Durotan Horseskull
Durotan, son of Garad and Geyah, was the chieftain of the HorseSkull clan, mate of Draka and father of the future Warchief Thrall.
History
Rise of the horde (childhood)
Young Durotan saw Draka after she was born and his mother Geyah told him to bless Draka. He did so but noticed that she was ill. From the three brothers, Ga'nar and Fenris, Durotan was the one who embraced family and tradition most. Durotan became the heir of the HorseSkull clan when Fenris vanished and Garad chose Durotan instead of hot-headed Ga'nar, in the years prior to the rise of the Horde. During a Kosh'harg festival, he met a Blackrock orc named Orgrim, son of Telkar Doomhammer, and the two became fast friends despite belonging to different clans. Some time later, Durotan met Draka once more after she had overcome her illness. Durotan was smitten at first sight, not believing that she could be a member of his clan. Though rebuffed (at first) when asking her to join him on a courtship hunt, the two eventually mated.Lords of War
Long before the opening of the Dark Portal, the HorseSkull clan would hunt in the Savage Savannah and move their location. One time, his mother was bitten by a Garkain which caused her to be diseased. While his brother Ga'nar wanted to leave her to die a natural death and move the clan out of the area, Durotan couldn't do that. After Ga'nar left, he and Geyah's companion, Stormfang (a wyvern) remained with her and tended to her. At some point, a lone wyvern attacked them but the two killed the beast. Durotan knew that a whole pack would attack soon, so he prepared for the battle. When they attacked, he lost control over his anger and fell to bloodlust. While he killed everything that moved, Geyah awoke. After hearing her, he focused once more and found out that he killed Stormfang too. It is said that since that day, he wore Stormfang's skull to the end of his days as a reminder of loyalty and of a threat of savagery.Rise of the Horde (adulthood)
Some time later, Durotan's father Garad was killed in battle against a group of ogres, and Durotan became the chieftain of the HorseSkull Clan. It was not long after this that Ner'zhul, the spiritual leader of the orcs and chieftain of the Shadowmoon clan, called the clan chieftains and shaman. Ner'zhul told them what he believed the ancestors revealed to him - that the elves and humans were enemies of the orcish people. This was part of an elaborate scheme concocted by the demon lord Baphomet. During a battle in which they were defeated by elven forces, the HorseSkull shaman realized they had been cut off from the spirits. Durotan and Draka took this as a sign that something was seriously wrong, even though Ner'zhul had told them the ancestors had told them that this was a just war. It was at this time that the orcs - under the guidance of the ambitious Gul'dan, Ner'zhul's apprentice - began to take the path of demonic magic. Durotan, not seeking to bring attention to himself by opposing the official stance, allowed Drek'Thar and his shaman to receive the demonology training. Through Gul'dan's manipulation - empowered by Baphomet - the clans were united into the Horde, and several clan chieftains, including Durotan, ran for the position of Warchief. However, the clear favorite (and thus the one who received that title) was the battle-hungry Blackhand, chieftain of the Blackrock Clan. No one knew, of course, that Blackhand was in fact Gul'dan's puppet. Blackhand ordered Durotan to assault an elven city, which was close to the HorseSkull clan grounds. Durotan had seen the elven guard captain pull a green crystal from a hidden place in the forest floor - Leafshadow, which projected an illusion that hid the city from external threats. Durotan reluctantly agreed to dispell the illusion, as he remembered the dispell formula, and thus the Horde sacked the city and killed everyone they could find. Gul'dan called the clans to partake of Baphomet's "gift" - the blood of Baphomet. Durotan—having been warned by the now-subservient Ner'zhul - refused to partake. Durotan and Draka visited Geyah. Draka told her she was pregnant and Durotan added that he would be named as Go'el.HorseSkull defiance
The HorseSkull initially fought against the humans alongside the other clans, but their destiny did lie with the Horde. Gul'dan later confronted Durotan in secret. The corrupted orc told him that his clan was no longer part of the Horde and that the HorseSkull had to leave immediately. If they ever returned, if they ever contacted any member of the Horde, Gul'dan promised to destroy every HorseSkull male, female, and child. Durotan was loath to part from his fellow orcs, but he had just learned that his mate, Draka, was pregnant. He did not want to risk her, or their unborn child, by testing Gul'dan. And he knew why Gul'dan was letting them live for if Durotan were killed, it would make him a martyr and give his warning weight among the rest of the Horde. Apparently accepting their fate, Durotan and the HorseSkull clan settled west of the Savage Savannah. While there, Drek'Thar had forsaken the path of the demon and was able to regain the favor of the spirits, and return to shamanism. In the year 1211 BD, Draka, Durotan's mate and most stalwart supporter, gave birth to Durotan's son and heir, the orc who would become known as Thrall. Realizing that there was far more at stake now that his legacy would live on, Durotan decided to take action against the evil Gul'dan, and made a meeting with the only other orc who had stood by him: Orgrim Doomhammer. Durotan explained what he knew - about Gul'dan, the Shadow Council, the demonic bargain, and Orgrim decided it was time to stop the evil warlock. He urged Durotan and Draka to take shelter in the north until he sent word to them. Orgrim commanded his guards to accompany the HorseSkull on their journey home and keep them safe. That would be a mistake that Orgrim would regret to his dying day. His guards were not loyal to him, but to the Shadow Council. The guards had heard every word between Orgrim and his visitors. They decided they didn't need Gul'dan's permission to eliminate the HorseSkull - clearly, he would want Durotan, Draka, and their child dead. After traveling north for several days, the guards fell upon Durotan and Draka. The HorseSkull fought bitterly against their attackers, killing one of them. But the remaining guards struck down Durotan and Draka, and Go'el was left to die in the hot savannah. With his arms sliced off to prevent him from holding his child again, Durotan died slowly as the lifeblood drained out of him, the last thought in his mind being a sense of relief that he would not see his son torn apart by the creatures of the savannah.Legacy
Durotan is buried in the Savage Savannah, under a monument known as the Rock of Durotan. The inscription on the memorial plaque reads:"Here lies Durotan - Chieftain of the HorseSkull Clan, and father of our honored Warchief, Thrall. He was the bravest of our kind - betrayed by those who would see our people enslaved. Durotan gave his life that our freedom might be gained. We honor him - and the legacy he passed onto us through his son."
Family tree
Relationships
Durotan Horse Skull
Titles
Chieftan of the Horse Skull (formerly)
Race
Orc
Sex
Male
Alignment
Chaotic Good
Life
1248 AD
1210 BD
-2458 years old
Spouses
Draka horseskull
(spouse)
Siblings
Children
Comments