Ronin

In the pursuit of the greater good, inaction is the only wrong. - Master Zurong

Summary of Cause

Those who take up the mantle of the Ronin dedicate themselves to an initiative formed by Chyou-ka Cliffseeker. She did so with the intent of granting her kin the chance to fight for causes which they believe in, without the fear of being coerced into kneeling before a single master. In addition, the Mentor Chyou'ka took it upon herself to put her experience and position as a Champion within the Horde to use, providing training for her kin to ensure they would be a squad capable of executing missions beyond the abilities of typical grunts. For the Ronin, every action is an individual choice that validates their ancestors and comrades; yet those who require aid themselves can always call upon their fellow warriors, so long as they too believe in the righteousness of the battle. Since their founding in 33ADP, they've proven themselves persistent, pious, and stoic defenders of Pandaria, as well as upholders of the Huojin ideals. Never have they rested on their laurels when villainous or deceptive evil attempts to sink its talons into the innocent, nor have they neglected their duty to their allies abroad, or to those who have sought them out for succor. Proof of their deeds lies across the land – in the graves of those rogues who opposed them and the words of those who were preserved by their benevolent intercession. They've been witnessed traveling across Pandaria on a pilgrimage to the Celestials, helping those along the way. So too have they been seen defending the land and Vale against the most otherworldly of threats that arose to face her, both alone and alongside the forces of the Horde. Their deeds continue to grow. The prowess and ability of the Ronin have been tried and tested in the crucible of war. That the pandaren still have a powerful voice and presence is undeniable. It only remains to be seen what the fruit of the Huojin's influence will be.

Azerite Mantid Sabotage

The first of the Ronin's recorded ventures consisted of a force of the earliest volunteers, Black Silks, and the Fallen Leaf nationalists traveling over the Serpent's Spine to investigate the Mantid's increasing Azerite harvest. In doing so they slew the Empress' Blade, Krek'nyk, and uncovered the creation of an azerite-empowered sap which could mutate the Mantid's larvae into large and terrible earth-churners, capable of burrowing great tunnels beneath the ground, which would allow them to cross under the wall and wreak havoc on Pandaria's bountiful east. The flaw, however, proved to be the very azerite that was infused within the grubs. It proved highly volatile, and as a result, caused them to explode spectacularly if heated up to a specific degree. After sabotaging the burrow-grub production plants inside the hollowed Kypari they triggered a chain reaction that resulted in the grubs detonating and collapsing the inside of the trees. The collective pressed on beneath the Heart of Fear and found another project, with mantid sacrificing themselves to mutate a Kunchong,Vel'ka Buba, and infuse it with azerite. The fighters themselves deigned to use the World's blood to their advantage, and were eventually able to take the creature down and leave, but not without the rage of the new Empress reverberating throughout the hollow. Of course, she too would meet her end when N'zoth rose. The defenders of the Vale and heroes of the Horde and Alliance bound together to take her down when she dared trespass upon the Gate of the Setting Sun.

The Root of All Evil – An Opening

This mission was among those initial forays supported solely by the Ronin. Seven of the oldest Black Silks to volunteer their arms, including the Mentor Chyou'ka herself, set a course for Ashenvale. There had been reports of slowed lumber operations due to the disappearance of laborers; the subsequent loss of a separate scouting party prompted outside intervention. A sickness was spreading through the woods. Pulsating red vines strangled the trees. The forest was dying, and it didn’t take much for Ronin to connect the dots. Following a series of clues through a forest thick with the stench of rot, the group eventually came across a Barrow Den, its tunnels caked in the corrupting vines. They learned from the tormented remains of a night elf “survivor”, being consumed by these vines, that an unknown trickster had promised to help them defeat the Horde. Desperate for a victory, they opened up their hearts to the being and found those hearts being used as a battery to bring about the demise of the forest they swore to protect, consuming the life of all things its endless vines ensnared. After a long and arduous pursuit through the maze of corrupted roots, the Pandaren finally found its heart and destroyed it with much effort. The vines devouring the forest withered along with it. Though the woods were saved to be warred over another day, the unknown being which brought about this corruption still went free. The Ronin remained alert, ready to pursue and end it once and for all another day.

Theatres of War: Weapons of Wonder

This prolonged battle which took place in the Storm Peaks marked the Ronin's introduction to many of the forces they would battle beside – and against – into the future, including the 13th Ogrimmar Grunt Infantry, the former 3rd Tirisfal Queensguard, and the Assemblage of Uld. The Fourth War was, by this point, taking its toll on both the Horde and Alliance. In an effort to speed up its conclusion armed forces were deployed to recover a cache of forgotten Titan artifacts discovered by one Telzo Sparkspanner deep in the frozen north. The Ronin crashed along with the rest of the Horde forces in a zeppelin. Though their transport was reduced to smithereens a remarkable number of soldiers and supplies survived intact, and several days of battle were able to be waged. They first witnessed the Red Venturers at work here, too, and beheld many grim realities of warfare at the hands of the Alliance machines. Yet the Ronin did not shrink from challenges, instead of rising to distinguish themselves on many occasions and avenging the spirits of the wrongly slain taunka villagers. Fights sparked across the peaks, from icy valleys to the depths of the Engine of the Makers. In the end, the Horde was successful in making off with the relic cache – no small thanks in part to the efforts of the Ronin. Once returning to Orgrimmar the Mountainpass Twins, Fengluo and Fenchuo, Chyou'ka, as well as Cao Hao Plunderpaw, earned some of their first medals in recognition of their valiant efforts. The officers of the 3rd Queensguard – the Rotgarde – pinned them to their chests. Despite being thousands of miles from their home, amongst foreigners, fighting for lands not their own, the Ronin refused to shirk the oaths sworn to their comrades. It was their pride to carry the spark of honor forward into the darkness.

Battle with the Assemblage of Uld in Kun-Lai

After their performance in the Storm Peaks, it was Ronin's honor to be informed swiftly when new threats emerged in the far south. The Assembalge of Uld, that cabal of gnomes and dwarves, had set off for Kun-Lai to plunder a mogu cannon artifact to fuel their own Titanic obsessions. Since they were suitably warned beforehand the Black Silks were able to put their native knowledge of the mountains to use and ambush the Assemblage during their exploration. A wicked snowstorm obscured their approach but made a decisive battle difficult, and each party was forced to seek refuge inside tombs or caves. For a day and a night the two forces did battle, until, in the depths of a mogu emperor's burial room, the Assemblage succeeded in deactivating the lock which kept the treasury sealed. However, their efforts were to be for naught, as Heaven had sided with the Ronin before the battle began. Though the Assemblage unlocked the resting place of the destructive weapon, it was revealed to have long since been rendered inoperable by age, and there was nothing for them to leave with other than deteriorated remains and the bitter taste of humbled pride. The Ronin saw them driven from Pandaria's shores with uncompromising righteousness and were not quick to forget the reckless deeds of the Assemblage.

Notable members

Fengluo Mountainpass Hyarin Rainheart

Type

Military, Armed Forces

Leadership:

Chyou'ka Clifseeker (Mentor)

Status: Active

Headquarters: Honeydew Village & Huojin Pavillion, Valley of Honour

Affiliation: The Horde/Pandaria

Allies

Painted Shields

Ronin

From a terrible history of war and suffering bloomed a great friendship between trolls and the Pandaren Silks, aiding each other's homelands on the regular and becoming one of the most impressive bonds of forces within the Saurfang Legion.