#celeste ward

[damien-ward]

Dardillien Shadowlands Cameo

[This is a continuation of my last Cameo post regarding where Dardillien shows up in all the expansions from Cataclysm to Battle for Azeroth]

1) Shadowlands actually allows players to encounter another member of Damien’s family for the first time. When traveling through Ardenweald the player can see a soul named Celeste Ward healing plants and gathering contents from a cart just outside of the Heart of the Forest. Upon approaching her and talking to her she will have the following dialogue with the player option to ask who she is:

“Oh, hello. What can I do for you?”  

🗨️ Who are you?

If players select the option asking who she is Celeste will say the following:

“Celeste Ward, just a humble soul trying to help where I can. I was a Harvest Witch of Gilneas in life which is why I suspect I am here in Ardenweald to help keep the forest healthy.”

<She sighs and her face grows somber>

“I died while we Gilneans fought to take back our city from the undead, the last thing I remember was a dagger in my back and dying in my son’s arms, his face is the last thing I can remember seeing before waking up here. I miss my family, but I suppose I should be content that they are likely living long, happy lives. That’s all a mother can hope for.”

This cameo, while not Damien, is his mother that he mentions back in his original appearance in the Gilnean starting zone and gives more clues as to what happened in his story. Damien had reunited with his mother in all the chaos of Gilneas, but during the Battle of Gilneas City his mother was stabbed by a Forsaken and died. This also reveals that his mother was a Harvest Witch.

Level 60 Quest: A Mother’s Nature

After reaching level 60 the player can return to Ardenweald where they will see Celeste has a quest available. Approaching her and selecting the quest she will say:

“Hello, Maw walker. Would... Would you be willing to do me a personal favor?

<Celeste takes a deep breath before reaching into her pocket and pulling out an envelope and handing it over>

“Can you take this letter to my son, Damien Ward? I want him to know that I’m okay and that I think about him everyday, along with his sister and father. I don’t mean to be a bother, it’s just while I have the chance to communicate with my family I want to take it. I worry about them I’m a mother, it’s in my nature.”

Accepting the quest gives the player the objective to return to Stormwind. The quest then takes them to Old Town where they will find Damien in worgen form fighting and killing a ghoul. Talking to him to turn in the quest he will say:

“Old Town isn’t safe the undead could be anywhere, you need to get out of here! Huh? What’s this?”

<Damien takes the envelope and opens it with haste, after a moment of reading the letter within he turns away to read the rest of it. He stands quietly for a moment. Turning back around there is a faint glisten of tears in the worgen’s eyes before he clears his throat>

“Thank you for brining this to me it means more to me than you know. Here, take this as payment for bringing me this letter.” 

The player is then rewarded 50 gold and 500 rep with Gilneas.

This quest gives an update on Damien, as last he was seen was in Boralus working on a case, but was taking a side detour to the brewery. Now he is back in Stormwind fighting ghouls that are running rampant from the Lich King’s helm being broken, trying to protect Old Town where he lives. After finishing the quest he remains in Old Town fighting random ghouls.

[damien-ward]

Faces from Dardillien’s Life

 Miles Ward: Dardillien’s father who works for SI:7 and lives in Stormwind, where he is from. Miles was separated from Dardillien when Greymane Wall was built and they did not see each other for over a decade until the wall fell and Dardillien came to Stormwind after the Gilneans fled to Darnassus.  (Facial Likeness - Mark Harmon)

Celeste Ward: Dardillien’s mother, who secretly a Harvest Witch, it was a lifestyle she had well before he and his sister were born and she kept it from them, though she still incorporated her way of life into their day to day lives. Dardillien and his sister just never noticed or connected the dots. Dardillien sees her as the strongest person he has ever known considering she raised he and his sister practically by herself; his father wasn’t around much because of his work, and then once the wall went up Celeste was left to take of them alone indefinitely. She was the kindest woman he has known and taught Dardillien many of the values he holds dear to this day. Celeste died during the Battle of Gilneas, stabbed by a Forsaken, it is a moment that still haunts Dardillien. (Facial Likeness - Julianne Moore)

Alyssa Ward ( @alyssa-ward ): Dardillien’s younger sister, the troublemaker of the family, the rebellious one of the two. Growing up in Gilneas he helped raise her with his mother, she always looked up to him and tried to spend as much time with him as possible. He always looked out for her and did his best to protect her, going as far as punching a kid in the face for calling her annoying and pushing her to the ground when she was little. She is everything to him, and even though he can be overprotective and disagree with many of her life choices, like using Fel Magic, he still loves her and would do anything for her. (Facial Likeness - Laura Prepon) 

Andrea Belmont: Dardillien’s true love, his lost love, he met Andrea when he was at his lowest point as a teenager. Greymane Wall had gone up separating Dardillien from his father and he feared he would never see him again. He was angry, pissed at the world, sad, etc. It was just a chance meeting in the markets one day, but it was the best thing to happen to him as she took known of his shit and kicked his ass back into reality and made him get over his issues, his anger, and she just made him feel happy again. They were friends for a couple years before they started dating and remained together for 7 years, what he considers the best years of his life. During the trip to Darnassus after the Gilneans fled with the Kaldorei, the ships were caught in a storm and while trying to secure the ships together to survive the storm Andrea was knocked from the ship into the water. Dardillien wanted to save her but was prevented from jumping in after her so he could only watch as the seas carried her away. (Facial Likeness - Jessica Alba)

Garrett Hawthorne and Kyra Silverglade: These two are the closest thing to best friends Dardillien has. Garrett was just a simple guardsman in Gilneas and met Dardillien, along with his mother and Andrea, during the Worgen Assault on the city. He led them through the evacuation as they tried to escape the city, however ended up getting bit by Andrea after she was the first to transform. Once they all regained their minds they stuck together through the events that take place in Gilneas, and became quick friends while fighting to survive. He is one of the few who knows Dardillien’s pain having been there for both when his mother and Andrea died. Rather than let his pain consume him and build, Garrett teaches Dardillien to fight while they are in Darnassus. Basic swordsmanship and hand-to-hand combat, how to utilize his rage to his advantage.

It is during their time in Darnassus that the two of them meet Kyra Silverglade, one of the Moon Priestess. She helps the two learn to calm themselves and control their rage, lest it consume them, since they are now Worgen. Kyra uses her connection to Elune to help the two control the beast inside when they get too angry, and teaches them techniques they can use to soothe themselves, which Dardillien will use from time to time even today, as well as giving them both small vials of water from a moonwell that will also calm them if they feel themselves losing control. While Dardillien departed for Stormwind to find his father, Garrett and Kyra went to Darkshore to help the people there after the events of the Cataclysm, and the two have kept in contact with Dardillien through the last 5-6 years, writing back and forth to keep each other updated.  (Facial Likeness for Garret - Nathan Parons ; Facial Likeness for Kyra - Jeanine Mason)

Just a random thing I decided to do showing the faces of the people important to Dardillien, who helped make him who he is, and who he considers family really.