Janara Kessler

Janara Kessler is a criminal ringleader opportunistically aligned with the Alterac Syndicate. However, her primary allegiance lies with the Argus Wake and the Veiled Hand, having sworn a demonic pact with a mysterious dreadlord.

Description
Janara is a woman who does her best to put on airs. She's conspicuous and striking, having a distinct pallor and very thick makeup that makes her appear like a raccoon--eyeshadow being a favored cosmetic of hers. Dark garments of choice draw even further contrast to her porcelain complexion, making it seem like her skin and and natural sunlight are mortal enemies.

Under the Blade
The Deichert family, vassals to a noble Alteraci house, had become pawns in a greater scheme, with Janara unwittingly involved herself in the dealings of the Shadow Council. This would be the ultimate impetus for the clerical enforcers who would soon be known as the Purifiers to wreak havoc on her hometown of Norlaran, leading both her and her brother to face off against the relentless inquisition of Ithel the Shrewd. Despite planning vigorously, their strategy was quickly falling apart in the face of the esoteric methods employed by the opposition. Janara's confrontation within the mage tower itself was decisive and disastrous.

Both the Deicherts were subdued with ease, and the two siblings were taken captive. Things would not go too smoothly for the inquisition, as they had not found a sound enough way to subdue Janara's Fel magic at this time. Sabotaging the caravan escorting her north, she quickly scorched off her bonds and set the carriage in which she was held ablaze, permitting her swift escape.

Amidst the wreckage was far too much chaos and furor from the survivors braying for blood from the saboteur. Janara quickly fled and regrouped, reluctantly abandoning her sibling to his own devices.

Meeting the Master (CLIFFNOTES NOT FINAL)
-Occured just after her escape from the caravan. She was in contact with an Argus Wake informant that was able to aid in her liberation.

-Janara meets Karzurek and learns max rank warlock abilities and metamorphosis right away, but hacking is a bannable offense, so this put her in quite the pickle!

-She learns her brother has come into possession of a runeblade belonging to Karzurek, and is prompted to return the weapon to its rightful owner.

-Janara goes through an emotional whirlwind trying to make sense of the suddenly chaotic and preposterous circumstances thrust upon her, and through some intense visions or something she learns to come to terms with her new state and figures that serving a freaky space vampire isn't technically the worst thing she could be doing so she goes along with it,

Caravan Sabotage
''((The caravan carting the Norlaran captives to WPL is sabotaged by Argus Wake operatives and Janara is liberated. She's subdued by Agent "Bloodkill" before backup arrives, though he manages to escape.))''

Carpe Noctem
Events would eventually lead to him being pursued by the inquisition further, wandering a plague infested wasteland teeming with undead, getting captured and tortured by a confused cryptkeeper, and eventually taking up a runeblade that would corrupt his soul and lead him to slaughter countless people just to attempt to reunite with Janara only for her to be in shock at what he's done, but she doesn't really have much room to talk because she willingly tried to draw him out on the suspicion he had that very runeblade, all so she could offer it to this mysterious master that she recently pledged loyalty to. It was a bind, and though she was confident that Ithel's inquisitors no longer posed a conventional threat to her, trusting in Fel magic was not something she was entirely comfortable with yet, despite having the benefit of a fully fledged demonic pact to aid her mastery over the element.

Hiding her new condition, Janara ensconced herself among Lordaeronian refugees within the the town of Thorsby, who owed their safety to a local hero. During this chapter, she was once again under suspicion, though not by the Ithel's vicious inquisition, but by the acting magistrate in the area. Said magistrate was also a clergy priestess, so it was only natural that Janara's paranoia grew to such a point that she could not trust even a single church affiliate.

In the following days, Janara acted before any potential cornering would happen, and concocted a plan to capture the magistrate in the town chapel. The task was easy, as the priestess was somewhat more trusting and aloof than she let on, leading to Janara taking her hostage without much struggle. Concern brewed amongst the townspeople within mere hours, leading a the militia to surround the chapel, demanding the magistrate's release.

Janara, however, had declared that she had no hostile intentions, despite the fact that this was very plainly a hostile plan, and a very apparent transgression. She was an outsider, and everything about the situation was overtly suspicious. Knowing this, she shrewdly assumed that a diplomatic solution would be difficult to negotiate, but the offer was pledged nonetheless: find Felix Deichert, her brother, and bring him to the town. If he was dead, then proof of his demise was needed. Only then would Janara surrender.

Stagnant Fear
Janara made time to keep control of a partial transformation into metamorphosis during this time, and Fel magic alone could cause hysteria. The magistrate was a capable priestess, and the militia would have likely ended things there had they simply barged into the chapel and triumphed through sheer force; however, no one knew what Janara was truly capable of, or whether she was even human. A simple display of a demonic claw was enough to halt everything, though time would certainly start ticking.

Janara prepared for something to arrive within a relatively short timeframe, otherwise she would simply torch the chapel in a smokescreen and make her escape. Perhaps the townsfolk would whisk the boorish Abram Whitlock back to town in order to make a show of being a hero in front of his proponents. This was the likely scenario she accounted for, though it was least favorable outcome to the plan. That was before something even worse came of this gambit.

((Insert picture of Ithel encounter, round 2.))

Sign to Surrender
Inquisitor Ithel--persistent, undeterred, unrelenting, and unexcepted--was here to allay the tension for the townsfolk. His voice was the last thing Janara wanted to hear. She was certain she killed him in the caravan sabotage, but nevertheless, he was here.

"Show yourself, little witch. You have placed Thorsby in danger by simply being here. I'm sure you knew that," shouted Ithel from the outside.

Janara didn't care to answer to this provocation. Entertaining his antics have routinely spelled doom for her. She recognized the behavior of this particular inquisitor anyway, and that was the fact that he scarcely, if at all, pressed his luck. He knew exactly what he was dealing with, and he wouldn't be so bold to stoke a fire he couldn't walk away from.

"How did you find me? Will you slaughter this place too?" Janara retorted, measured, not angered, but determined. A proper riposte to this verbal spar.

"I believe your beloved sibling may assuage your concerns. He is here, after all..."

Ithel's ominous words made Janara's throat clench. Her heart leapt, feeling ill about this reunion. Was he playing games with her? The answer came crash through the chapel's door.



Church Burner
See:I Did It For You: Felix Deichert



True Cruelty
--Janara doesn't wish to leave the Westweald before killing Ithel. He knew this would be a factor if she somehow escaped Thorsby alive. Knowing he had quite a bit of explaining to do when he returned to Holcomb, he couldn't waste any time sparring with Janara any further. Luckily, an agent was on standby to help clean up the mess and buy time for his escape.

--Janara steps forward with determination, knowing she'll make this agent suffer for what he's done.

--No more cowering or soft feelings, she would need to give into the cruelty if she could slake the hatred she had for Ithel and his inquisitors.

--

Kessler
-Janara is sad about her brother but is learning to bury her turmoil and keep pushing forward, lest she get encumbered by things out of her control. She delves into the dealings of Thirnas Kessler and starts off on extremely hostile terms with him, eventually budding into petty turf war.

-Thirnas invokes the family history and other vassals involved to try to win her over, but she doesn't relent. While not much blood is shed, tensions run high.

-Thirnas manages to get Janara to submit, questioning her ruthlessness, and pedantically lists her failings as a warlord. Needless to say, their relationship got off on a rocky start.

---Intermediate things---

The Durnholde Incident
Timeline: The Eve of the Dark Times.During the Syndicate's initial takeover of Durnholde Keep, Janara hosted an arena in the prison camp's fighting pits as a means to corral and entertain the mercenaries of her fiance, Thirnas Kessler. However, her venue would come to by hijacked an unlikely alliance of two vengeful men; the Durnholde ranger, Markus Quinn and Knight of Thoradin, Aelfric Hassler.

See more: Operation Derelict: The Durnholde Incident

The Argus Wake
Janara rarely coveted power, as she much preferred to remain a lucid, cunning agent for the Shadow Council while they prepared to bide their time for the Legion's return. Gifted with wealth after marrying Lord Kessler, she was steadfast in accruing a prominent position not only among the Argus Wake, but the Shadow Council as a whole. Knowing well enough the worth and power of bloodstone, she used the Kessler name to collect the suspicious mineral, accruing a great hoard of it in order to entice powerful demons from Twisting Nether. This allowed Janara to pass off as a powerful summoner while focusing on the manipulation of reality, as her true affinity was that of illusions. This would prove useful if she was to conceal the nature of her felsworn gift, that being demonic Metamorphosis.

Allsbrad Rebellion
Timeline: Broken Shore Conquest

The following section is subject to a rewrite in order to ensure details are cohesive.

Despite her many crimes, Janara was a valued informant and witness during the Third Invasion of the Burning Legion. Collaborating anonymously with Ravenholdt and the Alliance granted her estate relative peace so long as she disavowed any association with the Syndicate and related Argus Wake, and permitted the Alliance foothold in the farms of Allsbrad. Having gained knowledge that the Army of the Truthful were planning to invade Syndicate territory, she would retract her involvement for as long as the feuding factions were present. Unfortunately, the Truthful lead by Markus Quinn were able to gain more foothold than she expected, and was cornered in Norlaran. Quinn had finally gotten his opportunity to strike a blow against the Kessler family, and seemingly had Janara at his mercy. Little did he know that the wily witch was biding her time, sabotaging the battle by sacrificing her men in order to fuel a destructive gateway to the Chapel of the Forgotten Saint. Knowing Quinn would be too headstrong to contain his ire, she was able ensnare the hunter, sending him hurling across the abyss into Duskwood where he would be forced to grapple with his own failures, and robbing what would have otherwise been a certain, decisive victory over the witch of Alterac.

While Norlaran was overrun by crusaders, Janara was able to briefly station herself in the derelict chapel and establish connections with the Veiled Hand. Ample resources were at her disposal, as the Night's Watch were able to provide her the means to recover and transport herself back north.

A New Foe
Timeline: Battle for Stromgarde

It was within the thick of the Battle for Stromgarde that Janara encountered again, this time by Alliance operatives Almir Maciel, Sellick Blindfire, and Leighton Kercher following a distress call from Kercher, who had been ensnared by a Syndicate gang guarding Kessler within a ruined villa north of Dabyrie Farmstead. Despite her henchmen ultimately being killed in the ensuing battle between the bandits and the agents, she successfully lured them into a rift, buying her escape, as she does best, leaving her adversaries to question their sanity and loyalties.

Janara had found herself amidst many different schemes and machinations while searching for means to increase her power, and eventually lead herself into an encounter with Nemond Eastmirror. Despite the zealous attempts of her foe, she was able to subdue to the impetuous crusader.

Janara had subsequently departed to Alterac again, enlisting agents and vassals of House Kessler, chiefly Argus Wake operative Erasmus Vanderbeck and falconer Vulture Zeke to divert the attention of inquisition agents in order to secure the valley surrounding the County of Black Peak. While still deprived of the vital resources Norlaran provides, she is nevertheless confident that she will have an uncontested claim in the area for quite some time.

Finding the Heir
A brief detour was taken north on the opportunity afforded by the Tournament of Ages. There, Janara enlisted the aid of Kora Deathwhisper to liberate an estranged family member from his icy prison in Northrend.

There was an inherent peril to this journey, but something had called the warlock to the Frozen North beyond simple festivities. It was under the dread citadel Naxxramas that she could feel the call; a vague, yet gnawing burden that she could not shake. With Kora in tow, Janara sought her brother's runeblade, and after a brief verbal confrontation with two decrepit necromancers, the weapons was reclaimed. She slowly began to realize why she was beckoned so strongly by its power.

Riding back to Icecrown upon the unholy steeds that defied the elements, both women arrived upon the prison within the glacier where Felix, the lost brother, lay dormant. After her attempts to pierce the ice with brute force, Janara decided to metamorpose her left hand and take hold of the unholy runeblade. She then plunged it into the frozen earth, shattering the stasis, and with no further pretense, the risen Death Knight reclaimed his weapon and crawled out from his grave.

There was regret, almost instantaneously, as she saw Felix bitter form emerge from the snow. A sense of dread, panic even, filled the woman where she was scarcely moved otherwise. Whatever her motives were in unleashing a Knight of Naxxramas beyond the simple fact of him being a blood relative remain to be unknown.

Kora, thankfully, with the aid of Janara's penchant for venomous, biting words that pierced even Felix's icy soul, was able to subdue the Death Knight's erratic rage after a violent clash of swords. Felix yielded, albeit reluctantly, and deigned to honor Janara's wishes to make amends to the fellow knight who helped spirit him to freedom, however tenuous this agreement would be.

Tenuous it was indeed, as Felix took the first chance he could when odds tipped in his favor to defy Deathwhisper, and declined aiding in the agreement any further as he departed from the County of Black Peak.

After this, a debt was owed, but such matters were deferred to Janara's husband.

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