#kael'thas

I always found it funny how Blizzard almost always makes Kael'thas big and... Buff?.

I’m not good at drawing humans, but I gave it a try. Incoming post where people might cancel me for the AU… or not X-X

Okay, today it’s time to show three heavyweights of the lore who have a very notable change in this AU. First of all: humans, and why they look like this. The goal of the titans is to bring order by replacing the natural life of planets with constructs that mimic organic beings; this way they could have fully controlled artificial ecosystems. The titan-forged who would later become the vrykul were constructs with two forms: animal and humanoid (the simplest way to explain it is literally like a transformer lol). In humanoid form they helped terraform the planet, and once it was prepared and free of any organic life, they would change into their animal form and become part of the robotic environment. When Yogg-Saron infected them with the Curse of Flesh, this transformation became natural (like a druid’s shapeshifting), and generation after generation it refined into modern humans.

The animal of each individual is inherited from their parents, and in high-born families they often try to pair with a similar race to maintain their “purity.” The purer the bloodline, the more prestige it usually has.

With that said, Varian comes from a family of lion-men. They had a very close relationship with the royal family of Quel’Thalas, since both families were feline and shared a very special bond that other human families didn’t enjoy. When Varian was born, Kael’thas was offered the opportunity to sponsor him and be his mentor, since it was already predicted that, given his lineage, he would have a brilliant future. But a young Kael, more interested in the gossip and troubles of Dalaran, refused the offer (ironic, knowing what happened later lol).

When the orcs attacked Stormwind, Gul’dan personally killed Llane and captured little Varian, planning to use him as a bargaining chip, a human shield, or dinner if necessary. In fact, the scar he carries came from that capture. When Anduin Lothar finally saved him (after quite a long time that left Varian somewhat twisted in the head), instead of taking him to Lordaeron he brought him to Silvermoon. Anasterian once again told his son to sponsor the boy, and this time it wasn’t a suggestion—it was “do it, or lose your inheritance.” So Kael’thas had to start teaching him by force.

At first there was tension, because Kael’thas didn’t hide the fact that he didn’t want to be there, but little by little the cat realized that the kid was pretty chill and even pleasant when he wasn’t chasing pigeons to hunt. In the end, they ended up with a brotherly relationship where they teased each other constantly but would give their lives for one another.

During his time in Silvermoon, Varian began speaking with Sylvanas, who was intrigued by his character and his potential in close combat. After Lirath’s death, she started giving him archery lessons, mainly as a distraction from her grief for him and Alleria. (And if you’re wondering—Varian was terrible with a bow. No matter how much Sylvanas taught him, he was destined to be a warrior. But at least they had fun.) Kael’thas would tag along and tried to flirt with Sylvanas. It didn’t work, but at least they ended up as good friends.

Two years before reaching adulthood, Varian was sent to Lordaeron to learn human customs before his arranged marriage. It was a very depressing stage for the lion; he missed his feline brother and the moderate freedom he had there. The only thing that cheered him up during that time was the weirdo Arthas, who was a big fluffy bear obsessed with being a paladin and with horses. They forged a very deep bond, and being forced to separate from him to marry Tiffin broke him even more. Luckily, the lioness was very kind to him and didn’t force him when it came to producing an heir. They had Anduin, and they did their best to provide a pleasant environment so the little cub would be happy.

The thing is, a year later, Terenas arranged a marriage between Arthas and a noble she-bear with wealth, perfect to maintain the family’s status. Father and son had a huge fight, and Arthas had to accept the marriage through gritted teeth… but of course, he wasn’t going to sit still. He sent a letter to Varian explaining the situation and proposing they escape north, to the land of cats, hiding there until his father changed his mind.

Varian was going to refuse, but in the dark period he was in, fleeing and returning to the place where he’d been happy was like a light in the darkness. He accepted the plan impulsively, and they set it up quickly. The lion went with his family under the pretext of showing off his baby and congratulating Arthas on his engagement. That night, in silence, they mounted their horses and headed north. The bear left a letter for his father in his room, with the promise to return if the engagement was canceled.

And I’ll stop here, because from this point on things get serious, and that’s better saved for another post. The fate of these three isn’t looking too good, and it’s obvious everything is going to go wrong XD. I just hope the direction for these characters doesn’t turn out too bad — it’s a pretty big change and I know a lot of people might not like it. Anyway, to lighten things up a bit, here’s a meme drawing of what’s coming.