Oldmanfranks

Old Man Franks
Game Name	Oldmanfranks
Race	Undead
Gender	Male
Class	Warlock
Professions	Mining Jewelcrafting
Guild	Alea Iacta Est

Mining Jewelcrafting

Old Man Franks is an Undead Warlock, and Cohort of Alea Iacta Est.

Description

Old Man Franks stands somewhere between 5' 8" and 6' tall. Whatever his appearance was in life, in undeath his skin has turned a pale white and he is now completely bald. The skin around his mouth and jaw has rotted away, leaving only dead muscle tissue and teeth showing. His face has a permanent scowl etched into his brow, and his eyes glow with magical light.

Character History

Days as a Simple Farmer

Long ago, in the days when undead were a mere nuisance created by the occasional rare insane wizard studying forbidden arts, in the lush countryside of Lordaeron, there lived a simple old farmer. This farmer lived alone, as his wife was long gone and his only son had died long ago in the war. This old man was mostly content with his lot in life, though. Farming came easy to him after many years, and most people left him alone, which is how he liked it.

His only irritation in life was the presence of the nearby village's children and their constant persistence in trespassing on his lands. These he chased mercilessly with all manner of farming tools, driving them off. Over time, his age, isolation, and legendary temper garnered much legend about him, and many parents warned their children never to go on his land, lest they meet some terrible fate. Which of course, as children are curious creatures, drove the brave and stupid to trespass on his land all the more often, and making the farmer all the more angry. In his old age, he really couldn't ever catch them, anyway.

This continued on for a number of years. Until one day, when he went outside to chase down what he thought was the same children he was always having to deal with...and found himself staring at their animated corpses instead. The zombies easily killed him, and their necromancer overseer soon raised him up to join the ranks of the dead.

Forsaken

Time passed. What activities the old farmer took part in are lost to all but the records of the Scourge, if such records even exist.

The next thing the old farmer recalled was waking up inside a crypt in Deathknell. He soon had to come to grips with the fact that he was a free-willed undead, a member of the Forsaken, and that he owed fealty to Queen Sylvanas now. He was expected to serve her and the best interests of the Forsaken and the Horde, so he did the only thing he knew: He tried his hand at farming again. His land, however, was tainted and useless for farming as a result of the Scourge. What farmlands were available were either overrun with human survivors or had been doled out by the Banshee Queen to other farmers of the Forsaken to supply their people.

Lost, confused, and very angry, the old farmer shambled around the Undercity, his new home, seeking employment, seeking some way to serve the Forsaken, and seeking some way to once again be left mostly alone.

He found mostly odd jobs in that time, never anything permanent. These jobs took him to random locations throughout the Undercity, and he often found himself passing by the Magic Quarter. He watched in passing as the many mages within practiced their craft, but for reasons he could not explain, the presence of the casters referred to as the “warlocks” amazed him. He did not understand it at all, but some part of him knew that it was unusual for them to be in the open. He wondered why the authorities were not hunting them down for this, all the while also pondering why he felt this way. It intrigued him, one of the few things in his new unlife that did.

Starting down the Dark Path

Eventually, during one of his starker periods of unemployment, he decided to simply approach them. He asked them about this feeling that he did not understand, and why the warlocks were able to practice their craft in the open. The warlocks whom he spoke with understood, and explained that his feelings were probable leftovers from his former life. As humans, yes, they had been forced underground, to hide their craft from the ignorant and foolish who did not truly understand it. But Queen Sylvanas was not so foolish. She knew they were powerful weapons that could be used to wage war upon the Scourge, and she would permit them to learn and teach others their ways

The old farmer felt something stir in his mind, urging him on. This path held promise and purpose. It held power, and he should take it! If the farmer had stopped to think about it for a moment, he might have realized that that voice he imagined hearing was not so imaginary, and the sound of it sounded very little like his own voice. But he dismissed these thoughts as the foolish thoughts of a child, and immediately asked to join them, and learn the ways of the warlock. Surprised and amused at his boldness, they agreed to provisionally accept him, provided he demonstrated his ability to learn, and quickly. If not, he would be...unwelcome.

He surprised them all, picking up the basics quickly. Even the old farmer was amazed at how easily and quickly he took to casting spells of shadow and flame, to channeling the fel energy of the Burning Legion for his own ends. Within weeks, he had learned all that he could without an apprenticeship to a more experienced warlock. He was infuriated to learn that he would have to wait, as there were none available to accept him as an apprentice. He angrily reminded them of how quickly he had taken to the path, how he had gone from an aimless old farmer who knew nothing of magic at all, to one of the top students in the Undercity! How could no one be available to teach him?

His teachers told him, matter-of-factly but with a hint of steel in their voices, that they were sure that any warlock would happily take him on as a promising apprentice, once they finished training their current ones. He would have to be patient. It’s not as if he aged anyway, what should time matter to him?

Patience was not among whatever few virtues he had, but he forced himself to accept their words. He continued studying on his own, what little he could do, as warlocks do not share their secrets likely. He heard other students whispering of a master warlock who lurked within Undercity’s caverns, and he immediately questioned them about it. It was told that this Grand Warlock, Evrae, was among the first of the Forsaken’s warlocks and was immensely powerful. The story also said that after a long career as an adventurer, Evrae had returned to the Undercity, built a secret lair somewhere within its walls, and holed himself in to conduct his own research. He had been seen extremely sporadically since then, and always in the presence of Sylvanas, seemingly advising her on matters only they knew.

Upon hearing this story, the old man felt an old feeling stir in his mind again. A familiar voice whispered that here was a teacher who could instruct him! He deserved to learn from the best! He immediately announced his intention to seek out the Grand Warlock. His teachers were amused. He was not the first neophyte Warlock to seek out Evrae. Many had before him, and none was successful in their goal. Two apprentices had never returned, and after their disappearance, Evrae had come to them and informed them that he had no time for appretinces, any who disturbed him again would be used as fodder for his experiments.

The old farmer was not dissuaded, his thin patience at its end. His teachers shook their heads at such a waste, but made no move to stop him. He began scouring the Undercity for any sign of the lair of Evrae, driven on by that old stirring voice in the back of his mind that he continued to attribute to himself and his desire for a purpose in unlife. It took months of looking and speaking with various Forsaken, but he finally heard of an Orc Warlock who had located Evrae, but was dismissed summarily instead of killed by the Grand Warlock. He journeyed to Orgrimmar and spoke with this warlock, one Neeru Fireblade. Eventually, Neeru gave up the location.

The Dark Master

The old farmer returned to the Undercity and finally located the Grand Warlock. Sensing the great power within his undead frame, he knelt before him and asked to become his apprentice. The old warlock laughed at him, informing him that he had not taken a single apprentice in years, and asked what the farmer thought he had that so many others who begged him for this very same honor did not. He had no answer for him, and could only kneel in silence. Lord Evrae yelled in anger, calling him an arrogant fool, and turned his magic on him, draining his life away. The old farmer slowly resisted, eventually breaking the spell with one of his own, draining the strength Evrae had taken back into himself. Once he was restored, Evrae broke the spell with ease. Laughing, he pronounced the farmer’s efforts impressive, and agreed to take him as his apprentice. He asked for the farmer’s name. The farmer looked at his new master and responded that he could only remember part of his name from life, Franks, but he also remembered that most simply called him the Old Man. Evrae laughed and told Old Man Franks to rise, as they had much work to do.

Old Man Franks continued his training under the Grand Warlock, often sent out on missions by the Dark Lord which furthered the cause of the Forsaken, the Blood Elves, and the Horde as a whole, all of which continued to refine his skills. Soon the day came when Kazzak, the demonlord, reopened the Dark Portal leading to Outland and left there to rejoin the Legion. The Horde and the Alliance would soon follow, to end the threat of the Burning Legion once and for all. Evrae informed Franks that he was sending him to Outland to serve the Horde, and that he would not be going alone. Evrae was sending him with an old friend from his days as an adventurer: the troll Archmage Dahkar and his companions, a tauren druid named Grothi and another troll named Durnnit.

Adventuring with the Archmage and Downfall

Together, the group adventured across Outland, helping the Horde develop several strongholds along the way and fighting the legions of soldiers in employ to Illidan or the Burning Legion. He was present with his adventuring companions, who by then had become close friends and had brought him into the largest and most influential Horde adventurers guild, Alea Iacta Est, when they discovered that one of Kael's manaforges was supervised by demons of the Legion. The awful truth, that Kael had sold his own people out to the Legion, somewhat amused Franks. He threw himself against Kael's forces at the Sunwell with reckless fury, believing that as a Warlock of now-fairly substantial power, he could easily triumph over the legions of demons in their path. Without his master Evrae's guidance, he plumbed dark tomes of forbidden power, taking whatever he could use against the Legion. He discovered dark powers the likes of which horrified his companions, and was in part responsible for spreading their knowledge across the wider Azeroth: other warlocks soon learned of his powers and discovered them for themselves. His inadvertant spread of these was the final straw for Dahkar, Grothi, and Durnnit. After KIl'jaeden's defeat, Dahkar informed the warlock that he no longer would have any association with him. He was delving too deeply into demon magic, and no good intentions of using the power to help the Horde would save him from being just as damned as Kael'thas. At Dahkar's recommendation, AIE centurion Stigg removed his membership from the guild as well.

Cut off from his wider network of support and bereft of guidance following the Legion's defeat, Franks wandered alone. He was all but unwelcome among the allies he had built among the Scryers, none of the Blood Elves there wanted to associate too closely with a warlock, for fear of losing the favor of the Naaru. The warlocks of the Undercity no longer had anything to teach him, and most were jealous of the favor he had obtained from being Evrae’s apprentice.

He returned to his old master in Undercity, only to find that Evrae had disappeared without a trace. None within the walls had even noticed he was missing. With nowhere to go and nothing to fight for, Franks stayed within his master's lair, isolated with only books and his pet demons as company. This isolation, combined with the dark knowledge and powers he now carries within him, have driven him somewhat mad.

Reawakening and Current Activities

It has taken the recent assault of the Horde on Northrend and the Scourge to bring him out of his seclusion. Learning of the Forsaken’s presence in the Howling Fjord, and their attempts to develop a plague to wipe the Scourge out, he has journeyed to their based in New Agamand to lend his efforts, for reasons only he can fathom. He has not bothered to seek out his old companions, but seeks out his new destiny, alone. In his state of questionable sanity, time will tell how this bears out.

Curiously, Franks' name has once again recently appeared on the membership rolls of Alea Iacta Est. In such a large guild, this has thus far gone unnoticed by his former friends. What happens when they discover this is anyone's guess.

In Combat

Old Man Franks views his enemies with utter contempt. Overtime, he has developed something of a sadistic streak, enjoying watching them suffer before they die. For this reason, he has favored spells of affliction for most of his adventuring career.

Upon Lord Evrae's teaching him how to bind a Felguard into service, Nihl utilized this newfound mastery over Demonology to great extent during his time in Outland. He has spent much of his isolation studying and refining the many spells and powers he helped distribute to wider knowledge among the Warlocks of Azeroth, and there is no telling which he will bring to bear to the Scourge in Northrend.

Connections to other Characters

• Dahkar - The Archmage's longtime friendship with his master carried over to Franks when the two first met. Dahkar had long accepted that the warlocks within the Horde were capable of using the demon powers and remaining truly loyal to the Horde, and he showed no prejudice to Franks during their adventures in Outland. His friendship with the troll ended during the war on the Isle of Quel'danas, as Dahkar believed the Old Man and his fellow warlocks were going too far in their use of demon magic, and they were on a path from becoming masters of the magic to being mastered by the magic. For his unwillingness to turn away from the new magic he had gained, Dahkar now has broken all ties and all contact with Franks. Franks, for his part, respects the Archmage's power, even if he slightly resents him for it. If Franks ever does spot his former friend in Northrend, he would most likely walk away without a word to him.

• Grothi - Grothi's beliefs about Arcane magic are liberal for a tauren, and he has tried, very hard, to adopt a similar viewpoint with regards to Old Man Frank’s use of warlock magic. Originally, he truly believed that Franks wanted to use this magic to help the Horde, and was willing to accept the disastrous consequences on himself as a sacrifice, but following the events at the Sunwell, he regards Franks as he regards most warlocks: power-hungry selfish corrupt fools. For his part, Old Man Franks did not discourage the druid's delusions, as it made it easier to get along with him and fulfill the wishes of his master. Now that he is alone after months of isolation, it's unlikely he'd even recognize Grothi on sight any longer

• Durnnit - Durnnit and Franks kept their distance from each other, even when the pair were adventuring companions. Durrnit's training as a shaman meant he had been exposed to his elder's natural prejudices against warlocks (given the history of the Orcs), and both parties seemed to mutually agree to interact as little as possible to avoid conflicts. Again, it is doubtful that Franks’ current mental state would allow him to recognize Durnnit even if he saw him.

• Shadothi - Franks has never met the Tauren Death Knight, having been ostracized from the team and the guild by the time of his return to the Horde, and would likely pay him no mind unless seen in the company of the Archmage.

Views on Other Races and Factions

Franks is extremely wary of most of the Horde’s races, feeling that they would all ascribe the same prejudice that his former friends showed him. Their betrayal, as he sees it, has colored his viewpoint on the peoples of the Horde, save the Forsaken. In actuality, the pervasive spread of the warlock powers he helped research and spread have basically had the side effect that no one remembers who unleashed them, and the willingness of all sides to accept able hands in the wars against the Scourge and the Blue Dragonflight would mean he would find welcome in Northrend, but he as of yet does not realize this. Because of this, he is very wary around any member of the Horde who is not Forsaken, keeping a watchful eye out for the anger and distrust he expects from them. The Forsaken in Northrend have eagerly accepted his aid, so his suspicions do not extend to them.

Franks cares very little for the politics of the Alliance leaders, nor has any pause about their own warlocks attacking him. They are the enemy, and he will slaughter them.

Player

Old Man Franks is played by User:Oldmanfranks.