NAMES: Kaeevanrash Winterhoof, Kaeevanrash of the Stormspeakers, 'Kaeev'
FAMILY HISTORY: Only child of Lohtas Winterhoof (father, hunter, deceased) and Saeuna Dawnstrider (mother, shaman, deceased). Part of a collection of Winterhoof and Dawnstrider families. Married to Karoa (huntress, formerly of the Windchasers).
HISTORY & ACTIVITY BRIEF:
Kaeev's parents were old when he was born, and so they departed this world while he was still very young. In his youth, he began training as a
holy strider for his people until his spiritual gifts manifested. Those gifts manifested miraculously but late, and for some more years remained dormant until Kaeev had a chance meeting with a traveling shaman named Grennan, then chieftain of a group of shamans known as the Stormspeakers.
Grennan’s ability and wisdom inspired Kaeev. Grennan, too, had interest in the young one, and Kaeev was presented with the opportunity to come under the chieftain’s tutelage, to become a Stormspeaker himself. Kaeev accepted, and the two became close friends over the years, despite their age difference. In truth, Grennan had become a fatherly figure to Kaeev, filling a void that had remained largely empty since Lohtas and Saeuna had left this world.
With the defeat of the Burning Legion and the eventual routing of the centaur from Mulgore, Kaeev's family accepted the protection of the Horde and were allowed to permanently settle in Mulgore. In exchange for this, his family was one among many asked by Cairne Bloodhoof, on behalf of the Warchief Thrall, to provide one male or female from each tribe in the family to join the ranks of the Horde’s armies. Seeing this as another opportunity to put his gifts to good use, and hoping that by his heritage he could alone satisfy the requirement for both Winterhoof and Dawnstrider, Kaeev selflessly volunteered to join without consulting Grennan first. Grennan reluctantly consented later. Thus, as Kaeev had hoped, he enlisted as his family’s sole applicant.
Kaeev’s time in the Horde was difficult, though not so much because of physical hardship. With Grennan’s training, he excelled in his capacity to call lightning to strike his enemies, and also to call upon Water also to heal his allies. However, the often selfish or sinister motives in many of the orders given him, and the general lack of respect for his beliefs and for the land by those he served under or alongside, caused a sense of disillusionment to grow in him. These feelings only increased as the Horde’s efforts turned to Outland, and later to Northrend. Disillusionment grew to resentment, until finally he could not bear it any longer and simply 'quit'. With appeals to Horde leaders whom he knew were aware of his accomplishments and would likely understand his perspective, Kaeev was discharged honorably with his family’s debt considered satisfied.
The burden of this debt was lifted, but Kaeev felt he could not idle away his time at home. His service in the Horde had allowed him to see much of the turmoil abroad in the world, and he knew he could in some small way bring relief to that suffering, whether that involved seeking to heal the lands, or combat the true adversaries of the world. Now, he could do these things, and still take time to be with family at home.
It was in the midst of his free endeavors in Northrend that Kaeev met Karoa Windchaser, a huntress who shared in some of his pursuits. Their first meeting was rather brief and informal, but they would cross paths again soon after in the Grizzly Hills, where they pursued the undead Scourge together. Their hunts were many, and the two became close friends. As their journeys continued into Zul’drak and beyond, their friendship soon became a courtship.
While in Northrend, Kaeev also encountered the shu’halo of the tribe known as the “Ishnu Por Ah”. Intrigued, he shared in many of their hunts for a time until he became convinced that their beliefs were very much in line with his own, and he joined himself with them. Not long after his joining, what began as small seeds of love had grown and bloomed, and he proposed to Karoa. She accepted, and they were later married by Red Earth, Matriarch of the Ishnu Por Ah.
Kaeev had not forgotten his mentor and friend Grennan during those years. During his time in the Horde when able, and frequently after that time, Kaeev met and counseled with his now-aged chieftain and with the Stormspeaker tribe. Grennan, in turn, had not forgotten his student. The old chief could sense that Kaeev was becoming stronger and more mature with each meeting. And so, as he felt his time to leave this world was drawing near, Grennan called his small band of Stormspeakers and their respective families together and, to Kaeev’s surprise, announced that he would step down as chieftain, with Kaeev taking his place. The title of ‘chieftain’ was not an honor Kaeev actively sought, but he humbly accepted nonetheless.
Kaeev often felt inadequate in his ability to lead the Stormspeakers, and so he relied heavily on Grennan for guidance and counsel in many things. However, as the earth began to tremble and elementals appeared on the attack across the land, Kaeev’s mentor became ominously silent regarding what was happening and what was to come. Believing the silence to be a sort of test from his former chieftain, Kaeev did what he could to assuage the fears of his people, inspiring them to courage with words and prayers, and repelling the elemental invasions when they arose. But none of this could have prepared him for what did come. The destruction wrought by Deathwing’s subsequent return to the world, compounded by the death of Grennan in events immediately following, was almost too much for the young chieftain to bear. The anguish of the loss, known to but a precious few outside of the Stormspeakers, still hangs heavy on him for reasons also known to few. Notwithstanding this and the grave, new threats to this world and all he holds dear, Kaeev has not given up hope. He continues to fight alongside the Ishnu Por Ah in their efforts, and stays as true as he can to the legacy left behind by Grennan as he now leads the Stormspeakers alone.
THREAT ASSESSMENT: Moderate to high. Kaeevanrash, though still relatively young for a shu’halo, is battle-proven and stands among the foremost of Ishnu Por Ah’s protectors. His affinity to the powers of the storm is great; however, he is typically mild-mannered and tends to call upon such power with reserve. Consequently, the full extent of his ability is difficult to estimate. Treat with caution.
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I promise))
