An Interview with a Gosh'kar

[Gashuk]

-In a first task set by High Blade Thur'ruk Sadok Sharptongue, Gashuk Soulfury sought to tackle the current Gosh'kar and learn of their histories, below are three individual anecdotes of the interesting origins of Srelok Grimtide, Trakmar Beastbane and Grek'thar Earthstorm all according to notes made by Gashuk during interviewing.-

The Compassionate.

A mere thirty-one years ago, born in an unknown internment camp deep in the foothills of Hillsbrad, one of our Gosh'kar was lucky enough to avoid the lethargy that had our kind in it's deathgrip; lucky perhaps but not fortunate. Most Orcs had simply given up hope and that had more of an impact on him than it had on Orcs under it's grip. Death was a common factor in the Camps, we all acknowledge that, yet this Gosh'kar had a burden on his shoulders that made each and every loss etch away at his own spirit.

He recalls an old Blackrock, clearly a savage Warrior in his prime, aged with defeat and lethargic corruption; face first in mud, laying still and docile, his rippling muscles unused as if they did not exist. Battered. Bruised. Beaten to an inch of his life by the humans who guarded the camps. Others gathered and felt nothing for him, just one of many, yet our Gosh'kar could feel his peace. He had given up and when you desire death, more often than not, you die. Imagine how it affected such a young Orc sensing the acceptance of death. Empathic, sympathetic, compassionate beyond the means of everyone else. 

He may have escaped the lethargy himself, but when you sense the despair of every Orc around you, have you truly escaped it at all?

Hiding from threats, sneaking to safety, the liberation of the Camp came at a huge expense to our Gosh'kar. He left at such a pace, a mere seven years of age, leaving behind his entire world and those within it he held dear. Including our own Thur'ruk Steelheart. Following the masses of Orcs being reinvigorated by Thrall, he dashed into the wilds, feeling invincible, brave, strong and for many moons until near adulthood, our Gosh'kar kept himself to himself.

Yet lone wolves are more suspect to traps. Hunted by a Frostwolf who saw him as a potential threat, the two battled; and with such raw potential earned each other's respect. Laruk Axefury took our Gosh'kar in and showed him as much compassion as he now shows us, feeding him, clothing him, and teaching him of the Spirits and a Shaman's Way.

And that is how Srelok Grimtide grew to become the Alpha that he is today.

-

The Nomadic.

The Red Blade Tribe consider ourselves to be nomadic, we travel across the lands in search for where best to settle, to help our Horde and keep ourselves on our toes yet in the days of old upon Draenor there lived a Clan that was named Earthwalker due to it's reputation to wander, never staying in one place for an entire season. This Clan bore true Hunters in it's midst, moving from Frostfire Ridge to Nagrand or Shadowmoon Valley as winter closed. It was during one such winter when one of our Gosh'kar was born in the frozen north.

The Earthwalker's did not simply travel for their own desires, they had caravan's of supplies from each region offering the native Clan's meats, herbs and other reagents they needed from the far reached lands they rarely travelled too. In exchange for these supplies, the Earthwalker's did not ask for gold, no, they had what they needed. They simply asked for shelter and safety on Clan's grounds and such a relationship formed loose allegiances with two particularly strong Clans; the Shadowmoon of the Southern Valley and the Thunderlord, of the frigid North.

Wars waged and the Earthwalker's remained neutral; rather than involve themselves, they moved onwards as such a small Clan cannot afford to have enemies from the greater Clans and besides, our Gosh'kar notes, more beasts lived with the Earthwalkers than Orcs. They had no army to fight with, even their Elders were considered burdens. It was considered a respectful end to send those who slowed the Nomad's down to their final hunt, accompanied by other Hunters, the old Orcs would throw themselves at an enemy and for better or for worse would take to the flames as a respected Hunter.

Yet this wasn't the only tradition of the Earthwalkers; they gifted each young Orc with a young Beast to become a lifelong companion; Bamak the Lynx was our Gosh'kar's, (since slain by the Shattered Hand in Gorgrond after we arrived through the Dark Red Portal), and the two had such a bond that Bamak's Spirit continues to accompany our Gosh'kar through his journeys today. He recalls a fond memory of the pair greedily snapping up the meat they would offer the Shadowmoon Clan; a picture of gluttony. Short, fat and with a taste for anything edible, it's difficult to imagine our Gosh'kar with such traits yet whatever he was eating surely worked. Look at the size of him.

Somewhere far back in his linage, he acknowledges potential blood of Mok'nathal; outcasts of Clans proved themselves to the Earthwalkers and found a place within them so the blood of the Earthwalker's ran thick with each and every Clan. His Mother was a Bonechewer, his Father a true born Earthwalker.

It is prudent to note that with many different homes, comes different names; Beastmaw, Earthwalker, Bloodmaw and now Beastbane, Trakmar continues to teach us all what it truly means to be nomads and guides us as we step into the unknown.

-

The Visionary.

Farahlon; a region of beautiful hills, rolling over field after field. Many of us know this as the home of the Laughing Skulls, yet it gave birth to more, the nigh extinct Bladewind Clan kept themselves to the mountains and managed to remain alive and in relative peace away from the upheaval of the Clans as they stormed through the Dark Portal to command and conquer the unknown. Born during this time, just as the First War took hold upon Azeroth, in the Plains of Farahlon, our Gosh'kar was brought up in a new time for Draenor; the time of it's death.

It is said that the Bladewind Clan developed green-skin by mere association with the other Clans; eventually the Alliance counter-attacked on Draenor and together they fought back, a troublesome 'Horde', under the command of Ner'zhul feasting off his supplies, it was only when Draenor was due to shatter when the Bladewind fled through the Dark Portal themselves and merged with the Horde; broken and captured, hauled to an Internment Camp like the rest of them. The Alliance had all but won.

Together with his lethargic Mother and Sister, Warlocks the pair, our Gosh'kar watched as they died; and through tearful eyes, was dragged to redemption under Thrall and served as a mere Grunt. Shamanism had begun to set itself back into our culture, but our Gosh'kar had no aptitude for it, no interest; his lethargy had come a moon or two late but he had not given up entirely. Surviving through the battle of Hyjal, the Scourge Invasion and up to the Cataclysm; our Gosh'kar led a relatively simple life. He had mated and was expecting a pup and in the Valley of Trials watched as the riled Elementals ripped and swallowed his mate and pup; a mere week old, whole.

A mother. A sister. A mate and a first born child. All gone.

There is only so much grief an Orc can take before he flips; demanding the Elements to listen to his rage, our Gosh'kar begged of answers. Why this, why now, why him; in response they showed him the source of their angst, a vision of Deathwing rising from the maelstrom and in apology for their actions granted our Gosh'kar a deal. They would grant him power, strength and in return, he would hunt the one that caused the world to break. Full of rage and anger, he accepted.

The Black Dragonflight shed blood for the losses he had to bare. Yet again, lone wolves are nothing without a Pack and to bring down the bigger prey, our Gosh'kar joined our Tribe. His Om'riggor detailing much of his nature, in the Blade's Edge Mountains on Outland he hunted a fully grown Black Dragon; earth shielded him, fire absorbed the spewed molten flames and taking his axe after it had already shattered against it's mighty hide, he hurled it into the Dragon's eye and using it as a conduit, the axe hilt became a lightning rod, cooking the Dragon from the inside out with the biggest storm he could muster.

For this, and all the other sacrifices this Gosh'kar has made; is why he is called Grek'thar Earthstorm.