"As long as one voice is left to lift in prayer, the song will never fade."
Physical Description[]
Jhulen Sun-Descending is, in many ways, the epitome of Sin'dorei perfection, and the culmination of centuries of careful breeding. He is tall and well-built, although in a way that suggests more athleticism than brute strength, with tanned skin, long black hair only haphazardly trimmed and tied up, and a five o'clock shadow almost always darkening the curve of his jaw. His eyes, so green they must have been that color even before his people's fall, are sharp and intelligent, although usually smiling, even if his mouth isn’t… which it usually is. If he's caught without a shirt -- which isn't hard, honestly -- his muscular arms, shoulders, and upper back are revealed to be covered in intricate tattoos done in iridescent gold ink, the patterns resembling a mix of both phoenix feathers and Naaru geometrics.
Although the man is a priest -- or at least he claims he is -- everything from the way he dresses to the way he speaks seems to insist otherwise. He opts for armor of leather and chain just as often as a holy man's robes, and he seems as skilled with blade and bow as he is with the Light. However, if asked about being an apparent walking contradiction, Jhulen's response is usually just a grin and a shrug.
Personality[]
Jhulen drinks like a fish, smokes like a chimney, and swears like a sailor, but his devotion to the Light is powerful and unwavering... and anyone who questions that is likely to receive a fist in the mouth as their answer. And although he’s a little rough around the edges and not afraid to get his hands dirty, he’s a gentle man overall, with a deep, quiet voice and a soft touch.
History[]
Before the Fall[]
Jhulen's history is hardly a secret, particularly to anyone with even a passing familiarity with Sin'dorei nobility and politics. He is, or was, the third son of the Sun-Descending family, one of the oldest and most influential Houses in Quel'Thalas, who and maintained their fortunes through the trading of luxuries such as spices, fabrics, and jewels from all corners of Azeroth.
Being neither the heir nor the spare, Jhulen was instead turned into a tool, trained as his family's pet assassin from the time he was a child and used most often against House Sun-Descending's political rivals instead of any outside threat. Having known no other life, he dutifully followed his family's commands, spending over four centuries as the weapon called Shaihel -- the Tears of the Sun.
The End of It All[]
Everything changed for both Jhulen and his family with the coming of the Scourge and the razing of Quel'Thalas. House Sun-Descending was ruined, as the elves suddenly had much more to worry about than whether this shade of blue or that was in this season. With everything they knew gone to ashes and dust, House Sun-Descending found a siren song in Prince Kael'thas' talk of a promised land beyond the Dark Portal. Determined to see their prince and their people triumph -- and restore their former glory in the process -- the Sun-Descending family became some of Kael'thas' most fanatical followers, and of course Jhulen went along for the ride.
The Undying Light[]
However, as time went on, it became harder and harder for Jhulen to ignore the atrocities his people were committing against anyone who opposed the prince. His conscience ate and ate at him, until at last whispered word eventually reached him of Seer Voren'thal's intentions to defect and join the armies of the Light at Shattrath. And so, after almost five hundred years of doing what was expected of him, Jhulen finally decided something for himself: when Voren'thal laid down his arms at the gates of Shattrath, Jhulen was with him.
Jhulen's first sight of the being known as A'dal was quite literally an awakening; the Light had been sleeping in him all that time, and his first encounter with a naaru was enough to jolt it to life. It was like a promise to the man who had left everything and everyone he had ever known behind: in the Light, all are one, and he would never be alone again. Jhulen swore he would serve the Light for the rest of his days, and work to preserve life, rather than take it.
From then on, Jhulen turned himself into a champion of the Light, chasing darkness across the length and breadth of Azeroth, from the icy wastelands of Northrend to the lush bamboo forests of Pandaria, seeing and doing things that many men could only dream of. His adventures were many, his memories uncountable, and he might even tell you about them if you ask.
The Long Silence[]
Not long after the opening of the Red Portal and the attempted invasion by the Iron Horde, Jhulen simply... vanished. There was no word, even to those closest to him; many presumed him dead, until he suddenly reappeared just after the Legion invaded Azeroth once more. Where he was and what he was doing during those long, quiet years is a mystery to all but the priest himself, and he seems ill inclined to speak of it.
Dawn Breaks[]
Whatever it entailed, Jhulen's self-imposed exile seems to have fulfilled its purpose: the Light's Beloved has returned with renewed determination and newfound purpose. The Light will not die this day.
Trivia[]
- Jhulen is a chain-smoker; he's only found without a cigarette when things have really gotten serious.
- He has a constant companion in the form of a golden cloud serpent he calls Taiyou, who is most often found in his "travel-sized" form, perched on the priest's shoulder.
- He has a phobia of deep water and refuses to set foot in any water where he can't see the bottom.
- He's allergic to strawberries.
- He has only one working kidney thanks to an incident with a serrated arrow and his own lack of experience with the Light.