Gehlnarine Liridian

Archmage Gehlnarine Liridian is the Court Wizard of House of Ravenshadow, and thus deals with any magical aspects the Lady Regent of Stromgarde should require his assistance on. He is the founder of the Arathorian Academy of Magic, a compendium of knowledge for Arathi scholars and aspiring wizards.

Appearance
When Gehlnarine isn't wearing his usual pointy crimson hat, his thick black hair falls down to the bottom of his shoulderblades. Gehlnarine's green eyes are surrounded by crowsfeet and he is commonly clad from the neck down in crimson linen robes.

He wears a large red medallion around his neck and on his fingers, he wears both a sygil of the Kirin Tor as well as his own personal family crest, which he uses for all formal business involving his position as Court Wizard of House Ravenshadow.

In his hand, he commonly carries a maroon wooden staff with a glowing red gem at the top and silver runes carved into it.

When he speaks, his accent will occasionally betray a light Gilnean influence.

History
Gehlnarine was born on July 26th somewhere between year 3 and 5. He was born as the product of an affair that Lady Giradella Hathaway Raventhorn had with the Arathorian Colonel Fredrick Liridian. What was supposed to be one scandelous night in the Highlands turned into an illegitamate love child. Giradella went back to Gilneas, convincing her husband, Lord Davian Raventhorn that the child was his.

Gehlnarine's childhood was relatively average for the 'son' of a lesser noble of Gilneas. When he was ten years old, his mother gave birth to his half brother, Kelban Raventhorn. It was during that time that Giradella decided that she did not want the constant reminder of her unfaithfulness and proceeded to give Gehlnarine a rather simple staff, a pack of supplies and sent him on his way with a trade caravan headed towards Arathi, where his birth father was from.

When Gehlnarine arrived in Arathor, he was greeted with the grim news that his father had been killed in battle. He spent the next six years on the streets, watching the knights and warriors with envy, wishing he could one day become a brave Knight of Strom, defending the lands from whatever may threaten it. However, his scrawny build kept him from being on par with the other children who fantasized of epic battles and glorious victories.

When he was sixteen years old, Gehlnarine became aware that he could occasionally move things with his mind and once or twice, he accidentally caught fire to a few things. It was upon further investigation that he learned that an academy existed in Hillsbrad that focused on those sorts of things. Ecstatic, Gehlnarine set off for Dalaran and was accepted into the academy.

As the years passed, Gehlnarine became obsessed with magic, spending countless days and nights pouring over tomes in the libraries of Dalaran. He officially decided to focus on Abjuration as his specialization, learning to create wards and other forms of defensive magic.

After graduating from the academy, Gehlnarine remained with the Kirin Tor, working as an abjurer and researcher, completing several theses on the higher forms of protective wards and charms as well as beginning research into creating a compendium of magical creatures and ways to defend onesself from said creatures.

Many years passed, and Gehlnarine's work and efforts gained him the title of Archmage. He made his goal to learn everything he could possibly learn about magic all while teaching others. He set off for Stormwind to create a mage circle in order to both teach and learn. At the first meeting, he was introduced to Hellissa Brisby, a fellow mage and, unbeknownst to Gehlnarine, a Duchess from Arathor. As the Duchess and he interacted more as the days went by, he learned of where she was from and what was going on up north. After much deliberation on his part, he dissolved the barely infantile Circle and set off to return to his homeland.

It was in Arathor that Gehlnarine swore his allegience to Hellissa Brisby and her household, House Ravenshadow. He was made the Court Wizard and served under her command. When she announced her position as Lady Regent of Stromgarde, Gehlnarine's responsibilities increased along with hers. Now, he not only works to protect Hellissa and her household, but his people and all of Arathor from any and all threats that may pose itself.

NOTE: Gehlnarine's backstory has many other sidestories to them, such stories may be told sometime in the future, but for now will remain unshared.

Beliefs
Gehlnarine is a firm believer in science and intellect over faith in any supreme being. He views Paladins and Priests as well as any religeous people as narrow-minded people who treat a form of magic as a deity. In his mind, the Light is just another form of magic. Worshiping it is, to him, the equivalent of claiming the Arcane is a deity and praying to the Arcane. The Light is merely another form of magic specifically effective at the destruction of demons and undead, little more.

As far as politics go, Gehlnarine believes that education should be available to all who wish to learn and he will teach anyone who opens their minds to what he teaches. He is a believer in democracy, believing that the people should all have a say in how they are ruled.

Residences
Gehlnarine has several places that would be considered his property or homes.

Liridian Tower is Gehlnarine's personal Mage Tower in Arathor. It is located just outside of the Keep, overlooking the sea.

The Arathorian Academy of Magic is a large, recently constructed facility located in the eastern Highlands, hidden amongst invisibility wards and the hills of the Highlands.

Gehlnarine has an apartment in the Archmage quarters in Dalaran. Room Number 23.

Also in Dalaran is the old apartment Gehlnarine once owned when he was a young student. He still pays rent on it and uses it as a room for his apprentice Lorabell Jennings as well as a guest room for any friends of his that may be in need of a place to stay during their visit to Dalaran. Room Number 118 in the general housing quarters.