Griffonclaw was born on the "wrong side of the bed" by Lord Mordos Silverlaine, who had held the lands around what is now known as Northtides Hollow before Kel'Thuzad and his Cult of the Damned finally unleashed the plague of undeath upon Lordaeron, and the Archmage Arugal summoned the Worgen to fight them. The family had fled first to Southshore, and then to a more permanent exile in Stormwind.
Lord Mordos acknowledged his bastard son, but when the child's mother died shortly after childbirth, he gave the child up to the Church of the Light, to be reared as one of the Defenders of the Light and take the battle to the Undead now inhabiting their familial lands; in reality, the death of his mistress had soured him on the boy, who was an uncomfortable reminder to his Lady wife of things best forgotten.
Griffonclaw became a ward of the Church of the Light, and spent his first years in the Church-sponsored Orphanage, attending Mistress Danna's school in the daytime. His best friend in the Orphanage was a slender, sneaky fellow named Storvid. Storvid had a talent for taking things which didn't belong to him, and Griffonclaw became adept at defending his friend's body, if not his honor. Storvid would run away from the Orphanage at age fourteen, later to be reunited with Griffonclaw as his servant.
Griffonclaw also would have his first crush on a girl two years his senior, named Damisette Cloyce. Damisette returned his affection, and the three of them became good friends, although Griffonclaw would fall out of touch during his later training in Ironforge.
As he grew he was instructed in the basics of combat by Arthur the Faithful and Woo Ping, showing an aptitude for the blade in spite of knowing that the mace and maul were the preferred weapons of the Defenders of the Light. When he showed himself an indifferent student, he was allowed to apprentice himself in limited fashion to Dane Lindgren, who taught him the basics of working with metal. At age fourteen he was sent to serve as page to Valgar Highforge, where we would continue his education in both the
arts of war and of the forge.
While in the Hall of Mystics he would meet a noviate of Khaz, named Nalani. Her curious devotion to the idea of peace between the Horde and the Alliance would inspire numerous debates between them, eventually leading to more tender feelings.
At the age of seventeen he was sworn into the Order of the Silver Hand, pledged to stand between the defenseless and those who serve the Darkness. As a squire, he would serve Sir Khalven Brightspur, one of Prince Arthas' warband, and accompany his knight when assigned the job of putting down the depredations of the orcs in Lordareon who had escaped the interment camps, stationed in Strahnbrad. They would ride in the van when Arthas and Jaina Proudmore fought the Plague in Brill and Andorhal, and later, Stratholme. Khalven Brightspur was one of the knights that followed Arthas' order to purge the entire town, but Griffonclaw refused to participate, and followed Uther's force after Arthas declared the Order of the Silver Hand disbanded, and all who went with Uther accused of treason.
Masterless and alone, Griffonclaw accepted a place as a common soldier in Jaina Proudmore's force, and sailed for Kalimdor. He fought under Jaina's banner at Stonetalon Peak, and was left for dead, crawling his way off the main field, and killing two orc soldiers who attempted to loot what they thought was his corpse. Using their armor and gear as a disguise, he wandered, joining up again with the combined human/orc army under Jaina and Thrall. He would survive a running defense on the slopes of Mt. Hyjal, and participated in the defensive line whose survivors would ultimately found The Hammer of Magni.
After the battle of Mt. Hyjal, he would spend some time in and around Ratchet, working for the Steamwheedle Cartel as a courier and troubleshooter, carrying small packages and urgent messages; he would establish a trusted relationship with the investors who would open the Gilded Rose in Ratchet at this time. When he chanced to travel to Stormwind, he took oath again, sworn in by Archbishop Benedictus and Lord Grayson Shadowbreaker, becoming a paladin of Stormwind. He completed his errand for the Steamwheedle Cartel, and took up his first assignment at Northshire Abbey.
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