Gar Greycloud

Gar Greycloud 	Gar Greycloud
Gar 	
Gar
Vital statistics	Vital statistics
Names 	
Garbold Greycloud /
Gar the Hermit
Class 	Druid of the Wild
Race 	Tauren
Faction 	The Thousand Eyes
Occuptation 	Hermit
Status 	Deceased
Location 	Kalimdor
Gar (Full name Garbold Greycloud) was an Elder Druid hailing from the Greycloud tribe. He was a wise old Druid who emerged from years of solitude in Feralas to defend and rebuild Kalimdor in the events of the Cataclysm.
==Name==
Garbold Greycloud. He shortens his name to Gar and prefers not to be called Garbold. His rival Verdauga Whitecloud used to call him Garbold as a mockery. Gar is from the Greycloud tribe, a tribe vastly less numerous than the Darkcloud and Whitecloud tribes. The Greycloud tribe is based in the Thousand Needles and Desolace. It is said they lived once in Stonetalon but were pushed out by the Whitecloud tribe down into Desolace. Despite this the two tribes have a strong friendship and are considered allies.
The Greycloud tribe, like the Darkcloud and Whitecloud tribes, is a tribe which includes Taurens of a specific pelt. As name suggests all of the Greycloud Tauren are grey pelted.
The Greycloud tribe has lost many of it's tribe members to the grey Tauren of the Stonehoof tribe in recent decades. The Stonehoof tribe is much more numerous in Tauren and they are more influential with their many skillful miners and blacksmiths. This drew many Taurens to change their tribe causing the Greclouds to dwindle more because the Stonehoof Tribe was a far more appealing tribe to be in.
==Traits==
Gar is a grey pelted Tauren with blue eyes. When he was younger his pelt was completely gray but with age his fur has become white in patches around his face and arms. He has small white horns which he is proud of. He learned to become proud of his horns and love them after he was teased as a young bull for not having large horns. His Greatmother told him to be happy with whatever he has because everything is a gift from the Earthmother. These words he holds true to himself to this day.
Gar was a runt meaning he was smaller than the rest of his brothers and sisters when he was born. Because of this he has had to overcome a lot more physical struggles than other Tauren to make himself healthy, strong and large.
His personality is meek and humble. He tends not to get angry. His time living as a hermit have made Gar fond of simple living. He is always calm and paitent. Gar is no pushover though and can display traits of determination, cunning and endurance.
==Race and Class==
Gar is a Shu'Halo Druid of the Wild. A Druid of the Wild is an elite Druid who does not hold themself to one animal totem like the claw or talon, rather they have power over many of the animal forms and walks of nature. This diverse and versitile path took many years of training to perfect, and the world sees more and more Druids of the Wild that they are so common that some just go by calling themselves simply Druids.
Gar does not often find the need to fight, but that does not mean he can't. Despite never leaving Kalimdor to Outland or Northrend, Gar is a true master of the wild. His long dedication to the ways of nature and his service in the Emerald Dream have granted him the powers of a worthy Arch Druid.
When it comes to fighting Gar takes the form of a great lion with a black pelt and wild grey mane. He fights so ferociously with his claws and teeth that you'd forget that he was a gentle and wise Tauren and mistake him for a savage wild beast.
But Gar is also a great healer, using his knowledge of flora and fauna he can mend almost any wound be it an external or internal. However due to his age Gar can be a bit slow sometimes when it comes to casting spells, often having to pause momentarily to remember how to cast something.
His two paths contrast each other greatly, the aggressive path of the claw and his peaceful path of healing are a perfect example of the upholding of balance in the Druid way.
Gar was taught by Hamuul Runetotem, an Elder Whitecloud Druid and Naralex. It was his teachers who taught Gar the basics of Druidism but a majority of his training took place in the wilds alone teaching himself through experience, worship and meditation.
Gar has written a guide to Druid spellcasting entitled Gar's guide to Druid spellcasting .
==Views and Religion==
Naturally Gar is a worshipper of the Earthmother. To receive his borrowed powers of moonlight he must focus more on the worship of Mu'sha, the moon and left eye of the Earthmother.
Gar is not a fan of technology and hates any settlement that is any larger than a camp. This is one of the reasons he lives alone in the wilds. He knows of the Forsaken and Blood Elf in the Horde but has not spent enough time with either race to really have an opinion on them, though like most Tauren he dislikes the stench of magic and fel on a Blood Elf soul. He views the Forsaken as a form of spirit and has some respect and pity for them. He is friendly with Orcs and Trolls but when it comes to Goblins he is wary and suspicious because of their technological ways. He respects the Night Elves but has never come into contact with any other Alliance races.
==Occupation==
Despite being a Druid, Gar is not currently a member of the Cenarion Circle. He left behind any loyalties when he went to live in the wilds, but he would still willingly help any who needed it. Gar does not consider himself a member of the Horde either.
Garb is a lover of plantlife, he collects herbs to sell, cook or smoke.
His father wanted for him to become a great Warrior but Gar was always a smaller sized Tauren in his younger days and more interested in the study of nature.
==Family==
His tribe are from Desolace but most of they moved around between the Thousand Needles and Desolace in the nomad years. Gar saw a lot of Feralas in these years as they travelled back and forth and always prefered living there over the other two lands. The rest of the tribe were not fond of Feralas though, they prefered open spaces so they were never camped in Feralas long.
Gar's parents are long dead. He has a brother in the Thousand Needles who he does not speak to and a cousin, Kanati Greycloud.
==Life before the Cataclysm==
Gar was born whilst his tribe were travelling between Feralas and Desolace. There is dispute as to whereabouts Gar was born. His mother would say he was a Feralas calf but his father, who had a paranoia about Feralas, would say he was a Desolace calf. If you ask Gar he will say he was born in the in between.
When he was reaching bullhood Gar ran away because his father wanted to make him into a Warrior. Gar ran away into Feralas and this was his first experience living alone in the wilds. He was happy and content there and found he had freedom to do what he wanted. Feralas was a dangerous place for a young Tauren though and Gar was almost killed there by a wild bear. Luckily he was rescued by a Night Elf scout who took him to the borders of Camp Mojache. This was the first experience Gar had had with a Kaldorei and has held them in deep respect ever since. It was this experience that helped Gar decide what path he wanted to follow. As he was being nursed back to health in Mojache his carer told him stories about the Night elves and their power over nature and Gar wanted to aspire to have such gifts. Gar's father, upon seeing his son wounded, accepted that his son did not want to become a Warrior and wanted to pursue another path. Gar's father gave him his blessing to go and seek his destiny when he was ready.
Gar travelled to the Barrens years later seeking the allies of the Greycloud tribe, the Whiteclouds. The Whiteclouds had ties with the Night Elves and it was Gar's hope that he might learn more to become a Druid by meeting them. It took several weeks to find the wandering Whiteclouds in the vast Barrens but eventually the lone Greycloud found them. It was then that Gar met Verdauga Whitecloud, who was the same age as him and about to begin training as a Druid. Verdauga disliked Gar and the two forged a strong rivalry. Gar however did not have any resentment towards his fellow student and saw their competitiveness as friendly.
Because of their same age (though Verdauga was older by three months) Gar and Verdauga were trained together as Druids in and around the Barrens and Ashenvale firstly by Naralex and later by an elder Whitecloud. They trained for several years before Gar decided to continue his training alone in the wilds to master his powers. It was his rivals increasing aggresiveness towards him that spurred his decision to leave into the wilds. This was probably a wise decision for Gar because their second teacher did not have a total broad knowledge of Druidism and had little left to teach. The students were reunited again briefly years later when they both attended a gathering with Hamuul Runetotem who passed on his wisdom to aspiring Druids.
In later years upon the welcoming of the Tauren into the Cenarion Circle, the Whitecloud tribe was favoured as Wardens of Moonglade for their white pelts and old connections with the Night Elves. Verdauga and Gar travelled to Moonglade together for the first time. Because of his tribe's "status" in Nighthaven, Verdauga became very proud and arrogant, creating further contrasts between him and the humble Gar. The two of them fought, for the first they actually fought with intent to seriously harm each other. They both ended up as wounded as each other (though Gar slightly more so) and finally Verdauga agknowledged the strength of his rival and told him he respected him. Gar was happy to hear these words and they parted on good terms. After their battle they did not see each other again.
As is the duty of Druids in order to appreciate nature and gain their powers, Gar spent many years within the Emerald Dream. He had a joyful time there back when the Nightmare was not present (or very slight at least) and when he emerged he went to live in Feralas because the land had long been dear to him and it reminded him of the dream. Gar began to live a simple life as a hermit and people who met him at this point came to know him as Gar the Hermit.
Usually once a year Gar would travel to Moonglade to see the other Druids and hear news of the goings on in the world. Here he learned that a young Druid, Kocoum Runetotem, had gone into the Emerald Dream and he had friends whom he had not informed. Gar was asked to take the news to Thunder Bluff on his way back to Feralas. It is here he met Chanah Wolfsbane and came to learn of the guild his old rival had created, The Thousand Eyes .
==The Shattering==
Gar had lived many years undisturbed in the forest of Feralas. The Druid was always distrustful of outsiders of the woods and prefered his solitude. However when quakes began to be felt in Feralas the life and routine of Gar began to change. At first the quakes did not bother him but they got stronger and more frequent. The Druid felt helpless, he did know what to do to find a solution. He decided to travel to Thunder Bluff to seek help regarding he earthquakes in Feralas, he thought the quakes were only in that region. Howvever when he arrived upon meeting Kragh Grimtotem he learned that the quakes were being felt all across of Kalimdor. Nobody in Thunder Bluff knew of the causes to these earthquakes and even the shamans who had a connection to the earth could find no answers from the elemental spirits. Gar decided to visit the outside of Feralas more at this time in case any discoveries were made about the quakes.
For the first time in his life Gar was not happy being on his own. He did not feel safe anymore, and sought comfort. He invited The Thousand Eyes to his Feralas home for dinner. Ever since meeting them he had been interested to learn about the guild and it's members, he was intrigued by what his old rival Verdauga had created. He hoped to form friendships, as he had none, so that he would feel safer and not on his own in the now unstable Kalimdor. After hunting for wolf meat the Druid welcomed the Eyes into his secretive home for dinner. The Shamans and Druids even helped to strengthen Gar's tower so it would not be at risk of collapsing from the quakes. After the evening was over and everyone had returned to their homes Gar felt pleased - he had found new friends in the Eyes.
The Ogres of Gar's ruins had long left him in peace but with the increasing quakes they became paranoid and suspicious of Gar. Although weak and stupid on their own they formed together to draw Gar from his dwelling. The Druid was forced to flee his home from the mass of rioting Ogres. Now homeless, he sought out members of The Thousand Eyes and asked to join them, believing their cause of following ancient traditions to be noble and suitable for him to be a part of now that he had decided to end his solitude and join a worthy cause in the trembling world.
==During the Cataclysm ==
After the shattering Gar initially joined both the Cenarion Circle and the Guardians of Hyjal and fought to repel Ragnaros' invaders of Vordrassil. He also helped further the mending in lands such as the North Barrens and Desolace.
Gar initially only fought briefly in the post-shattering war, he was desperate to return to his quiet life in the wilds. He felt a responsability at first to defend Kalimdor and he helped to stabalise it but the burdens and horrors of a turbulent world lay heavy upon the Druid.
With the help of The Thousand Eyes he reclaimed Isildien and restored the peace between himself and the Ogres. 
==Death==
Some conflict had arose in the circle of the Maen of the Eyes, which Gar was a part of. Gar and Throk Sourheart had quarrelled and the other Maen decided it best that Throk and Gar take time away from their duties as Maen away from Kalimdor. The Maen requested that Throk would go for half a moon cycle to his homeland of Durotar, where he had often been sent before should he had needed to calm down.
Of Gar they asked that he would enter the Emerald Dream as part of his retreat, for half a moon cycle. Gar refused their request, stating that the Emerald Dream is a sacred realm that requires deep meditation into Druidism and should not be entered rashly without thought or by the will of others. Gar instead requested that he would stay in Nighthaven while he was suspended from his Maen duties, but this was refused.
Gar pleading with the only other Druid Maen on the council, Ranali Wildmane , to have the Maen not command Gar to enter the Emerald Dream which would go against his own Druidic values. Ranali did not agree with Gar and decided to stand by the decision. As Gar then refused to enter the Emerald Dream on the Maen orders, he was cast out of The Thousand Eyes and his signet was destroyed.
Gar was devestated after this expulsion for the Eyes were his only family and he saw it as a great betrayal. He attempted suicide by setting himself aflame at the Eyes campfire. The Druid Vorm and Sunwalker Nura quickly doused the flames and prevented the old Druids death though his grey fur was charred black.
After his revival Gar flew to Thunder Bluff to seek out Ranali, the Druidess he believed could have spoken for him and rebuke the Maens decision. He now blamed her for his burnt condition and wanted answers. He took with him a knife which he clutched tightly with the intention to intimidate and defend himself in his crazed state after his attempted suicide. The two met by Thunder Bluff pond where Ranali remained calm in the face of Gar's distress. Gar blamed Ranali for his condition and wished harm upon her, stating that he had never been an angry person but now he was. With that he left, and Ranali was the last person to see Gar alive.
A few days later members of The Thousand Eyes received letters from Gar. He expressed his love for them all, apologised and forgave and said farewell. He had gone into the wilds of Feralas to lay down in the wilderness and let age overcome him and death take him.
==Friends and allies==
For many years Gar had only himself and his Emerald Dragon whelp (Dormio) for company. With his recent emergence the Druid has found new friends.
Chanah Wolfsbane
Kragh Grimtotem
Braan Firetotem
Talnes Whitecloud
===Allies===
Cenarion Circle - When the Cenarion Circle was formed Gar befriended them in Nighthaven. Gar had never become a member of the Cenarion Circle, he was far too reclusive. He still visited them anually in Nighthaven.
With the coming of the Cataclysm Gar was urged to join the Cenarion Circle by Remulos and defend Vordrassil as a Guardian of Hyjal.
The Thousand Eyes - Gar has found new allies in the Eyes since he came out of his solitude. He finally joined the guild to stand against the coming darkness, finding them best suited to him as their ways of preservation and old traditions are traits he holds.
Horde - Gar is neutral towards the Horde. He lends them his aid when necessary but does not fight in their name or against their enemy, the Alliance.
==Writings==
Gar's guide to Druid Spellcasting
Category:Characters
Category:Horde
Category:Tauren
Category:Druid
Category:Male
Category:Archive
Category:Dead Characters