The Headless Horseman

As we come to Hallow’s end again we’re again our hometowns are being attacked by the headless horseman. Who is he and why is he attacking us?

Thomas Thomson’s family had lived in Tirisfal glade for generations, working the pumpkin farm near the Agamand mills. Thomas himself was destined for other things, he became a paladin of the silver hand; serving under lord Uther. During the scourge wars he was present with Uther forces when he confronted Arthas at Stratholme. Agreeing with his lord he refused to help Arthas purge Stratholme and was one of the paladins he dismissed.

He survived the fall of Lordaeron and witnessed Baron Rivendare turn sides and join the cult of the damned. He heard news of the death knight Arthas killing his father and several members of the silver hand, including lord Uther. Desperate to keep his family safe, he told his wife to take his children away with Jaina Proudmoore’s forces, which were preparing to take the survivors to Kalimdor.

Thomas stayed with the silver hand fighting back against the scourge wherever they could, under the leadership of Alexandros Mograine, the Ashbringer. He was under the command of Saidan Dathrohan within the army, staying with them until Alex’s son Renault killed his own father and corrupted the Ashbringer. The silver hand fell apart at this point, with part of it becoming the argent dawn. Dathrohan however founded the scarlet crusade.

Sir Thomas joined the scarlet crusade, now determined to avenge everyone who had been betrayed along the way. One day, however, Saidan led the crusade to a small town of refugees for a routine plague check. The crusade had already been taken over by the dreadlord Balnazaar, so he persuaded the crusader to slay all the refugees as plague victims.

This time Thomas obeyed the order to purge, all those years of horror had taken their toll, and he killed them all through their cries for mercy. Only when he finished clearing a house did he recognise who he had killed. His family had never made it to Jaina’s ships.

The grief and suffering were too much, he was carried back to the monastery in a torpor. When he awoke he was mad, speaking in rhyme and calling everyone and everything around him plagued. On the evening of Hallow’s end he escaped his cell and slaughtered many of his fellow knights before he was stopped and summarily beheaded. He had been a loyal knight in life so he was given a proper burial in the chapel grounds.

Balnazaar knew a tortured soul when he felt one and set to work on the grave, cursing sir Thomas’ body and soul to create the headless horseman. Like many cursed into undeath, he does not realise he's dead and has surrounded himself with aspects of his life, hence the abundance of pumpkins.

Every year his curse forces him to rise again and attack, until heroes come and save him for another year. He may never be truly free.