Lord Vaeren Duskgrave - The Death Knight
He rides with no herald, no trumpet, no banner. Just ash. And silence. And judgment.
Role in Its Society:
Lord Vaeren Duskgrave is the specter of a broken vow, a once-glorious knight of Highcrest who forsook his oath to the Dawnmarshal during a siege that demanded the slaughter of innocents. Though he refused the order, his hesitation cost the city its defenses, and his beloved was killed during the breach.
Cursed by both divine betrayal and his own guilt, Vaeren rose again—not to save, but to judge. He now rides the roads of Veridya’s war-torn frontier, delivering vengeful justice to oathbreakers, deserters, and warmongers. His sword burns not with fire, but with the reminder of every vow ever broken.
He is not mindless. He is not cruel. He is simply... relentless.
Appearance Description:
A towering knight in tarnished obsidian plate, dented and scarred. His cloak was once crimson—it now hangs like smoke. His helm is fused to his skull, with a gaping maw of flame beneath the visor. Around his gauntlets, glowing oath-runes flare each time he strikes. His greatsword is carved with the names of the fallen—some of them still scream when drawn.
His steed, Ashbane, is a skeletal warhorse cloaked in black iron barding and cinders.
Backstory:
Vaeren was the last Paladin-Commander of the Crimson Bastion, an elite unit tasked with defending Highcrest’s eastern wall. When the council ordered the execution of a refugee caravan to close the gates, Vaeren hesitated. His men disobeyed. The city fell.
Condemned and executed as a traitor, Vaeren’s soul did not rest. The gods turned from him. But a voice in the flames answered: “If they will not bear your truth, let your sword carry it instead.”
He rose that night, bound to war and regret, to avenge every promise broken in the name of peace.
