Kozgugore Feraleye

[Kozgugore]

Name: Kozgugore Feraleye
Alias: Koz
Rank: Chieftain & Wolfking (formerly Red Guard and High Blade Varog’Gor)

Age: Late fifties
Gender: Male
Race: Orc
Clan: Warsong Clan
Class: Beastmaster, Hunter, Marksman
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral (Lawful Good in public)

Family: Kraag (son), Muzg (son), Katashka (daughter), Morgeth Feralheart (former mate), Rhonya Steelheart (blood-sister), Shazula the Unbroken (blood-sister), Shrewd (pack brother), Thorg (father, deceased), Thrazna (sister, deceased), Thrylka (mother, presumed dead), Abrag Sourfist (blood brother, deceased), Ar'gok (blood brother, presumed dead), Muzg Felsaw (blood brother, deceased), Orboz Broadjaw (blood brother, deceased)
Known Friends: Greggar Ironfoot, Nergul Darkblood Tor’kren
Known Enemies: The Burning Legion

Appearance:
Standing silent, composed and rigid, Kozgugore Feraleye appears to have the bearing of someone who takes pride in who he is. He maintains a confident demeanour and disciplined bearing, indicating a past rooted in either military or high adventure. The better part of the intricacy of his features are lost in the shadow that is cast over his face by the hulking face of a worg that is draped over his crown, leaving something to the imagination as to what more might lie underneath this bestial veil.

Whenever light does betray his features, however, a stern brow and sharp cheekbones frame his crimson eyes, which stare at the world with a calculated awareness as well as a quiet self-confidence. Between the shaved sides of his head, a long, messy braid adorned with feathered and bone-decorated ornaments cascades far down his back, refusing to allow it to be a hindrance should battle ever come to meet with him.

A master of beasts yet a traditionalist to a fault, there appears to be an undeniable discrepancy about this orc's appearance. Though his armour appears intricate, almost regal, in design, there's something wild and untamed about the orc - as if the fetters of civilization have no hold upon him. Tribal markings and trinkets alike cover his armour, each detail no doubt a careful reminder of days past and a preserved heritage. The most evident attributes thereof are a pair of bone-necklaces that dangle between the many fur linings of his armour, as well as an ornamented wristguard; the feathers and runes upon which betray its spirit-warding purpose to those spiritually inclined. It's clear that for all the well-maintained splendor of his armour and the undaunted bearing that Azeroth ingrained on this orc, there still lies an untamed beast from a faraway, prehistoric world dormant underneath all that solemn gravitas.

Personality:
Kozgugore is generally perceived to be grumpy, indifferent and scornful towards others. This seems more like a façade than anything else, however. Deep inside, a family orc resides, bent on the safekeeping of the orcish homelands as well as the safety and prosperity of his clan. Kozgugore has a refined view of the word "honour", seeing it as a means by which orcs have been manipulated into doing things on their leader's behalf in the past. Although he doesn’t deny utilizing the concept of honour for the greater good in the past himself, he still seems to respect friend and foe alike if they give him reason to do so. Having witnessed the old glory of Draenor, Kozgugore holds the old orcish traditions close to his heart and has surprised friend and foe alike with his rejection for violent solutions despite his Warsong roots, resorting to such only as a final solution.

In general, Kozgugore has been known to keep at distance from any personal relationships, save for those of his own blood. This stems from a difficult past, that led him to lose all of his former family and friends in the three great wars. A fear of losing even more loved ones and seeing close bonds as a potential weakness to his position as a chieftain often discourages him from creating any true, lasting bonds as much as possible.

History:

Spoiler: Wild Roots • show

Kozgugore was born on Draenor and raised within the Warsong Clan, a son to Thorg and Thrylka. Trained to become a shaman, he was chosen as one of the few in his village to guide his clan on the path of the spirits. Though he showed much promise in his training, what always attracted his attention over his spiritual teaching was his love for the hunt. He often went along with his father Thorg and his friends to hunt the wildlife of the Warsong lands in Nagrand, carrying supplies and sometimes even hunting animals himself. He envied the older orcs he accompanied and dreamt of becoming a hunter himself one day. Unfortunately, his shaman training often got in the way of his true ambitions.

At the age of fifteen, he stumbled upon a lonely worg whelp near the edge of his village during one of his treks out in the wilds. Kozgugore developed a strange connection to the beast. The worg whelp, later named 'Gruk' by Kozgugore, would prove to become a valuable friend and, to a certain extent, even brother to Kozgugore. As they learned to rely upon each other in the wilds, Kozgugore slowly developed a special, spiritual bond with the worg as he slowly grew older and more familiar with his shamanistic teachings, showing a certain aptitude with the aspect of the Wilds.

Possessing an outgoing character, the young orc made friends and rivals alike. Throughout his upbringing, he made several blood-brothers, including Abrag Sourfist, Ar'gok, Muzg Felsaw and Orboz Broadjaw, as well as a love interest by the name of Grushka. However, this was not made to last, as a war unlike any other the Warsong clan had ever seen loomed on the horizon.

Spoiler: War of Sacrifices • show

As Kozgugore reached early adulthood, he completed his Om'riggor and was given the second name of "Feraleye". This was the reward for killing a raptor by himself, marking it his first solo-kill. This gave him the nickname of "Raptor" with some of his blood-brothers, who often teased him for his underdeveloped body compared with the others, who were each trained and bred to be true warriors as opposed to Kozgugore. Shortly after his rite of adulthood however, the call to war against the Draenei was sounded. He joined his clan and its chieftain, Grommash Hellscream, eager to take the fight to the Draenei.

Although Kozgugore made ample use of the power of the elements in the early stages of the war, serving as a shaman in the ranks, he too, like all other shaman, eventually lost his powers due to the discontent that the spirits and the elements showed towards the orcs’ warmongering. Feeling abandoned by the spirits, Kozgugore forsook his shamanistic beliefs, and gave up on his teachings. Instead, he was offered a place amongst the warlocks of the Warsong clan. After having witnessed their demonstration on Draenei captives, however, he dismissed all offers to grasp their power. This to the dismay of his family, and his father in particular, who never forgave him ever since and saw this refusal as a sign of weakness and negligence of his duty towards the clan. Kozgugore was demoted to the very lowest ranks of the clan, and found a new place among the scouts and grunts of the Warsong.

After the Draenei’s defeat and after surviving the Dying Time on Draenor, Kozgugore was among the orcs that were ordered to safeguard Draenor whilst the rest of the Horde charged through the Dark Portal. As the war raged on beyond the Dark Portal itself, Kozgugore was appointed to patrolling and scouting assignments, sparing him from most of the major victories as well as defeats of the orcs deep inside human lands throughout the First War. It was only when the Warsong clan was called to arms in the aftermath of the Second War that Kozgugore saw his first share of true action. It did not take long until news of the destruction of his beloved homelands reached his ears, however, and with it the likely death of his mother who had stayed behind. Falling into a state of lethargy as they hid in the Hillsbrad Foothills, the band of orcs, among which his father, sister and blood brothers, evaded capture for several years, living off what scraps the human civilization had to offer.

After enduring a brief captivity in the internment camp that would later become known as Hammerfall, Kozgugore managed to free himself with the aid of his sister as well as his wolf companion Gruk. They both paid the ultimate price in his escape however, giving both their lives for his survival. It turned the lonesome orc into little more but a shell of his former self, evading capture and living like a savage for several months. Upon his return to his clan and his few remaining blood brothers, he pieced together what little will he had left when Thrall and Orgrim Doomhammer joined forces with the Warsong to free the imprisoned orcs from the various internment camps. Much to Kozgugore’s surprise, the orcs began to be victorious again, finding renewed hope in Thrall’s purpose, and he slowly cast off the shackles of lethargy as they freed one camp after another. It was at the Battle for Durnholde that Kozgugore lost his father, Thorg. Despite having never returned on good terms with his father since his refusal to become a warlock, Kozgugore gave the old orc a worthy funeral pyre, in hopes of leaving that part of his past behind for good.

Spoiler: A New Home • show

As Kozgugore slowly picked up his orcish roots again, unshackled from his demonic chains, he faithfully followed his chieftain, Grommash Hellscream, to Kalimdor, spurred forth by the prospect of a land to call their own after all those years of being on the run.

History had a way of repeating itself however. Driven to desperate measures by the overwhelming Night Elf forces, Kozgugore once again sealed a demonic blood pact. The Warsong clan unrelentingly slaughtered its way through the forests, giving in to primal bloodlust once more. As the battle raged on however, Kozgugore was hit unconscious by what he could only describe as 'a giant trunk'.

Recovering from his wounds in the Warsong camp, he was fortunate enough not to be among the ones who fought their fellow orcs under Warchief Thrall's command and was spared a merciless death. Redeemed from the blood pact following Hellscream’s sacrifice, Kozgugore followed Thrall with his few remaining comrades and witnessed the alliance the orcs had made with their old enemies, the humans, at Mount Hyjal. Despite the challenges he faced working alongside his former enemies, Kozgugore managed to develop some form of respect for some of the humans he fought alongside with in the Battle of Mount Hyjal, opening his eyes to a potential future where conflict alone might not be the answer to all things.

Following the founding of Orgrimmar and the conquest of eastern Ashenvale by his clan, Kozgugore began to reflect upon his life and whatever might be left for him to live for. He had lost his last blood-brother, Orboz Broadjaw, in the fierce conflict for Ashenvale, and wished to be as far away from the forests that reminded him of his continued demonic taint as much as possible. This led him to break away from his old clan, and he eventually happened upon Akesha Redblade, Matriarch of the Red Blade tribe at the time. She offered him a place in her tribe which he, despite an initial refusal, eventually accepted in his search to rekindle his connection with the spirits and his people's traditions.

After Kozgugore was accepted into the tribe and completed his Oath of Blood, he swiftly worked his way up the ranks to that of Red Guard, and even became the Red Blade Champion twice in a row. As he led campaigns and scouting parties on behalf of the tribe, he did not only rise up to the rank of High Blade, but that of Overlord as well, which brought to bear the responsibility of leading the tribe's military campaigns.

Spoiler: The Vanguard War • show

Although Kozgugore never truly came to terms with his position of leadership, he willingly obeyed Matriarch Akesha Redblade's request to lead the tribe in times of war. This responsibility not only led him to lead the Horde's forces against the Alliance in a coalition called the Covenant, but also spurred his desire to take the fight to his sworn demon enemies. The culmination of these efforts occurred during the Battle for the Path of Glory in Hellfire Peninsula, in which Kozgugore clashed with his arch-enemy Seiken Trollbane in a battle between the Horde, the Alliance and the Burning Legion all at once.

Following the Battle for the Path of Glory, Kozgugore served as the link between the Covenant and the war effort of the Horde as he helped reinstate the Horde's War Council. The war that followed would become known as the Vanguard War, named after the coalition called 'the Vanguard', which was formed by the Alliance in an attempt to protect its lands from the Horde threat. The campaign brought the fight to several regions throughout the continents, but although even Stormwind City itself was within reach of the Horde (and even assaulted), neither side managed to gain superiority in the end. It was at this crucial moment that Kozgugore was made Chieftain of the Red Blade tribe, as Akesha was forced to part ways with the Red Blades in order to search for a safe place far within Outland to rid herself of the wolf mask of Kraag the Wolfking, a legendary hero of Clan Redblade, which slowly ate away at her mind and corrupted her from within due to the mask’s long exposure to demonic corruption.

In a final attempt to rid Kalimdor of the human presence, Kozgugore staged an all-out assault upon Theramore. Although the odds appeared to be in their favour at first however, the Horde's forces happened upon a fully-prepared force standing at Theramore's gates, ready to repel the Horde incursion. The Horde assault was tipped off by a betrayer from within, and a bloody, desperate battle ensued. In the ensuing chaos and the Horde's rout, Kozgugore was nowhere to be seen and ended up missing in action. This would mark the decisive end of the Vanguard War, and resulted in a time of relative peace.

Concerns over Kozgugore's fate grew, as rumours of his death spread among both friend and foe. Dissatisfaction grew within the Red Blade tribe, as well as an uneasy struggle for power among its few remaining elders. It was Greggar Ironfoot, who had proven a trusted and valued friend to the missing chieftain, who was said to have found Kozgugore, and returned him in the middle of to a tribe meeting to bring an end to the increasing power vacuum within the tribe. Although his fate following the Siege of Theramore remains unknown, it is rumoured that the chieftain went into hiding in the battle's aftermath to escape Warchief Thrall's wrath, who still had a fragile treaty with Jaina Proudmoore of Theramore. Few, however, claim the chieftain actually returned from the dead. When asked about this, Kozgugore remains a closed book.

Following these strange events, the unrest within the tribe was brought to an end, and a tenuous pact between Horde and Alliance was held in place. Using these relatively quiet times of peace, Kozgugore took the opportunity to delve deeper into the records of Clan Redblade that were left behind by Akesha before she disappeared, acquiring knowledge about old clan figures such as the Wolfking and Mruthgor and his Cult of the Wolf and using it to reorganise the tribe’s structure.

Spoiler: Call of the North • show

During Kozgugore's attempts to lead the Red Blade tribe into a prosperous time of tradition and peace, he maintained attempts to keep Orgrimmar's streets safe from the presence of a criminal group who called themselves the Sixty Thieves. It was during these attempts that Kozgugore secretly began meeting with a member of the Sixty Thieves by the name of Morgeth. Although they were enemies at first, they slowly grew closer towards one another. Kozgugore learned of the thieves and the unrest within their ranks, as well as the troubled past of this thief in particular.

Far away from any whispered threats that began to surface from Northrend, the two orcs talked and began to care for one another on a deeper level. Kozgugore aided Morgeth in running away from the Thieves' grasp, taking her in to the tribe instead, as to safekeep her from any retaliation the Thieves might have had  in store for her. It did not take long before the two went on a bonding hunt together, sealing their oaths to one another. Their first child was expected to be born not long thereafter, following a blessing from the spirit of Kraag the Wolfking himself.

There was not much time to settle into their bond, however. It was during an expedition to Hammerfall, where the Red Blades were investigating the Arathorian threat in the highlands, when whispers of unrest across the Great Sea in the north reached the tribe, as well as rumours of a ghoul plague and increasingly dangerous Scourge attacks. Although a war with the Alliance was at hand, even Kozgugore, despite his Warsong roots, deemed a ceasefire with the Alliance necessary in order to create a united front against the Scourge threat.

Upon his return to Orgrimmar where he sought to continue his efforts to bring the Horde and Alliance together, Kozgugore met with the Covenant in Grommash Hold. As the meeting drew to a close however, the looming threat grew into reality: Frost wyrms and abominations began their assault on Orgrimmar that very night, causing chaos and destruction in the streets of the orcish capital.

It would not take long before the final decision was made to send the Horde to Northrend and to take the battle to the Scourge. Kozgugore led the Red Blade tribe to Northrend’s shores, where the campaign led them to the Battle of Angrathar the Wrathgate and the successive Battle for the Undercity, both of which caused his relations previously forged with the Alliance to break due to the renewed distrust that followed these events. Where this led to an uneasy tolerance for one another and an equally uneasy cooperation in Northrend, it led to further escalation upon their return to Kalimdor, where an army of dwarves led by the Dwarven Rifle Squad invaded the Horde lands up to the very border of Durotar. In an effort to retaliate, Kozgugore launched an assault upon the shores of the Wetlands. Despite the odds that seemed against their favour, the tribe, with aid of the Grimtotem Tribe, fought its way into the seemingly impenetrable mountains and deep into Loch Modan. There, they inflicted a heavy blow upon the town of Thelsamar, where the dwarves had dug themselves in.

A welcome blessing in these tenuous times was the birth of his first son Kraag, named after the spirit who granted the unborn son a second chance to life, as well as the birth of twins a year later by the names of Muzg and Katashka, named after Kozgugore's old blood brother and Morgeth's mother.

Spoiler: The Shattering of Azeroth • show

Following the events in Northrend, a period of relative peace dawned upon the tribe. Kozgugore sought to use this period to raise his children and to uncover the secrets of the past of Clan Redblade, which led to the reinstatement of the old Gosh’kar, pupils to the Thur’ruk. Making a violent end to this period of prosperity was the arrival of Deathwing and the Shattering of Azeroth, however. In the ensuing chaos and the newly erupted war between the Horde and the Alliance due to Garrosh Hellscream’s antagonizing, the tribe found itself scattered across Kalimdor. Kozgugore led search parties across the lands to bring the tribe back together, his mate and firstborn son among those missing, who had been caught in the middle of the Alliance’s assault upon Camp Taurajo.

While a great many orcs went missing following the Shattering, the tribe was slowly pieced back together in the following months. Despite having overcome the initial consequences of the event however, it would not take long for the tribe to be dragged into the war between the Horde and the Alliance. Though carefully supportive of Garrosh Hellscream’s initial rise to the title of Warchief, Kozgugore slowly stopped beginning to see eye to eye with the leader of his old clan, having second thoughts about the renewed war efforts. In time, Kozgugore chose to turn away from the escalating war, as to instead concentrate his efforts within the tribe itself. Following the promotion of the new High Blade Thur’ruk, Sadok Sharptongue, the tribe set out to continue uncovering pieces of the past of Clan Redblade, among which the fabled sceptre of the Shaman-King Mruthgor.

The war between the Horde and the Alliance continued to escalate however, and it would not be long until the Red Blade tribe would be pulled back into the clutches of war. In a tiring campaign, they helped lay siege to Theramore, only to have it be destroyed entirely by a manabomb following the Horde’s forces’ withdrawal. It was during this time that Kozgugore slowly began to grow embittered by the state of the world, as well as that of the tribe, distancing himself more and more as two of his trusted Varog’Gor found their death: Muzjhath Farstride after she sacrificed herself to protect him, and Groshnakk Wyrmbreaker following her betrayal, exile and death by Varog’Gor Vashnarz Talonslayer.

Spoiler: Alpha No More • show

Following the destruction of Theramore, the war was bound to reach an all-time high. Warchief Garrosh Hellscream sounded the call to arms to the newly discovered continent of Pandaria, and the Red Blade tribe, too, found themselves forced to answer it. Following the initial incursion and scouting trips throughout the continent, the tribe was eventually put in charge of the Jade Fist Campaign in the Jade Forest. While achieving significant victories against the Alliance, the forest remained largely divided, with neutral Pandaren villages caught in the crossfire. In an attempt to preserve these villages from the fires of war, Kozgugore negotiated an agreement with the Pandaren and Alliance to ensure those neutral to the conflict would remain unharmed, thus bringing an end to the conflict following the Horde’s victory.

Upon his return to Orgrimmar however, Kozgugore received new orders to resume the war efforts in the Jade Forest. His orders were to burn down the neutral villages, and kill any who would refuse to join with or submit to the Horde. The Pandaren and the Alliance alike. Refusing to follow the orders, Kozgugore was imprisoned in Garrosh Hellscream’s increasingly militarized Orgrimmar.

The tribe itself was left standing at a crossroads: To either follow through with the Warchief’s orders, or to oppose them and to find a means to see their Chieftain freed. Ensuring the Chieftain’s disappearance would not result in inner turmoil and a power struggle, Morgeth proclaimed herself Matriarch of the tribe, expelling any who would refuse to stand with the tribe in order to free the imprisoned Chieftain. While only few refused to obey the Matriarch’s call, the tribe counted far too few to attack Orgrimmar head-on in order to free Kozgugore. Instead, a nightly raid was set in motion with the aid of several other independent parties and individuals. The raid was a success, and Kozgugore was freed along with several other imprisoned orcs. As a result however, the tribe faced permanent exile from Warchief Hellscream’s Horde. What’s more, shortly after his rescue, his mate, Morgeth would go missing. Unbeknownst to her fate, Kozgugore searched for her in vain, but was unable to properly commit to the search following their exile.

The tribe, having so long stood at the forefront of the Horde’s defence, was now hunted by its very own Kor’kron and bounty hunters. They were forced to flee from the Horde’s lands, and instead sought refuge in the Eastern Kingdoms where they came to the defence of Hammerfall from the Alliance in spite of finding themselves greatly outnumbered. The victory would soon to be Kozgugore’s last battle honours as Chieftain and commander, however.

Following rumours of increasing tensions on Kalimdor and word of an uprising rebellion under the leadership of Vol’jin, the tribe made its way back on Kalimdor. After a perilous journey through Winterspring and Felwood, they linked up with other supporters of Vol’jin in Zoram’gar Outpost in Ashenvale. There, the Rebellion would officially be proclaimed. Among those present, the Red Blade tribe committed itself to the cause, and newly appointed High Blade Rrosh-tul Rargnasha Bloodmark was voted General of the Rebellion of those gathered. The night proved to be all the more momentous as Kozgugore presented his tribe with a choice, however. Following not only the deaths of his two Varog’Gors as well as the unexpected disappearance of his mate, Kozgugore had grown increasingly distant from the tribe. Moreover, his disagreements with Rargnasha made him unable to truly submit himself to the orc’s command within the Rebellion... a rebellion which Kozgugore himself had little desire to take part in despite his imprisonment, fearing he might have to kill Warsong orcs loyal to Hellscream which he once called friends. He let the tribe choose between him and Rargnasha as their new Chieftain. Not expecting the results to weigh so heavily against his favour, Kozgugore was left aghast with the one-sided result as nearly every orc present voted for Rargnasha to take over. Kozgugore unceremoniously handed over the title of Chieftain, and said his farewells on that very same night, refusing to take part in the Rebellion and instead wishing to commit his efforts to finding any signs of life from his missing mate. He walked out into the forests of Ashenvale with Shrewd by his side, not to be seen again.

Spoiler: A Stranger in the Pack • show

Almost an entire year passed as Kozgugore spent his days in solitude in the wilderness, only rarely paying visits to towns or encampments in order to catch news of the far-away rebellion. And even then, he remained in anonymity. He devoted his days to tracking down any signs of his mate, though he slowly came to the realization that she was not going to be found unless she herself wished to be found... were she still even alive. He slowly succumbed to animosity, letting the Wilds comfort him as he more often than not sought refuge in a worg’s life rather than an orc’s. After several weeks of threatening to lose himself, this changed when, by sheer chance, he happened upon his old Red Blade tribe in the Twilight Highlands. Though keeping his distance, he would soon be reacquainted to some of its orcs. After a brief meeting with Rargnasha, he was elevated to the position of High Blade of the Varog’Gor.

Serving as advisor to the Chieftain he still had to grow used to serving, Kozgugore slowly began to discover the ins and outs of a tribe that felt largely unfamiliar to him. Though he willingly joined the tribe on its way to the Outlands, he still had trouble truly fitting in with the band of orcs again, and regularly parted ways from the tribe to continue his forlorn search for Morgeth Feralheart. In his anguish, he began receiving visions of his former mate, balancing between reality and his own imagination as he struggled to maintain his composure as a High Blade of a tribe still so unfamiliar to him. It was not until the threat of the invading Iron Horde upon Azeroth that he forced himself to commit his full attention to the tribe’s safety as Varog’Gor, even serving as a surrogate Rrosh-tul for the training of a new generation of Nag’Ogar for a few months. When it became obvious that there was no choice for the tribe but to pass through the Dark Portal with no certainty of a safe return, Kozgugore said his farewells to his children, and finally forced himself to leave the ghosts of his past behind when he was gifted with a spirit snare from his daughter Katashka. None who were to venture beyond the Iron Horde's Dark Portal were expected to return.

Spoiler: A New Horizon • show

Upon their arrival in the alternate Draenor, the Red Blade tribe faced a difficult time â€" not only in withstanding the Iron Horde’s onslaught, but in attempting to remain undivided as well. Following the initial battle at the Dark Portal, the tribe found itself scattered in the aftermath. In the chaos of the Dark Portal’s collapse, Kozgugore, too, was separated from the others, and spent weeks stalking through the forests of Tanaan before at last linking up with the rest of his tribe in Frostfire Ridge once again. It was there, following the tribe’s first attempts at regaining a foothold and earning the local Frostwolves’ favour, that Kozgugore’s fate took an unexpected turn.

Following visions that gripped his mind as well as certain discord and unrest within the tribe, Rargnasha decided he had to commit his time to properly uncover the meaning of the visions, and laid down his title as Chieftain as a result. As the most logical choice, Kozgugore was given the mantle of Chieftain anew, and was once more responsible for the path that the tribe was to set upon. Having been thrust in the deep however, the only path that laid ahead was through the Iron Horde’s ranks, and so the Red Blade’s efforts to oppose the Iron Horde continued. In order to gain an advantage over the enemy that far outnumbered them, Kozgugore set out to lead a hunt against a pack of local Garn, large dire wolves that are known for their ferocity. After the demise of their alpha following an arduous hunt, Kozgugore addressed the remainder of the pack, consisting of half-breed of the Garn, who then agreed to forge an alliance between worg and orc. Because of this achievement, the orcs soon began to cry out their support for Kozgugore, hailing him as Wolfking of the Red Blade tribe despite not being a descendant of the old Wolfking’s bloodline. He hesitantly accepted the title, and with the newfound alliance with the pack of half-blooded Garn, the tribe set out to take the fight to the Iron Horde. A chase across the alien world of Draenor followed, as Akesh Redblade, the Chieftain of Clan Redblade turned Clan Felblade in the alternate timeline, proved a wily opponent and was personally responsible for the deaths of some orcs in the tribe. A confrontation with the warlock-chieftain at the foot of the mountain to the Throne of Kil'jaeden marked an end to the Iron Horde conflict, when the Red Blade tribe successfully defeated Clan Felblade and was at long last able to return home.

Upon the return to his children and following his ascension to Chieftain and Wolfking, Kozgugore slowly began to find new purpose in life. Not only in leading the tribe that he had grown so fond of anew, but in living a life unhindered by his past as well. Having let go of the mysterious disappearance of his former mate, Kozgugore acquainted himself with several orcs in the tribe, among which Rhonya Steelheart as his new blood sister, as well as Sinami Swifthowl, with whom he devleoped a tightly-knit bond and eventually became his mate. Kozgugore began to find a certain peace with his destiny, and with whatever fate the spirits might have in store for him. For better or worse, the newly appointed Wolfking committed himself to his newly found tribe and family, ready to begin a new chapter in his long life.

Spoiler: From the Ashes, Arise a Clan • show

Though Kozgugore had returned home to his three children together with his new mate following the Iron Horde's defeat, a new threat had already arisen on the horizon. Rumors of impending threats of the Burning Legion began to surface in Orgrimmar, and not long thereafter a full scale invasion upon Azeroth followed. The Red Blade was mobilized to aid in the defense of the orcs' homelands, focusing their efforts primarily on the Barrens and Ashenvale. Though a few Red Blades fell following this conflict, it would not be until the Horde's and Alliance's joint invasion of the Broken Isles that the Red Blade, too, would suffer severe losses. Following a failed attack upon the Broken Shore and after that a more successful but ultimately doomed campaign in Highmountain, the Red Blade tribe suffered the greatest losses it had ever seen - greater than even previous disasters such as the Cataclysm and the Iron Horde invasion. Though Kozgugore was one of few survivors to return to Kalimdor safely, the Red Blade tribe had suffered too many losses to effectively continue the war effort against the Burning Legion. In all but name, the Red Blade tribe had practically been wiped out...

Several months passed. With hardly any orcs left to remain in contact with, Kozgugore spent the majority of his time with his new mate, Sinami Swifthowl, his children, Kraag, Muzg and Katashka, and few remaining friends such as Therak Duskstalker. It was not until an attempt was made on his life that Kozgugore removed himself from obscurity and uncovered a plot of a sleeper cell of the Burning Blade cult in service to the Legion. These cultists sought to harvest as much Red Blade blood as possible in order to fuel a vile, corrupting ritual of an ancient spirit. In an effort to reach out to as many former Red Blades as well as newly uncovered descendants of the old Red Blade clan who might still be alive, Kozgugore sought to warn as many of them as possible and attempted to regroup them in order to face the cultist threat.

Through an unlikely twist of fate, the threat of the Red Blade's ultimate extinction was the catalyst that brought them and even some new faces back together, stronger than ever before. Led by Kozgugore himself, the band of orcs uncovered the cult's plot and, in the process, discovered that the ancient spirit they sought to corrupt was none other than a revered spirit of the old Clan Redblade. Akashok was his name, and alongside with the rest of his pack, the great spirit revealed himself to be a guardian spirit who, since the forming of the first orcish clans, watched of the Red Blade's blood. In hindsight, it was uncovered that it was due to the great spirit's very disappearance following the cultists' enshacklement that the Red Blade tribe fell apart during the Burning Legion's invasion. With its shackles removed, the Red Blade could prosper once more. This time however, it would carry on as a true clan, with newfound traditions and an identity of its own. Kozgugore's role in all this would be to carry on as Chieftain, but so too to be the guardian of the clan's beliefs, traditions and customs, with the Code of Akashok, or the Code of Honor, being a focal point in all this.

   
Things you may know about this character:

• Rarely chooses to speak about his past or even himself.
• Is a traditionalist at heart, keeping the old values of his people in high regard.
• Feels more at home in the wilderness than he does in any manner of civilization.
• Has developed a deep hatred for demons.
• Was once a shaman, but refuses to try and take up the shamanistic arts again for unknown reasons.
• Was imprisoned for treason towards Garrosh Hellscream at the dawn of the Rebellion, but eventually refused to choose a side when the Rebellion escalated in all-out war.

Things you may not know about this character:

• Can reach out and communicate with animals on a metaphysical level.
• Shares a powerful bond with Shrewd that has more than once before caused him to abandon the shell of his own body and adopt a wolf’s way of life upon times that he tried to escape his own life.
• Often keeps his face partially hidden from plain view not only because of the meaning of the old wolf mask he wears, but because he desires to keep his true self and emotions hidden from public.
• Never quite believed himself the most suited orc for leading a tribe, and believes himself inferior to other orcs he once knew that were far more deserving of the title and a long life.
• Wrapped a spirit snare around his bracer to ward himself from evil spirits. One in particular.
• Fears being locked in tight spaces, such as cages, due to his desire for freedom.

Other Information:

• Kozgugore’s self view and view of others

Stories:

• Warsong Offspring â€" Kozgugore's history explained in a series of stories.
• Feraleye’s Fall
• Awakening, Resurrection, Salvation
• When the Night-Hunt Comes

Spoiler: Gallery (click to enlarge pictures) • show

^A Relic of a Lost World. (by Eepox)


^Wolfking Kozgugore Feraleye and Shrewd. (by KimberlySwan)


^Kozgugore without his mask. (by Wulfgnar)


^A young Kozgugore in meditation. (by Posia)


^Kozgugore and Morgeth. (by Karniz)

[Kozgugore]

Updated to the latest developments!

[Okiba]

Lovely additions Shnozz