Karnis

Information

Player name: Drumgar

Character Full-Name: Karnis Shardfist

Character In-Game Name: Karnis

Nickname(s): N/A

Associations: Thrall’s New Horde, Earthshaker Clan, Formerly: Blackrock, Burning Blade Clans

Race: Orc

Class: Blademaster (Warrior)

Age: 64

Sex: Male

Hair: Black, but Karnis keeps his head completely shaved.

Eyes: Red

Height: 7’3”, 6’10” when hunched.

Weight: 374 lbs.

Appearance

Karnis keeps his head ritually shaved, not a speck of hair on his chin or head, His visage is anointed with a pair of criss-cross scars on the left side of his skull, and one large phantom gash rolling from his chin, through his lips, and along the edge of his jaw. His right eye also is a dug out crater, often left empty, but covered with a patch or cloth when he is in mixed company.

However, despite the weathering of his skin, his face is usually drawn into a warm smile, and the crows feet around the edges of his eyes seem ever present. He has profane tattoos that offend most in Thrall's new Horde, so he keeps covered out of modesty and sympathy of others sensibilities. With robes that cover the majority of his upper body and chest, and bandages covering his neck to his wrists, as well as his left hand. His face and right hand are the only grey skin that's visible, and his left is a living black glass that gleams, a gift from Kretol Earthshaker when he lost the limb defending the crater.

Personality

What was once a torrent of aggression and rage has turned into a placid pool of calm observation and warm nurturing to the young, and stern respect to all. He is the typical orcish elder, wise by experience, down to earth but understanding and hosting lessons for the more passionate youth.

He holds temperance and knowledge in high value, perhaps even behind strength and honor in his growing age, not to say these principles are lost on him however, he is an orc and grew into himself with those virtues. He recognizes that they are also inseparable, and an orc without honor is a weak orc. In the end he is an old worg finishing out his days in the relative peace of the crater and the Earthshaker Clan.

History

Originally of the Blackrock Clan, Karnis was one of the many orcs that drank the blood of Mannaroth with his brothers. He reveled in the sensation, however, to the point of gluttonous addiction. So terrible was his decedent hatred during this time that he turned his hand upon his own brother. Inevitably, he was rejected by his Clan because of this, but was spared the blade because of his skill; and instead admitted to the Burning Blade Clan within the Horde's vast army. He was like a fish in water among the demented brotherhood. Just like him, these warriors were more concerned with the spilling of blood and the heat of violence than actually achieving goals to win battles.

Karnis’ life from there on out became a miasma of bloodshed and hatred. He marched with the Horde to Stormwind, and then Lordaeron after that. Two generations of death and war would come and go until, finally the loss at Blackrock Mountain condemned him to a life of imprisonment in the human internment camps. He would spend much time questioning just how he came to this point. His body was weak and tired, and his heart was left empty and hollow. Here he was, a supposedly great warrior of his people now forced into slavery. He was a slave to the humans who gave him their shackles, just as he had been a slave to the demons who gave him their blood. He had nothing of his own, and for the first time truly understood this.

Regardless of this revelation, however, Karnis would not allow himself to die. He would not give in to the withdraw. He had been so dependent on the demon's blood that he had allowed it to remove his own strength; -his- power, -his- honor. Now he was resolved that he would defeat this as assuredly as he had defeated every foe before; not with rage, but discipline. He labored for the humans, but did not let sloth overcome him. He focused and meditated daily to fight back the feelings of this withdraw, but that fury was always present just under the surface. It fueled him as he struggled day after day. His body was emaciated and beaten, but he would still not let himself be defeated.

They made their escape and fled to Kalimdor as the new Warchief demanded. Karnis swore an oath of service with his brothers from the Burning Blade, and vowed to be free from demonic control once and for all. He charged through Kalimdor with renewed vigor, fighting the Burning Legion as a Blademaster before finally giving himself to Thrall's New Horde. Now following discipline and focused will rather than blind rage and the power of his hate, Karnis found peace in the “art” of combat; in the temperance of passion rather than the exploration of it.

Following the events of the Third War and the foundation of Orgrimmar, Karnis found himself pulled to the fledgling Earthshaker Clan and ended up committing himself to their efforts. He fought as a Grunt in their service after swearing his loyalty to their Chieftain Kretol Earthshaker. With a tempered mind and a legacy of warfare behind him, Karnis now finds himself more prone to teaching younger warriors than doing battle himself. He spends his time studying philosophy and the pursuit of the spirits of battle rather than engaging in active warfare.