About the Netherbane
“I seek not followers, only equals. This is the core tenet of my teachings. Do not walk behind me, but instead choose to walk beside me, for if I should fall in battle, the line must hold. Seek not my approval, but ask freely of my guidance. Learn not from my words, but from the deeper meaning behind them. Understand fully, then you will be able to take your place amongst the honored damned. Not until then will you truly become what I seek—an equal.”
INTRODUCTION
Having been founded in mid-2005 on the Earthen Ring (US) server, the Netherbane is one of the oldest roleplaying guilds for demon hunters and demon hunter allies in World of Warcraft. Long before they existed as a hero class, we were roleplaying demon hunters using only the classes available, creating our own lore, and becoming a part of the hidden backdrop of our home server.
Though we started with demon hunters at our core, the guild itself has a very diverse cast of characters. The hunt against creatures of darkness can be pursued by anyone with a will strong enough to face the risks, from holy paladins who bring righteous judgement and fury, to the ancient druids who bring the wrath of nature down upon their foes.
Lead by Shan'do Tharion Greyseer, the Netherbane and its allies strive to protect Azeroth from threats both internal and external. While we are small, we are focused around exploring some of the more epic concepts in roleplay, from cosmic entities to hidden wars that threaten to undermine the safety of Azeroth’s citizens.
If you seek to know more, feel free to delve into this site. In here you will find our history, our beliefs, and our knowledge.
“Trust them? YesYes! Of course I do! Tharion Greysneezer and I are greatgreat friends! We’ve killed many things together. Demons, dragons, demon-dragons, undead people, redead people, nondead people...
Erm, maybe I shouldn’t have said that last one. *coughs* ManyMany things! YesYes. Though... sometimes I wonder when I’ll everever get my fel-goggles back. I mean, how does he even USE them? He has no eyes!”
HOW TO USE THIS SITE
This site was designed to serve one primary purpose: to provide information and custom lore to roleplayers in the World of Warcraft. If you’re new to roleplay, you find guidance on how to roleplay a demon hunter who follows the path of the Netherbane (as opposed to the path of the Illidari as established by Blizzard in World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade and World of Warcraft: Legion). If you’re a veteran, you will find information on the roster of characters with whom you may interact.
“Trust them? Of course I don’t trust them! How can you trust a group that willingly binds itself to demonic power? They claim it is for some greater good, but I have seen what happens when they fall. There is no greater good there. I have even witnessed them hunt their own from time to time. No. I can never truly trust them.”
A WORD ABOUT RECRUITMENT
The Netherbane does not actively recruit very often. As a roleplaying guild representing an inherently small and secretive group, we do not frequently reach out to gather new members. However, if you have an interest in the Netherbane as a guild, or you wish your character to be taught by Tharion Greyseer, then simply approach one of us in-character. Interact with us naturally, and we can go from there. There’s no need to fill out forms or submit formal applications at the moment.
“I trust the Greyseer with my life and my legacy. Our ways are not too different, you know. We are merely two caravans passing each other going opposite ways on the same road. He seeks out demonic power in order to use it against the great enemy. I seek to rid myself of demonic power so that the great enemy cannot use it against me.
His goals, and that of those who follow him, are honorable. There are many I know who may disagree that an elf can be honorable, but even they would change their opinions after knowing him.”
Why is the guild so small?
It takes a rare sort to be a true demon hunter. It takes an even rarer sort to trust one enough to fight alongside them.
Demon hunters are outcasts from their society. They are shunned from the population at large because of their pacts with darkness. Most common folk neither trust nor understand the demon hunter, and because of this, they are rare.
The name Netherbane is used to refer to the group of those who follow the teachings of Tharion Greyseer who, in turn, follows the teachings of his former mentor, Eraelan Netherbane. The relationship between Shan'do Tharion Greyseer and his students is similar to the relationship between a sensei and his pupils, and this is why the group is kept small. There is currently only one shan'do to a handful of students.
In addition to the in-character reasons for keeping the group limited, there are also the real life obligations that make running a guild difficult. The guild is kept small as much for reasons of leader sanity as it is for more lore-based reasons, and unless things change drastically in the future, the guild will remain small.
It is just the way of things.
A WORD ABOUT GUILD LEADERSHIP
The Netherbane is guided by Shan'do Tharion Greyseer. However, as time and life prevent the level of attention needed from one person, Araatris Darkwatcher acts as a co-lead when necessary.
We are all adults here, and we all have lives that require attention even more so that World of Warcraft. Often times this pulls us away from things like guild management, event scheduling, and roleplay coordination. Be understanding when it comes to our activity, for balance is an immensely important thing for all of us to pursue.
