Zan'rihk

**Zan'rihk** was a Witch Doctor for the Skullsplitter tribe, but after their mortal enemies, the Bloodscalp tribe, launched an attack on the capital Zul'mamwe, he along with many others were captured and taken to Zul'kunda, the Bloodscalp capital. After a long, exhausting and hopeless travel through the Glades, where the trolls were supposed to be sold as slaves, Zan found himself being the only one to reach the Bulwark, where he joined The Argent Dawn.

## Biography

### Early Life

Zan'rihk was born in the Skullsplitter capital Zul'mamwe, where he was taken care of by his older sister Yylam'rihk, and sometimes his mother Kegga. Most of the time, his father, Sal'rihk, was busy performing rituals, as he was also a Witch Doctor and a very close to that time's chieftain, whose name has been forgotten by Zan. When his younger sister and brother were born, the troll spent a lot of time with them, mostly playing games, as they were too young to do anything else. When they grew up, Zan and the others rarely saw Yylam, as she infiltrated the Bloodscalp camps and even the capital to get information about attacks, plans and so on.

### Late Teens

As Zan kept growing, his skills improved - he showed great potential as an axethrower due to his quick reflexes, accuracy and speed. However, his younger brother Val'rihk also wanted to become an axethrower. In Zan's family, there had to be at least one son who became a Witch Doctor - an interesting "tradition" in his family. It was never the plan for Zan'rihk to become the Witch Doctor, but after Val refused to stop training, Zan willingly turned down the axethrower position and started learning about the Loa and the rituals. He started off as an assistant to his father Sal'rihk, but for more important rituals his mother would take his place.

### Contacting Zan'rihk's Grandfather

Around Zan's mid-twenties, his father called him in for a ritual which was performed by Sal, Zan and Kegga. Zan was not given any information about this ritual, but he went along with it, for he knew that it was important. Only when the ritual was completed did he learn what it was about - in front of him appeared the spirit of his deceased grandfather whose name is blurry in the then young troll's mind. His spirit was summoned so he can pass his knowledge as a Witch Doctor to Zan'rihk.

Zan's father and grandfather both worshipped different Loas - Val worshipped Hethiss and could even turn into his avatar for a short period of time. His grandfather was also able to turn into an avatar of another Loa - Hir'eek. Zan'rihk was much more interested in the Bat Loa that his grandfather was talking to him about.

### The Attack

By the time Zan was 46 (Val was 43, Kegga was 62 but died at the age of 60, Sal was 71 and was being taken care of by Zan's younger brother, Ietigga was 39 and had her own Raptor named Bloodclaw, who she traveled through the forests of Stranglethorn with and barely returned to the capital, and Yylam was 49 and worked as a defense and attack planner for the Skullsplitter tribe), he was a Witch Doctor and his brother was an axethrower, but Zan was still better than Val'rihk, which lead his brother to dislike and envy Zan'rihk. One day, however...

...they had to put all of their differences aside, for the Bloodscalp and their chieftain Gan'zulah had launched an attack on Zul'mamwe, and managed to injure the Skullsplitter chieftain Ana'thek "the Cruel". The battle waged on and at first the Skullsplitter tribe was losing, however they began putting up a fight later on, which is when Gan'zulah called back the Bloodscalp trolls with the captured Skullsplitters - axethrowers, hunters... as well as Zan'rihk and his older sister, Yylam'rihk. He and the other trolls found themselves in the Bloodscalp capital, where the only thing that Zan can remember to this day is that he heard Gan'zulah talking to a goblin, who was there to buy the imprisoned Skullsplitters.

This did not happen immediately after the attack, however. The trolls were imprisoned for around four months, and during that time the Bloodscalp tribe was in need of money and materials - so what better way to get some of those items than to sell the trolls who were sitting in cages in the corners of the capital?

### Tirisfal Glades

The trolls felt like they were being transported somewhere... when Zan woke up, he found himself in a cage with three other trolls, including his sister Yylam'rihk. The cage, however, was on a flying zeppelin. His sister told him that while he was sleeping, she overheard some orcs talking about how a goblin was going to pick them up at a town named "Brill". However, they never reached the town, for the zeppelin malfunctioned and crashed into what Zan could, at that time, describe as a dead land with horrifying noises coming from the woods - The Tirisfal Glades.

The trolls were able to get out because of the crash, which forced open the door to the cage. They soon found out what was making those noises - dead... but alive, rotting corpses, charging at them and attacking with no second thoughts. Before they could take on some of them, one of the trolls was already dead and had become the meal of those creatures.

While wandering through the dead woods, they saw people in a tabard with a flame on them - though they did not know who those people were. The other troll whose name Zan does not remember, approached the group, but was immediately shot down and mauled by a rutheless hound.

Zan and his sister were the only ones left; they kept going...

Half a day later, in the distance they saw a fortified-looking and well-defended base, The Bulwark. They were not able to reach it peacefully however, for they were being chased by undead that seemed to only grow bigger and bigger the more the two trolls ran. Zan was the first to make it over to the Bulwark, where he was helped up by people in a black tabard with a sun on it. He turned around to see his sister, and he did - with two ghouls next to her, one biting into her arm and the other feasting on her insides.

He later went on to join the Dawn. He spent some time in the Bulwark, and was later transported to Chillwind under Commander Pureheart, and then transferred with his Squad to Light's Hope Chapel.

### Light's Hope Chapel

Zan'rihk served as a Witch Doctor for the Argent Dawn for Squad 6 for some time. His mysterious ways stirred mistrust among his collegues who often became suspicious of him.

Before the 3rd Siege of Lights Hope, Zan'rihk performed a ritual and was able to summon *Virgil .*Zan asked Virgil for power, Virgil offered Zan a magical pendant which would strengthen his powers greatly, but at the cost that 'When the time came, Zan'rihk would do as Virgil instructed'. Zan'rihk agreed.

### Death

During the attack on Light's Hope, Zan'rihk, along with his squadmates, were trying to hold back the undead advancing towards the middle gate. Some time after the group began finding ways to slow them down, one of the Four Horsemen, Blaumeux, used a Death Gate to get up on the hill where the Argents were. Zan'rihk, who was injured during another fight, was unable to get out of the way of her strike fast enough, and was sent down into the hill where a fire was growing, consuming the undead. After the group dealt with the Death Knight, they took a breath then rushed to the edge of the hill and looked down, but the fire was too big, and they couldn't see the Witch Doctor's body.

### Undeath

Zan'rihk was taken by Lady Blaumeux who took him to Kel'Thuzad.  Kel'Thuzad promised Zan'rihk a high position in the Scourge if he surrendered the Pendent he carried from Virgil. Zan'rihk agreed, and Kel'Thuzad killed and raised Zan'rihk into the ranks of the Cult of the Damned.

Zan'rihk served for a short time, instructing cultists on his witch doctor magic, and learning new magic of his own. Unfortunately, when the Argent Dawn's Squad 6 was later imprisoned in Naxxramas, Zan'rihk became overwhelmed with the desire to free the Squad, he was able to free the Argents but in his maddened state, Malgron snapped Zan's neck believing him to be a threat.

### Servant

Zan'rihk's Spirit would be recruited by Virgil, and Zan would serve Virgil as an assistant of sorts, appearing to the Squad to convey Virgil's wishes and information in Virgil's place.

Zan'rihk proposed a deal to Gron'kan and Karakk in which they would surrender powerful artifacts to Virgil to help his power, and in exchange, Virgil would grant them strength and power in turn. This plan was discovered by Sholanar who laid a trap and had Gron and Karakk arrested.

Sholanar later attempted to uncover the mask of Zan'rihk which he had been using as an anchor in the physical world, but was never able to.

Following Virgil's myterious dissapearance from the Shadowlands, Zan'rihk's spirit has gone into hiding in the cave behind Light's Hope Chapel, hoping to avoid an encounter with the powerful spirits of Minor or Kay (Beatrice.

## Relationships

### Gron'kan Nozhuk

Zan and Gron had a neutral relationship at the start, but after a few missions, Zan began disliking Gron for helping members of the squad he disliked, and their relationship became even worse when Araxamas Terimidias, or someone that looked like him, killed another orc that was part of the squad. Gron'kan said he knew that man, and Zan was very angry at him, mainly for not telling him and the other squad members about Araxamas.

Recently, when the Argents barely made it to Light's Hope, Zan and Gron began yelling at eachother, ending with Gron storming off, and Zan glaring at him, murmuring.

### Relas Paleweald

Zan immediately disliked Relas because of his race and attitude, trying to help people who Zan saw as a burden that would just slow them down. In Scholomance, his opinion of Relas slightly increased after he cleansed the troll of a weaker version of the Plague the entire squad had contracted. When Undead engaged them however, Zan quickly joined Karakk in trying to get the doors open instead of helping Relas and the others.

### Karakk 'Quickcoin' Spannerbomb

Zan did not mind Karakk at the start, but started disliking him later because of his attitude. However, while in Scholomance, Zan saw that Karakk was actually useful when he worked with the others as a team, and started liking him. After going on a few missions together, Zan and Karakk became good friends, as both have almost the same mindset.

### Amitola Ironsong

Amitola and Zan met in Chillwind a few days before the squad's teleportation to Light's Hope. They talked a bit and Zan learnt that Amitola also had a tough life before joining the Dawn. The troll didn't mind having Amitola around during missions, but they weren't together for long, because when the group was in Scholomance, Amitola disappeared, and Zan, nor the others, heard anything from her for a long time. While running from Undead to the Bulwark after being teleported in the middle of the Plaguelands by Cultists who disguised themselves as mages of the Dawn, Amitola appeared just in time to save Zan and the others. She helped them get back to the Bulwark and came with them to Light's Hope, where she continued going on missions with the squad.

### Sael Flamewhisper

Although not seen interracting much, Zan was not very fond of Sael. They were only together for a short amount of time - while trying to flee from undead after the death of one of his squadmates by the hand of a Scarlet, the tent of said squadmate was set on fire, attracting undead. Zan was quick to run away, separating himself from the group. The group crossed paths with Zan and regrouped, but the undead were still many and chasing them - Sael stayed behind and sacrificed himself, giving the others time to flee, and dying as a result. Zan was not phased by his death, and didn't care that the elf was now forever gone.

### Grimsharr Stonebleeder

The pair's relationship started as positive, but after the orc helped squad members Zan disliked, he was met by the troll's glare, however he didn't seem to care much. Grimsharr and the Witch Doctor were not together for long - after being teleported to the Plaguelands by Scourge cultists that were disguised as Argent mages, Grimsharr was killed by the man in Scarlet armor who took them to an isolated camp. After the orc's death, the tent he was sleeping in was set on fire by his killer, attracting undead to the camp. Zan was slightly upset after losing his commrade, which also affected his relationship with Gron, who trusted the Scarlet and avoided most questions asked by his squadmates.

## Notes

* Zan'rihk is the first player to be a Witch Doctor in the Dawn.
* Zan'rihk has performed something known as "head-shrinking" ICly. It is one of the many things Witch Doctors do. It is believed that, during the "head-shrinking" ritual, the Witch Doctor traps a person who was killed by them's spirit so it does not return to haunt the troll.
	+ He has also made a voodoo doll of his captain, Gron'kan.

## Gallery

Zan hatches a deal with VirgilZan pledges himself to Kel'ThuzadZan's Spirit speaks with Thornir