Bernard was born to Gerald and Matilda Wesrin during a mild spring in the year 578, according to the King’s Calendar. He was raised amidst the family business of blacksmithing. He enjoyed a rather normal and uneventful childhood, filled with all the challenges and victories associated with it. He earned a basic education, had a number of good friends, and even entertained a crush or two as he grew older. When he became a young adult, Gerald introduced him to the world of shaping metal.
Wesrin’s War Gear was one of the more prominent smith shops in Gilneas. Primarily catering to the military and noble folk, the Wesrins were known for producing weapons and armor that competed with the likes of dwarven craft. Like his father, Bernard took to smithy work readily. His excess energy and aggressive nature proved beneficial as he learned to fold and shape metal upon the anvil’s surface. He began to take up the menial tasks about the forge, such as the maintenance and repair of gear, once he had acquired enough practice. It would not be long until he began to garnish wage and become a regular sight at the War Gear.
To Gerald’s dismay, the clientele was having a profound impact on his son. Passing soldiers and brigands would often exchange stories and tales of combat, leaving Bernard to listen on as he sharpened their weapons. Their embellishments often glorified war to the point that his mind was set upon joining the Gilnean Army. Gerald was disappointed. He had hoped that his offspring would have cast his lot in the family business. Despite protest from his mother, Bernard applied for service on his seventeenth birthday. Though it would be three years before he’d have his taste of war, Bernard took his enlistment very seriously. He mastered all forms of weaponry, though his favorite was the hammer. His lead-by-example mentality and no nonsense attitude garnished the respect of subordinates and superiors alike. It wasn’t long before he was promoted to Corporal and given command of a squad.
When Greymane ordered his men to march in the name of the Alliance, he couldn’t see himself more ready. The battlefield was a cruel, gritty, and unforgiving place. For two years he hunted the Horde. Bernard’s reputation quickly spread as an aggressive and savage warrior who stood fearless in the face of the enemy. He’d charge into battle without hesitation and cut a swath through the front lines, swinging war hammers and protecting allies with massive bulwark. For his efforts and gallantry Bernard was promoted and his squad was awarded a battle standard. The streamer read “Wesrin’s Wolves” to honor the men and the Sergeant who led them.
With Gilneas’ commitment to the Alliance fulfilled, the Army returned to their beloved city. Lauded as heroes, time was taken to rest and recover. Bernard was alarmed to discover that his father had fallen gravely ill in his absence. Unable to mind the foundry, Gerald had to temporarily close the War Gear. He brought his son to his side and pleaded him to take up their livelihood in blacksmithing. Bernard agreed without hesitation, having sated his desire to experience battle. As such, Gerald passed on the mantle to his prodigy and with it an iron-clad tome documenting their family’s history. Hours before death took him, he told his son that the book he held was the key to their bloodline’s destiny and that it should only be opened when Gilneas falls to dire straits.
Years later, Bernard became the face of Wesrin’s War Gear. His mother, heartbroken and desolate, passed shortly after his father. Despite having no surviving family, he took pride and enjoyment in staying busy at the forge. He continued to provide the quality service and craftsmanship his family name demanded, and life was relatively good even with the construction of the Greymane Wall. That was until the Curse of the Worgen, the Forsaken invasion, and exile to the lands of the Kaldorei. Having fled with little more than a few personal possessions and his treasured tome, Bernard quickly found himself estranged and lost in a world he did not know.
