Deathwing the Destroyer" returning to obliterate large parts of the world down south emerged. The adventurers and champions of Azeroth abandoned Northrend almost entirely though Gladnar was not ready to be among them. Not only was Duncan still missing, it was around this time that he received something which he'd been expecting for almost half a year. His wife Bessica had decided their marriage could no longer continue and had decided to ask him for separation and divorce.

The N.R.E

 * The elder Dwarf remained in the north, to search for his brother and to mop up the mess left behind. Along with his fellow Knights, as well as an attache from the Ebon Blade, Cenarion Expedition and independent adventurers, Gladnar was made a member of the Northrend Restoration Expedition, known as the N.R.E. The team helped establish and rebuild trade among the natives, acted in the role of a diplomat which the new settlers required and rebuilt old and new bastions of civlisation uprooted by the Scourge, the Horde and the Alliance. Gladnar ensured that he took the time to learn the local languages of the Tuskarr, the Vrykul, the local Furbolg and Frostborn dialects.
 * However his career came to a sudden and abrupt end at the end of a long winter. Due to a terrible tragedy referred to by the Argent Crusade as "The Snowhold Incident".
 * However his career came to a sudden and abrupt end at the end of a long winter. Due to a terrible tragedy referred to by the Argent Crusade as "The Snowhold Incident".

This information has been deleted from the public record by request of the Knights of the Silver Hand and the Argent Crusade.


 * The settlement of Snowhold was completely abandoned and Gladnar was both dishonourably discharged from the N.R.E and expelled from the Silver Hand without military pension.
 * The settlement of Snowhold was completely abandoned and Gladnar was both dishonourably discharged from the N.R.E and expelled from the Silver Hand without military pension.

The Hellrock Campaign
Without money, home, or even his family, Gladnar slipped through several careers after his discharge, and none of them could be described as glamorous or honourable. The most extensive career he embarked upon was with a dangerous group of mercenaries and assassins, hoping to use their resources to seek out his still-absent brother. He eagerly embarked upon work which took him to the far corners of the world, and although he entered with no intentions of forming close bonds with any of the people around him, he found himself becoming close companions to several of the organisation's membership, including three Kaldorei; Vyrona Swiftshade (referred to mainly as "Robes"), her younger sister Elera and the Druid, Yradriel "Dree" Wyrdmoon.
 * Much of the following information cannot be found in public record. However it is accepted by The Lamplighters and its Agents to be factual. Please refer to The Hellrock Campaign main page for a full breakdown.
 * Though in the following years, he did manage to track down and find his brother Duncan...though he does not talk of this much. His fortunes changed when, after escaping from the clutches of assassins who he had recently been in the employ of, he was invited to be a Circle Member in an adventurers organisation called The Lamplighters. He thoroughly enjoyed his time there and established many stalwart friends.
 * Though in the following years, he did manage to track down and find his brother Duncan...though he does not talk of this much. His fortunes changed when, after escaping from the clutches of assassins who he had recently been in the employ of, he was invited to be a Circle Member in an adventurers organisation called The Lamplighters. He thoroughly enjoyed his time there and established many stalwart friends.
 * Though in the following years, he did manage to track down and find his brother Duncan...though he does not talk of this much. His fortunes changed when, after escaping from the clutches of assassins who he had recently been in the employ of, he was invited to be a Circle Member in an adventurers organisation called The Lamplighters. He thoroughly enjoyed his time there and established many stalwart friends.
 * Though in the following years, he did manage to track down and find his brother Duncan...though he does not talk of this much. His fortunes changed when, after escaping from the clutches of assassins who he had recently been in the employ of, he was invited to be a Circle Member in an adventurers organisation called The Lamplighters. He thoroughly enjoyed his time there and established many stalwart friends.