HISTORY // BACKGROUND
EARLY LIFE
Sae is the youngest of nine siblings, the majority of whom have taken on some militaristic role within kaldorei society. While she was never overtly pushed into following a particular path, she felt some pressure still—especially from her oldest siblings—and so she became somewhat rebellious as she grew up.
Spending most of her early years in Hyjal, she was intimately acquainted with her people's culture and the beauty of northern Kalimdor. She primarily stayed at her family's home near Nordrassil, where she loved spending time in the wilds with her
faerie dragon companion Miki, but also took occasional trips to Teldrassil when one of her siblings would take her there. Beyond that she stayed mostly around her home at the behest of her parents and overprotective siblings, so with limited options available she
amused herself in ways that weren't always productive. She gained something of a reputation as a mostly innocent prankster, and when her efforts were met mostly with sighs, she tried harder to get reactions.
Sae and one of her older sisters, Melaylea
Feeling driven to do more than simply grow up in the shadow of her siblings, she began work at her local temple. It was here she discovered she had an affinity for the light. She pursued this eagerly, at least partly because none of her other sisters did anything like it.
As she continued her training and study, however, she realized a very serious dedication and devotion to her work, and she pursued it diligently.
This left her mostly naïve to events in the world outside her home. Beyond the events of Cataclysm that were far too close to ignore, she didn't learn the details about the Scourge, Horde incursions, and fel corruption across the world until her teen years. This was horrifying to her, and this renewed her desire to travel to do what she could.
This was quickly rebuked, as her family insisted she remain at home to stay safe and continue learning. She was still ignorant of the true nature of war, and they did not want her exposed to it if they could help it.
EVENTS OF LEGION
Eventually, however, her curiosity and stubbornness became too much, and she eventually left the safety of home. Left between the options of holding her against her will and letting her go, those of her family who were present at the time begrudgingly let her leave.
With several of her siblings already in Val'sharah, an ancient land she'd heard much of but never seen, she decided to travel there as well. Along the way she offered her skills as a healer, and the experience of meeting travelers and putting her talents to practical use was exhilarating to her.
When she finally arrived she volunteered with local patrols and continued acting as a healer at various outposts. This only boosted her confidence. Soon, however, she found herself right in the thick of the assaults of both the Legion and the Nightmare, and she was shocked at the brutality of it.
It was her first time witnessing death and the terror of staring down horrifying creations that existed before the world had shattered. She quickly became overwhelmed, and though eventually the war was won, it left her feeling more timid and cautious.
During one particularly brutal battle where she and her companions were nearly killed, however, she made the acquaintance of a druid from Ashenvale who was part of a nearby patrol operating out of the temple of the moon. They quickly took a liking to each other despite their differences. This druid, Eloranna Wintermoon,
thrived in battle, and despite being young already had numerous scars to prove it. Their different temperaments helped even each other out, and even after the war was won, they remained in contact as friends... and eventually more.
Sae and Eloranna during a well-earned moment of peace
For the most part Sae remained in Val'sharah during the remainder of the war, though she eventually chose to follow Eloranna during the operations aimed against the Nighthold and the Tomb of Sargeras.
In the peace that followed the end of the war, or at least their responsibilities therein, the two elves often traveled and worked together. Sae continued her work in local clinics or helping individual travelers, now more resolute than ever in her work and her devotion to her goddess.
Eloranna occasionally took on mercenary work or odd jobs here and there, but also took this time to revisit some of her old hobbies at Sae's urging. Eloranna loved sketching and painting, and as a result she started spending some free time creating lovely watercolor portraits or landscapes.
Eventually, Sae decided it was time to visit home, and Eloranna agreed. They said their temporary goodbyes near Ashenvale as Eloranna returned home, and Sae continued on until she arrived at her own. Her family was ecstatic to see her, and while they worried for her after she told them of what happened in
the Broken Isles, they thankfully did not take this chance to say they told her so. While they were disappointed to hear she would be going off adventuring again, they couldn't complain too much as most of them did the same. Her oldest sister, Adoranne, was the only one who seemed standoffish, which wasn't a surprise; the
two clashed often when it came to the subject of responsibility, and while Adoranne thought her youngest sister ignorant and foolish, Sae likewise considered her old and stuffy. This conflict was not enough to cause much trouble, but Sae often found herself waiting until Adoranne was not around to talk of her plans.
She was happy to spend time at home once again, however, and relished in the simple pleasures she had missed. Her home was beautiful, and while Nordrassil was still healing from the events of the Legion's invasion years prior, the land was otherwise near pristine and calm, and she found she needed it.
Before too long another one of her sisters, Sohee, asked Sae along on a trip to Teldrassil. She had been several times before and absolutely adored the city and great tree, so she eagerly accepted. The two of them set off in earnest, and Sae spent several days exploring her favorite places, visiting the
temple, and wandering Darnassus.
And then she found herself witnessing firsthand the start of the fourth war.
EVENTS OF BATTLE FOR AZEROTH
When Teldrassil burned, Sae and Sohee survived, though they were not unhurt. Sae was completely unprepared for something of this nature, as most were, but she surprised even herself as she stood fast in the face of certain death, trying her best to rescue anyone too injured to flee, and attempting to
use her light as a shield or source of healing for whoever she could reach. Very quickly it became clear that all was lost and that her efforts, while ensuring the escape of some elves here and there, were ultimately meaningless in the face of what was occurring. A collapsing building nearly crushed them, and while Sae was able to shield
them both, Sohee was badly burned and Sae suffered a concussion.
The burning of Teldrassil
It was Sohee's quick thinking that ensured their escape, and she urged her youngest sister onward even as the priestess felt she could do nothing but watch in abject horror. The sight was visible from miles and miles away, distance offering no escape from the sight of such
a terrible crime. While Sohee wished to join the battle, her first priority was to make sure Sae got home, and in that, she succeeded.
Sae spent weeks in shock, barely able to process what happened. This was by far the most horrific thing she'd seen yet, and while at first she thought that might be due to her lack of worldly experience, her family's reaction made her realize just how horrible it was. When news began to filter
in about how many had been lost, she felt she might just break apart herself. She felt wholly powerless, and was coming to terms with how dangerous and cruel a world Azeroth could be.
She found some solace with her family and from the temple as well, where the prayers of she and her sisters brought an otherworldly comfort. It seemed the goddess herself aimed to ease their pain. It was not enough to stop it, but it was enough to let her escape the shock and dismay of her own
mind that had left her otherwise unable to accomplish, or hope for, anything. When Eloranna visited, nearly frantic with worry and relief, Sae's resolve only grew. As terrifying as this all had been, a war was now raging. She had seen what her enemies were capable of, and she was not going to sit at home and let her people,
already ravaged by death and despair, fight without her.
Temple of Elune
She and Eloranna parted ways more quickly than they'd previously hoped. Eloranna had determinedly joined the Army of the Black Moon where she felt her talents were best used, and Sae decided to follow the Alliance expedition to Kul Tiras. She actively avoided traveling to the front lines;
her confidence had been shattered, and she was still too frightened to consider taking such an active role. But she made sure her talents were put to use, and there was no shortage of soldiers to heal. No task was beneath her, and slowly, by watching the positive results of her individual efforts,
she started to feel her morale and courage return.
With so much conflict going on in so many places, she forced herself to realize that she was just one individual and that she could only do so much. With this in mind she also started to become more grounded, and her anxiety and nightmares troubled her less and less. Even when she
experienced hardship during her work, she found herself able to recover faster and push on.
Still, overall it was more than she could realistically handle, and while she tried her best to keep up with her work, she eventually decided to return home as soon as the war was over. She didn't have the strength to try to help others pick up the pieces; not when she felt like
she still had so many of her own to search for. With Eloranna still gone, she sought the comfort and safety of home, and for the first time in her life, she considered never leaving again.
EVENTS OF SHADOWLANDS
When the portal to the Shadowlands opened, Sae staunchly decided not to go. She had seen war and was tired of it, and this was a gateway into another world of sorts. These were powers beyond her reckoning, and she felt in no way prepared.
There were two things that changed her mind. The first was that most of her siblings had decided to go and do whatever they could. The second was that the high priestess herself had gone... and that she had gone hunting for Sylvanas Windrunner.
The idea that she might actually find the one responsible for the horrors she was still recovering from was tempting, and she realized that, as time went on, anger had added itself to the amalgamation of emotions she was feeling as she processed the events of the fourth war. It was a strong emotion,
one that demanded action. With her own family already going, it wasn't long before Sae changed her mind. Her brothers and sisters voiced their opposition, but they were no match for Sae's stubbornness. She attempted to assuage their concerns by explaining she still planned to avoid front-line conflict, though she
admittedly had no idea how any conflict would play out in another world. The others begrudgingly accepted, and even Adoranne could not deny her sister this chance. They all shared the fury Sae felt, and mutually understood one another's desire to act upon it.
True to her word she remained in Ardenweald while the fighting continued elsewhere. She thought herself mostly safe there apart from mischievous local wildlife and the presence of Drust, but then then Mawsworn and Sylvanas herself directly attacked the enchanted land, throwing
Sae once again into the middle of open war. While she did not escape unscathed, she did not feel as shell-shocked as she once might have been. This was aided by the surprise presence of Eloranna, who had happily thrown herself directly into battle, determined to take down as many of the Jailer's minions as she could.
The druid was severely injured in the fight, but by chance happened to be rescued by Adoranne.
Rather than staying behind, she lent her strength to the pursuit of Sylvanas, but the assault on Ardenweald ended up being her last direct conflict. She saw her share of other skirmishes and was part of the foundational support of the next two major assaults, often with Eloranna at her side.
When the Jailer finally fell, Sae found herself once again eager to return home. With her family and beloved at her side, she did just that.
AN INTERLUDE OF PEACE
In the few years that followed, Sae remained home in Kalimdor. She felt weathered and exhausted by her experiences in ways deeper than she'd initially suspected, and required time and effort to process the hurt she'd experienced and witnessed. Luckily, she was in the perfect place to do just
that. She found more time to spend with Eloranna, something they both found great joy in, and they went to great lengths to make up for the time they'd spent apart. It also helped her to be back with her family and for that presence and attention on a regular basis. Their support, and the consistent reminder
that they were alive and well, helped her greatly. Melaylea taught her to play the gayageum, and ever so slowly, a sense of normalcy returned to her home life.
Some element of routine helped as well. Her people had a great amount of work ahead of them to rebuild, and she was happy to do whatever she could toward that end. In the absence of war, every task seemed just a little more possible even as she was confronted daily by reminders of just how much
had been lost. But her work gave her purpose and meaning, and so she continued, realizing that it was helping her rather than making her feelings of despair any worse.
She was also determined to make use of her time to train properly for combat. While her healing and defensive skills were powerful, she'd received next to no proper combat training. To her surprise, Adoranne was first to volunteer to help. Her oldest sister expressed how proud she was of her and
how she had grown and matured, especially after witnessing her bravery firsthand. Sohee stepped in as well, and between the two of them Sae began her rigorous training, practicing in everything from basic hand-to-hand combat to self-defense to archery. They took her on long runs and led her in exercises they'd
learned with the Sentinels, and while Sae did not altogether enjoy this, her persistence further impressed her family. Her relationships with her siblings grew stronger as the family as a whole grew closer.
Sohee and Sae in training
To Sae's greater surprise, Adoranne offered to help train Eloranna as well. Eloranna's fighting style was rugged and unpolished, and Adoranne felt she had too many scars for her age, ones that could have been avoided with proper training. Eloranna agreed, and was subsequently put through a workout
and training regimen that left her barely able to stand by the end of each night. This often led to Sae and Eloranna falling asleep together after a hard night's work, something the priestess quickly became quite fond of.
And so it went for a few years. Sae wasn't sure if she'd ever truly feel ready to take on whatever challenges came next, but she was feeling stronger each day, and as she did so, she realized the adventurous spark she'd thought long gone was slowly coming back to life.
