Hiz

Category:Alliance
Category:Gnome
Category:Warrior
http://www.shakytable.com/hiz.jpg
==Vital Stats==
Full Name: Hizzington Reginald Toggleswitch, Hiz for short
Title: Formerly High Gearknight Commander of the Gnomeregan Special Forces, formerly an Explorer in Rini Dieb
Race: Gnome.
Class: Warrior
Age: 67 
==Appearance==
Hiz is rather sturdy for his race, having developed such features after years of defending his homeland. Though Gnomeregan has long since fallen, he maintains his militaristic style of appearance, from his haircut to the pristine quality of his armaments. He is rarely seen without his armor on, and he generally carries around more weapons than one would expect such a small figure to be able to handle.
==Personality==
Hiz is the gallant type, well-versed in the ways of chivalry and respect towards others. He never refers to someone without using the proper prefix (Mr. or Miss) unless he is specifically instructed by the person to call them something different, and even then he manages to slip up on occasion. He is prone to using unnecessarily large words and babbling about the current topic at hand without really realizing it. Hiz is quite easygoing, and generally happy to assist someone in any way he can.
==History==
===Early Years===
Hiz was born into a wealthy family with an extensive military background. His father, his father's father, and his father's father's father all served in the Gnomish Military as commanders and generals. As a child, he found great pleasure in using his family's station in life to better the lives of those around him.
At the age of 10 he was given a small egg and instructed to care for it until it hatched. He was diligent in his care of the egg until it finally hatched and the young chick inside was brought into the world. The bird's name was Thatcher Hurston Featherward the Third, and he would become Hiz's greatest friend and constant companion.
===Military===
When Hiz reached the age of 20 he was inducted into the Gnomish Military where he rose through the ranks swiftly. He was as apt a recruit as had ever been seen in Gnomeregan, which came as little surprise to anyone given his family history. Eventually he was bestowed the title of High Gearknight Commander of the Gnomeregan Special Forces, a group of the Gnomish Military's first-class recruits. The group was formed as sort of a covert operations force, performing missions that were deemed unnecessary for the general Gnomish population to be aware of.
http://www.shakytable.com/hizwedding.jpg
===Love and Marriage===
It was in the GSF that Hiz would meet the love of his life: Nikilia Neverfuse. She was a very accomplished mage, having graduated at the top of her class with honors. She was inducted into the GSF shortly after Hiz was, and the two grew close as they were sent on missions together. Eventually, Hiz mustered up all the courage he could, and asked her to marry him. She accepted, much to Hiz's relief. They were wed a year later, with Thatcher as the best man.
===The Trogg Invasion===
When the Troggs invaded Gnomeregan, a council was swiftly called together to discuss how to best approach the situation. It was decided that the Gnomes would face this threat alone rather than call on the aid of their allies, who were presently caught up in the war against the Burning Legion.
Hiz was placed on the front lines and saw much battle, as did Nikilia. From dawn until dusk they fought against the Troggs with their unit, but their numbers never seemed to dwindle. High Tinker Mekkatorque soon called together all the leaders of the units of the Gnomish Military to inform them that he had given the order to vent the city's radioactive waste tanks in a desperate attempt to drive back the invaders. When Hiz heard of this, he was shocked beyond all belief. Nikilia was still fighting where the venting was to occur. He fled from the meeting and rushed to the field of battle but the area had been sealed off. From beyond the large steel doors he could hear the hiss of the vents and the insane gurgling of the Troggs as they became irradiated. He pounded on the doors but it was to no avail. Nikilia was undoubtedly gone.
The Troggs' siege did not end, and they soon broke down the doors sealing off them and the radioactive gases from the rest of Gnomeregan. The great Gnomish city was lost, and the evacuation order was given. Hiz stood firm as waves of Gnomes fled from the city. He was determined to slay every single Trogg himself to avenge his lost home. Before he got a chance to do so he felt a sharp pecking at his waist. It was Thatcher. The bird looked up at him with pleading eyes, and Hiz's resolve crumbled. He scooped his friend up in his arms and escaped Gnomeregan, seeking refuge in Ironforge along with his brethren.
===After Gnomeregan===
Hiz eventually reached the sanctuary of Ironforge, along with many of his Gnomish comrades who were lucky enough to escape. Upon passing through the immense iron gates of the stronghold of the Dwarves, he could no longer push himself onward and promptly collapsed on the floor below him.
He eventually woke up several days later, laying in a bed in one of the many homes Ironforge had to offer. All his physical wounds had been completely healed. He sat up in bed, and had a brief moment of respite before the memories of what had happened came flooding back to him. It was then that the one who had been nursing Hiz back to health made himself known: one Odil Stonelight, a Dwarven priest. Odil too knew the pain of losing a loved one, and it was because of his counsel that Hiz was able to work through such grief. Hiz gained much respect for the priest, and came to know him as one of his most capable and loyal comrades.
With Gnomeregan fallen, Hiz had no way of supporting himself any longer. Being a member of the Gnomish military, his pay came from the Gnomeregan taxes. Ironforge had no need for extra military personnel, so Hiz took to performing various oddjobs to get by. Though he had a bit of engineering skill, being a Gnome, he truly shined at blacksmithing. He was quite the accomplished weaponsmith, and was able to make a meager living pounding out metals into various sharp implements. Though the work was grueling (and the poor Gnome was quite unaccustomed to the immense levels of heat given off by the Great Forge) Hiz took a certain sense of pride in his abilities.
Despite earning an honest wage and carving out a living for himself, Hiz dreamed of something more. He had been in Gnomeregan his entire life, and longed to see what the vast world of Azeroth had to offer. He was planning to take on such an endeavor after retiring, but those plans were gone with Gnomeregan. He enquired with the Explorers' League about taking a position with them but, much to his disappointment, they weren't looking for anyone new. He was disappointed, but vowed not to let this hold him back.
http://www.shakytable.com/hizrd.jpg
===Rini Dieb===
It was during a routine delivery of armaments to Stormwind that Hiz first ran across the group known as Rini Dieb. They were having a rather heated dispute with a rival of sorts. Throughout the entire argument, Hiz admired Rini Dieb's ability to stick together and support each other under pressure. It reminded him of his old military days and brought back many fond memories. Later on, he would have a chance to speak with the leader of Rini Dieb, one Farahl Shadewhisper. When he discovered that Rini Dieb was actually an explorers' guild he was overjoyed, and promptly joined when the opportunity presented itself.
Hiz spent much time with Rini Dieb, but for some reason he felt like he never really fit in. Perhaps it was the predominantly female membership or the fact that many of the members were involved in various romantic situations that the gnome simply couldn't relate to. He grew distant from the group and ended up going back to his old life of smithing to get by. It was hard, thankless work, and it drove Hiz further and further into his rut from which he seemingly could not pull himself out.
===Outland===
Upon hearing that the Dark Portal had been reactivated and was allowing passage to Outland, Hiz felt a spark reignite inside him. It was that old pull of exploration, the desire to go out there and see great and wonderous things. He gathered up all his belongings (along with Thatcher) and made for the Portal, seeking to explore Outland's vast horizons. He also wished to carve out a living in the shattered realm, and to assist the Alliance any way he could along the way.
To be continued...