Anevay Darkflare — Horde Champion
is a World of Warcraft fanfic written by Lily Orchard and Mikaila Turkleson. It has a wiki devoted to it.
The story features the trials and tribulations of the Horde Champion, a Ranger by the name of Anevay Darkflare who lost everything in the Fall of Silvermoon, including her fiance and best friends, and has been trying to scrape her life back together since then.
The story features a greatly expanded characterization for the Champion, including previous relationships (romantic or otherwise) with most of the major elven characters including Lor'themar Theron and Sylvanas Windrunner.
See The Sith Resurgence for another fanfic with similar themes by the same author.
This Fan Work contains examples of:
- Abuse Mistake: The Gathering features this as a major conflict, with the Alliance believing that Sylvanas beats her wife. In reality, the two are simply prone to rough sex.
- Accent Adaptation: Played With, As the Darkspear Trolls' accent isn't phonetically transcribed the way it is in World of Warcraft, though their unique turns of phrase remain intact. For example:Vol'jin: "This be your report, Darkflare?"
- Acceptable Breaks from Canon: Because characterizing twenty Champions would be a daunting task for anybody, the canonical "raid groups" are brought down to Anevay and Silysa for their respective factions.
- All Men Are Perverts: Arthas, Genn Greymane, Thrall, Garrosh, and Lor'themar are all portrayed as some degree of lecherous, with Arthas being alluded to have been guilty of outright rape at one point.
- Alternate Universe Fic: The story deviates wildly from canon, starting from Anevay moving to the Undercity and upwards to her relationship with Sylvanas. In a similar vein to The Sith Resurgence, changes occur gradually at first and result in large domino effects over time.
- Beige Prose: Continuing from the trend of Orchard's work, there's little description and most narration is fixated on the characters' thoughts and feelings rather than the environment.
- Beneath the Mask: A major element of the story is exploring Sylvanas' inner turmoil underneath her cold mask by frequently putting her in situations with people she trusts.
- Cast Full of Gay: Sylvanas is in a relationship with the Horde Champion (a female Blood Elf), Jaina is in a relationship with the Alliance Champion (a female Night Elf), and Tess Greymane is revealed to be involved with Lorna Crowley. Additionally, three Horde citizens flirt with Anevay at different points in the series.
- Damned by Faint Praise: There is a common statement from Anevay, and the small number of people sympathetic to her, that Sylvanas was the only one in the Horde to show her any compassion. This is less a Pet the Dog moment for Sylvanas as it is a What the Hell, Hero? moment for the Horde in general.
- The First Cut Is the Deepest: Anevay gets a lot of self-worth and abandonment issues after Alina angrily ends their relationship.
- Fix Fic: Played with. For the most part, canon progresses as normal just with more focus on Sylvanas and improving her situation with most of the canonical events glossed over.
- Boy Meets Ghoul: Or, rather, Girl Meets Ghoul. Partway through the series, Anevay enters a romantic relationship with Sylvanas.
- Hurt/Comfort Fic: The entire premise is both Sylvanas and Anevay working through their mutual trauma and healing as people.
- Interpretative Character
- The Horde Champion's only canon traits are hyper-competence and blind loyalty. Anevay keeps both of these traits while expanding on this by introducing her psychological issues and neglect.
- Sylvanas retains her PTSD and tendency for masks but is generally shown without it more often when around characters she trusts (Anevay and Nathanos).
- Series Fic: The series is mostly one-shots and short stories tied together in their own continuity.
- Shipper on Deck: Nathanos, funnily enough. He can see very quickly that Sylvanas has feelings for Anevay and subtly pushes her to pursue the Champion.
- Sleeping with the Boss: Anevay is sleeping with her commanding officer, and later her Warchief.
- Theme Pairing: In-Universe. Anevay and Sylvanas are both bitter, nihilistic, and intensely traumatized individuals who belong to the Horde.
- Unequal Pairing: Sylvanas is Anevay's Queen and commanding officer. Though the notion of being in a relationship as equals has been brought up, Anevay has refused the notion on the basis that she enjoys serving Sylvanas regardless of their relationship with each other.
