One of the topics that floated around in gchat recently was where our DKs start on the timeline. We had a lot of fun discussing timelines because of this, but it was kind of agreed that maybe I should put something up on the blog to clear the air for fresh applicants.
So, first things first: Death Knights of Acherus (also sometimes referred to as 3rd generation DKs) were slain and raised during The Lich King's second offensive, at the end of Burning Crusade. For those of you that were playing during this time, that means the Scourge Invasion event and all its wonderful shenanigans were when he was assaulting the Scarlet Enclave.
If you read quest text from the Death Knight starting zone, NPCs allude to a return to Northrend in the immediate future, which means the DK starting zone happens before the Wrath of the Lich King story launch, but after the Lich King started drawing attention from the heroes of the Horde and Alliance. Add in the fact that almost all of the Naxxramas NPCs in Acherus disappear after the defeat at Light's Hope (with the exception of poor Patchwerk), and you've got easy evidence where that story arc takes place in the overall timeline.
As for your Death Knight? He or she was raised shortly before this story experience. Per the cannon story, you encounter an Argent Dawn NPC that knew you, who insinuates that they saw you recently by their shocked reaction to what the Lich King has done to you.
Does this mean we're not accepting second generation Death Knights? Not necessarily. If you roleplay your DK as being from that generation, raised by the plague of undeath and loyal to the Scourge, you're going to have to have some pretty solid backstory established. The reason for this is simple: DKs of that generation have little reason to be part of The Ebon Blade. 2nd gen DKs predate the formation of that order by about four or five years, and weren't created solely for the purpose of attacking Light's Hope Chapel to draw out living champions like Tirion Fordring.
The Death Knights raised and tested against the Scarlet Enclave were. That was our original purpose: to bait powerful, mighty champions into the Lich King's waiting grasp...basically, his whole plan for drawing Azeroth's heroes to Northrend, in a nutshell. He says as much in one of his many monologues at the Frozen Throne. Well, and to kill the Scarlet Crusade pests, but using them as a whetting stone for our blades was more of a fringe benefit.
So, 2nd gen DKs have to answer for their change in loyalties. They have to answer for where they were between the events of WC3/WoW's Naxx patch and the DK starter zone experience. And, as a side note, they have to answer for race choice if they're anything other than a race that lived in Lordaeron during the years of WC3. That means Tauren and any Troll identifying as a tribe other than one of the Amani offshoots in the region...Orcs and Goblins will fall under scrutiny, too, as there may have been very few in the area, but it is physically possible that they were around.
Now, if you are a prospective applicant whose story borders on not falling along those lines, you should still reach out to us. I'm happy to discuss backstory and see if we can come to a mutual agreement, because that's part of cooperative storytelling, but these are some guidelines to get you started.
Suffer well.
Commander Sodarien
