Unum Heartstrong

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**Summary**

Warsong clan Orc that gave into nihilism, fully accepting his bloodlust, rage, destructiveness and addictive yearning for demon blood for years. Eventually being eaten inside by the lack of spirituality, finds a way out from within through self-cultivation and awareness. With his new sense of oneness and universal understanding, opens himself to a connection with the elements. Starts his journey anew as a fledgling Shaman with what might be an older body but a new and rejuvenated spirit.

## Early Life

Unum Heartstrong was born to Botuk and Netak Heartstrong of the Warsong Clan.  A nomadic, warrior orc clan that resided in the area known as Nagrand of Draenor. They were in a constant battle with the Ogre clans of the area for territory and food.

The Warsong eventually pushed the Ogres back to their stronghold of Highmaul, leaving most of Nagrand free for the Orcs. However, this made the Warsong famous amongst all the Orcs of Draenor and when the orc Blackhand was eventually named Warchief of the United Horde (Events not discussed here) he appointed the Warsong clan as the spearhead and backbone of the Orcish army.  This put War even more to the forefront of the Warsong life. Being the Nomadic and tough clan that they were, the women and children usually travelled with them on their campaigns. Growing up in this time, war was all Unum knew.

The Warsong clan was eventually appointed the task of finally toppling the Orges stronghold of Highmaul along with the Twilight Hammer clan. Although they were successful in their task it wasn’t as easy as they thought and received quite a number of casualties, one of which was Unum’s father.

## Adolescent (Early Development)

The death of Botuk had quite an effect on Unum. Not so much emotionally, as war and death were known to him but more so psychologically and philosophically.  Unum, already a deep thinker and analyzer had always questioned things deeper than most would. Always asking why, he eventually reached the grand question of life itself. Why? What’s the purpose of life? What’s my purpose? He never could find a suitable answer. This upset him. He would sometimes raise these kinds of questions with his peers or parents. They simply responded by asking him why he was wasting his time with these pointless questions, that he should focus on his axe training or hunting skills. Sometimes they would even tease him that he should go join the Frostwolf clan if he wanted to ponder such silly things.  At the death of his father he came to his conclusion. If a great orc like his father who had clearly so much life and purpose ahead of him could just die like that, then there must be no meaning or purpose in life at all.  What was it all for? Nothing! Having seen nothing but war his whole life coupled with this revelation, all ideals in Unum started to fade. Nothing mattered to him. A deep nihilism started to fester within him as well as a deep rage at life itself. Normally this type of attitude would be noticed, would be destructive to the clan as a whole, but as it would seem nihilism and destruction was just what the horde or, better yet, its puppet masters wanted.

As the Orc offensive continued against the Dreanei of Draenor, Unum, as all Warsong pups were then, was enlisted for small remedial tasks in the army, sharpening blades, courier etc.  His apparent rage and war lust, which was evident in his training courses, coupled with his larger than average size gave way to him getting an early promotion to scout.  His complete disregard for his own life due to his nihilism, led him to take many risks that others wouldn’t. This garnering him a reputation for what was mistaken as bravery and loyalty. He received many early rewards and was eventually promoted to a position of grunt at the ripe age of 14, the earliest age anyone can fully join the army.

Destruction had become a part of Unum’s being. Destruction of any kind, even self. He threw himself into those first raids with a maddening rage. Chopping down the Draenei with berserker ferocity. Ironically it was probably the only thing that made him feel alive. In retrospect, maybe he thought that if life had no meaning then maybe its destruction was meaning in itself. Whether that was the deeper reason or not he did not bother to ponder it, he just relished it.  This rage and ferocity carried over to the attacks against the other orcs when drought and starvation forced them to clash against each other for the foe did not matter to Unum.

## Adult

As panic engulfed most of the orc’s in Dreanor it hardly mattered to Unum. They were all going to die and it was fitting and the obvious inevitability. Couldn’t they all see that? They were all weak anyway. So, when Grommash Hellscream the Warsong leader ordered his army to follow him in drinking a Demon’s blood that would aid them in travelling and taking another land he thought it was just a waste of time and he was a bit annoyed, he wanted to see everyone die. However, when that blood rushed down his throat it was as if he was finally fulfilled. The rage that coursed through him had a presence to it now. His constant companion finally had a voice of its own and it agreed with him. Destruction! The power and energy it came with were welcomed bonuses.

Like many others, Unum’s rage was too out of hand for Blackhand and Gul’dan to control. He along with most of his Warsong clan were ordered to stay on Draenor as they invaded Azeroth. It wasn’t until after the Orc’s defeat in the second war that another chieftan saw fit to use the Warsong clan. Ner’zhul employed the Warsong clan on raids in Azeroth. At one point they were tasked to guard the Dark Portal on Azeroth’s side. They were forced to retreat at one point and during this time the dark portal was destroyed by the Alliance.

## Changes

For the next 15 years Grommash, Unum and the rest of the Warsong clan had to survive like they did in the old days.  Being stranded on Azeroth, they were more fitted than most to survive, as their nomadic heritage and traditional hit and run style of fighting were still inherent to them. However, at this time the demon blood in them began to wane leaving the orc’s very lethargic and morbid. Also, a psychological regret started to seep into many of them at what they had become and what they had done. Unum’s natural deep thinking started to return to him.  He felt wrong and it just wasn’t just the lack of demon blood. He knew his attitude was wrong. He knew his perspective had to have been childish. How can all of this be for nothing. He looked at the beautiful and harmonious Azeroth and knew somehow that there had to be something more, but why has it evaded him his whole life.  The old turmoil began to rise within Unum.  Meaning, purpose.  Even so, however, the fighting had to continue. As a matter of survival now. The rage that he once had seemed to have burned itself out.  Whenever he had quite times to himself, he would go back to his ponderings of old.  He would sit quietly and just think till eventually he would exhaust of that but too aware to sleep he would just sit there with nothing on his mind and it was in these moments that he finally felt peace, but peace really wasn’t a good word for it. It was something more than peace. He would start to focus on the sounds of the environment, trees, birds then his own breathing then eventually he would go deep within himself and find that it was grander than he could imagine. It was almost as if another world were there. He relished these moments and coming back to this place gave him renewed rejuvenation. He decided he would continue this practice and improve himself, he would try to learn of a way to be at peace with himself as much as he could considering the circumstances.

## Hope and Relapse

The group eventually met up with Orgrim Doomhammer of the Blackrock and Thrall of the Frostwolves.  Thrall had a plan with some soothsayer advice to take them to a new land called Kalimdor, which they agreed on as they had no other option. As pioneers now the Warsong clan was entrusted with the task of gathering lumber for the settlement but it seems for the Warsong that war is always an inevitability. As they were performing their tasks they were attacked by Night Elves defending their beloved trees. The Warsong defeated them but the Demigod Cenarius came after them next. They had no hope of survival against a demigod. With their backs against a corner they came upon a suspiciously placed pit of demonic blood.  Grommash argued that the blood was all that they could do to survive.  At the time though, Unum was not paying attention to the verbal considerations. He was having his own internal battle as he knew they all were. A part of him was thirsting for the blood. It wanted it so badly. It wanted the power, the destruction to seep back into his life. He was weak at resisting it. He still had not found a reason for life, a strong enough internal power to resist. Another part of him was frightened and wanted nothing to do with it and that part of him despised himself for being so weak. But when Grommash decided to drink the blood Unum had already made that decision himself and he drank lustfully.

The rage consumed his body again and he can hardly remember what happened next. All he knew was that this time it was different. It was not him at the front anymore, relishing the destruction but a monster and he was stuck in the back of his mind watching through a window in horror. This was not him, not who he should have been, not who he wanted to be. The pain of shame and disgust was too much to bear maybe it was good that he wasn’t in control any more.  Maybe this would be the merciful end.

It wasn’t. Thrall somehow managed to free Grommash from the curse and they went on to kill the Demon who’s blood they had drunk, freeing the remaining orcs from their madness.

## New ways

After he was freed from his bloodlust, Unum regrouped and continued to fight against the Burning Legion alongside Thrall to defend Azeroth against them. After they were defeated, he helped to establish Orgrimmar in Kalimdor and continued his inner Spiritual journey.  He could more frequently get into the state of being inside himself that felt like a different world. He eventually came to the realization that this really wasn’t a different world, but it was the outside world within himself.  That he was also the outside world and one with all things. His environment was himself as well. It was a feeling of oneness.  He also came to the realizations of the duality of life. That for all things to exist its opposite must also exist. That includes emotions of happiness and sadness, rage and love, good and evil. He realized that by this very virtue of all things there was hope for him to be redeemed. No not redeemed but simply to be the opposite. Even this idea eventually evolved into the understanding that the right place is in the middle. Not good or bad, angry or sad, violent or peaceful but all things at the right time.

He began to have these discussions openly now and people would freely partake in his discussions, especially the different druids and shamans of the Horde.In one of his discussion with a Tauren shaman in Orgrimmar, he mentioned that sometimes in his meditations, his feelings of oneness would be so acute and precise that he could feel the very presence of life in the elements themselves.

The Tauren cocked his head to one side and exclaimed with a gruff. Hmmm. He then asked, “Have you ever tried talking to these elements?” Unum exclaimed that it seemed ridiculous speaking out loud in that kind of state. The Tauren laughed and said not to do it with words but with his very being.

So, the next time Unum was in a state of oneness he spoke to the elements and they spoke back, but it wasn’t done with words but with an unspoken understanding. Something that can be felt. He went back and explained what had happened with the elements to the Tauren, who then taught him how to honor the elements with his being and eventually how to open himself up to receiving acknowledgements from the elements in the form of abilities. His first and only being a very weak and subtle lightning charge.  It became apparent that he would have to cultivate his state of oneness and control at all times to support these skills. A stark contrast to what he once was, but he was determined to do it, to never go back to what he once was.

One day while he was practicing, Thrall passed and noticed his improvements. He looked him in the eye and smiled warmly. A lot was in that smile. Especially hope, hope for the horde. If this one could change what could be the possibilities for all of them.

He then said to Unum “Maybe it’s time you headed to the Valley of Trials and started your new journey, Brother.” And the Tauren nodded his head in approval. “You have learned much about yourself in your journeys and there is still yet much more to learn.”

## Personality

Unum comes across as a very old soul. Staying calm in the worst situations, nothing seems to phase him but not in an aloof or uncaring fashion but more in a controlled and aware manner. He is open to talk to anyone who is ready to discuss deeper matters of life and the universe itself. He is a devout member of the Horde and although not interested in excessive warfare will engage if he must. Approachable.

## User

Tao#5944 on Discord.

Unum in game.

Appreciate if anyone would critique this and give me any pointers. Thanks.