Tigris

Information

Player: Eliada

Character Full Name: Tigris Coldeye

Character In-Game Name: Tigris

Nickname(s): none

Association(s): Horde

Race: Orc

Class: Rogue

Age: 21

Sex: Male

Hair: Black, tied back in an unkempt topknot.

Eyes: Varying from black to smoldering red

Weight: Roughly 350lbs, light for his size

Height: 7'2", tall by orc standards

Appearance

Tigris wears leather armor he crafted himself, usually having unusual properties as they are often made of the hides of Scourge-corrupted beasts.

His eyes change from their natural black coloring to burning red depending on his mood. Tigris had very little exposure to orcish culture in his early life; he never understood the concept of fel corruption, and never tried to fight it. The fel taint that most orcs suppress is an intrinsic part of Tigris' life that manifests itself in direct correlation to his temperament. Furthermore, due to heredity or perhaps his liberal use of the corruptive blood fury, his skin is a dark green, four or five shades darker than average.

Personality

Alignment: Chaotic neutral

Tigris has a deep-seated sense of personal honor. Perhaps it's derived from the short time he spent with his orcish father; perhaps he adopted it from his human master and owner, an Alliance platoon leader. With the exception of this character trait, Tigris has little in common with most orcs. He is cunning and introspective, traits he acquired involuntarily through his solitary experiences in Plague-devastated Lordaeron.

History

Tigris was born into the chaos of the Second War. His parents, orcs of the Laughing Skull clan, were warriors. They first came to Azeroth after the reopening of the Dark Portal and established themselves near Nethergarde, where Tigris was born - his life began in exchange for that of his mother's, who died in childbirth. In his earliest memories, witnessed the forces of Danath Trollbane crushed the Laughing Skull encampment. His father died as honorably as a fel orc could - in battle.

Tigris himself was spared by the Alliance platoon leader who commanded the forces that killed his father: Garrett Coldeye. Coldeye was a well-aged dwarf who would have been considered honorable by orcish standard: he commanded his men with authority, he was mighty with a spear, and he had acquired an impressive collection of war trophies over the years. He took special bits of plunder from every battle in his decorated career - a chalice here, a decorated blade there - but on especially mighty occasions of victory, he would take, if he could, a strong slave.

Though not strange by human standards, such a practice would be considered unusual by dwarven folk (most of which are industrious hardworking by nature), and would do considerable damage to his stellar reputation among the people of Ironforge if it were ever discovered. As such, Coldeye maintained a secondary home near Lordaeron to keep his human property, complete with a small vineyard. When he visited the Alliance capital for military business, he rested his head in comfort among his conquered servants; during the Second and Third Wars, he spent quite some time there.

Due to the corruption that possessed him at the time, Tigris' memory of his father's demise was hazy. He drew few connections between the battle at Nethergarde and his new life as a slave. He worked hard, living an unusually civilized life tending the vines of Coldeye's land. Tigris even had some respect for Garrett, a soldier who conquered without hesitation or difficulty - just like his father who, even in the hazy recollection of fel taint, he looked up to as the truest example of perfection. In return for the boy's loyalty and in admiration of his hardworking nature, Coldeye took Tigris under his wing, improving his living conditions to that of an esteemed hired hand and even allowing him to be presented at one or two official occasions as his spear-bearer.

At the age of 14, he was Coldeye's personal assistant. Though Tigris accompanied him in most of his endeavors, Coldeye thought (wisely) not to teach the boy combat, fearing that one day he may learn of his own role in his father's demise. Before long, Tigris' room was adjacent to Garrett's own; he was the most trusted of Coldeye's slaves.

One fateful night shortly after the Third War began, Garrett Coldeye held a grand gathering with his fellow Alliance military officers to celebrate his comerades' victories in the early phase of the war. All nights, drinks were had; Tigris served alcohol to several military commanders of the Alliance. In the presence of his most esteemed colleagues, Coldeye referred to Tigris as 'his boy' - more paternal in phrasing than proprietary. Tigris felt a surge of pride. The hours passed; early in the morning, before the sun rose, Coldeye sent the boy off to bed.

Sleep escaped Tigris that night. He tossed and turned, falling asleep only for brief moments before waking. At the break of dawn, Coldeye's guests dispersed. Through the wall that separated his room and Garrett's, he overheard the final departing warrior complimenting Coldeye's 'boy'. With pride, Garrett recounted the story of how he 'acquired' Tigris, as one would talk about the acquisition of some prized antique.

Through the wall, Tigris heard of his father's demise. When they were all alone, he walked to Coldeye's room - locking the door from the inside as he did so - and attacked the dwarf he'd taken as a father figure with the intent to kill.

Coldeye quickly subdued the young and untrained orc. As soon as he understood the situation, he assured the young orc that his father's death had been a matter of self-defense. Regardless, Tigris made it clear that Garrett's life was forfeit as soon as he was released from Garrett's viselike grip. The blood fury consumed Tigris for the first time that day, and he sank his tusk-like lower teeth into Coldeye's arm.

Coldeye thrust Tigris into the wine cellar to cool his head. Despite what had occurred, he truly did love the boy. He only intended to keep him there until the corruption vanished from his system; thereafter he could reason with him and make things right. But within the next week, Lordaeron was all but overcome by the Plague. The Scourge conquered everything. Coldeye made his last stand there; the dwarf passed nobly in battle. He was reanimated by Scourge forces to hold the area; the winery became a makeshift Scourge fortress.

Meanwhile in the cellar, Tigris was working towards escape. The blood fury had left his system, and he was willing to confront his master diplomatically. He still fully intended to kill him, but first, he would ask for his freedom and train in the ways of combat. Only then could he challenge Coldeye to an honorable duel - and win. Yet his master did not fulfill his promise to release him within a week's time, and therefore, Tigris set about the difficult task of unlocking the cellar door. Though it took two nights, he succeeded, using only a cheese knife he found there.

What awaited him on the other side of the cellar door was a world straight out of a nightmare. All his fellow slaves had been killed or reanimated - and as if he were the ruler of this realm of horror, Garrett Coldeye greeted him with a drawn spear. Survival instinct and demonic fervor seized Tigris; in moments, Garrett lay dead on the floors of the winery...for a second and final time.

It is odd how such an event can shape a boy. Though Tigris had sworn to kill Coldeye by his own hand, he felt that he had been cheated. The dwarf who had raised him as his own had been taken from him. There was no honor in this. It was then that he took "Coldeye" as his surname. He burned the winery to the ground, and for the next six years, Tigris wandered the Scourge-stricken Eastern Kingdoms.

He didn't understand what was going on. He didn't know who Arthas was, or even what the Scourge was. He didn't know why the plague affected humans, but not himself. He was caught in any child's nightmare: alone in a land he did not understand, filled with enemies that he couldn't avoid forever.

At first, he lived a life of strict survival. He clothed himself in the pelts of corrupted beasts; he learned the ways of stealth and subterfuge; he learned how to bind wounds. Every once and a while, he would be discovered by Scourge forces, but every time he was, his anger boiled up, and the Blood Fury take over. He was often pushed to the brink of death, but never killed - he remained victorious. But before long, he had grown so perfectly stealthy, the Scourge held little threat to him.

At the age of 20, he was ambushed by a unit of the Forsaken Deathstalkers. He was carted off to the Undercity where he was informed of all that had transpired while he was in the cellar, and all that had happened since. Now, fully understanding the world around him and the cause for all his suffering, Tigris seeks to travel the world and combat the Scourge.