Galuk

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Information

Player: Tolgron

Full Name: Galuk (pronounced GAH-look) Helmcleaver

In-Game Name: Galuk

Nickname: (Although he dislikes it somewhat) Gooky

Associations: Horde, Warsong Clan

Race: Orc

Class: Hunter

Age: 48

Sex: Male

Hair: Galuk's hair is greying with age and hangs just above his shoulders, accompanied by a beard that he occasionally shaves when it is getting too long for his liking. His hair is messy and straggly, the hunter not caring much for his appearance, and the same can be said of his beard.

Eyes: Long since losing their red tint, Galuk's eyes are shown to be mud brown in colour.

Height: 6'9”

Weight: 310lbs

Alignment: Lawful good.

Appearance

The hunter can often be seen in leather armour, crudely stitched together himself from the skins and hides of the animals and monsters he hunts. He may also wear a hooded cloak to keep off the rain and the sun and he wears thick boots that are good for hiking. Colours vary, but they are more often than not composed of earthy colours, suck as browns, greys and dark greens. He may wear these clothes for days at a time, so they are often stained and a little worse for wear.

Other: Galuk is rarely seen without his beloved companion, a red raptor called Swiftclaw (or Swifty as his doting partner calls him). In addition, Galuk is rather scarred from his battles as a grunt in past conflicts, a notable scar runs across his left cheek from his forehead, narrowly missing his eye; a relic from the war with the Draenei. He also has a tattoo on his left arm in the shape of the Warsong crest.

Personality

Galuk is in a state of constant mourning and pessimism, the old Orc having never truly forgiven himself for the atrocities he committed whilst under the demonic influence of the Burning Legion. To others he comes across as distant and impersonal, appearing to prefer the company of his raptor to the company of other Orcs and Horde members. Aging and world-weary, it appears that Galuk has given up on the hope of forgiveness for what he's done in the past and views himself as nothing more than a broken shell, destroyed by his own greed and lust for battle as a youth.

However, once someone is able to get past his toughened exterior, he can come across as rather friendly and fatherly, looking fondly upon the new Horde that Warchief Thrall has built and seeing perhaps a glimmer of hope for the Orcs, and rarely turning away friends if they need him. Knowing that as an elder he has a duty to those younger than him, Galuk strives to ensure that the newer generations of the Horde do not make the same mistakes he did when their age, although he does not tend to think of himself as being especially wise even now.

He regrets the sour relations between the Horde and the Alliance, seeking an end to the fighting if only so the Orcs can focus on rebuilding their newly liberated people and rediscovered culture. Galuk is loyal to his Warchief however, and will happily pick up his trusty bow and axe to fight against the Humans and those who cast their lot in with them once more should Thrall request it of him or the hunter is threatened.

History

Galuk was only just considered an adult when Grom Hellscream drank the blood of Mannoroth the Destructor and Galuk quickly followed suit, eager for the prospects of war and glory early in his adult life and the appeasement of his chieftain. Almost at once, the Orc became corrupted and fell into ravenous bloodlust that could not be sated. He served primarily in the frontlines during the war with the Draenei, his axe constantly wet with blood and he revelled in the destruction of their race, quickly earning himself the name ‘Helmcleaver' for his efforts. Soon the Draenei were gone and the Orcs soon fell upon themselves, Galuk himself losing a brother in these conflicts and it seemed the Orcs would destroy each other were it not for the sudden revelation of a new world to conquer by Gul'dan.

To his dismay, however, Warsong would not be joining in the conquest of Azeroth and were commanded to remain out of the conflict for that moment and defend the Dark Portal, something that Galuk was not especially pleased with. After a few years of conflict with the Humans, however, it would seem that war would approach Galuk and the Warsong clan more closely than he probably would have liked in his ordinary state, when the invasion suddenly failed after Gul'dan's betrayal and the Alliance forces launched a counterattack against the Dark Portal. With ownership of the Portal switching almost endlessly, the Warsong were finally stabbed in the back by Ner'zhul and left stranded within the hostile lands of Azeroth. During their period of exile, Galuk continued to be plagued by the sudden weakness and lethargy that was a result of the demonic curse left with him from drinking Mannoroth's blood. As the haze of the bloodlust lifted, he slowly began to regret his past actions against the Draenei and the Alliance and during his wanderings became more and more assured of his damnation from the Blood Curse. He realised that he may never find redemption for the senseless violence he'd inflicted upon others and despaired, nearly throwing away his life during a brief confrontation with Alliance forces.

It was then that Thrall emerged alongside his clan, the Frostwolves, and Orgrim Doomhammer, after which the Warsong clan aided them in freeing and restoring the shattered Orcish race, giving Galuk a sense of purpose and fulfilment that he hadn't felt in years. Promptly affirming his loyalty to the new Warchief, Galuk sailed with him across the seas to Kalimdor, wishing to atone for his actions whilst a pawn for the Burning Legion. He once again fell to temptation, however, after Mannoroth manipulated Galuk and several others of his clan into once again falling to their bloodlust and waging war against the Night Elves, even going so far as slaying the demigod Cenarius. Although the Warsong were once again brought to their senses by Thrall, it confirmed to Galuk that he and the rest of his generation were somehow tainted and could never hope for salvation from the curse they inflicted upon themselves.

When word reached him that Grom and Thrall had defeated Mannoroth and freed the Orcs forever from his influence, the Orc decided it was time for him to follow the example of his chieftain and find his own way to make up for the atrocities of his past, even if it was impossible to completely redeem himself and his honour. Forsaking his life as a warrior, Galuk turned to the wilds as a hunter, hoping that by submitting himself to the clean, simplistic ways of nature he could at least prevent further transgression and lessen whatever punishment awaited him for what he had done. To this day he remains largely in the wilds, aiding the New Horde however he can and serving to remind the younger generations of Orcs the dangers of submitting to their rage.

“Anger is like a fire,” as he once said. “If you do not control it, it will consume both you and those around you, and leave little behind to salvage.”