They had been inseparable as children. Not that they had had much choice, they were twins. Their parents had loved that about them and made them do everything together. Despite some thinking this would make them get tired of each other, they only grew closer. They had their differences to be sure, but they respected that about each other. Growing up privileged had been an advantage, their parents were very wealthy nobles in Gilneas City, and it afforded them the education and training that shaped them into who they would be.
Lyssia and Lycaeos Ilworth. Soldier and spy. Loud and quiet. Fierce and cunning. They complimented each other in a way, making up for the other's weaknesses. Lyssia was younger by about two minutes, but she was the strong one. Lycaeos had been a late bloomer, so he was picked on quite a bit by the other children they were forced to play with when their parents had their get-togethers. Lyssia made sure no one hurt her big brother without paying for it.
As they got older, Lyssia grew stronger, but Lycaeos became craftier. Always finding the odd solutions, seeing things where others saw nothing. He grew more confident with time, their personalities clashing whenever they felt like having a good verbal spar. They split off from each other when they discovered their talents, but they remained ever close to each other.
Lyssia joined the Gilnean Crownguard, quickly rising through the ranks until she became one of the personal bodyguards to Prince Liam Greymane himself. Her parents were ecstatic, and her brother liked to brag that his sister was "in good with the royalty", and how he had a "get-out-of-jail-free card". The younger Ilworth was immensely proud of her work. She took her job very seriously and had thwarted several misguided attempts on the Prince's life.
Lycaeos, similarly, joined a branch of the Gilnean Armed Forces, though he was rarely allowed to speak of it. The Crown's Shadow was a secretive organization, dedicated to protecting Gilneas and its rulers from all shadowy and otherwise underhanded attempts to dismantle the kingdom. He had been asked to join when he was still a teenager, and spent most of his formative years learning the roguish trades. His sister knew of course, but he decided not to tell the Lord and Lady Ilworth what his true occupation was.
Their parents' deaths had been unremarkable. It was not an Orcish raid like those outside the wall dealt with, it was not the Scourge and certainly not whatever the "Worgen curse" was. It did not even come at the hands of the Northgate Rebellion. An infestation and invasion of giant venomous spiders had spread in the countryside while Lord and Lady Ilworth had been traveling… they were unlucky enough to cross paths. While their estate was inherited equally by their son and daughter, it brought Lyssia and Lycaeos little comfort. They continued with their duties despite their newfound wealth, it had never been about the money to begin with.
From that day forward, their view of the world grew that much greyer.
Gilneas was a nation built on wobbling supports. Even with the druidism that allowed them to at least feed their people and the Greymane Wall that kept out some of the worse threats to humanity, life in Gilneas was not easy anymore. The Northgate Rebellion was only a taste of the population's growing unrest with their kingdom. Both of the Ilworth children saw the restlessness in the eyes of the populace. They themselves sometimes wished to see the outside world.
But they trusted the wisdom and judgment of their King Greymane. He was not perfect, but there was honor in his admittance of that fact. He cared for his nation, his people, but one man can only do so much.
First the earthquakes started, and soon after that the Worgen followed. Lyssia and Lycaeos leapt to the defense of their nation in their own ways.
They did not know how much was about to change. There was no way they could have known.
The Cataclysm had only just begun, and the world they knew was about to be turned to ash.