There was a time, long ago, when I fell under the influence of treachery and darkness. I now go into battle redeemed by the purifying power of the Light! I am Lady Liadrin, and when I shine the Light's wrath upon you, there will be nowhere to hide."[1]
A'dal says: The battle for the Sunwell is but the first step on your new path, Lady Liadrin. Shattrath is open to you and all who follow you.
Lady Liadrin is the leader of the Blood Knight order. Once a priestess of the Light, she became an errant paladin and seized power from the naaru after the Scourge destroyed her homeland of Quel'Thalas. She eventually sought redemption for her people, once more embracing the energies of the Sunwell, and now stands as a bitter enemy of the Burning Legion.
Lady Liadrin (pronounced /liːɑːdrin/) is the matriarch of the Blood Knights, Silvermoon's order of blood elfpaladins. Once a high priestess of the Light, Liadrin became disillusioned with her faith after the Scourge invasion of Quel'Thalas, and spent the following years honing her martial prowess against the undead occupying the Ghostlands. When M'uru was shipped to Silvermoon by the elven scion, Liadrin was summoned by Grand Magister Rommath to partake in a radical idea the magi had devised: the empowerment of Light-wielding warriors by siphoning the captive naaru's holy energies.
Contemptuous of the Light's failure to protect her homeland in its hour of greatest need, Liadrin volunteered herself for this notion, and thus became the first of the Blood Knights, an order she rules to this day. Following Kael'thas' betrayal, Liadrin sought redemption for her people; and with the revitalization of the Sunwell, she has rekindled a far more harmonious relationship with the Light. Liadrin, though called zealous, arrogant, and short-tempered by some, has always led her order with strength and conviction; and after fighting to rid Quel'Thalas of the Scourge, Liadrin now seeks the utter destruction of its progenitor, the Burning Legion. In her eyes, the Legion's downfall is all that matters.
"My brothers and sisters, words cannot describe what I felt upon seeing the Sunwell rekindled. In that moment, the Light revealed to me the truth of the terrible things I had done. Our people had walked a dark path and mine was among the darkest of them all. But the Light showed me that I was not lost. It helped me to find the strength to survive in spite of all that had happened and all the evil I had wrought. It is a strength that we sin'dorei all share. It is a strength we will need to free ourselves of the addiction ravaging our people. It will be the most difficult battle we have ever faced, but our resolve and the power of the Sunwell will sustain us until we have been restored to our greatness." - Lady Liadrin
Trivia
Blood elves normally have green eyes, but Liadrin has yellow eyes.
Liadrin was the first alternate hero not to come with their own card back.
Lady Liadrin's original opening remark was "My hammer burns with holy fire!". This often confused players who noted that she wields a sword and not a hammer. Ben Brode explained that paladins are well-known for using incorporeal hammers, as in the paladin spell Hammer of Wrath, or Hammer of Justice and Hammer of the Righteous in World of Warcraft.[2] Despite this, Liadrin's opening remark was eventually changed to say "blade" rather than "hammer".
Lady Liadrin is also depicted in the art for Shattered Sun Cleric, a card which was part of the game's original set, long before Liadrin herself was added. She is shown tearing up the tabard of House Sunstrider, which she renounced in order to join the Shattered Sun Offensive, whose tabard she is shown wearing.