Appearance[]
This dwarf looks like he was mortally wounded and is still currently healing. There are bandages completely covering his left side, including his left eye. Underneath them, there seems to be a dull purple color seeping out, but it doesn't look as if it's spreading.. His right eye is sunken, deep and wise, the color of brown. There are many wrinkles on his face, and there is always a calm expression on it, never excited, nor seemingly depressed. His once rich black hair has now turned into a stark grey, and there is no color to be seen.
Strapped to his back is a backpack, made of brown leather. An assortment of objects stick out, some of which shouldn't even be inside the backpack due to its size. But, somehow, those items look as if they're being carried fine inside it. Getting closer to the dwarf, there is a whirring noise emitting from him, and whispering coming from the bandages wrapped around him.
Digging through the beard, there are two amulets: One amulet looks to be made of ivory and dark iron, and the other made from a large, red ruby lined with gold. Strapped inside his hood, on the left side, there is a silver flask with a cork.
Personality[]
Despite his appearance, Berlshenk is, simply, a nice, courteous dwarf. He smells of fresh forest and winter, as if he never had a drink in his life. His accent sounds slightly off from his brethren, as if it's been tried and worn through the common language. While calm, observant, and kind, his military persona during duty is strict. He is "by the book" on duty, but completely different off it.
History[]
Generic History[]
Before the First War, Berlshenk had served in the War of the Three Hammers as a staunch captain and sharpshooter. Berlshenk had also served in all three wars and witnessed the fall of Archimonde at Mount Hyjal. Aside from military records and eyewitnesses, there is little else known about Berlshenk. What people do know however is that the dwarf is associated with the Ironforge Mountaineers and leads the cross-faction group known as the Mountainguard.
Personal History[]
When all was said and done after the Third War, Berlshenk retired to Ironforge to be placed in Thelsamar with the rest of his Mountaineer brethren. Things were fine, despite the hostilities of the ogres nearby and the troggs. However, everything changed one fateful night.
During the night, ghostly howls filled the town, with demonspawn hurdling themselves from above. All were taken by surprise, even Berlshenk, and no one was wiser to the threat. Many Mountaineers were slaughtered, including Berlshenk's love, Mardia. Berlshenk had witnessed her death, dragged and hidden behind a stone wall, as the warlock with a scythe tore her stomach open. After that, Berlshenk had passed out, his mind forever scarred by the happenings that day.
He thought he was dead; fallen, by the enemy, the warlock, which had killed his friends and love. But, somehow, he lived, waking up in Thelsamar's inn, where he discovered he had been treated and bandaged. This is where he found a mysterious scar on his left arm, the feeling of demons possessing him and a purple glow coming through the wound, despite the wrappings.
From that point on, Berlshenk had journeyed high and low for his assailant, scouring from Ironforge to Stormwind, from the Western Plaguelands to Feralas. Many months passed until he finally met with his attempted killer and had slain him. The nightmare was over, but this adventure was only the beginning.
Berlshenk had come across many companions during this time, with agendas of their own against the warlock. All was well for a while, until the warlock's sinister organization, [[The Vorisswa] reappeared to gain vengeance. Throughout Berlshenk's journey to kill the Vorisswa's leader, he had been framed, attacked, and left for dead by this organization. And then, somehow, it resurfaced, now even much more deadly than before.
But, everyone was unaware of the Vorisswa's uprising. Berlshenk had told no one about them, and kept all the information to himself - but for good reason. Preparations had to be made, and closure had to be found. A lead, which pointed Berlshenk towards Northrend, was the first move.
There, in an isolated region, Berlshenk had met with the former leader of the Vorisswa, Danath Granjer, who was presumed to be dead. Yet, somehow, he lived, but for the price of his sentience. This person, Danath, who was once only a shell of a human, had found his soul again, under the guise of a Death Knight. A shaky start turned into a stalwart Alliance, and the two agreed to assist each other and share whatever they knew of this predicament. The meeting was cut short when the Vorisswa tracked Berlshenk down and attacked the two. As Danath and his cohorts, Briggs and Bazil, fended against the incursion, Berlshenk made his way to safety, back to the main lands, to report and uncover this morbid situation.
Before Berlshenk's trip, he had led everyone to believe that he had been killed by the Vorisswa in Felwood. True, he had told no one of the Vorisswa's resurfacing, but this was, in truth, an hint to what would befall on his companions. Berlshenk's companions had taken the bait, took action against the ever-vengeful Vorisswa, and created the Vorisswa Bounty Board to recruit volunteers to defend against the incoming hostility. A few days later, Berlshenk disclosed the truth about his whereabouts, and created a little brown book of secrets to keep tabs on the Vorisswa.
When Berlshenk went under the radar, Khaadgrim, and old friend thought to have been executed, came back onto the radar. He had been hiding in Tanaris ever since his indirect encounter with the Vorisswa, and sought solace from his troll companion, Khuldrak. When Khaadgrim came out from hiding, he was quickly re-trained and informed of all current events. However, he had to go back into hiding again when the Vorisswa attempted another attack on his life, and hid underground once more with Khuldrak. When this happened, Berlshenk resurfaced to present his information on the Vorisswa.
Finally, in the end, when Berlshenk began his plan against the Vorisswa, Khaadgrim resurfaced, and the two managed to get word from each other and create a pact to coordinate an offensive against the sinister organization. By Thrall's word, Khaadgrim became the lead investigator of searching and destroying the Vorisswa while Berlshenk took place as the Commander of the Mountainguard and headed the investigation from the Alliance's side. The Vorisswa had become so much of a threat that the two factions required to band together to hunt them down and destroy them. But, in truth, there was no deception coming from either of the two. Friendship had bonded them in blood, and they only sought to make Azeroth and beyond a better, peaceful world.