Ashwalkers

The Ashwalker Warband is a group of Tauren, Trolls, Orcs, and other assorted races that serve the former Hawktotem Chieftain, Kashu'ake Hawktotem, now strictly called Naharak Hawktotem.

The Ashwalker Warband is a successor organization born from the destruction of the the Hawktotem Tribe. After Naharak returned to the village of Camp Ahok'awa to find it burned to cinders and most of its people slaughtered down to the last child with a Kor'kron banner waving over the pile of corpses. Naharak and his remaining warriors ritually burned their bodies, casting their ashes to the winds. Naharak released his remaining warriors from their oaths, though most elected to stay with Naharak. Together, they fled into the Stonetalon mountains to hide away from the world.

Much of that changed when a group of Trolls hailing from the Skullfang Tribe, led by the twins Jen'doo and Tecun pledged their loyalty to the former Hawktotem chieftain. Together with the Trolls, the Ashwalker Warband officially began. They came down from the mountains during the initial Iron Horde invasion to aid the Horde where several Orcs joined the warband. During the second wave of reinforcements went to Draenor, Naharak sent half the warband led by Jen'doo and Leturok. Naharak took the remaining members of the warband back into the Stonetalon Mountains.

For the most part, Naharak does not make many appearances outside of the Stonetalon Mountains, electing to remain shrouded behind his advisers. Tecun has taken up much of the leadership and remains the face of the Ashwalkers, serving his master in many capacities.

Warmaster
Naharak Hawktotem

Inner Council
None present

Champions
None present

Racial Make-up
The Ashwalker Warband is made up of a conglomerate of races:
 * Trolls - The most numerous race of the Warband, they are mainly Skullfang Jungle Trolls with a few Darkspear Trolls here or there. They were led by Jen'doo and Tecun at the behest of their father, Zul'kaz'jin, to aid Naharak.
 * Tauren - The second most numerous race of the Warband, they are mainly former Hawktotem tribesmen and a few tribeless Tauren who have wandered in search of a Tribe to serve and instead found the warband.
 * Orcs - The third most numerous race of the Warband, they hail from many clans and joined the warband individually after the Warband came down from the mountains to aid the Horde during the initial Iron Horde invasion. Several Frostwolf and Laughing Skull Orcs have officially joined the Warband on Draenor.
 * Ogres - There are few Ogres who have pledged their loyalty to the Warband, though they are very few in number. They include Stonemaul on Azeroth and former Highmaul Empire ogres.
 * Taunka - There are a few Taunka in service to Naharak, but they are mainly veterans from the time of Hranu and have survived many great battles.
 * Blood Elves - There are a few Blood Elves that have given service to Naharak, but only one who has completed a Burning.
 * Goblins - Only one Goblin is under the service of Naharak -- Blazgo Gearheart. He serves as chief engineer, making advanced weaponry and technology to serve the Warband.
 * Gnolls - A single Gnoll serves the Warband, named Ragepaw.

The Burning
The Burning is a ritual all members of the Warband take after they have proved themselves to be utile to the Warband. It evolved from The Proving of the Hawktotem Tribe where initiates would go out and do something that was worthwhile for the Tribe. Once an Ashwalker Initiate has proved himself by killing an enemy, sustaining the tribe through great effort, or any other great feat, he or she is stripped naked and sits within a fire and only given a skin of water.

The fire is allowed to burn until all that remains are the embers. The candidate is then asked to rise and walk through the embers. At this point, the overwatching elder declares that the initiate has been "born from cinders" and becomes a full member of the Warband.

The Fasting
The Fasting is a ritual in which all members eat scant food (mainly bread) and water to commemorate the destruction of Camp Ahok'awa and the formation of the Ashwalker Warband. The Fasting stands for one month and is typically the eleventh month of the year. On the passing of the final day, there is a great feast in order to celebrate the dead.

Scalping
Though scalping has overall fallen out of tradition, the Ashwalkers employ it regularly upon their enemies. Another holdover from the Hawktotem Tribe, warriors are allowed to collect scalps as trophies to show their feats in battle. It is at times commanded that scalps be taken, but many warriors forgo the tradition and only take the scalps of those who are mighty warriors.

Warmaster
Penultimate leader of the Warband, the Warmaster is in charge of all military and administrative duties of the Warband.

Inner Council
A leader without his advisers is blind. The Inner Council are the most trusted and veteran members of the Warband, who often hold the most esteemed position to be on the Warmaster's council. They are very few and hold great power and sway.

Champion
The Champions of the Warband are those who have been delegated power to lead a certain section of the warband. They are veterans of many conflicts and have shown complete loyalty and dedication to the Warband.

Lifewarden
Typically hand-chosen by the Warmaster and Champion, the Lifewardens ensure the protection of the Council and the Warmaster. Veterans of numerous campaigns and some the greatest fighters of the Ashwalkers. This elite group of fighters is sworn in, reaffirming their oaths to the Horde and the Ash. They live by the mantra "Victory or Death".

Blazeguard
The most veteran members of the Ashwalkers, they are few in number and have survived the most conflicts compared to their peers. They are sometimes chosen to lead small groups of Ashwalkers into combat or on missions. They are typically used in rituals.

Flamesworn
Those Ashwalkers who carry the banner of the Warband into multiple battles, steeling themselves against the enemies of the Horde and the Ash.

Cinderborn
The rank-and-file of the Warband. The Cinderborn -- also simply called Cinders -- are those members who have proven themselves worthy to become a full Ashwalker, but have just undergone their Burning. They are still fresh members and still have much to contribute and prove.

Spark
The recruits of the Warband. Not an official name by any means, 'Sparks' are an informal name given by the members of the Warband to designate newcomers. They must give the Warband at least two weeks of work and prove themselves before they may become full Ashwalkers.

=History=

The Destruction of Camp Ahok'awa [[File:Mists-Logo-Small.png]]
Narrative of the event can be found | here

There is no one who could say the Kashu'ake Hawktotem was a bad chieftain of the Hawktotem Tribe. He had accomplished much more than his father ever did, expanding the Tribe three times over when it was at its height under Hranu's leadership and Kashu'ake even founded a village called 'Camp Ahok'awa', in memory of his father. With this growth came greater military strength, which allowed the Hawktotem Tribe to participate in a large capacity during the Siege of Orgrimmar, fighting alongside the Skullfang Trolls led by Jen'doo. However, the siege greater depleted the Hawktotem's strength with many of the warbands not returning back to Camp Ahok'awa.

Those that did formed a single warband and made the long journey back to Camp Ahok'awa, which was located in the mountains between Stonetalon and Mulgore, in a small fertile valley intended to be defensible. When they finally came upon the ridge overlooking the village, the warband looked on in horror -- Camp Ahok'awa was burned to ash. They sprinted down the hill and arrived at the gates to a veritable hill of corpses, atop which stood a banner of the Kor'kron. Naharak quickly deduced that a Kor'kron raiding party must have been sent to the village when most of the Hawktotem's forces had been at the siege.

Kashu'ake ordered the warband to create a large funeral pyre for the the dead while he wandered the Camp. In his grief, he had a vision -- his father spoke to him, confirming that his sorrows were justified and that the slaughter was his fault. Hranu told Kashu'ake that he did not want his son to commit the same crimes and follow in his footsteps, but rather become better than him. For that, he needed to leave the Hawktotem behind in history, rather than try to continue his legacy.

Bithip Ironhoof led the ritual burning. The large pyre lit the sky red, taking the rest of the village with it. After the fires burnt themselves out, the warband scattered the ashes and Kashu'ake released his warriors from their tribal oaths. Some left, but most stayed with him. From the point forward, he forsook his name and took up his Orcish name, Naharak, as his true name. They fled into the Stonetalon Mountains where they hid away from the world.

Stonetalon Refuge, the Skullfang Trolls, and the Formation [[File:Mists-Logo-Small.png]]
After many months, Zul'kaz'jin, Chief of the Skullfang Tribe, sent his twin sons and a large group of warriors to investigate just why their ally had long been silent and if there was a problem, to aid the Hawktotem in whatever capacity possible. When the Skullfang's warband arrived at Camp Ahok'awa, there were barely any remnants of the village left as it was starting to becoming one with nature again. They continued on their quest to find out what happened they merely stumbled upon the refuge that the former Hawktotem called home. It was a makeshift camp, but as soon as they arrived the Skullfang guessed at what had happened. Jen'doo and Tecun pledged their service to Naharak, vowing to bring those who had done such a terrible crime to justice.

Jen'doo left briefly to investigate Orgrimmar and gain information. His investigation led to several small groups of Kor'kron gathering in Tanaris, but nothing substantial. He returned to the warband to find that they had settled in a location, though it was not named. Naharak, Tecun, Jen'doo and Leturok all gathered and it was declared that they would create a singular warband known as the Ashwalkers. They dubbed their outpost 'Ashwalker Post' as the base of their operations.

Naharak sent envoys to all of the Horde villages in Stonetalon Mountains, Desolace, Mulgore, Feralas, the Barrens, Thousand Needles and Durotar with a single message: he was still alive, and his power was growing. He did not wish to sit idle any longer. Recruitment amongst the Horde opened briefly during this period, with a focus on martial and spiritual skill rather than broad numbers. The races among the recruited were Orcs, Stonemaul Ogres, Taunka, a Goblin, and a Palemane Gnoll.

Iron Horde Invasion of Azeroth [[File:Warlords-Logo-Small.png]]
When the Iron Horde invaded and sacked Nethergarde Keep and Dreadmaul Hold, the Horde called out to its military forces and other adventurers to aid in pushing back the tide of iron. A messenger managed to make it to the new Ashwalker Post, asking for the Warband's aid. Naharak answered the Warchief's call, personally leading the Ashwalkers onto the battlefield. They traveled to the Eastern Kingdoms by airship, landing at Grom'gol and marching the rest of the way.

Naharak split his forces into three: the first force consisted of the newly recruited Ogres, Orcs, Taunka, Gnoll, and Tauren and were led by Naharak and Leturok One-Eye. The second force consisted almost entirely of Trolls and were led by Jen'doo of the Skullfang. The last, much smaller force was led by Tecun which consisted of his Shadow Hunters. The first and second forces typically worked in conjunction with each other. Naharak and Leturok's forces typically acted at the firm anvil while Jen'doo came sweeping around, acting as the hammer and flanking the Iron Horde's invasionary forces. Tecun's Shadow Hunters made several risky assassinations, but furthered the dissension among the Iron Horde ranks.

The Iron Horde was pushed back and the Vanguard of the Alliance and Horde went through the portal. After a majority of the battles were fought, Naharak split his forces into two. The first force would return back to the Ashwalker Post, led by Naharak and Tecun. The second force, known as the Ashwalker Expeditionary Force, led by Jen'doo and Leturok One-Eye, waited for the second portion of the invasion to begin.

Invasion of Draenor [[File:Warlords-Logo-Small.png]]
Naharak led half of his forces back to Stonetalon to deal with the problems there. However, when the call came out for the Horde to make a second wave into Draenor, the Ashwalker Expeditionary Force(AEF) charged first into the fray. They aided in the establishment of the Frostwall Garrison, but did not stay for long; they began a vicious and aggressive campaign against the Bladespire Ogres and Thunderhorn Orcs.

The AEF aided in the subsequent siege of Bladespire Fortress and its assault. From there, they made the fortress a temporary home and a base from which to launch their operations. They continued their campaign in Frostfire Ridge and were involved in the penultimate battle of Thunder Pass.

The AEF inducted several Frostwolves into its ranks after the Battle of Thunder Pass. They were those that showed a great amount of ferocity but discipline in their attacks and following the heeds of their leaders during battle. It was those Frostwolves that guided the Warband into Gorgrond where they encountered the Laughing Skull Clan. The AEF impressed the Laughing Skull Clan and individuals decided to join the AEF and become more guides for the AEF while they battled the Iron Horde and the Botani.

Along the way, the AEF encountered some exiled members of the Gorian Empire. They swore fealty to the AEF after Ragepaw and several other AEF members saved them from encroaching Botani.

After months of struggle against the Blackrock and the Botani, the AEF was recalled to Azeroth. Those Orcs and Ogres who joined the AEF were given the choice to go to Azeroth or stay amongst their people -- most decided to move to Azeroth.

Legion Invasion and the Broken Shore [[File:Legion-Logo-Small.png]]
For a long while, the Warband stayed together within the Stonetalon Mountains and simply survived. They watched the Horde slowly recover and sent representatives from time to time to campaigns, but ultimately never committed to any conflicts.

When the Legion began to pour out of portals and the sky, Naharak sent Leturok One-Eye with several veteran warriors to aid in the assault on the Broken Shore. Unknown the Ashwalker, it was the last time they would ever see them -- the Ashwalkers stayed behind as the Horde retreated, giving their last breath into the mantra "Victory or Death".

A single member of the invasion -- Zyaise Morningsworn -- came to the Ashwalkers to deliver the letter that Leturok wrote for Naharak. After reading it, Zyaise became attached to the Ashwalkers.

Using his power of An'she, Naharak led his warriors down from the mountains for the first time since the opening of the Dark Portal onto Draenor. They battled all over Kalimdor together, but when the Legion's advance was halted, they soon returned into the mountains to recuperate.

Current [[File:Legion-Logo-Small.png]]
The Ashwalker Warband are currently staying in the Stonetalon Mountains, holding off the remnants of the Kor'kron warbands that butchered Camp Ahok'awa.