Born during the Golden Age of the Kaldorei, during the year 5 Before Sundering, in a small settlement on the outskirts of Zin-Azshari, Illaelath Eveningdew is the second and youngest child of the hunter Liriala Shadebloom and the herbalist Anthil Eveningdew. During these peaceful years, Illaelath spent most nights with his An'da while his Min'da and sister, Aaylea Shadebloom, headed out hunting, skinning, and butchering the spoils of their efforts, ready for sale at the market. Life was modest, without the comforts of the city, but by Her Majesty's grace and Elune's blessing, there was at least peace in the empire.
The peaceful life of the young Illaelath was broken when the skies above the Well of Eternity broke open, and demons marched forth from the palace. Leaving everything behind, Illaelath and his family fled with the other refugees. As the war progressed and more demons flooded through Zin-Azshari, the Kaldorei armies were decimated. Liriala and Anthil were drafted into the army, leaving Illaelath in Aaylea’s. Like so many children of the time, Aaylea and Illaelath would not see their parents again, left only with precious memories tainted by sickly green-yellow lights, monstrous beasts, the sight of dragons locked in aerial combat, and the scent of thick smoke.
In the aftermath of that final battle, their home was lost to The Great Sundering of the Ancient Kalimdor; Aaylea and Illaelath followed the rest of the Kaldorei, seeking safety on the slopes of Mount Hyjal. As the land settled and the refugees once again began to spread out in the hopes of finding friends and family, Aaylea made the decision to take the young Illaelath following others to Nighthaven, nestled safely in the realm of Remulos, the Moonglade.
As the first druids were trained, Illaealth had no intention of joining their ranks. Instead, he concentrated his efforts on botany, herbalism, and alchemy. After all, if it had been more than enough for his An'da, it was good enough for him.
Around the year 1000 Post Sundering, a group of Quel’dorei arrived in Nighthaven. Still viewed with suspicion, they settled along the outskirts of town, coming for basic supplies only. One fateful day, one of their members, Delanai Starforest, made her way down to the Nighthaven Inn. Younger than most of the group, she hoped a bridge could be built between the two communities. Bubbly, energetic, easily excitable, and outgoing, she knew, without a doubt, she was the perfect person for the job. Here, she saw her opening in the form of Illaelath, quietly scribbling notes into a small beaten journal. Much to Aaylea’s disapproval, Delanai and Illaelath became fast friends, spending many a day walking, talking, and writing. It would be another 700 years before either made a move.
Over time, Illaelath caught the eye of the druid Len’ra Amberthorn. “Wasted potential,” he would tell the other druids. Eventually, Illaelath relented and began the path to druidism. Meanwhile, Aaylea trained as a priestess and sentinel.
Throughout his studies with Amberthorn, it was clear that the years he spent endlessly hunting for obscure herbs had created an unconscious link to the forests surrounding the groves; combined this with a small amount of druidic magic allowed connecting to the souls of the forest’s inhabitants with the same ease as talking to another Kaldorei. In addition, his hands-on experience with herbal medicines allowed him to excel past several of the Thero’shan of other senior druids in the healing arts. Despite Illaelath’s progress and the praise which came to Amberthorn for his training, he was still not happy. He expected nothing less than perfection from his Thero’shan. Much to Amberthorn’s disappointment, Illaelath fell short when it came to any form of combat. Illaelath could not grasp the paradoxical nature of using life to cause harm or even death, making it extremely difficult for him to harness the power for those means, or as Amberthorn would explain, “The boy just doesn’t have it in him.”
Amberthorn’s relentless training inspired fear in the other initiates. They began to call him “Xaxas Amberthorn” in hushed whispers, avoiding his gaze wherever possible. They offered pitying looks to Illaelath as he stood firm, determined to challenge his Shan’do to the bitter end. He was one of the few who dared to confront Amberthorn directly. Amid the harsh training, Illaelath found solace in his time with Delanai. To his surprise, Delanai managed to form a strange yet genuine friendship with Amberthorn, one that she made the most of in subtle ways.
Illaelath often asked, “What is a druid? What are we meant to be?” The answer was the same each time: “Nature’s Guardians.” But what did that truly mean? One night, as he wandered through Kalimdor’s ancient forests, wisps danced between the towering trees, their soft blue glow casting a serene light. He followed them, and they led him to the ruins of a small, pre-sundering settlement, now reclaimed by the forest. Here, Illaelath found the answer he had long sought. Druids, he realised, were agents of both renewal and preservation. They renewed life where death had taken root and preserved the wilds, ancient and full of wisdom for those who listened: the wisdom of the Mother Wisp.
Before their first joint trip into the Emerald Dream, Amberthorn taught Illaelath that it is a vast, untold beauty with trees such as Daral’nir offering calm to the enraged. Forests of life, which heal those who are lost and injured. But also a place fraught with danger for those who do not tread carefully. A single step within its borders could transport a druid from one side of Azeroth to the other, but one misstep could cast them into an alien unfinished land or an endless limbo where their souls could be lost for eternity. Amberthorn spoke of the Dream and how it became ordered and tended by the Green Dragons, its first caretakers. But it was so much more than that; it was a timeless realm, the very source of life itself.
Two centuries of gruelling training passed before Amberthorn finally deemed Illaelath ready to be recognised as a full-fledged druid. Yet, his mentor continued to push him relentlessly. “I am your Shan’do,” Amberthorn would remind him, “and you, my Thero’shan. Your training ends only when I do.” Given the Kaldorei’s immortality, that day would not come soon.
The lives of druids, their friends and family are complex. With the druid's duty to enter the Emerald Dream for prolonged periods, furthering their ability to harness its life energies, and their understanding of the natural balance they swore to uphold, at the cost of leaving loved ones behind.
It was around the year 1700 Post Sundering, when Illaelath and Delanai became closer as companions, and another four hundred years before they joined as life partners — four hundred years of travel, writing, and what Illaelath can only describe as bliss. Within fifty years of their union, it was Illaelath’s time to enter the dream once again. For a thousand years, Illaelath wandered and tended to the Dream, meditating periodically to further his understanding of its nature. While he understood the need for him to do this as part of the give-and-take relationship of a Druid and the Dream, it did not ease his pain of being separated from Delanai.
On returning from the dream, Illaelath was tasked with taking young, fledgling druids through the ancient forests of Kalimdor to train them in the art of communing with the life within. A job Illaelth enjoyed, due to it allowing him to keep a close eye on those ancient places of which Aessina cared greatly. As time marched forward, Delanai and Illaelath settled into their lives together. To fulfil his obligations to the Dream, Illaelath guided many young druids across the barrier from the waking world into its vast expanses.
Around the year 4500 Post Sundering, Delanai and Illaelath were blessed with the birth of their daughter, Elisia Starforest. Illaelath doted on his daughter, his very own ray of moonlight, doing everything he could to ensure she grew up happy and safe. From a young age, Elisia was in awe of the Priestess of Elune, joining their ranks at her first opportunity. Becoming a young woman, both Delanai and Illaelath were immensely proud of. For several millennia, they lived happily. Illaelath performed his druidic duties with several stints in the Dream and the training of several Thero’shan of his own. Delanai wrote and published works on the nature of the arcane, but most importantly, on the dangers it poses. Elisia remained part of the sisterhood, travelling like her An’da, wherever people needed aid.
Peace for the Starforest-Eveningdew family was shattered as the Third War came to the forests of Kalimdor. Caught in Ashenvale as the Orcs destroyed swaths of its ancient forests, along with the other citizens of Ashenvale, Delanai, Elisia, and Illaelath had no choice but to try to aid in the defence of these sacred lands. Holding up in a small village, Delanai did her best to help keep civilians safe. At the same time, Elisia and Illaelath used all the power at their disposal to raise defences around the village as the handful of present Sentinals fought back. As the orcs gained ground, they cut through the defences quicker than they could be raised. As blades clashed, the attackers fired arrows indiscriminately into the village. Civilian or trained defender, it made no difference; they blocked their advance. Turning, Delanai saw an archer loose an arrow towards Elisia. For the first time since the Sundering, Delanai drew upon the arcane, diving through a hasty portal, pushing Elisia out of the arrow’s path. Turning, Illaelath ran to his beloved, an arrow protruding from her chest. Falling by her side, he could save her. Begging for aid, where none existed, Illaelath resorted to drawing directly from himself, pouring life into one he knew was too far gone. Illaelath fell unconscious. When he woke, he found himself back in Nighthaven, Elisia and Amberthorn at his side. “Delanai…” was Illaelath’s first word, met only with a quiet “Illaelath, we need to talk.”