Sigmar Vaughan

''((Dates given refer to the original Human calendar in Warcraft: Orcs and Humans. However, discrepancies exist between the original timeline given in the Warcraft: Orcs and Humans manual and the timeline given now. For this reason, the original Human timeline has been modified to fit the World of Warcraft timeline.''

For reference: Year 1 in World of Warcraft is the year 593 by the Human calendar. Year 1 (593) is the beginning of the First War. Year 7 (599) is the beginning of the Second War. Year 21 (613) is the beginning of the Third War. Year 25 (617) is the beginning of World of Warcraft. Year 27 (619) is the current year of World of Warcraft.))

= Information = Full Name: Sigmar Vaughan

Nickname: Sig

Title: Former Captain of the Lordaeron Army

Guild: Circle of the Bloodraven

Rank: Accepted

Race: Human

Class: Paladin

Professions: Engineering and Mining

Age: 47

Hair: Light brown

Eyes: Dark brown

Height: Slightly less than two meters

Weight: 203 lbs.

Birthplace: Elwynn Forest

Alignment: Lawful Good

= Appearance & Personality =

Way of Life
Sigmar serves the people before the Light. He follows morals before words. He cleanses the mind before the body. His ultimate principle is that everything is relative: Sigmar will not force his belief in the Light upon others, but he does attempt to introduce ethical standards. Similarly, laws shall be followed, unless breaking them would have a benefit for the greater good without detrimental effects. He is heavily opposed to corruption and injustice within the Alliance and the Church of the Light itself, and has on more than one occasion taken his voice to the Cathedral in attempts to right what he believes is wrong.

Physical Appearance
Sigmar’s head is quite bald, with the exception of a thick, light brown mustache. His dark brown eyes sometimes seem to be almost black, and his gaze holds little information. His face is marked and pitted, and physically he appears to be in his mid-to-late 50’s, though in actuality he is 47. His expression is either blank or grave; rarely does he crack a smile or shed a tear. A few usually unseen attributes include many small scars on his chest and back, and a single long scar that runs from the back of his right hand halfway to his elbow.

Apparel
Sigmar is most often seen in his full suit of battle armor, which consists of worn, yet still formidable, gold and yellow plate. The sheets of metal bear the seal of the destroyed nation of Lordaeron, and their design seems to be consistent with that of a Lordaeron Army officer's armor.

In the rare occasion that Sigmar does not wear his armor, a simple white shirt is oft accompanied with brown pants and black boots; he does not prefer to stand out.

Formally, Sigmar’s guild tabard depicts a black background ringed in white vines. The tabard is the current one of his guild, Circle of the Bloodraven. However, on the battlefield, the tabard is replaces by an older, ragged one. This piece of cloth is blue, also outlined in white. The center holds a black and white, eight-pointed, radiant star. Occasionally, Sigmar will wear a third tabard, one of the Scarlet Crusade. He has never given a reason for doing so.

Other pieces of note include a large jeweled ring, a small silver ring, a necklace crafted from a massive tooth, and a large pouch that holds various trinkets and devices.

Weapons
Fjor’din: This hammer, retrieved from the body of a dead Scarlet Crusader, holds potent healing powers within its steel surface. It was untainted when Sigmar retrieved it, and therefore did not require the normal cleansing techniques that the paladin usually undertakes. Though a formidable weapon of war, the hammer’s primary use is as a conduit for the powers of the Light, providing Sigmar with assistance while aiding his comrades-in-arms. Fjor’din is the best pronunciation of the runes inscribed on the mace’s handle. The name itself is ancient Dwarfish, possibly tracing from the original language of the Earthen. To the best knowledge of Dwarven historians, Fjor’din roughly translates into Common as either, "That Which Sprouts From Order," or "That Which Brings Order."

Sunder: Sunder is the third of Sigmar's weapons to hold the name. It is a massive blade, crafted from a strange material, unknown to most geologists. Little is known about the blade, except for a tiny inscription on the flat surface:

Sunder, the Ashbringer as it Should-Have-Been

Sigmar also owns other weapons, including a single-handed mace and a battered shield of Lordaeron.

= History =

Sigmar Vaughan was born in the year of 574 on a small plot of land in Elwynn Forest. Upon this land, the Vaughans made a living as farmers, and Sigmar spent his childhood and early adult life on the farm. He knew nothing of war, or death, or violence, until the first Orcish raids began. His family continued to work the land even though the Orcish menace lay not a few leagues to the east in the Black Morass. When the First War did break out, Sigmar left to enlist into King Wrynn’s forces. He was placed as a guard of Stormwind Keep until King Llane was granted the leadership, who then committed even greater numbers of his army to the front lines. Throughout the war, however, Sigmar did not fight often, as the few battles that he did take part in were no more than skirmishes.

Despite the valiant efforts of the Humans of Azeroth, the Orcs succeeded in razing Moonbrook, Goldshire, and finally Stormwind Keep itself. Sigmar and his family joined Lord Anduin Lothar and set sail across the Great Sea in the Exodus, eventually landing in Lordaeron where Sigmar again became a soldier and his family founded another farm on the outskirts of Tirisfal. When the Orc juggernaut reached Lordaeron, Sigmar was not confined to skirmishes: he played his part in some of the more important fights of the Second War, including that which broke the Horde’s grip on Khaz Modan, and the Battle of Blackrock Spire. Though he did not know any of them personally, Sigmar fought under the direct command of Lord Lothar, Turalyon, and Grand Admiral Daelin Proudmoore during the last months of the war.

Sigmar became an official citizen of Lordaeron following the Second War, and took up several positions in the many years of peace that had finally come to Azeroth. Directly after the destruction of the Horde, Sigmar was stationed as a guard at an Orcish internment camp, but soon left the post when he was given an honorable discharge from the Alliance military. Following this, he rejoined his family in Tirisfal and gladly returned to his roots as a farmer. In a few short months, though, the Alliance called upon volunteers and veterans to join the Alliance Expedition that was heading for Draenor; eager to once again fight for the cause of the Alliance, Sigmar offered his skills as a solider, and was ready to enlist. However, only a few days before the expedition was to depart, Sigmar had a chance encounter with the Dalaran mage Khadgar, one that would alter the course of his future.

The location and time of his meeting with Khadgar have become lost to Sigmar, for reasons unknown to him. He only remembers the words the the wizard spoke.

''“I know not why, but the winds of magic decree that you will not go to Draenor, and that you will not join this expedition. The world holds another purpose for you, Sigmar Vaughan. Your destiny is not here.”''

Khadgar had the veteran honorably discharged from the Alliance forces once again. Sigmar, somewhat ashamed that he could not fight with his allies, returned to his family and again worked the fields. The news of the expedition’s suspected demise brought about the dark and grim mood that Sigmar holds to this day; he has never forgiven himself for living while his comrades fought and died on another world.

In the early days of the year 610, the first signs of the undead plague appeared in northern Lordaeron, and Sigmar, partly as a measure to rid himself of guilt, joined the Knights of the Silver Hand with the hope that he could help the common people. He proved to be a devoted disciple of the Light, able to wield the paladin’s holy energies with skill and determination. Despite his and his brethren’s best efforts, however, the plague continued to encroach upon the lands, and more and more citizens were killed. When the Scourge descended upon Lordaeron, Sigmar and the Knights of the Silver Hand fought with courage and bravery, but their numbers were few and the Alliance was unprepared. News reached the paladin of the razing of Tirisfal, and he correctly assumed that his family had been slaughtered by the Scourge and the Burning Legion. Sigmar was first overcome with grief, then rage, and he vowed to fight the heathen invaders until his last breath escaped his body.

Sigmar then relocated to Stormwind, where he believed he could be of more use to the Alliance. There, he met Niain Bloodraven, and learned of her Circle, which was designed to be a bastion against the inherent immorality and corruptness of the masses. However, Sigmar did not lose faith in his fellow humans: he still seeks to bring enlightenment to the people.

When the Dark Portal opened, Sigmar disappeared into the Outlands for some time. On his return, it was revealed that Sigmar discovered that his brother, Alaric, had not been killed by the Scourge, but the Scarlet Crusade. Sigmar had tracked a Josef Ackland to Outlands, the man responsible for killing Alaric. There, he uncovered a plan designed by the Burning Legion to forge a new, dark Ashbringer. Sigmar managed to recover the blade before it could be corrupted, but in doing so, he was taken by the Light and the blade blessed: it became a newly forged Ashbringer. He remained outside of space-time to be attuned to the blade, and it is only recently that he has returned to Azeroth with the powerful weapon. He has resumed his duties as a paladin of the Light, but he is... different, somehow.

Sigmar has seen old friends rise to glory and others perish or disappear. He has seen mighty guilds form and fall. He has seen the destruction of nations and the rebuilding of hope. Sigmar Vaughan has experienced much, and his attitude has shifted because of it. Today, Sigmar is a quiet yet troubled man, a veteran of many battles, and a holder of a thousand memories.

=Awards=