CHAPTER I - INCEPTION
Humid and warm days during the summer and cold, snow covered winters. Such as this was the life in the Hinterlands often times filled with activities befitting a young troll such as Tohsuga. He was a hot headed child proud of his kin as conquerors and masters in the arts of nature. Although still a child, naturally he didn't notice the wicked character of his people. He was born just before the Second War, tensions amplified once it started. Revantusk, the tribe he's a part of was smaller in comparison to other ones like Vilebranch or Firetree, so when the Horde led by Orgrim Doomhammer came by, Zul'jin, leader of the forest troll rallied his tribesmen and went to battle against the ancient High Elves who dwelt up in the north. This new alliance formed between orcs and trolls was relatively short lived even though they had some victories, they destroyed Quel'Thalass' borders and brutally killed many High Elven civilians. The Elves didn't like that... the Alliance too, so an army of human, dwarves, elves and possibly gnomes went on a rampage against the Horde. The orcs suffered a crushing defeat at the hand of the newly formed Alliance mainly formed out of men and elves and without hesitation... the forest trolls retreated. Revantusk tribe still felt some loyalty for the Horde, but they couldn't help at all due to their few numbers. Typical for trolls, then they came back the other tribes hated them and to avoid much more unwanted attention they relocated to the coast of Hinterlands. Here this young child got his parents back, unaware of the crushing defeat and worrisome future he still held a pride in him, he as many other of his brethren despised the elves, saw them as evil beings even though he never even saw one. Both of his parents were ones of the few active fighters within the Revantusk tribe. His father a head hunter and his mother, a huntress known within the forest troll tribes as probably the best one of her generation. But unlike his parents he never found a calling in venturing out in the forests, as he grew up and approached the teenage years he grew up more lazy and laid back preferring to stay by the warm fire at night next to his friends and siblings but he still manages somehow to keep his pride and arrogance when deemed necessary by him, a loud mouth who'd not respect his elders and would pull innocent yet sometimes over the top pranks on them. But this attitude did not last for much longer time because in a spring morning Revantusk scouts came back with news about probable enemies sneaking in close to their village, an exact number couldn't be given. This is probably the beginning of Tohsuga's fate.
The few Revantusk trolls that were able to fight, maybe two or three dozens prepared their equipment, sent prayers and made sacrifices of any kind (some forbidden now by the New Horde) to whatever Loas they worshipped for they knew that this battle will be bloody, costing. Tohsuga along with his friends witnessed the preparation process of their fellow tribesmen in awe and admiration with the desire of joining them in battle. Of course they were refused, they were children, not yet to be taken in battles of such gravity, the youngsters didn't know that this enemy enclosing on their village was another Forest Troll tribe, the Vilebranch (known for their brutality, ruthlessness, savagery and constant cannibalism... these were seasoned warriors unpredictable even for veterans, for they acted like rabid beasts when in combat. The kids being the smartasses they always prove to be decided to ignore their seniors command and sneak out of the village not long after the Revantusk warriors left towards the supposed area in which the Vilebranch were spotted. Following at a distance to not be noticed they followed... and followed...
The youngsters didn't recognize this part of the forest, it was forbidden for them to play there so they never adventured due to stories of monsters and troll voodoo masters that eat children. At some point the war party they followed suddenly stopped, it was dark outside now, the forest was pitch black and the only things noticeable were a few dim torch lights which were quickly extinguished, an act that made the young group of kids anxious. This night was different to them... this night was cold compared to other humid spring nights, the wind was dead and no animal presence to be felt, something very bad was going to happen. In that moment the kids started to tun towards their parents creating a lot of noise and of course... a distraction, big enough to draw the warriors attention and giving the beasts stalking them a chance to bite. And so it started, more steps, laughs, giggles and occasional pairs of glowing red eyes from the forest, war cries, curses were getting more and more louder until it truly began... one by one the warriors and children alike were killed and even taken, screams and pleads were heard for a short time, everything felt like a hundred years of fear and torture until it hit... an arrow sank into his mother's chest followed two others, one to her neck and the last arrow to her left leg. She fells to the ground as his father and himself pleads with her to not die, to not abandon them. The region they were in was dimly lighted by the moon itself, revealing their enemies... a group formed out of few warriors but dawned in animal hides, some foaming at the mouth, others standing tall, staring in the eyes of Tohsuga with burning malicious intent, other two of them were executing a Revantusk warrior on spot, raping the body while laughing maniacally. All of them had those burning red eyes, as if the world itself transformed into a hunting ground for them and his father and him were the prey...
Tohsuga froze at the sight of trolls, other Forest Trolls committing such atrocities but he felt distant from them, he knew deep inside that even trying to bargain with them would be useless. In that moment he realized he led his siblings and friends into a massacre, to their doom. All of this happened in mere seconds but it felt like years, his father gave the signal and was pushed hard in a direction opposite of them and he started to run while sounds of his father struggling to fight sounded in his ears like sharp echoes. The sounds stopped, only to be replaced with laughter, giggling and steps closing on him... a piercing howl shakes Tohsuga's bones and seems to stop his pursuers, it was pitch black... in front of him a tall, big rock showered in moonlight and slowly... a silver figure made it's presence known, from atop of the rock the same haunting howl echoes through his whole body, nearly making him pass out. The Vilebranch group seemed to be scared of this beast, be it an avatar of some divine being Tohsuga didn't know, he didn't pay much attention to gods, his life in the village was ideal, playing in the forest and participating to story sharing by the fire with the ones that were took just a few moments before.
Witnessing the beast he knew something was wrong once again... the adrenaline starts wearing off once he realizes the wolf hasn't yet moved from atop of the rock and was in fact staring at him intently, as if it was pondering what to do with this child. He fells to his knees, everything falling on him like an avalanche. Still in shock the wolf approaches, waits for Tohsuga's attention, he understands why... the youngster is led back to the Village, bruised, shocked and traumatized. This... was a shock for the whole village, they had encounters with other tribes before but this was something way more brutal, unexpected.
Back into the village the shaman heals Tohsuga's wounds and urges him to rest and speak tomorrow as they were preparing for a possible another attack from their kin. He didn't close an eye for a moment, scenes replaying again and again and again in his head, blaming himself for what has happened and his kin from the Vilebranch for the vile acts they've committed. People started to panic and decide to move further up north during this night, to evade their possible attacks... others started to make barricades, fortified positions and such, of course the last fighters of this tribe were the ones that had remained due to illness, age or simply by having to take care of their offspring (which many had failed might I say), old shamans, warriors and hunters simply decided that if it comes to a fight, then let them be known in history as fighters who died in battle. All of this happened quietly, everyone knew what they had to do... and in Tohsuga's family tent, the air was yet again cold... and during this sleepless night a giggle that sends a frozen chill up on the youngster's back is heard seemingly only by him, a hallucination or trick of the mind, it wasn't possible... it was a sound so... hauntingly familiar, dreadful.
He notices a shadow sanding in front of him, it was black yet it resembled the form of a troll even more taller than Tohsuga himself.
It spoke... it's voice thundering through the tent, it mocked him... spat words of mockery. It mocked Tohsuga for running, it mocked his parents and friends and family. The boy grabbed one of his father's hunting knives that were left behind, pointed it's sharp edge towards his neck and tried to off himself in the next world... but stopped, right before the blade could cut his throat completely. The shadow was gone, so was his sadness and melancholy, all these being replaced by something more primal: revenge.
Luckily there was no attack that night but people still had to stay on their toes, ready at any time. As the morning light filled his family's tent he noticed a peculiar talisman hanging from one of the support pillars. It seemed old, dust had set upon it.. weirdly enough Tohsuga never paid attention to this, it was his home and he never noticed something made by his parents. Through the village's shaman he finds about Gonk, the Loa both of his parents were worshipping: The Loa of the Hunt or The Great Hunter had taught the trolls how to hunt, respect their prey once slain and find spiritual usage through an animal's spirit. He never was religious before and hated taking part in rituals held by his parents when they came back after a hunt or before they went for one... but he felt that by calling to this god he might feel more closer to them, to his people. He makes a sacrifice to this god, to show his seriousness and desire to serve by offering his father's bow again one of the many weapons he left at home before heading in that damned forest. He goes back to sleep and within this deep sleep state the god shows him the beast which guided him back to his home, short glimpses to signal that this old... lone wolf is the key for what Tohsuga desires. When he woke up, the village was loud, unusual given their recent times... scared that a potential attacked had started he rushes out of the tent with an axe only to be met by a pair of scouts and surprisingly a few survivors that somehow escaped from Vilebranch captivity, the survivors were in a gruesome state of course but still good enough for the healers to aid them. Apparently while being escorted as prisoners (future sacrifices) by Vilebranch warriors a silver white beast made it's presence known close by, the survivors explained that it was big, unable to determine what is it exactly... but Tohsuga knew, he knew that he got a chance. This god he just contacted was powerful... powerful enough to send visions and lucid dreams constantly, in this time the elders urged him to be taught about hunting, but there was no time. The young troll takes only his clothes already worn by him and an axe. Against the pleads of his seniors he heads into the forest in the search of this ancient beast with the only compass for his direction being dreams and visions. He ends up in the same place he met the silver white haired elder, near the big rock, not long after the sun had fell, a slight glimmer followed by its whole body. It starts snarling, Tohsuga grabs his axe and stays his ground... it's clear now, by it's vague form but enough for the youngster to determine what it is... it's a wolf, white fur glowing in moonlight with a pair of two pair of glowing eyes burning the color of gold and darkness. It was ancient, how such a magnificent predator existed no one could know... maybe it's existence was never supposed to be found, who knows...
He couldn't move, those eyes... stared at him as if it wanted yet again to seek what's inside his soul and for a moment it understood: revenge, anger, grief, hate... the beast was no usual wolf, it was intelligent in some way, maybe of the spirits themselves. The moon started to shine intensely revealing the true form of this old timer, obviously native to these lands and on top of them all a true predator. The wolf turned and stopped as if it was waiting for something or someone... Tohsuga caught on quickly, he dropped the axe and followed the beast.
From there and for weeks Tohsuga's whereabouts were unknown, the village thought he was dead but in fact... he was out in the forests, in a feral state, back to the roots where his ancestors started, respecting the old beast as his mentor. When this started he passed into a primal trance, honing his instincts and knowledge rooted across generations upon generations.
A few weeks have passed, an exact count is unknown since time in this state was strange to him, it seemed to stop and go. He learned how to stalk, follow and kill his prey, he learned to respect every living creature of the forest for each and every one of them had a meaning and a spirit. Visions of his ancestors flooded his mind and soul all this time, witnessing how their tools were made as if he was there. He saw through their eyes too for days on end, the eagle, bear, wolf and even squirrel... the forest itself was alive and this god was a protector, warden of them all in Tohsuga's eyes. He witnessed each and every aspect of the hunt itself, from the wolf that chases a rabbit, to eagles that snatches pretty only to be dropped from above to the small squirrel who scavenges for food. His old mentor gives the now hunter one of his teeth, as a token and reagent for his next ritual... or maybe... a gift of remembrance and farewell.
He gets back to the village in the same clothes he wore before disappearing that day, only that now they were rugged, ruined even. No words are spoken between him and the rest of the tribe. The sixteen year old seemed changed, a totally different person... the depressed teenager was replaced by someone cold, quiet, boiling with anger ready to spill everywhere at any time yet all felt under control. Everything went quiet for a while, except of course for the occasional moments in which that shadow makes its appearance again, mocking and laughing.
(This was my first ever long and relatively solid story eve wrote so if anyone got some advice or noticed places which have to change according to the lore, pls PM me on the forum itself or In Game, thanks =D)