Aki'Jin

Full Name: Aki'Jin Nickname: Aki Race: Forest Troll Tribe: Revantusk

Backstory: The last of the Bloodhowl mercenaries entered the tavern. They made sure everyone knew whom they were and what they were about. The once cheerful atmosphere changed and more than one group of people left. The owner of the tavern was about to ask the men to leave when he thought better of it. “So what’s the deal ‘ere mate, we ‘avn’t heard from you in months!” one of the four men blurted out. The tavern was practically empty now; only the four mercenaries, the barmaid, tavern owner and an old man who had passed out at the back of the tavern were left. “Not my fault, it was ‘ard gatherin’ all this info! Some of it I know is true, but some might be made up…” He was cut of by one of the others, “Made up? Just wha’ the bloody ‘ell ‘ave you been up to all this time!?” He said and spat on the ground next to him. The old man who was passed out now awoke because of all this commotion. He was surprised to see the tavern so empty and even more surprised to see the Bloodhowl gang sitting there. He remained quiet, hoping they wouldn’t notice him. “Well, tell us wha’ ye’ve ‘eard then” One said. “Bah, ye go on” the one who spat, added. “Well” the Bloodhowl member said “it all started like this…”

When only a child Aki led a normal life for a male troll in the Revantusk tribe. His father Aku’dan and mother Zuba’jin lived in a small hut not far from the coast in the Hinterlands. Aki’s family were fisherman and he was destined to become a fisherman as skilled as his father. Unfortunately this was not to be. One night as he lay sleeping he heard a muffled cry and then his fathers voice yelling at Zabi’dun (his older sister) to flee and to take Aki with her. With this his sister burst into the room, terror filled her eyes almost as much as tears. She grabbed Aki by the arm and pulled his still half asleep body along side her. There they ran into the nearby forest for help and Aki could hear they were being followed. Dazed, frightened and confused Aki saw an axe hit the side of a tree right were Aki’s head would have been if he had not fallen over an old rotting tree trunk. His sister stopped running and shoved Aki forward yelling at him to continue onward to the nearby village and seek help. Aki, young and afraid, stumbled through the jungle with tears filling his eyes.

Aki finally managed to stumble into the village, it was early morning and the guards were half asleep. When they saw him fall down exhausted the quickly ran to him. They took him to a nearby hut where he was taken care of by an old woman who happened to be an herbalist, as he later learnt. When he was strong enough she told him that the guards found the little hut were his parents had been killed. The hut was burnt to the ground and as for his parents…she paused, and thinking better of telling a seven-year-old troll that they were beaten to death and eaten, instead told him they were gone. When Aki heard this he burst into tears asking who had done it and if his sister was still alive. She told him that she had no idea what had happened to Zabi’dun and that a raid party of the Vilebranch clan was responsible. There was no love loss between the Vilebranch clan and the Revantusk clan as Aki later learnt but at that moment he was so filled with hate that he got up and ran out of the hut leaving the old troll yelling after him to stop and think things through. Aki disappeared into the forest.

Aki approached the charred remains of his little hut sometime later, as he stumbled through the remains he found a silk cloth, which his mother always used to clean her hands after skinning fish. He picked it up and held it close. Even today you will find that close to his chest he carries that fish stained silk cloth. Aki saw his fathers fishing spear and picked it up, he wanted revenge for what the Vilebranch tribe had done to him and he wanted to find his lost sister Zabi. He saw a troll off in the distance and upon approaching it saw that the troll was holding Aki’s mothers’ nose piercing, made of gold and a small rare crystal found only in the Hinterlands. Aki thought, in his naïve childlike foolishness, that this was one of the Vilebranch tribesmen and without warning or sound lunched up from behind the Vilebranch troll and struck him with his fathers fishing spear. The troll gasped and fell to the ground dead. Aki sat next to the now dead troll sobbing. He later found out that it was not a Vilebranch troll but in fact another Revantusk troll simply scavenging for valuables. A local patrolling guard found him next to the dead troll with the spear in his hands. The guard forced Aki to return to the village with him where none other than Va’jin would judge him the underdog of Zul'jin who was leader of the Revantusk tribe. Aki was not found guilty persé but was sentenced to pay the trolls family for their loss. Aki had no way of doing so except by helping the old troll by trading her herbal remedies and potions to the trolls in the village on her behalf. He soon became an able herbalist himself and after her passing away took it upon himself to take over her tribal responsibilities while at the same time repaying the, somewhat greedy, troll family of whom he had killed their loved one.

One night, eight years later, he stumbled upon something that would change his life forever. He was out collecting an herb of some kind to make a glowing potion, which he would present as a gift to someone on their birthday. He managed to find the root, glowing brightly and as he collected it he heard a grunt from the shore close by. He stuck his head out behind a tree while remaining low to the ground. He saw a troll being overrun by a pack of wolves. The troll was obviously a strong warrior as Aki saw four wolves dead on the shore nearby. It was odd that they ventured so far out of the forest Aki thought but was snapped out of his daze by the sound of the troll warrior cursing and falling to his back with a wolf on top of him tearing away at his armour. Aki knew the warrior was destined to die and be mauled upon by the wolves! Aki, who saw this as a chance to redeem his honour to his tribe, leapt out from behind the trees and using a potion, which he brewed encase of an attack, went invisible. He rammed into the wolf, which was now inches away from the warriors neck and after that lunged at the second one stabbing it violently with a small knife he used to cut herbs with. The warrior both surprised and confused at this got up and with the last bit of energy he had left slayed the last standing wolf. The warrior then collapsed and the last thing he saw was Aki standing above him…

Aki carried the man to his little hut and tended to him, the next day the warrior felt better than ever and thanked Aki. He handed Aki two odd shaped golden circular objects, which he later learnt from a friend were gold coins. He used this to finally pay off his debts and felt his spirits lifted. A few days passed and a messenger approached him. Aki thought this was odd but invited the messenger inside. The messenger informed Aki that his presence was required at the small Revantusk outpost a few miles up into the forest. He went with the messager to the post and was met by the warrior whom he tended a few days before. The warrior introduced himself as Zul'jin. Aki’s jaw dropped and he bowed before the leader of the Revantusk tribe. He apologised for not doing so earlier but he had never seen Zul'jin in person before so he did not know what Zul'jin looked like. Zul'jin only laughed at this and asked Aki to rise. He spoke to Aki for a while, asking about his life and what he did to help the tribe.

Zul'jin learnt about the herbal talents that Aki possessed, he shook his head and told Aki that although he certainly was good at making potions of all kinds that the tribe needed warriors instead of witchdoctors more now than ever. With this Zul'jin made Aki an offer. He offered to train Aki to become a spy. He needed the information of not only the evil Vilebranch tribe but also the Darkspear tribe and many other places in the world. Aki had no time to answer as a troll guard burst into the hut and whispered something urgent into Zul'jins ear. Zul'jin looked up at Aki with a look of both despair and regret. He told Aki that the Vilebranch tribe had struck at Aki’s village leaving nothing but burning heaps of trolls and huts.

Aki went into a state of shock over the next few weeks but eventually came to his senses and asked Zul'jin about his offer. Soon Aki became one of the must well known spies in the Revantusk tribe, which wasn’t a good thing for a spy. However the sadistic and violent ways in which Aki worked made him both feared and admired. He soon became better known as an assassin rather than a spy. He blindly followed Zul'jin as they had become friends over the years. Zul'jin owed Aki his life and one day, when Aki got careless and stumbled into a trap Zul'jin repaid the favour by personally saving Aki’s life and by destroying his enemies. After this they shared a certain bond and Aki soon became Zul'jin’s faithful assassin and friend. At the age of twenty-eight, after years of faithfull serves Aki had enough of all the violence and retired in a small village called the San'Jun Village. The Darkspear tribe inhabited this village. Aki chose this place because this way he could still serve Zul'jin by gathering information on the Darkspear tribe, and better the bond between tribes by providing the Darkspear tribe with services such as herbalism and fishing. There really was no need to gather information though as the tribes shared a sturdy, honest alliance.

After the Murlocs attacked the village Aki was forced to leave his peaceful life, which consisted of fishing and teaching herbalism, and take up arms against them in order to defend his new home. Remembering his training he managed to kill many of them but they kept coming in swarms. The village was saved with the aid of the green creatures that called them selves Orc’s. Aki later learnt as much as possible about these creatures as they formed an alliance with the Darkspeak trolls. He informed Zul'jin of his findings. Although Aki always remained sceptical about new races he saw the leader of the “Horde” as a honourable man. He also saw, from the history of this race that they were fighting hard to find a place in the world where they could live in peace. Aki could relate to this and it sickened him that they had to fight to have something that all creatures should have by right, peace and safety.

Sharpening his daggers once again and arming himself with newly crafted armour and dangerous poisons he swore an oath to protect and serve both his leader Zul'jin to whom he owed his life and prestige and the leader of the orcish horde Thrall with hopes that someday they all could live in peace, free from killing and violence…

“Hahaha! The fool! Without killing or violence?” laughed one of the men. “Wot is he, mad?” blurted the other one. “Well this Aki’jin fella dun sound to tuff ta me!” said the leader of the gang. “I’m sure we’ll be able ta ‘andle him!” He looked behind him and saw the barmaid and tavern owner watching them. “Well, well, well, it seems lads, that we ‘ave a couple spies ‘ere!” he said with a grim smile. “Oh, no sir, we didn’t hear anything! Honest!” said the tavern owner “Well, I dun know, I fink ‘ou’ll have ta pay our way out o’ tis one mate.” The other one said laughing. “Oh and you poppet, you can pay in a different way, hehe” he added to the barmaid. They slowly drew their swords and the tavern owner was about to yell for help but just as he opened his mouth he saw a dark figure appeared behind the Bloodhowl gang. He was so shocked to see what happened next that the only words that escaped his mouth where “Oh dear…” The group of men advanced not noticing their friend being grabbed from behind and stabbed in the back. They didn’t even pay attention to the muffled cries for help. The dark figure now briefly stepped into the light, the tavern owner could see that it was larger than a human, and it had two long ears, almost like a night elf’s except that this figure had tusks. “A troll?” he asked himself puzzled. “Nice try mate.” Said one of the three remaining members. “But not goin ta work.” He added. Soon a second member of the gang was quickly and quietly swept into the shadows of the tavern without so much as a sound. “Ready for sum fun lads?” The leader asked. The only reply he got was a dagger flying into the only remaining member he had. The member fell to his knees and coughed up blood, his eye’s shook and bled and soon he fell to the ground shaking helplessly. The leader was so shocked that he spun around; he was met only by shadows. Then slowly the figure reappeared. “Me neva 'ad a sista mon…” the figure said, he spoke with such an odd voice, he couldn’t possibly be human because he sounded worse than a dwarf. “Who are ya?” the leader asked “and were the bleedin ‘ell are all my men?” he added in anger as he stormed the shadowy figure. The shadow simply leapt up into the air and landed behind the leader stabbing him with two daggers. The leader dropped his sword and fell to the floor dead. The troll took off his hood revealing a large black mohawk and let out an evil laugh while whipping the sweat off of his head with a silk cloth. The guards came bursting into the tavern alarmed by all the shouting. They were met with only four dead corpses, a stunned tavern owner, barmaid in shock and a drunken old man laughing his head off.