[Story and bio] Kanni, the Savagekin

[Deleted]

Kanni was born into the Darkspear tribe, when they still lived in Stranglethorn Vale. As a child she was bitten by a spider and fell prey to a fever, one that held her in its grip for nearly a month. Due to clan rivalries, the dwindling tribe was being pushed further and further towards the sea. Their leader, Sen'jin, was forced to make a terrible decision: the Darkspear would set off in search of new lands to call their home, but they would leave behind those that could slow them down.

Kanni was carried into the jungle by her mother, who told her they were seeking a cure for her illness. She left the unsuspecting child near some ancient ruins. She lied that she would return soon with a healing plant. With tears in her eyes she kissed her daughter goodbye.

The young troll wasn't fooled. She started crying out her mother's name, but noone answered. She started dragging herself along the ground towards the woods, too weak to walk. Finally she collapsed into a dreamless sleep.

She awoke a couple of hours later, to the sound of drums and horns. The Darkspears' drums and horns. She had been left behind.

With her last reserves of strength she called out to the loa. Lukou, the loa of healing, didn't answer, and neither did Hethiss, Hir'eek, and Bethekk. She was just about to call to Bwonsamdi to take her spirit, when she heard a voice echo in her mind. The being presented himself as Shirvallah, the tiger god. He offered her life and power, if she would only pledge herself to him. Kanni's heart raced. Surely there must be some price to pay, she thought. Shirvallah assured her he would not take her soul or force her into servitude. Still suspicious, Kanni nonetheless agreed.

Spasms as she had never felt before gripped her. She lay on the ground, shaking and puking. She could feel something was wrong, she feared the loa had lied to her and would now torture her for all eternity. She tried opening her eyes, but they were crusted shut. Incredible pain raced through her body, especially her hands and feet. She felt the skin break on the tips of her fingers and toes, the warm blood pumping from the wounds. And then... it was all over. Grateful that the torture was at an end, Kanni passed out again.

She found herself lying on her back. Her clothes lay around her in tatters. She raised her hand to wipe away the mucus and spit covering her face, and screamed. The blood-covered limb was... transformed. The forearm and hand were covered in thick, tiger-like fur, each finger ending in a sharp claw.

Then something dawned upon her. The fever was gone.

She quickly checked the rest of her body. Her feet had been changed in much the same way, but it was the twitching tail that made her realise what had happened. Shirvallah had been true to his word. He had cleansed her of the disease. However, she had to pay a price. She would never again be able to walk among her own kind. Forevermore she would be half-troll and half-beast.

Kanni lifted herself onto her feet with ease. She took a few uneasy steps, the first since the spider's bite. Joy filled her heart, but she quickly sombered when she remembered the horns signalling the Darkspears' departure. Without another thought, she ran towards the shore.

She smelled smoke. No, not just smoke... burning flesh. Cautiously and slowly she continued towards the camp.

What remained of the village was on fire. It had mostly been robbed of anything valuable already. Bodies of the Darkspear had been piled onto a pyre and were now burning indiscriminately. The old, the young, the ill, even the infants... none of those that stayed behind had been spared. She felt the rage rising. The Darkspear had abandoned her, and she hated them for it. But this... who would do such a thing to a whole tribe?

Then she noticed two of the plunderers that were still searching the rubble for anything of value. Their red warpaint and multitude of bone necklaces, some splattered with blood, made their allegiance obvious.

Bloodscalp.

They were much larger than her, being fully grown males. She could never take them on and live.

I gave you the gift. I gave you the power. Use it now. Shirvallah's words rang in her ears. Kanni felt a surge of strength as she leaped onto the clearing.

At first the warriors were surprised, but then one chuckled. He insulted her, called her a weak little girl. She stood still, not even blinking, while the scavengers moved in for what they thought would be an easy kill.

As they came closer, one of the warriors stopped. He shouted at his companion that something was wrong. The child was like nothing he had ever seen before. The other troll paid him no heed and charged.

With lightning speed she evaded the long spear's blade and leaped behind the surprised Skullsplitter. She dodged another attack. And another. The attacker was getting vexed. His attacks became more and more erratic. In one smooth move she snatched his spear away from him. Before his eyes she broke the weapon in two. The warrior bellowed a warcry and lunged for her.

A ripping sound echoed in the silence. The huge troll stumbled and grabbed at his gut. Kanni had ripped the flesh and skin apart in a single strike. His guts were spilling out of the open wound.

With a savage cry she leaped onto the fallen warrior and tore him apart. His blood splattered her from head to toe. The feeling was beyond ecstatic.

She turned to the other Skullsplitter and started growling softly. The wide-eyed troll threw away his weapon and ran away from what he surely thought was a demon.

Still filled with the primal, animalistic rage Kanni started feasting on the dead Skullsplitter. After she had eaten her fill, she went to the water and washed the blood off her fur and skin. She then doused the pyre. The beasts of the jungle would give the tribesmen a sort of burial... sooner or later.

With a feral cry she ran to embrace her destiny.

***

She began prowling the jungles, hunting and honing her skills. She ate whatever she managed to catch, be it raptor, crocolisk, human, goblin, or even troll. The great cats of Stranglethorn, while not quite friendly, never attacked her. Such was the gift of Shirvallah.

Gradually she found it easier and easier to run on all fours while pursuing her prey. The claws also enabled her to climb trees and stalk her prey from above.

One day, when she was lying in cover among the branches, she felt a slight tremor, and her instincts screamed out in fear. The vale itself was prone to earthquakes, but this... there was something wrong with it.

Her prey seemed to feel it too. The large gorilla lifted its head and yelled. Then it ran off into the hills.

Puzzled she climbed down the tree. Another tremor, this time stronger, shook the trees. And another one. The shocks continued, each stronger than the last. Mindless panic grabbed her and she ran. All the beasts of the jungle did likewise, prey and predator trying to escape with their lives. Ancient trees were felled in a matter of seconds by this unnatural earthquake.

And the world... was shattered.

After the vale settled down, she went to survey the damage. Much of the jungle had been torn down, ancient trees shattered. In the very middle of her hunting ground, the earth had given way and a giant crater now housed a swirling maelstrom.

For the second time in her life, her world was breaking apart. The lands she loved so much were transformed. The wildlife found it hard to accept the changes. More and more often she found the prey already alert to her presence, indeed to the presence of any predator. The fear she felt was mirrored by every single beast of Stranglethorn.

She hadn't managed to catch anything for the whole day. Getting desperate she moved closer to one of the newer settlements, one that she had only ever observed from afar. Luck smiled on her, for she noticed a raptor that seemed oblivious to the danger hiding in the shadows. But just as she was about to strike, a large tiger leaped out of a nearby bush. It sank its teeth in the raptor's neck and with a single bite ripped its head off.

She was bothered by the beast's demeanor. Something didn't seem right. For a while she followed this newcomer. It was obviously hunting with the instincts of a predator... but the mind of a hunter.

Then she made one fatal mistake. She came too close, and the tiger caught her scent. She knew it instantly by the way the cat tensed. Thinking she had nothing to lose, she charged at the large beast. The tiger looked shocked at being attacked. It barely managed to dodge her attack. She quickly had it on the defensive.

She had never before fought anything like this before. It seemed to have a good idea of what her next move would be. Not an instinctive knowledge either, this foe was obviously thinking and predicting her attacks. Suddenly it whirled and hit her with its bulk, throwing her to the ground. As she was about to jump onto her feet again, the beast leaped. She rolled away to avoid the attack, and noticed that it hadn't been aiming at her. It landed several feet away from where she had been lying. Then something extraordinary happened.

The beast... changed. Its fur shortened, and its body turned into that of... a troll! She was speechless. Wide-eyed she listened as the shapeshifter tried to speak to her in a rough language she couldn't understand. Noticing that, the troll shook his head and changed the language. She recognised it this time. It was Zandali.

Not only that, it was the Darspear dialect.

She screamed with fury and leaped at the Darkspear's throat. Or would have, if large vines hadn't creapt out of the undergrowth and bound her to the ground. Furiously she growled and spat as the troll continued talking.

Kanni had been away from civilisation for a long time. She barely understood her own language. After a long time, the troll managed to explain to her that he was indeed a Darkspear, apparently the tribe was slowly returning to claim its due. She still eyed him furiously, the vines constricting her so tightly that she couldn't move an inch. The wretched being smiled. »Tharazzi« he said, pointing at his chest. It wasn't a word she had ever heard before, so she assumed it to be his name.

»What be yar tribe?« he asked. She spat again. Through a throat that had for years been used for growling and roaring she barely managed to articulate: »Traitor tribe.« »And which one dat be?« asked Tharazzi. She grinned viciously. »Darkspear,« she muttered.

The troll was shocked. He couldn't fathom that this unclothed half-beast could have once been a member of his tribe. He urged Kanni to tell him her story. »Child. Child want die. Shirvallah find. Give gift. Give life. Live with...« She growled.

»So, ya was... dying. Shirvallah found ya. He saved ya... changed ya. And ya lived with...« He stopped for a moment, and she growled once again. »Ya lived with da beasts.« She barely managed to nod. The shapeshifter took a deep breath. »Ya gotta come with me. I... I wanna know more of yar story. Understand?« She only understood that he wanted to take her with him. Nonetheless she nodded.

The vines ripped themselves out of the ground. She was still immobile though as the troll lifted her onto his shoulder. He shifted into his tiger shape and ran towards the settlement with the bound Kanni lying across his back.

***

»What she be?« »I... I have never seen anyting like dis before. She ain't one of us, dat be for sure.«

»She be a savagekin.« The last voice was female. Kanni couldn't see the speaker. She had been bound to a table with the strange vines that had obeyed Tharazzi's commands. It was him that spoke now. »What be a savagekin?« »A savagekin be a druid dat don't necessarily know what she truly be. She don't change forms, she be halfway between dem at all times.« A finger touched her forehead and she struggled to bite it. »Blessed by Shirvallah I see. Full of fire. And... one of us. If what she told us be true, den she musta been left behind when da tribe was forced outta Stranglethorn.« The female's face entered her vision now. »We gonna let ya go now. Please, if dere still be anyting dat made ya troll, anyting at all, let it hold ya back. We don't wanna hurt ya.«

The constricting vines loosened, and with a single swipe she was rid of them. She was on her feet now, baring her claws and growling softly at the gathered trolls. The female spoke again. »Listen child. Yar story is a sad one. Da tribe... da tribe be sorry for all we done to ya.« Kanni laughed, the sound more akin to the cry of a jungle bird than actual laughter. »Sorry? Ya sorry for all? Ya sorry for dis?« She held out a hand, and the claws glimmered in the torchlight. »Ya, we be sorry. Listen. Me be Zen'tabra, and dese be da druids. Close yar eyes, child.« Kanni shook her head. »I close eyes, ya attack. I no close eyes.« Zen'tabra chuckled. »Den look at us, look at us closely. Look at us through the eyes of Shirvallah.«

Several of the 'druids' had shifted into their feline forms. A host of tigers and panthers was observing her. She felt her link to Shirvallah. She called upon him to gift her with his sight. And she saw it.

All of the gathered trolls, every single one of them, had been given his gift. They had all embraced the powers of the wild, the teachings of the loa. Zen'tabra smiled. »Now ya know. Now ya see who we truly be. Welcome, child.«

Kanni couldn't hold back her tears. For all those years, she didn't really understand, didn't see. She had been a pariah, half-beast half-troll, cursed to wander the lands alone. And here... here were her tribesmen. Her people. Her kind.

She had come home.

***

Name: Kanni

Allignment: Chaotic Neutral

Race/Class: Troll Druid

Physical appearance: Kanni is a greenish-blue-skinned female of average height. Her hair is red. The characteristics that most set her apart from others of her kind are the 'gifts of Shirvallah', tiger-like paws instead of hands and feet, and a tiger's tail. She also has slightly darker tufts of hair at the tips of her ears. Before she was accepted back into the Darkspear tribe she shunned all clothing, having spent years nude in the wilderness. Nowadays she prefers kilts and fur-lined clothing.



Personality: Volatile and feral. She was barely dissuaded from cannibalism, which is prohibited within the New Horde. She does not have many friends, but is fiercely devoted to them. She finds it hard to trust anyone, especially Goblins. She hates other Troll tribes, especially the Skullsplitter and Amani. She loves all types of cats, be they the tigers of Stranglethorn, lynxes of Eversong, or a common household cat. On her first visit to Silvermoon she was thrilled at the number of house-cats present, and was constantly accompanied by an army of them.

Skills: She is very proficient in hand-to-hand combat, and has a huge advantage against most opponents, in the form of her claws. Since being accepted as a Darkspear she has also mastered shapeshifting, most often taking on the form of a tiger. She can call upon vines and roots to entangle her enemies, but prefers to fight as a beast would. She cannot shift into a pure Troll form.

Languages: She can remember the Darkspear dialect of Zandali, but speaks slowly. She can speak broken Orcish.

[trulte]

A good read as always Lokann, really enjoyed it

And now you have made me wanting to start a troll druid... but cata is not out :/

[The Madgod]

does this mean you're going to start RPing, considering it's a partial profile? :P

[Deleted]

A good read as always Lokann, really enjoyed it

And now you have made me wanting to start a troll druid... but cata is not out :/

Thanks!

And can you guess the name I've reserved for my druid?

does this mean you're going to start RPing, considering it's a partial profile? :P

Quite possibly yes, I love that I can go crazy with Kanni, and, check it out, still stay in-character!

Though I'm probably gonna create an alternate account if I do so.

[The Madgod]

Quite possibly yes, I love that I can go crazy with Kanni, and, check it out, still stay in-character!

Though I'm probably gonna create an alternate account if I do so.

*looks at your "Likes to role play" title and does a double-take*

[Deleted]

*looks at your "Likes to role play" title and does a double-take*

Well ya, but then it would seem a tad weird if I was Kanni and Lokann with Hani in my sig.

Mindfuck incoming!

[trulte]

Well ya, but then it would seem a tad weird if I was Kanni and Lokann with Hani in my sig.

Mindfuck incoming!

It is not that weird, and not that a mindfuck

[Deleted]

It is not that weird, and not that a mindfuck

But then I won't have a sweet 'I eet ur faes' avatar and sweet siggie!

[trulte]

But then I won't have a sweet 'I eet ur faes' avatar and sweet siggie!

Well you decide anway, but i think all the rpers would not be confused at least

[Deleted]

Well you decide anway, but i think all the rpers would not be confused at least

Meh, her story (as in the part that I could RP) only really kicks in after the Cataclysm in any case, so I guess I have some time to think it through.

Anyhow, bedtime for me.

[trulte]

Meh, her story (as in the part that I could RP) only really kicks in after the Cataclysm in any case, so I guess I have some time to think it through.

Anyhow, bedtime for me.

Well nn then

should probably get some sleep too, but i still got some homework >_<

[Deleted]

Oh yeah, added a little something about the languages she speaks, because I feel it's quite important.

And now, g'night for real.

[Deleted]

Alternate account up and running!

[The Madgod]

bah! Should have kept using Lokann for the account, that way we can brag about more famous people being active roleplayers, with proof to back up said claim :P

Anyway did you submit an app?

[Deleted]

bah! Should have kept using Lokann for the account, that way we can brag about more famous people being active roleplayers, with proof to back up said claim :P

Anyway did you submit an app?

Damn, gotta do that, almost forgot.

BRB, relogging...

[The Madgod]

accepted it :P

[Deleted]

accepted it :P

T'ank ya mon! :3

[The Madgod]

T'ank ya mon! :3

you're welcome :P

[Vanch]

Great read. Should be an interesting character for you to rp. Trolls are great to play anyway, I love my Voodoo/assassin Troll character.

[Phenomina]

Fantastic read

Good use of loa's and I like the fact she is stuck with the feral paws