User:Joshmaul/Zhao-Ming Snowsteel
|
This article is a player character biography page for Snowsteel of Cenarion Circle US created by Joshmaul. The contents herein are entirely player made and in no way represent official World of Warcraft history or occurrences which are accurate for all realms. The characters and events listed are of an independent nature and applied for roleplaying, fictional, speculative, or opinions from a limited playerbase only. |
“The difference between a courageous act and an act of stupidity depends on whether or not one can walk away from it.”
- — Master Zhao-Ming Snowsteel, to Sir Eran Heskin
 Zhao-Ming Snowsteel | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Gender | Male |
| Race | Pandaren (Humanoid) |
| Level | 70 |
| Class | Warrior |
| Affiliation(s) |
Pandaren Empire The Shado-Pan Deathsworn Heralds |
| Former affiliation(s) |
The Valarjar Night Fae Covenant |
| Occupation | Shado-Pan Blackguard |
| Location | The Dragon Isles |
| Status | Alive |
| Relative(s) | Mengyao (father, deceased), Shiyama (mother) |
| Alignment | Neutral good |
Master Zhao-Ming Snowsteel is a veteran Shado-Pan Blackguard who has been loosely affiliated with the Alliance since the war in Pandaria.
Biography
Zhao-Ming Snowsteel hails from Zouchin Province, on the other side of the Kun-Lai Mountains from the Shado-Pan monastery. His mother, Shiyama, was a blacksmith, and he picked up a few things at her knee growing up; he never knew his father, Mengyao, who died before he was born. He was inducted into the Shado-Pan at the age of fourteen, following the Trial of the Red Blossoms. It was there that he met Zhenren Puretide, an older but still up-and-coming Blackguard, and they became close friends. Indeed, Zhenren and his wife Zia would name their firstborn son Zhaoren, and asked him to be the godfather. Zhao-Ming happily accepted, and did likewise for their secondborn, Zhangren.
Like Zhenren, Zhao-Ming was more curious than hostile about the visitors from beyond the mists, particularly those pandaren who came from the Wandering Isle. Though he fully agreed with Taran Zhu's defensive stance, he was concerned by his lord's hostility. That hostility was soon discovered to be the work of the Sha of Hatred, which had corrupted both Taran Zhu and the monastery's initiates. With the threat of the Sha (largely) contained, Zhao-Ming joined with Zhenren and his sons to fight the Zandalari, who had returned to Pandaria to resurrect the Thunder King, Lei Shen. It was there that Zhao-Ming learned how to craft lightning steel, reforging his spear in the potent elemental alloy. He was granted the title of Shado-Master by Lord Zhu following the death of the Thunder King.
Though not formally choosing sides in the conflict, Zhao-Ming found himself drawn more to the Alliance, particularly after hearing of the journey taken by Prince Anduin, believing the future King of Stormwind had a more compassionate spirit than his warrior father. After the defeat of Garrosh Hellscream, Zhao-Ming remained in Pandaria, but when the Burning Legion came knocking, he knew - as did Lord Zhu - that he could not remain on the sidelines forever. He joined the Valarjar in the halls of Skyhold and fought throughout the campaign, including the endgame on Argus, during which he lost an eye to a fel hound.
Zhao-Ming participated in the Fourth War as an Alliance auxiliary, largely for the purpose of fighting against the Zandalari - a people he considers to be a threat to Pandaria, and he remains absolutely convinced nothing will change that. It was during that campaign that he met Sir Eran Heskin, a veteran Stormwind knight, and the two became close comrades-in-arms. When the uprising began against Sylvanas Windrunner, he did not hesitate to set aside his prejudices to fight the greater foe. Though horrified that his godson Zhaoren had been "corrupted" by being raised as a death knight, he joined with him and Zhangren in the pursuit into the Shadowlands, serving with the night fae of Ardenweald.
Following the death of the Jailer, Zhao-Ming returned to the Shado-Pan monastery for the first time since the Legion war. It was there that he received a message from Sir Eran, calling for allies to join him as part of the Dragonscale Expedition to the newly-rediscovered Dragon Isles. During that campaign, Sir Eran and his band, the "Lordaeron Deathsworn", joined forces with the "Heralds of the Other Side", a group under the leadership of Zulimbasha the Collector, a high priest of Bwonsamdi. Zhao-Ming, appalled at the idea of allying with a Zandalari death-priest, protested against the idea at first, but reluctantly agreed with the reasoning of the blue dragon Esheregos - the prime mover of the union - that it was better to stand united against the Primalist threat. Still, he makes it a point both to keep as much distance from the Zandalari and his followers as he can, as well as keep an eye on their movements, trusting nothing they do.
