Rai

General

Species: Jungle Troll
Gender: Male
DoB: January 20, 616
Height: 6'03" (Slouched)
Status: Alive

Relatives † ~~Vol'jin~~ | Father
† ~~Moraya~~ | Mother
Zulfli'jin | Sister

Rai is a jungle troll that Gilveradin Windrunner had once protected when he ventured deep into Quel'Thalas is pursuit of a specific flower. He was once again encountered as a prisoner of the gnolls when the party raided an encampment to free prisoners that had been taken from Last Crossing.

Appearance

Rai is somewhat runty for a troll as he doesn't stand much higher than 6'00" even when not slouching. He has a messy mane of red hair that is normally kept tied back in a braid, and has a fairly scrawny build that has clearly not been trained for physical combat. He has a light covering of pale blue fur over his entire body, which ultimately is what gives him his blue appearance.

Recently, he has revealed he is capable of magically disguising himself, and when attempting to blend in with the party he normally takes the form of a young human man with messy red hair and a look of fear almost constantly on his face.

Personality

Rai is a coward through and through. He is incredibly nervous and twitchy at almost all points, and typically spends a great deal of any sort of confrontation trying to hide behind someone or something. However, he does his best to help others, and has expressed a great deal of gratitude to those that have helped to save his life. He has been trying to make up for past mistakes, and seems to be willing (though scared) to do whatever he can to do so.

Biography

Rai was part of the original Darkspear tribe and was the son of the troll chieftain, Vol'jin alongside his sister, Zulfi. During the Second Troll Wars, his mother had sustained grievous injuries, but managed to survive, and Rai was ultimately born a few years after the fighting had ceased. The process was incredibly painful for his mother.

He grew up never knowing his mother in her prime, and he had to watch her living in pain for the majority of his life. Around the age of 13, he couldn't stand it any longer and snuck within the elven borders of Quel'Thalas in order to find a rare flower that supposedly had renowned healing properties. It was curled, cowering, around this flower that Gilveradin found him, and the young elven ranger took pity on the troll and chose to instead help him out of the elf-lands instead of killing him on the spot.

Unfortunately, the flower was not as effective as it was meant to be.

Whenever Zalazane was somehow revived, Vol'jin refused to follow the undead monstrosity that was once his best friend and instead took his people into hiding. As Zalazane broke up other troll tribes, refugees that refused to follow him eventually found their way to the Darkspear and amassed under their name as they took to a life of fleeing from the growing undead horde. Unfortunately, Rai, desperate to help his mother, was swayed by Zalazane's promises and he eventually approached the self-proclaimed troll-king in order to seek his aide.

Rai was able to sneak Zalazane into the Darkspear village under the pretense that his mother would be healed, but Zalazane's lie became known. He instead raised Rai's mother as a corpse, and sent it shambling at Vol'jin when the chieftain came to confront him. Taken aback by the sight of his most-recent mate's walking corpse, his pause was enough for Zalazane to gain the upper hand and kill him. The body was put down by Rai's sister and other members of the tribe, but the damage was done, a lot of people died in the attack, and Zalazane escaped.

The Darkspear were forced to flee with what was left of their people for their own survival, and Rai was exiled for the grievous blow that had been dealt to their people because of his act of desperation.

Chapter One: Rise of Zalazane

At some point during his exile, Rai was captured by Zalazane's forces and held prisoner by a pack of gnolls alongside those who were taken from Last Crossing. It was here that he was once again saved by Gilveradin and the rest of his friends, and he found himself indebted to the elf twice-over. He ultimately revealed that his tribe had not followed Zalazane, and Gilveradin had the idea that perhaps the Darkspear could be parleyed with for help as they were fighting a mutual enemy.

It was decided that Rai would be taken to the elven capital of Silvermoon so that the case could be brought to the Convocation, and after an incredibly tense meeting where Rai poured out his regret and intent to make up for what he had done, leave was given to Gilveradin to pursue the idea even though it meant dealing with a race that had been enemies to the elves for thousands of years. However, there was a great deal of apprehension from the Convocation for such an idea considering the nature of it.

Even so, ultimately there was not much they could lose as the Darkspear themselves were an incredibly small group that only seemed likely to get smaller.

Rai was willing to go to try and help, even if it meant his people may kill him for returning.

Fortunately, when they eventually found the Darkspear with the help of Rak, a dark troll that was freed from confinement in Durnholde, the animosity the tribe greeted Rai with did not end in his death. However, his sister, who had taken over leadership of the tribe after the death of their father, made it clear that Rai would be accompanying the group when they set off to confront Zalazane.

Rai was present when the group maneuvered through the troll ruins to the nest of the nearby activity, in which he encountered the raised corpse of his father. The group was ultimately successful in defeating the minions Zalazane had left behind, but Rai was, once again, forced to watch his father die for a second time. There was a moment of comradery between Velameestra and him as he repeatedly apologized over Vol'jin's crumbling corpse, and ultimately through the combined efforts of the elven mage and himself, they were able to complete the reverse engineering of the gravestriding spell Zalazane's necrolytes had been using.

Rai followed the rest of the group through the portal created by Velameestra using the spell, and they went on to confront Zalazane after reinforcements and additional forces were summoned to Zul'Gurub.

Rai was present for the defeat of Zalazane, and also accompanied the group back to Lordaeron.

Chapter Two: Casting Dice

During his brief stay in Lordaeron, Rai was informed of the fact the Darkspear were going to be permitted to remain on their lands in the Hinterlands, but would continue to be watched by Farstriders. He, and several other trolls, were escorted by Alleria back to their lands.

Chapter Three: The Scales Tip

Rai and his people had settled at the village of Hiri'watha, where they were under constant surveillance by the elves stationed at Quel'Danil Lodge. However, there presence there proved to be short lived as the ranger Jalinde Summerdrake chose to chase them out of elven-patrolled lands after a missive from Sylvanas was delivered by Gilveradin to the lodge. The missive had stated that the Darkspear trolls were to no longer be watched by Farstrider forces and were to be left in peace, though Jalinde, furious about the order, chose to take matters into her own hands.

Following Gil's discovery of the burned Hiri'watha, he had reached out to his sister, who in turn used sending to contact Rai and confirm his status. Rai stated that he and his fellows had returned to their former home of Revantusk Village after being chased out by the elves, and they were preparing to go back to Zandalar to find help.

Chapter Four: Homecoming

Appeared In

Chapter Three: The Scales Tip

[Alliance] Chapter Three: Session Three

Chapter Four: Homecoming

Trivia

Coming soon.