Kruega

Kruega Riverwatcher is a tauren Sunwalker, formerly wandering the world and Outland to extend the will of the Earth Mother while searching for enlightenment, and his birth tribe. He's usually cheerful and optimistic, eager to lend a hand. In recent times, he's found a home and family among the Burning Tusk Tribe, as well as a mate, a female tauren known as Maengun.

Appearance

 * Height: Approximately 7'6"
 * Weight: Roughly 425 lbs.
 * Build: Average
 * Fur: White, short
 * Mane: Brown
 * Eyes: Green
 * Has a short beard growing along his jaw.
 * Has a tattoo of a shamanistic glyph for water on his right upper arm.
 * Has a tattoo of a Tauren pictogram of the sun on his left upper arm.
 * Has a tattoo of a wolf's head on his chest, over his left pectoral muscle.
 * Has missing patches of fur on the left side of his torso, and scars from a crocolisk attack in his childhood.

Kruega has a gentle face, usually devoid of hostility, aggression, or suspicion, and his verdant green eyes look at things with care and concern. His black horns have little nicks and cuts here and there. When geared for combat, he wears a modest blue platemail set, and when out of armor he favors cloth and leather, though usually with his platemail bracers and anklets. He always carries a weapon with him, and depending on its size he may also have a shield.

Speech

 * His voice is deep as with most other Tauren, but a bit rough.
 * Speaks Orcish eloquently, avoiding contractions and most idioms, but speaks Taur-ahe more casually. If there's an idiom or other saying he can relate to the situation at hand, he'll usually utter it in Taur-ahe.

Personality
Overall, Kruega is religious, kind, and well meaning. He is cautious, preferring to give things thought before rushing into them, and not afraid to shy away from something he thinks is beyond his capability. He seeks to make good with anyone he meets, and tries to assume the best of anyone that doesn't come off as malevolent. His trusting nature leads him to be oblivious to subtleties most of the time, which then leads to being taken advantage of.

Views on Other Races

 * Friendly and sympathetic towards other Tauren, Taunka and Orcs for obvious reasons.
 * Considers Trolls to be eccentric, but doesn't mind them.
 * Generally accepting of Forsaken/Undead, though he pities them for the state they're in. Same goes for Death Knights of any race but with a little uneasiness.
 * Doesn't mind Blood Elves, though he can't stay around them for too long on account of an arcane "allergy."
 * Dislikes Goblins due to their impact on areas like Azshara and Felwood, and from being swindled by a few in the past.
 * Respectful of Night Elves, especially druids.
 * Neutral on, borderline fearful of Humans, Worgen, Dwarves, Gnomes, and Draenei due to a lack of interaction.

Involuntary/Kneejerk Reactions

 * Sensitive to arcane and fel corruption; will wrinkle his nose and sneeze around blood elves, warlocks, and demonic presences.
 * If awoken abruptly or with a fright from meditation or a nap, and he's sitting up, he will fall over.
 * Additionally, he doesn't handle teleportation too well, and will usually lose his balance or fall over upon materializing.
 * Scratches at his mane behind his horn and ear when nervous or unsure of how to react to something.
 * If his words or actions inadvertently offend someone, he will back down and become nervous and upset.

Early Life
Kruega was born into a tribe that called themselves the Riverwatchers, to a female shaman named Manitowan, and a male hunter named Omachiw. Much was expected of him in his youth; stories passed down throughout the generations mentioned tauren born with white fur, that housed great spiritual power - Spirit Walkers. The tribe had not seen a Spirit Walker in generations, and the elders agreed that training should start on his fifth birthday.

Unfortunately, Kruega was far from in tune with the spiritual world. Manitowan tried for months to teach him how to hear and speak to the elements, but try as he may, he couldn't hear them. Then Omachiw attempted to teach him how to track and hunt, but with similar results. Frustrated with his inability to find his place in the tribe, Kruega cut loose with his hyperactive behavior and became a troublemaker for a couple years. A close call with a quilboar ambush would fix this, also teaching him to remain armed at all times.

Kruega would eventually find that he was a gifted angler, picking up on it and finding new methods and lures all on his own. As a testament to his skill, he once baited a crocolisk, and nearly became its meal had his tribe not been quick to react. He was saved and brought back to be mended, and within a week he was right back on the riverbank, fishing like nothing ever happened.

On Kruega's seventeenth birthday, Omachiw and one of the tribe's elders built a sweat lodge out in the middle of the Barrens, and Kruega was brought there to meditate and be cleansed spiritually. He was then set out to complete a vision quest as part of the tribe's coming-of-age rituals. On the fourth night, An'she himself appeared and spoke to him, warning of dangers to come in the future, and granted Kruega his power to protect others.

On his return, the tribe was shocked to learn what he had seen, and what had happened. Kruega felt a new warmth, strength, and focus within him and quickly became one of the tribe's more formidable braves.

Military Career
Two years later, the tribe was approached by a group of Horde ambassadors, offering food, water, and increased protection from centaur attacks in exchange for a few of the tribe's best braves. Manitowan had predicted drought in the coming months, and so the tribe accepted this offer. Kruega was among the braves given in the exchange, and he was drafted into the Horde army to bolster more local efforts while the war against the Lich King raged on in Northrend.

He passed basic training with no problems, and was assigned to the defense of the Warsong Lumber Camp in Ashenvale. He saw plenty of combat against the Alliance at this time, but also the destruction brought about by the Horde's presence. He managed to avoid any greivous injury during his time there, and was recognized a number of times for protecting other soldiers. When the war in Northrend was over, however, he was honorably discharged as the remaining troops returned from Northrend, and left to wander Orgrimmar, unemployed and effectively homeless.

The Shattering, and the Stonecalf Tribe
(Coming soon.)

More Wandering, and the Burning Tusk Tribe
(Coming soon.)

Tropes in Effect

 * Bunny-Ears Lawyer - Kruega's peaceful demeanor and klutzy nature would appear to make him more of a liability than an asset, but he's capable of keeping it together when he’s needed most.
 * Bunny-Ears Lawyer Can't Hold His Liquor / In Vino Veritas - Doesn’t drink often, but when he does, Kruega gets inebriated quick and his quiet mannerisms do a 180.
 * Especially heavy drinking has invoked Hangover Sensitivity and What Did I Do Last Night? on at least two seperate known occasions.
 * Friend To All Children - Loves children of any race, and will often be distracted by one when present in a group.
 * Gentle Giant
 * Made of Iron - Was once shot out of a cannon and into a tree, and on a couple separate occasions has reappeared wrapped in bandages after going missing. His response to everyone’s concern? “I am fine, I have taken worse.”
 * Paldin The Paladin
 * Religious Bruiser
 * Spock Speak - Played mostly straight while speaking Orcish. Follows speech patterns of this trope, but has no trouble understanding or learning most Orcish slang - he just doesn’t use it.
 * Straight Man - To nearly everyone. His naivety and easygoing attitude causes him to be serious while not being a stick in the mud, and he often ends up being the butt of a joke or put into a situation he normally wouldn’t find himself in.