Grothar

Grothar Grimtotem
Seer
Game Name	Grothar
Race	Tauren
Gender	Male
Class	Priest
Professions	Herbalism Alchemy
Guild	Alea Iacta Est

Herbalism Alchemy

Grothar is a Tauren Priest, formerly a Tauren Druid, and Cohort of Alea Iacta Est

Description

As a Grimtotem, Grothi bears the traditional black skin and hair coloration of the tribe. His horns curve forward from his head.

Character History

Grothar was once known as Grothi, a member of the Grimtotem Tribe, and was raised with their ingrained hatred of the other Tauren Tribes, and of Cairne's Bloodhoof tribe in particular. However, it never really took with the young tauren, who seemed to recognize the hatred for what it was: jealousy and lust for power on the part of their chieftan, Magatha. His older brother, Shadothi, was a proud Grimtotem warrior who did his best to help his younger brother with his doubts and put him on what he saw as the “right path for their people”

The Turning Point

One day, the druid Kym Wildmane was sent on an excursion by Arch Druid Hamuul Runetotem to the Wilds of Feralas. Magatha, hating Kym for her staunch support of Cairne as unified chieftan, volunteered three guards for Kym as "protection" for her in the harsh wilds. Their true mission was simple: Kill the druidess and set the blame on the wild creatures of the land. Few would believe it, but that was the intent: send a subtle message to Cairne's supporters. Young Grothi was the third of the warriors sent, this was to be his final initiatory rite among the adults of the Grimtotem, his mark of manhood. Shadothi had personally petitioned Magatha for this chance for him, and was proud to see him get the chance to prove himself to the Elder shaman. Grothi, for his part, had no desire to go through with it, but could not muster the courage to stand up to them, and so he went at his brother’s urging.

On the excursion, Grothi was marveled by Kym's ability to communicate with nature, and felt something stir within him. He pondered what it could be, until his kin launched their surprise attack. Kym, though suprised, quickly proved to be able to hold her own, at least initially. The two versus one odds began to take their toll, until Grothi heard the voice of nature call to him and give him the courage to do the right thing. He struck down his own brethren and saved Kym. The druidess, grateful for his aid, happily took the young Grimtotem as her apprentice and taught him the ways of the Earth Mother. The Grimtotems banished him from their tribe as a result of his betryal, quietly, but Grothi knew his “family” would never accept him again. His presence among the druids granted him protection against retribution, at least temporarily. Shadothi, however, came to Grothi and swore an oath to kill him one day as payback for the dishonor against their family. This broke Grothi’s heart, but no words would sway his brother.

Career as a Druid

Grothi wandered the land, learning about the many forums nature takes throughout Azeroth, and learning to harness the inherent power they all possess. Along the way, he met a troll mage named Dahkar. Despite his initial suspicions regarding Dahkar, due to his people's distrust of arcane magic, he nevertheless teamed up with him to tackle a difficult challenge both of them faced within the desert lands of Tanaris. The duo proved to be a good team, and continued to occasionally work together, developing a friendship. Dahkar's knowledge of lore and magic helped Grothi come to understand more about magic's nature and place in the world, transforming his distrust of magic into considering as natural to the world as the grass and trees. It was this understanding that would drive his decision to pursue a path of druidic study ignored by most druids: the path of Balance.

It was also during this time that Grothi became a member of the guild Alea Iacta Est, the first of his eventual companions to be some honored.

The Burning Crusade

Grothi participated in the Horde's efforts agains the Illidari, the Burning Legion, and the other myriad threats awaiting them in Outland with his friend Dahkar, and two new companions as well. One was a Blood Elf Warlock named Old Man Franks. Despite extreme misgivings about befriending someone who sold their soul for demonic power, Grothi deferred to the wisdom of his friend, who vouched for the Forsaken. Dahkar had apparently once worked closely with the Forsaken warlock who was Franks’ master. The other was Dahkar's younger brother, Durnnit, a shaman. Grothi formed a very fast friendship with the shaman, owed to their similar beliefs about the power of nature and the elements.

The team was together responsible for the discovery of collaboration between Kael'thas' Blood Elf legions and the demons of the Burning Legion, which set in motion the eventual formation of the Shattered Sun Offensive and their war against Kael's efforts to summon his dark master, Kil'Jaeden, to Azeroth. The group devoted their efforts to helping the Offensive as much as they could, in some cases, too much so. Grothi was the first to notice that Franks’ dark magic was corrupting his soul and spreading too quickly across Azeroth. Unable to accept this turn of events, he tried to get through to the arrogance-consumed warlock that he would soon be so consumed with Fel Power he would be no better than his traitorous Prince himself, an effort which proved unsuccessful.

Reunion

In all his adventures, Grothi has kept a watchful eye for his brother’s eventual attempt to fulfill his oath, but it never came. He never once spotted his brother since becoming a druid, which eventually began to worry him. He feared that his choice may have cost his brother his life at the hands of the Grimtotem, who may have killed him to purge dishonor from the tribe.It was not until the Knights of the Ebon Blade marched through Orgrimmar on behalf the the Argent Crusade that he saw Shadothi again. After the freed former servants of the Lich King were welcomed back to the Horde, Grothi was approached by one of them, a tauren who, underneath his fearsome armor, showed an icy bluish-white hide. The tauren Death Knight addressed him by name, stating that it had been a long time since they had seen each other. Grothi, not recognizing the voice, asked the Death Knight who he was. He removed his helmet, revealing the face of Shadothi. Tears streaming from his face, Grothi embraced his brother’s cold body. Shadothi told him the tale of how since Grothi had left, Shadothi had been relegated to simply guarding Grimtotem holdings against whomever would come to take them. One day, while in Thousand Needles, some Scourge had emerged from Razorfen Downs and killed several of them, Shadothi included. The next thing he had recalled, he woke up inside Acherus, raised as a Death Knight, and nothing on his mind but serving the Lich King. He had waged war on the Scourge’s behalf against the Scarlet Crusade, until Tirion Fordring had freed them all. The searing light of the transformed Ashbringer had restored his memories of life, and given him perspective. The Grimtotem’s desire for power in the face of such overwhelming evil was petty, and he had given it up. Grothi forgave his brother and introduced him to his friends. Shadothi pledged his support to the team that had been his brother's surrogate family.

Wrath of the Lich King

Grothi and Shadothi were a part of the Force that stormed the dread necropolis Naxxramas and destroyed the Lich, Kel'thuzad. After that, the pair joined the efforts of the Argent Crusade as their tournament continued to take place and joined them for several strikes within Icecrown itself. While neither of them ever confronted the Lich King themselves, they were present for several decisive strikes against his major lieutenants.

After the war's end, the brothers fought alongside Baine Bloodhoof against their former tribesmen. Neither held back in the fight, holding their former Matriarch's actions in utter disgust, and were not held in any suspicion.

Becoming a Seer

After the great Cataclysm ravaged Azeroth, Grothi was invited by Aponi Brightmane and Tahu Sagewind to join their order, the Sunwalkers. Unlike his brother, who chose almost immediately to join the order, Grothi was reluctant to abandon his druidic training, believing it to be the sole force that spared him the typical Grimtotem life of treachery and deceit. However, after receiving a vision, which he believes to have come directly from the Goddesses of the Moon and Sun themselves, he ultimately agreed. As part of the initiation ritural, he changed his name, removing the I from the end, and appaending an -ar. He still does not understand why the Sun Goddess asked him and his brother to do this, but it is believed it may have great significance by his teachers. Still fascinated by the concept of Balance, he now draws upon both the light of the sun and the darkness of the shadow to heal and to harm.

Views on other races and factions

Grothar sees the Orcs and trolls as brother races. He distrusts the Forsaken, a viewpoint colored by his experiences with his own tribe. He formerly distrusted the Blood Elves, seeing them as an example of the corrupting power of magic, but the events of the Sunwell and their acceptance of the Taurens, even allowing one of his fellow druids to set up a camp in their city, has changed his outlook, and now counts some of his blood elf guildmates as close friends.

Like Dahkar, he views the Horde/Alliance war as wasteful, especially when it pits him against his former Night Elf druidic cohorts. He refuses to take part in it unless no other choice presents itself. Varian Wrynn's racism (and the lack of condemnation of it from any other alliance leader) is abhorrent to him

Player

Grothar is played by User:Oldmanfranks.