Altheron Drathir

Altheron Drathir was the brother of the Betrayer, Dar'Khan Drathir, and a member of the Convocation of Silvermoon. When Dar'Khan betrayed the High Elves to Arthas Menethil, Altheron failed to stop him, fleeing in disgrace. He abandoned arcane magic and studied druidism under the tutelage of the green dragon Ysondre. He was a member of The Party that defeated Dar'Khan during the events of the Ruins of Lordaeron Genesys campaign. In later years he worked to cleanse the corruption from Quel'Thalas, protected Nordrassil during the Cataclysm, and became an Archdruid of the Cenarion Circle while fighting the Emerald Nightmare during the third invasion of the Burning Legion. In the Ruins of Lordaeron campaign he was played by Jonathan Kruyer.

Early Life (304 Before the First War - 19 After the First War)
Altheron was the eldest son of House Drathir, a prominent family in Quel’Thalas from a long line of Magisters. He spent his childhood at their family home of Dawnstar Spire, along with his younger brother Dar’Khan and younger sister Alana. Both Altheron and Dar’Khan began training in the mystic arts at a very young age, while their sister Alana, who cared little about the ways of magic, learned how to manage the family estate. While Altheron had a natural talent for magic, he and Alana shared a love of nature, specifically of the beautiful golden woods around their home and the animals that lived there.

Despite his love of beast and bough, responsibility drew Altheron away from the woods he loved and into the academies of Silvermoon. He had a natural gift and progressed quickly through his studies, surpassing most of his peers with ease. His younger brother Dar’Khan watched in envy as Altheron effortlessly cast spells which Dar'Khan struggled with.

As time progressed, Dar’Khan’s mastery of magic did as well, though never as swiftly as he desired. He dreamed of one day surpassing his elder brother, but no matter what he did, Altheron always seemed 3 steps ahead of him. He began to despise Altheron, though his elder brother was ignorant of this enmity. Dar’Khan began delving into darker magics in his egotistical search for power, his forbidden research leading him to study the Void. Within Dawnstar Spire the young Dar’Khan conducted an experiment, seeking to open a portal to the broken remains of a world on the edge of the Void, where an object of unimaginable power lay. Altheron caught him in the middle of this experiment, breaking Dar’Khan’s concentration. Only quick action by Altheron kept Dar’Khan from being consumed by the implosion that destroyed that room of the Spire, as well as everything within.

Altheron kept the event quite, not wanting his brother to be outcast for his forbidden research, though he made Dar’Khan promise to never use such magic again. Dar’Khan lied.

As time passed, the three siblings grew distant, as Alana remained at their childhood home, Altheron rose among the ranks of the Magisters, and Dar’Khan made similar but far more gradual progress. Dar’Khan began to imagine that Altheron was purposefully halting his progress, fearing that his younger brother would surpass him. Dar’Khan continued to delve into dark magics in secret, always seeking out greater and darker powers.

When the Second War came, Altheron was firmly among those that thought little of it. There was no way the Horde could possibly break through their defenses. He had his first lesson in humility then, as much of the woodland he loved (though he had nearly forgotten that childhood love) was destroyed by dragonfire during the Horde’s invasion of Quel’Thalas. He was proven at least partially correct however, as the Horde could not break through the Ban’dinoriel, the magical barrier protecting the capital of Silvermoon. He was among the mages maintaining the Ban’dinoriel during the Horde’s siege of the capital city. After the Horde’s siege ended, Altheron was rewarded by being given a place in the Convocation of Silvermoon, becoming one of the most powerful High Elves in Quel’Thalas. For Dar’Khan, seeing his brother take the seat he had always long for himself was too much.

Third War (20)
The years after the Second War were uneventful for Altheron. He saw his siblings less and less, though they were always friendly when they were able to meet. He never had any idea of the darkness festering within his brother’s heart. Nor did he know of Dar’Khan’s growing obsession with claiming the power of the Sunwell for himself.

When Arthas began his invasion of Quel’Thalas, Altheron openly mocked the human prince’s hubris, declaring that just as the Horde had broken against them, so too would the Scourge. But the Scourge cut right through Quel’Thalas, striking down their Ranger-General and her Farstriders, leaving a permanent scar of dead earth through the center of their lands.

Altheron and the rest of the Convocation gathered at the Sunwell, channeling its energies to power the Ban’dinoriel, the Scourge forces breaking against the magical barrier just as he had predicted. Then, to his surprise, the lines of energy connecting the Sunwell to the other Magisters began to sputter and fail, one by one. He realized with horror that somehow, impossible as it was, an enemy agent had infiltrated the Sunwell Plateau and was murdering the other Magisters. Altheron went out to confront the murderer, only to discover to his horror that it was Dar’Khan, his own brother.

Dar’Khan claimed to have become more powerful than any of them, thanks to the power given by his new “master,” Arthas. Altheron saw then the darkness his brother had hidden, and resolved to destroy him before they lost everything. But he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t kill his own brother. He opened a portal and leapt through it, cursing himself all the while.

He exited the portal in his childhood home of Dawnstar Spire, which he found damaged and filled with corpses. In horrified desperation he searched and discovered Alana’s corpse, torn open by ghouls. He broke then, falling to his knees and holding her broken body to his chest. After an unknown stretch of time, he recovered enough to take Alana’s corpse to the woods they had both loved and burn her body, ensuring that she could never be raised into undeath.

Aftermath (21-22)
Altheron wandered the blighted forests of Quel’Thalas, keeping out of the way of wandering undead, his guilt too great to return to what remained of his people, if any remained. As he wandered, he thought. When Prince Kael’thas Sunstrider destroyed the Sunwell, Altheron felt his connection with the magical fount break off and believed it to be a punishment from the Sunwell itself for his failure, not knowing what had truly happened. He vowed to never wield Arcane magic again, blaming his people’s pride and hunger for power for both his brother's personal fall and the fall of their people.

During these wanderings, as he fought off the first signs of magical withdrawal, Altheron felt as if he could feel the land’s pain, almost as if he could hear the trees and stones themselves crying out. He listened more and more, and found that he could hear them. The land was alive, in a way that he had never before imagined. As his connection to the land grew, he felt a call in his mind, leading him south.

So he left the ghostly remnants of his home, traveling south, following the voice all the way to the Hinterlands, where he discovered the Great Tree in Seradane and met the green dragon Ysondre. Ysondre taught him the ways of the Wild and of the Emerald Dream, beginning his journey on the path to becoming a Druid. She gifted him one of her fangs, and taking a still-living sapling and the fang, he created a living weapon he called the Dreamscythe, infused with the energies of the Emerald Dream.

Altheron returned home to Quel’Thalas then, now known as the Ghostlands, where he sought out the spirits of the Lynx and the Dragonhawk, who taught him how to take their forms. He heard from the spirits of the woods of the gathering of the “Blood Elves” and he traveled to the meeting, realizing that it had been too long since he had been among his own people. There he learned of Prince Kael’thas’s new “path” for their people. Altheron was shocked and horrified by the idea of feeding off the energy of living beings and spoke out vehemently against it. He was identified as the “Brother of the Betrayer,” and the majority of those assembled turned against him. Lor’themar Theron, the new Regent Lord of Quel’Thalas, knew that he could not lead a divided people, so he determined to banish those who refused the new path. So Altheron was banished from the land he loved and hoped to heal.

While others who were banished settled at the Quel’Lithien Lodge, Altheron traveled back to the Hinterlands, where he reunited with his kin at the Quel’Danil Lodge, who had abandoned the Arcane long ago in favor of living in-tune with the land. He got his tattoos during his time with them, though after a time he determined he needed to continue his training, determining to travel west, to the lands of Kalimdor, where Ysondre had told him Druids came together under the leadership of the Cenarion Circle.

Sailing west was not an easy endeavor, but he successfully found his way to the Cenarion Circle & sought their tutelage. The new leader of the Circle, Fandral Staghelm, refused his request, declaring the descendants of the traitorous Highborne unfit for acceptance into the Cenarion Circle. Altheron left dejected, sailing east once more, determined to return home & begin healing his home of its sickness, banishment or not.

Ruins of Lordaeron (23)
See (Ruins of Lordaeron)

World of Warcraft (25)
After the breaking of the Party, Altheron returned to the Ghostlands, seeking to continue his work healing the land. However, while he could heal large areas temporarily, he discovered that much of his work would be for not, as the necrotic energies all around sought to reclaim that which he had cleansed. He realized that his training was not complete, and that if he was to succeed in healing his home, he still had much to learn.

He traveled west once more, demanding acceptance into the Cenarion Circle. Fandral Staghelm once again refused, but this time he was overruled by the other Archdruids, and Altheron was formally accepted into the Cenarion Circle. As the only known High Elven Druid, Altheron became known among the other members of the Circle as the “Druid of Quel’Thalas,” a title which he took proudly, though some used it as a term of derision. He worked hard and learned much in his time among the Circle, growing to love the Night Elven lands almost as much as his home in Quel’Thalas.

But finally the time came, and Altheron returned to Quel’Thalas in secret, working to heal the land and bring it back to its old beauty. He was closer to the land than any High Elf before him, the spirits of the woods protecting him, hiding him from both Farstrider patrols and Magister scrying as he worked tirelessly to heal the land of its wounds.

The Burning Crusade (26)
The Blood Elves succeeded in returning almost half of Quel’Thalas to its former glory, though they did not realize that much of this was due to Altheron’s secret efforts. It was frustratingly slow work, and the Magisters that sought to use their arcane spells to cleanse the land often did more hurt than good, frustrating the Druid all the more. But he kept his efforts a secret, letting the Magisters believe their efforts were successful. He knew that if he was discovered, his kin would have little mercy for him.

He eventually returned to his old home of Dawnstar Spire, where the remainder of the arcane golems that had once protected their home wandered wild. He found Alana's restless spirit wandering the halls of the Spire, and he used his powers to release her spirit from the mortal realm, allowing her to finally have rest.

Altheron payed little attention to the matters in Outland, focusing solely on healing his home. All else was second to that mission. But he was not able to continue his work forever, as other matters soon called.

Fury of the Sunwell
When he heard of Blood Elf adventurers killing Dar’Khan, marking his fifth death, Altheron realized that Dar'Khan's evil would not die easily. When Kael’thas returned from Outland to “restore their glory” Altheron knew that this meant bringing back the Sunwell, and that Dar’Khan would seek its power once more. So while the heroes of the Alliance and Horde invaded the Isle of Quel’Danis and assaulted the Legion’s forces on the Sunwell Plateau, Altheron hunted down his brother and found him exactly where he expected: preparing to steal the Sunwell’s power.

As the two brothers fought, Altheron pulled Dar’Khan away from the Sunwell, away from the much larger battle taking place between the defenders of Azeroth and Kael’thas’s demon-fueled armies. The battle did not go well for Altheron, as Dar’Khan’s power proved too great for the Druid once more. As the Betrayer was about to kill his elder brother, Altheron revealed that he had never expected to win this fight. All he had needed to do was distract Dar'Khan long enough.

Too late, Dar’Khan realized his brother’s plan. Dar’Khan could not be killed because his life force was bound to the Sunwell. As long as it’s energies endured, so would he. Unless something changed. As the Prophet Velen purified the Sunwell with the heart of a fallen Naaru, the Arcane energies of the magical fount blended with the holy power of the Light. The Light flooded through Dar’Khan, clashing with the necromantic and Void-infused energies within him, tearing him apart. In that moment Dar’Khan faced his sixth and final death. Altheron cried then over the ashes of his fallen brother. Dar’Khan was a traitor and a murderer, but he was also his brother, and despite everything, Altheron had still loved him. So he cried, and he thanked all the gods that it was finally over.

Wrath of the Lich King (27)
When the Lich King sent his armies to invade the land of the living once more, Altheron was among the first to answer the call to Northrend and fight in the war against the Lich King. He flew straight to Stormwind City, readily joining the Valience Expedition, sailing from Stormwind to Valiance Keep in the Borean Tundra. In Northrend he was delighted to discover the existence of the Silver Covenant, a large group of High Elves who had come together to fight the Scourge and keep the Blood Elves out of the Kirin Tor. He cared little for the politics of the situation, simply glad to learn of more of his kin who had not chosen the path of vampirism that the Blood Elves had taken. While he never officially joined the Silver Covenant, he fought alongside them often against the undead armies of the Scourge.

While in Northrend, he discovered something strange and frightening. Several clans of Furbolg had settled within the hollowed-out-remains of a fallen World Tree, named Vordrassil, or “Broken Crown.” These Furbolg were being driven mad by some sort of corruption plaguing the tree. He began to investigate this corruption, and his investigation led him to reunite with Jackie and Hayden, who were investigating Saronite, a mineral formed from the congealed blood of the Old God Yogg-Saron.

They discovered that the corruption also existed within other fallen pieces of the ancient tree, and they sought them out, burning the corruption from within. They began to suspect a connection between the Nightmare and the Old Gods as they learned more of this corruption. They then infiltrated the Furbolg city of Grizzlemaw and discovered Furbolg druids had planted a seed of Vordrassil to create a second Nightmare-consumed World Tree. Jackie followed one of these fallen druids to Ursoc's Den, discovering that they had used the power of the corrupted tree to resurrect the fallen Wild God Ursoc with the power of the Nightmare. She returned to the others and they came up with a plan to end the threat.

Hayden distracted many of the Furbolg with an illusion of an attacking Drakkari Troll army, while Altheron and Jackie battled the Furbolg druids who protected the new Vordrassil. They burned the young tree and discovered a large vein of Saronite beneath the broken World Tree, the source of the tree's corruption. Hayden postulated that the corruption of this tree might have actually been the origin of the Emerald Nightmare itself.

The three of them then returned to Ursoc's Den and battled the corrrupted bear god, cleansing him of the Nightmare's taint. As his spirit departed he warned them about Yogg-Saron, confirming their suspicions. However, Hayden had his spine snapped by a swing from Ursoc during the fight, rendering him unable to walk, and the trio teleported to Dalaran. There Altheron spent a little over a week healing Hayden's injuries so he could walk once more.

Altheron, Jackie, and Hayden then determined to find the source of corruption, Yogg-Saron himself, and end it. They journeyed through the Storm Peaks for several difficult weeks, struggling through the cold, thin air, learning the secrets of the land bit-by-bit, speaking to the Frostborn Dwarves and Earthen, aiding them against the mad Iron Dwarves. Along the way they battled a number of Scourge Val'kyr and released the spirits of the dead raised by them.

They eventually learned about the Keepers from the Earthen after helping them fight against an Iron Dwarf assault, flying up to the tallest peak to reach the Temple of Storms, battling through Vrykul on proto-drakes to reach the Keeper Thorim. He told them the truth of the Titan-facility of Ulduar's purpose as Yogg-Saron's prison and the Old God corrupting the other Keepers, particularly his brother Loken. He told them that if they wanted to enter Ulduar they would need to bring an army.

Secrets of Ulduar
They then traveled to Ulduar just in time to see a terrified Brann Bronzebeard fleeing the facility on gryphonback. They spoke with him and he told them of the horrors he had discovered within the facility, and they brought him to Dalaran immediately, so he could warn the rest of the world. The leaders of the Horde and Alliance refused to work together, despite the threat posed by the Old God, and Brann and the Kirin Tor worked with the three adventurers to find some way to infiltrate the facility.

After several weeks of planning, Horde and Alliance adventurers were gathered and a plan was made to infiltrate the wings of Ulduar known as the Halls of Stone and the Halls of Lightning, with Alliance heroes led by Brann, Altheron, Jackie, and Hayden attacking the Halls of Stone while Horde heroes assault the Halls of Lightning. The attacks were successful, the Alliance heroes shutting down the Forge of Wills and halting the creation of Loken's iron armies, while the Horde heroes battled and killed Loken himself, the fallen Keeper's final words declaring that his death meant the end of this world. When Brann heard these words from the returning adventurers, he was very troubled.

They reconvened in Dalaran, where they prepared the final assault on the center of Ulduar. The forces of the Kirin Tor and the Explorer's League came to the Titan facility in force, along with Altheron, Jackie, Hayden, and the rest of the adventurers who had participated in the previous attacks. Together they fought through the armies of Iron Dwarves, Vrykul, giants, and mechanical constructs guarding the facility, finding the remaining Keepers all under Yogg-Saron's sway, even Thorim. They battled the corrupted Keepers and freed them from the Old God's control before battling the Old God himself. Yogg-Saron tried twisting their minds with visions, even succeeding in driving several of the heroes mad, but in the end they were victorious, slaying the Old God once and for all.

Bran then led the remaining heroes deeper into the facility to the Celestial Planetarium, where they encountered Algalon the Observer, who sent a message to the Titans suggesting the re-origination of Azeroth, which would wipe out all life on the planet. The heroes defeated the constellar and convinced him that his analysis was wrong. He gave them the cancellation code, which they transmitted from Dalaran into space.

Cataclysm (28)
After the Cataclysm rent Azeroth asunder, Altheron joined the rest of the Cenarion Circle in their efforts to heal the world. He joined the Guardians of Hyjal in defending the World Tree Nordrassil from the invasion by Ragnaros the Firelord and his fiery minions. It was there, at the roots of the World Tree, that he met Elariel Moonshadow. Young for a Night Elf (she was nearing her 100thbirthday at the time), Elariel was a Sentinel from Ashenvale who had felt the land cry out in pain as it was rent during the Cataclysm. She had come to Hyjal seeking a teacher, and instead found destruction.

While her natural connection to the wilds was apparent, no Druid could be spared to teach her, not with the World Tree itself threatened. Altheron liked the girl’s fierce nature and unrelenting determination, and they fought together against the forces of Ragnaros. When the threat from the Firelands subsided, Altheron offered to teach her in the ways of the Wild as Ysondre had taught him, which Elariel gladly accepted.

Rise of the Zandalari
When Altheron heard of the rising threat from his people’s ancient enemies in Zul’Aman, he determined to return home to help end it. Elariel demanded that he allow her to join him, as while she was new to the ways of Druids, she was still a skilled fighter. After a lengthy argument Altheron relented, and the two of them traveled to Quel’Thalas, joining the joint Blood Elven and High Elven forces in their siege of the Amani capital. Together they fought in the vanguard of the Elven armies, ending the Amani invasion before it could begin. He encountered two old mentors in this battle, as he freed the spirits of the Dragonhawk and the Lynx from the Amani’s binding.

Rage of the Firelands
Altheron and Elariel heard of the Firelord’s renewed assault against Hyjal and rushed back to the World Tree, Elariel’s Ashenvale-bound Hearthstone the only reason they managed to make it there. They joined in pushing back the Firelord’s forces once more, charging into the Firelands themselves. In the end, they were among the heroes that ended the threat of Ragnaros for good. During the final battle Ragnaros destroyed Altheron’s Dreamscythe, the sapling and dragon’s tooth both disintegrated by the Firelord’s rage.

Mists of Pandaria (30)
In the years following the Cataclysm, Altheron turned his efforts to healing the damage wrought upon the world and teaching Elariel the ways of the Wild and the Emerald Dream.

The two of them grew close in their time together as shan’do and thero’shan, closer than some in the Cenarion Circle deemed appropriate. Altheron thought little of the remarks from some of the other Druids, not noticing his pupil’s growing infatuation with him. Elariel remained silent, fearing rejection.

Neither Altheron nor Elariel joined the expedition to Pandaria, focusing on healing the wounds left by the Cataclysm.

Warlords of Draenor (31)
Altheron and Elariel continued their efforts across Azeroth, returning to Quel’Thalas for a time to work on finally cleansing what remained of the Ghostlands. While Elariel wanted to join those charging through the Dark Portal, Altheron reminded her that their own world still had many wounds in need of mending. Other worlds could be left to those seeking glory. They had another task.

Legion (32)
When the Burning Legion invaded Azeroth once more, Altheron was among those called by Malfurion Stormrage to the Moonglade. There, the assembled Druids of the Cenarion Circle opened up the Emerald Dreamway, for the first time creating a way for physical passage through the Emerald Dream. Altheron and Elariel traveled with the Keeper Remulos through the Dreamway to the Dreamgrove in Val’sharah, the birthplace of the Druid order, where the demigod Cenarius first taught Malfurion Stormrage the ways of the Wild.

In the Dreamgrove, Altheron learned that the last branch of G’Hanir, the Mother Tree, which had been left with the Druids of the Dreamgrove for safekeeping, had been corrupted by the Emerald Nightmare. Altheron journeyed into the Emerald Dream to recover the staff, taking it to Nordrassil on Mount Hyjal to cleanse it.

There he and Elariel discovered the World Tree had been attacked by the Legion, and the two of them worked to heal the survivors of the assault, including Hamuul Runetotem, Broll Bearmantle, and Celestine of the Harvest. Altheron began a cleansing ritual on the staff and a Legion portal quickly opened, the Pit Lord Destromath stepping out to destroy them. Elariel and the other Druids battled the demon while Altheron continued the ritual. When it looked like they would be struck down the bird goddess Aviana appeared, using her command of the winds to hold the Pit Lord at bay, giving Altheron time to complete the ritual, cleansing the staff G’Hanir. Using the staff, Altheron summoned the spirits of the forest to destroy Destromath in a dazzling display of power much like that used by Malfurion against the demon lord Archimonde.

After returning to the Dreamgrove, Altheron is declared an Archdruid of the Cenarion Circle by Malfurion. Altheron then declared Elariel’s training to be complete, naming her a full Druid and member of the Cenarion Circle.

Malfurion later approached Altheron, taking him to speak with Cenarius. Elariel begged Altheron to take her with him, telling him that she wanted to keep working with him, and that while her official training might be over, she believed there is still much she could learn from him. They traveled to Cenarius, only to find him in an unbreakable sleep, trapped within the Nightmare. They sought the aid of various other Archdruids, and together they summoned Ysera, the Aspect of the Green Dragonflight, ruler of the Emerald Dream, and Cenarius’s adoptive mother. She told that Xavius and the Legion are behind the spread of the Nightmare, and that even the ancient World Tree Shaladrassil had fallen to the Nightmare. She told them that only the Tears of Elune, one of the Pillars of Creation, held a power great enough to cleanse Val'sharah of the Nightmare's corruption.

Altheron and Elariel traveled together to the Temple of Elune and battled the Nightmare corruption in Val’sharah, along with the forces of the Burning Legion assaulting the temple. They fought their way to where the Tears were locked away for safekeeping, only to discover that Xavius had already taken them. They returned to Malfurion just in time to witness Cenarius's body disintegrate as the demigod gave in to the corruption of the Nightmare. Malfurion, enraged, charged into the roots of Shaladrasil to confront the cursed satyr. Ysera took Altheron and Elariel in pursuit of the ancient Archdruid, all of them falling into Xavius's trap.

Xavius entangled Altheron and Elariel in Nightmare-corrupted roots, forcing them to watch as he impaled the Green Aspect with the Tears of Elune, which he had corrupted with the power of the Nightmare. Their twisted power was enough to corrupt even the mighty Ysera, the ancient Dragon Aspect succumbing to the Nightmare, snatching Malfurion, Xavius riding on her back away from the entrapped Druids.

The pair were freed by Tyrande Whisperwind, who sought their aid in freeing her beloved husband Malfurion. They tracked him through the Nightmare-corrupted forests, encountering an Ancient who warned them that those who fall to the Nightmare's corruption can never be free of it. They battled through many Nightmare illusions along their way, finally confronting Xavius. Xavius sent Ysera to destroy the Temple of Elune, and the three rush back to save it from the fallen Aspect.

They battled alongside the Temple's defenders, facing against the power of one of the mightiest dragons on Azeroth. During the fight Altheron managed to knock out one of Ysera's great fangs, though in doing so he enraged her, one of her paws nearly knocking him unconcious. After a long battle the defenders finally slew Ysera, giving her peace at last. They watched then as the moon covered the sun and Elune reached down, taking Ysera's spirit into the sky, transforming her into a constellation. After that Ysera's body dissapeared, leaving only the broken fang and the now-cleansed Tears of Elune in her place.

Altheron then took the broken fang with him to the Dreamgrove, where he bound it to the staff G'Hanir, merging their life-giving powers together to create G'Hanir, the Dreamscythe.

Altheron returned to Nordrassil with the other Archdruids of the Cenarion Circle, where they sought to commune with the Wild God Malorne, the White Stag, father of Cenarius and greatest of the Wild Gods. They managed to summon his spirit, the White Stag telling them that he was trapped within the heart of the Nightmare, inside a nightmare of his own creation. After gathering enough power to create a portal into the heart of the Nightmare, Altheron and Elariel used it to travel into Malorne's personal Nightmare.

Inside the Nightmare they found themselves at the center of the War of the Ancients, or more accurately, a Nightmare-warped interpretation of that war. They arrived during the battle in which many Wild Gods gave their lives fighting the Legion, the battle in which Malorne himself died fighting the demon lord Archimonde. The druids joined Malorne in the battle, defeating the phantasmal Eredar and freeing the White Stag from the Nightmare's grip. Back in the Dreamgrove, Malorne gave the Druids his blessing, the Keeper Remulos naming Altheron Archdruid of the Dreamgrove.

Altheron and Elariel, bearing the blessing of Malorne, journeyed beneath the roots of Shaladrassil, into the mire known as the Darkheart Thicket. There they battled Druids, Ancients, and Dragons, all fallen to the corruption of the Nightmare, before finally facing the Shade of Xavius in combat to free Malfurion. They successfully freed the Archdruid, who told them that they needed to finish this once and for all.

Knowing that they could not defeat the Nightmare alone, Altheron reached out, seeking the aid of the Edwards Twins, who had helped him battle the Nightmare multiple times in the past. It was not long before the pair portaled in, and together they charged into the heart of the Nightmare.

They fought through the corrupted Shaladrassil, traveling through the Nightmare to corrupted parallels of numerous locations in Azeroth, beginning with the Un'Goro Crater, where they found an unknown World Tree corrupted by a tumorous Old God minion calling itself Il'gynoth. The entity whispered into their minds as they fought it, seeking to corrupt them as it had the Dream around it. But they defeated the corruptive mass, ignoring its whispers. They proceeded to battle through Nightmare reflections of Mulgore and Ursoc's lair, fighting corrupted druids and the Wild God Ursoc, whom Altheron was saddened to discover had been retaken by the Nightmare after their efforts to cleanse him of its corruption those years ago.

But they would soon face an enemy far more personal. They found the Emerald Dreamway consumed by the Nightmare, and within it they found the green dragon Ysondre, Altheron's old teacher, driven mad by the Nightmare, as well as several other Dragons of Nightmare. Altheron could barely stand as he was forced to battle the being who had taught him all he knew of the Dream, seeking every option possible to free her from this corruption. But there was only one option. He cried as he delivered the final blow, freeing Ysondre from the Nightmare's grip in the only way remaining; by ending her life. Malfurion stated that some wounds never heal, to which Altheron could only nod.

They finally journeyed to a Nightmare reflection of the Moonglade, where they battled the Nightmare-corrupted Cenarius, Malfurion's shan'do. The demented demigod believed them to be minions of the Nightmare, working tirelessly to destroy them. Xavius, using a Nightmare illusion in the shape of Malorne, manipulated Cenarius into fighting the heroes and his own thero'shan, but even the demigod's great power was not enough, and they managed to defeat him. Malfurion stayed the killing blow however, believing that he could free Cenarius from the Nightmare. Altheron exploded on Malfurion then, enraged that the other Archdruid would think to cleanse his teacher when he had claimed the same impossible for Altheron's. If Malfurion could truly cleanse Cenarius of the Nightmare, Altheron exclaimed, why hadn't he done the same for Ysondre?

In the end it was Elariel who convinced Altheron to leave Malfurion to his task, reminding him of the greater evil still awaiting them: Xavius. Still furious at Malfurion, Altheron followed her and the others into the Rift of Aln, the true heart of the Nightmare. There they faced many horrific visions from the Void, the Nightmare turning them against their own friends with its lies. Only the timely intervention of the spirit of Ysera saved them from each other, allowing them to finally defeat the Lord of the Nightmare.

They stepped out to the now Nightmare-free Dream, cleansed of all its corruption. There they were greeted by Cenarius, who congratulated them on their victory over Xavius. Altheron nearly attacked the demigod in his anger until he looked out of the corner of his eye and saw the spirit of Ysondre. He approached her and had a tearful reunion with his mentor. While only her spirit remained, she was free from the Nightmare and finally at peace. The heroes soon returned to the physical world, Altheron and Elariel traveling to Dalaran to give the Tears of Elune to the Kirin Tor for safekeeping.

Return to Karazhan
Altheron and Elariel later joined the "united" elven (consisting of Night Elves, Blood Elves, High Elves, and Nightfallen) armies in their siege of Suramar and assault on the Nighthold. They were among the heroes that Khadgar kept from being caught in the chronomatic trap laid by Elisande and led the charge through the fortress. They battled through magical constructs, demon hordes, and Nightborne sorcerers until they finally reached Gul'dan himself, defeating the warlock and witnessing the rebirth of Illidan Stormrage.

The Tomb of Sargeras
Altheron was summoned to Dalaran by Khadgar, where he and the remaining members of The Party were all brought together once more, along with the other Order Leaders. He left Elariel behind to protect the Dreamgrove, ignoring her anger over the subject. The Orders combined their forces into the Armies of Legionfall and prepared for the final Assault on Broken Shore, but their meeting was interrupted by the sudden attack of several Legion warships.

The combined Armies of Legionfall launched their assault, breaking through the demons on the Broken Shore and secured a base of operations among the ancient ruins on the shore, creating the bastion of Deliverance Point. Jackie and the Council of the Black Harvest then created a portal into the Legion's command ship. The reunited Party together infiltrated the ship, filling it with explosives before battling the dreadlord Mephistroth, sending him fleeing not long before the bombs began to go off and they escaped the exploding ship.

Altheron joined the other Order leaders in assaulting the Tomb of Sargeras,

Shadows of Argus
Altheron joined the other Order leaders in the invasion of

The Blood War
(See The Blood War)

Appearance
Altheron is slightly above average height for a High Elf at 6’2”, with long golden hair and deeply tanned skin. Like all of his kin he has long pointed ears and eyebrows, as well as bright blue eyes that glow faintly. His arms and chest are covered in spiraling blue tattoos similar to those worn by Alleria Windrunner, including the scar-shaped tattoo across the eye, though Altheron's tattoos are more extensive. Altheron's extensive use of Nature magic has altered him, his fingernails growing into claws, a few bright blue feathers growing amid his golden hair, and while all elves possess a set of vestigial fangs, Altheron's are much longer and more noticable than normal. He is also more muscular than is normal for the usually thin High Elves, his rugged lifestyle giving him a more athletic build.

Altheron dresses mostly in browns and greens, with leather armor and a cloak of still-living leaves. He always carries his Dreamscythe with him, whether the original weapon or the much more powerful artifact made from the branch of G'Hanir and the tooth of Ysera. The weapon glows a bright green, its emerald aura filling those nearby with renewed energy.

Personality
Like many of his people, Pride has always been one of Altheron’s greatest flaws. Over time that pride has been dulled by experience and hardship, but it still remains a defining aspect of his personality. He distrusts all forms of dark magic, as well as those who practice these magics (though his time with the Edwards Twins has helped him to realize that there are exceptions to the rule).

Altheron has a love of nature and a deep understanding of both Arcane and Nature magic, though he has sworn to never use the Arcane again. He hates the Scourge with a fiery passion, and fears nothing more than the possibility that after his death he could be raised as one of the mindless undead.

Altheron has a good heart and is a true and loyal friend, but he is not to be underestimated. When angered he is more savage than the fiercest saber cat and more than willing to kill. He does not forgive easily and can hold grudges for a very long time. Altheron bears a lot of guilt over his role in both his brother’s and his people’s fall. He never forgets that he is the Brother of the Betrayer.

Notes & Trivia

 * Altheron's name is similar to that of Elthariond, a Noldorin High Elf character Jonathan played as previously, during a Lord of the Rings-themed campaign. In the early days of the Ruins of Lordaeron campaign, players had difficulty remembering which name belonged to which elf.
 * In reference to this, Jonathan's nickname on the players' Discord server for a time was Altheron /= Elthariond, attempting to reinforce the fact that the two characters are, in fact, separate individuals.
 * In the original draft of the character, Altheron's last name was Starseeker, and he and Dar'Khan were childhood friends, but not brothers. This was later changed, as Jonathan felt the brother-relationship made the story feel more personal, and family was already becoming a major theme in the campaign.
 * At various points in the campaign, Jonathan references Altheron as a member of "the Conclave". This is incorrect, and is simply a result of Jonathan forgetting the correct name of the Convocation of Silvermoon.
 * In some of the early sessions of the campaign, Jonathan experimented with using the Warcraft III map editor to show their battles. In these map editor battles, Altheron was represented by Furion.

Stories

 * Jonathan wrote a short story detailing much of Altheron’s early history and his relationship to Dar’Khan titled Brother of the Betrayer.