General Benjamin "Ben" Grandblade is a seasoned Alliance veteran and a respected Knight of the Silver Hand. Hailing from the magical kingdom Dalaran, Ben pledged himself to knighthood after the destruction of his city by Archimonde the Defiler. Since the day he was of enlistment age, he has seen combat; from the molten depths of Blackrock, to the howling peaks of Northrend, and to the fel spires of Argus, Ben serves as a crusader of the Light and a protector of the underdog.
Physical Description[]
Looking to be in his late-twenties to early thirties, Ben clearly takes good care of himself. His stubble is well trimmed down to a state of good upkeep, while maintaining an air of ruggedness to him. His hair is well combed, parted down the center. His left hand, while fully functional, is entirely mechanical.
Personality[]
Ben is usually seen in public with a stern focus, but he's a very friendly and calm gentleman upon approach. While he's not a fan of wasting words, that does not mean he's not one for good conversation - moreso a deep listener rather than a heavy talker, reclusive with his words out of observance rather than shyness. Despite this, he is a fan of casual banter and joking to all he meets, as a social ice breaker.
As a holy man, Ben carries very strong convictions with him, always eager to spread the mantras of the Light to those in need of comfort. However, unlike other more forceful crusades, Ben does not believe that the Light is the be-all end-all of Azeroth's spiritual buildup.
History[]
Early Life[]
Dalaran's Fall and the Third War[]
Born in the city of Dalaran, Ben was born the sole child of Archmage Kade of the Kirin Tor and Lady Helena Grandblade of the Silver Hand.
Cycle of Hatred[]
Ben Grandblade, fresh out of squirehood in Northshire Abbey.
Settling in Stormwind, Ben immediately pledged himself to the clergy, to be trained in his true calling - a paladin of the Alliance, one to defend those who couldn't do the same for themselves. The day Ben came of age, enlistment came none too soon, although it took a long while for him to be deployed outside the home fronts of the Alliance territories. His first true campaign was an unforgiving one - plumbing the depths of Blackrock, fighting the forces of Ragnaros and Nefarian alike.
Ben battles the Thuzadin in the Plaguelands.
While Ben took to the Light well, he never became fully familiarized with it until his deployment to Light's Hope Chapel in the withering Plaguelands. Fighting against the dark forces of Kel'Thuzad, Ben's deep-seated hatred of the Scourge only intensified as he bore witness to the horrors that they had inflicted on the innocent populace.
Alliance Service[]
Benjamin and his compatriot, Valyera Mirovna, rescuing villagers from the undead in the ruins of Wintergarde.
While Ben was enlisted as early as the War of the Shifting Sand, some of his most grueling campaigns came during the War in Northrend, most notoriously in the province of Wintergarde.[1]
The Blood War[]
Ben escorting a group of survivors out of the smoldering fortress of Bael Modan after it was sabotaged.
Following the devastating War of the Thorns, Ben has seen himself, the Hearthfires, and the majority of the Silver Hand staunchly under the banner of the Alliance, ready to gain vengeance against the Banshee Queen for the vicious genocide of Teldrassil and her children. Currently, the attention of Ben and his regiment have largely focused on the war in Kul Tiras and Zandalar.
The War in Kalimdor[]
Ben in Ashenvale with the Kaldorei of the Silver Circle.
Shortly before the ascension of Tyrande Whisperwind into the Night Warrior, Ben made allies with a number of Kaldorei belonging to the vigilant Silversworn of the Silver Circle, including its Keeper, Feyawen Nightfury. He was present for their war council in Azsuna[2], and the subsequent push through Ashenvale to deliver fresh nightsabers to the holdouts on the rim of Astranaar. Along the way, the Silversworn also rid Raynewood Retreat of rampaging orc soldiers, saving many dryads and earning the loyalty of Shael'dryn's Laughing Sisters to the Sentinel army.[3] His aid to the Silversworn earned him the title Dalora, Darnassian for brother, amongst some of the order.
Gift of the Banshee Queen[]
On return to Light's Hope, Ben was informed that a number of knights had gone missing on the roads by the old Marris Stead. Calling upon the Hearthfires, as well as Tiara and Walter Vanforth, Ben lead the group into the Plaguelands to hunt down and subdue the threat. Following a run-in with a group of blood-drained knights, it was discovered that the aggressor was a San'layn under the Forsaken, dispatched to menace the the newly Alliance-aligned Silver Hand. It was also discovered that Lord Neville Oathkeeper, known for his heroics against the Drakkari, had been taken captive by the San'layn. While she nearly managed to drain him dry, the undead was slain and Lord Oathkeeper rescued.
Ben in Uldum, fighting the Aqir.
Facing the Drowned God[]
The Battle for Bordelen[]
Scourgewar[]
Into the Maw[]
Family and Relationships[]
Justindra Dayton[]
The daughter of a wealthy baron of Stormwind, Justindra and Ben were childhood friends during the early years of the First and Second Wars. Although they were separated for an extended period sometime after the Third War, Ben and Justine reunited in adulthood, during her early tenure as an Alliance field medic. They rekindled their relationship then, as if they had never parted.
Both a mother and nurse, Ben was attracted to her natural tendency to care for others over herself, a relationship that eventually led to marriage sometime after the start of the Blood War. While he trusts her in combat, Justine has mutually agreed to remain behind to tend to their family as Ben is deployed, although she serves a crucial combat medic on many an Alliance excursion.
Danmoras' frightening appearance did not phase Ben's children after a while, affectionately referring to him as "Uncle Dan."
Danmoras[]
Meeting during the war against the Scourge in Northrend, the Gilnean death knight Danmoras is the elder brother of Ben's wife. While initially distrustful of the death knight, years of battle together have built a brotherhood between the two, including the step-brotherhood forged by Ben's marriage to Justine. Dan's public condemnation of the Deathlord's recent actions - including the attack on Light's Hope and the massacre at the Ruby Sanctum [4]- have set Dan apart from other Ebon Blade knights in Ben's eyes. Dan is also a loving uncle to Ben and Justine's children, his normally dour disposition improving upon interaction with them.
Weaponry[]
Solais[]
Bearing an ancient elvish title whose meaning has been long forgotten, Ben’s blade was bestowed to him during his campaign in Northrend. Rumored to have been gifted to him by the Maiden of Ashwood Lake, it has been granted many a boon from Ben’s allies overtime - the Sisterhood of Elune, the Storm’s Wake, and Argent Confessor Paletress all have bestowed their blessings upon it.
Recently, the blade was refined by the smiths of the Army of the Light, coating the blade with molten Argunite.
Gallery[]
(Imgur Album link until proper gallery is created)
External Links[]
Benjamin Grandblade art by @formbextron