Last week, Matthew wrote about Uther Lightbringer, a good man who abhorred vengeance in all its forms and worked relentlessly for justice and peace. Screw that! Today, we'll be covering someone who adored vengeance in all its forms and worked relentlessly to throw someone in jail for several thousand years. Meet Maiev Shadowsong, Illidan's original creepy fangirl stalker.

Who: Maiev Shadowsong.

What: Rather tall night elf.

History: Maiev and her brother, Jarod Shadowsong, both fought in the resistance against the Burning Legion during the War of the Ancients. She bore a grudge against Tyrande Whisperwind for being elected homecoming queen High Priestess instead of her. When Tyrande disappeared, Maiev took over the office and served well. After Tyrande helped Malfurion Stormrage destroy the Well of Eternity and lead the elves to Kalimdor, she returned as High Priestess and chose Maiev as her second-in-command. Of COURSE having a second-in-command who hates you is a wonderful idea!

In Kalimdor, the night elf leaders formed a party to explore the new land of Mount Hyjal. On a mountaintop, they discovered a new Well of Eternity, with Illidan Stormrage standing beside it saying "Dude, I don't know how that got there. I was just fishing for Deviates!" The elven leadership hurried to capture Illidan for creating the new well, but he figured he might as well resist arrest, since a life sentence for immortal beings is like fifty billion years long. Illidan's counterattack killed many of the night elves and put Maiev's brother Jarod in a coma, along with Dath'remar Sunstrider (the ancestor of Illidan's future Best Pal Ever Kael'Thas Sunstrider.) The elves managed to capture Illidan, and Malfurion sentenced him to imprisonment in a barrow den underneath the earth. Malfurion also decided that Maiev needed a new job besides hating his girlfriend, and made her the head of the Watchers and Illidan's personal jailor.

So for ten thousand years, Maiev watched over Illidan in his underground prison. As Illidan grew more bitter and unstable in his confinement, Maiev became convinced that he was extremely dangerous and should never see the light of day. I guess they spent ten thousand years arguing with each other, or not talking, because they hated each other more and more every day. Luckily this wouldn't be a problem, because Illidan was confined in the tunnels forever and would never escape. Right? RIGHT?

Actually, he probably wouldn't have escaped, but then the Burning Legion came back to Azeroth. Tyrande and Malfurion had a huge fight over how to defeat the Legion, and Tyrande, figuring that they needed all the help they could get, broke into Illidan's prison, murdered the Watchers, and set Illidan loose. Was Maiev on a smoke break? Illidan declared that he loved Tyrande and would fight the demons for her, and immediately screwed up by consuming the Skull of Gul'dan and becoming demonic. Okay, he killed Tichondrius in the process, but Maiev was enraged that Illidan was free and ever more powerful. She took her top lieutenant, Naisha, and set off to find and re-imprison him.

Maiev and Naisha followed Illidan's path through Kalimdor, and finally caught up with his Naga forces in Azshara as they were burning boats. Maiev slaughtered them, but grew suspicious that Illidan had fled to the Eastern Kingdoms. She took Naisha and her reformed Watchers across the ocean. In the middle of the sea, they found the ruins of the ancient night elf city of Suramar. This surprised Maiev, because the ruins were supposed to be on the bottom of the sea, not the top. There was only one living being on the islands: an orc warlock named Drak'Thul. Drak'Thul told her that he was hunted by ghosts, and would tell her his story if she took care of them. Maiev grudgingly destroyed the ghosts (Ancient Orc Spirit Slain: 10/10). In return, Drak'Thul told her that the islands contained the Tomb of Sargeras, raised by the warlock Gul'dan. Gul'dan had tried to get some of Sargeras's power, but instead he and his comrades were killed by demon guardians. Drak'Thul was the only survivor.

Given her experience with Illidan, Maiev was understandably not sympathetic to Drak'Thul's predicament. But the orc's tale had given her an idea -- what if Illidan was after the Tomb of Sargeras? And lickety-split, the Watchers ran into Illidan and his naga. The expendable warriors fought each other to a standstill outside while Maiev and Naisha chased Illidan into the inner chamber of the tomb. Unfortunately, Illidan had already claimed the ultra-powerful Eye of Sargeras, and was in the mood for a little payback. He decided that an eye for an eye sounded good, and collapse the Tomb of Sargeras on Maiev and Naisha to trap them there forever. Maiev still had her powers, however, and teleported out after him -- leaving her Watchers to die underground.

Maiev gathered her remaining forces and continued to battle the Naga. She also sent out a runner to Malfurion Stormrage telling him, essentially, to come clean up after his brother. Malfurion came to help her, but to Maiev's displeasure, he brought Tyrande with him. Maiev told Tyrande that she deserved to be locked up for releasing Illidan and killing her Watchers, but Malfurion told them all to shut the hell up and try to find Illidan. After the Naga were dead, Illidan took off across the sea, leaving Malfurion, Tyrande and Maiev in hot pursuit.

The trio of elves tracked Illidan to Silverpine Forest, where they were immediately attacked and slain by a Son of Arugal. Well, not really. Actually, Malfurion left to commune with the forests, and Tyrande and Maiev found Kael'thas, the prince of the blood elves. Kael'thas said that the undead's attack on Dalaran may have been due to Illidan's influence. He agreed to help them fight Illidan if they would get his caravan across the river. So the party of the druid, the priest, the warrior and the mage set off in search of one more DPS for heroic Mechanar Illidan at Dalaran.

Tyrande, Kael and Maiev headed to a river near Pyrewood Village. As they were preparing to cross the river, hordes of undead attacked from the city. Tyrande held them off at a bridge while Maiev and Kael crossed, but the bridge eventually weakened under the weight of Tyrande's armor and mount. Should have been a blood elf, Tyrande! The bridge fell apart and Tyrande fell in. Kael'thas tried to backtrack to save her, but Maiev told him that time was short to find Illidan and they couldn't go back for Tyrande. They went to Dalaran and met with Malfurion, who was somewhat upset that the party had arrived without his girlfriend. Maiev decided to work on her creative lying, and told Malfurion that Tyrande had actually been torn to pieces by the undead, which was All Illidan's Fault. As Maiev suspected, Malfurion took the news badly and set out for revenge against Illidan.

This didn't take too long. Maiev, Malfurion and Kael'thas found Illidan casting spells near the Eye of Sargeras in Dalaran. Malfurion told Illidan that he was about to get the death sentence, which Maiev volunteered to carry out. A confused Illidan told them that he wasn't trying to hurt anyone except the Lich King and the Scourge. Malfurion told him that Tyrande had died because of his actions, and Illidan was devastated. Maiev's plan was going perfectly, but she had forgotten one thing. Kael'thas spoke up and told the brothers that Tyrande wasn't necessarily dead, but had been swept away, and that Maiev hadn't let him go back and save her. Both Malfurion and Illidan turned on Maiev. Furion cast Entangling Roots on Maiev while Illidan and his naga set out to save Tyrande.

When Maiev finally broke out of the roots, she saw Malfurion allowing Illidan to open a portal to another world. Furious at Illidan's repeated escapes, she chased Illidan through the portal with a handful of Watchers. They hunted the renegade elf/demon through the world of Draenor until they caught him. Maiev was escorting a chemically sedated Illidan back to her base when she was attacked by two other unexpected portal-takers: Lady Vashj's Naga and Kael'thas's blood elves. Illidan's new friends eventually won the battle and set him free to become Lord of Outland.

Where she is now: Rumors that Maiev had been killed in Outland turned out to be highly exaggerated. Instead, Illidan captured her and decided to try the whole imprisoned-for-eternity thing for himself. He built Maiev a cage in Shadowmoon Valley and set a ton of demons to guard her, along with the broken Akama. Eventually, due to your help, she and Akama break free of the prison and enter the Black Temple. As players fight Illidan, Maiev enters the fray abd lays traps for Illidan. When he dies, he tells Maiev that she is nothing without him. She sadly agrees and disappears.

Identifying characteristics: Maiev wears full silver and green amor and carries what appears to be a spiky circle with handgrips. Her helmet has a purple plume on top. Personality-wise, she sees things in extremes and is unwilling to let transgressions go for the greater good, or to forgive helping demons -- kind of like the Draenei, actually. In the end, she became just as dangerous and reckless as Illidan himself.

For more information: Maiev on WoWWiki, Maiev on the Warcraft Encyclopedia, Maiev in her prison.

Tags: illidan, know your lore, KnowYourLore, lore, maiev, maiev shadowsong, MaievShadowsong, night elves, NightElves, third war, ThirdWar

Filed under: Night Elves, Lore, Know your Lore