Chapter I
Prologue
Author's note: This fic is undergoing very drastic modifications in order to repair the many lore-related errors I have made while writing it. This is the first part of the revamp and I will continue to rewrite this fic, finishin my revamp of it at the end of 2017.
As of september 2017, this fic is put in a hiatus until further notice. Since it is directly connected to my Warlords of Draenor Youtube series's character, which I have interrupted due to technical issues. I am trying to find a way to revive that series, maybe redo it in another way, but until then, the fic will not be updated.
The events described in this fic make upt the backstory of Grok'Nok the enhancement shaman character from my let's play WoW Warlords of Draenor YouTube series, on the Firestorm servers.
Frostfire Ridge, Draenor, some years before the construction of the Dark Portal.
The Frostwolf clan's chieftain, Durotan had gathered the most esteemed hunters in his throne room. Sagorn Frostripper was attending. His skill with the spear was revered and even Durotan was thinking very highly of him. He was there along with the one he wanted to be his mate, Zonnkuno Fistwolf.
They sat around a large campfire, inside the circular shaped hut. Everyone assumed it was for a hunting party. The Koh'harg was approaching and they had to attend. The journey could be costly, especially since their rivals, the Thunderlord clan was controlling the southern areas of Frostfire Ridge. There was also the problem with the ogre slavers of Bladespire Hold. In any case, they were about to find out, Durotan stood up and coughed to draw the hunter's attention.
"Hunters! I have gathered you here today for a very important matter. As you know, the Kosh'harg festival is coming and the long journey tot the Throne of the Elements is a long and hard one." he said, looking around to see their reaction. None said a word. They all knew what was about to follow...a hunting party.
The only problem was, the Whiteclaw clan was hunting in the same region and although they had been allies for years, the hunting season was on and the festival was approaching. It was a competition. Sagorn had his worries about this hunting party, but any occasion to bring more glory to his name and Zonnkuno's attention was welcomed. "Prepare your wolves, we descend on to the hunting grounds tonight."
The day was coming to an end. Once with the sunset, the dangers did not stop. During the night there were many dangers, especially out in the wild. Not all wolves were friends of the orc clans and those were not the only creatures one could encounter. Only him and four other young orcs...~The odds are definetely not in our favor, if a battle occurs...~ he thought as they left the Bladespire Hold.
They moved swiftly on their wolves, darkness was also an ally, not only an enemy. They followed paths that only Sagurn and a few others knew, in order to go unnoticed. Even if Garad had defeated the Bladespire ogres all those years ago, some could've escaped. The danger was always there. A The strategy was simple, patrol through the snow-covered wastes in the immediate vecinity of Bladespire Hold, to see if there were any threats moving towards their home. With the chieftain and most of the hunters gone, Bladespire Hold was now the perfect target. If they did, the fortress needed to be alarmed. Only 4 hunters, 5 with Sagurn, were defending the fortress, along with many elders and women carrying children.
One of the whelps tapped him on the shoulder. "Master Sagurn. A patrol is moving towards Bladespire Hold, they will be there in less than a 2 hours." he said, nervous. There was little time. They had noticed them just in time to sound the alarm. The ogres were already making their move. "What!? We need to call the alarm!" quickly said Sagurn, grabbing his satchel and quickly assembling a smallou fire "Time for y whelps to learn something." he continued. "What are you doing, master Sagurn?" another asked. "A fire. Those ogre thick-heads will not pass the gates of this fortress on my watch!" he replied hastily lighting the branches he had brought with him.
He used a worn hide with burn marks to send smoke signals, alarming the Bladespire Hold of the incoming threat. One of the hunters noticed. "It's Sagurn, quick, I see them! A squad of ogres are coming" he said "After all this years, these remnants have made a bad decision to come out of hiding! Wake the elder. We'll need his help." said Zonnkuno. She hadn't left the Bladespire Hold for the hunt. Even if Sagurn was a stubborn lone-wolf sometimes, she had grown to respect him, even...like him to some extent.
The orcs mobilized just in time, the families ran with their kids through the southern part of the Bladespire Hold, while the ogres trempled through the wooden gate at the northern entrance. "GET THEM! WE NEED THEM IF WE WANT TO SURVIVE THE NEXT WINTER!" their leader yelled loudly, whipping his ogre underlings.
They attacked and the hunters retaliated immediately. The battle was gruesome, Zonnkuno barely could keep her opponent distracted. When she noticed that the
families had successfully escaped, she decided to counterattack. A swing to the right with her spear, dodging the club of the ogre warrior, poked out the large
creature's left eye out. The ogre dropped his club, shivering and screaming in pain.
While he was busy covering his eye, she pushed her spear through his back, piercing his heart. With a last spin, she cut the heart open and the ogre died screaming. She looked around. Drek'Thar had joined the battle, rescuing two cornered hunters from their vicious enemies. The ogre commander was still there, his legs shivering with a distressed look upon his face. She did not think. She was the hunter, he was the prey. She took aim and threw her spear. Three spears pierced through the gaps of the ogres plates immobilizing him, blood started to pour in the dirty snow.
Drek'Thar approached the ogre. The palm of his hand gently touched the face of the kneeling ogre. In a second, the commander started screaming and another second later, he was on the floor his head fully carbonized. "No one attacks our Bladespire Hold and escapes with his life." whispered the shaman in the dead ogre's ear, right before it's spirit left the body.
Sagurn returned shortly with the hunter trainees. They were shocked but had to accustom to the visage of dead ogres and disoriented families returning to the Bladespire Hold. "I see you noticed my signal." he said to Zonnkuno as she turned in his direction. "I saw it easily. We were expecting an attack anyway." she replied, smiling."Well then, it seems you managed it without me." he continued, returning the smile."Hah! Don't think too highly of yourself Frostripper." she replied in turn, suddenly hugging him. Sagurn was speechless. The one he loved was hugging him. He needed to keep calm and not show his nervousness."Heh! I always try to be as modest as I can Fistwolf." he said, hugging her back.
Two days later, at dawn, Durotan and the rest of the hunters returned with the captured animals. Everyone was very happy for the return of their chieftain and the success of the hunt. There had been no complications with the Whiteclaw clan. They met, but both parties were more concerned on gathering supplies for the journey rather than attacking each other.
Unbeknownst to them, this year's festival was going to be very different than any others. Ever since the draenei had landed and built their cities, tensions between the clans and the alien race had started to rise. The leader of Shadowmoon clan and the most respected of the shamans was going to propose something very drastic that year. Only one day after Durotan had returned from the hunt a messenger of the Shadowmoon clan arrived in the Bladespire Hold, telling him of a great meeting at Oshu'gun, between all the great chieftains in order to discuss the problem with the latest draenei incursion with the Bladewind clan.
Durotan agreed to go, along with his mate Draka and Drek'Thar. Sagurn and Zonnkuno had to remain behind and help leading the people, in Durotan's absence. The chieftain and the renowned hunter met right before they took their leave.
"Chieftain! You are leaving, but who will take care of the clan until you return?"he asked sincerely. Durotan looked at him and smiled."You and Zonnkuno are the most respectable and responsible members of the clan I know. I count on you to keep my people safe until I return from the meeting." Durotan replied. Sagurn was surprised, but he simply nodded ~If the chieftain deems us worthy...then so it must be.~ he thought.
Sagurn was doing his best to keep everyone safe until Durotan's return. Little did he know of what was going on at Oshu'gun in the mean time. However, his bond with Zonnkuno had tightened and on a long night, while staring at the star-filled sky of the world, they confessed their feelings for each other and Zonnkuno became Sagurn's mate. He was so happy, proud and felt stronger than he had been before, without her by his side.
When Durotan returned, his face was grim. The orcish clans had banded together, some unwillingly becoming a part of this alliance, under the same banner, calling themselves...the Horde. They had just declared war on the draenei race. Durotan had his worries and did not have trust in this. Sagurn noticed his chieftain's troubled thoughts and mixed feelings. Durotan gathered the hunters of the entire clan together in the throne room, to announce the grim news to everyone.
"My brothers...I have grim news. The ancestors have given visions to all the shamans of the clans. The draenei have planned the disease that killed so many of our people and recently they have become a threat to the entirety of our people. The clans have decided to band together, even if some of the chieftains, including me have voted against it. The clans now call themselves the Horde and plan to wage war against the draenei. We will have to join, if we want to maintain our relationship with the other clans." he declared.
The entire clan murmured. They were confused, upset and most of all, afraid. A war was not something that the Frostwolf clan was used to. Sagurn and Zonnkuno stood side by side. For a brief moment, they looked at each other. Both had tears in their eyes. Their life together had only just begun and now they had to leave and wage war together with the other orcs...it was not right, not fair. There was nothing they could do to stop it.
The following months had been an ongoing march. The clans argued with each other, trying to find the best way of countering the draenei's attacks while also advancing through their territory. There was no leader of the Horde. It didn't have the structure and the hierarchical organization that the armies of the draenei had. They were at an technological and logistical disadvantage. They had to do something about that...fast. Sagurn and Zonnkuno grew weary. Sagurn fought alongside warriors of the Warsong and Blackrock clans. They're viciousness surprised and even intimidated him. After the warriors of the Blackrock had been augmented by Gul'Dan's new magical tricks, he noticed the violent outbursts of the others. It troubled him and he could see that Durotan was troubled by this as well. Sagurn and Zonnkuno did not want to become like that. Battle was not their only goal. The draenei had never been enemies of their clan and never a threat to them...~Why now? Why would they want to conquer us?~ he kept thinking.
Gul'Dan gathered the clans to Oshu'Gun and told the shamans that the native spirits of Draenor had given up on the orcs. He offered an alternative. A more potent power. The blackrock shamans proved their new abilities and showed the others what fel magic was capable of. All the shamans desired to study, to regain the power that they lost. Sagurn was surprised that even old Drek'Thar asked for permission to study the fel. Yet after the fall of the Whiteclaw clan...nothing seemed right about the Horde anymore. The Blackrock clan was now the most prided and the most popula among the orcish people. All the chieftains desired the ability to imbue fel into their warriors and make them unstoppable, their shamans desired their knowledge and the Blackhand's constant victories against the draenie all weighed the balance in his favor. He was chosen then by all the chieftains to be the warchief of the Horde. He was now the leader not only in name but in truth as well.
He started to arm the clans with weapons, armor and war-machines forged in his land, for which the smiths worked tirelessly day and night. He also started to build a mighty fortress in the region called the Tanaan Jungle simply called the Citadel. From there he would rule over the orcish clans. His plans would succeed and the Horde would press on with the use of the fel, crushing the draenei's outposts and remote settlements in the wake of the war-machine that had become the Horde. Sagurn would watch as clans would give in to the use of fel and to the foul practices of the Horde. He saw how nature itself was dying in the wake of the warlocks, rivers were drying up, forest would simply die. It was a horrible event to witness. He shared his concerns with Durotan, bu not even the mighty chieftain had a solution to this problem. Drek'Thar was stufying the fel, they were under Blackhand's rule and the only success they have had, was to deny the fel-imbuing of their whelps. The war waged on. The Horde couldn't be stopped, not by the draenei, not by the elements themselves.
The spirits had turned their backs on the orcs and now they were scheming to crush them and finally stop them from destroying the land completely. But not even the elements's last resort could stop Gul'Dan's and Blackhand's Horde. As years of war past, the Horde finally made it's move. The temple of Karabor fell to the combination of fel and shadow magic that the warlocks posessed. The volcano in the region spued out rivers of green fel as the last of the elemental protests ended with the death of the Firelord. Karabor became the Black Temple, where Gul'Dan and his Shadow Council would root out information from the draenei and perform their dark rituals. Blackhand agreed, if not reluctantly, considering his ever suspicious stance had for Gul'Dan's intentions. The draenei were about to be crushed.
Soon after the doom of Karabor, the one that had started this, the former shaman Ner'Zhul approached Durotan, while he was on a hunting trip in outside the battle-encampment, and told him about the newest of Gul'Dan's inventions. It was the last drop in a glass filled with unease for the chieftain. He immediately called upon his lieutenants. Among them, Sagurn and Zonnkuno also attended.
"I have received word from Ner'Zhul. For us this war has only brought tears, losses and hatred. The draenei had never been a threat and we had never been a threat to them for many years. The chieftain of the Whiteclaw is dead and his clan is barely holding grip on it's territories. It is no coincidence that all these things happen. I had my doubts about Gul'Dan. The one that started this, Ner'Zhul, is urging me to go against whatever Gul'Dan is proposing at the next meeting. You all seen what his magic is capable of, what it is doing to the land. I will never agree to Gul'Dan's terms, not even if they are promises of power I have never witnessed. Are you with me, my warriors?" he explained and declared. Sagurn was the first to agree with him, Zonnkuno followed him. The rest followed suit. The Frostwolf clan was united by their love for their chieftain and for the preservation of their traditions. The Horde was for many of them an abomination. A monster that was going to destroy everything they held dear to their hearts.
Not too long from that moment, the corruption of the orcish race happened. many drank from the blood of Mannoroth and turned into green, vicious, killing machines. That very night. Their chieftain ordered the march on the last settlement of the draenei, their last refuge...Shattrath. The city ultimately fell to the orcs. The massacred the draenei. Unbeknownst to them, some escaped, along with their leader, Velen. Gul'Dan was infuriated. The massacre at Shattrath had demonstrated to Sagurn how horrible the fel magic was and the same he could say about the shadow magic of the Twillight's Hammer's shadow magic wielding pale orcs.
The war ended with the disaster at Auchindoun. Their clan only heard about it and did not dare to try to find out the specifics. The draenei had lost. But Blackhand's plans of expansion had only started. The Frostwolf clan however did not follow the warchief's orders of hunting the remaining gronn, magnaron and the ogres. Durotan saw no honor in doing so. In the mean time, Sagurn and Zonnkuno, received a son. He was green just like the rest of the orcs, but perhaps it was because she had been exposed to the fell energies of the warlocks during the latter part of the war against the draenei. Anyway, Durotan agreed to keep the child, although the hunter's esteem within the clan started to dwindle. ~Doesn't matter what they think about us. This is my son, a true Frostwolf and he will once be a strong and powerful hunter. He ill be surpass both me and Zonnkuno. His name will be...Grok'Nok~ he thought.
As the Horde's strength dwindled and many of the clans suffered, Durotan returned to Bladespire Hold, where he could gather supplies. Frostfire Ridge was almost barren and they needed all the resources they could muster, if they wanted to survive. Many other clans lost themselves to madness while the others starved. Blackhand was almost out of hope. Gul'Dan was helpless without his demon overlord's orders. That was all going to change, when the orcs would be promised a new land.