Shatterskull history. Years 1-7
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Shatterskull history. Years 1-7
by Catari Mon Jul 08, 2013 11:48 pm
As we're closing up on our 8th year anniversary i wanted to post the story of our glorious warband. Might be a dull history to those that dont know us. But here it is anyway!
Do note that some of the history is written a few years ago, so some of the information told as how things work now, is old news
Generation 1 – The New Age
In the beginning there was one. An old, wise and occasionally crazy troll known simply known as Zimvarj Blackscalp. The original Chief whose sole goal was to simply recruit a band of cut-throats and bandits whose main aim was to make a profit from those they killed and robbed on the road. It would be through these simple aims and beginnings that a war band would rise.
When Zimvarj had gathered a strong enough force of warriors, he promoted three of his closest men to the title of “Warcaller” – a title which remains to this day. He recruited Ebsi Blackscalp a powerful troll trained in the arts of magic, Sharuka Forgeclaw a brutal and proud orcish warrior and finally, a name which would be laid down in stone for the rest of time – Dorn, a shaman attuned to the spirits, his role – to guide the war band. It is from these four that the Shatterskull Marauders would rise to power.
At first it was small. The occasional village or outpost, but over time the stories of the Marauder brutality and efficiency swept through out the Horde, attracting further members to their cause. This in turn led to the sacking of even larger settlements until eventually the Shatterskull Marauders became recognised as an official war band of the Horde, who were particularly appreciated by Thrall by supplying gold and other rare items to his coffers.
However months later this had changed. The Battle of Mount Hyjal had seen an uneasy peace set up between the Horde and the Alliance, and one day the Marauders received a letter from Thrall. Its message was simple. Stop the fighting. To this day it is believed Thrall’s message was simple. That in a time of uneasy peace it would be far wiser to control the conflict behind the scenes rather than through the brutal conflicts associated with the Marauders.
Thrall’s words brought outrage to the original war band who immediately stepped up their attacks, leading a full on assault into the Arathi Highlands, pushing the Alliance back to the Thandol Span for a short amount of time. It was in this conflict one of the many enemy organisations of the Marauders emerged – The Essence of the Blade, who upon the capture of the Thandol Span immediately rallied together an army to push the Marauders out of the area, particularly Sharuka Forgeclaw who had gained the title “The Butcher of Thandol Span” for his ruthless executions of the prisoners captured during the initial push into the Arathi.
The army amassed was immense. Its full might pushed the Marauders back into the Arathi, all the way back to Hammerfall. This however was not the worst of their problems as in the conflict, Sharuka Forgeclaw fell – fighting until his very last breath.
Days after the Marauders retreat, plans were afoot to resurrect the fallen Warcaller. In the Pools of Vision in Thunderbluff the Chief Zimvarj through a sacrifice of elven blood brought the great Warcaller’s spirit back into his body. However the Warcaller was troubled by what he had experienced, and as a result moved out to the barren waste land of Desolace to live a reclusive life to find his true self. To this day older members of the warband speak of his return and how upon his return, the blood of all the Marauder’s enemies shall be spilt anew.
Weeks were to pass and in that time the Chieftain Zimvarj found himself becoming distant from the warband. There are many theories as to this. Some said it was the signs of the ravaging of age on the troll or that his attention had shifted. Either way, it was shortly announced that Zimvarj would step down as Chieftain of the Marauders and that with Ebsi one of the remaining two Warcallers, would venture north for reasons unknown. The day both Ebsi and Zimvarj were waved off from the shores of Fray Island were a sad one for the Marauders. Little did they know that soon they would be entering a brand new age.
Generation 2 – The Age of Legend
Only one remained of the original four. Only the Warcaller Dorn was left to raise the banner of the Shattered Skull high. Adopting the title of Chief, Dorn immediately began a new reign of bloody war upon the Alliance, by immediately retaking the previously lost Thandol Span from the Blackforge Clan – a group of dark iron dwarves allied to the Alliance for their own ends. It was on the Thandol Span that Dorn would call up the next generation of Warcallers to serve the cause. Like his predecessor he chose three – Nighter a female undead, chosen for her ruthless drive and determination, Khasha an orc huntress chosen for her dedication to the warband and Bartolome a tauren hunter chosen for his heart and passion even in the face of bitter war.
It was in these days that many of the old Marauders of today joined the warband. The likes of Thrakmar, Norgon, Zulgenji, Thergaron and Evicor as well as the infamous Mizhara, would all begin their stories in the warband under the leadership of Dorn.
A one year old warband proceeded to celebrate their birth by raiding Zul’Gurub with their numerous allies for kegs of Darkmoon brew as well as the compulsory raid on the alliance! Furthermore their old Chief was to return shortly, his spirit rejuvenated one last time before his final passing away on the banks of his home with his family.
However the death of their former Chief did not stop the warband. Not only were they recruited to guard the many plays put on by the infamous Dancing Cavaliers, furthermore they went on to become one of the founding societies of the infamous “Plunda Klub” – an organisation which aimed to hunt some of the most powerful and richest threats to the world.
Furthermore the conflicts continued. The Marauders found a new enemy in the form of the Knights of Lordaeron and initially engaged them in the Alliance owned Redridge Mountains attacking from the flanks. Hours later the battle had ended and both forces retreated to lick their wounds.
However conflict with the Alliance was one thing. Little did the Marauders know that conflict was brewing within the Horde as a new enemy known simply as “Clan Eshin” emerged under the leadership of a being known as the Night Haunter, a ruthless creature who possessed the body of a tauren simply known as Kharn Blackeye. The Marauders and Eshin were to become worst enemies when Night Haunter and his lackies invaded one of their meetings determined to under mind the leadership and power of the warband.
Shortly after the initial expeditions into Outland began and the Marauders were some of the first through the portal to begin what would become the long battle with the demon lord Illidan.
However even as Illidan and the Burning Legion threatened both Outland and Azeroth, the warband faced a serious predicament when their Chieftain Dorn was taken hostage by the Night Haunter along with the troll Zulgenji. The warband was to discover the scale of the atrocities committed by Eshin and along with many allies including the Vile Thorn, Light Watch and Arcane Sanctum, were able to bring the Clan crashing down to the ground, and their leader – the Night Haunter was slain never to be seen again, and Kharn Blackeye was able to return to the world. With no other organisation willing to take the tauren under their wing after the previous events, the Chieftain Dorn took a risky strategy, by taking the young male in, much to the dismay of many members of the warband who had suffered at his hand.
It was during this time that many Marauders drifted away from the warband including a number of Warcallers, who wished to focus on the battle erupting in Outland. It was also during this time that the Marauders saw their darkest hour, when on its second Birthday, they proceeded to bring death to the Alliance, in Hillsbrad, the Arathi and finally the Thandol Span albeit with far fewer numbers then had been seen previously and it was upon the bridge of the Thandol Span that Dorn turned with the Warcaller Ruus, a loyal dedicated forsaken warlock to the Marauders announced:
“I step down from my position as Chief...”
And with that the Warband and the world turned silent.
Generation 3 – The Dark Age
Unlike previously, the successor was no longer clear. No more Warcallers remained, and those marauders amassed on the Thandol Span itself, were the only dedicated few left. Dorn turned to three specifically and eyed them with a grin and asked each to step forward in turn. First was Norgon Bloodfist – an orcish warrior and engineer, whose blood thirst echoed that of Sharuka Forgeclaw previously. Next was Zulgenji Gen’Zultuk – an ice mage of the highest calibre who was chosen for his courage of heart. Finally one other was chosen, with Dorn selecting Thrakmar Ragethunder to step forward, a one eyed orc shaman whose skill in battle and tactics was unprecedented. Eyeing the three Dorn spoke clearly:
“I now declare you as the Warcaller Council. All three of you shall rule over the warband in your individual areas. May you bring death to our enemies”
The Warband cheered – a new age was to begin. At first it was great. The Marauders continued to pour into the Alliance territories attacking and looting once more.
Furthermore when the child of an Alliance warrior known as “Fenton” of the Shadow of the Phoenix was taken hostage by a guild known as “Consequence”, the warband rallied to the sides of both factions, as some declared that in war, no child should come to harm while others prepared Fray Island for the battle against the Alliance and their former allies. Eventually the Horde’s forces (along with a good proportion of the warband) were defeated on the Island as the child managed to escape to safety with her family. However to the benefit of the many who defected during the battle, many were allowed to return to their old stations with only a warning.
However this peace was not to be long lasting:
Although all three were suppose to act as a council, the Warcallers bickered amongst one another as to how to direct the warband. This was particularly true of Zulgenji and Thrakmar, who each had their own distinct ways of pushing the warband further. However as new members began to join the ranks it was clear one of the three would have to take up the mantle of Chief. At first it was suggested Thrakmar, but at the time the old orc had been pre-occupied with other matters regarding the Horde and Norgon Bloodfist, although a fine warrior appeared to be too headstrong for warband leadership. So the eyes of the world turned to Zulgenji Gen’Zultuk to take up the mantle of Chief, with both Norgon and Thrakmar taking up the mantle of Warcaller still – his closest advisors.
A new age was about to glimmer into life:
Generation 4 – The Age of Ice
With Zulgenji now taking up the title of “Chief” and “Frostlord”, a new age for the warband began. The warband’s numbers had dwindled in the last few months and for the first time Zulgenji promoted only one of the Marauders to the rank of “Warcaller”. Surprisingly to most this was to be the former Night Haunter – Kharn Blackeye, a peaceful albeit lustful and overly emotional tauren warrior.
The first thing the new Chieftain brought in was a brand new age of recruitment and diplomatic negotiations, as Zulgenji proceeded to bolster the warband’s numbers anew with many members who reside within the warband to this day. Furthermore Zulgenji opened up negotiations with a number of organisations and guilds including the Wolverines and Vile Thorn, in a bid to work with them in attacking far larger Alliance settlements similarly to days of Dorn.
However these negotiations did not stop the Marauders from fighting when the need arose. In Ashenvale in Kalimdor the Marauders clashed with the Elven Council over their land, causing large scale destruction to the area. A negotiated peace between the two factions however quickly broke down when the former Warcaller Norgon Bloodfist disrupted the proceedings by attacking the unprepared Night Elves.
Zulgenji had proven to be a worthy Chieftain; however some of his actions were to raise questions as to the effectiveness of his leadership. Apart from his attempts to negotiate with former enemies of the warband, Zulgenji planned to set up an organisation within the Alliance known as the Order of the Frostlord which the Chief hoped would allow the Marauders to gain support from the inside and perhaps stage a coup. To many Marauders this seemed to be a waste of resources which could be better used elsewhere, and worse of all they were forced to not attack members of this new organisation, going against the very rules laid down in the time of the Warband’s formation.
This led to a slow and steady build up of discontent within the Warband. Eventually after some negotiations amongst Zulgenji and his closest advisors, including Thrakmar, Crimash Kharn, the Chieftain Zulgenji chose to step down from his post as Chief.
However short Zulgenji’s reign was, it is quite important to remember that for all the discontent amongst members at the time, that Zulgenji finally brought the all important factors of recruitment and diplomacy to the warband, something which was greatly required in the ever changing political climate of Azeroth and the Horde.
Zulgenji’s replacement was to be far from an unknown as an old Warcaller took up the mantle once more. Thus began the era of Chieftain Thrakmar.
Generation 5 – Age of Supremacy
Upon Thrakmar’s ascension to Chieftain, Thrakmar immediately brought in a new set of policies. To start with the actions of individual Marauders would no longer be those associated with the warband itself, and that the actions and alliances of the warband were to be decided only by Thrakmar himself.
Immediately upon stepping up to the mantle of Chieftain, Thrakmar begun a series of lightning fast attacks upon a number of Night Elven towns including Astranaar, Auberdine and finally an assault upon the capital itself – Darnassus within the great tree of Teldrassil. In the very capital city itself, the Marauders faced bitter hand to hand fighting with a number of warriors from the Elven Council, as they pushed into the Temple itself, and attempted to take down the lady Tyrande herself. However the sentinels of the city proved too great and the Marauders were forced to retreat, taking half the contents of a blown up bank with them.
The Shatterskull Marauders began to grow in numbers, their presence becoming more and more obvious on a number of battlefields, particularly in Alterac Valley where the Marauders were well known for their defence of Frostwolf Keep.
However a number of months later, disaster not only struck the warband, but a large part of Azeroth. After the defeat of the Burning Legion at the Sunwell Plateau, it was the turn of the Lich King to strike. Through the subtle use of plague crates, the Lich King launched a devastating attack focussed on all major capitals of the world, firstly through the use of well placed crates of plagued wheat (several of which were delivered to the affray at Fray Island) but later this was followed by the large scale assault of Orgrimmar and a number of other capitals around the world. The shadow of the Lich King looked close to being able to smother the forces of the Horde, however through the timely intervention of the Marauders the Lich King’s forces were destroyed at the gates of Orgrimmar. In the battle, the Warcaller Kharn Blackeye fell, his explosive death securing the victory for the Horde and the Marauders. A few days later, after the reading of his will, a small private celebration was held in his name.
But Northrend awaited and so the Marauders moved out to face a new enemy on another front.
Upon entering Northrend, the warband faced a number of changes in regards to structure. Units began being arranged into separate divisions, all of which having different priorities in battle and being lead by their respective officers. These units included:
The Anvil whose job was to distract and disperse the enemy. Their role in battle was to be noticed and quite often bore the brunt of many frontal attacks. They were ultimately a distraction and this led to the introduction of:
The Hammer whose primary role was to pick a target and slay it in the midst of battle. While the anvil held the target in place, the hammer brought the killing blow. Both The Hammer and The Anvil were largely lead by a combined team of Thrakmar and Zolkin.
The Arcanium were made up of the spell casters and ranged fighters of the warband. Their job was similar to that of The Hammer, in that they picked off high priority targets. Usually from afar. These were often led by Zulgenji.
The Vanguard were the scouts and ambushers led by Maximus Skyseer. Their role was to intercept and assassinate any forces which jeopardised the Anvil and Hammer on the battlefield. This role on the battlefield would lead them to developing the nickname “The Wolves” The Deathchargers were the first in and last out of all the divisions made up of the newly introduced Death Knights who at the time held very few rights within the warband, having to swear allegiance to join. They were lead by Xorah Blackeye.
The Stormbringers kept everyone, especially the Anvil alive and were ultimately an important if not vital support role led by Crimash.
Furthermore there were also a number of “divisions” who provided similar functions, usually outside of battle. These included; “The Guards”, “The Crafters” and “The Triage” – healers of the body, mind and spirit.
As war raged across Azeroth, with the collapse of Wrathgate and the besieging of Lordaeron’s ruins, the Marauders continued to take the battle to the forces of both The Alliance and The Scourge. The Alliance taking advantage of the disruption of diplomacy between the two factions after Wrathgate planned an attack to take over the Burning Legion covered ruins of Outland, in a conspiracy unknown to the Horde until the Marauders interception./ Thrakmar led forces across both Azeroth and Outland to prevent the plans from taking place. Battlefields included Honour Hold, Telaar, the Exodar and Ironforge. The combined forces of the Vile Thorn, Mistwater Raiders and Bloodpaw clan ended the conspiracy once and for all at the capture and execution of the Alliance commander Kandaar.
Battles against the scourge were also largely successful, seeing the Marauders take the battle to the heart of the necropolis of the Arch-Lich Kel’thuzard. Naxxramas was attacked often enough to cause damage but whether these battles will have an effect on the scourge attacks over Northrend remain yet to be seen, as only now our forces prepare to wage war on Icecrown itself.
However conflict was soon to be found within the Horde, as the Vile Thorn began unprovoked attacks on Marauder forces, taking several hostages before being beaten back by the Marauders overwhelming numbers and military co-ordination. The capture of a great many Thorns suggested that Anethrax had no excuse for the attack and this was ultimately confirmed at a meeting at Warsong Hold. Anethrax was ultimately guilty and under Mizhara’s watch handed to the Lady Sylvanas Windrunner of the Forsaken. Anethrax was later executed and replaced by a current thorn-master Aconitus. To this day, Thorn and Marauder relations lie on a knife edge, with many close calls nearly bringing both warbands to war with one another.
The Marauders continued to push forward, as Ulduar’s secrets were revealed finally to the world. However as the war against the old gods and the titan's corrupted servants continued, another unseen enemy struck at the Marauders. Thrakmar Ragethunder disappeared and to this day records remain unclear on exactly how this happened. Many were to believe upon joining a horde expedition; the great shaman was lost in the icy wastes of Icecrown. While scouting forces searched the area, the marauders looked to their ranks for a new chief. But none was there…
Generation 6 – The Age of Rebirth
As the marauders continued their search for Thrakmar, the eyes of the warband continued to search for an heir. With Zulgenji having left, to form an organisation known as “The Hand of the Frostlord” and a number of other marauder officers either unfit or away to take up the role, it looked like the warband was doomed to die.
But this was not the case, as three intrepid marauders planned the perfect plan to bring about the return of one of the warband’s old officers – Kharn Blackeye. While one looked for the body of the once dead warrior, now occupied by a creature known as Argadon, others began a spirit walk to bring the tauren’s soul back into his body. This ultimately accumulated in an expedition to the Howling Fjords of Northrend where amongst the clouds, to a crowd of marauders; Kharn Blackeye was brought back from death to live once more, not unlike the Sharuka Forgeclaw of old.
At first the young tauren was uninterested in leading the warband, his peaceful tactics having no place in a world which had invariably changed since his death. However the young tauren ultimately came to the forefront, albeit slowly and unwillingly, as he was thrown headlong into another problem to face the warband. With Kharn Blackeye’s return came that of Night Haunter who proceeded to take control of a young female blood elf known as Alathreal. Haunter went on to gradually gain more and more control, moving bodies from Alathreal to a member of the Frostlord’s entourage – Ilsinea. As the forces of the Thorns, Frostlords and Marauders banded together to face the threat, an old artefact of old came into possession of its members who used its powers to seal the Night Haunter, at the cost of Ilsinea’s life. Although many were wounded and hurt at the battle, many still believe Haunter lived, survived and fled to fight for another day, however currently these rumours remain unjustified and are best left as speculation at best.
The Marauders have of recently also suffered a number of other losses, as currently two unresolved “murders” – the death of the troll Dirinni and the forsaken Sethamar, one of Thrakmar’s old bodyguards. Dirinni was found dead in Silvermoon City close to Magyk, having been killed by powerful fel magic, however there is as of yet no proof to whom the killer is, other then that Thornmaster Arli knows “their” name, yet cannot speak it for fear of death. Sethamar’s death is just as peculiar; having become possessed and attacking the members of the Vile thorn without explanation. Upon capture the Thorn’s executed, but there is plenty of evidence to suggest Sethamar at the time was out of his mind and not in control. May his death be the release he finally needed.
Furthermore, for the fourth year running, the Marauders celebrated their birthday once more at the sacred spot known as the Thandol Span. Honouring their fallen comrades, the marauders took the battle to the elven lands, allies in tow – striking hard and fast at Darnassus and the Exodar once more, to remind the Alliance – that they shall be feared! Kharn Blackeye’s attacks have continued to this day although not with the aim of killing but of plunder, the chieftain’s heart as of yet not set on a total war with the Alliance.
Today, as the Shatterskull Marauders turn to the future, facing enemies inside Ulduar, and in the Eye of Eternity itself, the warband continues to fight with renewed vigour. With the Chieftain Kharn Blackeye at its head the warband looks set for a bright future under the leadership of Warcallers Catari Bladesinger and Yuska Darkspear, as well as the advice and guidance of its older officers Zolkin and Crimash.
For four years the marauder’s have stood strong and proud. A new age has begun and the Marauder’s aren’t dead yet. May they be feared and respected for another four years to come! Blood and Thunder!
Generation 6 - The Age of Rebirth (Continued)
The fate of the Marauders hangs in the balance after their 4th anniversary. The Warband is in ruins after the loss of Thrakmar Ragethunder. The young Tauren Kharn Blackeye has been revived to a position that he was never fit to hold. This becomes clear to the newly appointed Warcallers not long after the ressurection. The newly appointed chieftain shows clear signs of indecision and at times full blown lunacy. Kharn Blackeye had sacrificed his own life for those he loved and cared for, a sacrifice he was content with. The tauren that was brought back to lead the warband had a scarred soul. The two Warcallers Yuska Darkspear and Catari Bladesinger quickly took the warband into their own hands, using Kharn as a figurehead only.
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The Warband started to recruit heavily, bringing The Shatterskulls some way back to their former glory. To show the warbands renewed strengh, an attack on Darnassus is planned and executed. The Marauders sneak in a dozen of their best, and assault the leaders of the Druidic Circle. The attack is a success, the Marauders managing to kill several high ranking druids before leaving the city as fast as they had came. This daring feat is quickly rewarded with an influx of new recruits, and the warband quickly starts growing larger than its past size.
More veteran members such as Sakarah, Sylphi, Kalcifer and Chogal join the warband in these times of rebirth. The old Stormseer's Zolkin and Crimash disappear from the Shatterskull journals, and instead Sakarah, Voxigah and Alathreal take their place.
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Weeks later, during an attack on Kal'dorei settlements in Ashenvale forest, the Chieftain Kharn clashes with his Warcallers. The Warcallers are punished by Blackeye after they berate him, calling him a poor and useless leader. The following weeks, the young Kharn changes behavior from indecisive and insane, to a strong, and somewhat wise, leader. The Chieftain starts taking over more raids from the Warcallers, and the ranks of the Marauders start respecting their leader for the first time since he took over the warband.
Over time, Kharn shows that he not only is a respectable and skilled leader, but also has a big heart. He cares for the Shatterskulls as any mother would her cubs. The Marauders grow not only to respect this new Kharn, but also love him.
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As time goes by, The Shatterskulls grow into something like they once were. The contracts are many, and under the leadership of their great Tauren Chieftain, the Marauders fill their coffers to the brink. One of the contracts taken by the Shatterskulls ends badly, however. The Warband is tricked into ressurecting their old arch-enemy, the Thorn mistress Anethrax. Furious with being cheated, the Marauders call out for Thorn blood.
Before a war can begin, however, the Warcallers call for a truce. The peace with Anethrax would hold, but new Thorn Masters would raise in her stead. That's another story though.
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Elsewhere, Warcaller Catari Bladesinger is sought out in her Eversong home by ex-Marauder, Ichimaro Wolfrunner - the former lover of Chieftain Kharn Blackeye. What happens between the Warcaller and the old Marauder is unknown to this writer, but ultimately ends with the death of Ichimaro. Kharn Blackeye, hearing of this, falls into deep grief at the murder of his one true love, and plans to have the Warcaller killed. He calls for his officers to plan an ambush on Catari, but in the end only Stormseer Voxigah takes the Chieftains side, the rest siding with the Warcaller, which in the end also makes Voxigah withdraw from the conflict.
Alone, Kharn moves against Catari, ambushing her in the Hillsbrad region and putting a curse on her, funded from the Chieftains deep coffers. The curse was meant to bring some of Kharns own soul into Catari, sharing his feeling, memories and his great lose. The Warcaller is driven insane by the curse and shortly after leaves the Warband.
The Tauren Voxigah takes over her place as Warcaller, and the elf Sylphi is made new Stormseer.
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The warband quickly recovers and Kharn soon returns to his calm persona while the Warband continues its war on the Alliance. It doesn't take long, however, before both the Chieftain and the long-time Warcaller Yuska disappear. A great search is started and it soon appears that an opposing alliance warband is behind the kidnappings. The warband is left in the hands of the new Warcaller Voxigah who does all he can to find the two officers. After several weeks, none other than the Vile Thorns shows up with information on where Kharn and Yuska is held. A lightning offensive is held; The Marauders along with the Vile Thorns attack alliance holdings in Duskwallow Marshes and free the two imprisoned Marauders.
Also, a young orc warrior named Thrakha Ironsong, recruited in Thrakmar's time but long absent while fighting alongside the Crusade in Northrend, returned to the Marauders to take up her tabard once again. She rapidly rose in rank to become a Stormseer, a loyal second to Voxigah Grimtotem - and a voice of reason in the increasingly frequent and violent clashes between Voxigah's Hammer regiment and Sylphi Searingheart's arcanists, the Circle.
The Cataclysm: Sunset over Azeroth Storyline
Time passes by and the 5th celebration of the warband is held at its traditional place at Thandol Span. Only a few months later a new great threat falls upon the people of Azeroth. The Twilight Cult starts moving hard against the world; chaos and dispair spreading in its wake. One cell of the great Cult seems to take particular interest in the Shatterskulls. The unknown cell-leader strikes at the Marauders where he can with the great Cult at his back. During this time the Warband is tricked into chasing the sects leader into the Draenei lands of Azuremist Island. There, the warband walks into a trap. The crazed Mastermind and twilight cultist reveals himself to be Baltimore Wolfrunner, son of Ichimaro Wolfrunner, whom Catari had killed more than a year earlier.
The warband would probably had met its end there on those islands, had it not been for the selfless sacrifice of the Elf, Kalcifer Sunshatter. Through her heroic act, the Warband broke the trap, and immediately put Baltimore on the run.
Through dark necromantic arts performed by the undead warlock, Raldorr von Kendal, the brave elf was raised from the dead, but no longer as she ones was - Kalcifer had joined the ranks of the Forsaken.
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The warband continued its hunt for Baltimore and his cell of Twilight Cultists, who had not been idle themselves. They had defouled and cursed the Pools of Vision under the city of Thunderbluff, leading a shaman of the Earthen Ring to contact the Marauders and asks them for assistance.
The Shatterskulls entered the cursed pools with their strongest shamans and warlocks, ready to cleanse them, being joined by past Shatterskulls; Thergaron, Drek Skysplitter, Dorn and Thrakmar. Another threat from the Cult is dealt with. For his knowledge of corruption, much needed at the time, and his time in service to the warband, Kharn promotes Raldorr von Kendal to Stormseer.
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Weeks later, the Alliance started their major land assaults in both Durotar and the Barrens, with massive ships weighing anchor offshore, and seemingly unlimited forces pouring over the barely holding Horde lines.
One such attack happened at Fray Island, just off the coast of Ratchet, and the age old home to the Shatterskulls.
In an attempt to save their home, the Marauders threw themselves at the alliance forces in a desperate effort. In the end, however, a single warband could not stand against the unrelenting forces of the Alliance. The Marauders retreated to the Crossroads; bloodied, battered, defeated and homeless. The Tauren Malrock, the Warbands Master-Blacksmith, died of his wounds there, having used himself as a shield for two of the younger Marauders, wounded by riflemen.
Not a moment after reaching the crossroads, and the death of Malrock, than news of of the great Cairn Bloodhoof's death reached the ears of the Marauders. Chieftain Kharn called for the Warband to disperse and tend to their wounds by themselves, and then gather in Undercity the following week. And what a week....
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The earth shook and shattered as Deathwing rose from Deepholm. Fire and water poured over the lands, changing and breaking Azeroth in a single Cataclysmic event.
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The Marauders that survived the Cataclysm slowly start meeting up in Undercity and move out to the Shatterskulls age-old, secondary home in Hammerfall, near to the great Thandol Span. The world has been broken, and the Marauders has lost their home and some of their oldest members, but the warband is left with only a very short amount time to grieve.
The Marauders had to act quickly, now that Baltimore's masters plans had come to fruition. With the Wolves finding his location in Loch Modan, with miraculous ease, this was likely to be the only chance they would get at taking him down.
However, little did the Marauders know that they were walking into a preplanned ambush. Poisoned and dying, the Shatterskull Marauders were shocked to the very core upon learning that their long-time, much loved Chieftain, Kharn Blackeye, had turned traitor, having led the Marauders into the trap himself.
Fleeing from a furious revenge assault by a small group of Marauders, culminating in the apparant death of the Tauren Eillie, Kharn Blackeye fled - leaving the Marauders to their fate and cementing his place among the forces of Twilight and historic infamy in the eyes of his warband.
The Marauders Civil War
The warband was left without a Chieftain once again, and the collective eyes of the Shatterskulls fell on five possible candidates;
The Veteran Warcaller, Yuska Darkspear.
Warcaller Voxigah Grimtotem, of the Hammer.
Warcaller Sylphi Searingheart, of the Circle.
Yorien Blackeye, newcomer to the Marauders and son of Kharn Blackeye, (supported by Stormseer Alathreal and Ex-Warcaller Catari, whom had her own interests in how the Shatterskulls should be led).
Thrakha Ironsong, a newly appointed Stormseer with great respect from the younger Marauders.
This four-way conflict of interest led to what is known as the Marauder Civil War.
Warcaller Voxigah had the vast majority of his support swept from under him like a rug by a young hot-blooded orc of the Hammer, Grim Stonepaw, who vocally deemed him unsuitable to lead - and many agreed. At the same time, the warlocks of the Circle made arrangements with Thrakha Ironsong that they would back her claim, rather than that of their own Warcaller, Sylphi Searingheart. Led by Raldorr von Kendal and Kalcifer Sunshatter, the Circle also uncovered Catari and Alathreal's previously hidden stakes in Yorien, and started spreading "rumours" that Yorien was nothing but a puppet for the former Warcaller and Stormseer. Yorien retained support, but doubt had begun to creep in about his candidacy.
Thus, Warcallers Voxigah and Sylphi quickly lost support for their cause, and the "underdogs", Yorien and Thrakha, along with Warcaller Yuska, seemed to be the candidates that the Marauders wanted to lead them.
It was not only conflicting politics that rose from this Civil War, however. It had a much uglier side. Tensions were rising amongst the members, with fierce battles breaking out almost daily between the Marauders; friendships were broken, and new rivalries set in place that would remain way into the future. It was all starting to unravel...
In the end, it was agreed upon by the Warband as a whole that the aspiring Chieftains were to compete in a series of events to show their strengths to the Shatterskulls. By the final test, Yorien and Thrakha were tied, with Yuska close behind.
The final test was to be a duel between the respective candidates in the arena in Stranglethorn Vale. Each would be allowed to take four supporters with them into the battle. The winner would be raised to the rank of Chieftain.
With Catari and Alathreal absent, Yoriens team seemed the weakest, but he chose to burn on ahead regardless. Yuska Darkspear chose a group of his oldest friends and allies, and Thrakha Ironsong chose from a collection of battle-ready, experienced Marauders.
Battle was met...
...The victor?
Thrakha Ironsong and her team of chosen Marauders defeated all others, and with it, won her title as the sixth Chieftain of the Shatterskull Marauders.
Generation 7 - The Age of Honor
The Civil War was over. Resurgent under their new leadership, the Marauders rode to war. In the forests of Ashenvale they distinguished themselves at the Siege of Splintertree Post and cleared the roads as far as Zoram Strand, before being forced to fall back in the face of a rising darkness from out of the Felwood, where the warband experienced demonic, mind-controlling magic, losing two of their most prominent members, Bok and his daughter Girri, in the process.
The next campaign took them to the treacherous jungles of Stranglethorn Vale, in search of lost treasures of the Gurubashi. Their quest took them into one of the great temple-cities of the ancient trolls, and there they nearly died. Refusing to bow to the demands of an ancient evil, they fled the jungles and have never returned in force.
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Regardless, the battered Marauders regrouped, regained their strength and moved to the Blasted Lands, setting up camp in the fortress of Dreadmaul Hold. The mission, to hold back the Alliance who were threatening to fortify the Dark Portal for their own cause.
While the mission was successful, Warcaller Voxigah, still not satisfied with losing his chance at the Chieftains post, clashed with Warcaller Sylphi Searingheart. Each led their regiments are at the others throats, threatening a new civil war.
Knowing that they could never work together, and seeing no absolute right on either side, Thrakha took the decision to demote them both, giving the rank of Warcaller to Alathreal and Raldorr, as well as control of the Hammer and Circle respectively.
Soon thereafter, Sylphi and Grim Stonepaw started a small revolt and left the warband, though it fell quickly. Sylphi instead retired to Hammerfall, continuing her attempts to gather support for her revolt, while Grim disappeared to Northrend.
Undaunted, the Marauders pushed on into Outland to repel a demonic incursion that threatened to overrun both the Horde and Alliance positions in the Blasted Lands. The demon forces were driven back and scattered, and their leader - a young and unusually rash Pit Lord - was hunted down and slain.
The Marauders returned to Azeroth in triumph, travelling to the Thandol Span to celebrate a sixth year passed in glorious warfare.
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The sixth celebration of the warband took place, once again, at Thandol Span. Thrakha had so far shown, in her very short period as Chieftain, that the Marauders had made the right choice. On the night of the anniversary, Catari rejoined the warband ones again, swearing an oath to the new Chieftain. Soon after, Grim Stonepaw also returned from Northrend, guided by the spirit of the old shaman Drek Skysplitter. Making his peace with Thrakha, he returned to the fold. Even Sylphi accepted when Thrakha, in a show of good faith, invited her back with all her wrongdoings left to the past. The Marauders were looking as strong as ever.
With new found strength, the warband moved out to the jungles of Feralas. While the warband slowly forced the Kaldorei there back to their base of Feathermoon Stronghold, they unfortunately were unable to truly defeat them and were subsequently pushed back, but the devestation they had wreaked had been done.
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After returning from Feralas, and skirmishing with the dwarves in the Arathi Highlands while back in Hammerfall, Thrakha recieved her first major contract from The Sin'dorei of the Reliquary. The Shatterskulls were tasked with heading to the colds of Northrend to hunt for remaining black dragons. After Deathwings fall, some of the smaller dragons had tried to take over the flight; Dusktalon and Huskarl. These dragons and their allies would become the Marauders target.
Little did the Marauders know, however, but the Black Dragons had in fact infiltrated the Marauders before they had even left Kalimdor. The weeks spend in the cold north left the warband dried out on recruits, and the Shatterskulls fell prey to the Black Dragons games. In the end, the Marauders managed to kill only one of the Dragons.
They also managed to get their hands on magical artifacts of the black flight, that the reliquary had highlighted could be turned in as a bonus, but decided to keep it for themselves after it turned out that the Elf that had hired them for the job in the first place, Jorlain, was infact the black dragon Dusktalon who had hired them only to remove his only opponent for leadership of the Black Flight, Huskarl.
These dragons were as back-stabbing, and as tricky as they were ever fabled to be. The Marauders would have no other business with them.
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The Marauders left the frozen North on three ships, headed for Eversong. On their way over the ocean, the ships were attacked by the black dragon Dusktalon, that the Shatterskulls had cheated; with him flew a small army of the Black Dragonflight. The Marauders fought and sailed valiantly, but in the end both Warcaller Raldorr and Chieftain Thrakha's ships went down with every man. Only Stormseer Catari's ship reached safe harbor in Eversong after the attack. The survivors quickly sent search parties all over the northern kingdoms. After having saved several Marauders, including the Chieftain Thrakha, from the broken shipwrecks, most of which washed ashore, a great fire was lit in memory of those that were taken by the waves. Warcaller Raldorr was presumed dead.
The Shatterskulls had not been weakened this much since the days after Thrakmars disappearence. Thrakha has named Sakarah, Grim and Catari as her Warcallers after the landing. The rebuilding of the warband now rest on their collective shoulders.
The story ends with the events of our guild moving server from The Venture Co. to Defias Brotherhood on march 12 2012.
I hope someone enjoyed the story
Do note that some of the history is written a few years ago, so some of the information told as how things work now, is old news
Generation 1 – The New Age
In the beginning there was one. An old, wise and occasionally crazy troll known simply known as Zimvarj Blackscalp. The original Chief whose sole goal was to simply recruit a band of cut-throats and bandits whose main aim was to make a profit from those they killed and robbed on the road. It would be through these simple aims and beginnings that a war band would rise.
When Zimvarj had gathered a strong enough force of warriors, he promoted three of his closest men to the title of “Warcaller” – a title which remains to this day. He recruited Ebsi Blackscalp a powerful troll trained in the arts of magic, Sharuka Forgeclaw a brutal and proud orcish warrior and finally, a name which would be laid down in stone for the rest of time – Dorn, a shaman attuned to the spirits, his role – to guide the war band. It is from these four that the Shatterskull Marauders would rise to power.
At first it was small. The occasional village or outpost, but over time the stories of the Marauder brutality and efficiency swept through out the Horde, attracting further members to their cause. This in turn led to the sacking of even larger settlements until eventually the Shatterskull Marauders became recognised as an official war band of the Horde, who were particularly appreciated by Thrall by supplying gold and other rare items to his coffers.
However months later this had changed. The Battle of Mount Hyjal had seen an uneasy peace set up between the Horde and the Alliance, and one day the Marauders received a letter from Thrall. Its message was simple. Stop the fighting. To this day it is believed Thrall’s message was simple. That in a time of uneasy peace it would be far wiser to control the conflict behind the scenes rather than through the brutal conflicts associated with the Marauders.
Thrall’s words brought outrage to the original war band who immediately stepped up their attacks, leading a full on assault into the Arathi Highlands, pushing the Alliance back to the Thandol Span for a short amount of time. It was in this conflict one of the many enemy organisations of the Marauders emerged – The Essence of the Blade, who upon the capture of the Thandol Span immediately rallied together an army to push the Marauders out of the area, particularly Sharuka Forgeclaw who had gained the title “The Butcher of Thandol Span” for his ruthless executions of the prisoners captured during the initial push into the Arathi.
The army amassed was immense. Its full might pushed the Marauders back into the Arathi, all the way back to Hammerfall. This however was not the worst of their problems as in the conflict, Sharuka Forgeclaw fell – fighting until his very last breath.
Days after the Marauders retreat, plans were afoot to resurrect the fallen Warcaller. In the Pools of Vision in Thunderbluff the Chief Zimvarj through a sacrifice of elven blood brought the great Warcaller’s spirit back into his body. However the Warcaller was troubled by what he had experienced, and as a result moved out to the barren waste land of Desolace to live a reclusive life to find his true self. To this day older members of the warband speak of his return and how upon his return, the blood of all the Marauder’s enemies shall be spilt anew.
Weeks were to pass and in that time the Chieftain Zimvarj found himself becoming distant from the warband. There are many theories as to this. Some said it was the signs of the ravaging of age on the troll or that his attention had shifted. Either way, it was shortly announced that Zimvarj would step down as Chieftain of the Marauders and that with Ebsi one of the remaining two Warcallers, would venture north for reasons unknown. The day both Ebsi and Zimvarj were waved off from the shores of Fray Island were a sad one for the Marauders. Little did they know that soon they would be entering a brand new age.
Generation 2 – The Age of Legend
Only one remained of the original four. Only the Warcaller Dorn was left to raise the banner of the Shattered Skull high. Adopting the title of Chief, Dorn immediately began a new reign of bloody war upon the Alliance, by immediately retaking the previously lost Thandol Span from the Blackforge Clan – a group of dark iron dwarves allied to the Alliance for their own ends. It was on the Thandol Span that Dorn would call up the next generation of Warcallers to serve the cause. Like his predecessor he chose three – Nighter a female undead, chosen for her ruthless drive and determination, Khasha an orc huntress chosen for her dedication to the warband and Bartolome a tauren hunter chosen for his heart and passion even in the face of bitter war.
It was in these days that many of the old Marauders of today joined the warband. The likes of Thrakmar, Norgon, Zulgenji, Thergaron and Evicor as well as the infamous Mizhara, would all begin their stories in the warband under the leadership of Dorn.
A one year old warband proceeded to celebrate their birth by raiding Zul’Gurub with their numerous allies for kegs of Darkmoon brew as well as the compulsory raid on the alliance! Furthermore their old Chief was to return shortly, his spirit rejuvenated one last time before his final passing away on the banks of his home with his family.
However the death of their former Chief did not stop the warband. Not only were they recruited to guard the many plays put on by the infamous Dancing Cavaliers, furthermore they went on to become one of the founding societies of the infamous “Plunda Klub” – an organisation which aimed to hunt some of the most powerful and richest threats to the world.
Furthermore the conflicts continued. The Marauders found a new enemy in the form of the Knights of Lordaeron and initially engaged them in the Alliance owned Redridge Mountains attacking from the flanks. Hours later the battle had ended and both forces retreated to lick their wounds.
However conflict with the Alliance was one thing. Little did the Marauders know that conflict was brewing within the Horde as a new enemy known simply as “Clan Eshin” emerged under the leadership of a being known as the Night Haunter, a ruthless creature who possessed the body of a tauren simply known as Kharn Blackeye. The Marauders and Eshin were to become worst enemies when Night Haunter and his lackies invaded one of their meetings determined to under mind the leadership and power of the warband.
Shortly after the initial expeditions into Outland began and the Marauders were some of the first through the portal to begin what would become the long battle with the demon lord Illidan.
However even as Illidan and the Burning Legion threatened both Outland and Azeroth, the warband faced a serious predicament when their Chieftain Dorn was taken hostage by the Night Haunter along with the troll Zulgenji. The warband was to discover the scale of the atrocities committed by Eshin and along with many allies including the Vile Thorn, Light Watch and Arcane Sanctum, were able to bring the Clan crashing down to the ground, and their leader – the Night Haunter was slain never to be seen again, and Kharn Blackeye was able to return to the world. With no other organisation willing to take the tauren under their wing after the previous events, the Chieftain Dorn took a risky strategy, by taking the young male in, much to the dismay of many members of the warband who had suffered at his hand.
It was during this time that many Marauders drifted away from the warband including a number of Warcallers, who wished to focus on the battle erupting in Outland. It was also during this time that the Marauders saw their darkest hour, when on its second Birthday, they proceeded to bring death to the Alliance, in Hillsbrad, the Arathi and finally the Thandol Span albeit with far fewer numbers then had been seen previously and it was upon the bridge of the Thandol Span that Dorn turned with the Warcaller Ruus, a loyal dedicated forsaken warlock to the Marauders announced:
“I step down from my position as Chief...”
And with that the Warband and the world turned silent.
Generation 3 – The Dark Age
Unlike previously, the successor was no longer clear. No more Warcallers remained, and those marauders amassed on the Thandol Span itself, were the only dedicated few left. Dorn turned to three specifically and eyed them with a grin and asked each to step forward in turn. First was Norgon Bloodfist – an orcish warrior and engineer, whose blood thirst echoed that of Sharuka Forgeclaw previously. Next was Zulgenji Gen’Zultuk – an ice mage of the highest calibre who was chosen for his courage of heart. Finally one other was chosen, with Dorn selecting Thrakmar Ragethunder to step forward, a one eyed orc shaman whose skill in battle and tactics was unprecedented. Eyeing the three Dorn spoke clearly:
“I now declare you as the Warcaller Council. All three of you shall rule over the warband in your individual areas. May you bring death to our enemies”
The Warband cheered – a new age was to begin. At first it was great. The Marauders continued to pour into the Alliance territories attacking and looting once more.
Furthermore when the child of an Alliance warrior known as “Fenton” of the Shadow of the Phoenix was taken hostage by a guild known as “Consequence”, the warband rallied to the sides of both factions, as some declared that in war, no child should come to harm while others prepared Fray Island for the battle against the Alliance and their former allies. Eventually the Horde’s forces (along with a good proportion of the warband) were defeated on the Island as the child managed to escape to safety with her family. However to the benefit of the many who defected during the battle, many were allowed to return to their old stations with only a warning.
However this peace was not to be long lasting:
Although all three were suppose to act as a council, the Warcallers bickered amongst one another as to how to direct the warband. This was particularly true of Zulgenji and Thrakmar, who each had their own distinct ways of pushing the warband further. However as new members began to join the ranks it was clear one of the three would have to take up the mantle of Chief. At first it was suggested Thrakmar, but at the time the old orc had been pre-occupied with other matters regarding the Horde and Norgon Bloodfist, although a fine warrior appeared to be too headstrong for warband leadership. So the eyes of the world turned to Zulgenji Gen’Zultuk to take up the mantle of Chief, with both Norgon and Thrakmar taking up the mantle of Warcaller still – his closest advisors.
A new age was about to glimmer into life:
Generation 4 – The Age of Ice
With Zulgenji now taking up the title of “Chief” and “Frostlord”, a new age for the warband began. The warband’s numbers had dwindled in the last few months and for the first time Zulgenji promoted only one of the Marauders to the rank of “Warcaller”. Surprisingly to most this was to be the former Night Haunter – Kharn Blackeye, a peaceful albeit lustful and overly emotional tauren warrior.
The first thing the new Chieftain brought in was a brand new age of recruitment and diplomatic negotiations, as Zulgenji proceeded to bolster the warband’s numbers anew with many members who reside within the warband to this day. Furthermore Zulgenji opened up negotiations with a number of organisations and guilds including the Wolverines and Vile Thorn, in a bid to work with them in attacking far larger Alliance settlements similarly to days of Dorn.
However these negotiations did not stop the Marauders from fighting when the need arose. In Ashenvale in Kalimdor the Marauders clashed with the Elven Council over their land, causing large scale destruction to the area. A negotiated peace between the two factions however quickly broke down when the former Warcaller Norgon Bloodfist disrupted the proceedings by attacking the unprepared Night Elves.
Zulgenji had proven to be a worthy Chieftain; however some of his actions were to raise questions as to the effectiveness of his leadership. Apart from his attempts to negotiate with former enemies of the warband, Zulgenji planned to set up an organisation within the Alliance known as the Order of the Frostlord which the Chief hoped would allow the Marauders to gain support from the inside and perhaps stage a coup. To many Marauders this seemed to be a waste of resources which could be better used elsewhere, and worse of all they were forced to not attack members of this new organisation, going against the very rules laid down in the time of the Warband’s formation.
This led to a slow and steady build up of discontent within the Warband. Eventually after some negotiations amongst Zulgenji and his closest advisors, including Thrakmar, Crimash Kharn, the Chieftain Zulgenji chose to step down from his post as Chief.
However short Zulgenji’s reign was, it is quite important to remember that for all the discontent amongst members at the time, that Zulgenji finally brought the all important factors of recruitment and diplomacy to the warband, something which was greatly required in the ever changing political climate of Azeroth and the Horde.
Zulgenji’s replacement was to be far from an unknown as an old Warcaller took up the mantle once more. Thus began the era of Chieftain Thrakmar.
Generation 5 – Age of Supremacy
Upon Thrakmar’s ascension to Chieftain, Thrakmar immediately brought in a new set of policies. To start with the actions of individual Marauders would no longer be those associated with the warband itself, and that the actions and alliances of the warband were to be decided only by Thrakmar himself.
Immediately upon stepping up to the mantle of Chieftain, Thrakmar begun a series of lightning fast attacks upon a number of Night Elven towns including Astranaar, Auberdine and finally an assault upon the capital itself – Darnassus within the great tree of Teldrassil. In the very capital city itself, the Marauders faced bitter hand to hand fighting with a number of warriors from the Elven Council, as they pushed into the Temple itself, and attempted to take down the lady Tyrande herself. However the sentinels of the city proved too great and the Marauders were forced to retreat, taking half the contents of a blown up bank with them.
The Shatterskull Marauders began to grow in numbers, their presence becoming more and more obvious on a number of battlefields, particularly in Alterac Valley where the Marauders were well known for their defence of Frostwolf Keep.
However a number of months later, disaster not only struck the warband, but a large part of Azeroth. After the defeat of the Burning Legion at the Sunwell Plateau, it was the turn of the Lich King to strike. Through the subtle use of plague crates, the Lich King launched a devastating attack focussed on all major capitals of the world, firstly through the use of well placed crates of plagued wheat (several of which were delivered to the affray at Fray Island) but later this was followed by the large scale assault of Orgrimmar and a number of other capitals around the world. The shadow of the Lich King looked close to being able to smother the forces of the Horde, however through the timely intervention of the Marauders the Lich King’s forces were destroyed at the gates of Orgrimmar. In the battle, the Warcaller Kharn Blackeye fell, his explosive death securing the victory for the Horde and the Marauders. A few days later, after the reading of his will, a small private celebration was held in his name.
But Northrend awaited and so the Marauders moved out to face a new enemy on another front.
Upon entering Northrend, the warband faced a number of changes in regards to structure. Units began being arranged into separate divisions, all of which having different priorities in battle and being lead by their respective officers. These units included:
The Anvil whose job was to distract and disperse the enemy. Their role in battle was to be noticed and quite often bore the brunt of many frontal attacks. They were ultimately a distraction and this led to the introduction of:
The Hammer whose primary role was to pick a target and slay it in the midst of battle. While the anvil held the target in place, the hammer brought the killing blow. Both The Hammer and The Anvil were largely lead by a combined team of Thrakmar and Zolkin.
The Arcanium were made up of the spell casters and ranged fighters of the warband. Their job was similar to that of The Hammer, in that they picked off high priority targets. Usually from afar. These were often led by Zulgenji.
The Vanguard were the scouts and ambushers led by Maximus Skyseer. Their role was to intercept and assassinate any forces which jeopardised the Anvil and Hammer on the battlefield. This role on the battlefield would lead them to developing the nickname “The Wolves” The Deathchargers were the first in and last out of all the divisions made up of the newly introduced Death Knights who at the time held very few rights within the warband, having to swear allegiance to join. They were lead by Xorah Blackeye.
The Stormbringers kept everyone, especially the Anvil alive and were ultimately an important if not vital support role led by Crimash.
Furthermore there were also a number of “divisions” who provided similar functions, usually outside of battle. These included; “The Guards”, “The Crafters” and “The Triage” – healers of the body, mind and spirit.
As war raged across Azeroth, with the collapse of Wrathgate and the besieging of Lordaeron’s ruins, the Marauders continued to take the battle to the forces of both The Alliance and The Scourge. The Alliance taking advantage of the disruption of diplomacy between the two factions after Wrathgate planned an attack to take over the Burning Legion covered ruins of Outland, in a conspiracy unknown to the Horde until the Marauders interception./ Thrakmar led forces across both Azeroth and Outland to prevent the plans from taking place. Battlefields included Honour Hold, Telaar, the Exodar and Ironforge. The combined forces of the Vile Thorn, Mistwater Raiders and Bloodpaw clan ended the conspiracy once and for all at the capture and execution of the Alliance commander Kandaar.
Battles against the scourge were also largely successful, seeing the Marauders take the battle to the heart of the necropolis of the Arch-Lich Kel’thuzard. Naxxramas was attacked often enough to cause damage but whether these battles will have an effect on the scourge attacks over Northrend remain yet to be seen, as only now our forces prepare to wage war on Icecrown itself.
However conflict was soon to be found within the Horde, as the Vile Thorn began unprovoked attacks on Marauder forces, taking several hostages before being beaten back by the Marauders overwhelming numbers and military co-ordination. The capture of a great many Thorns suggested that Anethrax had no excuse for the attack and this was ultimately confirmed at a meeting at Warsong Hold. Anethrax was ultimately guilty and under Mizhara’s watch handed to the Lady Sylvanas Windrunner of the Forsaken. Anethrax was later executed and replaced by a current thorn-master Aconitus. To this day, Thorn and Marauder relations lie on a knife edge, with many close calls nearly bringing both warbands to war with one another.
The Marauders continued to push forward, as Ulduar’s secrets were revealed finally to the world. However as the war against the old gods and the titan's corrupted servants continued, another unseen enemy struck at the Marauders. Thrakmar Ragethunder disappeared and to this day records remain unclear on exactly how this happened. Many were to believe upon joining a horde expedition; the great shaman was lost in the icy wastes of Icecrown. While scouting forces searched the area, the marauders looked to their ranks for a new chief. But none was there…
Generation 6 – The Age of Rebirth
As the marauders continued their search for Thrakmar, the eyes of the warband continued to search for an heir. With Zulgenji having left, to form an organisation known as “The Hand of the Frostlord” and a number of other marauder officers either unfit or away to take up the role, it looked like the warband was doomed to die.
But this was not the case, as three intrepid marauders planned the perfect plan to bring about the return of one of the warband’s old officers – Kharn Blackeye. While one looked for the body of the once dead warrior, now occupied by a creature known as Argadon, others began a spirit walk to bring the tauren’s soul back into his body. This ultimately accumulated in an expedition to the Howling Fjords of Northrend where amongst the clouds, to a crowd of marauders; Kharn Blackeye was brought back from death to live once more, not unlike the Sharuka Forgeclaw of old.
At first the young tauren was uninterested in leading the warband, his peaceful tactics having no place in a world which had invariably changed since his death. However the young tauren ultimately came to the forefront, albeit slowly and unwillingly, as he was thrown headlong into another problem to face the warband. With Kharn Blackeye’s return came that of Night Haunter who proceeded to take control of a young female blood elf known as Alathreal. Haunter went on to gradually gain more and more control, moving bodies from Alathreal to a member of the Frostlord’s entourage – Ilsinea. As the forces of the Thorns, Frostlords and Marauders banded together to face the threat, an old artefact of old came into possession of its members who used its powers to seal the Night Haunter, at the cost of Ilsinea’s life. Although many were wounded and hurt at the battle, many still believe Haunter lived, survived and fled to fight for another day, however currently these rumours remain unjustified and are best left as speculation at best.
The Marauders have of recently also suffered a number of other losses, as currently two unresolved “murders” – the death of the troll Dirinni and the forsaken Sethamar, one of Thrakmar’s old bodyguards. Dirinni was found dead in Silvermoon City close to Magyk, having been killed by powerful fel magic, however there is as of yet no proof to whom the killer is, other then that Thornmaster Arli knows “their” name, yet cannot speak it for fear of death. Sethamar’s death is just as peculiar; having become possessed and attacking the members of the Vile thorn without explanation. Upon capture the Thorn’s executed, but there is plenty of evidence to suggest Sethamar at the time was out of his mind and not in control. May his death be the release he finally needed.
Furthermore, for the fourth year running, the Marauders celebrated their birthday once more at the sacred spot known as the Thandol Span. Honouring their fallen comrades, the marauders took the battle to the elven lands, allies in tow – striking hard and fast at Darnassus and the Exodar once more, to remind the Alliance – that they shall be feared! Kharn Blackeye’s attacks have continued to this day although not with the aim of killing but of plunder, the chieftain’s heart as of yet not set on a total war with the Alliance.
Today, as the Shatterskull Marauders turn to the future, facing enemies inside Ulduar, and in the Eye of Eternity itself, the warband continues to fight with renewed vigour. With the Chieftain Kharn Blackeye at its head the warband looks set for a bright future under the leadership of Warcallers Catari Bladesinger and Yuska Darkspear, as well as the advice and guidance of its older officers Zolkin and Crimash.
For four years the marauder’s have stood strong and proud. A new age has begun and the Marauder’s aren’t dead yet. May they be feared and respected for another four years to come! Blood and Thunder!
Generation 6 - The Age of Rebirth (Continued)
The fate of the Marauders hangs in the balance after their 4th anniversary. The Warband is in ruins after the loss of Thrakmar Ragethunder. The young Tauren Kharn Blackeye has been revived to a position that he was never fit to hold. This becomes clear to the newly appointed Warcallers not long after the ressurection. The newly appointed chieftain shows clear signs of indecision and at times full blown lunacy. Kharn Blackeye had sacrificed his own life for those he loved and cared for, a sacrifice he was content with. The tauren that was brought back to lead the warband had a scarred soul. The two Warcallers Yuska Darkspear and Catari Bladesinger quickly took the warband into their own hands, using Kharn as a figurehead only.
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The Warband started to recruit heavily, bringing The Shatterskulls some way back to their former glory. To show the warbands renewed strengh, an attack on Darnassus is planned and executed. The Marauders sneak in a dozen of their best, and assault the leaders of the Druidic Circle. The attack is a success, the Marauders managing to kill several high ranking druids before leaving the city as fast as they had came. This daring feat is quickly rewarded with an influx of new recruits, and the warband quickly starts growing larger than its past size.
More veteran members such as Sakarah, Sylphi, Kalcifer and Chogal join the warband in these times of rebirth. The old Stormseer's Zolkin and Crimash disappear from the Shatterskull journals, and instead Sakarah, Voxigah and Alathreal take their place.
**** ****
Weeks later, during an attack on Kal'dorei settlements in Ashenvale forest, the Chieftain Kharn clashes with his Warcallers. The Warcallers are punished by Blackeye after they berate him, calling him a poor and useless leader. The following weeks, the young Kharn changes behavior from indecisive and insane, to a strong, and somewhat wise, leader. The Chieftain starts taking over more raids from the Warcallers, and the ranks of the Marauders start respecting their leader for the first time since he took over the warband.
Over time, Kharn shows that he not only is a respectable and skilled leader, but also has a big heart. He cares for the Shatterskulls as any mother would her cubs. The Marauders grow not only to respect this new Kharn, but also love him.
**** ****
As time goes by, The Shatterskulls grow into something like they once were. The contracts are many, and under the leadership of their great Tauren Chieftain, the Marauders fill their coffers to the brink. One of the contracts taken by the Shatterskulls ends badly, however. The Warband is tricked into ressurecting their old arch-enemy, the Thorn mistress Anethrax. Furious with being cheated, the Marauders call out for Thorn blood.
Before a war can begin, however, the Warcallers call for a truce. The peace with Anethrax would hold, but new Thorn Masters would raise in her stead. That's another story though.
**** ****
Elsewhere, Warcaller Catari Bladesinger is sought out in her Eversong home by ex-Marauder, Ichimaro Wolfrunner - the former lover of Chieftain Kharn Blackeye. What happens between the Warcaller and the old Marauder is unknown to this writer, but ultimately ends with the death of Ichimaro. Kharn Blackeye, hearing of this, falls into deep grief at the murder of his one true love, and plans to have the Warcaller killed. He calls for his officers to plan an ambush on Catari, but in the end only Stormseer Voxigah takes the Chieftains side, the rest siding with the Warcaller, which in the end also makes Voxigah withdraw from the conflict.
Alone, Kharn moves against Catari, ambushing her in the Hillsbrad region and putting a curse on her, funded from the Chieftains deep coffers. The curse was meant to bring some of Kharns own soul into Catari, sharing his feeling, memories and his great lose. The Warcaller is driven insane by the curse and shortly after leaves the Warband.
The Tauren Voxigah takes over her place as Warcaller, and the elf Sylphi is made new Stormseer.
**** ****
The warband quickly recovers and Kharn soon returns to his calm persona while the Warband continues its war on the Alliance. It doesn't take long, however, before both the Chieftain and the long-time Warcaller Yuska disappear. A great search is started and it soon appears that an opposing alliance warband is behind the kidnappings. The warband is left in the hands of the new Warcaller Voxigah who does all he can to find the two officers. After several weeks, none other than the Vile Thorns shows up with information on where Kharn and Yuska is held. A lightning offensive is held; The Marauders along with the Vile Thorns attack alliance holdings in Duskwallow Marshes and free the two imprisoned Marauders.
Also, a young orc warrior named Thrakha Ironsong, recruited in Thrakmar's time but long absent while fighting alongside the Crusade in Northrend, returned to the Marauders to take up her tabard once again. She rapidly rose in rank to become a Stormseer, a loyal second to Voxigah Grimtotem - and a voice of reason in the increasingly frequent and violent clashes between Voxigah's Hammer regiment and Sylphi Searingheart's arcanists, the Circle.
The Cataclysm: Sunset over Azeroth Storyline
Time passes by and the 5th celebration of the warband is held at its traditional place at Thandol Span. Only a few months later a new great threat falls upon the people of Azeroth. The Twilight Cult starts moving hard against the world; chaos and dispair spreading in its wake. One cell of the great Cult seems to take particular interest in the Shatterskulls. The unknown cell-leader strikes at the Marauders where he can with the great Cult at his back. During this time the Warband is tricked into chasing the sects leader into the Draenei lands of Azuremist Island. There, the warband walks into a trap. The crazed Mastermind and twilight cultist reveals himself to be Baltimore Wolfrunner, son of Ichimaro Wolfrunner, whom Catari had killed more than a year earlier.
The warband would probably had met its end there on those islands, had it not been for the selfless sacrifice of the Elf, Kalcifer Sunshatter. Through her heroic act, the Warband broke the trap, and immediately put Baltimore on the run.
Through dark necromantic arts performed by the undead warlock, Raldorr von Kendal, the brave elf was raised from the dead, but no longer as she ones was - Kalcifer had joined the ranks of the Forsaken.
**** ****
The warband continued its hunt for Baltimore and his cell of Twilight Cultists, who had not been idle themselves. They had defouled and cursed the Pools of Vision under the city of Thunderbluff, leading a shaman of the Earthen Ring to contact the Marauders and asks them for assistance.
The Shatterskulls entered the cursed pools with their strongest shamans and warlocks, ready to cleanse them, being joined by past Shatterskulls; Thergaron, Drek Skysplitter, Dorn and Thrakmar. Another threat from the Cult is dealt with. For his knowledge of corruption, much needed at the time, and his time in service to the warband, Kharn promotes Raldorr von Kendal to Stormseer.
**** ****
Weeks later, the Alliance started their major land assaults in both Durotar and the Barrens, with massive ships weighing anchor offshore, and seemingly unlimited forces pouring over the barely holding Horde lines.
One such attack happened at Fray Island, just off the coast of Ratchet, and the age old home to the Shatterskulls.
In an attempt to save their home, the Marauders threw themselves at the alliance forces in a desperate effort. In the end, however, a single warband could not stand against the unrelenting forces of the Alliance. The Marauders retreated to the Crossroads; bloodied, battered, defeated and homeless. The Tauren Malrock, the Warbands Master-Blacksmith, died of his wounds there, having used himself as a shield for two of the younger Marauders, wounded by riflemen.
Not a moment after reaching the crossroads, and the death of Malrock, than news of of the great Cairn Bloodhoof's death reached the ears of the Marauders. Chieftain Kharn called for the Warband to disperse and tend to their wounds by themselves, and then gather in Undercity the following week. And what a week....
**** ****
The earth shook and shattered as Deathwing rose from Deepholm. Fire and water poured over the lands, changing and breaking Azeroth in a single Cataclysmic event.
**** ****
The Marauders that survived the Cataclysm slowly start meeting up in Undercity and move out to the Shatterskulls age-old, secondary home in Hammerfall, near to the great Thandol Span. The world has been broken, and the Marauders has lost their home and some of their oldest members, but the warband is left with only a very short amount time to grieve.
The Marauders had to act quickly, now that Baltimore's masters plans had come to fruition. With the Wolves finding his location in Loch Modan, with miraculous ease, this was likely to be the only chance they would get at taking him down.
However, little did the Marauders know that they were walking into a preplanned ambush. Poisoned and dying, the Shatterskull Marauders were shocked to the very core upon learning that their long-time, much loved Chieftain, Kharn Blackeye, had turned traitor, having led the Marauders into the trap himself.
Fleeing from a furious revenge assault by a small group of Marauders, culminating in the apparant death of the Tauren Eillie, Kharn Blackeye fled - leaving the Marauders to their fate and cementing his place among the forces of Twilight and historic infamy in the eyes of his warband.
The Marauders Civil War
The warband was left without a Chieftain once again, and the collective eyes of the Shatterskulls fell on five possible candidates;
The Veteran Warcaller, Yuska Darkspear.
Warcaller Voxigah Grimtotem, of the Hammer.
Warcaller Sylphi Searingheart, of the Circle.
Yorien Blackeye, newcomer to the Marauders and son of Kharn Blackeye, (supported by Stormseer Alathreal and Ex-Warcaller Catari, whom had her own interests in how the Shatterskulls should be led).
Thrakha Ironsong, a newly appointed Stormseer with great respect from the younger Marauders.
This four-way conflict of interest led to what is known as the Marauder Civil War.
Warcaller Voxigah had the vast majority of his support swept from under him like a rug by a young hot-blooded orc of the Hammer, Grim Stonepaw, who vocally deemed him unsuitable to lead - and many agreed. At the same time, the warlocks of the Circle made arrangements with Thrakha Ironsong that they would back her claim, rather than that of their own Warcaller, Sylphi Searingheart. Led by Raldorr von Kendal and Kalcifer Sunshatter, the Circle also uncovered Catari and Alathreal's previously hidden stakes in Yorien, and started spreading "rumours" that Yorien was nothing but a puppet for the former Warcaller and Stormseer. Yorien retained support, but doubt had begun to creep in about his candidacy.
Thus, Warcallers Voxigah and Sylphi quickly lost support for their cause, and the "underdogs", Yorien and Thrakha, along with Warcaller Yuska, seemed to be the candidates that the Marauders wanted to lead them.
It was not only conflicting politics that rose from this Civil War, however. It had a much uglier side. Tensions were rising amongst the members, with fierce battles breaking out almost daily between the Marauders; friendships were broken, and new rivalries set in place that would remain way into the future. It was all starting to unravel...
In the end, it was agreed upon by the Warband as a whole that the aspiring Chieftains were to compete in a series of events to show their strengths to the Shatterskulls. By the final test, Yorien and Thrakha were tied, with Yuska close behind.
The final test was to be a duel between the respective candidates in the arena in Stranglethorn Vale. Each would be allowed to take four supporters with them into the battle. The winner would be raised to the rank of Chieftain.
With Catari and Alathreal absent, Yoriens team seemed the weakest, but he chose to burn on ahead regardless. Yuska Darkspear chose a group of his oldest friends and allies, and Thrakha Ironsong chose from a collection of battle-ready, experienced Marauders.
Battle was met...
...The victor?
Thrakha Ironsong and her team of chosen Marauders defeated all others, and with it, won her title as the sixth Chieftain of the Shatterskull Marauders.
Generation 7 - The Age of Honor
The Civil War was over. Resurgent under their new leadership, the Marauders rode to war. In the forests of Ashenvale they distinguished themselves at the Siege of Splintertree Post and cleared the roads as far as Zoram Strand, before being forced to fall back in the face of a rising darkness from out of the Felwood, where the warband experienced demonic, mind-controlling magic, losing two of their most prominent members, Bok and his daughter Girri, in the process.
The next campaign took them to the treacherous jungles of Stranglethorn Vale, in search of lost treasures of the Gurubashi. Their quest took them into one of the great temple-cities of the ancient trolls, and there they nearly died. Refusing to bow to the demands of an ancient evil, they fled the jungles and have never returned in force.
**** ****
Regardless, the battered Marauders regrouped, regained their strength and moved to the Blasted Lands, setting up camp in the fortress of Dreadmaul Hold. The mission, to hold back the Alliance who were threatening to fortify the Dark Portal for their own cause.
While the mission was successful, Warcaller Voxigah, still not satisfied with losing his chance at the Chieftains post, clashed with Warcaller Sylphi Searingheart. Each led their regiments are at the others throats, threatening a new civil war.
Knowing that they could never work together, and seeing no absolute right on either side, Thrakha took the decision to demote them both, giving the rank of Warcaller to Alathreal and Raldorr, as well as control of the Hammer and Circle respectively.
Soon thereafter, Sylphi and Grim Stonepaw started a small revolt and left the warband, though it fell quickly. Sylphi instead retired to Hammerfall, continuing her attempts to gather support for her revolt, while Grim disappeared to Northrend.
Undaunted, the Marauders pushed on into Outland to repel a demonic incursion that threatened to overrun both the Horde and Alliance positions in the Blasted Lands. The demon forces were driven back and scattered, and their leader - a young and unusually rash Pit Lord - was hunted down and slain.
The Marauders returned to Azeroth in triumph, travelling to the Thandol Span to celebrate a sixth year passed in glorious warfare.
**** ****
The sixth celebration of the warband took place, once again, at Thandol Span. Thrakha had so far shown, in her very short period as Chieftain, that the Marauders had made the right choice. On the night of the anniversary, Catari rejoined the warband ones again, swearing an oath to the new Chieftain. Soon after, Grim Stonepaw also returned from Northrend, guided by the spirit of the old shaman Drek Skysplitter. Making his peace with Thrakha, he returned to the fold. Even Sylphi accepted when Thrakha, in a show of good faith, invited her back with all her wrongdoings left to the past. The Marauders were looking as strong as ever.
With new found strength, the warband moved out to the jungles of Feralas. While the warband slowly forced the Kaldorei there back to their base of Feathermoon Stronghold, they unfortunately were unable to truly defeat them and were subsequently pushed back, but the devestation they had wreaked had been done.
**** *****
After returning from Feralas, and skirmishing with the dwarves in the Arathi Highlands while back in Hammerfall, Thrakha recieved her first major contract from The Sin'dorei of the Reliquary. The Shatterskulls were tasked with heading to the colds of Northrend to hunt for remaining black dragons. After Deathwings fall, some of the smaller dragons had tried to take over the flight; Dusktalon and Huskarl. These dragons and their allies would become the Marauders target.
Little did the Marauders know, however, but the Black Dragons had in fact infiltrated the Marauders before they had even left Kalimdor. The weeks spend in the cold north left the warband dried out on recruits, and the Shatterskulls fell prey to the Black Dragons games. In the end, the Marauders managed to kill only one of the Dragons.
They also managed to get their hands on magical artifacts of the black flight, that the reliquary had highlighted could be turned in as a bonus, but decided to keep it for themselves after it turned out that the Elf that had hired them for the job in the first place, Jorlain, was infact the black dragon Dusktalon who had hired them only to remove his only opponent for leadership of the Black Flight, Huskarl.
These dragons were as back-stabbing, and as tricky as they were ever fabled to be. The Marauders would have no other business with them.
**** ****
The Marauders left the frozen North on three ships, headed for Eversong. On their way over the ocean, the ships were attacked by the black dragon Dusktalon, that the Shatterskulls had cheated; with him flew a small army of the Black Dragonflight. The Marauders fought and sailed valiantly, but in the end both Warcaller Raldorr and Chieftain Thrakha's ships went down with every man. Only Stormseer Catari's ship reached safe harbor in Eversong after the attack. The survivors quickly sent search parties all over the northern kingdoms. After having saved several Marauders, including the Chieftain Thrakha, from the broken shipwrecks, most of which washed ashore, a great fire was lit in memory of those that were taken by the waves. Warcaller Raldorr was presumed dead.
The Shatterskulls had not been weakened this much since the days after Thrakmars disappearence. Thrakha has named Sakarah, Grim and Catari as her Warcallers after the landing. The rebuilding of the warband now rest on their collective shoulders.
The story ends with the events of our guild moving server from The Venture Co. to Defias Brotherhood on march 12 2012.
I hope someone enjoyed the story
Catari- Posts : 134
Join date : 2012-01-25
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Re: Shatterskull history. Years 1-7
by Gor'Thrak Frosthowl Tue Jul 09, 2013 12:06 am
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Gor'Thrak Frosthowl- Posts : 779
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Re: Shatterskull history. Years 1-7
by erwtenpeller Tue Jul 09, 2013 10:51 am
This story needs post-move updates. So many awesome things have happened!Catari wrote:The story ends with the events of our guild moving server from The Venture Co. to Defias Brotherhood on march 12 2012.
I hope someone enjoyed the story
erwtenpeller- Posts : 6481
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Re: Shatterskull history. Years 1-7
by Coppernut Tue Jul 09, 2013 12:24 pm
happy 8th when it comes, this brings back some merories
Coppernut- Posts : 116
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