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(Actually gave him a decent backstory, incorporating new history. Also fixed relationships. Photo forthcoming.)
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== Character History ==
== Character History ==
Grothi is 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.
Grothi is 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”


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. He had no desire to go through with it, but could not muster the courage to stand up to them.
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
The team has been split in several different directions following their journey to Northrend. Grothi, along with his brother, was part of the force that took the dread necropolis, Naxxramas, and killed the Lich, Kel’thuzad, within. Since then, the brothers have aided the Argent Crusade with their efforts to secure the Argent Tournament Grounds, awaiting the chance to strike at Icecrown.


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 suprise attack. Kym, though suprised, easily proved to be able to hold her own. 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 evil brethren and saved Kym. The druidess, grateful for his aid, happily took the young Grimtotem as her apprentice and has taught him the ways of the Earth Mother. The Grimtotems banished him from their clan as a result, but Grothi no longer cares. He has a home wherever there are wilds, wherever his fellow druids gather, and wherever his guildmates are found.


== In Combat ==
== In Combat ==
Grothi spend most of his early druidic career in his cat form. He was still on the Path of Feral Combat when he begin adventuring alongside Dahkar. The two would often team up with other adventurers to tackle difficult challenges, adventurers who insisted the druid use his bear form while fighting. Grothi has seen many of his fellow druids excel as a bear, but he never got the hang of it, nor enjoyed it very much. At Dahkar's encouragement, Grothi began pursuing the Path of Balance, eventually learning the intricate masteries of the Moonkin Form. Grothi feels as much himself in the almost alien mind of the Moonkin as he does within his own body.
For most of his early career, Grothi focused on the feral combat aspect of his druid training, especially the cat form. During the later part of his adventuring career, he was inspired to pursue the little chosen path of Balance. He now approaches combat in the form of the Moonkin, summoning the various spells of natural magic to defeat his enemies. He remains one of the more prolific druids of balance among his people, and his example has inspired many to follow his footsteps.
 


== Connections to other Characters ==
== Connections to other Characters ==
* [[Dahkar]] -  Dahkar met the druid known as Grothi Grimtotem during the early stages of both of their adventuring careers. Grothi initially did not care for the mage, viewing Arcane magic with his people's usual distrust for anything not of the natural world. The two found themselves running in to each other repeatedly and developed a friendship despite their differences. Their conversations and debates have caused Grothi to see Arcane magic as a force as natural to the world as his own abilities, it can be used for good or for ill. It may be true that his association with the mage has subconsciously influenced his decision to pursue the Path of Balance. The two remain good friends and continue to work together to eradicate the newest threat to the Horde, the Scourge.
* [[Dahkar]] -  Despite Tauren cultural prejudice against Arcane magic, Grothi's long association with the Archmage has forged both a differing view on magic's place in the world and a long lasting friendship. Grothi considers Dahkar one of his oldest and wisest friends, and it is a credit to his trust in the troll that he accepted Old Man Franks as much as he did, prior to his breakdown.


* [[Oldmanfranks|Old Man Franks]] -  Grothi is a being of the natural world, and as such, highly distrusts the Horde's supposed Undead allies. He was the sole voice of objection to his friend's employment of Old Man Franks as their banker, and is extremely uneasy at his conversion to Death Knighthood and inclusion in their group. Franks has proven himself a dedicated combatant against the Scourge and the other threats which face Azeroth, but his methods seem just as bad to Grothi as the Scourge itself. For now, he struggles to overlook these things for the greater good.
* [[Durnnit]] -  Grothi regards the shaman as a very good friend, owed to their similar respect and worship of natural forces, and like Dahkar, knows that Shamanism is the power that unifies their people and gives them hope. The two often spend time discussing their experiences and beliefs over a warm fire.


* [[Durnnit]] - As the younger brother of his best friend, Grothi has long known Durnnit. The two have much in common and often discuss the philosophies of their paths during their downtime. When the Horde began their assault on Northrend, the pair headed for the Howling Fjord together to study the lush environments and keep the Forsaken in check from destroying the land needlessly in the name of vengeance.
*[[Shadothi]] - Shadothi is Grothi's brother, and for all of his life, Shadothi protected him from himself. Grothi truly loved his brother even though he found everything Shadothi believed in to be wrong, and was heartbroken when Shadothi vowed to kill him. Though Grothi is devastated that his brother is now undead, he is also joyed that he has finally realized the truth about their tribe and spends much time with him, trying to catch him up on the many years he has missed in death.


*[[Nihl]] - Grothi's beliefs about Arcane magic are liberal for a tauren, and he has tried, very hard, to adopt a similar viewpoint with regards to Nihl's use of warlock magic. Originally, he truly believed that Nihl wanted to use this magic to help his people, and was willing to accept the disastrous consequences on himself as a sacrifice, but following the events at the Sunwell, he regards Nihl as he regards most warlocks: power-hungry selfish corrupt fools.  
* [[Oldmanfranks|Old Man Franks]] - Grothi's beliefs about Arcane magic are liberal for a tauren, and he has tried, very hard, to adopt a similar viewpoint with regards to Frank’s use of warlock magic. Originally, he truly believed that Franks wanted to use this magic to help his people, and was willing to accept the disastrous consequences on himself as a sacrifice, but following the events at the Sunwell, he regards him as he regards most warlocks: power-hungry selfish corrupt fools. He agreed fully with Dahkar's decision to sever all ties with the Forsaken, and like the Archmage, avoids speaking of him.


== Views on other races and factions ==
== Views on other races and factions ==
Grothi does not trust the Forsaken. To him, they are unnatural aberrations. While he recognizes that they are forced into this state against their will, they do nothing to prove themselves as non-evil with their constant plots to develop new plagues. His tribal chieftan campaigned for their admission into the Horde, and knowing how power hungry she is, he believes they mean trouble for Cairne and the Tauren people. Grothi constantly keeps a wary eye on any Forsaken he meets or adventures with, searching for the first signs of betrayal.
Grothi 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.
 
Grothi at one point distrusted Blood Elves. While he does recognize magic as a natural force in the world, he was concerned the Blood Elves were using it to alter the natural world to their tastes. This opinion has slowly changed the more time he spends among them, especially as they allowed one of his fellow druids to set up their own camp within the city and regularly speak with her about the state of their lands which are corrupted by the undead plague. Eversong Woods bears no taint of overwhelming magic use, but appears to be a natural grove of beauty, one which the elves seem to have taken great pains to respect. His heart breaks at the sight of the Ghostlands, and it's restoration is something he one day intends to work towards alongside the Elves.


Grothi's opinion on the Alliance and the war between them and the Horde mirrors that of his [[Dahkar|Archmage companion]]. There is too much other evil in the world to fight, yet they waste good lives trying to kill each other. Few sights make him burn with fury like that of a Night Elf druid willingly participating in this madness. Students of Cenarius should know better.
Like Dahkar, he views the Horde/Alliance war as wasteful, especially when it pits him against his fellow Night Elf druids. 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==
==Player==

Revision as of 04:38, 6 November 2009

Druid crest.jpg
Grothi Grimtotem
Keeper of the Grove
Game Name

Grothi

Race Tauren
Gender Male
Class Druid
Professions Skinning Leatherworking
Guild Alea Iacta Est

Skinning Leatherworking


Grothi is a Tauren Druid, and Cohort of Alea Iacta Est

Description

As a Grimmtotem, Grothi bears the traditional black skin and hair coloration of the tribe. His horns curve forward from his head. He is often seen in his Moonkin form, a coloration he shares with other Tauren Balance druids

Character History

Grothi is 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”

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.

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.

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.

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.

The team has been split in several different directions following their journey to Northrend. Grothi, along with his brother, was part of the force that took the dread necropolis, Naxxramas, and killed the Lich, Kel’thuzad, within. Since then, the brothers have aided the Argent Crusade with their efforts to secure the Argent Tournament Grounds, awaiting the chance to strike at Icecrown.


In Combat

For most of his early career, Grothi focused on the feral combat aspect of his druid training, especially the cat form. During the later part of his adventuring career, he was inspired to pursue the little chosen path of Balance. He now approaches combat in the form of the Moonkin, summoning the various spells of natural magic to defeat his enemies. He remains one of the more prolific druids of balance among his people, and his example has inspired many to follow his footsteps.


Connections to other Characters

  • Dahkar - Despite Tauren cultural prejudice against Arcane magic, Grothi's long association with the Archmage has forged both a differing view on magic's place in the world and a long lasting friendship. Grothi considers Dahkar one of his oldest and wisest friends, and it is a credit to his trust in the troll that he accepted Old Man Franks as much as he did, prior to his breakdown.
  • Durnnit - Grothi regards the shaman as a very good friend, owed to their similar respect and worship of natural forces, and like Dahkar, knows that Shamanism is the power that unifies their people and gives them hope. The two often spend time discussing their experiences and beliefs over a warm fire.
  • Shadothi - Shadothi is Grothi's brother, and for all of his life, Shadothi protected him from himself. Grothi truly loved his brother even though he found everything Shadothi believed in to be wrong, and was heartbroken when Shadothi vowed to kill him. Though Grothi is devastated that his brother is now undead, he is also joyed that he has finally realized the truth about their tribe and spends much time with him, trying to catch him up on the many years he has missed in death.
  • Old Man Franks - Grothi's beliefs about Arcane magic are liberal for a tauren, and he has tried, very hard, to adopt a similar viewpoint with regards to Frank’s use of warlock magic. Originally, he truly believed that Franks wanted to use this magic to help his people, and was willing to accept the disastrous consequences on himself as a sacrifice, but following the events at the Sunwell, he regards him as he regards most warlocks: power-hungry selfish corrupt fools. He agreed fully with Dahkar's decision to sever all ties with the Forsaken, and like the Archmage, avoids speaking of him.

Views on other races and factions

Grothi 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 fellow Night Elf druids. 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

Grothi is played by User:Oldmanfranks.