Recent Changes
First Draft, 8/25
Updates, 9/19
Fleshed out identity of Scourgelord (named, race changed to troll)
Added clarifications surrounding present and future personalities
Added clarifications on the nature of backstory
Minor Updates, 5/18/2020
Updated some recent events, changed tenses as appropriate
 
The Tragedy of Serane Stonehoof
Outline format (with some bits of prose recorded for future use) for now, I might make it more prose-like at some point in the future, if I can do it in a way that makes it interesting. The guts of it are here: Happy moo, dies, becomes death knight, is made to do horrible things. Sad moo. Over time I may add more past events to use as flashbacks and whatnot, but that basic premise will not change.
 
The goal here is to have something small-scale and relatable. Sad, yet visceral. She wasn’t Arthas’ favored and didn’t raze her entire family, their friends, their cats, anyone they ever did business with, etc. Just someone who was in the wrong place at the wrong time and something horrible happened, something particularly horrible for a Tauren. There are people, families, and tribes who have been gravely wounded body and soul by this creature. The road to recovery is long; redemption is possible, but it will be no easy journey.
 
Born in a moderate sized village in Mulgore. Nothing special, just a young shu’halo. Aspiring shaman like her grandmother, had only recently carved her first totems and begun to talk to the elements. Looked forward to learning to run in the wind as a spirit wolf the way calves look forward to a visit from Greatfather Winter.
Sent to Northrend at the request of a family friend to aid three brothers with the war effort there. Tend wounds, keep their camp, patch their gear, etc.
The camp was overrun. She fled and hid, hemmed in on all sides by Scourge soldiers sacking the camp and establishing a garrison for the night. The light of Mu’sha was familiar, but offered little comfort in the cold. The wrath of endless winter was too much; hidden in a mound of snow the young shaman closed her eyes, and died of exposure.
Her body was discovered later by Scourge forces, a strong corpse fit to be put to further use.
“Sometimes, you just get a good one.” While nothing special in her own right, when they raised her and put her through the process of becoming a Death Knight, she came out an obedient soldier particularly deft in chilling foes. Her stark white coat and tall stature made her an imposing figure to enemies.
Largely a member of the rank and file until discovered by a trollish Scourgelord, who we shall call Taz Jedak. Jedak perceived himself to have been the victim of a raw deal in the Barrens (trade supplies destroyed with Camp Taurajo and he was never paid back) and wanted revenge on the Tauren people. The delusional troll would, given his druthers, use the young shu’halo, now named Doomwinter, to lead a force that would bring endless winter to Mulgore. (If there’s a way to fit this into lore, this guy is probably still at large.)
The family who’d originally asked for her aid mustered forces to enact a search and rescue for the three braves and Serane. The three braves were dead, but the team discovered Doomwinter and managed to wrestle her down and subdue her. Once further away from her master, she started to recover a bit of her old self. It was a rough night of misery and difficult conversations, of the recognition of loss, but a deeply disturbed Serane saw Mu’sha’s light again that night, for the first time since her death. Security amongst the hunting party got lax as they started to speak of re-joining the world.
Upon discovering her missing, the Scourgelord sent out ghostly scouts that tracked the party down before they could make their way to a Taunka village and eventually away from Northrend. Upon finding her, he pressed the inescapable call of the Scourge upon this minion. What meager resistance her barely-recovered mind had was no match, and she rose up in the sleepy camp, calling up vile chilling winds and piercing ice as she lashed out at her rescuers. Her ghoul, the remnants of a bright-souled individual of little repute, wailed in anguish as its master compelled it to leap to the attack and it reluctantly obeyed. Two members of the party of six were slain. Two were crippled, hauled to safety by the remaining two. Jedak allowed them to retreat, wanting them to tell the tale to the Tauren people he hated so much. This was the act that caused Doomwinter to bury Serane under layers of cold monstrosity, rarely to be seen again.
Doomwinter’s own family has quietly disowned her, though some inwardly don’t blame her for what was beyond her control. The more warlike family friends spit at the mention of her name. “Serane? My daughter braved that awful place to go and rescue her, and she responded by cutting her down and leaving her to bleed and die in the snow. I have scars that will never heal from that undead monstrosity she keeps as company. There is no Serane. That monster should be burned, and then maybe we can move past this.” - Aleeha Stonetotem, mother of Ahuya Stonetotem, one of the rescue party who did not return from Northrend.
The incident, plus of course the horrors of being a Tauren turned into an abomination in the eyes of the Earthmother, mauled her mind and spirit, all but extinguishing the spark of her soul. It has made rare appearances, but being forced to feel the horrors of what she has become, and what she has done to her own friends and family, she cannot bear the strain. Mental pain turns into fury, and she lashes out with all the destructive force a death knight can muster until the emotion subsides, and she can return to being the obedient soldier.
 
Personality - Past
(This is now past, given IC actions that happened with the Broken Horn tribe)
 
Doomwinter is broken. What there is of Serane shows up infrequently, and in small amounts. She is uncomfortable in large groups of anything but soldiers. She is uncomfortable when it is not clear what she should be doing, though at times she can find some respite in cold or dark places (Mu’sha’s light seems to put her somewhat at ease; the moon stayed with her up until her death, and has not forsaken her as An’she and the Earthmother. Or at least, she is convinced the latter two have).
 
It has been said that becoming a death knight is about the worst fate that can befall a Tauren, and I enjoy playing that out (preferably without hamming it up.) She’s a monster. She hates herself. She keeps going, for whatever reason.
 
Soldier. She followed her orders. Following orders is easy. No thought is involved about the atrocities you’re committing, or what you’ve done. She’d re-join the Scourge tomorrow if she could. Anything to make it so the pain can’t come back again.
Observer. She watches, then acts.
Destroyer. When something is clearly an enemy, she lets out all her monstrous nature and crushes the life from it with cold ruthlessness. This is one of the few times she shows any emotion at all - she was, and still to some extent is, conditioned to take satisfaction in bringing about death and sorrow.
 
Personality - Current
Doomwinter will always be a monster, and will always know that and occasionally act like it. She cannot undo what has been done. That said, she has recovered more of her free will, and is better able to interact with the living and civilians.
 
Doomwinter unbridled. As she spends more time back in the normal world, away from the Scourge, she has developed some personality. She is mostly stoic, quiet, and ruthless when operating under orders.
Personality - Future
(Malleable.)
 
Stage Two - Serane begins to re-emerge. This cannot occur unassisted, and would require a gentle touch, and at least attempting to right what was done. To re-live the past atrocities of her days with the Scourge, and her destruction of her rescuers. To make peace with their spirits and/or their living relatives. To be forgiven and to once again have a link forged with Tauren society, the spirits, the elements. Even if it’s a thin tether, it might be enough to keep her going, working on redemption and protecting the people that she once loved, and will come to love again.
Misc. Notes
On spirit animals: I envisioned a wolf for her, since she’d always been interested in being a spirit wolf. As far as scenes go, could be interesting sometime to witness her spirit wolf being destroyed, since she was killed and subsequently raised in undeath. Possibly by some sort of death-inclined creature. Should she ever be redeemed, and start to grow once more as far as her spirit, perhaps a wolf or wolf cub would make its return to grow with her.
On Death Knights and souls (TL;DR: Undead have souls, they’re attached to the body, just wrong)

Apprentice Shaman

Brave of Shattered Horn Tribe

Quest of Awakening: Following a spirit-led quest in Northrend, the spirit of her former self has risen from ember to flicker

Camp Overrun: While at a moderate sized camp of soldiers during the war, she failed to escape before the camp was encircled by Scourge. She managed to hide in the snow, but could not escape, and was dead of exposure by morning. Destruction of Masses: On the field of battle in the Third War, Doomwinter and other minions cut down many. Obliteration of Kua'he: One of her first missions was the absolute annihilation of Kua'he Village, a Taunka settlement in Northrend. So utter and brutal was the destruction that it haunts the death knight to this day, just as the spirits of the fallen still haunt the hills and crags near the village.

Recovering; for now, she will do the abhorrent if it advances the cause, though she's not a zealot about it.

Re-attach to Tauren culture. Find a purpose other than destruction. Lessen the pain and guilt.

Savvy: Getting to the root of things, not losing focus. Ineptitude: Empathy remains a challenge

Likes: Cold, darkness, quiet, the light of the moon. Dislikes: Reminders that she's an outsider, being told "stop being that way."

Quirk: Prone to drawing or doing origami while thoughtful and at peace

Shattered Horn Tribe survivors; disowned by most Stonehoof

Whatever shinies her ghoul picks up following encounters, it's enough to trade for needed supplies

Many have disowned her utterly, some accept that she did not choose what she became

Death comes for everything

Recovering. At her best, thoughtful, at her worst, prone to anger. Depends on social contacts.

Cryptstalker the ghoul remains her most loyal ally, despite her often disinterested treatment of it.