High General Brigitte Abbendis is one of the most well-developed members of the Scarlet Crusade. Her story is also one of the most tragic.
Once a paladin of the Knights of the Silver Hand, Lady Brigitte, or Brig as her father called her, was a founding members of the Scarlet Crusade, alongside her father, Taelan Fordring, and others.
Brigitte harbored a burning hatred for the undead that had destroyed her home, a hatred that only deepened when her father died in her arms after saving her from undead soldiers. Succeeding him as High General, she led the Crusade's forces at Tyr's Hand during Vanilla/Classic WoW. Read more
Abbendis came into the spotlight during the Death Knight starting experience. She led a desperate defense of the Scarlet Enclave against the forces of the Scourge that laid siege to this last remaining untainted portion of Lordaeron.
Despite her best efforts, the death knights decimated the Enclave, forcing Abbendis to evacuate the last of people and sail for Northrend, leaving behind the smoking ruins of their home.
Abbendis' diary could later be found in Northrend and gives more context to these events and those that followed. She wrote about receiving visions from the Holy Light calling her northward despite her many 'failures and resurrections', meaning she had already given her life in this war multiple times.
Though she was at first elated to be rewarded for her faith, Brigitte repeatedly confessed to having doubts and a growing sense of dread. And with good reason--she found out far too late that her visions came not from the Light, but from Mal'Ganis, one of the architects of the Scourge, who intended to use the Crusaders for his own twisted vendetta. The High General stifled these doubts behind blind faith in the Light, however; faith that Mal'Ganis manipulated all too easily.
She also lambasted herself for her cowardice in following 'the Light's' urging to flee the Enclave. She had tried to warn away the reinforcements that were reportedly en route, but knew none of her couriers had made it through enemy lines and that her fellow Crusaders would be slaughtered if they left. Even as she reluctantly chose to obey, she wondered why the Light would demand such a thing.
The journey north was nothing short of harrowing and further humanized the High General; she could barely stand due to sea sickness and was mortified at the thought of her soldiers seeing her in such a state.
Once in Northrend, the Crusade began construction of New Hearthglen and Abbendis christened them the Scarlet Onslaught for the fury they would bring to the Lich King himself.
Soon after their arrival, a hero was foretold to come and lead them, leaving Abbendis to wonder why she was to be usurped despite her faithful service, and why 'the Light' no longer spoke to her. This hero soon arrived: Grand Admiral Barean Westwind, long presumed dead after his fleet was lost near Northrend years ago. Brigitte immediately noted several signs that something was amiss. Again, she tried to bury her misgivings, but the last few entries of her diary show that her faith was waning, with the last one despondently noting a sense that everything would soon 'unravel'.
When the player characters assaulted New Hearthglen and battled the High General, 'Grand Admiral Westwind' simply looked on, shielded by dark magic. He coldly remarked that Abbendis had 'served her purpose' before disappearing.
Brigitte Abbendis' story is one of tragic mistakes and misplaced faith manipulated by literal demons. Her trauma and grief turned to blind zealotry and caused her to fall prey to the machinations of the very monsters she fought against. Had faith not overridden her intuition, who can say how differently things may have turned out for her and her people.
