The Stranglethorn of my Youth

I be remberin' some things fer a time now....

Da waves on da beach in Stranglethorn remind meh of me youth...

We used ta live here, ya know. We be the Darkspear tribe, mon - the true rulers of Stranglethorn... until dem fish critters rose out from da seas. I do no remember much about tha', 'cept the darkness, the madness, death all around me, an' da sounds of "Keuulm chrwil rllmilmmch glmmwrchillm guuumu wrrwmmulul lrllil!" all day and night long. We be hunted, we were. Fer days, all through the brush an' trees, relentless rain hammerin' us down to boot.

Da elders sensed da end - da great voodoo no longer worked. Da raptors had been nearly wiped out... and dem fish folk had us surrounded, dey be toying with us, killing us one by one. We be forced from the lands themselves to the isles nearby. Then da humans came out of nowhere and began attacking us, over and over again.

One stormy night, our savior appeared. A ship crashed to our shores, and out came an orc by the name of Thrall. He be huge. Never seen the likes of it afore. Dressed like a warrior, he threw lighting bolts that turned the night sky into day, at the same time swinin' the sword on his side cutting down two or three opponents at a time. He was like a god come to the lands, and the humans were pushed back into their holes.

Suddenly, dem fishies came back again - and dis time it was too late - da fishies caught us all, including Thrall.

Thrall be smart, he outsmart da fishies. They think they capture him, but he free us all from da fishies. All except Sen'jin, our leader. It was too late - the fishies had sacrificed him to da Sea Witch. But we Trolls have strong voodoo, beyond death. An' da prophecy was given - Thrall would lead the Darkspear tribe from despair to hope, an' from hope to greatness.

That night we pledged ourselves as one to Thrall and to his Horde - our Horde.

The night did not end with this. The Sea Witch lay some bad mojo on Thrall, and da island started to sink. In the dark of night we hammered away frantically repairing ships, and then dem fish folk attacked us again an' again. Lucky we be, to live. Still unlucky we be. Nothing but storms ravaged our way, until each ship was scattered as naught but timber upon the new lands.

Thrall was true to da prophecy. Wrecked and broken with no place ta call home, Thrall gathered up all us Darkspear and offered us a new home among the Orcs.

I be proud ta follow Thrall where he goes. My pride is me mount, from a litter akin to Snowsong, Thrall's own mount, earned from me own merits in battle against the Allys.

Tis strange ta be back in Stranglethorn again, doing what I did in my youth... standing on the shores, fishing... Life has come full circle - one day we Darkspear may yet reclaim Stranglethorn once more. But for now, my allegience is with Thrall - FOR THE HORDE!!!!