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WhenWorld of Warcraftplayers hear the word Windrunner, they likely think about Sylvanas, the most well-known of the family. Yet, she has two sisters that are alive and well, Vereesa and Alleria, with the latter having a lot of involvement in stories of past and future.
Alleria had been missing from Azeroth for many years, returning to the frontlines only during Legion, but her return has her stay as a main player for the Alliance. Her life has had many achievements, from heralding a new playable race to raising one of the few known Half-Elves in the world.
Life In Silvermoon
The three Windrunners were daughters of Lireesa Windrunner, the Ranger-General of Silvermoon.Alleria, being the eldest, was the one trained to inherit the mantle of Ranger-General, but her sights were always placed beyond the borders of Silvermoon.
Alleria had many arguments with her mother regarding her role in society, and they finally reached a bitter agreement:Alleria would lead her own forces outside Silvermoon, with Sylvanas learning the way of Ranger-General.
Alleria leaves Silvermoon, trying to learn more about the Horde, meeting the Paladin Turalyon and Mage Khadgar. Together they worked on the campaign to expel the Horde from Azeroth, buttragic news came from Silvermoon: Alleria’s parents and youngest brother were killed.
Distraught by this news,Alleria’s only comfort was found in Turalyon’s arms, something that would blossom into a long-lasting relationship.This eventually led to the birth of one of the few known Half-Elves, Arator Windrunner.
Beyond The Dark Portal
As the Second War was coming to a close,Alleria, Turalyon and Khadgar ventured past the Dark Portalto put an end to the Horde’s invasions. Their aim was to close the Portal once and for all, but for that, someone needed to stay on the other side holding the Orcish forces.
The Dark Portal was how the Horde entered Azeroth during the first three Wars, since Orc kind was not native to it.
Alleria and Turalyon remained on the other side of the Portal, holding the Orcs at bay while Khadgar closed the portal on Azeroth. They were successful, but with no way to return home, Alleria and Turalyon were presumed dead.
Facing The Legion
Stranded on Draenor, the Horde’s home planet,Alleria and Turalyon were found by the Army of Light, a group of survivors from Legion invasions that were working against their demonic enemies.They were led by Xe’ra, a being of pure light known as a Naaru.
They fought the Legion within their home realm, the twisting nether, but at a great cost:nearly 1,000 years would pass from their perspective, while less than 30 are felt in Azeroth. Alleria’s Elven heritage allowed her to survive that timeframe, butTuralyon had to be infused with the Lightto attain such immortality.
They fought bravely against the Demons during that time, but one incursion was of particular note:a planet that had been completely corrupted by the Void, which destroyed all Demons that dared enter. While looking for survivors,Alleria was infected by said Void, changing her life forever.
The Void and the Light are forever opposed, yet both are tools that can be used against the Burning Legion. Seeking any tool that can give them an edge against their Demonic enemies,Alleria looked into expanding her connection to the Void, having the support of Turalyon but earning the mistrust of Xe’ra.
In time,Alleria would learn to control her new-found powers, mostly due to the teachings of the Locus-Walker, a mysterious creature that could control the Void without it controlling him. Alleria learned to perform great feats with these powers, chief among them the Void portals that could transport her nearly anywhere.
The Army of Light would eventually learn of Argus, the former planet of the Eredar, that held the main forces of the Legion. That planet held a World-Soul, andthe Demons corrupted it with Fel magic to allow their instant resurrectioninto the planet.
Return To Azeroth
During the Third Legion Invasion into Azeroth,the heroes of that realm managed to repel the Demonic forces, opening a gateway into Argus. There,they meet with the Army of Light, giving Alleria and Turalyon a glimpse of their home.
Once the Legion was defeated, Alleria was able to reunite with her lost family, overjoyed aboutseeing her son Arator once again. She wasn’t as joyous when she learned of Sylvanas, and how she nowembodied the many horrors that tormented her in youth: an Undead, and a Chieftain of the Horde.
Having been gone for so long,it was hard for Alleria to understand why the Blood Elves would join the faction that hurt them so much in the past.She tried to have them join the Alliance instead, but this wasn’t the world she once knew, and ended up leaving her old home for good.
She did find comrades in her travels to Blood Elven lands, since, in their research for sources of Magic to survive,many elves turned to the Void, being shunned in the process by their community.Alleria offered to shepherd them in their search,giving the Void Elves a place they could call home within the Alliance.
The Fourth War
Sylvanas burning Teldrassil is what sparked the Fourth War, and Alleria could hardly believe what monster her younger sister had become. She rallied her Void Elven brethren to the Alliance’s cause, their Void Portals being of great use during the war effort.
Eventually,the Horde managed to rid itself of Sylvanas, although she hadn’t stopped tormenting them just yet:She opened a portal in Northrend to the Shadowlands, realm of the dead, and sent her forces to kidnap many key figures of Azeroth.
Chief among them was Anduin, the King of Stormwind, leaving the city and, in turn, all the Alliance without a unifying leader. After much deliberation,Turalyon was chosen as regent and protector of the realm, with Alleria helping him rebuild the strength of the Alliance.
The War Within
The war against the Legion had left its mark on Azeroth, sincethe purpose of the invasions was to slay the World-Soulat the planet’s core. While the Legion was defeated, the damage was done, andnow that very World-Soul is seeking allies to protect it.
While heroes like Anduin and Thrall see these radiant visions,Alleria has had her own, shadowy visions herself.She doesn’t see the plea for help from the World-Soul, buta taunt from the Shadows (the Void itself), ready to make the neasent Titan their prize.
