Elthenar Bladedancer is the youngest lord of the Eastern Reaches ever to have worn the mantle of rulership, yet in the decades since donning the sacred Helm of Dawn he has earned the respect of both ally and foe alike. Haughty, arrogant and proud, he is regarded as a fair if oft merciless and cold ruler, yet it is on the field of battle where his true skills come to the fore. Indeed, such is his tactical brilliance and unmatched blade-skills that he has been compared to the great dragon-riding battle kings of old.
Elthenar’s life has been one marred by tragedy, and indeed there are whispers that his bloodline carries with it a terrible curse. As a young child, he was orphaned after a night of darkness and bloodshed, his entire family slaughtered before his eyes. It is said that before that evening he was a carefree child, full of laughter and light, but that all joy in him died, along with his family. Some whisper that it was that night that Elthenar learnt some terrible truth about his lineage, something that has tormented him ever since, but if there is any truth is such words, only Elthenar himself knows.
Personal tragedy and loss have haunted his life ever since that fateful event, claiming his closest friends and all he cares for, including his beloved, who was felled by an assassin’s blade within a year of the pair being wed. While most Elven courts are filled with revelry, brimming with music and laughter, the halls of Elthenar’s court are sombre and silent, filled with nothing but memories and pain. Mirroring their lord’s demeanour, the Elves of the Eastern Reaches have garnered a reputation for being grim and formidable warriors.
There is a darkness within Elthenar that has disturbed the Elders, an all-consuming desire for vengeance, a need of violence that is only barely kept in check. This is only unleashed in war, a pursuit he pursues with great vigour. He has led his armies to countless victories, many against overwhelming odds. Utterly fearless, he leads his armies from the fore, the deadly runesword Deathbringer in his hand. Only in the heart of battle, with the blood of the enemy flowing and the clash of swords deafening does he attain any sense of release from his torment.