A Cacophony of Flame and Shadow (Illidan/Kael, Warcraft)
Title: A Cacophony of Flame and Shadow
Characters: Illidan Stormrage/Kael'thas Sunstrider
Author: Kelriia Frettlar
Spoilers: For Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne and possibly World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade
References: At end of Manifesto
Note: This would not have finished without the continual support of crabapplered, who tolerated my repeated bitching about being unable to summarize Illidan properly. Thank you~ Thank you also to emerald_embers for great examples of good 'ship manifestos, and also tolerating my bitching.
Posted to: ship_manifesto and the__ivorytower
The Cast
Illidan Stormrage
"Betrayer. In truth, it was I who was betrayed..." - Illidan, opening cinematic for Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne
Illidan the Betrayer has a long and twisted history. Originally a demon hunter, his warped methods, reasoning and desperation to succeed led him down a dark road, culminating in his merging with a demon and recreating the forbidden Well of Eternity, and eventually lead to his imprisonment at the hands of his own race.
He spent ten thousand years underground, stewing in his own bitter anger, until he was once again freed by his (unrequited) love, the wife of his twin brother.
His freedom resulted in consuming a powerful demonic artifact and being recruited by the same demonic organization that he had once fought against. His brutal, heavy-handed methods once again turned those he'd once cared for most against him, and he went to rule Outland with his allies, the blood elves, the naga and the draenei.
Illidan is arrogant and tends to use methods that employ a great deal of brute force and very little subtlety or wisdom, as long as these methods are a means to the end he desires. He values his own life, seems to value the lives of his accumulated allies, and still deeply cares for his brother and his wife.
Kael'thas Sunstrider
"This is preposterous! Am I to assault the undead with nothing but sticks and harsh language?" - Kael, second mission of the 'human' campaign in Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne.
Kael'thas Sunstrider's history is shorter, but no less twisted. Once a prince of the ruling house of Quel'thalas, the invasion of the Scourge cut his people off from their source of magic, leaving them desperate and hungry. Between this hunger for magic and cruel treatment at the hands of his 'allies', Kael embraced a darker path, the path of demonic magic and exile to Outland.
He now works for Illidan and helps him further his goals because Illidan has found a way to feed the incurable magic addiction Kael's people suffer from. Kael is loyal to Illidan, even following him to Northrend to fight a powerful enemy, an enemy who had once been Kael's rival for the affection of another.
When Illidan was defeated, Kael returned with Illidan to Outland, where he continues to carry out his will along with looking after the well-being of his people. His actions are occasionally bizarre and erratic, but he is unceasingly loyal to Illidan, even in battles where defeat is imminent.
The Canon
This is a pairing that I've found to be best developed post-game, between Illidan's defeat in Northrend, and when we next see him. Within Frozen Throne, Illidan has managed to garner respect and loyalty from Kael and his forces, despite the fact he has suffered as many defeats as victories, and that he is still a tool of more powerful demons.
Kael'thas: Agreed. Actually, I am anxious to meet him again. If he can cure my people of their hunger for magic, I will gladly pledge myself to his service.
Illidan and Kael once fought on the opposite sides of a field, and in effect, Kael is partially responsible for Illidan's initial failure, though perhaps not nearly as much as Malfurion and Maiev. Kael, however, seems to be willing to trust Illidan solely on Vashj's word.
Illidan: You were right to come to me, Kael. I share the pain of your addiction, your hunger for magic.
Kael'thas: Can you help us, Lord Illidan? Can you cure us?
Illidan: There is no cure, young one. But there are ways to feed the hunger. Follow me and I will grant your people more magic than they can imagine.
Kael'thas: So be it, Lord Illidan, my fellow blood elves and I humbly pledge ourselves to your service.
Illidan: Then arise, young Kael. you shall be my right hand and the harbinger of my wrath.
Considering that Illidan cannot accomplish what Kael was hoping for, he still has managed to pledge himself to Illidan's service, perhaps hoping that feeing his hunger is just as good as removing it entirely. Regardless, Illidan has placed an astounding amount of trust in Kael, considering that they were once enemies, and furthermore, that Vashj has done a lot of the hard work as well. Illidan may see some of himself within Kael, and that's why he trusts him so much. That right hand serves an *important* function, Kael! Get to work!
Kael'thas: This will be a glorious battle, master. Though Magtheridon's forces vastly outnumber ours, your warriors are prepared to fight to the end.
Illidan: I am pleased by your people's zeal, young Kael. Their spirits and powers have been honed in this harsh wilderness. Their courage alone may be enough to...
Kael has become devoted to Illidan, almost zealously so. Despite setbacks and hardship, Illidan has inspired a remarkable amount of devotion in Kael.
Illidan: [Violent Laughter] I have come to replace you. You're a relic, Magtheridon, a ghost of a past age. The future is mine. From this moment on, Outland and all of its denizens will bow to me. Hear me now, you trembling mortals! I am your lord and master! Illidan reigns supreme.
This has little to do with the subtext and more to do with the fact Illidan has an ego the size of Elune, and that Kael is the Harbinger of his Ego. I for one welcome our demonic overlord.
Illidan: Perhaps hiding here was not the most prudent decision. Still, the quest lies before us. Will you follow me into the cold heart of death itself?
Lady Vashj: The naga are yours to command, Lord Illidan. Where you go, we follow.
Kael'thas: The blood elves are yours, as well, master. We will drive the Scourge before us and shatter the Frozen Throne as you command.
Once again, Kael demonstrates his absolute devotion to Illidan, and his faith in Illidan's abilities, despite the fact that we have just seen that Illidan is very much not at the top of the demonic pecking order.
It's very interesting to note that Kael begins by referring to Illidan as "Lord Illidan" as Lady Vashj does, but once he pledges himself to Illidan, he refers to Illidan as "master" several times, indicating a voluntary subjugation of his own will to Illidan's. This leads us to conclude that Kael reveres the demon cock. This desire to submit may well go beyond military applications.
The Pairing
I would be amiss to talk about anything with Illidan and Kael in it if I didn't mention their main love interests from the game, Tyrande and Jaina, respectively. In both cases, their love is strong to the point of obsessive, and unrequited.
Tyrande Whisperwind is the High Priestess of Elune, leader of the Sentinels, and Malfurion Stormrage's (Illidan's twin) lover. She was friends with both Stormrages in childhood, and both fell in love with her, though she only returned Malfurion's affections. When Illidan is imprisoned, Malfurion goes into the Emerald Dream, and Tyrande goes on to lead her people for several thousand years. Ten thousand years after he was imprisoned, Illidan is let out again by Tyrande, who defies the newly-awakened Malfurion and ignores the warnings of the Wardens set there to guard him. Illidan tells her that he doesn't give a damn about his brother, or his people, but for her he will fight. In this line of reasoning, he goes to the Felwood to fight the Legion and winds up becoming their pawn and eventual ally. Tyrande is horrified, and never wants to see him again. Later, when Tyrande is in danger, Illidan and Malfurion join forces to rescue her, and it appears as if much has been forgiven between them. Is Illidan still obsessed with Tyrande? It is uncertain, but as a motivator for much of his life, she had an important role.
Jaina Proudmoore is an oddity among humans: she's the youngest Archmage of the Kirin Tor, a woman, and for all intents and purposes, a princess. Kael'thas became enamoured with her while he was in Dalaran, and for the most part, pined after her like a small, lost puppy. Jaina's interests, it appeared, lay elsewhere, because she was involved with the heir of Lordaeron, Prince Arthas, perhaps as late as up to the point when she left for Kalimdor. When Arthas, as a Deathknight, finds Kael and his elves in Northrend after he is summoned there by the Lich King, Kael alludes to 'payback for Quel'thalas... and other insults.' Arthas is more blunt, and in the final battle for the Frozen Throne, he jeers Kael and asks if he's still angry with him for 'stealing Jaina from [Kael].' Does Kael still carry a torch for Jaina? It is uncertain, but as an elf, he may hold a grudge long past the time Jaina would die of natural -- or unnatural -- causes.
Why bring either of these women up? It's a transition for 'why I first decided I liked this pairing'. Both Illidan and Kael were obessed with a particular women, far longer than could be considered healthy or normal. It is entirely possible that by the time we encounter them in the game, it's not so much the women themselves, but the idea of the women, and the interaction with their main rivals. Initially, my consideration for the pairing was a sort of displaced wish fulfillment rather than genuine love, but that both developped real feelings over time, to their alarm. After all, when someone has had the same goal for so long, finding it shifted could be unbalancing. I later rejected this idea for a plot, because I found it more interesting for them to move past their obsession and instead develop a relationship on mutual respect of abilities.
Additionally, their professional relationship, at the very least, is unbalanced. Illidan is the leader of a group of blood elves, draenei and naga in Outland, whom all of these people have pledged to fight with until the very end. Kael, upon pledging his loyalty to Illidan, repeatedly refers to him as 'Master Illidan', while Lady Vashj only calls him Lord Illidan. This seems to indicate that Kael wants Illidan to be in control -- control him, perhaps -- and it also places a remarkable amount of trust in Illidan, considering the betrayal Kael suffered in the hands of his old allies. Illidan, meanwhile, places a huge amount of trust in Kael by elevating him to a position of importance, even though they have barely known each other, and that they were once on opposite sides. All Illidan has to go on is that Kael helped Vashj free him from Maiev. Perhaps, for Illidan, that's enough.
Finally, there is a very physical appeal to the pairing: they're both male, they're both elves, and they're both quite attractive. Illidan's skin is dark violet and has a particularly demonic appearance, sporting wings, talons, tattoos and hooves. He's an accomplished spellcaster as well as a fighter. Kael is more angelic, with peach skin, long blond hair and, despite the fact that he's a talented sorcerer, is also well-trained in melee combat, and is fairly muscular. A combination of all of these factors make for very classical night and day appeal.
Background
I became involved in Warcraft many years ago, starting with the Warcraft II demo found on a MacAddict CD. The storyline, such as it was, was intriguing enough to encourage me to get Warcraft III, which I discovered to have a rich, entertaining plotline, engaging characters and witty dialogue. I absolutely hated a number of characters on sight, and one of them was Illidan. I still strongly dislike him, so why would I care to write him in a pairing? Perhaps the most important thing I realized while playing the game is that it was rich and engaging enough to make me hate characters instead of slavish devotion or disinterested affection. When your emotions are so incredibly charged towards a particular character -- whether you like or dislike them -- you wind up thinking about them a lot. In Illidan's case, my dislike has, if not precisely cooled, given me a unique perspective in writing him. Kael, on the other hand, I am fond of and feel sorry for. I didn't spend nearly as much time thinking about him -- or naming my save files after him -- but I found myself doing more research when I decided to start writing this pairing.
Fandom Guide
Sites
1. blizzardfanfics appears to be the primary souce of Warcraft fanfiction on Livejournal. You may wish to look for posts by the__ivorytower and emerald_embers in particular.
2. The War/Craft art community on y-gallery has pictures for Warcraft in general, and some Illidan/Kael art in particular.
3. DeviantArt has a vast array of Warcraft pictures.
Sources
1. Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne Game Script
2. WoW Wiki, a fan created wiki which has accumulated information about the various Warcraft game.
3. World of Warcraft's official Encyclopedia
4. World of Warcraft's official site
5. The entire series of Warcraft and World of Warcraft RPG books.
6. The Wikipedia Entry for Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne.
Characters: Illidan Stormrage/Kael'thas Sunstrider
Author: Kelriia Frettlar
Spoilers: For Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne and possibly World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade
References: At end of Manifesto
Note: This would not have finished without the continual support of crabapplered, who tolerated my repeated bitching about being unable to summarize Illidan properly. Thank you~ Thank you also to emerald_embers for great examples of good 'ship manifestos, and also tolerating my bitching.
Posted to: ship_manifesto and the__ivorytower
The Cast
Illidan Stormrage
"Betrayer. In truth, it was I who was betrayed..." - Illidan, opening cinematic for Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne
Illidan the Betrayer has a long and twisted history. Originally a demon hunter, his warped methods, reasoning and desperation to succeed led him down a dark road, culminating in his merging with a demon and recreating the forbidden Well of Eternity, and eventually lead to his imprisonment at the hands of his own race.
He spent ten thousand years underground, stewing in his own bitter anger, until he was once again freed by his (unrequited) love, the wife of his twin brother.
His freedom resulted in consuming a powerful demonic artifact and being recruited by the same demonic organization that he had once fought against. His brutal, heavy-handed methods once again turned those he'd once cared for most against him, and he went to rule Outland with his allies, the blood elves, the naga and the draenei.
Illidan is arrogant and tends to use methods that employ a great deal of brute force and very little subtlety or wisdom, as long as these methods are a means to the end he desires. He values his own life, seems to value the lives of his accumulated allies, and still deeply cares for his brother and his wife.
Kael'thas Sunstrider
"This is preposterous! Am I to assault the undead with nothing but sticks and harsh language?" - Kael, second mission of the 'human' campaign in Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne.
Kael'thas Sunstrider's history is shorter, but no less twisted. Once a prince of the ruling house of Quel'thalas, the invasion of the Scourge cut his people off from their source of magic, leaving them desperate and hungry. Between this hunger for magic and cruel treatment at the hands of his 'allies', Kael embraced a darker path, the path of demonic magic and exile to Outland.
He now works for Illidan and helps him further his goals because Illidan has found a way to feed the incurable magic addiction Kael's people suffer from. Kael is loyal to Illidan, even following him to Northrend to fight a powerful enemy, an enemy who had once been Kael's rival for the affection of another.
When Illidan was defeated, Kael returned with Illidan to Outland, where he continues to carry out his will along with looking after the well-being of his people. His actions are occasionally bizarre and erratic, but he is unceasingly loyal to Illidan, even in battles where defeat is imminent.
The Canon
This is a pairing that I've found to be best developed post-game, between Illidan's defeat in Northrend, and when we next see him. Within Frozen Throne, Illidan has managed to garner respect and loyalty from Kael and his forces, despite the fact he has suffered as many defeats as victories, and that he is still a tool of more powerful demons.
Kael'thas: Agreed. Actually, I am anxious to meet him again. If he can cure my people of their hunger for magic, I will gladly pledge myself to his service.
Illidan and Kael once fought on the opposite sides of a field, and in effect, Kael is partially responsible for Illidan's initial failure, though perhaps not nearly as much as Malfurion and Maiev. Kael, however, seems to be willing to trust Illidan solely on Vashj's word.
Illidan: You were right to come to me, Kael. I share the pain of your addiction, your hunger for magic.
Kael'thas: Can you help us, Lord Illidan? Can you cure us?
Illidan: There is no cure, young one. But there are ways to feed the hunger. Follow me and I will grant your people more magic than they can imagine.
Kael'thas: So be it, Lord Illidan, my fellow blood elves and I humbly pledge ourselves to your service.
Illidan: Then arise, young Kael. you shall be my right hand and the harbinger of my wrath.
Considering that Illidan cannot accomplish what Kael was hoping for, he still has managed to pledge himself to Illidan's service, perhaps hoping that feeing his hunger is just as good as removing it entirely. Regardless, Illidan has placed an astounding amount of trust in Kael, considering that they were once enemies, and furthermore, that Vashj has done a lot of the hard work as well. Illidan may see some of himself within Kael, and that's why he trusts him so much. That right hand serves an *important* function, Kael! Get to work!
Kael'thas: This will be a glorious battle, master. Though Magtheridon's forces vastly outnumber ours, your warriors are prepared to fight to the end.
Illidan: I am pleased by your people's zeal, young Kael. Their spirits and powers have been honed in this harsh wilderness. Their courage alone may be enough to...
Kael has become devoted to Illidan, almost zealously so. Despite setbacks and hardship, Illidan has inspired a remarkable amount of devotion in Kael.
Illidan: [Violent Laughter] I have come to replace you. You're a relic, Magtheridon, a ghost of a past age. The future is mine. From this moment on, Outland and all of its denizens will bow to me. Hear me now, you trembling mortals! I am your lord and master! Illidan reigns supreme.
This has little to do with the subtext and more to do with the fact Illidan has an ego the size of Elune, and that Kael is the Harbinger of his Ego. I for one welcome our demonic overlord.
Illidan: Perhaps hiding here was not the most prudent decision. Still, the quest lies before us. Will you follow me into the cold heart of death itself?
Lady Vashj: The naga are yours to command, Lord Illidan. Where you go, we follow.
Kael'thas: The blood elves are yours, as well, master. We will drive the Scourge before us and shatter the Frozen Throne as you command.
Once again, Kael demonstrates his absolute devotion to Illidan, and his faith in Illidan's abilities, despite the fact that we have just seen that Illidan is very much not at the top of the demonic pecking order.
It's very interesting to note that Kael begins by referring to Illidan as "Lord Illidan" as Lady Vashj does, but once he pledges himself to Illidan, he refers to Illidan as "master" several times, indicating a voluntary subjugation of his own will to Illidan's. This leads us to conclude that Kael reveres the demon cock. This desire to submit may well go beyond military applications.
The Pairing
I would be amiss to talk about anything with Illidan and Kael in it if I didn't mention their main love interests from the game, Tyrande and Jaina, respectively. In both cases, their love is strong to the point of obsessive, and unrequited.
Tyrande Whisperwind is the High Priestess of Elune, leader of the Sentinels, and Malfurion Stormrage's (Illidan's twin) lover. She was friends with both Stormrages in childhood, and both fell in love with her, though she only returned Malfurion's affections. When Illidan is imprisoned, Malfurion goes into the Emerald Dream, and Tyrande goes on to lead her people for several thousand years. Ten thousand years after he was imprisoned, Illidan is let out again by Tyrande, who defies the newly-awakened Malfurion and ignores the warnings of the Wardens set there to guard him. Illidan tells her that he doesn't give a damn about his brother, or his people, but for her he will fight. In this line of reasoning, he goes to the Felwood to fight the Legion and winds up becoming their pawn and eventual ally. Tyrande is horrified, and never wants to see him again. Later, when Tyrande is in danger, Illidan and Malfurion join forces to rescue her, and it appears as if much has been forgiven between them. Is Illidan still obsessed with Tyrande? It is uncertain, but as a motivator for much of his life, she had an important role.
Jaina Proudmoore is an oddity among humans: she's the youngest Archmage of the Kirin Tor, a woman, and for all intents and purposes, a princess. Kael'thas became enamoured with her while he was in Dalaran, and for the most part, pined after her like a small, lost puppy. Jaina's interests, it appeared, lay elsewhere, because she was involved with the heir of Lordaeron, Prince Arthas, perhaps as late as up to the point when she left for Kalimdor. When Arthas, as a Deathknight, finds Kael and his elves in Northrend after he is summoned there by the Lich King, Kael alludes to 'payback for Quel'thalas... and other insults.' Arthas is more blunt, and in the final battle for the Frozen Throne, he jeers Kael and asks if he's still angry with him for 'stealing Jaina from [Kael].' Does Kael still carry a torch for Jaina? It is uncertain, but as an elf, he may hold a grudge long past the time Jaina would die of natural -- or unnatural -- causes.
Why bring either of these women up? It's a transition for 'why I first decided I liked this pairing'. Both Illidan and Kael were obessed with a particular women, far longer than could be considered healthy or normal. It is entirely possible that by the time we encounter them in the game, it's not so much the women themselves, but the idea of the women, and the interaction with their main rivals. Initially, my consideration for the pairing was a sort of displaced wish fulfillment rather than genuine love, but that both developped real feelings over time, to their alarm. After all, when someone has had the same goal for so long, finding it shifted could be unbalancing. I later rejected this idea for a plot, because I found it more interesting for them to move past their obsession and instead develop a relationship on mutual respect of abilities.
Additionally, their professional relationship, at the very least, is unbalanced. Illidan is the leader of a group of blood elves, draenei and naga in Outland, whom all of these people have pledged to fight with until the very end. Kael, upon pledging his loyalty to Illidan, repeatedly refers to him as 'Master Illidan', while Lady Vashj only calls him Lord Illidan. This seems to indicate that Kael wants Illidan to be in control -- control him, perhaps -- and it also places a remarkable amount of trust in Illidan, considering the betrayal Kael suffered in the hands of his old allies. Illidan, meanwhile, places a huge amount of trust in Kael by elevating him to a position of importance, even though they have barely known each other, and that they were once on opposite sides. All Illidan has to go on is that Kael helped Vashj free him from Maiev. Perhaps, for Illidan, that's enough.
Finally, there is a very physical appeal to the pairing: they're both male, they're both elves, and they're both quite attractive. Illidan's skin is dark violet and has a particularly demonic appearance, sporting wings, talons, tattoos and hooves. He's an accomplished spellcaster as well as a fighter. Kael is more angelic, with peach skin, long blond hair and, despite the fact that he's a talented sorcerer, is also well-trained in melee combat, and is fairly muscular. A combination of all of these factors make for very classical night and day appeal.
Background
I became involved in Warcraft many years ago, starting with the Warcraft II demo found on a MacAddict CD. The storyline, such as it was, was intriguing enough to encourage me to get Warcraft III, which I discovered to have a rich, entertaining plotline, engaging characters and witty dialogue. I absolutely hated a number of characters on sight, and one of them was Illidan. I still strongly dislike him, so why would I care to write him in a pairing? Perhaps the most important thing I realized while playing the game is that it was rich and engaging enough to make me hate characters instead of slavish devotion or disinterested affection. When your emotions are so incredibly charged towards a particular character -- whether you like or dislike them -- you wind up thinking about them a lot. In Illidan's case, my dislike has, if not precisely cooled, given me a unique perspective in writing him. Kael, on the other hand, I am fond of and feel sorry for. I didn't spend nearly as much time thinking about him -- or naming my save files after him -- but I found myself doing more research when I decided to start writing this pairing.
Fandom Guide
Sites
1. blizzardfanfics appears to be the primary souce of Warcraft fanfiction on Livejournal. You may wish to look for posts by the__ivorytower and emerald_embers in particular.
2. The War/Craft art community on y-gallery has pictures for Warcraft in general, and some Illidan/Kael art in particular.
3. DeviantArt has a vast array of Warcraft pictures.
Sources
1. Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne Game Script
2. WoW Wiki, a fan created wiki which has accumulated information about the various Warcraft game.
3. World of Warcraft's official Encyclopedia
4. World of Warcraft's official site
5. The entire series of Warcraft and World of Warcraft RPG books.
6. The Wikipedia Entry for Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne.