Derek

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Information

Player: Randomzac

Character Full Name: Derek Miller

Character In-Game Name: Derek

Nickname(s): Ranger Miller, Miller, Ranger

Association(s): Lordaeron, Stormwind

Race: Human

Class: Hunter

Skills and Abilities:

  • Wild Voice - Due to his time in the wild, with a companion, Derek is able to determine what an animal wants. (To a degree.)
  • Dead Eye - Through his years of perfecting archery, he is able to place his shot near to exactly where he wants it.
  • Cold Endurance - By living in Alterac Valley, with the gale force winds and the blizzards, Derek has developed a greater resistance to cold, making frost type spells slightly less damaging. But he is unused to extreme heat and so he is weaker to higher temperatures.

Age: 53

Sex: Male

Hair: Long black hair that is beginning to gray

Eyes: Brown

Weight: 192

Height: 5'9"

Appearance

Usual Garments/Armor: Green leather armor.

Other: He bears a scar under his bottom lip. It's about 2 inches in length.

Personality

Living in the wild has made Derek a cold, hard, ornery man. He is quickly aggravated with stupidity, does not take lightly to insults and is very slow to show his true emotions. Living in the wild has taught Derek one very important rule: "Do not waste anything." He frowns upon wasteful things such as spending wages or fortunes on something that will never be used. His time during the war, committing acts he now regrets, has caused his to suffer from what is now known as PTSD. Simple things, such as a farmers tool can set off an episode, causing tremors, hallucinations and bipolar-ism. But Derek is also a kind man at times, he aids injured animals, nurses them to health and release them back into the wild.

History

Derek was born to William and Maria. His father was a lumber jack in the forest surrounding Lordaeron and so he taught his son what plants were safe to eat and what tracks matched up to what animal. At 13 Derek lost his mother to a terrible flu. He was hardened by this experience.

At 18 he left his home to go train in Lordaeron as an archer, the king was calling for men all over to join arms against the new Orcish threat. He trained for 6 months when his superiors noted his skill in archery. They sent him to train under a Ranger who's post was about 15 miles outside of Stormwind. This Ranger, Francais, helped Derek hone his skill in archery. He also taught Derek how to avoid being seen.

During the beginning of his second year of training Derek found a wolf pup hiding within a hollow log. The pup's mother was killed by a band of murlocs. Derek took this pup (which he named Thel) and raised him to maturity. Francais helped Derek train Thel to track.

After Derek finished his 8 year training, the second war was just beginning. Derek went to Lordaeron and he was tasked with watching troop movements in Alterac Valley. Derek took his assignment with the greatest respect and was happy to help. He and Thel walked through the snowy valley and watched the orc troops as best as he could. During a rest, Derek was surprised by an orc rider. Derek was able to cripple the Worg with a carefully placed arrow, forcing the orc to abandon his mount. They struggled in hand to hand for a few moments when the orc over powered him. With the orc on top of him, a blade drawing closer to his throat, Derek thought it was all over. Thel tackled the orc off of Derek and ripped his throat out before the orc could react. Derek had been cut along his bottom lip, all the way to his gums. He stitched up the cut and continued his assignment.

On a cold winter night in Alterac, Derek was called to the field marshals tent on the Alliance side of the valley. There Derek received orders to investigate a farmer in Hillsbrad, suspected of helping wounded Orcs. Derek took this assignment without a second thought and headed to the farmers home. There he watched the farmer for four days and three nights, watching his every move. On the fourth night, Derek had witnessed an act that was punishable by death, the farmer smuggled a wounded orc into his home. Derek acted quickly, he kicked in the front door, his standard issue ranger blade drawn. The farmer was stunned as he stood over the orc, obviously mortally wounded. The farmer then spoke as Derek walked towards him; "Hasn't there been enough killing in this war?" This caused Derek to stay his blade, thinking of what the man had said. It was true, there had been enough killing in this war, on both sides. The farmer took this opening and grab a sickle, swinging it at Derek. Derek was quick to deflect the blow, but also caught off guard. The blow knocked Derek's blade from his hand. The farmer raised his make shift weapon above his head and began to bring the blade down, Derek caught the mans wrist, kicked him in the groin and pried the sickle from his hand. Derek acted without thinking, bringing the wicked curved blade back behind the farmers head and pulling forward. The action severed the farmers spinal cord and he fell over dead. Derek was in shock of what he had done, he quickly grabbed his blade and ran out of the farmers home. Derek reported back that the suspicions were correct about the farmer and that he dealt with the farmer to the full extent of the law.

Derek continued his assignment in Alterac brooding on what he had done. Nightmares plagued him, voices on the wind haunted him and his own guilt devoured him. This war was wrong, killing Orcs was one thing, but his own people? No, Derek was done.

With the conclusion of his assignment Derek stayed in Alterac, hunting and living off the land. When the Third War broke out Derek did not come to the call of battle. He did however return to his fathers cabin when he learned of the undead Scourge ravaging Lordaeron. He found his father, an undead husk of his former glory, wandering through the forest. Unable to handle seeing his father like this he ended his suffering, with a blade through the base of the skull.

Derek did not return to Alterac right away, he went to Stormwind to learn of what is being done about the Scourge. He stayed in Stormwind for sometime, taking contracts to hunt down bandits, gnolls and rogue undead. He returned to Alterac after Stormwind's run in with Deathwing. He now remains there, available for hire.