[M] Escape from Stranglethorn {OOC}
Rated M for fantasy violence, fantasy racism and sexism, allusions to cannibalism, possible sexual implications
In Character - https://role-player.net/forum/showth...8606&p=2923556
The Adventure Ahead of Us
Spoiler: Stranded in Stranglethorn Vale
Spoiler: Map of Northern Stranglethorn
Perhaps you were an orc warrior riding a goblin zeppelin from the orcish capital of Orgrimmar to the Horde base of Grom’gol on the coastal exterior. Perhaps you were a Darkspear troll recruited to intermediate between the Horde and the pacified tribes of jungle trolls. Perhaps you were a member of the Alliance, a human that had taken a several day journey on gryphon to the free port of Booty Bay for the purpose of trade. Maybe you were a night elf huntress, boarding a ship from goblin trading port of Ratchet, crossing the Great Sea to the aforementioned Booty Bay. You could've been a pirate or a bandit of any race and class, bound to no faction or people save for the ones you make yourself.
Regardless of what you were or however you came to this vast tropical region, one thing is for certain: you're stranded. Lost in the jungle with no clear path towards civilization. Alone? Possibly. Forgotten? Perhaps. Will you give up or will you fight this savage land and live to see another day?
Spoiler: Ecology of Stranglethorn
Stranglethorn Vale is a largely unexplored mass of land in the far south of the Eastern Kingdoms, the easternmost continent and the birthplace of humans, dwarves, blood elves and gnomes.
Dense tropical jungle dominates the mountainous landscape of Stranglethorn with a diversity of floral life. Massive palm trees and tropical broadleaf trees dominate, while various species of shrubs and sparse grasses dominate the the few open areas of the Vale. The Nazferiti River also runs through this region, although the croc and frenzie-infested waters of the river pose as great a threat as any land beast.
Beasts present in the Vale include tigers, panthers, raptors, crocolisks, basilisks, gorillas, monkeys and giant crabs. A number of birds like macaws also call this land home.
Spoiler: The Natives
Long ago a great troll empire known as the Gurubashi controlled much of southern Eastern Kingdoms until a great civil war broke out involving the summoning of an ancient blood god known as Hakkar the Soulflayer. While the priests known as Atal’ai were defeated and the avatar of the god was destroyed, this came at a terrible price as the Gurubashi Empire collapsed into various uncivilized tribes.
The Gurubashi tribe and their capital city of Zul’Gurub. The most dominate of the jungle troll tribes.
The Bloodscalp tribe and their capital city of Zul’Kunda. Enemies of the equally formidable Skullsplitter tribe.
The Skullsplitter tribe and their capital city of Zul’Mamwe. Enemies of the aforementioned Bloodscalp tribe.
The Darkspear tribe, once the weakest tribe of Stranglethorn, they fled Stranglethorn only to join the Horde. Now they rival even the great Zandalari Empire in power and represent a vital part of the Horde’s power.
In addition to the jungle trolls, the Vale is also home to goblin traders, human pirates and merchants, ogres, naga and murlocs.
The Races of Azeroth
The Horde
Spoiler: OrcsSpoiler: Spoiler
Bound by honor and survival, orcs are one of the most prolific races on Azeroth. Originally native to the world of Draenor, they crossed over into Azeroth over thirty years ago, invading the human kingdom of Stormwind. Eventually their expansion was ended by the unification of the human kingdoms.
The defeated orcs were put into internment camps, eventually be freed by Thrall and crossed the Great Sea to the mythical lands of Kalimdor, where they established the orcish nation of Durotar.
Orcs value honor over anything else and believe in the glory of battle. Worshipping the elements and their ancestors.
Language: Orcish
Spoiler: TrollsSpoiler: Spoiler
Cunning and savage, the Darkspear trolls are devoted to the Horde’s cause. Originally native to Stranglethorn, they eventually sailed across the South Seas to an island where they stayed until they were rescued by Thrall and relocated to Kalimdor. The Darkspear now live on the Echo Isles off the coast of Durotar.
Trolls value their gods, the Loa and the spirits of their ancestors.
Language: Zandali (Secondary: Orcish)
Spoiler: TaurenSpoiler: Spoiler
The tauren (Shu’halo in their native tongue) are a nomadic race of bovine humanoids native to the plains of Kalimdor. Long ago they were nearly hunted to extinction by the vicious centaur until Thrall and his combined forces of orcs and trolls fought off the centaurs. The tauren were able to reclaim their ancient ancestral homeland of Mulgore in Central Kalimdor.
Tauren exist in a number of various tribes, but the most ruling tribe is the brown-furred Bloodhoof tribe. The tauren revere the Earthmother, a being allegedly responsible for the creation of the land itself.
Language: Taur-ahe (Secondary: Orcish)
Spoiler: ForsakenSpoiler: Spoiler
Cold and unapologetically grotesque, the Forsaken are a Horde-faction of undead, comprised of the former citizens of the human kingdom of Lordaeron. Originally mindless undead, those strong enough to resist control were able to break away and form their capital of Undercity, built in the royal crypts under the old abandoned Lordaeronian capital city.
The undead value little and those who have generally place it on the Dark Lady. The undead elven ranger Sylvanas Windrunner.
Language: Gutterspeak, an undead dialect of Common (Secondary: Orcish)
Spoiler: Blood ElvesSpoiler: Spoiler
The blood elves (Sin’dorei in their native tongue) are a race of elves native to Kingdom of Quel’thalas in the north of the Eastern Kingdoms. When the Scourge, the army of undead attacked their kingdom, most of them died, while others fled with their Prince Kael’thas Sunstrider.
Those who survived found service in their old allies, the Alliance until they were wrongly accused of treason by the hateful human Garithos for taking the aid of the naga. Imprisoned, facing execution, Prince Kael’thas once again accepted the aid of the naga to escape.
Later, the blood elves joined the Horde with the help of the Forsaken. The sin’dorei primarily worship a source of magical energy known as the Sunwell, with a few worshipping the Light.
Language: Thalassian, a dialect of Elvish (Secondary: Orcish and Common)
Spoiler: GoblinsSpoiler: Spoiler
Goblins are small, cunning green humanoids with profit always on their minds. One of the most technologically advanced races on Azeroth, they have a strong hatred for gnomes as a race, which they see as technological competitors.
They are the newest addition to the Horde and are primarily tied to the Bilgewater Cartel.
Goblins are generally irreligious, although one could make the case that goblins worship greed. There are however, goblin shamans and priests.
Language: Goblin (Secondary: Orcish and Common)
The Alliance
Spoiler: HumansSpoiler: Spoiler
Humans are an extremely prolific race, though they are not as widespread as they once were. Most humans originate from two major kingdoms, Lordaeron and Stormwind. With Lordaeron being a defunct state, most of its living citizens fled to Stormwind, now the most powerful human kingdom with military bases and colonies across Azeroth.
The humans of Stormwind value freedom and individualism over most things. Most humans worship an entity known as the Light.
Language Common
Spoiler: DwarvesSpoiler: Spoiler
Dwarves are a powerful race of short and stout humanoids. The two dwarven peoples loyal to the Alliance are the pale-skinned Ironforge dwarves that inhabit the Kingdom of Khaz Modan and the tan-skinned Wildhammer dwarves that exist in various clans in the Hinterlands.
History has it that when the dwarves of Ironforge were just discovering gunpowder, the gnomes had already went through an industrial revolution. Both races share the same living space and are extremely close allies.
Most Ironforge dwarves worship the Titans, though a few worship the Light. Meanwhile, most Wildhammer dwarves practice elemental-worship.
Language: Dwarven (Secondary: Common
Spoiler: GnomesSpoiler: Spoiler
Gnomes are an industrious race noted for their advanced technology and kinship with the dwarves. Once the gnomes lived in a great city of Gnomeregana, built in the mountains of Dun Morogh, but with the city taken over by troggs and the infected leper gnomes, most have fled to the dwarven city of Ironforge, while few have constructed a new capital, New Tinkertown.
Gnomes treat everything as a science, even when it comes to religion.
Language: Gnomish (Secondary: Common and Dwarven)
Spoiler: Night ElvesSpoiler: Spoiler
The night elves (Kaldorei in their native tongue) are a race of nocturnal elves found within Northern Kalimdor. For thousands of years they protected the forests of Kalimdor from various threats until the arrival of the Horde and Alliance. With the Horde cutting the trees of Ashenvale down, the night elves have joined the Alliance.
Traditionally, the females were warriors and priestesses, while the males were primarily druids and artisans. This unspoken gender role was broken with the kaldorei’s ascension into the Alliance.
All night elves generally revere a variety of animal demi-gods, however they directly worship the moon, Elune.
Language: Darnassian, a dialect of Elvish which all other dialects descend from.(Secondary: Common
Spoiler: DraeneiSpoiler: Spoiler
The draenei are a noble race originally native to the planet Argus. They then fled the demonic Burning Legion to Draenor, until the orcs, corrupted by the Legion, massacred them en masse. A few were able to escape the genocide and boarded a ship to Azeroth, crashing down on the island of Azuremyst off the coast of Kalimdor. From there they encountered the night elves and joined the Alliance.
Draenei society is centered around the worship of the Light and of the Naaru, chime-like beings that literally embody the Light. Magic also plays a large part in their society and more recently, few have even starting becoming shamans, revering the elements.
Language: Draenei (Secondary: Common and Orcish
Spoiler: WorgenSpoiler: Spoiler
The worgen were once humans belonging to the nation of Gilneas, now they walked cursed, resembling humanoid wolves.
Worgen were originally night elf druids that went feral and were trapped inside of a druidic realm known as the Emerald Dream. Eventually these feral beasts were released to help fight against the Scourge, only to begin infecting the Gilneans.
Now with Gilneas conquered by the Forsaken, the remaining citizens, human and worgen alike have fled to night elven lands, joining the Alliance.
Language: Common (Secondary: Darnassian
Spoiler: ClassesWarrior (Available to all races)
Hunter (Available to all races)
Mage (Available to humans, dwarves, gnomes, orcs, blood elves, goblins, night elves, orcs, worgen, trolls and forsaken)
Priest (Available to all races except orcs)
Rogue (Available to humans, dwarves, gnomes, orcs, trolls, blood elves, goblins, night elves, worgen and forsaken)
Death Knight (Available to all races)
Paladin (Available to humans, draenei, dwarves, blood elves and tauren)
Shaman (Available to orcs, tauren, trolls, dwarves, draenei and goblins)
Druid (Available to night elves, tauren, worgen and trolls)
Warlock (Available to humans, dwarves, gnomes, blood elves, orcs, trolls, goblins and forsaken)
Spoiler: CSName:
Gender:
Race:
Age:
Class:
Languages:
Personality:
Faction: (Horde/Alliance or Neutral)
Likes/Dislikes:
Appearance:
Strengths/Weaknesses:
Backstory:
Additional Information:
Rules
1. No godmodding or Mary Sues (Gary Stus).
2. No OOC spamming/racism/sexism/bigotry in general.
3. No less than three paragraphs a post.
4. No more than two characters per person.
5. Otherwise, have fun!
Spoiler: Accepted CharactersSpoiler: UnojiName: Unoji
Gender: Male
Race: Troll
Age: 34 Years Old
Class: Hunter
Languages:
- Zandali (First language)
- Orcish
- Common (Semi-fluently)
Personality: Unoji is somewhat socially inept and even when we manages to figure out social skills, he often finds better ground with orcs, tauren, Forsaken and even the troll-hating blood elves more than he does with his own people. Uncertain and struggling to fit in anywhere, he generally opts for a life of solitude as a nameless fur trader.
Faction: Horde
Likes/Dislikes: Unoji has a strong dislike for most of his people's traditions, seeing them as inherently backward and incompatible with the “civilized races”. He will often cite the story of his parents as an example of why jungle troll culture inferior if confronted by a troll aware of his background.
He does have a strong love for alcohol, having built up quite a tolerance for it. Often blowing an entire week of earnings for a nice mug of stout or grog.
Spoiler: Appearance
Strengths/Weaknesses:
Unoji’s biggest strength is being left alone to his own devices. Even when forced to work alongside others, he will succeed much more in the completion of a set goal if given more autonomy.
His biggest weakness is being berated by more traditionalist trolls about his eagerness to abandon his culture and even his people. He also does not work well in extremely social environments.
Backstory:Unoji was mostly raised on the Darkspear Islands, the former home of the Darkspear trolls located somewhere in the South Seas, but his story begins in Stranglethorn.
As is custom among weaker jungle troll tribes such as the Darkspear, Unoji’s father was given up to the stronger Gurubashi tribe where he spent years training as a warrior. Large for even a troll, standing nearly nine foot tall and too heavy to ride a raptor, he was widely acknowledged across the various tribes.
Unoji’s father refused to wed any of his allies’ sisters or daughters, earning him the title Akil the Celibate’. However, he met his first love upon his trip to Zul’Kunda to pay tribute to the Bloodscalp tribe. Laying eyes upon the fifth or sixth wife of the Bloodscalp chieftain, Gan’Zulah.
The two eloped, running from both the Bloodscalps and Gurubashi. Returning to the Darkspears under cover of night, Akil’s partner bore a son. Fearing for the safety of his newborn son and the tribe as a whole, the baby was left with Akil’s uncle, Jin’kande as the runaway couple vanished into Stranglethorn, never to be heard of again.
Unoji himself was mostly brought up as any normal jungle troll, told the stories of his father’s feats of greatness among his tribe.
When the orcs had arrived on the Darkspear’s relatively new homeland, Unoji was among the Darkspear that fled on Horde ships before the islands were swallowed up by the sea.
On the ship ride to the fabled land of Kalimdor and the subsequent battle to settle down, Unoji noticed a divide between the Darkspear trolls and the orcs, tauren and even goblins. Eventually Unoji began to feel embarrassed of his people's traditions, even with their customs becoming more and more liberalized due to Thrall’s decrees and exposure to the other races.
Eventually Unoji settled in Orgrimmar, becoming a hunter and a trapper for hire. Selling various animal pelts at the auction house and making enough gold to get by.
Additional Information:Unlike most trolls, he stands completely upright, seeing slouching as being somewhat below him.
He also owns a raptor named Skullbender.
Spoiler: Tekazra of the Darkspear
Name: Tekazra
Gender: Female
Race: Troll
Age: 28
Class: Hunter
Languages: Zandali, Orcish, (a few words of)Taurahe
Personality: Tekazra, reinforcing most outsider's views of troll women, is rough and strong-willed. Though she seems harsh to strangers, she becomes much more sociable around close friends and allies. Tekazra has no qualms with stating her opinion, and is very passionate about what she stands for. Though she might take a while to warm up to, if you do, you will have gained an invaluable and trustworthy companion.
Faction: Horde, though more committed to her tribe than the faction as a whole
Likes: Hunting, good craftsmanship, her tiger Blackfang, competition, sharing drinks with friends
Dislikes: Those who skirt around the truth, cheaters, those who rely on magic for everything, demons (and Warlocks, for that matter), fragile bow-strings, stupid questions
Appearance: (will draw picture later) Tekazra sports the muscular, 7-foot-odd frame of most jungle trolls, her long limbs carrying themselves with the grace of years of combat experience. Her skin is a light blue-green, marked here and there with scars from different adventures, as well as warpaint during a hunt. She keeps her red-orange hair styled in dreadlocks and tied up in a simple ponytail, often adorned with feathers or beads and the like. She has several piercings in her face, including earrings, a nose-ring, and a small brow piercing. Her brows are heavy-set over deep golden eyes and an angular face, giving most the impression of a constant frown. Armor-wise, Tekazra tends toward lighter materials like leather or mail, usually decorated with trophies of her kills.
Strengths: Tekazra is a natural leader, as she is very comfortable taking charge of a chaotic situation and directing people as she sees fit. She is also an incredible marksman, valuing quality over quantity in her work on and away from the hunt.
Weaknesses: She has no problems being very blunt and direct in her speech and actions, which can cause some issues when a more subtle approach is favored. Though she tries to remain rational, at times her passions can cloud her judgement-- her temper can sometimes get the best of her.
Backstory: Tekazra was born and raised in the Echo Isles, a jungle troll through and through. She was born to hunter parents, her father a leatherworker and her mother a fletcher, so she was immersed in the sport since she was a child. She grew up the middle child of many siblings, and as such learned to compete for attention among her family and the tribe. She was competitive from a young age, and honed her innate skills with the bow with intense training. She hoped to be the best marksman of her tribe, but as she grew into adolescence, she grew content with her place in the village as one of its lead game-hunters. She led hunting parties into the wilderness, conducted rituals and competitions, and did her best to serve the Darkspear trolls as they cemented their place within the Horde.
Though she loved her tribe dearly, Tekazra began to wonder if she could better serve the Loa by leaving her home isles and discovering the sights and creatures of Kalimdor. So she said her goodbyes to her village, who were sad to see such an excellent hunter leave their service, and journeyed first to Orgrimmar. She had only been there a few times before as a child, to trade with her father, and was eager to experience the Horde with adult eyes. It was there in Orgrimmar that she met a tauren by the name of Brehkan Wintermane, whom she bonded with over a drink and a mutual hatred of warlocks; they became fast friends. Brehkan introduced her to his native Mulgore, and she found the Tauren an admirable people. After her travels in the Barrens, Tekazra decided to join other Horde warriors to an expedition into Stranglethorn Vale, on the eastern continent. She thought it an excellent opportunity to finally see the ancestral home of her race and discover how the trolls there lived. Though she found the trolls there hostile and undeserving of her respect, she did make a lifelong companion-- a tiger cub. She found it alone in the jungle, surrounded by raptor corpses and its fangs painted black with blood (hence his eventual name, "Blackfang").
Upon her return to Orgimmar, new animal friend in tow, Tekazra decided to return to her home in the Echo Isles. It had been several years since she had been home, and she thought she was deserving of a respite from all of the hectic adventure.
Additional Info: Her animal companion is a loyal tiger named Blackfang, whom she befriended on an adventure in Stranglethorn many years ago. She also has a dark red raptor mount called Wraithtalon.
Spoiler: Brehkan Wintermane
Name: Brehkan Wintermane
Gender: Male
Race: Tauren
Age: 38
Class: Paladin (or Sunwalker, if you prefer)
Languages: Taurahe, Orcish, (a few words of)Zandali
Personality: Brehkan is a jovial spirit, almost never seen without some kind of grin on his face. He always finds a way to lift his allies' spirits, and is an excellent motivator. Even when he is serious, he can usually find a way to crack a joke or lighten the atmosphere. He is very caring and loyal towards his friends and companions, almost taking a sort of fatherly attitude towards their well-being.
Faction: Horde
Likes: Mulgore, his wife Kiona, Brewfest, good ale
Dislikes: Demons, disrespect towards one's ancestors, unhappy friends, quillboars
Appearance: (can see drawing here: https://splatdoesart.deviantart.com/...Week-679053756) Brehkan is a typical Tauren, looming at over ten feet in height. His body is covered head to toe in white fur, hence his name, while his mane and braided beard are dark brown. His horns curve out and upwards, though his left horn is broken at the base. His right eye, as well, is blinded, a long scar trailing up the side of his face from a long-ago battle. As a paladin, he prefers heavy, protective armor.
Strengths: Brehkan has a surprising amount of patience, and is willing to go great lengths for those he loves. He is inherently optimistic, making him a pleasure to be around, and is great at motivating people, whether it be friends or troops.
Weaknesses: At times, Brehkan can be too caring, and his efforts to help with other people's problems is sometimes met with a cold shoulder. His good humor can be to a fault, occasionally, when total seriousness is required.
Backstory: Brehkan spent his childhood roaming the vast plains of Mulgore, his people's ancestral homeland. As a child he would explore the beautiful nature around his small village, climbing the cliffs of Red Cloud Mesa and fishing in Stonebull Lake. Like many young tauren, as Brehkan matured he traveled to Camp Narache, the training ground for would-be warriors. He helped his people fight off the quillboars and the centaur, and he was noted throughout his village for his infectious optimism and strong spirits. At first, Brehkan was training to be a simple guard, a warrior in defense of his region. But one day, as he fought the quillboar that had overrun the sacred ground of Red Rocks, he felt his ancestors calling to him. He knew from then that he was called to serve a greater purpose, not just in service to his village but to all of his ancestors. A Sunwalker known as Brighthoof offered to mentor him, and brehkan was taken under the trainer's wing. He learned all there was to know about the sun's magic, how it could heal and protect, but also deliver great fury upon evildoers. The young tauren absorbed all of this information with enthusiasm, ecstatic to begin his real quest to rid his land of foul creatures.
Once his training was complete, Brehkan journeyed north to the capital city of Orgrimmar. He thought that, if there was anywhere he could go to find something that needed his skills, it was there. To his excitement, the Warchief's bulletin was filled to the edges with quests and expeditions to help with. Brehkan performed many tasks, both mundane and heroic, building a solid reputation among the warriors of Orgrimmar to be a valuable ally. Then, one normal day, he decided to accompany a band of warriors and soldiers traveling to the outskirts of Kalimdor to fight off Alliance raids. Though Brehkan was nervous about his first time fighting humans, he remained steadfast in combat. But steadfast was not enough, as while he fought to defend his allies on the front line from the encroaching human force, he himself was left unprotected. His armor was not enough to stop the human soldier's pike from raking up his cheek and through his eye, rendering it useless. Though the Horde won that skirmish, all the healing magic in the world could not give the young Tauren back his eye. It took him a year to heal and get used to his half-blindness, and longer still to forgive the deep grudge he held against the humans for that day.
After his injury, Brehkan returned to the village of his youth, which he had not seen for many years. He wanted to purify himself, to get used to his half-sight and return to a simpler life. It was in his old village that he encountered Kiona, a childhood friend. They reconnected during Brehkan's time in recovery, and were married two summers afterwards. Though Brehkan spent most of his time in Mulgore with his wife, enjoying the simpler life, he found himself soon itching for action. So, saying a promised farewell to his beloved, he left for Orgrimmar once more, where he met a certain troll with whom he shared a common love of good drink and dead demons. Brehkan soon returned to his home, introducing Tekazra to his friends and family before she departed on her own, and he has remained mostly in Mulgore since.
Additional Information: N/A
Spoiler: Archpriestess X'aalthaName: Archpriestess X’aaltha, The Shadow of Sha’tar
Other Titles: Dark Healer, Shadow Delver, Leader of the O’kul Practice, Sister of The Scryers, Race Traitor, The Mind Doctor, A’dal’s trickster
Gender: Female
Race: Draenei
Age: 205
Class: Shadow Priest
Languages: Draenei, Common, Zandali (semi fluent)
Personality: X’aaltha has spent a lifetime studying the deep recesses of spiritual, and emotional pain; taking her down a road that has made her a complex thinker. The Light spurs her to look further into the contrast, the shadow of Naaru’s radiance. Following a sense of consciousness higher than the immediate conflict of good and evil, X’aaltha’s long term goals carry in the ethical nebulousness the pure desire to do good.
X’aaltha sees first the pains and shames others wear, to find the innocence and lighter the longer she studies her company. Insightful in matters of heart and mind, Xaaltha has conventionally strange methods to play councilor and guide. It is odd for her to be straightforward with her insights and finds those who speak so swiftly on what they see to be foolish.
The Archpriestess is a quiet observer first and foremost for it is her greatest discipline she has learned under A’dal. She has come to a point in her life where her insights regarding others are very accurate, no longer reviewing her thoughts with doubt or steadfastness for clarity. She is confident in what she can see of this world.
X’aaltha sees the eternal conflict between Order and Disorder and instead chooses to navigate through Chaos to create her agency.
Faction: Alliance, The Scryers, Sha’tar, and A’dal and her people above all else
Likes/Dislikes: X’aaltha enjoys those who can navigate both Order and Disorder – the rarer souls who bring both virtues to life. She has a deep passion for furthering her multi-nuanced studies of magical arts, and enjoys the feeling of those being taught by her actions. She will always hold a tender love for A’dal.
She dislikes feeling spiritually or physically dirty, tired and irritated of judgment from her own people who misunderstand her, she hates when Apprentice Nurlae fails to do as instructed.
Appearance:
Spoiler: Image
X’aaltha, despite being of the Naaru blessed people – has a dark and enigmatic appearance that is misunderstood as cryptic or sensuous. The cast of her eye leads Draenei to distrust her, wondering what plots she has behind her gaze. Skin blue as the sweetest berries on Azeroth, horns and hooves of elongated elegance, and holy garb befitting the beautiful priestess X’aaltha brings charisma and power wherever she saunters.
Something about her looks wild – the ample amounts of brown hair that rest between her horns somehow manage to keep in control – not tangling and falling freely. She herself masters this same confusion for she is easy to peer up and down her displayed body but mystery and promise hide in plain sight.
X’aaltha’s holy station and elevation in the eyes of A’dal comes in the sigil which holds true in front of her forehead. A holy woman, a dark matriarch, a devout being to the Light, The Dark Healer is almost impossible to grasp upon first impression.
(7' tall)
Strengths/Weaknesses:
The Archpriestess is a convoluted thinker when navigating the hearts and minds of mortals. It is her niche study, and her unorthodoxy makes her supremely insightful. However she lacks many practical aspects of life, making her woefully ‘book smart’. The power of her social presence is overwhelming and leadership can easily fall on her – a position she may easily shrug off if her methods call for it. She will only do what she wants, for the goals she has in mind, making her a poor leader despite seemingly knowing so much about everyone around her.
Because her depth of emotional turmoil is so deeply rooted, she is very difficult to shock or break with pain. Her will is unshakable. She stares at the dark abyss of her own choosing.
Backstory:
For 25,000 years the Exiled Ones, the Draenei, lived in their monument to their former glory of Argus, Shattrath City. Enlivened through the ata’mal cystals gifted by the Naaru thousands of years ago, X’aaltha was born in this lit city and draped in promise of Light and the pursuit of it. Her studies through magic and religion navigated her conditioning to worship the Naaru, especially the beauty A’dal who hovered calmly in the center of this city. A living beacon of illuminating hope, A’dal’s influence over the young Draenei and her racial kin was so bright if not blinding.
For a race so long lived, near eternal, other children were few in number and scattered across Shattrath City. Her upbringing didn’t have her equally develop with her peers, instead being handled from priest to priest – the spiritual guides of her people – to gain perspective for adulthood. Already her perceptions led her to feel resistance and confusion to what every living being around her said so truthfully.
On this alien world the Draenei were bathed in The Light and the pursuit of it. But one could not be true and the other stand, so X’aaltha believed. The priests, the devout ata’mal jewelers, the initiates of Prophet Velen, the paladins, anyone and everyone who perused The Light carried with them pain and loss: none of them were so intertwined with the primal good as spoken. She was only a preteen but already she could see the empty vessels that were her traumatized people, chasing a dream and failing each step they took.
Their belief that if they chased this perfect state reflected in A’dal’s light their pain would vanish and eternal generosity would grip the consciousness of their race crushed X’aaltha’s heart. A’dal, the sentient body of light, was an aspiration, a dream that believed itself possible for the mortal Draenei who continued with the heavy burdens existentially on their backs. A’dal believed this for A’dal’s very nature was to encourage and lead always to goodness, The Light. X’aaltha saw within the lines of her society that her war-torn people were built on the ideology of something so sweet, so innocent, so perfect that it itself could not understand imperfection.
By twenty years old she rejected her priests, entering a year of deep loving weeping for the state of what she saw. A singular ideological renegade who adored and treasured A’dal with passion equal her teachers, knew that her people’s imperfection was permeant but their misery was needlessly, misguidedly, provoked to continues for thousands of years.
To forgo the sunken pain of genocide, defeat and exile wasn’t buried only in pursuit of The Light, it had to come from the ugliest depths inside each and every Draenei. X’aaltha wanted to see their rage, racism, yearning for vengeance and bloodlust. X’aaltha wanted madness to erupt from her loved ones because she knew it rest inside each of the exiled survivors. The Draenei had managed to carry their trauma from the living elders onto each generation born and raised on Shattrath City, but she rejected it. This pain did not have to be hers, but sworn to A’dal as all her kin it was her duty to heal this pain.
Prophet Velen foresaw X’aaltha’s controversy, but not the depth or direction to which it would change society. The Prophet reached out from her year of heartache and spoke to her sweetly. The young woman was marveled and touched by Velen’s compassion and wisdom. He felt good, wholesome and a pinnacle of perfection A’dal would have wanted from the Draenei. Still, she looked upon The Prophet and knew he was wrong. He did not cure the pain of his people, he had buried it. Humble and open, yet disturbed by the young Draenei, Prophet Velen gave her opportunity to prove her beliefs. In one question X’aaltha cut through the wizened man.
“If we were to find forgiveness as Draenei why do we continue to teach our young what it is they must grudge?”
The Prophet was stunned silent, perhaps catching a glimpse of the perpetual cycle she saw repeated by their own choices. His exact revelation or answer to her question was never known. The Prophet in his wisdom instead looked at her and relinquished her of the path she had been forced to take: her education and her way through Shattrath wasn’t going to be through the priests but the wisdom she already carried at such a young age.
The priests of the Draenei carried texts and crystals aimed for the practices of healing and shielding, leaving her with no formal direction in all the ancient texts and tools. X’aaltha started her spiritual question with exploring her own rage for the Burning Legion. It was an anger that made her sickly and it was not even her own. Through the culture it became a part of her body and she now purged through violently scribbled word. This word became her mantras she poured into ata’mal crystals – tainting them. Her sorrows and fears of this alternate world brought her to divinity and peace.
X’aaltha did not achieve her status of Archpriestess until her book was filled with the accounts of agony from Draenei to Draenei. Her autonomy left her to scour the souls around her, and ask questions priests dare not say. But there, behind the taboo were the tears and broken hearts she believed were there since a girl.
Their tears stained her memory, left her speechless, and tested her love for the Naaru time eternal until A’dal summoned her over one hundred years later since her spiritual quest began. A’dal asked for her to bring this book and sit quietly. The sentient light read her mind and heart, peered through her to the book she held and implanted in her a sense of confusion. A’dal did not understand her dark craft, but felt and saw the smiles of those she had managed to recover through her excavations. A’dal knew it was the pursuit of Light which was the catalyst for healing and change. It knew that without its guidance X’aaltha would not have shaped herself as she had.
In this way it felt responsible, and guilt for indirectly pushing a girl through spiritual discourse. Yet it was proud in how she became and what she turned her darkness into. While ideologically they parted, A’dal blessed this very young Draenei the title of Archpriestess. Only one hundred and twenty, among a race averaging thousands of years – this feat was profound. Priests who spent centuries in A’dal’s journey could not comprehend the decision.
X’aaltha fell into shadow, embracing the darkness of her people and brought them contrast to A’dal’s peaceful serenity. Humbled by her task, it was challenging to meet the glow of a none mortal being. How could she be the chalice for all the misery locked in a race of people?
Here she recruited her apprentice Nurlae who was only a child when she brought her in to her ways. Nurlae was quiet but accepted what she was taught as obediently as the children who were being taught A’dal’s way – she lacked the spirit of taboo and free thought as X’aaltha had. But it wasn’t required, only her duty as Draenei to follow this road to healing was needed by the Archpriestess.
Together they studied the psyche and soul, coining the term ‘O’kul’ for this sacred union of conjunct parts of consciousness. The O’kul Practice was founded by X’aaltha and socially rejected, embraced in therapeutic sessions behind closed doors of her personal temple. O’kul ate at patience and disciplined walls, it brought Draenei to be raw and disgusting with their thoughts and feelings where other parts of their life wouldn’t allow or even acknowledge.
The Draenei were not perfect, X’aaltha saw it every day.
Her work through Shattrath City was crushed by the corrupted orcs. Eight years of war brought back all the fear and loss the Draenei had tried so hard to let go. Now she too was stained and witnessed the men and women she knew so intimately be killed by Orc kind. X’aaltha followed through to the most twisted parts of her o’kul and brought this magic on the Orcs, killing many with what the Draenei saw as black magic – loss was still inevitable and Prophet Velen shepherded her, her apprentice and the small pool of survivors away from the city through other parts of the Outlands.
Misfortune wouldn’t stop, the Blood Elves led them astray from their hiding place and the only retreat was off world. Aboard The Exodus X’aaltha was left in ragefully tears to contemplate what The Prophet must have felt each day since the first genocide.
The Exodus was tarnished by the Blood Elves unknowingly and The Archpreiestess and her people crashed on Azeroth. The Draenei had to meet many strange new races on this world, joining the Alliance in hopes to avoid extinction. The O’kul Practice was almost too much for her, withstanding the reopened scars. The blood and torment locked in this place changed X’aaltha. She gained the enveloping shadows of magic. Shadow form, the ill veil of her people’s near irreparable o’kul touched her skin and became one with her. On this day she sacrificed parts of herself to further her practice.
Healing was no longer about unearthing the hideous avenues of Draenei o’kul and releasing it, now it was breaking the old ways of thought and reshaping the o’kul altogether. Prophet Velen from the depths of the settlement-wreckage of Exodus watched her gnaw at the thin sanity of their people. He objected, too swayed by his own loss and hurt to have further patience for her work.
He sent her off not back to the Outlands to help reform Shattarth City with A’dal instead to Stormwind among the Humans. Apprentice Nurlae followed loyally with her teacher and together they were regarded with curiosity and fear.
The exotic appearances of the Draenei women helped the Archpriestess find the warlocks, demon practitioners whose magic reminded her of what had corrupted the Orc in The Outlands. A young and powerful student, Morgan Cloyce (younger brother of Demisette Cloyce) was lured in by their arousing oddities. Through him X’aaltha continued to discover the depths of her darkness, and how far her soul strayed from A’dal’s ways in loving juxtaposition to its light. His connection was useful in getting to the heart of warlock society in Stormwind, her eyes watching many demented things take place in dim lit basements of the justice-rife city. Their sins stained her vision and she did not flinch. Her quiet apprentice shied but was never allowed to look away. Nurlae was starting to become resistant as she face an end to her sanity she feared she couldn’t recover from. She turned to find ways to escape while her teacher wasn’t looking.
An affair between Nurlae and Morgan blossomed, they enjoyed the spring of the Draenei’s first year in Stormwind until X’aaltha found them in lover’s bed. What exact magic she cast was a mystery to her apprentice but X’aaltha dove deep into Morgan’s mind and drove him mad. He attempted to murder his own sister who was able to subdue him. X’aaltha framed Nurlae for the crime, leaving her victim to Demisette’s judgment and the law of the city. That was until X’aaltha navigated politics of the city to sentence her apprentice to exile instead, taking the chance to escape The Prophet’s judgment, she volunteered themselves to service in The Outlands. She helped the Alliance cull their way back to Terokkar Forest and entered the destroyed Shattarath City after two years of being away.
A’dal had returned to these ruins ever faithful for the future. It touched the Archpriestess yet saddened all the same. The brighter A’dal’s light was, the darker she had to become so both forms of healing would be available to the Draenei. A’dal’s forces had severed into two factions under the banner of Sha’tar. She sided with The Scryers to access their expansive libraries, and further master the layers of her pain she felt from the symmetrical faces of the Blood Elves.
The Draenei despised her, alienated by her choices and her strange way of being which had only become further warped. It did not shake her, learning from her books of the Emerald Dream. It was a realm of such potent natural magic and power X’aaltha dabbled in theoretical thought. If she could tap into this realm, could she find primal magic to further her degeneration into the suffering of life? If she could withstand such an insurmountable force to o’kul and survive, the teachings could be returned to the Draenei and their collective soul bathed anew in neither Light or Dark – free to restart as a species.
Her O’kul Practice bonded her with powerful men and women in Sha’tar who sought her ways to find peace in their constant conflicts. One of her tended patients was the discerning Arcanist Xorith who guided her to more books regarding the Emerald Dream. The Druids kept their secrets tight, but little she could gain from centuries of mistakes or whispers were written down in his more hidden books. She was certain she wanted access to this realm and to discover for herself what may be inside. The Alliance and Horded killed Illidan, allowing her to focus on helping Shattarath City and her studies.
Peace was never long lasting, the omnipotent dragon Deathwing erupted from the core of Azroth and tarnished Stormwind along with much of the world. Finding the threat dangerous enough, she left her home and returned to Stormwind. The panic and destruction reminded her coldly of what Shattarath City looked like. In the disorder she reconnected with Demisette Cloyce who was running after her brother. Morgan’s mind had been damaged by X’aaltha’s magic, tunnel visioning him to conquest and power. He had fled to Gilneas to infect himself with the Worgen curse.
Joining her, the high rank Warlock, powerful priestess and her apprentice slaughtered undead till they could find Morgan who was already trading magical warlock soulcrafts for the bite. He was successful, ranting of the Emerald Dream. The madness of this young man caught her attention and while Morgan’s older sister was trying to calm him from his frothing dreams of power, the Archpriestess could tell Demisette was destined to lose.
Instead X’aaltha suggested for the Human-turned-Worgen to fall under her care. Knowing the reputation of the Draenei’s mystical therapies, she felt she had no other choice and handed him over. The high rank warlock returned to Stormwind with an ignorant trust of X’aaltha who was alredy whispering words of promise into Morgan’s ear the moment his sister’s back was turned. Apprentice Nurlae had to watch in silent suffering her teacher twist her barred lover deeper into his power fantasies.
Morgan was insightful, his own forbidden studies revealing him of a cult in Stranglethorn Vale that was trying to elicit the power of The Emerald Dream through the corpse of Hakkar’s first incarnation. The lead Druid was to be the master of this power, a Troll named Kahkar. The Root Drinkers of Kahkar were going to be the closest living beings outside of the tight lip Druids to hold power from the mysterious realm and X’aaltha wanted to taste it. Morgan wanted it for himself, but she was stringing him along for fare and travel to Strangelthorn Vale. During the airship ride she watched with content eye her apprentice never attempt to go to Morgan, not glance at him.
One of the Dwarves on the ship tripped and threw a wrench into an engine causing it to combust. On the spinning, falling mass of the airship Morgan was thrown off the airship first and the two Draenei women sought safety in one of the cabins while everything came tumbling down…
Additional Information:
She has strong connections with the Warlocks in Stormwind.
She has strong connections with some Aldor (privately) and the highest ranks of The Scryers.
She is nondescriptly exiled from Azurmyst Isle until Prophet Velen says otherwise.Spoiler: Apprentice Nurlae
Name: Apprentice Nurlae
Gender: Female
Race: Draenei
Age: 82
Class: Priest
Languages: Draenei, Common, Zandali (semi fluent)
Personality:
Nurlae has become meek and obedient to whatever Archpriestess X’aaltha commands. Naturally more quiet and reserved, she tends to disappear when around the compelling Archpriestess. However when she is practicing O’kul she can maturely hold space and provoke the inner woes within her patients. This work feels good to her and makes sense. The controversy she had grown up with and thus is not shocked or disturbed anyone by social rejection – it doesn’t move her.
Nurlae deeply respects her teacher, wondering herself what X’aaltha thinks from time to time. But it is known she is also afraid of X’aaltha simultaneously. She waits paitently till one day she will become the first Priest of O’kul under X’alaltha’s teachings.
Nurlae has a sharp memory and is quite useful for factual recollection.
Faction: Exiled from the Alliance. Serves Archpriestess X’aaltha and aspires to serve the Draenei
Likes/Dislikes: Nurlae loves the success of her therapeutic work, elevation of the Draenei consciousness, A’dal, and the sense of freedom O’kul Practice has given her mind.
She dislikes the heartbreak she feels from being away from Morgan, the resentment that mixes with her respect for X’aaltha, and the times she’s completely baffled by X’aaltha’s choices.
Appearance: Nurlae is a darker skinned Draenei with petite horns sticking up past her beehive style of silky gray hair. There is a dark humility that surrounds this quite woman that can prove interesting for those to look at when not being swallowed by X’aaltha’s proximity. She is the common height of 7’ tall for the Draenei female and wears very appealing priestly robes that accentuate her exotic and alien ways.
Strengths/Weaknesses:
Nurlae is an obedient and loyal follower, her reliability for X’aaltha and to not stray from O’kul Practices and The Light is a powerful core of her personality. She can fight bouts of depression from this challenging spiritual work, but these simply passing moods that are often not notable to those not close to her as she’s already very quiet. However during these times she is less perceptive and not as effective in her priestly works.
Her acute memory is always of use and helps the Archpriestess keep track of many minor details.
Nurlae is still traning, not nearing X’aaltha’s power in the shadow whatsoever. She lacks shadow form but Nurlae has a natural talent in dispelling magic.
Backstory: (See X’aaltha’s)
Additional Information:
Morgan Cloyce’s former lover.
She is hated and exiled out of Stormwind. The Allience finds her mysterious and treacherous while in double think praising her teacher.
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Originally Posted by Minkasha to Clyde
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