May flowers grow in the saddest parts of you.

Of all the ways to lose a person, death is the kindest.

If we decay, it'll be divine; flesh to flower, your hand is mine

Memento Vivere

My end is my beginning

Let's look back at the history revolving around how the san'layn were risen and start there. We know from lore that they were adherents of Kael'thas, which is why they found themselves at the failed front against the Frozen Throne. These Thalassians would most likely be noble or aristocracy who were exceptionally loyal and proud of their prince. These are not those who sympathize with the quel'dorei. These are blood elves through and through. The ones who followed Kael'thas the closest.

That being said, there could be exceptions to this, as noble and important elves are likely to take their best warriors, fighters, and mages with them to the field. Again, take into consideration that unless they were being blackmailed or frightened into being there, it is also likely that your Thalassian would be loyal to Kael'thas and agree with his methods.

The most important bits to consider:

Blood elf (not quel'dorei or any other denomination of Thalassian)

Kael'thas loyalist

Noble/aristocracy or attached to one's contingent

Once you think on these, the only limit if your imagination! Remember that you don't have to make a noble character, but you should have a good reason as to why they'd be amongst this elite group of loyalists. Be it their earned their way there, rode on the coattails of someone more important, and so on.

Who your san'layn was before is important! Don't skimp out on this, because like other undead Thalassians who tried to return home, your san'layn would possibly have prior connections, know other people, and have ties to what Silvermoon City after it was sundered and the Sunwell was lost the first time. It also allows for plenty of hook potential with other roleplayers!

Now what you should keep in mind, is that to date, this would have occurred about 20 years prior to the modern timeline. Your san'layn would have been dead from Warcraft III. There is a bit of arguing about this and the time between The Frozen Throne and World of Warcraft. Year 25 is the canon in-game beginning of World of Warcraft. Some say only 1 year passed. Other sources say 4 did. Choose which you prefer, but keep in mind that this 1-4 years could be the length of time your san'layn was beneath the thumb of Arthas and the Lich King's power. Whether they were fully aware of their sins or came to grip with it later is for you to develop.

The most important take away is that: Your san'layn was not in control of themselves during this period of time.

They were a part of the Scourge. They murdered, devoured, did whatever it is you want them to have done. The san'layn were cruel and awful. Even the nicest elves prior to their deaths would have been bidden to his nature.

This would also provide the opportunity for you to explore what ranking they were and how they might have earned this or skated by if they were only Coven members.

When did my san'layn gain their independence?

Sylvanas and other renegade undead existed with their independence shortly before World of Warcraft proper. Keep in mind, that while you could technically have your san'layn break away around the same time, san'layn are not basic undead. Nor is it likely that your character had the same willpower as Sylvanas.

The darkfallen dark rangers that supported her during this transition were also not san'layn, which is an important detail. Given the proximity to the Frozen Throne and the Lich King, breaking away from his dominion would have been hard, but it would have had to come at an opportunity similar to that of Sylvanas and it would have had to come before the events of Wrath of the Lich King.

That gives about 3-5 years for you to decide when and how your character broke off from the Lich King and fled. Staying in Northrend or by the Lich King would not only be an incredibly risk, it is likely they would have perished in the following wars were they not allied with a faction or on the run.

Where did my san'layn go afterward?

There are few friends to the san'layn and for good reason. Their reputation makes them not the wisest choice to trust, especially since they require blood for sustenance. They are a threat, even if they do not mean to be.

However, there is one faction that might have taken them in: The Forsaken.

The most plausible place that any san'layn might have had a home was swearing fealty to Sylvanas, the Banshee Queen.

Otherwise, surviving in the shadows, roaming, preying upon the unwitting, working in darker markets where the threat of a vampyr hunter or Scarlet Crusader seeking your demise was more likely than if you had allies… The world is your oyster for ideas, but try to remember the san'layn as a full faction separate from Sylvanas or The Forsaken did not exist. Those who remained were slivers and would have been hunted relentlessly. The sin'dorei most likely would not have accepted them into their ranks. Wounds were fresh and still are for many, who loathe undead and those who worked for the Scourge.

Yes, I know the Forsaken are close allies to the sin'dorei now. That took years. Your san'layn is not magically an exception. Especially considering the bad reputation of san'layn precedes even that of Sylvanas loyalists.

What they have been up to over these 20+ years is now up to you!

Things to keep in mind

If your san'layn joined The Forsaken, it is likely they took a new name to begin afresh. So that they could leave behind the sins of what they did in the Scourge and the life they possessed before their unholy resurrection.

Your san'layn would stop ranking up beyond Knight after their separation from the Scourge. The only person with the power to rank them officially into the higher tiers was Arthas or the Lich King.

Horde perceptions may be somewhat accepting of your presence, but it's Alliance that will almost always be hostile.

Any upper rankings you may decide your san'layn has does not matter to non-vampyrs. Sure, it indicates a power level discussed in previous posts along with magic, but just because you decide to make Carmilla a Blood-Princess doesn't mean others are going to acknowledge your royal rank. Nor should you expect them to know or demand praise. 20+ years have passed. Unless your san'layn has some yearning to resurrect the old ways and court, demanding homage as a vampiric monarch is weird and out of place amongst most RP. Your san'layn ranking has no importance or political clout.

What I mean by this is that you have no status akin to a member of royalty in the major races. Nor do you deserve one. That's not what the point of the rankings is or was. Think of the san'layn remaining as fringe and broken bits of a once terrible court. Without the Helm of Domination and the power of the Lich King, creating it again is impossible.

Memories…

Just as with the Forsaken, your san'layn will have to battle with what they did while under the thumb of Arthas and the Lich King. All the horrific, terrible, cruel things they did. Whether that makes them an awful person today or they try to repent for their sins despite not being in control of themselves is up to you! However, it is something you should consider and remember. It's an important part of building your character!

The Hunger

Your san'layn must eat. Blood. Or Anguish/Life-force if they're among the higher ranks. This is non-negotiable.

Remember, san'layn that possess beating hearts metabolize faster and require feeding more often. Additionally, keeping tabs on how much regeneration they're forced to do in battle, how much magic they use, exposure to sunlight, etcetera should go into factoring hunger drive.

When night comes...

Previously, I discussed how san'layn ranked up in power and earned higher titles and wings. The consumption of souls or anima is what truly grants this power, not how much blood one as drank. The difference between any vampyr above a Knight ranking and the Coven is the amount of souls that they've claimed. While there are some san'layn bestowed the power of Baron or Princess or Queen, there are others who earned it by murder.

Let's dig into that.

Overall, san'layn sustain themselves and feed on blood. Yes, this is their food. However, after a certain echelon, they require a magical form of sustenance as well to maintain their power. This comes in the form of souls or the anima a soul possesses.

When a san'layn kills and drains someone, they are also feeding on the lifeforce of this individual. If killed from the attack, the san'layn devours the entirety of their soul, which prevents this person from passing onto any sort of afterlife since it has been transitioned to the vampyr in the form of energy. In turn, capturing this soul increases their power (marginally) but this also depends on the quality of the soul devoured. The innate cruelty of san'layn is due to the nature of what they eat. Anguish fuels their sadistic, dark powers. A sphere of magic that very little is known about. Torturing, frightening, causing misery before the death of a victim enhances the quality of the soul devoured and thus its efficiency in bestowing more power to the vampyr. This cruelty was instinctually built into san'layn, especially when they remained under the Lich King's control, so that they'd continue to seek murder to elevate their power due to hunger.

Now, given that the Lich King no longer controls what san'layn still exist, consumption of lifeforce is not necessary for all. Any vampyr that is a Coven rank or lower can sustain themselves entirely on blood alone.

Those who are Knight rank or above must consume humanoid souls. The frequency of this being dependent on rank. A Knight will not require as many souls as a Baroness. In fact, a Knight may only need to consume a few souls a year to maintain their control over their abilities.

On the other hand, a Baron or Prince/Princess must consume hundreds a year.

Refusing to do this results in various repercussions.

First, it weakens the san'layn beyond their potential, exponentially depending on how long they've starved themselves of anima. Second, it then causes aggression and lashing out beyond their control. The only exception to this is absolutely no exposure to anyone living. However, any powerful san'layn that goes without souls for an extended time and is consistently exposed to anything living, will enter an instinctual state similar to how they acted when they were beneath the Lich King's control and their bodies will force them to hunt the souls they so desperately crave and need to function.

This condition can be completely against their will, especially if they've forsaken the barbaric manners they acted in beneath Arthas. There are two options: choose your prey or your body will indiscriminately choose for you.

How does this tie in with Anguish magic?

The "dark magic" that san'layn have natural access to is aligned with Anguish. This makes san'layn exceptionally equipped to fight against void entities and magic, possessing a natural resistance while their own magic is more potent against it. They are absolutely immune to void insanity, the bigger threat being their own vices and mind.

This is also why victims who were stressed further before becoming the prey of san'layn 'taste' better. Not only is the quality of their soul better sustenance, but it inherently encourages san'layn to be cruel and merciless in delivering death.

This also attributes to the taste of blood. Individuals they feed from who have been through more trauma, stress, depression, and misery affect the quality of blood and tend to be more addictive than those who have lived good lives.

Endorphin and hormone release can also affect the taste of blood. San'layn cannot get drunk or high off of drugs or alcohol, but they can acquire secondary exposure by drinking from the blood of someone who is drunk or high.